GB2134422A - Apparatus for terminating an electrical conductor to an electrical connector - Google Patents
Apparatus for terminating an electrical conductor to an electrical connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2134422A GB2134422A GB08400667A GB8400667A GB2134422A GB 2134422 A GB2134422 A GB 2134422A GB 08400667 A GB08400667 A GB 08400667A GB 8400667 A GB8400667 A GB 8400667A GB 2134422 A GB2134422 A GB 2134422A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- cover
- connector
- ram
- housing
- support
- 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.)
- Granted
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
-
- 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
- H01R43/20—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
Abstract
The apparatus mates an electrical connector housing (4) with an internal connector and a cover (16) therefor to terminate an electrical conductor (C) with the connector. A cover support (38) and a connector support (36) are movable on a carriage (34) between a terminating position beneath a press ram (40) and a loading position displaced from the terminating position, to enable the operator easily to load a cover (16) and a connector (4) into the respective supports. In the loading position a cover receptacle (66) opens towards the operator. During movement to the terminating position, the receptacle is pivotable to face the connector support (36) by a roller (64) engaging a cam surface (72). The ram presses on the cover support against a spring action to press the conductor (C) into the housing. Upon ram retraction the spring returns the cover support for the operator to remove the assembly. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Apparatus for terminating an electrical conductor to an electrical connector
This invention relates to apparatus for mating an insulating housing of an electrical connector and.a cover for the housing, to terminate an electrical conductor, inserted between the housing and the cover, to an electrical terminal in the housing, the apparatus comprising a terminating ram and a connector support, the ram being movable through a working stroke towards the connector support to mate the cover with the housing when the connector is positioned on the connector support, and through a return stroke away from the connector support.
The invention is intended to provide such apparatus in which the cover and the connector can be easily loaded into the apparatus manually, without obstruction by the ram, the operation of the apparatus being thereafter automatic.
To this end, according to the invention, the apparatus further comprises a cover support, a carriage upon which both of the supports are mounted, and means for moving the carriage between a first position in which the supports are in a loading position remote from the ram and a second position in which the supports are in a terminating position in register with the ram prior to its working stroke, in which second position, the cover support releasably supports the cover intermediate the ram and the connector, to permit the ram to mate the cover with the housing during the working stroke of the ram.
Preferably, the cover support is such that in the first position of the carriage, a cover receptacle of the support faces the operator, further to facilitate the loading of the cover into the apparatus.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure I is an enlarged side elevation, shown partly in section, of an electrical connector, a cover therefor and a cable positioned between the connector and the cover;
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the connector;
Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of an end of the connector;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cover;
Figure 5 is a partly diagrammatic side elevation, shown partly in section, of apparatus, in the form of a bench mounted tool, for terminating cables to electrical connectors according to Figures 1 to 4;
Figure 6 is an end view of Figure 5 with parts removed; and
Figure 7 is a top plan view of Figure 5 with parts removed.
The apparatus according to the embodiment described below is for use in terminating cables, and especially ribbon cables, by means of electrical connectors (4).
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a connector (4) comprises an insulating housing (6), having a row of through cavities (8) each having supported therein a ioop-shaped electrical terminal (10) having a conductor-receiving opening (12) at one end and a contact receptacle portion (14) at the other end. The connector (4) has an insulating cover (16) for mating with the housing (6) and comprising a series of plugs (18) formed integrally with one another.Each plug (18) is dimensioned for insertion, in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1, into an individual cavity (8) to drive a conductor (C1) of a ribbon cable (C), placed between the cover (16) and the top of the housing (6) (Figure 1), down into the opening (12) of the terminal (10) in the corresponding cavity, so that the edges of the opening (12) make permanent electrical contact with the conductor (C1). The plugs (18) have barbs (20) upon their lower (as seen in Figure 1) ends (21), which upon full insertion of the pliugs, engage latchingly with shoulders (22) in the cavities (8) to retain the plugs (18) therein. Each plug (18) is formed with a recess (24) bounded by resilient arms (26) provided with barbs (28) at their free ends.At each end thereof, the housing (6) has spaced mounting lugs (30) (Figures 1 and 3). The housing is also provided with ribs (31) projecting outwardly thereof at spaced intervals.
As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the apparatus comprises a frame (32) slidably supporting a carriage (34) upon which are mounted a connector support (36) and a cover support (38), a press ram (40) being mounted in guides (not shown) for reciprocating movement along a vertical path, towards and away from the connector support (36) and the cover support (38), under the action of a conventional press ram driving mechanism (not shown), which is operated by a pedal switch (not shown), through a single revolution clutch (not shown).
The carriage (34) is arranged to be driven in horizontal reciprocating motion by means of a double-acting pneumatic piston-and-cylinder unit (42) on the frame (32), having a piston rod (44) secured to an arm (45) on the carriage (34), to displace the carriage (34) and thus the connector support (36) and the cover support (38) between a first, loading position shown in broken lines and a second, terminating position shown in full lines, in FigureS.
The carriage (34) slides on a rail (35) about which gibs (37) on the carriage (34) engage, as best seen in
Figure 6.
The connector support (36) comprises side walls (46) and (48) and end walls (50) (Figure 6) secured to a base (52) on the slide (34) and defining a channel (53) adapted to receive a connector (4) as shown in FigureS. The side wall (46) is of smaller height than the side wall (48). The end walls (50) may be adjustable longitudinally of the base (52) to allow the connector support (52) may have projections (not shown) to engage between the ribs (31) of the connector.
The cover support (38) comprises a plunger (54) which can be depressed by the ram (40) against the action of a compression spring (56), being guided between the side wall (48) of the connector support, and a guide plate (58) on the slide (34).
A cover container bar (59) pivoted on a pin (60) to the upper (as seen in Figures 5 and 6) end of the plunger (54) is urged in a clockwise (as seen in
Figure 5) sense by a coil spring (62) and carries a cam follower roll (64) projecting from its left hand (as seen in Figure 6) end, the bar (59) is formed with a cover receptacle (66) adapted releasably to receive a cover (16). The receptacle (66) may have therein projections (not shown) for engaging in the recesses (24) of the cover, so as to be resiliently and releasably gripped by the arms (26).
The roll (64) is arranged to cooperate, as described below, with a cam (68) which is fixed to the frame (32) on a post (69) (Figure 6) and has a horizontal cam surface (70) adjoining an inclined cam surface (72) which extends obliquely with respect to the vertical.
At the beginning of a cycle of operation of the apparatus, the ram (40) is in a retracted position as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the connector piston rod (44) being in an advanced position so that the connector support (36) and the cover support (38) are in their first, broken line position, being displaced leftwardly (as seen in Figure 5) from beneath the ram (40) to a position remote therefrom. In this position of the slide (34), the roll (64) engages that end of the inclined cam surface (72) which is remote from the horizontal cam surface (70) so that the cover container bar (59) is retained in a vertical position in longitudinal alignment with the plunger (54) by the action of the spring (62), whereby the receptacle (66) is open in a leftward (as seen in
Figure 5) direction, i.e. the receptacle (66) opens towards the operator.As will be apparent from
Figure 5, the channel (53) of the connector support (36) is also readily accessible to the operator.
The operator places a cover (16) in the receptacle (66) of the cover support (38), with the ends (21) of the plugs (18) directed outwardly of the receptacle (66) and also places a connector (4) in the channel (53) of the connector support (36) with the openings (12) of the terminals (10), opening away from the base (52) of the channel (53). The operator then actuates a start switch (74) on the frame (32) to cause the unit (42) to retract its piston rod (44) in turn to retract the slide (34) to bring the supports (36) and (38) to their second, full line, positions. As the slide (34) is being retracted, the roll (64) rides down along the cam surface (72) so that the bar (59) is swung in an anticlockwise (as seen in Figure 5) sense about its pin (60) against the action of the spring (62), until the roll (64) reaches the cam surface (70).The bar (59) now extends at right angles to the plunger (54), the cover (16) in the receptacle (66), facing towards the connector (4) in the channel (53) which is now aligned with the receptacle (66); as shown in full lines in Figure 5.
The operator then inserts the end portion of a cable (C) between the cover (16) and the connector (4) so that the extremity of the cable (C) engages the upper part of the wall (48) which acts as a cable stop.
Alternatively, the rear wail of the housing of the connector can be arranged to act as a cable stop.
Upon full retraction thereof, to an extent limited by an adjustable stop (75), the carriage (34) strikes a limit switch (76) to complete the circuit of the foot switch so that this switch becomes operative. The operator then actuates the foot switch so that the ram (40) descends through a working stroke to strike the top of the plunger (54) so as to depress it against the action spring (56) whereby the cover (16) is driven down onto the end portion of the cable (C) to terminate its conductors (C1) to the terminals (10) of the connector (4) in the manner described above with reference to Figures 1 to 4.
As the ram (40) rises through a return stroke under the action of the single revolution clutch, the cover support (38) rises under the action of its spring (56), and the cover (16), now secured to the connector (4) by means of the barbs (20) is thereby withdrawn from the receptacle (66). During its return stroke, the ram (40) operates a further limit switch (78) to cause the unit (42) to advance its piston rod (44) to return the carriage (34) so as to bring the supports (36) and (38) to their first, broken line, position, so that the connector (4), now connected to the end portion of the cable (C) by means of the cover (16) can readily be removed by the operator, from the channel (53).
The apparatus is now ready for a further cycle of operation.
The apparatus could, of course, be used to terminate a separate conductor or separate conductors, to one or more terminals of an electrical connector, instead for terminating the conductors of a ribbon cable.
Claims (7)
1. Apparatus for mating an insulating housing of an electrical connector and a coverforthe housing, to terminate an electrical conductor inserted between the housing and the cover, to an electrical terminal in the housing, the apparatus comprising a terminating ram and a connector support, the ram being movable through a working stroke towards the connector support to mate the cover with the housing when the connector is positioned on the connector support, and through a return stroke away from the connector support; the apparatus further comprising a cover support, a carriage upon which both of the supports are mounted, and means for moving the carriage between a first position, in which the supports are in a loading position remote from the ram and a second position in which the supports are in a terminating position in register with the ram priorto its working stroke, in which second position, the cover support releasably supports the cover intermediate the ram and the connector, to permit the ram to mate the cover with the housing during the working stroke of the ram.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover support comprises a cover receptacle which opens to receive the cover, in a direction transverse to the path of movement of the ram, in the loading position of the supports and opens in a direction towards the connector support in the terminating position of the supports.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cover support comprises a spring loaded plunger which can, in the second position of the supports, be depressed by the ram during its working stroke, and a cover container bar, in which the receptacle is formed and which is pivoted to the plunger.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the container bar carries a cam follower which rides on a cam surface during the movement of the carriage between its first and its second positions, whereby in the first position of the carriage, the bar extends in longitudinal alignment with the plunger and in the second position of the carriage, the bar extends at right angles to the plunger.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cam follower is in the form of a roll, the container bar being pivoted to the plunger at a position remote from the slide, on a pin surrounded by a coil spring which serves to urge the roll against the cam surface which has a first portion extending at right angles to the path of movement of the ram and a second portion extending obliquely with respect to the path of movement of the ram.
6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the receptacle is provided with internal projections adapted to be resiliently engaged in recesses in the cover.
7. Apparatus for mating an insulating housing of an electrical connector and a cover for the housing, to terminate an electrical conductor inserted between the housing and the cover, to an electrical terminal in the housing, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08400667A GB2134422B (en) | 1983-02-01 | 1984-01-11 | Apparatus for terminating an electrical conductor to an electrical connector |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB838302763A GB8302763D0 (en) | 1983-02-01 | 1983-02-01 | Terminating electrical conductor to connector |
| GB08400667A GB2134422B (en) | 1983-02-01 | 1984-01-11 | Apparatus for terminating an electrical conductor to an electrical connector |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8400667D0 GB8400667D0 (en) | 1984-02-15 |
| GB2134422A true GB2134422A (en) | 1984-08-15 |
| GB2134422B GB2134422B (en) | 1985-11-13 |
Family
ID=26285099
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08400667A Expired GB2134422B (en) | 1983-02-01 | 1984-01-11 | Apparatus for terminating an electrical conductor to an electrical connector |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2134422B (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0231617A1 (en) * | 1985-12-31 | 1987-08-12 | Amp Incorporated | Apparatus for terminating an electrical wire to an electrical connector |
| EP0363806A1 (en) * | 1988-10-12 | 1990-04-18 | The Whitaker Corporation | Electrical connector |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0021237A1 (en) * | 1979-06-18 | 1981-01-07 | Cooper Industries, Inc. | Apparatus for applying connectors to multiconductor flat cable |
-
1984
- 1984-01-11 GB GB08400667A patent/GB2134422B/en not_active Expired
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0021237A1 (en) * | 1979-06-18 | 1981-01-07 | Cooper Industries, Inc. | Apparatus for applying connectors to multiconductor flat cable |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0231617A1 (en) * | 1985-12-31 | 1987-08-12 | Amp Incorporated | Apparatus for terminating an electrical wire to an electrical connector |
| US4718159A (en) * | 1985-12-31 | 1988-01-12 | Amp Incorporated | Apparatus for terminating an electrical wire to an electrical connector |
| EP0363806A1 (en) * | 1988-10-12 | 1990-04-18 | The Whitaker Corporation | Electrical connector |
| US4932895A (en) * | 1988-10-12 | 1990-06-12 | Amp Incorporated | Electrical connectors |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8400667D0 (en) | 1984-02-15 |
| GB2134422B (en) | 1985-11-13 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) | ||
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 19980111 |