WO2009040749A2

WO2009040749A2 - Method of and apparatus for producing long, assembled, electric cables

Info

Publication number: WO2009040749A2
Application number: PCT/IB2008/053889
Authority: WO
Inventors: Willi Blickenstorfer; Mustafa Ayabakan
Original assignee: Schleuniger Holding Ag
Priority date: 2007-09-24
Filing date: 2008-09-24
Publication date: 2009-04-02
Also published as: DE112008002501T5; WO2009040749A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for producing long, assembled, electric cables (35) by an interchangeable cable-winding station (19) docked to a CrimpCenter (21 ) and having a cable-winding device (30), by means of which cable-winding station (19) each assembled individual cable (35, 35') is already wound during the process for cutting to length to give a cable coil (45) and by means of which the completely fabricated cable coil (45) is set down in a removal region (27) or is removed by a removal unit (61 ), which is connected to a winding head (39) via a sliding unit (63). The cable-winding station (19) is arranged between a processing table (46) of the CrimpCenter (21 ) and a removal region (27) and represents a cable-winding station (19) synchronized with the cable conveyor (3) and having a cable-winding device (30) for winding an assembled cable (35) over a defined cable length.

Description

Method of and apparatus for producing long, assembled, electric cables

The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for producing long, assembled, electric cables in a ChmpCenter. This application is based on three priority applications: US60/974543 and CH1477/07 and DE202007013417.7. The content of all of these priority applications is included within this application by reference. Applicants claim any and all (e.g. priority-) benefits under international and US law from said US60/974543. The content of this application is further a translation of a German text, which was filed on the same day as a Swiss Patent Application with the title "Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Herstellung langer, konfektionierter, elektrischer Leitungen". The content of this German text is included within this application by reference.

A method of producing long, assembled, electric cables in a CrimpCenter of the Applicant is known. The arrangement comprises alignment units, a cable conveyor, a measuring unit and a processing table, on which processing table a first pivot device with a first gripper and a second pivot device with a second gripper is arranged in the direction of the cable conveying axis. The first pivot device is mounted on a guide carriage, which is movable in the direction of the conveying axis. In addition, the first gripper cooperates with first processing stations on a first side of the processing table, and the second gripper cooperates with second processing stations on a second side of the processing table. Between the first and the second gripper there is arranged a cable processing station, in particular a cutting and insulation-stripping station. Adjoining, a removal region for the completely assembled cable having attached at least one contact is arranged.

On such a known arrangement the following steps are performed:

The electric cable is fed from a stock, for example from a cable drum, through a guide sleeve and two alignment units to a cable conveyor. In the cable conveyor, the cable is clamped between two coated toothed belts. The toothed belts are each driven by toothed drive and deflection pulleys and also multiply supported by smaller toothed pulleys in the region between the toothed drive and deflection pulleys. A suitable pressing device presses the two toothed belts, for example pneumatically, against one another with a force such that a sufficient frictional force acts between the coated toothed belts and the cable to be conveyed between the toothed belt coatings. A controlled servo drive motor drives the cable conveyor. In this way, the clamped cable present between the toothed belts is conveyed in the longitudinal direction. A measuring wheel of a length-measuring unit, which wheel rests with spring force against the cable behind the toothed belts in the longitudinal direction but outside the conveying system, detects the conveyed cable length with the aid of an encoder. The signals of this encoder are fed to the control of the servomotor so that in this way the process for cutting the cable to length is controlled.

On the opposite side of the cable, a counter-wheel is arranged so that the cable is situated between measuring wheel and counter-wheel. The cable is transported by the cable conveyor through guide sleeves and a guide tube into the working region of a cutting and insulation-stripping station. The cable conveyor stops in a defined position, the cable remaining fixed between the coated toothed belts. In this position, a first gripper which is integrated in a first pivot device grasps the cable. In the cutting and insulation-stripping station, a piece of cable is then first cut off from the front cable end. This zero cut position is detected by the encoder of the measuring wheel and hence by the control and determines the reference point for all subsequent processes for cutting to length. The piece of cable which has been cut off is disposed of.

The first gripper is fixed on a guide carriage which in turn is mounted on the first pivot device. After the zero cut, the guide carriage with the first gripper is moved off the cutting and insulation-stripping station by a programmable distance with the aid of a further servo drive so that the cable end is now present between two insulation-stripping blades. The position is programmed so that, when the insulation-stripping blades close, the cable insulation is cut into so that, during the subsequent withdrawal movement of the guide carriage with the gripper, the insulation is stripped off from the cable conductors at the cable end over the programmed length. The cable remains fixed in the gripper. The blades of the cutting and insulation-stripping station are opened again.

In subsequent processes, the first pivot device pivots toward first processing stations in which, for example, a seal and/or a crimp contact is mounted on the stripped cable start. Thereafter, the first pivot device pivots back into the cable transport axis.

Thereafter, the first gripper opens its gripper arms. Thus, the cable is no longer fixed in the first gripper. The cable conveyor then conveys the cable until the control or regulation device of the cable conveyor motor detects that the programmed cable length has been reached on the basis of the signals of the measuring wheel encoder. After the cutting and insulation-stripping station, the conveyed cable is passed onto a conveyor belt which runs at a speed similar to that of the cable conveyor and supports the cable during the process for cutting to length.

The cable conveyor remains closed during the processes described. Cutting the cables exactly to length is effected on the basis of the signals which are generated by the encoder of the measuring wheel. The measuring wheel remains continuously under contact pressure on the cable to be conveyed. In this way, the positions of leading cable end and cable end and the cable lengths are always detected and are used for controlling the processes for cutting to length and for positioning. The cable is now fixed in the region of the cutting and insulation- stripping station both by the first gripper of the first pivot device and by a second gripper of a second pivot device. Thereafter, the cable is cut by partial closing of the cutting and insulation-stripping station. The first gripper now fixes the leading cable end of a second cable while the second gripper holds the cable end of the first cable. The leading cable end of the second cable and the cable end of the first cable are now stripped of insulation and the cable end of the first cable is then likewise provided with a seal and/or a contact element by second processing stations. The leading cable end of the second cable is processed according to a program, as already described above.

The first and the second pivot devices thus swivel the cables held in the respective grippers. As a result of this pivot movement, the first cable is drawn laterally from the conveyor belt so that in the end the total cable length falls into a collecting tray which is arranged, offset laterally and downward, next to the conveyor belt.

As soon as the processing is complete, the second pivot device pivots into a so- called cable set-down position and the second gripper of the second pivot device is opened. The cable end, too, now falls out of the second gripper into the collecting tray, so that the fabricated first cable lies straightened in the collecting tray. The further cables are now fabricated in succession and likewise enter the collecting tray in succession.

A disadvantage of this method and of such a CrimpCenter is in particular the cable set-down with the aid of set-down belts in collecting trays. In the fabrication of longer cables, it is necessary to install additional extension belts to the basic set- down belt module of the fully automatic machine. Only in this way, long cables for trucks or bus cables, whose length is up to 18m or more, can also be collected in a straightened and ordered position so that the cables are then removed manually from the lengthened collecting trays. In the case of very long cables, two workers who grip the cables at both ends possibly also effect the removal. In general, these cables - as a bundle of 20 to 50 cables - are then wound manually into a loop or into a ring and formed into a bundle using an adhesive tape or the like after removal from the collecting tray. In the case of unprofessional handling, the often highly sensitive electric contact elements at the leading cable end and at the cable end may be damaged during this procedure. To avoid damages of the crimped electrical contact elements, usually protective caps are manually clipped on the electric contact elements of particularly long and heavy cables. Such protective caps are disclosed in DE 10 2005 046 458 A1 or DE-U 94 00 653.9 for example.

A drawback of this method is the high demand on workers on the one hand because at least one operator who controls the process and clips the protective caps on the contact elements must stay at site. On the other hand, the enormous space requirements in the case of the production of, for example, 18m long individual cables, which require a CrimpCenter in a manufacturing hall, are disadvantageous.

In a first step, this problem could be solved by cable-winding devices instead of the collecting trays. In particular, cable-winding devices are known from the processing of cable-like conductors, optical waveguides or from the processing of cables for producing cable coils. In case of optical waveguides, storing, shipping and a considerable part of the processing of the cables is done with reels. Here a minimum radius of curvature may not be under-ran because otherwise the optical waveguide could be damaged. A device for winding cable-like materials is disclosed in EP 1 387 449 B1 for example. In order to wind the cable with high equality of its ends, a second gripping unit grasps the front end of the cable and pulls it off the winding device so that both ends of the cable can be leveled.

A further winding device for winding cable-like or band-like materials sold by the meter, in particular optical wave guides, with integrated tying station is known by the applicant from WO 03/018456 A1.

EP 1 452 474 A1 also discloses a method of and a device for machining cable coils, with which method and device cable coils of a defined length are wound and fixed for further processing without the aid of a bobbin. The device comprises a cable reel, a cable feed to a holding device, a cutting device, a winding device with a gripper, a fixing unit, a deposit table with a cable binding device and clamps for clamping the end of the cable, which clamps are movable along the deposit table. Extra long electric cables, which have been assembled and attached with a contact element in a CrimpCenter, have not been wound up to cable coils in a cable coil winding station so far because of the high requirements for the cable coil winding station and its communication to the CrimpCenter. In addition, the synchronization between insulation-stripping process, contacting process, winding process, trimming process, and additional insulation-stripping process, contacting process, winding process and trimming process along with the subsequent appropriate deposition of the cable coil requires a control with high precision, which has to be exactly adapted to the single processing steps.

An object of the invention is to provide a method which optimizes the process for cutting to length, in particular for the assembly of long cables, and which mechanically produces convenient, transportable bundles from long cables without substantially reducing the cable conveying speed and which prevents damage of the contact elements of the completely assembled cables. The object of the invention is furthermore to provide an apparatus, which provides for a reduced demand of human operators for the trimming process, in particular for the assembly of long cables, though working in a more flexible way and reducing the space requirements for the removal area for long cables.

The method and the apparatus according to the claims 1 and 16 achieve these objects. Further developments of the invention form the subject of the subclaims.

According to the invention, each individual cable is wound by a docked, interchangeable cable-winding station having a cable-winding device already during the process for cutting to length to give a cable coil and, after the end of assembly, the completely assembled cable coil is set down properly by the cable- winding device in a removal region or removed by an removal device. For this purpose, the cable start, after it has been processed by first processing stations (e.g. has been provided with a seal and/or a first contact element), is gripped in a defined position by a third gripper, which is mounted on a cable transport apparatus of a cable-winding station, and fed to a cable-winding device, where the cable is taken over by a fixing gripper of the cable-winding device at a position, which is likewise defined and is close to the cable start, and is wound by a winding head of the cable-winding device to give a cable coil until the programmed cable length is reached, and the winding process is terminated in a controlled manner (e.g. by an - optionally separate - control of the cable-winding station, which is connected to the control of the CrimpCenter).

In a first variant of the invention, the cable conveyor is opened after the cable has been taken over by the third gripper. Thereafter, the third gripper is moved on a carriage in the direction of the cable-winding device and the cable is drawn further. However - as is known per se - a measuring wheel of the measuring unit remains in constant contact with the conveyed cable during the entire time, the detected signals of the measuring wheel respectively of a measuring wheel encoder being used for controlling processes for cutting to length and for positioning.

In a second variant, the cable conveyor remains closed when the cable is taken over by the third gripper. The control and regulation devices of the cable conveyor and of the cable-winding station thereby ensure that the travel profile of the carriage, such as acceleration, conveying, delaying, stopping on the linear axis, takes place synchronously with the travel profile of the cable conveyor. In this variant, too, the measuring wheel of the measuring unit remains in constant contact with the conveyed cable during the entire time and the detected signals of the measuring wheel encoder are used for controlling processes for cutting to length and for positioning.

After the third gripper has transferred the leading cable end to the fixing gripper of the cable-winding device after reaching an end position on the linear axis below the cable-winding device, the carriage with the third gripper is moved along the linear axis to a defined waiting position. Thereafter, the winding arms of the winding head swivel outward to a (e.g. 90°) position relative to the underside of the winding head and form a reel. The cable held by the fixing gripper is now wound on the - optionally trough-shaped - winding arms by the winding head rotated by a (e.g. servo) motor.

In the second variant, in which the cable conveyor remains closed when the cable is gripped by the third gripper, the cable conveyor conveys the exactly programmed cable length and the motor of the winding head drive is controlled so that the cable is wound with a limited torque and a suitable tensile force, and the winding process is stopped by means of the torque limitation as soon as the cable conveyor stops.

Alternatively, the length of the cable to be conveyed can be detected via a separate second measuring wheel installed according to the invention before the cable conveyor and having an encoder or via a second length measuring unit, wherein the encoder signals are processed by the control and regulation device of the conveying system.

The cable is wound by the cable-winding device until the programmed cable end has arrived below the cutting blade of the cutting and insulation-stripping station and is fixed both by the first gripper and by the second gripper, whereupon the cable conveyor is closed at this time at the latest and the cable is clamped between the toothed belts and then cut by the cutting blade. Thereafter, the second gripper fixes the cable end of the first cable and the first gripper fixes the leading cable end of a next cable. At the same time, a cable guide arrangement arranged on the base frame is closed, wherein the cable guide arrangement fixes the cable and the already wound cable part is held on the reel. The cable end is then stripped of insulation and appropriately processed in the second processing stations. Thereafter, the second gripper is opened again. The retaining plate of the cable guide arrangement is raised slightly by a lifting device - optionally by a pneumatic cylinder - and the cable, which is no longer clamped, is further wound by the winding head until the cable end has reached the region of the cable guide arrangement. In this way, the cable, which is to be wound, is alternately conveyed respectively pulled by the cable conveyer, the cable-winding device and as the case may be by the third gripper during the manufacturing cycle, which is achieved by a control of the cable-winding device being exactly adapted to that one of the CrimpCenter. According to a preferred embodiment, the completely wound cable is now tied up at at least one position by a tying unit and subsequently released by a winding arm, which swivels inwards, and a lever of the cable guide arrangement, which at the same time opens downwards. Preferably, the completely assembled cable coil slips over a central guiding arm of the cable-winding devices onto a collecting arm of a removal unit, which is considerably steep, following the gravitational force. The cable-winding device stops as soon as a defined number of cable coils have been collected by one of the collecting arms, whereupon the full collecting arm is manually or automatically separated and/or pulled back from the guiding arm and an empty collecting arm is positioned respectively connected if required. The cable coils are taken from the collecting arm and optionally packaged by an operator.

According to the invention, the apparatus for manufacturing of long, assembled, electrical cables in a CrimpCenter is a cable-winding device synchronized with the cable conveyer having a cable-winding device for winding a defined length of an assembled cable, which is arranged between processing table and removal area of the CrimpCenter as a module, comprising a base support, a cable guiding arrangement, a cable conveying device with a third gripper, the cable-winding device with a winding head pivotably mounted to a hollow shaft, and a fixing gripper to fix the leading cable end to the winding head. Optionally, the interchangeable cable-winding station is arranged on wheels. It is fixed to the base frame of the CrimpCenter and/or to the processing table by means of suitable detachable fastening brackets. The cable-winding station optionally comprises its own control, which is installed in the base frame of the station and which is connected to the control of the CrimpCenter by means of appropriate connecting cables respectively communication cables. The third gripper of the cable conveyer device is mounted on a carriage, which can be moved to an end position to transfer the cable to the cable-winding device and to a waiting position to accept the next cable after completion of the winding process. The carriage moves along a liner axis parallel to the cable-conveying axis.

The winding arms are preferably trough-shaped and are arranged on the underside of the winding head in a star-shaped manner on a circle or part of a circle as known per se. In their starting position, the winding arms are swiveled inwards and arranged at an angle, at which the cable coil can fall from the winding arms. This angle may be, for example, 45^° to the underside of the winding head. A suitable mechanism swivels the winding arms outwards, for example through a stroke movement along a center axis of the cable-winding device to a position, at which a reel for a cable coil can be formed. This may be a 90^° position to the underside of the winding head.

Preferably, the cable-winding device comprises an elastic pressure roll, which acts on the cable coil from outwards and keeps the same in shape and tenseness.

According to the invention, a ring-shaped disc is arranged above the winding head, which disc is connected to an actuating unit, wherein the release of the leading cable end of the completely wound cable coil is effected through the actuating unit, which lowers the ring-shaped disc in the direction of the winding head. In doing so, the ring-shaped disc opens the spring-loaded winding arms of the fixing gripper by acting on a mechanism being attached to the fixing gripper against the closing force of the spring, and that independent of the position of the fixing gripper on the winding head.

According to the invention, the length of the cable to be conveyed may alternatively be detected by a separate second length measuring unit with a length measuring encoder, which unit is arranged ahead of the cable conveyer, wherein the control and regulation device processes the encoder signals of the conveying system. The further separate measuring unit has no mechanical coupling to the cable conveyor. It enables conveying the cable either with the cable conveyor or with the drive of the carriage moved along the linear axis or with the winding head drive of the cable-winding device without synchronization of these drives with one another being required.

The cable guide arrangement, which is arranged on the base frame of the cable- winding station, comprises at least one retaining plate, a lever and two lifting units. Raising the lever and lowering the retaining plate by the lifting units effect the closing of the cable guide arrangement.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the cable-winding device comprises a central guiding arm being attached to the center axle, which axle is arranged in the hollow shaft of the winding head, and protruding beyond its lower end. According to the invention, a removal unit is arranged in the removal area of the CrimpCenter, comprising a base frame and at least one collecting arm, which is optionally angled, looking in direction of the central guiding arm of the cable- winding device for receiving a number of cable coils. This central guiding arm together with the collecting arm of the removal unit forms a sliding unit for the completely bound and preferably tied cable coil. The central guiding arm either is directly connected to the collecting arm or is loose, but forms - as it may be arranged resting on the collecting arm - an optional overlapping region. The central guiding arm is - in extension of the center axis - conducted basically perpendicular out of the inner hollow shaft. Approximately at the position of the cable coil wound on the winding arms it is bent off in direction of the removal unit in such a way that the completely wound cable coil after release by the cable- winding device falls - being compulsorily guided - onto the central guiding arm. Then, it is guided on the collecting arm at a suitable angle until it reaches a stopper element. According to the invention, the base frame of the removal unit comprises a pillar having at least one stopper element for the cable coil in its upper region. In addition, the removal unit comprises an optional turnstile near to the or in the connection area between the pillar and the base frame.

From each stopper element a collecting arm protrudes upwards in angular direction and is rigidly mounted, quickly interchangeable or pivotably mounted. The empty collection arms are moved alternately or successively in direction of a lower region of the guiding arm to receive a defined number of cable coils, which guiding arm together with an upper region of a collecting arm forms the overlapping region of the sliding unit. For the final emptying of the full collecting arms simple metal chutes, containers, etc. for receiving the final cable coils may be provided as the case may be. In addition, sensors may be arranged in critical areas, for example in the overlapping region of the sliding unit, which sensors output a signal as soon as unexpected events occur, for example between the cable-winding device and the removal unit, and which stop the operation of the CrimpCenter in case of failure.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide the cable-winding device and/or the removal unit with a tying device, which tying device provides the cable coil with one or more adhesive tapes, with plastic clips, tying wire, rubber band or the like in order to tie up and to stabilize the cable coil and to keep it in shape.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the working example shown in detail and in some cases schematically in the drawings. The drawings are non-limiting. The same reference signs depict the same entities. The Figures are described in an overlapping manner. The Figures show:

Fig. 1 a plan view of a schematically represented CrimpCenter having an inventively integrated cable-winding station;

Fig. 2 a partial side view of the apparatus according to the invention as shown in Fig. 1 , in particular the cable-winding station with the cable-winding device;

Fig. 3 an enlarged schematic sectional diagram of a first embodiment of a winding head according to the invention of the cable-winding device according to Fig. 2 with inward-swiveled winding arms and opened fixing gripper arms and a cable transport device according to the invention with closed gripper arms; Fig. 4 a schematic diagram of a bottom view of the winding head according to Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 the winding head according to Fig. 3 with inward-swiveled winding arms and closed fixing gripper arms after acceptance of the cable, and the cable transport device according to Fig. 3 with opened gripper arms;

Fig. 6 the schematic diagram of the bottom view of the winding head according to Fig. 5 and the opened gripper arms of the cable transport device in a waiting position;

Fig. 7 the schematic diagram of the bottom view of the winding head with outward- swiveled winding arms in the form of a reel after the beginning of the winding process;

Fig. 8 the winding head according to Fig. 5 with outward-swiveled winding arms with a cable coil already formed by rotation;

Fig. 9 the schematic diagram of the bottom view of the winding head according to Figures 4, 6 and 7 with winding arms once again swiveled inward at the end of the winding process;

Fig. 10 the winding head according to Fig. 8 with winding arms once again swiveled inward and the finished cable coil falling downward;

Fig. 11 a cable guide arrangement according to the invention in the open state;

Fig. 12 the cable guide arrangement according to Fig. 11 in the closed state;

Fig. 13 a further embodiment of an inventive cable-winding device with an inventive central guiding arm and sections of a collection of a removal unit; Fig. 14 an inventive cable-winding device according to Fig. 13 with a further embodiment of an inventive removal unit being integrated into the cable-winding device;

Fig. 15 a cut out of Fig. 14 showing a further embodiment with an elastic region.

The CrimpCenter 21 according to Fig. 1 , described in this working example, has, in a manner known per se, along a cable conveying axis 20, a horizontal and a vertical alignment unit 2, a cable conveyor 3, a separate length measuring unit 9 with a measuring wheel, a counter-wheel 10 cooperating with the measuring wheel of the length measuring unit 9, and a processing table 46 on which, likewise in the cable conveying axis 20, a first pivot device 14 with a first gripper 12 and a second pivot device 18 with a second gripper 17 are arranged, wherein the first gripper 12 is mounted on a guide carriage 13 on the first pivot device 14 on a first side, and the first gripper 12 cooperates with first processing stations 15 on the first side and the second gripper 17 cooperates with the second processing stations 42 on a second side of the processing table 46, and wherein a cutting and insulation- stripping station 11 is arranged between the first gripper 12 and the second gripper 17, and a removal region 27 for a completely assembled cable 35 is arranged adjacent in the longitudinal direction 16.

The cable passes - in a manner known per se - from a stock, for example from a cable drum, through a guide sleeve 1 and the alignment units 2 to the cable conveyor 3. In the cable conveyor 3, the cable is clamped between two coated toothed belts 4. The toothed belts 4 are each driven via toothed drive pulleys 5 and toothed deflection pulleys 6 and are also supported by a plurality of smaller toothed pulleys 7 in the region between the toothed drive pulleys 5 and toothed deflection pulleys 6. A suitable device 8 presses the two toothed belts 4, e.g. pneumatically, against one another with a force so that a sufficient frictional force is present between the coated toothed belts 4 and the cable 35 to be conveyed between the toothed belt coatings. The cable conveyor 3 is driven by a controlled (e.g. servo) drive motor. In this way, the clamped cable 35 present between the toothed belts 4 is conveyed in the longitudinal direction 16 as known per se.

The separate measuring wheel 9, which rests against the cable with spring force outside the conveying system, detects the conveyed cable length with the aid of an encoder. The signals of this encoder are fed into the control of the drive motor so that in this way the process for cutting the cable to length is controlled. The cable 35 is transported by the cable conveyor 3 through guide sleeves V and a guide tube into the working region of the cutting and insulation-stripping station 11. As soon as the cable conveyor 3 stops, the cable remains fixed between the coated toothed belts 4. In this position, a first gripper 12 grasps the cable. A piece of cable is then first cut off from the leading cable end 22 in the cutting and insulation-stripping station 11. This zero cut position is detected by the encoder of the separate length measuring unit 9 and hence by the control and determines the reference point for all subsequent processes for cutting to length. The piece of cable, which has been cut off, is disposed of.

After the zero cut, the guide carriage 13 with gripper 12 is moved - in a manner known per se - with the aid of a further (e.g. servo) drive from the cutting and insulation-stripping station 11 by a programmable distance so that the leading cable end 22 is now present between two insulation-stripping blades. The position is programmed in such a way that on closing of the insulation-stripping blades, the cable insulation is cut into so that, during the subsequent withdrawal movement of the guide carriage 13 with the gripper 12, the insulation is stripped off from the cable conductors at the leading cable end 22 over the programmed length. However, the cable 35 still remains fixed in the gripper 12. The blades of the cutting and insulation-stripping station 11 are opened again. The first pivot device

14 then swivels - as known per se - on a first side toward first processing stations

15 in which, for example, a seal and/or an electric contact element 24, for example a crimp contact, is mounted on the leading cable end 22 from which insulation has been stripped. According to the invention, an interchangeable cable-winding station 19 docked to the CrimpCenter 21 and having a cable-winding device 30 now winds each individual cable 35, already during the process for cutting to length, to give a cable coil 45 (Fig. 1 ). Finally, the completely fabricated cable coil 45 is set down properly in a removal region 27 by the cable-winding device 30. For this purpose, a cable-winding station 19 synchronized with the cable conveyor 3 and intended for winding a defined cable length of an assembled cable 35 is arranged between processing table 46 and removal region 27 (Fig. 2). Said cable-winding station 19 comprises a base frame 48, a cable guide arrangement 29, a cable transport device 47 with a third gripper 33, and a cable-winding device 30 with a winding head 39, rotatably mounted on at least an outer hollow shaft 40 (Fig. 3) and on at least a inner hollow shaft 73 according to Fig. 3, and a fixing gripper 34 arranged on the winding head 39 for fixing the leading cable end 22 to the winding head 39. The cable-winding station 19 integrated in or fixed to the CrimpCenter 21 and preferably supported on wheels 44 is interchangeable in a modular manner. Thus, instead of this cable-winding station 19, it is possible in certain circumstances to mount cable-winding stations of similar design but different diameter or optionally other alternative apparatuses. Secure fastening of the cable-winding station 19 is ensured by means of suitable detachable fastening brackets 49 on the machine frame 50 of the CrimpCenter 21 and/or on the processing table 46, wherein the cable-winding device 30 preferably has a separate control, which is installed in the base frame 48 and is connected to the CrimpCenter control via suitable connecting and communication lines, and wherein a compressed air connection additionally is connected if required. The cable-winding device 30 is fastened on the top of the base frame 48 of the cable-winding station 19, which base frame is preferably in the shape of a question mark.

The third gripper 33 of the cable transport device 47 has gripper arms 25 and is mounted on a carriage 31 (Fig. 3) which travels along a linear axis 32 parallel to the cable conveying axis 20 to an end position 51 for transfer of the leading cable end 22 to the cable-winding device 30 (Fig. 5). Thereafter, the third gripper 33 travels to a waiting position 23 (Fig. 6) so that the completely processed cable end 26 cannot become entangled in the ghpper 33. The waiting position 23 of the third gripper 33 is (not necessarily) the take-over position for the next cable 35' after the end of the winding process. Preferably, the third gripper 33 is moved from its waiting position 23 to the cutting and insulation-stripping station 11 to receive the next cable 35' as soon as the processing of the cable 35 being in the winding process on the second side is completed and before the second gripper 17 releases the cable end 26. This inventive nested processing of the functions is very advantageous for the performance of the machine respectively for the total speed of the cable throughput.

The winding head 39 has, on its underside, at least two, preferably eight, winding arms 36 (Figs. 3-6). The bowl-shaped or trough-shaped winding arms 36, which face outwards with their bulge, are arranged in a star-shaped manner on a part of a circle in their starting position at an angle of about 45^° and swiveled inward. A suitable mechanism swivels the winding arms 36 through about 45^° outward by a stroke movement along a middle axis 37 of the cable-winding device 30 (Figs. 7 and 8). On swiveling, the winding arms 36 form a reel 38 for a cable coil 45. The winding arms 36 are preferably present in an approximately 90^° position to the underside of the winding head 39.

The swivel mechanism is arranged on winding disks 82, 83. The first upper winding disk 82 is connected to the outer hollow shaft 82 with its center region by the aid of appropriate connection means. In its outer region, the upper first winding disk 82 comprises angled plates 84, on which the winding arms 36, which are trough-shaped on one end and have a bending 88 on the other end, are movably mounted in the corner region of the bendings 88 by means of first bolts 87. A second winding disk 83, which is arranged below the first winding disk 82, is directly connected to the inner hollow shaft 73 with its center region. Its outer region is directly connected to the winding arms 36 by the aid of guide arms 85, which are horseshoe-shaped in this example, and second bolts 91 in the end region of the bendings 88. As soon as the inner hollow shaft 73 together with the second winding disk 83 is moved upwards along the non-rotating axis 37 by means of a pulling unit 74, the bowl-shaped or trough-shaped winding arms 36 swivel inwards around the axis of the first bolt 87 and release the cable coil 45 downwards.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 13, the swivel mechanism comprises two star discs 75, 89 and winding arms 36 with trough-shaped winding receptacles 77 and swiveling arms 78. The lover star disk 75 is connected to the inner hollow shaft 73 in its center region. In its outer region, it is connected to the winding arms 36 by means of pivotable connecting items 81 and lower swiveling hinges 80 at the swivel arms 78. The upper star disc 89 is connected to the winding arms 36 at the outer region of said disc 89 by means of upper swiveling hinges 79 of the swiveling arms 78. As soon as the pulling unit 74 moves the lower star disk 75 upwards in vertical direction, the connecting items 81 swivel because of the pull movement. In addition, the trough-shaped winding receptacles 77 swivel inwards and release the completely assembled and wound cable coil 45, which may be tied up by the aid of an adhesive strip 72, downwards. The trough-shaped winding receptacles 77 may have a bending radius, which equals the radius of the winding coil 45 to be wound. Alternatively, the winding receptacles 77 may be interchangeable or have structural members, which equal the particular radius of the cable coil 45.

According to the invention in this working example according to Fig. 1 , a separate second length measuring unit 52 with a measuring wheel and a counter-wheel 53 is additionally arranged between the alignment units 2 and the cable conveyor 3, which second measuring unit 52 detects the length of the cable 35 to be conveyed by means of encoder signals and is responsible for the processing of the signals in the control and regulation device of the conveying system, the second measuring unit 52 having no mechanical coupling to the cable conveyor 3. Thus, the second measuring unit 52 may be permanently coupled to the cable 35 to be conveyed. In this way, the exact length of the cable 35 to be conveyed can be determined by the second length measuring unit 52 even if the cable conveyer 3 is opened and if the first measuring unit 9 is not coupled to the cable 35 or is out of function. The second measuring unit 52 enables conveying the cable 35 either with the cable conveyor 3, with the drive of the carriage 31 moved along the linear axis 32 or with the winding head drive 41 without synchronization of these drives with one another being required.

The cable guide arrangement 29 of the cable-winding station 19 comprises a retaining plate 55, a lever 54 for clamping and/or guiding the cable 35 and two lifting units 56, 57, which are pneumatic cylinders 56, 57 in this example. The cable guide arrangement 29 is arranged directly ahead of the winding head 39 in the end region of the linear axis 32 between the processing table 46 and the cable-winding station 19 on the base frame 48 at the height of the processing table 46. The first lifting unit 56 is assigned to the lever 54 and the lifting unit 57 is assigned to the retaining plate 55. Closing of the cable guide arrangement 29 is effected by raising the lever 54 and lowering the retaining plate 55 with application of pressure by the lifting units 56, 57. The opening process accordingly takes place in the opposite direction. The cable guide arrangement 29 inter alia effects that the cable 35 on the winding head 39 stays tense. Such a cable guide arrangement may also be used independent of the other arrangements.

The cable-winding device 30 optionally also has a resilient pressure roller which presses from outside onto the cable coil 45 and keeps the latter in shape and under tension.

In one embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 15 for example, a ring disc 76 is arranged above the winding head 39, which ring disc 76 cooperates with an actuating unit 90. In the embodiment shown, the actuating unit 90 comprises at least one but preferably four pneumatic cylinders, wherein releasing of the leading cable end 22 of the completely wound cable coil 45 is effected through the actuating unit 90, which lowers the ring disc 76 in the direction of the winding head 39. In doing so, the ring disc 76 opens the preferably spring-loaded winding arms of the fixing gripper 34 by acting on a mechanism being attached to the fixing gripper 34 against the closing force of the spring, and that independent of the position of the fixing gripper 34 on the winding head 39. As soon as the ring disk 76 moves away from the winding head 39, the spring closes the arms of the fixing gripper 34 again. It is also within the scope of the invention that the opening of the arms of the fixing gripper 34 is effected by other means. For example, commercial available devices may be used, in particular if the fixing gripper 34 is effected to hold always at the same position.

