EP1013554B1 - Method for the automatic bundling of cable strands - Google Patents

Abstract

The automatically operating device uses a continuously supplied cable strip (2) with ribbed surface and a movable slide carriage (19). The front end of the slide carriage has side holding jaws (25) between which a lock (1) is supplied from above and is off-set by 90 degrees from the channel (3) for the cable strip. An insert channel open to the bottom has locking tongues to engage on the teeth of the ribbed cable strip surface and is defined from the channel by a partition. The channel of the lock aligns when positioned between the jaws with the insert tongue (22) and at the end of the forward movement of the slide carriage the lock held between the jaws can be placed in the outlet opening (30) of the housing so that with the guide jaws (26,27) closed the guide groove therein lies at the inlet end flush with the channel but at the outlet end flush with the insert channel of the lock. The insert tongue can for lifting the locking tongue be inserted in the channel so that the cable strip is driven forwards under the insert tongue through the passage and along the guide groove into the insert channel to engage with the locking tongue.

Description

The invention relates to a method for the automated bundling of Cable strands, after which a continuously feedable, on its one Cable strip with a toothing or corrugation on the surface, driven by an engine that is advanced and with its front end by a can be engaged in the toothing or corrugation of the cable band Locking means provided locking lock inserted through to Cable bundle is looped and returned to the locking lock, after which the cable band by reversing the direction of rotation of its drive motor stretched against its original feed direction and behind the Locking lock is cut off.

Such a method is known from EP 0297 337 A1. However, this is disadvantageous in that the cutting of the cable band behind the Locking lock happens while the cable strap is still for the Clamping process is under tension. Practice has shown that then the danger there is that the end of the short cut off behind the locking lock Cable strap can jump out of the lock, the whole The bundling process fails and has to be repeated. This has in addition to the higher working hours also increased consumption or Reject on cable tape.

The object of the invention is to provide a method of the type mentioned create a reliable with the minimum consumption of cable tape Engagement of the locking means of the locking lock in the corrugation or Toothing of the cable band is guaranteed, which after cutting off Do not loosen or even loosen the cable band behind the locking lock can.

This is achieved according to the invention in that before cutting off the Cable drive the drive of the cable band is stopped and so the cable band is de-energized behind the locking lock. This will prevents the end of the cable tape when it is subsequently cut off skips a tooth of the locking means in the locking lock or even pops out of the lock.

The drive motor is reversed for tensioning the cable strap depending on the measured power consumption or on the measured Torque of the drive motor and / or depending on the measured Feed length of the cable tape; the interruption of the drive of the Cable band depends on the measured power consumption or on measured torque of the drive motor.

The measured feed length can also be used for control purposes. It will be so achieved that the locking means of the locking lock securely in the Intervene the corrugation of the cable tie and this will not loosen or can even solve. In addition, it is achieved that the cable strap is always on one defined point is cut off and the newly created end at next feed is securely gripped in the lock and the Locking teeth and the corrugation of the cable band never "tooth on tooth" too come to stand.

The measured values for reversing the drive motor are preferred obtained by applying a locking lock known per se comes, which has a push-through channel and, offset by 90 °, one-sided open insertion channel with locking tongues for the Has engagement on the teeth or corrugation of the cable band. The Insert channel is through a partition opposite the push-through channel limited and the cable tape fed from a supply roll is with his front end first through the push-through channel to the bundling the cable harness around and then into the insertion channel until it bumps introduced on the partition. The when the front end of the Cable tie on the partition changed power consumption of the Drive motor serves as a signal value for reversing the drive motor. Starting from a certain starting position, it can be used until the feed length required at the front end of the cable tie on the partition of the cable band as a control or signal value for reversing the Serve drive motor.

After reversing the drive motor, that of a certain tractive force can Cable tape corresponding power consumption of the drive motor as a signal value serve to interrupt the drive for the cable tie.

Fig. 1

einen Längsschnitt durch ein Verriegelungsschloß, wie es bei dem erfindungsgemäßen Gerät vorzugsweise zur Anwendung kommen soll,

Fig. 2

einen Längschnitt durch das Verriegelungsschloß gemäß Fig. 1 mit eingeschobenem Kabelband und

Fig. 3

die Seitenansicht eines Gerätes, mit dem das erfindungsgemäße Verfahren durch geführt werden kann.

The invention is described below in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings; show it:

Fig. 1

2 shows a longitudinal section through a locking lock, as is preferably used in the device according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a longitudinal section through the locking lock according to FIG. 1 with inserted cable band and

Fig. 3

the side view of a device with which the inventive method can be performed.

