JP7496464B2 - End-treated electric wire manufacturing device and end-treated electric wire manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device that cuts an electric wire and strips the coating (skin) from the end of the wire, and a device that crimps an electric wire terminal after the coating has been stripped. In particular, the present invention relates to a manufacturing device for crimped electric wire terminals that shortens the time (takt time) required to manufacture a single electric wire product, increases productivity, and adds improvements to the removal of wire coating stripping residue.

In the wire harness industry, the process of cutting electric wires to the required length, stripping the insulation around the cut section, and then crimping connector terminals is a basic process that involves a large amount of work and involves most of the electric wires used in wire harnesses. This cutting, stripping, and terminal crimping process requires greater production efficiency and quality than other processes. To meet these demands, automatic electric wire processing machines have continued to improve and evolve. As one of these improvements, we propose new technology for the structure and operation of the electric wire cutting blade drive mechanism, electric wire guide mechanism, and air blowing mechanism for stripped waste.

A conventional example of an automatic processing device used in the processes of cutting, stripping and crimping electric wires is disclosed in JP 2014-7043 A. This machine is equipped with a wire feeder, a wire cutting unit, a wire tip (top) stripping unit, a swivel-type transport unit for one side of the wire (a wire whose tip has been cut and whose rear end is connected to a wire reel), and a terminal crimping machine. This conventional device also aims to improve the production efficiency and quality of the cutting, stripping and terminal crimping processes.

Patent Publication No. 2014-7043

The present invention aims to provide an apparatus or method that can improve production efficiency and quality in the process of manufacturing electric wires with crimped terminals, including the process of cutting and stripping electric wires and the subsequent process of crimping terminals, and can also improve various performances, such as the performance of discharging the stripped wire coating.

In this "Summary", "Claims" and parts of the specification, reference signs to the various parts in the attached drawings are shown in parentheses, but this is for reference only and is not intended to limit the scope of the patent to those in the attached drawings.

The first electric wire cutting and stripping device (4) of the present invention is an electric wire cutting and stripping device (4) equipped with a cutting blade (42) for cutting an electric wire and a stripping blade (41, 43) for making an incision in the insulation of the electric wire, which are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and is provided with: a slide block (45) that is driven to reciprocate in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire; a stripping blade holder (441) that holds the stripping blades (41, 43) attached to the slide block (45); a cutting blade holder (443) that holds the cutting blade (42) mounted on the slide block (45); and a cutting blade drive actuator (44) that drives the cutting blade holder (443) to reciprocate in the intersecting direction; a mechanism that drives the slide block (45) to reciprocate is electric; the cutting blade (42) cuts the electric wire by driving the cutting blade drive actuator (44), and then moves away from the electric wire; After the wire is cut, it is moved longitudinally to set the length to be stripped, then the stripping blades (41, 43) cut into the wire's insulation, and then the wire is moved longitudinally to strip the insulation.

The "crossing direction" in which the cutting blade drive actuator (44) is driven is generally a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and is typically a vertical direction (the direction of the earth's gravity). However, this is not limited to this. The actuator drive direction is generally the same as the drive direction of the slide block (45). However, this is not limited to this.
The cutting blade drive actuator 44 is preferably a pneumatic cylinder, which has the advantages of being relatively fast, fast accelerating, space-saving, low-cost, and easy to install.

The cutting blade has a long stroke for the following reasons. That is, at the cutting completion position, the pair of blades overlap sufficiently, and at the avoidance position (wire feed standby position), the opposing cutting blades, such as V-shaped ones, must be sufficiently removed from the space through which the wire advances to prevent the blades from accidentally touching the wire and damaging it. In addition, the cutting blade does not need to be precisely positioned (for example, by a motor + ball screw). On the other hand, the cutting position (the position where the pair of blades overlap closely) of the peeling blade must be precisely adjusted according to the type of wire (diameter and coating thickness). In accordance with the characteristics of each blade, a preferred embodiment of the present invention combines electric and cylinder drive.

In a conventional wire cutting and stripping device, an integrated attachment part with a wire cutting blade and a coating stripping blade is provided so that it can slide up and down, and cutting (wire cutting) and stripping (coating stripping) are performed by opening and closing the upper and lower blades driven by a motor. In one embodiment of the present invention, the wire cutting blade is operated independently and at high speed by a cutting blade drive actuator (44) (such as a pneumatic cylinder), so that the cutting blade 42 can be moved even when the stripping blades (41, 43) are stopped or moving in the opposite direction, thereby shortening the time for the cutting and coating stripping process. Furthermore, by combining with improvements to peripheral devices as described below, the operating tact time for the entire wire cutting, stripping, and terminal crimping process can be further shortened, and the productivity of the device can be improved. Furthermore, since the cutting blade (242) can be independently retracted from the wire travel path, it is easy to perform processing (long strip) in which the stripping length is longer than the "stripping blade-cutting blade distance", as will be described later with reference to electric wire diagrams 23 and 24.

Improvements to Peripheral Devices (1) Reduction in cutting distance (cutting blade stroke) by pre-lowering the slide block (45) before driving the cutting blade drive actuator (44).
(2) The coating scrap suction port is disposed on the side of the two-side crimping machine (90).
(3) Improvements to the track of the electric wire turning unit have reduced the number of processes and unnecessary forward and backward movements (return turning).
(4) The wire rotating guide (160) prevents the wire from swinging around and stabilizes the wire feeding.

The first terminal crimping electric wire manufacturing device (1) of the present invention is an end processing electric wire manufacturing device (1) including an electric wire feeding section (10) that feeds an electric wire, an electric wire cutting and stripping section (4) that cuts the fed electric wire to an arbitrary length and strips the coating of the cut end of the electric wire, an end processing section (60) that performs end processing on the tip end of the stripped electric wire, and a clamp transport section (20) that clamps the electric wire and transports it to each section, and further includes a turning guide (160) that is arranged along the turning path of the electric wire end between the electric wire cutting and stripping section (4) and the end processing section (60) and has a pair of guide plates (161U, 161B) that face each other in a direction crossing the turning direction, and the distance between the pair of facing guide plates (161U, 161B) is relatively wide on the side of the end processing section (60) and relatively narrow on the side of the electric wire cutting and stripping section (4).

In the above-mentioned end treatment electric wire manufacturing apparatus (1), it is preferable that the swivel guide (160) has a forward extension portion (161P) extending forward in the longitudinal direction (pay-out direction) of the electric wire in a portion close to the electric wire cutting and stripping portion (4).
The forward extension section (161P) guides the tip of the wire that is fed obliquely or that is fed simply by stopping rotation or traversal. This reduces the shaking of the tip of the wire that is extended by oblique feeding or simple feeding, and prevents feeding trouble when feeding the wire and damage to the end processing section (terminal).

The above-mentioned rotation direction is typically horizontal, but is not limited to this. The above-mentioned cross direction is typically vertical, but is not limited to this. A pair of opposing guide plates (covers) regulate the movement of the wire tip (top) and the crimped terminal within the opposing space (suppressing shaking, dancing, and swinging). The wire may also be fed (unwound) in the longitudinal direction during rotation (diagonal feed), in which case the rotation guide (160) guides the wire end in the longitudinal direction as well. Note that in this specification, "end processing" includes end processing such as soldering, electric welding, ultrasonic welding, and insertion into a connector housing, in addition to terminal crimping.

When end processing (terminal crimping) is complete, there is a considerable amount of wobbling and bending at the end of the wire. In this state, the wire enters the entrance side of the rotating guide (160). As the wire moves through the narrowing rotating guide, the wobbling and bending of the wire is suppressed and reduced, and it is guided between a pair of opposing cutting blades and stripping blades at the wire cutting and stripping section (4). This suppresses the swinging (swaying) of the top of the wire, which has the effect of preventing damage to end processing parts such as crimped terminals, preventing equipment abnormalities, and shortening takt time (described next).

The end of the wire undergoes what is essentially a rotational motion that includes swinging in a direction crossing the direction of the rotation (typically up and down) and swinging to the left and right (in the direction of the rotation). This is due to the remaining tendency of the wire to be wound around the reel. If the swinging in the cross direction (typically up and down) is suppressed by the guide plate of the rotation guide, the swinging in the direction of the rotation (typically left and right) will also be reduced. This makes it possible to shorten the time required to wait for the swinging of the end of the wire at the blade to settle.

Furthermore, the wire can be rotated faster, which also shortens the tact time. Furthermore, the retraction dimension of the stripping blade, which is used to avoid contact between the wire and the blade when the wire is rotated and entered, can be reduced, shortening the feed time of the stripping blade, which requires precise feed position control. For example, by suppressing the swaying of the wire, it is possible to shorten the tact time by 0.01 seconds.

The swivel guide (160) also has the effect of preventing damage to the electric wire and the crimped terminal (end processing part). Furthermore, it prevents the electric wire from swinging too much, which also helps prevent equipment trouble. The swivel guide (160) is preferably made of a material with a smooth surface (such as cold-rolled stainless steel sheet).

In the end-processing electric wire manufacturing device (1), the electric wire can be unwound in the longitudinal direction while rotating within the rotating guide (160) from the one-side end processing section (60) toward the electric wire cutting and stripping section (4).

The rotating guide (160) suppresses the swinging (swaying, bending, and violent movement) of the top of the wire when it is rotated and transported, preventing problems associated with diagonal feeding (rotating while being fed to a measured length) (damage to crimp terminals, equipment stoppage due to wire or terminal getting caught). This allows for stable and frequent use of diagonal feeding of wires, increasing the number of types of wires that can be diagonally fed (wire diameter, wire length, etc.), and lengthening the wire payout dimensions for diagonal feeding. As a result, wire cutting and takt time can be shortened for various types of end-processed wires (wire harnesses), improving productivity.

In one specific example of the "diagonal feed mode," the front-rear mechanism (23) of the one-side clamp (25) and the feeder (10) start feeding the wire during the return movement of the wire turning and transporting after end processing (crimping of the top terminal) and before the wire reaches the cutting and stripping unit (4) (origin position, wire feed position). If the wire does not reach the specified length with diagonal feeding alone, the wire is fed at the wire feed position until the measurement is completed. Note that in the "standard mode," the wire is not fed during turning, and after arriving at the origin, the wire is fed to the specified length while measuring its length.

The second end-treatment electric wire manufacturing device (1) of the present invention is an end-treatment electric wire manufacturing device (1) including an electric wire feeding section (10) that feeds an electric wire, an electric wire cutting and stripping section (4) that cuts the fed electric wire to an arbitrary length and strips the coating from the cut end of the electric wire, an end processing section (60, 90) that processes the end of the stripped electric wire, and a clamp transport section (20, 70) that clamps the electric wire and transports it to each section, and the clamp transport section (20, 70) includes a clamp (25, 71) that holds the electric wire, a longitudinal drive means (23, 73) that drives the clamp in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and a swivel drive means (21, 75) that swivels the longitudinal drive means, and the longitudinal drive means (23, 73) moves the clamp in the longitudinal direction while the clamp (25, 71) is rotating.

In the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described below, the "longitudinal drive means (23.73)" is referred to as the "front-rear mechanism 23.73." The "swivel drive means (21.75)" is referred to as the "swivel mechanism 21.75." Note that when the "front-rear mechanism 23.73" swivels, it is tilted relative to the front-rear direction shown in FIG. 1, and does not move the clamp 25.71 strictly in the front-rear direction.

The clamp's electric wire gripping mechanism and each driving means and mechanism can be constructed using known parts and members such as a motor, cylinder, reducer, ball screw/nut, linear guide, link mechanism, etc. (see, for example, JP 2014-7043 A). If necessary, the clamp transport section (20, 70) and discharge clamp (81) (described below) may include a clamp lifting mechanism.

In one embodiment of the second end-processing electric wire manufacturing device (1) of the present invention, after the tip of the one-side electric wire W1 is end-processed in the one-side end processing section (60), when the one-side clamp (25) rotates from the one-side end processing section (60) to a position facing the cutting and stripping section (4), the one-side clamp (25) can be moved in a direction away from the electric wire feeding section (10) by the longitudinal drive means (23).

During rotation, the clamp (25) is moved away from the wire feed section (10) by the longitudinal drive means (23), so that the length of the wire that is fed can be increased (the wire can be fed first) without changing the wire projection dimension from the clamp. This makes it possible to feed the wire (diagonally feed) while rotating the wire, while suppressing the movement and vibration of the wire end and terminal.

Furthermore, the wire feeding of the wire feeding section (10) can be performed by increasing the wire projection dimension from the one side clamp (25).
By combining the forward movement of the clamp (25) with the protrusion of one side electric wire W1 from the clamp, the electric wire can be fed.

In another embodiment of the second end-processing electric wire manufacturing device (1) of the present invention, the two-side electric wire W2, both ends of which have been cut and stripped and fed from the cutting and stripping section (4), is gripped by the two-side clamp (71) and transported and rotated to the two-side end processing section (90), where the rear end of the two-side electric wire W2 is end-processed. Thereafter, when the two-side clamp (71) rotates in the opposite direction and returns to the cutting and stripping section (4), the two-side electric wire W2 is handed over to the discharge clamp (81), and the two-side clamp (71) can be moved in a direction approaching the cutting and stripping section (4) by the longitudinal drive means (73).

Before the second side clamp (71) receives the electric wire from the cutting and stripping section (4), the second side clamp retreats (pushes out toward the base) to meet and receive the top of the electric wire being unwound from the cutting and stripping section (4). When the clamp receives this electric wire, the length of the rear end of the electric wire protruding from the clamp becomes shorter, so the movement and swinging of the electric wire end and terminal is reduced. This stabilizes the transfer of the electric wire to the clamp. In addition, the second side clamp (71) may slide forward (forward) (pushes out the electric wire) while rotating to the second side end processing section, securing the gripping part of the discharge clamp between the terminal and the clamp.

The third end-treatment electric wire manufacturing device (1) of the present invention is an end-treatment electric wire manufacturing device (1) including an electric wire feeding section (10) that feeds an electric wire, an electric wire cutting and stripping section (4) that cuts the fed electric wire to an arbitrary length and strips the coating from the end of the electric wire, an end processing section (90) that processes the end of the stripped electric wire, and a clamp transport section (70) that clamps the electric wire and transports it to each section, characterized in that the clamp transport section (70) includes a clamp (71), a drive means (73, 75) that drives the clamp, and an openable electric wire vibration suppressor (719) that is provided on the opposite side of the clamp from the electric wire cutting and stripping section (4) and that suppresses the vibration of the electric wire by moving toward the side of the electric wire.

The wire coming out (fed) from the cutting and stripping section (4) to side 2 swings in a spiral. The wire swing suppressor (719) moves to the side of the wire coming out of the cutting and stripping section (4) to suppress the swinging (violence and jumping up) of the wire, allowing the clamp to stably receive the wire. It also suppresses the swinging of the wire when transporting the wire (when turning, etc.), allowing the wire to be processed at the rear end (terminal crimping, etc.) and handed over for discharge in a stable state. It also protects the end processing section when transporting the wire to side 2 (prevents deformation of the crimped terminal). For example, it is expected to reduce the swinging of the top terminal attached to the end of the wire W2 on side 2, preventing deformation and damage to the terminal.

The fourth end-treatment electric wire manufacturing device (1) of the present invention is an end-treatment electric wire manufacturing device (1) comprising: an electric wire feeding section (10) for feeding an electric wire; an electric wire cutting and stripping section (4) for cutting the fed electric wire to an arbitrary length and stripping the coating from the cut end of the electric wire; an end processing section (60, 90) for processing the end of the stripped electric wire; a clamp transport section (20, 70) for clamping the electric wire and transporting it to each section; and a discharge section (81) for discharging the end-treated electric wire, wherein the discharge section (81) comprises a discharge clamp (81) for gripping the electric wire and a drive means (817) for the discharge clamp; and the clamp transport section (70) on the electric wire transport 2 side starts preparing for discharge on the way back to the electric wire cutting and stripping section (4) after completing the end processing, The discharge clamp (81) approaches the transfer point in a grippable state before the electric wire reaches the transfer point. In other words, the discharge clamp (81) starts receiving the electric wire from the second side clamp (71) before the second side clamp (71) reaches the electric wire transfer position to the discharge clamp (81).

The discharge clamp (81) approaches the transfer point in a gripping state before the wire reaches the transfer point, thereby shortening the transfer time.

The second electric wire cutting and stripping device (4) of the present invention is an electric wire cutting and stripping device (4) equipped with a cutting blade (42) for cutting an electric wire and a stripping blade (41, 43) for cutting an insulator in the insulation of the electric wire, which are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and a stripping blade holder (441) for holding the stripping blade (41, 43) which is reciprocated in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, an electric wire clamping section (20, 70) for moving the incised electric wire in a direction away from the stripping blade (41, 43) and scraping off the stripped insulation residue from the electric wire, a suction duct (50) arranged on the side of the stripping blade (41, 43) for sucking in and discharging the stripped insulation (strip residue), and It is characterized by having an entrance gate (412) that opens and closes the passage through which the electric wire enters, located on the side opposite the suction duct (50) of the peeling blades (41, 43).

The peeling blade holder (441) is fitted with an entrance gate (412) (auxiliary suction part) that opens and closes the passage through which the electric wire enters. When the peeling blade is open, the passage for the electric wire is secured, and when the peeling blade is closed, the passage is blocked in conjunction with the movement of the blade, narrowing the opening of the space through which the suction duct (50) sucks. This improves the suction of the coating scraps and reduces the spread of the peeling scraps.

In the second electric wire cutting and stripping device (4) of the present invention, it is preferable that the entrance gate (412) is placed and fixed on the stripping blade holder (441') and moves up and down together with the holder (441').
In this example, an entrance gate (412) is attached to the peeling blade holder (441), and the vertical movement of the peeling blade is utilized to secure an opening for the wire passage when the blade is open, and to close the passage in conjunction with the movement of the blade when the blade is closed, thereby improving the suction of the coating scraps and reducing the dispersion of the peeling scraps.

The manufacturing method of the end-treated electric wire of the present invention is a method in which an electric wire having a core wire and an outer coating is cut to a certain length, the coating is then stripped, and then the end treatment is performed, and is characterized by using the cutting and stripping device (4) or the end-treated electric wire manufacturing device (1).

As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides an apparatus or method that can improve production efficiency and quality in the end-processing electric wire manufacturing process, including the wire cutting and stripping process and the subsequent terminal crimping process.

1 is a plan view showing a schematic overall configuration of a terminal crimped electric wire manufacturing apparatus 1 including a cutting and stripping device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall structure of an electric wire cutting and stripping device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention; 3 is an enlarged side view showing the cutting blade 42 and the peeling blades 41 and 43 of the electric wire cutting and peeling device 4 of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the stripping process in the stripping device of FIG. 3, in which (A) shows the state when the electric wire has entered between the blades, (B) shows the state when the cutting blade approaches the electric wire during the length-determining cut, (C) shows the state after the length-determining cut (cutting completed), (D) shows the state when the stripping blade contacts the electric wire, (E) shows the state when the stripping blade cuts into the insulation of the electric wire and then moves the electric wire back and forth away from the stripping blade to begin stripping it, and (F) shows the completed stripping state. 1 is a front view of a portion from a swivel guide 160 to a blade portion 140 and a stripped waste suction duct 50 in a terminal crimped electric wire manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view showing the outlet of the rotating guide 160, the blade unit, and the peeled waste suction duct 50 of the device in FIG. 5. 1 is a plan view for explaining the planar shape of a swivel guide 160 and the state in which the top portion of the wire is paid out during rotation in the oblique feed mode of the wire cutting/stripping/terminal crimping device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining an example of the operation of the second clamp 71. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the second clamp 71 and the electric wire vibration suppressor 719 attached thereto. FIG. 13 is a front view for explaining the operation of the electric wire vibration damper 719. (A) shows the vibration damper 719 in an open state, (B) shows the vibration damper 719 in the process of closing, and (C) shows the vibration damper 719 in a closed state. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration and operation of a discharge clamp 81 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) shows the discharge clamp 81 approaching the second electric wire W2, (B) shows the clamp 81 just before gripping the electric wire W2, and (C) shows the clamp 81 gripping the electric wire W2. 11 is a front view showing the details of the operation of the discharge clamp 81 receiving the second electric wire W2 in Fig. 11. (A) shows the discharge clamp 81 in the electric wire receiving standby position, (B) shows the second electric wire W2 approaching the receiving position and the clamp 81 just before gripping the electric wire W2, and (C) shows the clamp 81 gripping (receiving) the electric wire W2. 1A and 1B are front views showing the configuration and operation of the entrance gate 412 of the blade section 140. (A) is in the open (lowered) state, and (B) is in the closed (upper) state. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing an outline of the equipment layout of a terminal crimped electric wire manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment (non-rotating type, electric wire parallel lateral movement type). 1A is a plan sectional view of a main part of the cutting and peeling device 204 equipped with an air blowing means for blowing off the coating scraps SI from the peeling blades 241 and 243. FIG. 1B is a plan sectional view showing an enlarged detail of the air blow block 381, the peeling blades 241 and 243, and the coating scraps SI. FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of the device shown in FIG. 15 . 16A and 16B are front views showing the up and down movement of the air blow block 381 of the device shown in FIG. 15, in which (A) shows the time of ascent (when the electric wire is traveling laterally) and (B) shows the time of descent (when air is blown for cutting and stripping). 11A and 11B are views of the cutting and stripping unit 204 and its surroundings in the electric wire feeding state of the terminal crimped electric wire production apparatus of the second embodiment, in which (A) is a plan sectional view and (B) is a side sectional view. 19A and 19B are views of the cutting and stripping portion 204 and its surroundings in the clamped state of the two-side wire clamp of the device in FIG. 18, in which (A) is a plan sectional view and (B) is a side sectional view. 13 is a plan view showing the lateral movement and feeding of an electric wire from the guide plate 360 to the cutting and stripping section 204 in the case of an electric wire having a relatively small terminal crimped onto the top of the electric wire. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the lateral movement and feeding of an electric wire from the guide plate 360 to the cutting and stripping section 204 in the case of an electric wire having a relatively large terminal crimped onto the top of the electric wire. FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cutting blade 242 and the peeling blades 241 and 243 when the peeling length is normal (relatively short). 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cutting blade 242 and the peeling blades 241 and 243 when the peeling length at one end is extremely long (one-sided long strip). FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cutting blade 242 and the peeling blades 241 and 243 when the peeling length at both ends is extremely long (double-sided long strip). FIG.

