Patent Publication Number: US-2002009354-A1

Title: Cable assembler

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001] This application is related to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-168444, filed on Jun. 6, 2000.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a cable assembler, and more particularly, to a cable assembler suitable for the terminal finishing of optical cable.  
       [0003] The conventional automatic assembler by a robot usually operates in such a way that the work is fixed on a previously arranged assembling line and the robot does assembling according to the previous established procedure. An example of such conventional automatic assemblers is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 320363/1994. It consists of several robots arranged back to back on one station of a previously installed line. The robots move and rotate to do complicated assembling operations.  
       [0004] Unfortunately, the assembling system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 320363/1994 has the disadvantage of requiring many robots and many stations on the line for the process, such as the terminal finishing of optical cable, which needs a plurality of complex tools and jigs. This leads to a long period and a large expense for development. The disadvantage of this system is that the tact time becomes longer because the number of steps to be carried out in one station increases.  
       [0005] There is a need to provide a cable assembler which is capable of the terminal finishing of cable in a short tact time even though the terminal finishing requires a plurality of jigs and tools.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] The first aspect of the present invention resides in a cable assembler of the type having a robot which holds and moves the work by a mechanical hand attached to the forward end thereof and a plurality of processing means arranged within the working area of the robot, said robot moves the work sequentially from one processing means to another for the execution of individual processing, wherein said robot transfers works such that one work undergoes one processing while the other work undergoes another processing which takes a longer time among a plurality of processing steps.  
       [0007] This constitution reduces tact time because the work is transferred to the step which takes a long processing time while the other work is being processed by other processing means.  
       [0008] The second aspect of the present invention resides in the cable assembler as defined the first aspect above, wherein the processing means to receive said work consists of a plurality of processing means having identical functions and said robot transfers the work to the processing means which is idle among the plurality of processing means.  
       [0009] This constitution reduces tact time further owing to parallel operation by a plurality of processing means having identical functions.  
       [0010] The third aspect of the present invention resides in the cable assembler as defined in the first aspect above, wherein said mechanical hand is provided with a chuck which has the mechanism to hold the work and change the direction of the held work.  
       [0011] This constitution simplifies the construction of the processing means. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the layout of the entire structure of the cable assembler according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the structure of the terminal of the optical cable which has undergone terminal processing by the cable processing apparatus according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of a mechanical hand used for the pre-finishing station of the cable assembler shown in FIG. 1, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0015] FIGS.  4 (A)- 4 (G) show the steps which are carried out by the pre-finishing station of the cable assembler shown in FIG. 1, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0016]FIG. 5(A) is a perspective view of the mechanical hand used for the post-finishing station of the cable assembler shown in FIG. 1, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0017]FIG. 5(B) is an expanded view of the circled portion of the mechanical hand shown in FIG. 5(A);  
     [0018] FIGS.  6 (A)- 6 (E) are perspective views showing the actions of the connector inserter used for the post-finishing station of the cable assembler shown in FIG. 1, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and  
     [0019]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the processing which occurs in the post-finishing station of the cable assembler shown in FIG. 1, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS  
     [0020] The invention will be described with reference to FIGS.  1  to  7  which illustrate the construction and mechanism of a cable assembler merely as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the following explanation is made in reference to a cable assembler that handles optical fiber of twin-core type for its terminal finishing.  
     [0021] First, the entire construction of the cable assembler according to the present invention is explained below with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the layout of the cable assembler according to the present invention.  
     [0022] The cable assembler according to the present invention comprises a pre-finishing station  10  and a post-finishing station  30 . The pre-finishing station  10  includes a horizontal articulated robot  11  having a mechanical hand  20  at its forward end. Within the working area of the horizontal articulated robot  11  are arranged a plurality of workstations including an outer coat stripper  13 , a sleeve inserter  14 , and a crimper  15 .  
     [0023] A detailed description of the components  13 ,  14 , and  15  will be given later with reference to FIG. 3. An outline is given here.  
     [0024] A loader-unloader  12  receives a cable bobbin  60  (as a work) which is manually placed thereon. The bobbin  60  has an optical fiber cable  50  wound thereon. From the bobbin  60 , protrude both ends of the cable (designated by  50 A and  50 B) which are to undergo terminal finishing.  
     [0025] The horizontal articulated robot  11  has joints J 1  and J 2 . The robot  11  rotates about a center J 0 . The portion of the robot between the center  10  and the joint J 1  rotates in the direction of arrow A 1 . The portion of the robot between the joint J 1  and the joint J 2  rotates in the direction of arrow A 2 . To the forward end of the joint J 2  is attached a mechanical hand  20 , which rotates in the direction of arrow A 3 . In addition, the center of the robot  11  is movable in the vertical direction (i.e., in a direction above and below the plane of the paper). Consequently, the mechanical hand  20  attached to the forward end of the horizontal articulated robot  11  is movable in three-dimensions.  
