Automatic threading mechanism and threading method

Abstract

This disclosure provides an automatic threading mechanism and method. The automatic threading mechanism includes: a rubber sleeve carrier for positioning or releasing a rubber sleeve loaded with a wire bundle to be threaded; a guide pin aligned with a threading hole from one side; a guide pin driving mechanism for driving the guide pin to make a first movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole; a guide tube aligned with the threading hole from the opposite side; a guide tube driving mechanism for driving the guide tube to make a second movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole to hold the rubber sleeve when the guide pin exits the threading hole; a flipping driving mechanism connected to and driving the guide tube driving mechanism to flip; the guide tube in a second position for threading the wire bundle; a rubber sleeve clamping mechanism clamping the rubber sleeve held by the guide tube in the second position; and a sleeve removal driving mechanism connected to and driving the rubber sleeve clamping mechanism to detach the rubber sleeve from the guide tube while retaining the threaded wire bundle. This achieves fully automatic rubber sleeve threading, eliminating manual labor and improving efficiency and reducing costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of automotive assembly technology, and in particular to an automatic threading mechanism and threading method. Background Technology

[0002] In the automotive wiring harness production process, several wire harnesses need to be threaded into the holes of the sleeves. The diameter of the wire harness is often larger than the diameter of the sleeve hole, and the wire harness lacks rigidity, making the threading process very difficult. Therefore, this step has become a bottleneck for the widespread adoption of automation in the automotive wiring harness industry, resulting in low efficiency, high labor costs, and a high risk of damaging the sleeve holes.

[0003] Currently, most methods for inserting wire harnesses into rubber sleeves are manual, using auxiliary tools or methods such as applying oil or heating. This method is inefficient, easily causes product contamination, and has excessively high labor costs. In addition, long-term manual insertion of wire harnesses into rubber sleeves is detrimental to the health of workers' hands. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide an automatic threading mechanism and threading method to solve the problems of the prior art.

[0005] This disclosure provides an automatic threading mechanism, comprising: a rubber sleeve carrier for positioning or releasing a loaded rubber sleeve of a wire bundle to be threaded; wherein the rubber sleeve has at least one threading hole; a guide pin disposed on one side aligned with the threading hole; a guide pin driving mechanism for driving the guide pin to make a first movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole, the first movement being capable of at least threading and disengaging the guide pin from the threading hole; a guide tube disposed on the opposite side aligned with the threading hole, having a tube hole for fitting the guide pin; and a guide tube driving mechanism for driving the guide tube to make a second movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole, the second movement being capable of threading or disengaging the guide pin from the threading hole. The movement allows the guide tube to move from a first position along a second movement direction closer to the guide needle until it is fitted over the guide needle and passes through the threading hole, so as to carry the rubber sleeve when the guide needle exits the threading hole; a flipping drive mechanism is connected to and drives the guide tube to flip, so that the guide tube switches between a first position aligned with the threading hole and a second position deviating from the threading hole; wherein the guide tube in the second position is for threading the wire harness; a rubber sleeve clamping mechanism is used to clamp the rubber sleeve carried by the guide tube in the second position; a sleeve removal drive mechanism is connected to and drives the rubber sleeve clamping mechanism to remove the rubber sleeve from the guide tube while retaining the threaded wire harness.

[0006] In the first aspect of the embodiment, the guide needle drive mechanism and the guide tube drive mechanism are linear reciprocating moving mechanisms.

[0007] In the first aspect of the embodiment, the guide pin drive mechanism and the guide tube drive mechanism are electric modules or slide cylinders.

[0008] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the guide pin includes: a tapered head, a first shaft segment with a first diameter connected to the head, and a second shaft segment with a second diameter connected to the first shaft segment; wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter; the first shaft segment is matched with the tube hole size and shape of the guide tube, and the second diameter of the second shaft segment is the same as the outer diameter of the guide tube.

[0009] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the rubber sleeve carrier is a mechanical conforming gripper for conforming rubber sleeves.

[0010] In the first aspect of the embodiment, the rubber sleeve clamping mechanism is a mechanical gripper.

[0011] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the flipping drive mechanism is a rotary cylinder or a motor.

