Method of assembling a wire harness

• US 5,535,511 A
• Filed: 11/16/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc. (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Karasik, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Application Number:
  US08/340,588
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 29/872, 29/33 M, 29/755, 29/825, 248/74.3
• US Class Current: 29/872
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0207 Wire harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0215 Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/202 Cable lay-outs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 269/903 Work holder for electrical circuit assemblages or wiring systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49201 with overlapping orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5187 Wire working
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5193 Electrical connector or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53091 for work-holder for assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53265 with work-holder for assembly

Abstract

A family of retainer clip holders can each be adjusted to properly position a retainer clip at a desired location on a wire harness. In the past, it has sometimes been complicated to properly position a retainer clip holder relative to the base, and mount the holder base on a jig for assembling wire harnesses. There have typically been too many fixtures required on the jig. Thus, the prior art has attempted to assemble the retainer clips by individually tailoring hundreds of retainer clip holders for the particular orientation demanded by the particular retainer clip application. The inventive family of retainer clip holders allows the selection of the proper adjustable retainer clip holder and the adjustment of that retainer clip holder to accommodate the particular retainer clip application demanded. In this way, the invention replaces the hundreds of previously required holders with seven basic tools.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a wire harness comprising the steps of:

assembling a plurality of wires into a wire harness;

identifying desired locations for a plurality of retainer clips on said wire harness, with said retainer clips being designed for retaining said wire harness on a body;

providing a family of adjustable retainer clip holders with a base for fixing said retainer clip holder to a jig for assembling the wire harness and a holder portion for holding retainer clips adjacent to said wire harness during assembly of said wire harness, the relative positions of said holder portion and said base being adjustable;

selecting the appropriate adjustable retainer clip holder for each of said retainer clips dependent upon said desired location of said retainer clip and a base location for said base on said jig;

adjusting the selected adjustable retainer clip holder to hold said retainer clip at said designed location when said base is fixed at said base location;

mounting a retainer clip into said retainer clip holder;

confirming the presence of said retainer on said retainer clip holder; and

attaching said retainer clip to said wire harness.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said base including two spaced openings for passing members through said openings and into opening said jig for assembling said wire harness, to hold said retainer clip holder to said jig.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said retainer clip holders are adjustable to adjust the vertical height of said retainer clip relative to said base.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein at least one of said retainer clip holders is adjustable to adjust the angular orientation of said retainer clip relative to said base in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein at least one of said holders is adjustable to adjust the angular location of said retainer clip holder in a vertical plane relative to a vertical axis.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein at least one of said retainer clip holders is adjustable to adjust the horizontal location of said retainer clip relative to said base.