DE1915114A1 - Electrical contact element made of sheet metal - Google Patents

Description

Patent attorney

8000 MUNICH 71 (Solin)
Franz-Hals-Strasse 21

Telephone 796213

Münclien, March 24, 1969

AlCP 'Incorporated
Eisenhower Boulevard Harrisburg, Pennsylvania V. St. A.

Electrical contact element made of sheet metal priority; 2 ?. March 1968; v.ä.A .; No. 716 491

An electrical contact element, e.g. for use as a connector for the edges of printed circuits, can be produced in a simple manner by punching out of sheet metal material will. Such a contact element can be a main part have, from which at least one contact arm extends, which is in the same plane with the main part and has a contact surface, e.g. for contact with a printed Circuit board, the contact surface generally being formed by an edge of the die cut. It is a disadvantage of such contact elements that the contact surface area is determined by the thickness of the sheet metal material from which the contact element was punched out, so that, in particular in cases where the material is very thin, the contact surface area may be insufficient to manufacture a satisfactory electrical connection. In cases where the contact element is made of clad material the plating of the material is of no advantage in that the composition of the contact

9098 40/1189

Bayerische Vereinsbank Munich 820993

BATH ORIGINAL

area is affected because the contact area is cut off by a Edge of the material is formed. Although it has already been proposed to form the contact surface by having an edge of the arm at right angles to the Bends plane of the same, but the contact surface thus formed is arranged on one side of the plane of the arm, so that it is necessarily carried asymmetrically by the arm.

An electrical contact element made of sheet metal with a see from a main part of the contact element extending, substantially flat contact arm and with a contact portion formed in one piece with this with a Contact surface that is offset with respect to the plane of the arm is, is characterized according to the invention in that the contact portion with the arm by a pair at a distance from each other arranged brackets are connected, each of which has been twisted in a spiral shape by displacing the contact surface in such a way that it extends transversely to the plane of the arm, so that the bracket the contact portion firmly with respect to the Support arm.

A method for producing an electrical contact element made of sheet metal, wherein a piece of sheet metal material is punched out to form the contact arm and the main part, is characterized according to the invention in that the punched part has a slot which adjoins an edge of the arm generally in the longitudinal direction of the arm. extends and that a tapered metal punch is driven through the slot to move the portion of the die cut located between the slot and the edge of the arm so that it is substantially at right angles to the plane of the arm for the purpose of forming the Contact section it extends ''''"·'·'

909840/1 189

BATH ORIGINAL

AIvIP 2441

Since the -.- contact is cut across the "plane of the arm instead of on one side of this plane, so that the contact section is supported centrally by the brackets, the contact surface area can be large in the desired way, too then if the material from which the contact element is formed is, very "thin, without the contact portion of the Risk of being accidentally bent.

Embodiments of the invention are described below under Described with reference to the drawings. From the figures show:

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

characters d δ

a perspective view of an electrical. see contact element for a connector for the edges of printed circuits;

a partial perspective view, partly in section, of a connector for the edges printed circuits, the contact elements according to Figure 1 on v / eist;

an enlarged partial cross-sectional view, the connector of Figure 2 being located in a first printed circuit board, and cooperates with the second printed circuit board for the purpose of making contact;

an enlarged partial plan view of a Punched sheet metal for use in the manufacture of the contact element;

a further enlarged partial perspective view of a portion of the die cut according to FIG separating from the die cut;

an enlarged perspective view of a detail of FIG. 1, which is derived from that shown in FIG shown section of the die cut was produced; ■

partial sectional views showing the training of the die cut shown in Figure 5

909840/1189

BATH

to point to the shape shown in ii'igur 6;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view along the line IX-IX

of Figure 7; . "." '.

Figure 10 is a sectional view along the line X-X of Figure 7; .- '■■■

Figure 11 is a sectional view of an electrical connector; and

FIG. 12 a sectional view along the line XII-XII from FIG.

As Figure 1 shows, has a forked electrical contact element 2, which is stamped and formed from sheet metal was, a main part 4, from the opposite: sides extend contact arms 6 and 8, which with the section 4 cooperating parallel recesses 16 limit zen. I'm more central, essentially more U-shaped in section Mounting post 10 extends from section 4 in FIG the arms 6 and 8 in the opposite direction, with support legs 12 and 13 on each side of the pin 10 and in the same direction as this one from section 4 ken. In the middle of section 4 there is a punched out Locking tongue 18 protrudes. Arms 6 and 8 have raised, longitudinal ribs 20 serving for stiffening and tapered tips 24. Arched contact sections 25 are Arms 6 and 8 connected by means of spaced-apart brackets 28 and 30 to substantially semicircular. To limit mige openings 29, the bracket and contact sections are formed in one piece with the arms. The contact sections 25 form curved contact surfaces 26, which are curved towards each other and spaced from each other in order to have an edge of a printed between them Circuit board 54 (Figure 3) to be included. The bracket 28 and 30 are, as will be described in detail, by

9 0 9 8 4 0/1189

rotate work-hardened to rigidly support the contact portions 25 with respect to the arms 6 and 8. _1, as will be described later, the contact surfaces 26 were formed from surfaces of the sheet material which were originally in the plane of the arms 6 and 8, the surfaces 26 have a far larger contact area than would be the case if they were made from trimmed edges of the sheet material would have been formed in the usual manner.

As FIGS. 2 and 3 show, a row of contact elements 2 is arranged in a thin-walled insulating housing 32, which consists, for example, of synthetic plastic material or insulating paper. The generally channel-shaped housing 32 has a base 34 from which side walls 36 extend with inwardly projecting portions 38 which in turn are surmounted by obliquely outwardly directed portions 4-0 which have a mouth for receiving a printed circuit board 54 oxide ( Figure 3). The base 34 has parallel transverse openings 42 which are arranged at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction of the housing 32. The contact elements 2 are connected to the housing 32 by introducing them through the openings 44 until the tapered tips 24 of the Ar me protrude 6 and 8 through openings 44 in the portions 38 and until the locking tabs 18 of the portions 4 fixed to the inner surface abut the base 34 so that the contact elements 2 are fastened in the housing 32. The locking tabs 18 are rigid, with the base 34 flexible to allow the tabs 18 to enter through the openings 42. The contact elements serve to hold the side walls 36 of the housing 32 at a distance from one another, the housing in turn serving to support the contact elements 2 parallel to one another.

90 9 840/118 9

In use, the element of the contact en 2 and the Isoliergeliäuse 32 formed connector on a printed Nut retaining plate 46 attached "by the tenons 10 of the Contact elements 2 are inserted through holes 48 in panel 46 until the legs 12 and 14 with the surface (cf. Figure 3) contacting a panel 46, and by moving at 50 the end portions of the tenons 10 protruding from the lower (Figure 5) surface of the panel 46 with printed Soldered conductors 52 of panel 46. The daughter switch panel 54 can be inserted into the connector to form contact with the upper (Figure 3) edges of the sections 4 of the contact elements 2, so that the contact surfaces 26 of these elements come into contact with printed conductors 58 of panel 54, to electrically connect these conductors to conductors 52.

Referring now to Figures 4 to 10, manufacture will now be described of the contact elements 2 described. A strip of Thin sheet material is first stamped to form an elongated die cut, a portion of which is shown in FIG and from which a plurality of contact elements 2 are made can be. In Figure 4, different parts of the die cut have the same Reference numerals like the corresponding parts of the finished contact element 2, which of these sections of the Die-cut pieces are formed, but these same reference numerals are deleted, openings 29 'adjacent to the sections 25 'of the die cut, the latter being the contact sections 25 of the finished contact element should have the shape of slots formed with parallel sides instead of the semicircular shape of the openings 29 of the finished one Contacts1ementes.

First, the die cut is placed along "lines 57" to 59 in

9098Α07ΊΪ89

Figure 4- separated so that a section 55 (of which only one Part is shown) is separated from the die cut, since from this part a further contact element 2 can be formed target. Each of the sections 25 'lying in the plane of the separated part 55 is then shifted into a plane which is extends perpendicular to the plane of the die cut to form one of the contact portions 25; this can be achieved with a die 62 (Figures 7 and 8) having a generally semicircular shape Opening 64 for interaction with a punch 60 (FIGS. 7 to 10). A recess 65 at the in figures 7 and 8 left side of opening 6-4- is used to open the section 25 'to lead into its end position, as will be described in detail. A jig 67 isb provided, around part 55 'during this. Correctly positioned to keep. As "Figures 9" and 10 show, the stamp is 60 of generally semicircular cross-section and tapers by means of an inclined surface 66 to a point (Figure 7) ι which is dimensioned so that it is in the opening 29 'can penetrate. '' - ■

When the punch 60 from the position shown in Figure 7 * in the ge in Figure 8; Position is moved, the inclined surface 66 of the punch 60 acts against the left in FIG ^seen in Figure 5) adjacent to the plunger-receiving opening 29 'vri.rd exerted BEV / irkt that the portion 25' is moved to the left (Figure 7) and that the portions 28 'and 30' twisted in a spiral and somewhat elongated shape when the section 25 'is swung through an angle of 90 ° from the position shown in Figure 7 into the position shown in Figure 8. The lower left corner of the section 25' in Figure 8 lies

9098 40/11 8.9

BATH

AMP 2441 - 8 - 13151 Ί 4

finally in the recess 65, so that the section 25 is precisely positioned (see FIG. 8) in order to be perpendicular to the remaining part of the part 55 of the die cut and in im to extend substantially the same extent on each side of the central plane M of the part 55. The configuration of the perfect formed section 25 is best in Figure 6 to see.

As a result of the spiral-shaped twisting described above, the sections 28 'and 30', by means of which the section 25 'is connected to the arms 6 ¹ and 8' of the part 55, are work-hardened so that they form the finally shaped sections. 'Sections 25 can be supported without bending in relation to the arms 6 and 8 when the connector and the panel 5 ^ are connected to one another. During the mating operation, however, the arms 6 and 8 flex as units as the panel 54 advances so that a predetermined contact force acts against the panel 54 through the surfaces 26, the sections 25 being substantially unshaped.

