WO2024179637A1 - Feeding device for a crimping machine, crimping machine, tape and tape system, feeding system, method for operating the crimping machine, hybrid connector, and method for assembling same - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a feeding device (1) for feeding, by means of a single tape (3), the largest possible number of different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23), which can optionally be used in the processing process, to the processing process of a crimping machine. The feeding device (1) has a holding device (12) which is designed in particular in the form of a cylindrical holding drum and which has a plurality of differently sized contact holders (121, 122, 123, 124) for temporarily holding the plurality of differently sized crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) to be processed by the crimping machine. The holding device (12) can hold a plurality of different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) and feed them to the processing process as required within a period of time predefined by the processing process.

Description

Title: Feeding device for a crimping machine, crimping machine, belt and belt system, feeding system, method for operating the crimping machine, hybrid connector and assembly method for the same

Description

The invention relates to a feeding device for a crimping machine according to the preamble of independent claim 1

Furthermore, the invention is based on a crimping machine comprising the feeding device according to claim 1.

Furthermore, the invention is based on a belt for holding and feeding crimp contacts to a crimping machine according to claim 9.

Furthermore, the invention is based on a belt strap system consisting of the belt strap according to claim 12 and several crimp contacts held on the belt strap.

Furthermore, the invention is based on a feeding system comprising a crimping machine according to claim 9 and a belt system of the aforementioned type.

In addition, the invention is based on a method for operating a feeding system according to claim 20.

Furthermore, the invention is based on a hybrid connector which is equipped with crimp contacts which have been processed according to the method according to claim 21. Furthermore, the invention is based on an assembly method for assembling a contact carrier of a hybrid connector.

Such feed devices are required as part of crimping machines in order to feed crimp contacts into a crimping process of the crimping machine. Such crimping machines are required to process crimp contacts, in particular various crimp contacts, and to crimp them onto electrical conductors of manually fed cables. Such belt straps and belt strap systems are required to introduce the crimp contacts into the feed device.

Such feed systems are used to feed the crimp contacts to the processing process. The method for operating the crimping machine is used to process the crimp contacts. The hybrid connectors are used for the pluggable and easily reversible transmission of various electrical signals and supply currents to a mating connector. Such assembly methods for assembling hybrid connectors are used to flexibly adapt the hybrid connectors to the respective requirements with regard to their electrical transmission properties.

State of the art

A large number of crimping machines are known in the state of the art. These can, in some cases with a high degree of automation, crimp crimp contacts on electrical cables by inserting an electrical conductor of the respective cable into a cavity in a cable connection area of the respective crimp contact, which is designed as a crimping area. During crimping, the electrical conductors are first inserted into the said cavity of the crimping area of the respective crimp contact. By squeezing this crimping area, usually carried out with high force, for example in the range of several kN (“kilo-Newton” = thousand Newton), a mechanically and electrically highly effective A connection, namely a crimp connection, is established between the respective electrical conductor and the respective crimp contact.

It is also known to crimp crimp contacts of different sizes on electrical conductors of different sizes, e.g. strands of cables or cores of multi-core cables, either manually with a crimping tool or using several different crimping machines. However, this is expensive, labor-intensive and takes up a lot of space.

The publication EP 0 889 560 A1 discloses the following for crimping several different crimp contacts in a crimping machine: In order to enable any alternation in the supply of different contact types to a contact processing station, the contacts in the form of mutually different contact strips are fed step by step to a plurality of contact feed stations arranged next to one another. The contact to be attached to a conductor in the contact processing station is moved by means of the contact feed station assigned to this contact into a contact gripping position located in the displacement path of a contact gripping part of a first contact transfer unit. In the latter, the contact to be processed is taken over by the first contact transfer unit, moved to a transfer position and taken over there by a second contact transfer unit, which then feeds the contact to the contact processing station.

Crimping machines with several vibrating hoppers are also known, whereby different crimp contacts can be arranged in each vibrating hopper, i.e. crimp contacts that are different from the crimp contacts in the other vibrating hoppers. This means that several different crimp contacts can be fed into the crimping process in a targeted manner. However, such devices require a lot of space.

The disadvantage of this state of the art is that with such

Crimping machines the number of different, feedable crimp contacts is already limited due to space constraints. Furthermore, such arrangements require an undesirably large amount of space. In addition, the manual work required for crimping different sized crimp contacts onto the associated cables/wires is undesirably large in the current state of the art.

Task

The object of the invention is to provide a feed device for a crimping machine that can feed the processing process of the crimping machine as large a number of different crimp contacts that can be used optionally in the processing process as possible. The manual effort required for this and the space required should be as low as possible. In particular, the processing process should not be impaired as a result. For example, despite the selection option, the access times to the crimp contacts should be so short that no delays, or at least as little as possible, occur in the processing process.

The term "different crimp contacts" refers to crimp contacts that differ at least in their electrical transmission properties and in particular in their dimensions. The term "can be used optionally in the crimping process" means that the different crimp contacts are available for the processing process. If, for example, a cable is inserted manually and automatically recognized, a suitable crimp contact with the aforementioned short access time should be automatically selected and fed into the processing process. This should preferably be ensured without affecting the processing process, in particular without any time delay.

The problem is solved by the subject matter of independent claim 1. A feeding device for a crimping machine enables a large number of crimp contacts to be processed to be introduced into the crimping machine. This introduction takes place by means of a single belt, to which the crimp contacts to be processed are releasably held at least during their introduction into the crimping machine.

Furthermore, the feeding device serves to feed the crimp contacts to be processed to a processing step of the crimping machine.

Among the crimp contacts, which are detachably held on the belt strap, there are at least two different crimp contacts.

The feeding device has a detection device which is designed to detect the crimp contacts to be processed and to remove them from the belt in a targeted manner according to the processing process.

The feeding device is further configured to ensure that each crimp contact to be processed is fed to the processing process within a period of time specified by the processing process.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims and the following description.

In a preferred embodiment, the crimp contacts can be detected, for example, via a camera system and image recognition and/or via a marking, for example a label on the crimp contacts. For this purpose, the detection device can have a camera system with image recognition software. Alternatively or additionally, the recognition device can also have a reading device, in particular an RFID reading device.

In a preferred embodiment, the belt strap can have a label on one end, e.g. the end to be inserted, on which the information is stored as to which contact receptacle of the belt strap is intended for which type of crimp contact. The label can be digital and the information can be stored digitally on it. For example, the label can be an RFID label. With this information, each contact of the belt strap can be automatically identified according to the corresponding advance of the belt strap.

Of course, by the way, the crimp contacts can include not only different but also similar crimp contacts.

In a preferred embodiment, at least two of the different crimp contacts can be of different sizes, i.e. they can differ from one another in both the diameter of their respective crimping area and the diameter of their respective plug-in area. In particular, one of them can then be an electrical energy transmission contact and the other an electrical signal transmission contact. It is clear to those skilled in the art that these different dimensions also lead to different electrical transmission properties, in particular to different current-carrying capacities. After all, it would usually make little sense to accept the effort associated with these different dimensions without also benefiting from the different electrical properties. However, there may also be several, e.g. two, crimp contacts among the various crimp contacts that are identical in shape or at least so similar that they fit into the same contact chambers of a contact carrier of a connector, e.g. a so-called "hybrid" connector, and can therefore also be accommodated in the same receptacles in the belt strap, but which nevertheless differ from one another in terms of their electrical transmission properties, in particular their current-carrying capacity. The term "hybrid connectors" refers to connectors that can transmit both electrical energy and electrical signals. To do this, they usually have at least one electrical energy transmission contact and at least one electrical signal transmission contact, whereby the electrical energy transmission contact usually differs from the electrical signal transmission contact not only in terms of its electrical transmission properties, in particular its current-carrying capacity, but also in terms of its size. In this case, its crimping area and its plug-in area have a larger diameter than is the case with the electrical signal transmission area.

The hybrid connector can accordingly also have a contact carrier which has several different types of contact chambers, namely at least one large contact chamber for accommodating the at least one electrical energy transmission contact and at least one small contact chamber for accommodating the at least one electrical signal transmission contact. Of course, the electrical energy transmission contact should then be accommodated in one of the large contact chambers and the electrical signal transmission contact in one of the small contact chambers.

However, as already indicated, crimp contacts can also be provided for inclusion in the contact carrier, which, although the have the same/a similar shape, but still have different electrical transmission properties. For example, some of the signal transmission contacts can be designed to transmit electrical signals at higher frequencies, e.g. with higher data transmission rates, than other signal transmission contacts. Alternatively or additionally, some energy transmission contacts can be designed for higher currents, e.g. due to their material and/or coating, than other energy transmission contacts, even though both have the same dimensions. In this way, a hybrid connector can also be adapted in terms of its properties to the desired transmission properties in a modular manner according to a modular principle.

The desired, most automated production, in particular assembly, of such a hybrid connector therefore requires the targeted use of a large number of different crimp contacts. Conventionally, the crimping of the various crimp contacts onto the associated electrical conductors would require a great deal of manual effort and a large amount of space. A particular advantage of the invention is therefore that it provides the most individual assembly/production of such a hybrid connector in as many different variants as possible, i.e. with as many different optional transmission properties as possible for as many different applications as possible, with little manual effort, a high degree of automation and a comparatively small space requirement.

It is particularly advantageous, for example, if a cable that has been inserted into the crimping machine manually is automatically recognised by an internal camera system of the crimping machine using automatic image recognition and its electrical conductor, i.e. its strand or similar, is connected to a matching crimp contact that is also automatically recognised and assigned. Compliance with calculably short access times is processed, namely crimped.

The crimp contacts, which also include various crimp contacts, are introduced via a single belt strap in which the crimp contacts are accommodated. This belt strap can be product-specific or at least equipped with product-specific features. The individual crimp contacts are identified by means of the recognition device in advantageous embodiments, for example by means of the camera system already mentioned or any other recognition means, e.g. an RFID reader in conjunction with RFID transponders arranged on the belt strap and/or e.g. by means of digital information supplied with the belt strap about which crimp contact is arranged in which receptacle of the belt strap. In particular, the belt strap can have a label, e.g. an RFID label, on which this information is stored digitally and can be read by the reading means, e.g. the RFID reader.

In an advantageous development, the feed device can have a holding device. This holding device can, for example, have several contact receptacles of different sizes to temporarily hold the several different and in particular different sized crimp contacts to be processed by the crimping machine. For example, the holding device can have one or more large contact receptacles for electrical energy transmission contacts and one or more small contact receptacles for electrical signal transmission contacts. Furthermore, the holding device can have several contact receptacles of different sizes as well as similar contact receptacles in order to hold several identical contacts or contacts that differ in their transmission properties but are the same size in terms of their dimensions and to feed them to the processing process as required within the said period of time specified by the processing process. In a special case in which only crimp contacts of one size but with different electrical transmission properties are to be produced, the feed device can also have only contact receptacles of the same size in a further advantageous embodiment. This special case would then usually also include the production of a normal, i.e. non-hybrid, connector, but also include the possibility of equipping it with different but equally sized contacts, e.g. for transmitting different digital signals. This case is conceivable, but will rarely occur in practice.

A particularly great advantage of the holding device is that it can "load" or "reload" crimp contacts of the type required by the processing process during breaks in the processing, for example while a cable, e.g. another cable, is being inserted. The duration of this "loading" of the crimp contacts, as described below, is less easy to calculate than their supply to the processing process using the holding device. This makes the holding device particularly advantageous. As soon as one of the crimp contacts held by the holding device is required by the processing process, the holding device makes it available with a short, calculable access time. The holding device can then start reloading a similar contact at the same time, e.g. while the next cable is being taken and inserted by hand. In this way, the holding device is almost constantly loaded with crimp contacts of the type required by the processing process, knows their position and can supply the appropriate crimp contact to the process without delay. Of course, the holding device can also be designed to simultaneously hold several similar crimp contacts of a type frequently used in the process. For the said loading of the crimp contacts, the feed device can have a feed device for feeding the belt in a feed movement, in particular in a linear feed direction. This feed preferably takes place linearly, ie the belt lies on a surface, e.g. on a transport surface of the feed device, and is transported in one direction, namely a feed direction.

Furthermore, the holding device can be movable relative to the feed movement of the feed device. This allows the holding device to take up different crimp contacts in a contact receptacle that fits the respective crimp contact and to hold them there temporarily.

In a preferred embodiment, the holding device can be automatically movable relative to the feed device in at least two degrees of freedom, namely in a first degree of freedom and in a second degree of freedom.

The first degree of freedom can be used, together with a suitable feed of the feed device, to position the contact holder suitable for the respective crimp contact to be accommodated on the respective crimp contact. Furthermore, the second degree of freedom can be used to accommodate the crimp contact in this suitable contact holder.

The first degree of freedom can, for example, consist of a rotational movement of the holding device around a rotation axis. This is particularly advantageous compared to a translational movement, which is also conceivable but less advantageous for reasons of space and access time, because in addition to saving installation space, the maximum access time to a held crimp contact only corresponds to a rotation of the holding device by 180°.

Preferably, the second degree of freedom can consist of a translational change in distance between the holding device and the feed device. This is advantageous because it allows the holding device to move towards the crimp contact for receiving the crimp contact and thus to accommodate its plug-in area in a contact receptacle with little effort.

In a preferred embodiment, the translational change in distance can take place in the direction of said axis of rotation. Furthermore, the holding device can be designed in a cylindrical shape. In addition, the contact receptacles can be designed as cylindrical recesses or through-openings, with their cylinder axis aligned parallel to the axis of rotation of the holding device. The holding device can thus be designed like a revolver drum, so that the holding device is a holding drum. The crimp contacts are then picked up from the belt strap by the said translational movement, whereby the respective crimp contact with its plug contact is picked up in the associated contact receptacle previously positioned on it. The crimp contact is then finally removed from the belt strap by the rotational movement, during which the contact receptacle moves essentially ideally perpendicular to the feed direction of the belt strap. In an advantageous embodiment, the axis of rotation of the holding device can lie in the same plane as the linear feed direction of the belt strap. However, if the belt strap, which is preferably made of plastic, is sufficiently elastic, this is not absolutely necessary. After the contact has been inserted into the contact receptacle at its plug-in area, it is released from the belt strap by the rotation of the holding device. In an advantageous embodiment, the holding device can have a further translational degree of freedom in and against the feed direction. For this purpose, the holding device can be arranged on a carriage. The carriage can be automatically displaceable in and against the feed direction of the feed device. This allows the holding device to "drive" to a processing unit of the crimping machine, depending on the space required.

A crimping machine has a feeding device of the aforementioned type. In addition, the crimping machine has the aforementioned processing unit, which has a crimping unit which serves to crimp the several different crimp contacts fed to it by the feeding device onto matching electrical conductors.

In a preferred development, the crimping machine is designed to transfer the crimp contacts to be processed from the feed device to the processing unit by means of a translational transfer movement of the holding device. In particular, this translational transfer movement can also take place in the direction of the axis of rotation.

As already mentioned, for reasons of space, particularly in the case of four-point crimping, it may be necessary due to the space required by the processing unit for the holding device within the crimping machine to first move in the feed direction - for example with the aid of the carriage mentioned above - in order to then transfer the crimp contact to the processing unit using the aforementioned translational transfer movement. If necessary, the respective crimp contact can be selected beforehand by rotation and brought to the appropriate height. The carriage has the advantage that the processing unit in the crimping machine can be arranged in or against the feed direction next to the feed direction.

In an advantageous embodiment, the belt is used with the feed device and has a plurality of receptacles. These receptacles are used to releasably hold the crimp contacts, in particular in their crimping areas. Among the receptacles there are at least two receptacles of different sizes for holding at least two crimp contacts of different sizes, namely one large receptacle and one small receptacle. Of course, there can also be more than two receptacles of different sizes, e.g. three receptacles of different sizes.

In a preferred further development, the receptacles for the crimp contacts are evenly distributed over the belt strap. This makes it easier to find the crimp contacts automatically and therefore quicker to identify them.

The belt is preferably made in one piece. In an advantageous development, the belt is made of plastic. The belt can be made in the form of a chain made of many links connected to one another in an articulated manner, or at least have such a chain, with each link having a receptacle for a crimp contact. For feeding, a gear can engage with its teeth in one link of the belt. By rotating the gear, the feed can take place by one chain link per tooth, and thus by one contact receptacle, i.e. by one crimp contact. For this purpose, it is particularly advantageous that the receptacles are evenly distributed over the belt.

A webbing system consists of a webbing of the aforementioned type and the aforementioned, preferably already in the webbing holders crimp contacts, whereby, as already mentioned, there are at least two different crimp contacts among the crimp contacts. The crimp contacts each have a crimp area at one end on the cable connection side and a plug-in area at one end on the plug-in side opposite the cable connection side. The crimp area and the plug-in area of each crimp contact have a common axis of symmetry. As already mentioned, there are at least two different crimp contacts among the crimp contacts, which differ at least in their electrical transmission properties.

Among the aforementioned at least two different crimp contacts, there can in particular be at least two crimp contacts of different sizes, which differ from one another not only in their electrical transmission properties, but also in the diameter of their respective crimp area and the diameter of their respective plug-in area. For example, at least one of these crimp contacts can be an electrical energy transmission contact and at least one other crimp contact can be an electrical signal transmission contact. The electrical energy transmission contact and the electrical signal transmission contact differ from one another in their electrical transmission properties, for example in that the electrical energy transmission contact has a higher current-carrying capacity than the electrical signal transmission contact. Preferably, the diameter of the crimp area and the diameter of the plug-in area of the electrical energy transmission contact are each larger than the diameter of the crimp area and the diameter of the plug-in area of the electrical signal transmission contact.

Preferably, the symmetry axes/plug-in axes of the crimp contacts accommodated in the belt run parallel to each other and are arranged at equidistant intervals. This means that the crimp contacts easier to find automatically, quicker to identify and automatically removable with little effort.

In a preferred embodiment, the belt strap is designed to make the crimp contacts accommodated in the belt strap available for removal in such a way that the axes of symmetry of the crimp contacts of different sizes also lie in a common plane.

For this purpose, a support adjustment molding can be molded onto at least some of the links of the belt, particularly in the area of the respective receptacle. This support adjustment molding ensures that when the belt is placed on a surface, e.g. on the aforementioned transport surface of the feed device, the receptacles are at the same height with their central axis, i.e. are at the same distance from this surface. As a result, the axes of symmetry/plug-in axes of the crimp contacts accommodated in the belt are also at the same height, which makes them easier to find and remove.

A feeding system consists of the feeding device and the belt system, whereby the feeding device has an insertion state for each crimp contact and a holding state for each crimp contact to be processed. In the insertion state, the inserted crimp contacts are inserted together with the belt into the feeding device of the crimping machine and are releasably held in the belt at their crimping section. In the holding state, the respective crimp contact to be processed and removed from the belt for this purpose is held by the holding device of the feeding device at its plug-in area.

Basically, there are two methods for operating the crimping machine that are particularly advantageous. A first method is particularly well suited to assembling cables or wires for a specific product, i.e. a specific hybrid connector, i.e. crimping the corresponding crimp contacts onto them. For this purpose, the number and shape of the contact receptacles of the holding device, in particular the holding drum, are adapted to the contact carrier of the hybrid connector. If, for example, the contact carrier has two large contact chambers for electrical energy transmission contacts and four small contact chambers for electrical signal transmission contacts, then the holding device can also have two large and four small contact receptacles. However, it can also have three large and six small contact chambers. It can also have four large and eight small contact chambers, etc. In any case, it is particularly advantageous that the ratio of the number of different sized contact chambers is transferred to the number of contact receptacles of the holding device. Advantageously, this ratio can also be transferred to the number of receptacles of a product-specific belt strap, as well as to the respective number of different crimp contacts of the corresponding belt system.

To equip the corresponding hybrid connector, all you have to do is insert a cable/strand that is intended for processing into the crimping machine. This cable can be automatically identified, e.g. by the aforementioned detection device, and is then crimped with a suitable crimp contact. While a new cable is being inserted, the holding device can be completely filled with crimp contacts, in particular with a crimp contact of the type that has just been used. Since the contact carrier of the connector is usually fully equipped before the next hybrid connector is processed, there can be no uneven consumption. The situation is somewhat different if the crimping machine is suitable for many different products, i.e. for assembling the strands for many different hybrid connectors. In this case, the pre-positioning device has contact receptacles that vary in size

In this case too, the belt can be product-specific, i.e. adapted to all products to be fitted with the crimp contacts, i.e. it can only accommodate the appropriate number of crimp contacts to be used for the product. However, the holding device may then have unused contact receptacles for individual products. Of course, the above-mentioned method can also be carried out in this case. However, it is particularly advantageous if the crimp contacts are held in the holding device in the sequential order in which they are arranged on the belt and are processed in this order in accordance with the processing method. It is also particularly advantageous if the crimping machine, in particular the feeding device, has a display that shows which cable/cable strand is to be inserted next.

A hybrid connector is equipped with crimp contacts that have been processed according to one of the aforementioned methods. The contact carrier of the hybrid connector is assembled according to a method for assembling the hybrid connector.

An assembly method for assembling a contact carrier of a hybrid connector comprises the following steps:

Selection of several crimp contacts according to a requirement profile of predetermined electrical transmission properties, wherein at least two different crimp contacts are located among the crimp contacts;

Selection or manufacture of a suitable contact carrier for the selected crimp contacts; Selection or manufacture of a webbing which has receptacles for the temporary, detachable fixation of the crimp contacts; insertion of the crimp contacts into the corresponding receptacles of the webbing;

Creating digital information that indicates in which slot of the belt the individual crimp contacts required to equip the contact carrier are located;

Storing the digital information on a label on the strap;

Inserting the strap into the crimping machine;

Transferring the information from the label on the strap to the crimping machine, in which slot on the strap the individual crimp contacts are located, which are required to equip the contact carrier; whereupon the following process steps are processed in a loop until the crimp contacts required to equip the contact carrier are crimped onto one cable/strand each:

Picking up crimp contacts to be processed, including at least two different crimp contacts, from the belt into a holding device of the feeding device and inserting a cable/wire into a processing unit of the crimping machine;

Feeding a crimp contact matching the cable/wire from the feeding device to the processing unit;

Stripping the insulation from the cable/wire by the processing unit; crimping the supplied crimp contact onto the cable/wire; removing the cable/wire with the crimped contact from the crimping machine;

Once the loop has been processed, the following process step follows:

Inserting the crimp contacts into the contact carrier. Example

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below. They show:

Fig. 1a, b a feeding device for a crimping machine with an inserted belt strap from two perspectives;

Fig. 2a - c three different crimp contacts;

Fig. 3a - c the webbing in three views;

Fig. 4a, b two flow charts for carrying out crimping processes using the crimping machine.

The figures contain partly simplified, schematic representations. In some cases, identical reference symbols are used for identical, but possibly not identical, elements. Different views of the same elements may be scaled differently. Directional information such as "left", "right", "top" and "bottom" are to be understood with reference to the respective figure and may vary in the individual representations compared to the object shown.

Figure 1 shows a feeding device 1 for a crimping machine with an inserted belt strap 3 from two perspectives.

The feeding device 1 has a feed device 14 which has a gear 13 with a gear axis 130 and teeth 131 for feeding the belt 3 on a transport surface of the feed device 14.

Furthermore, the feed device 1 has a holding drum 12 as a holding device. This is cylindrical, has a Rotation axis 120 and several cylindrical recesses as contact receptacles 121, 122, 123, 124 and is automatically movable relative to the feed device 14 in three degrees of freedom V1, V2, V3.

Firstly, the holding device 12 has a rotational degree of freedom V1. This serves, among other things, to select the respective contact receptacle 121, 122, 123 by positioning it, e.g. to receive a crimp contact 21, 22, 23 (shown below) from the belt strap 3.

Furthermore, the holding drum 12 has an axial translational degree of freedom V2 in the direction of the rotation axis 120. This serves to move the holding drum 12 towards the belt 3 and to position the respective plug-in area 211, 221, 231 of the desired

Contact 21 , 22, 23 to be included in the selected contact 121 , 122, 123.

To achieve a further degree of freedom of translation V3, the holding drum 12 is mounted on a carriage (not specified in more detail). This allows the holding drum 12 to be moved both in and against the feed direction and the required crimp contact 21, 22, 23 can also be fed by rotation V1 and displacement V3 in the crimping unit (not shown in the drawing, arranged to the right of the feed device 1 in the drawing), if necessary, for example by means of a further axial translation V2. The required crimp contact can be selected beforehand by a further rotation V1 and transported to the appropriate height.

Fig. 2a, 2b and 2c show three different sized crimp contacts 21, 22, 23. These each have a plug-in area 211, 221, 231 and a crimp area 212, 222, 232. The third crimp contact 23 has a middle retaining collar 234 and as its connection-side crimp opening 230 has a connection-side collar 233. Of course, the other two crimp contacts 21, 22 also have a crimp opening, but this is covered by the respective crimp contact in the drawing and therefore cannot be seen.

The first crimp contact 21 is an electrical signal transmission contact. The second 22 and the third 23 crimp contact 22 are electrical energy transmission contacts.

3a, 3b and 3c show a belt strap 3 with three differently sized receptacles 31, 32, 33, each of which can accommodate and releasably hold one of the crimp contacts 21, 22, 23. Together with two connecting areas 30 arranged on both sides of the receptacle, the respective receptacles 31, 32, 33 each form a link, wherein the links are each connected to their adjacent links in an articulated manner to form a chain. A support adaptation formation 318, 328 is formed on at least some of the links. As a result, the receptacles 31, 32, 33 - measured along their respective central axis - are at the same height when the belt strap is lying on a surface, e.g. the transport surface. This facilitates the automated removal of crimp contacts of different sizes.

In the plan view shown in Fig. 3b as well as in Fig. 3c and Fig. 2b, it can be seen that the receptacles 31, 32, 33 are divided into two parts, i.e. each is divided into partial receptacles 31a, 31b; 32a, 32b; 33a, 33b, thus allowing the teeth 131 of the gear 13 to engage between them. This also allows the belt strap 3 equipped with crimp contacts 21, 22, 23 to be fed forward by the gear 13, with each tooth 131 corresponding to a link in the chain and thus to a receptacle 31 of the belt 3, and thus to a crimp contact 21, 22, 23. Links of the belt strap 3 of different sizes are also designed to be grasped and transported by the teeth 131 of the gear 13. In Fig. 3a and 3b, a label 36 is shown on the right side of the belt strap 3. Information is stored on it which indicates which type of crimp contact 21, 22, 23 is held on which link of the chain. This label 36 can be read by a reading device (not shown) of the crimping machine, so that the type of each crimp contact 21, 22, 23 can be identified by its position.

Fig. 4a and 4b each show a flow chart of a crimping process using the crimping machine.

Fig. 4a shows a crimping process for a product-specific configured belt strap 3. This belt strap 3 is characterized in that it only accommodates crimp contacts 21, 22, 23, which are required for the assembly of a specific hybrid connector, in a suitable number.

The columns of the flow charts symbolize the following:

I Employees

II Feed device

III Holding device / holding drum

IV Stripping unit

V Crimping unit

VI Display

VII Control unit

VIII Input/Output - Documentation

The process steps of the first flow chart, the exact sequence of which can be seen from the flow chart in Fig. 4a, are: a. Start b. Ordering or producing a belt system suitable for the product to be manufactured, ie a belt 3 equipped with various crimp contacts 21, 22, 23 to be processed for the product in a suitable number; c. Inserting the belt strap system into the feed device 1 of the crimping machine; d. the feed device 14 transports the belt strap 3 to a reading unit which reads the label 36 of the belt strap 3; e. the control unit processes the information as to which crimp contact 21, 22, 23 is arranged on which link of the belt strap 3 f. the feed device 14 conveys the belt strap 3 to a relative position to the holding drum 12 which is suitable for removing a crimp contact 21, 22, 23 to be processed g. the holding drum 12 takes the crimp contact 21, 22, 23 to be processed from the belt strap 3 h. the display shows which core of the cable is to be inserted i. the core of the cable is inserted manually j. the stripping unit clamps the inserted core k. a cable detection system of the stripping unit identifies the core l. The I/O documentation calculates the wire thickness m. The I/O documentation generates the query: Is this really the right wire? n. if NO, then the system control issues an error message; o. and then the display also issues the instruction to insert the right wire; p. then another wire is inserted manually, if this is the right wire, then q. the wire is fixed and stripped by the stripping unit r. the holding drum 12 feeds the appropriate crimp contact to the crimping unit s. the crimping unit adjusts itself to match the contact t. the crimping unit carries out the crimping u. the process control carries out a crimping force monitor v. the wire is released by the stripping unit w. the wire is removed manually X. -> h (the display will again show which wire is to be inserted next).

Even in this example, it is also possible - possibly in an easily understandable, slightly different variant - for the holding device 12 to be completely filled in parallel to the other process steps or to be completely filled at the start of the process and to always be refilled with a crimp contact 21, 22, 23 of the most recently used type, naturally ensuring greater process reliability and avoiding delays. Ultimately, this means that a suitable crimp contact 21, 22, 23 does not have to be searched for and/or analyzed during the process. Instead, the process control already "knows" which crimp contact 21, 22, 23 is located in which contact receptacle 121, 122, 123 of the holding device 12 and fills itself during the breaks, e.g. while the next wire is being inserted manually.

The advantage of the holding device 12 becomes even clearer in the following example, in which the display is omitted and a user inserts the required cables/cable strands in any order:

The process steps of the second flow chart, the exact sequence of which can be seen from the flow chart in Fig. 4b, are:

A. Start

B. Ordering or producing a belt system suitable for the product to be manufactured, i.e. a belt 3 equipped with crimp contacts 21, 22, 23 to be processed for the product in a suitable number;

C. Inserting the belt 3/belt system into the feed device 1 of the crimping machine;

D. The feed device 14 transports the belt 3 to a reading unit where the label 36 of the belt 3 is read E. the control unit processes the information on which link of the belt 3 which crimp contact 21, 22, 23 is arranged

F. The feed device 14 conveys the belt 3 to a relative position to the holding drum 12 suitable for removing a crimp contact 21, 22, 23 to be processed.

G. the supply drum 12 removes the crimp contact 21, 22, 23 to be processed from the belt 3;

H. a (random) core of a cable to be processed is inserted manually;

I. the feed device 14 feeds the belt 3 to a further relative position to the holding drum 12 suitable for removing a crimp contact to be processed;

J. the supply drum 12 takes another crimp contact 21, 22, 23 to be processed from the belt 3;

K. the feed device 14 feeds the belt 3 to a further relative position to the holding drum 12 suitable for removing a crimp contact 21, 22, 23 to be processed;

L. the supply drum 12 takes another crimp contact 21, 22, 23 to be processed from the belt 3;

Steps D. to L. can be repeated until or, if necessary, partly in parallel with the following steps

M. the holding drum 12 is completely filled (or at least as necessary for the process);

N. the inserted wire is clamped by the stripping unit;

O. the cable detection of the stripping unit identifies the wire;

P. The I/O documentation calculates the wire thickness;

Q. the wire is stripped by the stripping unit;

The following step R. uses the holding device and therefore cannot be carried out in parallel with the loading (or “reloading”) of the holding drum: R. a crimp contact 21, 22, 23 matching the wire is fed to the crimping unit from the supply drum 12;

S. the crimping unit adjusts itself to the crimp contact 21, 22, 23 to be crimped; T. the crimping unit performs the crimping

U. the process control performs a crimp force monitoring

V. the wire is released from the stripping unit

W. the wire is removed manually

X. -> H. another wire of the cable is entered

As already mentioned, it is very advantageous and useful for the two aforementioned exemplary processes to offer a belt system that is suitable for the product, namely a hybrid connector to be manufactured.

