Wire harness manufacturing method and wire harness manufacturing device

Abstract

Provided is a wire harness manufacturing method and a wire harness manufacturing device that are capable of improving workability.　The wire harness manufacturing method forms a wire harness by partially bundling an electric wire group (100) that includes a plurality of electric wires (101) each having a connector (102) at both ends thereof. This method includes: an attachment step for attaching a sheath to the electric wires (101); and a binding step for binding, among the plurality of electric wires (101), electric wires (101) having mutually diverging ends, and includes at least one of a first transition step for shifting from the attachment step to the binding step and a second transition step for shifting from the binding step to the attachment step. In the first transition step, the interval between the electric wires (101) to be worked on is narrowed, and in the second transition step, the interval between the electric wires (101) to be worked on is widened.

Description

Wire harness manufacturing method and wire harness manufacturing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a wire harness.

[0002] Conventionally, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus has been proposed in which a plurality of holding parts, each holding a connector, are provided slidably on a rail (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the holding parts are slid to pull out the respective electric wires by the required length, and the wires can be measured and cut all at once.

[0003] JP 2023-25460 A

[0004] However, in the wire harness manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1, as the number of electric wires increases, the overall size of the device increases and the spacing between the electric wires tends to become narrower. During the manufacturing of a wire harness, work may be performed on some of the multiple electric wires, for example, by wrapping tape or attaching a corrugated tube, and there are situations where it is necessary to ensure spacing between the electric wires to improve workability. On the other hand, during the manufacturing of a wire harness, work may be performed on multiple electric wires at once, and simply increasing the spacing between the electric wires has made it difficult to improve workability.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a wire harness that can improve workability.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the manufacturing method of a wire harness according to the present invention is a manufacturing method of a wire harness that forms a wire harness by partially bundling a group of electric wires, each of which has a plurality of electric wires with connectors provided at both ends, and includes an attachment step of attaching an exterior material to the electric wires and a bundling step of bundling together those of the plurality of electric wires whose ends are branched from each other, and includes at least one of a first transition step of transitioning from the attachment step to the bundling step and a second transition step of transitioning from the bundling step to the attachment step, wherein the first transition step narrows the spacing between the electric wires that are to be worked on, and the second transition step widens the spacing between the electric wires that are to be worked on.

[0007] A method for manufacturing a wire harness according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of times of the first transition step and a plurality of times of the second transition step.

[0008] In the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to one aspect of the present invention, in the first transition step and the second transition step, the spacing between the electric wires is changed while a predetermined tension is applied to the electric wires.

[0009] In the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to one aspect of the present invention, in the first transition step and the second transition step, the connector is held and moved to change the spacing between the electric wires.

[0010] In the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to one aspect of the present invention, the connector is held throughout all of the attaching step, the bundling step, the first transition step, and the second transition step.

[0011] In the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to one aspect of the present invention, an image of the shape of the group of electric wires is taken in at least one of the attaching step, the bundling step, the first transition step, and the second transition step.

[0012] In one aspect of the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to the present invention, the plurality of electric wires are held collectively at one end of the electric wire group and individually at the other end of the electric wire group, and in the first transition step and the second transition step, the other ends of the electric wires are moved at least vertically to change the spacing between the electric wires.

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is a wire harness manufacturing apparatus that forms a wire harness by bundling a group of electric wires each having a plurality of electric wires with connectors provided on both ends, and is equipped with a plurality of holding portions that hold the connectors, and a guide portion that guides the holding portions along a predetermined direction, and the holding portions have a holding main body portion to which the connectors are attached, a guided portion that is guided by the guide portions, and an expansion / contraction portion that connects the holding main body portion and the guided portion, and the expansion / contraction portion expands and contracts in a direction that intersects the movement direction of the holding portion guided by the guide portions, thereby moving the holding main body portion and the guided portion relative to each other.

[0014] In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the holding main body portion is configured to be detachable from the stretchable portion.

[0015] In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the holding main body is connected to the expandable portion so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis that intersects with the movement direction.

[0016] In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the guide portion is a rail, and the holding portion is provided so as to be slidable along the rail.

[0017] In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the rail has a portion that extends linearly or along a predetermined curve.

[0018] In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the stretchable portion is provided with a biasing member that applies tension to the electric wires.

[0019] A wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a work unit that performs at least one of the following operations: attaching an exterior material to the electric wires; bundling together the electric wires whose ends are branched from each other among the plurality of electric wires; and moving the holding unit along the guide unit.

[0020] In order to achieve the above object, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is a wire harness manufacturing apparatus that forms a wire harness by bundling a group of electric wires that has a plurality of electric wires with connectors on both ends, and is characterized in that it includes a plurality of holding portions that hold the connectors and a plurality of guide portions that guide each of the plurality of holding portions along the extension direction of the group of electric wires, the plurality of guide portions being arranged in a direction intersecting the extension direction, the holding portions having a holding main body portion to which the connector is attached, a guided portion that is guided by the guide portions, and a movable portion that connects the holding main body portion and the guided portion, and the movable portion is capable of moving the holding portions relative to the guide portions in a direction intersecting both the direction in which the plurality of guide portions are arranged and the extension direction.

[0021] A wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a one-end holding portion that holds the plurality of electric wires collectively at one end side of the group of electric wires, and the plurality of holding portions hold each of the plurality of electric wires at the other end side of the group of electric wires.

[0022] In the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the holding portion has an expandable portion that is expandable and contractable in the extending direction between the movable portion and the holding main body portion.

[0023] According to the wire harness manufacturing method and wire harness manufacturing device of the present invention, workability can be improved.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing electric wires held by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing electric wires being held by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing electric wires being held by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing electric wires being held by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing electric wires being held by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing electric wires being held by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing how three electric wires are worked by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing electric wires 101 held by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 widens the gap between the electric wires 101, Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 widens the gap between the electric wires 101 and performs an operation on the electric wires 101, and Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 narrows the gap between the electric wires 101 and performs an operation on the electric wires 101.

[0026] 1 to 5 , a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 that forms a wire harness by bundling a group of electric wires 100, each including a plurality of electric wires 101 with connectors 102 provided at both ends, and includes a plurality of holding portions 2 that hold the connectors 102, and a rail 3 as a guide portion that guides the holding portions 2 along a predetermined direction. The holding portions 2 include a holding main body portion 21 to which the connectors 102 are attached, a guided portion 22 that is guided by the rail 3, and an expandable portion 23 that connects the holding main body portion 21 and the guided portion 22. The expandable portion 23 expands and contracts in a direction intersecting the movement direction of the holding portions 2 guided by the rail 3, thereby moving the holding main body portion 21 and the guided portion 22 relative to each other.

[0027] Furthermore, a wire harness manufacturing method performed by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a wire harness manufacturing method for forming a wire harness by partially bundling a group of electric wires 100 including a plurality of electric wires 101 each having connectors 102 at both ends, and includes an attachment step of attaching an exterior material to the electric wires 101, a bundling step of bundling those of the plurality of electric wires 101 whose ends are branched from each other, a first transition step of transitioning from the attachment step to the bundling step, and a second transition step of transitioning from the bundling step to the attachment step. In the first transition step, the spacing between the electric wires 101 to be worked on is narrowed, and in the second transition step, the spacing between the electric wires 101 to be worked on is widened.

[0028] The wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of holding units 2, a rail 3, and a robot arm 4 as a working unit (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The rail 3 extends along a predetermined plane, which will hereinafter be referred to as the XY plane, and the direction perpendicular to the XY plane as the Z direction.

[0029] The holding portion 2 has a holding main body portion 21 , a guided portion 22 , and an expandable portion 23 .

[0030] The holding body 21 is configured to be able to hold multiple connectors 102 simultaneously, and is formed, for example, in a frame shape so that the connectors 102 can be inserted and attached. The holding body 21 is connected to a connector side member 231 (described later) so as to be rotatable relative to the expandable part 23 around a rotation axis along the Z direction. In this case, the holding body 21 is configured to be detachable from the expandable part 23.

[0031] The guided portion 22 has a running portion that engages with the rail 3 and runs, and a plate portion on which the expandable portion 23 is placed.

[0032] The expansion / contraction portion 23 has a connector side member 231 connected to the holding main body portion 21, a rail side member 232 connected to the guided portion 22, and a spring or other biasing member provided between the connector side member 231 and the rail side member 232.

[0033] The connector-side member 231 and the rail-side member 232 are both formed in an elongated shape and configured to be able to move (slide) relative to each other along their longitudinal directions while aligning with each other; hereinafter, the direction of this relative movement is referred to as the sliding direction. Furthermore, the expandable portion 23 is attached to the plate portion 221 of the guided portion 22 such that the longitudinal directions of the connector-side member 231 and the rail-side member 232 are perpendicular to the extending direction of the rail 3. At this time, the holding body 21 is connected to one end of the connector-side member 231, and one end of the rail-side member 232 is connected to the plate portion 221.

[0034] For example, the rail 3 extends in the X direction at its center, and the sliding direction of the expandable portion 23 at this center is the Y direction. Also, the rail 3 extends in the Y direction at both ends, and the sliding direction of the expandable portion 23 at these ends is the X direction. This sliding causes relative movement between the holding main body portion 21 connected to the connector-side member 231 and the guided portion 22 connected to the rail-side member 232, and the direction of this relative movement is perpendicular to the extension direction of the rail 3 (i.e., the movement direction of the holding portion 2 guided by the rail 3).

