GB2165778A

GB2165778A - Engaging wires in electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2165778A
Application number: GB08525917A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Barry Walker
Original assignee: General Electric Co PLC
Current assignee: General Electric Co PLC
Priority date: 1984-10-22
Filing date: 1985-10-21
Publication date: 1986-04-23
Also published as: GB8525917D0; GB8426639D0; GB2165778B

Abstract

To facilitate the connection of wiring harnesses in a pre-assembled insulation displacement connector assembly 3 apparatus includes a carriage 1 for locating the connector assembly. The individual wires 8 of the harness may be manually dressed into slots 10 of the connector. After movement into position of the connector assembly on the carriage 1, operation of the apparatus first guillotines the wires 8 to the correct length by transversely moving blades 7. The blades 7 further press the wires into the insulation displacement slots of the connector. Trimming of the wires is caused by the blades 7 cooperating with an upper surface of the carriage. 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical connectors The present invention is concerned with electrical connectors and arrangements for effecting electrical connections to insulation-displacement contacts of such connectors.

In particular although not exclusively the invention is concerned with arrangements for effecting electrical connections between a plurality of electrically-insulated wires and respective insulation displacement contacts of a multiway plug-and-socket type connector.

According to one aspect of the present invention an arrangement for effecting an electrical connection between at least one electrically insulated wire and an insulation-displacement contact member carried by a connector body member comprises carriage means for supporting said connector body member and for locating said wire with respect to said contact member, and blade means arranged to co-operate with said carriage means to trim said wire to a predetermined length and to press the trimmed wire into engagement with said insulation-displacement contact member.

According to another aspect of the present invention an arrangement for effecting electrical connections between a plurality of electrically insulated wires and respective insulationdisplacement contacts carried by a connector body member of a multiway plug-and-socket type connector, comprises carriage means for supporting said connector body member in a predetermined position, means for locating said wires with respect to said contacts, and blade means arranged to co-operate with said carriage means to trim said wires to respective predetermined lengths and to press the trimmed wires into engagement with said respective insulation-displacement contacts.

An arrangement in accordance with the present invention for effecting electrical connections to a plurality of electrical contact members will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows an isometricviewofthe arrangement, Figure 2 shows a part-sectioned view of part of the arrangement shown in Figure land Figure 3 shows an isometric view of part of the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

Referring first to Figure 1 the arrangement comprises a carriage 1 in the form of a generally rectangular block having along its upper edge, as shown in Figure 1, a profiled slot 2 into which a connector body member 3 may be introduced, for example longitudinally along the slot 2 from one end. The connector body member 3 is retained in position within the profiled slot 2 by means of a correspondingly profiled block 4, which likewise may be introduced longitudinally along the slot 2 and which is retained therein by a transverse pin 5.

The carriage 1 is mounted on a track, shown in Figure 1 as a rectangular section beam 6 extending through the carriage 1 in a direction generally parallel to the length of the slot 2, so as to be movable between a loading and unloading position (not shown) and the position illustrated in Figure 1.

In the latter position the carriage 1 is located so that the connector body member 3 lies between two trimming blades 7 which are mounted for movement linearly, as indicated, towards said connector body member 3 from either side in a direction at right angles to the track 6.

The connector body member 3 may carry, say, twelve insulation-displacement contacts (not shown in Figure 1) to which respective connections are to be made by individual insulated wires 8 of a cable or cable form 9, six of the contacts being disposed along either side of the connector body member 3.

As shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3 the opposed edges of the blades 7 are profiled such that when these blades 7 are moved inwards towards one another and towards a connector body member 3 lying between them parts of the insulation displacement contacts 10, and ribs 11 projecting from the connector body member 3, are accommodated within recesses 12 and 13 respectively in the blade edges. The arrangement facilitates at least partial automation of the connection and trimming of the conductors 8, achieving accurate depth of insertion of the conductors into the slots of the contacts 10 and uniform trimming of excess wire length.

Any outer insulation on the cable or cable form 9 is stripped back to expose a predetermined length of wires 8, say 80 mm, and these wires are separated into two groups of six and fed to the two sides of a connector body member 3. The cable 9 may be secured to the member 3 by means of a cable tie 14.

With the carriage 1 in the loading position (not shown), clear of the trimming blades 7, the connector body member 3 with cable 9 attached is inserted into the slot 2 and secured by means of the block 4 and the pin 5. The individual wires 8 are then dressed into respective strain relief slots (not shown) in the ribs 11, into guide slots 15 in the carriage 1 and into respective slots in a bottom comb 16.

The carriage 1 is then moved back into the position shown in Figure 1,where it is located in a predetermined position with respect to the profile of the trimming blades 7. As these blades 7 are moved inwards their lower edges co-operate with the upper edges of the carriage 1 to guillotine the wires 8 to the required length. Upon further inward movement of the blades 7 the wires 8 are forced into the respective strain-relief slots in the ribs 11 and into the insuiation-displacement slots in the contact 10.

The depth of insertion of the wires 8 is controlled either by the abutment of the forward edge of the blades 7 on a part of the connector body member 3 or on a stop (not shown) formed on the carriage 1.

The blades 7 are then retracted and the carriage 1 moved to the loading and unloading position, for the removal of the cable 9 and connector body member 3 and for loading with the next body member 3. It will be appreciated that the arrangement described above completes the connections and trims the wires to their final length in one stroke of the blades 7.

As shown more clearly in Figure 3 thin planar follower members 17 held in respective vertical slots in the blade 7 are provided to ensure that each wire is inserted to full depth in the insulation displacement slot in the respective contact 10.

Without such follower members thinner section wires would tend to distort, in the region of the recess 12, so that they are not fully inserted into their respective slots.

One or more vertical slots 18 may be provided in each blade 7 to accommodate ribs of insulating material (not shown) lying between adjacent contacts 10.

Claims

1. An arrangement for effecting an electrical connection between at least one electrically insulated wire and an insulation-displacement contact member carried by a connector body member comprising carriage means for supporting said connector body member and for locating said wire with respect to said contact member, and blade means arranged to co-operate with said carriage means to trim said wire to a predetermined length and to press the trimmed wire into engagement with said insulation-displacement contact member.

2.An arrangement for effecting electrical connections between a plurality of electrically insulated wires and respective insulationdisplacement contacts carried by a connector body member of a multiway plug-and-socket type connector, comprising carriage means for supporting said connector body member in a predetermined position, means for locating said wires with respect to said contacts, and blade means arranged to co-operate with said carriage means to trim said wires to respective predetermined lengths and to press the trimmed wires into engagement with said respective insulation-displacement contacts.

3. An arrangement in accordance with Claim 2 wherein said carriage means is mounted for movement between a loading position, in which said connector body member may readily be introduced into said carriage means, and said predetermined position.

4. An arrangement in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said carriage means is mounted for linear movement on a track between said positions.

5. An arrangement for effecting electrical connections substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.