Contact assembly and method of manufacturing a contact assembly

Abstract

A contact assembly (100) includes a contact (110) having an upper surface (114) and a lower surface (116). The contact has a bore (130) therethrough. The contact has a sheet-like collar (140) surrounding the bore. The contact assembly includes a mating interposer (150) coupled to the sheet collar to mechanically and electrically connect the mating interposer to the contact. The mating interposer has a mating interface configured to mate to a terminal (200) to electrically connect the terminal to the contact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject matter herein relates generally to contact assemblies. Background Art

[0002] Contact assemblies are used to electrically connect various components or devices. For example, the contact assembly may include electrically connected contacts or terminals. Some known contact assemblies are connected by permanent connections (e.g., welded connections). Other known contact assemblies are connected at a separable interface, such as using threaded fasteners. For example, an opening can be formed in the contact by a thermal friction drilling process, and a threaded fastener can pass through the opening. The thermal friction drilling process forms a collar around the drilled hole. However, a poor electrical connection may be formed at the interface between the collar and the mating contact or terminal of the mating contact assembly. Some known separable connections are made using nuts and bolts. Other known separable connections eliminate the use of nuts by using a threading device to form threads directly into the opening in the contact during threading.

[0003] There remains a need for a cost effective and reliable contact assembly having a separable interface for mating with a mating contact assembly. Summary of the invention

[0004] In one embodiment, a contact assembly is provided, comprising a contact having an upper surface and a lower surface. The contact has a bore therethrough. The contact has a flashing collar surrounding the bore. The contact assembly includes a mating interposer coupled to the flashing collar to mechanically and electrically connect the mating interposer to the contact. The mating interposer has a mating interface configured to mate to a terminal to electrically connect the terminal to the contact. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0006] Figure 1 is a side view of a contact assembly coupled to a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 is a top view of a contact assembly coupled to a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0008] Figure 3 is a top view of a contact assembly without terminals to illustrate components of the contact assembly according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0009] Figure 4 A thermal friction drilling process for forming a borehole in a contact is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0010] Figure 5A thermal friction drilling process for forming a borehole in a contact is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0011] Figure 6 A thermal friction drilling process for forming a borehole in a contact is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0012] Figure 7 A thermal friction drilling process for forming a borehole in a contact is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0013] Figure 8 A thermal friction drilling process for forming a borehole in a contact is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

[0014] Fig. 9 is a side view of a contact assembly showing a mating interposer coupled to a blade collar of a contact according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0015] Fig.10 is a side view of a thermal friction drilling process for forming a borehole in a contact according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0016] Fig.11 is a side view of a contact assembly according to an exemplary embodiment showing a mating interposer coupled to an upper sheet collar and a second mating interposer coupled to a lower sheet collar.

[0017] Fig.12 is a side view of a contact assembly showing terminals coupled to a mating interposer according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Figure 1 is a side view of the contact assembly 100 coupled to the terminal 200 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 is a top view of the contact assembly 100 coupled to the terminal 200 according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 31 is a top view of a contact assembly 100 without terminals according to an exemplary embodiment to illustrate components of the contact assembly 100. The contact assembly 100 includes a contact 110 and a mating interposer 150, which is connected to the contact 110 to form a mating interface for mating with a terminal 200. The mating interposer 150 defines a mating interface between the contact 110 and the terminal 200. The mating interposer 150 has a matable surface for mating to the terminal 200. The mating interposer 150 is connected to the contact 110 in a one-step process. For example, when a hole in the contact 110 is formed during a hole forming process, the mating interposer 150 is electrically and mechanically connected. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating interposer 150 is connected to the contact 110 without requiring a subsequent or separate welding or brazing process. The mating interposer 150 is connected to the contact 110 without requiring an interposer-type component during assembly. The mating interposer 150 is connected to the contact 110 without the need for post-process plating. In an exemplary embodiment, the terminal 200 is connected to the contact assembly 100 using a fastener 250. The fastener 250 passes through the mating interposer 150 and can be directly threaded to the contact 110 / mating interposer 150, or can be connected using a threaded nut (not shown) at the bottom of the assembly.

