Automatic wire cutting and terminating apparatus

Details Automatic wire cutting and terminating apparatus Automatic wire cutting and terminating apparatus

1999-10-12

2001-08-28

Wellington, A. L. (Department: 3722)

Metal working

Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for...

Binding or covering and cutting

C029S564400, C029S748000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06279215

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic wire cutting and terminating apparatus of a type that cuts an insulated electric wire, and strips a length of insulation from a respective cut end of the electric wire or a cut piece thereof, terminating the stripped end by applying a crimp-on (or solder-less) terminal for use, for example in a wire harness of a vehicular electrical system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As such a type of automatic wire cutting and terminating apparatus, there has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 8-102354 a both-end terminating apparatus for insulated electric wires.
FIG. 9
is a plan of the both-end terminating apparatus, and
FIG. 10
, a front view of an essential part of the apparatus.
As illustrated in
FIG. 9
, a supply station
3
has a large number of wire-feeding tubes
3
a
, on a base
2
. The supply station
3
is provided so that it can freely move in the direction indicated by the arrow e. A rotating arm
4
is provided on the ejection side of the supply station
3
, this arm having a clamping means (not shown) for clamping an electrical wire W that is supplied from the supply station
3
. The rotating arm
4
can freely swing (rotate) left and right with respect to the base
2
, about the axis
5
. As a result of the swinging of the rotating arm
4
, a head
4
a
of the arm
4
can be positioned at a reference position H, a maximum-swing work position J, which is at the maximum angle from the reference position H, and at an intermediate work position I, which is between the above-noted reference and maximum-angle positions. The head
4
a
of the rotating arm
4
is configured so as to be opposite the wire cutter
6
A when in the reference position H, opposite the wire insulation stripper
6
B when in the intermediate position I, and opposite the terminal-crimping part when at the maximum-angle work position J. As shown in
FIGS. 9 and 10
, a first transporter
7
is provided on the base
2
, this first transporter
7
being freely movable in the directions indicated by the arrows m and n in FIG.
9
. Four clamps,
7
a
through
7
d
are provided at a uniform mutual spacing on the first transporter
7
, the clamp
7
a
moving between the reference position H and the first work position K, the clamp
7
b
moving between the first work position K and a second work position L, the clamp
7
c
moving between the second work position K and a third work position M, and the clamp
7
d
moving between the third work position M and a fourth work position N. When a moving cylinder
7
S is moved to the reference position H along a cylinder rod
7
R, the first clamp
7
a
of the first transporter
7
is brought into opposition with the wire cutter
6
A.
A second transporter
8
is also provided at the first work position K of the first transporter
7
, this being provided so as to enable free movement thereof in the direction of the arrow p. The second transporter
8
has a clamp
8
a
, which by moving a clamped wire W in the direction of the arrow p, enables the movement of the wire W to a position opposite an insulation-stripping part
6
D. A third transporter
9
is provided at the second work position L of the first transporter
7
, this being freely movable in the direction of the arrow q. The third transporter
9
has a clamp
9
a
which moves in the direction of the arrow q, so as to move a clamped wire W to a position opposite a terminal-crimping part
6
E.
A clamp
6
F is provided at the third work position M and a fourth clamp
7
d
is provided at the fourth work position N of the first transporter
7
.
In the above-described mechanism, a wire W is supplied by the supply station
3
to the rotating arm
4
, the supplied wire W being clamped by a clamping means (not shown), and the end of the wire W being set in a position so that it protrudes from the head
4
a
of the rotating arm
4
. Next, the wire W that protrudes from the head
4
a
of the rotating arm
4
is cut by the wire cutter
6
A, and the rotating arm
4
rotates from the reference position H to the intermediate work position
1
. Next, the insulation covering of the cut end of the wire W is stripped by the wire insulation stripper
6
B, and the rotating arm rotates from the intermediate work position I to the maximum-angle work position J. Next, a terminal is crimped onto the conductor of the wire W by the terminal crimper
6
C, at which point the rotating arm
4
returns from the maximum-angle work position J to the reference position H, thereby completing the process of terminating one end of the wire W.
When the rotating arm
4
returns to the reference position H, the first transporter
7
moves in the direction of the arrow m, the first clamp
7
a
being positioned at the reference position H, and a prescribed amount of the wire W being pulled out from the head
4
a
of the rotating arm
4
, This extended wire W is clamped by the first clamp
7
a
of the first transporter
7
, the first clamp
7
moving in the direction of arrow n, so that the first clamp
7
a
is moved to the first work position K. Next, the clamp
8
a
of the second transporter
8
re-clamps the wire W and moves in the direction of the arrow p, so that the wire W is moved to the region of the insulation stripper
6
D.
Next, the insulation stripper
6
D strips the insulation covering from the other end of the wire W, after which the second transporter
8
returns to its original position. Next, the second clamp
7
b
of the first transporter
7
moves to the first work position K, and the second clamp
7
b
re-clamps the wire W. Next, the first transporter
7
moves in the direction of the arrow n, so that the second clamp
7
b
is moves to the second work position L. Next, the clamp
9
a
of the third transporter
9
re-clamps the wire W, and moves in the direction of the arrow q, so that the wire W is moved to the region of the terminal crimper
6
E.
Next, the terminal crimper
6
E crimps a terminal on to the other end of the wire W, after which the third transporter
9
returns to its original position. Next, the third clamp
7
c
of the first transporter
7
moves to the second work position, and re-clamps the wire W. Next, the first transporter
7
moves in the direction of the arrow n, so that the third clamp
7
c
moves to the third work position M. Next, the clamp
6
F re-clamps the wire W and the first transporter
7
moves so as to move the wire W to the fourth work position N, the wire ejector
6
G ejecting the wire W, which completes the process of terminating the other end of the wire W.
The configuration of the above-described double-end crimping apparatus
1
is such that, when a terminal is crimped onto the first end of the wire W and the head
4
a
of the rotating arm
4
returns from the maximum-angle work position J to the reference position H, the first clamp
7
a
of the first transporter
7
moving to the reference position H (the position opposite to the wire cutter
6
A as shown in FIG.
9
), a prescribed amount of the wire W is pulled out from the head
4
a
of the rotating arm
4
, this extended part of the wire W being clamped by the first clamp
7
a
and transported to the first work position (the position which at which the other end of the wire W is terminated). However, when the wire W is pulled out from the head
4
a
of the rotating arm
4
and clamped by the first clamp
7
a
of the transporter
7
, if the head
4
a
of the rotating arm
4
is returned to the reference position from the maximum-angle work position J and the first clamp
7
a
of the first transporter
7
simultaneously grabs the first end of the wire W in order to increase production speed, there is a tendency for shaking of the wire W to prevent its being securely grabbed, this resulting in the wire W being missed in the grabbing process, resulting in failed products.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-noted drawbacks in the related art, by providing an automatic wire cu

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