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Hirose connector extractors


After reports (July 2010) of connectors pulling off boards during disconnect operations, I made a small device which can lift connectors off a board in a controlled way.By now there are 3 types:
  1. Screw-type for small and large Hirose connectors
  2. Lever-type for use on ROC end
  3. Tweezers for lifting bias connectors
 
(1)

The connector pair comes from the end of a prototype extension cable. The board is a no-longer-used adapter board.

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Connectors in place

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Slide the extractor over the connectors

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The center lines of the connectors line up with where the extractor feet split.

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About 1 1/2 turn of the 8/32 (?) screw (since replaced by a knob) and the connector pops off. The operation was repeaded 50 times, with no damage to the connectors. Also, there were no marks or scratches on the solder mask.

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You can see the connector feet offset. The footprint of this device is 29×18 mm. Weather stripping foam serves as a spring. Five of these extractors were then fabricated by a local shop for the wide Hirose conectors, and five for the small connectors.

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A .MOV sequence of the operation. MVI_0282.mov
The lifter was designed for use on the extension cable. When used with the HDIs, the HV tab gets in the way, and there are a few small caps in the way also. If you file one corner as shown, you can use it to lift HDIs either from the extension cables, or from interface boards. You can see a slot where the HV tab goes (filed in both pieces. Then you file a little square out of the foot, turning it into a zigzag piece. This is to clear the caps.

You need some very small files for this.

extractor_mod1.jpg full size

 
(2)

After the ROC boards were laid out (Sep 2010), it was clear that these pullers would not work there, since there are components in the way that prevent you from sliding the device over the connectors.

The new connector lifters consist of a pair of Al levers that hook under the edges of the connectors. A rubber band pulls the hooks together, and a pair of spacer rods holds the hooks apart. There is one pair of spacers for the wide Hirose connectors, and a shorter pair (on the desktop) for the narrow connector.
Push the top of the levers together, and hook the puller under the connectors.
Spread the levers and the connector pops off.

Note that these pullers don't work on the HDI-Extension cable connection, since these new ones need a board to push off on;
On the HDI end, the bias tab gets in the way. If you file down the lifter on one side as shown, you can lift the connector straight up again.

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When it is time to disconnect the HDI, you flip the HDI/interconnect board over onto this simple stand, and you have both hands to operate the lifter.

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The side that clears the bias tab needs to be files out enough so that it doesn't touch the connector.

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(3)

These tweezers have wedge-shaped teeth that come together to lift off the bias connector without putting strain on the HV tab.

[4" long, 6mm wide, 1+mm thick. 4mm folded over, filed into shape]

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HvH - 24 Jan 2011
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