Patent Application
20130061443
The field of the disclosure relates generally to tubing sleeves, and more specifically to methods and systems for dislodging heat shrink tubing sleeves.
Heat shrink tubing is utilized for many purposes, including wire and cable identification and/or insulation. In some known systems, short lengths, also referred to as sleeves, of heat shrink tubing are attached to a bandolier. The heat shrink tubing is commonly coupled to the bandolier by partially shrinking the tubing around a protruding rib of the bandolier. The bandolier of tubing may be fed into a printer to print information, such as wire identification information, on the tubing. An installer removes the tubing sleeves from the bandolier and positions the tubing on the appropriate wires. Heat is then applied to the tubing to shrink it in place on the wires.
Typically, removing heat shrink tubing from a bandolier is a manual process. In some known methods, a clamping tool is used to grasp a sleeve of heat shrink tubing coupled to a bandolier and the manual removal tool is used to remove the heat shrink tubing. Often, the removal tool resembles a pair of tweezers and that must be squeezed with the installer's fingers to close the tool on or behind the tubing sleeve. After grasping a sleeve with the removal tool, the installer pulls the sleeve, via the tool, off of the rib of the bandolier to which the sleeve is coupled. The removal process requires hand strength, dexterity, and patience. In some known applications, such as labeling a complex wiring harness, this process may be repeated tens or hundreds of times.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for use in releasing tubing sleeves coupled to a bandolier includes a feed system and a dislodge system. The feed system is configured to engage a bandolier and selectively position the bandolier in the apparatus. The dislodge system is configured to dislodge tubing sleeves from an initial position on a bandolier propelled by the feed system.
In another aspect, a method for releasing tubing sleeves coupled to a bandolier includes engaging a bandolier with a feed wheel, propelling the bandolier into a dislodge system using the feed wheel, and dislodging tubing sleeves from an initial position on the bandolier with the dislodge system.
In yet another aspect, a system for use in removing heat shrink tubing from a bandolier is disclosed. The bandolier has a spine and a plurality of ribs extending from the spine. The heat shrink tubing is coupled to the ribs of the bandolier by partial shrinking of the heat shrink tubing. The system includes a feed assembly and a dislodge assembly. The feed assembly is configured to engage a bandolier and selectively position the bandolier in the system. The dislodge assembly is configured to dislodge heat shrink tubing from an initial installed position on a bandolier propelled by said feed system. The dislodge assembly is configured to dislodge heat shrink tubing by breaking a friction bond formed by partially heat shrinking the heat shrink tubing to the ribs.
The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present invention or the “exemplary embodiment” are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
Exemplary methods and systems for removing heat shrink tubing sleeves from a bandolier are described herein. The methods and systems described herein facilitate quicker removal of sleeves from a bandolier as compared to some known methods and systems used to remove heat shrink tubing sleeves from a bandolier. Further, the methods and systems described herein may be more ergonomic to users than some known, manual removal methods and systems. As such, methods and systems implemented according to the present disclosure may improve productivity, reduce costs of construction, and/or decrease repetitive motion related injuries.
Referring to the drawings,
Sleeves 206 are coupled in the initial position on ribs 204 when bandolier 200 is prepared, manufactured, assembled, etc. More specifically, sleeves 206 are coupled to ribs 204 by partially heat shrinking sleeves 206 to ribs 204 such that a relatively strong friction bond between sleeves 206 and ribs 204 is formed. Although
To use sleeves 206, such as to identify wires (not shown) of a wiring harness (not shown), sleeves 206 are removed from bandolier 200, in general, and ribs 204, more particularly. To remove sleeves 206, the friction bond between sleeves 206 and ribs 204 must be disturbed, broken, released, etc. In the exemplary embodiment, this release is easily accomplished via exemplary apparatus 100.
In operation, feed system 102 engages bandolier 200 and forces bandolier 200 into apparatus 100. Feed system 102 may engage bandolier 200 by any suitable method of engaging bandolier 200 such as, for example, a traction wheel, a conveyer belt, a moving clamp system, and/or a chute system. In the exemplary embodiment, feed system 102 includes a traction wheel (not shown in
As bandolier 200 is propelled into dislodge system 104, dislodge system 104 dislodges sleeves 206 from their initial position to the dislodged position of sleeves 208. In the exemplary embodiment, dislodge system 104 includes a pinch roller system (not shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, apparatus 400 includes a feed system 402 and a dislodge system 404. Feed system 402 includes traction wheel 300 coupled to a motor 406 and a gearbox 408. In the exemplary embodiment, motor 406 drives rotation of traction wheel 300 via gearbox 408. In other embodiments, traction wheel 300 may be directly driven by motor 406. A housing 410 and traction wheel 300 cooperatively define a channel 412 through which bandolier 200 travels when propelled by traction wheel 300. The speed of rotation of traction wheel 300 controls the speed of processing bandoliers 200 through apparatus 400 (i.e., the speed of dislodging sleeves 206 from bandolier 200). In the exemplary embodiment, the speed of motor 406, and thus the speed of traction wheel 300, may be variably controlled by the user. In other embodiments, the speed of traction wheel 300 may be fixed, or may be variably controlled by a controller (not shown).
Dislodge system 404, in the exemplary embodiment, includes a pinch roller system 414 and a motor 416 coupled to pinch roller system 414. Pinch roller system 414 includes a first pinch roller 418 that rotates about axis 422, and a second pinch roller 420 that rotates around axis 424. In the exemplary embodiment, first pinch roller 418 is coupled to and driven by motor 416, while pinch roller 420 is a passive roller that freely rotates about axis 424. In other embodiments, second pinch roller 420 may be driven by motor 416 or another motor. In the exemplary embodiment, pinch roller 418 rotates at fixed speed, and the distance along ribs 204 that sleeves 206 are dislodged is established by the diameter of first pinch roller 418. In some embodiments, different diameter pinch rollers may be used to create different amounts of dislodging of sleeves 206. In other embodiments, the speed of rotation of pinch roller 418 may be varied, manually or automatically, to vary the amount by which sleeves 206 are dislodged.
In operation, a user (not shown) positions bandolier 200 on a ramp 425 defined by housing portions 426 and 428. Bandolier 200 is moved by the user towards channel 412 until traction wheel 300, and specifically pins 304, engage bandolier 200. Traction wheel 300 is rotated by motor 406 and traction wheel 300 propels bandolier 200 into apparatus 400. A reversing switch 430 enables the user to selectively reverse rotation of traction wheel 300 and to thus reverse the motion of bandolier 200 (e.g., to remove bandolier 200). As traction wheel 300 rotates, bandolier 200 is pulled through channel 412 towards pinch roller system 414.
As shown in
Thus, exemplary embodiments may enable quicker removal of sleeves from a bandolier as compared to some known methods of removing heat shrink tubing sleeves from a bandolier. Further, exemplary embodiments may be more ergonomic to users as compared to known, manual removal methods. Such embodiments may help to reduce the occurrence of repetitive motion injuries. Accordingly, exemplary embodiments described herein may improve worker productivity, reduce costs of construction, and/or decrease repetitive motion related injuries.
This written description uses examples to disclose various embodiments, which include the best mode, to enable any person skilled in the art to practice those embodiments, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
