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  Abrading tool and method for refurbishing electrical connector pin contactsUSPTO Application #: 20080090494Title: Abrading tool and method for refurbishing electrical connector pin contacts Abstract: An abrading tool for refurbishing pin contacts in situ in an electrical connector is provided. The abrading tool includes a bore defined in a first end for receiving the pin contacts therein and a transverse slot which intersects the bore. A removable abrading element is received within the slot and positioned therein in alignment with the bore. (end of abstract) Agent: Ogilvy Renault LLP (pwc) - Montreal, QC, US Inventors: Serge LALANCETTE, Serge CASTONGUAY USPTO Applicaton #: 20080090494 - Class: 451 28 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080090494. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001]The invention relates generally to refurbishment of electrical connectors and, more particularly, to the removal of the plating on pin contacts in electrical connectors. BACKGROUND OF THE ART [0002]Electrical wires or communication cables, especially those of an industrial grade, typically use connector plugs to interconnect a cable or wire to another cable, and/or to a source or destination of the transmitted electrical current or signal. Such electrical connectors often comprise pin contacts which are plated for improved performance and/or durability. However, such plating on the pins tends to wear out with time and with repeated use of the connector. When the plating on the pin contacts of such electrical connectors becomes worn or damaged, the connector itself, or the entire assembly of which they are a component, is often discarded and replaced. An improved tool and method for removing worn plating from such electrical pin contacts is desired, prior to the pins being subsequently re-plated. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0003]It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved tool and method for removing plating from pin contacts of electrical connectors. [0004]In one aspect, the present invention provides an abrading tool for refurbishing pin contacts in situ in an electrical connector, the abrading tool comprising an elongated body having a first end and a second end and a central longitudinal axis extending therebetween, a bore being defined in said first end concentric with the central longitudinal axis, the bore having a diameter at least as large as that of the pin contacts, a slot being defined in said first end, said slot extending transversely through the first end and intersecting the bore, and a removable abrading element positioned and maintained inside the slot and having a pin contact reception area communicating with the bore. [0005]In a second aspect, the present invention provides an abrading tool for removing plating from a pin contact, the abrading tool comprising: an elongated body having a first and a second longitudinally opposite ends along a central longitudinal axis of the body, the second end being adapted for insertion into a drill mandrel, and the first end having a bore defined thereinto along a bore longitudinal depth, a transversal slot defined in a side of the elongated body immediately adjacent the first end and communicating with the bore along at least a portion of the bore longitudinal depth; and a removable abrading element received within the slot such that a pin contact reception area is aligned with the bore for abrasion of the pin contact when inserted therein. [0006]In a third aspect, the present invention provides a process of removing the plating of a pin contact, the process comprising: providing an elongated abrading tool having a first end and a second end, a bore extending longitudinally into the first end and a transversal slot defined in the tool immediately adjacent the first end and communicating with the bore; positioning an abrading element having a pin contact reception area inside the bore by insertion thereof through the transversal slot; inserting the pin contact through an entrance of the bore and into the reception area of the abrading element; and rotating the abrading tool by the second end thereof, such that the abrading element abrades the plating of the pin contact. [0007]Further details of these and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description and figures included below. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008]Reference is now made to the accompanying figures depicting aspects of the present invention, in which: [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector having pin contacts; [0010]FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned side elevation view of a tool in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention; [0011]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through line 3-3 of FIG. 2; [0012]FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views showing the insertion of an abrading element into the tool of FIG. 2; and [0013]FIG. 5 is a partly sectioned side elevation view of the tool of FIG. 2 in combination with a pointer and bushing guide. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0014]Electrical communication cables are used for many different applications. In most industrial uses of electrical communication cables, plug-type connectors are provided on the ends thereof in order to be able to easily connect and disconnect the cable from the component or object to which it is plugged. For example, gas turbine engines typically employ a variety of surrounding accessories, such as electrical and/or hydraulic components, which require electrical communication cables, hydraulic lines and the like for communication between the accessory components and the engine itself. Such electrical communication cables, for example, are used to interconnect probes and sensors with an engine electronic controller. These electrical communication cables must be able to be readily engaged and disengaged when needed to allow installation and maintenance access to the accessory components and to the engine. Thus plug-type electrical connectors 90, as depicted in FIG. 1, are most often provided on the ends of such electrical communication cables to permit simple and efficient connection and disconnection of the cables with the corresponding mating plugs of the engine or accessory component. [0015]Plug-type electrical connectors 90 such as that depicted in FIG. 1 are also used in many other applications in which electrical communication cables are employed, such as, but certainly not limited to, electrical power systems, audio-visual equipment, electronics, or electrical control systems for vehicles and industrial machinery. In all such applications, it is common to use an electrical connector 90, which includes a plurality of upstanding pin contacts 92, which are circumscribed by a surrounding skirt 94. Accordingly, the pin contacts 92 are protected from abuse when not connected with the mating portion of the connector plug. [0016]The pin contacts 92, especially when used for applications in which a high quality signal transmission is desired, are coated by a metallic plating which improves their conductivity, which in turn enhances the quality of their signal transmission. As such, the pin contacts 92 are often coated with a gold plating. The gold plating, however, tends to degrade or become damaged over time, with repeated insertion and removal of the pin contacts 92 of the electrical connector 90 with the mating sockets of the corresponding opposed connector, and/or as a result of severe environmental conditions, such as those to which all elements of gas turbine engines are exposed for example. The design of the connector 90, wherein the pin contacts 92 are provided relatively close to each other within a connector body which includes a surrounding skirt 94, reduces the likelihood of the pin contacts 92 becoming bent or damaged, however it also leaves limited access area around the pin contacts 92, which makes the pin contacts 92 difficult to access for maintenance. [0017]The present invention provides a tool and method for removing the plating on the pin contacts 92 of the electrical connectors 90. The pin contacts can thereafter be refurbished in situ within the body of the electrical connector by any suitable method. This accordingly improves the ability to re-plate the pin contacts 92 in situ, thereby making repair of connectors having worn pin contact plating more feasible and provides an economically viable alternative to simply discarding worn connectors (and/or the entire assembly of which they are a component) and replacing them with new ones. Thus, parts which were often previously declared unserviceable due to pin contact plating deterioration, can be salvaged by efficiently removing existing pin plating in situ within the connector body without requiring any dismantling thereof, such that re-plating can subsequently occur, also in situ within the connector body. [0018]Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an abrading tool 10 is provided which permits the removal of plating on the electrical pin contacts 92 in situ within an electrical connector. The abrading tool 10 includes an elongated solid body 12 having a bore 14 defined in a first end 16 thereof. The second end 17 of the tool body 12, opposite the first end 16 along a longitudinal axis 11 of the tool 10, is sized such that it is receivable within the mandrel of a press drill or other machine tool operable to rotate the body 12 of the abrading tool 10 about its longitudinal central axis 11, as will be described in further detail below with regard to the method employed to refurbish pin contacts using the abrading tool 10. [0019]The bore 14 in the first end 16 of the tool body 12 is sized such that it is sufficiently larger in diameter than a predetermined pin contact 92 of the electrical connector 90 to be refurbished, to allow the pin contact 92 to be received therein, with an abrading element 70 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) disposed between the pin contact 92 and the inner walls of the bore 14. The diameter or width 15 of the tool body 12 is minimized to allow insertion of the tool 10 onto pin contacts 92 having limited access area. Continue reading... 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