Electrical wire transport device

Abstract

Provided is an electrical wire transport device capable of transporting an electrical wire with an exterior covering without bending the exterior covering. An electrical wire transport device (1) has a transport mechanism (14) that holds and transports a one-end-side connector gripping part (11) and an exterior covering gripping part (13). The electrical wire transport device (1) is characterized in that the exterior covering gripping part (13) is provided with a pressing part (134) that, when an electrical wire (W11) is placed in a bent state with the one-end-side connector gripping part (11) gripping a one-end-side connector (W15) and the exterior covering gripping part (13) gripping a corrugated tube (W12) (exterior covering), linearly extends the corrugated tube (W12) (exterior covering) by being pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the corrugated tube (W12) (exterior covering) on the inside of the bend.

Description

Wire carrier device

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire transport device for transporting wires.

[0002] Conventionally, wire harnesses have been widely used, in which electric wires are passed through a tubular exterior material and a connector is connected to the end of the wire harness. In such cases, for further protection, a protector made of hard resin and formed into a tubular shape that conforms to the routing shape of the wire harness and that houses the electric wires inside may be attached (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-080385

[0004] In recent years, automation of wire harness manufacturing operations has been progressing. In manufacturing a wire harness with a protector such as that described in Patent Document 1, the protector may be divided into a trough-shaped portion and a cover portion, and the wires for the harness may first be placed in the trough-shaped portion, and then the cover portion may be attached. To automate such operations, a wire conveying device having a conveying mechanism such as a robot arm may be used to convey the wires with the sheathing material and place them in the trough-shaped portion of the protector set on a jig plate. Here, the end portion of the sheathing material may be placed in the trough-shaped portion of the protector together with the wires. However, if the sheathing material is bent during conveyance, it may be difficult to place it in the trough-shaped portion, which hinders automation.

[0005] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric wire transport device that can transport an electric wire with an outer sheathing without bending the outer sheathing.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the electric wire transport device includes a one-end connector gripping portion that grips a one-end connector of an electric wire in order to transport an electric wire that is passed through a tubular outer material and has a connector connected to at least one end thereof; an outer material gripping portion that is brought close to the outer material in an approach direction approaching a peripheral wall of the outer material and grips the outer material in an outer material gripping direction that intersects with the approach direction and follows the diameter of the peripheral wall; and a mechanical portion that holds and transports the one-end connector gripping portion and the outer material gripping portion, wherein the holding position of the one-end connector gripping portion is separated from the holding position of the outer material gripping portion in a separation direction that intersects with both the approach direction and the outer material gripping direction. and a conveying mechanism that is disposed behind the one-end connector and is positioned rearward in the approaching direction, and that, when the one-end connector gripping portion grips the one-end connector and the external material gripping portion grips the external material, causes the electric wire to be bent rearward in the approaching direction from the external material to the one-end connector, wherein the external material gripping portion comprises an external material gripping main body that grips the external material with a pair of gripping pieces, and a pressing portion that is erected on the external material gripping main body at a position between the pair of gripping pieces on the base side of the pair of gripping pieces and protrudes in the separating direction, and that is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall on the inside of the bend when the electric wire is in the bent state, thereby linearly extending the external material in the separating direction.

[0007] According to the above-described electric wire transport device, an electric wire with an outer sheathing material can be transported without bending the outer sheathing material.

[0008] 1 is a perspective view showing an electric wire conveying device according to an embodiment;

[0023] FIG. 1 is a side view of the electric wire conveying device shown in FIG. 1, seen from the direction of arrow V11 in FIG. 1;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a view showing how the conveying mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 conveys a one-end connector gripping portion and an external jacket material gripping portion, causing each gripping portion to grip each gripping object;

[0025] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an external jacket material gripping portion shown in FIGS. 1 to 3;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a top view of a portion near a pair of gripping pieces in the external jacket material gripping portion shown in FIG. 4, seen from the direction of arrow V12 and a front view seen from the direction of arrow V13, together with the corrugated tube to be gripped;

[0027] FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the one-end connector and the corrugated tube are gripped when the distance between the one-end connector and the corrugated tube of the electric wire is a predetermined first distance;

[0028] FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which the one-end connector and the corrugated tube are gripped when the distance between the one-end connector and the corrugated tube of the electric wire is a second distance shorter than the first distance shown in FIG.

[0009] An embodiment of the wire transport device will be described below.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an electric wire transport device according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view of the electric wire transport device shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the direction of arrow V11 in Fig. 1.

[0011] The wire transport device 1 of this embodiment is a device for transporting an electric wire W11, which is passed through a corrugated tube W12 serving as a tubular exterior material and has connectors connected to both ends, in order to manufacture a wire harness W1 with a protector W13. The wire transport device 1 transports the electric wire W11 so that the end of the corrugated tube W12, together with the electric wire W11, is placed in a trough-shaped portion W131 of a protector W13, from which a cover portion W132 has been removed and which is placed on a jig plate W14. The wire transport device 1 includes a one-end connector gripping portion 11, an other-end connector gripping portion 12, an exterior material gripping portion 13, and a transport mechanism 14. In FIG. 2 , the other-end connector gripping portion 12 and the exterior material gripping portion 13 are arranged side by side in the direction of arrow V11, and the other-end connector gripping portion 12 is removed to expose the rear exterior material gripping portion 13.

[0012] The one-end connector gripping portion 11 is a mechanism that grips the one-end connector W15 of the electric wire W11 for transporting the electric wire W11. The one-end connector W15 has a rectangular block-like appearance, and the one-end connector gripping portion 11 grips the one-end connector W15 with two pairs of gripping pieces 111 in a one-end gripping direction D11 along the width of the one-end connector W15.

[0013] The other-end connector gripping portion 12 is a mechanism that grips the other-end connector W16, which is different from the one-end connector W15, for transporting the electric wire W11. The other-end connector W16 has a rectangular block-like appearance, and the other-end connector gripping portion 12 grips the other-end connector W16 with two pairs of gripping pieces 121 in an other-end gripping direction D12 along the width of the other-end connector W16.

[0014] The outer casing material gripping portion 13 is a mechanical part that grips the corrugated tube W12 for transporting the electric wire W11. The outer casing material gripping portion 13 grips the corrugated tube W12 with a pair of gripping pieces 131 in an outer casing gripping direction D13 along the diameter of the peripheral wall W121.

[0015] The transport mechanism 14 is a mechanical part that holds and transports the one-end connector gripping portion 11, the other-end connector gripping portion 12, and the exterior material gripping portion 13, and is an articulated robot arm. The one-end connector gripping portion 11, the other-end connector gripping portion 12, and the exterior material gripping portion 13 are held by a tip movable portion 141 of the transport mechanism 14 in the following positional relationship.

[0016] The tip movable portion 141 of the conveying mechanism 14 includes a first holding plate 141a that holds the other-end connector gripping portion 12 and the external packaging material gripping portion 13, and a second holding plate 141b that holds the one-end connector gripping portion 11. The first holding plate 141a holds the other-end connector gripping portion 12 so that the other-end gripping direction D12 and the external packaging material gripping direction D13 are the same and the other-end connector gripping portion 12 is aligned next to the external packaging material gripping portion 13 in an arrangement direction D14 along the other-end gripping direction D12 and the external packaging material gripping direction D13. The first holding plate 141a is a rectangular plate that extends in the arrangement direction D14 to enable such holding. When the external packaging material gripping portion 13 or the other-end connector gripping portion 12 grips an object, the conveying mechanism 14 moves the first holding plate 141a in an approach direction D15 so as to face the object and approach the object. As a result, the outer casing gripping portion 13 approaches the corrugated tube W12 in an approach direction D15 that approaches the peripheral wall W121 of the corrugated tube W12. Then, when it has approached sufficiently, the outer casing gripping portion 13 grips the corrugated tube W12 in an outer casing gripping direction D13 that intersects with the approach direction D15 and follows the diameter of the peripheral wall W121. Similarly, the other-end connector gripping portion 12 grips the other-end connector W16 in an other-end gripping direction D12 that intersects with the approach direction D15 and follows the width of the other-end connector W16.

