Feedback-based system for bending wire and forming springs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10239111-B2
Application number	US-201615374494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2016
Priority date	Dec 9, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Feedback-based systems and methods for bending wire are provided. The systems and methods may allow for modification of wire bending based on feedback received from one or more feedback-generating elements (e.g., image-capturing device(s), computer processing device(s), vision systems, etc.) used for monitoring one or more characteristics of a wire (e.g., shape, size, dimension, angular configuration, etc.) to determine, and provide to various wire-bending components of the system, appropriate modifications to the wire-bending process. Modifications to the wire-bending process may occur in real time without stopping the wire-bending process. Furthermore, a wire may be bent into a sinusoidal wire structure for forming springs for use in various applications.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A feedback-based system for bending wire, the system comprising:
a wire-bending mechanism configured to bend a wire using continuous oscillation of a wire-bending element to produce a sinusoidal wire structure;
a wire-cutting mechanism configured to cut the sinusoidal wire structure into a plurality of sections;
a wire-monitoring component configured to:
detect a characteristic of the sinusoidal wire structure,
determine if the characteristic is within selected limits, and
provide an instruction to the wire-bending mechanism to modify the bending of the wire when the characteristic is not within the selected limits in order to modify the characteristic;

a pair of forming pins coupled to the wire-bending element, each one of the forming pins comprising a tapered profile; and
a retainer tool configured to move between a first position for bracing the wire and a second position for releasing the wire during formation of the sinusoidal wire structure.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wire-bending mechanism further comprises
a rotational actuator coupled to the wire-bending element for providing the oscillation.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a wire pre-tensioning device comprising a plurality of rollers through which the wire travels prior to reaching the wire-bending mechanism; and
a shuttle through which the wire travels prior to reaching the wire-bending mechanism, the shuttle providing an oscillating motion to align the wire in a desired direction during the wire bending.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein modifying the bending of the wire to modify the characteristic comprises modifying, in response to the instruction, at least one of:
the wire-bending element or the pair of forming pins thereof;
the retainer tool or a component thereof;
the wire pre-tensioning device or a component thereof; and
the shuttle or a component thereof.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein modifying the bending of the wire is performed automatically in response to the instruction.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein modifying the bending of the wire comprises modifying a vertical position of the pair of forming pins relative to the wire, such that a diameter of each of the pair of forming pins in contact with the wire during formation of the sinusoidal wire structure is adjusted.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more computer-readable media configured to store and access preconfigured system configurations, wherein the preconfigured system configurations are usable to generate a selected sinusoidal wire structure by modifying the bending of the wire to produce the selected sinusoidal wire structure.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wire-monitoring component comprises one or more image-capturing devices for capturing one or more images of the sinusoidal wire structure, the one or more images depicting the characteristic.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the wire-monitoring component further comprises one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method comprising:
determining if the characteristic is within the selected limits based on the one or more images from the one or more image-capturing devices; and
upon determining that the characteristic is not within the selected limits, providing the instruction to modify the bending of the wire to modify the characteristic,
wherein the one or more computer-readable media are communicatively coupled to the one or more image-capturing devices.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the wire-monitoring component further comprises:
a receiving panel configured to individually receive each of the plurality of sections of the sinusoidal wire structure for image capture by the one or more image-capturing devices; and
a backlight for selectively illuminating the receiving panel.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is at least one of:
a distance between points on adjacent sinusoidal curves of the sinusoidal wire structure;
a distance between points on a common sinusoidal curve of the sinusoidal wire structure;
a radius or diameter of at least one sinusoidal curve of the sinusoidal wire structure; and
a shape of the sinusoidal wire structure.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a spring-forming mechanism configured to bend each of the plurality of sections of the sinusoidal wire structure into a respective circumferentially shaped spring.

13. A feedback-based method of bending wire, the method comprising:
providing a wire;
bending the wire using continuous oscillation of a wire-bending element to produce a sinusoidal wire structure;
detecting, using a wire-monitoring component, a characteristic of the sinusoidal wire structure;
determining, using the wire-monitoring component, if the characteristic is within selected limits; and
providing, using the wire-monitoring component, an instruction to modify the bending of the wire to adjust the characteristic of the sinusoidal wire structure when the characteristic is not within the selected limits,
wherein the wire-bending element comprises a pair of forming pins each having a tapered profile, and
wherein bending the wire further comprises moving a retainer tool between a first position to retain the wire and a second position to release the wire during formation of the sinusoidal wire structure.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
cutting, using a wire-cutting mechanism, the sinusoidal wire structure into a plurality of sections; and
capturing, using one or more image-capturing devices in communication with the wire-monitoring component, one or more images of the sinusoidal wire structure or a cut section thereof, the one or more images depicting the characteristic.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein modifying the bending of the wire comprises modifying at least a vertical position of the pair of forming pins relative to the wire to adjust the characteristic of the sinusoidal wire structure.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of:
a distance between points on adjacent sinusoidal curves of the sinusoidal wire structure;
a distance between points on a common sinusoidal curve of the sinusoidal wire structure;
a radius or diameter of at least one sinusoidal curve of the sinusoidal wire structure; and
a shape of the sinusoidal wire structure.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
cutting the sinusoidal wire structure into a plurality of sections; and
bending, using a spring-forming mechanism, the plurality of sections into a plurality of respective circumferentially shaped springs.

18. A method of feedback-based wire bending, the method comprising:
providing a wire;
providing a wire-bending mechanism comprising:
a wire-bending element comprising a pair of forming pins each having a tapered profile, and
a retainer tool;

providing a wire-monitoring component comprising:
one or more image-capturing devices, and
one or more computer processors communicatively coupled to the one or more image-capturing devices;

bending the wire using the wire-bending mechanism to form a sinusoidal wire structure;
capturing one or more images of the sinusoidal wire structure or a section thereof using the one or more image-capturing devices;
determining if a characteristic of the sinusoidal wire structure or the section thereof depicted in the one or more images is outside of selected limits; and
in

Assignees

• L&P Property Man Co

Inventors

• Knewtson Kelly M
• Mccune David William
• Brummett Travis L
• Kussman Tyler

Classifications

• B21F35/04 Primary

  Making flat springs, e.g. sinus springs · CPC title

• B21F1/04

  Undulating · CPC title

• B21C51/00

  Measuring, gauging, indicating, counting, or marking devices specially adapted for use in the production or manipulation of material in accordance with subclasses B21B - B21F · CPC title