Apparatus and methods for filament crimping and manufacturing

• US 20070294873A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autosplice, Inc. (Autosplice Parent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Autosplice, Inc. (Autosplice Parent, Inc.)
• Inventors: Foshansky, Leonid, Bogursky, Robert, Kennedy, Craig, Saunders, Mark, Wood, Darrel
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/84.00C
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/01 Connections using shape memory materials, e.g. shape memory metal
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/188 having an uneven wire-receiving surface to improve the contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/048 Crimping apparatus or processes H01R43/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49181 by deforming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5121 Wire working
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1241 Nonplanar uniform thickness or nonlinear uniform diameter [e.g., L-shape]

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for filament crimping. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a body and a filament crimp element. The filament crimp element comprises a first set of cavities disposed at a spacing which creates a first set of features and a second set of cavities disposed at a spacing which creates a second set of features. The first and second set cavities are substantially opposite one another. The first set of features are adapted to be placed at least partially within the second set of cavities and the second set of features are adapted to be placed at least partially within the first set of cavities. Methods and apparatus for the manufacture of the device are also disclosed. In addition, methods for automated placement and manufacture of assemblies using the crimp elements are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A filament crimping element, said element comprising:

a first plurality of cavities, said first set of cavities disposed at a spacing which creates a first plurality of features; and

a second plurality of cavities, said second set of cavities disposed at a spacing which creates a second plurality of features;

wherein said first and second pluralities of cavities are substantially opposite one another when said crimping element is crimped, said first plurality of features adapted to be placed at least partially within said second plurality of cavities and said second plurality of features adapted to be placed at least partially within said first plurality of cavities.

2. The crimping element of claim 1, wherein said first and second pluralities of cavities and features form a substantially serpentine channel therebetween for said filament when said crimping element is crimped.

3. The crimping element of claim 2, further comprising a filament, said filament having a first end placed at least partially within said substantially serpentine channel of said filament crimping element.

4. The crimping element of claim 3, wherein said filament comprises a Nickel-Titanium shaped memory alloy.

5. The crimping element of claim 3, comprising a second filament crimping element disposed at a second end of said filament.

6. The crimping element of claim 5, comprising a third filament crimping element disposed substantially between said first and second filament crimping elements.

7. The crimping element of claim 1, further comprising at least one feature disposed proximate said body, said at least one arm having a substantially planar surface formed thereof adapted for pickup by a pick-and-place machine.

8. The crimping element of claim 1, further comprising a body having at least one leg, said leg being useful for a purpose other than crimping.

9. The crimping element of claim 1, wherein at least one of each of said first and second pluralities of features comprises substantially rounded edges, said substantially rounded edges mitigating deformation of at least a portion of said filament during crimping.

10. The crimping element of claim 2, further comprising a filament, said filament being placed at least partially within said substantially serpentine channel of said filament crimping element so that said filament substantially assumes a serpentine shape.

11. The crimping element of claim 10, wherein said crimping element is formed from a material which has a hardness less than that of said filament, said lesser hardness of said material at least mitigating deformation of said filament by said crimping element during crimping.

12. Apparatus for the automated manufacture of filament crimp apparatus, comprising:

apparatus configured to present a plurality of crimping elements;

a tensioning station, said tensioning station adapted to keep a filament wire under a tension during at least a portion of a crimping process; and

a crimping apparatus, said crimping apparatus adapted to crimp at least one of the crimping elements to the filament wire under tension to produce one or more of said filament crimp apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said apparatus configured to present comprises a de-reeling station, said de-reeling station comprising a plurality of crimp element carrier assemblies.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said crimping elements are each joined together to at least one other crimping element, and said apparatus further comprises a singulation station, said singulation station adapted to singulate said crimp elements from one another.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said filament comprises a shaped memory alloy, and said crimping elements comprise a set of substantially alternating and interlocking crimp features that form a substantially serpentine channel during crimping for receiving at least a portion of said filament.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a carrier tape station, said carrier tape station adapted to place said filament crimp apparatus onto a carrier tape;

and

a reeling station, said reeling station adapted to place said carrier taped crimp apparatus onto a reel.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said filament crimp apparatus each comprise assemblies having at least two crimp elements, each of said crimp elements being attached to a single filament in a substantially linear disposition.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said crimping process comprises:

crimping a first of said crimping elements to said filament;

tensioning said filament; and

crimping a second of said crimping elements to said filament under tension.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said crimping process comprises:

tensioning said filament;

crimping a first of said crimping elements to said filament under tension; and

crimping a second of said crimping elements to said filament under tension.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a carrier station, said carrier station adapted to place said filament crimp apparatus onto a carrier, and apply a cover tape substantially over said filament crimp apparatus on said carrier.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said crimping elements have at least one surface adapted for picking by a pick-and-pace apparatus, and said cover tape has a plurality of apertures or notches formed therein in order to expose said at least one surface of said elements.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a carrier station, said carrier station adapted to place said filament crimp apparatus with respect to a carrier strip, said carrier strip having a plurality of features associated therewith for establishing the pitch of at least a portion of said filament crimp apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said plurality of features comprise a plurality of holes or apertures formed in a central region of said carrier strip.

24. A crimped filament assembly, comprising:

at least one crimp element assembly, said at least one element assembly comprising;

a plurality of crimp heads, each of said crimp heads comprising a metal alloy with a plurality of crimping cavities therein, said plurality of crimping cavities adapted to retain a filament wire therein; and

a filament wire, said filament wire crimped to at least two of said crimp heads; and

a carrier;

said carrier adapted to locate said at least one crimp element assembly.

25. The assembly of claim 24, wherein said crimp heads have at least one surface adapted for picking by a pick-and-pace apparatus, and said carrier comprises a cover tape having at least one apertures or notch formed therein in order to expose said at least one surface.

26. The assembly of claim 24, wherein said filament comprises a shaped memory alloy, and said crimp cavities are disposed to form a substantially serpentine channel that received at least a portion of said filament.

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein said filament comprises a Nickel-Titanium shaped memory alloy, and said crimp heads comprise a material having a hardness less than that of said shaped memory alloy so as to preclude substantial deformation of said filament alloy during crimping.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said carrier is configured to maintain at least one dimension of said crimp element assembly for subsequent processing.

29. A method for manufacturing a crimp element carrier assembly, comprising:

providing a plurality of crimp elements;

disposing a filament wire proximate at least one of said plurality of crimp elements;

crimping said filament wire under tension to said at least one of said plurality of crimp elements to form a crimped assembly; and

placing said crimped assembly onto a carrier.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising reeling said crimped assembly on said carrier to a reel with a plurality of other crimped assemblies formed using said filament wire.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said method further comprises severing said filament wire between at least two of said crimped assemblies.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising maintaining a prescribed dimension between at least two of said plurality of crimp elements.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said disposing comprises movably locating said filament wire into a crimp gap of said at least one crimp element.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising maintaining a prescribed dimension between at least two of said plurality of crimp elements.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein each of said plurality of crimp elements comprises:

a body element;

at least one leg element; and

at least one head element, said head element comprising a metal alloy with a plurality of cavities located therein, said plurality of cavities adapted to securely crimp without over-compressing said filament wire during said act of crimping.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein said carrier comprises a tape, and said crimped assembly is held to said tape in a fixed location via an adhesive, said fixed location being selected to facilitate subsequent processing.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein each of said plurality of crimp elements comprises at least one head element, said head element comprising a metal alloy with a plurality of cavities located therein, said plurality of cavities adapted to deform said filament wire into a substantially serpentine shape during said act of crimping without substantially degrading the strength of said filament wire.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein each of said plurality of crimp elements comprises at least one head element, said head element comprising a metal alloy with a plurality of offset arms each separated by a predetermined gap, said plurality of arms adapted to deform said filament into a shape that substantially frustrates movement of said filament within said at least one head element after completion of said act of crimping.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein said act of placing said crimped assembly onto a carrier comprises placing said assembly such that said assembly can be removed while disposed in a fixed location relative to said carrier.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein said carrier comprises at least one notch formed in an edge thereof, and said act of placing said crimped assembly onto said carrier comprises placing said assembly such that said assembly is received at least partly in said notch, and said filament wire is disposed atop one side of said carrier for at least a majority of its length.

