Patent Publication Number: US-8979577-B2

Title: Bridging terminal

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to bridging terminals, and more particularly, to a bridging terminal helpful to increase the contacting area and contacting points, so as to improve electric conductivity, bonding strength and stability, while preventing elastic fatigue and premature failure. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It can be easily seen in an average electronic appliance that multiple transmission lines are used for signal transmission. For connecting electronic devices, transmission lines are collected at a terminal and such terminals of individual electronic devices are connected with each other, such that signals can be transmitted among these electronic devices. 
     Moreover, in the level of electronic devices, if it is appropriate, a bridging terminal may be provided for connecting (bridging) two terminals in order to, for example, create a short circuit between the two terminals. 
     An existing bridging terminal is a reversed-U shaped member formed by a single flexible conductive piece. When bridging two terminals, the bridging terminal provides a modest contacting area with the two terminals, resulting in unsatisfactory electric conductivity and poor bonding strength, which means that the bridging terminal and the two terminals are likely to come off from each other, and that the stability of the bridging terminal is compromised. 
     At last, to bridge the two terminals with an existing bridging terminal, a user has to exert force on the bridging terminal to make its pin portions deform so as to be allowed to engage with sockets on the two terminals. However, in the case where the users&#39; force is large to the extent that the bridging terminal has elastic fatigue (fatigue deformation), the bridging terminal will become unusable. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the present invention, a bridging terminal disclosed comprises a cap, a first flexible conductive piece, a second flexible conductive piece, a third flexible conductive piece and a fourth flexible conductive piece. 
     The cap has therein an assembling chamber. The first flexible conductive piece is a reversed-U shaped member that comprises a first connecting portion and at least two first pin portions. The first connecting portion serves to connect the at least two first pin portions. Each of the first pin portions has a front-left-outer facet and a front-right-outer facet jutting frontward, and further has a first flexible arch jutting backward. The front-left-outer facet and the front-right-outer facet are at two opposite ends of the first flexible arch. The second flexible conductive piece is a reversed-U shaped member that comprises a second connecting portion and at least two second pin portions. The second connecting portion serves to connect the at least two second pin portions. Each of the second pin portions has a first left-outer facet and a first right-outer facet, and also has a first slot. The third flexible conductive piece is a reversed-U shaped member that comprises a third connecting portion and at least two third pin portions. The third connecting portion serves to connect the at least two third pin portions. Each of the third pin portions comprises a second left-outer facet and a second right-outer facet, and also has a second slot. The fourth flexible conductive piece is a reversed-U shaped member that comprises a fourth connecting portion and at least two fourth pin portions. The fourth connecting portion serves to connect the at least two fourth pin portions. Each of the fourth pin portions has a rear-left-outer facet and a rear-right-outer facet jutting backward and further has a second flexible arch jutting frontward. The rear-left-outer facet and the rear-right-outer facet are at two opposite ends of the second flexible arch. 
     When the first flexible conductive piece, the second flexible conductive piece, the third flexible conductive piece and the fourth flexible conductive piece are aligned and piled together, the first connecting portions, the second connecting portions, the third connecting portions and the fourth connecting portions are correspondingly piled and combined in the assembling chamber. The at least two first pin portions, the at least two second pin portions, the at least two third pin portions and the at least two fourth pin portions are also correspondingly piled such that the first flexible arches are received in the first slots, and the second flexible arches are received in the second slots. 
     With the foregoing configuration, the disclosed bridging terminal can increase contacting area and contacting points, so as to improve electric conductivity, bonding strength and stability, while preventing elastic fatigue and premature failure. 
     The cap may have two opposite recessed portions for users&#39; easy holding. With the recessed portions, users can easily exert force on the cap, so as to hold and remove the bridging terminal. 
     The first slot may have a T-shaped cross-section. Similarly, the second slot may also have a T-shaped cross-section. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a cap and flexible conductive pieces. 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the flexible conductive pieces, taken from a front-to-back viewpoint. 
       FIG. 5  is another exploded view of the flexible conductive pieces, taken from a back-to-front viewpoint. 
       FIG. 6  is an applied view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Refer now to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , which are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, respectively. 
     As shown, the disclosed bridging terminal  1  comprises a cap  2 , a first flexible conductive piece  3 , a second flexible conductive piece  4 , a third flexible conductive piece  5  and a fourth flexible conductive piece  6 . 
     Now refer to  FIG. 3 , which is an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the cap and the flexible conductive pieces, and also refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the cap  2  comprises an assembling chamber  21 , such that the first flexible conductive piece  3 , the second flexible conductive piece  4 , the third flexible conductive piece  5  and the fourth flexible conductive piece  6  when piled together can be received in the assembling chamber  21  of the cap  2 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . The details of the components will be given below. 
     Now refer to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  together, which are exploded views of the flexible conductive pieces taken from a front-to-back viewpoint and from a back-to- front viewpoint, respectively. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the first flexible conductive piece  3  is a reversed-U shaped member that comprises a first connecting portion  31  and two first pin portions  32 . The first connecting portion  31  serves to connect the two first pin portions  32 . Each of the first pin portions  32  has a front-left-outer facet  321  and a front-right-outer facet  322  jutting frontward, and has a first flexible arch  323  jutting backward. The front-left-outer facet  321  and the front-right-outer facet  322  are at two opposite ends of the first flexible arch  323 . The second flexible conductive piece  4  is also a reversed-U shaped member that comprises a second connecting portion  41  and two second pin portions  42 . The second connecting portion  41  serves to connect the two second pin portions  42 . Each of the second pin portions  42  has a first left-outer facet  421  and a first right-outer facet  422 , and is formed with a first slot  423 . The third flexible conductive piece  5  is also a reversed-U shaped member that comprises a third connecting portion  51  and two third pin portions  52 . The third connecting portion  51  serves to connect the two third pin portions  52 . Each of the third pin portions  52  has a second left-outer facet  521  and a second right-outer facet  522 , and is formed with a second slot  523 . The fourth flexible conductive piece  6  is also a reversed-U shaped member that comprises a fourth connecting portion  61  and two fourth pin portions  62 . The fourth connecting portion  61  serves to connect the two fourth pin portions  62 . Each of the fourth pin portions  62  has a rear-left-outer facet  621  and a rear-right-outer facet  622  jutting backward, and has a second flexible arch  623  jutting frontward. The rear-left-outer facet  621  and the rear-right-outer facet  622  are at two opposite ends of the second flexible arch  623 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 5 , the first flexible conductive piece  3 , the second flexible conductive piece  4 , the third flexible conductive piece  5  and the fourth flexible conductive piece  6  are piled together. The first connecting portion  31 , the second connecting portion  41 , the third connecting portion  51  and the fourth connecting portion  61  are aligned so that they are stacked in the assembling chamber  21  of the cap  2 . The two first pin portions  32  of the first flexible conductive piece  3 , the two second pin portions  42  of the second flexible conductive piece  4 , the two third pin portions  52  of the third flexible conductive piece  5  and the two fourth pin portions  62  of the fourth flexible conductive piece  6  are correspondingly piled, respectively. At this time, the first flexible arches  323  of the first flexible conductive piece  3  are received in the first slots  423  of the second flexible conductive piece  4 , and the second flexible arches  623  of the fourth flexible conductive piece  6  are received in the second slots  523  of the third flexible conductive piece  5 . 
     Refer now to  FIG. 6 , which is an applied view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and also refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . 
     In use, for an instance where the bridging terminal  1  is to be inserted into a terminal rail  7  for creating a short circuit, the aligned and piled first pin portions  32  of the first flexible conductive piece  3 , the second pin portions  42  of the second flexible conductive piece  4 , the third pin portions  52  of the third flexible conductive piece  5  and the fourth pin portions  62  of the fourth flexible conductive piece  6  are inserted into an opening  71  of the terminal rail  7 . 
