Battery terminal

Abstract

Abstract The present invention is directed to an electric terminal formed from a single metal strip for use in mounting a terminal bearing electrical device on a printed circuit board. The electric terminal is formed from a strip of resilient, electrically conductive metal bent at a first end and a second end to form an elongated generally C-shaped terminal member having a back wall and two front wall sections extending from the distal end of the first end and the second end back toward the center of the back wall. The first end is bent to provide a generally hemispherical distal radius so that the first wall section of the terminal member is aligned substantially parallel to the back wall of the terminal member. The terminal member has opposed, outwardly extending spherical domes formed in a central portion of the back wall and the first front wall at the first end. The second end is bent at less than a hemispherical distal radius so that the second front wall of the second end extends away from the back wall at the second end. The second end has three downwardly depending mounting tabs extending from the back wall, the second front wall and the second end distal radius, respectively. The mounting tabs are spaced to engage mounting slots on a printed circuit board. The second front wall of the second end is urged toward the back wall against the restorative force of the resilient metal strip. The terminal member snaps into position on the printed circuit board with a force moment created by the restorative force generated by the resilient metal strip and to the resistance of the back wall tab and the precluded restorative motion of the displaced second front wall tab. This force moment acts to align and hold the terminal member in a position ready for soldering without the use of special fixtures.

Inventors

• 👤 Roger W. Lhotak

Bibliographic Details