Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 3,139,444
CPST Ref: 40158/00002
APPARATUS FOR TENSIONING A CABLE LACING TAPE DEVICE
Cross Reference to Related Application
100011 This application claims priority from U.S. Application No. 16/404,336,
filed May 6, 2019.
Field of the Disclosure
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the installation of a cable
lacing tape and
more particularly to an apparatus for tensioning a cable lacing tape device.
Background of Related Art
[0003] Cable lacing tapes may be used for a variety of applications. Modern
cable lacing
tapes typically are a thin, relatively flat, woven, or braided cord, often
referred to as a "tape",
having filaments that may be made of materials such as nylon, polyester, or
aramid fiber, and
which may be impregnated with coatings to enhance particular performance
characteristics.
However, cable lacing tape has drawbacks in that the cable lacing tape
typically is tied by
hand in a costly, labor-intensive, and time-consuming process. Due to these
problems,
several attempts have been made to automate the cable lacing and tensioning
process.
[0004] One such device for automated knot tying is described in U.S. Patent
No.
6,648,378. The described device includes an automatic knot-tying device for
tying a discrete
knot about a workpiece, such as a bundle of wires. The device works by pulling
a lacing
tape, transversely around the workpiece and wrapping the filament around the
workpiece. A
shuttle moves the filament between carriage rings and along the workpiece at
the appropriate
steps, and a plurality of hooks pull the filament away from the workpiece at
the appropriate
steps. The operation is finished by cinching, cutting, and reloading so that
the resulting knot
is discrete and secure. At least one drawback of the described device is that
it requires a
complicated mechanism to both wrap and tie a knot about the workpiece.
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[0005] In still another example, International Application Number
PCT/US2012/044413,
describes a hand-held tool for tensioning and severing a cable tie. The device
includes a
reciprocating tensioning mechanism such as a pawl link for tensioning the
cable tie tail, a
locking mechanism to prevent further tensioning upon the attainment of a
preselected tension
level in the tie tail, and a severing device to sever the tie tail from the
cable tie head once
installed.
[0006] Yet another example is US Patent No 9,701,428, which is discloses an
apparatus for
tensioning a material including a housing, a spur shaft reciprocally coupled
to the housing, a
trigger operably coupled to the housing and to the spur shaft to effect
translation of the spur
shaft when the trigger is operably moved, a tensioning device mounted to the
housing and
operably coupled to the spur shaft such that translation of the spur shaft
causes operation of
the tensioning device, and a passage having an inlet and an outlet, the
passage operably
coupling the inlet and outlet to the tensioning device.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0007] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an example apparatus for
tensioning a cable
lacing tape device as disclosed herein.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus with a portion of
the housing
removed.
[0009] FIG. 3A is an enlarged side elevational view of the tensioning assembly
of the
apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the mechanism during normal operation.
[0010] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the tensioning assembly of FIG. 3A.
[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the tensioning assembly
of the
apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the assembly during an example cutting operation.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a front view of an example capstan assembly for use in the
example
apparatus.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the example capstan assembly of FIG. 5.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a front view of the example capstan assembly of FIG. 5,
showing relative
rotational displacement between an inner and an outer capstan.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the example capstan assembly of FIG. 7.
[0016] FIG. 9 is an enlarged detailed view of the front portion of the example
apparatus of
FIG. 1, showing the apparatus mating with an example cable lacing device.
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[0017] FIG. 10 is an enlarged detailed view of the front portion of the
example apparatus
of FIG. 1, showing the apparatus mated with the example cable lacing device.
[0018] FIG. 11 is a side elevational view showing the example capstan assembly
of FIG. 5
in a neutral configuration with a cable lacing tape located therein.
[0019] FIG. 12 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 11, showing the
example capstan
assembly in a skewed position with a cable lacing tape retained therein.
[0020] FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the example apparatus for
tensioning a cable
lacing tape device as disclosed in FIG. 1, including an extension spring
mechanism.
[0021] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another example of the nose piece of
the example
apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the apparatus mating with an example cable lacing
device.
[0022] FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of the example nose piece of FIG.
14,
showing the apparatus mating with the example cable lacing device.
[0023] FIG. 16 is an enlarged detailed illustration of the example nose piece
of FIG. 14.
[0024] FIG. 17 is a cross-section illustration of the example nose piece of
FIG. 14,
showing the nose piece mating with an example cable lacing device.
[0025] FIG. 18 is a cross-section illustration of the example nose piece of
FIG. 14,
showing the nose piece fulling mated with the example cable lacing device.
[0026] FIG. 19 is a photograph showing another configuration of the example
nose piece
of FIG. 14.
Detailed Description
[0027] The following disclosure of example methods and apparatus is not
intended to limit
the scope of the disclosure to the precise form or forms detailed herein.
Instead the following
disclosure is intended to be illustrative so that others may follow its
teachings.
[0028] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0267844 and US Patent No.
9,682,806, both generally
disclose a cable lacing tie for holding a plurality of objects together. The
disclosed cable
lacing tape devices generally include a head assembly and a length of cable
lacing tape that
can be retained by the head assembly upon activation of the retaining device.
In the disclosed
example devices, a free end of the cable lacing tape is routed (generally be
hand) through an
opening in the head around retainer, which is actuatable from an unlocked
position to a
locked position by pulling the free end of the cable lacing tape with
sufficient force.
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[0029] In at least some instances, the example cable lacing tie devises
comprise a length of
woven aramid fiber tape with a synthetic rubber coating attached to a polymer
fastener.
While the free end must be activated with sufficient force to actuate the
retainer, this tape
material may be difficult to grip by hand and furthermore may be difficult to
grip
mechanically utilizing the standard cam action of existing cable tie guns due
to the coating
acting as a dry lubricant as well as the abrasive nature of the aramid fiber.
[0030] It has been found that a directional change, wrapping, and/or folding
of the lace
assists in the grip allowing the tool to build tension in the lace. This
tension is required to
both activate the retainer in the fastener head as well as activate the
cutting action in the tool
linkage (if available).
[0031] Referring now to the figures, an example apparatus 10 for tensioning an
example
cable lacing tape device, such as the cable lacing tape device 5 (see FIG. 9,
showing the
device 5 without an associated tape), is illustrated. As described herein, the
example
apparatus 10 tensions the cable lacing tape device 5 to the proper
predetermined tension and
optionally cuts a free end of the cable lacing tape once the predetermined
tension is achieved.
[0032] The example apparatus 10 includes a housing 12 in the general shape of
a pistol or
gun having a grip 13, trigger 14, and a barrel portion 16. In this example, a
forward end of
the barrel portion 16 includes an exposed capstan assembly 17 as will be
disclosed in further
detail below. As illustrated in FIG. 2, one sidewall 12a of the housing 12 has
been cut away
to show the other housing sidewall 12b and the internal parts and a tensioning
assembly 22 of
the apparatus 10.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, the example apparatus 10 generally comprises a
manual
actuating mechanism, such as the trigger 14 and the tensioning assembly 22
that typically
reciprocates to operate the capstan assembly 17 but actuates a cutting head 24
once a
predetermined tension in achieved. The tensioning assembly 22 is mounted
within the barrel
portion 16 of the housing 12.
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the example tensioning assembly 22 comprises a
gear 26
rotatably coupled to the housing 12 about an axis 27 in the direction of the
arrow B. The
trigger 14 is pivotally coupled to the housing 12 and is operable in the
direction of the arrow
A to rotate the gear 26 within the housing 12. The gear 26 includes a driving
gear portion 28
and a reciprocating gear portion 30. The driving gear portion 28 is operably
coupled to the
trigger 14. The reciprocating gear portion 30 is coupled to a correspondingly
geared driving
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member. Therefore, movement of the gear 26 in either direction of the arrow B
causes
reciprocating movement of the inner plate 32 in the direction of the arrows C.
100351 In this example, the driving member is an inner plate 32. It will be
appreciated that
the driving member may be any suitable element, including, for instance, a
single element
such as a plate, shaft, or other suitable member. In addition, although the
driving member in
this example is an "inner" plate, this nomenclature is for ease of
understanding and it will be
understood that the relative positioning (inner, outer, etc.) is merely
illustrative and the
driving member may be located in any suitable orientation and/or relative
position related to
any other element in the apparatus 10.
100361 The example inner plate 32 is operably coupled to a driven member, such
as for
example, an outer plate assembly 34. As with the driving member, it will be
appreciated that
the driven member may be any suitable element, including, for instance, a
single element
such as a plate, shaft, or other suitable member. In addition, although the
driven member in
this example is an "outer" plate assembly, this nomenclature is also for ease
of understanding
and it will be understood that the relative positioning (inner, outer, etc.)
is merely illustrative
and the driven member may be located in any suitable orientation and/or
relative position
relative to any other element in the apparatus 10.
100371 The example outer plate assembly 32 includes a pair of outer plates
34a, 34b. In
this example, the inner plate 32 includes a pair of pins 36 that extend
through corresponding
slots 38 defined in each of the outer plates 34a, 34b. The two outer plates
34a, 34b are
coupled to one another via various links, including links 35, 37, 39, and 41
to contain the
inner plate 32 with the pins 36 within the slots 38. Hence, the inner plate 32
can move, e.g.,
slide longitudinally, relative to the outer plates 34a, 34b.
100381 In the illustrated example, relative movement between the inner plate
32 and the
outer plates 34a, 34b, is controlled by a biasing element, such as a coil
spring 40. More
precisely, the example coil spring 40 extends between a first pair of
shoulders 42a, 42b,
formed on the inner plate 32 and a second pair of shoulder 44a, 44b, formed on
each of the
outer plates 34a, 34b. In this arrangement, longitudinal movement of the inner
plate 32 in the
direction of the arrow S (see FIG. 3A) will cause the coil spring 40 to resist
compression and
transfer force to the outer plate assembly 34, with little or no relative
movement between the
inner plate 32 and the outer plate assembly 34.
100391 An end of the outer plate assembly 34 opposite the shoulder 44a, 44b,
comprises a
ratcheted spur 48 coupled to the assembly 34. In this example, the spur 48 is
coupled to the
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assembly by the link 35. As the outer plate assembly 34 reciprocates with the
inner plate 32,
the spur 48 likewise reciprocates in the same manner. As the spur 48 moves,
the ratchets
engage the rotatably mounted capstan assembly 17 through corresponding,
circumferentially
disposed ratchets or dogs, which are hidden from view and therefore not shown.
Thus, as
will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, during normal
operation of the
apparatus 10 (i.e., when the capstan assembly 17 is under little or no
torsional load),
reciprocal movement of the inner plate 32 will cause the outer plate assembly
34 to move
together with the inner plate 32, and thus cause rotational movement of the
capstan assembly
17.
[0040] Referring to FIGS. 5-8 and 11-12, the capstan assembly 17 is
illustrated in detail.
The example assembly generally comprises an inner capstan 50 and an outer
capstan 52. It
will be understood, however, that the capstan assembly may be one or more
integrated or
separate elements as desired, including a single capstan. In this example,
however, the inner
capstan 50 is rotatably coupled to the housing 12 and as noted above, is
operably coupled to
the spur 48 to rotate in the direction of the arrow D. The outer capstan 52,
meanwhile
circumferentially surrounds the inner capstan 50 and is rotatable about the
inner capstan 50.
In this example, the relative movement between the inner capstan 50 and the
outer capstan 52
is limited by a pin 54 and a slot 56 arrangement. While the outer capstan 52
is independently
rotatable relative to the tool, the outer capstan 52 is free to move
independent only a
predetermined amount of angular degrees relative to the inner capstan 50
before the inner
capstan 50 and outer capstan 52 engage with each other and rotate together.
[0041] Each of the inner capstan 50 and the outer capstan 52 includes a slit
60 transverse to
the axis of rotation, which defines a plurality of fingers 58. In this
example, each finger 58
includes chamfered surfaces 62 proximate to the slit 60 to assist in the
insertion of a cable
lacing tape 200 into the slits 60. In the position of FIGS. 5 and 6 the inner
capstan 50 and the
outer capstan 52 are rotatably arranged such that the slits 60 are in
alignment. In the position
of FIGS. 7 and 8 the outer capstan 52 has rotated relative to the inner
capstan 50 such that the
slits 60 are slightly misaligned.
[0042] As can best be seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, the lacing tape 200 is placed
within the
capstan assembly 17 an into the slits 60 that are aligned. As the capstan
assembly 17 rotates
(FIG. 12), the outer capstan 52 rotates relative to the inner capstan 50 to
misalign the slits 60
and thereby pinch the lacing tape 200 between the inner capstan 50 and the
outer capstan 52,
preventing the lacing tape from being withdrawn from the capstan assembly 17.
