Solder-bearing leads
AssigneeNorth American Specialties Corporation
InventorJack Seidler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solder-bearing terminal is formed from a blank having a main body portion and side tabs extending laterally from it, which are bent perpendicularly to the main body. The tabs may be formed in pairs to retain a solder mass therebetween, or may be in the form of single fingers partially encircling or staked to a solder mass. The solder mass is positioned to facilitate soldering of a terminal of a device to a substrate, as for surface mounted devices. The tabs may be on one or both edges of the main terminal body.
Claims24
A solder-bearing lead adapted to be soldered to a conductive surface, comprising:
- an integral elongated strip-like essentially planar body portion,
- said body portion having on one edge thereof a laterally extending tab integral therewith,
- said tab being bent into a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said body portion,
- said bent tab having a partially curved form along one edge, extending in a direction longitudinally of said body portion and,
- a solder mass retained between said curved edge and said body portion.
A solder-bearing lead adapted to be soldered to a conductive surface, comprising:
- an elongated strip-like body portion,
- said body portion having on one edge thereof a curved finger defining an opening between said body portion and said finger,
- said finger being bent into a plane substantially perpendicular from the body portion to form therebetween part of a channel with said body portion forming a border for said channel,
- a solder mass in said channel and bordered by said finger,
- said finger being curved inwardly of said channel and longitudinally of said body portion to retain said solder mass therein.
A solder-bearing lead adapted to be soldered to a conductive surface, comprising:
- an elongated strip-like body portion,
- said body portion having on each edge thereof an integral curved finger defining an opening between each finger and said body portion,
- said openings being laterally aligned transversely of said body-portion strip,
- said fingers being bent substantially perpendicular from the body portion strip to align said openings to form a channel transversely of said strip, with said body portion forming a floor for said channel,
- a solder mass in said channel and bordered by said pair of fingers,
- said fingers being curved inwardly of said channel and longitudinally of said body portion to retain said solder mass therein,
- said solder mass having a dimension extending along said body portion at least as great as the extent of said fingers along said body portion, whereby said solder mass extends flush or outwardly from said channel and may be placed in direct contact with the conductive surface to which said lead is to be soldered, while spacing said fingers from said surface, and upon melting said solder mass, said fingers are permitted to be in or move into contact with said conductive surface to make electrical contact therewith and to be retained in such contact upon re-solidification of said solder mass.
A method of forming a solder-bearing lead adapted to be soldered to a conductive surface, comprising the steps of;
- forming a flat elongated strip-like blank with a body portion, said blank having on an edge of said body portion a first laterally extending tab,
- bending said tab on said one edge of said body portion substantially perpendicularly of said body portion,
- placing a solder mass on said body portion adjacent an edge of said tab, and
- bending the edge of said tab longitudinally of said body portion to secure said solder mass to said body portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.