Method and apparatus for mounting electrical connectors to printed circuit boards

A method for mounting an electrical connector to a support panel comprising:

• providing an electrical connector having a top-actuated eyelet extending through an aperture in the connector, said eyelet having a bottom portion which extends outwardly of the aperture and an internal axial bore extending into the eyelet from the top end thereof;
• inserting an actuation tool into said eyelet bore, said actuation tool including an eyelet gripping member having barbs thereon and an eyelet actuating member;
• operating said eyelet gripping member until barbs thereon grip a sidewall defining the bore of said eyelet for restraining the eyelet and the connector;
• positioning said connector relative to a support panel such that the extended bottom portion of said eyelet extends through an aligned aperture in said support panel;
• and
• operating said eyelet actuating member for expanding the extended bottom portion of said eyelet outwardly to attach said connector to said support panel.

An actuation tool for mounting an electrical connector to support panel with a top-actuated eyelet having a bore therein defined by a sidewall, said tool comprising an actuation member including:

• a tool holder;
• a collet supported in said tool holder, said collet having an expandable front portion extending forwardly of said holder having barbs thereon, said collet having an axial passageway having an internal tapered surface portion thereon;
• an actuating plunger extending through said collet passageway and being axially movable with said collet passageway, said plunger having a front portion extending forwardly of said collet and an external tapered surface portion within said collet;
• and
• means for operating said actuating plunger from a retracted position during which said front portions of said collet and said plunger are inserted into said top-actuated eyelet, to a first, partially extended position during which said external tapered surface portion on said plunger engages said internal tapered surface portion on said collet passageway to urge said expandable front portion of said collet into gripping engagement with the sidewall of the eyelet, to a second, fully extended position during which said front portion of said plunger actuates said eyelet to attach the connector to a support panel.

A method for mounting an electrical connector to a support panel comprising:

• providing an electrical connector having at least two top-actuated eyelets each extending through a respective aperture in the connector, each of said eyelets having a bottom portion which extends outwardly of its respective aperture and an internal axial bore extending into the eyelet from the top end thereof;
• inserting an actuation tool into the axial bore of each of said eyelets, said actuation tool including first and second eyelet gripping members having barbs thereon and first and second eyelet actuating member;
• simultaneously operating said first and second eyelet gripping members for simultaneously engaging said barbs to a sidewall thereby gripping the sidewall of each of said eyelets for restraining each of the eyelets and the connector;
• and
• positioning said connector relative to a support panel such that the extended bottom portions of said eyelets extend through aligned apertures in said support panel.