Circuit trace termination and method
AssigneeMethode Development Company
InventorJames J. Johnston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Metallic circuit traces disposed on a substrate of a panel and terminated in a high-density in-line array. Each termination comprises a terminal portion of a circuit trace disposed on and extending along a beam defined by the panel, a portion of a resilient compressible electrical conductor disposed in overlying relation to at least an associated part of the terminal portion, and a cradle assembly including a cradle member and a cap ultrasonically welded together in assembly generally within a common plane of joinder spaced from the substrate. The cradle assembly surround portions of the beam, the terminal portion, and the conductor and maintains the conductor under compression and in electrical contacting engagement with the terminal portion to form an electrical termination.
Claims20
A printed circuit termination comprising;
- a panel, at least a portion of the panel being substantially rigid and having parallel upper and lower surfaces, at least one of said surfaces defining a substrate, said portion of the panel having spaced apart openings therethrough defining a beam therebetween, a circuit trace carried by said substrate and having a terminal portion extending along said beam, a resilient compressible electrical conductor disposed in overlying electrical contacting engagement with said terminal portion, and a cradle assembly made from ultrasonically weldable material and including a cradle and a cap welded together in assembly and cooperating in assembly to define a termination barrel including connecting portions extending through said openings, said termination barrel receiving and confining therein at least portions of said beam, said terminal portion and said resilient compressible electrical conductor and maintaining under compression that portion of said resilient compressible electrical conductor disposed within said termination barrel whereby said electrical conductor is continuously resiliently biased into electrical contacting engagement with said terminal portion of said circuit trace.
A method for making a printed circuit termination;
- comprising the steps of applying an electrically conductive circuit trace to at least one surface of a circuit board having parallel upper and lower surfaces, cutting openings through the circuit board at opposite sides of the trace to define a beam on the circuit board carrying a terminal portion of the trace, forming an ultrasonically weldable cradle assembly including a cradle member and a cap member for assembly to define a termination barrel, positioning a portion of a resilient compressible electrical conductor in overlying electrical contacting engagement with the terminal portion of the trace, preassembling the cradle assembly through the opening in the circuit board with one of the members at the upper side of the circuit board and the other of the members at the lower side of the circuit board and with the terminal portion of the trace and the overlying portion of the compressible electrical conductor within the termination barrel formed by the assembly, applying force to the cradle member and the cap member to urge the cradle and cap members toward assembly with each other, and ultrasonically welding the cradle and cap numbers in assembly while the force is being applied to define a termination barrel containing at least portions of the beam, the terminal portion of the trace and the electrical conductor, whereby said cradle assembly maintains under compression the portion of the conductor within the termination barrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.