Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to assemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-13
2003-04-01
Huson, Gregory (Department: 3751)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to assemble electrical device
C029S742000, C029S749000, C029S754000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06539617
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an automatic connector assembling apparatus and to a method for assembling connectors. The connectors may be used for an automotive wiring harness and particularly a wiring harness used for an airbag.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS.
1
(A),
1
(B) and
2
show a known connector that can be used in a wiring harness for an air bag and that can be assembled by an apparatus according to the present invention. The connector shown in FIGS.
1
(A),
1
(B) and
2
enables a wire assembly AY to be mounted into a connector housing C and locked by a lock C
4
.
The wire assembly AY has two wires W, terminals T crimped into connection with the ends of the wires W, and a ferrite F assembled onto the wires W at locations spaced slightly from the terminals T.
The connector housing C is formed integrally with a main body C
1
that has upwardly open terminal cavities V
1
and an upwardly open ferrite cavity V
2
for accommodating the respective terminals T and the ferrite F of the wire assembly AY. The connector housing C also has a cover C
2
for substantially covering the housing main body C
1
, and a connecting piece C
3
that hingedly connects the main body C
1
and the cover C
2
.
The cover C
2
can be open to expose an upper part of the main body C
1
, including the cavities V
1
and V
2
, before the wires W are mounted. The cover C
2
then can be turned from the state of FIG.
1
(A) and placed on the upper part of the main body C
1
after the wires W are mounted.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, hinge recesses C
14
are formed at opposite sides of the end of the main body C
1
adjacent the connecting piece C
3
, and hinge projections C
24
are formed at the end of the cover C
2
adjacent the connecting piece C
3
. The hinge projections C
24
can be engaged in the hinge recesses C
14
to enable the cover C
2
to be turned smoothly relative to the main body C
1
and to maintain a precisely positioned state or relationship.
Locking claws C
11
(only one is shown in
FIG. 1
) are formed at opposite sides of the main body C
1
and substantially frame-shaped engaging portions C
21
are formed at opposite sides of the cover C
2
. The frame-shaped engaging portions C
21
are engageable with the locking claws C
11
to connect the main body C
1
and the cover C
2
with each other in the closed condition.
The lock C
4
comprises a plate C
41
to be placed at a specified position on the cover C
2
, and a pair of locking projections C
42
that extend from the plate C
41
. On the other hand, the cover C
2
is formed with holes C
22
, and the main body C
1
is formed with insertion holes C
12
that register with the holes C
22
of the cover C
2
when the cover C
2
is closed. The locking projections C
42
are dimensioned to be inserted through the registered holes C
22
and C
12
during assembly of the connector. Each insertion hole C
12
in the main body C
1
is formed with an unillustrated locking claw, and each locking projection C
42
is formed with an unillustrated arrowhead-shaped end. The arrowhead-shaped ends on the locking projections C
42
engage the locking claws in the insertion holes C
12
of the main body C
1
to prevent removal of the lock C
4
.
The terminals T and the ferrite F are set in the cavities V
1
, V
2
as the wires W are being mounted in the main body C
1
, as shown in FIG.
1
(A). The cover C
2
then is turned and closed to cover the main body C
1
as shown in FIG.
1
(B), and the lock C
4
is inserted as indicated by arrows in FIG.
1
(B) to assemble the entire connector.
The connector of FIGS.
1
(A) and
1
(B) has the main body C
1
and the cover C
2
connected by the connecting piece C
3
. As a result, there are several operation steps that complicate the assembly of the connector, including turning and connecting the cover C
2
. Consequently, the connector has been assembled manually. Further, a checking step is required to ensure that the ferrite F has not been forgotten and an electrical connection test is required for the wires W and the terminals T. Thus, the assembling operation is fairly inefficient and takes time and labor.
An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic connector assembling apparatus and method capable of at least partly automatically assembling a connector as described above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a connector assembling apparatus for mounting a wire assembly in a connector housing. The connector housing comprises a main body for accommodating a portion of the wire assembly, a cover connected to the main body, and a lock that can be inserted through the cover and into the main body for locking the wire assembly therein.
The apparatus comprises at least one palette for holding the main body. The apparatus also comprises an assembly pushing mechanism for substantially fully mounting the portion of the wire assembly temporarily placed in the main body while the main body is on the palette. A cover turning mechanism is provided for turning the cover relative to the main body after the assembly pushing mechanism has mounted the portion of the wire assembly. The apparatus further includes a lock inserting mechanism for inserting the lock into the connector housing after the cover is connected. A control means is provided for controllably driving the above-described mechanisms.
Preferably, the automatic connector assembling apparatus further comprises a cover pushing mechanism for pushing the turned cover against the main body to connect them. Additionally, the lock inserting mechanism inserts the lock into the connector housing after the cover is connected by the cover pushing mechanism.
The apparatus can automate mounting the wire assembly into the main body, turning the housing cover, fully mounting the housing cover on the main body, and inserting the locking member into the connector housing.
The palette preferably comprises at least one push-up projection for contacting the cover while the main body is being mounted and pushing up the cover in a state where the wire assembly is mountable. The reference to “a state where the wire assembly is mountable” includes both temporarily placing the wire assembly in the connector housing and fully mounting the wire assembly by the assembly pushing mechanism. In this embodiment, the cover of the connector housing is brought into contact with the push-up projection while the connector housing is being mounted on the palette to be pushed up to a specified position. Thus, the cover turning mechanism and the turning operation performed by the cover turning mechanism can be simplified. Preferably, the push-up projection is formed to position the housing cover at an obtuse angle or at substantially 90° with respect to the housing main body.
The cover turning mechanism preferably comprises a stay that can contact the cover and turn the cover toward the main body when at least one portion of the palette is moved towards the stay.
One or more sensors preferably are provided to determine: whether an engagement of the main body and a hinge of the cover is satisfactory; whether the lock is mounted; whether at least one selected component of the wire assembly is present; and/or whether a connection of the housing main body and the housing cover is satisfactory.
In another embodiment of the invention, the assembly pushing mechanism comprises detecting elements for conducting an electrical connection test for the wire assembly while the wire assembly is being pushed. Thus, the automatic assembling and the electrical connection test can be performed simultaneously, thereby enabling efficient automatic production of higher quality connectors.
The lock inserting mechanism may comprise a lock feed unit for feeding the lock to a predetermined lock feed position, a pick-up unit for picking up the lock from the lock feed position, and a pick-up unit drive for driving the pick-up unit between the lock fee position and a position for mounting the lock into the connector housing. The control means of the apparatu
devore Peter
Huson Gregory
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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