WO2010043579A1

WO2010043579A1 - Device and method for automatically populating electrical components with contact elements

Info

Publication number: WO2010043579A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/063246
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexander Baierlein; Peter Goesele; Ulrich Kiefner; Klaus Roder; Werner Schmidt; Thomas Walter
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2008-10-13
Filing date: 2009-10-12
Publication date: 2010-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-13
Also published as: DE102008051525A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for automatically populating electrical components, such as for example connectors, with contact elements, such as pin contacts. The device comprises a plurality of functional units (4) arranged on a housing body (2), which units include for example a grip carriage (6), a gripping tool (8) and a cutting tool (10). To maintain a high level of accuracy at elevated cycle rates and with very large manufacturing batches, the invention provides a central drive (56), which is coupled mechanically to the functional units (4) by way of gear units (60, 62, 64, 66). Movement of the functional units (4) is thus synchronised mechanically by way of the gear units.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY POPULATING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WITH CONTACT ELEMENTS

The invention relates to a device for automatically populating electrical components, such as for example connectors, with contact elements, such as pin contacts, supplied as strip material in at least one direction of feed, having at least one housing body and having functional units arranged on the housing body, which comprises at least one grip carriage, which is arranged on the housing body so as to be capable of reciprocating motion relative to the housing body in a populating direction, at least one gripping tool, which is arranged on the grip carriage fixedly relative thereto and is driven in an openable and closable manner in a closing direction, and at least one cutting tool, which is driven in an openable and closable manner in a cutting direction.

Such devices, also known as stitchers, as known from the prior art. They are used for example to populate connectors with pin and/or socket contacts. The contact elements are fed to the device joined together in the form of strip material and are singulated by the cutting tool. By means of the gripping tool the singulated contact elements are inserted in the populating direction into the receptacles of the respective connector provided for the contact elements. The populating movement is here carried out by the reciprocating grip carriage. In the next working cycle further contact elements are placed in the component, or indeed a new component is populated.

Devices of the above type are used in the production of mass-produced electrical components, i.e. goods which are manufactured in extremely large numbers. These days, however, even large and very large numbers still require the same level of manufacturing precision. At the same time, economic considerations demand very high cycle rates.

The object underlying the device according to the invention is consequently to provide a device of the above-mentioned type which operates rapidly and with high repeatability even with extremely high numbers and even over extremely large batch sizes.

This object is achieved according to the invention for the above-stated device by a central drive, which is coupled mechanically via gear units to the functional units.

This solution allows very high repeatability with high cycle rates even over large and very large manufacturing series. The solution according to the invention may be improved by mutually independent further developments, which may be combined together in substantially any desired combination and are explained below.

Thus, for example, in one advantageous configuration the gear units, which couple the central drive to the functional units, may take the form of cam gears with cam members on the central drive side and followers on the functional unit side. The cam gears allow precise control and synchronisation of the movement phases of the functional units at very high speeds.

In a further configuration, the grip carriage may be positively driven, so that its considerable mass may be precisely moved and sufficiently large forces may be applied to populate the electrical components.

In particular, such a positive drive arrangement may comprise a cam member, which is configured as an annular Iy closed cam formed by a groove, which cam extends over a cylindrical circumferential surface and in which a roller connected rigidly for movement with the grip carriage revolves as follower. This configuration is particularly advantageous if the populating direction extends in the direction of the axis of rotation of the cam disc, such that no further gear unit has to be interposed between the sliding block and the grip carriage.

In order to transmit the movement of the central drive to the gripping tool independently of the position of the grip carriage, according to a further advantageous configuration a differential gear unit drivable by the follower may be arranged between the gripping tool and the associated gear unit, which differential gear unit comprises a transmission member extending substantially in the populating direction, movable relative to the intermediate member in the populating direction and resting against the intermediate member.

The cutting tool may simultaneously singulate one or more contact elements. This may be effected by a stamping or cutting process. So that the gripping tool may pick up the singulated contact elements from the cutting tool during movement of the grip carriage in the populating direction, it is advantageous for the cutting tool to comprise two driven cutting jaws lying opposite the plane of the strip material, which cutting jaws lie the closed state in the movement path travelled over by the gripping tool in the populating direction. Each cutting jaw may have a gear unit assigned to it, which is arranged between the central drive and the respective cutting jaw and mechanically synchronises the movement of the cutting jaw with the movements of the other functional units. The gripping tool may further comprise at least one pincer module replaceable in one piece and having at least one movable gripping jaw. Due to the one-piece replaceability of the pincer module, which may in particular proceed without screws, it is possible to adapt the device for populating different components with only short resetting times. In particular, the pincer module may be connected to the gripping tool by way of a magnetically actuatable clutch.

The gripping tool may in particular comprise a plurality of different pincer modules, such that contact elements with different geometries may be used.

In a further configuration the gripping tool may comprise at least two pincer portions, which may be coupled into the populating movement by way of at least two mutually independently controllable releasing clutches. In this way, each pincer portion may be used for populating independently of the in each case other pincer portion. Due to this configuration, which is also advantageous in itself in connection with the device of the generic type, the possibility is provided of effecting complex populating movements, in which the component is to be populated with different contact elements at mutually spaced portions in successive populating cycles.

In a further advantageous configuration, the cutting tool may comprise at least one lower, replaceable cutting module, which is for example screwed together with the lower cutting jaw and guarantees rapid replaceability. For instance, if the geometry of the contact elements changes, different stamping or cutting dies may rapidly be used. A cutting punch may also be connected as a further cutting module to the upper cutting jaw preferably in a rapidly replaceable manner, for example by screwed joints.

