Apparatus for feeding sheets to be applied to a wiring harness

Abstract

A sheet piece (S′) that is needed to assemble wiring harnesses (W) on a harness assembling board (A) is recognized, and a recognition signal is generated. A sheet cutting apparatus ( 20 ) then cuts a sheet (S) from a sheet roll to a specified length in accordance with the recognition signal. The cut sheet piece (S′) then is dropped onto the respective harness assembling board (A). The sheet cutting apparatus ( 20 ) has a sheet feed roller ( 22 ), pressure rollers ( 23 ) that are movable toward and away from the feed roller ( 22 ) and cutters ( 26 ) for cutting the sheet (S). The feed roller ( 22 ) is rotated and the pressure rollers ( 23 ) press the sheet (S) against the feed rollers ( 22 ) in response to the recognition signal. Thus, a specified length of the sheet (S) is fed, and the cutters ( 26 ) cut the sheet (S) into a sheet piece (S′) of the specified length.

What is claims is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for feeding sheets necessary for assembling a wiring harness to harness assembling boards (A) that are conveyed to a specified position along a conveyance path of the harness assembling boards (A), comprising: 
 a detector provided at the specified position for detecting the harness assembling board (A) located at the specify position;    a sheet cutting apparatus ( 20 ) provided above the harness assembling board (A) at the specified position;    a tape adhering apparatus ( 10 ) for applying adhesive double coated tape (t) to at least one sheet (S), and introducing the sheet (S) with the tape (t) to the sheet cutting apparatus ( 20 );    wherein separable strips (e) of the adhesive double coated tapes (t) adhered to the sheets (S) are peeled from the sheets (S) by being turned at a bar ( 25 ) located before the sheet cutting apparatus ( 20 ), and the peeled separable strips (e) are pulled substantially in synchronism with the sheet cutting apparatus ( 20 ).    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for feeding sheets necessary for assembling a wiring harness to harness assembling boards (A) that are conveyed to a specified position along a conveyance path of the harness assembling boards (A), comprising: 
 at least one reel ( 12 ) of sheet material (S) in proximity to the specified position along the conveying path, the sheet material (S) having opposite first and second side edges;    at least one roll (T) of double-coated adhesive tape (t) in proximity to the reel ( 12 ) of sheet material (S), the double-coated adhesive tape (t) having a separable strip (e) on one side;    means for applying the double-coated adhesive tape (t) to the sheet material (S) adjacent the first longitudinal side of the sheet material (S) so that the separable strip (e) faces away from the sheet material (S);    separating means for separating the separable strip (e) from the double-coated tape (t);    a detector substantially at the specified position for detecting the harness assembly board (A) located at the specified position;    driving means for feeding said sheet material (S) with the double-coated adhesive tape (t) from the separating means to a position above the harness assembling board (A); and    means for cutting and dropping a sheet (S′) of specified length fed by the driving means such that the sheet piece (S′) is dropped onto the harness assembly board (A) at the specified position.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the driving means comprises a feed roller for engaging a surface of the sheet material (S) opposite the double-coated adhesive tape (t) and a pressure roller ( 23 ) dimensioned and disposed for engaging a side of the sheet material (S) having the double-coated adhesive tape (t) thereon without directly contacting the double-coated adhesive tape (t).  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said at least one reel ( 12 ) of sheet material (S) comprises at least first and second reels ( 12   a,    12   b,    12   c ) of sheet material (S).  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the sheet material (S) on the respective reels ( 12   a,    12   b,    12   c ) are of different respective widths.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the harness assembling board (A) is in a slanted orientation with a front side facing upwardly, the at least one reel ( 12 ) being spaced forwardly from said front side of said harness assembling board (A), the means for feeding said sheet material (S) comprising means for feeding said sheet material (S) from said at least one reel ( 12 ) upwardly and rearwardly to a position above said harness assembling board (A).  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of feed rollers for feeding said separable strip (e) from the separation position in proximity to said cutter ( 26 ) to a position in proximity to said at least one reel ( 12 ).