Work holders – Relatively movable jaws – Means to actuate jaw
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-25
2002-05-07
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Work holders
Relatively movable jaws
Means to actuate jaw
C269S903000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382612
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In general, a wireharness and a subassembly constituting a wireharness (hereinafter, referred to as “wire assembly”) are electric wiring systems forming a plurality of circuits, in which a plurality of circuit wires are connected at the same contact point. The present invention relates to a device, and a method, for covering a wire connection part in such a system, and to a heating device for use therewith.
2. Description of Background Information
In order to perform such construction of a circuit, a process of executing stripping of the ends of a plurality of different electric wires, a removal process of selecting those required to form the wire assembly from a plurality of electric wires arranged to be removed, a connecting process of executing a terminal-connecting processing to the terminal ends of respective electric wires removed, and a covering process for covering in order to protect the electric wire-connecting part of electric wires so connected (mainly water-protection), have to be carried out.
Further, the core wires are bundled together at the stripped terminal ends of covered electric wires and the terminal ends are united by an electric welding, which forms the electric wire-connecting part in the above-mentioned terminal-connecting processing.
Also, in the above-noted covering process, it is required to cover the wire connection part which is to be protected with a resin covering material, to have a filler for sealing interposed between the covered wire connection part and the covering material, and to cure the filler.
According to known automatic water-proofing processes as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Publication No. HEI-7-94253 and the molding process as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. HEI-8-33163, there is disclosed a construction in which a molding material (mold) having a recess in which a filler is to be injected is circulated on a conveyer, the wire connection part is fitted into a recess of each member, which is surrounded, and a filler is injected and cured.
In adopting the construction to cover the wire connection part with a covering material using a filler as a sealing agent as above, it is often a difficult and time consuming job to cure the filler in a suitable manner. Therefore, in the prior art apparatus referred to above, curing of the filler is accelerated by heating or cooling the material to be circulated on the conveyor according to the properties of the filler.
Additionally, since the above-mentioned known devices all have constructions to heat or cool the recess surrounding the wire connection part, it is possible to cure the filler in a relatively short period of time.
However, due to the installation and removal of the bundle of wires into and out of the recess, such work is required to be frequently practiced. Such installation and removal is extremely laborious, and contrary to the work efficiency in pursuing a flow process from the wire removal process to the covering process.
Additionally, in order to efficiently carry out the above-mentioned respective processes, it is preferable to keep a bundle of electric wires transportable and to be able to mount and remove it so that the bundle of electric wires which were bundled in the removal process of electric wires can maintain a position suitable for respective processes (or change to a position suitable for respective processes). However, since the bundle of electric wires are soft articles having some elasticity, it has been difficult to ensure that the ease of mounting and removal is compatible with the maintenance of positioning accuracy because of peculiarities, such as a bending and the like. Further, the bundles of electric wires treated in one factory includes various kinds and different lengths. Therefore, it has been much more difficult to efficiently transport a plurality of kinds of the bundles of electric wires using the same transport procedure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was completed, considering the above-mentioned problems, and one aspect of the present invention is to make the working property compatible with the maintenance of positioning accuracy and further to provide a transport carrier and heating system using thereof.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes a transport carrier for transportably supporting bundles of electric wires, in which electric wire-connecting parts are formed at one end during a plurality of processes. The transport carrier includes an electric wire hanging member on which a plurality of the bundles of electric wires are hung in a folded, parallel condition, and also includes a holder for retaining the electric wire-connecting parts which are formed on the respective the bundles of electric wires. Furthermore, a retaining device is also provided for regulatably retaining at least the electric wire-connecting parts side of the bundles of electric wires which are hung on the electric wire-hanging member and for releasably retaining the bundles of electric wires.
One aspect of the present invention is also directed to providing a method of covering the wire connection part by which the handling of the bundle of wires can be easily carried out, and the handling can be facilitated by completing the covering process using the filler in a short period of time.
In another aspect of the present invention, the bundles of electric wires WB are supported in a condition in which a fixed dimension from the terminal part is maintained, by retaining the bundles of electric wires by retaining procedures in a condition in which the electric wire-connecting parts or the parts in which the electric wire-connecting parts are formed (hereinafter, referred to as “terminal parts”) are positioned against the holder in order to execute a plurality of processings on the bundles of electric wires at the time of the hanging in folded condition on the wire-hanging member. Further, since the retaining procedures are formed in a condition in which the bundles of electric wires are releasable, the mounting and removal of the bundles of electric wires WB can be easily carried out.
In another aspect of the present invention, the transport carrier is further equipped with a receptacle which is provided on the electric wire-hanging member and which accommodates the bundles of electric wire on an opposite side of the electric wire-connecting parts. In this aspect of the present invention, the bundles of electric wires can be loaded in a condition in which the bundles of electric wires are protected, regardless of the length of the bundles of electric wires, by accommodating the remainder of the bundles of electric wires which were hung in folded condition on the wire-hanging member.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the retaining device is provided on the upper end part of the electric wire-hanging member, and includes a resilient member having clamping slits forming a clamping part on which the electric wire-connecting parts of the bundles of electric wires are mounted and having guide slits provided at an opposite side of the resilient member. In this aspect of the invention, at the time of hanging the bundles of electric wires, the bundles of electric wires first can be relatively easily clamped by introducing the bundles of electric wires into the clamping slits. It is thus possible to complete the work simply by holding the bundles of electric wires and removing from both slits when the bundles of electric wires are to be separated.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the above-mentioned retaining device is fixed on the electric wire-hanging member, and a fixed rib extends in a direction crossing with the hanging bundles of electric, and a pair of pressure members is arranged along a stretcher direction of the bundles of electric wires in a condition in which the fixed rib is sandwiched. Additionally, a connecting member is provided for connecting the pressure members with the electric wire-hanging m
Araki Yoshihiro
Shibayama Hisashi
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Sumitomo Wiring System Ltd.
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