Electrical contact assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9543679-B2
Application number	US-201313841449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Oct 5, 2012
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An electrical contact assembly includes a first electrical contact having a first mating element, and a second electrical contact having a second mating element. The first and second electrical contacts being configured to mate together at the first and second mating elements such that the first and second mating elements engage each other at a contact interface. A distribution of contact pressure across the contact interface at least partially coincides with a distribution of electrical current flow across the contact interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contact assembly comprising:
a first electrical contact having a first mating element, the first mating element comprising a curved depression, the curved depression being a groove that is elongated to extend a length along the first mating element, the groove having a rim defined by two opposing rim segments that extend the length of the groove; and
a second electrical contact having a second mating element, the second mating element comprising a curved protrusion, the first and second electrical contacts being configured to mate together at the first and second mating elements such that the first and second mating elements engage each other at a contact interface, the curved protrusion being configured to be partially received into the groove when the first and second mating elements are engaged, the curved protrusion engaging the groove at the rim segments along a contact portion of the length of the rim, the curved protrusion not engaging the groove radially interior of the rim segments, the curved protrusion not engaging the groove along a non-contact portion of the length of the rim adjacent to the contact portion of the length;
wherein a distribution of contact pressure across the contact interface at least partially coincides with a distribution of electrical current flow across the contact interface.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein an asperity junction wherein the contact interface carries the greatest amount of electrical current flow at least partially coincides with an asperity junction wherein the contact interface has the greatest contact pressure.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the distribution of contact pressure across the contact interface completely coincides with the distribution of electrical current flow across the contact interface.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the curved protrusion of the second mating element has a greater radius of curvature than the groove of the first mating element.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the groove of the first mating element is a cylindrical groove, the curved protrusion of the second mating element being a spherical protrusion that is configured to be partially received into the cylindrical groove when the first and second mating elements are engaged, wherein the spherical protrusion of the second mating element has a greater radius of curvature than the cylindrical groove of the first mating element.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rim segments of the groove along the contact portion of the length of the rim define an entirety of a portion of the contact interface that is defined by the first mating element.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the curved protrusion of the second mating element only engages the first mating element at the rim of the groove.

8. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the asperity junction in which the contact interface carries the greatest amount of electrical current flow and the asperity junction in which the contact interface has the greatest contact pressure entirely overlap each other.

9. An electrical contact assembly comprising:
a first electrical contact having a first mating element, the first mating element comprising an approximately planar surface; and
a second electrical contact having a second mating element, the second mating element comprising a curved protrusion having a tip that includes a depression extending therein, the depression having a rim that defines a transition between the curved protrusion and the depression, the first and second electrical contacts being configured to mate together at the first and second mating elements such that the first and second mating elements engage each other at a contact interface, the approximately planar surface of the first mating element engaging the curved protrusion of the second mating element at the rim of the depression, the first mating element not engaging the depression of the curved protrusion radially interior of the rim;
wherein the contact interface comprises a first asperity junction where the contact interface has the greatest current density and a second asperity junction where the contact interface has the greatest normal load, the first and second asperity junctions at least partially overlapping each other.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first and second asperity junctions entirely overlap each other.

11. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the rim defines an entirety of a portion of the contact interface that is defined by the second mating element.

12. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the depression on the tip of the curved protrusion is a groove that extends a length along the tip, the rim of the depression being a rim of the groove, the curved protrusion being configured to engage the approximately planar surface of the first mating element at the rim of the groove, portions of the groove interior of the rim configured to not engage the first mating element.

13. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the approximately planar surface of the first mating element only engages the curved protrusion of the second mating element at the rim of the depression.

14. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the curved protrusion of the second mating element is a spherical protrusion.

15. An electrical contact assembly comprising:
a first electrical contact having a first mating element; and
a second electrical contact having a second mating element that comprises a curved surface, the curved surface of the second mating element having a periodic surface topology that includes approximately parallel peaks protruding from the curved surface, the peaks being elongated to extend along a length, adjacent peaks being separated from each other by valleys, the first and second electrical contacts being configured to mate together at the first and second mating elements such that the first and second mating elements engage each other at a contact interface that is at least partially defined by the peaks, wherein the first mating element is configured to engage at least two of the peaks of the periodic surface topology, the first mating element configured to not engage the at least one valley disposed between the at least two peaks that the first mating element engages.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the curved surface of the second mating element is a curved protrusion that includes the periodic surface topology, the first mating element of the first electrical contact comprising an approximately planar surface that defines a portion of the contact interface.

17. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the curved surface of the second mating element is a curved protrusion that includes the periodic surface topology, the first mating element of the first electrical contact includes a mating side having a concave shape that defines a portion of the contact interface.

18. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first mating element of the first electrical contact also includes a periodic surface topology that includes approximately parallel peaks that are separated by valleys, the peaks of the periodic surface topology of the first mating element engaging the peaks of the periodic surface topology of the second mating element when the first and second electrical contacts are mated together, the peaks of the periodic surface topology of the first mating element not engaging the valleys of the periodic surface topology of the second mating element.

19. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first mating element of the first electrical c

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Tyco Electronics Amp Gmbh
• Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Schmidt Helge
• Leidner Michael
• Myers Marjorie

Classifications

• H01R13/2485

  for contacting a ball · CPC title

• H01R13/2492

  multiple contact points · CPC title

• H01R13/2478

  spherical · CPC title

• H01H1/06 Primary

  characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved · CPC title

• H01H1/10

  Laminated contacts with divided contact surface · CPC title