Conductive ring and method of making same

Abstract

The application discloses a conductive ring in the technical field of petroleum equipment electronic components and a manufacturing method thereof, and aims to solve the problem that the conductive ring in the prior art is prone to causing poor contact due to the gap in the radial direction after long-term use and abrasion. The conductive ring comprises a ring-shaped skeleton assembly, the skeleton assembly comprises a metal skeleton and a plastic skeleton arranged on the top of the metal skeleton, a wire is connected to the top of the metal skeleton, a receiving gap is formed on the inner side wall of a local skeleton of the plastic skeleton, so that the local skeleton forms a thin wall part, and vulcanized rubber layers are arranged on the two side walls of the skeleton assembly. The application is suitable for the manufacture of the conductive ring, can achieve the effect of keeping close contact all the time, realizes reliable contact, guarantees the stability of signal transmission, has reasonable overall layout, compact structure, and makes the outer side of the conductive ring annular, so that the conductive ring is convenient to install on petroleum equipment.

Description

A conductive ring and its manufacturing method Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electronic components technology for petroleum equipment, specifically to a conductive ring and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] In drilling equipment in the petroleum equipment field, electrical connectors are commonly used, as shown in Figure 1 of the instruction manual. Existing electrical connectors typically include a male connector 1' and a female connector 2'. A spring conductive pin 3' is installed on the male connector 1', and a conductive ring 4' is installed on the female connector 2'. The inner side of the conductive ring 4' has an annular conductive groove 5'. After the male connector 1' and the female connector 2' are assembled, the spring conductive pin 3' extends into the annular conductive groove 5', and the spring conductive pin 3' abuts against the inner wall of the conductive ring 4' to achieve electrical connection. When the male connector 1' and the female connector 2' rotate relative to each other, the spring conductive pin 3' is always located within the annular conductive groove 5'.

[0003] However, after a period of use, existing electrical connectors will experience wear between the spring conductive pin 3' and the conductive ring 4', which can easily create a gap in the radial direction of the conductive ring 4', resulting in poor contact. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a conductive ring and its manufacturing method, which solves the problem that current conductive rings are prone to developing radial gaps after long-term use and wear, resulting in poor contact.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is implemented using the following technical solution:

[0006] On one hand, the present invention provides a conductive ring, comprising: an annular skeleton assembly, the skeleton assembly comprising a metal skeleton and a plastic skeleton disposed on top of the metal skeleton, a wire being connected to the top of the metal skeleton, and a receiving notch for accommodating the wire being provided on the inner sidewall of a portion of the plastic skeleton, so that the portion of the skeleton forms a thin-walled portion, and a vulcanized rubber layer being provided on both sidewalls of the skeleton assembly.

[0007] Furthermore, the outer wall of the metal frame is provided with a rib, the rib being at least partially located at the bottom of the thin-walled portion and supporting the bottom outer edge of the thin-walled portion; and / or, the cross-section of the rib is wedge-shaped; and / or, the rib and the metal frame are integrally formed as a single structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the rib is annular and is disposed on the outer side wall of the metal frame along the circumference of the metal frame; or, both the rib and the thin-walled portion are arc-shaped and the length of the rib is equal to the length of the thin-walled portion; or, the projections of the rib and the thin-walled portion on the projection plane perpendicular to the axis of the frame assembly completely overlap.

[0009] Furthermore, the bottom of the plastic frame is provided with an arc-shaped groove, which is connected end to end with the receiving notch to form a ring structure, and the top of the metal frame is provided with an arc-shaped protrusion that engages with the arc-shaped groove.

[0010] Furthermore, a high-temperature heat shrink tubing is fitted onto the conductor.

[0011] Furthermore, the top of the metal frame is provided with a wire bonding groove, and the wire is connected to the metal frame at the wire bonding groove. The arc-shaped groove covers the wire bonding groove and part of the wire.

[0012] Furthermore, the distance between the inner and outer surfaces of the plastic skeleton gradually increases along the axial direction parallel to the conductive ring and from the metal skeleton to the plastic skeleton, and both the inner and outer surfaces are in close contact with the vulcanized rubber layer; and / or, the angle between the inner surface of the plastic skeleton and the axial direction of the conductive ring is equal to the angle between the outer surface of the plastic skeleton and the axial direction of the conductive ring.

[0013] Furthermore, the outer wall of the vulcanized rubber layer is provided with an elastic annular groove.

[0014] On the other hand, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a conductive ring, comprising the following steps:

[0015] The high-temperature heat shrink tubing is sleeved on the wire, and one end of the wire is welded to the wire groove on the metal frame.

[0016] Apply a ring of high-temperature resistant adhesive to the inner ring of the arc groove on the plastic frame, and then engage the arc protrusion on the metal frame with the arc groove to bond the metal frame and the plastic frame together to form a frame assembly.

[0017] The skeleton assembly is placed in a mold for vulcanization molding, thereby forming a vulcanized rubber layer on both sides of the skeleton assembly.

[0018] Furthermore, the base material of the metal skeleton is beryllium copper, and it is plated with copper, nickel and rhodium layers from the inside out.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are:

[0020] 1. This invention adjusts the contact surface of the conductive ring so that the bottom end of the metal frame contacts the spring conductive pin. Even if wear occurs between the two, the spring force will push the conductive pin to maintain close contact with the metal frame again, thus achieving reliable contact and ensuring the stability of signal transmission.

[0021] 2. The present invention places the wire inside the plastic frame by setting a receiving notch, thus preventing it from protruding outward from the circumference of the conductive ring. This method has a reasonable layout, compact structure, and makes the outer side of the conductive ring annular, which facilitates installation on oil equipment.

[0022] 3. This invention adds ribs to the metal frame to effectively support the thin-walled parts. It eliminates the need to add high-temperature solder to the gap between the plastic and metal frames to fix the thin-walled parts, thus saving time and labor costs. It also has the advantages of simple structure, low manufacturing cost, high reliability, and convenient operation, which significantly improves production efficiency and product quality and has great practical application value.

[0023] 4. The present invention uses the interlocking connection method of arc protrusions and arc grooves to fix the relative position between the metal frame and the plastic frame. The connection is stable, will not shift, and is easy to assemble and produce, which improves the structural strength of the conductive ring and ensures the performance.

[0024] 5. By having the wire extend a certain distance along the arc groove on the plastic frame before entering the receiving notch, the welded end of the wire will not generate force when the conductive ring is installed on the oil equipment, even if the conductive ring rotates with the oil equipment, thereby avoiding poor contact between the wire and the metal frame.

[0025] 6. By making the cross-section of the rib wedge-shaped, the present invention can make the rib and the metal frame smoothly transition and connect, thereby reducing stress concentration at the connection point, improving support strength, and facilitating the subsequent covering of the vulcanized rubber layer, thus improving the fit. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector in the prior art;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a conductive ring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the skeleton assembly in the conductive ring shown in Figure 2;

[0030] Figure 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of point A in the conductive ring shown in Figure 3;

[0031] Figure 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram of point B in the conductive ring shown in Figure 3;

[0032] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the metal skeleton in the conductive ring shown in Figure 2;

[0033] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the plastic skeleton in the conductive ring shown in Figure 2;

[0034] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the conductive ring shown in Figure 2;

[0035] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the installation of the conductive ring shown in Figure 2 in a usage scenario;

[0036] In the figure: 1. Skeleton assembly; 11. Metal skeleton; 111. Protruding rib; 112. Arc protrusion; 113. Welding groove; 12. Plastic skeleton; 121. Accommodation notch; 122. Thin-walled part; 123. Arc groove; 2. Wire; 3. High temperature heat shrink tubing; 4. Vulcanized rubber layer; 41. Elastic ring groove. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0039] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] Example 1:

[0041] As shown in Figures 2-8, an embodiment of the present invention provides a conductive ring, including an annular skeleton assembly 1. The skeleton assembly 1 includes a metal skeleton 11 and a plastic skeleton 12 disposed on the top of the metal skeleton 11. A wire 2 is connected to the top of the metal skeleton 11. A receiving notch 121 for accommodating the wire 2 is opened on the inner side wall of a partial skeleton on the plastic skeleton 12, so that the partial skeleton forms a thin-walled portion 122. A vulcanized rubber layer 4 is provided on both side walls of the skeleton assembly 1.

