Chemical Reducing Substance for Crimped Electrical Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical connections made by plastic deformation, such as crimping, often experience increased transition resistance over time, especially under mechanical or thermal loads, and are challenging to maintain stability when using materials with similar redox potentials, posing functional impairment and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
Applying a chemically reducing substance to at least one contact face of the contact elements to reduce oxide layers, increase conductivity, and enhance cold welding density, allowing for stable connections without the need for simultaneous contact with the substance and enabling connections between materials with similar or the same redox potential.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a solder connection is used to produce a long-term stable electrical connection, then the stability and reliability of the connection is improved, but thermal load is generated and heavy metals are used causing environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal soldering process with a mechanical crimping process combined with chemical treatment. Instead of using heat and solder materials, the invention applies a chemically reducing substance to the contact surfaces before mechanical deformation, eliminating thermal load and heavy metal usage while achieving stable electrical connections through oxide layer reduction and enhanced cold welding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical state of the contact surfaces by applying a chemically reducing substance that reduces oxide layers on the metal surfaces. This chemical parameter change (reducing oxides) before mechanical contact improves the electrical conductivity and stability of the connection without requiring thermal processing or solder materials.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional crimping without chemical treatment is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but transition resistance increases greatly over time under mechanical and thermal loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a chemically reducing substance to the contact surfaces before the crimping operation. This preliminary chemical treatment reduces oxide layers on the metal surfaces, creating a cleaner contact surface that will maintain better electrical conductivity over time. The substance is applied in advance, allowing the subsequent mechanical crimping to occur on pre-treated surfaces with reduced oxidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The chemically reducing substance acts as an intermediary between the metal contact surfaces and the oxidation environment. It chemically reduces the oxide layers that would otherwise form on the contact surfaces, mediating the interaction between the metal and oxygen to prevent harmful oxidation that would increase transition resistance over time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If contact elements with similar or the same redox potential are used, then material compatibility is improved, but electrical connection stability deteriorates due to difficulty in producing stable connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical state of the contact surfaces by applying a chemically reducing substance that reduces oxide layers. This parameter change (chemical reduction) creates a consistent, clean surface state that improves electrical contact stability regardless of whether the materials have similar or different redox potentials. The chemical treatment standardizes the surface condition, making the connection more reliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on electrochemical potential differences (which require dissimilar materials) with a chemical reduction approach using a reducing substance. Instead of depending on galvanic effects from material dissimilarity, the invention uses chemical reduction of oxides combined with mechanical crimping to achieve stable connections between materials with similar or identical redox potentials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method provides a long-term stable electrical connection with minimal increase in transition resistance, even under cyclic loading, and reduces environmental impact by eliminating the need for heavy metals and thermal loads, while being cost-effective and easy to implement.
Implementation Method 1
a chemically reducing substance is applied to at least one contact face of a contact element. Owing to this measure, an oxide layer which is present on the contact face is reduced
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for improving the transition resistance in an electrical connection, in particular a pressure connection, between two contact elements (1, 2). With repeated mechanical or thermal loads, such connections, in particular connections having a small cross-section or comprising soft material, have a transition resistance which increases over time. According to the invention, the transition resistance is improved by there being applied to at least one contact face (3, 4) of a contact element (1, 2) a chemically reducing substance (6) which activates the contact face (3, 4) and consequently increases the conductivity and the cold welding density.