Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to assemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-01
2001-04-10
Young, Lee (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to assemble electrical device
C029S03300H, C029S03300H, C029S748000, C029S747000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212766
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of automatically inserting terminals with wires into desired terminal accommodating cavities in a connector housing after putting neighboring wires aside, and an apparatus used for the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 45
shows a conventional method of inserting a terminals with wires, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Showa 61-104578.
In this method, one of terminals
37
and
38
attached to both ends of a wire
36
is inserted into a connector housing
40
at an end of a transportation line
39
, and then, the other terminal
38
is transported on a supporting portion
44
on a rearrangement station
43
by a transportation head
42
on a base
41
. This rearrangement is carried out to insert the terminal
38
in a predetermined position of the a connector housing
45
in the next process in order. Then, the terminal
38
is inserted into a connector housing
45
in the order that they are placed on the station
43
.
However, with the conventional method described above, it is inevitable to rearrange the terminals with wires
47
so that the terminals
38
are inserted into the predetermined terminal accommodating cavities in the connector housing
45
without being interfered by terminals
36
which are already accommodated, resulting in increased manhour and an expanded manufacturing line. As a result, it has been difficult to manufacture a wire harness with a lot of wires due to limited manufacturing space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of securely inserting terminals with wires into desired terminal accommodating cavities in a connector housing without rearranging the terminals, and an apparatus used for the method.
To accomplish the above object, the method for the inserting of terminals with wires into terminal accommodating cavities according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising the steps of: grasping the terminal with wire by terminal supporting hands and wire supporting hands; moving the terminal supporting hands in the direction that the terminal supporting hands sweep wires which are already accommodated in neighboring terminal accommodating cavities; moving the wire supporting hands and the terminal supporting hands toward the connector housing to insert the terminal with wire into the terminal accommodating cavity.
Further, the method of inserting a terminal with wire into a terminal accommodating cavities according to another embodiment of the present invention comprising the steps of: grasping the terminal with wire by terminal supporting hands and wire supporting hands; moving wire sweeping arms in the direction that the wire sweeping arms sweep wires which are already accommodated in neighboring terminal accommodating cavities, the wire sweeping arms disposed between the terminal accommodating cavities and the terminal supporting hands so as to move back and forth; moving the wire supporting hands and the terminal supporting hands toward the connector housing to insert the terminal with wire into the terminal accommodating cavity.
In the above methods according to the present invention, it is preferable to adopt wire sweeping arms comprising: a pair of guide arms with triangular cross-sections, the guide arms each having a triangular tip portion to form an edge when the guide arms are combined; an inclined guide portion projecting from an engagement face of a first guide arm of the pair of guide arms; a notch attached to an engagement face of a second guide arm of the pair of guide arms for accommodating the inclined guide portion.
As a driving device for the wire sweeping arms to perform the method of inserting the terminal with wire into the terminal accommodating cavity comprising: an air cylinder with a pair of legs for fixing a pair of guide arms, the guide arms used for sweeping the already accommodated wires and inserting the terminal with wire into the terminal accommodating cavities; a stopper abutting an outer face of one of the legs; a holder for fixing the stopper; a guide rail on which the holder travels in the direction perpendicular to the direction that the terminal with wire is inserted; a screw rod rotatably inserted into the holder; and a servo motor for rotating the screw shaft.
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patent: 5737829 (1998-04-01), Wolfe et al.
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patent: 0 299 897 (1989-01-01), None
patent: 391239 (1990-10-01), None
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patent: 86-104578 (1986-05-01), None
Igura Toshinori
Inoue Toshihiro
Kato Fumio
Maejima Takamichi
Nakagame Takao
Armstrong, Westerman Hattori, McLeland & Naughton
Tugbang A. Dexter
Yazaki -Corporation
Young Lee
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