Automated cable wire processing
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024141838
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-08-24
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-23
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-11
Smart Images
Figure 2025032066000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates generally to techniques for automated cable wire selection and processing. [Background technology]
[0002]
[0002] Connectors of various kinds are often used to conductively couple one cable to another cable and / or to an electronic device for the transmission of data and / or power. The manufacture of electronic connectors typically requires that one or more processing steps be applied to the cable wires intended for use with the electronic connector. Such processing steps include, by way of example only, cracking the insulating jacket, trimming the shield, stripping the jacket, inspection, and / or crimping the contacts. Summary of the Invention
[0003]
[0003] This summary is not an extensive overview of the specification. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the specification or to delineate any scope of particular embodiments or any claims of the specification. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the specification in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description presented in the present disclosure.
[0004]
[0004] A method for automated cable wire processing includes receiving a set of two or more cable wires including at least a first cable wire disposed at a selection location and a second cable wire disposed at a distance from the selection location. A cable selection tool is automatically moved into contact with the set of two or more cable wires, whereby contact between the cable selection tool and the first cable wire extends a tip portion of the first cable wire into a working area and contact between the cable selection tool and the second cable wire moves a tip portion of the second cable wire out of the working area. One or more tip processing steps are applied to the tip portion of the first cable wire within the working area.
[0005]
[0005] The features, functions, and advantages discussed may be realized individually in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments, further details of which can be understood with reference to the following description and drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0006] [Figure 1A] 1A to 1C show a schematic diagram of the end preparation of a set of cable wires. [Figure 1B] 1A to 1C show schematic diagrams of the end treatment of a set of cable wires. [Figure 1C] 1A to 1C show schematic diagrams of the end treatment of a set of cable wires. [Diagram 2]
[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method for automated cable wire processing. [Figure 3A]
[0008] 3A and 3B illustrate generally an exemplary cable end preparation system in which a cable selection tool is used to select cable wires. [Figure 3B] 3A and 3B illustrate generally an exemplary cable end preparation system in which a cable selection tool is used to select cable wires. [Figure 4A]
[0009] 4A-4C show diagrammatically the delivery of a set of cable wires to a selected location. [Figure 4B] 4A-4C show diagrammatically the delivery of a set of cable wires to a selected location. [Figure 4C] 4A-4C show diagrammatically the delivery of a set of cable wires to a selected location. [Diagram 5]
[0010] 1 illustrates several aspects of an exemplary cable separation tool. [Figure 6A]
[0011] 1 illustrates an exemplary cable redirection comb. [Figure 6B]
[0012] 6B and 6C show various views of an exemplary cable selection tool. [Figure 6C] 6B and 6C show various views of an exemplary cable selection tool. [Figure 6D]
[0013] 13 illustrates the use of a cable selection tool and a cable redirection comb to select one cable wire of a set of cable wires. [Figure 7A]
[0014] 7A-7C show diagrammatically the application of a tip preparation process to a cable tip within a working area. [Figure 7B] 7A-7C show diagrammatically the application of a tip preparation process to a cable tip within a working area. [Figure 7C] 7A-7C show diagrammatically the application of a tip preparation process to a cable tip within a working area. [Figure 8]
[0015] 13A-B are schematic diagrams illustrating the attachment of conductive contacts to cable wires within a working area; [Figure 9]
[0016] 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0007]
[0017] The present disclosure is directed to automated techniques for cable wire selection and processing. For example, the techniques described herein can be used to prepare a set of cable wires prior to assembly into a cable connector (e.g., a wire harness) by applying one or more processing steps to the ends of the cable wires. Such processing steps can include, as some examples, cutting the cable wires to length, slitting and removing a segment of the insulating jacket near the end of the cable, trimming the cable shield, stripping the conductors, crimping the contacts, and / or inserting the cable wires into a cable connector housing.
[0008]
[0018] Any or all of these processing steps are applied to the tips of the "selected" cable wires automatically according to the techniques described herein. Specifically, a cable tip processing system receives a set of two or more cable wires (e.g., transported by a conveyor system along an automated assembly line) and then moves a cable selection tool to contact the set of cable wires. Contact between the cable selection tool and at least one cable wire that is in the "selected" position (e.g., due to the movement of the conveyor system) extends the cable wire into the working area where a tip processing step is applied. Contact between the cable selection tool and any other cable wires that are positioned away from the selection position causes the other cable wires to move away from the working area. For example, the other cable wires are bent out of the way.
[0009]
[0019] In this manner, the processing steps may be applied to one or more selected cable wires at a time, while any unselected cable wires are moved out of the way. The process may be repeated any number of times to select and process any cable wires currently in the selected position. For example, a conveyor system may be controlled to move previously selected wires away from the selected position while placing new cable wires in the selected position. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the selection and processing techniques described herein may be performed at one or more stations along an automated assembly line. For example, slitting and removing the jacket may be performed at a first station, while crimping the contacts may be performed at a second station, visual inspection may be performed at a third station, etc. In this manner, the techniques described herein facilitate automated cable processing techniques that beneficially reduce the manual labor required in the assembly of cable connectors, which may reduce costs, reduce reject rates, and reduce ergonomic worker strain.
[0010]
[0020] A cable wire process is illustrated generally with respect to Figures 1A-1C. It will be understood that the specific components illustrated in Figures 1A-1C, as well as other Figures 2-8, described herein, are highly simplified for illustrative purposes. The size, shape, and specific features of the components illustrated in Figures 1A-8 are non-limiting and are not drawn to scale.
[0011]
[0021] Specifically, FIG. 1A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary cable 100 including three different cable wires 102A-C. FIG. 1A-C are intended to show exemplary processing steps that may be applied to the cable wires after selection via a selection technique that will be described in more detail below. As used herein, "cable wire" includes a length of material (e.g., copper wire, optical fiber) used for data and / or power transmission that is often covered with a protective material (e.g., plastic or rubber insulation, grounded shielding). In other words, the term "cable wire" often refers herein simply to the conductive (e.g., copper) or non-conductive (e.g., optical fiber) core of the cable, but may also further refer to any coating, insulation, and / or shielding added to the core.
[0012]
[0022] A "cable" includes one or more different cable wires. When a cable includes only one cable wire, the terms "cable wire" and "cable" may be used interchangeably. However, in some embodiments, a cable includes two or more cable wires bundled together. For example, in one embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1C, cable 100 is a multi-conductor cable including three different cable wires 102A-C. In other words, cable wires 102A-C take the form of different conductive copper wires, each coated with their own respective insulating cable jacket, and bundled together with additional insulation and / or shielding to form multi-conductor cable 100. In some embodiments, a "cable" is a shielded twisted pair cable, in which case the different cable wires include pairs of twisted conductors and are protected by an insulating jacket. The twisted pairs are themselves bundled together and surrounded by additional shielding and / or insulation to form a shielded twisted pair cable. In any event, it will be understood that the selection and processing techniques described herein may be used with a variety of different suitable types of cables.
[0013]
[0023] As described above, the tip preparation process applied to the selected cable wires may include slitting and removing a portion of the insulating jacket of the cable wire. For example, for cable wire 102C, a portion of the insulating jacket is stripped away to expose the conductive core 104. As will be described in more detail below, this may occur after cable wire 102C has been selected for preparation. For example, a cable selection tool applied to a set of cable wires may result in cable wire 102C extending into the work area, where the jacket is slit and removed while other cable wires are bent out of the way.
[0014]
[0024] As another non-limiting example, the tipping process may include attachment of conductive contacts to the cable wires. This is shown diagrammatically with respect to FIG. 1B, where conductive contacts 106A-C are attached to cable wires 102A-C. For example, as will be described in more detail below, this may be done by a cable contact attachment system that crimps the conductive contacts onto the conductive ends of selected cable wires.
[0015]
[0025] In some embodiments, the cable wire selection and processing techniques described herein are used to prepare cable wires for assembly into a cable connector, such as a wire harness. This is shown diagrammatically with respect to FIG. 1C. In that case, cable wires 102A-C, including conductive contacts 106A-C, are inserted into a cable insertion module 108. Together, the cable wires, cable insertion module, and conductive contacts comprise a male cable connector. In some embodiments, the assembly shown in FIG. 1C is one component of a larger modular cable connector. In that case, other cables attached to other cable insertion modules are collectively held by the modular retainer. It will be understood that the particular size, shape, and appearance of the cable connector shown in FIG. 1C are non-limiting. For example, in some embodiments, the cable wires may be conductively coupled with female recesses instead of or in addition to male conductive pins.
[0016]
[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method 200 for cable wire selection and processing. For example, method 200 can be used to perform cable processing such as that shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, such as slitting and removing a jacket and / or attaching conductive contacts, prior to insertion into a module of a cable connector assembly. Method 200 is described primarily as being performed by a cable processing system. The cable processing system takes the form of any suitable computing system of one or more computing devices. For example, one or more computing devices can control movement of a cable selection tool, control operation of a conveyor system, control operation of machines used to directly perform cable processing (e.g., contact crimping machines), etc. It will be appreciated that any computing device implementing the steps of method 200 has any suitable capabilities, hardware configuration, and form factor. In some embodiments, method 200 is implemented by a computing system 900, described below with respect to FIG. 9.
[0017]
[0027] At 202, the method 200 includes receiving a set of two or more cable wires including at least a first cable wire disposed at a selected location and a second cable wire disposed at a distance from the selected location. In some embodiments, the set of two or more cable wires may be transported by a conveyor system, and thus "receiving" the set of two or more cable wires may include stopping the conveyor system to place the first cable wire at the selected location. This will be described in more detail with respect to FIGS. 4A-4C. In other embodiments, the set of cable wires may be received and the first cable wire may be placed at the selected location in any other suitable manner. For example, the set of cable wires may be provided to the cable processing system via any suitable mechanism (e.g., via a robotic arm) or may be manually placed by operating personnel, as further embodiments.
[0018]
[0028] As will be explained in more detail below, a "selection location" refers to a region of space where contact between a cable wire and a cable selection tool causes a tip portion of the cable wire to extend into the working area for processing. As will be explained in more detail below, any cable wire located away from the selection location is bent out of the working area when contacted by the cable selection tool. Thus, the particular area defined as a "selection location" depends on the particular size, shape, location, and range of motion of the cable selection tool. Similarly, a "working area" is defined as a region of space where a tip processing process may be applied to the tip of a cable wire residing within the working area. Thus, the particular size, shape, and location of the working area depends on the particular implementation, e.g., the capabilities and range of motion of any tools used to perform the tip processing process.
[0019]
[0029] Continuing with method 200, at 204, the method includes automatically moving the cable selection tool into contact with a set of two or more cable wires, the contact extending a distal portion of the cable positioned at the selection location (e.g., the "first" cable wire) into the work area while bending distal portions of any cable wires positioned away from the selection location (e.g., including the "second" cable wire) out of the work area.
[0020]
[0030] This process is illustrated generally with respect to Figures 3A and 3B. In particular, Figure 3A generally illustrates an exemplary cable processing system 300 used to process a multi-conductor cable 302. In this example, the cable 302 includes three cable wires 304A, 304B, and 304C extending away from the cable 302. In other words, in this example, the set of cable wires 304A-C are bundled together within a common insulating jacket as the multi-conductor cable 302. Thereby, each individual cable wire may be individually selected and processed. It will be appreciated that in other examples, the set of two or more cable wires may include two or more different cables, and each of the two or more different cables may include one or more cable wires.
[0021]
[0031] In this example, cable wires 304A-C are shown extending from only one end of multi-conductor cable 302. However, it will be understood that the cable selections and processes described herein may be applied to cable wires extending from one or both ends of a multi-conductor cable.
[0022]
[0032] As shown, the cable management system 300 includes a cable selection tool 306, which in this example is positioned above the set of cable wires 304A-C. In this example, the cable management system 300 further includes a cable redirection comb 308. As will be described below with respect to FIGURE 3B, movement of the cable selection tool 306 toward the cable redirection comb 308 compresses the set of two or more cable wires 304A-C between the cable selection tool 306 and the cable redirection comb 308, resulting in selection of the cable wires disposed at the selection position.
[0023]
[0033] In this embodiment, the cable selection tool 306 is positioned above the set of cable wires 304A-C. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the cable selection tool may have other suitable positions and / or orientations relative to the set of cable wires. For example, in one embodiment, the cable selection tool may be positioned below the set of cable wires, while the cable redirection comb is positioned above the set of cable wires.
[0024]
[0034] As will be described in more detail below, the cable redirecting comb 308 includes a number of separator protrusions (e.g., comb "teeth") that define a number of cable channels. In one example of FIG. 3A, each cable wire 304A-C extends through a different corresponding cable channel of the cable redirecting comb 308. The cable wires 304A-C may be moved into the channels of the cable redirecting comb 308 in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, the position (e.g., height) of the cable redirecting comb is dynamically adjustable relative to other components of the cable management system. In this manner, the cable redirecting comb may first be positioned downward (or at another suitable height) relative to the cable wires, while the cable wires are placed in a predefined position, either automatically or by an operating personnel. The cable redirecting comb may then be moved, either manually or automatically, such that the previously positioned cable wires fall into the cable channels of the cable redirecting comb.
[0025]
[0035] In one embodiment of FIG. 3A, a set of cable wires 304A-C is transported by a conveyor system 310. For example, the cable selection tool 306 and the cable redirection comb 308 may be positioned at a predefined assembly station along an automated assembly line. One or more different processing steps are then applied. By controlling the movement of the conveyor system, the cable may be moved from one processing station to another. In one particular embodiment of FIG. 3A, a set of two or more cable wires 304A-C is attached to a pallet 312 that is transported by the conveyor system 310. As will be described in more detail with respect to FIGS. 4A-C, the cable wires may be attached to a predefined arrangement with respect to the pallet, such as by being held in different channels of a cable separation fixture. It will be understood that this particular transport scenario is non-limiting and that multiple sets of cable wires may be transported to and / or from the cable management system in any suitable manner.
[0026]
[0036] 3A further illustrates the camera 314. In some embodiments, the cable processing systems described herein include one or more cameras for visually inspecting the cable wires. This may be done, for example, to verify that a current or previous processing step was completed successfully. For example, visual inspection may be used to verify that the cable wires are present, that they have been cut to the proper length, that the jacket was properly scored and removed, that the shielding was properly trimmed without leaving extra strands of shielding material, that the conductive contacts were properly attached, etc. Images captured by the camera may be processed in any suitable manner, such as via a previously trained computer vision system and / or manually by operating personnel.
[0027]
[0037] In some embodiments, visual inspection is performed before, during, or after the end treatment step is applied. In some embodiments, the "end treatment step" described herein includes visual inspection via one or more cameras. For example, in some embodiments, an automated assembly line may include one or more stations where the only end treatment step applied is visual inspection via a camera system, e.g., to verify that one or more previous end treatment steps have been performed successfully. As an example, during visual inspection, all cable wires of a set of cable wires may be selected. Thereby, visual inspection may be performed on each cable wire at a time.
[0028]
[0038] It will be appreciated that any suitable type and number of cameras may be used. For example, in one embodiment, an array of four cameras is used to capture images of one or more selected cable wires extending into the work area. Such cameras may include visible light cameras, infrared cameras, depth cameras, and / or other suitable types of cameras.
[0029]
[0039] 3A also includes a representation of a controller 316. As used herein, a "controller" includes any suitable combination of computer logic and / or storage hardware that can be used to perform any or all of the computerized functions described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the controller 316 may control the movement of the cable selection tool 306, the cable redirection comb 308, the conveyor system 310, the behavior of the camera 314, the behavior of one or more machines used to apply the tip treatment process, etc. In some embodiments, the controller 316 is implemented as a computing system 900, described below with respect to FIG. 9.
[0030]
[0040] Once the cable management system receives the set of two or more cable wires, the cable selection tool is moved into contact with the set of cable wires. This is shown diagrammatically with respect to FIG. 3B, again showing the cable management system 300. In this embodiment, the cable selection tool 306 is moved into contact with the cable redirection comb 308. The set of cable wires 304A-C are thereby compressed between the cable selection tool 306 and the cable redirection comb 308. This causes the first cable wire 304A to extend forward into the working area, where a cable tip processing process is applied, as will be described in more detail below. In contrast, the cable wires 304B and 304C are bent away from the working area. In this embodiment, only one cable wire is selected, but it will be understood that this is non-limiting. Rather, in other embodiments, more than one cable wire may be selected at one time. In some embodiments, all cable wires of the set of two or more cable wires are selected.
[0031]
[0041] The cable selection tool is moved toward the set of cable wires at any suitable time and in response to any suitable condition. As one non-limiting example, the controller automatically moves the cable selection tool toward the set of cable wires in response to detecting that the cable wires are properly positioned, for example, based on input from one or more cameras. As further examples, the cable selection tool may be moved automatically in response to the expiration of a timer and / or input from operator personnel. For example, once the cable wires are in place, operator personnel may press a button or provide another suitable input to move the cable selection tool.
[0032]
[0042] The transportation of a set of cable wires using a conveyor system is illustrated generally with respect to FIGS. 4A-4C. In particular, FIG. 4A generally illustrates several aspects of another exemplary cable management system 400. As shown, in this embodiment, a cable 402 is placed on a pallet 404 and transported by a conveyor system 406. The cable includes three different cable wires 408A-408C. In this embodiment, each of the cable wires is held in an individual channel of a cable separation fixture 410 mounted on the pallet. Further non-limiting details regarding suitable cable separation fixtures will be described below with respect to FIG. 5. As discussed above, cable management and selection may be applied to cable wires extending from both ends of a cable in some cases. Thus, in some embodiments, two cable separation fixtures may be mounted on the same pallet, each fixture holding cable wires extending from a different respective end of the cable.
[0033]
[0043] In this embodiment, the cable management system 400 further includes a cable redirection comb 412. The set of cable wires 408A-C are moved toward the cable redirection comb 412 by the conveyor system 406. As described above with respect to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the cable management system 400 may further include a cable selection tool. The cable selection tool, when moved toward the cable redirection comb 412, effects the selection of the cable wire at the selection position. A representation of the selection position 414 is shown in FIG. 4A. In this embodiment, the selection position is defined relative to a particular channel of the cable redirection comb 412. In other words, when a particular cable wire is within the selection position, it will be aligned with the designated channel of the cable redirection comb 412. Any cable wires positioned away from the selection position will occupy other cable channels of the cable redirection comb, and unselected cables are moved away from the working area when contacted by the cable selection tool.
[0034]
[0044] It will be understood that the particular size and location of the selection location shown in FIG. 4A is non-limiting. In general, a selection location may be defined relative to any suitable cable channel of a cable redirection comb, any single feature of a cable selection tool, and / or any other suitable component of a cable management system, such that a cable wire disposed at the selection location extends into the working area when contacted by the cable selection tool. In some examples, the selection location is large enough that multiple cable wires can occupy the selection location at one time, resulting in each cable wire being selected. Additionally or alternatively, multiple different selection locations may be defined.
[0035]
[0045] 4B, the cable management system 400 is again shown in schematic form. In this embodiment, movement of the conveyor system 406 has caused movement of the set of cable wires 408A-C relative to the cable redirection comb 412, as indicated by movement indicator 416. As shown, movement of the set of cable wires 408A-C has caused the first cable wire 408A to enter the selection position 414. Thus, contact with the cable selection tool extends the first cable wire 408A into the work area, as shown in FIG. 3B, while the other cable wires 408B and 408C are positioned away from the selection position and bent away from the work area.
[0036]
[0046] It will be appreciated that movement of the conveyor system may be controlled in any suitable manner. As one example, the conveyor system may be automatically stopped to place the first cable wire at the selected location. For example, movement of the conveyor system may be stopped upon detection of the presence of the first cable wire at the selected location (e.g., via a computer vision system and / or via input by an operator). As another non-limiting example, movement of the conveyor system may be manually stopped and / or started by a human.
[0037]
[0047] 4C, the cable management system 400 is again shown in schematic form. Specifically, FIG. 4C shows the cable management system 400 later in time after a tip treatment has been applied to the first cable wire 408A. In this embodiment, a conductive contact 418 has been attached to the first cable wire 408A.
[0038]
[0048] Further, in this embodiment, the conveyor system is controlled to move the set of cable wires again. In other words, after a tip treatment process (e.g., crimping of conductive contacts) is applied to the tip portion of the first cable wire 408A, the conveyor system 406 is controlled to move the first cable wire away from the selection position 414 and move the second cable wire 408B toward the selection position 414. From there, while the second cable wire 408B is located at the selection position 414, the cable selection tool may again be moved to contact the set of two or more cable wires, extending the tip portion of the second cable wire into the working area, where a tip treatment process may be applied. As the first cable wire has moved away from the selection position, contact with the cable selection tool bends the first cable wire outside of the working area.
[0039]
[0049] As described above, a set of two or more cable wires are optionally attached to a pallet for transport via a conveyor system using a cable separation tool. FIG. 5 illustrates several embodiments of an exemplary cable separation tool 500. As illustrated, the tool includes several different channels, two of which are labeled as channels 502A and 502B. The cable wires of a cable are held within the different channels of the cable separation tool. This forces the cable wires to have fixed positions relative to each other and to the pallet. FIG. 5 also illustrates a spring retention mechanism 504 disposed within the cable separation tool. The spring retention mechanism 504 beneficially compresses the cable wires held within the different channels, helping to reduce movement and slippage of the cable wires.
[0040]
[0050] Exemplary components that may be used with a cable management system will now be described with respect to Figures 6A-6D. In particular, Figure 6A illustrates one non-limiting example of a suitable cable redirection comb 600. As discussed above, the cable redirection comb 600 may be used to affect the direction in which the cable wires extend when the cable wires are compressed between the cable redirection comb and a cable selection tool.
[0041]
[0051] In this embodiment, the cable redirection comb 600 includes a plurality of separator protrusions, two of which are labeled as protrusions 601A and 601B. Each pair of separator protrusions defines a cable channel. The cable redirection comb thereby includes a plurality of different cable channels, two of which are labeled as channels 602 and 604. Generally, the cable redirection comb includes a selection channel and at least one redirection channel. In FIG. 6A, channel 602 is a cable selection channel and channel 604 is a cable redirection channel. The cable redirection comb may include any suitable number of total cable channels. It will be understood that any of them may be a selection channel and / or a redirection channel.
[0042]
[0052] As described above, the presence of a cable wire at a selected position causes the cable wire to occupy a selected channel of the cable redirection comb. Similarly, the presence of another cable wire spaced from the selected position causes the other cable wire to occupy a redirection channel of the cable redirection comb. As described above, in some embodiments, this may be accomplished by moving the cable redirection comb toward a set of cable wires after the set of cable wires has been placed in a predefined position, such that the cable wires snap into place within the cable channels as the cable redirection comb moves. In other embodiments, the cable wires may be fed or otherwise placed into their corresponding cable channels in another suitable manner, such as via a suitable automated mechanism or via manual movement by operating personnel.
