JPS6311752B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrical connection element and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a multiwire jumper cable and a method for manufacturing the same.

PRIOR ART AND PROBLEMS A variety of multiwire jumper cables are known in the art and commercially available. With the current state of the art, the main impediment to the widespread adoption of multiwire jumper cables is the relatively high manufacturing cost due to the large amount of direct labor involved. Another factor limiting the widespread industrial use of multiwire jumper cables is that there is still no satisfactory technology for easily and economically producing customer designed jumper cables.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,755 to Shiells proposes a method for forming multiwire jumper cables starting from round wires, which are themselves ordinary, according to conventional methods.

According to Shields, rolling the area between the ends of a sized round wire so that it is flat increases the pliability, or flexibility, of the flat area, while The flat end of the connector remains sufficiently strong and robust, i.e., rigid, allowing direct coupling between various equipment and devices without the need for special connector assemblies. There is. Intended for wiring benefits, shields assemble a plurality of flattened wires in generally parallel relationship and bond the assembled wires between plastic laminates. The obvious disadvantage of the Shields method is that it involves considerable difficulty in its manufacturing process and requires extra measures for exact positional alignment of the individual lines, which obviously increases production costs. The point is that it requires a lot of man-hours. In addition, the shield method imposes severe restrictions on contact design and the position of wire terminals.

Another prior art method of forming multiwire jumper cables is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,254 to Key. In the Key patent, the L
A jumper cable is disclosed that includes flat multiple wires terminated at opposite ends by letter-shaped stamped metal terminal posts. The jumper cable manufacturing method and individual terminal post coupling structure disclosed by Key requires a large number of separate and precise steps which clearly increases manufacturing costs. Another disadvantage of the jumper cable disclosed by Key is that it may fail to form a secure connection between the conductor cable and the terminal post.

OBJECTS AND CONSTRUCTIVE FEATURES OF THE INVENTION It is thus a principal object of the present invention to have a freely bendable center portion and a robust or rigid terminal portion, the terminal being integrally formed with the conductor center portion and having a conductor pattern. Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and highly useful multi-wire jumper cable in which the design and arrangement of connection terminal portions can be arbitrarily and easily formed according to customer needs.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a multilayer wire having an arbitrary and dense conductor pattern, being flexible for various usage conditions, having a long life without mechanical fatigue, and having excellent electrical characteristics. An object of the present invention is to provide a novel manufacturing method for producing wire jumper cables quickly and inexpensively through a highly accurate and reliable process.

In order to achieve the above object, the jumper cable according to the present invention includes, firstly, a plurality of jumper cables arranged at intervals, each having at least one relatively rigid terminal portion and a flexible terminal portion connected to the terminal portion. In particular, the terminal portion of the metal conductor wire including the flexible portion is (i) flat as a whole, and (ii) has a thick cross section so as to have the above-mentioned relative rigidity; (iii) The flexible portion has a thinner cross section than the terminal portion, and one plane of each of the terminal portion and the flexible portion forms a single common plane. and, secondly, the insulating film portion covering the flexible portion: (i) has flexibility; and (ii) maintains the metal conductive wires in a spaced relationship with each other. The metal conductor wire is laminated above and below the metal conductor wire so that the metal conductor wire is laminated above and below the metal conductor wire so that

Further, according to the method of manufacturing a jumper cable of the present invention, a jumper cable comprising a plurality of spaced apart metal conductive wires having one or more flexible portions and a terminal portion integral with the flexible portion and having relative rigidity is provided. The cable is formed as follows. Method (A). Starting from a metal plate with a relatively thick and rigid cross section, the thickness of the plate cross section is selectively reduced to provide the conductor pattern and terminal portion, and the flexible portion of the conductor is reduced (reduced cross section). to) form. The process for reducing the cross-sectional thickness is by chemical or mechanical cutting. Method (B). Starting from a metal plate having approximately the same thickness as that required for the soft flexible portion of the conductor, one or more mesas or flat-topped mounds of approximately the same thickness as required for the terminal portion. is formed in the edge area of the board. The mesa is made of plating or casting, so that the thick edge area is integral with the central plate area. The substrate having the generated contour is chemically or mechanically cut to form a conductor pattern and a terminal portion. In both methods, the metal conductors are laminated between flexible insulating films to support the metal conductors in spaced relationship with each other.

For a better understanding of the specific structure and operation of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

EXAMPLES The terms "rigid" and "flexible" are used herein in their relative sense and with respect to the intended use. For example, when the term "flexible" is used to describe a selective area of a jumper cable according to the present invention, the jumper cable has the ability in that area to flex within predetermined limits without breaking or fatigue. It means to have. In practice, the particular circuit design will define the specific measure of flexibility required. The term "rigid" as used for cable terminals means that the jumper cable terminals are sufficiently robust to allow direct assembly and connection (eg, soldering) of the terminals to a circuit board.

One embodiment of a jumper cable according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, six spaced apart metal conductive wires 22 are shown for illustration purposes.
A jumper cable 20 is shown including. However, it is understood that the jumper cable can include any number of conductors as desired. Each conductor 22 has a robust, relatively rigid terminal portion 2
It includes a soft, flexible central portion 24 extending between 6 and 28. The conductor 22 has a size and shape commensurate with the required design criteria, such as current carrying capacity, required flexibility, and cable construction. Typically, those portions of conductor 22 that are intended to be flexible have a thickness in the range of 0.03 mm to 0.1 mm, depending on the desired degree of flexibility and hardness of the metal. Terminal part 26, 2
8 typically has a thickness of 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm or more, depending on the required stiffness and hardness of the metal.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 21, the terminal sections 26, 28 are integral extensions of the conductor center section 24. As seen in FIGS. The terminal portions 26, 28 are formed and shaped for the specific connection required. Thus, for example, terminal portion 26 may be bent at a right angle at portion 30 for insertion into hole 34 of circuit board 32, while terminal portion 28 may be bent at 36 for connection to solder socket 38 of connector 40. (Figure 21). It is desirable to offset the terminal portions from each other as shown to provide greater isolation between adjacent connection points. Obviously, the terminal portions 26, 28 are sized and spaced to meet customer intended use or design criteria for mating with standard terminal connectors. The method for forming the terminal portion will be described in detail below.

The individual conductors 22 are supported and held in spaced relationship by sandwiching the conductors 22 between first and second dielectric films 42,44. As seen in FIG. 21, the film 42 is bonded to the lower surface of the conductor 22 and preferably extends partially below the terminal portions, eg, 46, 48. Preferably, a film sheet 44 is bonded to the top surface of the conductor 22 and extends over and covers the terminal ends 46,48. Films 42, 44 are also bonded together in the area between conductors 22. Films 42, 44 are formed from electrically insulating polymeric film materials such as polyester, polypropylene, polyimide, cellulose triacetone, polyethylene terephthalate or other readily available flexible films. Film thickness is not critical to the invention and depends on the particular film used, the desired degree of flexibility and insulation requirements. The films 42, 44 are attached to the conductor 2 by an adhesive such as a thermoplastic or thermoset adhesive.
2 or one or both of the films 42, 44 are formed over the conductor by known pouring techniques.

One embodiment of the present invention allows multiple wires to be formed from a metal sheet by selectively reducing the cross-section of the sheet to provide a conductor pattern, a relatively flexible region, and a relatively rigid terminal portion integral therewith. Partially described in connection with the mass formation of metal conductive wires. Another embodiment of the invention is a metal plate contoured by selectively reducing the thickness of the cross-section of the substrate to provide a conductor pattern and a relatively rigid terminal portion integral therewith. Therefore, it is necessary to form a large number of conductive wires. In other embodiments, the metal substrate is reduced by chemical cutting, such as etching, or by mechanical cutting, such as by a combination of techniques such as polishing, precision die cutting, or one or more cuttings.

Figures 2-10 illustrate the formation of a flexible jumper cable according to one embodiment of the present invention using chemical cutting techniques.

A metal plate 50 which is preferably of a thickness substantially equal to that required for the terminal section of the finished cable.
is given. In the case shown, the metal plate is 0.25 mm thick copper. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of alignment holes 52, 54 are formed at spaced apart positions on the plate. The purpose of alignment holes 52, 54 will become clear from the description below. The next step involves applying a conventional acid resistant material 62, 64 to the top and bottom surfaces 56, 58 of the metal plate at coating 60 (FIG. 2). One side of the board (eg, top surface 56 and layer 62) is exposed at projection station 66 to a negative artwork image including the desired conductor pattern and border area 70 at the edge of the board (see FIG. 4).
This artwork is aligned to the metal plate using alignment holes 52,54. At the same time, layer 64 is completely exposed in projection section 66 . When exposed to light, these acid-resistant coatings 62, 64 convert to low molecular weight polymers. The purpose of the boundary area 70 will become clear from the description below. The plate is then immersed in a desired solvent and transferred to treatment section 7.
2, so that the exposed bottom acid-resistant layer 64 and the exposed portions of the acid-resistant layer 62 (i.e., the conductor pattern 68 and border area 70 remain intact, but the unexposed areas 74 melt and form the desired conductor pattern 68).
A positive image of the boundary area 70 is left on the acid-resistant layer 62.

