EP0062579B1 - Connection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for connecting sheathed conductive wires, in particular a device in which the wires are simultaneously stripped and blocked.

There is already known a device for connecting at least two conductive wires, each surrounded by an insulating sheath, comprising a housing, in which is provided a passage for introducing an end portion of the sheathed wires, receiving means. said end portions in the housing, and at least partially conductive means, arranged to be introduced into the housing transversely to the sheaths and cooperate with the sheath receiving means in order to strip and block the wires.

In particular, a device of the type described above is known, corresponding to the device sold by the company "Minnesota Mining Manufacturing (3M)", in which the means for stripping the wires consist of a metal latch comprising two vertical slots, the width is equal to or slightly less than the diameter of the core of the wires.

When the latch is brought transversely to the wires, the sheath is driven out to reveal the core of the wire, and the core of the wire is forced into the slots, to remain in contact with the latch. Thus, each of the conductors being in contact with the latch, they are therefore electrically connected.

However the. above device has drawbacks.

First of all, the solidity of the assembly is not excellent because the wire is only held in place by this slit, of small width, and that it is practically only on the conductor that the blocking takes place.

In addition, this device can damage the wire when brought into contact.

In addition, the contact surface between each of the conductors and the pawl is small, to the detriment of the quality of the conduction.

Document FR-A-2 006 846 discloses a connection device, in this case a single conductive wire to a terminal, with which, to make the connection, the wire is immediately introduced into the two constituent parts of the device, before driving these two parts in mutual translation to form a baffle, the wire being blocked at the end of the operation, after bending and total stripping, only by its conductive core.

Also known, from document US-A-3 596 232, a device similar to that of document FR-A-2 006 846, in which the baffle is formed by rotation of one of the parts of the device on the other , but which has the same drawback.

The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of this prior art in proposing a connection device of the type mentioned above which makes it possible to ensure, by simple operations, good electrical conduction, and a robust mechanical connection.

To this end, the present invention relates to a device for connecting at least two conductive wires each surrounded by an insulating sheath comprising a housing in which is provided a passage for introducing an end portion of the sheathed wires, means for receiving said end portions in the housing and means at least partially conductive arranged to be introduced into the housing transversely to the sheaths and cooperate with the means for receiving the sheaths to strip the wires, characterized in that the means for receiving comprises a latch extending in the housing transversely to said insertion passage and in which a receiving opening is formed, and the means for stripping the wires comprise a cutting edge arranged to be moved transversely to the sheaths and to cooperate with the edge lower of the receiving opening as well as with the end portions of the sheathed wires extending beyond the opening of receiving the latch to bend the end portion of the sheathed wires and strip the wires longitudinally.

Thus, the device according to the invention, with which the wires are bent before they are stripped, makes it possible to obtain secure electrical contact and blocking, since the conductive core is not likely to be damaged.

In addition, the electrical contact and mechanical blocking surface is large, which is advantageous, and clean.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for stripping the wires have a certain elasticity, which allows the efficient connection of conductors of different diameters.

In addition, and advantageously, the same device can connect three or more wires, and this, just as effectively.

Finally, the device according to the invention, in addition to the above advantages, retains the advantages of the previous devices, namely an introduction of the simple and straight wires, then a push of the said means for stripping the wires in the housing, for example at using universal pliers.

The means for stripping the wires then comprise a metal clip curved over more than 90 ° on each of its edges, and arranged to fit onto the latch. The clip has a cutting edge which, along the latch, comes to grip the end portions of sheathed wires extending beyond the opening of the latch to bend them by folding them along the latch, and for the strip longitudinally, thus freeing the core of each of the wires, to put them in contact through it.

• La fig. 1 représente une vue schématique, en perspective, du tiroir du dispositif de l'invention.
• La fig. 2 représente une vue schématique dans une perspective différente du boîtier du dispositif.
• La fig. 3 représente une vue de face, en coupe du boîtier de la fig. 2, avant introduction des fils.
• La fig. 4 représente une vue latérale en coupe, selon la ligne IV-IV' de la fig. 3.
• La fig. 5 représente une vue latérale en coupe, analogue à la fig. 4, du dispositif, après introduction des fils.
• La fig. 6 représente une vue latérale partielle du dispositif, en coupe, pendant que les fils sont dénudés, et
• La fig. 7 représente une vue partielle de dessus, en coupe selon la ligne VII-VII' du dispositif de l'invention pendant l'étape illustrée sur la fig. 6.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the description of a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention, made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the drawer of the device of the invention.
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic view in a different perspective of the device housing.
• Fig. 3 shows a front view, in section of the housing of FIG. 2, before introduction of the wires.
• Fig. 4 shows a side view in section, along the line IV-IV 'of FIG. 3.
• Fig. 5 shows a side view in section, similar to FIG. 4, of the device, after introduction of the wires.
• Fig. 6 shows a partial side view of the device, in section, while the wires are exposed, and
• Fig. 7 shows a partial top view, in section along the line VII-VII 'of the device of the invention during the step illustrated in FIG. 6.

