The Boeing Company

Damien O Martin

Bradley James Mitchell

Lars Eric Blacken

Eerik J Helmick

Grace L Duncan

Nick Shabdeh Evans

Aphea Ann Thornton

Keith M Cutler

Jeffrey A McCaskey

John Richard Porter

Nick Shadbeh Evans

Heiko Hoffmann

Ty Aaby Larsen

David Scott Wright

Randall Vincent Fraker

Alexey Meerov

Randy Fraker

David S Wright

Heiko Hoffman

Cindy X Li

Dinh X Tran

Methods and apparatus for automated routing of wires of a wire harness on a form board. A wire harness comprising a wire end connector and a multiplicity of groups of wires is supported and carried by a carrier end effector mounted to an end of a first robotic arm. The wire groups are accessed and then routed on the form board by a routing end effector mounted to an end of a second robotic arm. Initially a wire gripper of the routing end effector is opened. The second robotic arm is then controlled to move the routing end effector so that respective first portions of all wire groups are accessible for gripping by the wire gripper. Then the wire gripper is closed to grip the first portions of wires. Then the second robotic arm is controlled to move the routing end effector to place second portions of the wires of all wire groups in a first elastic retainer wire routing device attached to the form board. Thereafter, the routing end effector routes the first group of wires through a second elastic retainer wire routing device and then routes the second group of wires through a third elastic retainer wire routing device.

Methods and apparatus for routing wires of pre-assembled wire harness on form board

A method, system and computer program product are provided for automated insertion of a wire contact into an insertion hole of a connector. Methods include: controlling a robot having an end-effector to position a wire contact proximate to a connector using a wire gripper and a separator device of the end-effector; controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector; controlling the robot to align the wire contact with a insertion hole of the connector; controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the insertion hole; controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and controlling the robot to withdraw the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.

Method, system, and computer program product for wire connector assembly

Systems and methods for automated wire pickup using image-based robot guidance. The machine vision-based system includes: a robot arm; a tool head coupled to the distal end of the robot arm and including a wire gripper motor; a wire gripper movably coupled to the tool head and operatively coupled to the wire gripper motor; a wire holder configured for clamping a wire; cameras mounted to the distal end of the robot arm and having first and second fields of view which intersect in a volume of space that includes the tip of the wire gripper and the wire holder; and a computer system configured to control operation of the robot arm motors and wire gripper motor. More specifically, the computer system is configured for visually estimating the position and orientation of a contact-equipped wire being held by the wire holder and then generating robot guidance to enable automated pickup of the end section of the wire by the wire gripper.

Image-based guidance for robotic wire pickup

Systems and methods for designing and assembling form boards with attached wire routing devices for use in wire bundle assembly. The assembly method comprises: (a) establishing a coordinate system of a form board having a multiplicity of holes; (b) using a computer system to determine locations of form board devices of different types with reference to the coordinate system of the form board based on engineering data specifying a wire bundle configuration; and (c) fastening the form board devices of different types to respective holes of the form board having centers closest to respective locations determined in step (b). The form board devices may be inserted robotically or manually.

Form board preparation for wire bundling

Methods and apparatus for temporarily holding one end of a wire on a harness form board during automated transfer from one robot to another robot. The apparatus includes a wire holding device which is designed to facilitate the transfer of a wire end from a first end effector of a first robot to a second end effector of a second robot. The wire holding devices have different structures, but share the common feature that opening of the wire holding device (to enable wire insertion) involves applying a contact force which overcomes a spring force that urges the wire holding device to be closed. The end effectors are designed and their movements are controlled in a manner such that the moving end effector applies the contact force necessary to overcome the closure-inducing spring force being exerted.

