A method of manufacturing a product and an intermediate product

Abstract: A method of producing products is proposed. Semi-finished products are supported between a pair of elongate, parallel carriers. Each semi-finished product is to be shaped by pressing it into a finished form. Each semi-finished product is connected to at least one of the carriers by a deformable element. Deformation of the deformable element allows the semi-finished product to approach or move away from that carrier. Thus, when the semi-finished product is shaped by pressing, deformation of the deformation element allows the semi-finished product to move relative to that carrier, so that unwanted tensions are relieved. Accordingly, the semi-finished product does not twist undesirably. The product may be an electric terminal.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a product. For example, the product may be an electric terminal, such as an electric terminal for use in a bulb socket. Description of the Prior Art Many products are manufactured by a mass production process in which sections of material are produced (e.g. by punching sheet material) in a predetermined size and shape. These semi-finished sections of material are then fed sequentially to a processing machine which transforms them (e.g. by bending and optionally also by cutting) into a predetermined form. One example of such a process is a procedure for manufacturing electric terminals. For example, one method of manufacturing terminals is disclosed in Laid-Open Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-366578. According to that method, a large number of rectangular plate-shaped semi-finished terminals are each connected at one end to a common carrier element, which is long and narrow. The terminals are parallel and supported by their end which is connected to the carrier. The terminals are sequentially fed into processing machines which cut and bend them by press working or the like. As a result, terminals having a predetermined shape are obtained. Then, the terminals are cut from the carrier. Since in this method each semi-finished terminal projects from one side of the carrier, with one end of each terminal supported by the carrier, the method has a problem that the orientation and position of each semi-finished terminal is unstable while it is being fed into the processing machines. One can envisage a modification of the above method in which a pair of parallel spaced apart carriers are provided, and each semi-finished terminal is supported at both ends by connecting its two ends to respective carriers. Such a method is known from US-A-4,199,209. However, this method would have a major disadvantage. Namely, if a portion of the semi-finished terminal is deformed to become either convex or concave, the distance between its ends decreases, so the two carriers would be drawn towards the processing portion of the semi-finished terminal. However, the carriers are not easily deformed at this time, so instead the force would act on the semi-finished terminals themselves, and might twist or stretch them undesirably between the carriers. Furthermore, when the plate-shaped semi-finished terminal is subjected to press working, the semi-finished terminal elongates and becomes thinner. As a result an outward force would be produced which acts on both carriers. Since the carriers are not easily deformed at this time, the force would tend to compress the semi-finished terminal. Consequently, the semi-finished terminal might be deformed undesirably. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention addresses the problems described above. It is thus an object of the present invention to supply semi-finished products reliably to processing machines, in a form which reduces the risk of the semi-finished products being deformed. To address this object, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing products of predetermined shape by: providing a pair of carriers, a plurality of semi-finished products and for each semi-finished product at least one deformable element, the carriers being arranged in parallel, the semi-finished products being arranged between the carriers (e.g. parallel with each other), each of the semi-finished products being connected at two respective ends to the respective carrier, the connection of each semi-finished product to at least one of the carriers being by a said deformable element; and supplying said plurality of semi-finished products to a processing machine which subjects each said semi-finished product to bending processing to deform said semi-finished product into said predetermined shape; wherein during said bending processing the at least one deformable element of each said semi-finished product undergoes deformation, thereby to allow said semi-finished product to move relative to at least one of the carriers. Thus, when the semi-finished product is bent, the semi-finished product may approach or move away from one of the carriers. Accordingly, a change in the length of the semi-finished product can be compensated for by a deformation of the deformable element of that semi-finished product without generating a force on the semi-finished product sufficient to undesirably deform it. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the semi-finished product from being stretched and thus twisted, and also to prevent the semi-finished product from being compressed and thus undesirably deformed. Preferably, each semi-finished product is connected to one of the carriers by said respective deformable element, and to the other of the carriers by a motion-resisting element which resists motion of the semi-finished product relative to that other carrier. Since the deformable element is formed at only one end of the semi-finished product, when the deformable element is deformed the semi-finished product only moves relative to one of the carriers, i.e. the end of the product which is connected to the other carrier does not move relative to that other carrier. Accordingly, the semi-finished product remains at a constant position relative to the other carrier. Accordingly, the position of the semi-finished product can be maintained with sufficient precision. The pair of carriers, the plurality of semi-finished products and the deformable elements may be produced by a step of punching a section of sheet material (e.g. sheet metal) to a predetermined shape. The invention is particularly suitable for the production of a product which is an electric terminal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described, for the sake of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view showing a semi-finished terminal supported between a pair of carriers in a method according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view showing how the semi-finished terminal illustrated in Fig. 1 appears after it has been deformed into a terminal shape. Fig. 3A is an enlarged view of part of Fig. 1. Fig. 3B is an enlarged view of part of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view of the terminal of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the terminal. Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating how a terminal produced by the first embodiment can be used. Fig. 7 is another sectional view illustrating how a terminal produced by the first embodiment can be used. Fig. 8 is a front view of a deformable element used in a second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 9 is a front view of a deformable element used in a third embodiment of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. For the sake of illustration, the embodiment is described in relation to the production of an electric terminal, but all features of the embodiment are applicable to the production of a different product. As discussed below with reference to Figs. 6 and 7, a terminal 10 produced by the first embodiment is suitable for installation within a bulb socket B. The terminal 10 comprises upper and lower elastically deformable contact elements 16U and 16L, which in use are brought into contact with a contact element of a bulb (not shown), and a tab 13 to be connected with the terminal of a mating connector (not shown). As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the terminal 10 is installed in the bulb socket B by inserting it downwardly into the bulb socket, and a removal preventing element 14 of the terminal is engaged by a removal preventing element Ba of the bulb socket. When the terminal 10 has been installed in the bulb socket B, the upper and low elastic contact elements 16U and 16L are positioned inside a bulb-installing chamber Bb open towards the upper surface of the bulb socket B, and the tab 13 is positioned inside a fit-in chamber Bc open towards the lower surface of the bulb socket B. A portion of the inner wall of the chamber Bb which is a little upward of the removal preventing portion Ba, is formed with a tapered surface Bd. Thus a tapered portion 15 of the terminal 10 can be positioned on the tapered surface Bd such that the tapered portion 15 is in close contact with the tapered surface Bd. The portion of the socket a little upward from the tapered surface Bd is formed with a wide portion Be, and in use an upper base portion 12 of the terminal 10 is positioned in close contact with the wide portion Be. The configuration of a terminal will be described below with reference to Fig. 1, which shows a semi-finished terminal 10A, and Fig. 2 which shows how the semi-finished terminal illustrated in Fig. 1 appears after it has been subjected to bending processing to transform it into the predetermined terminal shape. A rectangular plate-shaped semi-finished terminal 10A, connected to a pair of carriers CU and CL, is formed in a desired shape from sheet metal by press working. The semi-finished terminal 10A and the carriers CU and CL are substantially in one plane. Then, the semi-finished terminal 10A is shaped into a predetermined shape by press working, cutting, and bending. Finally, the semi-finished terminal 10A is cut off the carriers CU and CL to form the terminal 10. The semi-finished terminal 10A comprises a lower base portion 11 kept flush with the lower carrier CL in the manufacturing process, an upper base portion 12 continuous with the lower base portion 11 and positioned upward (as viewed in Fig.1) from the lower base portion 11, and a tab 13 extending downward from the lower end of the lower base portion 11. Turning now to Fig. 2, after the bending processing, the removal preventing element 14 is bent backwardly (i.e. in the direction into the page of Fig. 2) from the lower base portion 11 by cutting and bending a portion thereof. The upper base portion 12 is so shaped that it inclines backwardly from the lower base portion 11. A tapered portion 15 is interposed between the lower base portion 11 and the upper base portion 12. A curved upper elastic contact element 16U is formed by cutting and bending a portion of the upper base portion 12 frontwardly and folding a portion of the upper base portion 12 upward. A portion of the upper base portion 12 and a portion of the tapered portion 15 are cut and bent downward and frontwardly to form the lower elastic contact element 16L. A leg portion 17 extends downward toward the right front side continuously from the lower end of the lower base portion 11. A portion extending downward from the lower end of the leg portion 17 is formed into a tab 13 by folding its right and left edges forward (i.e. out of the plane of Fig. 2). The means for manufacturing the terminal 10 will be described below. As described above, a large number of semi-finished terminals 10A, integral with (e.g. formed as a