Tape packaging system for electrical terminals

A tape and terminal package (30, 84) is disclosed wherein terminals (52, 86, 88) of different relative sizes are positioned on a carrier tape (32) so that each is a standard height (64) above the surface (66) of the tape and a crimping zone (58, 96, 98) of each terminal is a standard distance (68) from a datum (62) on the tape. A shim tape (76, 92) is arranged between the smaller terminals (52-2, 88) and the carrier tape (32) to position them to the standard height (64), each different terminal having a specific thickness shim tape (76, 92). In this way, two or more different tape and terminal packages (30, 94), each package having terminals of a different size or type than the other packages, can be accommodated by a single applicator tool (50) without modification or adjustment. Additionally, a tape and terminal package having terminals of different sizes or types on the same carrier tape may be accommodated by a single applicator tool.

The present invention relates to tape packaging systems for holding and 
positioning electrical terminals within a workstation in a tool for 
attaching the terminal to a conductor. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In the electrical industry, tools and machines that attach electrical 
terminals to conductors commonly accept carrier tape having the terminals 
attached thereto. Such tools and machines include a tape feed system that 
guides and feeds the tape so that the individual terminals are moved into 
position within a workstation where the crimping operation takes place. An 
example of such a carrier tape and terminals is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
There, a carrier tape 10 is shown having a plurality of electrical 
terminals 12 held in place by means of a cover tape 14 which is 
ultrasonically welded in place, at the points 16, in the usual manner. The 
carrier strip 10 includes a row of rectangular openings 18 along an edge 
20 thereof that are used for feeding the strip in a crimping apparatus. 
Each terminal has an axis 22 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal 
axis 24 of the carrier tape. The longitudinal axis 24, edge 20, or an edge 
26 of the openings 18 can serve as a datum from which the terminals 12 are 
accurately positioned on the carrier tape 10 so that when the tape is fed 
into the workstation, the crimping zone 28 of the terminal can be 
accurately positioned with respect to the crimping dies. Optionally, a 
layer of adhesive tape 30 may be placed between the cover tape 14 and the 
terminal 12, extending between the cover tape 14 and the surface of the 
carrier tape 10, as shown in FIG. 2, to aid in terminal retention. The 
tooling that receives the barrel end 32 of the terminal 12 includes a 
positioner that receives and aligns each terminal as it is fed into the 
workstation for crimping. Because a given tool must accommodate a range of 
different terminals, there must be a different positioner for each 
different terminal. Additionally, some terminals, such as wire nuts, 
splices, or wire connectors, have different external configurations for 
similar conductor sizes, requiring a different positioner for each. This 
requires that the tool be customized for each different terminal being 
used and becomes inconvenient when different terminals are constantly 
being terminated. A range of terminals, as used herein, is defined as a 
group of different terminals, each of which requires a different crimp 
height than the other terminals in the range, and wherein a single 
applicator tool can accommodate all of the terminals in the range. 
What is needed is a package system for electrical terminals that positions 
each terminal on the carrier tape so that its crimping zone is a standard 
distance from both the surface of the tape and from the datum. This would 
obviate the need for positioners and allow for different terminals to be 
packaged on the same tape for use sequentially in the same tool. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A package containing a plurality of electrical terminals is provided for 
holding and accurately positioning each of the terminals, in seriatim, 
both axially and laterally with respect to a workstation in a tool that 
electrically and mechanically attaches the terminal to a conductor. The 
package includes a carrier tape having a width, a length, a major surface, 
and a datum running along the length, and a cover tape attached to the 
major surface of the carrier tape, thereby forming a plurality of pockets 
along the major surface. A plurality of electrical terminals are provided, 
each of which includes a crimping barrel having a longitudinal centerline 
and a crimping zone. Each of the terminals is held in a respective one of 
the pockets so that its crimping zone is spaced a standardized distance 
from the datum. The plurality of terminals is taken from a range of 
different terminals. A shim tape is disposed between at least some of the 
terminals and the major surface of the carrier tape to position the 
terminals at a standard height above the surface of the carrier tape.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
There is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 a tape and terminal packaging 30 having a 
carrier tape 32 and a cover tape 34 that is arranged along an edge 36 of 
the carrier tape and held in place by ultrasonic welds 38 to form a 
plurality of pockets 40 along the length of the carrier tape, in the usual 
manner. A series of rectangular openings 42 are formed in the carrier tape 
32 adjacent to an edge 44 opposite the edge 36 for engagement by a feed 
mechanism in a crimping tool, schematically indicated at 50 in FIG. 3. 
