JP7007977B2 - Terminal processing method for in-vehicle twisted pair cable and its device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to terminal processing of an in-vehicle twisted pair cable for connecting a terminal to an in-vehicle twisted pair cable terminal.

In order to connect the terminal to the terminal of the twisted pair cable, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, the procedure is as follows. Cutting process to cut twisted pair cable, sheath strip process to remove sheath of twisted pair cable, untwisting process of exposed core wire, core wire coating strip process to remove insulation coating of core wire, terminal to conductor of core wire It is a terminal connection process to connect. The reason for untwisting is that the terminals of the core wire are too close to each other to connect the terminals.

The untwisting length is relatively long in CAN (control area network), which is an in-vehicle network, and is allowed to be about 40 mm to 50 mm. Therefore, the crimping work of connecting the terminals and the work of inserting the twisted pair cable connecting the terminals into the connector housing could be performed without any problem even if the core electric wire had a twisting habit.

However, in OABR, that is, the BroadR-Reach in-vehicle Ethernet (registered trademark) communication standard, the untwisting length is shorter than that in the case of CAN.

If the untwisting length is short, the terminal portion does not have the freedom, so accuracy is likely to be poor when crimping the strip of insulation coating or the terminal. If there is a twisting habit in the untwisted part, the twisting habit can also cause poor accuracy.

In addition, since the untwisting length is short, it is necessary to insert the terminals connected to the pair of core wires at the same time when inserting into the connector housing. If the tip position is misaligned, there is a risk that one of the terminals will be half-inserted and that insertion into the connector housing will also be defective.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-147170

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to enable accurate terminal processing even if the untwisting length is short.

Here, the terminal processing is to process or process the terminal of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable, and whether it is performed up to the core wire covering strip or the terminal connection, until the connected terminal is inserted into the connector housing. It is meant to include those who do.

The means for that purpose includes a step of untwisting the core wire after the sheath strip step and before the core wire coating strip step, and before the terminal connection step after the sheath strip step, in the circumferential direction of the core wire. It is to have an orientation adjustment step which adjusts the orientation in the above to the orientation suitable for terminal connection.
The untwisting length of the core electric wire is preferably 10 mm to 20 mm. The untwisting length means the length of a linearly extending portion beyond the root position of the core wire exposed by removing the sheath.

That is, after undergoing a sheath strip step of removing the sheath from the terminal of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable having the sheath removed, a core wire coating strip step of untwisting the core wire and removing the insulating coating of the terminal of the core wire. This is a terminal processing method for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable that shifts to a terminal connection process for connecting a terminal to the core electric wire. It is a terminal processing method for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable having an orientation adjusting step for adjusting the orientation suitable for terminal connection.

In this configuration, in the orientation adjustment process, the orientation of the core wire in the circumferential direction is set to be suitable for terminal connection, and then the insulation coating of the core wire is removed or the terminal is connected, so the untwisting length is short. However, the work of removing the insulation coating and connecting the terminals can be performed with high accuracy. The connected terminals can be inserted into the connector housing without changing the posture.

As an aspect of the terminal processing method of this in-vehicle twisted pair cable, there is a step of untwisting the core electric wire and before the terminal connection step of untwisting the core electric wire to correct the twisting habit of the untwisted core electric wire. May be.

In this configuration, the twisting habit of the core wire is removed and straightened in the habit correction process, so the work of removing the insulation coating of the core wire and connecting the terminals can be performed at the desired position and the desired dimensions. It can be done with higher accuracy.

Further, as an aspect of the terminal processing method of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable, there is a habit of correcting the twisting habit of the untwisted core electric wire in synchronization with the untwisting process of the core electric wire or following the untwisting process. It may have a repairing process.

In this configuration, the twisting habit of the core wire is removed and straightened in the habit correction process, so in addition to the work of removing the insulation coating of the core wire and connecting the terminals, other work such as the orientation adjustment process is also performed. , The desired position and desired dimensions can be achieved with even greater accuracy.

When the habit-repairing step is provided, the habit-repairing step may be performed in synchronization with the orientation adjusting step as an embodiment of the terminal processing method of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable.

In this configuration, since the habit-repairing process is performed in synchronization with the orientation adjustment process in which it is necessary to hold the in-vehicle twisted pair cable as in the habit-repairing process, work efficiency is good and accuracy can be obtained.

As an aspect of the terminal processing method of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable, a length adjusting step of adjusting the length of the core electric wire protruding from the end of the sheath to an appropriate length is performed after the sheath strip step and before the terminal connecting step. It may have.

In this configuration, since the protruding length of the core wire is set to an appropriate length in the length adjustment process, terminal connection can be performed with high accuracy and noise immunity can be ensured.

When the length adjusting step is provided, it is preferable that the length adjusting step is provided after the habit-correcting step as an embodiment of the terminal processing method of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable.

In this configuration, the length is adjusted after the habit is corrected, so that the length adjustment itself can be performed with high accuracy.

Another means is a method for manufacturing a vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable with a terminal for connecting the terminal to the terminal of the core electric wire processed by the terminal processing method for the vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable.

Another means is to untwist the sheath strip portion that removes the sheath from the terminal of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable having the outer sheath and the core electric wire exposed by removing the sheath, and to provide an insulating coating of the terminal of the core electric wire. This is a terminal processing device for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable in which the core wire-coated strip portion for removing is arranged in order from the upstream side, and the orientation of the core electric wire in the circumferential direction is suitable for terminal connection from the sheath strip portion to the subsequent stage. It is a terminal processing device for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable provided with an orientation adjusting unit for adjusting the orientation. "From" in "from the sheath strip portion to the rear stage" means to include the sheath strip portion.

In this configuration, the orientation of the core wire in the circumferential direction is set to be suitable for terminal connection in the orientation adjustment section, and then the insulation coating of the core wire is removed or the terminal is connected, so the untwisting length is short. However, these operations can be performed with high accuracy. The connected terminals can be inserted into the connector housing without changing the posture.

As an embodiment of the terminal processing device for the in-vehicle twisted pair cable, a habit-correcting portion for correcting the twisting habit of the untwisted core electric wire may be provided in the subsequent stage from the untwisting portion of the core electric wire. "Kara" in "from the loosening part to the latter stage" means to include the loosening part.

In this configuration, the twisting habit of the core wire is removed and straightened at the habit correction part, so the work of removing the insulation coating of the core wire and connecting the terminals can be done at the desired position and the desired dimensions. It can be done with high accuracy.

As an embodiment of the terminal processing device for the in-vehicle twisted pair cable, the orientation adjusting unit may have a function of correcting the twisting habit of the untwisted core electric wire.

In this configuration, since the orientation adjusting unit corrects the habit of the core electric wire, the device can be simplified and the work efficiency can be improved.

As an embodiment of the terminal processing device for the in-vehicle twisted pair cable, a length adjusting portion for adjusting the length of the core electric wire protruding from the end of the sheath is provided in the subsequent stage from the sheath strip portion. May be good. "From" in "from the sheath strip portion to the rear stage" means to include the sheath strip portion.

In this configuration, since the protruding length of the core wire is set to an appropriate length by the length adjusting portion, terminal connection can be performed with high accuracy and noise immunity can be ensured.

When the length adjusting step is provided, the length adjusting portion may be provided after the habit-correcting portion as an embodiment of the terminal processing device for the in-vehicle twisted pair cable.

In this configuration, the length is adjusted after the habit is corrected, so that the length adjustment itself can be performed with high accuracy.

Another means is an in-vehicle twisted pair cable manufacturing device having a terminal provided with a terminal connection portion for connecting a terminal to the terminal of the core electric wire after the core wire covering strip portion in the terminal processing device of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable. be.

According to the present invention, terminal processing can be performed with high accuracy even if the untwisting length is short.

A perspective view of an in-vehicle twisted pair cable with terminals and a connector housing. Top view of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable. Flow chart of how to manufacture in-vehicle twisted pair cable with terminal. Schematic diagram of the manufacturing equipment for in-vehicle twisted pair cable with terminals. The perspective view which shows the unraveling process. A perspective view of a holder that holds an in-vehicle twisted pair cable. Side view of the holder that holds the in-vehicle twisted pair cable. The perspective view which shows the orientation adjustment process and the habit correction process. A side view showing the orientation adjustment process and the habit correction process. The plan view which shows the orientation adjustment process. The plan view which shows the length adjustment process. Top view showing the core wire covering strip process. Top view of the terminal. Partial sectional plan view showing a part of a terminal connection process. Partial sectional plan view showing a part of a terminal connection process. The plan view which shows a part of the terminal connection process. The plan view which shows a part of the terminal connection process. The plan view which shows a part of the terminal connection process. The plan view which shows a part of the terminal connection process. The plan view which shows a part of the terminal connection process. The schematic block diagram of the habit-repairing molding machine for the habit-repairing process which concerns on another example. Schematic configuration plan view of the habit-repairing molding machine for the habit-repairing process according to another example. FIG. 22 is a schematic configuration side view of the habit-correcting molding machine of FIG. 22. The schematic block diagram of the habit-repairing molding machine for the habit-repairing process which concerns on another example. The front view which shows the schematic structure of the habit-repairing molding machine of FIG. 24. The front view which shows the other example of the core wire chuck part of FIG. Explanatory drawing of an example of performing orientation adjustment in a sheath strip process.

An embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a terminal portion of an in-vehicle twisted pair cable 11 with terminals (hereinafter referred to as “cable with terminals”) and a connector housing 13 into which terminals 12 are inserted and held. The terminal 12 has both a male type and a female type, but the illustrated example illustrates the female type terminal 12.

The cable with terminal 11 is configured by connecting the terminal 12 to the vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable 14 (hereinafter, referred to as “twisted pair cable”).

The twisted pair cable 14 is used to have noise immunity, and a pair of built-in core electric wires 15 are twisted at a predetermined pitch. The core electric wire 15 is configured such that the conductor 15a is covered with an insulating coating 15b, and a sheath 16 is exteriorized around the twisted core electric wire 15. The sheath 16 includes a filled type and a non-filled type, and any type of sheath structure may be used. Further, the core electric wire 15 is not limited to a pair as shown in the illustrated example, and may have two or more pairs of core electric wires 15. In the illustrated example, the twisted pair cable 14 without a shield is shown because it is for automobile use and needs to be lightweight, but the presence or absence of a shield does not matter.

In the cable 11 with terminals, the untwisting length of the twisted core electric wire 15 is set short as shown in FIG. 1 in order to have noise immunity as described above. The untwisting length may be about 40 mm to 50 mm for CAN (Control Area Network), but it needs to be about 10 mm to 20 mm for OABR (BroadR-Reach Automotive Ethernet (registered trademark) communication standard). Here, the untwisting length is the length L of the core electric wire 15 protruding straight from the end of the sheath 16 and set to 10 mm to 20 mm, as shown in the twisted pair cable 14 of FIG.

The method for manufacturing the terminal-equipped in-vehicle twisted pair cable for manufacturing the terminal-attached cable 11 is shown in the flowchart of FIG. As shown, it has the following steps: That is, the steps include a sheath strip step of removing the sheath 16 from the terminal of the twisted pair cable 14 on which the sheath 16 is exteriorized, and a core wire of untwisting the core electric wire 15 to remove the insulating coating 15b of the terminal of the core electric wire 15. It has a covering strip step and a terminal connection step of connecting the terminal 12 to the core electric wire 15. Then, after the sheath strip step and before the terminal connecting step, there is a direction adjusting step of adjusting the orientation of the core electric wire 15 in the circumferential direction to a direction suitable for terminal connection.

In addition to the orientation adjustment process, there is a process to correct the twisting habit of the untwisted core wire 15 and a length adjustment process to adjust the length of the core wire 15 protruding from the end of the sheath 16 to an appropriate length. be. The habit-repairing step is provided after the untwisting step of the core electric wire 15 and before the terminal connecting step, and the length adjusting step is provided after the sheath strip step and before the terminal connecting step.

The habit-repairing step is preferably provided in synchronization with or following the untwisting step of the core wire 15. Further, it is also preferable that the habit-correcting step is performed in synchronization with the orientation adjusting step.

The length adjusting step may be provided after the habit-correcting step.

The flowchart of FIG. 3 shows an example of a desirable process order among the methods for manufacturing an in-vehicle twisted pair cable with terminals that can be processed in various orders, and the manufacturing apparatus 31 shown in FIG. 4 is in the process shown in FIG. It is configured in the corresponding arrangement.

That is, the manufacturing apparatus 31 includes a sheath strip process, a loosening process, an orientation adjustment / habit correction process in which the orientation adjustment process and the habit correction process are performed in synchronization, a length adjustment process, a core wire coating strip process, and a terminal connection process. In order to realize in order, it has the following configuration. The manufacturing apparatus 31 is exposed by removing the sheath strip portion 33 for removing the sheath 16 from the terminal of the twisted pair cable 14 on which the sheath 16 is outer, in order from the upstream side of the transport path 32 for sending the twisted pair cable 14. Adjust the orientation of the untwisted core wire 15 in the circumferential direction of the core wire 15 to a direction suitable for terminal connection, and adjust the direction of the untwisted core wire 15 to correct the twisted habit. A portion 35, a length adjusting portion 36 that adjusts the length of the core electric wire 15 protruding from the end of the sheath 16 to an appropriate length, and a core wire coating strip portion 37 that removes the insulating coating 15b of the terminal of the core electric wire 15. A terminal connection portion 38 for connecting the terminal 12 to the core electric wire 15 is provided.

Each part of the manufacturing apparatus 31 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 4, which is a schematic plan view of the manufacturing apparatus 31, the manufacturing apparatus 31 has a measuring unit 31a at the most upstream position for measuring and cutting the twisted pair cable 14 supplied to the transport path 32. At the most downstream position, there is a discharge unit 31b that discharges the manufactured cable with terminals 11. The measuring unit 31a measures the length of the twisted pair cable 14 that is sequentially fed out and supplied to the transport path 32, and cuts the twisted pair cable 14 at predetermined lengths set in advance. The discharge unit 31b discharges the manufactured cable with terminals 11, but if necessary, the terminal insertion step of inserting the terminals 12 into the next connector housing 13 may be performed.

The transport path 32 is provided in a straight line on the table 31c, and includes a fixed side chuck 41 fixed on the table 31c and a moving side chuck 43 fixed on the slide plate 42 which is slid by an actuator. ing. The fixed side chuck 41 and the moving side chuck 43 are configured by an appropriate device such as an air chuck, and hold the twisted pair cable 14 by opening and closing. A plurality of fixed side chucks 41 and moving side chucks 43 are provided at regular intervals.

The plurality of fixed side chucks 41 are, in order from the upstream side, a measuring part 31a, a sheath strip part 33, a loosening part 34, an orientation adjusting / habit adjusting part 35, a length adjusting part 36, a core wire covering strip part 37, and a terminal connection. It is provided in the part 38. A crimping device as an example of a terminal connecting device for the purpose of making it possible to connect a plurality of types of terminals 12 to the terminal connecting portion 38 and for the purpose of coping with the difference in the mode of terminal connection to the paired core electric wires 15. Since a plurality of 44s are provided, a plurality of fixed side chucks 41 are also provided.

The plurality of moving side chucks 43 are arranged on the slide plate 42 facing the fixed side chuck 41, and the slide plate 42 is arranged at intervals of the fixed side chuck 41 or the moving side chuck 43 on the downstream side in the transport direction. The drive is controlled so that it reciprocates a long distance. The drive of the slide plate 42 is controlled in synchronization with the opening and closing of the fixed side chuck 41 and the moving side chuck 43. This control is done as follows.

That is, after the twisted pair cable 14 held by the fixed side chuck 41 is held by the moving side chuck 43, the holding by the fixed side chuck 41 is released, and the slide plate 42 is moved to the downstream side. As a result, the moving side chuck 43 holding the twisted pair cable 14 moves one step to the downstream side, and the twisted pair cable 14 is moved onto the fixed side chuck 41 in the next stage. The twisted pair cable 14 is held by the moving side chuck 43 holding the twisted pair cable 14 and the fixed side chuck 41 newly receiving the twisted pair cable 14, and then the holding by the moving side chuck 43 is released. After that, the slide plate 42 is moved one step to the upstream side in the transport direction. By repeating such a control operation, the twisted pair cable 14 cut to a predetermined length by the measuring unit 31a is sequentially processed and conveyed. The twisted pair cable 14 is conveyed in a state of being curved in a U-shape in a plan view, one terminal located on the downstream side is processed, and then the other terminal located on the upstream side is processed.

The sheath strip portion 33 at the rear stage of the scale portion 31a removes the outermost sheath 16 by a predetermined length, and is provided with a known strip device 45. That is, when the terminal of the twisted pair cable 14 is inserted into the strip device 45, the sheath 16 having a preset length is removed. The length of the sheath 16 to be removed is set to be about the same as or slightly longer than the desired untwisting length. Since the core electric wire 15 is twisted, the length of the sheath 16 to be removed can be set to be slightly shorter than the desired untwisting length. In this case, it is also possible to combine the above-mentioned length adjusting step in this sheath strip step.

In the unraveling portion 34 at the rear stage of the sheath strip portion 33, the untwisting of the core electric wires 15 exposed after the sheath 16 is removed is unwound. The loosening portion 34 is appropriately configured, but it is preferable to include, for example, a comb-shaped loosening jig 46 as shown in FIG.

The loosening jig 46 has a plurality of protrusions 46b arranged in a row on the upper surface of the plate-shaped base portion 46a at intervals corresponding to the thickness of the core electric wire 15. The interval corresponding to the thickness of the core electric wire 15 is an interval that is not too wide enough to accommodate the entire twisted core electric wire 15 among the intervals in which the core electric wire 15 is accommodated between the protrusions 46b.

The protrusion 46b has a circular cross section, and the upper end side is formed thinner than the lower side portion and is formed longer than the thickness of the twisted pair cable 14. The number of protrusions 46b is set to 3 in the illustrated example in consideration of the workability of untwisting the two core wires 15, but if the protrusions 46b are accurately inserted between the core wires 15, it will be one. You can also do it. The number of protrusions 46b may be more than three.

The loosening jig 46 is supported by an appropriate drive device (not shown) that moves up and down and back and forth. The drive device moves the loosening jig 46 relative to the core electric wire 15 to untwist the core electric wire 15, that is, to remove the entangled portion of the core electric wires 15.

The drive device is controlled to perform the following operations, for example. As shown by the virtual line in FIG. 5, the loosening jig 46 is raised with respect to the held twisted pair cable 14, the protrusion 46b is inserted between the core electric wires 15, and then the core electric wire 15 is preferably longitudinally oriented. Moves to the terminal side (forward). After that, the loosening jig 46 is lowered and returned to the original position.

Since the protrusion 46b of the unraveling jig 46 is formed longer than the thickness of the twisted pair cable 14, the core electric wire 15 has a high degree of freedom of movement during the unraveling operation as described above. The resistance generated between them can be reduced.

When performing the loosening operation, if necessary, for example, when the sheath 16 is a non-filling type, the end portion of the sheath 16 near the root of the exposed core wire 15 is held and positioned in the sheath 16. It is preferable not to affect the twisting of the core electric wire 15 to be performed.

In addition to moving the loosening jig 46, the loosening operation is possible even if the twisted pair cable 14 is moved with respect to the loosening jig 46 or both are moved.

The orientation adjustment / correction portion 35 at the rear stage of the loosening portion 34 is the orientation in the circumferential direction of the core electric wire 15 of the twisted pair cable 14 conveyed toward the terminal connection portion 38, that is, the portion where the core electric wire 15 comes out from the end of the sheath 16. Position is suitable for terminal connection, specifically, the center of the cross section of the core electric wire 15 is lined up horizontally on the left and right, and which of the paired core electric wires 15 is on the left side or the right side. , Adjust correctly so that the terminal can be connected as it is. Further, the twisting habit of the core electric wire 15 is removed to straighten the core electric wire 15.

The orientation adjusting / correcting portion 35 is also appropriately configured, but here, a method of straightening the core electric wire 15 by using the holder 47 as shown in FIG. 6 is adopted. The holder 47 is sequentially conveyed to the next and subsequent steps, and is conveyed without changing the orientation of the twisted pair cable 14 in the circumferential direction until the terminal connection at the terminal connection portion 38 is completed.

The holder 47 has a flat plate-shaped lower base 48 and an upper lid 49 that overlap each other, and the lower base 48 has a thick groove 48a having a substantially semicircular cross section and a thick groove 48a in which the end portion of the sheath 16 of the twisted pair cable 14 is fitted. A short groove 48b extending from the tip of the is formed on the upper surface. The fine groove 48b is formed thinner than the thick groove 48a, and the thickness of the fine groove 48b is the thickness at which the core electric wire 15 fits. The upper lid 49 has a groove portion 49a having a substantially semicircular cross section at a portion facing the thick groove 48a of the lower base 48, and is vertically located in front of the groove portion 49a and at a portion corresponding to the fine groove 48b of the lower base 48. It has a peephole 49b formed of a through hole through which it penetrates.

The lower table 48 and the upper lid 49 are shown so as to sequentially move to the downstream side step by step in synchronization with the movement of the moving side chuck 43 to the downstream side, and to circulate from the orientation adjustment / correction portion 35 to the discharge portion 31b. Not supported by a drive.

Further, the lower base 48 and the upper lid 49 are supported so as to be movable upward as shown in FIG. The raising of the lower base 48 makes it possible to transport the twisted pair cable 14, and the raising of the upper lid 49 makes it possible to hold and release the twisted pair cable 14. In FIG. 7, 51 is a guide rod, and 52 and 53 are piston rods of an actuator.

Each part after the orientation adjustment / correction part 35 is provided with a plan-viewing rectangular plate-shaped supporter 55 as shown in FIG. 6 for supporting the core electric wire 15 in combination with the holder 47, and is conveyed. Wait for the core wire 15. In order to enable the transport of the twisted pair cable 14, it suffices to be able to move relative to the holder 47, and instead of moving the holder 47 upward as described above, the support 55 may be lowered. good.

The support 55 of the orientation adjusting / correcting portion 35 is a straightening tool 55a as shown in FIG. 8, and is formed to have the same thickness as the lower base 48 of the holder 47. A straightening groove 56 having a length substantially corresponding to the length of the core electric wire 15 exposed from the terminal is formed. The straightening groove 56 removes the twisting habit of the fitted core electric wire 15 and straightens it, and is a groove having a thickness corresponding to the fitting of the core electric wire 15 and having the same depth as the diameter of the core electric wire 15. It is preferably composed of. The orthodontic appliance 55a can be provided with a heating means (not shown) in order to efficiently correct the twisting habit.

When heating is performed, the temperature and application time within a range in which deformation or discoloration of the insulating coating 15b does not occur are set. When the insulating coating 15b is made of, for example, a polyolefin-based material, the temperature is 140 ° C. or lower, and the application time is appropriately set according to the thickness of the insulating coating 15b.

An appropriate chuck (not shown) for holding the end of the sheath 16 of the twisted pair cable 14 and rotating the twisted pair cable 14 in the forward / reverse direction around the axis (circumferential direction) is provided in the orientation adjustment / correction portion 35. In addition to being provided, it is equipped with a holding means (not shown) composed of a plate material, a roller, or the like. The chuck adjusts the orientation, and the pressing means fits the terminal of the twisted pair cable 14 into the lower base 48 of the holder 47 and the straightening tool 55a.

As shown in FIG. 9, the orientation adjusting / correcting portion 35 is also provided with an image pickup camera 57 upward. The image pickup camera 57 is for correctly adjusting the orientation of the core electric wires 15 and for confirming whether or not the orientation adjustment is correct, that is, whether or not the paired core electric wires 15 are correctly arranged side by side. Is.

The image pickup camera 57 is connected to a control unit (not shown) together with the chuck described above. Based on the image obtained by the image pickup camera 57, the control unit grasps the positional relationship of the core electric wire 15 from the color of the insulating coating 15b of the core electric wire 15, and rotates with the above-mentioned chuck so that the core electric wire 15 is in the correct position. .. The rotation may be one in one direction, but as described above, it is preferable to configure the rotation so that it can rotate in the forward and reverse directions and rotate it in the direction in which the amount of rotation is minimized.

Further, in the vicinity of the holder 47 on the table 31c, a display 58 is provided as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The display 58 is also connected to the control unit together with the image pickup camera 57 described above, and the control unit makes an error in the orientation adjustment step based on the image of the image pickup camera 57 through the peephole 49b of the upper lid 49 in the holder 47. The presence or absence of the lamp 58a and 58b is determined, and the result is displayed by lighting the lamps 58a and 58b of the display 58 as shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure on the left side of FIG. 10, when the specific core electric wire 15 is not on the side where it should be, an NG determination is made on the assumption that there is an error, and one of the lamps 58a is turned on. In this case, readjust the orientation. On the other hand, as shown in the figure on the right side of FIG. 10, if there is no mistake, an OK determination is made, the other lamp 58b is turned on, and the process proceeds to the next step.

The length adjusting portion 36 in the rear stage of the orientation adjusting / correcting portion 35 adjusts the length of the exposed core electric wire 15 by cutting it to an appropriate length. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, a known cutting device 59 is provided, and an adjusting support 55b is provided as a standby support 55. The length of the adjusting support 55b is shorter than that of the straightening tool 55a, which is the supporting tool 55 of the orientation adjusting / correcting portion 35 described above, but the support groove 61 is formed in the same manner as the straightening groove 56 of the straightening tool 55a. Have. The support groove 61 may be formed to be slightly thicker or shallower than the straightening groove 56.

The cutting device 59 is provided at the tip of the adjusting support 55b, moves relative to the core electric wire 15, cuts the tip of the core electric wire 15, and projects from the end of the sheath 16. The length is set to the predetermined length L1.

In the illustrated example, the lengths of the two core electric wires 15 are aligned, but the lengths required for the left and right core electric wires 15 may differ depending on the shape of the terminal 12 to be connected.

The core wire covering strip portion 37 in the subsequent stage of the length adjusting portion 36 removes the insulating coating 15b of the terminal of the core electric wire 15 by a predetermined length. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, a known strip device 62 is provided, and a strip support 55c is provided as a standby support 55. The strip support 55c is formed to be shorter in length than the adjustment support 55b described above, but has a support groove 63 similar to the support groove 61 of the adjustment support 55b.

The strip device 62 is provided at the tip of the strip support 55c like the length adjusting portion, moves relative to the core electric wire 15, and has a predetermined length of the insulating coating 15b at the tip of the core electric wire 15. L2 is excised to expose the conductor 15a.

The terminal connection portion 38 at the subsequent stage of the core wire covering strip portion 37 connects the terminals 12 to all the core electric wires 15 of the twisted pair cable 14. Here, an example in which a crimp terminal connected by crimping as shown in FIG. 1 is used as the terminal 12 will be described.

The terminal 12 is connected to the core electric wire 15 by compressing and deforming the end of the insulating coating 15b of the core electric wire 15 and the portion corresponding to the exposed conductor 15a. In the illustrated example, an open barrel type crimp terminal is shown. However, it may be a closed barrel type crimp terminal or a crimp terminal having another shape. The crimping of the terminal 12 is performed by inserting the terminal of the core electric wire 15 into the held terminal, and the crimping is performed by using a known crimping device 44.

As described above, since the twisted pair cable 14 has a short twisted length, the core electric wire 15 for connecting the terminal 12 has no freedom. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, when the terminals 12 are of a chain type, crimping by a conventional method may not be possible while the terminals 12 are still connected.

Here, two connection methods will be described. One is a case where the terminals 12 are simultaneously crimped to the two core electric wires 15, and the other is a case where the terminals 12 are crimped separately.

When crimping the terminals 12 at the same time, the terminal block 64 as shown in FIG. 13 is used. The terminal block 64 holds a portion (tip side portion 12a) of the terminal 12 opposite to the side to which the core electric wire 15 is connected, vertically and horizontally, and is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and the tip side portion 12a. It has two substantially rectangular parallelepiped holding holes 64a in parallel so that it can be inserted and cannot rotate. The distance W of the holding holes 64a is adjusted to the distance of the pair of core electric wires 15. The terminal block 64 is provided in the crimping device 44, and the tip side portion 12a of the individually separated terminals 12 is inserted to prepare for crimping.

As shown in FIG. 14, a crimping support 55d is provided as a standby support 55 at a position of the terminal connection portion 38 where the crimping device 44 is desired. The crimping support 55d is formed to be longer than the strip support 55c described above, but has a support groove 65 like the support groove 63 of the strip support 55c.

When the terminal of the core electric wire 15 is inserted into the terminal 12 by the relative movement of the crimping device 44 and the core electric wire 15, and then crimping is performed, as shown in FIG. 15, the terminal 12 is attached to the terminal of the paired core electric wire 15. It will be connected at the same time.

When the terminals 12 are crimped separately, as shown in FIG. 16, an individual crimping support 55e is provided as a standby support 55. The individual crimping support 55e has two support grooves 66 extending in a direction intersecting a predetermined angle for opening and holding the terminal side of the pair of core electric wires 15.

The holder 47 and the individual crimping support 55e are provided on a turntable (not shown) so that the holder 47 and the portion having the individual crimping support 55e can rotate relative to each other and the crimping device 44. At the same time, it is supported so as to be relatively movable in the front-back direction (contact / separation direction).

As the terminal 12 provided in the crimping device 44, a chain type terminal 12 is used as it is.

The portion having the holder 47 and the individual crimping support 55e is driven and controlled to operate as follows with respect to the crimping device 44.

As shown in FIG. 16, the core electric wire 15 located on the downstream side of the two core electric wires 15 arranged in the conveying direction is rotated so as to be in a straight position with respect to the terminal 12, and then the drawing is shown. As shown in 17, the terminal of the core electric wire 15 is inserted into the terminal 12. In this state, the terminal 12 is crimped by the crimping device 44, and as shown in FIG. 18, after the core electric wire 15 is separated from the crimping device 44, the core electric wire 15 located on the upstream side in the transport direction is attached to the terminal 12. It is rotated so as to be in a straight position, the terminal of the rotated core electric wire 15 is inserted into the terminal 12, and the terminal 12 is crimped by the crimping device 44. After separating the core electric wire 15 from the crimping device 44, the rotational posture is restored as shown in FIG. Since the twisted pair cable 14 is conveyed in a state of being curved in a U-shape in a plan view as described above, there is a margin for allowing the rotation as described above.

With respect to the core electric wire 15 to which the terminal 12 is connected, the individual crimping support 55e is removed by driving the above-mentioned drive device, and as shown in FIG. The pressing means 68 is operated to straighten the two core electric wires 15. The rotary roller 67 is rotatable, movable from the outside in the left-right direction to the contact / separation direction with respect to the core electric wire 15, and is supported so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the extended core electric wire 15.

Since a plurality of crimping devices 44 are provided as described above, one crimping device 44 crimps the two core electric wires 15, and another crimping device 44 crimps each of the two core electric wires 15. It may be a configuration. That is, the crimping device 44 located on the upstream side connects to the core electric wire 15 located on the downstream side, and then the crimping device 44 located on the downstream side connects to the core electric wire 15 located on the upstream side. You can also do it.

The discharge portion 31b at the rear stage of the terminal connection portion 38 is provided with an appropriate chuck (not shown) for grasping the twisted pair cable 14 from which the upper lid 49 of the holder 47 has been removed and taking it out from the holder 47.

In the manufacturing apparatus 31 configured as described above, in the orientation adjusting / correcting portion 35, the orientation of the core electric wire 15 in the circumferential direction is set to be suitable for terminal connection, and then the insulating coating 15b of the core electric wire 15 is removed. Since the terminals 12 are connected, the work of removing the insulating coating 15b and connecting the terminals 12 can be performed with high dimensional accuracy even if the untwisting length is short. Moreover, since the twisting habit of the core electric wire 15 is corrected and the core electric wire 15 is straightened at the stage before the terminal connection, the length of the core electric wire 15 is adjusted, the insulating coating 15b of the core electric wire 15 is removed, and the terminal 12 is used. Can be connected as desired with higher dimensional accuracy.

Further, the terminal of the twisted pair cable 14 to be transported is held by the holding tool 47 which is held by adjusting the orientation, and is conveyed in that posture and processed, so that high-precision processing can be performed.

The terminal-attached cable 11 thus obtained comes out from the untwisting length of the core electric wire 15, the exposed length of the conductor 15a, the connection position of the terminal 12 with respect to the core electric wire 15, and the end of the sheath 16 of the core electric wire 15. Since the accuracy is high in terms of the position of the root portion in the circumferential direction, that is, the orientation of the terminal 12 inserted into the connector housing 13, the connected terminal 12 is inserted into the connector housing 13 without changing the posture. Easy to do. Even if the terminal 12 is inserted, the core electric wire 15 is not twisted. Moreover, even if a plurality of terminals 12 are inserted at the same time, it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as semi-insertion.

Since the length adjustment step is performed after the habit correction step, the length adjustment can be performed with high accuracy, and the high accuracy can be further improved.

Moreover, since the dimensional accuracy is high, the desired noise immunity can be obtained.

Further, since the habit correction process and the orientation adjustment process are performed in synchronization, the work efficiency is good and the manufacturing apparatus 31 can be simplified.

Since the habit is corrected mechanically, it can be done uniformly in a shorter time than manually.

Hereinafter, other examples will be described. In this description, the same parts as those described above are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The habit-correcting process can be performed by fitting it into a mold and correcting it as described above, or by applying pressure and actively stretching it.

FIG. 21 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of an example of the habit-correcting molding machine 71, and includes a pair of pressure rollers 72 that rotate in the forward and reverse directions, and an intervening member 73 provided between the pressure rollers 72. The pressure roller 72 has a forming groove 72a having a semicircular cross section on its peripheral surface. The intervening member 73 has a smooth surface and has sliding contact surfaces 73a facing the forming groove 72a of the pressure roller 72 on both sides. The sliding contact surface 73a is a surface that is in contact with the core electric wire 15 that moves relative to each other by the rotation of the pressure roller 72 and is formed so as to be squeezed, and is formed of a curved surface.

Further, a heating means (not shown) is connected to the pressurizing roller 72, and the core electric wire 15 is configured to be able to be heated at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time.

The pressure roller 72 may be movably supported in a direction in which the pressure rollers 72 approach and separate from each other, or may be urged and supported in a direction in which the pressure rollers 72 approach each other.

In such a habit-correcting molding machine 71, the terminal of the core electric wire 15 exposed from the end of the sheath 16 is sandwiched between the pressure roller 72 and the intervening member 73. When the pressure roller 72 is configured to be movable in the separation direction, the pair of pressure rollers 72 are opened and the core electric wire 15 is set. The rotation of the pressurizing roller 72 in the direction of feeding out the core electric wire 15 causes the pressurizing roller 72 to move relative to each other and approach the end of the sheath 16. When the pressure roller 72 comes into contact with the sheath 16, the rotation of the pressure roller 72 is stopped, and then the pressure roller 72 is rotated in the reverse direction. As a result, the core electric wire 15 is pushed toward the front side, and the core electric wire 15 is disengaged from the pressure roller 72. When the pressure roller 72 is configured to be movable in the separation direction, the pair of pressure rollers 72 may be opened to take out the core electric wire 15.

By being sandwiched and relatively moving between the pressurizing roller 72 and the intervening member 73 under pressure and heating conditions, the twisting habit of the core electric wire 15 is removed and the core electric wire 15 extends straight.

When the pressure roller 72 is configured to be movable in the separation direction, the core electric wire 15 is set at the position closest to the root portion of the core electric wire 15, that is, the end of the sheath 16, and contrary to the above, first, the front side. After the core electric wire 15 is relatively moved so as to be pushed out to the side and pressurized, then the core electric wire 15 is relatively moved in the direction of forward feeding to form.

FIG. 22 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of another example of the habit-removing molding machine 71, and FIG. 23 is a side view thereof, which includes a pair of pressure rollers 72 that rotate in the forward and reverse directions. The pressure roller 72 has two forming grooves 72a on the peripheral surface so that the two core electric wires 15 can be formed at the same time. The shape of the forming groove 72a is a semicircular arc in cross section. Such pressure rollers 72 are arranged above and below the portion where the core electric wire 15 is extended, and as shown in FIG. 23, are movable in the vertical direction in which they are in contact with each other and are movable in the vertical direction, and the length of the core electric wire 15 is long. It is supported so that it can move in the direction.

A heating means (not shown) is also connected to the pressurizing roller 72, and the core electric wire 15 can be heated.

In such a habit-correcting molding machine 71, the core electric wire 15 is inserted between the pressure rollers 72 separated from each other, the pressure roller 72 is brought close to each other, the core electric wire 15 is set, and the pressure roller 72 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions. .. That is, the pressure roller 72 is rotated so as to move from the set position in the length direction of the core electric wire 15 to the sheath 16 side or the terminal side, and then is rotated in the reverse direction. Due to the pressure and heat generated by the pressure roller 72, the core electric wire 15 has a twisting habit, and the core electric wire 15 extends straight.

It is better to set the core electric wire 15 to the root portion of the core electric wire 15 near the end of the sheath 16 because the difference in length between the paired core electric wires 15 is less likely to occur after molding.

FIG. 24 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of another example of the habit-removing molding machine 71, and includes a core wire chuck portion 74 for gripping the tip of the core electric wire 15. The habit-correcting molding machine 71 has a configuration in which the core electric wire 15 is relatively rotated in a direction of untwisting due to twisting.

That is, as shown in FIG. 25, which is a front view showing a state in which the tip of the core electric wire 15 is gripped by the core wire chuck portion 74, the core wire chuck portion 74 is composed of an air chuck or the like, and is the axial center of the twisted pair cable 14. It is supported by an appropriate rotation support device so that it can rotate forward and backward around the center. The twisted pair cable 14 is appropriately supported, but if necessary, as shown by a virtual line in FIG. 24, a holding means 75 including an air chuck for holding the end of the sheath 16 may be separately provided. The holding means 75 may also be provided with an actuator that rotates forward and reverse.

Further, although not shown, an image pickup camera for capturing the terminal of the twisted pair cable 14 is provided at an appropriate position around the core wire chuck portion 74, although not shown. The position where the image pickup elephant camera is provided is appropriately set according to the type and function of the image pickup camera, but it is preferably above the core electric wires 15 arranged on the left and right in the transport direction. In addition to being upward, it can be set on the side surface or in the direction of the tip of the core electric wire 15. A plurality of image pickup cameras may be provided.

The image pickup camera, the core wire chuck unit 74, the drive unit that rotates the core wire chuck unit 74, and the like are controlled by a control unit (not shown).

The control by the control unit is performed as follows. Based on the image of the terminal of the core electric wire 15 presented, the control unit causes the core wire chuck portion 74 to change its posture in a direction in which the core electric wire 15 can be easily grasped. Subsequently, the control unit rotates the core wire chuck portion 74 in the direction of untwisting to untwist. The rotation direction is set in a direction in which the amount of rotation can be reduced.

When the core electric wire 15 becomes straight due to the rotation, the rotation of the core wire chuck portion 74 is stopped. After that, the control unit opens the core wire chuck portion 74 to release the holding of the tip of the core wire 15.

In such a habit-repairing molding machine 71, the twist is untwisted by twisting the core electric wire 15, so that the habit-repairing can be done neatly.

The core wire chuck portion 74 holds the tip of the core wire 15 so as to be openable and closable, but as shown in FIG. 26, holds it flexibly and allows relative rotation on the surface of the core wire 15 in contact with the insulating coating 15b. It is preferable to provide a pad 74a made of the material to be used. With this configuration, the pad 74a and the core electric wire 15 can rotate relative to each other, so that the insulation coating 15b is twisted as compared with the case where the core wire chuck portion 74 is held so strongly that it does not rotate relative to each other. You can cleanly fix your habit while eliminating it.

Further, since the habit-repairing molding machine 71 twists the core electric wire 15 to re-correct the habit as described above, the untwisting process can be executed at the same time. If the orientation is adjusted in synchronization using the image pickup camera, it is possible to correct the habit and adjust the orientation in the loosening portion. In addition to performing the habit-correcting process in synchronization with the orientation adjusting process as described above, it is also possible to perform the habit-correcting process at the same time as the loosening process.

Further, the habit-correcting step may be performed separately from the orientation adjusting step, and further, it may be performed separately in addition to the above-mentioned step shown in FIG. A better habit retouching can be realized by adding a habit retouching process separately. For example, the habit retouching step performed in synchronization with the orientation adjustment step of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is manually performed, and then a mechanical habit retouching as in each of the above-mentioned examples is separately added. Can be done.

Further, the orientation adjusting step can also be performed in the sheath strip step.

