FIELD

The present invention relates to a crimping tool exchange device for exchanging a first crimping tool arranged at a processing position in a crimping press, the first crimping tool producing a crimp connection to connect a conductor end of a cable to a crimp contact, for a second crimping tool, to a crimping press system including the crimping tool exchange device, and to a method for exchanging a first crimping tool, arranged at a processing position in a crimping press, for a second crimping tool.

BACKGROUND

During crimping pressing, the crimping tool and/or the contact roller comprising crimp contacts often has to be exchanged or swapped. For this purpose, the crimping press has to be stopped and the crimping tool and/or the contact roller comprising crimp contacts has to be exchanged, exchanging the contact roller in particular being complex because the contact strip of the contact roller has to be threaded into or out of the crimping tool.

EP 2 738 886 A1 discloses an assembly or a movable feed unit comprising two contact rollers having crimp contacts, and two crimping tools. The movable feed unit comprises wheels, by means of which said unit is rotatable and horizontally displaceable about a vertical axis. The crimping tools and the crimp contact supply are at an angle of 180° relative to one another, i.e. face away from one another. In order to exchange one crimping tool, comprising the contact roller and installed in the crimping press, for another crimping tool, comprising a contact roller, the feed unit has to be rotated about the vertical axis and subsequently aligned again relative to the crimping press.

A disadvantage thereof is that a lot of space is required in order to exchange the crimping tool installed in the crimping press for another crimping tool. Moreover, the exchange is technically complicated, since, after the feed unit has been rotated about the vertical axis, the feed unit needs to be re-aligned with respect to the crimping press. Moreover, the base on which the wheels of the assembly are moved must be very flat.

There may therefore be a need for a crimping tool exchange device and/or a crimping press system and/or a method for exchanging a first crimping tool, arranged at a processing position in a crimping press, for a second crimping tool, which allows for technically simple exchange of one crimping tool installed in the crimping press for another crimping tool, and which requires little space for exchanging the crimping tool installed in the crimping press for another crimping tool.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a crimping tool exchange device is proposed, which device is intended for exchanging a first crimping tool, which crimping tool is arranged at a processing position in a crimping press for producing a crimp connection and which tool is intended to connect a conductor end of a cable to a crimp contact, for a second crimping tool, the crimping tool exchange device comprising at least two exchange units for each releasably retaining one crimping tool, the first exchange unit being able to be arranged in an exchange position such that the first crimping tool can be moved, in particular linearly, in a first direction, from the processing position to the first exchange unit, and from the first exchange unit into the processing position, the second exchange unit being able to be arranged in the exchange position such that the second crimping tool can be moved, in particular linearly, in the first direction, from the processing position to the second exchange unit, and from the second exchange unit into the processing position, characterized in that the first exchange unit can be moved linearly from the exchange position in a second direction, and the second exchange unit can be moved linearly from the exchange position in a third direction that is different from the second direction, the second direction being at an angle of less than approximately 150°, in particular less than approximately 100°, preferably less than approximately 90°, relative to the third direction.

An advantage thereof is that the crimping tool exchange device typically requires only a small amount of space or a small volume. In addition, it is usually possible to exchange the first crimping tool for the second crimping tool in a technically particularly simple manner. It is generally not necessary to realign the crimping tool exchange device relative to the crimping press when exchanging the first crimping tool for the second crimping tool. This usually saves time. Moreover, it is typically possible for one crimping tool to be exchanged while the other crimping tool is located in the processing position in the crimping press and the crimping press is operated.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a crimping press system is proposed, which system comprises a crimping press for producing a crimp connection between a conductor end of a cable and a crimp contact, and the crimping tool exchange device described above, the crimping tool exchange device being rigidly connected to the crimping press in order to exchange a first crimping tool, which crimping tool is arranged in a processing position in the crimping press for connecting the conductor end of the cable to the crimp contact, for a second crimping tool.

An advantage thereof is that the crimping press system typically occupies only a small amount of space. In addition, in the crimping press system, the crimping tool installed in the crimping press can typically be exchanged for a further crimping tool in a manner that is technically simple and quick.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method is proposed, which method is intended for exchanging a first crimping tool, arranged at a processing position in a crimping press, for a second crimping tool, using a crimping tool exchange device, the crimping press being designed to produce a crimp connection using the crimping tool that is arranged at the processing position and that connects a conductor end of a cable to a crimp contact, the method comprising the following steps:providing the second crimping tool on a second exchange unit of the crimping tool exchange device while the second exchange unit is in a home position;providing a first exchange unit of the crimping tool exchange device at an exchange position;moving the first crimping tool, in a first direction, from the processing position, onto the first exchange unit of the crimping tool exchange device;linearly moving the first exchange unit together with the first crimping tool, in a second direction, away from the exchange position and into a home position;linearly moving the second exchange unit together with the second crimping tool, in a third direction, into the exchange position; andmoving the second crimping tool, opposite to the first direction, from the second exchange unit and into the processing position; characterized in that the second direction is at an angle of less than approximately 150°, in particular less than approximately 100°, preferably less than approximately 90°, relative to the third direction.

An advantage of this method is that said method can generally be carried out reliably in a manner that is technically particularly simple and that is particularly quick. Moreover, in general only a small amount of space is required to carry out the method.

Concepts for embodiments of the invention may be considered to be based, inter alia, on the concepts and findings described below.

According to one embodiment, the crimping tool exchange device further comprises a spacer element, the spacer element being designed and arranged such that the spacing between the first exchange unit and the second exchange unit, in the second direction and in the third direction, combined, does not fall below a minimum spacing. This typically prevents, in a reliable and technically simple manner, a collision between the two exchange units or a portion of the exchange units while the exchange unit or the exchange units are being moved.

According to one embodiment, the spacer element comprises a chain, the spacer element in particular is a chain, the chain being designed so as to be movable in the second direction and in the third direction. An advantage thereof is that the spacer element is typically designed so as to be cost-effective, sturdy, and technically simple. The minimum spacing is in particular the spacing along the crimping tool exchange device. The minimum spacing is generally the sum of the spacings along the crimping tool exchange device in the second direction and the third direction. In order to prevent the chain from buckling outside the vertex, the chain can be guided and thus kept in a specified path.

According to one embodiment, the first exchange unit and/or the second exchange unit is/are not connected to the spacer element. An advantage thereof is that the exchange units are generally not at a fixed mutual spacing in the second and third direction. The first exchange unit can generally be at a spacing from the second exchange unit that is larger than, in particular significantly larger than, e.g. more than 1.2 times or more than 1.5 times, the minimum spacing. This generally makes it easier to exchange a crimping tool at one of the exchange points for another crimping tool (not installed in the crimping press).

According to one embodiment, the crimping tool exchange device further comprises a first locking device for releasably locking the first crimping tool on the first exchange unit and/or a second locking device for releasably locking the second crimping tool on the second exchange unit. This generally ensures reliable movement of the crimping tool together with the relevant exchange unit. It is typically substantially impossible for the crimping tool to slip relative to the exchange unit while the exchange unit is being moved. This generally makes it easier to exchange a crimping tool at one of the exchange points for another crimping tool (not installed in the crimping press).

According to one embodiment, the crimping tool exchange device can be arranged on a crimping press and the first exchange unit and the second exchange unit can each be moved out of the exchange position to such an extent that, either, one of the two exchange units is arranged within a closed cover of the crimping press and the other of the two exchange units is arranged outside the closed cover of the crimping press, or both exchange units are arranged outside the closed cover of the crimping press. The crimping press can thus generally be operated having a closed cover, while the other exchange unit is accessible from the outside, from outside the cover. The crimping tool (and optionally further components) of the exchange unit that is accessible outside the cover can generally be exchanged, adjusted, threaded out, threaded in, etc. It is thus possible, in general, to reduce the time during which the operation of the crimping press has to be interrupted.

According to one embodiment, each exchange unit further comprises a rod for receiving a contact roller comprising a contact strip and a paper strip, crimp contacts being arranged on the contact strip, immediately successive layers of the crimp contacts being separated by the paper strip, and a paper winder for winding the paper strip when the contact roller is unrolled, it being possible for the contact roller of the first exchange unit to feed crimp contacts to the first crimping tool when the first crimping tool is in the processing position, and for the contact roller of the second exchange unit to feed crimp contacts to the second crimping tool when the second crimping tool is in the processing position. An advantage thereof is that it is generally possible not only to exchange the crimping tool of the relevant exchange unit for another crimping tool (not installed in the crimping press), but it is also possible to exchange the contact roller and/or the crimp contacts together with the crimping tool in a technically simple and quick manner. It is generally possible to thread out/thread in the contact roller or the contact strip on one of the crimping tools (which is located outside the closed cover of the crimping press for example), while the crimping press can use the other crimping tool comprising the contact roller or the contact strip of the other exchange unit. It is thus generally possible to carry out time-consuming work for exchanging the contact roller or the contact strip of one exchange unit while the crimping press continues to be operated (using the other crimping tool and the other contact roller or the other contact strip).

According to one embodiment, the crimping tool exchange device comprises at least one rail in the second direction and at least one rail in the third direction, on which rails the exchange units can be moved. An advantage thereof is that the exchange units can typically be moved in the second direction and/or in the third direction in a technically simple and reliable manner.

According to one embodiment of the method, in each case, when the first exchange unit and/or the second exchange unit is/are moved, a rod for receiving a contact roller comprising a contact strip and a paper strip is also moved, crimp contacts being arranged on the contact strip, immediately successive layers of the crimp contacts being separated by the paper strip, and a paper winder for winding the paper strip when the contact roller is unrolled is also moved. An advantage thereof is that, in general, not only is the crimping tool exchanged, but the contact roller and/or the crimp contacts together with the crimping tool are also exchanged in a technically simple and quick manner. It is thus generally possible to thread out/thread in the contact roller or the contact strip on one crimping tool (which is located outside the closed cover of the crimping press for example), while the crimping press uses the other crimping tool comprising the contact roller or the contact strip of the other exchange unit. It is thus generally possible, using this method, to carry out time-consuming work for exchanging the contact roller or the contact strip while the crimping press continues to be operated (using the other crimping tool and the other contact roller or the other contact strip).

According to an embodiment of said method, the method further comprises the step of: exchanging the first crimping tool for a further crimping tool, in particular exchanging the first crimping tool and the contact roller of the first exchange unit for a further crimping tool and a further contact roller, while the first exchange unit is in the home position. It is thus generally possible to continue to operate the crimping press using one crimping tool while the crimping tool that is no longer required is being exchanged, on the exchange unit, for a further (third) crimping tool. Following this step, the crimping tool currently being used in the crimping press can typically be exchanged, in a technically simple manner, for said (third) crimping tool that is now located on one of the exchange units of the crimping tool exchange device.

According to one embodiment of the method, the steps of linearly moving the first exchange unit together with the first crimping tool, in a second direction, away from the exchange position and into a home position, and linearly moving the second exchange unit together with the second crimping tool, in a third direction, are carried out simultaneously, since a spacer element ensures a minimum spacing between the first exchange unit and the second exchange unit, in the second direction and in the third direction, combined. This generally simplifies the exchange even further, since just one exchange unit needs to be moved into the exchange position. Moving one of the exchange units into the exchange position generally automatically moves the other exchange unit out of the exchange position. This typically reliably prevents the exchange units or a portion of the exchange units from crashing into or striking one another.

It should be noted that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described here with reference to different embodiments of the method and/or of the crimping tool exchange device. A person skilled in the art shall recognize that the features may be combined, adapted, or exchanged as appropriate in order to arrive at other embodiments of the invention.

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