     [0026] The outer coat stripper  13  cuts and removes the outer coat of the each end  50 A,  50 B of the optical fiber  50  and then cuts the Kevlar. The sleeve inserter  14  inserts the end of the optical fiber  50  into the strain relief. The crimper  15  slips a crimping ring on the end of the optical fiber  50  and then crimps the crimping ring.  
     [0027] A detailed description of the mechanical hand  20  will be given later with reference to FIG. 3. The mechanical hand  20  loads the work  60  from the loader-unloader  12 , and moves it to the outer coat stripper  13  which cuts the outer coat. Then, the mechanical hand  20  moves the work  60  to the sleeve inserter  14  which inserts a strain relief. Then, the mechanical hand  20  moves the work  60  to the crimper  15  which crimps the crimping ring. When the crimping step is completed, the mechanical hand  20  unloads the work  60  back to the loader-unloader  12 .  
     [0028] The post-finishing station  30  constitutes a cable work area having a horizontal articulated robot  31  which has a mechanical hand  40  at its forward end. Within a first area in the working area of the horizontal articulated robot  31  are arranged a plurality of workstations including a loader station  32 , an inner coat stripper  33 , and a connector part inserter  34 . A second area in the working area includes an adhesive setter  35 . A third area in the working area includes another plurality of workstations, including a grinder  36 , a polisher  37 , and an unloader  38 . The adhesive setter  35  comprises a plurality of identical curing ovens, first through third ovens  35 A,  35 B, and  35 C.  
     [0029] A detailed description of what the components  33  to  37  do will be given later with reference to FIG. 4. An outline is given here.  
     [0030] The loader station  32  receives from the loader-unloader  12  a cable bobbin  60  that has undergone the pre-finishing step discussed above. The cable bobbin is manually transferred from the loader-unloader to the loader station  32 .  
     [0031] The horizontal articulated robot  31  has joints J 1  and J 2 . The robot  31  rotates about a center J 0 . The part between the center J 0  and the joint J 1  rotates in the direction of arrow B 1 . The part between the joint J 1  and the joint J 2  rotates in the direction of arrow B 2 . To the forward end of the joint J 2  is attached a mechanical hand  40 , which rotates in the direction of arrow B 3 . The center J 0  of the robot  31  is movable in the vertical direction (i.e., in a direction above and below the plane of the paper). In other words, the mechanical hand  40  attached to the forward end of the horizontal articulated robot  31  is movable in three-dimensions.  
     [0032] The robot  31  is controlled by a controller  31 CONT. The controller  31 CONT communicates via communication lines  31 COMM with the inner coat stripper  33 , the connector part inserter  34 , the adhesive setter  35 , the grinder  36 , and the polisher  37  through communications circuits. The controller receives signal from the devices indicating the completion of operation from each device.  
     [0033] The inner coat stripper  33  strips the inner coat of the optical cable  50  and removes the primary coat. The connector part inserter  34  inserts connector parts (to which an adhesive has been applied) into the end of the optical cable  50 . The adhesive setter  35  heats and cures the adhesive. The grinder  36  removes the adhesive and the core protruding from the end of the connector part. The polisher  37  polishes the end surface of the connector part.  
     [0034] After terminal finishing according to the present invention, the end of the optical cable has a structure as shown in FIG. 2.  
     [0035]FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of the end of the optical cable which has undergone terminal finishing by the cable assembler according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the optical fiber, with its inner coat stripped off by the inner coat stripper  33 .  
     [0036] The optical cable  50  comprises two cores  51 . Each core is covered with a primary coat  52 A. Disposed over the primary coat is an inner coat  52 . The two cores are covered with an outer coat  54 . Between the inner coat  52  and the outer coat  54  is interposed the Kevlar 53. The core  51  is 0.2 mm in diameter, for example. The outer coat  52  is made of Teflon and 2 mm in diameter, for example. The Kevlar 53 is a long plastic string comprised of thousands of fibers interposed between the outer coat  54  and the inner coat  52 . The Kevlar 53 protects the core  51 . The outer coat  54  is made of polyvinyl chloride and is 10 mm in outside diameter, for example.  
     [0037] With the end of the inner coat  52  cut and removed, the core  51  is exposed. At the end of the optical cable  50 , a sleeve Sv is inserted between the Kevlar 53 and the inner coat  52 . The sleeve Sv is made of polyvinyl chloride, for example. The end of the outer coat  54  is covered with a strain relief Sr. The strain relief Sr is made of polyvinyl chloride, for example. It relives the stress which the optical fiber  50  receives when it is bent. To the end of the strain relief Sr is fitted an inner crimp ring Ir, which is made of brass, for example. The inner crimp ring Ir has a knurled outer surface. The crimping ring Pr is slipped on the Kevlar 53 which has been folded back. The inner crimp ring Ir (between the strain relief Sr and the crimping ring Pr) is fixed to the Kevlar 53 by application of pressure from outside. The crimping ring Pr is made of copper, for example.  
     [0038] What occurs in the pre-finishing station  10  of the cable assembler of the present invention is explained with reference to FIGS.  1  to  4 .  
     [0039] First, an explanation is made below with reference to FIG. 3 of the mechanical hand  20  used in the pre-finishing station  10  of the cable assembler of the present invention.  
     [0040]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the construction of the mechanical hand  20  used in the pre-finishing station  10  of the cable assembler as one embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0041] The mechanical hand  20  has a cable bobbin chuck  22  comprising arms  22 A and  22 B. The arms  22 A and  22 B swing (to open and close) respectively in the direction of arrows C 1  and C 2  around the support on the base  21  of the mechanical hand  20 . With the cable bobbin chuck  22  opened, the bobbin  60  (as the work) is set. As the cable bobbin chuck  22  is closed, the bobbin  60  is clamped by the chuck and held.  
     [0042] The base  21  has forward chucks  23 A and  23 B and forward chucks  24 A and  24 B. The forward chuck  23 A is movable in the direction of arrow C 3 , and the forward chuck  23 B is movable in the direction of arrow C 4 . The forward chucks  23 A and  23 B are moved in such a direction that their separation distance increases. While the forward chucks  23 A and  23 B are apart, an end of the optical fiber  50 A is arranged. Then, the forward chucks  23 A and  23 B are moved in such a direction that their separation distance decreases. In this way the end of the optical cable  50 A is held.  
     [0043] Similarly, the forward chuck  24 A is movable in the direction of arrow C 5 , and the forward chuck  24 B is movable in the direction of arrow C 6 . The forward chucks  24 A and  24 B are moved in such a direction that their separation distance increases. While the forward chucks  24 A and  24 B are apart, another end of the optical fiber  50 B is arranged. Then, the forward chucks  24 A and  24 B are moved in such a direction that their separation distance decreases. In this way the end of the optical cable  50 B is held.  
     [0044] What is done by the pre-finishing step is explained with reference to FIGS.  4 (A)- 4 (G) and FIG. 1.  
     [0045] FIGS.  4 (A)- 4 (G) show the steps carried out in the pre-finishing station  10  of the cable assembler as one embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0046] First, the horizontal articulated robot  11  moves to the position of the loader-unloader  12 . The mechanical hand  20  attached to the forward end of the horizontal articulated robot  11  grips the bobbin  60  that had been previously manually loaded on the loader-unloader  12 .  
     [0047] The horizontal articulated robot  11  inserts an end  50 A of the optical cable  50  (which is held by the mechanical hand  20 ) into the outer coat stripper  13 . As shown in FIG. 4(A), the outer coat stripper  13  cuts and removes the outer coat  54  at the end of the optical fiber  50 , and it also cuts the Kevlar 53.  
     [0048] When the removal of the outer coat  54  and the cutting of the Kevlar 53 are completed, the horizontal articulated robot  11  moves the ends of the optical cable  50  (held in place by the mechanical hand  20 ) to the sleeve inserter  14 . As shown in FIG. 4(A), the sleeve inserter  14  slips the strain relief Sr on the end of the optical fiber  50 . It further slips the inner crimp ring Ir on the end of the strain relief Sr. As shown in FIG. 4(B), the sleeve inserter  14  further slips the sleeve Sv on the part between the Kevlar 53 and the inner coat  52 . After the sleeve Sv has been slipped on, the sleeve inserter  14  moves the strain relief Sr toward the end of the optical cable such that the Kevlar 53 and the outer coat  54  are held between the sleeve Sv and the strain relief Sr.  
     [0049] After the sleeve Sv has been slipped on, the horizontal articulated robot  11  moves the ends of the optical cable  50  to the crimper  15 . The crimper  15  folds back the end of the Kevlar 53, as shown in FIG. 4(C). Further, the crimper  15  slips the crimping ring Pr on the end of the optical fiber  50 , as shown in FIG. 4(D), and then applies pressure to the periphery of the crimping ring Pr so as to deform and crimp the crimping ring Pr.  
     [0050] When the slipping on of the crimping ring Pr is completed, the horizontal articulated robot  11  transfers the bobbin  60  to the position of the loader-unloader  12  and then unloads the bobbin  60 .  
     [0051] With the bobbin  60  placed on the loader-unloader  12 , the washer spring Ws is slipped on the periphery of the inner coat  52 , as shown in FIG. 4(E). This step is carried out manually rather than mechanically because manual operation is more efficient. To complete the previous crimping step, the washer spring is slipped on within the tact time, and the work (bobbin  60 ) is set on the loader station  32 . In one embodiment of the invention, the work is manually transferred from the loader-unloader  12  to the loader station  32 .  
     [0052] What is done by the post-finishing station  30  of the cable assembler will be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 6,  1 , and  4 .  
     [0053] First, an explanation is made below with reference to FIGS.  5 (A) and  5 (B) of the construction of the mechanical hand  40  used in the post-finishing station  30  of the cable assembler in one embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0054]FIG. 5(A) is a perspective view showing the mechanical hand  40  used in the post-finishing station  30  of the cable assembler in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5(B) is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the mechanical hand shown in FIG. 5(A).  
     [0055] A cable bobbin chuck  42  of the mechanical hand  40  opens and closes in the directions of arrows D 1  and D 2 , moving around the support of the mechanical hand  40  on the base  41 . With the cable chuck bobbin  42  opened, the bobbin  60  (as the work) is set, and the cable chuck bobbin  42  is closed so as to hold the bobbin  60 .  
     [0056] On the base  41  are mounted the outer coat chucks  43 A and  43 B and the outer coat chucks  44 A and  44 B. The outer coat chuck  43 A is movable in the direction of arrow D 3 , and the outer coat chuck  43 B is movable in the direction of arrow D 4 . The outer coat chucks  43 A and  43 B move in such a direction that their separation distance increases. While they are apart, one end  50 A of the optical cable  50  is arranged. Then, the outer coat chucks  43 A and  43 B move in such a direction that their separation distance decreases. In this way the chuck grips onto the outer coat  54  of the end of the optical cable  50 A. Also, the outer coat chuck  44 A is movable in the direction of arrow D 5 , and the outer coat chuck  44 B is movable in the direction of arrow D 6 . The outer coat chucks  44 A and  44 B move in such a direction that their separation distance increases. While they are apart, the other end of the optical cable  50  is arranged. Then, the outer coat chucks  44 A and  44 B move in such a direction that their separation distance decreases. In this way the outer coat  54  of the other end  50 B of the optical cable  50  is held.  
     [0057] To the forward end of the outer coat chuck  43 A is attached the end chuck  45 A. The end chuck  45 A holds the inner coat  52  of one of the two cores  51  at one end  50 A of the twin-core optical fiber  50 . To the forward end of the outer coat chuck  43 B is attached the end chuck  45 B. The end chuck  45 B holds the inner coat  52  of the other of the two cores  51  at one end  50 A of the twin-core optical fiber  50 .  
     [0058] To the forward end of the outer coat chuck  44 A is attached the end chuck  46 A. The end chuck  46 A holds the inner coat  52  of one of the two cores  51  at one end  50 B of the twin-core optical fiber  50 . To the forward end of the outer coat chuck  44 B is attached the end chuck  46 B. The end chuck  46 B holds the inner coat  52  of the other of the two cores  51  at one end  50 B of the twin-core optical fiber  50 .  
     [0059] Referring to FIGS.  5 (A) and  5 (B), the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B are movable in the direction of arrow E. The end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B are rotatable upward through 90° (from a neutral position A) in the direction of arrow E 1  to and upward position A+. Hence the end chucks can direct the core  51  upward (vertically). The end chucks can also fix the core  51  at any angle between horizontal (neutral position A) and the upward vertical position A+.  
     [0060] Moreover, the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B are rotatable downward through 90° (from the neutral position A) in the direction of arrow E 2 , as shown in FIG. 5(B) to a downward vertical position A−. Hence the end chucks can direct the core  51  downward (vertically). The end chucks can also fix the core  51  at any angle between neutral position A and vertical downward position A−.  
     [0061] In other words, the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B of the mechanical hand  40  can move independently in the directions of E 1  and E 2  and change the direction of the cable end and hold it at a desired angle. The mechanical hand  40  changes the direction of the cable end in alignment with the setting direction of the stations. Therefore, it simplifies the construction of the single-function automatic machine.  
     [0062] The pre-finishing step will be explained with reference to FIGS.  4 (A)- 4 (G) and  1 .  
     [0063] First, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves to the position of the loader-unloader  32 . To the forward end of the horizontal articulated robot  31  is attached the mechanical hand  40 . The mechanical hand  40  grips for loading the bobbin  60  placed on the loader-unloader  32 . As explained with reference to FIGS.  5 (A) and  5 (B), the outer coat chucks  43 A and  43 B and the outer coat chucks  44 A and  44 B of the mechanical hand  40  hold both ends of the optical fiber  50 , and the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B hold the inner coat  52  corresponding to the respective cores.  
     [0064] Then the horizontal articulated robot  31  inserts the end of the optical cable  50  (which is held by the mechanical hand  40 ) into the inner coat stripper  33 . At this time, the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B insert it into the inner coat stripper  33 , with the optical cable held such that the inner coat  52  is horizontal (neutral position A), as shown in FIG. 5(B).  
     [0065] The inner coat stripper  33  strips the end part of the inner coat of the optical cable  50 . FIG. 4(D) shows the cable before stripping, and FIG. 4(E) shows the cable after stripping. Then, the inner coat stripper  33  removes the inner coat covering the periphery of the core  51 . The inner coat may be silicone rubber, for example.  
     [0066] Next, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the end of the optical cable  50  (which is held by the mechanical hand) to the connector part inserter  34 . At this time, the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B rotate through 90° in the direction of arrow E 1 , as shown in FIG. 5(B), and move to the connector part inserter  34  while holding the optical cable such that the inner coat  52  points upward. The connector part inserter  34  slips the connector part Cp (which is filled with an adhesive) on the end of the optical cable  50 , as shown in FIG. 4(F).  
     [0067] What is done by the connector part inserter  34  (which is used in the post-finishing station  30  of the cable assembler) is explained below with reference to FIGS.  6 (A)- 6 (E).  
     [0068] FIGS.  6 (A)- 6 (E) are perspective views illustrating the operation of the connector part inserter  34  in the post-finishing station  30  of the cable assembler.  
     [0069] In this embodiment, the connector part inserter  34  communicates with the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  through the communication port, as explained above with reference to FIG. 1. Owing to communications between them, the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  helps the operation of the connector part inserter  34 .  
     [0070] The controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  starts communications with the connector part inserter  34  to make sure that the connector part inserter  34  is ready to work. Then, the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  issues an operation start command to the connector part inserter  34 . At the same time, the mechanical hand  41  moves in the direction of arrow F 1  while holding the cores of the optical cables  50 A and  50 B upward, and transfers them to the stationary core guide  34 A of the connector part inserter  34 , as shown in FIG. 6(A). When the end chucks  45  and  46  have moved over a prescribed distance, the connector part inserter  34  is informed of the arrival of the cores of the optical cables  50 A and  50 B.  
     [0071] Then, upon receipt of the operation start command, the connector part chuck  34 B of the connector part inserter  34  holds the connector part Cp and fills it with an adhesive and feeds the connector part Cp to the insertion starting position, as shown in FIG. 6(A). The connector part Cp is made of ceramics, for example. If information of the arrival to the connector part insertion position has been received from the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31 , the movable core guide  34 C and the connector part chuck  34 B of the connector part inserter  34  move down in the direction of arrow F 2 , so that the connector part Cp (which is held by the connector part chuck  34 B) is slipped on the core of the end of the optical cable, while the core of the optical cable is guided in the center direction of the connector part Cp by the movable core guide  34 C. After movement over a prescribed distance, the connector part inserter  34  informs the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  of the completion of the temporary slipping on of the connector part Cp. Incidentally, at the time of the completion of the temporary slipping on, the connector part Cp is not yet slipped on to the final position.  
     [0072] Upon receipt of information of the completion of operation from the connector part inserter  34 , the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  causes the mechanical hand  41  to move upward in the direction of arrow F 3 , as shown in FIG. 6(B), so as to move the connector part Cp to its final position. The final position is a position at which the forward end of the core protrudes from the central hole of the connector part Cp. The movement in the direction of arrow F 3  is accomplished by sliding the axis J 0  of the robot  31  in the vertical direction with respect to paper. The completion of the complimentary action of the connector inserter  34  is informed to the connector part inserter  34  by the controller  31 CONT.  
     [0073] Upon receipt of information of the completion of the complimentary action from the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31 , the connector part inserter  34  moves the dividable movable core guide  34 C and the connector part chuck  34 B in the respective directions of arrows F 4  and F 5 , as shown in FIG. 6(C), so as to release the connector part Cp (as the work) and informs the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  of the completion of operation.  
     [0074] Then, in response to the signal indicating the completion of operation by the connector part inserter  34 , the robot  31  moves the end chucks  45  and  46  in the direction of arrow F 6 , as shown in FIG. 6(D), and starts the next step. At the same time the connector part inserter  34  moves the movable core guide  34 C and the connector chuck  34 B in the direction of arrow F 7 , thereby helps the discharge by the robot, and then returns to the neutral position to become ready for the next operation.  
     [0075] When the slipping on of the connector part Cp by the connector part inserter  34  is completed, the connector part Cp is fitted to the forward end of the inner coat  52  and the core  51  protrudes from the center hole of the connector part Cp, as shown in FIG. 4( f ).  
     [0076] Then, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the end of the optical cable  50  (which is held by the mechanical hand  40 ) to the adhesive setter  35 . The adhesive setter  35  comprises three identical curing ovens  35 A,  35 B, and  35 C. The controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  transfers the end of the optical cable  50  to any of the curing ovens which is not in use. At this time, the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B rotate through 90° in the direction of arrow E 1 , as shown in FIG. 5(B), and move the optical cable to the curing oven while holding it such that the inner coat  52  points upward.  
     [0077] The adhesive setter  35  needs heat-curing for more than 20 minutes in the post-finishing step. Therefore, the mechanical hand  40  of the robot  31  transfers the optical cable (as the work) to one of the curing ovens  35 A,  35 B, and  35 C, thereby releasing the robot  31  and allowing the optical cable (as the other work) to be processed. The adhesive to be packed into the connector part Cp is of two-pack type. It cures upon heating at 130° C. for 20 minutes. For the step that requires a long time for processing, the robot transfers the optical cable (as the work) so as to release itself and save the total tact time. The parallel operation of the three curing ovens reduces the tact time. More about tact time will be explained later with reference to FIG. 7.  
     [0078] When the heating step is completed, the mechanical hand  40  of the horizontal articulated robot  31  receives the optical cable from the curing oven  35  of the adhesive setter  35  and moves the end of the optical cable  50  held thereby to the grinder  36 . At this time, the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B rotate through 90° in the direction of arrow E 2  and move to the connector part inserter  34 , while holding the optical cable such that the end of the core  51  points downward, as shown in FIG. 5(B). The grinder  36  cuts the core  51  protruding (5-10 mm) from the end of the connector part Cp and roughly grinds the end of the connector part Cp, as shown in FIG. 4( f ), so as to remove the adhesive which has cured after leakage from the end of the connector part Cp, as shown in FIG. 4( g ).  
     [0079] Then, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the end of the optical cable  50  (which is held by the mechanical hand  40 ) to the polisher  37 . At this time, the end chucks  45 A,  45 B,  46 A, and  46 B rotate through 90° in the direction of arrow E 2  and move to the connector part inserter  34 , while holding the optical cable such that the end of the core  51  points downward, as shown in FIG. 5(B). The polisher  37  polishes the end surface of the connector part Cp. The polisher  37  takes 8 minutes for polishing. Therefore, the mechanical hand  40  transfers the optical cable to the polisher  37  temporarily so as to make the robot  31  free. The polisher  37  employs two kinds of polishing paper (rough and fine) so as to polish the end of the connector part Cp, particularly the end of the core  51 .  
     [0080] When the polishing by the polisher  37  is completed, the mechanical hand  40  of the horizontal articulated robot  31  receives the optical cable from the polisher  37  and moves to the unloader  38  to unload the bobbin  60  (as the work).  
     [0081] In what follows, the processing of the post-finishing step of the cable assembler in one embodiment of the present invention is explained with reference to FIG. 7.  
     [0082]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing what is done by the post-finishing station  30  of the cable assembler in one embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0083] In FIG. 7, the abscissa represents time, each division denoting 2 minutes, and the ordinate represents devices. In other words, ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate represents the operating state of the robot  31 . ( 32 ) on the ordinate represents the loader  32 . ( 33 ) on the ordinate represents the operating state of the inner coat stripper  33 . ( 34 ) on the ordinate represents the operating state of the connector part inserter  34 . ( 35 ) on the ordinate represents the operating state of the adhesive setter  35 . The adhesive setter  35  comprises three curing ovens  35 A,  35 B, and  35 C. ( 36 ) on the ordinate represents the operating state of the grinder  36 . ( 37 ) on the ordinate represents the operating state of the polisher  37 . ( 38 ) on the ordinate represents the unloader  38 . Circled alphabets A to H respectively denote the bobbins  60 A to  60 H which are different works.  
