JPH09213445A - Tab press mounting device for contact - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly press mount an insulation conductor having different thickness, by providing an adjusting mechanism selectively adjusting a press mounting height and inserting depth in a ram, in a conductor inserting bar having an inserting blade pressing in the insulation conductor to a contact in a tab press mounting bar. SOLUTION: An adjusting rod 152 is rotated, a conductor engaging surface 130 is moved toward a work station 34, the conductor engaging surface 130 of an inserting bar 122 is positioned to a height equal to a press mounting surface of a tab press mounting bar 82. A connector housing 16 having a pressure contact 14 is placed on a track 26, the contact 14 is straightened in the work station 34. Next, the contact 14 and a straightened insulation conductor 12 are inserted to an inserting blade 128 by a depth 172, a tab 118 is bent by tab press mounting dies 114, the insulation conductor 12 is press mounted to a press mounting height 170. Next, a ram 36 is rotated in a screw hole 78, a press mounting surface 116 is moved toward the work station 34, the tab press mounting height 170 is measured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for inserting an insulated conductor into an insulation displacement contact and crimping a strain relief tab of the contact onto the insulated conductor, and particularly to a device within a predetermined size without deforming a housing including the contact. The present invention relates to a tab crimping device for contacts, which allows insertion of an insulated conductor having a thickness.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A connector having an insulation displacement contact (IDC) (hereinafter referred to as an IDC connector) is widely used in the telephone and computer industries as in other industries. Such an IDC connector is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3820055 issued June 25, 1975 to Haffnagle. In keeping with the trend toward miniaturization of electrical and electronic component manufacturing, these IDC connectors have become very compact with a narrow gap between contacts. The insulating housings of these connectors have relatively thin walls that are weak and easily deformed and damaged. When connecting the insulated conductor to these connectors, when the insulated conductor is pressed into the U-shaped opening of the contact to a predetermined depth, the side wall of the opening is electrically connected to the insulator-hardened conductor. The tabs of the contacts are crimped to the outer insulation of the conductor to form strain relief. For economy and simplicity of operation, it is desirable to be able to apply several different sized wires (conductors) to the same tool.

[0003]

However, if the insertion depth of the tool is properly set to the size of the wire,
Inserting the next big wire, the insulation tab crimping process
Excessive crimping tends to cause the crimping area to bulge outwards towards the housing wall, separating the contacts. The wall may deform and collapse into the area of the adjacent contact that has not yet received the conductor, and the attempt to connect the conductor may cause the insertion tool to contact the deformed wall and damage the connector. If the bulge is adjusted to properly crimp the insulation tabs of large insulated conductors so that they are within acceptable limits, the depth of insertion of the conductors into the U-shaped opening is too shallow and the electrical connection is not reliable. Is reduced.

Insulating conductors of different size ranges for each insulated conductor within the range are fixed without excessive crimping of the insulating tabs, while providing an adjustable insertion and crimping mechanism to maintain the correct insertion depth of the conductors. A tool to have is needed.

The contact tab crimping device of the present invention has been made in view of the above points. An insulated conductor having a thickness within a predetermined range is inserted into a correct insertion depth without excessive crimping. An object of the present invention is to provide a tab crimping device for contacts that can be crimped by pressing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact tab crimping device which can be simply and quickly applied to crimp insulated conductors having different thicknesses.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A contact tab crimping device of the present invention is a contact tab for crimping an insulating tab of a contact onto an insulated conductor at a predetermined crimp height by a tab crimping bar attached to a reciprocating ram. In the crimping device, a conductor insertion bar having an insertion blade for pushing the insulated conductor to a predetermined insertion depth up to the contact is slidably attached to the tab crimping bar, and the ram has the crimping height and the crimping height. It is characterized in that an adjusting mechanism for independently and selectively adjusting the insertion depth is provided.

The disclosed contact tab device connects a plurality of insulated conductors to a plurality of crimp contacts located adjacently within the connector housing. Each contact includes a tab that is crimped onto the insulator of the corresponding insulated conductor. The connecting device includes a frame, a track for receiving and positioning the connector housing on the workstation, and a frame for reciprocating movement in a first direction toward the workstation and a second direction away from the workstation. Including the arranged ram. The tab crimp bar is coupled to the ram and includes a track-facing tab crimp end aligned with the first contact in the connector housing. As the ram moves toward the workstation in the first direction, the tab crimp end moves to engage the connector housing, thereby crimping the tab of the first contact to a predetermined crimp height. The conductor insert bar includes an insert end arranged to slide, engage, and engage the insulated conductor to insert the insulated conductor into the first crimp contact at a predetermined depth. . The adjustment mechanism is connected to the ram and is arranged to selectively and independently control the crimp height and insertion depth.

The adjusting mechanism preferably includes a drive bar pivotally coupled at one end to the tab crimp bar and screwed at the other end by a ram and a screw.

The adjustment mechanism preferably includes an adjustment rod having an abutment end surface that is screwed onto the drive bar and abuts the conductor insertion bar.

The drive bar is cylindrical with an axial bore, and preferably includes adjustment rods that threadably engage one another.

The drive bar and the tab crimp bar are preferably connected to each other by a pin.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG.
It is a side view of the hand tool (tab crimping device for contacts) of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the tool shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the tool shown in FIG. 2 excluding the handle. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 with the wire guide removed. 6 and 7 are a side view and an end view, respectively, of the drive bar shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 9, 10, and 1
FIG. 1 is a side view, a plan view, and a rear view of the insulating tab crimp bar shown in FIG. 4, partially broken away. 12 and 13 are a side view and a bottom view, respectively, of the conductor insertion bar shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 15 and 16 are partial cross-sectional views of the tab crimp bar and the conductor insertion bar which are in the offset relationship.

1, 2 and 3 show a hand tool 10 for inserting an insulated conductor 12 into a pressure contact 14 of a connector housing 16. Hand tool 10 is frame 18
And a manually operated handle 20. The tool module 22 includes a frame 18 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.
Located within. As best shown in FIG. 4, the tool module 22 is located in a C-shaped base 24, a track 26 for receiving the connector housing 16, and a slot 30 formed in a wire guide 32 attached to the tool 10. Insulation tab crimp bar 28 is included. Tab crimp bar 2
8 is arranged to reciprocate toward and away from the connector housing 16 located at the workstation 34. The ram 36 driven by a lever 38 extending from the handle 20 has a drive bar 40
Is connected to the tab crimping bar 28 by. By manually driving the lever 38, the ram 36 is caused to reciprocate within the hole 42, thereby causing the drive bar (adjustment mechanism) 40 and the tab crimp bar 28 to be mounted on the workstation 34. First towards the housing 16
In direction 44 and in a second opposite direction 46 away from the connector housing. The track 26 on the base 24 includes a front surface 48 and a rear surface 50 that confine the connector housing 16. The positioning claw 52 is the base 24
It is arranged so as to slide vertically to the opening 54 formed in.
As best shown in FIG. 4, the spring 56 is located in the notch 58 in the lower portion of the positioning pawl 52 and biases the positioning pawl 52 upward toward the connector housing 16. As shown best in FIG. 5, the pair of opposed angled surfaces of the locating pawl 52 engage a portion of the bottom of the connector housing 16 to align a given contact 14 with the tab crimp bar 28. . Drive bar 40 as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.
Is a cylindrical shape and has a screw 64 formed on the outer side of one end,
It has a slot 66 formed at the other end. The holes 68 extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the drive bar 40 and intersect the slots 66. The holes 70 extend axially through the drive bar 40 and intersect the floor of the slots 66. As best shown in FIG. 8, the bore 70 has an enlarged inner diameter 72 that extends outwardly toward the end 74 and an internal thread 76 that extends inwardly from the end 74 by about half the distance of the bore 70. As best shown in FIG. 4, ram 36 includes axially formed threaded holes 78,
The threaded hole 78 is threadedly received by the screw 64 of the drive bar 40 to axially align the drive bar 40 with the ram 36.

As shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, the tab crimp bar 28 includes an elongated body 82 having parallel opposite sides 84, 86. The body 82 is slidably received in the slot 30 of the wire guide 32, as shown in FIG. The hole 88 is formed in the body 82 so as to pass through the side surfaces 84 and 86 at right angles. The slot 66 of the drive bar 40 is sized to receive the top 90 of the body 82 and the hole 68
And the holes 88 are aligned. As shown in FIG. 4, the pin 92 has a hole 6
It extends through 8,88, thereby connecting the two parts together. The cam follower 94 having the angled cam surface 96 extends from the rear surface 98 of the body 82. The angled cam surface 96 is the rail 104 of the connector feed mechanism 102.
Cam track 1 arranged to slide horizontally along
00 and the ram 36 moves, the cam surface 96 moves the feed mechanism 102 along the rail 104. The supply mechanism 102 includes a spring-biased supply dog (gripper) 10.
6 inclusive. This supply dog 106 is a connector housing 1
6 to incrementally advance the connector housing, typically one contact position, during each return stroke of the ram 36. The crimp bar 28 includes a beveled front 112.
As shown in FIG. 11, the front portion 112 is a crimping die 114 having a crimping surface 116 at the tip, that is, the lower portion.
During operation of the tool 10 as shown in FIG.
Engage with the two insulating tabs 118 of the contact to bend. As best shown in FIG. 9, the body 82 of the tab crimp bar 28 includes an internal cavity 120, and as shown in FIG.
Slidingly receives the conductor insertion bar 122.

As shown in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14, the conductor insert bar 122 includes a body 124 having a shank 126 at one end and an insert blade 128 at the other end. The insertion blade 128 comprises a conductor engaging surface 13 consisting of three spaced surface portions separated by two notches 131.
Has zero. Ram 36 moves in direction 44 so that the three portions of conductor engaging surface 130 engage conductor 12 and insert conductor 12 into crimp contact 14. The insert bar 122 includes a front surface 132 and a parallel rear surface 134, each of which is shown on the surface 136, 138 of the body 82 as best shown in FIG.
Engages. A slot 140 is formed through the shank 126 and is sized to fit and slide with the pin 92. As shown in FIG. 4, a pocket 142 facing the surface 144 within the internal cavity 120 of the body 82 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. Spring 146
Located in pocket 142 and extending toward surface 144. As a result, the insertion bar 122 is biased upward as shown in FIG. The side surface 148 of the insert bar 122 is shown in FIG.
3, the internal cavity 12 of the body 82 as shown in FIG.
It fits and slides with the side surface 150 of No. 0. As shown in FIG.
The insert bar 122 is free to move vertically relative to the tab crimp bar 28 within the limits allowed by the slots 140 and pins 92.

As shown in FIG. 4, an elongated adjustment rod (adjustment mechanism) 152 has an abutment end surface that extends through the hole 70 of the drive bar 40 and engages an upper abutment surface 156 of the insert bar 122. The other end of the adjusting rod 152 is a large-diameter threaded portion 158, which is screwed into the threaded portion 76 in the drive bar 40 near the end portion 74. A slot for a screw driver is formed on the outer end surface of the threaded portion 158, and the adjustment rod 152 is gradually rotated when setting the insertion depth of the conductor, which will be described below. Adjustment rod 1
52 abuts on and is in contact with the upper contact surface 156 of the insertion bar 122, and regulates the upward movement of the insertion bar 122 with respect to the crimp bar 28.

To operate, rotate the adjusting rod 152 clockwise or counterclockwise as shown in FIG.
The conductor engaging surface 130 is moved toward or away from the workstation 34 to move the insertion bar 122.
If necessary, the conductor engaging surface 130 is positioned so as to be flush with the crimping surface 116 of the tab crimping bar 82. This sets the initial settings of the tool. Pressure contact 14
A connector housing 16 having a lug is placed on the track 26 and the first crimp contact 14 is aligned with the workstation. As shown in FIG. 5, the insulated conductor 12 is aligned with the contact 14 and positioned so that the lever 3 of the tool 10 is
8 is manipulated to move the ram 36 toward the connector 16 and the insertion blade 128 inserts the insulated conductor 12 into the insertion depth 172, and the tab crimp die 114 bends the tab 118 to insulate the insulated conductor 12. Crimping is made around the insulator up to a crimping height of 170. The actual crimp height is then measured and the ram 36 is incrementally rotated in the threaded hole 78 to move the crimp surface 116 toward or away from the workstation 34, thereby requiring a tab crimp height 170. Get the correct value. A full rotation of the ram 36 on each side causes the crimp surface 116 to move about 1.3 mm. The ram 36 also contributes to the adjustment of the crimp height in this way. The ram 36 has a hexagonal head,
Rotate incrementally by 1/6 of all rotations to press-fit surface 116
Is easily moved gradually by about 0.21 mm. At this point the insertion depth 172 is measured and the adjustment rod 152 is incrementally rotated clockwise to move the conductor engagement surface 130 further toward the workstation 34 and offset with respect to the crimp surface 116 as shown in FIG. 174 is given. When the adjusting rod 152 is fully rotated to each side, the conductor engaging surface 130
Moves about 0.64 mm. That is, about one quarter rotation moves about 0.15 mm. Offset 174 is selected to increase insertion depth 172 of conductor 12 to a predetermined value. When terminating the larger sized conductor and then terminating the smaller sized insulated conductor 12, the adjusting rod 152 is rotated counterclockwise to provide the conductor engaging surface 130 of the conductor insertion bar 122.
Move away from workstation 34,
As shown in FIG. 15, the crimping surface 116 of the main body 82 is made to coincide with the initial position of the tool again. The initial setting of the crimp height and the insertion depth is performed as described above. When terminating the smaller size conductor and then terminating the larger size insulated conductor 12, the ram 36 is incrementally rotated counterclockwise several times,
The tab 118 is prevented from being initially crimped to a crimp height 170 that is too small. The two crimping surfaces 116 and the conductor engaging surface 130 are adjusted to coincide, and then the crimp height and insertion depth are finally set as described above.

An important advantage of the present invention is that a tool for crimping a single tab and inserting a conductor does not crimp the insulation tab excessively and does not cause the crimp to bulge out of the tolerance range. It is applicable to different conductor sizes. Furthermore, the adjustment is simple and quick without the need to look for another tool that fits the conductors of other dimensions within the range, or to replace and install a tool that applies to conductors of the new dimensions. Can be applied to.

[0020]

The tab crimping device for contacts of the present invention is
A conductor insertion bar with an insertion blade for inserting the insulated conductor to a predetermined insertion depth is slidably attached to the tab crimp bar for crimping the tab, and the ram to which the tab crimp bar is attached has crimp height and insulated conductor Since the adjusting mechanism for adjusting the insertion depth is provided, the following effects are obtained.

That is, even if the thickness of the insulated conductor to be crimped is different, the crimp can always be inserted and crimped at an appropriate depth.
When subsequently crimping insulated conductors of different thicknesses, they can be applied easily and quickly without replacing them with other tools.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a side view of a tool of the present invention. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the tool shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the tool shown in FIG. 2 without a handle.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 with the wire guide removed.

6 is a side view of the drive bar shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the drive bar of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7;

9 is a side view of the tab crimp bar shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

10 is a plan view of the tab crimp bar of FIG. 9. FIG.

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the tab crimp bar of FIG. 9.

12 is a side view of the conductor insertion bar shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the conductor insertion bar of FIG.

14 is a sectional view taken along the line 14-14 of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view of a tab crimping bar and a conductor insertion bar in an offset relationship.

FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 15, showing the amount of offset.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 tab crimping device 12 insulated conductor 14 contact 28 tab crimping bar 36 ram 122 conductor inserting bar 128 inserting blade 40, 152 adjusting mechanism

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 31, 1997

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Name of invention

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

Title of invention Tab crimping device for contacts

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A contact tab crimping device for crimping an insulating tab of a contact to a predetermined crimping height on an insulated conductor by a tab crimping bar attached to a reciprocating ram, wherein the tab crimping bar has the contact. A conductor insertion bar having an insertion blade for pushing the insulated conductor to a predetermined insertion depth is slidably attached, and the crimp height and the insertion depth are independently and selectively adjusted on the ram. A tab crimping device for contacts, which is provided with an adjusting mechanism.