STATION DE DISTRIBUTION

Abstract

A grommet assembly module (3) for fitting the cable end of a cable (12) with a grommet (11) of a grommet station (1) comprises an assembly unit (8) with an expanding sleeve (10) for holding the grommet (11) in an expanded state and for placing the grommet (11) onto the cable end, a transfer unit (7) with a mandrel (9) and a grommet receiving device (20) for receiving and holding the grommet (11) during the assembly process. The transfer unit (7) is designed such that in a receiving position a nozzle (11) can be slid onto the mandrel (9) and that in a transfer position the mandrel (9) is in operative connection with the assembly unit (8) in such a way that the nozzle (11) can be transferred from the mandrel (9) to the assembly unit (8), wherein the expanding sleeve (10) of the assembly unit (8) temporarily surrounds the mandrel (9) in the transfer position.The mandrel (9) and the expansion sleeve (10) are oriented in the same direction and the assembly unit (8) is a component unit with a nozzle receiving device (20) and a downstream expansion sleeve (10).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a grommet station for fitting electrical cables according to the preamble of claim 1. With such grommet stations, grommets, which are required, for example, for moisture-proof penetrations of electrical cables through connector housings or housing walls of electrical appliances, can be efficiently fitted onto cables.

[0002] Cable assembly involves cutting and stripping cables, fitting them with ferrules, crimping them, and optionally fitting them with housings. This process typically involves fitting a ferrule to a stripped cable, followed by crimping a metal contact. This crimp contact is designed to hold the ferrule securely onto the cable. Cable assembly is often carried out using automated or semi-automatic machines, with the cable being fed manually to each processing station in the case of a semi-automatic machine.

[0003] A generically comparable grommet station is shown in EP 0 626 738 A1. The grommet station comprises a grommet storage unit with a drum filled with grommets and a grommet loading module for fitting a grommet to a stripped cable end. The grommets are conveyed in the correct orientation via a conveyor rail to a singulation unit, from which grommets are individually pushed onto a mandrel of a transfer unit. The transfer unit is designed as a rotary device and comprises a total of four mandrels. In addition to the aforementioned transfer unit with the four mandrels, the grommet loading module further comprises a loading head with an expanding sleeve. This loading head is shown in Fig. 3 and is labelled 40 there. At the end of the singulation unit, an ejection device with a ram that moves up and down is arranged, the ram feeding the first grommet in the conveyor rail of the transfer unit.The transfer unit can be rotated incrementally through a 90° angle. In a first position, the grommet is pushed onto the mandrel by means of the aforementioned plunger. After a 90° rotation, in a second position of the transfer unit, the grommet is pushed onto a section of the mandrel with a larger diameter for the purpose of expansion. The actual insertion of the grommet onto the cable end takes place in a third position. In this third position of the transfer unit, the grommet is pulled off the mandrel using the insertion head 40 shown in Fig. 3, which includes the grommet holder 42 and the expanding sleeve 41. The expanded grommet 11 is then placed onto the cable 12 and finally pushed onto it. Once the mandrel has been pivoted into the third position, the insertion head 40, with its two-part expanding sleeve 41 and a two-part grommet holder 42, encloses the grommet.The grommet 11 is pushed onto the expanding sleeve 41 by the grommet receiving part 42. The expanding sleeve 41, which is positioned in front of the grommet receiving part 42, has a flared area at its front end, facing the cable 12, with a funnel-shaped insertion opening for inserting the cable into the closed placement head 40. In practice, it has been found that this grommet placement station requires a relatively large cable overhang. This cable overhang is the exposed part of the cable end and is labeled ao in Fig. 3. For example, in fully automated grommet stations, the cable must protrude by this amount on a cable gripper that moves the cable to the placement head, and can therefore sag. When feeding the cable with the gripper, undesirable vibrations and movements can occur, and handling, especially with thin cables, can be difficult.Furthermore, the processing of sheathed cables, in which several individual wires are combined into one cable, can be difficult.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the known method and in particular to create a grommet station with which cables can be reliably and efficiently fitted with grommets.

[0005] This problem is solved according to the invention with the grommet station having the features of claim 1. The grommet station for fitting grommets to electrical cables comprises a grommet fitting module for fitting a grommet to a preferably stripped cable end. In addition to the grommet fitting module, the grommet station can have a grommet storage unit with a drum for loose storage of grommets and a conveyor rail for guiding the grommets to the grommet fitting module in the correct orientation. The grommet fitting module comprises a fitting unit with an expanding sleeve for holding the grommet in an expanded state and for placing the grommet onto the cable end, and a transfer unit with at least one mandrel.The transfer unit is designed such that, in a receiving position, a nozzle can be slid onto the mandrel, and in a transfer position, the mandrel is operatively connected to the placement unit in such a way that the nozzle can be transferred from the mandrel to the placement unit. In the transfer position, the expanding sleeve of the placement unit temporarily surrounds the mandrel. An ejection device allows the nozzle to be pushed from the conveyor rail onto the mandrel in the receiving position. The ejection device may include a ram that can be moved up and down, which feeds the first nozzle in the conveyor rail to the transfer unit. In the transfer position, the mandrel and the expanding sleeve surrounding it are oriented in the same direction, allowing the nozzle to be grasped from behind by the expanding sleeve.

[0006] The term "aligned orientation" means that the two tips of the respective components—the tip of the mandrel and the tip of the expanding sleeve—point in the same direction. When the expanding sleeve surrounds the mandrel in the transfer position, these tips face the cable end. Because the expanding sleeve can grip the grommet from behind, the cable can be reliably and efficiently fitted with a grommet. This special arrangement also allows for a compact grommet assembly module. A particular advantage of this arrangement is that the required cable protrusion can be significantly reduced. The resulting less sagging, or virtually nonexistent, cable end makes cable handling considerably easier.The cable end can be precisely held and provided by a cable gripper with regard to processing by the assembly unit, and the cable end can be moved or brought to the assembly unit by means of the cable gripper, for example of a fully automatic machine or, if necessary, manually.

[0007] The assembly unit has a longitudinal center axis along which the expanding sleeve extends. The cable preferably has a cable axis, at least in the region of the cable end, that is coaxial with the longitudinal center axis. Likewise, the mandrel runs coaxially with the longitudinal center axis in the transfer position. Unless otherwise stated, the directional specifications used below in connection with the assembly unit refer to this longitudinal center axis; therefore, when terms such as "radial" or "axial" are used below, they refer to the longitudinal center axis.

[0008] Preferably, the expanding sleeve is designed in two parts. The two-part expanding sleeve has two radially opposing shell sections. These shell sections, which can be moved between a closed and an open position by means of one or more actuators, enable efficient operation of the nozzle station. In the closed position, the shell sections are assembled to form the sleeve shape, and in the open position, they are preferably parallel to each other. A common electric motor, for example, can be used as the actuator for simultaneous movement of the shell sections. Such an expanding sleeve can be easily brought onto the mandrel by a closing movement when the transfer unit is in the transfer position, and surround it.After opening the expanding sleeve, the functional connection between the placement unit and the transfer unit can be at least temporarily lifted, so that the transfer unit can be moved back into the takeover position.

[0009] Preferably, the placement unit further comprises a nozzle receiving device for receiving and holding the nozzle during the placement process. Particularly preferably, the expanding sleeve and the nozzle receiving device are mechanically coupled to one another, with the expanding sleeve being insertable into the nozzle receiving device. For this mechanical coupling, the expanding sleeve and the nozzle receiving device can be axially displaceable relative to each other. This ensures that when the expanding sleeve is inserted into the nozzle receiving device, the nozzle is pushed onto the expanding sleeve.

[0010] To ensure the grommet can be easily gripped from behind by the expanding sleeve, a combined assembly of expanding sleeve and grommet holding device is advantageous, in which the expanding sleeve is positioned downstream of the grommet holding device. The assembly unit has a front side that is adjacent to and facing the cable being processed. The cable is therefore located in front of the assembly unit. "Downstream" here means that the expanding sleeve is positioned behind the grommet holding device, i.e., on the back side (i.e., opposite the front side) of the grommet holding device.

[0011] Furthermore, it can be advantageous if the grommet receiving device has a funnel-shaped insertion section through which the cable end can be inserted into the grommet receiving device.

[0012] The grommet holding device, like the expanding sleeve, can be designed in two parts. This two-part device can have two jaws, each of which, together with the respective shell parts of the expanding sleeve, can be moved in pairs between a closed and an open position. The previously mentioned funnel-shaped insertion section is formed by the jaws when they are in the closed position. Thanks in particular to the integration of the funnel-shaped insertion section with the grommet holding device, a compact assembly unit can be created, allowing for minimal cable protrusion.

[0013] The nozzle receiving device may include wiping means with which the nozzle can be wiped off the expanding sleeve to end the nozzle assembly process.

[0014] If the grommet receiving device has a receiving channel for receiving the mandrel with the grommet and / or the cable end, it can be advantageous for integrating the stripping means into the receiving device if a collar made of stripping material is preferably arranged at the rear end of a grommet receiving section of the receiving channel. This collar forms a stop for the grommet when the expanding sleeve is extended from the grommet receiving device, thus stripping the grommet. The grommet receiving section is the section of the receiving channel designed to receive the grommet.

[0015] Furthermore, sliding devices can be provided that allow the nozzle, already pushed onto the mandrel, to be slid onto a section of the mandrel with a larger diameter to expand the nozzle. Such sliding devices could, similar to those in the aforementioned EP 0 626 738 A1, be formed by a separate sliding assembly. However, with regard to a compact design and efficient operation of the nozzle station, it is advantageous if the sliding devices are integrated into the nozzle receiving device. The sliding devices can also serve to push the nozzle from the mandrel onto the expanding sleeve when the expanding sleeve is inserted into the nozzle receiving device.

[0016] Particularly preferably, the aforementioned mounting devices can include mounting elements that are resiliently displaceable in the jaws in the transverse direction, i.e., transversely and preferably perpendicular to a longitudinal center axis of the assembly unit, which corresponds to the cable axis. The mounting elements can preferably be plate-shaped.

[0017] Furthermore, it can be advantageous if the transfer unit has a mandrel carrier in which at least one mandrel is slidably mounted in the axial direction between a rest position and an extended position, and the mandrel can be moved from the rest position to the extended position in the transfer position by means of an actuator.

[0018] At least one mandrel can be held in the rest position by means of a spring element to generate a preload force. Thanks to the spring element, for example in the form of a helical compression spring, the mandrel is automatically returned from the extended position to the rest position after the actuator is deactivated.

[0019] The nozzle assembly module can have a traversing device that can be operated by means of the actuator, with the help of which at least one mandrel can be moved into the extended position.

[0020] It is particularly advantageous if exactly one mandrel is assigned to the transfer unit. The mandrel can thus be mounted in the mandrel carrier so as to be axially displaceable. In this case, it can be advantageous if the mandrel is guided through the mandrel carrier and projects beyond it on both sides, with the front portion of the mandrel projecting beyond the mandrel carrier serving to slide the sleeve onto it, and the rear portion of the mandrel forming a bolt that can be actuated by a linearly movable slide. A docking element can be provided at the end of the bolt for this purpose, which, in the transfer position, engages in a complementary receptacle of the slide, thus enabling the mandrel to be moved into its extended position. Other moving devices are also conceivable instead of slides. For example, the mandrel could be moved via a motor-driven rack and pinion drive.

[0021] The nozzle station can be operated efficiently if the transfer unit is designed as a swivel unit. The swivel unit preferably has a swivel range of 90° between the receiving and transfer positions. The transfer unit is particularly preferably designed such that the mandrel can be moved back and forth between the receiving and transfer positions by a 90° rotation.

