JPH0756827B2 - Press tool for cutting conductors and terminating electrical connectors - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for terminating tools for electrical connectors, and more particularly to a press tool for cutting conductors and terminating electrical connectors on these conductors. .

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Multi-conductor electrical connectors have been used for many years. Various forms of multiconductor electrical connectors have been created for terminating multiple terminals to the conductors of a multiconductor electrical cable. One type of electrical connector is September 1, 1990.
It is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,816 granted to Robert et al. On the 1st and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The electrical connector includes a plurality of terminals mounted in a housing consisting of front and rear housing components. The terminals are mass terminated by inserting multiple wires through the rear housing component into the housing and axially advancing the rear housing relative to the front housing component. A particularly useful terminal for use with that electrical connector is 198.
It is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,619 granted to Decherette on April 23, 5 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The terminal includes a collapsible insulation displacement portion that terminates the conductor in response to an axially directed force along the length of the wire contained within the terminal.

In areas such as the telecommunications industry, the wires that are terminated are very thin and the wires are difficult to handle and cut. In addition, the wire lacks rigidity which complicates the process of determining whether to fully insert the wire into the connector assembly due to the thinness of the wire.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a press tool for use with a multi-conductor electrical connector which allows the conductor of the connector to be cut prior to termination.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a press tool for assembling and terminating an electrical connector assembly. The connector assembly is adapted for mass termination simultaneously to a portion of the wires within each terminal within the connector assembly as a result of the plurality of wires, the first housing component, the mating second housing component and the combination of these housing components. Includes multiple terminals. The portion of the wire within each terminal has an axis. The press tool comprises first housing component support means for supporting the first housing component and cutting means for cutting each of the wires to a predetermined length. Spacer means are provided between the first housing component support means and the cutting means to create a length of wire. Second housing component support means are provided to support the second housing component. A moving means is provided to move the second housing component relative to the first housing component parallel to each axis to combine the first and second housing components, thereby terminating each terminal to an individual wire.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A press tool of the present invention is shown at 50 in FIGS. 1-5 and is used to terminate an electrical connector of the type shown in FIGS. 6-10 to a wire 22 in a multiconductor cable 21. The terminals 23 of the electrical connector 40 shown in FIGS. 6-10 are located between two pieces of the housing, a top component 25 and a bottom component 26 of the housing. Insert the end of the conductor 22 into the insertion channel 27 of the upper component 25. The terminal 23 is arranged in the opening 28 of the bottom component 26, and when combined with the terminal 23, the terminal to be combined therewith projects into the opening 28.

As shown in FIG. 10, the side wall 3 of each terminal 23
A contact lug 32 is formed in the zero contact connection area 31. When the ends of the terminals are moved closer to each other in the axial direction, the contact lug 32 moves the insulating coating surrounding the conductor 22 so that the contact lug 32 is electrically connected to the conductor 22,
The lugs 32 are sized so that they make mechanical contact. The upper portion 33 of the terminal 23 contacts the upper housing component 25, and the upper portion 33 of the terminal 23 contacts the bottom housing component 26 to allow the upper housing component 25 and the bottom portion of the bottom portion of the bottom housing component 25 and Movement of the housing component 26 towards each other causes the collapsible portion 31 of the terminal to collapse, displacing the insulation coating and terminating with the conductor 22. At this end, the upper contact lugs contact the interior 35 of the upper housing component 25 and the shoulder 36 of each interior 35 contacts the insulation of the conductor 22 and acts as a strain relief. It will now be appreciated that the top housing component 25 and the bottom housing component 26 must be moved towards each other to effect the termination of the terminals 23 within the electrical connector 40.

Please refer to FIG. Press tool 5 of the present invention
Reference numeral 0 includes a frame 2, a tool carrier 4, and a control / operation mechanism 12. The frame 2 includes a base plate 1 and a frame table 3. The opening 52 of the frame table 3 is made into a housing component
6 for loading, and conductors 22 extend into these openings during operation. The upper housing component socket 8 of the frame table 3 is formed by a pair of spring fitted jaws 19. These jaws are biased towards the center of the socket opening 8. The jaws each include a tapered insert portion 58 and a pair of shoulders (not shown) that form an opening between the insert portion 58 and the shoulder and have a flange 60 (FIGS. 7 and 8) disposed therein. To secure the upper housing component 25 during operation of the press tool.

The tool carrier 4, best shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a, includes a conductor end socket spacer block 5, a cutting blade 6, and a bottom housing component socket 7. The end of the conductor 22 is arranged in the plurality of holes 54 of the conductor end socket spacer block 5 before the end of the conductor. The blade 6 is slidably arranged in the tool carrier 4 and is rotated in the direction of the double-headed arrow A in FIG. 3a by the rotation of the link lever 18 about the axis 56 as shown by the double-headed arrow B in FIGS. 3 and 3a. 6 can move. The spring of the tool carrier 4 biases the blade 6 and the link lever 18 so that their normal position is as shown in Figure 3a. The socket 7 receives and supports a bottom housing component 26 having terminals 23 therein.

One end of the tool carrier 4 is supported by a support member 9, and the other end of the tool carrier 4 is supported by a control / operation mechanism 12. The tool carrier 4 rotates about a horizontal axis 10 and about a vertical axis 11 via a support member 9. The support member 9 is attached to the base plate 1.

A control block 14 of the control / operation mechanism 12
Are fixed to a shaft 13 mounted for rotation on the frame 2. The operating lever 15 is the shaft 1.
3, the control shaft 13 and the control block 14 are rotated by the operation of the operation arm 15. The control block 14 includes a first cam 62, a roller 64 that acts as a second cam, and an S-shaped slot 66 (FIG. 4). Follower pin 67 with spring is tool carrier 4
4 and is received in slot 66 and the rotating pin of control block 14 slides in slot 66 to move bottom housing component receptacle 7 from the loading position shown in FIG. Place it under the housing component receptacle 8. The pin 67 is spring loaded so that it is in the slot 66 when the tool carrier 4 rotates about the horizontal axis 10.

The operation will be described. The press tool has its operating arm 15 in position 11. At this time, the tool carrier 4 is located as shown in FIGS. 3a, 4 and 5, the socket spacer block 5 is located under the top housing component socket 8 and through the opening 52 in the bottom housing component socket 7. Can approach The upper housing component 25 is pressed into contact with the jaws 19 and moves the jaws away from the center of the socket 8 until the flange 60 of the upper housing component 25 passes past the jaw entry 58. At this time, the component 25 is fixed in the socket 8 between the jaws 19. Insert the bottom housing component 26 into the socket 7 through the opening 52. The first cam 62 then holds the tool carrier 4 in a horizontal position above it. Place the multi-conductor cable 21 in a cable holder 68 mounted on the frame table 3 and route each of the desired conductors 22 through the openings 27 in the upper housing component 25 and through the holes 54 in the block 5, as shown in FIG. .

Then, the operation lever 15 is turned from the position 11 to the position 1, and the control block 1 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed in FIG.
Rotate 4. The control block 14 is rotated by the roller 64.
Pushes up, comes into contact with the link lever 18, and it pivots about an axis 56, the upper part of the link arm 18 engages the blade 6 and moves it to the left as seen in FIG. Cut all of the wires in. Blade 6
Sliding cuts the wires row by row, cutting all the wires to the desired length. During rotation of the control block 14, the pin 67 moves along the straight portion of the slot 66,
There is no movement of the tool carrier 4 about the axis 11 between 1 and position 1.

When the operating arm 15 is further rotated counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 5, the control block 14 is also rotated to move the first arm.
The cam 62 of the shaft supports the underside of the tool carrier 4, and the tool carrier is spring-loaded downwards on the shaft 10.
Pivoting around it contacts the arcuate surface of the control block 14. As the operating arm 15 continues to rotate, the follower pin 67 slides in the S-shaped groove 66, which causes the tool carrier 4 to rotate about the shaft 11 and reach the position partially shown in broken lines in FIG. This movement also aligns the bottom housing socket 26 with the top housing socket 25 and their sets along the mating axis. Further rotation of the operating lever 15 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 5 causes the roller 64 to contact the lower surface of the tool carrier 4 and move upwards about the tool carrier shaft 10, thereby causing the bottom socket housing 26 to move. Driving the two along their mating axis towards the upper socket housing 25 to bring the two together and the terminal 23 to the conductor 2 as described above.
End at 2.

