Heat Shrinkable Tube Assembly System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020009783-A1
Application number	US-201916578960-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2019
Priority date	Mar 23, 2017
Publication date	Jan 9, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An assembly system includes a feeding mechanism adapted to feed a heat shrinkable tube, a cutting mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a robot, and a vision system. The cutting mechanism is adapted to cut off a section of heat shrinkable tube with a predetermined length from the heat shrinkable tube fed by the feeding mechanism. The clamping mechanism is adapted to clamp the heat shrinkable tube during cutting the heat shrinkable tube with the cutting mechanism. The robot is adapted to grip the section of heat shrinkable tube cut off from the heat shrinkable tube. The vision system is adapted to guide the robot to sleeve the section of heat shrinkable tube onto a wire of an electrical device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly system, comprising:
a feeding mechanism adapted to feed a heat shrinkable tube; a cutting mechanism adapted to cut off a section of heat shrinkable tube with a predetermined length from the heat shrinkable tube fed by the feeding mechanism; a clamping mechanism adapted to clamp the heat shrinkable tube during cutting the heat shrinkable tube with the cutting mechanism; a robot adapted to grip the section of heat shrinkable tube cut off from the heat shrinkable tube; and a vision system adapted to guide the robot to sleeve the section of heat shrinkable tube onto a wire of an electrical device.

2 . The assembly system of claim 1 , further comprising a heating mechanism configured to heat a first end of the section of heat shrinkable tube, melting and sealing the first end of the section of heat shrinkable tube before the section of heat shrinkable tube is sleeved onto the wire.

3 . The assembly system of claim 2 , wherein the wire is inserted into the section of heat shrinkable tube through an opened second end of the section of heat shrinkable tube.

4 . The assembly system of claim 3 , wherein the heating mechanism is adapted to apply a hot air on the first end of the section of heat shrinkable tube to melt and seal the first end.

5 . The assembly system of claim 3 , further comprising a diameter adjusting needle adapted to expand a diameter of the section of heat shrinkable tube to a predetermined size before the section of heat shrinkable tube is sleeved onto the wire of the electrical device.

6 . The assembly system of claim 5 , wherein the diameter adjusting needle is formed in a cone shape.

7 . The assembly system of claim 5 , wherein the robot is adapted to sleeve the section of heat shrinkable tube onto the diameter adjusting needle under the guidance of the vision system.

8 . The assembly system of claim 5 , wherein the diameter adjusting needle is disposed on a support body of the clamping mechanism, an axis of the diameter adjusting needle extending in a horizontal direction.

9 . The assembly system of claim 1 , further comprising a heater adapted to heat the section of heat shrinkable tube after the section of heat shrinkable tube is sleeved onto the wire, shrinking the section of heat shrinkable tube on the wire.

10 . The assembly system of claim 9 , wherein the heater is mounted on the robot.

11 . The assembly system of claim 10 , wherein the robot is adapted to move the heater to the section of heat shrinkable tube sleeved on the wire under the guidance of the vision system.

12 . The assembly system of claim 9 , wherein the heater has a soldering head adapted to perform a welding operation.

13 . The assembly system of claim 1 , wherein a gripper is mounted on the robot and the robot is adapted to grip the section of heat shrinkable tube with the gripper.

14 . The assembly system of claim 1 , further comprising a fixing device adapted to fix the electrical device and the wire of the electrical device in a position.

15 . The assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the vision system includes a first camera and a second camera.

16 . The assembly system of claim 15 , wherein an optical axis of the first camera extends in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the wire and an optical axis of the second camera extends in a vertical direction perpendicular to the wire.

17 . The assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the feeding mechanism includes:
a main body on which a slot extending in a longitudinal direction of the main body and configured to receive the heat shrinkable tube is formed; a sliding block slidably mounted on the main body and adapted to push the heat shrinkable tube outward in the longitudinal direction of the main body; and a linear actuator mounted on the main body and adapted to drive the sliding block to slide in the longitudinal direction of the main body.

18 . The assembly system of claim 1 , wherein the clamping mechanism has a pair of clamping fingers, one of the pair of clamping fingers is movable and the other of the pair of clamping fingers is fixed.

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd
• Te Connectivity Corp
• Shenzhen Ami Tech Co Ltd
• Measurement Specialties Chengdu Ltd
• Measurement Specialities Chengdu Ltd

Inventors

• Xie Fengchun
• Zhang Dandan
• Lu Roberto Francisco-Yi
• Hu lvhai
• Zeng Qinglong
• Gong Lan
• Ying Qian

Classifications

• B25J9/1697

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• B29L2031/3462

  Cables · CPC title

• B29C63/42 Primary

  using tubular layers or sheathings · CPC title

• B29C31/002

  Handling tubes, e.g. transferring between shaping stations, loading on mandrels · CPC title

• B29L2031/34

  Electrical apparatus, e.g. sparking plugs or parts thereof · CPC title