DE2513876A1 - DEVICE FOR INSERTING SEVERAL ELECTRIC CONNECTION PINS IN HOLE IN A SUBSTRATE - Google Patents

Description

AMP Incorporated
Eisenhower Boulevard
Harrisburg, Pa. (V. St. A.)

Device for the simultaneous use of several electrical Terminal pins in holes in a substrate

Priority: March 28, 197 ¹ *; Vr>tA; No. '4bü 762

The invention relates to a device for simultaneous Inserting a plurality of electrical connection elements into holes in a substrate, e.g. B. several pins in Holes in a printed circuit board.

In the manufacture of printed circuit boards are on an electrically insulating substrate by photo-etching or other common practice lines formed. Usually it is desirable to be with the traces of the printed circuit board make external connections, for example to supply power from a power supply, or connections to other circuit boards or other electrical circuits.

In one way of making such external connections, a plurality of connection pins are provided on the printed circuit board, with which e.g. B. by soldering, by suitable

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te connector halves or other common methods a connection is established. The layers solcher- pins are determined by the conductor tracks on the circuit board, and these are often dimensioned _s that the terminal pins are spaced from each other in a straight line and at equal intervals. The printed circuit board is designed to receive the connection pins with through holes, which are usually plated through with the material of the cable runs to improve the electrical connection between the connection pins and the associated cable runs of the printed circuit board.

Various methods of inserting terminal pins into holes in a printed circuit board are known. Often times, the pins are inserted one at a time by hand into the holes in the circuit board. Otherwise used ma'n machines for piece-by-piece automatic insertion of the Pins into holes in the circuit board.

Each of these procedures involves inserting the connector pins takes a lot of time.

To speed up the insertion process, a "comb structure" formed from terminal pins was developed at the several adjacent connecting pins are arranged on a common carrier strip, usually are such comb structures made of a single piece of electrically conductive material, eg. B. copper or the like., Punched or

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worked out and outwardly resemble a common hairdresser comb. Such chimney structures often consist of relative thin material that z. B. has a thickness of 0.79 mm or less; this results in handling problems during insertion the connection pins, especially if the carrier strip is several cm long, since the connection pins on the carrier strip have a high degree of deflection.

Heretofore, when inserting the connecting pins of such a comb structure into holes in a printed circuit board two separate tools used one after the other. First, a combing tool is used for straightening, aligning and holding of the terminal pins are used to partially insert them into the holes in the plate. This combing tool is then removed, and a tool consisting of a pusher and a carrier strip guide tongue is used to complete the insertion .

Combing tools are normally designed so that they resemble a pair of pliers with elongated U-shaped jaws, the one Resembles spring pliers, which are designed with notches on their inner surfaces for enclosing and gripping the connecting pins, thereby straightening the connector pins on the carrier strip; the connecting pins along the desired Positioned center axis of the holes in which they are to be inserted.

After the combing tool has been removed, there is one Slider and a carrier strip guide tongue having a work-

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stuff for application. The slider is simply an elongated portion that is adjacent to the connector pins and their carrier strip is fixed. The carrier strip guide tab is attached to the slider and offset relative to it to form a channel for receiving the carrier strip. Pressure can thus be exerted on the slide and the carrier strip guide tongue to fully insert the pins already partially inserted into the holes in the printed circuit board.

In the prior art, there are two separate tools, each of which has to be operated separately, in order to achieve the desired one row-by-row insertion of the connector pins into the holes in the printed circuit board; for exchanging the tools against each other results in a considerable expenditure of time.

The device according to the invention for the simultaneous insertion of several electrical connection pins into holes in a substrate, the terminal pins originally being carried by a common carrier strip substantially parallel to one another is characterized by a main body with holding means for receiving and holding the terminal pins and of the carrier strip and aligning the connector pins with respect to each other and on the carrier strip., a connector pin attachment unit, which is arranged on the main body and is displaceable relative to this between a first position, in which the fastening unit rests against the connecting pins and holds them on the holding means, and a second position, in which the fastening unit is not attached to the connector pins

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rests and these lie freely on the holding means, and a locking device connected to the main body and the fastening unit cooperates to lock the fastening unit in the first position and to loosen the fastening unit from the main body to move to the second position after partial insertion of the connector pins into the holes in the Substrate.