[0012] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the angle difference between the first position and the second position is 90°.

[0013] In the first aspect of the embodiment, the sleeve removal drive mechanism is a slide cylinder or an electric module.

[0014] A second aspect of this disclosure provides an automatic threading method applied to an automatic threading mechanism as described in any one of the first aspects. The method includes: a sleeve carrier positioning a loaded sleeve; a guide pin driving mechanism driving the guide pin through the threading hole from one side; a guide tube driving mechanism driving the guide tube from a first position on the other side to approach the guide pin until it engages with the guide pin; the guide pin driving mechanism driving the guide pin out of the threading hole, and the guide tube driving mechanism simultaneously driving the guide tube through the threading hole to hold the sleeve; the sleeve carrier releasing the sleeve; the guide tube driving mechanism driving the guide tube back to the first position; a flipping driving mechanism driving the guide tube to flip from the first position to a second position; threading a wire harness through the guide tube; a sleeve clamping mechanism clamping the sleeve; and a sleeve removal driving mechanism driving the sleeve clamping mechanism to move to detach the sleeve from the guide tube.

[0015] As described above, this disclosure provides an automatic threading mechanism and method. The automatic threading mechanism includes: a sleeve carrier for positioning or releasing a sleeve loaded with a wire bundle to be threaded; a guide pin aligned with the threading hole from one side; a guide pin driving mechanism for driving the guide pin to make a first movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole; a guide tube aligned with the threading hole from the opposite side; a guide tube driving mechanism for driving the guide tube to make a second movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole to hold the sleeve when the guide pin exits the threading hole; a flipping driving mechanism connected to and driving the guide tube to flip; the guide tube in a second position for threading the wire bundle; a sleeve clamping mechanism clamping the sleeve held by the guide tube in the second position; and a sleeve removal driving mechanism connected to and driving the sleeve clamping mechanism to detach the sleeve from the guide tube while retaining the threaded wire bundle. Thus, fully automatic sleeve threading operation is achieved, eliminating manual labor and improving efficiency and reducing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the automatic threading mechanism in one embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the rubber sleeve in one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the guide pin structure is shown in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the automatic threading method of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this disclosure from the information disclosed herein. This disclosure can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this disclosure can be modified or changed according to different viewpoints and application modules without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0021] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains can readily implement it. This disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0022] In this disclosure, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic represented in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics represented may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or a group of embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples represented in this disclosure, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0023] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the representation of this disclosure, "a set" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0024] For the purpose of clarity, devices unrelated to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components throughout the specification are given the same reference numerals.

[0025] Throughout this specification, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only "direct connection" but also "indirect connection" by placing other components in between. Furthermore, when it is said that a device "comprises" a certain constituent element, unless otherwise stated otherwise, this does not exclude other constituent elements, but rather implies that other constituent elements may be included.

[0026] While the terms first, second, etc., are used in some examples herein to refer to various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, first interface and second interface, etc., are used. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” indicate the presence of the stated feature, step, operation, element, module, item, kind, and / or group, but do not exclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, modules, items, kinds, and / or groups. The terms “or” and “and / or” as used herein are interpreted as inclusive, or mean any one or any combination thereof. Thus, “A, B, or C” or “A, B, and / or C” means “any one of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C.” Exceptions to this definition will only occur if the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0027] The technical terms used herein are for reference only to specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The singular form used herein includes the plural form unless the statement explicitly indicates otherwise. The word "comprising" as used in this specification means to specify a particular characteristic, region, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, and does not exclude the presence or addition of other characteristics, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0028] Although not explicitly defined, all terms, including technical and scientific terms used herein, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the message of the present disclosure, and shall not be over-interpreted as having an ideal or overly formulaic meaning unless otherwise defined.

[0029] In the automotive wiring harness industry, the current process of inserting wire harnesses with rubber sleeves has significant drawbacks. It faces bottlenecks in achieving widespread automation, is inefficient, has high labor costs, and is highly susceptible to damaging the sleeve holes. Existing methods for inserting wire harnesses with rubber sleeves are mostly manual, aided by tools, oiling, or heating. This is not only inefficient and prone to contaminating the product, but also results in excessively high labor costs. Furthermore, prolonged manual work is detrimental to workers' hand health.

