US4410230A — Connector block

Claim 1

Independent Claim 226 words

A connector block including a body formed of insulating material and adapted to be mounted on a surface, the body having a row of terminal confining cavities having ends opening on one side of the body; and a series of terminals formed from strip metal stock, each terminal including a cavity portion fitted within a cavity in the row of cavities to secure the terminal in the body, a contact joining the cavity portion for forming an electrical connection with a circuit element, and a terminal tail extending from the cavity portion outwardly of the opening in the cavity, the terminal tail including a solder contact on the free end thereof adapted to be soldered to a circuit element on the surface wherein the improvement comprises each terminal including a bottom wall, upstanding side walls running from the cavity portion to the solder contact and extending away from the bottom wall in the same direction to define a shallow channel shape in transverse cross section and a smooth bend in the tail between the cavity portion and the solder contact, the side walls projecting radially outwardly of the bottom wall at the bend whereby the terminal tails rigidly locate the solder contacts with respect to the body to facilitate positioning the solder contacts in a desired pattern for engagement with the circuit elements on the surface.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 226 words

A connector block including a body formed of insulating material and adapted to be mounted on a surface, the body having a row of terminal confining cavities having ends opening on one side of the body; and a series of terminals formed from strip metal stock, each terminal including a cavity portion fitted within a cavity in the row of cavities to secure the terminal in the body, a contact joining the cavity portion for forming an electrical connection with a circuit element, and a terminal tail extending from the cavity portion outwardly of the opening in the cavity, the terminal tail including a solder contact on the free end thereof adapted to be soldered to a circuit element on the surface wherein the improvement comprises each terminal including a bottom wall, upstanding side walls running from the cavity portion to the solder contact and extending away from the bottom wall in the same direction to define a shallow channel shape in transverse cross section and a smooth bend in the tail between the cavity portion and the solder contact, the side walls projecting radially outwardly of the bottom wall at the bend whereby the terminal tails rigidly locate the solder contacts with respect to the body to facilitate positioning the solder contacts in a desired pattern for engagement with the circuit elements on the surface.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 70 words

A connector block as in claim 1 wherein the body includes a terminal tail groove at the end of each terminal cavity, the bottom walls of such grooves conforming to the bottom walls of the terminal tail bend and the width of said grooves being slightly greater than the width of the terminal tail bend being seated within the grooves so as to provide additional support for the solder contact.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 51 words

A connector block as in claim 2 wherein the body includes a slot extending across the ends of the terminal cavities in the row, one side of the slot comprising a curved surface, said terminal tail grooves being formed in said surface and having bottom walls generally equidistant below said surface.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 27 words

A connector block as in claim 3 wherein the tops of the terminal tail side walls at the bend are below the curved side of the slot.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 19 words

A connector block as in claim 1 wherein the bend in the terminals is about 90 degrees in extent.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 41 words

A connector block as in claim 5 wherein the elongation of the metal in the bend of the terminal tails is between about 12% to 30% as measured by the American Society for Testing Metals Federal Test Method Standard No. 151.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 31 words

A connector block as in claim 1 wherein for each terminal the thickness of the side walls at the bend is less than the original thickness of the strip metal stock.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 19 words

A connector block as in claim 7 wherein the bend in the terminals is about 90 degress in extent.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 41 words

A connector block as in claim 8 wherein at the bend of each terminal the outside height of the side walls is essentially uniform around the bend and such height is approximately 0.39 times the outside width of the bottom wall.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

A connector block as in claim 8 wherein at the bend of each terminal the outside width of the bottom wall is about 5.8 times the thickness of the strip stock.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 38 words

A connector block as in claim 8 wherein the smooth bend is generally cylindrical and has a radius, as measured from the lower surface of the bottom wall, of about 2.9 times the thickness of the strip stock.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 71 words

A connector block as in claim 8 wherein the terminal tails are formed from strip stock having a thickness of about 0.012 inch, the outside width of the bottom wall at the bend is approximately 0.07 inch, the outside height of the side walls at the bend is approximately 0.0275 inch and the radius of the bend, as measured from the lower surface of the bottom wall is approximately 0.035 inch.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 118 words

The method of assembling a connector block as in claim 3 including the steps of: a. Inserting terminals into cavities with straight terminal channel shaped tails extending outwardly of the body parallel to each other with the tails extending through the portion of the terminal tail grooves adjacent the cavities; b. Positioning a flat tool within the slot to overlie the terminal tails with the lead end of the tool on the bottom surface of the slot; and c. Pivoting the tool through a 90-degree angle against the bottom surface of the slot to bend the terminal tails down into the terminal tail grooves, elongate the terminal tail side walls in the grooves and form the smooth bend.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 49 words

The method of assembling a connector block as in claim 13 including the step of moving the tool through an angle greater than the desired final angle of the bend to overbend the terminal tails and assure they assume the desired angle of bend when the tool is removed.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 135 words

A stamped metal terminal formed from sheet metal stock, the terminal having a central portion with a contact for establishing electrical connection with a conductor at one end of the central portion and a terminal tail at the other end of the central portion, the terminal tail including a solder contact away from the central portion, the improvement comprising the terminal tail having a shallow channel shaped section in transverse cross section defined by a bottom wall and upstanding side walls, said channel shaped section extending from the central portion to adjacent the solder contact, and a smooth bend in the channel shaped section, the side walls of the terminal tail at the bend extending radially outwardly of the bottom wall whereby the section rigidly supports the solder contact with respect to the central portion.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 135 words

A stamped metal terminal formed from sheet metal stock, the terminal having a central portion with a contact for establishing electrical connection with a conductor at one end of the central portion and a terminal tail at the other end of the central portion, the terminal tail including a solder contact away from the central portion, the improvement comprising the terminal tail having a shallow channel shaped section in transverse cross section defined by a bottom wall and upstanding side walls, said channel shaped section extending from the central portion to adjacent the solder contact, and a smooth bend in the channel shaped section, the side walls of the terminal tail at the bend extending radially outwardly of the bottom wall whereby the section rigidly supports the solder contact with respect to the central portion.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 36 words

A terminal as in claim 15 wherein the terminal tail is formed from a metal having about 12% to 30% elongation as measured by the American Society for Testing Metals Federal Test Method Standard No. 151.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 20 words

A terminal as in claim 15 wherein the terminal tail side walls are thinner than the terminal tail bottom wall.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 17 words

A terminal as in claim 17 wherein the terminal tail bend is approximately 90 degrees in extent.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 32 words

A terminal as in claim 18 wherein the outside width of the terminal tail at the bend is about 5.8 times the outside thickness of the bottom wall of the terminal tail.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 49 words

A terminal as in claim 18 wherein the central portion includes a bottom wall and side walls continuous with the terminal tail bottom wall and side walls, the terminal tail side walls having an outside height of approximately 0.39 times the outside width of the terminal tail bottom wall.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 21 words

A terminal as in claim 18 wherein the bottom wall of the terminal tail bend is generally partially cylindrical in shape.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 29 words

A terminal as in claim 18 wherein the radius of the bend in the bottom wall is about 2.9 times the thickness of the bottom wall at the bend.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 125 words

A terminal as in claim 18 wherein the central portion includes a bottom wall and upstanding side walls, the side walls having an outside height equal approximately to the outside width of the bottom wall, the side walls and bottom walls of the terminal tail forming extensions of the central portion side walls and bottom wall, all of said side walls extending from the adjacent bottom walls at approximately 90 degrees, said terminal tail including a transition portion adjacent the solder contact having a bottom wall of decreasing width away from the central portion so that the transition portion side walls approach each other at the solder contact, the solder contact comprising a elongate U-bend with sides continuous with the sides of the transition portion.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 69 words

A terminal as in claim 23 wherein said strip stock has a thickness of approximately 0.012 inch, the outside width of the terminal tail at the bend is approximately 0.07 inch, the radius of the bend in the bottom wall as measured from the lower surface of the bottom wall is about 0.035 inch and the outside height of the side walls at the bend is about 0.0275 inch.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 15 words

A terminal as in claim 23 wherein said strip metal is made of phosphor bronze.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1986-10-17	1987-04-18	1987-10-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1990-10-17	1991-04-18	1991-10-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1994-10-17	1995-04-18	1995-10-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Connector block

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