1: Terminal crimped electric wire manufacturing device, 4: Cutting and stripping unit (device), 10: Electric wire feeding unit,
20: clamp transport section; 21: turning mechanism (turning drive means); 23: front-rear mechanism (longitudinal drive means); 25: one-side clamp
40; blade unit; 41; peeling blade; 42; cutting blade; 43; peeling blade;
44: Cylinder (cutting blade drive actuator)
45; slide block, 45h; pin, 45m; bolt hole, 45r; end face
47; ball screw, 50; stripping waste suction duct, 50d; plate
60: 1-side crimping machine (terminal crimping section, end processing section)
70: clamp conveying section, 71: two-side clamp, 73: front-rear mechanism (longitudinal drive means),
75: Swivel mechanism (swivel drive means)
81: Discharge clamp
90; 2-side crimping machine (terminal crimping section, end processing section)
140; blade, 141, 142; tongue
160; swivel guide, 160d; left end,
161U; upper board (guide board), 161B; lower board (guide board), 161W; front wall, 161Wm; border, 161x; right end
412; entrance gate, 412b; rising piece, 412d; upper end,
413; screws, 415; bolts, 440; plates
441; peeling blade holder, 441g; recess,
443; cutting blade holder, 443g; blade fixing part, 443k; extension part,
443y: Rod connection part,
445; screw, 448; cylinder rod, 448b; ring hook part
711; clamp claw, 712; fulcrum, 714; claw arm, 715; link,
716; Clamp block, 717; Air cylinder, 719; Wire vibration suppressor
811; clamp claw, 812; fulcrum, 815; link, 816; clamp block,
817 Air cylinder
SI: Coating scrap, W1: Wire 1, W2: Wire 2, CW: Core wire,
TL1: Large 1-side terminal, TS1: Small 1-side terminal
204; cutting and stripping device, 210; electric wire feeding section,
220: one side wire conveying section (one side clamp conveying section), 221: traverse mechanism,
223; front and rear mechanism, 225; one side clamp
240: blade unit; 241, 243: peeling blade; 241b', 243b': blade recess;
242; cutting blade,
250: Stripped waste suction duct, 260: 1-side terminal crimping machine (1-side end processing section)
269; One-side wire end detector
270: 2-side electric wire conveying section (2-side clamp conveying section), 271: 2-side clamp, 271b, 271c: claw
272; Clamp moving means (arm);
273; clamp forward/backward mechanism, 274; traverse mechanism
281; discharge clamp, 282; discharge tray
290: 2-side crimping machine (2-side end processing section), 299: 2-side wire rear end detector
341, 342: tongue
360: guide plate; 360b: left end (slope); 360f: rear side (slope)
360j: Front and right side (flat surface), 360p: Front extension
380: Air blow means; 381: Air blow block; 381b/c: Air blow hole
381h; air guide hole, 381j; air guide hole, 383; pipe connection member, 383b; air flow path
387: Pneumatic tube
390; line holder, 390U; upper plate, 390B; lower plate, 390W; left wall
392; Wire receiving moving means, 394; Cover
541; peeling blade holder, 543; cutting blade holder

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The overall configuration of a terminal crimping (end processing) electric wire manufacturing apparatus including an electric wire cutting and stripping device (unit) 4 and terminal crimping machines 60 and 90 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The directions in FIG.
Up and down in the figure: wire feed direction, front and back direction Left and right in the figure: left and right direction, sideways Top in the figure: front, front Down in the figure: back, origin

The terminal crimped electric wire manufacturing apparatus 1 is placed on a machine stand (table) 3 and includes the following main components:
1, pulls out an electric wire from a coiled electric wire bundle (not shown) and feeds the electric wire toward the top of the figure (unwinds the electric wire in the longitudinal direction).

The first-side wire conveying section 20 has a first-side clamp (head) 25 that clamps the tip (top) of the fed wire, a forward/backward mechanism 23 that slides the clamp 25 in the wire longitudinal direction (forward/backward), and a rotating mechanism 21 that rotates the mechanism 23. The first-side clamp 25 grips the tip of the trailing part of the wire that is fed and cut to a predetermined length (the trailing end is still connected to the reel and is called the "first-side wire"), and conveys it between the cutting and stripping section 4 and the first-side terminal crimping machine 60 (see the arrow for the conveying path). The gripping jaws of the first-side clamp 25 are opened and closed by an air cylinder drive, and the gripping jaws are opened and closed in accordance with the feeding and payout of the wire. The forward/backward mechanism 23 of the first-side wire conveying section 20 is provided with a tube (not shown) that guides the payout of the wire (see the thick arrow).

Wire cutting and stripping unit 4: Cuts the wire fed from the feed unit 10 through the one-side wire transport device 20 to a specified length and strips the insulation from the top and tail of the wire cutting unit. A suction duct 50 is attached to the right side of the cutting and stripping unit 4 in the figure, which sucks in and discharges the stripped insulation (stripping waste).

1-side crimping machine (end processing section) 60: Crimps a terminal onto the tip of the cut and stripped 1-side wire. A 1-side wire end detector (optical inspection) 69 is attached to the right side of the 1-side crimping machine 60 in the figure (the side closer to the cutting and stripping section 4). This detector (optical inspection) 69 checks the stripping state of the wire top, the crimping state of the terminal, and the insertion state of the waterproof plug.

The 2-side wire transport unit 70 has a 2-side clamp 71 that clamps the tail of the wire (called the 2-side wire) cut to a specified length in the wire cutting and stripping unit 40, a forward/backward mechanism 73 that pulls out and extends the clamp 71 in the axial direction of the wire, and a rotating mechanism 75 that rotates the mechanism 73. The 2-side clamp 71 transports the tail of the 2-side wire between the cutting and stripping unit 4 and the 2-side crimping machine 90. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a discharge mechanism (discharge clamp 81, see FIGS. 11 and 12) that ejects the wire (product) with terminals crimped on both ends is also provided near the 2-side wire transport device 70.

Two-side crimping machine (end processing section) 90: Crimps terminals to the rear ends of the cut and stripped two-side electric wires. A two-side electric wire rear end detector (optical inspection) 99 is attached to the left side of the two-side crimping machine 90 in the figure (the side closer to the cutting and stripping section 4). This detector (optical inspection) 99 checks the stripping state of the rear ends of the two-side electric wires, the crimping state of the terminals, and the insertion state of the waterproof plugs.

The electric wire cutting and stripping unit (device) 4 of the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the unit 4. The left and right directions in Fig. 2 are directions for the viewer of the figure and do not match the left and right directions in Fig. 1.
2, a pair of upper and lower front end stripping blades 41, 41', cutter blades 42, 42', and rear end stripping blades 43, 43' are shown aligned in the longitudinal direction (wire feed direction, front-rear direction) of the wire to be processed (so-called cutter blade/peeling blade tandem arrangement). The assembly of the blades 41, 42, 43 is sometimes called a blade unit.

Each blade 41, 42, 43 is a rectangular plate extending vertically, and their bases are fixed to blade holders 441, 443. A cutting edge is formed at the tip of each blade (the opposite side of the base, the lower end of the upper blade and the upper end of the lower blade). The tip of the blade has a V-shaped recess in the center in the left-right direction. This V-shaped portion centers the electric wire in the left-right center of the blade when the upper and lower blades cross and overlap front-to-back.

The holder 441 for the peeling blades 41 and 43 is U-shaped in plan view, with each blade fixed to its front and rear end faces. The right end face of the holder 441 is fixed against the left end face of the slide block 45. The slide block 45 is driven up and down by a ball screw 47 (described in detail later). The recess 441g in the U-shape of the holder 441 provides a space in which the cutting blade 42 and its holder 443 can move up and down.

The base of the cutting blade 42 (the part opposite the cutting blade) is fixed to the rear side of the cutting blade holder 443. The holder 443 has a thick, rectangular plate-shaped blade fixing part 443g on the side of the cutting blade 42, an extension part 443k that connects to the top of the blade fixing part 443g, and a rod connecting part 443y that connects to the top of the blade fixing part 443g. The connecting part 443y is connected to the cylinder rod 448 of the air cylinder 44, and the cutting blade 42 and holder 443 are driven up and down by the air cylinder 44.

The electric wire cutting and stripping device 4 of this embodiment is characterized in that it is equipped with a cylinder 44 that reciprocates the cutting blade 42 and the cutting blade holder 443 that holds it, which are mounted on a slide block 45 that reciprocates in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire (up and down in this embodiment).

The "crossing direction" mentioned above is generally a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and typically a vertical direction (however, it is not limited to this and may be a horizontal direction). In this embodiment, the slide block 45 is opened and closed by a mechanism that allows precise positioning, namely, a motor (not shown) and a ball screw 47. This is because the pair of stripping blades 41 and 43 facing each other vertically must stop at a delicate position where, when they approach each other (closed position), the blade tips do not bite into the core of the electric wire, but cut into the insulation to an appropriate depth. Electric wires come in a wide variety of diameters and insulation thicknesses, so the stripping blades require precise control of the cutting position accordingly.

In terms of specific structure, the cutting and peeling device 4 of this embodiment is mainly composed of a column 48 that extends vertically. A ball screw 47, which also extends vertically, is attached to the column 48 so that it can rotate freely. The ball screw 47 has spiral grooves cut in opposite directions at its upper and lower parts. Ball nuts (not shown) inside the upper and lower sliders 459 and 459' are screwed into the spiral grooves. With this configuration, when the ball screw 47 rotates in one direction and the opposite direction, the upper and lower sliders 459 and 459' are reciprocated so as to move closer to or farther away from each other.