[0043]
[0053] The selection channel and the redirection channel have different shapes, thereby affecting the direction in which the cable wire extends after contact with the cable selection tool. As shown in FIG. 6A, the cable selection channel 602 includes a surface 606 that guides the tip portion of the cable wire occupying the channel 602 toward the working area. In this embodiment, the surface of the cable selection channel has a flat shape. In contrast, the redirection channel 604 includes a curved surface 608 that guides the tip portion of the second cable wire occupying the channel 604 away from the working area. For example, contact between the second cable wire and the cable selection tool may cause the cable wire to bend along and conform to the curved surface of the cable redirection channel, which in turn causes the tip of the second cable wire to extend outside the working area. It will be understood that in other embodiments, the surface of the cable channel may have other suitable shapes. For example, in one embodiment, the surface of the cable selection channel may have a cylindrical profile that matches the radius of the cable wire.
[0044]
[0054] 6B and 6C provide two views of an exemplary cable selection tool 610 that can be used with the cable management system described herein. As shown, the cable selection tool 610 includes a front surface 612 with a notch. When the cable selection tool 610 is moved toward the set of cable wires, the front surface 612 with a notch contacts one or more of the set of cable wires. In this embodiment, the cable selection tool 610 further includes a notch 614 in the front surface 612 with a notch corresponding to the selection position. In other words, when the cable selection tool 610 is moved toward the set of cable wires, the cable wires in the selection position occupy the notch 614 in the front surface 612 with a notch. This, combined with the shape of the cable redirection comb described above, causes the cable wires in the selection position to extend into the working area. Contact between the front surface with a notch and any cable wires located away from the selection position bends the tips of the unselected cable wires outside the working area. For example, guided by the curved surface of the cable redirection channel of the cable redirection comb. In embodiments where more than one cable wire is intended to be selected at one time, an alternative cable selection tool may be used having more than one notch and / or notches sized to accommodate more than one cable wire at a time.
[0045]
[0055] 6C, the cable selection tool 610 includes several guide channels that correspond to cable wire positions spaced from the notch 614. Two of them are labeled as guide channels 616A and 616B. The guide channels further serve to direct unselected cable wires away from the work area.
[0046]
[0056] 6D again shows the cable redirection comb 600 and the cable selection tool 610. However, in this embodiment, the cable selection tool 610 has been moved towards the cable redirection comb 600, and a set of cable wires 618A-C are compressed between the cable selection tool 610 and the cable redirection comb 600. As shown, the first cable wire 618A occupies the notch 614. The geometry of the cable selection tool and the cable redirection comb together cause the first cable wire to extend into the working area, while the unselected cable wires 618B and 618C are bent outside the working area.
[0047]
[0057] With brief reference to FIG. 2, at 206 the method 200 includes applying one or more tip treatment processes to a tip portion of the cable extending into the working area. This is illustrated diagrammatically with respect to FIGS. 7A-7C. In particular, FIG. 7A diagrammatically depicts several aspects of an exemplary cable selection tool 700 contacting a cable redirection comb 702. Two cable wires 704A and 704B are thereby compressed between the cable selection tool and the cable redirection comb. A tip portion 706A of a first cable wire 704A extends into the working area 708. A tip portion 706B of a second, unselected cable wire bends outside the working area 708.
[0048]
[0058] In this example, the working area 708 is depicted as a region of space extending perpendicular to the direction of movement of the cable selection tool 700. It will be understood that the particular size, shape, and location of the working area 708 shown in FIG. 7A is non-limiting. As discussed above, the working area is defined as a predefined region of space in which one or more end treatment processes may be applied to cable end portions present within the working area. Thus, the particular characteristics of the working area will vary depending on an implementation, such as depending on the particular end treatment process being applied, as well as depending on the particular capabilities and range of motion of any tools or systems used to perform the end treatment processes.
[0049]
[0059] In Figure 7B, a tip portion 706A of a first cable wire 704A is inserted into a processing tool 710 configured to apply a processing step to the cable tip. It will be appreciated that depending on an embodiment and depending on the particular type of tip processing step being applied, the processing tool 710 may take any suitable form. In this example, one or more tip processing steps include slicing and removing a portion of the insulating jacket of the cable wire. This is shown diagrammatically with respect to Figure 7C. In Figure 7C, the processing tool is used to remove a portion of the insulating jacket of the cable wire 704A, thereby exposing the conductive core 712 of the cable wire.
[0050]
[0060] The processing tools may be controlled in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, the processing tools may be automatically moved (e.g., by a controller of the cable processing system) toward and / or away from the end of the cable. For example, upon detecting (e.g., via a computer vision system) that a cable wire is present within the work area, the controller may move the processing tool toward the end of the cable, automatically apply an end processing step to the end of the cable, and then move away from the end of the cable. Additionally or alternatively, work personnel may move and / or otherwise control the operation of the processing tools.
[0051]
[0061] 8 is a schematic diagram of another non-limiting tip preparation process. Specifically, FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary cable selection tool 800 and multiple embodiments of a cable redirection comb 802, which compress a first cable wire 804A and a second cable wire 804B. A tip portion 806A of the first cable wire 804A extends into a working area 808, while a tip portion 806B of the second cable wire extends away from the working area 808.
[0052]
[0062] In this example, another exemplary processing tool 810 is used to attach a conductive contact 812 to a tip of a first cable wire 804A. This may include, for example, crimping the conductive contact to the conductive end of the first cable via an automated cable contact attachment system. It will be appreciated that any suitable automated crimping system may be used to attach a conductive contact to a tip of a cable as described herein.
[0053]
[0063] As discussed above, in some cases, the tip treatment process may be applied simultaneously and / or sequentially to tip portions of different cable wires. For example, in some embodiments, two or more cable wires may be selected and extended into the working area at the same time, whereby both cable tips are treated at once. Additionally or alternatively, after applying the tip treatment to the first cable wire, a set of two or more cable wires may be moved, whereby the first cable wire moves away from the selected location while the second cable wire moves towards the selected location. This may be repeated any suitable number of times depending on how many cable wires require treatment.