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Accordingly, because the lacing tape 200 is securely pinched between the two
capstans,
further rotation of the capstan assembly 17 causes the lacing tape 200 to wind
around the
outer circumferential surface of the outer capstan 52.
[0043] It will be appreciated by one of or ordinary skill in the art that the
lacing tape 200
may be secured in any suitable manner and not necessarily through a "pinch"
hold, including
for instance, a friction fit or other suitable retention means. In addition,
in this example, the
location and size of the pin and slot may vary as desired and may be located
on either of the
capstans or may be eliminated altogether. It will be further appreciated that
the manner in
which the relative movement between capstans is limited (if limited at all)
may be differ from
the manner shown.
[0044] As disclosed previously, during normal operations (e.g., a first
operating mode),
reciprocal movement of the inner plate 32 is coupled with movement of the
outer plate
assembly 34 and causes rotation of the capstan assembly 17. As the lacing tape
200 is
wrapped around the outer capstan 200, and the device 5 is pressed against the
housing 12 (see
FIGS. 9 and 10), tension is built up on the lacing tape 200. As the tension
continues to
increase, further attempts to rotate the capstan assembly 17 causes a force
build up in the coil
spring 40. At a predetermined tension, the resistive force against rotational
movement of the
capstan assembly 17 is greater than the force applied between the inner plate
32 and the outer
plate assembly 34 by the coil spring such that the outer plate assembly 34 no
longer moves
within the housing and the coil spring 40 compresses. Thus, in this second
operating mode,
the inner plate 32 moves relative to the stationary outer plate assembly 34.
[0045] In the example illustrated, relative movement between the inner plate
32 and the
outer plate assembly 34 causes actuation of a second operating mode action,
such as for
instance, an activation sound, a visual indicator, or a cutting action such as
an actuation of the
optional cutting head 24. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the inner plate 32 is
coupled to a pivoting
bar 70 via a link assembly 72. The link 72 is coupled to the outer plate
assembly 34 at the
link 37. As such, movement of the inner plate 32 causes the pivoting bar 70 to
move in the
direction of the arrow E. Also illustrated in FIG. 4 is a cutting bar 74.
During normal
operation (FIG. 3A; the first operating mode), the cutting bar is not engaged.
During relative
movement between the plates 32 and 34 (FIG. 4; the second operating mode) ,
however, the
pivoting bar 70 pivots into engagement with the cutting bar 74, and with
corresponding
ratchets 76a, 76b on each of the pivoting bar 70 and the cutting bar 74, the
cutting bar 74 is
moved towards and into engagement with the cutting head 24 to pivot the
cutting head 24 in
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the direction of the arrow F. Specifically, the cutting head 24 is pivotally
mounted to the
housing 12 about an axis 80 and includes a knife 82 that contacts and cuts the
lacing tape
200. The cutting head 24 may be removable and/or replaceable as desired.
[0046] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9-12, a nose piece 202 may be provided at the
distal end
of the barrel portion 16. In this example, the nose piece 202 defines an
aperture 204 through
or around which the cable lacing tape 200 may be threaded. The aperture 204 is
also sized to
receive the housing of the cable lacing device 5. To aid in the alignment of
the apparatus 10
and the cable lacing device 5.
[0047] As detailed herein, in operation the apparatus 10 is capable of
applying a tensioning
force to a free end of the cable lacing table 200 of the cable lacing tape
device 5. For
instance, in this example, the cable lacing tape is fed through or around
(e.g., under) the
aperture 204 in the nose piece 200 and into the slits 60 in the capstan
assembly 17. The
trigger 14 may then be actuated to translate the inner plate 32 and the outer
plate assembly
34. The capstan assembly 17 is rotated with the outer plate assembly, and the
outer capstan
52 and the inner capstan 50 rotate to a misaligned position to grip the lacing
tape 200 and to
wrap the lacing tape 200 about the outside of the capstan assembly 17.
[0048] As the trigger 14, the inner plate 32, the outer plate assembly 34 and
the capstan
assembly 17 are repeatedly actuated, the cable lacing tape 200 wraps around
the outside of
the capstan so that the nose piece 202 rests against the cable lacing tape
device 5, thereby
causing tension in the cable lacing tape 200. Once a predetermined tension is
achieved in
cable lacing tape 200 a retainer 7 is activated within the cable lacing tie
device 5 and actuated
into the locked position. In addition, the inner plate 32 and the outer plate
assembly 34 move
relative to one another to actuate the cutting head 24 to cut the lacing tape
200 to the proper
size and remove any excess tape. As a result, the apparatus 10 will both
tension and securely
actuate the device 5, and further cut the excess tape from the free end 100.
[0049] It will be appreciated that the cutting head 24 may be biased in a
position wherein
the lacing tape 200 is not contacted during normal operation of the apparatus
10. It will be
further appreciated that the predetermined tension may be selected,
controlled, and/or
otherwise adjusted or varied by any suitable manner, including by varying the
spring constant
of the biasing element, varying the distance between the shoulder of the inner
plate and the
outer plate assembly, or other suitable manner. In at least one example, the
forces associated
with the coil spring 40 may be selectively adjusted by any suitable adjustment
mechanism to
change the biasing force applied by the spring 40 to the inner and outer
plates 32, 34.
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[0050] Turning now to FIG. 13, another example apparatus 10' is shown. In this
example,
the apparatus 10' utilizes multiple extension springs 1300 as opposed to the
coil spring 40,
but otherwise operates under the same operating principle. It will, therefore,
be understood
that any suitable biasing mechanism may be utilized to prevent relative
movement between
the inner plate 32 and the outer plate assembly 34 until the predetermined
tension is achieved.
[0051] In this example, linearizing the linkage makes the input squeeze force
consistent
throughout the tool handle stroke. The linear linkages for the blade cutting
and the tensioning
linkage work in opposite directions. Further, the head nest automatically
aligns (see FIGS. 9-
10) the head to ensure the force applied to the lace is perpendicular to the
fastener making pin
activation consistent.
[0052] Turning now to FIGS. 14-19, another example nose piece 202' is
illustrated.
While the nose piece 202 is sufficient for its intended purpose, in some
instances, the nose
piece 202 can rotate around the face of the cable lacing tape device 5,
effecting alignment
between the nose piece 202 and the cable lacing device 5. For example, in some
applications
where the cable lacing device 5 is used to bundle "slippery" wires, or when
the operator
misaligns the apparatus 10, the nose piece 202 may slide and/or slip relative
to the cable
lacing device 5, causing the operator to have to realign and repeat the
tightening process.
[0053] To address these situations, the example nose piece 202' defines the
same aperture
204, which is sized to receive the housing of the cable lacing device 5. The
nose piece 202',
however, includes a pair of opposed protrusions 1410a, 1410b, which further
correct and
align the nose piece 202' with the housing of the cable lacing device 5. The
protrusions
1410a, 1410b include an end portion that extends from the aperture. In this
example, the
protrusions 1410a, 1410b are laterally spaced apart to form a channel and
allow the cable
lacing tape 200 to be threaded therethrough.
[0054] More precisely, as illustrated in the figures, the example housing of
the cable lacing
device 5 includes an undercut 1710 (see FIG. 17), and the protrusions 1410a,
1410b extend
into the undercut 1710, to rotate, align, and/or position the housing as
needed, and to prevent
any sliding and/or movement of the nose piece 202' relative to the housing. As
such, the
protrusions 1410a, 1410b, aid in the securement and retention of the cable
lacing tape 200 by
holding off back pressure and by creating a consistent set of forces within
the securement
process to ensure a consistent pin locking.
[0055] FIG. 19 illustrates another example nose piece 202" including an
aperture 204
having a single protrusion 1410b' mounted thereto.
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100561 It will be further understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that
by optimizing
any of the various variables affecting the "gripping" strength of the pinch,
such as for
instance, the rotational disparity between the inner and outer capstan, and
the distance
between the surfaces of the inner and outer capstan relative to the thickness
of the tape, the
surface material composition (e.g., frictional characteristics), and/or any
other characteristic,
the amount of force created by the pinching action between the inner and outer
capstan may
be changed as desired.
100571 Although certain example methods and apparatus have been disclosed
herein, the
scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this
patent covers all
methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the
scope of the
appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
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