Sleeve, contacting device and method for welding thin, stranded conductors by ultrasonic welding

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016254602-A1
Application number	US-201615053006-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2016
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The teachings relate to the improvement of the connection between a stranded conductor and a substrate by using a sleeve for holding the end of the stranded conductor, wherein the end can be crimped to the sleeve and the sleeve can be welded to the substrate via ultrasonic welding or connected thereto by crimping.

First claim

1 . A sleeve for holding an end of a stranded conductor for forming a contact for welding to a substrate.

2 . The sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is closed at least locally a full 360° around a circumference of the stranded conductor.

3 . The sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein at least one plug-in opening for inserting the stranded conductor has a tapered lead-in in a form of a transition, which narrows in a form of a funnel, from an outer diameter of an opening to its inner diameter, to avoid any sharp edges that might compromise stability of the stranded conductor.

4 . The sleeve according to claim 3 , wherein the tapered lead-in avoids radii of curvature of less than 0.5 mm.

5 . The sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has a tapered lead-in at each of its two ends.

6 . The sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein an overall cross-section of the sleeve and conductor is at least 0.5 mm 2 .

7 . A contacting device comprising:
a substrate and a stranded conductor, wherein the stranded conductor includes a sleeve according claim 1 that is mounted on the substrate, by one or more welds by ultrasonic means or crimped, and the conductor is crimped to the sleeve.

8 . The contacting device according to claim 7 , wherein the crimping is implemented not over the entire length of the sleeve, but only over a part of the length, and the sleeve is mounted on the substrate over an uncrimped part of a length.

9 . The contacting device according to claim 7 , wherein a metallic material of a core of the conductor and a metallic material of the substrate have an electrochemical potential difference of more than 0.3 V, and the sleeve is made of a metallic material, an electrochemical potential of which lies between that of the core of the conductor and that of the substrate, wherein the substrate is made of an aluminum material, the core of the conductor is made of a copper material and the sleeve is made of a brass material or a CuZn material.

10 . A method for connecting a stranded electric conductor to a substrate comprising the steps of:
a) inserting the stranded electric conductor into a sleeve according to claim 1 , b) first crimping the sleeve to the conductor, thereby fastening the electric conductor in the sleeve, c) placing the conductor with the sleeve on the substrate, d) connecting the sleeve which encompasses the conductor to the substrate by ultrasonic welding and/or by a second crimping.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the first crimping is carried out over only a part of a length, rather than over an entire length, and in that the connection between the sleeve and the substrate is established only in the uncrimped region of the sleeve.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein in an uncrimped state, the sleeve has a rotationally symmetrical cross-section, and the sleeve remains rotationally symmetrically at least in sections even after crimping.

13 . A battery having a contacting device according to claims 7 , wherein the substrate is made of an aluminum material.

14 . A vehicle having a contacting device according to claim 7 , wherein the vehicle includes a battery having the substrate that is made of an aluminum material.

Assignees

• Gentherm Gmbh

Inventors

• Issler Markus

Classifications

• H01R4/625

  Soldered or welded connections · CPC title

• H01R4/62

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

• H01R4/20

  using a crimping sleeve {(H01R4/01 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01R43/048

  Crimping apparatus or processes (H01R43/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R43/0256

  for soldering or welding connectors to a printed circuit board · CPC title