WO2004058571A1

WO2004058571A1 - Device and method for winding a flexible cable

Info

Publication number: WO2004058571A1
Application number: PCT/NL2003/000950
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hendrikus Lodewijk Joseph Franciscus Holten
Original assignee: Dresco B.V.
Priority date: 2002-12-30
Filing date: 2003-12-30
Publication date: 2004-07-15
Also published as: NL1022281C2; NL1022281A1; AU2003295283A1

Abstract

The invention provides a device for winding a flexible cable, comprising: a feed unit for feeding the cable; winding means for winding the cable over a predetermined length to form a cable bundle (1); strapping means (27) for strapping the wound cable bundle in order to hold the cable bundle together; gripping means (20) for gripping the cable bundle (1) wound in the winding means and displacing thereof to the strapping means; and a discharge unit for discharging the strapped cable bundle.

Description

DEVICE AND METHOD FOR WINDING A FLEXIBLE CABLE

The present invention relates to a device and method for winding a flexible cable. The invention also relates to a cable bundle arranged in wound relation.

For the sale of cables, in particular power cables, to private individuals and companies, cables can be divided into portions of a determined length, wherein each length of cable is wound onto a reel . The cable is in this case presented to the user wound onto a reel .

Winding machines are also known in which lengths of cable are wound to form cable bundles. When cables are wound, they are strapped manually using cord, elastic or the like, with the object of holding the cable bundle together. In this case the cable is presented to the user in the bundled and strapped situation. A drawback of manual strapping of the cable bundles is that this is very labour-intensive. Furthermore, it sometimes results in a variable strapping quality.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and method in which these drawbacks are obviated and with which the cable bundles can be strapped rapidly, with certainty and relatively little work effort.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided for this purpose a device for winding a flexible cable, comprising: - a feed unit for feeding the cable;

- winding means for winding the cable over a predetermined length to form a cable bundle;

- strapping means for strapping the wound cable bundle in order to hold the cable bundle together; - gripping means for gripping the cable bundle wound in the winding means and displacing thereof to the strapping means; and

- a discharge unit for discharging the strapped cable bundle .

By immediately strapping the cable straight after the winding the labour-intensive manual strapping can be dispensed with.

According to a first embodiment, the strapping means are adapted to guide at least one strapping element through the core of the cable bundle and to fasten the strapping element around the cable bundle. The strapping element is herein carried through the (empty) core of the cable bundle and then wound around the cables and fixed. In order, to properly hold together the cables of the cable bundle, a number of strapping elements are preferably arranged at different positions over the cables. In a specific preferred embodiment, strapping elements are arranged at three positions distributed at substantially equal mutual spacing along the periphery of the cable bundle. The equal spacing ensures that the cables are held together optimally.

Because strapping can moreover be arranged simultaneously at different positions, a relatively great time-saving is achieved. Arranging of the two, three or more straps takes a maximum of 25 seconds, while in practice straps can be arranged in about 14 seconds. It is anticipated that in the near future a strapping time of 11 seconds or even less will be attainable. A strapping element is preferably formed from polypropylene. Parts consisting of this material allow of easy fixing to each other by melting the parts, arranging them against each other and allowing them to solidify. Particularly readily applicable are polypropylene straps (width between 0.2 and 1 cm and thickness about 0.5 mm) . Polypropylene is strong and moreover allows of easy processing. A polypropylene strap can for instance be fixed readily to another polypropylene strap by wholly or partially melting both straps or one of the straps and then pressing the straps against each other. A strong coupling between the straps is then realized after cooling of the straps . In a further preferred embodiment the strapping means comprise:

- a first substantially U-shaped element and a second substantially U-shaped element;

- displacing means for displacing the curved elements relative to each other between an opened position, in which a cable bundle is displaceable between the legs of the elements, and a closed position in which a leg of the curved elements extends through the core of the cable bundle; - transport means for transporting a strapping element along the elements around the cable bundle.

By transporting the strapping element along the curve formed by the two U-shaped elements, the wound cables can be completely encircled locally by the strapping element. The starting part and an end part of the strapping element arranged around a cable bundle are fixed to each other using fixing means. In this manner the strapping can be realized quickly and efficiently.

In a further preferred embodiment the transport means are adapted to transport the strapping element in a first direction for arranging thereof around the cable bundle and to transport the strapping element in a second, opposite direction for tightening around the cable bundle the strapping element arranged round the cable bundle . By tightening the strapping element before the end part and the starting part of the strapping element are fixed to each other, the cables in the cable bundle are pulled taut against each other, which results in compact dimensions of the cable bundle and a reduced chance of the cable coming loose.

According to a further preferred embodiment the device comprises : - heating means for locally melting said starting part and end part of a strapping element arranged around a cable bundle;

- pressing means with which the heated starting part and end part of the strapping element can be pressed against each other. In a further preferred embodiment the device comprises:

- heating means for arranging between the relevant strapping element parts for the purpose of locally heating the strapping element parts; - pressing means which are adapted, when heating means are present, to press the strapping element parts on either side against the heating member and to press the strapping element parts against each other when heating means are removed. In another preferred embodiment the feed unit comprises buffer means for buffering the feed of the cable. Changes in the demand for more or less cable caused by the winding means can hereby be compensated and a correct feed of cable can be regulated. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for winding a flexible cable, comprising the steps of: a) feeding a cable; b) winding the cable over a predetermined length to form a first cable bundle; c) gripping and displacing the- wound cable bundle; d) winding the cable over a predetermined length to form a subsequent cable bundle and simultaneously strapping the first cable bundle; and e) discharging the strapped first cable bundle.

A number of further advantageous methods are described in the appended method claims. Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof. Reference is made in the description to the annexed figures .

- figure 1 shows a wire winding provided with three straps;

- figure 2 shows a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a wire winding machine according to the invention;

- figure 3 shows a more detailed perspective view of the strapping sector of the wire winding machine of figure

2;

- figure 4 is a further developed view in perspective of the strapping sector of figure 3;

- figure 5 shows a perspective view of a detail of the strapping unit;

- figures 6A-6C show in cross-section along line A-A of figure 1 the different stages of the strapping process ,-

- figure 7 shows an overview of the wire feed unit, winding unit, .strapping unit and discharge unit according to the first preferred embodiment;

- figure 8 shows a more detailed view in perspective of the winding section according to the first preferred embodiment ; - figure 9 shows a more detailed view in perspective of the gripping unit section according to the first preferred embodiment; and

- figure 10 shows a further embodiment of the guiding curve which is provided with guide strips.

The winding machine according to the invention shown in figure 2 and further has for its object, among others, the fully automatic winding of cable bundles and providing of the thus wound cable bundles with one or more straps . Figure 1 shows such a cable bundle 1 provided with three straps. In the shown embodiment the wires are manufactured from flexible material, such as for instance electric wires 2. Electric wires 2 consist of two conducting cores 3,3' and a flexible insulation 4 arranged therearound. Further wires or cables, optionally provided with one or more cores, can however also be applied. The wires or cables are wound and then strapped with three tying straps 5, 5 ',5", manufactured from plastic such as polypropylene. The polypropylene straps 5, 5', 5" are welded. Straps 5, 5 ',5" therefore have a number of thickened portions 6, 6 ',6" resulting from the respective welded connections.

Bundles 1 generally have a diameter of about 90, 140 or 190 mm with an associated thickness which can vary between 15 and 70 mm. Said polypropylene tying straps 5, 5 ',5" are generally no wider than 5 mm with a thickness of about 0.5 mm. The thus strapped wire bundle 1 is manufactured by the wire winding machine 6 shown in figure 2.

Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of such a wire winding machine 6. The wire winding machine consists of an unwinding section A, a dancer section B, a winding section C, a strapping section D and a discharge unit E. The feed to unwinding section A consists of a cable wound onto a reel. The cable coming from unwinding section A goes to dancer section B. From dancer section B the wire goes to wire infeed unit 12 of winding section C. The cable is fed into wire winding unit 13 using the wire infeed unit. Using a gripping element the wound cable is carried to strapping section D, this section being built up of a number of wire strapping units. At the moment the wire is placed in strapping section D by said gripping unit, the strapping process can begin. Once strapped, the cable bundle is ejected from the machine by an ejector in discharge section E, whereafter the different manufacturing steps are carried out again from the wire infeed unit. The outfeed from discharge section E consists of lengths of cable placed in circular relation and provided with straps. The unwinding section functions as follows. A full reel H, i.e. a reel fully wound with a cable 1, is placed by an operative in one of the unwinding units 7,7' . The reels can rotate freely herein. The rotation movement of the reels is controlled by an electric motor (not shown) . The outer end of cable 1 is guided along a first vertically extending roller 8,8' and an obliquely placed roller 9,9' and pulled by the operative to dancer section B.

The operative carries cable 1 to dancer section B and guides the cable around an upper roller 10 and a dancer roller 11 freely displaceable in a vertical direction. The function of dancer roller 11 is to keep cable 1 tensioned and to function as a buffer for the subsequent winding process .

The cable is trained round the upper fixed roller 10 and the lower dancer roller 11 and then guided to wire winding section C.

Starting from a stationary reel H (or H' ) , dancer roller 11 will move upward when the wire infeed section demands (pulls) more wire. One or more sensors (not shown) detect that dancer roller 11 moves upward from its lower position. The above mentioned reel drive will now have to produce a determined rotation speed to compensate for the loss of wire 1. The more wire is demanded, the faster the dancer roller 11 will move upward. As dancer roller 11 ascends, the relevant reel H,H' will have to rotate more rapidly to replenish the loss of wire. The same applies for the reverse situation. When wire is no longer being taken off, the still rotating reel H,H' would still continue to provide wire 1, whereupon dancer roller 11 moves further in downward direction. At a given moment dancer roller 11 reaches a position detected by said sensors, wherein driving of reel H,H' is no longer required and the drive motor is switched off.

The function of winding section C is, among others, to wind a specific cable 1 with a given wire length, wire width and scale distance. The wire winding section comprises a wire infeed unit 12 and a wire winding unit 13. One function of wire infeed unit 12 is to feed the wire 1 onto a winding mandrel during winding of each new cable bundle. The offsetting device of the wire infeed unit must ensure that the wire displaces one wire diameter thickness downward or upward at each rotation of the winding unit. This in order to obtain the most regular cable bundle possible. The length measurement of the wire also takes place here. The length measurement is two-fold. Firstly, the wire length for winding is determined herewith. Secondly, it is possible to determine how much length has already been taken from the reel and how much length is still available on the reel. In addition, the speed of the wire is also determined with the length measurement. The function of the wire winding unit 13. is to take wire from wire infeed unit 12, to wind the wire to the desired length and to release the wound bundle of wire to the gripper. The wire winding unit consists of two winding discs 52 and 60, a winding mandrel, a clamping unit and two guide plates 21,22 (figures 3 and 8) . The winding discs guide the wire from wire infeed unit 12 onto the winding mandrel. The clamping unit clamps the fed-in wire against the upper winding disc 52, the winding mandrel serves to wind the bundle of wire and guide plates 21,22 serve to enable movement of the cable bundle to strapping section D.

The wire is fed from wire infeed unit 12 under the upper winding disc 52 (figures 7 and 8) to a position adjacently of winding mandrel 50. A clamping unit 51 clamps the wire fixedly against upper winding disc 52. At a given moment the winding mandrel 50 begins to turn at a speed such that the wire speed remains almost constant (adjustable between 0 and 8 m/sec) at about 5 metres per second. When the desired winding length has been reached, the wire is severed. A gripping unit 20 (shown in detail in figure 9) grips the cable bundle fixedly prior to cutting so that it cannot come loose during the cutting. After the cutting the winding mandrel 50 is revolved through a determined angle (between 0 and 120°) until the outer end of the wire is situated closer to gripping unit 20. The . mandrel is then pulled out of the cable bundle (arrow P₁₄, figure 8) , guide plates 21,22 are displaced slightly, whereafter the cable bundle can be removed from winding section C. When the bundle has been removed, the winding mandrel rotates to a starting position, the clamping unit opens again to receive a new wire, and the cycle can begin again. The transport from the winding section to the strapping section takes place by making use of the above mentioned gripping unit 20, lower guide plate 21, and an upper guide plate 22. Transport from strapping section D to discharge section E takes place by making use of an ejector 23 and an outfeed unit 24.

