JP2024094935A - Electronic device assembly device and electronic device assembly method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an electronic device assembly device and an electronic device assembly method that improve the efficiency of electronic device assembly work. [Solution] The electronic device assembly device (1) has a cable holding tool (20) having an upper claw portion (60), a lower claw portion (62) and a drive means (25), a robot portion (5) that moves the cable holding tool (20) relative to an electronic device (4), and a control portion (70) that operates the robot portion (5) to perform an operation of attaching a cable (17) held by the cable holding tool (20) to a connector (13) of the electronic device (4), the lower claw portion (62) has a free end portion (64) that extends in a first direction (P1), and the control portion (70) performs a first operation of making the cable holding tool (20) hold the cable (17) so that the center (17A) of the cable (17) in the width direction is shifted in the first direction (P1) from the center (60A) of the upper claw portion (60). [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device assembly device and an electronic device assembly method.

Conventionally, electronic device assembly devices and methods are known that assemble electronic devices by attaching cables to the connectors of the electronic devices.

JP 2019-21555 A

However, if there are obstacles around the connector when attaching a cable to the connector of an electronic device, the cable holding tool may interfere with the obstacle and the cable may not be able to be attached. In such cases, the order of assembly work may be restricted, reducing the efficiency of the assembly work, and there is room for improvement in terms of efficient assembly work of electronic devices.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an electronic device assembly apparatus and an electronic device assembly method that can solve the above problems and perform electronic device assembly work more efficiently.

To achieve the above object, the electronic device assembly device of the present invention includes a cable holding tool having upper and lower claws that hold the cable by clamping it in the thickness direction and a drive means for moving the upper claws relatively to the lower claws, a robot unit that moves the cable holding tool relatively to the electronic device, and a control unit that operates the robot unit to perform the task of attaching the cable held by the cable holding tool to a connector of the electronic device, the lower claws having a free end that extends in a first direction, and the control unit performs a first operation of having the cable holding tool hold the cable so that the center of the width of the cable is shifted in the first direction from the center of the width of the upper claws.

The electronic device assembly method of the present invention is an electronic device assembly method for assembling an electronic device by attaching a cable to a connector of the electronic device, and includes a cable holding step of placing a cable between an upper claw portion and a lower claw portion of a cable holding tool and moving the upper claw portion relative to the lower claw portion to hold the cable by pinching it in the thickness direction, and a cable attachment step of operating a robot portion equipped with the cable holding tool to attach the cable held by the cable holding tool to the connector of the electronic device, the lower claw portion having a free end portion extending in a first direction, and in the cable holding step, the cable is held by the cable holding tool so that the center of the width of the cable is shifted in the first direction from the center of the width of the upper claw portion.

The present invention allows electronic device assembly work to be carried out more efficiently.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic device assembly apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an electronic device before a cable according to a first embodiment is attached to a connector; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the electronic device after the cable of the first embodiment is attached to the connector; FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a peripheral configuration of a base portion according to a first embodiment; Schematic plan view of the cable of embodiment 1 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cable according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a peripheral configuration of a chuck jaw of the cable holding tool according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a peripheral configuration of a chuck jaw of a cable holding tool according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a lower claw portion of a cable holding tool according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an example of a cable holding operation by the cable holding tool of the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an example of a cable holding operation by the cable holding tool of the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an example of a cable holding operation by the cable holding tool of the first embodiment; Block diagram of a control system of the electronic device assembly apparatus according to the first embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing a method for assembling an electronic device using the electronic device assembly apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the assembly method of the electronic device according to the flowchart of FIG. 11 . FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the assembly method of the electronic device according to the flowchart of FIG. 11 . FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the assembly method of the electronic device according to the flowchart of FIG. 11 . FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the assembly method of the electronic device according to the flowchart of FIG. 11 . FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a cable is held by the electronic device assembly apparatus of the first embodiment (when the cable has a relatively short width); FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a cable is held by the electronic device assembly apparatus of the first embodiment (when the cable has a relatively long width); FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a cable is held by the electronic device assembly apparatus of the first embodiment (when the protruding amount of the cable is relatively small); FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a cable is held by the electronic device assembly apparatus of the first embodiment (when the cable protrudes relatively large); FIG. 11 is a schematic front view showing a cable holding method (second operation) performed by the electronic device assembly apparatus according to the second embodiment;

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device comprising: a cable holding tool having upper and lower claws for holding a cable by clamping it in the thickness direction, and a drive means for moving the upper claws relative to the lower claws; a robot unit for moving the cable holding tool relative to an electronic device; and a control unit for operating the robot unit to perform an operation of attaching the cable held by the cable holding tool to a connector of the electronic device, wherein the lower claws have free ends extending in a first direction, and the control unit performs a first operation of making the cable holding tool hold the cable so that the center of the width of the cable is shifted in the first direction from the center of the width of the upper claws.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to the first aspect, in which the control unit controls the drive means so as to change the pressing force of the upper claw portion toward the lower claw portion in the first operation according to the width of the cable.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device as described in the second aspect, in which the control unit controls the drive means to apply a first pressing force when the cable has a first width, and to apply a second pressing force greater than the first pressing force when the cable has a second width that is greater than the first width.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to the second or third aspect, in which the lower claw portion has a shape that is inclined toward the first direction and in a direction approaching the contact surface of the upper claw portion.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, in which the lower claw portion has a support portion that supports the free end portion, and the width of the support portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the thickness direction is greater than the width of the free end portion.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, further comprising an imaging unit capable of imaging an area including the cable held by the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion, and the control unit controls the drive means so as to change the pressing force according to the relative position of the cable in the width direction with respect to the upper claw portion in the image captured by the imaging unit.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to the sixth aspect, in which the control unit controls the drive means to reduce the pressing force when the relative position of the cable with respect to the upper claw portion in the image captured by the imaging unit shifts in the first direction.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, in which the control unit controls the cable holding tool to move the cable holding tool along the width direction of the cable while leaving a gap between the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion, position the cable between the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion, and move the upper claw portion toward the lower claw portion to sandwich and hold the cable between the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, in which the control unit controls the cable holding tool so that a hard portion of the cable to be inserted into the connector is sandwiched between the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, in which the lower claw portion is constituted by a leaf spring having the free end portion.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, in which the driving means has an air cylinder that slides the upper claw portion relative to the lower claw portion, and an electropneumatic regulator that changes the air pressure of the air cylinder.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, in which the control unit executes a second operation of causing the cable holding tool to hold the cable so that the center of the width of the cable overlaps the center of the width of the upper claw portion.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to the twelfth aspect, in which the control unit selectively executes the first operation or the second operation depending on the cable to be held by the cable holding tool.

