Snap-action mechanism for casing holder

Abstract

This disclosure provides a snap-action mechanism for a casing holder. The snap-action mechanism comprises the first positioning element, the second positioning element and the holding element. The holding element comprises a constraining portion, the constraining portion being configured to be elastically biased in a constrained position. The constraining portion comprises a trigger, and the trigger is configured to contact an actuating element of a releaser when the casing holder moves past the releaser fixed relative to a presentation board, so that the constraining portion moves from the constrained position to a released position overcoming an elastic force under the push of the actuating element, to allow the second positioning element to pivot away from the first positioning element.

Description

[0001] Snap-action mechanism for casing holder

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the improvement of a casing holder for an automatic harness manufacturing machine, and in particular to a snap-action mechanism for a casing holder, a casing holder, and an automatic harness manufacturing machine.

[0004] Background

[0005] The automatic harness manufacturing machine consists of the following three main sections: the wire processing section, the wire insertion section, and the harness forming section. In the wire processing section, various wires are cut to the desired length. Then, the insulation material at the wire ends is stripped off, the seals (sheaths) are arranged on the wire ends, and the terminals are crimped to the wire ends. Next, in the wire insertion section, the processed wire ends are inserted into the connector casing, resulting in a "wired" harness. In this stage, the harness consists only of a connector and a set of wires. After the wire insertion section, the "wired" harness is moved to the harness forming section. In the harness forming section, the general structure of the harness is formed by bundling the wires into multiple bundles of wires that bifurcate from each other. The bundling is done by spot taping or by cable ties. To increase the durability of the harness, additional tape is wrapped around these bundles of wire so that the tape covers the entire length of the branch. In addition, the mounting elements are secured to the harness for assembling the harness in a car, truck, or similar place.

[0006] The wire insertion section requires the connector casing to face the insertion module, but in the harness forming section, the connector casing is ideally in the direction of the suspended wire. Therefore, when the casing holder moves from the wire insertion section to the harness forming section, the operating head (the part that engages the connector casing) of the casing holder needs to be rotated from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation. When the casing holder's operating head is horizontally oriented, the operating head needs to be fixed for inserting the wire end into the connector casing.Summary

[0007] According to an embodiment, a snap-action mechanism for a casing holder for an automatic wire harness making machine is disclosed. The casing holder comprises a sliding member for being movably provided on a presentation board and an operating head being pivotally connected to the sliding member between a first orientation and a second orientation around a pivot axis parallel to the presentation board. The snap-action mechanism comprises: a first positioning element; a second positioning element; and a holding element. The holding segment comprises a constraining portion. The constraining portion is configured to hold the second positioning element at the first positioning element. The constraining portion comprises a trigger which when pushed overcomes an elastic force of the constraining portion to allow the second positioning element to pivot away from the first positioning element. Thereby, the operating head is allowed to pivot from the first orientation to the second orientation.

[0008] According to an embodiment, a casing holder for an automatic wire harness making machine is disclosed. The casing holder comprises: a sliding member for being movably provided on a presentation board; an operating head being pivotally connected to the sliding member between a first orientation and a second orientation around a pivot axis parallel to the presentation board; and a snap-action mechanism as described herein.

[0009] According to an embodiment, an automatic wire harness making machine is disclosed. The automatic wire harness making machine comprises: a casing holder as described herein; a wire insertion section for inserting wires into a connector casing held in the operating head of the casing holder; a harness forming section for bundling the wire into a harness; and a releaser provided between the wire insertion section and the harness forming section.

[0010] According to an embodiment, a method for automatically making a wire harness is disclosed. The method comprises: in a wire insertion section, inserting wire ends into a connector casing held in the operating head; pivoting the operating head from the first orientation to the second orientation by moving the casing holder to a harness forming section through a releaser provided between the wire insertion section and the harness forming section; and bundling the wires into a wire harness by moving the casing holder on a presentation board of the harness forming section.

[0011] Further embodiments and details are provided in the following. The scope of the claims isdefined by the appended claims. Even though some of the features are not described in optional language, it is to be recognized, that only the features of the independent claims are obligatory.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a snap-action mechanism for a casing holder, the casing holder comprises a sliding member that is movably provided on a presentation board and an operating head that is pivotally connected to the sliding member between a first orientation and a second orientation around a pivot axis parallel to the presentation board, wherein the snap-action mechanism comprises: a first positioning element, comprising a yoke and fixedly connected to the sliding member; a second positioning element, comprising a nose and fixedly connected to the operating head; and a holding element, comprising a constraining portion, the constraining portion being configured to be elastically biased in a constrained position to hold the nose in the yoke, wherein the constraining portion comprises a trigger, the trigger being configured to contact the actuating element of the releaser when the casing holder moves past the releaser fixed relative to the presentation board, so that the constraining portion moves from the constrained position to a released position overcoming an elastic force under the push of the actuating element, to allow the nose to pivot away from the yoke, thereby allowing the operating head to pivot from the first orientation to the second orientation.

[0013] In this disclosure, by providing the holding element with the trigger, the casing holder does not have to stop at the releaser, saving processing time and reducing processing complexity.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the holding element further comprises: a base portion, fixedly provided on the first positioning element; and a connecting portion, connecting the base portion and the constraining portion, the connecting portion being configured to elastically deform when the constraining portion moves so as to provide the elastic force. The constraining portion has an annular shape and is configured to receive the nose on the radial inner side of the constraining portion when in the constrained position. The connecting portion is engaged with the constraining portion from the radial inner side of the constraining portion.

[0015] In this disclosure, by receiving the nose from the radial inner side of the constraining portion, and by engaging the connection portion with the constraining portion at the radial inner side of the constraining portion, the radial inner side space of the constraining portion can befully utilized, so that the snap-action mechanism can have a compact structure. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the inner periphery of the constraining portion is provided with a recess for receiving the nose.

[0016] In this disclosure, by providing the recess, the recess can limit the movement of the nose, so that the operating head can be held in place stably. Especially, a rotation movement, particularly around a rotation axis perpendicular to the presentation board, of the operating head can be restricted.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the constraining portion is configured to pivot between the constrained position and the released position around the connecting portion; and the trigger and the connecting portion are oppositely arranged relative to each other in the radial direction of the constraining portion.

[0018] In this disclosure, by making the trigger and the connecting portion oppositely arranged in the radial direction of the constraining portion, the lever between the trigger and the connecting portion is larger, so that the constraining portion is easily pushed by the actuating element, so as to reduce the resistance encountered by the casing holder when passing the releaser.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the trigger comprises an intermediate segment, the intermediate segment being configured to contact the actuating element so that the constraining portion is moved to the released position

[0020] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the trigger further comprises a starting guidance segment at an angle to the intermediate segment, the starting guidance segment being configured to contact the actuating element before the intermediate segment so that the constraining portion is moved to be between the constrained position and the released position.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the trigger further comprises an ending guidance segment at an angle to the intermediate segment, the ending guidance segment being configured to contact the actuating element after the intermediate segment so that the constraining portion is moved to be between the constrained position and the released position.

[0022] In this disclosure, by providing the starting guidance segment, the actuating element can gradually push the constraining portion under the guidance of the starting guidance segment, thereby reducing the impact of the actuating element on the holding element. By providing the ending guidance segment, the constraining portion can gradually rebound, thereby reducing theimpact of the holding element on other elements.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the constraining portion is configured such that the end of the nose comes into contact with the surface of the constraining portion when the nose pivots towards the yoke, so as the constraining portion moves from the constrained position to the released position overcoming the elastic force under the push of the nose, thus allowing the nose to be positioned at the yoke.

[0024] In this disclosure, by using the nose to push the constraining portion, the constraining portion can be moved without a device such as the releaser, which saves processing time and reduces processing complexity.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the holding element is integrally formed from a plate.

[0026] In this disclosure, by making the holding elements integrally formed from the plate, it is easy to obtain the holding element through processes such as stamping, bending, etc., thereby reducing the cost of the snap-action mechanism. In addition, by making the holding elements integrally formed from the plate, the snap-action mechanism can have fewer parts, allowing the snap-action mechanism to have a compact structure.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the yoke comprises a groove for receiving the nose.

[0028] In this disclosure, by providing the groove, the groove can limit the movement of the nose, so that the operating head can be held in place stably.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the pivot axis is a horizontal pivot axis; and the first orientation is a horizontal orientation, and the second orientation is a vertical orientation.

[0030] In this disclosure, by making the pivot axis the horizontal pivot axis, and by making the first and second orientations the horizontal and the vertical orientation respectively, the nose can pivot away from the yoke under the action of gravity, which can save processing time and reduce processing complexity.

[0031] This disclosure further provides a casing holder comprising the snap-action mechanism described above.

