SK400590A3 - System for production of bunched wires - Google Patents

Abstract

Wire harnesses are assembled by preparing wires in a first region (11) and assembling the harnesses in a second region (12). The harnesses are assembled in the second region by conveying the harnesses from one end of a conveyor (23) to the other, by providing multiple work stations (15) along the conveyor for manual work functions, by providing local supplies (32) of wires at some work stations, by providing local supplies (40) of connectors at some work stations, and by connecting some of the wires to some of the connectors at some of the work stations and integrating them into a wire harness (8). The local supplies of wires at some work stations are provided by transporting the wires from the first region to the work stations. The conveyor is incremented periodically and the work functions at the various work stations are preselected to require substantially equal time to perform. The prepared wires for the harnesses are stored in channel trays (20) and may be transported and supported on mobile carriages. The channel trays are U-shaped and may be oriented horizontally or vertically. The conveyor includes, near its upstream end, a trough (50, 52) along one or both sides to permit the embryonic harness to be arranged transversely of the conveyor with portions hanging and/or supported in the trough(s). The harness may be carried by fingers on the conveyor and in which the harness is placed. Some loom tables (36) are provided adjacent respective ones of the work stations. Some of those loom tables are pivotally mounted for rotation between operating and idle positions to facilitate assembly operations at the work stations. A taping arrangement adjacent the mechanized conveyor provides a taping machine (38) which is mounted for convenient manual displacement. The machine may be on a pivotable platform which also includes a clamp mechanism for supporting and tensioning a wire harness for taping. The machine is constructed to fully enclose the harness being taped, and includes a two-piece housing which may be opened and closed and a similar two-piece orbiting plate which moves within and opens and closes with the housing. A terminal assembling tool (42) connects multiple terminated wires with a common bus connector. The tool includes first and second jigs which pre-position the wires and the connector and are movable between a load/unload position and a connecting position. The jig for the connector includes a retainer member which interacts with the connector to assist in removing the terminated wires from the other jig following connection.

Description

Equipment for the production of wire harnesses

Technical field

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for producing wire harnesses, each wire harness consisting of a plurality of wire harnesses, comprising a mechanized conveyor with an inlet and outlet section and a plurality of workstations along it to gradually form the wire harnesses. Br Ded KY- attached thereto ^by other mounting a seed beam and move with it.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wire harnesses are produced in many forms and with many techniques, starting with intensive manual work and ending with the use of relatively high levels of automation. Manual production can only be accepted if automation would require significant capital investment and would be relatively inflexible. Production high.

cic! / high-quality, inexpensive harnesses for motorcycles ·

Initial equipment and variation costs

a high degree of automation. However, the relatively high cost of manual labor argues against the inefficient use of this work.

Thus, while flexibility in production may require maintenance of manual labor during production, it is important that the procedures and machinery used are as efficient and efficient as possible for the production to be competitive.

In earlier production systems, harnesses, different persons or others performed different operations at different locations, ie one robot-to-wire cutter, other sub-assembly work and another overall assembly. Recently it has been improved by a continuous production process in which one operation, such as the assembly subgroups, but this technique has been why. k- * ³ ?

strain or repetition, it could do more wire cutting, preparing for time-consuming final assembly and physical operator to the workstation. In addition, a lot of time required the incorporation of robotics to do all these operations.

Since joining a plurality of conductors in different pre-arrangements is at the core of the production of conductor bundles, efficient processing of these conductors during the manufacturing process is particularly important.

of wires and other bundles often needed to be wrapped around - the wraps around the wires were usually done manually around the bundle. In tape and time to activity extremely

In the manufacture of bundles of longitudinal objects, the bundles of such bundles are compact. When creating bundles, wrapping a bundle of wires depending on the size of the bundle, the kind of performance of this operation, it is strenuous and even painful for the person doing it. For this reason, the wrapping machine started to be wrapped on a motor-driven wrapping machine, that is to say the mechanical wrapping of the wire bundles.

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Typical wrapping machines include a base frame

in a motor-driven housing that carries a spool of tape around it. To allow entry and exit of the wiring harness into the central region of the machine, it was customary to provide one part of the machine with a permanently open mouth to the central region. An example of such a machine is the ISOTAP BABY 040, which is offered for sale by Design Equipments Representation of France International (DERFI) of Cormeilles en Parisis, France. This machine can be hung on a rope or slidingly mounted on rails for the necessary transverse movement along the wire harness.

While such wrapping devices may generally be sufficient, further improvements to the wrapping devices are required which would contribute to the ease, efficiency, and accuracy of the wrapping of wire harnesses or other similar harnesses.

When conducting circuits, it is often necessary or desirable to connect many conductor wires to the same potential. This is often done by connecting these wires to a common connector or common connector. The common connector may further comprise a plurality of terminals to which each wire ## that is terminated is connected. Such a connection of a plurality of terminated conductors to a common terminal connector is often effected in the formation of conductor bundles, such as self-propelled conductor bundles.

The operation of terminating the wires to the respective terminals of the common connector was often done manually, especially when it was one of the operations to form a wire harness, mainly using manual work. The manual interconnection of the terminated conductors with the terminals of the common connection connector proves to be strenuous for the operator, especially when a high pressing force is required to connect the terminals. It can be further complicated that the positions of the terminals on the connector are close to each other, so that manual insertion of the terminal is prevented or complicated.

Some types of wire harness production processes

hitherto known, they have used so-called stitcher splitters which are adapted to facilitate the formation of wire harness parts. These splice tables usually contain different supports on them arranged in a certain pattern to assist in forming the wire harness. These weaving tables are usually long, strong and serve to create a workstation and can be located in different parts of the production area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a device which facilitates the assembly and handling of wire harnesses, in particular in forming subassemblies in the production of wire harnesses.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device that forms an effective combination with an improved overall harness production system.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which facilitates the assembly and handling of wire harnesses during forming operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These tasks are accomplished by a device for producing harnesses, each harness being made up of a plurality of wires, wound from a mechanized conveyor with an inlet and an outlet section and a plurality of 140 working places laterally for bundling, bundling

The gel from seed to seed, wherein the conveyor comprises means attached thereto for further attachment and movement of the seed bundle, according to the invention, which further comprises means for at least some workplaces for preparing and supplying the drivers, including terminated bundles to and from the trough at least one side of the conveyor along at least its inlet portion, wherein the seed bundle wires are laid transversely across the conveyor and extend beyond its width into the trough. According to a preferred embodiment, the bundle retaining means comprise at least one pair of fingers extending upwardly from the conveyor, wherein the fingers of the pair are spaced apart in the direction of movement of the conveyor.

According to another preferred embodiment, the conveyor is cautious. with a plurality of pairs of fingers disposed thereon at intervals in the direction of travel of the conveyor.

It is further preferred that the trough hangs from the conveyor at a distance greater than the width of the conveyor to accommodate a substantial portion of the wire harness.

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Preferably, the conveyor is supported by the first and second troughs, the first trough being located at one side of the conveyor and the second trough at its other side, with each trough having a portion of the germline bundle.

According to a further preferred embodiment, each of the pair of fingers is adapted to receive and carry the seed bundle and the seed bundle is disposed across the U-shaped conveyor so that both U-arms are secured by two pairs of fingers, the U-shaped base is located in one trough and ends U are located in the second trough.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the means for preparing and supplying the conductors comprises means for temporarily storing a plurality of conductors at different workstations, said conductors being pre-cut to different suitable lengths, each of the storage means comprising a plurality of grooves located on the

wheelchair whereby wires They are different functional types. while it is preferred that is a most mobile carts. while je dalej advantageous when the grooves are U-shaped and are on the the end open VA prie. enabling manual access to

withdrawal of conductors in the longitudinal direction of the groove.

Each gutter advantage comprises a base and a pair of opposed walls, the base connecting the side

In the \ ft wall is equal to ppe to facilitate the distribution of the conductors in the groove. It is advantageous here that the carriages have horizontal floors, the respective free horizontal ones on these when at least some of the shelves on several troughs are located on the shelves on different floors.

preferred

About vertically placed grooves and withdrawals.

? ^and even three, when at least a few in the grooves of the hinge hang from them down onto the grooves of the trolleys for ease of orientation and the conductors the upper edge of their handheld.

The grooves are preferably provided with fastening means attached to them near their upper end for releasably holding the conductors in the grooves in a position for easy manual access.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the device according to the invention comprises one or more repayment tables at a respective workstation ppe to facilitate the production of a multi-conductor subgroup of the merging bundle into a conductor harness at the respective workstation. Here, it is preferred that one or more of the collapsible tables are rotatably mounted to optionally move between an operating position and a resting position.

The splice table consists of a platform and a plurality of conductor support members mounted on the platform for accommodating and preparing the conductors of the multiconductor subgroups.

Advantageously, the platform is horizontal and each of the support members protrudes therefrom and is bifurcated at its upper end for receiving the conductors.

It is particularly advantageous when the conveyor is supported by a frame supporting structure and the plastering tables are rotatable thereto. &

attached.

The advantage of the device according to the invention is that it facilitates the assembly and handling of the assembly forms effective with wire harnesses, especially in sub-groups in wire harness production, forms an effective combination with an improved overall wire harness production system and is a device that facilitates assembly and handling of wire harnesses during their forming operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. (S r shows schematically a plan view of a wire harness production device according to the invention, Fig. S in a perspective view the inlet part of the cable harness production device of Fig. 1, Fig. S in a perspective view a U-shaped trough trolley in the wire harness production apparatus of FIG.

an enlarged detail of two grooves connected by FIG. 3, FIG.

1, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the carriage and grooves of FIG.

4, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the harness assembly of FIG. 1, showing a rotary splicing table, FIG. 7 is a front elevation of a terminal assembly tool used in the harness assembly of FIG. 1, FIG. 8 is a plan view of the terminal assembly tool of FIG. 7, showing terminated wires and common connection, FIG. Θ an enlarged portion of FIG. 8, showing the conductors and the common terminal of FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the wire harness manufacturing section of FIG. 1, the connector connector in front of the perspective view of the jig, the terminated connector, of the device showing the wrapping machine in the wrapping device, FIG. 11 the wrapping machine of FIG. 10 seen from the inlet side and FIG. 1S is a partial cross-sectional view of a wrapping machine according to line 18-13 of FIG. 11th

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a device 10 or a harness production system according to the invention. Typically, the device 10 for manufacturing the clamps is situated on a common area, with at least the first area 11 having some preparatory operations and with the second area 1S. in which the harnesses are made. It may also include a test area

13th

Preliminary preparatory operations carried out in the first region 11 include cutting or shearing and terminating the wires 4 by cutting or shearing the wires 4 to predetermined lengths, stripping the insulation and putting on and clamping with the crimping of the terminals 6 (see the next figure) on one or the other. Both ends of the conductors 4. All this is done on a conventional machine 14 which cuts the conductors 1, pulls off the insulation and fastens the terminals 6, for example of the Komax 40S type. The machine 14 can prepare one or both ends of the wire 4 for deployment, terminals 6, or other termination without actually accomplishing the termination. The operation of the shearing and ending machine 14 is controlled by the operator 15. These shearing and ending operations can be performed in batches.

Near the ending shearing and machinery 14 is realized Tasz initial ^TCC ^ ' c <ll / storage capacity for temporary storage Řetová D-4, which are cut. This storage is accomplished by means of storage racks 18. The sheared and terminated conductors 4 housed in rack 18 are housed in troughs 20, which will be described in more detail below. The cut and terminated conductors 4 are placed in respective grooves SO, according to their length, standard and / or type of termination.

A mechanized conveyor system 22 is shown in the second region 15 of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus. The conveyor system 38 consists of one or most of the multiple conveyors 23 arranged in series or continuous form. More specifically, the conveyors 25 are arranged to form a continuous mechanized conveying line from the inlet end 25 to the outlet end 26. Conveyors S5 are mostly conventional, including a frame support structure 27 (see FIG.