[0019] The contact 110 includes a body 112 having an upper surface 114 and a lower surface 116. In various embodiments, the contact 110 can be a busbar. In various embodiments, the body 112 is planar. However, in alternative embodiments, the body 112 can have other shapes, such as having one or more bends, such as an L-shape. In various other embodiments, the body 112 can be hollow, such as having a cylindrical or rectangular cross-section. The contact 110 is made of a metal material, such as aluminum, copper, steel, or an alloy thereof. The contact 110 can be coated or plated with one or more conductive layers. The contact 110 extends between a first end 120 and a second end 122. The mating interposer 150 in the terminal 200 is coupled to the contact 110 at the first end 120. The second end 122 can be connected to another component, such as a wire, a cable, a connector, a busbar, or an electrical device.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the contact 110 includes an opening 130 at the first end 120, the opening 130 receiving the fastener 250. In an exemplary embodiment, the opening 130 is a bore formed by a thermal friction drilling process, and may be referred to as a bore 130 hereinafter. In various embodiments, the thermal friction drilling process may be a flow drilling process. The bore 130 passes through the body 112 between the upper surface 114 and the lower surface 116. Optionally, the bore 130 may pass completely through the body 112. Alternatively, the bore 130 may only partially pass through the body 112 (e.g., open at the upper surface 114 and closed at the lower surface 116). In various embodiments, the bore 130 may be threadedly connected by a threading device so that the fastener 250 may be threadedly coupled to the contact 110 at the bore 130. In other various embodiments, the fastener 250 is connected to the contact 110 / terminal 200 using a threaded nut (not shown) on the bottom side of the assembly. The threaded fastener 250 may extend partially or completely through the bore 130 and / or the nut (when used).

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, during the formation of the borehole 130, such as during a thermal friction drilling process, a laminar collar 140 is formed at the upper surface 114 and a laminar collar 142 is formed at the lower surface 116. The laminar collars 140, 142 are natural occurrences or byproducts of the thermal friction drilling process. In an exemplary embodiment, a mating interposer 150 is bonded to the laminar collar 140 to mechanically and electrically connect the mating interposer 150 to the laminar collar 140. Optionally, an additional mating interposer (not shown) may be bonded to the lower laminar collar 142 to provide an additional mating interposer on the bottom side of the contact assembly 100. In an exemplary embodiment, when the laminar collar 140 is in an activated state, the mating interposer 150 is metallurgically bonded to the laminar collar 140 by connecting the mating interposer 150 to the laminar collar 140. For example, before the sheet collar 140 returns to room temperature, the mating interposer 150 is thermally bonded to the sheet collar 140. When the sheet collar 140 is formed, the sheet collar 140 is flowable. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating interposer 150 is bonded to the sheet collar 140 when the sheet collar 140 is flowable. The metal material of the mating interposer 150 and the metal material of the sheet collar 140 may be mixed by diffusion during the assembly process.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the mating interposer 150 is a washer. The mating interposer 150 may be an annular shape with a circular outer diameter. In alternative embodiments, the mating interposer 150 may have other shapes. In various embodiments, the mating interposer 150 may be flat or planar. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating interposer 150 has an opening passing therethrough. The opening may be surrounded (e.g., at the center of the mating interposer 150), or may be an opening or slot formed at one side of the mating interposer 150. The mating interposer 150 is made of a metal material, such as aluminum, copper, or an alloy thereof. In various embodiments, the mating interposer 150 is made of a material different from the contact 110. For example, the contact 110 may be made of an aluminum material, and the mating interposer 150 may be made of a copper material, or vice versa. However, in alternative embodiments, the mating interposer 150 and the contact 110 may be made of the same material. The mating interposer 150 may be coated or plated with one or more conductive layers, such as silver or zinc.

[0023] The mating interposer 150 has a mating surface 152 at the top of the mating interposer 150 and a connecting surface 154 at the bottom of the mating interposer 150. The connecting surface 154 is configured to connect to the sheet collar 140. For example, the connecting surface 154 can be pressed into the sheet collar 140, thereby metallurgically bonding the mating interposer 150 to the sheet collar 140 of the contact 110. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating surface 152 defines a separable mating interface for mating with the terminal 200. In various embodiments, the mating surface 152 can be flat or smooth, and the terminal 200 is pressed into mating contact with the mating surface 152 by the fastener 250. In various other embodiments, the mating surface 152 can be non-planar, such as a structured surface, a stepped surface, a curved surface, etc. In an alternative embodiment, the terminal 200 can be brazed or welded to the mating surface 152 of the mating interposer 150. For example, the mating surface 152 may define solder pads for soldering the terminal 200 to the mating surface 152. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating interposer 150 includes an opening 156 therethrough that aligns with the bore 130 to receive the fastener 250.

[0024] The terminal 200 includes a body 202 having an upper surface 204 and a lower surface 206. In various embodiments, the body 202 is planar. However, in alternative embodiments, the body 202 may have other shapes. The terminal 200 is made of a metal material, such as aluminum, copper, or an alloy thereof. The terminal 200 may be coated or plated with one or more conductive layers. In various embodiments, the terminal 200 may be a bus bar configured to be terminated to another component at opposite ends to transmit power between the component and the contact assembly 100. In other various embodiments, the terminal 200 may be a ring terminal for a crimping barrel disposed at the end of a wire or cable. In an alternative embodiment, the terminal 200 may be a conductor of a wire or cable that is directly terminated to a mating interposer 150, such as by welding or soldering to the mating interposer 150.

[0025] Figures 4 to 8 A thermal friction drilling process for forming a borehole 130 in a contact 110 is shown. In various embodiments, the thermal friction drilling process may be a flow drilling process. A thermal friction drilling apparatus 300 is used to form a borehole 130 in a contact 110 and to form lamellar collars 140, 142 at an upper surface 114 and a lower surface 116 of the contact 110. The thermal friction drilling apparatus 300 includes a drill bit 302 that rotates at a high speed to generate friction with the contact 110, thereby increasing the thermal temperature of the contact 110 in the area of ​​the borehole 130. Under pressure, the drill bit 302 is capable of drilling through the contact 110 to form the borehole 130. When the drill bit 302 enters and passes through the contact 110, the lamellar collars 140, 142 are formed at the upper surface 114 and the lower surface 116. In an exemplary embodiment, the material of the contact 110 is heated to a flowable state, such as a state that allows plastic flow. The material of the contact 110 may be heated to a melting temperature so that the molten material of the contact 110 flows outward from the bore 130 to form the flashing rings 140, 142. However, in other embodiments, the flashing material may be in a non-liquid state. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating interposer 150 is pressed onto the flashing ring 140 by the drill bit 302 to bond the mating interposer 150 to the flashing ring 140.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the drill bit 302 includes a tip 304, a tapered portion 306, a shaft 308, and a head 310. The shaft 308 is cylindrical. The head 310 is stepped radially outward relative to the shaft 308 to form a pressing surface 312 at the bottom of the head 310. The head 310 may also be cylindrical. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating insert 150 is located on the end of the drill bit 302. For example, the shaft 308 passes through the opening 156 of the mating insert 150. The mating insert 150 may be located immediately below the head 310. During the thermal friction drilling process, the head 310 presses the mating insert 150 into the sheet collar 140 to connect the mating insert 150 to the sheet collar 140. In an exemplary embodiment, the mating insert 150 forms the sheet collar 140. For example, the mating interposer 150 may compress or expand the sheet collar 140 outwardly along the upper surface 114 to flatten the sheet collar 140 and create a large connection area between the sheet collar 140 and the connection surface 154 of the mating interposer 150 .

[0027] During the thermal friction drilling process, the drill bit 302 is operated to initially penetrate ( Figure 4 ) contact 110. The flowable material (eg, melted or molten material) of contact 110 begins to flow out of bore 130 ( Figure 5 For example, the flowable material of the contact 110 begins to flow upward along the tapered portion 306 and flows downward along the distal end 304. As the drill bit 302 continues to press over the contact 110 ( Figure 6 ), the bore 130 widens and more of the flowable material of the contact 110 flows out of the bore 130. When the shaft 308 of the drill bit 302 is inserted into the bore 130 ( Figure 7 ), the diameter of the borehole 130 is established and all of the flowable material exits the borehole 130 (eg, above the upper surface 114 and below the lower surface 116).

[0028] As the drill bit 302 continues to press downward ( Figure 8), the pressing surface 312 of the head 310 presses the mating interposer 150 into the flowable material above the bore 130. The connecting surface 154 of the mating interposer 150 presses the flowable material outward to flatten the flowable material and form the sheet collar 140. The flowable material may undergo plastic flow to form the sheet collar 140 in the space between the upper surface 114 of the contact 110 and the bottom surface of the mating interposer 150. Optionally, the flowable material may flow into the opening 156 of the mating interposer 150 and / or onto the top surface of the mating interposer 150 to increase the surface area of ​​the joint between the mating interposer 150 and the sheet collar 140. When the mating interposer 150 is pressed into the sheet collar 140, a thermal bond is generated between the mating interposer 150 and the sheet collar 140 to the elevated temperature of the flowable material. Metallurgical bonding (e.g., chemical bonding) may occur between the mating interposer 150 and the sheet collar 140 to create a robust mechanical and electrical connection between the mating interposer 150 and the contact 110. The bonding between the mating interposer 150 and the sheet collar 140 may create intermetallic formations between the two components to enhance the connection between the mating interposer 150 and the sheet collar 140. The metal elements of the mating interposer 150 and the sheet collar 140 may intermix, such as by diffusion between the metal elements, to create a reliable mechanical and electrical connection between the mating interposer 150 and the contact 110. In this way, the thermal friction drilling process and the connection of the mating interposer 150 to the contact 110 occur in a single process, rather than an assembly process that needs to occur at different assembly stations, which reduces the overall assembly time of the contact assembly 100. The connection of the mating interposer 150 to the contact 110 during the thermal friction drilling process eliminates or reduces post-processing steps. For example, pre-plating of the contacts 110 and the terminals 200 is not required. Post-processing welding of the matable components is not required because the mating interposer 150 is connected to the contacts 110 during the thermal friction drilling process. A mating component in the form of an interposer is not required. Instead, the mating interposer 150 is mechanically and electrically connected to the contacts 110 and defines a matable surface for the terminals 200. In various embodiments, the bore does not need to be threaded during or after the drilling process.

[0029] refer to Figure 4-8, a method for manufacturing a contact assembly includes providing a contact having an upper surface and a lower surface, and thermally friction drilling a borehole in the contact to form a laminar collar around the borehole. Thermal friction drilling includes heating the contact to an elevated temperature by friction during the thermal friction drilling process. The method includes bonding a mating interposer to the laminar collar to form a separable mating interface. The separable mating interface is configured to mate to a terminal to electrically connect the terminal to the contact. Bonding the mating interposer may include metallurgically bonding the mating interposer to the laminar collar. Bonding the mating interposer may include thermally bonding the mating interposer to the laminar collar before the laminar collar returns to room temperature. Bonding the mating interposer may include pressing the mating interposer into the laminar collar during thermal friction drilling of the borehole. The method may include threading the borehole and threading a fastener to the borehole to secure the terminal to the contact.

[0030] Fig. 9 1 is a side view of a contact assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment, showing a mating interposer 150 coupled to a laminar collar 140 of a contact 110. The lower laminar collar 142 extends below the lower surface 116 of the contact 110. Optionally, the bore 130 through the contact 110 and the laminar collars 140, 142 can be threaded, for example, using a threaded drill. Optionally, the opening 156 in the mating interposer 150 can be additionally threaded by a threaded drill. However, the bore 130 and / or the mating interposer 150 need not be threaded. Instead, a separate nut can be used.

[0031] Fig.10 is a side view of a thermal friction drilling process for forming a borehole 130 in a contact 110 according to an exemplary embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the mating interposer 150 is coupled to the upper sheet collar 140 using a drill bit 302 of a thermal friction drilling device 300. During the thermal friction drilling process, the second mating interposer 170 is coupled to the lower sheet collar 142. For example, the second mating interposer 170 is pressed into the flowable material formed during the thermal friction drilling process.

[0032] Fig.11 1 is a side view of the contact assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment showing the mating interposer 150 coupled to the upper sheet collar 140 and the second mating interposer 170 coupled to the lower sheet collar 142 .

[0033] Fig.12 is a side view of the contact assembly 100 according to an exemplary embodiment showing the terminal 200 coupled to the mating interposer 150 , 170 .

Claims

1. A contact assembly (100), comprising: A contact (110) having an upper surface (114) and a lower surface (116), the contact having a bore (130) passing through the contact, the contact having a sheet-like collar (140) surrounding the bore; and A mating interposer (150) is coupled to the sheet collar to mechanically and electrically connect the mating interposer to the contact, the mating interposer having a mating interface configured to mate to a terminal (200) to electrically connect the terminal to the contact.

2. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The mating interposer (150) is metallurgically bonded to the sheet-like collar (140) in a flowable state.

3. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: When the sheet collar (140) is flowable, the mating interposer (150) is coupled to the sheet collar (140).

4. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature of the sheet collar (140) is increased during the thermal friction drilling process, and the mating interposer (150) is thermally bonded to the sheet collar before the sheet collar returns to room temperature.

5. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The mating interposer (150) is mechanically coupled to the sheet collar (140) of the contact (110) via an intermetallic structure between the mating interposers in the sheet collar.

6. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The mating interposer (150) is bonded to the laminar collar (140) during thermal friction drilling of the borehole (130).

7. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The mating interposer (150) is made of a first metal material, and the contact (110) is made of a second metal material different from the first metal material.

8. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The mating interposer (150) is made of a first metal material, and the contact (110) is made of a second metal material that is the same as the first metal material.

9. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The mating interposer (150) includes an opening aligned with the bore (130), the opening and the bore being configured to receive a fastener for securing the terminal (200) to the mating interposer and the contact (110).

10. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The bore (130) is threaded to receive a threaded fastener for coupling the terminal (200) to the mating interposer (150) in the contact (110).

11. The contact assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The laminar collar is an upper laminar collar (140) at the upper surface (114), the contact (110) having a lower laminar collar (142) surrounding the bore (130) at the lower surface (116), the contact assembly further comprising a second mating interposer (170) coupled to the lower laminar collar to mechanically and electrically connect the second mating interposer to the contact.

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