JPH0418647B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a connector placement head used in a wire harness manufacturing system.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a work head used for automatically arranging connectors during the manufacturing process of wire harnesses constituting electrical wiring for automobiles, consumer electronics, and electronic musical instruments.

(Prior Art) An example of the above-mentioned wire harness is the one shown in FIG. It is connected.

Manufacturing of wire harnesses has conventionally been carried out entirely by hand, but if a wire harness like the one shown in Figure 6 were to be manufactured by hand, the wires W would first be laid out according to a predetermined pattern. The procedure is to press-connect the wires W to the connector C at a predetermined position, and then bind the wires W at a predetermined position with the binding material B.

The above-mentioned work not only requires a large amount of labor, but also has very low work efficiency. In addition, since it relies on a batch work method, if a continuity test is performed at the final stage and a defect such as a wiring error is discovered, all the work up to that point is often wasted.

Furthermore, when the configuration of the wire harness becomes complicated, work errors are likely to occur, especially in wiring.

In order to solve such problems, the applicant
We have developed a wire harness manufacturing system as shown in Figure 7.

An example thereof is shown in FIG. 7 and its outline will be explained. A robot RB is erected in the center of a wiring table 2 on an arc horizontally fixed on a base 1, and around it are a work head housing unit 3, a connector supply device 4, a binding material and a wire supply. Units 5 and 6 are provided. A robot hand H is attached to the tip of the arm A of the robot RB, and under the control of the computer built into this device, the robot hand H moves in the θ direction (vertical direction of the robot RB) according to a given program. The robot moves in the R direction (direction of approaching and moving away from the central axis), and Z direction (vertical direction).

The robot hand H first selects and holds the first work head 7 from the storage unit 3 and moves it, and this head 7 transfers the pressure contact type connectors C sequentially supplied from the supply device 4 via the chute S onto the wiring table 2. Place it in place. Next, the robot hand H selects and holds the second working head 8 from the storage unit 3 and moves, and this head 8 successively press-connects the wires W pulled out from the supply unit 6 to the connector C, and conducts a continuity test. Perform wiring.

During this time, if necessary, the wire W is cut after the pressure bonding. Finally, the robot hand H selects and holds the third work head 9 from the storage unit 3 and moves, and this head 9 binds the wires W with the binding material B pulled out from the supply unit 5 to complete the wire harness. This is what I did.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide a connector placement head for use in a system for manufacturing the pressure-contact type wire harness as described above using a robot.

(Basic Structure of the Invention) The connector placement head for a wire harness manufacturing system according to the present invention is fitted into a main body configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis while being held by a robot hand, with a housing block biased downward, A clamp unit is attached to the lower end of the oblique shaft rotated by a drive mechanism in the housing block, and the clamp unit is always in a state of elastic pressure contact with each other due to the biasing force of a spring. Basically, the housing block is equipped with a stopper mechanism that expands and stops at a predetermined position to clamp the connector that is being fed, and when the connector is rolled over, the housing block clamps the connector and stops at the predetermined position. The structure shall be as follows.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the connector placement head of the present invention, showing a state in which the connector is held.
Figure 2 shows how the connector is placed on the jig. In the figure, a connector placement head 500
Roughly divided in terms of functional structure, there is a base plate 510 that engages with the robot hand, a main body 520 that is supported by the base plate 510 and can be rotated in the horizontal direction, and a main body 520 that is supported below the main body 520 and is tilted. Clamp unit 570 that can rotate 180 degrees about the axis
and an upper structure 59 connected above the main body 520.
Consists of 0.

The main body 520 has a circular shape as a whole, and a gear 521 and a cylindrical base plate 522 that rotates together with the gear 521 are mounted on the base plate 510 via a bearing 523 and fixed on the upper part thereof. The gear 521 meshes with a drive gear built into the robot hand, so that when the gear on the robot hand side rotates, the main body 520 as a whole pivots about the central axis.

