WO2024048453A1 - Electric cable inspecting device, and electric cable processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric cable inspecting device 60 comprises: an imaging device 70 for capturing a first image I1, which is an image of a tip end portion of an electric cable 1 in a state in which a coating 3 of the tip end portion has been removed to expose a core wire 2, and a second image I2, which is an image of the tip end portion of the electric cable 1 in a state in which a terminal 5 has been crimped onto the exposed core wire 2; and a crimp inspecting device 90 for inspecting a crimping state of the terminal 5. The crimp inspecting device 90: obtains a position of an end portion of the coating 3 and/or a position of the core wire 2 from the first image I1; and estimates the position of the end portion of the coating 3 and/or the core wire 2 in the second image I2 from a difference between a position of the electric cable 1 when the first image I1 was captured and a position of the electric cable 1 when the second image I2 was captured, and the position of the end portion of the coating 3 and/or the core wire 2 obtained from the first image I1. The crimp inspecting device 90 sets an inspection region R on the basis of the estimated position of the end portion of the coating 3 and/or the core wire 2 in the second image I2.

Description

Wire inspection equipment and wire processing equipment

The present invention relates to a wire inspection device and a wire processing device equipped with the wire inspection device.

An electric wire inspection device that inspects the terminal crimping condition of an electric wire having a terminal crimped to its tip end has been conventionally known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a crimp terminal appearance inspection apparatus that includes a camera and generates an image in which edges in the image are extracted by performing spatial filtering processing on a digital image of the camera. According to Patent Document 1, even when the terminal and the core wire have similar colors, it is possible to accurately inspect the appearance of the crimp terminal.

Further, for example, Patent Document 2 also discloses a terminal crimping defect detection device that detects terminal crimping defects based on image data of the tip of an electric wire acquired by a camera. The detection device described in Patent Document 2 determines whether the length of the exposed core wire is within a predetermined range before crimping the terminal, and after crimping the terminal, determines whether the length of the exposed core wire is within a predetermined range. Image data is acquired in the range from the wire barrel to the end of the wire barrel on the insulating barrel side. The detection device described in Patent Document 2 determines whether the tip of the core wire is at an appropriate position of the terminal based on the determination result regarding the length of the exposed core wire portion and image data. According to Patent Document 2, poor crimping of a terminal is determined based on image data in a narrow range from the end of the insulating barrel on the terminal tip side to the end of the wire barrel on the insulating barrel side, so the determination is accurate. And it is said to be easy to do.

JP2021-162878A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-009469

The appearance inspection device described in Patent Document 1 performs spatial filtering processing on the digital image, so accurate inspection is possible even when the terminal and the core wire have similar colors, but at the cost of this, the time required for image processing is longer. Become.

On the other hand, according to the terminal crimping failure detection device described in Patent Document 2, since the terminal crimping failure is determined based on image data in a narrow range, the determination can be made at high speed. Furthermore, according to the terminal crimping defect detection device described in Patent Document 2, even if the terminal and the core wire are of similar colors and difficult to distinguish in the image, it is possible to determine whether the tip of the core wire is at the proper position of the terminal. Judgment is made based on an inspection performed before crimping. Therefore, there is no need for image processing as in Patent Document 1, and high-speed determination is possible even when the terminal and the core wire have similar colors. However, the terminal crimping defect detection device described in Patent Document 2 does not inspect the state of the core wire after terminal crimping. Therefore, even if there is a problem with the state of the wire after the terminal is crimped, such as bending during crimping of the terminal, it cannot be detected.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and its purpose is to provide an electric wire inspection device that can quickly and accurately inspect the crimped state of a terminal. Another object of the present invention is to provide a wire processing device equipped with such a wire inspection device.

A first electric wire inspection device according to the present invention includes a first image that is an image of the tip end of the electric wire in a state where the coating of the tip end is peeled off and the core wire is exposed, and a terminal is crimped to the exposed core wire. an imaging device that captures a second image that is an image of the tip of the electric wire in a state; and an imaging device that acquires the first image and the second image from the imaging device, and obtains the first image and the second image from the first image and the second image. A crimp inspection device that inspects the crimp state of the terminal. The crimp inspection device includes a first processing section, a second processing section, a third processing section, and a fourth processing section. The first processing unit determines the position of the end of the covering and/or the position of the core wire from the first image. The second processing unit calculates the difference between the position of the electric wire when the first image is taken and the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken, and The position of the end of the covering and/or the core wire in the second image is estimated from the position of the end of the covering and/or the core wire. The third processing section sets an inspection area in a predetermined range based on the position of the end of the covering and/or the core line in the second image estimated by the second processing section. The fourth processing section inspects the crimp state of the terminal from the image within the inspection area set by the third processing section.

According to the first electric wire inspection device, from the first image, which is an image of the electric wire tip before terminal crimping, to the end of the coating and/or the core wire in the second image, which is an image of the electric wire tip after terminal crimping. The inspection area is set based on the estimated position of the end of the coating and/or the core wire. Therefore, according to the first electric wire inspection device, even if, for example, the core wire and the terminal have similar colors and are difficult to distinguish from each other in the image, the inspection area can be set accurately and quickly. For example, it is not necessary to process the image to make edges stand out and to detect the position of the end of the coating or the core wire. Further, by setting the inspection area, the inspection range can be narrowed and the inspection of the crimped state of the terminal can be speeded up. Moreover, according to the first electric wire inspection device, since the crimping state of the terminal is inspected from the image within the inspection area, if a problem occurs due to the terminal crimping, it can be detected. Therefore, the crimped state of the terminal can be accurately inspected.

According to a preferred aspect of the first wire inspection device, the wire inspection device further includes a strip inspection device that inspects the state of the exposed core wire from the first image.

According to the wire inspection device, the first image can also be used to inspect the state of the exposed core wire. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate imaging device for inspecting the state of the exposed core wire.

According to another preferable aspect of the first electric wire inspection device, the position of the electric wire when the first image is taken is the same as the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken. It is.

According to the above electric wire inspection device, there is no difference between the position of the electric wire when the first image is taken and the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken. Therefore, the position of the core line in the second image can be estimated easily and accurately.

According to another preferred aspect of the first electric wire inspection device, the terminal has a first opening through which the core wire can be visually recognized, in a portion that is crimped to the tip of the core wire. The first processing unit determines the position of the tip of the core wire from the first image. The second processing unit estimates the position of the tip of the core line in the second image. The third processing unit sets the inspection area to include a predetermined range based on the estimated position of the tip of the core wire. The fourth processing section inspects the state of the core wire that is visually recognized through the first opening in the set range.

For example, if the core wire and the terminal have similar colors, it is difficult to determine the position of the tip of the core wire from the image. According to the wire inspection apparatus, it is possible to easily and quickly set an inspection area that is difficult to determine from such an image and may require processing time to specify.

According to another preferred aspect of the first electric wire inspection device, the terminal has a second opening in a portion crimped to the boundary between the sheathing and the core wire, through which the sheathing and the core wire can be visually recognized. have. The first processing unit determines the position of the boundary from the first image. The second processing unit estimates the position of the boundary in the second image. The third processing unit sets the inspection area to include a predetermined range based on the estimated position of the boundary. The fourth processing section inspects the state of the coating and the core wire that are visually recognized through the second opening in the set range.

