Terminal and electroplating process

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of electroplated terminals, and in particular to a terminal and an electroplating process. A surface of a terminal body of the terminal comprises a first surface and a second surface; at least part of the surface of the terminal body is provided with a base plating layer and a functional plating layer; the functional plating layer is at least located on the first surface and is a layer positioned above the base plating layer; and a thickness of the functional plating layer at the first surface is greater than the thickness of the functional plating layer at other surfaces. Also disclosed is an electroplating process for manufacturing the terminal, comprising partitioning, pre-plating treatment, electroplating of the base plating layer, masking, electroplating of the functional plating layer, and so forth.

Description

Terminal and electroplating process

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410964726.0, filed on July 18, 2024, and incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of the aforementioned patent application as part of this application. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of electroplated terminals, and more particularly, to a terminal and an electroplating process. BACKGROUND

[0004] New energy electric vehicles require high electrical performance and environmental tolerance of terminals to meet the design charging power and ensure the safety of the charging process, and need to meet various test requirements such as contact resistance, temperature rise, durability of plugging and salt spray test.

[0005] To achieve the above product performance and quality requirements, traditional terminals generally use copper terminals with overall electroplated nickel and overall electroplated silver coating design and electroplating process, but some terminals have a sealing structure at the tail designed to cooperate with other sealing elements such as a waterproof ring. After actual assembly, the waterproof ring will tightly cover the above sealing structure at the tail of the terminal, so that the sealing structure does not need to be electroplated and can have good environmental tolerance performance. Therefore, based on the above actual situation, it is meaningful to develop and design a new terminal coating structure and electroplating process to reduce the amount of electroplated material. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a terminal and an electroplating process to solve the problem of large amount of electroplated material and high cost in the prior art.

[0007] The terminal provided by the present application is used for cooperating with a counter terminal to connect and transmit electric energy, and includes a terminal body. The surface of the terminal body includes a first surface and a second surface. The second surface is located on the outer side of the terminal body and is used for sealing cooperation with a corresponding sealing structure. A base coating layer and a functional coating layer are arranged on at least part of the surface of the terminal body. The functional coating layer is located on the first surface and is on the upper layer of the base coating layer. The thickness of the functional coating layer at the first surface is greater than the thickness of the functional coating layer at other surfaces.

[0008] The electroplating process provided by the present application is used for manufacturing the terminal as described above, and includes the following steps:

[0009] a. Partitioning: demarcating the first surface and the second surface of the terminal;

[0010] b. Pre-electroplating treatment: removing impurities on the surface of the terminal;

[0011] c. plating the base layer: at least part of the first surface of the terminal is immersed in a base plating solution to obtain a base plating layer covering at least the first surface;

[0012] d. shielding: the second surface of the terminal is covered by a shielding member;

[0013] e. plating the functional layer: part of the first surface of the terminal is immersed in a functional plating solution to obtain a functional plating layer;

[0014] f. post-plating protection: the terminal is immersed in a protective agent;

[0015] g. drying the terminal after removing the shielding member.

[0016] The present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] The surface of the terminal is divided into a first surface and a second surface, and a relatively thick plating layer capable of achieving a predetermined function is plated on the first surface. Furthermore, a relatively thin plating layer can be plated on the second surface which is sealed with a sealing structure or the plating layer can be shielded and not plated, thereby reducing the amount of plating material and manufacturing cost without affecting the performance of the product.

[0018] Other features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate embodiments of the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the terminal in a shielded state according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a plating layer structure in which a base plating layer and a functional plating layer cover only the first surface according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a plating layer structure in which a base plating layer and a functional plating layer cover both the first surface and the second surface according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] In the drawings, the following signs are indicated: 1, terminal; 11, terminal body; 2, first surface; 3, second surface; 4, silicone sleeve; 5, base plating layer; 6, functional plating layer; 61, base layer; 62, thickening layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the figures. It should be noted that the relative arrangements, numerical expressions, and numerical values of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments are not limiting to the scope of the present application unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0026] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the scope of the application or its application or uses.

[0027] Techniques, methods, and devices known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art can not be discussed in detail herein, but should be considered as part of the specification, where appropriate.

[0028] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be interpreted as merely illustrative and not as a limitation. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments can have different values.

[0029] Embodiment 1.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, a terminal 1 is used to connect with a mating terminal and transmit electric energy. The terminal 1 comprises a terminal body 11, the surface of the terminal body 11 comprises a first surface 2 and a second surface 3, the second surface 3 is located on the outer side of the terminal body 11 and used to seal fit with a corresponding sealing structure. The sealing structure is, for example, a waterproof ring or a sealing ring preset in a sheath. The terminal is arranged in the sealing structure and the second surface 3 is attached to the sealing structure to achieve the sealing fit. At least part of the surface of the terminal body 11 is provided with a base plating layer 5 and a functional plating layer 6; the functional plating layer 6 is at least located on the first surface 2 and is on the upper layer of the base plating layer 5, and the thickness of the functional plating layer 6 at the first surface 2 is greater than the thickness at other surfaces.

[0031] In this embodiment, the base plating layer 5 and the functional plating layer 6 both cover the first surface 2, and the second surface 3 is free of plating and is sealed with the sealing structure.

[0032] Further, the base plating layer 5 is a nickel / copper plating layer, and the functional plating layer 6 is a noble metal / noble metal alloy plating layer. Preferably, according to the actual use requirements, in this embodiment, the base plating layer 5 is a nickel plating layer, and the functional plating layer 6 is a silver-antimony alloy plating layer.

[0033] In order to ensure the electrical performance and environmental performance, meet the needs of electroplating, and improve the cost performance of material consumption, the thickness of the nickel plating layer is more reasonable in the range of 3-5 μm, the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer at the first surface 2 is not less than 5 μm, and more reasonable range is 5-15 μm, and the thickness at the second surface 3 is not more than 3 μm. When the thickness of each plating layer is small, the product performance is poor, which is suitable for occasions with low requirements, and the electroplating material consumption is less. When the thickness of each plating layer is high, the product performance is good, which is suitable for occasions with higher requirements, and the corresponding electroplating material consumption is more. In practice, the thickness can be flexibly selected within the above range according to needs.

[0034] In this embodiment, the thickness of the nickel plating layer is 3 μm, the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer at the first surface 2 is 5 μm, and the thickness at the second surface 3 is 0 μm, i.e. no silver-antimony alloy plating layer.

[0035] An electroplating process for manufacturing the terminal described above, comprising the following steps:

[0036] a. Partition: demarcate the first surface and the second surface of the terminal;

[0037] b. Pre-treatment before electroplating: remove impurities on the surface of the terminal;

[0038] c. Electroplating of base plating layer: at least immerse part of the first surface of the terminal in the base electroplating solution to obtain a base plating layer covering at least the first surface;

[0039] d. Shielding: cover the second surface of the terminal with a shielding member;

[0040] e. Electroplating of functional plating layer: immerse part of the first surface of the terminal in the functional electroplating solution for electroplating to obtain a functional plating layer;

[0041] f. Post-plating protection: immerse the terminal in a protective agent;

[0042] g. Dry the terminal after removing the shielding member.

[0043] In this embodiment, considering that the second surface does not need to be electroplated, step c actually includes: covering the outside of the second surface of the terminal with a shielding member, and immersing the terminal entirely in the base electroplating solution to obtain a base plating layer covering the first surface; and step d actually includes: maintaining the state of the shielding member covering the second surface of the terminal.

[0044] The shielding member can be a tape, a rubber sleeve, or the like according to the actual situation and the structure of the terminal. In this embodiment, the shielding member is a silica rubber sleeve, and in step c, a silica rubber sleeve 4 with a shape suitable for the second surface of the terminal is used to shield the second surface, as shown in FIG. 2, so that in step e, the terminal is actually immersed entirely in the functional electroplating solution.

[0045] In this embodiment, the plating solution for the base plating in step c is a nickel plating solution, and the specific proportions are as follows: the nickel plating solution contains nickel sulfamate: 400 g / L (the reference selection range is 300-450 g / L), nickel chloride: 8 g / L (the reference selection range is 2-15 g / L), boric acid: 40 g / L (the reference selection range is 30-45 g / L), and the pH value is 4.0 (the reference selection range is 3.5-4.5), based on the total volume of the plating solution. The plating parameters in the plating are as follows: the plating temperature is 55°C (the reference selection range is 40-60°C), the plating current density is 3 A / dm 2 (2 A / dm 2

[0046] In this embodiment, the functional plating solution in step e is a silver-antimony plating solution, and the specific proportions are as follows: the silver-antimony plating solution contains silver nitrate: 40 g / L (the reference selection range is 35-45 g / L), potassium cyanide: 85 g / L (the reference selection range is 80-90 g / L), potassium sodium tartrate: 45 g / L (the reference selection range is 40-50 g / L), potassium antimony tartrate: 2.5 g / L (the reference selection range is 1.5-3 g / L), and the pH value is 4.0 (the reference selection range is 3.5-4.5), based on the total volume of the plating solution. The plating parameters in the plating are as follows: the plating temperature is 20°C (the reference selection range is 18-22°C), the plating current density is 1.5 A / dm 2 (1-2 A / dm 2

[0047] In this embodiment, the protective agent in step f is a silver post-plating protective agent suitable for post-plating protection of a silver plating layer, which is a conventional material and technology in the field, and thus is not described in detail.

[0048] It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the proportions of the plating solutions and the plating parameters described above can be flexibly selected and combined within the ranges shown according to actual conditions, so as to finally plating a plating layer with a required thickness.

[0049] In this embodiment, in order to maximize the cleanliness of the surface of the terminal body, step b includes:

[0050] ​​b1, ultrasonic degreasing: the terminal is subjected to ultrasonic degreasing, and the ultrasonic degreasing solution has the following parameters: sodium hydroxide: 13 g / L (the reference selection range is 10-15 g / L), sodium carbonate: 25 g / L (the reference selection range is 20-30 g / L), trisodium phosphate: 60 g / L (the reference selection range is 50-70 g / L), sodium silicate: 13 g / L (the reference selection range is 10-15 g / L), temperature: 60°C (the reference selection range is 50-70°C), and time: 12 min (the reference selection range is 8-16 min);

[0051] b2, electrolytic degreasing: the terminal is subjected to electrolytic degreasing, and the electrolytic degreasing solution has the following parameters: sodium hydroxide: 13 g / L (the reference selection range is 10-15 g / L), sodium carbonate: 25 g / L (the reference selection range is 20-30 g / L), sodium phosphate: 60 g / L (the reference selection range is 50-70 g / L), sodium silicate: 13 g / L (the reference selection range is 10-15 g / L), temperature: 60°C (the reference selection range is 50-70°C), current density: 5 A / dm 2 ( the reference selection range is 3-8 A / dm 2 ), and time: 12 min (the reference selection range is 10-15 min).

[0052] b3, pickling: the terminal is cleaned by using an acidic solution, and the acidic solution has the following parameters: sulfuric acid (volume ratio): 15% (the reference selection range is 10%-20%), and time: 70 s (the preferred parameter is 60-90 s).

[0053] After the steps b1, b2 and b3 are completed, a water washing process is performed, the water washing process uses pure water, the conductivity of the pure water is required to be less than 10 μS / cm, and the cleaning time is 60 s.

[0054] In the terminal and electroplating process, the surface of the terminal body is divided into a first surface and a second surface, and a thick plating layer that can realize a predetermined function is plated on the first surface. Furthermore, the second surface that is sealed with the sealing structure can be shielded and not plated, thereby reducing the amount of electroplating material and the manufacturing cost without affecting the performance of the product.

[0055] As a further improvement, in order to reduce the adverse effect of the nickel-silver displacement reaction caused by the direct entry of the nickel plating layer into the silver-antimony plating solution and to improve the stability between the nickel plating layer and the silver-antimony alloy plating layer, a step eO can be added between the step d and the step e in the embodiment. The step eO includes: immersing the terminal into a silver plating solution for plating to form a protective silver film covering the nickel plating layer. Thus, when the step e is performed subsequently, the silver film prevents the nickel plating layer from contacting the silver-antimony plating solution, thereby avoiding or reducing the adverse effect of the displacement reaction. The silver-antimony alloy plating layer as the functional plating layer is actually plated on the silver film.

[0056] In the step eO, the silver plating solution can be prepared as follows: the silver plating solution contains silver cyanide 3-5 g / L, potassium cyanide 60-70 g / L, potassium carbonate 5-10 g / L, and the pH value is 3.5-4.5, based on the total volume of the plating solution. The plating parameters in the plating are as follows: the plating temperature is 18-30 °C, the current density is 0.3-0.5 A / dm2, and the plating time is 20-60 s. 2

[0057] Example 2.

[0058] The embodiment is different from the above-mentioned example 1 in the thickness of the nickel plating layer and the silver-antimony alloy plating layer and the plating time parameter in the plating process. The details are as follows.

[0059] In the embodiment, the thickness of the nickel plating layer is 4 μm, and the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer is 10 μm.

[0060] In the embodiment, the plating time parameter in the nickel plating is as follows: the plating time is 26 min.

[0061] In the embodiment, the plating time parameter in the silver-antimony alloy plating is as follows: the plating time is 60 min.

[0062] The plating layer in the embodiment is thicker than that in example 1, and the electrical performance and environmental resistance of the terminal are improved compared with those of the terminal in example 1.

[0063] Example 3.

[0064] The embodiment is different from the above-mentioned example 1 in the thickness of the nickel plating layer and the silver-antimony alloy plating layer and the plating time parameter in the plating process. The details are as follows.

[0065] In the embodiment, the thickness of the nickel plating layer is 5 μm, and the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer is 15 μm.

[0066] In the embodiment, the plating time parameter in the nickel plating is as follows: the plating time is 33 min.

[0067] ​In this embodiment, the time parameter in silver-antimony alloy plating is: plating time is 90 min.

[0068] The plating layer of this embodiment is thicker than that of embodiment 2, and the electrical performance and environmental resistance of the terminal are improved compared with those of the terminal of embodiment 2.

[0069] Embodiment 4.

[0070] The terminal of this embodiment is used for connecting with a mating terminal and transmitting electric energy, and includes a terminal body. The surface of the terminal body includes a first surface and a second surface. The second surface is located on the outer side of the terminal body and is used for sealing cooperation with a corresponding sealing structure. The sealing structure is, for example, a waterproof ring or a sealing ring preset in a sheath. The terminal is arranged in the sealing structure, and the second surface is attached to the sealing structure to achieve sealing cooperation. At least part of the surface of the terminal body is provided with a base plating layer and a functional plating layer. The functional plating layer is located on the first surface and is on the upper layer of the base plating layer. The thickness of the functional plating layer at the first surface is greater than that at other surfaces.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the base plating layer 5 and the functional plating layer 6 cover the first surface 2 and the second surface 3. The thickness of the functional plating layer 6 at the first surface 2 is greater than that at the second surface 3.

[0072] Further, the base plating layer is a nickel / copper plating layer, and the functional plating layer is a noble metal / noble metal alloy plating layer. Preferably, according to actual use requirements, in this embodiment, the base plating layer is a nickel plating layer, and the functional plating layer is a silver-antimony alloy plating layer.

[0073] In order to ensure the electrical performance and environmental resistance effect, meet the plating needs, and improve the cost performance of material consumption, the thickness of the nickel plating layer is more reasonable in the range of 3-5 μm. The thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer at the first surface is not less than 5 μm, which is more reasonable. A more reasonable range is 5-15 μm. The thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer at the second surface is not more than 3 μm, which is more reasonable. When the thickness of each plating layer is small, the product performance is poor, which is suitable for occasions with low requirements. The plating material consumption is less. When the thickness of each plating layer is high, the product performance is good, which is suitable for occasions with high requirements. The corresponding plating material consumption is more. In practice, the thickness can be flexibly selected within the above range according to needs.

[0074] In this embodiment, the thickness of the nickel plating layer is 3 μm. The thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer at the first surface is 5 μm, and the thickness at the second surface is 1 μm.

[0075] In this embodiment, the silver-antimony alloy plating layer is also arranged at the second surface. The electrical performance and environmental resistance at the second surface are improved compared with those of the terminal of embodiment 1.

[0076] A plating process for manufacturing the above terminal includes the following steps:

[0077] a, partitioning: demarcating the first surface and the second surface of the terminal;

[0078] b, pre-plating treatment: removing impurities on the surface of the terminal;

[0079] c, plating base layer: at least partially immersing the first surface of the terminal into a base plating solution to obtain a base layer covering at least the first surface;

[0080] d, shielding: shielding the second surface of the terminal by a shielding member;

[0081] e, plating functional layer: immersing the first surface of the terminal into a functional plating solution to obtain a functional layer;

[0082] f, post-plating protection: immersing the terminal into a protective agent;

[0083] g, drying the terminal after removing the shielding member.

[0084] In this embodiment, the thickness of the functional layer on the second surface is considered to be less than that on the first surface. Therefore, step c actually includes: immersing the terminal into the base plating solution to obtain a base layer covering the first surface and the second surface.

[0085] In this embodiment, between step c and step d, there is a step: c1, pre-plating: immersing the terminal with the base layer into the functional plating solution to obtain a functional layer in a basic form covering the first surface and the second surface, i.e., a basic layer 61 as shown in FIG. 4.

[0086] In this embodiment, step e includes: immersing the first surface of the terminal into the functional plating solution to increase the thickness of the functional layer in the basic form on the first surface, as shown in FIG. 4, to form a thickened layer 62 on the basic layer, and the thickened layer 62 and the basic layer 61 jointly form the functional layer 6, and finally obtain the functional layer 6 in a final form.

[0087] The shielding member can be a tape, a sleeve, etc. according to the actual situation and the structure of the terminal. In this embodiment, the shielding member is a silica sleeve, and in step d, a silica sleeve with a suitable shape is sleeved on the second surface of the terminal to shield the second surface.

[0088] In this embodiment, the base plating solution in step c is a nickel plating solution, and the specific ratio is as follows: the nickel plating solution contains nickel sulfamate: 400 g / L (the reference selection range is 300-450 g / L), nickel chloride: 8 g / L (the reference selection range is 2-15 g / L), boric acid: 40 g / L (the reference selection range is 30-45 g / L), and the pH value is 4.0 (the reference selection range is 3.5-4.5), based on the total volume of the plating solution. The plating parameters in the plating are as follows: the plating temperature is 55°C (the reference selection range is 40-60°C), the plating current density is 3 A / dm 2 (2 A / dm 2 2 A / dm 2 ), and the plating time is 20 min (the reference selection range is 20-35 min).

[0089] In this embodiment, the functional plating solution in steps c1 and e is a silver-antimony plating solution, and the specific ratio is as follows: the silver-antimony plating solution contains silver nitrate: 40 g / L (the reference selection range is 35-45 g / L), potassium cyanide: 85 g / L (the reference selection range is 80-90 g / L), potassium sodium tartrate: 45 g / L (the reference selection range is 40-50 g / L), potassium antimony tartrate: 2.5 g / L (the reference selection range is 1.5-3 g / L), and the pH value is 4.0 (the reference selection range is 3.5-4.5), based on the total volume of the plating solution. The plating parameters in step c1 are as follows: the plating temperature is 20°C (the reference selection range is 18-22°C), the plating current density is 1.5 A / dm 2 (1-2 A / dm 2 2 A / dm 2 ), and the plating time is 6 min (the reference selection range is 5-20 min). The plating parameters in step e are as follows: the plating temperature is 20°C (the reference selection range is 18-22°C), the plating current density is 1.5 A / dm 2 (1-2 A / dm 2 ), and the plating time is 24 min (the reference selection range is 20-85 min). The total plating time in the silver-antimony plating solution is 30 min (the reference selection range is 30-90 min).

[0090] In this embodiment, the protective agent in step f is a silver post-protective agent suitable for silver plating, which is a conventional material and technology in the art, and thus is not described in detail.

[0091] It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the plating solution ratio and plating parameters described above can be flexibly selected and combined within the indicated ranges according to actual conditions, and the final plating layer thickness that meets the requirements can be used as a reference.

[0092] In this embodiment, in order to ensure the cleanliness of the surface of the terminal body to the greatest extent, step b comprises:

[0093] b1, ultrasonic degreasing: the terminal is subjected to ultrasonic degreasing, and the ultrasonic degreasing solution has the following proportions and parameters: sodium hydroxide: 13 g / L (the reference selection range is 10-15 g / L), sodium carbonate: 25 g / L (the reference selection range is 20-30 g / L), trisodium phosphate: 60 g / L (the reference selection range is 50-70 g / L), sodium silicate: 13 g / L (the reference selection range is 10-15 g / L), temperature: 60°C (the reference selection range is 50-70°C), and time: 12 min (the reference selection range is 8-16 min);

[0094] b2, electrolytic degreasing: the terminal is subjected to electrolytic degreasing, and the electrolytic degreasing solution has the following proportions and parameters: sodium hydroxide: 13 g / L (the reference selection range is 10-15 g / L), sodium carbonate: 25 g / L (the reference selection range is 20-30 g / L), sodium phosphate: 60 g / L (the reference selection range is 50-70 g / L), sodium silicate: 13 g / L (the reference selection range is 10-15 g / L), temperature: 60°C (the reference selection range is 50-70°C), current density: 5 A / dm 2 (3-8 A / dm 2 ), and time: 12 min (the reference selection range is 10-15 min);

[0095] b3, pickling: the terminal is cleaned by using an acidic solution, and the acidic solution has the following proportions and parameters: sulfuric acid (volume ratio): 15% (the reference selection range is 10%-20%), and time: 70 s (the preferred parameter is 60-90 s).

