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US4085502A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Jumper cable

Assignee: Advanced Circuit Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1977-04-12
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Granted: 1978-04-25
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Expires: 1997-04-12
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Abstract

Abstract An electrical jumper cable comprising a plurality of spaced metallic conductors, each conductor having a flexible area and integrally formed rigid terminal ends, is provided. Starting with a metallic sheet having a thickness approximating that required for the conductor flexible areas, one or more mesas of thickness approximating that required for the terminal ends are formed on the edge regions of the sheet. The mesas may be formed by plating or casting so that the thickened edge regions are integral with the sheet central region. The resulting substrate is then chemically or mechanically milled so as to define the conductor patterns and terminal ends, and the metallic conductors laminated to flexible films so as to support and maintain the metallic conductors in spaced relation to one another.

Inventors

  • 👤 Barry I. Ostman
  • 👤 Joseph A. Roberts

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 18:57
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/40; H05K3/4092; H01; H01B; H01B7/00; H01B7/08; H01B7/0838; H05K1/00; H05K1/02; H05K1/11; H05K1/118; H05K3/36; H05K3/361; H05K3/363; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/03; H05K2201/0332; H05K2201/0388; H05K2201/0397; H05K2201/09; H05K2201/09209; H05K2201/09654; H05K2201/09736; H05K2201/10; H05K2201/10227; H05K2201/10356; H05K3/22; H05K3/28; H05K3/281; H05K3/30; H05K3/32; H05K3/34; H05K3/3447; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S439/00; Y10S439/93; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49124; Y10T29/49147; Y10T29/49149; Y10T29/49204; Y10T29/49224

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 108 words
A method of forming a jumper cable having a plurality of spaced metallic conductors, each of said conductors including a pair of spaced, relatively rigid ends, and at least one region of relative flexibility between said ends and integral therewith, said method comprising the steps of: (A) providing a flexible metallic sheet; (B) forming mesas of thickness approximating that desired for said rigid ends on edge regions of said sheet; (C) milling said sheet so as to define said conductors and integral ends; and (D) covering said spaced conductors at least in part with a flexible insulating material while maintaining said conductors in spaced relation to one another.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 108 words
A method of forming a jumper cable having a plurality of spaced metallic conductors, each of said conductors including a pair of spaced, relatively rigid ends, and at least one region of relative flexibility between said ends and integral therewith, said method comprising the steps of: (A) providing a flexible metallic sheet; (B) forming mesas of thickness approximating that desired for said rigid ends on edge regions of said sheet; (C) milling said sheet so as to define said conductors and integral ends; and (D) covering said spaced conductors at least in part with a flexible insulating material while maintaining said conductors in spaced relation to one another.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 34 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said sheet comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of copper and alloys in which copper is a major constituent, and said milling comprises chemical milling.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method according to claim 2 including the step of masking selected portions of said sheet so as to prevent chemical milling at said masked areas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 36 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein said metallic sheet materal comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of copper and alloys in which copper is a major constituent, and said milling comprises mechanical milling.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 39 words
A method according to claim 1 including the step of plating exposed portions of said ends so as to increase the thickness of said ends and therefore the relative rigidity thereof, and to improve electrical conductivity of said ends.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said mesas are formed by plating edge regions of said sheet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said mesas are formed by casting metal tabs onto edge regions of said sheet.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 118 words
A method of forming a jumper cable having a plurality of spaced metallic conductors, each of said conductors including a pair of spaced, relatively rigid terminal ends of a first thickness, and at least one region of relative flexibility of a second thickness between said ends and integral therewith, said method comprising the steps of: (A) providing a metallic sheet of said second thickness; (B) forming mesas of thickness approximating said first thickness on edge regions of said sheet; (C) milling said sheet so as to define said conductors and integral ends; and (D) laminating said conductors between a pair of flexible insulating films so as to support and maintain said conductors in spaced relation to one another.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 118 words
A method of forming a jumper cable having a plurality of spaced metallic conductors, each of said conductors including a pair of spaced, relatively rigid terminal ends of a first thickness, and at least one region of relative flexibility of a second thickness between said ends and integral therewith, said method comprising the steps of: (A) providing a metallic sheet of said second thickness; (B) forming mesas of thickness approximating said first thickness on edge regions of said sheet; (C) milling said sheet so as to define said conductors and integral ends; and (D) laminating said conductors between a pair of flexible insulating films so as to support and maintain said conductors in spaced relation to one another.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 16 words
A method according to claim 8 including the step of shaping the ends of said conductors.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 46 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein said spaced conductors are temporarily maintained in spaced relation by a border of said first thickness, and including the step of treating said sheet so as substantially simultaneously to remove said stabilizing border and to shape said terminal ends.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 12 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein said milling comprises mechanical milling.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 12 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein said milling comprises chemical milling.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method according to claim 12 including the step of masking selected portions of said sheet so as to prevent chemical milling at said masked areas.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 39 words
A method according to claim 8 including the step of plating exposed portions of said ends so as to increase the thickness of said ends and therefore the relative rigidity thereof, and to improve electrical conductivity of said ends.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2973502A Cited
US3079458A Cited
US3168617A Cited
US3264152A Cited
US3391246A Cited
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US3547718A Cited
US3808679A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1981-04-24 1981-10-24 1982-04-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1985-04-24 1985-10-24 1986-04-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1989-04-24 1989-10-24 1990-04-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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