JP6125893B2 - Terminal insertion device and terminal insertion method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal insertion device and a terminal insertion method for inserting a terminal into a connector housing.

  In Patent Document 1, an electric wire chucked by a terminal insertion head and lifted from a clamp rod is held one by one in a predetermined terminal accommodating chamber of a connector housing in which terminals are positioned on a mounting table. An automatic terminal insertion machine to be inserted is described.

  Patent Document 2 describes a terminal insertion device for inserting a terminal of a terminal with an electric wire into a terminal accommodating chamber of a connector housing in a wire harness production line or the like.

JP 2001-160472 A JP 2001-184958 A

  In both of the automatic terminal insertion machine of Patent Literature 1 and the terminal insertion device of Patent Literature 2, the plurality of connector housings are arranged in a row. That is, the plurality of connector housings are arranged side by side so that the front surface of the connector housing provided with the opening of the terminal housing chamber is located on the same side in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the terminals are inserted into the terminal housing chamber. Positioned in the state.

  However, such an automatic terminal insertion machine of Patent Literature 1 and a terminal insertion device of Patent Literature 2 must secure a space for arranging a plurality of connector housings in a row. Since this space tends to have a large width, the apparatus becomes large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a terminal insertion device and a terminal insertion method capable of realizing a reduction in size of the device.

In order to achieve the above-described object, a terminal insertion device according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to ( 9 ).
(1) A terminal insertion device for inserting a terminal into a connector housing,
A stationary platen in which a plurality of connector housings are arranged;
The connector disposed on the stationary platen, which grips an electric wire having a terminal connected to the tip and can move and swivel the electric wire with six degrees of freedom within a movable range without holding the terminal. A parallel joint mechanism for carrying the electric wire toward any one of the housings and inserting the terminals into cavities in the connector housing;
With
The fixed plate includes a first connector housing, a second connector housing, and a third connector housing of the plurality of connector housings, wherein the first connector housing and the second connector housing are aligned with each other. , The second connector housing and the third connector housing are arranged so that the alignment direction of the third connector housing intersects.
about.
(2) A terminal insertion device configured as described in (1) above,
In the fixed platen, the connector housing is arranged such that a set of line segments connecting adjacent connector housings forms a ring as a whole.
about.
(3) A terminal insertion device configured as described in (2) above,
The plurality of connector housings are arranged on the fixed plate so as to form an annular ring.
about.
(4) A terminal insertion device configured as described in (3) above,
In the fixed platen, each of the connector housings is disposed such that the cavity is positioned along a radial direction of the ring.
about.
( 5 ) A terminal insertion device configured as described in (3) or (4 ) above,
The fixed platen can be arranged by stacking the connector housing forming the ring up and down,
about.
( 6 ) The terminal insertion device having the configuration of (4) above,
The fixed plate is rotatable in the circumferential direction of the ring, and is rotated so that any one of the connector housings arranged on the fixed plate approaches the electric wire held by the parallel joint mechanism. Move,
about.
(7) A terminal insertion device configured as described in (4) above,
The fixed plate is freely tiltable at an arbitrary angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
about.
( 8 ) A terminal insertion device having any one of the constitutions (1) to ( 7 ),
The parallel joint mechanism has a first parallel joint mechanism and a second parallel joint mechanism,
The first parallel joint mechanism grips one end of the electric wire, conveys the electric wire toward the connector housing disposed on the fixed platen, and inserts the terminal into a cavity in the connector housing,
The second parallel joint mechanism grips the other end of the electric wire, conveys the electric wire toward the connector housing disposed on the fixed platen, and inserts the terminal into a cavity in the connector housing. ,
about.
( 9 ) A terminal insertion device having any one of the constitutions (1) to ( 8 ),
The parallel joint mechanism grips the electric wire, inserts the terminal into the cavity, and then pulls the electric wire back until a predetermined tension is applied.

According to the terminal insertion device having the configurations of (1) to (3) above, it is possible to reduce the size of the device. Further , according to the terminal insertion device having the configuration of (1) to (3) , it is not necessary to provide a chuck for gripping the terminal in the parallel joint mechanism. Thereby, it leads to the weight reduction of a parallel joint mechanism.
According to the terminal insertion device having the above configuration (4), the terminal insertion by the parallel joint mechanism becomes easier.
According to the terminal insertion device having the above configuration ( 5 ), the connector housing can be easily arranged with respect to the fixed platen, and more connectors can be mounted.
According to the terminal insertion device having the above configuration ( 6 ), the movement of the parallel joint mechanism can be minimized, and the working efficiency of the parallel joint mechanism can be improved.
According to the terminal insertion device having the above configuration ( 7 ), the electric wire extending from the connector housing attached to the fixed plate is prevented from coming into contact with the other electric wire and damaging the other electric wire or being entangled with the other electric wire. be able to.
According to the terminal insertion device having the configuration of ( 8 ) above, two parallel joint mechanisms grasp both terminals of one electric wire and insert them into different or the same connector housings, thereby providing terminals in units of one circuit line. Insertion processing can be performed.
According to the terminal insertion device having the above configuration ( 9 ), it is only necessary to provide a pressure sensor in the parallel joint mechanism in order to determine whether or not the terminal is inserted correctly. Reduction can be achieved.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the terminal insertion method according to the present invention is characterized by the following ( 10 ) to ( 18 ).
( 10 ) A terminal insertion method for inserting a terminal into a connector housing by a parallel joint mechanism,
A step of grasping an electric wire having a terminal connected to the tip;
Carrying the electric wire toward any one of a plurality of connector housings arranged on the fixed platen;
Inserting the terminal into the cavity in the connector housing;
Have
In the fixed platen, the first connector housing, the second connector housing, and the third connector housing of the connector housings are arranged in an arrangement direction of the first connector housing and the second connector housing, and The second connector housing and the third connector housing are arranged so as to intersect with each other ,
The parallel joint mechanism is capable of gripping the wire without gripping the terminal and moving and swiveling the gripped wire with six degrees of freedom within a movable range.
about.
( 11 ) A terminal insertion method having the configuration of ( 10 ) above,
In the fixed platen, the plurality of connector housings are arranged such that a set of line segments connecting adjacent connector housings forms an annular shape as a whole.
about.
( 12 ) A method of inserting a terminal having the configuration of ( 11 ) above,
In the fixed platen, the connector housing is arranged so as to form a ring,
about.
( 13 ) A method of inserting a terminal having the configuration of ( 12 ) above,
In the fixed platen, each of the connector housings is disposed such that the cavity is positioned along the radial direction of the ring,
about.
( 14 ) A terminal insertion method having the configuration of ( 12 ) or ( 13 ) above,
The fixed platen can be arranged by stacking the connector housing forming the ring up and down,
about.
( 15 ) A terminal insertion method having the configuration of ( 13 ) above,
The method further includes a step of rotating any one of the connector housings arranged on the fixed plate rotatable in a circumferential direction of the ring so as to approach the electric wire held by the parallel joint mechanism. ,
about.
( 16 ) A method of inserting a terminal having the configuration of ( 13 ) above,
The fixed plate is freely tiltable at an arbitrary angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
about.
( 17 ) The terminal insertion method according to any one of ( 10 ) to ( 16 ) above,
The parallel joint mechanism has a first parallel joint mechanism and a second parallel joint mechanism,
The first parallel joint mechanism grips one end of a wire whose terminal is connected to the tip, and the second parallel joint mechanism grips the other end of the wire whose terminal is connected to the tip;
The first parallel joint mechanism and the second parallel joint mechanism transporting the electric wires toward the connector housing disposed on the stationary platen; and
The first parallel joint mechanism and the second parallel joint mechanism inserting the terminal into the cavity in the connector housing;
Having
( 18 ) A terminal insertion method according to any one of the above ( 10 ) to ( 17 ),
The parallel joint mechanism further includes a step of holding the electric wire and inserting the terminal into the cavity and then pulling the electric wire back until a predetermined tension is applied.

According to the terminal insertion method having the above configuration ( 10 ) to ( 12 ), the cycle time of the terminal insertion processing step by the parallel joint mechanism can be shortened. Moreover, according to the terminal insertion method of the structure of said (10) to (12) , it is not necessary to provide the chuck | zipper for holding a terminal in a parallel joint mechanism. Thereby, it leads to the weight reduction of a parallel joint mechanism.
According to the terminal insertion method having the above configuration ( 13 ), the terminal insertion by the parallel joint mechanism becomes easier.
According to the terminal insertion method having the above configuration ( 14 ), the connector housing can be easily arranged with respect to the fixed platen, and more connectors can be mounted.
According to the terminal insertion method having the configuration ( 15 ), the movement of the parallel joint mechanism can be minimized, and the working efficiency of the parallel joint mechanism can be improved.
According to the terminal insertion method having the above configuration ( 16 ), the electric wires extending from the connector housing attached to the fixed plate are prevented from coming into contact with the other electric wires and damaging the other electric wires or being entangled with the other electric wires. be able to.
According to the terminal insertion method having the above configuration ( 17 ), the two parallel joint mechanisms hold the terminals of one electric wire and insert them into different or the same connector housings, thereby providing terminals in units of one circuit line. Insertion processing can be performed.
According to the terminal insertion method having the above configuration ( 18 ), it is only necessary to provide a pressure sensor in the parallel joint mechanism in order to determine whether or not the terminal is inserted correctly. Reduction can be achieved.

  According to the terminal insertion device of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the device. Moreover, according to the terminal insertion method of the present invention, the cycle time of the terminal insertion processing step by the parallel joint mechanism can be shortened.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through a mode for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal insertion device including two parallel joint mechanisms according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 3 (A) and 3 (B) are diagrams showing a stationary platen in the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 (A) is a plan view of the stationary platen, and FIG. ) Is a side view. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a parallel joint mechanism in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an electric wire transporter in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A is a perspective view illustrating a terminal measurement sensor in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a positional relationship between a detection region and a terminal by the measurement sensor. . FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of a control system including the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing one step of the terminal insertion process by the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing one process of the terminal insertion process by the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9B is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 9A. FIG. 10 (A) is a perspective view showing one step of the terminal insertion process by the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 (B) is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 10 (A). FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing one step of the terminal insertion processing by the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 12A is a perspective view showing one step of the terminal insertion process by the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12B is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 13A is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the tip of the terminal is located in the detection region of the X measurement sensor and the Z measurement sensor, and FIG. 13B shows that the rotation of the terminal in the roll direction is zero. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state returned and the electric wire has been arrange | positioned in parallel with the Y-axis. 14A and 14B are explanatory diagrams for explaining a method of calculating the rotation angle of the terminal in the roll direction. FIG. 14A shows a case where the rotation angle is 0, and FIG. The rotation angle is θ, and FIG. 14C is an explanatory diagram for explaining a calculation method of the rotation angle in the pitch direction and the rotation angle in the yaw direction of the wire gripping body 25b. 15 (A) and 15 (B) are diagrams showing an application example of the fixed platen in the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 (A) is a perspective view of the fixed platen. 15 (B) is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 15 (A). FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing an application example of the parallel joint mechanism 20 in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a side view showing an application example of a stationary platen in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Specific embodiments relating to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Outline of terminal insertion device]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal insertion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a stationary platen 10 and a parallel joint mechanism 20. The terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes an electric wire carrier 30 and a terminal measurement sensor 40. Hereinafter, the fixed platen 10, the parallel joint mechanism 20, the electric wire transporter 30, and the terminal measurement sensor 40 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the two parallel joint mechanisms 20 </ b> A and 20 </ b> B insert terminals into different connector housings 80 arranged on the fixed platen 10. In the case of this configuration, the electric wire transporter 30 includes two moving bodies 32A and 32B, and the moving body 32A holds one end of the electric wire 90 and the moving body 32B holds the other end of the electric wire 90. Then, the two moving bodies 32A and 32B carry the electric wire 90 in a state where one end and the other end are gripped to a predetermined position. Thus, the electric wire transporter 30 carries an electric wire per circuit line unit. The terminal measurement sensor 40 has two measurement sensors attached to the sensor base 41. One measurement sensor 47A measures a terminal located at the tip of an electric wire held by the parallel joint mechanism 20A, and another measurement sensor 47B measures a terminal located at the tip of the electric wire held by the parallel joint mechanism 20B. And With this configuration, the two parallel joint mechanisms 20A and 20B have one end gripping one end of the electric wire 90 and the other end holding the other end of the electric wire 90, with respect to different connector housings to which the respective end portions should be connected. Terminal insertion processing.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention to be described later, in order to lead to a deeper understanding, a mode in which a terminal is inserted into a connector housing by one parallel joint mechanism 20 will be described. Even if the terminals are inserted by the mechanisms 20A and 20B, the two parallel joint mechanisms 20A and 20B are driven independently, so that the terminal insertion process is the same.

[Configuration of terminal insertion device]
[Details of fixed platen 10]
3 (A) and 3 (B) are views showing a fixed platen in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 (A) is a plan view of the fixed platen, and FIG. 3 (B). Shows side views respectively. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 (A), and 3 (B), the fixed platen 10 is a member for positioning the connector housing 80, and is attached to a flat surface of a housing support (not shown). It is done. The stationary platen 10 includes a housing receiver 11 for holding the connector housing 80, an annular rail member 12 to which the housing receiver 11 is fixed, and the rail member 12 on the upper surface 13a so that the axis of the rail member 12 is aligned. A disk member 13 to be fixed, and a motor member 14 attached to a lower surface 13b of the disk member 13 having a rotation shaft 14a set to coincide with the axis of the disk member 13.

  The housing receiver 11 has a recess formed with an inner surface that substantially matches the shape of the outer surface of the connector housing 80. The connector housing 80 is positioned with respect to the housing receiver 11 by being accommodated in the recess of the housing receiver 11. The housing receiver 11 is fixed to the rail member 12 via a support base 11 a that supports the housing receiver 11. A part of the support base 11 a fixed to the rail member 12 extends outside the rail member 12 along the radial direction of the rail member 12. The housing receiver 11 is fixed to a part of the support base 11a extending to the outside of the rail member 12. In addition, a plurality of housing receivers 11 are fixed to the rail member 12, and the plurality of housing receivers 11 are disposed on the annular rail member 12 at a predetermined interval. For this reason, the connector housings 80 fixed to the plurality of housing receivers 11 are arranged such that when the positions of the adjacent connector housings 80 are sequentially connected, a set of the connected line segments forms an annular shape as a whole. The Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B), the connector housing 80 is received by the housing so that the front surface of the connector housing 80 where the opening of the cavity 81 is exposed is located outside the rail member 12. 11 is held. At this time, the extending direction of the cavity 81 in the connector housing held by the housing receiver 11 is arranged along the radial direction of the rail member 12.

  The rail member 12 is a flat annular member having a circular flat plate formed therein, and is fixed to the disk member 13 by fitting a part of the disk member 13 therein. The rail member 12 has two semicircular flat plates arranged side by side on the same plane. Preferably, the rail member 12 in a state in which the connector housing 80 is held by the housing receiver 11 is fixed to the disk member 13, and the terminal is inserted into each connector housing 80.

  The disk member 13 is a member in which three disk bodies 13c, 13d, and 13e having different diameters are stacked so that their axes coincide with each other, and these disk bodies 13c, 13d, and 13e are integrally formed. The disk body 13 c has a diameter that substantially matches the inner diameter of the rail member 12. When the disk body 13c is fitted into the rail member 12, the rail member 12 is fixed to the disk body 13c. Further, the disk body 13 d has a diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the rail member 12. The rail member 12 is stably held with respect to the disk member 13 by supporting the lower surface of the rail member 12 fixed to the disk body 13c by the upper surface 13a of the disk body 13d. The disk member 13e has a motor member 14 attached to the lower surface 13b. The axis of the disk body 13e coincides with the axis of the rotation shaft 14a of the motor member 14, and the disk member 13 rotates as the motor member 14 rotates. As a result, the rail member 12 fixed to the disk body 13 c of the disk member 13 also rotates about the rotation shaft 14 a as the motor member 14 rotates. For this reason, the plurality of connector housings 80 fixed to the respective housing receivers 11 also rotate in the circumferential direction of the ring formed by these housings.

