Device and method for cutting into an insulating layer of a conductor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (10) for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor (12), comprising - a holding device (14) for securing the conductor (12) coated with the insulating layer, and - a rotary mounted circular blade (16), wherein the device (10) is designed such that the circular blade (16) and the conductor (12) fixed in the holding device (14) are movable relative to each other in such a way that a circumferential cut in the insulation layer of the conductor (12) can be produced by means of the circular blade (16). Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor (12), preferably with the above device (10). Furthermore, the present invention encompasses the use of the above device (10) or the above method for carrying out a test procedure for a conductor (12) coated with an insulating layer, in particular for carrying out a test 8 of Chapter 6.6 of IEC 60851-3:2023.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor.

[0002] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor, preferably with the above device.

[0003] Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the above device or method for carrying out a test procedure on a conductor coated with an insulating layer.

[0004] Electrical conductors with an insulating layer, such as flat wires, are used in various industries, including the automotive sector, due to their versatility. Flat wires are used, for example, in vehicle systems such as motors, sensors, and wiring. The quality of the conductors is crucial for the performance and reliability of the electrical components, ensuring safe energy transmission and distribution.

[0005] To verify that the conductors meet the high requirements and offer reliable conductivity and insulation, tests according to section 6.6 of IEC 60851-3:2023 are performed, particularly to check the adhesion of the insulation layer after the conductor is stretched. Before the stretch test, the insulation layer is cut, taking care to ensure that the insulation layer is cut completely, ideally without damaging the underlying conductor. The cut is usually made manually with a sharp tool. The conductor is then stretched to check whether the insulation adheres firmly to the conductor or detaches.

[0006] Manual incision has the disadvantage that the incision is not easily reproducible, and the result of the adhesion test therefore depends heavily on the skill of the person performing the incision. This procedure thus has room for improvement.

[0007] EP 2 747 225 B1 discloses a method and a device for removing a shield from a cable.

[0008] DE 10 2024 116 276 A1 describes a device and a method for producing a notch for stripping insulation.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to overcome at least one disadvantage of the prior art, at least partially. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to enable reliable and / or reproducible testing of a conductor. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to perform the cutting of the conductor's insulation layer reproducibly, precisely, and with a low risk of damaging the conductor itself.

[0010] The solution of the present invention is achieved by a device for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor having the features of claim 1, a method for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor according to claim 9 and a use of the above device or the above method according to claim 10.

[0011] According to the invention, a device for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor is provided, comprising - a holding device for securing the conductor coated with the insulating layer, and - a rotatably mounted circular blade, wherein the device is designed such that the circular blade and the conductor fixed in the holding device are movable relative to each other in such a way that a circumferential cut in the insulation layer of the conductor can be produced by means of the circular blade.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the invention, a method for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor, preferably with the above device, is provided, comprising the steps - Securing the conductor coated with the insulating layer in a holding device of a apparatus, the apparatus comprising a rotatably mounted circular blade, and - Creating a circumferential cut in the insulation layer using the circular blade by guiding the conductor secured in the holding device around the circular blade, by rotating the conductor secured in the holding device around a longitudinal axis of the conductor, and / or by guiding the circular blade around the conductor secured in the holding device.

[0013] One aspect of the invention is that the device includes a rotatably mounted circular blade used to cut the insulation layer of the conductor secured in the holding device. The circular blade is preferably mounted to rotate freely – that is, it can rotate freely around its axis of rotation in at least one direction. The circular blade can be electrically driven, thereby performing the rotational movement by supplying electrical energy. Alternatively, the circular blade can be manually driven and set in motion without electrical drive. The circular blade enables a precise and reproducible cutting result. In particular, the device allows for a circumferential cut in the conductor's insulation layer by enabling the circular blade and the conductor secured in the holding device to move relative to each other.In this context, "movable relative to each other" refers to translational and / or rotational movements of the circular blade and / or the conductor secured in the holding device, whereby either only one of the components is moved or both components are moved. It may be provided that the circular blade essentially does not undergo any translational movement during cutting, and the conductor secured in the holding device is guided in a circular motion around the circular blade. Furthermore, it may be provided that the circular blade essentially does not undergo any translational movement during cutting, and the conductor secured in the holding device is rotated about its longitudinal axis. Finally, it may be provided that the conductor secured in the holding device essentially does not undergo any translational movement during cutting, and the circular blade is guided circumferentially around the conductor.Furthermore, mixed forms of the described movement patterns are possible.

