Wire harness manufacturing equipment

Abstract

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

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a wire harness having a branched shape, an apparatus in which a plurality of holding members for holding a wire harness are installed on a flat wiring board in an arrangement corresponding to the branched shape has been used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a manufacturing apparatus, a wire harness is manufactured through wire routing on the wiring board and formation of a branched shape.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, many of the operations using the above-described manufacturing apparatus are performed manually by an operator. On the other hand, with regard to the manufacture of wire harnesses, the development of an apparatus that can automatically perform manufacturing operations without human intervention has also been underway. However, in the case of automatic manufacturing operations, there is a problem that the wires during manufacturing get caught in various parts of the apparatus and the operation stops, making it difficult to develop the apparatus.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness manufacturing apparatus that can automatically manufacture a wire harness while suppressing the snagging of wires during manufacturing by focusing on the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the wire harness manufacturing apparatusA device frame having a bottom plate portion, with the upper surface of the bottom plate portion serving as a reference plane extending along a horizontal plane, and the A wire processing mechanism comprising: a plurality of sliding parts, each positioned at a predetermined height from a reference plane and each holding at least one end of a wire constituting a branched wire harness toward the reference plane, and arranged parallel to each other in the alignment direction along the reference plane in the sliding direction between the first end and the second end, and one or more base end holding parts, each positioned at least in the sliding direction and fixed at the first end, which is the base end of the linear movement at the predetermined height, and arranged in the alignment direction, each holding at least one other end of the wire toward the reference plane, and a plurality of sliding parts, each holding one end of the wire, move between the first end and the second end to a position corresponding to the branched shape, thereby selectively bundling the wires to form the branched shape for a plurality of wires stretched between one or more base end holding parts and the plurality of sliding parts, even when the wires hang down due to the position of the sliding parts By moving at least a part of the mechanism to a position where it is not in contact with the electric wire, the entire mechanism The aforementioned wires are not in contact with each other. Electric It is characterized by comprising a line processing unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The wire harness manufacturing apparatus described above can automatically manufacture wire harnesses while suppressing snagging of wires during the manufacturing process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic external perspective view showing a wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the sliding section, the base end holding section, and their surrounding structures in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 3] Figures 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a wire harness manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 4]This is a schematic plan view of the sub-harness supply trolley shown in Figure 1, as seen from the direction of arrow V11 in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figures 1 to 4 schematically illustrate the state of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus when sub-harnesses are supplied from the sub-harness supply cart and when the wire harnesses are discharged after the completion of the manufacturing process. [Figure 6] Figure 3 shows a schematic plan view of another example of a wire harness to be manufactured using the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the outer mounting plate used for housing the electric wires to the protector body. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the wire guide used for housing the wires within the protector body, along with the exterior mounting plate shown in Figure 7. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes one embodiment of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic external perspective view showing a wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment, and Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the slide section, base end holding section, and their surrounding structures in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a wire harness manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0011] The wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a device that automatically manufactures a branched wire harness W1, as shown as an example in Figure 3.

[0012] The wire harness W1 to be manufactured is a component that is installed and routed in an automobile to connect multiple devices inside the vehicle. This wire harness W1 comprises multiple end-side connectors W11, multiple rear-side connectors W12, multiple tape winding sections W13, multiple outer casing sections W14, and multiple fixing clips W15.

[0013] The tip connector W11 is a connector that is held by the sliding part 12 (described later) in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 and moves in the sliding direction D11, becoming the tip end of the movement. On the other hand, the rear end connector W12 is held by the base end holding part 13 (described later) and is a connector that is fixed in the sliding direction D11 and becomes the base end. In this embodiment, the wire harness W1 to be manufactured is composed of one or more electric wires W16 and a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a, each of which has a tip connector W11 and a rear end connector W12 at both ends. This combination is achieved by forming the tape winding part W13 and the outer casing W14 and attaching the fixing clip W15.

[0014] The tape-wrapped section W13 is the part where the wires W16 of multiple sub-harnesses W1a are selectively bundled and wrapped with tape W131. In the example in Figure 3, first, tape-wrapped sections W13 are formed at both ends of the main line section W1b, where the wires W16 of all the sub-harnesses W1a are bundled together. The main line section W1b branches into two at the rear end connector W12 and then branches into two again, and tape-wrapped sections W13 are also formed at the end of the intermediate line section W1c, which is sandwiched between these two branches, on the side of the rear end connector W12. The outer casing section W14 is formed in two places: the part where the wires W16 of the main line section W1b are housed in a corrugated tube W141 as an outer casing material, and the part where the wires W16 of the intermediate line section W1c are housed in a corrugated tube W141. The fixing clip W15 is a component used to secure the wire harness W1 to a predetermined fixing point, and in the example shown in Figure 3, it is attached to two locations on the exterior W14.

[0015] The wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an apparatus that automatically manufactures the wire harness W1 described above, and includes an apparatus frame 11, a slide unit 12, a proximal end side holding unit 13, and a wire processing unit 14. Further, as parts that are appropriately retrofitted and installed on the apparatus frame 11, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a sub-harness supply cart 15, and an exterior installation plate 16 and a wire guide unit 17, which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

[0016] The apparatus frame 11 is a part that holds each part of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, and includes a bottom plate part 111, a ceiling plate part 112, and a support column part 113. The bottom plate part 111 and the ceiling plate part 112 are rectangular plate members having the same shape, and their corners are connected by four columnar support column parts 113.

[0017] The bottom plate part 111 uses its upper surface as a reference surface 111a in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, and is a part that is placed at a predetermined installation location so that the reference surface 111a extends along a horizontal plane. At the corners of this reference surface 111a, the lower ends of the support column parts 113 are connected, and two arm rails 111b are formed along the slide direction D11 along the long side of the rectangular reference surface 111a so that the two robot arms 141 described later perform linear movement. Each arm rail 111b is provided so that each robot arm 141 performs linear movement between the first end side 1a and the second end side 1b in the slide direction D11 in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1. And two such arm rails 111b are provided so that the two robot arms 141 perform linear movement parallel to each other in the arrangement direction D12 along the short side of the reference surface 111a.

[0018] The ceiling panel part 112 has its lower surface as the ceiling surface 112a where the slide parts 12 etc. are installed, and this ceiling surface 112a is placed at a predetermined ceiling height H11 from the reference surface 111a of the bottom plate part 111 and faces the reference surface 111a. At the corners of this ceiling surface 112a, the upper ends of the support columns 113 are connected. Along the long side of the rectangular ceiling surface 112a in the slide direction D11, a plurality of slide rails 112b are formed so that a plurality of slide parts 12 perform linear movement. Each slide rail 112b is provided so that each slide part 12 performs linear movement between the first end side 1a and the second end side 1b of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1. And a plurality of such slide rails 112b are provided so that a plurality of slide parts 12 are arranged parallel to each other in the arrangement direction D12 along the short side of the ceiling surface 112a and perform linear movement. Also, regarding the arrangement direction D12, the areas near a pair of side edges adjacent to the outside of the plurality of slide parts 12 serve as the standby locations 112c for a later-described processing mechanism 142 that the robot arm 141 selectively holds. Each standby location 112c is an area where three processing mechanisms 142 line up and standby in the slide direction D11.

[0019] As described above, the support columns 113 are four corner columns that connect the corner of the reference surface 111a in the bottom plate part 111 and the corner of the ceiling surface 112a in the ceiling panel part 112 in the vertical direction D13. The length of each support column 113 is such that the ceiling surface 112a is positioned above a predetermined ceiling height H11 from the reference surface 111a. This ceiling height H11 is the height at which the electric wire W1a does not come into contact with the reference surface 111a when the electric wire W1a hangs down at the maximum assumed length downward during the manufacturing of the wire harness W1 in this wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0020] The device frame 11, in which the bottom plate 111 and the top plate 112 are connected by four support columns 113, generally has a rectangular parallelepiped frame structure with open sides, and the wire harness W1 is manufactured on the ceiling surface 112a inside it. The manufacturing of the wire harness W1 here is carried out by wire processing, including holding the wire ends with the sliding part 12 and the base end holding part 13, and branching formation by the wire processing part 14.

[0021] Each slide section 12 is mounted on each of the multiple slide rails 112b on the ceiling surface 112a, rotatably mounted around a rotation axis 121. The slide sections 12 move linearly in the sliding direction D11, parallel to each other in the arrangement direction D12, between the first end 1a and the second end 1b on the slide rails 112b. Each slide section 12 holds one end connector W11 of the aforementioned sub-harness W1a in a manner that allows it to be opened toward the reference surface 111a. The slide section 12 holds at least one end of the electric wire W16, i.e., the same number of wires as are connected to the end connector W11, in a manner that allows it to be opened toward the reference surface 111a via the end connector W11.

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

[0023] In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, the front-end connectors W11 of each of the multiple sub-harnesses W1a are held by the sliding part 12, and the rear-end connectors W12 are held by the base-end holding part 13. Subsequently, the sliding part 12 holding the front-end connectors W11 moves to a position corresponding to the branching shape of the wire harness W1 to be formed, thereby stretching multiple wires W16 between the multiple base-end holding parts 13 and the multiple sliding parts 12. In this example in Figure 3, since the number of front-end connectors W11 and rear-end connectors W12 in the wire harness W1 are equal, the wires W16 are stretched between the equal number of base-end holding parts 13 and sliding parts 12. However, the wire harness to be formed is not limited to the example in Figure 3, and may, for example, have one rear-end connector and multiple front-end connectors. Alternatively, the wire harness may have multiple rear-end connectors and a different number of front-end connectors, either more or fewer than the number of rear-end connectors. In these cases, a plurality of sliding parts 12 and one or more base-end holding parts 13 are selected according to the number of front-end and rear-end connectors in the wire harness to be formed, and the ends of the electric wires W16 are held through each connector. Then, through the movement of the sliding parts 12, a plurality of electric wires W16 are stretched between one or more base-end holding parts 13 and the plurality of sliding parts 12. After that, the electric wire processing part 14 performs wire processing on the electric wires W16 stretched between the base-end holding parts 13 and the sliding parts 12.

