Wire harness manufacturing device and wire harness manufacturing method

Abstract

A wire harness manufacturing apparatus (1) is provided with: a plurality of connector cups (12) having the same outer shape as each other; a sub-harness mounting plate (13) on which a plurality of sub-harnesses (W1a) are mounted in a state where the connector cup (12) is attached to the connector; a plate fixing part (14); a plurality of sliding parts (15) each holding one end-side connector via a connector cup (12); a base end holding section (16) that holds the other end-side connector via the connector cup (12); a connector transport mechanism (17) that removes the one-end-side connector and the other-end-side connector together with the connector cup (12) from the sub-harness mounting plate (13) to the sliding part (15) and the base-end holding part (16); and an electric wire processing unit (18) that performs electric wire processing on the electric wire stretched between the sliding unit (15) and the base end holding unit (16).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wire harness manufacturing apparatus and a wire harness manufacturing method for manufacturing a branch-shaped wire harness. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a manufacturing device for manufacturing a branch-shaped wire harness, a device is used in which a plurality of holding members for holding the wire harness are arranged on a flat circuit board according to the branch shape (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this manufacturing device, the wire harness is manufactured by laying out electric wires on the circuit board and forming a branch shape.

[0003] Prior art

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: JP2018060643A Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the present invention

[0007] Most of the operations using the above-mentioned manufacturing apparatus are performed manually by an operator. On the other hand, development of an apparatus that automatically performs manufacturing operations to manufacture wiring harnesses without human intervention is also underway. However, it is assumed that the wiring harness to be manufactured includes various wiring harness types with various branch shapes and connector types. In order to accommodate these wiring harness types, it is generally difficult to implement the construction of a retaining portion of the connector and a wiring mechanism of the wires that are switched according to the various types. Therefore, there is currently no specific proposal for an apparatus or method for automatically performing manufacturing operations while handling various wiring harness types.

[0008] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness manufacturing apparatus and a wire harness manufacturing method which can automatically perform manufacturing work while handling various types of wire harnesses.

[0009] Technical Solution

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a wire harness manufacturing device includes: a plurality of connector cups, the plurality of connector cups have the same shape as each other, and are configured to accommodate a plurality of connectors arranged on one end side of the wire harness to be manufactured and one or more connectors arranged on the other end side one by one in a detachable manner, wherein a branch shape is formed in the wire harness to be manufactured by combining a plurality of sub-harnesses; a sub-harness mounting plate, on which a plurality of sub-harnesses are mounted when the connector cups are detachably attached to the connectors included in the sub-harnesses; a plate fixing portion, to which the sub-harness mounting plate is detachably attached; a plurality of sliding portions, the plurality of sliding portions respectively holding a plurality of one-end side connectors arranged on the one end side among the plurality of connectors via the connector cups, the plurality of sliding portions being configured to be arranged parallel to each other in a predetermined arrangement direction so as to move linearly in a sliding direction between the first end side and the second end side; and one or more base end retainers. A holding portion, one or more of the base end holding portions are installed in an immovable manner at least in the sliding direction on the first end side as the base end of the linear movement, and each of the base end holding portions is constructed to hold one of the multiple other end side connectors arranged on the other end side among the multiple connectors via the connector cup; a connector transporting mechanism, which is constructed to remove the one end side connector and the other end side connector together with the connector cup from the sub-wiring harness mounting plate attached to the plate fixing portion, transport the one end side connector together with the connector cup to the sliding portion, and transport the other end side connector together with the connector cup to the base end holding portion; and a wire processing portion, which is constructed to perform wire processing, which includes processing to form a branch shape by selectively bundling the wires of the multiple sub-wiring harnesses stretched by the linear movement between the multiple sliding portions and one or more of the base end holding portions.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a wire harness manufacturing method using the above-mentioned wire harness manufacturing device includes: a plate installation step, in which the sub-wiring harness mounting plate on which a plurality of the sub-wiring harnesses are mounted is attached to the plate fixing portion while the connector cup is detachably attached to the connector included in each sub-wiring harness; a connector conveying step, in which the connector conveying mechanism removes the one-end side connector and the other-end side connector together with the connector cup from the sub-wiring harness mounting plate attached to the plate fixing portion, conveys the one-end side connector together with the connector cup to the sliding portion, and conveys the other-end side connector together with the connector cup to the base end holding portion; and a wire processing step, in which the wire processing portion performs wire processing, which includes processing to form a branch shape by selectively bundling the wires of the plurality of the sub-wiring harnesses stretched by the linear movement between the plurality of the sliding portions and one or more of the base end holding portions.

[0012] Beneficial effects of the present invention

[0013] According to the above-mentioned wire harness manufacturing apparatus and wire harness manufacturing method, it is possible to automatically perform manufacturing work while handling various types of wire harnesses. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 : is an external perspective view showing a wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 It is shown by Figure 1 The schematic diagram of an example of a wire harness manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown.

[0016] Figure 3 It is shown in Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the connector cup, sub-harness mounting plate and plate fixing portion related to receiving the sub-harness in the wire harness manufacturing device shown, and the sliding portion and base end holding portion as the sub-harness delivery destination.

[0017] Figure 4 for Figure 3 An enlarged view of the connector cup, sub-harness mounting plate, and plate fixing portion is shown.

[0018] Figure 5 is from Figure 4 Looking in the direction of arrow V11 Figure 4 A plan view of the connector cup, sub-harness mounting plate, and plate fixing portion shown.

[0019] Figure 6 yes Figures 3 to 5 An enlarged perspective view of the connector cup and cup retaining portion in the sub-harness mounting plate is shown.

[0020] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 and Figure 3 An enlarged perspective view of the sliding portion shown.

[0021] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 and Figure 3 An enlarged perspective view of the base end holding portion shown.

[0022] Fig. 9 yes Figure 1 The oblique view of the connector transport mechanism shown in FIG. Figure 1 The gripping mechanism of the front connector and the rear connector as viewed in the direction of arrow V12.

[0023] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 An enlarged perspective view of the gripping mechanism is shown.

[0024] Fig.11 yes Figure 1 An enlarged stereoscopic view of the wire processing portion shown.

[0025] Fig.12 It is shown that the use Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a series of processing steps in a wire harness manufacturing method performed by a wire harness manufacturing apparatus.

[0026] Fig.13 It is shown that in the execution Fig.12 Schematic diagram of step S21 and step S22 of controlling the tension of the electric wires under the control of the control unit during the wire harness manufacturing method is shown.

[0027] Fig.14 It is shown that in the execution Fig.12 Schematic diagram of steps S23 to S25 of controlling the tension of the electric wires under the control of the control unit during the wire harness manufacturing method is shown.

[0028] Fig.15 It is shown that in the execution Fig.12 Schematic diagram of step S26 and step S27 of controlling the tension of the electric wires under the control of the control unit during the wire harness manufacturing method is shown.