According to the wire inspection device, an inspection area for inspecting the boundary can be easily and quickly set based on the position of the boundary between the core wire and the coating estimated from the first image.

According to another preferred aspect of the first electric wire inspection device, the longitudinal direction of the electric wire is set in the second image. The crimp inspection device includes a correction unit that corrects the inclination of the electric wire with respect to the set longitudinal direction in the second image.

According to the wire inspection device, even if the wire is tilted from its original longitudinal direction, the tilt can be corrected and the position of the core wire in the second image can be estimated more accurately.

The electric wire processing device according to the present invention includes a moving device that grips the electric wire and moves it to a plurality of positions including a first position, a second position, and a third position, and the electric wire positioned at the first position. a stripping device that peels off the coating at the tip of the wire to expose the core wire; a crimping device that crimp the terminal to the core wire of the wire positioned at the second position; a first wire inspection device; and the moving device. , a control device that controls the stripping device, the crimping device, and the first wire inspection device. The control device includes a first control section, a second control section, a third control section, a fourth control section, a fifth control section, a sixth control section, a seventh control section, and an eighth control section. It has a section and a. The first control unit controls the moving device to move the electric wire to the first position. The second control section controls the stripping device to strip the sheath of the electric wire moved to the first position by the first control section. The third control unit controls the moving device to move the stripped electric wire to the third position. The fourth control unit controls the wire inspection device to capture the first image in a state where the wire is located at the third position, and further controls the wire inspection device to capture the first image in a state where the wire is located at the third position, and further controls the wire inspection device to capture the first image in a state where the wire is located at the third position and The position of the core wire is determined. The fifth control section controls the moving device to move the electric wire to the second position after the control by the fourth control section. The sixth controller controls the crimping device to crimp the terminal to the electric wire moved to the second position by the fifth controller. The seventh control section controls the moving device to move the electric wire to the third position after the terminal is crimped under the control of the sixth control section. The eighth control unit controls the electric wire inspection device to take the second image in a state where the electric wire is located at the third position, further sets the inspection area, and Inspect the crimping condition.

According to the above electric wire processing apparatus, it is possible to perform the process of stripping the wire coating, the process of crimping the terminal, and the process of inspecting the crimped state of the terminal. Furthermore, since the position of the electric wire when the first image is taken and the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken are both the third position, the position of the electric wire when the first image is taken is the third position. There is no difference between the position of the electric wire and the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken. Therefore, the position of the core line in the second image can be easily and accurately estimated.

A second electric wire inspection device according to the present invention includes a first imaging device that captures a first image of the tip of the electric wire in a state where the coating of the tip is peeled off and the core wire is exposed, and the exposed core wire. a second imaging device that captures a second image that is an image of the tip end of the electric wire with the terminal crimped thereto; and a second imaging device that captures the first image and the second image, respectively. and a crimp inspection device that inspects the crimp state of the terminal from the first image and the second image acquired from an imaging device. The crimp inspection device includes a first processing section, a second processing section, a third processing section, and a fourth processing section. The first processing unit determines the position of the end of the covering and/or the position of the core wire from the first image. The second processing unit calculates the difference between the position of the electric wire when the first image is taken and the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken, and The position of the end of the covering and/or the core wire in the second image is estimated from the position of the end of the covering and/or the core wire. The third processing section sets an inspection area in a predetermined range based on the position of the end of the covering and/or the core line in the second image estimated by the second processing section. The fourth processing section inspects the crimp state of the terminal from the image within the inspection area set by the third processing section.

According to the second electric wire inspection device, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the first electric wire inspection device.

According to the present invention, the crimped state of the terminal can be inspected quickly and accurately.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a wire processing device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wire processing device according to a first embodiment. This is the first half of a flowchart for processing and inspecting electric wires. This is the second half of the flowchart for processing and inspecting electric wires. It is a schematic diagram showing a first image and a second image side by side. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a wire processing device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a wire processing device according to a second embodiment.

[First embodiment]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a wire processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, the right side and left side of FIG. 1 will be referred to as the front side and the rear side, respectively. The upper and lower sides of FIG. 1 are the left and right sides, respectively. However, each direction is merely a direction determined for convenience of explanation, and does not limit the installation position of the terminal crimping device according to the present invention.

The electric wire 1 is a so-called coated electric wire, and includes a core wire 2 made of a conductor such as metal, and an insulating coating 3 that covers the core wire 2 (see FIG. 4). The core wire 2 may be, for example, a copper wire, or may be, for example, an aluminum wire. The type of core wire 2 is not limited. The covering 3 is made of rubber, for example. Since the core wire 2 has metallic luster and the coating 3 does not have metallic luster, the core wire 2 and the coating 3 can be visually clearly distinguished.

A terminal 5 is crimped to the tip (here, the front end and the rear end) of the electric wire 1. The terminal 5 is crimped onto the core wire 2 exposed after the sheath 3 is peeled off. As shown in the right diagram of FIG. 4, the terminal 5 includes a first crimped part 6 and a second crimped part 7 which are each crimped and contact the core wire 2, and a tip part 8 which comes into contact with the device to be connected. ing. The right view of FIG. 4 shows the tip of the electric wire 1 after the terminal 5 is crimped. Note that the left diagram in FIG. 4 shows the tip of the electric wire 1 after the coating 3 is peeled off and before the terminal 5 is crimped. The first caulking portion 6 is provided closer to the base of the terminal 5 than the tip portion 8 is. The second caulking portion 7 is provided further toward the base of the terminal 5 than the first caulking portion 6 is. The second caulking portion 7 constitutes the end portion on the base side of the terminal 5 here. The second caulking portion 7 is caulked to the covering 3.

As shown in the right view of FIG. 4, the first caulking portion 6 and the tip portion 8 are provided apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the terminal 5. The gap between the first caulked portion 6 and the tip portion 8 constitutes a first opening 5a. The first caulking portion 6 and the second caulking portion 7 are also separated from each other in the longitudinal direction of the terminal 5. The gap between the first caulked portion 6 and the second caulked portion 7 constitutes a second opening 5b.

As shown in the right view of FIG. 4, the first opening 5a is provided at a portion of the core wire 2 that is crimped to the tip end 2a. The first opening 5a is configured so that the core wire 2 can be visually recognized. The second opening 5b is provided at a portion that is crimped to the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the sheathing 3, and is configured such that the core wire 2 and the sheathing 3 can be visually recognized through the second opening 5b. As will be described later, the first opening 5a and the second opening 5b are used to inspect the crimped state of the terminal 5 to the electric wire 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wire processing device 10 includes a feeding device 20 that sends out the wire 1, a turning clamp 30 that grips and turns the wire 1, and a rotating clamp 30 that cuts the wire 1 into a predetermined length. A stripping device 40 that peels off the coating 3 at the tip of the core wire to expose the core wire 2, a crimping device 50 that crimps the terminal 5 to the core wire 2, the state of the core wire 2 exposed by the stripping device 40, and the crimped state of the terminal 5. and a wire inspection device 60 for inspecting. Hereinafter, peeling off the coating 3 at the tip of the electric wire 1 to expose the core wire 2 is also referred to as stripping.

Although the configuration of the feeding device 20 is not limited in any way, the feeding device 20 here includes a pair of pulleys 21 arranged in front and behind, and a conveyor belt 22 wound around both pulleys 21, one on each side. ing. Although not shown, a motor is connected to at least one of the pulleys 21. When this motor is driven, the pulley 21 rotates, and the conveyor belt 22 circulates. As a result, the electric wire 1 sandwiched between the left and right conveyor belts 22 is sent forward.

The swing clamp 30 includes an F-side swing clamp 30F that grips and moves the front end of the electric wire 1 sent to the feeding device 20, and an R-side swing clamp 30F that grips and moves the rear end of the wire 1 in front of the stripping device 40. A side rotation clamp 30R is included. The F-side turning clamp 30F includes an F-side clamp 31F that grips the front end of the electric wire 1 sent to the feeding device 20, an F-side turning device 32F that turns the F-side clamp 31F along a horizontal plane, and a It includes an F-side loading device 33F that slides the gripped F-side clamp 31F and loads the electric wire 1 into an F-side crimping device 50F (described later). The R-side turning clamp 30R includes an R-side clamp 31R that grips the rear end of the electric wire 1 in front of the stripping device 40, an R-side turning device 32R that turns the R-side clamp 31R along a horizontal plane, and an R-side turning device 32R that grips the electric wire 1. The R-side loading device 33R slides the R-side clamp 31R and loads the electric wire 1 into an R-side crimping device 50R (described later).

The swing clamp 30 is an example of a moving device that grips the electric wire 1 and moves it to a plurality of positions. The plurality of positions to which the electric wire 1 is moved by the swing clamp 30 are a stripping position P1 where the electric wire 1 is stripped (here, an F side stripping position P1F and an R side stripping position P1R), and a position where the terminal 5 is attached to the electric wire 1. The electric wire 1 temporarily stops when being moved between the crimping position P2 where it is crimped (here, the F side crimping position P2F and the R side crimping position P2R) and the strip of the sheathing 3 and the crimping of the terminal 5. An intermediate stop position P3 (here, an F-side intermediate stop position P3F and an R-side intermediate stop position P3R) is included. In this embodiment, the plurality of positions to which the electric wire 1 is moved include a stripping position P1, a crimping position P2, an intermediate stop position P3, and a cutting position P4 where the electric wire 1 is cut.

As shown in FIG. 1, the F-side strip position P1F and the R-side strip position P1R are positions rotated to the left and right from the cutting position P4, respectively. The F-side intermediate stop position P3F and the R-side intermediate stop position P3R are positions further turned to the left and right from the F-side strip position P1F and the R-side strip position P1R, respectively. The F-side turning device 32F and the R-side turning device 32R perform these turning operations. The F-side crimping position P2F and the R-side crimping position P2R are slid from the F-side intermediate stop position P3F and the R-side intermediate stop position P3R to the F-side crimping device 50F and the R-side crimping device 50R, respectively. It's the location. The F side loading device 33F and the R side loading device 33R perform these sliding operations.

The stripping device 40 cuts the electric wire 1 into a predetermined length. Further, the stripping device 40 strips the coating 3 from the tip of the electric wire 1 positioned at the stripping position P1 (the F-side stripping position P1F and the R-side stripping position P1R) to expose the core wire 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the stripping device 40 includes a cutting blade 41 for cutting the electric wire 1, an F-side stripping blade 42F for stripping off the coating 3 from the front end of the electric wire 1 held by the F-side clamp 31F, and an R-side stripping blade 42F for stripping off the coating 3 from the front end of the electric wire 1 held by the F-side clamp 31F. It has an R-side stripping blade 42R for stripping off the coating 3 from the rear end of the electric wire 1 held by the clamp 31R. The F-side stripping blade 42F is arranged to overlap, in plan view, the electric wire 1 that has been pivoted to the F-side stripping position P1F. The F-side strip blade 42F is arranged on the left side of the cutting blade 41. The R-side stripping blade 42R is arranged to overlap, in plan view, the electric wire 1 that has been pivoted to the R-side stripping position P1R. The R-side strip blade 42R is arranged on the right side of the cutting blade 41.

The crimping device 50 crimps the terminal 5 to the core wire 2 of the electric wire 1 positioned at the crimping position P2. The crimping device 50 includes an F-side crimping device 50F and an R-side crimping device 50R. The F-side crimping device 50F is provided at a position directly facing the electric wire 1 that has been pivoted to the F-side intermediate stop position P3F. The F-side loading device 33F slides the electric wire 1 to the F-side crimping position P2F. The F-side crimping device 50F crimps the terminal 5 to the core wire 2 (exposed front end portion) of the electric wire 1 positioned at the F-side crimping position P2F. Here, the F-side crimping position P2F is set radially outward of the orbit of the electric wire 1 when viewed from the F-side intermediate stop position P3F.

The R-side crimping device 50R is provided at a position directly facing the electric wire 1 that has been pivoted to the R-side intermediate stop position P3R. The R-side loading device 33R slides the electric wire 1 to the R-side crimping position P2R. The R-side crimping device 50R crimps the terminal 5 to the core wire 2 (exposed rear end portion) of the electric wire 1 positioned at the R-side crimping position P2R. The R-side crimping position P2R is also set radially outward of the orbit of the electric wire 1 when viewed from the R-side intermediate stop position P3R.

Note that the method by which the electric wire 1 moving device (in this embodiment, the swing clamp 30) moves the electric wire 1 is not limited to a method that includes turning. The moving device may move the electric wire 1, for example, by sliding the electric wire 1 (for example, moving it laterally in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 1). Alternatively, the moving device may move the wire 1 into the stripping position, the crimping position and the intermediate stop position, for example only by pivoting the wire 1.

The wire inspection device 60 includes a camera 70 that captures an image of the tip of the wire 1, an illumination device (not shown), and a strip inspection device 80 that inspects the state of the core wire 2 after stripping from the image captured by the camera 70. 2) and a crimping inspection device 90 (see FIG. 2) that inspects the crimping state of the terminal 5 from the image captured by the camera 70. As will be described in detail later, the camera 70 captures an image of the tip of the electric wire 1 with the coating 3 removed from the tip and the core wire 2 exposed (hereinafter referred to as the first image I1, see FIG. 4), and , an image of the tip of the electric wire 1 with the terminal 5 crimped onto the exposed core wire 2 (hereinafter also referred to as a second image I2, see FIG. 4) is taken. That is, the camera 70 images the electric wire 1 after stripping and before the terminal 5 is crimped, and the electric wire 1 after the terminal 5 is crimped.

Here, the cameras 70 include an F-side camera 70F that images the electric wire 1 located at the F-side intermediate stop position P3F, and an R-side camera that images the electric wire 1 located at the R-side intermediate stop position P3R. 70R. In this embodiment, one camera 70 is provided for each end of the electric wire 1. However, the camera 70 is configured such that it can simultaneously image the front end of the electric wire 1 located at the intermediate stop position P3F on the F side and the rear end of the electric wire 1 located at the intermediate stop position P3R on the R side, for example. may be configured. The range to be imaged by one camera 70 is not particularly limited. The F-side camera 70F and the R-side camera 70R are arranged above the F-side intermediate stop position P3F and the R-side intermediate stop position P3R, respectively, and image the electric wire 1 from above. The illumination is for brightening the imaging area of the camera 70.

Note that the above-described stripping position P1, crimping position P2, and the position where the electric wire 1 is imaged by the camera 70 (intermediate stop position P3) are only examples, and may be arranged in other ways. For example, the position where the electric wire 1 is imaged by the camera 70 may be a position between the strip position P1 and the intermediate stop position P3 in FIG. 1 on the movement path of the electric wire 1. Further, for example, in the stripping device 40, the cutting blade 41, the F-side strip blade 42F, and the R-side strip blade 42R may be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1), and in that case, the cutting position P4 and strip position P1 may be the same position. In that case, the position where the electric wire 1 is imaged by the camera 70 may be, for example, a position between the stripping position P1 (cutting position P4) and the intermediate stop position P3 on the movement path of the electric wire 1. . Although it is preferable that the electric wire 1 stops at the position where the image is taken by the camera 70, the electric wire 1 may be imaged while moving without stopping.

In this embodiment, the strip inspection device 80 and the crimp inspection device 90 are composed of computers. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the wire processing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the wire processing apparatus 10 further includes a control device 100 that controls the operation of each part. The control device 100 includes a feeding device 20, an F-side rotating clamp 30F, an R-side rotating clamp 30R, a stripping device 40, an F-side crimping device 50F, an R-side crimping device 50R, and a wire inspection device 60 (F-side camera 70F, It is connected to the side camera 70R, strip inspection device 80, and crimp inspection device 90), and controls their operations. The control device 100 also consists of a computer. The strip inspection device 80, the crimp inspection device 90, and the control device 100 may be realized by one computer, or may be realized by cooperation of a plurality of computers.

However, the configurations of the strip inspection device 80, the crimp inspection device 90, and the control device 100 are not particularly limited. Each part of the strip inspection device 80, the crimp inspection device 90, and the control device 100 may be configured by software or hardware. Moreover, each part may be a processor or a circuit. The strip inspection device 80, the crimp inspection device 90, and the control device 100 may be, for example, a programmable controller or a general-purpose computer.

The strip inspection device 80 acquires a first image I1 (an image of the tip of the electric wire 1 after stripping) from the camera 70, and inspects the state of the exposed core wire 2 from the first image I1. As shown in FIG. 2, the strip inspection device 80 includes an inspection section 81 and a determination section 82. The inspection unit 81 acquires the first image I1 from the camera 70 and inspects the state of the exposed core wire 2 from the first image I1. The inspection unit 81 may inspect the state of the coating 3 remaining on the electric wire 1 from the first image I1. As a method for inspecting the state of the electric wire 1 after stripping, various conventionally known methods can be used without particular limitation. The determination unit 82 determines the quality of the stripped electric wire 1 based on the inspection results of the inspection unit 81 and predetermined criteria.

The crimping inspection device 90 acquires a first image I1 and a second image I2 (images of the tip of the electric wire 1 after the terminal 5 is crimped) from the camera 70, and determines the crimping of the terminal 5 from the first image I1 and the second image I2. Inspect condition. As shown in FIG. 2, the crimping inspection device 90 includes a core position detection section 91, a core position estimation section 92, an angle correction section 93, an inspection area setting section 94, an inspection section 95, a determination section 96, It is equipped with

The skeleton position detection unit 91 determines the position of the skeleton 2 from the first image I1. The acquisition of the position of the core wire 2 by the core wire position detection unit 91 may be performed in parallel with the inspection of the strip state by the strip inspection device 80. Here, the core wire position detection unit 91 determines the position of the tip end 2a of the core wire 2 and the position of the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the covering 3 from the first image I1. The position of the tip portion 2a and the position of the boundary portion 1a can be determined based on one or more factors such as external shape, color, and edge. The method for determining the position of the core wire 2 is not particularly limited. The core wire 2 and the covering 3 can be visually clearly distinguished, and the position of the core wire 2 can be easily detected by the core wire position detection section 91.

Note that the core line position detection unit 91 may be configured to determine the position of the end of the covering 3 from the first image I1. The end portion of the covering 3 may include a boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the covering 3, and an edge portion 3a of the covering 3. However, "determining the position of the end of the covering 3" also includes determining the position of a specific location (for example, the edge portion 3a) of the end of the covering 3. The end of the covering 3 is recognized, for example, by the edge 3a. The position of the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the covering 3 may be determined based on the position of the edge portion 3a. Alternatively, the core wire position detection unit 91 may be configured to determine both the position of the end of the covering 3 and the position of the core wire 2 from the first image I1.

The core wire position estimating section 92 calculates the difference between the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 is taken and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is taken, and the difference obtained by the core wire position detecting section 91. The position of the skeleton 2 in the second image I2 is estimated from the determined position of the skeleton 2. Here, the core line position estimating unit 92 estimates the position of the tip 2a of the core wire 2 and the position of the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the covering 3 in the second image I2. In this embodiment, the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 is imaged is the same as the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is imaged. Specifically, the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 and the second image I2 are captured is the intermediate stop position P3. Therefore, the difference between the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 is taken and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is taken is "zero". The core wire position estimation unit 92 estimates that the core wire 2 of the terminal 5 after being crimped is at the same position as the core wire 2 after being stripped.

However, the position of the core line 2 when the first image I1 is captured may be different from the position of the core line 2 when the second image I2 is captured. In that case, the difference between the position of the core wire 2 when the first image I1 is taken and the position of the core wire 2 when the second image I2 is taken is determined by the control device 100 controlling the operation of the swing clamp 30. It may be registered in advance based on the program to be used. Alternatively, the difference between the position of the core wire 2 when the first image I1 is taken and the position of the core wire 2 when the second image I2 is taken is based on the measurement of the servo motor etc. included in the swing clamp 30. It may be calculated by In this case, the core wire position estimating unit 92 estimates that the core wire 2 after the terminal 5 is crimped is located at a position separated by predetermined coordinates (or measured coordinates) from the position of the core wire 2 after stripping.

The longitudinal direction of the electric wire 1 is set in the second image I2. The set longitudinal direction of the electric wire 1 is the longitudinal direction when the electric wire 1 is straight. The angle correction unit 93 corrects the inclination of the electric wire 1 with respect to the set longitudinal direction in the second image I2. The wire 1 may be bent by stripping or crimping, or the curl of the wire 1 may not be completely corrected, and in such a case, the wire 1 will be inclined with respect to the set longitudinal direction. The angle correction unit 93 corrects such an inclination of the electric wire 1 through image processing. The detection of the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 1 by the angle correction unit 93 may be performed based on one or more elements such as external shape, color, edge, etc.

The inspection area setting unit 94 sets an inspection area R (see FIG. 4) in a predetermined range based on the position of the skeleton 2 in the second image I2 estimated by the skeleton position estimation unit 92. In the present embodiment, the inspection area setting unit 94 defines a predetermined range R1 based on the estimated position of the tip 2a of the core wire 2 and the estimated position of the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the coating 3. The inspection area R is set so as to include a predetermined range R2 based on . Hereinafter, the inspection area around the tip portion 2a will also be referred to as a first inspection area R1, and the inspection area around the boundary portion 1a will also be referred to as a second inspection area R2. The inspection area R (here, the first inspection area R1 and the second inspection area R2) is set to a range necessary for inspection, and is narrower than the entire second image I2.

The inspection unit 95 inspects the crimped state of the terminal 5 from the image within the inspection area R set by the inspection area setting unit 94. In this embodiment, the inspection unit 95 inspects the state of the core wire 2 that is visually recognized through the first opening 5a of the terminal 5 in a set range (within the first inspection region R1). In addition, the inspection unit 95 inspects the state of the core wire 2 and the coating 3 that are visually recognized through the second opening 5b of the terminal 5 in a set range (within the second inspection region R2). The detailed contents of the inspection will be described later.

The determination unit 96 determines the quality of the electric wire 1 after the terminal 5 is crimped, based on the inspection results of the inspection unit 95 and predetermined criteria.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 100 includes a feeding control section 101, a cutting control section 102, a first rotation control section 103, a strip control section 104, a second rotation control section 105, and a first imaging control section 101. It includes a control section 106, a loading control section 107, a crimping control section 108, a detachment control section 109, a second imaging control section 110, and a third rotation control section 111.

The feeding control unit 101 controls the feeding device 20 to intermittently feed the electric wire 1 forward by a predetermined distance. The cutting control unit 102 controls the stripping device 40 to cut the electric wire 1 into a predetermined length using the cutting blade 41.

The first swing control unit 103 controls the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 to the stripping position P1. The stripping control unit 104 controls the stripping device 40 to strip the sheath 3 of the electric wire 1 moved to the stripping position P1 by the first rotation control unit 103.

The second swing control unit 105 controls the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 from which the sheathing 3 has been removed to the intermediate stop position P3. The first imaging control unit 106 controls the wire inspection device 60 to capture the first image I1 in a state where the wire 1 is located at the intermediate stop position P3, and further determines the position of the core wire 2. The first imaging control unit 106 also controls the strip inspection device 80 to inspect the state of the core wire 2 exposed by the strip of the coating 3. This inspection is performed based on the first image I1.

After being controlled by the first imaging control unit 106, the loading control unit 107 controls the loading devices 33F and 33R of the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 to the crimping position P2. The crimping control unit 108 controls the crimping device 50 to crimp the terminal 5 to the electric wire 1 that has been moved to the crimping position P2 by the loading control unit 107.

After the terminal 5 is crimped under the control of the crimping control unit 108, the detachment control unit 109 controls the loading devices 33F and 33R of the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 to the intermediate stop position P3. The second imaging control unit 110 controls the wire inspection device 60 to capture a second image I2 in a state where the wire 1 is located at the intermediate stop position P3, further sets an inspection region R, and 5. Inspect the crimping condition. The third swing control unit 111 controls the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 whose crimped state of the terminal 5 has been inspected to the cutting position P4.

[Operation of wire processing equipment]
Next, the operation of the wire processing device 10 will be explained. 3A and 3B are flowcharts of processing and inspection of the electric wire 1 by the electric wire processing apparatus 10. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in step S01 of processing and inspecting the electric wire 1, the electric wire 1 is sent out forward (to the right in FIG. 1) by the feeding device 20. In step S02, the electric wire 1 is held by the F-side clamp 31F and the R-side clamp 31R, and is cut by the cutting blade 41 of the stripping device 40.

In step S03, the F-side clamp 31F turns to the left (upper side in FIG. 1) while holding the cut electric wire 1, and moves the electric wire 1 to the F-side stripping position P1F. Thereby, the swing clamp 30 guides the front end of the electric wire 1 to the F-side stripping blade 42F. On the other hand, the R-side clamp 31R turns to the right (lower side in FIG. 1) while holding the electric wire 1, and moves the front electric wire 1 to the R-side stripping position P1R. Thereby, the rear end portion of the front electric wire 1 is guided to the R side strip blade 42R. In the following step S04, the coating 3 on the ends of both electric wires 1 is stripped off by the stripping blades 42F and 42R.

In step S05, the electric wire 1 is pivoted to the intermediate stop position P3 by the pivot clamp 30. In step S06, the first image I1 is captured by the camera 70. In step S07, the state of the tip of the electric wire 1 after stripping is inspected from the first image I1. If the state of the electric wire 1 passes the inspection in step S07 (if the result of step S07 is YES), the position of the electric wire 1 is determined from the first image I1 in step S08. Specifically, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 4, the position of the tip end 2a of the core wire 2 and the position of the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the covering 3 are determined. If the electric wire 1 does not pass the inspection in step S07 (if the result in step S07 is NO), the electric wire 1 is discarded in step S08A. Incidentally, regardless of the result of step S07, step S08 does not have to be performed prior to step S07 or at the same time as step S07.

In step S09, the F-side loading device 33F brings the electric wire 1 close to the F-side crimping device 50F, and moves it to the F-side crimping position P2F, as shown in FIG. By moving to the F-side crimping position P2F, the electric wire 1 is loaded into the F-side crimping device 50F. The R-side loading device 33R brings the electric wire 1 close to the R-side crimping device 50R, and moves it to the R-side crimping position P2R, as shown in FIG. By moving to the R-side crimping position P2R, the electric wire 1 is loaded into the R-side crimping device 50R. In step S10, the terminals 5 are crimped onto the ends of the electric wires 1 on the rear and front sides by the F-side crimping device 50F and the R-side crimping device 50R.

In step S11, the rear and front electric wires 1 are returned to the F-side intermediate stop position P3F and the R-side intermediate stop position P3R, respectively. In the subsequent step S12, the electric wire 1 at the intermediate stop position P3 is imaged by the camera 70, and a second image I2 is acquired. As shown in the right diagram of FIG. 4, the terminal 5 is crimped onto the electric wire 1 at the stage when the second image I2 is captured. As shown in the right view of FIG. 4, if the terminal 5 is crimped in the correct position, the tip end 2a of the core wire 2 is visible from the first opening 5a of the terminal 5. Further, the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the coating 3 is visible from the second opening 5b of the terminal 5.

In step S13, the inclination of the electric wire 1 with respect to the set longitudinal direction is determined. In this embodiment, if the determined inclination of the electric wire 1 is equal to or less than the threshold value (if the result of step S13 is YES), the inclination of the electric wire 1 in the second image I2 is not corrected. If the determined inclination of the electric wire 1 exceeds the threshold value (if the result of step S13 is NO), the inclination of the electric wire 1 in the second image I2 is corrected in step S13A. However, in step S13, the correction may be performed regardless of the degree of inclination of the electric wire 1.

In step S14 following S13 or S13A, the position of the tip portion 2a and the position of the boundary portion 1a in the second image I2 are estimated. As schematically shown in FIG. 4, the position of the tip 2a in the second image I2 is estimated to be the same as the position of the tip 2a in the first image I1. Similarly, the position of the boundary portion 1a in the second image I2 is estimated to be the same as the position of the boundary portion 1a in the first image I1. Since these estimated positions are only used for setting the inspection region R in the subsequent step S15, they may deviate from the actual positions of the tip portion 2a and the boundary portion 1a.

In step S15, the first inspection region R1 is set in a predetermined range based on the tip 2a of the core wire 2. Further, a second inspection region R2 is set in a predetermined range based on the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the coating 3. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the first inspection region R1 is set to include the first opening 5a of the terminal 5. The second inspection region R2 is set to include the second opening 5b of the terminal 5.

