applicator

Abstract

To provide an applicator capable of easily adjusting a height of an anvil and a crimper.SOLUTION: An applicator 100 includes: a main body part 10 to which an anvil 4 is attached; and a ram 60 to which a crimper 5 is attached, and is configured to crimp a terminal fitting 91 to an electric wire by approaching the crimper 5 to the anvil 4 with a predetermined clearance CL. The applicator 100 further includes a restricting mechanism R that restricts a reference height position PR of the ram 60 from moving downward from a height limit position PL when the ram 60 approaches the main body portion 10. A predetermined height dimension H0 is set so that the crimper 5 approaches the anvil 4 via the clearance CL when the reference height position PR is located at the height limit position PL.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an applicator for crimping an electric wire to a terminal fitting, and more particularly to an applicator for crimping an electric wire to a chain terminal in which a plurality of terminal fittings are connected by a belt-shaped carrier. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known an applicator for continuously crimping stripped electric wires to terminals (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such an applicator is provided with a ram that can move up and down relative to a base. A drive rod of a drive source that constitutes the crimping machine is connected to the ram, and the ram is driven up and down by the drive source. When the ram is driven up and down, the terminal fitting is crimped by an anvil disposed on the base and a crimper disposed on the ram, and the electric wire is crimped to the terminal fitting.

[0003] The applicator is designed to allow the relative positions of the anvil and crimper to be adjusted left and right (the direction in which the chain terminal carrier moves), depth (the direction in which the terminal fittings extend relative to the carrier), and up and down (or height). The driving source of the crimping machine (e.g., an electric motor and a piston-crank mechanism) is set so that its driving rod moves up and down with a predetermined stroke length between the set top dead center and bottom dead center. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-111939 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, conventionally, adjustment of the left-right and depth directions of the anvil and crimper could be completed within the applicator. On the other hand, adjustment of the up-down direction of the anvil and crimper is related to the settings of the drive source (stroke length, bottom dead center position, etc.), so it could not be completed within the applicator and required adjustment by actual alignment. For this reason, conventionally, adjustment of the up-down direction was first performed by roughly adjusting the bottom dead center position, etc., of the drive source. At this time, the bottom dead center of the drive rod of the drive source is set far away from the applicator so that the anvil and crimper do not collide and break at the bottom dead center of the applicator. In other words, the initial position of the crimper in the up-down direction relative to the anvil is set sufficiently far away.

[0006] Then, the drive source, such as an electric motor, is manually moved to the bottom dead center, and the clearance between the anvil and the crimper is visually or otherwise checked. Fine adjustments, including position adjustments of the drive source (adjustment of the bottom dead center position, etc.) and / or position adjustments of the applicator (adjustment of the anvil and crimper positions), are repeatedly performed to gradually bring the clearance closer to the set value. The anvil and crimper then actually crimp the terminal fitting to crimp the wire, and the quality of the height position adjustment is determined based on the crimped condition. As described above, conventional applicators require multiple repetitions of position adjustments and crimping operations, resulting in the problem of a long time required for adjusting the height positions of the anvil and crimper.

[0007] Furthermore, with conventional applicators, height adjustment is related to both the crimping machine and the applicator, so if a problem occurs in which the crimping condition deteriorates over time, it can be very difficult to determine which part of the entire device is causing the problem.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an applicator that allows easy adjustment of the height positions of the anvil and crimper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An applicator according to one embodiment of the present invention is an applicator for crimping an electric wire to a terminal fitting, and comprises a main body to which an anvil is attached, and a ram to which a crimper is attached and which can move up and down relative to the main body. The applicator is configured such that, as the ram moves up and down, the crimper approaches the anvil on which the terminal fitting is placed with a predetermined clearance, thereby crimping the terminal fitting with the anvil and crimper, and crimping the terminal fitting to the electric wire. The applicator further comprises a limiting mechanism that limits the reference height position of the ram from moving downwardly beyond a height limit position that is a predetermined height dimension above the main body when the ram approaches the main body, and the predetermined height dimension is set so that the crimper approaches the anvil via the clearance when the reference height position is located at the height limit position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an applicator that allows easy adjustment of the height positions of the anvil and crimper. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of an applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a chained terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a terminal feeding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a terminal feeding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of an engaging member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of an engagement member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams (top dead center) of the operation of the link mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9B] 10A and 10B are explanatory views (bottom dead center) of the operation of the link mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10A] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams (top dead center) illustrating the operation of the carrier movement restricting mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10B] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams (bottom dead center) illustrating the operation of the carrier movement restricting mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11A] 10A and 10B are explanatory views (top dead center) of the operation of the engaging member according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11B] 5A and 5B are explanatory views of the operation of the engaging member according to the embodiment of the present invention (disengaged position). [Figure 11C] 10A and 10B are explanatory views (bottom dead center) of the operation of the engaging member according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12A] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams (top dead center) illustrating the operation of the feed pawl according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12B] 10A and 10B are explanatory views of the operation of the feed pawl according to the embodiment of the present invention (disengaged position). [Figure 12C] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams (bottom dead center) illustrating the operation of the feed pawl according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating adjustment of a clearance between an anvil and a crimper according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Overall configuration] First, a schematic configuration of an applicator according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the applicator at top dead center, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the applicator at bottom dead center, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the applicator at top dead center. The applicator 100 according to this embodiment includes a main body 10 placed on a floor FL, a terminal feed mechanism 40, and a ram (elevating unit) 60. The applicator 100 is configured such that the ram 60 repeatedly moves up and down between top dead center and bottom dead center relative to the main body 10, causing the terminal feed mechanism 40 to feed a chained terminal 90 to the crimping unit CS, which then crimps the terminal fittings 91 of the chained terminal 90 to crimp the electric wire to the terminal fittings 91. The crimping unit CS includes the ram 60 equipped with an anvil holder 30 that holds an anvil 4, and the main body 10 equipped with a crimper holder 66 that holds a crimper 5.

