U.S. patent application number 10/918817 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-17 for crimping device.
Invention is credited to Imai, Kouji, Ishizuka, Kazuharu.
Application Number | 20050034505 10/918817 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34131770 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050034505 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Imai, Kouji ; et
al. |
February 17, 2005 |
Crimping device
Abstract
The present invention provides a crimping device that
facilitates an adjustment operation and has a reduced height. A
crimping device has a crimp height adjustment mechanism for a core
of a wire onto which a terminal is to be crimped and a crimp height
adjustment mechanism for an insulating coating of the wire, the
mechanisms having respective adjustment dials, and the front of the
crimping device facing in the opposite direction of the core. In
the adjustment mechanisms, the adjustment dials thereof are
disposed on the same axis so that the crimping device can have a
reduced height compared with conventional crimping devices in which
the adjustment mechanisms are disposed at positions different in
the vertical direction.
Inventors: |
Imai, Kouji; (Kawasaki,
JP) ; Ishizuka, Kazuharu; (Urayasu, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BARLEY SNYDER, LLC
1000 WESTLAKES DRIVE, SUITE 275
BERWYN
PA
19312
US
|
Family ID: |
34131770 |
Appl. No.: |
10/918817 |
Filed: |
August 13, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/481.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 43/0488
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
072/481.1 |
International
Class: |
B21D 037/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 15, 2003 |
JP |
2003-293830 |
Claims
I/We claim:
1. A crimping device having a crimp height adjustment mechanism for
a core of a wire onto which a terminal is to be crimped and a crimp
height adjustment mechanism for an insulating coating of the wire,
the mechanisms having respective adjustment dials, and the front of
the crimping device facing in the opposite direction of the core,
wherein the adjustment mechanisms are disposed on a same axis, and
the adjustment dials of the adjustment mechanisms are disposed on
the front of the crimping device.
2. A crimping device for crimping a terminal onto a wire, the
crimping device having an insulation crimper with a crimp height
adjustment mechanism for an insulating coating of the wire, and a
wire crimper for a core of a wire onto which a terminal is to be
crimped with a crimp height adjustment mechanism for the core, the
mechanisms having respective adjustment dials, and the front of the
crimping device facing in the opposite direction of the core,
wherein the adjustment mechanisms are disposed coaxially, and the
adjustment dials of the adjustment mechanisms are disposed on the
front of the crimping device.
3. The crimping device of claim 2, wherein the insulation dial has
a thickness that varies with the point along the circumference.
4. The crimping device of claim 3, wherein the insulation dial is
biased against a tool ram having a pin that locks the angular
position of the insulation dial, and the insulation dial is
manually biased away from the tool ram and free of the pin to
adjust the crimp height for the insulation coating of the wire.
5. The crimping device of claim 2, wherein the wire dial has a
substantially cylindrical shape, with the outer circumference of
the wire dial having a polyhedron section that is cut so that
different points on the circumference are at different distances
from the center of the wire dial.
6. The crimping device of claim 5, wherein a crimper support is
attached to the ram, and the outer circumference of the wire dial
has a groove adjacent the polyhedron section, which is formed over
the total circumference of the wire dial to receive a protrusion of
the crimper support.
7. The crimping device of claim 6, wherein an upper edge of the
wire crimper abuts against the bottom of a jaw of the crimper
support.
8. The crimping device of claim 5, wherein each surface of the
polyhedron section is provided with a shallow conical hole formed
to receive a biased pin to secure the surface when the surface is
selected.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a crimping device that has
adjustment mechanisms that adjust the crimp heights for a core and
an insulating coating, respectively, of a wire with an end
stripped.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is desirable to have the ability to adjust the crimp
height for a core and an insulated coating of a wire when a
terminal is crimped onto the core and the insulating coating.
Crimping devices with adjustment mechanisms for adjust the crimp
heights for a core and an insulating coating of a wire with an end
stripped are known. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
7-6849, discloses a crimping device with adjustment mechanisms.
[0003] However, in the crimping device disclosed in Japanese Patent
Laid-Open No. 7-6849, operating the crimp height adjustment
mechanism for a core and the crimp height adjustment mechanism for
an insulating coating involves additional operations, such as
loosening of a predetermined fastened part, so that it takes time
to adjust the crimp heights.
[0004] Another crimping device that has two dials for operating the
two height adjustment mechanisms is disclosed in Japanese Utility
Model Laid-Open No. 7-27086.
[0005] FIG. 1 is a front view of essential parts of the crimping
device described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 7-27086.
Crimping device 1 has, on the front thereof, dials for operating
the crimp height adjustment mechanism for a core and the crimp
height adjustment mechanism for an insulating coating and includes
a prime mover section that produces a force required for crimping
and an applicator that achieves crimping of a terminal using the
force produced by the prime mover section.
[0006] As shown in FIG. 1, the crimping device 1 has a press ram
11, which transmits force produced by a prime mover section to an
applicator 20. The applicator 20 is composed of a machine casing
21, an anvil unit 22 and a base 23. A pair of vertical rails 24 are
fixed to the machine casing 21, and an oscillation beam 26 is
supported on the machine casing 21 by a shaft 26a. A tool ram 25 is
guided by the vertical rails 24 to move up and down. The tool ram
25, in cooperation with the anvil unit 22, crimps a terminal onto a
stripped part 30a of a wire (see FIG. 2).
[0007] The tool ram 25 is connected to the press ram 11 described
above and has a cam roller 25b supported on a side section 25a
thereof by a shaft 25c. The cam roller 25b is fitted into a cam
groove 26b formed in the oscillation beam 26. Thus, when the tool
ram 25 moves up and down, the oscillation beam 26 oscillates about
the shaft 26a. A plate 28 is attached to a lower part of the
oscillation beam 26, and a feeding claw 27, whose tip end engages
with chained terminals n placed behind a terminal guide rail 23a,
is supported on the plate 28 by a shaft 27b.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a side view of essential parts of the crimping
device shown in FIG. 1.
[0009] A terminal n1 shown in FIG. 2 is composed of a contact part
n11, an insulation barrel n12 for holding the coating of the wire
30, and a wire barrel n13 for holding a core 32 thereof. Multiple
terminals n1 are connected to a carrier n14 to constitute the
chained terminals n. A crimper section 25d of the tool ram 25 shown
also in FIG. 1 is composed of a cut-off punch 251d, an insulation
crimper 252d for crimping the insulation barrel n12, and a wire
crimper 253d for crimping the wire barrel nl3.
[0010] In this crimping device 1, operation of a feeding claw 27
causes the terminal n1, which is the closest to the anvil unit 22
of the plural chained terminals n, to be placed on the anvil unit
22. Then, when the wire 30 with an end previously stripped is
placed on the terminal n1 on the anvil unit 22, the press ram 11
moves downward, and the tool ram 25 connected to the press ram 11
is guided by the vertical rails 24 to move downward. Then, the tool
ram 25 and the anvil unit 22 cooperate to cut a bridge part n15,
which connects the terminal to the carrier n14, and crimp the
terminal n1, separated from the chained terminals n, onto the
stripped part 30a. When the crimping is completed and the tool ram
25 begins to move upward, the cam roller 25b also moves upward
along the cam groove 26b in the oscillation beam 26, and thus, the
oscillation beam 26 oscillates about the shaft 26a
counterclockwise. This movement causes the feeding claw 27 to place
a terminal, which is the closest to the anvil unit 22 of the
chained terminals n, on the anvil unit 22 along the terminal guide
rail 23a.
[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the anvil unit 22 is composed of a
floating shear 221 having a groove cutting edge 221a, an insulation
anvil 222 and a wire anvil 223. When the tool ram 25 moves downward
guided by the vertical rails 24, the bridge part n15 of the
terminal n1 on the anvil unit 22 is cut by the cut off punch 251d
and the groove cutting edge 221a of the floating shear 221, and the
insulation barrel n12 is crimped onto the coating 31 of the wire 30
by the insulation crimper 252d and the insulation anvil 222. In
addition, the wire barrel n13 is crimped onto the core 32 of the
wire 30 by the wire crimper 253d and the wire anvil 223.
[0012] Here, in the crimping device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the
crimp heights for the core and the coating are adjusted by changing
the bottom dead centers of the wire crimper 253d and the insulation
crimper 252d, respectively. In the crimping device 1, the bottom
dead centers are changed by rotating the dials 40 and 50 shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2. The upper dial 50 is for the wire crimper, and the
lower dial 40 is for the insulation crimper. Adjustment operations
can be achieved by manipulating the dials of the adjustment
mechanisms.
[0013] In accordance with the recent trend toward downsizing, there
is a demand for downsizing of the crimping devices for crimping a
terminal onto a stripped part of a wire. However, the crimping
device 1 disclosed in the above Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open
No. 7-27086 is difficult to reduce in height.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a
crimping device is provided that has a crimp height adjustment
mechanism for a core of a wire onto which a terminal is to be
crimped and a crimp height adjustment mechanism for an insulating
coating of the wire, the mechanisms having respective adjustment
dials, and the front of the crimping device facing in the opposite
direction of the core, in which the adjustment mechanisms are
disposed on a same axis, and the adjustment dials of the adjustment
mechanisms are disposed on the front of the crimping device.
[0015] Since the adjustment dials of the crimping device according
to the present invention is disposed facing to the operator, the
crimp height adjustment can be readily achieved. In addition, since
the crimp height adjustment mechanism for a core and the crimp
height adjustment mechanism for an insulating coating are disposed
on the same axis, the adjustment dials of the two adjustment
mechanisms are also disposed on the same axis. Therefore, the
crimping device according to the present invention can have a
reduced height compared with conventional crimping devices that
have the adjustment dials at positions different in the vertical
direction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a front view of essential parts of a known
crimping device;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a side view of essential parts of the crimping
device shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a crimping device according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 4 shows an applicator section of the crimping device
shown in FIG. 3, viewed from the front thereof;
[0020] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a tool ram of the applicator
section of FIG. 4; and
[0021] FIG. 6 is a partial cross sectional side view of an upper
part of the tool ram of FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Now, an embodiment of the present invention will be
described with reference to FIGS. 3-6.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a crimping device according
to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] A crimping device 100 according to the embodiment of the
present invention shown in FIG. 3 has a housing section 101 that
contains a prime mover (not shown) that drives a press ram 11, and
an applicator section 102 that is attached to the housing section
101 and crimps a terminal onto a stripped end part of a wire using
the force from the press ram 11.
[0025] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the applicator section of the
crimping device shown in FIG. 3, viewed from the front thereof.
[0026] For the applicator section 102, shown in FIG. 4, a terminal
(not shown) is fed thereto from the left in the drawing, and a wire
(not shown) with an end stripped to expose the core is fed thereto
from the front in the drawing. As described in detail later, in the
applicator section 102, a crimp height adjustment mechanism for a
core and a crimp height adjustment mechanism for an insulating
coating are disposed on an axis of a dial 140 shown in FIG. 4.
[0027] The applicator section 102 shown in FIG. 4 essentially has a
machine casing 121, a tool ram 125 that moves up and down with
respect to the machine casing 121, an anvil unit 122, and a base
123. The machine casing 121 has a vertical rail 124 attached
thereto, along which the tool ram 125 moves up and down.
[0028] In addition, the machine casing 121 has a side plate 130
with an elongated hole 130a formed therein. A shaft 132 is provided
between the machine casing 121 and a supporting member 133 attached
to the housing section 101 (see FIG. 3) located to the left in FIG.
4.
[0029] The shaft 132 has a cam follower (not shown) provided
thereon, which engages with a cam groove formed in a predetermined
surface of the tool ram 125 to allow the shaft 132 to reciprocate
in a horizontal direction in FIG. 4 in response to the tool ram 125
moving up and down.
[0030] A claw section 127 feeds one of a plurality of chained
terminals n, which is the closest to the anvil unit 122, to the
anvil unit 122. An arm 127b of the claw section 127 is connected to
the shaft 132 and has a shaft 1271b passing through the elongated
hole 130a. The side plate 130 has a composite nut 131 having a
center section 131 a and a peripheral section 131b attached thereto
at the center of the elongated hole 130a. An end of the shaft 1271b
of the arm 127b is press-fitted to the center section 131a of the
composite nut 131. The center section 131a of the composite nut 131
can rotate with respect to the peripheral section 131b. Thus, when
the shaft 132 moves in a horizontal direction in FIG. 4 in response
to the tool ram 125 moving up or down, the arm 127b rotates about
the center section 131a of the composite nut 131 to move a claw
127c via a link section 127a connected thereto, and the claw 127c
feeds a terminal to the anvil unit 122.
[0031] In addition, FIG. 4 shows a wire dial 140 that is one of two
dials provided on a same axis and located near the upper end of the
tool ram 125. A crimper section 125d is provided for achieving
crimping in cooperation with the anvil unit 122 that is located
directly below the dial and composed of a cut-off punch 1251d and
an insulation crimper 1252d and the like.
[0032] The anvil unit 122 has a floating shear 1221 that separates
a leading one from the chained terminals in cooperation with the
cut-off punch 1251d. The anvil unit further includes an insulation
anvil that achieves crimping in cooperation with the insulation
crimper 1252d or the like, although the insulation anvil is not
shown in FIG. 4. Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows an abutment plate 126
located above the anvil unit 122, against which the tip end of the
core of the stripped wire abuts for positioning of the wire.
[0033] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the tool ram 125, showing
components thereof. In the lower area of FIG. 5, a cut-off punch
1252, an insulation crimper 1253, a flat washer 1256, a spacer 1257
and a wire crimper 1254 are attached by a hexagonal screw 1251 to a
lower part of a main section 1250 of the tool ram 125. In the
middle area of FIG. 5, a crimper support 1255 is attached to the
middle of the main section 1250 by a screw 1258. In the upper area
of FIG. 5, the wire dial 140 is fitted into a hole 1250a formed in
an upper area of the main section 1250 through a spring 160 and an
insulation dial 150. A pin 1259 is inserted directly above the hole
1250a.
[0034] A pin 1261 and a spring 1260 constituting a plunger and
fitted into the bottom of the hole 1250a are shown directly above
the main section 1250. An upper edge 1254a of the wire crimper 1254
abuts against the bottom of a jaw 1255b of the crimper support
1255. The flat washer 1256 is thicker than the insulation crimper
1253 and is fitted into an elongated hole 1253a formed in the
middle of the insulation crimper 1253. Thus, the insulation crimper
1253 can move vertically with respect to the main section 1250.
[0035] The wire dial 140 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The
outer circumference of the main body of the wire dial, excluding a
front dial plate 140a with numerics inscribed, is constituted by,
from the dial plate toward the depth thereof, a section 141 that is
surrounded by the coil spring 160 and the insulation dial 150, a
fitting section 142 that is a groove which is formed over the total
circumference of the wire dial and into which a protrusion 1255a of
the crimper support 1255 is fitted, and a polyhedron section 143
that is cut so that different points on the circumference are at
different distances from the center of the wire dial. In the middle
of each surface 143a of the polyhedron section 143, a shallow
conical hole 144 is formed into which the pin 1261 of the plunger
is fitted to secure the surface when the surface is selected.
[0036] The insulation dial 150 is a short component having a
substantially cylindrical shape and has a polyhedron outer
circumference. While the distance between the center axis and the
inner circumference of the insulation dial 150 is constant, the
distance between the center axis and the outer circumference varies
with the position along the circumference. That is, the thickness
of the insulation dial 150 varies with the point along the
circumference. When rotating the insulation dial 150, the
insulation dial 150 is pulled toward the dial plate of the wire
dial 140 against the biasing force of the coil spring 160. When the
insulation dial 150 is released, the pin 1259 protruding slightly
from the main section 1250 of the tool ram 125 is fitted into a
valley 151 formed in an edge of the insulation dial 150, thereby
securing the rotational position of the insulation dial 150.
[0037] Now, the crimp height adjustment mechanism for a core and
the crimp height adjustment mechanism for an insulating coating,
which are provided on a same axis according to this embodiment,
will be described with reference to FIG. 6.
[0038] FIG. 6 is a partial cross sectional side view of an upper
part of the tool ram, part of which is shown as a side view.
Specifically, the crimper part is shown as a side view. In this
drawing, cross sections of the insulation dial 150 are shown above
and below the cross section of the wire dial 140, and the upper
edge 1253b of the insulation crimper 1253 abutting against the
outer circumference of the insulation dial 150 is shown.
[0039] In addition, FIG. 6 shows the protrusion 1255a of the
crimper support 1255 fitted into the fitting section 142 formed in
the outer circumference of the wire dial 140, with the upper edge
1254a of the wire crimper 1254 abutting against the jaw 1255b of
the crimper support 1255.
[0040] In the crimping device 1, the tool ram 125 moves up and down
in response to the press ram 11 (see FIG. 3), which is movably
provided in a space 125a above the tool ram 125, moving up and
down. When the press ram 11 moves down, the crimper or the like of
the tool ram 125 suspended from the press ram 11 comes into contact
with the terminal placed under the crimper or the like, and thus,
the press ram 11 moving downward decelerates. Then, the press ram
11 continues to move downward until it reaches a predetermined
bottom dead center, and thus, the surface 143a of the wire dial 140
selected at that time is pressed downward. In this process, the
terminal is crimped onto the stripped part of the wire. Thus, the
crimp height for the coating of the wire and the crimp height for
the core of the wire are adjusted by adjusting the bottom dead
centers of the insulation crimper 1253 and the wire crimper 1254,
respectively, that are responsible for crimping.
[0041] The bottom dead center of the insulation crimper 1253 for
crimping of an insulation barrel n12 (see FIG. 2) of the terminal
is changed by rotating the insulation dial 150, because the
thickness of the insulation dial 150 varies with the position along
the circumference as described above. In this way, the crimp height
for this part can be adjusted.
[0042] On the other hand, the bottom dead center of the wire
crimper 1254 for crimping of a wire barrel n13 (see FIG. 2) of the
terminal is changed by rotating the wire dial 140, because the
cutting of the wire dial 140 varies with the position along the
circumference as described above. In this way, the crimp height for
this part can be adjusted.
[0043] As described above, in the crimping device 1 according to
this embodiment, the adjustment dials are disposed toward the
operator, and therefore, the crimp height adjustment can be readily
achieved. In addition, since the crimp height adjustment mechanism
for a core and the crimp height adjustment mechanism for an
insulating coating are disposed on the same axis, the height of the
entire device can be reduced compared with conventional crimping
devices with the adjustment dials disposed at different levels.
* * * * *