Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Other

Delco Electronics Corporation

Andrew Frank Rodondi

Joseph Howard Gladd

Jeffrey Michael Hickox

Robert Alan McFall

John Thomas Kightlinger

Nick M Loprire

John C McLane

James A Gourash

Christopher D Burns

Sean Michael Kelly

David R Peterson

Robert G Plyler

Mark C Sellnau

Edward M Bungo

Robert E Steele

Jay Harold Garretson

John A Yurtin

Gary C Detter

Shao Chung Hsieh

Victor Mendez

Kenneth P Cope

Richard V Landries

Harold G Hawkins

Theodore Raymond Schmidt

Mark J Vanden Wymelenberg

Alfonso Vazquez-Cuervo

Christopher C Chandler

Samuel A Norling

Ronald P Albanese

James R Savich

Charles M Brigham, Ii

William Shane Murphy

Martin H Hommer

David Allen Robinson

Alfred V Rossi

Robert A Mcfall

An insulated electric wire having a conductive core and an insulation jacket is center stripped by cutting a pattern in one side of the insulation jacket with a laser beam, and then cutting a coordinated pattern in an opposite side of the insulation jacket with a laser beam to produce two axially spaced circumferential cuts connected by a plurality of generally axial cuts that define at least two removeable insulation slugs for exposing the conductive core while the insulation jacket on either side of the exposed conductive core is left intact. An in-line center stripping device or a multiple wire rotation device may be used for center stripping the insulated electric wire. The insulated slugs may by removed by an insulation removal device on an offal removal assembly.

Electric wire insulation center stripping method and device

An automated wire harness machine is capable of manufacturing a wire harness in an automated process. The wire harness is generally a plurality of bundled, preferably un-stripped, insulated wires. Each un-stripped end portion of each wire is preferably terminated by an electrical terminal in one of a series of electrical connectors of the wire harness. Each connector has at least one wafer which houses a plurality of terminals. The wire harness machine utilizes a pallet that holds all of the wafers of one wire harness. A conveyor transports the pallet and wafers through a series of stations which perform automated manufacturing steps. The first station is a terminal inserter which inserts and locks the terminals within pre-assigned cavities of the wafers. The next station is an automated wire loader which measures, cuts and crimps the two ends of each wire into the respective terminals of the loaded wafer assembly. A third station, or ultrasonic welder, then galls an un-stripped non-ferrous core of the crimped wire to the terminal. The pallet with the loaded wafers, crimped terminals, and terminated wires are then transported to a wire marker station which marks each wire, preferably via a laser, for identification purposes.

Wire marker

Wire loader

The present invention is an automated wire harness machine () capable of manufacturing a wire harness () unique in-part due to the automation process. The novel wire harness is generally a plurality of bundled, preferably un-stripped, insulated wires (). Each un-stripped end portion () of each wire is preferably terminated to one of a series of electrical connectors () of the wire harness. Each connector has at least one wafer () which houses a plurality of terminals () preferably crimped and electrically terminated to the ends of the wires. The wire harness machine preferably utilizes a pallet () which holds all of the wafers of one wire harness. A conveyor () transports the pallet and wafers through a series of stations which perform automated manufacturing steps. The first station is a terminal inserter () which inserts and locks the terminals within pre-assigned cavities () of the wafers. The next station is an automated wire loader () which measures, cuts and crimps the two ends of each wire into the respective terminals of the loaded wafer assembly. A third station, or ultrasonic welder (), the galls an un-stripped non-ferrous core () of the crimped wire to the terminal. The pallet with the loaded wafers, crimped terminals, and terminated wires are then transported to a wire marker station () which marks each wire, preferably via a laser (), for identification purposes.

Wire harness manufacturing machine

An electrical/electronic system architecture for a vehicle includes a plurality of regions partitioning the vehicle, with each region having a regional electrical/electronic controller (REEC) and at least one local network partitioning each region, with each local network having an electrical/electronic device. The electrical/electronic system architecture includes a global power distribution network that distributes power from a power source to the REEC within each region and a regional power distribution system that distributes the power from the REEC to the local network. The electrical/electronic system architecture also includes a global communication network that provides serial data communication between the REECs in the regions and a regional communication network communicating with the global communication network, such that the regional communication network provides data communication between the REEC and the local network within the region.

Electrical/electronic system architecture

An environmentally protected (sealed) BEC ( ) at the upper and lower housing seams ( ) and at each of the connector receptacle ( ). A lower housing ( ) of the BEC is formed conventionally, as for example by plastic injection molding and may carry a printed circuit board (PCB) ( ), a spacer plate ( ) and an electrical assemblage ( ) including upstanding blade terminals ( ). An upper housing ( ) of the BEC is formed in two shots. Firstly, an upper housing body ( ) is formed by a plastic injection molding process using a first upper mold member ( ) mated to a lower mold member ( ). Next, the first upper mold member is removed, and a second upper mold member ( ) is mated to the lower mold member. A liquid injection molding process now injects a resilient seal (silicone) over all mating surfaces of the upper housing body, including the upper housing seam ( ) and each connector receptacle.