In order to guide the strip material to the cutting tool, a feed unit may be provided, which feeds the strip material to the cutting tool for singulation. The feed unit may comprise at least one curved strip material guide with guide rollers. The feed motion of the strip material may take place intermittently.

In the course of feeding, the strip material may be plastically deformed, which may impair the accuracy of the cutting process and the accuracy of positioning of the contact elements in front of the gripping tool. To compensate this deformation, in a deformation portion of the feed means, deformation may be imparted to the strip material which compensates the deformation of the strip material arising otherwise. In this configuration the strip material thus leaves the feed unit wholly or virtually unde formed. - A -

To this end, according to a further advantageous configuration at least one roller arrangement may be provided with guide rollers arranged alternately on either side of the strip material guide in the area of the deformation portion and projecting into the strip material guide.

So as to be able to process a plurality of types of contact element simultaneously, at least two receptacles for feed units are provided on the device either side of the cutting tool. The feed units may, like the pincer module and/or the cutting tool, be of modularly replaceable construction and for example be screwed together.

A feed unit may additionally be composed of a drive module and a guide module, wherein different guide modules and drive modules may be combined with one another, depending on how many and which shapes of contact elements are being processed. The guide module may comprise in particular at least one strip material guide with the guide rollers optionally provided therefor. The drive module may comprise at least one driving toothed wheel projecting into the strip material guide and meshing with the strip material when in operation. In addition, the drive module may be provided with a clutch for connection with a device-side drive, for example the central drive.

Use of a driving toothed wheel has the advantage that it engages reliably in the strip material in the case of a very wide range of different contact element geometries and ensures slipless advance.

An individual feed means may also comprise a plurality of strip material guides, in order to supply the cutting tool simultaneously with different strip materials. The strip material guides preferably end in a plane or a common opening, preferably at the level of the closed cutting tool.

So that the feed unit may effect precise intermittent feed movements, it is advantageous for the drive forces applied to be as low as possible and as easy as possible to control. According to a further advantageous configuration, a motor-driven strain relief unit with a driving toothed wheel arranged upstream of the feed unit in the direction of feed may therefore be provided. The strain relief unit applies the actual tensile force necessary for transportation and optionally unwinding of the strip material off supply rolls. The strain relief unit may, irrespective of a possible reversing feed movement of the feed units, convey in one direction when a material buffer, for example in the form of a loop, is arranged between the strain relief and the feed unit.

In a further development, the strain relief unit may monitor the quantity of strip material in the material buffer and appropriately supply additional strip material if the quantity falls below a lower buffer limit. To this end, a proximity switch may be provided, which is actuatable by the strip material and as a function of whose actuation the driving toothed wheel may be driven. The proximity switch may operate on a magnetic or inductive basis.

Problems with operation of the devices according to the invention may arise when the end of the strip material is reached and a new strip of strip material has to be supplied for the populating process. In order to grasp the end of the strip material, in a further advantageous configuration the device may therefore comprise a thickness monitoring unit, which is arranged upstream of the feed unit in the direction of feed. The thickness monitoring unit may comprise a guide wheel and a pressure roller pressed deflectably against the guide wheel and a sensor unit coupled to the pressure roller, a signal being outputtable by the sensor unit as a function of deflection of the pressure roller. If the strip material comes to an end or the new strip material is lying on the end of the old strip material, a jump in thickness occurs, which may be detected in this configuration by the pressure roller. The sensor unit detects the deflection of the sensing roller resulting from the jump in thickness and outputs a signal.

The thickness monitoring unit may be incorporated structurally into the strain relief unit. To this end, the driving toothed wheel of the strain relief unit may be used as guide wheel.

It is advantageous if the strip material situated in the material buffer is sufficient to ensure undisturbed operation of the machine between emission of the signal by the thickness monitoring unit and the measure carried out in response to this signal, for example machine stoppage.

Components with complicated geometries may be populated if, according to a further advantageous configuration, the device comprises a positioning stage with a receptacle mobile perpendicularly to the populating direction for the electrical component. With the positioning stage, the electric component may preferably be displaced into a programmably modifiable position at an end position of the movement path of the gripping tool. The positioning stage may additionally be designed to tilt the component relative to the guide direction, so that the contact elements may be inserted at different angles into the component.

In one of the above-described configurations, the device has the advantage that it allows high cycle rates with high levels of repeatability due to the mechanical coupling of the central drive to the functional units. As a result of its modular structure, it enables flexible adaptation to different populating situations. To this end, the functional units are provided with modules, which are held on the device so as to be replaceable preferably without screws, for example by levers or magnet devices.

The invention also relates to a method such as may be carried out by the above- described device in one of the above configurations. In particular the invention relates to a method for automatically populating electrical components, such as connectors, with contact elements, such as pin contacts, in which the contacts are supplied in the form of a strip material, singulated by means of a cutting tool and then fitted to the component by means of a gripping tool.

The movements of the cutting tool and of the pincer tool are driven by the common central drive and synchronised mechanically by way of gear units.

A plurality of different strip materials may be fed to the cutting tool simultaneously, such that components which require different contact elements may also be populated.

The pincer portions of the gripping tool may be engaged mutually independently in the populating movement. This may proceed by way of the above-described releasing clutches. In this way, different contact elements may be grasped by the gripping tool in successive working cycles. By means of the releasing clutch, the respective pincer portion is decoupled from at least one drive movement of the central drive, for example either the closing movement or the reciprocating movement in the populating direction.

The strip material may be purposefully deformed by the device prior to singulation, in order to compensate deformation arising during feed.

