JPS6053119B2 - Partial plating mask device for contacts - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a mask for partial plating of contacts in which precious metals such as gold, silver, and rhodium are plated only on the necessary parts of contacts such as connectors connected in large numbers for flow production. Regarding equipment.

Contacts such as connectors are plated with expensive precious metals in order to improve the surface conductivity of the contacts in order to ensure stability of the electrical connection, and to provide resistance to weather and industrial environments such as polluted gases.

The present invention provides a continuous plating apparatus that performs uniform noble metal plating only on the necessary portions of such contacts.

Conventionally, in order to partially plate a contact 1 as shown in FIG. 1, the surface of the contact 1, except for the main plating part 2, is coated with an insulating plastic, and then it is immersed in a plating solution.
Alternatively, a method has been used in which a large number of bodies to be plated are suspended from a linear electrode body and only the main parts 2 to be plated are immersed in a plating solution.

The former method requires complicated man-hours, and the latter method makes it difficult to uniformly control the boundary of the plating portion, and also causes a restriction to be applied to other than the target surface, such as the back surface. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a mask device suitable for partial plating of contacts according to the present invention, which is designed to reduce the number of man-hours required for plating by improving the partial plating method and mechanizing it.

In order to facilitate understanding of the mask device, a perspective view thereof is shown in FIG. In the figure, 1 is a contact of the body to be fitted, 3 and 4 are clamping masks that are placed in close contact with the front and rear sides of the contact 1, and 3 and 4 of masks that are placed in close contact with the front and rear surfaces are Both are made of insulating polymer material. The upper part of the mask 3 is provided with an opening 8 as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 3, in which a large number of connected contacts 1 or a series of contacts connected to a belt-shaped lead frame 5 formed by punching are provided. By allowing the body 1 to pass through and injecting the plating liquid from the front, only the contact 2 facing the opening 8 is partially plated. In the figure 6
7 is a spargeer for injecting and circulating the plating liquid, and 7 is a plating liquid injection nozzle. A platinum anode 9 serving as a positive electrode is attached to the tip of the nozzle 7.

On the other hand, the negative electrode during plating is applied to the belt of the body 5 to be plated. The plating liquid circulation inside the spargeer 6 flows in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure, and is recovered from the outlet 10. However, in the mask device having the above structure, the plating liquid flows around the back side of the plated contact 2 or other parts, resulting in waste of precious metal, and a sufficient masking function cannot be achieved.

The present invention eliminates these disadvantages and provides a partial plating mask device as described below.

The feature is that it is a partial plating mask device that sprays plating liquid while masking the openings other than the openings corresponding to the required plating parts of a large number of connected connector contacts. An endless belt of different heights and a pressure roller of the belt are used to bring the belt into close contact with the contact from the front and back, and the part of the contact is configured to pass through a window portion having the opening to plate a required portion. It is in the plating mask device.

The mask device according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

Components in the figure that are the same as those in the previous figure are numbered the same as in the previous figure to facilitate understanding. In the figure, reference numerals 11 and 12 are endless belts made of insulating materials, such as rubber, of different heights, which closely contact a large number of connected contacts 1 from the front and back, and 13 is a belt feeding roller, and in particular, the rollers in the mask device are the front and rear belts. Contactor 1 of the mating body inserted between belts 11 and 12
The structure is such that they are fed at the same speed in the direction of the arrow while being strongly pressed against each other.

Although the belt 11 is not shown, it includes a belt structure similar to that of the belt 12 and a roller 13. A spargeer 6 for spraying plating liquid shown in FIG. 2 is connected to the mask device, and precious metal plating is performed on only the main part of the contact and one side of the contact. Thus obey. There is no possibility of the plating liquid leaking to the back side or flowing into other parts as in the past. According to this mask device, it is possible to further improve the plating liquid jetting strength, a rich supply of ions is guaranteed, and a uniform plating film can be formed in a short time.

This significantly improves process performance and avoids unnecessary wastage of precious metals.

This not only contributes to a reduction in plating costs, but by appropriately selecting the plating liquid and spray amount, it is possible to eliminate defects in appearance and adhesion to the plating surface caused by non-uniform current density. Nor. Although the embodiments used in the above description have exemplified connector contacts, the mask device of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be widely applied to a large number of such contacts etc. that are connected together.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 shows the shape of a contact of a body to be plated, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a mask device for partial plating of a contact according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the main part of the mask device of Fig. 2. It is a diagram. FIG. 4 also shows the improved partial plating mask device of the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the main parts of the mask device shown in FIG. 4. In the figure,
1...Connector contact, 2...Part 1 is to be plated, 3 and 4...Mask, 5...
...Lead frame, 6...Spur gear,
7...Plating injection port, 8...Mask opening, 9...Platinum electrode, 11 and 12...
- Hoop-shaped rubber belt, 13... pressure roller.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a partial plating device that sprays plating liquid while masking the openings other than the openings corresponding to the required plating parts of a large number of connected connector contacts, an endless plate of different heights made of an insulating material is attached to the contacts. A mask device for partial plating of a contact, characterized in that the belt is brought into close contact with the contact from the front and back using a belt and a pressure roller of the belt, and the desired portion is plated by passing the belt through the window having the opening. .