[0096] After steps b1, b2 and b3, a water washing process is performed, the water washing process uses pure water, the conductivity of the pure water is required to be less than 10 μS / cm, and the cleaning time is 60 s.

[0097] In the terminal and electroplating process, the surface of the terminal body is divided into a first surface and a second surface, a base plating layer and a relatively thick functional plating layer that can realize a predetermined function are plated on the first surface, and a base plating layer and a relatively thin functional plating layer are plated on the second surface that is sealed with a sealing structure, so that the amount of electroplating material at the second surface is reduced, and the amount of electroplating material of the terminal and the manufacturing cost are reduced without affecting the performance of the product.

[0098] As a further improvement, in order to reduce the adverse effect of the nickel-silver displacement reaction caused by the direct entry of the nickel plating layer into the silver-antimony plating solution and to improve the stability between the nickel plating layer and the silver-antimony alloy plating layer, a step cO can be added between step c and step cl in the present embodiment, and step cO includes: immersing part of the first surface of the terminal into a silver plating solution to perform electroplating, thereby forming a protective silver film covering the nickel plating layer. Thus, when step cl is performed subsequently, the silver film blocks the nickel plating layer from the silver-antimony plating solution, thereby avoiding or reducing the adverse effect of the displacement reaction, and the silver-antimony alloy plating layer as the functional plating layer is actually plated on the silver film.

[0099] In step eO, the silver plating solution can be prepared as follows: the silver plating solution contains silver cyanide 3-5 g / L, potassium cyanide 60-70 g / L, potassium carbonate 5-10 g / L, and the pH value is 3.5-4.5, based on the total volume of the plating solution. The plating parameters in the electroplating are as follows: the plating temperature is 18-30 °C, the current density is 0.3-0.5 A / dm2, and the plating time is 20-60 s. 2

[0100] Example 5.

[0101] The difference between the present embodiment and the above-mentioned example 4 is the thickness of the nickel plating layer and the silver-antimony alloy plating layer and the plating time parameter in the plating process. The details are as follows.

[0102] In the present embodiment, the thickness of the nickel plating layer is 4 μm, and the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer is 10 μm at the first surface and 2 μm at the second surface.

[0103] In the present embodiment, the plating time parameter in the nickel plating is as follows: the plating time is 26 min.

[0104] In the present embodiment, the plating time parameter in the silver-antimony alloy plating is as follows: the plating time in step cl is 12 min, and the plating parameter in step e is 48 min. The total plating time in the silver-antimony plating solution is 60 min.

[0105] The plating layer in the present embodiment is thicker than that in example 4, and the electrical performance and environmental resistance of the terminal in the present embodiment are improved compared with those in example 4.

[0106] Example 6.

[0107] The difference between the present embodiment and the above-mentioned example 4 is the thickness of the nickel plating layer and the silver-antimony alloy plating layer and the plating time parameter in the plating process. The details are as follows.

[0108] In the present embodiment, the thickness of the nickel plating layer is 5 μm, and the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer is 15 μm at the first surface and 3 μm at the second surface.

[0109] ​In this embodiment, the time parameter in the plating of the nickel plating layer is: plating time: 33 min.

[0110] In this embodiment, the time parameter in the plating of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer is: plating time in step c1: 18 min; plating parameter in step e: 72 min. The total plating time in the silver-antimony plating solution is 90 min.

[0111] The plating layer in this embodiment is thicker than that in embodiment 5, and the electrical performance and environmental resistance of the terminal are improved compared with those of the terminal in embodiment 5.

[0112] Although some specific embodiments of the present application have been described in detail by examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are only for illustration, but not for limiting the scope of the present application. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments can be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. The scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A terminal for matingly connecting with a counterpart terminal and transferring electrical power, characterized by, The terminal body comprises a first surface and a second surface, the second surface is located outside the terminal body and is used for sealing cooperation with a corresponding sealing structure, at least part of the surface of the terminal body is provided with a base plating layer and a functional plating layer, the functional plating layer is located on the first surface and is on the upper layer of the base plating layer, and the thickness of the functional plating layer at the first surface is greater than that at other surfaces.