The function of gripping unit 20 is to carry the wire from wire winding section C to strapping section D. When the wire in winding section C is almost at the desired length, gripping unit 20 moves forward and clamps the bundle fixedly prior to cutting of the wire. Gripping unit 20 comprises two arms 29,29' (figure 4 and figure 9) which are provided with gripping blocks 28,28'. The inner sides of gripping blocks 28,28' have a form corresponding to that of the wires of the cable bundle so as to increase the hold of the gripping blocks on the cable bundle . Gripping blocks 28,28' are moved toward each other (figure 9, P₁₃) by sliding arms 29,29' toward each other.

Transport of cable bundle 1 takes place along the above mentioned guide plates 21,22. The function of guide plates 21,22 is to hold the cable bundle 1 confined during transport. In order to enable an unimpeded transport, the guide plates are released slightly after the wire has been wound and severed. In the embodiment shown in figure 4 the upper guide plate 22 is released about 3 mm to provide cable bundle 1 with a free passage during transport. This is indicated in figure 3 with arrow P-_. Gripping unit 20 can thus displace cable bundle 1 to strapping section D (arrow P₂) . Displacement of gripping unit 20 takes place by operating a number of lift cylinders 55,56 which can displace respectively an arm 57 mounted rotatably (figure 9, P₁₅) on support 59 and a retractable and extendable element 58 (figure 9, P_ls) . Having arrived at the strapping section D, gripping unit 20 continues to clamp cable bundle 1 until the strapping action as set forth below is completed. Once the strapping action is completed, gripping unit 20 is carried back to winding section C and waits there until the following bundle is ready before a new transporting cycle can be started.

A strapping unit 27 of strapping section D is shown in more detail in figures 4 and 5. The strapping unit has to ensure that each wire bundle is strapped simultaneously at three positions with a polypropylene strap, that the polypropylene straps are released and that the straps are then severed.

Figure 4 shows how wire bundle 1 is clamped in gripping unit 20 and displaced into a guide curve 30. Guide curve 30 comprises an upper part 31 and a lower part 32, wherein the lower part is vertically displaceable relative to the upper part (arrow P₃) . Once the open space (in the cable bundle core) has been arranged between the upper U- shaped part 31 and the lower U-shaped part 32 of guide curve 30, the lower part 32 is displaced upward until the two upward protruding legs 34 of lower curve 32 engage in the two downward protruding legs 33 of upper curve 31. In this situation the wires of wire bundle 1 extend around one of the two legs of guide curve 30.

Guide curve 30 has the function of guiding a polypropylene strap 35 under the wire bundle and through the core thereof. Figures 5 and 6A-6C show the operation of the strapping unit in further detail . Using a transport mechanism (not shown) the polypropylene strap 35 is carried from below into a channel 36 of curve 30 (arrow P₄) . The polypropylene strap 35 is pushed further (arrow P₅) through the curve and comes to lie at a given moment on the underside of the lower part 32 of curve 30 (arrow P₆) . The polypropylene strap 35 is brought to a stop when end part 42 thereof is positioned between a plate 41, a heating element 38 displaced in the direction of arrow P₈ (the hatched part), and a clamping component 37. The clamping component 37 can be placed upward (P₉) to clamp the end of polypropylene strap 35.

When the polypropylene strap has therefore arrived in the end position, the outer end is gripped and fixed by clamping component 37, whereafter the transport mechanism (not shown) of the polypropylene strap reverses its rotation direction. As a consequence a pulling movement (arrow P₇) is exerted on polypropylene strap 35. This pulling movement is executed at a constant force so as to bring about a predetermined tension in the polypropylene strap. As soon as the strap has been pulled back to a sufficient extent, pressing pins 39 and 44 are displaced upward from below (arrow P₁₀) as shown in figure 6A. The strap portion between the two pins 37 and 44 hereby becomes free of tension.

A current of between 40 and 60 ampere (depending on the dimensions and properties of the strap) is then applied through heating element 38 in order to obtain a sufficiently large generation of heat. At a current of 50 ampere and after about 0.6 second, when polypropylene strap 35 is half melted, heating element 38 is retracted (in the direction opposite to that of arrow P₈) as shown in figure 6B. In this situation the space between opposite parts of strap 35 contains melted material (melted polypropylene) (shown in figure 6B with dotted lines) . Pressing pin 39 is then displaced further in upward direction (arrow P ) . The two partly melted layers of polypropylene strap are herein pressed together, thereby creating a strong welded connection.