The next step involves chemically cutting away the exposed metal areas by contacting plate 50 with an acid etching solution at etching station 76. The etching is controlled to remove metal to a depth substantially equal to that required for the flexible central portion 24 of the conductor. For example, if a 0.075 mm thick flexible conductor is required, the etching should be controlled to a depth of 0.075 mm. Spray etching has been found to be particularly suitable for obtaining precise control of the etching step.

Thereafter, the metal plate is processed in a removal section 78, and the acid-resistant material remaining on the plate is removed from both sides of the plate. The resulting metal plate becomes substantially as shown in FIG.

The next step is to partially cover the etched side of the metal plate 50 with a thin, flexible insulating film, such as 3 mil polyimide film 80. As shown in FIG. 6, the film 80 has been cut to a size to cover the central conductor portion of the plate 50, while leaving the uncovered ends 82 and border area 70 of the conductor intact. The film 80 is applied to the metal plate at the cover portion 84 (FIG. 2), and the film is adhered to the metal plate by a suitable adhesive, such as a thermoplastic or thermosetting adhesive.

The metal plate 50 is then turned over and the plate is returned to the coating station 60 where the plate surfaces 56, 58 (and film 80) are covered with a layer of conventional acid resistant material 88, 90 (FIG. 7). The acid-resistant layer 88 is then exposed to a negative artwork pattern that redefines the conductor ends 82 and border areas 70, using alignment holes 52, 54 to ensure alignment of the front and back images. However, the central area of the conductor pattern is not reset in this projection step. The plate is then treated in a treatment station 72 so that the exposed areas of the acid-resistant layers 88, 90 remain intact and the unexposed areas melt away as before. The resulting structure appears substantially as shown in FIG.

Next, the metal plate 50 is etched in the etched portion 7 as before.
At 6, it is chemically cut until the front surface is reached. This occurs at a depth of 175 mm using the exemplary panel thickness and first etch depth described above. At this point, the conductor pattern and the relative thicknesses of the flexible central portion of the conductor and the relatively rigid terminal portion are determined. Next, the acid-resistant layers on both sides are removed by the removal section 78. As a result, the metal plate appears substantially as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, the cover part 8
A thin insulating film, such as a 3 mil polyimide film 92, is cut to size and shape and placed in the center defined by the terminal portion 82. Film 92 is then adhesively bonded to the conductor center portion and film 80 in a known manner. As shown in FIG. 10, the resulting structure includes a relatively thin central portion 24 and a relatively thick terminal portion 82 joined by a relatively thick common edge area 90. A copper panel consisting of a plurality of spaced metal conductive wires, the central portion 24 being laminated between a pair of thin films 80,92.

At this point it is desirable to use the edge area 90 as a common bus bar to plate the copper exposed by the tin/lead alloy or noble metal at the plating section 96. Thereafter, the resulting structure is sent to the forming station 98 by using the edge area 70 for support alignment, the terminal part 82 is separated from the edge area 70, and the terminal part 82 is transferred to the forming press 100 (FIG. 11). to suit the desired connection purpose. The generating structure is a multiwire jumper cable. Although only two conductors are depicted in the above processing diagram, the plate 50
It will be appreciated that the cable has a width suitable for providing several jumper cables of a certain number of conductors. It is thus possible, for example, to produce a 100-conductor wide structure and cut it into, for example, 20 jumper cables of 5 conductors each.

Another method of manufacturing a multiwire jumper cable according to the invention and an apparatus used therefor are disclosed in the first
2 to 20. The embodiment of FIGS. 12-20 is described using mechanical cutting techniques to selectively deform the metal plate to define the conductor pattern and thickness.

Referring to FIGS. 12-17, the illustrated process essentially includes a three-step roll-to-roll manufacturing process. The first stage is the polishing section 101
selectively thinning the metal strip of the roll by polishing the metal surface. Especially the first
3-14, the polishing section 101 includes a frame in the form of a horizontal base 102, a generally vertical pair of side members 104, 106 (only one of each pair is shown), and between members 104, 106. base 1 of
02, including a polisher frame member 108 located at 02. There is a supply reel 110 in the frame, the whole is 1
Precision polishing device and first take-up reel 1 indicated by 12
14 are arranged.

As shown in FIG. 13, supply reel 110
is placed on the vertical side member 104 and rotates on the horizontal shaft 111. Horizontal shaft 111 is supported by member 104 and known bearing arrangements. An elongated strip 115 of metal, such as copper, is carried on reel 110. The strip 115 is engaged with a polishing device 112 and fed to a first take-up reel 114. The first take-up reel 114 is supported on a horizontal shaft 116, side members 106, and known bearing arrangements. The supply reel 110 is mechanically coupled to an extraction device (not shown), while the first take-up reel 114 is mechanically coupled to an electric motor 118 via a suitable drive and transmission (not shown). Ru.

The sander frame 108 includes a main support base 120 fixedly attached to the base 102 and a main support 120.
and a movable support portion 122 disposed adjacent to the movable support portion 122 . The movable support 122 has two positions: (1) a first raised position in which the polishing wheel 124 supported by the support 122 is located directly above the copper plate 115; and (2) a first raised position in which the polishing wheel 124 is in contact with the copper strip 115. It is configured to vertically move between the second lowered position and the second lowered position. The lower limit of movement of the support 122 is determined by an adjustable limiter 126 attached to the support 120, 122, respectively.
128. The movable support 122 is attached to a fluid-driven support piston 123. The polishing wheel 124 is attached to and rotates on a horizontal shaft 130. The horizontal shaft 130 is the support part 1
22 and is mechanically coupled to motor 118 through suitable drives and transmissions (not shown).

When the polishing section 101 is completed, there is a vacuum cleaner 134 for collecting metal powder generated during the polishing operation. Vacuum cleaner 134 is fluidly connected to a vacuum device (not shown) via vacuum hose 136.

The operation of the polishing section is as follows.

A supply reel 110 of copper strip 115 is placed in the feed position of the polishing apparatus. The provided copper has a thickness substantially equal to that required for the terminal portion of the jumper cable being produced. Copper strip 115 is fed to take-up reel 114 by engagement with equipment below polishing wheel 124. The polishing device 112 is
An upper position in which the polishing wheel 124 is located directly above the copper strip 115 below the wheel and a thickness substantially equal to that required for the flexible and potentially central region of the conductor being produced. The vertical movement can be adjusted to and from a lowered position where the polishing wheel cuts the copper strip 115 to a depth that leaves copper (after polishing). For example, a terminal part with a rigidity of about 0.25 mm and a stiffness of about 0.075 mm
In order to produce a jumper cable consisting of a mm thick soft flexible section, the central flexible section that requires polishing is It must be reduced to approximately 0.075mm by the polishing process.

Once adjusted, the polishing device is activated and a copper strip 115 of a predetermined length is placed on the take-up reel 115.
14 through the device. Length and thickness measurements may be carried out using any suitable linear measuring device known per se in the art. However, one or both edges of the copper strip 115 may include spaced slots 125 for engagement with a metering sprocket (not shown) of the polishing equipment.
(Fig. 18) is desirable. Grinding wheel 124 then descends to cut strip 115. Once the wheel 124 reaches its lower travel limit, the take-up reel 114 is again activated to pull the length of copper under the polishing wheel 124. This removes a predetermined thickness of copper along a predetermined length of strip 115. The polishing wheel 124 then rises to its upper limit of travel, and the copper strip 115 is wound around the take-up reel 114 to advance a predetermined length, and the polishing cycle is repeated. The copper strip is unwound onto the rolls of take-up reel 114 in preparation for the next processing step. The copper strip at this first stage of processing appears substantially as shown in FIG. 18 of the drawings.

The next processing step is designed to form the desired circuit pattern by defining the width of the individual metal conductors and the spacing between each metal conductor.

According to the invention, the copper strip from the first processing step is cut lengthwise to form individual conductive wires, and the copper wires are laminated between flexible films.
These operations are carried out in a desirable manner as shown in FIGS. 15-17, with a frame having a horizontal base 140, generally in vertical pairs of side members 142, 14.
4,146, 148, 150 (only one of each pair is shown). Disposed within the frame are a cutting section 152 and a laminated section generally designated 154.

With particular reference to FIG. 15, supply reel 156
is positioned adjacent the top end of frame member 142 and rotates on horizontal shaft 158. (The supply reel 156 is the recovery reel 114 from the previous processing stage.
). A take-up reel 160 is mounted adjacent the top end of frame member 150. Reel 160 is mounted for rotation on horizontal shaft 162.

