Electrical connectors – Including or for use with tape cable – Including connector housing surrounding cable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-19
2001-04-17
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with tape cable
Including connector housing surrounding cable
C439S874000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217373
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to electrical conductor connections and terminations and deals more particularly with an improved thin-film electrical termination and a method for terminating a thin-film electrical conductor.
In the electronic industry the term thin-film technology relates to several categories of product including, flexprint, membrane switches, touch pads, high density flat cable, sculptured flex circuits and integrated circuit components. Two forms of conductive materials are generally employed in these products, namely etched copper and electrically conductive ink containing a relatively high percentage silver. The etched copper offerings are generally an extension of printed circuit board technology and employ fine line copper traces having a thickness in the range of 0.001-0.002 inches. The silver ink-type products feature circuit paths printed or silk-screened on a substrate and having a thickness generally within the range of 0.0003-0.0007 inches.
The electrical termination of thin-film conductive members offer a wide range of product and process alternatives. The etched copper variety, being the more stable of the two options, is suitable for termination by several standard termination techniques including edge connection for printed circuit boards employing a stiffener or paddle board approach, soldering or welding including laser techniques, contact piercing type crimped terminations, and pressure or spring termination designs.
Where the conductive ink concept is employed methods of termination to other conductive media has been quite limited. Multiple contact pressure schemes have been proposed and employed particularly for direct connection to conventional printed circuit boards to facilitate traditional means of interface activity. A low density (0.050 inch or more contact spacing) MYLAR pierce/crimp terminal has been utilized which enables a pluggable interface to standard cable type conductors (stranded or solid wires). However, direct termination to stranded or solid conductive wires has heretofore not been feasible. This limitation coupled with new high density termination requirements has created a need for an improved means for termination to thin-film conductors of both etched copper and conductive ink-types. The present invention is concerned with the aforesaid problem.
Accordingly, it is the general aim of the present invention to provide an improved thin-film termination and method for terminating thin-film traces, particularly conductive ink traces, directly to conventional solid wire conductors. It is a further aim of the present invention to provide an improved, economical termination and termination method to facilitate low cost, high density termination of electrically conductive thin-film traces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention a thin-film electrical termination is formed within a terminal assembly which includes a cradle member having a top surface and an energy director cap having a bottom surface disposed in opposing relation to the top surface of the cradle member. The cradle member has a conductor receiving slot which opens upwardly through its top surface. An axially elongated electrical connector received within the slot includes an upwardly exposed axially extending electrical conducting portion. An associated portion of a circuit membrane disposed between the cradle member and the energy director cap has an electrically conductive trace thereon which includes a downwardly facing contact portion engaged with the upwardly exposed axially extending electrical conducting portion of the conductor within the slot. Connecting means extend through apertures formed in the membrane at opposite sides of the trace and integrally join to the top surface of the cradle member to the bottom surface of the energy director cap for maintaining the energy director cap in assembly with the cradle member with a portion of the membrane clamped therebetween and the contact portion of the trace in resilient bearing engagement with the upwardly facing axially extending electrical conducting portion of the electrical conductor, whereby the electrical conductor is maintained in electrically terminating relation to the electrically conductive trace. Energy directors provided on the top surface of the cradle member and on the bottom surface of the energy director cap are welded together within the circuit membrane apertures by the simultaneous application of pressure and high frequency vibratory energy to the cradle member and the energy director cap to form the terminal assembly within which the thin-film termination is formed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5134249 (1992-07-01), Adachi
patent: 5780774 (1998-07-01), Ichikawa et al.
patent: 5857259 (1999-01-01), Johnston
patent: 5906044 (1999-05-01), Fujii et al.
patent: 5962813 (1999-10-01), Shirako et al.
patent: 6135829 (2000-10-01), Johnston
McCormick, Paulding & Huber
Nguyen Son V.
Sircus Brian
The Wiremold Company
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