Pallet for an automatic wiring harness processing machine and method for producing a wiring harness

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pallet (100) for an automatic wiring harness processing machine, wherein: at least two housing adapters (104) for receiving plug housings (108) of a wiring harness (102) and a test circuit (106) having at least one electrical test loop (116) are arranged on the pallet (100),; the test loop (116) extends over at least one contact (114) per housing adapter (104); the test loop (116) is closed when the at least two contacts (114) are electrically conductively connected via at least one wire (110) of the wire harness (102) that is inserted in the plug housing (104) in accordance with the intended purpose; and the test circuit (106) is designed to measure the test loop (116) and to signal a status of the test loop (116).

Description

[0001] PALLET FOR A CABLE HARNESS MACHINES AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CABLE HARNESS

[0002] Technical area

[0003] The present invention relates to a pallet for a wiring harness machine and a method for producing a wiring harness using such a pallet.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] The present invention will be described below mainly in connection with electrical wiring harnesses for vehicles.

[0006] A cable harness can be manufactured by automatically cutting electrical cables to length, stripping their ends and fitting them with contact parts. The contact parts are then inserted into the slots of the connector housings until they click into place. These steps can be carried out fully automatically, for example, by a cable harness machine. A pallet can be used for each cable harness. The connector housings can be positioned by housing adapters on the pallet in such a way that the contact parts can be inserted into the intended slots in a work area of ​​the cable harness machine using coordinate control by a gripper. The housing adapters can be fitted with the connector housings before the pallet is moved into the work area. The correct engagement of the contact parts can be monitored by force-displacement detection during insertion.After the contact parts have been inserted and locked into place, the pallet containing the newly manufactured cable harness can be removed from the work area and replaced with another pre-assembled pallet. While the next cables in the work area are connected to the connector housings, the newly manufactured cable harness can be removed from the pallet and the housing adapters of the newly vacated pallet can be re-equipped with connector housings.

[0007] Description of the invention

[0008] An object of the invention is therefore to provide an improved pallet for a wiring harness machine and an improved method for manufacturing a wiring harness using the simplest possible design. An improvement may, for example, relate to an electrical functional test of the wiring harness during production.

[0009] The object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims, the description, and the accompanying figures.

[0010] In the approach presented here, at least one circuit is provided on a pallet for a cable harness control unit, which is closed by a cable that is properly inserted into two slots of connector housings. Alternatively, the circuit can also be closed if the cable is inserted into an incorrect slot. The circuit is part of an electrical circuit. The circuit detects and signals a circuit status for a monitoring device.

[0011] The approach presented here allows a continuity test and / or resistance measurement to be performed immediately when electrical cables are inserted into the connector housings of a cable harness. This also makes it possible to test cables that are manually pre-inserted, for example for technical reasons. This eliminates the need for a subsequent continuity test and / or resistance measurement in a separate test station. If an incorrectly inserted cable is detected, this can be corrected immediately, or the pallet with the affected cable harness can be transferred to a designated station for rework. In particular, this allows the individual wires of a multi-core cable to be inserted into the connector housings without polarity reversal. If a wire is inserted into the wrong slot, this can be detected immediately. The incorrectly inserted wire can be automatically pulled out and inserted into another slot.If there are more than two possible slots, the correct slot can be searched for step by step.

[0012] According to a first aspect of the invention, a pallet for a wiring harness machine is presented, wherein at least two housing adapters for receiving plug housings of a wiring harness and a test circuit with at least one electrical test circuit are arranged on the pallet, wherein the test circuit runs via at least one contact per housing adapter, wherein the test circuit is closed when the at least two contacts are electrically connected via at least one cable of the wiring harness that is plugged into the plug housing as intended, wherein the test circuit is designed to measure the test circuit and to signal a status of the test circuit.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the invention, a method for producing a cable harness using a pallet according to the first aspect of the invention is presented, wherein the housing adapters are equipped with plug housings of the cable harness and a first contact part of at least one cable of the cable harness is plugged into a slot of one of the plug housings and a second contact part of the cable is plugged into a slot of another plug housing, wherein the contact parts are electrically contacted by the contacts of the housing adapters during the intended plugging and the test circuit is measured, wherein a status of the test circuit is represented in a status signal.

[0014] A cable harness can comprise multiple cables. The cables can run between at least two connector housings. The cable harness can also have branches to additional connector housings. The connector housings can have slots for contact parts of the cables. The contact parts can be electrically connected to stripped ends of the cables. The contact parts can snap into the slots if they are inserted deep enough. A contact part can be part of an electrically conductive plug connection. A cable harness can be manufactured essentially fully automatically by a cable harness machine. The cables can be provided on at least one supply roll as continuous material. The cables can be unwound from the supply roll and cut to a predefined length. The ends of the cables can then be stripped.The contact parts can now be attached to the stripped ends. The wires of a wiring harness can be manufactured one after the other and stored.

[0015] Certain cables cannot be plugged fully automatically for technical reasons. For example, the cables may be too short for a gripper to insert the contact parts one after the other into the designated slots. Such cables can be manually pre-loaded or manually re-loaded. Likewise, only one of the contact parts can be inserted by the gripper, while the second contact part is inserted manually afterwards.

[0016] A contact part can be a stamped and bent part that is connected to a stripped end of a wire using a connection technique such as welding or crimping. The contact part can be female or male. The contact part can have at least one locking element that, when inserted into its slot, engages a counterpart of the slot, thus preventing the contact part from being retracted or pushed back, at least until a predetermined force is reached.

[0017] The cable harness can be assembled on a pallet of the power unit. The pallet can have several receptacles for the connector housings. One receptacle can be referred to as a housing adapter. The receptacle can at least partially represent a contour of the connector housing as a negative form. The housing adapters can align the connector housings relative to the pallet so that all contact parts of the cables can be inserted into the slots in the connector housing from a common plugging direction. The housing adapter can have at least one electrically conductive contact. The contact can be arranged opposite a slot in the connector housing in the plugging direction. The contact can establish an electrically conductive connection to a contact part inserted into the slot. A test circuit can be connected to at least two contacts on the pallet. The contacts can be arranged in a common circuit.The electrical circuit can be referred to as a test circuit. The test circuit can apply an electrical potential between the at least two contacts. The electrical potential can be referred to as an electrical signal. For this purpose, the test circuit can have its own energy source on the pallet. The energy source can be a battery or a capacitor, for example. Alternatively, the test circuit can be supplied with electrical energy by the wiring harness machine. The test circuit can map a status of the test circuit in a status signal. The status signal can be provided to the wiring harness machine via a data line. Alternatively, the status signal can be provided wirelessly. The test circuit can monitor and provide the status both during automated loading of the pallet in the wiring harness machine and during manual pre-loading or re-loading.

[0018] As a status, electrical continuity and / or electrical resistance of the test circuit can be represented in the status signal. The test circuit can perform a continuity test of the test circuit. The test circuit can detect whether the test circuit is electrically continuous or not. The test circuit can represent the result of the continuity test in the status signal. Alternatively or additionally, the test circuit can measure the electrical resistance of the cable and / or the electrical capacitance of the cable and represent it in the status signal. The cable harness can be documented as being in accordance with its intended purpose if the status signal indicates that the test circuit is continuous and / or the electrical resistance of the test circuit is within a tolerance range. The cable harness can have an identification number. Documentation can be created for each cable harness. Manufacturing parameters and material parameters can be stored in the documentation.For example, the origin of individual parts of the wiring harness can be documented. A functional test can also be documented in the documentation. The electrical continuity test or resistance measurement can be referred to as a functional test. The documentation can also document forces and / or paths when inserting the contact parts into the slots. Automated processes and manual processes can be documented in the documentation using the approach presented here. The test circuit can run via contact pairs consisting of two contacts per housing adapter. The contacts of one of the contact pairs can be electrically connected to one another. The test circuit can be connected to the contact pair of the other housing adapter. The test circuit can be closed when the contact pairs are electrically connected via two wires of the wiring harness inserted into the connector housing.By using a test circuit with more than two contacts, multiple wires can be tested using this test circuit. With four contacts, one wire can be designated as the forward wire and the other as the return wire.

[0019] A diode can be connected between the electrically connected contact pair. The test circuit can then be closed if the contact parts of two wires are inserted into the slots with the correct polarity. The slots on one of the connector housings can be swapped if the status signal indicates that the test circuit is open. A diode can only allow current to flow in one direction. This makes it possible to distinguish between the forward and return lines between the contacts, i.e. which wire is electrically connected to which contact. The clear current direction allows the two wires to be differentiated. Errors can be detected and corrected automatically. In particular, the two wires can be twisted. Twisted wires can, for example, be a twisted pair data cable. The twisted wires can run within a common sheath.The twisted pairs can also be shielded. The twisted pairs can be distinguished by color coding. The approach presented here also allows twisted pairs to be inserted into the connector housings fully automatically.

[0020] The test circuit can be located on one of the housing adapters and directly connected to at least one contact of the housing adapter. A neighboring arrangement can reduce wiring effort. Especially with contact pairs in the housing adapters, two lines per test circuit can be tested with minimal wiring effort.

[0021] The test circuit can be connected to at least one contact of at least one remote housing adapter via at least one wire bridge. A wire bridge can be used to test a single wire between two connector housings per test circuit. The pallet can have a separate wire bridge for each wire of the wiring harness. This allows each wire to be tested with its own test circuit.

[0022] The cable bridge can be routed across the back of the pallet. The cable bridge can be easily installed on the back. The cabling of the pallet can be easily maintained at the back, as the housing adapters are out of the way.

[0023] The contacts of the housing adapters can be spring-loaded. These spring-loaded contacts can be referred to as spring contacts. The contacts can protrude into the unoccupied slots of the connector housings. When the contact part is inserted, the contacts can be pushed back against an increasing spring force. This spring force can create a secure electrical connection. Furthermore, the electrical connection can be established before the contact part engages in the slot. This allows an incorrectly inserted contact part to be easily withdrawn and inserted into a different slot.

[0024] The test circuit can include a radio module to signal the status. Alternatively, the status can be signaled visually, acoustically, or via a direct electrical connection. A radio module can signal the status even without a line of sight or electrical contact to the pallet.

[0025] Short character description

[0026] An advantageous embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the accompanying figures. They show:

[0027] Fig. 1 is a representation of a pallet according to an embodiment; and

[0028] Fig. 2 shows a diagram of a test circuit with a test circuit according to an exemplary embodiment. The figures are schematic representations and serve only to illustrate the invention. Identical or equivalent elements are provided with the same reference numerals throughout.

[0029] Detailed description

[0030] Fig. 1 shows a representation of a pallet 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. The pallet can be used in a wiring harness machine for the automated production of a wiring harness 102. The pallet 100 can also be manually pre-populated and / or re-populated. Two housing adapters 104 and a test circuit 106 are arranged on the pallet 100. The test circuit 106 is arranged directly next to one of the housing adapters 104 on the pallet 100. The other housing adapter 104 is arranged at a distance from the test circuit 106 on the pallet 100.

[0031] The cable assembly 102 consists of at least two connector housings 108 and cables 110 running between the connector housings 108. The cables 110 have contact parts 112 at both ends. The contact parts 112 are inserted into slots in the connector housings 108 and locked into the slots.

[0032] The housing adapters 104 are receptacles for the connector housings 108 of the cable harness 102. The housing adapters 104 are pre-loaded with empty connector housings 108, and then the pallet 100 is automatically loaded with the cables 110 in the cable harness machine. If necessary, cables 110 that cannot be automatically loaded can be pre-loaded or retrofitted.

[0033] The cable harness machine equips the connector housings 108 with pre-assembled cables 110. The cables 110 are cut to a predetermined length, the ends of the cables 110 are stripped, and a contact part 112 per end is connected to the cable 110. The cable harness machine inserts the contact parts 112 of a cable 110 into a slot per connector housing 108 using a gripper until they click into place in the connector housing 108. A path and / or force during insertion can be monitored. The inserted cables 110 then run between the connector housings 108. In the approach presented here, contacts 114 are arranged in the housing adapters 104. A contact 114 contacts a contact part 112 of a cable 110 when the contact part 112 is inserted into a slot automatically or manually. At least two of the contacts 114 are arranged in an electrical test circuit 116 of the test circuit 106.The test circuit 116 is closed when the contact parts 112 of at least one line 110 are inserted into the intended slots. If the contact parts 112 are inserted into the incorrect slots, the test circuit 116 remains open. The test circuit applies an electrical potential to the contacts 114 and registers a current flow when the test circuit 116 is closed. The test circuit 116 signals an electrically conductive continuity through the test circuit 116 via a status signal 118. Additionally, the test circuit 116 can determine an electrical resistance of the test circuit 116 using the current flow. The resistance can also be represented in the status signal 118. Alternatively, the resistance measurement can be used for continuity testing. The resistance of the test circuit is measured, and continuity is detected if the resistance is less than a threshold value.If the resistance is less than a minimum value, a measurement error can be detected.

