Device and method for producing cable bundle

Abstract

A device (10) for producing a cable bundle, comprising: a vertical display panel (20) on which cables (4) in the cable bundle can be arranged on a front side of the display panel; and an operating element (40, 50, 60, 70) for operating the cable (4) in the cable bundle, the operating element (40, 50, 60, 70) being magnetically mounted on the display board (20) and being designed in such a way that the operating element can be moved in all directions (x, y) of a plane predefined by the display board (20) by means of the gantry robot (30). The display board (20) is made of a non-ferromagnetic material; the operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) each comprise a front-side operating part (42) and a rear-side moving part (41), some of the operating elements being provided with permanent magnets and the other of the operating elements being also provided with permanent magnets such that the permanent magnets attract each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for producing a cable harness. Background Art

[0002] A cable harness (such as a cable harness for an automobile or an aircraft) is composed of a plurality of cables, and each cable is usually provided with a connector housing at its bundled cable end. A cable harness is composed of a plurality of cables that are connected together to form a structure having a generally complex, tree-like branching geometry.

[0003] When manufacturing a cable harness, certain positions and areas of the cable harness must be protected. For example, suitable tools (such as dot tape or cable ties) can be used to fasten the branches and intersections. It may also be necessary to provide additional protection for the entire cable harness or certain areas (such as tying with tape). In addition, it may be necessary to equip the cable harness with mounting elements (such as clips) at specified positions so that the cable harness can ultimately be installed in a device (such as an automobile) for this purpose. The above-mentioned processing process of the cable harness is also referred to as "shaping" or "fixing" by those skilled in the art because the tree-like structure is composed of a large number of individual cables.

[0004] Traditionally, these processing steps are performed manually or using appropriate power hand tools on a laying board. The entire cable harness is tied tightly on the laying board. In particular, workers must remove the nodes of the cable harness from the fork-shaped holders of the laying board in order to operate these areas correctly.

[0005] Recently, efforts have been made to achieve automation. For example, a method and a corresponding apparatus are known from EP706725B1. A method of stretching a cable harness along a straight line is disclosed here in order to fasten the nodes. Here, each position must be operated individually. Another solution for manufacturing a cable harness is shown in EP673091A2. The solution here basically includes first stretching the cable harness completely onto the laying board, similar to manual work, and then using a processing robot to perform the work steps. The common point of these two methods is that a large amount of space is required, that is, according to the prior art, the corresponding equipment is relatively large or long. Another disadvantage is that the production performance of the apparatus is insufficient in practice. The method of stretching along a straight line is only partially suitable for making the processing steps parallel, which obviously limits the production output. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to avoid the disadvantages of the known apparatus and, in particular, to provide an improved apparatus for producing a cable harness that can be operated particularly efficiently.

[0007] According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1. The device for producing a cable harness comprises: a preferably vertical display board on which cables in the cable harness of the display board can be arranged; and an operating element for operating the cables in the cable harness. Here, the operating element is in particular magnetically mounted or mountable on the display board and is designed such that the operating element can preferably move freely in all directions in the plane defined by the display board. The main purpose of the display board is to display the cables or the cable harness on this board so that the cables or the cable harness can be manually or mechanically provided with fastening parts (such as dot tapes) or bindings at specified positions. Hereinafter, the operating element is understood to operate a single cable or a plurality of cables so that the single cable or the plurality of cables can be processed to produce a cable harness. For example, such processing is to fasten certain parts and areas of the cable harness by means of a suitable auxiliary mechanism (such as dot tapes, cable ties).

[0008] As an alternative or addition to the above preferably vertical display board, display boards with different orientations can also be considered for the device according to the present invention. The display board can be inclined, that is to say, inclined at a certain angle with respect to the horizontal direction. A display board with a very steep angle close to the vertical (for example, an inclination angle > 80°) can be regarded as a substantially vertical display board. For certain applications, it can even be considered that the device can have a horizontal display board.

[0009] A permanent magnet can be used to magnetically mount the operating element on the preferably vertical display board. With the help of this permanent magnet, the operating element can be firmly held in the required position on the display board. With the help of such a magnet, the operating element can be mounted on the display board in an adherent but still movable manner. Preferably, a permanent magnet with a strength just sufficient to allow the operating element to be separated from the display board is selected so that the operating element can be easily replaced by hand if necessary. As an alternative to the magnetic mounting, the operating element can also be adhered to the preferably vertical display board in other ways, such as by using a device that generates a vacuum or by a hook-and-loop connection.

[0010] The advantage of the permanent magnet is that the permanent magnet can ensure reliable operation in a simple manner, especially in case of a failure (such as an accidental power outage due to a main power failure), and still remain in the current position on the display board. As an alternative to mounting or making the operating element mountable on the display board by magnetic force, vacuum or other adhesion or retention means, other designs can also be considered. For example, in the case of using at least one planar motor, the operating element can be designed to be connected to the display board in such a way that the operating element can move in all directions in the plane defined by the display board.

[0011] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the aforementioned preferably vertical display board may be made of a non-ferromagnetic material, on which the cables in the cable bundle may be arranged on the front side of the display board. The operating element or the corresponding operating element may respectively include an operating part on the front side and a moving part on the rear side. Therefore, the operating part on the front side is assigned to the front side of the display board, and the moving part on the rear side is assigned to the rear side of the display board opposite to the front side. In other words, the operating part and the moving part are arranged on the opposite sides (front, rear) of the display board. The operating part on the front side and the corresponding moving part on the rear side form an operating element consisting of two parts and combined into a common component. By moving the moving part on the display board, the operating part can move accordingly. The operating part and the related moving part on the rear side, that is, the components of the structural assembly, are separated from each other by the display board but are effectively connected to each other (for example, by magnetic force).

[0012] Here, at least a part of the corresponding operating element (that is, the operating part, the moving part) may be equipped with a permanent magnet for being magnetically mounted on the display board, and another part of the operating element contains a ferromagnetic material, or another part of the operating element is also equipped with a permanent magnet but has a magnet pole with an opposite name, so that the permanent magnets attract each other (therefore, the operating part and the moving part roughly correspond to: 1 permanent magnet and 1 ferromagnetic material; or 2 permanent magnets with magnet poles with opposite names, so that the permanent magnets attract each other). The latter case with two permanent magnets should be understood as: the permanent magnets are arranged and oriented in such a way that the magnet poles with different names are opposite to each other, so that the permanent magnets attract each other.

