Connector Terminals

This invention relates to electrical connector terminals and strips thereof, particularly for connecting a wire conductor to a conductor in a flexible film.

The invention features a strip of terminals formed from a single piece of sheet stock. The terminals have a clamp portion connected through a spring section to a base so that the clamp portion is positioned above the base and is pressed down and locked against the base to engage a tab of flexible sheet with a conductive surface.

Other features will be seen from the following description.

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a strip of terminals according to the invention.

FIG. 2 show in greater detail a terminal of the strip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the terminal of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows the terminal of FIGS. 2 and 3 connecting an electrically conductive wire to tab of flexible sheet with a conductive surface.

FIG. 5 shows the blank for an alternative design of a strip of terminals according to the invention.

The invention may be understood from the following description referring to the Figures.

Referring to FIG. 1, strip 10 of terminals 11 are formed from a single sheet 12 of sheet stock. The material of the sheet stock may advantageously be made of half hard brass (CA26000, tensile 57-67 KSI) 0.020 inches thick. Terminals 11 lie side by side along strip 10 connected by bridges 30. Referring to FIG. 2, terminal 11 includes base 13 with a generally rectangular boundary, spring section 14 extending from a first portion 15 of the boundary of base 13, clamp portion 16 extending from spring section 14 in a direction away from base 13, lock section 17 extending from second portion 18 of the boundary of base 13 opposite to boundary portion 15, and wire connection neck 19 extending from boundary 18 of base 13.

Referring to FIG. 3, spring section 14 is formed into a roll 20 curing up and back through an angle over 180 deg. and there is a backward bend 21 of about 90 deg. in base 13 near spring section 14 so that so that clamp portion 16 is positioned above and at an angle to base 13 with the angle opening away from spring section 14. Spring section 14 may advantageously include an aperture 23 to adjust its spring constant and admit a tab.

Lock section 17 is rolled up and back over base 13 sot hat its tip 22 provides a catch for clamp portion 16. Lock section 17 may advantageously be divided into portions 24 and 25 with wire connection neck 19 lying between the portions.

Wire connection neck 19 includes structure 26 for clamping a wire and structure 27 for clamping an insulating cover of a wire.

Base 13 includes a sharp protuberances 28 extending toward clamp portion 16, and clamp portion 16 includes rounded protuberances 29 extending toward base 13. Protuberances 28 and 29 are positioned so that when the terminal is clamped on a tab, protuberances 28 are staggered with respect to protuberances 29 rather than directly opposing one another. Depending on the structure of the tab, protuberances 28, 29 may advantageously be sharp or round in any combination.

In operation, strip 10 is processed through an assembly machine which detaches a terminal from the strip and clamps it onto the end of a wire, which may be part of a wiring harness. Then in a subsequent assembly operation the terminal is connected to a tab extending from a flexible sheet with conductive material on one surface such as are affixed to windows or mirrors to provide surface heating elements. The connection to the tab is made as shown particularly in FIG. 4 by inserting tab 31 extending from flexible sheet 32 through aperture 23 to a position between base 13 and clamp portion 16. Clamp portion 16 is then pressed down towards base 13 until its end 33 snaps under tip 22 of lock section 17. Because of the shape of the spring portion 14 and the bend 21, the clamp portion engages the tab with a rolling motion which does not scrape the tab surface, which in many cases is delicate. When the clamp portion is closed and locked under lock section 17, the staggered protuberances 28 and 29 force the tab into a serpentine shape as shown particularly in FIG. 4. This holds the tab securely in the terminal. The sharp protuberances 28 dig into the flexible sheet to hold it securely while the rounded protuberances contact the conductive surface without damaging it.

The tab may be disengaged from the terminal by inserting a tool in hole 34 and levering clamp portion 16 toward spring portion 14 to pry the end of clamp portion 16 out from under tip 22.

It will be understood that alternative layouts may be used to practice the invention. In particular the wire connection neck may attach to a boundary of the base that is adjacent to the spring portion. Strip 37 with terminals so designed is shown in FIG. 5. Terminals 35 are connected to runners 36 running lengthwise of strip 37 through bridge 38 extending from the wire connection neck 39 and by bridge 40 extending from base 41.