Gripping unit for gripping and manipulating the end of a cable, configuration station having the gripping unit, and method for configuring a plug housing

Abstract

A double gripper for a configuration station for configuring a plug housing at the cable ends of two cables (8, 9) for gripping and manipulating, in particular, a twisted cable harness (13), having two gripper jaws (2, 3), each of the gripper jaws having two jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') arranged one above the other. The double gripper further includes two engagement members (11) arranged between the jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5'), by means of which the cables (8, 9) can be supported and force applied from the inside. The engagement members (11) can move independently of the gripper jaws (2, 3). By moving the engagement members (11) into or out of the space between the cables (8, 9), the spacing (H) between the cables (8, 9) can be changed. Here, the respective engagement members (11) are wedges (21, 22) having at least one effective wedge surface (25, 25'; 26, 26').

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a gripping unit for gripping and manipulating the ends of two cables of a cable harness. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a configuration station for providing a plug housing with cable ends by means of such a gripping unit and a method for configuring a plug housing. Background Art

[0002] A cable harness used, for example, in an automobile or an aircraft consists of a plurality of cables, and plug housings are provided on the ends of the cables where they are bundled. For this purpose, the ends of the cables that have been previously bundled, that is, cut to length, stripped of insulation, and provided with contact members (such as crimp contacts), are introduced into the cavities of the plug housings or into the plug housings. Usually, the cables in the cable harness with cable ends to be provided are usually present individually, and in this regard, they are also individually introduced into the cavities of the plug housings by means of corresponding mechanical devices. Cable harnesses consisting of a plurality of cables are increasingly being used in cable harnesses, especially twisted cables. For this purpose, it is also necessary to configure the free, especially untwisted and optionally elongated, cable ends of the cable harness. The advantage of twisted cables is that the signal transmission quality is particularly good. In addition to twisted cables, untwisted cables of the cable harness or other multi-cable systems can also be used, in which the cables are only arranged adjacent to each other and assembled in an assembly. Usually, it is necessary to be able to configure a cable harness consisting of two cables, especially twisted cables, with respect to the cable ends by means of a corresponding mechanical device, which is known to those skilled in the art as a cable configuration station.

[0003] There is a great need to perform automatic configuration of plug housings with twisted cables. A particularly important component of a processing station is a gripping unit that grips the ends of the cables, transports the cable ends to the plug housing, and inserts them therein. One objective is that the length range of the unstranded cable ends should be kept as small as possible. This means that the two ends must be inserted into the plug housing approximately simultaneously.

[0004] For example, a similar gripper unit of this kind is known from EP 3 301 769 A1 for gripping and manipulating the cable ends of two cables of a cable harness for a configuration station in order to equip a plug housing with the cable ends. The gripper unit consists of two cable grippers arranged one behind the other. Each cable gripper has two gripper jaws that can be moved between an open position and a closed position. The respective end portions of the stranded cables are fixed by the cable grippers. The two grippers are positioned one behind the other in the cable direction. The respective other cable end not fixed by the cable gripper passes through a slightly enlarged guide channel of the cable gripper. In order to insert the stranded cables into the plug housing, one of the single cable ends is pushed forward by a few millimeters in the cable direction compared to the other end. As a result, the tips of the two contact portions are no longer at the same height in the cable direction. This enables the contact components to be aligned with the respective inlets one behind the other and introduced. The gripper jaws of the cable gripper are specifically designed according to a predetermined cable diameter and a fixed distance between the two cables. In addition, this solution requires a long untwisted or un-twisted length of the cable ends of the twisted cable harness. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to avoid the known disadvantages and, in particular, to provide an improved gripper unit for gripping and manipulating the cable ends of two cables of a cable harness. The gripper unit itself and the configuration station equipped with the gripper unit should have a high degree of variability and should have a wide range of applications.

[0006] According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a gripper unit for gripping and manipulating the cable ends of two cables of a cable harness, in particular a twisted cable harness, which extend longitudinally and substantially parallel to the axis. The gripper unit includes two gripper jaws that can be moved transversely to the longitudinal direction in a closing direction or an opening direction between an open position and a closed position. At least one and preferably each of the gripper jaws includes two jaw elements that are preferably configured as separate components and are arranged one above the other relative to the longitudinal direction, wherein in the closed position, the cable can be externally biased in a clamped manner by the jaw elements. The gripper unit further includes at least one activatable engagement member by which at least one of the cables can be internally supported, and the engagement member, which is preferably designed as an independent member relative to the jaw elements, is arranged between the jaw elements of one of the gripper jaws. The jaw elements that can move relatively closer to or farther away from each other can each correspond to one of the cables of the cable harness. These jaw elements can form a pair of jaw elements.

[0007] If the movement of the gripper jaws and their jaw elements and the movement relative to one or more engagement members are mentioned below, unless otherwise specified, it refers to the movement transverse to the longitudinal direction in the above-mentioned closing direction and opening direction.

[0008] Clamping and applying force to the corresponding cables of a wire harness, for example, a total of two cables, through the corresponding jaw elements from the outside means that the cables come into contact in the regions of the opposite sides of the cables and are fixedly held in a clamped manner; on the contrary, the internal support application of force is achieved in the partition where the cables face the adjacent cables, that is, in the region between two cables within the preferably untwisted or untwisted end of the wire harness.

