EP2777052B1 - Conveying device for leads - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a conveyor and a method for conveying electrical or optical lines, such as wires, cables, cable bundles, optical fibers, etc. with a gripper for gripping a line, wherein the gripper along a guide between a first position and a second Position is movable.

The DE 41 04 597 A1 discloses a rewinding device with a rotating gripper which is slidable along an inclined guide rail between two end positions. Limit switches are provided at the end positions. When the gripper reaches a limit switch, it opens. The limit switches only serve to generate a trigger signal. Moreover, this rewinding device is unsuitable for conveying lines.

The EP 1387449 A1 again discloses an apparatus for winding a cable-shaped material with a first gripping device for linear advancement of the front end of the material and for transfer to the winding device. A second gripping means is provided for receiving said front end of the material and for linearly moving said front end away from the winding means. The first gripping device is also adapted to grip the rear end of the cable-shaped material and to level in cooperation with the second gripping device to a predetermined difference of the ends. However, there are no external active gripper drives provided in both positions, which cause the opening or closing movement of the gripping devices.

In conveyors with a movable gripper pneumatically actuated gripper are used in the prior art. The power supply happens here permanently via a drag chain. This means that the gripper can be moved together with its drive and is constantly connected to its power supply.

The disadvantages of such a conveyor are that the co-moving drag chain represents an additional mass that requires additional drive requirements and thereby requires a correspondingly larger dimensions of the entire drive train.

Furthermore, due to the high cycle frequency of the system, rapid wear of the drag chain and consequent downtime can be expected. Additional space must be provided for the drag chain, which makes the machine correspondingly bulkier.

The invention has the aim of eliminating these problems and to provide a conveyor which packs a finished line end and moves as quickly as possible from a recording location to a delivery location. This place of delivery may be less than 1 m, a few meters or even more than 10 m away from the place of recording. Irrespective of this, a high dynamic range of motion is to be achieved with low mechanical engineering costs.

The invention achieves this aim with a conveying device of the type mentioned above in that the gripper has a bistable mechanism, and in that in the region of the first position and in the region of the second position an active means acting on the gripper is provided, which is formed to engage the gripper and bring it into a closed position or open position when the gripper is in one of the two positions.

By providing external effective interfaces, which only come into operative connection with the gripper when the gripper is in the region of the respective end position, the construction can be simple and space-saving. In other words, the effective range of an external active interface is limited to the area around the first or second position.

Active interface is understood to mean an active means acting on the gripper, for example an external, mechanical gripper drive or an external energy supply device for the gripper drive (if this is designed to be movable together with the gripper), wherein the gripper drive is to be understood as the drive which drives the gripper Opening or closing movement of the gripper causes. The active interface acts locally, ie in the area of the first or second position.

Feeding involves actively pulling the pipe through the gripper. Preferably, therefore, the line is pulled lengthwise, that is, substantially along the direction given by the longitudinal extent of the line.

The gripper grabs (due to external actuation) the line end and moves it preferably as fast as possible, preferably linear, from the first position to the second position. The gripper can be designed without constantly moving drag chain and low mass, so that a high dynamic movement is achieved. In particular, a permanent power supply of the gripper (for example via a drag chain) can be dispensed with, while the actuation of the movable gripper takes place by external mechanical actuators or external energy supply, which are located respectively in the first position and in the second position.

The low moving mass of the gripper enables a smaller, highly dynamic drive. The clock frequency can be increased compared to the drag chain solution of the prior art. The machine can be made more compact, since no additional space for the drag chain must be provided. All of these benefits are associated with significant cost savings.

In one embodiment, the active means acting on the gripper each comprise an active mechanical actuator for driving the gripper, which is designed to mechanically actuate the gripper. This results in a reliable, and independent of the movement of the gripper along the guide closing or opening movement. The closing and opening of the gripper can be precisely timed and controlled (for other processes).

