APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING CABLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for manufacturing a sheath (1) for electrical cables (2), in particular a sheath (1) for cables (2) in automobiles, comprising at least one manipulator (9) and a nozzle (10) connected to the manipulator (9) for dispensing a curable liquid plastic material in the course of a generative manufacturing method. The plastic material comprises a radiation-crosslinkable, acrylate-based polymer as the main constituent.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making a sheath for electrical cables, the apparatus comprising: a manipulator; a nozzle connected to the manipulator for dispensing a curable liquid plastic material in the course of a generative manufacturing method, the plastic material having a radiation-crosslinkable, acrylate-based polymer as the main constituent.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation-crosslinkable polymer is a grafted acrylate polymer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the grafted acrylate polymer contains hydroxy-, carboxyl- or epoxy-functionalized acrylate monomers that are functionalized by grafting.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material in addition to the radiation-crosslinkable polymer has a photoinitiator, fillers, and dyes.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the photoinitiator is contained in the plastic material in an amount of 0.01 to 10 parts per 100 parts of the radiation-cross-linkable polymer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the filler is contained to 0.1 to 60 parts per 100 parts of the radiation-crosslinkable polymer in the plastic material.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material is physically solidified using a treatment unit formed as a UV radiator.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the UV radiator emits in a wavelength range between 200 nm to 600 nm.

9. The apparatus according to either claim 7, wherein the UV radiator has a LED.

10. The apparatus according to in that claim 7, wherein the radiator is a UV generator that generates a radiation dose of more than 20 mJ/cm.sup.2 up to about 800 mJ/cm.sup.2.

11. A method of making a sheath for electrical cables, the method comprising: supplying to a nozzle a fluent and curable plastic material having a radiation-crosslinkable, acrylate based polymer as its main constituent; extruding from the nozzle around the electrical cables a strand of the plastic material to form therearound a tube of the plastic material; and curing and hardening the plastic material of the tube into the sheath.

Description

[0029] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing that only shows one embodiment; in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for making a sheath for electrical cables or for group cables in automobiles to form a cable bundle,

[0031] FIG. 2 shows the cable bundle produced in this way in a side view, partially in section,

[0032] FIG. 3 shows the cable bundle as a constituent of a cable harness assembled on a form board, and

[0033] FIG. 4 shows the base for the construction of the flexible hose sheath in detail.

[0034] In the drawing, an apparatus for making a sheath 1 for electrical cables 2 is shown. The sheath 1 can cover the cables 2 in question alone their entire axial length. This is indicated by dot-dash lines in FIG. 2. In addition, however, there are also embodiments within the scope of the invention in which the sheath ensures that only sections of the cables 2 are wrapped. The solid lines in FIG. 2 illustrate this. In this embodiment, the cables 2 are electrical cables as constituents of a cable harness 3 formed in this way. The cable harness 3 including the sheath 1 is designed in the illustrations as a constituent of a cable harness 12 for electrical wiring within an automobile.

[0035] The cable harness 12 is shown in detail in FIG. 3. In order to assemble the cable harness 12 and also to attach the sheath 1 of the individual cables 2, the cable harness 12 in question is received and held on a so-called form board 13 in this embodiment. Such form boards 13 are generally known in the prior art, for which reference is made to DE 10 2011 084 786. Individual holders 14 or spacers 14 can be provided to hold the cable harness 12 on the form board 13.

[0036] The sheath 1 is now produced according to the invention in whole or in part with the aid of a generative manufacturing method by building up a predetermined layer sequence, as is indicated in detail in FIG. 1. In fact, one can see in FIG. 1 a sheath 1 formed as a flexible hose in detail, which completely or partially envelops the cables 2 in their longitudinal direction. With the help of the flexible hose sheath 1, the cables 2 are bundled into the cable harness 3. The cable harness 12 is then constructed from the individual cable harnesses 3 for installation in the automobile (not shown in more detail).

[0037] The generative manufacturing method implemented within the scope of the invention is characterized in that the sheath or the flexible hose sheath 1 is realized by individual layers 4 that, in the embodiment according to FIG. 1, are built up one above the other and adjoin one another, so that the more or less cylindrical flexible hose sheath 1 is produced in this way from the individual annular layers 4. The layers 4 consequently form the layer sequence that is molded onto the cables 2 using the generative manufacturing method.

[0038] It can be seen in the scope of the illustration as shown in FIG. 1 that the flexible hose sheath 1 envelops the cables 2 or the cable harness 3 combined in this way within a short distance. This means that the flexible hose sheath 1 lies on the outside at a distance from the cable harness 3 and also ensures that the cables 2 are mutually fixed in order to bundle them into the cable harness 3. The hose sheath 1 can in turn be secured axially using, for example, an adhesive tape or other fastening means on the cable harness 3. Basically, for example, a branch 3′ of the cable harness 3, as shown in FIG. 3, or other elements also ensure axial securing of the flexible hose sheath 1.

[0039] The hose sheath 1 can be applied directly and in layers to the cable harness 3, but this is not shown. In fact, the individual layers 4 of the flexible hose sheath 1 can be spirally guided around the cable harness 3 at an angle to the longitudinal extent of the cable harness 3. In this case, the individual layers 4 in turn define a largely cylindrical body, but in such a way that the individual layers 4 are helically guided as turns around the cable harness 3 and at least partially overlap. Overall, this is not shown.

[0040] Within the scope of the embodiment, the layers 4 and the layer sequence realized therefrom are constructed in such a way that the individual layers 4 are uniformly stacked one upon the other, and thereby shape and define the overall cylindrical flexible hose sheath 1. For this purpose, the hose sheath 1 in question is built up on a base 5. In the embodiment, the base 5 is a disk with a central opening 6 for the cable harness 3 guided thereby. In the present case, the base 5 and the cable harness 3 are stationary. Basically, the base 5 can also rotate. Relative movement between the base 5 and the cable harness 3 is also possible.

[0041] The detailed structure of the base 5 can be seen from FIG. 4. Here one can see that the base 5 is constructed in multiple parts and can be taken apart. In the embodiment and not by way of limitation, the base 5 is composed of two semicircular half-shells 5a, 5b that are coupled to one another via a hinge joint 5c. An additional closure 5d ensures that the two half-shells 5a, 5b fitted around the cable harness 3 or the individual cables 2 are secured to one another in the installed state. With the aid of the base 5 that can be spread in this way, the cable harness 3 can be enclosed by the base 5, even when fixed on the form board 13 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0042] All that is necessary is to align the form board 13 accordingly relative to a nozzle 10 or a manipulator 9 that will be described in more detail below. In fact, one will usually proceed in such a way that the form board 13 or generally a holder 13 for the cable harness 12 on the one hand and the nozzle 10 on the other hand can each be moved spatially independently of one another. In principle, however, it is also possible to work in such a way that either only the form board or the holder 13 or only the nozzle 10 is movable.

[0043] In this embodiment, the base 5 and the cable harness 3 are each stationary. The same may apply to the form board 13. The cable harness 3 with its cables 2 to be bundled is passed through the opening 6 in the base 5. FIG. 1 shows a drive 7 that acts on the manipulator 9 already mentioned. For this purpose, a controller 8 is provided that operates on the drive 7 or the manipulator 9. With the aid of the drive 7, the manipulator 9 can be moved in the axial direction indicated in FIG. 1, so that the layer sequence built up there on the base 5 can be traced. In addition, the manipulator 9 ensures that the connected nozzle 10 performs the circular movements or arc movements indicated in FIG. 1 in order to implement the layer sequence. The manipulator 9 may be a robot or robot arm that can carry out three-dimensional movements overall.

[0044] A shapeless liquid material in the form of a liquid plastic, according to the embodiment of a plastic material with a radiation-crosslinkable acrylate-based polymer, is dispensed via the nozzle 10 as the main constituent. The plastic material is liquid and curable. This is primarily ensured by the radiation-crosslinkable acrylate-based polymer as the main constituent, as has already been described above. For this purpose, the liquid plastic material contains, in addition to the radiation-crosslinkable acrylate-based polymer, not only a UV crosslinking agent or a photoinitiator, but optionally also color pigments in the weight compositions specified above.

[0045] For the construction of the sheath 1, a first layer 4 is first built up on the base 5 by the manipulator 9, controlled by the controller 8, executing a circular movement shown in FIG. 1 and merely indicated, around the cable harness 3 passed through the opening 6. After the first layer 4 has cured, the manipulator 9 applies a further second layer 4 to the first layer 4 with the nozzle 10, so that in the end the layer sequence that was already described and defines the cylindrical flexible hose sheath 1, is built up on the base 5, in that the layer sequence or the hose sheath 1 surrounds the opening 6 with the cable harness 3 passed through it.

[0046] The hose sheath 1 is consequently built up on the base 5. Starting from the base 5, the hose sheath 1 wraps around the cable harness 3. The individual layers 4 of the layer sequence and consequently the flexible hose sheath 1 are produced on the base 5 with an assembly speed of up to 100 mm/s at an achievable layer height. A treatment unit 11 is provided in order to cure the plastic material used at this point and dispensed in fluent form via nozzles 10. In the embodiment, the treatment unit 11 can be moved back and forth at least axially along the cable harness 3, as indicated by a double arrow in FIG. 1. In this way, the treatment unit 11 can be used and serve for the physical treatment of the layer sequence or the respective layer 4.

[0047] The treatment unit 11 is one that is used for the physical solidification of the individual layers 4 or the flexible hose sheath 1 formed in this way. In fact, the treatment unit 11 in the embodiment is one that optically ensures that the plastic material is cross-linked. By crosslinking the relevant layer 4 with the aid of the treatment unit 11 or the UV radiator realized at this point, the layer 4 is cured step by step. Finally, the base 5 can then be removed and the flexible hose sheath 1 is secured at the desired location on the cable harness 3.