Of course, these two aforementioned procedures are only examples and can be modified into different variants and easily adapted to modified requirements with expert knowledge.

Applicant: HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG

Title: Feeding device for a crimping machine, crimping machine, belt and belt system, feeding system, method for operating the crimping machine, hybrid connector and assembly method for the same

List of reference symbols

Feeding device

12 Holding device/holding drum

120 rotation axis

121 - 124 Contacts

13 Gear

130 Gear axle

131 tooth

14 Feed device

21 , 22, 23 Crimp contacts, including

21 Signal transmission contact

22, 23 electrical energy transmission contacts

211 , 221 , 231 Plug-in area

212, 222, 232 Crimping range

230 connection side collar

234 retaining collar

3 Webbing

30 connection areas

31 , 32, 33 shots

318, 328 Support adjustment moldings

31a, 31 b; 32a, 32b; 33a, 33b partial images

36 Label

V1 first degree of freedom/ rotational degree of freedom

V2 second degree of freedom, axial

V3 third degree of freedom

Claims

Applicant: HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG Title: Feeding device for a crimping machine, crimping machine, belt and belt system, feeding system, method for operating the crimping machine, hybrid connector and assembly method for the same claims 1. Feeding device (1) for a crimping machine, for enabling a plurality of crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) to be processed to be introduced into the crimping machine by means of a single belt (3) on which the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) are detachably held at least during their said introduction, and for feeding the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) to be processed to a processing process of the crimping machine, o wherein among the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) there are at least two different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23), and o wherein the feeding device (1) is designed to ■ to identify the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) to be processed and to remove them from the belt (3) according to the processing process and ■ to ensure that each crimp contact (21, 22, 23) to be processed is fed to the processing process within a period of time specified by the processing process. 2. Feeding device (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least two of said different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) differ from one another in their size, namely both in the diameter of their respective crimping region (212, 222, 232) and in the diameter of their respective plug-in region (211, 221, 231). 3. Feeding device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the feeding device (1) has a holding device (12) which has a plurality of contact receptacles (121, 122, 123, 124) of different sizes to temporarily hold the plurality of different sized crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) to be processed by the crimping machine, in order to hold a plurality of different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) and to feed them to the processing process as required within the said period of time predetermined by the processing process. 4. Feeding device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the feeding device (1) further comprises a feed device (14) for feeding the belt (3) in a feed movement, and wherein said holding device (12) is automatically movable relative to the feed movement of the feed device (14) in order to receive different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) in a contact receptacle (121, 122, 123, 124) matching the respective crimp contact (21, 22, 23) and to hold them temporarily therein. 5. Feeding device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the holding device (12) is automatically movable relative to the feed device (14) in at least two degrees of freedom (V1, V2), namely a first (V1) and a second (V2) degree of freedom. 6. Feeding device (1) according to claim 5, wherein one of the two degrees of freedom (V1) serves, together with a suitable feed of the feed device (14), to provide the contact receptacle (121, 122, 123) suitable for the respective crimp contact (21, 22, 23) to be received on the respective crimp contact (21, 22, 23), and wherein the second degree of freedom (V2) serves to receive the crimp contact (21, 22, 23) in the suitable contact receptacle (121, 122, 123) of the holding device (12). 7. Feeding device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the first degree of freedom (V1) consists in a rotational movement of the holding device (12) about an axis of rotation (120). 8. Feeding device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the second degree of freedom (V2) consists in a translational change in distance between the holding device (12) and the feed device (14), wherein the translational change in distance (V2) occurs in the direction of said axis of rotation (120). 9. Crimping machine, comprising a feed device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, and a processing unit which has a crimping unit which serves to crimp the several different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) fed to it by the feed unit onto matching electrical conductors. 10. Crimping machine according to claim 9, wherein the crimping machine is designed to transfer the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) to be processed from the feed device (1) to the processing unit by a translatory transfer movement to the processing unit, wherein the aforementioned further transfer movement takes place in the direction of the axis of rotation (120). 11. Crimping machine according to claim 10, wherein in the crimping machine the processing unit is arranged offset in or against the feed direction next to the feed device (14) and wherein the holding device (12) is arranged in a further translational degree of freedom (V3) parallel to the feed direction on a carriage so as to be automatically displaceable in order to transport the respectively received crimp contact (21, 22, 23) translationally in the direction of the processing unit. 12. Belt strap (3) for a feeding device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the belt strap (3) has a plurality of receptacles (31, 32, 33) for releasably holding the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23), wherein among the receptacles (31, 32, 33) there are at least two receptacles (31, 32, 33) of different sizes, namely a large receptacle (33) and a small receptacle (31). 13. Webbing (3) according to claim 12, wherein the receptacles (31, 32, 33) are evenly distributed over the webbing (3). 14. Webbing (3) according to one of claims 12 to 13, wherein the receptacles (31, 32, 33) are adapted to hold the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) at their respective crimping region (212, 222, 232). 15. Belt strap (3) according to one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the belt strap (3) consists of plastic and is designed in one piece, wherein the belt strap (3) has a chain which is formed from a plurality of links which are connected to one another in an articulated manner, wherein each link has a receptacle (31, 32, 33) for a crimp contact (21, 22, 23), wherein a support adaptation formation (318, 328) is formed on at least some links. 16. Belt strap system, comprising a belt strap (3) according to one of claims 12 to 15, and a plurality of crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) held therein or thereon, each of which has a crimp region (212, 222, 232) at a cable connection-side end and a plug-in region (211, 221, 231) at a plug-in end opposite the cable connection-side end, wherein the crimp region (212, 222, 232) and the plug-in region (211, 221, 231) of each crimp contact (21, 22, 23) have a common axis of symmetry, wherein at least one of the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) is an electrical energy transmission contact (22, 23) and wherein at least one of the other crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) a electrical signal transmission contact (21), wherein the electrical energy transmission contact (22, 23) and the electrical signal transmission contact (21) differ from one another in their electrical transmission properties and in the diameter of their crimping area (212, 222, 232) and in the diameter of their plug-in area (211, 221, 231), wherein the belt strap (3) makes it possible to make the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) available for removal in such a way that their axes of symmetry lie in a common plane. 17. Belt webbing system according to claim 16, wherein the electrical energy transmission contact (22, 23) has a higher current carrying capacity than the electrical signal transmission contact (21) and wherein the diameter of the crimping region (222, 232) of the energy transmission contact (22, 23) is larger than the diameter of the crimping region (212) of the signal transmission contact (21) and wherein the diameter of the plug-in region (221, 231) of the energy transmission contact (22, 23) is larger than the diameter of the plug-in region (211) of the signal transmission contact (21). 18. Belt strap system according to one of claims 16 to 17, wherein each of the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) is releasably held with its respective crimp area (212, 222, 232) on a receptacle (31, 32, 33) of the belt strap (3) that matches this respective crimp area (212, 222, 232), wherein the at least one energy transmission contact (22, 23) is releasably held in the at least one large receptacle (32, 33) and wherein the at least one signal transmission contact (21) is releasably held in the at least one small receptacle (31) of the belt strap (3). 19. Belt strap system according to one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the axes of symmetry of the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) are arranged parallel to each other and at equidistant intervals. 20. Feed system comprising a feed device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and a belt system according to one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the feed system has an insertion state for each crimp contact (21, 22, 23) and a holding state for each crimp contact (21, 22, 23) to be processed, wherein in the insertion state the inserted crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) are releasably held on the belt (3) at their crimping area (212, 222, 232) and wherein in the holding state the respective crimp contact (21, 22, 23) to be processed and for this purpose removed from the belt (3) is held by the holding device (12) at its plug-in area (211, 221, 231). 21. Method for operating a feed system according to claim 20, wherein the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) are introduced into the feed system held by the belt (3) at the crimping area (212, 222, 232) and, after being removed from the belt (3), are held by the holding device (12) at the plug-in area (211, 221, 231) in order to be fed to the processing unit of the crimping machine when required. 22. Method according to claim 21, wherein an inserted electrical cable is automatically detected by the detection device and a suitable crimp contact is automatically selected and transferred from the holding device (12) to the processing unit. 23. Method according to claim 21, wherein the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) are removed from the belt (3) by the holding device (12) in sequential order and fed in the same order by the holding device (12) to the processing direction whereby for each crimp contact (21, 22, 23) the instruction is given as to which cable/cable strand is to be inserted into the crimping machine. 24. Hybrid connector with crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) which have been processed according to a method according to one of claims 21 to 23. 25. Assembly method for assembling a contact carrier of a hybrid connector, comprising the following steps: Selection of a plurality of crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) according to a requirement profile of predetermined electrical transmission properties, wherein at least two different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) are located among the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23); Selecting or producing a suitable contact carrier for the selected crimp contacts (21, 22, 23); Selection or manufacture of a belt strap (3) having receptacles (31, 32, 33) for the temporary releasable fixation of the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23); Inserting the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) into the corresponding receptacles (31, 32, 33) of the belt strap (3); Creating digital information indicating in which receptacle (31, 32, 33) of the belt strap (3) the individual crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) required for equipping the contact carrier are located; Storing the digital information on a label (36) of the belt strap; Inserting the strap (3) into the crimping machine; Transferring the information from the label (36) of the belt strap (3) to the crimping machine as to which receptacle (31, 32, 33) of the belt strap (31, 32, 33) contains the individual crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) required for equipping the contact carrier; whereupon the following process steps are processed in a loop characterized by the following steps until the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) required for equipping the contact carrier are crimped onto one cable/strand each: Taking at least some of the different crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) from the belt (3) into a holding device (12) of the feeding device (1) and simultaneously inserting a cable/wire into a processing unit of the crimping machine; Feeding a crimp contact (21, 22, 23) matching the cable/wire from the feeding device (1) to the processing unit; Stripping the insulation of the cable/wire by the processing unit; crimping the supplied crimp contact (21, 22, 23) onto the cable/wire; Removing the cable/wire with the crimped contact (21, 22, 23) from the crimping machine; as soon as this loop has been processed, the following process step follows: Insert the crimp contacts (21, 22, 23) into the contact carrier.