Method of making a cable assembly
First Claim
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1. In a method of terminating a connector on the end of a cable having a first end and a second end, a first connector being terminated on said first end, wherein said method is performed by an automated machine, the steps comprising:
- (a) Loading a second connector into a connector holder;
(b) Fanning out the wires of said cable and loading said wires into a planar stack;
(c) Taking a wire from an end of said stack;
(d) Determining the desired terminal of said second connector which is to receive said wire;
(e) Positioning said desired connector terminal and said wire inserter into mutual alignment;
(f) Positioning said wire in alignment between said connector terminal and said wire inserter;
(g) Inserting said wire into said desired terminal by actuating said wire inserter;
(h) Verifying that said wire was properly inserted by determining that continuity exists therebetween and indicating an improper termination, if present;
then(i) Repeating steps (c) through (i) until all wires are taken from said stack;
(j) Testing all terminals of said second connector for shorts, and indicating such shorts, if present;
(k) Removing said cable and attached first and second connectors.
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Abstract
The present invention is an automated method for making an electrical cable assembly including the automatic verification of insertion of each wire into its respective correct terminal and the automatic verification of the absence of short circuits. The overall system is controlled by a computer which is table driven by cable assembly parameters retained in a data base.
16 Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a method of terminating a connector on the end of a cable having a first end and a second end, a first connector being terminated on said first end, wherein said method is performed by an automated machine, the steps comprising:
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(a) Loading a second connector into a connector holder; (b) Fanning out the wires of said cable and loading said wires into a planar stack; (c) Taking a wire from an end of said stack; (d) Determining the desired terminal of said second connector which is to receive said wire; (e) Positioning said desired connector terminal and said wire inserter into mutual alignment; (f) Positioning said wire in alignment between said connector terminal and said wire inserter; (g) Inserting said wire into said desired terminal by actuating said wire inserter; (h) Verifying that said wire was properly inserted by determining that continuity exists therebetween and indicating an improper termination, if present;
then(i) Repeating steps (c) through (i) until all wires are taken from said stack; (j) Testing all terminals of said second connector for shorts, and indicating such shorts, if present; (k) Removing said cable and attached first and second connectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification