Device and method for producing a cable harness

Abstract

A device (10) for producing a cable harness comprises a vertical presentation plate (20) on which cables (4) of the cable harness can be arranged on a front side of the presentation plate, and handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) for handling the cables (4) of the cable harness, wherein the handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are attached magnetically on the presentation plate (20) and are designed such that they can be moved by means of a gantry robot (30) in all directions (x, y) of the plane defined by the presentation plate (20). The presentation plate (20) consists of a non-ferromagnetic material; the handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) each comprise a front-side handling part (42) and a rear-side travel part (41), wherein one of the parts is equipped with a permanent magnet and another part is likewise equipped with a permanent magnet, and therefore the permanent magnets attract one another.

Description

[0001] Apparatus and method for manufacturing a wiring harness

[0002] The invention relates to a device and method for producing a cable harness.

[0003] Cable harnesses, such as those used in automobiles or aircraft, consist of multiple cables, each of which is typically equipped with connector housings at its pre-assembled cable end. A cable harness is an arrangement of multiple cables in which the cables are joined together to form a structure with an often complex, branched geometry, similar to a tree.

[0004] During the production of a wiring harness, certain points and areas of the wiring harness must be secured. For example, branches and junctions can be secured using suitable tools (e.g. spot tape or cable ties). It may also be necessary to provide the wiring harness entirely or in specific areas with additional protection (e.g., bandaging with adhesive tape). Furthermore, it may be necessary to equip the wiring harness with assembly elements such as clips at specific points in order to ultimately install the wiring harness in a designated device, such as an automobile. This processing of the wiring harness is also known to those skilled in the art as "forming" or "fixing," since the tree-like structure is created from the multitude of individual cables.

[0005] Conventionally, these processing steps are performed on a wiring board by hand or with appropriate power tools. The entire wiring harness is stretched across the board. Workers must remove the wiring harness nodes from the board's forked holders in order to process these areas correctly.

[0006] Recently, there have been efforts towards automation. A method and a corresponding device are known, for example, from EP 706 725 B1. This discloses the approach of stretching the cable harness along a straight line so that the nodes can be secured. The points must be processed one after the other. Another approach for producing a cable harness is shown in EP 673 091 A2. The approach here essentially consists of first completely stretching the cable harness on a laying board, similar to manual work, and then carrying out the work steps using processing robots. Both approaches have in common the comparatively large space requirement, i.e. the problem that the respective devices according to the prior art are relatively large and long. A further disadvantage is seen in the fact that the production output of the devices is inadequate in practice.The approach of stretching along a straight line is only partially suitable for parallelizing the processing steps, which clearly limits the production output.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the known and in particular to provide an improved device for producing a cable harness which can be operated particularly efficiently.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention with a device having the features of claim 1. The device for producing a cable harness comprises a preferably vertical display plate on which cables of the cable harness can be arranged, and handling elements for handling the cables of the cable harness. The handling elements are, in particular, magnetically attached or attachable to the display plate and are designed such that they are preferably freely movable in all directions of the plane defined by the display plate. The display plate serves, among other things, the purpose of presenting cables or cable harnesses on this plate so that the cables or cable harnesses can be secured or bandaged manually or mechanically at the designated locations.A handling element is defined below as an element used to handle a single cable or multiple cables so that it or they can be processed with a view to manufacturing the wiring harness. Such processing includes, for example, securing specific points and areas of the wiring harness using suitable tools (e.g., spot tape, cable ties).

[0009] Alternatively or in addition to the aforementioned, preferably vertical display panel, a display panel with a different orientation may also be considered for the device according to the invention. The display panel could be slanted or inclined at an angle relative to the horizontal. Steep display panels that are approximately vertical (e.g., angle of inclination > 80°) can be considered essentially vertical display panels. For certain applications, it would even be conceivable for the device to have a horizontal display panel.

[0010] Permanent magnets can be used to magnetically attach the handling elements to the preferably vertical display plate. These magnets allow the handling elements to be securely held in the desired position on the display plate. Thanks to such magnets, the handling elements are attached to the display plate in an adhesive yet still movable manner. Preferably, permanent magnets are selected that are only strong enough to allow the handling elements to be detached from the display plate, so that handling elements can be easily replaced by hand if necessary. As an alternative to magnetic attachment, the adhesion of the handling elements to the preferably vertical display plate could also be achieved in other ways, for example, using means to create a vacuum or by means of Velcro.

[0011] Permanent magnets have the advantage of ensuring reliable operation in a simple manner and, especially in the event of a malfunction (e.g., an unexpected power outage due to a mains failure), remaining in their current position on the presentation plate. As an alternative to the handling elements being attached or attachable to the presentation plate magnetically or using a vacuum or other adhesive or holding means, other designs are also conceivable. For example, the handling elements could be connected to the presentation plate using at least one planar motor in such a way that the handling elements are movable in all directions of the plane defined by the presentation plate.

[0012] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the aforementioned preferably vertical display plate, on which cables of the cable harness can be arranged on a front side of the display plate, can be made of a non-ferromagnetic material. The handling elements or the respective handling elements can each comprise a front-side handling part and a rear-side movement part. The front-side handling part is thus assigned to the front side of the display plate, and the rear movement part is assigned to the rear side of the display plate opposite the front side. In other words, the handling part and movement part are thus attached to opposite sides (front side, rear side) of the display plate. The front-side handling part and the associated rear movement part form a two-part handling element combined into a common assembly.By moving the moving part on the presentation plate, the handling part can be moved along with it. The handling part and the corresponding rear moving part, i.e., the parts of the assembly, are separated from each other by the presentation plate, but are operatively connected to each other (e.g., by magnetic force).

[0013] At least one of the parts (i.e. handling part, moving part) of the respective handling element can be equipped with a permanent magnet for magnetic attachment to the presentation plate, the other part containing ferromagnetic material or the other part also being equipped with a permanent magnet, but with an opposite pole, so that the permanent magnets attract each other (handling part and moving part roughly correspond therefore: 1 permanent magnet and 1 ferromagnetic material; or 2 permanent magnets with opposite poles, so that the permanent magnets attract each other). The latter case with the two permanent magnets is to be understood in such a way that the permanent magnets are arranged and oriented to each other such that opposite poles are opposite each other, so that the permanent magnets attract each other.

