Bourns Incorporated

Ronald E Smith

William H King

Joseph Rodolph DeRouen

Leland B Tainter, Jr

Edward J Goeppinger

A retention mechanism for retaining an electrical element securely within a housing is specifically adapted for use with a loop-shaped (e.g., substantially annular) electrical element, having two ends separated by a small gap. The mechanism comprises a gap-registrable member in the housing cavity containing the electrical element, whereby the gap-registrable member registers with, and fits into the gap of the electrical element when the latter is seated on a seating surface in the cavity. The gap-registrable member is dimensioned to spread the gap, thereby radially expanding the electrical element to bring it into a locking frictional engagement against the walls of the cavity. The gap-registrable element advantageously serves also as a stop for a rotational contact, or wiper, included with the electronic device. The side wall of the cavity is advantageously provided with a radially-inwardly extending lip that is engageable with the electrical element to restrain it from lifting off of the seating surface.

Electronic device with improved element retention

In an electronic device, of the type having an electronic component carried on a substrate, a housing to enclose the component, and terminal leads attached to the substrate, the housing is attached to the substrate by means of crimped tabs formed on extensions of the terminal leads. The extensions are directly generally perpendicularly to the substrate, and they terminate in inwardly-bent tabs which engage the housing in slots provided in the top surface of the housing. The tabs are crimped downwardly into the slots to lock the housing onto the substrate. An O-ring may optionally be retained in the housing, whereby the crimping of the tabs compresses the O-ring against the substrate to provide a substantially hermetic seal.

Miniature electronic device with improved housing attachment

A socket for an integrated circuit device, particularly of the 'Small Outline' type, includes a receptacle having a base and a pair of opposing side walls. A row of spaced-apart, generally vertical guide members extending inwardly from the interior surface of each side wall defines a row of generally vertical slots adjacent the interior surface of each side wall. Near the bottom of each slot is an electrical contact, comprising a pair of elongate, overlapping wire loops, each having a leg interposed between the legs of the other loop. The contact has one end conductively connected to an interior portion of a conductive pin which extends through the base of the receptacle. The other end of the contact is a free end that exhibits a resilient flexibility. A cover is provided with two opposed rows of downwardly-extending fingers, each of which is registrable with, and receivable in, one of the slots. The slots are spaced and dimensioned so that each lead of the IC device is received in a separate slot when the device is placed in the receptacle. When the cover is then placed on the receptacle, each lead of the device is firmly engaged between a finger of the cover and the resilient electrical contact in the slot.

Low insertion-force socket for IC device

A terminal lead for a miniature electronic component or the like includes an integral clip formed at one end for engagement with a substrate onto which the component has been deposited. The clip has a labyrinthine configuration which provides a secure grip on the substrate through extended length contact therewith. This extended length contact also reduces stress on the solder joint between the lead and a metallized contact area on the substrate, while also providing improved sealing with a molded plastic housing which encases the substrate.

Terminal lead with labyrinthine clip

A contact spring, suitable for use in a variable resistance device having a resistance strip and at least one collector strip adjacent the resistance strip. The contact spring is formed in a unitary construction from a single piece of sheet metal and includes electrically conductive cantilever spring members which depend from a base member and are adapted for sliding electrical contact with the resistance and collector strips. Stiffly flexible, resilient means, preferably in the form of additional cantilever spring members disposed in cruciform relation to the contact spring members, depend from the base member to back up each of the contact spring members by engaging an intermediate portion thereof to retard flexing of the contact spring members toward the base member. The resulting contact spring is quite simple in construction, yet produces a substantially greater contact force with the resistance and collector strips than is achieved by simple cantilever contact spring arms. The effective spring life is accordingly increased because of reduced deterioration during sliding contact with the elements of the resistance device.

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Sunnymead, CA, United States of America

Ronald E Smith