A method and apparatus for fabricating a plurality of electrical harnesses is disclosed. Each electrical harness includes at least one connector defined by a housing with insulation displacement type contacts loaded therein. The apparatus sequentially feeds sets of connectors to a first station wherein each set includes a plurality of housings joined together by integral, severable connecting tabs. Each set of connectors is then moved to a second station and wires are inserted into the aligned contacts. Additional functions such as drawing lengths of the wires, forming loops of differing magnitudes in the wires and removing insulation from the wires may also be performed by the apparatus. At the completion of the desired functions, the apparatus is actuated to remove the connecting tabs from between the housings thereby forming a plurality of individual harnesses. The individual harnesses are then ejected.
Disclosed is an apparatus for spacing a serial succession of electrical connectors along a common centerline progression. The apparatus includes a push bar moveable toward a termination station, which is operative to space the connectors a predetermined amount, assuring alignment with the centerline progression. The push bar includes a plurality of pawl members having connector engaging tips which are receivable within recesses formed in the upper surface of each connector. The pawls are mounted to have a serial succession of increasingly greater displacements measured along the push bar in a direction away from the termination station. The succession of pawl displacements ensures proper predetermined spacing between adjacent connectors, sufficient to place the end terminals of adjacent connectors on a common centerline progression.
A method for manufacturing a wiring harness of the type having a preformed cable containing a plurality of conductors and arranged in a predetermined path, and having breakouts for certain of the conductors which terminate in electrical contacts at one or more predetermined locations, includes the step of molding an integral frame from insulating mateial. The frame has groups of connector housings for receiving electrical contacts, and located at positions corresponding to the locations of the breakouts, and runners that integrally connect the housings. The method also includes laying the preformed cable in an operative position on the frame so that the cable breakouts are adjacent to the groups of connector housings. After the electrical contacts are inserted into the connector housings, the runners are removed.
A latching system is disclosed for use in an electrical connector system which includes a backplane connector mounted on a backplane of an electrical apparatus, along with a mating connector mateable with the backplane connector in a direction generally perpendicular to the backplane. The latching system includes a latching device independent of the backplane and mating connectors. The device includes a latch arm projecting from the backplane, and a hook portion engageable with a latching surface on the mating connector for holding the mating connector in mated condition with the backplane connector.
Simultaneous attaching of wires (13) through the pressure-connecting method to a number of electrical connectors (11) arranged in a row, makes it possible to process a larger number of electrical connectors at one time. A position-determining device (55) is provided for each electrical connector (11) which makes it possible to determine the position of each pressure-type contact of said electrical connectors (11) arranged in a row. The positioning determining device (55) is used to align a plurality of the electrical connectors (11) so that tolerance differences are not cumulative. FIG. 12.
A method of producing a press-connecting joint connector and a method of press-connecting wires, in which the step of mounting press-connecting terminals in a housing is eliminated thereby reducing the production time, the housing-forming mold is simplified, and connective portions are prevented from being easily ruptured. Linked press-connecting terminal groups (32) are inserted-molded integrally in housings (34), respectively, thereby forming press-connecting joint connectors (30) which are linked together by a linkage plate (40) which is integral with the press-connecting terminal groups (32). Thus, when molding the housings (34), the press-connecting terminal groups (32) are formed integrally with the housings (34), respectively, so that the step of inserting the press-connecting terminal groups into the respective housings (34) is eliminated. The housings (34) can be molded independently of each other so that the housing (34) can be simplified, and linkage portions of the press-connecting joint connectors (30) have an increased strength.
