Wire harness manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a wire harness manufacturing apparatus which suppresses hooking of an electric wire during the manufacture, and can automatically manufacture a wire harness.SOLUTION: A wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 includes: a plurality of slide parts 12 which are installed so as to be positioned at a predetermined ceiling height H11, hold one end side of electric wires W16 toward the side of a reference surface 111a, are arranged in parallel and perform linear movement; one or more base end holding parts 13 which are installed on a first end side 1a at the ceiling height H11, and hold the other end side of the electric wires W16 toward the side of the reference surface 111a; and an electric wire processing part 14 which are mechanism parts for subjecting the plurality of electric wires W16 stretched between a base end side holding part 13 and the slide parts 12, to electric wire processing including processing of selectively bundling the electric wires W16, and forming a branch shape, and is provided so as to be brought into non-contact with the electric wires W16, even when the electric wires W16 are suspended depending on the position of the slide part 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a branched wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a manufacturing device for manufacturing a branched wire harness has been used in which a plurality of holding members for holding the wire harness are arranged in accordance with the branch shape on a flat wiring board (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a manufacturing device, the wire harness is manufactured by routing electric wires on the wiring board and forming a branch shape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-060643 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, most of the work using the above-mentioned manufacturing equipment is performed manually by workers. On the other hand, with regard to the manufacture of wire harnesses, the development of equipment that can perform the manufacturing work automatically without human intervention is also underway. However, in the automatic manufacturing work, there is a problem that the electric wires in the middle of the manufacturing process get caught in various parts of the equipment, causing the work to stop, making the development of the equipment difficult.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a wire harness manufacturing apparatus that can automatically manufacture a wire harness while preventing the electric wires from getting caught during the manufacturing process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a wire harness production apparatus includes a wire harness production unit that is installed at a predetermined height from a reference plane extending along a horizontal plane, and each of the wire harness production unit holds one end of at least one electric wire constituting a branched wire harness toward the reference plane, and is provided with a plurality of slide units arranged parallel to each other in an arrangement direction along the reference plane and linearly moves in a sliding direction between a first end side and a second end side, and a wire harness production unit that is installed at the first end side, which is a base end side of the linear movement, so as to be immobile at least in the sliding direction, and holds the other end side of at least one electric wire, The mechanical part is characterized in that it comprises one or more base end holding parts arranged in the arrangement direction so that each holds one end side of the electric wire toward a reference surface side, and a plurality of the slide parts, each of which holds one end side of the electric wire, move between the first end side and the second end side to a position corresponding to the branching shape, thereby performing wire processing on the plurality of electric wires stretched between one or more base end holding parts and the plurality of the slide parts, including a process of selectively bundling the electric wires to form the branching shape, and an electric wire processing part arranged so as to be out of contact with the electric wires even when the electric wires hang down depending on the position of the slide part. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above-described wire harness manufacturing apparatus, it is possible to automatically manufacture a wire harness while preventing the electric wires from getting caught during the manufacturing process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic external perspective view showing a wire harness production apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic plan view showing a slide portion, a base end side holding portion, and their surrounding structures in the wire harness production apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a wire harness manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4]2 is a schematic plan view showing the sub-harness supply cart shown in FIG. 1, as viewed in the direction of arrow V11 in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a state in which a sub-harness is supplied from a sub-harness supply cart in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, and a state in which the wire harness is discharged after the manufacturing operation is completed. [Figure 6] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view similar to FIG. 3 showing another example of a wire harness to be manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a schematic diagram showing an exterior installation plate used to accommodate electric wires in the protector body shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic diagram showing an electric wire guide used to accommodate electric wires in the protector body together with the exterior installation plate shown in FIG. 7. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus will be described.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a schematic external perspective view showing a wire harness production apparatus according to one embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a slide section, a base end side holding section, and their peripheral structures in the wire harness production apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Also, Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of a wire harness produced by the wire harness production apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

[0011] The wire harness production apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an apparatus that automatically produces a branched wire harness W1 as shown as an example in FIG.

[0012] The wire harness W1 to be manufactured is a component that is installed and routed in an automobile and connects multiple devices inside the automobile. The wire harness W1 includes multiple front connectors W11, multiple rear connectors W12, multiple tape-wrapped portions W13, multiple exterior portions W14, and multiple fixing clips W15.

[0013] The tip connector W11 is a connector that is held by a slide portion 12 described later in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 and is a tip connector that is moved in a sliding direction D11. On the other hand, the rear end connector W12 is a connector that is held by a base end holding portion 13 described later and is immobile in the sliding direction D11 and is a base end connector. Here, in this embodiment, the wire harness W1 to be manufactured is configured by combining one or more electric wires W16 and a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a each having a tip connector W11 and a rear connector W12 at both ends of the electric wire W16. This combination is performed by forming a tape winding portion W13 and an exterior portion W14 and attaching a fixing clip W15.

[0014] The tape-wound portion W13 is a portion where the electric wires W16 of the sub-harnesses W1a are selectively bundled and wrapped with a tape W131. In the example of FIG. 3, the tape-wound portion W13 is formed at both ends of the main line portion W1b where the electric wires W16 of all the sub-harnesses W1a are bundled. The main line portion W1b is bifurcated at the rear end connector W12 side and further bifurcated, and the tape-wound portion W13 is also formed at the end of the intermediate line portion W1c between these two branches, at the rear end connector W12 side. The exterior portion W14 is formed in two places: a portion where the electric wires W16 of the main line portion W1b are housed in a corrugated tube W141 as an exterior material, and a portion where the electric wires W16 of the intermediate line portion W1c are housed in the corrugated tube W141. The fixing clips W15 are components for fastening and fixing the wire harness W1 to a predetermined fixing position, and in the example of FIG. 3, are attached to two locations of the exterior part W14.

