Assembly of wiring harness
First Claim
1. A method for assembly of components comprising:
- collecting the components to be assembled on one of the plurality of non-synchronous independently moving pallets;
moving each pallet from one work station to another work station along an assembly line independently of other pallets;
assembling the components on the pallets at work stations along the assembly line;
electrically testing the partially assembled components at intermediate stages of assembly prior to completion of assembly; and
passing the partially assembled components on the pallets to the next stage of assembly only when the testing has been completed and the components have been shown to be correctly assembled.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The method and apparatus includes the use of at least one pallet, an assembly line, a projector means, and an electrical testing means. Assembly of the wiring harnesses takes place on the pallets which are either independently powered or move on a powered conveyor line. In either alternative, the pallets move along a non-synchronous, power and free assembly line. An overhead projector means is provided above selected work stations to project instructions and diagrams on the pallet. Electrical testing means are used to test the wiring harnesses during assembly, prior to completion of assembly, and to control movement of the pallet to the next work station. The method includes testing partially assembled components for electrical opens, shorts and incorrectly assembled components on the pallet at intermediate stages of assembly and passing the partially assembled components to the next stage of assembly only when the components have been shown to be correctly assembled.
22 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for assembly of components comprising:
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collecting the components to be assembled on one of the plurality of non-synchronous independently moving pallets; moving each pallet from one work station to another work station along an assembly line independently of other pallets; assembling the components on the pallets at work stations along the assembly line; electrically testing the partially assembled components at intermediate stages of assembly prior to completion of assembly; and passing the partially assembled components on the pallets to the next stage of assembly only when the testing has been completed and the components have been shown to be correctly assembled. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. Apparatus for the assembly of components comprising:
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a plurality of non-synchronous pallets on which the components are assembled; an assembly line along which said pallets move, said assembly line having a plurality of work stations, said pallets moving from one work station to another work station independently of other pallets as the components are assembled on the pallets; and electrical testing means for testing assembled components on said pallets before completion of assembly of the components to determine the presence of electrical shorted conditions, electrical open conditions and incorrectly assembled components, said pallets moving from one work station to the next work station only when said testing by said testing means has been completed and all components have been shown to be correctly assembled at the respective work station. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification