Patent Application
20230231351
The present invention relates to the processing of terminals, and more specifically, to an improved system and method for separating terminals from a terminal strip during a crimping process.
Crimping or terminating systems for securing a terminal onto an element, such as an electrical conductor, typically include an applicator configured to feed a strip of terminals from a reel into position for crimping the terminals onto the conductor. A convenient and inexpensive way to separate a terminal from the strip of terminals is to implement a tool or “depressor” attached to the movable end of an applicator ram used to drive a crimping die. As the applicator ram is moved, the depressor engages with a passive terminal shear or shear tool which shears the terminal from the strip just after the terminal is captured in the crimping tooling.
The resulting shear plane is usually positioned very near the end of the terminal as a result of requirements of the crimp design, which limits the size of the cut-off tab. However, there may be crimp designs for which the volume of wire material and crimp barrel material of the terminal being crimped may cause the crimped material to extrude longitudinally. The extruded material can contact or interfere with the terminal shear arranged immediately adjacent to the sheared end of the terminal. This may be particularly likely during the crimping of large terminals used with large wire for high voltage applications. Contact between the terminal and the terminal shear during crimping can negatively affect the consistency and quality of the resulting crimp.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods which prevent extruded terminal material from engaging or contacting the terminal shear during the crimping process.
In one embodiment of the present disclosure a system for separating terminals from a terminal strip includes a shear tool movably mounted to a fixed frame. A primary shear depressor is provided for driving the shear tool from an initial position to an intermediate position and selectively shearing a terminal from a terminal strip. A secondary shear depressor is movably mounted to the primary shear depressor for further driving the shear tool from the intermediate position after the terminal has been sheared from the terminal strip, to a final position.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which:
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to the attached drawings, wherein the like reference numerals refer to the like elements. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing.
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a system for separating a terminal (e.g., an electrical terminal) from a terminal strip comprising a plurality of terminals during a crimping operation is provided. The system includes a movable terminal shear or shear tool for receiving a terminal of the terminal strip. The shear tool is driven (e.g., downwardly) by a primary shear depressor from an initial position to an intermediate position for shearing the terminal from the strip. The primary depressor may be fixedly mounted to an applicator ram or crimping actuator which performs the crimping operation of the terminal after it has been separated. A secondary shear depressor according to embodiments of the present disclosure is movably mounted to the primary shear depressor. After the terminal has been sheared from the terminal strip and the primary depressor has reached the end of its travel, the secondary shear depressor is operative to drive the terminal shear further downwardly from the intermediate position and out of an extrusion space into which the crimped terminal may extend during crimping. The operation of the secondary shear depressor may be passive in nature, acting in an automatic manner without the need for additional operator and/or control system input.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail in the context of an exemplary simplified system or terminal applicator for crimping an electrical terminal to a conductor. Specifically, referring to
As set forth above, a passive terminal shear or shear tool 14 is provided for cutting or separating the terminal 16 from a remainder of the terminal strip or tape 17 prior to, but in conjunction with, the crimping process. Specifically, the exemplary terminal shear 14 includes a body having a slotted opening 19 formed therethrough and defining a shearing blade or edge. The opening 19 receives the terminal strip 17 therein in a direction normal to the moving directions (e.g., the vertical directions) of the terminal shear 14, as shown in
The terminal shear 14 may be movably or floatably mounted to the applicator 10, and more specifically, to a frame 22 thereof. In one embodiment, the terminal shear 14 is elastically mounted relative to the fixed frame 22 so as to resiliently return from a final post-shearing position to the initial position shown in
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a two-stage depressor for engaging with the terminal shear 14 for performing an improved shearing operation. In particular, the terminal shear depressor includes the main or first stage shear depressor 15. The first stage shear depressor 15 may take the form of a rigid cylinder, by way of example only. In the exemplary embodiment, the main stage shear depressor 15 is fixedly attached to the movable end of the applicator ram 18. As set forth above, the first stage shear depressor 15 is operative to engage with and apply a downward force on the terminal shear 14 for performing the shearing operation as the crimping die 12 is moved downwardly toward the terminal 16.
As described above, and as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, during the crimping process, the terminal 16 may be subject to lengthening or extrusion via plastic deformation. This may result in the terminal 16 making contact with the terminal shear 14 which is arranged immediately adjacent thereto after the shearing operation. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a means to ensure the terminal shear 14 does not interfere with or contact the terminal 16 as a result of its extrusion during crimping.
In particular, a second stage depressor or passive shear depressor 20 according to the present disclosure is provided and includes a movable plunger or piston arranged on and/or within an end of the first stage shear depressor 15. In the exemplary embodiment, the second stage shear depressor 20 may take the form of a cylindrical element. Of course, other shapes of both the first and second stage depressors 15,20 are envisioned without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The second stage depressor 20 is movable between an extended position, as shown in
The second stage depressor 20 may be passively elastically biased into the extended position via an internal spring arranged within the first stage shear depressor 15. As shown in
The operation of the two-stage shear depressor is shown in
As shown in
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, however, at the point which the terminal shear 14 just breaks through the strip 17 and disconnects the terminal 16 therefrom, the force resisting the extension of the second stage depressor 20 is released. The second stage depressor 20 is now free to extend from the end of the first stage shear depressor 15 under the biasing force of the spring, by way of example. As it extends, the second stage depressor 20 is operative to push or bias the terminal shear 14 from an intermediate position further vertically downward, and out of the extrusion area of the terminal 16. As shown in
Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure add a second, low-force tool or actuator within the primary shear depressor which can rapidly actuate the terminal shear and remove it from an extrusion area or window of a terminal to be crimped. After the terminal shear has completed the severing of the terminal from the strip, there is little resistance to further downward motion. As such, the second, low force stroke will then accelerate the terminal shear downwardly and out of the extrusion window before significant extrusion can occur. The second stage depressor may be always-acting (e.g., via a spring or air pressure), but of a low enough extension force that it the terminal shear position is unaffected until shearing is complete. In this way, no actively-controlled motor or valve is needed, nor software to control its operation.
It should be appreciated for those skilled in this art that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrated, and not restrictive. For example, many modifications may be made to the above embodiments by those skilled in this art, and various features described in different embodiments may be freely combined with each other without conflicting in configuration or principle.
Although several exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, an element recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional such elements not having that property.
