Straightening apparatus for straightening cables

Abstract

To provide an improved straightening apparatus by avoiding the drawbacks of known straightening apparatuses.SOLUTION: A straightening apparatus (1) for cables comprises: a first roller group (2) having a plurality of rollers; and a second roller group (3) having the plurality of rollers opposite the first roller group (2). The cables alternate in a transport direction between the rollers of the first roller group (2) and the rollers of the second role group (3). The straightening apparatus (1) further comprises an infeed device (5). By the infeed device (5), the first roller group (2) can be displaced in a closing direction against the second roller group (3). In order to secure a position of the first roller group (2) displaced in the closing direction by the infeed device (5), the straightening apparatus (1) comprises a safety device which blocks backward movement of the first roller group (2) against the closing direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a kink removal device for removing kinks in a cable according to the preamble of claim 1.

Background Art

[0002] The kink removal device can be part of a cable processing machine. Such a cable processing machine is used for the assembly of electrical cables. During cable assembly, the cable can be cut to a certain length, the coating can be stripped off, and then the cable end can be crimped. The cable processing machine can further include a grommet station. In this grommet station, the stripped cable end is fitted into the grommet before crimping.

[0003] Cables, such as insulated strands or solid conductors made of copper or steel, that are processed on a cable processing machine are usually provided in a drum, on a roll, or as a bundle, and thus, after being unwound, are provided in a somewhat curved or twisted state. In order to be able to perform process steps such as coating stripping, crimping, and in some cases fitting into a connector housing provided on the cable processing machine with high reliability, a straight cable is important. In order to remove the kinks in the cable so that it becomes as straight as possible, these cables are usually pulled through a kink removal device attached to the inlet of the processing machine with the help of the drive unit of the cable processing machine.

[0004] A kink-removing device that is generally comparable is known, for example, from European Patent Application Publication No. 2399856. The kink-removing device has an upper roller group and a lower roller group. The cable to be kink-removed is passed in the transport direction between the rollers of the two roller groups. The roller groups can be moved relative to each other to set the parameters of kink removal. Starting from the open position in the closing direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the cable, the upper roller group is first displaced relative to the lower roller group to the closed position. In this closed position, the parallel rollers of the upper roller group and the lower roller group are on the cable and in contact with the cable. This process is also known and is known to those skilled in the art under the name of "feeding in". The spacing between the rollers can be set manually using a rotary knob. An additional quick-release lever enables the kink-removing device to be quickly opened and closed when the cable is removed from between the rollers and inserted between the rollers. Alternatively, the spacing of the rollers can also be set automatically. For this purpose, a feeding mechanism for displacing the upper roller group relative to the lower roller group is provided, for example, with a motor drive. However, this variant is technically complex and costly.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to avoid the drawbacks of known kink-removing devices and, in particular, to provide an improved kink-removing device of the type initially described. According to the present invention, this task is achieved by a kink-removing device having the features of claim 1.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The kink removal device for cable kink removal includes a first roller group having a plurality of rollers and a second roller group having a plurality of rollers facing the first roller group, and the cable is staggered in the transfer direction between the rollers of the first roller group and the rollers of the second roller group. The kink removal device further includes, for example, a feeding device that can be manually operated or driven by a motor, and by this feeding device, the first roller group can be displaced relative to the second roller group. Due to the fact that the kink removal device includes fixing means for fixing the first roller group in terms of position, it becomes possible to accurately set the distance between the rollers. The feeding, that is, the process in which the first roller group is moved from the open position to the closed position, can be carried out in an efficient manner.

[0008] Thanks to the feeding device, the first roller group can be displaced relative to the second roller group in a closing direction that extends transversely, preferably at a right angle, to the transfer direction starting from the open position, in order to adjust the distance between the rollers of the first roller group and the rollers of the second roller group. The open position is a position where the rollers of the first roller row and the rollers of the second roller row are separated to such an extent that the cable can be inserted between the rollers. The closed position is the position after the displacement movement is completed. The feeding process is completed. In the closed position, the rollers of the first roller group and the rollers of the second roller group contact the cable in such a way that the cable is straight and does not undulate.

[0009] The cam removal device can have a first roller support for the first roller group, which is fastened so that the rollers of the first roller group can rotate freely, and a second roller support for the second roller group, which is fastened so that the rollers of the second roller group can rotate freely. Furthermore, the cam removal device can have a frame, for example in the form of a base plate, for holding the first roller support and the second roller support, and the first roller support can be attached to the frame so as to be displaceable in the closing direction.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the cam removal device for forming the fixing means may comprise a safety device that prevents the backward movement of the first roller group in the closing direction during the feeding process. Thanks to the safety device, the cam removal device can be operated ergonomically and efficiently in a reliable manner with respect to the feeding process.