[0017] The second holding plate 141b of the tip movable part 141 of the conveying mechanism 14 holds the one-end connector gripping part 11 so that the holding position P11 of the one-end connector gripping part 11 has the following positional relationship with the holding position P13 of the outer casing material gripping part 13. That is, the holding position P11 of the one-end connector gripping part 11 on the second holding plate 141b is separated from the holding position P13 of the outer casing material gripping part 13 on the first holding plate 141a in the separation direction D16 that intersects both the approach direction D15 and the outer casing gripping direction D13. Furthermore, the holding position P11 of the one-end connector gripping part 11 is located rearward of the holding position P13 of the outer casing material gripping part 13 in the approach direction D15. To achieve this holding, the second holding plate 141b is a rectangular plate that extends in an inclined manner from the holding side of the exterior material gripping portion 13 of the first holding plate 141a toward the rear in the separating direction D16 and the approaching direction D15. The one-end connector gripping portion 11 is held at a holding position P11 on the extending end side of this second holding plate 141b. In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ11 of the second holding plate 141b is approximately 45° toward the rear in the separating direction D16 and the approaching direction D15 with respect to the first holding plate 141a. The first holding plate 141a and the second holding plate 141b are integrally molded together with a connecting block 141c that connects them to form the tip movable portion 141.

[0018] The conveying mechanism 14 holds the one-end connector gripping portion 11, the other-end connector gripping portion 12, and the outer casing material gripping portion 13 with the tip movable portion 141 described above, and conveys them as follows to have each gripping portion grip each gripping object.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the conveying mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 conveys the one-end connector gripping portion and the exterior material gripping portion, causing each gripping portion to grip each gripping object.

[0020] 3, in this embodiment, the electric wire W11 with the corrugated tube W12 is held by the electric wire holding mechanism 2 in a state in which it is linearly extended in the vertical direction D17 along the force of gravity. The electric wire W11 is held linearly with the one-end connector W15 on top and the other-end connector W16, which is not shown in FIG. 3, on the bottom, and the corrugated tube W12 attached to a midpoint of the electric wire W11 is also held together with the upper and lower connectors. The electric wire W11 held in this manner is gripped at various points in the following order: first, the one-end connector W15 is gripped by the one-end connector gripping portion 11 (step S11), and then the corrugated tube W12 is gripped by the outer jacket material gripping portion 13 (step S12).

[0021] In step S11, the transport mechanism 14 moves the tip movable portion 141 so that the second holding plate 141b faces the one-end connector W15 to be gripped. Then, the one-end connector gripping portion 11 moves in the approach direction D15 to a gripping position for the one-end connector W15. When the one-end connector gripping portion 11 reaches the gripping position, it moves the two pairs of gripping pieces 111 to grip the one-end connector W15.

[0022] In step S12, the conveying mechanism 14 rotates the tip movable part 141 in a rotation direction D18 toward the rear side of the approaching direction D15 to remove the one-end connector W15 from the wire holding mechanism 2 and orients the outer casing gripping part 13 along the approaching direction D15. The tip movable part 141 rotates by approximately 45° in accordance with the inclination angle θ11 of the second holding plate 141b. Along with this rotation, the conveying mechanism 14 moves the tip movable part 141 in the vertical direction D17 to position the outer casing gripping part 13 optimally for gripping the corrugated tube W12 in the vertical direction D17. The conveying mechanism 14 then moves the tip movable part 141 in the approaching direction D15 to a gripping position for the corrugated tube W12. When the outer casing gripping part 13 reaches the gripping position, it moves the pair of gripping pieces 131 to grip the corrugated tube W12.

[0023] After step S12, the conveying mechanism 14 lowers the tip movable part 141 rearward in the approach direction D15, and the corrugated tube W12 is removed from the wire holding mechanism 2. Furthermore, the tip movable part 141 is lowered in the up-down direction D17 to a position where the first holding plate 141a faces the other-end connector W16, and at that position, the other-end connector holding part 12 grips the other-end connector W16 (not shown). After the other-end connector W16 is gripped and removed from the wire holding mechanism 2, the wire conveying device 1 holds the wire W11 in a U-shaped bent state as shown in FIG. 1 and conveys it to the jig plate W14.