[0022] In the receiving position, the mandrel can run vertically, and a nozzle can be pushed onto the mandrel from above, for example, using the aforementioned ejection device. In the transfer position, the mandrel can run horizontally.

[0023] Further individual features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of an overall view of a nozzle station according to the invention, Fig. 2 a nozzle assembly module of the nozzle station (detail view from Fig. 1), Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through an assembly unit of a nozzle assembly module according to the prior art, Fig. 4 a longitudinal section through an assembly unit of the nozzle assembly module according to Fig. 2, Fig. 5 a section through a nozzle assembly module at the beginning of an assembly process, Fig. 6 the nozzle assembly module from Fig. 5, but after the mandrel of a transfer unit has been pivoted into a transfer position, Fig. 7 the nozzle assembly module with the open assembly unit moved towards the transfer unit, Fig. 8 the nozzle assembly module with the now closed assembly unit, Fig. 9 the nozzle assembly module with the closed assembly unit after extension of the mandrel, Fig.10 the grommet placement module with the closed placement unit after insertion of an expanding sleeve into a grommet receiving device of the placement unit, Fig. 11 the grommet placement module after a further work step in which the placement unit was moved away from the transfer unit and after insertion of the cable into the placement unit, Fig. 12 the grommet placement module with the placement unit after the expanding sleeve was removed from the grommet receiving device, Fig. 13 the grommet placement module after completion of the placement process, Fig. 14 a cross-section through the grommet receiving device of the placement unit in a partial view.

[0024] Fig. 1 shows a grommet station, designated 1, for fitting grommets to electrical cables 12. Grommets are tubular or hose-like sealing elements, for example made of silicone, a rubber material or another softly elastic deformable plastic, which are generally required for moisture-proof penetrations of electrical cables through connector housings or housing walls of electrical appliances.

[0025] The grommet station 1 includes a grommet storage unit 2 and a grommet placement module 3 for fitting a grommet onto a stripped cable end of a cable 12. The grommet placement module 3 comprises a placement unit 8 extending along a longitudinal center axis 30, with which a grommet is placed onto the cable 12, which also lies along the longitudinal center axis 30. Such a grommet station 1 can be used as an isolated machine or be part of a cable assembly system, which, in addition to the grommet station, may also include stripping stations, crimping stations, and, optionally, housing assembly stations.

[0026] Cable 12 is guided to the nozzle assembly module 3 by a gripper (not shown). Such a nozzle station 1 corresponds to a fully automatic version. Of course, it would also be conceivable to implement the nozzle station 1 with the novel nozzle assembly module 3, described in detail below, in a semi-automatic version or in other versions instead of a fully automatic one.

[0027] The nozzle storage unit 2 of the nozzle station 1 comprises a drum 4 for the loose storage of a large number of nozzles, a conveyor rail 5 projecting into the rotating drum 4 for the correct orientation of the nozzles for storage and further transport, and a singulation unit 6 with an ejection device by means of which the first nozzle in the conveyor rail 5 is fed to the nozzle loading module 3. With regard to the nozzle storage unit 2, the nozzle station 1 shown in Fig. 1 essentially corresponds to the nozzle stations known from EP 0 626 738 A1 or EP 0 534 106 A1. Details of the design of the nozzle storage unit 2 with drum 4, conveyor rail 5, and singulation unit 6 can be found in these publications. The nozzle loading module 3, described in detail below, could also be combined with other nozzle storage units or nozzle feeding devices.It would even be conceivable to have a nozzle station without a nozzle storage unit, in which individual nozzles are manually fed to the nozzle assembly module 3.

[0028] Construction details of the grommet mounting module 3 of the grommet station 1 can be seen in Fig. 2. To improve the view of the key components, some components, such as the covers of the machine frame 31, have been removed compared to Fig. 1. The grommet mounting module 3 comprises a transfer unit 7 with a mandrel 9. The transfer unit 7 is designed as a pivoting unit and can be pivoted back and forth between the transfer position shown in Fig. 2 and a second horizontal position in which the mandrel 9 faces the cable end of the cable 12. The corresponding axis of rotation for the pivoting movement is designated R. The grommet 11 is placed onto the cable 12 by the mounting unit 8. Since the grommet 11 is transferred from the mandrel 9 of the mounting unit in the aforementioned second position, this position is referred to as the transfer position.

