Patent Publication Number: US-6658726-B1

Title: Cable deposit device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a cable deposit device for automatic cable processing units. 
     The manufacture of double crimped cables by means of automatic cable processing units is known, in which two cables having possibly different cross-sections and different lengths are mutually connected at their one-end by means of a single crimp contact and were likewise each provided with a crimp contact at their other ends. Here, there is a risk of the two cable portions which are mutually connected in this manner becoming tangled with one another, and, after their manufacture, necessitates immediate removal and spatial separation of the two free cable portions by hand, as well as an appropriate deposit area. 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a cable deposit device of the type mentioned at the outset, which does not have the above-described disadvantages of the previous devices, that is to say by means of which two cable which are processed parallel to one another are deposited in a cable deposit trough such that, even when they are mutually connected at one end by way of a double crimp contact, they are spaced apart from one another at least over part of their length so that they may be separated. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is explained in more detail below by way of example, with reference to the drawing, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a schematic sketch of an exemplary embodiment of a cable deposit device according to the invention combined with a previously known automatic cable processing unit; 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of part of the cable deposit device illustrated in the sketch of FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 3 to  5  shows perspective views analogous to FIG. 2, but illustrated in each case after a further operating step and without the receiving conveyor belt for the sake of clarity; 
     FIG. 6 shows a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, but from a different viewing angle, with the double crimped cable deposited in the first cable deposit trough; 
     FIG. 7 shows a perspective view analogous to FIG. 6, but as a double crimped cable is transferred from the first, laterally pivotal cable deposit trough into the second cable deposit trough, which may be drawn out in its longitudinal direction. 
     FIG. 8 shows, on an enlarged scale, a perspective view of the two cable gripping units mounted next to one another on a pivot arm according to FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 9 shows a section along the line A—A in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 shows a perspective view, illustrated in a partial section, of the drive of the swing-down separating unit associated with the cable gripping unit in FIG. 9; and 
     FIG. 11 shows a section along the line B—B in FIG.  10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention relates to a cable deposit device for automatic cable processing units for depositing two cables on at least one cable receiving surface, said cables being connected at their one end to form a double cable, cut to size and stretched out, and for separating these cables after they have been processed, a cable receiving region being formed in the region, of the ejection axes of cables conveyed out of the automatic cable processing unit, and a pivot arm having at least one cable gripping unit being provided in the cable entry region of said cable receiving region, said pivot arm serving to grip the rear ends—as seen in their transport direction—of the two cables and to supply the rear ends to be processed of the two cables to at least one cable processing station located in the pivot region of the pivot arm, the pivot region of he pivot arm extending. beyond :both ejection axes, and the last cable processing station in the cable processing procedure being constructed as a double crimping unit. 
     In the exemplary embodiment described, below, the cable receiving surface is formed by an upper carrying side of a continuously revolving receiving conveyor-belt  14  to form a region  15  for receiving and stretching out the cables. However, for shorter cables  3 ,  4 , a stationary cable receiving surface would suffice. 
     As can be seen in particular in FIG. 1, the cable deposit device  1  is connected to a conventional, previously known automatic cable processing unit  2  to form a common operating unit, and functions such that cables  3  and  4 , which have been processed by the automatic cable processing unit  2 , may be deposited separately for the manufacture of so-called double crimped cables  25  or for example two single conductors having different diameters. 
     By means of the two belt drive units  5  and  6 , the two cables  3  and  4  are supplied in known manner to a pivot head  7  which supplies the leading ends of the cables  3  and  4  to one or more of the processing stations  8  to  11  for the purpose of stripping them and then pressing a crimp contact thereon. 
     After the leading ends of the two cables  3  and  4  have been processed, they are ejected at high speed along the two ejection axes  12  and  13  into the cable deposit device  1 . 
     In the region of the two ejection axes  12 ,  13  of the two cables  3 , 4  conveyed out of the automatic cable processing unit  2 , a region  15  for receiving and stretching out the cables is formed by an upper carrying side of a continuously revolving receiving conveyor belt  14 . Here, the receiving conveyor belt  14  is guided by way of the two idler pulleys  16  and  17  (FIG.  2 ), and is driven by means of a drive motor  18  connected to the idler pulley  17 , such that the rotational speed of the receiving conveyor belt  14  is greater than the ejection speed of the two cables  3  and  4  conveyed out of the automatic cable processing unit  2 , in order that the two cables are received stretched out on the region  15  for receiving and stretching out the cables. 
     A pivot arm  21  having two cable gripping units  19  and  20  is provided in the cable entry region of the receiving conveyor belt  14 , said pivot arm being intended for gripping the rear ends-as seen in their transport direction-of the two cables  3  and  4  and for supplying the rear ends of the two cables  3  and  4  to a stripping unit  42  located in the pivot region of the pivot arm  21 , then to a unit  43  for bringing the cable ends together, and then to a double crimping unit  22 . Here, the unit  43  for bringing the cable ends together may be constructed in the manner described in the unpublished European patent application 98 810 861.9. In the unit  43  for bringing the cable ends together, the previously stripped rear ends of the two cables  3  and  4  are placed together and then mutually connected in a double crimping unit  22  by means of a common crimp contact. 
     Here, the pivot arm  21  provided with two cable gripping units  19  and  20  may be part of the automatic cable processing unit  2  or part of the cable deposit device  1 . 
     Here, in known manner, a first motor drive  47  serves to pivot the pivot arm  21  in precisely controlled manner, and a second motor drive  46  serves to displace the latter in the longitudinal direction (FIG.  8 ). 
     As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to  7 , in that pivoted position of the pivot arm  21  (illustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 1) which is. associated with the unit  43  for bringing the cable ends together, provided below the two cable gripping units  19  and  20  connected to the pivot arm there is both a cable supporting arrangement which is provided with a pivotal cable supporting bracket  23  and which, in this displaced, pivoted position of the pivot arm  21 , lifts the two rear ends, which have been brought together by the unit  43  for bringing the cable ends together, of the two cables  3  and  4  into the grasping region of the cable gripping unit  20  (FIG.  3 ), and releases them after they have been gripped by the latter (FIG.  4 ), as well as a swing-down separating means  24  which is connected to the pivot arm  21  by way of the cable gripping unit  20  and which, before the two cables  3  and  4  which are to be mutually connected are brought together by the unit  43  for bringing the two cables together, may be pivoted down in the vertical direction between the two latter. 
     After the double crimped cable  25  has been completed, this swing-down separating means  24  is left in the vertically downward pivoted separating position (FIG. 4) for the purpose of further separating the two cables  3  and  4  of said double crimped cable which are mutually crimped together, and, by pivoting the pivot arm  21  back in corresponding manner, is moved into a pivoted position of the latter in which the swing-down separating means  24  is located precisely above a first upwardly extending cable guide and separating part  28 , which is arranged in a first cable deposit trough  26  located below said swing-down separating means. In this pivoted position of the pivot arm  21 , by drawing out the cable guide and separating part  28 , the swing-down separating means  24  may be moved such that it is in detachable engagement with the first cable guide and separating part  28  extending from a first cable deposit trough  26  which, in this pivoted position of the pivot arm  21 , is located below the two cable gripping units connected to the pivot arm  21 , extends parallel to the longitudinal direction of the receiving conveyor belt  14  and may be emptied perpendicular to this longitudinal direction into a second cable deposit trough  27  as a result of a lateral pivotal movement, which second cable deposit trough may be moved below said first cable deposit trough in the longitudinal direction C thereof. 
     For the purpose of retaining the separated condition of the two cables  3  and  4  of a double crimped cable  25  during its transfer from the first cable deposit trough  26  into the second cable deposit trough  27 , in the emptying position of the first cable deposit trough  26  (FIG. 7) this first cable guide and separating part  28 , which may be pivoted together with the first cable deposit trough  26 , may be moved such that it is in detachable engagement with a second double-crimped cable guide and separating part  29  arranged in the second cable deposit trough  27 . 
     When using thin, very flexible cables  3  and  4 , it is possible that these may hang down slightly when the pivot arm  21  is pivoted out of a starting position extending parallel to the receiving conveyor belt  14 . If this occurs, in order to reliably prevent these cables  3 ,  4  from possibly catching on the first cable guide and separating part  28 , the latter may be displaced in its longitudinal direction, that is to say, when the pivot arm  21  pivots, it may be drawn back into the position illustrated in FIG.  2  and drawn out later such that it is in engagement with the swing-down separating means  24  (FIG.  5 ). 
     In order to ensure that the double crimped cable  25  located in the first cable deposit trough  26  is transferred—in problem free manner into the second cable deposit trough  27 , even when the pivoting angles of the first cable deposit trough  26  into the emptying position (FIG. 7) thereof are relatively small, a cable pushing means  30  is associated with the first cable guide and separating part  28  and may be displaced in its longitudinal direction along the latter. 
