Flag Type Electrical Terminal

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stamped and formed flag type electrical terminal comprising a contact portion, a pair of spaced apart support arms integral with and extending coplanarly from the contact portion, and a crimp portion extending between the ends of the support arms which have been bent substantially right-angularly of the contact portion. Elongation of the crimp portion as a result of crimping causes the bent end portions of the support arms to be further displaced one from the other, and is accommodated by deformation of the portions of the support arms adjacent the contact portion in opposite rotational directions about their respective axes to prevent deformation of the contact portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Stamped and formed flag type electrical terminals, having a crimp portion extending transversely of the axis of the contact portion, are commonly utilized. However, attempts to make small flag type terminals of very thin sheet metal wherein the crimp portion is mounted between the ends of a pair of spaced apart support arms extending from the contact member have not been generally successful. It has been found that two separate problems associated with crimping the terminal to a conductor have, in the first instance, dictated a minimum length for the support arms and, secondly, resulted in deformation of the pre-formed contact member to the extent that it would not properly receive a "mating" terminal.

Most flag type terminals heretofore utilized have the base of the crimp portion, the support arms, and the contact portion substantially coplanar and aligned. Therefore, when a crimping die is directed toward the crimp portions, the opening defined by the two support arms, the crimp portion, and the contact portion must have sufficient dimensions to receive the extended, leading structural portion of the crimping die. As a result, it has been found that the length of the support arms has been greater to accommodate the crimping die than would otherwise have been required.

Further, when the crimping die deforms the crimp portion to secure the conductor therein, it causes the crimp portion to be longitudinally elongated which, in turn, deforms the support arms. Heretofore, when utilizing substantially rigid support arms, there has also been accompanying deformation of the contact portion, which, with the close tolerances of small flag type terminals, has resulted in improper mating with the other terminal. Attempts to solve this problem by designing one support arm to be laterally deformed, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,431, have been successful but have not eliminated the requirement that the distance between the crimp portion and the contact portion be sufficient enough to allow for the insertion of the extended portion of the crimping die.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a stamped and formed flag type electrical terminal having a crimp portion mounted between the ends of a pair of spaced apart support arms extending from a contact member wherein the length of the support arms is not restricted by the dimensions of the crimping die being utilized to deform the crimp portion onto a conductor.

It is also an object to provide a terminal of the type described in which elongation of the crimp portion caused by crimping will result in deformation of the support arms without altering the contact portion.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become known by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention prior to installation on a conductor;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 as installed on a conductor;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the embodiment as seen along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the embodiment as seen along line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of typical installation equipment required for installation of the preferred terminal as supplied in strip form;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the preferred terminal positioned within the installation equipment;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the terminal in FIG. 6 as it is being installed on a conductor;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the embodiment as seen along line 8--8 in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the embodiment as seen along line 9--9 in FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, generally designated at 10, including a depending contact portion 12. A side plate 14 of the contact portion 12 has at its opposite sides 16 a pair of edge portions 18 which extend outwardly from the side plate 14 and reversely curl inwardly toward each other. Being of a resilient sheet metal material, the edge portions 18 will be displaced from the side plate 14 when a mating portion of another terminal (not shown) is inserted into the contact portion 12 to establish mechanical and electrical contact between the two terminals.

Integral with the contact portion 12 is a pair of substantially parallel, spaced apart support arms 20 and 22. The support arms 20 and 22 include respectively a first portion 24 and 26 extending substantially coplanarly from the side plate 14 of the contact portion 12 as shown in FIG. 3. A right angled bend 28 in each support arm 20 and 22 joins the first portions 24 and 26 respectively to a pair of second portions 30 and 32 of the support arms.

Integral with the support arms 20 and 22 is a crimp portion 34 which is adapted to receive a conductor to which the terminal 10 is to be secured. The crimp portion 34 includes a base plate 36 which extends coplanarly between the second portions 30 and 32 of the support arms. A pair of ears 38 which are deformed by crimping to retain the conductor extends upwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of the base plate 36. As illustrated, an insulation support 40 extends coaxially with the crimp portion 34 from the second portion 30 of the support arm 20 although extending from either support arm 20 or 22 results in the same basic configuration. The insulation support 40 includes ears 42 and 44 extending therefrom to be eventually deformed to encircle the insulation of a conductor and provide strain relief therefor.

As shown in FIG. 2, the disclosed terminal, generally designated at 10', has been secured to a conductor 46 having insulation 48. The crimp portion 34' has been crimped to the conductor 46 and the insulation support 40' has been deformed to retain the insulation 48 of the conductor 46. Deformation of the crimp portion 34' while crimping it to the conductor 46 has caused it to be elongated. Consequently, the elongation of the base plate 36' of the crimp portion 34' caused the second portions 30' and 32' of the supporting arms to be displaced one from the other. To accommodate for the displacement of the second portions 30' and 32', rotational forces indicated at the arrows A and B were respectively applied to the support arms 20' and 22'. As a result, the first portions 24' and 26' are rotationally deformed in opposite directions about their respective axes. As shown in FIG. 4 each of the first portions 24' and 26' are deformed but the form of the connector portion 12 is not altered. The contact portion 12 thereby retains its basic shape and therefore remains able after crimping to properly receive a mating portion of another terminal.

It is not infrequent for terminals of the type disclosed herein to be installed rapidly and automatically on the ends of conductors in large crimping machines. For this purpose, the terminals 10 are formed and remain joined one to another by a connecting portion 50 to provide a strip 52 of terminals 10 as shown in FIG. 5. The strip 52 including a plurality of terminals 10 is placed in a feed track 54. An opening 56 in an upper surface 58 of the feed track 54 receives the contact portion 12 of each terminal 10 in the strip 52. The opening 56 aligns the terminals 10 with an installation area 60 so that each terminal 10 in order along the strip 52 can be fed to the installation area to be installed on a conductor. A crimping die 62 and an associated anvil 64 are provided in the installation area 60 to crimp the crimp portion 34 to the condutor. Also included in the installation area 60 is a insulation support forming die 66 and an associated anvil 68 to form the insulation support 40 around the insulation of the conductor as it is being secured at the crimp portion 34. During installation, the dies 62 and 66 are simultaneously lowered toward the respective stationary anvils 64 and 68 to deform a properly positioned terminal and secure it to a conductor.

As shown in FIG. 6, a terminal 10 is positioned within the installation area 60 as it extends on a connecting portion 50 from the remainder of the strip 52 being held by the feed track 54. The crimp portion 34 is disposed on the anvil 64 below the crimping die 62 and the insulation support 40 is disposed on the anvil 68 beneath the insultation support forming die 66. A shear blade 70, also seen in FIG. 6, is associated with the dies 62 and 66 and is disposed above the connecting portion 50 by which the terminal 10 is secured to the strip 52. As shown in FIG. 7, the dies 62 and 66 and the shear blade 70 have been lowered to install the terminal 10' on the conductor 46 and the insulation 48 which had previously been positioned in the installation area 60. The shear blade 70 causes the connecting portion 50 to be severed at a forward shear plate 72 and at a rear shear plate 74 respectively adjacent to the anvil 64 and the feed track 54 to release the installed terminal 10' from the strip 52.

As best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 which provide another view of the installation, the first portions 24 and 26 of the support arms and the side plate 14 of the contact portion 12 depend along the side of the anvil 64 when the crimp portion 34 is disposed thereon in alignment with the crimping die 62. The support arms 20 and 22 and contact portion 12 are thereby removed from the path of the extended support structure 76 of the crimping die 62 as it is lowered toward the terminal 10. A space 78 between the side of the anvil 64 and the terminal 10 is sufficient to allow for rapid automatic feeding of the terminals and since the arms 20' and 22' are to either side of the crimping die 62 when it is lowered for crimping, they are unrestricted and free to rotate as indicated at 80.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A stamped and formed flag type electrical terminal to be utilized in conjunction with a second terminal, comprising:

a contact portion having a side plate and formed to receive a mating portion of said second terminal and establish mechanical and electrical contact with said mating portion,

a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel support arms integral with said side plate, each of said support arms having a first portion extending substantially coplanarly from said side plate, each of said support arms having a second portion which is bent substantially right-angularly of said first portion,

a crimp portion having a base plate integral with said second portions and extending coplanarly therebetween,

each of said first portions of said support arms being deformable in a rotational direction about its axis whereby,

upon crimping said crimp portion to a conductor, said crimp portion is longitudinally extruded to further displace said second portions of said support arms one from the other and said first portions of said support arms are rotationally deformed in opposite directions to accommodate said extrusion without transmission of stress to said contact portion.

2. A terminal as set forth in claim 1, said side plate of said contact portion including at its opposite sides edge portions reversely curled inwardly toward each other.

3. A terminal as set forth in claim 1, said second portions of said support arms extending away from said contact portion.

4. A terminal as set forth in claim 1, said crimp portion being elongated, U-shaped.

5. A terminal as set forth in claim 1, including:

insulation support means extending from at least one of said second portions of said support arms and deformable to encircle the insulation of said conductor for supporting said insulation and providing strain relief for said conductor.

6. A stamped and formed flag type electrical terminal to be utilized in conjunction with a second terminal, comprising:

a contact portion formed to receive a mating portion of said second terminal, said contact portion including a side plate having at its opposite sides edge portions reversely curled inwardly toward each other to establish mechanical and electrical contact with said mating portion received by said contact portion,

a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel support arms integral with said side plate, each of said support arms having a first portion extending coplanarly from said side plate, each of said support arms having a second portion which is bent substantially right-angularly of said first portion and away from said contact portion,

an elongated, U-shaped crimp portion having a base plate integral with said second portions and extending coplanarly therebetween,

each of said first portions of said support arms being deformable in a rotational direction about its axis whereby,

upon crimping said crimp portion to a conductor, said crimp portion is longitudinally extruded to further displace said second portions of said support arms one from the other and said first portions of said support arms are rotationally deformed in opposite directions to accommodate said extrusion without transmission of stress to said contact portion.

7. A terminal as set forth in claim 6, including:

insulation support means extending from at least one of said second portions of said support arms and deformable to encircle the insulation of said conductor for supporting said insulation and providing strain relief for said conductor.

8. A stamped and formed flag type electrical terminal crimped to a conductor and to be utilized in conjunction with a second terminal, comprising:

a contact portion formed to receive a mating portion of said second terminal, said contact portion including a side plate having at its opposite side edge portions reversely curled inwardly toward each other to establish mechanical and electrical contact with said mating portion received by said contact portion,

a crimp portion being crimped to said conductor, said crimp portion including a base plate having at its opposite sides extended ear portions reversely curled inwardly toward each other and said base plate to enclose said conductor, said crimp portion being elongated as a result of said crimping,

a pair of spaced apart support arms integral with said side plate of said connector portion, each of said support arms having a first portion extending from said side plate, said first portions being rotationally deformed in opposite directions about their respective axes, each of said support arms having a second portion which is bent substantially right-angularly of said first portion and away from said contact portion, said second portions being integral with and displaced one from the other by said elongated base plate extending coplanarly therebetween whereby,

prior to said crimping of said crimp portion, said support arms had been substantially parallel, said first portions had been substantially coplanar, and said second portions had been substantially parallel and less displaced one from the other, accommodating said elongation of said crimp portion without having transmitted stress to or causing deformation of said contact portion.

9. A terminal as set forth in claim 8, including:

insulation support means extending from at least one of said second portions of said support arms and encircling the insulation of said conductor for supporting said insulation and providing strain relief for said conductor.