Connector with gold-palladium plated contacts
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsDouglas J. Weber, Naoto Matsuyuki, Eric S. Jol
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved outer layer of plating comprising a binary metal alloy of gold and palladium is employed on connector contacts. The binary metal alloy is plated on at least the contact surface of the contacts. Intermediate plating layers can be applied between the outer layer of gold and palladium and the conductive base of the contacts. The binary metal alloy of gold and palladium may be configured to have a mostly gold or a mostly silver appearance, depending upon the relative concentration of gold and palladium in the binary metal alloy.
Claims22
An electrical connector comprising:
- a body;
- and
- a plurality of contacts carried by the body, each contact including a conductive base having a binary metal alloy plated layer at an outer surface of each contact, the binary metal alloy plated layer comprising gold and palladium;
- wherein the weight percentage of palladium in the binary metal alloy plated layer is at least 10 percent, with the remainder in gold.
An electrical connector comprising:
- one or more contacts, wherein each contact comprises a conductive base;
- and
- the conductive base comprising a contact surface and one or more surface layers disposed on the contact surface;
- wherein an outermost surface layer comprises gold and palladium;
- and
- wherein the weight percentage of palladium in the outermost surface layer is at least 10 percent, with the remainder in gold.
A method of making an electrical connector comprising:
- forming a connector body;
- forming one or more contacts from a conductive base material;
- plating at least a portion of the one or more contacts with one or more surface layers;
- and
- assembling the one or more contacts to the connector body;
- wherein an outermost surface layer comprises an alloy of gold and palladium;
- and
- wherein the weight percentage of palladium in the outermost surface layer is at least 10 percent, with the remainder in gold.
A method of making an electrical connector comprising:
- forming one or more contacts from a conductive base material;
- plating at least a portion of the one or more contacts with one or more surface layers;
- wherein an outermost surface layer comprises an alloy of gold and palladium;
- forming an interface board;
- attaching the one or more contacts to the interface board;
- and
- attaching a cable to the interface board;
- wherein the weight percentage of palladium in the outermost surface layer is at least 10 percent, with the remainder in gold.
An electrical connector comprising:
- one or more contacts, wherein each contact comprises a conductive base having an outermost surface layer including an alloy of gold and palladium;
- an interface board;
- and
- a cable;
- wherein the one or more contacts and the cable are electrically attached to the interface board;
- and
- wherein the weight percentage of palladium in the outermost surface layer is at least 10 percent, with the remainder in gold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.