Patent Publication Number: US-7905266-B2

Title: Wire-gathering device, apparatus and method of winding tape utilizing same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a wire-gathering device for positioning wires such as a plurality of electrical wires at the center of a rotating drum when winding the electrical wires with an adhesive tape. The present invention also relates to an apparatus and a method of winding the adhesive tape around the wires utilizing the wire-gathering device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
       FIG. 6  shows a conventional tape-winding apparatus having a conventional electrical wire-gathering device (JP, H07-215599, A and especially FIG. 9). 
     The tape-winding apparatus  65  is a handy type and includes a rotating drum  67  having a notch  66  to accept a plurality of electrical wires (not shown), a positioning plate  68  as an electrical wire-gathering device to slidably adjust an inner width of the notch  67 , a swing plate  69  to support the positioning plate  68  with a roller, and a tape reel  71  disposed on an axle  70  of the swing plate  69  and wound with an adhesive tape. 
     The positioning plate  68  includes an L-shaped electrical wire support surface  68   a , which forms a rectangular shaped wire support face with a support surface  66   a  of the notch  66 . The electrical wires are inserted into the notch  66  and the positioning plate  68  is moved to abut an outer periphery of the electrical wires. The rotating drum  67  is then rotated with a motor to wind the outer periphery of the electrical wires with the adhesive tape. 
     JP, H07-215599, A also discloses that a tape-winding apparatus includes a pair of positioning plates (not shown) symmetrically positioned each having a circular support surface, the positioning plates being symmetrically slid to support the electrical wires at the center of a rotating drum. 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  show a conventional tape-winding apparatus (JP, H09-183413, A) having a conventional electrical wire-gathering device. 
     The tape-winding apparatus  50  is a stationary type and includes a rotating drum  57  having a notch  61  to accept a plurality of electrical wires in a bundle, a pair of brushes  62  as an electrical gathering device disposed in the notch  61 , a motor to drive the rotating drum  57  via a gear  58 , rollers  52 ,  55  and a guide plate  56  to supply an adhesive tape made of a synthetic resin to a side of an opening  61   a  of the notch  61 , a gear  53  to drive the roller  52 , and a movable blade  59  and a stationary blade  60  to cut the adhesive tape  54  short of the rotating drum  57 . 
     The electrical wires  63  and the adhesive tape  54  are both inserted between the brushes  62  and the adhesive tape  54  is wound around the electrical wires  63  in a direction indicated by an arrow to gather the electrical wires  63 . 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  are a conventional handy type tape-winding apparatus including an electrical wire-gathering device. 
     The electrical wire-gathering device includes a rotating drum  73  having a notch  74 , in which a rectangular slider  75  is supported back-and-forth with a coil spring  76 . 
     At beginning of winding an adhesive tape  78 , a plurality of electrical wires  77  are loosely positioned approximately at the center of the rotating drum  73  with a slider  75  as shown in  FIG. 8A . An end portion  78   a  of the adhesive tape  78  bonds a return portion  78   b . As shown in  FIG. 8B , the rotating drum  73  rotates about one revolution and the adhesive tape  78  is thus wound around the electrical wires  77  as a primary winding. Further rotation of the rotating drum  73  in the same direction enables a plurality of windings of the adhesive tape  78  around the electrical wires  77  as a secondary winding (not shown). 
     The conventional electrical wire-gathering devices utilizing the positioning plate  68  or the like (not shown) have a disadvantage to move to and abut the positioning plate  68  the outer surface of the electrical wires for gathering, resulting in a tolerance work and complicated structure. 
     The conventional electrical wire-gathering device of  FIG. 7B  encounters problems for outer diameters of the electrical wires  63 . When the diameter of the bundled electrical wires is much smaller than the gap between the pair of brushes, the electrical wires  63  swing between the brushes  62 , and when the diameter thereof is much larger than the gap between the pair of brushes, the brushes  62  get crushed. 
     The conventional electrical wire-gathering device of  FIGS. 8A-8C  has a disadvantage such that the electrical wires  77  wound in the primary winding move along a receiving surface  75   a  in a lateral direction of the notch  74  when the rotating drum  73  rotates approximately by one revolution as shown in  FIG. 8C . A further rotation of the rotating drum  73  swings the electrical wires  77 , resulting in losing its own looks at the secondary winding. 
     These problems encounter winding of a corrugated tube (protection tube of harness) covering the electrical wires  63  and other wires besides the electrical wires  63 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a wire-gathering device to position a plurality of wires such as electrical wires without swing at the center of a rotating drum with ease and with a simple configuration regardless of size of an outer diameter of the bundled wires, and also provide a tape-winding apparatus and a method of winding the tape around the wires utilizing the wire-gathering device. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention, a wire-gathering device includes a rotating drum having a notch for allowing insertion of a plurality of wires and an adhesive tape together; and a band disposed in the notch for resiliently supporting and gathering the wires with a curved surface thereof. 
     Preferably, the band is resilient. 
     Preferably, the wire-gathering device further includes a slider slidably disposed in the notch and fixing the band, wherein the slider is urged toward an opening of the notch with a resilient member. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, a tape-winding apparatus includes the wire-gathering device, wherein the wires are wound around with the adhesive tape with the rotating drum when the wires are positioned at the center of the rotating drum along the band. 
     According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method of winding the adhesive tape around the wires utilizes the wire-gathering device, wherein the wires are wound around with the adhesive tape with the rotating drum when the wires are positioned at the center of the rotating drum along the band. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a plan view of a tape-winding apparatus including an electrical wire-gathering device according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  a front view of the tape-winding apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  is a front view showing setting a plurality of electrical wires in bundle in a rotating drum of the electrical wire-gathering device; 
         FIG. 2B  is a front view showing a primary winding of an adhesive tape around the electrical wires; 
         FIG. 3A  is a front view showing the electrical wire-gathering device in an initial state; 
         FIG. 3B  is a front view showing the electrical wire-gathering device gathering the electrical wires; 
         FIG. 4A  is a front view showing that the adhesive tape is cut; 
         FIG. 4B  is a front view showing the rotating drum winding the adhesive tape around the electrical wires as a secondary winding; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the electrical wire-gathering device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of a conventional tape-winding apparatus having a conventional electrical wire-gathering device; 
         FIG. 7A  is a plan view of a conventional tape-winding apparatus having a conventional electrical wire-gathering device; 
         FIG. 7B  is a front view of the electrical wire-gathering device of  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 8A  is a plan view showing a first step of winding an adhesive tape with a conventional electrical wire-gathering device; 
         FIG. 8B  is a plan view showing a second step of winding the adhesive tape with the conventional electrical wire-gathering device; and 
         FIG. 8C  is a plan view showing a third step of winding the adhesive tape with the conventional electrical wire-gathering device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  are an embodiment of a tape-winding apparatus having a wire-gathering device of the present invention.  FIGS. 2A and 2B  are an embodiment of a method of winding a tape with the tape-winding apparatus utilizing the wire-gathering device. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the tape-winding apparatus  1  includes a rotating drum  6  as a tape-winding portion  3  at a front side of a case  2 , a driving portion  4  at a middle portion of the case  2 , and an adhesive tape-supplying device  5  at a rear side of the case  2 . The tape-winding apparatus  1  is a stationary type and is adapted to a handy type if it is reduced in size and weight. 
     The tape-winding portion  3  includes the rotating drum  6  having a notch  8 , a stationary annular belt  35  disposed around an outer surface of the rotating drum  6 , a circular shaped tape-cutting belt  7  disposed back-and-forth around an outer surface of the annular belt  35 , and an electrical wire chuck (not shown) disposed on one or both sides of the center of the rotating drum  6 . 
     A tape pushing portion  7   a  is disposed at a front end of the cutting belt  7  and a stationary blade  35   a  is disposed at a front end of the annular belt  35 . The tape pushing portion  7   a  and the stationary blade  35   a  are opposite to each other with respect to the notch  8 . The cutting belt  7  is driven with a motor and moved down along an opening  8   a  of the notch  8 . The tape pushing portion  7   a  is pushed down to cut an adhesive tape  17  with the stationary blade  35   a.    
     The adhesive tape  17  is supplied with an adhesive tape reel  16  thorough a guide plate and a guide roller (not shown) to the rotating drum  6  and trails down along the opening  8   a  of the notch  8 . A trailed portion  17   a  of the adhesive tape  17  is inserted into the notch  8  together with a plurality of electrical wires (wires)  33  as indicated by a dot-dashed line in  FIG. 1B . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A , a slider  21  made of a synthetic resin is disposed inside of the notch  8  of the rotating drum  6  and slidable along a longitudinal direction of the notch  8 . The slider  21  is urged by a compression coil spring (resilient member)  22  toward the opening  8   a.    
     The notch  8  extends longer than the conventional one and has an extended space  40  to permit sliding of the slider  21 . The compression coil spring  22  is disposed between the slider  21  and a rear end of the notch  8 . Both ends of the compression spring  22  are fixed or abut the associated surfaces. The notch  8  is formed along a radial direction of the rotating drum  6  and passes the center of the rotating drum  6 . The center line of the notch  8  crosses the center of the rotating drum  6 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A , the slider  21  includes a curved rubber band  25  to accept the electrical wires  33  and the adhesive tape  17  together. The slider  21 , the coil spring  22 , and the rubber band  25  configure an electrical wire-gathering device  18 . 
     The slider  21  includes a rectangular block body  32  and opposed parallel walls  34  extending forwardly from both end portions of the block body  32 . The opposed walls  34  fix the respective ends of the rubber band  25 . 
     The upper and lower walls  34  and a front end surface  32   a  of the block body  32  define a rectangular space  37  (deflection receiving chamber) to accept deflection of the rubber band  25 . A curved surface  36  depicted by a dot-dashed line can replace the front end surface  32   a  and is connected to the respective walls  34 . The curved surface  36  properly accepts the maximum deflection of the rubber band  25  and assists gathering of the electrical wires as shown in  FIG. 3B . 
     Movement of the slider  21  and retraction of the rubber band  25  are capable of accepting outer diameters of various sizes of the bundled electrical wires  33 , and gather the electrical wires  33  inside the adhesive tape  17  in a direction indicated by an arrow in  FIG. 3B . The curved surface of the rubber band  25  serves as a path to guide the electrical wires  33  toward the center of the rotating drum  6 . The rubber band  25  in  FIG. 3B  expands to the right more than the rubber band  25  in  FIG. 3A , resulting in a smaller diameter. 
     It is preferable that the rubber band  25  has the curved surface at the initial state. The stretched rubber band is also capable of gathering the electrical wires  33  since both ends thereof are fixed. Insertion of the electrical wires  33  deflects the rubber band  25  to gather the electrical wires  33  along the curved surface. 
     A large number of the electrical wires  33  or the bundle of the electrical wires each having a large diameter pushes more the coil spring  22 . 
     It is preferable that the rubber band  25  of the slider  21  with urge of the coil spring  22  is positioned at the center of the rotating drum  6  or ahead, i.e. between the center and the opening  8   a , prior to inserting the electrical wires  33 . Force-insertion of the electrical wires  33  and the adhesive tape  17  moves backwardly the slider  21  and compresses the coil spring  22 . “Front side” in the specification designates the left side of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  where the opening  8   a  of the notch  8  is initially positioned. 
     The electrical wires  33  loosely bound are inserted into the notch  8  together with the adhesive tape  17  in a direction indicated by an arrow of  FIG. 2A . The electrical wires  33  push backwardly strongly the rubber band  25  as indicated by a dash-dotted line. The electrical wires  33  are gathered toward the center of a height direction along the curved rubber band  25 . The coil spring  22  is compressed and the slider  21  is moved backwardly. Resilience of the rubber band  25  and the coil spring  22  position the electrical wires  33  to the center of the rotating drum  6 . The electrical wires  33  may be held by a worker or with the chucks at both right and left sides of the rotating drum  6 . 
     It is preferable that a force to deflect the rubber band  25  is smaller than a force of the coil spring  22  so that the coil spring  22  can be compressed and the slider  21  can be moved backwardly when the rubber band  25  is largely deflected backwardly or abuts the front end surface  32   a  of the block body  32 . 
     An end portion  17   a ′ of the adhesive tape  17  bonds to an opposite adhesive surface positioned above. The rotating drum  6  is then rotated by about one or half rotation in a direction indicated by an arrow (counterclockwise direction) in  FIG. 2B  to wind the electrical wires  33  with the adhesive tape  17  as a primary winding.  2 B. The electrical wires  33  of  FIG. 2B  are intimately gathered together compared with the electrical wires  33  of  FIG. 2A , resulting in a smaller diameter of the bundled electrical wires  33 . The slider  21  accordingly pushes forwardly the electrical wires  33  with resilience of the coil spring  22  to position the electrical wires  33  at the center of the rotating drum  6 . 
     The cutting belt  7  is rotated counterclockwise to cut the adhesive tape  17  with the stationary blade  35   a  and the tape pushing portion  7   a .  FIG. 4A  shows that the rotating drum  6  is further rotated by half rotation from  FIG. 2B . A further rotation of the rotating drum  6  winds the adhesive tape  17  around the electrical wires  33  as a secondary winding. The bundled electrical wires  33  are always positioned at the center of the rotating drum  6  by means of the rubber band  25  and the slider  21 . The tape pushing portion  7   a  can be replaced with a movable blade and the stationary blade  35   a  can be replaced with the tape pushing portion. 
     The bundled electrical wires  33  are always positioned at the center of the rotating drum  6  and swing thereof is thus avoided. The electrical wires  33  are thus wound smoothly and assuredly with the adhesive tape  17  by a specified length without crease of the adhesive tape  17 . The crease of the adhesive tape  17  is caused by cavities between the electrical wires  33 . The positioning of the electrical wires  33  to the center of the rotating drum  6  as shown in  FIG. 2A  and the gathering of the electrical wire  33  to the center of the curved rubber band  25  as shown in  FIG. 3B  avoid the cavities and prevent generating creases. 
     The driving portion  4  of the tape-winding apparatus  1  includes devices to drive the rotating drum  6 , the cutting belt  7 , and an adhesive tape-supplying device  5 . The driving portion  4  described below is purely exemplary and is designed to modify if necessary. 
     The rotating drum  6  is integral with a gear  9  engaging with a pair of driving gears  10 ,  11 . The gears  10 ,  11  are driven in the a same direction with a motor  13  via a belt  12 . One of the gears  10 ,  11  always drives to rotate counterclockwise the rotating drum  6  regardless of the position of the notch  8  of the rotating drum  6 . 
     The cutting belt  7  is integral with a gear (a circular rack, not shown) engaging with a gear  14 . The gear  14  is driven with a motor  15  by a counterclockwise direction of 90 degrees. The motors  13  and  15  are fixed to the case  2 . 
     The adhesive tape-supplying device  5  includes an axle  27  of a large diameter to hold the adhesive tape reel  16 , a central axle (not shown) passing through the axle  27  to rotatably support the adhesive tape reel  16 , a circular disk  19 , an one way bearing  20  projecting from the rotating drum  19 , a plurality of guide rollers (not shown) with a small diameter, a small gear  23  disposed on a axial portion of the one way bearing  20 , and an internal gear (fixed gear)  24  with a large diameter, engaging the small gear  23 . 
     The electrical wire-gathering device  18  of  FIGS. 2A , B and  3 A,  3 B are also adapted to a handy type or a stationary type of the tape-winding apparatus  1 . 
     In  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the pair of walls  34  has high rigidity to deflect the rubber band  25 . It is appreciated that the pair of walls  34  can be flexible and the rubber band  25  can be replaced with a flexible curved resin band  25 . In this case, the electrical wires  33  push the resin band  25  as in  FIG. 2A  and are gathered to the center of the rotating drum  6  along the curved resin band  25 . The pair of walls  34  thus inwardly deflect and allow deflection of the resin band  25  with a small flexion. 
     The coil spring  22  to urge the slider  21  can be replaced with a resilient member such as a leaf spring, a helical spring, or a rubber. 
     It is appreciated that the rubber band  25  is disposed in the notch  8  of the rotating drum  6  without the slider  21 . Although this configuration loses the large absorbance of position displacement of the slider  21 , the rubber band  26  absorbs the small position displacement and gathers the electrical wires  33  to the center of the rotating drum  6  along the curved surface thereof. 
       FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the wire-gathering device of the present invention. Portions other than the wire-gathering device are same as the tape-winding apparatus  1  of  FIG. 1 . 
     The wire-gathering device  18 ′ includes a rubber band  25 ′ integrally fixed to an end (rear end) of a notch  8 ′ of a rotating drum  6 ′. The rubber band  25 ′ is fixed with roll-in or adhesion to both ends of a board member  39  which is fixed to an end surface  8   b  of the notch  8 ′. The board member  39  and the rubber band  25 ′ form a deflection receiving chamber  37 ′. 
     A curved surface of the board member  39  functions same as the curved surface of the slider  21  of  FIG. 3B . The rubber band  25 ′ is slightly deflected initially. Force-press of the electrical wires  33  deflects the rubber band  25 ′ and positions the electrical wires  33  at the center of the rotating drum  6 ′ along the curved surface of the rubber band  25 ′. 
     It is appreciated that a ring-shaped rubber band (not shown) can be utilized and a part of a circumferential wall thereof is fixed to the end surface  8   b  of the notch  8 ′. A slider  21 ′ can be disposed on the rotating drum  6 ′ indicated by a dot-dashed line in  FIG. 5 . The slider  21 ′ is urged toward an opening of the notch  8 ′ with a resilient member such as the coil spring  22  in an extended space  40 ′. The rubber band  25 ′ is attached to slider  21 ′. 
     When the slider  21 ′ is not disposed, a front end surface of the rubber band  25 ′ in a free state is positioned nearly at the center or a little close to the opening of the notch  8 ′ of the rotating drum  6 ′ so that the force-insertion of the bundled electrical wires  33  deflects the rubber band  25 ′ and gathers the electrical wires  33  toward the center of the rotating drum  6 ′. When the slider  21 ′ is disposed, it is preferable to set a suitable combination of elastic forces of the rubber band  25 ′ and coil spring  22  so that the bundled electrical wires  33  deflect backwardly the rubber band  25 ′ and push back the slider  21 ′. 
       FIG. 5  shows that a notch  41  of the case  2 , which covers the rotating drum  6 ′, is rotated about half rotation with respect to the rotating drum  6 ′. The electrical wires  33  are inserted into the notch  8 ′ when the notches  41  and  8 ′ are aligned. 
     The technical features of the present invention are summarized below. The flexible curved surface has more advantage than the conventional non-flexible curved surface. The combined use of the band and the slider can limit the amount of deflection and the length of the band. The configuration of the rotating drum is simplified, resulting in low cost manufacturing by virtue of the band. The simple operation such as deflection of the band achieves positioning of the wires. The outer diameter of the bundled wires is limited by the inner width of the notch regardless of size and number of wires in the bundled wires. 
     The above embodiment is adapted to the electrical wires  33  but also adapted to hose of small diameter or non-power supply cable.