Methods of making an electrical connection, and of making a receptacle for receiving an electrical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046409-B2
Application number	US-201615259921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2016
Priority date	Sep 8, 2016
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A method of making an electrical connection includes soldering using channels in a receptacle to direct hot air (or another hot gas) to effect soldering where the electrical connection is to be made. The connection may be made between device electrical contacts of an electrical device, and other contacts, such as receptacle contacts of the receptacle. The connection may be a blind connection, one in which the connected ends of the contacts are hidden or unable to be directly physically accessed, when the connection is made. The electrical connection may be made between device contacts of an electrical device that is inserted into the receptacle, and receptacle electrical contacts that are part of the receptacle. The channels for directing the hot gas to where the soldering occurs may be parts of the receptacle, for example being produced during additive manufacture of the receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making an electrical connection, the method comprising:
inserting an electrical device into a receptacle;
melting solder where one or more device electrical contacts of the device and one or more receptacle electrical contacts of the receptacle meet, wherein the melting includes directing heated gas through one or more channels in the receptacle to melt the solder; and
making a solid electrical connection between the one or more device electrical contacts and the one or more receptacle electrical contacts by allowing the solder to cool;
wherein the making the solid electrical connection includes making a blind electrical connection along a bottom of the receptacle, opposite from an opening where the device is inserted into the receptacle; and
wherein the one or more channels are along one or more sides of the opening defined by the receptacle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is additively manufactured, with the one or more channels formed in the receptacle as part of the manufacturing process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directing the heated gas includes directing heated air.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the directing the heated air includes directing the heated air using a hot air gun.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directing includes directing heated gas having a temperature of at least 360° F.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directing includes directing the heated gas for a time of at least 1 second.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directing includes directing the heated gas through the one or more channels over a length of 0.635 cm to 2.54 cm (0.25 inches to 1.00 inch) for each channel of the one or more channels.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising blocking the one or more channels after the directing the heated gas through the one or more channels.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the melting solder includes melting solder balls initially on one or both of the one or more device electrical contacts and/or the one or more receptacle electrical contacts.

10. A method of making an electrical connection, the method comprising:
inserting an electrical device into a receptacle;
melting solder where one or more device electrical contacts of the device and one or more receptacle electrical contacts of the receptacle meet, wherein the melting includes directing heated gas through one or more channels in the receptacle to melt the solder; and
making a solid electrical connection between the one or more device electrical contacts and the one or more receptacle electrical contacts by allowing the solder to cool;
wherein the one or more device electrical contacts are on a protrusion of the device; and
wherein the inserting includes inserting the protrusion into a corresponding recess of the receptacle.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the inserting includes, within the recess, engaging the one or more device electrical contacts with the one or more receptacle contacts, which are parts of a circuit card assembly (CCA).

12. A method of making an electrical connection, the method comprising:
inserting an electrical device into a receptacle;
melting solder where one or more device electrical contacts of the device and one or more receptacle electrical contacts of the receptacle meet, wherein the melting includes directing heated gas through one or more channels in the receptacle to melt the solder; and
making a solid electrical connection between the one or more device electrical contacts and the one or more receptacle electrical contacts by allowing the solder to cool;
wherein the electrical device is a thruster;
wherein the receptacle is part of a fuselage of a projectile; and
wherein the making the connection includes connecting the thruster to a control system of the projectile.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the making the solid electrical connection includes making a blind electrical connection along a bottom of the receptacle, opposite from an opening where the device is inserted into the receptacle.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the making the solid electrical connection includes making a blind electrical connection along a bottom of the receptacle, opposite from an opening where the device is inserted into the receptacle.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the directing includes directing the heated gas through the one or more channels over a length of 0.635 cm to 2.54 cm (0.25 inches to 1.00 inch) for each channel of the one or more channels.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the directing includes directing the heated gas through the one or more channels over a length of 0.635 cm to 2.54 cm (0.25 inches to 1.00 inch) for each channel of the one or more channels.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the melting solder includes melting solder balls initially on one or both of the one or more device electrical contacts and/or the one or more receptacle electrical contacts.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the melting solder includes melting solder balls initially on one or both of the one or more device electrical contacts and/or the one or more receptacle electrical contacts.

19. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein the electrical device is a thruster;
wherein the receptacle is part of a fuselage of a projectile; and
wherein the making the connection includes connecting the thruster to a control system of the projectile.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising blocking the one or more channels after the directing the heated gas through the one or more channels.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Summers Matthew H
• Danforth Jeremy C
• Garrett David G
• Knyazev Dmitry V
• Bagg Stephen M
• Gibson Gaines S

Classifications

• H01R4/02

  Soldered or welded connections {(H01R4/625, H01R4/723, H01R12/59 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H05K2203/081

  Blowing of gas, e.g. for cooling or for providing heat during solder reflowing · CPC title

• B23K35/0244

  Powders, particles or spheres; Preforms made therefrom · CPC title

• B23K1/0016 Primary

  Soldering of electronic components · CPC title

• H01R12/57 Primary

  surface mounting terminals · CPC title