[0054]
[0064] To this end, and referring briefly to Figure 2, at 208 the method 200 includes determining whether the treatment should be applied to additional cable wires. This may be determined in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the cable tip treatment may be applied sequentially to different cable wires until a predetermined number of cable wires have been treated, a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, a predefined stop time has been reached, the system detects (e.g., via a computer vision system) that the cable wire is no longer present, the system is deactivated by operating personnel, and / or in response to any other suitable condition.
[0055]
[0065] If it is determined that there are more cable wires to process (e.g., yes at 208), the method 200 proceeds to step 210, which includes moving the set of cable wires, such that the last processed cable wire is moved away from the selection position and the next cable wire is moved to the selection position. From there, the method 200 returns to step 204. The cable selection tool is then moved into contact with the set of cable wires, such that any cable wires present at the selection position are extended into the working area. If it is determined that no more cable wires are to be processed, the method 200 ends at 212.
[0056]
[0066] The methods and processes described herein may be coupled to a computing system of one or more computing devices. In particular, such methods and processes may be implemented as an executable computer application program, a network-accessible computing service, an application programming interface (API), a library, or a combination of the above and / or other computing resources.
[0057]
[0067] 9 illustrates a simplified representation of an exemplary computing system 900 configured to provide any of the computing functions described herein. The computing system 900 may take the form of one or more network-accessible devices, personal computers, server computers, portable computing devices, embedded computing devices, and / or other computing devices.
[0058]
[0068] Computing system 900 includes a logic subsystem 902 and a storage subsystem 904. Computing system 900 may optionally include a display subsystem 906, an input subsystem 908, a communication subsystem 910, and / or other subsystems not shown in FIG.
[0059]
[0069] The logic subsystem 902 includes one or more physical devices configured to execute instructions. For example, the logic subsystem may be configured to execute instructions. The instructions are part of one or more applications, services, programs, or other logic structures. The logic subsystem may include one or more hardware processors configured to execute software instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the logic subsystem may include one or more hardware or firmware devices configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. The processors of the logic subsystem may be single-core or multi-core, and the instructions executed by the processors may be configured for sequential, parallel, and / or distributed processing. Individual components of the logic subsystem may optionally be distributed across two or more separate devices. These devices may be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. Aspects of the logic subsystem may be virtualized and executed by remotely accessible networked computing devices configured as a cloud computing configuration.
[0060]
[0070] The storage subsystem 904 includes one or more physical devices configured to temporarily and / or permanently hold computer information such as data and instructions executable by the logic subsystem. When the storage subsystem includes two or more devices, these devices may be co-located and / or remotely located. The storage subsystem 904 may include volatile devices, non-volatile devices, dynamic devices, static devices, read / write devices, read-only devices, random access devices, sequential access devices, location addressable devices, file addressable devices, and / or content addressable devices. The storage subsystem 904 may include removable and / or embedded devices. As the logic subsystem executes instructions, the state of the storage subsystem 904 may be transformed, for example, to hold different data.
[0061]
[0071] The logic subsystem 902 and the storage subsystem 904 may be integrated into one or more hardware logic components, which may include program specific and application specific integrated circuits (PASICs / ASICs), program specific and application specific standard products (PSSPs / ASSPs), systems on a chip (SOCs), and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs).
[0062]
[0072] The logic subsystem and the storage subsystem may cooperate to instantiate one or more logic machines. As used herein, the term "machine" collectively refers to a combination of hardware, firmware, software, instructions, and / or any other components that cooperate to provide a computer function. In other words, a "machine" is never an abstract idea, but always has a concrete form. A machine may be instantiated by a single computing device, or a machine may include two or more subcomponents instantiated by two or more different computing devices. In some implementations, a machine includes a local component (e.g., a software application executed by a computer processor) that cooperates with a remote component (e.g., a cloud computing service provided by a network of server computers). The software and / or other instructions that give a particular machine its functionality may optionally be stored as one or more unexecuted modules on one or more suitable storage devices.
[0063]
[0073] When included, the display subsystem 906 can be used to present a visual representation of the data maintained by the storage subsystem 904. This visual representation may take the form of a graphical user interface (GUI). The display subsystem 906 may include one or more display devices utilizing virtually any type of technology. In some implementations, the display subsystem may include one or more virtual, augmented, or mixed reality displays.
[0064]
[0074] When included, the input subsystem 908 may include or interact with one or more input devices. The input devices may include sensor devices or user input devices. Examples of user input devices include a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, or a game controller. In some embodiments, the input subsystem may include or interact with selected natural user input (NUI) components. Such components may be integrated or peripheral, and the delivery and / or processing of input actions may be handled on-board or off-board. Exemplary NUI components may include microphones for speech and / or voice recognition, infrared cameras, color cameras, stereo cameras, and / or depth cameras for machine vision and / or gesture recognition, head trackers, eye trackers, accelerometers, and / or gyroscopes for motion detection and / or intent recognition.
[0065]
[0075] When included, the communications subsystem 910 may be configured to communicatively couple the computing system 900 with one or more other computing devices. The communications subsystem 910 may include wired and / or wireless communication devices compatible with one or more different communications protocols. The communications subsystem may be configured for communication over personal, local, and / or wide area networks.
[0066]
[0076] The present disclosure is presented by way of example and with reference to the associated drawings. Components, process steps, and other elements that may be substantially the same in one or more of the drawings are collectively identified and described with minimal repetition. However, it is noted that collectively identified elements may also differ to some extent. It is further noted that some of the drawings are schematic and not to scale. Various drawing scales, aspect ratios, and numbers of components shown in the drawings may be intentionally distorted to more easily view certain features or relationships.
