Method and device for forming wiring harnesses

• US 5,309,633 A
• Filed: 11/04/1992
• Issued: 05/10/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: Claude Ricard
• Inventors: Ricard, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Application Number:
  US07/971,155
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 29/861, 29/749, 29/564.1, 29/33 M
• US Class Current: 29/861
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4452 Distribution frames
• 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 29/49181 by deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5137 including assembling or disassembling station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5193 Electrical connector or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53217 Means to simultaneously assemble multiple, independent conductors to terminal

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and device for forming a wiring harness comprising a plurality of conductors with their ends either engaged to a conductor or remaining bare for later connection. The method and device results in each connector or group of bare ends of the wiring harness having a predetermined geographic position corresponding to a desired coupling position to enable the connector or group of bare ends to be engaged to equipment to be interconnected by the wiring harness. Each conductor of the final wiring harness follows a predetermined path inside the harness between its ends, such paths having common portions along which the conductors are bound together. The invention applies more particularly, although not exclusively, to the formation of wiring harnesses for connecting together numerous pieces of electric, electronic or other equipment required in automobiles, aircraft or other systems.

Claims

1. A process for the automatic production of conductor wire or optical bundles having a plurality of branches, comprising the steps of:

separately engaging wire ends of a plurality of wire sections of each of said plurality of branches in preselected clamps on a supply conveyor, moving said clamps on said supply conveyor to grid means for spacing said clamps apart in a predetermined geographic position on said grid,

spacing said clamps in said geographic position on said grid,

fastening said wire sections engaged in said clamps together, and

removing said clamps to form said bundles.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein,

branches of said plurality of branches forming the greatest number of continuous branches are strung along one of a set of conveyors forming said grid in a direction of a longitudinal axis of said one of a set of conveyors.

3. The process according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

intermittently transforming said clamps along said supply conveyor,

delivering some of said wire ends in said clamps to end processing units located laterally along a path of said supply conveyor,

modifying said some of said wire ends in said end processing units,

delivering said wire ends to a coupling unit which groups several of said wire ends in one of said clamps,

delivering said wire ends on said supply conveyor to an exchange unit which changes an order of some of said wire ends,

delivering said wire ends on said supply conveyor to a connection unit which connects some of said wire ends to connectors engaged on a component clamp,

engaging said component clamp on said supply conveyor when said connector has been engaged to said some of said wire ends;

engaging said wire sections at intermediary points of said wire ends defining a start of branches of said plurality of branches in bypass clamps,

wherein a plurality of said intermediary points associated with one of said branches of said plurality of branches are grouped in one of said bypass clamps.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein,

said wire sections are grasped and held in said bypass clamps at other intermediary points of said wire ends, which are associated with bundle branches,

several of said intermediary points associated with the same branch are grouped in one of said bypass clamps,

said clamps are used to move said bypass clamps apart to form the bundle.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein several of said plurality of branches are strung one after the other.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the clamps are moved apart using one or more second conveyors of the same type as said first conveyor.

7. The process for the automatic production of conductor wire or optical fiber bundles having a plurality of branches with ends of wire sections and connectors for connecting ends of wire sections are transported in different clamps wherein,

a supply conveyor endowed at least with component clamps (3) transports connectors (24) to which some of said ends are connected,

moving said component clamps apart on a grid means for spacing said component clamps apart in a predetermined geographic position on said grid and to string the bundle branches,

joining together said wire sections of one of said plurality of branches.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein said grid means to move said clamps apart comprises at least one second conveyor of the same type as said supply conveyor.

9. The process according to claim 7, wherein said grid means for spacing said clips apart comprises multiple guide rods (4) which engage and arrange branches (7) of said bundle.

10. The process according to claim 7, wherein said supply conveyor is associated with wire feed means for unwinding wire sections of predetermined lengths including control mechanisms which order the wire to be unwound and which stop the wire at predetermined intermediary points defining a start of said branches.

11. Process for the automatic production of conductor wire or optical fiber bundles which comprise several branches and bypasses, of the type in which wire section ends and components are transported in different clamps wherein,

wire sections are grasped and held in bypass clamps at other intermediary points of the ends, which are associated with bundle bypasses,

several of said intermediary points, which are associated with one of said bypasses, are grouped in one of said bypass clamps.

12. Process according to claim 11, wherein some of said clamps are also moved apart to form the bundle into several branches.

13. Process according to claim 11, wherein the wires of the branches of a bypass are held separately, branch by branch, in several contiguously-placed bypass clamps (3").

14. Process according to claim 11, wherein an intermediary point associated with a bypass is held at two points.

15. Process according to claim 11, wherein the branches are attached near the bypass clamps.