Contact switch coating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11309140-B2
Application number	US-201916240325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2019
Priority date	Jan 4, 2019
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

Switch assemblies and switching methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, a switch assembly may include a first blade having a first contact within an enclosed cavity, and a second blade having a second contact within the enclosed cavity. The first and second contacts are operable to make or break contact with one another in response to a magnetic field. The switch assembly may further include a coating formed over each of the first and second contacts, the coating including a titanium layer, a second layer formed over the titanium layer, and a tungsten-copper layer formed over the second layer. In some embodiments, the second layer is copper or molybdenum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switch assembly comprising:
a first blade having a first contact within an enclosed cavity;
a second blade having a second contact within the enclosed cavity, the first and second contacts operable to make or break contact with one another in response to a magnetic field; and
a coating formed over each of the first and second contacts, the coating comprising:
a base conductive layer;
a second conductive layer formed over the base conductive layer; and
a tungsten-copper layer formed over the second conductive layer.

2. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive layer is one of: copper, and molybdenum.

3. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the base conductive layer, the second conductive layer, and the tungsten-copper layer are each sputtered layers.

4. The switch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the tungsten-copper layer of the first contact is operable to make contact with the tungsten-copper layer of the second contact.

5. A reed switch, comprising:
a first blade having a first contact within an enclosed cavity;
a second blade having a second contact within the enclosed cavity, the first and second contacts operable to make or break contact with one another in response to a magnetic field; and
a coating formed over each of the first and second contacts, the coating comprising:

a base conductive layer;
a second conductive layer formed over the base conductive layer; and
a tungsten-copper layer formed over the second conductive layer.

6. The reed switch of claim 5 , wherein the second conductive layer is one of:
copper, and molybdenum.

7. The reed switch claim 5 , wherein the base conductive layer, the second conductive layer, and the tungsten-copper layer are each sputtered layers.

8. The reed switch of claim 5 , wherein the tungsten-copper layer of the first contact is operable to make contact with the tungsten-copper layer of the second contact.

9. The reed switch of claim 5 , wherein the tungsten-copper layer of the first contact is operable to make contact with the tungsten-copper layer of the second contact in response to movement of a magnet.

10. The reed switch of claim 5 , wherein tungsten-copper layer of the first contact is operable to break contact with the tungsten-copper layer of the second contact.

Assignees

• Littelfuse Inc

Inventors

• Lees Philip Warner
• Koeppel Joshua James
• Spies J Anthony
• Hafenstein Eric James

Classifications

• C23C14/165

  by cathodic sputtering · CPC title

• H01H1/04

  Co-operating contacts of different material · CPC title

• H01H1/5822

  Flexible connections between movable contact and terminal · CPC title

• H01H1/0201 Primary

  Materials for reed contacts · CPC title

• H01H36/0033

  Mountings; Housings; Connections · CPC title