Mold for assembling and forming wire harness

• US 6,086,037 A
• Filed: 08/29/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UT Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Lilienthal, Cal A., Nagy, Steve M., O'Brien, Timothy F., Davis, Joseph J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuhns, Allan R.
• Application Number:
  US08/919,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 249/91, 249/134, 249/85, 425/116, 425/DIG. 44, 425/123, 425/449, 264/309, 264/278, 264/313, 264/318
• US Class Current: 249/91
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/123 for centering the inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/405 Elastomers, e.g. rubber B29C33/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/44 with means for, or specially constructed to facilitate, the removal of articles, e.g. of undercut articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/50 elastic or flexible for isostatic pressing B29C43/3642
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1271 the preformed parts being partially covered
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/58 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3462 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/01254 Flat-harness manufacturing

Abstract

A mold for assembling and forming a wire harness preferably includes wire supports extending into a continuous trough which forms a main trunk and a plurality of branches extending from the main trunk. A port introduces a generally liquid sheath material into the trough of the mold. Wires are routed on the wire supports along the main trunk and branches of the trough in the mold. The sheath material is then introduced into the mold and cures around and among the plurality of wires.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assembling a wire harness comprising:

a mold having a trough including a main trough and a plurality of branch troughs continuous with said main trough;

at least one wire support extending into each of said main trough and said plurality of branch troughs, said wire support formed separately from said mold; and

a port for introducing a generally liquid sheath material into said trough, including said main trough and said plurality of branch troughs.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said supports are selectively retractable.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said mold includes at least one aperture leading to said trough, said wire support extending into said trough through said aperture, said wire support selectively retractable into said apertures out of said trough.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each said wire support is a fork extending into said trough.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mold includes a lower mold having said trough and an upper mold having a complementary trough.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mold includes a first mold having a main trough and first and second branch troughs continuous with said main trough, a second mold having troughs complementary to a first portion of said main trough and said first branch trough, and a third mold having troughs complementary to a second portion of said main trough and said second trough.

7. An apparatus for assembling a wire harness comprising:

a mold having a trough including a main trough and a plurality of branch troughs continuous with said main trough;

at least one wire support for supporting a plurality of wires in said trough; and

a spray head movable relative to said mold to spray a polymer along a length of said trough, said spray head capable of spraying said polymer into each of said branch troughs.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said trough includes a first portion in a generally horizontal first plane and a second portion in a generally vertical second plane.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said trough includes a first portion in a generally horizontal first plane and a second portion in a second plane generally parallel to and spaced from said first plane.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said first portion opens in a first direction, said second portion opening in a second direction substantially opposite said first direction.

11. An apparatus for assembling a wire harness comprising:

a mold having a trough, said trough including a main trunk and a plurality of branches, each of said plurality of branches terminating in a recess, said mold having an opening leading to said trough which when undeformed is narrower than the trough; and

a port for introducing a generally liquid sheath material into said trough;

said mold being sufficiently flexible to permit removal of the cured material from said trough through said opening.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said mold comprises silicone.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said opening is wavy.