Metal deforming – With means to handle work or product – Including means to permit maneuvering of work or product at...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-09
2003-03-11
Tolan, Ed (Department: 3725)
Metal deforming
With means to handle work or product
Including means to permit maneuvering of work or product at...
C072S020300, C072S020500, C072S413000, C072S428000, C072S712000, C029S753000, C029S863000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06530257
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal-crimping device.
2. Description of Background Information
A terminal-crimping device is generally known as a device that connects a crimping terminal with the terminal end of a coated electric wire. In general, the terminal-crimping device is a device unitizing a terminal belt-feeding mechanism for feeding a terminal belt and a press mechanism that severs terminals from the terminal belt fed and crimps the terminals on an electric wire. The device is designed to allow a crimping process to be continuously carried out by linking the respective mechanisms.
Heretofor, the press mechanism of a terminal-crimping device was equipped with a shank linked with the ram of a press device and a pressing unit installed on the shank. The pressing unit was equipped with a pressing member including a wire crimper and an insulation crimper, which are raised and lowered by the ram of the press device through the shank. Thus, terminals have been configured for crimping in cooperation with a pressed side member.
Therefore, in order to crimp a terminal between a crimper and an anvil, the setting of a so called crimp height (crimping height of a terminal) is required to comply with the crimper. Accordingly, a crimp height adjusting mechanism for adjusting the crimp height has been conventionally provided on the above-mentioned shank.
In such a construction, in order to link a terminal belt-feeding mechanism with a press mechanism, both mechanisms conventionally have been connected in a mechanical manner by a cam link provided on a shank. Accordingly, it was required to exchange the entire terminal-crimping device (including the anvil and crimping) device whenever a change of the type of terminal was needed.
However, frequent change of the type of terminal (terminal belt) recently has become required because of the diversification of terminals, requests for a small quantity production with diversified specifications, and the like.
Accordingly, the terminal belt-feeding mechanism and the press mechanism have been made into modules in recent years, and each is configured to allow a partial exchange to be made and designed to enhance universal usability. For example, an anvil capable of being installed and removed against the main body of a terminal-crimping device is disclosed in Utility Model SHO No. 62-175685.
Furthermore, a crimping unit capable of being installed on and removed from the block member on the main body side of a terminal-crimping device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) Hei No. 10-50450.
The crimping unit is connected with the ram of a press device in order to crimp a terminal on a coated electric wire, and the crimping unit was equipped with a wire crimper for crimping wire barrels formed on the terminal, an insulation crimper for crimping insulation barrels, and a holder integrally supporting these members. Furthermore, the crimping unit was configured for installation and removal of a shank fixed on the ram.
Additionally, a terminal-crimping device having a movable element capsule for changing feeding conditions in accordance with the type of terminal belt (for example, a prescribing member for prescribing a feeding pawl and the feeding pitch of the feeding pawl) and a driving mechanism for driving the moving element (for example, an air cylinder) is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) Hei No. 11-135225.
Thus, in the above-mentioned conventional construction, since the crimping unit has been configured for installation and removal of a shank and the exchange of a crimping member such as a crimper or the like has been carried out, a crimp height adjusting mechanism provided on the shank was configured separately from the crimping unit. Accordingly, it was required to reset a crimp height without fail after changing a crimping unit, and there is a problem that it takes a long time to carry out the adjusting work after exchange of the crimping unit.
Additionally, when press conditions (specifically, the setting conditions of an anvil and a crimper) were changed according to a press mechanism, a terminal belt-feeding mechanism had to be individually set for different processes in accordance with the above-mentioned conventional construction, which inevitably caused a problem for adjusting both setting conditions.
In particular, since the arrangement and a moving range of the moving elements also require individual change in accordance with dimensional differences in the terminal belt to be fed, respectively, because the moving elements of the terminal-feeding mechanism usually encompass a plurality of factors (for example, a member for changing a feeding pitch during feeding of a terminal belt, and/or a guide member for guiding the terminal belt), and therefore a longer time has been required for changing such setting conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Considering the above-mentioned problems, the present invention was achieved, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal-crimping device that can easily, rapidly and precisely carry out the positioning work after exchange of a pressing unit. Another object is to provide a terminal-crimping device that improves workability by linking the positioning condition of a press condition with the feed condition of a terminal belt in order to ensure the universal usability of a terminal-feeding mechanism.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems according to one aspect of the present invention, a terminal-crimping device is provided that includes a press mechanism for crimping a terminal on a coated electric wire and a terminal-feeding mechanism which feeds a terminal belt into the press mechanism. A main body is assembled onto the press device, and a shank is provided that is guided to be reciprocably movable on the main body and connected with a ram of the press device. A pressing unit is also provided that is driven by the shank, and a shank module that includes the shank is provided to allow the shank to be integrally exchangeable with the pressing unit. Furthermore, the shank module is detachably connected with the main body and the ram.
In another aspect of the invention, the shank is linked with the main body and the ram such that it can be installed and detached as an integral element of the shank module including the pressing unit. Thus, it is possible to exchange the shank module for each type of terminals to be crimped by forming the shank module to be separable from the main body. Additionally, an adjusting function of crimp height may be set for each shank module, and the integral installation and removal of the main body and together with the pressing unit can be carried out, and the adjustment after exchange of the pressing unit becomes considerably easier when the pressing unit is designed for universal usability.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the pressing unit includes a wire crimper which crimps a wire barrel formed on the terminal, and an insulation crimper which crimps an insulation barrel, and the shank has a crimp height adjusting mechanism which permits adjustment by relatively displacing respective crimper heights relative to the ram.
Thus, the adjustment of the crimp height can be preliminarily made with each pressing unit, and the crimp height can also be more precisely adjusted after exchange of the pressing unit.
In another aspect of the present invention, the terminal-crimping device includes a linking mechanism that links reciprocating motion of the press mechanism with a feeding motion of the terminal-feeding mechanism. The linking mechanism includes a feeding motion detector that detects the feeding motion of the terminal-feeding mechanism, and a crimping motion detector that detects the crimping motion of the press mechanism. The terminal crimping device also includes a control that carries out motion control of the terminal-feeding mechanism and the press mechanism based on detection signals of both detection means.
According to an
Nishiki Youji
Ooji Takahiro
Suzuki Yoshinori
Tadaki Kaoru
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
Tolan Ed
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