Cable holding jig, cable processing system, and cable processing method

Abstract

To provide a cable holding jig which enables a robot hand to hold one cable from a number of cables easily.SOLUTION: A cable holding jig 10 is a jig for holding cables and includes a main part 11, and a plurality of holding parts 15 which are fixed to the main part and may hold the cables. The holding parts are arranged so as to hold the set cables radially.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable holding jig used when a robot hand holds one cable out of multiple cables. [Background technology]

[0002] Robots are being used to automate various processes for cables. For example, a robotic hand holds a cable and attaches a terminal to the cable, solders the tip of the cable to the terminal, or connects the connector attached to the tip of the cable to a mating connector. In this case, if multiple cables are supplied, the robotic hand must grasp and process each cable one by one.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a device that measures the three-dimensional shapes of multiple flexible, shape-unstable linear objects, determines whether one of the linear objects can be grasped by a robot hand without interfering with the other linear objects, and grasps the object. In an embodiment, the device describes a method for grasping one of multiple electric wires (cables) that make up a wire harness by a robot hand. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 098074 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the method described in Patent Document 1, when the number of cables increased and it was not possible to find a cable that could be gripped without interfering with other cables, it was necessary to change the relative positions of the cables by, for example, moving the entire wire harness, and then reselect the cable to be gripped. Furthermore, when the number of cables became very large, the cable density increased, making it difficult to find a cable that could be gripped. In particular, when multiple cables are bundled together and supplied with only the ends loose, such as in multi-core cables or wire harnesses, the cable density at the ends becomes even higher, making it difficult to find a cable that can be gripped.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a cable holding jig that enables a robot hand to easily grip a single cable even when multiple cables are supplied, particularly when multiple cables are supplied in a bundle. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cable management system including such a cable holding jig, and a cable management method using such a cable holding jig. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cable holding jig of the present invention is a jig for holding a plurality of cables, and has a main body and a plurality of holding parts fixed to the main body and capable of holding the cables, and the holding parts are arranged so as to be able to hold the plurality of cables set radially.

[0008] This configuration allows multiple cables to be held by the holding section. Furthermore, the tips of the multiple cables spread out radially, ensuring sufficient spacing between the cable tips, making it easy to grasp each cable with a robot hand.

[0009] Preferably, the holding portion is arranged to be able to hold the plurality of cables set in the cable set region.

[0010] Preferably, the holding portion of the cable holding jig having the cable set area is arranged on a straight line extending radially from the cable set area and holds the cable so that it extends radially outward from the cable set area.

[0011] Preferably, in any of the cable holders having a cable set area, the holding portions are contained within a reference circle of a predetermined size that includes the cable set area at its center and are arranged along the circumference of the reference circle. The reference circle of a predetermined size refers to a circle of a size that allows the tip of each cable set in the cable set area to reach the holding portion. In particular, when multiple cables are bundled with loose ends, the reference circle of a predetermined size is a circle of a size determined according to the length of the loose ends of the cables, and is a circle of a size that allows the tip of each loose cable to reach the holding portion when the bundled portion is set in the cable set area. This allows more holding portions to be provided at wider intervals within a circle of a predetermined size.

[0012] Preferably, in any of the cable holding jigs described above, one or more of the holding portions can hold a plurality of the cables. By holding a plurality of cables in a stacked manner in one holding portion, a larger number of cables can be held.

[0013] Preferably, in any of the cable holding jigs described above, a cable holding block is fixed to the main body portion, and the cable holding block includes a plurality of the holding portions.

[0014] Preferably, in any of the above cable holding jigs, the plurality of holding portions are arranged so that lines of movement when attaching and detaching the cable to and from each holding portion do not overlap with each other.

[0015] Preferably, any of the cable holding jigs described above is used by a robot hand to remove the cable held by the holding portion from the holding portion.

[0016] A cable management system of the present invention includes any one of the cable holding jigs described above, and a robot hand that removes the cable held by the holding portion from the holding portion.

[0017] The cable processing method of the present invention includes the steps of preparing any of the cable holding jigs described above, holding the cable in the holding portion, grasping the cable held in the holding portion with a robot hand, and moving the robot hand to remove the grasped cable from the holding portion.