[0009] The advantage of the gripper unit according to the present invention lies in its compact structural form. The extension of the gripper unit in the longitudinal direction can be kept very small, thereby enabling a small cable interference. The length of the untwisted or untwisted end of the cable of the stranded wire harness can be significantly shorter. Another advantage of the gripper unit is that it has a high degree of variability and can be widely applied.

[0010] The gripper unit can in particular be a gripper unit for a configuration station for equipping a plug housing with a bundled cable end. However, it is also conceivable to use the gripper unit according to the present invention in other cable processing stations for bundling cables. For example, the gripper unit can be used in a crimping station for applying crimp contacts to the stripped cable ends of the cables of a twisted wire harness or in a ferrule station.

[0011] The engagement member arranged between the jaw elements can move back and forth transversely to the longitudinal direction relative to the adjacent engagement members after corresponding activation. For example, when the gripper jaws are in the closed position and are in contact with and fixedly holding the cables, at least one engagement member can advance or retract.

[0012] The gripper unit can in particular be a double gripper for a twisted wire harness composed of two cables. However, it is also possible to consider using the gripper unit described below to hold and operate more than two cables. For such multiple grippers, each gripper jaw will have more than one engagement member. For example, if the wire harness is composed of three cables, two engagement members will be provided for each gripper jaw.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, at least one engaging member can be moved, for example, by means of a separate or its own drive device, independently of the associated gripper jaw, in order to effect a relative movement with respect to the associated gripper jaw. The engaging member can be moved individually or in pairs with a relative second engaging member. Thus, the engaging member can effect a favorable relative movement with respect to the gripper jaw or the jaw element of the gripper jaw. When the gripper jaw is in the open position, the engaging member can, for example, starting from an initial position, advance or retract with respect to the associated gripper jaw in order to adjust the desired distance between two cables. Finally, the gripper jaw can be moved together with the engaging member that has advanced or retracted with respect to the initial position into the closed position. However, other operating modes are also conceivable. For example, it is conceivable that at least one engaging member is first moved to the cable. Only after one or more gripper jaws exert a supporting force on at least one of the cables from the inside does the gripper jaw close. Alternatively or additionally, for example when needed, when the gripper jaw is already in the closed position, the engaging member can advance or retract while the gripper jaw remains in the closed position. In this way, the distance between two cables held by the cable gripper can also be changed.

[0014] Another advantage is that the gripper unit can be adapted to cables having different cable diameters.

[0015] The above-described design with a gripping member that can be moved in this way would also be advantageous for a gripper variant having an integral gripper jaw, where the jaw elements of each gripper jaw are assembled into one part and formed and used, for example, by an integrally implemented member. The member having two jaw elements can be mounted in a housing. Then, the engaging member can be mounted in the housing in a laterally and preferably perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction in a displaceably supported manner.

[0016] Advantageously, the gripper unit has two engaging members that can move towards each other or away from each other. Here, one engaging member can be assigned to each gripper jaw. Thus, an engaging member is respectively arranged between the jaw elements of each gripper jaw. In order to increase the distance between the cables, the engaging members are moved towards each other, and the cable distance can be reduced by moving the engaging members away from each other or retracting them. The required distance between two cables in a cable harness can be adjusted easily and precisely. The movement directions for moving the engaging members into the cable harness (retracting and advancing) and for moving the engaging members away from the cable harness (retracting) extend in the same direction as the closing and opening directions of the gripper jaw.

[0017] Particularly advantageously, a separate drive device is provided for at least one engaging member, by means of which the engaging member can be moved between the cables of the cable harness in order to contact the cables and to force the cables apart. In order to operate the gripper jaws at least with respect to the movement between the open position and the closed position, one or more further drive devices can be provided. Depending on the separate drive device for the one or more engaging members, the one or more engaging members can be precisely controlled. The drive device can include an electric motor for activating or driving the at least one engaging member. The electric motor can be designed, for example, as a stepper motor, by means of which the engaging member can be translated a certain distance with high precision, thereby adjusting the desired distance between the cables. The gripper unit can have a control device, or be connected or connectable to a control device, by means of which the drive device having the electric motor can be controlled, or by means of which another actuator can be controlled in order to activate or drive the at least one engaging member to advance or retract between the cables.

[0018] A drive device can be assigned to each engaging member. However, it is also advantageous to have a common drive device for moving two engaging members. The engaging members can be connected to the drive device in the form of gears, thereby ensuring the simultaneous reverse movement of the engaging members. Thus, the two engaging members form a pair.

[0019] In order to compensate for the movement of the cables when driving and advancing at least one engaging member between the cables or when retracting at least one engaging member (thereby changing the distance between the cables), the jaw element can be supported displaceably in the gripper jaw in the closing direction or the opening direction. In order to maintain the contact between the jaw element and the cables, it is advantageous for the jaw element to be elastically mounted in the jaw by means of one or more springs. If the jaw element has a clamping surface for contacting the cables, the corresponding clamping surface can serve as a collision side for the cables, on which the cables can travel in order to compensate for the spreading movement that occurs when at least one engaging member drives and advances between the cables.

[0020] It is conceivable that the gripper jaw is operated using a single drive device in order to produce the open position and the closed position. Thus, the gripper unit includes a common drive device by means of which all the jaw elements of the gripper jaw can be moved at least in relation to the required lateral movement. In terms of variability, it would be advantageous for the gripper unit to include two drive devices for operating the gripper jaw, wherein the jaw elements that are opposite each other and correspond to one cable each can be moved in the closing or opening direction by means of the respective drive device.

[0021] The joining member can be a wedge having at least one effective wedge surface. The effective wedge surface should be understood to mean the wedge surface of the wedge that can maintain or establish an effective connection with the cable. When the wedge moves in the closing direction, the wedge can come into contact with the cable through the clamping surface. When the wedge moves further, the cable can be pushed towards the side, i.e., transversely to the closing direction. In this way, a lateral movement of the cable can be achieved to increase the distance between the cables. Preferably, the wedge can have two effective wedge surfaces for applying force and pushing two cables simultaneously.

[0022] In one embodiment, the gripper jaws have a higher coefficient of friction with respect to their clamping surfaces than the effective wedge surfaces.

[0023] The wedge can have a wedge surface (non-effective wedge surface) that does not come into contact with the cable, and when the wedge moves in the closing direction, this wedge surface does not exert a force on the cable. The non-effective wedge surface can be a straight wedge surface coplanar with the main movement direction of the wedge, which is equivalent to the closing direction, and this closing direction is transverse to the longitudinal direction mentioned above. In this case, another wedge surface with an inclined orientation forms the effective wedge surface.

[0024] The wedge can be a wedge having two inclined wedge surfaces. The inclined wedge surfaces form the two effective wedge surfaces mentioned above. Such a wedge having two inclined wedge surfaces is also referred to as a "double wedge". The wedge having two inclined wedge surfaces is particularly preferably constructed symmetrically. The axis of symmetry or the plane of symmetry extends coaxially with the main movement direction of the wedge, which is equivalent to the closing direction, and this closing direction is transverse to the longitudinal direction mentioned above.

[0025] The wedge can have two effective wedge surfaces to form a double wedge, and the wedge angle of the wedge is between 30° and 90°, preferably between 45° and 70°, and particularly preferably about 60°.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the gripper unit can have jaw elements facing each other and movable towards or away from each other, and the jaw elements have clamping surfaces for contacting the same cable, and the angle enclosed by the two clamping surfaces is smaller than the angle between the wedge surfaces of the wedges that also form pairs and face each other. Preferably here, the angle α between the clamping surfaces of the jaw elements facing each other can be 90°, and the angle between the wedge surfaces of the wedges facing each other can be 120°. This can ensure that even if the cable is only surrounded by the wedge and the two jaw elements and clamped between them, the cable can still be reliably held.

[0027] The jaw elements can have a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape at least in the region facing the cable. The clamping surfaces of the two jaw elements of each gripper jaw can have a V-shaped structure in cross-section or longitudinally.

[0028] If the gripper unit has engaging members that form a pair and can move towards and away from each other, it is advantageous to provide two wedges as the engaging members, each wedge having an inclined effective wedge face and a straight wedge face. When the engaging members move forward or backward in the closing or opening direction, the wedges of a pair of engaging members can move slidably along their straight wedge faces. This variant is particularly suitable for cables with sensitive insulation, so the straight wedge faces form sliding surfaces for the above-mentioned movement (forward or backward movement). The straight wedge faces can be designed to be flat to guide the wedges relatively. The effective wedge faces can be implemented in a contoured manner.

[0029] In an alternative embodiment, the gripper unit can have wedge-shaped engaging members that form a pair and can move towards or away from each other, wherein each wedge-shaped engaging member has a straight wedge face and an inclined wedge face relative to the sliding direction. For the movement of moving the engaging members forward or backward. The straight wedge faces are used to support the cable. The inclined wedge faces of the engaging members can be effectively connected to each other in such a way that when the engaging members move forward or backward in the closing or opening direction, the inclined wedge faces are guided by each other. This implementation variant is particularly suitable for cables with sensitive insulation, wherein a thick, especially soft synthetic material sheath is used as the insulation of the cable.

[0030] In order to reduce the friction between the engaging members and the cable, especially the friction between the wedges and the cable, the engaging members or the wedges can be made of a synthetic material with a low coefficient of friction or can be coated with a synthetic material with a low coefficient of friction. For example, if the engaging members or the wedges are made of a material with a low coefficient of friction (such as PTFE), good sliding characteristics can be achieved.

[0031] The jaw elements can preferably have slot-shaped recesses and protrusions located between the recesses. Here, the recesses and protrusions of the jaw elements facing each other, which are preferably complementary to each other on the front faces facing each other with respect to the closing direction, can be movably engaged with each other at least in the closed position. Additionally or alternatively, the gripper unit can have two wedges facing each other and capable of relative movement as the engaging members, wherein in the region of the wedge tips of the wedges, there are respectively complementary recesses and protrusions located between the recesses, which are preferably slot-shaped, and the recesses and protrusions can be moved relative to each other at least in the closed position.

[0032] In order to expand the possible uses, it can be advantageous to dimension the slot width of the recesses to be larger than the width of the corresponding protrusions extending into the recesses of the respective wedges in such a way that: in order to achieve the displacement of the cable, the wedges can move relative to each other longitudinally.