The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to an embodiment. As is explained above, the features jointly embodied in the embodiment described may be combined with one another in any desired combination or indeed omitted, if the function associated with the respective feature is irrelevant to the purpose in question.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, from the side and behind, of the device of Fig. 1 with some elements omitted;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the device of Fig. 1 with some elements omitted; Fig. 4 is a perspective side view of a detail of the device of Fig. 1 with some elements omitted and some transparent;

Fig. 5 is a detailed side view of the device of Fig. 1 with some elements omitted;

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view from the front of the device of Fig. 1 with some elements omitted; Fig. 7 is a partially sectional view of a functional unit of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a functional unit of the device of Fig 1; Fig. 9 shows a detail of the functional unit of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a schematic representation of the time profiles of the movements of the functional units of the device of Fig. 1. First of all, the structure of a device 1 according to the invention for populating electrical components with electrical contact elements is described. The embodiment illustrated is suitable in particular for populating connectors with pin contacts.

The device 1 comprises a housing body 2, for example a base element or another frame or supporting structure, on which are arranged functional units 4, which are suitable for the operations carried out by the device.

The functional units include a grip carriage 6, capable of reciprocating motion relative to the housing body 2 in a populating direction B, on which grip carriage 6 a gripping tool 8 is fixedly arranged i.e. is likewise capable of reciprocating motion in the populating direction B. The reciprocating motion of the grip carriage 6 is illustrated schematically by the double-headed arrow P. A cutting tool 10 is arranged on the housing body 2 downstream of the gripping tool 8 in the populating direction B. The cutting tool 10 may be opened and closed in a cutting direction S. It comprises an upper cutting jaw 12 and a lower cutting jaw 14, which are preferably both movably driven. On one side of the cutting tool 10, at least one feed unit 16 is located substantially transversely of both the populating direction B and the cutting direction S. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, a total of two feed units 16, 18 are provided either side of the cutting tool. Contact elements are fed to the device 1 in the form of strip material. Each feed unit 16, 18 feeds at least one strip of joined-together contact elements to the cutting tool 10. A discharge channel 20 leads downwards from the lower cutting jaw 14, for example to a waste collecting container not shown in Fig. 1. The discharge channel 20 may also be connected to a suction extractor (not shown).

The embodiment shown in Fig. 1 has for example three different strip materials 22a, 22b, 22c fed to it, in each case in a direction of feed V_a, Vb, V_c extending along the strip material. The feed unit 16 guides just one strip material 22a, whereas the feed unit 18 guides two strip materials 22b, 22c to the cutting tool 10. The different strip materials may be constructed from contact elements of different geometries, such that one component may be populated with various contact elements. A strain relief unit 24 may be arranged upstream of the one feed unit 16 in feed direction V_a, said strain relief unit drawing the strip material 22a off a source 25, for example a take-off roller, not shown in Fig. 1 and feeding it to the feed unit 16.

In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 1 , a thickness monitoring unit 26 is additionally provided, which is likewise arranged upstream of the feed unit in the direction of feed and in particular, as shown, may be combined structurally with the strain relief unit 24.

Beginning with processing of the strip material 22a, the mode of operation of the device 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 will now be explained.

The strain relief unit 24 comprises a driving toothed wheel 30 driven for example by an electric motor 28 and meshing with the strip material 22a. The driving toothed wheel 30 is easily exchangeable by means of a manually actuatable fastening means, for example an adjustment screw, such that driving toothed wheels 30 with different teeth 34 may be simply and rapidly used as a function of the engagement geometry of the strip material 22a. A pressure roller 36 with a groove 38 lying radially relative to the teeth 34 is pressed against the driving toothed wheel 30 and ensures engagement between the strip material 22a and the driving toothed wheel 30. During the driving movement the teeth 34 enter the groove 38, such that effective, extensive pressure may be exerted by the pressure roller 36.

The pressure roller 36 and the driving toothed wheel 30 serving as a guide roller are also parts of the thickness monitoring unit 26. The pressure roller 36 is pressed against the driving toothed wheel 30 preferably in a radially deflectable manner. A sensor unit 40 coupled with the pressure roller 36 outputs a signal as a function of deflection of the pressure roller 36, which signal may be used to control the device 1.

The thickness monitoring unit 26 may in particular monitor whether the strip material 22a is torn or has reached its end. In addition, the thickness monitoring unit 26 may detect whether for example the end of the strip material 22a currently being processed and the start of the next, new strip material are lying on top of one another, so forming double thickness strip material 22a. In all of these cases the pressure roller 34 is deflected out its normal, presettable operating position, which leads to the outputting of a signal by the sensor unit 40 monitoring it. The device 1 may be controlled, for example stopped, as a function of this signal.

The strain relief unit 24 conveys the strip material in a loop 42, which serves as a material buffer and in which the strip material may be accommodated substantially without tension. A proximity sensor 44 detects, for example magnetically or inductively, at what position the loop 42 is located or how much material is in the material buffer. If too little material is in the material buffer, as is the case for example with the loop illustrated by a dash-dotted line 46, the proximity switch 44 triggers a signal. As a function of this signal, the strain relief unit 24 is actuated, in order to supply additional strip material 22a to the material buffer. The strain reliever preferably conveys in just one direction.

The strain relief unit 24 with the material buffer supplies the actual effort for feeding the strip material 22a and results in the feed unit 16 requiring less power to feed the strip material 22a to the cutting tool 10. The feed movement of the feed unit may thus proceed more precisely and quickly. It is in particular possible in this way for the feed unit 16 to bring about a feed movement intermittently in one direction and intermittently forwards and backwards without the application of much power.

The feed unit 16 feeds the strip material 22a in a substantially linear manner in the plane E, in which the two cutting jaws 12, 14 are situated in the closed position. The closed gripping tool 8 is preferably also situated in this plane.

The feed unit 16 may be composed in modular manner of at least one drive module 46 with a driving toothed wheel 47 driven for example by electric motor and a guide module 48 with a substantially channel-shaped strip material guide 49a. The driving toothed wheel 47 meshes with the strip material guided in the strip material guide 49a and projects correspondingly into the strip material guide 49a. The driving toothed wheel 47 may, depending on the type of strip material to be conveyed, also comprise a plurality of axially spaced arrangements of teeth. The strip material guide 49a of the feed unit 16 is substantially linear, as shown in Figure 1. It guides the strip material 22a from the material buffer directly to the cutting tool 10. In particular, the feed unit 16, the drive module 46 and/or the guide module 48 may be locked on the device 1 in each case by a lever mechanism 50. The lever mechanism 50 may exert a retention force via eccentrics 52.

The feed unit 18 has a similar structure to the feed unit 16, for which reason the same reference signs are used in Fig. 1 for corresponding elements as for the feed unit 16. The feed unit 18 differs from the feed unit 16 only in that two strip materials 22b and 22c, fed separately and spaced from one another, are conveyed simultaneously through corresponding strip material guides 49b, 49c of the guide module 48. Unlike strip material guide 49a, the strip material guides 49b, 49c are curved. The feed units 16, 18 may be fitted as desired to either one of the two sides of the cutting tool 10. The device 1 is provided for this purpose with identical receptacles for the feed units 16, 18.

The drive modules 46 or at least the driving toothed wheels 47 of one feed unit 16, 18 may be exchanged independently of the guide module 48. Different guide modules 48 may be combined with different drive modules 46. Each strip material guide has a drive module assigned to it. Drive module 46 and guide module 48 form structural units, which may in each case be exchanged in one piece and held screwed on the device 1. In this way the device 1 may be adapted to different requirements with regard to the populating of components.

It goes without saying that the strip materials 22b, 22c may also be supplied by way of a thickness monitoring unit and a strain relief unit.

Further features of the device 1 according to the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 4. So as to be able to explain the structure of the device 1 more simply, various elements illustrated in Fig. 1 are omitted in Figs. 2 and 3. The reference numerals of Fig. 1 continue to be used.

The device 1 comprises a central drive 56, which jointly drives preferably at least the functional units grip carriage 6, gripping tool 8 and cutting tool 10. The central drive

56 comprises an electric motor 58, which drives a drive shaft 59 preferably in one direction at a constant speed. The functional units 6, 8, 10 are coupled to the central drive

56 via mechanical gear units 60, 62, 64, 66.

The mechanical gear units 60, 62, 64, 66 may in particular comprise cam members 68, 70, 72, 74, which cooperate with followers 76, 78, 80, 82.

The mechanical gear unit 60 is arranged between the grip carriage 6 and the central drive 58 and converts the rotary motion of the central drive 58 into the reciprocating motion in populating direction B of the grip carriage 6. To this end, the cam member 68 is provided with a cam extending forwards and backwards along a cylindrical circumferential surface in the axial direction A of the shaft 59 and forming a groove 84.

The follower 76, taking the form of a roller, is positively driven in the groove 84. A spring element 86, for example a tension spring, which extends between the housing body

2 and the grip carriage 6, pretensions the grip carriage 6 in the direction of a guide wall 87 of the groove 84, such that the follower 76 always follows the guide wall 87.

If the shaft 59 rotates, the follower 76 follows the groove 84 or the guide groove 86 and the grip carriage 6 is moved to-and-fro in accordance with the direction of movement B in a linear bearing on the housing body 2, as indicated by the double-headed arrow P.

The gear unit 62 is positioned between the gripping tool 8 and the central drive 56. The cam member 70 takes the form of a cam or cam disc. The circumferential surface of the cam member 70 is traced by the follower 78 taking the form of a tappet and guided longitudinally displaceably in the radial direction of the cam disc. The follower 78 follows the change in diameter of the cam member 70 and in so doing performs a reciprocating motion.

The reciprocating motion of the follower 78 is transmitted to an intermediate member 90, which is guided with the grip carriage 6 deflectably in the direction of movement of the tappet 78 and is held in a pincer mount 91 deflectably in the closing direction R. The intermediate member 90 extends in the populating direction B over at least the stroke of the grip carriage 6. Upon movement of the grip carriage 6 in the populating direction, the intermediate member 90 is displaced relative to the follower 78, which may raise and lower the intermediate member 90 at any point of the stroke of the grip carriage 6 and may accordingly close and open the gripping tool 8. To minimise friction, the follower 78 may be provided at both its ends with rollers.

The circumference of the cam member 72, which is likewise in the form of a cam, is traced by the roller-type follower 80. The follower 80 is attached to a frame 92 which follows the deflection of the follower 80 and is mounted so as to be capable of reciprocating motion in the cutting direction S. Pressure springs 94, which rest between the frame 92 and the housing body 2, urge the follower 80 against the cam member 72. The frame 92 is connected for movement with the upper cutting jaw 12 of the cutting tool 10, which is guided linearly in the cutting direction S for example by way of two guide rods 98, 100.

The gear unit 66 is arranged between the lower cutting jaw 14 of the cutting tool 10 and the central drive 58. The cam member 74 of the gear unit 66 is traced by the tappet-like follower 82. The lower cutting jaw 14 of the cutting tool 10 and the follower 82 are urged by springs, not shown, against the cam disc 74, so as to achieve precise guidance even at high cycle rates. The upper cutting jaw 12 of the cutting tool is likewise guided in reciprocating manner on the frame body 2 in the cutting direction S, preferably by way of the guide rods 98, 100, on which the lower cutting jaw 14 of the cutting tool 10 is also guided.

