Electrical contact element and method for manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537243-B2
Application number	US-201414783928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	May 3, 2013
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An electrical contact element and a method of manufacturing an electrical contact element having a connecting segment which is formed of a copper sheet and comprising a coating overlaying the copper sheet having at least two layers. A first layer contains at least 60% by weight of tin. A second layer is disposed between the first layer and the copper sheet. The second layer contains a copper-containing alloy. The copper-containing alloy contains 40 to 80% by weight of copper and 20 to 60% by weight of zinc. The combined percentage by weight of copper and zinc in the second layer is at least 90%. A third layer containing tin may be disposed between the second layer and the copper sheet. A fourth layer containing zinc may be disposed on a side of the first layer opposite the second layer.

First claim

I claim:

1. An electrical contact element having a connecting segment which is formed of a copper sheet and comprises a coating, wherein the coating comprises:
a first layer containing at least 60% by weight of tin; and
a second layer disposed between the first layer and the copper sheet and containing a copper-containing alloy, wherein the copper-containing alloy contains 40 to 80% by weight of copper and 20 to 60% by weight of zinc, wherein the combined percentage by weight of copper and zinc is at least 90%.

2. The electrical contact element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer has a thickness of 0.5 to 5 μm.

3. The electrical contact element according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer consists of the copper-containing alloy.

4. The electrical contact element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer has a thickness in a range of 1 to 15 μm.

5. The electrical contact element according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer contains up to 40% by weight of zinc.

6. The electrical contact element according to claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a third layer disposed between the second layer and the copper sheet, wherein the third layer contains tin.

7. The electrical contact element according to claim 6 , wherein the coating comprises a fourth layer disposed on a side of the first layer opposite the second layer wherein the fourth layer contains zinc.

8. A method for manufacturing an electrical contact element, comprising the steps of:
providing a base body;
applying a second layer on the base body, wherein the second layer contains a copper-containing alloy, wherein the copper-containing alloy contains 40 to 80% by weight of copper and 20 to 60% by weight of zinc, and wherein the combined percentage by weight of copper and zinc is at least 90%; and
applying a first layer, containing at least 60% by weight of tin, on a side of the second layer opposite the base body.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising a step of heat treating the electrical contact element, wherein the heat treating step is performed after the step of applying the first layer.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the layers are each applied by a process selected from the group consisting of galvanic technique, vapor coating, sputtering, dip coating, spray coating, and any combinations of the above processes.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the base body is formed of a fire-tinned copper sheet.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the heat treating step is performed in a temperature range of 50 to 350° C. for a time period of 1 second to 48 hours.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the heat treating step is performed in a temperature range of 220 to 270° C. for a time period of 5 seconds to 2 minutes.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Inc

Inventors

• Gaertner Markus

Classifications

• C23C28/3225

  with at least one zinc-based layer · CPC title

• C25D3/12

  of nickel or cobalt · CPC title

• H01R13/03

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

• C25D5/12

  at least one layer being of nickel or chromium · CPC title

• C23C2/26

  After-treatment (C23C2/14 takes precedence) · CPC title