     At this time, as shown, the front-left-outer facets  321  and the front-right-outer facets  322  of the first pin portions  32  of the first flexible conductive piece  3 , the first left-outer facets  421  and the first right-outer facets  422  of the second pin portions  42  of the second flexible conductive piece  4 , the second left-outer facets  521  and the second right-outer facets  522  of the third pin portions  52  of the third flexible conductive piece  5 , and the rear-left-outer facets  621  and the rear-right-outer facets  622  of the fourth pin portions  62  of the fourth flexible conductive piece  6  come to abut against the terminal rail  7 . In other words, each pin portions of the bridging terminal  1  has totally eight contacting surfaces (the front-left-outer facet  321 , the front-right-outer facet  322 , the first left-outer facet  421 , the first right-outer facet  422 , the second left-outer facet  521 , the second right-outer facet  522 , the rear-left-outer facet  621  and the rear-right-outer facet  622 ) contacting with the terminal rail  7 . As such, the contacting area between each of the pin portions of the bridging terminal  1  and the terminal rail  7  is increased, thereby providing improved electric conductivity. 
     In addition, as shown, when the pin portions of the bridging terminal  1  (referring to the assembly of the first pin portions  32  of the first flexible conductive piece  3 , the second pin portions  42  of the second flexible conductive piece  4 , the third pin portions  52  of the third flexible conductive piece  5  and the fourth pin portions  62  of the fourth flexible conductive piece  6 ) are about to be inserted into the opening  71  of the terminal rail  7 , the pin portions of the bridging terminal  1  may perform deformation in four directions as indicated by A, B, C and D in  FIG. 6 . Thus, upon insertion of the pin portions of the bridging terminal  1  into the opening  71  of the terminal rail  7 , the bonding strength between the pin portions of the bridging terminal  1  and the wall of the opening  71  of the terminal rail  7  can be increased, securing the both from coming off from each other, so as to ensure firm combination and stability (such as reliable conductivity). 
     Furthermore, when the first flexible conductive piece  3 , the second flexible conductive piece  4 , the third flexible conductive piece  5  and the fourth flexible conductive piece  6  are piled together, the first flexible arches  323  of the first flexible conductive piece  3  are received in the first slots  423  of the second flexible conductive piece  4 , and the second flexible arches  623  of the fourth flexible conductive piece  6  are received in the second slots  523  of the third flexible conductive piece  5 . Thus, when the pin portions of the bridging terminal  1  is inserted into the opening  71  of the terminal rail  7  with the pin portions slight deformed to fit the opening  71 , the deformations in Directions C and D are allowed to happen in the designed intervals (i.e. the interval between each pair of the front-left-outer facet  321  and the front-right-outer facet  322  of the first flexible conductive piece  3 , and the interval between each pair of the rear-left-outer facet  621  and the rear-right-outer facet  622  of the fourth flexible conductive piece  6 ). Meanwhile, since the first flexible arches  323  are received in the first slots  423 , and the second flexible arches  623  are received in the second slots  523 , the bridging terminal  1  is protected from elastic fatigue(fatigue deformation) caused by excess external force, thereby being ensured with a long service life. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , in the present embodiment, the cap  2  has two opposite recessed portions  22 , for users&#39; easy holding. With the recessed portions  22 , users can easily exert force on the cap  2 , so as to hold and remove the bridging terminal  1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , in the present embodiment, the first slots  423  of the second flexible conductive piece  4  each have a T-shaped cross-section. Similarly, the second slots  523  of the third flexible conductive piece  5  also each have a T-shaped cross-section. Of course, the shape of the cross-section is not limited thereto. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is as shown. 
     The present embodiment is similar to the first preferred embodiment in terms of configuration, except that the bridging terminal  8  shown in  FIG. 7  has five pin portions on each flexible conductive piece. It is to be understood that the amount of the pin portions of the flexible conductive piece is subject to the practical needs (such as two as described in the first preferred embodiment, or three, or four, or five as shown in the second preferred embodiment, or six). This design can also provide the functions of the first preferred embodiment as stated above.