In a first embodiment as shown in Fig. 1 , the removal device 58 for the completely assembled cable coil 45 consists of a conveyor belt 59 with longitudinal and transverse webs 43 or of a chute with guide plates or is arranged directly below the longitudinal winding device 30 or is directly connected to the winding device 30 by the aid of a guiding arm 67 (Figs. 13 to 15) and has a removal region 27.

Because, as is visible in Fig. 7, the leading cable end 22 with the first contact element 24 at the inner side of the emerging cable coil 35, 35' is held by the fixing gripper 34 and the cable end 26 with the second contact element 28, as is visible in Fig. 9, is positioned on the outer side of the cable coil 45 after completion of the winding process, the second electric contact element 28 at the cable end 26 smoothly slips onto the metal tray, chute or onto the conveying belt 59 being arranged directly below when the cable guide arrangement 29 is opened.

Thereafter, the cable coil 45 is put down there, wherein the cable end 26 with the contact element 28 is always positioned on the outer side of the cable coil 45. Subsequently, the fixing gripper 34 on the winding head 39 releases the leading cable end 22 with the first electric contact element 24 to the inner space of the cable coil 45 so that the contact elements 24, 28 are always put down spaced from one another. Thus, a catching of the contact elements 24, 28 can neither occur on the conveying belt 59, the chute or the moveable tray nor in the removal region 27. In this way, also the manual clipping of protecting caps onto the electric contact elements 24, 28 may be omitted.

According to an embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 13, a tying station 60 is arranged at the cable-winding station 19, which tying station 60 attaches one or more adhesive strips 72, plastic clips, an interlocking tape, a tying wire, a rubber strap, etc. to the cable coil 45, which tie the cable coil 45, stabilize it and keep it in shape. According to Fig. 13, the tying is performed in the cable-winding station 19 as long as the cable coil 45 is still fixed to the winding head 39, but may also be done in the unit for automatic removal of the cable coil 45.

The method for the production of long cables 35 takes place as follows:

After the mounting of a seal and/or of an electric contact element 24 on the leading cable end 22 from which insulation has been stripped off, the first pivot device 14 swivels back into the cable-conveying axis 20. While the cable conveyer 3 conveys the cable 35 by a defined feed, according to the invention, the first gripper 12 transfers the leading cable end 22, which has already been processed, in a defined position behind the contact element 24 to the third gripper 33 without touching the seal and/or the contact element 24. The separate length-measuring unit 9 detects the length of the forwarded cable 35. The measured data are used for exact positioning of the cable conveyor 3. The cable conveyor 3 is now opened. Then, the carriage 31 with the third gripper 33 is moved in the direction of the cable-winding device 30 along the linear axis 32, the third gripper 33 accordingly drawing along the gripped cable, inter alia also through the opened cable conveyor 3 uncoupled from the cable 35. The length-measuring unit 9 remains constantly in contact with the cable 35 to be conveyed. In this way, the exact positions of leading cable end 22 and cable end 26 and the cable lengths are detected at all times and are used for controlling the processes for cutting to length and for positioning.

Alternatively, the cable conveyor 3 may also remain closed when the third gripper 33 moves in the direction of the cable-winding device 30. In this version, suitable control and regulation devices of the cable conveyor 3 and of the cable-winding station 19 ensure that the travel profile along the linear axis 32, such as acceleration, conveying, delaying, stopping, takes place in synchronization with the travel profile of the cable conveyor 3, that the cable conveyer 3 forwards exactly the programmed cable length and the servo motor of the winding head 39 is controlled in such a way that the cable 35 is wound with a limited torque and a suitable tensile force. As soon as the cable conveyer 3 stops so that no cable 35 is forwarded any longer, also the winding process is stopped by the aid of the already explained limitation of torque. This is advantageous because it is difficult to determine the wound cable length on the winding head 39 based on the number of winding head turns. In this variant, too, the length measuring unit 9 remains constantly in contact with the cable to be conveyed, and the exact positions of leading cable end 22 and cable end 26 and the cable lengths are detected at all times and are used for controlling the processes for cutting to length and for positioning. For example, the signals of the measuring wheel encoder are transmitted to the control of the winding head drive 41 und used for controlling and exact trimming of the cable 35.

The carriage 31 with the third gripper 33 is now present in the end position 51 on the linear axis 32, the leading cable end 22 being present below the cable-winding device 30 in the access region of the opened fixing gripper 34 (Figures 3 and 4). The fixing gripper 34 is now closed and grips the leading cable end 22 without touching the seal or the contact element 24. The third gripper 33 on the carriage 31 is then opened. The leading cable end 22 is now held only by the fixing gripper 34 of the cable-winding device 30 (Fig. 5). The carriage 31 with the third gripper 33 is now moved out of the region of the cable-winding device 30 into a waiting position 23 (Fig. 6) in a defined manner. The winding arms 36 of the cable- winding device 30 are now swiveled by a stroke movement of the inner hollow shaft 73 along the axis 37 through about 45° outward into a 90° position to the underside of the winding head 39. In this way, the trough-shaped winding arms 36 arranged in a star-shaped manner on part of a circle form a reel 38 (Figures 7 and 8). The winding head 39 with the winding arms 36 is rotatably mounted on the hollow shafts 40, 73 and can be caused to rotate by, for example, a toothed belt drive of a servomotor 41. The cable held by the fixing gripper 34 is then wound onto the winding arms 36 arranged in a star-shaped manner respectively onto the reel 38. The cable 35 is wound as long as the programmed cable end 26 is positioned under the cutting blade of the cutting and insulation-stripping station 11. Now the cable 35 is fixed in the region of the cutting and insulation-stripping station 11 by means of the first gripper 12 of the first pivot device 14 and by the second gripper 17 of the second pivot device 18. Subsequently, the cable conveyer 3 is closed again, wherein the cable 35 is clamped between the coated tooth belts 4 again.

If the version as described further ahead is used (cable conveying with synchronization of the single drives), the cable conveyer 3 is already closed. Subsequently, the cable 35 is cut. The first gripper 12 fixes the leading cable end22 of the next cable 35' now, while the second gripper 17 fixes the cable end 26 of the first cable 35. In addition, the cable guide arrangement 29 (Fig. 11 ) is closed now by lifting the lever 54 and lowering the retaining plate 55. For this reason, the lifting units 56, 57 are pressurized. The conveyed cable 35 is positioned and fixed between the lever 54 and the retaining plate 55 now (Fig. 12). The cable guide arrangement 29 fixes the conveyed cable 35 in this state, wherein the already wound part of the cable 35 is fixed on the reel 38. Subsequently, the leading cable end22 of the next cable 35' is stripped on the first side of the processing table 46 and the cable end 26 of the first cable 35 is stripped on the second side of the processing table 46, and both are processed according to the program as already described. So, the pivot devices 14 and 18 swivel the cables 35, 35' fixed to the grippers 12, 17 to the processing stations 15, 42. During processing, the first cable 35 still remains fixed by the cable guide arrangement 29 and the reel 38.

When the processing is completed, the second pivot device 18 swivels in a so- called cable deposit position and the second gripper 17 is opened. The cable end 26, which is released now, falls downwards out of the second gripper 17 and firstly reaches a collecting tray with a smooth surface so that the second contact element 28 at the cable end 26 is not damaged. Then, the lifting unit 57 slightly lifts the retaining plate 55 in the cable guide arrangement 29 so that the cable 35 is encompassed but not fixed any longer. Then, the cable 35 is further wound by the winding head 39 until the cable end 26 reaches the region of the cable guide arrangement 29. The cable coil 45, which is completely wound now, optionally is tied up at at least one position and attached with adhesive strips. Subsequently, the winding arms 36 are swiveled inwards to the 45° position by a stroke movement of the inner hollow shaft 73 along the axis 37 (Figs. 9 and 10), and at the same time the lever 54 at the cable guide arrangement 29 is opened downwards (Fig. 11 ). The cable coil 45, which is released now, is forwarded to the removal region in direct or indirect way. The third gripper 33 on the carriage 31 is moved now to the defined position of the cutting and insulation-stripping station 11 along the linear axis 32 to take over the next leading cable end22.

It is within the scope of the invention that the winding arms 36 are pivotably mounted in the edge regions of two circular areas and/or stars or the like of different diameters and, on swiveling outward, are brought into a position which should preferably be 90° to the circular areas and/or stars or the like and in which the winding arms 36 form a reel 38. In such a working example, the two circular areas and/or stars or the like are rotatably mounted one on top of the other on at least the hollow shaft 40 and are arranged so as to be movable toward and away from one another by the reciprocating movement of the axis 37. Spacers which are displaceably mounted in their end regions and which connect the respective end region of the lower circular area and/or stars or the like to the winding arms 36 in their middle or lower regions can achieve the pivoting process, for example.

It is also within the scope of the invention that the winding arms 36 have two or more trough-like indentations of different sizes so that cable coils 45 of different thickness can be wound with one and the same winding head 39 without it being necessary to change the winding head 39 when winding cables 35 of different thickness and/or length.

It is within the scope of the invention that the cable transport device 47 is arranged on the processing table 46 of the CrimpCenter 21. It is furthermore within the scope of the invention that the cable transport device 47 with the carriage 31 , which moves along the linear axis 32, is arranged parallel or transverse to the cable-conveying axis 20.

According to a particular development and actuation during winding, the cable guide arrangement 29 can also perform the function of guiding the coil in vertical layers. The cable would then be guided in the transverse direction, i.e. vertically, on the reel 38 during winding so that a cable coil 45 wound very exactly in layers results.

The actuation of the arms 36 is not limited by the description to the stroke movement described by means of the pulling unit 78 along the axis 37 but can also be achieved by other measures.

The inventive winding head 39 with the fixing gripper 34 in inventive combination with the third gripper 44 can be used also independently of the stated CrimpCenter 21 , and its application thus is novel and inventive also independently thereof.

It is advantageous if, according to a further embodiment of the invention, the cable-winding device 30 comprises a central guiding arm 67, and a removal unit 61 is arranged in the removal region 27 as shown in the Figs. 13 to 15. It is particularly advantageous if the central guiding arm 67 of the cable-winding device 30 is arranged in the inner hollow shaft 73 of the winding head 39 and is mounted on the non-rotating axis 37. For this reason, the central guiding arm 67 remains in a predetermined position during the winding process. The removal unit 61 comprises a base frame 64 and at least one collecting arm 68, 101 , 104 wherein an empty collecting arm 101 is angled in the direction of the cable-winding device 30 for receiving a number of cable coils 45 as depicted in the Figs. 14 and 15. The central guiding arm 67 together with the collecting arm 68 of the removal unit 61 then forms a sliding unit 63 for the completely bound and preferably tied cable coil 45. The central guiding arm 67 of the winding head 39 may be connected to the collecting arm 68 directly as depicted in the embodiment according to Fig. 13 or it is connected to the collecting arm 68 loose, but lying on top of each other in a defined way, and forms an optional overlapping region 69.

The central guiding arm 67 is - in extension of the middle axis 37 - conducted basically perpendicular out of the axis 37. Approximately at the position of the cable coil 45 wound on the winding arms 36 it is bent off in direction of the removal unit 61 in such a way that the completely wound cable coil 45 after release by the cable-winding device 30 falls - being compulsorily guided - onto the central guiding arm 67 because of the gravitational force. Then, it is guided on the collecting arm 101 at a suitable angle until it reaches a stopper element 102. The angle of the sliding unit 63 may be reduced from approximately <60° to approximately <30° by multiple bendings for example. In this way, the speed of the sliding cable coil 45 is reduced, but the cable coil 45 cannot stop on the sliding unit 63 too early.

In any case, the base frame 64 of the removal unit 61 is spaced from the base frame 48 of the cable-winding device 30 and/or from the machine frame 50 of the CrimpCenter 21 in a defined way. In addition, it is connected to the others by means of angles or webs in a stabilizing way or arranged on a detached frame.

The base frame 64 of the removal unit 61 comprises a pillar 107 having at least one stopper element 102 for the cable coil 45 in its upper region. The removal device 61 comprises an turnstile near to the or in the connection area 65 between the pillar 107 and the base frame 64, in which turnstile the pillar 107 is pivotably mounted. In the embodiment according to Fig. 14, the removal unit 61 comprises two stopper elements 102; however, it may also comprise three or more stopper elements 102. From each stopper element 102 a collecting arm 68, 101 , 104 protrudes upwards in angular direction to the winding head 39. Each full collecting arm 104 or empty collecting arm 101 may be rigidly mounted on the pillar 107 and/or on the stopper element 102 if the pillar 107 is pivotably mounted as whole. Each collecting arm 68, 101 , 104 may also be quickly interchangeable or pivotably mounted. The only important thing is that the winding process can be re-started quickly. In any case the empty collection arms 101 must be moved alternately or successively in direction of a lower region 66 of the guiding arm 67 to receive a defined number of cable coils 45, which guiding arm 67 together with a upper region 112 of an empty collecting arm 101 forms the overlapping region 69 of the sliding unit 63. For the final emptying of the full collecting arms 104 simple metal chutes, containers, etc. for receiving the cable coils may be provided.

As soon as the cable 35 is completely wound by the cable-winding device 30 and thus forms a cable coil 45, the cable coil 45 is tied up by a tying station 60 at at least one position and subsequently released by winding arms 36, which swivel inwards, and a lever 54 of the cable guiding arrangement 29, which lever 54 at the same time opens downwards. The completely assembled cable coil 45 falls over the central guiding arm 67 of the cable-winding device 30 onto the sufficiently steep shaped collecting arm 68 of the removal unit 61 because of the gravitational force. The cable-winding device 30 stops as soon as a defined number of cable coils 45 have been collected on the previously empty collecting arm 101 , whereupon said now full collecting arm 104 is separated from the guiding arm 67 manually by an operator or automatically and pulled back, and an empty collecting arm 101 is positioned and coupled below the guiding arm 67. Now, the cable coils 45 can be removed from the full collecting arm 104 by an operator and optionally packaged immediately.

In addition or alternatively, the arrangement for automatic removal of the cable coil 45 may comprise a packing station, which packages the cable coil 45 ready for shipping.

The guiding arm 67 forms a relatively large lever, which may cause damages in the region of the winding head 39 if it is operated improperly or also if it is jolted unintentionally. For this reason, it is advantageous if the central guiding arm 67 comprises an elastic respectively bendable region 70 according to a further embodiment of the invention and as depicted in Fig. 15.

It is possible to arrange sensors in critical areas, for example in the overlapping region 69 of the sliding unit 63, which sensors output a signal as soon as unexpected events occur, for example between the cable-winding device 30 and the removal unit 61 , and which stop the operation of the CrimpCenter 21 in case of failure. For this reason, a sensor being effective all around (inductive or capacitive) may be mounted on the guiding arm 67 above the overlapping region 69 as well as on the collecting arm 68, 101 , 104 for example. Both sensors are interconnected via the control in such a way that a cable coil 45, if it passes one sensor, must also pass the other sensor. Otherwise an error message, an alarm, etc. is generated. An electric wiring of the collecting arm 68, 101 , 104, which is necessary for this reason, may be achieved by the aid of an plug-and-socket connection for example, which connection is arranged in the angle 71 at the connecting region with the base frame 48 of the cable-winding device 30 or with the machine base 50 of the CrimpCenter 21.

The inventive cable-winding and removal device 30, 61 provide for an automatic manufacturing of long, assembled, electric cables up to the packaging of completed cable coils 45, for limiting the necessary space requirements for fabrication to a minimum, for a reduced need of workers and for an increase of reliability and quality at the same time.

