Cut cable determination system

Abstract

To provide a cut cable determination system having good workability and capable of cutting a cable without erroneous cutting.SOLUTION: The disconnected cable determination system 1 is a system for determining a cable to be removed. The signal generation unit 3 can generate a specific signal for identifying the cable 15 to be removed. A signal input unit 5 is connected to the signal generation unit 3. The signal input unit 5 is a part that introduces the signal generated by the signal generation unit 3 from one end of the cable 15 to be removed. The signal input unit 5 is provided with a conductive member 9. The conductive member 9 is formed of a conductive gel-like or clay-like member. That is, the conductive member 9 can be freely deformed. The conductive member 9 serves as a contact portion with an end portion of a conductor of the cable 15 to be removed, and a signal from the signal generation unit 3 can be introduced into the cable 15 to be removed via the conductive member 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cut cable determination system that is used, for example, when cutting and removing an unnecessary cable. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, when removing or replacing existing equipment, it is sometimes necessary to cut and remove the unnecessary cables along with the equipment. However, when the length of the cables laid is long, such as in a factory, it is difficult to pull out the cables stored in a cable rack from one end. For this reason, the cables are cut, for example, every 10 meters, and one worker pulls the cut cable. At the next cutting point, another worker identifies the cable that has moved in the cable rack and cuts that cable. This process is repeated to remove the cables.

[0003] In this case, it is necessary to cut and remove only the intended cable without accidentally cutting other necessary cables. However, many cables are usually stored in a cable rack, and it is difficult to identify only the desired cable from among them.

[0004] In response to this, a cable length measuring and cutting machine has been proposed that can measure the length of a cable by inserting the cable into a cable hole and using a roller (Patent Document 1). The cable length measuring and cutting machine in Patent Document 1 is not used for removing existing cables as described above, but is used to pull out and cut a cable of the desired length from a cable drum, but can cut the cable while moving along the cable with the desired cable inserted into the cable hole. This prevents the wrong cable from being cut along the way.

[0005] However, with the method described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to move the cable cutter along the entire length of the cable. As mentioned above, the cables are bundled in a cable rack, so it is difficult to move the cutter along only one of the cables, and the workability is also extremely poor because the cutter must be moved along the entire length of the cable (cable rack).

[0006] In response to this, a cable cutting tool has been proposed that uses a clamp sensor to detect the energized state of the cable clamped by the clamp arm, and restricts cutting if the cable is energized (Patent Document 2). In Patent Document 2, if the target cable is energized, the cable cannot be cut. This makes it possible to prevent other cables in use from being cut by mistake, thinking that they are the cable to be removed.

[0007] However, cables other than those targeted for removal are not necessarily always energized. For example, when working in a factory, it is expected that the power to surrounding equipment will also be turned off to prevent electric shock. In such cases, it is not possible to determine whether a cable is targeted for removal or whether the power is simply off, rather than the cable being removed.

[0008] Also, a method has been proposed for identifying a desired cable by introducing a signal into the cable from one end and detecting this signal with a clamp-type induction coil (Patent Document 3). In Patent Document 3, a transmitter is connected to one end of the cable, a predetermined signal is introduced from the transmitter into the cable, and this signal is detected by a clamp (coil) in the middle of the cable, and if the other end is grounded, a signal permitting cutting is emitted, making the cable ready for cutting. With this method, permission to cut is issued only if the detected signal matches the signal emitted from the transmitter, so there is no chance of mistaking the cable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-140872 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-39346 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-331049 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, the method of Patent Document 3 requires connecting a transmitter to one end, so that every time the cable is cut, for example, every 10 m, the transmitter must be reconnected to the cut end, which is particularly inconvenient when connecting the cable and transmitter in a narrow cable rack.

[0011] In particular, since the end surface of the cable after cutting is not necessarily flat, in order to reliably establish electrical continuity with the terminal, it is necessary to remove a predetermined area of ​​the cable's outer sheath or to crimp a terminal that can penetrate the outer sheath, etc. This means that these operations must be performed every time the cable is cut, which makes the work less efficient.

[0012] Furthermore, with the method of Patent Document 3, when removing multiple cables, it is difficult to connect multiple cables to the transmitter at once. For example, if the transmitter has only one terminal, it is not possible to connect multiple cables. Furthermore, even if the number of terminals is increased according to the number of cables to be removed, the work of connecting each cable to each terminal is, as mentioned above, particularly in a narrow cable rack, making it difficult to work.

[0013] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a cut cable determination system that is easy to use and can cut cables without accidentally cutting them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first invention is a cut cable determination system for determining cables to be removed, comprising: a signal generating unit that generates a signal to identify the cable to be removed; a signal input unit that introduces the signal generated by the signal generating unit from one end of the cable to be removed; a signal receiving unit that is capable of receiving the signal input by the signal input unit midway along the length of the cable to be removed; and a cut feasibility determination unit that determines whether the cable to be removed can be cut based on the signal received by the signal receiving unit, wherein the signal input unit has a conductive gel-like or clay-like conducting member at the contact point with the end of the conductor of the cable to be removed, and the signal from the signal generating unit can be introduced into the cable to be removed via the conducting member, and the signal receiving unit can identify the cable to be removed.

[0015] The conductive member may be placed on a glove used by the worker, and the worker may grasp the end of the cable to be removed with the glove, thereby enabling the end of the conductor of the cable to be removed to come into contact with the conductive member.

[0016] The conductive member may be housed in a case, and an operator may insert the end of the cable to be removed into the conductive member to bring the end of the conductor of the cable to be removed into contact with the conductive member.

[0017] The signal receiving unit may be provided in a cable cutter, and the cable cutter may include a clamping portion capable of clamping a cable, a cutter capable of cutting the cable clamped by the clamping portion, a locking mechanism that locks the operation of the cutter, and a release mechanism that releases the locking mechanism, and when the signal receiving unit receives the signal, the release mechanism may operate to release the locking mechanism.

[0018] The disconnection possibility determination unit may determine that the cable is a cable to be removed when the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0019] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the signal input unit has a freely deformable gel-like or clay-like conductive member, so even if the end surface of the cut cable is not smooth, the signal from the signal generating unit can be introduced into the cable to be removed via the conductive member. Therefore, compared to using a terminal or the like, work such as removing the outer sheath or crimping is not required, and the signal can be easily input into the cable.

[0020] Furthermore, even if the end faces of multiple cables are misaligned, the deformation of the conductive member ensures that the conductors of the cables and the conductive member come into contact and establish electrical continuity. This allows signals to be input to multiple cables at once. Therefore, when there are multiple cables to be removed, there is no need to input signals to each cable one by one, which improves workability.

[0021] Furthermore, if the signal input unit is glove-shaped, the worker can put on the glove and grasp the cable to be removed, bringing the end of the cable into contact with the conductive member provided in the glove. This makes it easy to input signals into the cable to be removed, making work easier even in a small work space.

[0022] Alternatively, by holding the conductive member with a holding member, work can be performed while the conductive member is placed on the ground, for example.

[0023] Furthermore, by integrating the signal receiving unit and the cutter, the cutter can be operated to cut the cable only when a signal is received, thereby preventing accidental cutting.

[0024] Furthermore, by determining in the signal receiving unit that the cable is a removed cable when the signal strength is above a predetermined level, it is possible to distinguish between, for example, signals generated by induction contained in other cables adjacent to the removed cable, signals introduced via other equipment, etc., and signals input from the signal input unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cut cable determination system that is easy to use and can cut a cable without accidentally cutting it. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cut cable determination system 1. FIG. [Figure 2] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing the conduction state between the conductive member 9 and the cable 15. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing a signal input unit 5a, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] Schematic diagram showing a cable cutter 27. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cut cable determination system 1a. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cut cable determination system 1. The cut cable determination system 1 is a system for determining cables to be removed. The cut cable determination system 1 is mainly composed of a signal generating unit 3, a signal input unit 5, a signal receiving unit 7, a cut possibility determination unit 13, etc.

[0028] The signal generating unit 3 can generate a specific signal for identifying the cable 15 to be removed. For example, the signal generating unit 3 can generate a signal of a predetermined frequency or a pulse signal. The signal generated by the signal generating unit 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can identify the cable to be removed.

[0029] A signal input unit 5 is connected to the signal generating unit 3. The signal input unit 5 is a portion that introduces a signal generated by the signal generating unit 3 from one end of the cable 15 to be removed. A conductive member 9 is provided in the signal input unit 5. The conductive member 9 is made of a conductive gel-like or clay-like material. In other words, the conductive member 9 is freely deformable. The conductive member 9 becomes a contact portion with the end 17 of the cable 15 to be removed, and a signal from the signal generating unit 3 can be introduced into the cable 15 to be removed via the conductive member 9. The contact between the conductive member 9 and the cable 15 will be described later.

[0030] The signal receiving unit 7 has a clamp unit 11. The clamp unit 11 can be opened and closed, and by opening the clamp unit 11 to leave a portion open, it is possible to clamp the cable 15 midway along the cable 15. Furthermore, when the clamp unit 11 is closed, it becomes annular, and it is possible to arrange the cable 15 so that it passes through the annular clamp unit 11.

[0031] The signal receiving unit 7 can receive signals flowing through the clamped cable 15 at the clamp unit 11. That is, by clamping the cable 15 with the clamp unit 11, it is possible to receive signals that are input by the signal input unit 5 midway along the longitudinal direction of the cable 15 to be removed and that propagate through the cable 15.

[0032] The cuttability determination unit 13 can determine whether or not the cable 15 is a target for removal based on the signal received by the signal receiving unit 7. That is, with the cable 15 clamped by the clamp unit 11, the signal receiving unit 7 receives the signal within the cable 15, and the cuttability determination unit 13 can determine whether or not the cable 15 can be cut. Note that the signal generating unit 3, the signal receiving unit 7, and the cuttability determination unit 13 can be, for example, a PTR620 (product name) manufactured by Goodman Corporation.

[0033] Next, the signal input unit 5 will be described in detail. FIG. 2(a) is an enlarged schematic view of the signal input unit 5. As described above, the signal input unit 5 has an electrode 21 connected to the signal generating unit 3 and a conductive member 9 placed on the electrode 21. The conductive member 9 is held by, for example, a holding member 19. The conductive member 9 is in the form of a gel or clay and is conductive. For example, by placing the conductive member 9 on the electrode 21 of the signal input unit 5, the electrode 21 and the conductive member 9 can be made conductive.

[0034] Examples of gel-like conductive members 9 include ion-carrying gels, conductive polymer gels, supramolecular conductive gels, and π-gelling supramolecules. Examples of clay-like conductive members 9 include non-hardening conductive putty and conductive grease. All of these can be freely deformed and are conductive. Note that if the shape can be sufficiently maintained, the holding member 19 may not be necessary.

[0035] One end of the cable 15 to be removed is cut, but at this time, the cut surface, or end 17, is not necessarily perpendicular to the axial direction and flat. For example, the internal conductor 23 may be cut at an angle, or burrs or the like may remain on the end surface of the conductor 23, leaving unevenness in the end 17. In addition, it is difficult to perfectly align the ends 17 of the conductors 23 of multiple cables 15, and even when the cables 15 are bundled, the positions of the ends 17 of the conductors 23 will not be aligned, resulting in unevenness in the end 17 of the bundled cables 15.

[0036] 2(b), when a worker pierces the end 17 of the cable 15 to be removed into the conductive member 9, the conductive member 9 deforms to fit the shape of the tip of each cable 15, and the end 17 of the conductor 23 and the conductive member 9 come into reliable surface contact. Therefore, the conductive member 9 and the conductor 23 are electrically connected, and signals can be reliably input to each cable 15.

[0037] A fixing member may be provided to hold cable 15 in a state where end 17 of cable 15 is inserted into conductive member 9. That is, cable 15 may be fixed and held to conductive member 9 by a fixing member so that end 17 of cable 15 does not come off conductive member 9.

[0038] 1, signals are then introduced into multiple cables 15 to be removed, and then the cables in a duct, for example, 10 to 20 m away, are clamped one by one by clamp unit 11, and the signal is received by signal receiving unit 7 to determine whether the cables are to be removed, and cables determined to be to be removed are cut. In this case, because signals can be introduced into multiple cables 15 at once, when there are multiple cables to be removed, the cables to be removed can be efficiently identified.

[0039] Note that a display such as a lamp may be provided on the signal receiving unit 7, and the cuttable state and the non-cuttable state may be distinguished by different lamp colors. Alternatively, for example, whether or not the cuttable state can be disconnected may be displayed on a display panel, or may be distinguished by a sound such as a buzzer.

[0040] When a predetermined signal is input to the cable 15 to be removed, there is a risk that the signal may be mixed into cables that are not to be removed due to induction or reflection on the equipment side (other end). In this case, since the signal is attenuated due to induction or the like, the cutoff feasibility determination unit 13 may determine that the cable 15 is to be removed if the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined level. In other words, the cutoff feasibility determination unit 13 determines that the cable 15 is to be removed only if the signal is a predetermined signal and has a predetermined strength or greater.

[0041] In this way, the multiple cables 15 are identified one by one, and the cable 15 that is identified as the cable 15 to be removed is cut at the relevant location. Thereafter, the pierced cable 15 is removed from the conductive member 9, and the cut cable 15 is removed. Next, the conductive member 9 is moved to the cutting position of the cable 15, and the same operation is repeated. In this case, since the conductive member 9 is freely deformable, it can be used by repeatedly piercing and removing the cable 15 any number of times.

[0042] Note that the conductivity of the conductive member 9 may decrease depending on the dirt or the like on the conductive member 9. For this reason, the conductive member 9 may be replaced after a predetermined number of uses, or a tester or the like may be inserted into the conductive member 9 to check the conductivity before starting work.

[0043] As described above, according to this embodiment, by using a freely deformable conductive member 9 for the signal input unit 5, it is possible to establish electrical continuity between the cable 15 and the signal input unit 5 and input a signal simply by inserting the end 17 of the cable 15 into the conductive member 9. In this case, it does not matter if the end 17 of the cable 15 has an uneven surface, and multiple cables 15 may be bundled together and inserted into the conductive member 9.

[0044] Furthermore, the signal receiving unit 7 can receive the signal from the cable 15 simply by clamping the cable 15 with the clamp unit 11, making the operation easy. Note that the signal receiving unit 7 does not necessarily have to have the clamp unit 11, and the signal from the cable 15 may be received by, for example, bringing a probe close to the cable 15.

[0045] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Figure 3(a) is a diagram showing a signal input section 5a according to the second embodiment, and Figure 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 3(a).

[0046] The signal input unit 5a is substantially the same as the signal input unit 5, but differs in that a glove 25 worn by the worker is used. The conductive member 9 is disposed, for example, on the palm of the glove 25. An electrode 21 connected to the signal generating unit 3 is disposed on the surface of the glove 25, and the conductive member 9 is disposed on the electrode 21. A flexible holding member for holding the conductive member 9 may be provided. For example, the portion of the glove 25 other than the portion that comes into contact with the cable 15 may be covered with a holding member joined to the glove 25.

[0047] By gripping end 17 of cable 15 to be removed with glove 25, the worker can bring end 17 of conductor 23 of cable 15 into contact with conductive member 9. At this time, by piercing end 17 of cable 15 into conductive member 9, electrical continuity between conductive member 9 and conductor 23 of cable 15 can be reliably established.

[0048] According to the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the first embodiment. Furthermore, since the signal input unit 5a using the glove 25 is used, by holding the cable 15, the electrical continuity between the cable 15 and the conductive member 9 is maintained, and a signal can be input to the cable 15.

[0049] Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the signal receiving unit 7 receives a signal, and the cable 15 that is determined to be cuttable is cut by a separate cutter or the like. However, in this embodiment, a cable cutter 27 shown in FIG. 4 is used.

[0050] The cable cutter 27 is mainly composed of a clamp unit 11, a cutter 33, a main body unit 31, a display unit 29, etc. The clamp unit 11 capable of clamping the cable 15 is disposed on one end side of the main body unit 31.

[0051] Similarly to the clamp unit 11, a cutter 33 that can be opened and closed is disposed at one end of the main body 31. The cutter 33 is normally open, but by operating the cutter 33, it is possible to cut the cable 15 that has passed through the clamp unit 11 and been clamped. The clamp unit 11 and the cutter 33 may be operated manually or electrically. In this case, the clamp unit 11 and the cutter 33 are operated by respective operation units 35 or the like provided on the main body 31. In the illustrated example, the operation unit 35 is a lever type provided on the main body 31, but the operation unit 35 may be a button-type operation panel or a touch panel such as a liquid crystal display.

