Method and device for individualizing a power line in the on-board electrical system of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Method for individualizing a line (16) for use in an on-board system of a motor vehicle, comprising Pretreating an outer surface of the conduit (16), Applying a first ink of a first color to a field (10, 20, 50, 60) of an outer surface of the conduit (16) and Applying a second ink of a second color to the field (10, 20, 50, 60) of the outer surface of the conductor (16), where both the first and second inks are particle-free, where the first ink is applied in a first grid (12,22,52,62) and the second ink is applied in a second grid (14,24,54,64), wherein the first grid (12,22,52,62) and the second grid (14,24,54,64) are dimensioned and offset from each other in the field (10,20,50,60) such that the field (10,20,50,60) appears to the naked eye from a distance of between 30 cm and 50 cm in a field color which results from a mixture of the first and the second color.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for individualizing a cable, in particular a power cable, for use in an on-board electrical system of a motor vehicle. The method comprises applying a first ink of a first color to a field of an outer surface of the cable and applying a second ink of a second color to the field of the outer surface of the cable. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out such a method. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] The onboard electrical system of a modern vehicle contains, among other things, a large number of individual wires. These wires are mostly power or fiber optic cables that transmit signals and / or electrical energy. The number of individual wires often reaches into the hundreds. To ensure proper functioning, each of these wires must be identifiable when needed. For identification purposes, such as connecting to devices, the wires must be individualized.

[0003] A common individualization method today involves using cables with differently colored sheathing. However, this approach requires storing, maintaining, and transporting a large number of cables of the same type but in different colors. Thus, it is not unusual nowadays to have to stock cables in over a hundred different colors for each cable type, and especially for each cable cross-section.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to reduce the storage capacities required today as much as possible.

[0005] Instead of storing a large number of different colored cables of the same type, the idea has been considered of storing cables of a single color, which are then printed with the appropriate color shortly before installation, depending on their intended use. EP 1 548 757 A1 describes a method for color-printing a cable, in which the cable is sprayed with different colors.

[0006] The ink typically used for printing on power or signal cables is not suitable for mixing. In particular, mixing ink of one color with ink of a second color can, due to their chemical properties, damage the cable's insulation, which fundamentally precludes mixing such inks of different colors for printing on cables.

[0007] This, in turn, means that a separate, specific ink must be kept on hand for each individual color to be printed on a pipe. Furthermore, there is the problem that separately stored, different colored inks cannot simply be applied to the pipe by a single printhead. Therefore, not only must a large number of different ink colors and ink reservoirs be kept—at least one for each ink color—but potentially the same number, or even more, of printheads must be positioned at the point where the pipe is to be printed. Aside from requiring a very complex and elaborate setup, considerable space must also be allocated for printing on the pipe, as such a setup would be very large.

[0008] Insofar as wires were printed at all in the prior art, pigmented ink containing large color pigments was used. Such ink requires a stirring mechanism to ensure sufficient mixing and thus a uniform color.

[0009] EP 1 548 757 A1 discloses a method and a device for automatically marking an article. DE 10 2004 029 649 A1 discloses a method for printing on wires. EP 0 817 113 A2 discloses an inkjet recording device. WO 2012 / 017 224 A1 discloses a method for producing azaphthalocyanine or metalloazaphthalocyanine dyes and salts thereof. US 5 444 466 A discloses an apparatus for printing on a surface. PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The object of the present invention, compared to the prior art, is to provide a method for individualizing a cable by which a large number of cables can be individualized using a small number of different colored inks, particularly colors, despite the lack of or poor miscibility of the available ink. More specifically, the object is to provide a method for individualizing a cable by which it is possible to print cables with different colors using as few printheads and ink reservoirs as possible.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is constructed as simply as possible and is suitable for individualizing a large number of cables for use in an on-board system of a motor vehicle, in particular by means of colored printing.

[0012] These problems are solved by the method according to claim 1 and the device according to claim 9, respectively. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims. The inventive method for individualizing a cable from the above-mentioned technical field comprises pretreating an outer surface of the cable and is characterized in that the first ink is applied in a first grid and the second ink is applied in a second grid, wherein the first grid and the second grid are dimensioned and offset from each other in the field such that, when viewed with the naked eye from a distance of between 30 cm and 50 cm, the field appears in a field color resulting from a mixture of the first and second colors.

[0013] Since mixing the colors is practically impossible, the invention proposes printing the colors side by side in specific patterns. For example, the color orange can be produced in this way by the colors red and yellow, the color violet by red and blue, and the color green by yellow and blue. The laws of scientific color theory generally apply to this apparent mixing of the colors. According to the invention, however, the colors are not actually mixed with one another, but rather, due to the structure of their arrangement, only create the impression of a global mixed color for the viewer, which is referred to as the field color according to the claim.For example, a first grid of yellow dots and a second grid of blue dots arranged according to the invention appear to the viewer as a continuous green field from a certain distance, although upon close, local examination of the individual colored dots, it is still possible to distinguish between yellow and blue dots. The apparent field color resulting from a mixture of the first and second colors is therefore essentially due to an effect that occurs in the eye or brain of the viewer, not to an actual mixture of the inks used.

[0014] The ink dots arranged side by side in a grid must be positioned so precisely that as few overlaps as possible are formed and the effect underlying the invention is reliably produced for the viewer.

[0015] This is not problematic with the conventional use of a single printhead in a single printer and when printing with ink of a single color, because today's printing technology generally allows for sufficiently precise color distribution. In the method according to the invention, halftone dots with a diameter of between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, more preferably with a diameter of about 0.3 mm, are preferably printed onto the line.

[0016] Preferably, the application of the first and / or second ink to the field is a layer printing process combined with a halftone printing process. It is further preferred that the conductor to be printed is pretreated before the application of the first and second inks, for example, by applying a plasma to the surface to be printed, in particular the area of ​​the outer surface onto which the first and second inks are to be applied. This pretreatment can, in particular, include a thorough cleaning of the surface to be printed and / or an increase in the surface area.

[0017] According to the invention, both the first and second inks are particle-free. This ink, also known as dye-based ink or soft-pigmented ink, is particularly well-suited for the inventive process. In the border areas of adjacent and slightly overlapping halftone dots, the particle-free or dye-based ink dissolves easily, which additionally creates the impression of a color mixture of the inks involved. Unlike pigmented inks, particle-free inks do not require a stirrer or similar mixing devices.

[0018] It is particularly advantageous if the first ink has already dried before the second ink is applied to the area. Pre-treating the surface of the conductor in the area to be printed is especially beneficial when using pigment-free ink, in order to improve the adhesion of the ink to the conductor surface and to largely prevent the individual inks from running.

[0019] Advantageously, the first grid and the second grid each define a regular or irregular arrangement of grid points. In the case of a regular arrangement of the first and / or the second grid, it is further preferred to determine the rule or rules according to which grid points are arranged within the first and / or second grid such that a seemingly chaotic image of the grid points is created. If both the first and the second grid each define a regular arrangement of grid points, it is preferred that the rule according to which grid points are arranged within the first grid differs from the rule according to which grid points are arranged within the second grid.

[0020] This can preferably be achieved by modulating the distance between defined halftone dot positions within at least one of the two halftone screens, preferably within both screens. This modulation can, for example, result in a varying distance between corresponding halftone dot positions of the different screens when printing both screens side by side, for some, preferably for each, corresponding halftone dot position. This modulation can be applied in one or two dimensions. In other words, the distances between corresponding halftone dot positions of different screens can vary in one or two independent directions.

[0021] Alternatively, it is also possible to design at least one of the two grids in such a way that the halftone dot positions defined by the grid are modulated with respect to their spacing within that grid. This modulation can be applied to one or both grids and also leads to the effect described below. In other words, the rule according to which halftone dots are arranged within at least one of the grids can cause one- or two-dimensionally varying spacing between adjacent halftone dots within the grid. This also makes it easy to ensure that the halftone dot positions of the at least two grids involved do not overlap as much as possible, thus largely preventing the mixing of the inks involved.

[0022] This preferred method significantly enhances the effect of the apparent mixing of the colors of the individual inks printed onto the wire in the halftone screens. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the viewer's eye / brain, when faced with a strikingly regular arrangement of halftone dots, recognizes the rule according to which these dots are arranged and assigns it to the individual halftone screens. The viewer's eye / brain is then more likely to perceive two different color grids, each arranged in a regular grid. In the case of the modulation of the grid arrangement described above, the regularity of the halftone dot arrangements becomes so chaotic that the eye / brain is much more likely to perceive a field color as defined in the present application, i.e., a color resulting from a virtual mixture of the ink colors involved.

[0023] In an alternative preferred method, the first grid and preferably also the second grid are selected to represent the shape of a checkered flag. This grid, also known as a checkered flag design or a chessboard pattern, yields particularly good results in creating a field color that appears to result from a mixture of the first and second colors. The checkered flag grid is also particularly advantageous in creating the impression of color tones that go beyond the combination of just two individual colors. Due to the clear structure of the checkered flag or chessboard, even with more than two different colored inks, a structured coloring of the field can be achieved in such a way that a predetermined color impression, in the sense of a field color, is created.

[0024] The outer surface of the cable is preferably defined by a rectangular, elliptical, or triangular contour. While other contours are also possible, the aforementioned preferred contours are particularly easy to implement and, due to their clear shape, are especially well-suited for individualizing a cable, as they are very easy to identify.

[0025] It is advantageous to apply the first ink by a single printhead and the second ink by a separate printhead. Using two separate printheads for the two different colored inks is preferred because it effectively prevents the inks from mixing and potentially deteriorating or even becoming unusable. However, it is also possible to apply different colored inks using a single printhead. In this case, it is advantageous to clean the printhead between print jobs, although this is not always necessary depending on the type of ink used.

[0026] Preferably, the first and second inks are selected from a total of at least three different colored inks, thereby generating at least seven different field colors. Further preferably, the first and second inks are selected from four different colored inks, thereby generating at least ten different field colors. The seven different field colors result from the three individual colors, the three possible combinations of any two colors, and the combination of all three colors. Furthermore, it is also possible to simply mark the field as a field and leave the rest unprinted, resulting in a field color that corresponds to the color of the outer surface of the conductor, for example, white.

[0027] The at least ten different field colors, derived from the four different colored inks, preferably result from the four individual ink colors, three combinations of two colors each, one combination of three colors, and additionally, two halftone screens of one of the four colors, for example, black, printed with different densities from each other and from the complete infill of the field, to create various shades of gray. Further combinations are also possible when choosing four different colors; however, care should be taken to ensure that the possible color combinations result in field colors that are easily distinguishable from one another. Otherwise, the resulting field colors are not well suited for individualization.

[0028] Preferably, the different colored inks are red, yellow, and blue, and preferably also black. In this example, the field can be colored entirely in red, yellow, and blue, and preferably also black, and by printing according to the invention using red and yellow inks, an orange field color, a green field color, a violet field color, and a brown field color can be produced using red and yellow inks. Using the additional black ink, two different shades of gray can also be produced as field colors by applying black grids of varying density to the field. Furthermore, only the outline of the field can be marked, leaving its interior clear, which results in a white field color if the outer surface of the conductor is white.

[0029] It is advantageous to additionally apply ink in the form of an alphanumeric symbol to the wire. Such an alphanumeric symbol allows for more precise individualization of the wire to be customized and can also be used as redundant information to the information from the colored field.

[0030] An apparatus according to the invention for carrying out the method described above comprises at least two printheads arranged and configured such that they can each apply an ink of a respective color to a field of an outer surface of a conductor, in particular a power or signal line, for use in an on-board system of a motor vehicle. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a control device configured to apply a first ink in a first grid and a second ink in a second grid such that the first grid and the second grid are dimensioned and offset from each other in the field such that, when viewed with the naked eye from a distance of between 30 cm and 50 cm, the field appears in a color resulting from a mixture of the first and second colors.The two inks used in the printheads are at least two different colors and cannot be mixed together, or only with great difficulty.

[0031] The control device can preferably be configured to control the device in such a way that the device performs a method described above and defined in the patent claims.

[0032] The printheads are preferably synchronized. For this purpose, one of the printheads is designated as the master and controls the operation of the other printhead(s) as slave(s). This allows the droplet flight times of the ink droplets ejected by the printheads to be adjusted. Due to conventional manufacturing and control tolerances, the droplet times typically differ by up to a few milliseconds. For printing halftone dots, preferably with a diameter between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, and particularly preferably 0.3 mm, a printhead with a nozzle diameter of 40 µm to 60 µm, preferably 50 µm, is advantageously used.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises four printheads configured to apply four different colored inks to the field. This preferred embodiment allows for a greater variety of colors without requiring a correspondingly more complex device, because the method according to the invention makes it possible to produce a large number of field colors from relatively few different colored inks.

[0034] The device is preferably used in a packaging unit, with the printheads advantageously arranged in the conveying direction of the cable upstream of a cutting blade, upstream of a discharge conveyor, and downstream of a gripper. The printheads are preferably integrally formed with a collection funnel, a cable feeder, and a rotary encoder, and can thus form a separate module that can be integrated into the packaging unit largely independently of its precise design.