[0014] The device has the advantage that such circumferential cuts in the insulation layer can be made very precisely at right angles to the longitudinal extent of the conductor, which enables a reliable test of the adhesion of the insulation layer.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is designed such that the conductor, which is fixed in the holding device, can be rotated about its longitudinal axis to create the circumferential cut. This simplifies the design of the device, since the conductor fixed in the holding device does not undergo any translational movement during the cutting process. Instead, the conductor is rotated about its longitudinal axis.

[0016] In this context, a further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the holding device for rotating the conductor secured in the holding device about the longitudinal axis of the conductor is rotatably mounted on a base body of the device. Preferably, the conductor is rotated together with the holding device. The holding device is preferably mounted on the base body of the device using rolling bearings, as these are durable, require little maintenance, and offer low frictional resistance and high precision. Preferably, the holding device is rotatably mounted on the base body on both sides of the circular blade, which enables a robust construction and allows for precise cuts perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the conductor.

[0017] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is designed such that, during the creation of the circumferential cut, the circular blade of the device exerts a constant load of ± 10%, preferably ± 8%, and particularly preferably ± 5% on the insulation layer. This ensures, in particular, that the cut is uniform around the circumference of the conductor. It is further preferred that the load is predefinable and adaptable to the conductor and / or the insulation layer.

[0018] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the circular blade is used to create the circumferential cut by acting upon the conductor, which is fixed in the holding device, from above with respect to gravity. This has the advantage that the load on the conductor is exerted by the force of gravity and can therefore be adjusted by using different weights. Alternatively, a constant load on the circular blade against the insulation layer can be generated by means of a spring. A spring can also be used to amplify the force of gravity.

[0019] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the device comprises a blade holder pivotably mounted on the base of the device relative to the conductor secured in the holding device. This allows the circular blade to act on the conductor secured in the holding device from above when creating the cut. In particular, the pivotability of the blade holder also allows the non-rotationally symmetrical circumference of conductors to be compensated for by a pivoting movement of the circular blade when the conductor is rotated about its longitudinal axis. This also ensures that the load acting on the conductor remains largely constant when the conductor is rotated, i.e., changes by no more than ± 10%, preferably no more than ± 8%, and most preferably no more than ± 5% during the cutting process.The blade holder can also be used to attach different weights to it in order to preset the load acting on the ladder.

[0020] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the holding device comprises a clamping block and a threaded screw extending through an axle journal for clamping the conductor. Particularly preferably, the holding device has a pair of clamping blocks and threaded screws, each preferably extending through the axle journal of the rolling bearing and fixing the conductor on both sides of the circular blade / blade holder. This ensures secure fastening of the conductor during the cutting process.

[0021] According to the invention, the device includes an electrical contacting device such that a signal is generated as soon as the circular blade makes contact with the conductor. This ensures that the conductor is subjected to minimal stress during the cutting process. Furthermore, it allows for verification of complete severance of the insulation layer. Preferably, due to the electrical contacting device, the conductor and the circular blade form a circuit that is closed as soon as the circular blade has cut through the insulation layer and made electrical contact with the conductor. In other words, an electrical continuity test is preferably used. The signal can be electrical, optical, and / or acoustic.

[0022] With regard to the conductor, a further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the conductor is designed as a flat wire and / or has a non-circular circumference. Flat wires, particularly in motors, allow for denser packing due to their flat shape, which increases space utilization and enables material savings. Furthermore, flat wires exhibit better heat dissipation compared to round wires and tend to have higher mechanical strength. In addition, flat wires offer lower electrical resistance, particularly in applications requiring high current densities, and thus improved electrical performance.

[0023] The conductor is preferably made of copper, aluminum, and / or an alloy thereof. The insulating layer can be a lacquer insulation. Alternatively, it can be a polymer coating made of materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide-imide (PAI), polyethyleneimine (PEI), polyimide (PI), and / or polyetheretherketone (PEEK). PEEK, in particular, is used as an insulating layer in many demanding applications, such as high-voltage applications above 800 V, due to its good thermal and chemical resistance as well as its mechanical properties.

[0024] Due to its design, the described device is particularly well suited for cutting flat wires, whereby precise circumferential cuts in the insulation layer at a right angle to the longitudinal extent of the conductor can be achieved using the device without risk of damaging the conductor.

[0025] Further technical features, effects and advantages of the device will become apparent to the person skilled in the art from the following description of the method for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor, the use of the device and the embodiment in the description of the figures.

[0026] As already mentioned, the invention further relates to a method for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor, preferably with the device described above, comprising the steps - Securing the conductor coated with the insulating layer in the holding device of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising the rotatably mounted circular blade, and - Creating the circumferential cut in the insulation layer by means of the circular blade by guiding the conductor fixed in the holding device around the circular blade, by rotating the conductor fixed in the holding device around the longitudinal axis of the conductor, and / or by guiding the circular blade around the conductor fixed in the holding device.

[0027] Preferably, the circumferential cut is created by rotating the conductor, which is secured in the holding device, around the longitudinal axis of the conductor, most preferably together with the holding device. This is preferably done manually. It is further preferably provided that any non-rotationally symmetrical circumference of the conductor is compensated for during rotation by a movement of the circular blade, preferably a pivoting movement.

[0028] According to the invention, the method includes the step of generating a signal as soon as the circular blade comes into electrical contact with the conductor. This is preferably achieved via the electrical contacting device. In this way, it can be easily ensured that the insulating layer is cut. In particular, if the signal, for example an optical or acoustic signal, is generated continuously during a rotation of the conductor about its longitudinal axis, it is ensured that the insulating layer is cut all the way around.

[0029] The method has the advantage that it allows for easily reproducible cuts into the insulating layer of the conductor.

[0030] Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the device or method described above for performing a test procedure on a conductor coated with an insulating layer, in particular for performing test 8 of IEC 60851-3:2023 as described in Chapter 6.6. The use of the device and / or method has the advantage that the result of the test does not depend on the skills of the person performing the incision in the insulating layer. Accordingly, reproducible test results are obtained.

[0031] The invention is further explained below with reference to the figures, whereby one or more features of the figures, individually or in combination, can constitute a feature of the invention. Furthermore, the figures are to be considered merely exemplary and in no way limiting. Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a device for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. Figure 2 schematically shows a perspective sectional view through the device of the Fig. 1, Fig. Figure 3 schematically shows another sectional view through the device of the Fig. 1, and Fig. Figure 4 schematically shows another sectional view - orthogonal to the view in Fig. 3 - by the device of Fig. 1.

[0032] In the Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a device 10 for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor 12 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Further sectional views through the device 10 are shown in the Fig. Shown 2 to 4.

[0033] The device 10 comprises a holding device 14 for securing the conductor 12 coated with the insulating layer, and a rotatably mounted circular blade 16. Fig. In Figure 1, the circular blade 16 itself is not visible, as it is concealed by a blade holder 18 which is pivotably mounted on a base body 20 of the device 10. In the sectional views in the Fig. The circular blade 16 is visible in figures 2 to 4. In the present embodiment, the circular blade 16 is freely rotating and cannot be electrically driven.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the conductor 12, which is fixed in the holding device 14, is rotatable about a longitudinal axis 26 of the conductor 12. To rotate the conductor 12 about the longitudinal axis 26, the holding device 14 is rotatably mounted on the base body 20, so that the conductor 12 is rotatable together with the holding device 14, which is shown schematically in Fig. Figure 3 is shown with arrow 28. The holding device 14 is supported in this case by rolling bearings 30 (see in particular). Fig. 4).

[0035] It is also good in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4, the holding device 14 in the present embodiment comprises a clamping block 32 and a threaded screw 36 extending through an axle journal 34 of the rolling bearing 30 for clamping and securing the conductor 12. The holding device 14 is designed as a pair, each of which secures the conductor 12 on both sides of the round blade 16 / blade holder 18.

[0036] Accordingly, the device 10 enables a circumferential cut into the insulation layer of the conductor 12 by allowing the circular blade 16 and the conductor 12, which is fixed in the holding device 14, to move relative to each other, whereby the conductor 12 fixed in the holding device 14 is rotated about its longitudinal axis 26 during the cutting process. In the present embodiment, the rotation of the conductor 12 fixed in the holding device 14 is performed manually. The rotation of the conductor 12 fixed in the holding device 14 sets the circular blade 16, which bears on the insulation layer, into a rotational movement, as shown in Fig. 3 is schematically indicated by the arrow 24.