[0042] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the accommodating notch 121 occupies 50-150° of the entire 360° circumference of the plastic frame 12, preferably 100°, so that it can be used in conjunction with other components during use. However, it is not limited to this and can be adjusted accordingly according to the actual application. No specific limitation is made.

[0043] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, in use, the conductive ring is fitted onto the end face of the slip ring assembly, and then the end face of the conductive ring (i.e. the end of the metal frame 11 away from the plastic frame 12) is brought into contact with the spring conductive pin. Since the spring conductive pin has a spring in its axial direction, even if wear occurs between the spring conductive pin and the conductive ring, the spring force will push the conductive pin to re-maintain close contact with the metal frame, thus achieving reliable contact and ensuring the stability of signal transmission.

[0044] Furthermore, by setting the receiving notch 121 so that the wire 2 is located inside the plastic frame 12, the wire 2 is prevented from extending outward from the circumference of the conductive ring. This method has a reasonable position layout, a compact structure, and makes the outer side of the conductive ring annular, which facilitates installation on oil equipment.

[0045] In this embodiment, the outer side wall of the metal frame 11 is provided with a protruding rib 111, which is at least partially located at the bottom of the thin-walled portion 122 and supports the bottom outer edge of the thin-walled portion 122.

[0046] Specifically, during the production of the conductive ring, when the vulcanized rubber layer 4 is vulcanized, the plastic skeleton 12 and the metal skeleton 11 will be subjected to high temperatures and a certain positive pressure inside the mold. Therefore, the thin-walled part 122 on the plastic skeleton 12 will be deformed and softened by heat, resulting in lateral displacement. At this time, the protruding ribs 111 on the metal skeleton 11 can provide effective support for it, thereby preventing the thin-walled part 122 from collapsing downwards while shifting laterally, thus avoiding high deformation. Ultimately, this ensures that the overall height of the plastic skeleton 12 and the metal skeleton 11 remains unchanged.

[0047] Furthermore, the method of adding ribs 111 to the metal skeleton 11 mentioned above, compared with the tin-filled support, does not require the addition of high-temperature solder at the gap between the plastic skeleton 12 and the metal skeleton 11, thus saving time and labor costs. It also has the advantages of simple structure, low manufacturing cost, high reliability, and convenient operation, which significantly improves production efficiency and product quality, and has great practical application value.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, the cross-section of the convex rib 111 is wedge-shaped.

[0049] Understandably, the wedge-shaped structure allows for a smooth transition between the rib 111 and the metal skeleton 11, thereby reducing stress concentration at the connection point, increasing support strength, and facilitating the subsequent application of the vulcanized rubber layer 4, thus improving fit.

[0050] In this embodiment, the protruding rib 111 is annular and is disposed on the outer side wall of the metal frame 11 along the circumference of the metal frame 11; in this way, it can provide axial support for the entire plastic frame 12 in a 360° circumferential manner, thereby significantly improving the stability of the conductive ring and achieving good performance.

[0051] Preferably, the rib 111 and the metal frame 11 are integrally formed. This facilitates manufacturing and improves structural strength.

[0052] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, in this embodiment, the bottom of the plastic frame 12 is provided with an arc groove 123, and the arc groove 123 and the receiving notch 121 are connected end to end to form a ring structure. The top of the metal frame 11 is provided with an arc protrusion 112 that engages with the arc groove 123.

[0053] Specifically, during the production of the conductive ring, a ring of high-temperature resistant adhesive is applied to the inner ring of the arc groove 123 of the plastic skeleton 12. Then, the arc protrusion 112 on the metal skeleton 11 is engaged with the arc groove 123, thereby bonding the metal skeleton 11 and the plastic skeleton 12 together to form the skeleton assembly 1.

[0054] By using the interlocking connection method of the arc protrusion 112 and the arc groove 123, the relative position between the metal frame 11 and the plastic frame 12 can be fixed. The connection is stable, will not shift, and is easy to assemble and produce, which improves the structural strength of the conductive ring and ensures the performance.

