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US 4,361,470 AGranted
Connector contact point
AssigneeMicro-Plate, Inc.
InventorCharles D. Eidschun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector plated contact point having a curvilinear area terminating in a feather edge. Optionally the contact has a conductive underbody having a feather edge. Both feather edged metals have a raised central portion. The contact is formed on a contact plater having a pair of opposed belts for grasping and driving contact point through a pair of opposed jaws to be plated by contact on an anode roller, the same describing a helical trace on the roller.
Claims15
A connector with a contact point for yieldably engaging a further contact in electrical communication comprising:
- a yieldable-metal underbody having an essentially uniform rectangular cross-section throughout a region and being longitudinally curvilinear in said region, and
- a conductive metal overlay plated onto the external surface of said region, said overlay
- (a) being located wholly or primarily on one of the external faces of said region,
- (b) terminating with a feather edge along the entire boundary of the overlay, such feather edge being distinct from the essentially abrupt edge resulting from fluid plating with masking or partial immersion of the plated object, and further being distinct from a plated area remote from the intended overlay location resulting from target plating with a shaped anode,
- (c) being approximately uniformly thick away from the feathered edges, thus exhibiting an absence of edge build-up and/or varying thickness characteristic of fluid plating regardless of anode shape, and
- (d) having a density characteristic of wiping electrodeposition.
3 more elements
A connector with a contact point for yieldably engaging a further contact in electrical communication comprising:
- a yieldable-metal underbody having an essentially uniform rectangular cross-section throughout a region and being longitudinally curvilinear in said region,
- a diffusion barrier conductive metal first overlay plated onto the external surface of said region, said first overlay
- (a) being located essentially on one of the external faces of said region, but also extending up to and around the two side edges of said face and onto the adjacent faces a short distance,
- (b) terminating with a feather edge along the entire boundary of the first overlay, such feather edge being distinct from the essentially abrupt edge resulting from fluid plating with masking or partial immersion of the plated object, and further being distinct from an extensive, minimal-thickness, plated area remote from the intended first overlay location resulting from target plating with a shaped anode,
- (c) being approximately uniformly thick away from the feathered edges, including around said side edges and onto said adjacent faces, thus exhibiting an absence of edge build-up and/or varying thickness characteristic of fluid plating regardless of anode shape, and
- (d) having a density characteristic of wiping electrodepositon, and
- a conductive metal second overlay plated onto the external surface of the first overlay, said second overlay
- (a) being located essentially coterminously with the first overlay, including extending up to and around the two plated edges of the face containing the major portion of the first overlay and onto the adjacent plated faces a short distance,
- (b) terminating with a feather edge along the entire boundary of the second overlay, such feather edge being distinct from the essentially abrupt edge resulting from fluid plating with masking or partial immersion of the plated object, and further being distinct from an extensive, minimal-thickness, plated area remote from the intended second overlay location resulting from target plating with a shaped anode,
- (c) being approximately uniformly thick away from the feathered edges, including around said side edges and onto said adjacent faces, thus exhibiting an absence of edge build-up and/or varying thickness characteristic of fluid plating regardless of anode shape, and
- (d) having a density characteristic of wiping electrodeposition.
8 more elements
A connector with a contact point for yieldably engaging a further contact in electrical communication comprising:
- a yieldable-metal underbody having a surface portion approximating a spherical cap, and
- a conductive metal overlay plated onto said surface portions, said overlay
- (a) being located wholly on said surface portion,
- (b) terminating with a feather edge along the entire boundary of the overlay, such feather edge being distinct from the essentially abrupt edge resulting from fluid plating with masking or partial immersion of the plated object, and further being distinct from a plated area remote from the intended overlay location resulting from target plating with a shaped anode,
- (c) being approximately uniformly thick away from the feathered edges, thus exhibiting an absence of edge build-up and/or varying thickness characteristic of fluid plating regardless of anode shape, and
- (d) having a density characteristic of wiping electrodeposition.
3 more elements
An electrical contact having an essentially rectangular cross-section at the point of contact comprising in combination,
- a yieldable metal underbody having a curvilinear contact point for yieldably engaging a member in electrical communication,
- a conductive metal overlay plated to said underbody having a thickened center section and feather edge end portions presenting a curvilinear surface of electrodeposited conductive metal for direct yieldable electrical engagement with a further contact point,
- said conductive metal overlay being characterized by uniform deposit thickness at the critical contact area and the absence of edge build-up and back plating without evidence of masking of the type resulting from fluid plating in the absence of a wiping type of electrodeposition, whereby the contact surface has a minimized central curvilinear thickness of metal and in which the interface is formed by electrodeposition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.