Patent Publication Number: US-6712650-B1

Title: Clamping structure for continuous terminal

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a clamping structure of continuous terminals, especially to a clamping structure that is in simple design and is easy for assembling so as to pressed and fixed the continuous terminals on clamping band for the convenience of bending or electroplating process. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The current production of elastic (continuous) terminal in nowadays has to choose adequate raw material first, then casting into several elastic terminals with solidary basement that could be bended and partly galvanized for further processing to attain the finished elastic (continuous) terminals. Although the traditional production procedures used popularly could gain better position effect in the processing procedure of bending and electroplating of terminal, these processing caused material wasting, and could not match cost saving purpose. The finished goods produced by such continuous casting method has following disadvantages: plating material were drawing and extending into longitudinal material which has better longitudinal elasticity; the finished goods produced by continuous casting method could only make used of transversal elasticity. 
     In the casting processing of continuous casting always caused twist, cricked due to unequal stressing pressure, especially refer to stressing longer and slimmer material (as per FIG.  12 ). Because the less elasticity and cracking after bending increase the possibility of producing defective connectors, and therefore could not meet the quality requirement in the market. 
     3. Furthermore, the continuous terminal in the current hubs always use whole wire gilt in a round reel, that is, cutting gold reel into needle-like pieces, and then combined with plastic shell into connector, although the good elasticity of gilt reel meet the market requirement, has following defectives: 
     3.1 lack of Solderability, flux needs to be added during the soldering process so that the pollution is caused. 
     3.2 unable to make selective galvanization, and result expensive cost of gilt. The longer and thicker the reel is, the higher cost will get; same as to the palladous reel. 
     3.3 unable to be automatic combined when cutting the reel into needle-like pieces. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a clamping structure for elastic terminals that is easy assembled and with securely alignment effect. 
     A further object is to provide a clamping structure for elastic terminals which is used in combination with at least one fixed clamping band and/or moveable clamping band so as to be applied to the alignment of the continuous terminals with general distance between two adjacent terminals or with short distance (high density). 
     A further object is to provide a clamping structure for elastic terminals which protects and fix the wires (terminals) during the electroplating and assembling process so as to avoid the deformation caused by the long distance between one end of wires and the clamping point. Especially when the distance between two adjacent terminals is too small to be assembled, the plastic housing can be formed by injection and disposed on the proper position of the wires alignment by clamping band. 
     A further object is to provide a clamping structure for elastic terminals that from one end of the round wires (terminals), extending towards to the other end for a certain distance, the wires are forging into ones with square cross-section that can be electroplated (gold-tin or others). Thus the cost is down and having better conductivity and soldering effect. 
     A further object is to provide a clamping structure for elastic terminals that is used in combination with a movable clamping band so as to enlarge or shorten the distance between two adjacent wires for two corresponding parts with different hole locations. 
     A further object is to provide a clamping structure for elastic terminals that the distances between two adjacent openings on the vertical wall of the holding band integrally with the fixing parts is different from that of the two adjacent fixing parts of the holding plate so that the bent wires can be used for changing distance between adjacent wires. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accomplishment of the above-mentioned object of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and its accompanying drawings which disclose illustrative an embodiment of the present invention, and are as follows: 
     FIG. 1 is an explosive view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an assembling view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the embodiment of the present invention being assembled with a movable clamping band; 
     FIG. 5 is a holding plate of an embodiment of the present invention in combination with a fixed clamping band; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment in FIG. 5; 
     FIGS. 6 A—A and  6  B—B are cross sectional views of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of a further embodiment in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial schematic drawing of a continuous terminal of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing of a further embodiment in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 11 A &amp; B are schematic drawings of a holding plate in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing of top view of punching continuous terminals of a prior art. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED 
     Refer to FIG.  1  &amp; FIG. 3, the present invention includes a holding plate  10  and wires  20 . The holding plate  10  is pressed to form a plurality of fixing parts  11  and a strip hole  12  formed by pressing on the middle of each fixing part  11  for accommodation and alignment of wires  20 . The side view of the fixing parts  11  is reverse U-shaped. For providing a plurality of wires  20  suitable mounting position, a gap  13  is predetermined between the two adjacent fixing part  11  so that the wires  20  can be fixed properly. A flat pressed stopper  21  is on one end of the wires  20  and the other stopper  21  is arranged on the position of certain distance extends from that end. The distance between the two stopper  21  equals to that of the strip hole  12  on the fixing part  11 . When the wires  20  are mounted into the strip holes  12 , the wires  20  are horizontally aligned by the two stoppers  21  being placed on two sides of the fixing part  11 . Furthermore, a projecting point  121  is pressed on the proper position of each of two inner sides of the strip hole  12  so as to align the wires  20  vertically. 
     Refer to the embodiments form FIG. 4 to FIG. 7, the holding plate  10  for fixing wires  20  can be pressed to various types and used in combination with at least one fixed clamping band  30  and/ or one moveable clamping band  40 . The side view of the fixed clamping band  30  and the moveable clamping band  40  is U-shaped with openings  31 ,  41  on the position vertically corresponding to the fixing parts  11 . 
     Refer to the embodiments in FIG.  5  &amp; FIG. 8, the holding plate  10  has a holding band  14  pressed integrally with the U-shaped fixing part  11  and keeps a certain distance therebetween. The side view of the holding band  14  is also U-shaped and having a plurality of openings  141  on the vertical side thereof, corresponding the fixing part  11 . 
     Refer to FIG. 6, wires  20  with round cross-section  23  is forged so as to form wires  20  part of round cross-section  23 , part of square cross-section  22 . Thus the condensability of the material of wire  20  is reformed so that the material is more durable and flexible. 
     The embodiments in FIG.  6  and FIG. 8 are applied according to different situations. For electroplating process of wires  20  with round cross-section  23 , the holding plate  10  and the fixed clamping band  30  are used to provide stable alignment and supporting. As to the moveable clamping band  40 , it is moveable according to the position of wires  20  need electroplating, as shown in FIG.  4  &amp; FIG. 7, so as to provide better alignment and supporting as well as yield rate. Thus the efficiency of automatic assembling of wires  20  is also improved. Moreover, when the square cross-section  22  of the wires  20  need to be electroplated, as shown in FIG. 8, just the predetermined contact part  24  is coated with gold partially. The flat surface of the square cross-section  22  of the wires  20  is electroplated with certain thickness, the contact area is enlarged so as to raise the conductivity, but also the cost is down due to optional coating Even the wires  20  with square cross-section  22  is bended, the stress is produced in horizontal and vertical direction so that the wires is easy to straighten. 
     Refer to FIG. 9, the distances between two adjacent openings  31  (or  41 ) on the vertical wall of the fixed clamping band  30  (or the moveable clamping band  40 ) can be different from that of the two adjacent fixing parts  11  of the holding plate  10 . When being applied, the positions of holes on the two corresponding parts are not always matching. Thus the distance between two adjacent wires  20  is adjusted by the special designed fixed clamping band  30  and/or the moveable clamping band  40  so as to meet user&#39;s requirements. 
     Refer to FIG. 10, if the distance between adjacent wires  20  is to small to assemble with a moveable clamping band  40 , a plastic housing  50  is formed by injection and disposed on the proper position of the end of the wires  20 . Thus is helpful for the alignment while being assembled. 
     Refer to FIGS. 11 A &amp; B, a further embodiment of the holding plate  10  is composed of two holding bands  15 ,  16  pressed integrally. The lateral side view of the holding bands  15 ,  16  is U-shaped. A plurality of openings  151 ,  161  is aligned horizontally on the vertical wall of the holding bands  15 ,  16  while the distance between two adjacent openings  151  is different from that between two adjacent openings  161 . In accordance with the above structure, the bent wires  20  are used for adjusting distance between adjacent wires. 
     According to the design of the present invention, a various types of the holding plates  10  are used in combination with at least one fixed clamping band  30  and/or one moveable clamping band  40 , as shown in FIG. 11 B. The design of wires  20  is also special. Thus the present invention has following features: 
     1. Firmly Fixed and Excellent Alignment Effect: 
     The fixed clamping band and the moveable clamping band disposed on wires not only provide supporting but also for better protection and all-around alignment. 
     2. Wild Application Range: 
     Four types /of fixed clamping bands and one corresponding moveable clamping band are punching and disposed on the proper position of the wires. The processing deformation of the wires due to far supporting of the fixed clamping band can be avoided. Thus the negative factor for electroplating is also eliminated. 
     3. Cost Down Dramatically and Wires With Better Mechanical Property: 
     The wires with round cross-section has the lowest cost and part thereof is punching and forging so as to form wires with square cross-section which has the same surface area with the original round wires. Thus the wires has the advantages of the round wires such as uniform stress, low cost of cast as well as the advantages of the square wires such as better mechanical property, elasticity, malleability, equal thickness of electroplating layer and better conductivity. Instead of the cost-consuming electroplating of conventional wires, various kind of wires is optionally coated with gold, or tin-lead. The quality of products is improved and the competitiveness is increased. 
     It should be noted that he above description and accompanying drawing are only used to illustrate some embodiment of the present invention, not intend to limit the scope thereof. Any modification of the embodiments should fall within the scope of the present invention.