According to a 14th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to the 12th or 13th aspect, in which the control unit controls the drive means so that the pressing force of the upper claw portion toward the lower claw portion in the second operation is greater than the pressing force in the first operation.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, in which the robot unit is a parallel link robot.

According to a 16th aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly device according to any one of the first to 14th aspects, in which the robot unit is a vertical articulated robot.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device assembly method for assembling an electronic device by attaching a cable to a connector of the electronic device, the method including a cable holding step of placing a cable between an upper claw portion and a lower claw portion of a cable holding tool and moving the upper claw portion relative to the lower claw portion to hold the cable by pinching it in the thickness direction, and a cable attachment step of attaching the cable held by the cable holding tool to the connector of the electronic device by operating a robot portion equipped with the cable holding tool, the lower claw portion having a free end portion extending in a first direction, and the cable holding step of causing the cable holding tool to hold the cable so that the center of the width of the cable is shifted in the first direction from the center of the width of the upper claw portion.

Below, exemplary embodiments of the electronic device assembly device and electronic device assembly method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the specific configurations of the following embodiments, and configurations based on similar technical ideas are included in the present invention.

(Embodiment 1)
First, an electronic device assembly apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The electronic device assembly apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 has a function of attaching a cable 17 to a connector 13 (see Figs. 3 and 4) mounted on a functional module such as a circuit board mounted inside the housing of an electronic device 4, such as an in-vehicle electronic device, as a work object.

In the following, with regard to the coordinate system of the electronic device assembly device 1, the horizontal direction extending left and right when viewed from the front of the electronic device assembly device 1 is defined as the X-axis, the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and horizontal is defined as the Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to both the X-axis and the Y-axis, i.e., the vertical direction, is defined as the Z-axis.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device assembly device 1 includes a base 2, a work stage 3, a robot unit 8, an operation panel 9, and a control unit 70.

The base 2 is the foundation of the electronic device assembly device 1. A work stage 3 and the like are provided on the upper surface 2a of the base 2. A number of corner posts 2b are erected at the corners of the upper surface 2a. A horizontally extending stand 2c is erected on the upper ends of the corner posts 2b.

The work stage 3 is a stage that positions and holds the electronic device 4 as the work target. The work stage 3 is configured to be able to rise and fall, and when performing the work of attaching the cable 17 to the electronic device 4, the work stage 3 is raised and lowered to position the electronic device 4 at a predetermined working height. Instead of using the work stage 3, the electronic device 4 may be positioned by any means, such as by a transport conveyor.

Now, the electronic device 4 that is the subject of the work will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the connector 13 before the cable 17 is attached, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the connector 13 after the cable 17 is attached.

The electronic device 4 of this embodiment is an in-vehicle electronic device having a display device, such as a meter on an instrument panel, a navigation device, a rearview mirror, and various controllers. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the electronic device 4 includes a circuit board 11 and a display device 14. Figures 2 and 3 show the display device 14 placed with the display surface facing downwards.

The circuit board 11 is provided with a number of electronic components 12 and a connector 13. The connector 13 is provided on the edge of the mounting surface of the circuit board 11. The connector 13 has an attachment portion 13a, to which the attached portion 15b (Figs. 5A and 5B) of the cable 17 is attached. A terminal surface 13b for connection is formed on the bottom surface of the attachment portion 13a.

The connector 13 further includes a cover member 18. The cover member 18 constitutes a locking mechanism for fixing the connector 13 attached to the attachment portion 13a. In this embodiment, the cover member 18 is provided so as to be freely opened and closed relative to the connector 13.

When the electronic device 4 is loaded into the work stage 3, the cover member 18 is in an upright open state as shown in FIG. 2. When the cable 17 is attached to the connector 13 and the cover member 18 is actuated as shown in FIG. 3, the cover member 18 is pushed down into a closed state, pressing down the attached portion 15b to prevent the cable 17 from falling off. The locking mechanism is not limited to a Phillips lock type using a cover member as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and any type of locking mechanism may be used, such as a slider lock type. An auto-lock type locking mechanism may also be used, which automatically locks the cable 17 when the cable 17 is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 9 equipped with a touch panel is disposed on the side of the stand 2c.

Operations and instructions for operation of the robot unit 5 are input by touch operation input via the operation panel 9. The operation panel 9 has a display function, and if an abnormality or malfunction occurs during the cable installation operation by the electronic device assembly device 1, a notification is displayed on the operation panel 9.

In FIG. 1, a fixed base unit 6 incorporating a drive mechanism for the robot unit 5, which will be described below, is disposed on the underside of the stand 2c. Six servo drive mechanisms that operate independently are incorporated in the fixed base unit 6, and each servo drive mechanism individually drives six link members 7 extending downward from the fixed base unit 6. The lower ends of the link members 7 are connected to the base unit 8. In the above configuration, the fixed base unit 6 and the link members 7 constitute the robot unit 5. The robot unit 5 moves the base unit 8, changing the position of the base unit 8.

The robot unit 5 constitutes a six-degree-of-freedom type parallel link robot 10 having six link members 7 that move independently. The lower ends of the six link members 7 extending downward from the fixed base unit 6 are connected to the base unit 8, which is a working unit that performs the installation work of attaching the cable 17 to the connector 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the link members 7 are connected to the base unit 8 via universal joints 7a. With this configuration, a parallel link robot 10 is formed in which the robot unit 5 is used to cause the base unit 8 to perform six-degree-of-freedom movement operations.

In FIG. 4, a cable holding tool 20, an imaging unit 50, an illumination member 56, and a connector locking tool 80 are attached to the base unit 8 of the parallel link robot 10. The cable holding tool 20 has the function of holding the cable 17 to be attached to the connector 13.

By the robot unit 5 moving the base unit 8, the cable holding tool 20 can move relative to the electronic device 4 held on the work stage 3. In the installation work of attaching the cable 17 to the connector 13, the control unit 70 operates the robot unit 5, the cable holding tool 20, the imaging unit 50, the illumination member 56, and the connector locking tool 80.

The control unit 70 is a member that controls each component of the electronic device assembly device 1. The control unit 70 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer that includes a processor and a memory that stores a computer program executed by the processor.

Next, the detailed configuration of the base unit 8 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. An opening 8a is provided at the drive center of the base unit 8, which indicates the central position of the multiple universal joints 7a. An imaging unit 50 is disposed on a bracket 51 erected near the opening 8a on the upper surface of the base unit 8.

The imaging unit 50 includes an optical lens unit 52 and a camera 53, and is arranged in a downward orientation with the imaging optical axis 53a aligned with the drive center. The control unit 70 operates the robot unit 5 to position the imaging unit 50 arranged on the base unit 8 above the electronic device 4 held on the work stage 3 (see FIG. 12A). In this state, the imaging unit 50 can be made to capture an image of the cable 17 and connector 13 held by the cable holding tool 20. The image captured by the imaging unit 50 is transmitted to the control unit 70.

A support member 54 is erected downward on the underside of the base portion 8 in an arrangement surrounding the opening 8a. An illumination holding plate 55 corresponding to the external shape of the electronic device 4 is held at the lower end of the support member 54. An illumination member 56 comprising an illuminant such as an LED is attached to the underside of the illumination holding plate 55. When imaging by the imaging unit 50, the illumination member 56 is turned on to illuminate the cable 17, connector 13, etc. of the imaging target.

A floodlight 40 (not shown) (FIG. 10) is attached to the base 8 of the parallel link robot 10. The floodlight 40 irradiates a slit light to obtain height information toward the imaging area of the imaging unit 50. The slit light is irradiated to both the cable 17 and the connector 13 held by the cable holding tool 20 in the imaging area of the imaging unit 50. In this way, height information of each of the cable 17 and the connector 13 is obtained. In this embodiment, the floodlight 40 is attached to the base 8 so as to irradiate the slit light diagonally downward along the X direction perpendicular to the mounting direction Q. When irradiating the slit light, the illumination member 56 is controlled not to operate. The floodlight 40 may be, for example, a laser projector or an LED projector.

A cable holding tool 20 is attached to the side end of the base portion 8, which is located to the right of the opening 8a shown in FIG. 4.

The cable holding tool 20 shown in FIG. 4 includes a mounting block 21, a cylinder 22, a fixed block 23, a chuck base 24, an air cylinder 25, a slide portion 26, a chuck block 27, chuck jaws 28, and an electro-pneumatic regulator 30.

The mounting block 21 is a block that fixes and mounts the cable holding tool 20 to the base portion 8.

The cylinder 22 is a member that generates a biasing force F on the cable holding tool 20. The biasing force F acts in the mounting direction Q in which the cable holding tool 20 inserts the cable 17 into the connector 13. The biasing force F is generated, for example, by the air pressure of the cylinder 22.

When inserting the cable 17 into the connector 13, the cylinder 22 receives a reaction force B in the opposite direction to the biasing direction F. The movable part of the cylinder 22 receives the biasing force F from the cylinder 22 and moves in a direction away from a predetermined reference position (arrow b1). In this way, the biasing force F creates a cushioning effect.

A fixed block 23 is attached to the underside of the cylinder 22. The fixed block 23 is a member that fixes the chuck base 24 to the cylinder 22. The fixed block 23 and the components of the cable holding tool 20 attached below it, together with the movable part of the cylinder 22, constitute a "movable part 20B" that moves relative to the base part 8.

A chuck base 24 is connected to the fixed block 23, which extends obliquely downward toward the drive center of the base portion 8. An air cylinder 25 equipped with a slide portion 26 that advances and retreats (arrow c) toward the drive center is disposed on the upper surface side of the chuck base 24. Furthermore, a chuck block 27 is connected to the lower end of the slide portion 26. The chuck block 27 is a block for mounting chuck claws 28, which have the function of clamping and holding the cable 17 in the thickness direction. The tip of the chuck claws 28 is positioned below the opening 8a, and is included in the angle of view of the imaging unit 50. The detailed configuration of the chuck claws 28 will be described later.

The electropneumatic regulator 30 is a component for adjusting the air pressure of the air cylinder 25. By providing the electropneumatic regulator 30, the pressure applied to the cable 17 by the chuck jaws 28 when clamping and holding the cable 17 can be precisely adjusted.

A connector locking tool 80 is attached to the side end of the base portion 8, which is located to the left of the opening 8a shown in FIG. 4.

The connector locking tool 80 is a tool that activates the cover member 18, which serves as a locking mechanism provided in the connector 13. The connector locking tool 80 has a fixed block 82, a cylinder 84, and a rod 86. The fixed block 82 is a block that fixes the cylinder 84 and the rod 86 to the base portion 8. The cylinder 84 is a drive unit that allows the rod 86 to move forward and backward in the direction d. The rod 86 is a rod-shaped member that has the function of contacting and pushing down the cover member 18 when moved forward by the cylinder 84, and has a rotatable roller at its tip.

Next, the details of the configuration of the cable 17 will be described with reference to Figures 5A and 5B. As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the cable 17 has a cable main body portion 15 and a hard portion 16.

The cable main body 15 is a belt-shaped member extending in the length direction L, and has a width direction W and a thickness direction T (FIG. 5B) perpendicular to the length direction L. An attachment portion 15b that is attached to the connector 13 is formed at one end 15a of the cable main body 15. The hard portion 16 is a plate-shaped member attached to the first main surface 15c of the cable main body 15. The hard portion 16 is a reinforcing plate made of a material harder than the cable main body 15, and is suitable for holding by the cable holding tool 20 and for insertion into the connector 13. The hard portion 16 may be made of any material that is harder than the cable main body 15.

As shown in FIG. 5B, a terminal portion 15d having a wiring pattern formed thereon is provided on a second main surface 15e opposite to the first main surface 15c. When attaching the cable 17 to the connector 13, the terminal portion 15d of the attached portion 15b is pressed against and brought into contact with the terminal portion 13b formed on the attachment portion 13a of the connector 13. This electrically connects the cable 17 to the connector 13.

The cable body 15 may be, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC). The hard part 16 and the mounting part 15b are the "mounting part" that is inserted into the connector 13 and mounted.

When holding the cable 17, the cable holding tool 20 of the first embodiment holds the cable 17 by clamping the hard portion 16 of the cable 17 in the thickness direction T with the chuck claws 28.

Next, the configuration of the chuck claws 28 of the cable holding tool 20 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the chuck claws 28 and their surroundings, and Figure 7 is an enlarged front view of the chuck claws 28 and their surroundings. In Figures 6 and 7, the chuck claws 28 are illustrated in a simplified manner, and illustrations of members other than the chuck claws 28 are omitted as appropriate.

The chuck jaws 28 shown in Figures 6 and 7 have an upper jaw portion 60 and a lower jaw portion 62.

The upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 are a pair of members for clamping and holding the cable 17 (FIG. 7) in the thickness direction T. In the state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a space is formed between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 for placing and clamping the cable 17.

The upper claw portion 60 is connected to the chuck block 27 described above, and slides in the direction c when driven by the air cylinder 25. The lower claw portion 62 is fixed to the chuck base 24 and does not have a moving function. The upper claw portion 60, which is the movable portion, can move relatively toward and away from the lower claw portion 62, which is the fixed portion.

As contact surfaces that come into contact with the cable 17, the upper claw portion 60 has a lower surface 61, and the lower claw portion 62 has an upper surface 63. The lower surface 61 comes into contact with the upper surface of the cable 17 (first main surface 15c shown in FIG. 5B), and the upper surface 63 comes into contact with the lower surface of the cable 17 (second main surface 15e shown in FIG. 5B).

The lower surface 61 of the upper claw portion 60 and the upper surface 63 of the lower claw portion 62 are both flat surfaces. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper surface 63 of the lower claw portion 62 is inclined relative to the lower surface 61 of the upper claw portion 60. The upper surface 63 is inclined in a direction approaching the lower surface 61 as it approaches the first direction P1.

The lower claw portion 62 in embodiment 1 is composed of a leaf spring that extends in the first direction P1, and has a free end portion 64, a support portion 66, and an attachment portion 68.

The free end 64 is the end of the lower claw 62 located on the tip side in the first direction P1. The support portion 66 is a portion located on the base end side in the first direction P1 so as to support the free end 64. The free end 64 and the support portion 66 form a leaf spring, causing the lower claw 62 to function as a cantilever beam. The attachment portion 68 is a portion for attaching the lower claw 62 to the chuck base 24.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the lower claw portion 62 as seen from above. In Figure 8, the lower surface 61 of the upper claw portion 60 is shown by a dotted line as it approaches the upper surface 63 of the lower claw portion 62.

As shown in FIG. 8, the lower claw portion 62 has a shape in which its width changes along a second direction P2 perpendicular to the first direction P1 and the thickness direction T. Specifically, the width of the lower claw portion 62 in the second direction P2 gradually decreases as it moves in the first direction P1 from the support portion 66 toward the free end portion 64. The width A1 of the free end portion 64 is shorter than the width A2 of the support portion 66.

In the first embodiment, the lower surface 61 of the upper claw portion 60 has a generally rectangular shape. In FIG. 8, the area where the lower surface 61 of the upper claw portion 60 and the upper surface 63 of the lower claw portion 62 overlap is shown by hatching, and the cable 17 (not shown) can be clamped in the thickness direction T in this area.

Next, the operation of clamping and holding the cable 17 using the chuck claws 28 of the cable holding tool 20 will be described with reference to Figures 9A to 9C. Figures 9A to 9C are schematic front views for explaining the operation of holding the cable 17 by the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62.

As shown in FIG. 9A, before the cable 17 is held, the upper claw 60 of the cable holding tool 20 is spaced apart from the lower claw 62, forming a gap between the upper claw 60 and the lower claw 62. The cable 17 to be held is supported by a support (not shown), and the tip including the hard portion 16 is in a state that can be held by the cable holding tool 20. The cable holding tool 20 moves along the width direction W of the cable 17 (arrow X1) and places the cable 17 in the space between the upper claw 60 and the lower claw 62.

As shown in FIG. 9B, with the cable 17 placed between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62, the air cylinder 25 (not shown) is driven to slide the upper claw portion 60 toward the lower claw portion 62 (arrow c1). The lower surface 61 of the upper claw portion 60 comes into contact with the upper surface of the cable 17, pressing the cable 17 against the upper surface 63 of the lower claw portion 62.

As shown in FIG. 9C, the cable 17 is clamped and held in the thickness direction T by the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62.

In the first embodiment, the control unit 70 controls the operation of the cable holding tool 20 so that the cable 17 is held at a position where the center 17A of the cable 17 is shifted in the first direction P1 relative to the center 60A of the upper claw portion 60 in the width direction W of the cable 17. This shortens the length by which the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 protrude in the first direction P1 relative to the cable 17, or makes it possible to prevent them from protruding at all. Therefore, even if there is an obstacle such as another connector 13 around the connector 13 to be attached, the end of the chuck claw 28 is less likely to interfere with the obstacle. This reduces the constraints on cable attachment, and allows the assembly work of the electronic device 4 to be performed more efficiently.

9C, the upper claw portion 60 applies a pressing force G to the cable 17 and the lower claw portion 62. The pressing force G can be increased or decreased by controlling the drive amount of the air cylinder 25 (not shown). Since the lower claw portion 62 is a cantilever extending in the first direction P1, it elastically deforms from the free end portion 64 to adhere to the lower surface of the cable 17 in response to the pressing force G. As the shape of the lower claw portion 62 changes, the center J where the pressing force G of the upper claw portion 60 and the reaction force of the lower claw portion 62 act most strongly also moves along the width direction W of the cable 17. The electronic device assembly device 1 of the first embodiment utilizes this to change the pressing force G of the upper claw portion 60 according to the length of the width direction W of the cable 17, thereby controlling the center J of the pressing force G to approach the center 17A of the width direction W of the cable 17. This allows the cable 17 to be held in a more balanced manner, and it is possible to suppress unintended rotation of the cable 17 when attaching the cable 17 to the connector 13, thereby making it possible to attach the cable 17 with greater accuracy.

Next, the configuration of the control system of the electronic device assembly device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The control unit 70 of the electronic device assembly device 1 is connected to the robot unit 5, the work stage 3, the imaging unit 50, the illumination member 56, the air cylinder 25, the electropneumatic regulator 30, the cylinder 84, and the operation panel 9.

In FIG. 10, the control unit 70 includes a position detection unit 94 as an internal control processing function.

The position detection unit 94 executes a position detection process to detect the relative positional relationship between the cable 17 and the connector 13 based on the image captured by the imaging unit 50. In the cable attachment operation to attach the cable 17 to the connector 13, the control unit 70 controls the movement of the cable holding tool 20 by the robot unit 5 based on the relative position detection result between one end 15a of the cable 17 and the connector 13.

The control unit 70 further includes a memory unit 98 as a storage device. The memory unit 98 stores information necessary for the cable installation work, such as the position, size, and shape of the connector 13 in the electronic device 4 to be worked on.

Next, following the flow in Fig. 11 and with reference to the explanatory diagrams in Figs. 12A to 12D, an electronic device assembly method including a cable attachment operation in which the electronic device assembly device 1 attaches the cable 17 to the connector 13 of the electronic device 4 will be described. Each step of the flow shown in Fig. 11 is executed by, for example, the control unit 70.

First, the control unit 70 causes the cable holding tool 20 of the parallel link robot 10 to hold the cable 17 (S1: cable holding process). Specifically, as shown in Figures 9A to 9C, the robot unit 5 is driven to move the cable holding tool 20 in the width direction W toward the cable 17. Thereafter, the air cylinder 25 is driven to move the upper claw portion 60 closer to the lower claw portion 62, thereby sandwiching and holding the cable 17 between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 in the thickness direction T.

Next, the cable 17 is brought close to the connector 13 (S2: connector approach step). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12A, the base portion 8 is moved to bring one end 15a of the cable 17 held by the cable holding tool 20 close to the connector 13. The base portion 8 is moved to a position where the cable 17 and the connector 13 are included in the imaging area of the imaging portion 50.

Next, the positions of the cable 17 and the connector 13 are detected (S3). Specifically, with the cable 17 approaching the connector 13, a slit light is irradiated from the projector 40 shown in FIG. 10, and an image including both the cable 17 and the connector 13 held by the cable holding tool 20 is captured by the imaging unit 50. Based on this captured image, height information of the cable 17 and the connector 13 can be obtained. Furthermore, the projector 40 is stopped, and imaging is performed again by the imaging unit 50 while illuminated by the lighting member 56. Based on this captured image, two-dimensional position information of the cable 17 and the connector 13 can be obtained. Based on the information obtained from these two captured images, the relative positional relationship between the connector 13 and the cable 17 can be obtained, and the positions of the cable 17 and the connector 13 are detected.

Next, the cable 17 is attached to the connector 13 (S4). Specifically, the robot unit 5 is driven to align the cable holding tool 20 holding the cable 17 based on the relative positional relationship detected in step S3. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12B, the robot unit 5 is driven to move the cable holding tool 20 in the attachment direction Q, thereby inserting the attached portion 15b of the cable 17 into the attachment portion 13a of the connector 13 of the electronic device 4.

Next, the control unit 70 activates the locking mechanism (S5: locking activation step). Specifically, the cylinder 84 (FIG. 4) shown in FIG. 4 is activated to protrude the rod 86 (arrow g1) as shown in FIG. 12B. This causes the roller at the tip of the rod 86 to move to the upper surface of the connector 13, and while rolling on the upper surface of the connector 13, it comes into contact with the cover member 18, pushing the cover member 18 down to the closed state. As shown in FIG. 12C, the cover member 18 presses down the attachment portion 15b of the cable 17, activating the locking mechanism in the connector 13 and preventing the cable 17 from falling out.

Then, the control unit 70 releases the cable 17 from the cable holding tool 20 (S6: cable releasing process). Specifically, the air cylinder 25 is driven to move the upper claw portion 60 of the chuck claw 28 back upward and away from the lower claw portion 62, thereby releasing the grip of the cable 17 by the chuck claw 28. After releasing the grip of the cable 17, the cable holding tool 20 moves to a position away from the electronic device 4, leaving the connector 13 with the cable 17 attached as shown in FIG. 12D.

Next, the control unit 70 judges whether there is a next cable 17 to be attached (S7). Specifically, the control unit 70 judges whether there is a next cable 17 to be attached based on whether there is a new cable 17 remaining to be attached to another connector 13 other than the cable 17 attached to the connector 13.

If there are other cables 17 remaining to be attached, it is determined that there is another cable 17 to be attached (YES in S7), and the control unit 70 executes steps S1 to S6 again. This allows the next cable 17 to be attached to another connector 13.

On the other hand, if there are no other cables 17 remaining to be attached, it is determined that there is no next cable 17 to be attached (NO in S7), and the control unit 70 retrieves the electronic device 4 (S8). Specifically, the electronic device 4 for which the cable attachment work has been completed is retrieved from the work stage 3. This completes the assembly of the electronic device 4 in which a cable 17 has been attached to each of one or more connectors 13.

Here, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of the first embodiment, in the cable holding process of step S1, as shown in FIG. 9C, the cable 17 is held so that the center 17A in the width direction W of the cable 17 is shifted in the first direction P1 relative to the center 60A in the width direction W of the upper claw portion 60. This reduces the amount that the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 protrude in the first direction P1 relative to the cable 17, and in the subsequent cable attachment process of step S4, the end portion of the chuck claw 28 of the cable holding tool 20 (the end on the right side of the paper in FIG. 9C) is less likely to interfere with obstacles such as other connectors 13. This reduces constraints on the cable attachment operation, making it possible to perform electronic device assembly work more efficiently.

Furthermore, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, in the cable holding process of step S1, control is performed to change the pressing force G by the upper claw portion 60 according to the length of the cable 17 in the width direction W. This makes it possible to hold the cable 17 in a more balanced manner and transmit force evenly when the cable is attached to the connector 13, reducing attachment errors and making electronic device assembly work more efficient. More specifically, this will be described using Figures 13A and 13B.

Figure 13A is a schematic front view showing how the cable holding tool 20 holds the cable when the cable 17 has a width D1, and Figure 13B is a schematic front view showing how the cable holding tool 20 holds the cable when the cable 17 has a width D2 that is longer than the width D1.

As shown in Figures 13A and 13B, the cable holding tool 20 holds the cable 17 by clamping it between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 so that the center 17A of the width direction W of the cable 17 is shifted in the first direction P1 relative to the center 60A of the width direction W of the upper claw portion 60.

In Figures 13A and 13B, the cable 17 is held so that the relative position of the cable 17 with respect to the lower surface 61 of the upper claw portion 60 and the upper surface 63 of the lower claw portion 62 is the same, with the right end portion of the cable 17 as a reference. As shown in Figure 13A, the center 17A in the width direction W of the cable 17 when the width D1 is short is located further to the right (downstream in the first direction P1) than the center 17A in the width direction W of the cable 17 when the width D2 is long as shown in Figure 13B.

Figures 13A and 13B show an example in which the cable 17 protrudes further to the right than the right end portions of the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62, but this is not limited to the above case. The cable 17 may be held so that the right end portion of the cable 17 fits between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62.

The control unit 70 controls the driving of the air cylinder 25 so that the pressing force G1 by the upper claw portion 60 is relatively small for a cable 17 having a relatively short width D1, as shown in FIG. 13A. The control unit 70 controls the driving of the air cylinder 25 so that the pressing force G2 by the upper claw portion 60 is relatively large for a cable 17 having a relatively long width D2, as shown in FIG. 13B.

Because the lower claw portion 62 is a cantilever extending in the first direction P1, as shown in FIG. 13A, the smaller the pressing force G1 is, the more the center J1 of the pressing force G1 moves to the right (towards the free end). As the width D1 of the cable 17 is shorter, the center 17A of the cable 17 is also located relatively further to the right, making it easier to align the center J1 of the pressing force G1 with the center 17A of the cable 17. This allows the cable 17 to be held in a more balanced manner.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13B, the larger the pressing force G2, the more the center J2 of the pressing force G1 moves to the left (toward the base end). As the width D2 of the cable 17 is longer, the center 17A of the cable 17 is also located relatively further to the left, making it easier to align the center J1 of the pressing force G1 with the center 17A of the cable 17, and the cable 17 can be held in a more balanced manner.

According to the above control (first operation) of the control unit 70, the pressing forces G1, G2 are changed according to the length of the widths D1, D2 of the cable 17, and the centers J1, J2 of the pressing forces G1, G2 are controlled to approach the center 17A of the width direction W of the cable 17. This makes it possible to prevent the cable 17 from rotating in an unintended direction due to the reaction force from the connector 13 accompanying cable insertion, which would result in an installation error, when the cable 17 is inserted into the connector 13, and improves the installation accuracy of the cable 17. In this way, the electronic device assembly work can be made more efficient.

The control unit 70 of the first embodiment adjusts the pressing forces G1 and G2 by controlling the air pressure of the air cylinder 25 using an electro-pneumatic regulator 30 connected to the air cylinder 25. The control unit 70 controls the electro-pneumatic regulator 30 so that the air pressure of the air cylinder 25 becomes a predetermined value determined in advance according to the widths D1 and D2 of the cable 17. By using the electro-pneumatic regulator 30, the pressing forces G1 and G2 can be adjusted with greater precision.

Here, when the cable holding tool 20 holds the cable 17, a positional deviation may occur in the relative position of the cable 17 with respect to the chuck claws 28. In the electronic device assembly device 1 of the first embodiment, control is performed to adjust the pressing force of the upper claw portion 60 according to the positional deviation of the cable 17. More specifically, a description will be given with reference to Figures 14A and 14B.

Figures 14A and 14B are partially enlarged front views showing the state in which the cable holding tool 20 holds the cable 17.

As shown in Figures 14A and 14B, the cable 17 is misaligned in the width direction W relative to the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 of the cable holding tool 20. In the example shown in Figure 14A, the right end of the cable 17 protrudes by a protrusion amount E1 relative to the right end of the upper claw portion 60, and in the example shown in Figure 14B, it protrudes by a protrusion amount E2. Protrusion amount E2 > protrusion amount E1. Protrusion amounts E1 and E2 are calculated based on the captured image captured from above by the imaging unit 50 shown in Figure 2 etc.

The control unit 70 changes the pressing forces G3, G4 of the upper claw portion 60 according to the length of the protrusion amounts E1, E2. Specifically, the control unit 70 controls the drive of the air cylinder 25 so that the pressing force G3 is increased when the protrusion amount E1 is relatively short, and the pressing force G4 is decreased when the protrusion amount E2 is relatively long.

As shown in FIG. 14A, by increasing the pressing force G3, the center J3 of the pressing force G3 moves to the left. This allows the center J3 of the pressing force G3 to be moved closer to the center 17A in the width direction W of the cable 17, which has a smaller protrusion amount E1 relative to the upper claw portion 60.

As shown in FIG. 14B, by reducing the pressing force G4, the center J4 of the pressing force G4 moves to the right. This allows the center J4 of the pressing force G4 to be moved closer to the center 17A of the width direction W of the cable 17, which has a large protrusion amount E2 relative to the upper claw portion 60.

In this way, even if the cable 17 is misaligned in the width direction W relative to the chuck jaws 28, the protrusion amounts E1, E2 are calculated based on the image captured by the imaging unit 50, and the pressing forces G3, G4 are changed according to the protrusion amounts E1, E2, making it easier to apply the pressing forces G3, G4 to the centers 17A, 17B of the cable 17 in the width direction W. This makes it possible to hold the cable 17 in a more balanced manner, reduce cable installation errors, and perform electronic device assembly work more efficiently.

As described above, the electronic device assembly device 1 of the first embodiment includes a cable holding tool 20 having an upper claw portion 60 and a lower claw portion 62 that hold the cable 17 in the thickness direction T, an air cylinder 25 (driving means) that moves the upper claw portion 60 relative to the lower claw portion 62, a robot portion 5 that moves the cable holding tool 20 relative to the electronic device 4, and a control portion 70 that operates the robot portion 5 to perform the operation of attaching the cable 17 held by the cable holding tool 20 to the connector 13 of the electronic device 4, the lower claw portion 62 having a free end portion 64 that extends in the first direction P1, and the control portion 70 performing a first operation of having the cable holding tool 20 hold the cable 17 so that the center 17A of the width direction W of the cable 17 is shifted in the first direction P1 from the center 60A of the width direction W of the upper claw portion 60.

The electronic device assembly method of the first embodiment is an electronic device assembly method for assembling an electronic device 4 by attaching a cable 17 to a connector 13 of the electronic device 4, and includes a cable holding step (S1) in which the cable 17 is placed between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 of the cable holding tool 20, and the upper claw portion 60 is moved relative to the lower claw portion 62 to hold the cable 17 by pinching it in the thickness direction T, and a cable attachment step (S4) in which the robot portion 5 equipped with the cable holding tool 20 is operated to attach the cable 17 held by the cable holding tool 20 to the connector 13 of the electronic device 4, the lower claw portion 62 having a free end portion 64 extending in the first direction P1, and in the cable holding step, the cable 17 is held by the cable holding tool 20 so that the center 17A of the width direction W of the cable 17 is shifted in the first direction P1 from the center 60A of the width direction W of the upper claw portion 60.

According to this electronic device assembly device 1/electronic device assembly method, the cable 17 is clamped and held in an area shifted toward the end from the center 60A of the upper claw portion 60, so that when the cable 17 is inserted into the connector 13 of the electronic device 4, the ends of the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 are less likely to interfere with obstacles such as adjacent connectors 13. This reduces constraints on the cable attachment work, and allows the electronic device 4 to be assembled more efficiently.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the control unit 70 controls the air cylinder 25 (driving means) in the first operation so as to change the pressing forces G1, G2 of the upper claw portion 60 toward the lower claw portion 62 according to the widths D1, D2 of the cable 17 (the length of the cable 17 in the width direction W).

With this configuration, when the pressing forces G1, G2 toward the lower claw portion 62 having the free end 64 are changed, the centers J1, J2 on which the pressing forces G1, G2 act move along the width direction W of the cable 17. Therefore, by changing the pressing forces G1, G2 according to the widths D1, D2 of the cable 17, the centers J1, J2 of the pressing forces G1, G2 can be moved to appropriate positions.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the control unit 70 controls the air cylinder 25 (driving means) to apply a pressing force G1 (first pressing force) when the width of the cable 17 is a first width D1, and to apply a pressing force G2 (second pressing force) greater than the pressing force G1 when the width of the cable 17 is a second width D2 that is longer than the first width D1.

With this configuration, the greater the pressing force G by the upper claw 60, the more the center J on which the pressing force G acts moves toward the base end of the lower claw 62 (upstream in the first direction P1). By increasing the pressing force G as the width of the cable 17 increases, the center J of the pressing force G can be brought closer to the center 17A of the width direction W of the cable 17, so that the cable 17 can be pressed and held in a more balanced manner, and errors in attaching the cable 17 can be reduced.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the lower claw portion 62 has a shape that is inclined toward the first direction P1 in a direction approaching the lower surface 61 (contact surface) of the upper claw portion 60.

With this configuration, when the pressing force G toward the lower claw portion 62 is increased, the center J on which the pressing force G acts tends to move toward the base end side of the lower claw portion 62, making it easier to adjust the center J of the pressing force G.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the lower claw portion 62 has a support portion 66 that supports the free end portion 64, and the widths A1, A2 in the second direction P2 perpendicular to the first direction P1 and the thickness direction T are such that the support portion 66 (width A2) is longer than the free end portion 64 (width A1).

With this configuration, when the pressing force G toward the lower claw portion 62 is increased and the center J on which the pressing force G acts moves toward the base end of the lower claw portion 62, the reaction force of the lower claw portion 62 can also be increased, and the cable 17 can be held more firmly.

The electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1 further includes an imaging unit 50 capable of imaging an area including the cable 17 held by the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62, and the control unit 70 controls the air cylinder 25 (driving means) to change the pressing force G according to the relative position (protrusion amounts E1, E2) of the cable 17 in the width direction W with respect to the upper claw portion 60 in the image captured by the imaging unit 50.

With this configuration, even if the cable 17 is misaligned when held by the cable holding tool 20, the pressing force G can be adjusted to hold the cable 17 in a more appropriate position.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, when the relative position of the cable 17 with respect to the upper claw portion 60 in the image captured by the imaging unit 50 shifts toward the first direction P1 (when the protrusion amount E2 becomes longer than the protrusion amount E1), the control unit 70 controls the air cylinder 25 (driving means) to reduce the pressing force G (to a pressing force G4 that is smaller than the pressing force G3).

This configuration allows the center J of the pressing force G to be closer to the center 17A of the cable 17 in the width direction W, allowing the cable 17 to be pressed and held in a more balanced manner.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the control unit 70 controls the cable holding tool 20 to move along the width direction W of the cable 17 while leaving a gap between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62, position the cable 17 between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62, and move the upper claw portion 60 toward the lower claw portion 62 to clamp and hold the cable 17 between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62.

This configuration allows the cable 17 to be easily clamped and held.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the control unit 70 controls the cable holding tool 20 so that the hard portion 16 of the cable 17, which is to be inserted into the connector 13, is clamped between the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62.

This configuration allows the cable 17 to be held more firmly.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the lower claw portion 62 is composed of a leaf spring having a free end portion 64.

This configuration allows the lower claw portion 62 to be realized with a simple structure and makes it easy to adjust the pressing force G.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the driving means for driving the upper claw portion 60 includes an air cylinder 25 that slides the upper claw portion 60 relative to the lower claw portion 62, and an electropneumatic regulator 30 that changes the air pressure of the air cylinder 25.

With this configuration, the pressing force G applied by the upper claw portion 60 can be adjusted with high precision by using the air cylinder 25 and the electropneumatic regulator 30.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 1, the robot unit 5 constitutes a parallel link robot 10.

This configuration makes it possible to improve the efficiency of electronic device assembly work using the parallel link robot 10.

(Embodiment 2)
The difference between the cable holding method of the first embodiment and the cable holding method of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Here, the same or similar configurations as those of the first embodiment will be described with the same names and symbols. Also, descriptions that overlap with those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

Figure 15 is a schematic front view showing a cable holding method (second operation) performed by the control unit 70 of the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 2.

The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, with regard to the operation of holding the cable 17 with the cable holding tool 20, either the first operation described in the first embodiment or a second operation different from the first operation is selectively performed.

Figure 15 shows the holding state of the cable 17 when the control unit 70 executes the second operation. As shown in Figure 15, in the second operation, regardless of the length of the cable 17 in the width direction W, the cable holding tool 20 holds the cable 17 so that the center 17A of the cable 17 in the width direction W roughly overlaps with the center 60A of the upper claw portion 60 in the width direction W. In other words, the cable 17 is held at approximately the center position of the chuck claws 28.

According to the second operation, the right end portions of the upper claw portion 60 and the lower claw portion 62 protrude in the first direction P1 more than the right end portion of the cable 17, so that the right end portion of the chuck claw 28 is more likely to interfere with obstacles such as the adjacent connector 13 when inserting the cable 17 into the connector 13. On the other hand, since the cable 17 is positioned further to the left of the chuck claw 28 than in the first operation, the pressing force G5 of the upper claw portion 60 is increased and the center J5 of the pressing force G5 is moved to the left, making it easier to align the center J5 of the pressing force G5 with the centers 17A and 60A. The air cylinder 25 is controlled so that the pressing force G5 in the second operation is greater than the pressing forces G3 and G4 in the first operation.

The control unit 70 selectively executes the first operation and the second operation depending on conditions such as the surrounding environment of the connector 13 to which the cable 17 is attached. Specifically, whether to apply the first operation or the second operation may be stored in advance in the storage unit 98 of the control unit 70 based on the arrangement of the connectors 13 in the electronic device 4 and the order in which the cables 17 are attached, so that the first operation is applied when there are obstacles such as other connectors 13 around the connector 13 to which the cable is to be attached, and the second operation is applied when there are no obstacles around. By selectively executing the first operation and the second operation for each cable 17 to be attached, it is possible to achieve the interference avoidance effect of the first operation and the stable cable holding effect of the second operation.

