Rotatable Wire Guiding Tubes for Single-Side Crimping Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wire cutter apparatuses in the automotive industry face inefficiencies due to the need for operators to frequently walk between crimping presses for servicing and supervision, leading to increased time and effort in maintaining and operating the equipment.
Innovation Solution
A wire cutter apparatus design where both crimping presses are located on the same side, allowing for easier access and monitoring, with rotatable guiding tubes that move the wire exit and entrance to align with the crimping presses, reducing the distance operators need to travel and enabling simultaneous supervision and servicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If crimping presses are arranged on opposite sides of the wire feeding axis, then the wire can be crimped at both ends, but the operator must walk between presses for servicing and supervision
Solution Approach 1:
Both crimping presses are positioned on the same side of the wire feeding axis, merging their locations to be accessible from a single operator position. This allows the operator to service and supervise both presses without walking between opposite sides, directly resolving the accessibility and time loss contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable wire guiding tubes serve multiple functions: they guide the wire through the cutting mechanism and can be rotated to present either the leading end or rear end to the crimping presses. This multi-functionality enables a single operator position to access both crimping operations.
2Productivity
If crimping presses are positioned spaced away from the feeding axis, then the wire ends can be brought to the presses, but the apparatus requires more space and longer operator travel distance
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guiding tubes are made rotatable rather than fixed, allowing dynamic repositioning of the wire exit/entrance points. This enables the crimping presses to be positioned optimally for operator access while the tubes rotate to align the wire with either press, maintaining crimping efficiency without requiring excessive apparatus footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of positioning presses along the longitudinal feeding axis (one dimension), the presses are arranged on the same side in a transverse configuration. The rotatable tubes provide the dimensional flexibility to access both presses from a single operator position, reducing the apparatus footprint while maintaining productivity.
3Ease of operation
If movable wire guiding tubes are used to bring wire ends to spaced-away crimping presses, then crimping can be performed, but the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable wire guiding tubes perform multiple functions: wire guidance, positioning, and alignment with different crimping presses. By making the tubes themselves rotatable rather than using complex movable mechanisms, the design achieves ease of wire positioning with relatively simple mechanics, balancing operational ease against device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A wire cutter apparatus includes a first rotatable wire guiding tube for receiving the leading end of a wire. The first tube has a wire entrance and a wire exit and is rotatable around the wire entrance whereby the wire exit is movable between a first wire exit position coinciding with a longitudinal feeding axis and a second wire exit position spaced away from the longitudinal feeding axis. The apparatus includes a similar, second rotatable wire guiding tube. A first crimping press receives the leading end of the wire when the wire exit is in the second wire exit position. The first crimping press and the second crimping press are both at least partially located between the longitudinal feeding axis and a first side wall.