Universal wire harness form board assembly

• US 4,979,544 A
• Filed: 09/30/1988
• Issued: 12/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Swindlehurst, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Lowell A.
• Application Number:
  US07/252,487
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 140/92.1, 140/93 R, 29/755, 29/850
• US Class Current: 140/92.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/01227 using a layout board
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

A form board assembly for universal wire harness fabrication has one or two boards each including a plurality of openings within which a routing pin is situated and a reciprocally movable. The reciprocal movement is effected by an actuating assembly which selectively displaces the routing pins in their respective openings forming thereby an arrangement of displaced routing pins in accordance with a given wire harness design.

Claims

1. A form board assembly for universal wire harness fabrication, comprising:

a board including a plurality of openings;

an equal plurality of routing pins, each situated in a respective one of the plurality of openings and reciprocally movable therein; and

actuating means for selectively displacing certain ones of said plurality of routing pins within their respective openings independently of each other and to any of a plurality of selected displaced positions, forming thereby an arrangement of displaced routing pins in accordance with a given wire harness design.

2. The form board assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

locking means for locking the routing pins in a selected displaced position.

3. The form board assembly as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

mounting means for mounting the locking means for displacement relative to the board.

4. The form board assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein the plurality of openings are arranged in a co-ordinate grid system.

5. The form board assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said actuating means is displaceable relative to said board.

6. The form board assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the board includes routing pin retaining means disposed in each opening for retaining the routing pin situated in said opening from separating from the board in at least one direction of displacement of said routing pin.

7. The form board assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a support frame on which the board is mounted, said support frame including guide means for guiding said actuating means in the displacement of said actuating means relative to the board.

8. A form board assembly for universal wire harness fabrication, comprising:

a board including a plurality of openings arranged in a co-ordinate grid system;

an equal plurality of routing pins, each situated in a respective one of the plurality of openings and reciprocally movable therein;

locking means for locking the routing pins in a selected displaced position; and

actuating means for selectively displacing certain ones of said plurality of routing pins within their respective openings independently of each other forming thereby an arrangement of displaced routing pins in accordance with a given wire harness design;

said actuating means and said locking means being displaceable in orthogonal directions relative to said co-ordinate grid system.

9. The form board assembly as defined in claim 8, further wherein said actuating means and said locking means extend substantially the full extent of one co-ordinate direction of said co-ordinate grid system.

10. The form board assembly as defined in claim 9, further wherein said locking means includes an elongated plate with a plurality of openings equal to the number of openings in the board in the direction of extent of said actuating means and said locking means, and said actuating means includes a plurality of displacing cylinders equal to the number of routing pins in the direction of extent of said actuating means and said locking means.

11. A form board assembly for universal wire harness fabrication, comprising:

support frame;

two boards each mounted for relative pivotal movement to said support frame, each said board including a plurality of openings and an equal plurality of routing pins, each situated in a respective one of the plurality of openings and reciprocally movable therein; and

actuating means for selectively displacing certain ones of said plurality of routing pins in either of said boards within their respective openings independently of each other and to any of a plurality of selected displaced positions, forming thereby an arrangement of displaced routing pins in accordance with a given wire harness fabrication.

12. The form board assembly as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

locking means associated with each board for locking the routing pins thereof in a selected displaced position.

13. The form board assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein further comprising:

mounting means for mounting the locking means associated therewith for displacement relative to the board.

14. The form board assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the plurality of openings in each board are arranged in a co-ordinate grid system.

15. The form assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said actuating means is displaced relative to each board.

16. The form board assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein each board includes routing pin retaining means disposed in each opening for retaining the routing pin situated in said opening from separating from the board in at least one direction of displacement of said routing pin.

17. The form board assembly as defined in claim 16, further wherein said support frame includes guide means for guiding said actuating means in the displacement of said actuating means relative to the boards.

18. The form board assembly, as defined in claim 11, wherein each board further including an edge region at which the board is mounted to said support frame for said relative pivotal movement.

19. A form board assembly for universal wire harness fabrication, comprising:

support frame;

two boards each mounted for relative pivotal movement to said support frame, each said board including a plurality of openings arranged in a co-ordinate grid system and an equal plurality of routing pins, each situated in a respective one of the plurality of openings and reciprocally movable therein;

locking means associated with each board for locking the routing pins thereof in a selected displaced position; and

actuating means for selectively displacing said plurality of routing pins in either of said boards within their respective openings forming thereby an arrangement of displaced routing pins in accordance with a given wire harness fabrication;

said actuating means and said locking means associated with each board being displaceable in orthogonal directions relative to the co-ordinate grid system of each board.

20. The form board assembly as defined in claim 19 further wherein said actuating means and said locking means associated with each board extend substantially the full extent of one co-ordinate direction of the co-ordinate grid systems.

21. The form board assembly as defined in claim 20, further wherein said locking means associated with each board includes an elongated plate with a plurality of openings equal to the number of openings in the associated board in the direction of extent of said actuating means and said locking means, and said actuating means includes a plurality of displacing cylinders equal to the number of routing pins in the direction of extent of said actuating means and said locking means.