公开(公告)号：US20210125751A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-29

申请号：US16666248

申请日：2019-10-28

Applicant: The Boeing Company

Inventor： Bradley J. Mitchell ,  Lars E. Blacken ,  Damien O. Martin

IPC: H01B13/012 ,  H01B13/02

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US20210125750A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-29

申请号：US16666270

申请日：2019-10-28

Applicant: The Boeing Company

Inventor： Lars E. Blacken ,  Damien O. Martin ,  Eerik J. Helmick ,  Keith M. Cutler ,  John R. Porter

IPC: H01B13/012 ,  H01R43/20 ,  G06F17/50

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US20210125749A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-29

申请号：US16666261

申请日：2019-10-28

Applicant: The Boeing Company

Inventor： Damien O. Martin ,  Lars E. Blacken ,  Bradley J. Mitchell ,  Grace L. Duncan ,  Eerik J. Helmick

IPC: H01B13/012 ,  G05B19/418 ,  G05B19/4097

Abstract: 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.

公开(公告)号：US20200161843A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-21

申请号：US16195482

申请日：2018-11-19

Applicant: The Boeing Company

Inventor： Grace L. Duncan ,  Bradley J. Mitchell ,  Nick S. Evans ,  Damien O. Martin

IPC: H02G1/12 ,  H01R43/28

Abstract: 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 may be passed 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 on the shield strands as they are pulled and subsequently torn across the sharp edge of the hole, producing a uniformly trimmed shield.

公开(公告)号：US20200161824A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-21

申请号：US16195619

申请日：2018-11-19

Applicant: The Boeing Company

Inventor： Grace L. Duncan ,  Bradley J. Mitchell ,  Damien O. Martin ,  Dinh X. Tran ,  Eerik J. Helmick ,  Aphea Ann Thornton ,  Nick S. Evans ,  David S. Wright ,  Lars E. Blacken ,  Keith M. Cutler

IPC: H01R43/28 ,  H01B13/00 ,  H01B13/22 ,  H02G1/12

Abstract: 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 configured to perform an operation on an end of a cable 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 perform an operation on the inserted end of the cable; and (c) cause the drive wheel to rotate in a cable pulling direction to cause the specified length of cable to be removed from the cable processing equipment.

公开(公告)号：US20200160504A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-21

申请号：US16195421

申请日：2018-11-19

Applicant: The Boeing Company

Inventor： Grace L. Duncan ,  Bradley J. Mitchell ,  Damien O. Martin

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G06T3/40 ,  G06T7/90 ,  H01B13/00 ,  H01B13/22 ,  H05K9/00

Abstract: Semi-automated (with manual feeding) and fully automated (with automated feeding) solutions for using a vision system to evaluate shield trim quality on shielded cables. The vision system uses a multiplicity of cameras and a corresponding multiplicity of mirrors in order to achieve a 360-degree view of the cable segment to be inspected. Cables to be inspected are positioned in a repeatable location based on the strip length of the cable (where the edge of the cable jacket is located relative to the end of the cable). The processing system receives a live image feed from the camera system and then uses color and dimensional analysis of the acquired images to determine whether the shield trim meets quality control specifications or not.

公开(公告)号：US20170369271A1

公开(公告)日：2017-12-28

申请号：US15190119

申请日：2016-06-22

Applicant: The Boeing Company

Inventor： Bradley J. Mitchell ,  Nick S. Evans ,  Damien O. Martin ,  Aphea Ann Thornton ,  Eerik J. Helmick

IPC: B65H59/10 ,  B65H51/005

CPC classification number: B65H59/10 ,  B65H51/005 ,  B65H2701/36 ,  H01R43/28 ,  H02G1/14

Abstract: A wire processing system includes a tray having at least one tray surface configured to sequentially receive a first wire and a second wire from a wire feed system of a wire processing machine. The tray surface has a surface feature configured to provide a wire-to-surface coefficient of friction between the tray surface and the first wire higher than a wire-to-wire coefficient of friction between the first wire and the second wire laying on top of the first wire. The wire-to-surface coefficient of friction reduces 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.