An auxiliary device for use in connecting the conductors of a cable to the contacts of a connecting component

Abstract

 The invention relates to an auxiliary device for use in terminating the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable, more particularly of the coax-type. The auxiliary device has a supporting frame with an elongated jig, which is provided with a series longitudinally juxtaposed openings having their axes radially directed for receiving the housings of miniature (female) connectors, said supporting frame carrying adjacent one end of the jig a cable support, whereas at a distance parallel to the jig a supporting rail is provided, which is provided with supporting areas for the ends of the connecting tongues that extend from the (female) connectors, said supporting areas corresponding to the receiving openings in the jig, wherein the jig cooperates with means for holding the connector housings in the receiving openings and wherein the supporting rail cooperates with means for holding the conductor end portions onto the connecting tongues.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an auxiliary device for use in connecting the conductors of a cable to the contacts of a connecting component, comprising a supporting frame with means for holding the connecting component and means for supporting the cable.

[0002] Such a device is known from the article "Jig for holding cable and connector during assembly" by M.J. Busch in NAVY TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE BULLETIN, volume 15, no. 1, December 15, 1989, ARLINGTON U.S. pages 17-19.

[0003] This auxiliary device is designed for use in connecting a rather small number of connectors of a cable to the contacts of a single connecting component. The auxiliary device essentially consists of two support plates placed in parallel relationship, the connecting component being clamped on one of the supporting plates on the side that is facing the second supporting plate, whereas the cable is placed in a receiving slot of the second supporting plate in such a way that the cable conductors to be connected extend to closely adjacent the connecting component. It is not indicated in which way the conductors to be connected are supported during the connecting procedure. In any way such an auxiliary device would be totally unsuitable when the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable have to be connected to large numbers of connecting components or to multiple connecting components.

[0004] The present invention is related to the termination of the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable, more particularly but not exclusively of the coax-type.

[0005] The termination of the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable of the coax-type is an activity that occurs on a large scale e.g. in the field of telephone networks and exchange, where multi-connector cables of the coax-type have to be connected to computer panels or dividing frames, which comprise for each cable a series of connecting locations corresponding with the number of conductors (often sixteen) of the cable.

[0006] The activities to be performed for this purpose involve, in the first place, the removal of a certain length of the protecting jacket of the cable, after which the released individual conductors are cut to length and individually "stripped" if necessary. The latter stripping operation exposes end portions of the respective conductors (in case of a coax-cable a core conductor and an outer conductor are involved) after which the termination proper may start. The termination procedure usually involves the step of connecting, such as by soldering, the exposed conductor ends to a miniature single or multiple male or female connector, which is to fit with a complementary female or male connector in the respective connecting location on the computer panel or dividing frame.

[0007] In practice, said stripping operations, forming the preparatory work in advance of the termination procedure proper (i.e. the connection, such as by soldering, to a miniature connector) do not give difficulties, because easily handable and reliably operating stripping equipment is available for this purpose. In current practice, however, the soldering e.g. of the miniature connectors to the exposed conductor end portions is a tough and time consuming job, that can hardly be carried out by one person. Moreover, miniature connectors usually have a rectangular cross-sectional shape and are usually provided with a tongue-shaped connecting element that extends from the rear end of a (standardized) connector body and carries printed wire and a cradle-like contact for the outer conductor and a small hole for passing the core conductor to the backside of the connecting tongue. Thus a soldering connection has to be made on both sides of the connecting tongue, viz. on one side for fixing the outer conductor and on the other side for fixing the core conductor. Furthermore, the jacket end portion of the respective conductor lying on the free end portion of the connecting tongue has usually to be fixed to the connecting tongue by means of a fine binder twine. The binder twine has to be threaded by hand through the small hole in the connecting tongue and to be tied around the conductor. In order to be able to carry out these soldering and binding activities the electrician needs the assistance of a second person who holds the small connector and the prepared conductor to be connected.

[0008] The quality of the connections thus obtained is often rather poor. When carrying out a test programme that has been developped to test the connections a large proportion of the connections often appear to be totally defective. In such cases the remedy has been to cut the respective conductors off, stripping them again and then repeating the termination procedure.

[0009] The invention aims at providing an auxiliary device for use in terminating the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable, more particularly but not exclusively of the coax-type, by means of which the above difficulties are substantially overcome.

[0010] According to the invention this aim is achieved by improving an auxiliary device of the type above referred to in the sense that the means for holding are constituted by a rod-shaped jig that is angularly displacebly supported in the support frame between the receiving position and the holding position and that is provided with a longitudinally extending multiple receiving cavity for a series of longitudinally juxtaposed components, carrying contacts corresponding with the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable, a support rail being provided that extends parallel to said jig and comprises supporting areas for those portions of the connecting components that extend laterally beyond the jig in the holding position and carry the said contacts, said supporting areas corresponding with said multiple receiving cavity, said supporting rail cooperating with means for holding the conductor end portions to be placed onto said laterally extending connecting component portions.

[0011] It will be understood that such an auxiliary device enables to first place and hold all of the connecting components (such as small male or female connectors) in the jig in a simple manner and then place and hold all of the prepared connector end portions to be connected onto the respective laterally extending component portions. In this way all of the conductors to be connected have become fixated relative to the respective projecting connecting tongues. Via the space between the jig and the supporting rail both sides of the connecting tongues are then accessible for applying the binder twines, if desired, and for making the required (soldering) connections. Thanks the stable position of the connecting tongues it will be much easier to make the soldering connections with the precision required for a high quality.

[0012] It is recommended to mount the jig for an easy removal, so that it may be substituted by one having receiving cavities adapted to components of a different size.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment the rod-shaped jig is of a circular cylindrical form and provided in an outer tube which has openings for introducing the components to be connected in the area of the multiple receiving cavity, said openings having one of its longitudinal edges substantially positioned in one plane with the supporting areas of the supporting rail. Assuming that the depth of the cavity in the rod-shaped jig corresponds with the height of the housing of the (female) connectors, this embodiment has the advantage, that the connecting tongues will be supported on the longitudinal edges of the openings just referred to at a location immediately adjacent the housings, when the jig - with the (female) connectors placed therein is turned into the holding position. This will cause the housings of the (female) connectors to become locked in the cavity, whereas the laterally projecting portions (connecting tongues) are supported at two locations, viz. adjacent the housings on the one hand and on the support areas of the supporting rail on the other hand.

[0014] In accordance with a further feature of the invention the means for holding the connector end portions onto the laterally extending component portions are formed by a holding strip adapted to be slidably inserted into the supporting rail at a certain distance above the supporting areas of the support rail. This holding strip-which may be formed e.g. by a measuring rule (of steel) that is also used to cut the individual conductors to the desired length - may e.g. be introduced stepwise i.e. each following step being carried out after a conductor end to be connected having been placed with its exposed outer conductor end portion in the respective cradle-shaped contact. In case of a multi-conductor cable of the coax-type the holding of the conductor end portions above the supporting areas of the supporting rail enables the auxiliary device to be tilted for making the second soldering connections at the other side of the connecting tongues. Without such a holding facility the conductor end portions would easily get loose from their seats and could even get completely released from the connecting tongues.

[0015] In accordance with yet another feature of the invention a laterally projecting arm is provided at an end of the rod-shaped jig adjacent the cable support, said arm enabling the rod-shaped jig to be turned from the receiving position into the holding position, in such a way, that the arm, in the second angular position, is extending over the cable to hold the latter on its support.

[0016] Embodiments of the invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the drawing.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a small female connector of a type, that is often used for terminating multi-conductor cables of the coax-type;

fig. 2 is a perspective view of an auxiliary device according to the invention in a preferred embodiment, adapted for handling small connectors of the type of fig. 1;

fig. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the device of fig. 2 in an upright position and with the rod-shaped jig in a first angular position, according to a plane through a receiving opening of the jig;

fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view similar to that of fig. 3A, but with the jig in a second angular position and with a conductor to be connected in a captured position in the support rail;

fig. 3C is a cross-sectional view similar to that of fig. 3B, according to a plane through the cable support;

fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of fig. 3B, in a rightward tilted position;

fig. 5 shows the device, tilted to the left and backwards a seen from the position of fig. 4 and

fig. 6 shows a modification of the embodiment of fig. 1-5.

[0017] The (six-socket) female connector shown on an enlarged scale in fig. 1 has a small housing 1 and a wire-printed, contact carrying connecting tongue 2 extending therefrom. The connecting tongue 2 has two cradle-like contacts 3 and two pairs of small holes 4 and 5. The exposed outer conductor portion 8 of the "stripped" conductor 6 shown in fig. 1 engages one of the contacts 3, whereas the jacket 7 gets supported on the connecting tongue portion behind said contact and the core wire 9 has to be passed through one of the small holes 4 towards the other side of the connecting tongue 2 in order to be connected on that side by soldering. One of the holes 5 is used to pass a binder twine therethrough, by means of which the conductor is held on the connecting tongue 2.

[0018] The auxiliary device according to the invention shown in fig. 2-4 comprises a support frame, that - in the example shown - is composed of two longitudinally extending "box-type" tubes 11 and 12 and two shorter transverse tube-type beams 13 positioned adjacent the ends of the former tubes. Only the adjacent end portion of the supporting frame is shown in the drawing, which means that the second shorter beam, which is positioned in the backround, cannot be seen.

[0019] The tubes 11-13 are welded together in such a configuration, that three supporting planes A-A, B-B and C-C are obtained, by means of which the supporting frame my be placed onto a working table. As an example fig. 2 shows the device in a position, wherein the device is standing on its plane B-B.

[0020] A semi-circular tube 14 is fixed, e.g. by welding, in the dihedral angle between the tubes 11 and 12, which serves as a bearing for a jig 15 shaped as a circular rod, said tube having a longitudinal slot 16 on the side turned away from the tube 11. The rod-shaped jig is provided with a plurality of longitudinally juxtaposed radial openings 17. These openings, the number (for example sixteen) of which corresponds with that of the number of conductors of a multi-conductor cable of the coax-type to be terminated, have a circular cylindrical shape and a diameter, that corresponds with that of the circumscribed circle of the (standardized) rectangular profile of the housing of the female connectors to be used. The depth of the openings 17 corresponds with the height of the connector housings.

[0021] A support rail 18 is supported on the ends of the transverse beams 13 in spaced and parallel relationship relative to the tube 14 and the rod-shaped jig 15 provided therein. This support rail is formed by a box-type tube, having recesses 19 at locations which correspond with the receiving openings 17 in the rod-shaped jig 15. Due to these recesses edges 20 and 21 have been obtained, which, as will be explained hereinafter, function as supporting edges for the connecting tongues 2 of the small female connectors and for the conductors to be connected.

[0022] In the foreground, between the outer tube 14 and the supporting rail 18 there is provided a cable support 22, which is laterally welded to an end portion of the supporting rail 18 that extends longitudinally beyond the supporting beam 13. A similar cable support may be provided at the other end of the supporting frame.

[0023] A radially projecting arm 23 is provided at the end of the rod-shaped jig 15 that is shown in the foreground of fig. 2; by means of this arm the jig 15 may be turned from a first angular position (vide fig. 3A), in which the axes of the receiving openings 17 are positioned perpendicular to the supporting plane A-A, and a second angular position (vide fig. 3B, fig. 4 and 5), in which the longitudinal plane through the axes of the receiving openings in the rod-shaped jig is substantially coinciding with the plane through the right hand edge 16a of the slot 16 and the supporting edges 20 of the supporting rail 18. In reality there is a certain spacing between these planes, which correspond with half the thickess of a connecting tongue 2. A similar radially projecting arm may be provided at the other end of the rod-shaped jig.

[0024] In the second angular position (vide fig. 3C) the arm 23 also functions to hold a cable 24 on the support 22. The free end portion of the arm 23 engages a recess 25 of the supporting rail 18 and may be locked in this position by inserting a rule 26 which may also be used as a measuring rule (vide fig. 2 and 3C), by means of which the various conductors may be held in the respective recesses 19 of the supporting rail during the connecting procedure.

[0025] The arms 23 my also serve to lock the rod-shaped jig 15 axially in the outer tube 14. For this purpose the mutually opposite lateral edges of the arms 23 may bear on abutments placed in the moving path of the respective arms, which abutments have been omitted from the drawing for purposes of clarity. Such abutments only cover the angular region between the two angular positions. A turning movement of the rod-shaped jig 15 from the first angular position in fig. 1 to the left will release the arms 23 from the respective abutments and thus enable the rod-shaped jig 15 to be pulled out of the outer tube 14.

[0026] The termination procedure for the individual conductors of e.g. a sixteen conductor cable of the coax-type is taking place as follows:

[0027] The auxiliary device is placed into the position according to fig. 3A i.e. resting on the base plane A-A, while the rod-shaped jig 15 is in the first angular position i.e. with the axes of the receiving openings 17 in the vertical position. An end portion of a prepared (i.e. stripped) cable is placed on the support 22 (which is not shown in the cross-sectional view of fig. 3A). The conductors which extend from this cable end portion and have been already cut to length, are loosely lying over the adjacent beam 13. In this position the small female connectors are successively placed (from above) into the receiving openings 17.

[0028] The jig 15 is then placed, by means of the projecting arm 23, into the second angular position of fig. 3B and 3C. By doing so the housings 1 of the female connectors get locked in their seats behind the right-hand edge 16a of the longitudinal slot in the outer tube 14, whereas the connecting tongues 2 become supported on the edges 20 of the supporting rail 18 (fig. 3B). At the same time the arm 23 locks the cable 24 in its seat on the support 22 (vide fig. 3C). The individual conductors are then taken and placed via the various recesses 19 of the supporting rail 18, whereby the exposed (as by stripping) outer conductor end portions 8 are each introduced in a cradle-shaped contact 3 of a connecting tongue 2. The placing of the conductors is performed one by one, starting at the end, from which the holding rule 26 is inserted. The insertion of the rule is taking place step by step, So that at first the arm 23 is locked in its seat 25 and then the various conductors - as seen in the inserting direction of the holding rule, are successively placed and held in their seats by the stepwise insertion of the rule. The device may then be tilted forwardly to the position of fig. 4 without the risk of undesired displacements of the conductors. This brings the connecting tongues 2 in a substantially horizontal, slightly forwardly slanting position, which is convenient for making the soldering connections between the outer conductor end portions 8 and the respective cradle-shaped contacts 3, whereas in this position also the binder twines, if required, may be applied and tied around the conductors.

[0029] In this stage of the procedure the core wires 9 are passed through one of the holes 4 towards the lower side of the connecting tongues 2. The device is then tilted rearwardly (in the arrow direction indicated in fig. 4) into the position of fig. 5, in which the other sides of the connecting tongues (which were facing downwards in fig. 4) have arrived in a slightly rearwardly sloping and upwardly facing position. In this position the soldering of the core wire end portions 9 (which have previously been passed through) is taking place. This completes the termination of the cable so that the latter is ready for removal from the device. For this purpose the holding rule 26 is simply pulled out after which the arm 23 is turned back into the first angular position. The cable 24 and the conductors extending therefrom and each provided with a female connector may then be simply taken from their seats.

[0030] As mentioned before, the rod-shaped jig 15 may be removed from the outer tube 14 to be substituted by one having differently sized receiving openings. It will be understood that instead of female connectors also male connectors (i.e. connectors with contact pins instead of socket contacts) may be handled in the above described manner. If desired, the connectors may also be placed into auxiliary pieces, which are in turn placed in the receiving openings in the rod-shaped jig.

[0031] In a similar manner the support rail 18 may - if removably mounted - be substituted by one having narrower or wider recesses, depending on the width of the connecting tongues of the (female) connectors to be handled.

[0032] Fig. 1-5 show an example of the auxiliary device of the invention, which is more particularly suitable to assist in connecting the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable of the coax-type to individual female connectors, wherein the connections between the connecting tongues and the individual conductors are effected by soldering.

[0033] The auxiliary device of the invention, however, is also particularly suitable for use in connecting the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable as by clamping to clip-shaped contacts of either single or multiple connecting components (such as female connectors). For effecting such a clamping connection use has been made so far of a special plier type tool, by means of which the individual conductors (which need not to be stripped) are pressed one by one in clamping engagement with a contact.

[0034] In a particular embodiment, which is diagrammetically shown in fig. 6, such clamping connections can be effected in an essentially simpler manner when using the auxiliary device according to the invention.

[0035] The modified form shown in fig. 6 substantially corresponds with that of fig. 1-5.

[0036] 1' designates a miniature female connector, having on one side (in the drawing the upper side) a number of (longitudinally of the rod-shaped jig) juxtaposed contacts 3' of the clamping or i.d.c. (insulating displacement contact) type. Such connectors are known per se and are designed to have the insulation of the conductor cut through when the conductor is pressed into the respective contact (in the direction of arrow V in fig. 6).

[0037] The adaptation, which makes the embodiment of fig. 1-5 in principle suitable for this particular use, and has been shown in fig. 6, is essentially formed by a filling block 31 between the rod-shaped jig 15 and the supporting rail 18. The filling block 31 comprises a comb-like support 32 for a plurality of juxtaposed conductors. The pitch of the "seats" in the comb-like support 32 corresponds with that of the contacts on the component 1'. Further more the filling block comprises a substantially flat portion 33 for supporting the laterally (beyond the rod-shaped jig) projecting portion of the component 1' carrying the contacts 3'.

[0038] Fig. 6 shows the jig 15 with the component 1' in the holding position, while an (unstripped) conductor 6' which is guided by the supporting comb 32 lies with its free end on the contact 3'.

[0039] Furthermore the embodiment shown in fig. 6 comprises a housing 35 which is slidably guided on the parts 11 and 12 of the supporting frame and accommodates a stamp which is mounted for an up and down movement throught a handle operated excentric drive or similar drive and which is composed of a number of plates which are spaced by the above mentioned pitch. When the stamp 36 is depressed the stamp plates each press a conductor into a contact positioned therebelow. The stamp plates are recessed at locations where the contacts are provided with sharp portions which cut the insulation of the conductors. It will be understood that when the flat portion 33 of the filling block 31 is substituted by a lower die composed of similar stamping plates, it will be possible to press conductors simultaneously both in contacts on the upper and lower side of the component 1'. In that case two conductors will be placed one above the other in each seat of the supporting comb 32. The housing 35 comprising the press stamp 36 may be simply applied and removed to and from the supporting frame via an end of said frame.

Claims

1. An auxiliary device for use in connecting the conductors of a cable to the contacts of a connecting component, comprising a supporting frame with means for holding the connecting component and means for supporting the cable, characterized in that the means for holding are constituted by a rod-shaped jig that is angularly displacebly supported in the support frame between the receiving position and the holding position and that is provided with a longitudinally extending multiple receiving cavity for a series of longitudinally juxtaposed components, carrying contacts corresponding with the individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable, a support rail being provided that extends parallel to said jig and comprises supporting areas for those portions of the connecting components that extend laterally beyond the jig in the holding position and carry the said contacts, said supporting areas corresponding with said multiple receiving cavity, said supporting rail cooperating with means for holding the conductor end portions to be placed onto said laterally extending connecting component portions.

2. An auxiliary device according to claim 1, characterized in that the jig comprising the multiple receiving cavity is removably mounted.

3. An auxiliary device according to claim 2, characterized in that the rod-shaped jig is of a circular cylindrical form and provided in an outer tube which has openings for introducing the components to be connected in the area of the multiple receiving cavity, said openings having one of its longitudinal edges substantially positioned in one plane with the supporting areas of the supporting rail.

4. An auxiliary device according to claim 3, characterized in that the openings are together forming a slot extending through the entire length of the outer tube.

5. An auxiliary device according to claims 1-4, characterized in that the means for holding the connector end portions onto the laterally extending component portions are formed by a holding strip adapted to be slidably inserted into the supporting rail at a certain distance above the supporting areas of the support rail.

6. An auxiliary device according to claims 2-7, characterized in that the laterally projecting arm is provided at an end of the rod-shaped jig adjacent the cable support, said arm enabling the rod-shaped jig to be turned from the receiving position into the holding position, in such a way, that the arm, in the second angular position, is extending over the cable to hold the latter on its support.

7. An auxiliary device according to claims 4 and 6, characterized in that the laterally extending arm engages an abutment means which partially bridges the slot in tangential direction.

8. An auxiliary device according to clams 4-7, characterized in that the supporting rail is formed by a box type tube, that is recessed on locations corresponding with the multiple receiving cavity in the jig to locally form U-profiles the flange edges of which form supporting areas for the laterally projecting component parts and for the conductor end portions, wherein the remaining type tube walls between the recesses are functioning as guide means for the holding rule.

9. An auxiliary device according to claims 6 and 8, characterized in that the box type tube has an additional recess, in which, in the holding position of the jig, the free end of the laterally extending arm may be locked by means of the holding rule.

10. An auxiliary device according to claim 8 and 9, characterized in that the supporting rail is removably attached to the supporting frame.

11. An auxiliary device according to claims 1-10, characterized in that a filling block is adapted to be applied between the jig and the supporting rail, said block being provided with a supporting comb having seats of a width corresponding to the thickness of an unstripped conductor, the pitch of said seats corresponding with that of a plurality of clamping type contacts (insulation displacement contacts) on at least one side of the connecting components, a multiple press device, adapted for simultaneous pressing of a plurality of conductors into a plurality of contacts on the connecting component being mounted for a longitudinal sliding movement along the supporting frame.

Drawing