WO2013187266A1

WO2013187266A1 - Applying apparatus and applying method

Info

Publication number: WO2013187266A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/065300
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shota SATO; Keigo Sugimura; Moriatsu Taniguchi
Original assignee: Yazaki Corporation
Priority date: 2012-06-14
Filing date: 2013-05-27
Publication date: 2013-12-19
Also published as: JP2014017236A; CN104364857A; PH12014502736A1; MX2014015259A; EP2862183A1

Abstract

An applying apparatus (1) for applying a liquid agent to a coated part of an electric wire (100) includes a liquid agent tank (10) and a porous member (20). The liquid agent tank accommodates a liquid agent therein, and includes a pressurization mechanism (11) pressurizing an inside of the liquid agent tank. The porous member comes in contact with a coated part of the electric wire with holding the liquid agent delivered from the liquid agent tank, so as to apply the liquid agent to the coated part. The liquid agent tank delivers the liquid agent to the porous member by pressurization of the pressurization mechanism.

Description

DESCRIPTION

APPLYING APPARATUS AND APPLYING METHOD Technical Field

The invention is related to an applying apparatus and an applying method.

Background Art

In order to identify using purposes and the like of an electric wire, a marking apparatus of an electric wire that performs a marking operation by coloring (applying) ink on a coated part of an electric wire is known as an example of an applying apparatus. As the marking apparatus of the electric wire, an apparatus has been suggested which ejects ink towards an electric wire from a plurality of coloring nozzles arranged to face the electric wire being delivered (for example, PTL 1 ). Also, an apparatus that performs a marking operation by ejecting ink to an electric wire from one coloring nozzle has been also suggested (for example, PTLs 2 and 3).

Citation List

[Patent Literature]

[PTL 1] JP-A-2008-93617

[PTL 2] J P-A-6- 190341

[PTL 3] WO 2004/015721 Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

According to the marking apparatuses disclosed in PTLs 1 to 3, since the ink is ejected from the nozzle(s), an ink loss is caused by the ink that is not colored to the electric wire.

Thus, a marking operation is considered in which ink is impregnated into a porous member having flexibility and the porous member is brought into contact with the coated part of the electric wire to thereby color the ink thereto. However, since the infiltration of the ink into the porous member is performed by a capillary force, it is difficult to perform a marking operation in which high-viscosity ink having low infiltration performance is used.

In the meantime, the above problem is not limited to the marking apparatus and method of coloring the ink to the electric wire and is common to the other applying apparatus and method. That is, the above problem also occurs in an applying apparatus and method of applying a high-viscosity resin (for example, undercoating agent) or high-viscosity coating agent to an electric wire. It is therefore one advantageous aspect of the present invention to provide an applying apparatus and an applying method capable of enabling optimization when applying a high-viscosity liquid agent to a coated part of an electric wire.

Solution to Problem According to one advantage of the invention, there is provided an applying apparatus for applying a liquid agent to a coated part of an electric wire, the applying apparatus comprising:

a liquid agent tank configured to accommodate a liquid agent therein, and including a pressurization mechanism configured to pressurize an inside of the liquid agent tank; and

a porous member configured to come in contact with a coated part of the electric wire with holding the liquid agent delivered from the liquid agent tank, so as to apply the liquid agent to the coated part,

wherein the liquid agent tank delivers the liquid agent to the porous member by pressurization of the pressurization mechanism.

The applying apparatus may further comprise a felt part provided between the liquid agent tank and the porous member, and configured to absorb the liquid agent delivered from the liquid agent tank and to filtration-supply the absorbed liquid agent to the porous member.

According to another advantage of the invention, there is provided an applying method for applying a liquid agent to a coated part of an electric wire, the applying method comprising:

a first process of pressurizing an inside of a liquid agent tank, which accommodates therein the liquid agent, by a pressurization mechanism of the liquid agent tank and thus delivering the liquid agent; and

a second process of holding the liquid agent, which is delivered in the first process, in a porous member and bringing the porous member holding the liquid agent into contact with the coated part of the electric wire.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the applying apparatus, the liquid agent is delivered to the porous member by pressurization of the pressurization mechanism. Hence, even when high-viscosity liquid agent having low infiltration performance is used, the liquid agent is sufficiently supplied to the porous member. Thereby, an applying defect is difficult to occur and it is possible to enable the optimization when applying the high-viscosity liquid agent to the coated part of the electric wire.

According to the applying apparatus, the felt part is interposed between the liquid agent tank and the porous member. Hence, compared to a configuration where the liquid agent is directly supplied to a moveable porous member, since the liquid agent is once infiltrated into the felt part that is not moved, it is possible to make it difficult for a liquid agent leakage to occur. Also, when the felt part is interposed, the liquid agent should be made to smoothly infiltrate into the felt part, which makes it more difficult to perform the applying operation by the high-viscosity liquid agent. However, even in this case, it is possible to sufficiently deliver the high-viscosity liquid agent by adjusting a pressurizing force or pressurizing time of the pressurization mechanism. Therefore, while suppressing the liquid agent leakage, it is possible to enable the optimization when applying the high-viscosity liquid agent to the coated part of the electric wire. According to the applying, the liquid agent is delivered to the porous member by pressurization of the pressurization mechanism. Hence, even when the high-viscosity liquid agent having low infiltration performance is used, the liquid agent is sufficiently supplied to the porous member. Thereby, an applying defect is difficult to occur and it is possible to enable the optimization when applying the high-viscosity liquid agent to the coated part of the electric wire.

According to the invention, it is possible to provide an applying apparatus and an applying method capable of enabling optimization when applying a high-viscosity liquid agent to a coated part of an electric wire.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration view showing an example of an applying apparatus according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged view of a stamp part shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an operational view showing a marking method of an electric wire, showing an apparatus state upon marking.

Fig. 4 is an operational view showing a marking method of an electric wire, showing an apparatus state at a standby state.

Fig. 5 shows an electric wire that is marked by the marking apparatus of an electric wire according to the illustrative embodiment.

Description of Embodiments

Hereinafter, a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration view showing an example of an applying apparatus according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention. In the below, a marking apparatus that performs a marking operation on a coated part of an electric wire will be exemplified. However, it should be noted that the applying apparatus is not limited to the marking apparatus.

A marking apparatus (applying apparatus) 1 of an electric wire 100 shown in Fig. 1 performs a marking operation for electric wire identification on a coated part of the electric wire 100 and includes an ink tank (liquid agent tank) 10 that accommodates therein ink (high-viscosity liquid agent such as UV curing ink and the like), two stamp parts (porous members) 20, a felt part 30 that guides the ink in the ink tank 10 and a housing 40. The ink tank 10 is to accommodate therein the ink and has a substantial funnel shape having a large-diameter opening 10a and a small-diameter opening 10b. The felt part 30 is inserted through the small-diameter opening 10b of the ink tank 10 and the ink in the ink tank 10 infiltrates from the small-diameter opening 10b to the stamp parts 20 through the felt part 30. Also, the ink tank 10 is configured so that when the ink in the ink tank 10 reaches a predetermined amount, a cover member (a member also serving as a press urization mechanism 11 that will be described later) of the large-diameter opening 10b-side is detached to supplement the ink. In the meantime, the ink tank 10 is not limited to the supplement type and may be a cartridge type. Also, the ink tank 10 is not limited to the shape and the like shown in Fig. 1 and the other shapes may be also adopted.

The stamp parts 20 are made of a porous material, for example a material that is obtained by using an acrylic fiber, a polyester fiber, a nylon (registered trademark) fiber or a vinylon fiber as a raw material and solidifying the fiber with a resin or sintering the fiber. The stamp parts 20 contain and hold therein the ink delivered from the ink tank 10. Also, the stamp parts 20 are arranged to vertically sandwich the electric wire 100 therebetween and are driven to move in a direction coming close to each other by a controller. That is, the stamp parts 20 are moved to vertically sandwich the electric wire 100. Thereby, the stamp parts 20 are contacted to the coated part of the electric wire with holding the ink therein and apply the ink to the coated part to thus perform the marking. In the meantime, it is shown in the sectional view of Fig. 1 that the two stamp parts 20 are spaced from each other. However, the stamp parts are actually formed into a U shape or recessed shape and are thus integrally configured. Hence, the ink supplied to the upper stamp part 20 also infiltrates into the lower stamp part 20.