[0015] 1 and 2 is an apparatus for automatically manufacturing the wire harness W1 described above, and includes an apparatus frame 11, a slide section 12, a base end side holding section 13, and an electric wire processing section 14. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 also includes, as parts that are appropriately retrofitted to the apparatus frame 11, a sub-harness supply cart 15, and an exterior installation plate 16 and an electric wire guide section 17, which will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0016] The device frame 11 is a portion that holds each component of the wire harness production device 1, and includes a bottom plate portion 111, a ceiling plate portion 112, and a support portion 113. The bottom plate portion 111 and the ceiling plate portion 112 are rectangular plate members having the same shape, and their corners are connected to each other by four rectangular support portions 113.

[0017] The bottom plate portion 111 is a portion that is placed on a predetermined installation location such that its upper surface serves as a reference surface 111a in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 and this reference surface 111a extends along a horizontal plane. The lower end of the support portion 113 is connected to the corner of this reference surface 111a, and two arm rails 111b are formed so that two robot arms 141 described below move linearly in a sliding direction D11 along the long side of the rectangular reference surface 111a. Each arm rail 111b is provided so that each robot arm 141 moves linearly between a first end side 1a and a second end side 1b in the sliding direction D11 in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1. Two such arm rails 111b and two robot arms 141 are provided so that they move linearly in parallel to each other in an arrangement direction D12 along the short side of the reference surface 111a.

[0018] The ceiling plate portion 112 has a lower surface as a ceiling surface 112a on which the slide portion 12 and the like are installed, and the ceiling surface 112a is located at a predetermined ceiling height H11 from the reference surface 111a of the bottom plate portion 111 and is placed so as to face the reference surface 111a. The upper end of the support portion 113 is connected to the corner of the ceiling surface 112a, and a plurality of slide rails 112b are formed so that the plurality of slide portions 12 move linearly in a slide direction D11 along the long side of the rectangular ceiling surface 112a. Each slide rail 112b is provided so that each slide portion 12 moves linearly between the first end side 1a and the second end side 1b of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1. A plurality of such slide rails 112b are provided so that the plurality of slide portions 12 move linearly in parallel to each other in an arrangement direction D12 along the short side of the ceiling surface 112a. In addition, in the arrangement direction D12, an area near a pair of side edges adjacent to the outside of the multiple sliding parts 12 is a waiting area 112c for a processing mechanism 142 described below that is selectively held by the robot arm 141. Each waiting area 112c is an area where the processing mechanisms 142 are lined up in groups of three in the sliding direction D11 and wait.

[0019] As described above, the support pillars 113 are four corner pillars that connect corners of the reference surface 111a of the bottom plate portion 111 and corners of the ceiling surface 112a of the ceiling plate portion 112 in the up-down direction D13. The length of each support pillar 113 is a length that positions the ceiling surface 112a above a predetermined ceiling height H11 from the reference surface 111a. This ceiling height H11 is a height at which the electric wire W1a is not in contact with the reference surface 111a when the electric wire W1a hangs down to the maximum expected length during the manufacturing of the wire harness W1 by this wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0020] The device frame 11, in which a bottom plate 111 and a ceiling plate 112 are connected by four support columns 113, has a generally rectangular parallelepiped frame structure with open sides, and the wire harness W1 is manufactured on the inner ceiling surface 112a. The wire harness W1 is manufactured by holding the ends of the electric wires by the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13, and processing the electric wires including branching by the electric wire processing portion 14.

[0021] The slide parts 12 are attached to each of the slide rails 112b on the ceiling surface 112a so as to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 121. The slide parts 12 are arranged parallel to each other in the arrangement direction D12 between the first end side 1a and the second end side 1b on the slide rails 112b and move linearly in the slide direction D11. Each slide part 12 holds the tip connectors W11 of the sub-harness W1a one by one so as to be releasable toward the reference surface 111a. The slide part 12 releasably holds one end of at least one electric wire W16, i.e., the number of wires connected to the tip connector W11, toward the reference surface 111a via the tip connector W11.

[0022] The base end holding portion 13 is a portion that is installed on the first end side 1a, which is the base end side of the sliding movement of the slide portion 12, on the ceiling surface 112a so as to be immovable in the sliding direction D11. One or more base end holding portions 13 are arranged on this first end side 1a in the arrangement direction D12, and each is rotatable around the rotation axis 131. Here, in this embodiment, the base end holding portion 13 is fixedly installed one by one on the first end side 1a of each of the multiple slide rails 112b. In other words, the multiple slide portions 12 are configured to move linearly while facing the multiple base end holding portions 13 one-to-one. Each base end holding portion 13 holds the rear end connectors W12 of the sub-harness W1a one by one in an openable manner toward the reference surface 111a. The base end holding portion 13 releasably holds at least one of the other ends of the electric wires W16, that is, the number of wires connected to the rear end connector W12, toward the reference surface 111a via the rear end connector W12.

[0023] In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, the tip connector W11 of each of the sub-harnesses W1a is held by the slide portion 12, and the rear connector W12 is held by the base holding portion 13. Thereafter, the slide portion 12 holding the tip connector W11 moves to a position corresponding to the branch shape of the wire harness W1 to be formed, so that the electric wires W16 are stretched between the base holding portions 13 and the slide portions 12. At this time, in the example of FIG. 3, the tip connectors W11 and the rear connectors W12 in the wire harness W1 are the same in number, so that the electric wires W16 are stretched between the base holding portions 13 and the slide portions 12 in the same number. However, the wire harness to be formed is not limited to the example of FIG. 3, and may have, for example, one rear connector and multiple tip connectors. Alternatively, the wire harness may have multiple rear connectors and a different number of tip connectors, which may be more or less than the number of rear connectors. In these cases, multiple slide parts 12 and one or more base end holding parts 13 are selected according to the number of front end connectors and rear end connectors in the wire harness to be formed, and the ends of the electric wires W16 are held via each connector. Then, through the movement of the slide part 12, multiple electric wires W16 are stretched between the one or more base end holding parts 13 and the multiple slide parts 12. Thereafter, the electric wires W16 stretched between the base end holding part 13 and the slide part 12 are processed by the electric wire processing part 14.

[0024] The electric wire processing section 14 is a mechanical part that performs electric wire processing including a process of selectively bundling a plurality of electric wires W16 stretched between the base end holding section 13 and the slide section 12 to form a branched shape by moving each slide section 12 to a position corresponding to the branched shape. The electric wire processing section 14 is provided so as to be out of contact with the electric wires W16 even if the electric wires W16 hang down depending on the position of the slide section 12. The electric wire processing section 14 includes two robot arms 141 and six processing mechanisms 142.

[0025] As described above, the robot arm 141 is an articulated robot attached to the arm rail 111b provided on the reference surface 111a of the bottom plate portion 111 so as to move linearly in the sliding direction D11. The robot arm 141 holds one processing mechanism 142 at its tip so as to be exchangeable with another processing mechanism 142, and carries it to a work location for processing electric wires.

[0026] The processing mechanism 142 is a mechanism that is detachably held by the robot arm 141, and is carried to a work location for processing the electric wire to perform the electric wire processing. As described above, the processing mechanism 142 waits at the waiting location 112c adjacent to the slide rail 112b that is the moving route of the slide part 12 on the ceiling surface 112a until it is held by the robot arm 141. In this embodiment, the waiting locations 112c are provided at two locations near a pair of sides of the rectangular ceiling surface 112a, and three processing mechanisms 142 are installed in each waiting location 112c. The three processing mechanisms 142 in each waiting location 112c correspond one-to-one to three types of electric wire processing for the electric wire W16. That is, the first processing mechanism 142 is a mechanism that winds the tape W131, the second processing mechanism 142 is a mechanism that attaches the corrugated tube W141, and the third processing mechanism 142 is a mechanism that attaches the fixing clip W15. Between the two waiting locations 112c, the same type of processing mechanism 142 is installed.

[0027] In the electric wire processing section 14, two robot arms 141 correspond one-to-one to two waiting places 112c, and each robot arm 141 selectively holds one of the three types of processing mechanisms 142 in the corresponding waiting place 112c according to the processing content to be performed. Thereafter, the robot arm 141 moves on the arm rail 111b to a position corresponding to the work place, and carries the processing mechanism 142 to the work place to perform the work. When performing another work, the robot arm 141 moves on the arm rail 111b to replace the processing mechanism 142 at the waiting place 112c, and carries the replaced processing mechanism 142 to the corresponding work place to perform the work. Also, if the electric wire W16 is hanging down during the work, the robot arm 141 moves on the arm rail 111b to a position where it does not come into contact with the electric wire W16, and performs the work while avoiding the electric wire W16.

[0028] A sub-harness supplying cart 15 is used to supply a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a to the wire harness production apparatus 1 performing such operations.

[0029] 4 is a schematic plan view showing the sub-harness supply cart shown in FIG. 1 as viewed in the direction of arrow V11 in FIG.

[0030] The sub-harness supply cart 15 is a cart that holds a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a and can be moved in and out along the reference surface 111a to and from the supply position P11 between the plurality of slide parts 12 and one or more base end side holding parts 13 and the reference surface 111a. As described above, the device frame 11 has a frame structure that is generally in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with an open side. When the sub-harness W1a is supplied, as shown in FIG. 1, the sub-harness supply cart 15 is inserted into the device frame 11 from the open side in the arrangement direction D12 of the arm rail 111b and the slide rail 112b. At this time, the robot arm 141 retreats from the path of the sub-harness supply cart 15 so as not to interfere with the insertion of the sub-harness supply cart 15. Then, when the sub-harness supply cart 15 reaches the supply position P11, the front end connectors W11 and the rear end connectors W12 of the held sub-harnesses W1a are transferred from below from the sub-harness supply cart 15 to the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13. By this transfer, the sub-harnesses W1a are supplied between the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13.

[0031] This sub-harness supply cart 15 has a rectangular parallelepiped frame structure in which the arrangement direction D12 is the longitudinal direction when inserted into the equipment frame 11, and is equipped with a wheeled bottom plate portion 151, a front end holding ceiling plate portion 152, a rear end holding ceiling plate 153, and a cart support portion 154.

[0032] The wheeled bottom plate portion 151 is a rectangular plate having four wheels 151a, and runs on the reference surface 111a of the bottom plate portion 111 of the device frame 11 in the arrangement direction D12 when the sub-harness supply cart 15 is inserted.

[0033] The tip holding ceiling plate portion 152 is a rectangular plate that detachably holds the tip side connectors W11 of the sub-harnesses W1a in a row in the arrangement direction D12. A plurality of tip side connector cups 152a, each of which holds one tip side connector W11, are provided in a row in the arrangement direction D12 on the upper surface of the tip holding ceiling plate portion 152. Each tip side connector cup 152a is open at the top and at a side facing the rear end holding ceiling plate 153, and the tip side connector W11 is inserted and removed from the top opening, and the side opening serves as an outlet for the electric wires W16 when the connector is held.

[0034] The rear end holding ceiling plate 153 is a rectangular plate similar to the front end holding ceiling plate portion 152, and a plurality of rear end connector cups 153a are arranged in a row in the arrangement direction D12 on the upper surface thereof. The rear end holding ceiling plate 153 and the front end holding ceiling plate portion 152 are arranged parallel to each other with a gap therebetween for allowing the electric wires W16 to hang downward when the connector is held. The electric wires W16 of the sub-harness W1a extending from the rear end connector cup 153a and the front end connector cup 152a hang downward from the gap between the rear end holding ceiling plate 153 and the front end holding ceiling plate portion 152 toward the wheeled bottom plate portion 151 in a U-shaped bent state.

[0035] The carriage support parts 154 are eight supports that connect the corners of the rear end holding ceiling plate 153 and the front end holding ceiling plate part 152 to the wheeled bottom plate part 151. These eight carriage support parts 154 support the rear end holding ceiling plate 153 and the front end holding ceiling plate part 152 so as to extend parallel to each other with a gap therebetween for the electric wire W16 to pass through.

[0036] Here, in this embodiment, when the front-end connector W11 and the rear-end connector W12 are delivered from the sub-harness supply cart 15, the slide portion 12 moves in the slide direction D11 to the connector receiving position P12 of the first end side 1a. On the other hand, in the sub-harness supply cart 15, the front-end connector cups 152a and the rear-end connector cups 153a are arranged as follows. That is, the front-end connector cups 152a are arranged so that the front-end connectors W11 face each other at the supply position P11 on the multiple slide portions 12 arranged in a row in the arrangement direction D12 at the connector receiving position P12. Similarly, the rear-end connector cups 153a are arranged so that the rear-end connectors W12 face each other at the supply position P11 on one or more base-end holding portions 13 arranged in a row in the arrangement direction D12 at the first end side 1a. As a result, when the sub-harness supply cart 15 is inserted up to the supply position P11, the tip connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 are positioned facing each other one-to-one directly below the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 in the ceiling panel portion 112.

[0037] Thereafter, the sub-harness supply cart 15 rises at the supply position P11 and delivers the front end connectors W11 and rear end connectors W12 of the sub-harnesses W1a collectively by pressing them against the one-to-one corresponding slide portions 12 and base end holding portions 13. After the sub-harnesses W1a are delivered in this manner, the sub-harness supply cart 15 descends and retreats to the side from the device frame 11.

[0038] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state when a sub-harness is supplied from a sub-harness supply cart in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, and a state when the wire harness is discharged after the manufacturing operation is completed. In Fig. 5, the two states when the sub-harness is supplied and when the wire harness is discharged are shown in a plan view from the side similar to Fig. 4. Fig. 5(a) shows the state when the sub-harness W1a is supplied, and Fig. 5(b) shows the state when the wire harness W1 is discharged.

[0039] In the state when the sub-harness W1a is supplied, the front end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 are held by the slide portion 12 positioned at the connector receiving position P12 of the first end side 1a and the base end holding portion 13 fixedly installed on the first end side 1a. In this state, the electric wire W16 hangs downward in a state bent into a U-shape while being held by the sub-harness supply cart 15. Thereafter, the slide portion 12 moves to a position according to the branch shape in the extension direction D111 in which the electric wire W16 is separated from the base end holding portion 13 in the slide direction D11, and is extended, so that the electric wire W16 is stretched between the base end holding portion 13 and the slide portion 12. The stretched electric wire W16 is processed, and the tape W131 is wound around it, and the corrugated tube W141 and the fixing clip W15 are attached to manufacture the wire harness W1.

[0040] In the state when the wire harness W1 that has been subjected to the electric wire processing by the electric wire processing section 14 is paid out, the plurality of slide sections 12 move in the folding direction D112 in which they approach the base end side holding section 13 and fold the electric wires W16 in the sliding direction D11. The movement in the folding direction D112 is performed so that the plurality of slide sections 12 are aligned in a line in the arrangement direction D12 of the slide rails 112b at the payout position P13 of the first end side 1a. In this embodiment, the payout position P13 is the same position as the connector receiving position P12 when the sub-harness W1a is supplied. When all the slide sections 12 that hold the tip side connectors W11 reach the payout position P13 and are aligned in a line, each slide section 12 releases the tip side connector W11 at the payout position P13. At this time, the base end side holding section 13 also releases the rear end side connector W12. By opening these connectors, the wire harness W1 that has undergone electric wire processing is dropped by its own weight in a downward dispensing direction D14 and is dispensed.

[0041] In the above description, the wire harness W1 shown in Fig. 3 is exemplified as an object to be manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1. However, the object to be manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is not limited to this, and the following other examples may also be used as the object to be manufactured.

[0042] Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view similar to Fig. 3 showing another example of a wire harness to be manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 6, components equivalent to those shown in Fig. 3 are given the same reference numerals as in Fig. 3, and redundant explanations of these equivalent components will be omitted below.

[0043] The wire harness W2 of another example shown in Fig. 6 includes a plurality of front connectors W11, a plurality of rear connectors W12, and a plurality of tape-wound portions W13. The wire harness W2 is also configured by combining a plurality of sub-harnesses W2a in which both ends of the electric wires W16 are connected to the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12. In this embodiment, the electric wires W16 bundled in a branched shape by the tape-wound portion W13 are housed in two exterior members, namely, the front protector W21 and the rear protector W22. The front protector W21 and the rear protector W22 are both branched cylindrical exterior members capable of housing the electric wires W16 inside from the side intersecting the length direction, and are composed of groove-shaped protector bodies W211 and W221 and protector covers W212 and W222. The electric wire W16 is housed inside through the groove opening of the protector bodies W211, W221 with the protector covers W212, W222 removed, and then the protector covers W212, W222 are attached. Here, in the wire harness production apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the electric wire W16 is housed in the protector bodies W211, W221 using an exterior installation plate 16 and an electric wire guide portion 17 described below.

[0044] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an exterior installation plate used to house electric wires in the protector body shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an electric wire guide used to house electric wires in the protector body together with the exterior installation plate shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 8, illustration related to the sliding portion 12 and the base end side holding portion 13 on the ceiling surface 112a is omitted for ease of viewing.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 7(a), in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, on the ceiling surface 112a of the ceiling plate portion 112, electric wire processing is performed to form a branch shape by forming a tape winding portion W13 on the electric wire W16. At this time, outside the device frame 11, the protector main bodies W211, W221 are installed on the exterior installation plate 16 shown in Fig. 7(b). The exterior installation plate 16 is a plate member that can be inserted and removed along the reference surface 111a to an insertion position P14 between the multiple slide portions 12 and one or more base end side holding portions 13 and the reference surface 111a of the bottom plate portion 111. On the upper surface of this exterior installation plate 16, the protector main bodies W211, W221 are installed with the groove opening, which is the side where the electric wire W16 is accommodated, facing upward. The protector bodies W211 and W221 are installed on the exterior installation plate 16 by a worker's manual operation or a work robot (not shown) outside the device frame 11 as described above while the electric wire W16 is being processed on the ceiling surface 112a. The exterior installation plate 16 on which the protector bodies W211 and W221 are installed is inserted into the above-mentioned insertion position P14 on the device frame 11. At this insertion position P14, the groove openings of the protector bodies W211 and W221 on the exterior installation plate 16 face the electric wire W16 that has been processed and has become branched. In this state, when the slide portion 12 and the base end side holding portion 13 release the front end side connector W11 and the rear end side connector W12, the electric wire W16 is drawn downward and falls toward the exterior installation plate 16. At this time, the wire guide portion 17 is used so that the wire W16 is accommodated inside the groove openings of the protector bodies W211 and W221.

[0046] The electric wire guide 17 is a member that is detachably installed between the sliding portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 that have moved to a position according to the branching shape, and the exterior installation plate 16, and guides the electric wire W16 that falls due to dispensing so that it is accommodated in the protector main bodies W211, W221. In this embodiment, the electric wire guide 17 is a plurality of pairs of rod-shaped members as described below. Each electric wire guide 17 connects the vicinity of the branching point of the electric wire W16 on the ceiling surface 112a on which the sliding portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 are provided, and the vicinity of the ends of the protector main bodies W211, W221 on the exterior installation plate 16 in the vertical direction D13. One end of each electric wire guide 17 is fixed to the ceiling surface 112a, and the other end is fixed to the exterior installation plate 16. When the electric wire W16 is paid out and falls, it passes between the pairs of electric wire guide parts 17, and is guided in a branched shape to the groove openings of the protector bodies W211, W221 and stored inside. After that, the electric wire guide parts 17 are removed, and the exterior installation plate 16 is taken out together with the paid-out electric wire W16 to the outside of the device frame 11. Then, on the outside, the protector covers W212, W222 are attached to the protector bodies W211, W221, and the wire harness W2 with the electric wire W16 with the protector as shown in Fig. 6 is completed.

[0047] According to the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 of the embodiment described above, the wire harnesses W1 and W2 can be automatically manufactured by stretching the electric wire W16 between the base end holding portion 13 and the slide portion 12 and performing electric wire processing including branch formation. At this time, both ends of the electric wire W16 in the middle of manufacturing are held by the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 at the ceiling height H11 from the reference surface 111a. Depending on the position of the slide portion 12, slack occurs in the electric wire W16. In that case, the electric wire W16 hangs down due to its own weight, so that the electric wire W16 is prevented from being caught by the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 at the ceiling height H11. In addition, the electric wire processing portion 14 that performs electric wire processing on the electric wire W16 is provided so as to be out of contact with the hanging electric wire W16, so that the electric wire W16 is also prevented from being caught by the electric wire processing portion 14. In this manner, according to the wire harness production apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the wire harnesses W1, W2 can be automatically produced while preventing the electric wire W16 from getting caught during production.

[0048] In this embodiment, the sub-harness W1a is supplied between the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13. The slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 hold both ends of the electric wire W16 via the tip end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 of the sub-harness W1a. According to this configuration, the electric wire W16 is supplied between the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 in the state of the sub-harness W1a, and the tip end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 are delivered from below on the reference surface 111a side. As a result, the supply of the sub-harness W1a as a preliminary step of harness manufacture is also performed in a state in which the electric wire W16 hangs down, so that the supply can be performed in a state in which the electric wire W16 is prevented from being caught on the slide portion 12, the base end holding portion 13, and the electric wire processing portion 14.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is provided with a sub-harness supply cart 15 that holds a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a and can be moved in and out of the supply position P11 and is inserted into the supply position P11 to supply the plurality of sub-harnesses W1a. According to this configuration, by having the sub-harness supply cart 15 hold the plurality of sub-harnesses W1a and inserting it into the supply position P11, the plurality of sub-harnesses W1a can be supplied more efficiently than, for example, supplying the plurality of sub-harnesses W1a individually.

[0050] In this embodiment, the slide portion 12 moves to the connector receiving position P12 of the first end side 1a when receiving the tip side connector W11 from the sub-harness supply cart 15. At this time, the slide portion 12 is aligned in a line in the arrangement direction D12 at the connector receiving position P12, and the base end side holding portion 13 is aligned in a line in the arrangement direction D12 at the first end side 1a. The sub-harness supply cart 15 detachably holds the tip side connector W11 and the rear end side connector W12 aligned so that they face the slide portion 12 and the base end side holding portion 13 one-to-one when inserted into the supply position P11. According to this configuration, the tip side connector W11 and the rear end side connector W12 held as the supply target by the sub-harness supply cart 15 are aligned one-to-one with the slide portion 12 and the base end side holding portion 13 of the supply destination, so that this handover can be easily performed.

[0051] In this embodiment, the sub-harness supply cart 15 rises when it is inserted into the supply position P11. As a result of this rise, the sub-harness supply cart 15 presses the front end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 against the slide portion 12 at the connector receiving position P12 and the base end holding portion 13 at the first end 1a, and delivers them together. According to this configuration, the front end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 are delivered together by the rise of the sub-harness supply cart 15, so that the work time for supplying the sub-harness W1a can be significantly reduced.

[0052] In this embodiment, the slide part 12 and the base end holding part 13 release and drop one end side and the other end side of the electric wire W16 that has been processed in the electric wire processing part 14, thereby dispensing the electric wire W16 to the reference surface 111a side. According to this configuration, the electric wire W1a that has been processed in the electric wire processing part 14 is dispensed only by opening the end part at the slide part 12 and the base end holding part 13, so that installation of a special dispensing jig is not required. As a result, the work time and the equipment cost for dispensing the processed electric wire W16 can be reduced.

[0053] In this embodiment, the slide portion 12 moves to line up in the arrangement direction D12 at the dispensing position P13 of the first end side 1a after being processed by the electric wire processing portion 14, and releases one end side of the electric wire W1a at this dispensing position P13. According to this configuration, prior to dispensing, the slide portion 12 approaches the base end side holding portion 13 of the first end side 1a and lines up at the dispensing position P13. As a result, the electric wire W16 to be dispensed is folded and hangs down with the front end side connector W11 aligned together with the rear end side connector W12. Due to the hanging of the electric wire W16 in this manner, the dispensing of the electric wire W16 can be performed while preventing the electric wire W16 from being caught on structures on the ceiling surface 112a, such as the slide portion 12 and the base end side holding portion 13.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an exterior installation plate 16 and an electric wire guide portion 17. The exterior installation plate 16 is a member that is inserted into the insertion position P14 with the protector bodies W211 and W221 constituting the front end protector W21 and the rear end protector W22 installed on the upper surface as exterior members with the housing side of the electric wire W16 facing upward. The electric wire guide portion 17 is a member that guides the electric wire W16 that falls due to dispensing so that it is accommodated in the protector bodies W211 and W221. According to this configuration, the protector bodies W211 and W221 are attached to the electric wire W16 by installing the protector bodies W211 and W221 on the upper surface of the exterior installation plate 16, inserting the exterior installation plate 16, and guiding the falling electric wire by the electric wire guide portion 17. Among these steps, the step performed by the worker, the robot arm, or the like is the installation of the protector bodies W211, W221 on the upper surface of the exterior installation plate 16. This work is much easier to perform than directly attaching the protector bodies W211, W221 to the electric wire W16 stretched across at a predetermined height. After that, the exterior installation plate 16 on which the protector bodies W211, W221 have been installed is inserted and the electric wire W16 is paid out by dropping it. During this payment, the electric wire W16 is automatically accommodated inside the protector bodies W211, W221 by the guide of the electric wire guide portion 17. Thus, according to the above configuration, the work performed by the worker, the robot arm, or the like can be minimized to the minimum necessary, namely, the installation of the protector bodies W211, W221 on the upper surface of the exterior installation plate 16, while improving the workability.

[0055] In this embodiment, the electric wire processing section 14 includes a robot arm 141 and a processing mechanism 142. The robot arm 141 is provided at a position where it does not come into contact with the electric wire W16 even when the electric wire W16 hangs down. The processing mechanism 142 is a mechanism that is detachably held by the robot arm 141, and is transported to a work location for processing the electric wire to perform the electric wire processing. The processing mechanism 142 waits at a waiting place 112c adjacent to the moving route of the slide section 12 on the ceiling surface 112a at the ceiling height H11 until it is held by the robot arm 141. According to this configuration, the robot arm 141 is provided at a position where it does not come into contact with the electric wire W16, and the processing mechanism 142 waits at the waiting place 112c at the ceiling height H11 before being held by the robot arm W141. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the electric wire W16 hanging down from being caught by both the robot arm 141 and the processing mechanism 142.

[0056] In this embodiment, multiple types of processing mechanisms 142 each assigned with different processing contents are placed on standby in the standby location 112c. The robot arm 141 selectively holds one of the multiple types of processing mechanisms 142 depending on the processing contents to be executed. According to this configuration, by providing multiple types of processing mechanisms 142 in the standby location 112c at the ceiling height H11, it is possible to deal with various types of electric wire processing while effectively preventing the electric wire W16 from getting caught.

[0057] The above-described embodiments are merely representative examples of the wire harness production apparatus, and the wire harness production apparatus is not limited thereto and can be modified in various ways.

[0058] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the wire harness W1 to be mounted and routed in an automobile is illustrated as an example of the wire harness to be manufactured. However, the wire harness is not limited to this, and may be a wire harness other than that to be mounted in an automobile.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, the wire harnesses W1 and W2 are illustrated as examples of the wire harness to be manufactured, as typically shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6. However, the wire harness is not limited to these, and as long as the wire harness has a branched shape, there is no restriction on the specific number of branches, the presence or absence and type of an exterior member, and the like.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 in which the sub-harness W1a is supplied between the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 is illustrated as an example of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus. The slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 in this example hold both ends of the electric wire W16 via the tip end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 of the sub-harness W1a. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this, and may be one in which an electric wire drawn from an electric wire reel, not a sub-harness, is supplied between the slide portion and the base end holding portion, and the slide portion and the base end holding portion directly hold the end of the electric wire. In this case, a mechanism for connecting the end of the electric wire held by each portion to the connector of the wire harness may be separately provided. However, as described above, by supplying the electric wire via the tip end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 of the sub-harness W1a, it is possible to prevent the electric wire W16 from getting caught even in the supply stage before the harness is manufactured.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 including the sub-harness supplying cart 15 that holds and supplies a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a is exemplified as an example of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this. For example, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus may be one in which a plurality of sub-harnesses are individually supplied by, for example, manual work by an operator or a robot arm. However, as described above, by using the sub-harness supplying cart 15, a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a can be efficiently supplied.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is exemplified as an example of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus in which the slide portion 12 moves to the connector receiving position P12 when receiving the tip connector W11 and is aligned with the base end holding portion 13. In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, the sub-harness supplying cart 15 detachably holds the tip connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 aligned in a line so as to face the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 one-to-one at the supplying position P11. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this. In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus, for example, the arrangement of the slide portion and the base end holding portion may not particularly correspond to the arrangement of the connectors on the sub-harness supplying cart at the supplying position. However, as described above, by making these arrangements correspond one-to-one, the tip connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 can be easily delivered from the sub-harness supplying cart 15 to the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the sub-harness supply cart 15 is exemplified as an example of the sub-harness supply cart, which rises when inserted into the supply position P11 and presses the front end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 against the supply destination to deliver them all at once. However, the sub-harness supply cart is not limited to this, and the connectors may be individually supplied after being inserted into the supply position P11 by manual work by an operator or a robot arm, etc. However, as described above, the configuration in which the sub-harness supply cart 15 rises to press the connectors and deliver them all at once allows the operation time related to the supply of the sub-harness W1a to be significantly reduced.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 that pays out the electric wire W16 by dropping the electric wire due to opening the connector at the slide portion 12 and the base end side holding portion 13 is exemplified as an example of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this, and may pay out the electric wire using some kind of paying-out jig. However, as described above, according to the configuration in which the electric wire W16 is paid out by dropping the electric wire due to opening the connector, it is possible to reduce the work time and the equipment cost for the paying-out operation of the processed electric wire W16.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is exemplified as an example of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus in which the slide portion 12 moves to the discharging position P13 after processing in the electric wire processing portion 14 to release the electric wire W16. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an apparatus in which the slide portion releases the electric wire W16 without moving from the position at the end of the electric wire processing. However, as described above, by moving the slide portion 12 to the discharging position P13 to release the electric wire W16 in a hanging state, the electric wire W16 can also be discharged while preventing the electric wire W16 from getting caught on a structure on the ceiling surface 112a.

[0066] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 including an exterior installation plate 16 and a wire guide portion 17 is illustrated. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this, and an exterior member may be directly attached to a wire stretched at a predetermined height by manual work of an operator, a robot arm, or the like. However, as described above, by providing the exterior installation plate 16 and the wire guide portion 17, it is possible to improve the workability while minimizing the work by an operator, a robot arm, or the like. In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the exterior member, a front-end protector W21 including protector main bodies W211 and W221 and protector covers W212 and W222 and a rear-end protector W22 are illustrated. However, the exterior member is not limited to this, and any specific member form may be used as long as it is a member that can accommodate a wire inside from the side intersecting the length direction in a cylindrical shape. Examples of such an exterior member include a corrugated tube, a twist tube, etc. that can accommodate a wire from a slit on the peripheral surface or the like.

[0067] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire processing unit, a wire processing unit 14 including a robot arm 141 that does not come into contact with a hanging wire W16 and a processing mechanism 142 that waits at a waiting location 112c until it is held by the robot arm 141 is illustrated. However, the wire processing unit is not limited to this, and as long as it is provided so as not to come into contact with the wire, for example, it may be a robot arm or the like in which the processing mechanism is an integrated mechanism, and the specific mechanism form is not questioned. However, as described above, according to the wire processing unit 14 including the robot arm 141 and the processing mechanism 142, it is possible to effectively suppress the snagging of the wire W16 in a state of hanging downward.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of each of the processing mechanism and the robot arm, a plurality of types of processing mechanisms 142 waiting in the waiting place 112c and a robot arm 141 selectively holding one processing mechanism 142 depending on the processing content are exemplified. However, the processing mechanism and the robot arm are not limited to this, and only one processing mechanism may wait in the waiting place and the robot arm may hold that one processing mechanism. However, as described above, according to the configuration in which the robot arm 141 selectively holds one processing mechanism 142 out of the plurality of types of processing mechanisms 142 in the waiting place 112c, it is possible to deal with various electric wire processing while effectively suppressing the electric wire W16 from getting caught. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1. Wire harness manufacturing equipment 1a 1st end side 1b 2nd end side 11 Equipment Frame 12 Slide section 13 Proximal holding part 14 Wire processing section 15 Sub-harness supply cart 16 Exterior installation board 17 Wire guide section 111 Bottom plate part 111a Reference plane 111b Arm rail 112 Ceiling Panel 112a Ceiling surface 112b Slide rail 112c Waiting area 113 Pillar section 121,131 Rotation axis 141 Robot Arm 142 Processing mechanism 151 Bottom plate with wheels 151a Wheel 152 Tip holding ceiling plate 152a Tip connector cup 153 Rear end holding ceiling plate 153a Rear end connector cup 154 Bogie support section D11 Slide direction D12 Array Direction D13 Up / Down D14 Payout direction D111 Stretching direction D112 Folding direction H11 Ceiling height P11 Supply position P12 Connector receiving position P13 Payout position P14 Insertion position W1, W2 Wire harness W1a, W2a sub-harness W1b trunk section W1c midline part W11 Tip connector W12 Rear end connector W13 Tape winding section W14 Exterior W15 Retaining Clip W16 electric wire W21 Tip protector W22 Rear end protector W131 Tape W141 Corrugated tube W211, W221 Protector body W212,W222 Protector Cover

Claims

1. a plurality of slide sections each of which is installed at a predetermined height from a reference surface extending along a horizontal plane, and which each holds at least one end side of an electric wire constituting a wire harness having a branched shape toward the reference surface side, and which are arranged parallel to each other in an arrangement direction along the reference surface in a sliding direction between a first end side and a second end side, and which move linearly; a base end holding portion that is installed at the first end side, which is a base end side of the linear movement at the predetermined height, so as to be immobile at least in the sliding direction, and is arranged in the arrangement direction so as to hold at least one other end side of the electric wire toward the reference surface side; a mechanical portion for performing wire processing including a process of selectively bundling the electric wires stretched between one or more of the base end holding portions and the plurality of the slide portions by moving the plurality of slide portions, each of which holds one end side of the electric wire, to a position between the first end side and the second end side according to the branching shape, the wire processing portion being provided so as to be out of contact with the electric wires even when the electric wires hang down depending on the position of the slide portion; A wire harness manufacturing apparatus comprising:

2. the wire harness is configured by combining a plurality of sub-harnesses each including one or more of the electric wires and two or more connectors to which both ends of the electric wires are connected, The wire harness manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the sub-harness is supplied between the slide portion and the base end holding portion by handing the connector over to the slide portion and the base end holding portion from below, which is the reference surface side, and the slide portion and the base end holding portion hold both ends of the electric wire via the connector.

3. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus as described in claim 2, further comprising a sub-harness supply cart which holds a plurality of the sub-harnesses and is capable of being moved in and out along the reference surface to a supply position between a plurality of the slide portions and one or more base end holding portions and the reference surface, the sub-harness supply cart being inserted into the supply position to supply a plurality of the sub-harnesses.

4. the slide portion moves to a connector receiving position on the first end side when receiving the connector from the sub-harness supply cart, The wire harness manufacturing apparatus described in claim 3, characterized in that when the sub-harness supply cart is inserted into the supply position, it removably holds the connectors of the multiple sub-harnesses in an aligned state so that they face one-to-one with one or more base end holding portions aligned in the arrangement direction on the first end side and multiple slide portions aligned in the arrangement direction at the connector receiving position.

5. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus described in claim 4, characterized in that when the sub-harness supply cart is inserted into the supply position, it rises and presses the connectors of the multiple sub-harnesses against one or more base end holding portions on the first end side and against multiple slide portions at the connector receiving position to deliver them all at once.

6. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide portion and the base end holding portion releasably hold one end side and the other end side of the electric wire, respectively, and release and drop the one end side and the other end side of the electric wire that has been processed in the electric wire processing portion, thereby paying out the electric wire toward the reference surface side.

7. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the plurality of slide portions, after being processed in the electric wire processing portion, move to line up in the arrangement direction at a discharge position on the first end side, and release one end side of the electric wires at the discharge position.

8. The wire harness is a tubular exterior member in which the electric wires processed by the electric wire processing unit are housed in a tubular exterior member capable of housing the electric wires from a side intersecting a longitudinal direction thereof, an exterior installation plate that is a plate member that can be inserted along the reference surface to an insertion position between the plurality of slide portions and the one or more base end side holding portions and the reference surface, and that is inserted into the insertion position with the exterior member installed on an upper surface of the exterior installation plate with the housing side of the electric wire facing upward; an electric wire guide portion that is detachably installed between the sliding portion and the base end side holding portion that have moved to a position corresponding to the branch shape, and the exterior installation plate, and guides the electric wire that falls by being paid out so that it is accommodated in the exterior member; The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

9. The electric wire processing section includes: a robot arm provided at a position where it does not come into contact with the electric wire even when the electric wire hangs down; 2. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a processing mechanism that is detachably held by the robot arm, transported to a work location for processing the electric wire, and waits at a waiting location adjacent to a movement route of the slide section at the predetermined height until it is held by the robot arm.

10. In the waiting place, a plurality of types of the processing mechanisms each having different processing contents to be handled are waiting, 10. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 9, wherein the robot arm selectively holds one of the plurality of types of processing mechanisms depending on the processing content to be executed.

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