Abstract:
An embodiment of a wire stripping system includes: a heating chamber having at least one opening; an electric heating device configured to heat said heating chamber; and wherein heat generated by said heating device is configured to burn the insulation on a portion of a wire.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     Some existing wire stripping systems remove insulation from a wire (e.g., magnet wire) using heat to burn off the exterior insulation, using chemicals, and using mechanical means of stripping. However, such wire stripping systems may be complicated, costly and/or may damage thin magnet wires while removing the exterior insulation from the wire. Therefore there exists a need for systems and methods that address these and/or problems associated with existing wire stripping systems.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0002]     Systems and methods for stripping insulation off insulated wires without damaging said insulated wires are provided. An embodiment of a wire stripping system includes: a heating chamber having at least one opening; an electric heating device configured to heat said heating chamber; and wherein heat generated by said heating device is configured to burn the insulation on a portion of a wire.  
         [0003]     A method for using a wire stripping system includes: inserting a portion of an insulated wire into a heating chamber of a wire stripping system; removing said portion from said heating chamber responsive to feedback from said wire stripping system indicating that insulation has been burned on said portion; and wherein said insulation is removed responsive to heat within said heating chamber.  
         [0004]     A method for operating a wire stripping system, said method comprising: receiving a portion of an insulated wire into a heating chamber of a wire stripping system; heating said heating chamber to a predetermined temperature; and providing a signal to a user instructing said user to remove said portion from said heating chamber after insulation has been burned on said portion.  
         [0005]     Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting an example of a wire stripping system according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2A-2B  are schematic diagrams depicting an example of a heating system according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3A-3B  are schematic diagrams depicting an example of a wire stripping system according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3C-3D  are schematic diagrams depicting the internal components of a wire stripping system according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting a method for operating a wire stripping system according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart depicting a method for determining a required temperature and a time according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart depicting a method for operating a wire stripping system according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7A-7B  are graphs depicting temperature versus time in a heating chamber according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a graph depicting an example temperature versus time in a heating chamber according to an embodiment of the invention, among others.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]     As will be described in greater detail herein, an embodiment of the present invention comprises a wire stripping system to burn the insulation off of a wire (e.g., a magnet wire, also known as a winding wire) and strip off insulating material from thin wires by light polish via a heating device (e.g. nichrome wire heating element or any other suitable material). The wire stripping system may be configured to burn off insulation from wires of various diameters. The wire stripping system may be contained in a case which may be fixed or portable and may be powered by an external or an internal power supply. The case of the wire stripping device may include a feedback mechanism on the exterior (e.g., Audible sound, a light-emitting diode (LED), etc.).  
         [0017]     One application of the wire stripping system is stripping insulation off extremely thin wires (e.g., 25-56 AWG, less than 0.03 inches in diameter). It is important to monitor and regulate the temperature in a heating chamber to remove the insulation off the thin wire so as to not damage the wire itself. The charred insulation may be removed, for example, using a fine (e.g., 600 Grid) polishing paper. Logic and timing circuits may limit the time the heating device is active to produce the desired temperature in the heating chamber. For successive uses, the wire stripping system may include a cooling device (e.g., fan using factory air or other inert gases) to bring the system back to an ambient temperature. Alternatively to increase the usage rate, the wire stripping system may comprise a logic and timing circuit which measures the temperature inside the heating chamber and heats the heating device responsive to the current temperature.  
         [0018]     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting an example of a wire stripping system  10  according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. The wire stripping system  10  may comprise a power supply  11 , a timing circuit  12 , a logic circuit  13 , a thermometer  14 , a heating device  15 , a heating chamber  16 , and a cooling device  17 . The power supply  11  provides electrical power to the wire stripping system  10 . The power supply  11  may be external or internal to the wire stripping system  11  and may be, for example, an AC powered electrical device or a battery powered device. A portion of an insulated wire (e.g., a magnet wire) is placed into the heating chamber  16 . The heating device  15  heats the heating chamber  16  to a predetermined temperature to burn the insulation off the wire and remove the insulation by light polish. The logic circuit  13  is configured to monitor and control the temperature in the interior of the heating chamber  16 . The thermometer  14  may provide the interior temperature of the heating chamber  16 . The timing circuit  12  is configured to determine the time a portion of the insulated wire is inside the heating chamber  16 . The user may be alerted of the status by audible or visible notification (e.g., LED status and/or beep).  