A contact element designed as described above can; with a length of only about 1.524 cm and a material _: - - ,. thickness of 0.2OJ mm must be of sufficient strength and form a sufficient contact surface. .

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the losses due to waste in the production of the contact element only arise when the metal is punched out of the openings shown in the die cut. Substantial waste losses are avoided in the area of the sections 10 'of the die cut from which the pegs 10 are rolled up, namely by punching out the section 10 * of the die cut between the sections 25' when the pegs 10 of a contact element are formed is, with the sections- Z5

the sections 25 of a second Kont alct el ement form it should.

The contact elements described above are for use with printed circuit boards of considerable thickness, e.g. 1.27 mm, with the sections 25 being slightly less than this Strength apart. However, in cases where the contact elements are for use with far thinner panels or underlay bodies with a thickness of e.g. 0.508 mm or less are intended, it would not be possible to use the sections 10 "between the sections 25 ', as these sections necessarily have a distance of only about 0.581 mm or less from each other.

The contact elements 2 could be in a conventional solid insulating housing instead of being arranged in the housing 32. * In this case one of the arms 6 or 8 can be omitted when contact is to be made on only one side of a printed circuit board.

As the figures 11 and 12, two contact elements, arranged the same as described above so that they do not form overall a connector for the edges of a plug and (printed circuits. In Figures 11 and 12, the parts have the 1 to 3 and 6 have the same reference numerals as in Figures 1 to 3 and 6, but with a small "a" after the number In Figure 11, each contact element 2a is from the contact element 2 different in that the contact sections 25a of the contact element 2a have been shaped to a curved cross section following the forming process by means of the method described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 10, as shown in FIG.

9098AO / 1189

to "form surfaces 26a which are bent away from each other, to accommodate an electrical connector (not shown) between them, the contact surfaces 26a normally on their ends are in contact with one another, as FIG. 12 shows. The housing 32a, which is made of the same material as the housing J2 is of rectangular box shape instead of channel shape and has a pair of mouths 100 in its upper wall 101, each of which for "receiving a Connector (not shown) for insertion between the curved contact surfaces 26a that are aligned with the mouth 100 are, is determined. The two Kont act elements 2a are of-.

separated from each other by tabs 102 extending from base 34a of the housing 32a are bent up. The contact elements 2a are inserted and fixed in the housing 32a in the same way in which the contact elements 2 in the Housing J2 inserted and fixed in the same.

Patent claims: 909840/1189

Claims (1)

AMP 2441 - * * - Claims l.jAus sheet "existing electrical contact element with one extending from a main part of the contact element, substantially flat contact arm and with a contact gate formed in one piece with this with a contact surface which is relative to the plane of the Arm is displaced, - characterized by that the contact portion (25 or 25 a) with the Arm (8 or 8a) by a pair at a distance from each other, " ordered brackets (28 and 50; or 28a and JOa) connected each of which has been twisted spirally by displacing the contact surface (26 or 26a) so that it is extends transversely to the plane of the arm (8 or 8a), so that the Brackets (28 and 50; or 28a and 50a) the contact section (25 or 25a) firmly in relation to the arm (8 or 8a). 2. Electrical contact element according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact surface (26 or 26a) is bisected by the mid-plane (M) of the arm (8 or 8a). I. 5. Contact element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized characterized in that the contact surface (25) forms a curve which extends between the brackets (28 and 50) and in the longitudinal direction of the arm (8). 4. Contact element according to claim 5, characterized du r c h another same arm (6), the contact surfaces (26) of the two arms (6 and 8) in the 90 9 8 40/1189 BAD OBlGVNAL Arranged at a distance from each other and bent towards each other are designed to accommodate an edge of a printed circuit board between them. · · - · 5. Contact el ement according to claim 1, marked by a further equal arm (6a), the contact surface (26a) of each arm (6a and 8a) in the Cross-section is curved and wherein the arcs of curvature formed by the contact surfaces (26a) away from each other are bent to accommodate an electrical connector between themselves. 6. A method for producing a contact element according to claim 1, wherein a piece of sheet metal material is punched out to form the contact arm and the main part, characterized in that the punched part has a slot (29 ') which extends to an edge of the arm (8 ¹ ) adjoins and extends generally in the longitudinal direction of the arm (8 ¹ ), and that a tapered metal punch (60) is driven through the slot (29 ¹ ) in order to provide the space between the slot (29 ') and the edge of the arm (8 ¹ ) located portion (25 ¹ ) of the die cut so that it extends substantially at right angles to the plane of the arm (8 ¹ ) for the purpose of forming the contact portion (25). 7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the insertion of the punch (60) through the slot (29 ^f ) between the slot (29 *) and the edge of the arm (8 ¹ ). located section (25 ') of the die cut against a guide surface (65) drives so that the section (25 ^l ) of the die cut through the Pührungsflache (65) 909840/1189 - AMP 2441 - ^ r- is noted wherein .sich extends its plane (25 ¹⁾ substantially at right angles to the plane of the arm (8 ^1). 909840/1189