KR20010021946A - Elongated metal tape for forming electrical contacts - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a metal tape 10 of elongated form, which can be cut into a plurality of riveted electrical contacts. The tape 10 includes an elongated head 12 and an elongated body 14, wherein the head 12 and the body 14 when the tape 10 is cut without cold rolling work. Form a contact head and a contact body. The tape 10 is designed such that the body of the contact deforms when the contact is secured to a workpiece such as metal stamping. The metal tape 10 is transferred directly to the sequential die used for stamping fabrication, cut into contacts and secured to the stamping in the die.

Description

Long length metal tape for forming electrical contacts {ELONGATED METAL TAPE FOR FORMING ELECTRICAL CONTACTS}

Electrical contacts have been used as electrical switch components in many devices. The contacts are electrically conductive and provide contacts that can be contacted and separated from other switch components to open and close the switch. Electrical contacts are attached to other parts of the electrically conductive metal, such as metal stamping made by a punch press machine.

One conventional method of attaching electrical contacts to metal stamping is to weld the two parts together. The strength of the electrical connection and coupling between the welded parts depends on the integrity of the weld joint. The electrical conductivity and bonding strength between the two parts is influenced by the degree to which the two parts fuse during the welding process. The welding operation is carried out with a welder, which is separated from the punch press used to produce the metal stamping.

Another method of attaching the electrical contacts to the metal stamping is to rivet the riveted contacts to the stamping. The small end of the riveted contact is inserted into the hole of the metal stamping and fixed or upset to the rod to hold the contact at the stamping.

The riveted contacts are made by a cold heading expert. The expert has a machine that uses circular wires and cuts and upsets or cold presses large diameters of riveted contacts. Most manufacturers do not have the expertise or the device to make riveted contacts, and as a result the device is a purchased part.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to long lengths of metal tape and riveted contacts made of tape used to fabricate rivet-type electrical contacts.

1 is a perspective view of a long length of the metal tape of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a riveted contact made from the tape of FIG. 1 and secured to a metal stamping; FIG.

3 is a perspective view of a rectangular riveted contact formed from the tape of FIG. 1 and modified with metal stamping removed;

4 is a perspective view of the tape of FIG. 1 showing the contour of a circular riveted contact that is cut from the tape;

5 is a perspective view of the circular contact of FIG. 4 with the deformation and metal stamping removed.

6 is a cross-sectional view of another long length metal tape of the present invention showing a tape made of two separate materials.

7 is a perspective view of another long length metal tape of the present invention in which the tape is made of two types of metal materials;

8 is a perspective view of a rectangular riveted contact formed from the tape of FIG. 7 and modified with metal stamping removed.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of another long length metal tape of the present invention showing the inlay of the tape head.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rectangular riveted contact formed from the tape of FIG. 9 and modified with metal stamping removed. FIG.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the tape of FIG. 9 showing the contour of a circular riveted contact that is cut from the tape. FIG.

12 is a perspective view of the circular contact of FIG. 11 with the deformation and metal stamping removed.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of another long length metal tape of the present invention after the rectangular riveted contact is cut from the tape.

14 is a perspective view of a rectangular riveted contact formed from the tape of FIG. 13 and modified with metal stamping removed.

15 is a perspective view of the tape of FIG. 13 after a circular riveted contact is cut from the tape.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a circular riveted contact formed from the tape of FIG. 15 and modified with metal stamping removed. FIG.

* Sign Description

10,34,44,50,70 ... metal tape 12,38,46,54 ... tape head

12a, 32 ... contact head 14,40,48,58 ... tape body

14a, 30 ... contact body 16 ... wings

18.Shoulder 20,42 ... Contact face

22,28,52,66,72,74 ... Riveted contact 24 ... Metal stamping

26,88 hole 36 contact layer

56,82 groove 60 ... inlay

62,80 ... rail 64 ... round appearance

68,86 ... web 76 ... base

78 ... middle 90,92 ... outer side

The present invention provides an elongated form of metal tape for making riveted contacts. This eliminates the need to purchase riveted contacts or the manufacture of riveted contacts using cold rolling operations. Long length metal tape can be cut into a number of riveted contacts. The structure of the tape provides a riveted contact, which has a contact head formed in the contact. Cutting into a plurality of riveted contacts is performed in a progressive die, which produces stamping and fabricates and inserts contacts from a long form of metal tape. Thus, the cold rolling operation used to make the riveted contacts is eliminated.