The plate cutting apparatus includes a pair of opposed cutting wheels 164, 166 each containing a plurality of mating cutting dies 168, 170 (see FIG. 16). Cutting dies 168, 170 cut a portion 172 of the copper strip.
(i.e., the intended circuit conductors) without touching them, while allowing material between the conductors to be torn as waste 174 (see FIG. 19). Waste 174 is collected in waste collector 176. One or both cutting wheels 164, 166 are mechanically coupled to a motor 180 via a drive 178. The cutting dies 168, 170 can be adjusted to provide a predetermined number of conductors of a predetermined width and spacing.

Stack section 154 includes upper and lower film distribution devices 182 and 184. The latter are in reel form each containing a supply of flexible insulating (dielectric) film 186, 188 (eg, 3 mil polyimide film). With particular reference to FIG. 19, upper film 186 and lower film 188 each include an elongated pre-windowed continuous strip whose width is slightly greater than the combined width of spaced conductors 172. Both films 188, 186 include a plurality of pre-punched slots 190A, 190B for aligning the pre-windowed films with the soft flexible portion 172 of the conductor. Completing the lamination section are a plurality of opposing lamination rollers 192, 196 and 194, 198. One or more of the above-mentioned rollers are driven by suitable devices known in the art.

In operation, the reel of copper from the first processing stage (reel 114) is placed in the supply reel position of the cutting and laminating apparatus. Copper strip 115 engages the device and is fed to take-up reel 160. Cutting car 16
4,166 (which has been previously adjusted to define the desired conductor width and conductor spacing) closes and passes through the copper strip. The copper strip is cut at 15
2 and enters the laminated portion 154. Note that throughout the cutting and laminating steps, the strip 115 and the individual conductors 172 are held in tension between the reels 156 and 160.

The lamination stage is an extension of the cutting stage. slit,
In other words, the conductor in a free floating state is on reel 1.
56 and 160 and passes between a pre-punched upper laminated film 186 and a pre-punched lower laminated film 188. Since the upper laminated film 186 and the lower laminated film 188 are aligned with the conductor 172, the soft flexible portion 172 of the conductor is aligned and the intermediate slot 190 leaves the thickened area 191 completely free of the film. The conductor and insulation film pass between heated scissor laminating rollers 192, 196 and 194, 198, where the insulation film (which has been previously coated with a thermosetting adhesive) joins the conductor and each other. The resulting structure is an elongated series of spaced copper wires 172 with raised "fingers" 191 stacked between insulating (dielectric) films 186, 188 as shown in FIG.

The final treatment is to move the structure shown in FIG.
4, where the structure is cut at the center of the fingers 191 (see FIG. 20) and the terminals are simultaneously shaped as before in a forming press, for example press 100 (FIG. 11).

If desired, the fingers 191 may be pre-plated by known methods to improve solderability before final cutting and forming.

Figures 22-29 illustrate another method of forming a flexible jumper cable according to the present invention using chemical cutting techniques.

The metal substrate 250 is provided with a thickness substantially equal to that required for the flexible portion of the completed cable.
In the illustrated case, the metal substrate is initially 0.075 mm thick copper.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 23, mesas 252 and 254 are formed on opposite edges of the metal plate 250 by selectively plating the plates using a known method at a plating section 255. The mesas 252, 254 should have a thickness approximately equal to that required for the completed cable terminal section. For example, to produce jumper cables with robust and rigid terminals that are approximately 0.25 mm thick, mesas 252 and 254 are approximately 0.25 mm thick.
It must have a thickness of

The next step is one side of the metal substrate 250 (for example, side 2).
56) with a thin insulating film such as 3 mil polyimide film 44. As shown in FIG. 24, the film 44 is cut to a size that covers the relatively thin central portion 260 of the metal substrate 250, but leaves the relatively thick mesa portion 262 uncovered. Film 44 is applied to metal substrate 250 at cover portion 264 (FIG. 22) and bonded to metal substrate 250 by a suitable adhesive, such as a thermoplastic or thermosetting adhesive.

Next, the metal substrate 250 is coated with a coating portion 260.
where both sides of the substrate 256, 256 and the film 44 are coated with conventional resist materials 266, 268.
(Fig. 25). The next step involves exposing one of the resist layers to a negative artwork pattern at exposure station 267 to define the desired conductor pattern 270 and edge area 272. Edge area 2
The purpose of 72 will become clear from the description below. At the same time, the entire layer 268 is also exposed. The exposed areas of resist coating 266, 268 convert to a low molecular weight polymer. The metal substrate is then transferred to processing section 2.
74 in a desired solvent or developer so that the exposed areas of layers 266 and 268 remain unchanged, but layer 2
The unexposed areas 66 are dissolved to expose the surface 257 (see FIG. 26).

