Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-25
2001-02-20
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C439S310000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191592
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection inspecting apparatus for a cord, such as a high tension cord and to a method for inspecting a connection of such a cord.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A high tension cord that is used in an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle generally is a highly flexible cable product used to electrically connect a distributor and a sparking plug of an ignition system. The high tension cord includes a high-voltage resistive cable comprised of a wire having terminals at the respective connecting portions and an insulating coating for coating the wire. A distributor connecting cap is fixed to one end of the high-voltage resistive cable for connection with the distributor, and a plug connecting pipe is fixed to the other end of the high-voltage resistive cable for connection with one of the sparking plug. Corresponding terminals are exposed from the distributor connecting cap and the plug connecting pipe by specified lengths to form a distribution connecting portion at the distributor connecting cap side and a sparking plug connecting portion at the plug connecting pipe side.
The high tension cord has a high voltage applied thereto while being used, and is required to have high precision and durability. Accordingly, in the production process of the high tension cord, various factors such as a projecting length of a sparking plug terminal provided in the plug connecting pipe, a conductive state, and a resistance value are strictly inspected (hereinafter, these inspections are referred to as “connection inspections”, and may comprise a conductive state inspection and a resistance value inspection).
An inspecting apparatus for semiautomatically inspecting the high tension cord has conventionally been used to conduct the connection inspections for the high tension cord. This prior art inspection apparatus is provided with an inspecting device for simultaneously conducting the connection inspections between a pair of contact elements which are so provided as to correspond to the respective connecting portions of the high tension cord and a positioning member for positioning the high tension cord in a position where the connection inspections can be performed by the inspecting device. After uninspected high tension cords are positioned by the positioning member and the connection inspections are conducted for them by the prior art inspecting device, they are unloaded from the positioning member and sorted into satisfactory products and defective products.
The prior art high tension cord has a high flexibility as described above. As a result, the plug connecting portion can be positioned relatively easily by the presence of the plug connecting pipe. However, it is difficult to position the distributor connecting portion because it is difficult to orient this portion. Thus, an operator specially stationed for the inspection apparatus conventionally has conducted the connection inspections by manually connecting the distributor end terminal of the high tension cord with the contact elements made of a copper plate.
As described above, it is difficult to position the distributor connecting portion in the conventional inspecting apparatus during the connection inspections for the high tension cord and, therefore, the operator is burdened considerably during the connection inspections and labor costs tend to be high.
In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an inspecting apparatus and a method for performing connection inspections for a cord, in particular a high tension cord which makes the connection inspections for the cord easier and enables automation and labor-saving.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided a connection inspecting apparatus for a cord having a first connecting portion, from which a first terminal is substantially exposed, and a second connecting portion, from which a second terminal is substantially exposed. The apparatus comprises an inspecting device for performing a connection inspection between a pair of contact elements which are provided to correspond to the respective connecting portions of the cord. The apparatus also comprises a positioning member for positioning the first connecting portion with respect to one contact element of the inspecting device so that the connection inspection can be performed. The positioning member also causes the second connecting portion to be suspended. The other contact element of the inspecting device is constructed to be displaceable between an open state where the cord can be mounted in and detached from the positioning member and a substantially enclosed state where the second connecting portion is substantially enclosed. The other contact element of the inspecting device comprises a conductive elastic element to be connected electrically with the second terminal in the substantially enclosed state.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cord is a high tension cord. The high tension cord has a plug connecting portion, as a first connecting portion, from which a plug terminal, as a first terminal to be connected with a sparking plug, is exposed. The high tension cord also has a distributor connecting portion as a second connecting portion, from which a distributor terminal, as a second terminal to be connected with a distributor, is exposed.
Preferably, the second connecting portion is caused to be suspended by the action of gravity.
According to a further preferred embodiment, there is provided a connection inspecting apparatus for a high tension cord having a plug connecting portion, from which a plug terminal to be connected with a sparking plug is exposed, and a distributor connecting portion, from which a distributor terminal to be connected with a distributor is exposed. The apparatus comprises an inspecting device for performing a connection inspection between a pair of contact elements which are so provided as to correspond to the respective connecting portions of the high tension cord. The apparatus also comprises a positioning member for positioning the plug connecting portion with respect to one contact element of the inspecting device so that the connection inspection can be performed. The positioning member also causes the distributor connecting portion to be suspended by the action of gravity. The other contact element of the inspecting device is so constructed as to be displaceable between an open state, where the high tension cord can be mounted in and detached from the positioning member, and an enclosed state, where the distributor connecting portion is enclosed. The other contact element of the inspecting device comprises a conductive elastic element to be electrically connected with the distributor terminal in the enclosed state.
In the preceding embodiment, opposite ends of the high tension cord can be brought into contact with the corresponding contact elements during connection inspections by positioning only the easily positionable plug side end and displacing the elastic element from the open state to the enclosed state at the distributor side.
In a preferable embodiment, the elastic element is a coil spring extending along the longitudinal direction of the cord, to be inspected in the substantially enclosed state.
Preferably, the other contact element has a longitudinal length or extension that is dimensioned to compensate for longitudinal size differences of the cord.
According to these preferable embodiments, the elastic element extends along the longitudinal direction of the cord, preferably the high tension cord in the substantially enclosed state. Consequently, longitudinal size differences of high tension cords can be compensated for in a relatively long range.
The inspecting device preferably comprises an enclosing mechanism with a plurality of enclosing members, which are displaceable with respect to each other to substantially enclose the second connection portion of the cord in the substantially enclosed
Ohkubo Hitoshi
Ohsawa Hiroyuki
Casella Anthony J.
Hespos Gerald E.
Kerveros J.
Metjahic Safet
Porco Michael J.
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