[0013] If, as described above, the components (operating part, moving part) of the operating element are magnetically mounted on the display board, the operating part can be moved by moving the moving part on the display board. Thus, the operating part is indirectly moved. One of the advantages of this is that the side of the display board assigned to the cable bundle (which corresponds to the side where the operating part is arranged) can be free of moving mechanisms, which has a positive impact on the operation of the cables and the cable bundle.

[0014] According to this preferred embodiment, at least a part of the corresponding operating element (that is, the operating part, the moving part) is equipped with a permanent magnet for being magnetically mounted on the display board. This does not mean that the corresponding part only needs to be equipped with a permanent magnet to be magnetically mounted on the display board. For certain uses and in order to achieve precise movement, it is helpful that each part (operating part, moving part) of the operating element has at least two, preferably four, permanent magnets. Therefore, for example, four pairs of magnets can be constructed in one operating element, that is, four permanent magnets are installed in the operating part and four permanent magnets are installed in the moving part. This arrangement also has the advantage that, if necessary, the operating element can be rotated about its axis (the axis of rotation is coplanar with the normal direction of the display board) from the rear side.

[0015] An operating element having a two-part construction with an operating part on the front side and a moving part on the rear side can be easily and reliably mounted on a display board and can be precisely moved to a desired position on the display board. The operating part on the front side of the display panel facing the cable harness is used to actually operate the various parts of the cable harness and includes a mechanism by which the cable, such as a cable bundle, a cable end equipped with a connector housing, a branch, etc., can be grasped, assembled, or otherwise operated. The moving part on the rear side of the display board is used to move the operating element. In other words, the operating element can be moved manually or mechanically by the moving part. When the moving part moves on the display board, the operating part also moves accordingly.

[0016] The moving part may have a coupling part connected to the base body, and through this coupling part, the operating element can be moved. Here, the base body is those components of the operating element that remain in contact with the display board. A permanent magnet is preferably integrated into the base body. However, the base body may also be composed of or contain ferromagnetic material. In a certain way, the coupling part forms an interface with the unit, and through this interface, the moving part can be driven to move the operating element. The unit can be a positioning system having a coupling part, through which the operating element can be coupled by its coupling part, so that an effective connection required for movement can be established between the positioning system and the operating element. In the case of manual operation, the coupling part can also be a handle that the operator can grasp by hand to manually move the operating element.

[0017] The operating part may have an operating head connected to the base body and an operating head connected to the base body. The base body of the operating part can be designed in substantially the same manner as the base body of the moving part in terms of its dimensions, especially in terms of its bottom area.

[0018] For easy operation, it is advantageous that the operating part has an operating head connected to the base body, and the operating head is connected to the base body in a freely rotatable manner with respect to the normal direction.

[0019] It is particularly advantageous here that the operating head is designed such that when the operating element is mounted on a vertical display board, the operating head remains in its base position oriented vertically due to gravity. In the base position, the operating head is oriented vertically, which can be easily achieved by appropriate weight distribution in the operating head. Due to the automatic correction of the orientation, no complex adjustment of the rotation angle of the operating head is required. Of course, not all operating elements must include an operating head that can rotate freely and automatically align to the base position.

[0020] At least some of the operating elements of the device for producing cable bundles can be designed as housing holders for holding housings. Here, the respective housing holders can temporarily accommodate a single housing or, in certain cases, even a plurality of housings for producing cable bundles. Their use is particularly such that the housings of electrical plug connections or more precisely the bundled cable ends equipped with housings can be moved into the desired positions on the display board by means of the housing holders. The housing holders can have a housing receiving part (into which the housing can be inserted for secure holding) or other means for temporarily fixing the housing. Here, the housing holders are assigned to the operating heads of the housing holders.

[0021] At least some of the operating elements of the device for producing cable bundles can be designed as deflectors for deflecting the cable runs. If the housing holders are regarded as the first type of operating elements, the deflectors for deflecting the cable runs of the cable bundles (wherein one or, if necessary, a plurality of cables can be deflected, and in the case of a plurality of cables, the cables usually exist in the form of a loose or already fastened cable bundle) form the second type of operating elements. For example, deflectors are generally used to bend a single cable at a defined position, for example, at a branch in the branch structure of the cable bundle.

[0022] The operating head of the deflector can have an open hook that is preferably V-shaped in a side view. Advantageously, the operating head of the deflector includes a guiding element arranged on the hook (especially in the region of the hook apex) and especially includes a guiding rod. The hook and the guiding element can form a lying "K" shape in a side view.

[0023] At least some of the operating elements of the device for producing cable bundles can be designed as elevated holders. The elevated holders constitute the third type of operating elements. The elevated holders are used to hold a single cable or a plurality of cables combined in the form of a cable bundle in an elevated manner, thereby increasing the distance from the display panel so that the cables can be guided through below the above-mentioned single cable or plurality of cables held in an elevated manner. For example, by means of one, preferably two holders, the main strand of the cable bundle can be held at a greater distance from the positioning plate, thereby creating a larger gap below the cable bundle held in this elevated manner, such that other parts of the cable bundle can be guided unhindered below it, for example, by means of the housing holders, so as to achieve further branching on both sides.

[0024] The operating head of the elevated holder can include a side segment that extends obliquely and especially at an angle of 45° to the horizontal plane, and a cable receiving segment that is preferably U-shaped in a side view and is connected to the side segment.

[0025] The display board according to another embodiment of the device may have at least one parking area preferably arranged on the edge side and having a plurality of parking positions arranged adjacent to each other for parking corresponding operating elements. Due to the provision of the parking area, optimal organization and monitoring of many operating elements can be ensured. If the preferably vertical display board defines a rectangular shape with two horizontal rectangular sides and two vertical rectangular sides, one of the rectangular sides, preferably the upper horizontal rectangular side and one of the vertical rectangular sides, may have such a parking area. This arrangement has other advantages in terms of automation.

[0026] If the base body has a bottom surface that is preferably circular in cross-section, it is advantageous that: the parking position and preferably each parking position have a receiving portion for the base body formed by a recess, and in particular have a receiving portion that is complementary to the base body and preferably forms an arc, whereby the corresponding operating element can be precisely placed or brought into the parking position. Here, the parking recess having the receiving portion is preferably arranged on the rear side of the display board.

