Terminal directing station

Abstract

 The station of the present invention comprises a frame formed by standardised section members supporting a bed having a pivot actuator mounted thereon by a suitable support. The actuator is provided with special gripping members with grips have different length and the distance therebetween is manually adjustable. Said grips act on the corresponding cable provided with the rubber and the terminal. The terminal directing station collects the cable or the cable portion which has been already provided with the rubber and the terminal and it locates said cable into a programmed position in such a way that the cable subsequently enters the corresponding cavities in the connector by means of another station in the machine.

Description

[0001] The present patent application relates, as stated in its title, to a "TERMINAL DIRECTING STATION", which novel manufacturing, conformation and design features fulfil the purpose to which they have been specifically conceived, with a maximum safety and effectiveness.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention refers to a terminal directing station arranged next to other stations in a cable processing machine. The purpose of such machine is to perform a number of operations on the cables by automatic means, such as their selection, identification or marking, cutting and peeling, insertion of rubber, insertion of terminals and positioning said terminals into the corresponding cavities of different types of connectors.

[0003] As a result of the purpose of the machine and as it comprises various stations having different functions; the station of the present invention comprises a frame formed by standardised section members supporting a bed having a pivot actuator mounted thereon by a suitable support. The actuator is provided with special gripping members with grips have different length and the distance therebetween is manually adjustable. Said grips act on the corresponding cable which is provided with the rubber and the terminal.

[0004] The terminal directing station collects the cable or the cable portion which has been already provided with the rubber and the terminal and it locates said cable into a programmed position in such a way that subsequently the cable is allowed to enter the corresponding cavity in the connector by means of another station.

[0005] As usefulness of such machine permits working with different types of connectors having cavities of different shaped geometry, it is necessary that said machine is provided with a station capable of positioning the terminal in the proper position so that said terminal can properly enter such cavities by means of a terminal positioning station. The cavities have been designed to receive a number of retaining elements causing the terminal to enter in one single position. Said position determines the entering way of the terminal as well as the insertion thereof inside the cavity through the retaining means provided therein. Said retaining means are complementary of the shaped geometry of the terminal and complementary of that in the inside of the cavity so that said retaining function can be achieved.

[0006] The terminal directing station is fed by an endless belt provided with a series of gripping members attached at regular distances to one another. Between the grips of said gripping members the cable is held once it has been processed in the other stations until it has been disposed in front of the station of the present invention. Therefore, such station is provided with a presence sensor element which starts the station as the translation gripping member has been stopped with the cable in front of said station. At this time, the gripping member which is attached at the end of the pivot actuator swoops down on the cable and on the end of the terminal which is fastened. Then, the translation gripping member releases the cable so that the directing station can actuate disposing the terminal in the proper position in such a way that it can be clamped again by the translation gripping member located over the endless belt and then conveyed to the next station.

[0007] A detailed list of the different parts cited in the description mentioned according to the accompanying figures is given hereinbelow: (10) station, (11) chassis, (12) standardised section members, (13) sideplates, (14) bracket, (15) tray, (16) gripping member, (17) arms, (18) endless belt, (19) cylinder, (20) sensor element, (21) cable, (22) rubber, (23) terminal, (24) gripping member, (25) grips, (26) pivot actuator, (27) gripping tips, (28) support, (29) sideplate, (30) grip support, (31) screws, (32) frame, (33) table, (34) base, (35) screws, (36) bed, (37) pressing member, (38) spring, (39) screws.

[0008] Figure n° 1 is a part-way section side view of the station (10) for directing terminals (23).

[0009] Figure n° 2 is a closer view of the pivot actuator (26) mounted in the gripping members (24) provided with grips (25) having gripping tips (27).

[0010] In one of the preferred embodiments of what is the object of the present invention and as it can be seen from figures n° 1 and 2, the station (10) comprises means for conveying the cables (21) which are fed into the different stations in the machine that is not shown in the figures. The machine comprises an endless belt (18) provided with gripping members (16) attached at different distances to one another and having arms (17). Said parts are mounted on section members (12) fastened by means of a bracket (14) in which upper part a tray (15) is provided. Said tray (15) prevents the different parts in the station (10) and the machine from being interfered by the cables (21).

[0011] The station (10) comprises a frame (32) mounted on section members (12) acting as longitudinal members and cross members. On said frame (32) a bed (36) is mounted supporting a table (33) which purpose is to fit a base (34) on which a support (28) is mounted. The support (28) is reinforced with a sideplate (29) and it is provided with a pivot actuator (26) located at the upper end thereof. The pivot actuator (26) has a gripping member (24) which grips (25) are provided with gripping tips (27).

[0012] The grips (25) are provided with such gripping tips (27) so that these grips (25) can engage the different types of terminals (23) and cables (21), see figure n° 2. The tips (27) have different length so that the cable (21) can be held by one gripping tip (27), whilst the terminal (23) can be held by the other gripping tip (27). Between said tips (27) a means for adjusting height (h₁) is provided together with a means for lengthening of the grips (25) comprising a grip supporting base (30) allowing said grips (25) to slide by screwing and unscrewing the screws (31).

[0013] Operation of the station (10) is as follows: when the cable (21) provided with the rubber and the terminal (23) is arranged in front of the station, it is held by the grips (17) of the gripping member (16) and the grips (25) of the gripping member (24) close thereon, holding the cable (21) and the terminal (23). Then, the grips (17) of the gripping member (16) are automatically opened to release the cable (21) and then rotated to a given number of degrees by the actuator (26) in a circular movement until the terminal (23) is arranged in the proper position. The terminal (23) is returned to the gripping member (16) which arms (17) hold the cable (21) again so that it can be placed inside the corresponding cavity of a conventional connector in next stations.

[0014] The amount of rotation degrees of the actuator (26) is a function of the number of cavities in the connector, the type of connector and the features of the terminal so that each terminal is allowed to enter the corresponding cavity in the proper position.

[0015] Once the invention has been sufficiently described in accordance to the enclosed drawings, it is understood that any modification can be introduced as appropriate, provided that variations may alter the essence of the invention as summarised in the appended claims.

Claims

1. "TERMINAL DIRECTING STATION" as being part of a cable processing machine that is specially designed for selecting, marking, cutting, peeling and crimping cables as well as directing and inserting terminals inside the connectors, said machine being horizontally and vertically fed at the frontal part thereof by means of an endless belt (18) provided with gripping members (16) attached at regular distances and having arms (17) which convey the cables or cable portions (21) provided with rubbers (22) and terminals (23), characterised in that said terminal directing station (10) is mounted on a chassis (11) which comprises a number of standardised section members (12) acting as longitudinal members and cross members and upright feet in conjunction with reinforcing sideplates (13) forming a resistant structure on which a frame (32) is mounted provided with a bed (36) attached thereon by means of screws (33) and a base (34) centring a support (28) with a reinforcing sideplate (29), a pivot actuator (26) being located at the upper part of said support (28) provided with gripping members (24) which grips (25) are length and height adjustable.

2. "TERMINAL DIRECTING STATION" as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the height (h₁) between the gripping tips (27) of the grips (25) as well as the lengthening thereof relative to the gripping member (24) can be adjusted by means of tightening screws (39).

3. "TERMINAL DIRECTING STATION" as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each of the grips (25) is provided with two gripping tips (27) of different length.

4. "TERMINAL DIRECTING STATION" as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that operation of the station (10) is as follows: when the cable (21) provided with the rubber (22) and the terminal (23) is arranged in front of the station, it is held by the grips (17) of the gripping member (16) and the grips (25) of the gripping member (24) close thereon, holding the cable (21) and the terminal (23) and then, the grips (17) of the gripping member (16) are automatically opened to release the cable (21) and then rotated to a given number of degrees by the actuator (26) in a circular movement until the terminal (23) is arranged in the proper position.

Drawing