METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ALIGNING PREFABRICATED CABLE ENDS OF A CABLE HARNESS IN CORRECT ROTATIONAL POSITION

• US 20180093849A1
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Published: 04/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komax Holding AG
• Original Assignee: Komax Holding AG
• Inventors: ESTERMANN, Beat, HUGENER, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 10,723,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 69/06 by splicing grommets made by splicing D07B1/18, auxiliary apparatus for splicing ropes or cables D07B7/169
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 3/04 and are arranged in tandem along the axis of the machine , e.g. tubular or high-speed type stranding machine
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 7/16 Auxiliary apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 7/167 for joining rope components
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 7/169 for interconnecting two cable or rope ends, e.g. by splicing or sewing fixation or holding of the ends prior to or during splicing D07B7/162; joining the rope or cable components individually or joining the rope ends by permanent means such as welding, gluing or crimp sleeve D07B7/167; preparing the splice by opening the ends D07B7/18
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/0036 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/0207 Details; Auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/0257 being a perforated disc
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/1292 Devices for dismantling twisted filaments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for aligning prefabricated cable ends (111, 121) of a cable strand (100), twisted in particular, with at least two cables (110, 120) in the correct rotational position, wherein the entire cable strand (100) is rotated by means of a rotary gripping device (30) on a section (101) which is connected to the cable ends and is rotated by means of a rotary gripping device (30) in particular, and each cable (110) that has already been aligned remains secured in its ideal rotational position in a section (112) of its free cable end (111), in particular untwisted, by means of a respective cable grip (10, 20).

Claims

1. A method for aligning prefabricated cable ends (111, 121) of a cable strand (100), which is twisted in particular, in the correct rotational position with at least two cables (110, 120), wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a. Rotating the entire cable strand (100) comprised of at least two cables on a section (101) of the cable strand (100), in particular a twisted section, connected to the cable ends, for alignment of the free cable end (111), in particular the untwisted cable end, of a cable to be aligned of the at least two cables (110, 120) in a predetermined ideal rotational position with respect to its longitudinal axis (L) of the cable, wherein at least the cable end (111) of the cable (110) to be aligned is freely rotatable during the rotation of the cable strand (100);

b. Securing the aligned cable (110) on a section (112) of a free cable end (111), in particular untwisted, in its ideal rotational position;

c. Repeating steps a. and b. for each additional cable (120) of the cable strand (100) to be aligned, wherein each cable (110) already aligned remains secured in its ideal rotational position on a section (112) of its free cable end (111), in particular its untwisted cable end.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each cable (120) not yet aligned is secured on one section (122) of its free cable end (121), in particular its untwisted cable end, while the cable strand (110) is rotated to align a cable end (111) of a cable (110) to be aligned.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein an actual rotational position of the cable end (111) of at least one cable (110) to be aligned, in particular each cable to be aligned is determined before and/or during the rotation of the cable strand (100).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the free cable end (111), in particular untwisted, of at least one cable to be aligned, in particular each cable to be aligned, is guided rotatably, while the cable strand (100) is rotated to align the respective cable end (111).

5. A device (1) for aligning prefabricated cable ends (111, 121) of a cable strand (100), in particular twisted, with at least two cables (110, 120), in the correct rotational position, for carrying out a method according to claim 1, wherein the device (1) comprises a rotary gripping device (30) for gripping the cable strand (100) on a section (101) of the cable strand (100), in particular twisted, connected to the cable ends (111, 121) and rotating the cable strand (110) about its longitudinal axis (L), wherein the device (1) has a separate cable grip (10, 20) for releasably gripping the cable (110, 120) aligned by means of the rotary gripping device (30) in its correct rotational position on a section (112, 122) of its free cable end (111, 121), in particular its untwisted cable end.

6. The device (1) according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the at least two, preferably all the cable grips (10, 20) comprises at least one pair of gripping jaws (11, 12;

21, 22) adjustable relative to one another, said gripping jaws being movable into a closed position for securely holding and clamping a cable end (111, 121), into an open position for receiving and releasing a cable end (111, 121) and preferably into an intermediate position for at least partial radial enclosing and guiding of a cable end (111, 121) along its longitudinal cable axis (L).

7. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the gripping jaws (11, 12;

21, 22) of the at least one cable grip (10, 20) are designed to additionally accommodate the cable end (121, 111) of at least one additional cable, and in the closed position plus preferably also in the intermediate position, to at least partially radially enclose the cable end in the intermediate position and to guide it along its longitudinal cable axis (L).

8. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the gripping jaws (11, 12;

21, 22) of the cable grip (10, 20) have corresponding gripping troughs or receiving troughs (11.1, 12.1, 11.2, 12.2;

21.1, 22.1, 21.2, 22.2) for securing, partial radial encompassing and/or guidance of the respective cable ends (111, 121).

9. The device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the rotary gripping device (30) on the at least two cable grips (10, 20) are arranged in the longitudinal direction (L) of a cable strand (100) to be aligned in succession by means of the device (1).

10. The device (1) according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the at least two, preferably all the cable grips (10, 20) can be fed transversely, in particular at a right angle to the longitudinal direction (L) of a cable strand (100) to be aligned by means of the device (1) preferably by means of a forward motion device to the respective cable end (111, 121).

11. The device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the device (1) also has a detection device (40) for detecting the respective actual rotational position of the prefabricated cable ends (111, 121).

12. The device (1) according to claim 11, wherein the detection device (40) has a digital camera (41) for detecting and determining the respective actual rotational position of the prefabricated cable ends (111, 121) or an optical projection sensor as well as an image analysis device and preferably a lighting device.

13. The device (1) according to claim 11, wherein at least parts of the detection device (40), in particular the digital camera (41) or the projection sensors, is/are positioned on the front side or radially at the side in the area of the cable ends (111, 121) to be aligned by means of the device (1).

14. The device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the device (1) also has a control device which is operatively connected to the rotary gripping device (30), the at least two cable grips (10, 20) and the detection device (40) for regulated alignment of the prefabricated cable ends (11, 121) in their respective correct ideal rotational position with the rotary gripping device (30).

15. The cable assembly device for assembly of plug housings with prefabricated cable ends (111, 121) of a cable strand (100), twisted in particular, with at least two cables (110, 120), wherein the cable assembly device has a device (1) according to claim 5 for aligning the prefabricated cable ends (111, 121) in the correct rotational position with respect to the plug housings to be assembled.