Coating implements with material supply – Including tool – Concave tool face
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-17
2002-07-23
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Including tool
Concave tool face
C401S009000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06422774
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a liquid applicator for applying a liquid to a portion of a wiring harness. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for applying a liquid to a portion of a wiring harness.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wiring harnesses in an automotive vehicle are branched in a complicated manner. For example,
FIG. 5
shows a wiring harness W/H where a single bundle of wires W is split into two branch wire bundles Wa and Wb. A cylindrical main wire assembly tube Wh is mounted over the wire bundle W to form a main wire assembly Wh that has one end in proximity to the branch wire bundles Wa and Wb. Cylindrical branch wire assembly tubes TBa and TBb are put on the branch wire bundles Wa and Wb respectively to form branch wire assemblies Wha and Whb that branch off from the main wire assembly Wh. Ends of the branch wire assembly tubes TBa and TBb are inserted into an end of a cylindrical main wire assembly tube TB by about 20 mm.
The main wire assembly tube TB and the branch wire assembly tubes TBa, TBb often are secured to each other by taping. However, as shown in
FIG. 5
, an adhesive may be use instead of a tape. The adhesive typically has been applied with a needle-type adhesive injector
51
to inject a liquid adhesive into a clearance between the main wire assembly tube TB and the branch wire assembly tubes TBa, TBb. Waterproofing can be applied simultaneously if the respective tubes TB, Tba and TBb are secured by the adhesive.
However, a needle
51
a
of the injector
51
may not be inserted properly due to a narrow clearance between the respective tubes TB, TBa, TBb. As a result the adhesive may not be applied properly. Alternatively, a forcibly inserted needle
51
a
may tear the main wire assembly tube TB. These situations may affect the adequacy of the adhesive connection of the tubes.
In view of the above, an adhesive container
52
with a liquid adhesive is placed upside down, as shown in
FIG. 6. A
sponge
53
then can be pressed against a mouth of the adhesive container
52
to remove the necessary amount of adhesive. Thereafter, as shown in
FIG. 7
, the sponge
53
is successively rubbed against one end of each branch wire assembly tube TBa, TBb to apply the adhesive
54
. The ends of the branch wire assembly tubes TBa, TBb to which the adhesive
54
has been applied then are inserted into the main wire assembly tube TB. Thus, the tubes can be adhered to each other by thoroughly applying the adhesive. The process illustrated in
FIGS. 6 and 7
will not tear the main wire assembly tube TB because the adhesive injector
51
and needle are not used.
The method illustrated in
FIGS. 6 and 7
requires considerable manual work, and it is fairly cumbersome to apply the adhesive on the sponge
53
with considerable frequency. Additionally, the operation of rubbing the sponge
53
with the adhesive against the branch wire assembly tubes TBa, TBb easily soils the operator. Thus, applying adhesive in the manner described above is a large burden on the operator.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid applicator and a method for applying a liquid that allows an easier application of the liquid to a portion of a wiring harness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a liquid applicator for applying a liquid, preferably a liquid adhesive, to an outer circumferential surface of a portion of a wiring harness. The liquid applicator comprises a liquid coating member with a concave receiving surface for contact with the portion of the wiring harness that is to be coated with the liquid. The liquid applicator further comprises a stand for pivotally supporting the liquid coating member, a liquid supplying means for supplying the liquid to the receiving surface of the liquid coating member, and a pivoting means for pivoting the liquid coating member circumferentially relative to the portion of the wiring harness to be coated with the liquid. Thus, the liquid can be applied substantially over the entire circumference of the selected portion of the wiring harness by pivoting the liquid coating member.
According to a preferred embodiment, the concave receiving surface is a substantially semi-cylindrical receiving surface.
The liquid applicator preferably is an adhesive applicator for applying a liquid adhesive to an outer circumferential surface of a branch wire assembly tube as a step in a wiring harness assembling process. The process may include: placing a main wire assembly tube on a main wire assembly of a wiring harness; applying adhesive to an end of the branch wire assembly tube with an adhesive applicator; putting the branch wire assembly tube on a branch wire assembly branched off from the main wire assembly of the wiring harness; and inserting the leading adhesive-coated end of the branch wire assembly tube into an end of the main wire assembly tube. The adhesive applicator comprises an adhesive coater with a substantially semi-cylindrical receiving surface that can be fit to one end of the branch wire assembly tube. The adhesive applicator further comprises a stand for pivotally supporting the adhesive coater, an adhesive supplying means for supplying the adhesive to the receiving surface of the adhesive coater, and a pivoting means for pivoting the adhesive coater in the circumferential direction of the branch wire assembly tube. Thus, adhesive can be applied to the branch wire assembly tube over its entire circumference by pivoting the adhesive coater with the pivoting means.
The liquid coating member preferably comprises a foamed material, such as a sponge, in which the adhesive or other such is permeable.
The pivoting means may comprise pins that project at each of the opposite ends of the liquid coater with respect to its longitudinal direction, and a pair of arcuate guide means for guiding the pins to pivot the liquid coater. The guide means preferably comprise arcuate rings that face opposite ends of the liquid coater with respect to its longitudinal direction. Each arcuate ring is frame-shaped to define an arcuate engaging groove therein and the pins are fit slideably in the corresponding engaging grooves.
One end of the branch wire assembly tube is placed on the receiving surface of the adhesive coater that has been set at a suitable height. Thus, a lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of the branch wire assembly tube fits in the receiving surface of the adhesive coater. The liquid adhesive is supplied to the receiving surface by the adhesive supplying means, and the supplied adhesive is applied to the lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of the tube in contact with the receiving surface. Adhesive is applied to the remainder of the tube by using the pivoting means to pivot the adhesive coating member in the circumferential direction of the branch wire assembly tube. Therefore, the receiving surface supplied with the adhesive is rubbed against the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical branch wire assembly tube. As a result, the adhesive is applied to the branch wire assembly tube over its entire circumference.
Accordingly, the adhesive supplying means quickly supplies the liquid adhesive to the receiving surface on which the branch wire assembly tube is placed, and the adhesive supplied to the receiving surface is applied quickly to the branch wire assembly tube merely by employing the pivoting means to pivot the adhesive coating member. Therefore, the adhesive can be applied efficiently to the one end of the branch wire assembly tube before it is inserted into the main wire assembly tube of the wiring harness.
The liquid applicator preferably further comprises switching means for controlling the supply of liquid from the liquid supplying means. The switching means preferably activates the supply of liquid when the portion of the wiring harness to be coated with the liquid is inserted into the liquid coating member.
The adhesive supplying means preferably automatically supplies the adhesive when
Casella Antony J.
Hespos Gerald E.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
Walczak David J.
LandOfFree
Liquid applicator for applying a liquid to a portion of a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Liquid applicator for applying a liquid to a portion of a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Liquid applicator for applying a liquid to a portion of a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2888430