Solderable electric connection element

Abstract

The invention relates to a solderable electric connection element including a crimping portion for receiving a connection cable and a soldering portion for bonding to the surface of an electrically conductive structure. The soldering portion directly adjoins the crimping portion or is offset therefrom by means of a transition portion, and a solder deposit is provided or can be placed on the solder region. According to the invention, an angled section is formed in the section between the crimping and soldering region or in the transition region such that the crimping and soldering region are arranged in a back-to-back position, wherein the free face of the soldering region receives the solder deposit.

Claims

1. A solderable electrical connection element formed by the steps of: fabricating a stamped and bent component from a metal material as an elongated surface element with a crimping portion and a soldering portion that is offset from the crimping portion in a longitudinal direction; applying or attaching a solder depot to a surface side of the solder portion which is arranged in the surface plane of the crimping portion; generating a crease by a bending process so that the soldering portion moves into a back to back position with a substantially flat surface of the crimping portion; and soldering the connection element together with a conductive structure and performing a crimp attachment process of a respective connection cable in an known manner before or after tinning the soldering portion; wherein the solderable electrical connection element comprises: a crimping portion (1) for receiving a connection cable and a soldering portion (2) for bonding to a surface of an electrically conductive structure, wherein the soldering portion (2) directly adjoins the crimping portion (1) or is offset from the crimping portion (1) by a transition portion (6), and wherein a solder depot (20) is provided at or attachable at the soldering portion (2), characterized in that a crease is configured in a section between the crimping portion and the soldering portion (1; 2) or in the transition portion (6) so that the crimping and soldering portion (1; 2) are arranged back to back, wherein a free side of the soldering portion (2) receives the solder depot (20).

2. The connection element according to claim 1, characterized in that first lateral prongs (3) extend from the soldering portion (2) in order to form contact surfaces for a soldering tool, wherein the contact surfaces are not covered by the crimping portion (1) after the creasing process and are accessible for the soldering tool.

3. The connection element according to claim 2, characterized in that the surfaces of the first and second lateral prongs (3; 5) are free from the solder depot.

4. The connection element according to claim 1, characterized in that second lateral prongs (5) extend from the soldering portion (2) for mechanically fixing the solder portion (2) at the crimping portion (1) after the creasing process, wherein the second lateral prongs (5) envelop the crimping portion (1) at least partially in a clamping manner.

5. The connection element according to claim 4, characterized in that a lateral distance is provided between the first lateral prongs (3) and the second lateral prongs (5).

6. The connection element according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface shape of the solder portion (2) is arbitrarily selectable.

7. The connection element according to claim 1, characterized in that the solder depot (20) is mechanically fixed at the solder portion (2).

8. The connection element according to claim 1, characterized in that the solder and the crimp portion (2; 1) are made from different connectable materials, wherein the respective material selection is performed from a functional point of view, this means to provide good bonding for the soldering portion (2) and good deformation for the crimping portion (1).

9. The connection element according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection element is formed as a strand end sleeve with a soldering tab as a soldering portion (2), wherein the solder depot (20) is on a side that is offset from the crimping portion (1), in particular arranged opposite thereto.

10. A method for producing a solderable electrical connection element, the solderable electrical connection element comprising a crimping portion (1) for receiving a connection cable and a soldering portion (2) for bonding to a surface of an electrically conductive structure, wherein the soldering portion (2) directly adjoins the crimping portion (1) or is offset from the crimping portion (1) by a transition portion (6), and wherein a solder depot (20) is provided at or attachable at the soldering portion (2), characterized in that a crease is configured in a section between the crimping portion and the soldering portion (1; 2) or in the transition portion (6) so that the crimping and soldering portion (1; 2) are arranged back to back, wherein a free side of the soldering portion (2) receives the solder depot (20), the method comprising the steps: fabricating a stamped and bent component from a metal material as an elongated surface element with a crimping portion and a soldering portion that is offset from the crimping portion in a longitudinal direction; applying or attaching a solder depot to a surface side of the solder portion which is arranged in the surface plane of the crimping portion; generating a crease by a bending process so that the soldering portion moves into a back to back position with a substantially flat surface of the crimping portion; and soldering the connection element together with a conductive structure and performing a crimp attachment process of a respective connection cable in an known manner before or after tinning the soldering portion.

11. The method for producing a solderable electrical connection element as defined by claim 10, characterized in that first lateral prongs (3) extend from the soldering portion (2) in order to form contact surfaces for a soldering tool, wherein the contact surfaces are not covered by the crimping portion (1) after the creasing process and are accessible for the soldering tool.

12. The method for producing a solderable electrical connection element as defined by claim 11, characterized in that the surfaces of the first and second lateral prongs (3; 5) are free from the solder depot.

13. The method for producing a solderable electrical connection element as defined by claim 10, characterized in that second lateral prongs (5) extend from the soldering portion (2) for mechanically fixing the solder portion (2) at the crimping portion (1) after the creasing process, wherein the second lateral prongs (5) envelop the crimping portion (1) at least partially in a clamping manner.

14. The method for producing a solderable electrical connection element as defined by claim 13, characterized in that a lateral distance is provided between the first lateral prongs (3) and the second lateral prongs (5).

15. The method for producing a solderable electrical connection element as defined by claim 10, characterized in that the surface shape of the solder portion (2) is arbitrarily selectable.

16. The method for producing a solderable electrical connection element as defined by claim 10, characterized in that the solder depot (20) is mechanically fixed at the solder portion (2).

