CABLE END RETENTION DEVICE DESIGNED TO RETAIN A CABLE END AND METHOD FOR ITS POSITIONING

Abstract

A cable end holding device (1) for holding a cable end (25) of a cable, in particular for a crimping process, is proposed, wherein the cable end holding device (1) comprises: a cable holding element (15) for holding the cable end (25), and a height position adjustment device with two lever elements (10a, 10b) for changing the height position of the cable holding element (15), wherein the lever elements (10a, 10b) are arranged parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction of the lever elements (10a, 10b), wherein the lever elements (10a, 10b) are offset from each other in height and in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the height and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and wherein the lever elements (10a, 10b) are each rotatably mounted about a first axis of rotation (30, 31) extending along the lateral direction, wherein the two first axes of rotation (30, 31) are parallel to each other.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable end holding device for holding a cable end of a cable, a method for positioning a cable end of a cable and a cable assembly machine for assembling a cable.

[0002] A large number of cable assembly machines or cable end holding devices for holding a cable end are known. Fig. 10 shows a supervisor and Fig. 11 Figure 1 shows a side view of a known cable assembly machine with press 5' or crimping press comprising anvil 27' and punch 24' for connecting a contact element 26' to a cable end, or a cable end holding device according to the prior art. The cable assembly machine includes two additional stations 6', 6", at which the cable or the cable end can be further modified.

[0003] Cable assembly machines with swivel arms, such as those known from EP 2 937 953 B1, comprise a cable end holding device 1' for holding one end of a cable. The cable end is held by vertically movable gripping heads or holding elements to position it correctly, vertically, relative to the crimping tool. These gripping heads or holding elements are spring-mounted and are lowered synchronously with the crimping press by means of a plunger 7'. The cable is fed in by a cable guide 3'. The processing sequence begins with the cutting of the cable in the cutter block 4'.

[0004] The cable end, the cable tip, is also stripped to a predetermined length in the cutter block 4'. The stripping blades are closed sufficiently to separate the insulation without damaging the metallic conductor of the cable or the cable end. A pull-off drive, acting in the direction of the cable axis, pulls the swivel arm 2' with the gripper away from the stripping blades. The forces involved can sometimes reach 400 N, which in the prior art was mitigated by reinforcements in the gripper mount or the holding element. However, this resulted in a high moment of inertia for the swivel arm 2' or the cable end holding device.

[0005] After stripping, the cable end is swiveled towards the press 5'. The swivel arm 2' has a swivel drive for this purpose. Since the cable end or cable tip, or the gripper or holding element, does not have its own drive for movement in the Z-direction (the vertical direction), a clear corridor is created through which the cable end or cable tip can be rotated or swiveled to the processing positions. The movement is horizontal between the punch and the protruding parts of the contact on the anvil. The adjustment is usually made so that the cable end is closer to the protruding parts of the contact than to the punch.

[0006] A wide variety of crimping tools are known, differing, among other things, in the height of the anvil. The length of the protruding parts of the contacts can also vary from product to product. Depending on the crimping tool and contact used, the height of the processing stations must be readjusted using a height adjustment mechanism (8') when changing products to ensure sufficient clearance. When setting up the product, the plunger (7') is adjusted so that it contacts the gripper or holding element that secures the cable end as soon as the punch reaches the desired distance from the cable end. Since this adjustment is performed manually for each product, it is a known source of error.

[0007] At the start of the pressing process, the cable end or tip is positioned between the punch and the protruding parts of the contact. The press 5' then moves the punch and ram in a negative Z-direction (i.e., downwards) towards the cable end or tip. The flanks of the punch enclose the cable end or tip. Once the set distance between the punch and the cable end is reached, the press 5' moves the punch and, via the ram 7', the gripper or holding element with the cable end in a negative Z-direction towards the anvil and the contact. Subsequently, the cable end comes to rest in the recess of the contact part, while the protruding parts of the contact are deformed by the punch.Since the plunger 7' can only be adjusted for a relative distance between the punch and the cable end, the cable is located below the contact position when the punch reaches its end position. The cable is thereby over-pressed or bent. With cables, especially those with a smaller cross-section, this over-pressing poses a risk of the cable end being pulled out of the connection. After pressing is complete, the pressing tool is opened and the cable end is swung back. Once the desired cable length has been supplied, the blades in the blade block 4' cut the cable. The rear end of the cut cable is also processed as described above, with a second swivel arm device or cable end holding device and a second press located on the opposite side of the blade block 4'.

