(19)
(11) EP 0 241 939 A1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
21.10.1987 Bulletin 1987/43

(21) Application number: 87105710.5

(22) Date of filing: 16.04.1987
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)4H02B 1/20, H01R 43/28, B60R 16/02, H01B 13/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE ES FR GB

(30) Priority: 18.04.1986 JP 90596/86

(71) Applicant: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
Yokkaichi-City Mie Pref. (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Fukuda, Michio Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
    Yokkaichi-City Mie-Prefecture (JP)
  • Iida, Tsutomu Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
    Yokkaichi-City Mie-Prefecture (JP)
  • Kuroda, Naoki Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
    Yokkaichi-City, Mie-Prefecture (JP)
  • Itaya, Nobuyuki Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
    Yokkaichi-City, Mie-Prefecture (JP)

(74) Representative: KUHNEN, WACKER & PARTNER 
Alois-Steinecker-Strasse 22
85354 Freising
85354 Freising (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Method for forming wire harness and apparatus for the same


    (57) Method of forming wire harness into flattened structure with desired pattern for use in motor vehicle is disclosed.
    A group of insulated wire is drawn out of wire source by means of a wiring head having a wavering wire guide and a roller with heating means and the wires are placed on a forming boad with a travelling means in an parallel alignment to each other.
    The wire leading direction on the forming table is controlled by a computer program and any desired harness pattern is formed by moving the wiring head in the longitudinal direction of the wires, X axis, and travelling the forming table in the direction of Y axis which is perpenduclular to the axis X.
    The neighbouring wire in the parallel alignment on the table are bonded together either by fusing their surface of insulating material or by ulitizing suitable adhesive or softening agent while suitable stretching tension is applied to the wires.
    In the embodiments of the present invention an apparatus for achieving the same purpose is also disclosed.




    Description

    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION


    1)FIELD OF THE INVENTION



    [0001] This invention relates to an improved method of forming wire harness for use in an automobile, particularly, in a wiring harness assembly placed within a limited space such as a door structure, or ceiling space in a room cabinet. As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for manufacturing the wiring harness assembly is disclosed where insulated wires are placed in a parallel alignment followed by bonding the neigbouring wires so that the wiring harness exhibits a predetermined, desired flattened shape.

    2)DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART



    [0002] The wiring harness for motor vehicle is composed of a variety of elements. Those include groups of insulated electric wires, connectors consisting of electrical terminals and plastic housing of connectors, grommet and outer binding materials such as clamps and tapes. In general a design table with guide-pins is used to manufacture a set of wire harness assembly where an approximate length of insulated electric wire with an electrical terminal in its one end portion is wired along a drawing on the table in which the guide-pins stand aside the trail of wire and desired numbers of wires are set to form a harness configuration. The set of wires are then bundled together by mean of binding materials resulting in a group of an assembled but shapeless wire collection.

    [0003] The above manual method of making an assembled wires, therefore, requires a lot of man-hours and wires are likely to be used in excess due to its suspension between neighbouring guide-pins caused by uneven stretching. In addition the product wire harness assembly becomes bulky which finds difficulty when it is intend to use for wiring in a limited space such as in a door structure. The present invention is aimed to solve the above inefficiency in assembling operation and to reduce bulkiness of the product by making a parallel wire alignment and by affording the product with a predetermined specific patten through bonding the neighbouring wires in the alignment.

    BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION



    [0004] The method of forming wire harness of the present invention comprises the steps of selecting a group of the insulated electric wires to be assembled, clamping the starting ends of the wires in order followed by applying a metallic terminal to each wire end if desired, placing measured and cut wires on a forming table with a program controlled travelling means along the Y axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of wires X, making a parallel alignment of wires by handling them with a wiring head which consists of a wavering guide and a press mechanism with or without grooves for disentangling wires while the wiring head traces back along axis X, bonding the neighbouring wires as the wiring head proceeds by either thermal fusion of the outer surface of the insulating layer of the wire or utilizing suitable adhesives on the surface of the wire, controlling both the movement of the wiring head along the coordinate X and that of the forming table along the coordinate Y, the wires are shaped into any desired flattened harness pattern which is particularly useful for wiring door harness of motor vehicles.

    [0005] An apparatus for achieving the same object is described in the preffered embodiment of the present invention where the insulation layers an the untreated, apposite wire ends are removed in order to apply electric terminals and connector housing.

    BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS



    [0006] 

    Fig. 1 shows steps of forming wire harness of the present invention.

    Fig 1(A) is a process diagram illustrating the method of the present invention.

    Fig 1(B) shows a side view illustrating the wire feed.

    Fig. 1(C) shows a harness pattern formed on the forming table.

    Fig. 2 shows the apparatus for forming wire harness of the present invention.

    Fig. 2(A) illustrates front view of the apparatus of the present invention.

    Fig. 2(B) illustrates a side view of the wavering wiring head on the forming table with index roller having grooves used in the apparatus of the present invention.

    Fig. 2(C) is an enlarged front view illustrating the wiring head used in the apparatus of the present invention.

    Fig. 2(D) is an enlarged view illustrating an index roller


    DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION



    [0007] The preferred embodiments of the present invention is hereafter described in details. Referring Fig. 1 a process layout for forming a wire harness for use in a automobile door harness is explained. It is composed of a wire-forming table (2) having a travelling mechanism along Y axis which is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction X of a group of insulated electric wires to be assembled, and of a wiring head (3) having a wavering mechanism and a press means with or without grooves for wires equipped with heating means. The wiring head (3) hangs over the wire-forming table (2) and is movable along the axis X and thus the table (2) and the wiring head (3) constitute a X-Y plotting element. In front of the wire-forming table (2), it is located a wire supply (4), a clamp (5) which is able to turn toward a terminal crimp machine (7), and a cutting machine (6).

    [0008] In the backside of the wire-forming table (2) there are wire-carrier (8) having clamp mechanism for holding the starting ends of wires, A, insulation remover (9), terminal crimper (10) and applicator for connector housing (11), both applicable to the terminating ends, B, and terminal supplier (12).

    [0009] The steps employed in the method of forming wire harness assembly of the present invention are described as below.

    [0010] A group of wires (1) are selected for a set of wiring harness to be assembled. The selection is usually made out of the wires which share a common connector within total harness structure. The wires are drawn out of a wire supply (4) and are held in order by a wire clamp means (5) which is able to turn into a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of the wires where a terminal crimp elements including wire-insulation remover and terminal crimper (7) with terminal feeder (12) are located.

    [0011] After the wires are set on the forming-table (2) in a U-shaped pattern, while holding each of the wires in a flat, parallel alignment, the destined wire ends (B), which is in the opposite side of the staring wire ends (A), is shifted toward Y2 and Y3 direction along axis Y. The wire ends (B) is subjected to extra steps including insulation removal at (9), terminal crimping at (7), and connector housing is attached at (11) and thus flat wire harness is obtained.

    [0012] When necessary, the starting ends A of the wires are crimped with terminals, and then lead along X axis while the A ends are held by the clamp (5) until it reaches to a cutter (6). A wire carrier (8) proceeds to the cutter (6) and holds the wire end A and the clamp (5) moves back to the original position along axis X while wires are brought to an table end portion (13) where the wire ends A is fixed. Each of the wires are measured by means of dancer-roller passway (14) in length according to their anticipated distance in an assembled harness on the table (2) and is cut by the cutter (6).

    [0013] Fig. 1 (C) illustrates a harness pattern formed by the method of the present invention. A wiring head (3) having a wavering mechanism and a press means is hanging over the wires on the table (2). At the table end portion (13) the wiring head (3) comes down to the table (2) and touches the wire-surfaces in its press means such as a guiding roll (20) with or without grooves for wires.

    [0014] As the wiring head (3) proceed in the direction of X, the wires (1) are disentangled and simultaneously the neighbouring wires are bonded together by either thermal fusion in the surfaces of their insulation or using an adhesive. The corner portions R1 and R2 are formed by moving the wiring head (3) and the forming-table (2) into X and Y directions respecitively according to a programmed design for an anticipated harness pattern.

    [0015] Preferred embodiment of the present invention of forming wire harness is that a both-sided adhesive tape having larger width than that of the actual harness pattern to be traced is placed on the wire-forming table (2) along the passage or wires before the wires are lead on the table (2) through wire-guide (3). The tape sticks to the wire surfaces and is useful for as a substrate maintaing the wires (1) on the predetermined position in a parallel alignment until the neighbouring wires are become bonded. The tape can be removed off after the harness is formed in a pattern.

    [0016] It should be emphasized that a flat harness with integrating unit pattern can be formed in which a number of branches are included in a single pattern.

    [0017] In other word, a complexed flat harness is provided by integration of unit harness elements which consist of a group of wires as described in the present invention.

    [0018] An apparatus for achieving the same object of forming a flat harness with parallel wire alignments is described referring to Fig. 2. The Figure illustrate a front view of the device. To the wire-forming table (2) are equipped two guide rails (17A) and (17B) along which the wire-forming table (2) can be slidably moved in a direction of Y axis. 16A is a rotatable driving rod located in the middle and underneath the table (2). 16B is also a rotatable driving rod to which the hanger (18) of wiring head (3) is attached. The rod is literally the X coordinate and is parallel to the longitudinal wire direction.

    [0019] In the example illustrated in Fig. 2, to the head portion (18) the wavering wiring head (3) and three rollers (20), (21A) and (21B) are attached. The roller (20) is an indexing roller whose course is directed by a computer program and the other two are ones for disentangling the wires (1) into an parallel alignment between each other. The latter rollers (21A) and (21B) have spaced grooves for wires and are equipped with heating means which are useful for bonding neighbouring wires by thermal fusion. The latter two rollers follow the trail of the former roller (20).

    [0020] The wires (1) are introduced into a hollow pipe (23) and are drawn to the forming-table (2) and are disentangled and bonded together as the three rollers (20), (21A) and (21B) pass over them. When index roller (20) has completed its programmed tracing around an desired harness pattern, the wires (1) on the forming table (2) are aligned in parallel showing formed flat pattern of wire harness.

    [0021] As described above the wires (1) are lead into their common longitudinal direction X by moving the wiring head (3) which is driven by rotating the driving rod (16B) and also wires (1) are directed toward Y direction by travelling of the forming table (2). By combing these movement along the axes X and Y any desired pattern with or without curvature can be plotted.

    [0022] According to the apparatus for forming wire harness a flat, two dimensionally plotted wire harness is provided. When the wires are pressedly bonded while maintaining their parallel alignment, an accurate harness pattern is achieved.

    REFERENCE NUMERALS



    [0023] 

    1---------wires

    2---------wire-forming table

    3---------wiring head

    4---------wire supply

    5---------clamp

    6---------cutting machine

    7---------terminal crimp machine

    8---------wire-carrier

    9---------insulation remover

    11--------applicator for connector housing

    13--------table end portion

    14--------dancer-roller passway

    16A 16B---driving rod

    17A 17B---guide rail

    18--------hanger

    19--------wavering mechanism

    20--------indexing roller

    21A 21B--roller

    23--------hollow pipe




    Claims

    1. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a wire harness with flattened structure comprising:
    a wire guide having a wavering element in a wiring head attached to a transversal axis X along longitudinal direction of wires,
    a wire forming table with flat surface on the top having a travelling mechanism along Y direction which is perpendicular to the t ransversal asix X, wire bonding means with a wire press mechanism either by thermal fusion or by adhesion while a group of insulated electric wires are lead by said wire guide on the forming table in a close, parallel alignment.
     
    2. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a wiring harness with flattened structure in Claim 1 wherein the wavering element in the wiring head includes a leading guide means which traces a programmed wire pass and a wire pulling means which follows the leading guide means.
     
    3. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a wiring harness with flattened structure of Claim 1 and 2 wherein the wavering head includes a thermal press roller for bonding electric insulation wires so that the wires in the parallel alignment becomes bonded together resulting in a desired, flattened structure as a whole harness.
     
    4. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a wiring harness with flattened structure of Claim 1, 2, and 3 wherein wire-connecting terminals are applied to the starting end portion of the electric insulated wires before bonding.
     
    5. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of a wiring harness of Claim 1 an address of the wavering element in the wiring head on the forming table is indicated on the X-Y coordinates by an automatic controll means having a location program according to the pattern of wiring harness to be formed.
     
    6. Method of forming wire harness comprising the steps of:
    selecting a group of insulated electric wires to be connected to the terminals sharing a common connector housing;
    clamping the starting end portion of each of the selected wires in order;
    drawing wires out of supply means and placing the measured and cut wires in a parallel alignment using a wavering wire guide on a forming-table which is able to travel along rails laid in a direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X;
    pressing them with roller or roll mechanism having heating means while disentangling and bonding the neighbouring wires simultaneous either ulilizing an adhesive or suitable softing agent or by thermal fusion of the surfaces of insulation of wires;
    leading wires through the wavering wire guide while the wire guide moves in X direction and the forming table shifts in Y direction achieving two-dimensionally plotted desired harness pattern on the table.
     
    7. Method of forming wire harness of the Claim 6 wherein wires are placed on a both-sided adhesive member whose opposite side is pasted to the table surface and the adhesive member is remover from harness after wires are formed.
     
    8. Method of forming wire harness of Claim 6 and 7 wherein the wires are placed in an parallel alignment on the forming-table using two types of roller means consisting of an indexing roller for guiding wires to a position with a pre-determined, programmed address along the two dimensional way, and of rollers for entangling wires and for bonding the neighbouring wires by thermal fusion of wire insulation surface or by utilizing adhesive or softing agent.
     




    Drawing













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