HK1062229A - Termination tool - Google Patents

Description

Termination tool

Technical Field

The invention relates to a termination tool for terminating cable cores in contacts for telecommunications.

In telecommunications engineering, the cable cores are interconnected by terminating in modules, the contacts included in the modules usually being Insulation Displacement Contacts (IDCs). The cable core is terminated by plunging it into the contact such that the sharp cutting blade of the insulation displacement contact bites through the insulation of the cable core and then makes conductive contact with the wire conductor of the cable core.

Background

A termination tool is described in DE 29814484U 1. The termination tool includes a handle and a clamp with a trimmer disposed thereon. The trimmer is configured to trim the cable core to a certain length by pinching or cutting the cable core between two blades that cooperate based on the side cutting principle. The trimmer may be configured so that just one cable core can be trimmed after it has been plunged into the contact. Other termination tools described in the art also feature trimmers configured to trim only one cable core at a time.

Disclosure of Invention

The termination tool of the present invention has a handle, a clamp for receiving cable cores and plugging them into the contacts, and a trimmer on the clamp. The trimmer is at least double-acting, so that at least two cable cores can be tucked and trimmed in a single operation. In other words, the cable cores are terminated on one module, and at least two cable cores may be placed on suitable guides on the jig and plugged into their respective contacts and then trimmed to length by the trimmer. This is achieved, for example, by a movable blade having sharpened edges on two opposite sides, where the blade is first pivoted to one side to engage a fixed blade to form a first cut, and then pivoted to the other side (during continuation of the stroke) to form a second cut, where the opposite cutting edge engages the other fixed cutting edge.

The time required for looping a complete module according to the invention can be practically halved, since the two cable cores can be plugged into their respective contacts and trimmed in a single operation. The previously described embodiments only require a long stroke for operating the trimming on two cables. However, this disadvantage may be avoided in a preferred embodiment, wherein both blades may be moved simultaneously towards a separate stationary blade to trim both cable cores simultaneously. In this embodiment, the stroke is shorter, and although the force used to create the two trimming actions is greater than the force used to create a single trimming action, the required cutting force may be manually provided.

While the so-called "side-cutting principle" (i.e. the two blades pushing together creating a shearing action between the two cutting edges when they are in contact with each other) may be employed, it is preferred that the present invention employ a "scissor action" (i.e. a movable blade cooperating with a fixed edge on the holder, which creates a cutting action when they pass close together).

As mentioned above, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is configured so that the trimmer includes a double sided movable blade that cooperates with two fixed cutting edges or blades on the clip. The double-sided blade is movable, or even pivotable, so that it may be first rotated or moved aside, for example, in a wire tucking and trimming operation, to cooperate with a fixed blade or cutting edge on the clamp to trim a cable core disposed therebetween. The blade is then pivoted or moved to the other side of the tool (for example by means of a suitable guide cooperating with a pin on the tool) to cooperate with another fixed blade on said other side of the tool to trim a second cable core. An advantage of this embodiment is that the force required to trim two cable cores is relatively small, but the stroke is somewhat longer.

Alternatively, the routine can be shorter with the second preferred embodiment, but the force required to trim is somewhat greater. In a second embodiment, there are at least two movable knives or blades that cooperate with at least one fixed knife or blade on the clamp. In other words, both blades are movable, or even pivotable, to one or more fixed cutting edges on the clamp, which produces a cutting action simultaneously or virtually simultaneously. This embodiment has two separately fixed cutting edges, each cooperating with one of the movable knives or blades. However, it is preferred to use a single fixed double sided knife or blade in cooperation with two movable blades. The two movable blades move in an inward direction (i.e., toward each other) toward the fixed double-sided blade to trim the cable core on both sides.

Drawings

One embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the sole drawing, which is a perspective view of the trimmer portion of the termination tool according to the invention.

Detailed Description

Only the clamp portion 26 of the termination tool and the trimmer 10 are depicted. It will be appreciated, however, that the clamp 26 may be provided with further guiding means in addition to the slotted recess 12, for example in a double arrangement, the function of the recess 12 being described later, so that two cable cores may be arranged in the clamp 26 and plugged into the contacts of the telecommunications module. The trimmer described in the figures can basically function as described below.

On the termination tool there is provided a moving element comprising a pin which is guided in a cam guide 14. When the clamp 26 with the stop shaped at its front end is fully located in the telecommunications module, i.e. when the cable cores are fully plugged into their corresponding contacts, further pressure exerted on the handle of the termination tool moves the pin in the guide 14 so that the movable blade 16 pivots about the fulcrum 24. The front end (as viewed from the top) of the blade 16 is provided with cutting edges 18 on both sides. The edge 28 of the pocket 12 that mates with the blade 16 is generally configured to hold a cutting edge 28 that cooperates with the blade 16. The movable blade 16 is pivoted by means of a pin (not shown) which moves upwards in the guide 14. Because the pin cannot move laterally, the extent of the guide starts approximately in the middle, to the left as shown in the figure, at point 20, which causes the rear of the movable blade 16 to turn to the right. This will cause the front portion to pivot to the left as it pivots about the fulcrum 24. The cutting edge 18 of the movable blade 16 is thus moved to the left along the fixed part and the cutting edge 28 of the recess 12, so that the cable core arranged in the recess 12 is trimmed with a scissor action. The guide travels from the "bump" 20 of the guide 14 to the left, back approximately to the middle, so that the blade 16 returns at least temporarily to the middle position. Starting from the neutral position, the guide 14 is slightly deflected to the right, up to the end 22, so that further movement of the pin causes the rear end of the movable blade 16 to turn to the left, whereupon the front cutting edge 18 turns to the right. This causes the cutting edge 18 to pass the cutting edge 28 of the right-hand groove 12 on the right, thus trimming the cable core disposed therein. The pressure on the clamp 26 is released so that the pins of the moving part slide back through the guide 14, returning the trimmer to the starting position as shown in the figure.

Thus, in a single operation two cable cores can be trimmed to length by means of the movable blade 16, the edge 16 of which is pivoted first to one side and then to the other.

The movable blade 16 in the embodiment shown in the figures is changeable, the movable blade 16 likewise comprising two notches at its front end, both notches carrying cutting edges similar to the notches 12 of the fixed part. In such a case, once the movable blade 16 is pivoted only to one side, the cutting edge of each of the two mating notches working together is allowed to trim the cable core disposed therebetween. Such a trimmer can trim two cable cores with a short stroke, but requires a large force for trimming. The same applies to embodiments (not shown) having two outwardly movable blades which can be moved substantially simultaneously towards the inner fixed edge, while providing two cutting actions. Of course, each guide of the two movable blades is configured so that trimming does not occur exactly simultaneously, in this embodiment to ensure a relatively short stroke and relatively little force (depending on the sequence of trimming).

Claims (5)

1. A termination tool for terminating cable cores in contacts of a telecommunications module, comprising a handle, a clamp for receiving the cable cores and plugging them into the contacts, and a trimmer (10) on the clamp, characterized in that: the trimmer (10) is at least double-acting, so that at least two cable cores can be trimmed to length in a single operation.

2. The termination tool according to claim 1, wherein the trimmer (10) comprises at least one movable blade (16) which cooperates with at least one fixed edge on the clamp.

3. The termination tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the trimmer (10) comprises a double-sided movable blade (16) which cooperates with two fixed cutting edges on the clamp.

4. The termination tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the trimmer (10) comprises at least two movable blades which cooperate with at least one fixed edge on the clamp.

5. The termination tool of claim 4, wherein a double sided stationary blade is provided.