[0008] Therefore, the anvil must be adjusted to the height position at which the cable end or cable tip is located. Furthermore, according to the prior art, the tools must be set to a height that ensures a clear corridor at the same level when the gripper or cable holding element is rotated.

[0009] Among other things, there may be a need for a cable end holding device to hold a cable end or for a method to position a cable end, which allows the cable end or cable tip to be positioned at different heights in a technically simple manner.

[0010] Such a need can be met by a cable end holding device according to independent claim 1, by a cable assembly machine for assembling a cable according to claim 6, or by a method for positioning a cable end of a cable according to independent claim 7. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the invention, a cable end holding device for holding a cable end of a cable, in particular for a crimping process, is proposed, wherein the cable end holding device comprises: a cable holding element for holding the cable end, and a height position adjustment device with two lever elements for changing the height position of the cable holding element, wherein the lever elements are arranged parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction of the lever elements, wherein the lever elements are arranged offset from each other in height and in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the height and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and wherein the lever elements are each rotatably mounted about a first axis of rotation extending along the lateral direction, wherein the two first axes of rotation are parallel to each other.

[0012] One advantage of this is that the cable retainer can usually be easily held or positioned at different heights. This means that the height of the cable retainer, and consequently the cable end, can generally be easily adjusted to the specific instrument. As a result, changing the height of the tools is usually unnecessary. This typically reduces setup time considerably. Furthermore, the cable retainer, and therefore the cable end, is generally held firmly and securely at the respective height. The lever elements, which are offset from and parallel to each other, generally allow for particularly easy changes to the height of the cable retainer and the cable end, and ensure that the changed height is maintained securely and rigidly. In the case of a press as the tool, a ram or...A fixed connection between the press and the cable end holding device is unnecessary. Furthermore, over-pressing of the cable end during crimping can generally be reliably prevented.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the invention, a method for positioning a cable end of a cable by means of a cable end holding device, in particular for a crimping process, is proposed, wherein the cable end holding device has a height position adjustment device for changing the height position of a cable holding element, wherein the height position adjustment device has two lever elements extending parallel to each other along its longitudinal direction, and wherein the lever elements are each rotatably mounted about a first axis of rotation extending along a lateral direction, the lateral direction being perpendicular to the height and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the method comprises the following steps: - holding the cable end with the cable holding element; and - changing the height position of the cable end by rotating the lever elements about their first axis of rotation.

[0014] The advantage of this method is that the cable end can typically be held or positioned at different heights with relative ease. The height of the cable end or tip can therefore usually be easily adjusted to the specific instrument or tool. Consequently, changing the tool height is generally unnecessary. This typically reduces the processing time for the cable end or tip considerably. Furthermore, the cable end is generally held firmly and securely at the respective height. The lever elements, which are offset from and parallel to each other, generally allow for particularly easy changes to the cable end's height and ensure that the changed position is maintained securely and rigidly. With this method, a press typically eliminates the need for a ram or other tool.A fixed connection between the press and the cable end holding device is not required. Furthermore, this method generally prevents over-pressing of the cable end during crimping.

[0015] The first two axes of rotation of the lever elements are offset from each other in height and in the longitudinal direction.