         [0019]      FIG. 2A-2B  are schematic diagrams depicting an example of a heating system  20  according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. In this example, the heating system  20  comprises a bobbin  21 , a heating chamber  16 , a heating device  15 , and a power supply  11 . An insulated wire is inserted into the heating chamber  16 . The heating chamber  16  is located in the interior of the bobbin  21  and contains an opening for an insulated wire to be inserted. The bobbin  21  comprises a suitable material for the transmission of heat to the heating chamber  16 . The heating device  15  is connected to the power supply  11 . In this example, the heating device  15  is located on or around the bobbin  21  to provide heat to the heating chamber  16 . The heating device  15  may comprise, for example, a nichrome wire heating element and/or any other suitable material.  
         [0020]     In one implementation, among others, a bobbin  21  may be a cylindrical shape comprising an interior cylinder and two exterior cylinders. The heating device  15  may be located, for example, around the interior cylinder. A diameter of the exterior cylinders may be at least 0.25 inches or any other defined diameter, depending on a defined implementation. A diameter of the interior cylinder may be less than the diameter of the exterior cylinder. A heating chamber  16  may be at least 0.03 inches in diameter, or any other defined diameter, depending on the defined implementation. The length from one exterior cylinder to the other exterior cylinder may be, for example, at least 0.22 inches. The length of the interior cylinder may be at least 0.16 inches.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3A-3B  are schematic diagrams depicting an example of a wire stripping system  10 - 1  according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. The wire stripping system  10 - 1  comprises a power supply  11 , a heating chamber  16 , a start button  31 , a wait LED  32 , and a ready LED  33 . In this example, the power supply  11  is an external power supply connected to the wire stripping system  10 - 1 . The power supply  11  connects to a power source  35  (e.g., AC 110V outlet). The heating chamber  16  comprises an opening for a portion of an insulated wire to be placed inside. The wire stripping system  10 - 1  includes a start button  31  for the user to press to activate the wire stripping system  10 - 1 . The top of the wire stripping system  10 - 1  includes two light emitting diodes (LED) to provide status information to the user. For example, the wait LED  32  is illuminated to tell the user not to insert an insulated wire or to keep an insulated wire already in the heating chamber  16  in place. The ready LED  33  is illuminated to tell the user the heating chamber  16  is ready for an insulated wire or to remove an insulated wire already in the heating chamber  16 . An example operation of the wait LED  32  and the ready LED  33  is included in method  40  ( FIG. 4 ) and method  60  ( FIG. 6 ).  
         [0022]      FIG. 3C-3D  are schematic diagrams depicting the internal components of a wire stripping system  10 - 1  according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. The wire stripping system  10 - 1  comprises a heating system  20  ( FIGS. 2A and 2B ), a heating device  15 , a heating chamber  16 , a start button  31 , a logic and timing circuit  34 , and a power supply  11 . The power supply  11  connects to the wire stripping system  10 - 1 . In  FIG. 3C , the power supply  11  is located external to the wire stripping system  10 - 1  and in  FIG. 3D , the power supply  11  is located internal to the wire stripping system  10 - 1 . The power supply  11  connects to a power source  35  (e.g., AC 110V outlet). In this example, the heating system  20  is depicted in  FIGS. 2A-2B  and comprises a heating chamber  16  and a heating device  15 . The heating chamber  16  has an opening for an insulated wire to be inserted. The heating element  15  connects to the logic and timing circuit  34  where its temperature and time are regulated.  
         [0023]     The logic and timing circuit  34  connects to the start button  31 , to the power supply  11 , and to the heating device  15 . The logic and timing circuit  34  is configured to monitor and control the temperature inside the heating system  20 . Additionally, the logic and timing circuit  34  is configured to regulate the time a portion of an insulated wire is in the heating chamber  16 . The start button  31  activates the logic and timing circuit  34 . The logic and timing circuit  34  provides power from the power supply  11  to the heating device (e.g., based on previously established and characterized routine). Finally, the logic and timing circuit  34  controls the wait LED  32  and ready LED  33  in  FIG. 3A  to notify the user when to start or remove the wire from the heating chamber  16 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting a method  40  for operating a wire stripping system  10  according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. The method  40  comprises inserting a portion of an insulated wire into a heating chamber, as indicated in step  41 . A start button is pressed to activate the wire stripping system, as indicated in step  42 . A logic and a timing circuits determine the required temperature and time in the heating chamber, as indicated in step  43 . A visual and/or an audio feedback indicates the wire heating has initiated, as indicated in step  44 . For example, an LED may be turned off while the insulated wire is in the chamber. A visual and/or an audio feedback indicates the wire is ready to be removed from the heating chamber, as indicated in step  44 . For example, an LED may be turned on to alert a user to remove the wire. The wire is removed from the heating chamber, as indicated in step  45 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart depicting a method  50  for determining a required temperature and a time according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. The method  50  comprises starting the logic circuit (e.g., via a start button) (step  51 ); determining the current temperature in the heating chamber by a thermometer (step  52 ); determining the power input to the beating device responsive to the determined current temperature (step  53 ); and setting the heating time in the heating chamber responsive to the logic circuit (step  54 ).  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart depicting a method  60  for operating a wire stripping system  10  according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. The method  60  comprises inserting a portion of an insulated wire into a heating chamber, as indicated in step  61 . A start button is pressed to activate the wire stripping system, as indicated in step  62 . A visual and/or an audio feedback indicates the wire heating has initiated, as indicated in step  63 . For example, an LED may be turned off while the insulated wire is in the chamber. A visual and/or an audio feedback indicates the wire is ready to be removed from the heating chamber, as indicated in step  64 . For example, an LED may be turned on to alert a user to remove the wire. The wire is removed from the heating chamber, as indicated in step  65 . A visual and/or an audio feedback indicates the heating chamber is cooling, as indicated in step  66 . For example, an LED may be turned on to alert the user the heating chamber is not ready to receive another wire. A visual and/or an audio feedback indicates the heating chamber is ready to receive another wire, as indicated in step  67 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 7A  is a graph  70  depicting temperature versus time in a heating chamber according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. The graph  70  depicts an operation similar to the method  40  ( FIG. 4 ). Upon starting, a temperature  72  rises to a level responsive to the heating of the chamber. From this point, the temperature  72  cools over time. When the wire stripping system is started again, the system determines the current temperature and responds with heat to get to the require level as shown in method  40  ( FIG. 4 ). This allows the wire stripping system to be heated only as needed depending on the current temperature. Method  40  ( FIG. 4 ) allows the heating chamber to be reused without waiting for the temperature to stabilize at an ambient temperature.  
         [0028]      FIG. 7B  is a graph  71  depicting temperature versus time in a heating chamber according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. The graph  71  depicts an operation similar to the method  60  ( FIG. 6 ). Upon starting, a temperature  73  rises to the required level, and the heating chamber cools over time. The system may be used again once the heating chamber has cooled to an ambient temperature. A temperature  74  rises again to the required level after starting the system again.  
         [0029]      FIG. 8  is a graph  80  depicting an example temperature versus time in a heating chamber according to an embodiment of the invention, among others. In this example, the heating chamber is initially heated to approximately 950 deg. Celsius within approximately 5 seconds. The heating chamber remains at approximately 925 to 950 deg. Celsius for approximately 5 to 7 seconds while the wire is in the chamber, burning the insulation off the wire. The heating chamber cools from 925 deg. Celsius to the start temperature over approximately 80 seconds. In addition to the normal cooling, the heating chamber may include a cooling device (e.g., fan using factory air or other inert gases) to shorten the cooling time.  
         [0030]     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely possible examples, among others, of the implementations, setting forth a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the invention without departing substantially from the principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of the disclosure and present invention.