Upon rotation of the shaft 59, the movements of the cutting tool 10 are synchronised with the movements of the grip carriage 6 and of the pincer tool 8 by way of the gear units 60, 62, 64, 66. The functional units 4 are jointly driven by the central drive 56.

The feed units 16, 18 described with reference to Fig. 1 may in principle also be driven by way of the central drive 58 and corresponding gear unit. However, since the number and position of the feed units used vary considerably in the individual instances of use, it is preferable, for the purpose of greater flexibility, for the drives to be incorporated into the feed units 16, 18, as is explained above with reference to the drive modules 46.

The structure of the cutting tool 10 is explained below with reference to Figs. 4 to 6. The strip materials 22a, 22b, 22c are fed to the cutting tool 10 in the plane E for singulation and are deposited on cutting bed 108 forming a die. The cutting bed 108 is connected to the lower cutting jaw 14 via an adapter 110. The adapter 110 may be simply replaced as a cutting module by another adapter with a differently configured cutting die. To this end, it is held on the lower cutting jaw 14 merely by interlocking elements 112, for example by tongue and groove combinations.

Contrary to the cutting direction S and opposite the cutting bed 108 relative to the plane E, there is fitted a cutting punch 114, connected for movement with the upper gripping jaw and fixed with regard to its position by means of at least one interlocking element 113, for example a sliding block. In addition, a hold-down member 115 is provided on the side of the cutting punch 114, which hold-down member is displaceable relative to the cutting punch 114 in the cutting direction S and is urged by spring elements 116 in the direction of the cutting bed 108, such that the cutting punch 114 may pass in the cutting direction S through the hold-down member 115 with deformation of the spring elements 116.

The cutting bed 108 follows the movement of the lower cutting jaw 14 and the cutting punch 114 follows the movement of the upper cutting jaw 12. Like the cutting bed, the cutting punch may also be simply replaced. It is held on the upper cutting jaw 12 by way of fastening elements 117, for example screws. The strip materials 22a, 22b deposited by the feed units 16, 18 on the cutting bed

108, with the contact elements connected together by intermediate webs 120, are singulated in that the cutting bed 108 and the cutting punch 114 meet in the plane E and punch out the intermediate webs. The singulated contact elements 118 remain on the cutting bed 108. Feed of the strip material 22a, 22b, 22c may be monitored by a light barrier 122, in which a light beam 124 is in each case switched on and off by a contact element 118. Fig. 6 shows the light barrier 122 by way of example only in relation to the feed means 16. In fact, each strip material 22a, 22b, 22c supplied, i.e. also in the case of the feed unit 18, may be provided with its own light barrier. As is clear from Fig. 5, the gripping tool 8 comprises a pincer portion 126 with at least one lower gripping jaw 128 and at least one upper gripping jaw 130. In the embodiment illustrated, the upper gripping jaw 130 cannot be deflected perpendicularly to the populating direction B. The lower gripping jaw 128 may be swivelled in the closing direction R by way of the follower 78 and the intermediate member 90. In certain applications, in a modification of the embodiment illustrated the upper gripping jaw 130 may also be swivellably mounted. In this case the follower 78 is actuated by a lever mechanism, not shown, in order simultaneously to effect deflection of the lower and upper gripping jaws. This modification is used in particular if the contact elements 118 to be populated comprise projections protruding in the direction of the upper gripping jaw, over which the opened pincer portion 126 has to move. The contact elements 118 lying on the cutting bed 108 in the plane E are gripped by the gripping jaws 128, 130 before or after singulation. It is preferable, however, to grip the contact elements 118 before singulation, so that they are held during the cutting process both by the hold-down member 115 and by the gripping tool 126. The geometry of the gripping jaws 128, 130 is conformed to the geometry of the component to the populated and of the contact elements 118. Controlled by the gear units 60, 62, 64, 66, after gripping of the contact elements by the pincer portion 126, the lower cutting jaw 14 moves downwards and the upper cutting jaw 12 upwards, such that the pincer portion 126 may move in the populating direction B between the open cutting jaws 12, 14. Since the contact elements 118 are merely gripped by the gripping tool 8 at their opposite end from the populating direction B, the end protruding in the populating direction B may be inserted in the course this movement into a connector not shown in Fig. 5. The pincer portion 126 may then be opened.

In order, in successive working cycles, to place a plurality of different contact elements into the component to be populated, first of all the strip material 22b is conveyed onto the lower cutting jaw 104, then the contact points 118 are singulated and set in place, as described above. In the next working cycle, the strip material 22a, 22b travels back through the feed unit 18 and the strip material 22c is guided onto the lower cutting jaw instead of the strip material 22b. Then, the contact elements of the web material 22c may be set in place after singulation.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic, partially sectional view of the feed unit 18 necessary for this purpose. As is clear therefrom, the two strip material guides 49b, 49c extend in curved manner between the respective inlet opening 132b, 132c symmetrically relative to the plane E. The driving toothed wheels 47 protrude into the in each case associated strip material guides, in order to mesh with the strip material 22b, 22c. The strip material guides 49b, 49c lead into a common opening 134 in plane E.

The strip material guides 49b, 49c are provided with rollers 136 on the two flat sides. At least one roller arrangement 138 of at least three rollers 138a, 138b, 138c serves to impart curvature to the strip material 22a, 22b. The at least one roller 138a is arranged relative to the strip material guide 49b, 49c opposite a pair of rollers 138b, 138c lying next to one another in the direction of feed Vb, V_c in such a way that its axis in the direction of feed Vb, V_c lies between the axes of the opposing rollers 138b, 138c. The circumference of the one roller 138a protrudes between the circumferences of the opposing rollers 138b, 138c in such a way that a deformation portion G arises which is more severely curved than the areas of the strip material guide 49b, 49c adjacent the roller arrangement, said deformation portion leading to plastic deformation of the strip material 22b, 22c.

To simplify engagement of the driving toothed wheels 47 into the strip material

22b, 22c, the strip material guide 49b, 49c is provided with a pocket 140 opposite the driving toothed wheels, in which pocket the teeth of the driving toothed wheel 47 may engage, the tips of said teeth protruding through the strip material 22b, 22c. Rollers 142 are arranged in each case adjacent the pocket 140 in the direction of feed Vb, V_c. To absorb the pressure on the strip material 22b, 22c generated by the driving wheel 46 and to reduce the friction in the strip material guide 49b, 49c, preferably a plurality of rollers 136 are arranged in each case opposite the driving toothed wheel 46 relative to the strip material 22b, 22c.

The deformation produced in the deformation portion G compensates in particular the deformation produced by the driving toothed wheel 47 when it presses against the strip material 22b, 22c. The function of the gripping tool is explained below with reference to Figs. 8 and

9.

In order to be able to adapt the device 1 flexibly to different shapes of contact elements, the gripping tool 8 comprises at least one simply exchangeable pincer module 142, which includes the pincer portion 126 and is connected preferably screwlessly, magnetically in the embodiment illustrated, to the grip carriage 6. In the embodiment described here, two mutually adjacent pincer modules 142 are provided. The pincer modules 142 may be alternately activated or inactivated by way of a releasing unit 143 preferably fixed to the frame.

For each pincer module, the releasing unit 143 comprises a releasing clutch 145 actuated by a pneumatic cylinder 144. When the releasing clutch 145 is disconnected, the movement of the respective pincer module 142 is coupled to the movement of the grip carriage 6. When the releasing clutch 145 is actuated, the respective pincer module 142 is fixed to the releasing unit 143 and the grip carriage 6 moves, without moving the released pincer module 142 with it. Upon actuation of the releasing clutch 145, a pneumatically displaceable releasing fork 146 travels out of a cylinder 147 and engages around a retaining pin 148, such that the pincer module 142 is locked in actuating direction B and coupled to the grip carriage 6. In Fig. 8 the releasing fork 146 which is at the front in the drawing has been retracted and the pincer module 142 accordingly uncoupled from the grip carriage 6. The rear releasing clutch 145 is engaged. With the assistance of the releasing clutches 145, individual pincer modules 126 may thus be selected for populating purposes.

Each pincer module 142 is held on the grip carriage 6 by way of at least one magnet 152 and a retaining plate 154 (Fig. 5) cooperating with the magnet 152. In order to release the respective pincer module 142 from magnetic retention, the releasing fork 146 is provided with a sloping surface, such that the pincer module is disengaged from the retaining plate by way of the retaining pin 148 when the retaining pin 148 travels into the releasing fork 146. In this way, at the same time the magnetic connection between pincer module 142 and grip carriage 6 is undone and the mechanical connection between releasing unit 144 and pincer module 142 is produced. The pincer module 142 is secured at all times. Figure 9 shows the pincer portion 126 in detail.

Two mutually adjacent pincer modules 142 each comprise mutually adjacent pincer holders 91, to which for example the in each case upper gripping jaws are attached substantially rigidly. The lower gripping jaws are, as described above with reference to Figure 8, in each case driven movably via the intermediate member 90. To this end, they are held swivellably on the pincer holder 91. Each pincer module 142 can hold one or more contact elements, depending on the geometry of the component to be populated.

When the device 1 is changed over for populating a different component from previously with contact elements 118, just one pincer module or both pincer modules 142 may be exchanged, as required.

Synchronisation of the functional units 4 driven by the central drive 56 will now be explained with reference to Fig. 10. In this respect, Fig. 10 is a schematic representation of the developed profiles of the cam members 68, 70, 72, 74 over the angle at the circumference, one full revolution of the cam members by 360° corresponding to one working cycle of the device 1.

The time profile I shows with hatching the feed movement of at least one of the feed units 16, 18. The strip material 22a, 22b, 22c is accordingly supplied to the cutting bed 108 from the start of the working cycle until a time T₁. Then the feed unit does not perform any movement until a time T₂ towards the end of the working cycle. The feed movement of the strip material 22a starts again at time T₂.

If different strip materials 22b, 22c are supplied one after the other by one feed unit 18 in successive working cycles, a movement directed contrary to the feed movement may be generated before time T₂, in order to open up the opening 134 for the other strip material. Thus the one and then the other strip material 22a, 22b may be supplied alternately.

The upper cutting jaw 12 is in a virtually completely open position until time T₃. At time T₃, which lies before time Ti within a working stroke, the closing movement of the upper cutting jaw starts, which lasts until time T₄. In the course of the closing movement, firstly the hold-down member 113 comes to lie on the cutting bed 108. Once the hold-down member 113 has come to lie on the cutting bed 108, with interposition of the strip material, the cutting punch 114 travels on in the direction of the strip material 22a, 22b, 22c. The hold-down member 1 13 is here urged by the spring elements 1 16 against the strip material. At time T₄, the cutting punch 114 cuts the strip material 22a, 22b, 22c. Within the closing movement, a time interval T₅ may be provided, in which the movement of the upper cutting jaw is briefly stopped. This time interval may serve to allow settling movements in the strip material during the cutting process or for the cutting tool 10 to carry out a brief holding function while the gripping tool 8 grips the strip of strip material deposited on the cutting bed 108. The punching or cutting process is concluded at time T₄. Then the cutting tool opens up, by the upper cutting jaw 12 performing an opening movement until time T₆. The opening movement takes place preferably as far as the maximum stroke of the upper cutting jaw 12, in order to achieve maximum opening of the cutting tool 10.

