Automated assembly of connector to cable having twisted wire...

Details Automated assembly of connector to cable having twisted wire... Automated assembly of connector to cable having twisted wire...

1999-10-27

2002-04-16

Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3729)

Metal working

Method of mechanical manufacture

Electrical device making

C029S863000, C029S866000, C029S748000, C029S749000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06370769

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the manufacturing of electrical cables and, more particularly, the automated assembly of electrical cables having at least one twisted pair of wires.
As used herein and in the claims, a “cable” is a length of insulated wire or wires, also referred to as conductors, terminated on at least one of its ends with an interface, also referred to as a termination, having a housing which allows access to the wire. Usually, a cable has terminations on both of its ends, but such terminations need not be of the same type. A cable is also referred to as a cord.
Electrical signal transmission cables for connecting pieces of equipment are of two forms: cables in flat flexible form having conductors always in the same position, or cables with twisted pair conductors.
A cable with unshielded twisted pairs (UTP) is terminated with a connector such as a
110
connector, a D8GS connector, an RJ45 connector or an RJ11 connector. RJ45 connectors and RJ11 connectors are sometimes used with modular cords. Selection of the type of connector for a cable is based on the performance levels needed for the intended use.
FIGS. 4 and 8
show two piece type 110 connector
200
and four piece type 110 connector
300
, respectively. 110 connectors are used for patching between communication blocks for data and voice.
FIG. 20
shows D8GS connector
400
. D8GS connectors are used for high speed data transmission.
FIG. 24
shows RJ45 connector
500
. RJ45 connectors are used to connect voice and data communication equipment with RJ45 ports. An RJ11 connector is similar to an RJ45 connector except that the RJ11 connector is used with a single twisted pair while the RJ45 connector is used with four twisted pairs.
The size and shape of the housing of a D8GS, RJ45 and RJ11 connector is different than that of the housing of a 110 connector, and accordingly, the ordering of wires is different when assembled.
Each of the connectors in
FIGS. 4
,
8
,
20
and
24
may be used with cable
100
.
For clarity in the drawings, only reference numerals for the first and last of comparable elements are sometimes shown.
FIG. 1
shows cable
100
having four twisted wire pairs. Cable
100
includes jacket
111
and wires
120
,
130
,
140
,
150
,
160
,
170
,
180
,
190
formed into a first twisted wire pair including wires
120
and
130
, a second twisted wire pair including wires
140
and
150
, a third twisted wire pair including wires
160
and
170
, and a fourth twisted wire pair including wires
180
and
190
. Each pair is twisted to reduce the cross-talk between the wires in the pair. The twist rate is different on each pair to further reduce cross-talk between pairs. The length of cable
100
ranges from a few feet to about 33 feet.
Jacket
111
is circular in cross section and is typically formed of flame retardant PVC or another plastic or insulative material. Jacket
111
functions as an outer cover to insulate the twisted wire pairs inside.
Insulating wire jackets
122
,
132
,
142
,
152
,
162
,
172
,
182
,
192
are jackets for conductors
124
,
134
,
144
,
154
,
164
,
174
,
184
,
194
, respectively, and have respectively different colors for identification. Usually, jacket
122
is dark brown, jacket
132
is light brown, jacket
142
is dark blue, jacket
152
is light blue, jacket
162
is dark green, jacket
172
is light green, jacket
182
is orange and jacket
192
is white.
FIG. 2
shows an enlarged view of wire
120
in FIG.
1
. Wires
125
a
-
125
g
are combined together, typically having one central wire and the remaining wires wrapped around the central wire, and covered by insulating jacket
122
to form multi-conductor wire
120
. The number of conductors inside a wire varies depending on the gauge. Generally, a plurality of thin conductors provides better conductivity with larger surface area than a single conductor, which improves transmission quality for high frequency signals. Also multi-conductor wires bend more easily and absorb mechanical load better than single conductor wires. Wires
130
,
140
,
150
,
160
,
170
,
180
,
190
have a similar structure to wire
120
.
FIG. 3
shows cable
10
having two pairs of twisted wires. Cable
10
includes jacket
12
and wires
20
,
30
,
40
,
50
formed into a first twisted wire pair including wires
20
and
30
, and a second twisted wire pair including wires
40
and
50
. Cable
10
is similar to cable
100
in
FIG. 1
except for its number of twisted wire pairs.
FIG. 4
shows assembled two piece type 110 connector
200
which comprises first housing member
202
, second housing member
204
and cable
100
. Cable
100
and first housing member
202
are assembled first, then second housing member
204
is joined to first housing member
202
to form two piece type 110 connector
200
. Members
202
,
204
are shown in details in
FIGS. 5 and 6
, respectively.
FIG. 5
illustrates first housing member
202
of two piece type 110 connector
200
. First housing member
202
has support members
206
,
208
,
210
. Members
206
and
208
receive cable
100
. Member
210
functions as a cable jacket stop when cable
100
is mounted on members
206
,
208
. Upstanding posts
216
a
-
216
g
define gaps
220
a
-
220
h
for each of wires
120
,
130
,
140
,
150
,
160
,
170
,
180
,
190
of cable
100
. Insulation displacement contact (IDC) grooves
217
a
-
217
h
receive IDCs
246
a
-
246
h
of second housing member
204
of FIG.
6
. Posts
218
a
-
218
g
meet and separate each of IDCs
246
a
-
246
h
of contacts
242
a
-
242
h
of second housing member
204
of
FIG. 6
, so that it is easier for IDCs
246
a
-
246
h
to cut insulation
122
,
132
,
142
,
152
,
162
,
172
,
182
,
192
of wires
120
,
130
,
140
,
150
,
160
,
170
,
180
,
190
of cable
100
when second housing member
204
is mated to first housing member
202
. Latching arms
224
a
-
224
c
and press fit members
212
a
-
212
b
engage with corresponding shoulders and latching arms in second housing member
204
when the two housing members are mated. Openings
214
a
-
214
b
around press fit members
212
a
-
212
b
serve as complementary recesses to receive corresponding latching arms of second housing member
204
. Gap spacers
222
a
-
222
d
are located next to latching arms
224
a
-
224
c
to maintain a space between first and second housing members
202
,
204
when they are assembled.
FIG. 6
illustrates second housing member
204
of two piece type 110 connector
200
. Second housing member
204
has cable receiving end
230
and upstanding projection
232
. Projection
232
functions as a strain relief to overlying cable
100
when cable
100
is mounted thereon. Upstanding posts
238
a
-
238
h
are provided to press wires
120
,
130
,
140
,
150
,
160
,
170
,
180
,
190
of cable
100
when two housing members
202
,
204
are assembled together. Latching arms
234
a
-
234
d
are provided for engaging with press fit members
212
a
-
212
b
of first housing member
202
. Between latching arms
234
a
-
234
d
, openings
236
a
-
236
b
are respectively provided to receive press fit members
212
a
-
212
b
of first housing member
202
. Openings
248
a
-
248
c
are provided as respective shoulders for latching arms
224
a
-
224
c
of first housing member
202
. Slots
240
a
-
240
h
are provided to receive the blades of contacts
242
a
-
242
h
. IDCs
246
a
-
246
h
are located at the end of contacts
242
a
-
242
h
and cut insulation
122
,
132
,
142
,
152
,
162
,
172
,
182
,
192
of wires
120
,
130
,
140
,
150
,
160
,
170
,
180
,
190
of cable
100
, respectively, when assembled with first housing member
202
.
A conventional assembling sequence of first housing member
202
with cable
100
will now be described.
An assembly worker prepares cable
100
by removing jacket
111
from an end of cable
100
to expose pairs
120
-
130
,
140
-
150
,
160
-
170
,
180
-
190
of wires of cable
100
. The assembly person appropriately relocates the pairs depending on the

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