PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A FLAT CONNECTOR COMB WHICH CAN BE MOULDED INTO AN ENCLOSURE

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a flat connector comb (1) which can be moulded into an enclosure, according to which a group of interconnected flat connector combs (1) are punched out from a metal strip. Terminal ends (2) or terminal regions (2) are bent according to a desired configuration. The region (3) between the connector pins (5) and the terminal ends (2) is encapsulated with plastic (4), with the result that all the comb parts are stably fixed there with respect to one another. Connecting cross-pieces (6) between connector comb parts, which serve only for fixing the comb parts before encapsulation, are punched away.

Description: Process for producing a flat connector comb which, can be moulded into an enclosure The present invention relates to a process for producing a flat connector comb which can be moulded into an enclosure. According to a conventional process, a flat connector comb is produced by placing its component parts into an injection mould, where they are then encapsulated by injection moulding in order subsequently to form an all-in-one structure. In the case of this process, one disadvantage is that the placing of the component parts is a process step which requires much care and exact alignment of the parts with respect to one another. In addition to this there is the possibility that the component parts of a conductor comb have to be electrically connected to one another, for example by means of a soldered connection. These circumstances make the production process more complicated and therefore more laborious and expensive . The result is in this case dependent on the precision with which the process steps mentioned above can be carried out. The present invention is based on the object of significantly simplifying the production process of such a flat connector comb and at the same time further increasing the precision of the arrangement of its component parts. This object is achieved in the way specified in the claims. Preferred embodiments of the process according to the invention are claimed in the subclaims . The invention is explained in more detail by the description of an exemplary embodiment of the process according to the invention with reference to the drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a quadruple pre-encapsulation insert according to the present invention, Figure 2 shows a flat connector comb for which the process according to the invention is used, and Figures 3A to 3C show the encapsulated conductor comb . Figure 1 shows a quadruple pre-encapsulation insert, which has been punched out and individually separated from a metal strip. In this form, the pre- encapsulation insert is placed into the injection mould. Before this, bending operations are carried out on specific terminal lugs 2, as can be seen from Figure 2. Then the encapsulation of the region 3 between the connector pins 5 and the terminal ends 2 with plastic 4 takes place, with the result that then all the comb parts are stably fixed in relation to one another. Figures 3A and 3B show the central region 3 of the flat connector comb encapsulated with plastic. Figure 3B also shows that a tongue has been punched out from a terminal lug in the plastic-encapsulated part 4 and runs offset from but parallel to the other terminal lugs . This tongue 8 has at its end a stripping terminal lug. This leading out of the tongue 8 in a second plane parallel to the plane of the other flat connectors is a very space-saving design. In a final step, after encapsulating the central region of the flat connector comb, connecting cross- pieces 6, which have connected the flat connectors and fixed them in position with respect to one another, are punched away. Before bending, terminal ends and connector ends are coated with a conductivity-enhancing metal layer, for example gold. The base material of the flat connector comb is, for example, a CaSn 6 F 41 alloy. The cooling of the plastic-encapsulated central part of the flat connector comb is speeded up by providing windows of varying sizes through the plastic, where the configuration of the conductor track allows, in order to reduce the mass to be cooled. The process described above has the effect of saving process steps in the production of a flat connector comb and, in addition, of increasing the precision of the mutual arrangement of the individual comb elements with respect to one another.

Claims: Claims 1. Process for producing a flat connector comb (1) which can be moulded into an enclosure, according to which - a group of interconnected flat connector combs (1) are punched out from a metal strip, - terminal ends (2) or terminal regions (2) are bent according to a desired configuration, - the region (3) between the connector pins (5) and the terminal ends (2) is encapsulated with plastic (4), with the result that all the comb parts are stably fixed there with respect to one another, and - connecting cross-pieces (6) between connector comb parts, which serve only for fixing the comb parts before encapsulation, are punched away. 2. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that some of the terminal ends of the flat connector comb are bent upwards and some are bent downwards . 3. Process according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that, on the terminal side (2) , a forking (7) of two terminal lugs takes place by punching out a tongue (8) from the terminal blade, the tongue (8) being bent over in a step-shaped manner in the region where it is connected to the blade (9) , with the result that the tongue (8) runs parallel to but at a certain distance from the remaining terminal lug (2) and both terminal parts are partially encapsulated with plastic. 4. Process according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, before the bending of the terminal ends, a coating of the terminal ends and of the connector ends takes place. 5. Process according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metal strip (1) consists of CaSn s F 41 , the plug- in region being hard gold plated on both sides and the terminal region being partially nickel plated. 6. Process according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plastic-encapsulated (4) central part (3) has windows (10) at suitable locations for faster cooling of the mass of plastic. 7. Process according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the terminal ends is formed as a stripping terminal end.

Inventors: HERMANUTZ PAUL, HERMANUTZ, PAUL
Applicants: FRAMATOME CONNECTORS INT, HERMANUTZ PAUL, FRAMATOME CONNECTORS INTERNATIONAL, HERMANUTZ, PAUL
Application year: 1998
Main classification: H01R43
IPC codes: H01R43