JPH02298291A - Method and device for plating connectors with branch parts - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply plate only the tip parts of the inside of the forked part of a connector by adhering members impermeable to a plating soln. to the outside of the forked part and to parts of the inside under the tip parts and bringing only the tip parts into contact with the plating soln. CONSTITUTION:An outer protective mask 3 made of a member impermeable to a plating soln. is adhered to the outside of the forked part of a connector 1. An inner protective mask 4 made of a member impermeable to the plating soln. is tightly held between parts of the inside under the tip parts 2 to be plated. The plating soln. is then spouted from a feed nozzle 7 and only the parts 2 to be plated are plated by contact with the plating soln. Only the tip parts of the inside of the forked part of the connector 1 are plated with a simple device and connectors can be treated in large quantities.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for plating a connector, and particularly to a method and apparatus for partially plating the vicinity of the tip of a connector having a branch portion.

[Prior art]

A forked or forked connector is generally plated with a noble metal, such as gold, at the tip. Since the metal to be plated, and therefore the plating solution, are expensive, it is economically advantageous to minimize the plated portion. Since it is only the inner tip of the branch that contributes to electrical contact, it is most advantageous to plate only this area.

It is common practice to plate only the tip of the connector by immersing it in a plating bath, but with this method, the entire tip (inside and outside) is plated. Since connectors generally have a complicated shape, it has been difficult to plate only the inside of the tip.

Conventionally, in order to plate only the inner tip of the connector branch, a plating electrode was positioned near the connector tip and the plating solution was supplied only to the inner edge of the connector branch, resulting in partial plating. A method of passing a plated brush through the branching part was known (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1983-1999)
-25 (No. 1191, No. 61-295395, No. 62
-103389, 62-109992, 62-
No. 127491, No. 62-136586, No. 62-1
No. 36587, No. 62-139894, No. 62-13
9895, Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-110271, etc.).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, what is used in these published patents or published utility models is that the plating electrode is located near the branch of the connector tip, and the plating liquid is supplied only to the inner tip of the connector branch to achieve partial plating. However, such a method requires complicated equipment and is not suitable for mass processing.

Methods using plating brushes have similar problems.

The object of the invention is therefore that it can be carried out using simple equipment;
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for plating only a portion near the inner tip of a connector branch, which is suitable for mass processing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of continuously plating only the inner tip portion of a connector branch using a simple device.

Yet another object is to provide a simple device for continuously plating only the inner tip portion of a connector branch.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, a plating liquid impermeable member is tightly attached to the outside of the connector branch part, and a plating liquid impermeable member is sandwiched inside the branch part except for the vicinity of the tip of the connector. Only the inside near the tip of the branch is plated.

In particular, the outside of the connector lead frame is sandwiched between strip members impermeable to plating solution along the longitudinal direction (direction of rows of connectors), and the linear member impermeable to plating solution is sandwiched inside except near the tip. Partial plating was performed continuously by spraying the plating solution or by bringing it into contact with the plating solution.

That is, the plating method of the present invention consists of the following means.

(1) A plating liquid impermeable member (outer protective mask) that is placed in close contact with the outside of the connector branch.This member is placed in close contact with the outside of the connector branch to protect the plating liquid from coming into contact with the outside of the connector branch. In order to make it fit tightly to the outside of the connector branch, pinch the connector branch so as to press it from the outside.

In the case of continuous processing, the outside of the lead frame constituting the connector group is held against the outside of the lead frame along the longitudinal direction (direction of the row of connectors) with a strip-shaped member that is impermeable to the plating solution, and this strip-shaped member is used as the lead. Move along with the frame in the longitudinal direction.

It needs to be made of a material that is resistant to the plating solution, and is preferably made of a soft material such as discontinuously foamed polyurethane so as to be in close contact with the outer surface of the connector. It is not necessary that the entire part be made of a soft material; only the part that comes into close contact with the connector may be made of a soft material, and the outside part may be made of a hard material, especially when continuous processing is performed using a strip. , the adhesion with the connector becomes even better.