[0029] Reference Mark List

[0030] 1 Wire harness manufacturing device

[0031] 11. Device Framework

[0032] 11a First end side

[0033] 11b Second end side

[0034] 12 Connector cup

[0035] 13 Sub-wiring harness mounting plate

[0036] 14 Plate fixing part

[0037] 15 Sliding part

[0038] 16 Base end holding portion

[0039] 17 Connector transport mechanism

[0040] 18 Wire Processing Department

[0041] 19 Part Number Acquisition Department

[0042] 20 Control unit

[0043] 21 Servo motor

[0044] 111 Sliding track

[0045] 112 Wire handling track

[0046] 113 base track

[0047] 114 Delivery Location

[0048] 115 Institutional Base

[0049] 121 Accommodation Room

[0050] 122 through slot

[0051] 123 Shipping Lock Slot

[0052] 131 Cup holding unit

[0053] 131a Cup holding arm

[0054] 132 Code Image

[0055] 141 Bolt

[0056] 151 Sliding side cup holding part

[0057] 151a, 161a cup receiving recess

[0058] 151b, 161b wire through hole

[0059] 151c, 161c incision

[0060] 152 Sliding connection

[0061] 161 base end cup holding portion

[0062] 162 base end connection part

[0063] 171 Robot Arm

[0064] 172 Grip mechanism

[0065] 172a L-shaped corner

[0066] 172b Arm mechanism

[0067] 172b-1 Holding arm

[0068] 181 Institutional Framework

[0069] 182 Front strapping mechanism

[0070] 182a, 183a strapping arm

[0071] 183 rear strapping mechanism

[0072] 184 belt winding mechanism

[0073] 184a with scroll

[0074] D11 Slide direction

[0075] D12 Arrangement direction

[0076] D13 Depth of the chamber

[0077] D14 Wire extension direction

[0078] D15 cup loading and unloading direction

[0079] D16 Sliding side rotation installation direction

[0080] D17 base end rotation installation direction

[0081] D18 Angular length direction

[0082] D19 stretching direction

[0083] D20 tension relaxation direction

[0084] F11 driving force

[0085] F12 Balance

[0086] F13 Upward driving force

[0087] L11 relaxation distance

[0088] P11 Initial position

[0089] P12 Sliding side loading and unloading position

[0090] P13 Return position

[0091] P14 Balance position

[0092] S11 Board Installation Steps

[0093] S12 Part Number Obtaining Steps

[0094] S13 Connector Pre-shipment Moving Procedure

[0095] S14 Connector Shipping Procedure

[0096] S15 Wire Processing Steps

[0097] S16 Pre-delivery movement steps

[0098] S17 Delivery Steps

[0099] W1 Wiring Harness

[0100] W1a Sub-wiring harness

[0101] W11 front connector

[0102] W12 rear connector

[0103] W13 Belt winding unit

[0104] W16 Wire

[0105] W131 belt DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0106] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus and the wire harness manufacturing method is described.

[0107] Figure 1 : is an external perspective view showing a wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment. Figure 2 It is shown by Figure 1 The schematic diagram of an example of a wire harness manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown.

[0108] The wire harness manufacturing device 1 of this embodiment is used to automatically manufacture Figure 2 The device of the wire harness W1 is shown as an example of a branched shape.

[0109] The wire harness W1 to be manufactured is a component installed and wired in a car to connect a plurality of devices in the car. The wire harness W1 includes a plurality of front connectors W11, a plurality of rear connectors W12, and a plurality of tape winding portions W13.

[0110] The front connector W11 is a one-end side connector that is held by a sliding portion 15 described below of the wire harness manufacturing device 1 so as to move in a sliding direction D11. On the other hand, the rear connector W12 is the other-end side connector that is held by a base end holding portion 16 described below and is immovable in the sliding direction D11. Here, in the present embodiment, the wire harness W1 to be manufactured is composed of one or more electric wires W16 and a plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a, in each of which two ends of the electric wire W16 are connected to the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12. This combination is achieved by forming a tape winding portion W13.

[0111] The tape winding portion W13 is a portion where the electric wires W16 of the plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a are selectively bundled together and wound with a tape W131. Figure 3 In the example, first, a tape winding portion W13 is formed on the main line portion W1b in which the electric wires W16 of all the sub-wiring harnesses W1a are bundled together. The main line portion W1b on the rear connector W12 side is branched into two, which are connected to the rear connector W12. On the other hand, the main line portion W1b on the front connector W11 side is branched into two, one of which is the middle line portion W1c formed with the tape winding portion W13, and the other one directly extends and is connected to the front connector W11. The middle line portion W1c is branched into two, and each branch line portion W1d is further branched into two whose ends are connected to the front connector W11. Between the middle line portion W1c and the front connector W11, a tape W131 is wound around each branch point to form the tape winding portion W13.

[0112] Figure 1 The wire harness manufacturing device 1 shown is a device that automatically manufactures the above-mentioned wire harness W1 by receiving a supply of a plurality of sub-wire harnesses W1a as a raw material. The wire harness manufacturing device 1 includes a device frame 11, a connector cup 12, a sub-wire harness mounting plate 13, a plate fixing portion 14, a sliding portion 15, a base end holding portion 16, a connector conveying mechanism 17, a wire processing portion 18, a part number acquisition portion 19, and a control unit 20.

[0113] The device frame 11 is a frame having a generally rectangular block-shaped appearance. On its upper surface, a plurality of sliding rails 111 are installed to guide each sliding portion 15 in the sliding direction D11 between the first end side 11a and the second end side 11b, so that the plurality of sliding rails 111 are arranged parallel to each other in the arrangement direction D12 intersecting the sliding direction D11. In addition, a pair of wire processing rails 112 are installed on the upper surface of the device frame 11 so that the plurality of sliding rails 111 are inserted between the pair of wire processing rails 112 in the arrangement direction D12. The pair of wire processing rails 112 hold the wire processing portion 18 so that the wire processing portion 18 crosses the plurality of sliding rails 111 from one side to the other side, and the pair of wire processing rails 112 guide the wire processing portion 18 in the sliding direction D11. In addition, the base end rail 113 is set to extend in the arrangement direction D12 and have a gap between the ends of the first end side 11a of the plurality of sliding rails 111. The base end guide rail 113 guides the base end holding portion 16 in the arrangement direction D12. Furthermore, a delivery position 114 for the wire harness W1 to be manufactured is provided between the end of the first end side 11a of the slide rail 111 as the moving end of the slide portion 15 and the base end rail 113 as the mounting position of the base end holding portion 16. In a state where the base end rail 113 is inserted between the delivery position 114 and the plate fixing portion 14, the plate fixing portion 14 is provided at the first end side 11a, and the sub-wire harness W1a is supplied to the wire harness manufacturing device 1 by attaching the sub-wire harness mounting plate 13 to the plate fixing portion 114. The sub-wire harness W1a is conveyed so as to be stretched between the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16, and the wire harness W1 to be manufactured is manufactured by moving the slide portion 15 and performing wire processing in the wire processing portion 18.

[0114] Figure 3 It is shown in Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the connector cup, sub-harness mounting plate and plate fixing portion related to receiving the sub-harness in the wire harness manufacturing device shown, and the sliding portion and base end holding portion as the sub-harness delivery destination. Figure 4 for Figure 3 An enlarged view of the connector cup, sub-harness mounting plate, and plate fixing portion is shown. Figure 5 is from Figure 4 Looking in the direction of arrow V11 Figure 4 A plan view of the connector cup, sub-harness mounting plate, and plate fixing portion shown. Figure 6 yes Figures 3 to 5 An enlarged perspective view of the connector cup and the cup retaining portion in the sub-harness mounting plate is shown. Figure 6 In FIG. 1 , two connector cups 12 are representatively shown together with two cup holders 131 .

[0115] A plurality of connector cups 12 are provided to attachably / detachably accommodate the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 of each sub-wiring harness W1a, which will serve as the raw material of the wiring harness W1 to be manufactured. In these plurality of connector cups 12, the accommodation chamber 121 for the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 is formed into a rectangular depression corresponding to the shape of the connector to be accommodated, but the outer shape is formed into a common rectangular block shape. The accommodation chamber 121 can accommodate one connector in the depth direction D13 of the accommodation chamber from the opening on the front side of the figure. The through groove 122 for the wire W16 is formed to extend from the accommodation chamber 121 toward one of the four side surfaces of the connector cup 12 (the lower side surface in the figure). The wire W16 connected to the accommodated connector is configured to extend to the outside of the connector cup 12 through the through groove 122 in the wire extension direction D14. The connector cups 12 are held one by one in the cup holding portions 131 provided on the sub-wiring harness mounting plate 13 in such a manner that they can be attached and detached in the cup attaching and detaching direction D15 along the electric wire extending direction D14. When the connector cups 12 are attached to the front connectors W11 and the rear connectors W12 of the sub-wiring harness W1a, the connector cups 12 are carried together with the sub-wiring harness W1b by the connector conveying mechanism 17. A pair of side surfaces of the connector cups 12 along the cup attaching and detaching direction D15 are provided with conveying locking grooves 123, which are locked by the connector conveying mechanism 17 when the sub-wiring harness W1a is conveyed.

[0116] The sub-wiring harness mounting plate 13 is a rectangular plate-like component to which a plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a are mounted in a state where the connector cup 12 is detachably attached to the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 included in each sub-wiring harness W1a. The sub-wiring harness mounting plate 13 has the above-mentioned cup retaining portion 131 arranged in a straight line in the length direction. Each cup retaining portion 131 retains a connector cup 12 that accommodates the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12. The cup retaining portion 131 surrounds and retains the end of the wire W16 on the wire extension side by a pair of cup retaining arms 131a, at which end a through groove 122 for the wire W16 opens in the connector cup 12. The wire W16 extending from the connector cup 12 through the through groove 122 passes between the pair of cup retaining arms 131a to extend in the wire extension direction D14.