In one embodiment, at least one means acting on the gripper comprises a cylinder-piston unit, preferably a pneumatic cylinder, for bringing the gripper into a closed position or open position, the supply pressure for the cylinder-piston unit being variably adjustable by a controller is.

This measure serves to optimize the actuation force of the active agent acting on the gripper, in particular of the gripper shutter. This makes it possible to set the supply (air) pressure per program and thus to make the closing force of the gripper jaws of the gripper also adjustable by program. This adjustable closing force can be used to gently grasp thin and sensitive cables. The force application is preferably realized by a pneumatic cylinder.

In one embodiment, the conveying device has a gripper drive for the gripper, which can be moved together with the gripper along the guide, and the means which actively act on the gripper are designed as an energy supply in order to supply energy to the gripper drive. In this case, the gripper drive with the gripper is movable (that is, integrated with it), but the energy is supplied via external active acting on the gripper means. The gripper drive is thus supplied with energy only in the end positions. While moving from one position to another, he is cut off from the power supply.

In one embodiment, the active means acting on the gripper means an electrical contact and / or a compressed air coupling. Such means represent a particularly easy to implement external power supply for the gripper drive.

In one embodiment, the gripper has a bistable mechanism, wherein a dead center is provided between the stable open position and the stable closed position. This ensures that the position of the gripper is defined and stable in every operating condition. Only in the end positions is an operation of the gripper on the actively acting on the gripper means. These lead the gripper from a stable position via a dead center to another stable position.

In one embodiment, the gripper is held closed at least in the closed state by a spring force. This increases the gripping force and reliably secures the gripped line end during the process along the guide.

In one embodiment, the first position is a receiving station for receiving the conduit and the second position is a dispensing station for dispensing the conduit. Such a device is suitable for the intermittent drawing of lines of a certain length into a processing machine.

In one embodiment, the means actively acting on the gripper are stationary with respect to the guide. This allows a simple and reliable construction.

In one embodiment, the gripper is formed from at least two mutually movable gripper jaws.

In one embodiment, a transfer or takeover gripper is provided in the region of the first position and / or in the region of the second position, which transfers the line to the gripper or takes over from it. The transfer or acceptance gripper can precisely place the cable end according to the process steps.

In one embodiment, the conveyor device is a pull-in gripper unit for a line processing device, in particular for a cable twister. Since the conveyor is also suitable for long distances, correspondingly long lines, in particular cables, can be pulled into a cable twister, where they are then fixed in a twisting head and twisted.

In one embodiment, at least one means actively acting on the gripper is movable relative to the guide along a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the gripper along the guide, and is direct for positioning the means actively acting on the gripper relative to the guidance of the grippers or indirectly can be coupled to this impact interface, so that in a method of the gripper along the guide, the actively acting on the gripper means is driven relative to the guide by the gripper and placed in the desired position.

In one embodiment, the conveyor has a base comprising at least two parts, wherein a second part of the base is movable relative to a first part of the base along a direction that is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the gripper along the guide, and wherein the guide with the gripper is seated on the first part of the base and an active means acting on the gripper means is seated on the second part of the base, and that for moving the second part of the base relative to the first part of the base of the gripper to the second part of Base is coupled, preferably via the active acting on the gripper means so that the gripper drives in a process along the guide the second part of the base relative to the first part of the base.

As a result of this measure, the distance between the means actively acting on the gripper and between the location of the recording and the place of delivery can be easily determined be changed, for example, to adapt the conveyor to the length of the lines to be processed. One of the effective interfaces formed by an agent actively acting on the gripper is thus moved programmably by the gripper into its desired position. This coupling function can save a complete positioning axis. The positioning is handled by the gripper, whose control is already available anyway.

The invention also relates to a method for conveying electrical or optical lines, such as wires, cables, bundles of lines, optical fibers, etc., between a first position and a second position, with a gripper for gripping a line, wherein the gripper together with the conduit is moved along a guide between the first position and the second position.

According to the invention, it is provided that, in the region of the first position, the gripper is brought into a closed and thus line-engaging position by an active means acting on the gripper, that the gripper is then moved to a second position, and that in the region of the second Position of the gripper is brought by an active acting on the gripper means in an open and thus the line releasing position, wherein the gripper is preferably mechanically actuated by the actively acting on the gripper means, each comprising a mechanical actuator as a drive for the gripper ,

Preferably, this method is performed with a conveyor according to one of the preceding paragraphs.

In one embodiment, the means actively acting on the gripper each comprise a mechanical actuator for driving the gripper, which mechanically actuate the gripper.

In one embodiment, at least one means actively acting on the gripper is movable relative to the guide along a direction that is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the gripper along the guide, and is used for positioning the actively acting on the gripper means relative to the guidance of the gripper directly or indirectly coupled thereto, and the coupled gripper is moved along the guide, so that the actively acting on the gripper means relative to the guide driven by the gripper and is brought into the desired position.

Without having to introduce its own positioning, thereby the conveyor can be adapted to the length of the lines to be conveyed or processed.

Further embodiments of the invention are given in the figures and in the dependent claims. The list of reference numerals is part of the disclosure.

Fig. 1

eine erfindungsgemässe Fördereinrichtung,

Fig. 2

eine Fördereinrichtung gemäss Fig. 1 in der Aufnahmeposition,

Fig. 2a

quer zur Führung den Greifer in der Aufnahmestation,

Fig. 3

eine Fördereinrichtung gemäss Fig. 1 in der Abgabeposition,

Fig. 3a

quer zur Führung den Greifer in der Abgabestation,

Fig. 4

eine Ausführungsform einer Fördereinrichtung.

The invention will be explained symbolically and by way of example with reference to figures. It show here

Fig. 1

an inventive conveyor,

Fig. 2

a conveyor according to Fig. 1 in the shooting position,

Fig. 2a

transverse to the guide the gripper in the receiving station,

Fig. 3

a conveyor according to Fig. 1 in the delivery position,

Fig. 3a

transverse to the guide the gripper in the delivery station,

Fig. 4

an embodiment of a conveyor.

Fig. 1 shows a conveyor 7 for a line 8 comprising a linear guide 1, on which a carriage 2 between two positions 5 and 6 is movable. On the carriage 2, a gripper 3 is attached, which can take an open and a closed (cross-position). The direction of movement 14 of the gripper 3 along the linear guide 1 to the receiving station (corresponds to the first position 5) is in Fig. 1 indicated by an arrow. The slide drive 4 is arranged in the illustrated embodiment on the underside of the guide 1 and can cooperate with the slide 2, for example with a circulating cable, a belt or belt drive.

Such a conveyor 7 may be a pull-in rapier unit for drawing in the line 8 into a line processing device, in particular in a cable twister.

On the carriage 2 a two gripper jaws 15 comprehensive gripper 3 is attached. The gripper 3 has a mechanism that allows a bistable fixation of the gripper jaws 15. That is, the gripper 3 is either open or closed. In the closed state, a defined force on the gripper jaws 15th applied. In a preferred embodiment, the force is applied by a prestressed spring which acts on the gripper jaws 15 via gripper levers.

According to the invention, an active interface is provided at the first position 5 and at the second position 6, in each case in the form of an active means acting on the gripper. This is designed to come into operative connection with the gripper 3 and to actively bring this into a closed position or open position when the gripper 3 is in one of the two positions 5, 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the active acting on the gripper means are each a mechanical actuator, the gripper 11 and the gripper opener 16. They provide a drive for the gripper 3 and bring the gripper 3 in the open or closed position. The effective interfaces are stationary with respect to the guide 1, so they do not move with the gripper 3 when it is moved from one position 5 to the other position 6. It would also be conceivable in principle to use the means actively acting on the gripper, i. the active interfaces, each within a small range to a limited position to leave a respective position 5, 6 to achieve a certain overall flexibility of the conveyor 7. In any case, however, it is the case that the gripper 3 only comes into the effective range of the respective active section through processes in the region of one of the positions 5, 6, or in other words: the effective range of the means actively acting on the gripper is in the region of Positions 5, 6 localized.

Fig. 2a shows the gripper 3 in the receiving station with still open gripper jaws 15. By the closing movement 10 of the gripper 11 - this presses with a part (eg a pneumatically actuated pin) against an active surface of the gripper 3 - the gripper jaws 15 on gripper lever in the closed position brought.

Fig. 3a shows the gripper 3 in the delivery station with still closed and the line 8 gripping jaws 15. By the opening movement 13 of the gripper opener 16 - this pulls with a part of an effective surface of the gripper 3 - the gripper jaws 15 are brought via gripper lever in the open position.

Gripper closers 11 and gripper openers 16 are external, active drives for the movable gripper 3, which act directly on the gripper 3 and thereby cause the closing or opening movement.

The Fig. 2 and 3 show the conveyor 7 in different operating conditions. To receive the line 8, the gripper 3 moves to the first position 5, which represents a receiving station for receiving the line 8. There, the line 8 to be transported is guided between the open gripper jaws 15. This is done, for example, by means of a transfer gripper which guides the line end into the gripping area of the gripper 3. About the fixed, designed as a gripper 11, actively acting on the gripper means which presses from the outside via a mechanical transmission mechanism on the gripper jaws 15, the gripper jaws 15 are closed. The gripper 3 then moves in the conveying direction 9 in the second position 6, the discharge station for discharging the line 8 (FIG. Fig. 3 ). The active acting on the gripper means at the second position 6 is designed as a gripper opener 16. The line 8 is here by another handling technique (eg a takeover gripper) gripped and the gripper opener 16 then opens the gripper 3 against the spring bias of the gripper jaws 15th

Since the gripper 3 has a bistable mechanism, it then remains open without external actuation. The further handling technique then removes the line end from the delivery station (second position 6). In the illustrated embodiment, the dispensing of the conduit 8 is downward in the dispensing movement direction 12.

The open gripper 3 then moves back to the first position 5, the receiving station, and picks up there a new line 8 from. The lines 8 are thereby conveyed along their length, ie substantially in the direction of their longitudinal extent.

The operation of the gripper 3 is realized in the illustrated embodiment by an external, pneumatically driven actuator 11, 16. Also conceivable is an operation by means of electric drives and / or hydraulic conversion. In these cases, the active interfaces take over the function of the drive for the gripper 3 in the form of actively acting on the gripper means or the drive (s) are therefore not together with the gripper 3 along the guide. 1 method. Each position 5, 6 has its own drive, with which the gripper 3 in the respective position 5, 6 comes into operative connection.

Alternatively, the drive for opening and closing could be attached to the gripper 3 or to the movable carriage 2 itself. The supply of energy (eg electricity or compressed air) would be exclusive
in the end positions 5 and 6, ie in the receiving and the dispensing station done. The coupling is carried out, for example, in the electrical case via electrical contacts, in the pneumatic case via pneumatic air couplings with which the gripper 3 and the carriage 2 in overlap (contact, coupling) passes.

Fig. 4 is a schematic and compared to Fig. 1 simplified representation and shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which at least one actively acting on the gripper means 16 is movable relative to the guide 1 along a direction which is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the gripper 3 along the guide 1.

For positioning an active interface, in the present case an active means acting on the gripper in the form of the gripper opener 16, relative to the guide 1, the gripper 3 can be coupled directly or indirectly to the active interface. In the present example, the active interface 16 connects directly to the gripper 3, which is previously moved to this position. The coupled gripper 3 is now moved along the guide 1, so that the actively acting on the gripper means 16 is driven relative to the guide 1 by the gripper 3 and brought into the desired position. Of course, it would also be possible, instead of or in addition to the gripper opener 16, to make the gripper closer 11 movable by the gripper 3.

In the illustrated embodiment, the above measures are realized in that the conveyor 7 has a base 19 comprising at least two parts 19a, 19b, wherein a second part 19b of the base 19 is movable relative to a first part 19a of the base 19 along one direction , which is substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the gripper 3 along the guide 1. The guide 1 with the gripper 3 sits on the first part 19a of the base 19 and the movable, actively acting on the gripper means, in the present case, the gripper opener 16, sitting on the second part 19b of the base 19. For positioning the second part 19b the base 19 relative to the first part 19a of the base 19 is the gripper 3 to the second part 19b the base 19 can be coupled, preferably directly via the active interface 16, as shown in FIG Fig. 4 is shown, so that the gripper 3 in a process along the guide 1, the second part 19b of the base 19 relative to the first part 19a of the base 19 drives and brings in the desired position. Subsequently, the gripper 3 is decoupled again. A brake 20 is provided to lock the second part 19b of the base in the desired position.

In other words, to set up the machine to the desired line length, the movable part 19b must be repositioned. For this purpose, the gripper 3 moves first without a line to the corresponding active acting on the gripper means. In this position, the coupling takes place. Thereafter, the brake 20 of the movable part 19b is released. The (indirect) coupling of the gripper 3 to the second part 19b now makes it possible to move it with the help of the linear axis of the gripper 3 in the new position. There, the brake 20 of the second part 19 b is fixed again and decoupled the gripper 3. The conveyor 7 with the gripper 3 is now ready to collect new, to be twisted lines.

Preferably, the first part 19a of the base 19 is a stationary part, eg a frame-fixed mounted substructure (in Fig. 4 left) and the second part 19b a longitudinally movable part, such as a carriage or carriage, with which the distance between the actively acting on the gripper means can be changed and which is positioned and fixed according to the length of cable to be processed. The travel direction is in Fig. 4 indicated by a double arrow. The movable part 19b of the base 19 is fixed to the stationary part of the base 19 by a brake 20, that can be locked in the desired position.

In the example of Fig. 4 the second part 19b of the base is supported directly on the first part 19a of the base. Alternatively, the second part 19b of the base could also be mounted on the guide 1 and be movable and lockable along the guide 1. The expressions 'first and second part of the basis' are therefore to be understood in the broadest sense.

How out Fig. 4 is to be seen preferably comprises at least one active interface a cylinder-piston unit 17, preferably a pneumatic cylinder to actively act on the gripper and the gripper 3 in a closed position or to bring the open position, wherein the supply pressure for the cylinder-piston unit 17 is variably adjustable by a controller 18.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

• 1 - leadership
• 2 - sled
• 3 - Gripper
• 4 - carriage drive
• 5 - first position (with gripper-closer)
• 6 - second position (with looper opener)
• 7 - conveyor
• 8 - line
• 9 - conveying direction
• 10 - Closing movement of the looper lock
• 11 - Gripper Closer
• 12 - output movement direction of the line end
• 13 - Opening movement of the gripper opener
• 14 - Direction of movement of the gripper to the receiving station
• 15 - gripper jaws
• 16 - Gripper opener
• 17 - cylinder-piston unit
• 18 - control
• 19 - basis
• 19a - first part of the base 19
• 19b - second part of the base 19
• 20 - brake

Claims (15)

1. A conveyor for conveying electrical or optical lines (8), such as wires, cables, line bundles, optical fibres, etc., having a gripper (3) for gripping a line (8), wherein the gripper (3) can be moved along a guide (1) between a first position (5) and a second position (6), characterised in that the gripper (3) has a bistable mechanism, and in that a means actively acting on the gripper (3) is provided in the region of the first position (5) and in the region of the second position (6) in each case, which means is constructed in order to bring the gripper (3) into a closed position or open position, when the gripper (3) is in one of the two positions (5, 6).
2. The conveyor according to claim 1, characterised in that the means actively acting on the gripper (3) in each case comprises an active mechanical actuating device as a drive for the gripper (3), which device is constructed to mechanically actuate the gripper (3).
3. The conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that at least one means (11, 16) actively acting on the gripper (3) comprises a cylinder/piston unit (17), preferably a pneumatic cylinder, in order to bring the gripper (3) into a closed position or an open position, wherein the supply pressure for the cylinder/piston unit (17) is variably adjustable by means of a control (18).
4. The conveyor according to claim 1, characterised in that the conveyor has a gripper drive for the gripper (3), which gripper drive can be moved along the guide (1) together with the gripper (3), and in that the means actively acting on the gripper (3) are constructed as an energy supply, in order to supply energy to the gripper drive, wherein the means actively acting on the gripper (3) is preferably an electrical contact and/or a compressed-air coupling.
5. The conveyor according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a dead point is provided for the gripper (3) with bi-stable mechanism, said dead point being between the stable open position and the stable closed position.
6. The conveyor according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the gripper (3) is kept closed by a spring force at least in the closed state.
7. The conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first position (5) is a receiving station for receiving the line (8) and the second position (6) is a delivery station for delivering the line (9).
8. The conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the means actively acting on the gripper (3) are stationary with respect to the guide (1).
9. The conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the gripper (3) is formed from at least two gripper jaws (15) that can be moved with respect to one another.
10. The conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a handover or accepting gripper is provided in the region of the first position (5) and/or in the region of the second position (6), which hands over the line (8) to the gripper (3) or receives the line from the gripper.
11. The conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the conveyor is a feeding gripper unit for a line processing device, particularly for a cable twister.
12. The conveyor according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the conveyor (7) has a base (19), which comprises at least two parts (19a, 19b), wherein a second part (19b) of the base (19) can be moved relatively to a first part (19a) of the base (19) along a direction, which is essentially parallel to the direction of travel of the gripper (3) along the guide (1), and wherein the guide (1) with the gripper (3) sits on the first part (19a) of the base (19) and a means (16) actively acting on the gripper (3) sits on the second part (19b) of the base (19), and in that to move the second part (19b) of the base (19) relatively to the first part (19a) of the base (19), the gripper (3) can be coupled onto the second part (19b) of the base (19), preferably via a means (16) actively acting on the gripper (3), so that the gripper (3), when travelling along the guide (1), drives the second part (19b) of the base (19) relatively to the first part (19a) of the base (19).
13. A method for conveying electrical or optical lines (8), such as wires, cables, line bundles, optical fibres, etc., between a first position (5) and a second position (6), using a gripper (3) for gripping a line (8), wherein the gripper (3) together with the line (8) is moved along a guide (1) between the first position (5) and the second position (6), characterised in that in the region of the first position (5), the gripper (3) is brought, by means of a means actively acting on the gripper (3), into a closed position gripping the line (8), in that the gripper (3) is then moved into a second position (6), and in that in the region of the second position (6), the gripper (3) is brought, by means of a means actively acting on the gripper (3), into an open position releasing the line (8), and wherein the gripper (3) is preferably mechanically actuated by means of the means actively acting on the gripper (3), in each case comprising a mechanical actuating device as a drive for the gripper (3).
14. The method according to claim 13, characterised in that the method is carried out using a conveyor according to one of claims 1 to 11.
15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that at least one means (11, 16) actively acting on the gripper (3) is moved relatively to the guide (1) along a direction, which is essentially parallel to the direction of travel of the gripper (3) along the guide (1), and in that for positioning the means (16) actively acting on the gripper (3) relatively to the guide (1), the gripper (3) is directly or indirectly coupled onto the means (16) actively acting on the gripper (3), and in that the coupled gripper (3) is moved along the guide (1), so that the means (16) actively acting on the gripper (3) is driven relatively to the guide (1) by the gripper (3) and is thereby brought into the desired position.

Images