A device for producing a wire harness with terminal connection wires having tail ends of different lengths

Abstract

This application relates to a device for producing uneven-end wire harnesses with terminal connecting wires, belonging to the field of terminal manufacturing technology. It includes a mounting frame, a housing, a wire feeding unit, a wire-stopping roller and wheel, a single-motor power unit, a wire pulling unit, a drive unit, and a control unit. It transforms the traditional forward-feeding mode into a backward-pulling forming mode that stores process allowance. A single motor drives the wire pulling wheels of each channel to rotate synchronously, and an independent drive unit controls the normal separation and energized clamping of each pulling wheel. The control unit independently controls the pulling amount of each wire according to a preset length, allowing for a single cut to obtain an uneven-end wire harness. This device has a compact structure and precise control, significantly improving the production efficiency of unequal-length wire harnesses.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of terminal manufacturing and processing technology, and in particular to an apparatus for producing wire harnesses with uneven ends of terminal connecting wires. Background Technology

[0002] In the assembly of electrical equipment, terminal wires are used to connect two power-consuming units. Because the power-consuming units are located in different spaces within the equipment, multiple wires connected to the same terminal often need to have different lengths to ensure neat wiring within the equipment and prevent excessively long wires from contacting or pressing against the equipment casing or other electrical components. Currently, to obtain terminal wire harnesses with uneven ends, the industry typically uses a method of first cutting wires to equal lengths and crimping terminals, then having operators measure and trim excess length one by one according to the actual installation location. This method is cumbersome, highly reliant on manual labor, has low production efficiency, and makes it difficult to guarantee cutting accuracy, becoming a bottleneck restricting the improvement of terminal wire harness production efficiency.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, the industry has gradually developed automated wire feeding devices capable of outputting wires of unequal lengths. Chinese patent CN207490287U discloses a selectable wire feeding device, which uses a cylinder in conjunction with a lever mechanism to control the opening and closing of the wire feeding wheels, thereby controlling the wire feeding length of each individual wire.

[0004] However, the technical problem this solution aims to solve is to compensate for the wire length error caused by the unequal friction coefficients of the wire feed rollers. Its independent control aims to ensure that wires that should be of equal length are accurately fed in equal length, serving the goal of "correcting errors and ensuring equal length," rather than actively creating and precisely controlling the length differences between wires. Furthermore, this solution still operates by pushing the wires forward, actively feeding them towards the cutting or crimping mechanism. When producing wire harnesses with uneven ends, it still relies on subsequent cutting processes or complex timing coordination, making one-time forming impossible. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides an apparatus for producing wire harnesses with uneven ends of terminal connecting wires.

[0006] A device for producing wire harnesses with uneven ends for terminal connection wires includes: a mounting frame, which is a rigid frame used to position and fix the device as a whole in the feed inlet area of ​​a cutting production line; a housing, fixed to the mounting frame, having an internal accommodating space, and having a wire inlet and a wire outlet on both sides; a wire inlet unit, installed inside the housing, used to guide multiple wires to independently pass through their respective wire-passing channels; a wire-stopping roller, installed inside the housing and located between the wire inlet units, with independently rotatable wire-stopping wheels fitted on it corresponding to each wire-passing channel; and a power unit, including a power output motor installed outside the housing, the output shaft of which extends into the housing, and multiple output toothed rings fixed axially at intervals on the output shaft, each output toothed ring corresponding to a wire-passing channel. The system includes: a threading channel; a puller unit, configured for each threading channel, comprising a driven gear ring and a puller wheel fixed coaxially thereon, wherein the driven gear ring and the corresponding output gear ring are always engaged, and the puller wheel and the corresponding abutment wheel are positioned opposite each other; a drive unit, configured for each puller unit, used to drive the puller unit to rotate circumferentially relative to the output gear ring, switching the puller wheel between a state of separation from the conductor and a clamping state of pressing the conductor against the abutment wheel; and a control unit, used to control the action of each drive unit according to preset conductor length data, so that the puller wheel of each channel can independently switch between a clamping state and a separation state, thereby enabling each conductor to be pulled backward according to preset different lengths under the drive of a single power output motor.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the traditional wire feeding device's "actively pushing the wire forward" working mode is fundamentally transformed into a "reverse pulling and storing process allowance" forming mode. After the wire's front end is fixed by the clamping mechanism of the cutting production line, the backward pulling action of the wire puller stores a process allowance for each wire individually within the device. Since the lengths pulled back by each wire are different, combined with the subsequent cutting device's one-time cutting, a wire bundle with uneven ends can be naturally formed. A single power output motor simultaneously drives all wire pulling units through multiple output gear rings fixed on the output shaft, ensuring strict consistency of the linear speed of all channels from a mechanical structure perspective, eliminating the wire feeding length error caused by differences in motor characteristics in multi-motor solutions. Each channel is independently configured with a drive unit and control unit, allowing the pulling length of each wire to be set and controlled independently without interference.

