JP2913380B2 - Cable tube making equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pipe making apparatus for covering the periphery of a cable with a metal pipe, such as a coaxial cable or a power cable having a sheath.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Cables for transmitting power and information are:
The surrounding area may be covered with a metal pipe. For example, in a coaxial cable used as a high-frequency communication cable, the periphery of a center conductor is covered with a metal pipe-shaped outer conductor via a highly foamed insulating resin. In addition, even for a normal power cable, a metal pipe-shaped armor made of aluminum, stainless steel, or the like may be provided around the cable for reinforcement. Furthermore, O
In PGW (Optical GroundWire), an optical fiber housed in a metal pipe-shaped optical fiber housing tube is used as a core material of an overhead ground wire.

In order to cover the periphery of a cable with a metal pipe as described above, a tube forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 5 is used. The cable 3 and the metal tape 1 are sequentially fed out rearward (in the direction of arrow A in the drawing). In addition, metal tape 1
The cable is gradually curved along both sides 1a, 1a along the round side surface shape of the cable 3 as it moves backward by a guide portion (not shown). Accordingly, this metal tape 1 is
As shown in FIG. 7, a flat band below the cable 3 is bent as shown in FIG. 7 so that both sides 1a, 1a are lifted, and as shown in FIG. .

[0004] As shown in FIG.
The cable is passed through the inner diameter hole of the molding die 4 while surrounding the cable 3. Then, the metal tape 1 shown in FIG.
The two sides 1a, 1a of the metal pipe 2 abut against each other to completely cover the periphery of the cable 3 as shown in FIG.
Is formed. Then, the butt portion 2a is welded by the welding torch 5 disposed behind the upper portion of the forming die 4, thereby completing the metal pipe 2 whose seam is closed.

As shown in FIG. 9, the metal pipe 2 has an inner diameter sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the cable 3, and is flexible by corrugating the metal pipe 2 in a later step. Make it more likely. However, the inner diameter of the metal pipe 2 may be made substantially equal to the outer diameter of the cable 3 so that the circumference of the cable 3 can be tightly covered in a smooth state. Further, a plastic sheath may be further formed on the outer periphery of the metal pipe 2.

[0006]

By the way, until the flat strip-shaped metal tape 1 shown in FIG. 6 is formed into the tubular metal pipe 2 shown in FIG. 9 through the steps from FIG. 7 to FIG. In this case, the material undergoes partial expansion and contraction, causing unstable distortion. For this reason, both sides 1a, 1
metal pipe 2 formed by butting a with a forming die 4
The position of the butted portion 2a swings in the left-right direction (the direction of arrow B in FIG. 8) with respect to the center position of the upper end of the forming die 4, and the shake always occurs even during the operation of the production line. When the butting portion 2a swings in this manner, as shown in FIG. 10, the welding position of the butting portion 2a and the welding torch 5 is displaced and welding cannot be performed properly.

Therefore, conventionally, in order to move the welding torch 5 to the left and right, a handle (not shown) and a feed mechanism are provided, and as shown in FIG. Projector 1 for projecting
0 is provided, and the operator adjusts the position of the welding torch 5 by operating the handle while observing the displacement of the butting portion 2 a by the projector 10.

For this reason, in the conventional cable pipe-making apparatus, since the position of the welding torch 5 must be manually adjusted by the worker at all times, the work becomes an obstacle to the automation of the work, which hinders an improvement in productivity. There was a problem. In addition, since this worker observes the displacement of the butting portion 2a by the projector 10 disposed behind the welding torch 5, the position of the welding torch 5 is adjusted after the butting portion 2a actually deviates from the welding position. Therefore, there is a problem that the movement of the welding torch 5 is delayed and welding cannot always be performed at an optimum position.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and takes an image of the vicinity of a V zone where both sides of a metal tape are abutted to detect the displacement of the abutting portion in advance, thereby obtaining the position of the welding torch. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable pipe-making apparatus capable of automatically adjusting the cable length.

[0010]

That is, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a feeding means for sequentially feeding a cable and a metal tape rearward, and both sides of a metal tape fed by the feeding means. Is gradually curved along the round side shape of the cable as it moves backward, and the cable and the metal tape surrounding the cable are passed through the inner diameter holes of the ring-shaped forming die, so that both sides of the metal tape are formed. A metal tape forming means to butt each other to form a tubular metal pipe, and a welding torch disposed behind the forming die, welding means for welding a butt portion of the metal pipe, a cable pipe forming apparatus, Placed in front of the forming die,
Imaging means for photographing the vicinity of both sides of the metal tape introduced into the inner diameter hole of the forming die by using light at the time of welding of the welding torch; and metal based on a video signal photographed by the imaging means. Image processing means for detecting lateral displacement of both sides of the tape, and a welding torch of the welding means is supported so as to be movable in the lateral direction, and the position of the welding torch is made to follow the displacement detected by the image processing means. And a welding torch position adjusting means for moving the torch.

According to the above means, the image processing means detects the displacement of both sides of the metal tape based on the video signal photographed by the imaging means, and the welding torch position adjusting means moves the welding torch by following the displacement. Therefore, even if the butted portion of the metal pipe swings, the welding position is not shifted by this, and accurate and stable welding can be performed. Moreover, at this time, since the welding torch can automatically follow the displacement of the butted portion of the metal pipe, it is not necessary for the operator to manually adjust the position of the welding torch.

In addition, the displacement of both sides of the metal tape is detected in front of the forming die, and the position of the welding torch for performing welding behind the forming die is moved. Is no longer possible to follow the displacement of the butted portion. further,
The imaging means takes a picture of the V zone immediately before both sides of the metal tape are gradually approached to be introduced into the inner diameter hole of the forming die, so that the surface of the metal tape and the surface of the cable or the like inside the V zone can be photographed. A sufficient contrast can be obtained, and the image processing apparatus can easily and reliably detect the displacement on both sides.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of a cable pipe forming apparatus.
2 is a view showing an image taken by a CCD camera of the image pickup means, FIG. 3 is a side view showing the structure of the welding torch position adjusting device, and FIG. 4 is a sectional rear view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. Components having the same functions as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 5 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pipe forming apparatus of this embodiment forms a metal tape 1 into a tubular metal pipe 2,
The metal pipe 2 covers the periphery of the cable 3. The cable 3 may be a coaxial cable in which a central conductor is covered with a highly foamed insulating resin, a power cable covered with a sheath such as polyethylene, or an optical fiber. The metal pipe 2 is an outer conductor in a coaxial cable,
It is an armor of a power cable, or an optical fiber housing tube for housing an optical fiber.

The metal tape 1 and the cable 3 are respectively moved backward (in the direction of arrow A in the figure) by a feeding device (not shown).
To be sequentially fed out. In addition, the metal tape 1 is curved by the guide portion (not shown) so that both sides 1a, 1a gradually follow the round side surface shape of the cable 3 as it goes backward. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the metal tape 1 is formed such that a flat band shape becomes a tubular shape surrounding the cable 3. Next, the metal tape 1 is passed through the inner diameter hole of the forming die 4 while surrounding the cable 3. Then, both sides 1a, 1a of the metal tape 1 shown in FIG. 8 are butted against each other to form a metal pipe 2 completely covering the periphery of the cable 3, as shown in FIG. And forming die 4
The butting portion 2a is welded by the welding torch 5 arranged rearward of the upper part of the metal pipe 2 to complete the metal pipe 2 whose seam is closed.

Above the front side of the forming die 4, C
The CD camera 6 is arranged downward. This CC
The D camera 6 photographs the vicinity where the metal tape 1 is introduced into the inner diameter hole of the forming die 4 from above, and as shown in FIG. It is possible to obtain a video signal of an image of a so-called V zone 1b that gradually approaches as it approaches. This CC
The video signal captured by the D camera 6 is sent to the image processing device 7. The image processing device 7 detects the displacement between the center of the V zone 1b reflected in the video signal and the reference position of the image. That is, for example, three vertical V directions (arrows B) different in the horizontal H direction (arrow A direction) in the image of FIG.
Direction), the straight lines α to γ are used as a reference.
The position at which γ intersects with both sides 1a of the metal tape 1 is detected. Then, the center of these intersection positions on each of the lines α to γ is obtained and further averaged to calculate the center position of the V zone 1b. By comparing this with the reference position of the image, the displacement can be detected. Further, such a center position of the V zone 1b can be obtained by other known image processing.

Here, when the cable 3 is formed by covering the center conductor of a coaxial cable with a highly foamed insulating resin, the surface of the highly foamed insulating resin becomes white. If there is a gap between the metal pipe 2 and the cable 3 for forming a corrugation, light emitted by the welding torch 5 during welding illuminates the surface of the cable 3. Therefore, in the V zone 1b shown in FIG. 2, the surface of the inner cable 3 is bright and the surface of the outer metal tape 1 is dark, so that a clear contrast image can be obtained. When a guide plate for holding the cable 3 is inserted into the back of the V zone 1b, the surface of the guide plate may be colored black or white to obtain image contrast.

