EP0034405B1 - Improvements in or relating to carrier strips for electrical contact members and methods of making such carrier strips and the electrical contact members - Google Patents
Improvements in or relating to carrier strips for electrical contact members and methods of making such carrier strips and the electrical contact members Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0034405B1 EP0034405B1 EP81300192A EP81300192A EP0034405B1 EP 0034405 B1 EP0034405 B1 EP 0034405B1 EP 81300192 A EP81300192 A EP 81300192A EP 81300192 A EP81300192 A EP 81300192A EP 0034405 B1 EP0034405 B1 EP 0034405B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- strip
- metallic strip
- contact
- portions
- cantilevered
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 9
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
- H01R43/16—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
Definitions
- This invention relates to carrier strips for electrical contact members and to methods of making such carrier strips and electrical contact members.
- the method comprises the steps of producing a carrier strip (10) having a plurality of contact portions (12) and a plurality of retaining lugs (14) formed on the carrier strip (10) for retaining contact legs (16) on the carrier strip (10) in line with the contact portions (12).
- the contact legs (16) are subsequently welded to the carrier strip (10) and the contact portions (12) are cut from the carrier strip (10).
- the contact portions 12 are retained on the contact legs (16) by the weld, the legs (16) being retained on the carrier strip (10) by the retaining lugs (14).
- the retaining lugs (14) extend perpendicularly from the carrier strip (10) and hold the contact legs (16) in position by friction.
- This specification falls under Article 54 (3), EPC, and is thus not relevant to the question of inventive step.
- a further object of the invention is to provide a simple and cheap method of making carrier strips for electrical contact members and the electrical contact- members.
- a carrier strip for electrical contact members comprises an elongate metallic strip having formed therein a plurality of orifices, the orifices being shaped to result in the formation of a plurality of cantilevered portions in the metallic strip each of which is deformable out of the plane of the metallic strip to permit the insertion between each cantilevered portion and the metallic strip of at least a portion of an electrical contact member.
- a plurality of pairs of orifices may be formed in the metallic strip each pair comprising substantially U-shaped orifice, and a substantially rectangular shaped orifice arranged between the two limbs of the U-shaped orifice to form a substantially U-shaped cantilevered portion in the metallic strip.
- the substantially U-shaped orifice and the substantially rectangular shaped orifice may be connected by a cutaway portion in the metallic strip to form two substantially L-shaped cantilevered portions in the metallic strip.
- the invention also comprises a method of making a carrier strip and electrical contact members comprising the steps of producing an elongate metallic strip having a plurality of contact portions formed thereon and a plurality of orifices formed therein, the orifices being shaped to result in the formation of cantilevered portions in the metallic strip in line with the contact portions, each cantilevered portion being deformable out of the plane of the metallic strip to permit the insertion between each cantilevered portion and the metallic strip of at least a portion of an electrical contact member, inserting a contact leg between each cantilevered portion and the metallic strip in line with each contact portion, welding the contact leg to the metallic strip and cutting the metallic strip whereby the contact portion is severed from the metallic strip and retained on the contact leg.
- the metallic strip with the contact portions is made by pressing.
- the metallic strip is preferably formed with the contact portions projecting at right angles from one side of the axis of the metallic strip, but may be formed with contact portions projecting from both sides of the carrier strip.
- the carrier strip is separated along its central axis before the contact legs are located in position.
- FIG. 1 there is shown part of a carrier strip 32 which is formed by pressing.
- the strip includes a plurality of contact portions 12 extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the strip and a number of slots 50 having a substantially U-shape and a number of slots 34 having a substantially rectangular shape positioned within the legs of the U-shaped slots 50.
- a further slot 52 connects the slots 50 and 34 to form two substantially L-shaped portions 36 in the carrier strip 32. These portions are cantilevered and are deflectable away from the plane of the carrier strip 32.
- the portions 36 are formed in line with the contact portions 12 and in between these portions 36 and the carrier strip 32 are fed contact legs 16, one in line with each of the contact portions 12. The portions 36 hold the contact legs 16 in contact with the carrier strip 32 by spring force.
- Each contact leg 16 is then welded to the contact strip 32 at a spot 18 adjacent to the lower end of its respective contact portion 12.
- a part 42 (shown cross-hatched in Figure 1) of the carrier strip is now cut away between the contact portions 12, the part 42 reaching slots 40 formed in the carrier strip 32 so that the contact portions are completely detached from the carrier strip 32.
- the carrier strip 32 now acts purely as a bandolier, supporting the contact legs 16 with the contact portions 12 welded to the ends of the contact legs 16. The connectors thus formed can then easily be removed from the bandolier and inserted into, for example, an electrical edge connector.
- the slots 34, 40, 50 and 52 can be formed in the same pressing operation as the formation of the carrier strip 32, or any of the slots can be formed immediately before the welding operation.
- the carrier strip 32 may be formed with contact portions 12 extending at right angles from opposite sides of the strip. This strip is then parted along its central axis to produce two separate carrier strips.
- Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view -of the carrier strip 32 showing the cantilever springs 36 acting on the contact legs 16 as shown in Figure 1.
- the springs can be two L-shapes 36 or a single U-shape 38 as shown in Figure 3.
- the finished connector can be withdrawn from the bandolier by pulling the legs 16 lengthwise out from under the springs 36 or by pulling perpendicularly from the strip 32.
- the legs 16 can only be withdrawn by pulling them lengthwise from under the spring 38.
- Slightly raised portions 44 are provided on the strip to facilitate the welding operation.
- selected parts of the contact portions 12 may be plated, such as with gold, prior to the welding operation or prior to the parting operation.
- the welding operation may be carried out by welding one leg 16 at a time or a predetermined number of legs can be fed at a known speed under a weld head which is pulsed to coincide with the parts to be welded.
- the carrier strip can be fed continuously under a weld head which can be arranged to pulse continuously and possibly weld more than once on any leg. Any suitable method of welding can be used.
- the legs 16 can be moveable axially on the carrier strip 32 so that subsequent processes such as swaging or forming the leg can carried out.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Manufacturing Of Electrical Connectors (AREA)
- Manufacture Of Switches (AREA)
- Contacts (AREA)
- Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
- Electric Double-Layer Capacitors Or The Like (AREA)
- Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
- Wire Bonding (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to carrier strips for electrical contact members and to methods of making such carrier strips and electrical contact members.
- In our European specification publication EP-A-0025244 there is described a method of making electrical connectors. The method comprises the steps of producing a carrier strip (10) having a plurality of contact portions (12) and a plurality of retaining lugs (14) formed on the carrier strip (10) for retaining contact legs (16) on the carrier strip (10) in line with the contact portions (12). The contact legs (16) are subsequently welded to the carrier strip (10) and the contact portions (12) are cut from the carrier strip (10). The
contact portions 12 are retained on the contact legs (16) by the weld, the legs (16) being retained on the carrier strip (10) by the retaining lugs (14). The retaining lugs (14) extend perpendicularly from the carrier strip (10) and hold the contact legs (16) in position by friction. This specification falls under Article 54 (3), EPC, and is thus not relevant to the question of inventive step. - It is an object of this invention to provide a carrier strip for electrical contact members which will more securely hold the contact members even when the carrier strip is guided round quite sharp corners and which will also allow the electrical contact members to be readily removed therefrom for insertion into electrical apparatus such as a multi-contact electrical connector. A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and cheap method of making carrier strips for electrical contact members and the electrical contact- members.
- According to the present invention a carrier strip for electrical contact members comprises an elongate metallic strip having formed therein a plurality of orifices, the orifices being shaped to result in the formation of a plurality of cantilevered portions in the metallic strip each of which is deformable out of the plane of the metallic strip to permit the insertion between each cantilevered portion and the metallic strip of at least a portion of an electrical contact member.
- Thus a plurality of pairs of orifices may be formed in the metallic strip each pair comprising substantially U-shaped orifice, and a substantially rectangular shaped orifice arranged between the two limbs of the U-shaped orifice to form a substantially U-shaped cantilevered portion in the metallic strip.
- The substantially U-shaped orifice and the substantially rectangular shaped orifice may be connected by a cutaway portion in the metallic strip to form two substantially L-shaped cantilevered portions in the metallic strip.
- The invention also comprises a method of making a carrier strip and electrical contact members comprising the steps of producing an elongate metallic strip having a plurality of contact portions formed thereon and a plurality of orifices formed therein, the orifices being shaped to result in the formation of cantilevered portions in the metallic strip in line with the contact portions, each cantilevered portion being deformable out of the plane of the metallic strip to permit the insertion between each cantilevered portion and the metallic strip of at least a portion of an electrical contact member, inserting a contact leg between each cantilevered portion and the metallic strip in line with each contact portion, welding the contact leg to the metallic strip and cutting the metallic strip whereby the contact portion is severed from the metallic strip and retained on the contact leg.
- Preferably the metallic strip with the contact portions is made by pressing.
- The metallic strip is preferably formed with the contact portions projecting at right angles from one side of the axis of the metallic strip, but may be formed with contact portions projecting from both sides of the carrier strip. In this case the carrier strip is separated along its central axis before the contact legs are located in position.
- Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
- Figure 1 illustrates various steps in producing a portion of a carrier strip for electrical contacts according to the present invention,
- Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the carrier strip shown in Figure 1 along the line 2-2 and
- Figure 3 shows a portion of a modified form of carrier strip.
- In Figure 1 there is shown part of a
carrier strip 32 which is formed by pressing. The strip includes a plurality ofcontact portions 12 extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the strip and a number ofslots 50 having a substantially U-shape and a number ofslots 34 having a substantially rectangular shape positioned within the legs of theU-shaped slots 50. Afurther slot 52 connects theslots shaped portions 36 in thecarrier strip 32. These portions are cantilevered and are deflectable away from the plane of thecarrier strip 32. - The
portions 36 are formed in line with thecontact portions 12 and in between theseportions 36 and thecarrier strip 32 are fedcontact legs 16, one in line with each of thecontact portions 12. Theportions 36 hold thecontact legs 16 in contact with thecarrier strip 32 by spring force. - Each
contact leg 16 is then welded to thecontact strip 32 at aspot 18 adjacent to the lower end of itsrespective contact portion 12. - A part 42 (shown cross-hatched in Figure 1) of the carrier strip is now cut away between the
contact portions 12, thepart 42 reachingslots 40 formed in thecarrier strip 32 so that the contact portions are completely detached from thecarrier strip 32. Thecarrier strip 32 now acts purely as a bandolier, supporting thecontact legs 16 with thecontact portions 12 welded to the ends of thecontact legs 16. The connectors thus formed can then easily be removed from the bandolier and inserted into, for example, an electrical edge connector. - The
slots carrier strip 32, or any of the slots can be formed immediately before the welding operation. Thecarrier strip 32 may be formed withcontact portions 12 extending at right angles from opposite sides of the strip. This strip is then parted along its central axis to produce two separate carrier strips. - Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view -of the
carrier strip 32 showing thecantilever springs 36 acting on thecontact legs 16 as shown in Figure 1. The springs can be two L-shapes 36 or asingle U-shape 38 as shown in Figure 3. In the former case the finished connector can be withdrawn from the bandolier by pulling thelegs 16 lengthwise out from under thesprings 36 or by pulling perpendicularly from thestrip 32. In the latter case thelegs 16 can only be withdrawn by pulling them lengthwise from under thespring 38. Slightly raisedportions 44 are provided on the strip to facilitate the welding operation. - In the two embodiments selected parts of the
contact portions 12 may be plated, such as with gold, prior to the welding operation or prior to the parting operation. - Also in each case the welding operation may be carried out by welding one
leg 16 at a time or a predetermined number of legs can be fed at a known speed under a weld head which is pulsed to coincide with the parts to be welded. - Alternatively the carrier strip can be fed continuously under a weld head which can be arranged to pulse continuously and possibly weld more than once on any leg. Any suitable method of welding can be used.
- As well as the
legs 16 being retained on the carrier strip by the springs described, additional external means of clamping and locating the legs to the strip can be arranged. - Either prior to welding or after welding and cropping, the
legs 16 can be moveable axially on thecarrier strip 32 so that subsequent processes such as swaging or forming the leg can carried out.
Claims (7)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AT81300192T ATE8189T1 (en) | 1980-02-16 | 1981-01-16 | CARRIER STRIPS FOR ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS AND PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH CARRIER STRIPS AND THE ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS. |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB8005319 | 1980-02-16 | ||
GB8005319 | 1980-02-16 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0034405A2 EP0034405A2 (en) | 1981-08-26 |
EP0034405A3 EP0034405A3 (en) | 1981-11-18 |
EP0034405B1 true EP0034405B1 (en) | 1984-06-27 |
Family
ID=10511434
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP81300192A Expired EP0034405B1 (en) | 1980-02-16 | 1981-01-16 | Improvements in or relating to carrier strips for electrical contact members and methods of making such carrier strips and the electrical contact members |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0034405B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE8189T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE3164349D1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2069377B (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2663471B1 (en) * | 1990-06-13 | 1992-09-11 | Labinal | ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ASSEMBLY. |
GB2282089B (en) * | 1993-08-19 | 1996-08-28 | Junichi Nakazawa | Electronic lead elements and the production method thereof |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE2348674B2 (en) * | 1973-09-27 | 1976-09-23 | Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München | CARRIER STRIPS AS A SUPPORT DEVICE FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS |
GB1424180A (en) * | 1974-07-30 | 1976-02-11 | Cannon Electric Great Britain | Releasable contacts for electrical connectors |
NL7413112A (en) * | 1974-10-04 | 1976-04-06 | Du Pont Berg Electronics Div | CHAIN PLATE PIN. |
GB2057311B (en) * | 1979-08-31 | 1983-03-09 | Plessey Co Ltd | Making electrical connectors |
-
1981
- 1981-01-16 DE DE8181300192T patent/DE3164349D1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-01-16 EP EP81300192A patent/EP0034405B1/en not_active Expired
- 1981-01-16 AT AT81300192T patent/ATE8189T1/en active
- 1981-01-16 GB GB8101410A patent/GB2069377B/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE3164349D1 (en) | 1984-08-02 |
EP0034405A3 (en) | 1981-11-18 |
GB2069377B (en) | 1983-02-02 |
ATE8189T1 (en) | 1984-07-15 |
EP0034405A2 (en) | 1981-08-26 |
GB2069377A (en) | 1981-08-26 |
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