Work set jig switching device

Abstract

A work set jig switching device (20) for switching between a plurality of types of work set jigs (50) having positioning portions corresponding to product number of a terminal-equipped electric wire (100) comprises: a rotating shaft (29) supported horizontally and driven to rotate by a drive motor (25); a work set jig support plate (10) having a rotation center attached to the rotating shaft (29); a plurality of jig mounting portions (45) that are provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction on the outer periphery of the work set jig support plate (10) and to which a plurality of types of work set jigs (50) are each interchangeably fixed; and a control device for controlling rotation of the drive motor (25) such that a workpiece insertion port (50a) of the work set jig (50) selected in accordance with the product number of the terminal-equipped electric wire (100) faces a fixed electric wire gripping part (40) on a conveyance path.

Description

Work set jig change device

[0001] The present invention relates to a work set jig switching device.

[0002] For example, in the manufacture of wire harnesses, there is a coating process in which an exposed core wire at a wire connection portion of a terminal fitting in a terminal-attached electric wire is covered and sealed with an insulating coating agent in order to prevent electrolytic corrosion from occurring at the connection portion of a terminal fitting connected to the end of an aluminum electric wire (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In this application step, in order to reliably cover the exposed core wire with the coating material, the coating material must be applied accurately to the exposed portion of the core wire connected to the terminal fitting.

[0004] Therefore, when sending out the electric wire with terminals (workpiece) onto the conveying path in the coating process, it is necessary to accurately position the terminal fittings in the workpiece supply device to hold the electric wire with terminals.

[0005] However, terminal fittings vary in shape and size depending on the product number, and it is difficult to hold terminal-attached electric wires with terminal fittings of different product numbers accurately positioned and feed them onto the conveying path.

[0006] Therefore, it is conceivable to use a work set jig switching device that switches between a plurality of types of work set jigs having positioning portions according to the product number of the terminal fittings (Patent Documents 2 and 3).

[0007] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-233328 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-118150 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 8-206937

[0008] However, conventional work set jig changeover devices are large and expensive, and the work of changing the work set jig is complicated, resulting in poor productivity when dealing with a wide variety of terminal fittings.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a work set jig switching device that is compact and has high productivity.

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the work set jig switching device according to the present invention has the following features.

[0011] 1. A work set jig switching device for switching between multiple types of work set jigs having positioning portions corresponding to the part numbers of the workpieces in a work supply device that sends out workpieces of different part numbers onto a conveying path of a production line, in order to position and hold the workpieces, the work set jig switching device comprising: a rotating shaft that is supported horizontally and driven to rotate by a drive motor; a work set jig support plate having a rotation center attached to the rotating shaft; multiple jig mounting portions that are provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction on the outer periphery of the work set jig support plate, and to which the multiple types of work set jigs are each interchangeably fixed; and a control device that controls the rotation of the drive motor so that the work inlet of the work set jig selected corresponding to the part number of the workpiece faces the work set portion of the conveying path.

[0012] According to the present invention, a compact work set jig switching device with high productivity can be provided.

[0013] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a work supply device equipped with a work set jig switching device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the work set jig switching device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view of the work set jig switching device according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view of a work set jig support plate. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the work set jig. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the work set jig. FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are horizontal cross-sectional views illustrating the operation of the positioning section of the work set jig. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a main part of the work supply device in a state where a work is positioned and held. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part of the work supply device immediately before the positioned and held work is sent out onto the conveying path of the production line. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing a state where the work has been sent out onto the conveying path.

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, a work supply device 1 equipped with a work set jig switching device 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a work transport device 30 that sends out terminal-attached electric wires 100 as works onto a transport path of a production line.

[0016] The workpiece transport device 30 is a transport mechanism that holds the terminal-fitted electric wire 100 with the terminal fittings 101 accurately positioned and transports it to a downstream transport path in the production line.

[0017] In the workpiece transport device 30, a long support plate 32 supporting a plurality of electric wire gripping parts 33 arranged in parallel along the transport path is reciprocated along the transport direction by a transport mechanism 31 equipped with a ball screw.

