Method and device for producing contact elements for electrical switch contacts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016133402-A1
Application number	US-201414898481-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method is disclosed for improving the production of electrical switch contacts, in particular for vacuum tubes. In the method, an electrical or electromagnetic field assists and/or effects a sintering process. In the method, the sintering process takes place on a metallic carrier, and via the method, semi-finished contact elements for electrical switch contacts, contact elements for electrical switch contacts, and/or electrical switch contacts, in particular for vacuum tubes, are produced.

First claim

1 . A field-assisted sintering technology (FAST) method in which an electric or electromagnetic field at least one of supports and/or instigates a sintering process, the method comprising:
conducting the sintering process on a metallic substrate; and producing semi-finished contact element products from the sintering process for at least one of electrical switching contacts, contact elements for electrical switching contacts, and electrical switching contacts.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the metallic substrate is a contact carrier.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein
a unipartite contact carrier-contact element combination is produced and a region of an available contact carrier is modified via a FAST method such that the region may serve as a contact element.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein
the contact carrier includes a first component of the contact material, and wherein a second component of the contact material is incorporated into a surface-proximate region of the contact carrier.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the metallic substrate is a contact element portion.

6 . The method of claim 5 ,
wherein a second contact element portion is formed on an available first contact element portion via a FAST method.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the contact element produced is simultaneously connected to the contact carrier via the FAST method.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact material prior to the sintering process is provided such that at least one of the material composition of the contact material and at least one property of the contact material are modified in at least one body direction of the contact element.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein
the method is a defined gradual modification of at least one of the material composition and of the at least one property of the contact material.

10 . A device comprising:
at least one device to carry out a sintering process on a metallic substrate using a field-assisted sintering technology (FAST) method, in which an electric or electromagnetic field at least one of supports and instigates the sintering process, produce a semi-finished contact element product for at least one of electrical switching contacts, a contact element for electrical switching contacts, and an electrical switching contact.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact material prior to the sintering process is provided such that at least one of the material composition of the contact material and at least one property of the contact material are modified in at least one body direction of the contact element.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the method is a defined gradual modification of at least one of the material composition and of the at least one property of the contact material.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact material prior to the sintering process is provided such that at least one of the material composition of the contact material and at least one property of the contact material are modified in at least one body direction of the contact element.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the method is a defined gradual modification of at least one of the material composition and of the at least one property of the contact material.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the semi-finished contact element product is produced for a vacuum tube.

16 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the semi-finished contact element product is for a vacuum tube.

17 . A method, comprising:
using field-assisted sintering technology (FAST) method, in which an electric or electromagnetic field at least one of supports and instigates a sintering process on a metallic substrate; and producing semi-finished contact element products from the sintering process for at least one of electrical switching contacts, contact elements for electrical switching contacts, and electrical switching contacts.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the semi-finished contact element product is produced for a vacuum tube.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the metallic substrate is a contact carrier.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the metallic substrate is a contact element portion.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Pohle Dirk
• Rossner Wolfgang
• Schachtschneider Klaus
• Schuh Carsten

Classifications

• B22F2003/1051

  by electric discharge · CPC title

• H01H1/0206

  containing as major components Cu and Cr · CPC title

• B22F2202/05

  Use of magnetic field · CPC title

• H01H1/0203

  specially adapted for vacuum switches · CPC title

• C22C9/00

  Alloys based on copper · CPC title