The upper cutting jaw 12 remains in the maximally open position until time T₇, at which a slight closing movement takes place until time Ts, at the end of the respective working cycle. This slight closing movement shortens the distance required for the closing movement between T₃ and T₄.

Times T3 to T₆ all lie in the first half of the working cycle, while time interval T5 preferably lies after the end Ti of the feed movement. Time T₇ lies in the last quarter of the working cycle.

The movement of the lower cutting jaw 14 is shown in the time profile V. At the start of the working cycle, the lower cutting jaw is in the top position, in which it remains until time T₉, roughly until half-way through the working cycle. In this position the cutting bed 108 is aligned with the plane E. Accordingly, time T₉ lies within a working cycle downstream of time T₁, at which the feed movement ends. Then the lower cutting jaw is displaced downwards; maximum opening of the lower cutting jaw 14 is reached at time T₁0. The opening movement between T9 and T₁₀ takes place roughly before half-way through the working cycle and starts in particular at time T9 before time T₆, the end of the opening movement of the upper cutting jaw 12. Time T₁₀ lies shortly downstream of time T₆.

Roughly at time T₇, at which the slight closing movement of the upper cutting jaw 12 starts, at time Tn, movement of the lower cutting jaw 14 into the starting position starts, which position is reached at the end of the working cycle, at T₁₂. The lower cutting jaw 14 is thus merely displaced between two positions during a working cycle. Lowering of the lower cutting jaw 14 does not start until the contact elements 118 have been singulated on the cutting bed 108, thus after time T₄. In addition, as in the embodiment shown, lowering of the cutting bed 108 can take place only when the hold- down member 114 has risen. Between times T₁₀ and Tn the cutting tool 10 is completely open in the embodiment illustrated. In order to simplify arrival of the strip material on the cutting bed 108, time T₂ may lie before time Ti₂, i.e. the strip material may be pushed onto the cutting bed 108 while the latter is not yet in its upper end position.

Movement of the grip carriage 6 is shown in time profile III. The grip carriage 6 lies at the start of the working cycle in its rear position in the direction of movement B. At time Ti3 roughly at the same time as the end of the feed movement at time T₁, the grip carriage T₆ moves forwards in the populating direction B into an intermediate position, which is reached at time T₁₄. In this intermediate position, the gripping tool 8 is positioned in such a way that it may grip the contact elements 1 18 on the cutting bed 108 with the at least one pincer portion 126. Movement of the grip carriage 6 into the intermediate position may take place before or at the start of the cutting process. Time Ti₄ lies in particular within one working cycle downstream of time T₃, at which the cutting movement of the cutting jaws 12, 14 begins and before the end of the actual cutting movement at time T₄.

The grip carriage 6 remains in the intermediate position until after the end T₄ of the cutting process. Movement of the grip carriage 6 forward in the populating direction cannot start until minimum opening of the cutting tool 10 is reached. Time T₁₅ may lie before the end T₆, Ti₀ of the respective opening movement of the upper and lower cutting jaws, such that the movement of the grip carriage 6 out of the intermediate position in the populating direction may still proceed during the opening movement of the cutting tool, since at the start of the movement of the grip carriage 6 only flat parts of the pincer portion 126 travel, such that complete opening of the cutting tool 10 is not as yet necessary.

To populate the electrical component with the contact elements, the grip carriage 6 moves in the populating direction between time T₁₅ and Ti₆. In order to open the pincer modules, the grip carriage 6 may remain briefly in its front position between Ti₆ and Tn. Then the grip carriage 6 travels back contrary to the populating direction B into its starting position, which it has reached at time Tis, preferably at the start of the next working cycle.

The closing and opening movement of the gripping tool 8, which is connected for movement with the grip carriage 6, is shown in time profile IV. At the beginning of the working cycle, the gripping tool 8 is in the open position, i.e. the gripping jaws are swung open. At time Ti₉ the gripping jaws are closed. Between times T₂o and T₂₁ the gripping jaws are closed. The closing movement of the gripping tool 8 between T19 and T20 preferably takes place when the grip carriage 6 is stationary in the intermediate position, i.e. between times T₁₄ and T₁₅. The time interval T₅, in which the movement of the upper cutting jaw 12 is briefly stopped, lies between times T19 and T20. The end of the cutting movement at T₄ is reached when the gripping tool 8 is closed, i.e. after time T20. Time

T₂₁, at which the gripping tool 8 opens again, lies close to the end point Ti₆ of the movement of the grip carriage 6 in the populating direction B. To make maximally efficient use of the working cycle, time T₂₂, at which the gripping tool 8 is completely open, should not lie before time Tn, at which the rearward movement contrary to the populating direction B of the grip carriage 6 begins.

It is moreover sufficient for the gripping tool 8 to be opened so far at the beginning of the return stroke of the grip carriage 6 that the gripping tool 8 can be straightforwardly detached from the contact element 118 which has just been populated. As is clear, the time interval between times Ti₆ and Tn, at which the movement of the grip carriage 6 is stopped briefly in the front population position, lies within the time interval T₂₁ and T₂₂. At least some of the opening movement thus takes place while the grip carriage 6 is stopped. During the rearward movement of the grip carriage 6 a fresh closing movement takes place at time T23. Until time T25 the gripping tool remains closed, likewise even during the return stroke of the grip carriage 6, in order then to open at time T₂₆. Time T₂₆ lies shortly before the end of the working cycle. This short intermediate closing movement has the effect that the returning pincer module does not collide with the upward-travelling cutting bed 108.