[0034] In one embodiment, the contacts 114 are spring-loaded. As a result, the contacts 114 protrude into the slots of the connector housings 108 in an unloaded state. A contact part 112 thereby touches the contact 114 before the contact part 112 engages in the slot. The test circuit 116 can thus be closed before the contact part 112 engages in the slot. If the test circuit 116 is not closed, the contact part 112 can be retracted and inserted into another slot.

[0035] The spring-loaded contacts 114 compensate for manufacturing tolerances of the connector housing 108 and / or the contact parts 112. The contacts 114 can contact the contact parts 112 even if they are slightly recessed in the connector housing 108.

[0036] In one embodiment, the housing adapters 104 have at least two contacts 114. The contacts 114 are interconnected as a contact pair 120. In one of the housing adapters 104, the contacts 114 of the contact pair 120 are electrically connected to one another. In the other housing adapter 104, both contacts 114 are connected to the test circuit 106. The test circuit 116 is closed when the contact parts 112 of two lines 110 are inserted into their designated slots. The two lines 110 can thus be measured via the same test circuit 116.

[0037] In one embodiment, a diode 122 is connected between the contacts 114 of the electrically conductively connected contact pair 120. The diode 122 allows current to flow in only one direction within a voltage range. The diode 122 closes the test circuit 116 only when the contact parts 112 of a forward line 124 are inserted into their designated slots and the contact parts 112 of a return line 126 are also inserted into their designated slots. In other words, for a line pair 128, the test circuit 116 is only closed when the line pair 128 is inserted into the connector housing 108 with the correct polarity.

[0038] In one embodiment, the line pair 128 is a data line 130 referred to as a twisted pair. The individual lines 110 or wires of the data line 130 are color-coded but run within a common sheath. When assembling the data line 130, the lines 110 or wires can only be differentiated with additional effort, for example using optical methods, which is why the data lines 130 have so far only been pre-assembled or manually re-assembled. Using the approach presented here, data lines 130 can be fully automated in the cable harness machine. For this purpose, the contact parts 112 of the data line 130 are plugged into the slots on one of the connector housings 108 and thus contact the contacts 114 arranged there. On the other connector housing 108, the contact parts 112 are only plugged into the slots until they touch the contacts 114.If the test circuit 116 is closed, the contact parts 112 are inserted further until they click into the slots. If the test circuit 116 is not closed, the contact parts 112 are pulled out of the slots again and swapped. The swapped contact parts 112 are reinserted into the slots, and the test circuit 116 is checked. If the test circuit 116 is closed, the contact parts 112 are inserted further until they click into the slots. Alternatively, the manual, upstream, or downstream assembly of the cable pair 128 can be monitored and documented. The closing of the test circuit 116 can be signaled to an operator, for example, visually and / or acoustically, using the status signal 118.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment, a contact 114 of the spaced-apart housing adapter 104 is connected to the test circuit 106 via a line bridge 132. The line bridge 132 is thus part of the test circuit 116. The test circuit 116 is closed when the contact parts 112 of a line 110 touch both contacts 114. Individual lines can be tested using the line bridge 132. Here, the line bridge 132 runs over the back of the pallet 100.

[0040] Fig. 2 shows a representation of a test circuit 106 with a test circuit 116 according to an exemplary embodiment. The test circuit 106 essentially corresponds to the test circuit in Fig. 1. Two outputs 200 of the test circuit 106 are connected to contacts 114. The contacts 114 are arranged in the same housing adapter. Two further contacts 114 are arranged in a further housing adapter. A diode 122 is connected between the further two contacts 114. If all four contacts 114 are contacted by two properly equipped lines 110, the test circuit 116 is closed. If two contact parts 112 are inserted incorrectly, the test circuit 116 is not closed.

[0041] When the test circuit 116 is closed, a current flows through the test circuit 116, and a status of the test circuit 116 is signaled by a status signal 118. Here, the status signal 118 is transmitted wirelessly via a radio module 202 to a monitoring device 204.

[0042] In the following, possible embodiments of the invention are summarized again or presented with slightly different wording.

[0043] A process-independent test of twisted or manually assembled cables on a cable harness machine with pallets is presented. In the context of automated cable harness assembly, the assembly process is secured by force-displacement measurement. Until now, twisted cables, for example, could not be assembled automatically. Therefore, twisted cables or cables that are too short for the machine are manually assembled before or after assembly. This requires a process-independent test in the form of a continuity measurement or the determination of the electrical resistance of the connection. In the case of twisted cables, an additional test of the electrical polarity is also required.

[0044] In the approach presented here, the housing receptacles are enhanced with electrical spring contacts, similar to those used in test adapters, for example, in end-of-line testing. These are electrically connected so that both the polarity and the resistance of the electrical connection can be determined.

[0045] This utilizes energy-efficient, compact measuring electronics, which are placed directly on the pallet of the wire harness machine. To prevent disruption to the machine's process, the measuring unit can be battery-operated. Additionally, the electronics can be equipped with a wireless connection to make the output available for process control.

[0046] The approach presented here provides an important additional parameter for qualifying the semi-automated / automated manufacturing process. Consistent traceability of process parameters during the placement process can be achieved. The approach presented here enables process-accompanying recording of process parameters, thus eliminating the need for end-of-line testing.

[0047] Since the devices and methods described in detail above are exemplary embodiments, they can be modified widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the mechanical arrangements and the relative sizes of the individual elements are merely exemplary.

[0048] 100 pallets

[0049] 102 wiring harness

[0050] 104 housing adapters

[0051] 106 Test circuit

[0052] 108 connector housings

[0053] 110 line

[0054] 112 Contact part

[0055] 114 Contact

[0056] 116 test circuit

[0057] 118 Status signal

[0058] 120 contact pairs

[0059] 122 Diode

[0060] 124 Introductory Note

[0061] 126 Return line

[0062] 128 cable pairs

[0063] 130 data line

[0064] 132 cable bridge

[0065] 200 Exit

[0066] 202 radio module

[0067] 204 Monitoring device

Claims

REQUIREMENTS 1. Pallet (100) for a wiring harness machine, wherein at least two housing adapters (104) for receiving connector housings (108) of a wiring harness (102) and a test circuit (106) with at least one electrical test circuit (116) are arranged on the pallet (100), wherein the test circuit (116) runs via at least one contact (114) per housing adapter (104), wherein the test circuit (116) is closed when the at least two contacts (114) are electrically connected via at least one line (110) of the wiring harness (102) that is inserted into the connector housings (104) as intended, wherein the test circuit (106) is configured to measure the test circuit (116) and to signal a status of the test circuit (116).

2. Pallet (100) according to claim 1, wherein the test circuit (116) runs via contact pairs (120) of two contacts (114) each per housing adapter (104), wherein the contacts (114) of one of the contact pairs (120) are electrically connected to each other and the test circuit (106) is connected to the contact pair (120) of the other housing adapter (104), wherein the test circuit (116) is closed when the contact pairs (120) are electrically connected via two leads (110) of the wiring harness (102) that are inserted into the connector housings (108) as intended.

3. Pallet (100) according to claim 2, wherein a diode (122) is connected between the electrically conductively connected contact pair (120).

4. Pallet (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the test circuit (106) is arranged on one of the housing adapters (104) and is directly connected to the at least one contact (114) of the housing adapter (104).

5. Pallet (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the test circuit (106) is connected via at least one conductor bridge (132) to the at least one contact (114) of at least one remote housing adapter (104). A pallet (100) according to claim 5, wherein the conductor bridge (132) extends over a rear side of the pallet (100). A pallet (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the contacts (114) of the housing adapters (104) are spring-loaded. A pallet (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the test circuit (106) comprises a radio module (202) for signaling the status.Method for manufacturing a wiring harness (102) using a pallet (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the housing adapters (104) are fitted with connector housings (108) of the wiring harness (102) and a first contact part (112) of at least one wire (110) of the wiring harness (102) is inserted into a slot of one of the connector housings (108) and a second contact part (112) of the wire (110) is inserted into a slot of another connector housing (108), wherein the contact parts (112) are electrically contacted by the contacts (114) of the housing adapters (104) when inserted and the test circuit (116) is measured, wherein a status of the test circuit (116) is represented in a status signal (118). Method according to claim 9, wherein the status is represented by an electrical continuity and / or an electrical resistance of the test circuit (116) in the status signal (118).Method according to one of claims 9 to 10 using a pallet (100) according to claim 3, wherein the test circuit (116) is closed when the contact parts (112) of a twisted pair of wires (128) are inserted into the sockets with an intended polarity, wherein the sockets on one of the connector housings (108) are swapped when the status signal (118) signals the test circuit (116) as interrupted.

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