Method and apparatus for fabricating selectively plated electrical contacts
Abstract
Abstract A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEMBERS FROM A CONTINUOUS SHEET OR TAPE OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL,THE MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED WITH PRECISELY LOCATED PLATES WEAR AREAS ADAPTED TO ESTABLISH ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WITH A MATING CONTACT. APPARATUS IS PROVIDED FOR INDEXING THE TAPE WITH LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART LOCATING PILOTS, AND FOR COATING THE TAPE WITH A RESIST MATERIAL IN A MANNER TO DEFINE PRECISELY LOCATED NON-COATED AREAS THEREON, THE NON-COATED AREAS CORRESPONDING TO THE WEAR AREAS OF THE CONTACTS. THEREAFTER, THE TAPE IS SUBJECT TO A SELECTIVE PLATING PROCESS WHICH PLATES ONLY THE NON-COATED WEAR AREAS WITH A LAYER OF NOBLE METAL. CLEANING APPARATUS IS PROVIDED FOR REMOVING THE RESIST MATERIAL FROM THE TAPE, AND APPARATUS IS PROVIDED FOR PUNCHING AND FORMING THE CONTACTS FROM THE TAPE, THE APPARATUS BEING OPERATIVE TO PRECISELY FIX THE PLATED WEAR AREAS OF THE CONTACTS WITH RESPECT TO THE INDEXING PILOTS.. IN THIS MANNER, EACH OF THE CONTACTS FORMED IS PROVIDED WITH A PRECISELY LOCATED PLATE WEAR AREA.
Inventors
- 👤 R Healy
- 👤 R Hovey
Bibliographic Details
Claims Analysis
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