In step S16, the crimped state of the terminals 5 in the first inspection area R1 and the second inspection area R2 is inspected. In this embodiment, the distance L2 between the tip side end portion 5b1 of the second opening 5b and the boundary portion 1a of the electric wire 1 is measured from the image within the second inspection region R2. Based on the distance L2, it can be determined whether the relative position between the electric wire 1 and the terminal 5 is correct. In measuring this distance L2, in order to detect the boundary line between the tip side end portion 5b1 of the second opening 5b and the core wire 2, a high-definition image may be acquired, image processing, etc. may be performed. Since the second inspection region R2 is narrow, the processing time does not increase even if the above-described processing is performed. Thereby, for example, even if the core wire 2 and the terminal 5 have similar colors and are difficult to distinguish, the distance L2 can be measured accurately and quickly. Note that there may be other cases in which it is difficult to distinguish between the core wire 2 and the terminal 5 based on the image. One example of this is the case where the core wire 2 is reflected in the terminal 5. In step S16, it is determined whether the distance L2 is within a predetermined range.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is inspected whether the core wire 2 is visible within the first inspection region R1. Depending on whether the core wire 2 is visible within the first inspection region R1, it can be determined whether the tip portion 2a of the core wire 2 is torn. When the core wire 2 and the terminal 5 have similar colors and are difficult to distinguish, there is a conventional method for detecting both ends 5a1 and 5a2 of the first opening 5a from the second image I2 (that is, determining the inspection area). , which requires a long processing time. However, in this embodiment, the first inspection region R1 is set by estimation from the first image I1. Therefore, the time required to set the first inspection region R1 can be reduced. Furthermore, since it is actually inspected to see whether the core wire 2 is visible within the first inspection region R1, if there is a crimping defect such as the tip end 2a of the core wire 2 being cut during crimping, it is easy to find this.

If the inspection result in step S16 is passed (if the result in step S16 is YES), in step S17, the electric wire 1 is pivoted to the cutting position P4. If the test result in step S16 is negative (if the result in step S16 is NO), the electric wire 1 is discarded in step S17A. By repeating the above steps, electric wires 1 having terminals 5 crimped at both ends are successively produced.

[Operations and effects of the first embodiment]
Below, the effects that can be achieved by the wire inspection device 60 and the wire processing device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.

The electric wire inspection device 60 according to the present embodiment has a first image I1 that is an image of the tip of the electric wire 1 with the coating 3 of the tip removed and the core wire 2 exposed, and a terminal 5 on the exposed core wire 2. A camera 70 captures a second image I2, which is an image of the tip of the wire 1 in a crimped state, and a first image I1 and a second image I2 are acquired from the camera 70, and the first image I1 and the second image I2 are A crimping inspection device 90 for inspecting the crimping condition of the terminal 5 is provided. The crimp inspection device 90 includes a core wire position detection section 91, a core wire position estimation section 92, an inspection area setting section 94, and an inspection section 95. The skeleton position detection unit 91 determines the position of the skeleton 2 from the first image I1. The core wire position estimating section 92 calculates the difference between the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 is taken and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is taken, and the difference obtained by the core wire position detecting section 91. The position of the skeleton 2 in the second image I2 is estimated from the determined position of the skeleton 2. The inspection area setting unit 94 sets the inspection area R in a predetermined range based on the position of the skeleton 2 in the second image I2 estimated by the skeleton position estimation unit 92. The inspection unit 95 inspects the crimped state of the terminal 5 from the image within the inspection area R set by the inspection area setting unit 94.

According to the electric wire inspection device 60 according to the present embodiment, from the first image I1, which is an image of the tip of the electric wire 1 before the terminal 5 is crimped, to the first image I1, which is the image of the tip of the electric wire 1 after the terminal 5 is crimped. The position of the skeleton 2 in the two images I2 is estimated, and the inspection area R is set based on the estimated position of the skeleton 2. Therefore, according to the wire inspection device 60, even if, for example, the core wire 2 and the terminal 5 have similar colors and are difficult to distinguish from each other in the image, the inspection region R can be set accurately and quickly. For example, it is not necessary to process the image to make edges stand out and to detect the position of the core line 2. Furthermore, by setting the inspection area R, the inspection range can be narrowed and the crimped state of the terminal 5 can be inspected at high speed. Moreover, according to the electric wire inspection device 60, since the crimping state of the terminal 5 is inspected from the image within the inspection area R, if a problem occurs due to the crimping of the terminal 5, it can be detected. Therefore, the crimped state of the terminal can be accurately inspected.

Note that when the core wire position detection unit 91 is configured to determine the position of the end of the sheathing 3 from the first image I1, the core wire position estimation unit 92 determines the position of the end of the electric wire when the first image I1 is captured. 1 and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is captured, and the position of the end of the sheath 3 determined by the core position detection unit 91, the sheathing in the second image I2 is determined. Estimate the position of the end of 3. The inspection area setting unit 94 sets the inspection area R in a predetermined range based on the position of the end of the covering 3 in the second image I2 estimated by the core line position estimation unit 92. Further, the core wire position detection unit 91 may be configured to determine the position of the end of the covering 3 and the position of the core wire 2 from the first image I1. These configurations can also provide the same effects as when the core line position detection section 91 determines the position of the core line 2 from the first image I1.

The wire inspection device 60 according to the present embodiment includes a strip inspection device 80 that acquires a first image I1 from the camera 70 and inspects the state of the exposed core wire 2 from the first image I1. According to this configuration, the first image I1 can also be used to inspect the strip condition, so there is no need to provide a separate camera for inspecting the strip condition.

In this embodiment, the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 is captured is the same as the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is captured. According to this configuration, there is no difference between the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 is taken and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is taken. Therefore, the position of the core line 2 in the second image I2 can be estimated easily and accurately.

In this embodiment, the terminal 5 has a first opening 5a in a portion that is crimped to the tip end 2a of the core wire 2, through which the core wire 2 can be visually recognized. The core wire position detection unit 91 determines the position of the tip end 2a of the core wire 2 from the first image I1. The skeleton position estimation unit 92 estimates the position of the tip 2a of the skeleton 2 in the second image I2. The inspection area setting unit 94 sets the inspection area R to include a predetermined range based on the estimated position of the tip 2a of the core wire 2. The inspection unit 95 inspects the state of the core wire 2 that is visually recognized through the first opening 5a in a set range (first inspection region R1). According to this configuration, as described above, the first inspection region R1 can be easily and quickly determined in some cases, which is difficult to determine from the image and may require processing time (for example, when the core wire 2 and the terminal 5 are of similar color). Can be set. Furthermore, it is possible to inspect whether the tip end 2a of the core wire 2 is broken.

In this embodiment, the terminal 5 has a second opening 5b in a portion crimped to the boundary 1a between the sheath 3 and the core wire 2, through which the sheath 3 and the core wire 2 can be visually recognized. The core position detection unit 91 determines the position of the boundary portion 1a from the first image I1. The skeleton position estimation unit 92 estimates the position of the boundary portion 1a in the second image I2. The inspection area setting unit 94 sets the inspection area R to include a predetermined range based on the estimated position of the boundary portion 1a. The inspection unit 95 inspects the state of the coating 3 and the core wire 2 that are visible through the second opening 5b in a set range (second inspection region R2). If the terminal 5 is crimped with a certain degree of positional accuracy, the boundary portion 1a to be inspected will be visible within the second inspection region R2, so with this configuration, the boundary portion 1a can be inspected. Moreover, the second inspection region R2 is based on the position of the core line 2 estimated from the first image I1, and can be set easily and quickly. Furthermore, by setting the second inspection region R2, the inspection range becomes narrower and the inspection can be performed faster.

