Wire routing tool for robotic wire harness assembly

• US 4,715,100 A
• Filed: 11/18/1985
• Issued: 12/29/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Cross, Dan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidenfeld, Gil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Howell, Daniel W.
• Application Number:
  US06/798,827
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 29/33 K, 29/33 M, 29/564.2, 29/745, 29/747, 29/729, 29/755, 29/759, 140/92.1, 140/93 R, 227/84, 226/126, 226/134, 226/149, 226/150, 226/151, 226/162
• US Class Current: 29/33.00M
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/00 Programme-controlled manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 51/20 Devices for temporarily storing filamentary material during forwarding, e.g. for buffer storage
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/01245 using a layout board
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/28 for wire processing before connecting to contact members, not provided for in groups H01R43/02 - H01R43/26
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5193 Electrical connector or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

A wire routing tool grasps a wire, inserts one end into a connector, routes the wire along a predetermined path to another end connector under the control of a robot, and inserts the second end into that connector. The trailing end of the wire is detected with a circuit using an electrostatic technique. The tool can move the wire along a predetermined, linear path to effectuate the connection.

Claims

1. A tool for use by a robot in assembling a wire harness on a form board, comprising:

(a) connection means for releasably connecting the tool to the robot;

(b) grasping means for grasping a wire, the grasping means allowing the wire to slide freely through the tool or restricting movement of the wire at predetermined intervals, the grasping means defining a longitudinal axis; and

(c) insertion means for moving wire through the tool and for inserting one end of the wire into a connector on the form board by moving the grasping means substantially along the axis without moving the robot.

18. the tool of claim 1, wherein the grasping means has a major dimension substantially along the axis and a minor dimension substantially perpendicular to the axis for allowing the grasping means to move the wire in close proximity with other wires in the harness to insert a pin end of the wire into a predetermined position in a connector.

2. A tool for use by a robot in assembling a wire harness on a form board, comprising:

(a) connection means for releasably connecting the tool to the robot;

(b) grasping means for grasping a wire, the grasping means allowing the wire to slide freely through the tool or restricting movement of the wire at predetermined intervals, the grasping means including a groove formed in the tool, the groove having a cross section configured to receive and retain the wire; and

(c) insertion means for moving wire through the tool and for inserting one end of the wire into a connector on the form board while guiding the end in a substantially straight line path.

3. The tool of claim 2, wherein the insertion means includes wire actuator means mounted to the tool and operable for selectively forcing the wire in either direction along the line through the groove.

4. The tool of claim 3, wherein the grasping means includes wire ejection means operable for ejecting a wire from the groove.

5. The tool of claim 2, wherein the groove has a converging mouth that reduces to a constiction and then diverges to form a region for receiving and retaining the wire.

16. The tool of claim 2 further including leg sensor means for sensing the movement of the first and second legs about their pivots and clamp sensor means for sensing the movement of the first and second clamp means.

17. The tool of claim 16, further including a stop pin connected to the housing and extending between the first and second legs, the stop pin being positioned for preventing the adjacent portions of the first and second legs from forcibly contacting each other.

6. A wire routing tool connectable to a robot, the wire having at lest one exposed electrically conductive end, and an electrically non-conductive portion, comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) at least one leg connected to the housing including a groove sized to retain a wire but to permit the wire to slide within the groove; and

,

(c) detector means associated with the groove for detecting the electrically conductive end of the wire when that end contacts the leg.

7. A wire routing tool connectable to a robotic device for laying up wire segments in a predetermined configuration in a wire harness, comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a first leg pivotally connected to the housing and including a wire engaging end having a groove shaped to receive the wire segment when the wire engaging end of the first leg is moved into contact with the wire segment and to guide the longitudinal movement of the wire segment along the groove;

(c) first clamp means connected to the first leg for selectively clamping the wire segment to prevent movement of the wire segment in the groove;

(d) a second leg pivotally connected to the housing, and including a wire engaging end, having a groove shaped to receive the wire segment when the wire engaging end of the second leg is moved into contact with the wire segment and to guide longitudinal movement of the wire segment along the groove;

(e) second clamp means connected to the second leg for selectively clamping the wire segment to prevent movement of the wire segment in the groove; and

,

(f) tool actuation means for reciprocally moving the first and second legs about their pivots and for selectively activating the first and second clamp means to clamp and release the wire segment in the grooves of the respective legs.

8. The tool of claim 7, wherein each clamp means includes a clamp rod mounted on the leg and movable between a clamped position and a released position, the clamped position being defined wherein the clamp rod extends into the groove and presses against the wire segment to prevent longitudinal movement of the wire in the groove, the released position being defined wherein the clamp rod is located away from the wire segment.

9. The tool of claim 8, wherein each groove has a cross section including a constriction region that is narrower than the diameter of the wire.

10. The tool of claim 9, wherein each clamp rod is movable into an eject position wherein the rod extends substantially through the constriction region to force the wire from the groove.

11. The tool of claim 10 further including two biasing elements, one mounted on each leg for respectively biasing the clamp rod of that leg into a released position.

12. The tool of claim 11 wherein the tool actuation means further includes clamp actuation means, one for each leg for forcing the clamp rod of that leg out of the released position.

13. The tool of claim 12, further comprising leg biasing means mounted between the first and second legs for urging the legs apart.

14. The tool of claim 7, wherein the wire engaging end of the first leg includes a foot that extends along a portion of the wire segment, the groove being formed in the foot;

and wherein the wire engaging end of the second leg includes a foot, the foot of the second leg extending along a portion of the wire segment, the groove in the wire engaging end of the second leg being formed in that foot, the groove in the foot of the first leg being substantially longitudinally aligned with the groove in the foot of the second leg.

15. The tool of claim 14, wherein the foot formed in each leg includes, a slot, and wherein a portion of the clamp rod that extends into the groove is substantially flat and fits into the slot in the foot.