V zone 1 detected by the image processing device 7
The displacement of the center position of b is sent to the control device 8. The control device 8 controls the position of the welding torch 5 in the left-right direction by controlling the welding torch position adjusting device 9 according to the displacement of the center position of the V zone 1b. The welding torch position adjusting device 9 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in the figure, a bracket 9a to which a welding torch 5 is attached
Are slidably attached to the base 9b in the left-right direction (arrow B direction). Also, this bracket 9a
Move in the left-right direction by the rotation of the pulse motor 9c. The control device 8 can adjust the left and right positions of the welding torch 5 by sending a driving pulse to the pulse motor 9c every time the center position of the V zone 1b is displaced. The welding torch 5
May move in an arc along the side surface of the metal pipe 2 instead of moving linearly in the left-right direction.
The position of the welding torch 5 in the up-down direction and the front-back direction can be adjusted in advance when the welding torch 5 is mounted on the bracket 9a.

In the tube forming apparatus having the above structure, the image processing device 7 detects the displacement of the center position of the V zone 1b based on the video signal photographed by the CCD camera 6, and when the displacement changes, the control device 8 A drive pulse is sent to the welding torch position adjusting device 9. Therefore, when the center position of the V zone 1b shifts, the welding torch 5 can be moved in the left-right direction so as to follow this shift. Thus, even when the butted portion 2a of the metal pipe 2 swings, the welding position is changed in accordance with the swing, so that accurate and stable welding can always be performed.

As described above, according to the tube making apparatus of the present embodiment, the welding torch 5 can be automatically moved based on the video signal captured by the CCD camera 6, so that the worker can use the welding torch. There is no need to manually adjust the position of 5. Moreover, by detecting the displacement of the V zone 1b in front of the forming die 4, the displacement of the butting portion 2a of the metal pipe 2 can be detected in advance and the welding torch 5 can be moved. The displacement of the portion 2a can be reliably followed.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the cable pipe forming apparatus of the present invention, the welding torch is automatically moved even if the butting portion of the metal pipe on which the metal tape is formed swings. By doing so, the welding position can accurately follow the butted portion, and stable welding can be performed. Therefore, the worker does not need to manually adjust the position of the welding torch, so that productivity can be improved. In addition, since the displacement of the butted portion is detected in advance in front of the forming die, the welding position can reliably follow the displacement. Further, since the V zone is photographed immediately before the two sides of the metal tape meet, the contrast of the subject can be easily obtained, and this displacement can be easily detected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a front view showing a configuration of a cable pipe-making apparatus.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating an image captured by a video camera.

FIG. 3, showing one embodiment of the present invention, is a side view showing the structure of a welding torch position adjusting device.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional rear view taken along line IV-IV of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a conventional example and showing a configuration of a cable pipe forming apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a sectional side view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 5;

8 is a cross-sectional side view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG.

9 is a cross-sectional side view taken along line IX-IX in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of IX- of FIG. 5 when the butted portion is displaced.
It is a sectional side view in IX line.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Metal tape 2 Metal pipe 2a Butting part 3 Cable 4 Molding die 5 Welding torch 6 CCD camera 7 Image processing device 8 Control device 9 Welding torch position adjusting device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-5-318115 (JP, A) JP-A-56-119618 (JP, A) JP-A-60-6274 (JP, A) JP-A-2- 24919 (JP, A) Hikaru Heihei 3-47661 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B23K 9/127 508 B23K 9/025

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A feeding means for sequentially feeding a cable and a metal tape toward the rear, respectively, and both side edges of the metal tape fed by the feeding means are gradually curved along the round side surface shape of the cable as the wire goes backward. And a metal tape forming means for passing the cable and a metal tape surrounding the cable through an inner diameter hole of a ring-shaped forming die so that both sides of the metal tape abut each other to form a tubular metal pipe. In a cable pipe-making apparatus provided with welding means for welding a butt portion of a metal pipe with a welding torch disposed behind a die, the cable is formed in front of the forming die and introduced into an inner diameter hole of the forming die. An imaging means for photographing the vicinity of both sides of the metal tape by using light when welding the welding torch; An image processing means for detecting lateral displacement of both sides of the metal tape based on a video signal photographed by the means, and a welding torch of the welding means which is movably supported in the lateral direction, and which is detected by the image processing means. A cable torch position adjusting means for moving the position of the welding torch in accordance with the displacement.