[0027] The device may have a positioning system for moving the operating element to the desired position, which positioning system is preferably integrated in the display board, wherein the positioning system is particularly formed by a gantry robot. By using a gantry robot, the operating element can be quickly and precisely moved to the desired position, and when moving with a gantry robot as needed, complex travel can also be easily covered. As an alternative to the gantry robot, it is also possible to consider using a Delta-robot or other types of positioning robots or positioning systems.

[0028] The positioning system and in particular the gantry robot may have a positioning head through which the operating element can be loaded and moved. For this purpose, the positioning head may have a coupling member that can be effectively connected (i.e., coupled) to the coupling member assigned to the operating element as described above, so that the movement of the positioning head can be transmitted to the operating element.

[0029] In order to move a plurality of operating elements together, the positioning system may have a positioning head with a plurality of coupling members through which the positioning system can be effectively connected to a plurality of operating elements. These plurality of coupling members may be rigidly connected to each other. However, it is advantageous that the plurality of coupling members can move relative to each other individually at least with respect to the plane of the display board, so that even more complex movements can be achieved.

[0030] For example, the positioning head can be designed such that a plurality of coupling members are arranged adjacent to each other in a row with a certain distance therebetween, and this distance can be changed by an adjustment mechanism, and / or such that a plurality of coupling members are pivotally connected to each other.

[0031] According to another embodiment, the device may have two display boards. Here, at least one processing robot may be arranged between the two display boards, by means of which a fastening mechanism can be installed on the cable to fix and fasten the cable in a point-like or segmented manner. At least one processing robot may be responsible for the two display boards. Preferably, at least two processing robots are provided, and particularly preferably at least three processing robots are provided.

[0032] In another embodiment, it may also be considered to reserve a separate area of the display board for a manual workstation. For example, at this manual workstation, grommets can be installed on the cable harness. In this case, the positioning system will also display the relevant cable harness area, just as for one or more processing robots.

[0033] Thus, the present invention relates to a method for producing a cable harness, preferably in the case of using the above-mentioned device. This method performs the following steps:

[0034] Provide a vertical display board;

[0035] In the case of using housing holders, arrange the cables required for the cable harness, equipped with housings, on the display board, wherein the housing holders are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction in a predetermined order (starting position);

[0036] Move the deflector between the housing holders, wherein, if necessary, the housing holders are moved in such a way that the distance between the housing holders is increased beforehand;

[0037] Move a part of the housing holders from this row of housing holders, preferably moving upwards those housing holders assigned to the upper branch of the cable harness; and

[0038] Install a fastening mechanism selected from dot tapes, clips or straps, etc., for fixing and fastening the upwardly moved cables in a point-like or segmented manner by means of at least one processing robot.

[0039] Before arranging the cables on the display board as described above, the method may include the following steps:

[0040] Provide or prepare a technical drawing for the cable harness;

[0041] Bundle the cables according to the technical drawing. The cables can be unrolled from a cable storage, cut to the required length in a cable processing machine, stripped of insulation, crimped if necessary, and then assembled with housings in a housing assembly machine.

[0042] Preferably, in the case of using a housing holder that can move freely on a vertical display board, the process of arranging the cables of the cable bundle equipped with the required housings is carried out on the display board, where the housing holder and the housings are arranged side by side in a horizontal starting height in a predetermined order along the horizontal direction by a positioning system, and where, after the arrangement is completed, each cable hangs down in a U-shape. After the arrangement, the cables are positioned on the display board by using the housing holder, where the housing holder is in the above-mentioned initial position. In other words, in the initial position, the original shape of the cable bundle as a whole presents a U-shape, with a large number of cables forming cable loops that hang down in a U-shape.

[0043] The initial arrangement can be carried out in such a way that the housing holders are arranged in rows as close to each other as possible in a compact starting position. For example, even in the form of a longitudinal block with housing holders in contact with each other.

[0044] Before moving the deflector between the housing holders, it may be necessary to perform the following additional steps if necessary:

[0045] Move the housing holders in such a way that the distance between the housing holders increases (pulled apart from each other) so that the deflector (if necessary) can enter between the housing holders from top to bottom without interference.

[0046] In order to move the deflector between the housing holders, a freely movable deflector can preferably be used on the display board.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the fastening mechanism is installed step by step, where between the respective steps, the housing holder and (if necessary) the deflector are positioned by corresponding movements including a movement component along the horizontal direction so that the cables are optimally positioned. When moving the housing holder, it is advantageous to move it in a side-dragging manner.

[0048] Preferably, after the manufacture of the cable bundle is completed with respect to the upper branch, the housing holder assigned to the lower branch of the cable bundle is moved downward.

[0049] According to an advantageous method, a lifting device is used to lift the cables so that the housing holder can move downward below the lifted cables to form the lower branch.

[0050] When the manufactured cable bundle has branches oriented upward and downward with respect to the main strand, it is advantageous to arrange the cables on the display board with respect to the manufactured cable bundle so that the lower branch is less than the upper branch. By this arrangement, it can be ensured that before using the elevated holding, it must be moved downward as little as possible, so that the method can be carried out faster and more easily.

[0051] Another embodiment of the method relates to determining the order of housing holders arranged side by side with respect to each other. This order is determined by the following factors:

[0052] The housing holder assigned to the upwardly directed branch of the cable harness and the housing fixed thereby are located in the middle of the row;

[0053] The housing holder assigned to the main strand of the cable harness and the housing fixed thereby are located in the outer part of the row;

[0054] The housing holder assigned to the downward branch of the cable harness and the housing fixed thereby are located in an even more outer part of the row, wherein the subsequent housing holders assigned to the downward branch are generally located more outwardly than the previous housing holders assigned to the main strand. Based on these factors, for a cable harness having four upper branches O and five lower branches U, the following order (H: main branch) can ideally be obtained: UUUHOOOOHUU.

[0055] When positioning the housing holders, the corresponding lengths of the cables are to be considered here, wherein each housing holder assigned to a common cable with a short cable length or the housing held thereby is preferably positioned in a manner adjacent to each other side by side. Depending on the cable lengths, a sequence different from the order representing the ideal case given above is obtained, for example: UUHOOOUOHUU.

[0056] By arranging the housing holders side by side in this order, a cable harness can be manufactured in an efficient and effective manner. The movement of the operating elements can be carried out quickly and reliably. Another advantage is that cable overload and possible cable damage can be prevented.

[0057] Furthermore, when determining the order, it is advantageous to take into account the lengths of the cables and the cables of the downward branches. If these cable lengths are too short, sufficient space needs to be left for subsequent installation such that the housing holders assigned to the downward branches and the housings held thereby are arranged upwardly therebetween following the main strand.