[0117] Then, as described above, the sub harness W1a is supplied to the harness manufacturing device 1 by attaching the sub harness mounting plate 13 to the plate fixing portion 14. At this time, the sub harness mounting plate 13 is attached to the plate fixing portion 14 in a state where a plurality of sub harnesses W1a as raw materials of the harness W1 to be manufactured are mounted by being held by the connector via the connector cup 12 and the cup holding portion 131. Furthermore, the sub harness mounting plate 13 is detachably attached to the plate fixing portion 14 by being fastened with a plurality of bolts 141.

[0118] In the present embodiment, the installation of a plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a to the sub-wiring harness mounting plate 13 is performed at an operating position away from the device frame 11. The plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a are supplied as a set with the sub-wiring harness mounting plate 13. The wiring harness W1 manufactured by the plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a supplied in this manner is affixed with a part number identifying the wiring harness W1. A code image 132 is depicted on the sub-wiring harness mounting plate 13, which indicates the part number of the wiring harness W1 manufactured by the plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a to be installed. Examples of the code image 132 include a bar code and a QR code (registered trademark). In the wiring harness manufacturing device 1, the part number is obtained by the code image 132 of the sub-wiring harness mounting plate 13 attached to the plate fixing portion 14, and various processes are performed according to the part number.

[0119] Next, Figure 1 and Figure 3 The description will be made with reference to the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 shown. The plurality of sub-wire harnesses W1a supplied as described above are conveyed to be stretched between the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16.

[0120] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 and Figure 3 An enlarged perspective view of the sliding portion shown. Figure 8 yes Figure 1 and Figure 3 An enlarged perspective view of the base end holding portion shown. Figure 7 Two representative slides 15 are shown. Figure 8 All of the base end holding portions 16 are shown.

[0121] The sliding portion 15 is a portion of the front connector W11 of the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 of the sub-wiring harness W1a that is held via the connector cup 12. A plurality of sliding portions 15 are arranged to move linearly in a sliding direction D11 between the first end side 11a and the second end side 11b of the device frame 11, and the sliding portions 15 are arranged parallel to each other in an arrangement direction D12 that intersects the sliding direction D11. These plurality of sliding portions 15 are slidably held on a plurality of sliding rails 111 on the upper surface of the device frame 11 in a one-to-one correspondence. Each sliding portion 15 includes: a sliding side cup holding portion 151 that holds the connector cup 12 in a detachable manner; and a sliding connection portion 152 that supports the sliding side cup holding portion 151 and is slidably connected to the sliding rail 111. The sliding side cup holding portion 151 is provided with a cup receiving recess 151a in a rectangular concave shape that is open upward. The connector cup 12 of the front connector W11 is placed in the cup receiving recess 151a from above in a state where the accommodating chamber 121 of the front connector W11 faces upward and the passing groove 122 of the electric wire W16 opens toward the first end side 11a. As a result, the connector cup 12 moves from the holding posture on the sub-harness mounting plate 13 to the sliding side rotation mounting direction D16 that tilts the connector cup 12 90° toward the rear side, and is placed in the cup receiving recess 151a. A wire passing hole 151b is formed in the peripheral wall of the cup receiving recess 151a on the first end side 11a, and the electric wire W16 passes through the wire passing hole 151b to the first end side 11a. In addition, a pair of side walls along the sliding direction D11 are formed with notches 151c to avoid the locking portion of the connector transport mechanism 17 locked in the transport locking groove 123 when the connector cup 12 is inserted.

[0122] The base end holding portion 16 is a portion that holds the rear connector W12 of the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 of the sub-harness W1a via the connector cup 12. The base end holding portions 16 are arranged linearly in the arrangement direction D12, and one or more base end holding portions 16 are provided on the first end side 11a as the base end of the linear movement of the sliding portion 15, so that they are immovable in the sliding direction D11 but can move linearly in the arrangement direction D12. The one or more base end holding portions 16 are slidably held on a base end rail 113 extending in the arrangement direction D12 on the upper surface of the device frame 11. Each base end holding portion 16 includes: a base end cup holding portion 161 that holds the connector cup 12 in a detachable manner; and a base end connecting portion 162 that supports the base end cup holding portion 161 and is slidably connected to the base end rail 113. The base end cup holding portion 161 is provided with a cup receiving recess 161a in a rectangular concave shape that opens upward. The connector cup 12 of the rear connector W12 is placed from above in the cup receiving recess 161a in a state where the accommodating chamber 121 of the rear connector W12 faces upward and the through groove 122 of the electric wire W16 opens toward the second end side 11b. As a result, the connector cup 12 moves from the holding posture on the sub-harness mounting plate 13 to the base end rotation installation direction D17 that tilts the connector cup 12 toward the rear side by 90°, and is placed in the cup receiving recess 161a. In the base end holding portion 16, the electric wire W16 extends toward the second end side 11b in the direction opposite to the above-mentioned sliding portion 15. Therefore, the base end rotation installation direction D17 is a rotation direction in which the extension direction of the electric wire W16 differs by 180° from the sliding side rotation installation direction D16. A wire passing hole 161b is formed in the peripheral wall of the cup receiving recess 161a of the second end side 11b, and the electric wire W16 passes through the wire passing hole 161b to the second end side 11b. Furthermore, a pair of side walls along the sliding direction D11 are formed with notches 161 c to avoid the locking portion of the connector transport mechanism 17 locked in the transport locking groove 123 when the connector cup 12 is inserted.

[0123] The connector transport mechanism 17 is a part that transports the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 from the sub-harness mounting plate 13 attached to the plate fixing portion 14 to the sliding portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16. By the connector transport operation of the connector transport mechanism 17, the sub-harness W1a is transported between the sliding portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16.

[0124] Fig. 9 yes Figure 1 The oblique view of the connector transport mechanism shown in FIG. Figure 1 The gripping mechanism of the front connector and the rear connector as viewed in the direction of arrow V12. Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 An enlarged perspective view of the gripping mechanism shown.

[0125] In the connector transport operation, the connector transport mechanism 17 first removes the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 together with the connector cup 12 from the sub-harness mounting plate 13. Then, the connector transport mechanism 17 transports the front connector W11 together with the connector cup 12 to the sliding portion 15, and transports the rear connector W12 together with the connector cup 12 to the base end holding portion 16. The connector transport mechanism 17 includes a robot arm 171 and a gripping mechanism 172. Figure 1 As shown, the robot arm 171 is an articulated robot mounted on the upper surface of a mechanism base 115, which is disposed adjacent to the base end rail 113 in the arrangement direction D12 in the device frame 11. A gripping mechanism 172 is attached to the end of the robot arm 171, and is a mechanism for gripping and detaching the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 together with a plurality of connector cups 12 attached to the sub-harness mounting plate 13 in a one-to-one manner. The gripping mechanism 172 has an L-shaped corner portion 172a connected to the end of the robot arm 171, and a vertical wall portion of the L-shaped corner portion 172a is connected to the end of the robot arm 171. The gripping mechanism 172 has an arm mechanism 172b fixed to the bottom wall portion of the L-shaped corner portion 172a, and each arm mechanism 172b holds the connector cup 12 with a pair of holding arms 172b-1. A plurality of arm mechanisms 172b are fixed in a row at the bottom wall portion of the L-shaped corner portion 172a in the longitudinal direction D18 thereof so as to be able to grasp a plurality of connector cups 12 attached to the sub harness mounting plate 13 in a connector accommodating state in a one-to-one manner. Furthermore, the arrangement pitch of these plurality of arm mechanisms 172b corresponds to the arrangement pitch of the slide portion 15 in the arrangement direction D12, that is, the arrangement pitch of the plurality of slide rails 111, so as to be able to perform the connector conveying operation to the slide portion 15. In order to be able to face the plurality of arm mechanisms 172b arranged at such a pitch in a one-to-one correspondence, the arrangement pitch of the cup holding portion 131 holding the connector cup 12 on the sub harness mounting plate 13 also corresponds to the arrangement pitch of the slide rails 111.