[0030] Therefore, this disclosure provides an automatic threading mechanism and a corresponding threading method to achieve automated threading operations and solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0031] like Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic representation of an automatic threading mechanism in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] The automatic threading structure includes: a rubber sleeve carrier 101, a guide needle 102, a guide needle drive mechanism 103, a guide tube 104, a guide tube drive mechanism 105, a flipping drive mechanism 106, a rubber sleeve clamping mechanism 107, and a sleeve removal drive mechanism 108.

[0033] A sleeve carrier 101 is used to position or release a sleeve loaded with a wire harness to be threaded. In some embodiments, the sleeve carrier 101 can be a mechanical conforming gripper for grasping or releasing the sleeve. In some embodiments, the sleeve can be placed into the sleeve carrier 101 manually or by a robotic arm. See also... Figure 2 The diagram shows a schematic representation of the rubber sleeve 200. The rubber sleeve 200 has at least one thread hole 201. Figure 2 The example shows three threading holes 201, which corresponds to three guide pins 102.

[0034] The guide pin 102 is positioned aligned with the threading hole from one side so that it can move to thread through the hole. For example Figure 1 As shown, the threading hole can be placed horizontally, so the extension direction and movement direction of the guide pin 102 can be the horizontal direction.

[0035] The guide pin drive mechanism 103 is used to drive the guide pin 102 to make a first movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole, the first movement being able to at least cause the guide pin 102 to pass through and disengage from the threading hole. Figure 1 In the example, the first movement is shown by the double-headed arrow A in the illustration.

[0036] The guide tube 104 is positioned opposite the thread hole and has a tube hole for fitting onto the guide needle 102. Figure 1 The dashed line illustrates the guide tube 104 at this first position, which can be considered the origin of the guide tube 104. See also... Figure 3 The diagram shows a schematic representation of the guide pin 102 in one embodiment of this disclosure. The guide pin 102 can be a two-stage stepped cylindrical structure, including: a tapered head 121, a first shaft end 122 connecting the head 121 with a first diameter, and a second shaft segment 123 connecting the first shaft end 122 with a second diameter; wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter, the first shaft end 122 matches the size and shape of the guide tube's bore, the second diameter of the second shaft segment 123 is the same as the outer diameter of the guide tube 104, and the tapered head 121 of the guide pin 102 can be easily inserted into the opening of the guide tube 104 so that the first shaft end 122 fits into the bore.

[0037] The guide tube drive mechanism 105 is used to drive the guide tube 104 to make a second movement toward or away from the threading hole, that is, as... Figure 1 As indicated by the double-headed arrow B, the second movement allows the guide tube 104 to move from the first position towards the guide needle 102 along the second movement direction until it is fitted over the guide needle 102 and passes through the threading hole. This allows it to carry the rubber sleeve when the guide needle 102 exits the threading hole and return to the first position. After the guide tube 104 passes through the threading hole of the rubber sleeve, the guide tube 104 can be threaded with a wire harness to complete the threading of the wire harness through the rubber sleeve.

[0038] This section details the process from the insertion of the rubber sleeve through the guide pin 102 to the insertion of the rubber sleeve through the guide tube 104. Figure 1For example, after the rubber sleeve carrier 101 positions the rubber sleeve, the guide pin 102 is driven to the right by the guide pin drive mechanism 103 to pass through the threading hole on the rubber sleeve. Then, the guide tube drive mechanism 105 drives the guide tube 104 to move to the left until it fits outside the guide pin 102, and further drives the guide tube 104 to the left to enter the threading hole. At the same time, the guide pin drive mechanism 103 drives the guide pin 102 to also exit the threading hole to the left. Thus, a structure can be achieved in which only the guide tube 104 passes through the threading hole to carry the rubber sleeve. After the rubber sleeve carrier 101 releases the positioning of the rubber sleeve, the guide tube drive mechanism 105 can carry the rubber sleeve back to the original position to the right.