FIG. 2 and 3), moving belts 28 and the like, and associated motors 29 for shifting the belts 28 of the desired row. The motors 29 are typically operated by a known actuator, which is programmed to perform the desired actuation operations. These controls usually also have the ability to switch to manual operation when necessary.

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Along the conveyor 25 of the conveying system 22 is located in the center. local jobs. Since the wire harness generating apparatus 10 described in principle relies on a plurality of workers 15 cooperating with different types of tools and machines along the conveyor system 22, these workstations or stations, in the present case, will be identified with the same symbols or reference numerals designating the worker 15. however, it is clear that the work station 15 may also be represented in certain limited examples by a machine capable of automatic operation and / or a manually operated machine to which the worker 15 moves from another work station.

Each work station 15 is equipped with equipment of different types and abilities for producing wire harnesses depending on whether it is to perform one or more functions.

Such equipment include machines 50 for removing and crimping terminals 6, stackers or trolleys 52, which carry a plurality of troughs 20, which in turn comprise respective cut and terminated conductors 4, fixed work tables, so-called splicing tables 56, which are rotatable, one or more wrapping machines 58 and various cartridges 40 containing respective parts to be part of the harness at this location. Certain types of mounting tools, such as the tool 42 for mounting the terminals 6, may also be located at the mounting locations 15 on the respective workbench 54.

In this connection, it should be noted that the arrangement of the workplaces 15 along the conveying system 22 and the work operations herein are designed to minimize or eliminate the need for the worker 15 to pass at the work station 15 more than a step or two. In many cases, the worker 15 may sit at the workstation. In some cases, it is of course necessary for the worker 15 to take one or two steps to perform a particular operation, but this movement is generally completely restricted. This characteristic. is indicated because most of the equipment required at the work station 15 is arranged close to the work station on one or both sides of the conveyor 85 and the other since the conveyor belt 88 is moved only periodically to move the product from one work station to the other. another.

The production of the harnesses 8 of the conductors 4 at each work station 15 takes place, generally speaking, at rest. For this reason, it should be noted that the spacing between the following jobs 15 along the conveyor 85 is substantially the same in all cases. However, it is clear that in these spacings some changes may be made to accommodate the work of two workers, at one or two workstations 15, performing operations on the same harness 8 of the conductors 4, but at the opposite ends thereof. In the system shown, the spacing between workstations 15 is approximately 8-5 meters, the number of workstations 15 is in the range of 8-18, and the conveyor belt 88 is moved from one workstation 15 to another at intervals of several minutes. _{f (r} a ^{ΤΛη ΛΕΓ ^,} "Saim-dFežumXe the sebou-, the optimum efficiency is achieved when each employee assigned up operation at the respective work station 15 immediately prior to the conveyor belt 88 moves.

This, however, requires careful balancing of the number and types of operations performed at the job 15, as well as consideration of the abilities of the worker on the job. Since many of the workstation accessories 15 are mobile or relatively light, they can easily move from one workstation 15 to another while the harness production apparatus 10 is operating.

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This is because the flexibility of the apparatus 10 described above allows its use for drivers of different sizes at times. Although the harness 8 described above, which relies essentially on an 'reasonably cheap workforce' to economically manufacture harnesses 8 and configurations in various apparatus 10, it reduces the large capital costs and inflexibility of the birds. automated® system. Further work program and equipment used guarantee the required economy and flexibility.

In Figure 1, the harness 8 is shown in its complete configuration at or near the exit end 56 of the conveyor 23. The harness 8 begins at the inlet end 55 of the conveyor 55 where its earliest germline form is referred to as the harness 8a. The wire harness 8 gradually assumes the final shape of the shape with every detail at successive workstations and is therefore progressively denoted by the additional letters of the alphabet appended to reference numeral 8. Navl gq. 1 shows the conveyor assembly 10 for producing the harnesses in FIG. 1 at the moment just before it moves from one work station 15 to another. Thus, in each work station 15, the harness 8 is shown in a situation constituting completion of the work done at that station 15.

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the end 86 of the conveyor 85 reaches the operator 15 from the conveyor to a suitable test table 45 where it is subjected to a check for integrity. In the bundle shown, 8 drivers are synonymous

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When the conductor assembly 85 assembles and transmits the test area 15 to the output bundle 8, the electrical accuracy of the embodiments is not used.

The finished wire harness 8 often contains 800-300 wire 4 and can be more than two meters long. The bundle 8 usually consists of a plurality of different arms or 'M', each consisting of a different number of conductors 4. These branches are usually physically, though not electronically, concentrated in a common area represented by a connecting box 44 through which most circuits pass. The connection box 44 can sometimes also be referred to as bundle head 8.

many of which are finished wire harnesses 8 terminated at their opposite ends by a respective multiple terminal connector 46 of different type and ppevede-n-a. It is necessary to realize that

8a has a connecting box 44 and the wires 4a are therefore relatively flexible, lightweight. On the other hand, as its germinal bundle is relatively little deformable and the formation progresses, it is relatively less flexible.

becoming more difficult to do, the transport system 88 is

In FIG. 1, FIG. It can be seen that at least a primary trough 50 and in addition a secondary trough 58 on opposite sides of the conveyor 85 along its inlet portion 85, in which a bundle 8a, 8b, 8c, etc. is formed. drivers.

The trays 50, 58 are located along the inlet portion 85 of the conveyor 83 for allowing the embryonic bundle 8a, 8b, etc. to be accommodated. across the U-shaped conveyor belt 88 or the curved shape in which part of the bundle 8a, 8b, etc. They extend beyond the sides of the conveyor 85 to hang in the troughs 50, 58. It has been found that it is most convenient to arrange the first two or three workstations 15 on one side of the conveyor 85 and arrange the primary trough 50 along this side.