An embodiment of the invention is set out below Hand of the drawing explained in more detail. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pin comb structure that can be used with the device

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device for

Inserting terminal pins of Figure 1 into holes in a printed circuit board;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 2 on which the pin comb structure is secured according to Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of the device of Fig. 2, the pin comb structure inserted but not locked; and

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^r ig. 5 a pig. * ί Similar sectional side view showing the locking pin comb structure

Fig. I shows a pin comb structure 10 to be used with the apparatus of the invention; the comb structure is made of a 'single piece of flat _s electrically conductive material, e.g. B ₃ copper _s gold-plated steel or the like. Manufactured, the configuration shown is obtained by punching, cutting or working out of the solid. From a lazy patrol. 12, a plurality of connecting pins 11 protrude; the carrier strip 12 can be broken off after the connecting pins 11 have been inserted.

Each connector pin 11 has an elongated portion 13 which extends into a preformed hole in a substrate, e.g. B. in a (not shown) printed circuit board .. Shoulders I ¹ * on the elongated section 13 come to rest on the surface of the printed circuit board when the pin 11 is fully inserted into a hole in the circuit board i & t - _s with a relatively wide section 15 of the terminal pin in the hole is fixed, the elongate portion 13 of each terminal pin 11 is connected to the carrier strip 12 via a contact portion 16 '.

In the 'carrier strip 12 are during manufacture of the comb structure 10 holes 17 formed, which are mainly used to move the comb structure 10 during its manufacture will. In addition, the holes 17 in the carrier strip are

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fen 12 can be used to facilitate the insertion of the comb structure 10 in the device according to the invention, such as will be explained.

So that the carrier strip 12 is easily removed from the connector pins

11 is to be removed, a score line 18 is provided on each pin 11. Thus, after inserting the connector pins 11 in holes in a substrate, a transversely directed bending force can be exerted on the carrier strip 12 in order to make it to break off from the connecting pins 11.

The device of Fig. 2-5 has a main body 19 on which a holder consisting of a comb slide 20 and a carrier strip guide tab 21 is disposed; the comb slide 20 has an edge with several pyramid-like Projections 22 is formed, which when the device is used between the connecting pins 11 of the comb structure 10 (see. Fig. 3, 4 and 5). The guide tongue 21 is above of the slide 20 and has a protruding lip 23 through which between the slide 20 and the lip 23 a groove 24 is formed. Thus the carrier strip is

12 of the comb structure 10 can be fixed in the groove 2k , the shoulders 14 of the connecting pins 11 adjoining the projections 22 of the slide 20 and lying in front of them.

In the embodiment shown, the slide 20 and the guide tongue 21 are secured in a channel 25 'in the main body 1g and on the main body 19 by screws (not shown)

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ben attached; the main body 19 as well as the slide 20 and the guide tongue 21 could of course also consist of a single one Piece to be made.

A mounting slide unit 25 is secured on the main body 19 and is operable by a handle unit 26. The mounting slide unit 25 is essentially T-shaped; it has a comb guide rod 27 with a width which is approximately equal to that of the comb slide 20, and forms the crossbeam of the T, furthermore it has a rearward running bracket 28, which forms the leg of the T. The handle unit 26 has an L-shaped main part, the with one section 29 slides on the top of the bracket 28 of the mounting slide unit 25 and with another Section 30 extends downwards behind the free end of the holder 28. One that can be operated manually or by machine upright handle 31 is attached to section 29 of handle unit 26. A nose 32 is attached to the main body 19, which forms a support surface 33 over a complementary support surface 34 on the top of the main body 34; The handle unit 26 and the fastening slide unit 25 can be displaced between the two support surfaces.

A spring 35 is arranged between the nose 32 and the handle 31, which the handle unit 26 normally in spans a rear unlocked position (Figs. 2 and 4). Between the bracket 28 of the fastening slide unit 25 and downwardly extending portion 30 of the unit

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26 a spring 36 is provided, which the units 25 and 26 stretching away from each other.

