Patent Application
20200124654
The present specification generally relates to instruments for testing connector assemblies, and more particularly to eliminate faulty defect readings.
Terminal connectors are housed in a male and female connector housing. The terminal connectors include a male terminal connector configured to couple with a female terminal connector so as to complete an electric connection. An illustrative view of a male connector housing 400 is shown in
In one embodiment, the male connector housing 400 is a power circuit board. The male connector housing 400 includes terminal cavities 410 which accommodate the male terminal connectors 420. The male terminal connectors 420 include a male terminal blade 430 and a wire 440 coupled to the male terminal blade 430. The wires 440 connect the male terminal blades 430 to a respective electronic device or circuit, such as a fuse, relay or the like (not shown). Prior to distribution, the male connector housings 400 are tested to ensure that the electric connection between the male terminal connectors 420 and the electronic devices meet certain specifications.
The processing unit 560 includes an executable program 580 configured to read the electric connection between the male connector housing 400 and the female connector housing 510. Thus, a poor coupling between respective male and female terminal connectors 420, 540 may result in a determination that the male terminal connectors 420 are deficient, even when they are not.
The prongs 540a, 540b of the female connectors 540 may become stretched over time as a result of numerous testing. For instance, each time a male terminal blade 430 is inserted into a female connector 540 the prongs 540a, 540b are displaced away from each other. This may reduce the biased engagement of the prongs 540a, 540b onto the male terminal blades 430.
In addition to, or in the alternative, a male terminal blade 430 may be introduced into a respective female terminal cavity 520 in a misaligned direction which causes the male terminal blade 430 to be pressed against a top surface of a prong 540a as shown on the left and middle figure. Such a misalignment may cause one of the prongs 540a to bend and deform so as to be spaced further apart from the other prong relative to its first state. Such a deformation may result in a poor electric connection, which is not attributable to the condition of the male terminal connector but rather the deformation of the prongs 540a, 540b. Also stated, the current testing instrument provides a faulty defect reading in such a scenario. Additionally, the force exerted onto a male terminal blade 430 due to a misalignment of prongs 540a, 540b may cause the male terminal blade 430 to bend, as shown in the left and center prongs 540 shown in
Accordingly, it remains desirable to have an instrument configured to test a male connector housing that will maintain a predetermined surface contact with the male terminal blades and allow for misalignment of the male terminal blade with respect to the terminal cavity so as to reduce the occurrence of a faulty defect reading.
An instrument for testing the electric connection of a terminal connector is provided. The instrument includes a connector housing having a board with a plurality of terminal cavities. The instrument further includes a plurality of biasing contacts. The biasing contacts are disposed beneath and axially aligned to a respective terminal cavity. The biasing contacts are configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in the second position a top surface of the biasing contact is depressed relative to the first position. Accordingly, the testing equipment utilizes a contact between the biasing contact and the terminal connector to establish an electrical connection.
In one embodiment, the instrument is configured to test a male connector housing with a male terminal connector. The instrument includes a female connector housing having a female board with a plurality of terminal cavities. The instrument further includes a plurality of biasing contacts. The biasing contacts are disposed beneath and axially aligned to a respective terminal cavity. The biasing contacts are configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in the second position a top surface of the biasing contact is depressed relative to the first position.
Each of the biasing contacts includes a testing wire. The testing wires are electrically coupled to a processing unit. The processing unit includes an executable program configured to read the electric connection between the male connector housing and the female connector housing. In particular, the executable program is configured to read the electric connection between each of the male terminal blades and a respective biasing contact.
The biasing contact includes a base and a head. The head is configured to be axially displaced relative to the base. The biasing contact is configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the head is extended upwardly and in the second position the head is depressed relative to the first position. In other words, the head may be pressed down into the second position by a male terminal blade and move up to the first position when the male terminal blade is removed from the instrument. Thus, the head is configured to engage a distal end of the male terminal blade so as to provide an electric connection between the instrument and the male connector housing. Further, the head is configured to give way to a misaligned male terminal blade.
In one embodiment, the biasing contact includes a biasing member housed within the base. The biasing member may be a helical spring. The helical spring is configured to continuously urge the head into the first position.
In one embodiment, the head includes a plurality of teeth spaced apart from each other so as to receive a distal edge of the male terminal blade between adjacent teeth. The teeth may be formed as a single unit with the head through a stamping process.
Accordingly, an instrument configured to test a connector housing is provided that will maintain a predetermined surface contact with the terminal blades and allow for misalignment of the terminal blade with respect to the terminal cavity so as to reduce the occurrence of a faulty defect reading.
The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
Referring generally to the figures, embodiments of the present disclosure directed towards an instrument for testing the electric connection of a terminal connector and reducing a faulty defect reading are provided.
Referring to
The instrument 10 further includes a plurality of biasing contacts 24. The biasing contacts 24 are disposed beneath and axially aligned to a respective terminal cavity 20. The biasing contacts 24 are configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in the second position a top surface of the biasing contact is depressed relative to the first position. Accordingly, the testing instrument 10 utilizes a contact between the biasing contacts 24 and the terminal connectors 102 of the second connector housing 100 which are to be tested to establish an electrical connection.
As used herein the terms front, back, top and bottom are made in reference to the orientation of instrument 10 shown in
For illustrative purposes, a description of the embodiments of an instrument 10 for testing a terminal connector 102 will be made with reference to an instrument having a female connector housing configuration so as to test a male connector housing. However, it should be appreciated that the embodiments described herein are not limiting to just a female connector housing configuration.
With reference now to
The instrument 10 includes a female board 18 which covers the storage compartment 12f of the female connector housing 12. The female board 18 includes a plurality of terminal cavities 20. The female board 18 is configured to mount onto the storage opening 12f of the female connector housing 12. The female board 18 is a generally planar member with a peripheral wall 18a bounding a top surface 18b of the female board 18. The terminal cavities 20 are illustratively shown as rectangular openings and are dimensioned to receive a male terminal blade 102 of a male terminal connector housing 100. Each of the terminal cavities 20 is axially aligned with a respective wire opening 14 (as shown in
The female board 18 may be configured to engage the female connector housing 12 using known engagement means. For instance, the female board 18 may include a resilient tab configured to engage a corresponding indent of the female connector housing 12 in a snap fit engagement. Alternatively, a fastener, such as a threaded bolt may be used to couple the female board 18 to the female connector housing 12.
The female board 18 may include a plurality of rows 22, with each row 22 having a predetermined number of terminal cavities 20. For illustrative purposes, the female board 18 includes ten (10) rows 22. As shown, most of the rows 22 have six (6) terminal cavities 20 wherein the rows in the center of the female board have four (4) terminal cavities to accommodate space for a fastening structure. The female board 18 illustratively shown herein includes a total of fifty-six (56) terminal cavities 20. Likewise, the back wall 12b (shown in
With reference now to
The biasing contact 24 includes a base 26 and a head 28. The head 28 is configured to be axially displaced relative to the base 26. The base 26 and the head 28 are both formed of an electric conductive material. The outer surface of the base 26 and the head 28 may be coated or sheathed by a protective material. However, the top surface of the head 28 is electrically conductive and at least an inner surface of the base 26 is electrically conductive. The testing wire 16 is electrically coupled to the base 26 such that an electric path is formed from the top surface of the head 28 to the testing wire 16.
The biasing contact 24 is configured to move between a first position 200 (shown in
In one embodiment, shown in
With reference again to
In one embodiment, the biasing contact 24 includes a biasing member 38 housed within the base 26. The base 26 is generally a cylindrical member with an open end 26a opposite a closed end 26b and an elongated chamber 26c defined by a continuous wall. The biasing member 38 is seated against the closed end 26b within the elongated chamber 26c. A portion of the head 28 is disposed within the elongated chamber 26c and is continuously urged into the first position 200 by the biasing member 38. Any biasing member 38 currently known or later developed may be adapted for use herein, illustratively including a helical spring.
In one embodiment, the head 28 includes a contact portion 40 and a stem 42. The stem 42 is a generally cylindrical member configured to slidingly fit within the elongated chamber 26c. A bottom portion of the stem 42 may include a radial flange 42a. The open end 26a of the base 26 may include an annular rib, wherein the radial flange 42a is seated beneath the annular rib. The annular rib and the radial flange 42a work together to retain the stem 42 of the head 28 within the elongated chamber 26c.
In one embodiment, the head 28 includes a plurality of teeth 44 spaced apart from each other so as to receive a distal edge of the male terminal blade 102 between adjacent teeth 44. The teeth 44 may be formed as a single unit with the head 28 through a stamping process. The teeth 44 are illustratively shown as having a cross-section in the shape of an isosceles triangle, wherein the opposing sides of the teeth 44 are angled so as to guide the distal end of the male terminal blade 102 into the trough formed at the bottom between adjacent teeth 44. It should be appreciated that the shape of the head 28 may be modified without deviating from the scope of the appended claims. For instance, the teeth 44 may be rounded, alternatively the head 28 may include a dent for receiving the distal end of the male terminal blade 102, or the top surface of the head 28 may be flat.
It should be appreciated that the biasing contact 24 is configured to move from the first position to the second position using other mechanisms currently known and used in the art, illustratively including a fluid chamber with a compressed air system, or the biasing member may be disposed on the outer surface of the base and the stem 42 is operatively coupled to the biasing member.
In one embodiment, the processing unit 34 may include an executable program 46 configured to read a database 48, wherein the database 48 includes a signal specification for various types of male connector housings 100. For instance, the database 48 may contain a signal specification for a male connector having fifty-six (56) male terminal blades 102 configured to transmit power to first set of electronic devices, a male connector having fifty-six (56) male terminal blades configured to transmit power to second set of electronic devices, a male connector having forty-eight (48) male terminal blades configured to transmit power to third set of electronic devices, a male connector having forty-eight (48) male terminal blades configured to transmit power to fourth set of electronic devices, etc.
In such a case, it should be appreciated that the user may select from any one of the male connector housings 100 for testing. The database 48 may be programmable so as to add new male connector housings 100, or delete male connector housings 100 no longer in service. Accordingly, the instrument 10 may be used to test numerous male connector housings 100, subject to physical constraints as discussed in more detail below.
With reference now to
However, it should be appreciated that the instrument 10 may be configured to have more terminal cavities 20 than what is shown, and thus may test male connector housings 100 having different number of male terminal blades 102 other than what is shown, so long as the male terminal blades 102 are arranged to be seated as a single unit in corresponding terminal cavities 20. This may be done by programming the database 48 and the executable program 46 to read only instances where a biasing contact 24 and a male terminal blade 102 are designed to form an electric connection. For instance, the instrument 10 shown in
The instrument 10 is powered and the processing unit 34 processes signals from each of the electric connections. As shown in
The instrument 10 reads the electric signal of each of the electrical connections. In the instant case, the instrument 10 is configured to read a signal base 26 upon the contact between a distal end of the male terminal blade 102 and a biasing contact 24 which is urged upwardly against the male terminal blade 102. Accordingly, a faulty reading is not due to an improper/insufficient contact of the female connectors due to wear or deformation common to conventional instruments. For instance, biasing contacts 24 will generate a signal by contact with the terminal blade relative to a conventional female connector with prongs which have become open as a result of repeated testing, wherein the terminal blade does not touch the prongs as shown in
Thus, the head 28 is configured to engage a distal end of the male terminal blade 102 so as to provide an electric connection between the instrument 10 and the male connector 100. Further, the head 28 is configured to give way to a misaligned male terminal blade 102.
While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.
