Termination system with communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9871335-B2
Application number	US-201414499406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A termination system includes an applicator and a communication device mounted to the applicator. The application has a ram that is movable towards and away from a stationary anvil along a crimp stroke. The anvil receives a terminal thereon. The ram is coupled to crimp tooling that is configured to apply the terminal to a wire along the crimp stroke. The communication device includes a storage system, a wireless communication system, and a microcontroller. The storage system stores data relating to the applicator. The wireless communication system wirelessly communicates the data relating to the applicator with an external device accessed by an operator. The microcontroller controls at least one of storage of or access to the data relating to the applicator in the storage system. The microcontroller also controls wireless communication of the data relating to the applicator with the external device via the wireless communication system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A termination system comprising:
an applicator including a ram and an anvil, the anvil located in a crimping zone and configured to receive a terminal thereon, the ram configured to be driven towards and away from the anvil along a crimp stroke, the ram including crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal to a wire as the ram moves towards the anvil; and
a communication device having a housing that is mounted to the applicator, the communication device comprising:
a storage system within the housing that stores data relating to the applicator;
a wireless communication system within the housing that wirelessly transmits the data relating to the applicator to a mobile device via a communication link, the mobile device being held by an operator and comprising one or more of a smartphone or a tablet, the mobile device located remote from the applicator and the communication device and not mechanically connected to the applicator or the communication device, the mobile device including a display that displays at least some of the data relating to the applicator to the operator, the wireless communication system configured to establish the communication link with the mobile device by utilizing advertisement notices transmitted on a dedicated advertisement channel; and
a microcontroller within the housing that is operatively connected to the storage system and the wireless communication system, the microcontroller controlling access to the data relating to the applicator in the storage system and controlling wireless transmission of the data to the mobile device via the wireless communication system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system of the communication device is further configured to wirelessly communicate with a termination machine that drives the ram along the crimp stroke, the microcontroller controlling the wireless communication system to transmit at least one of an applicator identifier, set-up parameters including acceptable terminal types, wire types, and crimp heights, a crimp stroke count, or a maintenance schedule to the termination machine.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system periodically transmits the advertisement notices over the dedicated advertisement channel, and the communication link is established with the mobile device when the mobile device scans the dedicated advertisement channel in search of the advertisement notices and detects one of the advertisement notices.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system is configured to establish the communication link with the mobile device according to a Bluetooth® low energy protocol.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication device further comprises a sensor that monitors movement of the ram along the crimp stroke, the microcontroller configured to update a crimp stroke count of the ram in the storage system based on one or more signals received from the sensor and control the wireless communication system to transmit the updated crimp stroke count to the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the data relating to the applicator includes a maintenance schedule for the applicator which includes a maintenance target, the microcontroller configured to compare the crimp stroke count to the maintenance target and control the wireless communication system to transmit an alert to the mobile device responsive to the crimp stroke count exceeding the maintenance target.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication device further comprises:
a rechargeable battery within the housing that provides an electrical current to power the communication device; and
a charging system electrically connected to the rechargeable battery that generates an electrical current to charge the rechargeable battery based on movement of the applicator.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the ram of the applicator is movably mounted to a frame, the charging system of the communication device including one or more magnets mounted to at least one of the frame or the ram such that movement of the ram relative to the frame generates an electrical current to charge the rechargeable battery by electrical induction.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the charging system of the communication device includes one or more piezoelectric elements that are configured to generate an electrical current to charge the rechargeable battery based on at least one of vibration or noise of the applicator.

10. A termination system comprising:
an applicator including a ram and an anvil, the anvil located in a crimping zone and configured to receive a terminal thereon, the ram configured to be driven towards and away from the anvil along a crimp stroke, the ram including crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal to a wire as the ram moves towards the anvil; and
a communication device having a housing that is mounted to the applicator, the communication device comprising:
a storage system within the housing that stores data relating to the applicator;
a wireless communication system within the housing that wirelessly transmits the data relating to the applicator to a mobile device held by an operator comprising one or more of a smartphone or a tablet, the mobile device located remote from the applicator and the communication device and not mechanically connected to the applicator or the communication device, the mobile device including a display that displays at least some of the data relating to the applicator to the operator; and
a microcontroller within the housing that is operatively connected to the storage system and the wireless communication system, the microcontroller controlling access to the data relating to the applicator in the storage system and controlling wireless transmission of the data to the mobile device via the wireless communication system,

wherein the data relating to the applicator that is stored in the storage system and transmitted to the mobile device includes at least one of an applicator identifier, set-up parameters including acceptable terminal types, wire types, and crimp heights, a crimp stroke count, or a maintenance schedule.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein in response to receiving a command from the mobile device, the microcontroller of the communication device at least one of modifies one of the set-up parameters, resets the crimp stroke count, or updates the maintenance schedule.

12. A termination system comprising:
an applicator including a ram and an anvil, the anvil located in a crimping zone and configured to receive a terminal thereon, the ram configured to be driven towards and away from the anvil along a crimp stroke, the ram including crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal to a wire as the ram moves towards the anvil; and
a communication device having a housing that is mounted to the applicator, the communication device comprising:
a storage system within the housing that stores data relating to the applicator;
a wireless communication system within the housing that wirelessly communicates the data relating to the applicator with an external device accessed by an operator;
a microcontroller within the housing that is operatively connected to the storage system and the wireless communication system, the microcontroller controlling access to the data relating to the applicator in the storage system and controlling wireless communication of the data relating to the applicator with the external device via the wireless communication system;
a rechargeable battery within the housing that provides an electrical current to power the communicatio

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Deck Gary Lee

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• Y02B70/30

  Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level · CPC title

• H01R43/048 Primary

  Crimping apparatus or processes (H01R43/042 takes precedence) · CPC title