EP0280396A2 - Machine semi-automatique pour la fabrication de harnais électrique et méthode - Google Patents

Machine semi-automatique pour la fabrication de harnais électrique et méthode Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0280396A2
EP0280396A2 EP88300548A EP88300548A EP0280396A2 EP 0280396 A2 EP0280396 A2 EP 0280396A2 EP 88300548 A EP88300548 A EP 88300548A EP 88300548 A EP88300548 A EP 88300548A EP 0280396 A2 EP0280396 A2 EP 0280396A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
conductor
terminal portion
receiving terminal
connector
housing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP88300548A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0280396B1 (fr
EP0280396A3 (en
Inventor
Robert L. Moore
Jacob S. Haller
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Molex LLC
Original Assignee
Molex LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Molex LLC filed Critical Molex LLC
Publication of EP0280396A2 publication Critical patent/EP0280396A2/fr
Publication of EP0280396A3 publication Critical patent/EP0280396A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0280396B1 publication Critical patent/EP0280396B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/01—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for connecting unstripped conductors to contact members having insulation cutting edges

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for fabricating an electrical harness including a connector electrically connected to a plurality of conductors, and more particularly to a method and semi-­automatic apparatus for fabricating an electrical harness including a plurality of insulation clad conductors electrically connected to a counter of the type having one or two rows of insulation displacement terminals.
  • Insulation displacement terminals are widely used to make electrical connections with insulation clad wires because the step of removing insulation from a conductor prior to termination of the wire is eliminated.
  • An example of an electrical harness fabrication machine which produces harnesses utilizing a connector of the type including a plurality of insulation displacement terminals is disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,590,650 issued May 27, 1986 and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
  • the disclosed electrical harness fabrication machine produces harnesses which include ribbon cable having a connector at each end.
  • These electrical harnesses are produced by mass terminating the insulation clad conductors to the conductor-receiving portions of the terminals, then the terminals are inserted fully into the connector housing and a carrier strip that maintains the end spacing between the terminals during their mass termination is removed at some point subsequent to the termination.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for fabricating electrical harnesses.
  • an improved method and apparatus for fabricating an electrical harness including a connector and a plurality of conductors.
  • the connector has a plurality of terminals preloaded partially into a housing with a conductor-receiving terminal portion outside of the housing.
  • One or more connectors are manually positioned within a frame of the electrical harness fabricating apparatus.
  • a first conductor-­receiving terminal portion of the first connector is spaced apart and generally aligned with a conductor insertion blade.
  • a first operational cycle of the electrical harness apparatus begins when a conductor is detected at a predetermined position within a conductor-guide channel. The conductor is terminated into the first conductor-receiving terminal portion.
  • a connector carrying slide is moved one step to position a next adjacent conductor-receiving terminal portion generally aligned with the conductor-guide channel.
  • successive operational cycles of the harness fabricating apparatus are performed until at least one electrical harness is completed.
  • Each of the successive operational cycles begins when a conductor is detected at the predetermined position within the conductor-guide channel. This conductor is terminated into the adjacent conductor-receiving terminal portion, the previously terminated conductor and terminal portion is inserted into the housing, and the connector carrying slide is moved one step to position a next adjacent conductor-receiving terminal portion adjacent to the conductor insertion blade.
  • the successive operational cycles are continued until the last conductor is terminated into the last conductor-receiving terminal portion.
  • the connector carrying slide is moved one step and the last terminated conductor and conductor-­receiving terminal portion is inserted into the housing.
  • the invention includes the apparatus for performing the method of the invention as described.
  • the electrical harness fabricating apparatus is designated as a whole by the reference numeral 20.
  • the apparatus or tool 20 is used for fabricating an elec­ trical harness that includes a connector electrically con­nected to a plurality of conductors.
  • a connector designated as a whole by the reference numeral 22 in FIGS. 2 and 3
  • the connector 22 is illustrated in FIGS. 2-10 and is described herein as used with the tool 20
  • the illustrated connector 22 includes two opposed tows of four terminals 24, however, it should be understood that the harness fabricating tool 20 can be used with various different connectors such as, for example, connectors includ­ing between four and twenty-seven terminals in two opposed rows or in a single row.
  • the harness fabricating tool 20 includes a nest 26 (FIG. 1) for receiving one or more of the connectors 22 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and thereafter for permitting removal of a completed electrical harness 28 as shown in FIG. 4,
  • the tool includes a termination assembly designated generally by the reference numeral 30 for sequentially ter­minating conductors into the terminals 24, and a terminal insertion assembly generally designated by the reference numeral 32 sequentially for inserting the terminated terminals into the connector 22.
  • a drive motor assembly 34 is opera­tively coupled to the termination and terminal insertion assemblies 30 and 32 and to the connector nest 26.
  • the connector 22 includes an electrically insulative housing 36 with a plurality of terminal receiving cavities 38 formed therein.
  • the insulation displacement terminals 24 are preloaded partially into the terminal-receiving cavities 38 with a conductor-receiving terminal-end portion 40 extending outside of the housing 36.
  • the terminals 24 are fabricated in a strip with the free-end portions 40 interconnected with a carrier strip (not shown), the carrier strip having been removed subsequently.
  • Each conductor-receiving terminal portion 40 includes at least one insulation displacement slot 42 (FIG. 9) and a strain relief portion 44 including a pair of strain relief arms 46 and 48 that may be deformed to grip an insulation clad conduc­tor 50 that is connected to the terminal, as shown in FIG. 9.
  • the insulation displacement slot or slots 42 are adapted to receive an insulation clad conductor 50 and edges of the slots displace the insulation to contact and make an electri­ cal connection with the electrically conductive core 52 (Fig. 9).
  • Arms 54 and 56 of the terminals 24 (Fig. 3) are configured to receive therebetween a conductive element (not shown) associated with an external circuit, such as a conductive blade or a male pin terminal.
  • the connectors 22 are manually loaded into the connector nest 26 that is shown in Figs. 1 and 11.
  • a latch member 58 is received within a latch support member 60 that is mounted on a slide 62 and the latch support member 60 is reciprocal to move the connectors 22 into the nest 26.
  • the support member 60 can be moved outwardly to receive the connectors.
  • An upper surface 66 of the slide 62 supports the connectors 22 when inserted into the nest 26 with the partially preloaded terminals 24 extending upwardly.
  • the slide 52 is adapted for stepwise movement in discrete steps corresponding to the centerline spacing between the terminals 24 by a spring biased pawl 70 and a co-operating ratchet 72 arranged in a conventional manner.
  • a tooth 74 of the pawl 70 slides over a tooth of the ratchet 72 to provide a next adjacent conductor receiving terminal portion 40 in position for ter­ mination.
  • the slide 62 is positioned below a fixed frame or track 76 that has opposite side-walls 78 and 80 and a top wall 82.
  • the latch support member 60 is slideably received within the track 76 between the opposite side-walls 78 and 80.
  • a pair of guide pins 86 are provided on opposite sides of the latch support member 60 and are received within a channel or recess 88 provided in each of the opposite side-­walls 78 and 80 for accurately positioning the latch support member 60 within the fixed track 76.
  • An area between the upper surface 66 of the slide 62, the side-walls 78 and 80 and the top wall 82 defines a recess or channel 84 for receiv­ing one or more connectors 22.
  • the top wall 82 includes an opening 90 extending along its length to enable passage of the members 58 and 60 that are manually moved with the guide pins 86 within the channels 88 maintaining the relative posi­tioning and alignment through the track 76 to provide the connector or connectors 22 in a starting position as shown in dotted line in FIG. 11 for termination of the first terminals in the opposed rows.
  • a divider support member 92 that is tapered to provide a thin lower portion 94 (FIGS. 1, 7, 8, 9 and 10) to fit between the opposed rows of terminals 24 and provide support for the opposed terminals 24 during the termination and termi­nal insertion operations.
  • the termination assembly 30 includes a pair of movable side-wall supports 96 forming pockets that are advanced to be positioned between the adjacent terminal portions 40 on each side for accurately aligning and supporting the free-end terminal portions during the sequential termination of the opposed terminals 24.
  • the side-wall supports 96 are then retracted after a conductor 50 is terminated into the then adjacent terminal portion 40.
  • the side-wall supports 96 include a tapered nose portion 98 for first contacting the terminal portion 40 near the connec­tor housing 36 and precisely maintaining alignments of the free-end terminal portion 40 of the terminals 24.
  • a pair of conductor insertion blades 100 are driven by a conductor insertion drive assembly 102 as shown in FIG. 1, and move between a first retracted position as illustrated in FIG. 5 and a terminating position as illustrated in FIG. 6, followed by return to the retracted position.
  • Each conduc­tor insertion blade 100 is adapted to engage a conductor 50 and move the conductor into an insulation displacement slot 42 of a terminal when the termination assembly is moved from its retracted position (FIG. 5) to its termination position (FIG. 6).
  • a crimp blade portion 106 of the insertion blade 100 is adapted to deform the arms 46 and 48 around the conductor 50 as shown in FIG. 10.
  • a thin blade portion 108 is provided below blade portion 106 and a second thin portion 110 is provided spaced below the blade portion 108 for receipt within terminal slot portions 112 and 114 (FIG. 2) of an aligned terminal 24 during the termination process.
  • the terminal insertion assembly 32 includes a pair of terminal insertion blades 120 and aligning tapered arms 122 defining a channel 124.
  • the blades 120 are moved from a retracted position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 10 to a second position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 10 to engage the respective aligned terminals 24 and push the terminated terminal portions 40 fully into the ter­minal receiving cavities 38.
  • a drive assembly 126 for the terminal insertion blades 120 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 11 includes a cam roller 128 coupled to a rocker arm 130 through a pivot connection 132 to a link arm 134.
  • the rocker arm 130 is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 11 in a terminal insertion position wherein the terminal insertion blade has engaged the upstanding terminal poriton 40 and has fully inserted the terminal within the connector housing 36.
  • Conductors 50 are manually inserted into opposite wire entry ports 140 and through wire gripper legs 142 that respec­tively define a conductor-guide channel 144, as shown in FIG. 10.
  • a machine cycle begins when the conductors 50 are sufficiently inserted in the connector-guide channel 144 to engage a microswitch activator 146.
  • a pair of void switches LEFT and RIGHT are provided for separate or simul­taneous manual operation to start the machine cycle with only one conductor 50 inserted within the desired left or right conductor-guide channel 144 or without inserting conduc­tors 50.
  • an operator loads a connector 22 into the nest 26 and moves the slide 62 to a starting position as before described.
  • the operator then inserts a first pair of conductors 50 into the ports 140.
  • the conductors 50 are received within the conductor-guide channels 144 and the first machine operation­al cycle commences when these first conductors engage the microswitch activator 146.
  • the conductor insertion blades 100 are moved to their termination position (FIG. 6) and the first pair of conductors 50 are terminated into the opposed conductor-receiving terminal portions 40 of termi­nals 24. Thereafter the conductor insertion blades 100 are retracted from the terminal.
  • the tooth 74 of the pawl 70 slides over the ratchet tooth 72 to position the next conduc­tor-receiving terminal portions generally aligned with the now retracted conductor insertion blades 100.
  • the operator then inserts a second pair of conductors 50 within the conduc­tor-guide channels 144 and the machine cycle is repeated including an additional step of inserting the previously terminated conductors 50 and conductor-receiving terminal portions 40 fully within the housing 36 by operation of the terminal insertion blades 120 as before described.
  • the opera­tor continues to insert additional pairs of conductors 50 until the harness is completed.
  • the operator can insert a single conductor 50 in a desired left or right conductor-guide channel 144 and manually operate the LEFT or RIGHT void switch corresponding to the then empty channel 144 for termination of the single conductor 50. Also without inserting any con­ductors 50 the operator can simultaneously operate both the LEFT and RIGHT void switches for advancing to the next termi­ nals 24 without termination of the previous terminals.
  • the connector 22 is advanced one step and the last terminated terminals are finally inserted into the housing. The operator then pulls back (arrow A - FIG. 1) on the latch support member 60 moving the slide 62 outward­ly to the loading position (FIG.
  • a new assembly cycle is then connected by loading a fresh connector 22 into position on the slide 62 and moving the loaded slide inwardly (arrow B - FIG. 7) toward the termination position ready for wire termination and full insertion of the terminals into the connector housing as described.
  • the disclosed semi-automatic electrical harness fabricating method as described and the apparatus 20 are effective to fabricate electrical harnesses 28, which har­nesses eliminate the need for any cover member(s) on the terminals because in a completed harness, all of the terminals 24 are fully inserted within the connector housing 36.
  • Typi­cal secondary operations, such as the subsequent removal of a carrier strip and/or the insertion of previously terminated terminals are likewise eliminated.
  • the apparatus described with reference to, and as shown in, the drawings may be used with a connector having either a single or dual rows of terminals; the apparatus can be used to terminate wires of different gauges to insulation displacement terminals; the apparatus may sequentially terminate individual insulation clad conductors to insulation-displacing terminal portions outside of a housing of the connector and sequentially insert the terminated conductor and terminal portions into the housing.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Of Electrical Connectors (AREA)
EP19880300548 1987-02-24 1988-01-22 Machine semi-automatique pour la fabrication de harnais électrique et méthode Expired - Lifetime EP0280396B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US1808487A 1987-02-24 1987-02-24
US18084 1987-02-24