[0029] The transfer unit 7 has a mandrel carrier 18, which is connected to the machine frame 31 via a pivoting mechanism with a motor-driven pivoting mechanism. In the transfer position, in which the mandrel 9 is vertically aligned, a nozzle 11 can be applied to the mandrel 9 by means of the singulation unit 6. This is done by means of a vertically movable ram of an ejection device 19 of the singulation unit 6. The mandrel 9 has two receiving areas for the nozzle, similar to the mandrels already known from EP 0 626 738 A1. A front area has a smaller diameter, a rear area has a larger diameter. In the transfer position, the nozzle is initially pushed onto the mandrel 9 only onto the front area with the smaller diameter by means of the singulation unit 9.

[0030] The mandrel 9 is mounted in the mandrel carrier 18 so as to be axially displaceable and can be moved axially from a rest position to an extended position by means of an actuator. In the vertical transfer position of the transfer unit 7, the mandrel 9 is in its rest position. The mandrel 9 is held in its rest position by a helical compression spring 27 to generate a preload force. The mandrel 9 is guided through the mandrel carrier 18 and projects beyond it on both sides. A portion of the mandrel projecting beyond the front of the mandrel carrier 18 encompasses the tip of the mandrel and serves to handle the nozzle. A portion of the mandrel located behind the mandrel carrier 18 forms a bolt 35, which can be actuated by a linearly movable slide 32.At the end of the bolt 35, along which the spring 27 is guided, a docking element 33 is provided which, when the transfer unit 7 is pivoted into the horizontal transfer position, engages in a complementary receptacle 34 on the slide 32. After this engagement, the sliding movement into the extended position of the mandrel 9 is possible.

[0031] The placement unit 8 essentially consists of an expanding sleeve 10 extending along the longitudinal center axis 30 for holding the grommet 11 in an expanded state and for placing the grommet 11 onto the cable end of the cable 12, and a grommet receiving device 20 for receiving and holding the grommet 11 during the placement process. The expanding sleeve 10 is evidently designed in two parts and has two shell sections 13, 13'. The grommet receiving device 20 is also designed in two parts and has two jaws 16, 16'. The opposing radially movable jaws 16, 16' and the shell sections 13, 13' can be moved in pairs between a closed position and an open position. In the figure shown in Fig.In the open position shown in Figure 2, the respective jaws 16, 16' and shell parts 13, 13' are spaced apart from each other in a parallel position such that the cable end 12, fitted with a grommet 11, is exposed and can be led away from the grommet station 1 for further processing. The cable axis of the cable 12 corresponds to the longitudinal center axis 30 defined by the assembly unit 8. The expanding sleeve 10 and the grommet receiving device 20 are mechanically coupled to each other. They are designed to be axially displaceable relative to each other along the longitudinal center axis 30, with the expanding sleeve 10 being insertable into the grommet receiving device 20, whereby the grommet is pushed onto the expanding sleeve 10 when the expanding sleeve 10 is inserted into the grommet receiving device 20.

[0032] The nozzle receiving device 20 incorporates sliding means for further sliding the nozzle 11, which has already been pushed onto the mandrel 9, onto an enlarged section of the mandrel 9 with a larger diameter to widen the nozzle. These sliding means comprise sliding elements 25, 25' that are displaceable perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis 20 in the jaws 16, 16' (see especially Fig. 14 below).

[0033] Further details regarding the design of the assembly unit 8 of the grommet assembly module 3 of the grommet station 1 can be seen in Fig. 4. The assembly unit 8 is a component unit with a grommet receiving device 23 and a downstream expanding sleeve 10. The assembly unit 8 has a front face formed by the grommet receiving device 20, which faces the cable 12. A funnel-shaped insertion section 21 is arranged on this front face, through which the cable end can be inserted into the closed grommet receiving device 20 (see Fig. 11 below). In other words, the downstream expanding sleeve 10 is positioned or arranged behind the grommet receiving device 20 with respect to the longitudinal center axis 30.

[0034] The expanding sleeve 10 comprises an elongated, cylindrical section (in the closed position) with a sleeve tip 15 onto which the nozzle 11 can be slid, and a flanged section 14 adjoining this section. The sleeve tip 15 points forward, and the flanged section 14 forms the rear end of the expanding sleeve 10. The mandrel 9 (not shown here) has a mandrel tip that points forward, or towards the front, in the transfer position. The mandrel 9 and the expanding sleeve 10, which temporarily surrounds the mandrel in the transfer position, are thus oriented in the same direction. Thanks to the special arrangement, alignment, and positioning of the mandrel 9 and the expanding sleeve 10, it is advantageously ensured that the nozzle 11 can engage the expanding sleeve 10 from the rear.

[0035] In Fig. 4, an open receiving channel 22 of the grommet receiving device 20 for receiving the mandrel 9 with the grommet 11 and the cable end is also visible. The receiving channel 22 has a grommet receiving section 23 adapted to the grommet for receiving the grommet 11. At its front end, the receiving channel 22 is widened and forms a funnel-shaped insertion section 21 through which the cable end can be inserted into the grommet receiving device 20 when the grommet receiving device 20 is closed (see Fig. 11). At the rear end of the grommet receiving section 23, a collar 17 is arranged, which forms a stop for the grommet 11 to prevent it from being removed when the expanding sleeve 10 is extended from the grommet receiving device 20 (see Fig. 12). The following figures 3 to 13 illustrate the functionality of the nozzle assembly module 3, in which individual process steps for nozzle assembly with the novel nozzle station 1 are shown.

[0036] Figures 3 and 4 show a comparison of the placement units or heads of the known and the inventive grommet stations. Figure 3 shows a placement head 40 from the aforementioned EP 0 626 738 A1. Figure 4 shows the placement unit 8 of the grommet station 1 according to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 / 2. The respective cable protrusions are designated aN (Figure 4) and aO (Figure 3), respectively. The cable protrusion aN of the novel grommet station 1 is clearly much shorter than the cable protrusion aO of the known grommet station. The cable gripper, which guides the cable to the grommet station, is indicated in the figures and is designated 28 there.

[0037] The procedure for fitting the cable 12 with a grommet 11 is as follows: When the mandrel 9 is in the vertical receiving position, a grommet 11 can be pushed onto the mandrel 9 using the plunger of the ejection device 19. After being pushed on, the grommet 11 is located on the front portion of the mandrel 9 as shown in Fig. 5. The transfer unit 7 with the mandrel 9 is then pivoted 90° into the position shown in Fig. 6. The mandrel 9 is now in the transfer position. The docking element 33 at the end of the bolt 35 adjoining the mandrel 9 engages the complementary receptacle 34 of the slide 32. The insertion unit 8 then retracts in the open position in the direction of arrow q, whereupon the open insertion unit 8 is positioned over the mandrel 9 with the grommet 11 pushed onto it. As can be seen from Fig. 7, the open expanding sleeves of the assembly unit 8 are located in a position behind the nozzle 11.The nozzle receiving device 20 with the receiving channel 22 and the extended nozzle receiving section 23 is also in the correct axial position. Now the assembly unit 8 can be closed. The closing directions of the respective components 13, 13'; 16, 16' of the assembly unit 8 are indicated by arrows s. The assembly unit 8 is then in the closed position shown in Fig. 8. The closed expanding sleeve 10 surrounds the mandrel 9. The nozzle 11 is received in the nozzle receiving section 23 of the nozzle receiving device 20; the closed nozzle receiving device 20 encloses the nozzle 11 pushed onto the mandrel 9. In a next step, the slide is moved forward along the longitudinal center axis 30, thereby moving the mandrel 9 from the rest position to the extended position in the direction of arrow f.As the mandrel 9 moves towards the cable 12, it enters the grommet receiving device 20. During this insertion, the grommet 11 is pushed onto the rear portion of the mandrel 9, which has a larger diameter. The insertion is effected by the insertion elements 25, 25', which act as a stop for the grommet 11. During the insertion process, the grommet 11 abuts the insertion elements 25, 25' and is prevented from further displacement in the direction of arrow f. Thanks to the spring-loaded mounting of the insertion plates 25, 25', the plates follow the contour of the mandrel 9. Fig. 9 shows the assembly unit 8 with the mandrel 9 in the extended position. The expanding sleeve 10 is then inserted into the grommet receiving device 20 in the direction of arrow e. The expanding sleeve 10 moves from its initial position to a final position, as shown in Fig. 10.The expanding sleeve 10 moves axially along the mandrel 9 and further expands the grommet 11. The grommet 11 is thereby gripped from behind by the expanding sleeve 10. The grommet 11 is now located on the expanding sleeve 10. The sliding elements 25, 25' also serve as stops for the grommet and hold it axially back so that the grommet 11 can be slid onto the expanding sleeve. Subsequently, the cable end of the cable 12 is inserted into the assembly unit 8 via the funnel-shaped insertion section 21 and the cable end is inserted into the expanding sleeve 10. The insertion of the cable end into the assembly unit 8 and into the expanding sleeve 10 is achieved by moving the assembly unit 8 in direction r towards the cable 12 and by moving the cable 12 a short distance in the opposite direction (arrow s).While the cable end is being inserted into the expanding sleeve 10, the mandrel 9 is simultaneously returned to its original rest position by the retraction movement indicated by the arrow t. However, the movement t of the mandrel 9 could also occur before the movements r, s of the placement unit 8 and the cable 12. Instead of moving both the placement unit 8 and the cable 12, other movements are also conceivable. Only relative movements in the axial direction of the placement unit 8 with respect to the cable 12 are required to insert the cable end into the expanding sleeve 10. For example, the cable 12 could remain stationary and only the placement unit 8 could be moved. Once the mandrel 9 is in its rest position, the transfer unit 7 can be pivoted back. The mandrel 9 is now ready to receive the next grommet.This position, with the mandrel 9 returned to its initial position and the mounting unit 8 with the cable end inserted therein, is shown in Fig. 11. The expanding sleeve 10 can now be moved back to its initial position in the z-direction, thereby pushing the grommet 11 onto the cable 12. As the expanding sleeve 10 retracts, the grommet 11 rests against the collar 17, so that the grommet 11 remains in the grommet receiving section 23 of the grommet receiving device 20, while the expanding sleeve 10 is moved out of the grommet receiving device 20. In the position shown in Fig. 12, the cable 12 is now fully fitted with the grommet 11. The assembly unit 8 is then moved into the open position (Fig. 13) and the cable end of the cable 12 fitted with the grommet 11 can be fed to a further (not shown) cable processing station such as a crimping station by means of the gripper.The next grommet for fitting a subsequent cable is already pushed onto the mandrel 9 in the position shown in Fig. 13.

[0038] Fig. 14 shows a cross-section through a nozzle receiving device 20 of the assembly unit 8, showing only the upper jaws 16' of the nozzle receiving device 20. The section plane runs vertically to the longitudinal center axis 30. A plate-like sliding element 25' is provided in the jaw 16', which is displaceable to a limited extent perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis 30 and is resiliently mounted in the jaw 16'. For the resilient mounting, two springs 26 are used as an example here, which ensure that the sliding elements 25' project radially inwards and follow the contour of the mandrel 9 when the latter is inserted into the nozzle receiving device 20. The limited displaceability is ensured by an elongated hole 36 in the sliding element 25', into which a pin 37 engages.

[0039] The present nozzle station 1 relates to an embodiment in which exactly one mandrel 9 is assigned to the transfer unit 7. However, it would also be conceivable to provide a transfer unit with four mandrels. In this case, the person skilled in the art would have to modify the previously described nozzle loading module 3 such that they omit the slide and the axially displaceable mandrel. The loading unit would have to be able to move to an additional position in order to slide the nozzle onto the larger dome diameter.