[0126] In the connector transport mechanism 17, the robot arm 171 moves the gripping mechanism 172 so that the plurality of connector cups 12 in the connector accommodation state on the sub-harness mounting plate 13 face the plurality of arm mechanisms 172b in a one-to-one manner. Each arm mechanism 172b grips each connector cup 12 in the opposing position so that the end of the holding arm 172b-1 engages with the transport locking groove 123 of the connector cup 12. Next, the robot arm 171 transports the gripping mechanism 172 holding the connector cup 12 to the sliding portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16. In the sliding portion 15, the connector cup 12 of the front connector W11 is placed in the sliding side cup holding portion 151 and then released, thereby transporting the front connector W11. In addition, in the base end holding portion 16, the connector cup 12 of the rear connector W12 is placed in the base end cup holding portion 161 and then released, thereby transporting the rear connector W12.

[0127] When the plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a are conveyed between the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 by this operation of the connector conveying mechanism 17, the slide portion 15 moves linearly to a position corresponding to the branch shape of the wiring harness W1 to be manufactured. For the electric wires W16 of the sub-wiring harness W1a stretched between the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 by the linear movement of the slide portion 15, the electric wire processing portion 18 performs electric wire processing, which includes processing of selectively bundling the electric wires W16 to form a branch shape. In the present embodiment, the electric wire processing involves selective bundling of the electric wires W16 and winding of a tape at various positions.

[0128] Fig.11 yes Figure 1 An enlarged stereoscopic view of the wire processing portion shown.

[0129] The wire processing section 18 is a portion that bundles and tapes the wires W16 of the plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a, and includes a mechanism frame 181, a front bundling mechanism 182, a rear bundling mechanism 183, and a tape winding mechanism 184. The mechanism frame 181 is a frame portion held by a pair of wire processing rails 112 on the upper surface of the device frame 11 so as to be able to move linearly in the sliding direction D11 while crossing over the plurality of sliding rails 111 in the arrangement direction D12. The front bundling mechanism 182 is a mechanism portion that is installed on the second end side 11b of the device frame 11 in the mechanism frame 181 and selectively bundles the wires W16 using a pair of bundling arms 182a that are movable in the arrangement direction D12. The rear bundling mechanism 183 is a mechanism portion that is installed on the first end side 11a of the device frame 11 in the mechanism frame 181 and selectively bundles the wires W16 using a pair of bundling arms 183a that are movable in the arrangement direction D12. The tape winding mechanism 184 is a mechanism portion installed on the mechanism frame 181 at a position between the front bundling mechanism 182 and the rear bundling mechanism 183 in the sliding direction D11. The tape winding mechanism 184 winds the tape while rotating the tape reel 184a around the axis of the electric wires W16 bundled front and back in the sliding direction D11 by the front bundling mechanism 182 and the rear bundling mechanism 183.

[0130] In the present embodiment, the formation of the branch shape by the above-mentioned connector conveying operation using the connector conveying mechanism 17, the linear movement of the slide portion 15, and the wire processing using the wire processing portion 18 is performed under the control of the control unit 20 based on the part number of the wire harness W1 to be manufactured. For this control, the wire harness manufacturing device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a part number acquisition portion 19, which acquires the part number of the wire harness W1 to be manufactured.

[0131] As reference Figure 4 and Figure 5As illustrated, a code image 132 is depicted on the sub-harness mounting plate 13, and the code image 132 shows the part number of the harness W1 manufactured by the plurality of sub-harnesses W1a to be mounted. The part number acquisition unit 19 is a code reader that acquires the part number by reading the code image 132. When the gripping mechanism 172 of the connector conveying mechanism 17 faces the sub-harness mounting plate 13 to disassemble the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12, the reading occurs. In order to perform the reading at this moment, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 As shown, a code reader serving as the part number acquisition section 19 is attached to the upper edge of the vertical wall portion of the L-shaped corner portion 172a of the gripping mechanism 172 of the connector conveying mechanism 17. The part number acquired from the code image 132 by the part number acquisition section 19 is sent from the part number acquisition section 19 to the control unit 20. In the control unit 20, a plurality of part numbers and the operation contents of each mechanism section for forming the branch shape of the wire harness to which the respective part numbers are attached are registered in advance in correspondence with each other. Then, when the part number acquisition section 19 sends the part number of the wire harness W1 to be manufactured this time, the control unit 20 operates the respective mechanism sections according to the operation contents corresponding to the part number.

[0132] First, the connector transport mechanism 17 transports the front connector W11 that has been removed from the sub-harness mounting plate 13 together with the connector cup 12 to the slide portions 15 associated in a one-to-one manner via the part number. At this time, in the present embodiment, the slide portions 15 are provided in a number equal to or greater than the number of the front connectors W11 preconceived for the wire harness W1 to be manufactured. Before being transported by the connector transport mechanism 17, all the slide portions 15 are Figure 3 During the transport of the connector transport mechanism 17, only the slide portion 15 that is the transport destination of the front connector W11 through the association of the part number moves from the initial position P11 to the slide side attachment and detachment position P12 of the first end side 11a to be aligned in the arrangement direction D12. If there is a non-transportable slide portion 15 that is not associated with the part number, the slide portion 15 is held at the initial position P11 so as not to interfere with subsequent operations.

[0133] In addition, the connector conveying mechanism 17 conveys the rear connector W12 that has been removed from the sub-harness mounting plate 13 together with the connector cup 12 to the base end holding portion 16 associated in a one-to-one manner by the part number. In the present embodiment, similar to the sliding portion 15, the number of the base end holding portions 16 is equal to or greater than the number of the rear connectors W12 pre-conceived for the wire harness W1 to be manufactured. However, regardless of whether the base end holding portion 16 is associated with the part number, all the base end holding portions 16 are positioned in the arrangement direction D12 to a position corresponding to the processing operation based on the part number of the connector conveying mechanism 17 and the wire processing portion 18. Since the base end holding portions 16 are arranged in a row in the arrangement direction D12 on the base end rail 113, if there is a base end holding portion 16 that does not move and is in a waiting state, the movement of the other base end holding portions 16 is hindered. In the present embodiment, by positioning all the base end holding portions 16 regardless of whether they are associated with the part number, the presence of the non-conveyable base end holding portion 16 does not hinder the movement of the other base end holding portions 16.

[0134] After the sliding portion 15 receives the transported front connector W11 in the connector transport operation of the connector transport mechanism 17, the sliding portion 5 moves in the sliding direction D11 from the sliding side loading and unloading position P12 to a position corresponding to the branch shape of the wire harness W1 identified by the part number. In addition, the wire processing portion 18 moves in the sliding direction D11 on the wire processing rail 112 according to the branch shape of the wire harness W1 identified by the part number, and operates the front bundling mechanism 182, the rear bundling mechanism 183 and the belt winding mechanism 184. During the operation of the wire processing portion 18, the sliding portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 are controlled to make small movements to avoid excessive stress on the wire W16 processed in the wire processing. For example, during the connector transport, the base end holding portion 16 is located at the base end loading and unloading position, which faces the arrangement of the rear connector W12 on the gripping mechanism 172 of the connector transport mechanism 17 in a one-to-one manner. On the other hand, when the electric wires W16 are bundled by the front bundling mechanism 182 or the rear bundling mechanism 183, the base end holding portion 16 is controlled to move from the above-mentioned base end attachment and detachment position to close the interval toward the bundling side of the electric wires W16 in the arrangement direction D12, thereby preventing the load from being applied to the electric wires W16. In addition, during the transportation of the connector, the sliding portion 15 moves from the sliding side attachment and detachment position P12 toward the second end side 11b to apply appropriate tension to the electric wires W16, and then when the electric wires W16 are stretched by bundling, the sliding portion 15 moves slightly backward toward the first end side 11a to release the tension in the electric wires W16.

[0135] After the wire processing and branching formation at the wire processing portion 18, the manufactured wire harness W1 is delivered as follows. First, similarly to the connector conveying operation, the sliding portion 15 of the front connector W11 holding the manufactured wire harness W1 via the connector cup 12 is moved to the sliding side loading and unloading position P12. In addition, similarly to the connector conveying operation, the base end holding portion 16 holding the rear connector W12 via the connector cup 12 is moved to a position capable of facing the arm mechanism 172b in the gripping mechanism 172 of the connector conveying mechanism 17. Thereafter, the gripping mechanism 172 of the connector conveying mechanism 17 removes the front connector W11 together with the connector cup 12 from the sliding portion 15 of the sliding side loading and unloading position P12, and removes the rear connector W12 together with the connector cup 12 from the base end holding portion 16.