The main body 520 is equipped with a housing block 524 that rotates coaxially with the main body and is fitted with a drop lock at the top flange, and a shaft hole 525 in the housing block 524 has a bevel gear 52 on the output shaft.
8 is fitted into the hydraulic rotary actuator 527
are fixed concentrically, and a diagonal hole 526 is formed in the lower part of the housing block 524 so as to meet the shaft hole 525 and the bottom end thereof. A diagonal shaft 529 protruding from both ends of the diagonal hole 526 is rotatably inserted through bearings, and a bevel gear 530 tightly fitted to the upper end of the diagonal shaft 529 is a bevel gear on the rotary actuator side. It is meshingly engaged with the gear 528, and the oblique shaft 529
At the lower end is a clamp unit 57 as described later.
0 is firmly fitted.

Furthermore, a connector feeding tube 531 is vertically installed in the main body 520, and a connector holding shelf 532 that opens toward the clamp unit 570 is provided at the lower end of the tube.
is formed. The feeding cylinder 531 is connected to a supply device for the connector CR by, for example, a flexible hose, and the connectors supplied one by one are
The CR falls within the feeding cylinder 531, reaches the holding shelf 532, and is held in an upright position.

A shaft integral with the output shaft protrudes from the top end of the rotary actuator 529, and a limit actuation piece 533 extending in the radial direction is tightly fitted to this shaft. A pair of limit switches 534a and 53 are located at positions 180 degrees apart from the center of the housing block 524 within the rotation range of the limit actuation piece 533.
4b is installed horizontally, and limit switch 5 is installed horizontally.
35a and 535b are erected.

The upper structure 590 is held in position by support bolts 594 and the limit switch 535
It consists of a crowning member 592 on which a slope 593 is formed to engage with the crowning member 592 and the housing block 524, and a compression coil spring 591 interposed between the crowning member 592 and the housing block 524.
91, the housing block 524 is always urged downward.

Next, the configuration of the clamp unit 570 is shown in FIG.
It is shown in Figure 4. A fixed claw 57 is provided at the lower end of the oblique shaft 529.
1 is firmly fitted, and in combination with this, a movable claw 57
2 is loosely fitted. A compression coil spring 574 is loaded on a pin 573 that is loosely inserted through both claws, and this biasing force draws the movable claw 572 toward the fixed claw 571, and the clamp unit 5
70 maintains a normally closed state.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the lower part of the housing block 524 showing a state in which the clamp unit 570 and the stopper mechanism are attached, and FIG. 5B shows the stopper mechanism. In the same figure, the feed pipe 53
Two stoppers 537 and 538 are planted on a bracket 536 fixed to the main body 520 near the holding shelf 532 of the clamp unit 536 so as to abut the clamp unit 570 in the upright state (the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 1). The longer stopper 537
comes into contact with the movable claw 572, and the shorter stopper 5
37 comes into contact with the fixed claw 571. Therefore, when the clamp unit 570 stands up, the movable claw 572 first comes into contact with the longer stopper 537 and rotation is stopped, so that it cannot move any further and the fixed claw 571
advances until it hits the shorter stopper 538, so
The clamp unit 570 expands around the oblique shaft 529, and is in a state where it can grip the connector CR on the holding shelf 532. In addition, the clamp unit 5
When the movable claw 572 is in the overturned state shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1, the movable claw 572 comes into contact with the stopper 539 and stops.

Next, the operation will be explained. First, the clamp unit 570 is in an upright state as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, and faces the holding shelf 532 in an expanded state. When the connector CR falls down the feeding cylinder 531 and reaches the holding shelf 532, the reflective photoelectric sensor 540 attached to the bracket 535 detects this and confirms the presence of the connector CR, and the actuator 527 starts and tilts. As the shaft 529 rotates, the clamp unit 570 gradually tilts from the upright position and separates from the holding shelf 532. As the fixing claw 571 separates from the stopper 538, the opening of the clamp unit 570 closes due to the biasing force of the compression spring 574, and eventually grips the connector CR.