41. A method of crimping a fine-gauge filament, comprising:

providing a filament;

providing a crimp element having substantially offsetting features; and

deforming the filament into a substantially serpentine shape within said substantially offsetting features of said crimp element.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said substantially serpentine shape and offsetting features cooperate to mitigate physical damage to said filament during said act of deforming, and provide enhanced resistance of said crimp element to moving said filament within said crimp element to stress placed on said filament in a longitudinal direction thereof.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein said act of providing a crimp element comprises providing a crimp element formed of a material that is substantially softer than said filament to mitigate physical damage to said filament during said act of deforming.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said substantially serpentine shape and offsetting features cooperate to provide enhanced resistance of said crimp element to moving said filament within said crimp element to stress placed on said filament in a longitudinal direction thereof.

45. A filament crimping element, said element comprising:

a first plurality of cavities, said first plurality of cavities disposed at a spacing which creates a first plurality of features; and

a second plurality of cavities, said second plurality of cavities disposed at a spacing which creates a second plurality of features;

wherein said first and second pluralities of cavities are substantially opposite to yet substantially offset from one another when said crimping element is crimped; and

wherein said first and second pluralities of cavities and features form a substantially serpentine channel therebetween for receiving said filament when said crimping element is crimped.

46. The crimping element of claim 45, wherein when said crimping element is crimped around said filament, no part of said first plurality of features is received within said second plurality of cavities, and no part of said second plurality of features is received within said first plurality of cavities.

47. The crimping element of claim 45, wherein said first features are substantially juxtaposed and coplanar with one another in a first plane, and said second features are substantially juxtaposed and coplanar with one another in a second plane, and when said crimping element is crimped around said filament, said first and second planes do not intersect.

48. The crimping element of claim 45, wherein said first and second features each comprise substantially rounded edges, said substantially rounded edges mitigating deformation of at least a portion of said filament during crimping.

49. The crimping element of claim 45, wherein said first and second features each comprise filament engagement surfaces having substantially rounded profiles, said substantially rounded profiles mitigating deformation of at least a portion of said filament during crimping.

50. A filament crimping element, said element comprising:

a first substantially planar portion having a first face;

a second substantially planar portion having a second face;

a fold region coupling said first and second substantially planar portions, said fold region being adapted to allow said first and second faces to be disposed substantially opposite one another during a crimping operation;

at least one first raised feature disposed substantially on said first face; and

at least one second raised feature disposed substantially on said second face;

wherein said at least one first and second features are substantially opposite to yet substantially offset from one another when said crimping element is crimped.

51. The crimping element of claim 50, wherein said at least one first and second raised features form a substantially serpentine channel therebetween for receiving said filament when said crimping element is crimped.

52. The crimping element of claim 51, wherein said at least one first feature comprises a first height from said first face, and said at least one second feature comprises a second height from said second face, and a distance from said first face to said second face when said element is crimped is less than the sum of said first and second heights.

53. A method for manufacturing crimp element assemblies, comprising:

providing a plurality of crimp elements;

disposing a filament wire proximate at least two of said plurality of crimp elements;

crimping said filament wire to said at least two of said plurality of crimp elements; and

severing said filament between said at least two crimp elements so as to form at least two crimp element assemblies.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein at least one of said at least two crimp elements comprises an end crimp element of one of said crimp element assemblies, and a spacing between said at least two of said plurality of crimp elements is independent of the desired overall length of said crimp element assemblies.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein at least one of said at least two crimp elements comprises an end crimp element of one of said crimp element assemblies, and a spacing between said at least two of said plurality of crimp elements is set to permit said severing by a severing apparatus.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein said crimping of said plurality of crimp elements is conducted while at least a portion of said filament is under tension.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein said crimping of said plurality of crimp elements comprises displacing at least a portion of said filament into a substantially modulated shape without significantly damaging or deforming the cross-section of said filament.