[0035] The biasing member of the expansion / contraction portion 23 generates a biasing force in a direction that increases the overlap between the connector side member 231 and the rail side member 232, i.e., generates a biasing force that moves the holding main body portion 21 closer to the rail 3.

[0036] The rail 3 has a main straight portion 31 extending in the X direction at its center, end straight portions 32, 33 extending in the Y direction at both ends, and arc-shaped curved portions 34, 35 formed between the main straight portion 31 and the end straight portions 32, 33. Note that the shape of the rail 3 is an example, and the rail 3 may have an appropriate shape depending on the number of electric wires 101 constituting the electric wire group 100, the type of work to be performed on the electric wires 101, etc.

[0037] The robot arm 4 may be any known type, as long as it is capable of moving linearly in each direction in three-dimensional space, has an arm portion at the tip that can rotate around a predetermined rotation axis, and can grasp an object. In this embodiment, the robot arm 4 is provided with a camera as an imaging means.

[0038] Here, a description will be given of a wire harness manufacturing method in which a wire harness is manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1. There are various processes for manufacturing a wire harness, but the processes performed by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 are a process of attaching terminals and connectors 102 to both ends of the electric wires 101, and then attaching other exterior materials to the electric wires 101 (attaching process), and a process of bundling a plurality of electric wires 101 (bundling process).

[0039] First, as a preparation step, a plurality of electric wires 101 to which connectors 102 are attached as described above are held by the holding portion 2 as shown in Fig. 2. That is, the connectors 102 are attached to the holding main body 21. At this time, the holding main body 21 may be detached from the expandable portion 23, and then the connectors 102 may be attached, and then the holding main body 21 may be attached to the expandable portion 23. When attaching the connectors 102 in this manner, it is preferable to position all of the holding portions 2 on the main straight portion 31 and keep the distance between the electric wires 101 relatively narrow.

[0040] In the illustrated example, a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 having five holding portions 2 is used, and the connectors 102 of all the electric wires 101 are connected to the holding portion 2 located on the far left in Figure 2, and the connectors 102 of some of the electric wires 101 are connected to the other holding portions 2.

[0041] Next, to perform the attachment process, the holding parts 2 are moved along the rails 3, and the distance between the electric wires 101 held by each holding part 2 is made wider than in the state shown in Fig. 2, as shown in Fig. 3. At this time, the electric wires 101 change from the slack state shown in Fig. 2 to the tensioned state shown in Fig. 3.

[0042] 3, the leftmost holding portion 2 is disposed on the left end straight portion 32. The second holding portion 2 from the left is disposed on the main straight portion 31, and is relatively close to the leftmost holding portion 2, so the expandable portion 23 hardly slides, but the holding main body portion 21 rotates so as to face the leftmost holding portion 2. The central holding portion 2 is disposed on the main straight portion 31, and is slightly away from the leftmost holding portion 2, so the holding main body portion 21 is pulled by the wire 101, increasing the amount of sliding of the expandable portion 23, and the holding main body portion 21 rotates so as to face the leftmost holding portion 2.

[0043] The second holding portion 2 from the right is disposed on the main straight portion 31, and as it moves further away from the leftmost holding portion 2, the holding main body portion 21 is pulled further by the wire 101, the amount of sliding of the expandable portion 23 increases, and the holding main body portion 21 rotates so as to face the leftmost holding portion 2. The rightmost holding portion 2 is disposed on the right end straight portion 33, and as it moves furthest away from the leftmost holding portion 2, the holding main body portion 21 is pulled further by the wire 101, the amount of sliding of the expandable portion 23 increases, and the holding main body portion 21 faces the leftmost holding portion 2.

[0044] When moving the holding units 2 along the rails 3 as described above, the holding units 2 may be moved manually by an operator, or may be moved by the robot arm 4, or a drive source may be provided for each holding unit 2 to move the holding units 2 along the rails 3. When moving the holding units 2 by the robot arm 4, coordinate information for each type of wire harness and each manufacturing process may be stored in advance in an appropriate storage unit, and the holding units 2 may be moved based on this coordinate information. At this time, the coordinate information of the robot arm 4 may be corrected based on coordinate information captured by a camera provided on the robot arm 4 (or a fixed camera as described later).

[0045] Furthermore, stoppers are provided at each part of the holding part 2 to enable the state after movement to be maintained. Specifically, stoppers are provided to fix the rotation angle of the holding main body part 21 and stoppers to fix the guided part 22 to the rail 3.

