FIELD

The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for inspecting a wire end of a cable and a method for cleaning the mirror of an inspection apparatus.

BACKGROUND

EP 3 109 624 A1 describes an inspection apparatus for inspecting a cable end segment, including an exposed conductor, of a cable according to the prior art. The inspection apparatus in EP 3 109 624 A1 comprises a camera, a lighting device and a conical mirror collar (i.e. a conical arrangement of individual mirrors about a central axis). To inspect the cable segment or perform a quality check, a cable segment is inserted into the conical mirror collar, where a camera records the mirror images of the cable segment. This recording is evaluated with software, i.e. the cable segment is checked for quality. The test takes place before and after crimping to verify the quality of the stripping and the connection of the crimp contact to the cable (i.e. the crimped connection). This can be done by inserting the cable segment twice into a single inspection apparatus or by using two separate inspection apparatuses.

One aspect of inspection apparatuses to be considered is the contamination of parts of the inspection apparatus, in particular the camera and/or the mirror, with dirt and/or dust, in particular of the cable to be inspected, which can lead to errors in the quality check by means of the camera. Without the cleaning of the mirror, the inspection of the cable segment by means of the inspection apparatus is no longer reliably possible even after one day, under unfavorable circumstances.

EP 3 109 624 A1 proposes to reduce contamination by placing the elements of the inspection apparatus (i.e. camera, lighting device and conical mirror collar) in a housing in which an overpressure is generated. This is to prevent penetration of dirt particles into the housing.

A disadvantage of previously known inspection apparatuses is that the mirrors are clamped and/or laboriously glued to a mirror support, wherein the orientation of the mirror must be observed or adjusted. In this case, the intermediate layer of adhesive between mirror and mirror support or mirror apparatus is particularly problematic. Since mostly the entire contact surface between the mirror apparatus or mirror support and mirror is used for bonding, mechanical stresses in the mirror may arise through the different thermal expansions of different materials (adhesive, mirror, mirror support or mirror apparatus). This can lead to visual impairments when viewing the reflections of the mirrors and/or damage to the mirrors.

In addition, the mirror supports have previously been bolted to the mirror apparatus. When cleaning the mirrors outside the inspection apparatus, which is necessary from time to time, the mirror collar or mirror apparatus is handled or held in its entirety, since the mirror supports are fastened to the mirror apparatus by means of screws. Also, re-attaching or re-aligning the mirror in the mirror apparatus after releasing or removing a single mirror support is technically laborious. In addition, the mirror supports by means of which the mirrors are fastened and aligned in the mirror apparatus are often very heavy, so that the handling of the mirrors (with the mirror support) is difficult or laborious when cleaning the mirrors.

There may be, among other things, a need for an inspection apparatus for inspecting a cable segment of a cable, in which the insertion and/or removal of mirrors of the inspection apparatus is technically simple to carry out. In addition, among other things, there may be a need for a method for cleaning the mirrors of an inspection apparatus, by means of which the mirrors are technically easily cleaned, and the mirrors are technically easily inserted into the inspection apparatus after cleaning.

SUMMARY

Such a need can be met by an inspection apparatus for inspecting a cable end of a cable and a method for cleaning the mirrors of an inspection apparatus according to the advantageous embodiments of the invention as described herein.

According to a first aspect of the invention, an inspection apparatus is proposed for inspecting a cable end of a cable, in particular a processed cable, preferably a cable connected with a crimp contact via a crimp connection, wherein the inspection apparatus comprises a mirror apparatus with a central axis, wherein the cable end for inspection can be arranged along the central axis in the mirror apparatus, wherein the mirror apparatus comprises a plurality of mirror elements arranged at a predetermined angle to each other and arranged at a predetermined angle to the central axis, each comprising a mirror for viewing the cable end arranged along the central axis of the mirror apparatus from different angles, wherein the inspection apparatus further comprises a camera for generating images of the cable end from different angles by means of the mirror, characterized in that at least a part of the mirror elements, in particular all mirror elements, are held in the mirror apparatus by magnets at their respective position.

