DEVICE AND METHOD FOR BRAKING A CONDUCTOR

Abstract

A device (100) for braking a conductor. The device (100) comprises a braking element (10), which is able to be put into an operative connection with a conductor guided in a conveying direction of the device (100), and a contact pressure element (20) which is able to put into an operative connection with the conductor guided in the device (100). The contact pressure element (20) is arranged opposite the braking element (10) and the elements are movable relative to one another. The contact pressure element (20) is arranged on a brake lever (30) mounted in a pivotable manner on a pivot pin (31). Furthermore, a method for braking the conductor and to a cable processing machine having the device (100) are also disclosed.

Claims

1-28. (canceled)

29. A cable processing device (100; 200; 300) for braking a conductor the cable processing device (100; 200; 300) comprising: a braking element (10; 210; 310, 311) which is able to be put into an operative connection with a conductor guided in a conveying direction (7) in the cable processing device (100; 200; 300), a contact pressure element (20) which is able to be put into an operative connection with the conductor guided in the cable processing device (100; 200; 300), wherein the contact pressure element (20) is arranged opposite the braking element (10; 210; 310, 311), wherein the braking element (10; 210; 310) and the contact pressure element (20) are movable relative to each other, and the contact pressure element (20) is arranged on a positioning apparatus (39) and on a brake lever (30) which is mounted in a pivotable manner on a pivot axis (31).

30. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein the contact pressure element (20) has a friction surface (21) for cooperating with the conductor.

31. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein the braking element (10; 210; 310) has a friction surface (11) for cooperating with the conductor and is made as a single part from ceramic.

32. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein the contact pressure element (20) is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (23) aligned transversely to the conveying direction (7).

33. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein the braking element (10; 210; 310) is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (225; 325) transversely aligned to the conveying direction (7).

34. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein an additional braking element (311) is present and is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (326 transversely) aligned to the conveying direction (7).

35. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein a braking device (270; 370, 380) is present, and, in an activated state, at least a section thereof is in a contactless operative braking connection with at least one of the two braking elements (10; 210; 310, 311), the contactless operative braking connection is adjustable.

36. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 33, wherein the braking device (270; 370, 380) is a magnetic braking device, and the magnetic braking device comprises at least one permanent magnet (272; 372, 373, 382) or at least one electromagnet.

37. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 33, wherein an eddy current brake is arranged on or in the braking element (10; 210; 310) and/or the additional braking element (311) for adjusting the braking force.

38. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 36, wherein the braking device (270; 370, 380) has a positioning apparatus (275; 375, 385) for at least partly moving the braking device (270; 370, 380) from a first position, in which the braking device (270; 370, 380) is in an inactive state, at least into a second position, in which the braking device (270; 370, 380) is in an activated state, and the positioning apparatus (275; 375, 385) has a drive device (276; 376, 386) which pneumatically, hydraulically or electrically shifts at least the at least one permanent magnet (272; 372, 373, 382) relative to the braking element (10; 210; 310) and/or the additional braking element (311) or the contact pressure element (20).

39. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein the device (100; 200; 300) is equipped with an actuator (40) which is embodied as or comprises a pneumatic cylinder (44) for actuating the positioning apparatus (39), for actuating the pivotably mounted brake lever (30) in such a manner that a distance or a braking force, between the braking element (10; 210; 310) and the contact pressure element (20), is adjustable.

40. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 35, wherein the cable processing device (100; 200; 300) is equipped with at least one of a regulator (41) or a control (43) for adjusting a pressing force of the contact pressure element (20).

41. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein the cable processing device (100; 200; 300) is equipped with a spring actuated retaining assembly (50) for holding the positioning apparatus (39) in a neutral position.

42. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein a preloading apparatus (33) is arranged on the positioning apparatus (39) for applying a biasing force to the contact pressure element (20).

43. A method for braking a conductor in a cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 29, wherein the method comprises the following steps: arranging a conductor along a conveying direction (7) for braking the conductor; actuating a preloading apparatus (33) so that a brake lever (30) is shifted from a neutral position into a working position; transporting the conductor along the conveying direction (7) in the cable processing device for braking the conductor, wherein the conductor bears on a braking element (10; 210; 310); and braking the conductor, wherein the conductor is brought into operative connection with the braking element (10; 210; 310) by moving the contact pressure element (20) relative to the braking element (10; 210; 310) with aid of a positioning apparatus (39) and/or actively braking the braking element (10; 210; 310).

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein in the working position the brake lever (30) exerts a pretensioning force on the conductor, and the preloading apparatus (33) has an actuating lever (34) which is actuated manually.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein during braking the brake lever (30) is pressed towards the conductor, and the contact pressure element (20) is pressed against the conductor with the aid of at least one of an actuator(s) (40) or a pneumatic cylinder (44).

46. A cable processing machine (1) comprising a cable processing device according to claim 29, and wherein the conductor is braked using the method for braking the conductor comprises the steps of: arranging a conductor along a conveying direction (7) for braking the conductor; actuating a preloading apparatus (33) so that a brake lever (30) is shifted from a neutral position into a working position; transporting the conductor along the conveying direction (7) in the cable processing device for braking the conductor, wherein the conductor bears on a braking element (10; 210; 310); and braking the conductor, wherein the conductor is brought into operative connection with the braking element (10; 210; 310) by moving the contact pressure element (20) relative to the braking element (10; 210; 310) with aid of a positioning apparatus (39) and/or actively braking the braking element (10; 210; 310)

47. A cable processing device (100; 200; 300) for braking a conductor comprising: a braking element (10; 210; 310, 311) which is able to be put into an operative connection with a conductor guided in a conveying direction (7) in the cable processing device (100; 200; 300), a contact pressure element (20) which is able to be put into an operative connection with the conductor guided in the cable processing device (100; 200; 300), wherein the contact pressure element (20) is arranged opposite the braking element (10; 210; 310, 311), the braking element (10; 210; 310) and the contact pressure element (20) are movable relative to each other, the contact pressure element (20) is arranged on a positioning apparatus (39) and on a linear actuating apparatus, a brake lever (270; 370; 380) is present and, in an activated state at least a section thereof, is in contactless operative braking connection with the braking element (10; 210; 310, 311), and the contactless operative braking connection is adjustable.

48. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 47, wherein the braking device (270; 370, 380) is a magnetic braking device, and the magnetic braking device comprises at least one permanent magnet (272; 372, 373, 382) or at least one electromagnet.

49. The cable processing device (100; 200; 300) according to claim 47, wherein an eddy current brake is arranged on or in the braking element (10; 210; 310) for adjusting the braking force.

Description

THE FIGURES SHOW

[0094] FIG. 1 a cable processing machine;

[0095] FIG. 2 a perspective view of a device for braking a conductor;

[0096] FIG. 3 the view of FIG. 2 with some elements hidden;

[0097] FIG. 4 an orthogonal representation of the view of FIG. 3;

[0098] FIG. 5 a further perspective view of the device for braking the conductor according to FIG. 2, with a braking element detached from the device;

[0099] FIG. 6 a further variant of the of the device for braking a conductor with a cross-sectional view of the braking device;

[0100] FIG. 7 a perspective view of a further variant of the device for braking a conductor with an additional braking device;

[0101] FIG. 8 another perspective view of the device according to FIG. 7;

[0102] FIG. 9 another perspective view of the device according to FIG. 8;

[0103] FIG. 10 a cross-sectional view through the device according to FIG. 7 with a braking device;

[0104] FIG. 11 a flowchart showing method steps for braking a conductor.

[0105] FIG. 1 shows a cable processing machine 1 comprising a device 100 for braking a conductor. The conductor is extracted from a cable storage unit—not described in more detail—and passed via a deflection 5 through the device 100 for braking a conductor and is then processed in the cable processing machine 1. Cable processing machine 1 is a crimping machine. It is equipped with two protective hoods 2 and 4, wherein among other things the actual crimping tool is located inside the protective hoods 2 and 4 and in the present cast is not visible. After processing, the product to be processed, in the present case a cable, is transported on a conveyor belt 3 and stored in a collecting tray—not described in greater detail here. The general processing direction is indicated in FIG. 1 by the arrow. This corresponds substantially to the conveying direction 7 of the conductor. A conductor alignment mechanism 6 and a line feed device—no shown here—are positioned after the device 100 for braking a conductor in conveying direction 7.

[0106] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a device 100 for braking a conductor. A conductor—not shown here—extends through the device 100 in the direction of the arrow (conveying direction 7). The lower part of the device 100 includes an actuator housing 42, and the upper part has a brake lever housing 35. A regulator 41 is arranged above the brake lever housing 35. The device 100 comprises the braking element 10, which is arranged on a fastening unit 15, which is embodied as an angle plate and which are arranged on a common support 60. The fastening unit 15 is arranged with its attachment side 18 precisely on the support 60. A protection unit 17 is arranged as access protection on the fastening unit 15. The fastening unit 15 and the protection unit 17 are each arranged detachably on the support 60 with the aid of fastening means 16.

[0107] FIG. 3 shows the view of FIG. 2 with some of the elements hidden. In FIG. 3, both the actuator housing 42 (see FIG. 2) and the brake lever housing 35 (see FIG. 2) are hidden. Consequently, the elements located inside the respective housings can be seen. Inside the braked housing 35 (see FIG. 2) is a brake lever 30, on which brake lever 30 a contact pressure element 20 is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation 23. The brake lever 30 is mounted in pivotable manner about a pivot axis 31 and in the present case forms the positioning apparatus 39. The preloading apparatus 33 is arranged opposite the contact pressure element 20 with respect to the pivot axis 31. An actuator 40, in the present case embodied as a pneumatic cylinder, is arranged underneath the device 100, that is to say inside the actuator housing 42 (see FIG. 2). The actuator 40 is connected movably to the brake lever 30 via elements that are not described more closely, via a pneumatic cylinder 44 for example, and enables it to pivot the brake lever 30 about the pivot axis 31, thus pulling the brake lever 30 towards the support 60. In the present illustration, the braking element 10 is only partly visible below the contact pressure element 20. The braking element 10 is glued to the fastening unit 15, which is embodied as an angle plate, and therewith arranged detachably on the device 100. In order to detach the fastening unit 15, in this representation screws are provided as fastening means 16. In order to maintain clarity of the illustration, in FIG. 3 this is shown separately, beside the device 100. The braking element 10 has a friction surface 11 and is furnished with an indentation 12 for accommodating the conductor. In the present case, the braking element 10 is made from ceramic and manufactured as a single part. The braking element 10 is arranged detachably on the device 100. The regulator 41 for adjusting the pressure on the actuator 40 and the activation unit 43, with which the actuator 40 is controlled, can also be seen in the present illustration. Also visible is the retaining assembly 50, which in the present case is embodied as a resilient compression member. The retaining assembly 50 has a movable retaining element 51, which is a resilient compression member and can be inserted in a brake lever mounting point 52 on the brake lever 30 to fix the brake lever 30 in the neutral position.

[0108] FIG. 4 shows an orthogonal representation of the view from FIG. 3. For the purpose of clarity, the only a part of the actuator 40 is shown. Two pneumatic lines—not described more closely—which are also only partially shown, are located on the regulator 41. FIG. 4 shows how the individual elements cooperate. The brake lever 30 is mounted so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis 31. The contact pressure element 20 is arranged on the brake lever 30 and can be moved in the direction of the arrow P1 by a pivoting motion of the brake lever 30. This pivoting motion is triggered by activation of the actuator 40. The force with which the conductor is clamped between the contact pressure element 20 and the braking element 10 is varied according to the force with which the actuator 40 is activated. At the same time, the force with which the conductor is clamped between the contact pressure element 20 and the braking element 10 acts as a braking force and is applied with the aid of the pneumatic cylinder 44. The conductor is decelerated correspondingly more or less sharply by the application of a braking force.

[0109] The illustration according to FIG. 4 corresponds to the neutral position, which means that the brake is open, wherein the pneumatic cylinder 44 of the positioning apparatus 39 fixes the brake lever 30 in the neutral position. In this position, it is possible to insert a conductor correspondingly in the device. The direction of the conductor corresponds substantially to the direction of the arrow shown between the contact pressure element 20 and the braking element 10. This arrow also indicates the conveying direction of the conductor. In the present example, the contact pressure element 20 is embodied as a ball bearing or a roller bearing, the outer circumference of which is equivalent to the friction surface 21. The ball bearing or roller bearing is correspondingly mounted so as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation 23. The preloading apparatus 33, in the present case embodied as a helical spring or compression spring, is arranged opposite the contact pressure element 20 with respect to the pivot axis 31. The actuating lever 34 for manual actuation of the brake lever 30 is also arranged close to the preloading apparatus 33 on the brake lever 30. In this example, all components are arranged on a common support 60.

[0110] FIG. 5 shows the device 100 according to FIG. 2, wherein the fastening unit 15 including the braking element 10 is detached or separated from the device 100. To do this, the fastening means 16 were undone so that the protection unit is also separated from the fastening unit 15. The fastening unit 15 must be attached by its attachment side 18 on the support 60. The braking element 10 may thus be replaced with an additional braking element, which has a differently shaped indentation to indentation 12, for example, and/or friction surface which is shaped differently from the friction surface 11 (not shown).

[0111] FIG. 6 shows a device 200 for braking a conductor. Here, the device 200 includes largely the same features and components as those illustrated previously in the device 100 of FIGS. 2 to 5. The device 200 according to FIG. 6 differs from the device 100 of FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 in that the braking element 210 is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation 225, and a braking device 270 is provided for contactless braking of the rotatably mounted braking element 210. The illustration according to FIG. 6 corresponds to the braking position of the contact pressure element 20, which means that the brake is active, so the conductor (not shown) may be actively clamped between the contact pressure element 20 which is mounted rotatably about the axis of rotation 23 and the braking element 210 and can be braked manually. The actuator 40 is connected to the brake lever 30 and makes it possible to pivot the brake lever 30 about the pivot axis 31, so that the conductor is clamped or the clamping is released. The support 260 includes a support aperture 261 through which a section of the braking element 210 protrudes. A braking device 270 is arranged in the drive housing 201 of the device 200, which braking device is embodied in this case as an eddy current brake and comprises a permanent magnet 272. The permanent magnet 272 is movable mechanically with the aid of a positioning apparatus 275 from a first position X1, in which the permanent magnet 272 is in an inactive state, to a second position X, in which the permanent magnet 272 is in an activated state. The permanent magnet 272 may be moved back into first position X1 with the aid of the positioning apparatus 275. In order to move the permanent magnet 272, the positioning apparatus 275 is equipped with a drive device 276 which shifts the permanent magnet 272 relative to the braking element 210.

[0112] The drive device 276 is electrically connected to the control/activation 43, so that the control commands are transmitted to the drive device 276 from one central control/activation 43.

[0113] FIGS. 7 to 10 show a device 300 for braking a conductor. Here, the device 300 includes largely the same features and components as those illustrated previously in the devices 100 and 200 shown respectively in FIGS. 2 to 5 and FIG. 6. The device 300 according to FIGS. 7 to 10 differs from the device 200 of FIG. 6 in that an additional braking element 311 is present besides a first braking element 310, and each is mounted so as to be rotatable about a respective axis of rotation 325, 326, and a braking device 370 is provided for braking the rotatably mounted braking elements 310, 311.

[0114] The device 300 comprises a fastening unit 315 which is embodied as an angle plate, on which the braking elements 310, 311 are arranged rotatably, wherein the rotatably mounted braking elements 310, 311 are arranged beside and at a distance apart from one another. In the braked position, at least a section of the contact pressure element 20 supported between the two braking elements 310, 311 (see FIG. 8 or FIG. 9). In this way, the conductor which is arranged between the contact pressure element 20 and the two braking elements 310, 311 is relieved of conductor stresses in conveying direction 7 during braking by the walking process.

[0115] The fastening unit 315 is arranged on the common support 360, which is furnished with a support aperture 361, through which portions of the braking elements 310, 311 protrude. A protection unit 317 is arranged on the fastening unit 315. The fastening unit 315 and the protection unit 317 are each arranged detachably on the support 360 with the aid of fastening means 316. In this illustration, screws are provided as the fastening means 316 to enable the fastening unit 315 to be detached.

[0116] The representation of the device 300 according to FIG. 10 corresponds to the braking position of the contact pressure element 20, that is to say the brake is active, so the conductor (not shown) may be actively clamped between the contact pressure element 20 which is mounted so as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation 23, and the braking elements 310 and 311 and may be braked mechanically. The actuator 40 is movably connected to the brake lever 30 and makes it possible to pivot the brake lever 30 about the pivot axis 31 so that the conductor is clamped therein. The support 360 has a support aperture 361, through which sections of the braking elements 310 and 311 protrude. A first braking device 370, embodied as an eddy current brake for decelerating the braking element and comprising the permanent magnets 372, 373, is arranged in the drive housing 301 of the device 300. The permanent magnets 372, 373 are mechanically connected to a positioning apparatus 375 for moving the permanent magnets 372, 373 from a first position Xl, in which the permanent magnets 372, 373 are in an inactive state, at least to a second position X, in which the permanent magnets 372, 373 are in an activated state. The permanent magnets 372, 373 may be moved back into the first position Xl with the aid of the positioning apparatus 375. In order to move the permanent magnets 372, 373, the positioning apparatus 375 is equipped with a drive device 376 which displaces the permanent magnets 372, 373 relative to the braking elements 310, 311, corresponding to the movement arrows in FIG. 10. The drive device 376 is electrically connected to the control/activation 43 so that the control commands are transmitted to the drive device 376 from one central control/activation 43.

[0117] The brake lever housing 35 of the device 300 accommodates an additional braking device 380 which is embodied as an eddy current brake for braking the contact pressure element 20 and comprises the permanent magnet 382. The permanent magnet 382 is mechanically movable with the aid of a positioning apparatus 385 from a first position Y1 in which the permanent magnets 382 is in an inactive state, at least to a second position Y, in which the permanent magnet 382 is in an activated state. The permanent magnets 382 may be moved back into the first position Y1 with the aid of the positioning apparatus 385. In order to move the permanent magnet 382, the positioning apparatus 385 is equipped with a drive device 386 which displaces the permanent magnet 382 relative to the contact pressure element 20, corresponding to the movement arrow in FIG. 10. The drive device 386 is electrically connected to the control/activation 43 so that the control commands are transmitted to the drive device 386 from one central control/activation 43.

[0118] A further variant of the device 300—not shown—comprises the braking device 370 described previously but not the additional braking device 380, which was also described earlier.

[0119] The flowchart of FIG. 11 discloses the method for braking the conductor, wherein the reference characters used refer to the previously described devices according to FIGS. 4 and 6. In a first step 401, a conductor is arranged in the device 100 along a conveying direction 7. In a next step 402, a preloading apparatus 33 is actuated so that the brake lever 30 is shifted from a neutral position (see FIG. 4) into a working position (see FIG. 6), wherein the conductor is pre-tensioned and clamped between contact pressure element 20 and braking element 10 with the aid of the brake lever 30 mounted on the pivot axis 31 and by the compression spring of the preloading apparatus 33. The preloading apparatus 33 is actuated manually using the actuating lever 34. Then, the conductor is moved along the conveying direction 7 (step 403).