[0055] It should be noted that the arc groove 123 covers part of the wire 2. During assembly, the wire 2 will extend along the arc groove 123 on the plastic frame 12 for a period of time before entering the receiving notch 121. In this way, when the conductive ring is installed on the oil equipment, even if the conductive ring rotates with the oil equipment, the welded end of the wire 2 will not generate force, thereby avoiding the occurrence of poor contact between the wire 2 and the metal frame 11.

[0056] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in this embodiment, a high-temperature heat shrink tubing 3 is fitted onto the conductor 2.

[0057] Specifically, the high-temperature heat shrink tubing 3 can provide insulation protection for the conductor 2, making it moisture-proof, waterproof, and corrosion-proof, thus playing a role in resisting harsh environments and preventing the conductive ring from failing due to damage to the conductor 2.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the top of the metal frame 11 is provided with a wire bonding groove 113, the wire 2 is connected to the metal frame 11 at the wire bonding groove 113, and the arc groove 123 covers the wire bonding groove 113.

[0059] Specifically, during the production of the conductive ring, the wire 2 is welded to the metal frame 11 at the welding groove 113 using high-temperature solder. Then, when covering with the vulcanized rubber layer 4, as shown in Figure 2, the vulcanized rubber layer 4 fills the accommodating gap 121, thus covering the high-temperature solder, the wire 2, and the welding groove 113. This method improves the stability and anti-interference capability of the wire 2 connection, preventing poor contact due to environmental influences during subsequent use.

[0060] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, the distance between the inner and outer sides of the plastic skeleton 12 gradually increases along the axial direction parallel to the conductive ring and from the metal skeleton 11 to the plastic skeleton 12. Both the inner and outer sides are in close contact with the vulcanized rubber layer. Preferably, the angle between the inner side of the plastic skeleton 12 and the axial direction of the conductive ring is equal to the angle between the outer side of the plastic skeleton 12 and the axial direction of the conductive ring.

[0061] This design increases the surface area of ​​the inner and outer side walls of the skeleton assembly 1, allowing the vulcanized rubber layer 4 to adhere tightly to the side walls of the skeleton assembly 1, thereby improving the coating effect and adhesion of the vulcanized rubber layer 4 and increasing the stability of the conductive ring.

[0062] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, an elastic annular groove 41 is provided on the outer wall of the vulcanized rubber layer 4.

[0063] Specifically, during use, the conductive ring is installed in the corresponding groove. Since the size of the vulcanized rubber layer 4 is slightly larger than the size of the groove, the upper and lower sides of the vulcanized rubber layer 4 will be squeezed into the elastic ring groove 41, resulting in elastic deformation. At this time, through the reaction force generated by the elastic deformation, the conductive ring will be firmly installed in the groove and will not fall off at will.

[0064] Example 2:

[0065] This embodiment provides a conductive ring, which differs from Embodiment 1 in that both the protruding rib 111 and the thin-walled portion 122 are arc-shaped, and the length of the protruding rib 111 is equal to the length of the thin-walled portion 122. The projections of the protruding rib 111 and the thin-walled portion 122 on the projection plane perpendicular to the axis of the skeleton assembly 1 completely overlap, so that the entire protruding rib 111 can support the entire thin-walled portion 122. This ensures that the protruding rib 111 effectively supports only the thin-walled portion 122, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while guaranteeing the support effect, resulting in better performance.

[0066] Example 3:

[0067] This embodiment provides a method for manufacturing the conductive ring in the above embodiments, including the following steps:

[0068] The high-temperature heat shrink tubing 3 is sleeved on the wire 2, and one end of the wire 2 is welded into the welding groove 113 on the metal frame 11.

[0069] Apply a ring of high-temperature resistant adhesive to the inner ring of the arc groove 123 on the plastic skeleton 12, and then engage the arc protrusion 112 on the metal skeleton 11 with the arc groove 123, thereby bonding the metal skeleton 11 and the plastic skeleton 12 to form the skeleton assembly 1.

[0070] The skeleton assembly 1 is placed in a mold for vulcanization molding, thereby forming a vulcanized rubber layer 4 on both sides of the skeleton assembly 1.

[0071] In this embodiment, the base material of the metal skeleton 11 is beryllium copper, and it is plated with a copper layer, a nickel layer and a rhodium layer from the inside out.

