Metal terminal and electronic component including same

Details Metal terminal and electronic component including same Metal terminal and electronic component including same

1998-08-31

2001-10-02

Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Electrostatic capacitors

Fixed capacitor

C361S302000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06297942

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal terminal to be inserted into a through hole of a through-hole type electronic element such as a through-hole type capacitor, and relates to an electronic component such as a through-hole type LC filter having such a metal terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, a metal terminal
5
which is arranged in a through-hole type capacitor
1
in a through-hole type LC filter in
FIG. 4
has a structure as shown in
FIGS. 5A and 5B
. The through-hole type LC filter shown in
FIG. 4
is composed of a through-hole type capacitor
1
, ferrite beads
2
arranged on both sides of the capacitor
1
, conductive metal caps
3
attached to the end portion of each of the ferrite beads
2
and a metal terminal
5
inserted into the central portion of the capacitor
1
, the beads
2
and the caps
3
.
The metal terminal
5
is made by forming a metal plate
5
′ having an unfolded shape shown in
FIG. 5A
into a nearly cylindrical shape shown in FIG.
5
B and such that the terminal
5
has at its central portion a tongue-like part
6
protruding in an expanded condition. The metal terminal
5
secures the capacitor
1
in the through-hole type LC filter and is electrically connected to an internal electrode of the capacitor
5
in such a way that the tongue-like part
6
is inserted into the through hole of the capacitor
1
and is arranged to elastically press against the inner wall of the through hole.
However, the metal terminal
5
is relatively easily deformed if it is relatively thin, and when the terminal
5
is pushed into the through hole of the capacitor
1
, the centerline L
1
of the metal terminal
5
is displaced with respect to the centerline L
2
of the capacitor
1
such that the centerline L
2
is tilted with respect to the centerline L
1
. This condition causes the capacitor to be inclined. Also, the tongue-like part
6
may also be deformed in the axial direction and displaced from the centerline L
3
of the length direction of the filter assembly. Such a deformed tongue-like part
6
causes large misalignments d
1
and d
2
between the outer surfaces of the capacitor
1
and the metal caps
3
, as well as causing soldering defects when such a through-hole type LC filter is mounted on a printed circuit board or other substrate.
In the above-described LC filter, the component of inductance produced by the tongue-like part
6
is too large to ignore and the high-frequency characteristic is degraded. Furthermore, because the diameter D of the portion to be inserted into the through-hole of the ferrite beads
2
is difficult to reduce, there is a limit as to how much the thickness of the ferrite beads can be increased. This relationship prevents improvement in the elimination of noise by increasing inductance of the ferrite beads.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the problems described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a metal terminal which is constructed and arranged to maintain a position of a through-hole type electronic element accurately and reliably without being displaced and to improve a high-frequency characteristic and noise eliminating effect when the through-hole type electronic element with the metal terminal is incorporated in a noise filter.
Further, the preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an electronic component in which a through-hole type capacitor is maintained in a correct position and a high-frequency characteristic and a noise eliminating effect are excellent.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention providing the advantages described above, a metal terminal has a portion which is adapted to be inserted into a through hole of an electronic element and disposed into contact against an inner wall of the through hole, the portion being configured to have a cross-section which is approximately circular.
In the above-described metal terminal according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the portion having a cross section of approximately circular shape elastically contacts and presses uniformly against the inner wall of the through hole of the electronic component. Consequently, the centerline of the electronic component is not displaced from the centerline of the metal terminal and the electronic component is maintained at a correct position with respect to the metal terminal. Also, there is no component of inductance created by the tongue-like part as in conventional components and the high-frequency characteristic of the electronic element is greatly improved.
Further, a metal terminal according to preferred embodiments of the present invention preferably has substantially cylindrical portions having a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the approximately circular shape portion of the metal terminal and which are extended from both sides of the approximately circular shaped portion of the metal terminal. When this metal terminal is used and an electronic component is composed of a through-hole type capacitor mated with the approximately circular shaped portion of the metal terminal and ferrite beads are mated with the cylindrical portions having the smaller diameter of the metal terminal, the through-hole type capacitor is maintained in an accurate position and the high-frequency characteristic is greatly improved, but also the thickness of the beads can be greatly increased to thereby significantly increase the impedance.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3545080 (1970-12-01), Evans
patent: 3634819 (1972-01-01), Evans
patent: 3743979 (1973-07-01), Schor
patent: 3853377 (1974-12-01), Shlesinger, Jr.
patent: 4083022 (1978-04-01), Nijman
patent: 4801904 (1989-01-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 4908942 (1990-03-01), Long et al.
patent: 5103292 (1992-04-01), Mahulikar
patent: 5287076 (1994-02-01), Johnescu et al.
patent: 5546058 (1996-08-01), Azuma et al.

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