Wire preparation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019103737-A1
Application number	US-201715722281-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2017
Priority date	Oct 2, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A wire preparation device includes a motor, a device housing coupled to the motor, and a wire spinner held by the device housing. The wire spinner is mechanically connected to the motor via power coupling components. The wire spinner extends to a wire end that protrudes from the device housing. The wire spinner includes a collet sleeve defining a channel configured to receive an end of one or more wires of a cable therein through an opening at the wire end. The wire spinner further includes an outer collar surrounding the collet sleeve and selectively movable relative to the collet sleeve to force the collet sleeve to contract radially inward for releasably securing the one or more wires within the channel. The wire spinner is rotated by the motor relative to the device housing to untwist or straighten the one or more wires secured within the collet sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wire preparation device comprising:
a motor; a device housing having a front end, the device housing coupled to the motor rearward of the front end; and a wire spinner held by the device housing and mechanically connected to the motor via power coupling components, the wire spinner extending to a wire end that protrudes from the front end of the device housing, the wire spinner including a collet sleeve defining a channel configured to receive an end of one or more wires of a cable therein through an opening at the wire end, the wire spinner further including an outer collar surrounding the collet sleeve and movable relative to the collet sleeve between a retracted position and an actuated position, the outer collar in the actuated position forcing the collet sleeve to contract radially inward to releasably secure the one or more wires within the channel, wherein the wire spinner is configured to be rotated by the motor relative to the device housing to one or more of untwist or straighten the one or more wires of the cable that are releasably secured within the collet sleeve.

2 . The wire preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the channel of the collet sleeve has a size and dimension configured to accommodate the end of both wires in a twisted pair of wires at the same time, wherein rotation of the wire spinner untwists the twisted pair of wires.

3 . The wire preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the wire spinner is a first wire spinner in a pair of straightening wire spinners, the wire preparation device further including a second wire spinner in the pair of straightening wire spinners that is identical to the first wire spinner and adjacent to the first wire spinner along the front end of the device housing, wherein each of the channels of the collet sleeves of the first and second wire spinners has a size and dimension configured to accommodate the end of one wire in a twisted pair of wires therein, wherein the first and second wire spinners are configured to be rotated at the same time by the motor to individually straighten each of the wires in the twisted pair.

4 . The wire preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the power coupling components include a motor coupler, a driver gear, and a follower gear, the motor coupler mechanically connected between the motor and the driver gear, the follower gear intermeshed with the driver gear and mechanically connected to the wire spinner, wherein rotation of the motor coupler by the motor rotates the wire spinner via the driver gear and the follower gear.

5 . The wire preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the collet sleeve is segmented by multiple kerf cuts spaced apart along a circumference of the collet sleeve, the collet sleeve having a conical outer perimeter that engages an interior wall of the outer collar, wherein axial movement of the outer collar relative to the collet sleeve forces the collet sleeve to contract radially inward.

6 . The wire preparation device of claim 1 , further comprising a jacket stripper held by the device housing and mechanically connected to the motor, the jacket stripper including a cylindrical housing protruding beyond the front end of the device housing at a spaced apart location from the wire spinner, the cylindrical housing defining a socket configured to receive an end of a cable therein, the jacket stripper further including a blade held by a spring-loaded plunger that is biased to force the blade into engagement with a cable jacket of the cable within the socket, wherein the jacket stripper is configured to be rotated by the motor relative to the cable such that the blade cuts the cable jacket along an entire perimeter of the cable jacket.

7 . The wire preparation device of claim 6 , wherein the power coupling components include a motor coupler, a driver gear, and first and second follower gears intermeshed with the driver gear, the motor coupler mechanically connected between the motor and the driver gear, the first follower gear mechanically connected to the wire spinner, the second follower gear mechanically connected to the jacket stripper, wherein rotation of the motor coupler by the motor rotates the wire spinner and the jacket stripper at the same time via the driver gear and the first and second follower gears.

8 . The wire preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the outer collar is mechanically connected to a coil spring within the device housing via a release shaft, the coil spring biasing the outer collar towards the actuated position.

9 . The wire preparation device of claim 1 , wherein the wire spinner is an untwisting wire spinner, the channel of the collet sleeve of the untwisting wire spinner having a size and dimension configured to receive the end of each wire in a twisted pair of wires at the same time, such that rotation of the untwisting wire spinner untwists the twisted pair of wires;
wherein the wire preparation device further includes at least one straightening wire spinner held by the device housing and mechanically connected to the motor, each straightening wire spinner protruding beyond the front end of the device housing at a spaced apart location from the untwisting wire spinner, the straightening wire spinner including a collet sleeve that defines a channel having a size and dimension configured to receive the end of a single wire of the twisted pair of wires therein, such that rotation of the straightening wire spinner individually straightens the single wire.

10 . The wire preparation device of claim 9 , wherein the untwisting wire spinner and the straightening wire spinner extend along and rotate about different spinning axes that are parallel to each other.

11 . A wire preparation device comprising:
a device housing having a front end, the device housing configured to couple to a motor rearward of the front end; power coupling components configured to mechanically connect to the motor; and multiple wire spinners held by the device housing and mechanically connected to the power coupling components, the wire spinners having respective wire ends that protrude from the front end of the device housing at spaced apart locations along the front end, the wire spinners each including a collet sleeve defining a channel that is open at the wire end and configured to receive an end of one or more wires of a cable therein, each wire spinner further including an outer collar surrounding the respective collet sleeve and movable relative to the collet sleeve between a retracted position and an actuated position, wherein the outer collar moving towards the actuated position forces the collet sleeve to contract radially inward, reducing the size of the respective channel, to releasably secure the one or more wires within the respective channel, and wherein the wire spinners are configured to be rotated relative to the device housing by the motor via the power coupling components to one or more of untwist or straighten the one or more wires of the cable that are releasably secured within one or more of the collet sleeves.

12 . The wire preparation device of claim 11 , wherein the power coupling components rotate all of the wire spinners at the same time during operation of the motor.

13 . The wire preparation device of claim 11 , wherein the multiple wire spinners include an untwisting wire spinner and at least one straightening wire spinner, the channel of the untwisting wire spinner having a size and dimension configured to accommodate the end of both wires in a twisted pair of wires at the same time, the channel of each straightening wire spinner having a size and dimension smaller than the channel of the

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Weaver Brian Keith

Classifications

• H01R43/28

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

• H01R43/0335

  for unwraping · CPC title

• H01R43/20

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title

• H02G1/1292 Primary

  Devices for dismantling twisted filaments · CPC title

• H02G1/1248 Primary

  Machines · CPC title