[0008] Optionally, a mounting flange is formed on the surface of the mounting bracket away from the housing. The mounting flange is used to fix the housing of the terminal wire cutting production line with screws, so that the outlet of the housing is flush with the inlet of the cutting production line.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, the mounting flange precisely aligns the outlet of the housing with the feed inlet of the cutting production line, ensuring that the wires follow a straight and smooth path when entering the cutting production line from the device, avoiding wire bending or jamming, and ensuring the stability and reliability of the wire feeding process; at the same time, the detachable flange connection facilitates the installation, commissioning and maintenance of the device.

[0010] Optionally, the inlet unit includes a first threading rod and a second threading rod. The first threading rod is fixed to the inner wall of the inlet of the housing, and the second threading rod is fixed to the inner wall of the outlet of the housing. The first and second threading rods are provided with a plurality of threading holes, and a threading sleeve is installed in each threading hole. The positions of the threading sleeves on the first and second threading rods correspond one-to-one and their openings face each other, thus forming a threading channel.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the threading sleeves on the first and second threading rods are matched one-to-one to form independent threading channels, so that multiple wires are effectively isolated in the device to avoid mutual entanglement or friction interference; the threading sleeves provide a smooth guiding path for the wires and reduce the resistance when the wires are threaded.

[0012] Optionally, the drive unit includes an electromagnet, a lever, a connecting frame, and a constant force spring; the electromagnet is fixed to the inner bottom wall of the housing, and its armature is movably connected to the first end of the lever; the middle part of the lever is hinged to a bracket inside the housing; one end of the connecting frame is hinged to the second end of the lever, and the other end is fixedly connected to the shaft of the pull sheave and the driven gear ring; the constant force spring is connected between the connecting frame and the second end of the lever, and applies a pulling force to the connecting frame to keep the driven gear ring always in contact with the output gear ring.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the constant tension applied by the constant force spring to the connecting frame ensures that the driven gear ring always tends to be close to the output gear ring and maintain tight meshing throughout the entire process of the pulley separating from or clamping the wire. This solves the contradiction between gear transmission and clutch action: the pulley needs to be deflected circumferentially relative to the output gear ring under the action of the drive unit to achieve clutch engagement, but if a rigid connection is used, the backlash may increase or even the teeth may be dislodged during the deflection process; the flexible preload provided by the constant force spring ensures that the driven gear ring is always elastically pressed against the output gear ring throughout the entire stroke of the circumferential rotation along the output gear ring, while avoiding rigid impact and automatically compensating for gear wear during long-term operation.

[0014] Optionally, under normal conditions, the electromagnet is de-energized, and there is a gap between the pull wheel, the wire, and the abutment wheel. When it is necessary to pull the wire, the electromagnet is energized, and after the stroke is amplified by the lever, it drives the connecting frame to rotate, which drives the pull wheel to elastically press the wire against the surface of the abutment wheel. When the wire reaches the preset length, the electromagnet is de-energized, the lever resets under its own weight, and the gap between the pull wheel and the wire is restored.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the conductor can pass freely under normal conditions without being affected by frictional resistance, which facilitates threading and daily feeding. Only when a conductor needs to be pulled will the corresponding electromagnet be energized to clamp the conductor. Each channel can be started and stopped independently as needed, realizing the independent control logic of "starting one by one when energized and disengaging one by one when de-energized". The start and stop of pulling one conductor does not affect the continuous operation of other conductors. The control logic is clear and unnecessary energy consumption is reduced.

[0016] Optionally, the line-stopping roller is fitted with multiple roller sleeves at intervals. Each roller sleeve has an annular groove on its outer side. The annular grooves of two adjacent roller sleeves cooperate to form a roller groove. A line-stopping wheel is fitted inside each roller groove. The inner wall of the annular groove has multiple positioning blind holes arranged circumferentially. The line-stopping wheel has a positioning through hole. A disc spring assembly is installed in the positioning through hole. Both ends of the disc spring assembly are equipped with balls. The disc spring assembly elastically acts on the balls to make them extend into the positioning blind hole, providing discrete rotational resistance and position holding force for the line-stopping wheel.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the annular grooves of adjacent roller sleeves cooperate to form roller grooves, providing a stable installation position for the line-stopping roller; the disc spring assembly elastically acts on the ball, causing it to extend into the positioning blind hole, providing discrete rotational resistance and position holding force for the line-stopping roller, so that the line-stopping roller can stably stay at the current angle when it is not subjected to external force, avoiding unexpected rotation due to inertia or slight disturbance, and ensuring the stability of the measurement reference.