A locking device in the form of a locking pin 37 is in a slot 38 in the lower part of the handle unit 26 set (Fig. 4 and 5) and has a sufficiently large diameter, to extend out of the slot 38 into a channel 39 in the bracket 28 of the mounting slide unit 25 and to lock the units 26 and 25 together. Thus, a front and back takes place relative to the main body 19 Movement back of the handle unit 26 corresponds to a movement of the fastening slide unit 25.

When the units 26 and 25 are moved to a forward position against the force of the spring 35 (the forward position is shown in Figs the nose 32 moves. This movement is ensured by the obliquely inclined rear end of the channel 39 in the holder 28 of the fastening slide unit 25. The unit 25 is then free of the handle unit 26 and is moved forwards relative to the handle unit 26 by the spring J> 6 (cf. FIG. 5). Thus the locking pin 37 is on the upper side of the holder 28 of the fastening slide unit

25 set and lies in the slot 38 of the handle unit

26 and the channel 40 in the nose 32 and locks the unit 25 with the main body 19. Therefore, the handle unit 26 cannot be displaced backwards relative to the main body 19 in this position will. Also lies in this position

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25Ί3876

the front edge of the comb guide rod 27 on the connecting pins 11 of the comb structure 10. In the front edge of the comb guide bar 27 grooves are formed in which the connecting pins 11 can be received in order to be aligned and held there will.

To limit the forward and backward displacement of the fastening slide unit 25 relative to the main body 19, a pin M1 is provided in the holder 28 of the unit 26. The pin ¹ Il slides in a channel 42 in the main body 19 and is located on a front end wall 43 of the channel 42, when the unit occupies 25 its forward position of FIG. 5, and is located at a rear end wall 44 of the channel 42, when the unit is in its rear position as shown in FIG.

It can be seen that when the handle assembly 26 and the mounting slide unit 25 take its front or locked position according to FIG. 5 and on the front edge the KammleitStange 27 a force is exerted, which the bias the spring 36 overcomes the mounting slide unit 25 is moved backwards with respect to the handle unit 26, whereby the channel 39 with the slot 38 and the Channel 40 is aligned. The locking pin 37 then falls down into the slot 38 and channel 39 and out of the Channel 40 out and releases the units 26 and 25 from the main body 19; the two units 25 and 26 are then through the Force of the spring 35 moved into the rear or unlocked position according to FIG.

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A comb structure 10 of terminal pins 11 to be inserted into holes in a printed circuit board is shown in FIG Can be used manually or automatically between the slide 20 and the guide tongue 21 (see FIG. 3)> wherein the carrier strip 12 fits into the groove 24 and the projections 22 serve to the To separate connecting pins 11 from one another and to align them essentially along a desired center line, so that they can be inserted into the holes in the printed circuit board. Then the handle unit 26 and the Fastening slide unit 25 in the locked position Figs. 2 and 5 move and bring the comb guide rod 27 in Contact with the connecting pins 11, whereby the comb structure 10 is so Gesichei't in the device that the connecting pins 11 are properly aligned.

In this locking position, the locking pin 37 is fixed in the slot 38 of the handle unit 26 and in the channel 40 in the nose 32 of the main body 19, and the spring 35 is compressed between the nose 32 and the handle 3I. Then the terminal pins 11 are inserted into the holes in the printed circuit board; During this process, the printed circuit board acts on the leading edge of the comb guide rod 27. Then the mounting slide unit 25 is pushed backwards by the printed circuit board against the force of the spring 36, and the locking pin 37 falls back into the slot 38 and the channel 39. Then, the handle unit 26 and the fixing slider unit 25 are pushed back by the force of the spring 35 in the unlocked position of FIG. ¹ J. In Fig. 2 the unlocked position is in dash-dotted lines and the locking

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Position shown in solid lines.

The insertion force acting on the partially inserted comb structure 10 is then exerted further by the abutment of the shoulders Ik of the connecting pins 11 and the projections 22 of the slide 20; the insertion force is exerted until the shoulders 14 of the connection pins 11 rest on the surface of the printed circuit board. Then the entire device is simply removed from the comb structure 10.

The device according to the invention can be of any suitable Material, ζ. Β. Plastic or metal, are made of; the material chosen depends mainly on the particular Using the device.

The device according to the invention is in a simple manner Machines can be used, e.g. B. in numerically controlled machines, where z. B. a compressed air or other force on the Main body 19 is exerted to drive the terminal pins 11 into the circuit board. This is possible because because the connection pins 11 are automatically aligned when the comb structure 10 is inserted into the device, in this aligned position and held by the * comb guide bar until the insertion process begins. After this this has started, the comb guide rod 27 is automatically returned to the unlocked position, so that the Device can continue the complete insertion process,

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until the shoulders 14 of the connecting pins 11 the desired End position in contact with the top of the printed circuit board.

Patent claims :

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Claims (7)

Claim e 1 / Device for the simultaneous use of several electrical Terminal pins in holes in a substrate, the terminal pins originally from a common carrier strip are carried essentially parallel to each other, characterized by a main body (19) with holding means (20, 21) for receiving and holding the connection pins (11) and the carrier strip (12) and aligning the connection pins (11) with respect to one another and on the carrier strip (12), a connection pin Fastening unit (25, 27) which is arranged on the main body (19) and is displaceable relative to it between a first position (FIG. 5) in which the fastening unit (27) rests on the connecting pins (11) and these are on the holding means ( 20, 21) holds, and a second position (Fig. ¹ O, in which the fixing unit (27) does not abut against the terminal pins (11) and releases the retaining means (20, 21) lie, and a locking device (37) , which cooperates with the main body (19) and the fastening unit (25) to lock the fastening unit (25) in the first position and release the fastening unit from the main body (19) for moving into the second position after the partial insertion of the Connection pins (11) in the holes in the substrate. 509840/0845 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding means have: a slide (20) with a plurality of projections (22) engaging between the connecting pins (11) for aligning the connecting pins (11), the projections (22) at the Connection pins (11) formed shoulders (14) rest, whereby an insertion force can be exerted on the connection pins (11), and a guide tongue (21) which ^{forms a groove (2 1} J) with the slide (20) in which the carrier strip (12) is recordable. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that fastening means have a holder (28) which are slidable on the main body (19) relative to the latter between the first and the second position is, the first and the second position by one of the bracket (28) carried and in a channel (42) in the main body (19) received pin (4l) are determined, and that the holder (28) carries a guide rod (27) which in the second position (Fig. 5) on the connecting pins (11) is present. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the fastening means comprise: a Handle unit (26), through which the holder (28) can be moved from the second to the first position, and one between the handle unit (26) and the main body (19) acting spring (35) for moving the holder (28) from the first in the second position. 509840/0845 tion (28) and releasing the locking pin (37) from the channel (40) in the main body (19), whereby the between the main body (19) and the handle unit (26) acting spring (35) the handle unit (26) and the holder (28) together can move from the first to the second position. 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized that the holder (28) on the main body (19) between a holding means supporting Part (34) and a part (33) containing the channel (40) slides. 509840/0845 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the holder (28) with the handle unit (26) is locked in the second, but not in the first position by the locking pin (37), and that the handle unit (26) with the main body (19) by the locking device (37) is locked in the first, but not in the second position, between the holder (28) and a spring (36) acts on the handle unit (26) and the holder (28) in the first position into this Position presses. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 ι characterized in that the locking device is a locking pin (37) which is arranged in a slot (38) in the handle unit (26) and in the first position in a channel (40) in the main body and is held by the holder (28) in the channel (40) for locking the fastening unit (25) in the first position, and which in the second position lies in a channel (39) in the holder (28) and from the main body (19) is held in the channel (39) to lock the handle unit (26) with the holder (28), the spring (36) acting therebetween being loaded, and the locking pin (37) in the first position of the channel (39) of the holder ( 28) is free, and that the holder (28) in the first position can be displaced relative to the handle unit (26) against the force of the spring (36) acting therebetween to rest against the locking pin (37) in the channel (39) of the holding- 509840/0845 Blank page