Once a sufficiently strong welded connection has been realized, a knife 40 is displaced upward (arrow P₁₂) which severs the polypropylene strap 35. Plate 41 is pulled out from between the polypropylene strap and the wire bundle, whereby the wire bundle is released. The wire bundle is now strapped and welded and is clamped between the two guide plates 21 and 22. Guide plates 21 and 22 then move slightly apart and the strapped cable bundle 1 is removed.

In figure 10 is also shown an embodiment of a guide curve which corresponds to the guide curve 30 described above and shown in figures 4 and 5. The same components of this guide curve are designated using the same reference numerals, and the description of the construction and operation of the guide curve is omitted here to the extent that it corresponds to that of guide curve 30. In this embodiment the channel 36 in the inner side of the upper part 31 and lower part 32 of the guide curve is partially or wholly covered using strips 53,54 fixed to the guide curve on either side of channel 36. The strips are manufactured from polyester and have a flexibility such that they ensure that polypropylene strap 35 remains confined in channel 36 when being carried into the curve. Particularly if the inner side of channel 36 of curve 30 is not completely flat, or if the composition of the polypropylene strap might cause this, the situation may after all occur of strap 35 leaving the curve prematurely at some position. A correct strapping can no longer be ensured in such a case. In the shown embodiment strips 53,54 are therefore arranged along practically the whole inner periphery of the curve and moreover cover the whole width of the channel . As a consequence of the presence of the strips, tying strap 35 can no longer come out of the channel during transport through the curve, and a reliable transport is ensured. The strips are however flexible enough to allow strap 35 to be pulled out of curve 30 during tautening of tying strap 35 (compare arrow P₇, figure 6A) .

The strips do not have to cover the whole width of channel 36. In other embodiments (not shown) the strips have a smaller width, wherein some open space is left between the edges of strips 53,54. As long as the polypropylene strap is wider than this space, strips 53,54 will continue to fulfil their guide function. Strips 53,54 can further be placed at separate positions along the periphery of curve 30, i.e. at positions where there is the most chance of polypropylene strap coming out of channel 36, such as for instance along the four straight parts of the curve .

The strips must have a flexibility such that the polypropylene strap cannot come out of channel 36, so that the strap can move all the way round in correct manner and once again come to lie on the underside of the lower part 32 of the curve (arrow P₁₆ in figure 5) , and the pulling movement (arrow P₇ in figure 6A) can still ensure that strap 35 is pulled out of the curve so that it can be pulled taut in correct manner.

In the shown embodiment the wire bundle 1 is strapped with one polypropylene strap. In a further preferred embodiment however, the wire bundle 1 is strapped at multiple positions, and preferably at three positions, as shown in figure 1. In a specific embodiment the above described construction of strapping unit 27 then takes a multiple or three-fold form. In other embodiments only one strapping unit is used to perform the three strapping operations, wherein the wire bundle is rotated through an angle of about 120° in each case after the first and second strapping operation.

Removal of the wire bundle from strapping section D takes place by means of an ejector 23. The function of ejector 23 is to remove a wire bundle from the strapping section once it has been strapped and eject it onto discharge unit 24 as shown in figure 2. Discharge unit 24 comprises one or more roller conveyors along which the manufactured products can be discharged under the influence of gravity.

In a further, second preferred embodiment (not shown) , the winding section C and strapping section D are combined. The winding core or winding mandrel applied for the winding is herein also used in the strapping process. In a particular embodiment the winding mandrel or core is then provided with grooves in the peripheral surface . After wire has been wound, the winding mandrel/core is brought to a stop and the polypropylene strap is guided through the relevant groove in similar manner as in the above described embodiment the polypropylene strap is guided through guide curve 30. The groove herein forms, as it were, a part of guide curve 30. This embodiment of the wire winding machine is not only more compact but also simpler, which can have a positive effect on the reliability and lifespan thereof.

The above described first preferred embodiment of the invention has a number of significant advantages however. It is thus possible for instance, after a wire has been wound to form a wire bundle in winding section C, to guide the wire bundle to strapping section D to have it strapped while a second wire is being wound simultaneously in winding unit C. This makes it possible to perform the winding process and the strapping process substantially simultaneously, which results in a significant time-saving.

During the winding phase in the described first preferred embodiment, the wire is wound on a winding mandrel 50, which is removed from the core of the wound wire bundle after the winding. Gripping unit 20 then transfers the coreless wire bundle to the strapping unit. The fact that the wire bundle fed to the strapping unit is coreless has a number of advantages. Firstly, a wire bundle of random dimensions can be produced depending on the wire thickness and wire length. Wire bundles with a random bundle height, bundle outer diameter, bundle inner diameter etc. can thus all be strapped by the same universal strapping unit. In addition, the positions at which the straps are arranged around the wire bundle can be freely chosen. There are no components, such as for instance a core, which would prevent a random positioning of the tying straps .

The present invention is not limited to the described preferred embodiments. The rights sought are defined by the following claims, within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged.

Claims

1. Device for winding a flexible cable, comprising:

- a feed unit for feeding the cable;

- winding means for winding the cable over a predetermined length to form a cable bundle; - strapping means for strapping the wound cable bundle in order to hold the cable bundle together;

- gripping means for gripping the cable bundle wound in the winding means and displacing thereof to the strapping means; and - a discharge unit for discharging the strapped cable bundle.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripping means comprise two gripping arms which are adapted to grip the cable bundle on the outer periphery thereof .

3. Device as claimed in either of the foregoing claims, wherein the winding means, strapping means and gripping means are adapted to displace and strap a coreless cable bundle .

4. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the winding means comprise:

- an upper winding disc (52) , a lower winding disc (51) , a driven rotatable winding mandrel (50) for displacing from the middle of the upper winding disc (52) and/or lower winding disc (53) into the intermediate space between the winding discs (52,53) for the purpose of winding the wire to form a wire bundle.

5. Device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the winding mandrel is adapted to be displaced out of said intermediate space after the cable has been wound to form the cable bundle.

6. Device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the strapping means are adapted to guide at least one strapping element through the core of the cable bundle and to fasten the strapping element around the cable bundle .

7. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the strapping means are adapted to arrange strapping elements at different positions.

8. Device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the strapping means are adapted to arrange strapping elements at two or more positions distributed substantially uniformly over the cable bundle.

9. Device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the strapping means are adapted to arrange strapping elements at three positions.

10. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the strapping means comprise:

- a first substantially curved element and a second substantially curved element;

- displacing means for displacing the curved elements relative to each other between an opened position, in which a cable bundle is displaceable between the legs of the elements, and a closed position in which a leg of the elements extends through the core of the cable bundle;

- transport means for transporting a strapping element along the elements around the cable bundle.

11. Device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the curved elements are substantially U-shaped.

12. Device as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the transport means are adapted to transport the strapping element in a first direction for arranging thereof around the cable bundle and to transport the strapping element in a second, opposite direction for tightening around the cable bundle the strapping element arranged round the cable bundle .

13. Device as claimed in claim 12, wherein one or more guide strips (53,54) are arranged over at least a part of the first substantially curved element and/or over at least a part of the second substantially curved element for guiding the strapping element in the first and second substantially curved elements during transport in the first direction and for allowing passage of the strapping element during transport in the opposite direction.

14. Device as claimed in claim 13, comprising a guide strip (53,54) which is arranged along a channel in the first substantially curved element and/or a channel in the second substantially curved element, and which is manufactured from material of a suitable flexibility for guiding the strapping element during the transport phase and for allowing passage of the strapping element during the tightening phase.

15. Device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the transport means are adapted to tighten the strapping element to a predetermined tension.

16. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, comprising fixing means for fixing to each other a starting part and an end part of a strapping element arranged around a cable bundle.

17. Device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the fixing means comprise welding means for welding together the relevant strapping element parts.

18. Device as claimed in claim 16, comprising: - heating means for locally melting said starting part and end part of a strapping element arranged around a cable bundle; - pressing means with which the heated starting part and end part of the strapping element can be pressed against each other.

19. Device as claimed in claim 16, 17 or 18, comprising:

- heating means for arranging between the relevant strapping element parts for the purpose of locally heating the strapping element parts;

- pressing means which are adapted, when heating means are present, to press the strapping element parts on either side against the heating member and to press the strapping element parts against each other when heating means are removed.

20. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, which comprises cutting means for severing the tying strap.

21. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the feed unit comprises buffer means for buffering the feed of the cable .

22. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein a strapping element is guided at least once around the cable bundle substantially transversely of the winding direction.

23. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the winding means and strapping means take a combined form.

24. Device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the winding means comprise a winding core for winding cable into a cable bundle, and the strapping means comprise one or more grooves provided in the winding core, along which grooves the strapping element can be guided.

25. Cable bundle, comprising:

- a flexible cable wound over a predetermined length to form a cable winding; - a strapping element arranged at least at one position around the cable winding.

26. Device or cable bundle as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the cables are electricity- carrying cables .

27. Device or cable bundle as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the strapping element is formed from plastic .

28. Device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the strapping element is manufactured from polypropylene.

29. Device or cable bundle as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, .wherein the strapping element is beltlike.

30. Device or cable bundle as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the width of the strapping element amounts to between 0.2 and 1 cm.

31. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the thickness of the strapping element amounts to about 0.5 mm.

32. Method for winding a flexible cable, comprising the steps of :

- feeding the cable;

- winding the cable over a predetermined length to form a cable bundle; - strapping the wound cable bundle in order to hold the cable bundle together; and

- discharging the strapped cable bundle.

33. Method as claimed in claim 32, comprising the steps of: a) feeding a cable; b) winding the cable over a predetermined length to form a first cable bundle; c) gripping and displacing the wound cable bundle; d) winding the cable over a predetermined length to form a subsequent cable bundle and simultaneously strapping the first cable bundle; and e) discharging the strapped first cable bundle.

34. Method as claimed in claim 33, comprising of guiding at least one strapping element through the core of the cable bundle and fastening the strapping element around the cable bundle .

35. Method as claimed in claim 33 or 34, comprising of arranging strapping elements at different positions.

36. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims 32-35, comprising of gripping the cable bundle on the outer periphery thereof and displacing and strapping the cable bundle in the gripped situation.

37. Method as claimed in any of the foregoing claims 32-36, comprising of:

- clamping the flexible cable to an upper or lower winding disc;

- extending a winding mandrel from the upper or lower inner disc;

- winding the cable with the winding mandrel to form a cable bundle;

- removing the winding mandrel from the cable bundle core ; - gripping and displacing the coreless cable bundle from the winding discs to a strapping unit; and

- strapping the coreless cable bundle with the strapping unit .

38. Method as claimed in claim 33, 34 or 35, comprising of arranging strapping elements at two or more positions distributed substantially uniformly over the cable bundle .

39. Method as claimed in claim 38, comprising of arranging strapping elements at three positions.

40. Method as claimed in any of the claims 32-39, comprising of : - displacing a first substantially curved element and a second substantially curved element relative to each other between an opened position, in which a cable bundle is displaceable between the legs of the elements, and a closed position in which a leg of the curved elements extends through the core of the cable bundle; and

- transporting a strapping element along the elements around the cable bundle.

41. Method as claimed in claim 40, comprising of transporting the strapping element in a first direction for arranging thereof around the cable bundle, and transporting the strapping element in a second, opposite direction for tightening around the cable bundle the strapping element arranged round the cable bundle.

42. Method as claimed in claim 41, comprising of tightening the strapping element to a predetermined tension.

43. Method as claimed in any of the claims 32-42, comprising of fixing to each other a starting part and an end part of a strapping element arranged around a cable bundle.

44. Method as claimed in claim 43, comprising of welding together the relevant strapping element parts .

45. Method as claimed in any of the claims 32-44, comprising of locally melting said starting part and end part of a strapping element arranged around a cable bundle; pressing against each other the heated starting part and end part of the strapping element.

46. Method as claimed in any of the claims 32-45, comprising of:

- arranging heating means between the relevant strapping element parts for the purpose of locally heating the strapping element parts;

- pressing the strapping element parts on either side against the heating means when heating means are present,

- subsequently pressing the strapping element parts against each other when heating means are removed.

47. Method as claimed in any of the claims 32-46, comprising of severing the strapping element.

48. Method as claimed in any of the claims 32-47, comprising of guiding a strapping element at least once around the cable bundle substantially transversely of the winding direction.

49. Method as claimed in any of the claims 32-48, wherein the device according to any of the claims 1-31 is applied.