Terminal insertion unit and terminal insertion method

Abstract

To repeatedly insert terminals into a connector housing efficiently.SOLUTION: A terminal insertion unit 1 is provided with: housing pallets 11; a pallet holding frame 12 that holds two or more housing pallets 11 so that the pallets can move along a circulation route R11 on which the pallets move on to a housing supply position 121, a stand-by position 122, a terminal insertion position 123 and a housing demounting position 124 in this order and then return to the housing supply position 121; a terminal insertion part 13; and a pallet driving part 14 that moves the housing pallets 11 along the circulation route R11 so that the other housing pallet 11 receives housing supply and then stands-by at the stand-by position 122, until insertion of terminals is completed after the one housing pallet 11 receives housing supply.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal insertion unit and a terminal insertion method for inserting an end terminal of a terminal-attached electric wire into a cavity of a connector housing. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in the manufacture of wire harnesses provided with connectors at their ends, terminal insertion units are used to insert end terminals of terminal-attached electric wires into cavities in connector housings (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The terminal insertion unit described in Patent Document 1 is a device that automatically inserts end terminals of terminal-attached electric wires into cavities when a connector housing into which the terminals are to be inserted is attached. After the insertion is complete, the connector housing is removed and temporarily stored in a predetermined storage device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-64722 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, with the above-mentioned terminal insertion unit, when terminals are repeatedly inserted into connector housings, the next connector housing cannot be attached until the terminal insertion into one connector housing has been completed and removed, and there is room for improvement in terms of work efficiency.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a terminal insertion unit and a terminal insertion method that enable repeated and efficient insertion of terminals into a connector housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the terminal insertion unit includes two or more housing pallets each having one or more housing holders attached thereto, each housing holder being capable of holding a connector housing having a plurality of cavities into which end terminals of terminal-fitted electric wires can be inserted, and the housing pallets move in the order of a housing supply position where the connector housing is supplied and held by the housing holder, a standby position where the housing pallet is temporarily on standby after holding the housing, a terminal insertion position where the end terminals of the terminal-fitted electric wires are inserted into the cavities of the connector housing, and a housing removal position where the connector housing is removed from the housing holder after terminal insertion. a pallet holding frame that holds two or more of the housing pallets in a state in which the pallet can move along a circulation route returning to the housing supply position after removal of the housing pallets; a terminal insertion unit that inserts the end terminals into the cavities of the connector housings in the housing pallet positioned at the terminal insertion position; and a pallet driving unit that moves the two or more housing pallets along the circulation route so that, between the time when one of the housing pallets receives housing supply at the housing supply position and the time when terminal insertion at the terminal insertion position is completed, another of the housing pallets passes through the housing supply and waits at the waiting position. The pallet driving unit moves the housing pallet around the circulation route in only four straight movements, including a straight movement from the housing removal position to the housing supply position, a straight movement from the housing supply position to the standby position, a straight movement from the standby position to the terminal insertion position, and a straight movement from the terminal insertion position to the housing removal position. It is characterized by:

[0007] Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a terminal insertion method includes a housing supply step of positioning one of two or more housing pallets attached to one or more housing holders capable of holding a connector housing, the connector housing having a plurality of cavities into which end terminals of a terminal-fitted electric wire can be inserted, at the housing supply position along a circulation route that moves in the order of a housing supply position, a standby position, a terminal insertion position, and a housing removal position and returns to the housing supply position, and supplying the connector housing to be held by the housing holder; a waiting step of positioning the one housing pallet at the standby position when another housing pallet is positioned at the terminal insertion position prior to the one housing pallet after holding the housing, and waiting until the terminal insertion position becomes available, and then positioning the one housing pallet at the terminal insertion position after waiting; a terminal insertion step of inserting the end terminals of the terminal-fitted electric wire into the cavities of the one housing pallet positioned at the terminal insertion position; and a housing removal step of positioning the one housing pallet at the housing removal position after the terminals have been inserted, and removing the connector housing from the housing holder. The housing pallet makes one circuit of the circulation route in only four straight movements, including a straight movement from the housing removal position to the housing supply position, a straight movement from the housing supply position to the standby position, a straight movement from the standby position to the terminal insertion position, and a straight movement from the terminal insertion position to the housing removal position. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above terminal insertion unit and terminal insertion method, terminals can be inserted into the connector housing repeatedly and efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal insertion unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the terminal insertion unit shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is a view showing the housing pallet, pallet holding frame, and pallet drive unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with other elements removed from the perspective view shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the three housing pallets shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 3 is a diagram showing the first carrier shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together with a terminal-attached electric wire held by an electric wire holder. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing the first conveying unit shown in FIG. 5 together with an inclination correcting unit to which the electric wire with terminal is to be conveyed. FIG. [Figure 7] 3 is a diagram showing the tilt correction unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 together with an electric wire with a terminal to be corrected. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic side block diagram showing the tilt correction unit shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining tilt correction performed by the tilt correction unit shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. [Figure 10] 3 is a diagram showing the second conveying unit shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together with the tilt correction unit that is the conveying source. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram showing the second conveying section shown in FIG. 10 together with a part of the terminal insertion section to which the electric wire with terminal is to be conveyed. FIG. [Figure 12] 3 is a diagram illustrating the terminal insertion portion shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, focusing on the function of detecting the tip position of the end terminal. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram illustrating the terminal insertion portion shown in FIG. 12, focusing on the function of detecting the position of the cavity into which the terminal is to be inserted. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic side block diagram showing the terminal insertion section shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. [Figure 15] 15 is a schematic diagram showing terminal-side positional deviation detected for an end terminal by the insertion control unit of the insertion control unit shown in FIGS. 12 to 14.

[0033] FIG. [Figure 16] 15 is a schematic diagram showing a cavity-side positional deviation detected for an insertion target cavity by the insertion control unit of the insertion control unit shown in FIGS. 12 to 14. FIG. [Figure 17]15A to 15C are schematic diagrams showing the procedure for inserting the end terminal after positional deviation correction into the cavity into which it is to be inserted in the terminal insertion section shown in FIGS. 12 to 14. FIG. [Figure 18] 18 is a schematic flowchart showing the flow of processing in a terminal insertion method executed by the terminal insertion unit 1 shown in FIGS. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of a terminal insertion unit and a terminal insertion method will be described below.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal insertion unit according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the terminal insertion unit shown in FIG.

[0012] The terminal insertion unit 1 of this embodiment is, for example, a work unit for manufacturing a connector-attached electric wire bundle 2 that constitutes at least a part of a wire harness installed and routed in a vehicle or the like. In this terminal insertion unit 1, end terminals W11 of terminal-attached electric wires W1 supplied via a wire holder 191 are inserted into connector housings C1 held on a housing pallet 11. In this embodiment, the number of terminal-attached electric wires W11 required for manufacturing one connector-attached electric wire bundle 2 is held by the wire holder 191. Each terminal-attached electric wire W11 is formed by connecting end terminals W11 to both ends of a single electric wire portion W12, and is held by the wire holder 191 at both ends in a U-shaped state as shown in FIG. 2. These multiple terminal-attached electric wires W11 are picked up one by one, and the end terminals W11 at each end are inserted into the corresponding connector housing C1. The terminal insertion unit 1 repeatedly performs such terminal insertion to manufacture a connector-equipped electric wire bundle 2, and the manufactured connector-equipped electric wire bundle 2 is taken out of the terminal insertion unit 1 by an operator Y1.

