GRIPPER HEAD FOR USE WITH TERMINAL SEALS

• US 20200136329A1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: TE Connectivity Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: SOLANKI, Swapnilsinh, PAK, Sun Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 10,965,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0047 for internally gripping hollow or recessed objects
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/183 for cylindrical elongated bodies, e.g. cables having circular cross-section H01R4/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/70 Insulation of connections end caps H01R4/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/005 for making dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof connection, coupling, or casing

Abstract

A gripper head for use in gripping a seal and positioning the seal in an electrical terminal. The gripper head has a mounting section, a compliant section and a gripping section. The compliant section extends from the mounting section. The compliant section has compliant legs having fixed ends proximate the mounting section and free ends. The compliant legs are spaced apart by compliant section slots. The gripping section extends from the compliant section. The gripping section has gripping legs which extend from the compliant legs. The gripping legs are spaced apart by gripping section slots. As the gripper head is moved into engagement with the seal, the gripping legs and the compliant legs are resiliently deformed causing the compliant legs and the gripping legs to apply a force to the seal to retain the seal on the gripping section of the gripper head.

Claims

1. A gripper head for use in gripping a seal and positioning the seal in an electrical terminal, the gripper head comprising:

a mounting section;

a compliant section extending from the mounting section, the compliant section having compliant legs having fixed ends proximate the mounting section and free ends, the compliant legs are spaced apart by compliant section slots;

a gripping section extending from the compliant section, the gripping section having gripping legs extending from the compliant legs, the gripping legs are spaced apart by gripping section slots;

wherein as the gripper head is moved into engagement with the seal, the gripping legs and the compliant legs are resiliently deformed causing the compliant legs and the gripping legs to apply a force to the seal to retain the seal on the gripping section of the gripper head.

2. The gripper head as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting section is a circular member which can be attached to a device.

3. The gripper head as recited in claim 1, wherein the fixed ends of the compliant legs are fixed relative to the mounting section and the free ends are movable relative to the mounting section, the free ends move in a direction which is essentially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the compliant section.

4. The gripper head as recited in claim 1, wherein the compliant section has a general cylindrical configuration, with a diameter of the compliant section being smaller than a diameter of the mounting section.

5. The gripper head as recited in claim 1, wherein the compliant section has four compliant legs.

6. The gripper head as recited in claim 1, wherein the compliant legs are of equal size.

7. The gripper head as recited in claim 1, wherein the compliant section slots extend from proximate the mounting section to the free ends of the compliant legs.

8. The gripper head as recited in claim 1, wherein the gripping legs have push surfaces, angled surfaces, rib engaging surfaces and end surfaces, the gripping legs are movable with the compliant legs and are movable relative to the mounting section.

9. The gripper head as recited in claim 8, wherein the push surfaces are attached to the compliant legs and extend in a direction which is essentially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the compliant section.

10. The gripper head as recited in claim 8, wherein the rib engaging surfaces have a general cylindrical configuration, with a diameter of the rib engaging surfaces being smaller than a diameter of the compliant section.

11. The gripper head as recited in claim 8, wherein the number of gripping legs is equivalent to the number of compliant legs.

12. The gripper head as recited in claim 8, wherein the gripping section slots extend from proximate the compliant section to the end surfaces of the gripping legs, the gripping section slots are extension of the compliant section slots.

13. A gripper head for use in gripping a seal and positioning the seal in an electrical terminal, the gripper head comprising:

a mounting section;

a compliant section extending from the mounting section, the compliant section having compliant legs having fixed ends proximate the mounting section and free ends, the fixed ends of the compliant legs are fixed relative to the mounting section and the free ends are movable relative to the mounting section;

a gripping section extending from the compliant section, the gripping section having gripping legs extending from the compliant legs, the gripping legs having push surfaces and rib engaging surfaces, the gripping legs are movable with the compliant legs and are movable relative to the mounting section;

wherein as the gripper head is moved into engagement with the seal, the gripping legs and the compliant legs are resiliently deformed causing the rib engaging portion to apply a force to the seal to retain the seal on the rib engaging portion of the gripping section of the gripper head.

14. The gripper head as recited in claim 13, wherein slots extend between respective compliant legs and gripping legs from proximate the mounting section to the end surfaces of the gripping legs.

15. The gripper head as recited in claim 14, wherein the push surfaces are attached to the compliant legs and extend in a direction which is essentially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the compliant section, the push surfaces are configured to cooperate with an end of the seal.

16. The gripper head as recited in claim 15, wherein the number of gripping legs is equivalent to the number of compliant legs.

17. Method of picking up and inserting a seal into a terminal, the method comprising:

moving a gripper head into an opening of the seal;

compressing compliant legs of the gripper head wherein a gripping section of the gripper head exerts a force on an interior surface of the opening of the seal to retain the seal on the gripping section of the gripper head;

inserting the seal into a seal engaging portion of the terminal, wherein projections of the seal engaging portion cooperate with the seal to lockingly secure the seal in the seal engaging portion of the terminal;

removing the gripping section of the gripper head from the seal, wherein the force generated between the seal and the seal engaging portion of the terminal is greater than the force generated between the gripping section of the gripper head and the interior surface of the opening of the seal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

supporting an end of the seal with a surface of the gripping section, wherein force applied to the gripper head in a direction which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the gripper head is applied to the seal.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the compliant legs have fixed ends proximate a mounting section of the gripper head and free ends, the fixed ends of the compliant legs are fixed relative to the mounting section and the free ends are movable relative to the mounting section.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the gripping section has gripping legs extending from the compliant legs, the gripping legs have the push surfaces provided thereon, the gripping legs are movable with the compliant legs and are movable relative to the mounting section.