  The motor member 14 is supported on the flat surface so that the rotation shaft is perpendicular to the flat surface of the housing support (not shown). When the motor member 14 is supported on the flat surface of the housing support base, the fixed platen 10 is attached to the housing support base. In the motor member 14, the rotational force of the motor is transmitted to the disk member 13 via various gears, and the disk member 13 rotates. The motor member 14 receives a control signal from a control device (not shown in FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B) and controls the rotation of the motor. The drive control of the motor member 14 by the control device will be described in [Details of control by the control device 70] described later.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of connector housings 80 are arranged in an annular shape on the stationary platen 10. For this reason, the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention does not need to secure a wide open space in the width direction for arranging a plurality of connector housings in a row, unlike the conventional terminal insertion device. It is sufficient to secure a space having a width that can accommodate the board 10. For this reason, the structure of the fixed board 10 mentioned above contributes to size reduction of a terminal insertion apparatus.

[Details of Parallel Joint Mechanism 20]
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a parallel joint mechanism in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The parallel joint mechanism 20 is a device for inserting a terminal into the connector housing 80, and is attached to a parallel joint mechanism support (not shown). As shown in FIG. 4, the parallel joint mechanism 20 includes a base 21 attached to the parallel joint mechanism support base, three first motors 22a, 22b, and 22c installed on the base 21, and a first motor. 22a, 22b, 22c are connected to one end of each of the rotating shafts 23a, 23b, 23c, and the other ends of the arms 23a, 23b, 23c are connected to one end via a universal joint and a transmission gear. Three links 24a, 24b, 24c to be connected and a hand member 25 connected to the other end of the three links 24a, 24b, 24c via a universal joint are provided. The parallel joint mechanism 20 controls the rotation amounts of the three first motors 22a, 22b, and 22c so that the inclination angles of the arms 23a, 23b, and 23c and the angles of the links 24a, 24b, and 24c with respect to the arms 23a, 23b, and 23c are adjusted. By changing, the hand member 25 can be translated in three directions along XYZ. The parallel joint mechanism 20 receives a control signal from a control device (not shown in FIG. 4) and controls the rotation of the first motors 22a, 22b, and 22c. The translation drive control of the parallel joint mechanism 20 in the XYZ3 direction by the control device will be described in [Details of control by the control device 70] described later.

  Furthermore, the hand member 25 includes a hand base 25a connected to the other ends of the three links 24a, 24b, and 24c via a universal joint, and an electric wire attached to the hand base 25a so as to be rotatable in the roll direction. A gripping body 25b and a wire chuck 25c provided at the tip of the wire gripping body 25b that grips a part of the electric wire including the terminal connected to the tip, and a hand base 25a are attached to the wire gripping body 25b. Attached to the hand base 25a, a second motor 25f that pivots in the pitch direction (the direction around the X axis in FIG. 4) and the yaw direction (the direction around the Z axis in FIG. 4) with respect to the base 25a, A third motor 25d for turning the wire gripping body 25b with respect to the hand base 25a in a roll direction (a direction around the Y axis in FIG. 4); A pressure sensor 25g for detecting the external force acting on the click 25c. In this embodiment, the second motor 25f and the third motor 25d are provided on the hand base 25a. However, the second motor 25f and the third motor 25d may be provided on the base 21. In this case, by setting the second motor 25f and the third motor 25d to the hand base 25a via the telescopic shaft and the universal joint, the hand member 25 can turn in the pitch direction, the yaw direction, and the roll direction. . In addition, the electric wire gripping body 25b is swung in the pitch direction and the yaw direction by one second motor 25f, but two motors corresponding to the second motor 25f are attached to the hand base 25a, and one motor is The rotation may be such that the electric wire gripping body 25b is pivotable in the pitch direction, and the other motor is pivotable by the rotation of the electric wire gripping body 25b in the yaw direction.

  The wire gripping body 25b has a cylinder that feeds air into the wire chuck 25c. The wire chuck 25c is closed when air is fed from the wire gripping body 25b, and is opened when air is not fed. The parallel joint mechanism 20 receives a control signal from a control device (not shown in FIG. 4), and controls the timing at which the wire gripping body 25b sends air to the wire chuck 25c. The opening / closing drive control of the electric wire chuck 25c by the control device will be described in [Details of control by the control device 70] described later.

  Further, the electric wire gripping body 25b is driven by controlling the rotation amount of the second motor 25f, so that the posture of the electric wire gripping body 25b turns in the pitch direction and the yaw direction. The electric wire gripping body 25b has a drive shaft 25e connected to the rotation shaft of the third motor 25d, and controls the amount of rotation of the third motor 25d to move the drive shaft 25e with respect to the hand base 25a. By rotating, the posture of the electric wire gripping main body 25b can be turned in the roll direction. As a result, the electric wire held by the electric wire chuck 25c also turns in the pitch direction, the yaw direction, and the roll direction. The parallel joint mechanism 20 receives a control signal from a control device (not shown in FIG. 4) and controls the rotation of the second motor 25f and the third motor 25d. The turning drive control in the pitch direction, yaw direction, and roll direction of the electric wire gripping body 25b by the control device will be described in [Details of control by the control device 70] described later.

  The electric wire chuck 25c includes a front chuck 25c1 and a rear chuck 25c2. In the embodiment of the present invention, each of the chucks 25c1 and 25c2 is closed in a state where the outer skin portion of the electric wire is sandwiched between the chucks, whereby the electric wire chuck 25c grips the electric wire. When the electric wire chuck 25c does not have to hold the terminal 91 as described above, it is not necessary to provide a terminal chuck for holding the terminal 91 in the electric wire holding body 25b. Thereby, it leads to the weight reduction of the electric wire holding body 25b, and the weight reduction of the hand member 25 by extension. As a result, the operation speed of the parallel joint mechanism 20 can be improved and the cycle time can be shortened, and the working efficiency of the parallel joint mechanism 20 can be improved.

[Details of Electric Wire Transporter 30]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an electric wire transporter in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The electric wire transporter 30 is a device that transports an electric wire 90 having a terminal 91 attached to the tip to a predetermined position. As shown in FIG. 5, the electric wire transporter 30 is a part of an electric wire 90 including a transport rail 31 extending in the X-axis direction, a movable body 32 that can slide the transport rail 31, and a terminal 91 connected to the tip. A conveyance chuck 33 provided on the moving body 32, a frame 34 that supports the conveyance rail 31, and an air chuck main body 35 that sends air to the conveyance chuck 33. In the embodiment of the present invention, the direction in which the moving body 32 moves on the transport rail 31 corresponds to the direction of the X axis.

  The moving body 32 includes a motor, and the rotational force of the motor can be converted into the propulsive force in the longitudinal direction of the transport rail 31 to slide on the transport rail 31. The moving body 32 receives a control signal from a control device (not shown in FIG. 5) and controls the rotation of the motor. The slide drive control on the transport rail 31 of the moving body 32 by the control device will be described in [Details of control by the control device 70] described later.

  The movable body 32 has an air chuck main body 35 that sends air to the conveyance chuck 33. The conveyance chuck 33 is closed when air is fed from the movable body 32, and the chuck is closed when air is not fed. Opens. The moving body 32 receives a control signal from a control device (not shown in FIG. 5) and controls the timing at which air is sent to the transport chuck 33. The opening / closing drive control of the conveyance chuck 33 by the control device will be described in [Details of control by the control device 70] described later.

  The position where the parallel joint mechanism 20 grips the electric wire 90 transported by the moving body 32 is previously determined. That is, the moving body 32 moves on the transport rail 31 and stops at a predetermined position. On the other hand, the parallel joint mechanism 20 has an electric wire transported by the moving body 32 at a predetermined position. Head to that position. As a result, the parallel joint mechanism 20 can grip the electric wire 90 that has been transported by the moving body 32, while the moving body 32 has the own electric wire 90 after the electric wire 90 is gripped by the parallel joint mechanism 20. Release the grip. The electric wire 90 is supplied to the parallel joint mechanism 20 by this series of processes.

[Details of terminal measurement sensor 40]
FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing a terminal measurement sensor in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The terminal measurement sensor 40 is a device that measures the rotation angle in the roll direction of the terminal 91 located at the tip of the electric wire 90 held by the parallel joint mechanism 20 and the XZ coordinate where the tip of the terminal 91 is located. In the embodiment of the present invention, the electric wire chuck 25c of the parallel joint mechanism 20 sandwiches two portions of the outer skin of the electric wire 90, the parallel joint mechanism 20 carries the electric wire 90, and the terminal 91 is placed in the cavity 81 of the connector housing 80. insert. At this time, it must be considered that the terminal 91 is rotating in the roll direction. Furthermore, the wire 90 hangs down due to the weight of the terminal 91 or bounces off due to the winding of the wire. More specifically, the wire 90 hangs down from the position gripped by the front chuck 25c1 of the wire chuck 25c to the tip of the wire 90 or Bounce, and have to consider. The terminal measurement sensor 40 detects the rotation angle of the terminal 91 in the roll direction and the inclination of the terminal 91 with respect to the Y-axis direction due to the drooping or rebounding of the electric wire 90.

  The terminal measurement sensor 40 includes a sensor base 41, an X measurement sensor 42 that detects a position coordinate in the X-axis direction of the tip of the terminal 91 attached to the sensor base 41, and a position coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the tip of the terminal 91 attached to the sensor base 41. A Z measurement sensor 43 for detecting the sensor, a sensor base rail 44 extending in the Y-axis direction, a slider 45 that enables the sensor base 41 to slide along the sensor base rail 44, and an end of the sensor base rail 44 (FIG. 6A ), And a drive source 46 for moving the sensor base 41 forward and backward through the slider 45 provided on the left side). The direction in which the sensor base 41 moves on the sensor base rail 44 corresponds to the direction of the Y axis.

  In the X measurement sensor 42, a light emitting surface that emits a belt-shaped laser and a light receiving surface that receives the belt-shaped laser are arranged apart from each other in the Z-axis direction. Further, in the Z measurement sensor 43, the light emitting surface that emits the belt-shaped laser and the light receiving surface that receives the belt-shaped laser are arranged apart from each other in the X-axis direction. The detection area surrounded by the light emitting surface and the light receiving surface of the X measurement sensor 42 and the light emitting surface and the light receiving surface of the Z measurement sensor 43 as shown in FIG. When the shielding object is located on the surface, the distribution of the light intensity detected on the light receiving surface of the X measurement sensor 42 and the distribution of the light intensity detected on the light receiving surface of the Z measurement sensor 43 The width in the X direction, the Z direction, and the XZ coordinate can be specified. If this principle is utilized and the tip of the terminal 91 of the electric wire 90 gripped by the parallel joint mechanism 20 can be arranged in the detection region of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43, the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43 are used. The rotation angle θ in the roll direction at the tip of the terminal 91 and the XZ coordinate can be detected from the width in the X direction and the Z direction of the terminal 91 and the XZ coordinate detected by.

  As described above, in order to dispose the tip of the terminal 91 in the detection region of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43, the sensor base 41 moves the sensor base rail 44 in the Y-axis direction as follows. That is, the drive source 46 is driven by receiving a control signal from a control device (not shown in FIG. 6) or stops driving, and the sensor base 41 receives power from the drive source 46 and receives the Y axis. Move to any position in the direction. By the movement of the sensor base 41, the tip of the terminal 91 can be accommodated in the detection area of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43.

  Note that the amount of drooping or rebounding of the wire 90 due to the weight of the terminal 91 increases as the location where the parallel joint mechanism 20 grips the wire 90 is further away from the terminal 91. As a result, it is conceivable that the terminal 91 does not fit in the detection area of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43, the terminal 91 does not reach the detection area of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43, and the like. For this reason, in determining the location where the parallel joint mechanism 20 grips the electric wire 90, the maximum displacement amount of the X-axis and the Z-axis at the tip of the terminal 91 due to the drooping or rebounding of the electric wire 90 falls within the detection region, and It is preferable that the maximum displacement amount in the Y-axis direction be within the range of the thickness of the belt-shaped laser (the thickness in the Y-axis direction) of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43.

  As for the movement of the sensor base 41 described so far, the control device (not shown in FIG. 6) receives a signal from the encoder of the drive source 46 and outputs a control signal to the drive source 46 to control the movement of the sensor base 41. It is realized by doing. And X measurement sensor 42 and Z measurement sensor 43 will output the signal to a control device, if the X direction of the tip of terminal 91 arranged in a detection field, the width of a Z direction, and XZ coordinates are detected. The calculation method of the rotation angle θ in the roll direction at the tip of the terminal 91 and the XZ coordinate will be described in [Details of control by the control device 70] described later.

[Control system configuration]
As described in the item [Configuration of terminal insertion device], the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the stationary platen 10 and the parallel joint mechanism 20, and further includes the electric wire carrier 30 and the terminal measurement. Sensor 40. In order to control these equipments comprehensively, the control system including the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a control device 70. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of a control system including the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. The control device 70 includes the motor member 14 of the fixed platen 10, the parallel joint mechanism 20, the moving body 32 of the electric wire transporter 30, the X measurement sensor 42 of the terminal measurement sensor 40, the Z measurement sensor 43, and the encoder of the drive source 46. Connected to. The control device 70 outputs control signals to various drive sources, and signals detected by the sensors are input from various sensors. The control device 70 can be configured by various devices such as a general-purpose PC and a dedicated arithmetic device that controls the entire system including the terminal insertion device. Hereinafter, a series of processes for inserting the terminal 91 into the connector housing 80 controlled by the control device 70 will be described in detail.

[Details of Control by Control Device 70]
[Positioning setting process]
Prior to a series of processes for inserting the terminal 91 into the connector housing 80, the control device 70 sets the initial position of the fixed platen 10 and the initial position of the connector housing 80 arranged on the fixed platen 10, and sets the initial state. It is necessary for the control device 70 to recognize the position of the cavity 81 of the connector housing 80 in FIG.

  By the way, the disk member 13 and the motor member 14 of the fixed platen 10 are attached to predetermined positions of the housing support base. For this reason, the position of the center of the rail member 12 attached to the disk member 13 whose shape is specified can be determined at one point on the axis of the disk member 13. The radius of the rail member 12 and the mounting position of each housing receiver 11 with respect to the rail member 12 are known. From the above, if the relative shift amount between the predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the disk member 13 and the predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the rail member 12 when the rail member 12 is attached to the disk member 13, the shift amount is known. The position of the connector housing 80 accommodated in each housing receiver 11 and the position of the opening of the cavity 81 can be set in the control device 70 based on the above.

  The relative shift amount from the predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the disk member 13 to the predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the rail member 12 can be set in the control device 70 as follows. That is, a mark is provided at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the disk member 13 and a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the rail member 12, and the rail member 12 is attached to the disk member 13 so that the marks coincide with each other. . In this way, the control device 70 may be set as the deviation amount “0”. Alternatively, a scale indicating an angle in the circumferential direction of the disk member 13 or the circumferential direction of the rail member 12 is added, and the angle from the predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the disk member 13 to the predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the rail member 12 is shifted. It is also possible to set it in the control device 70 as an amount.

  Alternatively, the initial position of the disk member 13 may be set using the parallel joint mechanism 20. For example, one of the housing receivers 11 of the disk member 13 is provided with a round hole, and the electric wire chuck 25c is provided with a round bar for positioning instead of the electric wire 90. The position of the housing receiver 11 into which the round bar can be inserted into the round hole is defined as the position of the rotation angle 0 of the disk member 13. As described above, the initial position of the stationary platen 10 is set by various methods.

  Further, prior to a series of processes for inserting the terminal 91 into the connector housing 80, the control device 70 includes the initial positions of the X coordinate, Y coordinate and Z coordinate of the hand base 25a of the parallel joint mechanism 20, the wire gripping body. It is necessary to set an angle in the pitch direction of 25b, an initial angle in the yaw direction, and an initial angle in the roll direction of the wire gripping body 25b, and let the control device 70 recognize these numerical values in the initial state. The initial positions of the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, and the Z coordinate of the hand base 25 a are determined by a predetermined position of the transport chuck 33 of the wire transporter 30. That is, the initial position of the hand base 25a is such that the wire chuck 25c is a predetermined distance above the transport chuck 33 in a state where the moving body 32 holding the wire 90 is at a predetermined position where the wire should be passed to the parallel joint mechanism 20. It is determined to be located in the positive direction of the Z axis. More precisely, the initial position of the hand base 25a is such that when the electric wire chuck 25c and the conveyance chuck 33 are viewed in the Z-axis direction, the conveyance chuck 33 is sandwiched between the front chuck 25c1 and the rear chuck 25c2 of the electric wire chuck 25c. Determined in position. For this reason, when the electric wire chuck 25c holds the electric wire 90 held by the transfer chuck 33, the front chuck 25c1 and the rear chuck 25c2 hold the front and rear sides of the transfer chuck 33.

