EP2627927A1

EP2627927A1 - Cable connector having a cable articulation

Info

Publication number: EP2627927A1
Application number: EP11764214.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jörg BÖHM
Original assignee: Manitowoc Crane Group France SAS
Current assignee: Manitowoc Crane Group France SAS
Priority date: 2010-10-12
Filing date: 2011-10-05
Publication date: 2013-08-21
Also published as: US20140041158A1; WO2012049043A1; US9175744B2; DE102011012395A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a cable connector, comprising a first part (3) for receiving a cable end of a first cable (5) as well as a connecting element (31) for the connection to a second cable (7), at least a second part (4) that surrounds the first cable (5), and at least an articulation (33, 43) that connects the first part (3) to the second part (4).

Description

CABLE CONNECTORS WITH ROPE JOINT

The invention relates to a cable connector with one or more Seilgelenk / s with a first part for receiving the cable end of a first cable and with a connecting element, with which the first part is connectable to a second part. Furthermore, the cable connector comprises a second part which engages around the first cable and a joint which connects the first part and the second part with each other.

Usually crane ropes are so far pressed at its end to connect them in eyes to the compression or unpressed to rope stumps with the pull rope of the winch. A disadvantage of the known compounds that the cable end is so badly bent in his run on the pulleys, for example, behind the compression under load that the rope is damaged or completely solve the rope stumps in a run on several pulleys from the rope. In the first case, this leads to cost-intensive repairs to the crane cable (shortening or repressing) and / or to warehousing of ready-to-use crane cables, which also drives up costs and, in the second case, can prevent or even prevent cable entry. Another disadvantage of the known cable connections is that the course of the rope end is undefined in these systems and therefore the behavior of the rope end of the required free space on a pulley is not controllable.

From DE 1 900 909 A1 a cable connector is known, with two cable pears, which are each connected to a cable end of a first and a second cable and a Kuppjungsstück, which connects the two cable pears together, so that the two cable brackets rotate relative to each other and can swing. The Seiir bulbs consist of several parts, which must be connected by means of screws. DE 34 961 also relates to a cable connector with two support members and an intermediate member that rotatably and pivotally interconnects the two Haiterungselemente, each of the Haiterungselemente is connected to a rope end of a first and a second rope.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a cable connector, which is easy to produce and easy to assemble on site and does not have the disadvantages described.

This object is achieved by the cable connector according to claim 1.

The invention relates to a Seiiverbinder with a first part for receiving a cable end of a first cable and with a connecting element for connection to a second cable, for example the rope of a winch. The cable end of the first Seiis preferably has a pressed-on sleeve. Furthermore, the guide binder has at least one second part, which preferably surrounds the first cable in the mounted state in a section near the end held by the first part. Finally, the binder has a joint connecting the first part and the second part.

Both at the first part and at the second part, preferably at least one joint portion is formed, wherein the joint portions of the first part and the second part together form the joint. Preferably, the hinge portions are each formed at a longitudinal end of the first and second parts, particularly preferably formed integrally with the first part and the second part

The first part and the second part can in particular be positively connected in the joint. For example, both hinge portions may be annular, with the rings having different diameters, so that the smaller diameter ring is held in the larger diameter ring. One or both joint portions may also be spherically formed, with a passage for the rope, again holding one of the hinge portions in the other for connection of the first part and the second part. Alternatively, only one of the joint portions may be formed in a spherical or annular shape, while the other joint portion has a shape into which the spherical or annular Geienkabschnitt engage and held can be. Finally, the Gelenkabschnitie may also be elliptical, ovate or polygonal or have another shape that can form an articulated joint for the cable connector together.

If the cable connector has more than one second part, for example two second parts arranged one behind the other in the cable direction, then each of these second parts has two joint elements each. The two joint elements preferably form in the longitudinal direction of the front and the rear end of the second part. The front end of the first second part may in this case be connected to the first part as described above, the second end of the first second part may form with one end of the second part another joint for the rope. Also, the joint connecting the two second parts is formed by pure positive engagement. The same applies if, for example, three or more second parts are arranged one after the other. Preferably, in the case of more than one second part, all the second parts are identical, wherein the end of the second parts facing away from the first part is shaped such that it can hold an end of another second part facing the first part in a captive manner.