17. The method for producing a solderable electrical connection element as defined by claim 10, characterized in that the solder and the crimp portion (2; 1) are made from different connectable materials, wherein the respective material selection is performed from a functional point of view, this means to provide good bonding for the soldering portion (2) and good deformation for the crimping portion (1).

18. The method for producing a solderable electrical connection element as defined by claim 10, characterized in that the connection element is formed as a strand end sleeve with a soldering tab as a soldering portion (2), wherein the solder depot (20) is on a side that is offset from the crimping portion (1), in particular arranged opposite thereto.

Description

(1) The invention is subsequently described based on an embodiment with reference to drawing figures, wherein:

(2) FIGS. 1a to c illustrate a side view, a top view, and a perspective view of an electrical connection element according to the invention in a first embodiment with a crimping and soldering portion that is initially provided as a lateral surface element (left side of the drawing figures) and corresponding illustrations after the creasing in a back-to-back position ready to solder (right side illustrations);

(3) FIGS. 2a to c illustrate a second embodiment of the electrical connection element according to the invention with first lateral prongs for forming contact surfaces for a soldering tool before bending (left side illustrations) and after bending (right side illustrations);

(4) FIGS. 3a to c illustrate a representation of a third embodiment similar to the representations according to FIGS. 2a through 2c, however, with an additional embodiment of second lateral prongs to provide a clamp attachment formed between the soldering portion and the crimping portion, wherein the left side illustrations according to FIGS. 3 through 3c illustrate the connection element in the starting condition and the right side illustrations show the connection element in a ready to solder condition.

(5) The connection element according to the embodiment starts with a metal punched and bent component which includes a crimping portion 1 for receiving a connection cable that is not illustrated in the drawing figures and a soldering portion 2 for bonded connection with the surface of an electrically conductive structure (not illustrated).

(6) As illustrated in the drawing figures the crimping portion 1 transitions into the soldering portion 2. A recess is provided in the transition portion 6 so that the soldering portion 2 is narrower than the width of the crimping portion 1.

(7) A solder depot 20 is arranged on a surface of the soldering portion 2.

(8) According to the right side illustrations according to FIGS. 1a through 1c a crease is configured in the transition portion 6 so that the crimping portion 1 and the soldering portion 2 come into a back-to back position, wherein the free side of the soldering portion 2 includes the solder depot 20.

(9) According to the illustrations provided for the embodiment, the crimping portion and the soldering portion are separate. Thus, the soldering portion is configured as a soldering tab and connected with the crimping portion in a form of a strand end sleeve. The creasing and the bending facilitate maintaining typical dimensions of prior art strand and sleeves.

(10) According to the embodiment according to FIGS. 2a through 2c, first lateral prongs 3 extend from the soldering portion 2 and form contact surfaces for a non-illustrated soldering tool, in particular a soldering tool for providing a resistance soldering connection.

(11) The first lateral prongs 3 (c.f., right side illustration according to FIGS. 2a through 2c) are not covered by the actual crimping portion 1 after the creasing process and freely accessible for the soldering tool.

(12) According to the embodiment according to FIGS. 3a through 3c, two lateral prongs 5 are provided for mechanically fixing the soldering portion at the crimping portion 1 after the creasing process in a supplemental manner or by themselves in an alternating manner.

(13) The second prongs 5 reach around a free section of the crimping portion 1 at least partially like a clamp.

(14) The lateral prongs 3 for forming contact surfaces for the soldering tool can have embossings 4 in order to center the tool as illustrated in FIGS. 2c and 3c.

(15) The illustrations in FIGS. 3a through 3c also indicate an advantageous lateral distance between the first lateral prongs 3 and the second lateral prongs 5 to provide interlocking attachment.

(16) Though the soldering portion is essentially shaped rectangular in the illustrations according to the first through the third embodiment, also here other surface shapes, e.g., circular shapes, oval or polygonal surfaces are conceivable.

(17) According to the illustrated embodiments, the soldering tin or a solder depot are not arranged directly on the crimping portion anymore. Thus, pre-tinning can also be performed before or after the crimping process.

(18) The design according to the invention effectively prevents a contamination of the backside of the soldering portion with flux agent.

(19) Due to parallel processing the backside can be cleared from flux agent and the front side can be provided with the flux agent without losing time. Since the crimp contacts, this means the connection elements, for the crimping process, are individualized quite well by a conveyor belt contrary to the time after the crimping process, additional process steps like pre-tinning or cleaning can be easily performed upon the crimp in an automated manner.

(20) Due to the face that the soldering tin or the solder depot are not arranged directly on the crimp or in the crimping portion anymore, there is the option to fix the solder depot mechanically, e.g., by riveting or other technologies on the solder portion.

(21) The lateral prongs or lugs facilitate positioning the soldering tool in an optimum manner on the element. Also these lateral prongs can be designed customer-specific as contact surfaces for a soldering tool. By using the lateral prongs as contact surfaces for a soldering tool, less material has to be heated so that fabrication time is reduced.

(22) Since contrary to known strand end sleeves the connection cable strand is separate from the soldering portion, the usual problem is circumvented where solder is pulled into the strand during the soldering process on the substrate, in particular on a window pane with the consequence that the soldering tin solidifies in the strand and stiffens the strand. According to the prior art this has disadvantages when handling the window and installing it in the vehicle. Breaking the strand off from the strand end sleeve is thus prevented.

(23) The optional configuration of the second prongs for clamp type envelopment can transfer bending forces upon the entire connection element which improves long-term stability of the contacts.