The device shown (Fig. 2) comprises a housing 1 substantially parallelepipedic and comprising on one of its front faces a chimney 2 for supplying the wires, of substantially rectangular section.

The housing is open on its upper side. The housing may for example be made of molded plastic.

Inside the housing, perpendicular to its open face and facing the opening of the chimney 2, is a receiving latch 3, rigid, of substantially rectangular shape, and comprising in the extension of the chimney 2, a opening 4 intended to be crossed by the wires, and whose cross section is substantially equal to that of the chimney 2 (fig 4), or preferably slightly greater. The latch 3 has at its base (fig. 3), two centering pins 5, 6, intended, when the latter is placed in the housing, to give it a correct position. The upper part of the latch 3 is substantially less wide than the interior length of the housing 1, for reasons explained later.

The device further comprises a hollow drawer 9 (FIG. 1) also of parallelepipedal penal shape, and the interior dimensions of which are substantially equal to the interior dimensions of the housing 1. It can also be made of molded plastic. The drawer 9 has an open face and, on one of its front faces 10, a recess 11. We will see below the advantage of such a configuration of the drawer.

The interior of the drawer 9 is shaped so as to receive and hold in place a metal clip 12, for example made of phosphorous bronze, resistant and good conductor of electricity. The clip 12 consists of a substantially rectangular plate, the narrowest edges of which have been previously curved at an angle of approximately 270 °, each on the same side. It should be noted that in all rigor an angle greater than 90 ° would ensure the function. The diameter of the bends and the thickness of the plate forming the clip 12 are such that the latter can, as will be seen below, come to cooperate closely, by fitting, with the latch 3. In the same way, the latch 3 may have its curved edges, in place of those of the clip 12, which would then be flat, but this is a less satisfactory solution.

For the prior assembly of the drawer 9 and its clip 12, the clip 12 is placed in the drawer 9, so that the two bends come opposite the face 10 comprising the recess 11. In the present example, the clip 12 is held in place in the drawer 9 forcing part, its positioning is ensured by grooves 14, 15 located on the side faces of the drawer (fig 7).

The operation of the device is as follows. Is introduced through the introduction passage, or chimney, 2, the ends, not stripped, sheathed conductive son 16, 17, to be connected electrically and mechanically.

The wires are introduced so that their end portion passes through the opening 4 of the receiving latch 3 and comes into abutment against the face 1a of the housing, face opposite to the face carrying the chimney 2. It is this step which is illustrated in fig. 5 of the drawings.

Then the drawer 9 is brought against the housing 1 so that their open faces coincide and are parallel.

It should be noted that the latch 3 and the clip 12 are respectively placed in the housing 1 and the drawer 9 so that, when the drawer enters the housing, the clip 12 comes to fit on the latch 3, its two bends surrounding the edges of the latch.

The next stage of operation, or assembly, is illustrated in fig. 6. The drawer 9 provided with the clip 12 has been pushed in the direction of the arrow 18, towards the inside of the housing 1, for example using a universal pliers until the cutting edge, that is to say the lower edge 13 of the clip 12 reaches, then exceeds the opening 4 of the latch 3. It is then easy to understand the utility of the recess 11, which allows the drawer 9 to be pushed into the box 1 without the position of the wires between the chimney and the latch being altered. We also understand, as written above, the need for relatively precise centering of the latch, as well as lateral spaces between the housing and the latch.

We understand that the cutting edge down, first pushes the sheathed wire, if necessary, against the lower edge 4a of the opening 4; then, the relative displacement of the cutting edge 13 and of the edge 4a continuing, this causes the pinching then the bending of the sheathed wires, on the side of their end portion, that is to say on the side of the latch where the cutting edge 13 acts.

This relative displacement taking place perpendicular to the direction of the sheathed wires, the bending angle is then substantially 90 °.

It is however possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to perform this relative movement of the latch and of the clip in a plane possibly not perpendicular to the direction of the wires, but with a fairly large angle, so that real bending exists.

In its movement, the clip cooperating with the latch to effect the bending of the sheaths, attacks these by its cutting edge in their longitudinal direction, to cut a part, which is driven downwards and simultaneously clean the contact surfaces conductive. Each thread is then, by its portion end, longitudinally stripped from the side of the clip and in electrical contact with the clip. Consequently, the cores of the wires are in electrical contact with one another. It will be noted that if the spacing of the latch and of the clip is less than the diameter of the wires, a second part of the sheaths diametrically opposite to the previous one will be driven out, which will increase the contact surface by the latch, if the latter is conductive.

When the drawer 9, fitted with the clip 12, has been fully inserted into the housing, that is to say when it comes, by the edges delimiting its open face, in abutment against the bottom of the housing and that the plane of the bottom of the drawer and the edges delimiting the open face of the housing are aligned, the partially stripped wires are very securely held in place between the adjacent faces of the receiving latch 3 and of the stripping clip - 12.

Note, in fig. 1, that the drawer 9 has two lateral pins 9a, 9b, intended, when the drawer is fully inserted, to cooperate with recesses 7, 8 provided in the housing, in order to keep the assembly securely closed. It is noted that the centering lugs 5, 6 of the latch 3 could prevent the drawer from reaching the bottom of the housing. To avoid this, two recesses 9c, 9d are provided on the side walls of the drawer, substantially adjacent to the lugs 9a, 9b.

It is interesting to note that the wires are held both by their conductive core and by their sheath, to the benefit of the resistance of the assembly, in particular, to accidental traction of the wires.

In addition, it is over the entire end portion of the wires that contact is ensured with the clip.

Furthermore, it is possible, with the device described above, to make the simultaneous connection of several wires, insofar as it is possible to house them all in the housing and to pass them through the passage 4 of the latch 3.

Finally, we can connect together wires of different diameters, thanks to the relative elasticity of the plate forming the clip. Indeed, this elasticity makes it possible to obtain, locally, an optimal distance between the clip and the latch, according to the dimensions of the wires whose connection is to be established.

On the other hand, for reasons of convenience, one can provide inside the housing, vertically aligned with the recesses 7, 8, two additional recesses 7 ', 8' intended to pre-introduce into the housing 1 the drawer 9 , rigidly, thanks to the said lugs 9a, 9b of the drawer, the position of the drawer 9 then being such that the opening 4 of the latch 3 is not closed by the clip 12. The sheathed wires can then be introduced without hindrance , as described above.

Finally, to keep the latch firmly in place in the housing, provision may be made to give it a wheelbase, that is to say its width at the level of the lugs 5, 6, slightly larger than the width of the housing in the region corresponding, so that the pins are anchored in the housing walls, in a material suitable for this purpose, by deforming them.

Of course, all the modifications of the form of the device, not affecting its essential functions, can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the latch may or may not be metallic insofar as it does not play a conducting role. It can for example be monoblox with the housing. Likewise, the clip may possibly be partially non-conductive. Only its face in contact with the cores of the wires, after assembly, must ensure good electrical conduction.

Finally, the clip and the latch can respectively be positioned and held firmly in the drawer and the housing by any known means.

Obviously, the invention finds its application in all kinds of industries where conductors are to be connected, such as for example the aerospace and telephone industries.

Claims (6)

1. Device for connecting at least two conducting wires each surrounded by an insulating sheath (16,17), comprising a box (1) in which is arranged a passage (2) for the introduction of an end portion of the sheathed wires, means (3) for receiving said end portions in the box and at least partially conducting means (12) adapted to be introduced into the box transversely with respect to the sheaths (16, 17) and to cooperate with the means (3) for receiving the sheaths to strip the wires, characterized in that the receiving means comprise a catch number (3) extending in the box (1) transversely with respect to said introduction passage (2) and in which is made a receiving opening (4), and the means for stripping the wires (12) comprise a cutting edge (13) arranged to be moved transversely with respect to the sheaths (16,17) and to cooperate with the lower edge (4a) of the receiving opening (4) as well as with the end portions of the sheathed wires extending beyond the receiving opening (4) of the catch number (3) to bend the end portion of the sheathed wires and to strip the wires longitudinally.

2. The device of claim 2, wherein the receiving opening (4) is aligned with the introduction passage (2).

3. The device of one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the means for stripping the wires comprise a metal clip (12) arranged to surround the catch number (3) at least partially.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the clip (12) comprises a plate bent at each of its edges and on the same side through an angle greater than 90°.

5. The device of one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the means for stripping the wires (12) are elastic.

6. The device of one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the means for stripping the wires (12) are arranged to bend the end portions thereof through 90°.

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