[0024] The wire processing unit 14 is a mechanism that performs wire processing, including the process of selectively bundling multiple wires W16 stretched between the base end holding unit 13 and the slide units 12 to form a branch shape, as each slide unit 12 moves to a position corresponding to the branch shape. The wire processing unit 14 is also designed to avoid contact with the wires W16 even when the wires W16 hang down due to the position of the slide units 12. This wire processing unit 14 comprises two robot arms 141 and six processing mechanisms 142.

[0025] As described above, the robot arm 141 is a multi-joint robot mounted on an arm rail 111b provided on the reference surface 111a of the base plate 111, so as to move linearly in the sliding direction D11. At its tip, the robot arm 141 holds one processing mechanism 142 interchangeably with another processing mechanism 142 and transports it to the wire processing work area.

[0026] The processing mechanism 142 is detachably held by the robot arm 141 and transported to the work area for processing the electric wires. As described above, until the processing mechanism 142 is held by the robot arm 141, it waits in a waiting area 112c adjacent to the slide rail 112b, which is the movement route of the slide section 12, on the ceiling surface 112a. In this embodiment, the waiting areas 112c are provided in two locations near a pair of sides of the rectangular ceiling surface 112a, and three processing mechanisms 142 are installed in each waiting area 112c. The three processing mechanisms 142 in each waiting area 112c correspond one-to-one to three types of electric wire processing for the electric wire W16. Specifically, the first processing mechanism 142 is a mechanism for wrapping tape W131, the second processing mechanism 142 is a mechanism for attaching corrugated tube W141, and the third processing mechanism 142 is a mechanism for attaching fixing clip W15. The same type of processing mechanism 142 is installed between the two waiting areas 112c.

[0027] In the wire processing unit 14, two robot arms 141 correspond one-to-one with two standby locations 112c. Each robot arm 141 selectively holds one of three processing mechanisms 142 in its corresponding standby location 112c, depending on the processing to be performed. Then, it moves along the arm rail 111b to a position corresponding to the work location, transports the processing mechanism 142 to the work location, and performs the work. When performing a different task, it moves along the arm rail 111b to the standby location 112c to exchange the processing mechanism 142, transports the exchanged processing mechanism 142 to the corresponding work location, and performs the work. Furthermore, if the wire W16 is hanging down during the work, the robot arm 141 moves along the arm rail 111b to a position where it is not in contact with the wire W16, and performs the work while avoiding the wire W16.

[0028] Multiple sub-harnesses W1a are supplied to the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, which performs this type of work, using a sub-harness supply trolley 15.

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the sub-harness supply trolley shown in Figure 1, viewed from the direction of arrow V11 in Figure 1.

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

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

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

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

[0034] The rear end retaining ceiling plate 153 is a rectangular plate substantially similar to the front end retaining ceiling plate portion 152, and multiple rear end connector cups 153a are provided on its upper surface in a single row in the arrangement direction D12. The rear end retaining ceiling plate 153 and the front end retaining ceiling plate portion 152 are arranged parallel to each other with a gap between them to allow the electric wires W16 to hang downward when the connector is held. The electric wires W16 of the sub-harness W1a extending from the rear end connector cups 153a and the front end connector cups 152a hang downward toward the wheeled base plate portion 151 in a U-shape from the gap between the rear end retaining ceiling plate 153 and the front end retaining ceiling plate portion 152.

[0035] The bogie support columns 154 consist of eight columns that connect the corners of the rear end retaining ceiling plate 153 and the front end retaining ceiling plate 152 to the wheeled bottom plate 151. These eight bogie support columns 154 support the rear end retaining ceiling plate 153 and the front end retaining ceiling plate 152 so as to extend parallel to each other, with a gap between them to allow the electric wires W16 to pass through.

[0036] In this embodiment, when the front-end connector W11 and rear-end connector W12 are handed over from the sub-harness supply trolley 15, the slide portion 12 moves in the sliding direction D11 to the connector receiving position P12 on the first end side 1a. On the other hand, in the sub-harness supply trolley 15, the front-end connector cup 152a and the rear-end connector cup 153a are arranged as follows. That is, the front-end connector cup 152a is arranged on a plurality of slide portions 12 that are lined up in a row in the arrangement direction D12 at the connector receiving position P12, so that the front-end connector W11 faces one-to-one at the supply position P11. Similarly, the rear-end connector cup 153a is arranged on one or more base-end holding portions 13 that are lined up in a row in the arrangement direction D12 at the first end side 1a, so that the rear-end connector W12 faces one-to-one at the supply position P11. As a result, when the sub-harness supply trolley 15 is inserted to the supply position P11, the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 are positioned directly below the sliding part 12 and the base end holding part 13 on the ceiling plate 112, facing each other one-to-one.

[0037] After this, the sub-harness supply trolley 15 rises at the supply position P11 and presses the front-end connector W11 and rear-end connector W12 of the multiple sub-harnesses W1a against the corresponding sliding part 12 and base-end holding part 13, delivering them all at once. After the sub-harnesses W1a are supplied through this delivery, the sub-harness supply trolley 15 lowers and moves laterally away from the device frame 11.

[0038] Figure 5 schematically illustrates the state of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4, specifically the state when sub-harnesses are supplied from the sub-harness supply cart and the state when wire harnesses are discharged after the completion of the manufacturing process. Figure 5 shows both the supply and discharge states in a side view similar to Figure 4. Figure 5(a) shows the state when sub-harness W1a is supplied, and Figure 5(b) shows the state when wire harness W1 is discharged.

[0039] In the state in which the sub-harness W1a is supplied, the front connector W11 and the rear connector W12 are held by the slide portion 12 positioned at the connector receiving position P12 on the first end side 1a, and by the base end holding portion 13 fixedly installed on the first end side 1a. In this state, the electric wire W16 hangs downward in a U-shape, just as it was held in the sub-harness supply trolley 15. After this, the slide portion 12 moves to a position corresponding to the branch shape in the stretching direction D111, which is within the sliding direction D11 and extends the electric wire W16 away from the base end holding portion 13, so that the electric wire W16 is stretched between the base end holding portion 13 and the slide portion 12. The stretched electric wire W16 is then processed, and the wire harness W1 is manufactured by wrapping it with tape W131, attaching corrugated tube W141 and fixing clips W15.

[0040] When the wire harness W1 has been processed by the wire processing unit 14 and is being dispensed, the multiple slide parts 12 move in the folding direction D112 of the slide direction D111, approaching the base end holding part 13 and folding the wire W16. This movement in the folding direction D112 is performed so that the multiple slide parts 12 are aligned in a line along the arrangement direction D12 of the slide rail 112b at the dispensing position P13 of the first end side 1a. In this embodiment, this dispensing position P13 is the same position as the connector receiving position P12 when the sub-harness W1a is supplied. When all the slide parts 12 holding the tip end connector W11 have reached the dispensing position P13 and are aligned in a line, each slide part 12 releases the tip end connector W11 at this dispensing position P13. At this time, the base end holding part 13 also releases the rear end connector W12. With these connectors open, the wire harness W1, after being processed, falls downwards in the discharge direction D14 due to its own weight and is discharged.

[0041] Up to this point, the wire harness W1 shown in Figure 3 has been used as an example of a product manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1. However, the products manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 are not limited to this, and the following other examples can also be manufactured.

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

[0043] The wire harness W2 shown in Figure 6 is an alternative example and comprises multiple front-end connectors W11, multiple rear-end connectors W12, and multiple tape winding sections W13. This wire harness W2 is also composed of multiple sub-harnesses W2a, each with both ends of an electric wire W16 connected to the front-end connectors W11 and the rear-end connectors W12. In this embodiment, the electric wires W16, bundled in a branched shape by the tape winding sections W13, are housed in two outer covering members: a front-end protector W21 and a rear-end protector W22. Both the front-end protector W21 and the rear-end protector W22 are outer covering members that can house the electric wires W16 from the side, which is branched and intersecting the longitudinal direction, and consist of groove-shaped protector bodies W211 and W221 and protector covers W212 and W222. The electric wire W16 is housed inside the protector body W211, W221 through the groove opening with the protector covers W212, W222 removed, and then the protector covers W212, W222 are attached. In this embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 houses the electric wire W16 into the protector body W211, W221 using the exterior mounting plate 16 and the electric wire guide section 17, which are described below.

[0044] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the outer mounting plate used for housing the electric wires to the protector body shown in Figure 6, and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the electric wire guide used for housing the electric wires to the protector body together with the outer mounting plate shown in Figure 7. Note that in Figure 8, the sliding part 12 and the base end holding part 13 on the ceiling surface 112a are omitted for clarity.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7(a), in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, wire processing is performed on the ceiling surface 112a of the ceiling plate section 112 to form a branched shape on the electric wire W16 by forming a tape winding section W13. At this time, outside the apparatus frame 11, the protector bodies W211 and W221 are installed on the exterior mounting plate 16 shown in Figure 7(b). The exterior mounting plate 16 is a plate member that can be inserted and removed along the reference surface 111a to an insertion position P14 between a plurality of sliding sections 12 and one or more base end holding sections 13 and the reference surface 111a of the bottom plate section 111. On the upper surface of this exterior mounting plate 16, the protector bodies W211 and W221 are installed with the groove opening that accommodates the electric wire W16 facing upward. The installation of the protector bodies W211 and W221 onto the exterior mounting plate 16 is performed outside the device frame 11, as described above, by a worker or a work robot (not shown), while the wire processing of the electric wires W16 is being carried out on the ceiling surface 112a. The exterior mounting plate 16 with the protector bodies W211 and W221 installed is inserted into the insertion position P14 on the device frame 11. At this insertion position P14, the groove openings of the protector bodies W211 and W221 on the exterior mounting plate 16 face the electric wires W16, which have been processed into a branched shape. In this state, when the slide part 12 and the base end holding part 13 open the front end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12, the electric wires W16 are discharged downwards and fall toward the exterior mounting plate 16. At this time, the wire guide section 17 is used so that the wire W16 fits inside the groove opening of the protector body W211, W221.

[0046] The wire guide section 17 is detachably installed between the sliding section 12 and the base end holding section 13, which have moved to a position corresponding to the branching shape, and the outer mounting plate 16. It is a member that guides the wire W16, which falls when discharged, so that it fits into the protector body W211, W221. In this embodiment, the wire guide section 17 consists of a plurality of pairs of rod-shaped members as follows. Each wire guide section 17 connects the vicinity of the branching point of the wire W16 on the ceiling surface 112a where the sliding section 12 and the base end holding section 13 are provided, and the vicinity of the ends of the protector body W211, W221 on the outer mounting plate 16 in the vertical direction D13. One end of each wire guide section 17 is fixed to the ceiling surface 112a and the other end is fixed to the outer mounting plate 16. When the electric wire W16 is dispensed and falls, it is guided through the gaps between each pair of electric wire guide sections 17, maintaining its branched shape, into the groove openings of the protector bodies W211 and W221, and is housed inside. After that, the electric wire guide sections 17 are removed, and the outer mounting plate 16, along with the dispensed electric wire W16, is brought outside the device frame 11. Then, outside, the protector covers W212 and W222 are attached to the protector bodies W211 and W221, completing the wire harness W2 with the protector-equipped electric wire W16 as shown in Figure 6.

[0047] According to the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 of the embodiment described above, wire harnesses W1 and W2 can be automatically manufactured by stretching the electric wire W16 between the base end holding part 13 and the slide part 12 and performing wire processing including branch formation. At this time, the electric wire W16 in the process of being manufactured is held at both ends by the slide part 12 and the base end holding part 13, which are at a ceiling height H11 from the reference surface 111a. Depending on the position of the slide part 12, the electric wire W16 may become loose, but in that case, the electric wire W16 will hang down due to its own weight, so snagging of the electric wire W16 with the slide part 12 and the base end holding part 13 at a ceiling height H11 is suppressed. In addition, since the wire processing part 14 that performs wire processing on the electric wire W16 is provided so as not to come into contact with the hanging electric wire W16, snagging of the electric wire W16 with the wire processing part 14 is also suppressed. Thus, according to the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, wire harnesses W1 and W2 can be automatically manufactured while suppressing snagging of the electric wire W16 during the manufacturing process.

