Cable Displacing Wheels and Funnel Guide for Shielded Cable Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual process of preparing shielded cables and installing solder sleeves is labor-intensive, prone to misalignment, and increases cycle time, leading to quality issues and increased labor costs.
Innovation Solution
A fully automated production line system with a cable delivery system and multiple workstations equipped with cable processing modules, utilizing a pair of cable-displacing wheels with compliant outer surfaces to center and feed cables into processing equipment, ensuring precise alignment and controlled length insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual feeding process is used, then operator flexibility is maintained, but alignment precision deteriorates and cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
A funnel-shaped guide structure serves as an intermediary between the cable feed and processing equipment, automatically centering the cable as it enters the processing chamber. This mechanical guide eliminates the need for manual alignment while maintaining simple overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical alignment operation is replaced by a gravity-assisted funnel mechanism that automatically centers the cable through its geometric shape, eliminating the need for operator skill while maintaining mechanical simplicity.
2Productivity
If automated cable feeding is implemented, then cycle time is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable feeding system is designed to be self-regulating, where the cable's own weight and the funnel's geometry automatically achieve proper positioning and centering without requiring complex sensors, motors, or control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex alignment and positioning functions are extracted from the automated feeding system and replaced by a simple passive funnel structure, allowing rapid cable processing without adding system complexity.
3Reliability
If manual cable preparation is used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but quality consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The funnel performs preliminary centering and positioning actions on the cable before it enters the processing equipment, ensuring consistent alignment and quality outcomes without requiring complex active control mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The automated system reduces cycle time, decreases labor costs, and ensures consistent quality by accurately positioning and processing shielded cables with solder sleeves, improving efficiency and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The pair of cable-displacing wheels each have outer peripheral contact surfaces made of compliant material which contact each other to form a nip
Implementation Method 2
cable-displacing wheels designed to push and pull cables through a funnel
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A
AI summary
A system for processing an end of a cable (10). The system includes: a cable delivery system (60); a cable processing module (38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 52); a pallet (64) supported by the cable delivery system; a drive wheel (16) rotatably coupled to the pallet; a motor (72) operatively coupled for driving rotation of the drive wheel; and an idler wheel (18) rotatably coupled to the pallet and forming a nip with the drive wheel. The cable processing module includes cable processing equipment (30) configured to perform an operation on an end (10b) of a cable and a computer system (e.g., 162a,b 164a,b). The computer system is configured to: (a) cause the drive wheel to rotate in a cable pushing direction to cause a specified length of cable to be inserted into the cable processing equipment; (b) activate the cable processing equipment to perform an operation on the inserted end of the cable; and (c) cause the drive wheel to rotate in a cable pulling direction to cause the specified length of cable to be removed from the cable processing equipment.