The primary trough 50 is generally U-shaped in cross-section and may generally extend 1.5 to 1.66 meters below the surface of the conveyor belt 88. The primary trough 50 is wide enough to accommodate the large connecting box 44 that rests therein as shown on the 8. The trough 50 is further wide and smooth enough to facilitate sliding of the seed bundle 8a, 8b and the associated junction box 44 therein as the conveyor belt 88 is displaced. The depth of the primary trough 50 is sufficiently shallow so that the various portions of the seed bundle 8a, 8b and / or the components to be attached to the bundle may lie at the bottom of the trough 50 and are thus within reach of the operator 15.

Furthermore, the vertical walls within the trays 50 and 58, especially the walls at the conveyor 83, are relatively smooth and expediently continuous to prevent the support structure 87 of the conveyor 85 from contacting the seed bundle 8a and the connecting box 44 when the conveyor belt 88 is displaced; to prevent friction of the bundle 8a against the troughs 50, 58.

The secondary trough 50 on the opposite side of the conveyor 83 is not as necessary as the primary trough and serves to facilitate the smooth advancement of the seed bundle 8a, 8b. as it moves along the conveyor 83. The trough 58 further serves to retain some components that may be accidentally detached from the bundle on this side of the conveyor 85. Since it has been determined that the larger seed bundle elements 8a, such as the connecting box 44, will be guided in the bundle. channel 50, the secondary channel 58 need not be as wide as the primary channel 50.

The gutters 50 and 58 may be formed of any suitable material, such as sheet metal, plastic or glass fibers, which is formed into a suitable shape. The trays 50 and 58 are secured to the frame support structure 87 in a suitable manner, for example by means of screws, bolts and / or supports, so that they are held at the smooth passage of the germline 8a, 8b from the conveyor belt 88 to and out of the trays 50, 58. the gutters 50, 58 · be provided with curved edges at the uppermost ends to prevent friction and cutting of the bundles 8a, 8b and / or the workers 15.

After referring to the beginning of the formation of the wires 8a, the connecting box 44 is removed from the magazine 40 at the inlet side 85 of the conveyor 83. Different wires 4 are taken from the different grooves 80 on the carriage 52, the carriage 38 being also positioned at the inlet end 85 of the conveyor 23. The conductors 4 are then connected to the connecting box 44 by the first worker 15 to form the seed bundle 8a. It is clear that the additional operations on the wire harness 8a at the workstation may involve attaching the additional terminals 6 to one or more conductors 4 by means of a machine 50 which engages and clamps the terminal 6. One or more containers 40 at the inlet end 85 of the conveyor 85 may contain different types of terminal connectors 46 for connection to terminals 6 at opposite ends of some conductors 4 connected to a junction box 44.

Since the seed bundles 8a, 8b can be arranged across the conveyor belt 88 and thus compressed in the longitudinal direction, the entire length of the bundle 8a is conveniently within reach of one worker 15 at the respective work station. Thus, one worker 15 can perform working operations over the entire length of the seed bundle 8a without the need to move over a longer distance at one work station. In addition, the longitudinal extent of the conveyor belt 88, which occupies the seed bundle 8a, 8b, etc. it is less than that required in other stages distant towards the outlet end 86.

Because portions of germinal bundles 8a, 8b, etc. are disposed across the conveyor belt 88, it has been suggested as useful to provide the surface of the conveyor belt 88 with bundle retaining members 8a to assist in determining its position during operation and further in its movement with the conveyor belt 88 when displaced. These gripping elements may be in the form of a pair of fingers 54 clearly visible in Figure S. Each of the pair of fingers 54 is secured at its base to the conveyor belt 88 by a suitable fastening means and / or a mechanical clamp, the fingers 54 being spaced apart conveyor belt 88.

In this way, the part of the bundle 8a located g'goU?

it crosses over the conveyor belt 28 between the retaining fingers 54. Each pair of fingers 54 may be of rubber or the like, and the dimensions and designs of the fingers 54 are such that the bundle 8a resiliently engages with each other. The spacing between the individual pairs of fingers 54 may be within 0.5 meters. Since the essential advantage of the described pairs of fingers 54a of the germline bundles 8a, 8b, 8c, etc., they may no longer be realized on the conveyor belt 28 towards the outlet end 26 when the conveyor system 22 is formed by a plurality of separate conveyors 25 with respective conveyor belts 28 , which is a typical case.

Next, attention will be paid to the construction and function of the grooves 20 and the stands or carriages 52 on which the grooves 20 are mounted with reference to Figures 5 to 5. Each groove 20 has sheared conductors 4 of different types and lengths stored therein. Thereby, the conductors 4 of different types do not mix in one groove 20. The grooves 20 are U-shaped, longitudinal and open at at least one end, g1 advantages at both ends. The grooves 20 may vary depending on the lengths of the conductors 4 to be accommodated therein, with most lengths between 1 and 2 meters, but may be shorter or longer. While the classic rounded U-shape of continuous curvature is a suitable contour-ppe cross-section of grooves 20, as shown in FIG. 5 in the example of groove 20a. it has been found to be advantageous to use a modified U-shape with a flattened bottom and substantially vertical walls, most of these grooves 20 being shown in the various figures.

This straight-U-shaped arrangement seems to be more suitable for a more even distribution of the conductors 4 in G? It is located therein and reduces the occurrence of entanglement that could be caused by removing the individual conductors 1 from the groove 80. The rounded cross-section of groove 80a leads to a greater number of conductors 8 in the center of groove 80a and traction-sometimes. contributes to their involvement. The grooves 80 are made of any suitable, relatively rigid and durable material, such as metal, plastic or glass fibers.

When the conductors 4 in one groove 80 are terminated at only one end, it is the terminated end that faces the operator 15 when the groove 80 is carried in a position on the carriage 58 near the respective work station. It should be noted that the supported troughs 80 may be located on one or both sides of the conveyor system 88 with respect to the location of a worker 15 who will pull the wires 4 out of these troughs 80. The most common arrangement that allows the easy access of a worker 15 to a relatively large number of troughs 80 is that in which the carriage 58 carrying the troughs 80 is positioned opposite the worker 15 downstream of the conveyor 83, as particularly seen in Figures S and 6.

