Patent Document

FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates broadly to a terminal for a compression connector, a terminal strip of interconnected terminals for compression connectors and a method for inserting a terminal into a compression connector housing. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Typically, a compression connector comprises one or more terminals disposed in a connector housing. During assembly of the connector, the terminals are typically inserted into the prefabricated housing. For assembly purposes, the terminal typically has a carrier for handling the terminal. In one design, the carrier is attached to the terminal at a solder tail portion as an extension thereof. The solder tail portion and the carrier are typically disposed at one end of the terminal and extends substantially perpendicular to a main body of the terminal. 
   After the terminal is inserted into the housing, the carrier is cut away or broken off from the solder tail portion. The solder tail portion may be susceptible to damages in the process of removing the carrier, which may adversely effect the soldering of the solder tail portion to a board on which the connector is mounted. 
   In another terminal design, the carrier is attached to the terminal at a retention area of the terminal. The retention area is typically disposed at a midpoint along the height of the terminal. In this design, again the carrier is typically arranged substantially perpendicular to the main body of the terminal. The carrier will be cut away or broken off from the retention area after the terminal is inserted into the housing. 
   For the above-mentioned terminal designs, portions of the terminal are thus at a relatively long distance from a plane of the carrier, in particular when the carrier is attached to the solder tail portion. Those portions of the terminal are therefore susceptible to bending during handling and processing. 
   These problems are particularly significant when the height of the terminal is large in comparison to a width (or depth) of the terminal, such as tall terminals used to reduce deflection for preventing excessive wiping during compression and to meet a final connector height. 
   Therefore, there is a need to provide a terminal designed to address at least one of the above-mentioned problems. 
   SUMMARY 
   According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal for a compression connector, the terminal comprising a solder portion comprising an elongate main body extending along a first direction and a solder tail formed at one end of the main body and extending substantially perpendicular to said first direction; and a supporting member attached to the main body of the solder portion and extending substantially in said first direction. 
   A transverse width of the terminal may be substantially equal to or smaller than a longitudinal length of the main body of the solder portion. 
   The terminal may further comprise a substantially U-shaped resilient portion having two substantially parallel legs joined by a transverse base, with one of said leg of the U connected to the main body of the solder portion at an opposite end of the main body of the solder portion compared to the solder tail and extending substantially perpendicular to said first direction. 
   The resilient portion may comprise a retention barb formed on said one leg for securing the terminal in a connector housing. 
   The terminal may further comprise an extension portion formed at the opposite end of the main body of the solder portion compared to the solder tail and extending substantially perpendicular to said first direction for facilitating pushing of the terminal into a connector housing. 
   The support member may be releasably connected to the main body of the solder portion. 
   The support member may be connected to the main body of the solder portion via a break line. 
   The support member may comprise a stem portion connected to a base portion, wherein the stem portion is connected to the main body of the solder portion. 
   The base portion may be connected to another base portion of another terminal, forming a terminal strip. 
   According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal strip of interconnected terminals for compression connectors, each terminal comprising a solder portion comprising an elongate main body extending along a first direction and a solder tail formed at one end of the main body and extending substantially perpendicular to said first direction; and a supporting member attached to the main body of the solder portion and extending substantially in said first direction. 
   According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for inserting a terminal into a compression connector housing, the terminal comprising a solder portion comprising an elongate main body extending along a first direction and a solder tail formed at one end of the main body and extending substantially perpendicular to said first direction, the method comprising aligning a supporting member attached to the main body of the solder portion and extending substantially in said first direction such that the first direction is substantially parallel to a side wall of the compression connector housing. 
   The method may further comprise pushing the terminal into the connector housing utilising an extension portion of the terminal formed at an opposite end of the main body of the solder portion compared to the solder tail and extending substantially perpendicular to said first direction. 
   The method may further comprise disconnecting the support member from the main body of the solder portion after insertion of the terminal into the connector housing. 
   The method may further comprise providing the terminals from a terminal strip of interconnected terminals. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the invention will be better understood and readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following written description, by way of example only, and in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a terminal in an example embodiment. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a terminal strip of interconnected terminals in an example embodiment. 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a compression connector in an example embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a terminal  100  in an example embodiment. The terminal  100  has a longitudinal axis  107  and a substantially U-shaped contact portion  102 , a substantially U-shaped mid portion  104 , a solder portion  106  and a carrier portion  108 . The contact portion has a pair of generally parallel legs  103  joined by a transverse base  105 . The legs  103  extend generally parallel to the axis  107 . The mid portion  104  has a pair of generally parallel legs  109  joined by a transverse base  111 . The legs  109  extend generally perpendicular to the axis  107 . 
   The solder portion  106  comprises an elongate main body  110  and a solder tail  112 . The solder tail  112  is formed at one end of the main body  110  and extends substantially perpendicularly from the main body  110  in the example embodiment. The carrier portion  108  is attached to the main body  110  and extends substantially in the direction of the main body  110 . The carrier portion  108  is releasably connected to the main body  110  via a break line  114 . 
   It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that arranging the carrier portion  108  substantially parallel to the main body  110  allows the terminal  100  to be handled more easily during processing, as fewer portions of the terminal  100  may be relatively far away from a plane of the carrier portion  108 . Thus, the terminal  100  advantageously is less susceptible to bending during handling. In the example embodiment, a dimension  113  of the terminal  100  perpendicular to the main body  110  of the solder portion  106  is substantially equal to or smaller than a length  115  of the main body  110 . The dimension  113  is the transverse width from the contact portion  102  to the extremity of the portion  104 . 
   The carrier portion  108  of the terminal  100  comprises a stem portion  116  connected to a base portion  118  in the example embodiment. The stem portion  116  is connected to the main body  110  of the solder portion  106 . The base portion  118  of the terminal  100  is connected to another base portion  118  of another terminal  100 , forming a terminal strip of terminals  100 . 
     FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a terminal strip  200  of interconnected terminals e.g.  100  in the example embodiment. The interconnected terminals e.g.  100  are arranged adjacent one another. A length of the terminal strip  200  can be wound around a reel (not shown) or a cartridge (not shown) for provision during production processes. 
   Referring back to  FIG. 1 , an extension portion  120  is formed at the opposite end of the main body  110  of the solder portion  106  compared to the solder tail  112 . The extension portion  120  extends perpendicularly from the main body  110  in the example embodiment. The extension portion  120  facilitates pushing of the terminal  100  into the connector housing (not shown) in the example embodiment. Details of the assembling of the terminal  100  and the connector housing (not shown) will be described below with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
   At the opposite end of the main body  110  of the solder portion  106  compared to the solder tail  112 , a leg  122  of the U-shaped mid portion  104  is connected to the main body  110 . The leg  122  of the mid portion  104  extends substantially perpendicularly from the main body  110  in the opposite direction compared to the solder tail  112  in the example embodiment. A leg  124  of the mid portion  104  is connected to a leg  126  of the contact portion  102 . The leg  124  of the mid portion  104  and  126  of the contact portion  102  are substantially perpendicular in the example embodiment. 
   The U-shaped mid portion  104  provides resilience to the contact portion  102  for accommodating compression when a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) (not shown) is pressed onto the contact portion  102 . A retention barb  128  is formed on the leg  122  of the mid portion  104  in the example embodiment. The retention barb  128  secures the terminal  100  in a connector housing (not shown) after the terminal  100  is inserted into the connector housing (not shown). 
     FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a compression connector  300  in the example embodiment. During assembly of the compression connector  300 , a terminal strip  200  of the interconnected terminals e.g.  100  are held near a connector housing  302  and aligned in front of respective cavities  304  (shown in the right side of  FIG. 3 ), with the longitudinal axis  107  substantially parallel to a side wall  301  of the connector housing  300 . A block  306  is used to push the terminals  100  into the housing  302  in the direction  308 . The block  306  presses against the extension portions  120  of each terminal  100  while the terminals  100  are pushed into the housing  302 . The retention barbs ( 128  of  FIG. 1 ) secure the terminals  100  in the housing  302  by engaging with sidewalls of the housing  302 . 
   After the terminals are inserted into the housing  302 , the carrier portions  108  are disconnected from the main body ( 110  of  FIG. 1 ) of the solder portion  106 . The carrier portions can be cut away or broken off from the main body  110  at the break line  114  in the example embodiment. 
   It can be seen that the cavities  304  are arranged in two rows along the housing  302 . The two rows of cavities  304  are arranged adjacent one another in the example embodiment. 
   The housing  302  further comprises four rectangular protrusions  310  at the base of the housing  302 . The protrusions  310  are utilised in mounting the connector  300  on the PCB (not shown) in the example embodiment. 
   It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. 
   For example, the terminal may be made from conductive materials including, but not limited to, copper alloy, phosphor bronze, and/or gold or tin plated materials. Further, the terminal can be manufactured using known methods including but not limited to e.g. cutting and press forming. 
   Furthermore, the housing may be made of high temperature engineering plastic and other non-conductive materials such as, but not limited to, generic engineering plastics, e.g. Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP). The housing can be manufactured using known methods including but not limited to e.g. casting and molding. 
   The shapes of the terminals and/or the housings are not limited to that shown in the example embodiments. Other shapes can be used in different embodiments, including differently shaped contact portions, mid portions, solder portions and carrier portions. 
   Further, it will be appreciated that the number of terminals per housing may be different in different embodiments.

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