Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~94l24733 215 7 8 8 ~ PCT~S94/03268
TOOL FOR THE CONTEMPORARY CRIMPING OF A PLURALITY OF
INSULATED WIRES IN AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The invention refers to a tool for the
contemporary crimping of a plurality of insulated wires
in an electrical connector.
PRIOR ART
Particularly in the telecommunication industry,
electrical connectors have become known which are
adapted to receive a multiplicity of insulated wires in
order to terminate a plurality of electrical contacts.
It is further known to establish the connection in that
the connectors are provided with U-shaped insulation
displacement contacts into which the wires are pressed.
The insulation displacement contacts are located in a
retaining body into which the individual wires are
inserted. A pressing body or cover cooperates with the
retaining body in order to press the individual wires
contemporaneously into the U-shaped insulation
displacement contacts.
Such connectors are for example disclosed by the
German patent DE 39 20 367.
It is further known to accommodate such connectors
in a splice head provided to facilitate the insertion
of the wires into the connectors. Only when all wires
are inserted and fixed, a pressing into the contact
elements of the ret~;n;ng body is carried out by means
of the pressing body. Usually, this operation makes
use of a corresponding pliers-like tool as for instance
known from the German patent DE 25 15 171. The known
tool includes legs which embrace the splice head on
opposite sides and are attached thereto. A pressing
member is located between the arms and can be moved by
W094/24733 21 5 7 ~ 8 ~ PCT~S94/03268 ~
means of a manually operable lever and transmission
means in order to press a plurality of wires into the
retaining body which wires are also contemporarily cut.
In this tool, the pressing force is built up and
transmitted mechanically. From the European Patent
Application EP 0 179 112 it is also known to exert the
pressing force through hydraulic transmission means.
It is also known to provide the known connectors
with plug contacts and plug contact strips. It is
further known to stack two or more connectors one above
the other. For this reason, the different combinations
of connectors have different height. It is therefore
necessary to consider the height of the different
connectors when the wires are pressed and crimped. In
case of hydraulically actuatable tools, this can be
realized by a corresponding hydraulic control. Such
tools, however, are relatively heavy and relatively
difficult to handle. If manually operable, tools of
less weight are desired, and usually each height of a
connector necessitates another tool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides for a tool wherein
insulated wires can be pressed into connectors of
different height.
In the tool according to the invention, the
pressing member is adapted to be displaced by
predetermined steps relative to the splice head
independent from the transmission means. The actuation
of the manual lever leads to a displacement of the
pressing member relative to the splice head. This
displacement, however, cannot be used for an adaptation
to the height of the connector because a predetermined
stroke is necessary in order to press the inserted
wires fully into the contacts. At the end of such
stroke, a locking means or other means are applied to
avoid a further displacement of the pressing member.
With a tool according to the invention, such a
094/24733 21~ 7 ~ 8 ~ PCT~S94/03268
limitation of the stroke is also provided. By an
adjustment of the position of the pressing member
beforehand the stroke commences from different initial
r positions adapted to the actual height of the connector
5 used at any one time.
Various structures can be conceived in order to
realize a displacement of the pressing member step by
step. One embodiment of the invention provides that at
least an intermediate member is linked to the rear side
10 of the pressing member rotatable about an axis. In
different positions, the intermediate member coacts
with a transmission lever actuated by the manual lever,
with the pressing member having a different distance
from the transmission lever in the individual
15 rotational positions of the intermediate member. The
intermediate member can for example be mounted on an
eccentric member. The eccentric member can be actuated
externally by a lever and for example effect two
positions of the pressing member. According to another
20 embodiment of the invention, the intermediate member
has a plurality of recesses at the circumference
thereof which may be engaged by a trunnion attached to
the transmission lever, with the recesses having a
different spacing from the rotation axis of the
25 intermediate member. The number of displacement steps
of the pressing member corresponds to the number of
recesses. The latter embodiment is particularly suited
for tools which attain an unambiguous fixed position
relative to the splice head, i.e. cannot be displaced
30 relative to the splice head.
According to another embodiment of the invention,
the splice head has teeth at opposite sides, and the
tool has pivotally supported levers including also a
tooth which coacts with the teeth of the splice head.
35 The pitch of the teeth can be selected such that the
spacing between two adjacent teeth corresponds to the
difference in the height of the two different
wos4/~733 PCT~S94103268 ~
~ ~7~3 4
connectors. For connector combinations between these
height values, an adaptation can be carried out by a
displacement of the pressing member, e.g. by the
described eccentric member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be subsequently described by
means of embodiment examples in connection with the
accompanied drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a
tool according to the invention wherein the housing is
partially removed, and Fig. lA is a ~ragmentary detail
vlew;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a
tool according to the invention wherein also a part of
the housing is removed;
Fig.3 is a cross section through the tool of Fig.
2 taken along line 3-3;
Fig. 4 is a cross section through the tool of Fig.
2 taken along line 4-4;
20Fig. 5 is a side view of the tool of Fig. 2 and of
a connector with a first height;
Fig. 6 is an illustration similar to Fig. 5,
however, with a connector having a second height;
Fig. 7 is an illustration similar to Fig. 5,
however, with a connector having a third height; and
Fig. 8 is an illustration similar to Fig. 5,
however, with a connector having a fourth height.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The tool 10 shown in Fig. 1 includes a housing 12
which is depicted partially opened. A first lever 14
is fixedly attached to the housing while a second
actuation lever 16 is linked to housing 12 at 18. At
the opposite end of the housing, two parallel spaced
extensions 20, 22 are provided which cooperate with a
splice head indicated at 24. An accommodation plate
26, or retaining member, of splice head 24 is shown
onto which an electrical connector (not shown) can be
~ 094l24733 21 ~ 7 8 ~ ~ PCT~S94/03268
placed. Plate 26 has recesses 28, 30 at opposite ends
which are engaged by lower arms 32, 34 of levers 36, 38
by means of pins 40, 42 thereon in order to attach tool
10 to splice head 24. As separately shown in Fig.lA,
at the right side of Fig. 1, recesses 28, 30 are formed
in bifurcated portions o~ plate 26; the pins 40, 42
thus are provided on opposite sides of lever arms 32,
34. The levers 36, 38 are pivotally supported on
housing 12 and can be tilted clockwise and counter-
clockwise, respectively, as indicated on the right sideof Fig. 1 in order to engage and disengage with
reces~es 28, 30, with the levers 36, 38 biased by
springs 44, 46 towards locking direction.
An elongated pressing member 50 which extends
approximately parallel to accommodation plate 26 is
linked to two sector-like intermediate members 56, 58
at 52,54. The intermediate member 56,58 can be rotated
by a square neck 60, 62, for example by a suitable
wrench so that various recesses 64, 68 at the
circumference of the intermediate members 56, 58 may be
engaged by trunnions 70, 72 of links 74, 76. The links
74, 76 are linked the transmission means, including a
rack 82, at 78, 80 displaceably supported in housing 12
parallel to pressing member 50. The levers 74, 76 are
further coupled by a connecting lever 84 which is
coupled to pressing member 50 through a spring 86.
The rack 82 is moved parallel to the pressing
member by a ratchet lever 88 having a toothed end
linked to actuation lever 16. A spring-biased locking
lever 90 also having teeth meshing with the teeth on
the rack 82 in each position. By means of the
described mechanism, the pressing member can be moved
towards the accommodation plate 26 about a
predetermined stroke length so that a connector on the
accommodation plate 26 is pressed a predetermined
amount in order to crimp the wires in the manner
described above.
W094/~733 PCT~S94/03268 ~
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As can be seen, the individual recesses 64, 68
designated with a,b,c and d on the sector-like
intermediate member, have a different spacing from
rotation axis 52,54 of intermediate member 56,58.
Therefore, the pressing member 50 has a different
initial position when carrying out the described stroke
in dependence of the recesses 64, 68 engaged by the
trunnion 70, 72 of lever 74,76. In this manner, an
adjustment to the height of a connector can be
achieved.
In the crimping operation described the pressing
member 50 makes a predetermined stroke while a
limitation of the stroke for example can be achieved by
stop means cooperating with rack 82. If the crimping
operation is finished, stop lever 90 is actuated so
that rack 82 is moved back by the spring bias in the
position shown in Fig. 1. In order to remove the
connector, levers 36, 38 are tilted so that the tool 10
can be released from splice head 24. Thereafter, the
connector can be removed from splice head 24.
The tool 100 shown in Fig. 2 includes a housing
102, an actuation lever 104 fixedly attached to housing
102 while a further actuation lever 106 is linked to
housing 102 at 108. The housing 102 is depicted
partially opened in order to more clearly show the
transmission mechanism.
A splice head 110 has a retaining member in the
form of an accommodation plate 112 for the
accommodation of a connector not shown. On opposite
sides of splice head 110 is a rack each having parallel
teeth 114, 116. Levers 122, 124 are linked to opposite
sides of housing 102 at 118, 120. One arm of the
levers 122, 124 defines a handle 126, 128 while the
other arm 130, 132 is also provided with teeth
cooperating with the teeth 114, 116 of splice head 110.
In accordance with the pitch of teeth 114, 116 or 130,
132, respectively, a predetermined spacing "h" of the
215 7 8 S 9 PCT~S94/03268
7 ll
pressing member 134 from the upper side of
accommodation plate 112 can be adjusted.
As can be seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the pressing
member 134 is U-shaped in cross section and linked to
housing 102 by means of an eccentric bolt 136. By the
way, the housing includes two opposite plates 138, 140.
On one end, the eccentric bolt 136 is connected with a
hand lever 142 so that spacing "h" can be changed by a
tilting of lever 142. The eccentric bolt 136 has an
extension 144 linked to a gear segment 148 at 146 (see
Fig. 2), with the gear segment 148 rotatably supported
by housing 102 at 150. It includes a pinion 152
cooperating with a slot 154 of housing 102 indicated by
dashed lines.
The transmission means for pressing the member 134
against the plate 112 includes a ratchet lever 156
which is linked to actuation lever 106 so that an
actuation of lever 106 leads to a rotation of gear
segment 148 counter-clockwise. A spring-biased locking
lever 158 secures the position of the gear segment 148.
Upon rotation of gear segment 148, pressing member 134
is moved downwardly in order to exert a force on a
connector on accommodation plate 112. The stroke
length of pressing member 134 is limited by the length
of the arc of the gear segment 148.
In Figs. 5 to 8, a tool 100 is shown in connection
with connectors vl to v4 of different height
accommodated by a splice head 110. The connectors vl
and v2 of Figs. 6 and 7 have a difference in height of
for example 6 mm. The difference in height between the
connectors v3 and v4 of Figs. 7 and 8 amount for
example to 1,3 mm. As can be seen in Figs. 5 and 6 or
7 and 8, respectively, a tilting of hand lever 142 and
thus a rotation of the eccentric bolt 136 about 180
results in a displacement of the pressing member 134
about 1,3 mm. The spacings between pressing member 134
and plate 112 in Figs. 5 and 6 are 10,1 and 11,4 mm,
W094/~733 PCT~S94/03268 ~
21~7~ 8
respectively, and regarding Figs. 7 and 8 16,1 and 17,4
mm. In the embodiment of figs. 5 and 6, the toothing
of levers 122, 124 engages the lowest area of toothing
114, 116 of splice head 110. In the embodiment of
5 Figs. 7 and 8, the engagement is offset about one tooth
pitch. This corresponds to a change in the spacing
between pressing member 134 and plate 112 in the amount
of 6 mm. If lever 142 in Fig. 7 is tilted about 180
according to Fig. 8, pressing member 134 is lowered
about 1, 3 mm. The lowering of pressing member starts,
however from a changed position which is about 6 mm
higher that of Figs. 5 and 6.
In the manner described, connectors of four
different heights can be handled by tool 100. If the
toothing 114, 116 of levers 122, 124 engage the
toothing of splice head 110 further upwardly,
connectors with larger heights can be dealt with also.
It should be mentioned that pressing member 134 is
biased by springs 160, 162 towards the eccentric bolt
136 in order to give the pressing member 134 a defined
vibration-free position.
