Connection insertion unit and a connection insertion procedure

Abstract

It is provided to reduce the strain on an operator and to smoothly insert an end section connection (W11) of an electrical wire with terminal (W1) into a recess of a connector housing (C1).A terminal insertion unit (1) comprises a housing pallet (11), a first transport section (16), a tilt correction section (17) configured to receive the electrical wire with terminal (W1) from the first transport section (16) and detect and correct the tilt, a second transport section (18) that transports the electrical wire with terminal (W1) after the tilt correction, and a terminal insertion section (13) configured to receive the electrical wire with terminal (W1) from the second transport section (18), detect and correct a positional deviation between a forward position of the end section terminal (W11) and a position of a recess as the insertion target, while the end section terminal (W11) is inserted into the recess as the insertion target after the positional deviation correction.

Description

[TECHNICAL FIELD]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connection insertion unit and a connection insertion method for inserting an end connection of an electrical cable with a connection into a recess of a plug housing. [STATE OF THE ART]

[0002] In the manufacture of a cable harness with a connector at its end, a connector insertion unit is typically used to insert the end-section connector of an electrical cable into a recess of a connector housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The connector insertion unit described in this Patent Document 1 is a device configured to grasp the electrical wire with the connector and move it in a holding position toward the connector housing to automatically insert an end-section connector into a recess. With this connector insertion unit, during the insertion of the end-section connector, the connector housing is moved up, down, left, and right so that the end-section connector is inserted smoothly without touching the inner surface of the recess. [QUOTATION LIST][PATENTS]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-64722A [SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION][Technical Problem]

[0004] If the end section is inserted in a tilted position, smooth insertion into the recess can be difficult due to the movement of the connector housing alone. Therefore, according to the connector insertion unit, strict position control is required in a step prior to connector insertion. However, such strict position control places a significant burden on the operator.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention was developed taking into account the above circumstances, and one purpose of the present invention is to provide a terminal insertion unit and a terminal insertion method with which an end section terminal of an electrical cable with connector can be smoothly inserted into a recess. [Solution to the problem]

[0006] To solve the problem described above, a connector insertion unit is characterized in that it has one or more housing pallets to which one or more housing holders are attached, wherein the housing holder can hold a connector housing with multiple recesses into which end-section connectors of electrical wires with terminals can each be inserted; a first transport section configured to grasp the electrical wire with terminal and transport it to a first inspection position; a tilt correction section configured to pick up the electrical wire with terminal from the first transport section at the first inspection position, detect a tilt from an insertion position to the recess with respect to a position about an axis of the end-section connector, and move the end-section connector to correct the tilt;a second transport section configured to receive the electrical wire with connector after tilt correction from the tilt correction section and transport it to a second inspection position; and a connector insertion section configured to receive the electrical wire with connector from the second transport section at the second inspection position, detecting a positional deviation between a front-end position of the end-section connector and a position of the recess as the insertion target in the connector housing held by the housing holder, and correcting the positional deviation by moving at least one of the connector housing or electrical wire with connector during insertion of the end-section connector after positional deviation correction to the recess as the insertion target.

[0007] To solve the problem described above, a connector insertion method is characterized in that it includes a housing feeding step for feeding a connector housing to a housing pallet to which one or more housing holders are attached, wherein the housing holder can hold the connector housing in which several recesses are provided into which end-section terminals of electrical wires with connectors can be inserted so that the housing holder can hold them; a first transport step in which a first transport section grasps the electrical wire with connector to transport it to a first inspection position;a tilt correction cut in which a first electrical wire holder is provided to pick up and grip the electrical wire with connector from the first transport section at the first inspection position, wherein a tilt from an insertion position to the recess with respect to a position about an axis of the end section connector is detected and the first electrical wire holder is tilted about the axis in response to a detection result to move the end section connector and correct the tilt; a second transport step in which a second transport section is provided to pick up the electrical wire with connector after the tilt correction from the tilt correction section and transport it to a second inspection position;and a connection insertion step in which a second electrical wire holder is provided to receive the electrical wire with connector from the second transport section at the second inspection position, detecting a positional deviation between a front-end position of the end-section connector and a position of the recess as insertion target in the connector housing held by the housing holder, and correcting the positional deviation by moving at least one of the connector housing or electrical wire with connector while the second electrical wire holder is moved to the connector insertion opening to insert the end-section connector into the recess as insertion target. [Effect of the invention]

[0008] According to the connection insertion unit and the connection insertion procedure described above, it is possible to smoothly insert an end section connection of an electrical cable with a connector into a recess, thereby reducing the burden on the operator. [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a connection insertion unit according to one embodiment. Fig. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a connection insertion unit according to Fig. 1 shows. Fig. Figure 3 is a view showing a housing pallet, a pallet holding frame and a pallet drive section according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows in a state where other elements from the perspective view according to Fig. 1 away. Fig. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing one of the three housing palettes according to Fig. 3 shown on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a view showing a first transport section, which is in Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows an electrical wire with a connector, which is held by an electrical wire holding tool. Fig. 6 is a view showing the first transport section, which is in Fig. Figure 5 shows a tilt correction section as the transport destination of the electrical wire with connection. Fig. 7 is a view that includes the one in Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows the tilt correction section together with the electrical wire with connection as the correction target. Fig. 8 is a schematic side-view block diagram that illustrates the Fig. The inclination correction section shown in section 7 is shown. Fig. 9 is a descriptive view to describe a tilt correction applied to the [unclear] in Fig. 7 and Fig. The inclination correction section shown in section 8 is carried out. Fig. 10 is a view showing a second transport section, which is in Fig. Figure 2 shows the inclination correction section as the transport source. Fig. 11 is a view showing the second transport section, which is in Fig. 10 is shown, together with part of the connection insertion section as the transport destination of the electrical cable with connection. Fig. 12 is a view that includes the one in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows the connection insertion section, with the focus being on a detection function of a front end position of an end section connection. Fig. 13 is a view that the in Fig. The connection insertion section shown in Figure 12 is shown, with the focus on a detection function of a position of the recess as the insertion goal. Fig. 14 is a schematic side-view block diagram that illustrates the Fig. 12 and Fig. The connection insertion section shown in section 13 is shown. Fig. 15 is a schematic view showing a connection for the end section to an insertion control section of the in Fig. 12 to Fig. The positional deviation shown in the connection insertion section 14 is shown. Fig. Figure 16 is a schematic view showing a recess-side positional deviation that is relevant for the recess as the insertion target at the insertion control section of the Fig. 12 to Fig. The connection insertion section shown in section 14 was recorded. Fig. Figure 17 is a schematic representation of the procedure for inserting the end section connection into the recess after position deviation correction as the insertion target in the Fig. 12 to Fig. The connection insertion section shown in section 14 is shown. Fig. 18 is a flowchart that schematically shows a processing sequence of a connection insertion procedure, which is used in the Fig. 1 to Fig. The connection insert unit 1 shown in Figure 17 is executed. [DESCRIPTION OF EXECUTION FORMS]

[0009] The following describes an embodiment of a connection insertion unit and a connection insertion method.

[0010] Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a connection insertion unit according to one embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram that shows the Fig. The connection insert unit shown is shown in Figure 1.

[0011] A connector insertion unit 1 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a working unit for producing a connectored electrical cable harness 2, which forms at least part of a cable harness that is mounted and routed in a vehicle or the like. According to this connector insertion unit 1, an end-section connector W11 of an electrical cable with terminal W1, which is fed via an electrical wire holding tool 191, is inserted into a connector housing C1, which is held by a housing pallet 11. The electrical cables with terminal W1 according to the present embodiment are held by the electrical wire holding tool 191 in the number required for producing a connectored electrical cable bundle 2. Each electrical cable with terminal W1 is configured such that the end-section connectors W11 are connected to both ends of an electrical cable section W12, so that, as in Fig. Figure 2 shows the electrical wire holding tool 191 holding the two holding sections in a U-shaped bent position. The multiple electrical wires with terminal W1 are picked up individually, and the end-section terminal W11 at each of the two ends is inserted into the corresponding connector housing C1. The terminal insertion unit 1 is configured to repeatedly perform such insertion of terminals to produce the connectored electrical cable bundle 2, and the produced, connectored electrical cable bundle 2 is removed from the terminal insertion unit 1 by an operator Y1.

[0012] This connection insertion unit 1 comprises a housing pallet 11, a pallet holding frame 12, a connection insertion section 13, a pallet drive section 14, a housing feed section 15, a first transport section 16, a tilt correction section 17, a second transport section 18, and a holding tool placement section 19. The individual sections are described below with reference to other drawings.

[0013] Fig. Figure 3 is a view showing the housing pallet, the pallet holding frame, and the pallet drive section. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows in a state where other elements from the in Fig. are removed from the perspective view shown in point 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view, one of the three in Fig. The 3 case pallets shown are enlarged.

[0014] The housing pallet 11 is an element that detachably holds a plurality of connector housings C1 and comprises a pallet main body 111, several housing holders 112, and a single temporary support 113 for electrical cables. The connector housing C1, as the object to be held, is a plastic housing with a rectangular block shape, provided with several recesses C11 into which the end section terminal W1 of the electrical cable can be inserted.

[0015] The pallet main body 111 is a strip-shaped element, and the pallet main body 111 is positioned on the pallet holding frame 12 at a housing removal position 124 described below such that its longitudinal direction D12 runs along a left-right direction D11 from the operator's point of view Y1.

[0016] The housing holder 112 is an element that can hold the connector housing C1. This housing holder 112 holds the connector housing C1 with a pair of arms 112a that can open and close in an opening-closing direction D13 to hold the connector housing C1. A plurality of the housing holders 112 are attached to the pallet main body 111 in a state in which they are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction D12 of the pallet main body 111. Furthermore, each housing holder 112 is attached to the pallet main body 111 such that a connection insertion opening C11a is exposed in the recess C11 and holds the connector housing C1, while the connection insertion direction D14 intersects the pallet main body 111.

[0017] According to the present embodiment, different types of housing holders 112, corresponding to different sizes, are attached to the pallet main body 111 such that they can hold different types of connector housings C1 of different sizes. In the Fig. In the example shown, two types of housing holders 112 with different arm shapes are shown to hold two types of connector housings C1, and two housing holders 112 of each type are attached to the pallet body 111. Furthermore, the housing holder 112 is attached to the pallet body 111 in such a way that the mounting position can be changed in the longitudinal direction D12. The housing holder 112 is fastened by screws, and a plurality of screw holes 111a are formed in the pallet body 111, aligned in a line in the longitudinal direction D12, so that the mounting positions can be changed. The plurality of housing holders 112 are arranged at predetermined intervals and sequences based on the plug arrangement of the finished electrical cable bundle 2, which is fitted with a connector, and are attached to the pallet body 111.

[0018] The temporary electrical wire holder 113 is an element for temporarily holding one or more uninserted electrical wires W2 with uninserted terminals W21, which are not inserted into the recess C11 of the connector housing C1. It is attached to the pallet main body 111 such that it abuts the housing holder 112. The temporary holder 113 for electrical wires is fastened similarly to the housing holder 112 by screw fastening, so that the fastening position can be changed as appropriate. This temporary holder 113 for electrical wires incorporates one or more electrical wire clamping sections 113b for electrical wires to clamp an electrical wire section W22 of an uninserted electrical wire with terminal W2 by means of a pair of adjacent U-shaped leaf spring elements 113b-1.The unplugged electrical wire with connection W2 is inserted and clamped between the U-shaped leaf spring elements 113b-1 in each electrical wire clamping section 113b.

[0019] According to the present embodiment, three housing pallets 11 with the configuration described above, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 3 shows the pallets held by the pallet support frame 12. The pallet support frame 12 is a frame element with the appearance of a rectangular block, which is placed with its underside on a specific mounting surface and holds three housing pallets 11 on one plane of the top surface of an upper plate section 12a, which has the rectangular plate shape corresponding to the mounting surface. The top surface of the upper plate section 12a is divided into four 2 x 2 areas, and the three housing pallets 11 are movably held in the pallet support frame 12, so that the three housing pallets 11 move cyclically through these four areas.

[0020] The four areas described above on the upper plate section 12a of the pallet holding frame 12 are designated as housing feed position 121, standby position 122, connector insertion position 123, and housing removal position 124. The housing pallet 11 is held by the pallet holding frame 12 in a state in which it can move along a circulation route R11 that connects these four areas. The circulation route R11 is a route that proceeds in the sequence housing feed position 121, standby position 122, connector insertion position 123, and housing removal position 124, and then returns to housing feed position 121.

[0021] The housing feed position 121 is an area where the connector housing C1 is provided and held by the housing holder 112 of the housing pallet 11. The standby position 122 is an area where the housing pallet 11 remains temporarily in standby mode after the housing has been held. The connector insertion position 123 is an area where the end-section connector W11 of the electrical cable with terminal W1 is inserted into the recess C11 of the connector housing C1. The housing removal position 124 is then an area where the connector housing C1 is removed from the housing holder 112 after the connector has been inserted into it. When the insertion of the connectors into all connector housings C1 provided at the housing feed position 121 for a housing pallet 11 is complete and the pallet is moved to the housing removal position 124, all connector housings C1 are removed.As a result of this removal, the electrical cable bundle 2, equipped with a connector, is removed as an output from the connection insertion unit 1. According to the present embodiment, the removal of the connector housings C1 at the housing removal position 124 is carried out manually by the operator Y1.

[0022] Taking into account the manual operations at the housing removal position 124, the circulation route R11 connecting the four areas is the following circular path on the level of the upper plate section 12a of the pallet support frame 12. First, the housing removal position 124 is an area on the front of the unit, facing operator Y1. To facilitate the removal described here, the connector housing C1 is held in the housing holder 112 as follows: The connector housing C1 is held in the housing holder 112 such that the rear side, into which the connector W11 is inserted and from which the electrical wire W1 attached to the connector extends, faces the operator Y1 at the housing removal position 124.

[0023] A connector insertion position 123, which is a passage area immediately in front of the housing removal position 124, is an area adjacent to the housing removal position 124 in the left-right direction D11, as seen by the operator Y1 at the front of the unit. The housing feed position 121, to which the empty housing pallet 11 is moved after the housing has been removed from the housing removal position 124, is an area on the deep side of the unit, separated from the housing removal position 124 in the depth direction D15 as seen by the operator Y11. The standby position 122, where the housing pallet 11 is ready before the connectors are inserted, is adjacent to the housing feed position 121 in the left-right direction D11 on the deep side of the unit and is an area separated from the connector insertion position 123 in the depth direction D15.

[0024] The in Fig. 1 and Fig. The connection insertion section 13 shown in Figure 2 is a mechanical section for inserting the end section connection W11 into the recess C11 of the connector housing C1 in the housing pallet 11, which is positioned at the connection insertion position 123 in the circulation route R11. The connection insertion section 13 will be described in detail later, along with other sections.

[0025] The connection insertion unit 1 is provided with a pallet drive section 14 to move the housing pallet 11 along this circulation route R11 while the connection is made by the connection insertion section 13 during the process. According to the present embodiment, three housing pallets 11 are provided that move along the circulation route R11, with one of the housing feed positions 121, the standby position 122, the connection insertion position 123, and the housing removal position 124 remaining open. The pallet drive section 14 causes these three housing pallets 11 to move. During the period between when one of the three housing pallets 11 reaches the housing feed position 121 and when the connection at the connection insertion position 123 is completed, the pallet drive section 14 moves another housing pallet 11 as follows.This means that during the aforementioned period, this housing pallet 11 receives the housing feed position 121 and is then ready at the standby position 122. Since inserting the connectors usually takes longer than the housing feed, while one housing pallet 11 is receiving the connectors, another housing pallet 11, which has already received its housing feed, waits at the standby position 122. At this time, the connector housing C1 is removed from the remaining housing pallets 11, where the connectors have already been inserted, at the housing removal position 124. When it is scheduled to receive the connectors for this housing pallet 11, it is transported to the housing feed position 121 to receive the housing feed. This housing pallet 11 then remains at the housing feed position 121 until the standby position 122 becomes available.

[0026] Furthermore, near the housing feed position 121, as in Fig. 1 and Fig. Figure 2 shows the housing feed section 15. The housing feed section 15 stores the connector housings C1 and automatically delivers them to the housing pallet 11, which is positioned at the housing feed position 121, so that they can be held by the housing holders 112. The housing pallet 11, which receives the housing feed supply from the housing feed section 15, is sent via the standby position 122 to the connector insertion position 123 to allow the connector insertion section 13 to make the connection.

[0027] In this connection insertion section 13, the electrical wire with connection W1 is transported through the first transport section 16 and the second transport section 18 from the electrical wire holding tool 191 in the holding tool placement section 19, while during the process it receives the tilt correction described below by the tilt correction section 17.

[0028] Fig. 5 is a view showing the first transport section from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 together with an electrical wire with a connector shown, which is held by the electrical wire holding tool, and Fig. 6 is a view showing the first transport section from Fig. 5 together with the inclination correction section as the transport destination of the electrical wire with connection.

[0029] The first transport section 16 grasps the electrical wire with terminal W1, which is held by the electrical wire holding tool 191, and transports it to the first inspection position 17a in the inclination correction section 17. The electrical wire holding tool 191 is a rod-shaped element that holds the electrical wire section W12 near the end section terminal W11 at both ends of the electrical wire with terminal W1. Holding slots 191a, into which the electrical wire section W12 is inserted, are formed in the electrical wire holding tool 191 such that they are arranged in a line along the rod's longitudinal direction D16. Each electrical wire with terminal W1 is held by the electrical wire holding tool 191 at its two holding sections in a state where it is bent in a U-shape as described above.The first transport section 16 picks up the electrical cable with connector W1 individually from the electrical wire holding tool 191 by gripping both holding sections of the electrical cable with connector W1 in its U-shaped bent state. The first transport section 16 has a pair of gripping mechanisms 161 that grip both end sections of the electrical cable with connector W1, a gripping drive mechanism 162 that drives each gripping mechanism 161, and a movement mechanism 163 (see ). Fig. 1), which moves the pair of gripping mechanisms 161 to the first inspection position 17a.

[0030] In the holding tool placement section 19, the electrical wire holding tool 191 is positioned substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction D12 and the bar longitudinal direction D16 of the housing pallet 11 at the terminal insertion position 123. The electrical wire holding tool 191, into which a plurality of electrical cables with terminals W1 were inserted in the previous step, is transported by operator Y1 to the holding tool placement section 19 and placed in the orthogonal position described above. As for the first transport section 16, after grasping both end sections of an electrical cable with terminal W1 from the electrical wire holding tool 191 in a receiving position arranged in the bar longitudinal direction D16, the pair of gripping mechanisms 161 are rotated 90 degrees by the movement mechanism 163 and moved to the first inspection position 17a.At the first inspection position 17a, the electrical wire with connection W1 is transferred to the tilt correction section 17 in order to apply the tilt correction.

[0031] Fig. 7 is a view that includes the one in Fig. 1 and Fig. The tilt correction section shown in section 2, together with the electrical wire with connection as the correction target, shows Fig. 8 is a schematic side-view block diagram that illustrates the Fig. The inclination correction section shown in section 7 is shown. Then it is Fig. 9 a descriptive view to describe a tilt correction applied to the in Fig. 7 and Fig. The inclination correction section shown in section 8 is carried out.

[0032] The tilt correction section 17 is a section for receiving the electrical cable with connector W1 from the first transport section 16 at the first inspection position 17a in order to perform tilt correction. Here, tilt correction refers to the process of correcting the position of the end-section connector W11 about the axis W11a in both end sections of the electrical cable with connector W1, which is received from the electrical wire holding tool 191. The tilt correction section 17 comprises a first electrical wire holder 171, a first imaging section 172, and a correction control section 173. The first electrical wire holder 171 is a pair of gripping mechanisms for gripping both end sections of the electrical wire with connector W1, which is received from the first transport section 16.The first inspection position 17a on the inclination correction section 17 refers to the position for gripping both end sections of the electrical wire with connection W1 by the first electrical wire holder 171.

[0033] The first imaging section 172 is a section for imaging the end-section terminal W11 of each of the two end sections of the electrical wire with terminal W1, which is grasped by the first electrical wire holder 171 from the front of the corresponding end-section terminal W11. The first imaging section 172 has a pair of lights 172a for illuminating each end-section terminal W11 during imaging and a pair of cameras 172b for imaging each illuminated end-section terminal W11. The correction control section 173 detects a tilt angle θ11 about the axis W11a based on a front-end image of each end-section terminal W11 imaged by the first imaging section 172. Here, the tilt angle θ11 is an angle of a horizontal axis W11b of the end-section terminal W11 with respect to the horizontal surface H11.When the correction control section 173 detects the tilt angle θ11, it moves each end section terminal W11 in response to the detection result to correct the tilt by tilting each first electrical wire holder 171 in a tilt correction direction D17 about the axis W11a, so that the tilt angle θ11 becomes zero. After the tilt correction section, the electrical wire with terminal W1 is transported by the second transport section 18 to a second inspection position 13a in the terminal insertion section 13.

[0034] Fig. 10 is a view that shows a second transport section from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 together with the inclination correction section as a transport source, and Fig. 11 is a view showing the second transport section from Fig. 10 together with part of the connection insertion section as the transport destination of the electrical wire with connection.

[0035] The second transport section 18 is a section for receiving the electrical wire with terminal W1 after the tilt correction from the tilt correction section 17 and for subsequently transporting it to the second inspection position 13a in the terminal insertion section 13. The second transport section 18 receives both ends of the electrical wire with terminal W1 while maintaining the U-shaped bend in the tilt correction section 17. The second transport section 18 has a pair of gripping mechanisms 181 for gripping both end sections of the electrical wire with terminal W1, a gripping drive mechanism 182 for driving each gripping mechanism 181, and a movement mechanism 183 for moving the pair of gripping mechanisms 181 to the second inspection position 13a (see Fig. 1) Here, the connection insertion section 13 includes a second electrical wire holder 131, which is described below, to grip the electrical cable with terminal W1 received from the second transport section 18 and then insert the end section terminal W11 into the recess C11 of the connector housing C1 on the housing pallet 11 at the connection insertion position 123. This second electrical wire holder 131 is positioned at the connection insertion position 123 such that it is movable in the longitudinal direction D12 of the housing pallet 11. The second electrical wire holder 131 then receives the electrical wire with terminal W1 at a position corresponding to the recess C11 of the connector housing C1 as the insertion target.The second inspection position 13a, at which the second transport section 18 transports the electrical wire with the connection W1 to the connection insertion section 13, becomes the position of the second electrical wire holder 131, which corresponds to the recess C11 of the connector housing C1 as the insertion target.

[0036] The terminal insertion section 13, which receives the electrical wire with terminal W1 at the second inspection position 13a, detects a positional deviation between the front-end position of the end-section terminal W11 and the position of the recess C11 as the insertion target in the connector housing C1. The terminal insertion section 13 then moves at least one part of the connector housing C1 and the electrical wire with terminal W1 (in the present embodiment, the electrical wire with terminal W1) to correct the positional deviation and, after correcting the positional deviation, inserts the end-section terminal W11 into the recess C11 as the insertion target.

[0037] Fig. 12 is a view that includes the one in Fig. 1 and Fig. The connection insertion section shown in Figure 2 focuses on a detection function for the front end position of an end section connection. Fig. 13 is a view that the in Fig. Figure 12 shows the connection insertion section, with the focus being on a detection function for a position of the depression as the insertion target. Furthermore, Fig. 14 a schematic side-view block diagram, which shows the in Fig. 12 and Fig. The connection insertion section shown in section 13 is shown.

[0038] The connector insertion section 13 comprises the second electrical wire holder 131, a second imaging section 132, a third imaging section 133, and an insertion control section 134. As described above, the second electrical wire holder 131 is a section that moves in response to the recess C11 of the connector housing C1 as an insertion target to the second inspection position 13a in order to receive the cable with the connector W1 from the second transport section 18 and to insert the connector. This second electrical wire holder 131 comprises the pair of gripping mechanisms 131a, the gripping drive mechanism 131b, and the movement mechanism 131c (see Fig. 1) The pair of gripping mechanisms 131a is a pair of mechanical parts for gripping the two end parts of the electrical wire with terminal W1, and the gripping drive mechanism 131b is a mechanical part for driving each gripping mechanism 131a. The movement mechanism 131c (see Fig. 1) is a mechanical section for moving the pair of gripping mechanisms 131b into the second inspection position 13a.

[0039] The second imaging section 132 is a section for imaging the end-section terminal W11 of each of the two end sections of the electrical wire with terminal W1, which is gripped by the second electrical wire holder 131 from the front of the corresponding end-section terminal W11. The second imaging section 132 has a pair of lights 132a for illuminating each end-section terminal W11 during imaging and a pair of cameras 132b for imaging each illuminated end-section terminal W11, as well as a movement mechanism 132c (see Fig. 1) The movement mechanism 132c is a mechanical section that moves the pair of lights 132a and the pair of cameras 132b into a position opposite the second electrical wire 131, which has moved into the second inspection position 13a.

[0040] The third imaging section 133 is a section for imaging a connection insertion opening C11a of the recess C11 as an insertion target in the connector housing C1 on the housing pallet 11. This third imaging section 133 comprises a pair of cameras 133a and motion mechanisms 133b (see Fig. 1) for each camera 133a. The pair of cameras 133a maps the pair of recesses C11 as the insertion target of the end section connector W11 of each of the two end sections of the electrical wire with connector W1. The movement mechanism 133b causes each camera 133a to move into a position facing the recess C11 as the insertion target.

[0041] The insertion control section 134 detects a positional deviation based on a front-end image of the end-section connector W11, imaged by the second imaging section 132, and an image of the connector insertion opening C11a, imaged by the third imaging section 133. This positional deviation is a positional deviation between the front-end position of the end-section connector W11 and the position of the recess C11 as the insertion target.

[0042] Fig. 15 is a schematic view showing a connection for the end section to an insertion control section of the in Fig. 12 to Fig. The connection side position deviation determined in the connection insertion section shown in Figure 14 is also shown. Fig. 16 A schematic view showing a position deviation on the deepening side, which is used for the deepening as an insertion target at the insertion control section of the in Fig. 12 to Fig. The connection insertion section shown in section 14 was recorded.

[0043] In the present embodiment, with respect to the pair of gripping mechanisms 131a in the second electrical wire holder 131, an assumed front-end position of the end-section connector W11, when the electrical cable with connector W1 is gripped by each gripping mechanism 131a, is registered in the insertion control section 134 as a registered connector position P11. The insertion control section 134 recognizes a connector-side position deviation G11 from the front-end image of the end-section connector W11 displayed by the second imaging section 132. This deviation is the difference between the pre-registered connector position P11 and a front-end position P12 of the end-section connector W11 in the image.Here, the registered connection position P11 is a central position of the front end section of the assumed end section connection W11, viewed from the front, and the front end position P12 is a central position of the front end section of the end section connection W11 in the image. The insertion control section 134 detects the deviation between these two central positions with respect to the front end of the end section connection W11 as the connection-side position deviation G11.

[0044] Furthermore, in the insertion control section 134, with respect to a plurality of recesses C11 in each connector housing C1 on the housing pallet 11, a center point of the terminal insertion opening C11a in an ideal holding state is registered as the insertion position P13. Each registered insertion position P13 is a position that corresponds to the registered terminal position P11 when the second electrical wire holder 131 moves with each terminal insertion opening C11a as its target. The insertion control section 134 detects, from an image of the terminal insertion opening C11a in an actual holding state, which is imaged by the third imaging section 133, a deviation between the registered terminal insertion position P13 and a terminal insertion opening P14 of the terminal insertion opening C11a in the image as a recess-side position deviation G12.Here, the registered connection insertion position P13 is the center position of the connection insertion opening C11a in the ideal holding state, and the connection insertion position P14 is a center position of the connection insertion opening C11a in the image. The insertion control section 134 detects a deviation between the two center positions with respect to the connection insertion opening C11a as the recess-side position deviation G12.

[0045] The insertion control section 134 then recognizes the sum of the connection-side position deviation G11 and the recess-side position deviation G12 as the position deviation between the front-end position of the end-section connection W11 and the position of the recess C11 as the insertion target. Here, the position deviation refers to a position deviation between the front-end position (center position) of the end-section connection W11 and the position (center position) of the recess C11 at the time the registered connection insertion position P11 is created, which corresponds to the registered insertion position P13.

[0046] The insertion control section 134 corrects the positional deviation described above by moving at least one of the connector housing C1 and the electrical wire with terminal W1 (in the present embodiment, the electrical wire with terminal W1) and then inserting the end-section terminal W11 into the recess C11 as the insertion target after correcting the positional deviation. At this point, the correction of the positional deviation is carried out by moving the second electrical wire holder 131 upwards, downwards, left and right towards the terminal insertion opening C11a in response to the detection of the positional deviation, so that the end-section terminal W11 moves. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the insertion of the end-section terminal W11 after the correction of the positional deviation is carried out according to the procedures described below.

[0047] Fig. Figure 17 is a schematic view showing the procedure for inserting the end section connection into the recess after position deviation correction as an insertion target in the Fig. 12 to Fig. The connection insertion section shown in section 14 is shown.

[0048] First, according to the present embodiment, each of the two gripping mechanisms 131a in the second electrical wire holder 131 comprises a front chuck 131a-1 and a rear chuck 131a-2, as shown below. The front chuck 131a-1 is a section in each gripping mechanism 131a for gripping the side of the end-section terminal W11 in the electrical cable section W12 of the electrical cable with terminal W1. Among the three chuck sections of each gripping mechanism 131a, this front chuck 131a-1 is a chuck section at the front in the terminal insertion direction D14. Among the three chuck sections, the rear chucks 131a-2 are two chuck sections at the rear in the terminal insertion direction D14 and are configured to grip the rear section with respect to the front chuck 131a-1 in the terminal insertion direction D14.According to the present embodiment, the front clamping device 131a-1 is movable in the front-back direction along the connection insertion direction D14, and the rear chuck 131a-2 becomes a fixed clamping device that cannot move. Furthermore, the front chuck 131a-1 is provided with a standard position that is slightly removed from the rear chuck 131a-2 in the connection insertion direction D14.

[0049] At the moment the end-section connector W11 is inserted into the recess C11 as the insertion target in the connector housing C1, the insertion control section 134 moves the second electrical wire holder 131 as follows. First, the second electrical wire holder 131, which grips the electrical cable with connector W1, is moved in the connector insertion direction D14 in the state where the front chuck 131a-1 is positioned in the standard position, until the front end of the end-section connector W11 is inserted into the connector insertion opening C11a after correction of the positional deviation (step S11). Then, the insertion control section 134 releases the grip by the front chuck 131a-1 and retracts it by a predetermined distance in a retraction direction D18 to the side of the rear chuck 131a-2 and grips it again (step S12).The insertion control section 134 then introduces the end section connection W11 into the recess C11 as the insertion target by moving the second electrical wire holder 131 in the connection insertion direction D14 towards the connection insertion opening C11a (step S13).

[0050] Furthermore, when the insertion control section 134 moves the second electrical wire holder 131 again towards the terminal insertion opening C11a, it moves the second electrical wire holder 131 towards the terminal insertion opening C11a while aligning the electrical wire holder section W12 with terminal W1 relative to the terminal insertion opening C11a. As in Fig. As schematically depicted in Figure 17, it can happen that the electrical wire with terminal W1 is held by the second electrical wire holder 131 in a state where the end section terminal W11 hangs down due to its own weight or similar reasons. In step S11 described above, the correction of the positional deviation of the front end position of the end section terminal W11 is carried out in such a hanging state, and its front section is in a state where it is inserted into the terminal insertion opening C11a. In this step, the electrical cable section W12 of the electrical cable with terminal W1 is deviated upwards from the terminal insertion opening C11a by the amount of the downward hanging of the end section terminal W11.In step S13, the insertion control section 134 moves the second electrical wire holder 131 downwards to align the electrical cable section W12 with respect to the connection insertion opening C11a and thus correct the deviation of this electrical cable section W12. Here, the correction of the positional deviation is based on the positional deviation G11 and the recess-side deviation G12, as described in [reference to]. Fig. 15 and Fig. As described in section 16, the up-down correction amount is used to correct the positional deviation caused by the downward sagging of the end-section connector W11, as described above. Therefore, in the state where the front end of the end-section connector W11 is inserted into the connector insertion hole C11a in step S11, the electrical wire section W12 is offset upwards with respect to the connector insertion hole C11a by an amount equal to the up-down correction amount. Therefore, in step S13, when correcting the positional deviation due to the connector-side positional deviation G11 and the recess-side positional deviation G12, the up-down correction is reset to its original state, aligning the end-section connector W11 and the electrical wire section W12 so that they are straight with respect to the recess C11.The insertion control section 134 inserts the end section connection W11 into the recess C11 in step S13 while performing this alignment.

[0051] In the connection insertion section 13, the connection insertion is carried out with respect to each of the end section connections W11 at both end sections of the electrical wire with connection W1, while the correction of the positional deviation with the recess C11a as the insertion target in the connector housing C11 is carried out for each end section connection W11. Since this correction of the positional deviation and the insertion of the end section connection W11 are carried out individually for each end section connection, the correction of the positional deviation and the insertion of the connection are performed twice for an electrical wire with connection W1.

[0052] Next, a connection insertion method is described which is carried out by the connection insertion unit 1 according to the present embodiment, referring to the above described Fig. 1 to Fig. 17 and the following Fig. 18 Reference is made to paragraph 18, although some paragraphs are redundant with the description shown above.

[0053] Fig. 18 is a flowchart that schematically shows a processing sequence of a connection insertion procedure, which is used in the Fig. 1 to Fig. The connection insert unit 1 shown in Figure 17 is executed.

[0054] The processing of the flowchart in this Fig. The terminal insertion procedure shown in Figure 18 begins when the electrical wire holding tool 191, into which the electrical cables with terminal W1 are inserted, is placed by operator Y1 onto the holding tool placement section 19, and a predetermined start command is then received. Once processing begins, a housing feeding step S101 is performed with respect to a housing pallet 11. According to housing feeding step S101, the housing pallet 11 is positioned at the housing feeding position 121 in the circulation route R11, and the connector housing C1 is fed to the housing holder 112 for receipt. A presence or absence determination S102 of the housing pallet 11 is then performed to determine whether a preceding pallet is positioned at the connector insertion position 123.If a previous pallet is present (YES decision), a standby step S103 is performed, in which the housing pallet 11 is positioned as the fed housing at the standby position 122 until the port insertion position 123 becomes available. After the standby, the housing pallet 11 is positioned at the port insertion position 123. If no previous pallet is present (NO decision), an insertion position movement step S104 is performed, in which the housing pallet 11 is immediately positioned as the fed housing at the port insertion position 123. During the step immediately after the start, no previous pallet is present, so the insertion position movement step S104 is executed.

[0055] When one housing pallet 11 is positioned at the connection insertion position 123, a first transport step S105 to a connection insertion step S108 for the connector housing C1 on this housing pallet 11 is performed. According to the first transport step S105, the first transport section 16 grasps an electrical wire with the connection W1 in the electrical wire holding tool 191 and transports it to the first inspection position 17a. According to the tilt correction step S106, the electrical wire with connection W1 is picked up by the first transport section 16 at the first inspection position 17a by the first electrical wire holder 171 of the tilt correction section 17 and then gripped. In addition, the tilt correction section 17 detects an inclination of the end section connection W11 about the axis W11a relative to the insertion position in the recess C11.Subsequently, the tilt correction section 17 moves the end section connector W11 to correct the tilt by tilting the first electrical wire holder 171 about the axis W11a according to the detection result. According to the second transport step S107, the electrical wire with connector W1 is taken from the tilt correction section 17 by the second transport section 18 after the tilt correction and transported to the second inspection position 13a in the connector insertion section 13. According to the connector insertion step S108, the electrical wire with connector W1 is received from the second electrical wire holder 131 in the connector insertion section 13 by the second transport section 18 at the second inspection position 13a. Furthermore, the positional deviation between the front-end position of the end section connector W11 and the position of the recess C11 in the connector housing C1 as the insertion target is detected.The positional deviation is then corrected by moving the second electrical wire holder 131 towards the connection insertion opening C11a, so that the end section connection W11 is inserted into the recess C11 as the insertion target after the positional deviation has been corrected. The first transport step S105 to the connection insertion step S108 is carried out with respect to the one electrical wire with connection W1, which is held by the electrical wire holding tool 191.

[0056] Subsequently, after connection insertion step S108, a presence or absence determination S109 is performed regarding an unused electrical cable with terminal W1 in the electrical wire holding tool 191. If an unused electrical wire with terminal W1 is present (YES decision), the system returns to the first transport step S105 and the following steps are repeated. If all connections have been inserted and no unused electrical wire with terminal W1 is present (NO decision), a housing removal step S110 is performed. According to housing removal step S110, a housing pallet 11 is positioned at the housing removal position 124 after connection insertion, and the connector housing C1 is removed from the housing holder 112 by the operator Y1. The electrical cable bundle 2, fitted with a connector, is removed as the output in this housing removal step S110.