[0039] It is understood that the guide pin drive mechanism 103 and the guide tube drive mechanism 105 are linear reciprocating movement mechanisms. In some embodiments, the guide pin drive mechanism 103 and the guide tube drive mechanism 105 are electric modules or slide cylinders.

[0040] A flipping drive mechanism 106 connects to and drives the guide tube drive mechanism 105 to flip, causing the guide tube 104 to switch between a first position aligned with the threading hole and a second position offset from the threading hole. In some embodiments, the flipping can be rotation. For example, Figure 1 The guide tube drive mechanism 105, drawn with a solid line, has rotated 90° clockwise relative to the state shown by the dashed line, as indicated by arrow C. That is, it can be understood that the first position is... Figure 1 The horizontal placement of the guide tube drive mechanism 105, as shown by the dashed line, is shown in the second position. Figure 1 The solid line illustrates the upward-facing position of the guide tube drive mechanism 105. Since the guide tube 104 can hold the rubber sleeve in the first position, the rubber sleeve will still be fitted over the guide tube 104 after rotating to the second upward-facing position. At this time, the guide tube 104 in the second position is available for threading wire harnesses to complete the threading of the rubber sleeve. In some embodiments, the flipping drive mechanism 106 is a rotary cylinder or motor, whose output shaft is shaft-connected to the carrier plate of the guide tube 104, so as to rotate the guide tube by driving the carrier plate to rotate the angle of rotation. The flipping drive mechanism 106 can be embedded in the guide tube drive mechanism 105, thus forming a single unit.

[0041] The rubber sleeve clamping mechanism 107 is used to clamp the rubber sleeve carried by the guide tube 104 in the second position. In some embodiments, the rubber sleeve clamping mechanism 107 may be a mechanical gripper.

[0042] The sleeve removal driving mechanism 108 is connected to and drives the sleeve clamping mechanism 107 to detach the sleeve from the guide tube 104 while retaining the threaded wire harness. For example... Figure 1The sleeve removal drive mechanism 108 can drive the sleeve clamping mechanism 107 to move upward, so as to remove the sleeve with the wire harness threaded through it. In some embodiments, the sleeve removal drive mechanism 108 is a slide cylinder or an electric module.

[0043] Therefore, through the automatic coordination between the above mechanisms, the threading operation of the rubber sleeve can be completed automatically.

[0044] In some embodiments, the automatic threading mechanism can be integrated into a threading device, which may include an inlet for placing the rubber sleeve into the rubber sleeve carrier 101, user operation buttons (e.g., start and stop threading operation), and a display screen for displaying the threading progress and other information. In some embodiments, the user can place the rubber sleeve into the inlet and press the start threading button to automatically complete the threading of the rubber sleeve.

[0045] like Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of the automatic threading method according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The automatic threading method is applied to the automatic threading mechanism described in previous embodiments.

[0046] The method includes:

[0047] Step S401: The rubber sleeve carrier positions the loaded rubber sleeve;

[0048] Step S402: The guide pin driving mechanism drives the guide pin to pass through the threading hole from one side;

[0049] Step S403: The guide tube driving mechanism drives the guide tube from the first position on the other side to approach the guide needle until it is fitted onto the guide needle;

[0050] Step S404: The guide pin driving mechanism drives the guide pin to exit the threading hole, and the guide tube driving mechanism simultaneously drives the guide tube to pass through the threading hole to carry the rubber sleeve;

[0051] Step S405: The rubber sleeve carrier releases the rubber sleeve;

[0052] Step S406: The guide tube driving mechanism drives the guide tube to return to the first position;

[0053] Step S407: The flipping drive mechanism drives the guide tube to flip from the first position to the second position, and the wire harness is threaded through the guide tube;

[0054] Step S408: The rubber sleeve clamping mechanism clamps the rubber sleeve;

[0055] Step S409: The sleeve removal driving mechanism drives the rubber sleeve clamping mechanism to move, so as to detach the rubber sleeve from the guide tube.