[0018] The electric wire gripping portion 33 has a pair of clamps (gripping claws) 35. The pair of clamps 35 are supported so as to be rotatable toward and away from each other. These clamps 35 are opened and closed by an air cylinder 37. When the clamps 35 are closed with the electric wire with terminal 100 disposed between them, the electric wire with terminal 100 is gripped by the clamps 35, and when the clamps 35 are opened, the gripped electric wire with terminal 100 is released.

[0019] The plurality of electric wire gripping units 33 are supported on the support plate 32 at pitches corresponding to the fixed electric wire gripping units 40 of various devices A to C that are arranged at equal intervals along the conveying path of the production line. When the support plate 32 reciprocates, each electric wire gripping unit 33 is stopped at a position where the clamp opening / closing position of the corresponding fixed electric wire gripping unit 40 coincides with the clamp opening / closing position of the corresponding fixed electric wire gripping unit 40 on the same straight line perpendicular to the conveying path.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the work set jig switching device 20 comprises a rotating shaft 29 supported horizontally at the top of a support column 23 suspended from the movable table 21 and rotated by a drive motor 25, a work set jig support plate 10 whose rotation center is attached to the rotating shaft 29, a plurality of jig mounting portions 45 provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction on the outer periphery of the work set jig support plate 10 and to which a plurality of types of work set jigs 50 are each interchangeably fixed, and a control device (not shown) that controls the rotation of the drive motor 25.

[0021] The wire positioning unit 80 of the workpiece setting jig switching device 20 is set on the conveying path side of the workpiece conveying device 30. In front of the wire positioning unit 80 (on the conveying path side), the fixed wire gripping unit 40, which serves as the workpiece setting unit on the conveying path, is arranged on the top of a support 42.

[0022] In addition, a photomicrosensor 70 is arranged behind the electric wire positioning section 80 (towards the rotation axis) to detect the completion of insertion of the terminal fitting 101 of the terminal-attached electric wire 100 inserted into the work insertion port 50a of the work set jig 50.

[0023] The movable table 21 is moved horizontally by the air cylinder 22 in a direction to approach and move away from the conveyance path of the work transportation device 30. Thus, the wire positioning unit 80 of the work set jig switching device 20 can approach and move away from the conveyance path of the work transportation device 30.

[0024] The fixed wire gripping portion 40, like the wire gripping portion 33, is equipped with a pair of clamps (gripping claws) 35 and an air cylinder 37, and the terminal-attached wire 100 can be gripped by placing the terminal-attached wire 100 between these clamps 35 and closing the clamps 35.

[0025] 4, a plurality of jig attachment portions 45 (six in this embodiment) are provided at equal intervals in the rotational direction on the outer periphery of the circular work set jig support plate 10, with their tips extending outside the outer periphery of the work set jig support plate 10. A plurality of types of work set jigs 50 are fixed to the tips of the jig attachment portions 45 in an interchangeable manner.

[0026] The central axis of the horizontally supported rotation shaft 29 extends parallel to the transport direction of the work transport device 30, and the work set jig support plate 10 rotates along a plane perpendicular to the transport direction of the work transport device 30.

[0027] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the work set jig 50 has a rectangular parallelepiped jig body 51, a guide block 53 fixed with screws to the front surface 51a of the jig body 51, an upper guide 55 fixed with screws to the upper surface of the guide block 53, and a spring regulating plate 57 fixed with screws to the rear surface 51b of the jig body 51.

[0028] A stepped hole 52 is formed in the jig body 41, penetrating from the front to the rear, and a stepped detection pin 60 is housed and held therein so that it can slide forward and backward. A spring member 63 is disposed behind the detection pin 60, and elastically biases the detection pin 60 toward the front of the jig (see FIG. 7).

[0029] A terminal fitting hole 61 is formed at the front end of the detection pin 60, into which the front end of the corresponding terminal fitting 101 can be fitted. A dog 65 that activates the photomicrosensor 70 is attached to the rear end of the detection pin 60 that protrudes outward from the jig body 51.

[0030] The jig body 41 has through holes 54 formed therethrough that penetrate the left and right side surfaces, and knurled screws 67 that pass through the through holes 54 can be threaded into the screw holes 46 of the jig attachment portion 45. This allows the work set jig 50 to be easily attached to and detached from the jig attachment portion 45.

