Electro formed electrical connector process

Claim 1

The method of forming electrical connectors comprising the steps of plating a mandrel, having the configuration of the desired contact shape with a given conductive material to a thickness providing structural integrity, said mandrel being of a material passive to the plating solution, placing a conductive member on the mandrel plating to extend away from the mandrel, and plating over the conductive member and mandrel plating to secure them together.

Claim 2

The method of forming electrical connectors comprising the steps of plating a mandrel, having the configuration of the desired contact shape with a given conductive material to a thickness providing structural integrity, said mandrel being of a material passive to the plating solution, placing a conductive member on the mandrel plating to extend away from the mandrel, and plating over the conductive member and mandrel plating to secure them together.

Claim 6

The method of forming electrical connectors comprising the steps of plating a mandrel having the configuration of the desired contact shape with given conductive material to a thickness providing structural integrity, said mandrel being of a material passive to the plating solution securing a further connector to the plating on the mandrel, molding plastic material about the plating while on the mandrel and a portion of the further connector to expose the free end of the connector and withdrawing the mandrel from the plating.

Claim 7

The method of forming electrical connectors comprising the steps of plating a mandrel having the configuration of the desired contact shape with given conductive material to a thickness providing structural integrity, said mandrel being of a material passive to the plating solution securing a further connector to the plating on the mandrel, molding plastic material about the plating while on the mandrel and a portion of the further connector to expose the free end of the connector and withdrawing the mandrel from the plating.

Claim 9

The method of making a connector assembly comprising an insulator block assembly containing plural metallic male terminals freely extending from one side thereof and a plurality of axially aligned cup-shaped female receptacles exposed on the opposite side of said block assembly, and each said receptacle respectively butt joined to a said respective male terminal comprising the steps of: providing a material passivated mandrel having plural conical protuberances freely extending from one planar surface thereof, forming plural cup-shaped self-sustaining receptacles on said mandrel by locally plating said protuberances to a sufficient thickness, molding insulator materials over and between said receptacles by using the unplated planar surface of the mandrel as a mold surface and solidifying said material, exposing the outer surface of the bottom of each cup by removing said insulator material to leave a substantially planar insulating surface opposite to the surface formed by the mandrel surface, removing the mandrel leaving the receptacle in said solidified material, forming another insulator with a plurality of male through terminals extending freely beyond one surface thereof and substantially flush with the opposite surface and each terminal arranged to coincide with the orientation of a respective cup bottom outer surface, butting the male terminal containing insulator and the female receptacle containing insulator with the exposed outer surface of the cup-shaped bottom of the receptacles in bonding relation with the respective terminal of the flush surface of the male insulator, and bonding the butted terminals and receptacles together.

Claim 10

The method of making a connector assembly comprising an insulator block assembly containing plural metallic male terminals freely extending from one side thereof and a plurality of axially aligned cup-shaped female receptacles exposed on the opposite side of said block assembly, and each said receptacle respectively butt joined to a said respective male terminal comprising the steps of: providing a material passivated mandrel having plural conical protuberances freely extending from one planar surface thereof, forming plural cup-shaped self-sustaining receptacles on said mandrel by locally plating said protuberances to a sufficient thickness, molding insulator materials over and between said receptacles by using the unplated planar surface of the mandrel as a mold surface and solidifying said material, exposing the outer surface of the bottom of each cup by removing said insulator material to leave a substantially planar insulating surface opposite to the surface formed by the mandrel surface, removing the mandrel leaving the receptacle in said solidified material, forming another insulator with a plurality of male through terminals extending freely beyond one surface thereof and substantially flush with the opposite surface and each terminal arranged to coincide with the orientation of a respective cup bottom outer surface, butting the male terminal containing insulator and the female receptacle containing insulator with the exposed outer surface of the cup-shaped bottom of the receptacles in bonding relation with the respective terminal of the flush surface of the male insulator, and bonding the butted terminals and receptacles together.