Conductive wire with integral electrical terminal

• US 4,775,337 A
• Filed: 12/02/1986
• Issued: 10/04/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Lighting Technologies Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal Manufacturing Corporation (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wattenbach, Hans L., Van Wagener, Raymond H., Bauer, Fred P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DESMOND, EUGENE
• Application Number:
  US06/936,809
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 339/276 S, 339/277 R, 339/277 C, 439/877-883
• US Class Current: 439/883
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/12 End pieces terminating in an eye, hook, or fork

Abstract

An integral terminal made from a non-stranded, electrically conductive wire has a portion of the wire which is distorted and flattened from its normal shape in first and second dimensions relative to the axis of the wire into a substantially flat piece. This flat piece has substantially increased surface area and reduced thickness relative to the original cross-sectional area of the wire and which can be bent. The flat piece has an integral part formed therefrom extending in a third dimension different from the first and second dimensions for making mechanical engaging contact with an external post or pin where the third dimension is in a direction above or below the flat piece.

Claims

1. An integral terminal comprising:

a non-stranded, electrically conductive wire,

a portion of said wire being distorted and flattened from its normal shape in first and second dimensions relative to the axis of the wire into a substantially flat piece having subsantially increased surface area and reduced thickness relative to the original cross-sectional area dimension of the wire and which can be bent, and

said flat piece having an integral part formed therefrom extending in a third dimension different from said first and second dimensions for making mechanical engaging contact with an external means, said third dimension being in a direction above or below said flat piece.

2. An integral terminal as in claim 1 wherein said integral part of said piece comprises a first section with an opening therein, and a section on each side of said first section bent a way from said piece at substantially a right angle to said first section so that said first section is a platform displaced from the original flat piece and the axis of the wire, and, said first section having a hole therethrough.

3. An integral terminal as in claim 2 wherein the wire has insulation thereon on the undistorted portion adjacent each of said bent sections.

4. An integral terminal as in claim 1 wherein said piece has a hole therethrough and the integral part of said piece comprises an upwardly sloping shoulder surrounding said hole.

5. An integral terminal as in claim 4 wherein said upwardly sloping shoulder has a plurality of arms extending from the periphery toward the center of the hole.

6. An integral terminal as in claim 1 wherein said integral part of said piece comprises a pair of walls bent from said piece in a generally V shape, and a hole in the piece on each side of the apex of the V.

7. An integral terminal as in claim 1 wherein said integral part is formed by a portion of said piece being bent back toward said wire, and a hole in the bent portion and the piece aligned for fitting over a common lug.

8. An integral terminal as in claim 1 wherein said integral part is formed by a bend in said piece of a generally U-shape forming an opening to fit around at least one mounting lug.

9. An integral terminal as in claim 1 wherein said integral part is formed by a roll of a portion of said piece in a generally cylindrical shape.