Contact assembly for high-current applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10707599-B2
Application number	US-201916282755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2019
Priority date	Feb 23, 2018
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

Contact assembly for high-current applications, comprising an electric circuit board ( 3 ); a non-flexible conductor rod ( 1 ) protruding in a longitudinal direction, the conductor rod ( 1 ) transmitting an electric current of more than 30 Ampere, in particular more than 50 Ampere, between the circuit board ( 3 ) and an electric device; and a receiving member ( 2 ), the receiving member ( 2 ) being fixed to the circuit board ( 3 ); wherein the receiving member ( 2 ) holds the conductor rod ( 1 ) and transmits the current between the conductor rod ( 1 ) and the circuit board ( 3 ); wherein the receiving member ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of elastically deformable tongues ( 5 ), the tongues ( 5 ) being arranged circumferentially about the conductor rod ( 1 ) and providing for a mechanical support as well as an electric contact between the conductor rod ( 1 ) and the receiving member ( 2 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Contact assembly for high-current applications, comprising:
an electric circuit board ( 3 );
a non-flexible conductor rod ( 1 ) protruding in a longitudinal direction, the conductor rod ( 1 ) transmitting an electric current of more than 30 Ampere between the circuit board ( 3 ) and an electric device; and
a receiving member ( 2 ), the receiving member ( 2 ) being fixed to the circuit board ( 3 );
wherein the receiving member ( 2 ) holds the conductor rod ( 1 ) and transmits the current between the conductor rod ( 1 ) and the circuit board ( 3 );
characterized in that,
the receiving member ( 2 ) comprises a plurality of elastically deformable tongues ( 5 ), the tongues ( 5 ) being arranged circumferentially about the conductor rod ( 1 ) and providing for a mechanical support as well as an electric contact between the conductor rod ( 1 ) and the receiving member ( 2 ),
wherein the receiving member ( 2 ) comprises a base ring ( 4 ) bent circumferentially about the longitudinal direction (L) of the conductor rod ( 1 ), the plurality of elastically deformable tongues ( 5 ) protruding from one side of the base ring ( 4 ), each of the elastically loaded tongues ( 5 ) comprises a first end ( 6 ) which is positioned at a radial distance from the conductor rod ( 1 ), and a plurality of contact tabs ( 8 ) protruding from an opposite side of the base ring ( 4 ), the contact tabs ( 8 ) being fixedly connected to the circuit board ( 2 ), and each of the elastically loaded tongues ( 5 ) bent inclined with respect to a central axis of the receiving member ( 2 ).

2. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the receiving member ( 2 ) is designed as one piece.

3. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the receiving member ( 2 ) is connected to a conducting path of the circuit board ( 3 ) by means of soldering.

4. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the receiving member ( 2 ) is formed as a sheet metal part.

5. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the conductor rod ( 1 ) has a basically constant cross section, the cross section having an electrically conductive size of more than 8 mm 2 .

6. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the conductor rod ( 1 ) can continuously move along the longitudinal direction (L) about an interval of tolerance while being held and being contacted by the elastically loaded tongues ( 5 ).

7. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that each of the elastically loaded tongues ( 5 ) comprises a second end ( 7 ), which abuts against the conductor rod ( 1 ).

8. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the circuit board ( 3 ) comprises an opening ( 10 ), the receiving member ( 2 ) being arranged at the opening ( 10 ), and the conductor rod ( 1 ) projecting through the opening ( 10 ).

9. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 8 , characterized in that the tongues ( 5 ) hold the conductor rod ( 1 ) on a first side of the circuit board ( 3 ), the receiving member ( 2 ) being fixed to the circuit board ( 3 ) on an opposite side.

10. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that at least the tongues ( 5 ), or the conductor rod ( 1 ), in particular both the tongues ( 5 ) and the conductor rod ( 1 ), have at least a surface consisting of silver.

11. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that at least a core of the receiving member ( 2 ) is made from a copper based alloy having a conductivity of at least 70% of IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard).

12. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 11 , characterized in that the alloy is optimized for thermal stress relaxation, wherein a remaining stress of more than 80% is achieved at a Larson-Miller-parameter of 9.0.

13. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the electric device is an electric motor for driving a charger for a combustion engine.

14. Charger for a combustion engine, comprising a compression device driven by an electric motor, characterized in that the electric motor is connected to a power supply by means of a contact assembly according to claim 1 .

15. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electric current is more than 50 Ampere.

16. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the receiving member ( 2 ) is connected to the conducting path of the circuit board ( 3 ) by means of soldering in the form of a surface-mounted device (SMD).

17. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 4 , wherein sheet metal of the sheet metal part has a thickness less than 1 mm.

18. Contact assembly as claimed in claim 5 , characterized in that the conductor rod ( 1 ) has a circular shape cross section or, the cross section has an electrically conductive size of more than 18 mm 2 .

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Dauth Alexander
• Braeuchle Gerd
• Grundmeier Ramona

Classifications

• H01R13/432 Primary

  by stamped-out resilient tongue snapping behind shoulder in base or case · CPC title

• H01R13/03

  characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• H01R12/718

  Contact members provided on the PCB without an insulating housing (contacts for abutting H01R12/714) · CPC title

• H05K2201/1031

  Surface mounted metallic connector elements · CPC title