[0013] This terminal insertion unit 1 includes a housing pallet 11, a pallet holding frame 12, a terminal insertion section 13, a pallet driving section 14, a housing supply section 15, a first conveying section 16, a tilt correction section 17, a second conveying section 18, and a holder placing section 19. Each section will be explained below with reference to the separate drawings.

[0014] Figure 3 is a view showing the housing pallet, pallet holding frame, and pallet drive unit shown in Figures 1 and 2 with other elements removed from the perspective view shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing one of the three housing pallets shown in Figure 3.

[0015] The housing pallet 11 is a member that detachably holds multiple connector housings C1, and includes a pallet body 111, multiple housing holders 112, and one electric wire temporary placement holder 113. The connector housing C1 to be held is a resin housing with a rectangular block-like appearance that is provided with multiple cavities C11 into which end terminals W11 of terminal-fitted electric wires W1 can be inserted.

[0016] The pallet body 111 is a strip-shaped bar member, and is positioned at a housing removal position 124 on the pallet holding frame 12, which will be described later, so that its longitudinal direction D12 extends along the left-right direction D11 as seen by the worker Y1.

[0017] The housing holder 112 is a member capable of holding the connector housing C1. The housing holder 112 holds the connector housing C1 by embracing it with a pair of arms 112a that can open and close in an opening and closing direction D13. A plurality of housing holders 112 are attached to the pallet main body 111 and arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction D12. Each housing holder 112 is attached to the pallet main body 111 so as to expose the terminal insertion opening C11a in the cavity C11 and hold the connector housing C1 with the terminal insertion direction D14 intersecting with the pallet main body 111.

[0018] In this embodiment, multiple types of housing holders 112 corresponding to the respective sizes are attached to the pallet body 111 so that multiple types of connector housings C1 of different sizes can be held. In the example shown in FIG. 4, two types of housing holders 112 with different arm shapes and the like are shown so that two types of connector housings C1 can be held, and two of each type of housing holder 112 are attached to the pallet body 111. The housing holders 112 are attached to the pallet body 111 so that their attachment positions in the longitudinal direction D12 can be changed. The housing holders 112 are attached using screws, and the pallet body 111 has multiple screw holes 111a aligned in a row in the longitudinal direction D12 so that their attachment positions can be changed. The multiple housing holders 112 are attached to the pallet body 111 at predetermined intervals and in a predetermined order based on the connector arrangement and the like in the completed connector-attached electric wire bundle 2.

[0019] The temporary electric wire holder 113 is a member that temporarily holds one or more uninserted terminal-equipped electric wires W2 having uninserted terminals W21 that are not inserted into the cavities C11 of the connector housing C1, and is attached next to the housing holder 112 on the pallet main body 111. Like the housing holder 112, the temporary electric wire holder 113 is attached by screwing so that the attachment position can be changed as needed. The temporary electric wire holder 113 is provided with one or more electric wire clamping portions 113b that clamp the electric wire portion W22 of the uninserted terminal-equipped electric wire W2 between a pair of adjacently arranged U-shaped leaf spring members 113b-1. The uninserted terminal-equipped electric wire W2 is inserted and clamped between the U-shaped leaf spring members 113b-1 of each electric wire clamping portion 113b.

[0020] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, three housing pallets 11 having the configuration described above are held by a pallet holding frame 12. The pallet holding frame 12 is a frame member with a rectangular block-like appearance that is placed on a predetermined installation surface with the ground facing downward, and holds the three housing pallets 11 on the flat surface of the upper surface of a rectangular plate-like top plate portion 12a that fits along the installation surface. The upper surface of the top plate portion 12a is partitioned into four 2x2 areas, and the three housing pallets 11 are movably held by the pallet holding frame 12 so that the three housing pallets 11 can move cyclically between these four areas.

[0021] The four areas on the top panel 12a of the pallet holding frame 12 are a housing supply position 121, a standby position 122, a terminal insertion position 123, and a housing removal position 124. The housing pallet 11 is held by the pallet holding frame 12 in a state where it can move along a circulation route R11 that connects these four areas. The circulation route R11 is a route that moves in the order of the housing supply position 121, the standby position 122, the terminal insertion position 123, and the housing removal position 124, and then returns to the housing supply position 121.

[0022] The housing supply position 121 is an area where connector housings C1 are supplied and held in the housing holders 112 of the housing pallet 11. The standby position 122 is an area where the housing pallet 11 temporarily waits after the housings are held. The terminal insertion position 123 is an area where end terminals W11 of the terminal-attached electric wires W1 are inserted into the cavities C11 of the connector housing C1. The housing removal position 124 is an area where the connector housings C1 after terminal insertion are removed from the housing holders 112. When terminal insertion into all connector housings C1 supplied at the housing supply position 121 for one housing pallet 11 is completed and the housing pallet 11 moves to the housing removal position 124, all connector housings C1 are removed. This removal results in a connector-attached electric wire bundle 2 being taken out as output from the terminal insertion unit 1. In this embodiment, the connector housings C1 are manually removed at the housing removal position 124 by an operator Y1.

[0023] The circulation route R11 connecting the four areas is a circular route on the plane of the top plate portion 12a of the pallet holding frame 12, as shown below, with manual work at the housing removal position 124 in mind. First, the housing removal position 124 is the area on the front side of the unit facing the worker Y1. To facilitate removal here, the connector housing C1 is held in the housing holder 112 as follows: That is, the connector housing C1 is held in the housing holder 112 so that the rear side, into which the end terminals W11 are inserted and from which the terminal-attached electric wires W1 extend, faces the worker Y1 at the housing removal position 124.

[0024] The terminal insertion position 123, which is the passing area immediately before the housing removal position 124, is located on the front side of the unit and adjacent to the housing removal position 124 in the left-right direction D11 as seen from the worker Y1. The housing supply position 121, to which the empty housing pallet 11 moves from the housing removal position 124 after housing removal, is located in an area on the rear side of the unit, away from the housing removal position 124 in the depth direction D15 as seen from the worker Y11. The waiting position 122, where the housing pallet 11 waits before terminal insertion, is located in an area adjacent to the housing supply position 121 in the left-right direction D11 on the rear side of the unit and away from the terminal insertion position 123 in the depth direction D15.

[0025] 1 and 2 is a mechanism for inserting end terminals W11 into cavities C11 of connector housings C1 in housing pallets 11 positioned at terminal insertion positions 123 on circulation route R11. This terminal insertion section 13 will be described in detail later together with other sections.