[0056] In summary, the embodiments of this disclosure provide an automatic threading mechanism and a threading method. The automatic threading mechanism includes: a rubber sleeve carrier for positioning or releasing a rubber sleeve loaded with a wire harness to be threaded; a guide pin aligned with the threading hole from one side; a guide pin driving mechanism for driving the guide pin to make a first movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole; a guide tube aligned with the threading hole from the opposite side; a guide tube driving mechanism for driving the guide tube to make a second movement approaching or moving away from the threading hole to hold the rubber sleeve when the guide pin exits the threading hole; a flipping driving mechanism connected to and driving the guide tube to flip; the guide tube in a second position for threading the wire harness; a rubber sleeve clamping mechanism clamping the rubber sleeve held by the guide tube in the second position; and a sleeve removal driving mechanism connected to and driving the rubber sleeve clamping mechanism to detach the rubber sleeve from the guide tube while retaining the threaded wire harness. This enables fully automated wire threading with rubber sleeves, eliminating manual labor, improving efficiency and reducing costs. Furthermore, this solution reduces the difficulty of threading wire harnesses with rubber sleeves, has a stable and simple structure, avoids product damage, and is easy to integrate with upstream and downstream automation systems.

[0057] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this disclosure should still be covered by the claims of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An automatic threading mechanism, characterized in that, include: A rubber sleeve carrier for positioning or releasing a rubber sleeve loaded with a wire harness to be threaded; wherein the rubber sleeve has at least one threading hole; A guide tube, positioned opposite the wire hole, has a tube hole for fitting onto the guide needle; A guide pin is positioned aligned with the threading hole from one side. The guide pin includes a tapered head, a first shaft segment with a first diameter connected to the head, and a second shaft segment with a second diameter connected to the first shaft segment. The second diameter is larger than the first diameter. The first shaft segment matches the size and shape of the guide tube's bore, and the second diameter of the second shaft segment is the same as the outer diameter of the guide tube. A guide pin driving mechanism is used to drive the guide pin to make a first movement that approaches or moves away from the thread hole, the first movement being able to at least cause the guide pin to pass through and disengage from the thread hole; A guide tube driving mechanism is used to drive the guide tube to make a second movement that approaches or moves away from the threading hole. The second movement can at least cause the guide tube to move from a first position to the guide needle along the second movement direction until it is fitted outside the guide needle and passes through the threading hole, so as to carry the rubber sleeve when the guide needle exits the threading hole. A flipping drive mechanism is connected to and drives the guide tube to flip, so that the guide tube switches between a first position aligned with the wire hole and a second position offset from the wire hole; wherein the guide tube in the second position is for threading the wire harness, and the angle difference between the first position and the second position is 90°; A rubber sleeve clamping mechanism is used to clamp the rubber sleeve carried by the guide tube in the second position, wherein the rubber sleeve clamping mechanism is a mechanical gripper; The sleeve removal drive mechanism connects to and drives the sleeve clamping mechanism to detach the sleeve from the guide tube while retaining the threaded wire harness.

2. The automatic threading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide needle drive mechanism and the guide tube drive mechanism are linear reciprocating movement mechanisms.

3. The automatic threading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide pin drive mechanism and guide tube drive mechanism are electric modules or slide cylinders.

4. The automatic threading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rubber sleeve carrier is a mechanical conforming gripper for conforming rubber sleeves.

5. The automatic threading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping drive mechanism is a rotary cylinder or a motor.

6. The automatic threading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve removal drive mechanism is a slide cylinder or an electric module.

7. An automatic threading method, applied to an automatic threading mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, the method comprising: The rubber sleeve carrier positions the loaded rubber sleeve; The guide pin driving mechanism drives the guide pin to pass through the thread hole from one side; The guide tube driving mechanism drives the guide tube from a first position on the other side to approach the guide needle until it is fitted onto the guide needle; The guide pin driving mechanism drives the guide pin to exit the threading hole, and the guide tube driving mechanism simultaneously drives the guide tube to pass through the threading hole to carry the rubber sleeve. The rubber-sleeved carrier releases the rubber sleeve; The guide tube drive mechanism drives the guide tube to return to the first position; The flipping drive mechanism drives the guide tube to flip from the first position to the second position; A wire harness is threaded through the guide tube; The rubber sleeve clamping mechanism clamps the rubber sleeve; The sleeve removal driving mechanism drives the rubber sleeve clamping mechanism to move, so as to detach the rubber sleeve from the guide tube.

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