Cable Tip Mirror Inspection with Air Cleaning and Camera Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable tip inspection devices face challenges in preventing dirt and dust from contaminating the camera and mirror components, leading to unreliable quality checks, especially over time.
Innovation Solution
A cable tip inspection device featuring a mirror arrangement with a central axis, a transparent disc to prevent dirt from reaching the camera, and a compressed air cleaning device for easy and effective cleaning of the mirrors and disc.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inspection device elements (camera, illumination device, conical mirror collar) are placed in a hermetically sealed housing with overpressure to prevent contamination, then dirt and dust penetration is prevented, but the device complexity increases and camera calibration becomes technically very complex
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is extracted from the sealed housing and positioned outside, while only the necessary optical path remains sealed. This separates the contamination-prone inspection chamber from the sensitive camera, maintaining inspection reliability without requiring the camera to be sealed and calibrated under pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
A transparent window or sealed optical interface acts as an intermediary between the sealed inspection chamber and the external camera. This allows optical transmission while maintaining the pressure seal, avoiding the need for hermetic sealing of the entire camera assembly.
2Reliability
If the housing is hermetically sealed to prevent contamination, then dirt particles cannot penetrate, but cleaning the internal mirrors and components becomes difficult and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mirrors and inspection components are extracted from a permanently sealed housing, allowing direct access for cleaning and maintenance while the camera remains protected outside the sealed chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing seal is made dynamic with removable panels or access points that allow temporary opening for cleaning mirrors and components, then resealing to maintain protection during operation. This provides both protection during use and accessibility during maintenance.
3Reliability
If the camera is placed inside the sealed housing with overpressure, then contamination is prevented, but the camera must be repeatedly calibrated and the inspection reliability decreases when dirt enters
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is extracted from the pressurized sealed housing and positioned in a clean external environment. This eliminates the need for repeated calibration due to pressure changes or contamination, while the sealed chamber still protects the inspection components.
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 solution effectively prevents dirt and dust from reaching the camera, ensuring reliable quality checks of cable tips and allowing for easy maintenance and cleaning of the device.
Implementation Method 1
a compressed air cleaning device for cleaning the pane and/or the mirrors by means of compressed air, wherein the compressed air cleaning device is designed to expel the compressed air along the pane and/or along at least some of the mirrors
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A testing device (1) for inspecting a cable tip (18) of a cable (21), in particular a processed cable (21), preferably a cable (21) connected to a crimp contact via a crimp connection, is proposed, wherein the testing device (1) comprises a mirror arrangement (22) with a central axis (60), wherein the cable tip (18) can be arranged along the central axis (60) in the mirror arrangement (22) for inspection, wherein the mirror arrangement (22) comprises several mirrors (70-77) arranged at a predetermined angle to each other and at a predetermined angle to the central axis (60) for viewing the cable tip (18) arranged along the central axis (60) of the mirror arrangement (22) from different angles, wherein the testing device (1) further comprises a camera (2) for generating images of the cable tip (18) from different angles by means of the mirrors (70-77).characterized in that the inspection device (1) has a transparent disc (9) which is arranged to prevent dirt and/or dust from the mirror arrangement (22) from reaching the camera (2) such that the mirror arrangement (22) is arranged on a first side of the disc (9) and the camera (2) is arranged on a second side of the disc (9) opposite the first side, and in that the inspection device (1) further comprises a compressed air cleaning device (10) for cleaning the disc (9) and/or the mirrors (70-77) by means of compressed air, wherein the compressed air cleaning device (10) is designed to expel the compressed air along the disc (9) and/or along at least a part of the mirrors (70-77).