In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 1 is set in the second image I2. The crimp inspection device 90 includes an angle correction section 93 that corrects the inclination of the electric wire 1 with respect to the set longitudinal direction in the second image I2. According to this configuration, even if the electric wire 1 is tilted from its original longitudinal direction due to bending, for example, the tilt can be corrected and the position of the core wire 2 in the second image I2 can be estimated more accurately.

The wire processing device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a swing clamp 30 that grips the wire and moves it to a plurality of positions including a stripping position P1, a crimping position P2, and an intermediate stop position P3, and a rotating clamp 30 located at the stripping position P1. A stripping device 40 that peels off the coating 3 at the tip of the electric wire 1 to expose the core wire 2, a crimping device 50 that crimps the terminal 5 to the core wire 2 of the electric wire 1 positioned at the crimping position P2, a wire inspection device 60, and a rotating device. A control device 100 that controls a clamp 30, a stripping device 40, a crimping device 50, and a wire inspection device 60 is provided. The control device 100 includes a first rotation control section 103, a strip control section 104, a second rotation control section 105, a first imaging control section 106, a loading control section 107, a crimping control section 108, and a detachment control section. 109, and a second imaging control section 110.

The first swing control unit 103 controls the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 to the stripping position P1. The stripping control unit 104 controls the stripping device 40 to strip the sheath 3 of the electric wire 1 moved to the stripping position P1 by the first rotation control unit 103. The second swing control unit 105 controls the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 from which the sheathing 3 has been removed to the intermediate stop position P3. The first imaging control unit 106 controls the wire inspection device 60 to capture the first image I1 in a state where the wire 1 is located at the intermediate stop position P3, and further determines the position of the core wire 2. After being controlled by the first imaging control unit 106, the loading control unit 107 controls the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 to the crimping position P2. The crimping control unit 108 controls the crimping device 50 to crimp the terminal 5 to the electric wire 1 that has been moved to the crimping position P2 by the loading control unit 107. After the terminal 5 is crimped under the control of the crimping control unit 108, the detachment control unit 109 controls the swing clamp 30 to move the electric wire 1 to the intermediate stop position P3. The second imaging control unit 110 controls the wire inspection device 60 to capture a second image I2 in a state where the wire 1 is located at the intermediate stop position P3, further sets an inspection region R, and 5. Inspect the crimping condition.

According to the wire processing apparatus 10, a stripping process, a crimping process of the terminals 5, and a process of inspecting the crimped state of the terminals 5 can be performed. Furthermore, since the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 is taken and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is taken are both the intermediate stop position P3, the first image I1 is not taken. There is no difference between the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is captured and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is captured. Therefore, the position of the core line 2 in the second image I2 can be estimated easily and accurately. Further, since the intermediate stop position P3 is located between the stripping position P1 and the crimping position P2, there is no waste in moving the electric wire 1.

[Second embodiment]
In the second embodiment, the wire inspection device captures the first image and the second image using different imaging devices. In the following description of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment will be used for members having the same functions as those in the first embodiment. In addition, duplicate explanations will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the wire processing apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the wire processing apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the stripping device 40 and the crimping device 50 are arranged in a direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 5) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 1 (vertical direction in FIG. 5). Clamps 35 and 36 are provided in front of the stripping device 40 and the crimping device 50, respectively. The clamps 35 and 36 are configured to grip the electric wire 1 and load the electric wire 1 into the stripping device 40 and the crimping device 50, respectively. Clamps 35 and 36 move electric wire 1 in the vertical direction in FIG. Hereinafter, the position of the electric wire 1 when the clamp 35 loads the electric wire 1 into the stripping device 40 is referred to as a stripping position P11, and the position of the electric wire 1 when the clamp 35 withdraws the electric wire 1 from the stripping device 40 is referred to as a stripping standby position P12. Also called. Further, the position of the electric wire 1 when the clamp 36 loads the electric wire 1 into the crimping device 50 is referred to as a crimping position P21, and the position of the electric wire 1 when the clamp 36 withdraws the electric wire 1 from the crimping device 50 is referred to as a crimping standby position P22. Also called. The electric wire 1 is passed between the clamps 35 and 36, and thereby moves in the direction in which the stripping device 40 and the crimping device 50 are lined up (in the left-right direction in FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 6, the wire inspection device 60 according to this embodiment includes a first camera 70A and a second camera 70B. The first camera 70A captures a first image I1 that is an image of the tip of the electric wire 1 with the coating 3 removed from the tip and the core wire 2 exposed. The first image I1 is also used by the strip inspection device 80 to inspect the state of the strip. The second camera 70B captures a second image I2 that is an image of the tip of the electric wire 1 with the terminal 5 crimped onto the exposed core wire 2.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the first camera 70A images the electric wire 1 located at the strip standby position P12. The second camera 70B images the electric wire 1 located at the crimping standby position P22. The crimp inspection device 90 acquires the first image I1 and the second image I2 from the first camera 70A and the second camera 70B, respectively, and inspects the crimp state of the terminal 5 from the first image I1 and the second image I2. As shown in FIG. 6, also in this embodiment, the processing unit for inspecting the crimped state of the terminal 5 from the first image I1 and the second image I2 is the same as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the difference between the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image I1 is taken and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image I2 is taken is between the strip standby position P12 and the crimping standby position P22. This is the difference in position between the two, and is registered in advance.

The electric wire inspection device 60 according to the present embodiment can also provide the same effects as the electric wire inspection device 60 according to the first embodiment. In addition, even in such an electric wire processing apparatus 10, the number of cameras 70 can be reduced to one, for example, by arranging the camera 70 so as to take an image of the tip end of the electric wire 1 when it is in the crimping standby position P22.

For example, the wire processing apparatus 10 like the first embodiment can also be configured to capture the first image and the second image using different imaging devices. In such a case, for example, the first image is taken when the wire 1 is located at the stripping position P1 (which may be the same as the cutting position P4) in FIG. 1, and the wire 1 is taken at the intermediate stop position P3. The second image may be taken when the object is located. However, the position of the electric wire 1 when the first image is taken and the position of the electric wire 1 when the second image is taken are not particularly limited.

[Other embodiments]
Several embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the embodiment described above is merely an example, and various other embodiments are possible. For example, in the first embodiment, the camera 70 images the electric wire 1 located at the intermediate stop position P3, but the position of the electric wire 1 when imaged by the camera 70 is not particularly limited. The position of the electric wire 1 when imaged by the camera 70 may be, for example, the strip position P1, the crimping position P2, etc.

In the embodiment described above, the first image I1 is also used for inspecting the strip state, but it does not have to be used. In that case, the wire inspection device 60 may include another camera that captures images for inspecting the strip state.

The shapes of the electric wire 1 and the terminal 5 are not particularly limited. For example, the terminal 5 does not need to be a terminal provided with the first opening 5a and the second opening 5b. Further, other parts may be attached to the electric wire 1 in addition to the terminal 5. For example, the electric wire 1 may be equipped with a waterproof rubber stopper. In that case, instead of the boundary portion 1a between the core wire 2 and the covering 3, the boundary portion between the core wire 2 and the rubber stopper may be used as a reference for the position of the core wire 2.

