Heat/pressure fusing wire to terminal apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Apparatus for fusing an insulated wire to a metal terminal comprisinga frame, an upper fusing electrode mounted on said frame and comprising a first fusing surface, a lower fusing electrode mounted on said frame and comprising a second fusing surface, moving means for moving at least one of said upper and lower electrodes relatively toward each other so that, when the terminal and insulated wire are placed between said first and second fusing surfaces, said surfaces apply increasing fusing pressure to the terminal and wire, power means for heating said surfaces to a fusing temperature by applying current through each of said electrodes along current paths generally along the direction of each of the fusing surfaces to substantially avoid current flow through the terminal and wire even during fusing thereof, and control means for sensing the temperature of an electrode zone near said first or second fusing surface and controlling the power means to vary the amount of said current over time through at least one of said electrodes in response to the temperature of said zone.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus of making an electrical bobbin including applying to the wire/terminal assembly fusing pressure and heat. Sensing the temperature of an electrode zone near one of its fusing surfaces, and controlling the application and cessation of fusing power in response to the zone temperature values. Power application can cycle on and off for a set time period, number of set cycles, or stopped in response to another event such as sensed electrode displacement reaching a set value. Various other control parameters are or can be employed. The electrodes are preferably high resistant material and no significant current flows between upper and lower electrodes.
20 Citations
29 Claims
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1. Apparatus for fusing an insulated wire to a metal terminal comprising
a frame, an upper fusing electrode mounted on said frame and comprising a first fusing surface, a lower fusing electrode mounted on said frame and comprising a second fusing surface, moving means for moving at least one of said upper and lower electrodes relatively toward each other so that, when the terminal and insulated wire are placed between said first and second fusing surfaces, said surfaces apply increasing fusing pressure to the terminal and wire, power means for heating said surfaces to a fusing temperature by applying current through each of said electrodes along current paths generally along the direction of each of the fusing surfaces to substantially avoid current flow through the terminal and wire even during fusing thereof, and control means for sensing the temperature of an electrode zone near said first or second fusing surface and controlling the power means to vary the amount of said current over time through at least one of said electrodes in response to the temperature of said zone.
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18. A method of making an electrical bobbin having a body, an insulated winding wound around said body and having two insulated initially free wire ends, a pair of spaced metal terminals each of which includes a terminal portion to be joined to respective ones of said wire ends, each said wire end engaging the respective one of the terminal portions, the method comprising:
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simultaneously applying rising pressure to each respective wire end and terminal portion assembly, simultaneously applying heat energy to each said assembly after the on-set of said applying pressure to remove or burn off the insulation of said wire ends and to soften at least the wire metal to its plastic state without melting either the wire metal or terminal metal, said applying heat energy includes engaging said assemblies between an upper high resistance electrode and a lower high resistance electrode and passing current through said upper electrode to heat the same and passing current through said lower electrode to heat the same without passing substantially current through the assemblies even after the wire insulation is removed or burned off, sensing a parameter indicative of the amount of heat energy being applied to at least one of the assemblies, and controlling the cessation of the application of heat energy in response to sensing at least one occurrence of the parameter reaching a predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
the upper electrode and lower electrode each have a fusing surface, and one of said upper and lower electrodes have a zone contiguous to its fusing surface, and said sensing step includes sensing a parameter indicative of temperature of said zone. -
20. A method according to claim 18, wherein
said applying heat energy step includes controlling the application and cessation of heat energy in response to the parameter rising to and falling to predetermined values a predetermined number of times or during a predetermined time period, or before a predetermined subsequent event. -
21. A method according to claim 20, wherein
said applying high fusing pressure step continues during said applying heat energy step to reduce the diameter of the metal wire of the respective assemblies and form a fusion joint between the reduced metal wire and the respective terminal portion. -
22. A method according to claim 21, sensing
a parameter indicative of the displacement by which the assembly is reduced, and wherein said predetermined subsequent event includes sensing when said displacement reaches a predetermined value. -
23. A method according to claim 20, wherein
the application of heat energy step is first initiated in response to the pressure applied to the assemblies rising to a predetermined value. -
24. A product made by the method of claim 18.
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25. A product made by the method of claim 22.
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26. A product made by the method of claim 23.
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27. A product made by the method of claim 18, wherein
said fusing surfaces are positioned to fuse bobbin terminal portions that extend generally away from each other. -
28. A product made by the method of claim 27 wherein,
each wire end lies along the respective terminal portion. -
29. A product made by the method of claim 27 wherein,
each wire end is wrapped around the respective terminal portion.
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Specification