Cable changer and method for locking the height of a cable guide that is height-adjustable relative to a cable feed apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11322277-B2
Application number	US-201916515186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 30, 2018
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A cable changer includes a cable guide for retaining a plurality of cables at different heights, and a cable feed apparatus for feeding one of the cables to a cable processing machine, the height of the cable guide being adjustable relative to the cable feed apparatus, such that the cable feed apparatus can feed different cables of the cable guide to the cable processing machine depending on the height of the cable guide relative to the cable feed apparatus. The cable guide has height alignment elements and the cable feed apparatus has height determination elements that are complementary to the height alignment elements, the height alignment elements and the height determination elements locking the cable guide at one of a plurality of specified heights relative to the cable feed apparatus when the height determination elements are connected to some of the height alignment elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable changer comprising:
a cable guide for retaining a plurality of cables at different heights; and
a cable feed apparatus for feeding one of the cables of the cable guide to a cable processing machine, a height of the cable guide relative to the cable feed apparatus being adjustable, such that the cable feed apparatus can feed different ones of the cables of the cable guide to the cable processing machine, depending on the height of the cable guide relative to the cable feed apparatus,
wherein the cable guide includes height alignment elements and the cable feed apparatus includes height determination elements that are complementary to the height alignment elements, and
wherein the height alignment elements and the height determination elements are adapted to lock the cable guide at each of a plurality of specified heights relative to the cable feed apparatus when the height determination elements are connected to some of the height alignment elements.

2. The cable changer according to claim 1 wherein the height alignment elements of the cable guide include a plurality of recesses arranged at different heights, and the height determination elements of the cable feed apparatus include two projections adapted to engage the recesses.

3. The cable changer according to claim 2 wherein a height of each of the recesses is limited by two cylindrical pins, and wherein the cable guide is locked to the cable feed apparatus at one of the specified heights when the each of the projections is received between the two cylindrical pins of one of the recesses.

4. The cable changer according to claim 1 wherein the cable feed apparatus includes a labeling head for labeling the one cable that is fed from the cable feed apparatus to the cable processing machine.

5. The cable changer according to claim 1 wherein the cable guide includes a reversibly compressible compensation connection element, the compensation connection element being adapted and arranged to compensate for height differences between the cable guide and the cable feed apparatus when locking the cable guide to the cable feed apparatus.

6. The cable changer according to claim 5 wherein the compensation connection element includes an elastomer member.

7. The cable changer according to claim 1 wherein the height alignment elements and the height determination elements are arranged on only one side of the cable guide.

8. The cable changer according to claim 1 wherein the height determination elements of the cable feed apparatus are arranged at two mutually spaced positions, and including a height adjustment apparatus for changing the height of the cable guide relative to the cable feed apparatus, when the height determination elements are not connected to the height alignment elements, being arranged between the two mutually spaced positions.

9. The cable changer according to claim 1 wherein one of the height determination elements is part of a cable alignment station of the cable feed apparatus for aligning the one cable, and another of the height determination elements is part of a cable drive for conveying the one cable, wherein the height determination elements are connected to some of the height alignment elements in a closed state of at least one of the cable alignment station and the cable drive whereby the cable guide is locked to the cable feed apparatus with respect to the height of the cable drive relative to the cable feed apparatus.

10. The cable changer according to claim 1 wherein front height alignment elements of the height alignment elements and rear height alignment elements of the height alignment elements are arranged between front cable clamps for clamping a portion of the one cable and rear cable clamps for clamping a portion of the one cable.

11. A method for locking a cable guide at a selected height relative to a cable feed apparatus, wherein the cable guide retains a plurality of cables at different heights, wherein a height of the cable guide relative to the cable feed apparatus is adjustable such that the cable feed apparatus can feed different cables of the cable guide to a cable processing machine depending on the selected height of the cable guide relative to the cable feed apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
setting the height of the cable guide relative to the cable feed apparatus; and
connecting height determination elements of the cable feed apparatus to height alignment elements of the cable guide to lock the cable guide at the set height relative to the cable feed apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising connecting the height determination elements to the height alignment elements by closing straightening roller jaws of a cable alignment station of the cable feed apparatus and by closing a cable drive of the cable feed apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 11 further comprising labeling a one of the cables at the set height using a labeling means of the cable feed apparatus prior to the one cable being fed to the cable processing machine.

Assignees

• Komax Holding Ag

Inventors

• Kiser Markus
• Gisler Adrian
• Stocker Martin

Classifications

• H01R43/28

  for wire processing before connecting to contact members, not provided for in groups H01R43/02 - H01R43/26 · CPC title

• H01B13/0036 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• B65H57/00

  Guides for filamentary materials; Supports therefor · CPC title

• H01B13/01209

  Details · CPC title

• H01B13/0003 Primary

  for feeding conductors or cables · CPC title