Electrical terminal and method of securing same in circuit substrate thru-hole

A component module, comprising:

• a component having first and second spaced electrodes, and
• first and second electrical terminals, each including an upper shank portion secured to a different one of said first and second electrodes, each of said first and second terminals further including a lower integral shank portion having a thru-hole insertion section formed with at least one upwardly extending free-ended tab, said tab being oriented in the major plane of said lower shank portion until after insertion thereof within an associated substrate-formed thru-hole, said lower shank portion having a maximum width dimension that is less than the diameter of an associated thru-hole into which it is to be inserted, and further having stop means for positioning the upper free end of said tab at an elevation ranging from only slightly above to appreciably below the upper open end of such associated thru-hole, said tab further being dimensioned such that, when thusly positioned, the lower integral end thereof extends at least to the lower open end of the associated thru-hole, with the upper free end of said tab being adapted to be pivoted, when thusly positioned, in a first direction perpendicular to the major plane thereof, against the sidewall of the associated thru-hole in response to a then downwardly protruding end region of said lower shank portion being subsequently clinched in an opposite, second direction against the underside of the associated thru-hole-forming substrate, the upper free end of said tab, when thusly confined and ultimately pivoted, thereby facilitating not only the temporary securement of the terminal within such associated thru-hole. but the establishment thereafter of a reliable, permanent terminal-thru-hole soldered interconnection.

A method of temporarily securing an insertion section of an electrical terminal having upper and lower shank portions, the latter including an insertion section, within an associated thru-hole formed in a supporting substrate and, thereafter, facilitating the establishment of a reliable, permanent soldered connection therebetween, said method comprising the steps of:

• forming at least one upwardly extending free-ended tab in the lower shank portion of said terminal, said tab as formed being oriented in the major plane of said lower shank portion until after the insertion thereof within an associated substrate formed thru-hole, said lower shank portion also being formed with a maximum width dimension that is less than the diameter of an associated thru-hole into which it is to be inserted;
• forming stop means in said lower terminal shank portion for positioning the upper free end of said tab at an elevation ranging from only slightly above to appreciably below the upper open end of such associated thru-hole, said tab further being dimensioned such that, when thusly positioned, the lower integral end thereof extends at least to the lower open end of the associated thru-hole;
• inserting the lower shank portion of said terminal within an associated substrate-formed thru-hole to the predetermined, stop-controlled depth, said terminal as thus inserted resulting in a lowermost end region of said lower terminal shank portion protruding a predetermined distance downwardly beyond the underside of said supporting substrate;
• and
• bending the downwardly protruding end region of said lower terminal shank portion in a first direction, perpendicular to the major plane thereof, to clinch the protruding terminal end region against the underside of the supporting substrate, said bending and clinching step simultaneously resulting in said initially in-plane oriented tab, as then confined with said thru-hole, being pivoted in a second direction, opposite to said first terminal bending direction, such that the free end of said tab is biased against the associated thru-hole sidewall, said pivoted tab, thereby, not only facilitating the temporary securement of the terminal within the associated thru-hole, but the establishment thereafter of a reliable, permanent terminal-thru-hole soldered interconnection.