[0011] For this purpose, a separate safety device such as a safety device based on a ratchet mechanism can be provided. Such a ratchet mechanism can comprise, for example, teeth and a tooth stop that interacts with these teeth. However, a pilgering movement can be made possible by the ratchet mechanism. Therefore, it is advantageous that the feeding device of the cam removal device is equipped with a stepless safety device. The stepless safety device has the advantage that it can prevent substantially all unwanted backward movements.

[0012] The aforementioned safety device can be configured as a positive fit safety device. The safety device can also be configured as a non-positive safety device. In addition to mechanical safety devices, other safety devices are also conceivable. The safety device can be a hydraulic cylinder. When the roller support attempts to move backward, the outflow of hydraulic oil from the hydraulic cylinder is prevented by a check valve, and thus the safety device becomes effective.

[0013] When the first roller support is supported on the frame by a spring element, in particular a helical compression spring, it is also advantageous for the spring element to act on the first roller support by a spring force in the closing direction. The safety function of the safety device can thus be easily ensured.

[0014] The safety device can comprise a clamping body, in particular a clamping roller, and the clamping body or clamping roller is received in a wedge-shaped gap. The wedge-shaped gap can be a receiving part for the clamping body that tapers in the closing direction. Due to the wedge effect, the clamping body pushed into the wedge-shaped gap can reliably prevent the return movement of the first roller support.

[0015] The safety device can comprise a spring for generating a pretension in the clamping body, in particular the clamping roller. The clamping body loaded by the spring is continuously pushed into the wedge-shaped gap, thereby ensuring that the safety device functions reliably.

[0016] The first roller support can have a wedge-shaped contact surface, and together with this fixed opposing surface, a wedge-shaped gap is formed. This fixed opposing surface can be formed, for example, by a guiding surface assigned to the frame, along which the first roller support can be guided during the closing process.

[0017] An alternative safety device can comprise two wedges, which have oppositely directed inclined wedge surfaces that are pushed against each other in the event of a return movement, thus preventing the return movement. Other alternative safety devices may include an eccentric body.

[0018] The indentation removal device can have a manually operated feeding device having an operating element, in particular in the form of a button, which can be linearly displaced in the closing direction. By means of this operating element, the first roller support or the first roller group can be displaced in the closing direction, for example by pressing the operating element. Such an indentation removal device is characterized by simple handling and good ergonomics. The operating element simply has to be pressed for feeding. A quick-release lever for rapid closing is not required either.

[0019] The drive can be connected to the operating element in order to advance the first roller support. The drive can be connected to the shaft of the operating element or can be formed by the shaft itself. The shaft is an elongated component extending in the closing direction. The drive or the shaft can be slidably mounted on the frame and can be moved in the closing direction (and, optionally, in the opposite direction). The drive strikes against the first roller support when the drive is pushed by pressing the button-shaped operating element or when the operating element is moved in the closing direction in some other way, thereby displacing the first roller support in the closing direction. An indentation removal device having a motor-driven feeding device can also have such a drive.

[0020] The safety device is preferably configured as a releasable safety device. For this purpose, a unlocking element may be provided to release the locking action of the safety device.

[0021] The unlocking element for releasing the locking action can be arranged on the drive part or can be connected to the drive part. The drive part having the unlocking element is configured such that during the return movement, i.e., during the movement in the direction opposite to the closing direction, the unlocking element can come into contact with the clamping body. The unlocking element can be a nose-shaped projection protruding from the drive part or the shaft. In order to release the locking action, the unlocking element may be pushed away from the clamping body, whereby the clamping body no longer contacts the wedge-shaped contact surface of the wedge-shaped gap, i.e., the clamping is no longer performed.

[0022] The locking action can be released by pulling a button-shaped operating element. This solution is characterized by simple handling. Other means can also be used to release the locking action. For example, with regard to the opening process, it can also be advantageous not to use the aforementioned operating element to close the kink remover. When another means for releasing the locking action is used, inappropriate operations on the operating element that would lead to an unintended release of the locking action can be excluded.

[0023] The kink remover does not necessarily have to have a manually operated feeding device. For a specific range of applications, when the kink remover has a feeding device that can be driven by a linear direct drive, a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder can be advantageous for moving the first roller support in the closing direction. Such a feeding device can be easily controlled and operated automatically or semi-automatically.

[0024] In a further embodiment, the kink remover can have a contact roller for fixing the closed position, the contact roller being arranged downstream of the first roller group with respect to the transfer direction, and the cable being assigned to the contact roller and the second roller group and being pressed between the contact roller and a counter roller facing the contact roller.

[0025] Alternatively, the kinking device for fixing the closed position can preferably have at least one, preferably a plurality of contact fingers displaceable up to a limited range in the closing direction, with at least one contact finger assigned to one roller group, in particular the first roller group. In this case, the contact fingers can in each case be arranged opposite the rollers of the other roller group, in particular the second roller group, in such a way that the cable can be pressed between the respective contact fingers and the opposing rollers. After the closed position has been determined, the contact fingers can be moved in a direction opposite to the closing direction so that the contact fingers can be moved to a rest position, whereby the contact fingers can be configured so as no longer to act on the cable.

[0026] After completion of the feeding process, in order to further produce the kinking effect of the cable, when the second roller support is attached to the frame so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis, it is advantageous for the kinking device to be, for example, manually operable or a pivoting device driven by a motor, which pivoting device has a pivoting device for setting an approach angle between the rollers of the first roller group and the rollers of the second roller group. The second roller group is preferably pivotable from a neutral position to an operating position.

[0027] The second roller support is particularly preferably rotatably mounted on the frame in such a way that by pivoting the second roller support, the rollers on the inlet side act more strongly on the cable than the rollers on the outlet side. The pivoting device can be, for example, a device known per se from European Patent Application Publication No. 2399856.

[0028] In one embodiment, a link guide for the movement of the first roller support and / or the second roller support can be provided.

[0029] A linearly movable thrust element can be provided for the link guide, and by this thrust element, both the first roller support part and the second roller support part can be moved. The thrust element can be configured to be manually operated or driven by a motor. In this embodiment, two setting parameters (roller spacing, approach angle) can be set in a single normal working step or operating action.

[0030] The setting device can have a thrust element with a manually operable handlebar that is preferably movable back and forth in the conveying direction.

[0031] On the thrust element, a feed link guide for displacing the first roller support part in the closing direction and an opening link guide for releasing the locking action and returning the first roller support part can be arranged. In this case, a first control body with a spring load can interact with the feed link guide and the opening link control part. A swivel link guide for swiveling the second roller support part can be arranged on the thrust element. A second control body with a spring load can interact with the swivel link guide.

[0032] The swivel link guide can be formed by a stepped control track for the control body, preferably with a plurality of receiving parts, in order to set individual approach angles. This makes it possible to set the approach angle particularly quickly. Such a swivel link guide can also be used in a conventional setting device, i.e., a setting device without a safety device or other fixing means for fixing the position of the first roller group shifted by the feeding device.

[0033] Additional advantages and individual features of the present invention can be obtained from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments and the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0034]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] Figure 1 shows a kink removal device 1 for removing kinks in a cable by two opposing roller groups 2 and 3, which can be moved towards each other. The first roller group indicated by reference numeral 2 has a plurality of rollers 20.1 to 20.7 arranged in a row one behind the other. The second roller group indicated by reference numeral 3 has a plurality of rollers 21.1 to 21.6 arranged in a row one behind the other. In this case, the first roller group 2 is arranged at the top of the kink removal device 1. For the sake of simplicity and better understanding, this roller group is referred to as the "upper roller group". Accordingly, the associated rollers 20.1 to 20.7 are "upper rollers". Therefore, the roller group 3 facing the upper roller group 2 is the "lower roller group" in this case.

[0036] The upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7 and the lower rollers 21.1 to 21.6 extend parallel to each other and are each on a horizontal roller line. A cable (not shown in Figure 1) passing between the upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7 and the lower rollers 21.1 to 21.6 for kink removal also passes in the horizontal direction, which is indicated by arrow x. Figure 1 shows the kink removal device 1 in the open position, where the two roller groups 2 are separated to such an extent that a cable can be introduced or inserted between the upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7 and the lower rollers 21.1 to 21.6. For this purpose, the upper roller group 2 is moved relative to the lower roller group 3. This closing operation is indicated by arrow s. The closing direction s clearly extends in the vertical direction. Figure 2 shows the kink removal device 1 in the closed position or after the feeding process is completed, after the upper roller group 2 has been moved in the closing direction s relative to the lower roller group 3. The cable 4 is acted upon here and is staggered with the rollers 20.1 to 20.7 of the upper roller group 2 and the rollers 21.1 to 21.6 of the lower roller group 3, and can be pulled in the horizontal transfer direction x through the kink removal device 1 by a cable conveyor (not shown).

[0037] The basic arrangement and orientation of the roller groups 2 and 3 illustrated herein relate to an embodiment of the kink removal device 1 according to the present invention. Of course, other arrangements and orientations of the roller groups 2 and 3 are also conceivable. For example, the two roller groups 2 and 3 can also be arranged adjacent to each other, and in this case, the closing direction s passes through a horizontal plane.

[0038] The kink removal device 1 described in detail below can be used in a cable processing machine (not shown) for the assembly of cables. The cable processing machine can process electrical cables, for example, insulated strands or insulated solid conductors made of copper or steel. The cable to be processed is provided in a drum, on a roll, or as a bundle. The cable supplied from the drum, roll, or bundle to the cable processing machine is somewhat curved and twisted. Therefore, the cable must be kink-removed, and for this purpose, the kink removal device 1 described first is used.

[0039] The cable processing machine can be designed, for example, as a swivel machine having a swivel unit with a cable gripper. The swivel unit must be rotated around a vertical axis to supply the cable end to processing stations such as a grommet station and a crimping station. The cutting station and the stripping station are usually arranged on the longitudinal axis of the processing machine of the cable processing machine. For this reason, the cable processing machine includes a feeding unit having a cable conveyor configured, for example, as a belt conveyor, and the cable conveyor transports the cable in a transport direction along the longitudinal axis of the processing machine to the swivel unit. The kink removal device 1 is arranged in the cable processing machine upstream of the belt conveyor on the longitudinal axis of the processing machine. When the cable is supplied to the swivel unit, the cable is pulled through the kink removal device 1 to remove the kinks of the cable 4.

[0040] The rollers 20.1 to 20.7 of the first or upper roller group 2 are rotatably attached to the first roller support portion 6. The rollers 21.1 to 21.6 of the lower or second roller group 2 are rotatably attached to the second roller support portion 7. The kink removing device further includes a frame 8 in the form of a base plate for supporting the first roller support portion 6 and the second roller support portion 7. The roller support portions 6 and 7 are configured in a plate shape in this example.

[0041] The first roller support portion 6 having the upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7 is attached to the frame 8 so as to be displaceable in the closing direction s. The second roller support portion 6 having the lower rollers 21.1 to 21.6 is shown by reference numeral 24 and is attached to the frame 8 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal pivot axis extending perpendicular to the transfer direction. The basic structure of the kink removing device 1 is similar to a known kink removing device from European Patent Application Publication No. 2399856, and for the feeding process, the movement of the roller support portion 6 together with the upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7 is performed by the novel feeding device 5.

[0042] The feeding device 5 is configured to be manually operable and includes an operating element 16 that can be linearly moved in the closing direction s. The first roller support portion 6 is supported on the frame 8 by a spring element 10 in the form of a helical compression spring. The spring element 10 acts on the first roller support portion 6 by a spring force in the closing direction s. By pushing the operating element 16, the first roller support portion 6 can be displaced downward together with the upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7. The operating element 16 is pushed down until the rollers 20.1 to 20.7 and 21.1 to 21.6 touch the cable.

[0043] For feeding only, the operating element 16 must be pushed, which results in particularly simple and ergonomic handling. The second roller support 7 with the lower roller group 3 does not move during the feeding process. For this purpose, the lower roller group 3 is held by the processing control unit using a pneumatic valve and a pneumatic cylinder 33 in a position parallel to the upper roller group 2, and this position corresponds to the neutral position.

[0044] In this example, the operating element 16 has a button shape. Of course, other shapes of the operating element 16 are also conceivable. For example, the operating element 16 can have an arcuate handle.

[0045] To fix the position of the upper roller group 2 displaced in the closing direction s by the feeding device 5, the setting device 1 comprises a safety device (reference numeral 9, see also FIG. 3 below) that prevents the backward movement of the upper roller group 2 with respect to the closing direction s. Under certain conditions, the upper roller group can also be blocked by a clamping mechanism, for example a clamping lever or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0046] The rotatable contact roller 19 is also arranged on the first roller support 6. The contact roller 19 is arranged on the outlet side behind the upper roller group 2 with respect to the transfer direction x and serves to fix the closed position. The counter roller 22 is provided on the second roller support 7 on the side opposite to the contact roller 19. Starting from the open position (FIG. 1), when the upper roller group 2 is displaced in the s direction with respect to the second roller group 3, the cable 4 therebetween will come into contact with the two rollers 19 and 22. Thanks to the contact roller 19 and the counter roller 22, the closing operation caused by pushing the operating element 16 appropriately adjusts the two roller groups 2, 3 relative to each other for any cable diameter.

[0047] As can be seen from FIG. 2, in a way that the cable 4 remains straight, in the closed position, the upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7 contact one side of the cable 4, and the lower rollers 21.1 to 21.6 contact the other side of the cable 4. The contact roller 19 and the counter roller 22 cooperating with this contact roller 19 ensure that the rollers 20.1 to 20.7 and 21.1 to 21.6 cannot be further displaced relative to each other. This results in a wavy course of the cable 4 passing between the rollers.

[0048] The operator pressing down the operating element 16 feels that the back pressure suddenly increases as soon as the cable 4 is pressed between the contact roller 19 and the counter roller 22. For this reason, the operator is informed that the feeding process is completed (FIG. 2) and that the operator can release the hand from the operating element 16. Thanks to the safety device, it is ensured that after the operating element 16 is released, an unwanted return movement of the upper roller group 2 in the direction opposite to the closing direction s, i.e., upward, is prevented.

[0049] The guide roller 37 is arranged at the front end of the first roller support 6 on the inlet side. The guide roller 37 has a larger roller diameter than the rollers 20.1 to 20.7 for straightening the cable. The guide roller 37 is slightly offset vertically downward compared to the rollers 20.1 to 20.7, so that when the straightening device 1 is in the closed position, the guide roller 37 is arranged under the cable. The guide roller 37 serves to facilitate the insertion of the cable 4 into the open straightening device. The guide roller 37 enables, for example, the cable 4 to be manually tensioned before and while the straightening device 1 is being closed, thereby making it easy to ensure that the cable remains stationary when all the rollers 20.1 to 20.7 and 21.1 to 21.6 are closed.

[0050] Figure 3 is a rear view of the kink removal device 1. The first roller support portion 6 for the upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7 has a guide portion 38. This guide portion 38 extends in the vertical direction and can be guided along two guide plates 39 and 40 in order to slide in the s direction along the guide surface. The guide plates 39 and 40 are part of the frame 8. The operating element 16 is connected to the guide portion 38 of the first roller support portion 6 at the top.

[0051] The safety device described above can be seen in Figure 3, where it is indicated by reference numeral 9. The safety device 9 includes a clamping roller 11 received in a wedge-shaped gap 12. The wedge-shaped gap 12 is a receiving portion for the clamping roller 11 that tapers in the closing direction s. The safety device 9 further includes a spring 13 for generating pretension in the clamping roller 11. Due to the effect of the wedge, the clamping roller 11 pushed into the wedge-shaped gap can reliably prevent the return movement of the first roller support portion 6. By the spring 13, the clamping roller 11 is continuously pushed into the wedge-shaped gap 12, thereby ensuring that the safety device 9 functions with high reliability. A release element 41 may be seen below the clamping roller 11. This release element 41 can push up the clamping roller 11 when moved upward relative to the clamping roller 11, thereby canceling the clamping operation (see further Figure 7 below).

[0052] Details of a further structure of the kink removal device 1 can be seen in Figure 4. The button-shaped operating element 16 has a shaft 17 fixedly connected to the drive unit 18. The drive unit 18 adjacent to the shaft 17 serves to advance the first roller support portion 6 when the operating element 16 is pushed. The drive unit 18 has a front end portion with respect to the closing direction s, and this front end portion contacts the first roller support portion 6 at least during closing in order to advance it. Connected to the drive unit 18 is a nose-shaped projection that forms a release element 41 for releasing the locking action, and this projection is inserted into the wedge-shaped gap 12 from the side (see Figures 6 and 7 below).

[0053] After the feeding process is completed, the second roller support 7 pivots to the operating position around the pivot axis 24 in order to provide a sufficient kink removal effect, whereby the inlet side rollers 20.1, 21.1 act on the cable 4 more strongly than the outlet side rollers 20.7, 21.6. For this purpose, the front side of the second roller support 7 is lifted by the pneumatic cylinder 33, which is indicated by the arrow z in FIG. 5. The pneumatic cylinder 33 can easily set the desired approach angle α by appropriate control. Instead of using the pneumatic cylinder 33, a design of the kink removal device in which the pivoting is manually carried out by appropriate means is also conceivable.

[0054] In order to prevent the cable 4 from being crimped by the user when the cable is being contacted by the contact rollers and the counter rollers during the feeding process, the kink removal device 1 can have a device for limiting the force between the operating element 16 and the counter roller 22. For example, the operating element 16 is connected to the counter roller 22 at least indirectly via a spring (not shown), and the stroke of the operating element 16 is limited by a mechanical stop.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows the kink removal device 1 in the operating position after the second roller support 7 has pivoted. All the rollers 20.1 to 20.7 of the upper roller group 2 are horizontally positioned on the line, and the rollers 21.1 to 21.6 of the lower roller group 3 are positioned at the approach angle α on the line approaching the inlet of the upper roller group 2. The cable 4 shall extend substantially tangentially on the rollers 20.7, 21.7 at the outlet of the kink removal device 1 without being bent. The appropriate setting of the outlet side rollers 20.7, 21.7 is in correlation with the outer diameter of the cable 4.

[0056] To operate the curl removing device 1, the device control unit (not shown) moves the lower roller group 3 to the operating position automatically after a specific button is pressed or within a program sequence, in which the pneumatic cylinder 33 moves the lower roller group 3 to the upper roller group 3 on the inlet side. The restoration of the original starting position of the curl removing device 1 can also be carried out by pressing a button or automatically started within a program sequence. By a key or a program sequence, the pneumatic valve or the switch of the device control unit can be actuated, as a result of which the lower roller group 3 is moved via the pneumatic cylinder 8 to return to a position parallel to the first roller group 2. The device control unit may be configured in such a way that the actuation of the pneumatic cylinder 8 for pivoting the lower roller group 3 from the operating position to a parallel neutral position can be caused by pulling again the button-shaped operating element 16 or, in some cases, by pressing it.

[0057] From FIG. 5, it can also be seen that the counter roller 22 moves away from the contact roller 19 and is arranged towards the pivot axis 24 relative to the contact roller 19 so as to release the pressing or clamping of the cable 4 between the two rollers 19 and 22 during this movement. The position of the pivot axis 24 is arranged approximately in the middle between the last lower roller 21.7 and the counter roller 22.

[0058] The swivel axis 24 can also be assumed to be in other positions. For example, the swivel axis 24 can be coaxial with the rotation axis of the counter roller 22. Further, when the lower roller group 3 is swiveled, the rollers 19 and 22 move towards each other, thereby causing a slight crushing effect on the cable. In such a way, it is also conceivable to arrange the swivel axis 24 or the rollers 19 and 22 within the kink removal device. The crushing can be advantageous for removing kinks in cables having relatively stiff insulators. Such cables can be better processed during or after kink removal when the cables are additionally radially crimped. For this purpose, if the swivel axis 24 is arranged to the right of the counter roller 22 instead of to the left as in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the distance between the rollers 19 and 22 is reduced when swiveling to form the operating position and the cable 4 is crimped accordingly. It is also conceivable to attach a further pair of rollers (not shown) downstream of the kink removal device for crimping the cable on the cable processing machine.

[0059] From FIGS. 6 and 7, it can be seen how the locking action can be canceled or released by the safety device 9. By pulling the operating element 16, the drive part 18 having the unlocking element 41 is moved in the closing direction. The front end part of the drive part 18 that was previously in contact with the first roller support 6 is released. The unlocking element 41 pushes the clamping roller 11 against the force of the spring 13, thereby releasing the locking action. Through the spring force generated by the spring element 10, the first roller support 6 is thereby released and then moved to a stationary position so as to return to the initial position. The cable 4 can be removed and then a new cable can be inserted. In this way, the opening and closing of the kink removal device 1 is carried out via a single linear movement, which is ergonomic and takes place in a very short time.

[0060] FIG. 7 shows that the wedge-shaped gap 12 is formed by a wedge-shaped contact surface 14 assigned to the first roller support 6 and a stationary opposing surface assigned to the frame 8. This opposing surface is formed by a guide surface 34 assigned to the frame 8, along which the first roller support 6 can be guided during the closing process.

[0061] As can be seen from FIG. 8, the feeding device 5 is also configured to be driven by a motor. By means of this feeding device 5, the upper roller group 2 can be displaced relative to the lower roller group 3 in order to adjust the spacing between the rollers 20.1 to 20.6 of the upper roller group 2 and the rollers 21.1 to 21.7 of the lower roller group 3. Instead of the button-shaped operating element, an actuator 35 is provided, by means of which the upper roller group 2 can be moved vertically downwards for the feeding process. The actuator can be, for example, a pneumatic drive. If the manually operable operating element 16 is replaced by the actuator 35 as shown in FIG. 8, the feeding process can be carried out in a cost-effective and reliable manner without the intervention of an operator.

[0062] Figure 9 shows a further variant of the kink remover 1. Instead of the contact roller and the opposing counter roller according to the previous exemplary embodiment, the kink remover 1 has contact fingers 23 for defining a closed position. The contact fingers 23 are assigned to the upper roller group 2 in this example. The contact fingers 23 are each arranged opposite the rollers 21.1 to 21.6 of the lower roller group 3, so that the cable 4 can be pressed between the respective contact fingers 23 and the opposing rollers 21.1 to 21.6. In the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 9, the kink remover 1 has six contact fingers 23, so that in this example there is one contact finger 23 for each of the six lower rollers 21.1 to 21.6. This has the advantage that the pressure of the contact fingers acting on the cable 4 is distributed uniformly and over a larger area. However, it is also conceivable to provide fewer contact fingers and, in some cases, even only one contact finger. In the variant of the kink remover 1 according to Figure 9, it is also shown that an operating unit (16) can be added for a manual operation to carry out the feeding process or can be replaced by an actuator 35.

[0063] The contact fingers 23 are pushed up after the closed position has been set, so that even if there is an operating position formed by pivoting, these contact fingers 23 are sufficiently separated from the cable 4 and can no longer act on the cable. For this purpose, the carrier plate holding the contact fingers 23 has an elongated hole 36, so that the contact fingers 23 or the carrier plate are attached to the first roller support 6 in such a way that the contact fingers 23 or the carrier plate can be moved in the closing direction to a limited extent.

[0064] Figures 10 to 12 relate to a further embodiment of the kink removal device 1, which embodiment is provided with the above-described safety device, but for the sake of simplicity, it is not shown here. This kink removal device 1 is characterized by a special design of a feeding device 5 for executing a feeding process and a swiveling device 15 for forming an operating position. The movement of both the roller support 6 and the roller support 7 is performed with the aid of a link control described below.

[0065] The kink removal device 1 has a thrust element 25 that can be linearly moved in the transfer direction x, and via this thrust element, a first roller support 6 having upper rollers 20.1 to 20.7 and a second roller support 7 having lower rollers 21.1 to 21.6 can be moved. In this example, the thrust element 25 can be manually operated via a handle lever 26. Instead of the handle lever 26 that can be manually moved back and forth, a push element 25 can also be connected to a drive unit for moving the thrust element 25.

[0066] On the thrust element 25, a feeding link guide 27 for displacing the first roller support 6 in the closing direction s is arranged. Further, an opening link guide 28 for releasing the locking action and returning the first roller support 6 is arranged on the thrust element 25. The link control unit includes a control body indicated by reference numeral 30, and this control body interacts with the feeding link guide 27 and the opening link guide 28. The control body 30 is supported on the first roller support 6 via a spring 42.

[0067] A swivel link guide 29 for swiveling the second roller support 7 is arranged on the push element 25, while a spring-loaded control body 31, indicated by reference numeral 31, cooperates with the swivel link guide 29. The spring for generating the spring load on the control body 31 is indicated by reference numeral 43. The spring 43 supports the control body 31 upwardly with respect to the frame 8 of the straightening device 1. The control body 31 is connected to the second roller support 7 via a lever 44.

[0068] The swivel link guide 29 can be formed by a continuously rising control path or curve. It can be advantageous if the swivel link guide 29 is formed by a stepped control track with a plurality of receiving portions 32 for the control body 31. Such a link guide 29 with a stepped control path for setting individual approach angles is illustrated in the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 10 to 12.

[0069] The straightening device 1 has a thrust element 25 having a hand lever 26 and link guides 27, 28, 29. The thrust element 25 can be moved back and forth relative to the frame 8 by the hand lever 26. The link guide 27 controls the feeding process via a control body 30 designed as a roller, where the upper roller group 2 is displaced downward with respect to the lower roller group 3. To set the closed position, this straightening device 1 also has a contact roller 19 and a counter roller 22 facing the contact roller 19. Alternatively, one or more contact fingers can also be used. The link guide 29 controls the swiveling process via a control body 30 designed as a roller, where the setting angle α of the lower roller group 3 is set.

[0070] The operating modes of the link guide for feeding and turning are as follows. The starting point is the open position shown in Figure 10. The thrust element 25 is pushed to the left. In this case, the control body 30 that moves along the feeding link guide 27 presses the roller group 2 against the cable 4 in the closing direction s via the spring 42 until the cable 4 is clamped between the contact roller 19 and the counter roller 22. The feeding process is completed and the closed position is reached. The kink removal device 1 in this closed position is shown in Figure 11.

[0071] As already described above, when the rollers 20.1, 21.1, 20.2, 20.3 are placed at the entrance in such a way that the cable 4 has to move in a wavy manner between the rollers, like being curved on all consecutive rollers with a gradually decreasing intensity, a good kink removal effect is achieved. When the thrust element 25 is pushed further to the left here, the spring 42 can relax, and a spring (10) (not shown here) that supports the first roller support 6 on the frame 8 pushes the roller group 2 into the safety device. As shown in Figure 12, when the thrust element 25 and thereby the turning link guide 29 are pushed further to the left, the control body 31 moves along the turning link guide 29, thereby pulling the lever 44 upwards, as a result the approach angle α of the lower roller group 3 increases, and the kink removal effect is also improved. Due to the notch 32 of the turning link guide 29, the control body 31 loaded with a spring load by the spring 43 can be fitted into a predefined fixed position, thereby ensuring that the operating position is reached. With the scale indicating the position of the thrust element 25, the user can read the setting of the kink removal effect or adjust the kink removal effect based on the default value.

[0072] When the thrust element 25 is moved in the opposite direction, i.e., to the right, to return to the starting point, the kink removal device 1 is accordingly returned to the open state or open position. The swivel link guide 29 is first set to return the lower roller group 3 to a parallel neutral position via the control body 31. The control body 30 moves along the release link guide 28 to release the safety device, whereby the upper roller group 2 can be moved to the open position.

[0073] Instead of the linearly movable thrust element 25, it is also possible to control two control bodies, for example, by a cam disk that can be rotationally driven.

[0074] A tension spring can also be used instead of the lever 44 so that the approach angle of the lower roller group 2 is indirectly affected via the force of the corresponding spring.

[0075] The opposing contact rollers 19 and counter rollers 22 can also be arranged further towards the swivel axis 24 so that these contact rollers 19 and counter rollers 22 move towards each other when the upper roller group 3 is feeding. Thereby, a crimping effect corresponding to the effect of a so-called clamp roller is achieved.

[0076] In an alternative form of the kink removal device 1, it is conceivable not to provide a fixed swivel axis 24. In order to enable the user to finely adjust the distance between the two roller groups 2, 3, the swivel axis 24 can be vertically displaced, for example, using an adjustment screw or an eccentric. The device can also be attached to the kink removal device 1, thereby enabling displacement between the frame 10 and the roller group 2.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0077] 1 Kink removal device 2 First roller group 3 Second roller group 4 Cable 5 Feeding device 6 First roller support part 7 Second roller support part 8 Frame 9 Safety device 10 Spring element 11 Clamp roller 12 Gap 13 Spring 14 Contact surface 15 Swivel device 16 Operating element 17 Shaft 18 Driving part 19 Contact roller 20, 21 Roller 22 Counter roller 23 Contact finger 24 Swivel axis 25 Thrust element 26 Hand lever 27 Feed link guide 28 Release link guide 29 Swivel link guide 30, 31 Control body 32 Notch 33 Pneumatic cylinder 34 Guide surface 35 Actuator 36 Hole 37 Guide roller 38 Guide part 39 Guide plate 40 Guide plate 41 Lock release element 42, 43 Spring 44 Lever x Transfer direction s Closing direction α Approach angle

Claims

1. A straightening device (1) for straightening a cable (4), comprising a first roller group (2) having a plurality of rollers (20.1-20.7) and a second roller group (3) facing the first roller group (2) and having a plurality of rollers (21.1-21.6), wherein the cable (4) alternates in a transport direction (x) between the rollers (20.1-20.7) of the first roller group (2) and the rollers (21.1-21.6) of the second roller group (3), and can be displaced by a feed device (5) capable of displacing the first roller group (2) in a closing direction (s) relative to the second roller group (3), and the straightening device (1) comprises fixing means for fixing the position of the first roller group (2) displaced in the closing direction by the feed device (5).

2. 2. The straightening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the straightening device (1) comprises: a first roller support (6) for a first roller group (2) on which rollers (20.1 to 20.7) of the first roller group (2) are rotatably mounted; and a second roller support (7) for a second roller group (3) on which rollers (21.1 to 21.6) of the second roller group (3) are rotatably mounted; and a frame (8) for holding the first roller support (6) and the second roller support (7), wherein the first roller support (6) is mounted on the frame (8) so as to be displaceable in a closing direction.

3. 3. The straightening device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the straightening device (1) comprises a safety device (9) which prevents a backward movement of the first roller group (2) in the closing direction (s).

4. 4. The straightening device (1) according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that the first roller support (6) is supported on the frame (8) by a spring element (10), in particular a helical compression spring, which supports the first roller support (6) with a spring force acting against the closing direction (s).

5. The straightening device (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the safety device (9) comprises a clamping body, in particular a clamping roller (11), the clamping body or the clamping roller being received in a wedge-shaped gap (12).

6. 6. Straightening device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the safety device (9) comprises a spring (13) for pretensioning the clamping body, in particular the clamping roller (11).

7. The straightening device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the straightening device (1) has a manually operable feed device (5) having an operating element (16) linearly movable in a closing direction, in particular an element in the form of a button.

8. 8. The straightening device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a drive (18) for advancing the first roller support (5) is connected to the operating element (16).

9. The straightening device (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that an unlocking element (41) is provided for unlocking the safety device (9).

10. The straightening device (1) according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that an unlocking element (41) for releasing the locking action is arranged in the drive part (18), and the unlocking element (41) can be moved to a stop part together with the clamp body (11) during the return movement in the opposite direction to the closing direction.

11. The straightening device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the straightening device (1) has a contact roller (19) for fixing the closed position, the contact roller (19) is arranged on the outlet side after the first roller group (2) in relation to the transport direction (x), and the cable (4) can be pressed between the contact roller (19) and a counter roller (22) assigned to the second roller group (3) and facing the contact roller (19).

12. The straightening device (1) for fixing the closed position according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the straightening device (1) has at least one, preferably several, contact fingers (23), at least one contact finger (23) assigned to one of the roller groups, in particular the first roller group (2), and the contact finger (23) faces a roller (21.1-21.6) of the other roller group, in particular the second roller group (3), so that the cable (4) can be pressed between the respective contact finger (23) and the facing roller (21.1-21.6).

13. The straightening device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that the second roller support (6) is mounted on the frame (8) rotatably about a pivot axis (24) in order to further produce a straightening effect on the cable after completion of the feeding process, and the straightening device (1) has a pivot device (15) which enables the second roller group (3) to be pivoted into an operating position.

14. The straightening device (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that the link control is for the movement of the first roller support (6) and / or the second roller support (7).

15. The straightening device (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that a linearly movable thrust element (25) is provided for the link control portion, via which both the first roller support portion (6) and the second roller support portion (7) are movable.

16. 16. The straightening device (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that the straightening device (1) has a movable thrust element (25) with a manually operable hand lever (26).

17. The straightening device (1) according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that an in-feed guide (27) is arranged on the thrust element (25) for displacing the first roller support part (6) in the closing direction (s), an opening link control part (28) is arranged on the thrust element (25) for releasing the locking action and retracting the first roller support part (6), and a pivot link guide (29) for pivoting the second roller support part (7) is arranged on the thrust element (25).

18. 18. Straightening device (1) according to claim 17, characterized in that the swivel link control (29) for setting the individual angles of attack is formed by a stepped control track.

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