Kinetic sprayed electrical contacts on conductive substrates
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsThomas Hubert Van Steenkiste, George Albert Drew, Daniel William Gorkiewicz, Bryan A. Gillispie
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to electrical contacts that comprise spaced electrically conductive particles embedded and bonded into the surface of conductors in which the particles have been kinetically sprayed onto the conductors with sufficient energy to form direct mechanical bonds between the particles and the conductors in a pre-selected location and particle number density that promotes high surface-to-surface contact and reduced contact resistance between the conductors.
Claims19
An electrical connector comprising:
- a first surface formed from a first electrically conductive material and embedded on said surface a plurality of spaced apart particles of a second electrically conductive material, said particles having a nominal pre-embedded diameter of greater than 50 microns and forming a discontinuous layer raised on said surface with said second electrically conductive material being other than said first electrically conductive material and with said electrical connector having a contact resistance of less than 10 milli-Ohms.
An electrical connection comprising:
- a first connector having a first surface formed from a first electrically conductive material and embedded on said surface a plurality of spaced apart particles of a second electrically conductive material, said particles having a nominal pre-embedded diameter of greater than 50 microns and forming a discontinuous layer raised on said surface with said second electrically conductive material being other than said first electrically conductive material;
- and a second connector releasably engaged with the first connector, thereby forming said electrical connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.