Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to assemble electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-20
2004-04-20
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to assemble electrical device
C029S747000, C029S748000, C029S749000, C029S03300H, C029S564400, C029S861000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722021
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a wiring harness subassembly having both crimp-type terminals and press-fit-type terminals. Further, the invention relates to equipment for implementation of the manufacturing method, which includes a press-fitting unit, a connector retaining bar holding connectors in parallel, and a press-fitting apparatus with the connector retaining bar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 18
to
22
show a known manufacturing method of a wiring harness using crimped terminals.
In the method, the first step is cutting an electrical wire
14
into desired lengths. Next, each end
14
a
or
14
b
of the wire
14
is stripped off to expose a conductor
14
c
(stages
101
,
102
in
FIG. 18
) as illustrated in FIG.
19
. Then, the conductor
14
c
is crimped to a terminal
12
for connection (stage
103
in
FIG. 18
) as illustrated in FIG.
20
. And, after correct arrangement (stage
104
in
FIG. 18
) of the wire
14
with the terminal, a chuck
109
holds the wire
14
near the end
14
a.
Further, the terminal equipped wires are sequentially forced into clips
111
formed in a wire retaining bar
110
(stage
105
in
FIG. 18
) as illustrated in FIG.
21
. Finally, with picking up an end portion of the wire
14
from the clip
111
, a chuck
112
inserts the terminal into a connector housing
13
(stage
106
in
FIG. 18
) as illustrated in FIG.
22
. Thence, these steps complete a wiring harness subassembly (stage
107
in FIG.
18
).
Meanwhile,
FIGS. 23
to
24
show another known manufacturing method of a wiring harness using a press-fit terminal
10
. In the method, a wire
14
having been cut into a desired length, without stripping off each end thereof, is forced to enter into a press-fit terminal
10
disposed in a connector housing
11
a
by a vertically moving blade
32
(stages
113
and
114
). The application of these steps to plural connector
11
competes a wiring harness subassembly (stage
115
in FIG.
23
).
The connector
11
has press-fit terminals
10
disposed in upper and lower open compartments
116
formed between partitions in its connector housing
11
a
made of a synthetic resin (a double-sided press-fitting terminal connector). After the wires have been press-fitted, the closure of a cover plate
117
protects the press-fitted terminals.
However, in the known manufacturing method of a wiring harness using crimp terminals
12
is produced separately from a wiring harness utilizing press-fit terminals
10
. This has not been able to efficiently produce various types of wiring harnesses including both the crimp terminals
12
and the press-fit terminals
10
.
In view of the foregoing disadvantage, an object of the invention is to provide a manufacturing method of a wiring harness using both crimp terminals and press-fit terminals and to obtain means for the same, which includes a press-fitting apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For achieving the object, a manufacturing method of a wiring harness according to the invention includes the steps of:
stripping off one end of an electrical wire;
crimping the one end of the wire to a crimping terminal;
press-fitting the other end of the wire in a terminal of a connector; and
inserting the crimped terminal into a connector housing, which accomplishing a wiring harness subassembly having both the crimped wire end and the press-fitted wire end.
Another manufacturing method of a wiring harness according to the invention for press-fitting one stripped end of an electrical wire to a press-fit-type terminal of a connector by a press-fitting unit having a vertically movable press blade, including the steps of:
disposing in parallel a plurality of connectors having the press-fit-type terminal on a connector retaining bar;
press-fitting the stripped end of the wire to the press-fit-type terminal of the connector by the press-fitting unit;
horizontally transferring the connector retaining bar or the press-fitting unit;
press-fitting one stripped end of another wire to a press-fit terminal of another connector; and
repeating sequentially the horizontally transferring step and the press-fitting step, which accomplishing a wiring harness subassembly mounted on the connector retaining bar. Further, the press-fitting step may be carried out with the stripped end of the wire having been cut in a desired length and having being held by a wire chuck at one end thereof.
Moreover, the invention provides a press-fitting unit including:
a vertically movable press blade for press-fitting an electrical wire to a press-fit-type terminal of a connector; and
an upwardly resiliently loaded wire chuck disposed so as to abut against a rear part of the press blade so that the chuck can unitedly move with the press blade.
The wire chuck may be horizontally movable along a horizontal guide and can horizontally move to a side of the press blade with holding the wire. A couple of the horizontal guides advantageously extend in parallel respectively at each side of the press blade; and the wire chuck can move on the couple of horizontal guides.
Further, the press-fitting unit effectively includes a pair of wire guides each disposed along each side of the press blade and spring-loaded toward the connector, a fore end of each of the wire guides being positioned at each side of the press-fit-type terminal disposed in the connector.
Additionally, this invention provides a connector retaining bar, which includes a longitudinally extending base plate provided with a plurality of connector receiving recesses in parallel, each of the connector receiving recesses being able to hold a connector with a press-fit-type terminal. A plurality of parallel connector supports may be disposed on and held by the base plate, the connector supports respectively having one of the connector receiving recesses.
This invention further provides a press-fitting apparatus having:
a press-fitting unit including a vertically movable press blade for press-fitting an electrical wire to a terminal disposed in a connector,
a frame for fixing the press-fitting unit to the apparatus, a connector retaining bar disposed opposite to the press blade and movable in a horizontal direction, and
a transfer mechanism for transferring the bar,
wherein the connector retaining bar is provided with a plurality of connector receiving recesses in parallel.
Alternatively, the connector retaining bar may be fixed to the apparatus by a frame while and a transfer mechanism for transfers the press-fitting unit along the bar in a horizontal direction.
In addition, the apparatus has a pair or two pairs of upper and lower symmetrical press-fitting units; and the connector retaining bar is disposed between the upper and lower press-fitting units. The press-fitting units may respectively include an upwardly loaded wire chuck disposed so as to abut against a member jointed to the press blade.
Further, the apparatus can press-fit electrical wires to a couple of double-sided terminals mounted in a relative connector. Advantageously, while one side of the connector having double-sided terminal has been supported by the opposing wire guide, the wire is press-fitted into the other side terminal.
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patent:
Arbes Carl J.
Armstrong Kratz Quintos Hanson & Brooks, LLP
Trinh Minh
Yazaki -Corporation
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