System and method to test a contact of a connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10082447-B2
Application number	US-201615068347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

A device to test a contact of a connector includes a frame and a connector adaptor coupled to the frame. The connector adaptor is configured to retain the connector. The device also includes one or more alignment actuators coupled to the frame and a piston assembly movable relative to the connector by the one or more alignment actuators. The piston assembly is configured to apply a compressive force to the contact to test a locking mechanism of the contact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device to test a contact of a connector, the device comprising:
a frame;
a connector adaptor coupled to the frame and configured to retain the connector;
one or more alignment actuators coupled to the frame;
a piston assembly movable relative to the connector by the one or more alignment actuators, the piston assembly configured to apply a compressive force to the contact to test a locking mechanism of the contact;
a memory storing test operation data identifying multiple contacts of the connector that are to be tested and indicating a number of test repetitions for each contact of the multiple contacts; and
a controller configured to cause the piston assembly to apply the compressive force to the contact a number of times corresponding to the number of test repetitions for the contact indicated in the test operation data.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the connector adaptor is configured to couple to the connector such that a wire associated with the contact extends from a first side of the connector adaptor, and wherein the piston assembly applies the compressive force from a second side of the connector adaptor, wherein the first side is opposite the second side.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piston assembly includes a pneumatically actuated piston.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the pneumatically actuated piston is coupled to a pressure regulator and a pressurized fluid source to control a magnitude of the compressive force applied by the pneumatically actuated piston to the contact.

5. The device of claim 3 , further comprising a position limit switch configured to limit a range of motion of the pneumatically actuated piston.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a probe tip coupled to the piston assembly, the probe tip configured to fit within an opening of the connector to access the contact.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more position detectors configured to generate result data based on displacement of the contact due to the compressive force.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the connector includes multiple contacts and the piston assembly includes at least two pistons spaced apart by a distance that is an integer multiple of a distance between two contacts of the connector.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
obtain first data indicating a position of the contact; and
send a first signal based on the first data to the one or more alignment actuators, wherein the one or more alignment actuators are configured to align the piston assembly with the contact based on the first signal.

10. A device to test a contact of a connector, the device comprising:
a frame;
a connector adaptor coupled to the frame and configured to retain the connector;
one or more alignment actuators coupled to the frame;
a piston assembly movable relative to the connector by the one or more alignment actuators, the piston assembly configured to apply a compressive force to the contact to test a locking mechanism of the contact;
a controller configured to:
obtain first data indicating a position of the contact; and
send a first signal based on the first data to the one or more alignment actuators, wherein the one or more alignment actuators are configured to align the piston assembly with the contact based on the first signal; and

a test actuator coupled to the piston assembly, wherein the controller is further configured to, after the one or more alignment actuators align the piston assembly with the contact, send a second signal to the test actuator to cause the piston assembly to apply the compressive force to the contact.

11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising a memory accessible to the controller, the memory storing test operation data identifying multiple contacts of the connector that are to be tested and indicating a number of test repetitions for each contact of the multiple contacts, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the piston assembly to apply the compressive force to the contact a number of times corresponding to the number of test repetitions for the contact indicated in the test operation data.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the contact includes a pin contact or a socket contact.

13. The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more clamps to removeably couple the connector adaptor to the frame.

14. A method of testing a contact of a connector, the method comprising:
sending a first signal from a controller of a test device to one or more alignment actuators of the test device, wherein the first signal causes the one or more alignment actuators to align a piston assembly of the test device with the contact of the connector;
after the piston assembly is aligned with the contact, sending a second signal from the controller to a test actuator of the test device, wherein the second signal causes the test actuator to actuate the piston assembly to apply a compressive force to the contact to test a locking mechanism of the contact; and
after sending the second signal, generating result data based on displacement of the contact due to the compressive force.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, before sending the first signal:
obtaining first data indicating a position of the contact; and
determining, based on the first data and based on calibration data, movements of the one or more alignment actuators to move the piston assembly to be aligned with the position, wherein the first signal is based on the movements.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more alignment actuators include stepper motors and the movements include stepper motor counts.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising obtaining second data that indicates a number of test repetitions to be performed on the contact, and further comprising, after sending the second signal, sending one or more additional signals from the controller to the test actuator to cause the compressive force to be applied to the contact a number of times corresponding to the number of test repetitions.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining the second data based on test operation data stored in a memory accessible to the controller.

19. A method of testing a contact of a connector, the method comprising:
sending a first signal from a controller of a test device to one or more alignment actuators of the test device, wherein the first signal causes the one or more alignment actuators to align a piston assembly of the test device with the contact of the connector;
after the piston assembly is aligned with the contact, sending a second signal from the controller to a test actuator of the test device, wherein the second signal causes the test actuator to actuate the piston assembly to apply a compressive force to the contact to test a locking mechanism of the contact; and
limiting a magnitude of the compressive force based on a pressure regulator setting.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the result data is generated by comparing the displacement to a threshold.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Estevo Curtis R
• Destories Jason G
• Tompkinson Jared C
• Doyle Stephen
• Wright David Scott S

Classifications

• G01R31/69

  of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances · CPC title

• G01M99/007 Primary

  by applying a load, e.g. for resistance or wear testing (G01M99/001 takes precedence; testing the elasticity of structures G01M5/00) · CPC title

• H01R2201/20

  for testing or measuring purposes · CPC title

• G01R1/00

  Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00 (constructional details particular to {electromechanical} arrangements for measuring the electric consumption G01R11/02) · CPC title