  The predetermined position at which the movable body 32 should pass the electric wire to the parallel joint mechanism 20 is provided with a stopper at a predetermined position of the transport rail 31 or is positioned by the encoder information of the motor of the movable body 32, etc. Is set in the structure. If the operator measures and sets the predetermined position in the control device 70 in advance, or if the encoder information of the motor of the moving body 32 is stored on the electric wire transporter 30 side, the control device 70 is placed at the predetermined position. Based on this, the initial positions of the X coordinate, Y coordinate, and Z coordinate of the hand base 25a of the parallel joint mechanism 20 can be set.

  The sensor base rail 44 of the terminal measurement sensor 40 is aligned with the conveyance chuck 33 in a state where the moving body 32 that holds the electric wire 90 is in a predetermined position where the electric wire should be passed to the parallel joint mechanism 20. In other words, the sensor base rail 44 is the origin of the XZ coordinates measured by the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43 by the electric wire 90 that is gripped by the conveyance chuck 33 and that extends ideally in the Y-axis direction without drooping or rebounding. It is aligned with a position that passes through O (see FIG. 6B). The initial position of the sensor base 41 of the terminal measurement sensor 40 is determined by the encoder information of the drive source 46. This initial position is a position where the tip of the terminal 91 of the gripped electric wire 90 is separated from the detection region of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43, and a certain distance can be secured between the two members.

In summary, the following items are set as initial values in the control device 70.
The initial position of the fixed platen The initial position of the rail member 12 relative to the fixed platen The initial position of the cavity 81 of the connector housing 80 disposed on the fixed platen The X coordinate, Y coordinate and Z coordinate of the hand base 25a Initial position, initial angle of pitch direction and angle of yaw direction of wire gripping body 25b, initial angle of angle of roll direction of wire gripping body 25b, initial position of moving body 32 relative to transport rail 31 Initial position of sensor base 41

[Pin insertion processing]
Next, a series of processes for inserting the terminal 91 into the connector housing 80 will be described in detail. 8A, FIG. 9A, FIG. 10A, FIG. 11A, and FIG. 12A each show one step of terminal insertion processing by the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view. 8B, FIG. 9B, FIG. 10B, FIG. 11B, and FIG. 12B respectively correspond to FIG. 8A, FIG. 9A, and FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view of (A), FIG. 11 (A), and FIG. 12 (A). The driving of each piece of equipment described below is in accordance with a control signal from the control device 70.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the parallel joint mechanism 20 moves the hand base 25a after the previous series of processing for inserting the terminal 91 into the connector housing 80 is completed. While moving to the initial position of X coordinate, Y coordinate, and Z coordinate, it turns so that the angle of the pitch direction of the electric wire holding body 25b and the angle of a yaw direction may be returned to an initial angle. Furthermore, it turns so that the angle of the roll direction of the electric wire holding body 25b may be returned to the initial angle.

  In addition, after the previous series of processing for inserting the terminal 91 into the connector housing 80 is completed, the stationary platen 10 receives a control signal from the control device 70 and the rail member 12 rotates, and this series of processing. Thus, the connector housing 80 into which the terminal 91 is inserted rotates around the electric wire gripping body 25b of the parallel joint mechanism 20. Such rotation driving control of the fixed platen 10 can be realized because the initial position of the connector housing 80 arranged on the fixed platen 10 is set in the control device 70 in [positioning setting processing]. Further, at the time of this circular movement, it is preferable that the connector housing 80 be circularly moved to a position where the cavity 81 into which the terminal 91 is inserted in the current series of processing is parallel to the Y axis. Such circular drive control of the fixed platen 10 can also be realized because the position of the opening of the cavity 81 in the connector housing 80 is registered in advance.

  Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, in the electric wire transporter 30, the moving body 32 in a state where the electric wire is held by the conveyance chuck 33 moves to a predetermined position.

  When the parallel joint mechanism 20 completes the movement of the movable body 32 to the predetermined position, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the hand base 25a moves the predetermined distance downward (Z Move in the negative axis direction). Then, the electric wire chuck 25 c holds the electric wire 90 held by the transport chuck 33.

  When the electric wire 90 is gripped by the electric wire chuck 25 c of the parallel joint mechanism 20, the terminal measurement sensor 40 starts moving forward from the initial position toward the electric wire gripping body 25 b of the parallel joint mechanism 20. And if the sensor stand 41 comes to the position defined by the encoder information of the drive source 46, the movement will stop.

  When the movement of the sensor base 41 is completed, the electric wire transporter 30 opens the conveyance chuck 33 and releases the electric wire 90 as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the moving body 32 moves away from the predetermined position in order to grip the next electric wire 90.

  When the movement of the sensor base 41 is completed, the tip of the terminal 91 is positioned in the detection region of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43 as shown in FIGS. 9 (A) and 9 (B). Yes. At this time, the light intensity distribution detected by each of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43 is input to the control device 70. The control device 70 calculates the rotation angle of the terminal 91 in the roll direction and the XZ coordinate of the tip of the terminal 91 based on the distribution of the light intensity.

  FIG. 13A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state where the tip of the terminal is located in the detection region of the X measurement sensor and the Z measurement sensor. As shown in FIG. 13A, the terminal 91 may be rotating in the roll direction. Furthermore, the electric wire 90 gripped by the electric wire chuck 25c may be bent back (Z-axis positive direction) and left and right (X-axis direction) with the front chuck 25c1 of the electric wire chuck 25c as a fulcrum (conversely, depending on the hanging state). Down (Z-axis negative direction) and left / right (X-axis direction). Thus, even if the terminal 91 is rotated in the roll direction and the terminal 91 is inserted into the cavity 81 of the connector housing 80 while the electric wire 90 is bounced back, the terminal 91 cannot be inserted into the cavity 81 or has been inserted. However, there is a possibility that the electric wire 90 or the terminal 91 may be damaged.

  Therefore, in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the control device 70 rotates the rotation angle of the terminal 91 in the roll direction based on the distribution of the light intensity detected by each of the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43. And the amount of sag or rebound of the electric wire 90 is quantitatively calculated. Then, the control device 70 further returns the rotation of the terminal 91 in the roll direction to 0 degrees based on the calculated numerical value, and the electric wire 90 for arranging the electric wire 90 that has dropped or bounced in parallel to the Y axis. The rotation angle in the roll direction of the grip body 25b, and the rotation angle in the pitch direction and the rotation angle in the yaw direction of the wire grip body 25b are calculated.

Here, a calculation method for calculating the rotation angle of the wire gripping body 25b in the roll direction will be described. 14A and 14B are explanatory diagrams for explaining a method of calculating the rotation angle of the terminal in the roll direction. FIG. 14A shows a case where the rotation angle is 0, and FIG. This is a case where the rotation angle is θ. In the following, it is assumed that the shape of the distal end surface of the terminal 91 is a rectangle having a width a and a height b, and the length of the diagonal line is c. At this time, as shown in FIG. 14A, an angle θ ₀ formed by one side of the width direction and a diagonal line is given by the following equation.
θ ₀ = cos ⁻¹ (a / c)

Next, consider a case where the terminal 91 rotates θ in the roll direction. At this time, the light receiving surfaces of the X measuring sensor 42 and the Z measuring sensor 43 receive light having a distribution in which the intensity is partially weakened by the band-shaped laser being blocked by the terminal 91. By specifying this weakened portion, the width of the terminal 91 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is specified. In FIG. 14B, X indicates the width in the X-axis direction of the terminal 91 specified based on the distribution received by the X measurement sensor 42, and Z is specified based on the distribution received by the Z measurement sensor 43. The width in the Z-axis direction of the terminal 91 is shown. Here, as shown in FIG. 14B, when the angle θ ₁ formed by the diagonal line and the X-axis direction is defined, the rotation angle θ is given by the following equation.
θ = θ ₀ −θ ₁ = cos ⁻¹ (a / c) −cos ⁻¹ (X / c)
With this calculation method, the rotation angle in the roll direction of the electric wire gripping body 25b is calculated.

  Next, a calculation method for calculating the rotation angle in the pitch direction and the rotation angle in the yaw direction of the electric wire gripping body 25b will be described. FIG. 14C is an explanatory diagram for explaining a calculation method of the rotation angle in the pitch direction and the rotation angle in the yaw direction of the electric wire gripping body 25b. As shown in FIG. 14B, the X coordinate of the tip of the terminal 91 can be determined as the midpoint x1 of the width X described above. Similarly, the Z coordinate of the tip of the terminal 91 can be determined as the midpoint z1 of the width Z described above.