In some cases in which the length of the conductor 4 is unusually long and greatly exceeds the length of the individual grooves 80, a pair of these grooves 80 may be connected at their respective front ends by a suitable coupling, such as a hinge 55, to form double grooves 80. . 3 and 4. In this case, one part of each long conductor 4 is housed in one and the remaining part in the other groove.

80. with the passage of the wires 4 between the grooves 80 just behind the front ends of the grooves 80 in the region of the hinge 55 so that the operator 15 can easily pull them out. The brightening hinge 55 is a conventional means of joining two grooves 80 to form a combined double groove 80 for easy handling and loading.

Stands or carriages 38 carrying different grooves 80 may have a simple shape and unpretentious construction. In a few cases, the racks 58 may be permanently stationary.

In most cases, however, it has been found that the stands or carriages 58 need to be mobile and therefore rollers or wheels 56 are provided on the crossbars 57 at the base of the carriage 38. In some cases, it may be required to lower or move the carriages. To erase the profile of the crossbars 57 and the wheels 56 of their prevedett-4-ro as adjustable by the struts 59 as shown in broken line in Figure 3.

The grooves 80 are preferably resting on the transverse arms 58 or floors that form part of the rigid frame structure of the carriage 38. The flat base of the trough 80 may rest on the flat surface of the horizontal transverse arm 58. In the case aa.

o the curved U-shape of the groove 80a that is used, it may be appropriate to make a curved recess on or in the transverse arms 58 to accommodate the curved base of these grooves 80a, or alternatively, the curved brackets 58 may be attached to the transverse arms 58.

In order to provide adequate support of the gutters, it is necessary that a pair of transverse arms 58 be positioned at the front and rear of the carriage 55 so that they are subsequently mounted. groove 50. There may be a plurality of grooves 50 side by side on each transverse arm 58, and the carriage 55 typically includes transverse arms 58 on several floors to accommodate the grooves 50 at these different heights.

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Although the carts 55 described with a horizontal adjustment of the troughs 50 are described, the trolley 55 and 52 are designed such that the troughs 50 are mounted thereon in an almost vertical position as shown in the figure.

These racks or carriages 55 may have a slightly c simpler construction than the carriages 55 and, since they have a vertical alignment of the grooves 50, may occupy less floor space. On the other hand, in this vertical orientation, however, it is generally preferred to have only one row of grooves 50 and their length will be limited appropriately to the height of the worker 15.

It has been found that at least on the grooves 50 which are intended for vertical orientation, it is advisable to attach the elastic clips 60 to hold the front or top ends of the conductors 4 in a position readily accessible to the operator 15. More specifically, the resilient clamps 60 may be mounted on the bottom surfaces of the grooves 50 at or at the front, top, or outlet end to receive wire bundles 4 that hang over this end of the groove 50. In this way, the wires 4 are secured against falling down into the groove 50 when this is in a vertical position and the ends are usually so prepared for easier removal.

During the formation of the wiring harness 8, it is sometimes necessary or desirable to provide an additional work surface to connect the wires 4 to the connectors 46 to form various subassemblies and to facilitate the assembly of these subassemblies into the main harness 8 present on the conveyor belt 38 at the work station 15. In some cases, the work may be carried out on individual fixed workpieces when positioned sufficiently close. The additional work surface may also be tables 34, the worker 15 formed by splicing tables 56 and 56 'comprises more or bundles 8, in a predetermined manner.

Each engagement table 56 and jigs 63 carrying the wires 4 attached to its upper surface of the pattern to assist in forming the bundle 8 or a more suitable subgroup or branch to be part of the main bundle 8. The jigs 63 typically consist of a base 65 that is attached to the splicing table 56 or 56 'and a vertical support 64 extending upward from the base 65 a. bifurcating at its upper end into the form of a pair of support tines 65 per wire harness.

The arrangement of the jigs 63 on the seating tables and 56 'is such as to determine the multiple loading of the conductors 4 and winding branches during the formation of the bundle 8 or its subgroups. The entanglement tables 56 'are typically on wheels to allow their position in the region to be changed from the conveyor 33. In the schematic representation of FIG. 1, the movable splicing tables 56 'are positioned sufficiently close to the conveyor 35 such that the worker 15 has to perform relatively few steps to move the bundle 8 or its subgroup between the conveyor 85 and the respective splicing table 56'.

It should be noted that the wheel table 56 'is capable of general movement in the area of the work station and can in fact be so positioned that the work station / worker 15 is positioned between the table 36' and the conveyor 83.

The face table 56 'even closer to the conveyor 83 and is capable of some limited displacement by the worker 15 than the rotation * between the working position and the resting position, as shown in Figures 1 and 6 at the wire harness 8f. . In Figure 6, the splicing table 56 is shown in FIG. its position ^{M is} closed with solid lines and dashed in its work area. In this case, the working position of the twist table 56 is closely adjacent and parallel to the conveyor 83, wherein the rest position is reached when the table 56 is rotated approximately 90 ° from the conveyor 85 about a pivot axis 66 spaced from the operator 15 and generally near conveyor 83.

In its working position, the splicing table 36 is provided with easier access for workers 15 to perform various working operations on the bundle 8 or its subgroups as needed. On the other hand, when this work is done, the bundle 8 or its subset is usually removed from the splicing table 36 and placed on the conveyor belt 88, and the splicing table 36 is rotated to its resting position, the clear worker 15 having more space to carry other work operations at that own job.

It has been found that it is particularly advantageous to attach the matting table 36 to the frame support structure 87 of the conveyor 85 for rotational movement about the pivot axis 66. More precisely, a hinge 68 may be mounted on the frame support structure 87, into which a hinge pin 69 extends from above from the underside of the splicing table 56 and forms pivot axes 66 in the hinge 68.

It may also be desirable to provide some form of lock or pinch or stop at pin 69 and hinge 68 to hold the table 56 at a selected position about the pivot axis 66. One relatively simple way of realizing the stop is to provide a pin or latch projecting radially from the hinge pin 69 near its upper end of the hinge 68 to form a stop recess on the pin 69 in the desired pivoted position.