[0015]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a press tool which can be used as a multi-conductor electrical connector and can cut the conductor of the connector before termination.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a press tool of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the press tool of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the tool carrier of the present invention.

FIG. 3a is a side view of the tool carrier of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the press assembly of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a press assembly with wires inserted into the upper housing component of a connector terminated by the press tool of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of an electrical connector terminated according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the electrical connector of FIG. 6 with the conductors removed.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the electrical connector of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the electrical connector of FIG.

FIG. 10 is for use with the press tool of the present invention,
It is an expanded sectional view of a terminal which terminates to a conductor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 frame 4 carrier member 5 spacer member 6 cutting means 7 supporting means 12 control and operating means 15 operating arm 18 ring lever 19 jaw 22 conductor 23 terminal 25 first housing component 26 second housing component 27 opening 40 connector assembly 50 press Tool 62 1st cam 64 2nd cam or roller 66 S-shaped slot 67 Follower pin

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An electrical connector assembly 40 comprising a plurality of wires 22, a first housing component 25 and an associated second housing component 26, and a plurality of terminals within the connector assembly 40 as a result of the combination of housing components. In a press tool for simultaneous bulk termination of 23 to a portion of the wire in each terminal, frame 2, first housing component support means 8, 19 for supporting said first housing component 25, said frame 2 A carrier member 4 attached to the carrier member 4, and a cutting means 6 attached to the carrier member 4 for cutting each of the wires into a predetermined length.
18, attached to the carrier member 4 described above,
Second housing component support means 7 supporting said second housing component 26, said first means in a direction parallel to the axis of the portion of the wire within each terminal.
The second housing component 26 relative to the first housing component 25 of the
And a second housing component, thereby providing means 4, 12, 15, 64 for terminating each terminal 23 to an individual conductor 22. 2. The press tool of claim 1 further comprising spacer means 5 mounted next to the first housing component support means and mounted on the carrier member to establish a length of wire. 3. The spacer means comprises a block having a plurality of holes through which a plurality of wires can be arranged, the axes of these holes being parallel to the axis of the portion of the wire in each terminal. The press tool described in 2. 4. The press tool according to claim 1, wherein the cutting means comprises a blade 6 for simultaneously cutting a row of wires. 5. The first and second housing components are mated along a first axis parallel to the axis of the portion of the wire within the terminal, and the press tool is from the second housing component loading station to the housing mating position. A means for moving said second housing component support means 4,12,15,66,67, said housing combination position being located along said first axis. Press tool as described. 6. A first axis comprising a plurality of wires 22, a first housing component 25, an interlocking second housing component 26, and a plurality of terminals 23, the first axis being parallel to the axis of the portion of the wire within the terminals. A method of manufacturing an electrical connector assembly 40, wherein the plurality of terminals 23 can be simultaneously mass terminated to a portion of the wire within each terminal as a result of the combination of the first and second housing components described above. Making a first housing component 25 having a plurality of openings 27 forming a row of wires, inserting a plurality of wires 22 into the openings of the first housing component described above, and simultaneously cutting the wires of each row to a predetermined length. Aligning the second housing component 26 described above along the first axis, and Moving the second housing component 26 above along the first axis and relative to the first housing component to combine the first and second housing components 25, 26 together, thereby A method of making an electrical connector assembly 40 comprising terminating each terminal on an individual wire. 7. The method of claim 6 wherein a spacer member 5 is provided adjacent to the first housing component to define a predetermined length of wire for insertion into the connector assembly. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the spacer member includes a plurality of holes 54, and wires are inserted into these holes during the inserting step. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the spacer member is moved away from the first housing component to allow the first and second housing components to be combined. 10. The method of claim 6, wherein the second housing component is moved from the second housing component loading station to a housing mating position located along the first axis.