Contact device for an electrical component and method for manufacture
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorJuergen K. Schmidt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contact device for an electrical component, particularly a connector, comprising at least one contact element, said contact element having a first contact portion located within said component and second contact portion projecting downwardly beyond said component and adapted to be connected to a conductor, in particular a conductor of a printed circuit board, by soldering, wherein the first contact portion consists of a resilient metallic material and the second contact portion consists of a shape memory alloy, the alloy having a transformation temperature which is significantly higher than the operation temperature of the contact device, the contact device being located or oriented such that it deforms towards said conductor above said transformation temperature.
Claims8
A contact device for an electrical component, comprising at least one contact element, said contact element having a first contact portion located within said component and a second contact portion projecting downwardly beyond said component and adapted to be connected to a conductor, by soldering, wherein said first contact portion consists of resilient metallic material and said second contact portion consists of a shape memory alloy, said alloy having a transformation temperature which is significantly higher than the operation temperature of said component, said second contact portion including a laterally extending arm having a loop-shaped portion and said contact device being oriented such that said second contact portion is deformed towards said conductor above said transformation temperature.
The contact device of claim wherein said second contact portion has a ductility below said transformation temperature which is substantially that of copper.
A contact device for an electrical component, comprising at least one contact element, said contact element having a first contact portion located within said component and a second contact portion connected to said first contact portion by crimping and projecting downwardly beyond said component and adapted to be connected to a conductor, by soldering, wherein said first contact portion consists of resilient metallic material and said second contact portion consists of a shape memory alloy, said alloy having a transformation temperature which is significantly higher than the operation temperature of said component, said contact device being oriented such that it is deformed towards said conductor above said transformation temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.