The next step involves chemically ablating the exposed metal areas by contacting the metal substrate with the applied resist of FIG. 26 with an acidic etching solution at etching station 276. Etching continues until a cut occurs. At this point, the conductor pattern and the relative thicknesses of the flexible central portion and the solid, rigid terminal portion of the conductor are determined. Next, the removal unit 278 removes all the resist from both sides. The resulting structure looks substantially as shown in FIG. (Structures are shown flipped for clarity).

As shown in Figure 28, 3 mil polyimide
A thin insulating film such as the film 42 is cut to match the size and shape using the cover part 279, and then the metal substrate 2 is cut.
50 on the uncovered surface 257. The film 42 is adhesively bonded to the center portion of the conductor and the film 44 in a known manner. As shown in FIG. 28, the resulting structure has a relatively thick common edge area 27.
2, a metal structure including a plurality of spaced metal conductive wires 270 consisting of a relatively thin central portion 244 and a relatively thick terminal portion 226 joined together by a pair of thin films 42, It is laminated between 44 pieces.

At this point, it is desirable to plate the exposed areas of metal with a tin/lead alloy or noble metal at plating section 280, using edge area 272 as a common bus bar. Thereafter, the resulting structure is sent to a forming station 281 using the edge area 272 for support and alignment, where the terminal portion 226 is cut from the common edge area 272 and the terminal portion 226 is placed in the forming press 282 (FIG. 29). formatted to suit the desired connection purpose.
The resulting structure is a multiwire jumper cable in which each conductor consists of a flexible central section and a solid, relatively rigid terminal section integrally molded therein. Although only three conductors are shown in the process diagrams described above, plate 250 may have a width suitable to provide jumper cables for several of a particular number of conductors. Thus, for example, if a structure with a width of 100 conductors is produced, each of, for example, 5 conductors.
It can also be cut into 20 jumper cables.

Yet another method and apparatus for producing a multiwire jumper cable according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 30 to 33.
As shown in the figure. The embodiments of FIGS. 30-33 describe the use of mechanical cutting techniques to selectively reduce the cross-sectional thickness of a metal substrate to define conductor patterns.

Referring to FIGS. 23 and 30-33, a metal substrate 350 having mesas 252, 254
is given as before. Next, at the mounting portion 355, a plurality of metal substrate members 250 are attached at intervals to form an elongated flexible carrier film 338 (FIG. 31).
The product structure is then wound onto a reel 156 (FIG. 32).

The next processing step is designed to produce the actual circuit pattern by determining the width of the individual conductors and the spacing between each conductor.

According to the invention, metal substrate 250 is cut to form individual conductive wires, and the conductive wires are laminated between flexible films. These operations are carried out in a cutting and laminating assembly apparatus, preferably shaped as shown in FIG. 32, substantially identical to the cutting and laminating apparatus previously shown in FIGS. 15-17. The cutting device thus comprises, as before (see FIG. 16) a plurality of adjustable, engaging cutting dies 168, 170.
a pair of opposing cutting wheels 164, 166, each including
It includes a cutting section 152 that includes. cutting die 168,
170 is such that portions 372 of the metal substrate (ie, the intended circuit conductors) pass through without contact, but material between the conductors is allowed to tear apart as waste 374 (see FIG. 33). Waste 374 is collected in waste collector 176.

Stack section 154 includes upper and lower film distribution devices 182 and 184. The film dispensing device is in the form of a reel, each containing a supply of flexible dielectric film 186, 188 (eg, 3 mil polyimide film). Especially with reference to Figure 33,
Top film 186 and bottom film 188 each include an elongated pre-windowed continuous strip having a width slightly greater than the combined width of spaced apart metal conductors 372. As before, both films 186,
188 includes a plurality of pre-punched slots 190A, 190B for aligning the pre-windowed film with the ridges 391 of the metal conductor. The lamination section includes a plurality of opposed drive lamination rollers 192, 196.
and ends at 194,198.

During operation, carrier film 338 is on reel 15.
6 and reel 160 . Cutting wheels 164, 166 (which have been previously adjusted to provide the desired conductor width and conductor spacing) close through carrier film 338 and advance the film through cutting section 152 and into the stack. Carrier film 338 is held in tension between reels 156 and 160 throughout the cutting and laminating stages.

The lamination stage is an extension of the cutting stage. The cut, or free-floating length of carrier film 338, is held in tension between reels 156, 160 and passes between pre-punched top laminate film 186 and pre-punched bottom laminate film 188. Since the upper laminated film 186 and the lower laminated film 188 are aligned with the conductor, the soft flexible portion 372 of the metal conductor is aligned between the slots 190A and 190B, completely covering the raised area 391 that will become the terminal. free from The conductor and insulating film pass between heated scissor lamination rollers 192, 196 and 194, 198, where the insulating film (previously coated with thermoset adhesive) is bonded to the conductor and to each other. The resulting structure is a plurality of spaced sets of metal conductors having bare ridges, or fingers 391, stacked between dielectric films 186, 188, as shown in FIG.

Final processing sends the structure of Figure 33 to forming station 204 where the conductor sets are separated from each other and the terminals are shaped as before in a forming press, such as press 82 (Figure 29).

If necessary, the raised portions 391 may be pre-plated using known methods to improve solder adhesion.

Those skilled in the art will recognize the numerous advantages that the present invention has over the prior art. For example, the present invention enables the relatively inexpensive mass production of customer-designed jumper cables with random conductor placement, variable conductor dimensions (and thus current carrying capacity), and variable dimensional terminal geometries as desired. . Additionally, the robust terminal portion of the jumper cable is integrally formed with the soft flexible portion of the metal conductor. Therefore, not only the troublesome problems that usually occur when bonding terminal portions are effectively eliminated, but also failures in forming actual electrical connections are prevented.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, certain modifications may be made to the apparatus and methods described above without departing from the scope of the invention herein. For example, precision die flattening and cutting techniques are known per se in the art and may be employed to define conductor spacing and thickness. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that it is also possible to start with a metal plate that is somewhat thinner than what is needed for the terminal portion. The process is the same as before, but pre-plating is used to not only improve solder adhesion but also to deposit enough metal to obtain the desired terminal thickness. Additionally, alignment holes 52, 54 may be cast into metal tabs on the edges of plate 50.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the jumper cable and method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention provide the following excellent effects (1) to (8).

(1) In the multi-wire jumper cable of the present invention, each of the plurality of metal conductors arranged at intervals and forming a predetermined conductor pattern is generally flat, relatively thin, and flexible. It has a structure in which a flexible center part and a relatively thick, solid and rigid terminal part are integrally formed of the same metal material, and the conductor pattern and connection terminal are integrally formed. The design and arrangement of the parts can be freely and easily selected and formed, allowing for a variety of interconnections of various electronic equipment, devices, and/or electronic components, etc., under severe space factor constraints. It is possible to fully meet the needs of various customers, and the present invention is much more useful than this type of conventional technology.

(2) Since the area between the metal conductive wires can be narrowed, it is possible to subdivide the pattern portion of the flexible portion of the jumper cable, allowing a high-density configuration.

(3) The flexible part of the jumper cable is cut chemically by etching, etc., or mechanically cut by polishing or precision diamond cutting, so the pattern of the flexible part of the jumper cable cannot be changed. It can be formed into any desired shape, such as a curved pattern, a bent shape, or a shape that widens toward the end.

(4) Since the terminal portion of the metal conductor of the jumper cable is constructed flat, it is possible to better mechanically or electrically connect the metal conductor to a socket or plug in normal use.

(5) The terminal is configured so that no inherent stress is generated in the transition area between the terminal of the metal conductor and the flexible part connected to it, so the terminal can be easily plugged into the socket without deformation. be able to.

(6) Since the boundary between the pattern part and the terminal part made of the flexible part of the jumper cable, that is, the changing area, can be made short, the degree of freedom is increased when mounting the wiring board, and It can also be implemented in space.

(7) The area of the insulating part covering the conductor in the middle region of the jumper cable can be reduced, saving costs.

(8) Furthermore, according to the method for manufacturing a multi-wire jumper cable of the present invention, as mentioned above, it has a high-density conductor pattern that can be selected at will, and can be used under various usage conditions and space factors. When using a highly flexible jumper cable, inherent stress, which causes mechanical fatigue due to long-term use or frequent contact and disconnection, may occur in the transition area between the flexible central part of the metal conductor and the terminal part. It not only has good mechanical properties and long life, but also has excellent electrical properties.
It becomes possible to manufacture it accurately, quickly, with high efficiency, and at relatively low cost without any variation in quality.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of one embodiment of a multi-line jumper cable according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view diagrammatically illustrating a process for producing the jumper cable of FIG. 1 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 3-10 are perspective views of jumper cables at various stages of formation according to the process of FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the basic elements of a forming press useful in carrying out the process of FIG. FIG. 12 is a side view diagrammatically illustrating an alternative process for producing the jumper cable of FIG. 1 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 13-17 are side views, partially in cross-section, of some of the basic elements of an apparatus for carrying out the process of FIG. 12. 18-20 are perspective views of jumper cables at various stages of formation according to the process of FIG. 12; FIG. FIG. 21 is a side view of a jumper cable made in accordance with the present invention, illustrating an exemplary connection method. FIG. 22 is a side view diagrammatically illustrating yet another process for producing the jumper cable of FIG. 1 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 23-28 are perspective views of a jumper cable at various stages of formation according to the process of FIG. 22. FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the basic elements of a forming press useful in carrying out the process of FIG. 22;
FIG. 30 is a side view diagrammatically illustrating yet another process for producing the jumper cable of FIG. 1 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. FIG. 31 is a perspective view of the jumper cable at an early stage of formation according to the process of FIG. 30; FIG. 32 is a side view, partially in section, illustrating the basic elements of an apparatus for carrying out the process of FIG. 30; FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the jumper cable at an intermediate stage of formation according to the process of FIG. 30; 20... Jumper cable, 22... Metal conductor wire, 26, 28... Terminal section, 42, 44... Insulating (dielectric) film, 60... Coating section,
66...Exposed section, 72...Etched section, 78...
...Removal part, 84... Cover part, 96... Plating part, 98... Forming part, 101... Cutting part, 152
... Cutting section, 154 ... Lamination section, 204 ... End forming section, 255 ... Plating section, 264 ... Cover section, 260 ... Coating section, 267 ... Exposure section, 274 ... Processing section, 276 ...Etching part, 278...Removal part, 279...Cover part, 2
80... Plating part, 281... Molding part, 355...
...Mounting part.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A plurality of spaced apart metal conductors, each of the metal conductors having at least one relatively rigid terminal portion and a flexible portion connected to the terminal portion. (i) the terminal portion is (i) generally flat; (ii) the cross-section thereof is thickened to provide the above-mentioned relative rigidity; and the flexible portion ( iii) a cross section thereof is thinner than that of the terminal portion;
and one plane of each of the terminal portion and the flexible portion forms a single common plane; B. an insulating film portion covering the flexible portion; (i) a flexible portion; (ii) the insulating film portion is laminated above and below the metal conductor wire so as to maintain the metal conductor wire in a spaced relationship with each other; 2. Each of the terminal portions and each of the flexible portions are formed integrally, and are formed so that substantially no inherent stress is generated in a changing region between the terminal portion and the flexible portion. A jumper cable according to claim 1. 3. The jumper cable according to claim 1, wherein the flexible portion has a thickness of 0.03 mm to 0.1 mm, and the terminal portion has a thickness of 0.2 mm to 1 mm or more. 4. A plurality of spaced apart metal conductors, each of the metal conductors including at least one relatively rigid terminal portion and at least one flexible portion integrally connected to the terminal portion. A method for manufacturing a jumper cable, comprising: (a) preparing a relatively rigid metal plate with a cross-sectional thickness approximately equal to the thickness required for the relatively rigid terminal portion; (b) the metal plate; selectively reducing the cross-section of the metal plate to increase the flexibility of the flexible portion 24 of the plate and define the location of a plurality of spaced-apart metal conductors; and ( c) holding the metal conductors in a spaced relationship with each other and at least partially covering the spaced metal conductors with a flexible insulating film; Method. 5. The method of manufacturing a jumper cable according to claim 4, wherein the selective reduction is performed by etching. 6. A plurality of spaced apart metal conductors, each of the metal conductors including at least one relatively rigid terminal portion and at least one flexible portion integrally connected to the terminal portion. A method for manufacturing a jumper cable, comprising: (a) providing a flexible metal plate; (b) providing on the edge area of the metal plate approximately the same thickness as that required for the rigid terminal portion; (c) cutting the metal plate so as to define the metal conductor and a terminal integral therewith; and (d) cutting the metal conductor at a distance from each other. A method of making a jumper cable, comprising: holding the spaced metal conductors in relationship and at least partially covering the spaced apart metal conductors with a flexible insulating film portion.