Solder-bearing lead

A method of forming a series of leads for soldering to contact pads of a substrate, comprising the steps of

• providing a continous conductive strip having a solder stripe thereon,
• forming from said strip by stamping a succession of flat elongated lead blanks, each lead blank having first and second portions along its length, one of said portions having said solder stripe thereon,
• and twisting one of said portions of each said lead blank relative to the other so that said one portion lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of the other portion of said lead blank.

A lead formed from a blank which comprises an elongated body having first and second edges and also having a solderable portion and a substantially flat terminal portion, the transverse dimension of said solderable portion parallel to the plane of said flat portion being less than the width of said flat portion, said solderable portion lying substantially along a longitudinal axis of said body, said solderable portion and said terminal portion being substantially in alignment and in planes substantially perpendicular to one another.

A lead comprising an elongated body having first and second edges and also having a solderable portion carrying a solder mass and having a substantially flat terminal portion, the width of said solderable portion being less than the width of said flat portion, said solderable portion lying substantially along a longitudinal axis of said body portion, said body further comprising at least one projection extending from an edge of said solderable portion and adapted to hold a solder mass.

The method of soldering a lead to a surface conductive area of a substrate, comprising:

• forming a conductive lead having a flat body portion and a flat projection at one edge of said body portion, said body portion having a layer of solder on one face of said projection, and no solder on another face of said projection,
• placing said body portion with said non-solder bearing face of said projection in metal-to-metal contact with and with said projection substantially perpendicular to said conductive area, and
• applying heat to solder said body to said area.

A solderable lead for connection to a device having a conductive area, comprising:

• an elongated body of electrically conductive sheet material, said body having a contacting non-solder-bearing portion with a surface for contacting said conductive area of said device with a metal-to-metal contact;
• said body having another portion for contacting said conductive area with a surface contiguous to said contacting portion;
• a layer of solder on said latter contiguous surface and extending immediately adjacent to said contacting portion such that, upon heating, said layer of solder will liquefy and migrate to form a soldered joint between said contacting portion and said conductive area when they are juxtaposed.

A surface-mounting lead for soldering to a conductive pad on the surface of a substrate comprising:

• an elongated flat body including a first portion having at least one solder element thereon, and a flat terminal portion,
• said first body portion lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said terminal portion, so that an edge of said first body portion is substantially co-planar with said terminal portion.

A lead adapted to be soldered to a conductive surface area, comprising:

• an elongated body having first and second side edges, and including a first body portion adapted to retain solder, a terminal portion, and a middle portion disposed between said first body portion and said terminal portion,
• said first body portion including a pair of co-planar projections extending from said first edge of said body and forming a gap therebetween dimensioned to receive solder;
• a region of said body being oriented to cause said projections to lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said terminal portion.

A blank for leads for connection to electrical apparatus, comprising

• an elongated strip of electrically conductive material, one longitudinally extending portion of said strip constituting a carrier portion, said strip also including a series of parallel supporting strips integral with and extending laterally from said carrier portion, and a lead body parallel to and between each pair of consecutive supporting strips, each lead body being supported from the ends of its adjacent supporting strips by severable joins so that one portion of said lead body is between said supporting strips and another portion is not.