Wire Winding Apparatus with Sensor Feedback Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional wire winding apparatuses face challenges in winding wires around thin and long cores due to limited range of operation of wire feeding members, leading to errors in diameter accumulation, difficulty in maintaining uniform contact, and increased risk of wire misalignment, especially when the core is curved or has varying diameters.

Innovation Solution

A wire winding apparatus with a wire feeding member, lock mechanism, winding mechanism, feed mechanism, proximity sensor, and control section that adjusts the movement of the supporting member based on detected errors, allowing for precise control of wire feeding and core rotation to maintain uniform contact and alignment, even with varying wire diameters and core lengths.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If profile winding is used to wind wire around thin and long cores, then the wire can be wound along the last formed turn to maintain alignment, but the accumulation of diameter errors exceeds the range of operation of the wire feeding member

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire alignmentVSAvoidwire feeding member range of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a feedback mechanism where a sensor detects the actual position of the wire feeding member and feeds this information back to a control unit. The control unit then adjusts the feeding amount of the wire based on the detected position deviations, ensuring that the wire feeding member remains within its operational range while maintaining precise wire alignment during profile winding of thin and long cores.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the purely mechanical wire feeding system with a controlled system that uses a sensor and control unit. Instead of relying solely on mechanical precision of the wire feeding member, the system uses detection and control mechanisms to dynamically adjust the wire feeding amount, substituting mechanical rigidity with intelligent control to handle the limited range of operation.

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

2Productivity

If the wire feeding mechanism is shifted by the amount equal to the diameter of the wire for each turn, then pitch feeding can be maintained, but the diameter of the wire varies causing pitch feeding to not suit the actual diameter

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewinding speedVSAvoidwire diameter consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a sensor to detect the actual position and diameter variations of the wire during feeding. The detected information is fed back to the control unit, which dynamically adjusts the wire feeding amount for each turn. This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain high productivity through continuous winding while compensating for diameter variations to ensure manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the static wire feeding mechanism into a dynamic system that can adapt to varying wire diameters. The control unit dynamically adjusts the feeding amount based on real-time detection, allowing the system to maintain both high speed productivity and precision despite variations in wire diameter during the winding process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the distance from the core to the pulley increases when the arm is turned, then the wire can reach the core, but the amount of shift of the wire in the axial direction increases changing the distance between turns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire reachabilityVSAvoidturn spacing uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a sensor to detect the actual position of the wire feeding member and the amount of arm rotation. This detection information is fed back to the control unit, which calculates the required compensation for axial shift and adjusts the wire feeding amount accordingly. This ensures that even when the arm is turned and the distance increases, the spacing between turns remains uniform.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical coupling between arm rotation and wire feeding position with a controlled system. Instead of the wire feeding position being mechanically determined by arm rotation, the control unit uses detection information to independently control the feeding amount, substituting mechanical linkage with intelligent control to maintain turn spacing uniformity.

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

4Ease of operation

If a thin and long core is pulled by the wire to be curved toward the wire feeding member, then the wire can be fed to the core, but the profile winding becomes further difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewire feeding to coreVSAvoidwinding uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a sensor to detect the actual position of the wire feeding member and the curvature state of the core. The detection information is fed back to the control unit, which adjusts the wire feeding amount and timing to compensate for core curvature. This allows the system to maintain winding uniformity even when the thin and long core is pulled and curved during the feeding process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2682961B1Wire winding apparatus and wire winding method
Publication Date: 2018.11.28 NITTOKU ENG CO LTD
  • EP2682961B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2682961B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2682961B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The wire winding apparatus (10) includes: a wire feeding member (30) provided to a supporting member (72) so as to be operable; a lock mechanism (79) capable of inhibiting an operation of the wire feeding member (30); a winding mechanism (20) for rotating a core (13) about an axis thereof to wind the wire (11) fed from the wire feeding member (30) around the outer circumference of the core (13); a feed mechanism (60) for moving the supporting member (72) in an axial direction of the core (13); a proximity sensor (81) for detecting a movement amount of the wire feeding member (30) with respect to the supporting member (72); and a control section for controlling an operation of the feed mechanism (60) to adjust a movement amount of the supporting member (72) moved by the feed mechanism (60) based on a detection output from the proximity sensor (81).