Electrical connectors – Contact terminal – Strip of detachable contacts
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2002-02-12
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Contact terminal
Strip of detachable contacts
Reexamination Certificate
active
06346016
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to chained terminals and to a method for forming or producing such chained terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Terminal fittings are produced from a long metal plate that is stamped out by a press such that a multitude of terminal fitting pieces project from a lateral edge of a narrow carrier. The terminal fitting pieces are bent to have a form specified for the terminal fittings, thereby obtaining chained terminals. The chained terminals are wound around a reel and transported to sites for separating the terminal fittings from the carrier and connecting the terminal fittings to a printed circuit board. A prior art construction for winding the chained terminals around a reel is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 5-8894 and other publications.
A long strip of interlayer sheet is applied to radially inner surfaces of the prior art chained terminals when the chained terminals are wound around the reel. Thus the chained terminals are wound around the reel together with the interlayer sheet. The interlayer sheet prevents the chained terminals from touching the chained terminals located in the adjacent wound layer and prevents them from being scratched, entangled and damaged due to their mutual interference.
FIG. 9
shows one piece of prior art chained terminals “a” to be connected to a printed circuit board. The prior art chained terminals “a” include a plurality of terminal fitting pieces, one of which is shown in FIG.
9
and is identified as “b”. The terminal fitting piece “b” includes connection portions “c” in the form of pins that project outwardly. The terminal fitting piece “b” (terminal fitting), when separated from its carrier “d”, is mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) by inserting the connection portions “c” into through holes of the printed circuit board and soldering them. The chained terminals “a” also are wound around a reel “f” together with an interlayer sheet “e” during transportation, and are dispensed from the reel “f” together with the interlayer sheet “e” at a transportation end.
The prior art chained terminals “a” are wound as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, such that the connection portions “c” project radially outwardly, and such that the projecting ends of the connection portions “c” of the terminal fitting pieces “b” are in contact with the interlayer sheet “e” at a radially outer side. The interlayer sheet “e” is made hard to tear by, for example, selecting a suitable material therefor or applying a surface treatment. However, if a tension acting on the chained terminals “a” increases during the winding, or if the reel having the chained terminals wound therearound is subjected to large vibration during transportation, the leading ends of the connection portions “c” at the radially inner side may stick into the interlayer sheet “c” at the radially outer side. If the chained terminals “a” are dispensed from the reel “f” with the connection portions “c” stuck into the interlayer sheet “e”, the stuck portion of the interlayer sheet “e” catches the connection portions “c” when departing from the reel “f”. At this time, the interlayer sheet “e” may deform the caught connection portions “c” since the interlayer sheet is hard to tear.
An easy-tear interlayer sheet may be considered to prevent the deformation of the connection portions “c”. However, an easy-tear interlayer sheet “e” cannot fulfill its original function of avoiding a direct contact of the chained terminals “a”. Conversely, it may be considered to increase a tear strength by thickening the interlayer sheet “e”. However, since the interlayer sheet “e” is made of paper, it is difficult to prevent it from being torn by the metal connection portions “c”. An improvement in the tear strength of the interlayer sheet “e” by applying surface treatment or changing a material is not desirable since it results in an increased cost.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide chained terminals and a method for producing the chained terminals that allows for an improved operability, in particularly preventing projections of terminal fitting pieces from being caught in by an interlayer sheet and defined.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there are provided a chained terminal array with a multitude of terminal fitting pieces connected with or extending from a lateral edge of a long carrier preferably a strip or plate. The terminal fitting pieces each have connection projections that project therefrom for connecting the terminal fitting pieces to an external device. The terminal fitting pieces are connected with the carrier in such an orientation that the connection projections thereof project in directions substantially parallel to or substantially lying in the plane of the carrier.
Accordingly, the connection projections do not extend away from the plane of the carrier, thereby reducing the likelihood of interference of the connection projection with outside parts, such as a layer of terminals placed on the upper or lower part thereof or such as an interlayer sheet arranged thereon.
According to the invention, there is further provided a chained terminal array with a multitude of terminal fitting pieces connected with or extending from a lateral edge of a carrier. The carrier preferably is in the form of a long strip or plate, and is formed with one or more protecting portions that project from the carrier in a direction at an angle different from 0° and 180°, and preferably substantially normal to the carrier. A projecting distance of the protecting portions in a direction normal to the plane of the carrier is substantially larger than a projecting distance of the corresponding or adjacent terminal fitting piece. Accordingly, the protecting portions can be held in contact with an interlayer sheet e.g. on the radially outer side. Thus the projecting portions enable intervals between the respective layers of the chained terminals to be larger than the radially outwardly projecting distance of the terminal fitting pieces, thereby preventing the terminal fitting pieces from contacting the interlayer sheet laid adjacent thereto.
Preferably, distal ends of the protecting portions are bent so that the protecting portions substantially have an L-shaped cross section.
Most preferably, the chained terminals are wound or windable around and dispensed or dispensable from a reel with an interlayer sheet laid between adjacent layers of the chained terminals. The terminal fitting pieces are connected with the carrier such that the connection projections thereof project in directions substantially normal to radial directions of the reel.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, there are provided chained terminals which are constructed such that a multitude of terminal fitting pieces are parallel to one another and extend from a lateral edge of a long carrier strip. The chained terminals are wound around and dispensed from a reel with an interlayer sheet between adjacent layers of the chained terminals. The terminal fitting pieces are formed with projections that project normal to radial directions of the reel.
With the chained terminals wound around the reel, the interlayer sheet is laid between the terminal fitting pieces in a radially inner layer and those in the radially outer layer. Since the projections of the terminal fitting pieces project in directions normal to the radial directions of the reel, i.e. directions substantially along the plane of the interlayer sheet, the projections do not stick into the interlayer sheet. Accordingly, there is no likelihood that the projections are deformed by being caught in the interlayer sheet when the chained terminals are dispensed from the reel.
Preferably, the carrier is formed with one or more protecting portions. The protecting portions are dimensioned to contact the interlayer sheet when the chained terminals are wound around the reel, thereby keeping the interlayer sheet and
Aoyama Masahiko
Koide Takashi
Saito Masashi
Abrams Neil
Casella Anthony J.
Hespos Gerald E.
Sumitomo Wiring Systems Ltd.
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