Referring to Figs. 7-9, further attention is paid to pqvbaK-q. a mounting tool which is a terminal mounting tool 48. The tool 48 is designed to easily and precisely achieve the connection of a plurality of terminated conductors 4 to a common terminal connector 70. The common terminal connector 70 is used to connect these multiple conductors 4 potential, such as a B + self-propelled vehicle system. V is the current carrying capacity of the conductors 4, which are connected to the common connector 70, usually greater than that of many other conductors 4 in the bundle 8.

to a common or ground in an electrical electrical reality

The terminals 6 at the ends of the respective conductors 4 are of the plug-type type and are adapted to insert the plug terminals 71 of the connector 70.

At J, the connector 70 in the illustrated embodiment is three such plug terminals 71 protruding forward from the common base 78 in a substantially coplanar parallel relationship. From each end of the common base 78 of the connector 70, the lateral or end fingers 73 protrude forward.

In the connector 70 shown, each plug terminal 71 extends from the common base 78, wherein the end fingers 73 are formed by a respective 90 ° bend of that base 78 and so are positioned in planes perpendicular to the plane of the base 78 from which the male terminals protrude. 71. The end fingers 73 may be -4 to 6. subsequently placed in electrical connection with other conductive members.

The terminal fitting tool 48 assists in accurately positioning the terminals 6 relative to the plug terminals 71 of the common connector 70 and further contributes not only to the easy connection of these elements, but also to the removal of the connected terminals 6 and 71 from the tool 48.

The tool 48 comprises first and second jigs 75 and

77. The first jig 75 is designed to accommodate the terminated ends of a plurality of conductors 4. The second jig ^41c is designed to accommodate a common connector 70 oriented substantially in a horizontal position.

The jigs 75 and 77 are attached to the base 78 in a manner allowing one of the jigs 75, 77 to move towards and away from the other jig 75, 77 between a relatively near position and a relatively distant position corresponding to the joined position and the insertion / removal position. In this embodiment, the first jig 75 remains stationary and the second jig 77 has the ability to move linearly across the base 78.

A pneumatic actuator 80, such as a piston with a cylinder, is coupled to the base 78 and the second jig 77 to act and control the displacement of the second jig 77 relative to the first jig 75. The piston rod 81 of the drive 80 is connected to the second jig 77 directly by welding by screw connection or the like to directly control the second jig 77. The drive cylinder 80 is rigidly mounted on the second jig 77, thereby providing great lateral stability. The degree of this lateral stability of the second jig 77 arbe must be ensured by providing a groove as a guide in the base 78 to ensure alignment of the second jig 77 with the first jig 75.

A cavity 82 is provided at the front end of the second jig 77 and is open in forward and upward directions. The cavity 82 is adapted to accommodate the common connector 70 from above and is open at its front end to allow connection to the terminals 6 carried in the first jig 75. With the common connector 70 disposed in parallel there is a clearance below the lower surfaces of the plug connectors 71 which is / - LQ sufficient to allow them to be inserted into the female terminals 6.

The first jig 75 comprises a plurality of longitudinal grooves 85 in its upper surface for accommodating the respective conductors 4. More specifically, the grooves 85 have side walls that are undercut at their forward ends to form the seats 85 for the terminals 6. The undercut of the walls 84 is such that that the seats 85 comprise terminals 6 which, when inserted therein, are guided in both vertical and lateral directions and are firmly bound therein, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

In Figures 7 to 9, the second jig 77 is shown in its insertion / removal position spaced from the first jig 75. The terminal 6 of the terminated conductor 4 is inserted into the jig 75 so that it extends over its front end, moving the terminal 6 with the conductor 4. downwards until the terminal 6 is at the level of the seat 85. The return 4 of the conductor 4 then settles the terminal 6 in the seat 85. The same procedure is repeated for the next / two ends of the conductor (not shown) with respect to the other two grooves 85 in the first. preparation 75.

Similarly, the common connector 70 is placed in the fixture 70 by insertion into the cavity 88. The rear and side walls of the second fixture 77 defining the cavity 88 are sized and arranged to determine the position of the common connector 70 so that its male terminals 71 are still aligned The actuation of the second jig 77 by the drive 80 serves to engage the plug terminals 71 into engagement with the plug terminals 6, thereby completing the connection.

At the front end of the second jig 77, retaining elements 86 are formed by a pair of short protrusions extending transversely to each other to form a partial closure to the front end of the cavity 83. More specifically, the retaining elements 86 extend across the front ends of the end fingers 73 of the common connector 70. connecting the terminals 6 and their wires 4 to the common connector 70, the drive 80 pulls the piston rod 81 away, thereby moving the second jig 77 back to the insertion / removal position. During this movement, the retaining elements 86 on the fixture 77 carry the end fingers 73 as well as the common connector 70 backwards. This backward movement of the common connector 70 will pull out the female terminals 6 from their seated position in the first jig 75, thereby facilitating removal of the coupled conductors 4 and connector 70 from the tool 42 by simply lifting up several conductors 4 simultaneously to remove connector 70 from the cavity 82 .

At various stages of forming the wire harness 8, it is desirable and necessary to collect and tie certain conductors 4 to form branches in the harness 8. In some cases, these branches will be terminated in connectors or other types of electrical terminals. Binding or wrapping with an adhesive tape in a helical pattern around the wire collection 4 has usually been used to tie the strands of the wire harness 8 to form a branch.

In some cases, the tape was wound all over by hand, but in other cases mechanized equipment was used. In the present system or apparatus 10, there is shown an improved wrapping apparatus located at a work station comprising a wrapping machine 38 in which a wire harness 81 is disposed. The wrapping machine 58 and the wrapping apparatus of which the machine 58 is a part are improved as described below with reference to FIG. 10 to 12.

