Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Patent
1992-04-29
1993-05-18
Echols, P. W.
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
29748, H01R 4304
Patent
active
052109429
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a method of producing cable harnesses particularly wherein individual conductors are provided with terminal contacts, and in which there are disposed on a laying board plug housing holding means from which or to which the individual conductors are laid with the help of guide means.
At the present time, even with industrial production, most of the operations in the assembly of cable harnesses are carried out manually. It is true that isolated instances of pilot installations have been known in which the cables are laid by means of an industrial robot, however, no system is known in which all the operations can at least in principle be automated.
It is true that there are rigidly automated making-up machines or looping apparatuses, on which cables can be reduced to lengths and provided with crimped contacts at one or both ends. All the operations which follow making-up are, however, usually performed by hand.
In the case of those few pilot installations which have been known, particularly plug fitment is very time intensive, so that productivity is low. Particularly in the case of these pilot systems, firstly the contact is attached (at one end or both) and only then is the conductor automatically laid, the contacts being inserted into the plug housing.
The invention relates to a method of producing cable harnesses in which all the working stages can be automated with a high level of productivity.
According to the invention, of disposing the plug housing holding means is accomplished not on the actual working surface of the laying board but on a boundary surface or edge thereof. On the actual working surface of the laying board, only the guide means which are constructed in known manner are disposed. As a result, it is possible for the apparatus, to be "rigidly" disposed and for the individual cables to be brought into the region of the attachment device in each case by a movement of the laying board. Thus, it is in particular no longer necessary for example for an industrial robot to guide the attachment device so that by virtue of the method according to the invention, it is possible to dispense with an expensive industrial robot which is capable of positioning heavy tools.
Only when using plug types in which insertion of the contact-bearing cable into the plug housing is possible from: only one direction, it may be necessary to use a laying tool which is guided by a multi-axial positioning device. This positioning device moves the cable firstly into the region of the attachment machine and then inserts it into the plug housing, the cable carrying a contact.
It goes without saying, however, that both when using a rigid laying tool such as a laying nozzle, and also when using a laying tool guided by an industrial robot and using the appropriate types of plug, it is possible firstly to fit the cable through the connection of the plug housing and then to move it to the region of a rigidly disposed de-insulating and attachment device. Provided with its contact, the cable is then "inserted" into the plug by being pulled backwards.
Tying-off the cable on the laying board can be carried out with a rigidly disposed tying-off tool or with a laying tool guided by an industrial robot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
Without limiting the general and underlying idea, the invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to two embodiments which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1a is a side view of a first embodiment; FIGS. 1b and 1c are front views of the laying board and feed unit, respectively, of the first embodiment; and
FIGS. 2a and 2b are respectively a plan view and a view on the line A--A in FIG. 2a, illustrating a second embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c a laying board 1 is adapted for movement in the x- and y-directions. Without limiting the general idea underlying the invention, the plane extending through the x- and y- directions is a ver
REFERENCES:
patent: 3769701 (1973-11-01), Kloth
patent: 4677734 (1987-07-01), Bloch et al.
patent: 4831726 (1989-05-01), Moly
Emmerich Herbert
Schlaich Gerd
Echols P. W.
MERZ Metall-und Kunststoffverarbeitungs GmbH
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