On the other hand, since the cutting blade 42 only needs to completely cut the electric wire, the positioning accuracy of the closed position where the upper and lower pair of blades overlap is not required to be very high. Therefore, the pair of opposing cutting blades of the cutting blade are driven at high speed by a pneumatic cylinder (cutting blade drive actuator). In the open position of the cutting blade 42 (avoidance position away from the electric wire), if the opposing cutting blades such as V-shaped ones are not sufficiently removed from the space where the electric wire exists and moves, the blades may accidentally touch the electric wire and damage the electric wire. For this reason, since the stroke of the cutting blade is long, it is important to increase the movement speed to shorten the operating time and shorten the tact time. In accordance with the characteristics of each blade, in this embodiment, electric and cylinder drive are combined. In addition, by mounting the cylinder on the slide block, it is possible to shorten the time (distance) until the electric wire is cut by combining it with the movement of the slide block due to the operation of the electric ball screw. In addition, in terms of the arrangement structure and number of parts, it is possible to reduce the interference prevention structure with the slide block and the number of components.

Next, an example of the operation of the cutting blade 42 and the peeling blades 41, 43 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 3 is a side view of a set of a cutting blade 42 and stripping blades 41 and 43 (blade unit 40), and an electric wire W to be cut and stripped. The arrows attached to the electric wire W indicate the feeding direction of the electric wire W. The figure shows a pair of upper and lower first stripping blades 41, cutting blade 42, and second stripping blade 43, which are arranged in the "rear" to "front" direction. Each blade is driven up and down by the above-mentioned mechanism. In the state shown in Fig. 3, the electric wire W has just been fed.

Figure 4 is a diagram explaining the stripping process in the stripping device, where (A) shows the state where the wire has entered between the blades (retracted), (B) shows the state where the cutting blade 42 and the stripping blades 41 and 43 are approaching the wire, (C) shows the state where cutting is completed to determine the length, (D) shows the state where the cutting blades are retracted and the stripping length is set, (E) shows the state where the stripping blades have cut into the wire coating, and (F) shows the state where stripping is completed by pulling the wire back and forth (away from the stripping blades).

In the state shown in FIG. 4(A) when the electric wire has entered between the blades, the cutting blade 42 and the stripping blades 41 and 43 are out of the way of the electric wire W (the upper blade moves up, and the lower blade moves down). Although not shown, the electric wire W has a terminal crimped to its front end (tip, top) in the previous process (the terminal crimped to the tip of the electric wire is called the top terminal T1). It is then sent forward a length corresponding to the length of the product. From this state (A) to state (F), the first side clamp 25 and the second side clamp 71 hold the electric wire W in front of and behind the cutting and stripping section 4 (not shown).

Figure 4 (B) shows the cutting blade 42 and the peeling blades 41 and 43 in a state where they are slightly closer to the electric wire. The movement from (A) to this state (B) is performed by driving the motor ball screw (sliding the slide block 45). In this state (B), both tips of the V-shaped cutting blades of the peeling blades 41 and 43 are at approximately the same height as the axis of the electric wire feed. Therefore, the left-right swinging of the electric wire W is restricted so that it does not go outside the peeling blades 41 and 43.

Figure 4(C) shows the state after cutting to determine the wire length is completed. The cutting blades 42, 42' are driven at high speed by the air cylinder 44 from the state shown in Figure 4(B), and in Figure 4(C), the center portions of the upper and lower cutting blades in the width direction overlap. As mentioned above, the leading wire after cutting is called the second side wire W2, and the trailing wire is called the first side wire W1.

4(D) shows the state in which the cutting blades 42, 42' have been retracted from the electric wires by the actuation of the air cylinder 44. Also, the electric wire W has been moved in the longitudinal direction in accordance with the length of the wire to be stripped. That is, the first electric wire W1 has been pulled further back than when it was cut in (C), and the second electric wire W2 has been pulled further forward than when it was cut in (C). The pulling action of each electric wire is performed by the back and forth movement of the clamps 25, 71 which grip the end of each electric wire. The stripping blades 41, 43 are approaching the surface of the wire insulation.
4C and 4D, the cutting blade 42 can be moved independently and at high speed by the pneumatic cylinder 44 even when the peeling blades 41 and 43 are stopped or moving in the opposite direction, thereby shortening the time required for the cutting and sheathing stripping process. Furthermore, the cutting and sheathing stripping device 4 of this embodiment can easily perform processing in which the peeling length is slightly longer than the "spacing between the peeling blade and the cutting blade". That is, even if the first side electric wire W1 is alternately advanced and the second side electric wire W2 is retreated after the electric wire cutting and cutting blade 42 are retracted, the front and rear ends of the electric wires will not come into contact with the cutting blade 42, as long as the wire clamps 25 and 71 do not interfere with the cutting and sheathing stripping device 4 or bend due to interference with the electric wire on the opposite side.

Figure 4 (E) shows the state where the stripping blades 41 and 43 have cut into the wire coating. The movement from (D) to this state (E) is achieved by driving the motor and ball screw (sliding the slide block 45).

Figure 4 (F) shows the state after the wires have been pulled back and forth (away from the stripping blades) and stripped. The pulling action of each wire is performed by the back and forth movement of each clamp 25, 71 that grips the end of each wire. The peeled coating waste (not shown) is sucked by negative pressure from the inside of the stripping blades 41, 43 (the cutting blade 42 side) into the stripping waste suction duct 50 and discharged.

In the cutting and stripping device 4 of this embodiment, the linear motion of the air cylinder and ball screw are combined so that they can each operate independently (and simultaneously). As a result, the movement distance of the cutting blade 42 during one tact (from (A) to the next (A) in FIG. 4) is 10 mm, which is 4.5 mm shorter than the 14.5 mm in the comparative example in which the cutting blade and stripping blade operate in the same set. If this difference in movement distance is divided by the average movement speed of the cutting blade 42, 300 mm/sec, the time difference is 0.015 seconds. By reducing the time in other wire cutting and stripping processes and combining it with improvements to peripheral devices, which will be described later, the overall operation tact can be significantly reduced and productivity can be improved.

5 to 7, the configuration for guiding the first electric wire W1 from the first crimping machine 60 to the cutting and stripping section 4, that is, the configuration from the swivel guide 160 to the blade section 140, will be described.
FIG. 5 is a front view (viewed in the wire feeding direction) of a portion ranging from the swivel guide 160 to the blade portion 140 and the stripped waste suction duct 50 in the terminal crimped electric wire production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of the outlet portion of the swivel guide 160 and the blade portion 140 of the device of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a plan sectional view for explaining the planar shape of the swivel guide 160 and the state in which the top portion of the wire is paid out during swivel in the oblique feed mode of the wire cutting/stripping/terminal crimping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows the swivel guide 160 extending from left to right, the blade section 140 at the end of it, and the stripped waste suction duct 50 to the right of that. To the left of the left end 160d of the swivel guide 160, there is a one-side crimping machine 60 (not shown), which crimps the top terminal T1 to the tip of the one-side electric wire W1. The blade section 140 is a collective term for the upper and lower stripping blades 41, 41' and the upper and lower cutting blades 42, 42'.

The swivel guide 160 is a guide plate (cover) that is arranged along the swivel path of the tip of the electric wire and guides the electric wire in a direction crossing the swivel direction (typically horizontal, not limited to vertical). The electric wire may be fed (unwound) in the longitudinal direction while it is being swiveled (diagonal feed), in which case the swivel guide 160 also guides the end of the electric wire in the longitudinal direction. The swivel guide is preferably made of a material with a smooth surface, such as cold-rolled stainless steel.

The swivel guide 160 has an upper plate 161U and a lower plate 161B that face each other vertically, and an upright, planar front wall 161W that connects to the rear ends (front ends) of both plates in the figure. The side of the guide 160 facing the feed section 10 (rear side) has no wall and is open. The front wall 161W exists from the left end 160d of the swivel guide 160 to the border 161Wm that is almost in the center of the left and right sides of the guide, and the right side of the border 161Wm is open and has no wall on the rear (front) side.

The dimension (guide height) between the upper plate 161U and the lower plate 161B of the swivel guide 160 gets smaller (lower) from the left (the side of the 1-side crimping machine) to the right (the side of the cutting and stripping unit 4). In other words, when viewed from the front, the swivel guide 160 is trumpet-shaped, with the crimping machine side being wider from top to bottom and the cutting and stripping unit side being narrower from top to bottom. The 1-side electric wire W1 with the top terminal T1 attached is guided up and down through this trumpet-shaped space.

The height HA of the rotating guide 160 on the crimping machine side (left end 160d, wire inlet) is, for example, 40 mm, which is a height sufficient to receive the top portion of the wire that has been released from the crimping machine and is swinging. The height HB of the rotating guide 160 on the cutting and stripping unit 4 side (right end 161x, wire outlet) is, for example, 10 mm. Note that the above-mentioned inlet and outlet are concepts when the wire returns from the 1-side crimping machine 69 to the cutting and stripping unit 4 after the top terminal T1 is crimped. When the wire moves from the cutting and stripping unit 4 toward the 1-side crimping machine 60, the concepts of inlet and outlet are reversed.

As shown in an example in Figure 8, after the terminal is crimped, the first side wire W1 is rotated by the first side clamp 25 (see also Figure 1) and passes through the inside of the rotating guide 160 and is sent to the cutting and stripping section 4. At this time, the tip of the terminal-attached wire is sent into the wire feed passage of the blade section 140 while its swing (shaking and jumping) becomes smaller. Note that the wire still has a tendency to be wound on the reel, so the top part swings as if it is rotating. If the up-down swing is suppressed, the left-right swing will also be reduced. This makes it easier for the left-right swing of the wire sent to the blade section 140 to settle, and the time spent waiting for the wire to settle (time spent waiting for the wire to be fed in the longitudinal direction and for the wire to be cut) is shortened, which also shortens the tact time.

The blade portion 140 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 and 3. Figures 6 and 3 are enlarged views of the blade portion 140 and its surroundings, with Figure 6 being a front view and Figure 3 being a side cross-sectional view.

As best seen in FIG. 3, this blade section 140 includes tongues 141, 141', 142, and 142' made of sheet metal (one example). The upper tongue 141 on the rear side is inserted from right to left (from back to front of the paper in FIG. 3) between the upper first peeling blade 41 and the upper cutting blade 42. The lower tongue 141' on the rear side is similarly inserted between the lower peeling blade 41' and the lower cutting blade 42'. The upper and lower tongues 142 and 142' on the front side are similarly inserted between the upper and lower cutting blades 42 and 42' and the peeling blades 43 and 43'.

When viewed from the front, each tongue-shaped piece is connected at one end to the left side of the upper and lower plates 50d and 50d' of the scrap suction duct 50, as shown in Figure 6.

With reference to Figure 7, an example of the movement of the first side electric wire W1 from the first side crimping machine 60 to the cutting and stripping unit 4 will be described. Figure 7 is a plan view showing an example of the movement of the first side electric wire W1 (diagonal feed) and the planar shape of the rotating guide 160. The figure shows the first side electric wires W1-1 to 4 that are rotating and feeding in the longitudinal direction, the top terminals T1-1 to 4 that are crimped to their tips, and the first side clamps 25-1 to 4.

The electric wire W1-1 shown at the top of Figure 7 is just starting to rotate after the terminal has been crimped. The electric wire W1 is held by the first clamp 25. The clamp 25 can slide back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire on the forward and backward mechanism 23, which can be rotated by the swivel mechanism 21. The topmost clamp 25-1 is slightly retreated from its most forward position. Note that the forward and backward mechanism 23 and swivel mechanism 21 are not shown for the second to fourth electric wires from the top.

The second wire W1-2 from the top of the figure is slightly rotated downwards. In addition, wire W1-2 and terminal W1-2, together with clamp 25-2 that holds the wire, move forward slightly (length S1) in the longitudinal direction of the wire. Terminal T1-2 of the second wire W1-2 is inside pivot guide 160, suppressing its swinging.

The third wire W1-3 from the top of the figure has further rotated slightly downwards. The clamp 25-3 holding the wire has not advanced from the position of the second clamp 25-2, and remains in the same position in the longitudinal direction of the wire. Meanwhile, the wire W1-3 has been fed out slightly (length S2) in the longitudinal direction of the wire by the feeder 10 (see FIG. 1), and the protruding dimension of the top terminal T1-3 from the clamp 25-3 has become longer (it is being fed at an angle). However, in this state, the terminal T1-3 is in the tip extension 161P near the wire cutting and stripping section 4 of the rotating guide 160, which reduces shaking even during diagonal feeding and prevents feeding problems and terminal damage.

The fourth electric wire W1-4 from the top of the figure rotates further downwards, reaches the cutting and stripping section 4, and enters the blade section 140. The clamp 25-4 holding the electric wire does not advance from the position of the second clamp 25-2, and remains in the same position in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire. In this state, the electric wire W-4 is paid out in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire to the specified length for cutting the electric wire.

In the terminal crimping electric wire manufacturing device 1 shown in Figures 5 to 7, after the terminal is crimped, the first electric wire W1, which has a considerable amount of wobble and bending at the end, enters the entrance side of the rotating guide 160, which widens like the mouth of a trumpet. Then, as the electric wire moves through the gradually narrowing (lowering) rotating guide 160, the wobble and bending are suppressed and the wire is guided between a pair of cutting blades 42 and stripping blades 41 and 43 that face each other vertically in the wire cutting and stripping section 4. The end of the electric wire undergoes a rotational motion that includes swinging up and down (in the direction crossing the direction of the swing) and swinging left and right (in the direction of the swing), but if the swinging up and down is suppressed by the guide plate of the rotating guide, the swinging left and right will also be reduced.

In this embodiment, the swivel guide 160 guides the swivel of the first wire W1 and guides the wire into the blade at the final stage of the swivel, preventing the wire from jumping up or moving wildly even when the wire is fed (unwound). This prevents the wire from bending and the top of the wire from swinging, preventing problems associated with diagonal feed (damage to the crimp terminal, equipment stoppage due to wire/terminal getting caught). As a result, diagonal feed can be used stably and frequently, increasing the number of wire types (wire diameter, etc.) that can be diagonally fed and increasing the payout dimensions for diagonal feed, and shortening the manufacturing takt time for a variety of terminal crimped wires (wire harnesses).

The narrower the gap between the cutting blade and the stripping blade waiting for the wire to come between the opposing pair of blades (the avoidance dimension), the shorter the dimension and time for the blade to cut the wire and cut the insulation, and the shorter the drive tact time. Furthermore, even if the rotation speed is increased, if the wire settles quickly at the blade, it is possible to increase the rotation speed and shorten the waiting time for the wire end to settle at the blade. This makes it possible to shorten the tact time for wire production (by about 0.01 seconds). Furthermore, the stripping blade retraction dimension can be reduced, shortening the electric feed time of the stripping blade. It was confirmed that the overall tact time could be shortened from about 0.81 seconds to 0.7 seconds for an example of a wire size of 0.5 square mm, including the effect of the dual actuator of the cutting unit.

The operation of the two-side clamp 71 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view for explaining an example of the operation of the two-side clamp 71. The configuration of the two-side clamp 71 and its electric wire sway suppressor 719 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9.

The features of the operation of the two-side clamp 71 in this embodiment are as follows. That is, before the two-side clamp (71) meets and receives the rear end of the electric wire emerging from the cutting and stripping section 4, the clamp retreats (protrudes toward the feed source side). As a result, when receiving the electric wire and when rotating thereafter, the dimension of the electric wire protruding from the clamp is shortened, so that the electric wire is less likely to sway, shake, or move wildly, and is more stable when receiving the electric wire.

The upper left of Figure 8 shows the stripping blades 41 and 43 and the cutting blade 42 of the cutting and stripping unit 4. The second-side clamp 71, which is located in front of the cutting and stripping unit 4, receives the rear end of the wire (top terminal T1 is crimped to the tip) coming out of the cutting and stripping unit 4. At this time, the wire is restrained from moving wildly by the wire vibration suppressor 719 (described later with reference to Figures 9 and 10), and the second-side clamp 71 grasps the wire. At this point in time when the wire is received, the wire has not yet been cut, nor has the rear end (tail) of the second-side wire been stripped.

Next, the wire is cut by the cutting blade 42, and then the second side clamp 71-1 moves forward a little (by the forward/backward mechanism 73) to adjust the stripped length (see Figures 4 (C) and (D)). This state is the state of the second side wire W2-1 in Figure 10. Note that the second side clamp 71-5, which is drawn in the same position as the second side clamp 71-1, shows the clamp in a state in which it is about to receive the next wire after the series of clamping operations described below have been completed.

Then, the second side clamp 71 advances further to strip the wire coating (leaving the stripped coating behind the stripping blade 43, see Fig. 4 (E)-(F)). This is the state of the second side wire W2-2 and the second side clamp 71-2. Note that the advance dimension of the second side clamp 71-2 does not correspond to the scale of this figure (Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram).

Next, the second clamp 71-2 rotates downward (to the right) in the figure toward the crimping machine (90) (driven by the rotating mechanism 75). During the rotation, the detector 99 for the rear end of the second wire (see FIG. 1) inspects the stripping state, etc.
When the second-side clamp 71-2 rotates to the position of the crimping machine (90), it advances the electric wire to the crimping position and comes to a position in front of the second-side crimping machine 90 (reference numeral 71-3). Here, the tail terminal T2 is crimped to the rear end of the second-side electric wire W2-3.

After crimping, the second side clamp 71-3 starts to rotate back toward the cutting and stripping section 4. During the return rotation, at the handover position to the discharge clamp 81, the second side clamp 71-4 passes the completed both-end crimped electric wire W2-4 (product) to the discharge clamp 81. The discharge clamp 81 will be described later with reference to Figures 11 and 12.

Between the handover position to this discharge clamp (second side clamp 71-4) and the position in front of the cutting and stripping unit 4 (second side clamp 71-5), the second side clamp 71 retreats (protrudes toward the feed source side) while rotating. This shortens the length of the wire protruding from the clamp when the next wire is received, reducing the swaying, shaking, and movement of the wire, and stabilizing the reception and transport of the wire.

The configuration and function of the two-side clamp 71 and its electric wire vibration suppressor 719 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the two-side clamp 71 and the wire vibration suppressor 719 attached thereto.
10 is a front view for explaining the function of the electric wire vibration damper 719. (A) shows the vibration damper 719 in an open state, (B) shows the vibration damper 719 in the process of closing, and (C) shows the vibration damper 719 in a closed state.

The second clamp 71 has a pair of clamp claws 711 on the left and right sides that grip the electric wire. The claws are opened and closed by a link 715 and an air cylinder 717, centered on a fulcrum 712 (see Figure 10) at the top center of the pair of claws. The claws 711, link 715, and air cylinder 717 are attached to a clamp block 716. The block 716 is rotated and moved forward and backward by a forward and backward mechanism 73 and a rotating mechanism 75 (see Figure 1), as shown in Figure 8.

The base of the claw 711 is connected to the front claw arm 714 (part of the link 715). The wire sway suppressor 719 is connected to the front of the claw arm 714 so that it protrudes forward. As can be seen in the lower part of Figure 10 (A), the wire sway suppressor 719 is wing-shaped and spreads out to the left and right in the open state. The sway suppressor 719 consists of a pair of left and right plates. In the closed state of Figure 10 (C), the sway suppressor 719 is in a crab-like shape that faces each other. The wire sway suppressor 719 is located above the front of the clamp claws of the two-side wire W2 that is unwound from the cutting and stripping section 4.

The function of the wire sway suppressor 719 will be explained with reference to Figure 10. In the open state of Figure 10(A) (the same as the state in Figure 9), the wire is being unwound from under the second-side clamp 71, and the sway suppressor 719 is open with the claws 711 on the second-side wire W2. At this time, the wire is still the first-side wire W1 before it has been cut and stripped, and the tail end is a long wire connected to the wire reel. The rear of this first-side wire W1 is gripped and supported by the first-side clamp 25 (see Figure 1). Therefore, the tip of the long, cantilevered wire sways back and forth and left and right, as shown by the radial arrows in the figure (the wire is unwound in a spiral motion).

From this point, the wire sway suppressor 719 rotates downwards as if the left and right wings are closing, as shown in Figure 10 (B). During the closing process, the wire hits the underside of the sway suppressor 719, and the sway (bending) of the wire is suppressed. In other words, the wire sway suppressor 719 (wire guide) follows the clamping action, bringing the wire closer to the center. This also suppresses the reaction force of the wire against the claws when the clamp is closed.

Figure 10 (C) shows the wire vibration suppressor 719 in a fully closed state (claws 711 are closed and gripping the wire). The plates on both sides of the vibration suppressor 719 hang down on either side of the wire 1 with a gap between them. This gap is large enough to suppress wire vibration without putting pressure on the terminal (so as not to deform the terminal). Note that with short products, the top terminal T1 may be further back than in the state shown in Figure 9 and may be pinched by the vibration suppressor 719. Therefore, by leaving a certain distance between the pair of wire vibration suppressors 719 (guides) when the clamp is closed, the terminal movement is suppressed while preventing deformation of the terminal.

