Conductor Positioning Fixture Wedge Retainer Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual methods for processing cable conductors are inefficient, inaccurate, and lack repeatability, making it difficult to produce cable assemblies with consistent characteristics and align conductors with processing machines.
Innovation Solution
A conductor positioning fixture with a base and retainer member that aligns and secures cable conductors in designated positions, using a movable retainer member to engage and hold the conductors in place, allowing for efficient and accurate processing across multiple stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual methods are used to prepare and process cable conductors, then operational flexibility is maintained, but efficiency, accuracy, and repeatability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a positioning fixture as an intermediary device between the manual operator and the cable conductors. The fixture includes a base with positioning features and a retainer member that automatically guides and secures conductors in precise positions, eliminating the need for manual alignment while maintaining operator control over the overall process.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer member is designed to automatically engage and hold conductors in the correct positions without requiring manual adjustment. The fixture self-adjusts to accommodate different conductor configurations, providing consistent positioning through its mechanical design rather than requiring skilled manual manipulation.
2Measurement precision
If manual alignment of conductors with processing machine openings is performed, then adaptability to different configurations is maintained, but time consumption and alignment accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning fixture performs preliminary alignment of the cable and conductors before they reach the processing machine. The base includes positioning features that pre-establish the correct spatial relationship between conductors and the processing openings, so that when the fixture is positioned at the machine, alignment is already achieved without additional manual adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture acts as an intermediary alignment device that translates the rough positioning of the cable into precise conductor alignment with the processing openings. The retainer member and base positioning features work together to automatically establish the correct geometric relationship, eliminating time-consuming manual alignment while ensuring high precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual untwisting and orienting of twisted conductors is performed, then handling flexibility is maintained, but time consumption and orientation accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer member serves as an intermediary device that receives twisted conductors and automatically untwists and orients them to the correct positions. The retainer's mechanical structure guides the conductors through a controlled untwisting process and positions them precisely, eliminating the need for manual untwisting while achieving consistent orientation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer member is designed with dynamic characteristics that allow it to adapt to the twisted state of conductors during engagement. As the retainer clamps down, it naturally untwists the conductors through its mechanical action, then maintains them in the correct oriented position, providing both flexibility in handling twisted conductors and precision in the final orientation.
4Manufacturing precision
If consistent cable breakout lengths are produced manually, then operational simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision and repeatability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning fixture incorporates pre-configured positioning features in the base that establish the correct breakout length before processing begins. The fixture geometry is designed so that when the cable is positioned in the base, the conductors are automatically at the correct distance from the processing point, eliminating the need for manual measurement and adjustment while ensuring consistent results.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture acts as an intermediary that translates simple cable placement into precise breakout length control. The base positioning features and retainer member work together to automatically establish and maintain the correct conductor exposure length, providing manufacturing precision without requiring complex manual measurement and adjustment procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A conductor positioning fixture (102) includes a base (126) and a retainer member (128). The base includes a positioning platform (130) and a wedge (206) projecting upward from a top surface (208) of the positioning platform. The base receives a cable (104) on the top surface of the positioning platform such that exposed segments (136) of first and second conductors (106) of the cable extend along opposite sides (214, 216) of the wedge. The retainer member is mounted to the base and movable relative to the base along a longitudinal axis (193) between a retracted position, at which the retainer member is spaced apart from the wedge, and an extended position, at which the retainer member overlaps the wedge. As the retainer member moves from the retracted position towards the extended position, the retainer member engages and forces the exposed segments of the first and second conductors into designated presentation positions (108).