[0058] In another embodiment, the downward branches can be moved earlier between the upward branches. This is especially the case when the electrical connection or the cable lengths between the downward branches and the upward branches are very short (for example, in the unwind state, the cables are exactly stacked on top of each other). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] Other individual features and advantages of the present invention are obtained through the following description of the embodiments and through the drawings. Among them:

[0060] Figure 1A perspective view of an apparatus for producing a cable harness according to the present invention, the apparatus having a display board and a plurality of operating elements mounted thereon, and a cable processing machine and a housing assembly machine located in front of the apparatus (viewing the display board from the front side).

[0061] Figure 2 Shown in perspective views from different perspectives Figure 1 the apparatus in (viewing the display board from the rear side).

[0062] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 an enlarged perspective view of the operating elements (housing holders, deflectors, elevation holders) of the apparatus shown.

[0063] Figures 4a to 4c The corresponding operating elements are shown in a side view.

[0064] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the main process steps for manufacturing a cable harness is shown.

[0065] Figure 6 Shows the process steps for producing a cable harness compared to Figure 5 a more detailed schematic diagram is shown.

[0066] Figures 7a to 7p Shows the process for producing a new cable harness according to an embodiment.

[0067] Figure 8 A simplified representation of another apparatus for producing a cable harness is shown, the apparatus having two display boards and a processing robot arranged therebetween.

[0068] Figure 9a 、 Figure 9b The different positions of the positioning heads of the positioning system according to the apparatus shown in FIG. 9 are shown in two different diagrams, and

[0069] Figure 10a 、 Figure 10b Alternative positioning heads are shown in two different positions. Detailed Description

[0070] Figure 1Shows a device 10 for producing a cable harness. The cable harness (for example, a cable harness for an automobile or an airplane) is composed of a plurality of cables, wherein the cables are respectively usually provided with connector housings at their bundled cable ends. Here, the cable harness is a structure formed by connecting a plurality of cables or wires together, and usually has a geometric shape with a complex branched shape similar to a tree. The corresponding cables are usually cables that include, for example, a solid conductor made of copper, aluminum, or a cable bundle and an insulating layer as a conductor sheath. Hereinafter, the term "cable" will be understood in a broad sense. In this case, the cable can also be understood as, for example, a cable unit formed by combining a plurality of cables or lines of equal length into a unit, such as a stranded cable strand.

[0071] In Figure 1 it, a cable processing machine 1 and a housing assembly machine 2 are arranged in front of the device 10. Here, the cable processing machine 1 can include a stripping station for intercepting lengths and stripping insulation, one or more crimping stations for applying pressure contact points to the stripped cable ends, and, if necessary, one or more ferrule stations. In the housing assembly machine 2, the connector housing is assembled with the bundled cable ends of the cables from the cable processing machine 1.

[0072] After wiring, the cable harness must be processed according to the intended use in order to install it in a device provided for it, such as an automobile. The cables required for each cable harness bundled in the cable processing machine 1 and the housing assembly machine 2 are assembled into a tree-like structure by the device 10 described in detail below. Appropriate fastening mechanisms (such as dot tape or cable ties) must be used to fasten the branches and nodes. The cable harness may need to be provided with additional protection in whole or in part (such as being tied with durable tape). Of course, the device 10 can also be a separate machine without the previous machines 1 and 2. In this case, the necessary cables are provided in a bundled manner.

[0073] The device for producing a cable harness includes a vertical display board 20, on which the cables in the cable harness can be arranged on the front side of the display board 20. The cable 4 that has been bundled and equipped with a housing 5 is Figure 1 arranged in the middle position shown in the form of a more or less freely hanging loop on the vertical display board 20. The housing 5 of the cable 4 is fixed by a housing holder 50. The cable 4 is also loaded by deflectors 60. The function of these deflectors 60 is to change the direction of the cable 4. In the middle position according to Figure 1 there are a total of four deflectors 60 in the cable harness that has not yet been manufactured, wherein two deflectors 60 are grouped in pairs. The housing holder 50 and the deflectors 60 form two types of operating elements. In Figure 1In [the figure], a third type of operating element can be seen, namely the elevated holders labeled 70. These elevated holders 70 are in the waiting position in the parking area. When necessary, the holders 70 can be moved to the cable harness by the positioning system described in detail below and used accordingly there. In addition to the holders 70, the other operating elements 50, 60 are also located in the parking area and wait until they are used for the production of cable harnesses when necessary.

[0074] The device 10 further includes a processing robot 3, by means of which a fastening mechanism can be installed on the cable 4 for pointwise or sectional fixing and fastening. For example, the processing robot 3 can be used to install dot tape. Such dot tape can be seen in Figure 7l 、 Figure 7m or Figure 7n and is labeled 82. The processing robot 3 is designed here as an articulated arm robot. The articulated arm robot can be firmly connected to the ground or can also be designed to move autonomously on the ground.

[0075] In this embodiment, the operating elements 50, 60, 70 are magnetically installed on the display board 20 and are designed to be movable in all directions in the plane defined by the display board 20. Figure 1 The Cartesian coordinate system shown in [this figure] and the subsequent figures helps to understand the directions and the main movements of the components of the device 10. The mentioned plane is parallel to the plane defined by the x-axis and the y-axis. The operating elements 50, 60, 70 can move freely in the x- and y-directions.

[0076] The display board 20 is made of a non-ferromagnetic material. Each operating element 50, 60, 70 respectively includes a front-side operating part and a rear-side moving part, wherein the operating part and the moving part are respectively equipped with permanent magnets for magnetically installing on the display board, so that the permanent magnets attract each other. The permanent magnets are arranged and oriented with respect to each other in such a way that the opposite poles face each other, so that the permanent magnets attract each other. Each part (handling part, moving part) can be equipped with one permanent magnet each; it is very advantageous for each part to be equipped with multiple permanent magnets. Figure 2 The rear view of the device 10 and its display board 20 is shown. Here, the moving part, labeled 41, can be seen. Here, the moving part 41 is designed to be basically the same for all types of operating elements (for the operating part, please refer to the following Figure 3 and Figures 4a to 4c ).

[0077] The moving part 41 is responsible for moving the operating elements 50, 60, 70. In order to move the operating elements to the desired positions, the device 10 has a positioning system 30. The positioning system 30 integrated in the display board 20 is formed here by a gantry robot. The positioning system 30 or the gantry robot has a beam-shaped gantry carriage 36 that can move back and forth in the x-direction along the linear guide 38, and a second carriage 37 that can move back and forth along the gantry carriage in the y-direction transverse to the x-direction and is equipped with a positioning head 32. In a certain way, the positioning head 32 of the gantry robot forms an interface with the operating element. The positioning head 32 can grasp the operating element through a coupling device and be brought to the desired position by the controlled movement of the gantry robot. For this purpose, the positioning head 32 has a coupling member (not shown here) that can engage with the coupling member of the operating element for movement. In Figures 4a to 4c the corresponding coupling members of the operating elements are denoted by 45.

[0078] In this embodiment, the display board 20 has parking areas arranged on the vertical sides above, below, and on the edge sides, which have a plurality of parking positions 21, 22 arranged adjacent to each other for parking the corresponding operating elements. Here, the parking positions 21, 22 of the parking areas are formed on the rear side of the display board 20 by the receiving portions of the base body 47 of the moving parts for the operating elements, wherein the receiving portions are formed by recesses and are designed to be complementary to the base body. The corresponding base bodies 47 of the operating elements have a bottom surface with a circular cross-section; thus, the parking positions 21, 22 have receiving portions forming an arc.

[0079] Figure 3 Three different types of operating elements are shown: a housing holder 50, a deflector 60, and a raised holder 70. The operating elements are mainly distinguished by the different designs of the operating parts on the front side; obviously, for all operating elements, the designs of the moving parts 41 on the rear side are roughly the same. The operating part 42 of the housing holder 50 has an operating head 51 that is rotatably connected to the base body 43. The housing holder 50 has a mechanism for temporarily fixing and holding the housing, here for example a housing receiving portion into which the housing 5 can be moved for firm holding. The operating part of the deflector 60 has an operating head 63 with a hook 61. The operating part of the holder 70 has an operating head 73 with a U-shaped cable receiving segment 72, and the cables are collected in the cable receiving segment and are loosely assembled, wherein the cable receiving segment 72 is far from the display board 20 for raising the cables.

[0080] The operating part of the deflector 60 has an operating head 63 that abuts against the base body 44, and the operating head is rotatably connected to the base body 44. Here, when the deflector is mounted on the display board 20, the axis of rotation runs relative to the normal direction (z-direction) defined by the display board 20. The operating head 63 of the deflector 60 is designed such that when the deflector 60 is installed on the display board 20, due to the action of gravity, the operating head remains in its basic position in the vertical orientation. The same applies to the height-holding member 70. The height-holding member 70 also has an operating head 73 that abuts against the base body 47, and the operating head is rotatably connected to the base body 47. The operating head 73 of the holding member 70 is designed such that when the holding member 70 is installed on the display board 20, the operating head remains in its basic position in the vertical orientation due to gravity. However, the operating head 51 of the housing holding member 50 can also be rigidly connected to the associated base body 44. In this case, it is advantageous that the base body 44 and the operating head 51 can be rotated from the rear side so as to be able to adjust the angular orientation or direction of the housing relative to the cable. Here, the positioning system can actively define the angular orientation of the housing holding member by rotation. For this purpose, it is advantageous that the housing holding member 50 has four pairs of magnets, preferably at least two pairs of magnets, so as to be able to transfer the rotational movement from the moving part to the operating part.

[0081] For the structural details designed for the operating element, refer to FIG. 4. Figure 4a It is shown that the operating head 73 of the height-holding member 70 includes a side segment 71 that extends obliquely, for example, at an angle of 45° to the horizontal plane here, and a cable receiving segment 72 that abuts against the side segment 71 and is U-shaped in a side view. The holding member 70 can hold the cable at a higher level in the cable receiving segment 72, thereby increasing its distance from the display board 20 so that other cables can be guided through below the cable held at a higher level. Here, the side segment 71 serves as an auxiliary guiding means. When the height-holding member 70 is moved into the cable to be lifted and held, the cable to be lifted and held is first pushed upward along the side segment 71 until it finally falls into the cable receiving portion 72.

[0082] Figure 4b The deflector 60 shown in the figure for deflecting the cable path has an operating head 63 with an open hook 61 that is V-shaped in a side view. In the vertex region of the hook, a guide rod 62 is arranged on the hook 61. The hook 61 and the guide rod 62 form a lying "K" shape in a side view. The open hook 61 can easily collect cables and cable bundles, while the guide rod 62 can prevent the cable from slipping under the hook. Since the deflection point defined by the hook 61 is advantageously located outside the standing surface of the base body 44, difficult deflection situations such as T-shaped branches can also be solved by two deflectors at the branching site.

[0083] The solution for the device 1 for producing cable bundles described above includes a display board 20 and operating elements magnetically mounted thereon. As an alternative to the preferred embodiment shown here, the above solution is also advantageous for a device for producing cable bundles, in which the display board 20 is oriented in an inclined position or inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The device 1 can even have a horizontal display board. In the latter case, the front side of the display board corresponds to the upper side of the display board. The operating element can also consist of two parts, with the operating part assigned to the upper side of the horizontal display board and the moving part assigned to the lower side (as the rear side) of the horizontal display board opposite the upper side.

[0084] Figure 5 A rough overview of how to produce a cable bundle for a motor vehicle, for example, is given. Of course, according to this method, it can also be used to create a cable bundle for another device for this purpose. Here, the individual building blocks represent the following main process steps in a greatly simplified manner:

[0085] 100 Prepare the drawings;

[0086] 200 Determine the sequence;

[0087] 300 Produce the wiring used for the cable bundle;

[0088] 400 Arrange the wiring of the cable bundle on the display board;

[0089] 500 Start and perform the processing of the display board; and

[0090] 600 Deliver the completed cable bundle to the handover position.

[0091] The electrical and electronic requirements of the motor vehicle specify the appearance of the required cable bundle. For this cable bundle, first, in the first step 100, the technical drawings of the cable bundle are provided and prepared. The technical drawings then form the basis for the industrial or mass production of the cable bundle. Based on the technical drawings, the optimal sequence can mainly be determined, in which the wiring of the cable bundle should be first shown in the initial position on the display board (step 200).