By the way, the sensor base 41 and the sensor base rail 44 are the origin O of the XZ coordinate (refer FIG.6 (B)) by which the electric wire 90 extended ideally in a Y-axis direction is measured by the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43. ). Further, the distance l from the front chuck 25c1 of the parallel joint mechanism 20 to the detection region in the sensor base 41 advanced is known. Therefore, when regarded the position of the front chuck 25c1 as the origin, as shown in FIG. 14 (C), the rotation angle theta ₃ of the rotation angle theta ₂ and the yaw direction in the pitch direction of the electric wire gripping body 25b is by: Given.
θ ₂ = tan ⁻¹ (z1 / l)
θ ₃ = tan ⁻¹ (x1 / l)
By this calculation method, the rotation angle in the pitch direction and the rotation angle in the yaw direction of the electric wire gripping body 25b are calculated.

  FIG. 13B is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the rotation of the terminal in the roll direction is returned to 0 and the electric wires are arranged in parallel to the Y axis. The control device 70 turns the hand base 25a and the electric wire gripping body 25b in a direction that cancels the rotation by the calculated rotation angle in the pitch direction, rotation angle in the yaw direction, and rotation angle in the roll direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13B, the wire gripping main body 25b can grip the wire 90 in which the rotation angle of the terminal 91 in the roll direction returns to 0 degrees and extends parallel to the Y axis.

  In the terminal measurement sensor 40, after the hand base 25a and the electric wire gripping body 25b are turned, the sensor base 41 moves to the initial position as shown in FIGS.

  After the sensor base 41 moves to the initial position, the parallel joint mechanism 20 drives the hand base 25a in the X-axis and Z-axis directions as shown in FIGS. 11 (A) and 11 (B). The axis center of the electric wire 90 after the rotation angle of the terminal 91 in the roll direction returns to 0 degrees and becomes parallel to the Y axis is aligned with the XZ coordinate of the opening of the cavity 81 in the connector housing 80. Then, the parallel joint mechanism 20 drives the hand base 25a in the positive Y-axis direction and inserts the terminal 91 into the cavity 81 as shown in FIGS. 12 (A) and 12 (B). At this time, the distance until the terminal 91 is locked in the cavity 81 in the connector housing 80 is set in the control device 70. For this reason, the control device 70 drives the parallel joint mechanism 20 so that the hand base 25a moves in the positive Y-axis direction by this distance. At this time, the control device 70 determines the buckling of the terminal 91 or the interference of the terminal 91 with the stationary platen 10 when the terminal 91 is not inserted into the cavity from the signal detected by the pressure sensor 25g.

  When the parallel joint mechanism 20 moves the hand base 25a in the Y-axis positive direction, the parallel joint mechanism 20 subsequently moves the hand base 25a slightly in the Y-axis negative direction. Here, the electric wire holding body 25b is provided with a pressure sensor for detecting an external force acting on the electric wire chuck 25c. When the terminal 91 is normally inserted into the cavity 81, the terminal 91 is engaged with the lance in the cavity 81. For this reason, if the terminal 91 is normally inserted into the cavity 81, the pressure sensor 25g detects a tension exceeding a certain threshold that acts on the electric wire 90 when the hand base 25a is slightly moved in the negative Y-axis direction. Should do. On the other hand, if the terminal 91 is not normally inserted into the cavity 81, the pressure sensor 25g does not detect an external force or detects a tension below a threshold when the hand base 25a is slightly moved in the negative Y-axis direction. It should be. In this way, the parallel joint mechanism 20 determines whether or not the terminal 91 has been normally inserted by slightly moving the hand base 25a in the Y-axis negative direction. When the terminal 91 is not normally inserted into the cavity 81, the parallel joint mechanism 20 moves the hand base 25a onto the dust box, and opens the electric wire chuck 25c, thereby discarding the electric wire 90 in the dust box. It may be. Thereafter, the parallel joint mechanism 20 moves the hand base 25a to the initial positions of the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, and the Z coordinate when the current series of processes for inserting the terminal 91 into the connector housing 80 is completed. It turns so that the angle of the pitch direction and the angle of the yaw direction of the electric wire holding body 25b may be returned to the initial angles. Furthermore, it turns so that the angle of the roll direction of the electric wire holding body 25b may be returned to the initial angle.

[Operation and effect of the terminal insertion device of the present invention]
As described above, the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following operations and effects.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of connector housings 80 are arranged in an annular shape on the stationary platen 10. For this reason, the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention does not need to secure a wide open space in the width direction for arranging a plurality of connector housings in a row, unlike the conventional terminal insertion device. It is sufficient to secure a space having a width that can accommodate the board 10. For this reason, the structure of the fixed board 10 mentioned above contributes to size reduction of a terminal insertion apparatus.

  The effect of downsizing the terminal insertion device is realized by the cooperation of the fixed platen 10 and the parallel joint mechanism 20. If the annular fixing plate 10 of the present invention is simply applied to a conventional terminal insertion device, the device on the side where the terminal is inserted into the connector housing cannot correspond to the annular fixing plate 10, and the connector housing can be connected. It is only difficult to insert the terminal. In order to solve this difficulty, it is added that the parallel joint mechanism 20 that can move and turn freely with six degrees of freedom within the movable range is used although the movable range is narrow. In addition, the size of the parallel joint mechanism 20 itself may be smaller than that of the conventional device for holding the terminal of the terminal insertion device. Therefore, the compatibility between the fixed platen 10 and the parallel joint mechanism 20, that is, the similarity of the trajectory of the rotation of the connector housing arranged on the fixed platen 10 and the shape of the movable range of the parallel joint mechanism 20, The entire insertion device can be further reduced in size.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the stationary platen 10 rotates, and the next connector housing 80 into which the terminal 91 is to be inserted approaches the electric wire 90 held by the parallel joint mechanism 20. For this reason, the movement of the parallel joint mechanism 20 can be minimized, and the working efficiency of the parallel joint mechanism 20 can be improved.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the parallel joint mechanism 20 has a structure in which only the electric wire is gripped without gripping the terminal. For this reason, there is no need to provide a chuck for gripping the terminals on the electric wire gripping body 25b of the parallel joint mechanism 20. Thereby, it leads to the weight reduction of the electric wire holding body 25b, and the weight reduction of the hand member 25 by extension. As a result, the operation speed of the parallel joint mechanism 20 can be improved and the cycle time can be shortened, and the working efficiency of the parallel joint mechanism 20 can be improved.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the tip of the terminal 91 is optically measured using the X measurement sensor 42 and the Z measurement sensor 43. For this reason, the width of the terminal 91 in the X direction and the Z direction and the XZ coordinate can be detected instantaneously, and the attitude of the terminal 91 can be detected. Furthermore, since the detection accuracy is high, the rotation angle in the roll direction of the wire gripping body 25b, the rotation angle in the pitch direction, and the rotation angle in the yaw direction of the wire gripping body 25b can be accurately measured. As a result, the cycle time can be shortened and the erroneous insertion of the terminals can be reduced, and the working efficiency is improved.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, even if the electric wire 90 has a small amount of curl, the terminal 91 can be inserted into the connector housing 80 with the curl remaining. For this reason, the process for suppressing the variation in the precision of components, such as correcting the curl of the electric wire 90, becomes unnecessary. As a result, work efficiency is improved.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention, after the terminal 91 is inserted into the connector housing 80, it is determined whether or not the terminal 91 has been normally inserted by pulling the electric wire 90 in the direction opposite to the terminal insertion direction. To do. In order to determine whether or not the terminal is inserted correctly by this operation, it is only necessary to provide a pressure sensor on the electric wire gripping body 25b, and the weight reduction and cost reduction of the electric wire gripping body 25b can be achieved as the number of parts decreases. The weight reduction of the electric wire gripping body 25b leads to an improvement in the operation speed of the parallel joint mechanism 20 and a reduction in cycle time.

