JPH0575663B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a cable storage device used for storing cables for mobile equipment that electrically connects mobile equipment and a fixed power source, for example, and particularly relates to a cable storage device used for storing cables for mobile equipment that electrically connects mobile equipment and a fixed power source. This invention relates to a cable storage device that can be used in narrow spaces such as inspection systems.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] Cables for mobile equipment that electrically connect mobile equipment and fixed power sources need to be sent out and pulled back as the equipment moves. A wire device is used.

Cable reel type, accumulator type, and basket type wire storage devices are conventionally known as such wire storage devices, but all of them have problems such as tension acting on the cable or twisting of the cable when the cable is fed out. Due to the disadvantage that it may occur,
A figure-eight type wire storage device is being considered. This figure-8 type wire storage device utilizes the property that when cables are deposited by gravity while reciprocating in a straight line, the cables are deposited in a figure-8 shape. This makes it possible to smoothly store and pull out cables into a cable storage section with a shape similar to the one above.

The length and width of the cable storage section of this cable storage device is determined by the size and flexibility of the cable, and if it is used in a sufficiently large area, it can be stored without any problems.
When used in a narrow space such as a reactor vessel inspection system, the cable storage section cannot be large enough, and as the cables are repeatedly stored, the figure 8 may collapse and the cables may fall into the cable storage section. I had a problem with it jumping out of the box and kinking.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention was made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cable storage device that can store cables in a figure-8 shape even in a narrow space.

[Summary of the Invention] That is, the cable storage device of the present invention includes a figure-8 shaped outer frame in which communication openings are formed at the joints of the arcs, and a cable storage device that is installed concentrically within each arc of this outer frame. A cable storage section configured with a conical inner frame, a cable that is fixedly installed on the cable storage section, and a cable that is outside the cable storage section is fed into the cable storage section, and a cable that is inside the cable storage section is fed into the cable storage section. A cable feeding device capable of forward and reverse feeding out of the cable storage section, a cable guide arranged between the cable storage section and the cable feeding device and capable of guiding passing cables in the XY directions, and a cable guide capable of guiding the passing cable in the XY directions a cable guide position signal generator that generates a position signal of the cable guide; and a sensor that detects the position of the cable between the cable feeding device and a cable accumulation position in the cable storage section. ,
The cable feeding device and the cable guide are configured to receive the output signal of the sensor and the output signal of the cable guide position signal generator so that the cable guide forms a figure-eight trajectory and stores the cable in the cable storage portion. The present invention is characterized in that it has an XY drive device and a control means for controlling the XY drive device.

In the cable storage device of the present invention, the sensor detects the movement of the cable, that is, the XY direction of the cable.
It detects the current position of the cable and guides the cable into the cable storage by operating the cable guide and cable storage in the X and Y directions based on the current position of the cable and the relative position of the cable guide. A storage line of the shape is possible.

[Embodiment of the Invention] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the cable storage device of this embodiment includes a cable storage section 2 having a shape similar to a figure 8 fixed on a base 1, and an arbitrary cable storage section 2 in this cable storage section 2. Sensor 3 placed at the position
, two guide rods 4 arranged above the cable storage section 2, and a movable beam 5 installed on the guide rods 4.
, a cable guide 6 placed on the movable beam 5 , a cable feeding device 7 capable of feeding cables to the cable guide 6 , and a cable feed device 7 that connects the movable beam 5 to the guide rod 4 .
Its main portion is composed of a motor 8a that reciprocates the cable guide 6 on the movable beam 5, and a motor 8b that reciprocates the cable guide 6 on the movable beam 5.

The cable storage section 2 includes a figure-8-shaped outer frame 2b in which communication openings 2a are formed at positions corresponding to the joints of each arc, and a conical shaped outer frame 2b that stands concentrically within each arc of this outer frame 2b. It is composed of an inner frame 2c,
Cables are stacked and housed in the figure-eight space formed between the frames 2b and 2c. In this example, the outer frame 2
b. Both the inner frame 2c are formed of iron pipes, and when storing the cables, these iron pipes, especially the iron pipes forming the inner frame 2c, guide the cables and stack them in an orderly manner in a figure 8 shape. . In this embodiment, the outer frame 2b and the inner frame 2c are made of iron pipes, but they may be made of iron plates, plastic plates, etc., if necessary.

The sensor 3 may be placed at any position as long as it can detect the position in the XY direction of the cable between the cable guide 6 and the cable stacking position in the cable storage section. For example, if it is a type of optical sensor that detects a cable using reflected light, four optical sensors, eight in total, can be attached to the top of the inner frame 2c. Alternatively, it can also be attached to the base of the inner frame 2c. As the sensor, in addition to a reflected light detection type optical sensor, an optical sensor of a type in which a light source and a light receiving element are arranged with a cable passage position in between, a magnetic sensor, etc. can be used.

The guide rod 4 has pillars 9 erected at the four corners of the base 1,
It is fixed to an upper frame 10 supported by 9,
The interval between these two guide rods is approximately equal to the width of the cable storage section 2. Alternatively, the guide rod may be arranged along the width direction of the cable storage section 2.

A movable beam 5 having a shape capable of reciprocating movement is installed between the guide rods 4, and a cable guide 6 is provided on the movable beam 5.
is placed.

The cable feeding device 7 has a pair of endless bands 7a and 7b.
The cable is held between the cables, and the cable is driven at a constant speed by a drive device (not shown), and the feeding direction can be switched between forward and reverse by operating a switch. Furthermore, one endless band is biased by a spring or the like toward the local endless band so that the cable can be reliably gripped and stopped when the cable is stopped. A guide roll 12 and a cable detachment prevention roll 13 supported by a U-shaped support 11 erected on an upper frame 10 are arranged in the cable passage above the cable feeder 7, and a guide roll 14 and a cable detachment prevention roll 13 are arranged behind the cable passage. A detachment prevention roll 15 is arranged.
Furthermore, a dancer roll 16 is arranged further behind that to prevent the cable from coming off the guide rolls 12, 14, etc.

On the opposite side of the upper frame 10, a support plate 17 is placed between the upper parts of the columns 9, 9, and motors 8a, 8b are mounted on this support plate 17. For example, a screw shaft 18a is mounted on the motor 8a in parallel with the guide rod 4.
This screw shaft 18a engages with a bearing provided at the end of the movable beam 5, so that the movable beam 5 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction of the cable storage section 2 by rotation of the motor 8a. Further, a screw shaft 18b is mounted on the motor 8b in parallel with the guide rod 4.
A gear and a gear meshing perpendicularly to the gear are attached to a bearing formed at the end of the moving beam 5 that receives b, and the rotation of the motor 8b rotates a screw shaft 19 arranged parallel to the moving beam 5. However, the cable guide 6 is configured to reciprocate in the width direction of the cable storage section 2.

Further, limit switches are arranged at both ends of the guide rod 4.

The device of this embodiment is configured so that the rotation direction of the motors 8a, 8b can be switched by the operation of a limit switch and the operation of a switch for forward/reverse rotation of the cable feeding device 7.

The guide rod 4, the moving beam 5, the motors 8a, 8b,
The screw shafts 18a, 18b, screw shaft 19, etc. constitute an XY drive device that drives the cable guide 6 in the XY directions.

The moving speed of the cable guide 6 and the cable feeding speed of the cable feeding device 7 are controlled by a control means (not shown) that receives the sensor position signal and the cable guide position signal, so that the cable guide 6 moves back and forth between the limit switches once. During this time, the cable is fed out long enough to be deposited in a figure-eight shape along the approximate center between the outer frame 2b and inner frame 2c of the cable storage section 2, and the cable forms a predetermined figure-eight shape. It is controlled so that it does not accumulate in the cable storage section.

Further, the moving speed of the cable guide 6 and the cable feeding speed of the cable feeding device 7 can be made variable, but in this case as well, it is necessary to associate the two so that the above relationship is established. Furthermore, the movement of the cable guide 6 is in opposite directions for cable feeding and cable retraction.

Next, a method of using the device of the above embodiment as a cable storage device for cables for mobile equipment will be described.

Note that the symbol S in FIG. 1 is a signal circuit of a sensor, and the symbol T is a signal circuit of a potentiometer or rotary encoder for knowing the current position of the cable guide.

First, the cable C is set in the cable feeding device 7 via the dancer roll 16, the guide rolls 14 and 12, and the cable feeding device 7 is driven to feed the cable to the cable guide 6 and then to the cable storage section 2.
Send it out inside. The end of the cable C fed into the cable storage section 2 is pulled out from between the pipes of the outer frame 2b of the cable storage section 2, and is used as a connection end to an external power source.

Thereafter, when the cable guide 6 is driven by operating the motors 8a and 8b while driving the cable feeding device 7, the cables C begin to be deposited at the bottom of the cable storage section 2.

At this time, as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 3, it is detected whether the sensor operates or not (step 1).
If the sensor is activated, the state of the sensor is input (step 2), and then the position of the sensor at which it is activated is identified (step 3). Next, the cable guide is actuated in the longitudinal and width directions of the cable storage section (step 4) by the signal from the actuated sensor position and the cable guide and the signal from the potentiometer or rotary encoder that informs the current position. Guide it into the cable storage compartment. Note that if the sensor does not operate in step 1, the process returns to another routine.

In addition, in such a cable storage process, if the cable is sent out in a state that is located inside the base of the inner frame of the cable storage part 2, the inner frame 2c has a conical shape. Therefore, the cable C descends along the slope of the inner frame 2c, and if the cable C is sent out so as to protrude from the outer frame, the edge of the outer frame 2b will guide it inward, and it will not be able to reach either side. In this case, the cables sent out are sequentially deposited at predetermined positions at the bottom of the cable storage section.

Next, when reversing the cable feeder 7 to pull in the cable, when the switch is operated, the cable feeder 7 and the motors 8a, 8b rotate in the opposite direction to when sending out the cable C; Since the feeding speed of the feeding device 7 and the moving speed of the cable guide 6 are related in the same way as when sending out the cable, the cable C will be drawn in in the same rising state as when sending out the cable, and the cable will not be twisted. There will be no tension or large tension will be applied.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the device of the present invention detects the current position of the cable using a sensor, and operates the cable guide in the width direction and length direction of the cable storage section from this position and the position of the cable guide. Since the cable is guided inside the cable storage part, it is possible to store the cable in a figure of eight in a narrow space, and the cable does not jump out of the cable storage part or get kinked. In addition, since the movement of the cable is detected by a sensor and stored, even if the cable should fly out of the cable storage part, it can be quickly dealt with.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the cable storage device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3 shows the characteristic parts of the cable storage method using the cable storage device of the present invention. ...Base, 2...Cable storage section, 2a...
Communication opening, 2b...outer frame, 2c...inner frame, 3...
Sensor, 4... Guide rod, 5... Moving beam, 6... Cable guide, 7... Cable feeding device, 8a,
8b... Motor, 9... Support, 12, 14... Guide roll, 13, 15... Cable detachment prevention roll, 16... Dancer roll, 18a, 18
b, 19...Screw shaft.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A cable storage section consisting of a figure-eight-shaped outer frame with communication openings formed at the joints of the arcs, and a conical inner frame concentrically erected within each arc of this outer frame; a reversible cable feeding device that is fixedly installed on a cable storage unit and feeds a cable located outside the cable storage unit into the cable storage unit and sends a cable located within the cable storage unit outside the cable storage unit; a cable guide disposed between the cable storage section and the cable feeding device and capable of guiding passing cables in the XY directions; and an XY drive for driving the cable guide in the XY directions.
a drive device, a cable guide position signal generator for generating a position signal of the cable guide, a sensor for detecting the position of the cable between the cable feeding device and the cable stacking position of the cable storage section; the cable feeding device and the XY driving device so that the cable guide forms a figure-eight trajectory and stores the cable in the cable storage section in response to an output signal and an output signal of the cable guide position signal generator; A cable storage device characterized by having a control means for controlling.