The inspection area R is not limited to the first inspection area R1 and the second inspection area R2 of the embodiment described above. The contents of the inspection for the crimped state of the terminal 5 are also not particularly limited.

Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments described above do not limit the present invention. For example, the configuration of the wire processing device 10 in the embodiment is merely an example, and configurations can be added or deleted as appropriate.

1 Electric wire 1a Boundary part 2 Core wire 2a Tip part 3 Covering 3a Edge part (end part) of the covering
5 Terminal 5a First opening 5b Second opening 10 Wire processing device 30 Swivel clamp (moving device)
40 Stripping device 50 Crimping device 60 Wire inspection device 70 Camera (imaging device)
70A First camera (first imaging device)
70B Second camera (second imaging device)
80 Strip inspection device 90 Crimping inspection device 91 Core wire position detection section (first processing section)
92 Core line position estimation unit (second processing unit)
93 Angle correction section (correction section)
94 Inspection area setting section (third processing section)
95 Inspection Department (4th Processing Department)
100 Control device 103 First swing control section (first control section)
104 Strip control section (second control section)
105 Second swing control section (third control section)
106 First imaging control section (fourth control section)
107 Loading control section (fifth control section)
108 Crimping control section (sixth control section)
109 Detachment control unit (7th control unit)
110 Second imaging control unit (eighth control unit)
I1 First image I2 Second image P1 Strip position (first position)
P2 Crimp position (second position)
P3 Intermediate stop position (3rd position)
R Inspection area R1 First inspection area R2 Second inspection area

Claims (12)

A first image is an image of the tip of the electric wire in a state where the coating of the tip is peeled off and the core wire is exposed, and a first image is an image of the tip of the electric wire with a terminal crimped to the exposed core wire. an imaging device that captures a second image;
a crimping inspection device that acquires the first image and the second image from the imaging device and inspects the crimped state of the terminal from the first image and the second image,
The crimp inspection device includes:
a first processing unit that calculates the position of the end of the covering and/or the position of the core wire from the first image;
The difference between the position of the electric wire when the first image is taken and the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken, and the end of the coating determined by the first processing unit. or/and a second processing unit that estimates the position of the end of the covering and/and the core wire in the second image from the position of the core wire;
a third processing unit that sets an inspection area in a predetermined range based on the position of the end of the coating and/or the core line in the second image estimated by the second processing unit;
a fourth processing section that inspects the crimped state of the terminal from an image within the inspection area set by the third processing section;
Wire inspection equipment. further comprising a strip inspection device that inspects the state of the exposed core wire from the first image;
The electric wire inspection device according to claim 1. The position of the electric wire when the first image is taken and the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken are the same position,
The electric wire inspection device according to claim 1 or 2. The terminal has a first opening that allows the core wire to be visually recognized in a portion that is crimped to the tip of the core wire,
The first processing unit determines the position of the tip of the core wire from the first image,
The second processing unit estimates the position of the tip of the core line in the second image,
The third processing unit sets the inspection area to include a predetermined range based on the estimated position of the tip of the core wire,
The fourth processing unit inspects the state of the core wire that is visually recognized through the first opening in the set range.
The electric wire inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The terminal has a second opening in a portion crimped to the boundary between the sheath and the core wire, through which the sheath and the core wire can be visually recognized;
the first processing unit determines the position of the boundary from the first image;
The second processing unit estimates the position of the boundary in the second image,
The third processing unit sets the inspection area to include a predetermined range based on the estimated position of the boundary,
The fourth processing unit inspects the state of the coating and the core wire that are visually recognized through the second opening in the set range.
The electric wire inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The longitudinal direction of the electric wire is set in the second image,
The crimp inspection device includes a correction unit that corrects the inclination of the electric wire with respect to the set longitudinal direction in the second image.
The electric wire inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. a moving device that grips the electric wire and moves it to a plurality of positions including a first position, a second position, and a third position;
a stripping device that removes the coating from the tip of the electric wire positioned at the first position to expose the core wire;
a crimping device that crimps the terminal to the core wire of the electric wire positioned at the second position;
A wire inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A control device that controls the moving device, the stripping device, the crimping device, and the wire inspection device,
The control device includes:
a first control unit that controls the moving device to move the electric wire to the first position;
a second control unit that controls the stripping device to strip the sheath of the electric wire moved to the first position by the first control unit;
a third control unit that controls the moving device to move the stripped electric wire to the third position;
Controlling the wire inspection device to capture the first image while the wire is in the third position, and further determining the position of the end of the covering and/or the position of the core wire. a fourth control section;
a fifth control unit that controls the moving device to move the electric wire to the second position after the control by the fourth control unit;
a sixth controller that controls the crimping device to crimp the terminal to the electric wire moved to the second position by the fifth controller;
a seventh control unit that controls the moving device to move the electric wire to the third position after the terminal is crimped under the control of the sixth control unit;
controlling the wire inspection device to take the second image when the wire is in the third position, further setting the inspection area, and inspecting the crimped state of the terminal; 8 control units;
Wire processing equipment. a first imaging device that captures a first image that is an image of the tip of the electric wire in a state where the coating of the tip is peeled off and the core wire is exposed;
a second image capturing device that captures a second image of the tip of the electric wire with a terminal crimped to the exposed core wire;
a crimp inspection device that acquires the first image and the second image from the first imaging device and the second imaging device, respectively, and inspects the crimp state of the terminal from the first image and the second image; Prepare,
The crimp inspection device includes:
a first processing unit that calculates the position of the end of the covering and/or the position of the core wire from the first image;
The difference between the position of the electric wire when the first image is taken and the position of the electric wire when the second image is taken, and the end of the coating determined by the first processing unit. or/and a second processing unit that estimates the position of the end of the covering and/and the core wire in the second image from the position of the core wire;
a third processing unit that sets an inspection area in a predetermined range based on the position of the end of the coating and/or the core line in the second image estimated by the second processing unit;
a fourth processing section that inspects the crimped state of the terminal from an image within the inspection area set by the third processing section;
Wire inspection equipment. further comprising a strip inspection device that inspects the state of the exposed core wire from the first image;
The wire inspection device according to claim 8. The terminal has a first opening that allows the core wire to be visually recognized in a portion that is crimped to the tip of the core wire,
The first processing unit determines the position of the tip of the core wire from the first image,
The second processing unit estimates the position of the tip of the core line in the second image,
The third processing unit sets the inspection area to include a predetermined range based on the estimated position of the tip of the core wire,
The fourth processing unit inspects the state of the core wire that is visually recognized through the first opening in the set range.
The wire inspection device according to claim 8 or 9. The terminal has a second opening that allows the core wire to be visually recognized in a portion that is crimped to the boundary between the coating and the core wire,
The first processing unit determines the position of the boundary from the first image,
The second processing unit estimates the position of the boundary in the second image,
The third processing unit sets the inspection area to include a predetermined range based on the estimated position of the boundary,
The fourth processing unit inspects the state of the coating and the core wire that are visually recognized through the second opening in the set range.
The electric wire inspection device according to any one of claims 8 to 10. The longitudinal direction of the electric wire is set in the second image,
The crimp inspection device includes a correction unit that corrects the inclination of the electric wire with respect to the set longitudinal direction in the second image.
The electric wire inspection device according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

Images