Corrugated tube cutting device and manufacturing method of cut corrugated tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604293-B2
Application number	US-201214126557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2012
Priority date	Jul 8, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A purpose of the present invention is to provide a technology that allows corrugated tubes of various diameter sizes to be easily and reliably cut at a convex portion. In order to achieve the purpose, a cutting device is provided with a feeder feeding a corrugated tube such that an axial direction of the corrugated tube lies along a feeding path; a cutter cutting along a circumferential direction of the corrugated tube being fed along the feeding path; and an imager capturing an image of a planned cutting position of the corrugated tube. A controller performs image analysis of the captured image of the planned cutting position to determine whether the planned cutting position is a convex portion of the corrugated tube and, when a positive determination result is obtained, causes the cutter to cut the corrugated tube at the planned cutting position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A corrugated tube cutting device comprising:
a feeder feeding a corrugated tube such that an axial direction of the corrugated tube lies along a feeding path;
a cutter cutting along a circumferential direction of the corrugated tube being fed along the feeding path;
an imager capturing an image of a planned cutting position of the corrugated tube;
a determiner performing image analysis of the captured image of the planned cutting position to determine whether the planned cutting position is a convex portion of the corrugated tube; and
a cutting controller that causes feeder to feed the corrugated tube for a required dimension and then causes the cutter to cut the corrugated tube at the planned cutting position when the determiner determines that the planned cutting position is a convex portion of the corrugated tube,
wherein
the cutting controller causes the cutter to cut the corrugated tube at a position different from the planned cutting position when the determiner determines that the planned cutting position is not a convex portion of the corrugated tube.

2. The corrugated tube cutting device according to claim 1 comprising:
a regulator provided with a protrusion protruding toward the feeding path, the regulator regulating an orientation along the circumferential direction of the corrugated tube being fed along the feeding path by arranging the protrusion in a condition inserted into an interior of the corrugated tube via a running slit along the axial direction of the corrugated tube.

3. The corrugated tube cutting device according to claim 2 , wherein
a plurality of the regulators are provided and are arranged at intervals along the feeding path.

4. The corrugated tube cutting device according to claim 3 , wherein
at least one of the plurality of regulators is arranged between the planned cutting position and the feeder.

5. The corrugated tube cutting device according to claim 1 , wherein
the determiner defines a partial area centered on the planned cutting position and having a width equal to a width of the convex portion of the corrugated tube as a determination target area on the captured image, and determines that the planned cutting position is the convex portion of the corrugated tube when a number of pixels originating from the corrugated tube in the determination target area is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being defined according to a size of the corrugated tube.

6. The corrugated tube cutting device according to claim 1 , wherein
the cutter comprises:
a cutting blade; and
a drive mechanism reciprocating the cutting blade along a cutting path crossing the feeding path, and

the imager captures an image of an intersection of the feeding path and the cutting path.

7. A corrugated tube cutting device comprising:
a feeder feeding a corrugated tube such that an axial direction of the corrugated tube lies along a feeding path;
a cutter cutting along a circumferential direction of the corrugated tube being fed along the feeding path;
an imager capturing an image of a planned cutting position of the corrugated tube;
a determiner performing image analysis of the captured image of the planned cutting position to determine whether the planned cutting position is a convex portion of the corrugated tube;
a cutting controller that causes feeder to feed the corrugated tube for a required dimension and then causes the cutter to cut the corrugated tube at the planned cutting position when the determiner determines that the planned cutting position is a convex portion of the corrugated tube; and
a regulator provided with a protrusion protruding toward the feeding path, the regulator regulating an orientation along the circumferential direction of the corrugated tube being fed along the feeding path by arranging the protrusion in a condition inserted into an interior of the corrugated tube via a running slit along the axial direction of the corrugated tube.

8. A corrugated tube cutting device comprising:
a feeder feeding a corrugated tube such that an axial direction of the corrugated tube lies along a feeding path;
a cutter cutting along a circumferential direction of the corrugated tube being fed along the feeding path;
an imager capturing an image of a planned cutting position of the corrugated tube;
a determiner performing image analysis of the captured image of the planned cutting position to determine whether the planned cutting position is a convex portion of the corrugated tube; and
a cutting controller that causes feeder to feed the corrugated tube for a required dimension and then causes the cutter to cut the corrugated tube at the planned cutting position when the determiner determines that the planned cutting position is a convex portion of the corrugated tube,
wherein
the determiner defines a partial area centered on the planned cutting position and having a width equal to a width of the convex portion of the corrugated tube as a determination target area on the captured image, and determines that the planned cutting position is the convex portion of the corrugated tube when a number of pixels originating from the corrugated tube in the determination target area is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being defined according to a size of the corrugated tube.

Assignees

• Shibayama Kouichi
• Shinohara Masayoshi
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems

Inventors

• Shibayama Kouichi
• Shinohara Masayoshi

Classifications

• B29D23/18

  Pleated {or corrugated} hoses · CPC title

• B26D7/0625

  by endless conveyors, e.g. belts · CPC title

• B26D5/007 Primary

  Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems · CPC title

• B26D3/003

  specially adapted for cutting rubber · CPC title

• B23D21/00 Primary

  Machines or devices for shearing or cutting tubes (as additional equipment for deep-drawing presses B21D24/16) · CPC title