Cable inspection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12523714-B2
Application number	US-202016952658-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2020
Priority date	Nov 20, 2019
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A cable inspection apparatus includes an image capturing device and a determination device. The image capturing device includes a ring camera frame and a plurality of cameras mounted on the ring camera frame and distributed at intervals on a circumference of the ring camera frame. The cameras simultaneously capture images of a cable to be inspected extending through the ring camera frame from a plurality of different angles. The determination device determines whether or not a portion of the cable is qualified according to the images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cable inspection apparatus, comprising:
an image capturing device having a first stand, the first stand includes a first ring camera frame and a plurality of cameras mounted on and positioned through the ring camera frame and distributed at intervals on a circumference of the ring camera frame, the cameras simultaneously capture images of a cable to be inspected extending through the ring camera frame from a plurality of different angles; an illumination device having a second stand, a gap is positioned between the first stand of the image capturing device and the second stand of the illumination device, the illumination device providing an illumination through a ring lamp to the cable the ring lamp extending continuously along an inner side wall of a ring lamp holder, the illumination device providing light absorption to an open side of the ring camera frame; and a marking device having a separate mounting frame, a gap is positioned between the mounting frame of the marking device and the second stand of the illumination device; and a determination device adapted to determine whether or not a portion of the cable is qualified according to the images.

2 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cable extends through the ring camera frame along a central axis of the ring camera frame, an optical axis of each of the plurality of cameras intersects with the center axis of the ring camera frame at a same point.

3 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising the illumination device provided at the side of the image capturing device in an axial direction of the image capturing device.

4 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the illumination device includes the ring lamp holder through which the cable passes along a separate central axis of the ring lamp holder distinct from the central axis of the ring camera frame.

5 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the ring lamp holder includes a semi-ring upper lamp holder and a semi-ring lower lamp holder.

6 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the ring lamp includes a semi-ring upper lamp installed on the semi-ring upper lamp holder and a semi-ring lower lamp installed on the semi-ring lower lamp holder.

7 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the semi-ring upper lamp holder and the semi-ring lower lamp holder are rotatably connected, the semi-ring upper lamp holder is rotatably openable relative to the semi-ring lower lamp holder.

8 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 7 , wherein an end of the semi-ring upper lamp holder is connected with the semi-ring lower lamp holder by a hinge.

9 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cameras are evenly distributed at an interval on the circumference of the ring camera frame.

10 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the marking device is adapted to mark an unqualified mark on a portion of the cable determined to be unqualified through an image analysis.

11 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the marking device includes a printing device mounted on the mounting frame and adapted to print out the unqualified mark onto the cable.

12 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a support device on which the image capturing device, the illumination device, and the marking device are supported.

13 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the support device includes a support platform on which the image capturing device, the illumination device, and the marking device are supported and a support leg supported on a bottom portion of the support platform.

14 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the support leg has a length adjustable in a height direction to adjust a height of the support device, the cable inspection apparatus is usable with cables of different lengths.

15 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the image capturing device, the illumination device, and the marking device are movably installed on the support platform and are adjustable in position in a horizontal direction.

16 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the image capturing device, the illumination device, and the marking device are movable in a first horizontal direction parallel to the cable and a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the cable.

17 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the image capturing device, the illumination device, and the marking device are arranged sequentially in a direction of conveying the cable.

18 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ring camera frame includes a semi-ring upper camera frame and a semi-ring lower camera frame rotatably connected to the semi-ring upper camera frame, the semi-ring upper camera frame is rotatably openable relative to the semi-ring lower camera frame, the semi-ring upper camera frame and the semi-ring lower camera frame include an equal amount of cameras.

19 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 18 , wherein an end of the semi-ring upper camera frame is connected with an end of the semi-ring lower camera frame by a hinge.

20 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cable inspection apparatus inspects a quality of the cable in real time on a production line of the cable.

21 . The cable inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illumination device is externally housed and spatially separated away from a housing of the image capturing device.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd
• TE Connectivity Services Gmbh
• Te Connectivity Solutions Gmbh

Inventors

• Tao Zongjie
• Zhang Dandan
• Lu Roberto Francisco-Yi
• Hu lvhai
• Shang Yuhang
• Li Hongze

Classifications

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H02G15/28

  structurally associated with devices for indicating the presence or location of non-electric faults · CPC title

• G01N21/8803

  Visual inspection (measuring projectors G01B9/08) · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title