A locking lock 1 which can advantageously be used for the new method is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It essentially consists of a cuboid housing, in which a push-through channel 3 and a push-in channel 4 are provided, which run at right angles to one another, the push-in channel 4 being separated from the push-through channel 3 by a wall 5 . This wall 5 offers, as will become clear below, a stop for the front end of a cable band 2. Both in the push-through channel 3 and in the push-in channel 4 , flexible locking tongues 6, 7 are provided, which have engagement teeth 8, 9 on one , can come with a sawtooth or a corrugation 10 provided surface of the cable band 2 into engagement.

A device suitable for carrying out the method is shown in a side view in FIG. 3. Its housing 13 has the shape of a pistol with a handle part 11, on which a trigger 12 is provided, by actuating which a processing cycle of the device can be initiated. In the rear part of the housing 13 , a gear and a brake (not shown) are provided for driving the cable band 2 , which is fed to the device through a feed line 68 from a supply roll (not shown). The drive can take place via a flexible shaft 17 by an external electric motor. But it is also possible to integrate the electric motor into the housing.

In the housing 13, a carriage 19 is guided to move back and forth in the longitudinal direction. Lateral holding jaws 25 are provided at the front end of the slide 19 . Above them, a feed tube 23 for the locking locks 1 according to FIG. 1 enters the housing 13 from above. Through the feed tube 23 , the locking locks 1 can be fed from a loosely poured supply. The individual locking lock 1 falls into the space between the holding jaws 25 and is held by them in a provisional position.

At the front end of the housing 13 guide jaws 26, 27 are provided, which can be opened and closed like pliers, whereby in the closed state they form an approximately circular, closed, inner guide groove 29 . In Fig. 3, both positions of the pivotable guide jaw 27 are shown with different line widths.

With the front end of the slide 19 in alignment, there is an outlet opening in the housing 13 of the device, which opens into the space enclosed by the guide jaws 26, 27 or into the guide channel 29 . The outlet opening is shaped so that it can receive the holding jaws 25 of the slide 19 together with a locking lock 1 held therein. In addition to the outlet opening, a cutting device (not shown) is provided on the housing 13 . It is arranged so that at the end of a working cycle, its knife can be moved horizontally and perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3 immediately behind the outlet opening or the locking lock 1 placed therein, in order to be able to cut off the cable strip 2 just behind the locking lock 1 . The consumption of cable tape 2 is thus limited to what is really necessary and there is no waste.

The new procedure is carried out in the following way. First, with the guide jaw 27 open, the device is brought into the predetermined position on a cable harness 59 to be bundled and fastened to a carrier part. A sensor on the device identifies this position via a coding system and the signal received is compared with a predetermined signal. If the two signals match, the feed of the locking locks 1 is automatically initiated through the feed tube 23 . Then there is a locking lock 1 between the holding jaws 25 at the front end of the slide 19th The locking lock 1 is fed in such a way that its push-through channel 3 is in the line of alignment of an insertion tongue (not shown) which can be moved along the slide 19 and its push-in channel 4 points with the opening facing downward.

If, on the other hand, the signals mentioned above do not match, a locking lock 1 is not positioned and the device cannot be started in the program.

If the position of the device has been recognized as correct, the guide jaws 26, 27 are closed and locked around the cables 59 to be bundled; then the trigger 12 is actuated on the device, whereby an electrical signal for the program start is triggered. According to the program, the slide 19 is first moved forward , for example via a Bowden cable, taking the locking lock 1 held by its holding jaws 25 with it. The carriage 19 moves forward until the locking lock 1 is placed in the outlet opening of the device in the mounting position, where it is gripped and held by the lateral spring clips. During this movement of the carriage 19 , a guide channel running through it at an angle inside the device also coincides with the outlet opening of the insertion channel for the cable band 2.

At the end of the forward movement of the slide 19 , activated, for example by an electromagnetic, the above-mentioned insertion tongue is moved forward along the slide 19 ; so that it slides under the first tooth 8 of the locking tongue 6 in the push-through channel 3 of the locking lock 1 . Subsequently, the cable band 2 is driven and advanced by an external electric motor via the flexible shaft 17 . Its front end enters the guide channel 29 of the closed guide jaws 26, 27 , which enclose the cables 59 to be bundled , and pushes further therein until its end reaches the insertion channel 4 of the locking lock 1 , which is aligned with the exit of the guide channel 29 in the guide jaw 26 , abuts the wall 5 between the insertion channel 4 and the insertion channel 3 and engages with its teeth or serrations 10 on the teeth 9 of the locking tongue 7 of the insertion channel 4 .

