CA1077246A - Conductor terminating apparatus - Google Patents
Conductor terminating apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1077246A CA1077246A CA289,492A CA289492A CA1077246A CA 1077246 A CA1077246 A CA 1077246A CA 289492 A CA289492 A CA 289492A CA 1077246 A CA1077246 A CA 1077246A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- connector
- contacts
- conductors
- arm
- termination apparatus
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
- H01R43/01—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for connecting unstripped conductors to contact members having insulation cutting edges
- H01R43/015—Handtools
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Manufacturing Of Electrical Connectors (AREA)
- Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)
- Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
This invention relates to an apparatus for terminating conductors in electrical connectors and, more particularly, to a device which facilitates simultaneous trimming and insertion of insulated conductors in multiple contact electrical connectors. While prior art termination tools for mounting conductors in small electrical connectors have met with some success, there are disadvantage associated with their manufacture and use which have limited their acceptance. For example, since the insertion tool, Itself, moves through an arc in effecting the termination of the conductors, is is not possible to achieve precise uniformity of termination force across the entire row of contacts In the connector. Moreover, the desired parallel relationship of the insertion tools as the rotatable arms reach the termina-ting position cannot be achieved for differently sized female and male connectors. In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus Is provided which terminates a plurality of insulated conductors with a high degree of precision of uniformity in each of the contacts of a multiple contact electrical connector. The apparatus Includes means for mounting a connector In conductor receiving position, means for aligning the conductors adjacent individual contacts of the connector, and means for positioning the insertion tool adjacent the contacts. The insertion tool is movable in a non-arcuate path substantially perpendicular to the planes defined by the contacts of the connector. The apparatus will accommodate connectors of different transverse dimentions without the necessity of any adjustment and includes uniquely configured conductor aligning means which enhance and facilitate the terminating operations.
This invention relates to an apparatus for terminating conductors in electrical connectors and, more particularly, to a device which facilitates simultaneous trimming and insertion of insulated conductors in multiple contact electrical connectors. While prior art termination tools for mounting conductors in small electrical connectors have met with some success, there are disadvantage associated with their manufacture and use which have limited their acceptance. For example, since the insertion tool, Itself, moves through an arc in effecting the termination of the conductors, is is not possible to achieve precise uniformity of termination force across the entire row of contacts In the connector. Moreover, the desired parallel relationship of the insertion tools as the rotatable arms reach the termina-ting position cannot be achieved for differently sized female and male connectors. In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus Is provided which terminates a plurality of insulated conductors with a high degree of precision of uniformity in each of the contacts of a multiple contact electrical connector. The apparatus Includes means for mounting a connector In conductor receiving position, means for aligning the conductors adjacent individual contacts of the connector, and means for positioning the insertion tool adjacent the contacts. The insertion tool is movable in a non-arcuate path substantially perpendicular to the planes defined by the contacts of the connector. The apparatus will accommodate connectors of different transverse dimentions without the necessity of any adjustment and includes uniquely configured conductor aligning means which enhance and facilitate the terminating operations.
Description
1~77Z~6 ~ hls lnvention relates to an apparatus ~or termin-atlng conductors in electrical connectors and~ more particu-larly, to a device which ~acilitates and enhances the simultaneous trimming and insertion of insulated conductors in the indivldual contacts of multiple contact electrlcal connectors.
Wlth the advent of miniaturized electronics and electrical component~, connectors used ln the electrlcal, communication and data handling industries have been re-duced ln ælze, ~aklng lt more dlf~icult to connect t`~elndividual conductors with the approprlate electrical ter-minal of the connector. Accordingly, a wlde variety o~
tools and meclanlcal devices have been developed in recent years dlrected at slmpllfying and expeditlng the assembly or mounting of conductors in these small electrlcal con-, nectors. The tools illustrated in Unlted States PatentsNo9. 3,742,571, 3,845~535, 3,952~392, 3,965,558 and 3J972J101 are typlcal examples of the kinds of apparatus developed to meet this need. Generally, these tools pro-vide some mechanism whereby the lnsulation covered con-ductor ls forced lnto the conventional lnsulation plerclng - termlnals Or the connector contact.
Prior art termination tools of the type dlsclosed ln Unlted States Patent No. 3,952,392 generally lnclude a ~rame or support structure havlng means ~or holding the connector in conductor receiving positlon and a pair Or opposltely disposed, rotatable arms, each o~ which lncludes an lnsertion tool ~or engaglng and pressing a plurallty of insulated conductors lnto the connector contacts. Such `~ 30 prior art devices are capable, thereforeJ of simultaneously terminating all of the conductors to be assembled with a given connector by virtue of a very simple sequence of operations.
Whlle these prior art termlnatlon tools have met wlth some success~ there are disadvantages associated wlth their manufacture and use which have llmited their accep-tance. For example, since the lnsertion tool, itsel~, moves through an arc ln effecting the termination of the conduc-- tors lt ls not possible to achleve preclse uniformlty of termlnation force acro3s the entlre row of contacts ln the connector. Moreover, in a glven llne of connectors the dlmenslon between the opposltely facing rows of contacts wlll be less in the female connector than ln the corres-pondlng male connector. Thus, the deslred parallel rela- .
tlonship of the insertlon tools as the rotatable arms reach the termlnatlng posltion cannot be achleved for both female and male connectors. To overcome thls disadvantage lt has ., been suggested to provlde an apparatus wherein the plvot of one of the rotatable arms ls movable to aocommodate connectors of different wldths. Thls procedure i8, however, time consucing and may not be entlrely accurate A further dlsadvantage associated with prlor art device~ is that the ~eans used, if any, to align the con-ductors with the individual contacts prlor to effectlng their termlnation ls generally constructed as an integral component. These "comb elements" are not only expenslve to manufacture~ requiring milllng and other machine tool operations, but also difficult to malntaln in the field, since indlvidual comb teeth are not replaceable and the shear edge typically disposed in these elements is diffi-cult, if not impossible, to resharpen.
~, -Acoordlngly, a primary ob~ect of the lnvention ls to provlde a new and lmproved termlnatlon apparatus, partlcularly a fleld termination apparatus, for the ~aclle termlnatlon of a plurality of conductors ln the respective contacts of a multiple contact electrical connector.
-2_ .
107724t;
A ~ore specific obJect o~ ~he invention is to provlde a termination apparatua which provides precis~ and uniform ter~lnating forces to each of the contacts of elther a male or female multiple contact connector regardlesS of dlmenslonal varlations across the width of the connectors.
Another object of the inventlon is to provide a termination apparatus wherein the insertlon tool travels along a path substantially perpendicular to the planes deflned by the rows of contacts in the connector.
Still another obJect of the invention is to pro-vide a termlnation apparatus which includes control means ; to lnsure that the insertion tool travels the approprlate distance to effect proper conductor termination in both male and fen~ale connectors.
A further object of the inventlon is to provide a terminatlon apparatus wherein an improved conductor align-ing means i5 employed which not only simplifies and reduces manufacturing costs but also facilitates and improves the terminating operation of the device.
In accordance with the present invention an appar-atus ls provided which terminates a plurality of insulated conductors with a high degree of precision and uniformity in each of the contacts of a multiple contact electrical connector. The apparatus includes a frame which supports a connector mounting means and conductor alignlng means, at least one rotatable arm carrying lnsertion means, and means for applying an operating force to the insertion means. The connector mounting means~ or carriage, is slid-ably supported on the frame from an initial position to a conductor receiving position. The conductor aligning means is fixedly secured to the frame and comprises comb elements havlng a plurality of uniquely configured teeth assembled in spaced relationship and adapted to capture the free ends 107~7Z46 of the individual conductor9 in the appropriate terminating posi-tion adjacent the respective contacts. The arm is rotatably moun-ted on the frame and is adapted for arcuate movement toward op-posite sides of the connector into positions immediately adjacent the connector contacts. The insertion means carried by the arm ' includes a multi-blade insertion member each of the blades adap-ted to engage and press a single conductor into a respective con-tact of the connector, The force application means comprises a camming element operable to translate forces developed by a rota-table lever into a horizontal force which is transmitted through the insertion member to the individual conductors.
The invention is particularly directed toward an appa-' ratus for simultaneously terminating a plurality of insulated con-ductors in the contacts of an electrical connector, the connector , having at least one row of contacts defining a contact plane. The apparatus comprises a frame; means supported on the frame for , mounting the connector in conductor receiving position; and means for aligning individual conductors adjacent respective contacts of the connector. At least one rotatable arm is mounted on the ~rame and adapted for arcuate movement from an open position re-~,~ mote from the connector to a closed position immediately adjacent the row of contacts. Insertion means are carried by the arm and are adapted for reciprocal and non-arcuate movement substantially perpendicular to the contact plane for engaging and pressing the insulated conductors into the individual contacts of the connec-tor. The apparatus includes means for applying an operating force to the insertion means to effect the perpendicular movement, thereby terminating each conductor in an individual contact of the connector.
The novel features which are believed to be characteris-tic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further o~jects and at-., ~ .
. : . .
~077246 tendant advantages thereof, will be best understood by re~erence to the following description taken in connection with the ac-. companying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating one pre~er-red embodiment of the invention with two rotatable arms, one in :: the open position and the other rotatable arm in the closed, termination position;
FIGURE la is an enlarged perspective view illustrating ~ in greater detail the insertiGn member employed in the embodiment 10 of FIGURE 1 and showing its relationship with the camming element which applies to the termination member the appropriate termina-tion force;
FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 , illustrating, in s,olid lines, both rotatable arms in the closed :
:, position with the camming levers in the initial operating posi- ' tion and in dotted lines, the camming levers at subsequent ope- : , ' rating positions;
. "
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FIGURR 3 is a plan vlew o~ the embodlment of FIGURE 1 showing both arms in the open position and, in partlal cross-sectlon the structural arrangement of the rotatable arm, insertion member and camming element;
FI~URE 3a is an enlarged cross-sectional vlew taken along line 3a-3a of FIGURE 3;
FIGURE 3b is a side elevation taken along line 3b-3b of FIGURE 3 and showir.g the carriage and detent structure of the apparatus;
FIGURE 3c is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3c-3c of FIGURE 3;
FIGURE 4 ls a cross-sectional view of the entire apparatus taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and showlng the alignment of the insulated conductors ad~acent the contacts of a male connector with the arms and their respective in-sertion members in a partially open position;
FIGURE 5 is a perspectlve view of a preferred comb tooth utilized in the unique conductor aligning means of the present invention;
FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of FIGURE 4~ illustrating in greater detail the inter-relationship of the connector, the conductorsj the conductor : aligning means and the blades of insertion members;
: FIGURE 6a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view illustrating the contact structure in greater detail and its relationship to the conductor and insertion blade;
FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 4 illustrating the arms in the closed, insertion position with the blades of the insertion members located 3o at their respective positions immediately prior to the con-ductor trimming operation;
FIGURE 8 is also a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 4 illustratlng the blades of the insertion : -5-.~
~077246 members in final po~ition having effected the termlnation of the conductors in the contacts of a male connector;
F'IGURE 9 ls a cross-sectional view identical to FIGUR~ 8 lllustrating the termination of the conduotors in the contacts of a female con~ector; and FIGURE 10 ls a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIGURE 3c illustrating in greater detail the ratchet arrangement employed with the camming elements of the present invention.
Referring to FIGURE 1, a preferred apparatus of the present invention, designated generally as 20~ ls shown to comprise a frame 22 a carriage 24 supported on the frame and adapted to mount a connector 26 in conductor re-ceiving position~ means 28 for alignlng the conductors with respective contacts 30 of tlle connector, a pair of arms 32 used to position the insertion members 34 ad~acent the rows of contacts 30; and a camming mechanism 36 used to transmit the appropriate termination force to ttle individual conductors The carriage 24 is the means by which the connector 26 is mounted within the apparatus 20 in the conductor receiving position. The carriage includes a base plate 38 and suitable locating means which cooperate with the con-nector to insure its proper location. In the illustrated embodiment the base plate 38 includes a pair of longitud-inal slots 39 which cooperate with rails 41 mounted on the frame 22 (see FIGURE 3a)~ thereby enabling the carriage 24 to slide ~rom an initial open position shown in FIGURE 1 to a final conductor receiving position shown in FIGURE 2.
Loca~lng pins 40 are employed to engage apertures 42 in the opposite ends of the connector 26. Each of the pins 40 includes a shoulder 44 on which the connector 26 rides.
Thus, the illustrated locating means insures the proper lateral and vertical placement of the connector 26. As can be clearly seen in FIGURE 3b, the carriage 24 also includes a spring biased pin 46 which cooperates with an adjustable detent 48 to locate the connector longitudinally as well. The detent 48 i9 threaded into the frame 22 to allow preclse alignment of the connector with the conductor aligning means 28 and the insertion members 34.
The conductor alignlng means 28 comprises a pair of comb elements 50 each including a plurality o~ uniquely configured comb teeth 52. The comb teeth de~ine a plural-ity of conductor receiving slots 51 which are alignable with the contacts 30 of the connector 26. As shown in FIGURE 4, the comb teeth 52 are disposed in machined slots 53 formed in an inside member 54 of the comb element and securely clamped into positlon by an outside member 56 and bolts 58. The bolts 58 also serve to fixedly secure the comb elements 50 to the base 22.
The arms 32J rotatably mounted to the frame 22 by pins 68, are composed of upper and lower plates 70 and 72, respectively~ which are configured to provide an inter-mediate arm slot 7~ and an end arm slot 76. The inter-medlate slot 74 houses the insertion member 34 while the end slot 76 accommodates a pivotal and sprlng biased latch 78. As the arms 68 are rotated to the closed posltion their respective latches 78 engage the latch surfaces 80 to secure the arms in the closed~ termination position ad~acent the rows of contacts on the connector 26 in preparation for the termination operation. Guide surfaces 82 and 84 on :...
the frame 22 werve as stops which abut the inside surfaces 30 of the arms 32 to insure the precise location of the arms immediately ad~acent the oppositel-y facing rows of con-- tacts 30 on the connector.
'r',.' Each of the insertion members 34 includes a front . .
, . . .
1077'~46 face ~6 having a serles of insertion blades 88 extending outwardly therefrom. The member 34 also includes a palr ~f recesses 90 along the side faces 92 whlch mate wlth guide plates g3 and 9~ as the arms 32 rotate toward their closed position. The cooperation of the recesses 90 and plates 93 and 94 insures the precise alignment of the mem-bers 34 even though, as described below, these members 34 are substantially free floating within the arms 32. The insertion blades are configured along their engaging lead-ing edge 95, in a manner well known in the art to properlyengage the specific dlmensions and the geometric configur-ation of the contacts 30. In additlon~ the insertion blades 88 include a bottom shearing edge 97 which coacts with a stationary shear surface 55 formed in the lnside members 54 o~ the comb elements 50. l~S iS clearly seen in FIGURES 7-9, the shear edge 97 and shear surface 55 act to trim the conductor C lmmediately prior to the insertion operation.
Each of the arms 32 also includes a clamp bar 96 which may be formed integral with the upper arm 70 or mounted to the upper arm by bolts 38 or other suitable fastening means. The clamp bars 96 extend outwardly from the upper surface of the arms 32 (see FIGURE 4) to a point beyond the engaging edges 95 of the insertion blades 88.
hs is illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 7-9, the clamp bars 96 engage the conductors C when the arms 32 reach their closed position and urge the conductors into the strain rellef mechanlsm 98 (shown in FIGURE 6a) of the connector. Thls arrangement assures that even after the conductors have .,~ .
been trimmed and during the insertion operation, they will not be longitudinally displaced with respect to the contact 30. Of course, such a feature is highly desirable in that the possibility of a defective connection between the .
10~724~;
conductor C and the contact 30 is reduced.
In acc~rdance wlth an important ~eature Or the present invention, the in~ertion members 34 are driven by camming elements 36 along a path substantially perpendicular to the contact planes de~ined by the rows of contacts 30 in the connector. Each cammlng element 36 is operatively associated with an arm 32 and includes a lever 100; a rotatable shaft 102, a cam member 104, and a cam following slot 105. h key pln 106 prevents relative rotation between the lever 100 and the sha~t 102, the key being secured by the lnslde end 108 o~ the lever 100 which is threaded into the lever base 110. The eccentric cam member 104 is formed lntegrally with shaft 102 or may be keyed thereto by key pin 112. As is clearly seen the shaft 102 is Journaled in both the upper and lower plates 70 and 72~ respectively.
The cam following slot 105 is ~ormed in the insertion member 34 which slides freely within the intermediate arm slot 74. A small leaf spring 114 is mounted ~rom a support 116 which depends ~rom the upper arm plate 70~ the spring ~ 20 engaging a small notch 118 to prevent insertion member 34 !
; from ~loating in slot 74 to such an extent as to impede the proper engagement of recesses 90 and guide plates 93 and 94.
It will be apparent ~rom the foregoing that as the ' lever 100 is rotated the sha~t 102 ~dd cam member 104 will also rotate thereby ef~ecting a horizontal displacement of the insertion member 34 along guide plates 94. Moreover~
` when this operation is conducted with the arms 32 in the ;`~closed position~ the members 32 will travel along a path ~30 substantially perpendicular to the planes defined by the - rows of contacts 30.
In order to insure that the insertion member 34 travels the required distance in terminating the conductors ' ,,. .- . . ~
,~ , - . . -: . .. : , in t~e connector, each cammlng eleme~t 36 ma~ also include a ratchet 120 and pawl 122 which coact to require full operative rotation of the levers 100. The ratchet 120 is mounted to the underside of the lever base 110 and secured to prevent relative rotation by key pin 124. The pawl 122 is mounted on shaft 126 and is biased toward the ratchet 120 by a small compression spring 128. ~s is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 109 the ratchet 120 includes two release recesses 130 and 1329 respectively~ which allow the pawl to release from the ratchet in a manner well known in the art. The necessity for two release positions arises from the fact that connectors of different dimensions (i.e., male and female connectors) may be used with t'ne present invention~ Thusg a male connector, having a greater transverse dimension, requires less travel of in-sertion member 34 for proper termination than does a female connector. This difference in insertion member movement is accommodated by the recesses 130 and 132. ~hen con-necting conductors to a male connector~ the levers 100 are rotated from the initial position (FIGURE 29 solid lines) to position 1-~ (FIGURE 29 dotted llnes) whereupon the oper-- ator will feel the ratchet release. The levers 100 may then be returned to the initial position. ~hen a female connector is employed~ the levers 100 will be rotated fur-ther to position ~ (FIGURE 29 dotted lines) whereupon the operator will again feel the ratchet release. In this manner the present invention will automatically accommo-date either a male or female connector without any adjust-ment of the force transmitting components of the apparatus.
In the operation of the preferred embodiment, a connector 26 is moun~ed on pins 40 of t'ne carriage 24 and a cable or bundle of conductors C are securedg such as by spring clamp 1389 adjacent the connector. The carriage is ' ' , :, . . .-~ .
-~ 077246 then moved to the conductor receivlng position, and each of the conductors C is threaded thro~gh the appropriate slot 51 and snapped pas~ed the dimple 64 lnto alignment with an individual contact 30. Next, the arms 32 are ro-tated to the closed position whereupon the latches 78 lock into position. The levers 100 are then rotated to either position A or B (FIGURE 2) depending on whether a male or female connector is being assembled. The levers may then be returned to their lnitial posltion retracting the blades 88 from the contacts 30 of the connector. In this manner the conductors C may be expedltiously trlmmed and lnserted ln each of the contacts 30.
Of course, lt should be understood that various changes and modlflcations to the preferred embodiments descrlbed herein wlll be apparent to those skllled in the art. Such changes and modiflcatlons can be made without departlng from the spirit and scope of the present lnventlon and without dimlnlshing its attendant advantages. It is, therefore, intended that such changes and modificatlons be covered by the following claims.
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Wlth the advent of miniaturized electronics and electrical component~, connectors used ln the electrlcal, communication and data handling industries have been re-duced ln ælze, ~aklng lt more dlf~icult to connect t`~elndividual conductors with the approprlate electrical ter-minal of the connector. Accordingly, a wlde variety o~
tools and meclanlcal devices have been developed in recent years dlrected at slmpllfying and expeditlng the assembly or mounting of conductors in these small electrlcal con-, nectors. The tools illustrated in Unlted States PatentsNo9. 3,742,571, 3,845~535, 3,952~392, 3,965,558 and 3J972J101 are typlcal examples of the kinds of apparatus developed to meet this need. Generally, these tools pro-vide some mechanism whereby the lnsulation covered con-ductor ls forced lnto the conventional lnsulation plerclng - termlnals Or the connector contact.
Prior art termination tools of the type dlsclosed ln Unlted States Patent No. 3,952,392 generally lnclude a ~rame or support structure havlng means ~or holding the connector in conductor receiving positlon and a pair Or opposltely disposed, rotatable arms, each o~ which lncludes an lnsertion tool ~or engaglng and pressing a plurallty of insulated conductors lnto the connector contacts. Such `~ 30 prior art devices are capable, thereforeJ of simultaneously terminating all of the conductors to be assembled with a given connector by virtue of a very simple sequence of operations.
Whlle these prior art termlnatlon tools have met wlth some success~ there are disadvantages associated wlth their manufacture and use which have llmited their accep-tance. For example, since the lnsertion tool, itsel~, moves through an arc ln effecting the termination of the conduc-- tors lt ls not possible to achleve preclse uniformlty of termlnation force acro3s the entlre row of contacts ln the connector. Moreover, in a glven llne of connectors the dlmenslon between the opposltely facing rows of contacts wlll be less in the female connector than ln the corres-pondlng male connector. Thus, the deslred parallel rela- .
tlonship of the insertlon tools as the rotatable arms reach the termlnatlng posltion cannot be achleved for both female and male connectors. To overcome thls disadvantage lt has ., been suggested to provlde an apparatus wherein the plvot of one of the rotatable arms ls movable to aocommodate connectors of different wldths. Thls procedure i8, however, time consucing and may not be entlrely accurate A further dlsadvantage associated with prlor art device~ is that the ~eans used, if any, to align the con-ductors with the individual contacts prlor to effectlng their termlnation ls generally constructed as an integral component. These "comb elements" are not only expenslve to manufacture~ requiring milllng and other machine tool operations, but also difficult to malntaln in the field, since indlvidual comb teeth are not replaceable and the shear edge typically disposed in these elements is diffi-cult, if not impossible, to resharpen.
~, -Acoordlngly, a primary ob~ect of the lnvention ls to provlde a new and lmproved termlnatlon apparatus, partlcularly a fleld termination apparatus, for the ~aclle termlnatlon of a plurality of conductors ln the respective contacts of a multiple contact electrical connector.
-2_ .
107724t;
A ~ore specific obJect o~ ~he invention is to provlde a termination apparatua which provides precis~ and uniform ter~lnating forces to each of the contacts of elther a male or female multiple contact connector regardlesS of dlmenslonal varlations across the width of the connectors.
Another object of the inventlon is to provide a termination apparatus wherein the insertlon tool travels along a path substantially perpendicular to the planes deflned by the rows of contacts in the connector.
Still another obJect of the invention is to pro-vide a termlnation apparatus which includes control means ; to lnsure that the insertion tool travels the approprlate distance to effect proper conductor termination in both male and fen~ale connectors.
A further object of the inventlon is to provide a terminatlon apparatus wherein an improved conductor align-ing means i5 employed which not only simplifies and reduces manufacturing costs but also facilitates and improves the terminating operation of the device.
In accordance with the present invention an appar-atus ls provided which terminates a plurality of insulated conductors with a high degree of precision and uniformity in each of the contacts of a multiple contact electrical connector. The apparatus includes a frame which supports a connector mounting means and conductor alignlng means, at least one rotatable arm carrying lnsertion means, and means for applying an operating force to the insertion means. The connector mounting means~ or carriage, is slid-ably supported on the frame from an initial position to a conductor receiving position. The conductor aligning means is fixedly secured to the frame and comprises comb elements havlng a plurality of uniquely configured teeth assembled in spaced relationship and adapted to capture the free ends 107~7Z46 of the individual conductor9 in the appropriate terminating posi-tion adjacent the respective contacts. The arm is rotatably moun-ted on the frame and is adapted for arcuate movement toward op-posite sides of the connector into positions immediately adjacent the connector contacts. The insertion means carried by the arm ' includes a multi-blade insertion member each of the blades adap-ted to engage and press a single conductor into a respective con-tact of the connector, The force application means comprises a camming element operable to translate forces developed by a rota-table lever into a horizontal force which is transmitted through the insertion member to the individual conductors.
The invention is particularly directed toward an appa-' ratus for simultaneously terminating a plurality of insulated con-ductors in the contacts of an electrical connector, the connector , having at least one row of contacts defining a contact plane. The apparatus comprises a frame; means supported on the frame for , mounting the connector in conductor receiving position; and means for aligning individual conductors adjacent respective contacts of the connector. At least one rotatable arm is mounted on the ~rame and adapted for arcuate movement from an open position re-~,~ mote from the connector to a closed position immediately adjacent the row of contacts. Insertion means are carried by the arm and are adapted for reciprocal and non-arcuate movement substantially perpendicular to the contact plane for engaging and pressing the insulated conductors into the individual contacts of the connec-tor. The apparatus includes means for applying an operating force to the insertion means to effect the perpendicular movement, thereby terminating each conductor in an individual contact of the connector.
The novel features which are believed to be characteris-tic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further o~jects and at-., ~ .
. : . .
~077246 tendant advantages thereof, will be best understood by re~erence to the following description taken in connection with the ac-. companying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating one pre~er-red embodiment of the invention with two rotatable arms, one in :: the open position and the other rotatable arm in the closed, termination position;
FIGURE la is an enlarged perspective view illustrating ~ in greater detail the insertiGn member employed in the embodiment 10 of FIGURE 1 and showing its relationship with the camming element which applies to the termination member the appropriate termina-tion force;
FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 , illustrating, in s,olid lines, both rotatable arms in the closed :
:, position with the camming levers in the initial operating posi- ' tion and in dotted lines, the camming levers at subsequent ope- : , ' rating positions;
. "
:, ,~ .
.:
.~ .
,", .
'.
.
, - 4a -: ~:
FIGURR 3 is a plan vlew o~ the embodlment of FIGURE 1 showing both arms in the open position and, in partlal cross-sectlon the structural arrangement of the rotatable arm, insertion member and camming element;
FI~URE 3a is an enlarged cross-sectional vlew taken along line 3a-3a of FIGURE 3;
FIGURE 3b is a side elevation taken along line 3b-3b of FIGURE 3 and showir.g the carriage and detent structure of the apparatus;
FIGURE 3c is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3c-3c of FIGURE 3;
FIGURE 4 ls a cross-sectional view of the entire apparatus taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and showlng the alignment of the insulated conductors ad~acent the contacts of a male connector with the arms and their respective in-sertion members in a partially open position;
FIGURE 5 is a perspectlve view of a preferred comb tooth utilized in the unique conductor aligning means of the present invention;
FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of FIGURE 4~ illustrating in greater detail the inter-relationship of the connector, the conductorsj the conductor : aligning means and the blades of insertion members;
: FIGURE 6a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view illustrating the contact structure in greater detail and its relationship to the conductor and insertion blade;
FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 4 illustrating the arms in the closed, insertion position with the blades of the insertion members located 3o at their respective positions immediately prior to the con-ductor trimming operation;
FIGURE 8 is also a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 4 illustratlng the blades of the insertion : -5-.~
~077246 members in final po~ition having effected the termlnation of the conductors in the contacts of a male connector;
F'IGURE 9 ls a cross-sectional view identical to FIGUR~ 8 lllustrating the termination of the conduotors in the contacts of a female con~ector; and FIGURE 10 ls a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIGURE 3c illustrating in greater detail the ratchet arrangement employed with the camming elements of the present invention.
Referring to FIGURE 1, a preferred apparatus of the present invention, designated generally as 20~ ls shown to comprise a frame 22 a carriage 24 supported on the frame and adapted to mount a connector 26 in conductor re-ceiving position~ means 28 for alignlng the conductors with respective contacts 30 of tlle connector, a pair of arms 32 used to position the insertion members 34 ad~acent the rows of contacts 30; and a camming mechanism 36 used to transmit the appropriate termination force to ttle individual conductors The carriage 24 is the means by which the connector 26 is mounted within the apparatus 20 in the conductor receiving position. The carriage includes a base plate 38 and suitable locating means which cooperate with the con-nector to insure its proper location. In the illustrated embodiment the base plate 38 includes a pair of longitud-inal slots 39 which cooperate with rails 41 mounted on the frame 22 (see FIGURE 3a)~ thereby enabling the carriage 24 to slide ~rom an initial open position shown in FIGURE 1 to a final conductor receiving position shown in FIGURE 2.
Loca~lng pins 40 are employed to engage apertures 42 in the opposite ends of the connector 26. Each of the pins 40 includes a shoulder 44 on which the connector 26 rides.
Thus, the illustrated locating means insures the proper lateral and vertical placement of the connector 26. As can be clearly seen in FIGURE 3b, the carriage 24 also includes a spring biased pin 46 which cooperates with an adjustable detent 48 to locate the connector longitudinally as well. The detent 48 i9 threaded into the frame 22 to allow preclse alignment of the connector with the conductor aligning means 28 and the insertion members 34.
The conductor alignlng means 28 comprises a pair of comb elements 50 each including a plurality o~ uniquely configured comb teeth 52. The comb teeth de~ine a plural-ity of conductor receiving slots 51 which are alignable with the contacts 30 of the connector 26. As shown in FIGURE 4, the comb teeth 52 are disposed in machined slots 53 formed in an inside member 54 of the comb element and securely clamped into positlon by an outside member 56 and bolts 58. The bolts 58 also serve to fixedly secure the comb elements 50 to the base 22.
The arms 32J rotatably mounted to the frame 22 by pins 68, are composed of upper and lower plates 70 and 72, respectively~ which are configured to provide an inter-mediate arm slot 7~ and an end arm slot 76. The inter-medlate slot 74 houses the insertion member 34 while the end slot 76 accommodates a pivotal and sprlng biased latch 78. As the arms 68 are rotated to the closed posltion their respective latches 78 engage the latch surfaces 80 to secure the arms in the closed~ termination position ad~acent the rows of contacts on the connector 26 in preparation for the termination operation. Guide surfaces 82 and 84 on :...
the frame 22 werve as stops which abut the inside surfaces 30 of the arms 32 to insure the precise location of the arms immediately ad~acent the oppositel-y facing rows of con-- tacts 30 on the connector.
'r',.' Each of the insertion members 34 includes a front . .
, . . .
1077'~46 face ~6 having a serles of insertion blades 88 extending outwardly therefrom. The member 34 also includes a palr ~f recesses 90 along the side faces 92 whlch mate wlth guide plates g3 and 9~ as the arms 32 rotate toward their closed position. The cooperation of the recesses 90 and plates 93 and 94 insures the precise alignment of the mem-bers 34 even though, as described below, these members 34 are substantially free floating within the arms 32. The insertion blades are configured along their engaging lead-ing edge 95, in a manner well known in the art to properlyengage the specific dlmensions and the geometric configur-ation of the contacts 30. In additlon~ the insertion blades 88 include a bottom shearing edge 97 which coacts with a stationary shear surface 55 formed in the lnside members 54 o~ the comb elements 50. l~S iS clearly seen in FIGURES 7-9, the shear edge 97 and shear surface 55 act to trim the conductor C lmmediately prior to the insertion operation.
Each of the arms 32 also includes a clamp bar 96 which may be formed integral with the upper arm 70 or mounted to the upper arm by bolts 38 or other suitable fastening means. The clamp bars 96 extend outwardly from the upper surface of the arms 32 (see FIGURE 4) to a point beyond the engaging edges 95 of the insertion blades 88.
hs is illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 7-9, the clamp bars 96 engage the conductors C when the arms 32 reach their closed position and urge the conductors into the strain rellef mechanlsm 98 (shown in FIGURE 6a) of the connector. Thls arrangement assures that even after the conductors have .,~ .
been trimmed and during the insertion operation, they will not be longitudinally displaced with respect to the contact 30. Of course, such a feature is highly desirable in that the possibility of a defective connection between the .
10~724~;
conductor C and the contact 30 is reduced.
In acc~rdance wlth an important ~eature Or the present invention, the in~ertion members 34 are driven by camming elements 36 along a path substantially perpendicular to the contact planes de~ined by the rows of contacts 30 in the connector. Each cammlng element 36 is operatively associated with an arm 32 and includes a lever 100; a rotatable shaft 102, a cam member 104, and a cam following slot 105. h key pln 106 prevents relative rotation between the lever 100 and the sha~t 102, the key being secured by the lnslde end 108 o~ the lever 100 which is threaded into the lever base 110. The eccentric cam member 104 is formed lntegrally with shaft 102 or may be keyed thereto by key pin 112. As is clearly seen the shaft 102 is Journaled in both the upper and lower plates 70 and 72~ respectively.
The cam following slot 105 is ~ormed in the insertion member 34 which slides freely within the intermediate arm slot 74. A small leaf spring 114 is mounted ~rom a support 116 which depends ~rom the upper arm plate 70~ the spring ~ 20 engaging a small notch 118 to prevent insertion member 34 !
; from ~loating in slot 74 to such an extent as to impede the proper engagement of recesses 90 and guide plates 93 and 94.
It will be apparent ~rom the foregoing that as the ' lever 100 is rotated the sha~t 102 ~dd cam member 104 will also rotate thereby ef~ecting a horizontal displacement of the insertion member 34 along guide plates 94. Moreover~
` when this operation is conducted with the arms 32 in the ;`~closed position~ the members 32 will travel along a path ~30 substantially perpendicular to the planes defined by the - rows of contacts 30.
In order to insure that the insertion member 34 travels the required distance in terminating the conductors ' ,,. .- . . ~
,~ , - . . -: . .. : , in t~e connector, each cammlng eleme~t 36 ma~ also include a ratchet 120 and pawl 122 which coact to require full operative rotation of the levers 100. The ratchet 120 is mounted to the underside of the lever base 110 and secured to prevent relative rotation by key pin 124. The pawl 122 is mounted on shaft 126 and is biased toward the ratchet 120 by a small compression spring 128. ~s is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 109 the ratchet 120 includes two release recesses 130 and 1329 respectively~ which allow the pawl to release from the ratchet in a manner well known in the art. The necessity for two release positions arises from the fact that connectors of different dimensions (i.e., male and female connectors) may be used with t'ne present invention~ Thusg a male connector, having a greater transverse dimension, requires less travel of in-sertion member 34 for proper termination than does a female connector. This difference in insertion member movement is accommodated by the recesses 130 and 132. ~hen con-necting conductors to a male connector~ the levers 100 are rotated from the initial position (FIGURE 29 solid lines) to position 1-~ (FIGURE 29 dotted llnes) whereupon the oper-- ator will feel the ratchet release. The levers 100 may then be returned to the initial position. ~hen a female connector is employed~ the levers 100 will be rotated fur-ther to position ~ (FIGURE 29 dotted lines) whereupon the operator will again feel the ratchet release. In this manner the present invention will automatically accommo-date either a male or female connector without any adjust-ment of the force transmitting components of the apparatus.
In the operation of the preferred embodiment, a connector 26 is moun~ed on pins 40 of t'ne carriage 24 and a cable or bundle of conductors C are securedg such as by spring clamp 1389 adjacent the connector. The carriage is ' ' , :, . . .-~ .
-~ 077246 then moved to the conductor receivlng position, and each of the conductors C is threaded thro~gh the appropriate slot 51 and snapped pas~ed the dimple 64 lnto alignment with an individual contact 30. Next, the arms 32 are ro-tated to the closed position whereupon the latches 78 lock into position. The levers 100 are then rotated to either position A or B (FIGURE 2) depending on whether a male or female connector is being assembled. The levers may then be returned to their lnitial posltion retracting the blades 88 from the contacts 30 of the connector. In this manner the conductors C may be expedltiously trlmmed and lnserted ln each of the contacts 30.
Of course, lt should be understood that various changes and modlflcations to the preferred embodiments descrlbed herein wlll be apparent to those skllled in the art. Such changes and modiflcatlons can be made without departlng from the spirit and scope of the present lnventlon and without dimlnlshing its attendant advantages. It is, therefore, intended that such changes and modificatlons be covered by the following claims.
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Claims (17)
1. An apparatus for simultaneously terminating a plurality of insulated conductors in the contacts of an electrical connector, said connector having at least one row of contacts defining a contact plane, said apparatus comprising: a frame; means supported on said frame for mounting said connector in conductor receiving position; means for aligning individual conductors adjacent respective contacts of said connector; at least one rotatable arm mounted on said frame and adapted for arcuate move-ment from an open position remote from said connector to a closed position immediately adjacent said row of contacts; insertion means carried by said arm and adapted for reciprocal and non-arcuate movement substantially perpendicular to said contact plane for engaging and pressing said insulated conductors into the individual contacts of said connector; and means for applying an operating force to said insertion means to effect said per-perpendicular movement, thereby terminating each conductor in an individual contact of the connector.
2. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said conductor aligning means includes at least one comb element comprising a plurality of comb teeth which define a series of conductor receiving slots.
3. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said insertion means comprises an elongated insertion member having a plurality of insertion blades extending from a lateral side thereof and adapted to align with said conductor receiving slots to engage and insert said insulated conductors into said contacts, said insertion member being movable both laterally and longitudinally with respect to said arm and adapted to engage guide means to thereby facilitate the alignment of said blades and said conductor receiving slots.
4. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said rotatable arm comprises an upper and a lower plate which define an intermediate slot adapted to receive said insertion member.
5. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said force applying means includes a camming element associated with said arm and comprising a rotatable camming member which cooperates with a cam following slot in said insertion means, whereby upon rotation of said camming member said substantially perpendicular movement of said insertion means is effected.
6. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, further Including means for controlling the degree of rotation of said camming member such that said insertion means moves a predetermined distance relative to said arm and toward the row of contacts of the connector upon actuation of said camming element.
7. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said rotation controlling means is adapted to provide movement of said insertion means for at least two predetermined distances.
8. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 7,wherein said rotation controlling means comprises a ratchet operatively connected to said camming member and a pawl rotatably mounted on said arm, said ratchet having at least two release recesses.
9. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, further Including means associated with said arm for urging said conductors Into a strain relief mechanism of said contacts upon movement of said arm to the closed position adjacent said row of contacts.
10. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein said conductor urging means comprises a clamp bar which extends outwardly from said arm to a point beyond said insertion means.
11. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim I wherein said conductor aligning means includes at least one comb element comprising a plurality of releasably mounted comb teeth which define a series of conductor receiving slots, each of said comb teeth including a protuberance which extends into an adjacent slot, thereby providing means for retaining the individual conductors in alignment with the contacts of the connector.
12. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, further including shear means associated with each conductor receiving slot, said shear means coacting with said insertion means to trim the individual conductors immediately prior to insertion into the contacts of the connector.
13. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 12 wherein said protuberances are positioned toward the free end of said conductors relative to said shear means.
14. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, further including means for releasably securing said arm in the closed position.
15. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 14 wherein said securing means comprises a spring bias latch which cooperates with a latching surface on said frame.
16. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said connector mounting means comprises a movable carriage including fixed locating means for lateral and vertical positioning of the connector and adjustable locating means for longitudinal positioning of the locating means.
17. The termination apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 for use with connectors having two generally parallel rows of oppositely facing contacts defining respective parallel contact planes, wherein said at least one arm includes a pair of arms, each of said arms carrying a respective insertion means.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US73595576A | 1976-10-27 | 1976-10-27 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
CA1077246A true CA1077246A (en) | 1980-05-13 |
Family
ID=24957885
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
CA289,492A Expired CA1077246A (en) | 1976-10-27 | 1977-10-25 | Conductor terminating apparatus |
Country Status (8)
Country | Link |
---|---|
JP (1) | JPS6013275B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA1077246A (en) |
DE (1) | DE2747998A1 (en) |
FR (1) | FR2369704A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB1564860A (en) |
NL (1) | NL7711625A (en) |
PL (1) | PL109735B1 (en) |
SE (1) | SE7711464L (en) |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3758935A (en) * | 1971-05-27 | 1973-09-18 | Amp Inc | Apparatus for securing wires to terminals in connectors |
US3877771A (en) * | 1972-08-21 | 1975-04-15 | Leo Anker Jensen | Apparatus for the solderless splicing of multi-lead cables |
US4001931A (en) * | 1974-08-30 | 1977-01-11 | Trw Inc. | Wire termination method |
US3953925A (en) * | 1974-12-12 | 1976-05-04 | Viking Industries, Inc. | Installation tool and method for installing a plurality of wires on an electrical connector frame |
-
1977
- 1977-10-12 SE SE7711464A patent/SE7711464L/en unknown
- 1977-10-20 GB GB43765/77A patent/GB1564860A/en not_active Expired
- 1977-10-24 NL NL7711625A patent/NL7711625A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1977-10-25 CA CA289,492A patent/CA1077246A/en not_active Expired
- 1977-10-26 PL PL1977201749A patent/PL109735B1/en unknown
- 1977-10-26 JP JP52127716A patent/JPS6013275B2/en not_active Expired
- 1977-10-26 FR FR7732305A patent/FR2369704A1/en active Granted
- 1977-10-26 DE DE19772747998 patent/DE2747998A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
FR2369704A1 (en) | 1978-05-26 |
SE7711464L (en) | 1978-04-28 |
PL109735B1 (en) | 1980-06-30 |
PL201749A1 (en) | 1978-06-19 |
NL7711625A (en) | 1978-05-02 |
GB1564860A (en) | 1980-04-16 |
JPS6013275B2 (en) | 1985-04-05 |
JPS5359879A (en) | 1978-05-30 |
DE2747998A1 (en) | 1978-05-03 |
FR2369704B1 (en) | 1982-06-25 |
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