Cable harness, method for manufacturing cable harness, and device for manufacturing cable harness

Abstract

A cable bundle (1) is provided with a plurality of unit bundles (10A-10C) that overlap in a second direction (D3) orthogonal to a first direction, which is the circumferential direction (D1) of the cable bundle (1), and each of the unit bundles (10A-10C) is provided with a first loop (20A-20C) and a second loop (30A-30C) that overlap in the second direction (D3). The first rings (20A-20C) and the second rings (30A-30C) are connected to each other at the connection parts (12A-12C) so as to form a 8-shaped ring having the first rings and the second rings when the unit bundles are opened, and the connection parts (12A-12C) of the unit bundles (10A-10C) adjacent in the second direction (D3) are offset in the first direction (D1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable bundle, a method for manufacturing a cable bundle, and a manufacturing apparatus for a cable bundle.

[0002] For the designated countries for citation of recognized document references, the content described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-187748 filed in Japan on November 24, 2022 is incorporated into this specification by reference as part of the description of this specification. Background Art

[0003] As a method for winding a cable, there is known a so-called "figure-eight winding" in which a cable is wound while alternately twisting the cable in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions to form loops (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). In this "figure-eight winding", when unwinding the first loop and the second loop to stretch the cable, since the helical twist generated when extracting the first loop (second loop) cancels the twist applied when forming the second loop (first loop), the cable does not generate a twist.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-5840

[0005] In the case of continuously winding a cable using the above-mentioned "figure-eight winding", the crossing portions of the cable overlap in the winding direction of the cable. Therefore, when the bending rigidity of the cable is strong, when extracting the cable from the cable bundle, the loops extracted later float, and there is a case where the cable is wound and kinked. In particular, in the case of housing the cable bundle in a container and extracting the cable from the opening of the container, this phenomenon tends to occur frequently. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a cable bundle, a method for manufacturing a cable bundle, and a manufacturing apparatus for a cable bundle that can suppress the floating of loops.

[0007] [1] A mode 1 of the present invention is a cable bundle including a wound cable, wherein the cable bundle includes a plurality of unit bundles, the plurality of unit bundles overlap in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction that is the circumferential direction of the cable bundle, each of the unit bundles includes a first loop and a second loop that overlap in the second direction, and the first loop and the second loop are connected to each other at a connection portion in such a manner that an 8-shaped loop including the first loop and the second loop is formed when the unit bundle is opened, and the connection portions of the unit bundles adjacent to each other in the second direction are offset in the first direction.

[0008] [2] In the cable bundle according to mode 1 of the present invention, it is also possible that the connection portions of the unit bundles adjacent to each other in the second direction are offset in the first direction within a range of 90 degrees to 270 degrees.

[0009] [3] Based on the cable bundle of Mode 1 or 2 of the present invention, it is also possible that each of the above-mentioned unit bundles is formed by folding an 8-shaped loop having the above-mentioned first loop and the above-mentioned second loop at the above-mentioned connection part.

[0010] [4] Based on the cable bundle of any one of Modes 1 to 3 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned cable bundle has an intermediate part, the intermediate part is located between the above-mentioned unit bundles and connects the above-mentioned unit bundles to each other, and the intermediate part is wound along the above-mentioned first direction in such a way that the above-mentioned connection parts of the above-mentioned unit bundles adjacent in the above-mentioned second direction are offset in the above-mentioned first direction.

[0011] [5] Based on the cable bundle of Mode 4 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned intermediate part is wound along the above-mentioned first direction in such a way that the above-mentioned connection parts of the above-mentioned unit bundles adjacent in the above-mentioned second direction are offset in the above-mentioned first direction within a range of 90 degrees to 270 degrees.

[0012] [6] Based on the cable bundle of Mode 4 or 5 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned intermediate part has a length of 1 / 4 to 3 / 4 with respect to the circumference of the above-mentioned first loop or the above-mentioned second loop connected to the above-mentioned intermediate part.

[0013] [7] Based on the cable bundle of any one of Modes 1 to 6 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned multiple unit bundles include: a first unit bundle; a second unit bundle overlapping the above-mentioned first unit bundle; and a third unit bundle overlapping the above-mentioned second unit bundle, and the above-mentioned cable bundle has: a first intermediate part, the first intermediate part is located between the above-mentioned first unit bundle and the above-mentioned second unit bundle and connects the above-mentioned first unit bundle and the above-mentioned second unit bundle; a second intermediate part, the second intermediate part is located between the above-mentioned second unit bundle and the above-mentioned third unit bundle and connects the above-mentioned second unit bundle and the above-mentioned third unit bundle, the above-mentioned first intermediate part and the above-mentioned second intermediate part are wound along the above-mentioned first direction, and the above-mentioned first intermediate part and the above-mentioned second intermediate part are offset in the above-mentioned first direction.

[0014] [8] Based on the cable bundle of any one of Modes 1 to 7 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned cable bundle has an intermediate part, the intermediate part is located between the above-mentioned unit bundles and connects the above-mentioned unit bundles to each other, and is wound along the above-mentioned first direction, and the above-mentioned cable is applied with a twist in a direction opposite to the twist generated by the above-mentioned intermediate part when the above-mentioned cable is pulled out.

[0015] [9]Based on the cable bundle of Mode 8 of the present invention, it is also possible that the number of turns of the above-mentioned twist applied to the above-mentioned cable is less than or equal to the value obtained by dividing the total length of the above-mentioned intermediate part by the average circumference of the above-mentioned cable bundle.

[0016]

[10] Based on the cable bundle of any one of Modes 1 to 7 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned connecting portion is the portion of the above-mentioned cable between the first intersection of the above-mentioned first ring and the second intersection of the above-mentioned second ring, and is wound along the above-mentioned first direction.

[0017]

[11] Based on the cable bundle of Mode 10 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned connecting portions included in a plurality of the above-mentioned unit bundles adjacent in the above-mentioned second direction and the intermediate portions connecting the above-mentioned unit bundles to each other form one turn along the above-mentioned first direction.

[0018]

[12] Based on the cable bundle of any one of Modes 1 to 11 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned first ring is formed by winding the above-mentioned cable in a normal winding or a reverse winding opposite to the normal winding, and the above-mentioned second ring is formed by winding the above-mentioned cable in the above-mentioned reverse winding or the above-mentioned normal winding.

[0019]

[13] Based on the cable bundle of any one of Modes 1 to 12 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned unit bundle is formed such that no twist is generated in the above-mentioned cable when the above-mentioned cable is drawn out.

[0020]

[14] Mode 14 of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a cable bundle, which manufactures a cable bundle having a wound cable, and includes: a first step in which a plurality of unit bundles are formed, and each of the plurality of unit bundles includes a first ring and a second ring that are connected at a connecting portion and overlap each other; and a second step in which the plurality of unit bundles are overlapped in such a manner that the above-mentioned connecting portions are offset from each other in a first direction that is the circumferential direction of the above-mentioned cable bundle, and the first ring and the second ring are connected to each other at the above-mentioned connecting portion in such a manner that an 8-shaped ring including the first ring and the second ring is formed when the unit bundle is opened.

[0021]

[15] Based on the method for manufacturing a cable bundle of Mode 14 of the present invention, it is also possible that the above-mentioned first step includes: forming a plurality of third rings by arranging the above-mentioned cable in an 8-shaped manner, and each of the plurality of third rings includes the first ring and the second ring that are connected at the above-mentioned connecting portion; and folding each of the above-mentioned third rings at the above-mentioned connecting portion to overlap the first ring and the second ring, thereby forming a plurality of the above-mentioned unit bundles.

[0022]

[16] Based on the manufacturing method of the cable bundle in Mode 14 of the present invention, it may also be that the first process includes: forming the first loop by twisting the cable in a third direction; forming the second loop by twisting the cable in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction; and forming the unit bundle by overlapping the first loop and the second loop.

[0023]

[17] Based on the manufacturing method of the cable bundle in any one of Modes 14 to 16 of the present invention, it may also be that the second process includes overlapping the unit bundles in such a manner that the connection portions of the mutually adjacent unit bundles are offset within a range of 90 degrees to 270 degrees in the first direction.

[0024]

[18] Based on the manufacturing method of the cable bundle in any one of Modes 14 to 17 of the present invention, it may also be that the cable bundle includes an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion is interposed between the unit bundles and connects the unit bundles to each other, and the second process includes winding the intermediate portion along the first direction in such a manner that the connection portions of the mutually adjacent unit bundles are offset in the first direction.

[0025]

[19] Based on the manufacturing method of the cable bundle in Mode 18 of the present invention, it may also be that the second process includes winding the intermediate portion along the first direction in such a manner that the connection portions of the mutually adjacent unit bundles are offset within a range of 90 degrees to 270 degrees in the first direction.

[0026]

[20] Based on the manufacturing method of the cable bundle in any one of Modes 14 to 19 of the present invention, it may also be that the intermediate portion has a length of 1 / 4 to 3 / 4 with respect to the circumference of the first loop or the second loop connected to the intermediate portion.

[0027]

[21] Mode 21 of the present invention is a manufacturing device for a cable bundle, the cable bundle includes a wound cable, and includes: a fixing device that fixes the axial movement of the cable at a fixing position on the cable; a feeding device that feeds the cable toward the fixing position; a twisting device that forms a loop of the cable by twisting the cable fed by the feeding device; and a first rotating device that has a placement surface on which the loop formed by the twisting device is placed and stacked, and rotates the placement surface around a first axis substantially parallel to the normal direction of the placement surface.

[0028]

[22] Based on the manufacturing apparatus for the cable bundle of Mode 21 of the present invention, it is also possible that the twisting device forms a first loop by twisting the cable in a third direction and forms a second loop by twisting the cable in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction.

[0029]

[23] Based on the manufacturing apparatus for the cable bundle of Mode 21 or 22 of the present invention, it is also possible to include a second rotating device that rotates a roller for supplying the cable about a second axis substantially parallel to the direction in which the cable is fed out from the roller.

[0030] In the present invention, the connection portions of the unit bundles adjacent in the second direction are offset in the first direction, so that the floating of the loops drawn out later can be suppressed. Further, in the present invention, the first rotating device rotates the mounting surface of the loops on which the cable is mounted, so that a cable bundle having the above-mentioned connection portions offset in the first direction can be manufactured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a cable bundle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 It is Figure 1 a side view in which a part of the cable bundle shown is enlarged.

[0033] Figure 3 (a) is a schematic plan view showing the position of the first intermediate portion in the circumferential direction of the cable bundle, Figure 3 (b) is a schematic plan view showing the position of the second intermediate portion in the circumferential direction of the cable bundle.

[0034] Figure 4 (a) to Figure 4 (e) are diagrams showing the method of forming the first unit bundle of the cable bundle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 5 (a) to Figure 5 (e) are diagrams showing the method of forming the second unit bundle of the cable bundle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 6 (a) to Figure 6 (e) are diagrams showing the method of forming the third unit bundle of the cable bundle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 7 It is a perspective view showing the structure of an eight-shaped loop when the unit bundle according to the second embodiment of the present invention is opened.

[0038] Figure 8is a side view of a cable bundle showing a second embodiment of the present invention, corresponding to Figure 2 of the figure.

[0039] Figure 9 is a developed view of a part of a cable bundle of a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 10 is a view showing a manufacturing apparatus for a cable bundle of a third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Embodiment

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0042] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cable bundle 1 showing a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is to Figure 1 a side view of a part of the cable bundle 1 shown enlarged. In addition, Figure 3 (a) of is a schematic plan view showing the position of the middle part 40A of the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1, Figure 3 (b) of is a schematic plan view showing the position of the middle part 40B of the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1.

[0043] In addition, in Figure 1 , in order to easily understand the internal condition of the container 50, the container 50 is shown in perspective. In addition, in Figure 2 , the hollow part in the cable 2 represents the surface side of the cable 2, and the shaded part in the cable 2 represents the back side of the cable 2. In addition, in Figure 2 , the thick solid line part in the cable 2 represents the middle parts 40A, 40B, 40C of the cable 2, and the thick dashed line parts in the cable 2 represent the connection parts 12A, 12B, 12C of the cable 2.

[0044] As Figure 1 shown, the cable bundle 1 of the present embodiment includes a cable 2 wound in a ring shape (cylindrical shape, spiral shape) in the winding direction D 2 and is formed by winding a single continuous cable 2 using the winding method described later. This cable bundle 1 is a so-called drumless structure that does not include a drum, a spool, or the like as a core. As a specific example of the cable 2, an optical fiber cable can be exemplified, but it is not particularly limited thereto. For example, a power transmission cable, a communication cable, or a composite metal cable combining them can also be used as the cable 2. In addition, one end 3 of the cable 2 in the present embodiment (for example, the end (E end) on the winding end side of the cable 2) and the other end 4 (for example, the end (S end) on the winding start side of the cable 2) (refer to Figure 2There are no connection points at all between them, but for example, a continuous cable 2 can also be formed by connecting multiple cables using welding, connectors, etc.

[0045] During the laying construction of the cable 2, for example, as Figure 1 shown, the cable bundle 1 is transported to the laying site in a state of being housed in the container 50. The container 50 has a box-like shape, and an opening 52 is formed on its upper surface. Then, the cable 2 is sequentially drawn out from one end 3 to the outside of the container 50 through the opening 52, so that the cable 2 is supplied to the laying site. The cable bundle 1 is arranged in the container 50 in a posture where the axial direction D 3 of the cable bundle 1 is substantially parallel to the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure) (i.e., the "longitudinal posture"). The container 50 is made of, for example, a paper corrugated board, but is not particularly limited thereto. For example, a plastic corrugated board made of a resin material such as polypropylene (PP) can also be used to form the container 50, or a metal box can also be used to form the container 50.

[0046] As Figure 2 shown, the cable bundle 1 includes a plurality of unit bundles 10A, 10B, 10C,... and a plurality of intermediate portions 40A, 40B, 40C,.... Each of the unit bundles 10A, 10B, 10C,... is formed by winding the cable 2 in a figure-eight shape to form two circular loops and folding the two loops, as will be described in detail later. Then, the plurality of unit bundles 10A, 10B, 10C,... are stacked in the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure). In addition, each of the intermediate portions 40A, 40B, 40C,... is a portion of the cable 2 that is interposed between the unit bundles 10A, 10B, 10C,.... In addition, in Figure 2 only three unit bundles 10A, 10B, 10C on the other end 4 side of the cable 2 are shown, but actually the cable bundle 1 includes a plurality of unit bundles.

[0047] The unit bundle 10A includes a first loop 20A and a second loop 30A. In the present embodiment, the first loop 20A and the second loop 30A substantially have the same diameter, but the diameters of the first loop 20A and the second loop 30A may also be different from each other. The first loop 20A is formed by winding the cable 2 in a "positive winding" manner. In contrast, the second 30A is formed by winding the cable 2 in a "reverse winding" manner. The two loops 20A, 30A overlap in such a way that the second loop 30A is located above the first loop 20A in the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure).

[0048] Here, in the present embodiment, "clockwise winding" refers to a method of winding the cable 2 such that the starting point of the loop is located on one side (e.g., the lower side) relative to the ending point of the loop in the overlapping direction of the two loops constituting the unit bundle. In contrast, "counterclockwise winding" refers to a method of winding the cable 2 such that the starting point of the loop is located on the other side (e.g., the upper side) relative to the ending point of the loop in the overlapping direction of the two loops.

[0049] Therefore, in the first loop 20A of the unit bundle 10A, in the overlapping direction D 3 (the Z direction in the figure) of the two loops 20A and 30A, the cable 2 is wound such that the starting point 21A is located on the lower side relative to the ending point 22A. Therefore, the winding method of the first loop 20A is "clockwise winding". In contrast, in the second loop 30A of the unit bundle 10A, in the overlapping direction D 3 (the Z direction in the figure) of the two loops 20A and 30A, the cable 2 is wound such that the starting point 31A is located on the upper side relative to the ending point 32A. Therefore, the winding method of the second loop 30A is "counterclockwise winding". The overlapping direction D 3 (the Z direction in the figure) of the two loops 20A and 30A corresponds to an example of the "second direction" in the manner of the present invention.

[0050] The unit bundle 10A is formed by figure-eight winding, so the two loops 20A and 30A are connected at the connection portion 12A. In other words, the two loops 20A and 30A are connected to each other at the connection portion 12A in such a way that when the unit bundle 10A is opened, an eight-shaped loop 11A (refer to (a) of Figure 4 described later) including the first loop 20A and the second loop 30A is formed. Moreover, when the unit bundle 10A is opened (refer to (a) of Figure 4 ), the starting point 21A of the first loop 20A is located on the lower side relative to the ending point 22A of the first loop 20A, and the starting point 31A of the second loop 30A is also located on the lower side relative to the ending point 32A of the second loop 30A. By forming such an eight-shaped loop 11A, no torsion is generated in the cable 2 when the cable 2 is pulled out due to the unit bundle 10A.

[0051] Here, the first loop 20A is defined by the cable 2 crossing at the starting point 21A and the ending point 22A of the first loop 20A, and the second loop 30A is also defined by the cable 2 crossing at the starting point 31A and the ending point 32A of the second loop 30A. Therefore, when the first crossing point defining the first loop 20A and the second crossing point defining the second loop 30A overlap in the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1, the connection portion 12A coincides with the first and second crossing points in the circumferential direction D 1 . On the other hand, when the first and second crossing points are not overlapped in the circumferential direction D 1When offset upward, the connecting portion 12A is the portion of the cable 2 between the first and second intersection points including the first and second intersection points. Therefore, the "figure-eight shape" in the present embodiment includes a complete figure-eight shape in which the connecting portion 12A has no length, and also includes a shape in which the two loops 20A and 20B are connected by the connecting portion 12A having a length. In addition, the "8" in the present embodiment refers to the Arabic numeral "8".

[0052] The unit bundle 10B also includes a first loop 20B formed by winding the cable 2 in a positive winding direction and a second loop 30B formed by winding the cable 2 in a reverse winding direction. In the first loop 20B, in the overlapping direction D 3 (Z direction in the figure) of the two loops 20B and 30B, the cable 2 is wound such that the starting point 21B is located below the ending point 22B. Therefore, the winding method of the first loop 20B is "positive winding". In contrast, in the second loop 30B, in the overlapping direction D 3 (Z direction in the figure) of the two loops 20B and 30B, the cable 2 is wound such that the starting point 31B is located above the ending point 32B. Therefore, the winding method of the second loop 30B is "reverse winding".

[0053] These two loops 20B and 30B overlap in such a manner that the second loop 30B is located above the first loop 20B in the vertical direction (Z direction in the figure). In addition, since the unit bundle 10B is also formed by figure-eight winding, the two loops 20B and 30B are connected at the connecting portion 12B. In other words, the two loops 20B and 30B are connected to each other at the connecting portion 12B in such a manner that an 8-shaped loop 11B including the first loop 20B and the second loop 30B is formed when the unit bundle 10B is opened (refer to (a) of Figure 5 described later). Moreover, when the unit bundle 10B is opened (refer to (a) of Figure 5 ), the starting point 21B of the first loop 20B is located below the ending point 22B of the first loop 20B, and the starting point 31B of the second loop 30B is also located below the ending point 32B of the second loop 30B. By forming such an 8-shaped loop 11B, no torsion is generated in the cable 2 caused by the unit bundle 10B when the cable 2 is pulled out.

[0054] The unit bundle 10B is stacked on the unit bundle 10A. In addition, the unit bundles 10A and 10B are connected via an intermediate portion 40A of the cable 2. The intermediate portion 40A is the portion of the cable 2 between the unit bundles 10A and 10B and is wound along the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1.

[0055] Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, as shown in (a) of Figure 3 , the length L of the intermediate portion 40A 1The circumference L of the second loop 30A of the unit bundle 10A on the lower side connected to the intermediate portion 40A 2 is 1 / 2 (L 1 = 1 / 2 × L 2 ). The connecting portion 12A of the unit bundle 10A and the connecting portion 12B of the unit bundle 10B are offset by 180 degrees (θ 1 = 180°) in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1. Therefore, in the overlapping direction D 1 (the Z direction in the figure) of the unit bundles, the connecting portions 12A and 12B of the adjacent unit bundles 10A and 10B are offset in the circumferential direction D 3 of the cable bundle 1. The circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1 1 corresponds to an example of the "first direction" in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] The length L of the intermediate portion 40A 1 may also be 1 / 4 to 3 / 4 (L 2 × 1 / 4 ≤ L 2 ≤ L 1 ≤ L 2 × 3 / 4) with respect to the circumference L of the second loop 30A. In this case, the connecting portion 12A of the unit bundle 10A and the connecting portion 12B of the unit bundle 10B are offset in the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1 within the range of 90 degrees to 270 degrees (90° ≤ θ 1 ≤ 270°). Or, the length L of the intermediate portion 40A 1 may further be 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 (L 2 × 1 / 3 ≤ L 2 ≤ L 1 ≤ L 2 × 2 / 3) with respect to the circumference L of the second loop 30A. In this case, the connecting portion 12A of the unit bundle 10A and the connecting portion 12B of the unit bundle 10B are offset in the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1 within the range of 120 degrees to 240 degrees (120° ≤ θ 1 ≤ 240°).

[0057] As Figure 2As shown, the unit bundle 10C also includes a first loop 20C formed by winding the cable 2 in a positive winding direction and a second loop 30C formed by winding the cable 2 in a reverse winding direction. These two loops 20C and 30C overlap in such a way that the second loop 30C is located above the first loop 20C in the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure). In addition, since the unit bundle 10C is also formed by figure-eight winding, the two loops 20C and 30C are connected at the connection portion 12C. In other words, the two loops 20C and 30C are interconnected at the connection portion 12C in such a way that when the unit bundle 10C is opened, an eight-shaped loop 11C having the first loop 20C and the second loop 30C is formed (refer to (a) of Figure 6 described later). Moreover, when the unit bundle 10C is opened (refer to (a) of Figure 6 ), the starting point 21C of the first loop 20C is located below the ending point 22C of the first loop 20C, and the starting point 31C of the second loop 30C is also located below the ending point 32C of the second loop 30C. By forming such an eight-shaped loop 11C, torsion caused by the unit bundle 10C is not generated in the cable 2 when the cable 2 is pulled out.

[0058] The unit bundle 10C is stacked on the unit bundle 10B. In addition, the unit bundles 10B and 10C are connected via an intermediate portion 40B of the cable 2. The intermediate portion 40B is a portion of the cable 2 that lies between the unit bundles 10B and 10C and is wound along the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1.

[0059] Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, as shown in (b) of Figure 3 , the length L 3 of the intermediate portion 40B is 1 / 2 of the circumference L 4 of the first loop 20B of the lower unit bundle 10B to which the intermediate portion 40B is connected (L 3 = 1 / 2 × L 4 ), and the connection portion 12B of the unit bundle 10B and the connection portion 12C of the unit bundle 10C are offset by 180 degrees (θ 1 = 180°) in the circumferential direction D 2 of the cable bundle 1. Therefore, the connection portions 12B and 12C of the adjacent unit bundles 10B and 10C in the overlapping direction D 3 of the unit bundles (the Z direction in the figure) are offset in the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1. In addition, the above-mentioned intermediate portion 40A and the intermediate portion 40B are offset in the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1.

[0060] The length L 3 of the intermediate portion 40B may also be relative to the circumference L 4is 1 / 4 to 3 / 4 (L 4 × 1 / 4 ≤ L 3 ≤ L 4 × 3 / 4). In this case, the connecting portion 12B of the unit bundle 10B and the connecting portion 12C of the unit bundle 10C are offset in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1 1 within a range of 90 degrees to 270 degrees (90° ≤ θ 2 ≤ 270°). Alternatively, the length L of the intermediate portion 40B 3 can also be 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 with respect to the circumference L of the first ring 20B 4 (L 4 × 1 / 3 ≤ L 3 ≤ L 4 × 2 / 3). In this case, the connecting portion 12B of the unit bundle 10B and the connecting portion 12C of the unit bundle 10C are offset in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1 1 within a range of 120 degrees to 240 degrees (120° ≤ θ 2 ≤ 240°).

[0061] In addition, as Figure 2 shown, in the cable bundle 1 of the present embodiment, a twist 13 is applied near the end portion 4 on the winding start side in the unit bundle 10A. This twist 13 is applied to the cable 2 by twisting the cable 2 one turn in a direction opposite to the twist generated by the intermediate portions 40A and 40B when the cable 2 is drawn out from the cable bundle 1. In other words, this twist 13 is applied to the cable 2 by twisting the cable 2 one turn in a direction that becomes opposite to the winding direction D of the cable bundle 1 when observing the cable bundle 1 from the cable lead-out side (end portion 3 side) of the cable 2 2 (see Figure 1 ). By this one-turn twist 13 of the unit bundle 10, when the cable 2 is drawn out from the cable bundle 1, the twist generated by the two intermediate portions 40A and 40B corresponding to the circumference of the cable bundle 1 can be offset.

[0062] Although not particularly shown, among the plurality of unit bundles, the unit bundles above the unit bundle 10C shown Figure 2 are formed by alternately repeating the above-described unit bundle 10B and unit bundle 10C (hereinafter simply referred to as "unit bundle 10B'" and "unit bundle 10C'"). The unit bundles 10B' and 10C' are connected via the above-described intermediate portion 40B, and the connecting portions 12B and 12C of the unit bundles 10B' and 10C' adjacent in the overlapping direction D of the unit bundles 3 (Z direction in the figure) are offset in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1 1 .

[0063] In addition, Figure 2The unit bundle 10C (or unit bundle 10C') shown is connected to the unit bundle 10B' via the intermediate portion 40C. Similar to the above-mentioned intermediate portions 40A and 40B, the intermediate portion 40C has a length of 1 / 2 with respect to the circumference of the first loop 20C of the lower unit bundle 10C to which the intermediate portion 40C is connected. Therefore, in the overlapping direction D 3 (the Z direction in the figure) of the adjacent unit bundles 10C and 10B' (or unit bundles 10C' and 10B'), the connecting portions 12C and 12B also stagger in the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1.

[0064] In addition, among the multiple unit bundles, in the unit bundles above Figure 2 the unit bundle 10C shown, a twist 13 of one turn is applied to the two unit bundles 10B' and 10C'.

[0065] Furthermore, the position where the twist 13 is applied in the cable bundle 1 is not limited to the vicinity of the ends of the unit bundles. For example, the twist 13 can be applied to any position in the unit bundle, or the twist 13 can also be applied to the intermediate portion connecting the unit bundles to each other. At this time, the total number of turns R of all the twists 13 applied to the entire cable bundle 1 is preferably a value obtained by dividing the total length L t of all the intermediate portions 40A, 40B,... of the cable bundle 1 by the average circumference L 0 of the cable bundle 1 (R ≤ L t / L 0 ), and more preferably, the number of turns R is equal to the value obtained by dividing the total length L t of all the intermediate portions 40A, 40B,... by the average circumference L 0 of the cable bundle 1 (R = L t / L 0 ). Thus, the twist generated by the intermediate portions 40A, 40B,... of the cable bundle 1 can be offset. In addition, the average circumference L 0 of the cable bundle 1 refers to the value obtained by dividing the total length of the cable 2 by the number of turns of the cable 2.

[0066] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 4 (a) to Figure 6 (e) of the following, the manufacturing method of the above-mentioned cable bundle 1 will be described. Figure 4 (a) to Figure 4 (e) are diagrams showing the formation method of the unit bundle 10A of the cable bundle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 (a) to Figure 5 (e) are diagrams showing the formation method of the unit bundle 10B of the cable bundle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 (a) to Figure 6Figure (e) shows a method for forming the unit bundle 10C of the cable bundle 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] In addition, Figure 4 Figure (c) is a view of the unit bundle 10A as viewed from the A direction in Figure 4 Figure (b). Figure 4 Figure (e) is a view of the unit bundle 10A as viewed from the B direction in Figure 4 Figure (d). Similarly, Figure 5 Figure (c) is a view of the unit bundle 10B as viewed from the C direction in Figure 5 Figure (b), Figure 5 Figure (e) is a view of the unit bundle 10B as viewed from the D direction in Figure 5 Figure (d). Similarly, Figure 6 Figure (c) is a view of the unit bundle 10C as viewed from the E direction in Figure 6 Figure (b), Figure 6 Figure (e) is a view of the unit bundle 10C as viewed from the F direction in Figure 6 Figure (d).

[0068] First, as shown in Figure 4 Figure (a), by arranging the cable 2 in an 8 - shape, an 8 - shaped third loop 11A is formed. The third loop 11A includes a first loop 20A and a second loop 30A connected at the connection part 12A. At this time, in the first loop 20A, the cable 2 is wound such that the starting point 21A is located below the ending point 22A, so that the winding method of the first loop 20A is "positive winding". In contrast, in the second loop 30A, the cable 2 is also wound such that the starting point 31A is located below the ending point 32A. If the second loop 30A is then flipped, the winding method of the second loop 30A becomes "reverse winding".

[0069] In addition, when the cable 2 is arranged in an 8 - shape, a twist 13 is formed near the end 4 of the cable 2 in the first loop 20A. This twist 13 is applied to the cable 2 by twisting the cable 2 one turn in a direction opposite to the winding direction D of the cable bundle 1 when observing the cable bundle 1 from the cable - leading - out side (end 3 side). 2 (Refer to Figure 1 ) For example, in the example shown in Figure 1 , when observing the cable bundle 1 from the cable - leading - out side (end 3 side), the winding direction D of the cable bundle 1 2 is clockwise, so a twist 13 is applied to the cable 2 such that the cable 2 becomes counter - clockwise.

[0070] Next, as shown in Figure 4 Figure (b) and Figure 4As shown in (c), the figure-eight-shaped third loop 11A is folded at the connecting portion 12A, and the second loop 30A is overlapped on the first loop 20A, thereby forming the unit bundle 10A.

[0071] Next, as Figure 4 shown in (d) and Figure 4 shown in (e), a portion 5 of the cable 2 (the portion 5 of the cable 2 on the end portion 3 side relative to the end point 32A of the second loop 30A) is wound 180 degrees along the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1. 1 In addition, the portion 5 of the cable 2 corresponds to the intermediate portion 40A between the unit bundles 10A and 10B.

[0072] Then, as Figure 5 shown in (a), by arranging the portion of the cable 2 that is continuous with the portion 5 in a figure-eight shape, a figure-eight-shaped third loop 11B is formed. The third loop 11B includes a first loop 20B and a second loop 30B connected at the connecting portion 12B. At this time, in the first loop 20B, the cable 2 is wound in such a way that the starting point 21B is located below the end point 22B, so that the winding method of the first loop 20B is "forward winding". In contrast, in the second loop 30B, the cable 2 is also wound in such a way that the starting point 31B is located below the end point 32B. If the second loop 30B is then turned over, the winding method of the second loop 30B becomes "reverse winding". In addition, no twist 13 is applied to the third loop 11B.

[0073] In the third loop 11B of the second stage, compared with the positional relationship between the first loop 20A and the second loop 30A in the third loop 11A of the first stage described above, the first loop 20B and the second loop 30B are reversed. That is, in Figure 4 the first-stage third loop 11A shown in (a), the first loop 20A is located on the right side of the second loop 30A, while in Figure 5 the second-stage third loop 11B shown in (a), the first loop 20B is located on the left side of the second loop 30B.

[0074] Next, as Figure 5 shown in (b) and Figure 5 shown in (c), the figure-eight-shaped third loop 11B is folded at the connecting portion 12B, and the second loop 30B is overlapped on the first loop 20B, thereby forming the unit bundle 10B.

[0075] Next, as Figure 5 shown in (d) and Figure 5 shown in (e), a portion 6 of the cable 2 (the portion 6 of the cable 2 on the end portion 3 side relative to the end point 22B of the first loop 20B) is wound in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1. 1The upper part is wound 180 degrees. In addition, the portion 6 of the cable 2 corresponds to the intermediate portion 40B between the unit bundles 10B and 10C.

[0076] Next, as shown in Figure 6 (a) thereof, by arranging the portion of the cable 2 that is continuous with the portion 6 in a figure-eight shape, a figure-eight-shaped third loop 11C is formed. The third loop 11C includes a first loop 20C and a second loop 30C that are connected at the connection portion 12C. At this time, in the first loop 20C, the cable 2 is wound such that the starting point 21C is located below the ending point 22C, so that the winding method of the first loop 20C is "positive winding". In contrast, in the second loop 30C, the cable 2 is also wound such that the starting point 31C is located below the ending point 32C. If the second loop 30C is then flipped, the winding method of the second loop 30C becomes "reverse winding". In addition, no twist 13 is applied to the third loop 11C.

[0077] In the third loop 11B of the second stage, the positions of the first loop 20C and the second loop 30C are opposite to the positional relationship between the first loop 20B and the second loop 30B in the third loop 11B of the second stage described above. That is, in the Figure 5 (a) of the third loop 11B of the second stage shown, the first loop 20B is located on the left side of the second loop 30B, while in the Figure 6 (a) of the third loop 11C of the third stage shown, the first loop 20C is located on the right side of the second loop 30C.

[0078] Next, as shown in Figure 6 (b) and Figure 6 (c) thereof, the figure-eight-shaped third loop 11C is folded at the connection portion 12C, and the second loop 30C is overlapped on the first loop 20C, thereby forming the unit bundle 10C.

[0079] Next, as shown in Figure 6 (d) and Figure 6 (e) thereof, the portion 7 of the cable 2 (the portion 7 on the end 3 side of the cable 2 that is closer to the end than the ending point 22C of the first loop 20C) is wound 180 degrees in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1 1 The portion 7 of the cable 2 corresponds to the intermediate portion 40C between the unit bundle 10C and the next unit bundle (the above-mentioned unit bundle 10B').

[0080] Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, unit bundles and intermediate portions are alternately formed, thereby forming the cable bundle 1. As described above, among the multiple unit bundles, Figure 2The unit bundle 10C on the upper side is formed by alternately repeating the unit bundle 10B' and the unit bundle 10C'. The unit bundle 10B' and the unit bundle 10C' are connected via the middle part 40B of the above-mentioned cable 2. In addition, the unit bundle 10C' and the unit bundle 10B' above it are connected via the above-mentioned middle part 40C.

[0081] In addition, in the above manufacturing method, the formation and lamination of the unit bundles are repeated in order from the lower side, but it is not particularly limited thereto. For example, all the unit bundles may be laminated after forming all the unit bundles. Or, after forming all the third rings, all the unit bundles may be formed by folding the third rings, and then all the unit bundles may be laminated. Or, the unit bundles may be formed without passing through the state of being opened into an 8-shaped state.

[0082] As described above, in the present embodiment, in the overlapping direction D 3 (Z direction in the figure) of the unit bundles 10A, 10B, 10C,... the connecting portions (such as 12A, 12B) of the adjacent unit bundles (such as the unit bundles 10A, 10B) are offset in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1. 1 Therefore, with respect to the rings of the lower unit bundle (such as the rings 20A, 30A of the unit bundle 10A), the upper unit bundle (such as the unit bundle 10B) functions as a counterweight, so that the floating of the rings (such as the rings 20A, 30A of the unit bundle 10A) to be drawn out later can be suppressed, and the entanglement of the cable 2 can be suppressed.

[0083] In addition, the structure of the 8-shaped ring in the case where the unit bundle is opened is not limited to the above structure as long as no torsion is generated in the cable by the unit bundle when the cable is drawn out. For example, it may be an 8-shaped ring 11 having the Figure 7 structure shown. Figure 7 It is a perspective view showing the structure of the 8-shaped ring 11 in the case where the unit bundle 10 of the second embodiment of the present invention is opened.

[0084] In Figure 7 the example shown, when the unit bundle 10 is opened, the starting point 21 of the first ring 20 is located below the end point 22 of the first ring 20. In addition, in the Figure 7 example shown, when the unit bundle 10 is opened, the end point 32 of the second ring 30 is located below the starting point 31 of the second ring 30 and the starting point 21 of the first ring 20, and the part 8 of the cable 2 (the part 8 of the cable 2 closer to the end 4 than the starting point 21 of the first ring 20) passes through the second ring 30. By forming such an 8-shaped ring 11, no torsion is generated in the cable 2 by the unit bundle 10 when the cable 2 is drawn out.

[0085] Then, if in thisFigure 7 When the unit bundle 10 acts on the unit bundles 10B and 10C, the cable bundle 1B shown in the figure is formed. Figure 8 Regarding the unit bundle 10B of the cable bundle 1B shown in the figure, in the first loop 20B, in the overlapping direction D Figure 8 of the two loops 20B and 30B (the Z direction in the figure), the cable 2 is wound in such a way that the starting point 21B is located above the ending point 22B. Therefore, the winding method of the first loop 20A is "reverse winding". In contrast, in the second loop 30B, in the overlapping direction D 3 of the two loops 20B and 30B (the Z direction in the figure), the cable 2 is also wound in such a way that the starting point 31B is located above the ending point 32B. Therefore, the winding method of the second loop 30B is "reverse winding". That is, the winding methods of both the first loop 20B and the second loop 30B are "reverse winding". Regarding 3 the unit bundle 10C of the cable bundle 1B shown in the figure, similarly, the winding methods of both the first loop 20C and the second loop 30C are "reverse winding". Figure 8 In addition, as described above, the connecting portion of the unit bundle can also have a length. Refer to

[0086] the cable bundle 1C of the third embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 9 FIG. is an exploded view of a part of the cable bundle 1C of the third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 FIG. is an exploded view of a part of the cable bundle 1C of the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] As Figure 9 shown, the cable bundle 1C of the present embodiment includes a plurality of unit bundles 10A, 10B,... and a plurality of intermediate portions 40A, 40B,... As will be described later, in the present embodiment, each loop is formed by twisting the cable 2 in sequence, and the loops are stacked in sequence, thereby forming the cable bundle 1C. In addition, Figure 9 only two unit bundles 10A and 10B on the end 4 side of the cable 2 are shown, but actually the cable bundle 1C includes many unit bundles. In addition, Figure 9 since FIG. is an exploded view of the cable bundle 1C, the state in which the unit bundles 10A and 10B are opened is shown, but actually the plurality of unit bundles 10A, 10B,... are stacked in the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure).

[0088] The unit bundle 10A includes a first loop 20A and a second loop 30A. The first loop 20A is formed by winding the cable 2 in such a way that the starting point 21A is located above the ending point 22A. Therefore, the winding method of the first loop 20A is "reverse winding". In contrast, the second loop 30A is formed by winding the cable 2 in such a way that the starting point 31A is located below the ending point 32A. Therefore, the winding method of the second loop 30B is "forward winding". In addition, in Figure 9In [the figure], a state where the cable bundle 1C is opened is shown. Therefore, the starting point 31A of the second loop 30A is located on the upper side with respect to the ending point 32A. These two loops 20A and 30A overlap in such a manner that the second loop 30A is located above the first loop 20A in the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure). The two loops 20A and 30A are connected via a connecting portion 12A in such a manner that when the unit bundle 10A is opened, an 8-shaped loop 11A including the first loop 20A and the second loop 30A is formed.

[0089] In the present embodiment, the intersection point 23A of the first loop 20A (the point where the starting point 21A and the ending point 22A intersect) does not coincide with the intersection point 33A of the second loop 30A (the point where the starting point 31A and the ending point 32A intersect), and the intersection point 33A of the second loop 30A is distant from the intersection point 23A of the first loop 20A. As described above, the connecting portion 12A of the unit bundle 10A is the portion between the intersection points 23A and 33A of the first loop 20A and the second loop 30A in the cable 2. Therefore, the connecting portion 12A of the present embodiment has a predetermined length. This connecting portion 12A is wound along the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1C. The length of this connecting portion 12A has a length corresponding to the central angle θ 1 in the circumferential direction D 3 of the cable bundle 1C. Although not particularly limited, as an example of this central angle θ 3 , for example, it is 120° (θ 3 = 120°). The central angle defining the length of the connecting portion is preferably 120° or less.

[0090] The unit bundle 10B also includes a first loop 20B and a second loop 30B. The first loop 20B is formed by winding the cable 2 in such a manner that the starting point 21B is located on the upper side with respect to the ending point 22B. Therefore, the winding method of this second loop 30B is "reverse winding". The second loop 30B is also formed by winding the cable 2 in such a manner that the starting point 31B is located on the upper side with respect to the ending point 32B. Therefore, the winding method of this second loop 30B is also "reverse winding". In addition, in Figure 9 [the figure], a state where the cable bundle 1C is opened is shown. Therefore, the starting point 21B of the first loop 20B is located on the lower side with respect to the ending point 22B, and the starting point 31B of the second loop 30B is also located on the lower side with respect to the ending point 32B.

[0091] These two loops 20B and 30B overlap in such a manner that the second loop 30B is located above the first loop 20B in the vertical direction (the Z direction in the figure). The two loops 20B and 30B are connected via a connecting portion 12B in such a manner that when the unit bundle 10B is opened, an 8-shaped loop 11B including the first loop 20B and the second loop 30B is formed. In addition, the winding method of the second loop 30B may be "normal winding".

[0092] In this embodiment, the intersection point 23B of the first loop 20B (the point where the starting point 21B and the ending point 22B intersect) does not coincide with the intersection point 33B of the second loop 30B (the point where the starting point 31B and the ending point 32B intersect), and the intersection point 33B of the second loop 30B is away from the intersection point 23B of the first loop 20B. As described above, the connecting portion 12B of the unit bundle 10B is the portion between the intersection points 23B and 33B of the first loop 20B and the second loop 30B in the cable 2. Therefore, the connecting portion 12B of this embodiment has a predetermined length. This connecting portion 12B is wound along the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1C 1 around. The length of this connecting portion 12B has a length corresponding to the central angle θ 1 along the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1C 4 . Although not particularly limited, as an example of this central angle θ 4 , for example, it is 120° (θ 4 = 120°).

[0093] This unit bundle 10B overlaps on the unit bundle 10A. At this time, the starting point 31B and the ending point 32B of the second loop 30B of the unit bundle 10B are located above the starting point 21A and the ending point 22A of the first loop 20A of the unit bundle 10A. In addition, these unit bundles 10A and 10B are connected via the intermediate portion 40A of the cable 2. This intermediate portion 40A is the portion between the ending point 32B of the second loop 30A of the unit bundle 10A and the starting point 21B of the first loop 20B of the unit bundle 10B in the cable 2, and is wound along the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1C 1 around. The length of this intermediate portion 40A has a length corresponding to the central angle θ 1 along the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1C 5 . Although not particularly limited, as an example of this central angle θ 5 , for example, it is 120° (θ 5 = 120°).

[0094] In this embodiment, the connecting portions 12A and 12B and the intermediate portion 40A of the unit bundles 10A and 10B respectively have lengths corresponding to 120° along the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1C 1 , so their sum forms a loop around one week along the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1C 1 . The winding method of the loop formed by the connecting portions 12A and 12B and the intermediate portion 40A and the winding method of the second loop 30B of the unit bundle 10A are "positive winding", while the winding methods of the first loop 20A of the unit bundle 10A and the first loop 20B of the unit bundle 10B are "reverse winding", and the number of "positive winding" loops is the same as the number of "reverse winding" loops. Therefore, the twist is zero among the above four loops, and thus it is not necessary to form the twist 13 described in the first embodiment in the cable bundle 1C

[0095] In addition, in the above relationship where the twist is zero, as long as the total number of the first ring and the second ring connected via the connecting portion and the middle portion is odd, it is not particularly limited to the above content. Further, in the above relationship where the twist is zero, as long as the number of "positively wound" rings is the same as the number of "negatively wound" rings, the winding method of each ring is not particularly limited to the above content. Further, a connection portion and a middle portion of a ring formed along the circumferential direction D 1 of the cable bundle 1C for one round may also have unequal lengths.

[0096] Next, with reference to Figure 10 the structure of a manufacturing apparatus 60 for manufacturing the above-described cable bundle 1C will be described. Figure 10 FIG. is a diagram showing a manufacturing apparatus 60 for a cable bundle 1C according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] As Figure 10 shown, the manufacturing apparatus 60 of the present embodiment includes a holding device 61, a twisting device 62, a fixing device 63, a rotating device 64, and a control device 65.

[0098] The holding device 61 holds a drum 611 around which a cable 2 is wound. The drum 611 is rotatably held by the holding device 61 about a central axis RA 1 of the drum 611. In addition, in the present embodiment, the drum 611 is rotated passively by pulling out the cable 2 by a crawler 621 of the twisting device 62, but the holding device 61 may also include a driving device that rotationally drives the drum 611 about a rotation axis RA 1 of the drum 611. In this case, the cable 2 is fed out actively from the drum 611 by the linkage between the driving device and the crawler 621 of the twisting device 62.

[0099] Further, the holding device 61 may also include a rotating device 612 that rotates the drum 611 about a rotation axis RA 4 substantially parallel to the feeding direction D 2 of the cable 2 from the drum 611. Thereby, when a twist is generated in a portion of the cable 2 between the drum 611 and the twisting device 62, the twist can be easily removed from the cable 2. In addition, the above rotation axis RA 2 is also an axis substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis RA 1 of the drum 611. This rotation axis RA 2 corresponds to an example of the "second axis" in the aspect of the present invention.

[0100] The twisting device 62 includes a pair of crawlers 621, a frame 625, and a rotating device 626. Each crawler 621 includes: a pair of pulleys 622, an annular belt 623 wound around the pulleys 622, and a driving device 624 that rotates the pulleys 622. The pair of crawlers 621 are arranged such that the belts 623 are in close contact with each other, and can sandwich the cable 2 supplied from the drum 611 between the belts 623. The driving device 624 includes a motor, a gearbox, etc. that rotate the pulleys 622. By driving the crawlers 621, the cable 2 can be drawn out from the drum 611 and pushed out from the twisting device 62. This pair of crawlers 621 corresponds to an example of the "feeding device" in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] The pair of crawlers 621 are housed in the frame 625. The rotating device 626 includes a motor, a gearbox, etc. that rotate the frame 625. With respect to the cable 2 clamped between the pair of crawlers 621, the rotating device 626 can rotate the frame 625 about the axial center of the cable 2 to twist the cable 2. The rotating device 626 can rotate the frame 625 360° in one rotational direction D 5 and rotate the frame 625 360° in the other rotational direction D of the frame 625. This one rotational direction D 6 corresponds to an example of the "third direction" in the embodiment of the present invention, and the other rotational direction D 5 corresponds to an example of the "fourth direction" in the embodiment of the present invention. 6

[0102] In addition, the structure of the twisting device 62 is not particularly limited to the above as long as it includes a mechanism for feeding out the cable 2 and a function of twisting the cable 2. Although not particularly illustrated, for example, the twisting device 62 may include a gripping portion that grips the cable and a moving portion that moves the gripping portion along the axial direction of the cable 2, and the gripping portion includes a plurality of rollers capable of twisting the cable. Additionally, although not particularly illustrated, the function of feeding out the cable 2 and the function of twisting the cable 2 may also be achieved by independent devices.

[0103] The fixing device 63 is a device for fixing the cable 2 sent out from the twisting device 62. Although not particularly limited, as a specific example of the fixing device 63, it is a clamping member that uses a cylinder, etc. to clamp and fix the fixing position FP of the cable 2. The movement of the cable 2 along the axial direction at the fixing position FP on the cable 2 is fixed by the fixing device 63. The fixing position FP is a position on the cable 2 that is separated from the above-mentioned twisting device 62 by a specified distance. The specified distance is the distance that can form a loop 15 (for example, the first loop 20A) of the cable 2 between the fixing position FP and the twisting device 62.

[0104] ​In a state where the fixing position FP on the cable 2 is fixed by the fixing device 63, the cable 2 is fed toward the fixing position FP by the crawlers 621 of the twisting device 62. If the rotating device 626 of the twisting device 62 rotates in one rotational direction D 5 rotates, a "reverse winding" loop is formed. In contrast, if the pair of crawlers 621 rotates the frame 625 in the other rotational direction D 6 rotates, a "normal winding" loop is formed.

[0105] The rotating device 64 includes a mounting table 641 and a driving device 642. The loop 15 formed by the twisting device 62 is mounted and stacked on the mounting table 641. The mounting table 641 has a mounting surface for mounting the loop 15 of the cable 2. The driving device 642 includes a motor, a gearbox, etc. that rotate the mounting surface of the mounting table 641. This driving device can rotate the mounting surface of the mounting table 641 about a rotation axis RA 3 substantially parallel to the normal direction of the mounting table 641. This rotation axis RA 3 corresponds to an example of the "first axis" in the embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in the example shown in Figure 10 , the driving device 642 rotates the mounting surface of the mounting table 641 only in the counterclockwise direction, but the driving device 642 can also rotate the mounting surface of the mounting table 641 in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

[0106] The control device 65 is constituted by a computer, for example. Although not particularly shown, this computer is an electronic computer having a CPU (processor), a main storage device (RAM, etc.), an auxiliary storage device (hard disk, SSD, etc.), and an interface, etc. The control device 65 is controllably connected to the driving device 624 and the rotating device 626 of the twisting device 62, the fixing device 63, and the driving device 642 of the rotating device 64. These controls are functionally realized, for example, by the control device 65 executing a program. In addition, the control device 65 can be constituted by a circuit board instead of a computer.

[0107] Next, the manufacturing method of the cable bundle 1C shown in Figure 9 will be described using the manufacturing device 60 described above.

[0108] First, in a state where the cable 2 is led out from the twisting device 62 to the fixing device 63, the control device 65 sends a control signal to the fixing device 63, and the fixing device 63 clamps the fixing position FP on the cable 2. As a result, the movement of the cable 2 along the axial direction at the fixing position FP on the cable 2 is fixed by the fixing device 63.

[0109] Next, the control device 65 sends a control signal to the driving device 624 of the twisting device 62, and the crawler belt 621 sends the cable 2 out of the twisting device 62 by a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is a length corresponding to one loop 15 of the cable 2 and is a value input to the control device 65 in advance.

[0110] Next, the control device 65 sends a control signal to the rotation device 626 of the twisting device 62, and the rotation device 626 rotates the frame 625 in one direction D. 5 The cable 2 is twisted by rotating 360 degrees, thereby forming a "reverse" first loop 20A. The first loop 20A is placed on the mounting table 641 of the rotating device 64. Alternatively, the twisting device 62 may twist the cable 2 while feeding a predetermined amount of the cable 2.

[0111] Next, the control device 65 sends a control signal to the fixing device 63, and the fixing device 63 releases the cable 2 to release the fixing of the cable 2. Next, the control device 65 sends a control signal to the driving device 642 of the rotating device 64 and the driving device 624 of the twisting device 62. As a result, the driving device 642 rotates the mounting surface of the mounting table 641 by a central angle θ 3 At the same time, the crawler 621 sends the cable 2 out of the twisting device 62 by a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1C. 1 The angle between the top and the center is θ 3 The corresponding length is a value pre-input into the control device 65. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the central angle θ 3 is 120°(θ 3 =120°). Thus, the connection portion 12A of the unit bundle 10A in the cable bundle 1C is formed.

[0112] Next, the second loop 30A of the unit bundle 10A is formed in the same manner as the first loop 20A described above. At this time, the rotating device 626 rotates the frame 625 in the other rotation direction D 6 The cable 2 is twisted by rotating 360 degrees to form a "normally wound" second loop 30A. The second loop 30A is placed on the mounting table 641 of the rotating device 64 to form a unit bundle 10A. The twisting device 62 may also twist the cable 2 while feeding a predetermined amount of the cable 2.

[0113] Next, the control device 65 sends a control signal to the fixing device 63, and the fixing device 63 releases the cable 2 to release the fixing of the cable 2. Next, the control device 65 sends a control signal to the driving device 642 of the rotating device 64 and the driving device 624 of the twisting device 62. As a result, the driving device 642 rotates the mounting surface of the mounting table 641 by a central angle θ 5At the same time, the crawler 621 sends the cable 2 out of the twisting device 62 by a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1C. 1 The central angle θ 5 The corresponding length is a value pre-input into the control device 65. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the central angle θ 5 is 120°(θ 5 =120°). Thus, an intermediate portion 40A between the unit bundles 10A and 10B is formed in the cable bundle 1C.

[0114] The cable bundle 1C is formed by alternately forming unit bundles and intermediate portions in the same manner as above. If the cable 2 is twisted between the drum 611 and the twisting device 62, the twist can be removed by rotating the drum 611 using the rotating device 612.

[0115] As described above, in the manufacturing device 60 of the present embodiment, the driving device 642 of the rotating device 64 rotates the mounting surface of the mounting table 641 on which the ring 15 of the cable 2 is mounted, so that the ring 15 having a circumferential direction D can be manufactured. 1 The cable harness 1C has the connection portions 12A and 12B offset from each other.

[0116] In addition, the manufacturing device 60 may also include a measuring device 66 that measures the length of the cable 2 sent out by the twisting device 62. In this case, the control device 65 may also control the driving device 624 of the twisting device 62 based on the measurement result of the measuring device 66 so that the crawler 621 sends the cable 2 from the twisting device 62 by a predetermined amount. Although not particularly limited, as a specific example of such a measuring device 66, an encoder can be exemplified. Alternatively, the quality management of the cable bundle 1 can also be performed by measuring the length of the cable 2 sent out from the twisting device 62 using the measuring device 66.