When the actuator 527 rotates 180 degrees, the clamp unit 570 comes into contact with the stopper 539 of the bracket 536 and stops, and the limit actuation piece 5
33 operates the limit switch 534b, sends a timing signal to a control device (not shown), and the rotation of the oblique shaft 527 is stopped. At this time, the clamp unit 570 is attached to the stopper 53 of the bracket 535.
8 and comes to a standstill as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1, and the connector CR remains in a horizontal state. Then, the robot hand holding the board 510 moves downward in the Z direction, and the head 5
The entire 00 is lowered and the connector is pressed against the jig. At this time, in order to help ensure that the connector CR is attached to the jig H, the robot hand is lowered slightly from the position where the housing block 524 has finished attaching the connector, as shown in FIG. 591 acts to press the connector CR downward and strengthen the attachment force. According to the above, the main body 520 and the upper structure 590
lowers relative to the housing block 524, and the crown member 592 lowers the limit switch 535.
When the limit switch 535a is activated, a signal indicating that the connector CR is securely attached is outputted from the limit switch 535a. If the limit switch 535a does not operate at this time, it indicates that the housing block 524 has not been lowered properly, and if the limit switch 535b also operates, it indicates that the housing block 524 has lowered excessively. In such a case, the condition of the output signal of each limit switch can be determined to control an emergency stop of the device.

In this way, when the attachment of the connector CR is completed, the robot hand moves in the Z direction and the entire head 500 rises. During this time, the clamp unit 570 remains closed, but the compression spring 57
4 from the jig H to the connector CR.
Since the clamping force applied to the pin is normally larger, when the clamp unit 570 rises, the connector CR will naturally come off and remain in the jig H.

If the number of pins in the connector is small and the jig cannot provide sufficient tightening force, for example, a push pin driven by a solenoid or the like may be provided in the main body 520 to press the connector against the jig. When the clamp unit 570 is completed, push the movable claw 572 with this push pin, and
may be opened to release the connector.

When the head 500 has finished rising, the actuator 527 rotates in the opposite direction, and the clamp unit 570 gradually stands up from its overturned position, and stops when the fixed claw 571 comes into contact with the stopper 538.
When the actuator 570 rotates 180 degrees in this manner, the limit actuation piece 533 operates the limit switch 534a, and sends a timing signal to a control device (not shown). At this time, the clamp unit 570 returns to the upright state shown by the solid line in FIG.
The movable claw 572 contacts the stopper 537, the clamp unit 570 is expanded, faces the holding shelf 530, and repeats the same operation as described above for the next connector CR to be fed.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, according to the connector arrangement head of the present invention, the clamp unit 5
By simply rotating the 70 by 180°, connectors that have been fed vertically can be instantly shifted to a horizontal state, and since the main body rotates 360°, the orientation of the connectors can also be set at the same time. , the placement of the connector on the jig can be done extremely quickly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the connector placement head of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connector placement head of the present invention places connectors, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector placement head of the present invention. 4 is a sectional view of the clamp unit; FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views showing the clamp unit and the stopper mechanism; FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the wire harness; FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the wire harness manufacturing system. 500... Connector placement head, 510...
Board, 520...Main body, 521...Gear, 527
... Rotating actuator, 529 ... Oblique shaft, 5
32... Connector holding shelf, 590... Upper structure, 570... Clamp unit, 571... Fixed claw, 572... Movable claw, CR... Connector,
H...Jig.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A housing block is fitted in a state in which it is urged downward into the main body which is held by a robot hand and configured to be able to rotate about a vertical axis, and the lower end of the oblique shaft is rotated by a drive mechanism in the housing block. Clamp units are installed that are always in a state of elastic pressure contact with each other due to spring biasing force, and when the clamp units are in an upright state, they expand and stop at a predetermined position to clamp the connector being fed, and the connector is rolled over. 1. A connector placement head for a wire harness manufacturing system, characterized in that the housing block is provided with a stopper mechanism that clamps the connector and stops it at a predetermined position when the connector is removed.