Cable management method, cable moving system, and support holder base

Abstract

This invention provides a cable handling method that allows for the simultaneous handling of multiple cables using a robotic hand. [Solution] A cable processing method comprising: a support preparation step (S1) of preparing a cable support having a main body and a first holding part capable of holding a cable, with the cable set in place; a gripping step (S2) of gripping the cable support and / or the cable with a robot hand; a cable moving step (S5) of moving the robot hand to move the tip of the cable to a processing position; and a processing step (S7) of processing the tip of the cable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a system for gripping and processing a cable with a robot hand.

Background Art

[0002] Various processes for cables are being automated using robot hands. For example, cables for electrical wiring are gripped with a robot hand, and terminals are attached or the tip is soldered to a terminal.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of gripping a linear object with a robot hand, measuring the position of the tip with a stereo camera, and moving and inserting the tip into a hole that is the target position. Further, Patent Document 2 describes a method of measuring a cable having a metal terminal at an end with a stereo camera, gripping it with a robot hand, moving the cable, bringing the metal terminal into contact with a land (connection part) of a substrate, and soldering the metal terminal to the land.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Conventionally, when processing a cable using a robot hand, the cable was directly gripped and processed one by one. However, it would be more efficient if multiple cables could be gripped and processed simultaneously.

[0006] Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-050655, the applicant discloses a method of using a robotic hand to solder a group of cables pulled out from a wiring port of an electrical device to a terminal provided on a panel that covers the wiring port. However, if the group of cables includes a multi-core cable, and the separated portion of each cable (core wire) at the end of the multi-core cable is short, then soldering one cable to the terminal will cause the other cables to be pulled and unable to be freely routed, resulting in the problem that each cable cannot be processed one by one in order.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a method and system that can solve the above problems when gripping and handling cables using a robotic hand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The cable processing method of the present invention comprises a support preparation step of preparing a cable support comprising a main body and a first holding part capable of holding a cable, with the cable set in place; a gripping step of gripping the cable support and / or the cable with a robot hand; a cable moving step of moving the robot hand to move the tip of the cable to a processing position; and a processing step of processing the tip of the cable.

[0009] This method allows the cable to be handled as an integrated unit with the cable support, enabling multiple cables to be moved to the processing location simultaneously. The processing location is the target position where the cable end is moved for processing. Examples of processing include inserting the cable end into a terminal and soldering it, inserting the cable end into a terminal and crimping it, and connecting the terminal attached to the cable end to a corresponding connector.

[0010] Preferably, in the above cable handling method, the cable support further includes a second holding portion provided at a distance from the first holding portion.

[0011] In one embodiment, the cable support having a first holding portion and a second holding portion comprises one first holding portion and two or more second holding portions. This allows the first holding portion to hold the aggregated portion of the multi-core cable, and the second holding portions to hold each of the cables that have separated at the end of the multi-core cable, thereby enabling simultaneous processing of the ends of each cable.

[0012] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the cable support having a first holding part and a second holding part may be provided with two or more of the same number of first and second holding parts. This allows multiple cables to be set in the cable support, gripped simultaneously, and moved.

[0013] Alternatively, the cable support having a first holding part and a second holding part may, in another embodiment, be provided with one first holding part and one second holding part. This allows for easier cable handling when the cable is flexible, as setting a single cable in the cable support stabilizes the cable's orientation and allows for positioning of the cable's end.

[0014] Preferably, in any of the above cable processing methods, the support preparation step is a step of setting the cable in the cable support and holding the cable support on the support holding base.

[0015] Preferably, in any of the above cable processing methods, the cable moving step includes a step of guiding the tip of the cable to the processing position using a tip guide hand, the tip guide hand having a guide hole into which the tip of the cable is inserted.

[0016] Preferably, in any of the above cable handling methods, there is a step of using a sensor to confirm the position of the tip of the cable or the orientation of the cable support held by the robot hand before the cable moving step.

[0017] Preferably, any of the above cable processing methods includes a step of removing the cable support from the cable after the processing step.

[0018] The cable moving system of the present invention includes a cable support having a main body portion and a first holding portion capable of holding a cable, and a robot having a robot hand capable of gripping the cable support and / or the cable in a state where the cable is set on the cable support.

[0019] Preferably, the above cable moving system further includes a tip guiding hand for guiding the tip of the cable to a target position, and the tip guiding hand includes a guiding hole into which the tip of the cable is inserted.

[0020] The support holding base of the present invention is a support holding base for holding a plurality of cables, and has a support attaching / detaching portion for detachably holding a cable support holding the cables.

[0021] The above support holding base may have a cable attaching / detaching portion for detachably holding the cable.

Advantages of the Invention

[0022] According to the cable processing method of the present invention, since the cable support and the cable can be handled integrally, it is possible to stably move a cable that is difficult to handle. Also, a plurality of cables set on the cable support can be processed simultaneously.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a cable processing system of an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of a multi-core cable. [Figure 3] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a processing position of a cable. [Figure 4]A: Side view, B: Cross-sectional view of XX in Figure 4A, and C: Cross-sectional view of YY in Figure 4A are examples of cable support devices. [Figure 5] A is a perspective view of an example of a cable support, and B is a perspective view showing a multi-core cable installed. [Figure 6] Other examples of cable supports are shown as follows: A: side view, B: cross-sectional view of XX in Figure 6A, and C: cross-sectional view of YY in Figure 6A. [Figure 7] A: Plan view of the support holder base, B: Diagram showing the structure of the cable attachment / detachment section. [Figure 8] A is a plan view and B is a cross-sectional view of Figure 8A of an example of an end-head guide hand. [Figure 9] Other examples of the tip-guided hand are shown as follows: A: plan view, B: cross-sectional view of XX in Figure 9A, and C: cross-sectional view of YY in Figure 9A. [Figure 10] This is a process flow diagram of a cable processing method according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates how a robotic hand grasps a cable support and the cable itself, and how a camera is used to confirm the position of the cable end. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates how to guide the cable end to its processing location using a tip-guiding hand. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] One embodiment of the cable processing system and cable processing method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] Referring to Figure 1, the cable processing system 10 of this embodiment includes a cable support S for setting the cable C, a robot 11 equipped with a robot hand 12 at the end of its arm, a processing device 14 for processing the end of the cable C, a camera 15, and an end guide hand 60 for guiding the end of the cable C to a processing position T. The processing position T is a target position to which the end of the cable C is moved in order to have the processing device 14 process it.

[0026] The cable processing system 10, with the cable C set in the cable support S, grasps the cable support and / or the cable with the robot hand 12, thereby grasping the cable support and the cable as a single unit and moving the tip of the cable C to the processing position T.

[0027] Cable C is a flexible, thin wire used for electrical wiring. The cable set in the cable support S may be one cable, two or more cables, or a multi-core cable. An appropriate cable support S can be selected and used depending on the type and number of cables C. Terminals may also be attached to the ends of each cable.

[0028] Figure 2 shows a 2-core multi-core cable as an example of a multi-core cable. In the multi-core cable 20, two cables 21, 21 are bundled together in a single insulated tube 25 to form a cluster 24. In the multi-core cable 20, the end of the insulated tube 25 is stripped, and beyond the tip 26 of the insulated tube, each core wire, each cable 21, is exposed (27). Each cable 21 is a flexible thin wire, and the multi-core cable 20 as a whole is also flexible. In Figure 2, the tip of the insulation 22 of each cable 21 is further stripped, exposing the copper wire 23. A multi-core cable may contain more than two cables 21. In the following, the term "cable" may refer to the entire multi-core cable 20, not just each core wire 21, when the meaning is clear.

[0029] The diameter of cable C is preferably 0.3 to 5.0 mm, more preferably 0.5 to 3.0 mm. In the cable processing method of this embodiment, cable C is grasped by the robot hand 12 as an integral part of the cable support S, so even if the cable is thin, it is easy to handle, and the thinner the cable, the greater the advantage of adopting the cable processing method of this embodiment. However, if the cable is too thin, it becomes difficult to process the cable support S for setting the cable. When processing a multi-core cable, the above preferred diameter range is the value for each individual stranded cable 21.

[0030] Returning to Figure 1, the cable support S is handled together with the cable C once it is set in place. The structure of the cable support can be determined according to the type and number of cables to be set. Preferably, the cable support with the cable C set in place is prepared in a state where it is fixed to the support holding base. Details of the cable support and the support holding base will be described later.

[0031] The robot 11 is equipped with a robot hand 12, which is an end effector, at the tip of its arm. The structure of the robot hand 12 is not particularly limited as long as it can grasp the cable and / or the cable support S when the cable C is set in the cable support S. The robot hand 12 is, for example, a gripper that grasps an object by pinching it with a pair of fingers 13, 13. The robot hand 12 may grasp only the cable support S when the cable C is set in the cable support S, or it may grasp only the part of the cable C that is integrated with the cable support, or it may grasp the cable support and the cable together. In any case, the cable support S and the cable C are grasped by the robot hand as a single unit. Furthermore, the structure of the robot 11 is not particularly limited as long as it can move the robot hand 12 to move the tip of the cable C to the processing position T, for example, it is a vertical articulated robot.

[0032] The processing device 14 is a device for processing the end of cable C. The processing is not particularly limited and may include, for example, inserting the end of the cable into a terminal and soldering it, inserting the end of the cable into a terminal and crimping it, putting the insulated end of the cable into a wire stripper and stripping it, putting the end of the cable into a connector housing and attaching the connector, or connecting the terminal attached to the end of the cable to the other connector, etc.

[0033] The processing position T is the position of the cable tip when the processing device 14 processes the tip of the cable C, and is the target position to which the robot 11 moves the cable tip for said processing.

[0034] For example, referring to Figure 3, the applicant's Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-050655 discloses a method for soldering the ends of a group of cables C, which are drawn out from a wiring port 91 of an electrical device 90 to the outside of the device, to terminals 94 provided on a panel 93 that covers the wiring port. The ends of the cables C are inserted into the terminals 94, and a soldering device (not shown in Figure 3) approaches the terminals 94 from the side and solders the ends of the cables C to the terminals 94. In this example, the processing device 14 is a soldering device, and the processing position T is a terminal 94 erected on the panel 93.

[0035] The cable handling system 10 preferably includes a camera 15 as a visual sensor. The camera 15 may be a general-purpose two-dimensional camera. The camera 15 images the cable support S grasped by the robot hand 12 to confirm the position of the tip of the cable C set in the cable support. Note that other visual sensors, such as a three-dimensional camera, can be used instead of a two-dimensional camera. Furthermore, various sensors other than visual sensors, such as laser sensors, can also be used. The method of using the camera 15 will be described later.

[0036] The cable processing system 10 preferably includes a tip guide hand 60. The tip guide hand 60 guides the tip of the cable C to the processing position T. Details of the tip guide hand will be described later.

[0037] Next, we will explain the details of the cable support S and the support holding base.

[0038] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the cable support 30 is a jig for setting the two-core multi-core cable 20 shown in Figure 2. The cable support 30 has a rigid rod-shaped main body 31, with one first holding part 34 at one end of the main body and two second holding parts 36a and 36b at the other end. The first holding part 34 holds the aggregation part 24 of the multi-core cable 20, and the second holding parts 36a and 36b hold the ends of each cable 21, leaving the ends exposed. This allows the multi-core cable 20 to be set in the cable support 30 so that the ends of the cables 21 to be processed protrude from the cable support 30 (Figure 5B).

[0039] The first holding portion 34 and the second holding portions 36a and 36b preferably have openings 35, 37a, and 37b facing the same direction (upwards in Figures 4A to C), allowing the cable aggregation portion 24 or each cable 21 to be set from the same direction and removed from the same direction.

[0040] The first holding portion 34 may have an opening width W that is slightly narrower than the internal width and narrower than the diameter of the converging portion 24. Similarly, the second holding portions 36a and 36b may have opening widths that are slightly narrower than the internal width and narrower than the diameter of each cable 21. This makes it less likely for the cable to come off the cable support while the robot hand 12 is moving the cable support and the cable.

[0041] Alternatively, the first holding portion 34 and the second holding portions 36a and 36b may be formed slightly larger than the diameter of the cable to allow for easy insertion and removal of the cable. Even with this configuration, by gripping the cable 20 and the cable support 30 together with the robot hand 12 while the cable 20 is set in the cable support 30, the cable will not come off the cable support while the robot hand is moving, and it will be easy to remove the cable support 30 after processing the cable, as will be described later.

[0042] The shape of the main body 31 of the cable support 30 is not particularly limited. In order to miniaturize the cable support 30 as a whole, the main body 31 preferably has a slender shape that extends long in one direction. The main body 31 shown in Figures 4 and 5 is rod-shaped overall. The main body 31 has a plate-shaped first portion 32 at the base end side (the side of the first holding portion 34) that follows one side of the cable aggregation portion 24. The main body 31 has a second portion 33 at the tip side (the side of the second holding portions 36a and 36b) that is obtained by rotating the first portion 32 90 degrees around the longitudinal axis. When the cable 20 is set, the second portion 33 is sandwiched between the two cables 21, 21 so as to separate them. By the cables 21, 21 sandwiching this second portion, the effect is obtained that the cable 20 is less likely to come off the cable support 30. Furthermore, even if an external force is applied when moving the cable to the processing position, the cable 21, 21 is supported by the second part 33.

