Patent ID: 6640425
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: H01R,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for producing a wire harness for an automotive vehicle, comprising the following components arranged linearly in the following precise order:a gripper (12) having a plurality of pushers (13a) independently-operable by air cylinders (13) for selectively clamping ends of one or more insulator-sheathed electric wire elements (a) juxtaposed on a plane, one cylinder per wire element; a feeder (15) on a downstream side of said gripper (12), said feeder having a plurality of rollers (16a) independently-operable by air cylinders (16), one cylinder per wire element (a), for selectively feeding one or more of said wire elements (a) in a downstream direction along a linear path; a cutter (21) on a downstream side, of said feeder (15), said cutter having a plurality of independently-operable blades (21a), one blade per wire element (a), for selectively cutting off one or more of said wire elements at varying lengths; a movable wire gathering device (35) on a downstream side of said cutter (21), for gathering said wire elements (a) in a width direction in accordance with a pitch between terminals juxtaposed in a connector (C); a press (30) on a downstream side of said wire gathering device (35), said press being adapted to secure said wire elements (a) to said connector (C) in an insulation displacement manner; a wire-drawing device (38) on a downstream side of said press (30), said wire-drawing device being adapted to clamp a group of said wire elements (a) and to draw said group of wire elements by a desired length from said gripper (12); and a measuring and drawing device (40) on a downstream side of said wire-drawing device (38), said measuring and drawing device being adapted to clamp ends of said wire elements (a) and draw said wire elements by a desired length by a chuck (43) provided in said measuring and drawing device.