[0037] The circular blade 16 acts from above on the conductor 12, which is secured in the holding device 14, when creating the cut. Due to the pivotability of the blade holder 18, the non-rotationally symmetrical circumference of the conductor 12, which has a rectangular cross-section, is compensated for by the pivoting movement of the circular blade 16 when the conductor 12 is rotated about its longitudinal axis 26. This ensures that the load acting on the conductor 12, as described in Fig. 3 is schematically indicated by the arrow 38, which remains largely constant when the conductor 12 is rotated.

[0038] Furthermore, particularly in the Fig. 1 and Fig.As can be seen in Figure 4, the device 10 comprises an electrical contacting device 40 such that a signal is generated as soon as the circular blade 16 makes contact with the conductor 12. In this case, an LED light 42 begins to emit light upon electrical contact. The main switch 22 can be operated to activate the contacting device 40.

[0039] The device 10 enables a method for cutting the insulation layer of the conductor 12. In a first step, the conductor 12, coated with the insulation layer, is secured in the holding device 14. Then, a circumferential cut is made in the insulation layer using the circular blade 16 by rotating the conductor 12, secured in the holding device 14, about its longitudinal axis 26. The rotation of the conductor 12, and thus the creation of the circumferential cut, continues until a continuous signal is generated by the contacting device 40 for the duration of one rotation of the conductor 12 about its longitudinal axis 26. Reference symbol list 10 Device 12 ladders 14 Holding device 16 round blade 18 blade holders 20 basic shapes 22 Main switches 24 Arrow, rotational movement of the round blade 26 Longitudinal axis of the conductor 28 Arrow, rotary movement holding device and ladder 30 rolling bearings 32 terminal block 34 axle stubs 36 threaded screw 38 Arrow, constant load 40 electrical contacting device 42 LED light

Claims

[1] Device (10) for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor (12), comprising - a holding device (14) for securing the conductor (12) coated with the insulating layer, and - a rotatably mounted circular blade (16), wherein the device (10) is designed such that the circular blade (16) and the conductor (12) fixed in the holding device (14) are movable relative to each other in such a way that a circumferential cut in the insulating layer of the conductor (12) can be produced by means of the circular blade (16), wherein the device (10) comprises an electrical contacting device (40) such that a signal is generated as soon as contact is made between the circular blade (16) and the conductor (12). [2] Device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the device (10) is designed such that, in order to produce the circumferential cut, the ladder (12) fixed in the holding device (14) is rotatable about a longitudinal axis (26) of the ladder (12). [3] Device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding device (14) for rotating the conductor (12) fixed in the holding device (14) about the longitudinal axis (26) of the conductor (12) is rotatorably mounted on a base body (20). [4] Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (10) is designed such that during the creation of the circumferential cut the circular blade (16) of the device (10) acts on the insulation layer with a constant load (38) ± 10%, preferably ± 8%, and particularly preferably ± 5%. [5] Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (10) is designed such that, in order to produce the circumferential cut, the circular blade (16) acts from above on the conductor (12) fixed in the holding device (14) with respect to gravity. [6] Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (10) comprises a blade holder (18) pivotably mounted on a base body (30) relative to the conductor (12) fixed in the holding device (14). [7] Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the holding device (14) comprises a clamping block (32) and a threaded screw (36) extending through an axle pin (34) for clamping the conductor (12). [8] Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conductor (12) is designed as a flat wire and / or has a non-circular circumference. [9] Method for cutting an insulating layer of a conductor (12), preferably with a device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps - Securing the conductor (12) coated with the insulating layer in a holding device (14) of a device (10), wherein the device (10) comprises a rotatably mounted circular blade (16), - Creating a circumferential cut in the insulation layer by means of the circular blade (16) by guiding the conductor (12) secured in the holding device (14) around the circular blade (16), by rotating (28) the conductor (12) secured in the holding device (14) about a longitudinal axis (26) of the conductor (12), and / or by guiding the circular blade (16) around the conductor (12) secured in the holding device (14), and - Generating a signal as soon as the circular blade (16) comes into electrical contact with the conductor (12). [10] Use of a device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or of the method according to claim 9 for carrying out a test procedure on a conductor (12) coated with an insulating layer, in particular for carrying out a test 8 of Chapter 6.6 of IEC 60851-3:2023.

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