That is, in the twisted pair cable 14, as shown in FIG. 27, the paired core electric wires 15 are brought together at a constant pitch, so that when the paired core electric wires 15 are viewed in a plan view, they are horizontally oriented to the left and right. When the sheath 16 is removed from the position where the sheath 16 is correctly aligned, the root portion of the sheath 16 end of the exposed core electric wire 15 is naturally aligned correctly on the left and right in the horizontal direction. 27 (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a side view.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 27, after the cross sections of the core electric wires 15 exposed on the end face of the twisted pair cable 14 are correctly aligned horizontally and horizontally, the twist pitch is longer than the desired unwinding length. Measure the position of the unit length and perform a sheath strip. The state of the end face of the twisted pair cable 14 can be confirmed by the image pickup camera 57. When the inside of the twisted pair cable 14 can be confirmed by an image or the like, the sheath strip is performed at a position where the roots of the core electric wires 15 appearing on the end face when the sheath strip is performed are correctly aligned horizontally and horizontally.

As described above, the cable 11 with terminals can be processed in various orders. The main examples of possible process orders other than those shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 are shown below.

One is the sheath strip process, the loosening process, the habit correction process, the orientation adjustment process, the length adjustment process, the core wire coating strip process, and the terminal connection process in this order. Since the orientation is adjusted after the habit is corrected, the orientation can be adjusted accurately.

The length adjusting step and the orientation adjusting step may be exchanged in the order of the sheath strip step, the loosening step, the habit correction step, the length adjusting step, the orientation adjusting step, the core wire covering strip step, and the terminal connecting step. Since the orientation adjustment is performed immediately before the core wire coating strip process, it contributes to the improvement of accuracy in the case of a configuration in which it is difficult to maintain the orientation adjustment once performed.

In addition, the sheath strip process, loosening process, length adjustment process, habit correction process, orientation adjustment process, core wire coating strip process, terminal connection process can be performed in this order, or the habit correction and orientation adjustment can be exchanged to change the sheath strip process. The unraveling process, length adjustment process, orientation adjustment process, habit retouching process, core wire coating strip process, terminal connection process can be performed in this order, or the habit retouching can be positioned immediately before the core wire coating strip, and the sheath strip process and 11. It is also possible to perform the unraveling process and 17, the orientation adjustment process and 14, the length adjustment process and 16, the habit correction adjustment process and 15, the core wire coating strip process and 12, and the terminal connection process and 13.

The above-mentioned configuration is one form for carrying out the present invention, and other configurations may be adopted.

For example, each step, particularly the unraveling step, the orientation adjusting step, and the habit-correcting step may be performed manually.

11 ... In-vehicle twisted pair cable with terminal 12 ... Terminal 14 ... In-vehicle twisted pair cable 15 ... Core electric wire 15b ... Insulation coating 16 ... Sheath 31 ... In-vehicle twisted pair cable manufacturing device with terminal 32 ... Transport path 33 ... Sheath strip part 34 ... Unraveling part 35 … Direction adjustment / correction part 36… Length adjustment part 37… Core wire covering strip part 38… Terminal connection part

Claims (14)

After undergoing a sheath strip process for removing the sheath from the terminal of the in-vehicle twisted pair cable having an outer sheath, a core wire coating strip process for untwisting the core wire and removing the insulating coating of the terminal of the core wire is performed. It is a terminal processing method of an in-vehicle twisted pair cable that shifts to a terminal connection process of connecting a terminal to the core electric wire.
A terminal processing method for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable having an orientation adjusting step for adjusting the circumferential orientation of the core electric wire to a orientation suitable for terminal connection after the sheath strip step and before the terminal connecting step. The terminal processing method for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable according to claim 1, wherein the untwisted length of the core electric wire is 10 mm to 20 mm. The vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a step of untwisting the core electric wire and before the terminal connection step of untwisting the core electric wire to correct the twisting habit of the untwisted core electric wire. Terminal processing method. The first or second aspect of the present invention, which comprises a habit-repairing step of untwisting the untwisted core wire in synchronization with the untwisting step or following the untwisting step. Terminal processing method for in-vehicle twisted pair cable. The terminal processing method for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the habit-correcting step is performed in synchronization with the orientation adjustment step. Any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising a length adjusting step of adjusting the length of the core electric wire protruding from the end of the sheath to an appropriate length after the sheath strip step and before the terminal connecting step. The terminal processing method for the in-vehicle twisted pair cable described in item 1. In the terminal processing method of the vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable according to claim 2 or 3.
A length adjusting step of adjusting the length of the core electric wire protruding from the end of the sheath to an appropriate length is provided after the sheath strip step and before the terminal connecting step.
A terminal processing method for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable, wherein the length adjusting step is provided after the habit-correcting step. A method for manufacturing a vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable having a terminal for connecting the terminal to the terminal of the core electric wire processed by the terminal processing method for the vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A sheath strip portion that removes the sheath from the terminal of an in-vehicle twisted pair cable having an external sheath, and a core wire that untwists the core wire exposed by removing the sheath and removes the insulating coating of the terminal of the core wire. It is a terminal processing device for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable in which the covering strip portion is arranged in order from the upstream side.
A terminal processing device for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable provided with an orientation adjusting portion for adjusting the orientation of the core electric wire in the circumferential direction to a direction suitable for terminal connection in the subsequent stage from the sheath strip portion. The terminal processing device for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable according to claim 9, wherein a portion for untwisting the core electric wire and a portion for correcting the twisted habit of the untwisted core electric wire are provided in the subsequent stage. The terminal processing device for an in-vehicle twisted pair cable according to claim 9, wherein the orientation adjusting unit has a function of correcting the twisting habit of the untwisted core electric wire. The invention according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein a length adjusting portion for adjusting the length of the core electric wire protruding from the end of the sheath is provided in the subsequent stage from the sheath strip portion. In-vehicle twisted pair cable terminal processing device. In the terminal processing device for the vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable according to claim 10 or 11.
A length adjusting portion for adjusting the length of the core electric wire protruding from the end of the sheath is provided in the subsequent stage from the sheath strip portion.
An in-vehicle twisted pair cable terminal processing device in which the length adjusting portion is provided after the habit-correcting portion. A terminal connection portion for connecting a terminal to the terminal of the core electric wire is provided after the core wire covering strip portion in the terminal processing apparatus for the vehicle-mounted twisted pair cable according to any one of claims 9 to 13. In-vehicle twisted pair cable manufacturing equipment with terminals.

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