[0014] If, as described above, the parts (handling part, moving part) of the handling element are magnetically attached to the presentation plate, the handling part can be moved along by moving the moving part on the presentation plate. The handling part is thus moved indirectly. This has the advantage, among other things, that the side of the presentation plate assigned to the cable harness, which corresponds to the side on which the handling parts are arranged, can be free of moving means, which has a positive effect on the handling of the cables and the cable harness. According to this preferred embodiment, at least one of the parts (i.e. handling part, moving part) of the respective handling element is equipped with a permanent magnet for magnetic attachment to the presentation plate. This does not mean that the respective part must only be equipped with a permanent magnet for magnetic attachment to the presentation plate.For certain applications and with a view to performing precise movements, it can be helpful if each part (handling part, moving part) of the handling elements has at least two and preferably four permanent magnets. Thus, for example, four pairs of magnets can be installed in one handling element, i.e., four permanent magnets in the handling part and four permanent magnets in the moving part. This arrangement also has the advantage that, if necessary, the handling element can be rotated from the rear side about its axis (the axis of rotation is coplanar with the normal direction of the presentation plate).

[0015] Such a two-part handling element with a front-facing handling part and a rear-facing moving part can be easily and reliably attached to the display panel and can be precisely positioned on the display panel. The front-facing handling part, facing the cable harness, is used to actually handle individual parts of the cable harness and includes means with which cables, for example in the form of cable bundles, prefabricated cable ends equipped with connector housings, branches, etc., can be grasped, held together, or otherwise handled. The moving part, located at the rear of the display panel, is used to move the handling element. In other words, the handling element can be moved manually or mechanically via the moving part. When the moving part is moved on the display panel, the handling part moves congruently with it.

[0016] The moving part can have a coupling part connected to a base body, via which coupling part the handling element can be moved. The base body is the component of the handling element that is in contact with the presentation plate. The permanent magnet is preferably integrated into the base body. However, the base body could also consist of or contain ferromagnetic material. The coupling part forms, in a sense, the interface to the unit via which the moving part can be driven to move the handling element. This unit can be a positioning system with a coupling part, via which coupling part the handling element can be coupled via its coupling part, thus creating the required operative connection between the positioning system and the handling element for movement.In the case of manual operation, the coupling part could also be a handle which the operator can grasp with his hand and thus move the handling element manually.

[0017] The handling part can have a handling head connected to a base body and a handling head connected to a base body. The base body of the handling part can be designed approximately the same as the base body of the moving part in terms of its dimensions and, in particular, its base area.

[0018] For easy handling, it may be advantageous if the handling part has a handling head connected to the base body, which is connected to the base body so that it can rotate freely with respect to the normal direction.

[0019] Particularly advantageously, the handling head is designed such that, when the handling element is mounted on the vertical display plate, the handling head remains in its vertically aligned home position due to gravity. In the home position, the handling head is oriented vertically, which can be easily achieved by appropriate weight distribution within the handling head. Thanks to the automatically correct alignment, no complex adjustments of the angle of rotation of the handling head are required. Of course, not every one of the numerous handling elements needs to include handling heads that can each be freely rotated and automatically aligned to a home position.

[0020] At least some of the handling elements of the device for producing a cable harness can be designed as housing holders for holding housings. The respective housing holder can temporarily hold a single housing or, under certain circumstances, even multiple housings for the production of the cable harness. A housing, the purpose of which is, in particular, the creation of electrical plug connections, or more precisely, the prefabricated cable end provided with the housing, can be moved into the desired position on the presentation plate thanks to the housing holder. The housing holder can have a housing receptacle into which the housing(s) can be inserted for secure holding, or other means for temporarily holding the housing. The housing receptacle is assigned to the handling head of the housing holder.

[0021] At least some of the handling elements of the device for producing a cable harness can be designed as deflectors for deflecting the cable routing. If the housing holders are considered the first type of handling element, the deflectors for deflecting the cable routing of the cable harness (one or, if necessary, several cables can be deflected, whereby in the case of several cables, the cables are usually present as a loose or already secured cable bundle) form a second type of handling element. Deflectors are used, for example, to bend individual cables at defined positions, for example, at branches, in the branched structure of the cable harness.

[0022] The handling head of the deflector can have an open hook, preferably presenting a V-shape in a side view. It is advantageous if the handling head of the deflector comprises a guide element arranged on the hook, particularly in the area of ​​its apex, and in particular a guide rod. In this case, the hook and the guide element can form a horizontal "K" in a side view.

[0023] At least some of the handling elements of the device for producing a cable harness can be designed as holders. The holders form a third type of handling element. Holders serve to hold up individual cables or several cables combined in the form of a cable harness, thus increasing the distance to the presentation plate to allow cables to be passed underneath the aforementioned individual cable or cables held upright. By means of one and preferably two holders, for example, a main strand of the cable harness can be held further away from the positioning plate in a section, thereby creating an enlarged gap beneath the cable harness held up in this way, so that other parts of the cable harness can be guided underneath without hindrance, for example by means of a housing holder, thereby enabling further branching on two sides.

[0024] The handling head of the high holder can comprise a flank section running obliquely and in particular at 45° to the horizontal and a cable receiving section adjoining the flank section and preferably U-shaped in side view.

[0025] The display panel according to a further embodiment of the device can have at least one parking zone, preferably arranged at the edge, with a plurality of adjacent parking bays for parking individual handling elements. Thanks to the parking zones, optimal organization and control of the numerous handling elements is ensured. If the preferably vertical display panel defines a rectangular shape with two horizontal rectangular sides and two vertical rectangular sides, one of the rectangular sides, and preferably the upper horizontal rectangular side and one of the vertical rectangular sides, can have such parking zones. This arrangement has further advantages with regard to automation.

[0026] If the base body has a preferably circular base in cross-section, it may be advantageous if the parking bays, and preferably each parking bay, each have a recessed receptacle for the base body, and in particular a receptacle complementary to the base body, preferably forming a circular arc, whereby the respective handling element is precisely positioned or can be positioned in the parking position. The parking bays with recesses can preferably be arranged on the back of the display panel.

[0027] The device can have a positioning system for moving the handling elements into the desired position, which positioning system is preferably integrated into the presentation plate, wherein the positioning system is formed in particular by a gantry robot. By means of the gantry robot, the handling elements can be moved quickly and precisely into the desired position. If necessary, even complex distances can be easily covered when moving using the gantry robot. As an alternative to the gantry robot, delta robots or other types of positioning robots or positioning systems are also conceivable. The positioning system, and in particular the gantry robot, can have a positioning head, via which a handling element can be acted upon and moved.For this purpose, the positioning head can have a coupling part which can be brought into operative connection (i.e. coupled) with the coupling part assigned to the handling element as described above, so that the movement of the positioning head can then be transferred to the handling element.

[0028] For the joint movement of multiple handling elements, the positioning system can comprise a positioning head with multiple coupling parts, via which the positioning system can be operatively connected to multiple handling elements. These multiple coupling parts can be rigidly connected to one another. However, it can be advantageous if the multiple coupling parts can be moved separately relative to one another, at least with respect to the plane of the presentation plate, thereby enabling even more complex movements.

[0029] For example, the positioning head can be designed such that the plurality of coupling parts are arranged next to one another in a row, at a distance from one another, which distance can be changed by means of an adjustment mechanism and / or that the plurality of coupling parts are pivotally connected to one another.

[0030] According to a further embodiment, the device can have two presentation panels. At least one processing robot can be provided between the two presentation panels, with the aid of which securing means can be attached to the cables for fixing and securing them point by point or in sections. The at least one processing robot can be responsible for two presentation panels. Preferably, at least two processing robots are provided, and particularly preferably, at least three processing robots are provided.

[0031] In another embodiment, it is also conceivable to reserve a separate area of ​​the display panel for a manual workstation. At this manual workstation, for example, grommets can be attached to the cable harness. In this case, the positioning system also presents the relevant cable harness area, just as it does for the processing robot(s).

[0032] The invention further relates to a method for producing a cable harness, preferably using the device described above. The following steps are performed in this method:

[0033] Providing a vertical presentation plate;

[0034] Arranging cables equipped with housings required for the cable harness on the presentation plate using housing holders, wherein the housing holders are arranged in a predetermined order in the horizontal direction (starting position);

[0035] Inserting deflectors between the housing holders, whereby the housing holders are first moved in such a way that the distance between the housing holders is increased;

[0036] Moving a portion of the housing holders from the housing holder row, preferably moving upwards those housing holders which are assigned to the upper branches of the cable harness; and

[0037] Attaching securing devices from the group of spot tapes, clips or bandages for point-by-point or section-by-section fixing and securing of upwardly moved cables by means of at least one processing robot.

[0038] Before the above-mentioned arrangement of the cables on the presentation plate, the process may include the following steps:

[0039] Providing or preparing a technical drawing for the wiring harness; the cables are assembled based on the technical drawing. Cables can be unwound from a cable storage unit, cut to length in a cable processing machine, stripped, and, if necessary, crimped, and then fitted with housings in a housing assembly machine.

[0040] The arrangement of prefabricated cables required for the cable harness, equipped with housings, on the presentation plate is preferably carried out using housing holders that are freely movable on the vertical presentation plate. The housing holders and thus also the housings are lined up in a predetermined order by means of a positioning system in the horizontal direction at a horizontal starting height. After the arrangement is complete, the cables are each present hanging downwards in a U-shape. After arrangement, the cables are located on the presentation plate using housing holders, the housing holders being in the aforementioned starting position. In other words, in the starting position, a raw form of the cable harness is brought into an overall U-shape with a plurality of cables hanging downwards in a U-shape, forming cable loops.

[0041] The initial arrangement can be carried out in such a way that the housing holders are arranged in a compact starting position as close to each other as possible in the row. For example, even in the form of a longitudinal block with contacting housing holders.

[0042] Before inserting deflectors between the housing supports, the following additional step may be necessary:

[0043] Move the housing holders in such a way that the distance between the housing holders is increased (pulled apart) in order to enable deflectors - where necessary - to move smoothly from top to bottom between the housing holders.

[0044] For inserting deflectors between the housing holders, freely movable deflectors can be used, preferably on the presentation plate.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the securing means are attached step by step, with a housing holder and, if applicable, a deflector being moved into position between steps by appropriate movement, which includes movement components in the horizontal direction, so that the cables are optimally positioned. When moving the housing holders, it may be advantageous to perform the movement as a lateral drag.

[0046] Preferably, the housing holders assigned to lower branches of the wiring harness are only moved downwards after the wiring harness has been completed with respect to the upper branches.

[0047] According to an advantageous method, cables are lifted by means of a lifting device so that housing holders can move downwards under the thus lifted cable to create lower branches.

[0048] When manufacturing a cable harness with branches oriented upwards and downwards relative to a main strand, it is advantageous to arrange the cables on the display panel in such a way that the lower branches are in the minority compared to the upper branches, relative to the finished cable harness. This arrangement ensures that as few downward passes as possible are required using overhead supports, making the process considerably faster and easier.

[0049] Another embodiment of the method involves determining the sequence of the adjacent housing holders. This sequence is determined based on the following factors:

[0050] Housing holders and the housings they hold, which are assigned to upwardly oriented branches of the wiring harness, are positioned in the middle of the row; housing holders and the housings they hold, which are assigned to the main branch of the wiring harness, are positioned outside the row;

[0051] Housing holders, and thus the housings they hold, which are assigned to downward-facing branches of the wiring harness, are added further out in the row, with the latter housing holders assigned to the downward-facing branches generally being positioned further out than the previous housing holders assigned to the main branch. Based on these factors, the following sequence can ideally result for a wiring harness with four upper branches (O) and five lower branches (U) (H: main branch):

[0052] UUUHOOOOHUU.

[0053] When positioning the housing holders, the respective cable lengths are taken into account. Housing holders, or the housings they hold, which are each assigned to common cables with short cable lengths, are preferably positioned directly next to each other. Depending on the cable lengths, different sequences may result from the order shown above, which represents the ideal case, such as UUHOOOUOHUU.

[0054] With housing holders arranged in such a sequence, the cable harness can be manufactured efficiently and effectively. The movements of handling elements can be carried out quickly and reliably. Another advantage is that excessive strain on cables and possible cable damage can be prevented.

[0055] Furthermore, when determining the sequence, it can be advantageous to also consider the cable lengths of cables that are directed downwards. If these cable lengths are too short, the housing holders, and thus the housings they hold, that are assigned to such downward branches are arranged between those that are directed upwards, following the main strand.

[0056] In another embodiment, the downward branches can be moved earlier between the upward branches. This is especially true if there is a very short wire connection or cable length between a downward branch and an upward branch (e.g., when unwound, they are located exactly one above the other).

[0057] Further individual features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the drawings. They show:

[0058] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an inventive

[0059] Device for producing a cable harness with a presentation plate and a plurality of handling elements mounted thereon as well as the cable processing machine and housing assembly machine located upstream of the device (presentation plate viewed from the front),

[0060] Figure 2 shows the device from Figure 1 in a perspective view from a different viewing direction (presentation plate seen from the back),

[0061] Figure 3 is a perspective, enlarged perspective view of

[0062] Handling elements (housing holder, deflector, high holder) for the device according to Figure 1, Figures 4a-c the individual handling elements in a side view,

[0063] Figure 5 is a schematic representation of the main process steps for

[0064] Manufacturing a wiring harness,

[0065] Figure 6 is a more detailed schematic representation of the process steps for producing a cable harness compared to Figure 5,

[0066] Figures 7a-p show a process for producing a new cable harness according to an embodiment,

[0067] Figure 8 is a simplified representation of another device for

[0068] Production of a cable harness with two presentation plates and processing robots arranged between them,

[0069] Figures 9a, b show a positioning head of a positioning system for the device according to Figure 9 in two different positions, and

[0070] Figures 10a, b show an alternative positioning head in two different

[0071] positions.

[0072] Figure 1 shows a device 10 for producing a cable harness. Cable harnesses, such as those used in automobiles or aircraft, consist of several cables, each of which is generally provided with connector housings at its pre-assembled cable end. A cable harness is an arrangement of several cables or lines, in which these are joined together to form a structure with an often complex, branched geometry similar to a tree. The respective cable is generally an electrical cable containing, for example, a solid conductor made of copper or aluminum or wire strands and insulation as a sheath for the conductors. The term "cable" is to be understood broadly below. In the present case, a cable is also understood to mean, for example, a cable unit made up of several cables or lines of equal length combined into a unit, such as a twisted cable harness.In Figure 1, a cable processing machine 1 and a housing assembly machine 2 are arranged upstream of the device 10. The cable processing machine 1 can comprise a stripping station for cutting and stripping the cables, one or more crimping stations for applying crimp contacts to the stripped cable ends, and optionally one or more grommet stations. In the housing assembly machine 2, the connector housings are fitted with pre-assembled cable ends from the cable processing machine 1.

[0073] After wiring, cable harnesses must be processed for their intended use so that they can then be installed in the devices intended for them, such as automobiles. The cables required for the respective cable harness, which were assembled in the cable processing machine 1 and the housing assembly machine 2, are assembled into a tree-like structure using the device 10 described in detail below. Branches and nodes must be secured using suitable securing devices (e.g. spot tape or cable ties). The cable harness may also be provided with additional protection, either entirely or in specific areas (e.g. bandaging with durable adhesive tape). The device 10 could of course also be a stand-alone machine without the upstream machines 1 and 2. In this case, the necessary cables are delivered pre-assembled.

[0074] The device for producing a cable harness comprises a vertical display plate 20, on which cables of the cable harness can be arranged on a front side of the display plate 20. The cables, designated 4, which are already pre-assembled and equipped with housings 5, are arranged in an intermediate position shown in Figure 1 in the form of more or less freely hanging loops on the vertical display plate 20. The housings 5 ​​of the cables 4 are held by housing holders 50. The cables 4 are further acted upon by deflectors 60. These deflectors 60 serve the purpose of deflecting the path of cables 4. In the intermediate position according to Figure 1, a total of four deflectors 60 are present in the not yet completed cable harness, with two such deflectors 60 grouped in pairs. The housing holders 50 and deflectors 60 form two types of handling elements.Figure 1 shows a third type of handling element, namely the holding devices designated 70. These holding devices 70 are located in a waiting position in a parking zone. If necessary, the holding devices 70 can be moved to the wire harness by a positioning system described in detail below and inserted there as required. In addition to the holding devices 70, further handling elements 50, 60 are housed in parking zones and wait until they are needed for the production of a wire harness.

[0075] The device 10 further comprises a processing robot 3, with the aid of which securing means for fixing and securing the cables 4 at specific points or in sections can be attached. For example, spot tapes can be applied with the processing robot 3. Such a spot tape is visible in Figures 71, 7m, or 7n and is designated by 82. The processing robot 3 is configured here as an articulated-arm robot. The articulated-arm robot can be rigidly connected to the floor or designed to move autonomously on the floor.

[0076] In the present embodiment, the handling elements 50, 60, 70 are magnetically attached to the presentation plate 20 and are designed such that they can be moved in all directions of the plane defined by the presentation plate 20. The Cartesian coordinate system shown in Figure 1 and in subsequent figures serves as an aid in understanding the directions and main movements of the components of the device 10. The aforementioned plane is plane-parallel to the plane defined by the x- and y-axes. The handling elements 50, 60, 70 can be moved freely in the x- and y-directions.

[0077] The presentation plate 20 is made of a non-ferromagnetic material. Each of the handling elements 50, 60, 70 comprises a front-side handling part and a rear-side moving part, wherein the handling part and moving part are each equipped with a permanent magnet for magnetic attachment to the presentation plate, so that the permanent magnets attract each other. For this purpose, the permanent magnets are arranged and oriented relative to each other such that opposite poles face each other, whereby the permanent magnets attract each other. One permanent magnet can be provided for each part (handling part, moving part); several permanent magnets can be advantageous for each part. Figure 2 shows the device 10 with a rear view of the presentation plate 20. Here, the moving parts can be seen and designated 41.In the present case, the movement parts 41 are designed essentially identically for all types of handling elements (regarding handling parts, reference is made to the following Figures 3 and 4a-c).

[0078] The moving parts 41 are responsible for the movement of the handling elements 50, 60, 70. To move the handling elements into the desired position, the device 10 has a positioning system 30. The positioning system 30, integrated into the presentation plate 20, is formed in this case by a gantry robot. The positioning system 30 or the gantry robot has a beam-like gantry carriage 36 that can be moved back and forth in the x-direction along linear guides 38 and a second carriage 37 that can be moved back and forth in the y-direction transversely to the x-direction along the gantry carriage and is equipped with a positioning head 32. The positioning head 32 of the gantry robot forms, in a sense, the interface to the handling element. The positioning head 32 can grasp the handling element via coupling means and move it to the desired location through the controlled movement of the gantry robot.For this purpose, the positioning head 32 has a coupling part (not shown here) that can be brought into engagement with a coupling part of the handling element for movement. The respective coupling part of the handling elements is designated 45 in Figures 4a-c.

[0079] In the present embodiment, the display panel 20 has parking zones arranged at the top and bottom, as well as along the edge of a vertical side, with a plurality of adjacent parking bays 21, 22 for parking individual handling elements. The parking bays 21, 22 of the parking zones are formed on the rear side of the display panel 20 by receptacles for the base body 47 of the moving parts of the handling elements. The receptacles are formed by indentations and complementary to the base body. The respective base body 47 of the handling elements has a circular base in cross-section; accordingly, the parking bay 21, 22 has a receptacle forming a circular arc.

[0080] Figure 3 shows the three different types of handling elements:

[0081] Housing holder 50, deflector 60, and upholder 70. The handling elements differ essentially in the different design of the front-side handling part; the rear-side moving parts 41 are obviously designed approximately the same for all handling elements. The handling part 42 of the housing holder 50 has a handling head 51, which is freely rotatably connected to a base body 43. The housing holder 50 has means for temporarily holding the housing, for example, a housing receptacle into which the housing 5 can be inserted for secure holding. The handling part of the deflector 60 has a handling head 63 with a hook 61. The handling part of the upholder 70 has a handling head 73 with a U-shaped cable receiving section 72, in which cables are collected and loosely held together, wherein the cable receiving section 72 is further away from the presentation plate 20 for holding the cable up.

[0082] The handling part of the deflector 60 has a handling head 63 adjoining a base body 44, which is freely rotatably connected to the base body 44. When the deflector is attached to the presentation plate 20, the axis of rotation runs with respect to the normal direction (z-direction) defined by the presentation plate 20. The handling head 63 of the deflector 60 is designed such that, when the deflector 60 is attached to the presentation plate 20, it remains in its vertically oriented basic position due to gravity. The same also applies to the upholder 70. The upholder 70 also has a handling head 73 adjoining a base body 47, which is freely rotatably connected to the base body 47. The handling head 73 of the holder 70 is designed such that when the holder 70 is mounted on the presentation plate 20, it remains in its vertically aligned basic position due to gravity.The handling head 51 of the housing holder 50 could also be rigidly connected to the associated base body 44. In this case, it is advantageous that the base body 44 and the handling head 51 can be rotated from the rear in order to adjust the angular alignment or orientation of the housing relative to the cable. The positioning system can actively specify the angular alignment of the housing holder by rotation. For this purpose, it can be advantageous if the housing holder 50 has four pairs of magnets, preferably at least two pairs of magnets, in order to be able to transmit the rotational movement from the moving part to the handling part. Design details for the configuration of the handling elements can be seen in Figure 4.Figure 4a shows that the handling head 73 of the lift holder 70 comprises a flank section 71 extending at an angle, in this case, for example, at 45° to the horizontal, and the cable receiving section 72 adjoining the flank section 71 and U-shaped in side view. The lift holder 70 can hold cables upright in the cable receiving section 72 and thus increase their distance from the presentation plate 20 so that other cables can be passed underneath the held-up cables. The flank section 71 serves as a type of threading aid. When the lift holder 70 is inserted into the cables to be lifted, the cables to be lifted are first pushed up along the flank section 71 until they finally land in the cable receiving section 72.

[0083] The deflector 60 shown in Figure 4b for deflecting the path of cables has a handling head 63 with an open hook 61 that presents a V-shape in a side view. A guide rod 62 is arranged on the hook 61 in the region of the apex of the hook. The hook 61 and the guide rod 62 form a horizontal "K" in a side view. The open hook 61 allows cables and cable bundles to be easily collected, with the guide rod 62 preventing cables from slipping under the hook. Since the deflection point defined by the hook 61 is advantageously positioned outside the footprint of the base body 44, it is also possible to fix difficult deflection situations, such as a T-junction, at a junction point using two deflectors.

[0084] The previously described concept of the device 1 for producing a cable harness comprising a presentation plate 20 and handling elements magnetically attached thereto could, as an alternative to the preferred embodiment shown here, also be advantageous for devices for producing cable harnesses in which the presentation plate 20 is oriented at an inclined position or inclined at an angle to the horizontal. The device 1 could even have a horizontal presentation plate. In the latter case, the front side of the presentation plate would correspond to an upper side of the presentation plate. The handling elements can also be constructed in two parts, with the handling part being assigned to the upper side and the movement part to the underside opposite the upper side (as the rear side) of the horizontal presentation plate. Figure 5 shows a rough overview of how a cable harness for, for example, an automobile can be produced.Of course, this process can also be used to create a wiring harness for another device intended for this purpose. The individual blocks represent, in a very simplified way, the following main process steps: 100 Prepare the drawing; 200 Determine the sequence;

[0085] Produce 300 wiring for the wiring harness;

[0086] 400 Place wiring for the cable harness on the presentation plate;

[0087] 500 Start and complete processing on the presentation plate; and 600 Place the finished wiring harness into the transfer position.

[0088] The electrical and electronic requirements of the vehicle dictate the desired wiring harness design. For this wiring harness, a technical drawing is first prepared and prepared in the first step 100. The technical drawing then forms the basis for industrial or mass production of the wiring harnesses. Based on the technical drawing, among other things, the optimal sequence in which the wiring for the wiring harness should initially be presented on the presentation board in a starting position can be determined (step 200).