[0043] With the cable 20 set in the cable support 30, the robot hand 12 can grasp only the cable support 30 with, for example, the cable-free portion of the second part 33 or the first part 32. In this case, it is preferable to provide grooves in the cable support to be grasped so that the fingers 13 of the robot hand and the cable support 30 engage when grasping. One groove may be provided for only one finger of the robot hand to engage with, or two grooves may be provided for each of the two fingers to fit into.

[0044] Alternatively, the robot hand 12 can grasp only the aggregate portion 24 or the core wires 21 of the multi-core cable 20 at the portion of the cable 20 that is integrated with the cable support 30, that is, the portion between the first holding portion 34 and the second holding portions 36a and 36b.

[0045] Alternatively, the robot hand 12 can grasp the cable support 30 and the multi-core cable 20 together by, for example, gripping the first part 32 with fingers 13, 13 from the top and bottom directions in Figure 4A. In this case, the gripping surface of one finger 13 is in close contact with the first part 32 without any gaps, and the position of the cable support 30 relative to the finger 13 is stabilized. Furthermore, by matching the length L1 of the first part 32 (left-right direction in Figure 4A) with the width of the fingers 13 of the robot hand, the shape of the cable support 30 acts as a groove into which the fingers of the robot hand engage. In addition, by forming a groove in the longitudinal direction of the fingers of the robot hand that is the same length as the width of the first part 32 (depth direction in Figure 4A), the fingers 13 and the cable support 30 fit together when the robot hand grasps the cable support. This structure allows the cable support to be grasped with high positional accuracy.

[0046] In either of the above cases, by gripping the cable support 30 and / or the cable 20, the robot hand 12 can grasp the cable support 30 and the cable 20 as a single unit and move them while the cable 20 is held by the cable support 30.

[0047] On the outer surface of the first holding portion 34 of the main body portion 31, a concave fixing portion 38 is formed, sandwiched between two plate-like portions 39, 39, for fixing the cable support 30 to the support holder base. The fixing portion 38 is designed to fit with a convex support attachment / detachment portion provided on the support holder base, which will be described later, and is detachably fixed to the support holder base using a magnet or the like.

[0048] Referring to Figure 6, the cable support 40 is a jig for setting two ordinary cables that are not multi-core cables. The cable support 40 has a rigid rod-shaped main body 41, with two first holding parts 44a and 44b at one end of the main body and two second holding parts 46a and 46b at the other end. One cable is held in the first holding part 44a and the second holding part 46a located on the same side of the two adjacent first and second holding parts. The base end of the cable is held in the first holding part 44a, and the tip of the cable is held in the second holding part 46a, with the tip remaining. Similarly, the other cable is held in the first holding part 44b and the second holding part 46b located on the same side. In this way, the two cables C can be set in the cable support 40 such that the tip portions of the cables to be processed protrude from the cable support 40.

[0049] The first holding parts 44a, 44b and the second holding parts 46a, 46b preferably have openings in the same direction, the width of the openings may be slightly narrower than the internal width and narrower than the diameter of the cable, or the width of the openings may be formed to be slightly larger than the diameter of the cable, as is the case with the cable support 30 shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0050] The shape of the main body 41 of the cable support 40 is not particularly limited, but preferably it is thin and extends long in one direction. The main body 41 shown in Figure 6 is rod-shaped overall. The main body 41 has a plate-shaped first portion 42 at the base end (side of the first holding portions 44a, 44b) that follows one side of the two cables C, and a second portion 43 at the tip end (side of the second holding portions 46a, 46b) that is the first portion 42 rotated 90 degrees around the longitudinal axis. The second portion 43 is sandwiched between the two cables so as to separate them when the two cables C are set.

[0051] With the cable 20 set in the cable support 40, the robot hand 12 can grasp only the cable support 40, only the cable C, or the cable support 40 and both cables C together. In any case, the robot hand 12 can grasp the cable support 40 and the cable C as a single unit, just as with the cable support 30 shown in Figures 4 and 5. Also, just as with the cable support 30, the cable support 40 may have grooves to fit with the fingers 13 of the robot hand, and it is preferable to match the length L1 of the first part 42 with the width of the fingers 13 of the robot hand.

[0052] On the sides of the first holding portions 44a and 44b of the main body portion 41, a recessed fixing portion 48 is formed, sandwiched between two plate-like portions 49, 49, for fixing the cable support 40 to the support holding base.