one-piece unit with) the pair of upper and lower carriers CU and CL, are produced in a predetermined shape by punching a sheet of metal material. All the semi-finished terminals 10A are flush with one another over their surface. Then, the semi-finished terminals 10A are sequentially supplied to processing machines, such as a pressing machine (not shown), using pilot holes Ca and Cb formed on the upper and lower carriers CU and CL. The processing machines process the semi-finished terminals into a predetermined shape by pressing, cutting, and bending. After the semi-finished terminal 10A has been processed into the predetermined shape, it is referred to herein by the reference numeral 10. When all processing is completed, each terminal 10 is cut at cut-off positions 18 located at the upper end of the upper base portion 12 and at the lower end of the lower base portion 11 by a cutting mechanism (not shown), to separate the terminal 10 from the pair of upper and lower carriers CU and CL. In this manner, a finished terminal 10 is obtained as a separate product. When a semi-finished terminal 10A is connected to the pair of carriers CU and CL, the upper carrier CU is integral with (e.g. a one piece unit with) the upper end of an upper supporting portion 19U extending upward (as viewed on Fig. 1) from the uppermost right end of the upper base portion 12 of the semi-finished terminal 10A, and the lower carrier CL is integral with (e.g. a one-piece unit with) the lower end of a lower supporting portion 19L extending downward from the left end of the lower base portion 11. A deformable portion 20 is formed at the upper end of the upper supporting portion 19U. A pair of narrow branch portions 20a of the deformable portion 20 extend parallel to the upper carrier CU from the upper supporting portion 19U to the right and left sides, and both ends of both branch portions 20a are connected with the upper carrier CU. When an external force is applied downward to the upper supporting portion 19U such that the upper supporting portion 19U moves away from the upper carrier CU, the deformable element 20 is deformed from the state shown in Fig. 3A (in which it is parallel with the upper carrier CU), to the state shown in Fig. 3B (in which it is oblique to the upper carrier CU). Thus, the upper supporting portion 19U is displaced in a direction away from the upper carrier CU (i.e. downwardly on Fig. 1), without the upper supporting portion 19U being subjected to a concentration of stress and without it transmitting excess stress to the rest cf the semi-finished terminal. A motion-resisting element 21 is formed at the lower end of the lower supporting portion 19L. The motion-resisting element 21 extends to the right and left sides from the lower end of the lower supporting portion 19L and is rectangular and plate-shaped. When an external force is applied upward to the lower supporting portion 19L tending to displace the lower supporting portion 19L from the lower carrier CL, the motion-resisting element 21 is not deformed. Thus, the lower supporting portion 19L is prevented from moving away from the lower carrier CL, i.e upwardly on Fig. 1. A rectangular pilot hole Cb for feeding the semi-finished terminal 10A to an automatic machine is formed proximate the motion-resisting element 21. Because the motion-resisting element 21 (which is integral with the lower carrier CL) is not line-shaped but plate-shaped, it is not deformed. In processing the semi-finished terminal 10A , the lower carrier CL, the lower supporting portion 19L, and the lower base portion 11 are flush with one another from the start of the processing to its completion. On the other hand, the upper supporting portion 19U is bent in press working when the upper base portion 12 is displaced backwardly relatively to the lower base portion 11. In bending the upper base portion 12, the upper part of the upper supporting portion 19U is flush with the upper carrier CU as well as with the deformable element 20, whereas the lower part of the upper supporting portion 19U is flush with the upper base portion 12 and is displaced backwardly. When the semi-finished terminal 10A is processed by press working to make it convex and/or concave, a force acts on the upper and lower carriers CU and CL in the direction between them. A claw (not shown) engages the pilot holes Ca and Cb, thus preventing deformation of the upper and lower carriers CU and CL. Thus, all tensile force is transmitted to the semi-finished terminal 10A. If the semi-finished terminal 10A is elongated by the tensile force, the semi-finished terminal 10A may be twisted due to a non-uniform stress distribution in the semi-finished terminal 10A. In the embodiment, however, because the deformable element 20 is formed on the upper supporting portion 19U, the upper part of the semi-finished terminal 10A is displaced in the direction away from the upper carrier CU, with the deformable element 20 being deformed. Consequently, the tensile force acting on the semi-finished terminal 10A is relieved. Accordingly, undesirable elongation of the region of the semi-finished terminal 10A between the portion of the semi-finished terminal which is processed and the upper carrier CU, can be avoided. Thus, the semi-finished terminal 10A can be prevented from being twisted. Furthermore, because during processing the upper and lower ends of the semi-finished terminal 10A are supported by the upper and lower carriers CU and CL, the semi-finished terminal 10A can be held in a stable posture, compared with the prior art arrangement in which the semi-finished terminal is only supported by either an upper carrier or a lower carrier. Thus, the semi-finished terminal 10A can be processed with high accuracy. Because the motion-resisting element 21 is formed between the semi-finished terminal 10A and the lower carrier CL, the