[0092] According to the technical drawings, the cables are unrolled and bundled in the correct cable lengths. This is done in step 300. The wiring of the cable bundle is placed on the demonstration board, and the cables are arranged according to the rules in step 200 (step 400). In step 500, the cables and especially the cable ends form a tree structure according to the technical drawings, and here the cables are fastened and fixed, for example, with dot tapes, clips, or straps. After completing step 500, finally, the completed cable bundle is brought into the handover position, in which state the cable bundle can be transported to the motor vehicle for installation. An operator or another robot can take over the cable bundle from the handover position.

[0093] Figure 6Details of an example design of the previously described cable harness manufacturing process are shown. Here, the individual blocks simply represent the following process steps:

[0094] 100 Prepare the drawing,

[0095] 110 Unroll the cable harness,

[0096] 120 Align the cable harness,

[0097] 121 Complex branches upward,

[0098] 122 Multiple branches upward;

[0099] 200 Determine the order,

[0100] 21 Place the upward branches in the middle,

[0101] 220 The main strands are joined adjacent to the outside,

[0102] 230 The downward branches are more towards the outside,

[0103] 240 Check the connection length,

[0104] 241 Short connection parts are adjacent to each other,

[0105] 242 Place the downward branches between the upward branches if necessary;

[0106] 300 Produce the cabled cable harness;

[0107] 400 Place the cabled cable harness on the display board;

[0108] 500 Start processing,

[0109] 510 Separate the rows and columns from each other,

[0110] 520 Pre-position the deflector,

[0111] 530 Move the upward branches upward,

[0112] 540 Set the first dot tape,

[0113] 550 Process the cable harness from top to bottom and from outside to inside,

[0114] 551 Set the dot tape,

[0115] 552 Bind,

[0116] 553 Install the clips,

[0117] 560 Process the downward branches between the upward branches,

[0118] 561 Prepare to guide downward,

[0119] 562 Insertion frame height retainer,

[0120] 563 Supported by a deflector,

[0121] 564 Drag the housing retainer laterally and guide it through below,

[0122] 570 Continue processing;

[0123] 600 Place the completed cable harness in the handover position.

[0124] All or at least some of the above process steps can be carried out using a device comprising device 10 and a cable processing machine 1 and a housing assembly machine 2. The preparation of the cable harness technical drawing (step 100) is usually carried out at another location, for example using a computer. The determination of the sequence (step 200) can be carried out automatically by suitable software on a computer belonging to the device (in particular device 1). However, the sequence can also be determined remotely.

[0125] Using the device 10 introduced with reference Figure 1 to Figure 4, a method for producing a cable harness comprises the following basic steps:

[0126] Provide a vertical display board 20;

[0127] Using the housing retainer 50, arrange the cables 4 required for the cable harness and equipped with the housing 5 on the display board 20, wherein the housing retainers 50 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction x in a predetermined order;

[0128] Move the deflector 60 between the housing retainers 50, wherein, if necessary beforehand, move the housing retainers 50 in such a way that the distance between the housing retainers 50 is increased so that the deflector 60 can be moved between the housing retainers 50 without interference;

[0129] Move a part of the housing retainers 50 from the row of housing retainers, wherein preferably move upwards those housing retainers 50 assigned to the upper branches of the cable harness;

[0130] Install a fastening mechanism consisting of dotting tapes 82, clips or straps 83 to fixedly fasten and secure the upwardly moved cables 4 in a dot-like or segmented manner by means of the processing robot 3.

[0131] From Figures 7a to 7p Other details of the method for producing a cable harness in the case of using device 1 can be seen from the specific embodiments. Figure 7a Show the technical drawing 81 of the cable harness. Such technical drawings show the wiring plan of the cable harness. Figure 7b Basically corresponding to Figure 7aAn abstract version of the technical drawing 81, specifically not showing all the connections or cables. The virtual model of the cable harness is labeled 84.

[0132] Since the cable harness 84 here, for example, has multiple downward branches here, the cable harness is rotated by 180°. Figure 7c The simplified cable harness 84 after rotation is shown. If the cables are arranged on the display board in such a way that the lower branches are in the minority relative to the upper branches, it is possible to ensure that there are as few lower channels formed by the elevated holders as possible, which makes the method faster and easier to execute.

[0133] Now it is possible to determine the order of the housings and the order of the housing holders that hold the housings. When determining the order, the lengths of the corresponding cables need to be considered. Based on Figure 7c of Figure 7d Other key cables are represented by dashed lines, and their cable lengths are particularly short. In the case of short cables, due to the limited space for laying the U-shaped cable loops, there is less freedom in positioning the cables or their housings.

[0134] In Figure 7e the housings of the cables in the cable harness are labeled "A" to "J". The order of the housings (and the corresponding housing holders) is determined by the following factors:

[0135] Position the housings assigned to the upward branches of the cable harness in the middle of the row;

[0136] Position the housings assigned to the main strand of the cable harness outwardly in the row and column;

[0137] Position the housings assigned to the downward branches of the cable harness outwardly in the row and column;

[0138] When positioning the housings in rows, the respective cable lengths of the cables are taken into account here. The housings assigned to a common cable with a shorter cable length are preferably positioned next to each other side by side. Thus, in the present embodiment, sequences A to J are defined as follows: The housings B, C, E, G, H assigned to the upward branches of the cable harness are first located in the middle of the row. The housings A and I assigned to the main strands of the cable harness are positioned further out in the row. The housings D, F, J assigned to the downward branches of the cable harness should be arranged further out adjacent to the main strand housings A and I. However, here the respective cable lengths, especially particularly short cables, must be taken into account. Thus, the two housings B, C connected by a very short cable must be positioned next to each other side by side. According to the above rules regarding the downwardly directed branches, the housings D and F should actually be positioned further out. However, since the cables D - E and E - F are significantly short, this must be taken into account, so D must be positioned on one side and F on the other side next to E. Finally, attention must be paid to the downward branch with the housing J provided at the end of the branch. As mentioned at the beginning, since the overhead holders should be used to form as few lower channels as possible, the housing J is positioned further out in the row, here on the right next to the housing I.

[0139] In Figure 7f it, the housings are shown arranged next to each other in the order of A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J. This basically corresponds to the arrangement scheme in which the housing holders 50 are arranged on a vertical display board. The arrangement is as Figure 7h shown. The housing holders 50 are arranged next to each other in the horizontal direction (x) in a predetermined order.