[0033] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a configuration station for equipping a plug housing with the bundled cable ends by means of the aforementioned gripper unit, with which the cable ends of two cables of a stranded wire harness can be gripped and the cable ends of the two cables are introduced into a chamber of the plug housing. The chamber is a plug housing cavity or a plug housing void into which the bundled cable ends are inserted or otherwise installed. The configuration station equipped with such a gripper unit can operate variably and efficiently. The twisted wire harness configured by the configuration station meets high-quality requirements. Such a configuration station can be installed behind the bundling device or can be part of the bundling device. The bundling device can include, for example, a stripping station for cutting the length and stripping the insulation of the electric cable, one or more crimping stations for applying crimp contacts to the stripped cable ends, and, if necessary, also a ferrule station.

[0034] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for equipping a plug housing with the bundled cable ends of two cables of a twisted wire harness, in which, preferably in the case of using a previous configuration station, a contact part such as a pin, a sleeve or a crimp contact is installed on the cable ends. The method includes the following steps: gripping the cables with a cable gripper unit, the cables being surrounded on the outside by gripper jaws and the cables being supported from the inside by at least one joining member inserted between the cables. Adjusting the distance between the cables by moving at least one joining member forward or backward; inserting the cable ends of the cables into the required unit of the plug housing by means of the cable gripper unit and maintaining the distance between the cables. The at least one joining member can be moved forward or backward to adjust the distance between the cables, after which the cables have been surrounded on the outside by the gripper jaws and the cables have been supported from the inside by at least one joining member. Advantageously, the aforementioned pushing or retracting of the at least one joining member occurs before or during the first-mentioned working step. Thus, the at least one joining member can be moved more or less forward in correspondence with the required cable distance during the closing process (i.e., when moving the gripper jaws in the closing direction to form a closed position, in which the cables are surrounded on the outside by the gripper jaws). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Other individual features and advantages of the present invention are obtained from the following description of the embodiments and from the drawings. Among them:

[0036] Figure 1 A perspective view of a gripper unit according to the present invention with two wedges in the closed position, and a perspective view of two cables gripped by the closed gripper unit are shown,

[0037] Figure 2a Shown Figure 1 the gripper unit in, but shown from another perspective and in a slightly reduced perspective view,

[0038] Figure 2b Show the gripper unit in a front view,

[0039] Figure 3a Show Figure 2a the gripper unit in, having a wedge for further driving between the cables to expand the distance between the cables,

[0040] Figure 3b Show the gripper unit in a front view,

[0041] Figure 4a Show the gripper unit with the thicker cable held by the gripper unit, Figure 2a in,

[0042] Figure 4b Show the gripper unit in a front view,

[0043] Figure 5a Show the perspective view of the gripper unit in the open position,

[0044] Figure 5b Show the open gripper unit and the two ends of the two cables located therebetween,

[0045] Figure 6 Show a single wedge of the gripper unit in a slightly enlarged perspective view,

[0046] Figure 7 Show two wedges of the gripper unit in the closed position in a slightly enlarged perspective view,

[0047] Figure 8a Show another perspective view of the gripper unit,

[0048] Figure 8b Show the gripper unit after performing the method steps for achieving the shift,

[0049] Figures 9a to 9d Show the perspective views of the gripper unit corresponding to each operation step during the implementation of the shift,

[0050] Figures 10a to 10d Show the perspective views of the gripper unit corresponding to each operation step during the alternative implementation of the shift,

[0051] Figure 11a Show two wedges in the perspective view of the gripper unit according to the second embodiment,

[0052] Figure 11b Show the perspective view of the gripper unit with the wedge in the open position, Figure 11a in,

[0053] Figure 11cThe gripper unit is shown in the closed position,

[0054] Figure 11d The gripper unit is shown after the wedges have retracted to reduce the distance between the cables,

[0055] Figure 12a Two engaging members in a perspective view of the gripper unit according to the third embodiment are shown,

[0056] Figure 12b A perspective view of the gripper unit with the engaging members in Figure 12a is shown in the open position,

[0057] Figure 12c The gripper unit is shown in the closed position, in which the engaging members are deeply pushed into each other,

[0058] Figure 12d The gripper unit is shown in the closed position, in which the engaging members are pushed into each other,

[0059] Figure 12e The gripper unit is shown in the closed position, in which the engaging members are pushed slightly apart from each other relative to the position shown in Figure 12d and

[0060] Figure 13 A simplified side view of the configuration station with the gripper unit according to the invention is shown, and

[0061] Figure 14 A view of a twisted cable harness consisting of two cables is shown, the cables having untwisted ends of a two-wire cable harness. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] Figure 1 The gripper unit 1 is shown, which is used to grip and manipulate the longitudinally extending and substantially axially parallel cable ends of two cables 8, 9 of a twisted cable harness (not shown here; see Figure 14 ). Therefore, for simplicity, the term "double gripper" is also used for the gripper unit 1 that grips the two cables 8, 9.

[0063] The double gripper shown here is specifically used to equip a plug housing with the bundled cable ends. In this example, the crimp contacts 14 are mounted on the respective stripped cable ends. With the double gripper, the bundled cable ends of the cables 8, 9 are brought to the plug housing (not shown here) and inserted into the plug housing receptacle or plug chamber provided for this purpose.

[0064] Figure 1The Cartesian coordinate system shown in the figure is used as an auxiliary setting to facilitate understanding of the orientation and main movements of the components of the double gripper. The double gripper includes two gripper jaws 2, 3, which can move in the y-direction between an open position (or open state) and a closed position (or closed state) transversely to the longitudinal direction A. Here, the longitudinal direction A also corresponds to the extension direction of the respective cable axes of the cables 8, 9. The gripper jaws 2, 3 are composed of jaw elements 4, 4', 5, 5' that are designed as two independent components and are arranged one above the other relative to the longitudinal direction A. In Figure 1 the closed position shown, the gripper jaws 2, 3 surround the two cables 8, 9. In the closed position, in order to clamp and fix the cables, an external force is applied to the respective cables 8, 9. Figure 1 The closed gripper jaws 2, 3 in can be moved in the o-direction to achieve the open position.

[0065] The gripper unit 1 also has two engagement members 11, and in the closed position, the cables 8, 9 are loaded (forced) from the inside in a supported manner using the engagement members. Here, the engagement members 11 are respectively arranged between the jaw elements 4, 5, 4', 5' of one of the gripper jaws 2, 3. The engagement members 11 passing between the two cables 8, 9 are designed as separate members relative to the jaw elements 4, 4', 5, 5'. One advantage of the double gripper is that the length range of the untwisted cable ends can be kept small.

[0066] The engagement members 11 are designed as active elements and can move further in the y-direction between the cables 8, 9 or away from the cables 8, 9 from the position shown here. The movement directions for moving the engagement members into the cable harness (driving in and advancing) and moving the engagement members out of the cable harness (retreating) are obviously the same as the closing and opening directions of the gripper jaws 2, 3. For Figure 1 the double gripper shown, on the one hand, driving in and advancing the engagement members and retracting them, and on the other hand, moving the gripper jaws in the closing or opening direction correspond Figure 1 to those of the double gripper shown in in the y-direction. The structure and operation mode of the double gripper are also described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 10 below.

[0067] Once the double gripper has grasped the cable ends of the cables 8, 9 as required, then the entire double gripper can be moved in the x-direction, y-direction, and / or z-direction according to the destination to complete the configuration process. Here, the cable ends of the two cables 8, 9 are held in fixed positions in the double gripper.

[0068] In the figure, the longitudinal direction marked as A is horizontal. Two jaw elements 4, 4' that form a pair and correspond to the upper cable 8 are arranged above, and two jaw elements 5, 5' that also form a pair and correspond to the lower cable 8 are arranged below. Therefore, for simplicity and better understanding, the jaw elements 4, 4' are hereinafter referred to as "upper jaw elements", and the jaw elements 5, 5' are hereinafter referred to as "lower jaw elements". Of course, the double gripper can also be oriented and positioned in other ways as required. The longitudinal direction A can extend, for example, vertically or in any other direction. The jaw elements 4, 4', 5, 5' can be arranged to rotate about the axis A. Instead of the horizontally extending main movement direction shown here, the gripper jaws 2, 3, their jaw elements 4, 4', 5, 5' and the engagement member 11 can also move in the vertical direction (along the x-axis direction).

[0069] The double gripper can grip two cables 8, 9 as follows: The bundled ends of the cables 8, 9 are aligned in a manner known per se. Then, the double gripper can receive the two individual cable ends. Here, this pair, together with the engagement member 11, moves in the middle between the two cables 8, 9 until the desired distance (H) between the cables 8, 9 is achieved together (see Figure 2b , 3b ). The upper jaw elements 4, 4' and the lower jaw elements 5, 5' also move together so that the individual cable ends are clamped at four locations by the gripper and a pair of wedges. However, with the double gripper, the corresponding cables can also be firmly fixed at only three locations instead of four. Then, only the upper cable 8 is clamped only between one of the upper jaw elements 4, 4' and the engagement member 11; in this way, the lower cable 9 is only clamped between the lower jaw elements 5, 5' and the other engagement member 11. This three-point support enables a special operating mode of the double gripper. For example, by means of the three-point support, a displacement can be generated between the cables.

[0070] In order to be able to configure the plug housing at different distances between the compartments, the distance between the cables 8, 9 must be adapted accordingly. The double gripper can adjust the distance in a simple manner, where, after corresponding activation, the engagement member 11 moves forward or backward to such an extent that the desired cable distance is reached. Figures 2 and 3 exemplarily show how the cable spacing can be changed. Figure 2 shows the double gripper with the gripper jaws 2, 3 in the closed position. In the position shown in Figure 2, the engagement member 11 moves in to such an extent that the cables 8, 9 are separated from each other by a certain distance H ( Figure 2b). To increase the distance H between the cables 8 and 9, the joining member 11 is moved in the direction e or e' into the space between the cables 8 and 9. The cables 8 and 9 are designed such that the joining member 11, which is shaped as the wedges 21 and 22, pushes the cables 8 and 9 apart from each other, whereby the cable spacing becomes larger. To compensate for the upward and downward movement of the cables 8 and 9, the jaw elements 4, 4'; 5, 5' are laterally displaced. For this purpose, the jaw elements 4, 4'; 5, 5' are supported in the gripper jaws 2, 3 such that they can be displaced in a limited manner in the closing or opening direction. Figure 3a and Figure 3b shows a double gripper with a joining member 11 that is further inserted relative to the initial position according to Figure 2a , 2b . At this time, the cable distance H is increased.

[0071] However, with the double gripper, not only can the distance H between the cables 8 and 9 be changed. The double gripper is also suitable for gripping and operating the cable ends of cables with different cable diameters. As can be seen from Figure 4a and Figure 4b , the same double gripper can also grip cables 8 and 9 with a significantly larger cable diameter. No retooling is required.

[0072] As can also be seen from Figure 2b , the joining member 11 is designed as the wedges 21 and 22. To exert a force (apply an action) on the two cables 8 and 9, each wedge 21 and 22 has two inclined effective wedge surfaces. The wedge surfaces of the left wedge 21 are labeled 25 and 26, and the wedge surfaces of the right wedge 22 are labeled 25' and 26'. The wedges 21 and 22 with a symmetric shape are clearly designed as double wedges in cross-section. In this embodiment, the wedge angle γ of the wedges 21 and 22 is 60°.

[0073] The upper jaw elements 4, 4' that face each other and can move towards and away from each other to form a pair have clamping surfaces 23, 23' that enclose an angle α. The angle enclosed by the clamping surfaces 24, 24' of the lower jaw elements 5, 5' is therefore the same. The angle between the wedge surfaces 25 and 25' or 26 and 26' of the wedges 21 and 22 that face each other is denoted by β. To enable the double gripper to work properly, the angle α should be smaller than the angle β. In this embodiment, the angle α between the two clamping surfaces 23, 23' of the upper jaw elements 4, 4' that face each other is 90°. The same applies to the lower jaw elements 5, 5'. In the current case, the angle β between the wedge surfaces 25 and 25' or 26 and 26' of the wedges 21 and 22 that face each other is 120°. This geometry ensures that even if the corresponding cables 8 and 9 are only surrounded and clamped or supported and loaded or said to be exerted force by the wedges 21 and 22 and the two jaw elements 4, 4', 5, 5', the corresponding cables 8 and 9 can be firmly held. The cables can be held from three sides without falling off.

[0074] The construction details of the structure of the double gripper can be further derived from Figure 5a 、 5b . Thus, for example, the upper jaw plate elements 4, 4' and the lower jaw plate elements 5, 5' each have complementary slit-shaped recesses 17, 17' on the facing front sides and projections 18, 18' located between the recesses, and the projections can be movably inserted into each other. The recesses 17, 17' and the projections 18, 18' of the mutually facing jaw plate elements 4, 4'; 5, 5' sink into each other in the closed position (e.g., the front Figure 1 ). The two mutually facing and relatively movable wedge-shaped members 21, 22 each have complementary slit-shaped recesses 27, 27' and projections 28, 28' located between the recesses in the region of the wedge tips, and these projections can be movably inserted into each other.

[0075] Figure 6 Again, the wedge-shaped member 22 of the double gripper according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. As can be clearly seen especially from Figure 7 , the slit width B of the recesses 27, 27' is designed to be greater than the width b of the opposing projections 28, 28' that are inserted into them of the respective wedge-shaped members 21, 22. Thus, it is feasible to achieve the displacement of the cable with the double gripper. After the displacement is generated between the cables, one wedge-shaped member 21 is displaced relative to the other wedge-shaped member 22 in the longitudinal direction A. Figure 8b Shows the double gripper in this displaced position. The lower cable 9 is further advanced in the axial direction A by a displacement distance L compared to the upper cable 8. For comparison, Figure 8a shows the double gripper in the initial position. The lower cable 9 is displaced forward by a displacement distance of a few millimeters along the longitudinal direction A by the relevant jaw plate elements 5, 5' and one of the wedge-shaped members (e.g., the wedge-shaped member 22 here). For cables with a high-strength insulation part, the wedge surfaces 25, 25'; 26, 26' of the wedge-shaped members 21, 22 are designed such that the friction on the cable insulation part of the cable is very low.

[0076] For insulation-sensitive cables, a modified method can be used to achieve the displacement. Figures 9a to 9d Shows the respective working steps of generating the displacement by the double gripper according to the improved method. Figures 10a to 10d Relates to a variant of the modified method for generating the displacement. To ensure that the insulation parts of the cables 8, 9 are not damaged, the process is changed as follows: The individual ends of the cables 8, 9 are only clamped at three locations by a pair of jaw plate elements 4, 4' or 5, 5' and the corresponding wedge-shaped members 21 and 22 respectively ( Figure 9a ; Figure 10a). On the one hand, the separate gripper sets, for example a pair of upper jaw plate elements 4, 4' are separated by the wedge 21, and on the other hand, a pair of lower jaw plate elements 5, 5' are separated from each other by the wedge 22 to such an extent that the respective other wedges 22, 21 that do not belong to the gripper set no longer contact the respective cables 8, 9. This can be achieved by moving, for example, one gripper set, for example the gripper set having a pair of lower jaw plate elements 5, 5' and the wedge 22, in the direction of arrow u ( Figure 9b ), or by moving this gripper set in height in the direction of arrow w ( Figure 10b ). Thereafter, the displacement amount in the cable direction is reduced by the mentioned gripper assembly having a pair of lower jaw plate elements 5, 5' and the wedge 22 in the direction of arrow v ( Figure 9c 、 Figure 10c ), and the two gripper assemblies converge here ( Figure 9d 、 Figure 10d ). The movement directions for converging the gripper assemblies are shown in Figure 9d and 10d respectively as arrows clearly extending in opposite directions towards each other according to Figure 9b or Figure 10b .

[0077] Figures 11a to 11d relates to a second embodiment of the double gripper. The wedges 21, 22 used here each have only one effective wedge surface. As Figure 11a shows, the gripper unit 1 includes wedges 21, 22 that form a pair and can move relative to each other closer and farther apart. The respective wedges 21, 22 each have an inclined effective wedge surface and a straight wedge surface 32, 32'. When the wedges 21, 22 are moved forward or backward in the closing or opening direction, they can slide relative to each other along their straight wedge surfaces 32, 32'. The inclined effective wedge surfaces are shaped to firmly hold the cables. The straight wedge surfaces 32, 32' are designed flat for the mutual guidance of the wedges. Thus, the straight wedge surfaces form the sliding surfaces for the aforementioned movement. The structures of the jaw plate elements 4, 4'; 5, 5' are substantially the same as those in the previous embodiment. As can be clearly seen from Figure 11c and 11d , when the double gripper is closed, the cables 8, 9 are also held in the double gripper in a three-point support manner in the initial positions respectively. With the double gripper according to this embodiment, the cables 8, 9 with sensitive insulation parts can enter the displacement position longitudinally in a straight-line movement without intermediate steps, which saves processing time. The advantage over the first embodiment is that a larger displacement distance can be achieved.

[0078] Figures 12a to 12dThird embodiment involving a double gripper. The double gripper is characterized by particularly gentle processing of the cable. The double gripper includes a pair of wedge-shaped engaging members 11 that can move relative to each other closer or farther away from each other. Each wedge-shaped engaging member 11 has straight wedge surfaces 33, 33' and inclined wedge surfaces 34, 34' relative to the direction of movement, so that the engaging member moves forward or backward. Figure 12a and 12d The straight wedge surfaces 33, 33' in 12d are horizontal and are used to support the corresponding cables 8, 9. This can also be achieved with a relatively low clamping pressure. Therefore, this embodiment is particularly suitable for processing cables with thick and very soft insulation parts. The inclined wedge surfaces 34, 34' of the engaging members 11 can be effectively connected to each other, so that when the engaging members 11 move forward or backward along the closing direction s or the opening direction o, the inclined wedge surfaces 34, 34' guide each other. The clamping surfaces participated by the jaw plate elements 4, 4'; 5, 5' and the wedge-shaped engaging members 11 form corners with angles of 90° and 45°. These angles are blunt enough so that the corresponding cables 8, 9 will not be pushed out from the side of the double gripper even if they have thick and soft insulation parts. The movement path marked 35 of the engaging member 11 is inclined at an angle of λ. Using such a double gripper, even sensitive cables can be grasped without being damaged and be taken to the required destination.

[0079] Figure 13 A configuration station 10 is shown. The configuration station 10 uses the double gripper described above to equip the cable ends of the bundled cables 8, 9 for the plug housing 20. The double gripper grasps the bundled cable ends of the two cables of the wire harness 13 and inserts the cable ends of the two cables 8, 9 into the compartments of the plug housing 20. As Figure 13 shown, the upper jaw plate elements 4, 4' and the lower jaw plate elements 5, 5' and the engaging members 11 each have their own drive devices for running and performing the necessary lateral movement in the y direction. The drive device labeled 29 corresponds to the upper jaw plate elements 4, 4', the drive device labeled 31 corresponds to the lower jaw plate elements 5, 5', and the drive device labeled 30 corresponds to the engaging members. When a control command transmitted by a control device (not shown here) is input, the drive devices 29, 30, and 31 are activated and the necessary movements of the components of the double gripper (the upper jaw plate elements 4, 4', the lower jaw plate elements 5, 5', the engaging members 11) are executed to achieve the open position or the closed position of the gripper jaws and to move the engaging members forward or backward.

[0080] From Figure 13 it can also be seen that the lower jaw plate elements 5, 5' and the corresponding engaging members 11 are combined into a group, and the jaw plate elements 5, 5' and the engaging members 11 grouped together can move longitudinally along the A (y direction) with the help of a displacement drive device 36 for the purpose of achieving displacement.

[0081] At Figure 14 one end of a twisted wire harness 13 having two wires 8, 9 is shown. The untwisted or detwisted end of the wire harness 13 is denoted by i. Since generally a double clamp can only hold the untwisted end i of the wire harness 13, it is important, for example, with respect to the high signal transmission quality of the twisted wire harness 13, to keep the section i as short as possible.

Claims

1. A gripper unit (1) for gripping and manipulating the cable ends of two cables (8, 9) which are respectively longitudinally extending and substantially axially parallel extending of a twisted cable harness (13) by means of two gripper jaws (2, 3), characterized in that, The gripper jaws can be moved transversely to the longitudinal direction, in the reverse direction, between an open position and a closed position, in a closing direction or an opening direction. At least one of the gripper jaws (2, 3) comprises two jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') which are configured as separate parts and are arranged one above the other relative to the longitudinal direction. The two jaw elements are an upper jaw element and a lower jaw element. In the closed position, the cables (8, 9) can be externally biased in a clamped manner by the jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5'). And the gripper unit (1) comprises at least one movable engagement member (11) which is designed as an independent component relative to the jaw elements. By means of the engagement member, at least one of the cables (8, 9) can be internally supported and biased. The engagement member (11) is arranged between the upper and lower jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') of the gripper jaws (2, 3). The jaw elements which can move relatively closer to each other or relatively farther away from each other can respectively correspond to one cable in the cable harness to form a pair of jaw elements.

2. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the gripper jaws (2, 3) comprises two jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5').

3. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two engagement members (11) are provided, wherein each gripper jaw (2, 3) respectively corresponds to one engagement member (11).

4. The gripper unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, An own drive device (30) is provided for at least one engagement member (11).

5. The gripper unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') are supported in the gripper jaws (2, 3) in a manner that they can be restricted to be pushed in the closing direction or the opening direction. Thus, when the engagement member (11) moves into the space between the cables (8, 9) or when the engagement member (11) retracts, the spacing (H) between the cables (8, 9) can change.

6. The gripper unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that At least one engagement member (11) is a wedge (21, 22) having at least one effective wedge surface (25, 25'; 26, 26').

7. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The wedge (21, 22) has two effective wedge surfaces (25, 25'; 26, 26'), wherein the wedge angle (γ) of the wedge (21, 22) is between 30° and 90°.

8. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The wedge angle (γ) is between 45° and 70°.

9. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The wedge angle (γ) is 60°.

10. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mutually facing jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') of the two gripper jaws (2, 3) which form a pair have clamping surfaces (23, 23'; 24, 24') for contacting the same cables (8, 9). Among them, the two clamping surfaces (23, 23'; 24, 24') enclose an angle (α), and the angle (α) is smaller than the angle (β) between the mutually facing wedge surfaces (25, 25'; 26, 26') of the wedges (21, 22) which also form a pair.

11. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The angle (α) between the clamping surfaces (23, 23'; 24, 24') of the mutually facing jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') is 90° and the angle (β) between the mutually facing wedge surfaces (25, 25'; 26, 26') of the wedges (21, 22) is 120°.

12. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The two wedges (21, 22) are respectively provided with an inclined effective wedge surface and a straight wedge surface (32, 32'), wherein the wedges (21, 22) can slide along each other on their straight wedge surfaces (32, 32').

13. The gripper unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The gripper unit (1) has a pair of engaging members (11) that can move closer to and away from each other, wherein the engaging members (11) are wedge-shaped. The wedge-shaped engaging members (11) have straight wedge surfaces (33, 33') and inclined wedge surfaces (34, 34'). The straight wedge surfaces (33, 33') of the engaging members (11) are used to support the cables (8, 9), and the inclined wedge surfaces (34, 34') can be effectively connected to each other in such a way that when the engaging members (11) advance or retract in the closing or opening direction, the inclined wedge surfaces (34, 34') can guide each other.

14. The gripper unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, At least one engaging member (11) is made of a synthetic material with a low coefficient of friction or is coated with a synthetic material with a low coefficient of friction.

15. The gripper unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') have recesses (17, 17') and protrusions (18, 18'), wherein the recesses (17, 17') and protrusions (18, 18') of the jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') facing each other can be inserted into each other at least in the closed position, and / or the gripper unit (1) has two facing and relatively movable wedges (21, 22) as engaging members. In the region of the wedge tips of the wedges (21, 22), recesses and protrusions are respectively provided, and the recesses and protrusions can be inserted into each other.

16. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that, The recesses (17, 17') and protrusions (18, 18') of the jaw elements (4, 4'; 5, 5') are slit-shaped, and the recesses and protrusions in the region of the wedge tips of the wedges (21, 22) are slit-shaped.

17. The gripper unit (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that, The slit width (B) of the recess (27, 27') is dimensioned to be larger than the width (b) of the corresponding protrusion (28, 28') sunk into the recess of the opposite wedge (21, 22) in such a way that the wedges (21, 22) can move relative to each other in the longitudinal direction (A) in order to achieve the displacement of the cables (8, 9).

18. An assembly station for providing a bundled cable end to a plug housing (20) by means of the gripper unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17. With the assembly station, the cable ends of two cables (8, 9) of a twisted cable harness (13) can be held, and the cable ends of the two cables (8, 9) can be introduced into the chambers of the plug housing (20).

19. A method for providing a bundled cable end of two cables (8, 9) of a twisted cable harness to a plug housing (20), the method being implemented in the case of applying the assembly station according to claim 18, the method comprising the following steps: Grip the cables (8, 9) using the gripper unit (1), wherein, The cables (8, 9) are surrounded by the gripper jaws (2, 3) externally, and the cables (8, 9) are externally supported by at least one engaging member (11) that moves into the space between the cables (8, 9). Adjust the spacing (H) between the cables (8, 9) by advancing or retracting at least one joining member (11). Introduce the cable ends of the cables (8, 9) into the desired compartments of the plug housing (20) by means of a gripping unit (1), wherein the spacing (H) between the cables (8, 9) is maintained.

Images