[0136] As described above, in the device frame 11, the delivery position 114 for the manufactured wiring harness W1 is set between the base end rail 113 holding the base end holding portion 16 and the first end side 11a of the plurality of sliding rails 111. The delivery position 114 is in the shape of a rectangular recessed pocket that is open upward and has an inclined inner surface on the side of the sliding rail 111. After the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 of the manufactured wiring harness W1 are disassembled as described above, the connector transport mechanism 17 transports the manufactured wiring harness W1 to an upper position at the delivery position 114 facing the inclined inner surface via the opening. Then, the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 are released at the upper position of the delivery position 114 to deliver the manufactured wiring harness W1. The manufactured wiring harness W1 is dropped onto the inclined inner surface of the delivery position 114 and slides down along the inner surface to the bottom where it is placed.

[0137] Next, we will explain how to use Figure 1 The wire harness manufacturing method performed by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown is described, although some of the descriptions are repeated with the descriptions so far.

[0138] Fig.12 It is shown that the use Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a series of processing steps in a wire harness manufacturing method performed by the wire harness manufacturing device 1 .

[0139] When the sub-wiring harness mounting plate 13 on which a plurality of sub-wiring harnesses W1a as raw materials of the wiring harness W1 to be manufactured are mounted is prepared, Fig.12 As described above, the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 included in each sub-harness W1a are mounted on the sub-harness mounting plate 13 in a state where the connector cup 12 is detachably attached.

[0140] When the process starts, the operator manually performs the board installation step S11 in which the prepared sub harness installation board 13 is attached to the board fixing portion 14. After the installation is completed, a command to start manufacturing the harness is issued to the harness manufacturing device 1 by a predetermined operation, and the following process is performed.

[0141] First, the robot arm 171 of the connector conveying mechanism 17 conveys the part number acquisition unit 19 to a position facing the code image 132 of the sub-harness mounting plate 13, and then the part number acquisition unit 19 reads the code image 132 to acquire the part number (part number acquisition step S12). Subsequent processing is performed under the control of the control unit 20 based on the part number.

[0142] After the part number acquisition step S12, the connector pre-transportation movement step S13 is performed, in which the slide portion 15 is moved to the slide side attachment and detachment position P12, and the base end holding portion 16 is moved to the base end attachment and detachment position. In this connector pre-transportation movement step S13, which one of the plurality of slide portions 15 is to be moved from the initial position P11 to the slide side attachment and detachment position P12 is controlled based on the part number. In addition, for the base end holding portion 16, the base end attachment and detachment position itself is controlled based on the part number, that is, each base end side holding portion 16 is matched with which arm mechanism 172b of the gripping mechanism 172 of the connector transport mechanism 17.

[0143] Once the movement of the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 is completed, the connector transport step S14 is performed, in which the connector transport mechanism 17 transports the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 to the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 of the movement destination. In this connector transport step S14, the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 are removed from the sub-harness mounting plate 13 together with the connector cup 12, and are transported to the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 together with the connector cup 12. In this connector transport step S14, it is controlled to which slide portion 15 each front connector W11 is transported and to which base end holding portion 16 each rear connector W12 is transported based on the part number.

[0144] After the connector conveying step S14, the slide portion 15 moves in the sliding direction D11 to stretch the electric wire W16 between the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16, and the electric wire processing step S15 is performed, in which the electric wire processing portion 18 operates the electric wire W16. In this electric wire processing step S15, the movement of the slide portion 15 and the operation content of the electric wire processing portion 18 are controlled based on the part number. In addition, according to the operation content of the electric wire processing portion 18, the position of the base end holding portion 16 is also controlled based on the part number, for example, it is moved to the bundling side of the electric wires W16.

[0145] Once the branch shape is formed by the wire processing step S15 and the wire harness W1 to be manufactured is completed, the pre-delivery movement step S16 is performed, in which the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 are moved in preparation for the delivery of the manufactured wire harness W1. In this pre-delivery movement step S16, similar to the connector pre-shipment movement step S13, the slide portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 are moved to the slide side loading and unloading position P12 and the base end loading and unloading position P13 based on the part number.

[0146] Finally, the delivery step S17 is performed, in which the manufactured wire harness W1 is delivered to the delivery position 114 by the connector transport mechanism 17. In this delivery step S17, the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 are removed from the sliding portion 15 and the base end retaining portion 16 together with the connector cup 12 at the sliding side loading and unloading position P12 and the base end loading and unloading position. The disassembly order at this time is controlled according to the part number. The manufactured wire harness W1 is taken out by disassembling the connector. Thereafter, the connector transport mechanism 17 carries the manufactured wire harness W1 to an upper position above the delivery position 114, and releases the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 at the upper position, thereby delivering the manufactured wire harness W1 to the delivery position 114. Through this delivery step S17, a series of processing steps in the wire harness manufacturing method according to the present embodiment are completed.

[0147] Here, in the present embodiment, after the slides 15 move in step S15, each slide 15 applies tension to the wire W16 by pulling the wire W16 toward the second end side 11b. In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, during execution of the wire harness manufacturing method, the tension thus applied is controlled by the control unit 20 as follows.

[0148] Fig.13 It is shown that in the execution Fig.12 Schematic diagram of step S21 and step S22 of controlling the tension of the electric wires under the control of the control unit during the wire harness manufacturing method is shown.

[0149] Fig.13A schematic diagram of a tension control process of a control unit 20 is shown, and the control unit 20 controls the tension applied to the electric wire W16 by the slide 15 in the wire harness manufacturing device 1 during the execution of the wire harness manufacturing method. The control unit 20 of the wire harness manufacturing device 1 controls the movement of the slide 15, and the slide 15 moves linearly by driving the servo motor 21. The slide 15 holds the end of the electric wire W16 extending from the rear connector W12 of the base end holding portion 16 via the front connector W11, and moves linearly to pull the electric wire W16 to the second end side 11b. The control unit 20 controls the linear movement of the slide 15 as follows, and also controls the tension of the electric wire W16. That is, the control unit 20 obtains the driving force of the servo motor 21 as an index representing the tension of the electric wire W16, compares the driving force as an index with a predetermined reference value when the slide 15 stops, and controls the tension of the electric wire W16 by moving the slide 15 according to the comparison result.

[0150] like Fig.13 The step S21 shown corresponds to Fig.12 The linear movement of the sliding portion 15 in step S15 stretches the wire W16. In this step S21, the servo motor 21 drives the sliding portion 15 to move in the stretching direction D19, thereby stretching the wire W16. At this time, under the control of the control unit 20, the servo motor 21 drives the sliding portion 15 with the following driving force F11. The driving force F11 is the force required for the sliding portion 15 to stretch and extend the wire W16 that is slack between the sliding portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16. In addition, when stretching the wire W16, the control unit 20 controls the linear movement amount of the sliding portion 15. The movement amount is acquired in the control unit 20 based on the number of revolutions of the servo motor 21, etc. When a plurality of sliding portions 15 have moved an amount corresponding to the branch shape of the part number, the control unit 20 stops the plurality of sliding portions 15.

[0151] In step S22, the stretching of the electric wire W16 is finished, and the slide portion 15 stops. In this stopped state, the slide portion 15 stretches the electric wire W16 in the stretching direction D19 by the balancing force F12 that balances the holding force of the rear connector W12 held by the base end holding portion 16 on the electric wire end. A predetermined tension is applied to the electric wire W16 by the stretching of the balancing force F12 of the slide portion 15. In this embodiment, a value corresponding to the holding force at the base end holding portion 16 is used as a reference value.

[0152] Fig.14 It is shown that in the execution Fig.12 Schematic diagram of steps S23 to S25 of controlling the tension of the electric wires under the control of the control unit during the wire harness manufacturing method is shown.

[0153] Fig.14An example is shown of a case where the tension of the electric wires W16 increases when the slide portion 15 stops in the control unit 20 of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 , wherein the electric wires W16 are stretched by being bundled by the electric wire processing portion 18 .

[0154] In step S23 , the slide portion 15 pulls the electric wires W16 from the rear connector W12 of the base end holding portion 16 by the balancing force F12 against the holding force at the base end holding portion 16 , and the electric wire processing portion 18 starts bundling the electric wires W16 .

[0155] When the electric wires W16 are bundled by the electric wire processing portion 18, the electric wires W16 are stretched and the tension temporarily increases, and in response, the output of the servo motor 21 that drives the slide portion 15 temporarily increases from the balancing force F12 to the upward driving force F13. In the present embodiment, in the control unit 20, the reference value for tension control is set to a value smaller than the driving force of the servo motor 21, which is temporarily increased due to the bundling of the electric wires W16 by the electric wire processing portion 18. When the upward driving force F13 in the stretching direction D19 finally exceeds the reference value, the process in the control unit 20 proceeds to the next step S24.