[0026] The terminal insertion unit 1 is provided with a pallet driving unit 14 to move the housing pallets 11 along this circulation route R11 while receiving terminals inserted by the terminal insertion unit 13 along the way. In this embodiment, three housing pallets 11 are provided to move along the circulation route R11, leaving one of the housing supply position 121, the standby position 122, the terminal insertion position 123, and the housing removal position 124 vacant. The pallet driving unit 14 moves these three housing pallets 11. At this time, for one of the three housing pallets 11, the pallet driving unit 14 moves the other housing pallet 11 as follows, during the period from when the housing supply is received at the housing supply position 121 until the terminal insertion is completed at the terminal insertion position 123. That is, for this housing pallet 11, the housing supply is received at the housing supply position 121 during the above-mentioned period, and then the other housing pallet 11 is made to wait at the standby position 122. In most cases, terminal insertion takes longer than housing supply, so while one housing pallet 11 is receiving terminal insertion, the other housing pallet 11 that has already received housings waits at standby position 122. Also, at this time, if terminals have already been inserted into the remaining housing pallet 11, the connector housings C1 are removed at housing removal position 124. Furthermore, if terminals are scheduled to be inserted into this housing pallet 11, it is sent to housing supply position 121 and receives housing supply. This housing pallet 11 then remains at housing supply position 121 until standby position 122 becomes available.

[0027] 1 and 2, a housing supply unit 15 is provided near the housing supply position 121. The housing supply unit 15 stocks connector housings C1 and automatically supplies the connector housings C1 to the housing pallet 11 positioned at the housing supply position 121 and holds them in the housing holder 112. The housing pallet 11 that has received housings from the housing supply unit 15 passes through a standby position 122 and is sent to a terminal insertion position 123 where the terminal insertion unit 13 inserts terminals into the housing pallet 11.

[0028] The terminal-fitted wire W1 is transported to this terminal insertion section 13 from the wire holder 191 in the holder placement section 19 by the first transport section 16 and the second transport section 18, with the tilt being corrected by the tilt correction section 17 along the way as described below.

[0029] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the first conveying unit shown in Figures 1 and 2 together with a terminal-attached wire held by a wire holder, and Figure 6 is a diagram showing the first conveying unit shown in Figure 5 together with the tilt correction unit to which the terminal-attached wire is to be transported.

[0030] The first transport unit 16 grips the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 held by the wire holder 191 and transports it to a first inspection position 17a in the tilt correction unit 17. The wire holder 191 is a rod-shaped member that holds the wire portion W12 near the end terminal W11 at each end of the terminal-fitted electric wire W1. The wire holder 191 has holding slits 191a, into which the wire portions W12 are inserted, that are arranged in a row in the rod length direction D16. Each terminal-fitted electric wire W1 is held by the wire holder 191 at both ends in a U-shaped bent state as described above. The first transport unit 16 picks up the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 one by one from the wire holder 191 while keeping it bent into a U-shape, by gripping both ends. The first transport unit 16 includes a pair of gripping mechanisms 161 that grip both ends of the terminal-attached electric wire W1, a gripping drive mechanism 162 that drives each gripping mechanism 161, and a moving mechanism 163 (Figure 1) that moves the pair of gripping mechanisms 161 to the first inspection position 17a.

[0031] The holder placing section 19 has an electric wire holder 191 arranged in an orientation in which the longitudinal direction D12 of the housing pallet 11 at the terminal insertion position 123 and the rod length direction D16 are approximately perpendicular to each other. A plurality of electric wires with terminals W1 have been set on the electric wire holder 191 in a previous process, and the electric wire holder 191 is carried by an operator Y1 to the holder placing section 19 and placed in the above-mentioned perpendicular orientation. In the first transport section 16, a pair of gripping mechanisms 161 grip both ends of one electric wire with terminals W1 from the electric wire holder 191 in a pickup orientation in which they are aligned in the rod length direction D16, and then the gripping mechanisms 161 are turned 90° by the moving mechanism 163 and moved to the first inspection position 17a. At this first inspection position 17a, the electric wire with terminals W1 is handed over to the tilt correction section 17, where tilt correction is performed.

[0032] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the tilt correction unit shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 together with the electric wire with terminal to be corrected, and Fig. 8 is a schematic side block diagram showing the tilt correction unit shown in Fig. 7. And Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the tilt correction performed by the tilt correction unit shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8.

[0033] The tilt correction unit 17 is a part that receives the terminal-attached electric wire W1 from the first transporting unit 16 at a first inspection position 17a and performs tilt correction. The tilt correction here is a process of correcting the orientation around the axis W11a of the end terminals W11 at both ends of the terminal-attached electric wire W1 picked up from the wire holder 191. The tilt correction unit 17 includes a first electric wire chuck 171, a first photographing unit 172, and a correction control unit 173. The first electric wire chuck 171 is a pair of gripping mechanisms that grip both ends of the terminal-attached electric wire W1 received from the first transporting unit 16. The first inspection position 17a in the tilt correction unit 17 is a position where the first electric wire chuck 171 grips both ends of the terminal-attached electric wire W1.

[0034] The first photographing unit 172 photographs the end terminals W11 at both ends of the terminal-attached electric wire W1 gripped by the first wire chuck 171 from the tip side of the end terminals W11. The first photographing unit 172 includes a pair of lights 172a that illuminate each end terminal W11 during photographing and a pair of cameras 172b that photograph each illuminated end terminal W11. The correction control unit 173 detects the tilt angle θ11 about the axis W11a based on the tip image of each end terminal W11 photographed by the first photographing unit 172. The tilt angle θ11 here is the angle between the horizontal axis W11b of the end terminal W11 and the horizontal plane H11. When the correction control unit 173 detects the tilt angle θ11, it moves each end terminal W11 to correct the tilt by tilting each first wire chuck 171 in a tilt correction direction D17 about the axis W11a that sets the tilt angle θ11 to zero, in accordance with the detection result. The terminal-attached wire W1 after the tilt correction is carried by the second transport unit 18 to the second inspection position 13a in the terminal insertion unit 13.

[0035] Figure 10 is a diagram showing the second conveying unit shown in Figures 1 and 2 together with the tilt correction unit, which is the source of the conveying, and Figure 11 is a diagram showing the second conveying unit shown in Figure 10 together with a part of the terminal insertion unit, which is the destination of the terminal-attached electric wire.

[0036] The second transport unit 18 receives the inclination-corrected electric wire W1 from the inclination corrector 17 and transports it to the second inspection position 13a in the terminal insertion unit 13. The second transport unit 18 picks up the electric wire W1 with the terminal by gripping both ends of the electric wire W1 while it is bent into a U-shape in the inclination corrector 17. The second transport unit 18 includes a pair of gripping mechanisms 181 that grip both ends of the electric wire W1 with the terminal, a gripping drive mechanism 182 that drives each gripping mechanism 181, and a moving mechanism 183 ( FIG. 1 ) that moves the pair of gripping mechanisms 181 to the second inspection position 13a. Here, the terminal insertion unit 13 includes a second wire chuck 131 (described later) that grips the electric wire W1 with the terminal received from the second transport unit 18 and inserts the end terminal W11 into the cavity C11 of the connector housing C1 on the housing pallet 11 at the terminal insertion position 123. The second wire chuck 131 is provided so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction D12 of the housing pallet 11 at the terminal insertion position 123. The second wire chuck 131 receives the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 at a position corresponding to the cavity C11 of the connector housing C1 to which the electric wire W1 is to be inserted. The second inspection position 13a at which the second transporting unit 18 hands over the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 to the terminal insertion unit 13 is a position at which the second wire chuck 131 is positioned corresponding to the cavity C11 of the connector housing C1 to which the electric wire W1 is to be inserted.