semi-finished terminal 10A remains at a constant position relative to the lower carrier CL. Accordingly, when the semi-finished terminal 10A is supplied to a processing machine using the pilot holes Ca and Cb, the semi-finished terminal 10A can be placed accurately in position, and thus processing can be accomplished with high precision. A second embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 8. In the second embodiment, the deformable element 22 has a construction different from that of the first embodiment. The other constituent parts of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment. Thus, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their operation and effect are not described below. The deformable element 22 of the second embodiment is constituted of a narrow zigzag portion 22a connected at its respective ends to the upper end of the upper supporting portion 19U and to the upper carrier CU. Deformation of the zigzag portion 22a allows the semi-finished terminal 10A to move away from the upper carrier CU. A third embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 9. In the third embodiment, the deformable element 23 has a construction different from that of the first and second embodiments. Other constituent parts of the third embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, and are denoted by the same reference numerals. The deformable element 23 of the third embodiment is constituted of a rhombic element 23a connected with the upper end of the upper supporting portion 19U and the upper carrier CU. Deformation of the rhombic element 23a allows the semi-finished terminal 10A to move away from the upper carrier CU. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above with reference to the drawings. Many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention herein described. For example, any of the following variations are included within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) Although in the embodiments illustrated a deformable element is formed only on the upper end of the semi-finished terminal, alternatively respective deformable elements may be formed on both the upper and lower ends of the semi-finished terminal. (2) Although the terminal is used in a bulb socket in the embodiments, the method of the present invention may be applied to terminals for other uses. (3) Each deformable element may be deformable in such a way as to allow the end of the semi-finished terminal to which it is connected to approach the respective carrier. (4) Although in the embodiments the product is an electric terminal, the invention is applicable to the production of a different product, such as a bus bar.

Claims: A method of manufacturing products (10) of predetermined shape by: providing a pair of carriers (CU, CL), a plurality of semi-finished products (10A) and for each semi-finished product at least one deformable element (20; 22; 23), the carriers (CU, CL) being arranged in parallel, the semi-finished products (10A) being arranged between the carriers (CU, CL), each of the semi-finished products (10A) being connected at two respective ends to the respective carrier (CU, CL), the connection of each semi-finished product to at least one of the carriers being by said at least one respective deformable element (20; 22; 23); and supplying said plurality of semi-finished products (10A) to a processing machine which subjects each said semi-finished product to bending processing to deform said semi-finished product into said predetermined shape; wherein during said bending processing the at least one deformable element (20; 22;23) of each said semi-finished product (10A) undergoes deformation, thereby to allow said semi-finished product to move relative to at least one of the carriers (CU). A method according to claim 1, wherein each semi-finished product is connected to one of said carriers (CU) by said deformable element (20; 22; 23), and to the other of said carriers (CL) by a motion-resisting element (21) which resists motion of the semi-finished product relative to said other carrier (CL). A method according to claim 2 in which the deformable element (20; 22; 23) is integral with said one of the carriers (CU), and the motion-resisting element (21) is integral with said other one of the carriers (CL). A method according to claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3 comprising a further step, after the processing device has processed the semi-finished products, of separating them from the carriers. A method according to any preceding claim in which the products are electric terminals. An intermediate product for use in a method of manufacturing products of predetermined shape, the intermediate product including a plurality of semi-finished products (10A) and a pair of carriers (CU, CL), the carriers (CU, CL) being arranged in parallel, the semi-finished products (10A) being arranged between the carriers, each of the semi-finished products (10A) being connected at two respective ends to a respective one of the carriers (CU, CL), characterised in that the connection between each product and at least one of the carriers is by a deformable element (20; 22; 23); whereby, upon supplying said plurality of semi-finished products to a processing machine which subjects each said semi-finished product to bending processing to deform said semi-finished product into said predetermined shape, deformation of the deformable elements (20; 22; 23) allows the respective semi-finished products to move relative to said at least one of the carriers (CU). An intermediate product according to claim 6 in which the products are electric terminals.

Inventors: TAKANASHI HITOSHI, TAKANASHI, HITOSHI, TAKANASHI, HITOSHI, C/O SUMITOMO WIRING SYST. LTD.
Applicants: SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: H01R43
IPC codes: H01R43