The first part of the cable connector and / or the second part of the cable connector can each be formed from at least two partial shells, preferably from two half shells. Instead of the two half-shells but less preferably three, four or more partial shells can form the first and / or the second part. Each of the partial shells also preferably comprises a part of the joint portion, that is, the shank including the joint portion is formed integrally.

It is particularly advantageous if the at least two partial shells which form the first part have the same shape, ie identical, and / or the at least two partial shells which form the second part have the same shape, that is to say identical. Identical here means that the partial shells, which can be formed, for example, from metal or plastic, can be produced in the cutting process in a machine with the same machining program or molded in the casting process in one and the same tool. That is, for example, in a first part of two half-shells does not need to be taken to ensure that a first and a different second sub-shell is present to form the first part of the cable connector, it is sufficient to make sure that at least two partial shells are there. If one of the Teiischalen is damaged, it can be replaced by any other Teilschale for a first part. Thus, only identical partial shells need to be stored for the first part of the cable connector, which reduces the number of parts to be stored and thus makes stock keeping easier and cheaper. The same applies accordingly to the partial shells of the second part.

The partial shells for the first part and / or the partial shells for the second part are preferably shaped so that the first part and corresponding to the second part can be formed by positive engagement and / or force of the respective shells. It is particularly preferred if pure Formschiuss, such as in a bayonet lock, is sufficient to connect identical subshells together. This connection can be made, for example, by a combined movement of rotation and linear motion, which are performed simultaneously, that is mutually conditional, or consecutively. Additionally or alternatively, a tilting movement may also be necessary in order to produce the mold.

Preferably, the second part is held in the finished part of the cable connector in the first part, that is, the hinge portion of the second part engages in the first part for producing the hinge connection. In other words, the articulated portion of the first part engages around the Geienkabschnitt of the second part, wherein the second part is held captive in the first part after making the joint connection. Preferably, the hinge portion of the first part is annularly formed with a concave inner surface and the hinge portion of the second part is formed substantially spherical or part spherical and the joint formed by it is a ball joint or articulation, in particular in the first part can also only the inside, that is, the joint mating surface for the hinge portion of the second part having a corresponding shape, while the outer circumference of the body of the first part, for example, is substantially cylindrical. The concave inner surface of the joint portion of the first part has a maximum diameter which is slightly larger than the maximum outer diameter of the joint portion of the second part. To the sides the diameter of the hinge portion of the first part decreases parallel to the diameter of the hinge portion of the second part, so that the hinge portion of the second part is trapped in the hinge portion of the first part in the linear direction of the cable connector and the positive connection of the partial shells of the second part even with a possible rotation of the first part and / or the second part is maintained about its longitudinal axis. The same applies if two or more second parts are arranged one behind the other and connect to each other and each connection between two second parts also forms a hinge for the rope.

The hinge portion of the second part then lies in the hinge portion of the first part and can rotate freely about the longitudinal axis of the cable connector in the hinge portion of the first part and pivot at an angle to the longitudinal axis. The maximum pivoting angle may be dictated by the construction of the cable connector by forming the first part or the second part or both parts so as to limit the pivoting in the hinge to angles within the allowable bending range of the cable. In particular, the first part and the second part can be shaped so that the first part abuts with an end facing away from the connecting element at or before reaching the maximum allowable bending of the rope to a stop surface formed on the second part, so that a further bending of the rope beyond this range is impossible. It is also conceivable that extra limit stops can be detachably connected to the first and / or second part in order to use the cable connector for ropes with different allowable bending ranges can.

The first part has at its opposite end of the hinge portion a connecting element, for example an eyelet or nose with a bore, which can pass through the second cable or a connector, for example a shackle, around the cable connector or the first part of the cable connector to connect with, for example, the rope of a rope drum. Since the part shells of the first part are identical as described above, each of the part shells has such a connection element. At the same time, the connector can also serve to secure the positive connection of the partial shells of the first part, which is produced at the moment when the connecting elements are held together by the second cable or the connector, so that they do not unfold by themselves can, or a unfolding is only possible by a limited by the second cable or the connector measure. An independent release of the positive connection of the first part is then no longer possible, which also prevents the second part from getting out of the articulated connection with the first part, which in turn means that the positive connection of the partial shells of the second part does not come loose can.

