Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
1997-05-08
2001-05-15
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S861000, C029S03300H
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230404
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a wiring harness used, for example, in an internal wiring of an office automation (OA) equipment, a home electric appliance or an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known wiring harness for electrical connection arranged in an OA equipment, a home electric appliance or an automotive vehicle is, for example, constructed such that a plurality of wires
1
for connecting a CPU, a display device and a variety of switches are bundled as shown in FIG.
28
. The wiring harness of this type is produced by mounting fittings and/or jigs for holding a connector
3
and wires
1
on a flat plate in accordance with an actual wiring path. The wires
1
then are arranged manually on the jigs, and an adhesive tape
2
then is wound for protection around a bundle of wires
1
. The wire bundle then is covered with an unillustrated resin-molded casing to hold it in a specified configuration, and the cased wire bundle is mounted so as to conform to a wiring path inside an OA equipment, a home electric appliance, an automotive vehicle or the like (first prior art). However, according to this prior art, it takes a large amount of time to wind the adhesive tape
2
after the arrangement of the wire bundle on the jigs, thereby lowering a work efficiency.
There are also known flat cables having a multitude of contacts such as flexible print cables (FPC) in which a pattern of conductive paths
4
is printed on a flexible base film
5
which is then overlaid with a cover film
6
, as shown in
FIGS. 29 and 30
. However, in the case of a complicated wiring harness having curved conductive paths
4
, an etching mask is applied for each pattern in a production process, and after the patterns are formed in a large base film Dk, a patterned portion is punched and cut off as shown in FIG.
30
. Thus, large apparatuses such as an etching apparatus and a cutting apparatus are required. Further, the use of the large base film Dk necessitates a large work space, leading to a poor space efficiency.
Further, as shown in
FIG. 31
, there is also a known method for linearly arranging a plurality of strip-like conductors
8
in parallel with each other, laying films
5
,
6
on the opposite sides of the conductors
8
, and folding the thus obtained flat cable according to a wiring path. According to this method, the apparatuses required for the prior art of
FIGS. 29 and 30
can be dispensed with. However, in the wiring harness obtained according to this prior art, folded portions
9
may be damaged or a portion between the folded portions
9
may be deformed in such a three-dimensional manner to part from the remaining parts of the wiring harness due to the elastic restoration of the folded portions
9
as shown in FIG.
32
. This presents a problem that the configuration of the wiring harness cannot stably conform to the wiring path.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for easily and efficiently producing a wiring harness using an apparatus having an excellent space efficiency and a simple construction and also to provide such a wiring harness producing apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided a method for producing a wiring harness, comprising a wire connecting step of preferably substantially linearly feeding a plurality of wires preferably substantially in parallel with each other to a connector connecting unit located at an upstream side with respect to a wire feeding direction. This step is completed by connecting the respective wires with a connector set in the connector connecting unit. The method then includes a connector moving/fixing step of moving and/or fixing the connector connected with the respective wires to a connector fixing unit located at a downstream side with respect to the wire feeding direction, thereby substantially linearly arranging the wires substantially in parallel with each other from the upstream side to the downstream side. The method proceeds with a circuit or wire length adjusting step of pressing and/or moving a wire length adjusting tool. The wire length adjusting tool then may be formed with steps or recesses forming wire positioning means, in particular with a specified inclination against the wires, to set different loosened lengths for the respective wires. A connecting/cutting step then is provided for connecting the wires with the connector, preferably set in the connector connecting unit, and/or cutting the wires upstream of the connector.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises a wire lifting step of lifting the wires by a wire lifting device, preferably provided slightly downstream from the connector connecting unit, and/or a connector setting step of setting at least one connector in the connector connecting unit, preferably while the wires are lifted. The connecting/cutting step preferably comprises the step of lowering the wires lifted by the wire lifting device after the loosened lengths of the wires are set in the circuit length adjusting step.
Two connectors preferably are settable along the wire feeding direction in the connector connecting unit. Thus the wires are connected with the connectors at a rear end of a downstream wiring harness and at a front end of an upstream wiring harness. The wires then may be cut between the connection positions of both connectors in the connecting/cutting step.
The method may further comprise a wire fixing step of fixedly holding the respective wires after the connector moving/fixing step by a wire fixing device. The wire fixing device preferably is provided slightly upstream from the connector fixing unit, and the wire fixing step may be performed before the circuit length adjusting step.
Most preferably, the circuit length adjusting step is repeated and/or performed at different positions of the wires along the wire feeding direction.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the method further comprises a wire lowering step of lowering the wire lifted by the wire lifting device after the completion of the circuit length adjusting step.
Preferably, the method further comprises a downstream wire portion fixing step. This step involves fixing portions of adjacent wires to each other, preferably by adhering a connecting sheet member over the substantially linear and/or substantially parallel portions of the respective wires, in a position downstream from where the circuit or wire length adjusting unit is pressed down. The downstream wire portion fixing step preferably is performed before the circuit length adjusting step. The method may further include an upstream wire portion fixing step. This step may include fixing portions of adjacent wires to each other, preferably by adhering a connecting sheet member over the substantially linear and/or substantially parallel portions of the respective wires, in a position upstream from where the preferably most upstream circuit or wire length adjusting unit is pressed down. The upstream wire portion fixing step preferably is performed after the completion of the circuit length adjusting step, preferably of the wire lowering step.
According to the invention, there is further provided an apparatus for producing a wiring harness. The apparatus may specifically be constructed for performing the above-described method of the invention. The apparatus may comprise a wire feeding unit for feeding a plurality of wires and a wire arrangement table or means for substantially linearly arranging the plurality of wires. A connector connecting unit may be provided at an upstream side of the wire arrangement table with respect to a wire feeding direction for connecting a set connector with the respective wires. A connector fixing unit may be provided at a downstream side of the wire arrangement table with respect to the wire feeding direction for fixing the connector connected with the wires. A wire lifting unit slightly downstream from the connector con
Nakamura Atsushi
Sato Masashi
Casella Anthony E.
Hespos Gerald E.
Hughes S. Thomas
Porco Michael J.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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