[0048] In this embodiment, the sub-harness W1a is supplied between the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13. The slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 hold both ends of the electric wire W16 via the front end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 of the sub-harness W1a. With this configuration, the electric wire W16 is supplied between the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 in the form of the sub-harness W1a, and the front end connector W11 and the rear end connector W12 are delivered from below, on the reference plane 111a side. As a result, even when supplying the sub-harness W1a as a preliminary step to harness manufacturing, the electric wire W16 is supplied with the wire hanging downwards, so that snagging on the slide portion 12, the base end holding portion 13, and the electric wire processing portion 14 is suppressed.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is equipped with a sub-harness supply trolley 15 that can hold multiple sub-harnesses W1a and be inserted into and removed from the supply position P11, and which is inserted into the supply position P11 to supply multiple sub-harnesses W1a. With this configuration, by having the sub-harness supply trolley 15 hold multiple sub-harnesses W1a and inserting it into the supply position P11, the supply can be performed more efficiently than, for example, supplying the multiple sub-harnesses W1a individually.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the slide portion 12 moves to the connector receiving position P12 on the first end side 1a when receiving the front-end connector W11 from the sub-harness supply trolley 15. At this time, the slide portions 12 are aligned in a line in the arrangement direction D12 at the connector receiving position P12, and the base-end holding portions 13 are aligned in a line in the arrangement direction D12 at the first end side 1a. The sub-harness supply trolley 15 detachably holds the front-end connector W11 and the rear-end connector W12 in an aligned state such that they face each other one-to-one when inserted into the supply position P11. With this configuration, the front-end connector W11 and the rear-end connector W12 held as the supply target by the sub-harness supply trolley 15 are aligned one-to-one with the slide portion 12 and base-end holding portion 13 at the supply destination, making the handover easy.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sub-harness supply trolley 15 rises when inserted into the supply position P11. This rise causes the sub-harness supply trolley 15 to press the front-end connector W11 and the rear-end connector W12 against the sliding portion 12 of the connector receiving position P12 and the base-end holding portion 13 of the first end 1a, and deliver them together. With this configuration, since the front-end connector W11 and the rear-end connector W12 are delivered together by the rise of the sub-harness supply trolley 15, the work time related to supplying the sub-harness W1a can be significantly reduced.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13 release one end and the other end of the wire W16 that has been processed in the wire processing portion 14, allowing it to fall and discharge the wire W16 toward the reference surface 111a. With this configuration, the discharge of the wire W1a that has been processed in the wire processing portion 14 is performed only by releasing the ends in the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13, eliminating the need to install special discharge jigs, etc. As a result, the working time and equipment costs related to the discharge of processed wire W16 can be reduced.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after processing in the wire processing unit 14, the slide portion 12 moves to align in a line in the arrangement direction D12 at the dispensing position P13 of the first end side 1a, and at this dispensing position P13, one end of the electric wire W1a is released. With this configuration, prior to dispensing, the slide portion 12 approaches the base end holding portion 13 of the first end side 1a and aligns in a line at the dispensing position P13. As a result, the electric wire W16 to be dispensed is folded and hangs down with the front end connector W11 aligned together with the rear end connector W12. This hanging of the electric wire W16 allows for dispensing the electric wire W16 while suppressing snagging of the electric wire W16 with structures on the ceiling surface 112a such as the slide portion 12 and the base end holding portion 13.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is equipped with an outer mounting plate 16 and a wire guide section 17. The outer mounting plate 16 is a component on its upper surface into which the protector bodies W211 and W221, which constitute the front-end protector W21 and rear-end protector W22 as outer components, are inserted into the insertion position P14 with the wire W16 receiving side facing upward. The wire guide section 17 is a component that guides the wire W16 that falls due to dispensing so that it fits into the protector bodies W211 and W221. With this configuration, the attachment of the protector bodies W211 and W221 to the wire W16 is performed by installing the protector bodies W211 and W221 on the upper surface of the outer mounting plate 16, inserting the outer mounting plate 16, and guiding the falling wire by the wire guide section 17. Of these processes, the one performed by a worker or robotic arm is the installation of the protector bodies W211 and W221 onto the upper surface of the exterior mounting plate 16. This process is far more efficient than directly attaching the protector bodies W211 and W221 to the electric wires W16 stretched at a predetermined height. After that, the exterior mounting plate 16 with the protector bodies W211 and W221 installed is inserted, and the electric wires W16 are pulled out by dropping. During this pulling out process, the electric wire guide section 17 guides the electric wires W16 into the inside of the protector bodies W211 and W221. Thus, with the above configuration, the work performed by a worker or robotic arm is kept to the bare minimum necessary, namely the installation of the protector bodies W211 and W221 onto the upper surface of the exterior mounting plate 16, while improving work efficiency.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire processing unit 14 includes a robot arm 141 and a processing mechanism 142. The robot arm 141 is positioned so as not to come into contact with the wire W16 even when the wire is hanging down. The processing mechanism 142 is detachably held by the robot arm 141 and is transported to the wire processing work area to process the wire. Until it is held by the robot arm 141, the processing mechanism 142 waits in a waiting area 112c adjacent to the movement route of the slide unit 12 on the ceiling surface 112a at a ceiling height of H11. With this configuration, the robot arm 141 is positioned so as not to come into contact with the wire W16, and the processing mechanism 142 waits in the waiting area 112c at a ceiling height of H11 before being held by the robot arm W141. As a result, both the robot arm 141 and the processing mechanism 142 can effectively prevent the wire W16 from getting caught when it is hanging down.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple types of processing mechanisms 142, each responsible for a different processing task, are stationed in the waiting area 112c. The robot arm 141 selectively holds one of these multiple types of processing mechanisms 142 according to the processing task to be performed. With this configuration, by providing multiple types of processing mechanisms 142 in the waiting area 112c at a ceiling height H11, it is possible to effectively suppress snagging of the electrical wires W16 while accommodating various electrical wire processing tasks.

[0057] It should be noted that the embodiments described above are merely representative forms of wire harness manufacturing apparatus. Wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to these and can be implemented in various modified forms.

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

[0059] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, wire harnesses W1 and W2, schematically shown in Figures 3 and 6, are given as examples of wire harnesses to be manufactured. However, the wire harness is not limited to these, and any harness with a branched shape is acceptable, regardless of the specific number of branches, the presence or type of outer covering material, etc.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is exemplified as an example of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus in which a sub-harness W1a is supplied between a slide portion 12 and a base-end holding portion 13. In this example, the slide portion 12 and the base-end holding portion 13 hold both ends of the electric wire W16 via the front-end connector W11 and the rear-end connector W12 of the sub-harness W1a. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this, and it may also be the case that an electric wire drawn from an electric wire reel is supplied between the slide portion and the base-end holding portion instead of a sub-harness, and the slide portion and the base-end holding portion directly hold the ends of the electric wire. In this case, a separate mechanism may be provided to connect the ends of the electric wire held by each portion to the connectors of the wire harness. However, as described above, supplying the electric wire via the front-end connector W11 and the rear-end connector W12 of the sub-harness W1a makes it possible to suppress snagging of the electric wire W16 even at the supply stage before harness manufacturing.

[0061] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is exemplified as an example of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus, which includes a sub-harness supply trolley 15 that holds and supplies a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus may, for example, be one in which a plurality of sub-harnesses are supplied individually, for example, by the manual operation of an operator or by a robotic arm. However, as described above, using the sub-harness supply trolley 15 allows for the efficient supply of a plurality of sub-harnesses W1a.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is provided in which, when receiving the tip-side connector W11, the slide part 12 moves to the connector receiving position P12 and is lined up in a row with the base-side holding part 13. In this wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, the sub-harness supply trolley 15 detachably holds the tip-side connector W11 and the rear-side connector W12 in an aligned state so that they face the slide part 12 and the base-side holding part 13 one-to-one at the supply position P11. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this. In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus, for example, the arrangement of the slide part and the base-side holding part may not particularly correspond to the arrangement of the connectors on the sub-harness supply trolley at the supply position. However, as described above, by arranging these arrangements one-to-one, the transfer of the tip-side connector W11 and the rear-side connector W12 from the sub-harness supply trolley 15 to the slide part 12 and the base-side holding part 13 can be easily facilitated.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a sub-harness supply trolley, a sub-harness supply trolley 15 is provided which rises when inserted into the supply position P11, and presses the front-end connector W11 and the rear-end connector W12 against the recipient to deliver them together. However, the sub-harness supply trolley is not limited to this, and the supply of connectors after insertion into the supply position P11 may be performed individually by a worker or a robotic arm. However, as described above, the configuration in which the sub-harness supply trolley 15 rises and presses the connectors to deliver them together significantly reduces the working time related to the supply of the sub-harness W1a.

[0064] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is exemplified as an example of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus that dispenses the wire W16 by dropping the wire due to the opening of the connector at the slide section 12 and the base end holding section 13. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this, and may dispense the wire using some kind of dispensing jig. However, as mentioned above, the configuration in which the wire W16 is dispensed by dropping the wire due to the opening of the connector can reduce the working time and equipment costs related to the dispensing of the processed wire W16.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 is exemplified as an example of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus in which the slide part 12 moves to the discharge position P13 after processing in the wire processing section 14 to release the wire W16. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this, and for example, the slide part may release the wire W16 without moving from the position at the end of wire processing. However, as described above, by having the slide part 12 move to the discharge position P13 and releasing the wire W16 while it is hanging down, the discharge of the wire W16 can be carried out while suppressing snagging of the wire W16 with the structure of the ceiling surface 112a.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 equipped with an outer mounting plate 16 and a wire guide section 17 is exemplified as an example of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus. However, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus is not limited to this, and the outer components may be directly attached to wires stretched at a predetermined height by manual work by an operator or a robotic arm. However, as mentioned above, by providing the outer mounting plate 16 and the wire guide section 17, the workability can be improved while minimizing the work by operators or robotic arms. In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a front-end protector W21 and a rear-end protector W22 equipped with protector bodies W211, W221 and protector covers W212, W222 are exemplified as an example of an outer component. However, the outer component is not limited to this, and any specific component form is not restricted as long as it is a cylindrical component capable of housing the wires inside from the side intersecting the longitudinal direction. Examples of such exterior components include corrugated tubes and twisted tubes, which allow for the accommodation of electrical wires through slits on their circumferential surface.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of a wire processing unit, a wire processing unit 14 is provided, which includes a robot arm 141 that does not come into contact with the hanging wire W16, and a processing mechanism 142 that waits in a waiting area 112c until it is held by the robot arm 141. However, the wire processing unit is not limited to this, and any device that is provided to avoid contact with the wire may be, for example, a robot arm with an integrated processing mechanism, and the specific mechanism configuration is not limited. However, as mentioned above, the wire processing unit 14, which includes a robot arm 141 and a processing mechanism 142, can effectively prevent the wire W16 from getting caught when it is hanging downwards.

[0068] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, examples of processing mechanisms and robot arms include multiple types of processing mechanisms 142 waiting in the waiting area 112c, and a robot arm 141 that selectively holds one processing mechanism 142 according to the processing content. However, the processing mechanisms and robot arm are not limited to these, and it is also possible for only one processing mechanism to be waiting in the waiting area, with the robot arm holding that one processing mechanism. However, as described above, the configuration in which the robot arm 141 selectively holds one of the multiple types of processing mechanisms 142 in the waiting area 112c allows for various types of wire processing while effectively suppressing snagging of the wire W16. [Explanation of symbols]

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

Claims

1. A device frame having a bottom plate portion, wherein the upper surface of the bottom plate portion is a reference plane extending along a horizontal plane, A plurality of sliding parts are provided so as to be positioned at a predetermined height from the reference plane, each holding at least one end of a wire constituting a branched wire harness toward the reference plane, and moving linearly in a direction parallel to each other in the arrangement direction along the reference plane in the sliding direction between the first end and the second end, A base end holding portion is provided, arranged in the arrangement direction, one or more of them, so as to be immovable at least in the sliding direction, on the first end side which is the base end side of the linear movement at the predetermined height, and so as to be immovable at least in the sliding direction, and so as to be held by at least one of the other ends of the electric wire toward the reference plane, A wire processing mechanism in which a plurality of sliding parts, each holding one end of the electric wire, move between the first end and the second end to a position corresponding to the branch shape, thereby selectively bundling the electric wires to form the branch shape for a plurality of electric wires stretched between one or more base end holding parts and the plurality of sliding parts, wherein even when the electric wire hangs down due to the position of the sliding parts, at least a part of the mechanism moves to a position where it does not come into contact with the electric wire, so that the entire mechanism does not come into contact with the electric wire, A wire harness manufacturing apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. The wire harness is composed of multiple sub-harnesses, each consisting of one or more electric wires and two or more connectors to which both ends of the electric wires are connected. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the sub-harness is supplied between the slide portion and the base end holding portion by being passed from below, with the connector on the reference surface side, to the slide portion and the base end holding portion, and the slide portion and the base end holding portion hold both ends of the electric wire via the connector.

3. A wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a trolley that holds a plurality of sub-harnesses and can be moved in and out along the reference surface to a supply position between a plurality of slide parts and one or more base end holding parts and the reference surface, the trolley further comprising a sub-harness supply trolley that is inserted into the supply position to supply a plurality of sub-harnesses.

4. The sliding portion moves to the connector receiving position on the first end when receiving the connector from the sub-harness supply trolley. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the sub-harness supply trolley detachably holds the connectors of a plurality of sub-harnesses in a state where they face one-to-one in relation to one or more base-end holding portions arranged in the arrangement direction at the first end and a plurality of slide portions arranged in the arrangement direction at the connector receiving position when the trolley is inserted into the supply position.

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

6. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding portion and the base end holding portion each hold one end and the other end of the electric wire in a releaseable manner, and the electric wire is discharged toward the reference surface by releasing and dropping one end and the other end of the electric wire that has been processed in the electric wire processing section.

7. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, after processing in the wire processing unit, the plurality of slide parts move to align in a line in the arrangement direction at the first end discharge position, and one end of the wire is released at the discharge position.

8. The wire harness is such that the wires, which have undergone processing in the wire processing unit, are housed in an outer casing member that is cylindrical and capable of housing the wires inward from the side intersecting the longitudinal direction. A plate member that can be inserted and removed along the reference surface to an insertion position between a plurality of slide portions and one or more base end holding portions and the reference surface, wherein the upper surface of the plate member is an exterior mounting plate into which the exterior member is inserted to the insertion position with the side housing the electric wire facing upward, A wire guide portion is detachably installed between the sliding portion and the base end holding portion, which have moved to a position corresponding to the branch shape, and the exterior mounting plate, and guides the wire that falls due to discharge so that it fits into the exterior member. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising the following:

9. The aforementioned wire processing unit, When the aforementioned electric wire hangs down, the mechanism includes a robotic arm that moves to a position where it is not in contact with the electric wire, The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a processing mechanism that is detachably held on the robot arm and transported to the wire processing work area to perform the wire processing, wherein the processing mechanism waits at a predetermined height in a waiting area adjacent to the movement route of the slide part until it is held on the robot arm.

10. Multiple types of processing mechanisms, each responsible for a different type of processing, are stationed at the aforementioned waiting location. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the robot arm selectively holds one of the processing mechanisms from among a plurality of types of processing mechanisms according to the processing content to be performed.

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