[0117] Alternatively, the manufacturing device 60 described above may be used to manufacture Figure 1 The cable harness 1 shown. In this case, Figure 10 As shown, the manufacturing device 60 is provided with an additional fixing device 67 in addition to the above-mentioned fixing device 63. The additional fixing device 67 has the same structure as the above-mentioned fixing device 63. When forming each unit bundle, the fixing device 63 is used to form the first loop, and the additional fixing device 67 is used to form the second loop.

[0118] In addition, the embodiments described above are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not described to limit the present invention. Therefore, the gist of each element disclosed in the above embodiments also includes all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0119] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cable bundle 1 has a drumless configuration without a spool, but is not particularly limited thereto. The cable bundle 1 may also have a spool, and the cable bundle 1 may also be formed around the extraction guide pin.

[0120] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a plurality of unit bundles 10A, 10B, 10C,... are stacked in a direction orthogonal to the radial direction (the overlapping direction D of the unit bundles 3 (the Z direction in the figure)), but is not particularly limited thereto. For example, by appropriately changing the size of the diameter of the rings constituting each unit bundle, a structure in which a plurality of unit bundles having different diameters are arranged on the same plane can be stacked in the overlapping direction D 3 and stacked. Alternatively, by appropriately changing the size of the diameter of the rings constituting each unit bundle, other unit bundles having a diameter larger than the diameter of the unit bundle can be stacked outside the plurality of unit bundles stacked in the overlapping direction D 3 and stacked in the overlapping direction D. 3

[0121] In addition, it is also possible to stagger the connection portions of the unit bundles in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1 by making the sizes of the diameters of the unit bundles adjacent in the overlapping direction D of the unit bundles 3 different. In addition, it is also possible to stagger the first intersection point and the second intersection point in the circumferential direction D of the cable bundle 1 by making the sizes of the diameters of the first ring and the second ring constituting the unit bundle different 1 from each other. 1

[0122] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0123] 1, 1B, 1C... cable bundle; 2... cable; 3, 4... end; 10A, 10B, 10C... unit bundle; 11A, 11B, 11C... figure-eight shaped ring; 12A, 12B, 12C... connection portion; 13... twist; 20A, 20B, 20C... first ring; 21A, 21B, 21C... starting point; 22A, 22B, 22C... ending point; 23A, 23B... intersection point; 30A, 30B, 30C... second ring; 31A, 31B, 31C... starting point; 32A, 32B, 32C... ending point; 33A, 33B... intersection point; 40A, 40B... middle portion; 50... container; 51... upper surface; 52... opening; 60... manufacturing device; 61... holding device; 611... drum; 612... rotating device; 62... twisting device; 621... crawler; 622... pulley; 623... belt; 624... driving device; 625... frame; 626... rotating device; 63... fixing device; 64... rotating device; 641... mounting table; 642... driving device; 65... control device; 66... measuring device; 67... fixing device.

Claims

1. A cable bundle, which includes a wound cable, The cable bundle is characterized in that The cable bundle includes a plurality of unit bundles, and the plurality of unit bundles overlap in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction which is the circumferential direction of the cable bundle. Each of the unit bundles includes a first loop and a second loop that overlap in the second direction. The first loop and the second loop are connected to each other at a connection part in such a way that an 8-shaped loop including the first loop and the second loop is formed when the unit bundle is opened. The connection parts of the unit bundles adjacent in the second direction are offset in the first direction.

2. The cable bundle according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The cable bundle includes an intermediate part, and the intermediate part is interposed between the unit bundles and connects the unit bundles to each other. The intermediate part is wound along the first direction in such a way that the connection parts of the unit bundles adjacent in the second direction are offset in the first direction within a range of 90 degrees to 270 degrees.

3. The cable bundle according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The plurality of unit bundles include: A first unit bundle; A second unit bundle overlapping the first unit bundle; and A third unit bundle overlapping the second unit bundle. The cable bundle includes: A first intermediate part, which is interposed between the first unit bundle and the second unit bundle and connects the first unit bundle and the second unit bundle; and A second intermediate part, which is interposed between the second unit bundle and the third unit bundle and connects the second unit bundle and the third unit bundle. The first intermediate part and the second intermediate part are wound along the first direction. The first intermediate part and the second intermediate part are offset in the first direction.

4. The cable bundle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The cable bundle includes an intermediate part, which is interposed between the unit bundles and connects the unit bundles to each other, and is wound along the first direction. The cable is applied with a twist in a direction opposite to the twist generated by the intermediate part when the cable is pulled out.

5. The cable bundle according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The number of turns of the twist applied to the cable is equal to or less than the value obtained by dividing the total length of the intermediate part by the average circumference of the cable bundle.

6. The cable bundle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, It is characterized in that The connection part is the part of the cable between a first intersection point of the first loop and a second intersection point of the second loop, and is wound along the first direction.

7. The cable bundle according to claim 6, It is characterized in that A plurality of the connection parts of the unit bundles adjacent in the second direction and the intermediate part connecting the unit bundles to each other form one turn along the first direction.

8. The cable bundle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, It is characterized in that The first loop is formed by winding the cable in a right-handed winding or a left-handed winding opposite to the right-handed winding. The second loop is formed by winding the cable in the reverse winding or the forward winding.

9. A method for manufacturing a cable bundle, the cable bundle including a wound cable, The method for manufacturing the cable bundle is characterized by comprising: A first step in which a plurality of unit bundles each having a first loop and a second loop are formed, the first loop and the second loop being connected at a connection portion and overlapping each other; and A second step in which the plurality of unit bundles are overlapped in such a manner that the connection portions are offset from each other in a first direction which is the circumferential direction of the cable bundle, The first loop and the second loop are connected to each other at the connection portion in such a manner that an 8-shaped loop including the first loop and the second loop is formed when the unit bundle is opened.

10. The method for manufacturing a cable bundle according to claim 9, Characterized in that, The first step includes: Arranging the cable in an 8-shaped configuration, thereby forming a plurality of third loops each having the first loop and the second loop connected at the connection portion; and Folding each of the third loops at the connection portion and overlapping the first loop and the second loop, thereby forming a plurality of the unit bundles.

11. The method for manufacturing a cable bundle according to claim 9, Characterized in that, The first step includes: Twisting the cable in a third direction, thereby forming the first loop; Twisting the cable in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, thereby forming the second loop; and Overlapping the first loop and the second loop, thereby forming the unit bundle.

12. The method for manufacturing a cable bundle according to any one of claims 9 to 11, Characterized in that, The cable bundle includes an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion being interposed between the unit bundles and connecting the unit bundles to each other, The second step includes winding the intermediate portion along the first direction in such a manner that the connection portions of the mutually adjacent unit bundles are offset from each other in the first direction within a range of 90 degrees to 270 degrees.

13. A manufacturing apparatus for a cable bundle, the cable bundle including a wound cable, The manufacturing apparatus for the cable bundle is characterized by comprising: A fixing device that fixes the axial movement of the cable at a fixing position on the cable; A feeding device that feeds the cable toward the fixing position; A twisting device that twists the cable fed by the feeding device, thereby forming a loop of the cable; And A first rotating device that has a placement surface on which the loop formed by the twisting device is placed and stacked, and rotates the placement surface about a first axis substantially parallel to the normal direction of the placement surface.

14. The manufacturing apparatus for a cable bundle according to claim 13, Characterized in that, The twisting device twists the cable in a third direction to form a first loop, and twists the cable in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction to form a second loop.

15. The manufacturing apparatus for a cable bundle according to claim 13 or 14, Characterized in that, A second rotating device is provided, and the second rotating device rotates a drum that supplies the cable about a second axis that is substantially parallel to the direction in which the cable is fed out from the drum.

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