Electrical power cable preparation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12113339-B2
Application number	US-201917309690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

Techniques, systems and articles are described for preparing electrical cables for connections to a power grid. In one example, a system includes a cable preparation device configured to cut one or more layers of an electrical cable and a computing device configured to control the cable preparation device to cut the one or more layers of the electrical cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical cable preparation device configured to remove one or more layers of an electrical cable, the device comprising:
a rotatable tool head comprising:
a plurality of tool mounts configured to move radially relative to a center axis of the electrical cable;
a plurality of rollers; and
at least one cutting tool;
wherein the plurality of rollers and the at least one cutting tool are configured to be coupled to the plurality of tool mounts;
wherein the at least one cutting tool includes at least one spring loaded cutting tool; and
wherein the at least one cutting tool includes a first cutting tool configured to remove a jacket layer of the electrical cable and a second cutting tool configured to remove an insulation layer of the electrical cable;

a linear guide, wherein the electrical cable preparation device is configured to cause the rotatable tool head to move longitudinally along the linear guide in response to a command from a computing device; and
a driver configured adjust a radial depth of the plurality of rollers and/or a radial depth of the at least one cutting tool.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rollers are configured to move symmetrically in a radial direction relative to a center axis of the electrical cable.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein a cutting angle of the first cutting tool is steeper than a cutting angle of the second cutting tool.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein a center axis of at least one cutting tool is positioned approximately 180 degrees around the tool head relative to a center axis of at least one roller of the plurality of rollers.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cable preparation device is configured to remove the one or more layers of the electrical cable by at least being configured to:
insert the at least one cutting tool into the electrical cable to a first depth;
rotate the tool head a partial rotation with the at least one cutting tool at the first depth to create a tab in the one or more layers at an end of the one or more layers;
retract the at least one cutting tool to a second depth; and
perform a spiral cut with the at least one cutting tool at the second depth.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the cable preparation device is configured to remove the one or more layers of the electrical cable by at least being further configured to, after performing the spiral cut, perform a circumferential cut with the at least one cutting tool at the second depth.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the cable preparation device is configured to:
create a retention band of a jacket layer of the one or more layers of the electrical cable by at least being configured to:
position the tool head at a longitudinal starting position a distance from an end of the electrical cable;
insert the at least one cutting tool toward a center of the electrical cable to a target cutting depth; and
rotate the tool head around the electrical cable with the at least one cutting tool at the target cutting depth; and

responsive to creating the retention band, remove an inner portion of the jacket layer between the longitudinal starting position and a longitudinal position defined by a target cutback length associated with the jacket layer.

8. The electrical cable preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical cable preparation device configured to perform a spiral cut on the electrical cable by moving the rotatable tool head longitudinally and simultaneously moving the rotatable tool head around the electrical cable.

9. The electrical cable preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the driver is configured to adjust the radial depth of the plurality of rollers and/or a radial depth of the at least one cutting tool in response to another command from the computing device.

10. The electrical cable preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical cable preparation device includes an opening configured to receive a portion of the electrical cable.

11. An electrical cable preparation device configured to remove one or more layers of an electrical cable, the device comprising:
a rotatable tool head comprising:
a plurality of tool mounts configured to move radially relative to a center axis of the electrical cable;
a plurality of rollers; and
at least one cutting tool;
wherein the plurality of rollers and the at least one cutting tool are configured to be coupled to the plurality of tool mounts;
wherein the at least one cutting tool includes at least one spring loaded cutting tool; and
wherein the at least one cutting tool includes a first cutting tool configured to remove a jacket layer of the electrical cable and a second cutting tool configured to remove an insulation layer of the electrical cable; and

a linear guide, wherein the electrical cable preparation device is configured to, in response to one or more commands from a computing device, cause the rotatable tool head to move longitudinally along the linear guide and to cause the rotatable head to rotate,
wherein the cable preparation device is configured to remove the one or more layers of the electrical cable by at least being configured to:
insert the at least one cutting tool into the electrical cable to a first depth;
rotate the tool head a partial rotation with the at least one cutting tool at the first depth to create a tab in the one or more layers at an end of the one or more layers;
retract the at least one cutting tool to a second depth; and
perform, with the at least one cutting tool at the second depth, a spiral cut by rotating the tool head around the electrical cable as the tool head moves from the tab longitudinally relative to a center axis of the electrical cable.

12. The electrical cable preparation device of claim 11 , wherein the cable preparation device is further configured to:
create a retention band of a jacket layer of the one or more layers of the electrical cable by at least being configured to:
position the tool head at a longitudinal starting position a distance from an end of the electrical cable;
insert the at least one cutting tool toward a center of the electrical cable to a target cutting depth; and
rotate the tool head around the electrical cable with the at least one cutting tool at the target cutting depth; and

responsive to creating the retention band, remove an inner portion of the jacket layer between the longitudinal starting position and a longitudinal position defined by a target cutback length associated with the jacket layer.

13. The electrical cable preparation device of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of rollers are configured to move symmetrically in a radial direction relative to a center axis of the electrical cable.

14. The electrical cable preparation device of claim 11 , wherein the electrical cable preparation device configured to perform a spiral cut on the electrical cable by moving the rotatable tool head longitudinally and simultaneously moving the rotatable tool head around the electrical cable.

15. The electrical cable preparation device of claim 11 , wherein the electrical cable preparation device includes an opening configured to receive a portion of the electrical cable.

16. A method performed by an electrical cable preparation device that is configured to remove one or more layers of an electrical cable, the device comprising:
a rotatable tool head comprising:
a plurality of tool mounts configured to move radially relative to a center axis of the electrical cable;
a plurality of rollers; and
at least one cutting tool;
wherein the plurality of ro

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company
• Connected Intelligence Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Gundel Douglas B
• Kaufman Assaf
• Bar-Ziv Uri

Classifications

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N7/188

  Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position (signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253) · CPC title

• H02G1/1248

  Machines · CPC title

• H02G1/127

  Features relating to cutting elements · CPC title

• H02G1/1265 Primary

  the cutting element rotating about the wire or cable (making longitudinal and transverse or helical cut H02G1/1268) · CPC title