Each pocket 40 contains a terminal 52, each including a barrel 54 having 
an axis 56 and a crimp zone 58, as best seen in FIG. 4. Edges 60 of the 
rectangular feed openings 42 define a datum 62 with reference to which the 
terminal 52 is accurately positioned. The axis or centerline 56 is 
longitudinally positioned along the tape in conformance with the 
requirements of the feed mechanism, is perpendicular to the datum 62, and 
is positioned a standard height 64 above a major surface 66 of the tape 
32. The crimping zone 58 is spaced from the datum 62 a predetermined 
standard distance 68. As shown in FIG. 3, the tool 50 includes four 
indentors 70 equally spaced about a center 72 of a workstation 74, where 
the crimping of the terminal 52 takes place. As the carrier tape 32 is fed 
to the left, as viewed in FIG. 3, the centerline 56, or terminal axis, 
becomes aligned with the center 72, and the crimp zone 58 becomes aligned 
with the indentors 70. This occurs because the height 64 and the distance 
68 are standardized for the particular tool 50 and for the tape and 
terminal package 30. The standard height 64 is controlled by providing a 
shim tape 76 of the desired thickness between the terminal 52 and the 
surface 66 of the carrier tape 32. As with prior art tape packaging 
systems, a layer of adhesive tape 78 is optionally disposed between the 
cover tape 34 and the terminal 52 to aid in terminal retention. 
Each tool 50 is designed to accommodate a range of several different 
terminals 52. For example, FIG. 5 depicts a hypothetical range of 
different terminals 52-1 through 52-5, each having its own carrier tape 
and terminal package 30, that can be accommodated by the tool 50. In this 
example, the largest terminal 52-1 is positioned directly on the surface 
66 of the carrier tape 32 while the other smaller diameter terminals 52-2 
through 52-5 have shim tape 76-1 through 76-4, respectively, disposed 
between the terminal and the surface 66. The shim tapes 76-1 through 76-4 
have different thicknesses which are selected to position their respective 
terminals 52-2 through 52-5 so that the respective terminal centers 56-2 
through 56-5 are spaced above the surface 66 of the carrier tape 32 by a 
dimension equal to the standard height 64, as shown in FIG. 5. This 
arrangement permits a carrier tape 32 containing a plurality of the 
terminals 52-5 to be processed by the tool 50 interchangeably with a 
carrier tape containing a plurality of the terminals 52-1, or with other 
carrier tapes 32 containing the other terminals in the range. Since the 
various carrier tape and terminal packages within the range are 
interchangeable in the tool 50, there is no need for additional 
positioning devices that engage the terminal and move it into the desired 
position, as with prior art tools and terminal packaging systems. 
During certain manufacturing operations it is necessary to work with 
different terminals in rapid succession. That is, a terminal of one size 
or type may be terminated to a conductor in a unit being manufactured, 
followed by the termination of another different terminal to a different 
conductor in the same unit. Rather than providing two of the tools 50, 
each with its own carrier tape and terminal package, a single package 
having the two terminals arranged thereon so as to permit termination by a 
single tool would be desirable. Such a tape and terminal package 84 is 
shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. There, a carrier tape 32 is shown having 
rectangular feed openings 42 therein. Two terminals 86 and 88 of different 
sizes are alternately arranged in the package 84. The larger terminal 86, 
as shown in FIG. 7, is positioned directly on the surface 66 of the 
carrier tape 32, while the smaller terminal 88 has its center or axis 90 
spaced above the surface 66 by an amount equal to the standard height 64. 
This spacing is effected by inserting a shim tape 92 of the correct 
thickness between the terminal 88 and the carrier tape 32, as shown in 
FIG. 7. In this example, an optional first layer of adhesive tape 94 is 
disposed over the terminal 86 to aid in terminal retention. The first 
layer 94 is between the shim tape 92 and the surface 66 of the carrier 
tape 32; therefore, its thickness must be considered when determining the 
desired thickness of the shim tape 92 to achieve the standard height 64 
for the terminal 88. A second layer of adhesive tape 95 is optionally 
disposed over both of the terminals 86 and 88, as shown in FIG. 7, and a 
final layer of cover tape 34 is arranged in place over the entire 
assembly. Ultrasonic welds 38 secure the cover tape 34 to the carrier tape 
32 on opposite sides of each terminal, as shown in FIG. 6. The terminals 
86 and 88 are positioned axially so that their crimp zones 96 and 98, 
respectively, will be in alignment with the indentors 70 when the tape and 
terminal package 84 is loaded into the tool 50 for use and the terminals 
are advanced into the workstation 74. The tape and terminal package 84 can 
be loaded into the tool 50 and used to alternately terminate the two 
terminals 86 and 88, in seriatim, to conductors, as required. The tape and 
terminal package 84 can be thought of as a kit of different terminals 
needed to complete a particular manufacturing operation. Other kits of 
different terminals are possible as well. For instance, some or all of the 
terminals 52-1 through 52-5 may be included on a single carrier tape 32 to 
form a kit having a desired combination of those terminals. An important 
requirement is that all of the different terminals on a single carrier 
tape must be from the same range of terminals. This will assure that all 
of the terminals on that carrier tape will be accepted by the tool 50. 
A method and apparatus for making the tape and terminal packages 30 and 84 
is schematically shown in FIG. 8. A carousel 104 is shown with two 
terminal supply magazines 106 and 108 arranged to feed the two sizes of 
terminals 86 and 88, respectively, into cavities 110 in the carousel. The 
carrier tape 32 is fed from a reel 112 onto the periphery of the carousel 
just upstream from the supply magazine 106. The two optional layers of 
adhesive tape 94, 95 are fed from an upstream reel 114 and a downstream 
reel 116, respectively, onto the carousel 104 on either side of the 
magazine 108. The shim 92 is fed from a reel 118 onto the carousel 104 
over the first layer of adhesive tape 94, upstream from the magazine 108. 
The cover tape 34 is fed from a reel 120 onto the carousel 104 over the 
second layer of adhesive tape 95. An ultrasonic welder 122 is arranged 
just downstream from the point where the cover tape 34 joins the carousel 
for providing the ultrasonic welds 38. In operation, as the carousel 104 
rotates, a large terminal 86 is injected, in turn, into every second 
cavity 110 in the periphery of the carousel in contact with the surface 66 
of the carrier tape 32. The first layer of adhesive tape 94 is applied 
onto the surface 66 and over the terminal 86, followed by the shim tape 
92. A small terminal 88 is injected into each vacant cavity 110, between 
the cavities containing the larger terminals 86. The second layer of 
adhesive tape 95 is then applied in contact with the shim 92 and over the 
terminals 88, and the cover tape 34 applied over the entire assembly. The 
cover tape 34 is then ultrasonically welded by the welder 122 and the tape 
and terminal package wound onto a takeup reel 124. This yields the tape 
and terminal package 84 shown in FIG. 7. To make the tape and terminal 
package shown in FIG. 3, the magazine 106 and the reel 114 of adhesive 
tape are disabled or removed from the system and the above procedure 
repeated without these elements. 
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above procedure 
may be modified to produce virtually any combination of terminals in a 
tape and terminal package to meet manufacturing requirements as long as 
all of the terminals are within the same range of terminals accepted by 
the tool 50. For example, using the terminals depicted in FIG. 5, a tape 
and terminal package may be produced having two terminals 52-1 followed by 
a terminal 52-5 followed by three terminals 52-3, this cycle being 
repeated any number of times as desired. To accomplish this the apparatus 
depicted in FIG. 8 would have to include a third magazine for the third 
terminal, a second reel of shim, and a third reel of adhesive tape, all 
being appropriately placed around the carousel 104. Any number of 
magazines and reels of shim and adhesive tape may be utilized in a similar 
manner to produce various combinations of tape and terminal packages. 
An important advantage of the present invention is that a single tool can 
be utilized to apply a variety of different terminals without the need for 
positioners within the tool. Additionally, kits of terminals of different 
sizes and types can be intermixed on the same carrier tape and processed 
by the same tool without adjustments or changes to the tool.