Method of processing wire bundles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11332339-B2
Application number	US-201916655053-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2019
Priority date	Jun 22, 2016
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A method of reducing entanglement of wires includes receiving, at a tray, one or more first wires of a first wire group from a wire feed system of a wire processing machine. In addition, the method includes receiving, at the tray, one or more second wires of a second wire group from the wire feed system after receiving the first wire group at the tray. The method further includes physically separating, using a separator device associated with the tray, at least a portion of the first wire group from the second wire group. The method also includes moving the second wire group relative to the first wire group, reducing movement of at least a portion of the first wire group relative to a tray surface during movement of the second wire group relative to the first wire group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of reducing entanglement of wires, comprising:
receiving, at a tray, one or more first wires of a first wire group from a wire feed system of a wire processing machine;
receiving, at the tray, one or more second wires of a second wire group from the wire feed system after receiving the one or more first wires of the first wire group at the tray;
physically separating, using a separator device associated with the tray, the first wire group and/or the second wire group, according to at least one of the following:
physically separating at least a portion of the one or more first wires of the first wire group from at least a portion of the one or more second wires of the second wire group;
physically separating at least a portion of a wire length of the one or more first wires from each other; and
physically separating at least a portion of a wire length of the one or more second wires from each other;

moving the second wire group relative to the first wire group; and
reducing movement of at least a portion of the one or more first wires of the first wire group relative to a tray surface during movement of the one or more second wires of the second wire group relative to the one or more first wires of the first wire group.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separator device comprises one or more clamping members of a wire clamping system, the one or more clamping members movable between a clamping position and an open position, the steps of receiving the one or more first wires, receiving the one or more second wires, and physically separating the first wire group and/or the second wire group including:
sequentially receiving, with the one or more clamping members in the open position, the one or more first wires and the one or more second wires from the wire feed system;
clamping together, with the one or more clamping members in the clamping position, the one or more first wires of the first wire group; and
clamping together the one or more second wires of the second wire group separate from the first wire group.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more clamping members include a first clamping member, the step of clamping together the one or more first wires including:
clamping, using the first clamping member, at least a portion of the one or more first wires of the first wire group to the tray surface after receiving the first wire group at the tray; and
laying at least a portion of the one or more second wires of the second wire group over the first clamping member when receiving the second wire group on the tray.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more clamping members include the first clamping member and a second clamping member, the method further including:
clamping at least a portion of the one or more second wires of the second wire group between the first clamping member and the second clamping member after laying at least a portion of the one or more second wires of the second wire group over the first clamping member and prior to receiving subsequent wire groups from the wire feed system.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of clamping at least a portion of the one or more first wires of the first wire group to the tray surface includes:
pivoting the first clamping member about a pivot axis into an open position prior to receiving the first wire group at the tray; and
pivoting the first clamping member about the pivot axis into a clamping position to clamp the first wire group to the tray surface.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more clamping members include a first clamping member and a second clamping member each having a two-arm configuration including a top arm and a bottom arm, the top arm and the bottom arm of each clamping member being independently pivotable between the clamping position and the open position, the method further including:
clamping, using the first clamping member in the clamping position, the first wire group between a first top arm and a first bottom arm; and
clamping, using the second clamping member in the clamping position, the second wire group between a second top arm and a second bottom arm.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more clamping members include at least a first clamping member, a second clamping member, and a third clamping member each being vertically translatable between the clamping position and the open position, the method further including:
respectively receiving, with the first, second, and third clamping members in the respective open position, the one or more first wires of the first wire group, the one or more second wires of the second wire group, and one or more third wires of a third wire group from the wire feed system; and
clamping the first wire group between the first clamping member and the second clamping member in the clamping position; and
clamping the second wire group between the second clamping member and the third clamping member in the clamping position.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separator device comprises a separator wall extending upwardly from the tray and extending extend at least partially along a tray lengthwise direction, the step of physically separating the first wire group and/or the second wire group comprising at least one of the following:
maintaining physical separation of portions of the wire lengths of one or more first wires on one side of the separator wall from portions of the wire lengths of one or more first wires on an opposite side of the separator wall;
maintaining physical separation of portions of the wire lengths of one or more second wires on one side of the separator wall from portions of the wire lengths of one or more second wires on an opposite side of the separator wall; and
maintaining physical separation of portions of the wire lengths of one or more first wires on one side of the separator wall from portions of the wire lengths of one or more second wires on an opposite side of the separator wall.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separator device comprises at least one separator post extending upwardly from the tray, the step of physically separating the first wire group and/or the second wire group comprising:
wrapping at least one of the first wire group and the second wire group around the at least one separator post such that at least one of the first wire group and the second wire group has a U-shape; and
performing at least one of the following:
maintaining physical separation of portions of the wire lengths of one or more first wires on one side of the at least one separator post from portions of the wire lengths of one or more first wires on an opposite side of the at least one separator post;
maintaining physical separation of portions of the wire lengths of one or more second wires on one side of the at least one separator post from portions of the wire lengths of one or more second wires on an opposite side of the at least one separator post; and
maintaining physical separation of portions of the wire lengths of one or more first wires on one side of the at least one separator post from portions of the wire lengths of one or more second wires on an opposite side of the at least one separator post.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one separator post comprises a plurality of separator posts including a first separator post and a second separator post positioned at spaced locations along a tray lengthwise direction, the step of wrapping the first wire group and the second wire group around the at least one separator post including:
wrapping the first wire group around the first separator post; and
wrapping the second wire group arou

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Helmick Eerik J
• Mitchell Bradley J
• Evans Nick S
• Martin Damien O
• Thornton Aphea Ann

Classifications

• H01R43/28 Primary

  for wire processing before connecting to contact members, not provided for in groups H01R43/02 - H01R43/26 · CPC title

• H02G3/0437

  Channels · CPC title

• H02G1/06

  for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle · CPC title

• H01R43/048

  Crimping apparatus or processes (H01R43/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H51/005

  Separating a bundle of forwarding filamentary materials into a plurality of groups · CPC title