US4692974A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Connector block for use with a robotic wire harness assembly system
Assignee: Boeing Co
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Filing: 1985-11-18
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Granted: 1987-09-15
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Expires: 2005-11-18
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is a connector block used for placing an electrical connector in precise position for receiving the ends of wire segments that are inserted therein by a robotic device. The connector block includes a socket upon which the connector is supported. The socket (hence the supported connector) can be selectively positioned in a plurality of positions relative to the robotic device. The connector block also includes a lock pin for both securing the socket in position and for providing a readily detectable indication of which particular rotational orientation in which the socket is disposed. The connector block also includes a reference pin usable for establishing the particular orientation of the connector block relative to the form board.
Inventors
- 👤 Dan A. Cross
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 00:02
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R43/00; H01R43/28; H01R43/20; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S269/00; Y10S269/903; Y10T; Y10T279/00; Y10T279/13; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49124; Y10T29/49147; Y10T29/49151; Y10T29/49153; Y10T29/51; Y10T29/5193; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/5313; Y10T29/532; Y10T29/53209; Y10T29/53243; Y10T29/53265; Y10T409/00; Y10T409/30; Y10T409/30868; Y10T409/308792
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A method for determining the precise position of a connector relative to a form board, wherein the connector is mounted to a socket, the socket being connected to a base that is fixed to the form board, the socket is rotatable into a plurality of positions relative to the form board, the socket is secured to one position by a locking pin, the locking pin assumes a particular predetermined position relative to the socket depending upon the position the socket is disposed, and the base also carries a reference pin wherein the reference pin and locking pin define a reference plane, the method including the steps of: (a) determining the position of the form board; (b) determining the position of the locking pin relative to the socket; and (c) determining the position of the reference plane relative to the form board wherein the rotational orientation of apertures on the connector can be determined precisely from the measurements made.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
158 words
A method for determining the precise position of a connector relative to a form board, wherein the connector is mounted to a socket, the socket being connected to a base that is fixed to the form board, the socket is rotatable into a plurality of positions relative to the form board, the socket is secured to one position by a locking pin, the locking pin assumes a particular predetermined position relative to the socket depending upon the position the socket is disposed, and the base also carries a reference pin wherein the reference pin and locking pin define a reference plane, the method including the steps of: (a) determining the position of the form board; (b) determining the position of the locking pin relative to the socket; and (c) determining the position of the reference plane relative to the form board wherein the rotational orientation of apertures on the connector can be determined precisely from the measurements made.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
A connector block for precisely positioning a connector in any one of a plurality of clocking positions relative to a work surface, comprising: (a) a base positionable on the work surface; (b) a socket for receiving the connector, the socket being connectable to the base in any one of a plurality of clocking positions; (c) means for securing the socket in the selected position and, (d) means for indicating to a robot the selected clocking position and the position of the base relative to the work surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
A connector block for precisely positioning a connector in any one of a plurality of clocking positions relative to a work surface, comprising: (a) a base positionable on the work surface; (b) a socket for receiving the connector, the socket being connectable to the base in any one of a plurality of clocking positions; (c) means for securing the socket in the selected position and, (d) means for indicating to a robot the selected clocking position and the position of the base relative to the work surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
130 words
A connector block for supporting an electrical connector in a precise, predetermined position accessible by a robot adjacent to a work surface, comprising: (a) a base that is attachable to the work surface; (b) a socket on the base for receiving an electrical connector, the connector having an axial centerline and a plurality of apertures extending substantially parallel to the axial centerline, the socket including means for holding the connector in a predetermined position; and, (c) means for allowing robotic determinations of the precise spatial orientation of the apertures in the connector both with respect to the rotational position of the connector about its axial centerline and with respect to rotation of the apertures of the connector about a line that is orthogonal to the axial centerline of the connector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
130 words
A connector block for supporting an electrical connector in a precise, predetermined position accessible by a robot adjacent to a work surface, comprising: (a) a base that is attachable to the work surface; (b) a socket on the base for receiving an electrical connector, the connector having an axial centerline and a plurality of apertures extending substantially parallel to the axial centerline, the socket including means for holding the connector in a predetermined position; and, (c) means for allowing robotic determinations of the precise spatial orientation of the apertures in the connector both with respect to the rotational position of the connector about its axial centerline and with respect to rotation of the apertures of the connector about a line that is orthogonal to the axial centerline of the connector.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The connector block of claim 3 wherein the connector includes a keying mechanism, and wherein the socket member includes keying means, the keying means of the socket being configured to mate with the keying mechanism of the connector.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The connector block of claim 4 further including clocking adjustment means for selectively positioning the socket member into any one of a plurality of positions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The connector block of claim 5 wherein the clocking adjustment means includes a locking pin, and a plurality of bores of differing depth in the socket for allowing selection of the position of the socket relative to the base.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The connector block of claim 6 wherein the socket includes twelve clocking positions arranged so that the depth change between adjacent bores is greater than one-twelfth the maximum bore depth.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The device of claim 6 wherein an exposed portion of the locking pin is light-reflective.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device of claim 6 further comprising a reference pin on the base to define a reference plane for the robot, the plane being defined by the position of the reference pin and locking pin.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The device of claim 3 includes a reference pin and a locking pin, the locking pin being positionable within a preselected bore in the socket such that the height of the locking pin is indicative of the rotational orientation of the connector in the socket.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
The device of claim 10 wherein the locking pin has a shoulder for seating on the bore of the socket, the length of the pin between the shoulder and the top end being precisely machined to a predetermined value.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The device of claim 11 wherein the socket includes a plurality of bores extending inwardly to differing depths.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
96 words
A connector block, comprising: (a) a base; (b) a socket connectable to the base, the socket having a longitudinal axis and being capable of receiving an electrical connector in a predetermined orientation which includes predetermined rotation of the connector about the longitudinal axis of the socket; and (c) means for identifying by a robot the orientation of the socket and connector relative to the base, including: (i) means for identifying the orientation of the longitudinal axis in space; and, (ii) means for identifying the orientation of the connector relative to its rotation about the longitudinal axis.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
96 words
A connector block, comprising: (a) a base; (b) a socket connectable to the base, the socket having a longitudinal axis and being capable of receiving an electrical connector in a predetermined orientation which includes predetermined rotation of the connector about the longitudinal axis of the socket; and (c) means for identifying by a robot the orientation of the socket and connector relative to the base, including: (i) means for identifying the orientation of the longitudinal axis in space; and, (ii) means for identifying the orientation of the connector relative to its rotation about the longitudinal axis.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The connector block of claim 13 wherein the means for identifying the longitudinal axis includes at least two pins positioned with the axial centerlines of the pins being coplanar with the longitudinal axis.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
48 words
The connector block of claim 14 wherein the means for identifying the orientation of the connector about the longitudinal axis includes means for positioning at least one of the pins at a position indicative of the orientation of the connector relative to the rotation about the longitudinal axis.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
81 words
The connector block of claim 14 wherein the socket includes a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced apart bores, the depth of each bore being different from the depth of each other bore; the bores being positioned in the socket to allow insertion of one of the pins and thereby establish the rotational position of the socket with the pin received in the bore projecting beyond the base by a distance that is indicative of the rotational orientation of the connector.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The connector block of claim 16 wherein the socket includes 12 radially extending bores that are circumferentially spaced apart by an equal amount.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The connector block of claim 16 wherein each of the pins includes a light-reflective region for optical determination of the plane including the longitudinal axis of the socket.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-09-14 | 1991-03-16 | 1991-09-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-09-14 | 1995-03-16 | 1995-09-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-09-14 | 1999-03-16 | 1999-09-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |