Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2 ~
MICRO-CONNECTOR
AND AUTOMATED TOOL FOR APPLICATION THEREOF
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ;
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electrical
connecting devices employed in the splicing of
multiconductor telephone cables comprised of electrical
conductors of different or same gauge using only one ~
type of connector, and to automated tools for applying --;
the connecting device. More specifically, the present
invention relates to a type of connector for splicing
;~ multiconductor telephone cables which requires a
specific application tool, to crimp the connector.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
~ In splicing telephone cables, the cable ends are
¦~ arranged to each other and the individual wires in the
¦~ - 20 cables are spliced by the operator or lineman. When the
ends of two pairs of wires are bPing connected to each
other, it is necessary to make two separate electrical
connections, i.e., to connect each corresponding end of
the wires of the two pairs.
In accordance with prior art practice, when the
ends of a severed telephone cable are being spliced, the
lineman first separates from the numerous pairs in each
end the particular pairs which are to be conneated. He
then separates the two wires in each of the pairs and
makes electrical connections between the ends of these
wires. After making the connections for these pairs, he ;
15672 CA
..
~ .
''~;'' " ' ''.,' :' '
~2~Q/l~
-- 2
can then proceed to a next two pair of wires in the
cable and make the electrical connections for it.
In order to facilitate the electrical connections
between wires of two pairs, as described above, several
connecting systems were developed in which the
technician can separate and identify the ends of two
pairs of wires. He can then splice the ends of the
wires using a speclfic device and an application tool.
Such connectors for splicing telephone cables are
already known. However, the connectors commercially
available have certain drawbacks, such as size, the
amount of wires used by the same connector and the siz~ -
of the final splice of the multiconductor telephone
cables.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a new
connector for splicing multiconductor telephone cables
which has reduced size in relation to the known
connectors, and which can cover a wide range of wire
gauges for the same connector. In addition, it covers
all combinations of application of cables for connectors
o~ prior art and further which reduces the size of the
final disadvantages presented by the connectors of prior
art.
; Automatic tools for application of connectors of
the prior art are usually of the type having a slot
which extends transversely between its ends. The wires
which should be spliced are generally positioned in the
15672 CA
" ~ "
::! ~ ,,'J, ~ , , ' ,, ' ;, .' . ' ; . ~ ~ ' ' , ~
~ y~ ' ', "~
`2-~
-- 3
slot of the tool and then centrally cut. Further, the
automatic application tool positions the wires in the
connector to be used and then crimps inwardly the legs
of said connector, thus accomplishing the crimping of
the connector.
Since the application tools of the prior art cut
the wires centrally, they do not permit the use of
connectors of reduced sizes. Consequently, such
application tools can not be designed to be of the
compact type, being heavy and of high manufacture cost.
Further, according to the connectox application
tools of prior art, when it is desirable to make a
straight splice of telephone wires and a tapping splice,
,,
it is necessary to use two application tools, since the
application tools of the prior art make only straight
splices or tapping splices, i.e., an application tool of
prior art does not make the two types of splice using `~
the same tool.
Thus, it is desirable to develop a tool for
application of connectors of the automatic type,
appropriate to be used with connectors of reduced size,
such as the micro-connector of the present invention,
such a tool being compact, light and of low manufacture
cost, thus overcoming the disadvantages presented by the
~: : . . .
automatic tools for application of connectors of the
prior art.
~ ~ .
~'
¦ 15672 CA
i
'~
-- 4
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
~he invention provides a connector device designed .
to join 19-26 AWG copper telephone cables with PVC or .
paper insulation of the aerial or underground type,
which uses only one type of connector comprised
preferably of a copper alloy adhered to a polyester
film, the metallic body of said connector being tin
coated.
The micro-connector of the present invention has a
reduced size, that is approximately half of the length
of the connectors of the prior art and, in addition to :~
this, it permits the use of a great amount of wire
gauges for the connector, in the range of four wires
with different gauges, while the connectors of prior art
use at the most three wires of different gauges.
~:~ The micro-connector of the present invention is ~:
:. :
provided with two different slot sizes, which allow to
cover all wire range indicated for this type of
connector, no matter what is the range of the wire,
~ :.
;~ 20 since the smaller slots have an appropriate size to :
cover the smaller wire sizes and the bigger slots have ~.
: another size to cover the bigger ones. :;
, Further, the micro-connector of the present -~: ~
invention is a low cost connector which offers : -
economical advantages in relation to the connectors of ~
prior art. ~ : :
~ '"''
'. .:
15672 CA ~.~
. :: ','~ . ''
,~ -
~ 2~2,~
The automatic tool of the present invention is for
the application of micro-connectors, of the present
invention, designed to join conductor wires using reeled
micro-connectors. Such a tool provides uniform and high
quality connections which meet all requirements of
electrical conductivity, isolation, mechanical
resistance and compaction. -~
The application tool of the present invention
applies the micro-connectors to the wires by means of
the crimping of the micro-connectors between a set of
crimpers. The fixed die is called the anvil and the
movable die is the crimper which crimps the wire in the
connector.
Furthermore, the application tool has wire supports
;~ which position and hold wires in the crimpers and a wire
cut system which cuts the wires by the ends arranging
them side by side after the cut, which permits the use
of said reduced size micro-connectors, the positioning
of said micro-connectors being done by the sides of them
in the feed knob of the application tool.
Further, the application tool of the present
invention permits straight and tapping splices, which is
also compact, light and of low manufacture cost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Additional features of the invention will become
apparent and a fuller understanding will be obtained by
:,
15672 CA
2 ~
-- 6 --
reading the following detailed description made in
connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing frontal, top
and right side portions of the micro-connector of the
invention;
Figure 2 shows a side view taken from the right
side of the micro-connector of Figure 1. The side view .
taken from the left side of the micro-connector of
Figure 1 was omitted, since it is identical to the one ~ ~
: 10 of Figure 2; ; : ::
. ;:
Figure 3 is a front view of the micro-connector of
present invention. The rear view of same was omitted, :;~
since it is identical to the one of Figure 3;
~¦ Figure 4 is a top view showing a connector strip ~ :
with two micro-connectors designed in accordance with ;.
the micro-connector of Figure ~
Figure 5 is a perspective vlew showing in detail
the slots of the micro-connector designed to receive the :
connecting wires;
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are top views of the micro- ~;
; connector of the present invention showing the possible ~
connections for the same;
Figure 9 is a top view of an automatic tool for
application of connectors of the prior art; ` `.
Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the- ~
: . .
:~ automatic tool Por application oP connectors of the ;~
~ prior art of Figure 9; ~.
¦ ~5672 CA
'.-: , ` .. ~:
,. ~
' ', ' '' ,, r,",' ~ Sv,~ '' ,' r ~ :
/ ``\ ~ ~ 2 ~
: ~ ;
Figure 11 is a perspective view showing an
automatic tool for application of micro-connectors of
the present invention; .:
Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the bottom
portion of the automatic tool for application of micro- ;
connectors of the present invention;
Figure 13 is a perspective view showiny in details
the front portion of the application tool of the present
invention; and
Figure 14 is a perspective view of the body of the
application of the present invention showing the side .
portion of same taken from the right side of said tool
of Figure 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The micro-connector 1 which permits the splicing of
~; telephone cables 2A, 2B and 2C of the present invention
is preferably made of a copper a:Lloy adhered to a strip
3 of polyester film, the body of said micro-connector
being tin coated.
~: 20 The micro-connector 1 of the present invention,
best shown in Figure 1, is manufactured in an integral
piece having a parallelepipedical body in the shape of a
"U" 4, the bottom portion 5 of the said body in "U"
being centrally hollow throughout and slightly narrower
than the top portion of the micro-connector 1.
: At the inner ends of the centrally hollow out
bottom portion of said micro-connector 1 there are three
15672 CA
~26~
- 8 -
small metallic tongues 6, 7 and 8 in the shape of lances
perpendicularly located in relation to the bottom
portion of the body in "U" 4, three of them 6A, 7A and
8A being located at a first end of the hollow out
portion 5 and the other three 6B, 7s and 8B being
located at the other side of the hollow out end 5. Said
metallic small tongues 6, 7 and 8 are spaced from each
other by small contact slots 9, 10 which are designed to -~
receive the telephone cables 2A, 2B, 2C. The smaller ~ ~-
10 contact slots 9A and lOB are designed to receive smaller ;~
gauges of wire and the bigger ones 9B and lOA are ~- -
designed to receive bigger gauges of wire. The most
external metallic small tongues 6A, 6B, 8~ and 8B have
the same siæe and the csntral metallic small tongues 7A
and 7B are similar in size but larger than the external
metallic small tongues.
The micro-connector 1 of the present invention has
a small positioner rod llA, llB in each inner side wall.
.
The rods are located between legs 16 and 17 and their
function is to position wires 2A, 2B, 2C inside of the
contact slots 9, 10, which are to be connected.
The micro-connector 1 of the present invention
~ , further has cutouts in the shape of a~V~ 12, 13, 14, 15,
; located at the ends of legs 16, 17 of the "U" of the
: .
body 4 of said micro-connector 1.
In order to perform the splicing of telephone -
cables using the micro-connector 1 of the present
15672 CA
- 9 - 2~.2~
invention, it is necessary to use a specific hand
actuated or automated tool, which will be described
below, to apply wires 2A, 2B, 2C to be spliced which are
positioned in said tool, which in its turn places wires
2A, 2B, 2C in the corresponding contact slots 9A, 9B and
lOA, lOB. Then, the above mentioned application tool
crimps inwardly the legs 16, 17 of the body in the shape
of a "U" of connector 1 in order that the wires 2A, 2B,
2C to be spliced are urged into the contact slots 9A, 9B
and lOA, lOB with the help o~ the positioner rods llA,
llB. In this operation, when wires 2A, 2B, 2C are urged
to enter in the contact slots 9A, 9B, lOA, lOB, the
metallic small tongues 6, 7, 8 break through the
insulator of the wire until touching the wire itself and
accomplish the eleictrical connaction.
Accordingly, the same connector 1 can be used to
make splices of wires of different gauges as illustrated
in Figures 6, 7 and 8.
It will be noted that the present invention
discloses a micro-connector, which splices telephone
cables, that is of simple design but is effective and of
low cost. The application of the connector is performed
, by means of an automatic tool 31 which will now be
~ described in detail.
¦~ An automatic tool 21 for application of connectors
¦~ of the prior art is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, and
presents a central cut system 29, i.e., the wires are
1567? CA
- lo 2~
positioned in front of each other after cutting.
Additionally, said tools present an angular movement of
crimping of connectors and a pressing power system of
connectors which uses a cam, that is, an operating
handle 23 of 360 degrees of rotation. On the other
hand, the application tool 31 of the present invention
is provided with a cut system which cuts by the ends 39,
i.e., the wires are positioned side by side after the ~ ;
cutting. Furthermore, said tool 31 presents a
10 horizontal movement of crimping of connectors 1, which ;~
are in the form of a micro-connector strip 32, and a
pressing power system of micro-connectors which uses an
operating lever 33.
The automatic tool 31 for application of micro-
connectors strip 32, of the present invention, best ~-
shown in Figure 11, has an operating handle 33, one
fixed die which is an anvil 34 and one movable die which -
is a crimper 35, wire supports 36 for the wires to be
;~ spliced, a feed knob 37 for feeding the reeled micro-
~ 20 connectors and a transport catch 38 to transport the
¦~ ~ strip of micro-connectors.
- ~ The operating handle, as its name indicates, ~
~ operates the application tool 31. One complete forward -
.
and reverse motion is equal to one complete crimp cycle ~
. ...
of a micro-connector. The operating handle 33, further
has a spring which automatically returns the operating
,.
~ 15672 CA
~ ' '
. -.
- 11 - 2~2~0~
lever 33 to the starting position to crimp the next
micro-connector of the strip of micro-connectors 32.
The anvil 34 and the crimper 35 crimp the micro-
connectors, i.e., the application tool 31 applies the
micro-connectors to the wires by crimping them between
the anvil 34 and crimper 35.
The wire supports 36, located in the side ends of
the application tool 31, position and hold the wires in
the crimpers 34 and 35. Two cutting blades 45 to cut
the wires are secured in the sides of the application
tool, which cut the wire ends against the sides of the
crimper 35 when it adva~ces. Two blades 39 for cutting
the micro-connectors 32 of the strip are secured by
~eans of a screw 40 and a cover 41 in the anvil 34.
; ~ A feed knob 37, which can rotate clockwise or anti-
clockwise, rotates a feed sprocket forward or backward
,
in order that the micro-connectors strip 32 forward to
start the application of micro-cc~nnectors or backwards
to remove the skrip of micro-connectors 32 of the
application tool 31.
The application tool 31 of the present invention
further has a transport catch 38 which automatically
advances feed sprocket when the operating handle 33 is
pushed backward.
In order to join the wires using a micro-connector
strip 32 and the application tool 31 of the present
invention i5 necessary, in first place, to insert micro-
~.
15672 CA
. .
connector strip 32 in the application tool 31, as
follows: . .
a) cut carrier strip 32 midway between two micro- ..
connectors;
b) open protective cover 42 of application tool
31 and, with the open side of the micro-connectors ~3
facing the application tool 31, start the connector .~. .
strip into the guide channel of the application tool 31;
c) guide the micro-connector strip 32 over a
guide channel, making the return through roller 44 and
into the sprocket; ~
d) hold micro-connector strip 32 in the right :~ :
position and rotate feed knob 37 slowly until certain ;
that micro-connector strip 32 is started in the
application tool 31; and
e) rotate feed Xnob 37 until the third micro-
: connector is aligned on the anvil 34 of the application
tool 31 and the carrier strip exist in the exit end of
.~ the application tool 31.
: 20 In joining telephone cahles, using the application
tool 31 of the present invention vith the micro-
connector strip 32 already inserted in the application
tool 31, it is nscessary to centralize the application
~:~ tool 31 in relation to the telephone cables in a way ~
that the splices are not loose or decentralized. A~ter ;;
that, take a wire from the right side of the application
tool 31 and lace it through the wire support 7 and out
,'
::: 15672 CA ~
:~ ,'',, ':
.1i ;~ ' ~`
- 13 ~
between the crimpers 34, 35. Then, take a second wire
from -the other side of the application tool 31 and lace
it through the other wire support 36 and out between the
crimpers 34, 35. Finally, cycle the application tool 31
by pushing the operating handle 33 forward until
bottomed and then allow it to return freely. Next,
repeat the above steps for the other pair of wires.
Accordingly, the automatic tool for application of
micro-connectors 1 can be used for splicing telephone
cables using micro-connectors strip.
Although the invention has been shown and described
with respect to a best mode embodiment thereof, it
should be understood by those skilled in the art that
the foregoing and various other changes, omissions and
`~ additions in the form and detail thereof may be made
~:
; therein without departing from the spirit and scope of
:
~ the invention as claimed in the appended claims.
1'~ . . -
~ 15672 CA
,i. .
"~, " "~,, ~ , ,': ' . ~ :
