US3617992A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Swaged card-edge contact and bus strip with integral contacts
Assignee: Elco Corp
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Filing: 1968-08-26
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Granted: 1971-11-02
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Expires: 1988-08-26
Abstract
Abstract The nose section of a printed circuit board connector stamped from a strip of metal has two different thicknesses achieved by progressively piercing a U-shaped hole in the strip to form a cantilevered lug oriented normal to the grain direction, and then swaging the lug to increase its width and reduce its thickness. The U-shaped hole provides clearance for the two dimensional growth of the lug resulting from the swaging operation without affecting the remainder of the strip which is then progressively pierced to form a cantilevered ear oriented in a direction parallel to the grain with the swaged lug supported on the free end of the ear. The cantilevered ear is then progressively bent along the line perpendicular to the grain to turn the lug so that it defines a surface perpendicular to the ear, thus establishing the wiping finger of the contact.
Inventors
- 👤 Herbert E Ruehlemann
- 👤 Peter Slobodzian
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 06:27
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/71; H01R12/72; H01R12/721; H01R31/00; H01R31/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
271 words
A printed circuit board contact stamped from a strip of metal and having a nose section connected to a tail section by a body section, said nose section comprising: a. a flat support arm of uniform thickness extending from said body section in a direction perpendicular to the grain of said metal strip, the portion thereof remote from said body section terminating in a free end; b. a generally flat connecting arm of uniform thickness equal to that of said support arm and having a first portion integral and coplanar with said remote portion of said support arm and a second portion adjacent said body section; c. a tab integral with and of the same thickness as said second portion of said connecting arm and bent out of the plane thereof along a bend-line perpendicular to the grain of said metal strip; and d. a wiping finger having a transition portion integral with said tab and a main portion extending away from said body section generally in the same direction as said support arm and terminating in a free end, said main portion having a curved surface perpendicular to the plane of said support arm; e. the main portion of said wiping finger being swaged to a thickness less than that of said connecting arm, and the transition portion of said wiping finger being swaged to have a thickness that decreases uniformly from the thickness of said tab to the thickness of the main portion of the wiping finger, whereby the physical properties of the wiping finger differ from the physical properties of the remainder of the connecting arm and tab.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
271 words
A printed circuit board contact stamped from a strip of metal and having a nose section connected to a tail section by a body section, said nose section comprising: a. a flat support arm of uniform thickness extending from said body section in a direction perpendicular to the grain of said metal strip, the portion thereof remote from said body section terminating in a free end; b. a generally flat connecting arm of uniform thickness equal to that of said support arm and having a first portion integral and coplanar with said remote portion of said support arm and a second portion adjacent said body section; c. a tab integral with and of the same thickness as said second portion of said connecting arm and bent out of the plane thereof along a bend-line perpendicular to the grain of said metal strip; and d. a wiping finger having a transition portion integral with said tab and a main portion extending away from said body section generally in the same direction as said support arm and terminating in a free end, said main portion having a curved surface perpendicular to the plane of said support arm; e. the main portion of said wiping finger being swaged to a thickness less than that of said connecting arm, and the transition portion of said wiping finger being swaged to have a thickness that decreases uniformly from the thickness of said tab to the thickness of the main portion of the wiping finger, whereby the physical properties of the wiping finger differ from the physical properties of the remainder of the connecting arm and tab.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The contact of claim 1 wherein the gradient of the thickness of said transition portion of said wiping finger is perpendicular to said grain direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The contact of claim 2 wherein said wiping finger has been swaged from a strip of metal integral with and of the same thickness as said tab.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
81 words
The contact of claim 2 wherein said connecting arm has a first portion spaced from and parallel to said support arm and a second portion angularly disposed relative to said first portion and extending away therefrom in a direction generally parallel to the direction of the grain but inclined out of the plane of said support arm so that the proJection of the body section of said contact substantially bisects the curved surface of said main portion of said wiping finger.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The contact of claim 4 wherein the angular disposition between the first and second portions of said connecting arm is 90*.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The contact of claim 5 wherein said second portion of said connecting arm is spaced from said body section.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
94 words
A contact according to claim 6 in combination with an insulating casing having a base with a pair of spaced vertical walls between which a printed circuit board can be received, said contact including means by which the tail section of the contact can be secured to the base, said sidewalls having aligned slots perpendicular to the plane of a printed circuit board when the latter is received between said walls and adapted to receive the body section of the contact, said support leg being contained within the slot in one of said walls.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A contact according to claim 2 wherein said tail section and substantially most of said body section are of a uniform thickness greater than that of said support leg.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
The contact of claim 8 wherein the thickness of the nose section has been reduced in relation to the thickness of the body and tail section by a milling operation, and said wiping finger has been swaged from a strip of metal integral with and of the same thickness as the tab.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
234 words
An elongated contact for a printed circuit board, said contact having been stamped from a strip of metal having a grain orientation in a predetermined direction, said contact having a nose section connected to a tail section by a body section, said nose section having been milled to a thickness less than that of said tail and body sections and comprising: a. flat arm means of uniform thickness extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said grain orientation direction; b. a curved wiping finger extending from said flat arm means and adapted to engage a printed circuit board and terminating in a free end remote from said flat arm means; c. said wiping finger having a portion adjacent said flat arm means which has been swaged to a thickness that decreases along a gradient from the thickness of said arm means in a direction toward said free end so that the thickness of said portion of said wiping finger decreases in a direction substantially perpendicular to said grain orientation direction, the rest of said wiping finger having a uniform thickness which is less than said arm means and being harder than said arm means and said body and tail sections, whereby the physical properties of said wiping finger differ from the physical properties of said arm means and the physical properties of said arm means differ from those of the remainder of said contact.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
234 words
An elongated contact for a printed circuit board, said contact having been stamped from a strip of metal having a grain orientation in a predetermined direction, said contact having a nose section connected to a tail section by a body section, said nose section having been milled to a thickness less than that of said tail and body sections and comprising: a. flat arm means of uniform thickness extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said grain orientation direction; b. a curved wiping finger extending from said flat arm means and adapted to engage a printed circuit board and terminating in a free end remote from said flat arm means; c. said wiping finger having a portion adjacent said flat arm means which has been swaged to a thickness that decreases along a gradient from the thickness of said arm means in a direction toward said free end so that the thickness of said portion of said wiping finger decreases in a direction substantially perpendicular to said grain orientation direction, the rest of said wiping finger having a uniform thickness which is less than said arm means and being harder than said arm means and said body and tail sections, whereby the physical properties of said wiping finger differ from the physical properties of said arm means and the physical properties of said arm means differ from those of the remainder of said contact.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
181 words
A bus bar having integral contacts for printed circuit boards said bus bar having been stamped from a metal strip having a lengthwise grain orientation comprising: a. an elongated flat strip defining a common body section; b. a plurality of spaced support arm means coplanar with said body section, but extending away from said body section in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of said strip; and c. a curved wiping finger on each of said spaced support arm means terminating in a free end emote from said support arm means and defining a curved surface perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the strip for tangentially engaging respective printed circuit boards oriented in spaced planes perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of said strip; d. each wiping finger having a portion swaged to a thickness that decreases, along a gradient, in a direction toward the free end of said wiping finger and perpendicular to the grain orientation of the metal, whereby the physical properties of the wiping fingers differ from the physical properties of the remainder of the bus bar contact.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
181 words
A bus bar having integral contacts for printed circuit boards said bus bar having been stamped from a metal strip having a lengthwise grain orientation comprising: a. an elongated flat strip defining a common body section; b. a plurality of spaced support arm means coplanar with said body section, but extending away from said body section in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of said strip; and c. a curved wiping finger on each of said spaced support arm means terminating in a free end emote from said support arm means and defining a curved surface perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the strip for tangentially engaging respective printed circuit boards oriented in spaced planes perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of said strip; d. each wiping finger having a portion swaged to a thickness that decreases, along a gradient, in a direction toward the free end of said wiping finger and perpendicular to the grain orientation of the metal, whereby the physical properties of the wiping fingers differ from the physical properties of the remainder of the bus bar contact.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-11-01 | 1975-05-03 | 1975-11-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-11-01 | 1979-05-03 | 1979-11-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-11-01 | 1983-05-03 | 1983-11-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |