US3676912A

US3676912A - Electrical contact insertion-extraction tool

Info

Publication number: US3676912A
Application number: US129786A
Authority: US
Inventors: John W Anhalt; Robert M Morrison
Original assignee: Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH
Current assignee: TDK Micronas GmbH; ITT Inc
Priority date: 1971-03-31
Filing date: 1971-03-31
Publication date: 1972-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-18
Also published as: GB1354232A; DE2215133A1; CA965591A; AU4031472A; JPS5126627B1; AU459436B2

Abstract

A contact insertion-extraction tool for removing an electrical contact from a connector assembly. A pair of semi-cylindrical portions define a cylinder having an opening at the front end thereof. The rear ends of each of the portions are each secured to a bracket with alignment means on said bracket for assuring correct alignment of the semi-cylindrical portions. The alignment means may be formed of a tongue and groove arrangement on each of the brackets. Further, a tip protector may be provided to protect the front end of the portions when the tool is not in use, as well as to provide protection for the tool operator when the tool is in use.

Description

United States Patent Anhalt et al.

[451 July 18, 1972 [54] ELECTRICAL CONTACT INSERTION- EXTRACTION TOOL [72] Inventors: John W. Anhalt, La Crescenta; Robert M.

Morrison, Glendale, both of Calif.

International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, New York, N.Y.

22 Filed: March3l, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 129,786

[73] Assignee:

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,377,689 4/1968 Kimmett ..29/203 H Pn'mary Examiner-Thomas H. Eager Attorney-C. Cornell Remsen, Jr., Walter J. Baum, Paul W. Hemminger, Charles L. Johnson, Jr. and Thomas E. Kristofferson [5 7] ABSTRACT A contact insertion-extraction tool for removing an electrical contact from a connector assembly. A pair of semi-cylindrical portions define a cylinder having an opening at the front end thereof. The rear ends of each of the portions are each secured to a bracket with alignment means on said bracket for assuring correct alignment of the semi-cylindrical portions. The alignment means may be formed of a tongue and groove arrangement on each of the brackets. Further, a tip protector may be provided to protect the front end of the portions when the tool is not in use, as well as to provide protection for the tool operator when the tool is in use.

6 Clains, 13 Drawing Figures ELECTRICAL CONTACT INSERTION-EXTRACTION TOOL The invention relates in general to electrical contact insertion-extraction tools and, more particularly, to a self-aligning tool for removing electrical contacts from an electrical connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional contact insertion and extraction tools are utilized in rear release type contacts to spread the inwardly extending tangs of a clip member so as to allow insertion or removal of an electrical contact. Heretofore, one type of insertion and extraction tool was a one piece plastic type tool. Such a tool, depicted in US. Pat. No. 3,1 10,093, is made of tip members which have been necessarily thin so as to enable the tool to be inserted in the clearance space between the contact and a bore of the connector insulator member. The net result has been cracking or splitting of the tool member when used for extended periods of time. An alternative type of tool utilized metal tips which were mounted on a pliers type member. Extreme care was required in assembling the tips to insure proper alignment of the tips in the tool. The tips in the tool, which were typically made of two halves, could be easily misaligned, causing excessive wear on the connector grommets during insertion and extraction of the tool with the resultant possibility of poor service during operation of the tool.

In order to overcome the attendant disadvantages of prior art electrical contact insertion-extraction tools, the present invention utilizes a tool which is self aligning during operation. Moreover, portions of the tool may be readily manufactured from a one-piece hermaphrodite stamping. Moreover, the tip portion of the tool may be readily removed for insertion of different sized tips for use with different sized contacts.

The advantages of this invention, both as to its construction and mode of operation, will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by references to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like referenced numerals designate like parts throughout the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 depicts a top view of the contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view, partly in section, of the tool of FIG. 1, taken along the line 22;

FIG. 3 shows a side view, partly in section, of the tool of FIG. I taken along the line 33;

FIG. 4 depicts a sectional view of a portion of the tool taken along the line 4-4;

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of a portion of the tool of FIG. 1 taken along the line 55;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the bracket portion of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 depicts a top view of a portion of the tool of FIG. 1 with the tool in a stored position;

FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view of the tip protector of FIG. 7 taken along the line 8-8;

FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of a portion of the tool at the mounting junction of the tool and tip protector taken along the line 9-9.