List of reference numerals

I - Guide sleeve

1 ' - Second guide sleeve 2 - Alignment unit

3 - Cable conveyor

4 - Toothed belt

5 - Toothed drive pulleys

6 - Toothed deflection pulleys 7 - Small toothed pulleys

8 - Pressing device

9 - Length measuring unit 10 - Counter-wheel

I I - Cutting and insulation-stripping station 12 - First gripper

13 - Guide carriage

14 - First pivot device

15 - First processing station

16 - Longitudinal direction 17 - Second gripper

18 - Second pivot device

19 - Cable-winding station

20 - Cable conveying axis

21 - CrimpCenter 22 - Leading cable end 23 - Waiting position

24 - First contact element

25 - Gripper arms of the third gripper 33

26 - Cable end 27 - Removal region

28 - Second contact element

29 - Cable guide arrangement 30 - Cable-winding device

31 - Carriage

32 - Linear axis 33 - Third gripper 34 - Fixing gripper

35 - Cable

35' - (Next) cable

36 - Winding arms

37 - Center axis 38 - Reel

39 - Winding head

40 - Outer hollow shaft

41 - Winding head drive

42 - Further processing stations 43 - Longitudinal and transverse webs 44 - Wheels

45 - Cable coil

46 - Processing table

47 - Cable transport device 48 - Base frame

49 - Fastening brackets

50 - Machine frame

51 - End position

52 - Second length measuring unit 53 - Counter-wheel

54 - Lever

55 - Retaining plate

56 - Lifting unit

57 - Lifting unit 58 - Removal device

59 - Conveyor belt

60 - Tying station 61 - Removal unit

62 - Collecting area 63 - Sliding unit

64 - Base frame 65 - Connecting region

66 - Lower region of the guiding arm 67

67 - Central guiding arm

68 - Collecting arm

69 - Overlapping region 70 - Elastic region

71 - Angle

72 - Adhesive strip

73 - Inner hollow shaft

74 - Pulling unit 75 - Lower star disc

76 - Ring disc

77 - Tough-shaped winding receptacle

78 - Swiveling arms

79 - Upper swiveling hinge 80 - Lower swiveling hinge

81 - Connecting item 82 - Winding disk

83 - Second winding disk

84 - Plate 85 - Guide arm

87 - First bolt

88 - Bending

89 - Upper star disk 90 - Actuating unit 91 - Second bolt

101 - Empty collecting arm

102 - Stopper element 104 - Full collecting arm

107 - Pillar

112 - Upper region of the collecting arm 101

Claims

Patent claims

1. A method for the production of long, assembled, electric cables in a CrimpCenter (21 ), a) a cable (35) being fed from a stock along a cable-conveying axis (20) into a cable conveyor (3) and being clamped there in a transport device (4), then passing a length-measuring unit (9) which detects the conveyed cable length and controls the process for cutting the cable (35) to length, with the aid of an encoder whose signals are fed into the control of a motor, and thereafter being gripped at the leading cable end (22) by a first gripper (12) of a first pivot device (14) and being fed to a cutting and insulation-stripping station (11 ) in which, after establishment of a zero cut position, the insulation is stripped from the leading cable end (22) and b) the leading cable end (22) from which insulation has been stripped then being processed by first processing stations (15) (e.g. being provided with a seal and/or a first contact element (24)) and c) after reaching a defined cable length, the cable (35) being cut off at its cable end (26) in the cutting and insulation-stripping station (11 ) and, if appropriate, being stripped of insulation and likewise being processed in second processing stations (42) (e.g. being provided with a seal and/or a second contact element (28)), wherein d) each assembled individual cable (35, 35') is wound to give a cable coil (45) by an interchangeable cable-winding station (19) docked to the CrimpCenter (21 ) and having a cable-winding device (30), during the process for cutting to length, by the cable-winding device (30), and wherein e) after execution of step d) of the method, the completely fabricated cable coil (45) is set down by the cable-winding device (30) in a removal region (27) or is received by a removal device (58, 61 ).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, after the end of step b) of the method, a third gripper (33) mounted on a cable transport apparatus (47) of the cable-winding station (19) grips the processed leading cable end (22) (e.g. provided with a seal and/or at least one contact element (24)) in a defined position and feeds the cable (35) to the cable-winding device (30), where it is taken over by a fixing gripper (34) of the cable-winding device (30) at a position likewise defined and close to the leading cable end (22) and is wound by a winding head (39) of the cable-winding device (30) to give a cable coil (45) until the programmed cable length has been reached, and the winding process is stopped in a controlled manner - e.g. by a separate control of the cable- winding station (19) which is optionally connected to the control of the CrimpCenter (21 ).

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, after the cable (35) has been taken over by the third gripper (33), the cable conveyor (3) is opened and the third gripper (33) is then moved on a carriage (31 ) in the direction of the cable- winding device (30), the cable (35) being drawn further, and wherein the length-measuring unit (9) remains in constant contact with the conveyed cable (35) during the entire time, the detected signals of the encoder of the length- measuring device (9) being used for controlling the processes for cutting to length and for positioning.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when the cable (35) is taken over by the third gripper (33), the cable conveyor (3) remains closed and wherein the control and regulation devices of the cable conveyor (3) and of the cable- winding station (19) ensure that the travel profile of the carriage (31 ), such as acceleration, conveying, delay, stopping, takes place on the linear axis (32) in a manner synchronized with the travel profile of the cable conveyor (3) and wherein the length-measuring unit (9) remains in constant contact with the conveyed cable (35) during the entire time, the detected signals of the length- measuring encoder being used for controlling processes for cutting to length and for positioning.

5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, after the leading cable end (22) has been transferred from gripper arms (25) of the gripper (33) after reaching an end position (51 ) on the linear axis (32) below the cable-winding device (30) to the fixing gripper (34) of the cable-winding device (30), the carriage (31 ) with the gripper (33) is moved along the linear axis (32) to a waiting position (23), it being possible for the waiting position (23) simultaneously to be the take-over position for the next cable (35').

6. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the winding arms (36) of the winding head (39) are swiveled outward to a 90° position to the underside of the winding head (39) and form a reel (38).

7. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cable (35) held by the fixing gripper (34) is wound by the winding head (39), which is caused to rotate by an electric or pneumatic motor, on the trough-shaped winding arms (36).

8. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cable conveyor (3), if it remains closed when the cable (35) is gripped by the third gripper (33), conveys the exactly programmed cable length and the motor of the winding head drive (41 ) is controlled so that the cable (35) is wound with a limited torque and a suitable tensile force and the winding process is stopped via the torque limitation as soon as the cable conveyor (3) stops.

9. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the length of the cable (35) to be conveyed is alternatively detected via a separate second length-measuring unit (52) installed ahead of the cable conveyor (3) and having an encoder, the encoder signals being processed by the control and regulation device of the conveying system.

10. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cable (35) is wound by the cable-winding device (30) until the programmed cable end (26) has arrived under the cutting blade of the cutting and insulation-stripping station (11 ) and is fixed both by the first gripper (12) and by the second gripper (17), whereupon at this time at the latest the cable conveyor (3) is closed and the cable (35) is clamped between the toothed belts (4) and then cut by the cutting blade, the cable end (26) of the first cable (35) now being fixed by the second gripper (17) and the leading cable end(22') of a next cable (35') being fixed by the first gripper (12).

11.The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein, simultaneously with the fixing of the cables (35, 35'), a cable guide arrangement (29) is closed and the cable guide arrangement (29) fixes the cable (35), the already wound cable part being held on the reel (38).

12. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, during the fixing of the cable (35) by the cable guide arrangement (29) and the reel (38), the cable end (26) of the cable (35) is stripped of insulation and is processed in the second processing stations (42) according to step c) of the method, wherein the second gripper (17) then opens and a retaining plate (55) of the cable guide arrangement (29) is slightly raised by a lifting unit (57), and wherein the cable (35), which is no longer clamped, is further wound by the winding head (39) until the cable end (26) reaches the region of the cable guide arrangement (29).

13. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the third gripper (33) travels back from its waiting position (23) to the cutting and insulation-stripping station (11 ) for taking over the next cable (35') as soon as the processing of the second cable end of the cable (35) present in the winding process is complete and before the second gripper (17) releases the cable end (26).

14. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the completely wound cable (35) on the cable-winding device (30) is tied up at at least one position by a tying station (60) and is then released by inward swiveled winding arms (36) and a lever (54) of the cable guide arrangement (29), which lever (54) simultaneously opens downward, wherein the completely fabricated cable coil (45) falls, according to the gravitational force, over a central guiding arm (67) of the cable-winding device (30) onto a sufficiently steep shaped collecting arm (68, 101 , 104) of the removal unit (61 ).

15. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the cable- winding device (30) stops as soon as a defined number of cable coils (45) have been collected on one of the collecting arms (68, 101 , 104), whereupon said now full collecting arm (68, 101 , 104) is separated from the guiding arm (67) manually or automatically and/or pulled back, and an empty collecting arm (101 ) is positioned and/or coupled, and wherein the cable coils (45) are removed from the full collecting arm (104) by an operator and optionally packaged.

16.An apparatus for manufacturing long, assembled electric cables (35) in a

CrimpCenter (21 ), comprising, in a cable conveying axis (20), a cable conveyor (3), a length-measuring unit (9) and a processing table (46), on which a first pivot device (14) with a first gripper (12) and a second pivot device (18) with a second gripper (17) are arranged, likewise in the cable conveying axis (20), the first pivot device (14) being mounted on a guide carriage (13) moveable along the cable conveying axis (20), and the first gripper (12) cooperating with first processing stations (15) on a first side and the second gripper (17) cooperating with second processing stations (42) on a second side of the processing table

(46), a cable processing station, in particular a cutting and insulation-stripping station (11 ), being arranged between the first gripper (12) and the second gripper (17), and a removal region (27) for a completely assembled cable (35) attached with contact elements (24, 28) following in the cable feed direction (16), wherein a cable-winding station (19) synchronized with the cable conveyor (3) and having a cable-winding device (30) for winding an assembled cable (35) over a defined cable length is arranged between processing table (46) and removal region (27) of the CrimpCenter (21 ).

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cable-winding station (19) on the base frame (48) has a cable guide arrangement (29), a cable transport device (47) with a third gripper (33) and the cable-winding device (30) with a winding head (39) rotatably mounted on hollow shafts (40, 73) and a fixing gripper (34) for fixing the leading cable end (22) on the winding head (39).

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the cable-winding station (19) is interchangeable in a modular manner and is preferably supported on wheels (44), and wherein secure fastening of the cable-winding station (19) is ensured by means of suitable detachable fastening brackets (49) on the machine frame (50) of the CrimpCenter (21 ) and/or on the processing table (46), the cable-winding device (30) optionally having a separate control which is installed in the base frame (48) and is connected to the CrimpCenter control via suitable connecting and communication lines.

19. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 18, wherein the third gripper (33) of the cable transport device (47) has gripper arms (25) and is mounted on a carriage (31 ) which is moveable along a linear axis (32) parallel to the cable conveying axis (20) to an end position (51 ) for transfer of the cable (35) to the cable-winding device (30) and back to a defined waiting position (23) for taking over the next cable (35') after the end of the winding process.

20. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 19, wherein the winding head (39) has, on its underside, trough-shaped winding arms (36) which are arranged in the shape of a star on a circle or part of a circle in their starting position at an angle of about 45^°, swiveled inward or moved inward, and wherein a mechanism is provided which swivels the winding arms (36) outward by about 45^° by means of a stroke movement along an center axis (37) of the cable-winding device (30) and brings them into a 90^° position to the underside of the winding head (39) during operation, and wherein the winding arms (36) in this way form - in the winding state - a reel (38) for a cable coil (45).

21. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 16 to 20, wherein, alternatively or additionally to the length-measuring unit (9), a separate second length-measuring unit (52), which detects the length of the cable (35) to be conveyed, is installed ahead of the cable conveyor (3) for processing the length-measuring signals in the control and regulation device of the conveying system, the second length-measuring device (52) having no mechanical coupling to the cable conveyor (3).

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the control is connected in such a way that the cable (35) can be conveyed either with the cable conveyor (3) or with the drive of the carriage (31 ) movable along the linear axis (32) or with the winding head drive (41 ), without synchronization of these drives with one another being required.

23. The apparatus as claimed in one or more of the claims 16 to 22, wherein the cable guide arrangement (29), having at least one retaining plate (55), a lever (54) and two lifting devices (56, 57), is arranged in the end region of the linear axis (32) between the processing table (46) and the cable-winding station (19) on the base frame (48) of the cable-winding station (19), and wherein the first lifting device (56) is coordinated with the lever (54) and the second lifting device (57) is coordinated with the retaining plate (55).

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the cable guide arrangement (29) can be moved by raising the lever (54) and lowering the retaining plate (55) by the lifting devices (56, 57) with application of pressure.

25. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 24, wherein the cable guide arrangement (29) is designed and can be actuated in such a way that, during winding, it also performs the function of guiding the coil vertically in layers so that, during winding on the reel (38), the cable (35) is guided in the transverse direction i.e. vertically, so that a cable coil (45) wound very exactly in layers forms in the winding process.

26. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 25, wherein the cable- winding device (30) optionally has a resilient pressure roller that presses from the outside radially and/or axially on the cable coil (45) to keep the latter in shape and under tension.

27. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 26, wherein a ring disc

(76) is arranged above the winding head (39), which ring disc (76) cooperates with an actuating unit (90) and wherein releasing of the leading cable end (22) of the completely wound cable coil (45) is effected through the actuating unit (90), which lowers the ring disc (76) onto the winding head (39), the ring disc (76) opening the spring-loaded winding arms of the fixing gripper (34) by acting on a mechanism being attached to the fixing gripper (34) against the closing force of the spring, and that independent of the position of the fixing gripper (34) on the winding head (39).

28. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 27, wherein the cable- winding device (30) comprises a central guiding arm (67) being mounted to an axis (37) arranged in the inner hollow shaft (73) of the winding head (39) and protruding downwards from the region of said axis (37).

29. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 28, wherein a removal unit (61 ) is arranged in the removal region (27), the removal unit (61 ) comprising a base frame (64) and at least one optionally angled collecting arm (68, 101 , 104) looking in the direction of the central guiding arm (67) of the cable- winding device (30) for receiving a number of cable coils (45).

30. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 29, wherein the central guiding arm (67) of the cable-winding device (30) together with the collecting arm (68) of the removal unit (61 ) forms a sliding unit (63) for the completely bound and preferably tied cable coil (45) and the central guiding arm (67) is connected to the collecting arm (68) directly or it is connected to the collecting arm (68) loose, but lying on top of each other in a defined way, and forms an overlapping region (69).

31. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 30, wherein the central guiding arm (67) is - in extension of the central axis (37) - conducted basically perpendicular out of the inner hollow shaft (73) and approximately at the position of the cable coil (45) wound on the winding arms (36) it is bent off in direction of the removal unit (61 ) in such a way that the completely wound cable coil (45) after release by the cable-winding device (30) falls, according to the gravitational force and being compulsorily guided, onto the central guiding arm (67) and then being guided on the collecting arm (101 ) at a suitable angle until it reaches a stopper element (102).

32. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 31 , wherein the central guiding arm (67) comprises an elastic respectively bendable region (70).

33. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 32, wherein the base frame (64) of the removal unit (61 ) is connected to the base frame (48) of the cable-winding device (30) and/or to the machine frame (50) of the CrimpCenter (21 ) at a defined distance by means of angles or webs in a stabilizing way and wherein the base frame (64) comprises a pillar (107) having at least one stopper element (102) for the cable coil (45) in its upper region.

34. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 33, wherein the removal device (61 ) comprises an turnstile near to the or in the connection area (65) between the pillar (107) and the base frame (64), the removal device (61 ) being pivotably mounted on said turnstile and/or wherein the removal device

(61 ) comprises two stopper elements (102) and wherein from each stopper element (102) a collecting arm (68, 101 , 104) protrudes upwards in angular direction to the winding head (39), which collecting arm (104) is rigidly mounted, is quickly interchangeable or pivotably mounted and wherein the empty collection arms (101 ) are moved alternately or successively in direction of a lower region (66) of the guiding arm (67) to receive a defined number of cable coils (45), which guiding arm (67) together with a upper region (112) of a collecting arm (68, 101 , 104) forms the overlapping region (69) of the sliding unit (63) and wherein preferably simple metal chutes, containers, etc. for receiving the final cable coils (45) are provided for the final emptying of the full collecting arms (104).

35. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 34, wherein sensors are arranged in critical areas, for example in the overlapping region (69) of the sliding unit (63), which sensors output a signal as soon as unexpected events occur, for example between the cable-winding device (30) and the removal unit (61 ), and which stop the operation of the CrimpCenter (21 ) in case of failure.

36. The apparatus as claimed in any of the claims 16 to 35, wherein a tying station (60), which provides the cable coil (45) with one or more adhesive strips (72), plastic clips, tying wire, rubber band or the like to tie up and stabilize the cable coil (45) and to keep it in shape, is allocated to the cable-winding station (19) and/or the removal unit (61 ).