[0024] At this time, due to the above-described positional relationship between the holding position P11 of the one-end connector holding portion 11 and the holding position P13 of the outer jacket material holding portion 13, the electric wire W11 held by these two holding portions is in the following state. That is, at this time (step S12), the electric wire W11 is in a bent state in which the area from the corrugated tube W12 to the one-end connector W15 is bent rearward in the approach direction D15. As the electric wire W11 is in a bent state, a bending force is also applied to the corrugated tube W12, similar to that applied to the electric wire W11. As described above, in this embodiment, the corrugated tube W12 is carried by the electric wire transport device 1 to the gutter-shaped portion W131 of the protector W13 set on the jig plate W14, and its end is placed in the gutter-shaped portion W131 together with the electric wire W11. At this time, if the corrugated tube W12 is bent during transport, it may be difficult to accommodate it in the gutter-shaped portion W131, which will be an obstacle to automating the manufacturing process of the wire harness W1. In order to eliminate such obstacles and advance automation, in this embodiment, the corrugated tube W12 is stretched into a straight line by the following configuration in the outer jacket material gripping portion 13.

[0025] Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the external packaging material gripping portion shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top view of the area near a pair of gripping pieces in the external packaging material gripping portion shown in Fig. 4, together with the corrugated tube to be gripped, as seen from the direction of arrow V12 in Fig. 4, and as a front view as seen from the direction of arrow V13.

[0026] The exterior material gripping unit 13 includes a pair of gripping pieces 131, a gripping piece drive unit 132, a conveying connection unit 133, a pressing unit 134, an approach direction insertion plate 135, and a pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136. Of these, the pair of gripping pieces 131, the gripping piece drive unit 132, and the conveying connection unit 133 constitute an exterior material gripping main body unit 137 that grips the corrugated tube W12 with the pair of gripping pieces 131.

[0027] The pair of gripping pieces 131 are a pair of arm portions that grip the corrugated tube W12 in a sheath gripping direction D13 that intersects with the approach direction D15 to the corrugated tube W12 and follows the diameter of the peripheral wall W121. Each gripping piece 131 has a bent shape that is recessed toward the rear side in the sheath gripping direction D13 at its midpoint, and grips the corrugated tube W12 so that it fits into this recess. The gripping piece drive unit 132 is a drive mechanism that holds the pair of gripping pieces 131 and moves the pair of gripping pieces 131 in the sheath gripping direction D13 to grip the corrugated tube W12. The conveying connection unit 133 is a rectangular block-shaped portion that connects the gripping piece drive unit 132 to a first holding plate 141 a of the tip movable unit 141 of the conveying mechanism 14.

[0028] The pressing portion 134 plays a role in straightening the corrugated tube W12 when the electric wire W11 is bent in the external material gripping portion 13. The pressing portion 134 is erected on the external material gripping main body 137 at a position between the pair of gripping pieces 131 on the base side of the pair of gripping pieces 131 so as to protrude in a separating direction D16 that intersects both the approaching direction D15 and the external material gripping direction D13. When the electric wire W11 is bent as described above, the pressing portion 134 presses against the outer circumferential surface W121a of the peripheral wall W121 of the corrugated tube W12 on the inside of the bend, thereby straightening the corrugated tube W12 in the separating direction D16. The pressing portion 134 is an L-shaped metal piece, and the portion that contacts the horizontal bar of the L is fixed to the external material gripping main body 137 with a screw via an approaching direction insertion plate 135. The portion of the pressing portion 134 that comes into contact with the vertical bar of the L-shape is a rib-like portion that intersects with the approaching direction D15 and extends in the separating direction D16. An outer wall surface 134a of this rib-like portion on the front side in the approaching direction D15 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12.

