Tools – Wire stripper – Bench tools
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-03-06
Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Wire stripper
Bench tools
C081S009400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196087
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for stripping a section of insulation covering from an insulation-covered wire at a predetermined location along the wire.
2. Related Art
FIG. 4
is a front view showing a conventional apparatus for stripping a section of insulation covering from an insulation-covered wire at a predetermined location along the wire (this apparatus will be referred to as an insulation-covering section stripping apparatus). In the conventional insulation-covering section stripping apparatus
100
, an insulation-covered wire
50
is fed in a direction
104
of an arrow, and a slitting blade
101
is lowered onto the insulation-covered wire
50
to form a cut of a predetermined length in the insulation-covered wire
50
in the axial direction of the wire. Subsequently, the insulation-covered wire
50
is fed to a location of a couple of circumferential cutting blades
102
, which are positioned while being spaced from each other by a predetermined distance. The insulation-covered wire
50
is circumferentially cut at two positions by the circumferential cutting blades
102
. An insulation removal blade
103
is lowered onto the insulation-covered wire
50
to remove a section of insulation covering from the insulation-covered wire
50
. Each circumferential cutting blade
102
includes two V-shaped blades. The insulation removal blade
103
uses a U-shaped groove. To remove the insulation-covering section, the U-shaped groove of the insulation removal blade
103
is pressed against the insulation-covered wire
50
to strip the section of the insulation covering from the wire.
Another insulation-covering section stripping
5
apparatus is known (JP-A-3-79929, U.S. Pat. No. 3,748,932). In the apparatus, an insulation-covered wire is axially cut, and circumferentially cut at two positions with circumferential cutting blades spaced by a predetermined distance. Then, the circumferential cutting blades are moved toward each other along the wire axis to separate the insulation-covering section from the wire. An additional insulation-covering section stripping apparatus is known (JP-A-56-19319). The stripping apparatus cuts an insulation-covered wire along its axial line with a heat cutter, which is heated to a temperature higher than a heat-resistant temperature of the insulation-covered wire, and strips the cut portion of the insulation covering from the wire.
Problems of the insulation-covering section stripping apparatuses mentioned above will be described. Large pressure acts on the slitting blade in cutting the insulation-covered wire in the axial direction. Wearing of the slitting blade progresses at relatively high rate. This problem is found in all of those conventional stripping apparatuses. A measure taken for this is to heat the slitting blade to a temperature higher than a heat-resistant temperature of the insulation-covered wire. The heating of the slitting blade at such a high temperature promotes the blunting of the slitting blade. This results in frequent adjustment, maintenance and exchanging of the slitting blade, and hence inefficient stripping work. An additional problem of the conventional art is that it is difficult to axially cut a thin insulation-covered wire, and to strip a section of insulation from the insulation-covered wire at a location intermediate the ends of the wire.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide an insulation-covering section stripping apparatus which is able to elongate a lifetime of a slitting blade device for slitting an insulation-covered wire in the axial direction, and able to easily strip an insulation covering from the core of a thin insulation-covered wire.
In a broad aspect, the present invention provides a first apparatus for stripping a section of insulation covering from an insulation-covered wire at a predetermined location along the wire, the apparatus comprising: circumferential cutting member for circumferentially cutting the predetermined insulation-covering section at both ends thereof; slitting member for slitting the predetermined insulation-covering section in the axial direction; and stripping member for stripping the predetermined insulation-covering section from the core of the wire; wherein the slitting member includes an ultrasonic vibration generating device which applies an ultrasonic wave to the predetermined insulation-covering section to head and pressurize the predetermined insulation-covering section.
In the thus constructed insulation-covering section stripping apparatus, an insulation-covered wire is circumferentially cut at predetermined positions along the wire axis by use of the circumferential cutting member. Then, a section of insulation covering defined by the circumferential cutting is vibrated at a frequency of an ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic vibration generating device of said slitting member, so that it is heated to be softened. In this state, the slitting member is pressed against the insulation-covering section. Thus, the insulation-covering section is softened, and therefore a decreased force is used for the slitting member to cut the insulation-covering section in the axial direction. The result is less wearing of the slitting member and elimination of the blunting of the slitting blade. The thus formed insulation-covering section is demarcated by the circumferential cutting and the longitudinal cutting. Therefore, separation of the insulation-covering section by the stripping member is easy.
A second insulation-covering section stripping apparatus corresponds to the first insulation-covering section stripping apparatus, which is modified such that the slitting member includes the ultrasonic vibration generating device disposed on one side of the insulation-covered wire and blade member disposed on the other side of the insulation-covered wire, the blade member being used for axially cutting the predetermined insulation-covering section.
The slitting member easily nips the insulation-covered wire between the ultrasonic vibration generating device disposed on one side of the insulation-covered wire and blade member disposed on the other side of the insulation-covered wire, and can slit the insulation-covered wire in an easy manner.
A third insulation-covering section stripping apparatus corresponds to the second insulation-covering section stripping apparatus modified such that the blade member includes two blades arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of said insulation-covered wire. Since the blade member includes two parallel blades, two parallel cut lines with uniform depth can be formed in the insulation-covered wire. In this case, the core of the insulation-covered wire is little damaged and deformed.
The Insulation-covering section stripping apparatus of the present invention, wherein a distance between the two blades is larger than the width of the core of the wire. When the insulation-covered wire is axially cut in a state that the center between the two blades of the blade member is aligned with the axial line of the insulation-covered wire, there is a case that the wire is cut deep to reach the metallic core of the wire. In this case, the blades are positioned off the core. Accordingly, there is no chance that the core of the wire is damaged with the blades.
In another broad aspect, the present invention provides a method for stripping a predetermined section of insulation covering from an insulation-covered wire at a given location along the wire, said apparatus comprising the steps of: circumferentially cutting said predetermined insulation-covering section at both ends thereof; slitting said predetermined insulation-covering section in the axial direction in a manner that said predetermined insulation-covering section is heated and pressurized by applying ultrasonic wave vibration to said predetermined insulation-covering section; and stripping said predetermined insulation-covering section from the core of the wire.
In this stripping apparatu
Scherbel David A.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Thomas David B.
Yazaki -Corporation
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