[0053] The support holder base is a base for holding the cable support S on which the cable C is set. Referring to Figure 7A, the support holder base 50 is a flat plate. A support holder attachment portion 51 is formed on the surface of the support holder base 50 for detachably holding the cable support 30. The support holder attachment portion 51 is provided at the position where the cable support 30 is fixed, and a cylindrical magnet 52 is attached to it, with protrusions 53, 53 formed to sandwich the magnet 52. The magnet 52 fits into the concave fixing portion 38 of the cable support 30, and the plate-shaped portion 39 is sandwiched between the magnet 52 and the protrusions 53, thereby detachably holding the cable support in a predetermined position on the support holder base 50. The same applies to the cable support 40. Note that the shape of the support holder base is not limited to that shown in Figure 7A. Also, the structure for the support holder base to hold the cable support is not limited to using magnets, and the support holder attachment portion 51 only needs to be able to detachably fix the cable support. For example, a rectangular groove may be provided on the support holder base, and leaf springs that hold the cable support may be provided on two opposite sides of this groove. Alternatively, a claw may be attached to the cable support as a fixing part, and a hole for the claw may be provided in the support holder base.

[0054] Furthermore, the surface of the support holder base 50 shown in Figure 7A has multiple cable attachment / detachment sections 54 formed therein for directly and detachably holding the cable. The cable attachment / detachment sections 54 are provided in positions for holding the cable 29, and, referring to Figure 7B, consist of two leaf springs 56, 56 with curved tips, stacked so that the distance between their tips is widened, and their base ends fixed to the base member 55 with screws or the like. By sandwiching the cable 29 between the two leaf springs 56, 56, the cable 29 is detachably held in a predetermined position on the support holder base 50. Setting the cable into the cable attachment / detachment section 54 is performed, for example, manually by a person. Next, a robot hand grasps the cable held in the cable attachment / detachment section 54, removes it from the cable attachment / detachment section 54, and moves the tip of the cable to the processing position T. The support holder base 50 includes a cable attachment / detachment section 54 in addition to the support holder attachment / detachment section 51, allowing both cables set in the cable support and cables that do not need to be set in the cable support to be held on a single support holder base. Note that the structure for the support holder base to directly hold the cables is not limited to that shown in Figure 7B. For example, by changing the leaf spring 56 to a corrugated leaf spring that matches the shape of the cable, multiple cables can be stably held in a direction perpendicular to the cable attachment / detachment section 54.

[0055] Next, we will explain the details of the tip-guided hand 60.

[0056] The tip guide hand 60 has the function of guiding the tip of the cable C to the processing position T when high positional accuracy is required for the movement of the tip of the cable C to the processing position T.

[0057] Referring to Figure 8, the tip-guided hand 60 comprises a pair of first fingers 62 and second fingers 64, and a housing 61 that houses the finger opening and closing mechanism. Hereinafter, widening the distance between a pair of fingers is referred to as "opening the fingers," and narrowing the distance between a pair of fingers until both fingers touch is referred to as "closing the fingers."

[0058] At the tip of the first finger 62, facing the second finger 64, guide grooves 63a and 63b are formed at two locations in the longitudinal direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each of the guide grooves 63a and 63b has the shape of a frustoconical cuboid divided into two. The distance between the centers of the guide grooves 63a and 63b is matched to the distance between the two processing positions T to which the ends of the two cables C move. At the tip of the second finger 64, facing the first finger 62, guide grooves 65a and 65b are formed at positions corresponding to the guide grooves 63a and 63b of the first finger. As a result, when the fingers 62 and 64 are closed, a frustoconical guide hole is formed, sandwiched between the pair of fingers. Note that the shape of each guide groove is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that the guide hole formed when the fingers are closed tapers from one opening to the other. By inserting the tip of cable C into the guide hole through the wider opening and exiting it through the narrower opening, the tip of the cable can be guided to the processing position.

[0059] Referring to Figure 9, the other tip-guided hand 70 comprises a pair of first fingers 72 and second fingers 76, and a housing 71 that houses the finger opening and closing mechanism. The tip of the first finger 72 is divided into two parts, a first fingertip 74a and a second fingertip 74b, via a connecting part 73. Similarly, the tip of the second finger 76 is divided into two parts, a first fingertip 78a and a second fingertip 78b, via a connecting part 77.

[0060] A guide groove 75a perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is formed on the first fingertip 74a of the first finger 72, facing the first fingertip 78a of the paired second finger 76, and a guide groove 79a is formed on the first fingertip 78a of the second finger 76, facing the first fingertip 74a of the first finger 72, at a position corresponding to 74a. Similarly, guide grooves 75b and 79b are formed on the second fingertip 74b of the first finger 72 and the second fingertip 78b of the second finger 76, respectively, at corresponding positions. The distance between the centers of the guide grooves 75a and 75b is matched to the distance between the two processing positions T to which the ends of the two cables C move. As a result, when the fingers 72 and 76 are closed, a frustoconical guide hole is formed between the pair of fingertips (74a and 78a, 74b and 78b). Furthermore, even in the tip-guiding hand 70, the shape of each guide groove is not limited to this; the guide holes formed when the fingers are closed should be tapered from one opening to the other.

[0061] Figure 9B is a cross-sectional view of Figure 9A, showing the first fingertip 74a and guide groove 75a of the first finger 72, with the cross-section of the connecting portion 73 of the first finger 72 appearing below the center of thickness of the first fingertip 74a. In contrast, Figure 9C is a cross-sectional view of Figure 9A, showing the second fingertip 74b and guide groove 75b of the first finger 72, with the cross-section of the second finger 76 appearing in front of the first finger 72, with the cross-section of the connecting portion 77 of the second finger appearing above the center of thickness of the second fingertip 74b. Thus, the connecting portion 73 of the first finger and the connecting portion 77 of the second finger overlap vertically in Figures 9B and C, and do not interfere with each other when fingers 72 and 76 are opened and closed. When the fingers 72 and 76 of the tip-guiding hand 70 are opened and closed, the first fingertip 74a of the first finger 72 and the first fingertip 78a of the second finger 76 open and close, and at the same time, the second fingertip 74b of the first finger 72 and the second fingertip 78b of the second finger 76 open and close.

[0062] The tip guide hand 60 shown in Figure 8 and the tip guide hand 70 shown in Figure 9 have different orientations of the guide holes relative to the opening and closing direction of the fingers. The two types of tip guide hands 60 and 70 are used depending on the layout of the cable processing system, specifically, the direction from which the tip guide hand approaches the processing position T, which is the destination of the ends of two cables. Regardless of which guide hand is used, multiple cables or multiple core wires of a multi-core cable can be accurately guided to the processing position at once.

[0063] Next, the cable processing method of this embodiment will be explained following the flow shown in Figure 10.

[0064] The cable processing method of this embodiment will be explained using the above-described cable processing system 10, setting the multi-core cable 20 in the cable support 30, and simultaneously inserting the copper wire 23 portions at the ends of the two cables 21 into the terminal 94 (processing position T) as shown in Figure 3, and soldering the copper wire 23 and the terminal 94.

[0065] (S1) Cable support preparation process The multi-core cable 20 is set in the cable support 30 and fixed in a predetermined position on the support holding base 50. The two cables 21 are set in the cable support 30 by adjusting the length of the ends protruding from the second holding parts 36a and 36b so that they can be moved simultaneously to their respective processing positions T. For example, when moving the cable ends from above to processing positions T at the same height, the lengths of the cable ends protruding from the second holding parts 36a and 36b are made the same. If there are multiple multi-core cables 20, this operation is performed for all cables 20 to be processed. The setting of the cables 20 in the cable support 30 can be done manually by an operator.

[0066] (S2) Gripping process As described above, the robot hand 12 can grasp the cable support 30 and / or cable 20 together by gripping them on the support base 50. Since the cable support 30 is fixed in a predetermined position on the support base 50, the robot hand 12 can grasp the cable support 30 and / or cable 20 by teaching the robot 11 in advance, provided that the support base 50 is positioned in the predetermined location. In Figure 11, the robot hand 12 is grasping the cable support and cable 20 together with the first part 32 of the cable support 30.

[0067] (S3) Check the position of the cable tip If necessary, the camera 15, which acts as a sensor, captures an image of the area near the tip of the cable 20 set in the cable support 30 held by the robot hand 12, to confirm the position of the tip of the cable 21. If the position of the cable tip is found to be deviating from the planned position, the robot hand's posture is changed to correct the position of the cable tip 21. Since the posture of the robot hand 12 is known, by checking the position of the tip of one cable 21, the robot hand's posture can be changed to adjust the positions of all the cable tips 21 to match the planned positions.

[0068] Referring to Figure 11, when the robot hand 12 grasps the cable support 30 and the cable 20 as a single unit, the cause of the positional error of the tip of the cable 21 is mainly the displacement D1 of the cable support 30 in the longitudinal direction of the fingers 13 of the robot hand (left-right direction in Figure 11) and the displacement D2 due to the rotation of the cable support in a plane (plane of paper in Figure 11) perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the fingers, centered on the grasping point G by the fingers 13. As mentioned above, if a groove for fitting with the cable support 30 is formed in the fingers 13, the cable support 30 will be grasped at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the fingers 13, so the displacement D1 can be ignored. Furthermore, if the cable is set straight on the cable support 30, when the cable support 30 is imaged perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera 15, an image like that in Figure 11 is obtained, and the displacement of the tip of the cable 21 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of paper in Figure 11 can be ignored. Therefore, the deviation of the tip of the cable 21 from its intended position can be determined from the image captured by the camera 15, which is a two-dimensional sensor. If the gripping position and orientation of the robot hand 12 when gripping the cable support 30 are not fixed, the tip position of the cable 21 may be confirmed using a three-dimensional sensor.

[0069] Furthermore, by measuring points other than the cable tip with a sensor, the relative position of the cable tip can also be determined. For example, by measuring the position and inclination of the cable support 30, the position of the cable tip can be determined, and the magnitudes of the displacement D1 and D2 can be calculated. If the displacement D1 can be ignored, the position of the cable support can be omitted, and the position of the cable tip can be determined by measuring the inclination of the cable support 30. This method is useful when there are multiple cables in the measurement area and it is difficult to determine the position of the tip of the target cable. The position and inclination of the cable support can be measured, for example, by orienting the cable support 30 held by the robot hand 12 perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera 15 and imaging the main body 31 of the cable support. If the position of the cable tip is known relative to the cable support, the position of the cable tip can be calculated from the position and inclination of the cable support.

[0070] The sensor used to confirm the position of the cable end is not limited to camera 15; any sensor capable of confirming the position of the cable end and the position and tilt of the cable support is acceptable, and a laser sensor or the like may be used.

[0071] (S4) Placement of the tip-guided hand The tip guide hand 60 is moved from the standby position so that the two guide holes 66 are directly in front of the processing position T, which is the hole for the two target terminals 94. When moving the cable tip to the processing position T from above, the two guide holes 66 should be positioned directly above the processing position T (Figure 12). At this time, the narrower opening of the guide hole 66 should be directed toward the processing position T.

[0072] (S5) Movement of cable support and cable The robot hand 12 is moved to bring the tip of the cable 21 to just before the guide hole 66 of the tip guide hand 60. Then, the tip of the cable is inserted through the wider opening of the guide hole 66, passed through the guide hole, and guided to the processing position T. This allows the tips of both cables 21 to be moved to the processing position T simultaneously. Specifically, the copper wire portions 23 at the tips of both cables 21 can be inserted into the terminal 94 at the same time.

[0073] (S6) Evacuation of the tip guide hand When the fingers 62 and 64 of the tip guide hand 60 are opened, a gap is created between the fingers 62 and 64 through which the cable 21 can pass, so the tip guide hand 60 is retracted and moved out of the way. If the processing position T is aligned parallel to the fingers 62 and 64, the tip guide hand 60 can be used to move it out of the way without interfering with the cable 21, as shown in Figure 12. If the processing position T is aligned perpendicular to the two fingers of the tip guide hand, the tip guide hand 70 shown in Figure 9 can be used instead of the tip guide hand 60, creating a gap between the fingers 72 and 76 through which the cable 21 can pass, so the tip guide hand 70 can be moved out of the way without interfering with the cable 21.

[0074] (S7) Processing of the cable end The ends of the two cables 21 are processed sequentially by the processing device 14. Specifically, the soldering device is moved from the standby position to the processing position T, and the copper wires 23 and terminals 94 at the ends of the cables 21 are soldered together. Once the processing of the ends of the two cables 21 is complete, the soldering device is moved back to the standby position.

[0075] Repeat steps S2 through S7 until all planned cables have been processed.

[0076] (S8) Removal of cable support Remove the cable support 30 from the cable 20. The cable support can be removed manually by the worker.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of its technical concept.

[0078] For example, although the above embodiment describes a method for handling two cables simultaneously, it is also possible to handle three or more cables simultaneously. The cable support can be arranged such that the number of holding parts (number of cables to be handled simultaneously) is equal to the number of cables to be handled simultaneously. In the tip guide hand 60, the number of guide grooves formed in the longitudinal direction of the fingers 62 and 64 can be increased. In the tip guide hand 70, the number of fingertips branching at the tips of the fingers 72 and 76 can be increased.