[0029] The approach direction insertion plate 135 is a plate portion fixed to the gripping piece drive unit 132 so as to protrude in a rectangular plate shape forward in the approach direction D15 from the base side of the pair of gripping pieces 131. The corrugated tube W12 is a bellows-shaped member having peaks W121b and valleys W121c on its outer circumferential surface W121a that are continuous in the axial direction D19. When the pair of gripping pieces 131 grip the corrugated tube W12, the front edge 135a of the approach direction insertion plate 135 in the approach direction D15 is inserted into the valleys W121c on the outer circumferential surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12 in the approach direction D15. This insertion of the edge 135a of the approach direction insertion plate 135 prevents the corrugated tube W12 from shifting in the axial direction D19. In addition, the edge portion 135a of the approach direction insertion plate 135 extends in a straight line intersecting the approach direction D15 and has a tapered shape in which the plate thickness gradually decreases toward the front side of the approach direction D15, and this tapered shape allows the plate to be guided into the valley portion W121c and inserted.

[0030] The pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136 are plate portions fixed to the pair of gripping pieces 131 so as to protrude forward from each of the pair of gripping pieces 131 in the outer casing gripping direction D13. When the pair of gripping pieces 131 grip the corrugated tube W12, the front edge portions 136a in the outer casing gripping direction D13 are inserted into the valley portions W121c on the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12 in the outer casing gripping direction D13. In this embodiment, the insertion of the edge portions 136a of the pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136 also prevents the corrugated tube W12 from shifting in the axial direction D19. Furthermore, the edge portions 136a of each gripping direction insertion plate 136 extend in a bent shape that intersects the outer casing gripping direction D13 and is recessed partway toward the rear side in the outer casing gripping direction D13. Furthermore, each edge 136a has a tapered shape in which the thickness gradually decreases toward the front side in the outer casing gripping direction D13. When the pair of gripping pieces 131 grip the corrugated tube W12, the corrugated tube W12 is accommodated in a recess formed midway in the edge 136a of the pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136, and the edge 136a is guided by the tapered shape into the valley W121c and inserted.

[0031] According to the electric wire transport device 1 described above, the electric wire W11 with the corrugated tube W12 is transported in a state in which the one-end connector W15 is gripped by the one-end connector gripping portion 11 and the corrugated tube W12 is gripped by the outer jacket material gripping portion 13. Then, depending on the positional relationship between the holding position P11 of the one-end connector gripping portion 11 and the holding position P13 of the outer jacket material gripping portion 13, the electric wire W11 is bent rearward in the approach direction D15 from the corrugated tube W12 to the one-end connector W15. At this time, the pressing portion 134 provided on the outer jacket material gripping portion 13 presses against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12 on the inside of the bend. This pressing causes the corrugated tube W12 to be stretched linearly, and the electric wire W11 is transported in a state in which the corrugated tube W12 is stretched linearly. In the automated manufacturing process of the wire harness W1, the end of the corrugated tube W12, which is transported in this straight stretched state, is placed in the gutter-shaped portion W131 of the protector W13 on the jig plate W14.

[0032] For example, there may be cases where the distance between the one-end connector W15 and the corrugated tube W12 corresponds to a plurality of product numbers that are different from one another. In such cases, the gripping positions of the one-end connector W15 and the corrugated tube W12 for appropriately bending the electric wire W11 and straightening the corrugated tube W12 are positions that correspond to the distance for each product number.

[0033] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the one-end connector and the corrugated tube of the electric wire are gripped when the distance between them is a predetermined first distance, and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the one-end connector and the corrugated tube of the electric wire are gripped when the distance between them is a second distance that is shorter than the first distance shown in Fig. 6 .

[0034] In the electric wire conveying device 1 of this embodiment, when the first distance L1 shown in Fig. 6 is set, there is a sufficient length of the electric wire W11 between the gripping positions of the one-end connector W15 and the corrugated tube W12. In this case, when the one-end connector gripping portion 11 grips the one-end connector W15 and the outer jacket material gripping portion 13 grips the corrugated tube W12, and the electric wire W11 is bent rearward in the approach direction D15, the electric wire W11 is bent between the gripping positions. In contrast, when the short second distance L2 shown in Fig. 7 is set, there is less sufficient length of the electric wire W11 between the gripping positions of the one-end connector W15 and the corrugated tube W12 if the gripping positions of the one-end connector W15 and the corrugated tube W12 are the same as in Fig. 6. Because the corrugated tube W12 is linearly stretched by the pressing portion 134, the electric wire W11 is bent at the end of the corrugated tube W12 and extends substantially linearly to the one-end connector W15. 7 , if the distance between the one-end connector W15 and the corrugated tube W12 becomes too short, the conveying mechanism 14 appropriately adjusts the position of the outer casing gripping portion 13 in the vertical direction D16 after the one-end connector gripping portion 11 has gripped the electric wire W11. This adjustment in the vertical direction D16 holds the corrugated tube W12 so that the corrugated tube W12 is extended in a straight line while appropriately bending the electric wire W11. Conversely, if the distance between the one-end connector W15 and the corrugated tube W12 becomes too long, the position of the outer casing gripping portion 13 is also adjusted, and the corrugated tube W12 is extended in a straight line while appropriately bending the electric wire W11.

[0035] Such adjustment of the distance between the one-end connector W15 and the corrugated tube W12, i.e., according to the product number, is made possible by the following configuration of the electric wire transport device 1 of this embodiment. That is, in this embodiment, due to the above-mentioned positional relationship between the one-end connector gripping portion 11 and the outer casing material gripping portion 13, the one-end connector W15 is gripped by the one-end connector gripping portion 11 and the corrugated tube W12 is gripped by the outer casing material gripping portion 13 separately rather than simultaneously. Due to this separate gripping, the transport mechanism 14 moves the one-end connector gripping portion 11 and the outer casing material gripping portion 13 to positions according to the respective distances, thereby making it possible to appropriately bend the electric wire W11 and straighten and transport the corrugated tube W12.

[0036] As described above, according to the electric wire transport device 1 of this embodiment, the electric wire W11 with the corrugated tube W12 can be transported without bending the corrugated tube W12.

[0037] In this embodiment, the outer wall surface 134a of the rib-shaped portion of the pressing portion 134 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12. With this configuration, the pressing portion 134 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12 using the outer wall surface 134a of the rib-shaped portion. Pressing using this surface allows the corrugated tube W12 to be stretched linearly in a more stable manner than, for example, when a rod-shaped portion is pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a.

[0038] In this embodiment, the external packaging material gripping unit 13 is also equipped with an approach direction insertion plate 135. When gripped by the external packaging material gripping unit 13, this approach direction insertion plate 135 has an edge portion 135a inserted into the valley portion W121c of the corrugated tube W12, thereby suppressing misalignment in the axial direction D19 of the corrugated tube W12. With this configuration, the approach direction insertion plate 135 suppresses misalignment during gripping, allowing the pressing portion 134 to be stably pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12.

[0039] In this embodiment, the edge 135a of the approach-direction insertion plate 135 is linear and tapered, so that the edge 135a of the approach-direction insertion plate 135 is effectively guided into the valley portion W121c of the corrugated tube W12 and inserted.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the external packaging material gripping portion 13 is equipped with a pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136. When the external packaging material gripping portion 13 is gripped by the pair of gripping pieces 131, the pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136 have their edge portions 136a inserted into the valley portions W121c of the corrugated tube W12, thereby preventing misalignment in the axial direction D19 of the corrugated tube W12. With this configuration, the pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136 prevent misalignment during gripping, allowing the pressing portion 134 to be stably pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12.

[0041] In this embodiment, each edge 136a of the pair of gripping-direction insertion plates 136 is curved and tapered, so that the edge 136a of each of the pair of gripping-direction insertion plates 136 is effectively guided into the valley portion W121c of the corrugated tube W12 and inserted.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the conveying mechanism 14 holds the other-end connector gripping portion 12 that grips the other-end connector W16 so as to be aligned next to the outer casing material gripping portion 13 in the arrangement direction D14 along the outer casing gripping direction D13. With this configuration, by gripping both ends with the one-end connector gripping portion 11 and the other-end connector gripping portion 12 and gripping the middle with the outer casing material gripping portion 13, the electric wire W11 can be bent into a U-shape suitable for conveyance while the corrugated tube W12 can be effectively stretched in a straight line.

[0043] The above-described embodiment merely shows a typical example of the electric wire transport device, and the electric wire transport device is not limited to this and can be implemented in various modifications.