[0156] In step S24, the control unit 20 moves the slide 15 in the tension relaxation direction D20, which is the direction opposite to the stretching direction D19 of the electric wire W16, by a relaxation distance L11 longer than the distance required for the driving force of the servo motor 21 to drop below the reference value. As a result, the electric wire W16 from the rear connector W12 of the base end holding portion 16 becomes relaxed while passing through the electric wire processing portion 18 between the slide 15 and the rear connector W12. After this movement, the process proceeds to the next step S25.

[0157] In step S25, after the movement, a process is performed in which the control unit 20 moves the slide 15 in the stretching direction D19 until the slide 15 stops at a position where the slide 15 stretches the electric wire W16 with a balancing force F12 that balances the holding force at the rear connector W12 of the base end holding portion 16. As a result, when the electric wire W16 passes through the electric wire processing portion 18, the electric wire W16 from the rear connector W12 of the base end holding portion 16 is tensioned at a predetermined tension between the slide 15 and the base end holding portion 16. With the electric wire W16 in this tensioned state, a process such as tape winding during bundling in the electric wire processing portion 18 is performed.

[0158] Here, in the present embodiment, after the electric wire W16 is extended by the movement of the slide portion 15, the control unit 20 may retract the slide portion 15 to a predetermined retracted position in the tension relaxation direction D20 described above. This retraction is performed to avoid interference with the wire processing portion 18 when performing wire processing on the electric wire W16 extended by another slide portion 15.

[0159] Fig.15 It is shown that in the execution Fig.12 Schematic diagram of step S26 and step S27 of controlling the tension of the electric wires under the control of the control unit during the wire harness manufacturing method is shown.

[0160] Fig.15 A schematic diagram showing a retracting process of the slide portion 15 by the control unit 20 as a part of the tension control in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is shown.

[0161] In step S26 of the retraction process, when the retraction period in which the wire processing section 18 is expected to approach arrives, the control unit 20 controls the servo motor 21 to retract the slide 15 to the predetermined retraction position P13 in the tension relaxation direction D20. This retraction causes the wire W16 from the rear connector W12 of the base end holding section 16 to be significantly relaxed between the slide 15 and the base end holding section 16. Then, when the retraction period ends, the process proceeds to the next step S27.

[0162] In step S27, the control unit 20 moves the slide 15 in the stretching direction D19 and returns the slide 15 to the equilibrium position P14 before the retraction. By the return of the slide 15, the wire W16 from the rear connector W12 of the base end holding part 16 is in a state of being stretched at a predetermined tension between the slide 15 and the base end holding part 16.

[0163] In this embodiment, Fig.12 During the wire harness manufacturing method shown, such tension control including the retracting process is performed in parallel under the control of the control unit 20 .

[0164] According to the harness manufacturing device 1 and the harness manufacturing method of the above-mentioned embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. Specifically, in the present embodiment, a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a are supplied, and a branch-shaped harness W1 is manufactured by combining the plurality of sub-harnesses W1a. At this time, a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a as raw materials of the harness W1 to be manufactured are supplied to be mounted on the sub-harness mounting plate 13. The sub-harness mounting plate 13 mounts the connector cup 12 to the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 of each sub-harness W1a in a detachable manner. The front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 of each sub-harness W1a are transported to the sliding portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 by the connector transport mechanism 17, and the sliding portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 are used to stretch the wires W16 in the plurality of sub-harnesses W1a supplied in this manner. The connector transport operation is performed so that the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 are transported from the sub-harness mounting plate 13 to the sliding portion 15 and the base end holding portion 16 together with the connector cup 12. Here, a plurality of connector cups 12 are provided to be attached to the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 of each sub-wiring harness W1a, so that various front connectors W11 and rear connectors W12 can be accommodated one by one in a detachable manner. On the other hand, the outer shapes of the plurality of connector cups 12 are the same. Therefore, regardless of the types of the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12, the sliding portion 15 and the base end retaining portion 16 always maintain the connector cup 12 having the same outer shape. In addition, by changing the moving position of the sliding portion 15, various branch shapes can be accommodated. In other words, according to the present embodiment, there is no need to change the structure by replacing the sliding portion 15 or the base end retaining portion 16 according to the type of wiring harness W1 to be manufactured, and the manufacturing operation can be automatically performed while adapting to various wiring harness types.

[0165] Here, in the present embodiment, the wire harness W1 is affixed with a part number identifying the wire harness W1, and the wire harness manufacturing device 1 is equipped with a part number acquisition unit 19 that acquires the part number affixed to the wire harness W1 to be manufactured. The connector conveying mechanism 17 conveys the front connector W11 to the sliding unit 15 associated in a one-to-one manner via the part number, and conveys the rear connector W12 to the base end holding unit 16 associated in a one-to-one manner via the part number. After conveyance, the sliding unit 15 moves to a position corresponding to the branch shape of the wire harness W1 identified by its part number, and the wire processing unit 18 performs wire processing according to the branch shape. With such a configuration, the part number of the wire harness W1 to be manufactured is acquired, and the connector conveying operation by the connector conveying mechanism 17, the movement of the sliding unit 15, and the wire processing by the wire processing unit 18 correspond to the wire harness type associated with the part number. In other words, with the above configuration, various wire harness types can be effectively accommodated by part numbers.

[0166] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the slides 15 are provided in a number greater than or equal to the number of the pre-conceived front connectors W11, and wait at the initial position P11 on the second end side 11b before transportation. During transportation, only the slides 15 of the transportation destination corresponding to the part number are moved from the initial position P11 to the slide side loading and unloading position P12 of the first end side 11a so that they are lined up. With such a configuration, by providing a larger number of slides 15, the number of types of wire harnesses that can be processed can be increased. Furthermore, the slides 15 that do not correspond to the part number and are not used for the manufacture of the wire harness W1 wait at the initial position P11, so that they do not interfere with the wire processing.

[0167] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the base end holding portions 16 are provided in a number equal to or greater than the number of the rear connectors W12 pre-conceived, and all the base end holding portions 16 are located in the arrangement direction D12 according to the processing operation based on the part number of each part of the device. With such a configuration, by providing a larger number of base end holding portions 16, the number of types of wiring harnesses that can be processed can be increased. Furthermore, since all the base end holding portions 16 are movable, even if there are base end holding portions 16 in a non-installed state of the rear connector W12, the movement of the base end holding portion 16 in the installed state is not hindered.

[0168] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the sub harness mounting plate 13 has a code image 132 indicating a component number depicted thereon, and the component number acquisition section 19 is a code reader that acquires the component number by reading the code image 132. With such a configuration, the component number is acquired by reading the code image 132 on the sub harness mounting plate 13 with the code reader. In other words, with the above configuration, the component number can be acquired more efficiently than, for example, a configuration in which an operator manually inputs a component number.

[0169] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the connector conveying mechanism 17 has a gripping mechanism 172 attached to the end of the robot arm 171, which grips and removes the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 together with the connector cup 12. A code reader serving as the part number acquisition portion 19 is attached to the connector conveying mechanism 17 so that the code image 132 can be read when the gripping mechanism 172 faces the sub-harness mounting plate 13 for connector removal processing. With such a configuration, during the transport of the connector by the connector conveying mechanism 17, the part number can be automatically acquired by reading the code image 132 of the sub-harness mounting plate 13 with the code reader. In other words, with the above configuration, the part number can be acquired more efficiently than, for example, a configuration in which an operator manually carries the code reader to the sub-harness mounting plate 13 to read the part number.

[0170] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the connector conveying mechanism 17 also delivers the manufactured wire harness W1. During this delivery, the connector conveying mechanism 17 removes the front connector W11 together with the connector cup 12 from the sliding portion 15, and removes the rear connector W12 together with the connector cup 12 from the base end holding portion 16. Then, the connector conveying mechanism 17 conveys the manufactured wire harness W1 to the delivery position 114, and releases the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 to deliver the manufactured wire harness W1. With such a configuration, the delivery of the manufactured wire harness W1 is also automatically performed by the connector conveying mechanism 17, further reducing the workload of the operators involved in the manufacture of the wire harness.

