Staggered Wire Manager for Reduced Termination Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting twisted-pair cables to an RJ45 jack are time-consuming and require high force, particularly when using lever-action tool-less termination methods, as each wire must be terminated individually with significant manual effort.
Innovation Solution
A termination mechanism with a wire manager that staggers the moment each wire encounters an insulation displacement contact (IDC) by using support members with wire manager slots at different depths, allowing for two-stage termination with reduced force, where selective force application connects wires in stages to IDCs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If all wires are terminated simultaneously using a lever-action tool-less method, then the termination process is completed in a single action, but the force required becomes excessively high requiring manual hand operation
Solution Approach 1:
The wire manager slots are divided into two distinct groupings at different depths, creating a two-stage termination process. The first grouping of slots terminates four wires at a shallower depth, while the second grouping terminates the remaining four wires at a greater depth, thereby segmenting the force requirement into two manageable stages rather than one overwhelming single action
Solution Approach 2:
The wire manager is designed with movable support members that can be pushed in a controlled manner toward the PCB. This dynamic approach allows the user to apply force progressively, first completing the first stage termination and then continuing to complete the second stage termination, rather than requiring all wires to be terminated simultaneously in a static single-action lever operation
2Force
If each wire is terminated individually using an impact tool, then the force required for each wire is manageable, but the overall termination process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the termination of multiple wires into grouped operations rather than individual operations. By organizing wires into two groups of four, each group can be terminated simultaneously in a single pushing action, combining the benefits of manageable force (like individual termination) with the efficiency of batch processing (reducing total time)
Solution Approach 2:
The wire manager allows for partial termination in the first stage, completing four wires with a first pushing action, and then completing the remaining wires in a second stage with continued force application. This partial action approach avoids the time loss of individual wire termination while keeping force requirements manageable by not requiring all eight wires to be terminated simultaneously
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the force required for termination, allowing for efficient connection of all wires with evenly distributed force, completing the termination process in two stages with reduced manual effort and improved efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the connection works by displacing the insulation of the wire being terminated as it is pushed into the contact
Implementation Method 2
an internal spring re-coils within the tool, generating an impact force
Data Source
AI summary
A termination mechanism for reducing the force required by a user to terminate a plurality of wires by staggering the moment in which each wire of the plurality of wires encounters a respective insulation displacement contact (IDC) when connecting twisted-pair cables to an RJ45 connector includes a wire manager including a first and second groupings of wire manager slots; the first and second groupings of wire manager slots being at different depths relative to the respective IDCs; and wherein selective force applied by the user to the wire manager in the direction of the PCB causes a first stage of termination wherein each IDC of a first plurality of the IDCs is electrically connected with a corresponding wire of the plurality of wires in the first grouping of wire manager slots and continued selective force causes a second stage of termination in the second grouping of wire manager slots.