Foil Connector

Abstract

An electrical connector for engagement preferably with relatively thin conductive material comprising, in one embodiment, a pair of generally planar interengaging members matingly arranged in spaced, opposing relationship. Each of preferably a plurality of preferably tapered piercing members selectively disposed adjacent a first surface of at least one of said members is arranged to penetrate through thin conductive material interposed between said members and extend into and be deformed about an associated selectively proportioned transverse aperture in the mating member as said members are compressively urged against the intervening conductive material, to establish a secure connection therebetween. Each of the members may be provided with one or more extending portions for coupling the connector to a further conductor or support member. Other embodiments include a multiple of spaced, interengaging members similarly comprising selectively disposed transverse apertures and mating piercing members.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention is directed to the field of connectors and principally to a connecting device for thin conductive material.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Prior art connectors for electrical conductors or the like, generally comprised, in one form or another, a generally deformable ferrule portion adopted to be mechanically crimped about the end of a conductor inserted therein. With the advent of thin conductive material commonly known as foil conductor, and the increasing employment thereof in electrical wiring, a need for suitable means to effect a secure mechanical and electrical connection to such material was recognized. Attempts to provide an adequate connection to the foil-like material generally comprised joining by welding, brazing, or soldering, which methods often proved to be expensive, time consuming, and inconvenient, requiring relatively specialized and cumbersome equipment. Further, because of the fragile nature of the foil material, it was necessary to use extreme care in effecting the desired connection by such means, to prevent damage thereto. The various embodiments of toothed connectors developed for use with foil type material have generally been unsatisfactory because of the tendency of such connectors to merely pierce and mechanically damage the material while failing to provide adequate retention and protection adjacent the area of connection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention overcomes the problems and limitations noted above with respect to such prior art connecting means by providing a readily crimpable connector having interlocking piercing members and receiving apertures therefor suitably arranged to pierce and securely retain a portion of a foil material interposed between the members thereof while affording an effective means for intercoupling said members. The connector may be formed as a single folded member or as a series of interconnected spaced, generally planar members disposed in generally overlapping arrangement. Each of one or more foil-piercing members formed preferably as tapered protrusions extends outwardly from a surface of one member and is selectively proportioned for mating engagement with an associated transverse aperture in a mating member. Each member may be provided with a succession of alternating piercing members and apertures for engagement with a similar arrangement in the mating member. Each of the tapered protrusions may be appropriately modified to provide, for example, either a generally bifurcated terminating end or a spear-like extension to enhance the desired penetration of the foil material and the subsequent deformation of the free end of the piercing member adjacent its associated mating aperture. The mating members may be formed of any suitable material adapted for use with conductive material, which may include copper, aluminum, brass or the appropriate alloys thereof, or a combination of such materials.

In use, the mating members of the connector are disposed on either side of a portion of the foil material to which such connector is to be attached, and compressed thereagainst by interposing the members between the jaws of an appropriate tool. The free end of the piercing members are thus caused to penetrate the foil and enter into and partially extend beyond an associated transverse aperture in the mating member, thus contacting an immediately adjacent portion of the compressing tool and deforming about the opening adjacent thereto. The resultant deformation causes an expansion of said free end partially within the transverse passage, and partially adjacent the opening formed by the communication of said passage with the surface of said member remote from the foil engaging surface, to lockingly engage the mating members one to another while securely engaging the foil material therebetween. Upon the penetration of the piercing member therethrough, a portion of the foil material directly adjacent the piercing member is urged into the respective transverse passage and effectively sandwiched between the adjacent passage wall and piercing member surface, thus affording additional engagement thereat. The portion of the foil material extending beyond the transverse passage, after penetration, is caused to expand outwardly beneath the deformed piercing member end to additionally secure the foil material to the connector and improve the electrical connection therebetween. Each transverse passage may be suitably recessed to permit the free end of the piercing member to be at least partially deformed thereinto, thus providing a relatively smooth transition between said end and the adjacent connector surface. Further, the area surrounding the opening formed by the communication of the transverse passage with the foil engaging surface of the connector may be appropriately raised to provide increased pressure thereat. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved connector.

It is a further object of this invention to provide connecting means for relatively thin material.

It is another object of this invention to provide an electrical connector for foil conductors.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a mechanically crimpable connector having interengaging members.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a multielement connector for foil conductor material.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a connector having means arranged to pierce and securely retain foil conductor material between the members thereof.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a connector having disposed, on one member thereof, foil piercing means arranged to penetrate a foil conductor adjacent thereto and extend into and be deformed about a receiving passage in a mating member to interengagably lock said members about the foil conductor.

Other objects and features will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode contemplated for carrying it out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of still another embodiment of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention, as engaged about relatively thin material.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view, in section, of a piercing member and associated aperture of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention, including a foil conductor therebetween.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view, in section, of the elements of FIG. 5 after assembly.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view, in section, of another embodiment of a piercing member and associated aperture of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention, after assembly to a foil material.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view, in section, of a further embodiment of a portion of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view, in section, of the embodiment of FIG. 8 after assembly of the elements thereof to a foil material.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view, in section, of still another embodiment of a portion of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention, as assembled to a foil material.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are fragmentary side elevational views, in section, of still further embodiments of piercing members of a connector constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention.

Similar elements are given similar reference characters in each of the respective drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a connector 20 constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention. Connector 20 comprises, essentially, coupled first and second members 22 and 24, respectively, hingedly arranged in generally overlapping spaced relationship, substantially as shown. Piercing members 26 are disposed on a first surface 28 of member 22 and extend upwardly therefrom generally normal to surface 28. Each piercing member 26 is arranged for mating engagement with an associated aperture 30 extending between the first and second surfaces 32 and 34, respectively, of second member 24, as said members 22 and 24 are compressively urged together. Although shown as arranged in essentially aligned relationship, piercing members 26 may be disposed in selectively staggered or scattered arrangement adjacent surface 28, as desired. One or more additional piercing members 36 similar to member 26, may be provided adjacent the first surface 32 of member 24, each being arranged for engagement with an associated aperture 38 extending between the first and second surfaces, 28 and 39, respectively, of member 22. Piercing members 26 and 36 may be formed by lancing, as shown for example in FIG. 1, or by skiving or otherwise deforming the surface of either member 22 and 24, or, alternatively, by affixing said members to the surface by welding, brazing, soldering, or other commonly employed methods adaptable therefor. Each of the piercing members 26, 36 may be formed as a generally triangular element, substantially as shown in FIG. 1, or may be suitably modified to provide a generally bifurcated member as at 40 in FIG. 11, or a barbed-head configuration 42, as shown in FIG. 12, each being equally as effective for the use and purposes set forth herein. Each of the apertures 30 extending through connector member 24 may be provided with a recessed portion 43 adjacently disposed thereabout, to receive the subsequently deformed free end of an associated piercing member 26 in a manner more fully described below. It will be readily apparent that although apertures 30 are shown in FIG. 1 as generally rectangular in shape, other alternative configurations such as round or elliptical orifaces, for example, may be readily employed where convenient or desirable, without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the concepts herein disclosed. An extending portion such as ferrule 44 may be affixed to or extend contiguously outwardly from one or the other, or both, of connector members 22 and 24, although shown for convenience as extending from member 22, where it is desired to affix connector 20 to a further article not readily engageable within members 22 and 24. Where necessary or desirable, ferrule 44 may be readily replaced by other suitable extensions appropriately adapted for interengagement with, for example, mating terminals, other connectors, or support members.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 there are shown further embodiments of a connector 46, 48, respectively, constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention. Connector 46 of FIG. 2 comprises three selectively spaced generally overlapping members, 50, 52 and 54 each joined to an adjacent member preferably at one end to form a tail portion 56, which although not essential, may be apertured, as at 58, or otherwise configured, to provide a means for securing connector 46 to a further connector or support member (not shown). Each of the members 50, 52, 54 may be appropriately provided with piercing members such as 60 and/or transverse apertures such as 62 in such combination and arrangement as to provide one or more sets of mating elements, each set comprising a piercing member and a receiving aperture therefor. Each piercing member 60 is arranged for engagement with an associated aperture 62 as members 50, 52 and 54 are urged together. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that members 50, 52 and 54 may be conveniently co-joined in accordian-like fashion, where desired, the resulting structure being somewhat similar to that shown in FIG. 1, but differing, however, by the addition of a further member coupled to member 24 at the end thereof remote from the juncture between members 24 and 22. Further, one or more pair of members similar to members 22 and 24 of FIG. 1 may be co-joined thereto at the juncture of said members 22 and 24, providing a plurality of independently crimpable connector portions. Where necessary or desirable, at least one further member may be added to the connector 46 of FIG. 2 to provide a connector such as 48, as shown in FIG. 3, wherein the generally spaced overlapping members 64, 66, 68 and 70 are essentially duplicative of members 50, 52 and 54 of connector 46 and are similarly provided with mating piercing members and apertures, as described above with respect to connectors 20 and 46.

