A variety of connections can be made during the assembly of electrical, mechanical, and fluid systems or assemblies. For instance, the assembly of an automobile, or automobile subassemblies, can require several connections to be made. The connections can be completed by connecting two or more connectors together such that two or more elements are in electrical, fluid, or mechanical communication. As an example, electrical connections can comprise two electrical connectors having electrical contacts. The connectors can be connected such that the electrical contacts are placed in electrical communication with each other.
Many modern assembly or manufacturing facilities include error proofing (in Japanese, “pokayoke”) systems to maintain quality control and/or traceability of assemblies. Pokayoke systems typically include controllers stationed at each station of an assembly line. Such controllers are used to detect whether a process was performed according to predefined standards or thresholds. There have been numerous methods used to confirm proper connection of components. As examples, operators can listen for audible signatures of the connection, inspect physical changes in the connectors, and/or manually verify electrical communication between electrical contacts, with the results of such operations being input into a pokayoke system.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds