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Crimp Terminal
Housing as
viewed from the
"top" or the side
the wires are
inserted
Key Tab
There are
slots on
the back
of the
housing
Figure 5-1: Housing and Crimp Terminal – A Graphic Anatomy
On the opposite side of the housing is a slot for each “hole” or terminal in the housing.
These slots run along the bottom. The crimp terminals, which attach to the ends of the
wire, have a small tab that protrudes from the “back” of the terminal. This small tab acts
as sort of a fish hook and will “catch” in this slot when it is inserted into the housing.
Attaching the Crimp Terminals to the Wires
The crimp terminals attach to the ends of the wires, and are then inserted into the
housing. The terminals have a couple of tabs at the top that are intended to be crimped,
or folded over the insulation of the wire. The end of the wire is stripped
and tinned
,
about ¼” from the end of the wire. This stripped and tinned part is to extend down so the
“loop” of the crimp terminal compresses down onto the bare wire when the wire and
crimp terminal are inserted into the housing.
Crimping tools can be expensive, though fairly inexpensive types that resemble a pair of
wire cutters are available. In lieu of a crimping tool, many people will fold the tabs over
the bare wire and put a
small
amount of solder there to hold it in place (a large “blob” of
solder may prevent the crimp terminal from fitting into the housing). Generally, during
the Klee proto build process, it was found that the small amount of solder made a much
more reliable connection.
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