Multifunctional Cable Gripper for Automated Harness Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The production of electrical vehicle wiring harnesses is hindered by the complexity of positioning tasks, particularly with electrical terminals, making complete automation impossible with existing robots.
Innovation Solution
A multifunctional gripper for industrial robots, capable of securing, releasing, and manipulating electrical cables, with features like cable stamps, guide sections, and clamps, allowing for various handling functions such as gripping, routing, and fixing, designed to enhance automation in harness production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a gripper is designed to perform multiple positioning tasks for cables, then the degree of automation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper is designed with multiple functional elements including cable feedthrough device, cable fixing device, and cable stamping device, allowing a single device to perform gripping, positioning, fixing, and stamping operations on cables during harness assembly, thereby increasing automation without requiring multiple separate devices
Solution Approach 2:
The gripper comprises multiple movable gripper fingers that can be independently positioned and configured to perform different functions at different locations along the cable, enabling complex positioning tasks to be divided into discrete actionable segments
2Adaptability or versatility
If the gripper fingers are designed to form both cable feedthrough device and cable fixing device, then the handling versatility is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper fingers are designed to be movable relative to one another, allowing the same physical structure to dynamically form different device configurations (feedthrough, fixing, or stamping) depending on the position and movement state of the fingers during the gripping cycle
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional devices (cable feedthrough device, cable fixing device, and cable stamping device) are merged into a single integrated gripper structure, where different combinations of gripper fingers perform different functions, reducing the need for separate dedicated devices
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a gripper (10) for an automated and/or manual manipulator (0) for the production of electrical vehicle wiring harnesses, with two gripping fingers (11, 12) movable relative to each other between at least one open position (O) and at least one closed position of the gripper (10) for positioning a flexible electrical cable (5) during the production of a vehicle wiring harness, characterized in that, for a positioning task using the gripper (10): on the one hand, a cable feedthrough device (30) with a substantially closed circumference can be formed between the gripping fingers (11, 12) for at least loosely holding the cable (5) and is formed in a closed position (S), and preferably, on the other hand, a cable punch (510) is provided on at least one gripping finger (11, 12) for placing the cable (5) by a feed movement of the gripper (10).