WO1998019372A1

WO1998019372A1 - Splice head for telecommunications connectors

Info

Publication number: WO1998019372A1
Application number: PCT/IB1997/001350
Authority: WO
Inventors: Xavier Cirac Sole; Pedro Serrano Escribano
Original assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
Priority date: 1996-10-31
Filing date: 1997-10-28
Publication date: 1998-05-07
Also published as: GB2334465B; GB9909426D0; DE19782039T1; GB9622651D0; GB2334465A; AU4634297A; BR9712639A; DE19782039B4

Abstract

A telecommunications connector splice head comprises a support (3) upon which a splicing connector (6) is positionable, the splice head (2) comprising a wire separating and positioning comb (12) on one side (7) and a coil spring wire gripper (14) along the other side (8). The wire gripper is provided as a pair of mirror image coil springs (16, 18) secured to the splice head at a central location between ends (5). Free ends (22) of the coil spring can expand freely outward enabling gripping of a large range of wire diameters.

Description

SPLICE HEAD FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONNECTORS

This invention relates to a splice head for splicing insulated telecommunications wires with an insulation displacement contact (IDC) connector.

A splice head used for assisting termination of telecommunications wires to an IDC telecommunications connector is described in European patent application 0 694 222. A typical splice head comprises a base support wall upon which a base member of a telecommunications splicing connector is located and supported, a wire separating comb extending along one edge of the support wall and a wire gripper extending along an opposed edge of the support wall. Individual telecommunications wires can be located and separated between fingers of the comb, the wires being pulled across the base member of the connector (which has IDC contacts upstanding therefrom) and gripped by the wire grippers on the opposing side such that the wire lays tightly across the connector above a corresponding IDC contact. Once all the wires of a telecommunications cables are positioned across the connector base member a body of the connector is placed over the base member. The wires are terminated to the IDC contacts by means of a pressing tool that latches onto the splice head and presses the body member onto the base member thereby stuffing the wires into the IDC contact slots.

It is common to provide the wire gripper in the form of a coil spring whereby wires are gripped by wedging them between the coils. In EP '222 the spring is loosely mounted such that it is slidable in a direction transverse to wires laid across the splice head. This purports to improve upon solutions prior to this whereby the spring is fixed to the splice head such that it is not loosely and axially moveable. The reason for the latter is to enable telecommunications wires of different diameters to be used without requiring use of a different spring, particularly when considering prior art solutions where the spring is rigidly attached at extremities to the splice head. A significant problem with the prior art according to EP '222, is that if an operator commences laying of wires at one end of the splice head, and the axially moveable spring is positioned against that end, then the operator cannot subsequently grip wires in the coil spring at the other end. In other words, the operator must continue laying wires from the end where the first wire was positioned, and as the wires are laid the coil spring expands. The expansion of the spring then enables the operator to lay the wires at the extreme end. The latter is disadvantageous in that it restricts the ability of the operator to position wires in any sequence. The operator thus has to search for the correct pair of wires (which are color coded and matched with color codes on the comb) , rather than merely comparing a pair of wires that are picked up with color codes on the comb and positioning them accordingly.

It is an object of this invention to provide a splice head for telecommunications connectors that overcomes the above mentioned problems. Objects of this invention have been achieved by providing the splice head according to claim 1. In particular, a splice head is provided for terminating telecommunications wires to a telecommunications connector, the splice head comprising a base support wall upon which a telecommunications connector is supported and located, the base support wall having a first axially extending edge and opposed thereto a second axially extending edge, the splice head further comprising a comb member extending along the first edge and having fingers for separating and locating wires to be spliced, further comprising a wire gripper being extending along the second edge for gripping wires extending across the support base wall from the comb, the wire gripper in the form of a coil spring, wherein the wire gripper is attached at a substantially central position between axial ends of the splice head to the support, and axial extremities of the coil spring are free.

Advantageously therefore, the wire gripper is free to expand to accept different wire diameters, but nevertheless axially fixed to the splice head such that an operator can select and grip wires in any order. Further advantageous features of this invention will be apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the figures, wherein;

Figure 1 is a top view of a splice head according to this invention with a connector base member positioned thereon;

Figure 2 is a view in the direction of arrow 2 of figure 1 without the connector base member;

Figure 3 is a similar view to that of figure 2 without wire grippers; and

Figures 4 and 5 are side and end views respectively of a wire gripper member. Referring to the figures, a splice head 2 comprises a support 3 having a base support wall 4 extending axially (A) between ends 5 and flanked by axially extending first and second sides 7,8. A base member 6 of a telecommunications connector is positionable against the base wall 4 of the support 3. The connector comprises insulation displacing contacts 9 (IDC) for receiving individual insulated telecommunications wires positioned thereacross transversely to the axial direction A. A wire separating and positioning comb 12 is positioned along the first side 7 having figures 11,13 for separating and positioning pairs of telecommunications wire of a telecommunications cable as effected in conventional splice heads. Along the second side 8, a wire gripper 14 is provided in the form of a coil spring.

In this embodiment, the wire gripper is provided as two cylindrical coil springs 16,18 extending from an attachment end 20 to a free end 22. The coil springs 16,18 are provided in mirror image disposition about a substantially central position between the splice head ends 5. The attachment portions 20 of each coil spring comprises a pin member 24 extending tangentially from the coil springs for insertion into a locating and attachment portion in the form of a hole 26 extending into the side 8 of the splice head support 3. The wire gripper 14 is thus securely held to the splice head support at a central location between ends 5 whereby opposed free ends 22 are able to axially expand towards their respective splice head ends. Wires can thus be positioned in the coils of the wire gripper in any order. Securing and location of the springs 16,18 to the splice head support by means of the pins 24 locating in the hole 26 provides a cost effective and simple means of securing the wire gripper to the splice head in the axial direction. It would also be conceivable to provide a wire gripper as a single part, for example a single coil spring extending from free end 22 to opposed free end 22 and securely clamped at a central position to the splice head. Such fixation could be provided by a wall extending transversely to the axial direction from the splice head side 8 that is inserted between coils of the spring in order to secure it in the axial direction. The latter embodiment would also be cost effective as only one spring is required.

Claims

1. A splice head (2) for terminating telecommunications wires to an IDC telecommunications connector, the splice head comprising a support (3) having a base support wall (4) upon which an elongate axially extending telecommunications connector (6) is supported and located, the base support wall having a first axially extending edge (7) and substantially parallel and opposed thereto a second axially extending edge (8), the edges on either side of the connector (6) mounted on the support wall, the splice head further comprising a comb member (12) having fingers (11,13) for separating and locating wires to be spliced, further comprising a wire gripper (14) extending along the second edge for gripping wires extending across the support base wall from the comb, the wire gripper in the form of a coil spring (16,18), wherein the wire gripper is attached at a substantially central position between axial ends (5) of the splice head to the support, and axial extremities (22) of the coil spring are free.

2. A splice head according to claim 1 wherein the wire gripper is axially located by an extension thereof projecting into a locating hole (26) in the splice head support (3) .

3. A splice head according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a pair of coil springs (18,18) are provided.

4. A splice had according to claim 3 wherein the coil springs are in mirror image symmetry about their attachment ends.

5. A splice head according to claim 1 wherein the wire gripper is axially located by a wall extension projecting from the support between coils of the coil spring.

6. A splice head according to anyone of the preceding claims wherein the axial extremities of the wire gripper (14) are spaced from axial ends of the splice head such that axial outward expansion of the coil spring during insertion of wires between coils thereof is enabled.