In addition to this member, a means for supporting the connector and transporting it at a predetermined speed is provided, but a single means may serve both purposes.

(2) Plating liquid impermeable member sandwiched inside the connector branch part (inner protective mask) A plating liquid impermeable member sandwiched inside the connector branch part except for the vicinity of the tip. It may be solid or hollow (tubular). Mask the area other than the inner tip of the connector branch from the plating solution, and plate only the area near the tip.

In the case of continuous processing, insert a plating liquid-impermeable wire member into the connector branch at a position slightly away from the inner tip of the lead frame that makes up the connector group, and direction) along with the lead frame. If the linear member is made flexible, pulleys can be provided at both ends and the linear member can be moved in the length direction by rotation of the pulley. By joining the linear members at both ends to form a ring and rotating the ring with a pulley, endless transportation is possible.

The inner protective mask must be made of a material that is resistant to the plating solution, and should preferably be made of a slightly hard and elastic material and structure so that it can tightly adhere to the inside of the connector branch. For example, silicone rubber. A tube or the like is suitable.

(3) Plating solution supply means To perform partial plating of connectors using the present invention,
Needless to say, a plating solution supply means is required to bring the tip end of the connector into contact with the plating solution. Although a plating liquid spray nozzle is suitable, the nozzle is not limited thereto.

For continuous processing, the following means are further provided.

(4) Means for transferring the strip member in the longitudinal direction The strip member impermeable to the plating solution that sandwiches the outside of the lead frame is moved along the longitudinal direction (direction of the rows of connectors) together with the lead frame. . If the strip member is flexible, it can be joined at both ends and transported endlessly by pulleys provided at both ends.

(5) Means for transferring the linear member in the longitudinal direction (in the direction of the connector row) along with the lead frame. When the linear member is made flexible, it can be transported in the length direction by pulleys provided at both ends. When a ring is formed by joining the filamentous members at both ends, the ring can be endlessly transported by rotating the ring with at least two bobbins.

[Effect]

The outside of the connector branch is tightly sandwiched between plating liquid-impermeable materials (outer protective mask) to mask the plating liquid, and the inside part except for the vicinity of the tip is covered with plating liquid-impermeable materials. Plating is performed by sandwiching and masking the member (inner protective mask) and applying the plating solution. Since plating is applied only near the inner tip of the connector branch,
Only this part is partially plated. Therefore, only the inner side of the tip of the connector branch that contributes to electrical contact is partially coated, saving expensive plating metal.

In the process of plating connectors, they are generally handled in the form of lead frames (workpieces). The outside of each branch of the lead frame is sandwiched between two band-like members (outer protective mask) that are impermeable to the plating solution, and at the same time, a linear member (inner protective mask) that is impermeable to the plating solution is placed on the inside except near the tip of the branch. When the lead frame is moved together with the strip member and the wire member while sandwiching the mask) and is brought into contact with the plating solution by immersing it in the plating solution or by applying a flow of the plating solution, the area near the inner tip of the connector branch part can be partially plated continuously. If the inner protective mask is ring-shaped, it can be rotated using two pulleys and transported endlessly.

〔Example〕

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Examples.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the principle of an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a connector, 2 is a tip portion contributing to electrical contact of the connector, 3 is an outer protective mask, 4 is an inner protective mask, and 7 is a plating solution supply nozzle. Outer protective mask 3
is made of polyurethane foam, and the inner protective mask 4 is made of silicone rubber.

The outside of the branched portion of the connector 1 is tightly sandwiched between outer protective masks 3 impermeable to the plating solution, so that it is protected from the plating solution. Further, since an inner protective mask 4 impermeable to the plating solution is sandwiched inside the connector 1 except for the vicinity of the tip of the branched portion, this portion is protected from the plating solution.

Therefore, when plating is performed by supplying the plating solution from the plating solution supply nozzle 7 to the vicinity of the tip of the branch part, only the inner part 2 near the tip of the branch part is partially plated, and the protected part is not plated.