[0032] This disclosure further provides an automatic harness manufacturing machine comprising:the casing holder described above; a wire insertion section for inserting wires into a connector casing held in the operating head of the casing holder; a harness forming section for bundling the wires into a harness, the harness forming section comprising a presentation board; and a releaser, provided between the wire insertion section and the harness forming section.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the actuating element of the releaser is a rotating part, so that the actuating element is able to roll on the trigger of the holding element of the casing holder when in contact with the trigger.

[0034] In this disclosure, by rolling the actuating element on the trigger, the wear between the actuating element and the trigger can be reduced, so that the constraining portion can be actuated reliably.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the automatic harness manufacturing machine further comprises a reset station, the reset station being provided between the wire insertion section and the harness forming section; and the reset station comprises a guide rail, the guide rail being configured to guide the operating head to pivot from the second orientation to the first orientation when the casing holder passes the reset station.

[0036] In this disclosure, by providing the reset station with the guide rail, the casing holder does not have to stop at the reset station, saving processing time and reducing processing complexity.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the method further comprises moving the operating head from the second orientation to the first orientation by moving the casing holder through a reset station provided between the wire insertion section and the harness forming section.

[0038] According to an embodiment, the first orientation is a horizontal orientation and the second orientation is a vertical orientation. Particularly, in the horizontal direction, the operating head points away from the presentation board.

[0039] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0040] The drawings illustrated herein are used for providing further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a portion of the present disclosure, and the illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure and illustrations thereof are used for explaining the present disclosure, rather than constituting limitation on the present disclosure. In the drawings:Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a harness forming section of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the front side;

[0042] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the harness forming section of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the rear side;

[0043] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a casing holder of the automatic harness manufacturing machine passing a reset station and a releaser according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Fig. 5a is a perspective view of the casing holder of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the operating head is in the first orientation;

[0045] Fig. 5b is a perspective view of the casing holder of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the operating head is in the second orientation;

[0046] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the releaser of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the reset station of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a holding element of the casing holder of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a constraining portion is in the constrained position;

[0049] Fig. 9a is a front view of the holding element of the casing holder of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] Fig. 9b is a side view of the holding element of the casing holder of the automatic harness manufacturing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the constraining portion is in the constrained position, and an arrow indicates the pivot direction when the constraining portion pivots from the constrained position to the released position;Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the casing holder of the automatic harness manufacturing machine passing the releaser according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a moving component of the casing holder is omitted, and an arrow indicates the direction of the movement of the casing holder; and

[0051] Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the casing holder of the automatic harness manufacturing machine passing the reset station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the moving component of the casing holder is omitted, and an arrow indicates the direction of the movement of the casing holder.

[0052] Reference Number List:

[0053] 100. automatic harness manufacturing machine;

[0054] 110. wire processing section;

[0055] 120. wire insertion section;

[0056] 130. harness forming section;

[0057] 131. presentation board;

[0058] 132. winding robot;

[0059] 133. driving robot;

[0060] 140. releaser;

[0061] 141. actuating element;

[0062] 142. base structure;

[0063] 150. reset station;

[0064] 151. guide rail;

[0065] 160. harness;

[0066] 170. casing holder;

[0067] 180. auxiliary element;

[0068] 200. snap-action mechanism;

[0069] 210. first positioning element;

[0070] 211. yoke;

[0071] 220. second positioning element;221. nose;

[0072] 230. holding element;

[0073] 231. constraining portion;

[0074] 232. base portion;

[0075] 233. connecting portion;

[0076] 234. recess;

[0077] 235. mounting hole;

[0078] 300. trigger;

[0079] 310. intermediate segment;

[0080] 320. starting guidance segment;

[0081] 330. ending guidance segment;

[0082] 400. operating component;

[0083] 410. sliding member;

[0084] 420. operating head;

[0085] 500. moving component;

[0086] A. pivot axis.

[0087] Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0088] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments as described are only some of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature, and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure and any applications or uses thereof. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

[0089] It should be noted that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular form is intended to comprise the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 11.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, an automatic harness manufacturing machine 100 comprises a wire insertion section 120, a harness forming section 130, a releaser 140, and a casing holder 170. The wire insertion section 120 is used to insert wires into a connector casing held in the operating head 420 of the casing holder 170 (refer to Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b). The harness forming section 130 is used to bundle the wires into a harness 160, and the harness forming section 130 comprises a presentation board 131. The releaser 140 is provided between the wire insertion section 120 and the harness forming section 130.

