A cycle detector device for automatic crimping tools

Abstract

A self-powered device (100) detects work cycles of an automatic crimping tool (200) such as a miniapplicator. The device (100) has a casing (110) with a mounting wall (111) for fastening to the main body (210) of the miniapplicator (200). A lever (120) is hinged to the casing (110), and by rotating it applies or releases a force on a transducer (130). The transducer (130) is positioned on a wall (113) connecting the mounting wall (111) and an opposite free wall (112). The lever (120) protrudes beyond the mounting wall (111) in order to be pressed by a head (232) of a driving structure (230) of the miniapplicator (200), so as to be rotated. The transducer (130), when pressed, generates an electrical pulse by means of an energy harvesting process, and powers a transmission module. This transmits a wireless signal in response to the electrical pulse, allowing the work cycles to be monitored.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention is developed in the field of the automated collection of operating data of industrial tools, in particular miniapplicators for crimping cables.Background art

[0002] Miniapplicators are known tools designed for being mounted to crimping machines. Depending on the type of machine, it can receive one or more miniapplicators, to carry out multiple operations for crimping terminals on cables, simultaneously or in sequence. Many miniapplicators are structurally similar to each other, to allow the connection and disconnection of different miniapplicators to different crimping machines, depending on the contingent machining needs.

[0003] Usually, the cables and / or the terminals are placed on a miniapplicator support. Work elements, which can be represented, for example, by knives and clamping members, periodically perform work cycles moving with respect to the support to perform operations of cable stripping, and of crimping a terminal on the cable.

[0004] In many industrial environments there is a large number of miniapplicators, which are occasionally repositioned on different machines. Keeping track of the life of a miniapplicator and how much it is used is therefore complex. In the absence of this information, the maintenance of the miniapplicators is inefficient, with miniapplicators that can be replaced too soon, or that can be kept operational despite excessive wear and tear. Examples of crimping assemblies with detector devices are described in WO 2006136930 and EP 3001516.

[0005] Patent application EP 3524952 describes a self-powered device designed to be mounted on different types of industrial machines, and to transmit wireless signals in response to mechanical or hydraulic operations carried out by the machine. The device receives the operation to be detected on a lever, placed at one of the larger surfaces of the casing of the device, opposite to the surface intended for mounting on the machine. The lever in turn activates a transducer, for example electromechanical, which generates an electrical signal making a snap movement.

[0006] WO 2018134217 describes a detection device for an electrical plug connector.Summary of the invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to track the operation of automatic crimping tools, such as miniapplicators, to optimize their management and maintenance.

[0008] Another object of the invention is to provide a self-powered work cycle detection device, which is optimized for use in connection with the automatic crimping tools.

[0009] These and other objects are achieved by a cycle detector device, by a crimping assembly, and by a tracking method, according to any one of the accompanying claims.

[0010] Compared to EP 3524952, the invention provides for a different positioning of the lever and of the transducer. The transducer is in fact positioned on a connecting wall, between the mounting wall and the wall opposite to the mounting wall. The lever is hinged to a position that is farther away from the mounting wall than the transducer is. The lever also protrudes beyond the mounting wall to be driven by a head of the miniapplicator, slidable to drive the work elements.

[0011] In the preferred embodiments, an L-shaped bracket is interposed between the measuring device and the main body of the crimping tool. The L-shaped bracket is fastened to two walls, by means of fastening supports compatible with the vast majority of miniapplicators.

[0012] Further features and advantages of the invention will be recognisable by a person skilled in the art from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention.Brief Description of the Figures

[0013] For a better understanding of the following detailed description, some embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a perspective view of an assembly comprising a crimping tool and a cycle detector device, according to the present invention, in a first configuration of use, figure 2 shows a perspective view of the assembly of figure 1, in a second configuration of use, figure 3 shows a perspective view of the cycle detector device of figure 1, and figure 4 shows an example of a bracket of the detector device for the connection thereof to a crimping tool, according to an aspect of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] A crimping assembly 1 according to an aspect of the present invention comprises an automatic crimping tool 200, for example a miniapplicator of known type, and a cycle detector device 100. The device 100 may also be supplied separately from the tool 200, and also constitutes a separate aspect of the invention. Some features of the tool 200 are first of all described to better understand the features of the detector device 100.

[0015] The crimping tool 200 comprises a main body 210, removably mountable to a crimping machine, of a known type and not illustrated, according to known connection modes. The tool 200 also has a positioning support 220, fixed with respect to the main body 210. The support 220 may be a portion of the main body 210, or a separate body, fastened to the main body 210.

[0016] The support 220 is designed to receive in rest those elements on which crimping operations are to be carried out by the tool 200, such as cables and terminals. In a known manner, the machine to which the tool 200 is mountable may provide guides for the correct positioning of cables and terminals with respect to the support 220.

[0017] The main body 210 has a guide 211, shaped for example as a groove or a channel in the main body 210, which mainly extends in a longitudinal direction X-X. More in detail, the guide 211 extends from an upper wall 212 to a lower wall 213 of the main body 210. Hereinafter, regardless of the use orientation of the tool 200, a lower wall 213 is understood to be a wall facing towards the positioning support 220, and an upper wall 212 is understood to be a wall opposite to the lower wall 213, spaced therefrom in the longitudinal direction X-X.

[0018] Furthermore, the guide 211 is open at a front wall 214 of the main body 210 and extends along the front wall 214. The front wall 214 connects the upper wall 212 and the lower wall 213 to each other.

[0019] The tool 200 comprises work elements, not illustrated, kinematically connected to the main body 210, for example hinged to the main body 210, and therefore movable with respect to the main body 210. The work elements are facing towards the positioning support 220, and in particular can be connected to the lower wall 213 of the main body 210.

[0020] The work elements are configured to carry out stripping and crimping steps on a cable and / or a terminal (not illustrated), that are resting on the positioning support 220. Examples of work elements are generally known to those skilled in the art. In the preferred embodiment, as known, a first work element comprises a first knife, configured to remove a portion of a sheath that groups multiple cables into a bundle of cables. A second work element comprises a second knife configured to strip a portion of a cable of the bundle of cables. A third work element comprises a clamping member configured to deform and clamp a portion of a terminal on the stripped portion of the cable.

[0021] The tool 200 comprises a driving structure 230 mounted to the main body 210 slidably along the guide 211, in the longitudinal direction X-X. The driving structure 230 in particular is slidable between two end-of-stroke positions, closer to and away from the positioning support 220. In order to slide the driving structure 230, the tool 200 may comprise a motor, not illustrated, or the driving structure 230 may be connectable to a motor of the crimping machine.

[0022] The driving structure 230 comprises a stem 231 positioned along the guide 211. The stem 231 has two ends spaced in the longitudinal direction X-X. The driving structure 230 is kinematically connected to the work elements, at the end of the stem 231 proximal to the positioning support 220. The driving structure 230 is then configured to move the work elements, by sliding it along the guide 211, so that they perform the operations described above.

[0023] The driving structure 230 comprises a head 232, located at the end of the stem 231 distal from the positioning support 220, and facing away from the positioning support 220. The head 232 is positioned outside the guide 211 and protrudes from the main body 210 in the longitudinal direction X-X, beyond the upper wall 212. The head 232 preferably has dimensions such as not to allow it to pass through the guide 211. Thus, the head 232 can serve as an end-of-stroke element for sliding the driving structure 230 towards the positioning support 220.

[0024] It should be noted that many known automatic crimping tools 200 have a plurality of holes in which respective fastening elements 240, such as screws, are inserted. Some of such holes and fastening elements 240 may be on the front wall 214 of the main body 210, on the driving structure 230, and at other parts of the tool 200, such as for example a side wall 215 of the main body 210, which is transverse to the front wall 214 and connects the upper wall 212 and the lower wall 213 to each other.

[0025] Similar holes and fastening elements 240 can be provided for various purposes, such as for example the mutual fastening of various parts of the main body 210, or of various parts of the driving structure 230.

[0026] The cycle detector device 100 comprises a casing 110, in the figures substantially shaped as a parallelepiped. The casing 110 has a mounting wall 111, preferably chosen between the two opposite larger walls of the casing 110. The mounting wall 111 is configured to be fastened to a wall of the main body 210 of the crimping tool 200, preferably the side wall 215.

[0027] The other of the two opposite larger walls of the casing 110 is a free wall 112, which is spaced from the mounting wall 111 in a transverse direction Y-Y with respect to the longitudinal direction X-X. Among the other walls, one that will be named hereafter connecting wall 113 joins the mounting wall 111 and the free wall 112. The connecting wall 113 in use, i.e. when the device 100 is fastened to the tool 200, represents an upper wall of the casing 110, since it is oriented on the same side as the upper wall 212 of the main body 210 of the tool 200, where the head 232 of the driving structure 230 protrudes from the main body 210.