[0046] Next, as shown in Fig. 4, an attachment process is performed by the robot arm 4. In this embodiment, in the attachment process, a covering material such as tape or clips is attached. In the attachment process, work is performed independently on each of the electric wires 101 held by the holding parts 2 other than the leftmost holding part 2. That is, in the attachment process, an exterior material is attached independently to each branched end of the group of electric wires 100.

[0047] Next, as shown in FIG. 5 , the attachment process transitions to the bundling process (first transition process). FIG. 5 shows the state in which a tape 103 is attached as an exterior material in the attachment process. In the first transition process, the second-right holding portion 2 moves to the right-side straight edge portion 33, and the central holding portion 2 moves to the right along the X direction. As these holding portions 2 move, the holding body portion 21 is pulled by the electric wires 101, increasing the sliding amount of the expansion / contraction portion 23. Due to this movement in the first transition process, the electric wires 101 held by the central holding portion 2, the electric wires 101 held by the second-right holding portion 2, and the electric wires 101 held by the rightmost holding portion 2 extend substantially parallel to each other, narrowing the spacing between the electric wires 101. In this way, the spacing between the electric wires 101 is changed while a predetermined tension is applied to the electric wires 101.

[0048] The robot arm 4 bundles these three types of electric wires 101 together (a plurality of electric wires 101 whose ends are branched from each other). An example of the task of bundling the electric wires 101 in the bundling process is wrapping the electric wires 101 with tape, but the task of bundling the electric wires 101 with an exterior material such as a corrugated tube or a protector may also be used.

[0049] Note that tape wrapping may be performed in either the attaching process or the bundling process, and which process the tape wrapping process belongs to depends on the electric wire 101 to be wrapped. For example, when wrapping tape around only one electric wire 101 held by the central holding portion 2, the electric wire 101 is not bundled, and therefore this process falls under the attaching process. Furthermore, when wrapping tape around three electric wires 101 held by the rightmost holding portion 2, although multiple electric wires 101 are bundled, these electric wires 101 are integrated up to their ends, and therefore this process falls under the attaching process, not the bundling of electric wires 101 with branched ends. In contrast, when wrapping tape around electric wires 101 held by different holding portions 2 to integrate them, the electric wires 101 with branched ends are bundled together, and therefore this process falls under the bundling process.

[0050] Next, the bundling process is shifted to the second attaching process (second transition process). The arrangement of each holding portion 2 in the second attaching process may be the same as that shown in Figures 3 and 4. That is, in the second transition process, the spacing between the electric wires 101 to be worked on is widened. At this time, as in the first transition process, the spacing between the electric wires 101 is changed while a predetermined tension is applied to the electric wires 101. In the second attaching process, for example, a different type of work may be performed than in the first attaching process.

[0051] Thereafter, the bundling process and the attaching process are alternately repeated, with the first transition process or the second transition process being performed between them. Each process may be performed as many times as necessary, and it is preferable to perform the first transition process multiple times and the second transition process multiple times. Note that multiple operations may be performed without changing the spacing between the electric wires 101, in which case the multiple operations are collectively referred to as the bundling process or the attaching process (i.e., the bundling process and the attaching process may include multiple operations).

[0052] In the first and second steps described above, the connector 102 is held and moved to change the spacing between the electric wires 101, and further, the connector 102 is held throughout all of the attachment steps, bundling steps, first transition step, and second transition step. In other words, the connector 102 is released from its holding state after all steps are completed.

[0053] Furthermore, a camera provided on the robot arm 4 captures images of the shape of the electric wire group 100 in the attaching process and the bundling process. Whether the work is being performed correctly is confirmed based on whether the captured shape of the electric wire group 100 matches a predetermined shape. Furthermore, a video of the shape of the electric wire group 100 in the first transition process and the second transition process may be captured to confirm whether the change in the shape of the electric wires 101 is the desired change. Furthermore, when capturing an image of the electric wire group 100 as a still image or a video, the method is not limited to using a camera provided on the robot arm 4, and the image may be captured by a fixed camera fixed at a predetermined position.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above description, the extension / contraction unit 23 slides and the holding main body unit 21 rotates in response to the tension of the electric wire 101, i.e., they are simply driven, but the extension / contraction unit 23 and the holding main body unit 21 may be slid or rotated by other external forces in addition to the tension of the electric wire 101. In this case, the extension / contraction unit 23 may be slid or rotated by an operator, or the extension / contraction unit 23 or the holding main body unit 21 may be slid or rotated by providing a driving source for the extension / contraction unit 23 or the holding main body unit 21. In this way, if the extension / contraction unit 23 and the holding main body unit 21 are slid or rotated by other external forces, the desired sliding amount and rotation angle can be easily obtained, and the positioning accuracy can be improved while performing the work.

[0055] According to the method for manufacturing a wire harness using the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1 of the embodiment of the present invention described above, the spacing between the electric wires 101 to be worked on in the first transition process is narrowed, and the spacing between the electric wires 101 to be worked on in the second transition process is widened, so that the spacing between the electric wires 101 can be set to a size according to the type of work, thereby improving workability.

[0056] Furthermore, even when the first transition step and the second transition step are performed multiple times, the workability can be improved in each step.

[0057] In addition, by applying a predetermined tension to the electric wires 101 using the expansion section 23 provided with a biasing member while changing the spacing between the electric wires 101, slack in the electric wires 101 can be suppressed, improving workability.

[0058] In addition, by changing the spacing between the electric wires 101 by holding and moving the connector 102, it is possible to reduce the load applied to the electric wires 101 when changing the spacing between the electric wires 101. Furthermore, there is no need for a part for holding the electric wires 101, which makes it possible to reduce interference when performing work on the electric wires 101.

[0059] Furthermore, by holding the connector 102 throughout all the steps, the load applied to the electric wire 101 can be reduced as described above, and interference when performing work on the electric wire 101 can be reduced.

[0060] In addition, by using a camera mounted on the robot arm 4 to capture images of the shape of the wire group 100 during the installation and bundling processes, it is possible to confirm that the work is being performed correctly, thereby improving yield.

[0061] Furthermore, since the holding body portion 21 is rotatable relative to the expansion / contraction portion 23, the load applied to the electric wires 101 when the spacing between the electric wires 101 is changed can be reduced.

[0062] Furthermore, the rails 3 serving as guides guide the holders 2 as they move, allowing the spacing between the wires 101 to be changed smoothly.

[0063] Furthermore, since the rail 3 is formed in a U-shape having a main straight section 31, end straight sections 32, 33, and curved sections 34, 35, the degree of freedom in setting the spacing between the electric wires 101 can be improved.

[0064] Furthermore, by using the robot arm 4 to perform the tasks of attaching the exterior material, binding the material, and moving the holding part 2, it is possible to improve accuracy and save labor compared to when workers perform each task manually.

[0065] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing an individual holding unit 6 of a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment, Fig. 7 is a side view schematically showing how a first electric wire 101 is worked by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B, Fig. 8 is a side view schematically showing how a second electric wire 101 is worked by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B, Fig. 9 is a side view schematically showing how two electric wires 101 are worked by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B, and Fig. 10 is a side view schematically showing how three electric wires 101 are worked by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B.

[0066] 6 to 10 , a wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B according to an embodiment of the present invention forms a wire harness by bundling together electric wire groups 100 each including a plurality of electric wires 101 each having connectors 102 at both ends, and includes a plurality of holding portions 7A to 7C that hold the connectors 102, and a plurality of guiding portions 8A to 8C that guide the plurality of holding portions 7A to 7C along the X direction, which is the extension direction of the electric wire groups 100. The plurality of guiding portions 8A to 8C are aligned in the Y direction that intersects the X direction. Each of the holding portions 7A to 7C includes a holding main body portion 71 to which the connector 102 is attached, a guided portion 72 that is guided by the guiding portions 8A to 8C, and a movable portion 73 that connects the holding main body portion 71 and the guided portion 72. The movable portion 73 is capable of moving the holding portions 7A to 7C relative to the guide portions 8A to 8C in the Z direction, which intersects both the Y direction, in which the guide portions 8A to 8C are aligned, and the X direction.

[0067] Furthermore, a wire harness manufacturing method performed by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B according to the embodiment of the present invention is a wire harness manufacturing method for forming a wire harness by partially bundling a group of electric wires 100 including a plurality of electric wires 101 each having connectors 102 at both ends, and includes an attachment step of attaching an exterior material to the electric wires 101, a bundling step of bundling those of the plurality of electric wires 101 whose ends are branched from each other, a first transition step of transitioning from the attachment step to the bundling step, and a second transition step of transitioning from the bundling step to the attachment step. In the first transition step, the spacing between the electric wires 101 to be worked on is narrowed, and in the second transition step, the spacing between the electric wires 101 to be worked on is widened. At this time, the plurality of electric wires 101 are held together at one end 100A of the electric wire group 100, and the plurality of electric wires 101 are held individually at the other end 100B of the electric wire group 100, and in the first transition step and the second transition step, the other end 100B of the electric wires 101 is moved at least along the vertical direction to change the spacing between the electric wires 101.

[0068] In this embodiment, the Z direction is the vertical direction, the XY plane is the horizontal plane, and the up and down in the Z direction may be simply referred to as up and down.

[0069] The wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B includes a collective holding unit 5 as an end holding section that collectively holds a plurality of electric wires 101 at one end 100A of the electric wire group 100, and an individual holding unit 6 that individually holds a plurality of electric wires 101 at one end 100B of the electric wire group 100.

[0070] The batch holding unit 5 has a plurality of connection portions for connecting the connectors 102 of the electric wires 101. The batch holding unit 5 may be configured so that the connection portions to which the connectors 102 are connected can move in the Z direction or along the XY plane, or may be configured so that they cannot move.

[0071] The individual holding unit 6 has a plurality of holding portions 7A to 7C (three in the illustrated example) that hold connectors, a plurality of guide portions 8A to 8C that guide each of the plurality of holding portions 7A to 7C along the X direction, a guide connection portion 9 that connects the guide portions 8A to 8C and guides them in the Y direction, and a drive portion that drives each portion.

[0072] Each of the holding portions 7A to 7C has a holding main body portion 71 to which the connector 102 is attached, a guided portion 72 that is guided by the guiding portions 8A to 8C, a movable portion 73 that connects the holding main body portion 71 and the guided portion 72, and an expandable portion 74.

[0073] The connector 102 can be connected to the holding main body 71, and an expandable part 711 that can expand and contract in the X direction is provided between the holding main body 71 and the movable part 73, as in the first embodiment. This applies a biasing force that stretches the electric wire 101 in the X direction.

[0074] The guided portion 72 is configured to be guided by guide portions 8A to 8C formed in a rail shape as will be described later, and to guide the movable portion 73 in the Z direction.

[0075] The movable part 73 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that extends along the ZX plane and has its longitudinal direction in the Z direction, and its upper end is connected to the holding body part 71. The portion of the movable part 73 that is below the holding body part 71 is guided in the Z direction by the guided part 72.

[0076] The guide portions 8A to 8C are each formed like a rail extending in the X direction, thereby guiding the guided portion 72 in the X direction, thereby allowing the entire holding portions 7A to 7C to move in the X direction. The three guide portions 8A to 8C are also lined up in the Y direction and are each connected to a guide connection portion 9 extending in the Y direction, so that they are guided in the Y direction. Therefore, the entire holding portions 7A to 7C are movable in two directions, the X direction and the Y direction.

[0077] In such an individual holding unit 6, each holding main body 71 can move in the Z direction by having the movable portion 73 guided by the guided portion 72. Furthermore, since the entire holding portions 7A to 7C can move in two directions, the X direction and the Y direction, as described above, each holding main body 71 can move in three directions, the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. In other words, the connector 102 connected to the holding main body 71 can move in three directions, allowing the other end of the electric wire 101 to be positioned at any desired position.

[0078] 7 to 10, an example of a wire harness manufacturing method in which a wire harness is manufactured by the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B is described. In the following example, the operation is performed so that the extension direction of the group of electric wires 100 is the X direction. Note that, although an example using individual holding units 6 corresponding to three electric wires 101 as described above will be described, the number of electric wires is not particularly limited, and individual holding units corresponding to the number of electric wires may be used.

[0079] First, the plurality of electric wires 101 are collectively held by the collective holding unit 5 at one end 100A of the electric wire group 100, and the plurality of electric wires 101 are individually held by the individual holding units 6 at the other end 100B.

[0080] First, as shown in Fig. 7, a tape wrapping operation is performed on the electric wire 101 held by the holding portion 7A (attaching process). At this time, the movable portion 73 is moved in the Z direction so that the holding body portion 71 of the holding portion 7A faces the collective holding unit 5 in the X direction and the holding body portions 71 of the holding portions 7B and 7C are positioned below it. This widens the gap between the electric wire 101 held by the holding portion 7A and the electric wires 101 held by the holding portions 7B and 7C. A robot 200 is used for the tape wrapping operation.

[0081] Next, as shown in FIG. 8 , the movable portion 73 of the holding portion 7A is moved downward, and the movable portion 73 of the holding portion 7B is moved upward. This positions the holding body portion 71 of the holding portion 7B opposite the collective holding unit 5 in the X direction, and the holding body portions 71 of the holding portions 7B and 7C below it. In this state, the tape wrapping operation is performed on the electric wire 101 held by the holding portion 7B (attachment process). The positions of the holding portions 7A to 7C in the X direction can be changed as needed. For ease of explanation, in FIGS. 7 to 10 , the holding portions 7A to 7C are shown shifted in the X direction so that they do not overlap, but their positions in the X direction can be set as needed.

[0082] Similarly, the tape wrapping operation is performed on the electric wires 101 held by holding portion 7C, and all of the electric wires 101 are wrapped with tape. Next, as shown in Fig. 9, the electric wires 101 held by holding portion 7A and the electric wires 101 held by holding portion 7B are bundled together (bundling process). For this purpose, the holding main body portions 71 of holding portions 7A and 7B are positioned opposite the collective holding unit 5 in the X direction, and the holding main body portion 71 of holding portion 7C is positioned lower than the collective holding unit 5. At this time, a first transition process is performed to transition from the attaching process to the bundling process, and the distance between the two electric wires 101 to be worked on (the electric wires 101 held by holding portion 7A and holding portion 7B) is narrowed.

[0083] 10, all three electric wires are bundled (bundling process). For this purpose, the holding main body 71 of each of the holding parts 7A to 7C is opposed to the collective holding unit 5 in the X direction, thereby narrowing the gap between the three electric wires 101 to be worked on.

[0084] In the above example of the wire harness manufacturing method, the electric wire 101 is wrapped with tape, but as in the first embodiment, an exterior material such as a tape or a clip may be attached to the electric wire 101 in the attaching step, or an exterior material such as a corrugated tube or a protector may be attached to the electric wire 101 in the bundling step. Also, when the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B is used, the bundling step and the attaching step may be alternately repeated, as in the first embodiment.

[0085] According to the method for manufacturing a wire harness using the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 1B according to the embodiment of the present invention as described above, workability can be improved, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0086] Furthermore, by changing the spacing between the electric wires 101 by combining movement in the Z direction with movement in the XY plane, the degree of freedom can be improved, and workability can be further improved.

[0087] Although the first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the wire harness manufacturing apparatuses according to the first and second embodiments, and includes all aspects encompassed by the concept and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, each configuration may be appropriately and selectively combined to achieve at least some of the above-described problems and effects. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments may be appropriately changed depending on the specific use of the present invention.

[0088] For example, in the first embodiment, the first transition process and the second transition process are carried out multiple times, but the first transition process and the second transition process only need to be carried out at least once each, and the number of times can be determined appropriately depending on the type of work required, etc.

[0089] In addition, in the first embodiment, the spacing between the electric wires 101 is changed while applying a predetermined tension to the electric wires 101 using the expansion / contraction section 23 provided with a biasing member. However, for example, in cases where changing the spacing between the electric wires 101 is unlikely to cause slack, or where slack is unlikely to cause interference during work, the spacing may be changed without applying tension to the electric wires 101.

[0090] Furthermore, the sliding direction of the expandable portion 23 is not limited to a direction within the XY plane (the plane in which the rail extends), and it may be configured so that sliding occurs in the Z direction perpendicular to the XY plane. In other words, the wire harness manufacturing device may be configured so that each portion moves three-dimensionally.

[0091] In the first embodiment, the spacing between the electric wires 101 is changed by holding and moving the connector 102, but the spacing between the electric wires 101 may be changed by holding the electric wires 101 themselves. Holding the electric wires 101 themselves makes it possible to more precisely adjust the spacing and to more easily obtain a desired electric wire shape. Furthermore, the connector 102 may be held and moved only in some of the processes.

[0092] In addition, in the first embodiment, the shape of the wire group 100 during the attachment process and the bundling process is captured by a camera provided on the robot arm 4, but the shape of the wire group 100 may also be confirmed visually by an operator.

[0093] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the holding main body portion 21 is rotatable relative to the expansion / contraction portion 23, but if, for example, the electric wire 101 is sufficiently flexible and problems due to local bending or the like are unlikely to occur, the holding main body portion may be configured not to rotate.

[0094] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the holding portion 2 is guided and moved by the rail 3 as a guide portion, but the guide portion that guides the holding portion 2 is not limited to a rail and may have another shape.

[0095] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the rail 3 is formed in a U-shape having the main straight portion 31, the end straight portions 32, 33, and the curved portions 34, 35, but the guide portion that guides the holding portion 2 only needs to have an appropriate shape that allows the spacing between the electric wires 101 to be changed, and may be another shape that combines straight lines and curved lines, or may be formed only by straight lines, or may be formed only by curved lines.

[0096] In the first embodiment, the robot arm 4 is used to perform the work of attaching the exterior material, the work of bundling, and the work of moving the holding unit 2, but some or all of these tasks may be performed manually by an operator. For example, by performing manual work when it is necessary to widen the gap between the electric wires 101 for the work, and by using a working unit such as a robot arm in other cases, it is possible to improve work efficiency while suppressing an increase in the size of the entire device.

[0097] In addition, in the second embodiment, the holding portions 7A to 7C have an expansion / contraction portion 74 between the movable portion 73 and the holding main body portion 71, but the expansion / contraction portion may be omitted, for example, in cases where slack is unlikely to occur even if the spacing between the electric wires 101 is changed, or where slack is unlikely to cause interference during work.

[0098] In addition, in the second embodiment, the collective holding unit 5 holds multiple electric wires 101 collectively at one end 100A of the group of electric wires 100, but both ends of the electric wires may be held individually. With such a configuration, the degree of freedom in arranging the electric wires can be further improved.

[0099] 1, 1B...Wire harness manufacturing apparatus, 2...Holding section, 21...Holding main body section, 22...Guided section, 23...Extendable section, 3...Rail (guiding section), 4...Robot arm (working section), 5...General holding unit (one end side holding section), 7A to 7C...Holding section, 71...Holding main body section, 72...Guided section, 73...Movable section, 74...Extendable section, 8A to 8C...Guiding section, 100...Group of electric wires, 100A...One end, 100B...Other end, 101...Electric wire, 102...Connector

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a wire harness that forms a wire harness by partially bundling a group of electric wires, each of which has a plurality of electric wires with connectors provided on both ends, the method comprising: an attachment step of attaching an exterior material to the electric wires; and a bundling step of bundling together those of the plurality of electric wires whose ends are branched from each other; and at least one of a first transition step of transitioning from the attachment step to the bundling step and a second transition step of transitioning from the bundling step to the attachment step, wherein the first transition step narrows the spacing between the electric wires that are to be worked on, and the second transition step widens the spacing between the electric wires that are to be worked on.

2. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the first transition step is performed a plurality of times and the second transition step is performed a plurality of times.

3. A method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the first transition step and the second transition step, the spacing between the electric wires is changed while a predetermined tension is applied to the electric wires.

4. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 3, characterized in that in the first transition step and the second transition step, the connector is held and moved to change the spacing between the electric wires.

5. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 4, wherein the connector is held throughout all of the attaching step, the bundling step, the first transition step, and the second transition step.

6. The method for manufacturing a wire harness according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shape of the group of electric wires is imaged in at least one of the attaching step, the bundling step, the first transition step, and the second transition step.

7. A method for manufacturing a wire harness as described in claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of electric wires are held collectively at one end side of the electric wire group and the plurality of electric wires are held individually at the other end side of the electric wire group, and in the first transition step and the second transition step, the other ends of the electric wires are moved at least vertically to change the spacing between the electric wires.

8. A wire harness manufacturing device that forms a wire harness by bundling together a group of electric wires each having a plurality of electric wires with connectors on both ends, comprising: a plurality of holding sections that hold the connectors; and a guide section that guides the holding sections along a predetermined direction, wherein the holding sections have a holding main body section to which the connectors are attached, a guided section that is guided by the guide sections, and an expandable section that connects the holding main body section and the guided section, and wherein the expandable section expands and contracts in a direction that intersects with the movement direction of the holding sections guided by the guide sections, thereby moving the holding main body section and the guided section relative to each other.

9. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 8, wherein the holding body portion is configured to be detachable from the stretchable portion.

10. A wire harness manufacturing device as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the holding main body portion is connected to the extension portion so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis that intersects with the movement direction.

11. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the guide portion is a rail, and the holding portion is provided so as to be slidable along the rail.

12. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 11, wherein the rail has a portion that extends linearly or along a predetermined curve.

13. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the stretchable section is provided with a biasing member that applies tension to the electric wires.

14. A wire harness manufacturing device as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that it comprises a work unit that performs at least one of the following operations: attaching an exterior material to the electric wires; bundling together those of the plurality of electric wires whose ends are branched off from each other; and moving the holding unit along the guide unit.

15. A wire harness manufacturing device that forms a wire harness by bundling a group of electric wires, each of which has a plurality of electric wires with connectors on both ends, comprising: a plurality of holding portions that hold the connectors; and a plurality of guide portions that guide each of the plurality of holding portions along the extension direction of the group of electric wires, wherein the plurality of guide portions are arranged in a direction intersecting the extension direction, and the holding portions have a holding main body portion to which the connector is attached, a guided portion that is guided by the guide portions, and a movable portion that connects the holding main body portion and the guided portion, and the movable portion is capable of moving the holding portions relative to the guide portions in a direction intersecting both the direction in which the plurality of guide portions are arranged and the extension direction.

16. The wire harness manufacturing device according to claim 15, further comprising a one-end holding section that holds the plurality of electric wires collectively at one end of the group of electric wires, and wherein the plurality of holding sections hold each of the plurality of electric wires at the other end of the group of electric wires.

17. A wire harness manufacturing device as described in claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the holding portion has an expandable portion between the movable portion and the holding main body portion that is expandable and contractable in the extension direction.

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