[0018] Optionally, the control unit includes a PLC controller and multiple rotary encoders; each rotary encoder has a friction roller with a rough outer circumference fixed coaxially at the end of its rotating shaft. The friction roller elastically abuts against the circumference of the corresponding abutment wheel with a preset preload, and the rotation of the abutment wheel is obtained through friction transmission; the PLC controller calculates the actual pulling length of each channel wire based on the rotation feedback from each rotary encoder, and controls the operation of each drive unit accordingly.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the rotary encoder indirectly obtains the rotation of the abutment wheel through the friction roller. Since the wire is pressed between the pull wheel and the abutment wheel during wire pulling, there is a strict correspondence between the linear displacement of the wire and the angular displacement of the outer circle of the abutment wheel. Therefore, this indirect measurement method can directly and accurately reflect the actual pulling length of the wire in the corresponding channel, eliminating the influence of factors such as transmission chain clearance and wire feeding wheel slippage on measurement accuracy. At the same time, this solution effectively avoids the assembly problem of not being able to directly install the encoder at the end of the rotating shaft because the abutment wheel is sleeved on the outer circumference of the abutment roller. The structure is flexible, and the encoders of each channel work independently without interfering with each other.

[0020] Optionally, the power output motor is a servo motor; the driven gear ring is a ring gear with external teeth, the inner diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the output gear ring, and it maintains meshing with the external teeth of the output gear ring through the external teeth; the pull wheel is a cylindrical roller with a preset texture on its circumference to increase friction.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solutions, the servo motor can provide precise speed control and fast response, ensuring the smoothness and controllability of the wire feeding process; the inner diameter of the driven tooth ring is larger than the outer diameter of the output tooth ring, and the engagement with the external teeth provides motion space for the driven tooth to deflect circumferentially around the output tooth ring, ensuring smooth clutch action; the preset texture on the circumferential surface of the pull wheel increases the friction between it and the wire, ensuring no slippage during the pulling process.

[0022] Optionally, the opening of the threading sleeve is fitted with a rubber anti-abrasion liner, which is fixed to the inner wall of the threading sleeve by adhesive.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the rubber anti-wear liner can effectively reduce the friction between the conductor and the opening of the wire threading sleeve during the installation and pulling process, prevent the conductor insulation layer from being scratched or worn, and protect the surface quality of the conductor.

[0024] Optionally, the circumferential surface of the abutment wheel has a preset texture to increase friction. After assembly, the pull wheel is located below the wire and the abutment wheel is located above the wire, with their friction surfaces facing each other.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, the preset texture on the circumferential surface of the abutment wheel increases the friction between it and the conductor. Combined with the friction surface of the pull wheel, it can reliably clamp the conductor in the clamped state and prevent the conductor from slipping during the pulling process. The arrangement of the pull wheel at the bottom and the abutment wheel at the top ensures that the conductor is subjected to a stable and uniform clamping force when it is clamped, thus ensuring the smoothness of the pulling process.

[0026] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. By transforming the traditional "forward push" working mode into a "backward pull to reserve process allowance" forming mode, each wire forms a slack section of different lengths inside the device. Combined with a one-time cut, wire harnesses with uneven ends can be directly obtained, realizing one-time automated production of wire harnesses of unequal lengths, greatly simplifying the production process and improving production efficiency.

[0027] 2. The system adopts a full gear synchronous drive architecture with a single power output motor and multiple output gear rings on the output shaft. This ensures strict consistency of linear speed in all channels from a mechanical structure perspective, eliminating the wire feeding length error caused by differences in motor characteristics and control response delays in multi-motor solutions. At the same time, it significantly reduces manufacturing costs and control complexity.

[0028] 3. It adopts the clutch logic of "normal separation and energized clamping". The conductor can pass freely in the normal state without being affected by frictional resistance. Each channel can be started and stopped independently as needed, realizing independent control of starting and stopping one by one when energized and disconnecting one by one when de-energized. The start and stop of pulling one conductor does not affect the continuous operation of other conductors. The control logic is clear and the operation is convenient.

[0029] 4. A constant force spring is installed in the drive unit to apply a constant tension to the connecting frame, so that the driven gear ring always keeps close to the output gear ring and maintains tight engagement throughout the entire clutch process. This solves the contradiction between gear transmission and clutch action, avoids rigid impact and tooth dislodgement problems, and can automatically compensate for gear wear during long-term operation, thereby improving the reliability and service life of the device.

[0030] 5. By adopting an indirect measurement method in which a friction roller is mounted on the end of a rotary encoder shaft and the friction roller elastically abuts against the circumferential surface of the guide wheel, the direct and accurate measurement of the conductor displacement is achieved. This eliminates the influence of transmission chain backlash and slippage on measurement accuracy, while avoiding the assembly problem of the guide wheel being unable to directly mount the encoder due to structural limitations. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this application; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of part A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the present application, mainly illustrating the rotary encoder; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application; Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of the present application, mainly showing the wire drawing unit and the drive unit; Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the present application, mainly showing the ball bearing.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Mounting bracket; 2. Housing; 3. Cable inlet unit; 301. First cable threading rod; 302. Second cable threading rod; 303. Cable threading sleeve; 304. Anti-wear liner; 4. Cable pulling unit; 401. Driven gear ring; 402. Cable pulling wheel; 403. Roller sleeve; 404. Cable abutment wheel; 5. Power unit; 501. Power output motor; 502. Output gear ring; 6. Drive unit; 601. Electromagnet; 602. Lever; 603. Connecting frame; 604. Constant force spring; 7. Control unit; 701. PLC controller; 702. Rotary encoder; 8. Positioning blind hole; 9. Disc spring assembly; 10. Ball bearing; 11. Anti-detachment ring. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 - Appendix Figure 7 This application will be described in further detail below.

[0034] This embodiment provides a device for producing wire harnesses with uneven ends for terminal connecting wires. The device can be externally connected to the feed inlet of the terminal wire cutting production line. It is used to independently pull multiple wires at different preset lengths at one time during the production process, so as to cooperate with the subsequent cutting device to cut them at one time to form a wire harness with uneven ends.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 The device includes a mounting frame 1, which is a rigid frame used to position and fix the entire device to the feed inlet area of ​​the cutting production line. A housing 2 is detachably fixed to one end of the mounting frame 1. The housing 2 is box-shaped with an internal accommodating space and has inlet and outlet ports on both sides. A mounting flange is formed on the surface of the mounting frame 1 away from the housing 2. The mounting flange is used to fix the device to the outer casing of the terminal wire cutting production line with screws, ensuring that the outlet port of the housing 2 is flush with the feed inlet of the cutting production line.

[0036] The housing 2 contains an inlet unit 3, a puller unit 4 that acts on the wire and controls the movement of the wire, a power unit 5 that provides power to the puller unit 4, a drive unit 6 that drives the puller unit 4 in cooperation with the power unit 5, and a control unit 7 that controls the operation of the drive unit 6.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 The inlet unit 3 includes a first threading rod 301 and a second threading rod 302. The first threading rod 301 is fixed to the inner wall of the inlet of the housing 2 by screws, and the second threading rod 302 is fixed to the inner wall of the outlet of the housing 2 by screws. The first threading rod 301 has multiple threading holes, and each threading hole is threaded with a threading sleeve 303. The opening of the threading sleeve 303 on the first threading rod 301 faces the inlet. A rubber anti-wear liner 304 is installed at the opening of the threading sleeve 303 and is fixed to the inner wall of the threading sleeve 303 with adhesive. The second threading rod 302 has the same structure as the first threading rod 301, except that the opening of the threading sleeve 303 on the second threading rod 302 faces the outlet. The threading sleeve 303 on the first threading rod 301 and the threading sleeve 303 on the second threading rod 302 are in one-to-one correspondence, and the two threading sleeves 303 located on the same plane and with their openings facing each other cooperate to form a threading channel.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5The power unit 5 includes a power output motor 501 mounted on the outside of the housing 2. The power output motor 501 is a servo motor, and its body is fixed to one side of the outer wall of the housing 2. Its output shaft rotatably passes through the side wall of the housing 2 via bearings and extends horizontally inside the housing 2 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the wire passage. In the section where the output shaft is located inside the housing 2, a plurality of output toothed rings 502 are fixedly fitted along the axial direction at intervals, and each output toothed ring 502 corresponds to a wire passage.

[0039] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 Each threading channel is equipped with a set of pull-wire units 4, and each set of pull-wire units 4 corresponds to an output gear ring 502. The pull-wire unit 4 includes a driven gear ring 401 and a pull-wire wheel 402 fixed coaxially thereto. The driven gear ring 401 is a ring gear with external teeth, and its inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the output gear ring 502. It maintains meshing with the external teeth of the output gear ring 502 through its external teeth. The pull-wire wheel 402 is a cylindrical roller with a preset texture on its circumference to increase friction. The pull-wire wheel 402 is fixed coaxially with the driven gear ring 401, and the two can rotate synchronously around the same axis.

[0040] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 A wire-stopping roller is installed between the first wire-passing rod 301 and the second wire-passing rod 302. Both ends of the wire-stopping roller are fixed to the inner wall of the housing 2 via bearings. Multiple roller sleeves 403 are provided on the outside of the wire-stopping roller. Each roller sleeve 403 has an annular groove on its outside, allowing two adjacent roller sleeves 403 to mate and form a roller groove. The number and position of the roller grooves formed by the pair of roller sleeves 403 match the wire-passing channel. A wire-stopping wheel 404 is fitted inside each roller groove. The wire-stopping wheel 404 is located above the wire-passing sleeve 303, and there is a gap between the wire-stopping wheel 404 and the wire after the wire passes through the housing 2. A rotating shaft is integrally formed on the abutting wheel, which extends into a mating groove opened at the bottom of the annular groove of the roller sleeve 403.

[0041] Multiple positioning blind holes 8 are formed on the inner wall of the annular groove. The positioning blind holes 8 are arc-shaped grooves and are arranged circumferentially along the axis of the annular groove. A positioning through hole is formed on the abutting wheel 404, and a disc spring assembly 9 is installed in the positioning through hole. A ball bearing 10 is installed at both ends of the disc spring assembly 9. The disc spring assembly 9 elastically acts on the ball bearings 10 at both ends and applies a force to them to extend the ball bearings 10 into the positioning blind hole 8. This allows the ball bearing 10 to roll from one positioning blind hole 8 and extend into the next positioning blind hole 8 after the abutting wheel 404 rotates. To prevent the ball bearing 10 from falling out, an anti-detachment ring 11 is welded and fixed at both ends of the positioning through hole. This positioning mechanism provides discrete rotational resistance and position holding force for the abutting wheel 404, so that the abutting wheel 404 can stably stay at the current angle when no external force is applied.

[0042] The abutment wheel 404 has a pre-set texture on its circumferential surface to increase friction. After assembly, the pull wheel 402 is located below the wire and the abutment wheel 404 is located above the wire, with the friction surfaces of the pull wheel 402 and the abutment wheel 404 facing each other.

[0043] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 Each drawer unit 4 is equipped with a dedicated drive unit 6. This drive unit 6 includes an electromagnet 601, a lever 602, a connecting frame 603, and a constant force spring 604. The electromagnet 601 is fixed to the inner bottom wall of the housing 2, and its armature is movably connected to the first end of the lever 602. The middle part of the lever 602 is hinged to a bracket fixed inside the housing 2 via a hinge shaft, thus forming the lever 602 mechanism. The connecting frame 603 is a rigid plate; one end is hinged to the second end of the lever 602 via a hinge shaft, and the end furthest from the lever 602 is a free end. This free end is fixedly connected to the shafts of the drawer wheel 402 and the driven gear ring 401, thereby maintaining the relative position of the drawer wheel 402 and the driven gear ring 401 through the connecting frame 603. Furthermore, the connecting frame 603 is connected to the second end of the lever 602 via the constant force spring 604.

[0044] The constant force spring 604 is configured here to provide a substantially constant elastic tension over a large deformation stroke. The constant force spring 604 applies a tension toward the lever 602 to the free end of the connecting frame 603. This tension forms a torque through the connecting frame 603, causing the driven gear ring 401 to always have a tendency to abut against the output gear ring 502 and maintain close engagement.

[0045] When the wire length needs to be adjusted, the control unit 7 sends an electrical signal to the corresponding electromagnet 601. The electromagnet 601 is energized and its armature moves. After the stroke is amplified by the lever 602, the connecting frame 603 is driven to rotate along the connecting shaft between the lever 602 and the bracket, causing the entire wire pulling unit 4 (i.e., the combination of the driven gear ring 401 and the wire pulling wheel 402) to rotate. During this rotation, the constant force spring 604 always applies a pulling force to the free end of the connecting frame 603, causing it to rotate closer to the lever 602. This ensures that the driven gear ring 401 is always engaged with the output gear ring 502, but its position deflects along the circumference of the output gear ring 502. This causes the wire pulling wheel 402 to push the wire into contact with the surface of the abutment wheel 404. The wire pulling wheel 402, in conjunction with the abutment wheel, clamps the wire. The power output motor 501 drives the driven gear ring 401 to rotate via the output gear ring 502, which in turn drives the pull wheel 402 to rotate. The rotation of the pull wheel 402 causes the wire to retract from the feed inlet of the cutting production line, and simultaneously drives the abutment wheel 404 to rotate. When the electromagnet 601 is de-energized, the second end of the lever 602 resets under its own weight, restoring the gap between the pull wheel 402, the abutment wheel 404 and the wire, so that the cutting production line can pull the wire normally.

[0046] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 6 The control unit 7 includes a PLC controller 701 and multiple rotary encoders 702. Each rotary encoder 702 has a friction roller coaxially fixed to its shaft end. The outer circumferential surface of the friction roller is rough, and it elastically abuts against the circumferential surface of the corresponding abutment wheel 404 with a preset preload, thereby obtaining the rotation amount of the abutment wheel 404 through friction transmission. The rotary encoder 702 is used to detect the rotation angle and number of revolutions of the corresponding abutment wheel 404 in real time and feeds back pulse signals to the PLC controller 701. The housing of the PLC controller 701 is fixedly mounted on the housing 2. Its signal input terminal is electrically connected to each rotary encoder 702 and a preset length setting unit, and its signal output terminal is electrically connected to the electromagnets 601 of each drive unit 6. The PLC controller 701 internally stores the required pull length data for each channel wire and, based on the rotation amount fed back by each rotary encoder 702, accurately calculates the actual pull length of each channel wire, thereby determining the timing of energizing and de-energizing each electromagnet 601.

[0047] The implementation principle of this embodiment: The core inventive concept of this embodiment is to fundamentally transform the working mode of the traditional wire feeding device of "actively pushing the wire forward" into the forming mode of "pulling back to store process margin" and build a complete mechatronics device around this mode.

[0048] In the production process of terminal wire harnesses, if multiple wires need to be connected to the same terminal with uneven ends, the traditional approach is to cut them one by one to different lengths during the cutting process, or to use multiple independent wire feeding devices to control the wire feeding length separately. This embodiment adopts a completely different approach: at the feed inlet of the cutting production line, a device is set up that can pull the wires away from the cutting mechanism. After the front end of the wire is fixed by the clamping mechanism of the cutting production line, the action of the pull wheel 402 pulling backward is not essentially "transporting" the wire, but rather "storing" a process allowance for each wire separately inside the device. Since the lengths of the wires pulled back are different, the lengths of the slack sections formed at their rear ends inside the device are different. When the cutting device performs uniform cutting at the wire outlet, the different allowances released by each wire naturally form an uneven wire harness. This principle moves the "unequal length forming" from the cutting process to the wire pulling process, realizing a qualitative change from "cutting unequal lengths one by one" to "one-time wire pulling forming".

[0049] Unlike multi-power schemes that use multiple independent motors to drive the pulleys 402 of each channel separately, this embodiment uses only one power output motor 501. Multiple output gear rings 502 fixed on the output shaft simultaneously drive the driven gear rings 401 and pulleys 402 of all channels to rotate. Since all output gear rings 502 are fixed to the same output shaft, the rotational speed of each output gear ring 502 is strictly consistent, thus ensuring that all pulleys 402 have the exact same linear speed when contacting the wire. This design eliminates the problem of inconsistent wire feeding speed caused by differences in motor characteristics and control response delays in multi-motor schemes from a mechanical structure perspective, providing a physical basis for precise control of the length of each wire. At the same time, the single-motor setup significantly reduces the manufacturing cost and control complexity of the device.

[0050] To achieve independent length control of the conductors in each channel, this embodiment configures an independent drive unit 6 for each pull wheel 402. Unlike conventional wire feeding devices where the feed wheel normally presses the conductor and is intermittently disengaged via a clutch, this embodiment employs a "normally disengaged, energized clamping" clutch logic. Under normal conditions, a gap exists between the pull wheel 402 and the abutment wheel 404, allowing the conductor to pass freely under external force without being affected by frictional resistance. When a conductor needs to be pulled, the control unit 7 sends an electrical signal to the corresponding electromagnet 601. The electromagnet 601 is energized, and through the lever 602 mechanism, it pushes the pull wheel 402 upwards, elastically pressing the conductor against the surface of the abutment wheel 404, thus achieving clamping and pulling. When the conductor reaches the preset length, the electromagnet 601 is de-energized, the lever 602 resets under its own weight, the pull wheel 402 separates from the conductor, and pulling in that channel ceases, while the remaining channels, still in the energized clamping state, continue operating. This control method of "starting one by one when powered on and disconnecting one by one when powered off" completely decouples the pulling process of each channel in time. The start and stop of pulling one conductor does not affect the continuous operation of other conductors. The logic is clear and the control is simple.

[0051] In the drive unit 6, a constant force spring 604 is provided between the connecting frame 603 and the second end of the lever 602. This constant force spring 604 applies a basically constant tension to the free end of the connecting frame 603, ensuring that the driven gear ring 401 maintains a close meshing tendency against the output gear ring 502 throughout the entire process of the pulley 402 separating from or clamping the wire. This design resolves the contradiction between gear transmission and clutch action: the pulley 402 needs to deflect circumferentially relative to the output gear ring 502 under the action of the drive unit 6 to achieve clutch engagement; however, if a rigid connection is used, increased backlash or even tooth dislodgement can easily occur during the deflection process. The flexible preload provided by the constant force spring 604 ensures that the driven gear ring 401 is always elastically pressed against the output gear ring 502 throughout its entire stroke of circumferential rotation along the output gear ring 502, ensuring that the meshing state does not change due to the clutch action, while avoiding rigid impact and automatically compensating for gear wear during long-term operation.

