Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-24
2001-03-27
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
C439S733100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206719
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electric component unit with a lead wire connection terminal fitment, and more particularly to an electric component unit such as a high-voltage variable resistor or the like which includes a casing provided with a terminal fitment mounting section and has a lead wire connection terminal fitment formed by subjecting a metal sheet to machining and mounted on the terminal fitment mounting section by means of a fit structure and such a lead wire connection terminal fitment.
An electric component unit such as a high-voltage variable resistor or the like which is called a focus pack and combined with a fly-back transformer generally includes a casing, which often has lead wire connection terminal fitments fixed thereon for connecting lead wires led out of electric components received in the casing thereto. Such a lead wire connection terminal fitment is generally formed either by bending a rod-like or wire-like conductor or by subjecting a metal plate or sheet to machining. The former process causes the wire connection terminal fitment formed to be rotated about a central axis thereof when it is formed into a simple configuration, so that it is highly difficult to fix the terminal fitment on a terminal fitment mounting section of the casing only by means of the fit structure. On the contrary, the latter process not only permits the terminal fitment formed to be fixed on the terminal fitment mounting section of the casing merely by means of the fit structure, but facilitates mass production of the lead wire connection terminal fitment.
In Japanese Patent Application No. 204900/1992 assigned to the assignee, a lead wire connection terminal fitment is disclosed which is formed by subjecting a metal sheet to machining. The lead wire connection terminal fitment disclosed is made of a metal sheet as thin as about 0.3 mm. The metal sheet is thus reduced in thickness, therefore, a fitted section of the lead wire connection terminal fitment which is to be fitted on a fitment terminal mounting section of a casing and a terminal section thereof are increased in width, resulting in being subject to bending for reinforcement. Also, the lead wire connection terminal fitment disclosed is so constructed that connection of a lead wire thereto is carried out by winding a core of a lead wire on a lead wire connection section and then subjecting the core and lead wire connection section to soldering.
Such an electric component unit is generally demanded to be reduced in manufacturing cost, price and the number of steps in the manufacturing as in other electric component units. In order to address to such demands, automated assembling of the electric component unit and a reduction in the number of times of soldering in manufacturing thereof have been generally employed. However, the conventional lead wire connection terminal fitment formed by subjecting a metal sheet to machining substantially fails to automate lead wire connection operation and ensure lead wire connection without any welding. Also, the lead wire connection terminal fitment thus formed fails to permit a terminal section to be formed into a thin configuration like a pin terminal. Thus, the lead wire connection terminal fitment formed by machining of a metal sheet cannot be applied to a structure wherein terminal sections of all terminal fitments are inserted into through-holes of a circuit board and connection of terminal sections of all terminal fitments to a female connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electric component unit which is capable of solving the above-described problems of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a lead wire connection terminal fitment which is capable of facilitating connection of a lead wire thereto and permitting a terminal section thereof to be formed into a thin configuration like a pin terminal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electric component unit including such lead wire connection terminal fitments attaining the above-described object.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electric component unit which is capable of attaining fixing of a lead wire connection terminal fitment thereto by inserting the lead wire connection terminal fitment from an outside of a casing into a terminal mounting fit groove formed on a terminal fitment mounting section of the casing and facilitating connection of a lead wire thereto.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an electric component unit is provided. The electric component unit is so constructed that a fitted section of a lead wire connection terminal fitment is fitted in a terminal fitment fit section provided at a terminal fitment mounting section of a casing made of an insulating resin material. The number of lead wire connection terminal fitments to be arranged may be selected as desired. The lead wire connection terminal fitment is made by subjecting a metal sheet to machining. The lead wire connection terminal fitment includes a lead wire connection section which is formed integrally with the fitted section and to which a lead wire extending from an electric component received in the casing is connected, as well as a terminal section arranged so as to extend to an outside of the casing and electrically connected to an electric component arranged outside the casing. When the casing is formed on one surface thereof with an opening, the terminal fitment mounting section arranged along one side of the opening of the casing is integrally provided with one or more terminal fitment fit sections. The terminal fitment fit section of the terminal fitment mounting section of the casing is provided with a pair of terminal mounting fit grooves extending toward an inside of the casing from the outside of the casing in which both ends of the fitted section extending in a longitudinal direction thereof are fitted.
The fitted section of the lead wire connection terminal fitment is provided with an engagement, which is engaged with a part of the terminal fitment fit section to prevent the fitted section from being dislocated from each of the terminal mounting fit grooves when the both ends of the fitted section are fittedly inserted into the terminal mounting fit grooves toward the inside of the casing from the outside thereof. The fitted section is provided thereon with stoppers, each of which is engaged with a part of the terminal fitment fit section to firmly position the fitted section when both ends of the fitted section are inserted into the terminal mounting fit grooves toward the inside of the casing from the outside thereof. The lead wire connection section and fitted section of the lead wire connection terminal fitment are connected to each other through a curved section so that a right angle or a nearly right angle may be defined between the lead wire connection section and the fitted section. Such construction enhances mechanical strength of the lead wire connection terminal fitment and prevents removal or dislocation of the fitted section from the terminal mounting fit grooves.
Also, arrangement of the stoppers on the lead wire connection terminal fitment prevents excessive insertion of the fitted section of the lead wire connection terminal fitment into the terminal mounting fit grooves and ensures automatic insertion of the lead wire connection terminal fitment thereinto.
The lead wire connection terminal fitment is made of a metal sheet of 0.7 mm or more in thickness. Such a thickness is two times or more as large as that of a metal sheet used for manufacturing the conventional lead wire connection terminal described above. An excessive increase in thickness of the metal sheet renders processing or machining thereof troublesome and leads to an increase in manufacturing cost thereof, so that an upper limit of the thickness is necessarily s
Daimon Kazufumi
Tsunezawa Ichiro
Donovan Lincoln
Hokuriku Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
Rankin, Hill Porter & Clark LLP
Webb Brian S.
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