FIG. 10 depicts a perspective view of an electrical connector member used in combination with the tool of FIGS. I-9;

FIG. 11 illustrates a sectional view of the insulator portion of the connector of FIG. 10 prior to inserting the tool in the insulator;

FIG. 12 shows a sectional view of the insulator of FIG. 10 and 11 with the tool fully inserted; and

FIG. 13 depicts a sectional view of the insulator of FIGS. 10-12 with the tool partially withdrawing an electrical contact from the insulator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the contact insertion-extraction tool 22 made in accordance with the principles of the invention. The tool is formed of a tip portion 24. The tip portion is secured to a bracket 26, the bracket in turn being secured to a holder 28. Fixed to the holder 28 is a tip protector 32.

The tip portion 24 and bracket 26 are shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3-6. The tip portion is formed of a pair of identical nose portions 34 defining half cylinders, whose front end define a circular opening 36. The rear end of the nose portions 34 are each secured to a pair of rearwardly flaring transitional half sections 38 which connect each of the nose portions 34 to a pair of U-shaped members 42 which when closed as shown in FIG. 5 define a square in cross-section.

The bracket 26 is formed of a pair of identical half-sections 44, one of which is shown clearly in perspective view in FIG. 6 separated from the tip portion 24.

The bracket half-sections 44 are each formed of a generally U-shaped body portion having a pair of

legs

52, 54 which are interconnected by means of a base 56. Extending from the leg 54 in a plane parallel thereto, but having a slightly smaller width, is a tongue portion 58. The leg 52 has a raised portion 62 which as can be clearly seen in FIG. 5 allows the tongue 58 of one bracket half-section to be inserted into a groove 64 of the other half-section formed by raised portion 62.

The rear portion of the U-shaped members 42 are concentrically mounted within the U-shaped body portion of the halfsections 44 and are soldered or welded thereto as at 65.

Extending rearwardly from the base 56 of the bracket is an interconnecting support 68 which is centrally tapped as at 72. The support 68 may be formed from an integral stamping of the bracket 26 and formed by bending the support back between the

legs

52 and 54 of the bracket as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

The holder 28 is formed of right hand section 82 and a left hand section 84. The

sections

82 and 84 contain a pair of parallel positioned rear ends 86, 88 which are joined together at their inner facing surfaces as by soldering or brazing. Extending forward from the rear ends of the holder, each of the

sections

82, 84 diverge outwardly as at 92, 94, respectively. Transverse openings 96 are formed at the front end of each of the

sections

92, 94, the opening 96 shown more clearly in cross section in FIG. 9.

Extending forward from the

sections

92, 94, are a pair of diverging sections 102, 104, respectively. The section 102 has a height one-half the height of the section 92, the reduced height being formed by the bottom half of the wall being removed, while the section 104 has its top half removed so as to allow the sections 102, 104 to intersect and cross each other. Then the diverging sections 102, 104 are once again at their full height as at 106, 108, respectively. Then the

sections

82, 84 extend as

forward portions

112, 114 in parallel planes. Near the front end of the

portions

112, 114 an opening is provided for set screw 116 which secures one of the holder sections to each of the brackets 26 at the tap 72.

Near the rear end of the section 114, a first transverse knurled portion 122 is provided, extending from the top surface of the portion 114 towards the portion 112. Further, a second transverse knurled portion 124 is mounted approximately in the center of the section 112 and extends towards the front portion 114. The front end of the knurled portion 122 is adjacent the rear of the knurled portion 124. Each of the

knurled portions

122, 124 is formed integral with the top surface of the

respective portions

112, 114, respectively.

The tip protector 32 is normally formed from molded rubber and has a pair of strap portions 134 which have a gripping surface 136 formed on the front outer surface thereof. A tit 138 extends transversely from the front inner end of each of the strap portions 134 and allow the straps to be fastened to the holders 28 with the tit 138 extending through the opening 96 of the holder.

The rear end of the tip protector is formed of a generally enlarged semincylindrical portion 142, with the rear ends of the straps 134 integral with the outer surface of portion 142. The end 144 of the portion 142 which is adjacent the straps 134 contains a slotted portion 146 having a central circular opening 148 whose diameter is greater than the width of the slotted portion 146.

The tip protector is pivotable about the tits 138 and allows the portion 142 to be mounted over the ends 86, 88 of the rear part of the holder 28 when the tool is in operation as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this position, ends 82 are secured in the slot 146. Further, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 7, when the tool is not in use, the tip protector can be rotated so that the front end of the nose portions 34 are mounted in the circular opening 148.

Referring to FIGS. 13, there is shown an electrical connector member 150 having an insulator 152 mounted therein. The insulator 152 has a plurality of passageways 154 extending therethrough. Each of the passageways may contact a contact retention clip 156 therein of the type depicted in US. Pat. No. 3,158,424. The clips 156 contain a plurality of inwardly extending tines 158.

An electrical contact 162 having a front contacting portion 164 is secured at its rear end to a barrel portion 166. The rear end of the barrel portion 166 is secured to a flange member 168. Extending rearwardly from the flange member is a crimp or solder body portion 172 to which the bared portion of a conductor 174 is secured.

The contact 162 is normally mounted in the insulator 152 in such a manner that the front surface of the flange member 168 abuts a rearward facing shoulder 176 of the insulator and the rear face of the shoulder abuts the tines 158, thus preventing the contact from moving axially in the insulator.

When the holders 28 are squeezed inward in the direction shown by the arrows in FIG. 1, the front end of the tool is separated, as shown by the dotted lines. Normally, the tool is made of a spring-like material so that a spring insert is not necessary. However, a spring member could be inserted, most likely between the tits 138 so as to allow the tool to remain nonnally closed in the position shown in FIG. 1.

To remove an electrical contact from the connector, pressure is applied to the holders, allowing the front end of the tool to open and a conductor such as conductor 174 of FIGS. 11 thru 13 is surrounded by the front nose portions 34. Then the rear part of the conductor is positioned over the knurled surfaces 122, 124 as shown in FIG. 10. The tool is then inserted into the insulator in the manner shown in FIG. 11. The tool is inserted until the front end of the nose portion 34 abuts the rear of the flange member 168. In this position, the tines 158 are deflected outwardly and no longer abut the rear surface of the flange member 168. The tool and conductor 174 are then withdrawn as shown in FIG. 13 with the resultant contact being removed from the insulator.

To utilize the tool as an insertion tool, the tip 24 and bracket 26 may be replaced by removing the bracket and tip by means of the set screw 116. An insert tip is identical to the extraction tip, the only difference being that for a given size contact and connector the thickness of the tip 34 is reduced a sufficient amount so that the outer diameter of the tip is less than the outer diameter of the flange member. In this way, when the tool and the contact are inserted, the tool and contact are substantially identical to that shown in FIG. 13. However, as the contact is inserted so that it would reach a position shown in FIG. 12, since the outer diameter of the nose portion 34 is less than the outer diameter of the flange 168, the tines 158 will abut the rear surface of the flange 168. Withdrawal of the tool will then allow the contact to be in the position as shown in FIG. 11.

What is claimed is:

l. A contact insertion-extraction tool comprising:

a pair of semi-cylindrical portions defining a cylinder having an opening at the front end thereof, each of said portions haying a rear end, the rear end of each of said portions being secured to a bracket, means on each bracket for providing alignment of said portions when said portions are in a first position which defines said cylinder;

and means connected to said brackets for moving said portions apart.

2. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein said alignment means comprises a tongue and groove arrangement formed on each of said brackets with the tongue of one of said brackets being inserted into the groove of the other of said brackets when said portions are in said first position.

3. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein said portions are movable in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder.

4. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance wit claim 1 wherein said semi-cylindrical portions are removably secured to said brackets for allowing different sized portions to be readily secured to said brackets.

5. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim I and further comprising a protector means pivotally mounted on said tool, said protector means contains an opening sufficient to allow said protector means to be mounted on the front end of said semi-cylindrical portions so as to protect said portions when the tool is not in use.

6. A contact insertion-extration tool in accordance with claim 5 wherein said protector means contains a pair of concentric openings for alternately mounting one end of said protector at either end of said tool.

Claims

1. A contact insertion-extraction tool comprising: a pair of semi-cylindrical portions defining a cylinder having an opening at the front end thereof, each of said portions having a rear end, the rear end of each of said portions being secured to a bracket, means on each bracket for providing alignment of said portions when said portions are in a first position which defines said cylinder; and means connected to said brackets for moving said portions apart.

4. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein said semi-cylindrical portions are removably secured to said brackets for allowing different sized portions to be readily secured to said brackets.

5. A contact insertion-extraction tool in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising a protector means pivotally mounted on said tool, said protector means contains an opening sufficient to allow said protector means to be mounted on the front end of said semi-cylindrical portions so as to protect said portions when the tool is not in use.