[0091] As an example, the presentation board 131 may be provided with through holes. The through holes are used to guide compressed air through for the generation of an air cushion between the presentation board 131 and the casing holder 170. For example, the presentation board 131 can have the same configuration as the presentation board disclosed in the Chinese Invention Patent Application CN119541951A. Here, the entire content of CN119541951A is incorporated into this disclosure by reference.

[0092] As an example, the harness forming section 130 may further comprise a winding robot 132, which is used to mount a fastening device (for example, tape) to the wire. For example, the winding robot 132 can have the same configuration as the processing robot disclosed in CN119541951 A.

[0093] As an example, the harness forming section 130 may further comprise a driving robot 133, which is used to move the casing holder 170 on the presentation board 131 to the desired position. For example, the driving robot 133 can have the same configuration as the positioning system disclosed in CN119541951 A.

[0094] As an example, the automatic harness manufacturing machine 100 may further comprise a wire processing section 110, and the wire processing section 110 is used to process the wire. For example, the wire processing section 110 may be used to cut various wires to the desired length, strip off the insulation material at the wire ends, arrange seals (sheaths) on the wire ends, and / or crimp terminals to the wire ends.

[0095] As an example, the automatic harness manufacturing machine 100 may further comprise one or more auxiliary elements 180. For example, some of auxiliary elements 180 may have thesame configuration as the redirector disclosed in CN119541951 A, and others of auxiliary elements 180 may have the same configuration as the height holder disclosed in CN119541951 A.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b, the casing holder 170 comprises a sliding member 410 that is movably provided on the presentation board 131 and an operating head 420 that is pivotally connected to the sliding member 410 between a first orientation (refer to FIG. 5a) and a second orientation (refer to FIG. 5b) around a pivot axis A parallel to the presentation board 131.

[0097] As an example, the casing holder 170 may comprise an operating component 400 and a moving component 500. The operating component 400 may be provided on the front side of the presentation board 131 (for example, the side where the winding robot 132 is located), and the moving component 500 may be provided on the back side of the presentation board 131 (for example, the side where the driving robot 133 is located). The sliding member 410 and the operating head 420 can be part of the operating component 400. For example, the sliding member 410, the operating head 420, and the moving component 500 can have the same configuration as the sliding member, the operating head, and the moving component disclosed in CN119541951 A, respectively. In other words, in this case, the operating component 400 and the moving component 500 may be held in position on the presentation board 131 by a permanent magnet, and may also be easily moved on the presentation board 131 by an air cushion.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, the casing holder 170 further comprises a snapaction mechanism 200. The snap-action mechanism 200 comprises a first positioning element 210, a second positioning element 220, and a holding element 230. The first positioning element 210 comprises a yoke 211 and is fixedly connected to the sliding member 410. The second positioning element 220 comprises a nose 221 and is fixedly connected to the operating head 420. The holding element 230 comprises a constraining portion 231 (refer to FIG. 8, FIG. 9a, and FIG. 9b), and the constraining portion 231 is configured to be elastically biased in a constrained position (refer to FIG. 9b) to hold the nose 221 in the yoke 211. The constraining portion 231 comprises a trigger 300 (referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 9a, and FIG. 9b), and the trigger 300 is configured to contact the actuating element 141 of the releaser 141 when the casingholder 170 moves past the releaser 140 fixed relative to the presentation board 131, so that the constraining portion 231 moves from the constrained position to a released position (not shown) overcoming an elastic force under the push of the actuating element 141, to allow the nose 221 to pivot away from the yoke 211, thereby allowing the operating head 420 to pivot from the first orientation to the second orientation.

[0099] As an example, the snap-action mechanism 200 may be part of the operating component 400. For example, the first positioning element 210 and the holding element 230 may be mounted to the sliding member 410 detachably, and the second positioning element 220 may be mounted to the operating head 420 detachably.

[0100] In this disclosure, by providing the holding element 230 with the trigger 300, the casing holder 170 does not have to stop at the releaser 140, saving processing time and reducing processing complexity.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 10, the yoke 211 comprises a groove for receiving the nose 221.

[0102] As an example, the first positioning element 210 may have an annular shape. The groove of the yoke 211 may be recessed radially inward from the outer periphery surface of the first positioning element 210 and penetrates the first positioning element 210 in the axial direction of the first positioning element 210. Accordingly, the nose 221 may have an elongated shape, and the nose 221 may be configured to pass through the groove in the axial direction of the first positioning element 210 when the operating head 420 is in the first orientation.

[0103] In this disclosure, by providing the groove, the groove can limit the movement of the nose 221, so that the operating head 420 can be held in place stably.

[0104] Referring to Fig. 4, Fig. 6 and Fig. 10, the pivot axis A is a horizontal pivot axis. The first orientation is a horizontal orientation, and the second orientation is a vertical orientation.

[0105] In this disclosure, by making the pivot axis A the horizontal pivot axis, and by making the first and second orientations the horizontal and the vertical orientation, respectively, the nose 221 can pivot away from the yoke 211 under the action of gravity, which can save processing time and reduce processing complexity.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, the actuating element 141 of the releaser 140 is a rotating part, so that the actuating element 141 is able to roll on the trigger 300 of the holdingelement 230 of the casing holder 170 when in contact with the trigger 300.

[0107] As an example, the actuating element 141 may be a cylindrical roller, and the casing holder 170 may be configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the actuating element 141 when it moves passed the releaser 140. For example, the axis of rotation of the actuating element 141 may be a vertical axis, and the casing holder 170 may move horizontally to pass the releaser 140.

[0108] As an example, the releaser 140 may further comprise a base structure 142. The base structure 142 may be fixed with respect to the presentation board 131, and the actuating element 141 may be rotatably connected to the base structure 142. For example, the actuating element 141 may be mounted to the base structure 142 by means of a bearing.

[0109] In this disclosure, by rolling the actuating element 141 on the trigger 300, the wear between the actuating element 141 and the trigger 300 can be reduced, so that the constraining portion 231 can be actuated reliably.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 7 and FIG. 11, the automatic harness manufacturing machine 100 further comprises a reset station 150, and the reset station 150 is provided between the wire insertion section 120 and the harness forming section 130. The reset station 150 comprises a guide rail 151, and the guide rail 151 is configured to guide the operating head 420 to pivot from the second orientation to the first orientation when the casing holder 170 passes the reset station 150.

[0111] As an example, one end of the guide rail 151 may be twisted relative to the other end of the guide rail 151, and the twist angle depends on the angular difference between the first and second orientation of the operating head 420. For example, in the case of the first orientation being the horizontal orientation and the second orientation being the vertical orientation, the twist angle may be 90° .

[0112] As an example, the reset station 150 may comprise multiple guide rails 151. For example, at least one guide rail 151 of the multiple guide rails 151 is used for contacting the operating head 420, and at least another guide rail 151 of the multiple guide rails 151 is used for contacting the second positioning element 220.

[0113] In this disclosure, by providing the reset station 150 with the guide rail 151, the casing holder 170 does not have to stop at the reset station 150, saving processing time and reducingprocessing complexity.

[0114] In an embodiment of the disclosure, rollers may be provided on the operating head and / or on the second positioning element that are used to roll on the guide rail(s).

[0115] Referring to FIG. 4, FIG. 7 and FIG. 11, the constraining portion 231 is configured such that the end of the nose 221 comes into contact with the surface of the constraining portion 231 when the nose 221 pivots towards the yoke 211, so that the constraining portion moves from the constrained position to the released position overcoming the elastic force under the push of the nose 221, thus allowing the nose 221 to be positioned at the yoke 211.

[0116] As an example, the end of the nose 221 may contact the trigger 300 in the process of pushing the constraining portion 231.

[0117] In this disclosure, by using the nose 221 to push the constraining portion 231, the constraining portion 231 can be moved without a device such as the releaser 140, which saves processing time and reduces processing complexity.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 9a, and FIG. 9b, the holding element 230 further comprises a base portion 232 and a connecting portion 233. The base portion 232 is fixedly provided on the first positioning element 210. The connecting portion 233 connects the base portion 232 and the constraining portion 231, and the connecting portion 233 is configured to elastically deform when the constraining portion 231 moves so as to provide the elastic force. The constraining portion 231 has an annular shape and is configured to receive the nose 221 on the radial inner side of the constraining portion when in the constrained position. The connecting portion 233 is engaged with the constraining portion 231 from the radial inner side of the constraining portion 231.

[0119] As an example, the base portion 232 may be provided between the sliding member 410 and the first positioning element 210. For example, the first positioning element 210 may be mounted to the sliding member 410 by means of fasteners, and the base portion 232 may be provided with one or more mounting holes 235 for the fasteners to pass through.