[0037] The terminal insertion unit 13, which receives the electric wire with terminal W1 at the second inspection position 13a, detects a positional deviation between the tip position of the end terminal W11 and the position of the cavity C11 to be inserted in the connector housing C1. Then, the terminal insertion unit 13 corrects the positional deviation by moving at least one of the connector housing C1 and the electric wire with terminal W1 (the electric wire W1 in this embodiment), and inserts the end terminal W11 after the positional deviation correction into the cavity C11 to be inserted.

[0038] Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating the terminal insertion section shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, focusing on the function of detecting the tip position of the end terminal, and Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating the terminal insertion section shown in Fig. 12, focusing on the function of detecting the position of the cavity into which the terminal is to be inserted. Also, Fig. 14 is a schematic side block diagram illustrating the terminal insertion section shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13.

[0039] The terminal insertion unit 13 includes a second wire chuck 131, a second photographing unit 132, a third photographing unit 133, and an insertion control unit 134. As described above, the second wire chuck 131 moves to the second inspection position 13a corresponding to the cavity C11 of the connector housing C1, receives the terminal-attached wire W1 from the second transporting unit 18, and inserts the terminal. The second wire chuck 131 includes a pair of gripping mechanisms 131a, a gripping drive mechanism 131b, and a moving mechanism 131c (FIG. 1). The pair of gripping mechanisms 131a are a pair of mechanical components that grip both ends of the terminal-attached wire W1, and the gripping drive mechanism 131b is a mechanical component that drives each of the gripping mechanisms 131a. The moving mechanism 131c (FIG. 1) is a mechanical component that moves the pair of gripping mechanisms 131b to the second inspection position 13a.

[0040] The second photographing unit 132 photographs the end terminals W11 at both ends of the terminal-attached electric wire W1 gripped by the second wire chuck 131 from the tip side of the end terminals W11. The second photographing unit 132 includes a pair of lights 132a that illuminate each end terminal W11 during photographing, a pair of cameras 132b that photograph each illuminated end terminal W11, and a moving mechanism 132c (FIG. 1). The moving mechanism 132c is a mechanical part that moves the pair of lights 132a and the pair of cameras 132b to positions facing the second wire chuck 131 that moves to the second inspection position 13a.

[0041] The third photographing unit 133 is a part that photographs the terminal insertion openings C11a of the cavities C11 that are to be inserted in the connector housing C1 on the housing pallet 11. The third photographing unit 133 includes a pair of cameras 133a and a movement mechanism 133b (FIG. 1) for each camera 133a. The pair of cameras 133a photographs the pair of cavities C11 that are to be inserted with the end terminals W11 at both ends of the terminal-attached electric wire W1. The movement mechanism 133b moves each camera 133a to a position facing the cavity C11 that is to be inserted.

[0042] The insertion control unit 134 detects positional misalignment based on the image of the tip of the end terminal W11 captured by the second photographing unit 132 and the image of the terminal insertion opening C11a captured by the third photographing unit 133. This positional misalignment is the mutual positional misalignment between the position of the tip of the end terminal W11 and the position of the cavity C11 to be inserted.

[0043] Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing terminal-side positional deviation detected for an end terminal by the insertion control unit of the insertion control unit shown in Fig. 12 to Fig. 14. Also, Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing cavity-side positional deviation detected for an insertion target cavity by the insertion control unit of the insertion control unit shown in Fig. 12 to Fig. 14.

[0044] First, in this embodiment, for the pair of gripping mechanisms 131a in the second wire chuck 131, the tip position of an imaginary end terminal W11 when each gripping mechanism 131a grips a terminal-attached electric wire W1 is registered in the insertion control unit 134 as a registered terminal position P11. From the tip image of the end terminal W11 captured by the second photographing unit 132, the insertion control unit 134 detects a terminal-side position deviation G11, which is the difference between the pre-registered registered terminal position P11 and a tip position P12 of the end terminal W11 in the image. Here, the registered terminal position P11 is the center position of the tip portion of the imaginary end terminal W11 when viewed from the tip side, and the tip position P12 is the center position of the tip portion of the end terminal W11 in the image. The insertion control unit 134 detects the difference between these two center positions for the tip of the end terminal W11 as the terminal-side position deviation G11.

[0045] The insertion control unit 134 also registers the center of the terminal insertion opening C11a in the ideal holding state for each of the multiple cavities C11 in each connector housing C1 on the housing pallet 11 as a registered insertion position P13. Each registered insertion position P13 is a position where the registered terminal position P11 coincides with the registered terminal position P11 when the second wire chuck 131 moves toward the terminal insertion opening C11a. The insertion control unit 134 detects a cavity-side positional deviation G12, which is the difference between the registered insertion position P13 and an insertion opening position P14 of the terminal insertion opening C11a in the image, from an image of the terminal insertion opening C11a in the actual holding state captured by the third imaging unit 133. Here, the registered insertion position P13 is the center position of the terminal insertion opening C11a in the ideal holding state, and the insertion opening position P14 is the center position of the terminal insertion opening C11a in the image. The insertion control unit 134 detects the difference between these two center positions of the terminal insertion opening C11a as the cavity-side positional deviation G12.

[0046] The insertion control unit 134 then detects the sum of the terminal-side positional deviation G11 and the cavity-side positional deviation G12 as the positional deviation between the tip position of the end terminal W11 and the position of the cavity C11 to be inserted. The positional deviation here refers to the positional deviation between the tip position (center position) of the end terminal W11 and the position (center position) of the cavity C11 that occurs when the registered terminal position P11 is aligned with the registered insertion position P13.

[0047] The insertion control unit 134 corrects the positional misalignment by moving at least one of the connector housing C1 and the terminal-attached wire W11 (the terminal-attached wire W11 in this embodiment) and inserts the end terminal W11 after the positional misalignment has been corrected into the cavity C11 into which it is to be inserted. The positional misalignment is corrected by moving the second wire chuck 131 up, down, left, and right toward the terminal insertion opening C11a in accordance with the positional misalignment detection result, thereby moving the end terminal W11. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the end terminal W11 after the positional misalignment has been corrected is inserted according to the following procedure.

[0048] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a procedure for inserting the end terminal after the positional deviation has been corrected into the cavity into which it is to be inserted in the terminal insertion section shown in FIGS.

[0049] First, in this embodiment, each of the pair of gripping mechanisms 131a in the second wire chuck 131 has a front chuck 131a-1 and a rear chuck 131a-2 as follows. The front chuck 131a-1 is a part of each gripping mechanism 131a that grips the end terminal W11 side of the wire portion W12 of the terminal-attached electric wire W1. Of the three chuck parts of each gripping mechanism 131a, the front chuck 131a-1 is one of the chuck parts on the front side in the terminal insertion direction D14. The rear chuck 131a-2 is one of the two chuck parts on the rear side in the terminal insertion direction D14, and grips the rear side of the front chuck 131a-1 in the terminal insertion direction D14. In this embodiment, the front chuck 131a-1 is movable back and forth in the terminal insertion direction D14, while the rear chuck 131a-2 is a fixed chuck that cannot move. The front chuck 131a-1 is set at a default position slightly spaced apart from the rear chuck 131a-2 in the terminal insertion direction D14.

