Patent ID: 7134190
Filing Date: 2006-11-14
Classification: B23K,H01R,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A wire harness manufacturing machine for attaching a terminal to a wire having a surrounding insulation jacket comprising: a wire loader station constructed and arranged to measure and cut a wire having a surrounding insulation jacket and crimp a terminal to the insulation jacket of the wire during a loading process; an ultrasonic welder station having a tip arranged for direct contact with the insulation jacket of the wire and an opposing anvil arranged for direct contact with the terminal during a welding process, so that the terminal and the insulation jacket of the wire can be disposed directly between the tip and the anvil and in direct contact with each other; the tip and anvil being constructed and arranged to compress the wire directly to the terminal while galling a conductive core of the wire to the terminal, the wire loader station and the ultrasonic welder station being in consecutive order, wherein the wire loader station has a pair of opposing grippers for releasably gripping the insulation jacket, and a plunger that slides between the opposing grippers, the plunger having a longitudinal rib or elongated peak arranged to create a longitudinal imprint or split in the insulation jacket at a weld segment, and the terminal and the tip of the ultrasonic welder station are constructed and arranged to be in compressive direct contact with the insulation jacket at a weld segment of the insulator jacket so that the insulation jacket flows away from the conductive core of the wire at the weld segment to form a displacement mass during an ultrasonic welding process.