Coating on a surface to transmit electrical current

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024072473-A1
Application number	US-202318454849-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 24, 2023
Priority date	Aug 26, 2022
Publication date	Feb 29, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A coating on a surface of a substrate for transmitting electrical current in an automotive plug connection for charging an EV-battery and having layers of different microstructures and performances which extend at least essentially in parallel to the surface. The layers include at least one fine-grained intermediate layer containing silver grains exhibiting a nano-crystalline grain size having an average grain size below 1000 nanometers and containing graphite particles. The layers include at least one coarse-grained layer located adjacent to the fine-grained layer and containing silver grains exhibiting a grain size which is on average larger than that of the fine-grained layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A coating on a surface of a substrate for transmitting electrical current in an automotive plug connection for charging an EV-battery, the coating comprising:
layers of different microstructures and performances which extend at least essentially in parallel to the surface, the layers including at least one fine-grained intermediate layer containing silver grains exhibiting a nano-crystalline grain size having an average grain size below 1000 nanometers and containing graphite particles; the layers including at least one coarse-grained layer located adjacent to the fine-grained layer and containing silver grains exhibiting a grain size which is on average larger than that of the fine-grained layer.

2 . The coating according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one outermost fine-grained surface layer containing silver grains.

3 . The coating according to claim 2 , wherein silver grains of the outermost fine-grained surface layer exhibiting a nano-crystalline grain size having an average grain size below 1000 nanometers.

4 . The coating according to claim 2 , wherein the outermost fine-grained surface layer includes graphite particles.

5 . The coating according to claim 2 , wherein the outermost fine-grained surface layer covers the surface with an areal fraction of at least 10%.

6 . The coating according to claim 1 , wherein the graphite particles have a nano-scale size having an average size below 250 nanometers in the at least one fine-grained intermediate layer.

7 . The coating according to claim 6 , wherein the silver grains in the at least one fine grained intermediate layer have a nano-crystalline grain size having an average size above 300 nanometers.

8 . The coating according to claim 1 , wherein the graphite particles are extended essentially along the at least one fine-grained intermediate layer parallel to the surface.

9 . The coating according to claim 1 , wherein a crystal structure of the graphite particles is hexagonal graphite 2H.

10 . The coating according to claim 1 , wherein, on average along a section of the surface, two of the layers are stacked atop the surface.

11 . The coating according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coarse-grained layer exhibits a micro-crystalline grain size having an average grain size above 1 micrometer and below 5 micrometers.

12 . The coating according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one course-grained layer contains predominantly silver grains.

13 . The coating according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one coarse-grained layer includes an adhesion layer containing at least one of Ag, Ni, Pd, Fe, Sn and/or a Cu-flash deposited directly on the surface of the substrate.

14 . The coating according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fine-grained layer contains self-lubricating particles including at least one of: Nano-diamond, Lead (Pb), Molybdenum (Mo), Mo-Sulfide, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), carbon nanotubes (CNT's), Graphene, Ag-sulfide, W-sulfide and Carbon Fluoride (CFx).

15 . The coating according to claim 14 , wherein that at least one coarse-grained layer contains self-lubricating particles including at least one of: Nano-diamond, Lead (Pb), Molybdenum (Mo), Mo-Sulfide, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), carbon nanotubes (CNT's), Graphene, Ag-sulfide, W-sulfide and Carbon Fluoride (CFx) exhibiting a grain size which is on average larger than that of the self-lubricating particles of the at least one fine-grained layer, the at least one course-grained layer having fewer and bigger self-lubricating particles than the at least one fine-grained layer

16 . An electric charging contact for use in an automotive plug connection comprising:
a substrate having a surface; and a coating on the surface, the coating including layers of different microstructures and performances which extend at least essentially in parallel to the surface, the layers including at least one fine-grained intermediate layer containing silver grains exhibiting a nano-crystalline grain size having an average grain size below 1000 nanometers and containing graphite particles; the layers including at least one coarse-grained layer located adjacent to the fine-grained layer and containing silver grains exhibiting a grain size which is on average larger than that of the fine-grained layer.

17 . The electric charging contact according to claim 16 , wherein the substrate includes at least one of copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, and aluminum-alloy.

18 . The electric charging contact according to claim 16 , wherein the substrate is one of at least partially rotationally symmetric or flat.

19 . An automotive charging connection for charging a battery of an electric vehicle, the automotive charging connection comprising:
one of a charging inlet configured to be fixed to the electric vehicle or a charging gun configured to be plugged into a charging inlet of the electric vehicle; and an electric charging contact held by the one of the charging inlet or the charging gun, the electric charging contact including a substrate having a surface and a coating on the surface, the coating including layers of different microstructures and performances which extend at least essentially in parallel to the surface, the layers including at least one fine-grained intermediate layer containing silver grains exhibiting a nano-crystalline grain size having an average grain size below 1000 nanometers and containing graphite particles, the layers including at least one coarse-grained layer located adjacent to the fine-grained layer and containing silver grains exhibiting a grain size which is on average larger than that of the fine-grained layer.

20 . The automotive charging connector according to claim 19 , wherein the one of the charging inlet or the charging gun includes a housing holding the electric charging contact, the housing being made from polymer.

21 . The automotive charging connector according to claim 19 , further comprising a cooling element for cooling the electric charging contact.

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Solutions Gmbh

Inventors

• Buresch Isabell
• Puippe Jean-Claude

Classifications

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H01R13/03 Primary

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

• B60L53/16

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• C25D5/22

  Electroplating combined with mechanical treatment during the deposition · CPC title

• C25D5/617

  Crystalline layers · CPC title