[0018] Preferably, in the cable handling method, the gripping step is a step in which the robot hand grips the cable on a tip side of the holding portion.

[0019] Preferably, in any of the above cable processing methods, the plurality of cables are core wires of a multi-core cable.

[0020] Alternatively, preferably, in any of the above cable management methods, the plurality of cables are wires that are drawn out from a wiring port of an electric device to the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the cable holding jig of the present invention, the tips of the held cables spread out radially, ensuring spacing between the cable tips, making it easy to hold each cable with a robot hand. In particular, even when multiple cables are in a bundle with loose tips, the tips can be held in the holding part with each cable spread out radially, making it easy to hold each cable with a robot hand. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a cable holding jig according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a view showing an example of the structure of a holding portion, taken along the arrow X in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the structure of a holding portion capable of holding a plurality of cables. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of a multi-core cable. [Figure 5] 10A to 10D are diagrams showing modified examples of the cable holding jig. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state in which cables constituting a multi-core cable are held by a cable holding jig. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a cable management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cable pulled out from a wiring port of an electrical device. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a cable coming out of a wiring port of an electrical device is held by the cable holding jig. FIG. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a cable holding jig according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a view showing the cable holding block, taken along the arrow Y in FIG. 10. FIG. 11A is a diagram showing the arrangement of each member, and FIG. 11B is a diagram showing the flow of cables to each holding portion. [Figure 12] 11B is a view showing a cable holding block, in which A is a view taken along the X arrow in FIG. 11A and B is a cross-sectional view taken along the YY arrow in FIG. 11A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] A first embodiment of a cable holding jig, a cable management system, and a cable management method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0024] First, the target cable will be described. The cable holding jig of this embodiment is intended for multiple thin cables. The greater the number of cables, or the shorter the cables, the greater the benefits of using the cable holding jig of this embodiment. For this reason, the number of cables is preferably 5 or more, more preferably 10 or more, and preferably 100 or less, more preferably 50 or less. If the number of cables is too large, the cable holding jig must be made larger to prevent the cables from being too densely packed. The diameter of each cable is preferably 0.05 to 5.0 mm, more preferably 0.5 to 3.0 mm. If the cable is too thin and soft, the weight of the cable beyond the portion held by the cable holding jig will cause it to sag, making it difficult to grasp with a robot hand. Furthermore, a terminal, connector, or other end component may be attached to the end of each cable.

[0025] Furthermore, the cable holder of this embodiment is particularly advantageous for cable bundles in which multiple cables are gathered together at at least one location and then separated beyond the gathered portion. "Multiple cables gathered together" means that the cables are gathered together so that they do not become separated. The cables may be gathered together in one location, two or more locations, or along almost the entire length of the cables, or may be gathered by being connected to a single board, device, or the like. "Multiple cables gathered together" includes being gathered together in a single covering tube like a multi-core cable, being bundled together like a wire harness, or being restricted in movement so that the cables do not move apart by passing through a single hole, such as a wiring port in a device.

[0026] The following description will be given taking a multi-core cable as an example, in which multiple core wires of the multi-core cable are held by a cable holding jig.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 4 , in a multi-core cable 30, multiple cables 31 are bundled together in a single covering tube 35. The end of the covering tube 35 of the multi-core cable 30 is stripped, and the cables 31 are exposed beyond the tip 36 of the covering tube. This exposed portion of the cable is a loose portion 37 of the cable. Since the loose portion 37 of the cable can be grasped by a robot hand, the loose portion 37 of the cable must be a certain length. For application of the present invention, the length of the loose portion 37 of the cable is preferably 40 mm to 150 mm, more preferably 50 mm to 120 mm. In this embodiment, a multi-core cable having a length of 50 mm to 90 mm is used. Each cable 31 is a flexible thin wire, and the entire multi-core cable 30 is also flexible. In FIG. 4 , the tip of the covering 32 of each cable is further stripped, exposing the copper wires 33. When the multi-core cable 30 is set in a cable holding jig, the tip 36 of the covering tube is set in a cable setting area, as described below. In addition to the case where the cable is gathered in a covering tube over almost the entire length as shown in Figure 4, if the cable is gathered in several places, the most distal gathered point corresponds to the tip 36 of the covering tube in Figure 4, and the part further forward corresponds to the loose part 37 of the cable.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1, a cable holding jig 10 has a plate-like member 11 as a main body, and a plurality of holding portions 15 fixed to one surface of the plate-like member 11.

[0029] The plate-shaped member 11 is disk-shaped. The holding portions 15 are arranged so as to be able to hold a plurality of cables radially. A cable setting area S for setting the cables is provided in the center of the plate-shaped member 11. An opening 13 is formed in the plate-shaped member 11, cutting out from the edge 12 to the cable setting area S.

[0030] The cable setting area S is an area set up for setting the base ends of the cables held in the holding section, and is located at the center of the radial sector of the cables. When multiple cables are already bundled together in a covering tube or the like, as in the multi-core cable described in this embodiment, the bundled portion is set in the cable setting area S. Alternatively, if the cable setting area S is an area surrounded by a plate-like member 11 as shown in FIG. 1, the multiple cables can be bundled by setting them in the cable setting area S even if they have not been bundled together in advance.

[0031] The number of cables set in the cable setting area S is preferably 10 to 100, more preferably 10 to 50. When a multi-core cable is set, the size of the cable setting area S is preferably within 1.2 times, more preferably within 1.1 times, the diameter of the portion of the multi-core cable bundled in the covering tube. The greater the number of cables 31, the more holding units 15 must be arranged, resulting in a larger cable holding jig. The larger the cable holding jig, the shorter the length of the cable portion extending outside the holding units 15 that can be grasped by a robot hand when each cable is held by the holding units 15. Because there are restrictions on the length of the unfolded cable portion, to ensure a consistent length of cable protrusion from each holding unit 15, it is preferable to set the bundled portion of the cable in the center of the cable setting area S and fix it so that it does not shift. The deviation between the center position of the cable setting area S and the center position of the bundled cables is preferably within ±0.2 times, more preferably within ±0.1 times, the thickness of the bundled cables.

[0032] The holding portion 15 can hold the tip 34 of the cable 31. The tip 34 is the portion of the cable that is distal to the unfolded portion 37. If the unfolded portion 37 of the cable is short, the tip 34 can be treated as the same as the unfolded portion 37 of the cable. A plurality of holding portions 15 are arranged circumferentially on one side of the plate-shaped member 11, inside a reference circle C of radius R whose center O is the center of the cable set area S. While the details of how to use the cable holding jig 10 will be described later, if the radius R of the reference circle C is shorter than the unfolded portion 37 of the cable 31, the multi-core cable 30 can be set in the cable set area S approximately perpendicular to the plate-shaped member 11 so as to extend from the side of the plate-shaped member 11 where the holding portion 15 is not provided to the side where the holding portion 15 is provided, as shown in FIG. 6, and the radially extending tip portions 34 of each cable 31 can be held by the holding portions 15. The multi-core cable 30 may be set so that it is substantially flush with the plate-like member 11, for example, extending from the bottom to the top as shown in FIG. 5A . Because multiple holding units are arranged on a radius R extending radially from the cable setting area, the distance between the held cable tips is ensured, allowing individual cables to be easily grasped by a robot hand. Furthermore, because the holding units 15 are arranged along the circumference of the reference circle C, the distance between the held cable tips 34 can be increased even on the limited surface area of ​​the plate-like member 11. When setting the multi-core cable 30 in the cable setting area S, the covering tube 35 is preferably fixed to a fixture (not shown). The fixture secures the covering tube 35 so that the tip 36 of the covering tube is positioned in the cable setting area S. The structure and shape of the fixture are not particularly limited; for example, the covering tube may be fitted into a U-shaped member and held from three sides. The multi-core cable 30 may be set in the cable setting area S and each cable may be held by a holding portion manually.

[0033] 2, holding portion 15 is formed by stacking two leaf springs 17 with curved tips so that the gap between them increases toward the tips, and fixing the base ends to base member 16 with screws or the like. Base member 16 is fixed to plate-like member 11 with screws or the like. However, the structure of holding portion 15 and the method of attaching it to plate-like member 11 are not particularly limited.

