Drain wire separation apparatus

Abstract

A drain wire separation apparatus 10 comprises: a holding member 21 that holds a multicore cable 1 so as to be located on an axis 20a extending in an F-Rr direction; a separating member 61 which comprises a drain wire introduction part 61a into which a drain wire 2 can be introduced and which is provided at one position in an L-R direction orthogonal to the F-Rr direction; a first movement device 66 that moves the separating member 61 in a U-D direction; a first detection device 50 that detects the position of the drain wire 2 with respect to the L-R direction; a second movement device 64 that moves the separating member 61 in the L-R direction; and a control device 100. The control device 100 causes the first detection device 50 to detect the position of the drain wire 2 in the L-R direction, controls the second movement device 64 on the basis of the detected position of the drain wire 2, and causes the position of the drain wire introduction part 61a in the L-R direction and the position of the drain wire 2 in the L-R direction to coincide with each other.

Description

Drain wire separation device

[0001] The present invention relates to a drain wire separation device.

[0002] Multicore cables in which a drain wire and a plurality of core wires are covered by a sheath have been known. After peeling the sheath of the multicore cable to expose the drain wire and the plurality of core wires, they are processed separately. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a core wire separation member provided with a clamp that catches only the plurality of core wires without catching the drain wire, and a moving device that moves the clamp in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the multicore cable. According to the core wire separation device described in Patent Document 1, while the plurality of core wires are bent by the movement of the clamp, the drain wire is not bent. As a result, it is said that the drain wire and the plurality of core wires of the multicore cable can be separated. In the core wire separation device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the circumferential position of the multicore cable is adjusted automatically or manually so that the drain wire is located in the 0 o'clock direction. By positioning the drain wire at a predetermined circumferential position of the multicore cable, the core wire and the drain wire can be separated by the core wire separation member.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a holding device that holds a multicore shield cable along a predetermined axis and rotates the multicore shield cable around the axis, an image acquisition device that can acquire images of the drain wire and core wires of the multicore cable held by the holding device, a discrimination device that discriminates the drain wire based on the brightness distribution in the image acquired by the image acquisition device, and a control device that controls the holding device based on the discrimination of the discrimination device and moves the drain wire to a predetermined rotational position around the axis.

[0004] International Publication No. 2022 / 107628 International Publication No. 2023 / 063035

[0005] In the processing apparatus described in Patent Document 2, for example, the rotation center of the multi-core cable may be offset from the rotation center of the rotating device due to reasons such as the multi-core cable not being straight. In such cases, when the drain wire is moved to a predetermined rotational position around the axis of the multi-core cable, the position of the drain wire in the direction perpendicular to the axis direction of the rotating device will be offset from the desired position. In this state, it becomes difficult to reliably separate the drain wire from the multiple core wires.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its purpose is to provide a drain wire separation device that can more reliably separate the drain wire and the core wire, regardless of the condition of the multi-core cable.

[0007] The drain wire separation device disclosed herein is a device for processing a multi-core cable in which the drain wire and the multiple core wires are exposed from the end of the sheath, comprising a holding member, a separation member, a first moving device, a first detection device, a second moving device, and a control device. The holding member holds the multi-core cable so as to be located on an axis extending in a first direction. The separation member is provided with a drain wire introduction section at one position in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction into which the drain wire can be introduced. The first moving device moves at least one of the separation member and the holding member in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions such that the drain wire introduction section crosses the axis in the second direction view. The first detection device detects the position of the drain wire in the second direction. The second moving device moves at least one of the separation member and the holding member in the second direction. The control device comprises a detection control unit, an alignment control unit, and a separation control unit. The detection control unit causes the first detection device to detect the position of the drain wire in the second direction. The alignment control unit controls the second moving device based on the position of the drain wire detected by the first detection device and performs alignment control to match the position of the drain wire introduction section in the second direction with the position of the drain wire in the second direction. After the alignment control, the separation control unit controls the first moving device and performs separation control to move at least one of the separation member and the holding member so that the drain wire introduction section crosses the axis.

[0008] According to the drain wire separation device described above, by moving the separation member in a second direction, the position of the drain wire introduction section in the second direction, where the drain wire is introduced, is made to match the position of the detected drain wire in the second direction. Therefore, it becomes possible to more reliably introduce the drain wire into the drain wire introduction section. As a result, it becomes possible to more reliably separate the drain wire and the core wire, regardless of the condition of the multi-core cable.

[0009] In one preferred embodiment, the separating member is arranged on both sides of the drain wire introduction portion with respect to the second direction and includes core wire contact portions that contact the plurality of core wires.

[0010] According to the drain wire separation device described above, by holding down multiple core wires at the core wire contact section, the drain wire can be easily introduced into the drain wire introduction section.

[0011] According to one preferred embodiment of the drain wire separation device, the first detection device includes an imaging device for imaging the drain wire and is configured to detect the position of the drain wire in a second direction from the image captured by the imaging device.

[0012] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the position of the drain wire in the second direction can be accurately detected by using an imaging device.

[0013] In one preferred embodiment, the drain wire separation device further comprises a core wire holding member that holds the drain wire and the plurality of core wires on the axis. The control device includes a core wire holding unit that causes the core wire holding member to hold the drain wire and the plurality of core wires before the separation control.

[0014] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the drain wire and multiple core wires are held before separation control. Therefore, when the drain wire introduction section crosses the axis, the drain wire does not slip, and the drain wire can be reliably introduced into the drain wire introduction section.

[0015] In one preferred embodiment, the drain wire separation device further comprises a drain wire holding member for holding the drain wire. The control device includes a drain wire holding unit which causes the drain wire holding member to hold the drain wire during the separation control and after the drain wire introduction unit has crossed the axis, and a core wire release unit which causes the core wire holding member to release the drain wire and the plurality of core wires after the drain wire holding member has held the drain wire.

[0016] According to the drain wire separation device described above, after the drain wire introduced into the drain wire introduction section is held by the drain wire holding member, the holding of the drain wire and the multiple core wires by the core wire holding member is released. As a result, the drain wire introduced into the drain wire introduction section is held, while the multiple core wires are not held. This makes it easier to process the held drain wire separately from the multiple core wires in a subsequent process.

[0017] In one preferred embodiment, the imaging device images the portion of the drain wire between the holding member and the core wire holding member.

[0018] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the portion of the drain wire imaged by the imaging device is supported at both ends by a holding member and a core wire holding member, and does not move due to vibrations of the drain wire separation device, for example. Therefore, a good image of the drain wire can be captured.

[0019] In one preferred embodiment, the drain wire separation device further comprises a pre-adjustment device for adjusting the position of the drain wire so that it faces the drain wire introduction section. The control device comprises a pre-adjustment unit that controls the pre-adjustment device to perform a pre-adjustment to bring the drain wire facing the drain wire introduction section. The detection control unit causes the first detection device to detect the position of the drain wire in the second direction after the pre-adjustment.

[0020] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the position of the drain wire is pre-adjusted so that it faces the drain wire inlet. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the drain wire in the second direction afterward, the drain wire can be positioned so that it faces the drain wire inlet and its position in the second direction is also aligned with the drain wire inlet.

[0021] In one preferred embodiment, the pre-adjustment device includes a rotating device for rotating the multi-core cable held by the holding member around the axis, and a second detection device for detecting whether the drain wire is at a rotational position facing the drain wire introduction section.

[0022] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the multi-core cable is rotated by a rotating device based on the detection of the second detection device, thereby bringing the drain wire facing the drain wire introduction section.

[0023] In one preferred embodiment, the second detection device comprises a pair of electrodes, each positioned to contact the movement paths of the drain wire and the plurality of core wires from the radially outward direction during the rotation of the multi-core cable by the rotating device; a power supply for applying a voltage between the pair of electrodes; and a current detection device for detecting that current flows between the pair of electrodes.

[0024] According to the drain wire separation device described above, when the drain wire comes into contact with a pair of electrodes, a current flows between the pair of electrodes. Therefore, by detecting this current, the rotational position of the drain wire can be detected.

[0025] In one preferred embodiment, the pre-adjustment unit controls the rotating device to further rotate the multi-core cable by a predetermined angle after detecting that current has flowed between the pair of electrodes.

[0026] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the position of the pair of electrodes in the circumferential direction of the multi-core cable is not limited as long as a predetermined angle is adjusted. Therefore, the degree of freedom in electrode placement can be increased.

[0027] In one preferred embodiment, the second detection device includes a capacitive proximity sensor positioned radially outward from the movement paths of the drain wire and the plurality of core wires during the rotation of the multi-core cable by the rotating device.

[0028] The detection unit of the capacitive proximity sensor is a single unit, and this single unit can detect the drain wire. Therefore, the drain wire separation device can detect the rotational position of the drain wire more reliably than, for example, using a pair of electrodes.

[0029] In one preferred embodiment, the second detection device includes an imaging device for imaging the drain wire and the plurality of core wires. The preliminary adjustment unit controls the rotation device based on the image captured by the imaging device to position the multi-core cable at a rotational position such that some of the plurality of core wires are located on both sides of the drain wire in the second direction.

[0030] According to the drain wire separation device described above, in the image captured by the imaging device, some of the multiple core wires are located on both sides of the drain wire in the second direction, so it can be determined that the drain wire is facing the drain wire inlet.

[0031] In one preferred embodiment, the first detection device is configured to detect the position of the drain line in the second direction from the image captured by the imaging device.

[0032] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the imaging device can be shared between the first detection device and the second detection device. Therefore, the configuration of the drain wire separation device can be simplified.

[0033] In one preferred embodiment, the pre-adjustment device includes a first clamping member positioned at one position around the axis, a second clamping member positioned opposite the first clamping member across the axis, and a clamping device that clamps the drain wire and the plurality of core wires between the first and second clamping members and aligns the drain wire and the plurality of core wires.

[0034] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the drain wire and multiple core wires can be aligned in a line by clamping them between the first clamping member and the second clamping member. This ensures that the drain wire is facing the drain wire introduction section.

[0035] In one preferred embodiment, the pre-adjustment device includes a third moving device for moving the first clamping member and the second clamping member in the first direction.

[0036] According to the drain wire separation device described above, by moving the first clamping member and the second clamping member in a first direction while clamping the drain wire and the multiple core wires, a squeezing effect is created on the drain wire and the multiple core wires. As a result, the drain wire and the multiple core wires can be aligned more effectively than simply clamping the drain wire and the multiple core wires.

[0037] In one preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of core wires has a larger diameter than the drain wire. The drain wire introduction portion is configured as a recess having a width in the second direction corresponding to the diameter of the drain wire and extending in the third direction.

[0038] According to the drain wire separation device described above, each core wire does not enter the drain wire introduction section. Therefore, multiple core wires can be separated from the drain wire more reliably.

[0039] In one preferred embodiment, the separating member comprises a pair of hooks arranged side by side in the second direction with a gap between them. The pair of hooks abuts against the plurality of core wires. The drain wire introduction portion is formed by the gap between the pair of hooks.

[0040] According to the drain wire separation device described above, the core wire can be pressed by a pair of hooks, and the gap between the pair of hooks can form a drain wire introduction section. This makes it possible to separate the drain wire from multiple core wires.

[0041] The drain wire separation device disclosed herein makes it possible to more reliably separate the drain wire and the core wire, regardless of the condition of the multi-core cable.

[0042] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable. This is a perspective view of a drain wire separation device according to one embodiment. This is a right side view of the drain wire separation device. This is a rear view of the drain wire separation device. This is a rear view of the separation device. This is a rear view of the separation device showing the separation guide and drain wire retaining claws moved in the left-right direction. This is a rear view of the separation device showing the separation guide and drain wire retaining claws in a lowered position. This is a right side view of the drain wire separation device showing the separation guide and drain wire retaining claws in a lowered position. This is a block diagram of the drain wire separation device. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the separation process between a drain wire and multiple core wires. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable showing the case where the drain wire is positioned on the reference line and at the 12 o'clock position by rotation of the multi-core cable. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable showing the case where the drain wire is positioned on the reference line and at a rotational position other than the 12 o'clock position by rotation of the multi-core cable. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable showing the case where the drain wire is positioned at the 12 o'clock position and outside the reference line by rotation of the multi-core cable. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable showing the state in which the drain wire is in contact with the electrode. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable showing the case where the drain wire is positioned on the reference line and at the 12 o'clock position due to rotation of the multi-core cable based on detection by electrodes. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable showing the state in which the drain wire is in contact with the electrodes. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable showing the case where the drain wire is positioned at the 12 o'clock position and outside the reference line due to rotation of the multi-core cable based on detection by electrodes. This is a schematic rear view of a second detection device equipped with a capacitive proximity sensor. This is a rear view of an alignment device. This is a schematic rear view of a separation device equipped with a pair of hooks.

[0043] [Configuration of Multi-Core Cable] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the multi-core cable 1, which is the object of wire processing here, will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-core cable 1 according to an example. As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-core cable 1 includes a drain wire 2, a plurality of core wires 3, a shield 4, and a sheath 5. Each of the plurality of core wires 3 has a core wire 3a and a coating 3b of an insulator that covers the core wire 3a. The shield 4 is a conductor that shields the core wire 3 from external noise. The shield 4 covers the outside of the plurality of core wires 3. The drain wire 2 is electrically connected to the shield 4. The drain wire 2 is grounded, whereby the shield 4 is grounded. The drain wire 2 is composed of a plurality of thin conductor strands and is not coated with an insulator. Each core wire 3 has a larger diameter than the drain wire 2. The sheath 5 covers the drain wire 2, the plurality of core wires 3, and the shield 4. The sheath 5 is made of an insulator. Although not shown, the plurality of core wires 3 and the drain wire 2 are twisted inside the shield 4. The number of core wires 3 is not particularly limited.

[0044] Before being attached to the drain wire separation device 10 (see FIG. 2) according to the present embodiment, the sheath 5 at the tip of the multi-core cable 1 is peeled off. When being attached to the drain wire separation device 10, the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 are exposed from the end of the sheath 5. After the process of peeling off the sheath 5 at the tip, before being attached to the drain wire separation device 10, the multi-core cable 1 is also subjected to a process of untwisting the twisted plurality of core wires 3 and the drain wire 2. When being attached to the drain wire separation device 10, ideally, the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 are straightened and not entangled with each other. However, in reality, there may be cases where they are not straightened or where the drain wire 2 and one or more core wires 3 are slightly entangled. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the exposed portion of the drain wire 2 from the sheath 5 will be simply referred to as the drain wire 2, and each exposed portion of the plurality of core wires 3 from the sheath 5 will be simply referred to as the core wire 3.

[0045] [Configuration of Drain Wire Separator] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a drain wire separator 10 according to one embodiment. Figure 3 is a right side view of the drain wire separator 10. Figure 4 is a rear view of the drain wire separator 10. In the following description, the right side of Figure 2 is considered the front side of the drain wire separator 10. The left, right, top, and bottom of the drain wire separator 10, viewed from the front, are referred to as left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. The front-to-back direction, left-to-right direction, and up-and-down direction are orthogonal to each other. In the following figures, front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom are represented by F, Rr, L, R, U, and D, respectively. However, the directions in the following description are merely defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the present invention in any way.

[0046] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the drain wire separation device 10 includes a cable holding device 20, a core wire holding device 30, a rotating device 40, a drain wire detection device 50, a separation device 60, a forward / backward movement device 70, a drain wire discharge device 80, and a control device 100 (see Figure 9).

[0047] The cable holding device 20 holds the sheath 5 of the multi-core cable 1. As shown in Figure 2, the cable holding device 20 comprises a pair of cable clamps 21 that open and close, and a cable gripping actuator 22 that opens and closes the cable clamps 21. By driving the cable gripping actuator 22 to close the pair of cable clamps 21, the cable holding device 20 grips the sheath 5. The cable gripping actuator 22 is, for example, an air cylinder. However, the cable gripping actuator 22 is not limited to an air cylinder. Here, the cable holding device 20 holds the multi-core cable 1 so that it is positioned on an axis 20a extending in the front-rear direction. The front-rear direction is an example of a first direction in which the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20 extends. More specifically, the cable holding device 20 holds the multi-core cable 1 so that the end on which the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 are exposed is facing forward. When the multi-core cable 1 is held by the cable holding device 20, the exposed portions of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 are held in the air in front of the cable holding device 20 and extend generally in the front-to-back direction.

[0048] The core wire holding device 30 holds the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 on the axis 20a. A part of the multi-core cable 1 is supported at both ends by the cable holding device 20 and the core wire holding device 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the core wire holding device 30 includes a pair of core wire clamps 31 that grip the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3, a core wire gripping actuator 32 (see FIG. 3) that opens and closes the pair of core wire clamps 31, and a clamp lifting actuator 33 that moves the pair of core wire clamps 31 in the vertical direction. By driving the core wire gripping actuator 32 to close the pair of core wire clamps 31, the core wire holding device 30 grips the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3. The core wire gripping actuator 32 and the clamp lifting actuator 33 are, for example, air cylinders. However, the core wire gripping actuator 32 and the clamp lifting actuator 33 are not limited to air cylinders.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of core wire clamps 31 are arranged on the tip side, here the front side, of the multi-core cable 1 rather than the pair of cable clamps 21. The multi-core cable 1 is held by the cable holding device 20 such that the end of the sheath 5 is located behind the pair of core wire clamps 31. The pair of core wire clamps 31 grip the root portions of the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 exposed from the sheath 5. The root portions of the exposed drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 refer to, here, for example, a location within 30 mm from the boundary with the sheath 5, more preferably, a location within 15 mm from the boundary with the sheath 5.

[0050] The rotating device 40 rotates the multi-core cable 1, held by the cable clamp 21, around the axis 20a. As shown in Figure 2, the rotating device 40 comprises a pair of clamping plates 41 and a rotary actuator 42 (see Figure 9) that moves the pair of clamping plates 41 to shift vertically. The pair of clamping plates 41 are positioned behind the cable holding device 20. Here, the pair of clamping plates 41 are provided to the left and right of the multi-core cable 1, respectively. The pair of clamping plates 41 extend in the front-to-back direction and the up-and-down direction, respectively. The pair of clamping plates 41 clamp the sheath 5 of the multi-core cable 1 from the left and right. With the multi-core cable 1 clamped between the pair of clamping plates 41, the rotary actuator 42 is driven, moving one clamping plate 41 upward and the other clamping plate 41 downward, thereby rotating the multi-core cable 1 around the axis.