[0050] When inserting the end terminal W11 into the insertion target cavity C11 in the connector housing C1, the insertion control unit 134 moves the second wire chuck 131 as follows. First, with the front chuck 131a-1 positioned at the default position, the second wire chuck 131 gripping the terminal-attached electric wire W1 is moved in the terminal insertion direction D14 until the tip of the end terminal W11 after positional misalignment is inserted into the terminal insertion opening C11a (step S11). Next, the insertion control unit 134 releases the grip of the front chuck 131a-1 and then retreats it a predetermined distance in the retreat direction D18 toward the rear chuck 131a-2 to grip the end terminal W11 again (step S12). Thereafter, the insertion control unit 134 moves the second wire chuck 131 again in the terminal insertion direction D14 toward the terminal insertion opening C11a, thereby inserting the end terminal W11 into the insertion target cavity C11 (step S13).

[0051] Furthermore, when the insertion control unit 134 moves the second wire chuck 131 again toward the terminal insertion opening C11a, it also aligns the wire portion W12 of the terminal-attached wire W1 with respect to the terminal insertion opening C11a while moving the second wire chuck 131 toward the terminal insertion opening C11a. As schematically shown in FIG. 17, the terminal-attached wire W1 may be held by the second wire chuck 131 with the end terminal W11 hanging downward due to its own weight or the like. At the stage of step S11 described above, a positional deviation correction is performed on the tip position of the end terminal W11 in this hanging state, and the tip portion is inserted into the terminal insertion opening C11a. At this stage, the wire portion W12 of the terminal-attached wire W1 is shifted upward from the terminal insertion opening C11a by the amount of the hanging end terminal W11. In step S13, in order to correct the misalignment of the wire portion W12, the insertion control unit 134 moves the second wire chuck 131 downward to align the wire portion W12 with respect to the terminal insertion opening C11a. Here, among the misalignment corrections due to the terminal-side misalignment G11 and the cavity-side misalignment G12 described with reference to Figures 15 and 16, the amount of correction in the vertical direction corrects the misalignment due to the sagging of the end terminal W11. Therefore, when the tip of the end terminal W11 is inserted into the terminal insertion opening C11a in step S11, the wire portion W12 is misaligned upward with respect to the terminal insertion opening C11a by an amount equivalent to the amount of correction in the vertical direction. Therefore, in step S13, among the corrections of the positional misalignment due to the terminal-side positional misalignment G11 and the cavity-side positional misalignment G12, the correction in the vertical direction is reversed to align the end terminal W11 and the wire portion W12 to a straight state with respect to the cavity C11. In step S13, the insertion control unit 134 inserts the end terminal W11 into the cavity C11 while performing such alignment.

[0052] The terminal insertion section 13 corrects the positional deviation of each of the end terminals W11 at both ends of the electric wire W1 with respect to the corresponding cavity C11a in the connector housing C11, and inserts the terminal into the cavity C11a. Since such positional deviation correction and terminal insertion are performed individually for each end terminal W11, the positional deviation correction and terminal insertion are performed twice for each electric wire W1 with the terminal.

[0053] Next, the terminal insertion method executed by the terminal insertion unit 1 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17 and FIG. 18 below, although some of the description will overlap with the description so far.

[0054] FIG. 18 is a schematic flowchart showing the flow of processing of the terminal insertion method executed by the terminal insertion unit 1 shown in FIGS.

[0055] The processing of the terminal insertion method represented by the flowchart in Fig. 18 starts when an operator Y1 places an electric wire holder 191, on which a terminal-fitted electric wire W1 is set, on the holder placement section 19 and performs a predetermined start operation. When the processing starts, a housing supply step S101 is executed for one housing pallet 11. In the housing supply step S101, one housing pallet 11 is positioned at a housing supply position 121 on the circulation route R11, and a connector housing C1 is supplied and held in the housing holder 112. Thereafter, a determination step S102 is executed to determine whether or not a preceding housing pallet 11 is positioned at the terminal insertion position 123. If a preceding pallet is present (YES determination), a waiting step S103 is executed in which the housing pallet 11 to which the housing has already been supplied is positioned at a waiting position 122 and made to wait until the terminal insertion position 123 becomes available, and after waiting, the housing pallet 11 is positioned at the terminal insertion position 123. On the other hand, if there is no preceding pallet (determined as NO), an insertion position movement step S104 is executed to immediately position the housing pallet 11 to which housings have been supplied at the terminal insertion position 123. Immediately after the start, there is no preceding pallet, so the insertion position movement step S104 is executed.

[0056] When one housing pallet 11 is positioned at the terminal insertion position 123, a first transport step S105 to a terminal insertion step S108 are performed for the connector housing C1 on that housing pallet 11. In the first transport step S105, the first transport unit 16 grips one terminal-attached electric wire W1 in the wire holder 191 and transports it to the first inspection position 17a. In the tilt correction step S106, the terminal-attached electric wire W1 is received from the first transport unit 16 and gripped by the first wire chuck 171 of the tilt correction unit 17 at the first inspection position 17a. Furthermore, the tilt correction unit 17 detects the tilt of the end terminal W11 about the axis W11a from the insertion position into the cavity C11. Then, the tilt correction unit 17 tilts the first wire chuck 171 about the axis W11a in accordance with the detection result, thereby moving the end terminal W11 and correcting the tilt. In a second transport step S107, the tilt-corrected electric wire W1 with terminals is received by the second transport unit 18 from the tilt correction unit 17 and transported to the second inspection position 13a in the terminal insertion unit 13. In a terminal insertion step S108, the electric wire W1 with terminals is received by the second wire chuck 131 in the terminal insertion unit 13 at the second inspection position 13a from the second transport unit 18. Furthermore, a positional deviation between the tip position of the end terminal W11 and the position of the insertion target cavity C11 in the connector housing C1 is detected. Then, the positional deviation is corrected by moving the electric wire W1 with terminals via the second wire chuck 131, and the end terminal W11 with the positional deviation corrected is inserted into the insertion target cavity C11 by moving the second wire chuck 131 toward the terminal insertion opening C11a. The first transport step S105 to the terminal insertion step S108 are performed for one terminal-fitted electric wire W1 held by the electric wire holder 191.

[0057] Then, after the terminal insertion step S108, a determination S109 is performed to determine whether or not there are any uninserted electric wires with terminals W1 in the wire holder 191. If there are any uninserted electric wires with terminals W1 (determination YES), the process returns to the first transport step S105, and the subsequent processes are repeated. If all terminal insertion is completed and there are no uninserted electric wires with terminals W1 (determination NO), a housing removal step S110 is performed. In the housing removal step S110, one housing pallet 11 after terminal insertion is positioned at the housing removal position 124, and the connector housing C1 is removed from the housing holder 112 by the worker Y1. In this housing removal step S110, the connector-attached electric wire bundle 2 is removed as output.