As described above, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 2, the control unit 70 executes a second operation in which the cable holding tool 20 holds the cable 17 so that the center 17A of the cable 17 in the width direction W overlaps the center 60A of the upper claw portion 60 in the width direction W.

With this configuration, when there are no restrictions on inserting the cable 17 into the connector 13 of the electronic device 4, the second operation can be performed, making it possible to perform more flexible operations, such as clamping and holding the cable 17 more firmly.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 2, the control unit 70 selectively executes the first operation or the second operation depending on the cable 17 to be held by the cable holding tool 20.

With this configuration, the first or second operation can be selectively performed depending on the presence or absence of constraints when inserting the cable 17 into the connector 13 of the electronic device 4, making the cable attachment operation more efficient.

In addition, in the electronic device assembly device 1 of embodiment 2, the control unit 70 controls the air cylinder 25 (driving means) to make the pressing force G of the upper claw portion 60 toward the lower claw portion 62 greater than the pressing forces G3 and G4 in the first operation in the second operation.

With this configuration, the cable 17 can be more firmly clamped and held in place during the second operation.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2. For example, in the embodiments 1 and 2, the case where the robot unit 5 constitutes a parallel link robot 10 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such a case. For example, any type of robot unit may be used, such as a robot unit that constitutes a vertical articulated robot.

In the embodiment, the air cylinder 25 and the electro-pneumatic regulator 30 are used as the driving means for driving the upper claw portion 60, but this is not limited to the above. Any type of driving means may be used as long as it can drive the upper claw portion 60 relative to the lower claw portion 62.

In the embodiment, the cover member 18 is used as a locking mechanism for locking the cable 17 attached to the connector 13, and the cover member 18 is pressed down with the connector locking tool 80 to activate the lock. However, this is not the only case, and any type of locking mechanism may be used. As an example, an auto-lock type locking mechanism that automatically locks in response to the insertion of the cable 17 may be used. In the case of the auto-lock type, the electronic device assembly device 1 may be configured not to include the connector locking tool 80.

In the embodiment, the cable 17 is located away from the electronic device 4 before being attached to the connector 13, but this is not the only possible case. For example, the cable 17 may be attached to the connector 13 by holding the hard portion 16 of the cable 17 with the cable holding tool 20, with the other end of the cable 17 opposite the end 15a already connected to the circuit board 11 of the electronic device 4.

Although the present disclosure has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and variations are to be understood as being included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims, unless they deviate therefrom. In addition, changes in the combination and order of elements in each embodiment may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

In addition, by appropriately combining any of the various modifications of the above embodiment, the effects of each can be achieved.

The present invention can be applied to any electronic device assembly device and electronic device assembly method that assembles an electronic device by attaching a cable to a connector of the electronic device.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Electronic device assembly device 4 Electronic device 5 Robot section 10 Parallel link robot 13 Connector 17 Cable 20 Cable holding tool 25 Air cylinder (driving means)
60 Upper claw portion 62 Lower claw portion 70 Control portion

Claims (17)

a cable holding tool including upper and lower claws for clamping and holding a cable in a thickness direction, and a drive means for moving the upper claws relatively to the lower claws;
a robot unit that moves the cable holding tool relative to an electronic device;
a control unit that operates the robot unit to perform an operation of attaching the cable held by the cable holding tool to a connector of the electronic device,
The lower claw portion has a free end portion extending in a first direction,
The control unit is
performing a first operation of causing the cable holding tool to hold the cable such that a center of the cable in a width direction is shifted in the first direction with respect to a center of the upper claw portion in the width direction;
Electronic equipment assembly equipment. The control unit is
In the first operation, the driving means is controlled so as to change a pressing force of the upper claw portion toward the lower claw portion in accordance with a width of the cable.
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 1 . The control unit is
controlling the driving means so as to apply a first pressing force when the cable has a first width, and to apply a second pressing force larger than the first pressing force when the cable has a second width longer than the first width;
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 2 . The lower claw portion has a shape that is inclined toward the first direction in a direction approaching a contact surface of the upper claw portion.
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 2 . The lower claw portion has a support portion that supports the free end portion, and a width of the support portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the thickness direction is greater than a width of the free end portion.
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 2 . an imaging unit capable of imaging an area including the cable held by the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion;
The control unit is
controlling the driving means so as to change the pressing force in accordance with a relative position in a width direction of the cable with respect to the upper claw portion in an image captured by the imaging unit;
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 2 . The control unit is
and controlling the driving means to reduce the pressing force when the relative position of the cable with respect to the upper claw portion in the captured image of the imaging unit is shifted in the first direction.
7. The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 6. The control unit is
The cable holding tool is controlled so as to move the cable holding tool along the width direction of the cable while leaving a gap between the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion, to place the cable between the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion, and to move the upper claw portion toward the lower claw portion to sandwich and hold the cable between the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion.
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 1 . The control unit is
controlling the cable holding tool so that a hard portion of the cable to be inserted into the connector is sandwiched between the upper claw portion and the lower claw portion;
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 1 . The lower claw portion is composed of a leaf spring having the free end portion.
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 1 . The driving means includes an air cylinder that slides the upper claw portion relative to the lower claw portion, and an electropneumatic regulator that changes the air pressure of the air cylinder.
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 1 . The control unit is
performing a second operation of causing the cable holding tool to hold the cable such that a center of the cable in a width direction overlaps a center of the upper claw portion in the width direction;
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 1 . The control unit is
selectively performing the first operation or the second operation depending on the cable to be held by the cable holding tool;
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 12. The control unit is
controlling the driving means so that a pressing force of the upper claw portion toward the lower claw portion in the second operation is greater than a pressing force of the upper claw portion in the first operation;
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 12. The robot unit is a parallel link robot.
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 1 . The robot unit is a vertical articulated robot.
The electronic device assembly apparatus according to claim 1 . An electronic device assembling method for assembling an electronic device by attaching a cable to a connector of the electronic device, comprising the steps of:
a cable holding step of placing a cable between an upper claw portion and a lower claw portion of a cable holding tool and holding the cable by sandwiching the cable in a thickness direction by moving the upper claw portion relative to the lower claw portion;
a cable attachment process of attaching the cable held by the cable holding tool to a connector of an electronic device by operating a robot unit to which the cable holding tool is attached,
The lower claw portion has a free end portion extending in a first direction,
In the cable holding step, the cable is held by the cable holding tool such that a center of the cable in a width direction is shifted in the first direction from a center of the upper claw portion in the width direction.
Electronic device assembly method.

Images