[0016] Possible features and advantages of embodiments of the invention can be considered, among other things and without limiting the invention, as being based on the ideas and findings described below.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the cable end retainer, the cable end retainer further comprises a longitudinal position adjustment device for changing the position of the cable retainer along the longitudinal direction. This generally allows the vertical position of the cable retainer to be adjusted or changed without changing its longitudinal position. This means that the cable retainer, or the cable end held by the cable retainer, can be moved in the negative Z-direction, i.e., vertically downwards, without generally a simultaneous movement of the cable retainer in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the Z-direction. Thus, the cable end, or cable tip, can typically be positioned even more precisely.Furthermore, it can usually be ensured that, when using a press as a tool, the cable end does not move longitudinally relative to the punch while the cable end is moved downwards.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the cable end holding device, the device further comprises a rotary mechanism for rotating the cable holding element and the lever elements about a rotation axis extending along the height. This typically allows for quick and easy access to various processing stations or tools where the cable or cable end is processed. In particular, it is usually possible to access processing stations or tools where the cable end must be in different height positions. It is also typically possible to lower and / or raise the position of the cable end or cable tip along the vertical direction during the rotation to avoid obstacles or parts of processing stations. Therefore, it is generally not necessary to establish a clear corridor at the same height when rotating the gripper or cable holding element.A kind of up-and-down motion of the cable holding element can be performed during rotation to avoid collisions of the cable holding element with parts of tools.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the cable end retaining device, the height position adjustment device comprises a cam, in particular an arithmetic spiral, and / or an eccentric for changing the height position of the cable retaining element. This generally allows for a particularly simple change in the height position of the retaining element. Furthermore, the height position adjustment device typically exhibits very low wear. In addition, the height position of the retaining element can generally be set with exceptional precision.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the cable end retaining device, the cable retaining element has a height adjustment device for changing the height position of the cable end. An advantage of this is that, while the lever elements are or remain horizontally oriented, the height position of the cable end can still be changed. In this way, forces acting horizontally, e.g., when stripping the cable end, can typically be absorbed particularly well by the lever elements, since they can always be horizontally oriented despite different height positions of the cable end.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the method, a change in the longitudinal position of the cable end due to a change in its vertical position is compensated by a longitudinal position adjustment device such that the longitudinal position of the cable end remains essentially unchanged. This method allows the vertical position of the cable end to be adjusted or changed without generally altering its longitudinal position. This means that the cable end or tip can be moved in the negative Z-direction, i.e., vertically downwards, without any simultaneous movement of the cable end in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the Z-direction. Thus, the cable end or tip can typically be positioned even more precisely.Furthermore, it can generally be ensured that, when using a press as a tool, the cable end does not move longitudinally relative to the punch while the cable end is being moved downwards.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the method, the distance between the cable end and a contact element, which is arranged on the anvil of a press, is reduced for a predetermined period by means of the height position adjustment device, synchronously with the distance of a press punch to the contact element. This typically results in the cable end being moved towards the contact element simultaneously with the punch.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the method, the speed of movement of the cable end relative to the contact element is reduced before the cable end impacts the contact element, so that the cable end contacts the contact element at a reduced speed. By decelerating the cable end before reaching or touching the contact element, it is typically prevented that large forces occur along the direction of movement of the cable end, i.e., in the Z-direction, when the cable end impacts the contact element. This generally prevents unintentional bending or over-compression of the cable end or the cable itself.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the method, the method further comprises the following steps: rotating the cable end about an axis of rotation extending along its height such that the cable end points towards a cutting device; holding a portion of the cable end to be removed, in particular insulation of the cable end, by means of the cutting device; and moving the cable end away along its longitudinal direction so that the portion to be removed is held by the cutting device and separated from the cable end. This typically results in a particularly simple method of stripping a portion of the cable end or the cable itself.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the method, the method further comprises the following step: changing the height position of the cable end by means of a height-position adjustment device of the cable holding element. An advantage of this method is that, while the lever elements are or remain horizontally aligned, the height position of the cable end is nevertheless changed. In this way, forces acting horizontally, e.g., when stripping the cable end, can typically be absorbed particularly well by the lever elements, since they can always be horizontally aligned despite different height positions of the cable end.

[0026] It should be noted that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to different embodiments. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the features can be suitably combined, adapted, or exchanged to arrive at further embodiments of the invention.

[0027] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereby neither the drawings nor the description are to be interpreted as limiting the invention. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the cable end retaining device according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a side view of the cable end retaining device. Fig. 1 Fig. 3 shows a top view of the cable end retaining device made of Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 Figures 4a-4d show detailed views of a cable end during the process of connecting it to the contact element; Figure 5 shows a top view of part of the cable end holding device from the Fig. 1-3 Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of the part of the cable end retaining device made of Fig. 5 along line VI-VI; Fig. 7a shows a sectional view of the part of the cable end retaining device made of Fig. 5 along line VIIa-VIIa; Fig. 7b shows a sectional view of the part of the cable end retaining device made of Fig. 5 along line VIIa-VIIa, with the lever elements being substantially horizontally oriented; Fig. 8 shows a schematic view of the change in height position in two different orientations of the lever elements; and Fig. 9 shows a perspective detail view of an arithmetic spiral of the cable end retaining device from the Fig. 1-3 .

[0028] The figures are schematic only and not to scale. Identical reference symbols in the different figures denote identical or equivalent features.

[0029] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the cable end holding device according to the invention.

[0030] Fig. 2 shows a side view of the cable end retaining device 1 from Fig. 1 .

[0031] Fig. 3 shows a top view of the cable end retaining device 1. Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 .

[0032] The cable end retaining device 1 has a swivel arm 2 and a cable retaining element 15 for holding a cable end 25 or a cable tip of a cable. The swivel arm 2 can rotate the cable retaining element 15 about a vertical axis and in a longitudinal direction (which is in Fig. 2 (running from left to right) and in a vertical direction (which is in Fig. 2 (runs from bottom to top) change.

[0033] The cable retaining element 15 holds the cable end 25 or the cable tip, i.e., the end of a cable. The outermost tip or the outermost end of the cable protrudes from the cable retaining element 15 on a side of the cable retaining element 15 facing away from the swivel arm 2.

[0034] The cable end 25, or cable tip, is not normally the outermost end of the cable. The cable end 25, or cable tip, is a part of the cable located near the outermost end. The outermost end of the cable can be, for example, approximately 0.5 cm to approximately 5 cm, in particular approximately 1 cm to approximately 3 cm, preferably approximately 1 cm to approximately 2 cm, away from the part of the cable that is gripped, retained, or partially or completely enclosed by the cable retaining element 15.

[0035] The cable end retaining device 1 also includes a height adjustment device for changing the height position of the cable retaining element 15 and thus for changing the height position of the cable end 25 held by the cable retaining element 15. A decrease in the height position of the cable retaining element 15 means that the cable retaining element 15 is moved closer to the ground or lowered. An increase in the height position of the cable retaining element 15 means that the cable retaining element 15 is moved further away from the ground (in the positive Z-direction).

[0036] The cable is fed into the cable end retaining device 1 via a cable feed 3. The cable is at least partially arranged in a guide tube 16. The cable end is typically not located in the guide tube 16. The guide tube 16 rests partially on a plate-shaped disc 17 of the cable end retaining device 1 or is supported by the disc on the upper lever element 10a. The guide tube 16 does not usually run in a straight line on the disc 17.

[0037] The cable holding element 15 is arranged on the side of the cable end retaining device 1 facing away from the cable feed 3. The cable holding element 15 is mounted on the swivel arm 2. The cable holding element 15 comprises a gripper that grasps and holds the cable end 25 or the cable itself. The cable holding element 15 is attached to the lever elements 10a, 10b of the swivel arm 2.

[0038] The gripper or cable holding element 15 is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis, so that the cable end 25 always runs horizontally. The plate or disc 17 sits on one of the lever elements 10a, 10b and, due to its design, changes its angular position relative to the cable holding element 15 when the height position of the cable holding element 15 is changed.

[0039] Links in Fig. 1 A knife 23 or a double knife for stripping the cable end 25 and / or cutting the cable is shown. The lever elements 10a, 10b are aligned so that they run horizontally. Using the height adjustment device, the lever elements 10a, 10b and consequently the cable holding element 15 are adjusted to the desired or required height. The cable end 25 or the cable tip is guided centrally between the two elements of the knife 23.

[0040] The blade 23 is then closed to such an extent that its insulation is cut, but not the metallic core / conductor of the cable itself. The cable end 25 is then moved away from the blade 23(s) lengthwise, so that the insulation remains attached to the blade 23 and detaches from the rest of the cable or from the cable end 25.

[0041] The cable end retaining device 1 comprises two lever elements 10a, 10b, also called parallelogram lever elements. The two lever elements 10a, 10b are each rotatably mounted about a horizontally extending first axis of rotation 30, 31. The two first axes of rotation 30, 31 are located in Fig. 1 on the right side. The first two axes of rotation 30, 31 run parallel to each other and are offset vertically. In addition, the two lever elements 10a, 10b are each rotatably mounted about a horizontally extending second axis of rotation 40, 41. The two second axes of rotation 40, 41 are located in Fig. 1 on the left.

[0042] The two lever elements 10a, 10b run parallel to each other. The lever elements 10a, 10b are vertically oriented (Z-direction) and in a direction perpendicular to both the vertical and longitudinal directions of the two lever elements 10a, 10b (where the longitudinal direction is in the Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3 (running from left to right) are arranged offset from each other. This direction runs perpendicular to the drawing plane. Fig. 2 One lever element 10a is in Fig. 1 positioned further forward than the other lever element 10b.

[0043] One lever element 10b (in Fig. 1 the front lever element) is arranged in a height position that is lower than the height position of the other lever element 10a (in Fig. 1 (the rear lever element). The two lever elements 10a, 10b form parts or the longitudinal sides of a parallelogram.

[0044] The in Fig. 1 The upper part of the cable end holding device 1, comprising the lever elements 10a, 10b and the cable holding element 15, is rotatable about a vertically extending axis. For this purpose, the cable end holding device 1 has a rotary device 14 for rotating the lever elements 10a, 10b and / or the cable holding element 15. This allows access to various processing stations or tools for processing the cable end 25 or the cable tip. The rotary device 14 has a motor 21 for performing the rotary movement. The rotary device 14 can rotate the lever elements 10a, 10b about a rotational axis that extends vertically. The rotational axis can, in particular, pass through the center of the plate 17.

[0045] The cable axis 20 runs along the main extension direction of the cable end 25 and in Fig. 1 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the lever elements 10a, 10b or levers.

[0046] Fig. 4a-4d Figure 1 shows detailed views of a cable end 25 during the process of connecting the cable end 25 to a contact element 26 using a press 5. The contact element 26 can be, for example, a crimping element. Initially, the cable end 25 is closer to the contact element 26 than to the die 24 to avoid unnecessary movement of the cable end 25 (see Figure 1). Fig. 4a ). The punch 24 is then moved towards the anvil 27 or the cable end 25, e.g. until the punch 24 has a predetermined distance between punch 24 and cable end 25 along the vertical direction (Z-direction).

[0047] Now the punch 24 and the cable end 25 are moved synchronously, i.e. at the same speed, towards the anvil 27 together (see Fig. 4b ). Here, the height position (position along the Z-direction) of the cable end 25 is changed by changing the angle of the lever elements 10a, 10b to the horizontal by rotating the lever elements 10a, 10b about their first axes of rotation 30, 31.

[0048] Between Fig. 4b und Fig. 4c The cable end 25 is moved synchronously with the punch 24 towards the anvil 27. At Fig. 4b The cable end 25 is accelerated to the speed of the piston 24. Shortly before the in Fig. 4c In the depicted situation, the cable end 25 is slowed down to prevent it from impacting the contact element 26. After a predetermined period, during which the cable end 25 moves synchronously with the stamp 24, its movement is decoupled from the movement of the stamp 24 by reducing its speed.