[0140] Figure 7g The cable processing machine 1 and the housing assembly machine 2 are shown. In the housing assembly machine, the cables required for the cable harness are cut to length, bundled and equipped with housings 5. The corresponding cables 4 already exist as U - shaped downward - hanging cable loops in these devices 1 and 2. The cables are transported from the housing assembly machine 2 manually or using a corresponding (not shown here) transfer mechanism to the vertical display board and arranged there as Figure 7h shown. Here, the housings can be arranged completely next to each other to save space and simplify the operation of transporting to the display board. The housings can also be divided into multiple groups. In the Figure 7h shown initial position, the original shape of the cable harness is displayed on the display board, where the cable harness is U - shaped with a plurality of cables 4 forming cable loops and hanging downward in a U - shape.

[0141] Then, the housing holders 50 are moved in such a way that the distance between the housing holders 50 is increased ( Figure 7h ). After the process of pulling apart from each other is completed, the one obtained in Figure 7iThe situation shown in. The main purpose of pulling them apart from each other is to reduce the depth of the cable loop. This enables better control of the cable loop in subsequent process steps (less swaying, less spreading), and space is obtained for placing the deflector between the housing holders. In addition, from Figure 7i it can be seen that all housing holders 50 and more precisely all operating heads of the housing holders (which are rotatably connected to the associated base body) are in a basic position along a vertical orientation.

[0142] After pulling them apart from each other, the deflector 60, symbolically represented by a circle, can be inserted between the housing holders 50 without interference. This step is as Figure 7j shown. Now, the housing holders 50 assigned to the upper branch of the cable harness are moved upward. For better understanding, the housing holders 50 are labeled, where the corresponding subscripts correspond to the housing in the order according to Figure 7f . Here, the deflector 60 ensures that the cable 4 achieves the required deflection. The movement directions of the housing holders 50 B 、50 C 、50 E 、50 G 、50 H are indicated by arrows. The corresponding positions are as shown in Figure 7k .

[0143] In Figure 7l , the first fastening mechanism has been applied. 82 represents dot tape (represented by small black squares), and 4 cables are fixed dotwise with dot tape. The other fastening mechanism is a tie strap 83, which wraps around a longer cable section to fix the cable section. When tying, it is sometimes also necessary to feed the branch into an overstretched position. Here, the installation of the fastening mechanisms 82, 83 is achieved by means of processing robots. Each processing robot 3 is symbolically represented by a small triangle. It is advantageous to use multiple processing robots 3 so that the fastening mechanisms can be applied to different positions on the cable harness simultaneously.

[0144] Here, it is advantageous to present the required operating part of the cable harness to the operating robot 3 in an overstretched position rather than the final angled bending position in order to be able to reach the corresponding operating part.

[0145] Figure 7l It is also shown that by moving the housing holders 50 B 、50 C 、50 E 、50 G 、50 HThe upward branch and deflector 60 are positioned such that during or after the step of setting the first point tape (at the branch location leading to the main chain), the branch location of the upward branch is also ready (here, for example, between B and C).

[0146] From Figure 7m It can be seen that the operating elements 50, 60 are then further moved. Here, the cable harness is roughly pulled apart and the housing holders are moved away from each other. For example, the housing holder 50 J is further moved outwards to the right in a lateral dragging motion. Using the processing robot 3, other point tapes 82 are applied, and then the position shown in FIG. 7 n is obtained. The structure of the cable harness is clearly defined and has the characteristic of having several freely swinging loops, which makes the use of the holders easier.

[0147] From Figure 7m it can further be seen that at least in some areas, the housing holders are moved in such a way that stretching is achieved in combination with the deflector, whereby the freely rotatably supported operating heads of the housing holders are aligned with positions different from the vertical basic position. For example, in the housing holder 50 J this can be seen, where the housing holder or more precisely its operating head is now in a horizontal orientation.

[0148] Now, the housing holder 50 D can be moved downwards because this housing holder is assigned to the downwardly directed branch of the cable harness. For this purpose, the elevated holder 70 is inserted into the main strand, as shown in Figure 7n . Here, it should be ensured that the main strand hangs down sufficiently to be deflected by the elevated holder 70. When the elevated holder is inserted into the main strand to be elevated, the elevated holder is first pushed upwards in segments along the side and finally brought into the U-shaped cable receiving segment above the display board. In other words, the cables combined in the form of a cable strand are held elevated by the elevated holder 70, and thus the distance to the display board is increased to enable the cables to be guided through below the elevated cables. The lower channel is now ready, and the branch can pass under the cable harness. Thereby, the housing holder 50 D can be moved downwards without interference. The position shown in Figure 7o is then obtained. When moving the housing holder 50 D , it is advantageous for this movement to be carried out in a lateral dragging manner. Here, the housing holder 50 D does not move in a straight line from the position shown in Figure 7n to the position shown in Figure 7o , but the travel curve of the housing holder 50 D can have a curved course. The travel curve is shown in Figure 7nIt is represented by a dashed line in the middle. In particular, when supported by one or more deflectors 60, lateral dragging can prevent kinking of the wire connection of the cable 4 and uncontrolled or other poor performance of the cable loops. Advantageously here, the lateral dragging occurs in the first stage of the corresponding movement of the housing holder. This is particularly advantageous for the housing holder that has to move downwards and whose movement should always start with lateral dragging.

[0149] Then, the housing holder 50 must be F moved downwards. The corresponding process is generally similar to the first lower branch or the housing holder 50 D . Finally, the required cable harness 80 is produced.

[0150] Figure 7p The cable harness 80 is shown, wherein, in addition to creating a handover position, the cable harness is also slightly compressed in the horizontal direction because in this compressed form, the cable harness is generally easier to handle for further use.

[0151] As Figure 8 shown, the device 10 can have two display boards 20, 20'. Here, for example, three processing robots 3 are arranged between the two display boards 20, 20', by means of which the fastening mechanism can be installed on both sides for pointwise or sectional fixing and fastening to the cable 4. Here, the operating elements for manipulating the cable 4 in the cable harness are generally labeled 40. These operating elements 40 can be the housing holders, deflectors or elevation holders mentioned and introduced previously. Figure 8 It is also shown that the positioning head 32 of the positioning system can have a plurality of coupling parts. Here, the positioning head 32 has, for example, three coupling parts 33, 34, 35. The three operating elements 40 can be moved by means of the coupling parts 33, 34, 35. The coupling parts corresponding to the coupling parts 33, 34, 35 and assigned to the operating elements 40 are labeled 45, and the operating head is generally labeled 46.

[0152] Figure 9a and Figure 9b show this variant of the positioning head 32 with a plurality of coupling parts 33, 34, 35. The coupling parts 33, 34, 35 can move linearly on a common axis, so that the distance between the coupling parts 33, 34, 35 can be adjusted, and thus the distance of the operating elements (not shown here) can also be adjusted.

[0153] Figure 9a and Figure 9bShows another variant of the positioning head 32 having a plurality of connecting members 33, 34, 35, wherein the positioning head is used to achieve movement with multiple degrees of freedom. In the current case, the positioning head 32 has an adjustment mechanism by which the two outermost coupling members 33 and 35 can pivot and can be displaced back and forth relative to the shafts 48, 49.

Claims

1. An apparatus (10) for producing a cable harness, the apparatus comprising: A display board (20) on which cables (4) in the cable harness can be arranged on the front side of the display board, Operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) for operating the cables (4) in the cable harness, wherein, The operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are mounted or can be mounted on the display board (20) and are designed in such a way that the operating elements can move in all directions (x, y) of a plane predefined by the display board (20).

2. The device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The display board (20) is made of a non-ferromagnetic material, and the operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) each include a front-side operating part (42) and a rear-side moving part (41), wherein at least some of the corresponding operating elements are equipped with permanent magnets for magnetically mounting to the display board, and another part of the operating elements contains ferromagnetic material, or another part of the operating elements is also equipped with permanent magnets but with opposite polarities such that the permanent magnets attract each other.

3. The device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The moving part (41) has a coupling part (45) in contact with a base body (47).

4. The device (10) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The operating part (42) has an operating head (46, 51, 63, 73) in contact with a base body (43, 44), and the operating head is connected to the base body (43) in a manner that can freely rotate relative to the normal direction.

5. The device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The display board (20) is a vertical display board (20), and the operating heads (46, 51, 63, 73) are designed in such a way that when the operating elements (50, 60, 70) are mounted on the display board (20), the operating heads (46, 51, 63, 73) are held in their vertically oriented basic positions due to gravity.

6. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, At least some of the operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are designed as housing holders (50) for holding a housing (5).

7. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, At least some of the operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are designed as deflectors (60) for deflecting the path of the cables (4).

8. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, At least some of the operating elements are designed as housing holders (50) for holding a housing (5), another part of the operating elements are designed as deflectors (60) for deflecting the path of the cables (4), and yet another part of the operating elements are designed as elevation holders (70).

9. The device (10) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The operating head (63) of the deflector (60) includes: an open hook (61) preferably in a V shape in a side view and a guiding element, in particular a guiding rod (62), arranged on the hook.

10. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, At least some of the operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are designed as elevation holders (70).

11. The device (10) according to claim 8 or 10, characterized in that, The operating head (73) of the elevation holder (70) includes an inclined extending side segment (71) and a cable receiving segment (72) in contact with the side segment (71) and preferably in a U shape in a side view.

12. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The display board (20) has at least one parking area preferably arranged on the edge side, and the parking area has a plurality of parking spaces (21, 22) arranged side by side with each other for parking corresponding operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70).

13. The device (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that, The corresponding operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) have a base body (47), the base body has a bottom surface preferably circular in cross-section, and each parking space (21, 22) has a receiving portion for the base body, in particular a receiving portion complementary to the base body and preferably forming an arc.

14. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, The device has a positioning system (30) for moving the operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) to the required positions, the positioning system is integrated in the display board (20), and the positioning system (30) is formed by a gantry robot.

15. The device (10) according to claim 14, characterized in that, The positioning system includes a positioning head (32) having a plurality of coupling members (33, 34, 35) for moving a plurality of operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70) together. Through the plurality of coupling members, the positioning system can be effectively connected to a plurality of operating elements (40, 50, 60, 70), wherein the plurality of coupling members (33, 34, 35) can move relative to each other at least relative to the plane (x, z) of the display board (20) individually.

16. The device (10) according to claim 15, characterized in that, The positioning head (32) is designed in such a way that the plurality of coupling members (33, 34, 35) are arranged side by side and spaced apart from each other by a distance, and the distance can be changed by means of an adjusting mechanism, and / or the plurality of coupling members (33, 34, 35) are pivotally connected to each other.

17. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that, The device has two display boards (20, 20'), and at least one processing robot (3) is arranged between the two display boards (20, 20'). By means of the at least one processing robot, fastening mechanisms (82, 83) can be installed for pointwise or sectional fixing and fastening to a cable (4).

18. A method for producing a cable harness, especially in the case of using the device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, the method comprising the following steps: Providing a vertical display board (20) In the case of using a housing holder (50), arranging the cables (4) required for the cable harness equipped with a housing (5) on the display board (20), wherein the housing holders (50) are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction (x) in a predetermined order. Moving deflectors (60) into the spaces between the housing holders (50), wherein, if necessary, the housing holders (50) are moved in such a way that the distance between the housing holders (50) is increased. Moving a part of the housing holders (50) in a row of housing holders, wherein preferably those housing holders (50) assigned to the upper branch of the cable harness are moved upward. Installing a fastening mechanism composed of dot tapes (82), clips or straps (83) for pointwise or sectional fixing and fastening of the upwardly moved cables by means of at least one processing robot (3).

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein The fastening mechanism is installed in a step-by-step manner, where, between the individual steps, the housing holder (50) and, if necessary, also the deflector (60) are positioned by corresponding movements that include a movement component in the horizontal direction.

20. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, Only after the cable harness has been made for the upper branch is the housing holder (50) assigned to the lower branch of the cable harness moved downward.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that, The cable is lifted by means of a lifting device (70) such that the housing holder (50) for forming the lower branch can be moved downward beneath the thus-lifted cable.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that, The order of the housing holders (50) arranged side by side with one another is determined by the following factors: The housing holder (50) assigned to the upwardly directed branch of the cable harness and, in turn, the housing fixed by this housing holder are positioned in the middle of the row and column; The housing holder (50) assigned to the main strand of the cable harness and, in turn, the housing fixed by this housing holder are positioned further outwards in the row and column; The housing holder (50) assigned to the downwardly directed branch of the cable harness and, in turn, the housing fixed by this housing holder are positioned even further outwards in the row and column; Here, when positioning the housing holders (50) in rows, the respective cable lengths of the cables are taken into account, where the housing holders or the housings held by such housing holders, respectively, assigned to common cables having shorter cable lengths are preferably positioned adjacent to one another side by side.

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