In FIG. 10 shows a wrapping machine 38 mounted to be moved along a pair of rails 87 which are ssb attached to the platform 88. The platform 88 is rotatably attached to the frame support structure 87 of the conveyor 83 in the same manner as the rotary entanglement of the table 36, i. The working platform 88 can be long and narrow and made of a hard material such as metal, wood or plastic. Attached to one end of the platform 88 is a double-fingered support 65 of the same type as the splicing table 36. Relatively close to the other end of the work platform 88 is a clamping mechanism 89 for clamping or clamping the wire harness 4.

The clamping mechanism 89 is fixedly mounted to the platform 88 and faces upward, and is intended to releasably clamp the bundle of wires 4 that form the bundle branch 8i. to allow the use of the tensioning force of the bundle branch 8i during its wrapping. The clamping mechanism 89 may be of any suitable construction and typically includes a pair of jaws 90a, 90b. of which one or both are vertically movable between a clamping and a release position by means of a hand lever 91.

Typically, the lower jaw 90a is fixed and the higher jaw 90b is movable in the vertical direction by the operating lever 91. in a vertical plane about the horizontal axis of rotation. The control arm 91 of the release position, some eccentric, can be pivoted down from its shown in Figure 10 to the locked position in which the jaws 90a and 90b firmly grip the bundle branch 8i disposed therebetween. The jaws 90a, 90b may have a concave outline of generally circular shape according to the branch of the bundle 8i. Further, it may be to one or both of the jaws 90a. 90b a spring or other resilient element so that the branches of the bundle 8i of different diameters are clamped resiliently.

The spring 88 serves as a mounting frame for parallel rails 87 which are supported by a wrapping machine 58 on a slide support 98 that slides on rails 87 between a pair of adjustable stops 93 located at opposite ends of the rails 87. The stops 95 may be positioned. on only one of the rails 87 and are manually adjustable by means of finger-tightened screws.

Referring now to Figure 11, a larger m-cross-winding machine 58 is shown in detail. The wrapping machine 58 comprises a two-part housing 94, a reversing disc or a plate 95, for a tape supplying device such as a spool 97 with a wound tape affixed to the reversing plate 95 by a spindle 98.

The orbiting plate 95 is driven by a motor 96 through a pinion 100 that engages a helical rim 99 at the face of the plate 95. The orbiting plate 95 has a circular central opening 108 through which a strand of wire harness 8i is to be wound during wrapping. operations. The plate 95 may be of a suitable material, such as a metal, plastic or composition.

Although the orifice plate 95 could be made without an opening, it should be appreciated that the bundle branch 8i to be bound should have an insertion and extension in the axial direction through the central opening 108. However, this can be difficult and difficult. this limits the size of the connectors that may already be connected to the end of this branch. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11, the cover 94 and the orbiting plate 95 are made in two pieces and the cover 94 is hinged to allow both pieces to be opened and a mouth 104 at the front end to form a bundle branch 8i into the central opening. 108 and then removed therefrom without the need for axial movement thereof.

In the embodiment shown, both the lower portion of the housing 94 and the circulating plates 95 are angularly coextensive and have an angular range of less than 180 ° while their respective upper portions have an angular range of greater than 180 °. The lower part of the housing 94 is connected to the upper part by the hinge mechanism 106. This hinge mechanism 106 is in turn connected to the pneumatic actuator 108 by means of a link 109. The operation of the drive 108 serves to move the lower portions of the housing 94 up and down between the closed and open positions.

As best seen in FIG. 18, the cover 94 has a C-shaped cross-section to cover the two-piece circulating groove of the orbital plate 95. The outer circumference of the two-piece orbital plate 95 is sufficiently narrow to accommodate the cover 94 but also wide enough. over a plurality of radially recessed grooves on the periphery for mounting a plurality of respective ball bearings 110. The ball bearings 110 are mounted in the desired position on respective pins 118 which are received in the plate 95 in the axial direction. The ball bearings 110 provide a basic abutment contact between the housing 94 and the orbital plate 95.

Further, to hold each circulating plate 95 tightly in the respective portion of the cover 94 when the cover 94 is open, notches 116 are formed on the opposite side walls of the circulating plate 95 into which the retaining pins 114 are mounted on the opposite side walls of the cover 94. 11, bridges the two portions of the housing 94 to a connecting bracket 118 which is friction-wed by a slot wedge 119 in which a sliding guided wedge (not shown) is connected to one of the portions of the housing 94 to conduct relative opening and closing movements between the two portions. .

Of course, even when the shim plate 95 is made of two complementary portions, the portion that is driven by the pinion 100. in any oteerftst serves to drive or push the other portion of the plate 95 that follows it. The pinion 100 drives both halves of the orbiting plate 95 through both contact surfaces between them. When both halves of the housing 94 are closed, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 11, the motor 96 is driven by a pinion 100, which in turn drives the orbiting plate 95 to orbitally move the spool 97 with the tape around the wire harness branch 81 located in the central opening 103. after the first attachment of the adhesive surface of the tape to the strand of the wire harnesses, the orbital movement of the ribbon reel 97 will cause it to wrap around the strand.

To ensure that during operation of the wrapping machine 38 the cover 94 remains closed, a clamping hinge is provided on the cover 94 such that a drawer clamping member 130 is fastened to one edge of the cover 94 and a securing pin 121 operated by a pneumatic actuator 122 also located on the other. The actuator 188 controls the movement of the locking pin 181 into the drawer

clamping Article 180 into the frame a out from him. To wraparound machine 58 worked correctly, is a important to make both parts circulating pads 95 stopped i in positions that They are identical to both halves cover 94 ., when my new machine 58 open. Then it is guaranteed that i mouth opening 104 is a relatively wide a further that is a little or no

the likelihood that the portions of the orbital plate 95 will separate from the respective portions of the housing 94. To achieve this, provision has been made to sense the angular rotation of the orbital plate 95 in the housing 94 and to stop the rotation of the plate 95 at exactly the right angle.

The rotation angle sensing is accomplished by an inductive sensor 184 mounted on the housing 94, which senses a respective angular position at the periphery of the orbital plate 95. This position can be detected by attaching a piece of metal 185 to a portion of the orbital plate 95 for appropriate electromagnetic interaction with the sensor 184 in known manner. This type of sensing is particularly useful when using a plate 95 made of a non-magnetic material.

