Electrical contact and process for making the same
AssigneeGTE Products Corporation
InventorsChi H. Leung, Ron J. DeNuccio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical contact formed of a mixture of finely divided electrically conductive metal doped with graphite or cadmium oxide. A thin coating of the electrically conductive metal is disposed upon the side of the contact which is adapted to be welded or brazed to an electrically conductive support. The electrical contact is made by mixing the finely divided cadmium oxide and pressing the mixture into a desired shape. A slurry of conductive metal is then sprayed on one side of the contact. After coating, the contact is sintered at a temperature less than the melting point of the electrically conductive material, whereby the contact is formed and the coating is firmly attached to it. The invention is particularly useful with silver or copper-based electrical contacts.
Claims16
In the process for manufacturing contacts formed of an electrically conductive metal and containing a minor amount of graphite or cadmium oxide, said process comprising:
- forming a mixture of finely divided electrically conductive metal and graphite or cadmium oxide;
- and
- compressing said mixture into a body having a working surface and an obverse side, said working surface being adapted to contact another electrically conductive surface and said obverse side being adapted to be secured to an electrically conductive support;
- and
- coating said obverse side of said body with a thin layer of said finely divided electrically conductive metal;
- and
- sintering the coated contact at a temperature less then the melting point of said electrically conductive metal, whereby said electrically conductive metal is firmly secured to said working surface.
An electrically conductive contact formed of a conductive metal and including minor amount of graphite or cadmium oxide, said contact having a working surface and an obverse side;
- a sintered coating of a metal consisting essentially of said conductive metal disposed on said obverse side.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.