[0013] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, in the depth direction Y (also referred to as the "front-rear direction Y") of the applicator 100, the front side of the device is referred to as the front side (F) and the back side is referred to as the rear side (R). In addition, in the lateral direction X (also referred to as the "feed direction X") of the applicator 100, the right side is referred to as the downstream side (D) and the left side is referred to as the upstream side (U). In addition, the vertical direction Z of the applicator 100 is also referred to as the up-down direction Z.

[0014] The main body 10 has a flat base 11 placed on a floor FL, a flat mounting plate 14 fixed thereon, and a frame 20, an anvil holder 30, and the like attached to the mounting plate 14. A terminal feed mechanism 40 is also attached to the mounting plate 14 and is integrated with the main body 10.

[0015] The frame 20 includes a rear plate 21, side plates 22a and 22b extending forward from both sides of the rear plate 21 in the lateral direction X, and front plates 23a and 23b attached to the front sides of the side plates 22a and 22b, forming a guide space that is generally rectangular in top view. The ram 60 is guided by the guide space and can move up and down. The anvil holder 30 extends in the lateral direction X and the depth direction Y below the front plates 23a and 23b and fixes the anvil 4 to the upper surface of the mounting plate 14, which serves as a reference surface. The anvil holder 30 also incorporates a tab cutter 33 and other components.

[0016] The ram 60 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a front ram body 61, a back plate 64 fixed to the back of the ram body 61 and extending downward from the ram body 61, and a crimper holder 66 attached to the ram body 61. A connecting portion 61a for connecting to the drive source 1 is formed on the top surface of the ram body 61. The back plate 64 constitutes part of a link mechanism LM, which will be described later. The crimper holder 66 is provided in a space carved out from the front and bottom of the ram body 61 (i.e., the space sandwiched between ram side walls 62a, 62b located on both sides of the crimper holder 66 in the X direction). The crimper holder 66 is configured to fix a crimper and to adjust its position in the X, Y, and Z directions. For example, the user can operate the position adjustment mechanism 63 to fine-tune the vertical position of the crimper from a reference height position.

[0017] The driving source 1 is, for example, an electric motor and a piston-crank mechanism equipped with a driving rod 2 as an output shaft. The piston-crank mechanism converts the rotational motion of the electric motor into linear reciprocating motion and transmits it to the driving rod 2. The driving rod 2 is connected to a connecting part 61a by a connecting member (shank, ram bolt, etc.) connected to the tip. When the driving source 1 is activated, the driving rod 2 moves up and down over a predetermined stroke length, causing the ram 60 connected to the lower end of the driving rod 2 to repeatedly move up and down. Alternatively, the driving source 1 may be a hydraulic cylinder equipped with a piston rod.

[0018] [Chain terminal configuration] 4 is a perspective view of a chained terminal. Chained terminal 90, which is crimped onto a stripped electric wire, has a plurality of terminal fittings 91 cantilevered and connected to a strip-shaped carrier 95 via tabs 94 at a predetermined terminal pitch. The terminal fittings 91 extend perpendicular to the length of the carrier 95. Chained terminal 90 is formed by pressing a conductive plate base material (thin metal plate) or the like.

[0019] The terminal fitting 91 has a connecting portion 92 for connecting with other terminal fittings, etc., and a barrel portion (crimping portion) 93 for crimping onto an electric wire. The barrel portion 93 has a wire barrel portion 93A for crimping onto the core wire (metal wire) of the electric wire, and a covering barrel portion 93B for crimping onto the covering of the electric wire. The wire barrel portion 93A is connected to a carrier 95 via a tab 94. These two barrel portions 93A, 93B are respectively crimped by two sets of anvils 4 (4a, 4b) and crimpers 5 (5a, 5b) of the applicator 100. That is, the terminal fitting 91, which has been separated from the carrier 95 by cutting off the tab 94, is placed on the anvil 4, and the barrel portion 93A is crimped by the anvil 4a and crimper 5a, and the barrel portion 93B is crimped by the anvil 4b and crimper 5b.

[0020] The carrier 95 has circular pilot holes 96 and rectangular feed holes 97 alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction. The pilot holes 96 are formed as through holes on the carrier 95 in the extension direction of each terminal fitting 91. On the other hand, the feed holes 97 are formed as through holes at intermediate positions between two adjacent pilot holes 96 in the longitudinal direction of the carrier 95. The feed holes 97 do not necessarily have to be rectangular in plan view, and may be circular, polygonal (triangle, pentagon, etc.), or may have a shape connected to the pilot holes 96 in the longitudinal direction, for example.

[0021] [Configuration of terminal feed mechanism] Next, the terminal feed mechanism 40 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Figures 5 and 6 are explanatory views of the terminal feed mechanism 40, Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the engaging member, and Figure 8 is an explanatory view of the engaging member. Note that rollers and the like are omitted in Figures 5 and 6 for ease of understanding.

[0022] When a carrier 95 of a chained terminal 90 is placed on a rail-shaped carrier guide 41, the terminal feed mechanism 40 holds the chained terminal 90 by sandwiching the carrier 95 between a pair of upper and lower rollers (upper roller 48A, lower roller 48B) (see FIG. 1, etc.). The terminal feed mechanism 40 is configured to intermittently advance the chained terminal 90 in terminal pitch increments by reciprocating a feed claw 58 in the feed direction X with a stroke equal to the terminal pitch. The link mechanism LM of the terminal feed mechanism 40 converts the lifting and lowering movement of the ram 60 in the Z direction into reciprocating movement of the feed claw 58 in the X direction. When the feed claw 58 moves downstream, it engages with a feed hole 97 of the carrier 95, thereby advancing the chained terminal 90 by the terminal pitch.

[0023] The terminal feed mechanism 40 includes a cam groove 64a (see FIG. 6) provided in a back plate 64 of the ram 60, a link component 42 rotatably supported on a rotary shaft 42a fixed to the frame portion 20 and having cam followers 43A, 43B at both ends, a slide member 45 slidable in the X direction while being guided by a guide hole 44a (see FIG. 1) of a slide guide 44 fixed to the mounting plate 14, a support member 50 attached to the slide member 45, a return member 47 which is a cam member attached to the slide guide 44, and a pair of upper and lower rollers 48A and 48B for feeding. The back plate 64, the link component 42, and the slide member 45 constitute the link mechanism LM of this embodiment.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, carrier 95 is sandwiched between upper roller 48A and lower roller 48B and sent downstream in the X direction. Upper roller 48A is rotatable and fixed to mounting plate 14. Lower roller 48B is a one-way clutch roller or a one-way roller that can rotate in only one direction (only clockwise in FIG. 3), and is fixed to mounting plate 14. In addition, a protrusion that fits into at least pilot hole 96 or feed hole 97 of carrier 95 is formed on the circumferential surface of lower roller 48B. Therefore, when carrier 95 is subjected to an external force acting upstream, lower roller 48B restricts carrier 95 from moving upstream.

[0025] 7, the slide guide 44 has guide holes 44a for holding a slide member 45 having a substantially rectangular outer shape so that the slide member 45 can move in the X direction. The guide holes 44a are open at both ends of the slide guide 44 in the X direction. Furthermore, an insertion hole 44b that communicates with the guide hole 44a is provided in a side surface 44c on the front side in the Y direction of the slide guide 44, and the slide member 45 and the support member 50 are connected through the insertion hole 44b. In this embodiment, the slide guide 44 is formed integrally with the frame portion 20 (side plate 22a).

[0026] 6, the link component 42 includes an upper arm 42A extending substantially upward from a rotation shaft 42a, and a lower arm 42B extending substantially downward. The link component 42 is rotatable in the XZ plane around the rotation shaft 42a. Cam followers 43A and 43B extending forward in the Y direction are attached to the distal ends of the upper arm 42A and the lower arm 42B, respectively. The cam followers 43A and 43B are rollers that can rotate around a rotation shaft parallel to the rotation shaft 42a.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 6, the cam groove 64a is formed in a diagonal direction with respect to the up-down direction Z on the back plate 64. As shown in Fig. 5, the slide member 45 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and includes a notch 45a that is rectangular in plan view to avoid contact with the lower arm 42B, and a cam groove 46b that is formed to extend from the notch 45a to the front in the Y direction.

[0028] For example, when the ram 60 descends from the top dead center (FIGS. 5 and 6) to the bottom dead center, the upper cam follower 43A of the link component 42 moves relatively upward within the cam groove 64a, causing the link component 42 to rotate and the lower cam follower 43B of the link component 42 to move upstream in the X direction. At this time, the cam follower 43B pushes the slide member 45 upstream in the X direction while being held within the cam groove 46b of the slide member 45. Accordingly, the support member 50 fixed to the slide member 45 moves upstream by the terminal pitch. When the ram 60 ascends, the reverse of the above occurs.

[0029] The return member 47 is positioned so as to come into contact with the support member 50 (engagement member 55) when the ram 60 reaches the bottom dead center. That is, as will be described later, as the ram 60 moves up and down, the support member 50 reciprocates over the length of the terminal pitch between a retracted position and an advanced position. When the ram 60 is at the bottom dead center, the support member 50 is located at the most upstream retracted position. At this time, the return member 47 comes into contact with the engagement member 55, which is in a position disengaged from the carrier 95, and returns the engagement member 55 to a position where it is engaged with the carrier 95.

[0030] The support member 50 is connected to the front side of the slide member 45 in the Y direction by a bolt, and moves in the X direction together with the slide member 45. The support member 50 has a roller support portion 51 that rotatably supports four rollers 51a, an engagement member 55, and a support main body portion 53 that rotatably supports the engagement member 55. In this embodiment, the four rollers 51a include three upper rollers above the carrier 95 and one lower roller below the carrier 95.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, the engagement member 55 is generally L-shaped and includes an upper arm member 56 extending in the X direction and a lower arm member 57 extending in the Z direction. A rotation shaft 51b extending in the Y direction is attached to the roller support portion 51 and the support main body portion 53. The rotation shaft 51b is inserted into the engagement member 55 so as to penetrate the connecting portion between the upper arm member 56 and the lower arm member 57, and the engagement member 55 is rotatable about the rotation shaft 51b. A biasing member 53a such as a spring is attached to the support main body portion 53. The biasing member 53a biases the lower arm member 57 rearward in the X direction. Therefore, the engagement member 55 is always biased clockwise around the rotation shaft 51b in FIG. 3.

[0032] The upper arm member 56 has a feed pawl (engagement piece) 58 at a tip end 56a on the downstream side in the X direction. The feed pawl 58 is located below the carrier 95 in a plan view so as to be able to engage with a feed hole 97 of the carrier 95. The feed pawl 58 has a width and height that allows it to enter the feed hole 97, and has a neck portion (protrusion) 58a that extends upward from the tip end 56a, and an extension portion 58b that extends downstream in the X direction from the tip of the neck portion 58a.

[0033] 7 and 8, a plunger 59 is attached inside the tip end 56a of the upper arm member 56. The plunger 59 includes an engagement pin 59a, which is an engagement protrusion, and a biasing member 59b, such as a spring. The biasing member 59b constantly biases the engagement pin 59a rearward in the Y direction. The plunger 59 is positioned at the tip end 56a by the biasing member 59b so that the engagement pin 59a presses against the side surface 44c of the slide guide 44.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, two upper and lower engagement grooves 44A and 44B extending in the X direction are formed on the side surface 44c of the slide guide 44 above the insertion hole 44b. The upper and lower engagement grooves 44A and 44B are engageable with the engagement pin 59a of the plunger 59. When engaged, the upper and lower engagement grooves 44A and 44B hold the engagement pin 59a in the grooves so that it does not come off in the vertical direction Z, while guiding the engagement pin 59a in the X direction. A recess 44C is also formed in a predetermined range in the X direction on the side surface 44c. The recess 44C is formed with a depth (Y direction) such that the engagement pin 59a of the plunger 59 cannot press against the bottom surface 44d of the recess 44C. Therefore, the upper and lower engagement grooves 44A and 44B extend downstream from the upstream end of the slide guide 44 in the X direction, but are interrupted midway by the recess 44C. In this embodiment, the engagement pin is configured to engage with a groove formed on the side surface, but this is not limited to this, and the engagement pin may be held between multiple protrusions formed on the side surface.

[0035] [Explanation of link mechanism operation] The operation of the link mechanism LM will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. As shown in FIG. 9A, when the ram 60 is at the top dead center, the slide member 45 and the support member 50 are located at the most downstream position in the X direction. When the ram 60 descends from this position, the upper cam follower 43A of the link component 42 is guided within the cam groove 64a of the ram 60 and moves relatively upward within the cam groove 64a. At this time, the link component 42 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 9A. As a result, the lower cam follower 43B pushes the slide member 45 upstream in the X direction within the cam groove 46b of the slide member 45. Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the ram 60 reaches the bottom dead center, the slide member 45 and the support member 50 are located at the most upstream position in the X direction. When the ram 60 moves from the bottom dead center toward the top dead center, the reverse operation occurs.

[0036] [Structure of the Career Mobility Control Organization] 5 and 6, the carrier movement restricting mechanism 70 provided in the applicator 100 will be described. The carrier movement restricting mechanism 70 is configured to restrict unintentional movement of the carrier 95 in the feed direction X when the ram 60 descends to crimp the terminal fitting 91. The carrier movement restricting mechanism 70 includes a pilot pin 71, a generally L-shaped operating link member 73 that operates the pilot pin 71, and a plate cam 77 provided on the back plate 64 of the ram 60.

[0037] The operating link member 73 includes an upper arm 74 extending substantially upward, and a horizontal arm 75 extending substantially horizontally from the lower end of the upper arm 74 toward the front in the Y direction. The upper end of the upper arm 74 is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 74a extending in the X direction. The rotation shaft 74a is fixed to, for example, the frame portion 20. A groove is formed in the lower end of the upper arm 74 so as to extend toward the front in the Y direction, and a cam follower 74A is disposed in this groove. The cam follower 74A is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 74b extending in the X direction. A portion of the cam follower 74A protrudes rearward in the Y direction beyond the rear surface of the upper arm 74.

[0038] The horizontal arm 75 protrudes forward from the mounting plate 14 through a hole formed in the mounting plate 14 and extending in the Y direction. A pilot pin 71 is attached to the horizontal arm 75 so as to extend upward. The base end of the pilot pin 71 is attached to the horizontal arm 75 by a mounting pin (see FIG. 10A) extending in the X direction so that the pilot pin 71 can swing forward and backward in the Y direction. The pilot pin 71 is configured to enter a pilot hole 96 in the carrier 95 from below when the ram 60 is near the bottom dead center. In addition, a biasing member 76 such as a spring is disposed above the horizontal arm 75 to bias the horizontal arm 75 downward. Therefore, the horizontal arm 75 is constantly biased around the rotation shaft 74a so that its tip abuts against the upper surface of the base portion 11.

[0039] 5 and 6, a plate cam 77 is provided on the back plate 64 of the ram 60 in the center in the X direction so as to extend downward. The plate cam 77 has a cam surface 77a on the front side in the Y direction. The cam surface 77a is an inclined surface that slopes rearward in the Y direction as it approaches the bottom, and is configured to come into contact with the cam follower 74A of the operating link member 73 and rotate the operating link member 73 when the ram 60 is near the bottom dead center.

[0040] [Explanation of the operation of the carrier movement restriction mechanism] 10A and 10B, the operation of the carrier movement restricting mechanism 70 will be described. As shown in FIG. 10A, when the ram 60 is at the top dead center, the lower surface of the tip side of the horizontal arm 75 of the operating link member 73 abuts against the upper surface of the base portion 11. At this time, the tip of the pilot pin 71 is positioned below the carrier 95. When the ram 60 descends to a predetermined position just before the bottom dead center, the cam surface 77a of the plate cam 77 on the back plate 64 begins to abut against the cam follower 74A of the operating link member 73.

[0041] 10B, cam follower 74A is pressed forward in the Y direction, causing operating link member 73 to rotate and pilot pin 71 to be lifted upward. At this position, the tip of pilot pin 71 is inserted into pilot hole 96 of carrier 95 from below, restricting horizontal movement of carrier 95. Thereafter, when ram 60 rises upward from bottom dead center beyond a predetermined position just before bottom dead center, pilot pin 71 moves downward out of pilot hole 96 of carrier 95. As a result, horizontal movement (movement in the X direction) of carrier 95 is permitted when ram 60 is not near bottom dead center, but horizontal movement (movement in the X direction) of carrier 95 is restricted near bottom dead center (i.e., during crimping).

[0042] [Operation explanation of terminal feed mechanism] Next, the operation of terminal feeding mechanism 40 will be described with reference to Figures 11A to 12C. Figures 11A, 11B, and 11C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of engaging member 55 when ram 60 is located at top dead center, disengagement position, and bottom dead center, respectively, and Figures 12A, 12B, and 12C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of feeding claw 58 when ram 60 is located at top dead center, disengagement position, and bottom dead center, respectively.

[0043] First, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the ram 60 is at the top dead center, the engaging member 55 is at the first engaging position (first horizontal position) and at the most downstream forward position in the X direction. That is, at the first engaging position, as shown in FIG. 12A, the feed pawl 58 is engaged with the feed hole 97 of the carrier 95. At this time, the engaging pin 59a of the plunger 59 is located within the recess 44C where the upper engaging groove 44A and the lower engaging groove 44B are not formed. That is, the upper engaging groove 44A (and the lower engaging groove 44B) are not provided at least in the disengagement position. The engaging member 55 is constantly subjected to a biasing force from the biasing member 53a in a direction to disengage from the feed hole 97 of the carrier 95 (clockwise in FIG. 11A). However, because the lower surface of the extension 58b of the feed pawl 58 rests on the upper surface of the carrier 95, the engaging member 55 is restricted from rotating and maintained at the first engaging position.

[0044] 11B, when the ram 60 descends a predetermined distance from the top dead center to a predetermined release position, the engaging member 55 moves a predetermined distance upstream from the forward position. Meanwhile, the upstream movement of the carrier 95 is restricted by the lower roller 48B, which is a one-way clutch roller. Therefore, when the extension portion 58b of the engaging member 55 moves the extension length from the neck portion 58a in the X direction, the extension portion 58b releases from the feed hole 97.

[0045] 12B, the engaging member 55 is rotated to the disengaged position (tilted position) by the biasing force of the biasing member 53a. At this time, the lower end of the engaging member 55 comes into contact with the support body 53, restricting further rotation, so that the engaging member 55 is held in an inclined position at a predetermined inclination angle. In this embodiment, the inclined position is a height position at which the engaging pin 59a of the plunger 59 can engage with the lower engaging groove 44B.

[0046] When the ram 60 further descends from the disengaged position and the engagement pin 59a is positioned upstream of the recess 44C, the engagement pin 59a moves within the lower engagement groove 44B. Therefore, during this time, the engagement member 55 is maintained in the disengaged position (or inclined position).