[0058] Thereafter, a termination determination S111 is made to determine whether or not the processing for the housing pallet 11 should be terminated. If the processing should be terminated (YES), the processing is terminated. If the processing should continue (NO), the processing returns to the housing supply step S101, and the subsequent steps are repeated. Here, the flowchart in FIG. 18 focuses on one of the three housing pallets 11 and shows the processing flow of the terminal insertion method performed on that housing pallet 11. In this embodiment, this processing is performed for each of the three housing pallets 11. Then, the housing supply step S101, the first transport step S105 to the terminal insertion step S108, and the housing removal step S110 for each housing pallet 11 are performed while the housing pallet 11 is moved in parallel with one another, with the waiting step S103 appropriately interposed therebetween.

[0059] According to the terminal insertion unit 1 and terminal insertion method of the embodiment described above, the following effects can be achieved by the configuration related to the circular movement of the housing pallet 11 and the configuration related to transporting the terminal-equipped electric wire W1 while making various corrections and inserting the terminals.

[0060] First, the effects of the configuration related to the circulatory movement of the housing pallet 11 will be described. According to this configuration, the housing pallet 11 having the housing holders 112 can be moved along a circulation route R11 that passes through the housing supply position 121, the standby position 122, the terminal insertion position 123, and the housing removal position 124. When the terminal insertion into one housing pallet 11 is completed, another housing pallet 11 holding the connector housing C1, which is the next terminal insertion target, in its housing holder 112 waits at the standby position 122. Therefore, after the housing pallet 11 after terminal insertion is moved to the housing removal position 124 for removal of the connector housing C11, the housing pallet 11 from the standby position 122 can be moved to the terminal insertion position 123, allowing for immediate terminal insertion. Thus, according to this embodiment, terminal insertion into the connector housing C1 can be efficiently and repeatedly performed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the steps of the terminal insertion method described above are performed in parallel for two or more (three in this embodiment) housing pallets 11, thereby shortening the cycle time. This configuration allows the terminals to be inserted into the connector housing C1 more efficiently.

[0061] In this embodiment, three housing pallets 11 are provided so as to move along the circulation route R11, leaving one of the housing supply position 121, standby position 122, terminal insertion position 123, and housing removal position 124 empty. With this configuration, even if one housing pallet 11 remains at the terminal insertion position 123 or the housing removal position 124, the empty space on the circulation route R11 can be used to move the other two housing pallets 11 and supply housings. With the above configuration, terminal insertion into the connector housing C1 can be repeated more efficiently in this way.

[0062] In addition, in this embodiment, a housing supply unit 15 is provided that supplies the connector housings C1 to the housing pallet 11 positioned at the housing supply position 121 and holds them in the housing holders 112. With this configuration, housing supply itself at the housing supply position 121 can also be performed efficiently.

[0063] In this embodiment, the housing holder 112 holds the connector housing C1 by embracing it with a pair of openable arms 112a. The pair of arms 112a are opened at the housing supply position 121, and the housing supply unit 15 supplies the connector housing C1 to the housing holder 112 with the pair of arms 112a in the open state. This configuration allows the supply and holding of the connector housing C1 to the housing holder 112, and further allows for easy removal of the connector housing C1 at the housing removal position 124, all with good operability.

[0064] In this embodiment, multiple types of housing holders 112 corresponding to the respective sizes are attached to the housing pallet 11 so that multiple types of connector housings C1 of different sizes can be held. This configuration makes it possible to insert terminals into multiple types of connector housings C1, thereby improving versatility in terminal insertion.

[0065] In this embodiment, the pallet holding frame 12 is placed on a predetermined installation surface with the ground facing downward. The pallet holding frame 12 holds the housing pallet 11 so that it can move along a circular route R11 on a plane that follows the installation surface. With this configuration, when the worker Y1 manually removes the connector housing C1 at the housing removal position 124, the worker Y1 can access the circular route R11 on a plane that follows the installation surface from above. This access allows the worker Y1 to remove the connector housing C1 with good workability.

[0066] In this embodiment, the housing removal position 124 faces the operator Y1, and the terminal insertion position 123 is adjacent to the housing removal position 124 in the left-right direction D11 as viewed from the operator Y1. The housing supply position 121 is located further away from the housing removal position 124 in the depth direction D15 as viewed from the operator Y1. The standby position 122 is located further away from the housing supply position 121 in the left-right direction D11 and further away from the terminal insertion position 123 in the depth direction D15. This configuration allows the operator Y1 to easily access the housing removal position 124 facing the operator Y1 and remove the connector housing C1. Furthermore, because terminal insertion prior to the removal operation is performed at the terminal insertion position 123 adjacent to the housing removal position 124 in the left-right direction D11 as viewed from the operator Y1, the operator Y1 can visually check the progress of the removal operation while preparing for the removal operation.

[0067] In this embodiment, the housing pallet 11 includes a strip-shaped pallet body 111 positioned to extend in the left-right direction D11 at the housing removal position 124. The housing holders 112 are attached to the pallet body 111 and arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction D12. The movement of the housing pallet 11 from the terminal insertion position 123 to the housing removal position 124, and the movement of the housing pallet 11 from the housing supply position 121 to the standby position 122, are performed along the longitudinal direction D12 of the pallet body 111. The movement of the housing pallet 11 from the housing removal position 124 to the housing supply position 121, and the movement of the housing pallet 11 from the standby position 122 to the terminal insertion position 123 are performed along a depth direction D15 (intersecting direction) that intersects with the longitudinal direction D12. With this configuration, the housing holders 112 are lined up in a row facing the worker Y1, which further improves workability at the housing removal position 124 and visibility of the progress of terminal insertion at the terminal insertion position 123.

[0068] In this embodiment, the housing holder 112 is attached to the pallet body 111 so that the attachment position thereof can be changed in the longitudinal direction D12. This configuration allows for effective use of the device when, for example, manufacturing a wire harness having a branched shape and a connector provided at each branch end. That is, the above configuration allows for use of the device such as arranging the connector housings C1 according to the branched shape and inserting terminals into each connector housing C1.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the housing holder 112 holds the connector housing C1 so that the rear side of the connector housing C1, from which the end terminals W11 are inserted and the terminal-attached electric wires W1 extend, faces the worker Y1 at the housing removal position 124. According to this configuration, the connector housing C1 with the terminals inserted is positioned with the electric wires extending from the rear side toward the worker Y1 at the housing removal position 124. This positioning allows the worker Y1 to remove the connector housing C1 while holding the electric wires with good workability.

[0070] Next, the effects of the configuration in which the terminal-attached electric wire W1 is transported and inserted while various corrections are made will be described. According to this configuration, the terminal-attached electric wire W1 is transferred from the first transport unit 16 to the second transport unit 18 while the inclination of the end terminal W11 is corrected along the way. The terminal-attached electric wire W1 is then transferred from the second transport unit 18 to the terminal insertion unit 13, where it is corrected for positional deviation relative to the cavity C11 into which it is to be inserted. This series of processes eliminates factors that hinder smooth terminal insertion, such as the gripping state of the terminal-attached electric wire W1 in the first transport unit 16 and the relative positional relationship between the end terminal W11 and the cavity C11 when transferred to the terminal insertion unit 13. Therefore, strict positional control is not required for the gripping of the terminal-attached electric wire W1 in the first transport unit 16 or the holding of the connector housing C1 in the housing holder 112 of the housing pallet 11, thereby reducing the burden on the operator. As described above, according to this embodiment, the end terminal W11 of the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 can be smoothly inserted into the cavity C11 of the connector housing C1 while reducing the burden on the worker.

