Method of and apparatus for inserting wired terminals into connector housing

Claim 1

A method of inserting a terminal, connected to an electric wire, into a terminal cavity of a connector housing in said terminal inserting apparatus comprising: a terminal grip means for gripping said terminal, which includes a pair of guide arms openable and closable in a horizontal plane and a terminal press arm pivotable in a vertical plane such that said guide arms and said terminal press arm are, respectively, pressed against opposite side faces and an upper face of said terminal; and a wire grip means for gripping said electric wire, which includes a chuck retractably advanced along said guide arms between said guide arms; the method comprising the steps of: fitting said electric wire of said terminal between said guide arms in a state where said terminal is positioned at a predetermined location and said chuck is opened at a front end of said guide arms; clamping a portion of said electric wire adjacent to said terminal by said chuck; retracting said chuck along said guide arms so as to clamp said terminal between said guide arms and said terminal press arm; displacing said terminal to a position located in front of said terminal cavity of said connector housing in a state where said terminal is clamped by said terminal grip means and said wire grip means; and forwardly displacing said chuck along said guide arms so as to insert said terminal into said terminal cavity of said connector housing by guiding said terminal by said guide arms and said terminal press arm.

Claim 2

A method of inserting a terminal, connected to an electric wire, into a terminal cavity of a connector housing in said terminal inserting apparatus comprising: a terminal grip means for gripping said terminal, which includes a pair of guide arms openable and closable in a horizontal plane and a terminal press arm pivotable in a vertical plane such that said guide arms and said terminal press arm are, respectively, pressed against opposite side faces and an upper face of said terminal; and a wire grip means for gripping said electric wire, which includes a chuck retractably advanced along said guide arms between said guide arms; the method comprising the steps of: fitting said electric wire of said terminal between said guide arms in a state where said terminal is positioned at a predetermined location and said chuck is opened at a front end of said guide arms; clamping a portion of said electric wire adjacent to said terminal by said chuck; retracting said chuck along said guide arms so as to clamp said terminal between said guide arms and said terminal press arm; displacing said terminal to a position located in front of said terminal cavity of said connector housing in a state where said terminal is clamped by said terminal grip means and said wire grip means; and forwardly displacing said chuck along said guide arms so as to insert said terminal into said terminal cavity of said connector housing by guiding said terminal by said guide arms and said terminal press arm.

Claim 3

An apparatus for inserting a terminal, connected to an electric wire into a terminal cavity of a connector housing, comprising: a terminal grip means for gripping said terminal, which includes a pair of guide arms openable and closable in a horizontal plane and a terminal press arm pivotable in a vertical plane such that said guide arms and said terminal press arm are, respectively, pressed against opposite side faces and an upper face of said terminal by elastic forces; a wire grip means for gripping said electric wire, which includes a chuck retractably advanced along said guide arms between said guide arms, a first drive member for retractably advancing said chuck and a second drive member for opening and closing said chuck such that a state of grip of said terminal by said terminal grip means is cancelled and established by said chuck at a forward end and a rearward end of a stroke of said chuck, respectively; and a robot flange for supporting said terminal grip means and said wire grip means.

Claim 4

An apparatus for inserting a terminal, connected to an electric wire into a terminal cavity of a connector housing, comprising: a terminal grip means for gripping said terminal, which includes a pair of guide arms openable and closable in a horizontal plane and a terminal press arm pivotable in a vertical plane such that said guide arms and said terminal press arm are, respectively, pressed against opposite side faces and an upper face of said terminal by elastic forces; a wire grip means for gripping said electric wire, which includes a chuck retractably advanced along said guide arms between said guide arms, a first drive member for retractably advancing said chuck and a second drive member for opening and closing said chuck such that a state of grip of said terminal by said terminal grip means is cancelled and established by said chuck at a forward end and a rearward end of a stroke of said chuck, respectively; and a robot flange for supporting said terminal grip means and said wire grip means.