Tape packaging system for electrical terminals
First Claim
1. A package containing a plurality of electrical terminals for holding and accurately positioning each said terminal, in seriatim, both axially and laterally with respect to a workstation in a tool that electrically attaches said terminal to a conductor, comprising:
- (a) a carrier tape having a width, a length, and a major surface, and a datum running along said length;
(b) a cover tape attached to said major surface of said carrier tape, thereby forming a plurality of pockets along said major surface;
(c) a plurality of electrical terminals, each of which includes a crimping barrel having a longitudinal centerline and a crimping zone, each said terminal being held in a respective one of said pockets so that its crimping zone is spaced a standardized distance from said datum, said plurality of terminals being taken from a range of terminals of differing nominal sizes; and
(d) a shim tape disposed between at least some of said plurality of terminals and said major surface.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tape and terminal package (30, 84) is disclosed wherein terminals (52, 86, 88) of different relative sizes are positioned on a carrier tape (32) so that each is a standard height (64) above the surface (66) of the tape and a crimping zone (58, 96, 98) of each terminal is a standard distance (68) from a datum (62) on the tape. A shim tape (76, 92) is arranged between the smaller terminals (52-2, 88) and the carrier tape (32) to position them to the standard height (64), each different terminal having a specific thickness shim tape (76, 92). In this way, two or more different tape and terminal packages (30, 94), each package having terminals of a different size or type than the other packages, can be accommodated by a single applicator tool (50) without modification or adjustment. Additionally, a tape and terminal package having terminals of different sizes or types on the same carrier tape may be accommodated by a single applicator tool.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A package containing a plurality of electrical terminals for holding and accurately positioning each said terminal, in seriatim, both axially and laterally with respect to a workstation in a tool that electrically attaches said terminal to a conductor, comprising:
-
(a) a carrier tape having a width, a length, and a major surface, and a datum running along said length; (b) a cover tape attached to said major surface of said carrier tape, thereby forming a plurality of pockets along said major surface; (c) a plurality of electrical terminals, each of which includes a crimping barrel having a longitudinal centerline and a crimping zone, each said terminal being held in a respective one of said pockets so that its crimping zone is spaced a standardized distance from said datum, said plurality of terminals being taken from a range of terminals of differing nominal sizes; and (d) a shim tape disposed between at least some of said plurality of terminals and said major surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A package containing a plurality of electrical terminals for presenting said terminals, in seriatim, to a tool for use thereby, comprising:
-
(a) a carrier tape having a width, a length, and a major surface; (b) a cover tape attached to said carrier tape so as to form a plurality of pockets; (c) a plurality of electrical terminals, each of which includes a crimping barrel having a longitudinal centerline and a crimping zone, wherein some of said terminals are of a relatively larger size and others of said terminals are of a relatively smaller size, each said terminal being held in a respective one of said plurality of pockets so that its crimping zone is in alignment with the crimping zone of each adjacent terminal; and (d) a shim tape between only said others of said terminals and said carrier tape. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. In a method of making a tape and a terminal package for use in a terminal applicator tool, the steps comprising:
-
(a) advancing a carrier tape from a supply reel at a downstream position to a take-up reel at an upstream position; (b) positioning a first terminal on the carrier tape; (c) applying a layer of shim tape over a portion of said carrier tape and said first terminal; (d) positioning a second terminal on said shim tape, said second terminal comprises a different nominal size relative to said first terminal; (e) applying a cover tape adjacent said first and second terminals and said layer of shim tape; and (f) attaching said cover tape to said carrier tape to form respective pockets thereof for holding and positioning said first and second terminals. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
Specification