Device for detecting connection of wires in a socket

This invention relates to a method and device for reliably and positively connecting electric wires in receiving insulation-displacing slots. The pivoting connection pusher is closed by a locking catch borne by an elastic tongue and cooperating with a fixed closure stop. Locking is produced after passage of a hard point and provokes a clearly audible click which indicates to the installer that the insulation-displacing connection of the wire is then positively effected.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a method and to a device for connection by 
insulation-displacing contacts. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Rapid connections by contacts with insulation-displacing slots are now 
widely used in industry, in particular in the telephone- and 
computer-related connector technology industry. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,430 describes a female socket of the modular jack type 
with connections integrated therein. The modular jack contacts of the 
front opening of this socket are taken up at the rear on two series of 
insulation-displacing contacts. The connection of a wrapped telephone wire 
at the rear of the socket is then effected, without a special tool, by 
closure of two respective rotating covers which serve, to drive the wires 
in their respective receiving insulation-displacing slots, as rotating 
connection pushers. 
This type of rotating pusher is very practical, but, in fact, it does not 
guarantee total operational reliability, as the installer is never 
absolutely certain that the connection is made. Out of a very large number 
of connections that he must effect every day, it may very well be that, 
for some of them, the rotating pusher has in fact not undergone a 
sufficient rotation and that, consequently, the corresponding wires are 
not correctly connected. 
It is an object of the invention to overcome this drawback. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
To that end, the present invention relates to a method for connection of 
wrapped wires by driving these wires in receiving insulation-displacing 
slots, by means of a rotating pusher of the pivoting cover type, 
characterized in that it consists in providing an elastic element which is 
fixed to the rotating pusher and which is stretched during rotation of 
this pusher for engagement of these wires in these slots, then which is 
suddenly released, at the end of stroke of this pusher, so that it 
violently hits the nose of a hard body which is prominent with respect to 
the means for holding the metallic contacts with insulation-displacing 
slots and which is fixed to this means, so as to obtain a clearly audible 
click which indicates to the installer that the insulation-displacing 
connection is positively effected, and whose sound intensity is at least 
equal to 45 decibels A. 
This violent shock is advantageously created by the closure of a catch for 
locking this pusher at the end of stroke, this catch being taut in open 
position before release, and locking at the moment of its violent shock at 
the end of stroke. 
The invention also relates to a device for carrying out this method, this 
device being characterized in that said connection pusher is a rotating 
pusher of the pivoting cover type, which comprises an elastic 
end-of-stroke locking catch, this catch cooperating with a fixed 
end-of-stroke locking stop and this locking stop cooperating with this 
catch to create a hard point of passage corresponding to a maximum tension 
of said catch and suddenly to release this catch in position of locking 
against the locking stop immediately after passage of this hard point, the 
sudden shock of the catch against its receiving part then producing said 
audible click.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 5 shows the rear part of a 
monopair modular jack socket. This socket comprises two 
insulation-displacing metallic contacts 1, 2 which, in this embodiment, 
each comprise two insulation-displacing slots 13, 14, and 23, 24, as is 
the case for those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,430 mentioned 
hereinabove. 
As is more readily seen in FIG. 2, these two insulation-displacing metallic 
contacts 1, 2 are each constituted by two thicknesses of metal and are 
maintained in the rear plastic body 3 of the socket. These 
insulation-displacing contacts may, of course, each be constituted by a 
single thickness of metal. 
Like the one of U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,430, this socket presents a rotating 
connection pusher 4 made of plastics material which is in the form of a 
pivoting cover, this pusher 4 rotating about an axis 5 parallel to the row 
of insulation-displacing contacts 1, 2. 
In FIG. 1, the two pairs of pusher-blades 61, 62 and 63, 64 are clearly 
distinguished, which, when the pivoting cover will be closed, will drive 
the wires to be connected in their receiving insulation-displacing slots 
13, 14 and 23, 24 of metallic contact 1 and metallic contact 2, 
respectively. 
By way of illustration, FIG. 1 shows a wrapped telephone wire 6 which is 
placed in position in the contact 1, at the inlet of its second 
insulation-displacing slot, and which is therefore ready to be connected 
by closure of the rotating connection pusher 4. 
According to the invention, the pivoting cover, or rotating pusher 4 
comprises an elastic end-of-stroke locking catch 7, this catch 7 
cooperating with a fixed end-of-stroke locking stop 8. This stop 8 is 
formed by a prominent beak made of plastics material, which forms part of 
the body 3 and is obtained by moulding therewith. 
As will now be shown with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 which illustrate the 
functioning thereof in detail, the locking stop 8 cooperates, upon closure 
of the pivoting cover 4, with the elastic catch 7 to create a hard point 
of passage which corresponds to a maximum tension of this catch and, 
immediately after passage of this hard point, suddenly to release this 
catch 7 against the nose of the stop 8, producing a clearly audible click 
which then indicates to the installer that the insulation-displacing 
connection of the wire 6 is effectively and positively made with absolute 
certainty. 
FIG. 2 shows the pivoting cover 4 at the beginning of the phase of closure. 
At this stage, the elastic catch 7 just rests, without tension, on the 
base of the convex ramp 81 which is formed at the front of the stop 8 to 
receive and push this elastic catch 7 progressively rearwards. The 
elasticity of the latter is due to the fact that it is borne by the free 
end of a tongue 71 made of plastics material of which the other end is 
fixed to the pivoting cover 4. At this stage, the pusher-blade 62 (FIG. 1) 
has not yet begun its action of driving the wire 6 in its receiving 
insulation-displacing slot 14 of the metallic contact 1. 
According to FIG. 3, by continuing the manual action of closure of the 
pivoting cover 4, the catch 7 is pushed rearwardly by the stop 8, along 
the convex ramp 81 thereof. The elastic tongue 71 is then curved, as 
shown, and is therefore subjected to a high elastic return tension. At 
this stage, the pusher-blade 62 begins to drive the wire 6 in its 
receiving insulation-displacing slot of the contact 1 and therefore to 
strip and connect the wire 6. 
At the end of ramp 81, there is then passage of a hard point 82, then, 
according to FIG. 4, very brutal release of the elastic tongue 71 and 
locking of the pivoting cover 4 by clipping catch 7 on stop 8. 
During this last phase, the pusher-blade 62 causes total and positive 
insulation-displacing connection of this wire. 
The sudden release of the tongue 71 after catch 7 passes the hard point 82 
causes this tongue to strike the front face, i.e. the nose, of the stop 8, 
very violently. The violent shock of these two hard bodies then causes a 
clearly audible click which, in accordance with the result expected by the 
present invention, indicates to the installer that the 
insulation-displacing connection of the wire 6 is effected positively, 
therefore with absolute certainty. 
It should be noted, as clearly shown in FIG. 5, that the positive locking 
of the cover 4 makes it possible to hold the wire 6 well in its position 
of connection, thanks in particular to a short vertical groove 12 for 
reception and hold of the wire 6 which is provided, opposite each 
insulation-displacing slot, in the body 3, as well as to a corresponding 
short projection 15 which is provided, on the inner face of the pivoting 
cover 4, to close this groove 12, performing the role of a lid therefor. 
The intensity of the click thus produced upon closure of the cover 4 is 
typically at least equal to 45 decibels A. 
It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment 
which has just been described. For example, it is also applicable to 
sockets which, like the one according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,430 mentioned 
hereinabove, present a plurality of closure pushers instead of one. It is 
likewise applicable to devices provided with a non-pivoting connection 
pusher which is closed for example by translation and not by rotation. It 
is generally applied to the connector technology industry and therefore 
not solely to the domain of telephone or computer-related connector 
technology which has been mentioned here only by way of preferred but 
non-limiting example.