[0049] The change in the position of the cable end 25 along the longitudinal direction of the lever elements 10a, 10b, or parallel to the horizontal, due to the rotation of the lever elements 10a, 10b about the first axes of rotation 30, 31, is compensated by the longitudinal position change device 11. Thus, the lever elements 10a, 10b are moved along the longitudinal direction while rotating about their first axes of rotation 30, 31.

[0050] When the lever elements 10a, 10b pass through their horizontal position, a forward movement and then a backward movement or vice versa takes place in the longitudinal direction, so that the cable end 25 moves only along the vertical direction (Z-direction).

[0051] Finally, the cable end 25 or the cable tip touches the contact element 26 (see Fig. 4c Shortly before the cable end 25 enters a recess in the contact element 26, the speed of its movement towards the contact element 26 is reduced, i.e., the cable end 25 is decelerated. This reduces the forces occurring when the cable end 25 impacts the contact element 26. The cable end 25 moves along with a portion of the cable to prevent kinking or bending.

[0052] The punch 24 presses the cable end 25 or the cable tip and the contact element 26 against the anvil 27, thus pressing the cable end 25 against the contact element 26 (see Fig. 4d The protruding parts of the contact element 26 are deformed by the punch 24, thus forming a connection between the cable end 25 or cable and the contact element 26. The punch 24 then moves away from the anvil 27, releasing the cable end 25 with the contact element 26 connected to it.

[0053] Fig. 5 shows a top view of part of the cable end retaining device 1 from the Fig. 1-3 . Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of part 1 of the cable end retaining device. Fig. 5 along line VI-VI. Fig. 7a shows a sectional view of part 1 of the cable end retaining device. Fig. 5 along line VIIa-VIIa. Fig. 7b shows a sectional view of part 1 of the cable end retaining device. Fig. 5 along the line VIIa-VIIa, with the lever elements 10a, 10b being essentially horizontally aligned.

[0054] The cable end retaining device 1 comprises a longitudinal position change device 11. The longitudinal position change device 11 moves the cable end retaining device 11. Fig. 7b upper part of the cable end retaining device 1 comprising the lever elements 10a, 10b and the cable retaining element 15 or the swivel arm 2 to the right and left, i.e. along the longitudinal direction of the lever elements 10a, 10b, provided that these are horizontally aligned (this does not mean that such movement is only possible when the lever elements 10a, 10b are horizontally aligned).

[0055] Since a change in the height position of the gripper or cable holding element 15 (without corresponding compensation) changes the longitudinal position of the gripper or cable holding element 15 and thus of the cable end 25, the upper part of the cable end holding device 1 is adjusted accordingly along the longitudinal direction (in Fig. 7b to the left or to the right) to compensate for this change in longitudinal position. This allows the cable end 25 to be moved in such a way that its longitudinal position remains essentially unchanged, only its vertical position. This means that the movement of the cable end 25, which describes an arc due to the rotation of the lever elements 10a, 10b about their first axes of rotation 30, 31, is compensated by the longitudinal position adjustment device 11, resulting in a purely upward or downward movement (Z-direction). The longitudinal position of the cable end 25, or the cable tip, can be adjusted to within a few hundredths of a millimeter, as is necessary, for example, when processing aluminum cables.

[0056] The cable retaining element 15 includes a height position adjustment device 13. The height position adjustment device 13 allows fine adjustment of the height position of the cable end 25 in the Z-direction. This ensures that the lever elements 10a, 10b, i.e., the longitudinal sides of the parallelogram, are always horizontally aligned for stripping, so that the forces occurring during stripping can be absorbed particularly well by the parallelogram or the lever elements 10a, 10b, because the forces act along the lever elements 10a, 10b.

[0057] By means of the height position adjustment device 13, which serves as a fine adjustment device, the height of the cable end 25 can be adjusted or changed particularly precisely.

[0058] Individual positions in which the cable end 25 must be positioned for different processing stations or tools can be saved (e.g., in an EEPROM, on a hard drive, and / or in the cloud) and recalled. This allows the user to load or enter the corresponding position (vertical, longitudinal, and / or lateral) and / or the corresponding angle of rotation when changing tools. Therefore, the processing stations or tools do not need to be adjusted vertically, as the cable end holder 1 automatically changes or adjusts the position of the cable end 25 accordingly.

[0059] The longitudinal position change device 11 has a motor 22 for changing the longitudinal position of the cable holding element 15.

[0060] Fig. 7b shows a view along the same cutting plane as Fig. 7a In Fig. 7a The lever elements 10a, 10b, more precisely the longitudinal direction of the lever elements 10a, 10b, exhibit a non-zero angle to the horizontal, with the left end of the lever elements 10a, 10b in Fig. 7a lies lower than the right end of the lever elements 10a, 10b. In other words, the lower second axis of rotation 41 is lower than the lower first axis of rotation 31, and the upper second axis of rotation 40 is lower than the upper first axis of rotation 30. In Fig. 7b The longitudinal directions of the lever elements 10a, 10b run horizontally. The upper first axis of rotation 30 is located in Fig. 7b at the same height as the upper second axis of rotation 40 and the lower first axis of rotation 31 is located in Fig. 7b at the same height as the lower second axis of rotation 41. Both in Fig. 7a as well as in Fig. 7b The cable end runs horizontally.

[0061] Fig. 8 shows a schematic view of the change in height position in two different orientations of the lever elements 10a, 10b. Fig. 9 shows a perspective detail view of an arithmetic spiral 19 of the cable end retaining device 1 from the Fig. 1-3 .

[0062] Fig. 8 The parallelogram guide is shown in 9. Fig. 8 It can be seen that a rotation of the lever elements 10a, 10b about their first axes of rotation 30, 31, which leads to a change in the height of the cable retaining element 15 by ΔPv, results in a change in the position of the cable retaining element 15 by a length ΔPh. This change in the longitudinal position of the cable retaining element 15 can be compensated for by the longitudinal position change device 11, so that only a change in the height of the position of the cable retaining element 15 takes place.

[0063] The angle of the lever elements 10a, 10b to the horizontal (which is in Fig. 7a or Fig. 7b (running from left to right) can be changed by means of a cam, in particular an arithmetic or Archimedean spiral 19. This allows the lever elements 10a, 10b to be easily rotated about their first axes of rotation 30, 31.

[0064] The cam disc can be driven by a stepper motor 12. Alternatively, an eccentric is also conceivable. A spring element 18 presses one of the lever elements 10a, 10b, namely the upper lever element 10a, against the cam disc, so that contact between this lever element 10a and the cam disc is always maintained.

[0065] Alternatively or additionally, a change in the angle of the lever elements 10a, 10b to the horizontal or rotation of the lever elements 10a, 10b about their first axes of rotation 30, 31 is conceivable by means of a motor-driven spindle, a linear motor and / or a controllable pneumatic cylinder.

[0066] For example, a motor-driven spindle can push or pull one of the lever elements 10a, 10b upwards and downwards. This causes the lever elements 10a, 10b to rotate about their respective first axes of rotation 30, 31 and change their angle to the horizontal. Consequently, the height position of the second axes of rotation 40, 41 can be changed by the motor-driven spindle.

[0067] A linear motor can be arranged such that it pushes / pulls the lever elements 10a, 10b upwards or downwards, so that the lever elements 10a, 10b rotate about their respective first axis of rotation 30, 31 and change their angle to the horizontal.

[0068] The lever elements 10a, 10b can also be rotated about their first axes of rotation 30, 31 by means of a controllable pneumatic cylinder and the angle of the lever elements 10a, 10b to the horizontal can be changed.

[0069] After connecting the cable end 25 to the contact element 26, the cable is cut to the desired length using the knife 23. The process can then be continued on the other side of the knife 23, analogous to the procedure described above. This means that the contact element 26 is guided through the knife 23 or the opening of the knife 23, and the cable on the other side is gripped by another gripper or cable holding element 15. The cable is then cut. Subsequently, the free end of the cable, one end 25 of which is already connected to a contact element 26, can also be connected to a contact element 26, in particular in the manner described above.