[0057] A decision S111 is then made as to whether or not to terminate processing with respect to the housing pallet 11. If processing is terminated (YES), it is stopped. If processing is continued (NO), it returns to the housing supply step S101, and the subsequent processing is repeated. Here, in the Fig. Figure 18, which focuses on one housing pallet 11 among the three housing pallets 11, illustrates the processing sequence of the connection insertion process applied to the housing pallet 11. According to the present embodiment, this processing is carried out with respect to each of the three housing pallets 11. Then, for each housing pallet 11, the housing feed step S101, from the first transport step S105 to the connection insertion step S108, and the housing removal step S110 are performed, while the standby step S103 is appropriately inserted in between and the housing pallet 11 is moved in parallel.

[0058] According to the connection insertion unit 1 and the connection insertion method in the embodiment described above, the following effects can be achieved due to the configuration with respect to the circulating movement of the housing pallet 11 and the configuration for carrying out various corrections and for transporting the electrical wire with the connection W1 for carrying out the connection insertion.

[0059] First, the effect is described according to the configuration with regard to the circulating movement of the housing pallet 11. According to this configuration, the housing pallet 11, with the housing holder 112, can move along the circulation route R11 via the housing feed position 121, the standby position 122, the connector insertion position 123, and the housing removal position 124. Once the insertion of the connector on one housing pallet 11 is complete, another housing pallet 11, in which the connector housing C1 is held by the housing holder 112 as the next insertion target, is ready at the standby position 122. If the housing pallet 11 has been moved to the housing removal position 124 after the connector housing C11 has been inserted, the housing pallet 11 can be moved from the standby position 122 to the connector insertion section 123 to immediately insert the connector.In this way, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to efficiently repeat the insertion of the connector with respect to the connector housing C1. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, taking into account that two or more (three according to the present embodiment) housing pallets 11 are provided, each of the above-described steps of the connector insertion procedure is carried out in parallel, thus reducing the cycle time. According to this configuration, it is possible to perform the connector insertion with respect to the connector housing C1 more efficiently.

[0060] In this embodiment, three housing pallets 11 are provided, which move along the circulation route R11, while one of the following positions remains free: housing feed position 121, standby position 122, connector insertion section 123, and housing removal position 124. According to this configuration, even if a housing pallet 11 is located at the connector insertion position 123 and the housing removal position 124, it is possible to use the free space in the circulation route R11 to move the other two housing pallets 11 and perform the housing supply. According to the configuration described above, it is possible to repeat the connector insertion process with respect to the connector housing C1 more efficiently.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, there is a housing feed section 15 for feeding the connector housing C1 to the housing pallet 11, which is positioned at the housing feed position 121 to be held by the housing holder 112. According to this configuration, it is possible to efficiently perform the housing feed itself at the housing feed position 121.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the housing holder 112 is configured to hold the connector housing C1 by enclosing it with the arm pair 112a, which can be opened and closed. The arm pair 112a opens at the housing feed position 121, and the housing feed section 15 feeds the connector housing C1 to the housing holder 112 in the open state of the arm pair 112a. According to this configuration, it is possible to feed and hold the connector housing C1 to the housing holder 112 and subsequently remove it at the housing removal position 124 with good operability.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, various types of housing holders 112, corresponding to each size, are attached to the housing pallet 11, so that different types of connector housings C1, which differ in size, can be held. According to this configuration, the insertion of connectors with respect to different types of connector housings C1 is possible, thus improving the versatility with regard to connector insertion.

[0064] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the pallet holding frame 12 is placed with its underside on the predetermined installation surface. The pallet holding frame 12 then holds the housing pallet 11 so that it can move along a circular path, known as circulation route R11, on the surface of the installation surface. According to this configuration, it is possible to access circulation route R11 from the top while the operator Y1 manually removes the connector housing C1 at the housing removal position 124. This access allows the operator Y1 to remove the connector housing C1 with ease.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the housing removal position 124 becomes the position facing the operator Y1, and the connector insertion position 123 is the position adjacent to the housing removal position 124 in the left-right direction D11 from the operator Y1's perspective. Additionally, the housing feed position 121 becomes the position located away from the housing removal position 124 in the depth direction D15 from the operator Y1's perspective. Then, the standby position 122 becomes the position adjacent to the housing feed position 121 in the left-right direction D11, while being away from the connector insertion position 123 in the depth direction D15. According to this configuration, the operator Y1 can easily access the housing removal position 124, which is facing him, to remove the connector housing C1.Furthermore, the insertion of the connector is carried out prior to this process at the connector insertion position 123, which is located next to the housing removal position 124 in the left-right direction D11 as seen by the operator Y1, so that it is possible to visually check the progress and to prepare for the removal process.

[0066] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the housing pallet 11 has the strip-shaped pallet main body 111, which is positioned at the housing removal position 124 to extend in the left-right direction D11. The housing holders 112 are mounted longitudinally along the pallet main body 111 in the direction D12 in which they are arranged in a line. The movement of the housing pallet 11 from the connection insertion position 123 to the housing removal position 124 and the movement of the housing pallet 11 from the housing feed position 121 to the standby position 122 take place along the longitudinal direction D12 of the pallet main body 111. Furthermore, the movement of the housing pallet 11 from the housing removal position 124 to the housing feed position 121 and the movement of the housing pallet 11 from the standby position 122 to the connection insertion position 123 are carried out along the depth direction D15 (cutting direction), which intersects the longitudinal direction D12.According to the configuration, the housing holders 112 facing the operator Y1 are in a row, so that the operability at the housing removal position 124 and the visibility of the progress of the connection insertion at the connection insertion position 123 can be further improved.

[0067] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the housing holder 112 is attached to the pallet main body 111, with the attachment position being variable in the longitudinal direction D12. According to this configuration, the device can be used effectively, for example, in the manufacture of a cable harness with a branch shape and a connector provided at each branch end section. That is, according to the configuration described above, it is possible to use the device such that the connector housing C1 is arranged according to the branch shape and the insertion of the terminals is carried out with respect to each connector housing C1, and so on.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the housing holder 112 holds the connector housing C1 such that its rear side, from which the end-section connector W11 is inserted into the connector housing C1 and the electrical wire with connector W1 runs, faces the operator Y1 at the housing removal position 124. According to this configuration, when the electrical cable extends from the rear side towards the operator Y1, the connector housing C1, with the insertion of the connector complete, is positioned at the housing removal position 124. This arrangement allows the operator Y1 to easily hold the electrical cable and remove the connector housing C1.

[0069] Next, the effects of the configuration for transporting the electrical cable with connector W1 during various corrections and subsequent connector insertion are described. According to this configuration, the electrical cable with connector W1 is transferred from the first transport section 16 to the second transport section 18, during which the inclination correction of the end section connector W11 is performed. Furthermore, the electrical cable with connector W1 is transferred from this second transport section 18 to the connector insertion section 13, and at the connector insertion section 13, the correction of the positional deviation relative to the recess C11 as the insertion target is applied.This sequence of processing steps eliminates the obstacles to the smooth insertion of the connector arising from both the gripping state of the electrical wire with terminal W1 on the first transport section 16 and the relative positional relationship between the end-section terminal W11 and the recess C11 at the time of transfer to the connector insertion section 13. Accordingly, it is not necessary to perform strict position control when gripping the electrical cable with terminal W1 on the first transport section 16 and when holding the connector housing C1 on the housing holder 112 of the housing pallet 11. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the end-section terminal W11 of the electrical wire with terminal W1 can be smoothly inserted into the recess C11 of the connector housing C1, while reducing the operator's workload.

[0070] Here, the tilt correction section 17, according to the present embodiment, comprises the first electrical wire holder 171, the first imaging section 172 for imaging the end-section connector W11 from the front, and the correction control section 173. The correction control section 173 detects the tilt based on the imaged front-end images and moves the end-section connector W11 to correct the tilt by tilting the first electrical wire holder 171 about the axis W11a according to the detection result. According to this configuration, due to the tilt detection based on the front-end images at the first imaging section 172 and the tilting of the first electrical wire holder 171 in response to the detection result, it is possible to correct the tilt of the end-section connector W11 effectively and with high precision.