[0031] The upper surface of the guide block 53 is provided with a guide groove 53a that guides the terminal fitting 101 of the terminal-fitted electric wire 100 into the stepped hole 52. An upper guide 55 that covers the upper side of the guide groove 53a has an inner surface formed with a recess 55a that corresponds to a stabilizer that prevents the terminal fitting 101 from being inserted incorrectly.

[0032] In other words, by appropriately changing the stepped hole 52 of the jig body 51, the terminal fitting hole 61 of the detection pin 60, the guide shape of the guide block 53 and the upper guide 55, etc., it is possible to easily configure multiple types of work set jigs 50 having various positioning portions according to the product number of the terminal fittings 101 (such as the external dimensions of the terminal, the presence or absence of a stabilizer, and the male and female nature of the terminal).

[0033] 7A, until the terminal fitting 101 of the terminal-attached electric wire 100 is inserted into the work insertion opening 50a of the work setting jig 50 and comes into contact with the detection pin 60, the detection pin 60 is maintained in its initial position by the elastic biasing force of the spring member 63. Therefore, the dog 65 attached to the rear end of the detection pin 60 does not activate the photomicrosensor 70.

[0034] Then, as shown in Figure 7 (b), when the terminal fitting 101 of the terminal-attached electric wire 100 moves the detection pin 60 backward against the elastic force of the spring member 63, the dog 65 is detected by the photomicrosensor 70, activating the photomicrosensor 70, thereby detecting the completion of insertion of the terminal fitting 101.

[0035] Next, the procedure for sending out terminal-attached electric wires 100 with terminal fittings 101 of different product numbers accurately positioned onto the conveying path of the work conveying device 30 using the work supply device 1 equipped with the work set jig switching device 20 of this embodiment will be described.

[0036] First, the product number corresponding to the terminal fittings 101 of the terminal-attached electric wires 100 to be sent to the various devices A to C located downstream of the conveying path of the work set jig switching device 20 is input into the control device by keying in or by having the product management card read by a reading device.

[0037] The control device controls the rotation of the drive motor 25 so that the work insertion port 50a of the work setting jig 50 selected corresponding to the product number of the terminal fitting 101 faces the fixed wire gripping part 40 which serves as the work setting part of the conveying path.

[0038] The drive motor 25 rotates the rotary shaft 29 via the reducer 27, rotating the work set jig support plate 10 by a predetermined angle, and aligning the work insertion port 50a of the selected work set jig 50 with the fixed wire gripping portion 40 on the conveying path.

[0039] At this time, the clamps 35 of the fixed electric wire gripping portion 40 and the electric wire gripping portion 33 are open. The worker inserts the terminal fitting 101 of the terminal-attached electric wire 100 into the work insertion opening 50a of the work setting jig 50, and moves the detection pin 60 rearward.

[0040] When the photomicrosensor 70 detects that the terminal fitting 101 has been completely inserted, the control device closes the clamp 35 of the fixed wire gripping portion 40, as shown in FIG. 8, so that the terminal-attached wire 100 is held with the terminal fitting 101 accurately positioned.

[0041] 9, the work setting jig switching device 20 is moved rearward by the air cylinder 22, and the work input port 50a of the work setting jig 50 is separated from the fixed electric wire gripping unit 40, which is the work setting portion of the conveying path. Then, the terminal fitting 101 of the terminal-attached electric wire 100 held by the electric wire gripping unit 33 is extracted from the work input port 50a of the work setting jig 50.

[0042] Then, the clamps 35 of the electric wire gripping parts 33 of the work transportation device 30 are closed to grip the electric wire with terminal 100, and then the clamps 35 of the fixed electric wire gripping parts 40 are opened to release the grip of the fixed electric wire gripping parts 40. Thus, the electric wire with terminal 100 is held by the electric wire gripping parts 33 of the work transportation device 30 with the terminal fittings 101 accurately positioned.

[0043] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10, the support plate 32 supporting the wire gripping portion 33 is moved downstream in the conveying direction by the conveying mechanism 31, and the terminal-attached wire 100 with the terminal fitting 101 accurately positioned is conveyed to the fixed wire gripping portion 40 in the downstream devices A to C.