[0120] As an example, the base portion 232 may have an annular shape. For example, the base portion 232 may be arranged coaxially with the sliding member 410 and the first positioning element 210.

[0121] In this disclosure, by making the nose 221 received on the radial inner side of theconstraining portion 231, and by engaging the connecting portion 233 with the constraining portion 231 from the radial inner side of the constraining portion 231, the radial inner side space of the constraining portion 231 can be fully utilized, so that the snap-action mechanism 200 can have a compact structure.

[0122] Referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 9a and FIG. 9b, the inner periphery of the constraining portion 231 is provided with a recess 234 for receiving the nose 221.

[0123] As an example, the recess 234 may be recessed radially outward from the inner periphery of the constraining portion 231, and penetrate the constraining portion 231 in the axial direction of the constraining portion 231. The nose 221 can be configured to pass through the recess 234 when the operating head 420 is in the first orientation.

[0124] In this disclosure, by providing the recess 234, the recess 234 can limit the movement of the nose 221, so that the operating head 420 can be held in place stably.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 9a, and FIG. 9b, the constraining portion 231 is configured to pivot between the constrained position and the released position around the connecting portion 233. The trigger 300 and the connecting portion 233 are oppositely arranged relative to each other in the radial direction of the constraining portion 231.

[0126] As an example, the pivot axis of the constraining portion 231 may be parallel to the pivot axis A.

[0127] As an example, as shown in FIG. 9b, the constraining portion 231 may be configured to be at an angle to the base portion 232 when in the constrained position. For example, the constraining portion 231 may be roughly aligned with the base portion 232 when in the released position and deviate from the base portion 232 when in the constrained position.

[0128] As an example, the constraining portion 231 may be configured to contact the first positioning element 210 when in the constrained position.

[0129] In this disclosure, by arranging the trigger 300 and the connecting portion 233 oppositely in the radial direction of the constraining portion 231, the lever between the trigger 300 and the connecting portion 233 is larger, so that the constraining portion 231 is easily pushed by the actuating element 141, so as to reduce the resistance encountered by the casing holder 170 when passing the releaser 140.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 9a and FIG. 9b, the trigger 300 comprises an intermediatesegment 310, and the intermediate segment 310 is configured to contact the actuating element 141 so that the constraining portion 231 is moved to the released position. The trigger 300 further comprises a starting guidance segment 320 at an angle to the intermediate segment 310, and the starting guidance segment 320 is configured to contact the actuating element 141 before the intermediate segment 310 so that the constraining portion 231 is moved to be between the constrained position and the released position. The trigger 300 further comprises an ending guidance segment 330 at an angle to the intermediate segment 310, and the ending guidance segment 330 is configured to contact the actuating element 141 after the intermediate segment 310 so that the constraining portion 321 is moved to be between the constrained position and the released position.

[0131] As an example, the trigger 300 may have an elongated shape. The intermediate segment 310 may be provided in the middle part of the trigger 300, the starting guidance segment 320 may be provided at one end of the trigger 300, and the ending guidance segment 330 may be provided at the other end of the trigger 300.

[0132] As an example, the starting guidance segment 320 and the ending guidance segment 330 may be adjacent to the intermediate segment 310.

[0133] It is appreciated that the starting guidance segment 320 and the ending guidance segment 330 are not used to limit the way in which the casing holder 170 passes the releaser 140. For example, in some cases, by moving the casing holder 170 in the opposite direction passed the releaser 140, the starting guidance segment 320 may be used as the ending guidance segment, and the ending guidance segment 330 may be used as the starting guidance segment.

[0134] In this disclosure, by providing the starting guidance segment 320, the actuating element 141 can gradually push the constraining portion 231 under the guidance of the starting guidance segment 320, thereby reducing the impact of the actuating element 141 on the holding element 230. By providing the ending guidance segment 330, the constraining portion 231 can gradually rebound, thereby reducing the impact of the holding element 230 on other elements.

[0135] It is appreciated that the starting guidance segment 320 and the ending guidance segment 330 are not required. In another embodiment, the trigger 300 may comprise only one of the starting guidance segment 320 and the ending guidance segment 330.

[0136] Referring to FIG. 8, FIG. 9a, and FIG. 9b, the holding element 230 is integrally formedfrom a plate.

[0137] As an example, the holding element 230 may be made of metal.