The first and / or the second part preferably have an outer shape or outer contour, which allows the cable connector is guided when overrunning a pulley, that is, defined on the pulley running. This prevents the sewer connector from moving undefined over the pulley and taking up more space than necessary. This has a positive effect on the working speed and safety at work. Limits of permissible tension are much higher by preventing kinking compared to the conventional solutions, and are usually limited only by the pull-in rope. Furthermore, the articulated connection between the first part and the second part is preferably designed so that the space required for the joint in the width and the diameter remains as small as possible. A non-hinged rope connector would be nearly twice as wide to achieve a comparable bend radius for the rope.

The second part preferably has an inner contour that is arcuate when viewed in a direction of travel of the first rope and defines a bending circle for the first rope which prevents the first rope from being bent too much and thereby the risk of damaging the first rope by kinking reduced and the service life of the first rope increased.

In summary, the cable connector according to the invention can therefore have at least the following advantages over known cable connectors:

- The assembly is done by plugging and twisting

- All parts of the cable connector are secured to each other via (pure) positive locking

- no parts made of pine, such as screws or threads that can become dirty or lost - Ensure that the rope is bent only up to a permissible bending limit

- Ensure that the cable connector runs in a defined manner over the pulleys

- identical mating subshells

- only one screw connection (for connecting to the cable of the winch)

- no mechanical reworking of the shells after a casting needed.

The cable connector may in particular be the cable connector for a crane cable with the rope of a winch.

In the following, an embodiment will be explained in more detail with reference to figures. All the features essential to the invention shown in the figures, individually or in combination, can further develop the invention and belong to the scope of the invention, which is not limited to the embodiment shown. The figures show in detail:

Figure 1 cable connector when overflowing a pulley

Figure 2 partial shell of the second part

Figure 3 second part, consisting of two identical part shells, in the connected state

Figure 4 cable connector shortly before final assembly

Figure 5 assembly frequency of the cable connector

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a cable connector 1 according to the invention, which is currently running over a pulley 2. The cable connector 1 consists of a first part 3 and a second part. 4

The first part 3 has at its one end 35 a connecting element 31 in the form of a nose with a bore or eyelet, a main body 32, a hinge portion 33 and an opening 34 at the other end. The outer contour of the first part 3 is adapted at least in a section 37 to the shape of the running surface of the pulley 2. In the main body 32 of the first part 3 is indicated by dashed lines one end of a first cable 5, wherein the first cable 5 at the end of a sleeve 6 which is pressed or glued, for example, on the rope end or otherwise associated with the soaping agent. The connecting element 31 is connected by means of a shackle 6 with a second cable 7, for example a pull-in rope of a cable drum.

The second part 4 of the cable connector 1 has an opening 41, a body 42 and a hinge portion 43 with an opening 44. The first cable 5 is passed through the second part, that is, the second part surrounds the first cable 5 and serves the first cable 5 mainly as a guide. For this purpose, the second part 4 an inner contour which forms a guide surface 49 and the first cable 5 in an arc from the first end 45 and the inlet in the second part 4 to the second end 46 and the outlet of the second part 4 leads.

The Geienkabschnitt 33 of the first part 3 and the hinge portion 43 of the second part 4 together form a hinge 33, 43 of the cable connector 1. In this case, the hinge portion 33 has an inner contour which substantially corresponds to the outer contour of the hinge portion 43, wherein the Geienkabschnitt 33 of Joint portion 43 at least partially surrounds and the hinge portion 43 is held captive in the joint portion 33.

In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge portion 33 of the first part 3 has a part-spherical contour, or the contour of a concave ring, with an inner diameter D1. An opening 34 in the hinge portion 33 has a diameter D3. The Geienkabschnitt 43 of the second part 4 also has a part-spherical contour, or the contour of a convex ring, with an outer diameter D2, which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter D1 but larger than the diameter D3. As a result, the hinge portion 43 can rotate in the hinge portion 33 about the longitudinal axis of the cable connector 1 and swing away laterally from the longitudinal axis.

The maximum angle by which the hinge 33, 43 can be pivoted relative to the longitudinal axis of the cable connector 1, is determined by the formation of the cable connector 1 and the first part 3 and / or the second part 4 and should not be greater than a maximum permissible bending of the first cable 5. In FIG. 1, a second end 36 of the first part 3 and one on the second part 4 form formed between the hinge portion 43 and the body 42 annular groove 47 with an inclined surface 48 a stop which limits the tilt angle of the joint 33, 43.

The cable connector 1 with the hinge 33, 43 guides the first cable 5 so that it is not kinked when overrunning the pulley 2, but is guided in a bending circle K1, which can be determined depending on the material properties of the first cable 5. The radius of the bending circle K1 is determined by the guide surface 49 for the first cable 5 in the second part 4.

The cable connector 1 or at least the first part 3 of the cable connector 1 has, at least in the section 37 on an outer contour which causes a defined run of the cable connector 1 via the pulley 2 or more pulleys.

FIG. 2 shows a half-shell 10 of a second part 4, which, as shown in FIG. 3, is made up of two identical shafts 10. The sheath 10 consists of a part of the joint portion 43 and a part of the body 42, and in each case a part of the opening 41 at the first end 45 and a part of the opening 44 at the second end 46. Clearly visible is the arcuate inner contour corresponding to the first Rope 5 serves as a guide within the second part 4. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the half-shell 10 has connecting structures which need not be described in detail, but which are designed such that they can be positively joined together with identical connecting structures of a second half-shell 11 in order to form the second part 4. In this case, for example, projections of the connecting structure of the half shell 10 engage in recesses of the connecting structure of the half shell 11, and vice versa.

For mounting the second part 4 to the rope 5, the half shells 10, 11 are simply stacked and then rotated relative to each other, whereby the positive connection is made. In this case, the first cable 5 is positioned between the two half-shells 10, 11, so that the fully assembled part 2 can be displaced linearly on the first cable 5. For the first part 3 of the cable connector 1 essentially the same applies. Also, the first part 3 of the cable connector 1 is formed from identical partial shells 20, 21, preferably of identical half-shells 20, 11 by pure positive connection of the half-shells 20, 21. As can be seen in FIG. 4, however, the two partial shells 20, 21 are not placed one on top of the other and then rotated against each other, but the sheath 20 is fitted together with the half-shell 21 in the region of the partial joint sections (after the cable end of the first cable 5 has been inserted) and then collapsed. To secure against unfolding of the half-shells 20, 21 during operation, serves the connecting element 6 shown in Figure 1, with which the cable connector 1 can be connected to the second cable 7.

Before folding the two half-shells 20, 21 together to form the first part 3 of the cable connector 1, the second part 4, or the hinge portion 43, is positioned such that the hinge portion 33 of the first part 3 in the folded or closed state at least the hinge portion 43 partially surrounds and holds captive.

The half-shells 20, 21 of the first part 3 form in the region of the body 32 when folding a cavity 38, in which a rope end of the first cable 5 can be inserted. The cable end must have a larger diameter in relation to the first cable 5, wherein the larger diameter must be greater than the diameter D3 of the opening 34 at the first end 36 of the first part 3 so that the first cable 5 can not slip out of the cable connector 1. For this purpose, a sleeve can be pressed onto the rope end, glued or otherwise secured, or the first cable 5 can be reinforced by a rear or end splice or simply bent at the end. Also, clamping elements, which consist for example of two Haibschaien and attached to the rope end, can ensure that the first cable 5 does not slip out of the cable connector 1. Finally, the first part 3 of the cable connector 1 may also have inwardly into the space 38 projecting tips or barbs that press when folding the first part 3 in the cable end and thereby cause a backup of the first cable 5 in the first part 3. When assembled, the folded-up first part 3 is secured against opening by the connecting element 6, the second part 4 is caught in the hinge section 33 of the first part 3 in the region of the joint section 43, so that the two half shells 20, 21 can only rotate together whereby a release of the positive connections of the first part 3 and the second part 4 is reliably prevented.