[0044] Therefore, in the above-described work set jig switching device 20, the work set jig support plate 10, which has a rotation center axis extending parallel to the transport direction of the work transportation device 30, rotates along a plane perpendicular to the transport direction of the work transportation device 30. Therefore, the dimension of the work set jig switching device 20 in the direction along the transport direction of the work transportation device 30 can be made compact.

[0045] Furthermore, the work set jig support plate 10 can easily switch between work set jigs 50 by controlling the angle using a servo motor for the drive motor 25. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the servo origin can be easily set by inserting a through rod 90 that passes through the through hole 23a of the support 23 into the through hole 10a of the work set jig support plate 10. As a result, a compact work set jig switching device 20 with high productivity can be provided.

[0046] Here, the features of the embodiment of the work set jig switching device according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [2]. [1] A work set jig switching device (20) for switching between a plurality of types of work set jigs (50) having positioning portions corresponding to the product numbers of the work (terminal-attached electric wires 100) in a work supply device (1) that sends out work pieces (terminal-attached electric wires 100) of different product numbers onto a conveying path of a production line, the work set jig switching device (20) comprising: a rotating shaft (29) supported horizontally and driven to rotate by a drive motor (25); a work set jig support plate (10) having a rotation center attached to the rotating shaft (29); and a plurality of jig mounting portions (45) provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction on the outer periphery of the work set jig support plate (10), to which the plurality of types of work set jigs (50) are each interchangeably fixed. a control device that controls the rotation of the drive motor (25) so that the work insertion port (50a) of the work setting jig (50) selected corresponding to the product number of the work (terminal-attached electric wire 100) faces the work setting section (fixed electric wire gripping section 40) of the conveying path.

[0047] According to the work set jig switching device (20) described in [1] above, the work set jig support plate (10) having a rotation center axis extending parallel to the conveying direction of the work (terminal-fitted electric wire 100) rotates along a plane perpendicular to the conveying direction. Therefore, the work set jig switching device (20) can be made compact in size in the conveying direction.

[0048] [2] The work set jig (50) comprises a jig body (51) accommodating a detection pin (60) for detecting insertion of the work (terminal-attached electric wire 100), a guide block (53) having a guide groove (53a) for guiding insertion of the work (terminal-attached electric wire 100) and fixed to a front surface (51a) of the jig body (51), and an upper guide (55) fixed to the upper surface of the guide block (53) so as to cover the upper side of the guide groove (53a), and various positioning units can be configured by combining a plurality of types of the jig body (51), the guide block (53), and the upper guide (55).

[0049] According to the work set jig switching device (20) described in [2] above, it is possible to easily configure multiple types of work set jigs (50) having various positioning portions according to the product number of the work (terminal-attached electric wire 100).

[0050] Although various embodiments have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

[0051] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-102891) filed on June 26, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0052] 1: Work supply device 10: Work setting jig support plate 20: Work setting jig switching device 25: Drive motor 29: Rotating shaft 40: Fixed electric wire gripping part (work setting part) 45: Jig mounting part 50: Work setting jig 50a: Work input port 100: Electric wire with terminal (work)

Claims

1. A work set jig switching device for switching between multiple types of work set jigs having positioning sections corresponding to the part numbers of the workpieces in a work supply device that sends out workpieces of different part numbers onto a conveying path of a manufacturing line, in order to position and hold the workpieces, comprising: a rotating shaft that is supported horizontally and driven to rotate by a drive motor; a work set jig support plate whose rotation center is attached to the rotating shaft; multiple jig mounting sections that are provided at equal intervals in the rotation direction on the outer periphery of the work set jig support plate, and to which the multiple types of work set jigs are each interchangeably fixed; and a control device that controls the rotation of the drive motor so that the work inlet of the work set jig selected corresponding to the part number of the workpiece faces the work set section of the conveying path.

2. The work set jig switching device of claim 1, wherein the work set jig comprises a jig body that houses a detection pin for detecting the insertion of the workpiece, a guide block that is fixed to the front surface of the jig body and has a guide groove for guiding the insertion of the workpiece, and an upper guide that is fixed to the upper surface of the guide block so as to cover the upper part of the guide groove, and various positioning units can be configured by combining multiple types of these jig bodies, guide blocks, and upper guides.

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