[0171] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the delivery position 114 is provided between the moving end portion of the first end side 11a of the slide portion 15 and the mounting position of the base end holding portion 16. With such a configuration, the position of the delivery position 114 overlaps with the movement range during connector transportation in the connector transportation mechanism 17. Therefore, the delivery of the wire harness W1 can be handled with a movement similar to that during connector transportation in the connector transportation mechanism 17, and the configuration related to the delivery can be simplified.

[0172] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the control unit 20, which is a tension control unit that controls the linear movement of the slide 15 and also controls the tension of the electric wire W16 of the sub-harness W1a, performs the following processing regarding tension control. That is, the control unit 20 acquires an index indicating the tension of the electric wire W16, compares the index with a predetermined reference value when the slide 15 stops, and controls the tension of the electric wire W16 by moving the slide 15 according to the comparison result. According to this configuration, the control unit 20 controls the movement of the slide 15 according to the comparison result between the index indicating the tension of the electric wire W16 and the predetermined reference value. Such movement control of the slide 15 enables the slide 15 to move in a direction to relax the tension when an excessive tension exceeding the reference value may be applied to the electric wire W16 when the slide 15 stops, thereby suppressing the tension applied to the electric wire W16. Furthermore, the configuration required for such tension control is the slide 15 originally provided for manufacturing the wire harness W1 and the control unit 20 as its control configuration. Thus, according to the above configuration, the tension applied to the electric wire W16 can be reduced by a simple configuration.

[0173] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the slide portion 15 stops while applying tension by pulling the electric wire W16 in the pulling direction D19 with a balancing force F12 that balances the holding force of the electric wire end by the rear connector W12 held by the base end holding portion 16. The control unit 20 uses a value corresponding to the holding force at the base end holding portion 16 as a reference value for tension control. With such a configuration, the electric wire W16 is pulled with the balancing force F12 that resists the holding force of the electric wire end at the base end holding portion 16, so that work on the electric wire W16 can be performed while the slide portion 15 is stopped with good workability of applying a moderate tension to the electric wire W16.

[0174] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the reference value for tension control is smaller than the index of temporary increase due to bundling of the wires W16 by the wire processing portion 18. With such a configuration, even if the tension temporarily increases when bundling the wires W16, the tension has already been reflected in the reference value for tension control, and thus the increase in tension can be effectively reduced.

[0175] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the index related to the tension exceeds the reference value, the control unit 20 moves the slide 15 in the tension relaxation direction D20 by a relaxation distance L11 which is longer than the distance required for the index to fall below the reference value. After this movement, the control unit 20 moves the slide 15 in the stretching direction D19 until the slide 15 stops while the wire W16 is stretched by the balancing force F12 resisting the holding force at the base end holding portion 16. With such a configuration, when the index exceeds the reference value, the slide 15 first moves the above-mentioned long relaxation distance L11, and the tension of the wire W16 is significantly reduced. Then, the slide 15 moves to a position where the slide 15 stops while the wire W16 is stretched by the balancing force F12 resisting the holding force, thereby stretching the wire W16 with appropriate tension. Thus, the above configuration effectively achieves rapid relaxation when the tension increases and subsequent good handleability of the wire W16.

[0176] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when a predetermined retraction period comes, the control unit 20 retracts the slider 15 to the retraction position P13, and when the retraction period ends, the control unit 20 returns the slider 15 to the equilibrium position P14 before the retraction. According to this configuration, for example, when the slider 15 or the wire W16 pulled by the slider 15 interferes with peripheral work, the slider 15 can be retracted together with the wire W16, so that the peripheral work can be performed with good workability.

[0177] The above-described embodiments merely show representative forms of the wire harness manufacturing device and the wire harness manufacturing method. The wire harness manufacturing device and the wire harness manufacturing method are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various ways.

[0178] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the wire harness W1 installed and wired in the automobile is shown as an example of the wire harness to be manufactured. However, the wire harness is not limited thereto, and may be a wire harness other than a wire harness for installation in the automobile.

[0179] In the above embodiment, Figure 2 The wire harness W1 shown is an example of a wire harness to be manufactured. However, the wire harness is not limited thereto, and as long as it has a branched shape, the specific number of branches and the like are not important.

[0180] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the wire processing section, the wire processing section 18 is given, which performs bundling and tape winding of the wires W16 as wire processing. However, the wire processing section is not limited thereto, and may perform wire processing including processing of selectively bundling the wires and forming a branch shape, and may perform wire processing including other processing. In other words, in addition to the above-described processing, the wire processing section may also perform wire processing such as attachment of an exterior member such as a corrugated tube and attachment of a fixing fixture that fixes the wire harness to a predetermined fixing position.

[0181] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing device, a wire harness manufacturing device 1 is shown, which is equipped with a part number acquisition unit 19 and performs various processes related to the manufacture of a wire harness to be manufactured according to the acquired part number. However, the wire harness manufacturing device is not limited to this, and may be a device that does not have a part number acquisition unit and in which an operator manually sets manufacturing conditions such as a branch shape of a wire harness to be manufactured. However, as described above, according to a configuration in which a part number is acquired by the part number acquisition unit 19 and a wire harness is manufactured by processing according to the part number, various types of wire harnesses can be effectively dealt with.

[0182] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a sliding portion, a sliding portion 15 whose number is equal to or greater than the number of front connectors W11 assumed in advance is shown, the sliding portion 15 waits at the initial position P11, and only one sliding portion 15 corresponding to the part number moves to the sliding side loading and unloading position P12. However, the sliding portion is not limited to this, and may be provided in the same number as the assumed number of front connectors, and all sliding portions may move to the sliding side loading and unloading position. Alternatively, the number of sliding portions may be greater than the assumed number, but all sliding portions may move to the sliding side loading and unloading position. However, as described above, according to a configuration in which only one sliding portion 15 corresponding to the part number among the sliding portions 15 provided in a number greater than the assumed number moves to the sliding side loading and unloading position P12, the number of types of wiring harnesses that can be processed can be increased. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the sliding portions 15 that do not correspond to the part number wait at the initial position P11, so as described above, they do not interfere with the wire processing.

[0183] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a base end retaining portion, the number of base end retaining portions 16 is equal to or greater than the number of rear connectors W12 pre-conceived, and they are all located at positions corresponding to processing operations based on part numbers. However, the base end retaining portion is not limited thereto, and may be provided in the same number as the assumed number of rear connectors, and may be fixed at a predetermined position so that the arrangement direction is immovable regardless of the number of parts, etc. However, as described above, if all base end retaining portions 16 provided in a number greater than the assumed number are located at positions corresponding to the part numbers, the number of types of wiring harnesses that can be processed can be increased. In addition, as described above, with such a configuration, since all base end retaining portions 16 are located at positions corresponding to the part numbers, even if there is a rear connector W12 in a non-installed state, the movement of other base end retaining portions 16 in an installed state will not be hindered.

[0184] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing device, the wire harness manufacturing device 1 is shown, in which the code image 132 indicating the part number is depicted on the sub-harness mounting plate 13, and the part number acquisition section 19 is a code reader. However, the wire harness manufacturing device is not limited thereto, and the method of acquiring the part number may be manually input by an operator or the like. However, as described above, if the code image 132 is read by the code reader to acquire the part number, the part number can be acquired efficiently.

[0185] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing device, the wire harness manufacturing device 1 is shown in which a code reader serving as a part number acquisition section 19 is attached to a connector delivery mechanism 17 that performs a connector delivery operation. However, the wire harness manufacturing device is not limited thereto, and may be configured such that a code reader serving as a part number acquisition section is provided independently of the connector delivery mechanism in a portable manner, and an operator manually carries the code reader to read the part number. However, as described above, a configuration in which a code reader serving as a part number acquisition section 19 is attached to the connector delivery mechanism 17 enables efficient acquisition of part numbers during connector delivery.

[0186] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing device, a wire harness manufacturing device 1 is shown, in which the connector transport mechanism 17 transports the manufactured wire harness W1 to the delivery position 114 to deliver the manufactured wire harness W1. However, the wire harness manufacturing device is not limited to this, and an independent mechanism for delivering the manufactured wire harness may be provided, or the delivery may be performed manually by an operator. However, as described above, when the connector transport mechanism 17 that performs the connector transport operation in the early stage of wire harness manufacturing is also responsible for the delivery of the manufactured wire harness W1, the workload of the operators involved in the wire harness manufacturing can be further reduced.

