Male circuit board terminal

• US 4,946,408 A
• Filed: 09/14/1989
• Issued: 08/07/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Auto OOO (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Niknafs, Bahrooz S., Garrett, Roger L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US07/407,090
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 439/55, 439/82, 439/83, 439/746, 439/747, 439/748, 439/749, 439/871, 439/872, 439/876, 439/866
• US Class Current: 439/872
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/58 terminals for insertion into holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/432 by stamped-out resilient tongue snapping behind shoulder in base or case
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/02 Soldered or welded connections H01R4/625, H01R4/723, H01R12/59 take precedence

Abstract

A male circuit board terminal includes a unitary electrically conductive housing with an outboard section, a core section and an inboard section arranged to provide a sound mechnical connection and electrical connection between the circuit board and a cut electrical lead. The outboard section includes first and second pairs of crimping tabs to respectively connect the terminal to the cut electrical lead and to connect the wire strands from the cut lead outboard of the board through a distance which prevents dewetting of a solder connection between the terminal and the circuit board; the terminal also includes a third pair of crimping tabs on the core section to contain wire strands in the plane of the circuit board at a connection hole therethrough and to provide a positive electrical connection between the strands and conductive plating at the connection hole and a low pressure crimp is provided on the inboard end of the terminal which protects the lock tang and terminal during insertion thereof into the board and wherein the locking tang and terminal are configured to ensure retention of the terminal on the board while defining a solder pocket which completely wets the ends of the wire strands and the section of the wire strands within the plane of the board for providing electrical continuity therebetween.

Claims

1. A male circuit board terminal for mechanically and electrically connecting a wire end having an insulating cover and wire strands extending therefrom to electrically conductive plating on a circuit board at a terminal connection hole extending between inboard and outboard surfaces of the board comprising:

a unitary electrically conductive housing having inboard, outboard and core portions thereon, said inboard, outboard and core portions each having a strand support surface along the length thereof and spaced side wall portions;

said side wall portions including a first pair of crimping tabs thereon for connecting said outboard portion to the outer surface of the wire end;

a second pair of crimping tabs on said side wall portions at said outboard portion, said second pair of crimping tabs engageable with the strands where said strands extend from the wire end;

a pair of stops formed in said side wall portions immediately inboard of said second pair of crimping tabs and extending outwardly of said side wall portions into overlying engagement with one surface of the circuit board to position the terminal in a seated relationship on the circuit board;

and lock finger means integrally formed on the inboard end of said terminal, said lock finger means including a return bend portion wrapping around the ends of said strands to form a solder pocket therearound and including a free end portion thereon engageable with the other surface of the circuit board to resiliently capture the circuit board between said pair of stops and said lock finger means.

2. In the terminal of claim 1, a third pair of crimping tabs formed by said side wall portions engageable with the wire strands at said core portion and having a side surface portion thereon engageable with conductor strip means in the connection hole of said circuit board for electrically connecting the strands to the conductor strip in the connection hole.

3. In the terminal of claim 1, nose means including said lock finger means to form a closed pocket at the inboard portion to form a solder pocket containing the ends of said wire strands immediately inboard of the inboard surface of the circuit board.

4. The terminal of claim 3, further characterized by said nose means including a fourth pair of crimping tabs bendable into overlying relationship with said lock finger means to hold said lock finger means inwardly of said terminal.

5. The terminal of claim 1, further characterized by said second pair of crimping tabs having a length which will space the wire end from the connection hole a distance to prevent the insulating cover from dewetting the area of solder connection between the terminal and the board during soldering of the terminal to the board.

6. The terminal of claim 3, further characterized by said nose means including a low pressure crimp thereon which contains the ends of said strands and which forms a solder pocket that provides a full solder joint from the inboardmost end of said inboard portion to the inboard end of the circuit board, the solder joint having a fillet whose radius is greater than the depth of penetration of the terminal inboard of the circuit board.