JPH11185545A - Manufacture of wire harness for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manufacture a wire harness with high efficiency. SOLUTION: Wires constituting a same circuit are not divided into wire- distribution areas to an automobile but are left continuous, these wires are arranged in a row at equal spaces and connected, at necessary positions, to pairs of female pressure-contact connectors 10, 10' and male pressure contact connectors 11, 11' each containing a pressure contact leaving a gap between them, thereafter these wires are divided by cutting them off between the pressure contact connectors, and the wires having the pressure contact connectors connected thereto at their ends are bound together with other groups of wires constituting a same wire harness for each of wire distribution areas to the automobile.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wire harness for wiring on an automobile, and more particularly to a method of efficiently manufacturing a wire harness which is electrically connected to form one circuit with a reduced number of processes. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Wire harnesses installed in automobiles are:
In order to improve the efficiency of the automobile assembly line, as shown in FIG. 8, a floor harness (engine room harness) 1, a cowl harness 2, an instrument panel harness (instrument harness) according to an area (part) to be routed.
3, a floor right harness 4, a floor left harness 5, left and right front doors 6A and 6B, left and right rear door harnesses 7A and 7B, a trunk room harness 8, a roof harness 9, and the like.

For example, to configure a circuit for connecting a power supply to an electrical component mounted on the trunk room side of an automobile, a terminal A (battery) of the floor harness 1 and a terminal B (electric component) of the trunk room harness 9 shown in FIG. ), The electric wire w1 in the floor harness 1, the electric wire w2 of the instrument panel harness 3, and the electric wire w of the floor right harness 4.
3. One circuit is configured by sequentially connecting the electric wire w4 of the trunk room harness 9 with a connector.

[0004]

In order to constitute one circuit as described above, four wires w1 to w4 are required, and in order to connect them sequentially, each wire is cut to a predetermined length. Terminals are connected to the terminals of each of these wires, and furthermore, since these terminals are connected via connectors, processing time and labor are increased, and furthermore, since a large number of wires are required as described above, This is a factor that increases costs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and has as its object to manufacture a wire harness efficiently and at low cost by reducing the number of processes and the number of electric wires.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, the electric wires constituting the same circuit are continuous without being divided for each wiring area to the automobile, and these electric wires are arranged at the same pitch. , And at a required point, a pair of female press-connecting connectors and male press-connecting connectors each accommodating the press-connecting terminal are connected with a gap, and then the wires between these press-connecting connectors are cut and divided, and There is provided a method of manufacturing a wire harness for an automobile, wherein an electric wire having a terminal connected to a press-connecting connector is bound together with another group of electric wires constituting a wire harness for each wiring area to the automobile.

As described above, among the electric wires that are finally divided and formed as the wire harnesses of the respective regions, the electric wires that constitute the same circuit are continuously connected to a plurality of regions, and the divided positions are set. Then, when a pair of male and female press-connecting connectors are press-connected, and after the connection, the wires between the pair of press-connecting connectors are cut and removed and divided, the wires of the same circuit can be formed from a single wire. In addition, the attachment of the connector to the electric wire can be automated by using a crimping connector, measuring the electric wire for each conventional wire harness, crimping the terminal to the end of the electric wire, and further connecting the terminal to the connector. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the work of inserting the wire into the wire, thereby reducing the electric wire consumption, the number of processes, and the like. Further, since the press-connecting connectors are press-connected to the wires constituting the same circuit, the arrangement of the press-connecting connectors for these wires is not restricted, and the workability is also good in this respect.

[0008] The electric wires having the press-connecting connectors connected to both ends are accommodated in an electric connection box, and the press-connecting connectors of both terminals are accommodated in a connector accommodating portion provided in the electric connection box to constitute another wire harness. May be connected to a mating connector connected to the terminal of the electric wire to be connected. The connection via the electric junction box is suitably adopted at a T-shaped or cross-shaped branch portion. It goes without saying that the press-connecting connectors of the wire terminals may be connected to each other without passing through the electric connection box.

Further, according to the present invention, the electric wires constituting the same circuit are continuous without being divided for each wiring area in an automobile, these electric wires are arranged at the same pitch, and the press-connecting terminals are accommodated at required places. One of the pair of male and female same press-connecting connectors is connected with a gap, then the wires between these press-connecting connectors are cut, and the wires connected to these press-connecting connectors are divided into regions by wire harness. And a method for manufacturing a wire harness in which the same press-connecting connector is connected to the same press-connecting connector via the male or female conversion press-connecting connector.

As described above, the press-connecting connector to be connected with a gap is not necessarily limited to a pair of male and female press-connecting connectors. What is necessary is just to connect the female press-connecting connector connected to the wire terminal to both sides of the connector.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows application points of the first embodiment, and includes a front harness 1, an instrument panel harness 3,
The three wire harnesses of the floor right harness 4 connect the wires constituting the same circuit at the T-shaped connection portion X by a method of directly connecting the wires to each other by a connector or a method of passing through an electric connection box, Power is supplied from the power supply side to the electrical component side via the control unit.

The front harness 1, the instrument panel harness 3, and the floor right harness 4 are conventionally formed as described above.
Although they were manufactured separately from each other, in the present invention, they are manufactured by the steps shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C. That is, among the electric wires constituting the front harness 1, the instrument panel harness 3, and the floor right harness 4, the electric wires constituting the same circuit are not divided and are kept in a continuous state, and the connection portion X (in other words, the divided portion 2), the electric wires to be divided into the respective harnesses 1, 3, and 4 are arranged as shown in FIG.

That is, the electric wire w10 which continues from the front harness 1 to the instrument panel harness 3, the front harness 1
An electric wire w11 continuous from the floor harness 4 to the floor right harness 4 and an electric wire w12 continuous from the instrument panel harness 3 to the floor right harness 4 at the T-shaped connection portion X at the same pitch at both lateral positions P1 and P2 in the horizontal axis direction. Align.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 2 (B), the female press-connecting connector 10 and the male press-connecting connector 11 each accommodating the press-connecting terminal are arranged at the alignment position P1 with a gap C therebetween. The male and female press-connecting connectors 10 and 11 are press-connected to each other through the wires w10 and w11. Similarly, also at the alignment position P2, the male and female press-connecting connectors 10 'and 11' accommodating the press-connecting terminals are arranged, and the male and female press-connectors 10 'and 11' are press-connected to the male and female press-connectors 10 through the electric wires w11 and w12.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A and 4B, each of the press-connecting connectors 10 to 11 'has a press-connecting terminal 12 previously housed in each of the terminal accommodating chambers 10a to 11a'. The crimping terminal and the wire w are automatically crimped and connected only by wiring the wire by an automatic crimping machine. After the crimping connection, the connector cover 15 is also automatically covered and locked.

As shown in FIG. 2B, after the electric wire w is connected to the insulation displacement terminal in the insulation displacement connector, as shown in FIG. 2C, the electric wire in the gap C between the male and female insulation displacement connectors 10 and 11 is connected. Cut and remove. Similarly, the male and female crimp connectors 10 'and 1
The wire in the gap C with 1 ′ is cut and removed. Thereby, the wire group 100 connecting the female press-connecting connector 10 to the terminal,
The male press connector 11 is connected to one end and the other end is connected to the female press connector 10 ', and the other end is divided into a wire group 200 and the male press connector 11' is connected to the wire group 300.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2 (D), the above-mentioned electric wire group 100 is finally bound to another electric wire group constituting the front harness 1 to produce a front harness. Wire group 2
No. 00 is finally bound to another group of electric wires constituting the instrument panel harness 3 and manufactured as an instrument panel harness. Electric wire group 300
Is manufactured as a floor right harness by tying it with another group of wires constituting the floor right harness 4.

According to the method for manufacturing a wire harness,
The wires constituting the same circuit need not be cut to the required length for each wire harness. Therefore, the electric wire consumption can be significantly reduced, and the cost can be reduced. Also, the crimping connection of the terminal to the wire terminal, which was required in the conventional manufacturing method, and the operation of inserting the connected terminal into the predetermined terminal insertion chamber of the connector can all be performed by the automatic crimping machine. Thus, it is possible to efficiently manufacture the wire harness.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show a second embodiment, which is applied to the same portions as the first embodiment. The front harness 1, the instrument panel harness 3, and the floor right harness 4 At the T-shaped connection part X, the connection is made via the electric connection box 40.

That is, at the T-shaped connection portion X, the press-connecting connectors 10 to 11 'are pressed against both sides P1 and P2 of the T-shaped horizontal axis in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and as shown in FIG. The electric wire w10 and the electric wire w12 are also aligned at the same pitch at the vertical axis end position P3 of the T-shape. At this position P3, as shown in FIG. 5B, the female press-connecting connector 10 "and the male connector 11" are arranged with a gap C therebetween, and the electric wire w10
And the electric wire 12 are press-connected. Then, FIG.
As shown in (C), similarly to the first embodiment, the wires in the gaps C between the press-connecting connectors 10 and 11, 10 'and 11', and 10 "and 11" are cut and removed, and the press-connecting connector 10 is terminated. The wire group 100 connected to the terminal, the wire group 200 connecting the press-connecting connector 11 ′ to the terminal, the wire group 300 ′ connecting the press-connecting connector 11 ″ to the terminal, the press-connecting connectors 11, 10 ′,
10 ″ is divided into a wire group 400 connected to three terminals of T.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the electric wire group 400 is housed inside the electric connection box 40, and the connector housing portions 40a, 40 formed on the outer surface of the electric connection box 40.
The press-connecting connectors 11, 10 ′, 10 ″ connected to the terminals of the wire group 400 are respectively accommodated in b and 40 c. The electric connection box 40 may be used alone, or may be used for other electric connection boxes 50. And may be housed in an electrical junction box housing a bus bar or the like.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show a third embodiment.
The same female press-connecting connectors 10A and 10B as a pair of press-connecting connectors for press-connecting the wire group w15 with a gap C therebetween.
And are used. As described above, when the same type of press-connecting connector is used, when the electric wire in the gap C is cut and removed and assembled into another wire harness and connected at the time of arranging a car, as shown in FIG. A male press-fitting connector having a female press-fitting connector fitting portion at
And an electric wire having the same circuit is connected between the female press-connecting connectors 10A and 10B at the ends of the electric wires of the wire harness.

[0023]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to the present invention, an electric wire that is electrically one circuit is not divided for each wire harness manufactured for each area. The electric wires are aligned over the area, these electric wires are aligned, and a pair of press-connecting connectors are connected to a required portion (a portion to be divided later) by an automatic press-connecting machine with a gap therebetween. Since the intervening wires are cut and removed and divided, it is possible to automate all the steps of measuring wires, connecting terminals to each wire end after cutting, inserting connected terminals into connectors, etc., and manufacturing wire harnesses The efficiency can be dramatically improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a portion to which the present invention is applied.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are schematic views showing manufacturing steps according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a relationship between an electric wire and a press-connecting connector.

4A is a cross-sectional view showing a connection state between an electric wire and a press-connecting connector, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6A is a schematic plan view of a final step of the second embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a schematic sectional view.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams showing a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic layout diagram of a wire harness routed to an automobile.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front harness 3 Instrument panel harness 4 Floor right harness 10, 10 ', 10 "female insulation displacement connector 11, 11', 11" male insulation displacement connector 40 Electrical connection box

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electric wire constituting the same circuit is continuous without being divided for each wiring area for a vehicle, these electric wires are arranged at the same pitch, and a pair of press-fit terminals respectively housed at required positions. The female press-connecting connector and the male press-connecting connector are connected with a gap, and then the wires between these press-connecting connectors are cut and divided. A method for manufacturing an automobile wire harness, wherein the wire harness is bound together with another group of electric wires constituting each wire harness. 2. An electric wire having a press-connecting connector connected to both ends thereof is accommodated in an electric connection box, and the press-connecting connectors of both terminals are accommodated in a connector accommodating portion provided in the electric connection box. The method for manufacturing a wire harness for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the wire harness is connectable to a mating connector connected to an end of an electric wire constituting the wire harness. 3. The electric wires forming the same circuit are continuous without being divided for each wiring area to the automobile, these electric wires are arranged at the same pitch, and the male and female accommodating the press-contact terminals at required places respectively. One of the same press-connecting connectors is connected with a gap, and then the wires between these press-connecting connectors are cut and divided, and the wires connected to these press-connecting connectors are connected to a wiring harness for each wiring area to the automobile. A method for manufacturing a wire harness for automobiles, wherein the same press-connecting connectors are connected together via one of the male and female converting press-connecting connectors.