FIG. 5 shows a mounting frequency of the cable connector 1. In Figure 1, the two half-shells 20, 21 of the first part 3 and the two half-shells 10, 11 of the second part 4 are adjacent. These are in each case identical half-shells, that is to say the half-shell 10 is identical to the half-shell 11 and the half-shank 20 is identical to the half-shell 21.

In FIG. 2, in a first step, the two partial shells 20, 21 are put together to form the first part 3, but not yet folded up so that a tongs-like structure results. Before the mating of the two partial shells 10, 11, the end of the first rope 5 is inserted into the first part 3. In the next step, Figure 3, the half-shells 10, 11 (comprising the first rope 5) are stacked and twisted. The finished assembled second part 4 is then pushed with its hinge portion 43 (along the cable axis) in the hinge portion 33 of the first part 3 (Figure 4). Finally, as shown in Figure 5, the half-shells 20, 21 collapsed, so that the second part 4 is now connected with its hinge portion 43 captive with the hinge portion 33 of the first part. The cable connector 1 can now be connected to the connecting element 31 with the second cable, whereby a unfolding of the half-shells 20, 21 of the first part 3 is no longer possible. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 rope connector

2 pulley

3 first part

4 second part

5 first rope

6 connectors

7 second rope

10 half shell

11 Haibschaie

20 Haibschaie

21 half shell

31 connecting element

32 main body

33 Geienk section

34 opening

35 end

36 end

37 section

38 room

41 opening

42 bodies

43 joint section

44 opening

45 end

46 end

47 annular groove

48 oblique surface

49 guide surface

D1 diameter

D2 diameter

D3 diameter

K1 bending circle

Claims

claims

1. cable connector, comprising

a) a first part (3) for receiving a cable end of a first cable (5) and with a connecting element (31) for connection to a second cable (7),

b) at least one second part (4), which surrounds the first cable (5) and c) at least one joint {33, 43), which connects the first part (3) and the second part (4) with each other.

2. A cable connector according to claim 1, wherein the first part (3) has a hinge portion (33) and the second part (4) at least one hinge portion (43) and the hinge portion (33) of the first part (3) and a hinge portion ( 43) of the second part (4) together form the joint (33, 43).

3. Cable connector according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first part

(3) with the second part (4) in the joint (33, 43) is connectable by positive locking.

4. Cable connector according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second part

(4) has two joint portions, at least two second parts (4) are arranged one behind the other in the cable direction and one of the first part (3) pioneering hinge portion of a second part (4) with a hinge portion of another second part (4) is connected by positive locking and the two joint portions of the second parts (4) form another joint for the rope (5).

5. Cable connector according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first part (3) and / or the second part (3) from at least two partial shells, preferably from two half-shells (10, 11, 20, 21), is formed / are.

6. A cable connector according to the preceding claim, wherein the at least two partial shells (20, 21), which form the first part (3) are identical in shape and / or the at least two partial shells (10, 11), the second part (4) form, are identical.

7. Cable connector according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the first part (3) by positive locking of the at least two partial shells (20, 21) of the first part (3) and / or the second part (4) by positive locking of the at least two partial shells ( 10, 11) of the second part (4) can be formed is / are.

8. Cable connector according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge portion (33) of the first part (3) at least partially surrounds the hinge portion (43) of the second part (4).

9. Cable connector according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second part

(4) forms a stop for an end of the first part (3) facing away from the connecting element (31), which limits a joint deflection of the joint (33, 43).

10. Cable connector according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the first part (3) has an outer contour which is adapted at least in a portion (37) of the tread of a pulley (2), so that the cable connector (1) in operation when overflowing Pulley (2) is guided on this.

11. A cable connector according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first part (3) of the cable connector (1) and the second part (4) of the cable connector (1) and the connection of the two parts with each other to the cable connector (1) are mounted without tools ,

12. Cable connector according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first rope

(5) a crane rope is and the cable connector (1) connects the crane rope with a rope of a winch.