Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Screw-thread operated securing part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2002-04-30
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Screw-thread operated securing part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06379197
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal connector for input and output of electric signals, particularly in audio and video equipment systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIG. 4
, a conventional terminal connector, shown generally at
100
′, includes an electrically conductive terminal plate
14
mounted on an insulative circuit board
10
. A terminal
15
is secured to insulative circuit board
10
by a screw portion
17
threaded through a screw hole
16
in terminal plate
14
. A knob
19
′, affixed projecting away from insulative circuit board
10
enables screwing and unscrewing screw portion
17
for making electrical connection, as will be explained. Conventional terminal connectors of this type generally have a four-gang or eight-gang configuration.
Circuit board
10
includes four cylindrical portions
11
(two not shown). Cylindrical portions
11
are integrally formed on a first surface of circuit board
10
and surround a part of terminals
15
near the first surface of circuit board
10
. Cylindrical portions
11
help avoid lead wire shorts and reduce the chance of electrical contact with a person or an object. Cylindrical portions
11
each have at least one lead wire insertion notch
12
in an outer periphery.
A through hole
13
accommodates adjustable screw portion
17
of terminal
15
. Screw portion
17
is centered in cylindrical portion
11
. Around through hole
13
, a plurality of insertion holes
20
permit insertion of one or more press-in lock pieces
21
and a terminal portion
22
of terminal plate
14
into selected insertion holes
20
to fix terminal plate firmly to insulative circuit board
10
. Terminal portions
22
have connective ends formed opposite terminal plate
14
for connecting to a printed circuit board
34
.
During assembly, the extremities of terminal portions
22
of terminal plates
14
are inserted into cylindrical portions
11
from above and slipped partially into insertion holes
20
. Further insertion of terminal portions
22
requires rotating terminal portion
22
(counter clock wise to the plane of the page) to allow bends
33
to freely pass through cylindrical portions
11
and protrude from a second surface of circuit board
10
. As terminal portions
22
protrude through the second surface of the insulative circuit board
10
, press-in lock pieces
21
, of terminal plates
14
, are pressed into the remaining insertion holes
20
for fixture. After assembly, a bottom surface of terminal plate
14
rests directly against a top surface of circuit board
10
.
After the integration of terminal plates
14
and terminal portions
22
, terminals
15
are threaded into terminal plates
14
. Screw portions
17
are screwed into screw holes
16
formed in terminal plate
14
. When each screw portion
17
is tightened, a collar
18
of terminal
15
contacts terminal plate
14
, and an end portion of screw portion
17
protrudes below the second surface of insulative circuit board
10
. After tightening, the end portion of screw portion
17
is mechanically flattened to form a preventive bulged portion
31
and disrupt a continuous helical thread formed on screw portion
17
. Preventive bulged portion
31
prevents terminal
15
from disengaging screw hole
16
or from being lost during later adjustment.
Once terminal plates
14
and terminals
15
arc connected to circuit board
10
, knobs
19
′ are loosened sufficiently to allow insertion of at least one lead wire
32
through insertion notches
12
. When screw portion
17
of each terminal
15
is tightened toward screw hole
16
in terminal plate
14
, a bottom surface of collar
18
and a top surface of terminal plate
14
sandwich lead wire
32
for electrical contact. A banana plug (not shown) may be inserted into a terminal body
59
′, contained within terminal
15
, having a plug insertion opening
26
and a plug connection portion
23
, for electrical connection. More than one lead wire may be captured this way, and connected to a connector inserted into plug connection portion
23
and/or terminal portion
22
.
Referring additionally to
FIGS. 5 and 6
, insertion holes
20
permit insertion of one or more press-in lock pieces
21
and terminal portions
22
of terminal plate
14
to firmly fix terminal plate
14
to insulative circuit board
10
. In
FIG. 5
, bulged portions
31
expand beyond an outside diameter of screw portion
17
, thus preventing disengagement. In
FIG. 6
, terminal portions
22
may be of different lengths and each respective bends
33
of different curvature radius.
Conventional terminal connectors create several manufacturing difficulties. First, it is difficult to automate the step of integrating terminal plate
14
, with press-in lock pieces and terminal portions
22
, into insulative circuit board
10
. The extremities of terminal portions
22
require insertion in conformity with the curves on bends
33
from above the cylindrical portion
11
. Additionally, printed circuit board
34
may have terminal plates
14
with different length terminal portions
22
, depending upon production requirements. This difference in length makes automated assemnbly difficult.
Second, the flattening step forming bulged portions
31
, described above, needs to be performed after terminal plates
14
and terminals
15
are installed into insulative circuit board
10
. As a result, performing the flattening step, during sub-assembly of terminal
15
, is inconvenient and increases manufacturing time and cost.
Third, during the assembly of conventional terminal connectors
100
′ in general and during the flattening step of bulged portions
31
specifically, damage can occur to exposed terminal portions
22
. As a result, manufacturing waste and costs are increased.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal connector where automated assembly of multiple terminal plates into an insulative circuit board is easy.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a terminal connector which eliminates the need for an after-assembly flattening step while providing means for preventing the terminals from falling off or disconnecting from the terminal plates.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a terminal connector having an improved assembly time and a lower defect rate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a terminal connector with reduced size and smaller footprint.
An insulative circuit board receives a forged terminal and a simplified terminal plate inserted through a through hole and guided by insertion slots, to form a terminal connector. The terminal plate firmly fixes to the insulative circuit board by locking into integrally formed locking steps. The terminal is retained by the snap-in terminal plate and preventive means formed integrally with the circuit board. Preventive means prevents unexpected disassembly when the terminal and the terminal plate lose threaded engagement and eliminates the need for after-integration processing. A guiding means, formed integrally with the terminal, guides the terminal into threaded engagement with the terminal plate when the terminal and the terminal plate lose threaded contact. Guiding means also prevents damage to a terminal plate screw hole and speeds assembly.
According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided, a terminal connector comprising: a circuit board having a top and bottom face, a terminal plate attached to the circuit board, a terminal having a screw portion engaged in a screw hole formed in the terminal plate, the circuit board having a through hole, into which the terminal is inserted from the bottom face, to which the terminal plate is attached as well, and means for preventing the terminal from separating from the terminal plate when the screw portion of the terminal and the screw hole in the terminal plate lose threaded engagement.
According to another embodiment of the pres
Mano Nobuyuki
Matsuda Takeshi
Morrison Law Firm
Patel Tulsidas
SMK Corporation
Webb Brian S.
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