[0072] Specifically, the copper layer, as the base plating layer, improves the adhesion between the substrate material (beryllium copper) and the intermediate plating layer (nickel layer), facilitating the deposition of the intermediate plating layer and enhancing adhesion. Additionally, the copper layer prevents impurities in the beryllium copper from affecting subsequent electroplating. The nickel layer, as the intermediate plating metal, possesses excellent passivation capabilities, forming a passivation film on the easily oxidized copper surface to resist oxidation and corrosion. Simultaneously, due to the product requirement for a relatively thick rhodium layer (exceeding the industry standard of 0.1-0.4 μm), the rhodium layer experiences high stress. The low-stress nickel layer improves the adhesion between the rhodium layer and the underlying metal, effectively preventing rhodium layer cracking. The rhodium layer is chemically stable, corrosion-resistant, and not easily worn, thus significantly extending the service life of the conductive ring and ensuring the stability of signal transmission.

[0073] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conductive ring, characterized in that, The assembly includes an annular frame assembly (1), which comprises a metal frame (11) and a plastic frame (12) disposed on top of the metal frame (11). A wire (2) is connected to the top of the metal frame (11). A receiving notch (121) for accommodating the wire (2) is provided on the inner sidewall of a portion of the plastic frame (12), so that the portion of the frame forms a thin-walled portion (122). Vulcanized rubber layers (4) are provided on both sidewalls of the frame assembly (1). A rib (111) is provided on the outer sidewall of the metal frame (11), and the rib (111) is at least partially located at the bottom of the thin-walled portion (122) and supports the bottom outer edge of the thin-walled portion (122). / Or, the cross-section of the rib (111) is wedge-shaped; and / or, the rib (111) and the metal frame (11) are integrally formed; the bottom of the plastic frame (12) is provided with an arc groove (123), the arc groove (123) and the receiving notch (121) are connected end to end to form a ring structure, the top of the metal frame (11) is provided with an arc protrusion (112) that engages with the arc groove (123); the top of the metal frame (11) is provided with a wire bonding groove (113), the wire (2) is connected to the metal frame (11) at the wire bonding groove (113), and the arc groove (123) covers the wire bonding groove (113) and part of the wire (2).

2. A conductive ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rib (111) is annular and is disposed on the outer side wall of the metal frame (11) along the circumference of the metal frame (11); or, the rib (111) and the thin-walled portion (122) are both arc-shaped and the length of the rib (111) is equal to the length of the thin-walled portion (122); or, the projections of the rib (111) and the thin-walled portion (122) on the projection plane perpendicular to the axis of the frame assembly (1) completely coincide.

3. A conductive ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, A high-temperature heat shrink tubing (3) is fitted onto the conductor (2).

4. A conductive ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the inner and outer sides of the plastic skeleton (12) gradually increases along the axial direction parallel to the conductive ring and from the metal skeleton (11) to the plastic skeleton (12), and both the inner and outer sides are in close contact with the vulcanized rubber layer (4); and / or, the angle between the inner side of the plastic skeleton (12) and the axial direction of the conductive ring is equal to the angle between the outer side of the plastic skeleton (12) and the axial direction of the conductive ring.

5. A conductive ring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the vulcanized rubber layer (4) is provided with an elastic annular groove (41).

6. A method for manufacturing a conductive ring according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The high-temperature heat shrink tubing (3) is sleeved on the wire (2), and one end of the wire (2) is welded to the welding groove (113) on the metal frame (11). A ring of high-temperature resistant adhesive is applied to the inner ring of the arc groove (123) on the plastic frame (12), and then the arc protrusion (112) on the metal frame (11) is engaged with the arc groove (123), so that the metal frame (11) and the plastic frame (12) are bonded together to form a frame assembly (1). The frame assembly (1) is placed in a mold for vulcanization molding, thereby forming a vulcanized rubber layer (4) on both sides of the frame assembly (1).

7. The method for manufacturing a conductive ring according to claim 6, characterized in that, The base material of the metal skeleton (11) is beryllium copper, and it is plated with copper, nickel and rhodium layers from the inside out.

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