[0035] For further individualization and identification of individual wires within a vehicle's electrical system, the wires can be marked using specific systems. For example, the marking can be implemented analogously to the segmentation of a construction board.

[0036] For example, three adjacent fields can be provided on the cable, preferably extended by a housing chamber label, whereby the number of fields is not limited to three, but can also take on other values. The idea behind this segmentation is to arrange a cable in a virtual coordinate system and thus easily assign it to a specific device.

[0037] Based on two different colors, for example, four different field colors can be generated: an empty field, a field of the first color, a field of the second color, and a field of the color seemingly mixed according to the above procedure. Each of these four colors represents a quadrant in a rectangle, thus enabling a color-coded division of the rectangle into four quadrants. The first of the three fields on the wire can therefore be used to globally divide the rectangle into the four quadrants via color coding.

[0038] The second field on the line can, analogous to the one described above, assume four field color states using two different colors. For example, the second field can be used to further divide the quadrant of the rectangle identified by the first field into four sub-quadrants, with these four sub-quadrants preferably being divided analogously to the four quadrants of the rectangle. In other words, the same corners of the rectangle and the respective quadrant are assigned the same color.

[0039] The preferred third field allows, analogous to the previously described, each of the intermediate quadrants to be divided into four sub-quadrants, advantageously using the same color assignment that is also used for dividing the quadrants into intermediate quadrants and the rectangle into squares.

[0040] In this way, 4 3The 64 fields within the rectangle can be uniquely identified. The color coding makes it particularly easy to assign a customized cable to a specific position in the coordinate system. This allows for the efficient and highly reliable customization of a large number of cables in a straightforward manner.

[0041] It is also possible, as briefly mentioned above, to achieve even finer identification and thus more precise individualization of the cable by means of alphanumeric housing compartment labeling. While alphanumeric individualization of a cable is not as intuitive and quick to recognize as color coding, it allows for a significantly broader range of information and can therefore be advantageous for very fine individualization. However, individualization based on color assignment is generally preferred because it offers a particularly low susceptibility to errors in the identification and assignment of the individualized cable to a specific device. SHORT FIGURE DESCRIPTION Fig. Figure 1 shows an example field with two grids of different colors to create an apparently mixed field color. Fig. Figure 2 shows a field with a second rasterization to generate another apparent field color. Fig. Figure 3 shows a field of a third rasterization to generate a third apparent field color. Fig. Figure 4 shows a field of a fourth rasterization to generate a fourth apparent field color. Fig. 5 shows a field of a fifth rasterization for a particularly effective effect. Fig. Figure 6 shows a field of a sixth rasterization for another particularly effective effect. WAYS TO IMPLEMENT THE INVENTION

[0042] Fig. Figure 1 shows a field 10 with a first ink applied in a first grid 12 and a second ink applied in a second grid 14. The field 10 is located on the outer surface of a power line 16 and allows the power line 16 to be customized. For example, the grid pattern shown, which corresponds to the shape of a checkered flag, can also be modified so that both grids 12 and 14 are formed by the first or second ink, thus creating a solid color for the field. In this case, the field would not have a color that appears to be a mixture, but rather exactly the color of the first or second ink used. By using two different colors, it is possible to achieve a total of four different field color states for the field 10. When using x separate fields to be printed, customization in 4 x Categories are created.

[0043] Fig. Figure 2 shows another field 20 with a first grid 22 of a first ink of a first color and a second grid 24 of a second ink of a second color. Additionally, field 20, unlike the one in Fig. The field 10 shown in Figure 1 is provided with a printed background 26, for example, a third grid, in a third color, which fills at least some of the spaces between the two checkered-flag-shaped grids 22 and 24, thus creating another seemingly mixed field color. When using blue for the first grid 22, yellow for the second grid 24, and red for the background 26, field 20 appears brown to the naked eye when viewed from a distance of between 30 cm and 50 cm. Field 20 of the Fig. 2 is applied to a power line 28 to individualize it.

[0044] Fig. Figure 3 shows a variation of field 30 in which no flag-shaped grids are used. Fig. Figure 3 shows a field 30, which is bordered by a frame 32 that defines the rectangular outline of the field 30. Within the frame 32 is a fine hatching 34 which, at a sufficient distance, together with the white background of the field 30, conveys a gray field color. The field 30 is also made of Fig. 3 is applied to a power line 36 to individualize it.

[0045] Fig. Figure 4 shows another variant of field 40. Within its generally rectangular outline, field 40 has individual black dots 42 arranged in a grid pattern, which are printed onto a power line 44 for individualization. When viewed from a distance, field 40 appears to be a slightly lighter shade of gray than field 30. Fig. 3. Thus, by using different densities of rasterization of the ink in the field, another means of changing the seemingly mixed field color can be applied without actually having to provide further colors of the ink used.

[0046] Fig. Figure 5 shows another variant of field 50. In field 50, a first ink applied in a first grid 52 and a second ink applied in a second grid 54 are printed. In a right-left direction in Fig. In 5, adjacent halftone dot rows each have different spacings D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D6. These spacings are the same for both halftone screens 52 and 54 to ensure that the ink fields assigned to the individual halftone dots do not overlap as much as possible. The spacings D1-D7 are also referred to as stroke spacings and are modulated as described above and in the following claims. Fig. The modulation of the distance between adjacent grid point positions shown in Figure 5 is one-dimensional (in Fig. 5 in right-left direction).

[0047] The modulation of these stroke intervals D1-D7 makes it more difficult for the viewer's eye / brain to recognize the regularity of grids 52 and 54. This intensifies the effect of the two colors used for the respective grids 52 and 54 virtually blending together.

[0048] Fig. Figure 6 shows another variant of field 60. This variant represents an alternative to the one in Fig. The field 50 shown in Figure 5 also features two grids 62 and 64, which have modulated stroke spacings relative to each other. Furthermore, the distance between adjacent grid point positions is not only modulated one-dimensionally in terms of stroke spacing, but also two-dimensionally in the direction perpendicular to the stroke spacing (in Fig. 6 of the top-bottom direction).

[0049] The two-dimensional modulation of the grid point positions reinforces the effect of virtual blending described above compared to the in Fig. The structure shown in section 5 is further developed.

Claims

[1] Method for individualizing a line (16) for use in an on-board system of a motor vehicle, comprising Pretreating an outer surface of the conduit (16), Applying a first ink of a first color to a field (10, 20, 50, 60) of an outer surface of the conduit (16) and Applying a second ink of a second color to the field (10, 20, 50, 60) of the outer surface of the conductor (16), where both the first and second inks are particle-free, where the first ink is applied in a first grid (12,22,52,62) and the second ink is applied in a second grid (14,24,54,64), wherein the first grid (12,22,52,62) and the second grid (14,24,54,64) are dimensioned and offset from each other in the field (10,20,50,60) such that the field (10,20,50,60) appears to the naked eye from a distance of between 30 cm and 50 cm in a field color which results from a mixture of the first and the second color. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the first grid (12,22,52,62) and the second grid (14,24,54,64) each define a regular arrangement of grid points, wherein the rule according to which grid points are arranged within at least one of the grids results in one- or two-dimensionally varying distances between adjacent grid points within the grid. [3] Method according to claim 1, wherein the first grid (12,22,52,62) and also the second grid (14,24,54,64) form the shape of a checkered flag. [4] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the field (10, 20, 50, 60) is defined by a rectangular, elliptical, or triangular contour. [5] Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first ink is applied by a first printhead and the second ink is applied by a second printhead. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second inks are selected from a total of at least three different colored inks, whereby at least seven different field colors can be produced, wherein the first and second inks are selected from four different colored inks, whereby at least ten different field colors can be produced. [7] Method according to claim 6, wherein the different colored inks have the colors red, yellow and blue and additionally black. [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein ink in the form of an alphanumeric symbol is additionally applied to the conductor (16). [9] Apparatus for carrying out a method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising at least two printheads arranged and designed in such a way that they can each apply an ink of a respective color to a field (10, 20, 50, 60) of an outer surface of a conduit (16) for use in an on-board system of a motor vehicle, a control device designed to apply a first ink in a first grid (12,22,52,62) and a second ink in a second grid (14,24,54,64) in such a manner, that the first grid (12,22,52,62) and the second grid (14,24,54,64) are dimensioned and offset from each other in the field such that the field (10,20,50,60) appears to the naked eye from a distance of between 30 cm and 50 cm in a field color that results from a mixture of the first and the second color. [10] Device according to claim 9, comprising four printheads designed to apply four different colored inks to the field (10, 20, 50, 60).

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