[0070] The lever elements 10a, 10b are always rotated by the same angle about their respective first axes of rotation 30, 31, so that the lever elements 10a, 10b are always aligned parallel to each other. This also discloses a cable assembly machine comprising a cable end holding device and a knife as described. The lever elements can be of the same length.

[0071] The first axes of rotation of the two lever elements are located in the longitudinal direction, which in Fig. 8 it runs from left to right, in the same position. It is also conceivable that the cable entry 3 is mounted on the swivel arm 2.

[0072] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "comprising," "encompassing," etc., do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference numerals in the claims are not to be considered as a limitation.

Claims

1. Cable end holding device (1) for holding a cable end (25) of a cable, in particular for a crimping process, wherein the cable end holding device (1) comprises: a cable holding element (15) for holding the cable end (25), and a height position adjustment device with two lever elements (10a, 10b) for changing the height position of the cable holding element (15), wherein the lever elements (10a, 10b) are arranged parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction of the lever elements (10a, 10b), wherein the lever elements (10a, 10b) are arranged offset from each other in height and in a width direction that is perpendicular to the height and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and wherein the lever elements (10a, 10b) are each rotatably mounted about a first axis of rotation (30, 31) extending along the width direction, wherein the two first axes of rotation (30, 31) are parallel to each other.

2. Cable end retaining device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the cable end retaining device (1) further comprises a longitudinal position change device (11) for changing the position of the cable retaining element (15) along the longitudinal direction.

3. Cable end retaining device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a rotary device (14) for rotating the cable retaining element (15) and the lever elements (10a, 10b) about an axis of rotation extending along the height.

4. Cable end retaining device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the height position changing device comprises a cam disk, in particular an arithmetic spiral (19), and / or an eccentric for changing the height position of the cable retaining element (15).

5. Cable end retaining device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cable retaining element (15) has a height position adjustment device (13) for changing the height position of the cable end (25).

6. Cable assembly machine for assembling a cable, wherein the cable assembly machine comprises a knife for cutting the cable and a cable end holding device for holding a cable end of the cable according to one of the preceding claims.

7. Method for positioning a cable end (25) of a cable by means of a cable end holding device (1), in particular for a crimping process, wherein the cable end holding device (1) has a height position adjustment device for changing the height position of a cable holding element (15), wherein the height position adjustment device has two lever elements (10a, 10b) extending parallel to each other along its longitudinal direction, and wherein the lever elements (10a, 10b) are each rotatably mounted about a first axis of rotation (30, 31) extending along a width direction, wherein the width direction is perpendicular to the height and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the method comprises the following steps: - holding the cable end (25) with the cable holding element (15); and - changing the height position of the cable end (25) by rotating the lever elements (10a, 10b) about their first axis of rotation (30, 31).

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein a change in the position of the cable end (25) in the longitudinal direction due to a change in the height position of the cable end (25) is compensated by a longitudinal position change device (11) in such a way that the position of the cable end (25) in the longitudinal direction does not substantially change.

9. Method according to 7 or 8, wherein the distance of the cable end (25) to a contact element (26) arranged on an anvil (27) of a press (5) is reduced by means of the height position change device for a predetermined period synchronously with the distance of a punch (24) of the press (5) to the contact element (26).

10. Method according to 9, wherein before the cable end (25) hits the contact element (26) the speed of movement of the cable end (25) relative to the contact element (26) is reduced, so that the cable end (25) contacts the contact element (26) at a reduced speed.

11. Method according to any one of claims 7-10, further comprising the steps of: rotating the cable end (25) about an axis of rotation extending along the height such that the cable end (25) points towards a cutting device; holding a part of the cable end (25) to be removed, in particular insulation of the cable end (25), by means of the cutting device; and moving the cable end (25) away along the longitudinal direction so that the part to be removed is held by the cutting device and is separated from the cable end (25).

12. Method according to one of claims 7-11, further comprising the step of: changing the height position of the cable end (25) by means of a height position adjustment device (13) of the cable holding element (15).