To more fully appreciate the concepts disclosed herein and at least one manner of use of the device of the instant invention, reference is now made to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 wherein, in FIG. 4, there is shown a connector 72 interengagedly disposed about, and joining, the respective ends 74 and 76 of a relatively thin material 78, 80 interposed within the members 82, 84 of connector 72. To effect the connection shown, the respective ends 74 and 76 of the material to be joined are placed between connector members 82 and 84 in butting contacting arrangement, substantially as shown, or overlapped, if so desired. A compressive force is then applied to said members, by means of an appropriately formed tool (not shown) to cause each of the piercing members 86 to penetrate through the adjacent material 78, 80 and enter its respective aperture 88. The interrelationship between members 82 and 84, piercing member 86 and its associated aperture 88, prior to penetration, is more clearly shown in FIG. 5. As may be seen in more detail in FIG. 6, a portion of the material 78 generally overlying the piercing member 86 prior to penetration is urged along with piercing member 86 into aperture 88, and thereby locked within the gap therebetween, as shown at 94 in FIG. 6. It should, of course, be readily apparent that the reference herein to material 78 applies equally as well to material 80. The end 96 of piercing member 86 extending beyond aperture 88 after penetration is caused to be enlargeably deformed in generally mushroom-like fashion upon its contact with the adjacent surface of the jaw of the compressive tool, or other similar device, (not shown) employed to close the connector members 82 and 84 upon the ends 74, 76 respectively of material 78, 80. The deformation of the free end 96 of piercing member 86 about the opening of passage 88 adjacent thereto further operates to intimately lock the connector members 82, 84 together while securing the ends 74, 76 of material 78, 80, respectively, therebetween. It should be understood that where there are more than two overlying, spaced connector members, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3, the free end of each of the piercing members of one connector member may be suitably arranged to extend through its mating aperture in the immediately adjacent connector member and impinge against the adjacent surface of the following connector member to effect the deformation thereof similar to that shown in FIG. 6. As is further seen in FIG. 6, a portion 98 of the material 78 urged through aperture 88 and extending therebeyond is caused to be forcibly displaced outwardly against the immediately adjacent recessed portion 90 of surface 92 of member 84 as end 96 of piercing member 86 is deformed thereagainst, advantageously providing additional contact area between the members 82 and 84 and the material 78 interposed therebetween. Where necessary or desirable, aperture 88 may be appropriately modified as shown, for example, in FIG. 10, wherein the aperture defining walls 100 are selectively inclined to more closely match the generally tapered contour of the mating piercing member 102, wherein, by the suitable proportioning of piercing member 102 and its mating aperture the portion 104 of material 78 adjacent piercing member 102 is effectively intimately wedged within the gap between piercing member 102 and the aperture wall 100, and is additionally caused to undergo a less severe bending than that resulting from the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Consequently, any tendency for the material 78 to fracture or tear adjacent the area of angular deformation indicated as at 106 in FIG. 10 is thereby appreciably reduced, thus advantageously maintaining a continuous area of contact between said material and the surfaces of the connector immediately adjacent the zone of penetration. The wiping action between the piercing member 102 and the adjacent surfaces 108 of material 78 upon penetration may be desirably increased by suitably serrating, or otherwise providing discontinuities on the surface of piercing member 102. Where necessary or desirable, a recessed portion such as 90 (FIG. 5) may be provided adjacent aperture 88 to, for example, accommodate the enlarged free end 96 of piercing member 86 (FIGS. 5 and 6) after deformation, thus conveniently effecting a relatively smooth transition between the piercing member end 96 and the surrounding connector surface. The recessed portion 90 may, of course, be eliminated, as shown, for example, in FIG. 7, the resulting configuration being useful in those applications where it may be desired that the resulting protrusion be disposed above the immediately adjacent connector member surface. Where further engagement between the opposing connector members 82, 84 and the material 78, 80 interposed therebetween is desired, a raised portion 110 (FIGS. 8 and 9) generally surrounding the piercing member receiving aperture 112 adjacent the opening thereof overlying material 78, 80 may be provided. As shown in FIG. 9, upon the closure of the opposing connector members 82, 84 about the material 78, the raised portion 110 is compressively urged against the immediately adjacent portion of material 78, thus providing additional engagement therebetween. It should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the various embodiments and arrangements described above and illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 12 may be readily employed in conjunction with any one of the connectors shown and described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will be further appreciated that although the device of the instant invention will find substantial use as a connector for foil conductor material or the like, its use is not limited thereby, the device being equally as applicable for use with either nonconductive or semiconductive materials where it is desired to effect merely a secure mechanical connector thereto.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privelege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A connection comprising: a connector having at least one first and second members, each having a first surface and a second surface, said first surfaces being arranged in generally spaced, opposing relationship to define an article receiving cavity therebetween; said second member having at least one first transverse aperture therethrough, extending between said first surface and said second surface thereof; a first recessed portion of substantially uniform depth completely surrounding said first transverse aperture adjacent the opening formed by the communication of said first transverse aperture and said second member second surface; a sheet of thin material situated between said first and said second members, and at least one first piercing means disposed adjacent said first member first surface and protruding outwardly therefrom generally normal to the plane thereof, said first piercing means being dimensionally proportioned to fit closely within said first transverse aperture, the height of said first piercing means being greater than the thickness of said second member, said first piercing means terminating in a free end aligned with an associated first transverse aperture , said first and second members being pressed together so that said first surfaces thereof are in intimate contact with said sheet of thin material at least said free end of said first piercing means penetrating said sheet of thin material and expansively laterally deformed within the area of said first recessed portion of said associated first transverse aperture to provide an enlarged head portion thereat seated in said first recessed portion and extending outwardly beyond the area defined by the communication of said associated first transverse aperture and said second member second surface to independently lock said first and said second members together intimately about said thin material.

2. A connection as defined in claim 1 wherein said first piercing means comprises a generally tapered member having its larger end disposed adjacent said first member first surface.

3. A connection as defined in claim 1 further comprising a raised shoulder portion surrounding said first transverse aperture adjacent the opening formed by the communication of said first transverse aperture and said second member first surface, said raised shoulder portion communicating generally with the base of an associated first piercing means upon the closure of said first and said second members, to further entrap a portion of such thin material therebetween.

4. A connection as defined in claim 1 further comprising an extending portion coupled to at least one of said first and second members for coupling said connector to a further article disposed adjacent thereto.