Temporary holder for transferring end of wire between end effectors

Apparatus for robot motion control and wire dispensing during automated routing of wires onto harness form boards. The robot includes a manipulator arm and a wire-routing end effector mounted to a distal end of the manipulator arm. The wire-routing end effector is configured for dispensing and routing a wire along a path through form board devices mounted to a harness form board. The wire-routing end effector is moved along a planned path under the control of a robot controller. An end effector path is provided with a set of processes that enable rapid, even fully automatic, development of robot motion controls for routing wires on harness form boards. The system uses a measurement encoder on the end effector that is routing individual wires on a wire harness form board to learn the length of each wire and its length variation.

Apparatus for robotically routing wires on a harness form board

An apparatus that melts and monitors sleeves for installation onto shielded cables. The apparatus includes a heat source for melting the sleeve, cable supports for supporting the cable during the melting process, a sensor system that is configured to measure a dimension of the sleeve during melting, and a computer that is connected to receive sensor data from the sensor system and send heater control signals to the heat source. The computer is configured to receive dimensional data from the sensor system, monitor that dimensional data by performing a dimensional analysis, and then deactivate or remove the heat source in response to dimensional analysis results indicating that the sleeve is fully melted (in the case of a solder sleeve) or only fully shrunken (in the case of a dead end sleeve) onto the cable.

Methods and apparatus for installing sleeve on cable using active dimensional analysis

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.

Method of processing wire bundles

A shield trim is performed by tearing bunched shield strands circumferentially along a circular edge. The apparatus includes a pair of aligned metal plates that have been drilled through multiple times such that holes of varying diameters pass through both plates. A cable gripper on the entry side of the device clamps the cable in place. A shield gripper on the rear side of the device closes over the exposed shielding of the cable, and the two plates are pushed together. The shield gripper travels with the rear plate, pushing the shield over the wires and causing the shield to bunch between the two plates. With the two plates pushed together, both grippers open and the cable is pulled free from the device. This pull forces a stress concentration which tears the shield strands across the sharp edge of the hole, producing a uniformly trimmed shield.

Method for trimming cable shield

A method of reducing entanglement of wires includes receiving from a wire feed system of a wire processing machine a first wire on a tray surface providing a wire-to-surface coefficient of friction between the tray surface and the first wire. In addition, the method includes receiving from the wire feed system a second wire at least partially on top of the first wire, the wire-to-surface coefficient of friction being higher than a wire-to-wire coefficient of friction between the first wire and the second wire. The method also includes moving the second wire relative to the first wire, and reducing movement of at least a portion of the first wire relative to the tray surface during movement of the second wire relative to the first wire due to the wire-to-surface coefficient of friction being higher than the wire-to-wire coefficient of friction.

Wire bundle processing method

Methods and apparatus for robot motion control and wire dispensing during automated routing of wires onto harness form boards. The robot includes a manipulator arm and a wire-routing end effector mounted to a distal end of the manipulator arm. The wire-routing end effector is configured for dispensing and routing a wire along a path through form board devices mounted to a harness form board. The wire-routing end effector is moved along a planned path under the control of a robot controller. An end effector path is provided with a set of processes that enable rapid, even fully automatic, development of robot motion controls for routing wires on harness form boards. The system uses a measurement encoder on the end effector that is routing individual wires on a wire harness form board to learn the length of each wire and its length variation.

Method and apparatus for robotically routing wires on a harness form board

An automated system for processing an end of a cable. The system includes: a cable delivery system; a cable processing module; a pallet supported by the cable delivery system; a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the pallet; a motor operatively coupled for driving rotation of the drive wheel; and an idler wheel rotatably coupled to the pallet and forming a nip with the drive wheel. The cable processing module includes cable processing equipment and a computer system. The computer system is configured to: (a) cause the drive wheel to rotate in a cable pushing direction to cause a specified length of cable to be inserted into the cable processing equipment; (b) activate the cable processing equipment to operate on the cable end; and (c) cause the drive wheel to rotate in a cable pulling direction to cause the length of cable to be removed from the cable processing equipment.

Growing community of inventors

Everett, WA, United States of America

Damien O Martin