Method for manufacturing at least one functional area on an electric contact element such as a switching contact or a plug contact
US9667015B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 2, 2012 |
| Grant date | May 30, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 2, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05K3/247
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for producing at least one functional region (1) on an electrical contact element (30) such as, for example, a switching contact or a plug type contact. The at least one functional region (1), for example, a contact location or a connection region for crimping or soldering connections is limited to a partial area of the contact element. In order to prevent the high environmental burden which is disadvantageous in wet-chemical methods and to overcome the restriction to a very small number of materials caused in hot dip methods in physical technical terms, and to substantially improve the spatial possibility for selection and structuring which is insufficient in both techniques, there is provision according to the invention for at least one material coating (4) to be applied mechanically in a highly selective manner to the contact element in the functional region (1) and subsequently highly energetic thermal radiation (9) such as, for example, a particle beam in the form of an ion and/or electron beam, to be directed onto the at least one material coating (4). The material coating (4) can contain new materials or material combinations which cannot be…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.