The long length tape has a relatively wide head and a relatively narrow body long in shape from the head. The tape is cut into a plurality of riveted contacts, the riveted contacts having a contact head and a deformable contact body. The contact body is inserted into the hole of the metal stamping, the contact head abuts the stamping, because the contact head is larger than the hole. The contact body is deformed to make contact with the stamping, wherein the head side of the contact, if desired, is deformed by coining to provide a spherical or conical surface. The tape having a long shape according to the present invention may be manufactured to have various cross-sectional shapes. Preferred tapes are tapes having a T cross section.

Tapes of elongate shape may be cut into contacts, which have any desired shape, for example rectangular, oval or circular when viewed from above the contact head. The tape may be formed by one or more electrically conductive materials, for example silver, gold, copper and alloys of the above materials. One portion of the tape and contact can be made of silver to enhance the electrical connection generated by the contact, and the remaining portion of the tape and contact can be made of copper to reduce the material cost.

The elongated metal tapes and riveted contacts of the present invention reduce manufacturing processes and costs because no cold rolling operations are required to form the head. In addition, the tape can be transferred directly to a sequential die used to fabricate metal stampings. The tape can be cut into contacts, which are secured to the stamping on the die. Thus, long tapes provide improved riveted contacts, and provide methods for fabricating the contacts and assembling workpieces and contacts such as metal stamping.

Although the invention may be fabricated in many different forms, preferred embodiments are described in the description and shown in the accompanying drawings. The above description illustrates the principles of the invention and does not limit the broad aspects of the invention to only the described embodiments.

An elongated form of metal tape or wire 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The tape 10 has a long length tape head 12 and a long length tape body 14 extending from the head 12. Preferably, the tape body 14 extends from the tape head 12 along the centerline of the tape head 12. Two opposing vanes 16 extend laterally out of the tape head 12 and spaced apart from the tape body 14. Two shoulders 18 are formed at the contacts of the tape head 12 and the tape body 14. The tape head 12 has a larger width than the tape body 14, with the difference in width forming the shoulder 18. Due to the relative widths of the tape head 12 and the tape body 14 and the wings 16 and shoulders 18, the tape 10 has a T-shaped cross section. However, depending on the shape and size of the tape head 12 and tape body 14 and the location where the body 14 is connected to the tape head 12, the tape 10 may have a different desired cross-sectional shape.

The long form of the metal tape 10 may be cut at spaced locations along the length of the metal tape 10 to form riveted electrical contacts. Rectangular contacts may be formed by cutting the tape 10 transversely to the longitudinal length of the tape 10. The tape 10 is formed of a unitary metal material such as silver. Other materials suitable for electrical contacts can be used, for example, copper, gold and alloys of these materials. When the tape 10 is cut into riveted contacts, the tape head 12 and the tape body 14 become the head and the body of the contact, respectively. The tape head contact surface 20 forms the electrical contact surface of the riveted contact.

A riveted contact 22 formed of tape 10 and fixed to a metal stamping or workpiece 24 is shown in FIG. 2. The stamping 24 has a hole 26 in which a contact 22 is inserted. The body 14a of the contact 22 is deformed during the fixing operation of fixing the contact 22 to the stamping 24. A stamping 24 is fixed between the contact head 12a and the deformed body 14a and adjacent the two wings 16a and the shoulder 18a. In FIG. 3, the contact 22 with the stamping 24 removed is shown. In this embodiment, the tape 10 has been cut so that the contact 22 has a rectangular contact head 12a and a contact surface 20a. When contact 22 is secured to stamping 24, contact head 12a and contact surface 20a may be formed in a spherical, conical or other shape. In other words, after the contact 22 is secured to the stamping 24 with the most suitable contour for the application, the contact head 12a and the contact surface 20a are the size and shape of the contact head 12a and the contact surface 20a. To achieve.

Multiple joints 22 are fabricated by cutting the tape 10 (FIG. 1) in spaced positions such that each cut position constitutes the opposite side of the adjacent contact. Waste materials discharged from the process of cutting the tape 10 into the contacts can be minimized by tape cutting so that the contacts are adjacent to each other in the tape before cutting. The tape 10 can be cut into riveted contacts with any head shape. For example, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a circular contour 26 of the circular contact 28. The circular contact 28 is shown in FIG. 5 after the metal stamping has been removed and the contact body 30 has been deformed. When securing the contact 28 to the stamping, the circular contact head 32 may be formed into a spherical, conical or other shape.

A cross-sectional view of another long tape 34 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 6. The embodiment is similar to the tape 10 of FIG. 1 except that the contact layer 36 is bonded to the head 38 forming the composite tape. The tape contact layer 36 is made of a material different from the remainder of the head 38 and body 40. For example, contact layer 36 may be made of silver and the remaining portion of tape 34 may be made of copper. The synthetic tape 34 reduces the cost by making the contacts having the advantages of the silver contact surface 42 and by making the remainder of the contacts from copper.

Another elongate form of tape 44 and riveted contacts 46 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The tape 44 has a tape head 46 coupled to the tape body 48, which tape head 46 and tape body 48 are made of different materials. For example, tape head 46 may be silver and tape body 48 may be copper, forming a synthetic tape. The body 48 may be coupled to the tape head in any manner suitable for making electrical contacts, such as for example edge welds or fusions. Composite 46 is shown in FIG. 8 as a stamped strip. The tape 44 can be cut into any contact shape.

Other elongated tapes 50 and riveted contacts 52 according to the invention are shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The tape 50 is a synthetic tape and has a tape head 54 constituting an elongated recess 56 and an elongated tape body 58 extending from the tape head 54. . The long inlay 60 is coupled to the head 54 of the recess 56. The tape head 54 has opposing rails 62 on both sides of the inlay 60. The materials for the remaining portion of the inlay 60 and the tape 50 are different, for example, the inlay 60 is silver and the remaining portion of the tape is made of copper. The composite tape 50 can be cut into rectangular riveted contacts 52 as shown in FIG. 10. The tape 50 is cut so that the inlay 60 forms the contact head 64 and the rail 62 remains as a tape portion. In this method, the tape head 64 with the rails 62 forms a carrier for the inlay 60. FIG. 11 shows the tape 50 of FIG. 9 with a circular contour 64 of the circular contact 66. Circular contact 66 after stamping has been removed and deformed is shown in FIG. 12. With the cutting of the circular contact 66 from the tape 50, a web 68 may be constructed on the tape 50 after the contact 66 is removed from the tape.

Another elongate form of metal tape 70 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 13 and 15. FIG. 13 shows the tape 70 after the rectangular contact 72 (FIG. 14) has been cut from the tape 70, and FIG. 15 shows the tape after the circular contact 74 (FIG. 16) has been cut from the tape 70. (70) is shown. The tape 70 includes a base of elongated form, the base having a middle portion 78 and a rail 80 configured opposite the middle portion 78. The long groove 82 extends along the length of the base 76. The long inlay 84 is coupled to the base 76 of the groove 82. The inlay 84 and the base 76 are made of a material suitable for electrical contact, such as silver, copper, gold and alloys of the above materials. For example, base 76 may be copper and inlay 84 may be silver.

Various shapes of contacts can be made from the tape 70. For example, rectangular and circular contacts 72 and 74 are shown in FIGS. 14 and 16. The rectangular contacts 72 can be cut from the tape 70 on three sides and adjoin each other so that the rail 80 is connected to the tape 70 (FIG. 13). The position of the tape 70 at which the contacts are cut can be further spaced to leave the web 86 and the holes 88 as shown in FIG. 15. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the inlay 84 forms the outer surfaces 90, 92 of the contacts 72, 74. The outer surfaces 90 and 92 contact other electrically conductive elements (not shown) to complete the electrical connection. The heads of the contacts 72, 74 may be deformed during the process of securing the contacts to the stamping. The long length of the metal tape 70 is a carrier for delivering the silver inlay 84 to a location where the silver inlay 84 can be used as a contact. The deformation does not necessarily require a T shape. A straight wall blocker is inserted into the stamping from the tape 70 and configured on both sides to hold against the stamping. The deformation can be less expensive than T-shaped wires and is suitable for certain applications. Optionally, a portion of the base 76 may need to be removed to form a shoulder of contacts 72 and 74 similar to the shoulders configured in the contacts of the previous embodiment.

The long form of metal tape according to the invention is used to make a plurality of riveted contacts. The tape is conveyed continuously into a cutter and the tape is cut into a number of riveted contacts. The contact is configured in the hole of the stamping, and the body of the contact is deformed to ensure contact with the stamping. Due to the design of the tape and the contacts, the heads of the contacts can be molded into the shape that is most suitable for the application. The tape can be transferred directly to the sequential die used for stamping fabrication. The tape is cut, inserted into the stamping, deformed and secured to the stamping in the die.

While the preferred embodiment has been shown and described, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the inventors intend for such changes and modifications to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims (26)

An elongated tape head extending along the first direction; An elongated tape body extending from the tape head and extending along the first direction; And In the long length of the metal tape consisting of a shoulder formed at the contact of the tape head and the tape body, and used in the production of riveted electrical contacts that can be fixed to the workpiece, With the shoulders in contact with the workpiece and the tape body deformable to ensure contact with the workpiece against the shoulder, the metal tape is inserted into a plurality of riveted electrical contacts such that the tape body of the cut contact is insertable into the opening of the workpiece. A long length metal tape characterized by being cutable. The elongated metal tape of claim 1, wherein the tape head has a width and the tape body has a width less than the width of the tape head. 3. The elongated metal tape of claim 2, wherein the shoulder is constituted by the relative widths of the tape head and the tape body. 2. The long metal tape of claim 1, wherein the cross section of the tape is T-shaped. 2. The elongated metal tape of claim 1, wherein the tape head and the tape body are made of a single type of material. 2. The long metal tape of claim 1, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, gold or alloys of the materials. 2. The long form of metal tape of claim 1, wherein the tape is cutable into a plurality of rectangular contacts. 2. The long form of metal tape of claim 1, wherein the tape is cutable into a plurality of contacts having a circular shape. The tape of claim 1, wherein the tape has a series of spaced webs, the webs are configured by holes and located between the holes, wherein the tape is constructed through the holes as the tape is cut to form contacts. Metal tape of long form to make. The tape of claim 1, wherein the elongated shape of the metal tape has positions spaced along the length of the tape, the tape being cut at spaced positions such that each position constitutes opposite sides of the first adjacent contact and the second adjacent contact. A long length metal tape, characterized in that. 2. The long form of metal tape of claim 1, wherein the tape head and the tape body are made of different materials. 12. The elongated metal tape of claim 11, wherein the tape head and the tape body are welded together. 2. The long-length metal of claim 1, wherein the tape head is formed of an elongated inlay port having a groove extending along the first direction and a long inlay formed in the groove. tape. 14. The long metal tape of claim 13, wherein the inlay carrier comprises a first rail and a second rail configured on opposite sides of the inlay. The elongated metal tape of claim 1, wherein the tape body is aligned along the centerline of the tape head. 2. The elongated metal tape of claim 1, wherein the elongated metal tape consists of a long layer of conductive material bonded to the tape head. A head having a first opposing vane and a second opposing vane extending laterally outwardly from the head; A deformable body configured from a head between the first and second wings such that the first and second wings extend laterally beyond the first and second opposite surfaces of the body; A first shoulder formed by the first wing and the first side of the body, and a second shoulder formed by the second wing and the second side of the body, the long length being used for making the rivetable electrical contact. In the form of metal wire, A long length metal wire, characterized in that the wire is cut into a plurality of contacts. 18. The elongated metal wire according to claim 17, wherein the head is composed of a carriage having a groove and an inlay coupled to the head in the groove. 18. The elongated form of metal wire of claim 17, wherein at least one portion of the body and the head is made of different metal material. An elongate form of base forming a groove extending along the longitudinal length of the base; In the long length of the metal tape is composed of a long inlay bonded to the base of the groove, used for the production of riveted electrical contact, 10. A long length metal tape, wherein the metal tape is cutable into a plurality of riveted electrical contacts. 21. An elongated form of metal tape as defined in claim 20, wherein the base consists of a first rail and a second rail constructed opposite the inlay. 21. The long form of the metal tape of claim 20, wherein the base and the inlay are selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, gold or alloys of the materials. 21. An elongated form of metal tape as defined in claim 20, wherein the tape is cutable into a plurality of rectangular contacts. 21. The elongated metal tape of claim 20, wherein the tape is cutable into a plurality of contacts having a circular shape. 21. The tape of claim 20 wherein the tape has a series of spaced apart webs, the webs being constructed by the holes and located between the holes, wherein the tape is constructed through the holes as the tape is cut to form a contact. Metal tape of long form to make. 21. The tape of claim 20, wherein the elongate shape of the metal tape has positions spaced along the length of the tape, the tape being cut at spaced positions such that each position constitutes opposite sides of the first adjacent contact and the second adjacent contact. A long length metal tape, characterized in that.