Method, system and computer program product for wire connector assembly

Abstract

To provide a method, system and computer program product for automated insertion of a wire contact into an insertion hole of a connector.SOLUTION: The method includes: controlling a robot having an end-effector to position a wire contact proximately to a connector by using a wire gripper and a separator device of the end-effector; controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector, and to align the wire contact with an insertion hole of the connector; controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the insertion hole of the connector, and to at least partially insert the wire contact into the insertion hole; controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper, and to withdraw the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001]

[0001] A method, system, and computer program product for wire connector assembly via wire insertion are provided, according to an exemplary embodiment. In particular, it relates to a method, system, and computer program product for aligning and inserting wire contacts into the insertion holes of a connector in any insertion order.

Background Art

[0002]

[0002] Wire bundles consisting of multiple wires are used in various industries to transmit countless different types of signals. The wires of a wire bundle assembly must frequently be terminated with wire contacts, and the resulting wire ends are inserted into the wire contact insertion holes of a connector, such as a rubber grommet of the connector. Each wire of the wire bundle is unique and may transmit different types of signals, so the wire ends of the wire bundle assembly must be inserted into specific wire contact insertion holes of the connector for proper connection.

[0003]

[0003] The wire ends of a wire bundle assembly may be manually inserted into the respective wire contact insertion holes defined by the connector. Since wire bundle assemblies generally involve dozens or possibly hundreds of wires, this manual connection process is relatively time-consuming and prone to errors, which can result in increased overall assembly costs, including the assembly of the wire bundle. Therefore, in efforts to reduce the time spent making connections and correspondingly reduce the resulting assembly costs, automated techniques for inserting the wire ends of a wire bundle assembly into the wire contact insertion holes of the connector have been developed. However, wire bundle assembly machines generally require the connector to be within a very limited and controlled set of positions in order to increase the likelihood that the wire ends of the wire bundle assembly can be properly inserted into the wire contact insertion holes of the connector. Thus, wire bundle assembly machines limit the flexibility to which the connector may be presented and are therefore not suitable for all scenarios. Furthermore, automated wire insertion techniques may improperly insert the wire contacts into the connector, thereby stopping the automated process and requiring correction. [Overview of the project]

[0004]

[0004] Methods, systems, and computer program products for assembling wire connectors via wire insertion are provided. In particular, methods, systems, and computer program products for aligning and inserting wire contacts into insertion holes of a connector in any insertion order are provided. Multiple embodiments include a system for automatically inserting wire contacts into designated wire contact insertion holes of a connector. The system includes a robot having an end effector, in which case the end effector includes a wire gripper for holding the wire contacts and a separator device. The system further includes a computing device. In this case, the computing device is configured to control the robot to position the wire gripper holding the wire contacts near the connector; to control the robot to advance the separator device through one or more wires previously connected to the connector; to control the robot to align the wire contacts with a designated wire contact insertion hole in the connector; to advance the wire contacts toward the designated wire contact insertion hole in the connector and to at least partially insert the wire contacts into the designated wire contact insertion hole; to control the robot to release the wire contacts from the wire gripper; and to control the robot to retract the wire gripper and separator from between two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0005]

[0005] According to some embodiments, a computing device configured to control a robot to move a separator device forward through one or more wires previously connected to a connector is further configured to control the robot to move the separator device forward from a first position relative to a wire gripper to a second position relative to a wire gripper. In this case, the first position is further from the connector than the wire gripper, and the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper. The computing device is further configured to control the robot to drive the separator device through one or more wires at a position between the wire gripper and the connector. According to certain embodiments, a computing device configured to control a robot to move a separator device forward through one or more wires previously connected to a connector is further configured to control the robot to move the separator device from a second position relative to a wire gripper to a first position relative to a wire gripper while the separator device is engaged with one or more wires.

[0006]

[0006] According to a particular embodiment, the computing device configured to control a robot to advance a wire contact toward a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole further includes causing the robot to advance the wire contact toward a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole, which is not obstructed by one or more wires previously connected to the connector. The computing device in an exemplary embodiment is further configured to determine the location of an occupied wire contact insertion hole of a connector, in which case the occupied wire contact insertion hole is occupied by one or more wires previously connected to the connector. The computing device is further configured to identify a path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, in which case the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis.

[0007]

[0007] According to several embodiments, a computing device configured to identify a path to the insertion axis of a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector, which is perpendicular to the insertion axis, is further configured to identify the path to the insertion axis of a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector based on the maximum distance between the path and at least one of the occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector. In some embodiments, the computing device configured to identify a path to the insertion axis of a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector, which is perpendicular to the insertion axis, is configured to identify the angle of the path to the insertion axis of a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector with respect to the vertical axis. In that case, a computing device configured to control a robot to position a wire gripper holding a wire contact near the connector is further configured in some embodiments to control the robot to rotate relative to the connector to the angle of the path.

[0008]

[0008] According to some embodiments, one or more wires previously connected to the connector include two or more wires previously connected to the connector. A computing device configured to control a robot to move the separator device forward through one or more wires previously connected to the connector includes a computing device configured to control a robot to move the separator device forward between two or more wires previously connected to the connector. In this case, the separator device of one exemplary embodiment includes a first separator element and a second separator element. In this case, a computing device configured to control a robot to move the separator device forward between two or more wires previously connected to the connector includes, in some embodiments, a computing device configured to drive the point where the first separator element meets the second separator element between two or more wires previously connected to the connector, along a path to the insertion axis of a designated wire contact insertion hole in the connector. In this case, the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis.

[0009]

[0009] Multiple embodiments provided herein include a method for automatically inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector. The method includes controlling a robot having an end effector to position a wire contact near a connector using a wire gripper and separator device of the end effector; controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector; controlling the robot to align the wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector; controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole; controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and controlling the robot to retract the wire gripper and separator device from between two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0010]

[0010] According to some embodiments, controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector includes controlling the robot to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper to a second position relative to the wire gripper, where the first position is further away from the connector than the wire gripper and the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper. Controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector further includes controlling the robot to drive the separator device between two or more wires at a position between the wire gripper and the connector. In some embodiments, controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector further includes controlling the robot to move the separator device from a second position relative to the wire gripper to a first position relative to the wire gripper while the separator device is engaged between two or more wires.

[0011]

[0011] According to some embodiments, controlling a robot to advance a wire contact toward a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole further includes advancing the wire contact toward a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole between two or more wires previously connected to the connector. The method of some embodiments further includes determining the location of an occupied wire contact insertion hole of a connector, in which case the occupied wire contact insertion hole is occupied by two or more wires previously connected to the connector. The method further includes identifying the path of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector to the insertion axis, in which case the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis.

[0012]

[0012] According to certain embodiments, identifying a path from a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector to the insertion axis, which is perpendicular to the insertion axis, further includes identifying a path from a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector to the insertion axis based on the maximum distance between the path and at least one of the occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector. Identifying a path from a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector to the insertion axis, which is perpendicular to the insertion axis, further includes identifying the angle of the path from the designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector to the insertion axis with respect to the vertical axis. In that case, controlling the robot to position the wire gripper holding the wire contact near the connector further includes controlling the robot to rotate to the angle of the path with respect to the connector.

[0013]

[0013] According to some embodiments, the separator device includes a first separator element and a second separator element. In this case, controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector includes driving the point where the first separator element meets the second separator element along a path to the insertion axis of a designated wire contact insertion hole in the connector, between two or more wires previously connected to the connector. In this case, the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis.

[0014]

[0014] Multiple embodiments provided herein include a device. The device includes at least one processor and at least one memory, which include computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured by the processor to cause the device to perform at least the following actions: control a robot having an end effector to position a wire contact near a connector using a wire gripper and separator device of the end effector; control a robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector; control a robot to align the wire contact with a designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector; control a robot to advance the wire contact toward a designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole; control a robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and control a robot to retract the wire gripper and separator device from between two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0015]

[0015] According to some embodiments, causing the robot to perform actions to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector includes causing the robot to perform actions to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper to a second position relative to the wire gripper, where the first position is further away from the connector than the wire gripper and the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper. Causing the robot to perform actions to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector further includes causing the robot to perform actions to drive the separator device between two or more wires at a position between the wire gripper and the connector. Causing the robot to perform actions to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector further includes causing the robot to perform actions to move the separator device from a second position relative to the wire gripper to a first position relative to the wire gripper, with the separator device engaged between two or more wires. Causing the robot to move a wire contact forward toward a designated wire contact insertion hole in a connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole further includes causing the robot to move a wire contact forward toward a designated wire contact insertion hole in a connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole between two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0016]

[0016] Certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in general terms, but refer to the accompanying drawings below. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1]

[0017] Perspective view of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]

[0018] Front view of the connector of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3]

[0019] Block diagram of a system that may be particularly configured according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4]

[0020] Depicts a robotic end effector, a wire gripper, a separator device, and an image acquisition device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5]

[0021] Shows several views of recovering a wire having a wire contact using a wire gripper according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]

[0022] Shows an image of a connector acquired by the image acquisition device of the robotic end effector of FIG. 4 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]

[0023] Flowchart of a process for aligning a wire contact to a specified wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]

[0024] Diagram of a robotic end effector including an image acquisition device, a wire gripper, and a separator device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9]

[0025] Another explanatory diagram of the robotic end effector of FIG. 8 including an image acquisition device, a wire gripper, and a separator device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10]

[0026] Two explanatory diagrams of operations in a process of inserting a wire contact into a specified wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]

[0027] Two explanatory diagrams of another operation in the process of inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12]

[0028] Two explanatory diagrams of another operation in the process of inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13]

[0029] Two explanatory diagrams of yet another operation in the process of inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14]

[0030] Two explanatory diagrams of another operation in the process of inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 15]

[0031] Two explanatory diagrams of yet another operation in the process of inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 16]

[0032] Two explanatory diagrams of another operation in the process of inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17]

[0033] A diagram of a wire connector having a previously installed wire and a path for advancing a wire contact along the insertion axis of a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 18]

[0034] A depiction of pseudocode for optimizing the approach angle for advancing a wire contact along the insertion axis of a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 19]

[0035] This is a flowchart of a method for inserting wire contacts into designated wire contact insertion holes of a connector to which two or more wires have been previously connected, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018]

[0036] This disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, although the accompanying drawings do not illustrate all aspects of this disclosure. In fact, this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the forms described herein. Rather, these forms are provided so as to satisfy the applicable legal requirements of this disclosure. Similar numbers throughout indicate similar elements.

[0019]

[0037] A method, system, and computer program product for automatically aligning wire contacts into insertion holes of a connector is provided according to an exemplary embodiment described herein. In particular, the method, system, and computer program for aligning and inserting wire contacts into insertion holes of a connector in any insertion order is provided. The process described herein uses a camera mounted on a robot end effector to simultaneously detect the wire contacts and insertion holes. Using simultaneous detection, several embodiments of the method of the present disclosure provide feedback for corrective movements of a robot arm used to insert wire contacts into insertion holes of a connector. The movement of the robot arm aligns the wire contacts to a designated wire contact insertion hole and successfully inserts them into the appropriate hole of the connector. However, wire connectors often contain multiple wires to be inserted into the connector. Therefore, wire contacts that are placed in the connector after some wire contacts have already been inserted may face further difficulties due to wire leads extending from the connector, which obstruct both the line of sight and the insertion line for inserting the wire contacts into the insertion holes of the connector. Multiple embodiments described herein overcome the challenge of inserting wire contacts into the insertion holes of a connector when multiple wire contacts are already inserted into other insertion holes of the connector.

[0020]

[0038] The assembly of wire bundles, including the attachment of one or more wire connectors to the wire bundle, has traditionally been a labor-intensive process that is time-consuming and introduces opportunities for assembly errors. Multiple embodiments described herein enable the automated assembly of wire bundles and their associated wire connectors in a manner that does not require a specific insertion order. Multiple embodiments provide processes for robotically retrieving wire contacts and robotically inserting them into connectors, in particular enabling insertion in any insertion hole order. Multiple embodiments include a separating mechanism in which a camera located near a gripper that grasps the wire separates the wire from previously inserted wire contacts while providing alignment of the contacts with the holes. Images from the camera are processed to control the alignment and insertion of the wire contacts into the connector. Multiple embodiments result in the automatic insertion of wire ends and their respective wire contacts into the connector without requiring a specific insertion order. Multiple embodiments described herein may use a robotic arm having a robotic end effector to insert the wires, supporting flexible layout of connectors and wires.

[0021]

[0039] A method, system, and computer program product are provided, according to one exemplary embodiment, to provide a clear path for a wire contact to be inserted into a connector insertion hole. Multiple embodiments use a separating mechanism for separating wires that have already been inserted into the connector near the connector. That is, a camera may locate the wire contact and the wire contact insertion hole defined by the connector in order to align and insert the wire contact into the wire contact insertion hole. The method, system, and computer program product may be configured to locate the wire contact and the wire contact insertion hole of various different types of connectors, but a connector generally defines multiple wire contact insertion holes or connector holes within its housing, with the wire contact insertion holes arranged in a predetermined configuration. Different connectors may include a different number of wire contact insertion holes, and may include wire contact insertion holes arranged in different configurations.

[0022]

[0040] An embodiment of a connector taking the form of connector 10 is depicted in Figures 1 and 2. As shown, connector 10 includes a housing 12 and a rubber grommet 16 located within the housing 12. The housing 12 may be configured differently for other types of connectors, but the housing of connector 10 in one embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 is threaded, for example, to facilitate screwing it with a wire bundle assembly or another connector. Connector 10 in Figures 1 and 2 also includes a radially extending flange defining a plurality of openings 13, such as for receiving screws or other fasteners for mounting the connector to an assembly. Connector 10 in Figure 1 has a cylindrical shape, but connectors in other exemplary embodiments may have different sizes and shapes. With respect to the exemplary connector in Figures 1 and 2, the rubber grommet 16 is located within the housing and defines a plurality of wire contact insertion holes 18. The wire contact insertion hole 18, defined by the rubber grommet 16, is configured such that a wire end, consisting of a wire contact (e.g., crimped) connected to the end of a wire, is mechanically held within the wire contact insertion hole 18, for example, by being sized and molded.

[0023]

[0041] As shown by one embodiment of the connector 10 in Figures 1 and 2, the multiple wire contact insertion holes 18 defined by the rubber grommet 16 are arranged in a predetermined pattern. In some embodiments, not all of the wire contact insertion holes of the connector 10 will be utilized; instead, only a subset of the wire contact insertion holes will receive the corresponding wire ends of a wire bundle assembly and make an electrical connection with those wire ends. As shown in Figure 2, wire contact insertion holes 18 defined by the rubber grommet 16 that are not used in conjunction with a particular application may be excluded from further consideration by inserting a plug 20 into each of the wire contact insertion holes defined by the rubber grommet. A connector 10 that may be analyzed according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is depicted in Figures 1 and 2 and will be described hereafter herein, but the methods, systems, and computer program products of the exemplary embodiment may be used in conjunction with a wide variety of other connectors, and the connectors are illustrated and described in an exemplary manner, not limitingly.

[0024]

[0042] The wire connector plugs 20 can be used to fill holes that do not need to be used for the assembled wire bundle. For example, a connector may have 20 wire contact insertion holes 18, but the wire bundle supplied to the connector 10 may only have 18 wires and corresponding wire contacts. In such an embodiment, unused wire contact insertion holes may be sealed with plugs 20. This reduces or eliminates the possibility that water, moisture, or other corrosive / oxidizing substances could enter the connector and contaminate the wires and wire contacts.

[0025]

[0043] As is evident from the connector 10 in Figures 1 and 2, the connector may include a plurality of wire contact insertion holes 18 into which wire contacts are received. As a wire contact is inserted for each wire, the connector becomes crowded with wire pigtails, and the vicinity of the connector becomes particularly dense. This makes it difficult to continuously insert wire contacts into the remaining available insertion holes of the connector, in particular when computer vision is used to identify the available insertion holes for alignment. Several embodiments provided herein facilitate the insertion of wire contacts in any order. This ability improves the robotic alignment and insertion of wire contacts into the connector insertion holes.

[0026]

[0044] Referring next to Figure 3, a system is depicted for separating wires with contacts that have been previously inserted into the connector, locating the wire contact insertion holes 18 of the connector 10, and inserting the wire contacts into the corresponding available wire contact insertion holes 18. As shown, the system 30 includes a camera 32 configured to acquire an image of the connector 10. Although multiple cameras are shown in Figure 3, multiple embodiments may employ a single camera, or a single camera may be used, or a single camera may be used, working with a mirror to provide various viewpoints of the connector 10. The camera described herein is a type of image acquisition device. In this case, various types of image acquisition devices may be used instead of a camera. An image acquisition device generally acquires an image of the device's field of view. A camera such as the one described herein acquires an image of the field of view in the visible light spectrum and processes the image accordingly. The camera 32 may be configured to acquire a grayscale image of the connector 10. Alternatively, the camera 32 may be configured to acquire a color image of the connector 10. In one embodiment in which a color image of the connector 10 is acquired, the images associated with each different color channel of the camera 32, such as the red, green, and blue channels, may be averaged to produce a composite image for subsequent analysis and review. Alternatively, the different color channels of the camera 32 may be analyzed separately. The camera 32 is generally configured to acquire an image of the front of the connector 10, as shown in Figure 2, thereby clearly showing the multiple wire contact insertion holes 18 defined by the rubber grommet 16. The camera 32 may also be configured to acquire an image of the wire contacts while they are aligned with the connector 10. Thus, the images acquired by the camera 32 in the exemplary embodiment may be acquired at multiple angles to provide various viewpoints of the connector 10 and the wire contacts.

[0027]

[0045] In addition to the camera 32, the system 30 in Figure 3 includes a computing device 34 configured to analyze images of the connector 10 acquired by the camera and identify the wire contact insertion holes and wire contacts of the connector. The system 30 may also be configured to identify the plug 20 within the connector 10. As also shown in Figure 3, the system 30 in one exemplary embodiment also includes, or communicates with, a robot 44, in particular a robot end effector. The end effector is used to insert the wire ends / contacts into the respective candidate contact insertion holes of the connector 10 based on the identification of the wire contact insertion holes and wire contacts of the connector by the computing device 34.

[0028]

[0046] Identifying wire contact insertion holes within a connector is generally not more complex when the connector does not have any wires inserted into it. However, in several embodiments described herein, the system in Figure 3 allows wires inserted into the connector to be moved in order to provide visibility to the available wire contact insertion holes of the connector. In this way, insertion holes that are obscured by wires inserted into the connector become visible by separating the wires around the available wire contact insertion holes, and visibility of the available wire contact insertion holes for wire contact alignment and insertion can be provided to camera 32.

[0029]

[0047] The computing device 34 may be configured in various ways and may therefore be embodied as a personal computer, tablet computer, computer workstation, portable computing device such as a smartphone, server, etc. Regardless of how the computing device 34 is embodied, the computing device of one exemplary embodiment includes, or is associated with, a processing circuit 36, memory 38, and an optional user interface 40 and a communication interface 42 for performing various functions described herein. The processing circuit 36 ​​may be embodied by various means, including, for example, one or more microprocessors, one or more coprocessors, one or more multicore processors, one or more controllers, one or more computers, various other processing elements including integrated circuits such as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) or FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), or any combination thereof. In some exemplary embodiments, the processing circuit 36 ​​is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 38 or otherwise accessible to the processing circuit. When these instructions are executed by the processing circuit 36, they cause the computer device 34, and in turn the system 30, to perform one or more of the functions described herein. Thus, the computing device 34 may constitute an entity capable of performing operations according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, while appropriately configured. For example, when the processing circuit 36 ​​is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA, etc., the processing circuit and the corresponding computing device 34 may include hardware specially configured to perform one or more operations described herein. Alternatively, in another embodiment, when the processing circuit 36 ​​is embodied as an instruction execution device, the instructions may be stored in memory 38, etc., and the processing circuit, and in turn the computing device 34, can be specially configured to perform one or more algorithms and operations described herein.

[0030]

[0048] Memory 38 may include, for example, volatile and / or non-volatile memory. Memory 38 may include, for example, a hard disk, random access memory, cache memory, flash memory, optical discs (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), etc.), circuits configured to store information, or a combination thereof. In this regard, memory 38 may include any non-transient computer-readable storage medium. Memory 38 may be configured to store information, data, applications, instructions, etc., to enable the computing device 34 to perform various functions according to some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. For example, memory 38 may be configured to store program instructions for execution by the processing circuit 36.

[0031]

[0049] The user interface 40 may communicate with the processing circuit 36 ​​and the memory 38 to receive user input and / or to provide the user with audible, visual, mechanical, or other output. Thus, the user interface 40 may include, for example, a display for providing images acquired by the camera 32 and / or images visually depicting the best match between candidate contacts and a given template, as described below. Several other embodiments of the user interface 40 include a keyboard, mouse, joystick, microphone, and / or other input / output mechanisms.

[0032]

[0050] The communication interface 42 may communicate with the processing circuit 36 ​​and the memory 38, and may be configured to send and receive data, such as by receiving images from the camera 32 and transmitting information such as candidate contact insertion holes, contact ID numbers, and a list of the positions of the candidate contact insertion holes in a connector-based coordinate system to the robot 44 and / or robot end effector. While referred to herein as candidate contact insertion holes, contact ID numbers, and positions of the candidate contact insertion holes, the list of candidate contact insertion holes, contact ID numbers, and positions of the candidate contact insertion holes will be interpreted as being associated with the candidate contact insertion holes themselves and / or wire contacts (in those embodiments including such wire contacts) aligned to each candidate contact insertion hole. The communication interface 42 may include, for example, one or more antennas and supporting hardware and / or software for enabling communication with a wireless communication network. Furthermore or alternatively, the communication interface 42 may include circuits for interacting with (one or more) antennas to handle the transmission of signals via (one or more) antennas or the reception of signals received via (one or more) antennas. In some environments, the communication interface 42 may support wired communication as an alternative, or it may also support wired communication.

[0033]

[0051] Referring next to Figure 4, an exemplary embodiment of a system performing the method described herein, including a robot end effector 100, is shown. The robot end effector 100 may include a tool head having three or more degrees of freedom, as well as an image acquisition device including a first camera 102 and a second camera 104. The robot end effector 100 may support a wire 111, including a wire contact 114 at the tip of the wire 111, within a wire gripper 108. The robot end effector in several exemplary embodiments further includes a separator device 119A. The connector 110 is positioned in a fixed location when approached by the robot end effector 100. The connector is shown having a single designated wire contact insertion hole 116, but the single designated wire contact insertion hole is shown for ease of understanding, for the connector will include multiple designated wire contact insertion holes and, in some cases, multiple wires inserted to the tip. The two cameras 102 and 104 are mounted on the robot end effector 100 in such a way that they can simultaneously view both the wire 111 containing the wire contacts and the connector 110.

[0034]

[0052] The embodiment in Figure 4 includes two cameras, but multiple embodiments may include more cameras. Furthermore, a single camera may be used in conjunction with a mirror to observe different viewpoints of the wire contacts and connectors using a single camera. By imaging multiple viewpoints, such as by using two or more cameras, precise positioning of the wire contacts and connectors is possible when they are joined. In one exemplary embodiment, four cameras are mounted on a robot end effector, with a first pair of cameras positioned above the wire gripper, looking down on the wire gripper and the wire contacts held within the wire gripper. The first pair of cameras are positioned so that the surface of the connector is in the field of view when the wire contacts are carried toward the connector. A second pair of cameras may be mounted near the tip of the gripper so as not to obstruct the view of the designated wire contact insertion hole before insertion. Camera images may rely on sufficient illumination to obtain the highest quality images and provide the most accurate alignment. Therefore, lights such as LED lights may be mounted on the robot end effector for consistent illumination of the camera images.

[0035]

[0053] In one illustrated embodiment, the separator device 119 is movable toward and away from the connector 110, for example, along a rail 117. Movement may be provided, for example, by a gas-pressure or hydraulic cylinder along the rail, or by a servo motor. In one embodiment where the separator device 119 is movable using a gas-pressure cylinder, the gas-pressure cylinder may be controlled by a solenoid, which is turned on and off by control software for the automatic lifting of wires and insertion of wire contacts into designated contact insertion holes.

[0036]

[0054] Multiple embodiments described herein are configured to assemble a wire connector by lifting a wire to which wire contacts are attached and inserting it into the wire contact insertion holes of the connector. For this purpose, the wire must first be acquired and gripped by the wire gripper 108 before alignment and insertion into the connector. An exemplary process for retrieving the wire may include a location where the wire to which the contacts are attached is placed, for example, in a wire holder. The robot end effector 100 may be moved to position the wire gripper 108 above the wire in place. The separator device 119 and the wire gripper 108 are opened, respectively. This allows the end effector to move the separator device 119 over the wire (located between the first separator element 119A and the second separator element 119B), and the wire may be positioned between the gripping elements of the wire gripper 108.

[0037]

[0055] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of a movement sequence for gripping a placed wire. The wire gripper 108 and separator device 119 are depicted separately from the rest of the robot end effector for ease of understanding. As illustrated in 151, the wire gripper 108 and the separator device, including the first separator element 119A and the second separator element 119B, are moved to a predetermined position near a holder (not shown) that will hold the wire 111 in a stationary position. The initial position may include an orientation in which the first separator element 119A and the second separator element 119B are in contact with each other below the wire gripper 108. In such a scenario, as the gripping elements of the wire gripper 108 are moved away from each other in a position ready to receive the wire 111, as illustrated in 151, the first separator element 119A and the second separator element 119B may be moved away from each other. At the position of the wire gripper 108 shown at 151 in Figure 5, images may be captured from cameras 102 and 104 in Figure 4, etc. The controller processes the images and calculates machine commands to move the robot end effector 100. The captured images include the wire 111 and wire contacts 114, as well as the gripping elements of the wire gripper 108. Using these images captured from various orientations, the controller can estimate the position of the wire 111 relative to the wire gripper 108. Given this estimated position, the robot end effector is commanded by the controller to move in order to translate the wire gripper 108 so that the wire 111 is between the gripping elements of the wire gripper. These commands may be executed within a control loop. In this case, images are captured, the wire position is estimated, and the move commands are executed until the wire position is within a threshold distance (e.g., 1 millimeter) between the gripping elements of the wire gripper.

[0038]

[0056] As shown in Figure 5, when the wire gripper 108 aligns with the wire 111, the wire gripper 108 closes its gripping element to hold the wire, as shown in Figure 5, 153. The wire gripper 108 may be pushed down on the wire 111 to release the wire 111 from the wire holder. The wire gripper 108 is configured to grip the wire 111 immediately after the wire contact 114 to facilitate the insertion of the wire contact 114 into a designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector. In one exemplary embodiment, the wire gripper 108 is configured to grip the wire and vary between a secure grip and a looser grip that gently protects the wire, in which case the wire gripper 108 may move along the length of the wire to a suitable position near the wire contact 114. The sliding of the wire gripper 108 to a suitable position along the wire may be performed in closed-loop control using images captured by a camera to determine the distance between the wire gripper 108 and the wire contact 114. When the wire is gripped by the wire gripper 108 near the wire contact 114, the robot end effector moves the gripped wire to a position for alignment and insertion of the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector.

[0039]

[0057] The operation of the separator device 119 will be described further below, but the process of aligning the wire contact 114 with the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector 110 is described here without considering any visual obstructions that may exist when multiple wires are already connected to the connector. According to several exemplary embodiments described herein, images of the wires 111 and wire contacts 114 together with the connector 110 are acquired from two or more viewpoints. By using different viewpoints, lines extending in the direction of the wires and wire contacts are identified, and holes in the connector that are target holes for the wires are identified. Figure 6 shows images 120, 122 of the wire 111, including the wire contact 114 and the connector 110, in particular the identified designated wire contact insertion hole 116 of the connector into which the wire 111 is to be inserted, acquired by two different image acquisition devices such as cameras 102 and 104 in Figure 4. Lines identified through multiple viewpoints provide at least a three-dimensional representation of the relationship between the wire contacts and the target holes in the connector into which the wires are to be inserted, and may be identified based on the axial projection of the wires 111 and wire contacts 114. Based on lines identified from the images, a movement command may be calculated to position the hole on the lines in at least two images. This may first establish a rotation of the end effector to bring the tip of the wire gripper 108 perpendicular to the connector surface. To position the hole on the line, a movement parallel to the connector surface is established to align the line with the appropriate target hole in the connector. The movement command is the desired displacement of the robot end effector in three-dimensional orthogonal space. By aligning the wire contact with the hole, the wire is positioned in the correct location, allowing the robot to move the wire along the line toward the appropriate hole in the connector for insertion.

[0040]

[0058] In several embodiments described herein, the camera may be calibrated before using the camera to align the wire to the target hole in the connector. The purpose of calibration is to calculate the mapping of three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates to two-dimensional image coordinates. Calibration may be performed before the wire is fed into the robotic wire gripper of the end effector. Calibration does not need to be performed every time before inserting a wire or changing connectors, but may be necessary when camera settings such as focus, zoom, and orientation are changed.

[0041]

[0059] In several embodiments, image analysis is used to identify wire contact insertion holes within a connector and to align the wire contacts to the designated wire contact insertion holes. In each analyzed camera image, the lines describing the wire contacts and the location of the target holes are determined to ensure proper alignment. Based on this information, if the wire contacts are not aligned to the wire contact insertion holes, corrective movement for the robot end effector can be calculated. According to one exemplary embodiment, the location of a designated wire contact insertion hole is identified in two or more camera images. The three-dimensional position "p" of the target hole in the end effector coordinate system is then calculated. To calculate this position, an optimization algorithm is used that minimizes the sum of the square distances between the two-dimensional image position of the target hole and the projection of the three-dimensional position onto the camera images. One non-limiting embodiment for optimization includes Powell's method.

[0042]

[0060] The position "r" that projects closest to the wire contact line in each image is calculated in the end-effector coordinate system. This position is optionally constrained to lie within the plane of the connector surface. An optimization algorithm may be used to calculate "r". Based on the resulting values ​​of "p" and "r", a corrective translation may be calculated as c=pr. Then, the end-effector can be moved.

[0043]

[0061] The designated wire contact insertion holes of the connector for wire contacts facilitate the insertion of wire contacts into each wire contact insertion hole of the connector. In this regard, the wire is identified by the wire diagram to be inserted into a specific wire contact insertion hole of the connector. In this case, the specific wire contact insertion hole is identified by the contact ID number. The contact ID number is identified on the connector via the aforementioned map of identifiers for the connector.

[0044]

[0062] The process of aligning and inserting wires into the available wire contact insertion holes of a connector, as shown with respect to Figures 4 and 6, is achieved by clear visibility of the connector and the wire contact insertion holes within the connector. However, since the connector is constructed through the insertion of multiple wires into each wire contact insertion hole, the visibility of the connector and the available wire contact insertion holes decreases sharply. Several embodiments described herein overcome this challenge using a separation device 119 of a robot end effector 100 depicted in Figure 4.

[0045]

[0063] Figure 7 shows a general process for aligning a wire contact to a designated wire contact insertion hole in a connector, with reference to the system depicted in Figure 4. After the wire 111 is grasped by the gripper 108 of the end effector 100, images may be acquired at 150 by cameras 102, 104 mounted on the end effector, regardless of whether the wire is positioned within the wire gripper or lifted by the wire gripper. In these images, the wire contact 114 is detected and its orientation is obtained, as illustrated in 152. Then, at 154, the robot may move the wire contact 114 near the connector surface. At this position, the camera again acquires an image at 156 including the wire contact 114 and the connector 110. From these images, two processes are calculated: first, the orientation of the wire contact is updated at 158, and then the connector hole is detected at 160. By combining the outputs of these processes, the system calculates a move command in robot end effector coordinates to align the contacts to the specified wire contact insertion holes.

[0046]

[0064] According to some embodiments, iterative corrective movements may be performed to align the wire contact 114 with a designated wire contact insertion hole in the connector 110. To do so, after the robot performs the first alignment process shown in Figure 7, a camera image is acquired again and both the contact and target hole positions are updated. If this update results in a corrective movement command of a threshold (e.g., less than 0.1 millimeters), the robot does not need to perform the corrective movement and instead may proceed to move the contact toward the connector surface. The direction of movement of the wire contact toward the connector surface coincides with the three-dimensional contact direction, such as that acquired via the camera image. If the updated wire contact position results in a corrective movement greater than the threshold, the robot performs the corrective movement and acquires a new image, thereby repeating the process until the corrective movement is less than the threshold.

[0047]

[0065] The number of corrective iterations in the alignment process may be limited to, for example, three attempts. After this limitation, the robot may abort the alignment process and display an error, such as through an error message in the user interface. Alternatively, the robot may resume moving the contacts near the connector surface as before.

[0048]

[0066] Detection of wire contacts and designated wire contact insertion holes is necessary to align the contacts with the designated wire contact insertion holes, and once the contacts are aligned, to understand the direction of movement for the robot end effector. However, the designated wire contact insertion holes in the connector may be obscured by the wires of wire contacts already inserted into the connector. Contact hole detection is essential to properly identify the correct insertion holes in the connector into which the wire contacts should be inserted. Contact insertion holes are detected in each camera image including the connector.

[0049]

[0067] Multiple embodiments described herein provide a mechanism for separating a wire from a wire contact that has been (i.e., previously) inserted into the connector, providing a line of sight for a camera to capture an image of the available wire contact insertion hole. Figure 8 shows an end effector in more detail than the schematic diagram in Figure 4. As shown, a robot end effector 200 supported by a robot (not shown) includes a first camera 202. In this case, a second camera may be positioned on the opposite side of the end effector for a second imaging angle. The end effector 200 further includes a wire gripper 208 configured to grip a wire 211 containing a wire contact 214. A separator device 219 is shown positioned between the wire contact 214 and the connector 210, in front of the wire contact 214.

[0050]

[0068] Figure 9 shows another diagram of the end effector 200, including a first camera 202 and a second camera 204. In this case, the two cameras are positioned to image the wire contacts 114 of the wires gripped by the wire grippers 208 from different field of view. Furthermore, a separating device 219, as described herein, is illustrated to facilitate visibility of the available wire contact insertion holes of the connector. In this way, the alignment and insertion of the wire contacts can be performed accurately and efficiently.

[0051]

[0069] The multiple embodiments described above rely on the visual identification of available wire contact insertion holes to align and insert wire contacts into the connector. However, as shown in Figure 10, connectors with pre-installed wires make it difficult to identify available wire contact insertion holes. Figure 10 shows two views of multiple wires 306 or “wire bundles” extending from a connector 310. As shown, the wire contact insertion holes are not obvious because the multiple wires 306 obscure any available wire contact insertion holes. Also shown in Figure 10 is a wire gripper 308 along with wires 311 and wire contacts 314 positioned to initiate the alignment and insertion process. Furthermore, a separating device 319 positioned with the wire gripper 308 above the multiple wires 306 is shown. The exemplary embodiments described herein generally depict the separation of two or more wires that are previously connected to a connector, and the separator devices of the exemplary embodiments may use even one wire that is previously connected, thereby a single wire may be previously connected to the connector, and the separator device may play a role in pushing the single wire that is previously connected away from the path of the wire contact to be installed.

[0052]

[0070] As shown in Figure 10, the separating device 319 includes a first separating element 319A and a second separating element 319B. The process of inserting the wire contacts 314 into the available wire contact insertion holes of the connector 310 begins with the gripper 308 and the separating device 319 positioned above the plurality of wires 306, as shown in Figure 10. One illustrated embodiment includes many wires within the plurality of wires, but multiple embodiments of the separating device 319 can be used with any number of wires already inserted into the connector 310. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the process described herein can be used (without modification) even if there are no wires previously connected to the connector, except that the separating device 319 does not have any wires to separate in such operation. Thus, the process described herein can be used to insert all wire contacts into the connector without departing from this process.

[0053]

[0071] The wire gripper 308 and wire separating device 319 shown in Figure 10 are positioned vertically above the insertion axis of the wire contact insertion hole into which the wire contact is to be inserted. While a connector can be assembled with wires and their respective wire contacts inserted into any available wire contact insertion hole when the wires are not different among multiple wires, the assembly of a connector often involves selecting specific wires and wire contacts to be inserted into specific designated wire contact insertion holes. In this way, when the wire is gripped by the wire gripper 308, the designated wire contact insertion hole is generally known from the array of wire contact insertion holes in the connector. Therefore, the end effector may position the wire gripper 308 and wire separating device 319 directly above the axis along which the wire contact 314 will be inserted into a designated wire contact insertion hole. In this position shown in Figure 10, the separating device 319 is positioned behind the wire gripper 308 relative to the connector 310.

[0054]

[0072] Figure 11 shows a separating device 319 that has been moved from behind the wire gripper 308 relative to the connector 310, between the wire gripper and the connector, and in front of the wire gripper. According to some embodiments, the separating device 319 may start in this position when the end effector has been moved to a position above the insertion axis of the wire contact 314 into a designated wire contact insertion hole.

[0055]

[0073] Figure 12 shows the next step in the process of separating or splitting the wires 306 by having the end effector descend and drive the separating device 319, which includes a first separating element 319A and a second separating element 319B, into the multiple wires 306. As the robot end effector moves the wire contact 314 to a position where the wire contact is axially aligned with the designated wire contact insertion hole, the wire gripper 308 descends together with the separator device 319 positioned laterally in front of the wire gripper 308 relative to the connector 310 to protect the wire contact 14 from the multiple wires 306. The end effector positions the wire gripper 308 such that the wire contact 314 is positioned along the insertion axis into the connector 310. In this position, the wire contact 314 is axially aligned with the designated wire contact insertion hole. In this step of the process, the separating device 319 remains in front of the wire gripper 308 relative to the connector 310, and drives the multiple wires 306 apart to accept the wire contact 314 in a position where the wire contact is axially aligned with the designated wire contact insertion hole, with the first separating element 319A and the second separating element 319B positioned below the wire contact 314.

[0056]

[0074] The process continues with the insertion of a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole. This process may follow the finite iterative alignment process described above, with the camera having visibility into the designated wire contact insertion hole by separating a plurality of wires 306 using a separator device 319. According to one exemplary embodiment, a three-dimensional portion of the designated wire contact insertion hole may be projected onto a camera image, such as from an image from a camera near the wire gripper. By projection, the position of the hole in the image can be estimated. A computer vision method finds the precise position from each camera image, such as through the process described above. Wire contact insertion holes in the connector may be identified from the image and listed in temporary memory, etc. To narrow down the position of the target hole, the position in the list of wire contact insertion holes closest to the three-dimensional projection of the designated wire contact insertion hole is selected for the visual iterative alignment process. Multiple embodiments optionally employ the maximum threshold distance of the closest visually identified wire contact insertion hole relative to the three-dimensional projection of the designated wire contact insertion hole. In such embodiments, if the nearest wire contact insertion hole detected / identified in the three-dimensional projection is more than a threshold distance (e.g., 20 pixels), the controller aims for the projected position as the designated wire contact insertion hole without performing visual refinement. Projection and refinement can be calculated for multiple cameras, preferably a pair of cameras in the vicinity of the wire gripper.

[0057]

[0075] Assuming there are multiple wire contact insertion holes in the image, the displacement of the robot end effector is calculated arbitrarily. This ensures that the lines extending from the wire contacts intersect with designated wire contact insertion holes in each image. According to one exemplary embodiment, the image is captured, the displacement is calculated, and the wire contacts are aligned to designated wire contact insertion holes within a threshold distance, such as 0.5 millimeters. Once the alignment is complete, the wire gripper 308 is advanced toward the connector 310 by the robot end effector. The robot end effector supports the wire gripper 308 and a separator device 319 that moves in cooperation with the wire gripper 308. The wire gripper 308 inserts the wire contact 314 into the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector.

[0058]

[0076] Figure 13 shows the next step in the process, thereby moving the wire separation device relative to the wire gripper 308. In this case, the first separating element 319A and the second separating element 319B move from in front of the wire gripper 308 relative to the connector 310 to behind the wire gripper relative to the connector. The movement of the separator device 319 behind the wire gripper 308 prevents the separator device from interfering with the wire contact insertion process. This interference may include preventing the tip of the separator device 319 from penetrating the grommet of the connector 310. The insertion process begins with the wire contact 314 moving toward the connector 310 until the tip of the wire contact enters the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector.

[0059]

[0077] Insertion of the wire contact 314 into the designated wire contact insertion hole is performed by the wire gripper 308 advancing toward the connector 310 with the wire contact 314 properly aligned in the designated wire contact insertion hole. Figure 14 shows the wire gripper 308 advancing toward the connector 310 into which the wire contact is inserted.

[0060]

[0078] During insertion, the robot end effector and / or wire gripper 308 may include one or more sensors for determining one or more forces acting on the wire 311 or wire contact 314. The force may be sensed by the resistance encountered by the robot's power source (e.g., a servo motor or hydraulic pump). The force may optionally be sensed by a strain gauge configuration. The strain gauge is positioned on the wire gripper and configured to sense resistance to movement of the wire gripper or the wire / wire contact held inside it. Various other force sensing configurations may be employed as needed to determine the force acting on the wire contact 314 of the wire 311 held by the wire gripper 308.

[0061]

[0079] During insertion, the robot end effector and / or wire gripper monitor the insertion force F. If the force is above a predetermined value, for example 16 Newtons (a value that may vary depending on the type of contact and connector), insertion may be temporarily stopped. If temporarily stopped, a decision is made regarding the insertion depth. The insertion depth can be estimated based on the initial distance to the connector and the distance traveled by the robot's end effector. The initial distance can be estimated visually, for example, through the image processing described above that identifies the position of the connector relative to the wire contact. The insertion depth d is the minimum depth d min If the value is higher, a pull test will be performed.

[0062]

[0080] A pull test may be performed to verify the seating of wire contacts within a connector. In a pull test, a wire gripper may pull the wire away from the connector until a specific distance or force threshold is reached. If the force threshold is reached before the specific distance, the wire contact is confirmed to be properly seated. If the specific distance is reached before the specific force threshold, the wire is determined not to be fully seated, and the wire insertion fails.

[0063]

[0081] Once the wire contact 314 is inserted into the designated wire contact insertion hole and the wire contact is confirmed to be seated, the wire gripper 308 opens, releasing the wire 311. The wire gripper, along with the first separator element 319A and the second separator element 319B, then moves away from the connector 310, as shown in Figure 15. The wire gripper 308 remains engaged around the wire, as shown in 309. Next, as further shown in Figure 16, the wire gripper 308 opens, and the first separator element 319A and the second separator element 319B move away to further separate the bundle of wires 306. At this point, the wire gripper 308 is disengaged from the wire 311, and the robot end effector moves vertically to disengage from the bundle of wires 306. The insertion of the wire contact into the connector is now complete. Any further wires may then be removed and placed to complete the connector.

[0064]

[0082] In one embodiment described above with respect to Figures 11 to 16, the process generally described was one in which a robot end effector aligns a wire contact directly above an axis along which it may be inserted into a wire contact insertion hole designated according to several embodiments, but access to a suitable insertion path for a designated wire contact insertion hole is not from directly above the insertion path. Since several embodiments described herein are configured to insert a wire contact into a connector when multiple wires are already connected to the connector, the path along which the wire contact is inserted to the insertion axis may need to avoid previously inserted wires. Figure 17 shows an exemplary embodiment of a connector 410 including a wire contact insertion hole 412 and an occupied wire contact insertion hole 414. The best available path to a designated wire contact insertion hole 416 in the illustrated embodiment is a straight line, but not from directly above the connector 410. The path of the wire contact when supported by a wire gripper is calculated so as to maximize the distance between any point on the line and any hole filled with wire. In other words, the path is determined to provide the widest possible berth to the designated wire contact insertion hole. In the optimal path of one exemplary embodiment, illustrated as line 420 at an angle α with respect to the vertical, the robot end effector with the wire gripper needs to be rotated to the same angle with respect to the vertical. The wire gripper is rotated before moving downward along line 420, separating any previously inserted wires. Optionally, the best available path to the designated wire contact insertion hole does not have to be straight, but may include a curved path to efficiently avoid wires already inserted (i.e., previously) into the connector.

[0065]

[0083] When optimizing the approach angle as shown in Figure 17, constraints on the maximum angle are imposed to avoid collisions between the end effector and other connector holders and devices used to manage the wire layout. An exemplary maximum angle is 20 degrees. Figure 18 shows pseudocode for optimizing the approach angle. The travel path is constrained to a plane parallel to the connector surface and terminates at the target hole. Thus, this path is uniquely defined by the approach angle.

[0066]

[0084] Figure 19 is a flowchart of a method for inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector that has two or more wires already connected to the connector. As shown, a robot having an end effector is controlled at 510 to position the wire contact near the connector using the wire gripper and separator device of the end effector. The robot is controlled at 520 to advance the separator device between the two or more wires already inserted into the connector. At 530, the robot is controlled to align the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector. At 540, the robot is controlled to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole. At 550, the robot is controlled to release the wire contact from the wire gripper. At 560, the robot is controlled to retract the wire gripper and separator device from between the two or more wires already connected to the connector.

[0067]

[0085] As described above, Figures 7 and 19 show flowcharts of systems, methods, and computer program products according to several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Each block of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks within the flowchart, may be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, processors, circuits, and / or other devices associated with the execution of the software, including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the steps described above may be embodied by a computer program product. In this regard, computer program instructions that embody the steps described above may be stored in the memory 38 of a system 30 employing one embodiment of the present disclosure and may be executed by the processing circuit 36 ​​of the system 30. As will be understood, any such computer program instructions may be loaded into a computer or other programmable device (e.g., hardware) to generate a machine, thereby the resulting computer or other programmable device implementing the functions specified in the blocks of the flowchart. These computer program instructions may also be stored in computer-readable memory which may instruct the computer or other programmable device to function in a particular way. As a result, the instructions stored in computer-readable memory produce a manufactured product. The execution of the instructions performs the function specified in the flowchart. Computer program instructions may also be loaded into a computer or other programmable device, causing the computer or other programmable device to perform a series of operations, thereby generating a process implemented in the computer. As a result, the instructions executed by the computer or other programmable device provide operations to perform the function specified in the blocks of the flowchart.

[0068]

[0086] Furthermore, this disclosure includes embodiments as provided for in the following clauses.

[0069]

[0087] Article 1. A system for automatically inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of a connector (110),

[0070]

[0088] A robot (44) having an end effector (100), wherein the end effector comprises a wire gripper (108) that holds the wire contact (114), and a separator device (119), and

[0071]

[0089] The system includes a computing device (34), and the computing device is

[0072]

[0090] Controlling the robot to position the wire gripper holding the wire contact near the connector,

[0073]

[0091] Controlling the robot to move the separator device forward between two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector,

[0074]

[0092] Controlling the robot to align the wire contact with the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector,

[0075]

[0093] Controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole,

[0076]

[0094] Controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper, and

[0077]

[0095] A system configured to perform the following: control the robot to move the wire gripper and the separator device away from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0078]

[0096] Article 2. The computing device (34) is configured to control the robot (44) to move the separator device (119) forward between the two or more wires (306) that are previously connected to the connector,

[0079]

[0097] Controlling the robot to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper (108) to a second position relative to the wire gripper, wherein the first position is further away from the connector than the wire gripper and the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper, and

[0080]

[0098] The system according to Clause 1, further configured to perform the task of controlling the robot to drive the separator device between the two or more wires at a position between the wire gripper and the connector.

[0081]

[0099] Article 3. The computing device is configured to control the robot (44) to move the separator device (119) forward between the two or more wires (306) that are previously connected to the connector,

[0082]

[0100] The system according to Clause 1 or 2, further configured to control the robot to move the separator device from a second position relative to the wire gripper (108) to a first position relative to the wire gripper, with the separator device engaged between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0083]

[0101] Article 4. The computing device is configured to control the robot (44) to advance the wire contact (114) toward the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole, and to control the robot to do so.

[0084]

[0102] The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising advancing the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector between the two or more wires that were previously connected to the connector, and inserting the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole.

[0085]

[0103] Article 5. The aforementioned computing device (34) is

[0086]

[0104] Determining the position of the occupied wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110), wherein the occupied wire contact insertion hole is occupied by the two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector, and

[0087]

[0105] The system according to Clause 1, further configured to perform the task of identifying a path from the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector to the insertion axis, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis.

[0088]

[0106] Article 6. The computing device (34) is configured to perform the task of identifying the path from the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) to the insertion shaft, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion shaft,

[0089]

[0107] The system according to Clause 1 or 5, further configured to identify the path to the insertion shaft of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector based on the maximum distance between the path and at least one of the occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector.

[0090]

[0108] Article 7. The computing device is configured to perform the task of identifying a path from the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) to the insertion shaft, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion shaft,

[0091]

[0109] Further configured to determine the angle of the path of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector to the insertion axis with respect to the vertical axis,

[0092]

[0110] The system according to Clause 1, 5, or 6, wherein the computing device is configured to control the robot (44) so ​​that the wire gripper (108) holding the wire contact (114) is positioned near the connector, and is configured to control the robot so that it rotates relative to the connector to the angle of the path.

[0093]

[0111] Article 8. The system according to Clause 1, wherein the separator device (119) comprises a first separator element and a second separator element, and the computing device (34) configured to control the robot (44) to advance the separator device between the two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector, the computing device is configured to drive the point where the first separator element meets the second separator element between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector, along a path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110), the path being perpendicular to the insertion axis.

[0094]

[0112] Article 9. A method for automatically inserting a wire contact (114) into a designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of a connector (110),

[0095]

[0113] Using the wire gripper (108) and separator device (119) of the end effector (100), control the robot (44) having the end effector so that the wire contacts are positioned near the connector.

[0096]

[0114] Controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector,

[0097]

[0115] Controlling the robot to align the wire contact with the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector,

[0098]

[0116] Controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole,

[0099]

[0117] Controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper, and

[0100]

[0118] A method comprising controlling the robot to retract the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0101]

[0119] Article 10. Controlling the robot (44) to advance the separator device (119) between the two or more wires (306) that were previously connected to the connector is:

[0102]

[0120] Controlling the robot to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper (108) to a second position relative to the wire gripper, wherein the first position is further from the connector (110) than the wire gripper, and the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper, and

[0103]

[0121] The method according to clause 9, comprising controlling the robot to drive the separator device between the two or more wires at a position between the wire gripper and the connector.

[0104]

[0122] Article 11. Controlling the robot (44) to move the separator device (119) forward between the two or more wires (306) that are previously connected to the connector (110) is:

[0105]

[0123] The method according to clause 9 or 10, further comprising controlling the robot to move the separator device from the second position relative to the wire gripper (108) to the first position relative to the wire gripper, with the separator device engaged between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0106]

[0124] Article 12. Controlling the robot to advance the wire contact (114) toward the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) and to insert the wire contact (114) at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole is:

[0107]

[0125] The method according to any one of the claims 9 to 11, further comprising advancing the wire contact between the two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, and inserting the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole.

[0108]

[0126] Article 13.

[0109]

[0127] Determining the position of the occupied wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110), wherein the occupied wire contact insertion hole is occupied by the two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector (110), and

[0110]

[0128] The method of Clause 9, further comprising identifying a path from the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector to the insertion axis, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis.

[0111]

[0129] Article 14. Identifying the path of the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) to the insertion shaft, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion shaft,

[0112]

[0130] The method according to clause 9 or 13, further comprising identifying the path to the insertion shaft of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector based on the maximum distance between the path and at least one of the occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector.

[0113]

[0131] Article 15. Identifying the path of the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) to the insertion shaft, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion shaft,

[0114]

[0132] Further including determining the angle of the path of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector to the insertion axis with respect to the vertical axis,

[0115]

[0133] The method according to clause 9, 13, or 14, wherein controlling the robot (44) to position the wire gripper (108) holding the wire contact (114) near the connector further includes controlling the robot to rotate to the angle of the path relative to the connector.

[0116]

[0134] Article 16. The method according to Clause 9, wherein the separator device (119) comprises a first separator element and a second separator element, and controlling the robot (44) to advance the separator device between two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector (110) includes driving the point where the first separator element meets the second separator element between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector along a path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, the path being perpendicular to the insertion axis.

[0117]

[0135] Article 17. An apparatus comprising at least one processor (36) and at least one memory (38) containing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are provided to the apparatus by the processor, at least

[0118]

[0136] Using the wire gripper (108) and separator device (119) of the end effector (100), control the robot (44) having the end effector so that the wire contact (114) is positioned near the connector (110).

[0119]

[0137] Controlling the robot to move the separator device forward between two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector,

[0120]

[0138] Controlling the robot to align the wire contact with the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector,

[0121]

[0139] Controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole,

[0122]

[0140] Controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper, and

[0123]

[0141] An apparatus configured to control the robot to move the wire gripper and the separator device away from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0124]

[0142] Article 18. To cause the device to control the robot (44) to advance the separator device (119) between the two or more wires (306) that are previously connected to the connector,

[0125]

[0143] Controlling the robot to advance the separator device (119) from a first position relative to the wire gripper (108) to a second position relative to the wire gripper, wherein the first position is further from the connector (110) than the wire gripper, and the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper.

[0126]

[0144] The apparatus according to Clause 17, which includes causing the robot to perform the action of driving the separator device between the two or more wires at a position between the wire gripper and the connector.

[0127]

[0145] Article 19. To cause the device to control the robot (44) to advance the separator device (119) between the two or more wires (306) that are previously connected to the connector (110) is to cause the device to control the robot (44) to advance the separator device (119) between the two or more wires (306) that are previously connected to the connector (110).

[0128]

[0146] The apparatus according to clause 17 or 18, further comprising controlling the robot to move the separator device from the second position relative to the wire gripper to the first position relative to the wire gripper, with the separator device engaged between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

[0129]

[0147] Article 20. The device is instructed to move the wire contact (114) forward toward the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) and to control the robot (44) to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole.

[0130]

[0148] The apparatus according to any one of claims 17 to 19, further comprising advancing the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector between the two or more wires that were previously connected to the connector, and inserting the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole.

[0131]

[0149] Therefore, the blocks in a flowchart support combinations of means for performing a specified function, and combinations of actions for performing a specified function. It can also be understood that one or more blocks in a flowchart, and combinations of blocks within a flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system that performs a specified function, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0132]

[0150] In some embodiments, certain of the operations described above may be modified or further extended. Furthermore, in some embodiments, additional optional operations may be included. The modifications, additions, or extensions of the operations described above may be made in any order or in any combination.

[0133]

[0151] Many modifications and several other embodiments of the invention described herein will be recalled by those skilled in the art who benefit from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and several other embodiments are intended to be included in the accompanying claims. Furthermore, while the foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments in light of specific exemplary combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be recognized that various combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments, without departing from the accompanying claims. That is, different combinations of elements and / or functions than those explicitly described above are also conceivable, for example, as may be specified in part of the accompanying claims. Certain terms are used herein, but they are used in a general and explanatory sense only and are not intended to be limiting.

Claims

1. A system for automatically inserting a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of a connector (110), A robot (44) having an end effector (100), wherein the end effector comprises a wire gripper (108) that holds the wire contact (114), and a separator device (119), and The system includes a computing device (34), and the computing device is Controlling the robot to position the wire gripper holding the wire contact near the connector, Controlling the robot to move the separator device forward between two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector, Controlling the robot to align the wire contact with the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, Controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole, Controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper, and A system configured to control the robot to move the wire gripper and the separator device back from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

2. The computing device (34) is configured to control the robot (44) to move the separator device (119) forward between the two or more wires (306) that are previously connected to the connector, Controlling the robot to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper (108) to a second position relative to the wire gripper, wherein the first position is further away from the connector than the wire gripper and the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper, and The system according to claim 1, further configured to perform the task of controlling the robot to drive the separator device between the two or more wires at a position between the wire gripper and the connector.

3. The computing device is configured to control the robot (44) to move the separator device (119) forward between the two or more wires (306) that are previously connected to the connector, The system according to claim 2, further configured to control the robot to move the separator device from a second position relative to the wire gripper (108) to a first position relative to the wire gripper, with the separator device engaged between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

4. The computing device is configured to control the robot (44) to advance the wire contact (114) toward the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole, and to control the robot to do so. The system according to claim 1, further comprising advancing the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector between the two or more wires that were previously connected to the connector, and at least partially inserting the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole.

5. The aforementioned computing device (34) Determining the position of the occupied wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110), wherein the occupied wire contact insertion hole is occupied by the two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector, and The system according to claim 1, further configured to perform the task of identifying a path from the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector to the insertion axis, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis.

6. The computing device (34) is configured to perform the task of identifying a path from the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) to the insertion axis, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis, The system according to claim 5, further configured to identify the path to the insertion shaft of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector based on the maximum distance between the path and at least one of the occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector.

7. The computing device is configured to perform the task of identifying a path from the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110) to the insertion axis, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis. Further configured to determine the angle of the path of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector to the insertion axis with respect to the vertical axis, The system according to claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to control the robot (44) so ​​as to position the wire gripper (108) holding the wire contact (114) near the connector, and is configured to control the robot so as to rotate relative to the connector to the angle of the path.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the separator device (119) comprises a first separator element and a second separator element, and the computing device (34) configured to control the robot (44) to advance the separator device between the two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector, the computing device is configured to drive the point where the first separator element meets the second separator element between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector along a path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of the connector (110), the path being perpendicular to the insertion axis.

9. A method for automatically inserting a wire contact (114) into a designated wire contact insertion hole (116) of a connector (110), Using the wire gripper (108) and separator device (119) of the end effector (100), control the robot (44) having the end effector so that the wire contacts are positioned near the connector. Controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires (306) previously connected to the connector, Controlling the robot to align the wire contact with the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, Controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and to insert the wire contact at least partially into the designated wire contact insertion hole, Controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper, and A method comprising controlling the robot to retract the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

10. Controlling the robot (44) to advance the separator device (119) between the two or more wires (306) that were previously connected to the connector is: Controlling the robot to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper (108) to a second position relative to the wire gripper, wherein the first position is further from the connector (110) than the wire gripper, and the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper, and The method according to claim 9, comprising controlling the robot to drive the separator device between the two or more wires at a position between the wire gripper and the connector.

Images