# US 12,191,619 B2 · Method, system, and computer program product for wire connector assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,619 B2 - Document ID: US12191619B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/660,320 - Filed: 2022-04-22 - Published: 2023-10-26 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2022-04-22 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Lars E. Blacken; Heiko Hoffmann; Damien O. Martin; Jeffrey McCaskey; Bradley J. Mitchell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191619B2 ## CPC - H01R 43/20: for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve - B25J 9/1687: {Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement} - G05B 19/4155: characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program - G05B 2219/50391: Robot - H01R 2201/26: for vehicles - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A method, system and computer program product are provided for automated insertion of a wire contact into an insertion hole of a connector. Methods include: controlling a robot having an end-effector to position a wire contact proximate to a connector using a wire gripper and a separator device of the end-effector; controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector; controlling the robot to align the wire contact with a insertion hole of the connector; controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the insertion hole; controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and controlling the robot to withdraw the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for automated insertion of a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector, the system comprising: a robot having an end-effector, wherein the end-effector comprises a wire gripper holding the wire contact and a separator device; and a computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to: control the robot to advance the separator device past one in a first direction between two or more wires previously connected to the connector; control the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector in a second direction different from the first direction away from the connector, wherein the first direction is not coaxial with the second direction; control the robot to align the wire contact with the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector; control the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole; control the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and control the robot to withdraw the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device configured to control the robot to advance the separator device in a first direction between two or more wires previously connected to the connector is further configured to: control the robot to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper to a second position relative to the wire gripper, wherein the first position is further from the connector than the wire gripper, and wherein the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper; and control the robot to drive the separator device between the two or more wires in a position between the wire gripper and the connector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the computing device configured to control the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector is further configured to: control the robot to move the separator device from the second position relative to the wire gripper to the first position relative to the wire gripper with the separator device engaged with the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the computing device configured to control the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole further comprises causing the robot to: advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole unobstructed by the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to: determine positions of occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector, wherein occupied wire contact insertion holes are occupied with the two or more wires previously connected to the connector; and identify a path to an insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the computing device configured to identify the path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis, is further configured to: identify the path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector based on a maximum distance between the path and at least one of the occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device configured to identify the path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis is further configured to: identify an angle of the path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector relative to a vertical axis, and control the robot to rotate to the angle of the path relative to the connector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the separator device comprises a first separator element and a second separator element, wherein the computing device configured to control the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector comprises the computing device configured to drive a point at which the first separator element meets the second separator element between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector along a path to an insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis. ### Claim 9 A method for automated insertion of a wire contact into a designated wire contact insertion hole of a connector, the method comprising: controlling a robot to advance a separator device in a first direction between two or more wires previously connected to the connector; controlling the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector in a second direction different from the first direction away from the connector, wherein the first direction is not coaxial with the second direction; controlling the robot to align the wire contact with the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector using a wire gripper; controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole; controlling the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and controlling the robot to withdraw the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector comprises: controlling the robot to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper to a second position relative to the wire gripper, wherein the first position is further from the connector than the wire gripper, and wherein the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper; and controlling the robot to drive the separator device between the two or more wires in a position between the wire gripper and the connector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector further comprises: controlling the robot to move the separator device from the second position relative to the wire gripper to the first position relative to the wire gripper with the separator device engaged between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole further comprises: advancing the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially inserting the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: determining positions of occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector, wherein occupied wire contact insertion holes are occupied with the two or more wires previously connected to the connector; and identifying a path to an insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis, further comprises: identifying the path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector based on a maximum distance between the path and at least one of the occupied wire contact insertion holes of the connector. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis, further comprises: identifying an angle of the path to the insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector relative to a vertical axis, and controlling the robot to rotate to the angle of the path relative to the connector. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the separator device comprises a first separator element and a second separator element, wherein controlling the robot to advance the separator device between two or more wires previously connected to the connector comprises driving a point at which the first separator element meets the second separator element between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector along a path to an insertion axis of the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector, wherein the path is perpendicular to the insertion axis. ### Claim 17 An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one non-transitory memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least: control a robot to advance a separator device in a first direction between two or more wires previously connected to a connector; control the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector in a second direction different from the first direction away from the connector, wherein the first direction is not coaxial with the second direction; control the robot to align a wire contact with a designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector using a wire gripper; control the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole; control the robot to release the wire contact from the wire gripper; and control the robot to withdraw the wire gripper and the separator device from between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein causing the apparatus to control the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector comprises causing the apparatus to: control the robot to advance the separator device from a first position relative to the wire gripper to a second position relative to the wire gripper, wherein the first position is further from the connector than the wire gripper, and wherein the second position is closer to the connector than the wire gripper; and control the robot to drive the separator device between the two or more wires in a position between the wire gripper and the connector. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein causing the apparatus to control the robot to advance the separator device between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector further comprises causing the apparatus to: control the robot to move the separator device from the second position relative to the wire gripper to the first position relative to the wire gripper with the separator device engaged between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein causing the apparatus to control the robot to advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole further comprises causing the apparatus to: advance the wire contact toward the designated wire contact insertion hole of the connector and at least partially insert the wire contact into the designated wire contact insertion hole between the two or more wires previously connected to the connector.