2. A terminal as defined in claim 1, wherein The base plating layer and the functional plating layer both cover the first surface, the second surface is not plated and is sealed with the sealing structure.

3. A terminal as defined in claim 1, wherein The base plating layer and the functional plating layer both cover the first surface and the second surface, and the thickness of the functional plating layer at the first surface is greater than that at the second surface.

4. A terminal according to claim 1, wherein The base plating layer is a nickel / copper plating layer, and the functional plating layer is a noble metal / noble metal alloy plating layer.

5. A terminal as defined in claim 4, wherein The base plating layer and the functional plating layer both cover the first surface and the second surface, the noble metal / noble metal alloy plating layer is a silver-antimony alloy plating layer, the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer at the first surface is not less than 5 microns, and the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer at the second surface is not greater than 3 microns.

6. A terminal as defined in claim 4, wherein The base plating layer and the functional plating layer both cover the first surface, the second surface is not plated and is sealed with the sealing structure, and the noble metal / noble metal alloy plating layer is a silver-antimony alloy plating layer, the thickness of the silver-antimony alloy plating layer is not less than 5 microns.

7. A terminal as defined in claim 4, wherein The base plating layer is a nickel plating layer, and the thickness of the nickel plating layer is 3-5 microns.

8. A plating process for manufacturing the terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: a. Partitioning: demarcating the first surface and the second surface of the terminal; b. Pre-electroplating treatment: removing impurities on the surface of the terminal; c. Electroplating a base plating layer: at least partially immersing the first surface of the terminal in a base electroplating solution to electroplate a base plating layer covering at least the first surface; d. Shielding: covering the second surface of the terminal with a shielding member; e. Electroplating a functional plating layer: immersing part of the first surface of the terminal in a functional electroplating solution to electroplate a functional plating layer; f. Post-electroplating protection: immersing the terminal in a protective agent; and g. Drying the terminal after removing the shielding member.

9. A plating process as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that The step c comprises: immersing the terminal in the base electroplating solution to electroplate a base plating layer covering the first surface and the second surface; and the step c and the step d further comprise a step c1: pre-electroplating: immersing the terminal in the functional electroplating solution to electroplate a functional plating layer in a basic form covering the first surface and the second surface; and the step e comprises: immersing part of the first surface of the terminal in the functional electroplating solution to electroplate the functional plating layer in a final form by increasing the thickness of the functional plating layer in the basic form at the part of the first surface.

10. A plating process as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The electroplating time in the step c1 is 5-20 minutes, and the electroplating time in the step e is 20-85 minutes.

11. The electroplating process of claim 8, wherein, The step c comprises: covering the second surface of the terminal with the shielding member, immersing the terminal in the base electroplating solution to electroplate a base plating layer covering the first surface; and the step d comprises: maintaining the state of covering the second surface of the terminal with the shielding member.

12. A plating process according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the plating solution is an aqueous solution of copper ions, and the plating process is carried out at a temperature of 20 to 60°C. The shielding member is a silica gel sleeve, and the silica gel sleeve is worn on the terminal to shield the second surface of the terminal.

13. A plating process according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the plating solution is an aqueous solution of copper ions, and the plating process is carried out at a temperature of 20 to 40°C. The base plating solution is a nickel plating solution containing 300-450 g / L of nickel sulfamate, 2-15 g / L of nickel chloride, 30-45 g / L of boric acid, and having a pH value of 3.5-4.5, a plating temperature of 40-60℃, a plating current density of 1-5 A / dm 2 , and a plating time of 20-35 min; and the functional plating solution is a silver-antimony plating solution containing 35-45 g / L of silver nitrate, 80-90 g / L of potassium cyanide, 40-50 g / L of potassium sodium tartrate, 1.5-3 g / L of potassium antimony tartrate, and having a pH value of 3.5-4.5, a plating temperature of 18-22℃, a current density of 1-2 A / dm 2 , and a plating time of 30-90 min.

14. The electroplating process of claim 8, wherein, The step b comprises: b1. Ultrasonic degreasing: ultrasonic degreasing the terminal; b2, electrolytic degreasing: electrolytic degreasing of the terminal; and b3, pickling: cleaning of the terminal using an acidic solution.

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