[0052] 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cut cable determination system 1a that uses a cable cutter 27. The cable cutter 27 incorporates a signal receiving unit 7, a cutability determination unit 13, a locking mechanism 37 that locks the operation of the cutter, and a release mechanism 39 that releases the locking mechanism 37.

[0053] Next, we will explain how to use the cable cutter 27. As described above, the end 17 of the cable 15 to be removed is inserted into the conductive member 9 of the signal input unit 5 to establish electrical continuity between the signal input unit 5 and the cable 15. Note that the signal input unit 5a may be used instead of the signal input unit 5.

[0054] First, the cable 15 is clamped by the clamp portion 11 of the cable cutter 27. At this time, the cutter 33 is locked by the locking mechanism 37, so that the cutter 33 does not operate even when the operating portion 35 is operated, or the operating portion 35 itself is inoperable. In other words, the locking mechanism 37 may mechanically prevent the cutter 33 from operating, for example, by using a pin or the like, or may control the operation via an electrical circuit.

[0055] In this state, the signal receiving unit 7 receives a signal from the cable 15, and the cuttability determining unit 13 determines whether the cable 15 is a target for cutting. That is, if a predetermined signal has a predetermined strength or greater, it determines that the cable is a target for cutting. The cuttability determining unit 13 then displays the cuttability determination result on the display unit 29. For example, if the cable is cuttable, it is displayed in green, and if it is not cuttable, it is displayed in red.

[0056] Furthermore, when it is determined that cutting is possible, the cuttability determination unit 13 operates the release mechanism 39 to release the lock mechanism 37, thereby making the cutter 33 operable. Therefore, the cable 15 can be cut, for example, by the operation unit 35. After cutting, another cable 15 is clamped, and all cables 15 that are electrically connected to the conductive member 9 are cut. By repeating the above process, the target cable can be removed.

[0057] According to the third embodiment, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the first embodiment. In addition, by integrating the clamp unit 11 and the cutter 33 and using the cable cutter 27 that incorporates the signal receiving unit 7 and the like, it is possible to reliably cut the cable 15 that has been determined to be the target for removal.

[0058] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the technical ideas disclosed in this application, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1, 1a....Cable break detection system 3. Signal generating section 5, 5a……Signal gravity section 7...Signal receiving section 9...Conductive member 11...Clamp section 13……Cutability determination section 15...Cable 17...End 19...Holding member 21... Electrode 23...Conductor 25...Gloves 27...Cable cutter 29……Display section 31...Main body 33...Cutter 35……Operation unit 37...Locking mechanism 39……Release mechanism

Claims

1. A cut cable determination system for determining a cable to be removed, a signal generating unit that generates a signal for identifying the removed cable; a signal input unit that introduces the signal generated by the signal generating unit from one end of the removed cable; a signal receiving unit that is located midway along the longitudinal direction of the removed cable and that is capable of receiving the signal input by the signal input unit; a cut-off possibility determination unit that determines whether or not the removed cable can be cut based on the signal received by the signal receiving unit; Equipped with the signal input unit has a conductive gel-like or clay-like conducting member at a contact portion with an end of the conductor of the removal cable, and the signal from the signal generating unit can be introduced into the removal cable via the conducting member; A cut cable determination system capable of determining a cable to be removed by receiving the signal in the cable with the signal receiving unit.

2. 2. The cut cable determination system of claim 1, wherein the conductive member is placed on a glove worn by a worker, and the worker can bring the end of the conductor of the cable to be removed into contact with the conductive member by grasping the end of the cable to be removed with the glove.

3. 2. The cut cable determination system according to claim 1, wherein the conductive member is held by a holding member, and an operator can insert the end of the cable to be removed into the conductive member to bring the end of the conductor of the cable to be removed into contact with the conductive member.

4. the signal receiving unit is provided in a cable cutter, The cable cutter includes: a clamping portion capable of clamping a cable; a cutter capable of cutting the cable clamped by the clamp portion; a locking mechanism that locks the operation of the cutter; a release mechanism that releases the lock mechanism; Equipped with 2. The cut cable determination system according to claim 1, wherein the release mechanism is operable to release the lock mechanism when the signal is received by the signal receiving unit.

5. The disconnection possibility determination unit 2. The cut cable determination system according to claim 1, wherein the cable is determined to be a removed cable when the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

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