Wire Harness Branch Bundling for Automated Shape Formation

The patent segments the wire harness manufacturing process into distinct operational phases: routing electric wires to form branch shapes, performing tape winding to determine shapes, and conducting bundling operations. By dividing the complex manual process into separable steps, each can be targeted for automation with specialized apparatus, thereby increasing overall automation extent while maintaining operational quality.

The patent introduces automated apparatus as intermediary systems between the raw materials (electric wires, tapes) and the final product. These automated devices include routing mechanisms, tape winding apparatus, and bundling devices that act as mediators to perform previously manual operations, thus increasing automation without directly requiring skilled operator intervention.

The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual human operations with automated mechanical systems. The automated routing apparatus, tape winding devices, and bundling machines substitute for skilled operators' hands and judgment, enabling faster production speeds while maintaining precision through consistent automated control mechanisms rather than variable human performance.

The patent changes the operational parameters from human-dependent variables (operator skill level, fatigue state, decision-making speed) to machine-controlled parameters (motor speed, positioning accuracy, automated control signals). This parameter transformation enables both increased productivity through faster machine operations and maintained precision through repeatable, controlled processes.