Apparatus for automatic manufacture of wiring harnesses

• US 5,687,477 A
• Filed: 10/03/1996
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komax Holding AG
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Soriano, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J.
• Application Number:
  US08/725,690
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 29/755, 29/857, 29/872, 414/772, 414/786
• US Class Current: 29/872
• 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 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49201 with overlapping orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

A method of automatically manufacturing cable harnesses, and an apparatus and assembly for implementing the method. The assembly includes a main conveyor capable of transporting wires by means of transfer clamps, a secondary conveyor capable of transporting unique transfer trays, themselves capable of receiving at least one component. Transfer trays are loaded into the secondary conveyor, where they pass through a component loading station for receiving components, then the trays travel to an insertion zone. The insertion zone includes a device for transferring the loaded trays from the secondary conveyor to the main conveyor, where the components receive the wire ends for forming the cable bundles. The formed bundles are then transferred away from the insertion zone by the main conveyor.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a wiring harness having a plurality of wires with wire ends, said ends to be inserted in recesses of components, comprising the steps of:

a) providing at least one main conveyor capable of transporting said wires by means of a plurality of clamps transfer claims situated on said main conveyor;

b) providing at least one secondary conveyor capable of transporting a plurality of transfer trays, said transfer trays being suitable for receiving at least one of said components, a portion of said secondary conveyor being situated in an insertion zone having a portion of said main conveyor situated herein;

c) providing at least one loading station along said secondary conveyor, said loading station being equipped with a supply of identical components;

d) disposing at least one transfer tray on said secondary conveyor, said transfer tray being provided with a holding jig for holding said components disposed in said loading section;

e) actuating said secondary conveyor to position said transfer tray into a location corresponding with one of said loading station;

f) transferring said transfer tray onto said loading station and loading said transfer tray with at least one of said components;

with which said loading station is equipped wherein a front face of said component is aligned adjacent to a front face of said transfer tray;

g) transferring said transfer tray back onto said secondary conveyor from said loading station;

h) actuating said secondary conveyor so as to place said transfer tray fitted with said component in said insertion zone and;

wherein said front face of said transfer tray faces said insertion means;

i) inserting by an insertion means, the ends of said wires previously disposed in said transfer clamps into said recesses of said components loaded said transfer tray; and

j) transferring said transfer tray on said main conveyor.

2. A machine, for manufacturing wire harnesses comprising wires having ends assembled to components, the machine comprising:

a linear main conveyor having an insertion zone, an insertion zone, and upstream portion on one side of the insertion zone, and a downstream portion on an opposing side of the insertion zone;

clamps for holding the wires, the clamps being transportable by the upstream portion of the main conveyor past wire end processing stations to the insertion zone;

a secondary conveyor having a portion at the insertion zone;

a loading station arranged alongside the secondary conveyor;

trays for holding the components, the transfer trays transportable by the secondary conveyor from the loading station where the components are loaded automatically onto the transfer trays, to the insertion zone;

insertion means disposed at the insertion zone for assembling the wires which are transported to the insertion zone by the clamps, to the components which are transported on the transfer trays to the insertion zone.

3. The machine according to claim 2 wherein said loading station comprises at least one loading support for receiving said transfer tray thereon and at least one input pusher for pushing said transfer tray from said secondary conveyor onto said support, and at least one output pusher, wherein said components are loaded automatically onto said transfer trays and pushed off said support by said output pusher, back onto said secondary conveyor.

4. The machine according to claim 3 further comprising at least one accumulation transfer tray feed conveyor disposed at an end of said secondary conveyor remote from the insertion zone for feeding said secondary conveyor with transfer trays previously disposed on said main conveyor.

5. The machine according to claim 2 wherein each of said transfer trays comprises a base having a top and a bottom face, said bottom face including studs which cooperate with upstanding cogs of a conveyor belt of said main conveyor when said tray is on said main conveyor, said studs cooperating with upstanding cogs on said secondary conveyor, said top face of said base including a vertically disposed stand, said stand connected to a horizontally disposed plate, said transfer trays further including at least one holding jig mounted on said plate, said jig cooperates with at least one of said components so as to hold said component to said tray, said transfer trays further including means for securing said components against said holding jigs.

6. The machine according to claim 5, wherein each of said holding jigs have at least one thrust face, against which at least one of said faces of said components bears against each of said holding jigs including a means for applying a biasing pressure on at least one other face of each of said components, said biasing means comprises of a spring whereby said components can be secured and held to said transfer trays by said spring.

7. The machine according to claim 5 wherein said studs are longitudinally and transversely spaced apart from each other, spacing being a multiple of spacing of said cogs of said secondary conveyor, said transverse spacing being a multiple of said spacing of said cogs of said main conveyor.

8. The machine according to claim 2 further comprising an orienting station for orienting said ends of said wires, said orienting station being located along said main conveyor between said upstream end and said insertion zone, said orienting station having at least one orienting clamp capable of rotating about an orienting axis that is substantially perpendicular to said main conveyor.

9. The machine according to claim 5 wherein at least one of said transfer trays has at least one temporary end support for temporary fixation of one of said ends of one of said wires on said temporary end support, said ends of said wires being subsequently insertable in said recesses in components previously loaded into said transfer tray.