     In order to move the rear end—as seen in the movement direction—of the two cables  3 ,  4  to be connected to form a double crimped cable  25  in and out of engagement with the cable processing stations  42 ,  43 , and  22 , the two cable gripping units  19  and  20  mounted on the pivot arm  21  may be displaced in precise manner, controlled by way of the control unit  33  (FIG.  1 ), with the aid of a motor drive  46  displacing the pivot arm  21  in its longitudinal direction. 
     Furthermore, the two cable gripping units  19  and  20  are mounted on the pivot arm  21  such that they are each pivotal in a horizontal plane about a respective vertical axis  38  and  39  and may be pivoted towards and away from the in each case other cable gripping unit by way of two pneumatic cylinder units,  32  and  33  respectively, each having three operating positions, so that for example, when crimping the rear guided together ends of the cables  3  and  4  in the double crimping unit  22 , the cable gripping unit  19  may be pivoted away laterally with the aid of the pneumatic cylinder unit  33  so that the rear ends of the cables  3  and  4  are more accessible. 
     In addition, thanks to the two vertical guide means  40  and  41 , the two cable gripping units  19  and  20  may be lowered resiliently downwards in opposition to the action of at least one upwardly acting pressure spring (not illustrated). This is particularly important when crimping takes place in the double crimping unit  22 , since, when crimping is effected, by means of a pressure die, the respective cable ends of the two cables  3  and  4  are thus lowered a little and, during this, the associated cable gripping unit  20  is lowered the same distance downwards in opposition to the spring action by way of the pressure die. 
     As already mentioned, the unit  43  for bringing the cable ends together is constructed in the manner described for example in European patent application 98 810 861.9, that is to say, as can be seen in particular in FIGS. 2 and 3, those two stripped ends of the two cables  3  and  4  which are to be crimped together are supplied to a respective gripper unit  44  and  45  of the unit  43  for bringing the cable ends together, then, after the two cables  3  and  4  have been released, these two ends are brought together by the two cable gripping units  19  and  20  as a result of a rotational movement on behalf of the gripper associated with the gripper unit  44  (FIG.  4 ), the two cables  3  and  4  are held together by the cable gripping unit  20 , and then, after further displacement of the pivot arm  21  as far as the double crimping unit  22 , these two ends which are brought together in this manner are mutually connected in the double crimping unit by way of a single crimp contact. 
     Then, the pivot arm  21  is pivoted back again, that is to say it is moved into the cable ejection position illustrated in FIG. 5, in which the first cable guide and separating part  28  is moved such that it is in engagement with the swing-down separating means  24 , and then the gripper of the cable gripping unit  20  is released so that, as can be seen in FIG. 6, the double crimped cable  25  drops down into the first cable deposit trough  26  with the cables  3  and  4  separated by the first cable guide and separating part  28 . 
     The arrangement and the pivot drive of the swing-down separating means  24  can be seen in particular on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 9,  10  and  11 . 
     As can be seen in these Figures, the pivotal swing-down cable separating means  24  and its drive  34  are flanged to the cable gripping unit  20 . To pivot the swing-down separating means  24 , the pneumatic drive  34  is provided with a rotary piston  35  which, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 11, may be moved pneumatically through approximately 90° between the lateral stop faces of a fixedly arranged stop element  36  within a cylinder  37   
     It is of course also possible to provide only one cable gripping unit  20  and to supply the two cables  3  and  4  to the unit  43  for bringing the cable ends together in two steps. 
     When this cable deposit device  1  is in operation, a particular batch size of completed double crimped cables  25  is first stored temporarily in the first cable deposit trough  26  and, after this batch size has been reached, is transferred into the second cable deposit trough  27  whilst retaining the separated condition of the cables  3  and  4 , said cable deposit trough then being displaced in its longitudinal direction C, thereby moving the completed double crimped cables  25  so that they may be separated and removed by hand from the danger zone of the automatic cable processing unit  2 . 
     After the first deposit trough  26  has been emptied, it may be moved immediately back into its receiving position again, so that the double crimped cables  25  may be manufactured continuously, and there is still sufficient time remaining for the completed batches of double crimped cables  25  to be removed by hand from the second cable deposit trough  27  in risk-free manner.