[0034] In Fig. 2, the base member 16 and the two leaf springs 17, 17 together form a single block, which is fixed to the plate-like member 11. A block in which the members fixed to the plate-like member (main body) including the holding portion 15 are united as a single block will be referred to as a cable holding block hereinafter. The cable holding block 14 shown in Fig. 2 has one holding portion 15. A cable holding block having multiple holding portions will be described in the second embodiment.

[0035] Furthermore, multiple cables 31 may be held by one holding section. Specifically, for example, by replacing the leaf spring 17 in FIG. 2 with a corrugated leaf spring 23, as in the holding section 22 shown in FIG. 3, multiple cables can be stacked and held perpendicular to the plate-like member 11. This allows for a larger number of cables to be held without increasing the number of holding sections, thereby increasing the spacing between adjacent holding sections as much as possible to ensure easy gripping by a robotic hand. Holding multiple cables by one holding section is also useful when the length of the loose cable portion 37 is short. Increasing the reference circle C to increase the number of holding sections increases the distance from the cable set area S to the holding section, which may result in the cable not reaching the holding section. However, by allowing multiple cables to be held by one holding section, the reference circle C can be made smaller, allowing for a larger number of cables to be held, even when the cables are short. The cable holding block 21 shown in FIG. 3 has one holding section 22, which can hold two cables.

[0036] The shape of the main body 11 of the cable holding jig 10 and the arrangement of the holding portions 15 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1 and may be any shape that performs the functions required of a cable holding jig. Specifically, the cable holding jig may have its holding portions contained within a reference circle of a predetermined size and disposed on radii extending radially from a cable setting area located at the center of the reference circle. The reference circle of a predetermined size refers to a circle large enough to allow the tip ends of the cables set in the cable setting area to reach the holding portions. In the case of a multi-core cable 30, the reference circle refers to a circle large enough to allow the tip ends 34 of the unfolded cables 31 to reach the holding portions when the tip ends 36 of the covering tubes 35 are set in the cable setting area. Furthermore, since the holding portions are located on lines extending radially from the center of the circle, gaps are formed between the cables extending from the center of the circle to the holding portions, enabling the cables to be grasped by a robot hand.

[0037] Several modified examples of cable holding jigs are shown in Figure 5. In the cable holding jig 60 of Figure 5A, the plate-shaped member 61 is semicircular, with the cable set area S located to the side of the chord. In the cable holding jig 62 of Figure 5B, the plate-shaped member 63 is formed in a butterfly shape. In the cable holding jig 64 of Figure 5C, the plate-shaped member 65 extends outward from the reference circle C. When the cable set area S is located outside the holding jig as in Figure 5A, or when the opening is connected to the edge as in Figures 5B and 5C, the process of placing the cable bundle in the cable set area S and removing the cable holding jig after removing the cables from the cable holding jig with a robot hand can be easily performed, making this highly versatile. In the cable holding jig 66 of Figure 5D, the plate-shaped member 67 is formed in a donut shape, and the opening 69 including the cable set area S is not connected to the edge 68. When the opening is not connected to the edge, more cable holders can be placed, making this useful when the loose cable portion is short. Furthermore, the main body of the cable holding jig is not limited to a plate shape, but may have any surface that allows multiple holding portions to be arranged within a reference circle.

[0038] Furthermore, it is preferable that the cable holder 10 has a short distance from the center O of the reference circle C to the holders 15 so that it can accommodate even short unstretched cable portions 37, a large number of holders 15 so that it can hold many cables, and wide spacing between the holders 15 so that it can be easily grasped by a robot hand. To achieve a good balance between these conflicting requirements, it is preferable that the holders are arranged in a line along the circumference of the reference circle C, as shown in Figure 1. This makes it possible to arrange as many holders as possible at wide spacings when the radius R of the reference circle C is constant.

[0039] When multi-core cable 30 is used, stripping away a large portion of covering tube 35 can result in a long, untidy exposed portion of cable 31, so it is preferable to limit the exposed portion of the cable to approximately 50 to 200 mm. To hold such a cable, the radius R of a reference circle C that encompasses the holding portion is set so that the tip of the cable protrudes from the holding portion by 5 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more. The lower limit of the size of the reference circle is determined by the number of holding portions required and the spacing between holding portions that allows the cable to be held by a robot hand, but a radius of 30 mm or more is preferable.

