Apparatus for cable processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10892608-B2
Application number	US-201815926050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2018
Priority date	Jul 29, 2014
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a cable including an insulating member, a shielding layer, and a conductor, the apparatus includes a frame forming a housing having an aperture configured to receive an end portion of the cable; a first gripping member disposed within the housing and being configured to grip the cable; and a second gripping member disposed within the housing and being configured to grip the cable; wherein the second gripping member is mounted within the housing so as to be movable relative to the first gripping member to effect fanning and cutting of a portion of the shielding layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable processing system comprising:
a frame having at least a first movable member and a second movable member;
a first shielding gripper disposed on the first movable member, the first shielding gripper being configured for placement around and gripping of at least a shielding layer of a cable; and
a second shielding gripper disposed on the second movable member, the second shielding gripper being configured for placement around and gripping of at least the shielding layer of the cable, the first and second shielding grippers are arranged on the frame so that the cable passes simultaneously through both the first and second shielding grippers;
wherein the frame is arranged so that
relative movement of the first and second movable members causes relative movement between the first and second shielding grippers to fan and circumferentially shear the shielding layer with the first and second shielding grippers, and
both the first shielding gripper and the second shielding gripper are moved along a longitudinal axis of the cable so that the cable is removed from the first shielding gripper and the second shielding gripper, and the sheared portion of the shielding layer, gripped by at least one of the first shielding gripper and the second shielding gripper, is removed from the cable.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the frame is further arranged so that one of the first shielding gripper and the second shielding gripper is moved along the longitudinal axis of the cable so that another sheared portion of the shielding layer attached to the cable is smoothed by the one of the first shielding gripper and the second shielding gripper.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shielding fanner disposed relative to the cable, the shielding fanner is coupled to the frame so that the shielding fanner and the cable move relative to each other, where the shielding fanner is configured to fan the shielding layer.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shielding folder disposed relative to the cable, the shielding folder is coupled to the frame so that the shielding folder and the cable move relative to each other, where the shielding folder is configured to fold the shielding layer over an insulating member of the cable.

5. A method for processing a cable having an insulating member, a shielding layer and one or more conductors, the method comprising:
receiving a portion of the cable within a housing;
gripping the cable with a first gripping member and a second gripping member disposed within the housing;
moving the second gripping member toward the first gripping member to fan and cut a portion of the shielding layer, and
moving both the first gripping member and the second gripping member along a longitudinal axis of the cable so that the cable is removed from the first gripping member and the second gripping member, and the cut portion of the shielding layer, gripped by at least one of the first gripping member and the second gripping member, is removed from the cable.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising coupling the first gripping member to the insulating member and coupling the second gripping member to the shielding layer for fanning and cutting the shielding layer.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising moving the first gripping member and the second gripping member away from each other to remove the cut portion of the shielding layer.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising cutting the shielding layer with a shearing portion of the first gripping member and a mating shearing portion of the second gripping member, where the shearing portion is mated with the mating shearing portion.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising mating two or more respective portions of the first gripping member and the second gripping member so as to form a respective aperture that grips the cable, where a cable interface surface of the respective aperture of each of the first gripping member and the second gripping member includes a cable gripping member.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising inserting a fanning surface of a shielding fanner between the one or more conductors and the shielding layer to effect fanning of the shielding layer.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising inserting the fanned portion of the shielding layer into an aperture of a shielding folder and moving the shielding folder relative to the cable so that a folding surface of the aperture folds the fanned portion of the shielding layer over the insulating member.

12. A method for processing a cable having an insulating member, a shielding layer and one or more conductors, the method comprising:
gripping the cable at two distinct locations along a longitudinal axis of the cable with a first gripping member and a second gripping member of a cable clamping system;
moving the second gripping member relative to the first gripping member to automatically fan and cut the shielding layer of the cable inserted through the first gripping member and the second gripping member, and
removing a cut portion of the shielding layer from the cable by moving both the first gripping member and the second gripping member along the longitudinal axis of the cable so that the cable is removed from the first gripping member and the second gripping member where the cut portion of the shielding layer, gripped by at least one of the first gripping member and the second gripping member, is removed from the cable.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first gripping member and the second gripping member are relatively moved towards each other for fanning and cutting the shielding layer.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cut portion of the shielding layer is removed from the cable by the second gripping member.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising coupling the first gripping member to the insulating member of the cable or the shielding layer, and coupling the second gripping member to the shielding layer so that relative movement between the second gripping member and the first gripping member automatically fans and cuts the shielding layer of the cable.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising cutting the shielding layer by mating a shearing portion of the first gripping member with a mating shearing portion of the second gripping member.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
forming an aperture of a respective one of the first gripping member and the second gripping member by mating at least two portions of the respective one of the first gripping member and the second gripping member; and
gripping the cable with a cable gripping member of a cable interface surface of the aperture.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cable gripping member grips the cable by conforming to a cross-sectional shape of the cable.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising inserting a fanning surface of a shielding fanner between the one or more conductors and the shielding layer to effect fanning of the shielding layer.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising inserting the fanned shielding into an aperture of a shielding folder so that a folding surface of the shielding folder folds the fanned shielding over the insulating member of the cable.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Evans Nick S
• Mitchell Bradley J
• Callahan Kevin

Classifications

• H02G1/1297

  Removing armouring from cables · CPC title

• H02G1/1256 Primary

  using wire or cable-clamping means · CPC title

• Y10T29/49123

  Co-axial cable · CPC title