[0067]
[0077] In one embodiment, a method for automated cable wire processing includes receiving a set of two or more cable wires including at least a first cable wire disposed at a selection location and a second cable wire disposed at a distance from the selection location, automatically moving the cable selection tool into contact with the set of two or more cable wires such that contact between a cable selection tool and the first cable wire extends a tip portion of the first cable wire into a working area and contact between the cable selection tool and the second cable wire moves a tip portion of the second cable wire out of the working area, and applying one or more tip processing steps to the tip portion of the first cable wire within the working area. In this or other embodiments, moving the cable selection tool causes the cable selection tool to move toward a cable redirection comb and compress the set of two or more cable wires between the cable selection tool and the cable redirection comb. In this or any other embodiment, the cable redirection comb includes a plurality of separator protrusions defining a plurality of cable channels including a selection channel and a redirection channel, and the presence of the first cable wire at the selection position causes the first cable wire to occupy the selection channel and the presence of the second cable wire spaced from the selection position causes the second cable wire to occupy the redirection channel. In this or any other embodiment, the selection channel includes a surface that guides the tip portion of the first cable wire toward the working area and the redirection channel includes a curved surface that guides the tip portion of the second cable wire out of the working area. In this or any other embodiment, the cable selection tool includes a front surface having a notch, and contact between the front surface having the notch and the second cable wire moves the tip portion of the second cable wire out of the working area and the first cable wire occupies the notch in the front surface having the notch.In this or any other embodiment, the set of two or more cable wires is transported by a conveyor system, and receiving the set of two or more cable wires includes stopping movement of the conveyor system to place the first cable wire at the selected location. In this or any other embodiment, the method further includes controlling the conveyor system to move the first cable wire away from the selected location and move the second cable wire to the selected location after applying the one or more tip treatment processes to the tip portion of the first cable wire. In this or any other embodiment, the method further includes automatically moving the cable selection tool into contact with the set of two or more cable wires while the second cable wire is disposed at the selection position, such that contact between the cable selection tool and the second cable wire extends the tip portion of the second cable wire into the working area and contact between the cable selection tool and the first cable wire moves the tip portion of the first cable wire outside of the working area, and applying the one or more tip treatment steps to the tip portion of the second cable wire in the working area. In this or any other embodiment, the set of two or more cable wires is mounted on a pallet transported by the conveyor system. In this or any other embodiment, each of the set of two or more cable wires is held in a separation channel of a cable separation tool mounted on the pallet. In this or any other embodiment, the one or more tip treatment steps include slitting and removing a portion of an insulating jacket of the first cable wire. In this or any other embodiment, the one or more tipping steps include attaching a conductive contact to the first cable wire. In this or any other embodiment, attaching the conductive contact includes crimping the conductive contact to a conductive end of the first cable wire in a cable contact attachment system.In this or any other embodiment, the set of two or more cable wires are bundled together within a common insulating jacket as a single multi-conductor cable.
[0068]
[0078] In one embodiment, a cable tip treatment system includes a controller configured to control movement of a conveyor system to place a first cable wire from a set of two or more cable wires at a selection location and place a second cable wire from the set of two or more cable wires away from the selection location, move the cable selection tool into contact with the set of two or more cable wires such that contact between a cable selection tool and the first cable wire extends a tip portion of the first cable wire into a working area and contact between the cable selection tool and the second cable wire moves a tip portion of the second cable wire out of the working area, and apply one or more tip treatment processes to the tip portion of the first cable wire within the working area. In this or any other embodiment, moving the cable selection tool causes the cable selection tool to move toward a cable redirection comb and compress the set of two or more cable wires between the cable selection tool and the cable redirection comb. In this or any other embodiment, the controller is further configured to control the conveyor system to move the first cable wire away from the selected location and move the second cable wire to the selected location after the one or more tip treatment steps are applied to the tip portion of the first cable wire. In this or any other embodiment, the one or more tip treatment steps include slitting and removing a portion of an insulating jacket of the first cable wire. In this or any other embodiment, the one or more tip treatment steps include attaching a conductive contact to the first cable wire.
[0069]
[0079] In one embodiment, a method for automated conductive contact attachment includes receiving a set of two or more cable wires including at least a first cable wire positioned at a selection location and a second cable wire positioned at a distance from the selection location; automatically moving the cable selection tool into contact with the set of two or more cable wires such that contact between the cable selection tool and the first cable wire extends a tip portion of the first cable wire into a work area and contact between the cable selection tool and the second cable wire moves a tip portion of the second cable wire outside of the work area; and automatically attaching conductive contacts to the tip portions of the first cable wires via a cable contact attachment system. [Explanation of symbols]
[0070] 100: Cable 102A~C: Cable wire 104: Conductive core 106A~C: Conductive contact 108: Cable insertion module 200: Method 202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 212: Method steps 300: Cable management system 302: Multi-conductor cable 304A~C: Cable wire 306: Cable Selection Tool 308: Cable redirection comb 310: Conveyor system 312: Palette 314: Camera 316: Controller 400: Cable Management System 402: Cable 404: Palette 406: Conveyor system 408A~C: Cable wire 410: Cable separation tool 412: Cable redirection comb 414: Selection position 416: Movement indicator 418: Conductive contact 410: Cable separation tool 502A, B: Channel 504: Spring retention mechanism 600: Cable redirection comb 601A, B: Separator protrusion 602, 604: Cable Channel 606: Square surface 608: Curved surface 610: Cable Selection Tool 612: Front surface with cutout 614: Notch 616A, B: Guidance channel 618A~C: Cable wire 700: Cable Selection Tool 702: Cable redirection comb 704A, B: Cable wire 706A, B: Cable tip 708:Work area 710: Cable management tool 712: Conductive core 800: Cable Selection Tool 802: Cable redirection comb 804A, B: Cable wire 806A, B: Cable tip 808:Work area 810: Cable management tool 812: Conductive core 900: Computing Systems 902: Logic Subsystem 904: Storage Subsystem 906: Display Subsystem 908: Input Subsystem 910: Communication interface
Claims
1. A method (200) for automated cable wire processing, comprising: receiving a set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) including at least a first cable wire (304A) disposed at a selection location (414) and a second cable wire (304B) disposed spaced apart from the selection location (414); automatically moving the cable selection tool (306) into contact with the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C), such that contact between the cable selection tool (306) and the first cable wire (304A) extends a tip portion (706A) of the first cable wire (304A) into a working area (708) and contact between the cable selection tool (306) and the second cable wire (304B) moves a tip portion (706B) of the second cable wire (304B) outside of the working area (708); and A method (200) comprising applying one or more tip treatment processes to the tip portion (706A) of the first cable wire (304A) within the working area (708).
2. 2. The method (200) of claim 1, wherein the moving of the cable selection tool (306) causes the cable selection tool (306) to move toward a cable redirection comb (308) and compress the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) between the cable selection tool (306) and the cable redirection comb (308).
3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cable redirecting comb (308) includes a plurality of separator protrusions (601A,B) defining a plurality of cable channels (602, 604), including a selection channel (602) and a redirection channel (604), and the presence of the first cable wire (304A) at the selection position (414) causes the first cable wire (304A) to occupy the selection channel (602) and the presence of the second cable wire (304B) away from the selection position (414) causes the second cable wire (304B) to occupy the redirection channel (604).
4. 4. The method (200) of claim 3, wherein the selection channel (602) includes a surface (606) that guides the tip portion (706A) of the first cable wire (304A) toward the working area (708), and the redirection channel (604) includes a curved surface (708) that guides the tip portion (706B) of the second cable wire (304B) outside the working area (708).
5. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the cable selection tool includes a front surface having a notch, and contact between the front surface having the notch and the second cable wire moves the tip portion of the second cable wire out of the working area, and the first cable wire occupies a notch in the front surface having the notch.
6. 2. The method (200) of claim 1, wherein the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) are transported by a conveyor system (310), and the receiving of the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) includes stopping movement of the conveyor system (310) to position the first cable wire (304A) at the selection position (414).
7. 7. The method (200) of claim 6, further comprising controlling the conveyor system (310) to move the first cable wire (304A) away from the selection location (414) and move the second cable wire (304B) to the selection location (414) after applying the one or more tip treatment processes to the tip portion (706A) of the first cable wire (304A).
8. While the second cable wire (304B) is located at the selected position (414), automatically moving the cable selection tool (306) into contact with the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) such that contact between the cable selection tool (306) and the second cable wire (304B) extends the tip portion (706B) of the second cable wire (304B) into the working area (708) and contact between the cable selection tool (306) and the first cable wire (304A) moves the tip portion (706A) of the first cable wire (304A) outside of the working area (708); and 8. The method (200) of claim 7, further comprising applying the one or more tip treatment processes to the tip portion (706B) of the second cable wire (304B) within the working area (708).
9. The method (200) of claim 6, wherein the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) are attached to a pallet (312) transported by the conveyor system (310).
10. The method (200) of claim 9, wherein each of the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) is held within a separation channel (502A,B) of a cable separation fixture (500) mounted to the pallet (312).
11. 2. The method (200) of claim 1, wherein the one or more tip preparation steps include slicing and removing a portion of an insulating jacket (102C) of the first cable wire (304A).
12. The method (200) of claim 1, wherein the one or more tipping steps include attaching a conductive contact (106A) to the first cable wire (304A).
13. 13. The method (200) of claim 12, wherein the attaching of the conductive contact (106A) comprises crimping the conductive contact (106A) to the conductive end (104) of the first cable wire (304A) in a cable contact attachment system (810).
14. The method (200) of any preceding claim, wherein the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) are bundled together within a common insulating jacket as a single multi-conductor cable (100).
15. A cable end treatment system (300) comprising a controller (316), the controller (316) comprising: controlling movement of the conveyor system (310) to place a first cable wire (304A) from a set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) at a selection location (414) and to place a second cable wire (304B) from the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) away from the selection location (414); moving the cable selection tool (306) into contact with the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C), such that contact between the cable selection tool (306) and the first cable wire (304A) extends a tip portion (706A) of the first cable wire (304A) into a working area (708) and contact between the cable selection tool (306) and the second cable wire (304B) moves a tip portion (706B) of the second cable wire (304B) outside of the working area (708); and applying one or more tip treatment processes to the tip portion (706A) of the first cable wire (304A) within the working area (708).
16. 16. The cable end processing system (300) of claim 15, wherein moving the cable selection tool (306) causes the cable selection tool (306) to move toward a cable redirection comb (308) and compress the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) between the cable selection tool (306) and the cable redirection comb (308).
17. 16. The cable tip processing system (300) of claim 15, wherein the controller (316) is further configured to control the conveyor system (310) to move the first cable wire (304A) away from the selection position (414) and move the second cable wire (304B) to the selection position (414) after the one or more tip processing steps are applied to the tip portion (706A) of the first cable wire (304A).
18. 16. The cable end preparation system (300) of claim 15, wherein the one or more end preparation steps include slicing and removing a portion of an insulating jacket (102C) of the first cable wire (304A).
19. 16. The cable end preparation system (300) of claim 15, wherein the one or more end preparation steps include attaching a conductive contact (106A) to the first cable wire (304A).
20. A method (200) for automated conductive contact attachment, comprising: receiving a set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) including at least a first cable wire (304A) disposed at a selection location (414) and a second cable wire (304B) disposed spaced apart from the selection location (414); automatically moving the cable selection tool (306) into contact with the set of two or more cable wires (304A-C) such that contact between the cable selection tool (306) and the first cable wire (304A) extends a tip portion (806A) of the first cable wire (304A) into a working area (808) and contact between the cable selection tool (306) and the second cable wire (304B) moves a tip portion (806B) of the second cable wire (304B) outside of the working area (808); and A method (200) comprising automatically attaching a conductive contact (106A) to the tip portion (806A) of the first cable wire (304A) via a cable contact attachment system (300).