[Application of the terminal insertion device of the present invention]
In the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention described above, the plurality of connector housings 80 are arranged in an annular shape on the stationary platen 10. The terminal insertion device of the present invention is not limited to the one in which the positional relationship where the plurality of connector housings 80 are arranged is a ring as a whole. All shapes that are annular when the plurality of connector housings 80 are viewed as a whole are included. Furthermore, the positional relationship in which the plurality of connector housings 80 are arranged does not have to be annular as a whole. The first connector housing, the second connector housing, and the third connector housing of the plurality of connector housings are arranged in the direction in which the first connector housing and the second connector housing are arranged, and the second connector housing and the third connector housing. If the connector housings are arranged so as to intersect with each other, the effect of downsizing the terminal insertion device can be satisfied.

  Further, in the plurality of connector housings 80, adjacent connector housings do not need to be arranged at a predetermined interval. Adjacent connector housings 80 may be arranged at an arbitrary distance.

  In the terminal insertion device of the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the second joint motor 25f and the third motor 25d provided on the hand base 25a are rotated in the roll direction, the pitch direction, and the yaw direction by the parallel joint mechanism 20. It was decided to drive by. The member for providing the second motor 25f and the third motor 25d is not limited to the hand base 25a. The base 21 is provided with motors corresponding to the second motor 25f and the third motor 25d, and the rotation of the motor is transmitted to the hand base 25a through the telescopic shaft and the universal joint, and the roll direction and pitch of the hand base 25a are transmitted. The structure in which the turning in the direction and the yaw direction is realized.

  Moreover, in the terminal insertion apparatus of embodiment of this invention mentioned above, a series of operation | movement and arrangement | positioning of the stationary platen 10, the parallel joint mechanism 20, the electric wire transporter 30, and the terminal measurement sensor 40 are only examples. For example, the terminal measurement sensor 40 is mounted on the movable body 32, and when the electric wire 90 is supplied to the conveyance chuck 33 and the conveyance chuck 33 is closed, the terminal measurement sensor 40 moves forward in the negative Y-axis direction and at the same time, the movable body 32. The terminal measurement on the electric wire 90 can also be performed by a series of operations and arrangements in which the parallel joint mechanism 20 moves to a predetermined position below the parallel joint mechanism 20 and the parallel joint mechanism 20 descends from the predetermined position and grips the electric wire 90. .

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the motor member 14 of the stationary platen 10 is flat so that the rotation axis is perpendicular to the flat surface of the housing support (not shown). It was supposed to be supported by the surface. The angle of the rotation axis with respect to the flat surface is not limited to vertical. You may make it determine suitably according to the shape of the stationary platen 10. Further, the angle of the rotation axis with respect to the flat surface may be variable. A mode in which the angle of the rotation axis with respect to the flat surface is variable will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 (A) and 15 (B). 15 (A) and 15 (B) are diagrams showing an application example of the fixed platen in the terminal insertion device of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 (A) is a perspective view of the fixed platen. 15 (B) is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 15 (A). As shown in FIG. 15A, the stationary platen 10 is attached to the flat surface of the housing support base 15 via an attachment base 16 that adjusts the angle of the rotation axis A with respect to the flat surface. The mount 16 is provided with a shaft 16a and an air cylinder 16b, and the rotation angle with respect to the shaft 16a can be adjusted by the air cylinder 16b. Thereby, the angle of the rotating shaft A of the motor member 14 with respect to a flat surface can be adjusted. As shown in FIG. 15B, such a fixed platen 10 is fixed to the fixed platen 10 when the connector housing 80 subjected to terminal insertion processing is fixed to the fixed platen 10. The electric wire 90 located near the connector housing 80 becomes a more linear shape, that is, a shape in which the drooping or rebounding of the electric wire is suppressed. For this reason, when the connector housing 80 fixed to the fixed platen 10 is rotated, the electric wires extending from the connector housing 80 are prevented from coming into contact with other electric wires and damaging the other electric wires or being entangled with other electric wires. can do.

  In addition, when the parallel joint mechanism 20 performs terminal insertion processing on the stationary platen 10 that is described with reference to FIGS. 15A and 15B and in which the angle of the rotation axis with respect to the flat surface is variable, It is necessary to incline the base 21 of the parallel joint mechanism 20 so as to be parallel to the fixed platen 10. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing an application example of the parallel joint mechanism 2 in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 16, by making the inclination of the base 21 of the parallel joint mechanism 20 parallel to the fixed platen 10, the direction of the cavity 81 of the connector housing 80 and the parallel joint mechanism 20 insert the terminal 91. The direction of time coincides. For this reason, even if the parallel joint mechanism 20 is the stationary platen 10 inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the terminal 91 can be inserted into the connector housing 80 of the stationary platen 10.

  In the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, a plurality of connector housings 80 are arranged on the surface of the rail member 12 on the same plane as shown in FIG. It was. The present invention is not limited to the form in which the connector housing 80 is disposed on the same plane. FIG. 17 is a side view showing an application example of a stationary platen in the terminal insertion device according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 17, the fixed platen 10 has two rail members 12A and 12B, and the rail members 12A and 12B can be stacked and fixed in the vertical direction in FIG. The rail member 12A has a support wall 17 extending in a direction perpendicular to the rail member 12A (upward in FIG. 17), and the rail member 12B is placed on the upper surface of the support wall 17 and supported at three points. Thus, the rail member 12B is fixed to the rail member 12A. With this structure, a connector housing 80 that forms a ring can be stacked on the fixed platen 10 in a stacked manner.

Here, the features of the terminal insertion device and the terminal insertion method of the embodiment of the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [22], respectively.
[1]
A terminal insertion device for inserting a terminal (91) into a connector housing (80),
A stationary platen (10) in which a plurality of connector housings (80) are disposed;
The electric wire (90) to which the terminal (91) is connected at the tip is gripped, and the electric wire (90) is directed toward any one of the connector housings (80) arranged on the fixed platen (10). A parallel joint mechanism (20) for carrying and inserting the terminal (91) into the cavity (81) in the connector housing (80);
With
The fixed plate (10) includes a first connector housing (80), a second connector housing (80), and a third connector housing (80) of the plurality of connector housings (80). The arrangement direction of one connector housing (80) and the second connector housing (80) intersects the arrangement direction of the second connector housing (80) and the third connector housing (80). Arranged,
A terminal insertion device.
[2]
In the fixed platen (10), the plurality of connector housings (80) are arranged such that a set of line segments connecting adjacent connector housings (80) forms an annular shape as a whole.
The terminal insertion device according to [1], wherein
[3]
The connector housing (80) is disposed on the stationary platen (10) so as to form a ring.
The terminal insertion device according to [2], wherein
[4]
Each of the connector housings (80) is arranged on the fixed plate (10) such that the cavities (81) are positioned along the radial direction of the ring.
The terminal insertion device according to [3], wherein
[5]
The connector housing (80) can be arranged on the fixed platen (10) in a semicircular unit obtained by dividing the ring into two parts.
The terminal insertion device according to [3] or [4], wherein
[6]
In the fixed platen (10), the connector housings (80) forming the ring can be arranged in a stacked manner.
The terminal insertion device according to any one of [3] to [5], wherein:
[7]
The fixed platen (10) is rotatable in the circumferential direction of the ring, and any one of the connector housings (80) arranged on the fixed platen (10) is connected to the parallel joint mechanism (20). ) To move closer to the wire (90) to be gripped,
The terminal insertion device according to [4], wherein
[8]
The fixed platen (10) is freely tiltable at an arbitrary angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
The terminal insertion device according to [4], wherein
[9]
The parallel joint mechanism (20) does not grip the terminal (91) but grips the electric wire (90).
The terminal insertion device according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein:
[10]
The parallel joint mechanism (20) includes a first parallel joint mechanism (20A) and a second parallel joint mechanism (20B),
The first parallel joint mechanism (20A) grips one end of the electric wire (90) and conveys the electric wire (90) toward the connector housing (80) disposed on the stationary platen (10). , The terminal (91) is inserted into the cavity (81) in the connector housing,
The second parallel joint mechanism (20B) grips the other end of the electric wire (90) and conveys the electric wire (90) toward the connector housing (80) disposed on the fixed platen (10). And inserting the terminal (91) into the cavity (81) in the connector housing,
The terminal insertion device according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein:
[11]
The parallel joint mechanism (20) holds the electric wire (90), inserts the terminal (91) into the cavity (81), and then applies a predetermined tension to the electric wire (90). The terminal insertion device according to any one of [1] to [10], wherein the terminal insertion device is pulled back.
[12]
A terminal insertion method for inserting a terminal (91) into a connector housing (80) by a parallel joint mechanism (20),
Gripping the wire (90) with the terminal (91) connected to the tip;
Conveying the wire (90) toward any one of the plurality of connector housings (80) disposed on the stationary platen (10);
Inserting the terminal (91) into the cavity (81) in the connector housing (80);
Have
The fixed plate (10) includes a first connector housing (80), a second connector housing (80), and a third connector housing (80) among the plurality of connector housings (80). The arrangement direction of one connector housing (80) and the second connector housing (80) intersects the arrangement direction of the second connector housing (80) and the third connector housing (80). Arranged,
The terminal insertion method characterized by the above-mentioned.
[13]
In the fixed platen (10), the plurality of connector housings (80) are arranged such that a set of line segments connecting adjacent connector housings forms an annular shape as a whole.
The terminal insertion method according to [12], wherein
[14]
On the stationary platen (10), the connector housing (80) is disposed so as to form a ring.
The terminal insertion method according to [13], wherein
[15]
In the fixed platen (10), each of the connector housings (80) is arranged such that the cavity (81) is positioned along the radial direction of the ring.
[14] The terminal insertion method according to [14].
[16]
The connector housing (80) can be arranged on the fixed platen (10) in a semicircular unit obtained by dividing the ring into two parts.
The terminal insertion method according to [14] or [15], wherein
[17]
In the fixed platen (10), the connector housings (80) forming the ring can be arranged in a stacked manner.
The terminal insertion method according to any one of [14] to [16].
[18]
Any one of the connector housings (80) disposed on the stationary platen (10) that is rotatable in the circumferential direction of the ring is the electric wire (90) held by the parallel joint mechanism (20). A step of rotating to approach
The terminal insertion method according to [15], wherein
[19]
The fixed platen (10) is freely tiltable at an arbitrary angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
The terminal insertion method according to [15], wherein
[20]
The parallel joint mechanism (20) does not grip the terminal (91) but grips the electric wire (90).
The terminal insertion method according to any one of [12] to [19], wherein:
[21]
The parallel joint mechanism has a first parallel joint mechanism (20A) and a second parallel joint mechanism (20B),
The first parallel joint mechanism (20A) grips one end of a wire whose terminal is connected to the tip, and the second parallel joint mechanism (20B) grips the other end of the wire whose terminal is connected to the tip. Process,
The first parallel joint mechanism (20A) and the second parallel joint mechanism (20B) transporting the electric wires toward the connector housing disposed on the fixed platen (10);
The first parallel joint mechanism (20A) and the second parallel joint mechanism (20B) inserting the terminal into a cavity in the connector housing;
The terminal insertion method according to any one of [12] to [20], wherein:
[22]
The parallel joint mechanism (20) holds the electric wire (90), inserts the terminal (91) into the cavity (81), and then applies a predetermined tension to the electric wire (90). The terminal insertion method according to any one of [12] to [21], further including a step of pulling back.

  The terminal insertion device and the terminal insertion method according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described above. According to the terminal insertion device of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the device. Moreover, according to the terminal insertion method of the present invention, the cycle time of the terminal insertion processing step by the parallel joint mechanism can be shortened.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Fixed platen 11 Housing receptacle 12 Rail member 13 Disk member 14 Motor member 15 Housing support stand 20 Parallel joint mechanism 21 Base 22a, 22b, 22c 1st motor 23a, 23b, 23c Arm 24a, 24b, 24c Link 25 Hand member 25f Second motor 30 Electric wire carrier 31 Transport rail 32 Moving body 33 Transport chuck 34 Frame 35 Air chuck body 40 Terminal measurement sensor 41 Sensor base 42 X measurement sensor 43 Z measurement sensor 44 Sensor base rail 45 Slider 46 Drive source 70 Control device 80 Connector housing 81 Cavity 90 Electric wire 91 Terminal

Claims (18)

A terminal insertion device for inserting a terminal into a connector housing,
A stationary platen in which a plurality of connector housings are arranged;
The connector disposed on the stationary platen, which grips an electric wire having a terminal connected to the tip and can move and swivel the electric wire with six degrees of freedom within a movable range without holding the terminal. A parallel joint mechanism for carrying the electric wire toward any one of the housings and inserting the terminals into cavities in the connector housing;
With
The fixed plate includes a first connector housing, a second connector housing, and a third connector housing of the plurality of connector housings, wherein the first connector housing and the second connector housing are aligned with each other. , The second connector housing and the third connector housing are arranged so that the alignment direction of the third connector housing intersects.
A terminal insertion device. In the fixed platen, the plurality of connector housings are arranged such that a set of line segments connecting adjacent connector housings forms a ring as a whole.
The terminal insertion device according to claim 1. In the fixed platen, the connector housing is arranged to form a ring,
The terminal insertion device according to claim 2. In the fixed platen, each of the connector housings is disposed such that the cavity is positioned along a radial direction of the ring.
The terminal insertion device according to claim 3. The fixed platen can be arranged by stacking the connector housing forming the ring up and down,
Terminal insertion apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterized in that. The fixed plate is rotatable in the circumferential direction of the ring, and is rotated so that any one of the connector housings arranged on the fixed plate approaches the electric wire held by the parallel joint mechanism. Move,
The terminal insertion device according to claim 4. The fixed plate is freely tiltable at an arbitrary angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
The terminal insertion device according to claim 4. The parallel joint mechanism has a first parallel joint mechanism and a second parallel joint mechanism,
The first parallel joint mechanism grips one end of the electric wire, conveys the electric wire toward the connector housing disposed on the fixed platen, and inserts the terminal into a cavity in the connector housing,
The second parallel joint mechanism grips the other end of the electric wire, conveys the electric wire toward the connector housing disposed on the fixed platen, and inserts the terminal into a cavity in the connector housing. ,
The terminal insertion device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the terminal insertion device is provided. The parallel joint mechanism grips the wire, after elaborate inserted the terminal with respect to the cavity, one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that pull back the electric wire to a predetermined tension is applied A terminal insertion device according to claim 1. A terminal insertion method for inserting a terminal into a connector housing by a parallel joint mechanism,
A step of grasping an electric wire having a terminal connected to the tip;
Carrying the electric wire toward any one of a plurality of connector housings arranged on the fixed platen;
Inserting the terminal into the cavity in the connector housing;
Have
The fixed plate includes a first connector housing, a second connector housing, and a third connector housing of the plurality of connector housings, wherein the first connector housing and the second connector housing are aligned with each other. , The second connector housing and the third connector housing are arranged so as to intersect with each other ,
The parallel joint mechanism is capable of gripping the wire without gripping the terminal and moving and swiveling the gripped wire with six degrees of freedom within a movable range.
The terminal insertion method characterized by the above-mentioned. In the fixed platen, the plurality of connector housings are arranged such that a set of line segments connecting adjacent connector housings forms an annular shape as a whole.
The terminal insertion method according to claim 10 . In the fixed platen, the connector housing is arranged so as to form a ring,
The terminal insertion method according to claim 11 . In the fixed platen, each of the connector housings is disposed such that the cavity is positioned along the radial direction of the ring,
The terminal insertion method according to claim 12 . The fixed platen can be arranged by stacking the connector housing forming the ring up and down,
14. The terminal insertion method according to claim 12 or claim 13 , wherein The method further includes a step of rotating any one of the connector housings arranged on the fixed plate rotatable in a circumferential direction of the ring so as to approach the electric wire held by the parallel joint mechanism. ,
The terminal insertion method according to claim 13 . The fixed plate is freely tiltable at an arbitrary angle with respect to a horizontal plane.
The terminal insertion method according to claim 13 . The parallel joint mechanism has a first parallel joint mechanism and a second parallel joint mechanism,
The first parallel joint mechanism grips one end of a wire whose terminal is connected to the tip, and the second parallel joint mechanism grips the other end of the wire whose terminal is connected to the tip;
The first parallel joint mechanism and the second parallel joint mechanism transporting the electric wires toward the connector housing disposed on the stationary platen; and
The first parallel joint mechanism and the second parallel joint mechanism inserting the terminal into the cavity in the connector housing;
The terminal insertion method according to claim 10, wherein the terminal insertion method includes: The parallel joint mechanism grips the wire, after elaborate inserted the terminal with respect to the cavity, wherein the claim 10, further comprising the step of pulling back the electric wire to a predetermined tension is applied Item 18. The terminal insertion method according to any one of Items 17 .

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