×

Method of determining the quality of a crimped electrical connection

  • US 5,197,186 A
  • Filed: 05/29/1990
  • Issued: 03/30/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. In a method of determining the quality of the crimp of an electrical terminal crimped onto a wire utilizing crimping apparatus which includes a press having a base and a ram arranged for opposing relative reciprocating motion, said base and ram each carrying a mating half of a crimping die set, the steps comprising:

  • (a) placing a terminal and wire in crimping position within said crimping apparatus;

    (b) causing at least one of said base and said ram to undergo relative motion so that said die set engages, crimps said terminal onto said wire, and disengages;

    (c) during said engaging, crimping, and disengaging of step (b), simultaneously measuring both the distance between the terminal engaging portions of said die set and the force applied to said terminal by said die set for a plurality of different relative positions of said mating halves of said die set thereby defining a plurality of measured force and position data element pairs having a force value and a position value respectively;

    (d) providing a plurality of standard data element pairs corresponding to a known quality of crimp; and

    (e) relating selected ones of said plurality of measured data element pairs to corresponding ones of said plurality of standard data element pairs thereby determining the quality of crimp of said crimped terminal.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×