[0040] Although the number of cores in a multi-core cable may be two or four, the number of cores preferably used in the present application is approximately 5 to 100, so the number of holding parts 15 is preferably 5 or more. If the number of holding parts is less than the number of cables, one holding part can be made to be able to hold multiple cables.

[0041] When the robot hand grasps the cable 31 held by the holding portion 15, it is preferable that the distance between the cables held by the holding portion 15 is 5 mm or more so as not to interfere with adjacent cables, and it is preferable that the distance between the holding portions 15 is 5 mm or more.

[0042] Next, referring to FIG. 7, a cable management system 40 of this embodiment including the cable holding jig 10 has the cable holding jig 10, a first hand (robot hand) 41, a second hand 42, and a three-dimensional measuring device 43.

[0043] The first hand 41 grasps the cable 31 held by the cable holding jig 10 and removes it from the holding portion 15. The first hand 41 is preferably attached to the tip of the arm of an articulated robot. Furthermore, the first hand 41 preferably clamps the cable 31 held by the cable holding jig 10 with a pair of fingers with thin tips so as not to interfere with adjacent cables 31 when gripping the cable 31.

[0044] The second hand 42 is not an essential component, and may be desirable to include in the cable management system 40 depending on the type of cable management. The second hand 42, for example, receives the cable it has grasped from the first hand 41 and returns it to the first hand. The second hand 42 may be attached to the end of the arm of an articulated robot, similar to the first hand, and the direction in which it can move may be limited to one or two directions depending on the type of work, or it may be fixed.

[0045] The three-dimensional measuring device 43 is not an essential component, and may be desirable to include in the cable processing system 40 depending on the properties of the cable and the processing content. The three-dimensional measuring device 43 measures, for example, the orientation of the tip of the cable taken out of the holder by the first hand 41. The type of three-dimensional measuring device is not particularly limited, and a stereo camera, for example, can be used.

[0046] Next, a cable handling method using the cable holder 10 of this embodiment will be described.

[0047] The cable processing method is roughly as follows: First, multi-core cable 30 is fixed to a fixture, and multiple cables 31 are held in cable holding jig 10. The cables are grasped one by one with a robot hand and removed from the cable holding jig, and then subjected to various processes. The details of the cable processing are not particularly limited, and examples include removing the cables one by one in the desired order, moving the cable tips to predetermined positions, attaching terminals to the cable tips, soldering the cable tips to the terminals, and connecting the connector attached to the cable tips to a mating connector.

[0048] The multi-core cable 30 is fixed to the fixture, and the tip 36 of the covering tube 35 of the multi-core cable 30 is set in the cable setting area S so that the covering tube is perpendicular to the plate-like member 11. Since the multi-core tube is flexible and it is difficult to precisely orthogonalize it to the cable holding jig, it is sufficient that the two are approximately perpendicular. Furthermore, the positioning accuracy when setting the multi-core cable does not need to be high, and it does not matter if the tip 36 of the covering tube 35 is slightly misaligned in the radial direction or perpendicular direction of the reference circle.

[0049] The tip of each cable 31 is held by a holding unit 15, which is predetermined for each cable, for example, manually by an operator (see FIG. 6). This allows the cables 31 to spread out radially without tangling, even if they are thin and flexible. The tip 34 of the cable 31 includes the portion at the tip of the cable where the sheath 32 is stripped to expose the copper wire 33, and the portion at the tip of the cable where the sheath 32 is not stripped (see FIG. 4). The holding unit 15 holds either the sheath 32 portion or the exposed copper wire 33 portion, depending on the various subsequent processes and the properties of each cable. Preferably, the holding unit 15 holds the portion where the sheath 32 is not stripped to prevent damage to the cable. Furthermore, if a tip member is attached to the tip of the cable 31, the holding unit 15 preferably holds the cable main body portion located proximal to the tip member.

[0050] The first hand 41 (robot hand) grasps the portion of the cable 31 distal to the holding unit 15 and removes it from the holding unit 15. The distal end of the cable is preferable because the distance between adjacent cables is wider. Furthermore, grasping the proximal end of the cable distal to the holding unit and removing it can be undesirable because the force exerted on the cable by the holding unit and the hand during removal can bend the distal end of the cable, affecting subsequent processing steps. By grasping the cable distal to the portion held by the holding unit with the first hand and removing it, the cable can be removed while maintaining the shape of the distal end of the cable distal to the hand's grasping position. The grasping position can be determined by specifying the distance from the holding unit and using a teaching operation or measurement with a camera, etc.

[0051] By determining in advance the holding portion that holds each cable 31 and determining the position and orientation of the cable holding jig 10 (the normal direction of the surface and the rotation direction within the surface), the cables can be held by the first hand 41 by teaching. Furthermore, if the distance from the center O of the reference circle to the holding position of each cable is constant, when holding a cable with the first hand 41, it is possible to hold the cable at a substantially constant position from the tip, even if the position and length of the cable to be held are not measured with a camera or the like and the first hand 41 holds the cable by teaching. This eliminates the need to recognize the type and position of the cable held in the cable holding jig.

[0052] If necessary, the orientation of the cable tip held by the first hand 41 is measured by a three-dimensional measuring device 43. For example, if the copper wire core is exposed at the tip of the cable, the copper wire portion is often bent, and it is preferable to accurately measure the orientation of the cable tip with the three-dimensional measuring device 43 in order to crimp or solder a terminal to the tip portion.

[0053] Furthermore, if necessary, the cable held by the first hand 41 may be handed over to the second hand 42. This allows, for example, the cable to be held and processed by the second hand, or the first hand to receive the cable again from the second hand, thereby changing the position or direction in which the cable is held by the first hand.

[0054] Next, an example in which the cable holding jig of this embodiment is used for a cable bundle other than a multi-core cable will be described.

[0055] 8 and 9, the cable bundle in question is a group of cables 52 drawn from a wiring port 51 of an electrical device 50 to the outside of the device. The cables 52 are positioned and gathered together by the wiring port 51. The group of cables includes a mixture of various types, such as power supply lines and external control lines. The ends of the cables 52 are stripped of their coverings, exposing the copper wires. The copper wire portion at the end of each cable is soldered to a terminal 54 provided on a panel 53. After each cable 52 is soldered to the terminal 54, the panel 53 is fixed to the electrical device 50 so as to cover the wiring port 51.

[0056] The configuration of the system for processing the cable 52 is the same as the cable processing system 40 shown in Fig. 7. The size of the opening 13 of the cable holder 10 is changed to match the wiring port 51.

[0057] The cable processing method is the same as for multi-core cables and is as follows: The opening 13 of the cable holding jig 10 is aligned with the wiring port 51. The cable holding jig is detachably attached to the electrical equipment using screws or other fasteners. The tips of multiple cables 52 are held in predetermined holding sections 15 for each cable, for example, manually by an operator (FIG. 9). One of the held cables 52 is grasped with the first hand 41 and removed from the holding section 15. The orientation of the tip of the cable 52 held by the first hand is measured using a three-dimensional measuring device 43. The first hand is moved to bring the tip of the cable into contact with a predetermined terminal 54 at a predetermined angle, and the cable is soldered using a soldering device (not shown). Once soldering for all cables 52 is complete, the cable holding jig 10 is pulled upward as shown in FIG. 9, and the wiring port 51 is closed and fixed with a panel 53.

[0058] Next, a second embodiment of a cable holding jig of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. In the cable holding jig of this embodiment, one cable holding block has multiple holding portions. Below, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and detailed descriptions of the same parts will be omitted.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 10, cable holding jig 70 has plate-like member 11 as a main body, and a plurality of cable holding blocks 72 fixed to one surface thereof.

[0060] 11 and 12, the cable holding block 72 has five holding portions. The cable holding block 72 has a base member 73, a rigid member 75 erected at the center of the base member 73 in the width direction, and rigid members 82 and 85 erected at both ends of the base member 73 in the width direction. The width direction is the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the attachment / detachment direction of the held cable, and is the left-right direction in FIGS. 11 and 12. The rigid member means a member with high rigidity. The rigid members 75, 82, and 85 are molded from, for example, metal or hard resin.

[0061] In the following description, the side closer to the center of the cable holding block in the width direction will be referred to as the inside, and the side further away will be referred to as the outside. Also, in the description of cable holding block 72, the left and right sides in Figures 11A and 11B and 12A and 12B will simply be referred to as the left and right sides.

[0062] 11A, rigid member 75 and leaf spring 76 provided along the left side surface form holding portion 74. The cable held by holding portion 74 is held by being sandwiched between rigid member 75 and leaf spring 76, which is an elastic member. Rigid member 75 and leaf spring 78 provided along the right side surface form holding portion 77. Rigid member 75 has a thickness that allows a robot hand to grasp each cable without interfering with cables held by adjacent holding portions across the rigid member. In other words, rigid member 75 has a thickness that allows a robot hand to grasp a cable held by holding portion 74 without interfering with a cable held by holding portion 77.

[0063] Rigid member 82 is lower in height from plate-like member 11 than rigid member 75, and rigid member 82 and leaf spring 83 provided along its inner side form holding portion 81. Rigid member 85 provided symmetrically with rigid member 82 and leaf spring 86, which is an elastic member provided along its inner side, form holding portion 84.

[0064] Each leaf spring 76, 78, 83, 86 is an elastic member that has the elasticity to bend slightly when attaching or detaching a cable, and is bent to widen the entrance of the holding part to guide the cable, and to curve the vicinity of the cable holding position to stabilize the position of the cable once it has entered the holding part.

[0065] Each of the holding portions 74, 77, 81, and 84 can hold only one cable. The holding portions 81 and 84 are located outside the holding portions 74 and 77 and are provided at a lower position (closer to the base member 73). Referring to FIG. 11B, the movement lines P when attaching and detaching the cable 31 to and from the holding portions 74, 77, 81, and 84 do not overlap. The cable holding positions of the holding portions 74, 77, 81, and 84 are provided at positions where the robot hand can grasp each cable without interfering with other cables held by the respective holding portions.

[0066] This allows the cables held by each of the holding portions 74, 77, 81, and 84 to be attached and detached using a robot hand without interfering with cables held by other holding portions. In the cable holding block 21 shown in FIG. 3, multiple cables are held in a stack in one holding portion 22, so the cables must be inserted and removed in a specific order. In contrast, the cable holding block 72 shown in FIG. 11 allows the order in which cables are inserted and removed from each holding portion to be freely determined. Also, by providing adjacent holding portions at different heights and narrowing the spacing between the holding portions in a plan view, more holding portions can be arranged within a limited area.

[0067] These holding portions 74, 77, 81, and 84 are formed of rigid members and leaf springs. The elastic force of the leaf springs presses the cable against the rigid members, sandwiching it between the leaf springs and the rigid members. In the holding portion 15 shown in FIG. 2, bending and twisting of the leaf springs 17 cause the held cable to move slightly in the width direction. Therefore, when a cable is held in a holding portion, when it is attached to or detached from a holding portion, or when it is removed from a holding portion by a robot hand, it is likely to interfere with cables held in adjacent holding portions. In contrast, the rigid members in the holding portions 74, 77, 81, and 84 function as restrictors that limit the widthwise movement of the cable, thereby preventing interference with cables held in adjacent holding portions. The rigid members do not bend or twist, and even if bending or twisting deformation occurs, they have high rigidity to the extent that the deformation is limited to a range that does not cause interference between cables held in adjacent holding portions. This allows the cable holding jig 70 to have more holding portions.

[0068] The holding portions located at both ends of the cable holding block 72 in the width direction, i.e., the two outermost holding portions 81, 84 of the cable holding block 72, each have rigid members 82, 85 on the outside and leaf springs 83, 86 on the inside. When a cable is attached or detached, the leaf springs open, but since the leaf springs 83, 86 open inward in the width direction, the rigid members 82, 85 restrict the cable from moving outward in the width direction, and there is no interference with adjacent cable holding blocks even if they are close to each other. This allows the cable holding blocks 72 to be installed close to each other on the plate-like member 11, allowing more holding portions to be provided on the cable holding jig 70.

[0069] Cable holding block 72 further includes leaf spring 78 and leaf spring 80 provided along the outer side thereof, which form holding portion 79. This holding portion 79 is capable of holding a thicker cable (not shown). Holding portion 79 sandwiches the cable between two leaf springs 78, 80, and the cable is held by being pressed against rigid member 75 by the elastic force of leaf spring 80, sandwiching leaf spring 78. Therefore, since rigid member 75 is subjected to little or no bending or twisting deformation, the cable does not move in the width direction, as with the other holding portions 74, 77, 81, and 84.

[0070] The restricting portion that restricts the movement of the cable in the width direction may be provided separately from the rigid member that constitutes the holding portion, but if the rigid member also serves as the restricting portion, the holding block can be made smaller.

[0071] The cable management system including the cable holding jig 70 and the cable management method using the cable holding jig 70 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0072] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical concept thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10 Cable holding jig 11 Plate-shaped member (main body) 12. Relationship 13 Aperture 14 Cable Retention Block 15 Holding part 16 Base material 17 Leaf spring 21 cable holding block, 22 holding portion, 23 leaf spring 30 multi-core cable 31 Cable (core wire) 32 Covering 33 Copper wire 34 Cable tip 35 Coated Tube 36 Tip of coated tube 37 Loose cable sections 40 Cable Management System 41 First Hand (Robot Hand) 42 Second Hand 43 3D Measuring Instrument 50 Electrical Equipment 51 Wiring port 52 Cable Panel 53 54 terminals 60 cable holding jig, 61 plate-shaped member 62 cable holding jig, 63 plate-shaped member 64 Cable holding jig, 65 Plate-shaped member 66 cable holding jig, 67 plate-shaped member, 68 edge, 69 opening 70 Cable holding jig 72 Cable Retaining Block 73 Base material 74 holding portion, 75 rigid member (regulating portion), 76 leaf spring 77 retaining portion, 78 leaf spring 79 retaining portion, 80 leaf spring 81 holding portion, 82 rigid member (regulating portion), 83 leaf spring 84 holding portion, 85 rigid member (regulating portion), 86 leaf spring C Reference circle O Center of the reference circle P Flow when connecting / disconnecting cables R Radius of the reference circle S Cable set area

Claims

1. A jig for holding a plurality of cables, a main body; a plurality of holding portions fixed to the main body portion and capable of holding the cable; The holding portion is arranged so as to be able to hold the plurality of cables set radially. Cable holding fixture.

2. the holding portion is arranged to be able to hold the plurality of cables set in the cable set region. Cable holding fixture.

3. The holding portion is arranged on a straight line extending radially from the cable set region, holding the cables so that they extend radially outward from the cable set area; The cable holder according to claim 2 .

4. The holding portion is included in a reference circle of a predetermined size that includes the cable set area at its center, and is arranged along the circumference of the reference circle. The cable holder according to claim 2 .

5. One or more of the holding portions can hold a plurality of the cables. The cable holder according to claim 1 .

6. A cable holding block is fixed to the main body portion, The cable retention block includes a plurality of the retention portions. The cable holder according to claim 1 .

7. The plurality of holding portions are arranged so that the lines of movement when attaching and detaching the cables to and from the respective holding portions do not overlap with each other. The cable holder according to claim 1 .

8. the cable holding jig is used by a robot hand to remove the cable held by the holding portion from the holding portion. The cable holder according to claim 1 .

9. A cable holding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a robot hand that removes the cable held by the holding unit from the holding unit, Cable management system.

10. A step of preparing a cable holding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 7; holding the cable in the holding portion; a gripping step of gripping the cable held by the holding portion with a robot hand; moving the robot hand to remove the gripped cable from the holding portion; A cable processing method comprising:

11. The gripping step is a step of gripping the cable by the robot hand at a position closer to the tip end than the holding portion. The cable management method according to claim 10.

12. The plurality of cables are core wires of a multi-core cable. The cable management method according to claim 10.

13. The plurality of cables are wirings drawn out from a wiring port of the electrical device to the outside. The cable management method according to claim 10.

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