The advantage of this is that the mirror elements or the mirror are typically kept in each case in their position in a technically simple manner. In addition, the connection between the mirror apparatus and the mirror elements or mirrors can generally be released in a non-destructive or technically simple, reversible manner and easily restored. In particular, the mirror elements can usually be removed from the mirror apparatus, for example for cleaning, and re-inserted in the mirror apparatus. Moreover, the occurrence of mechanical stresses in the mirrors is typically technically easily prevented. In addition, the mirror elements can typically be technically easily aligned with respect to the mirror apparatus. The mirror elements can also usually have a low weight, whereby the handling of the mirror elements is particularly simple. The mirror elements can usually be removed from the mirror apparatus in a technically simple manner, as a result of which the cleaning process is generally technically even simpler.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a method for cleaning the mirrors of an inspection apparatus for inspecting a cable end of a cable, in particular an inspection apparatus as described above, is proposed, wherein the inspection apparatus comprises a mirror apparatus with a central axis, wherein, for inspecting the cable end, the cable end can be arranged along the central axis in the mirror apparatus, wherein the mirror apparatus comprises a plurality of mirror elements arranged at a predetermined angle to each other and arranged at a predetermined angle to the central axis, each comprising a mirror for viewing the cable end arranged along the central axis of the mirror apparatus from different angles, wherein the inspection apparatus further comprises a camera for generating images of the cable end from different angles by means of the mirror. The method comprises the following steps: removing the mirror apparatus from the inspection apparatus; releasing a magnetic connection between at least one of the mirror elements and the mirror apparatus and removing the at least one mirror element from the mirror apparatus; cleaning the mirror of the at least one mirror element; inserting the cleaned at least one mirror element in the mirror apparatus in a predetermined position and attaching the mirror element to the mirror apparatus by means of a magnet; and inserting the mirror apparatus into the inspection apparatus.

As a result, cleaning the mirror elements is typically technically simple. In particular, usually no connection must be released in a technically laborious manner (e.g. a screw connection) in order to remove the mirror elements of the mirror apparatus. In addition, the mirror elements are typically reinserted into the mirror apparatus in a technically simple manner. In addition, the occurrence of mechanical stresses in the mirrors is generally prevented in a technically simple manner. Thus, the cleaning process is technically particularly simple to carry out. The mirror elements can also usually have a low weight, whereby the handling of the mirror elements is particularly simple. The mirror elements can usually be removed from the mirror apparatus in a technically simple manner, as a result of which the cleaning process is generally technically even simpler. In addition, the mirror elements may generally be formed to be insensitive to shocks or the like. In particular, the person undertaking the cleaning may typically focus on removing the mirrors or mirror elements of the mirror apparatus, since the mirror elements are held via the magnets (and thus the release of the mirror elements from the mirror apparatus is technically simple) and the mirror elements may have a low weight (and thus the handling of the mirror elements is particularly simple).

