System for assembling and installing a wire bundle assembly group

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10096405-B2
Application number	US-201514734599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2015
Priority date	Jun 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A system for assembling and installing a wire bundle assembly group (WBAG) may include a fabrication table having first and second assembly panels, each configured to receive a WBAG, and an assembly frame having an adjustable pivot connected to the first and to the second assembly panels to hold the assembly panels in a spaced orientation relative to each other, and to pivot about an axis; and a transport tool having a WBAG receiving panel configured to receive and support an assembled WBAG from the fabrication table, and a transport frame having an adjustable support connected to the WBAG receiving panel, and the transport frame is positionable adjacent the fabrication table such that the WBAG receiving panel is located beneath the first assembly panel and the second assembly panel, whereby an assembled WBAG drops downwardly onto the WBAG receiving panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for assembling and installing a wire bundle assembly group (WBAG), the system comprising:
a fabrication table having a first elongate assembly panel having a first WBAG supporting surface that receives and supports a first WBAG and a second elongate assembly panel having a second WBAG supporting surface that receives and supports a second WBAG and an assembly frame having an adjustable pivot connected to the first and to the second elongate assembly panels to hold the first and the second elongate assembly panels in a spaced orientation relative to each other, and the adjustable pivot pivots the first and the second elongate assembly panels about an axis parallel to a longitudinal dimension of the first and the second elongate assembly panels to an orientation where the first WBAG supporting surface faces upwardly and the second WBAG supporting surface faces downwardly, and to an orientation where the second WBAG supporting surface faces upwardly and the first WBAG supporting surface faces downwardly; and
a transport tool having;
a WBAG receiving panel configured to receive and support an assembled WBAG of the first WBAG and the second WBAG, from the fabrication table; and
a transport frame having an adjustable support connected to the WBAG receiving panel, wherein the transport frame is positionable adjacent the fabrication table such that the WBAG receiving panel is located beneath the first elongate assembly panel and the second elongate assembly panel, whereby the assembled WBAG drops downwardly onto the WBAG receiving panel from the fabrication table.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the assembly frame is configured to hold the first elongate assembly panel and the second elongate assembly panel parallel to each other such that the adjustable pivot pivots the first elongate assembly panel to be superposed to the second elongate assembly panel, and pivots the second elongate assembly panel to be superposed to the first elongate assembly panel.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fabrication table includes a bundle-retaining element including a plurality of retention bars releasably attachable to the first elongate assembly panel and the second elongate assembly panel, such that the first WBAG is captured between at least one of the plurality of retention bars and the first elongate assembly panel and the second WBAG may be captured between at least one of the plurality of retention bars and the second elongate assembly panel.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first assembly panel has a first radially outer WBAG supporting surface; the second elongate assembly panel has a second radially outer WBAG supporting surface.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable pivot includes a central shaft configured for rotation by an actuator, wherein the central shaft is selected from one of a continuous shaft rotatably mounted on the assembly frame, and a segmented shaft rotatably mounted on the assembly frame, and the central shaft selectively rotates the first elongate assembly panel and the second elongate assembly panel at least 180° about the axis.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transport tool is configured to nest beneath the fabrication table.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the WBAG receiving panel includes a rail and a plurality of support rods that support the assembled WBAG received from the fabrication table.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the transport tool includes a plurality of adjustable supports connected to the rail.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the transport tool includes at least one actuator that raises and lowers the WBAG receiving panel relative to a remainder of the transport tool.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one actuator is selected from a hydraulic telescoping cylinder, a pneumatic telescoping cylinder, and a screw actuator.

11. A system for assembling and installing a wire bundle assembly group (WBAG), the system comprising:
a fabrication table having;
a first assembly panel configured to receive and support a first WBAG;
a second assembly panel configured to receive a second WBAG; and
an assembly frame having an adjustable pivot connected to the first and to the second assembly panels to hold the first and the second assembly panels in a spaced orientation relative to each other, and the first and the second assembly panels pivot about an axis parallel to a longitudinal dimension of the first and the second assembly panels; and
a transport tool having;
a WBAG receiving panel configured to receive and support an assembled WBAG of the first WBAG and the second WBAG, from the fabrication table; and
a transport frame having an adjustable support connected to the WBAG receiving panel wherein the transport frame is positionable adjacent the fabrication table such that the WBAG receiving panel is located beneath the first assembly panel and the second assembly panel whereby the assembled WBAG is configured to drop downwardly onto the WBAG receiving panel from the fabrication table;
wherein the assembly frame includes a plurality of adjustable supports and at least one actuator that raises and lowers the adjustable pivot, the first assembly panel, and the second assembly panel relative to a remainder of the assembly frame.

12. A system for assembling and installing a wire bundle assembly group (WBAG), the system comprising:
a fabrication table having;
a first assembly panel configured to receive and support a first WBAG;
a second assembly panel configured to receive a second WBAG; and
an assembly frame having an adjustable pivot connected to the first and to the second assembly panels to hold the first and the second assembly panels in a spaced orientation relative to each other, and the first and the second assembly panels pivot about an axis parallel to a longitudinal dimension of the first and the second assembly panels; and
a transport tool having;
a WBAG receiving panel configured to receive and support an assembled WBAG of the first WBAG and the second WBAG, from the fabrication table; and
a transport frame having an adjustable support connected to the WBAG receiving panel wherein the transport frame is positionable adjacent the fabrication table such that the WBAG receiving panel is located beneath the first assembly panel and the second assembly panel whereby the assembled WBAG is configured to drop downwardly onto the WBAG receiving panel from the fabrication table;
wherein the WBAG receiving panel includes a first rack and a second rack, a support plate, and a first slide and a second slide, the first slide and the second slide mounted on the support plate and attached to the first rack and the second rack by a first pivot and a second pivot, respectively, whereby the first rack and the second rack pivot between open and closed positions on the support plate, and move toward and away from each other; and the adjustable support includes an upper component attached to the support plate, a base, and at least one actuator for selectively raising and lowering the upper component and wire bundle-receiving panel.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first pivot and the second pivot include a first actuator and a second actuator for pivoting the first and second racks, respectively.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the transport tool further comprises at least one retention bar and at least one spanner bar to retain an assembled wire bundle on the first rack and the second rack.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mohlman Shawn D
• Livingston Bret H
• Truong Tinh V
• Blacken Lars E

Classifications

• Y10T29/53265

  with work-holder for assembly · CPC title

• B65H2701/36

  Wires · CPC title

• Y10T29/53252

  Means to simultaneously fasten three or more parts · CPC title

• H01B13/012

  for manufacturing wire harnesses · CPC title

• B65H49/38

  Skips, cages, racks, or containers, adapted solely for the transport or storage of bobbins, cops, or the like · CPC title