[0089] Based on the technical drawing, the cables are unwound and assembled to the correct lengths. This occurs in step 300. The wiring for the cable harness is placed on the presentation board, with the cables being lined up according to the specifications from step 200 (step 400). In step 500, the cables, and in particular the cable ends, are formed into a tree structure according to the technical drawing. Cables are secured and fixed with spot tape, clips, or bandages, for example. After completion of step 500, the finished cable harness is finally brought into a transfer position, in which state the cable assembly can be transported to the vehicle for installation. From the transfer position, an operator or another robot can take over the cable harness.

[0090] Details for an exemplary design of the previously presented cable harness development process can be seen in Figure 6. The individual blocks represent the following simplified process steps:

[0091] 100 prepare drawing,

[0092] 110 Unwind the cable harness,

[0093] 120 Align the wiring harness,

[0094] 121 complex branches upwards,

[0095] 122 majority of branches upwards;

[0096] 200 Set order,

[0097] Place 210 branches upwards in the middle,

[0098] 220 Outside then main line,

[0099] 230 outer branches downwards,

[0100] 240 Check connection lengths,

[0101] 241 short connections next to each other,

[0102] 242 if necessary place branches downwards between the branches upwards;

[0103] Produce 300 wired harnesses;

[0104] 400 Place wired harness on presentation plate;

[0105] 500 Start processing,

[0106] 510 Pulling apart the row,

[0107] 520 Pre-positioning of the deflectors,

[0108] 530 branches move upwards,

[0109] 540 first spottapes set,

[0110] 550 Work on the wiring harness from top to bottom and from outside to inside,

[0111] 551 spottapes set,

[0112] 552 bandaging,

[0113] Attach 553 clips,

[0114] 560 branches downwards between the branches upwards,

[0115] 561 Prepare underpass,

[0116] 562 Retract the high holder,

[0117] 563 with deflector support,

[0118] 564 Housing holder sideways dragging down,

[0119] 570 Continue processing;

[0120] 600 Place the finished wiring harness into the handover position.

[0121] All or at least some of the above-mentioned process steps can be performed with the assembly comprising device 10, cable processing machine 1, and housing assembly machine 2. The preparation of the technical drawing for the cable harness (step 100) typically takes place at a different location, for example, using a computer. The determination of the sequence (step 200) can be automated using suitable software on a computer belonging to the assembly, and in particular to device 1. However, the determination of the sequence could also take place remotely.

[0122] The method for producing a cable harness using the device 10 previously described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 comprises the following essential steps:

[0123] Providing the vertical presentation plate 20;

[0124] Arranging cables 4 equipped with housings 5 ​​and required for the cable harness on the presentation plate 20 using housing holders 50, wherein the housing holders 50 are arranged in a predetermined order in the horizontal direction x;

[0125] Inserting deflectors 60 between the housing holders 50, wherein the housing holders 50 are first moved in such a way that the distance between the housing holders 50 is increased in order to enable the deflectors 60 to insert smoothly between the housing holders 50;

[0126] Moving a portion of the housing holders 50 from the row of housing holders, preferably moving upward those housing holders 50 which are associated with upper branches of the wiring harness;

[0127] Attaching securing devices from the group of spot tapes 82, clips or bandages 83 for fixing and securing upwardly moved cables 4 point by point or in sections by means of the processing robot 3.

[0128] Further details on the method for producing the cable harness using the device 1 can be seen in Figures 7a-p using a specific exemplary embodiment. Figure 7a shows a technical drawing 81 for a cable harness. Such a technical drawing represents the wiring plan for the cable harness. Figure 7b essentially corresponds to an abstracted version of the technical drawing 81 of Figure 7a; in particular, not all connections or cables are shown. The virtual model of the cable harness is designated 84. Since the cable harness 84 in question, as an example, has several branches that go downwards, it is rotated by 180°. Figure 7c shows the simplified cable harness 84 after this rotation.If the cables are arranged on the display plate in such a way that the lower branches are in the minority compared to the upper branches, it can be ensured that as few underpasses as possible have to be made using high hold-ups, which makes the process considerably faster and easier to carry out.

[0129] Now, the order of the enclosures and thus the enclosure holders that hold them can be determined. When determining the order, the length of the respective cables must be taken into account. In Figure 7d, which is based on Figure 7c, critical cables with particularly short cable lengths are additionally represented by dashed lines. With short cables, there is less freedom in positioning them or their enclosures, as the scope for creating U-shaped cable loops is limited.

[0130] In Figure 7 e, the cable housings for the wiring harness are labeled "A" to "J." The order of the housings (and thus the order of the corresponding housing holders) is determined by the following factors:

[0131] - Housings assigned to upwardly oriented branches of the wiring harness are positioned in the middle of the row;

[0132] - Housings associated with the main wiring harness are positioned at the outside of the row;

[0133] Housings assigned to downward-facing branches of the wiring harness are positioned on the outside in the row. When positioning the housings in the row, the respective cable lengths of the cables are taken into account, with the housings assigned to common cables with short cable lengths preferably being positioned directly next to one another. The sequence A to J is therefore defined as follows in the present exemplary embodiment: Housings B, C, E, G, and H, which are assigned to upward-facing branches of the wiring harness, are initially positioned in the middle of the row. Housings A and I, which are assigned to the main branch of the wiring harness, are positioned on the outside in the row. Housings D, F, and J, which are assigned to downward-facing branches of the wiring harness, should be arranged on the outside next to housings A and I of the main branch.However, the respective cable lengths, and especially the particularly short cables, must be taken into account. Therefore, the two housings B and C, which are connected by a very short cable, must be positioned directly next to each other. According to the above rule regarding downward-facing branches, housings D and F should actually be positioned further out. However, since cables DE and EF are obviously short, this must be taken into account, which is why D must be positioned next to E on one side and F on the other. Finally, the downward-facing branch with housing J provided at the end of the branch must be taken into account. As mentioned at the beginning, as few under-travels using high hold-downs as possible should be made, housing J is positioned on the outside in the row, in this case to the right of housing I.

[0134] In Figure 7f, the housings are shown arranged side by side in the predetermined sequence A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J. This essentially corresponds to the arrangement of the housing holders 50 as they are arranged on the vertical display panel. This arrangement is shown in Figure 7h. The housing holders 50 are arranged in the predetermined sequence in the horizontal direction (x).

[0135] Figure 7g shows a cable processing machine 1 and a housing assembly machine 2, in which the cables required for the cable harness are cut to length, assembled, and fitted with housings 5. The respective cables 4 are already present in these devices 1 and 2 as downwardly hanging U-shaped cable loops. From the housing assembly machine 2, the cables are brought manually or with appropriate transfer means (not shown here) to the vertical presentation plate and arranged there as shown in Figure 7h. The housings can be completely lined up next to one another to save space and simplify handling for transfer to the presentation plate. The housings could also be divided into blocks. In the initial position shown in Figure 7h, a raw form for the cable harness is presented on the presentation plate, in which it has been formed into a U-shape with a plurality of U-shaped cables 4 hanging downwards, forming cable loops.

[0136] The housing holders 50 are then moved such that the distance between the housing holders 50 is increased (Figure 7h). After the pulling apart is complete, the situation shown in Figure 7i results. The purpose of pulling apart is, among other things, to reduce the depth of the cable loops. This brings the cable loops under better control for the subsequent process step (less swinging, less fanning out) and creates space to place deflectors between the housing holders. Furthermore, Figure 7i shows that all housing holders 50, and more precisely, all handling heads of the housing holders, which handling heads are freely rotatably connected to the associated base bodies, are in a vertically aligned home position.

[0137] After being pulled apart, deflectors 60, symbolically represented as circles, can be smoothly inserted between the housing holders 50. This step is shown in Figure 7j. The housing holders 50 are then moved upward, which are assigned to the upper branches of the cable harness. For clarity, the housing holders 50 are indexed, with the respective index corresponding to the housing in the sequence shown in Figure 7f. Deflectors 60 ensure the desired deflection of the cables 4. The direction of movement of the housing holders 50B, 50C, 50E, 50G, 50H is indicated by arrows. The corresponding position is shown in Figure 7k.

[0138] In Figure 71, the first securing devices have already been applied. 82 denotes spot tapes (indicated by small blackened squares), with which cables 4 are fixed at specific points. Further securing devices are bandages 83, with which longer sections of cables are wrapped and thus secured. During bandaging, it is sometimes also necessary to place the branch points in an overextended position. The securing devices 82, 83 are applied using processing robots. The respective processing robot(s) 3 are symbolically represented by small triangles. The use of several processing robots 3 is advantageous so that securing devices can be applied simultaneously at different locations on the cable harness.

[0139] The desired processing points of the cable harness are advantageously presented to the processing robot 3 in an overextended position and not in the final angled position, to ensure accessibility to the respective processing point. Figure 71 also shows that during or after the step in which the branches are moved upward by moving the housing holders 5 OB, 50C, 5 OE, 5 OG, 5 OH and the deflectors 60 are positioned so that the first spot tapes (at the branch points to the main strand) are applied, the branching points of the branches upward are also already prepared (here, for example, between B and C).

[0140] As shown in Figure 7m, further movements of the handling elements 50, 60 then take place. The cable harness is pulled apart, for example, and the housing holders are separated. For example, the housing holder 50j is moved further outward to the right in a lateral dragging motion. Further spot tapes 82 are applied by means of the processing robot 3, resulting in the position shown in Figure 7n. The structure of the cable harness is already clearly defined and is characterized by a few freely swinging loops, which significantly simplifies the use of the holders.

[0141] Figure 7m further shows that, at least in some areas, the housing holders are moved in such a way that, in combination with the deflectors, an extension occurs, whereby the freely rotatably mounted handling heads of the housing holders are aligned in a position other than the vertical base position. This is evident, for example, in the case of housing holder 50j, which, or more precisely, its handling head, is now aligned horizontally.

[0142] Now, the housing holder 50D, since it is assigned to a downward-oriented branch of the cable harness, can be moved downward. To do this, the upright holders 70 are retracted into the main strand, as also shown in Figure 7n. Care must be taken to ensure that the main strand sags sufficiently to allow deflection by the upright holders 70. As the upright holder is retracted into the main strand to be lifted, it is first pushed up along the flank section and finally brought into the U-shaped cable receiving section at a higher level than the presentation plate. In other words, the cables gathered in the form of the cable harness are held up by the upright holders 70, thus increasing the distance to the presentation plate to allow cables to pass underneath the held-up cables. The underpass is now prepared, and the branch in question can pass under the cable harness.Thus, the housing holder 50D can be moved downward without interference. This results in the position shown in Figure 7o. When moving the housing holder 50D, it is advantageous for the movement to be performed as a lateral drag. The housing holder 50D is not moved in a straight line from the position shown in Figure 7n to Figure 7o, but the travel curve of the housing holder 50D can have a curved course. The travel curve is indicated in Figure 7n with a dashed line. The lateral drag, especially when supported by one or more deflectors 60, prevents kinking of the wire connections of the cables 4 and uncontrolled or other undesirable behavior of the cable loops. The lateral drag advantageously takes place in a first phase of the respective movement of the respective housing holder.This is particularly advantageous for housing holders that have to be moved downwards and whose movement should always begin with lateral dragging.

[0143] Next, the housing holder 50F must be moved downwards. The corresponding procedure is roughly analogous to that for the first lower branch or the housing holder 50D. Finally, the desired wiring harness 80 is created.

[0144] Figure 7p shows this cable harness 80, wherein it is slightly compressed in the horizontal direction in addition to creating a transfer position, since in this compressed form the cable harness is overall easier to handle for further use.

[0145] As Figure 8 shows, the device 10 can have two presentation plates 20, 20'. Between the two presentation plates 20, 20', three processing robots 3 are provided, by way of example in the present case, with the aid of which securing means can be attached to the cables 4 on both sides for fixing and securing them point by point or in sections. The handling elements for handling the cables 4 of the cable harness are generally designated 40 in the present case. These handling elements 40 can be the housing holders, deflectors, or holders already mentioned and described above. Figure 8 further shows that the positioning head 32 of the positioning system can have a plurality of coupling parts. In the present case, the positioning head 32 has, by way of example, three coupling parts 33, 34, 35. Three handling elements 40 can be moved via the coupling parts 33, 34, 35.The coupling parts corresponding to the coupling parts 33, 34, 35 and assigned to the handling elements 40 are designated by 45, and the handling heads are generally designated by 46. Figures 9a and 9b show such a variant of a positioning head 32 with several coupling parts 33, 34, 35. The coupling parts 33, 34, 35 can be moved linearly on a common axis, whereby the distance between the coupling parts 33, 34, 35 and thus also the distance between handling elements (not shown here) can be adjusted.

[0146] Figures 9a and 9b show a further variant of a positioning head 32 with multiple coupling parts 33, 34, 35, whereby this positioning head allows movements with multiple degrees of freedom. In this case, the positioning head 32 has an adjustment mechanism by which the two outer coupling parts 33 and 35 can be pivoted and displaced back and forth relative to an axis 48, 49, respectively.

Claims

1. Device (10) for producing a cable harness comprising a presentation plate (20) on which cables (4) of the cable harness can be arranged on a front side of the presentation plate, Handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) for handling the cables (4) of the cable harness, wherein the handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are mounted or mountable on the presentation plate (20) and are designed such that they are movable in all directions (x, y) of the plane defined by the presentation plate (20).

2. Device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the presentation plate (20) consists of a non-ferromagnetic material and that the handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) each comprise a front-side handling part (42) and a rear-side moving part (41), wherein at least one of the parts of the respective handling element is equipped with a permanent magnet for magnetic attachment to the presentation plate and wherein the other part contains ferromagnetic material or the other part is also equipped with a permanent magnet, but with an unlike pole, so that the permanent magnets attract one another.

3. Device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the moving part (41) has a coupling part (45) adjoining a base body (47).

4. Device (10) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the handling part (42) has a handling head (46, 51, 63, 73) adjoining a base body (43, 44) which is connected to the base body (43) so as to be freely rotatable with respect to the normal direction.

5. Device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the presentation plate (20) is a vertical presentation plate (20) and that the handling head (46, 51, 63, 73) is designed such that when the Handling element (50, 60, 70) is mounted on the presentation plate (20), the handling head (46, 51, 63, 73) remains in its vertically aligned basic position due to gravity.

6. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least some of the handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are designed as housing holders (50) for holding housings (5).

7. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least some of the handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are designed as deflectors (60) for deflecting the course of cables (4) 8. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least some of the handling elements are designed as housing holders (50) for holding housings (5), another part of the handling elements are designed as deflectors (60) for deflecting the course of cables (4) and another part of the handling elements are designed as holders (70).

9. Device (10) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the handling head (63) of the deflector (60) comprises an open hook (61) which preferably has a V-shape in a side view and a guide element arranged on the hook and in particular a guide rod (62).

10. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that at least some of the handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) are designed as high holders (70).

11. Device (10) according to claim 8 or 10, characterized in that the handling head (73) of the high holder (70) comprises an obliquely extending flank section (71) and a cable receiving section (72) adjoining the flank section (71), preferably U-shaped in side view.

12. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the presentation plate (20) has at least one preferably edge-side arranged Parking zone with a plurality of adjacent parking bays (21, 22) for parking individual handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70). Device (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that the respective handling element (40, 50, 60, 70) has a base body (47) with a base area that is preferably circular in cross-section, and that each parking bay (21, 22) has a receptacle for the base body and, in particular, a receptacle that is complementary to the base body and preferably forms a circular arc. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it has a positioning system (30) for moving the handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) into the desired position, which positioning system is integrated into the display panel (20), and that the positioning system (30) is formed by a gantry robot.Device (10) according to claim 14, characterized in that the positioning system for jointly moving a plurality of handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70) comprises a positioning head (32) with a plurality of coupling parts (33, 34, 35), via which the positioning system can be brought into operative connection with a plurality of handling elements (40, 50, 60, 70), wherein the plurality of coupling parts (33, 34, 35) can be moved separately relative to one another at least with respect to the plane (x, z) of the presentation plate (20). Device (10) according to claim 15, characterized in that the positioning head (32) is designed such that the plurality of coupling parts (33, 34, 35) are arranged in a row next to one another at a distance from one another, which distance can be changed by means of an adjusting mechanism and / or that the plurality of coupling parts (33, 34, 35) are pivotally connected to one another.Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that it has two presentation plates (20, 20') and that at least one processing robot (3) is provided between the two presentation plates (20, 20'). by means of which securing means (82, 83) for fixing and securing the cables (4) at specific points or in sections can be attached. A method for producing a cable harness, in particular using the device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 17, comprising the following steps: Providing a vertical presentation plate (20) Arranging cables (4) equipped with housings (5) and required for the cable harness on the presentation plate (20) using housing holders (50), wherein the housing holders (50) are arranged in a predetermined sequence in the horizontal direction (x), inserting deflectors (60) between the housing holders (50), wherein beforehand, if necessary, the housing holders (50) are moved such that the distance between the housing holders (50) is increased, moving a portion of the housing holders (50) from the row of housing holders, wherein preferably those housing holders (50) are moved upwards which are assigned to the upper branches of the cable harness, Applying securing means from the group of spot tapes (82), clips, or bandages (83) for fixing and securing upwardly moved cables point-by-point or in sections by means of at least one processing robot (3). Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the securing means are applied step-by-step, wherein between the steps a housing holder (50) and optionally a deflector (60) are brought into position by corresponding movement, which includes movement components in the horizontal direction. Method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the housing holders (50) assigned to the lower branches of the cable harness are only moved downward after the cable harness has been completed with respect to the upper branches. Method according to claim 20, characterized in that cables are lifted by means of lifting devices (70) so that housing holders (50) can move downwards to create lower branches beneath the thus lifted cable. Method according to one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that the sequence of the lined-up housing holders (50) is determined according to the following factors: Housing holders (50) and thus the housings held by them, which are assigned to upwardly oriented branches of the cable harness, are positioned in the middle of the row; Housing holders (50) and thus the housings held by them, which are assigned to the main strand of the wiring harness, are positioned on the outside in the row; Housing holders (50) and thus the housings held by them, which are assigned to downwardly oriented branches of the cable harness, are positioned further out in the row; when positioning the housing holders (50) in the row, the respective cable lengths of the cables are taken into account, whereby housing holders or the housings held by them, which are each assigned to common cables with short cable lengths, are preferably positioned directly next to one another.

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