Wire cable assembly

• US 8,827,744 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Poma, Eric B., Palm, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/428,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20130029523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 439/585, 439/882, 439/862, 439/852, 439/866, 174/84.C, 298/82, 298/67
• US Class Current: 439/585
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/20 using a crimping sleeve H01R4/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/048 Crimping apparatus or processes H01R43/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0518 Connection to outer conductor by crimping or by crimping ferrule
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49183 of ferrule about conductor and terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49185 of terminal

Abstract

A wire cable assembly including a wire cable and a contact element. The contact element is configured to axially receive the wire cable and is formed to attach the wire cable to the contact element. A portion of the contact element is formed to define a single pair of indentation arrangements. The pair of indentation arrangements consists of a first indentation arrangement that diametrically opposes a second indentation arrangement. The contact element may also define a pair of humps adjacent to each of the grooves in the single pair of grooves. The wire cable may further include a conductive inner core, a first insulation layer surrounding the inner core, and an outer wire layer surrounding the first insulation layer. The wire cable assembly may further include an inner ferrule and an outer ferrule with the outer wire layer disposed between the inner ferrule and the outer ferrule.

Claims

1. A wire cable assembly comprising:

a wire cable, wherein the wire cable includes an electrically-conductive inner core, a first insulation layer that surrounds the inner core, and an outer electrically-conductive wire layer that surrounds the first insulation layer; and

an inner ferrule and an outer ferrule both having a longitudinal axis and received at an end of the wire cable and fitted proximate thereto in a manner so the outer electrically-conductive wire layer is disposed between the inner ferrule and the outer ferrule, wherein portions of both the inner ferrule and the outer ferrule are formed to define a pair of concave indentations consisting of a first concave arcuate indentation that diametrically opposes a second concave arcuate indentation, wherein both the inner ferrule and the outer ferrule are formed to define generally hexagonal shape having only four flat sides.

2. The wire cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first concave arcuate indentation and the second concave arcuate indentation are disposed in an inbound direction towards the longitudinal axis.

3. The wire cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wire cable assembly is disposed in a motorized vehicle.

4. The wire cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein the outer ferrule has an outer groove depth and the inner ferrule has an inner groove depth and the outer groove depth is greater than the inner groove depth.

5. The wire cable assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a contact element configured to axially receive the wire cable, wherein the contact element is formed to attach the wire cable to the contact element and wherein a portion of the contact element is formed to define the pair of concave arcuate indentations.

6. The wire cable assembly according to claim 5, wherein the pair of concave indentations of the contact element correspond to the pair of concave indentations of the outer ferrule and the inner ferrule.

7. The wire cable assembly according to claim 5, wherein a portion of the contact element is formed to define a generally hexagonal shape having the pair of concave indentations.

8. A method to form a crimp connection in a wire cable assembly, comprising:

providing a wire cable, an inner ferrule, and an outer ferrule, wherein the wire cable includes an electrically-conductive inner core, a first insulation layer that surrounds the inner core, and an outer electrically-conductive wire layer that surrounds the first insulation layer;

receiving a portion of the outer electrically-conductive wire layer between the inner ferrule and the outer ferrule; and

crimping the wire cable the inner ferrule, and the outer ferrule together to form the crimp connection that attaches the inner ferrule and the outer ferrule to the wire cable in which at least a portion of the crimp connection is formed to define a pair of concave indentations consisting of a first concave arcuate indentation that diametrically opposes a second concave arcuate indentation, wherein both the inner ferrule and the outer ferrule are formed to define generally hexagonal shape having only four flat sides.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the providing step further includes:

providing a crimp tool used to form said pair of concave indentations in the crimping step, the crimp tool defining a plurality of flat sides and a pair of proboscis members that extends therebetween and wherein the pair of proboscis members of the crimp tool forms the pair of concave indentations.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes extruding material along the outer ferrule when the crimp connection is formed by a crimp tool in a direction away from a seam of the crimp connection so that one or more protrusions formed in said extruded material by the crimp tool do not form adjacent the seam.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the wire cable assembly is associated with a motorized vehicle.