[0052] In terms of length measurement, this embodiment employs an indirect measurement method using friction transmission. A friction roller is coaxially fixed at the end of the shaft of each rotary encoder 702. The outer circumferential surface of the friction roller is rough and elastically abuts against the circumferential surface of the corresponding abutment wheel 404 with a preset preload. When the abutment wheel 404 rotates during the wire pulling process, the friction transmission drives the friction roller to rotate synchronously, thereby allowing the rotary encoder 702 to obtain the rotation angle and number of revolutions of the abutment wheel 404. Since the wire is pressed between the pulling wheel 402 and the abutment wheel 404 during wire pulling, there is a strict correspondence between the linear displacement of the wire and the angular displacement of the outer circle of the abutment wheel 404. Therefore, the rotation data indirectly obtained by the encoder through the friction roller can also directly and accurately reflect the actual pulling length of the wire in the corresponding channel. This indirect measurement method effectively avoids the assembly problem of the abutment wheel 404 being unable to be directly connected to the encoder due to structural limitations. It also eliminates the influence of factors such as transmission chain clearance and slippage on the length measurement accuracy, and each channel encoder works independently without interference.

[0053] Based on the above principles, the overall workflow of this embodiment is as follows: In the initial state, all electromagnets 601 are de-energized, and each pull wheel 402 is separated from the wire, allowing the wire to be freely pulled by the cutting production line. When production begins, the front end of the wire is clamped by the cutting line. The control unit 7, according to the preset wire length data, sequentially sends an energizing signal to each electromagnet 601, causing the corresponding pull wheel 402 to clamp the wire. The power output motor 501 drives all output gear rings 502 to rotate synchronously, and the clamped wires begin to be pulled backward, while the unclamped wires remain stationary. Each encoder provides real-time feedback of length data. When a wire reaches the preset length, its electromagnet 601 is de-energized, the pull wheel 402 separates, and the wire stops being pulled. In this way, each channel disengages one by one according to the first-come-first-served principle until the last wire reaches its length. Finally, all pull wheels 402 are separated from the wire, and the cutting device cuts the wire uniformly, forming a wire bundle with uneven ends.

[0054] The above implementation principle shows that this embodiment is not a simple improvement of the existing wire feeding device, but rather a systematic reconstruction of multiple dimensions such as working mode, drive architecture, clutch logic, and metering method, focusing on the specific technical problem of "one-time production of wire harnesses with uneven tail ends". The various principles work together to achieve technical effects that the existing devices do not have.

[0055] The embodiments described in this specific implementation are preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Identical components are represented by the same reference numerals. Therefore, all equivalent changes made to the structure, shape, and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing wire harnesses with uneven ends of terminal connecting wires, characterized in that, include: Mounting bracket (1) is a rigid frame used to position and fix the device as a whole in the feed inlet area of ​​the cutting production line; The housing (2) is fixed on the mounting bracket (1) and has an internal space for receiving the wires. The inlet and outlet are provided on both sides. The incoming line unit (3) is installed inside the housing (2) and is used to guide multiple wires to be independently threaded through their respective wire-threading channels; The wire-stopping roller is installed inside the housing (2) and located between the wire-infeeding units (3), and a wire-stopping wheel (404) that can be rotated independently is sleeved on it corresponding to each wire-threading channel; The power unit (5) includes a power output motor (501) installed on the outside of the housing (2). The output shaft of the power output motor (501) extends into the housing (2). Multiple output toothed rings (502) are fixed along the axial direction on the output shaft. Each output toothed ring (502) corresponds to a wire passage. The wire pulling unit (4) is configured for each wire threading channel, including a driven toothed ring (401) and a wire pulling wheel (402) fixed coaxially therewith. The driven toothed ring (401) and the corresponding output toothed ring (502) are always engaged, and the wire pulling wheel (402) and the corresponding abutment wheel (404) are arranged opposite to each other. A drive unit (6) is configured for each wire pulling unit (4) to drive the entire wire pulling unit (4) to rotate circumferentially relative to the output toothed ring (502), so that the wire pulling wheel (402) switches between the normal state of being separated from the wire and the clamping state of pressing the wire against the abutment wheel (404). The control unit (7) is used to control the operation of each drive unit (6) according to the preset length data of each wire, so that the pull wheel (402) of each channel can switch independently between the clamping state and the disengaging state, so that each wire can be pulled backward according to a preset different length under the drive of a single power output motor (501).

