Crimping Device with Position Detection for Shielded Cable Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for providing a four-wire cable with braided shielding struggle with precise alignment and crimping of inner pin contacts with a sleeve-shaped outer conductor, leading to inconsistent connector quality, particularly in the automotive sector where multimedia cables require high precision.

Innovation Solution

A device with an outer conductor crimping unit, position detection unit, and control device ensures precise alignment and crimping of inner conductors relative to the outer conductor, using a crimping tool and sensor to maintain a defined relationship, and an insulating body that aligns and secures the inner conductors parallel to each other, ensuring correct orientation and insulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If manual alignment methods are used for inner conductors and outer conductor, then the device complexity is low, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-aligning the inner conductors using an insulating body with alignment features (protrusions and grooves) before the crimping process. The position detection unit also performs preliminary detection of the relative position between inner conductors and outer conductor end face, enabling crimping to be initiated based on this pre-determined alignment state, thus achieving high precision without excessive device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment with an automated position detection unit that uses sensors to detect the relative position between inner conductors and outer conductor end face. This substitution of mechanical alignment methods with sensor-based detection achieves higher manufacturing precision while maintaining reasonable device complexity through automation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If fixed crimping parameters are used, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability deteriorates due to inconsistent connector quality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnector quality consistencyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using the position detection unit to detect the actual relative position between inner conductors and outer conductor end face, then feeding this information back to the control device. The control device uses this feedback to dynamically adjust crimping parameters and initiate crimping at the optimal moment, ensuring consistent connector quality and high reliability while managing control system complexity through intelligent control algorithms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If separate processing equipment is used for male and female connectors, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidequipment configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing a single outer conductor crimping unit equipped with a position detection unit that can process both male and female connectors. The detection unit detects relative positions for different connector types, and the control device adjusts parameters accordingly, enabling one device to perform multiple functions and thereby improving productivity without significantly increasing equipment configuration complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2748895B1Crimping device
Publication Date: 2016.03.30 BERNHARD SCHAFER WERKZEUG & SONDERMASCHINEN GMBH
  • EP2748895B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2748895B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2h
  • EP2748895B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3h

AI summary

The present invention relates to a device that can be used to equip a preferably four-core cable with a shielding plug. According to the invention, a device having an outer conductor crimping unit is provided. Such an outer conductor crimping unit is configured for attaching a sleeve-shaped outer conductor at an end section to the shielding of a shielded cable. The outer conductor crimping unit has a crimping tool for crimping a section of a sleeve-shaped outer conductor onto an end section of a cable, and a position detection unit, more particularly a sensor, which allows at least the relative position between the end of an inner conductor of a cable or an isolating body connected to the inner conductor(s) and an end face of an outer conductor to be detected. Also provided according to the invention is a control unit that controls the crimping tool for crimping the section of the outer cable onto the cable on the basis of a detection result from the position detection unit.