Method of making an upper housing for a bussed electrical center

An integrated BEDC and PCB provided through a low cost, highly reliable interconnect system. The upper and/or lower half of the main insulation assembly of a BEDC is provided with a recess for accommodating at least an edge portion of the substrate of a PCB. The PCB is provided with apertures such as holes for receiving therethrough a buss wire and/or terminal slots through which terminals having wire slots are fixedly staked. The apertures on the PCB are arranged in a predetermined pattern so as to align with corresponding respective apertures in the form of corresponding holes and/or terminal slots on the BEDC at the recess thereof. Accordingly, with the PCB seated in the recess, as the buss wires are laid, they will pass through the holes in the PCB and/or pass through the wire slot of the terminals and thereby provide interconnection therebetween when the two halves of the main insulation assembly are united and the PCB is sandwiched therebetween.

Interconnect system for intergrating a bussed electrical distribution

The invention includes an electrical connection system utilizing a terminal/cavity combination. The system includes a connector housing having a bay for receiving a plurality of the terminal/cavity combination units in a stacked relationship. The terminal/cavity combination unit includes a metal terminal, preferably having a tuning fork configuration, that is received in an electrically insulative carrier. The insulative carrier has a terminal cavity defined in part by two spaced apart side walls and a floor extending between the side walls for supporting the terminal. The carrier also includes a front wall having an opening for receiving a portion of a second terminal therethrough and so that the second terminal makes electrical contact with the terminal in the carrier. At least one indexing rail extends downwardly from a portion of the floor. Carriers can be stacked one on top of the other wherein the rail or rails are received between the two spaced apart walls of the carrier below. A plurality of terminal/cavity combination units in the stacked relationship are then inserted into the bay of the connector housing. Simple mating lock features on the terminal/cavity combination unit and the housing keep the units in place.

Connection system with terminal/cavity combination

A fastener comprising a T-shaped plastic planar member has a base which can be taped to a wiring assembly or harness and a normally extending trunk which has a pressure sensitive adhesive pad secured to a portion thereon adjacent the base and which has a releasable cover overlying the adhesive pad to protect the same during handling, but which can be unfolded to expose the adhesive pad to enable the pad to be fastened to a panel of the vehicle by merely pressing it onto the panel.

Wiring assembly adhesive fastener

A cylinder pressure sensor of the annular insert type disposed within an access well to measure the flexure of a first wall relative to a second wall along a response axis has low-cost components thereof requiring only simple sequential assembly in axial stacked fashion providing contaminant protection and electrical shielding of the sensing element.

Non-intrusive cylinder pressure sensor

An electrical sleeve terminal of one piece construction comprises a split sleeve for engaging a mating terminal and a crimp barrel for attaching the terminal to an electric cable. The split sleeve has six circumferentially spaced beams that have contact dimples in an alternatively staggered arrangement to biasingly engage the mating terminal in two planes. The split sleeve has flanges at the respective edges of the split that are securely fastened together. The crimp barrel is an integral extension of one flange and a separate finger that is an integral extension of the other flange is fixed in the crimp barrel to engage the conductor of the electric cable.

Electrical sleeve terminal

An electrical power distribution center includes stacked circuit arrays of varying current carrying capacity located between an upper housing and a lower housing, each having terminal access holes therein for receiving terminals formed on pre-stamped metal circuit elements. The terminals are selectively connected to either electrical or electronic devices carried on top of the upper housing or to wiring connectors connected to the outer surface of the lower housing. The pre-stamped metal circuit elements are removably mounted in recesses in a plurality of stacked electrical insulation boards supported within the lower housing and centered therein by guide stems formed integrally of the lower housing. Each of the electrical insulation boards includes raised surfaces thereon congruent with the recesses on an adjacent electrical insulation board for holding the metal circuit elements in place therein while insulating each of the metal circuit elements from adjacent metal circuit elements.

Electrical power distribution center

An insulation displacement terminal assembly comprises an insulation displacement terminal having a U-shaped insulation displacement portion which has two plate sections that are connected by a bight and insulation displacement slots that extend through the bight and down into the plate sections in aligned pairs of insulation piercing slot portions. A plurality of insulated electric cables are disposed in the insulation piercing slot portions and retained therein to form a sub-assembly. The sub-assembly is assembled into a slide-in insulator housing portion which has slots in its opposed side walls through which the insulated electric cables of the sub-assembly extend and a retention tongue that is cantilevered from a back wall of the housing portion and runs parallel to the slotted side walls to project between the insulated electric cables and the bight of the insulation displacement terminal to retain the electric cables down in the insulation displacement slot portions.

Insulation displacement terminal assembly

A female terminal of unitary sheet metal construction is attached to a flexible printed circuit by crimped tabs at the outer edges of a pair of lateral mounting flanges. The flanges are prevented from being spread apart during terminal use by a clamping arrangement on upright posts connecting the ends of the flanges. The female contact portion is provided by spring blades which accept a mating blade from either side and spread without effecting the portions securing the terminal to the flexible printed circuit.

Female terminal for printed circuits

A spade terminal of unitary sheet metal construction comprises a flanged forward portion, a triple layer median portion and a rearward attachment portion. The flanges extend in opposite direction to a height equal to a layer thickness. The triple layer median portion comprises upper and lower wings which terminate short of opposite longitudinal sides so that each longitudinal side is a double layer. This configuration permits use with an insulator body having guide channels for the forward and median portions of the terminal which can be made in a butt cored mold.

Growing community of inventors

Sharpsville, PA, United States of America

Andrew Frank Rodondi