[0028] The device 100 comprises a lever 120, hinged to the casing 110 at hinge means 121. Preferably, the hinge means 121 are proximal to a connecting portion between the connecting wall 113 and the free wall 112. They may be on the connecting wall 113, on the free wall 112, or even on additional walls adjacent to the connecting wall 113 and to the free wall 112, as shown in the figures.

[0029] The lever 120 is rotatable with respect to the casing 110, between a first position, as shown in figure 1, and a second position, as shown in figure 2, preferably without possibility of rotating beyond these two positions. In the first position, a free end 122 of the lever 120, opposite the hinge means 121, is spaced from the casing 110. In the second position, the free end 122 is close to the casing 110. An elastic member not illustrated is positioned between the lever 120 and the casing such that the lever 120 is pressed towards the second position.

[0030] The lever 120 extends predominantly in a direction forming an acute angle (where a null angle is also considered to be acute) with the connecting wall 113, and / or with the transverse direction Y-Y, both in the first and the second position. Furthermore, in both positions, the lever 120, and in particular its free end 122, protrudes in the transverse direction Y-Y beyond the mounting wall 111 towards the tool 200, and in particular towards the head 232 of the driving structure 230.

[0031] In this way, the lever 120 may advantageously be pressed by the head 232 of the driving structure 230 towards the second position. Thus, sliding of the driving structure 230 along the guide 211 of the main body 210 of the tool 200 rotates the lever 120. The rotation takes place from the first to the second position, when the lever 120 is pushed by the head 232 while the driving structure 230 is sliding toward the support 220. On the other hand, the rotation takes place from the second to the first position, when the lever 120 is pushed by the elastic member while the driving structure 230 is sliding away from the support 220, releasing the pressure of the head 232 on the lever 120.

[0032] In one embodiment, depending on the conformation of the miniapplicator, the lever 120 in use is in direct contact with the head 232. More precisely, the free end 122 of the lever 120 is located between the head 232 and the upper wall 212 of the main body 210.

[0033] In other embodiments, the distance of the head 232 from the side wall 215 of the main body 210 may be excessive for establishing a contact between the head 232 and the lever 120. To remedy this drawback, the lever 120 may have connecting members 123, such as for examples holes, for mounting an extension element (not illustrated) at the free end 122 of the lever 120. The extension element may be supplied as an optional element of the device 100, or the user of the device 100 may realize or find it independently. The extension element may be fastened to the lever by coupling fastening elements such as screws to the connecting members 123 of the lever 120.

[0034] In the presence of the extension element, it is provided for the extension element, and not the lever 120, to come into contact with the head 232, so that the head 232 presses the lever 120 via the extension element.

[0035] Similar to the device of EP 3524952, the device 100 comprises a transducer 130 mounted to the casing 110. More in detail, the transducer 130 is positioned at the connecting wall 113 and is located with respect to the transverse direction Y-Y between the mounting wall 111 and the hinge means 121. The distance of the transducer 130 from the mounting wall 111 is therefore less than the distance of the hinge means 121 from the mounting wall 111.

[0036] The lever 120 is configured and positioned so as to apply a force on the transducer 130, when rotated in a direction of rotation from the first position to the second position, and to release such a force when rotated in the opposite direction. In particular, the transducer 130 protrudes from the connecting wall 113 in the longitudinal direction X-X and is in contact with the lever 120. Furthermore, the elastic member is preferably located inside the transducer.

[0037] The transducer 130 is configured, when pressed by the lever 120 with a force greater than a predetermined threshold, to generate an electrical energy pulse by means of an energy harvesting process.

[0038] Transducers 130 of this kind are known in the art. An example of a transducer 130 suitable for this function is made of piezoelectric material, which in fact generates electrical energy when subjected to certain pressures. Another preferred example is represented by an electromechanical transducer 130, with a fixed part and a movable part, one of which carries a permanent magnet and the other an electrical circuit magnetically coupled to the magnet. The movable part protrudes from the connecting wall 113 and is in contact with the lever 120. The reciprocal movement of these parts results in the generation of electrical energy in the circuit.

[0039] The device 100 comprises a transmission module, not illustrated. It may be mounted in the casing 110, but it may also have antennas that protrude at least in part from the casing 110.

[0040] The transmission module is connected to the transducer 130 and is electrically powered by the only electrical energy pulse generated by the transducer 130. In particular, the device 100 is battery-free. The transmission module is further configured to transmit a predetermined wireless signal in response to the electrical pulse. In this way, a control module (not illustrated) which is remote with respect to the device can receive the wireless signal and track the operation of the tool 200, and in particular its number of work cycles.

[0041] In this regard, one aspect of the invention concerns a method for tracking the operation of a plurality of automatic crimping tools 200. A cycle detector device 100 is applied to each tool 200. A control system, spaced from the crimping tools 200 and from the devices 100, receives the wireless signals transmitted by the transmission modules of the devices 100. Preferably, the control system records the reception of each signal thus received together with a time indication of a reception instant.

[0042] The control system then counts the number of work cycles performed by the different tools 200 based on the received wireless signals. The control system can then generate operation reports for the individual tools 200, based on the numbers of counted cycles. The operation reports may, for example, contain an indication of a total number of cycles performed by the devices 100, of an average time frequency of the work cycles of the devices 100, and / or of the need to perform a maintenance operation.

[0043] In the preferred embodiment, the control system comprises a gateway and a cloud computing system in signal communication with the gateway. The gateway is in direct signal communication with the devices 100, to receive their wireless signals. The functions of time recording of the reception instants, of cycle counting, and of report generation can be performed by the gateway or by the cloud system. In some embodiments, the cloud system may not be required, delegating all the processing functions to the gateway. The cloud system is however preferably present, for better data accessibility and to reduce the performance required from the gateway.

[0044] Some aspects about the modalities in which the device 100 is connected to different tool models 200 are now described.

[0045] The casing 110 has a plurality of fastening supports 114 on the side of the mounting wall 111, for example formed next to the mounting wall 111. The fastening supports 114 are configured for coupling with complementary fastening elements, which may be the same fastening elements 240 already provided on the tool 200, or the like. Preferred examples of fastening supports 114 are shoulders with holes or slots.

[0046] In one embodiment, the fastening supports 114 of the casing 100 are aligned with the holes already provided in the main body 210 of the tool 200, for example on the side wall 215, so that fastening elements 240 such as screws can simultaneously engage these holes and the fastening supports 114. They then lock the mounting wall 111 of the casing 110 against the main body 210.

[0047] It should be noted that the holes of the main body 210 are holes already provided in most of the tools 200, even if these have been made without taken into account a possible future connection with devices 100. These holes, on the other hand, are not made specifically for connection with the device 100. Nonetheless, the position of the holes of the main body 210 is sufficiently similar among different tools 200 so that a single device 100 can have fastening supports 114 that can be aligned with the holes of different tools 200. In addition, the fact of making slots with elongated shapes in the fastening supports 114 facilitates the compliance with this alignment condition.

[0048] In some embodiments, such as the one illustrated in the figures, where the holes of the main body 210 are provided on the front wall 214, but not on the side wall 215, for mounting purposes the device 100 comprises a mounting bracket 140, preferably L-shaped. The bracket 140 is removably mountable to the mounting wall 111 of the casing 110 and to the main body 210 of the tool 200, for interposing therebetween.

[0049] More in detail, the bracket 140 comprises a first wall 141 and a second part 142, transverse with respect to the first wall 141. The two walls 141, 142 of the bracket 140 are identified, for example, by the two legs of the L.

[0050] The first wall 141 of the bracket 140 is configured for removable mounting between the mounting wall 111 of the casing 110 and the side wall 215 of the main body 210. The second wall 141 of the bracket 140 is configured for the removable mounting to the front wall 214 of the main body 210, and mainly extends in the transverse direction Y-Y.

[0051] The mounting bracket 140 has a plurality of fastening supports 143, e.g., holes and / or slots, formed at the first and second walls 141, 142. The fastening supports 143 are configured so as to lock the mounting bracket 140 to the casing 110 and to the main body 210 of the tool 200. In particular, the fastening supports 143 are configured for coupling with complementary fastening elements, which may be the same fastening elements 240 already provided on the tool 200, as well as additional fastening elements 150 of the device 100.

[0052] Preferably, some fastening supports 143 of the bracket 140, in particular those located on the second wall 142 of the bracket 140, are aligned with the holes already provided in the main body 210 of the tool 200, precisely on the side wall 214. In this way, the fastening elements 240 already provided for the tool 200 can simultaneously engage these holes and the fastening supports 143 of the bracket 140. They then lock the bracket 140 against the main body 210. More preferably, at least two fastening supports 143 of the bracket 140 are positioned along the second wall 142, spaced from each other in the transverse direction Y-Y so as to be on opposite sides of the guide 211 of the main body 210.

[0053] Furthermore, some fastening supports 143 of the bracket 140, particularly those located on the first wall 141 of the bracket 140, are aligned with the fastening supports 114 of the casing 110. In this way, the additional fastening elements 150 of the device 100 can simultaneously engage the fastening supports 114, 143 of the casing 110 and of the bracket 140. They then lock the casing 110 against the bracket 140.

[0054] Obviously, a person skilled in the art will be able to make numerous equivalent modifications to the variants set forth above, without thereby abandoning the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A crimping assembly (1) comprising: - an automatic crimping tool (200) removably mountable to a crimping machine, and - a cycle detector device (100), the crimping tool (200) comprising: - a main body (210) having a guide (211); - a positioning support (220) fixed with respect to the main body (210), - work elements, connected to the main body (210), facing the positioning support (220), and configured to perform stripping and crimping operations on a cable resting on the positioning support (220), and - a driving structure (230) connected to the work elements, the driving structure (230) being slidable along a guide (211) of the main body (210) towards and away from the positioning support (220) to move the work elements with respect to the main body (210), wherein the driving structure (230) comprises a head (232), facing away from the positioning support (220) and protruding from the main body (210) outside of the guide (211), characterised in that the detector device (100) comprises: - a casing (110) having a mounting wall (111), configured to be fixed to a wall (214, 215) of the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200), a free wall (112) opposite the mounting wall (111), and a connecting wall (113) connecting the mounting wall (111) and the free wall (112), the connecting wall (113) being oriented on a same side where the head (232) of the driving structure (230) protrudes from the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200), - a transducer (130), mounted to the casing (110) and configured, when pressed with a force greater than a predetermined threshold, to generate an electrical energy pulse by means of an energy harvesting process, - a transmission module mounted to the casing (110), electrically powered only by the electrical energy pulse generated by the transducer (130), and configured to transmit a predetermined wireless signal in response to said pulse, - a lever (120), hinged to the casing (110) at hinge means (121), the lever (120) being rotatable with respect to the casing (110) and configured to apply or release a force on the transducer (130) when rotated with respect to the casing (110) in two respective opposite directions of rotation, and in that: - the transducer (130) is positioned on the connecting wall (113) between the mounting wall (111) and the hinge means (121), and - the lever (120) protrudes beyond the mounting wall (111) to be pressed by the head (232) of the driving structure (230) and to be rotated with the sliding of the driving structure (230) along the guide (211) of the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200).

2. The assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lever (120) mainly extends in a direction which forms an acute angle with the connecting wall (113).

3. The assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hinge means (121) are proximal to a connecting portion between the connecting wall (113) and the free wall (112).

4. The assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lever (120) has connecting members (123) for mounting an extension element, for the extension element to contact the head (232) of the driving structure (230) and the head (232) to press the lever (120) through the extension element.

5. The assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the casing (110) has a plurality of fastening supports (114) on the side of the mounting wall (111), configured for coupling with complementary fastening elements (150, 240) so as to lock the mounting wall (111) of the casing (110) against said wall (214, 215) of the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200).

6. The assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the detector device (100) comprises a mounting bracket (140) removably mountable to the mounting wall (111) of the casing (110) and to the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200) for interposing therebetween.

7. The assembly (1) according to claim 6, wherein the mounting bracket (140) comprises a first wall (141), configured for removable mounting between the mounting wall (111) of the casing (110) and a side wall (215) of the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200), and a second wall (142), transverse to the first wall (141) and configured for removable mounting to a front wall (214) of the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200).

8. The assembly (1) according to claim 7, wherein the mounting bracket (140) has a plurality of fastening supports (143) configured for coupling with complementary fastening elements (150, 240) so as to lock the mounting bracket (140) to the casing (110) and to the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200), wherein preferably at least two fastening supports (143) of the bracket are positioned along the second wall (142), spaced from each other so as to be on opposite sides of the guide (211) of the main body (210) of the crimping tool (200).

9. Method for tracking the operation of a plurality of automatic crimping tools (200) comprising: - applying to each crimping tool (200) a cycle detector device (100) to form a crimping assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, - receiving in a control system the wireless signals transmitted by the transmission modules of the cycle detector devices (100), - counting by the control system a number of work cycles performed by each crimping tool (200) as a function of the received wireless signals, and - generating by the control system operating reports for different crimping tools (200) according to the respective numbers of counted cycles.

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