     [0084] First, the horizontal articulated robot  31  loads the bobbin  60 A from the loader  32 , and then moves it to the inner coat stripper  33  and executes the stripping of the inner coat. The inner coat stripper  33  takes 2 minutes for its processing. Incidentally, this processing time includes time required for movement from the previous step (the loader  32  in this case) to the inner coat stripper  33 . In each step mentioned later, the processing time includes time required for movement from the previous step.  
     [0085] When the inner coat stripping for the bobbin  60 A is completed, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 A from the inner coat stripper  33  to the connector part inserter  34 , so that the connector part is slipped on. The connector part inserter  34  takes 4 minutes for its processing.  
     [0086] After the bobbin  60 A has undergone the slipping on of the connector part, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 A from the connector part inserter  34  to the adhesive setter  35 . In this step, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 A to the curing oven  35 A and transfers the bobbin  60 A to the curing oven  35 A, so as to make it possible to handle the other work. The curing oven  35 A takes 20 minutes for its processing. In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 A, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0087] Then, the horizontal articulated robot  31  loads the bobbin  60 B from the loader  32  and moves it to the inner coat stripper  33  for the stripping of the inner coat. After the bobbin  60 B has undergone inner coat stripping, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 B from the inner coat stripper  33  to the connector part inserter  34  so that the connector part is slipped on. After the bobbin  60 B has undergone the slipping on of the connector part, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 B from the connector part inserter  34  to the curing oven  35 B of the adhesive setter  35  and transfers the bobbin  60 B to the curing oven  35 B. In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 B, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0088] Then, the horizontal articulated robot  31  loads the bobbin  60 C from the loader  32  and moves it to the inner coat stripper  33  for the stripping of the inner coat. After the bobbin  60 C has undergone inner coat stripping, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 C from the inner coat stripper  33  to the connector part inserter  34  so that the connector part is slipped on. After the bobbin  60 C has undergone the slipping on of the connector part, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 C from the connector part inserter  34  to the curing oven  35 C of the adhesive setter  35  and transfers the bobbin  60 C to the curing oven  35 C. In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 C, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0089] Then, as soon as the bobbin  60 A has undergone the adhesive setting by the curing oven  35 A, the horizontal articulated robot  31  receives the bobbin  60 A from the curing oven  35 A and moves it to the grinder  36 . The grinder  36  takes 0.5 minutes for its processing.  
     [0090] After the bobbin  60 A has undergone the grinding step, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 A from the grinder  36  to the polisher  37 . The polisher  37  takes 8 minutes for its processing. The horizontal articulated robot  31  transfers the bobbin  60 A to the polisher  37 . In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 A, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0091] After the bobbin  60 A has been transferred to the polisher  37 , the horizontal articulated robot  31  loads the bobbin  60 D from the loader  32  and moves it to the inner coat stripper  33  for the stripping of the inner coat. After the bobbin  60 D has undergone inner coat stripping, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 D from the inner coat stripper  33  to the connector part inserter  34  so that the connector part is slipped on. After the bobbin  60 D has undergone the slipping on of the connector part, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 D from the connector part inserter  34  to the curing oven  35 A of the adhesive setter  35  and transfers the bobbin  60 D to the curing oven  35 A. In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 D, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0092] After the bobbin  60 D has been transferred to the curing oven  35 A, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 A from the polisher  37  to the unloader  38  for unloading. In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 A, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0093] After the bobbin  60 A has been unloaded, the horizontal articulated robot  31  receives the bobbin  60 B from the curing oven  35 B and moves it to the grinder  36 . (At this stage the bobbin  60 B has undergone the adhesive curing in the curing oven  35 B.) After the bobbin  60 B undergone the grinding step, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 B from the grinder  36  to the polisher  37  and transfers the bobbin  60 B to the polisher  37 . In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 B, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0094] After the bobbin  60 B has been transferred to the polisher  37 , the horizontal articulated robot  31  loads the bobbin  60 E from the loader  32  and moves it to the inner coat stripper  33  for the stripping of the inner coat. After the bobbin  60 E has undergone inner coat stripping, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 E from the inner coat stripper  33  to the connector part inserter  34  so that the connector part is slipped on. After the bobbin  60 E has undergone the slipping on of the connector part, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 E from the connector part inserter  34  to the curing oven  35 B of the adhesive setter  35  and transfers the bobbin  60 E to the curing oven  35 B. In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 E, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0095] After the bobbin  60 E has been transferred to the curing oven  35 B, the horizontal articulated robot  31  moves the bobbin  60 B from the polisher  37  to the unloader  38  for unloading. In other words, up to this stage, the horizontal articulated robot  31  handles the bobbin  60 B, as indicated by ( 31 ) at the bottom of the ordinate in FIG. 7.  
     [0096] The above-mentioned steps are repeated sequentially to perform the terminal processing of the bobbin. The time (Tt) from the unloading of the bobbin  60 A to the unloading of the next bobbin  60 B is referred to as the tact time. Similarly, the time (Tt) from the unloading of the bobbin  60 B to the unloading of the next bobbin  60 C is also tact time. The tact time (Tt) in this illustrative embodiment of the invention is 10 minutes. The time required for each step is as follows: inner coat stripping=2 minutes, connector part insertion=4 minutes, adhesive curing=20 minutes, grinding=0.5 minutes, and polishing=8 minutes. The total time is 34.5 minutes using conventional processing.  
     [0097] However, in accordance with the invention, it is possible to reduce the tact time in the following ways. (1) For the steps (such as adhesive curing and polishing) which take a long time, the robot transfers the bobbin (as the work) to the adhesive setter  35  and the polisher  37  so as to free itself. (2) The step (such as adhesive curing) which takes a long time is carried out in parallel processing fashion with a plurality of identical units (the curing ovens  35 A,  35 B, and  35 C of the adhesive setter).  
     [0098] Referring to FIG. 7, the time Tx represents the delay between curing completion times between two successive curing ovens,  35 A- 35 C. Since the curing time in each oven is the same, Tx can alternatively represent the delay between starting times of successive ovens. By staggering the start time of each oven, parallel curing operations can be achieved. The time Tx should be smaller than the desired tact time Tt, in this case 10 minutes. The time Tx can be adjusted by the number of such ovens in use. For the illustrative embodiment shown, it was determined that three such ovens would satisfy the tact time requirement.  
     [0099] Moreover, for a further reduction of the tact time, the controller  31 CONT of the robot  31  has priority for each step, and performs processing according to this priority if there are a plurality of bobbins (as the works) that can be processed simultaneously. The priority (in the descending order) is as follows: (1) unloading the bobbin which has undergone polishing by the polisher  37 ; (2) moving the bobbin to the polisher  37 ; and (3) loading a new bobbin.  
     [0100] Execution according to this priority is illustrated in FIG. 7. For example, in the neighborhood of 35 minutes on the abscissa (at which the bobbin  60 D has been transferred to the curing oven  35 A), the polishing of the bobbin  60 A is completed, and hence the unloading of the bobbin  60 A is carried out in preference to the moving of the bobbin  60 B to the grinder or the loading of the bobbin  60 E according to the rule of priority (1) “the bobbin which has undergone polishing by the polisher  37  is unloaded”. Alternatively, for example, in the neighborhood of 36 minutes on the abscissa (at which the bobbin  60 A has been unloaded), the transfer of the bobbin  60 B (which has undergone heating) to the grinder  36  and further to the polisher  37  is carried out in preference to the loading of the bobbin  60 B to the grinder or the loading of the bobbin  60 E according to the rule of priority (2) “the bobbin is moved to the polisher  37 ”. Furthermore, for example, in the neighborhood of 38 minutes on the abscissa (at which the bobbin  60 B has been moved to the polisher  37 ), the bobbin  60 E is loaded according to the rule of priority (3) “a new bobbin is loaded”.  
     [0101] As mentioned above, the present invention makes it possible to carry out in a short tact time the assembling of cable terminal which needs a plurality of jigs and tools.  
     [0102] Another aspect of the invention is the pipeline fashion processing which can be seen in FIG. 7. In the neighborhood of zero to ten minutes, bobbin  60 A is moved from the coat stripper  33  to connector part inserter  34 . At the end of processing in the connector part inserter  34 , bobbin  60 B is transferred to the coat stripper while bobbin  60 A is transferred to a first oven  35 A. During curing, bobbin  60 B completes processing by the coat stripper  33  and the connector part inserter  34 , and is then transferred to a second oven  35 B. A similar overlap can be seen in the neighborhood of 28-38 minutes, for example, where bobbin  60 A is being polished and bobbin  60 D begins its journey. This pipeline processing aspect of the invention allows for shortening of the tact time.  
     [0103] The end chuck of the mechanical hand can change the direction of the member (optical cable) which it grips. This simplifies the mechanism of the processing apparatus and hence reduces the period and expense required for the development of the apparatus.  
     [0104] Within the working area of the robot, it is possible to handle various kinds of cables by replacing the mechanical hand and adding the units.  
     [0105] According to the present invention, it is possible to carry out in a short tact time the assembling of cable terminal which needs a plurality of jigs and tools.