The stop of the cable band 2 in the insertion channel 4 can be determined by continuously measuring the power consumption of the drive motor. As an alternative or in addition as a control, a distance measurement can also be carried out on the cable strip 2 and the extent to which it has been conveyed can be determined. For this purpose, a light barrier can be provided on the side of the housing, preferably at the starting position of the cable end. The path that the cable band 2 has to travel from this point along the slide 19, through the guide groove 29 of the guide jaws 26, 27 back into the locking lock 1 , is constant. A signal can be derived from both measurements, which indicates when the end of the cable band 2 is engaged in the insertion channel 4 of the locking lock 1 and cannot be conveyed further. The engine is then reversed in its direction of rotation and thus from thrust to train. As a result, the cable band 2 is pulled back through the push-through channel 3 of the locking lock 1 and in the direction of the engagement teeth 8 until it tightly encompasses the cable bundle 59 . This point is also determined by measuring the power consumption of the engine. The assignment of the desired tightening force to the required motor power can be determined experimentally and incorporated into the program control. After reaching the tightening force determined in this way, the drive of the cable band 2 is stopped so that it is no longer under tension. Only then, when the cable band 2 is relieved, is the cutting process triggered on the cutting device (not shown) and the cable band 2 is cut off just behind the locking lock 1 .

by the cable belt 2 is released prior to the cutting, it is ensured that the teeth 8 engage securely the locking tab 6 in the push-through channel 3 in the teeth or grooves 10 of the cable belt 2 takes place and a secure locking. There is therefore no longer any risk that the cable strap 2 will jump over a tooth 8 of the locking tongue 6 or even jump out of the locking lock 1 because of a tension that remains after cutting. In addition, this ensures that the cable band 2 is always cut off at a defined point at a distance from the end face of the locking tongue 6 , which in turn ensures that the feed end of the cable band 2 is defined in the insertion channel 4 of the next locking lock 1 on the wall in each subsequent bundling process 5 abuts and comes with both teeth 9 of the locking tongue 7 in secure engagement and thus the optimal effect of the closure is achieved each time.

After the cable band 2 has been cut off, it is pulled back to its starting or zero position inside the device and the carriage 19 is moved back to its starting position. The guide jaws 26, 27 are opened manually and the device is guided to the next bundling point.

Claims (4)

1. A method of automated binding of cable bundles, wherein a cable tie (2) which can be fed continuously and which on its one surface has a tooth arrangement or grooving (10) is advanced, driven by a motor, and is passed with its front end through a latching lock (1) provided with locking means (6, 7) which can engage into the tooth arrangement or grooving (10) of the cable tie, wound around a cable bundle and passed back into the latching lock (1), whereupon the cable tie (2) is tightened by reversing the direction of rotation of its drive motor in opposite relationship to the original direction of advance of the cable tie and is cut off behind the latching lock (1), characterised in that prior to the step of cutting off the cable tie (2) the drive of the cable tie (2) is stopped and thus the cable tie (2) is rendered tension-less behind the latching lock (1).
2. A method according to claim 1 characterised in that the reversal in the drive motor for tensioning the cable tie (2) is effected in dependence on the measured power consumption or the measured torque of the drive motor and/or in dependence on the measured advance length of the cable tie (2) and the interruption in the drive for the cable tie (2) is effected in dependence on the measured power consumption or the measured torque of the drive motor.
3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that a latching lock (1) is used which, as is known per se, has a through passage (3) and, displaced with respect thereto through 90°, an insertion passage (4) which is open at one end, with respective locking tongues (6, 7) disposed therein for engagement at the tooth arrangement or grooving (10) of the cable tie (2), wherein the insertion passage (4) is delimited by a separating wall (5) with respect to the through passage (3), that the cable tie (2) which is fed from a supply roll is passed with its front end firstly through the through passage (3), around the cable bundle (59) to be bound and is then introduced into the insertion passage (4) until it butts against the separating wall (5) and that the power consumption of the drive motor which is altered when the front end of the cable tie (2) butts against the separating wall (5) serves as a signal value for reversal of the drive motor and/or that the advance length of the cable tie (2) which starting from a given start position is required until the front end of the cable tie (2) butts against the separating wall (5) serves as a control or signal value for reversal of the drive motor.
4. A method according to one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that after reversal of the drive motor the power consumption of the drive motor, which corresponds to a given pulling force at the cable tie (2), serves as a signal value for interrupting the drive for the cable tie (2).

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