[0051] However, the configuration of the rotating device 40 is not limited to those described above. The pair of clamping plates 41 of the rotating device 40 may extend in directions other than the vertical direction (for example, the left-right direction), and may move so as to be offset in that direction (for example, the left-right direction). The rotating device 40 may, for example, drive a rotary actuator or a motor to rotate the multi-core cable 1.

[0052] The drain wire detection device 50 detects whether the drain wire 2 is at a rotational position facing the separation guide 61 (described later) of the separation device 60. The drain wire detection device 50 is an example of a second detection device that detects whether the drain wire 2 is at a rotational position facing the separation guide 61 of the separation device 60. The drain wire detection device 50 includes a camera 51 that images the drain wire 2 and a plurality of core wires 3, and an image processing unit 52 (see Figure 9) that processes the image captured by the camera 51. The drain wire detection device 50 detects from the image captured by the camera 51 whether the drain wire 2 is at a rotational position facing the separation guide 61 of the separation device 60. In this case, the drain wire detection device 50 detects whether the drain wire 2 is at approximately the 12 o'clock position in the circumferential direction of the multi-core cable 1. The drain wire separation device 10 controls the rotation device 40 based on the image captured by the drain wire detection device 50 to position the drain wire 2 at approximately the 12 o'clock position. The rotating device 40 and the drain wire detection device 50 constitute a preliminary adjustment device that adjusts the position of the drain wire 2 so that it faces the separation guide 61 of the separation device 60.

[0053] Furthermore, the drain wire detection device 50 is also an example of a first detection device that detects the left-right position of the drain wire 2 from the image captured by the camera 51. As a first detection device, the drain wire detection device 50 detects the left-right position of the drain wire 2 after it has been positioned at approximately the 12 o'clock position in the circumferential direction of the multi-core cable 1. The left-right direction is an example of a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction (the direction of the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20, which in this case is the front-back direction).

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, the camera 51 is positioned above the axis 20a. More specifically, the camera 51 is positioned above the portion of the axis 20a between the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31. The camera 51 captures images of the area below it. The camera 51 captures images of the drain wire 2 and the portion of the multiple core wires 3 between the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31.

[0055] The separation device 60 separates the drain wire 2 from the multiple core wires 3. Figure 5 is a rear view of the separation device 60. As shown in Figure 5, the separation device 60 comprises a separation guide 61, a pair of drain wire retaining claws 62, an opening / closing actuator 63, a compensation actuator 64, a base plate 65, and a lifting actuator 66. The base plate 65 supports the separation guide 61, the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62, the opening / closing actuator 63, and the compensation actuator 64. The lifting actuator 66 moves the base plate 65 in the vertical direction.

[0056] The separation guide 61 is a member that separates the drain wire 2 from the multiple core wires 3 by being moved downward by the lifting actuator 66, thereby restricting the movement of the multiple core wires 3 and allowing the drain wire 2 to escape without being pressed. The separation guide 61 is configured as a plate shape that extends in the left-right and up-down directions. However, the separation guide 61 is not limited to a flat plate shape, and may be a member with a shape that has more length in the front-back direction. The separation device 60 includes a recessed drain wire introduction section 61a into which the drain wire 2 can be introduced, and a core wire contact section 61b that contacts the multiple core wires 3. The core wire contact section 61b is formed from a part of the lower edge of the separation guide 61. The multiple core wires 3 are pressed downward by the core wire contact section 61b that contacts them from above. The drain wire introduction section 61a extends upward (is recessed) from the core wire contact section 61b. The core wire contact portion 61b is located on both sides in the left-right direction of the drain wire introduction portion 61a.

[0057] The drain wire introduction section 61a has a width in the left-right direction corresponding to the diameter of the drain wire 2 and is configured as a recess extending in the up-down direction. The up-down direction is an example of a third direction that intersects the first direction (front-back direction) and the second direction (left-right direction). In this embodiment, the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction (front-back direction) and the second direction (left-right direction), but it may also be oblique to the first direction (front-back direction) or oblique to the second direction (left-right direction). The drain wire 2 enters the drain wire introduction section 61a, but each core wire 3, which has a larger diameter than the drain wire 2, does not enter the drain wire introduction section 61a. The drain wire introduction section 61a may also be a slit cut out downwards and upwards. Here, "recessed shape" broadly means not only a recess in which one end in the recessed direction is not cut out, but also a slit-shaped recess in which both ends are cut out.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5, the core wire contact portion 61b is formed in a V-shape that narrows upward when viewed in the front-to-back direction. The drain wire introduction portion 61a extends upward (is recessed) from the upper apex of the core wire contact portion 61b. The core wire contact portion 61b includes a left-side inclined portion 61L and a right-side inclined portion 61R, which are configured symmetrically with respect to the drain wire introduction portion 61a. The left-side inclined portion 61L and the right-side inclined portion 61R are each configured as straight lines when viewed in the front-to-back direction. The left-side inclined portion 61L and the right-side inclined portion 61R each slope downward outward in the left-right direction from the lower end of the drain wire introduction portion 61a (hereinafter also referred to as the inlet 61a1). However, the core wire contact portion 61b may be configured asymmetrically.

[0059] In this embodiment, the separation guide 61 is configured to be replaceable to match the diameter of the drain wire 2. However, the separation guide 61 may be configured to change the width of the drain wire introduction portion 61a in the left-right direction to match the diameter of the drain wire 2. In that case, the separation guide 61 may be configured such that the left and right portions of the core wire contact portion 61b, which sandwich the drain wire introduction portion 61a, are separated and each can move in the left-right direction. The separation device 60 may include actuators that move the left and right core wire contact portions 61b in the left-right direction to change the width of the drain wire introduction portion 61a.

[0060] A pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 hold the drain wire 2. More specifically, the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 hold the drain wire 2 when the base plate 65 is lowered and moves below the axis 20a of the cable retaining device 20. As shown in Figure 5, the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 are provided to the left and right of the drain wire introduction section 61a. An opening / closing actuator 63 moves the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 closer together or further apart. In this case, the opening / closing actuator 63 is an air cylinder. However, the opening / closing actuator 63 is not limited to an air cylinder.

[0061] As shown in Figure 5, each of the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 has an acute-angled tip 62a that can be inserted between the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3. When the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 are brought close together, both tips 62a are inserted between the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 (see Figure 7). When the two tips 62a move to the innermost part of their range of motion, they come into contact with each other. The drain wire 2 is embraced and held from below by the contacting tips 62a. However, the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 may be configured, for example, to grip the drain wire 2.

[0062] The compensating actuator 64 moves the separation guide 61 and the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 in the left-right direction. The compensating actuator 64 is an example of a second moving device that moves the separation guide 61 relative to the cable clamp 21 in a second direction. The second moving device only needs to be configured to move at least one of the separation guide 61 and the cable clamp 21 in the left-right direction, for example, it may be configured to move the cable clamp 21 in the left-right direction. The compensating actuator 64 is configured to control the left-right position of the separation guide 61 and the drain wire retaining claws 62. In this embodiment, the compensating actuator 64 is a servo motor. However, the compensating actuator 64 is not limited to a servo motor, and may be, for example, a stepping motor.

[0063] Figure 6 is a rear view of the separation device 60 showing the separation guide 61 and drain wire retaining claw 62 moved in the left-right direction. Figure 5 shows the separation guide 61 and drain wire retaining claw 62 at the origin in the left-right direction. In Figures 5 and 6, the line L1 extending in the vertical direction (hereinafter also referred to as the reference line L1) represents a line that extends in the vertical direction through the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20 (see Figure 4). As shown in Figure 5, when the separation guide 61 and drain wire retaining claw 62 are at the origin in the left-right direction, the drain wire introduction section 61a is located on the reference line L1. As shown in Figure 6, the correction actuator 64 can move the separation guide 61 so that the drain wire introduction section 61a is located to the right of the reference line L1. Although not shown, the correction actuator 64 can also move the separation guide 61 so that the drain wire introduction section 61a is located to the left of the reference line L1. Furthermore, the correction actuator 64 only needs to be configured to move the drain wire introduction section 61a to the left and right of the reference line L1, and its origin is not limited to the reference line L1.

[0064] The lifting actuator 66 moves the separation guide 61 and the drain wire holding claw 62 in the vertical direction via the base plate 65. The lifting actuator 66 is an example of a first moving device that moves the separation guide 61 relative to the cable clamp 21 in a third direction. The first moving device only needs to be configured to move at least one of the separation guide 61 and the cable clamp 21 in the vertical direction, for example, it may be configured to move the cable clamp 21 in the vertical direction.

[0065] Figure 7 is a rear view of the separation device 60 showing the separation guide 61 and drain wire retaining claw 62 in a lowered position. Figure 8 is a right side view of the drain wire separation device 10 showing the separation guide 61 and drain wire retaining claw 62 in a lowered position. As shown in Figure 8, the lifting actuator 66 moves the separation guide 61 vertically so that the core wire contact portion 61b and the drain wire introduction portion 61a of the separation guide 61 cross the axis 20a when viewed from the left and right. As shown in Figure 7, the drain wire 2 is introduced into the drain wire introduction portion 61a by this movement of the separation guide 61. During this time, the core wire contact portion 61b contacts the multiple core wires 3 from above, restricting the movement of the multiple core wires 3. Furthermore, "the drain wire introduction section 61a crosses the axis 20a" means that at least a part of the drain wire introduction section 61a moves below the axis 20a, and in this case, it means that at least the inlet 61a1, which is the lower end of the drain wire introduction section 61a, moves below the axis 20a.

[0066] The forward / backward movement device 70 moves the separation device 60 in the forward / backward direction. The forward / backward movement device 70 supports the separation device 60 above the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20. The forward / backward movement device 70 moves the separation device 60 between a position forward of the core wire clamp 31 (hereinafter also referred to as the standby position) and a position above the portion between the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31 (hereinafter also referred to as the working position). Figure 2 shows the separation device 60 in the standby position. Figure 8 shows the separation device 60 in the working position. As shown in Figure 8, in the working position, the separation guide 61 and the drain wire holding claw 62 are located between the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31 in the forward / backward direction. The separation guide 61 abuts against the portion of the multiple core wires 3 between the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31. The drain wire holding claw 62 holds the portion of the drain wire 2 between the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31.

[0067] As shown in Figure 8, the forward / backward movement device 70 supports the separation device 60 below the camera 51. In the working position, the separation device 60 is located between the camera 51 and the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20. The forward / backward movement device 70 is equipped with a slide actuator 71 that extends and retracts in the forward / backward direction. In this case, the slide actuator 71 is an air cylinder. However, the slide actuator 71 is not limited to an air cylinder.

[0068] The drain wire discharge device 80 is a device that pushes the drain wire 2 to discharge it from the drain wire introduction section 61a. The drain wire discharge device 80 is provided because even if the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 are opened, the drain wire 2 may get caught in the drain wire introduction section 61a and not detach from the separation device 60. The drain wire discharge device 80 comprises a pushing member 81 and a discharge actuator 82 that moves the pushing member 81 in the vertical direction. The pushing member 81 is positioned behind the drain wire retaining claws 62. In this case, the discharge actuator 82 is an air cylinder. However, the discharge actuator 82 is not limited to an air cylinder. When the discharge actuator 82 is driven to move the pushing member 81 downward, the pushing member 81 pushes the drain wire 2 inserted through the drain wire introduction section 61a downward. As a result, the drain wire 2 comes out of the drain wire introduction section 61a and is discharged from the separation device 60.

[0069] The control device 100 controls the operation of each part of the drain wire separation device 10. Figure 9 is a block diagram of the drain wire separation device 10. As shown in Figure 9, the control device 100 is connected to the cable gripping actuator 22 of the cable holding device 20, the core wire gripping actuator 32 and clamp lifting actuator 33 of the core wire holding device 30, the rotation actuator 42 of the rotating device 40, the opening / closing actuator 63, correction actuator 64, and lifting actuator 66 of the separation device 60, the slide actuator 71 of the forward / backward movement device 70, and the discharge actuator 82 of the drain wire discharge device 80, and controls their operation. The control device 100 is also connected to the image processing unit 52 of the drain wire detection device 50 and receives signals from the image processing unit 52. The function of the image processing unit 52 may also be performed by the control device 100.

[0070] The configuration of the control device 100 is not particularly limited. The control device 100 may include, for example, a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU), ROM storing programs executed by the CPU, RAM, etc. Each part of the control device 100 may be composed of software or hardware. Each part may be a processor or a circuit. The control device 100 may be, for example, a programmable controller or a computer.

[0071] As shown in Figure 9, the control device 100 includes a cable holding unit 101, a core wire holding unit 102, a pre-adjustment unit 103, a detection control unit 104, a positioning control unit 105, a reverse control unit 106, a downward control unit 107, a drain wire holding unit 108, a core wire release unit 109, an upward control unit 110, a drain wire release unit 111, a discharge control unit 112, and a forward control unit 113.

[0072] The cable holding unit 101 controls the cable holding device 20 to hold the multi-core cable 1 in the cable clamp 21. The core wire holding unit 102 controls the core wire holding device 30 to hold the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 in the core wire clamp 31. The control by the cable holding unit 101 and the core wire holding unit 102 is performed before the control that lowers the separation guide 61 to separate the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 (hereinafter also referred to as separation control).

[0073] The preliminary adjustment unit 103 controls the rotating device 40 and the drain wire detection device 50, which serve as preliminary adjustment devices, to adjust the drain wire 2 so that it faces the core wire contact portion 61b and the drain wire introduction portion 61a (hereinafter also referred to as preliminary adjustment). More specifically, the preliminary adjustment unit 103 controls the rotating device 40 based on the image captured by the camera 51 to position the multi-core cable 1 at a rotational position such that some of the multiple core wires 3 are located on both sides of the drain wire 2 in the left-right direction. Details of the preliminary adjustment will be described later.

[0074] The detection control unit 104 causes the drain wire detection device 50, which acts as the first detection device, to detect the left-right position of the drain wire 2 after preliminary adjustment. The alignment control unit 105 controls the correction actuator 64 based on the position of the drain wire 2 detected by the drain wire detection device 50, which acts as the first detection device, and performs control (hereinafter also called alignment control) to match the left-right position of the drain wire introduction portion 61a of the separation guide 61 with the left-right position of the drain wire 2. The reverse control unit 106 controls the forward / backward movement device 70 to move the separation device 60 to the working position.

[0075] After alignment control, the lowering control unit 107 controls the lifting actuator 66 to move the separation guide 61 so that the core wire contact portion 61b and the drain wire introduction portion 61a of the separation guide 61 cross the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20. Separation control specifically refers to the control by the lowering control unit 107 to move the separation guide 61 so that the core wire contact portion 61b and the drain wire introduction portion 61a of the separation guide 61 cross the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20.

[0076] The drain wire holding section 108 holds the drain wire 2 with the drain wire holding claw 62 after the drain wire introduction section 61a has crossed the axis 20a, during the separation control process. The core wire release section 109 releases the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 from the core wire clamp 31 after the drain wire holding claw 62 has held the drain wire 2. With this control, during the separation control process, only the drain wire 2 is held, and the multiple core wires 3 are not held.

[0077] After separation control, the lifting control unit 110 controls the lifting actuator 66 to raise the separation guide 61 and the drain wire holding claw 62. The drain wire release unit 111 controls the opening / closing actuator 63 during the process of raising the separation guide 61 and the drain wire holding claw 62 to release the drain wire 2 to the drain wire holding claw 62. After the drain wire 2 is released, the discharge control unit 112 controls the discharge actuator 82 to lower the pushing member 81 and discharge the drain wire 2 from the drain wire introduction unit 61a. After the separation guide 61 and the drain wire holding claw 62 have finished rising, the forward / backward movement device 70 controls the separation device 60 to move it to the standby position.

[0078] [Separation Process of Drain Wire and Core Wire] The following describes the separation process of the drain wire 2 and the core wires 3. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the separation work of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3. As shown in Figure 10, in the separation work of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 according to one example, in step S01, the multi-core cable 1 is gripped by the cable holding device 20 and the core wire holding device 30. Here, it is assumed that the sheath 5 of the multi-core cable 1 has already been stripped and the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 have been twisted back together. However, the sheath 5 may be stripped and the twisting back may be performed on the multi-core cable 1 gripped by the cable holding device 20, and then the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 may be gripped by the core wire holding device 30.

[0079] In step S02, preliminary adjustments are made based on the image captured by the camera 51. Specifically, the multi-core cable 1 is rotated around its axis, and the drain wire 2 is moved to approximately the 12 o'clock position. This brings the drain wire 2 to face the core wire contact portion 61b and the drain wire introduction portion 61a of the separation guide 61. "The drain wire 2 to face the core wire contact portion 61b and the drain wire introduction portion 61a" means that, in a view approaching the axis 20a of the separation guide 61 (in this case, a plan view), the drain wire 2 is visible without being hidden by the core wire 3.

[0080] If the multi-core cable 1 is straight with high precision, and the rotation center of the multi-core cable 1 coincides with the rotation center of the rotating device 40 (the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20) with high precision, then when the multi-core cable 1 is rotated so that the drain wire 2 lies on the reference line L1, the drain wire 2 is positioned on the reference line L1 and at the 12 o'clock position, as shown in Figure 11A. Figure 11A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-core cable 1 showing the case where the drain wire 2 has been positioned on the reference line L1 and at the 12 o'clock position by the rotation of the multi-core cable 1. In this case, with the separation guide 61 at the origin in the left-right direction, the left-right position of the drain wire 2 coincides with the left-right position of the drain wire introduction section 61a.

[0081] However, if the multi-core cable 1 is not straight and its rotation center is misaligned with the rotation center of the rotating device 40 (the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20), then when the multi-core cable 1 is rotated so that the drain wire 2 lies on the reference line L1, the drain wire 2 will be positioned on the reference line L1 but at a position other than the 12 o'clock position, as shown in Figure 11B. In other words, the drain wire 2 will not be positioned directly above. Figure 11B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-core cable 1 showing the case where the drain wire 2 is positioned on the reference line L1 but at a rotational position other than the 12 o'clock position due to the rotation of the multi-core cable 1. In this state, the core wire 3 overlapping the drain wire 2 gets in the way, and the drain wire 2 cannot be introduced into the drain wire introduction section 61a. In order to introduce the drain wire 2 into the drain wire introduction section 61a, it is necessary to position the drain wire 2 at a rotational position facing the drain wire introduction section 61a.

[0082] For the reasons stated above, in this embodiment, in step S02, the drain wire 2 is positioned at approximately the 12 o'clock position, facing the core wire contact portion 61b and the drain wire introduction portion 61a. Specifically, in step S02, the rotating device 40 is controlled based on the image captured by the camera 51 to position the multi-core cable 1 in a rotational position such that some of the multiple core wires 3 are located to the left of the drain wire 2 and other parts are located to the right of the drain wire 2. This control allows the drain wire 2 to be positioned in a rotational position facing the drain wire introduction portion 61a (in this case, approximately the 12 o'clock position).

[0083] In this embodiment, the drain wire 2 and core wire 3 in the image captured by the camera 51 are distinguished by image processing. The drain wire 2 has an exposed core wire and a metallic luster. Therefore, the drain wire 2 can be distinguished by the brightness of the image. Each core wire 3 is covered with a colored coating 3b. Each core wire 3 can be distinguished by detecting the color of the coating 3b. However, the method for distinguishing the drain wire 2 and core wire 3 from other wires can utilize conventionally known techniques without particular limitation.

[0084] If the rotation center of the multi-core cable 1 is misaligned with the rotation center of the rotating device 40 (the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20), rotating the multi-core cable 1 so that the drain wire 2 is positioned approximately at the 12 o'clock position will result in the drain wire 2 being positioned at the 12 o'clock position but outside the reference line L1, as shown in Figure 11C. Figure 11C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-core cable 1 showing the case where the drain wire 2 is positioned at the 12 o'clock position and outside the reference line L1 due to the rotation of the multi-core cable 1. In this embodiment, the deviation of the left-right position of the drain wire 2 from the reference line L1, as shown in Figure 11C, is corrected in the following steps.

[0085] In the following step S03, the drain line detection device 50 detects the left-right position of the drain line 2 after preliminary adjustment. In this embodiment, the position of the drain line 2 is detected based on the brightness distribution in the image captured by the camera 51. As will be described later, the preliminary adjustment step S02 can also be performed based on an image other than the one captured by the camera 51. In such a case, the camera 51 does not need to be able to distinguish the core line 3, but only needs to be able to distinguish the drain line 2. In that case, the camera 51 may be an inexpensive camera that can detect the brightness distribution. The drain line 2 is the part of the image with high brightness. In this embodiment, the image captured by the camera 51 has multiple frames superimposed on it, arranged side by side in the left-right direction. In step S03, it is detected which frame the drain line 2 is in based on the brightness distribution. The left-right width of each frame corresponds to the accuracy required for detecting the position of the drain line 2. Therefore, by detecting which frame the drain line 2 is in, the left-right position of the drain line 2 after preliminary adjustment can be detected with the required accuracy. However, the method for detecting the left-right position of the drain line 2 after preliminary adjustment is not limited to this method. For example, the position of the drain wire 2 in the left-right direction may be determined by directly measuring the distance within the image.

[0086] In step S04, the separation guide 61 is moved left or right by the amount of deviation of the position of the drain wire 2 detected in step S03 from the reference line L1, so that the left or right position of the drain wire introduction portion 61a of the separation guide 61 matches the left or right position of the drain wire 2. For example, if the rotation center of the multi-core cable 1 is misaligned with the rotation center of the rotating device 40 (axis 20a of the cable holding device 20), and as shown in Figure 11C, if the rotation position of the drain wire 2 is the 12 o'clock position, the left or right position of the drain wire 2 is outside the reference line L1, the correction actuator 64 moves the separation guide 61 and the drain wire holding claw 62 to the left or right.

[0087] In step S05, the separation device 60 is moved to the working position. Steps S04 and S05 may be performed in reverse order or simultaneously.

[0088] In step S06, the separation guide 61 and the drain wire retaining claw 62 are moved downward. When the lower edge of the separation guide 61 crosses the axis 20a, the drain wire 2 is introduced into the drain wire introduction section 61a (see Figure 7). By step S02, the drain wire 2 is positioned at the 12 o'clock position (uppermost), and by step S04, the left-right position of the drain wire introduction section 61a coincides with the left-right position of the drain wire 2. Therefore, in step S06, the drain wire 2 can be reliably introduced into the drain wire introduction section 61a. However, depending on the accuracy of detecting the amount of displacement of the drain wire 2 in step S03 and the position correction in step S04, a slight displacement may occur between the position of the drain wire 2 and the position of the drain wire introduction section 61a. In that case, the drain wire 2 is guided to the drain wire introduction section 61a along the left-side inclined portion 61L or the right-side inclined portion 61R of the core wire contact portion 61b. Each core wire 3, which has a larger diameter than the drain wire 2, will not enter the drain wire introduction section 61a, even if it is located directly below the drain wire introduction section 61a.

[0089] In step S06, the separation guide 61 crosses the portion of the axis 20a between the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31. In this portion, the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 are supported at both ends by the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31. Therefore, the drain wire 2 is not dragged downward by sliding resistance against the side surface of the drain wire introduction section 61a, but remains on the axis 20a. The multiple core wires 3 are pushed by the separation guide 61 and bent slightly downward. Even if the drain wire 2 and the core wires 3 were entangled, this entanglement is resolved in step S06.

[0090] When the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 move below the axis 20a, in step S07, the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 are closed. As a result, both ends 62a of the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 come into contact, and the drain wire 2 is held. In step S08, the grip of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 by the core wire clamp 31 is released. As a result, the drain wire 2 is held, and the multiple core wires 3 become free. The core wire clamp 31 is then lowered by the clamp lifting actuator 33 (see Figure 8).

[0091] In step S09, the separation guide 61 is moved upward. In step S09, the drain wire 2 is bent upward by a pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 that hold it from below. This bending of the drain wire 2 clearly separates the drain wire 2 from the multiple core wires 3. The drain wire 2 is bent here so that it is positioned above the axis 20a. In step S10, the pair of drain wire retaining claws 62 are opened. This releases the drain wire 2 from being held by the drain wire retaining claws 62.

[0092] In step S11, the drain wire discharge device 80 is driven to discharge the drain wire 2 from the separation device 60. In step S11, the pushing member 81 is lowered, and the pushing member 81 pushes the drain wire 2 downward. As a result, the drain wire 2 is separated from the drain wire introduction section 61a.

[0093] In step S12, the separation device 60 is moved to the standby position. Upon completion of step S12, the separation of the drain wire 2 from the multiple core wires 3 is completed.

[0094] [Effects of the Embodiment] The following describes the effects that can be achieved by the drain wire separation device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0095] The drain wire separation device 10 according to this embodiment includes a cable clamp 21 that holds a multi-core cable 1 so as to be located on an axis 20a extending in the front-rear direction, a separation guide 61 provided at one position in the left-right direction and equipped with a drain wire introduction section 61a into which a drain wire 2 can be introduced, a lifting actuator 66 that moves the separation guide 61 vertically so that the drain wire introduction section 61a crosses the axis 20a when viewed in the left-right direction, a drain wire detection device 50 that detects the position of the drain wire 2 in the left-right direction, a correction actuator 64 that moves the separation guide 61 horizontally, and a control device 100. The control device 100 includes a detection control unit 104 that causes the drain wire detection device 50 to detect the left-right position of the drain wire 2, a positioning control unit 105 that controls the correction actuator 64 based on the position of the drain wire 2 detected by the drain wire detection device 50 to perform positioning control to match the left-right position of the drain wire introduction section 61a with the left-right position of the drain wire 2, and a lowering control unit 107 that controls the lifting actuator 66 after the positioning control to move the separation guide 61 so that the drain wire introduction section 61a crosses the axis 20a to perform separation control.

[0096] With this drain wire separation device 10, by moving the separation guide 61 in the left-right direction, the left-right position of the drain wire introduction section 61a into which the drain wire 2 is introduced is made to match the left-right position of the detected drain wire 2. As a result, the introduction of the drain wire 2 into the drain wire introduction section 61a becomes more reliable. Consequently, the drain wire 2 and the core wire 3 can be separated more reliably regardless of the state of the multi-core cable 1 (for example, even in the state shown in Figure 11C).

[0097] In this embodiment, the separation guide 61 is positioned on both sides of the drain wire introduction section 61a in the left-right direction and includes core wire contact sections 61b that contact a plurality of core wires 3. With this configuration, the drain wire 2 can be easily introduced by the drain wire introduction section 61a by pressing down on the plurality of core wires 3 with the core wire contact sections 61b. For example, if the drain wire 2 and the core wires 3 are entangled, the entanglement between the drain wire 2 and the core wires 3 can be resolved by pressing down on the plurality of core wires 3 with the core wire contact sections 61b, making it easier for the drain wire 2 to be introduced by the drain wire introduction section 61a.

[0098] In this embodiment, the drain wire detection device 50 includes a camera 51 that images the drain wire 2, and is configured to detect the left-right position of the drain wire 2 from the image captured by the camera 51. With this configuration, the left-right position of the drain wire 2 can be detected with high accuracy by using the camera 51.

[0099] In this embodiment, the drain wire separation device 10 includes a core wire clamp 31 that holds the drain wire 2 and a plurality of core wires 3 on the axis 20a. The control device 100 includes a core wire holding unit 102 that causes the core wire clamp 31 to hold the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 before separation control. With this configuration, the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 are held before separation control. Therefore, when the drain wire introduction unit 61a crosses the axis 20a, the drain wire 2 does not escape, and the drain wire 2 can be reliably introduced into the drain wire introduction unit 61a.

[0100] In this embodiment, the drain wire separation device 10 further includes drain wire holding claws 62 for holding the drain wire 2. The control device 100 includes a drain wire holding unit 108 that causes the drain wire holding claws 62 to hold the drain wire 2 during the separation control process and after the drain wire introduction unit 61a has crossed the axis 20a, and a core wire release unit 109 that releases the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 from the core wire clamp 31 after the drain wire holding claws 62 have held the drain wire 2. With this configuration, after the drain wire 2 introduced into the drain wire introduction unit 61a is held by the drain wire holding claws 62, the holding of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 by the core wire clamp 31 is released. As a result, the drain wire 2 introduced into the drain wire introduction unit 61a is held, while the multiple core wires 3 are not held. This makes it easy to process the held drain wire 2 separately from the multiple core wires 3 in a subsequent process. In this embodiment, in step S09, which is a subsequent step after steps S07 and S08 (holding the drain wire 2 and releasing the core wire 3), the drain wire 2 is bent by the drain wire holding claw 62.

[0101] In this embodiment, the camera 51 images the portion of the drain wire 2 between the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31. With this configuration, the portion of the drain wire 2 imaged by the camera 51 is supported at both ends by the cable clamp 21 and the core wire clamp 31, and does not move, for example, due to vibrations of the drain wire separation device 10. Therefore, a good image of the drain wire 2 can be captured.

[0102] In this embodiment, the drain wire separation device 10 includes a rotating device 40 and a drain wire detection device 50 as preliminary adjustment devices for adjusting the position of the drain wire 2 so that it faces the drain wire introduction section 61a. The control device 100 includes a preliminary adjustment unit 103 that controls the rotating device 40 as a preliminary adjustment device to perform preliminary adjustment so that the drain wire 2 faces the drain wire introduction section 61a. The detection control unit 104 causes the drain wire detection device 50 to detect the left-right position of the drain wire 2 after the preliminary adjustment. With this configuration, since the position of the drain wire 2 is preliminary adjusted so that it faces the drain wire introduction section 61a, if the left-right position of the drain wire 2 is adjusted afterward, the drain wire 2 can be positioned so that it faces the drain wire introduction section 61a and its left-right position is aligned with the drain wire introduction section 61a.

[0103] In this embodiment, the pre-adjustment device includes a rotating device 40 that rotates the multi-core cable 1 held by the cable clamp 21 around the axis 20a, and a drain wire detection device 50 as a second detection device that detects whether the drain wire 2 is in a rotation position facing the drain wire introduction section 61a. With this configuration, the multi-core cable 1 can be rotated by the rotating device 40 based on the detection by the drain wire detection device 50 as the second detection device, thereby bringing the drain wire 2 facing the drain wire introduction section 61a.

[0104] In this embodiment, the drain wire detection device 50, which serves as the second detection device, includes a camera 51 that images the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3. The preliminary adjustment unit 103 controls the rotation device 40 based on the image captured by the camera 51, and positions the multi-core cable 1 at a rotational position such that some of the plurality of core wires 3 are located on both sides of the drain wire 2 in the left-right direction. With this configuration, since some of the plurality of core wires 3 are located on both sides of the drain wire 2 in the left-right direction in the image captured by the camera 51, it can be determined that the drain wire 2 is facing the drain wire introduction section 61a (in this embodiment, it is at approximately the 12 o'clock position).

[0105] In this embodiment, the drain wire detection device 50 uses a camera 51 to image the drain wire 2 and multiple core wires 3 during preliminary adjustment, and detects the left-right position of the drain wire 2 from the image captured by the camera 51 during alignment control. With this configuration, the camera 51 can be shared between preliminary adjustment and alignment control. Therefore, the configuration of the drain wire separation device 10 can be simplified.

[0106] In this embodiment, each core wire 3 has a larger diameter than the drain wire 2. The drain wire introduction section 61a has a width in the left-right direction corresponding to the diameter of the drain wire 2 and is configured as a recessed shape extending in the vertical direction. With this configuration, each core wire 3 does not enter the drain wire introduction section 61a. Therefore, multiple core wires 3 can be separated from the drain wire 2 more reliably.

[0107] [Other Pre-adjustment Method 1] Pre-adjustment to bring the drain wire 2 facing the drain wire introduction section 61a of the separation guide 61 can also be achieved by other methods. According to one preferred method, the second detection device for detecting whether the drain wire 2 is in a rotation position facing the drain wire introduction section 61a may include a pair of electrodes 55 (see Figure 12A; in Figures 12A to 12D, the pair of electrodes 55 are arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction, and the front electrode 55 is not shown) which are respectively arranged to contact the movement path of the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 from the radially outward direction during the rotation of the multi-core cable 1 by the rotating device 40. In this case, the second detection device includes a power supply 56 that applies a voltage between the pair of electrodes 55 and a current detection device 57 (both see Figure 12A) that detects whether current has flowed between the pair of electrodes 55. The core wires 3 are covered with an insulating coating 3b, and even if the pair of electrodes 55 touch them, no current flows between the pair of electrodes 55. On the other hand, the drain wire 2 has exposed metal strands, and when the pair of electrodes 55 touch it, a current flows between the pair of electrodes 55. Therefore, it is possible to detect the position of the drain wire 2 using the pair of electrodes 55.

[0108] Figures 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams of preliminary adjustments to achieve an ideal state where alignment control of the separation guide 61 is unnecessary. Figure 12A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-core cable 1 showing the state in which the drain wire 2 is in contact with the electrode 55. Figure 12B is a diagram showing the state after Figure 12A, and is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-core cable 1 showing the case in which the drain wire 2 has been positioned on the reference line L1 and at the 12 o'clock position due to the rotation of the multi-core cable 1 based on detection by the electrode 55.

[0109] As shown in Figure 12A, in this modified example, the pair of electrodes 55 are arranged to contact the rotational movement path of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 from above. However, the position of the electrodes 55 in the circumferential direction of the multi-core cable 1 is not particularly limited. The pre-adjustment unit 103 of the control device 100 controls the rotating device 40 to rotate the multi-core cable 1 by a predetermined angle after detecting that current has flowed between the pair of electrodes 55 (Figure 12A shows the state at this time). Figure 12B shows the state after the multi-core cable 1 has been rotated by a predetermined angle. As shown in Figure 12B, by rotating the multi-core cable 1 by a predetermined angle after detecting that current has flowed between the pair of electrodes 55, the drain wire 2 can be positioned at a desired rotational position (here, a position facing the drain wire introduction section 61a, more specifically at the 12 o'clock position). Note that the arrangement of the electrodes 55 may be set so that the drain wire 2 is at the desired rotational position when it is detected that current has flowed between the pair of electrodes 55.

[0110] If the rotation center of the multi-core cable 1 coincides with the rotation center of the rotating device 40 (the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20) with high precision, and the cross-section of the multi-core cable 1 is not flattened, then, as shown in Figure 12A, when the multi-core cable 1 is rotated until the drain wire 2 touches the electrode 55, and then, as shown in Figure 12B, when the multi-core cable 1 is rotated by a predetermined angle, the drain wire 2 is positioned on the reference line L1 and at the 12 o'clock position.

[0111] Figures 12C and 12D are schematic diagrams of preliminary adjustments that require alignment control of the separation guide 61. Figure 12C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-core cable 1 showing the state in which the drain wire 2 is in contact with the electrode 55. Figure 12D is a schematic cross-sectional view of the multi-core cable 1 showing the case in which the drain wire 2 is positioned at the 12 o'clock position and outside the reference line L1 due to rotation of the multi-core cable 1 based on detection by the electrode 55. If the cross-section of the multi-core cable 1 is large, as shown in Figure 12C, the multi-core cable 1 is rotated until the drain wire 2 is in contact with the electrode 55, and then as shown in Figure 12D, the multi-core cable 1 is rotated by a predetermined angle, so that the drain wire 2 is positioned at the 12 o'clock position but outside the reference line L1. The same result is obtained when the rotation center of the multi-core cable 1 is misaligned with the rotation center of the rotating device 40 (axis 20a of the cable holding device 20).

[0112] As described above, even in the modified example shown here, where the electrode 55 is used to bring the drain wire 2 facing the drain wire introduction section 61a, a misalignment of the position of the drain wire 2 from the reference line L1 occurs, similar to the embodiment described above. Therefore, in this modified example as well, the technique for correcting the left-right position of the separation guide 61 is effective. The first detection device used for positional adjustment control after preliminary adjustment may be a camera 51 and an image processing unit 52.

[0113] As shown in this modified example, by using a pair of electrodes 55 arranged to contact the rotational movement paths of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 from the radially outward direction, and by detecting when current flows between the pair of electrodes 55, the drain wire 2 can be brought facing the drain wire introduction section 61a with a less expensive configuration. In the image-based method as in the first embodiment, the drain wire 2, which has a metallic luster, can be easily recognized based on the brightness etc. on the image, but the core wires 3 are difficult to recognize. Therefore, in order to reliably recognize the core wires 3 from the image, a high-performance and expensive camera 51 and image processing unit 52 (for example, a camera 51 and image processing unit 52 capable of distinguishing colors) are required. In contrast, the method using electrodes 55 can achieve this at a lower cost.

[0114] In this modified example, the pre-adjustment unit 103 controls the rotating device 40 to further rotate the multi-core cable 1 by a predetermined angle after detecting that current has flowed between the pair of electrodes 55. With this configuration, as long as the rotation angle after current detection is adjusted, the position of the electrodes 55 in the circumferential direction of the multi-core cable 1 is not limited. Therefore, the degree of freedom in arranging the electrodes 55 can be increased.

[0115] [Other Pre-adjustment Method 2] The second detection device for detecting whether the drain wire 2 is at a rotational position facing the drain wire introduction section 61a may include a capacitive proximity sensor 58 that distinguishes between the drain wire 2 and the core wire 3 based on the difference in capacitance change. Figure 13 is a schematic rear view of the second detection device equipped with a capacitive proximity sensor 58. As shown in Figure 13, the second detection device according to this modified example includes a capacitive proximity sensor 58 positioned radially outward from the movement paths of the drain wire 2 and the plurality of core wires 3 during the rotation of the multi-core cable 1 by the rotating device 40.

[0116] The capacitive proximity sensor 58 includes a circuit for generating an electric field and a circuit for measuring the capacitance between an object in the electric field and an electrode inside the sensor. It detects the proximity of a specific object by utilizing the fact that the detected capacitance differs depending on the type of object. By appropriately setting the capacitance threshold for signal transmission / non-transmission, the capacitive proximity sensor 58 can be configured such that it does not emit a signal when the core wire 3 approaches or contacts the detection unit 58a (in this embodiment, the lower surface of the capacitive proximity sensor 58), but emits a signal when the drain wire 2 approaches or contacts the detection unit 58a. The difference in capacitance when the drain wire 2 is close and when the core wire 3 is close is due to the fact that the drain wire 2 is a conductor and does not have an insulating coating, while the core wire 3 is covered with an insulating coating 3b, and there is a difference in relative permittivity between the two.

[0117] As shown in Figure 13, in the configuration of the second detection device according to one example, the capacitive proximity sensor 58 is positioned above the rotational movement path of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3. However, the position of the capacitive proximity sensor 58 with respect to the circumferential direction of the multi-core cable 1 is not particularly limited. The pre-adjustment unit 103 of the control device 100 controls the rotation device 40 to rotate the multi-core cable 1 by a predetermined angle after the drain wire 2 is detected by the capacitive proximity sensor 58. This allows the drain wire 2 to be positioned at a desired rotational position (here, a position facing the drain wire introduction section 61a, more specifically at the 12 o'clock position). The position of the capacitive proximity sensor 58 may be set so that the drain wire 2 is at the desired rotational position when the drain wire 2 is detected by the capacitive proximity sensor 58.

[0118] According to the configuration of this modified example, the drain wire 2 can be detected more reliably by using a capacitive proximity sensor 58. The capacitive proximity sensor 58 has one detection unit 58a (in this case, on the bottom surface), and the drain wire 2 can be detected by this single detection unit 58a. For example, in a system using a pair of electrodes 55, the drain wire 2 cannot be detected if one or both electrodes 55 do not come into contact with the drain wire 2. According to the configuration of this modified example, such detection errors are less likely to occur.

[0119] [Other Pre-adjustment Method 3] Another pre-adjustment method is to align the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 in a line. Figure 14 is a rear view of the alignment device 90 that aligns the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 in a line. In this modified example, the alignment device 90 and the rotating device 40 constitute a pre-adjustment device that adjusts the position of the drain wire 2 so that it faces the core wire contact portion 61b and the drain wire introduction portion 61a.

[0120] As shown in Figure 14, the alignment device 90 includes a first clamp 91, a second clamp 92, a clamping device 93, and a traveling device 94. The first clamp 91 is positioned at one location around the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20. Here, the first clamp 91 is positioned to the left of the axis 20a (one of the second directions). The second clamp 92 is positioned opposite the first clamp 91 across the axis 20a. Here, the second clamp 92 is positioned to the right of the axis 20a (the other of the second directions).

[0121] The clamping device 93 clamps the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 between the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92, aligning the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 in the vertical direction. In this modified example, the clamping device 93 moves the first clamp 91 to the right and the second clamp 92 to the left to bring them closer together and clamp the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3. However, the clamping device 93 may move only one of the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 closer to or further away from the axis 20a. The clamping device 93 includes, for example, an air cylinder. However, the type of actuator provided by the clamping device 93 is not particularly limited.

[0122] The traveling device 94 moves the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 in the front-rear direction. The traveling device 94 is equipped with, for example, an air cylinder that extends and retracts in the front-rear direction. However, the type of actuator for the traveling device 94 is not particularly limited and may be, for example, a motor.

[0123] The first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 are each equipped with rollers 91a and 92a having a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. The rollers 91a and 92a are each configured to be rotatable in the front-rear direction. The first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 contact the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 with their rollers 91a and 92a, respectively. Although not shown in the figures, the first clamp 91 may be equipped with multiple rollers 91a arranged in the front-rear direction, and the second clamp 92 may be equipped with multiple rollers 92a arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0124] In the preliminary adjustment to bring the drain wire 2 facing the drain wire introduction section 61a, the clamping device 93 is driven to clamp the base portions of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3, after they have been untwisted, with the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92. Next, with the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 clamped, the traveling device 94 is driven to move the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 toward the tip side of the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 (in this case, forward). As a result, the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 are aligned in a single line in the vertical direction. Subsequently, in this modified example, the rotating device 40 is controlled to rotate the multi-core cable 1 by 90 degrees. As a result, the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 are aligned in a single line in the horizontal direction. In this state, the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 are facing the drain wire introduction section 61a and the core wire contact section 61b.

[0125] A drain wire separation device 10, comprising a first clamp 91 positioned at one position around the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20, a second clamp 92 positioned opposite the first clamp 91 across the axis 20a, and a clamping device 93 that clamps the drain wire 2 and multiple core wires 3 between the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92, allows the drain wire 2 and multiple core wires 3 to be aligned in a line. This ensures that the drain wire 2 faces the drain wire introduction section 61a. Furthermore, because the drain wire 2 and multiple core wires 3 are aligned, the risk of losing track of the position of the drain wire 2 or core wires in subsequent processes is reduced.

[0126] The positions of the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 are not limited to the left or right of the axis 20a. The angle at which the rotating device 40 rotates the multi-core cable 1 after the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 have been aligned is set according to the circumferential positions of the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 around the axis 20a. If the first clamp 91 is positioned above or below the axis 20a, and the second clamp 92 is positioned opposite the first clamp 91 across the axis 20a, the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 will be aligned in the left-right direction by being clamped by the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92. In this case, the rotating device 40 is not necessary for the configuration of the pre-adjustment device.

[0127] In this modified example, the pre-adjustment device includes a traveling device 94 that moves the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 in the front-rear direction. With this configuration, moving the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 in the front-rear direction while clamping the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 creates a squeezing effect on the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3. As a result, the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 can be aligned better than simply clamping them. With a configuration in which the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 are equipped with rollers 91a and 92a that rotate in the front-rear direction, respectively, the movement of the first clamp 91 and the second clamp 92 in the front-rear direction can be made smoother.

[0128] [Other Embodiments] A preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the above embodiment is merely illustrative, and various other embodiments are possible.

[0129] For example, in the embodiment described above, the multiple core wires 3 were not bent in particular, but after being separated from the drain wire 2 by the separation guide 61, they may be bent by a core wire bending device. In that case, the direction in which the core wires 3 are bent is not particularly limited.

[0130] In the embodiments described above, the extension direction (first direction) of the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20 was the front-to-back direction, the alignment direction of the drain wire introduction portion 61a and the core wire contact portion 61b (second direction) was the left-to-right direction, and the movement direction (third direction) of the separation guide 61 was the up-and-down direction. However, the first, second, and third directions are not limited to these. The first and second directions are not limited as long as they are orthogonal to each other. The third direction is not limited as long as it intersects the first and second directions, and may be oblique to the first or second direction. The separation guide 61 may approach and move away from the axis 20a of the cable holding device 20 at an oblique angle (a non-perpendicular angle of entry).