[0071] In this embodiment, the tilt correction unit 17 includes a first wire chuck 171, a first photographing unit 172 that photographs the end terminal W11 from the tip side, and a correction control unit 173. The correction control unit 173 detects the tilt based on the photographed image of the end terminal W11, and corrects the tilt by moving the end terminal W11 by tilting the first wire chuck 171 about the axis W11a in accordance with the detection result. With this configuration, the tilt of the end terminal W11 can be corrected effectively and highly accurately by detecting the tilt based on the image of the end terminal W11 photographed by the first photographing unit 172 and tilting the first wire chuck 171 in accordance with the detection result.

[0072] In this embodiment, the terminal insertion unit 13 includes a second wire chuck 131, a second photographing unit 132 that photographs the end terminal W11 from the tip side, a third photographing unit 133 that photographs the terminal insertion opening C11a of the cavity C11 into which the end terminal W11 is to be inserted, and an insertion control unit 134. The insertion control unit 134 detects misalignment based on images of the tip of the end terminal W11 and the terminal insertion opening C11a. The insertion control unit 134 then corrects the misalignment by moving the second wire chuck 131 up, down, left, and right toward the terminal insertion opening C11a in accordance with the detection result. Furthermore, while correcting the misalignment, the insertion control unit 134 inserts the end terminal W11 into the cavity C11 into which the end terminal W11 is to be inserted by moving the second wire chuck 131 toward the terminal insertion opening C11a. According to this configuration, by detecting misalignment based on the image of the tip end and the image of the terminal insertion port C11a and moving the second wire chuck 131 in accordance with the detection results, the end terminal W11 can be inserted into the cavity C11 while correcting the misalignment effectively and with high precision.

[0073] In this embodiment, the insertion control unit 134 detects, from the image of the tip of the end terminal W11, a terminal-side positional deviation G11, which is the difference between the registered terminal position P11 and the tip position P12 of the end terminal W11 in the image. Furthermore, from the image of the terminal insertion opening C11a, the insertion control unit 134 detects a cavity-side positional deviation G12, which is the difference between the registered insertion position P13 and the terminal insertion opening C11a in the image. The insertion control unit 134 then detects the sum of the terminal-side positional deviation G11 and the cavity-side positional deviation G12 as the positional deviation between the end terminal W11 and the terminal insertion opening C11a. With this configuration, by detecting and summing the terminal-side positional deviation G11 and the cavity-side positional deviation G12, the positional deviation between the end terminal W11 and the terminal insertion opening C11a can be detected with high accuracy.

[0074] In this embodiment, the second wire chuck 131 has a front chuck 131a-1 and a rear chuck 131a-2. The insertion control unit 134 first moves the second wire chuck 131 until the tip of the end terminal W11 after positional misalignment correction is inserted into the terminal insertion opening C11a. The insertion control unit 134 then releases the front chuck 131a-1 from its grip and moves it back a predetermined distance toward the rear chuck 131a-2 to grip the end terminal W11 again. The insertion control unit 134 then moves the second wire chuck 131 back toward the terminal insertion opening C11a, thereby inserting the end terminal W11 into the insertion target cavity C11. With this configuration, by gripping the front chuck 131a-1 as close as possible to the end terminal W11, the tip of the end terminal W11 can be inserted into the terminal insertion opening C11a with high accuracy. Thereafter, the front chuck 131a-1 is retracted to ensure the insertion stroke, and the end terminal W11 can be effectively inserted into the cavity C11.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the insertion control unit 134 moves the second wire chuck 131 again toward the terminal insertion opening C11a, the insertion control unit 134 also aligns the wire portion W12 while moving the second wire chuck 131. According to this configuration, by also aligning the wire portion W12, the end terminal W11 can be inserted into the cavity C11 more smoothly.

[0076] In this embodiment, the first transporting unit 16 grips both ends of the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 and transports it to the first inspection position 17a, and the tilt correcting unit 17 corrects the tilt of each of the end terminals W11 at both ends of the terminal-fitted electric wire W1. The second transporting unit 18 grips both ends of the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 after the tilt correction and transports it to the second inspection position 13a. The terminal inserting unit 13 inserts each of the end terminals W11 at both ends of the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 while correcting misalignment with the corresponding insertion target cavities C11 in the connector housing C1. With this configuration, the end terminals W11 at both ends of the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 are transported to the terminal inserting unit 13 while undergoing tilt correction together. In the terminal inserting unit 13, the end terminals W11 at both ends are inserted into the corresponding cavities C11 of the connector housing C1 while undergoing positional misalignment correction. Through this series of processes, the end terminals W11 at both ends of the terminal-fitted electric wire W1 can be smoothly and efficiently inserted into the cavities C11.

[0077] In this embodiment, the housing pallet 11 is provided with a temporary electric wire holder 113 adjacent to the housing holder 112, which temporarily holds one or more uninserted electric wires with terminals W2. The terminal insertion unit 13 does not detect or correct misalignment of the uninserted electric wires with terminals W2, and instead carries the uninserted electric wires with terminals W2 to the temporary electric wire holder 113 and holds them there. This configuration is advantageous because it allows the uninserted electric wires with terminals W2 to be handled together with the electric wires with terminals W1 whose end terminals W11 are inserted into the cavities C11.

[0078] In this embodiment, the temporary electric wire holder 113 is provided with one or more wire clamping portions 113b that clamp the wire portion W22 of the non-inserted electric wire with terminal W2 between a pair of U-shaped leaf spring members 113b-1. The terminal insertion portion 13 carries the non-inserted electric wire with terminal W2 so that the wire clamping portion 113b clamps a portion of the wire portion W22 near the non-inserted terminal W21. With this configuration, the non-inserted electric wire with terminal W2 can be held with high holding strength by clamping the wire portion W12 of the non-inserted electric wire with terminal W2 between the pair of U-shaped leaf spring members 113b-1 of the wire clamping portion 113b.

[0079] The above-described embodiments merely show typical examples of the terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method, but the terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method are not limited to these and can be implemented in various modifications.

[0080] For example, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method, the terminal insertion unit 1 and the terminal insertion method are exemplified, which are used to manufacture a connector-equipped electric wire bundle 2 that constitutes at least a part of a wire harness that is installed and routed in a vehicle, etc. However, the terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method are not limited to this, and there is no restriction on the specific application of the terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method.

[0081] 1 and 2 illustrate the terminal insertion unit 1, and the terminal insertion method using the terminal insertion unit 1, as an example of the terminal insertion unit and terminal insertion method. However, the terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method are not limited to this, and the specific shapes and arrangements of the components in the terminal insertion unit are not limited to this.

