IP Library Granted Patent US 11,403,743
Granted Patent B2
US 11,403,743 · App. 16/698,408 · Granted Aug 2, 2022

Cable detection apparatus

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,403,743
App. No.
16/698,408
Granted
Aug 2, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cable detection apparatus includes a cable support and a vision system. The vision system has a camera device rotatable about an axis parallel to an axial direction of a cable to be detected, so as to capture an image of the cable, and an optical element rotated synchronously with the camera device. The optical element transmits the image of the cable to the camera device by changing an optical path of the image.

Claims (31)

1. A cable detection apparatus, comprising:

a cable support including a support body and a gripper disposed at an end of the support body and adapted to grip a cable to be detected; and

a vision system including a camera device rotatable about an axis parallel to an axial direction of the cable to be detected, so as to capture an image of the cable, and an optical element rotated synchronously with the camera device, the optical element transmits the image of the cable to the camera device by changing an optical path of the image.

2. The cable detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical element changes the optical path through reflection or refraction.

3. A cable detection apparatus, comprising:

a cable support; and

a vision system including:

a camera device rotatable about an axis parallel to an axial direction of a cable to be detected so as to capture an image of the cable;

an optical element rotated synchronously with the camera device, the optical element transmits the image of the cable to the camera device by changing an optical path of the image through reflection or refraction; and

a backlight plate rotated synchronously with the camera device, the backlight plate and the optical element are located on opposite sides of the cable.

4. The cable detection apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the vision system includes a substrate on which the camera device, the optical element, and the backlight plate are mounted.

5. The cable detection apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a mounting frame, the substrate is rotatably connected to the mounting frame so as to drive the camera device, the optical element, and the backlight plate to synchronously rotate about the axis parallel to the axial direction.

6. The cable detection apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a first driving device configured to drive the substrate to rotate about the axis parallel to the axial direction.

7. The cable detection apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first driving device includes a transmission mechanism mounted on the mounting frame, the transmission mechanism has a first driven wheel connected to the substrate and a first driving wheel adapted to drive the first driven wheel, and a first servo motor configured to drive the first driving wheel to rotate.

8. The cable detection apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the vision system includes a rotatable connection member connecting the substrate to the first driven wheel.

9. The cable detection apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the vision system includes an L-shaped support, the L-shaped support having a horizontal portion connected to a side of the substrate opposite the camera device and a vertical portion connected to the rotatable connection member.

10. The cable detection apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a linear moving platform on which the mounting frame is reciprocally movable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cable, and a second driving device configured to drive the mounting frame to move on the linear moving platform.

11. The cable detection apparatus of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of cable supports are distributed at intervals along a direction parallel to a moving direction of the mounting frame.

12. The cable detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vision system is rotatable within a range of 0° to 180°.

13. The cable detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical element is a right-angle prism.

14. The cable detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera device includes a camera and a microscope lens mounted on the camera.

15. The cable detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gripper is a pneumatic gripper.

16. The cable detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a fixing portion is disposed at a lower end of the cable support and fixes the cable support.

17. The cable detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a height of the support body is adjustable.

18. The cable detection apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a data processing system configured to process the image captured by the vision system to determine whether there is a defect on the cable.

19. A cable detection apparatus, comprising:

a cable support; and

a vision system including:

a camera device rotatable about an axis parallel to an axial direction of a cable to be detected; and

an optical element rotated synchronously with the camera device, the optical element changing an optical path of an image of the cable to be detected such that the camera indirectly captures the image of the cable transmitted by the optical element.

20. The cable detection apparatus of claim 19 , wherein a sensing axis of the camera is aligned generally parallel with the axial direction of the cable to be detected.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Apr 28, 2022
From: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GMBH
To: TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 060885/0482 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2021
From: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
To: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GMBH
Reel/Frame 057197/0543 →