[0131] In the embodiment described above, the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 are separated by a separation guide 61, but the separation member for separating the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 is not limited to a member like the separation guide 61 described above. Figure 15 is a schematic rear view of a separation device 60 equipped with a pair of hooks 161 and 162 as a separation member for separating the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3. As shown in Figure 15, the pair of hooks 161 and 162 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The pair of hooks 161 and 162 are arranged with a gap G between them.

[0132] The left hook 161 has an arm 161a extending vertically and a hook portion 161b extending to the right from the upper end of the arm 161a. The right hook 162 is configured substantially symmetrically to the left hook 161 and has a similar arm 162a and hook portion 162b. The gap G is formed between the left hook portion 161b and the right hook portion 162b. The separation device 60 includes a moving device (not shown) for moving the pair of hooks 161 and 162 vertically, and an opening and closing device (not shown) for moving the pair of hooks 161 and 162 horizontally to open and close them, respectively.

[0133] In separating the drain wire 2, the separation device 60 first corrects the left-right positions of the pair of hooks 161 and 162 to match the left-right position of the drain wire 2. In this embodiment, the correction actuator 64 moves the pair of hooks 161 and 162 in the left-right direction. The separation device 60 corrects the left-right positions of the pair of hooks 161 and 162 so that the left-right position of the gap G coincides with the left-right position of the drain wire 2.

[0134] Next, the separation device 60 moves the pair of hooks 161 and 162 upward with the hooks open until the left and right hooks 161b and 162b reach above the drain wire 2. After that, the separation device 60 closes the pair of hooks 161 and 162. As a result, the multiple core wires 3 are held between the arms 161a and 162a. Also, a gap G is formed above the drain wire 2 (the state shown in Figure 15). When the pair of hooks 161 and 162 are lowered from here, the drain wire 2 is left behind as it passes through the gap G, and the multiple core wires 3 are hooked onto the left and right hooks 161b and 162b and bent downward.

[0135] The pair of hooks 161 and 162 contact multiple core wires 3 during separation control. In the pair of hooks 161 and 162, the core wire contact portion 61b is provided on the pair of hooks 161 and 162. More specifically, the core wire contact portion 61b is provided on the lower edges of the left and right hook portions 161b and 162b. The drain wire introduction portion 61a is formed by the gap G between the pair of hooks 161 and 162.

[0136] For example, the drain wire 2 and the multiple core wires 3 can also be separated by the configuration of such a separating member.

[0137] The mechanisms for holding, gripping, rotating, moving, etc. in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and various known methods can be used without particular limitation.

[0138] The control of the embodiment described above is merely an example and can be modified in various ways depending on the configuration of the drain wire separation device 10. The drain wire separation device 10 does not necessarily have to include, for example, a core wire holding device 30, a drain wire holding claw 62, a drain wire discharge device 80, etc. The drain wire separation device 10 does not necessarily have to include a mechanism for performing preliminary adjustments. Work equivalent to preliminary adjustment can be achieved, for example, by an operator setting the multi-core cable 1 in the cable clamp 21 so that the drain wire 2 is facing in a predetermined direction.

[0139] Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments do not limit the present invention.

[0140] 1 Multi-core cable 2 Drain wire 3 Core wire 5 Sheath 10 Drain wire separation device 20 Cable holding device 20a Axis 21 Cable clamp (holding member) 30 Core wire holding device 31 Core wire clamp (core wire holding member) 40 Rotating device 50 Drain wire detection device (first detection device, second detection device) 51 Camera (imaging device) 55 Electrode 56 Power supply 57 Current detection device 58 Capacitive proximity sensor 60 Separation device 61 Separation guide (separation member) 61a Drain wire introduction section 61b Core wire contact section 62 Drain wire holding claw (drain wire holding member) 64 Correction actuator (second moving device) 66 Lifting actuator (first moving device) 90 Alignment device (pre-adjustment device) 91 First clamp (first gripping member) 92 Second clamp (second gripping member) 93 Clamping device 94 Traveling device (third moving device) 100 Control device 102 Core wire holding unit 103 Pre-adjustment unit 104 Detection control unit 105 Alignment control unit 107 Lowering control unit (separation control unit) 108 Drain wire holding unit 109 Core wire release unit 161 Hook 162 Hook G Gap L1 Reference line

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a multi-core cable comprising a drain wire, a plurality of core wires, and a sheath covering the drain wire and the plurality of core wires, wherein the drain wire and the plurality of core wires are exposed from the end of the sheath, comprising: a holding member that holds the multi-core cable so as to be located on an axis extending in a first direction; a separating member provided at one position in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and having a drain wire introduction section into which the drain wire can be introduced; a first moving device that moves at least one of the separating member and the holding member in a third direction intersecting the first and second directions such that the drain wire introduction section crosses the axis when viewed in the second direction; a first detection device that detects the position of the drain wire with respect to the second direction; a second moving device that moves at least one of the separating member and the holding member in the second direction; and a control device, wherein the control device includes a detection control unit that causes the first detection device to detect the position of the drain wire in the second direction, A drain wire separator comprising: a positioning control unit that controls the second moving device based on the position of the drain wire detected by the first detection device and performs positioning control to match the position of the drain wire introduction portion in the second direction with the position of the drain wire in the second direction; and a separation control unit that, after the positioning control, controls the first moving device and performs separation control to move at least one of the separation member and the holding member so that the drain wire introduction portion crosses the axis.

2. The drain wire separation device according to claim 1, wherein the separation member is arranged on both sides of the drain wire introduction portion with respect to the second direction and includes core wire contact portions that contact the plurality of core wires.

3. The drain wire separation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first detection device comprises an imaging device for imaging the drain wire and is configured to detect the position of the drain wire in the second direction from the image captured by the imaging device.

4. A drain wire separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a core wire holding member that holds the drain wire and the plurality of core wires on the axis, wherein the control device includes a core wire holding unit that causes the core wire holding member to hold the drain wire and the plurality of core wires before the separation control.

5. The drain wire separation device according to claim 4, further comprising a drain wire holding member for holding the drain wire, wherein the control device comprises a drain wire holding unit that causes the drain wire holding member to hold the drain wire during the separation control and after the drain wire introduction unit has crossed the axis, and a core wire release unit that causes the core wire holding member to release the drain wire and the plurality of core wires after the drain wire holding member has held the drain wire.

6. The drain wire separation device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the first detection device comprises an imaging device for imaging the drain wire, and is configured to detect the position of the drain wire in the second direction from the image captured by the imaging device, and the imaging device images the portion of the drain wire between the holding member and the core wire holding member.

7. A drain wire separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a pre-adjustment device for adjusting the position of the drain wire so that it faces the drain wire introduction section, wherein the control device comprises a pre-adjustment unit that controls the pre-adjustment device to perform a pre-adjustment to bring the drain wire facing the drain wire introduction section, and the detection control unit causes the first detection device to detect the position of the drain wire in the second direction after the pre-adjustment.

8. The drain wire separation device according to claim 7, wherein the pre-adjustment device comprises a rotating device for rotating the multi-core cable held by the holding member around the axis, and a second detection device for detecting whether the drain wire is at a rotation position facing the drain wire introduction section.

9. The drain wire separation device according to claim 8, wherein the second detection device comprises a pair of electrodes, each arranged to contact the movement paths of the drain wire and the plurality of core wires from the radially outward direction during the rotation of the multi-core cable by the rotating device; a power supply for applying a voltage between the pair of electrodes; and a current detection device for detecting that a current has flowed between the pair of electrodes.

10. The drain wire separation device according to claim 9, wherein the pre-adjustment unit controls the rotating device to further rotate the multi-core cable by a predetermined angle after detecting that current has flowed between the pair of electrodes.

11. The drain wire separation device according to claim 8, wherein the second detection device comprises a capacitive proximity sensor positioned radially outward from the movement path of the drain wire and the plurality of core wires in the rotation of the multi-core cable by the rotating device.

12. The drain wire separation device according to claim 8, wherein the second detection device comprises an imaging device for imaging the drain wire and the plurality of core wires, and the preliminary adjustment unit controls the rotation device based on the image captured by the imaging device to position the multi-core cable at a rotational position such that a portion of the plurality of core wires are located on both sides of the drain wire in the second direction.

13. The drain wire separation device according to claim 12, wherein the first detection device is configured to detect the position of the drain wire in the second direction from an image captured by the imaging device.

14. The drain wire separation device according to claim 7, wherein the pre-adjustment device comprises: a first clamping member positioned at one position around the axis; a second clamping member positioned opposite the first clamping member across the axis; and a clamping device that clamps the drain wire and the plurality of core wires between the first clamping member and the second clamping member, and aligns the drain wire and the plurality of core wires.

15. The drain wire separation device according to claim 14, wherein the pre-adjustment device comprises a third moving device for moving the first clamping member and the second clamping member in the first direction.

16. The drain wire separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein each of the plurality of core wires has a larger diameter than the drain wire, and the drain wire introduction portion is configured as a recess having a width in the second direction corresponding to the diameter of the drain wire and extending in the third direction.

17. The drain wire separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the separating member comprises a pair of hooks arranged side by side in the second direction with a gap between them, the pair of hooks abutting the plurality of core wires, and the drain wire introduction portion is formed by the gap between the pair of hooks.

Images