DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CABLE ASSEMBLY

• US 20180025814A1
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence & Space SA (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Defence & Space SA (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: TORRES MORENO, Juan, PEREZ BARTHELEMY, Alberto, HTZ ORDOO, Josef Ignacio, RAMOS SANTANA, Tamara, DIAZ CRUZ, Jose Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 10,679,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/16 Cables, cable trees or wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/01209 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/01227 using a layout board
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/01236 the wires being disposed by machine

Abstract

A cable (1) assembly device for producing cabling including: a support surface (2) on which the cable assembly is carried out (1), cable (1) fastening and guide elements (3), said fastening and guide elements (3) comprising a vacuum element for joining it to said support surface (2), a feeder (4) of the cable to be assembled, a computation means that includes a cabling diagram in its memory and the location of the fastening and guide elements (3) on the support surface (2), a storage module (5) for cable (1) fastening and guide elements (3), positioning means (6) of the fastening and guide elements (3) on the support surface (2).

Claims

1. A system configured to assemble one or more cables in a layout, the system comprising:

a support surface on which cable assembly is to be carried out;

fastening and guide elements for the cables, said fastening and guide elements each configured to be attached to the support surface at desired positions on the support surfaces, and the fastening and guide elements each comprising a vacuum element configured to be attached to the support surface;

a feeder of cable to be assembled on the support surface,

a computation device configured to access a cabling layout diagram and information indicating desired positions of the fastening and guide elements on the support surface,

a storage module configured to store the fastening and guide elements,

a positioning assembly configured to position the fastening and guide elements on the support surface, said positioning assembly configured to receive instructions from the computation device identifying a desired locations on the support surface for a plurality of the guide and fastening elements in the storage module, and a desired location on the support surface of the cable fed from the feeder, wherein the positioning assembly includes;

a catching device configured to retrieve the fastening and guide elements from the storage module,

a shifting device configured to move the cable fastening and guide elements from the storage module to their corresponding desired positions, and

a joining device configured to press each of the plurality of the fastening and guide elements on the support surface such that a vacuum pressure element of each of the fastening and guide elements is pressed against said support surface.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the fastening and guide elements each comprise a post oriented perpendicular to the support surface and configured to guide the cable over the support surface.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the fastening and guide elements include a caliper bracket configured to group grouping together cables.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the fastening and guide elements include an additional post configured to be caught by the catching device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the catching device of the positioning assembly includes a gripping clamp configured to grip the additional post of each of the plurality of the fastening and guide elements, and the joining device includes a pneumatic actuator configured to push each of the plurality of the fastening and guide elements against the support surface.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the positioning assembly includes a rotary actuator configured to rotate the positioning assembly.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the storage module includes dispensers for each type of the fastening and guide elements.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum element includes a suction cup.

9. A method for assembling cables comprising:

accessing by a computing device electronic information regarding a desired layout for cables and identifying desired locations on a support surface for each of a plurality of fastening and guide elements,

the computing device using the electronic information to instruct a robotic positioning assembly to;

a. grasp a selected fastening and guide element of the plurality of fastening and guide elements from a storage module, wherein the selected fastening and guide element is identified in the electronic information;

b. move the selected fastening and guide element from the storage module to a location on the support surface identified in the electronic information;

c. attach the selected fastening and guide element to the support surface at the location by applying a vacuum pressure element of the selected fastening and guide element to the support surface;

d. repeating steps a to c for successive selected fastening and guide elements;

feeding cable to the support surface by the robotic positioning assembly grasping an end of the cable and moving the end over the support surface in accordance with the electronic information, wherein the moving of the cable includes positioning the cable on the support surface and with respect to the selected fastening and guide elements in accordance with the cabling diagram included in the electronic information.

10. A system configured to arrange cables into a prescribed layout for the cables, the system comprising:

a horizontal support surface;

a storage module adjacent the horizontal support surface, wherein the storage module is configured to temporarily hold fastening and guide elements,

the fastening and guide elements are each configured to guide cables or group cables together, and the fastening and guide elements each include a vacuum element configured to be attached to the support surface;

a cable feeder adjacent the horizontal support surface;

a robotic positioning device configured to position the fastening and guide elements on the support surface, said positioning assembly configured to receive and execute instructions from a computer controller, wherein the positioning assembly includes;

a catching device configured to retrieve the fastening and guide elements from the storage module,

a shifting device configured to move the cable fastening and guide elements from the storage module to their corresponding desired positions, and

a joining device configured to press each of the plurality of the fastening and guide elements on the support surface such that a vacuum pressure element of each of the fastening and guide elements is pressed against said support surface.

the computer controller configured to generate control instructions which cause the robotic positioning assembly to;

a. grasp a selected fastening and guide element from the fastening and guide elements in the storage module;

b. move the selected fastening and guide element from the storage module to a location on the support surface;

c. attach the selected fastening and guide element to the support surface at the location by applying the vacuum pressure element of the selected fastening and guide element to the support surface;

d. repeating steps a to d for successive selected fastening and guide elements.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer controller causes the robotic positioning assembly to automatically perform steps a to d.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer controller further causes the robotic positioning assembly to grasps an end region of a cable at the cable feeder, pulls the cable over the support surface and positions the cable along a path conforming to a cable layout retrieved from the controller from electronic storage.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the robotic positioning assembly grasps the end region of the cable after steps a to d have been performed to attached the selected fastening and guide elements to the support surface.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the robotic positioning assembly positions the cable into engagement with the selected fastening and guide elements while positioning the cable.