Possible features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention may be considered, inter alia and without limiting the invention, to be dependent upon the concepts and findings described below.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the mirror elements furthermore each have a plate, in particular a metal plate, wherein the mirrors are each firmly connected to the plate, in particular by means of an adhesive bond, wherein the plates each comprise such a material that the plates can be attracted by magnets. The advantage of this is that the mirrors can be connected with the mirror apparatus in a technically simple manner and in a predetermined position.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the plates each comprise one or more adhesive recesses for receiving an adhesive of the adhesive bond. An advantage of this is that the mirrors can be arranged particularly precisely parallel to the respective plate.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the respective plate in the adhesive recess has a chamfer on one end facing away from the mirror for improved bonding of the adhesive to the plate. In this way, the connection between the plate and the adhesive can be improved or made even more secure.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the respective size of the contact surface of the adhesive with the respective mirror substantially corresponds to a diameter of the respective adhesive recess for receiving the adhesive parallel to the surface of the plate. The advantage of this is that any expansion and/or shrinkage of the plate and/or the mirror and/or the adhesive due to temperature changes does not adversely affect the connection between the plate and the respective mirror. Since the connection between the plate and the respective mirror exists only over a surface corresponding to the diameter of the adhesive recess, the occurrence of mechanical stresses or even bending of the mirror and/or the plate by temperature changes is substantially prevented. This ensures that the surface of the respective mirror always runs parallel to the surface of the plate.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the mirror apparatus comprises support surfaces for resting mirror back surfaces of the mirrors of the mirror elements, wherein the support surfaces each have a recess for receiving the respective plate. The advantage of this is that the mirrors are technically easily aligned so that, after insertion, the respective mirror is aligned relative to the central axis and the other mirrors in a technically simple manner without further measures. Thus, the mirror is held or positioned in a first direction at a predetermined location, since the respective mirror or the respective mirror element cannot move substantially in a direction perpendicular to the respective support surface.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, stops are arranged on the ends of the plates facing away from the central axis of the inspection apparatus for holding each of the mirror elements in a respective predetermined position in the mirror apparatus. As a result, a sliding down or moving of the respective mirror element away from the central axis and parallel to a support surface of the mirror, on which the mirror rests with its mirror back surface, is prevented in a technically easy manner. Thus, the mirror or the mirror element is held or positioned in a second direction at a predetermined location.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the mirror apparatus has a plurality of lateral mirror boundaries, wherein the lateral mirror boundaries are respectively arranged in a predetermined position on two opposite sides of the respective mirror for holding the respective mirror. The advantage of this is that the mirrors are held on two (further) sides in their respective predetermined position. Thus, the mirror is held or positioned in a third direction at a predetermined location. Together with the stop and the support surface, the respective mirror element and consequently the respective mirror are held or aligned relative to the central axis at the predetermined position in all three spatial dimensions.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the inspection apparatus is designed to make the mirror apparatus removable from the inspection apparatus and insertable in the inspection apparatus. The advantage of this is that it is technically very simple to remove the mirror elements or mirrors from the mirror apparatus. In addition, the mirror elements or mirrors can be technically easily re-inserted into the mirror apparatus. In addition, the mirror apparatus can be technically easily replaced with another mirror apparatus or changed.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the plates of the mirror elements are arranged spaced away from the magnets. As a result, the mirrors are even more precisely aligned with the central axis. In addition, expansion and/or shrinkage due to temperature changes do not create mechanical stresses in the mirror element or plate. This leads to a particularly reliable alignment of the mirror elements or mirrors relative to the central axis.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, each of the mirrors has a trapezoidal shape in a top view, and one end of the plate is flush with the shorter of the two parallel sides of the mirror. This allows the mirrors to be aligned with particular precision. In addition, the plate can be aligned particularly precisely relative to the mirror.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, the mirror apparatus is formed mirror-symmetrically with respect to the central axis. The advantage of this is that the orientation of the mirror apparatus when inserted into the inspection apparatus is typically irrelevant. Thus, the mirror apparatus can generally be inserted into the inspection apparatus without checking a specific orientation of the mirror apparatus with respect to the central axis. This usually makes it easier to use the mirror apparatus.

According to one embodiment of the inspection apparatus, each mirror element is attached to the mirror apparatus by means of two magnets, the magnets being arranged in depressions of the recess. The advantage of this is that the mirror apparatus can typically be very compact. In addition, the mirror elements are generally particularly reliably attached to the mirror apparatus.

According to one embodiment of the method, the method also comprises the following step: Attaching at least one mirror element to a mirror holding apparatus using magnets to hold the mirror element while cleaning the mirror. The advantage of this is that the mirror elements are typically held in a technically simple manner during the cleaning process.

It should be noted that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to different embodiments. A person skilled in the art recognizes that the features can be combined, adapted or replaced as appropriate in order to arrive at further embodiments of the invention.

Embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, with neither the drawings nor the description being intended to be interpreted as limiting the invention.

