Electrical terminal

Claim 2

A unitary sheet metal terminal for wiping an overhanging conductor strip and a printed circuit into a cavity of a rigid support panel, comprising: a generally rectangular body portion having a central aperture, a pair of side pieces depending downwardly from opposite side edges of said body portion for engaging opposite side walls of the cavity, said pair of side pieces having first portions aligned with each other and the central aperture in said body portion, at least one of said side pieces having a second portion laterally offset from another of the side pieces, first spring arms extending upwardly from lower ends of said first portions toward said body portion and inwardly toward each other, said first spring arms having portions underlying said central aperture whereby said first spring arms are adapted to biasingly engage a male terminal inserted down through said central aperture, and a second spring arm extending from a lower end of said second portion, said second spring arm having a diverging portion extending upwardly toward said body portion and diverging away from said second portion to a location adjacent said other side piece whereby said last mentioned portion is adapted to wipe a flexible conductor strip overhanging a cavity down into the cavity and biasingly engage the same therein when the side pieces of the terminal are inserted into the cavity of said support panel for engagement with opposite side walls of the cavity.

Claim 3

The terminal as defined in claim 1 wherein said side pieces have upwardly facing retention edges spaced from said body portion for retaining the side pieces in the cavity of the support panel.

Claim 4

The terminal as defined in claim 1 further including an integral ferrule portion extending from said body portion for connecting a lead wire to the terminal.

Claim 5

A unitary sheet metal terminal for wiping an overhanging conductor strip end of a printed circuit into a cavity of a rigid support panel, comprising: a generally rectangular flat body portion having a central aperture, a pair of side pieces depending downwardly from opposite side edges of said body portion for engaging opposite side walls of the cavity, said pair of side pieces being laterally offset from each other to provide first portions aligned with each other and the central aperture in said body portion and second portions diagonally spaced from each other, first spring arms extending upwardly from lower ends of said first portions toward said body portion and inwardly toward each other, said first spring arms having portions underlying said central aperture whereby said first spring arms are adapted to biasingly engage a male terminal inserted down through said central aperture, and second spring arms extending from loweR ends of said second portions across a mid plane of the terminal, said second spring arms having diverging portions extending upwardly toward said body portion and diverging outwardly away from each other to locations outwardly of said side pieces when said second spring arms are in a free unflexed state whereby said diverging portions are adapted to wipe laterally offset flexible conductor strips overhanging a cavity down into the cavity and biasingly engage the same therein when the side pieces of the terminal are inserted into the cavity of said support panel for engagement with the opposite side walls of the cavity.

Claim 6

A unitary sheet metal terminal for wiping an overhanging conductor strip end of a printed circuit into a cavity of a rigid support panel, comprising: a generally rectangular flat body portion having a central aperture, a pair of side pieces depending downwardly from opposite side edges of said body portion for engaging opposite side walls of the cavity, said pair of side pieces being laterally offset from each other to provide first portions aligned with each other and the central aperture in said body portion and second portions diagonally spaced from each other, first spring arms extending upwardly from lower ends of said first portions toward said body portion and inwardly toward each other, said first spring arms having portions underlying said central aperture whereby said first spring arms are adapted to biasingly engage a male terminal inserted down through said central aperture, and second spring arms extending from loweR ends of said second portions across a mid plane of the terminal, said second spring arms having diverging portions extending upwardly toward said body portion and diverging outwardly away from each other to locations outwardly of said side pieces when said second spring arms are in a free unflexed state whereby said diverging portions are adapted to wipe laterally offset flexible conductor strips overhanging a cavity down into the cavity and biasingly engage the same therein when the side pieces of the terminal are inserted into the cavity of said support panel for engagement with the opposite side walls of the cavity.

Claim 7

The terminal as defined in claim 4 wherein said side pieces have apertures providing upwardly facing retention edges for engaging cooperative downwardly facing latch surfaces in the cavity of the support panel to retain said side pieces of the terminal therein.

Claim 8

The terminal as defined in claim 5 further including an integral ferrule portion extending from said body portion for connecting a lead wire to the terminal.

Claim 9

A unitary sheet metal terminal for securing a flexible printed circuit to a support panel which flexible printed circuit has a hole aligned with a cavity in the support panel and flexible conductor strips overhanging the cavity of the support panel, comprising: a generally rectangular flat body portion having a central aperture, a pair of planar, substantially parallel side pieces depending downwardly from opposite side edges of said body portion, said pair of side pieces being laterally offset from each other to provide first portions aligned with each other and the central aperture in said body portion and second portions diagonally spaced from each other. first spring arms extending upwardly from lower ends of said first portions toward said body portion and inwardly toward each other, said first spring arms having portions underlying said central aperture whereby said first spring arms are adapted to biasingly engage a male terminal inserted down through said central aperture, and second spring arms having substantially coplanar bridge portions extending from lower ends of said second portions across a mid plane of the terminal and diverging portions connected thereto by obtuse bends inward of said side pieces, said diverging portions extending upwardly from said bridge portions toward said body portion and diverging outwardly away from each other to locations outwardly of said side pieces when said second spring arms are in a free unflexed state whereby said diverging portions are adapted to wipe laterally offset flexible conductor strips overhanging a cavity down into the cavity and biasingly engage the same therein when the side pieces of the terminal are inserted into the cavity of said support panel and the aligned hole of said flexible printed circuit for engagement with the opposite side walls of the cavity, said planar side pieces having apertures providing retention edges for engaging cooperative upwardly facing latch surfaces in the cavity of the support panel to retain the planar side pieces therein.

Claim 10

A unitary sheet metal terminal for securing a flexible printed circuit to a support panel which flexible printed circuit has a hole aligned with a cavity in the support panel and flexible conductor strips overhanging the cavity of the support panel, comprising: a generally rectangular flat body portion having a central aperture, a pair of planar, substantially parallel side pieces depending downwardly from opposite side edges of said body portion, said pair of side pieces being laterally offset from each other to provide first portions aligned with each other and the central aperture in said body portion and second portions diagonally spaced from each other. first spring arms extending upwardly from lower ends of said first portions toward said body portion and inwardly toward each other, said first spring arms having portions underlying said central aperture whereby said first spring arms are adapted to biasingly engage a male terminal inserted down through said central aperture, and second spring arms having substantially coplanar bridge portions extending from lower ends of said second portions across a mid plane of the terminal and diverging portions connected thereto by obtuse bends inward of said side pieces, said diverging portions extending upwardly from said bridge portions toward said body portion and diverging outwardly away from each other to locations outwardly of said side pieces when said second spring arms are in a free unflexed state whereby said diverging portions are adapted to wipe laterally offset flexible conductor strips overhanging a cavity down into the cavity and biasingly engage the same therein when the side pieces of the terminal are inserted into the cavity of said support panel and the aligned hole of said flexible printed circuit for engagement with the opposite side walls of the cavity, said planar side pieces having apertures providing retention edges for engaging cooperative upwardly facing latch surfaces in the cavity of the support panel to retain the planar side pieces therein.

Claim 11

The terminal as defined in claim 7 further including an integral ferrule portion extending from said body portion for connecting a lead wire to the terminal.