In combination with the sensor 184, a pneumatic cylinder 186 located on the top of the housing 94 operates. The cylinder 186 exerts a braking / locking force on the upper portion of the orbital plate 95 to stop and lock it at the correct angular position sensed by the sensor 184. a locking member in and out of the braking and / or locking engagement with the orbital plate 95.

d L <ÄC <

The motor 96 and the actuators 108, 183, and 136 are preferably pneumatically driven and controlled by an electrical program control performed by an OMRON C38K controller (not shown) in a manner consistent with the present disclosure. The inputs of this control are the control t / min / START / STOP and OPEN / CLOSE (not shown) operated by the operator 15 and, moreover, the electrical input from the inductive sensor 134.

'-.

By properly pressing the OPEN / CLOSE control buttons, the wrapping machine 38 is opened or closed by the actuator 108 and the locking pin 181 in the fastening member 130 is released or locked by the pneumatic actuator 183. With the tape being wound on the strand of the wire harness by depressing the STOP flap, the encoder 134, the motor 96a and the cylinder 126 reach the stop of the orbital plate 95 in the correct position.

In order to achieve the wrapping of the bundle

8i of the wires, the working platform 88 is rotated to c, the position at the conveyor belt 38 and one of which is to be wound is clamped into the clamping mechanism 89. Then the bundle branch 8i is moved through the open mouth 104 of the wrapping machine 58 into the central opening 103 and the end of the branch can then rest against the bifurcated support fingers 65. The operator 15 will manually tension the bundle branch 8i against the clamping force of the clamping mechanism 89. The wrapping machine 58 then closes, the tape is introduced into the bundle branch 8i and the motor 96 is actuated The wrapping machine 38 moves the rails 87 manually from one stop 93 to the other to perform the tape wrapping operation. Upon reaching the second stop 93, the worker 15 presses the STOP button, then cuts the tape, for example with a knife, and opens the wrapping machine 58 to allow the bundle branch to be removed and returned to the conveyor belt 28.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described,

In one exemplary embodiment, it is within the skill of the art to make various variations similarly so as not to depart from the idea and scope of the present invention.

Claims (16)

PATENT CLAIMS1. Device for producing wire harnesses, each wire harness consisting of a plurality of wires, consisting of a mechanized conveyor (33) with an inlet and an outlet part (35, 36) and a plurality of workstations (15) along it sequentially ₍ forming wire harnesses (8)) from the embryonic state, wherein the conveyor (33) (P crf C ') comprises means attached thereto for further attachment and movement of the embryonic bundle (8a), characterized in that it further consists of * pros for at least some workplaces (15) for preparing and supplying conductors (4), including terminated conductors (4) for merging into bundles (8), and from a trough (50) at least one side of the conveyor (33) along at least its inlet (35), wherein the seed bundle wires (4) are laid transversely through the conveyor (33) and extend beyond its width into the t-mesh of the trough (50). Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining means of the bundle (8a) consist of at least one pair of fingers (54) extending across the conveyor (33) Ύ "wherein the pair of fingers (54) are spaced apart from each other. in the direction of movement of the conveyor (33). A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the conveyor (33) is provided with scalp fingers (54) disposed thereon at intervals in the direction of movement of the conveyor (33). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the trough (50) hangs from the conveyor (83) at a distance greater than the width of the conveyor (23), to accommodate a substantial part of the wire harness (8a). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor (83) is provided with a first and a second chute (50, 53), the first chute (50) being located at one side of the conveyor (23). ) and a second trough (53) at the other side thereof, wherein a portion of the seed bundle (8a) of the conductors (4) is located in each trough (50, 52). Device according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the pairs of gripping and entrainment of the seed bundle (8a) is U-shaped (23) such that gripped by two pairs of fingers placed in one trough located in the other trough (5i and 3). characterized by the fingers (54) being provided on the outer bundle (8a) and positioned across the conveyor both U-shaped arms are (54), the U-shaped base is (52) and the U-shaped ends are> Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for preparing and supplying the conductors (4) comprises means for temporarily storing a plurality of conductors (4) at various workstations (15). (4) e-cutting to various suitable lengths, each of the storage means comprising a lug (20) disposed on the carriage (32, 32 '), the wires (4) being of various functional types. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that most of the carriages (32, 32 ') are mobile. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the grooves (20) are U-shaped and open at the end to allow manual access for removing the conductors (4) in the longitudinal direction of the groove (20). Device according to claim 9, characterized in that each groove (20) comprises a base and a pair of opposed walls, the base connecting the side walls being equal to facilitating the distribution of the conductors (4) in the groove (20). Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that at least some of the carriages (32) have horizontal racks on several floors, the respective grooves (20) being positioned freely horizontally on these racks on different floors. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the grooves (20) of the at least several carriages are located in the grooves of the grooves (20) and hang from the manual removal. 9, characterized in that they are oriented vertically on (32 ') and the conductors (4) (20) extend beyond the upper edge thereof to facilitate their Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the grooves (20) are supported by clamping means (60) attached thereto near their upper end for releasably holding the conductors (4) in the grooves (20). 20) in the pper position, easy manual access. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises one or more splicing tables (36, 36 ') at a respective workstation (15) to facilitate the production of a multiconductor subgroup of the bundle (8) for merging into the bundle (8) wire (4) at the respective work station (15). A device according to claim 14, characterized in that the one or more twisting tables (36, 36 ') are rotatably mounted to optionally move between the operating position and the resting position. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that the meshing table (56) consists of a platform and a plurality of support members (64) for the conductors (4) mounted on the platform, for accommodating and preparing the conductors. (4) multiconductor subgroups. each of them is on Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the platform is bifurcated. the horizontal and support members (64) extending therefrom and at its upper end for receiving the conductors (4) Apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the conveyor (23) is provided with a frame support structure (27) and the splicing tables (36) are rotatably attached thereto.