[0071] According to the present embodiment, the connector insertion section 13 also includes the second electrical wire holder 131, the second imaging section 132 for imaging the end-section connector W11 from the front, the third imaging section 133 for imaging the insertion opening C11a in the recess C11 as the insertion target, and the insertion control section 134. The insertion control section 134 detects the positional deviation based on the front-end image of the end-section connector W11 and the image of the connector insertion opening C11a. Subsequently, the insertion control section 134 moves the end-section connector W11 to correct the positional deviation by moving the second electrical wire holder 131 up, down, left, and right toward the connector insertion opening C11a, according to the detection result.Furthermore, the insertion control section 134 inserts the end section connector W11 into the recess C11 as the insertion target by moving the second electrical wire holder 131 towards the connector insertion opening C11a, while simultaneously correcting the positional deviation. According to this configuration, the positional deviation is effectively and precisely corrected based on the front-end image and the image of the connector insertion opening C11a, and the second electrical wire holder 131 moves in response to this detection. This allows the end section connector W11 to be inserted into the recess C11 with high precision.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the insertion control section 134 recognizes the end-side position deviation G11 from the front-end image of the end-section connection W11 as the deviation between the registered connection position P11 and the front-end position P12 of the end-section connection W11 in the image. In addition, the insertion control section 134 detects the recess-side position deviation G12 from the image of the connection insertion opening C11a as the deviation between the registered connection insertion position P13 and the insertion opening position P14 of the connection insertion opening C11a in the image. The insertion control section 134 then recognizes the sum of the end-side position deviation G11 and the recess-side position deviation G12 as the position deviation between the end-section connection W11 and the connection insertion opening C11a.According to this configuration, by capturing and summing the end-side position deviation G11 and the recess-side position deviation G12, it is possible to capture the position deviation between the end section connection W11 and the connection insertion opening C11a with high accuracy.

[0073] According to the present embodiment, the second electrical wire holder 131 comprises the front chuck 131a-1 and the rear chuck 131a-2. The insertion control section 134 first moves the second electrical wire holder 131 until the front end of the end-section connector W11 is inserted into the connector insertion opening C11a after correction of the positional deviation. The insertion control section 134 then releases the grip through the front chuck 131a-1 and retracts it only by the predetermined distance toward the rear chuck 131a-2, before allowing it to grip again. The insertion control section 134 then moves the second electrical wire holder 131 again toward the connector insertion opening C11a to insert the end-section connector W11 into the recess C11 as the insertion target.According to this configuration, by bringing the front chuck 131a-1 as close as possible to the end section connection W11 in order to grip it, the front end of the end section connection W11 can be inserted with high precision into the connection insertion opening C11a. Subsequently, the front chuck 131a-1 can be retracted to secure the insertion stroke and effectively insert the end section connection W11 into the recess C11.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, when the insertion control section 134 moves the second electrical wire holder 131 again towards the connection insertion opening C11a, it aligns the electrical wire holder W12 while moving the second electrical wire holder 131. According to this configuration, the alignment of the electrical wire section W12 makes it possible to insert the end section connection W11 more smoothly into the recess C11.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the first transport section 16 grasps both ends of the electrical wire with the terminal W1 to transport it to the first inspection position 17a, and the tilt correction section 17 corrects the tilt with respect to the end section terminals W11 of both ends of the electrical wire with terminal W1. After the tilt correction, the second transport section 18 grasps both ends of the electrical cable with terminal W1 to transport it to the second inspection position 13a. The terminal insertion section 13 corrects the positional deviation with respect to each end section terminal W11 of both ends of the electrical cable with terminal W1, aligning it with the recess C11 in the corresponding connector housing C1 as the insertion target, and performs the terminal insertion.According to the configuration, the end-section connectors W11 of both ends of the electrical cable with connector W1 are transported to the connector insertion section 13 while simultaneously undergoing tilt correction. Within connector insertion section 13, each end-section connector W11 of both ends is inserted into the recess C11 of the corresponding connector housing C1, during which the positional deviation is corrected. This sequence of processing steps ensures efficient and smooth insertion of the end-section connectors W11 of both ends of the electrical cable with connector W1 into the recess C11.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the housing pallet 11 includes an intermediate electrical wire holder 113 for temporarily holding one or more unused electrical wires with terminal W2 adjacent to the housing holder 112. The terminal insertion section 13 transports the unused electrical wire with terminal W2 to the intermediate electrical wire holder 113 for holding without performing position deviation detection and correction. According to this configuration, it is also suitable for the unused electrical wires with terminal W2 to be processed together with the electrical wires with terminal W1, where the end section terminals W11 are inserted into the recess C11.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the electrical wire intermediate holder 113 is configured such that one or more electrical wire clamping sections 113b are provided to grip the electrical wire section W22 of the unused electrical wire with terminal W2 by means of the pair of U-shaped leaf spring elements 113b-1. The terminal insertion section 13 transports the unused electrical wire with terminal W2 such that the point near the unused terminal W21 in the electrical wire section W22 is gripped by the electrical wire clamping section 113b.According to this configuration, it is possible to hold the unused electrical wire with connection W2 with high holding force by the electrical wire intermediate holder 113, by gripping the electrical wire section W12 in the unused electrical wire with connection W2 by the pair of U-shaped leaf spring elements 113b-1 in the electrical wire clamping section 113b.

[0078] Furthermore, the embodiment described above is designed to demonstrate a representative embodiment of the connection insertion unit and the connection insertion method. The connection insertion unit and the connection insertion method are not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be implemented.

[0079] For example, in the embodiment described above, the connection insertion unit 1 and the connection insertion method for manufacturing the electrical wiring harness 2, which is provided with a connector and forms at least a part of the wiring harness installed and routed in the vehicle or the like, are shown as examples of the connection insertion unit and the connection insertion method. However, the connection insertion unit and the connection insertion method are not limited to this, and the specific application objectives are not particularly restricted.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the connection insertion unit 1, in which the specific shapes and configurations of each configuration element are shown, and the connection insertion method that uses this connection insertion unit 1, are shown as examples of the connection insertion unit and the connection insertion method. Fig. 1 and Fig.2 shown. However, the terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method are not limited thereto, and the specific shapes and configurations of the configuration elements in the terminal insertion unit are not particularly restricted.

[0081] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the connection insertion unit 1 and the connection insertion method for picking up the electrical wire with the terminal W1 from the electrical wire holding tool 191, which is transported by the operator Y1 to the holding tool placement section 19 to perform the terminal insertion, are shown as an example of the connection insertion unit and the connection insertion method. However, the connection insertion unit and the connection insertion method are not limited to this. The connection insertion unit and the connection insertion method can be a single unit and method that pick up the electrical wire with terminal directly from the electrical wire manufacturing device and perform the terminal insertion without requiring the transport of the electrical wire holding tool 191 by the operator Y1 or the like. [LIST OF REFERENCE MARKS] 1 connection insert unit 2 electrical cable bundles equipped with connectors 11 Case range 12 pallet holder frames 12a upper plate section 13 Connection insertion section 13a second inspection position 14 Pallet drive section 15 Housing feed section 16 first transport section 17 Inclination correction section 17a first inspection position 18 second transport section 19 Holding Tool Placement Section 111 pallet main bodies 112 housing holders 112a Arm 113 electrical wire intermediate holder 113b electrical wire clamp section 113b-1 U-shaped leaf spring element 121 Housing feed position 122 Standby position 123 Connection insertion position 124 Housing removal position 131 second electrical wire holder 131a, 161, 181 gripping mechanism 131a-1 front chuck 131a-2 rear chuck 131b, 162, 182 gripper drive mechanism 131c, 132c, 133b, 163, 183 Mechanism of motion 132 second imaging section 132a, 172a Light 132b, 133a, 172b Camera 133 third imaging section 134 Insertion control section 171 first electrical wire holder 172 first imaging section 172a Light 173 Correction Tax Section 191 Electrical wire holding tool 191a Retaining slot C1 connector housing C11 Advanced C11a Connection insertion opening D11 Left-right direction D12 Longitudinal direction D13 Opening-Closing Direction D14 Connection insertion direction D15 Depth direction D16 Longitudinal direction of rod D17 Correction direction G11 connection-side position deviation G12 recess-side position deviation H11 horizontal surface P11 registered connection position P12 Front end position P13 registered insertion section P14 connector insertion position R11 Circulation Route S101 Housing Feed Step S102, S109 Determination of presence or absence S103 Standby step S104 Insertion position movement step S105 first transport step S106 Tilt correction step S107 second transport step S108 Connection insertion step S110 Housing Removal Step S111 Decision on Termination W1 electrical wire with connection W2 uninserted electrical wire with connection W11 End section connection W11a axle W11b horizontal axis W12, W22 electrical wire section W21 connection not yet introduced Y1 Operator θ11 Angle of inclination QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2009-64722A

[0003]

Claims

[1] A connection insertion unit comprising: one or more housing pallets to which one or more housing holders are attached, the housing holder being able to hold a connector housing, with several recesses into which end section terminals of electrical wires with terminals can each be inserted; a first transport section configured to grasp the electrical wire with connector and transport it to a first inspection position; a tilt correction section configured to receive the electrical wire with connection from the first transport section at the first inspection position, detect a tilt from an insertion position to the recess with respect to a position about an axis of the end section connection, and move the end section connection to correct the tilt; a second transport section configured to receive the electrical wire with post-tilt correction connection from the tilt correction section and transport it to a second inspection position; and a connection insertion section configured to receive the electrical wire with connection from the second transport section at the second inspection position, detecting a positional deviation between a front-end position of the end-section connection and a position of the recess as the insertion target in the connector housing held by the housing holder, and correcting the position deviation by moving at least one of the connector housing or electrical wire with connection during the insertion of the end section connection after the position deviation correction to the recess as the insertion target. [2] The connection insertion unit according to claim 1, wherein the tilt correction section comprises: a first electrical wire holder that grips the electrical wire with connection received from the first transport section; a first imaging section that images the end section connection of the electrical wire with connection that is gripped by the first electrical wire holder, from a front end side of the end section connection; and a correction control section that detects the inclination based on a front-end image of the end-section connector mapped by the first imaging section and moves the end-section connector around the axis by tilting the first electrical wire holder in response to a detection result in order to correct the inclination. [3] The connection insertion unit according to claim 1, wherein the connection insertion section comprises: a second electrical wire holder that grips the electrical wire with the connector that is picked up by the second transport section; a second imaging section that images the end section connection of the electrical wire with connection that is gripped by the second electrical wire holder, from a front end side of the end section connection; a third imaging section that depicts a connection insertion opening in the recess as an insertion target; and an insertion control section that detects the positional deviation based on a front-end image of the end-section connector, imaged by the second imaging section, and an image of the connector insertion opening, imaged by the third imaging section, and moves the end-section connector to correct the positional deviation by moving the second electrical wire holder up, down, left, and right toward the connector insertion opening, while the end-section connector is inserted into the recess as the insertion target by moving the second electrical wire holder toward the connector insertion opening. [4] The connection insertion unit according to claim 3, wherein the insertion control section detects a connection-side position deviation as the difference between a registered connection position, which is pre-registered, and a front-end position of the end section connection in the image from a front-end image of the end section connection, which is imaged by the second imaging section, further detects a recess-side position deviation as the difference, from an image of the connection insertion opening, which is imaged by the second imaging section, between a pre-registered insertion section and an insertion opening position of the connection insertion opening in the image, and a sum of the connection-side position deviation and the recess-side position deviation as the position deviation. [5] The connection insertion unit according to claim 3, wherein the second electrical wire holder has a front chuck that engages the end section connector in an electrical wire section of the electrical wire with connector, and a rear chuck that engages a rear section as that of the front chuck in an insertion direction of the end section connector, and The insertion control section temporarily releases the gripping of the front chuck after the second electrical wire holder has been moved until a front end of the end section connection is inserted into the connection insertion opening after position deviation correction. to retract it by a predetermined distance towards the rear chuck side, and then allow it to grip again, and insert the end section connector into the recess as the insertion target by moving the second electrical wire holder again towards the connector insertion opening. [6] The connection insertion unit according to claim 5, wherein the insertion control section, when moving the second electrical wire holder to the connection insertion opening again, aligns the electrical wire section of the electrical wire with the connection while moving the second electrical wire holder to the connection insertion opening. [7] The connection insertion unit according to claim 1, wherein the electrical wire with connection has a configuration in which the end section connections are provided at both ends, two or more case holders are attached to the case pallet, The first transport section grasps both ends of the electrical wire with connector to transport it to the first inspection position. The tilt correction section corrects the tilt with respect to each of the end terminals at both ends of the electrical wire with connection. The second transport section grasps both ends of the electrical wire with connection after the tilt correction in order to transport it to the second inspection position, and The terminal insertion section, in relation to each of the end section terminals at both ends of the electrical wire, corrects the positional deviation with the recess as the insertion target in the connector housing according to each end section terminal while the terminal is being inserted. [8] The connection insertion unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing range includes an intermediate electrical wire holder configured to temporarily hold one or more unused electrical wires with terminals whose terminals are not inserted into the recess of the connector housing, next to the housing holder, and The connection insertion section, when it receives the uninserted electrical wire with connection, omits the detection and correction of the positional deviation with respect to the uninserted connection and transports the uninserted electrical wire with connection to the electrical wire intermediate holder to hold it. [9] The connection insertion unit according to claim 8, wherein the electrical wire intermediate holder has a configuration in which one or more electrical wire clamping sections, which clamp an electrical wire section in the unused electrical wire with connection, are arranged by a pair of leaf spring elements arranged adjacent to each other, and The connection insertion section transports the unused electrical wire with connection in such a way that the electrical wire clamping sections clamp points near the unused connections in the electrical wire sections of the unused electrical wires with connection. [10] A connection insertion method comprising: a housing feeding step for feeding a connector housing to a housing pallet to which one or more housing holders are attached, wherein the housing holder can hold the connector housing in which several recesses are provided into which end section terminals of electrical wires with terminals can be inserted so that the housing holder can hold them; a first transport step in which a first transport section grasps the electrical wire with connector in order to transport it to a first inspection position; a tilt correction cut in which a first electrical wire holder is provided to receive and grasp the electrical wire with connection from the first transport section at the first inspection position, wherein a tilt from an insertion position to the recess is detected with respect to a position about an axis of the end section connection and the first electrical wire holder is tilted about the axis in response to a detection result to move the end section connection and correct the tilt; a second transport step in which a second transport section is provided to pick up the electrical wire with connection after the tilt correction from the tilt correction section and transport it to a second inspection position; and a connection insertion step in which a second electrical wire holder is provided to receive the electrical wire with connector from the second transport section at the second inspection position, detecting a positional deviation between a front-end position of the end-section connector and a position of the recess as the insertion target in the connector housing held by the housing holder, and correcting the positional deviation by moving at least one of the connector housing or electrical wire with connector, while the second electrical wire holder is moved to the connection insertion opening to insert the end section connection into the recess as the insertion target.

Images