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0280396A2 true EP0280396A2 (fr) 1988-08-31
EP0280396A3 EP0280396A3 (en) 1989-12-06
EP0280396B1 EP0280396B1 (fr) 1994-08-31

Family

ID=21786149

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19880300548 Expired - Lifetime EP0280396B1 (fr) 1987-02-24 1988-01-22 Machine semi-automatique pour la fabrication de harnais électrique et méthode

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0280396B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH0654610B2 (fr)
DE (1) DE3851242T2 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2233585A (en) * 1989-04-24 1991-01-16 Viking Connectors Apparatus for connecting electrical conductors to an electrical connector
WO1992008263A1 (fr) * 1990-11-02 1992-05-14 Amp Incorporated Dispositif de terminaison de fils electriques
EP0482825A3 (en) * 1990-10-26 1993-04-14 American Telephone And Telegraph Company Method and apparatus for attaching successive pairs of wires to a data connector having fine-pitch contacts
CN113948930A (zh) * 2020-07-17 2022-01-18 康普技术有限责任公司 用于将电线端接至通信模块的端接工具和方法

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3766622A (en) * 1972-03-01 1973-10-23 Amp Inc Automatic apparatus for attaching wires to terminals
US4034472A (en) * 1975-05-09 1977-07-12 Trw Inc. Wire termination apparatus
JPS5544434A (en) * 1978-09-20 1980-03-28 Ricoh Co Ltd Sheet separator feeder
US4434551A (en) 1981-02-09 1984-03-06 Allied Corporation Conductor termination apparatus
CA1187269A (fr) * 1981-02-23 1985-05-21 Harley R. Holt Dispositif de raccordement de conducteurs
US4590650A (en) * 1984-02-27 1986-05-27 Molex Incorporated Electrical harness fabrication machine

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2233585A (en) * 1989-04-24 1991-01-16 Viking Connectors Apparatus for connecting electrical conductors to an electrical connector
GB2233585B (en) * 1989-04-24 1992-09-30 Viking Connectors Apparatus for connecting electrical conductors to an electrical connector
EP0482825A3 (en) * 1990-10-26 1993-04-14 American Telephone And Telegraph Company Method and apparatus for attaching successive pairs of wires to a data connector having fine-pitch contacts
WO1992008263A1 (fr) * 1990-11-02 1992-05-14 Amp Incorporated Dispositif de terminaison de fils electriques
CN113948930A (zh) * 2020-07-17 2022-01-18 康普技术有限责任公司 用于将电线端接至通信模块的端接工具和方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH0654610B2 (ja) 1994-07-20
DE3851242D1 (de) 1994-10-06
EP0280396B1 (fr) 1994-08-31
EP0280396A3 (en) 1989-12-06
JPS63224114A (ja) 1988-09-19
DE3851242T2 (de) 1995-01-26

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