Although the cross section of the outer mask 3 is shown as a quadrilateral in FIG. If the cross section is circular, etc., it has the advantage that it can be easily inserted into the branch part of the connector.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an apparatus for continuously partially plating a lead frame of a connector using the partial plating method of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, the outer protective mask 3.3 is in the form of two continuous belts, which are wound around pulleys 5, 5, respectively. The inner protective mask 4 is ring-shaped, and the pulley 6
．． At 6' the hook is turned and passed between the outer protective mask 3.3. The continuous connector 1 supported by the lead frame 1a is inserted from the position of the pulley 6 so as to sandwich the inner protective mask 4, and although not shown in the figure, it is inserted between the belts of the outer protective mask 3.3. It extends to around 6° of the pulley.

At the position where the connector l passes between the belts of the outer protective mask 3.3 with the ring-shaped inner protective mask 4 in between, a plating solution is supplied from a plating solution supply nozzle (not shown) on the lower side, and plating is performed. .

At this location, the connector 1, the outer protective mask 3, and the inner protective mask 4 form a cross section as shown in FIG.

The connector 1 therefore includes a belt-shaped outer protective mask 3.
3 from the outside, and the ring-shaped inner protective mask 4 is in close contact with the inside from the inside, so when the plating solution is supplied from the lower plating solution supply nozzle, the plating solution is supplied to the inside near the tip of the branch part of the connector. This part is only partially plated.

If the plating solution is not an electroless plating solution, it is necessary to provide an electrode.

The operation of this device will be explained below.

While rotating the pulley 6.6°, the lead frame la is supplied so as to sandwich the ring-shaped inner protective mask 4 slightly above the branching portion. Pulley 6.6° is the inner protective mask 4
is rotated so that it moves at the same speed as the lead frame 1a. The belt of the outer protective mask 3.3 is also Boo 175.
5, it is sent at the same speed as the lead frame. Therefore, the lead frame is smoothly inserted between the outer protective masks 3.3 while sandwiching the inner protective mask 4. At this position, the lead frame receives a plating solution and is plated.

The tip of the connector 1 is a belt-shaped outer protective mask 3.3
A ring-shaped inner protective mask 4 is sandwiched from the outside by
Since the connectors are in close contact with each other from the inside, the plating solution acts only on the portions where the protective mask is not in close contact, that is, the portions near the inner tips of the branched portions of the connector, and only these portions are partially plated. As pulley 6.6' rotates, lead frame 1
a is transferred and plating is performed continuously.

〔Effect of the invention〕

When a connector is plated using the method of the present invention, only the part not protected by the mask, that is, the area near the inner tip of the branch part, is partially plated, and the masked part is not plated, which contributes to electrical contact. Only the inner tip of the branch is plated, saving expensive plating solution to a minimum. With the device of the example, the amount of plating solution used is approximately several times lower than when plating the entire tip of the lead frame.
Became.

Moreover, continuous partial plating treatment of the tip end of a connector having a branch part can be performed without using complicated equipment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of symbols 1--------Connector (branch part) 1a...
・・・・Lead frame 2−・−・−・Plating part 3−・・−・Outer protective mask

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A method of partially plating only the inner tip of a connector having a branch, in which a plating liquid-impermeable member is tightly attached to the outside of the connector branch, excluding the inner tip. 1. A method for plating a connector having a branch part, which comprises plating only the inner tip of the branch part by contacting the plating solution with a member impermeable to the plating solution sandwiched between the parts. (2) means for supporting and transporting the connector at a predetermined speed; means for supplying plating solution; a linear member impermeable to plating solution; a strip member impermeable to plating solution; and the linear member and a means for transporting the strip member in the length direction, and the wire member is transported at the predetermined speed except for the inner tip vicinity of the branch part of the connector. The connector is inserted so as to be sandwiched between the strip members, and the outside of the connector branch is sandwiched between the strip members, and the plating solution is supplied near the inner tip of the connector branch at the part configured in this way. A plating apparatus for a connector having a branch part, wherein the plating solution supplying means is positioned so as to (3) The linear member is flexible and forms a ring, and includes a pulley that can rotate the ring, and the pulley rotates the ring at the predetermined speed. 3. The apparatus of claim 2.