[0120] Afterwards, in order to brake the conductor the conductor is brought into operative connection with the braking element 10 by moving the contact pressure element 20 relative to the braking element 10 with the aid of the pneumatic cylinder 44 of the positioning apparatus 39 (step 404). In this process, the compressed air is switched in at the actuator 40, so that the resulting braking force—which is generated by the pneumatic cylinder—between the contact pressure element 20 and the braking element 10 acts on the clamped conductor.

[0121] In a next step, the permanent magnet 272 of the braking device 270 is shifted from a first position Xl, in which the braking device 270 is in an inactive state, to a second position X, in which the braking device 270 is in an activated state (step 405). In this process, neither the braking device 270 nor the permanent magnet 272 touches the braking element 10.

[0122] In the method disclosed above, the control or regulator 41 or the activation 43 transmits regulation commands and/or control commands to the drive device 276 of the braking device 270. In this way, it is possible to control the device with one central control. The actuator 40 is not activated by the activation/control 43 except to brake the conductor, and the pneumatic cylinder 44 is then pressurised so that the conductor between contact pressure element 20 and braking element 10 is exposed to the braking force corresponding to the pneumatic pressure acting on the actuator 40. This braking force also gives rise to a marked walking effect on the conductor.

[0123] After this, at least after braking of the conductor, the fastening unit 15 can be detached from the device 100 and the braking element 10 can be removed from the device 100.

[0124] The list of reference characters is as much a part of the disclosure as the technical content of the patent claims and figures. The same reference characters signify identical components.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0125] 100 Device [0126] 1 Cable processing machine [0127] 2 Protective hood [0128] 3 Conveyor belt [0129] 4 Protective hood [0130] 5 Deflection [0131] 6 Conductor alignment mechanism [0132] 7 Conveying direction [0133] 10 Braking element [0134] 11 Friction surface [0135] 12 Indentation [0136] 15 Fastening unit [0137] 16 Fastening means [0138] 17 Protection unit [0139] 18 Attachment side for 15 [0140] 20 Contact pressure element [0141] 21 Friction surface [0142] 23 Axis of rotation [0143] 30 Brake lever [0144] 31 Pivot axis [0145] 33 Preloading apparatus [0146] 34 Actuating lever [0147] 35 Brake lever housing [0148] 39 Positioning apparatus [0149] 40 Actuator [0150] 41 Regulator [0151] 42 Actuator housing [0152] 43 Activation/Control [0153] 44 Pneumatic cylinder [0154] 50 Retaining assembly [0155] 51 Retaining unit [0156] 52 Brake lever mounting point [0157] 60 Support [0158] 200 Device [0159] 201 Device housing [0160] 210 Braking element [0161] 225 Axis of rotation [0162] 260 Support [0163] 261 Support aperture [0164] 270 Braking device [0165] 272 Permanent magnet [0166] 275 Positioning apparatus [0167] 276 Drive device [0168] 300 Device [0169] 301 Drive housing [0170] 310 First braking element [0171] 311 Additional braking element [0172] 315 Fastening unit [0173] 316 Fastening means [0174] 317 Protection unit [0175] 325 Axis of rotation [0176] 326 Axis of rotation [0177] 360 Support [0178] 361 Support aperture [0179] 370 Braking device [0180] 372 Permanent magnet [0181] 373 Permanent magnet [0182] 375 Positioning apparatus [0183] 376 Drive device [0184] 380 Additional braking device [0185] 382 Permanent magnet [0186] 385 Additional positioning apparatus [0187] 386 Additional drive device [0188] 401 to 405 Method steps [0189] P1 Direction of motion [0190] Y First position of 282 [0191] Y1 Second position of 282 [0192] X First position of 272 or 372 [0193] X1 Second position of 272 or 372