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11C, when the ram 60 descends to the bottom dead center, the engaging member 55 reaches the retracted position on the upstream side. At the retracted position, the upstream side surface of the lower arm member 57 of the engaging member 55 abuts against the return member 47. As a result, the engaging member 55 is forcibly returned from the disengaged position (inclined position) to the second engaged position (second horizontal position) against the biasing force of the biasing member 53a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 12C, the extension portion 58b of the engaging member 55 protrudes upward from the feed hole 97 of the carrier 95. At this time, the carrier movement restricting mechanism 70 is actuated so that the pilot pin 71 is inserted into the pilot hole 96 of the carrier 95, thereby restricting movement of the carrier 95 in the X direction.

[0048] Furthermore, at this time, the engagement pin 59a of the plunger 59 moves from the lower engagement groove 44B into the upper engagement groove 44A. That is, when the upper arm member 56 of the engagement member 55 is forcibly returned to the horizontal state, the engagement pin 59a of the plunger 59 is pushed forward in the Y direction against the biasing force of the biasing member 59b, and can overcome the step in the Y direction of the lower engagement groove 44B.

[0049] Furthermore, when the ram 60 rises from the bottom dead center toward the top dead center, the engaging member 55 moves from the retracted position toward the advanced position. At this time, the engaging member 55 (neck portion 58a) pushes the carrier 95 downstream. When the engaging pin 59a of the plunger 59 is engaged with the upper engaging groove 44A, the neck portion 58a presses against the inner surface of the downstream side of the feed hole 97. However, when the engaging pin 59a reaches the recess 44C at an intermediate position before the engaging member 55 reaches the advanced position, the engaging pin 59a cannot engage with the upper engaging groove 44A. Therefore, due to the biasing force of the biasing member 53a, the engaging member 55 is slightly tilted from the second horizontal position to a first horizontal position (see FIG. 12A) where the lower surface of the extension portion 58b contacts the upper surface of the carrier 95. The engaging member 55 then moves from the intermediate position to the advanced position while maintaining this state.

[0050] The biasing force of biasing member 53a and biasing member 59b is set so that when engagement pin 59a of plunger 59 is positioned within engagement upper groove 44A, unless other external force (for example, pressing force from return member 47) is applied, engagement pin 59a does not overcome the Y-direction step of engagement upper groove 44A (i.e., engagement member 55 does not displace from the first horizontal position to the inclined position).

[0051] Just before the bottom dead center, the tab cutter 33 cuts the tab 94 of the carrier 95 in conjunction with the descent of the ram 60, whereby one terminal fitting 91 is separated from the carrier 95 and placed on the anvil 4. An electric wire feeder (not shown) places the stripped electric wire on the terminal fitting 91. Then, near the bottom dead center, the crimper 5 approaches the anvil 4 to a predetermined clearance CL, whereby the terminal fitting 91 is crimped onto the electric wire. Furthermore, as the ram 60 rises, the electric wire feeder removes the electric wire integrated with the terminal fitting 91 from the applicator 100. Furthermore, within the applicator 100, the carrier 95 downstream of the separated terminal fitting 91 is cut by a predetermined length.

[0052] In this embodiment, the terminal feeding mechanism 40 is configured to push the carrier 95 forward by moving the feeding claws 58 of the engaging member 55 to the forward position while they are inserted into the feeding holes 97 of the carrier 95, and to not contact the carrier 95 when the engaging member 55 is returned to the retracted position so as not to rub against the carrier 95. This prevents metal powder from being generated from the carrier 95 in this embodiment. Note that, in this embodiment, the engagement and disengagement between the engaging member 55 and the carrier 95 is achieved using components such as the plunger 59, the engaging upper groove 44A, and the biasing member 53a, but this is not limited thereto and may also be achieved using an electric component (actuator) or the like.

[0053] [Configuration of Ram Descent Limiting Mechanism] Next, the limiting mechanism R for limiting the ram descent of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower surfaces 67a, 67b of the ram side walls 62a, 62b are the first limiting portion R1 that constitutes the limiting mechanism R, and the upper surfaces 30a, 30b of the anvil holder 30 are the second limiting portion R2 that constitutes the limiting mechanism R. In addition, the abutment surface 64d of the back plate 64 and the upper surface 14a of the mounting plate 14 (see Figs. 9A and 9B) are also the first limiting portion R1 and the second limiting portion R2 that constitute the limiting mechanism R, respectively.

[0054] 2, at the bottom dead center, portions of the lower surfaces 67a, 67b of the ram side walls 62a, 62b are configured to abut against portions of the upper surfaces 30a, 30b of the anvil holder 30 on both sides in the X direction of the tab cutter 33. Also, at the bottom dead center, as shown in FIG. 9B, the present embodiment is configured so that the abutment surface 64d of the back plate 64 of the ram 60 abuts against the upper surface 14a of the mounting plate 14.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the ram 60 descends relative to the main body 10, the first limiting portion R1 and the second limiting portion R2 come into contact with each other by the limiting mechanism R, thereby restricting the reference height position of the ram 60 (for example, the reference height position PR of the crimper holder 66 in Figure 13) from moving downward from the height limiting position PL, which is a predetermined height dimension H0 above the main body 10 (see Figure 13).

[0056] In this embodiment, the contact surfaces of the ram side walls 62a, 62b and the anvil holder 30 (contact portions between the lower surfaces 67a, 67b of the ram side walls 62a, 62b and the upper surface 30a, 30b of the anvil holder 30) and the contact surfaces of the back plate 64 and the mounting plate 14 (contact portion between the contact surface 64d formed on the back plate 64 and the upper surface 14a of the mounting plate 14) are each formed as horizontal or flat surfaces perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, and are configured to be in surface contact with each other at the bottom dead center. However, this is not limited to such flat-to-flat contact, and one or more portions may be in contact with a convex portion and a flat surface, a convex portion and a concave portion, a flat surface and a flat surface, and / or a combination thereof.

[0057] Furthermore, without being limited to this embodiment, the configuration may be such that any component of the ram 60 (first limiting portion) and any component of the main body portion 10 (second limiting portion) come into contact at the bottom dead center to restrict the reference height position PR of the ram 60 from descending below a predetermined height limiting position PL.

[0058] [Adjusting the clearance of the anvil and crimper] Next, adjustment of the clearance between the anvil and the crimper in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figures 13(A) and 13(B) show the positional relationship between the ram 60 and the anvil holder 30 at the top dead center and the bottom dead center, respectively.

[0059] Here, we will explain the clearance adjustment between one pair of anvils 4a and crimpers 5a. However, since the same applies to the other pair of anvils 4b and crimpers 5b, redundant explanations will be omitted. The anvils 4 and crimpers 5 are generally designed to have predetermined heights L1 and L2. For example, as shown in FIG. 13(A), the anvil 4a has a height L1 from its lower end, which abuts against the upper surface 14a (origin height) of the mounting plate 14 during installation, to the mounting surface of the wire barrel portion 93A. The crimper 5a also has a height L2 from its upper end to the position of the blades that crimp the wire barrel portion 93A.

[0060] On the other hand, the second limiting portion R2 of the anvil holder 30 has a reference height dimension H1 (the distance from the upper surface 14a (origin height) of the mounting plate 14 to the upper surfaces 30a, 30b of the anvil holder 30). On the other hand, the crimper holder 66 has a reference height dimension H2 (the distance from the lower surfaces 67a, 67b of the ram side walls 62a, 62b to the reference height position PR of the crimper holder 66). The reference height position PR of the crimper holder 66 is the height position at which the upper end of the crimper 5 abuts, and the height in the vertical direction Z can be finely adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism 63.

[0061] 13(B), when the ram 60 is in contact with the main body 10 (anvil holder 30) at the bottom dead center, the height from the upper surface 14a (origin height) of the mounting plate 14 to the reference height position PR of the crimper holder 66 is height dimension H0 (H0 = H1 + H2). Meanwhile, the total height of the anvil 4a and the crimper 5a is total height dimension L0 (L0 = L1 + L2). Therefore, the clearance CL between the anvil 4a and the crimper 5a at the bottom dead center is expressed by the following equation (1). CL=H0-L0=(H1+H2)-(L1+L2)

[0062] In this embodiment, the first limiting portion R1 and the second limiting portion R2 of the limiting mechanism R abut at the bottom dead center, allowing the user to preset the height dimension H0 from the upper surface 14a of the mounting plate 14 (origin height) to the reference height position PR of the ram 60. Meanwhile, the total height dimension L0, which is the sum of the height dimensions L1 and L2 of the anvil 4a and the crimper 5a, is known. Therefore, in this embodiment, the user can set the height dimension H0 using the position adjustment mechanism 63 based on the above formula (1) so as to obtain the desired clearance CL. Meanwhile, regarding the position adjustment of the drive source 1, the user only needs to adjust the bottom dead center position of the drive source 1 so that the ram 60 appropriately abuts against the main body 10, without considering the clearance CL between the anvil 4 and the crimper 5. In other words, in this embodiment, the user can complete the clearance adjustment within the applicator 100.

[0063] Next, the operation and effects of the applicator 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. The applicator 100 of this embodiment is an applicator 100 for crimping an electric wire to a terminal fitting 91, and comprises a main body 10 to which an anvil 4 is attached, and a ram 60 to which a crimper 5 is attached and which can move up and down in the vertical direction Z relative to the main body 10. The applicator 100 is configured such that, as the ram 60 moves up and down, the crimper 5 approaches the anvil 4 on which the terminal fitting 91 is placed with a predetermined clearance CL, thereby crimping the terminal fitting 91 with the anvil 4 and the crimper 5, and crimping the terminal fitting 91 to the electric wire. The applicator 100 further comprises a limiting mechanism R that limits the reference height position PR of the ram 60 from moving downwardly from a height limiting position PL, which is above the main body 10 by a predetermined height dimension H0, when the ram 60 approaches the main body 10. The predetermined height dimension H0 is set so that the crimper 5 approaches the anvil 4 via the clearance CL when the reference height position PR is located at the height limiting position PL.

[0064] In the applicator 100 according to this embodiment, the limiting mechanism R determines the bottom dead center height of the ram 60. That is, the ram 60 is limited from descending below a height limiting position PL, which is a predetermined height dimension H0 above the reference height position PR of the main body 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, the clearance CL between the anvil 4 and the crimper 5 can be adjusted when the ram 60 is located at the height limiting position PL. Meanwhile, the driving source 1, which raises and lowers the ram 60, only needs to set the bottom dead center position so that the ram 60 is located at the height limiting position PL. In this way, in this embodiment, the adjustment of the clearance CL between the anvil 4 and the crimper 5 can be completed within the applicator 100, independently of the position adjustment of the driving source 1, making it possible to easily adjust the height positions of the anvil 4 and the crimper 5.

[0065] In this embodiment, the limiting mechanism R includes a first limiting portion R1 provided on the ram 60 and a second limiting portion R2 provided on the main body 10, and when the reference height position PR is located at the height limiting position PL, the first limiting portion R1 and the second limiting portion R2 come into contact with each other to limit downward movement of the reference height position PR. According to this embodiment, the first limiting portion R1 of the ram 60 comes into contact with the second limiting portion R2 of the main body 10 at the bottom dead center, thereby limiting further descent of the ram 60.

[0066] In this embodiment, one or more first limiting portions R1 are provided on the lower surface (67a, 67b, 64d) of the ram 60, and one or more second limiting portions R2 are provided on the upper surface (30a, 30b, 14a) of the main body 10 corresponding to each of the one or more first limiting portions R1. According to this embodiment, one or more pairs of a first limiting portion R1 and its corresponding second limiting portion R2 can be provided.

[0067] In this embodiment, the first limiting portion R1 and the second limiting portion R2 have horizontal surfaces that are perpendicular to the vertical direction Z. According to this embodiment, the first limiting portion R1 and the second limiting portion R2 can be in surface contact with each other when the ram 60 is at the bottom dead center.

[0068] This embodiment also includes a position adjustment mechanism 63 that can finely adjust the position of the reference height position PR in the vertical direction Z. According to this embodiment, by finely adjusting the position of the reference height position PR using the position adjustment mechanism 63, it is possible to finely adjust the clearance CL between the anvil 4 and the crimper 5 at the bottom dead center.

[0069] In this embodiment, the ram 60 is connected to a drive source 1 that is driven in the vertical direction Z. According to this embodiment, the ram 60 can be raised and lowered by the external drive source 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 4 anvil, 5 crimper, 10 main body portion, 11 base portion, 14 mounting plate, 14a upper surface, 20 frame portion, 21 rear panel, 22a, 22b side panels, 30 anvil holder, 30a, 30b upper surface 33 Tab cutter, 40 Terminal feed mechanism, 42 link parts, 43A, 43B cam followers, 44 Slide Guide 44A upper engagement groove, 44B lower engagement groove, 44C recess, 44a guide hole, 44b insertion hole, 44c side surface, 44d bottom surface, 45 slide member, 46b cam groove, 47 return member, 50 supporting member, 53a biasing member, 55 engaging member, 58 feeding pawl, 58a neck, 58b extension, 59 plunger, 59a engagement pin, 59b biasing member, 60 Ram, 61 Ram body, 62a, 62b Ram side wall, 64 rear plate, 64a cam groove, 66 Crimper holder, 70 carrier movement restriction mechanism, 71 pilot pin, 90 Chain terminal, 91 Terminal fitting, 93A Wire barrel part, 93B Covered barrel part, 95 carrier, 96 pilot hole, 97 feed hole, 100 applicators, CS crimping part, LM link mechanism, R limiting mechanism

Claims

1. An applicator for crimping an electric wire to a terminal fitting, a main body to which an anvil is attached; a ram to which a crimper is attached and which is movable up and down relative to the main body; Equipped with The applicator is configured such that, as the ram moves up and down, the crimper approaches the anvil on which the terminal is placed with a predetermined clearance, and the anvil and the crimper crimp the terminal to the electric wire, The applicator further includes a limiting mechanism that limits the reference height position of the ram from moving downward from a height limit position that is above the main body by a predetermined height dimension when the ram approaches the main body, and the predetermined height dimension is set so that the crimper approaches the anvil via the clearance when the reference height position is located at the height limit position.

2. 2. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the limiting mechanism includes a first limiting portion provided on the ram and a second limiting portion provided on the main body, and when the reference height position is located at the height limit position, the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion abut against each other to limit downward movement of the reference height position.

3. 3. The applicator according to claim 2, wherein one or more of the first limiting portions are provided on the lower surface of the ram, and one or more of the second limiting portions are provided on the upper surface of the main body portion corresponding to each of the one or more first limiting portions.

4. The applicator according to claim 2 , wherein the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion have horizontal surfaces that are perpendicular to the vertical direction.

5. The applicator according to claim 1 , further comprising a position adjustment mechanism that enables fine adjustment of the vertical position of the reference height position.

6. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the ram is connected to a drive source that drives the ram in an up and down direction.

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