Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping includes an auxiliary bracket having a stripping blade coupled thereto to cut a part of a sheath of a cable to strip the cable, a sensor attached to the auxiliary bracket to sense bending deformation of the auxiliary bracket occurring when tensile force is applied to the cable to strip the cable, and a central processing unit configured to receive a signal sent in response to bending deformation of the auxiliary bracket and determine whether the cable has been stripped erroneously or not. The apparatus prevents erroneously stripped cables from being inserted into automobiles and home appliances, thereby reducing the possibility of malfunction caused by harnesses.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping and, more particularly, to an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping, which serves to prevent erroneously stripped cables from being inserted into automobiles and home appliances, thereby reducing the possibility of malfunction caused by harnesses. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    As is generally known in the art, when a cable is used for a harness, for example, part of the cable is cut using a blade to remove the sheath, and the exposed core portion is fastened to a terminal of the harness. 
         [0005]    In an attempt to improve on manual stripping operations, automated equipment using cutters actuated by driving motors has recently been proposed. However, this approach still has a problem in that some cables are stripped erroneously.  FIG. 1  is a front view of cables  300  showing various types cable stripping errors. Specifically, (a) only part of the cable sheath  310  is stripped; (b) part of the core  320  is cut; (c) none of the cable is stripped; and (d) both the sheath  310  and the core  320  are completely cut. These types of stripping errors occur if the automated equipment is not operated skillfully, if the stripping blade has been damaged, or if the removed sheath sticks to the stripping blade. 
         [0006]    Such erroneous cable stripping is difficult to spot with the naked eye. If an erroneously stripped cable is fastened to a terminal, the manufacturing cost increases unnecessarily. Furthermore, if an abnormally stripped cable is fastened to a terminal and inserted into an automobile or a home appliance, it usually causes a malfunction. 
         [0007]    The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for the enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that would already be known to a person skilled in the art. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Various aspects of the present invention provide an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping, which has a sensor for detecting the movement of a stripping blade during cable stripping so that any erroneous cable stripping can be detected. 
         [0009]    In an aspect of the present invention, the apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping includes an auxiliary bracket having a stripping blade coupled thereto to cut a part of a sheath of a cable to strip the cable; a sensor attached to the auxiliary bracket to sense bending deformation of the auxiliary bracket occurring when tensile force is applied to the cable to strip the cable; and a Central Processing Unit (CPU) configured to receive a signal sent in response to bending deformation of the auxiliary bracket and determine whether the cable has been stripped erroneously or not. 
         [0010]    The apparatus can further include an amplifier configured to receive the signal sent in response to bending deformation of the cable from the sensor, amplify the signal, and transmit the signal to the CPU. 
         [0011]    A standard value range to be compared with the signal amplified by the amplifier can be entered into the CPU, which determines that a signal deviating from the standard value range indicates erroneous stripping. 
         [0012]    The apparatus can further include a monitor configured to display a graph representing the signal amplified by the amplifier and the standard value range and inform the user of the determination that the cable has been stripped erroneously. 
         [0013]    The apparatus can further include a main bracket having a cutting blade coupled thereto to cut the cable, and a pair of the auxiliary brackets can be mounted on the main bracket so that respective stripping blades are positioned before and after the cutting blade. 
         [0014]    According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention as set forth above, the apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping can detect an erroneously stripped cable using sensors so that no erroneously stripped cable is unnecessarily fastened to a terminal, thereby minimizing unnecessary expense. 
         [0015]    The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description of the Invention, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a front view of cables showing various types of cable stripping errors; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a cable stripping apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  shows the construction of a cable stripping unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a partially-broken view showing the schematic construction of an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  shows an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  shows an exemplary stripping graph displayed on a monitor unit during erroneous cable stripping detection according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view showing the operating status of an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a cable stripping apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  shows the construction of a cable stripping unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is a partially-broken view showing the schematic construction of an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 5  shows an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , cable stripping apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a cable supply unit  20 , a cable stripping unit  10 , and a cable transfer unit  30 . 
         [0026]    The cable supply unit  20  is configured to supply a cable at a predetermined speed and move the cable forward/backward so that the front end of the cable is moved forward or backward by a predetermined distance, and after the movement, the length of the front end to be stripped is adjusted. 
         [0027]    The cable transfer unit  30  is configured to receive and hold the front end of the cable, which has been processed by the cable stripping unit  10 . The cable transfer unit  30  moves the received cable forward/backward so that the rear end of the cable is moved forward or backward by a preset distance, and after the movement, the length of the rear end to be stripped is adjusted. 
         [0028]    The cable stripping unit  10  is configured to cut the cable, which has been received from the cable supply unit  20 , and strip the front end of the rear cable. In addition, the cable stripping unit  10  strips the rear end of the front cable received from the cable transfer unit  30 . The cable stripping unit  10  may include an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping  100 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the cable stripping unit  10  includes a first body  11 , a second body  12 , and an actuating device (not shown) configured to move the first and second bodies  11  and  12  upward/downward. A cutting blade  111  and a stripping blade  121 , which face downward, are fixed to the first body  11 , and a cutting blade  211  and a stripping blade  221 , which face upward, are fixed to the second body  12 . 
         [0030]    The downward-facing cutting blade  111  is mounted on a main bracket  110  and fixed to the first body  11 . Auxiliary brackets  120  having downward-facing stripping blades  121  coupled thereto are mounted before and after the main bracket  110 , respectively. 
         [0031]    The upward-facing cutting blade  211  is fixed to the second body  12  so as to correspond to the downward-facing cutting blade  111 . Although the upward-facing cutting blade  211  is directly fixed to the second body  12  according to the present invention, it may be mounted on and fixed to a separate second main bracket (not shown). The upward-facing stripping blades  221  are fixed before and after the upward-facing cutting blade  211  so as to correspond to the downward-facing stripping blades  121 . The upward-facing stripping blades  221  are either directly fixed to the second body  12 , or are mounted on separate second auxiliary brackets (not shown) and mounted. 
         [0032]    The apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping includes sensors  130  mounted on the auxiliary brackets  120 , amplifiers  140  mounted on the main bracket  110 , and a Central Processing Unit (CPU)  150  configured to compare signals from the sensors with previously entered values to detect erroneous stripping. 
         [0033]    The sensors  130  are attached to the auxiliary brackets  120 , to which the downward-facing stripping blades  121  are coupled. The sensors  130  sense minute bending deformation of the auxiliary brackets  120 , which are subjected to force acting on the stripping blades  121  when stripping a cable, and detect erroneous stripping. 
         [0034]    The sensors  130  are attached to both auxiliary brackets  120 , positioned before and after the main bracket  110 , respectively, to detect any cable having an erroneously stripped front/rear end. 
         [0035]    The amplifiers  140  are positioned on top of the main bracket  110  and are connected with the sensors  130 . Two amplifiers  140  are connected to the sensors  130 , which are attached inside the auxiliary brackets  120 , respectively, to amplify minute signals sensed by the sensors  130 . 
         [0036]    When the CPU  150  is configured to measure signals sensed by the sensors  130 , signals may be directly transferred to the CPU  150  without being amplified by the amplifiers  140 . 
         [0037]    The amplified signals are transmitted to the CPU  150 . The CPU  150  has a range of standard values entered to serve as a reference for detecting erroneously stripped cables. The standard values are obtained by sampling a predetermined number of cables, measuring the amount of deformation of the stripping blades caused by stripping tensile force, and calculating the average. 
         [0038]    The more cables are sampled, the more accurately cables are stripped. The stripping tensile force varies depending on the cable thickness. Therefore, when cables of different thicknesses are to be stripped, signals generated when the first sample cable is stripped are analyzed to adjust the signal amplification ratio. When the CPU  150  receives a signal deviating from the range of standard values with reference to standard values within a predetermined allowable error range, it determines that the cable has been stripped erroneously. 
         [0039]    The allowable error range may be varied according to the stripping accuracy required by the operator, and the smaller the allowable error range is, the higher the stripping accuracy becomes. As shown in  FIG. 6 , the standard values within the allowable error range entered into the CPU  150  maintain constant values. If a line resulting from a stripping operation lies within the standard value range, the stripping is considered acceptable; if the line lies outside the range, the stripping is considered unacceptable. 
         [0040]    The apparatus may further include a monitor  160  for displaying a graph of standard values and measurements of deformation of the stripping blades during the stripping operation so that the user is informed of the status of the stripping operation, as well as the result of the determination of whether the stripping is acceptable or not. 
         [0041]    The CPU  150  controls the operation of the cable stripping apparatus so that, if a cable is stripped erroneously, the operation is suspended. The erroneously stripped cable is cut to prevent it from being fastened to a terminal. Alternatively, the cable is collected in a separate case to be separated or distinguished from normally stripped cables. 
         [0042]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view showing the operation status of an apparatus for detecting erroneous cable stripping according to the present invention. As shown in (a) and (b) of  FIG. 7 , the moment the stripping blades  121  and  221  positioned before and after the cutting blades  111  and  211  cut the sheath  310  of the cable to strip it, the cable moves backward, i.e. in the direction opposite the cable supply direction, so that part of the sheath  310  is removed. The tensile force applied to the sheath  310  as the cable is moved backward and stripped causes temporary minute deformation or vibration of the stripping blades  121  and  221 . 
         [0043]    The deformation or vibration of the stripping blades  121  and  221  is transmitted to the auxiliary brackets  120 , on which the stripping blades  121  and  221  are mounted, and is sensed by the sensors  130 , which then generate electric signals and transmit them to the amplifiers  140 . The signals are amplified by the amplifiers  140  and transmitted to the CPU  150 , which creates a graph of the amplified signals and outputs it to the monitor  160  to be displayed. 
         [0044]    A temperature sensor  170  may be used so that any temperature change, which heavily influences the sensors  130 , is compensated for, thereby preventing degradation of sensitivity of the sensors  130 . 
         [0045]    The CPU  150  compares/calculates signals from the amplifiers  140  with standard values within an allowable error range, which have been entered into the CPU  150 , to determine whether each cable has been stripped erroneously or not. If it is determined that the cable has been stripped acceptably, the operation continues; if not, the operation of the cable stripping apparatus is suspended, and a message announcing the erroneous stripping is provided audibly or visually through the monitor  160 . The user confirms that the cable has been stripped erroneously and disposes of it. The cable stripping apparatus is then restarted (refer to  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). 
         [0046]    As such, any erroneously stripped cable is detected by the above-mentioned construction and operation so that no abnormally stripped cable is unnecessarily fastened to a terminal. This avoids unnecessary expense. 
         [0047]    Furthermore, positioning of stripping blades before and after the main bracket, to which the cutting blade is coupled, improves operating efficiency and increases throughput. 
         [0048]    The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 
         [0049]    The present application is corresponding to Korean Patent Appln. No. 10-2009-008770 (filed Feb. 4, 2009), which is incorporated herein in its entirety.