Stud/nut ground apparatus with a tin-zinc coating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11757210-B2
Application number	US-202117454898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2021
Priority date	May 15, 2019
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

Method of manufacturing a ground apparatus and ground apparatus comprising an aluminum nut (16) having an internal thread and adapted to clamp an eyelet (28) of an electrical conductor on a corresponding contact area of the stud (12), wherein the nut (16) has at least one coating (30) which contains at least zinc, characterized in that the coating further comprises tin, in that the coating consists of an acid tin-zinc electroplating on the aluminum nut (16) and is such that the tin is between 60 and 80% by weight of the coating and the tin-zinc coating forms a layer with an average thickness of from about 5 to 16 microns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nut comprising:
a body of aluminum and partially defining a bore with an internal female thread; and
an outer plated coating comprising tin and zinc and having an average thickness of 5 to 16 microns, and wherein the tin is between 60% and 80% by weight of the outer plated coating.

2. The nut according to claim 1 and further comprising a surface passivation coating or a lubricant coating over the outer plated coating.

3. The nut according to claim 1 , wherein the outer plated coating extends over the internal female thread.

4. The nut according to claim 1 , wherein the zinc is between 20% and 40% by weight of the outer plated coating.

5. The nut according to claim 1 and further comprising an inner coating comprising copper or zinc.

6. The nut according to claim 5 wherein the inner coating has a thickness between 200 nm and 3 microns.

7. A method of manufacturing a ground apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a nut of aluminum including an internal thread;
pre-treating the nut to degrease or remove any impurities;
coating the nut with an outer layer comprising tin and zinc and having an average thickness of 5 to 16 microns, and wherein the tin is between 60% and 80% by weight of the outer layer; and
post-treating the nut.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of coating the nut with an outer layer includes electroplating the nut by acid tin-zinc electroplating.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the post-treating step includes coating the nut with a surface passivation layer or a lubricant over the outer layer.

10. The method according to claim 7 and further comprising the steps of:
providing a stud of aluminum comprising a flange and a threaded segment; and
coating the stud with a layer comprising tin and zinc and having an average thickness of 5 to 16 microns, and wherein the tin is between 60 and 80% by weight of the layer.

11. The method according to claim 7 , and further comprises, after the pre-treating step and before the tin-zinc coating step, a step of coating the nut with an inner layer comprising copper or zinc.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the inner layer has a thickness between 200 nm and 3 microns.

13. A grounding assembly for clamping an eyelet of an electrical conductor, the grounding assembly comprising:
a stud of aluminum including a flange, a threaded segment, and a contact surface; and
a nut of aluminum including an internal thread and an outer plated coating comprising tin and zinc, wherein the tin is between 60% and 80% by weight of the outer plated coating and the outer plated coating has an average thickness of from 5 to 16 microns.

14. The grounding assembly according to claim 13 wherein the outer plated coating extends over the internal thread of the nut.

15. The grounding assembly according to claim 13 , and the nut further including an inner coating comprising copper or zinc, the inner coating having a thickness between 200 nm and 3 microns.

16. The grounding assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the zinc of the outer plated coating is between 20% and 40% by weight of the outer plated coating.

17. The grounding assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the stud is a weld stud and includes a weldable segment located on an end of the stud.

18. The grounding assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the stud includes a plated coating comprising tin and zinc, wherein the tin is between 60% and 80% by weight of a plated coating and the plated coating has an average thickness of from 5 to 16 microns.

19. A method of assembling a grounding assembly for clamping an eyelet of an electrical conductor into electrical contact with a workpiece, the method comprising the steps of
providing a stud of aluminum including a flange, a threaded segment, and a contact surface;
providing a nut of aluminum including an internal thread and an outer plated coating comprising tin and zinc, wherein the tin is between 60% and 80% by weight of the outer plated coating and the outer plated coating has an average thickness of from 5 to 16 microns;
threading the nut onto the stud to form a preassembly before welding;
welding the nut and stud preassembly to the workpiece;
unthreading the nut from the stud;
installing the eyelet over the stud; and then
rethreading the nut onto the stud and clamping the eyelet between the nut and the contact surface.

Assignees

• Newfrey Llc

Inventors

• Drexler Frank
• Pimper Ralf
• Volnhals Robert
• Benner Frank

Classifications

• C25D7/003 Primary

  Threaded pieces, e.g. bolts or nuts · CPC title

• H01R4/62 Primary

  Connections between conductors of different materials; Connections between or with aluminium or steel-core aluminium conductors (H01R4/68 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/03

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

• F16B33/06

  Surface treatment of parts furnished with screw-thread, e.g. for preventing seizure {or fretting (corrosion preventing means F16B33/008; settable coatings for locking threaded members F16B39/225; deformable coatings for locking threaded members F16B39/34)} · CPC title

• C25D3/60

  containing more than 50% by weight of tin · CPC title