High temperature vibration resistant solderless electrical connections for planar surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10050356-B2
Application number	US-201414576365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

An electrical arrangement ( 10 ), including: a first conductor ( 12 ) having a first generally planar contact area ( 34 ); a second conductor ( 12 ) having a second generally planar contact area ( 40 ); an intermediate conductor ( 44 ) having a first faying area ( 84 ) overlying the first contact area and a second faying area ( 86 ) overlying the second contact area; a compression arrangement configured to compress the first faying area and the first contact area toward each other and to compress the second faying area and the second contact area toward each other; and a dimpling structure ( 46 ) effective to create plural contact points ( 74 ) between the first faying area and the first contact area and between the second faying area and the second contact area when the first and the second faying areas and the first and second contact areas are compressed toward each other by the compression arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical arrangement, comprising:
a first conductor comprising a first generally planar contact area;
a second conductor comprising a second generally planar contact area;
an intermediate conductor comprising a first faying area overlying the first contact area and a second faying area overlying the second contact area; wherein the first conductor comprises a first conductor recess and the first contact area is disposed at a bottom of the first conductor recess, wherein the second conductor comprises a second conductor recess and the second contact area is disposed at a bottom of the second conductor recess, and wherein the first conductor recess and the second conductor recess cooperate to form a compartment in which the intermediate conductor resides;
a compression arrangement configured to compress the first faying area and the first contact area toward each other and to compress the second faying area and the second contact area toward each other; and
a dimpling structure effective to create plural contact points between the first faying area and the first contact area and between the second faying area and the second contact area when the first and the second faying areas and the first and second contact areas are compressed toward each other by the compression arrangement,
wherein the dimpling structure creates the plural contact points by deforming the intermediate conductor on a non-contact side when compressed, the deforming creating raised contact points on the first and second faying areas,
wherein the compression arrangement comprises a structural member disposed on an opposite side of the intermediate conductor than the contact side, wherein the structural member overlies the first and second faying areas and effects the compression,
wherein the first and second contact areas are disposed on the contact side of the intermediate conductor, wherein the dimpling structure comprises a mesh disposed on a side of the intermediate conductor opposed the contact side, and wherein the mesh effects the creation of the raised contact points on the first and second faying areas, and
wherein the intermediate conductor is configured to slide on at least one of the first contact area and the second contact area to accommodate relative movement between the first contact area and the second contact area.

2. The electrical arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the mesh comprises a metal wire mesh.

3. The electrical arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate conductor comprises a foil comprising elemental metal up to 0.5 mm thick.

4. The electrical arrangement of claim 1 , wherein when the first and the second faying areas and the first and second contact areas are compressed toward each other frictional forces there between result, and wherein the intermediate member comprises a tensile yield strength that is greater than the frictional forces.

5. The electrical arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first and second contact areas are disposed on a contact side of the intermediate conductor, and wherein the compression arrangement comprises a structural member that:
is disposed on an opposite side of the intermediate conductor than the contact side;
overlies the first and second faying areas; and
effects the compression.

6. The electrical arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the structural member comprises a ceramic matrix composite.

7. The electrical arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the electrical arrangement is free of metallurgical bonds.

8. The electrical arrangement of claim 1 wherein the electrical arrangement is configured to enable the first and second faying areas to settle into respective equilibrium positions relative to the respective first and second contact areas during operation in a gas turbine engine, and wherein a material of the intermediate conductor is selected to enable the plural contact points to diffusion bond with the first and second contact areas during subsequent operation of the gas turbine engine.

9. An electrical arrangement, comprising:
an intermediate conductor comprising a compliant material;
a dimpling structure overlying the intermediate conductor;
a first conductor comprising a first conductor recess comprising a bottom that defines a first contact area;
a second conductor comprising a second conductor recess comprising a bottom that defines a second contact area, wherein the first conductor recess and the second conductor recess cooperate to form a compartment in which the intermediate conductor resides; and
a compression arrangement overlying the compartment and configured: to compress the intermediate conductor onto the first and second contact areas and to press the dimpling structure into and deform the intermediate conductor,
wherein the intermediate conductor is configured to slide on at least one of the first contact area and the second contact area to accommodate relative movement between the first contact area and the second contact area,
wherein the compression arrangement comprises a structural member overlying the intermediate conductor, and wherein the dimpling structure comprises a mesh disposed between the structural member and the intermediate conductor.

10. An electrical arrangement comprising:
a first conductor comprising a first contact area at a first conductor end;
a second conductor comprising a second contact area at a second conductor end, wherein the first and second conductors are positioned end to end;
an intermediate conductor comprising a compliant material and a first faying area overlying the first contact area and a second faying area overlying the second contact area; wherein the first conductor comprises a first conductor recess and the first contact area is disposed at a bottom of the first conductor recess, wherein the second conductor comprises a second conductor recess and the second contact area is disposed at a bottom of the second conductor recess, and wherein the first conductor recess and the second conductor recess cooperate to form a compartment in which the intermediate conductor resides;
a dimpling structure overlying the first faying area and the second faying area;
a compression arrangement comprising a structural member that overlies the dimpling structure, and a backing member that underlies the first conductor end and the second conductor end, the structural member and the backing member secured to each other and configured to sandwich and compress the first faying area and the first contact area toward each other, to sandwich and compress the second faying area and the second contact area toward each other, and to sandwich and compress the dimpling structure into the intermediate conductor, thereby dimpling the intermediate conductor,
wherein the intermediate conductor is configured to slide on at least one of the first contact area and the second contact area to accommodate relative movement between the first contact area and the second contact area, and
wherein the structural member comprises a ceramic matrix composite, and wherein the dimpling structure comprises a metal mesh.

11. The electrical arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the electrical arrangement comprises no solder joints.

12. The electrical arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the compression arrangement further comprises a fastener securing the structural member to the backing member, and a compliant fastener component between the fastener and the structural member.

Assignees

• Siemens Energy Inc

Inventors

• Mcconkey Joshua S

Classifications

• H01R4/36

  Conductive members located under tip of screw · CPC title

• H01R4/46

  Clamping area between two screws placed side by side · CPC title

• H01R12/00

  Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures (printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11) · CPC title

• H01R12/52

  connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R4/245

  the additional means having two or more slotted flat portions · CPC title