The felt part 30 is interposed between the ink tank 10 and the stamp parts 20, absorbs the ink that is delivered from the ink tank 10 and supplies the absorbed ink to the stamp parts 20. Any felt part 30 can be used insomuch as it has a capillary pore space. For example, a resin processed body of a fiber bundle, a thermal fusion processed body of a fiber bundle, a felt processed body, a needle punch processed body of felt, a porous material such as porous foamed body of a synthetic resin, an extrusion molded body of a synthetic resin having an axial ink guide path and the like may be adopted. As the material thereof, a synthetic fiber resin such as acrylic resin, polyester resin and the like may be used. Also, the felt part 30 may be provided at an outer periphery thereof with an outer coat made of a synthetic resin film, metal or the like.

Also, in this illustrative embodiment, the ink tank 10 has a pressurization mechanism 11. The pressurization mechanism 11 is a plunger that can move from the large-diameter opening 10a of the ink tank 10 towards the small-diameter opening 10b. The plunger moves towards the small-diameter opening 10b, thereby pressurizing an inside of the ink tank 10.

Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the stamp part 20 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the stamp part 20 is configured so that a leading end thereof is exposed to the outside through an opening 41 formed in the housing 40 and the exposed part is contacted to the coated part of the electric wire 100 to thus attach the ink thereto. Meanwhile, only one stamp 20 is shown in Fig. 2. However, the other stamp part 20 is also the same. That is, each of the two stamp parts 20 is accommodated by the housing 40 and a part thereof is exposed.

Also, the housing 40 has a guide part 42. The guide part 42 is a protrusion that protrudes from a vicinity of the opening 41 of the housing 40 to an arrangement-side of the electric wire 100. By the guide part 42, an indentation amount to the electric wire 100 is controlled to be 1.0 mm or smaller. That is, when marking the coated part of the electric wire 100, a proper stamp is implemented while the porous material is not impressed to the coated part with exceeding 1 mm. In the below, the delivery of the ink in the ink tank 10 is described. First, the ink is accommodated in the ink tank 10. Then, the pressurization mechanism 11 operates. That is, the plunger is moved towards the small-diameter opening 10b, thereby pressurization the inside of the ink tank 10. Thereby, even when the high-viscosity ink is accommodated in the ink tank 10, the high-viscosity ink sufficiently infiltrates into the felt part 30.

Then, the ink reaches the stamp parts 20 from the felt part 30. Here, since the ink sufficiently infiltrates into the felt part 30, the ink properly infiltrates into the stamp parts 20. That is, it is possible to supply the stamp parts 20 with the ink enough to perform the marking.

Subsequently, a marking method of the electric wire 100 is described. Fig. 3 is an operational view showing a marking method of the electric wire, showing an apparatus state upon marking. When marking the coated part of the electric wire 100, the two stamp parts 20 are moved in a direction coming close to each other by an instruction from the controller. Thereby, the stamp parts 20 are contacted to the electric wire 100 (refer to Fig. 3), so that the marking is implemented. After that, the two stamp parts 20 are moved in a direction getting away from each other by an instruction from the controller (refer to Fig. 1). Thereby, the stamp parts 20 are spaced from the electric wire 100.

Like this, since the stamping is carried out with the coated part of the electric wire 100 being sandwiched, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of coloring nozzles, so that it is possible to suppress the apparatus from being enlarged. Also, since the stamp parts 20 are made of the porous material, the ink is used depending on the impressed degree to the coated part of the electric wire 100, so that an ink loss is suppressed. Furthermore, since the electric wire is stamped with being sandwiched, the coated part of the electric wire 100 is marked from both sides thereof. Hence, compared to a configuration where the coated part is marked from one direction by one coloring nozzle, it is possible to suppress the identification from being lowered.

Furthermore, in this illustrative embodiment, the stamp parts 20 are subject to a following state at a standby state where the marking is not carried out for the coated part of the electric wire 100. Fig. 4 is an operational view showing the marking method of the electric wire, showing an apparatus state at a standby state. As shown in Fig. 4, the two stamp parts 20 are moved in the direction coming close to each other by an instruction from the controller at a standby state. At this time, the stamp parts 20 are moved in the direction coming closer to each other than the state where the coated part of the electric wire 100 is marked, so that they are contacted to each other. Thereby, the exposed part of the one stamp part 20 is contacted to the exposed part of the other stamp part 20, so that the substantially entire peripheries thereof are covered by the housing 40. Therefore, in this illustrative embodiment, the ink is prevented from being dried in the stamp parts 20. In the meantime, the invention is not limited to the configuration where the entire peripheries of the stamp parts 20 are covered by the housing 40. Even when the entire peripheries are not covered by the housing 40, the ink is prevented from being dried at parts where the stamp parts 20 are contacted to each other.

Meanwhile, in this illustrative embodiment, since the UV curing ink is used as the ink, the ink tank 10 is preferably configured by a material blocking the ultraviolet. Thereby, the ink curing is prevented, so that it is possible to prevent the infiltration thereof from being further lowered. Also, the housing 40 is also preferably configured by the material blocking the ultraviolet.

Fig. 5 shows the electric wire 100 that is marked by the marking apparatus 1 of an electric wire according to the illustrative embodiment. According to this illustrative embodiment, it is possible to mark a color pattern, which enables a user to know circuit information (i.e., a type of the electric wire), on the coated part of the electric wire 100. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, it is possible to provide the electric wire 100 with the circuit information by marking dots 101 at terminal parts and dots 102 at an intermediate part between the terminals. In the meantime, although not shown in Fig. 5, it may be possible to mark a letter or symbol. Also, it may be possible to mark simple dotting points.

Like this, according to the marking apparatus 1 and method of the electric wire 100 of this illustrative embodiment, the ink is delivered to the stamp parts 20 by the pressurization of the pressurization mechanism 11. Hence, even when the high-viscosity ink having low infiltration performance is used, the ink is sufficiently supplied to the stamp parts 20. Thereby, an applying defect is difficult to occur and it is possible to enable the optimization when marking the high-viscosity ink on the coated part of the electric wire.

Also, the felt part 30 is interposed between the ink tank 10 and the stamp parts 20. Hence, compared to a configuration where the ink is directly supplied to the moveable stamp parts 20, since the ink is once infiltrated into the felt part 30 that is not moved, it is possible to make it difficult for the ink leakage to occur. Also, when the felt part 30 is interposed, the ink should be made to smoothly infiltrate into the felt part 30, which makes it more difficult to perform the applying operation by the high-viscosity ink. However, even in this case, it is possible to sufficiently deliver the high-viscosity ink by adjusting the pressurizing force or pressurizing time of the pressurization mechanism 11. Therefore, while suppressing the ink leakage, it is possible to enable the optimization when marking the high-viscosity ink on the coated part of the electric wire.

Although the invention has been described based on the illustrative embodiment, the invention is not limited to the above illustrative embodiment and the illustrative embodiment may be changed without departing from the gist of the invention.

For example, in the above illustrative embodiment, the marking apparatus 1 and method of the electric wire 100 have been exemplified. However, the invention is not limited to the marking apparatus 1 and method of the electric wire 100 and may be applied to an applying apparatus and method of applying a high-viscosity resin such as undercoating agent to the electric wire 100 or an applying apparatus and method of applying a high-viscosity coating agent, which coats a marking, to the electric wire 100.

The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-134724 filed on June 14, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by way of reference.

Industrial Applicability

According to the applying apparatus and the applying method of the present invention, the applying of a high-viscosity liquid agent to a coated part of an electric wire can be optimized.

Reference Signs List

1 MARKING APPARATUS

10 INK TANK

20 STAMP PART

30 FELT PART

40 HOUSING

41 OPENING

42 GUIDE PART

100 ELECTRIC WIRE 101, 102 DOT

Claims

1. An applying apparatus for applying a liquid agent to a coated part of an electric wire, the applying apparatus comprising:

2. The applying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a felt part provided between the liquid agent tank and the porous member, and configured to absorb the liquid agent delivered from the liquid agent tank and to filtration-supply the absorbed liquid agent to the porous member.

3. An applying method for applying a liquid agent to a coated part of an electric wire, the applying method comprising: