Molex Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

Eric J Stenstrom

Steven F Wright

Peter Ingwersen

Frank A Harwath

David L Brunker

Thomas P Pellegrino

Donald J Brinkman

Hasmukh Shah

Glenn A Landgraf

Douglas L Heisner

Kevin J Urness

Robert William Lucenta

Arvind Patel

Michael A Bandura

Mark M Data

Michael J Miskin

David E Dunham

Paul Murphy

Frank Keyser

Richard A Johnson

Robert C Brakenridge

Eric P Bleuel

Leonard J Lickus

Joseph Wolyn

Hans G Krause

Ronald Kulakowski

Arturo Cervantes

Ed Kinsley

Robert Carlson

Robert Smid

Larry Kurek

A high power electrical connector is provided for transmitting electrical signals from a pair of cables, such as high current capable cables, to an associated member, such as a dash panel. The high power electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a pair of contact path assemblies therethrough for transmission of the electrical signals. The cables can be rotated relative to the housing and rotated relative to each other via the contact path assemblies. Ground path assemblies are also provided for grounding the cables. The cables can each be rotatable relative to a portion of the respective ground path assembly.

High power electrical connector

A wire harness handling and storage system particularly suitable for use in connection with automated harness making machines includes a harness unloading mechanism that unloads a completed wire harness from the harness-making machine and a storage cart that receives a plurality of completed wire harnesses in a plurality of storage racks maintained at different elevations on the storage cart. The handling and storage system is adaptable to handle both short wire harnesses about 6 inches in length) to longer wire harnesses (about 10 feet in length) without tangling or damage to connectors applied to the wires of the wire harnesses. For unloading and placing the longer wire harnesses, a gripping mechanism is provided that picks up the wire harnesses and places on the storage cart in a controlled movement. The unloading and gripping mechanisms are linked with a controller knows the length of the storage areas of the cart for proper, high-density loading thereof.

Wire harness handling and storage system

An apparatus for preparing the free ends of individual wires of a multi-conductor cable is disclosed. The apparatus includes a wire nest for separating the individual wires into distinct multiple wire sets and each wire of the wire sets includes multiple conductive strands. A wire stripper is provided in alignment with the wire nest to grip outer insulative coverings of the wires in each set and strip a preselected length of the covering therefrom. A wire twister is provided generally adjacent the wire stripper to engage and twist the multiple strands of each wire and a trimming knife cuts the exposed, twisted wires after they have been twisted.

Wire end preparation apparatus and method

A machine for producing wire harnesses of the type having multiple connectors terminated to the wires of the harness, the connectors being arranged in serial order along the length of the wire harness and some of the connectors being of two-piece construction is disclosed. The machine includes a reciprocating carriage and a nest that retains a lead connector in place during termination and subsequent advancement of the harness wires. The carriage is received within a termination assembly which has different termination members for different connectors.

Wire harness termination apparatus for programmable connectors

A system is provided for producing a shielded connector assembly for connecting a round multiconductor cable to a complementary connector having a flat array of terminals. The cable includes a plurality of insulated conductors within a cable shield and surrounded by an outer insulating jacket which is stripped to expose the cable shield and the insulated conductors. An insulating housing has a receptacle for receiving the insulated conductors in a flat array. A plurality of terminals are provided for termination to the received conductors and for mating with the terminals of the complementary connector. A conductive connector shield is mounted on and about a portion of the insulating housing, with a portion of the shield extending into the receptacle. A round conductive crimp ferrule is positioned over the round multiconductor cable in engagement with the exposed cable shield and with the exposed insulated conductors projecting from an end of the crimp ferrule. The exposed insulated conductors are sorted and positioned in a flat array. The round conductive crimp ferrule is crimped into a generally flat configuration onto the cable for holding the conductors in their flat array within the receptacle of the housing for termination to the terminals, and with the crimped ferrule in engagement with the shield portion in the receptacle.

Round-to-flat shielded connector assembly

A method is disclosed for terminating a coaxial connector to a coaxial cable. The coaxial connector has an elongated signal pin surrounded in part by an insulating jacket and an elongated shield member surrounding the insulating jacket while the coaxial cable has a signal wire surrounded by an inner insulating member, ground means surrounding the insulating jacket and an outer insulating sheath surrounding the ground means. The method includes providing an elongated conductive shield member having a front portion and a rear portion. The front portion of the shield member is secured onto the insulating jacket surrounding the signal pin whereby a portion of the signal pin is positioned within the rear portion. The ground means is electrically and mechanically bonded to the rear portion of the shield member. The signal wire is then electrically and mechanically bonded to an exposed portion of the signal pin within the rear portion of the shield member while the signal pin is held by the shield member. The rear portion of the shield member is then closed around the bonded portions of the signal wire and the ground means.

Method of terminating miniature coaxial electrical connector

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the miniature coaxial contact terminates a coaxial cable which includes a signal wire, an insulating jacket surrounding the signal wire, ground means surrounding the insulating jacket and an outer insulating sheath surrounding the ground means. The contact includes a signal pin having a contact end for mating with an appropriate receptacle contact and a terminating end having a coined portion for termination to the signal wire. Insulator means is provided about at least a portion of the signal pin. A grounding shield tube is provided about the insulator means. The tube has an inner surface for termination to the ground means of the cable.

Miniature coaxial electrical connector

A pitch transition wire guide apparatus for use in wire harness fabrication machines includes a plate member having a wire engaging edge and a corresponding number of open-ended wire guide channels, each extending inwardly from the edge to a closed end. The closed ends of said channels are spaced apart by a centerline spacing different from the centerline spacing of the open ends in said edge. The plate is reciprocably moveable between a first position wherein the open ends are in surrounding engagement with the wires adjacent the edge and a second wire-receiving position wherein said wires are disposed at the closed ends. The guide includes actuation means for moving the plate member between said first and second positions. Actuation of the wire guide causes movement of the wires within their respective channels to alter the centerline spacing thereof. The wire guide is useful for making smooth continuous transitions between production runs of different pitch wire harnesses. It is also useful for making pitch transition wire harnesses wherein a common group of wires are terminated to at least two connectors, each one containing terminals spaced apart at different centerline spacings.

Pitch transition wire guide apparatus

Several embodiments of a method and apparatus for accurately positioning solid components for a robotic pickup mechanism having a floating gripper head, are described. In a first arrangement, connectors are transported along a guide track, with linear arrays of solid projections depending from each connector received in slots formed in the track. Conveyance of the connector is completed when a leading projection contacts an accurately positioned stop wall located in one of the projection receiving slots. An alignment bar, generally coextensive with the linear array of solid projections, presses the projections against a track wall communicating with the slot. In a second arrangement, a gauge block is elevated to receive the solid projections of the connector, and is thereafter translated to a final loading position adjacent a robotic pickup mechanism. In a third embodiment, a shuttle mechanism for use with a gauge block is disclosed. The shuttle mechanism includes latching arms for retaining the connector against the upper movement of the gauge block, the latch arms being pivotable to clear the top surface of the connector, allowing presentation of the connector to a component pickup apparatus.

Accurate positioning of solid components for a robotic pickup

Growing community of inventors

Warrenville, IL, United States of America

Eric J Stenstrom