As Fig. 10 shows, the gripping tool 8 is opened roughly during the first and last quarters of the working cycle, while it is closed during the second and third quarters. Population of the component takes place towards the end of the third quarter. By using mechanical gear units 60, 62, 64, 66, the time profiles II, III, IV, V are firmly synchronised precisely at all speeds. In this way, high rates of around 600 working cycles/minute are achieved. By using feed units 16, 18, which can supply a plurality of different geometries of contact elements simultaneously, around 2000 contact elements may be inserted into the electrical components per minute. To hold the component, a positioning stage not shown here may be provided, which may displace the component programmably in a plane perpendicular to the populating direction B and is preferably also capable of performing tilting movements, such that the angle at which the contact elements are inserted into the component may also be modified.

Claims

1. A device (1) for automatically populating electrical components, such as for example connectors, with contact elements (118), such as pin contacts, supplied as strip material (22a, 22b, 22c) in at least one direction of feed (V_a, V_b, V_c), having at least one housing body (2) and having functional units (4) arranged on the housing body, which comprises at least one grip carriage (6), which is arranged on the housing body (2) so as to be capable of reciprocating motion relative to the housing body in a populating direction (B), at least one gripping tool (88), which is arranged on the grip carriage fixedly relative thereto and is driven in an openable and closable manner in a closing direction (R), and at least one cutting tool for singulating the contact elements from the strip material, the cutting tool being drivable in an openable and closable manner in a cutting direction (S), characterised by a central drive (56), which is coupled mechanically to the functional units (4) by way of gear units (60, 62, 64, 66).

2. A device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one gear unit (60, 62, 64, 66) takes the form of a cam gear with a cam member (68, 70, 72, 74) on the central drive side and a follower (76, 78, 80, 82) on the functional unit side.

3. A device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the grip carriage (6) is positively driven.

4. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that an intermediate member (90) drivable by the follower (78) is arranged between the gripping tool (8) and the associated gear unit (62), which intermediate member extends substantially in the populating direction (B) and against which a follower (76) rests displaceably in the populating direction (B) along the intermediate member (90).

5. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that, in an end position in the populating direction (B), the gripping tool (8) is located between the open cutting tool (10).

6. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the gripping tool (8) comprises at least two pincer modules (142) with in each case at least one independently actuatable releasing clutch (145), by which the pincer module (142) assigned to the clutch (145) may be decoupled from at least one drive movement of the central drive (56).

7. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the gripping tool (8) comprises at least one pincer module (142) exchangeable in one piece, which comprises at least one mobile gripping jaw (114).

8. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the cutting tool (10) is equipped with exchangeable cutting modules.

9. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that at least one feed unit (16, 18) is provided for feeding strip material (22a, 22b, 22c) to the cutting tool (10) in a direction of feed (V_a, Vb, V_c), the feed unit (16, 18) comprising a curved strip material guide (49a, 49b, 49c) with guide rollers (136).

10. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that at least two feed units (16, 18) are provided on either side of the cutting tool (10).

11. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that at least one feed unit (16, 18) is provided with at least two separate strip material guides (49a, 49b, 49c), which open in a plane (E).

12. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the feed unit (16, 18) is exchangeably attached as a structural unit to the device (1).

13. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the feed unit (16, 18) comprises at least one driving toothed wheel (47) protruding into the strip material guide (49a, 49b, 49c).

14. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the cutting direction (S), the direction of feed (V_a, Vb, V_c) at the outlet of a feed means (16, 18) and the populating direction (B) are substantially perpendicular to one another.

15. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that a motor- driven strain relief unit (24) arranged upstream of the feed unit (16, 18) in the direction of feed (V_a, Vb, V_c) and having a driving toothed wheel (30) is provided for supplying a material buffer.

16. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the strain relief unit (24) comprises a proximity switch (44), which is actuatable by the strip material (22a, 22b, 22c) and as a function of whose actuation the driving toothed wheel (30) may be driven.

17. A device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterised in that a thickness monitoring unit (26) is provided upstream of the feed unit (16, 18) in the direction of feed (V_a, Vb, V_c), the thickness monitoring unit (26) comprising a guide wheel (30) and a pressure roller (34) pressed deflectably against the guide wheel (30) and a sensor unit (40) coupled to the pressure roller (34), a signal for controlling the device (1) being outputtable by the sensor unit (40) as a function of deflection of the pressure roller (34).

18. A method for automatically populating electrical components, such as connectors, with contact elements (118), such as pin contacts, in which the contact elements (118) are supplied in the form of a strip material (22a, 22b, 22c), singulated by means of a cutting tool (10) and then fitted to the component by means of a gripping tool (8) capable of reciprocating motion in a populating direction (B), characterised in that the movements of the cutting tool (10) and of the gripping tool (8) are jointly driven by a central drive (56) and synchronised mechanically by way of gear units.

19. A method according to claim 18, characterised in that a plurality of gripping pincers of the gripping tool (8) may be moved mutually independently in the populating direction (B).

20. A method according to claim 18 or claim 19, characterised in that the gripping tool (8) travels between the open cutting tool (10) for populating purposes.

21. A device (1) according to any one of claims 18 to 20, characterised in that plastic deformation of the web material (22a, 22b, 22c) resulting from the feed motion is compensated.

22. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterised in that a plurality of strip materials (22a, 22b, 22c) are supplied simultaneously to the cutting tool (10).