2. The device for producing a harness with misaligned ends of terminal connection wires according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting bracket (1) has a mounting flange formed on the surface of the end away from the housing (2). The mounting flange is used to fix the housing of the terminal wire cutting production line with screws, so that the outlet of the housing (2) is flush with the feed inlet of the cutting production line.

3. The device for producing a harness with misaligned ends of terminal connection wires according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wire inlet unit (3) includes a first wire threading rod (301) and a second wire threading rod (302). The first wire threading rod (301) is fixed to the inner wall of the wire inlet of the housing (2), and the second wire threading rod (302) is fixed to the inner wall of the wire outlet of the housing (2). The first wire threading rod (301) and the second wire threading rod (302) are respectively provided with multiple wire threading holes. Each wire threading hole is equipped with a wire threading sleeve (303). The positions of the wire threading sleeve (303) on the first wire threading rod (301) and the wire threading sleeve (303) on the second wire threading rod (302) are one-to-one and their openings face each other, thus forming the wire threading channel.

4. The device for producing a harness with misaligned ends of terminal connection wires according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive unit (6) includes an electromagnet (601), a lever (602), a connecting frame (603), and a constant force spring (604). The electromagnet (601) is fixed to the inner bottom wall of the housing (2), and its armature is movably connected to the first end of the lever (602). The middle part of the lever (602) is hinged to the bracket inside the housing (2). One end of the connecting frame (603) is hinged to the second end of the lever (602), and the other end is fixedly connected to the shaft of the pull wheel (402) and the driven gear ring (401). The constant force spring (604) is connected between the connecting frame (603) and the second end of the lever (602), and applies a pulling force to the connecting frame (603) to keep the driven gear ring (401) always close to the output gear ring (502).

5. The device for producing a harness with misaligned ends of terminal connection wires according to claim 4, characterized in that, Under normal conditions, the electromagnet (601) is de-energized, and there is a gap between the pull wheel (402) and the conductor and the abutment wheel (404). When it is necessary to pull the conductor, the electromagnet (601) is energized, and after the stroke is amplified by the lever (602), it drives the connecting frame (603) to rotate, which drives the pull wheel (402) to elastically press the conductor against the surface of the abutment wheel (404). When the conductor reaches the preset length, the electromagnet (601) is de-energized, the lever (602) resets under its own weight, and the gap between the pull wheel (402) and the conductor is restored.

6. The device for producing a harness with misaligned ends of terminal connection wires according to claim 1, characterized in that, The line-stopping roller is provided with multiple roller sleeves (403) spaced apart. Each roller sleeve (403) has an annular groove on its outer side. The annular grooves of two adjacent roller sleeves (403) cooperate to form a roller groove. A line-stopping wheel (404) is fitted inside each roller groove. The inner wall of the annular groove is provided with multiple positioning blind holes (8) arranged along the circumference. The line-stopping wheel (404) is provided with a positioning through hole. A disc spring assembly (9) is installed in the positioning through hole. Both ends of the disc spring assembly (9) are equipped with balls (10). The disc spring assembly (9) elastically acts on the balls (10) to make them extend into the positioning blind hole (8), providing discrete rotational resistance and position holding force for the line-stopping wheel (404).

7. The device for producing a harness with misaligned ends of terminal connection wires according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit (7) includes a PLC controller (701) and multiple rotary encoders (702); each rotary encoder (702) has a friction roller with a rough outer circumference fixed coaxially at the end of its rotating shaft. The friction roller elastically abuts against the circumference of the corresponding abutment wheel (404) with a preset preload force, and obtains the rotation amount of the abutment wheel (404) through friction transmission. The PLC controller (701) calculates the actual pulling length of each channel wire based on the rotation amount fed back by each rotary encoder (702), and controls the operation of each drive unit (6) accordingly.

8. The apparatus for producing a wire harness with uneven ends for terminal connecting wires according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power output motor (501) is a servo motor; the driven gear ring (401) is a ring gear with external teeth, the inner diameter of which is larger than the outer diameter of the output gear ring (502), and it maintains meshing with the external teeth of the output gear ring (502) through the external teeth; the pull wheel (402) is a cylindrical roller with a preset texture on its circumference to increase friction.

9. The apparatus for producing a wire harness with uneven ends for terminal connecting wires according to claim 3, characterized in that, The opening of the threading sleeve (303) is fitted with a rubber anti-wear liner (304), which is fixed to the inner wall of the threading sleeve (303) by adhesive.

10. The apparatus for producing a wire harness with uneven ends for terminal connecting wires according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circumferential surface of the abutting wheel (404) has a preset texture to increase friction. After assembly, the pull wheel (402) is located below the wire and the abutting wheel (404) is located above the wire, with their friction surfaces facing each other.

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