The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 26, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 27, 1997
Nathan Moore, Dearborn, MI (US);
Roger Wayt, Dearborn, MI (US);
Lear Automotive Dearborn, Inc., Southfield Michigan, MI (US);
Abstract
The invention relates to a method of welding terminal end connectors to wires in a flat flexible cable for use in vehicle wiring harnesses. The flat flexible cable includes a plurality of wires spaced apart from one another and surrounded by an insulating coating. A terminal with a tab is welded to each wire in the flat flexible cable. The welding method includes placing the tab portion of the terminal underneath one of the wires in the flat flexible cable. A tooling base supports the tab and the flat flexible cable. A tooling head engages the insulating coating along the top surface of the wire and moves in a path along the wire. The heat resulting from the friction between the tooling head and the insulating coating causes the insulating coating to flow away from the tooling head to expose the wire and frictionally weld the bottom surface of the wire to the top surface of the tab.