[0082] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a terminal insertion unit and a terminal insertion method, a terminal insertion unit 1 and a terminal insertion method are shown in which an electric wire W1 with a terminal is picked up from the wire holder 191 carried by the worker Y1 to the holder placement unit 19 and a terminal is inserted therein. However, the terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method are not limited to this. The terminal insertion unit and the terminal insertion method may be a unit or a method in which an electric wire with a terminal is directly received from, for example, a manufacturing device for an electric wire with a terminal and a terminal is inserted therein, without the worker Y1 having to carry the electric wire holder 191. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 terminal insertion unit 2. Wire bundle with connector 11 Housing Pallet 12 Pallet holding frame 12a Top plate 13 Terminal insertion part 13a Second inspection position 14 Pallet drive unit 15 Housing Supply Department 16 First Transport Section 17 Tilt correction section 17a First inspection position 18 Second Transport Division 19 Holder placement part 111 Pallet body 112 Housing holder 112a Arm 113 Electrical wire temporary holder 113b Wire clamping part 113b-1 U-shaped leaf spring member 121 Housing supply position 122 Standby position 123 Terminal insertion position 124 Housing removal position 131 Second wire chuck 131a,161,181 Gripping mechanism 131a-1 Front chuck 131a-2 Rear chuck 131b,162,182 Gripping drive mechanism 131c,132c,133b,163,183 Movement mechanism 132 2nd Filming Department 132a,172a Light 132b, 133a, 172b Camera 133 Third Filming Department 134 Insertion control section 171 First wire chuck 172 First Filming Department 172a Light 173 Correction control section 191 Wire holder 191a Retaining slit C1 Connector Housing C11 cavity C11a terminal insertion port D11 Left / right direction D12 Longitudinal direction D13 Opening and closing direction D14 Terminal insertion direction D15 Depth direction D16 Rod length direction D17 Correction direction G11 Terminal side misalignment G12 Cavity side misalignment H11 horizontal plane P11 Registered terminal position P12 Tip position P13 Registration Insertion Position P14 Insertion slot position R11 Circulation Route S101 Housing supply process S102,S109 Presence / absence determination S103 Standby process S104 Insertion position movement process S105 First transport process S106 Tilt correction process S107 Second transport process S108 Terminal insertion process S110 Housing removal process S111 Termination decision W1 Wire with terminal W2 Uninserted wire with terminal W11 End terminal W11a axis W11b horizontal axis W12,W22 Electric wire part W21 Non-insertion terminal Y1 worker θ11 tilt angle

Claims

1. two or more housing pallets each having one or more housing holders attached thereto, each housing holder being capable of holding a connector housing having a plurality of cavities into which end terminals of terminal-equipped electric wires can be inserted; a pallet holding frame that holds two or more of the housing pallets in a state that allows movement along a circulation route that moves in the following order: a housing supply position where the connector housing is supplied and held by the housing holder; a standby position where the housing pallet temporarily waits after holding the housing; a terminal insertion position where the end terminals of the terminal-attached electric wires are inserted into the cavities of the connector housing; and a housing removal position where the connector housing is removed from the housing holder after terminal insertion; and returns to the housing supply position after the housing is removed; a terminal inserting portion for inserting the end terminals into the cavities of the connector housing in the housing pallet positioned at the terminal inserting position; a pallet driving unit that moves two or more of the housing pallets along the circulation route so that, from the time when one of the housing pallets receives housing supply at the housing supply position until the time when terminal insertion at the terminal insertion position is completed, another of the housing pallets goes through the housing supply and waits at the standby position; and Equipped with A terminal insertion unit characterized in that the pallet drive unit moves the housing pallet around the circulation route in only four straight movements: a straight movement from the housing removal position to the housing supply position, a straight movement from the housing supply position to the waiting position, a straight movement from the waiting position to the terminal insertion position, and a straight movement from the terminal insertion position to the housing removal position.

2. The terminal insertion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that three housing pallets are provided so as to move along the circulation route, leaving one of the housing supply position, the waiting position, the terminal insertion position, and the housing removal position empty.

3. 2. The terminal insertion unit according to claim 1, further comprising a housing supply section that stocks the connector housings and supplies the connector housings to the housing pallet positioned at the housing supply position and holds them in the housing holder.

4. The terminal insertion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing pallet is fitted with a plurality of types of housing holders corresponding to the respective sizes so as to be able to hold a plurality of types of connector housings of different sizes.

5. The terminal insertion unit described in claim 1, characterized in that the pallet holding frame is placed on a predetermined installation surface with the ground facing downward, and holds the housing pallet so that it can move along a circular route on a plane along the installation surface as the circulation route.

6. The connector housing is manually removed from the housing holder in the housing pallet by an operator; The terminal insertion unit of claim 5, characterized in that the circulation route is a circular route on the plane that connects the housing removal position facing the worker on the plane, the terminal insertion position adjacent to the housing removal position on the plane in the left-right direction as seen by the worker, the housing supply position away from the housing removal position on the plane in the depth direction as seen by the worker, and the waiting position adjacent to the housing supply position in the left-right direction and away from the terminal insertion position in the depth direction, in the order of the housing supply position, the waiting position, the terminal insertion position, and the housing removal position.

7. the housing pallet is a rod-shaped pallet body positioned so as to extend in the left-right direction at the housing removal position, and one or more housing holders are attached to the rod-shaped pallet body in a state where they are arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the pallet body, The movement of the housing pallet from the terminal insertion position to the housing removal position and the movement of the housing pallet from the housing supply position to the standby position are performed along the longitudinal direction, The terminal insertion unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the movement of the housing pallet from the housing removal position to the housing supply position and the movement of the housing pallet from the standby position to the terminal insertion position are performed along a transverse direction intersecting the longitudinal direction on the plane.

8. 8. The terminal insertion unit according to claim 7, wherein the housing holder is attached to the pallet body so that the attachment position thereof can be changed in the longitudinal direction.

9. The terminal insertion unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the housing holder holds the connector housing so that the rear side of the connector housing, from which the end terminal is inserted and the terminal-attached wire extends, faces the worker at the housing removal position.

10. a housing supply step of positioning one of two or more housing pallets, each housing pallet being attached with one or more housing holders capable of holding a connector housing having a plurality of cavities into which end terminals of terminal-equipped electric wires can be inserted, at the housing supply position along a circulation route that moves in the order of a housing supply position, a standby position, a terminal insertion position, and a housing removal position, and then returns to the housing supply position, and supplying the connector housing and holding it in the housing holder; a standby step of positioning one of the housing pallets at the standby position and waiting until the terminal insertion position becomes available when another of the housing pallets is positioned at the terminal insertion position prior to the one of the housing pallets after holding the housings, and then positioning the one of the housing pallets at the terminal insertion position after waiting; a terminal insertion step of inserting the end terminal of the terminal-attached electric wire into the cavity of one of the housing pallets positioned at the terminal insertion position; a housing removal step of positioning one of the housing pallets after terminal insertion at the housing removal position and removing the connector housing from the housing holder; Equipped with A terminal insertion method characterized in that the housing pallet completes one circuit of the circulation route in only four straight movements: a straight movement from the housing removal position to the housing supply position, a straight movement from the housing supply position to the standby position, a straight movement from the standby position to the terminal insertion position, and a straight movement from the terminal insertion position to the housing removal position.

Images