System, for matching harnesses of conductors with apertures in connectors

• US 7,093,351 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelley, James A., Lyons, Richard G., Malleck, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, MINH N
• Application Number:
  US10/749,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20050147819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 29745-749, 297/55, 29/33.F, 295/641, 29857-868, 295/646, 297/21, 29705-709, 700115-116, 700/95, 700/213
• US Class Current: 29/749
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2475 Means facilitating correct wiring, e.g. marking plates, identification tags
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5187 Wire working
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/532 Conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53213 Assembled to wire-type conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53217 Means to simultaneously assemble multiple, independent conductors to terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

A system for assembling wire harnesses with their connectors utilizes a compact computer-based system that is linked to an engineering data base. The data base contains component information, such as harness number, associated wires, and pin location to connector. An integrated tool contains a light panel that is linked to a dummy connector. The dummy connector has a mating end for the connector being pinned. The connector is mated to the dummy connector such that pin holes in the connector align with the light rods in the dummy connector. The wires are identified by voice recognition, bar code, and/or optical character recognition. Once a wire has been identified, the system illuminates the appropriate pin location on the selected connector, thereby providing a visible point of light in which the selected wire is to be terminated.

Claims

1. A system for matching a harness of conductors with apertures in a connector, the system comprising:

a harness having a plurality of conductors;

a connector having a plurality of apertures for receiving the conductors;

a computer having a visual display for displaying information to a user;

a data base coupled to the computer, the data base having information regarding the conductors and the connector;

reading means coupled to the computer for reading information associated with individual ones of the conductors; and

a light array coupled to the computer and connectable to the connector, the light array having a plurality of light conductors for illuminating individual ones of the apertures in the connector in response to commands from the computer in order to designate to the user the aperture in which each conductor should be located.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reading means comprises a microphone and software coupled to the computer for receiving voice information from the user regarding the conductors when read aloud by the user to identify the conductors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the reading means comprises a bar code reader and software coupled to the computer for scanning information from the conductors to identify the conductors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the reading means comprises a computer mouse and/or keyboard for manual entry of information from the conductors to identify the conductors.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input/output expander circuit coupled between the computer and the light array, the input/output expander circuit having a communication cable extending to the computer, and a light cable extending to the light array.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the light array back-lights a selected one of the apertures in the connector for the user to indicate the aperture in which a selected one of the conductors should be inserted.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual display of the computer graphically illustrates a selected one of the apertures in the connector to indicate the aperture in which a selected one of the conductors should be inserted.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user selects an input method for reading information from the conductors from a list of options on the visual display of the computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the light array comprises a cover plate, an array of LEDs mounted to a circuit board on the cover plate, a separation plate mounted to the cover plate over the array of LEDs, a light rod guide plate mounted to the separation plate, a mating connector for coupling with the connector and having a plurality of apertures, a light rod extending between each of the apertures in the mating connector and each of the LEDs, and a covering for integrating components of the light array.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the light rod guide plate accommodates various diameters of light rods.

11. A system for matching a harness of conductors with apertures in a connector, the system comprising:

a plurality of harnesses, each having a plurality of conductors;

a plurality of connectors, each having a plurality of apertures for receiving terminal ends of the conductors;

a computer having a visual display for displaying information to a user;

a data base coupled to the computer, the data base having information regarding the conductors and the connectors;

reading means coupled to the computer for reading information associated with individual ones of the conductors and the connectors; and

a light array coupled to the computer and connectable at least one of the connectors, the light array having a plurality of light conductors for back-lighting an associated one of the apertures in a selected one of the connectors in response to commands from the computer in order to designate to the user the aperture in which each terminal end should be inserted.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the reading means comprises a head set and software coupled to the computer for receiving voice information from the user regarding the conductors and the connectors when read aloud by the user to identify the conductors and the connectors.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the reading means comprises a bar code reader and software coupled to the computer for scanning information from the conductors and the connectors to identify the conductors and the connectors.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the visual display of the computer graphically illustrates the associated one of the apertures in the selected one of the connectors.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the user selects an input method for reading information from the conductors and the connectors from a list of options on the visual display of the computer.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the light array comprises a cover plate, an array of LEDs mounted to a circuit board on the cover plate, a separation plate mounted to the cover plate over the array of LEDs, a light rod guide plate mounted to the separation plate, a mating connector for coupling with the connector and having a plurality of apertures, a light rod extending between each of the apertures in the mating connector and each of the LEDs, and a covering for integrating components of the light array.