[0187] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing device, the wire harness manufacturing device 1 is shown, in which the delivery position 114 is provided between the moving end of the slide portion 15 and the mounting position of the base end holding portion 16. However, the wire harness manufacturing device is not limited thereto, and the specific position of the delivery position is not important. However, as described above, when the delivery position 114 is provided between the moving end of the slide portion 15 and the mounting position of the base end holding portion 16, the structure related to the delivery can be simplified.

[0188] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing device, the wire harness manufacturing device 1 is shown, which is equipped with the control unit 20, which functions as a tension control unit that controls the tension of the wire W16 during the manufacturing of the wire harness by moving the slide 15. However, the wire harness manufacturing device is not limited thereto, and the tension control of the wire W16 during the manufacturing of the wire harness may not be specifically performed. However, as described above, when the control unit 20 that performs such tension control is provided, the tension applied to the wire W16 can be reduced by a simple configuration.

[0189] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing device, a wire harness manufacturing device 1 is shown, in which the control unit 20 sets a value corresponding to the holding force at the base end holding portion 16 as a reference value, and performs tension control based on a comparison with the reference value. However, the wire harness manufacturing device is not limited thereto, and an arbitrary value can be set as a reference value for tension control. However, as described above, according to the tension control in which a value corresponding to the holding force at the base end holding portion 16 is set as a reference value, it is possible to work on the wire W16 while the slide portion 15 is stopped, with good operability in which a moderate tension is applied to the wire W16.

[0190] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the reference value of the tension control, a reference value smaller than the index temporarily increased due to the bundling of the electric wires W16 by the electric wire processing section 18 is shown. However, the reference value of the tension control is not limited thereto, and any reference value can be used. However, as described above, when a reference value smaller than the index temporarily increased due to the bundling of the electric wires W16 is used, the tension increase when the electric wires W16 are bundled can be effectively reduced.

[0191] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of tension control, the following tension control is illustrated: wherein, when the tension index of the electric wire W16 exceeds the reference value, the slide 15 moves in the tension relaxation direction D20 by a relaxation distance L11 that is longer than the distance required for the index to fall below the reference value. However, the tension control is not limited thereto, and may be a control such as immediately stopping the movement of the slide 15 when the index falls below the reference value. However, as described above, according to the tension control in which the slide 15 is moved by a long relaxation distance L11 as described above, both rapid relaxation when the tension rises and ensuring good workability for the electric wire W16 thereafter can be effectively achieved.

[0192] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of tension control, the following tension control is shown: when the retraction period is reached, the slide 15 is retracted to the retraction position P13, and when the retraction period ends, the slide 15 returns to the equilibrium position P14 before the retraction. However, the tension control is not limited to this, and the retraction period as described above may not be specifically set. However, as described above, by setting the retraction period and retracting within the period, the slide 15 can be retracted together with the electric wire W16, and the related work can be performed with good workability.

Claims

1. A wire harness manufacturing device, comprising: a plurality of connector cups, the plurality of connector cups having the same outer shape as each other, and the plurality of connector cups being configured to detachably accommodate a plurality of connectors provided at one end side of a wiring harness to be manufactured and one or more connectors provided at the other end side, wherein the wiring harness to be manufactured is formed into a branch shape by combining a plurality of sub-wiring harnesses; a sub-harness mounting plate on which a plurality of said sub-harnesses are mounted in a state where said connector cup is detachably attached to said connector included in said sub-harness; a plate fixing portion to which the sub-harness mounting plate is detachably attached; a plurality of sliding parts, each of which holds a plurality of one-end side connectors provided on the one end side among the plurality of connectors via the connector cup, and the plurality of sliding parts are configured to be arranged parallel to each other in a predetermined arrangement direction so as to move linearly in a sliding direction between the first end side and the second end side; one or more base end holding portions, one or more of the base end holding portions being mounted immovably at least in the sliding direction on the first end side serving as the base end of the linear movement, each of the base end holding portions being configured to hold one of a plurality of other end side connectors provided on the other end side among the plurality of connectors via the connector cup; a connector conveying mechanism configured to detach the one end side connector and the other end side connector together with the connector cup from the sub harness mounting plate attached to the plate fixing portion, convey the one end side connector together with the connector cup to the sliding portion, and convey the other end side connector together with the connector cup to the base end holding portion; and A wire processing portion is configured to perform wire processing including processing of forming the branch shape by selectively bundling the wires of the plurality of sub-wiring harnesses stretched by the linear movement between the plurality of sliding portions and one or more base end holding portions.

2. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 1, wherein: The wiring harness is affixed with a part number identifying the wiring harness, The wire harness manufacturing device further comprises a component number acquisition unit, which acquires the component number attached to the wire harness to be manufactured. The connector transport mechanism is configured to transport the one-end side connector removed from the sub-harness mounting plate together with the connector cup to the sliding portion associated in a one-to-one manner via the part number, and transport the other-end side connector removed from the sub-harness mounting plate together with the connector cup to the base end holding portion associated in a one-to-one manner via the part number, The sliding portion that has received the transported one-end side connector moves in the sliding direction to a position corresponding to the branch shape of the wire harness identified by the part number, and The wire processing section performs the wire processing according to a branching shape of the wire harness identified by the part number.

3. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 2, wherein: the number of the plurality of sliding portions is set to be equal to or greater than the number of one-end side connectors of the wire harness pre-conceived for the wire harness to be manufactured, Before being transported by the connector transport mechanism, the plurality of slide portions wait at an initial position on the second end side, and During transport by the connector transport mechanism, only the slide portion associated as the transport destination of the one end side connector via the part number moves from the initial position to be aligned in the arrangement direction at the slide side attachment and detachment position on the first end side.

4. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 2, wherein: the number of the one or more base end holding portions is set to be equal to or greater than the number of the other end side connectors of the wire harness pre-conceived for the wire harness to be manufactured, All of the base end holding portions are positioned in the arrangement direction at positions corresponding to processing operations based on the part numbers performed by the connector conveyance mechanism and the electric wire processing portion.

5. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 2, wherein: A code image indicating the part number is depicted on the sub-harness mounting plate, and The part number acquisition section is a code reader configured to acquire the part number by reading the code image.

6. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 5, wherein: The connector transport mechanism is attached with a gripping mechanism which is attached to the end of the robot arm and is configured to grip and remove the plurality of connectors together with the plurality of connector cups attached to the sub-harness mounting plate in a one-to-one manner, and The code reader serving as the part number acquisition portion is attached to the connector conveying mechanism so that the code image can be read for detachment of the connector when a gripping mechanism of the connector conveying mechanism faces the sub-harness mounting plate.

7. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 1, wherein: The connector transport mechanism removes the one end side connector of the manufactured wire harness that has been wire-processed by the wire processing section together with the connector cup from the sliding section, removes one or more other end side connectors together with the connector cup from the base end holding section, transports the manufactured wire harness to a predetermined delivery position, and releases the one end side connector and the other end side connector at the delivery position to deliver the manufactured wire harness.

8. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 7, wherein: The one or more base end holding portions are arranged such that, with a gap between the moving end portion on the first end side of the sliding portion and the one or more base end holding portions in the sliding direction, the one or more base end holding portions are arranged in a row in the arrangement direction, and The delivery position is provided between the moving end portion of the sliding portion and the mounting position of the base end holding portion.

9. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 1, further comprising: A tension control unit, the tension control unit being configured to: control the linear movement of the sliding portion; acquiring an index representing the tension of the electric wires of the sub-wiring harness connected to the one-end side connector moving together with the sliding portion; and comparing the index with a predetermined reference value when the sliding portion stops; and moving the sliding portion according to the comparison result.

10. A wire harness manufacturing method using the wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 1, the wire harness manufacturing method comprising: a board mounting step of attaching the sub-harness mounting plate on which a plurality of the sub-harnesses are mounted to the board fixing portion in a state in which the connector cup is detachably attached to the connector included in the sub-harness; a connector conveying step, wherein the connector conveying mechanism removes the one end side connector and the other end side connector together with the connector cup from the sub harness mounting plate attached to the plate fixing portion, conveys the one end side connector together with the connector cup to the sliding portion, and conveys the other end side connector together with the connector cup to the base end holding portion; and A wire processing step, wherein the wire processing section performs wire processing including processing to form the branch shape by selectively bundling wires of the plurality of sub-wiring bundles stretched by the linear movement between the plurality of sliding portions and one or more base end holding portions.

Images