The discharge clamp 81 (discharge device) will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12.
11 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration and operation of the discharge clamp 81 of the embodiment. (A) shows the discharge clamp 81 approaching the second electric wire W2, (B) shows the clamp 81 just before gripping the electric wire W2, and (C) shows the clamp 81 gripping the electric wire W2.
Fig. 12 is a front view showing the details of the operation of the discharge clamp 81 in Fig. 11 to receive the second electric wire W2. (A) shows the discharge clamp 81 in the electric wire receiving standby position, (B) shows the second electric wire W2 approaching the receiving position and the clamp 81 just before gripping the electric wire W2, and (C) shows the clamp 81 gripping (receiving) the electric wire W2.
It should be noted that the directions "left and right" in FIGS. 11 and 12 are directions relative to the viewer of the figures, and may not match the directions "left and right" in other figures.

The discharge clamp 81 has a pair of clamp claws 811 on the left and right that grip the electric wire. The claws are opened and closed by a link 815 and an air cylinder 817, centered on a fulcrum 812 at the top center of the pair of claws. The claws 811, link 815, and air cylinder 817 are attached to a clamp block 816. The block 816 moves up and down, rotates, and moves left and right by a vertical movement mechanism, a front-rear mechanism, and a rotation mechanism (not shown).

In Figure 11 (A), the second-side electric wire W2 to which the tail terminal T2 is crimped is held by the second-side clamp 71. The state of this second-side electric wire W2 and second-side clamp 71 is the state of the electric wire W2-4 and clamp 71-4 in Figure 8. Then, the claws 811 of the discharge clamp 81 reach above the electric wire between the tail terminal T2 and the second-side clamp 71, and the claws 811 open. From here, the discharge clamp 81 continues to descend.

In FIG. 11B, the discharge clamp 81 has lowered from the state shown in (A) and is about to grip the wire W2.
In Fig. 11(C), the discharge clamp 81 has moved further down from the state in (B) (actually, it moves from right to left as shown in Fig. 14) and the clamp claws 811 have gripped the electric wire W2 between the tail terminal T2 of the electric wire W2 and the second-side clamp 71. From this point, although not shown, the second-side clamp 71 opens and releases the electric wire, and the discharge clamp 81 grips the second-side electric wire W2 and carries it to the product tray (not shown, located in front of the table 3 in Fig. 1). There, the discharge clamp 81 releases the second-side electric wire W2 and dispenses it onto the product tray.

With reference to FIG. 12, the detailed operation of the discharge clamp 81 approaching the second electric wire W2 and gripping (receiving) the electric wire will be described.
In FIG. 12A, the discharge clamp 81 is in the wire receiving standby position, and the second side wire W2 is moving (rotating) from left to right below it.

In Fig. 12(B), the second wire W2 is approaching below the receiving position and the clamp 81 is about to grab the wire W2. Here, the discharge clamp 81 starts to lower and close at the point before (just before) the second wire W2 reaches the receiving position. This shortens the time it takes for the second wire W2 to be delivered to the discharge clamp 81 (by 0.05 seconds in one example).
12C, the claws 811 of the clamp 81 grip (receive) the wire W2. After this, the discharge clamp 81 delivers the second wire W2 to the discharge tray.

The suction auxiliary part (entrance gate 412 of blade portion 140) in the modified example will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a front view showing the configuration and operation of the entrance gate 412 of the blade portion 140. (A) shows the open (lowered) state, and (B) shows the closed (uppered) state.

The entrance gate 412 is an angle-shaped (inverted L-shaped) member when viewed from the front, and is fixed on the lower peeling blade holder 441', and can be raised and lowered together with the holder 441'. The rising piece 412b of the entrance gate 412 rises straight up on the upper surface of the holder 441', in a position close to the left side of the peeling blades 41 and 43 and the cutting blade 42. The width of the rising piece 412b in the front-to-back direction (the front-to-back direction of the paper in Figure 15) is approximately the same dimension as the distance between the front and rear peeling blades 41 and 43.

In the open (lowered) state of FIG. 13(A), the upper end 412d of the rising piece 412b of the entrance gate is approximately the same height as the lower end of the swivel guide 160 (both are approximately the same height). In the closed (uppered) state of (B), the upper end 412d of the rising piece 412b is approximately the same height as the upper end of the swivel guide 160.

Due to the vertical relationship of each of the above parts, when the entrance gate 412 is in the open (lowered) state in Figure 13 (A), the right end 161x of the swivel guide 160 (the exit for the electric wire after the terminal is crimped) is fully open, and the electric wire can pass through these parts without hindrance. On the other hand, when it is in the closed (uppered) state in Figure 13 (B), the right end 161x of the swivel guide 160 (the exit for the electric wire after the terminal is crimped) is closed by the rising piece 412b.

In this modified example, an entrance gate 412 (suction auxiliary part) is attached to the lower blade block (lower), and the vertical movement of the stripping blade is utilized to secure an opening for the wire passage when the blade is open, and when the blade is closed, the passage is blocked in conjunction with the movement of the blade, thereby improving the suction of the coating scraps and reducing the spread of the stripping scraps.

Next, an embodiment including an improved example of air blowing of coating debris will be described.
FIG. 14 is a plan view showing an outline of the arrangement of devices in a terminal crimped electric wire manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment (non-rotating type, electric wire parallel lateral movement type).
Fig. 15(A) is a plan sectional view of the main part of the cutting and peeling device 204 equipped with an air blowing means for blowing off the coating scraps SI from the peeling blades 241 and 243. Fig. 15(B) is a plan sectional view showing an enlarged detail of the air blow block 381, the peeling blades 241 and 243, and the coating scraps SI.
FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view of a main portion of the device shown in FIG.
FIG. 17 is a front view showing the up and down movement of the air blow block 381 of the device shown in FIG. 15, (A) showing the time of ascent (when the electric wire is traveling traversal), and (B) showing the time of descent (when air is blown for cutting and stripping).

The cutting and peeling device (204) of this embodiment is characterized by comprising: an electric wire cutting blade (242) having a pair of blades arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire (W1, W2) and facing each other in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction; a peeling blade (241, 243) for cutting the insulation of the electric wire; a forward/backward mechanism (223, 273) for moving the electric wire in the longitudinal direction (forward/backward direction); a suction duct (250) for sucking and discharging the peeled waste (SI1, SI2) generated by the peeling blade (241, 243); and a means (380) for blowing air toward the bottom of the blade recess (241b', 243b') of the peeling blade (241', 243') arranged opposite the suction duct (250) through the peeling blade (241, 243).

In the equipment layout diagram of FIG. 14, the parts indicated by the reference numbers in FIG. 1 plus 200 are the same as those in the terminal crimped electric wire manufacturing apparatus in FIG. 1. Below, we will mainly explain the differences between apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 and apparatus 204 in FIG. 14.

The wire feeder 210 is mounted on the front-rear mechanism 223 of the 1-side clamp 225. The 1-side wire transporter 220 has a 1-side wire clamp (head) 225 and a lateral movement mechanism 221 that moves the 1-side wire clamp (head) 225 and the lateral movement mechanism 223 of the clamp 225 laterally. When moving laterally, the longitudinal direction (axis) of the wire held by the 1-side clamp 225 is parallel in plan view to the wire payout direction in the wire cutting and stripping unit 204. The 1-side clamp 225 holds the tip of the 1-side wire and moves back and forth between the wire cutting and stripping unit 204 and the 1-side terminal crimping machine 260.

The wire cutting and stripping section 204 cuts the wire to a specified length and strips the coating from the top and tail of the wire cutting section, as in FIG. 1. It is also equipped with a suction duct 250 that sucks in and discharges the stripped residue. Reference numeral 269 denotes a one-side wire end detector (optical inspection).

The second-side wire transport section 270, like the first-side wire transport section 220, also has a traverse mechanism 274. Reference numeral 271 denotes a second-side wire clamp. Reference numeral 273 denotes a forward/backward mechanism 273 that moves the clamp 271 in the axial direction of the wire. The second-side clamp 271 transports the rear end of the second-side wire from the cutting and stripping section 204 to the second-side crimping machine 290. Reference numeral 281 denotes a discharge clamp that discharges the wire (product) after both ends have been crimped to terminals onto a discharge tray 282. Reference numeral 299 denotes a second-side wire rear end detector (optical inspection).

As shown in Figures 15(A) and 16, the cutting and stripping device 204 is equipped with a blade unit 240 consisting of a cutting blade 242 for cutting the electric wires W1 and W2, and stripping blades 241 and 243 in front and behind the cutting blade 242. Each blade is a pair of upper and lower blades that are driven in the vertical direction to move closer to and away from each other. In this specification, when specifically referring to the lower blade, an ' is added to the reference number (e.g., lower rear stripping blade 241'). Reference numbers without an ' may refer to a pair of upper and lower blades, or to the upper blade in particular.

The wires shown in Figures 15 and 16 have been cut and then their ends stripped. As can be seen clearly in Figure 15(B), the leading wire W1 (called the 1-side wire) has a core wire CW1 protruding from its tip (top), with stripped residue SI1 adhering to the front side (the cutting blade 242 side) of the trailing wire 241. Similarly, the leading wire W2 (called the 2-side wire) has a core wire CW2 protruding from its rear end (tail) with stripped residue SI2 adhering to the rear side (the cutting blade 242 side) of the leading (2-side) stripping blade 242. Please refer to Figures 22, 23, and 24 for the procedure for the stripping operation.

The air blowing means 380 for the coating scraps SI is mainly composed of an air blow block 381 having two air blow holes 381b and c. The block 381 is provided on the left side of the upper part of the blade unit 240 (the side where the 1-side crimping machine 260 exists, see FIG. 14) so that it can be raised and lowered. The air blow holes 381b and c inject air toward the inner side (the side where the cutting blade 242 exists) of the opposing front and rear peeling blades 241 and 243. The air blow block 381 is raised when the electric wire W leaves the cutting and peeling section 204 to the left and heads toward the 1-side crimping machine 260, and when the electric wire W returns from the 1-side crimping machine 260 to the cutting and peeling section 204. When blowing air, the air blow block 381 is lowered.

As can be clearly seen in Figures 15(B) and 17(B), the air blow block 381 is generally rectangular. The width of the block 381 in the front-to-rear direction is approximately the same as the outer width of the front and rear peeling blades 241, 243, and the width in the left-to-right direction is approximately the same as the width of the cutting blade 242. The height of the air blow block 381, as can be clearly seen in Figure 17(B), is approximately the same as the height between the upper and lower tongue-shaped pieces 341, 341'.

As shown in Figure 15 (B), the air blow holes 381b and c are opened in two places, on the front and rear sides. The backs of the holes 381b and c are connected to the air guide hole 381h. The air guide hole 381h extends in the front-rear direction within the air blow block 381, and is connected to the left-right air guide hole 381j at the rear. The base side of the air guide hole 381h is connected to the air pressure tube 387 (see Figure 17) via the pipe connection member 383.

The rear blow hole 381b is drilled so as to face diagonally from the center in the front-rear direction to the rear and right side (the side opposite the crimping machine 260, the side of the peeled waste suction duct 250). The tip of the hole faces the bottom of the blade recess 241b' of the front-lower-rear stripping blade 241' in the almost fully raised state (the upper and lower stripping blades 241 and 241' overlap and close). The bottom of the blade recess 241b' is the part where the root of the peeled coating waste SI1 is attached to the stripping blades 241' and 241. In the example of this figure, the angle α between the center line of the air blow hole 381b and the perpendicular plane (front of the stripping blade) of the electric wire axis is 20°, and the inclination angle β of the blade recess 241b' in a plan view is 30°.

The relationship between the direction of the front blow hole 381c and the front upper and lower peeling blades 243 and 243' and the blade recess 243b', as well as the relationship between the angle α and the angle β, is the same as the above-mentioned case of the rear blow hole 381b and the rear peeling blades 241 and 241', but reversed front to back.

The peeling (covering strip) dimension, i.e., the length of the peeled waste SI, is at least 1.0 mm. On the other hand, the depth of the blade recess 241b' is 1.5 mm. Therefore, the head of the peeled waste SI that is attached to the bottom of the blade recess 241b' may hardly come out of the blade recess 241b'. Therefore, simply blowing air vaguely toward the peeling blade 241 is not effective enough to blow away the peeled waste SI (to tear off the adhesion). Therefore, in this embodiment, the air blow is designed to directly hit and gouge the bottom of the blade recess 241b' of the peeling blade 241.

The timing of the air blow is when the peeling blades 241, 243 reach the upper and lower dead center positions where they are close to each other, and then start to move away from the upper and lower dead center (the upper and lower blades start to open). Specifically, the air blow is performed when the peeling blades 241, 243 are displaced 0.2 mm from the upper and lower dead center (opening 0.4 mm). The blow time is about 100 ms. Experimental results have shown that this point and time is optimal in terms of thoroughness of peeled waste removal and reduction of compressed air consumption.

As shown in Figure 17, the air blow block 381 is fixed to the underside of the peeling blade holder 541 and rises and falls together with the holder 541. Figure 17(A) shows the air blow block 381 in the raised state, and Figure 17(B) shows the air blow block 381 in the lowered state. In the raised state of Figure 17(A), there is an opening between the underside of the air blow block 381 and the guide plate 360, allowing the electric wire W to move freely from side to side between them.

When the air blow block 381 is in the lower position, the space into which the peeled scraps SI fly is almost completely closed on the left side by the air blow block 381, almost completely closed on the front and back by the peeling blades 241 and 243, and almost completely closed on the top and bottom by the tongue-shaped pieces 341 and 342. This prevents the peeled scraps SI from flying out. Also, the smaller the opening area of the suction duct 250, the greater the difference between atmospheric pressure and negative pressure due to the air flow from the gap, increasing the suction force and improving the efficiency of collecting the coating scraps.

The configuration of the air blowing means 380 and its synchronization with the skin peeling operation (coating peeling operation) can be summarized as follows. That is, together with the closing operation of the clothing peeling section, the air blowing position moves toward the closing position of the upper and lower peeling blades, and by blowing air toward the vicinity of the position where the coating debris is generated when the upper and lower peeling blades are closed, it is possible to both strengthen the coating debris removal action and prevent the coating debris from scattering. Specifically, by blowing air toward the coating debris suction port when the tongue-shaped pieces 341 and 342 of the suction port of the suction duct 250 and the upper and lower peeling blades 241 and 243 are in the closed state, the collection of the coating debris is improved and the prevention of debris scattering is more thorough.

Next, the structure and operation of the wire transport guide around the cutting and stripping portion 204 will be described with reference mainly to FIGS.
18A and 18B are views showing the cutting and stripping unit 204 and its surroundings in the electric wire feeding state of the production apparatus for crimped electric wire of the second embodiment, where (A) is a plan sectional view and (B) is a side sectional view.
19A and 19B are views of the cutting and stripping portion 204 and its surroundings in the clamped state of the two-side wire clamp of the device in FIG. 18, where (A) is a plan sectional view and (B) is a side sectional view.

Another end-processing electric wire manufacturing device (201) of the present invention is an end-processing electric wire manufacturing device (201) including an electric wire feeding section (210) for feeding an electric wire, an electric wire cutting and stripping section (204) for cutting the fed electric wire to an arbitrary length and stripping the coating from the end of the electric wire, a first-side end processing section (260) for end-processing the leading end of the first-side (following) electric wire that has been cut and stripped of its coating, and a second-side end processing section (290) for end-processing the trailing end of the second-side (leading) electric wire, and a clamp transport section (220/270) for clamping the electric wire and transporting it to each section, characterized in that the end-processing electric wire manufacturing device (201) further includes a guide plate (360) that receives the electric wire that hangs down and guides it to the electric wire cutting and stripping section (204) on the side (left side) of the first-side end processing section (260) of the electric wire cutting and stripping section (204).

Another electric wire cutting and stripping device (204) of the present invention further includes a wire receiver (390) disposed in front of the electric wire cutting and stripping section (204) (in the electric wire feed direction) below the travel path of the electric wire (W1) being fed (preferably also extending to the upper side of the travel path and toward the one-side end processing section) and receiving the electric wire that hangs down when being fed (preferably further reducing the upward and lateral movement of the electric wire), and a wire receiver moving means (392) for moving the wire receiver (390) between a position approaching the cutting and stripping section (204) and a position away from the same section. The wire receiver (390) is characterized by having a moving means (272, 273) for the clamp (271) that moves the clamp (271) away from the wire travel path when the wire receiver (390) approaches the cutting and stripping unit (204) and moves the clamp (271) forward into the wire travel path when the wire receiver (390) moves away from the cutting and stripping unit (204). In the embodiment described below, the wire receiver 380 is a guide member having a horizontal U-shaped cross section (open toward the two-side crimping machine) in the wire longitudinal direction. By passing the wire (W1) inside the guide member, the wire is prevented from moving wildly when it is fed.

As shown in Fig. 18(A) and Fig. 19(A), a guide plate 360 is provided on the left side of the cutting and stripping device 204 (the side where the terminal crimping machine 260 is located, see Fig. 14) that extends below the wire lateral movement path. The guide plate 360 is a plate that is approximately L-shaped in a plan view. The left end 360b is a left-side downward inclined surface 360b (see Fig. 17(A)), and the rear side is a rear-side downward inclined surface 360f. Both inclined surfaces have the effect of lifting the tip of the wire upward when the tip of the wire (top terminal T1) is slightly downward and hits the inclined surfaces 360b and 360f. The other parts of the guide plate 360, the front and right parts, are flat surfaces 360j. The height of the flat surface 360j is the same as the height of the upper surfaces of the lower tongue-shaped pieces 341' and 342', as shown in Fig. 18(B) and Fig. 19(B).

In front of the cutting and stripping section 204, there are the second side clamp 271 and the wire receiver 390. When the electric wire is fed as shown in FIG. 18, the second side clamp 271 is retracted under the rear end of the wire receiver 390, and when the electric wire is clamped as shown in FIG. 19, it is raised to approximately the same height as the wire receiver 390. When the electric wire is fed as shown in FIG. 18, the wire receiver 390 is close to the cutting and stripping section 204, and when the electric wire is clamped as shown in FIG. 19, it is away from the cutting and stripping section 204 to the front.

As shown in FIG. 19A, the second clamp 271 has a pair of claws 271b and 271c that grip the wire. The base of the claws is supported by an arm 272 that has a built-in claw opening and closing mechanism (such as a commercially available air chuck). The arm is mounted on a three-axis movable mechanism that moves in a tilting, forward/backward, and lateral direction. The second clamp 271 is raised (FIG. 19) and lowered (FIG. 18) by rotating the arm 272 around the forward/backward axis. The wire is advanced and retreated by moving the arm 272 forward and backward (such as the stripping operation in FIG. 22, FIG. 23, and FIG. 24). The arm 272 is moved laterally (left and right) to move laterally between the cutting and stripping unit 204 and the crimping machine 290, or to discharge the wire into the discharge tray. The tilting, forward/backward, and lateral movement mechanism can be composed of commercially available actuators, linear guides, etc.

The wire receiver 390 has an upper plate 390U and a lower plate 390B that face each other vertically, and an upright planar left wall 390W that connects to the inner ends (front ends) of both plates in the figure. The right side of the wire receiver 390 (the side of the two-side crimping machine 290, see FIG. 14) has no wall and is open. The rear end of the upper plate 390U is inclined upward and rearward, and the rear end of the lower plate 390B is inclined downward and rearward. Both inclinations open toward the rear in a trumpet shape, so that the electric wire W1 can easily enter the wire receiver 390 even if its tip (top) is facing downward. The height of the upper plate 390U and the lower plate 390B excluding the entrance trumpet parts is greater than the distance between the upper and lower tongue-shaped pieces 341, 341', 342, 342' of the cutting and skin stripping section 204.

When feeding the wire, the wire and terminal coming out from the cutting and stripping section 204 to the front enter the wire receiver 390 immediately behind and move forward (are fed). This prevents the wire from slipping under the cover 394 that slides the wire sideways when the wire is transported sideways on the second side. The wire receiver 390 also serves to suppress the wire from moving wildly when feeding the wire. In other words, the function of the upper plate 390U of the wire receiver 390 is to suppress the wire from moving wildly upwards when the wire is fed. The left wall 390W is closer to the right as it moves forward. This serves to suppress the wire from moving wildly sideways in the initial state when feeding the wire, and serves to prevent collisions with installed equipment, etc., and is connected to the wire receiver 390U, which acts as a surface for suppressing the wire from moving upwards.

Next, the conveying and feeding operation of the electric wire W1 from the one-side crimping machine 260 to the cutting and stripping section 204 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 20 is a plan view showing the lateral movement and feeding (longitudinal payout) of the wire from the guide plate 360 to the cutting and stripping section 204 in the case of an electric wire having a relatively small terminal (for example, a terminal of a signal connector having an inter-pole pitch of 2.54 mm or less) crimped to the top of the electric wire.
FIG. 21 is a plan view showing the lateral movement and feeding (longitudinal payout) of the wire from the guide plate 360 to the cutting and stripping section 204 in the case of an electric wire having a relatively large terminal (for example, a terminal of a power supply or bond connector with a pole pitch of 3.96 mm or more) crimped to the top of the electric wire.

In the previous stage of Figure 20 (A), the relatively small 1-side terminal TS1 is crimped by the 1-side crimping machine 260 (see Figure 14), and then the 1-side clamp 225 retracts to the rear, and the terminal and wire are removed from the crimping machine so that they will not get caught on the crimping machine even if they move laterally. Next, the 1-side clamp 225 starts to move laterally to the right. The 1-side terminal TS1 is now above the guide plate 360, which is the state shown in Figure 20 (A). After the clamp starts to move laterally, the 1-side clamp 225 starts to move vertically forward after a predetermined time. This is the state shown in Figure 20 (B). At this time, the 1-side clamp 225 continues to move laterally.

Figure 20(C) shows the first side clamp 225 and first side wire W1 reaching the lateral (left-right) center of each blade of the cutting and stripping section 204. Also, in Figure 20(B), the first side clamp 225 starts to move forward and starts feeding the wire a predetermined time later, and the first side wire W1 is fed out quite far forward. Note that when the first side wire W1 starts to enter between the upper and lower blades of the cutting blade 242 and the stripping blades 241 and 243, depending on the specifications of the wire and terminal, the first side terminal TS1 may enter between the upper and lower cutting blades 242 and the stripping blades 241 and 243, or it may be in front of the front stripping blade 243.

Next, the case of the relatively large 1-side terminal TL1 will be described with reference to FIG. 21. In this case, the first half of the lateral movement, FIGS. 21(A) and (B), is the same as the lateral movement of the relatively small 1-side terminal TS1 already described, i.e., FIGS. 20(A) and (B). However, the lateral movement of the 1-side clamp 225 stops in the state of FIG. 21(B). Then, in the stage of FIG. 21(C), only the advancement of the 1-side clamp 225 to a predetermined position and the feeding of the 1-side electric wire W1 to a predetermined length are performed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 21(D), the 1-side electric wire W1 is transported to the cutting and stripping section 204 by lateral movement alone.

This is because the relatively large 1-side terminal TL1 is difficult to insert (gets caught) between the upper and lower cutting blades 242 and stripping blades 241 and 243 or the tongues 141 and 142, so to be safe, the large 1-side terminal TL1 comes forward of the front stripping blade 243, and then the wire is moved laterally into the cutting and stripping section 204. Note that during the middle and latter half of feeding the wire W1, and when moving laterally after feeding is complete, the 1-side terminal TL1 is inside (above) the wire receiver 390, so even if the wire is warped or unsteady, there is little chance of problems such as the terminal getting caught.

In this embodiment, the wire feed start position by the return conveying guide 360 and the conveying of the first wire W1 to the suction port 250b can be summarized as follows. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the wire guide (symbol 160, turning guide) was used in the turning operation, but in this embodiment, the wire guide corresponds to the return conveying operation (conveying from the first crimping machine 160 to the cutting and stripping section 204) in the lateral (parallel) conveying operation of the wire. The guide plates that were on the top and bottom in the embodiment of FIG. 5 are shaped only on the bottom. Depending on the terminal shape (size, etc.), the wire feed (feed-out) start position is set on the top surface of the wire guide 360, and then the wire is guided between the tongue-shaped pieces 341 and 342 of the suction port 250b of the stripped residue suction duct 250.

Next, some examples of the operation of the cutting blade 242 and the peeling blades 241, 243 will be described with reference to Figures 22, 23 and 24.
FIG. 22 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cutting blade 242 and the peeling blades 241 and 243 when the peeling length is normal (relatively short, for example less than 10 mm).
FIG. 23 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of a cutting blade 242 and peeling blades 241, 243 when the peeling length at one end is extremely long (for example, 10 to 20 mm) (one-sided long strip).
FIG. 24 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation of the cutting blade 242 and the peeling blades 241 and 243 when the peeling length at both ends is extremely long (double-sided long strip).
The arrows attached to the electric wire W indicate the feeding direction of the electric wire W. The figure shows a pair of upper and lower rear peeling blades 241, a cutting blade 242, and a front peeling blade 243, which are aligned from the "rear" to the "front". Each blade is driven up and down by the above-mentioned mechanism.

Figure 22 is a diagram explaining the normal stripping process, in which (A) shows the state where the wire has entered between the upper and lower blades of each blade (retracted state), (B) shows the state where the cutting blade 242 and the stripping blades 241 and 243 are approaching the wire, (C) shows the state where cutting to determine the wire length has been completed, (D) shows the state where the stripping length has been set, (E) shows the state where the stripping blade has cut into the wire coating, and (F) shows the state where the wire has been pulled back and forth (away from the stripping blade) and the skin has been stripped.

In this example, the vertical movement of the cutting blade 242 and the peeling blades 241 and 243 in Figures 22(A) to (F) is achieved by driving (sliding) a slide block (similar to the one indicated by reference numeral 45 in Figure 2) with a motor and ball screw. The longitudinal movement of the wire is achieved by the first side clamp 225 and the second side clamp 271 gripping the wire W in front of and behind the cutting and peeling section 204 and moving back and forth from state (D) to state (F).

After the cutting to determine the wire length in Fig. 22(C) is completed, the leading wire after cutting is called the second side wire W2, and the trailing wire is called the first side wire W1 (as above). In Fig. 22(F), the peeled coating waste (not shown) is blown away by air from the inside of the peeling blades 241 and 243 (the cutting blade 242 side), and then sucked by negative pressure into the peeled waste suction duct 250 (see Fig. 15(A)) and discharged.

Another electric wire cutting and stripping device (204) of the present invention is an electric wire cutting and stripping device (204) equipped with a cutting blade (242) for cutting the electric wire and a stripping blade (241, 243) for making an incision in the insulation of the electric wire, which are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, and is equipped with: a slide block that is reciprocated in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the electric wire; a stripping blade holder (541) attached to the slide block for holding the stripping blade (241, 243); a cutting blade holder (543) mounted on the slide block for holding the cutting blade (242), and a cutting blade drive actuator that drives the cutting blade holder reciprocally in the intersecting direction; a mechanism for reciprocating the slide block is electrically driven; and after the electric wire is cut, the cutting blade (242) is moved away from the electric wire by driving the cutting blade drive actuator, After the wire is cut, the cut end of the wire is moved longitudinally beyond the front-to-rear position of the cutting blade (242) to set the stripping length of the long strip, then the stripping blades (241, 243) cut into the wire's insulation, and then the wire is moved longitudinally to strip the insulation.

Next, referring to Figure 23, we will explain the case of one-sided long strip (the top stripping length of the wire W1 on side 1 is short, and the bottom stripping length of the wire W2 on side 2 is long). The process up to (D') in Figure 23 (up to the wire cutting) is the same as (A) to (C) in Figure 22. In Figure 23 (D'), the cutting blade 242 is independently retracted in the direction away from the wire by a pneumatic cylinder (similar to the one indicated by reference number 44 in Figure 2).

Next, in (E'), the second side electric wire W2 is retracted until its rear end is slightly behind the fore-and-aft position of the cutting blade 242. This is possible because the cutting blade 242 has been retracted from the wire passing line in (D'). Next, in (F'), the stripping blades 241 and 243 cut into the wire coating. Next, in (G'), the first side electric wire W1 is advanced and the second side electric wire W2 is retracted, stripping the wire coating. In this way, with the cutting and stripping device 204 of this embodiment, it is easy to perform processing in which the stripping length is longer than the "stripping blade-cutting blade distance" (long strip).

Next, the case of double-sided long stripping will be explained with reference to Figure 24. The process up to (A) in Figure 24 (up to the wire cutting) is the same as (A) to (C) in Figure 22. In (A) in Figure 24, the cutting blade 242 is independently retracted in the direction away from the wire by a pneumatic cylinder (similar to the one indicated by reference number 44 in Figure 2).

Next, in Figure 24 (a), the second side electric wire W2 is advanced until its rear end is slightly behind the fore-and-aft position of the cutting blade 242, while the first side electric wire W1 is retracted behind the rear stripping blade 241. Then, in (c), the front stripping blade 243 cuts into the wire coating. Next, in (d), the second side electric wire W2 is advanced and the wire coating is stripped. At this stage, the long strip of the rear end (tail) of the second side electric wire W2 is completed.

In (E), after each blade has been withdrawn from the wire passage, the first electric wire W1 is advanced so that its tip is brought forward from the fore-and-aft position of the cutting blade 242. In (F), the rear stripping blade 241 cuts into the insulation of the first electric wire W1. In (G), the first electric wire W1 is retreated and the insulation is stripped off. In (H), each blade is withdrawn from the wire passage. In (I), the cutting blade 242 is moved closer to the wire passage by driving an air cylinder. This state is awaiting progression of the electric wire to the cutting and stripping section 204.

As described above, in the cutting and stripping device 204 of this embodiment, by adjusting the operating sequence of the dual actuators for driving the slide block and the cutting blade 242, it becomes easy to perform long stripping within the dimensional range between the front and rear stripping blades 241 and 243. Also, as described above, it is possible to prevent scattering of wire coating debris and a decrease in removal function due to adhesion of wire coating debris to the stripping blade. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the core wire caused by excessive cutting depth setting of the stripping blade, etc. Also, it is possible to prevent problems caused by coating debris adhering to the stripping blade, such as malfunction of the machine body. Furthermore, it is possible to contribute to the efficiency of production and energy saving of wire harness processing machines.

Claims (4)

an electric wire feeding unit (10) for feeding an electric wire;
an electric wire cutting and stripping unit (4) for cutting the fed electric wire to a desired length and stripping the coating from the cut end of the electric wire;
an end processing section (60) for processing the tip end of the stripped electric wire;
A terminal treatment electric wire manufacturing apparatus (1) including a clamping and conveying section (20) for clamping an electric wire and conveying it to each section,
Further, a turning guide (160) is provided between the electric wire cutting/skinning section (4) and the end processing section (60) along a turning path of the electric wire end, the turning guide (160) having a pair of guide plates (161U, 161B) facing each other in a direction intersecting the turning direction,
The end-treatment electric wire manufacturing apparatus (1) is characterized in that the distance between the pair of opposing guide plates (161U, 161B) is relatively wide on the end-treatment section (60) side and relatively narrow on the wire cutting and stripping section (4) side. The end processing electric wire manufacturing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the swivel guide (160) has a forward extension portion (161P) that extends forward in the longitudinal direction (unwinding direction) of the electric wire in a portion close to the electric wire cutting and stripping portion (4). The end treatment electric wire manufacturing device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electric wire is unwound in the longitudinal direction while rotating within the rotating guide (160) from one side end processing section (60) toward the electric wire cutting and stripping section (4). A method for cutting an electric wire having a core wire and an outer coating to a certain length, stripping the coating, and then performing end treatment, comprising the steps of:
A method for manufacturing an end-treated electric wire, comprising using the end-treated electric wire manufacturing apparatus (1, 201) according to claim 1 or 2 .

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