[0044] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an electric wire transport device 1 is exemplified as an example of an electric wire transport device, in which an end of a corrugated tube W12 as an exterior material attached to an electric wire W11 is accommodated together with the electric wire W11 in a trough-shaped portion W131 of a protector W13 on a jig plate W14. However, the electric wire transport device is not limited to this, and the transport destination can be set arbitrarily as long as it is necessary to transport the exterior material without bending it.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, the electric wire conveying device 1 that conveys the electric wire W11 to which the corrugated tube W12 is attached as an outer covering material is exemplified as an example of the electric wire conveying device. However, the electric wire conveying device is not limited to this, and the outer covering material attached to the electric wire to be conveyed may be any other outer covering material such as a twisted tube as long as it is a tubular outer covering material.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the pressing portion 134 in which the outer wall surface 134a of the rib-shaped portion is pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12 (external material) is exemplified as an example of a pressing portion. However, the pressing portion is not limited to this and may be, for example, a rod-shaped portion pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the external material, and the specific shape, etc., is not important. However, as described above, the pressing portion 134 against which the outer wall surface 134a of the rib-shaped portion is pressed can stably stretch the corrugated tube W12 in a straight line by pressing with a surface.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the exterior material gripping portion, the exterior material gripping portion 13 provided with the approach direction insertion plate 135 whose edge portion 135a is inserted into the valley portion W121c of the corrugated tube W12 is exemplified. However, the exterior material gripping portion is not limited to this, and an approach direction insertion plate for suppressing axial misalignment may not be provided. However, as described above, by providing the approach direction insertion plate 135 to suppress axial misalignment, the pressing portion 134 can be stably pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12.

[0048] In the above-described embodiment, the approach-direction insertion plate 135 has a linear, tapered edge 135a as an example of the approach-direction insertion plate. However, the approach-direction insertion plate is not limited to this, and any specific shape of the edge is acceptable as long as it can be inserted into the valley portion of the corrugated tube. However, as described above, by making the edge 135a of the approach-direction insertion plate 135 linear and tapered, the edge 135a can be effectively guided into the valley portion W121c of the corrugated tube W12 for insertion.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the exterior material gripping portion, the exterior material gripping portion 13 is illustrated as having a pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136 whose end edges 136a are inserted into the valley portions W121c of the corrugated tube W12. However, the exterior material gripping portion is not limited to this, and a pair of gripping direction insertion plates for suppressing axial misalignment may not be provided. However, as described above, by providing the pair of gripping direction insertion plates 136 to suppress axial misalignment, the pressing portion 134 can be stably pressed against the outer peripheral surface W121a of the corrugated tube W12.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, a pair of gripping-direction insertion plates 136 having tapered, curved edge portions 136a are illustrated as an example of a pair of gripping-direction insertion plates. However, the pair of gripping-direction insertion plates is not limited to this, and the specific shape of the edge portions is not important as long as they can be inserted into the valley portions of the corrugated tube. However, as described above, by making the edge portions 136a of the pair of gripping-direction insertion plates 136 tapered and curved, each edge portion 136a can be effectively guided into and inserted into the valley portions W121c of the corrugated tube W12.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, an example of an electric wire transport device is illustrated as an electric wire transport device 1 including an other-end connector gripping portion 12 that is held by the transport mechanism 14 so as to be aligned next to the outer jacket material gripping portion 13 and grips the other-end connector W16. However, the electric wire transport device is not limited to this, and the connector gripping mechanism may include only a one-end connector gripping portion. However, as described above, by including the other-end connector gripping portion 12, it is possible to bend the electric wire W11 into a U-shape suitable for transport while effectively extending the corrugated tube W12 in a straight line.

[0052] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric wire conveying device 11 One end side connector gripping portion 12 Other end side connector gripping portion 13 Sheath material gripping portion 14 Conveying mechanism 111, 121, 131 Grip piece 132 Grip piece drive portion 133 Conveying connection portion 134 Pressing portion 134a Outer wall surface 135 Approach direction insertion plate 135a, 136a End edge portion 136 Grip direction insertion plate 137 Sheath material gripping main body portion 141 Tip movable portion 141a First holding plate 141b Second holding plate 141c Connecting block D11 One end side gripping direction D12 Other end side gripping direction D13 Sheath gripping direction D14 Arrangement direction D15 Approach direction D16 Separation direction D17 Up and down direction D18 Rotation direction D19 Axial direction L1 First distance L2 Second distance P11, P13 Holding position W1 Wire harness W11 Electric wire W12 Corrugated tube (exterior material) W13 Protector W14 Jig plate W15 One end connector W16 Other end connector W121 Peripheral wall W121a Outer circumferential surface W121b Peak portion W121c Valley portion W131 Gutter-shaped portion W132 Cover portion θ11 Inclination angle

Claims

1. For the conveyance of an electric wire passed through a tubular exterior member and having a connector connected to at least one end side, an end-side connector gripping portion that grips the end-side connector of the electric wire, and a mechanism portion that grips the exterior member for the conveyance of the electric wire, the mechanism portion being brought closer to the exterior member in an approaching direction approaching the peripheral wall of the exterior member, and gripping the exterior member in an exterior member gripping direction that intersects the approaching direction and extends along the diameter of the peripheral wall, and a mechanism portion that holds and conveys the end-side connector gripping portion and the exterior member gripping portion, the holding position of the end-side connector gripping portion being separated from the holding position of the exterior member gripping portion in a separation direction that intersects both the approaching direction and the exterior member gripping direction and being located on the rear side of the approaching direction, and when the end-side connector gripping portion grips the end-side connector and the exterior member gripping portion grips the exterior member, the electric wire is bent to the rear side of the approaching direction in a bent state hanging from the exterior member to the end-side connector, a conveyance mechanism, and the exterior member gripping portion includes an exterior member gripping main body portion that grips the exterior member with a pair of gripping pieces, and a pressing portion that is erected on the exterior member gripping main body portion so as to project in the separation direction at a position between the pair of gripping pieces at the base side of the pair of gripping pieces, and when the electric wire is in the bent state, the pressing portion is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall inside the bend to linearly extend the exterior member in the separation direction. An electric wire conveyance device characterized by comprising.

2. The electric wire conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion has a rib-shaped portion that intersects the approaching direction and extends in the separation direction, and an outer wall surface on the front side of the approaching direction in the portion is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the exterior member.

3. The exterior member is a bellows-shaped corrugated tube having ridges and valleys continuously formed in the axial direction of the exterior member on the outer peripheral surface, and the exterior member gripping portion further includes an approaching direction insertion plate that projects in a plate shape toward the front side of the approaching direction at the base side of the pair of gripping pieces, and when the pair of gripping pieces grip the exterior member, an axial displacement of the exterior member is suppressed by inserting the front end edge portion into the valley portion on the outer peripheral surface in the approaching direction. The electric wire conveyance device according to claim 1, characterized by comprising.

4. The wire conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the approaching-direction insertion plate has a tapered shape in which the edge portion extends linearly intersecting the approaching direction and the plate thickness gradually decreases toward the front side in the approaching direction.

5. The wire conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the outer covering material is a bellows-shaped corrugated tube having ridges and valleys continuously formed in the axial direction of the outer covering material on the outer peripheral surface, and the outer covering material gripping portion projects forward in the outer covering gripping direction from each of the pair of gripping pieces. When the pair of gripping pieces grip the outer covering material, a pair of gripping-direction insertion plates are further provided, in which the front edge portions are inserted into the valleys on the outer peripheral surface in the outer covering gripping direction to suppress the axial displacement of the outer covering material.

6. The wire conveying device according to claim 5, wherein each of the pair of gripping-direction insertion plates has an edge portion that extends in a bent shape that intersects the outer covering gripping direction and is recessed rearward in the outer covering gripping direction midway, and has a tapered shape in which the plate thickness gradually decreases toward the front side in the outer covering gripping direction.

7. The wire has connectors connected to both ends thereof. For conveying the wire, the wire conveying device further includes an other-end-side connector gripping portion that grips an other-end-side connector different from the one-end-side connector, and the conveying mechanism holds the other-end-side connector gripping portion so as to be adjacent to the outer covering material gripping portion in the arrangement direction along the outer covering gripping direction.

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