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(11) | EP 0 413 655 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Wire harness manufacture |
| (57) Wire harnesses are assembled by preparing wires in a first region (11) and assembling
the harnesses in a second region (12). The harnesses are assembled in the second region
by conveying the harnesses from one end of a conveyor (23) to the other, by providing
multiple work stations (15) along the conveyor for manual work functions, by providing
local supplies (32) of wires at some work stations, by providing local supplies (40)
of connectors at some work stations, and by connecting some of the wires to some of
the connectors at some of the work stations and integrating them into a wire harness
(8). The local supplies of wires at some work stations are provided by transporting
the wires from the first region to the work stations. The conveyor is incremented
periodically and the work functions at the various work stations are preselected to
require substantially equal time to perform. The prepared wires for the harnesses
are stored in channel trays (20) and may be transported and supported on mobile carriages.
The channel trays are U-shaped and may be oriented horizontally or vertically. The
conveyor includes, near its upstream end, a trough (50, 52) along one or both sides
to permit the embryonic harness to be arranged transversely of the conveyor with portions
hanging and/or supported in the trough(s). The harness may be carried by fingers on
the conveyor and in which the harness is placed. Some loom tables (36) are provided
adjacent respective ones of the work stations. Some of those loom tables are pivotally
mounted for rotation between operating and idle positions to facilitate assembly operations
at the work stations. A taping arrangement adjacent the mechanized conveyor provides
a taping machine (38) which is mounted for convenient manual displacement. The machine
may be on a pivotable platform which also includes a clamp mechanism for supporting
and tensioning a wire harness for taping. The machine is constructed to fully enclose
the harness being taped, and includes a two-piece housing which may be opened and
closed and a similar two-piece orbiting plate which moves within and opens and closes
with the housing. A terminal assembling tool (42) connects multiple terminated wires
with a common bus connector. The tool includes first and second jigs which pre-position
the wires and the connector and are movable between a load/unload position and a connecting
position. The jig for the connector includes a retainer member which interacts with
the connector to assist in removing the terminated wires from the other jig following
connection. |