[0040] Furthermore, a variant with a nozzle receiving device without integrated sliding elements would be conceivable. The sliding elements could be arranged outside the nozzle receiving device, similar to the known nozzle stations of the type described in EP 0 626 738 A1, and assigned to a further, third angular position of the mandrel.

[0041] The placement unit 8 of the present grommet station 1 is primarily guided towards the cable for placement. However, it would also be conceivable to design the placement unit as a whole to be stationary and to perform the necessary movements of the cable for feeding by the cable gripper or another cable conveying device.

Claims

1. Grommet station (1) with a grommet assembly module (3) for fitting cable end of a cable (12) with a grommet (11), the grommet assembly module (3) comprising: - a placement unit (8) with an expanding sleeve (10) for holding the grommet (11) in an expanded state and for placing the grommet (11) onto the cable end, - a transfer unit (7) with at least one mandrel (9) onto which a nozzle (11) can be slid in a transfer position and which in a transfer position is in operative connection with the assembly unit (8) such that the nozzle (11) can be transferred from the mandrel (9) of the assembly unit (8), wherein the expanding sleeve (10) of the assembly unit (8) temporarily surrounds the mandrel (9) in the transfer position, characterized in that the mandrel (9) and the expanding sleeve (10) are oriented in the same direction.

2. Nozzle station (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the expanding sleeve (10) is designed in two parts and has two counter-rotating radially movable shell parts (13, 13').

3. Nozzle station (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the placement unit (8) has a nozzle receiving device (20) for receiving and holding the nozzle (11) during the placement process.

4. Nozzle station (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the expanding sleeve (10) and the nozzle receiving device (20) are mechanically coupled to each other, wherein the expanding sleeve (10) can be inserted into the nozzle receiving device (20).

5. Nozzle station (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the assembly unit (8) is a component unit with nozzle receiving device (20) and expanding sleeve (10) downstream of the nozzle receiving device.

6. Grommet station (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the grommet receiving device (20) has a funnel-shaped insertion section (21) through which the cable end can be inserted into the grommet receiving device (20).

7. Nozzle station (1) according to claim 2 and one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the nozzle receiving device (20) is designed in two parts and has two jaws (16, 16') which, together with the respective shell parts (13, 13'), can be moved in pairs between a closed position and an open position.

8. Grommet station (1) according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the grommet receiving device (20) has a receiving channel (22) for receiving the mandrel (9) with the grommet (11) and / or the cable end, wherein a collar (17) is arranged at the rear end of a grommet receiving section (23) of the receiving channel (22), which forms a stop for the grommet (11) when the expanding sleeve (10) is pulled out of the grommet receiving device (20) for stripping the grommet.

9. Nozzle station (1) according to claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the nozzle receiving device (20) includes a sliding means for further sliding the nozzle (11) already pushed onto the mandrel (9) onto a section of the mandrel (9) with a larger diameter to widen the nozzle.

10. Nozzle station (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the sliding means in the jaws (16, 16') comprise sliding elements (25, 25') that are displaceable in the transverse direction to a limited extent and are spring-loaded, preferably plate-like.

11. Nozzle station (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the transfer unit (7) has a mandrel carrier (18) in which the at least one mandrel (9) is displaceably mounted in the axial direction between a rest position and an extended position and can be moved from the rest position to the extended position by means of an actuator.

12. Nozzle station (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the at least one mandrel (9) is held in the rest position by means of a spring element (27) to generate a preload force.

13. Nozzle station (1) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the nozzle assembly module (3) has a slide (32) operable by means of the actuator to move the mandrel (9) into the extended position.

14. Nozzle station (1) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that exactly one mandrel (9) is assigned to the transfer unit (7).

15. Nozzle station according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the transfer unit (7) is designed as a pivoting unit preferably with a pivoting range between receiving position and transfer position of 90°.