[0079] Furthermore, the cable handling system and method of the present invention do not exclude the case in which only one cable is set in the cable support. In that case, for example, one cable may be set on only one side of the cable support 40 described above, or a cable support having one first holding part and one second holding part may be used. When handling a flexible cable, setting the cable in the cable support stabilizes the orientation of the cable and allows the tip of the cable to be positioned, making cable handling easier.

[0080] For example, in the above embodiment, both the camera 15 and the tip guide hand (60 or 70) were used. However, if the required positional accuracy for moving the cable tip to the processing position is low, the tip guide hand, or both the camera and the tip guide hand, can be omitted depending on the required positional accuracy. Also, if the distance between the processing positions T that the ends of multiple cables should reach simultaneously is wide, the camera can be omitted by making the wider opening of the guide hole in the tip guide hand sufficiently large.

[0081] For example, in the above embodiment, all cable supports were removed only after processing all cables was completed. However, a cable support may be removed each time the processing of a cable set in that support is completed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10 Cable management systems 11 Robots 12 Robot Hand 13 fingers 14 Processing Unit 15. Camera (visual sensor) 20-core multi-core cable 21 Cable (core wire) 22 Covering 23 copper wire 24. Aggregation Department 25 Covering tube 26 Tip of the covering tube 27. The frayed parts of the cable 29 Cables 30 Cable support 31 Main body 32 Part 1 33 Part 2 34 1st holding part 35 Opening of the first retaining part 36a, 36b 2nd holding part 37a, 37b Opening of the second retaining part 38 Fixed part 39 Plate-like part 40 Cable support 41 Main body 42 Part 1 43 Part 2 44a, 44b 1st holding part 46a, 46b 2nd holding part 48 Fixed part 49 Plate-like part 50 Support base 51 Support attachment / detachment part 52 Magnets 53 protrusion 54 Cable detachment section 55 Base member 56 Leaf spring 60 Tip-guided hand 61 cabinets 62 1st finger 63a, 63b guide groove 64 2nd finger 65a, 65b guide groove 66 Guide hole 70 Tip-guided hand 71 cabinets 72 1st finger 73 Liaison Department 74a First fingertip 74b Second fingertip 75a, 75b guide groove 76 Second finger 77 Liaison Department 78a First fingertip 78b Second fingertip 79a, 79b guide groove 90 Electrical equipment 91 Wiring port 93 panels 94 terminals C Cable D1, D2 misalignment L1 First section length S Cable support T Processing position

Claims

1. A cable support device comprising a main body and a first holding part capable of holding a cable, is prepared with the cable set in place in a support device preparation step, A gripping step of grasping the cable support and / or the cable with a robot hand, A cable movement step involves moving the robot hand to move the tip of the cable to the processing position, A processing step for processing the tip of the cable, A cable processing method having the following characteristics.

2. The cable support further comprises a second holding portion provided at a distance from the first holding portion. The cable processing method according to claim 1.

3. The cable support comprises one first holding portion and two or more second holding portions. The cable processing method according to claim 2.

4. The cable support device comprises two or more of the same number of first holding parts and second holding parts. The cable processing method according to claim 2.

5. The cable support comprises one first holding portion and one second holding portion. The cable processing method according to claim 2.

6. The support preparation step involves setting the cable into the cable support and holding the cable support on the support holding base. A cable processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The cable movement step includes the step of guiding the tip of the cable to the processing position using a tip guide hand, The aforementioned tip guide hand is provided with a guide hole into which the tip of the cable is inserted. A cable processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. Prior to the cable movement step, the process includes a step of using a sensor to confirm the position of the tip of the cable or the orientation of the cable support held by the robot hand. A cable processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. The process includes, after the processing step, removing the cable support from the cable. A cable processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. A cable support comprising a main body and a first holding part capable of holding a cable, A robot equipped with a robot hand capable of gripping the cable support and / or the cable while the cable is set in the cable support, A cable relocation system having

11. The cable further includes a tip guide hand for guiding the tip of the cable to a target position. The aforementioned tip guide hand is provided with a guide hole into which the tip of the cable is inserted. The cable relocation system according to claim 10.

12. A support base for holding multiple cables, The cable support has a detachable support section that detachably holds the cable support holding the cable. Support bracket holding base.

13. The cable has a cable attachment / detachment section that detachably holds the aforementioned cable. Support holder base according to claim 12.

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