[0138] In this disclosure, by integrally forming the holding element 230 from the plate, it is easy to obtain the holding element 230 through processes such as stamping, bending, etc., thereby reducing the cost of the snap-action mechanism 200. In addition, by integrally forming the holding element 230 from the plate, the snap-action mechanism 200 can have fewer parts, allowing the snap-action mechanism 200 to have a compact structure.

[0139] The content above only relates to preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims1. A snap-action mechanism (200) for a casing holder (170) for an automatic wire harness making machine (100), the casing holder (170) comprising a sliding member (410) for being movably provided on a presentation board (131) and an operating head (420) being pivotally connected to the sliding member (420) between a first orientation and a second orientation around a pivot axis (A) parallel to the presentation board (131), wherein the snap-action mechanism (200) comprises:a first positioning element (210);a second positioning element (220); anda holding element (230), comprising a constraining portion (231), the constraining portion (231) is configured to hold the second positioning element (220) at the first positioning element (210), wherein the constraining portion (231) comprises a trigger (300) which when pushed overcomes an elastic force of the constraining portion (231) to allow the second positioning element (220) to pivot away from the first positioning element (210), thereby allowing the operating head (420) to pivot from the first orientation to the second orientation.

2. The snap-action mechanism (200) of claim 1, wherein the first positioning element (210) is fixedly connected to the sliding member (410), and / or wherein the second positioning element (220) is fixedly connected to the operating head (420).

3. The snap-action mechanism (200) of claims 1 or 2, wherein the constraining portion (231) is configured to keep the second positioning element (220) at the first positioning element (210) by engaging with the second positioning element (220).

4. The snap-action mechanism (200) of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the trigger (300) comprises an intermediate segment (310), and the intermediate segment (310) is configured to contact an actuating element (141) of the automatic wire harness making machine (100) so that the constraining portion (231) is in the released position.

5. The snap-action mechanism (200) of claim 4, wherein the trigger (300) comprises a starting guidance segment (320) at an angle to the intermediate segment (310), the startingguidance segment (320) being configured to contact the actuating element (141) before the intermediate segment (310) so that the constraining portion (321) is moved to be between the constraining position and the released position.

6. The snap-action mechanism of claims 4 or 5, wherein the trigger (300) comprises an ending guidance segment (330) at an angle to the intermediate segment (310), the ending guidance segment (330) being configured to contact the actuating element (141) after the intermediate segment (310) so that the constraining portion (321) is moved to be between the constraining position and the released position.

7. A casing holder (170) for an automatic wire harness making machine (100) comprising:a sliding member (410) for being movably provided on a presentation board (131);an operating head (420) being pivotally connected to the sliding member (420) between a first orientation and a second orientation around a pivot axis (A) parallel to the presentation board (131); anda snap-action mechanism (200) according to any of claims 1 to 6.

8. The casing holder of claim 7, wherein the operating head (420) is configured to hold a connector casing.

9. An automatic wire harness making machine (100) comprising:a casing holder (170) according to any of claims 7 or 8;a wire insertion section (120) for inserting wires into a connector casing held in the operating head (420) of the casing holder (170);a harness forming section (130) for bundling the wire into a harness (160); anda releaser (140) provided between the wire insertion section (120) and the harness forming section (130).

10. The automatic wire harness making machine (100) of claim 9, wherein the harness forming section (130) comprises a presentation board (131).

11. The automatic wire harness making machine (100) of claims 9 or 10, wherein the releaser (140) comprises an actuating element (141), the actuating element (141) being a rotatable part configured to roll on the trigger of the casing holder (170).

12. The automatic wire harness making machine (100) of any of claims 9 to 11, further comprising a reset station (150) provided between the wire insertion section (120) and the harness forming section (130), the reset station (150) being configured to guide the operating head (420) from the second orientation to the first orientation when the casing holder (170) passes through the reset station (150).

13. A method for automatically making a wire harness, the method comprising:in a wire insertion section, inserting wire ends into a connector casing held in the operating head;pivoting the operating head from the first orientation to the second orientation by moving the casing holder to a harness forming section through a releaser provided between the wire insertion section and the harness forming section; andbundling the wires into a wire harness by moving the casing holder on a presentation board of the harness forming section.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising: moving the operating head from the second orientation to the first orientation by moving the casing holder through a reset station provided between the wire insertion section and the harness forming section.

15. The method of claims 13 or 14, wherein the first orientation is a horizontal orientation and the second orientation is a vertical orientation.

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