EP0182592A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Flexible automated manufacturing system
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1985-11-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-11-13
Abstract
Abstract An automated flexible manufacturing system for fabricating electrical cable harness assemblies. The system includes a wire preparation system in which the wires are cut to length, provided with the desired electrical terminations and marked for identification under the control of computing means to which wire harness data is fed. The prepared wires are transported to an automated cable harness assembly system which is also controlled from computing means to which the wire harness data is fed.
Inventors
- 👤 James Allen Henderson
- 👤 Constantine Michael Travlos
- 👤 Mark Lavern Holland
- 👤 Ronald Carl Vansickle
- 👤 Mark Steven Weixel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 06:24
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01B; H01B13/00; H01B13/012; H01B13/01236; H01B13/01245; H01R; H01R43/00; H01R43/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A flexible, automated cable harness fabrication system characterized by: (a) wire preparation system for cutting wire to length, terminating the wire ends with desired electrical terminations, and means for providing identifying markings on the wire; (b) cable harness forming system for sequentially routing individual terminated wires along a predetermined cable path. (c) means for feeding or transporting the terminated wires from the wire preparation system to the cable harness forming system; and (d) computing means for processing cable harness design data and providing operative control signals to the wire preparation system, and the cable harness forming system to permit fabrication of the desired cable harness.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
A flexible, automated cable harness fabrication system characterized by: (a) wire preparation system for cutting wire to length, terminating the wire ends with desired electrical terminations, and means for providing identifying markings on the wire; (b) cable harness forming system for sequentially routing individual terminated wires along a predetermined cable path. (c) means for feeding or transporting the terminated wires from the wire preparation system to the cable harness forming system; and (d) computing means for processing cable harness design data and providing operative control signals to the wire preparation system, and the cable harness forming system to permit fabrication of the desired cable harness.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the wire preparation system includes a plurality of wire feed stations permitting feeding of wires of predetermined size, which are cut to predetermined length.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the wire preparation system includes a wire straightening station for straightening the extending terminal ends of the cut to length wire.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the wire preparation system includes a wire stripping station for stripping insulation from the terminal ends of the straightened extending terminal ends of the wire.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the wire preparation system includes a plurality of stations for terminating the wire ends with preselected electrical terminals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
141 words
The system set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the cable harness forming system includes: means for presenting a terminated wire to a selected end effector; means for loading the terminated wire into the selected end effector; means for positioning the end effector for insertion of a first end of the terminated wire into a desired first assembly point; means for inserting the first end of the terminated wire into the first assembly point; means for routing the terminated wire along a predetermined cable harness layout; means for loading a second end of the terminated wire into the selected end effector; means for positioning the end effector for insertion of the second end of the terminated wire into a desired second assembly point; and means for inserting the second end of the terminated wire into a desired second assembly point.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the means for positioning the end effector for the insertion of a terminated wire into a desired assembly point is an orthogonal robot capable of transporting the selected end effector in the X, Y and Z axes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system set forth in claim 6, characterized in that the selected end effector is chosen from a plurality of dedicated end effectors, each of which dedicated end effector is adapted to accommodate a specific style of terminated wire.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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