EP0318831A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electric power connectors
Assignee: Vale Canada Ltd
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Filing: 1988-11-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-11-24
Abstract
Abstract Electric power connectors made with at least one contacting component having a gold contacting surface wherein the gold contacting surface is metallurgically bonded to an underlying layer of nickel or nickel-rich alloy . At the contact surface the gold contains a total of about 1-10% by weight nickel with the amount of nickel generally increasing in the direction from the surface to the underlying metal the increase starting at a point inward of and remote from the contacting surface.
Inventors
- 👤 James Alexander Evert Bell
- 👤 Douglas Albert Hope
- 👤 Bruce Randolph Conard
- 👤 Juraj Babjak
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 08:18
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/03
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
An electric power connector adapted to provide an interruptible conductive path for electric current comprising at least two components adapted to be placed in surface contact, one with another, at least one of said components having a fayable surface of contact made of an alloy of gold and nickel, said alloy containing about 1 to about 10% by weight of nickel near said fayable surface of contact, said amount of said nickel remaining essentially constant through some distance from the surface and then starting at a point interior of said fayable surface to increase with distance from said fayable surface of contact toward the interface of gold-containing metal with an underlying, metallurgically bonded layer of metal from the group of nickel and alloys rich in nickel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
126 words
An electric power connector adapted to provide an interruptible conductive path for electric current comprising at least two components adapted to be placed in surface contact, one with another, at least one of said components having a fayable surface of contact made of an alloy of gold and nickel, said alloy containing about 1 to about 10% by weight of nickel near said fayable surface of contact, said amount of said nickel remaining essentially constant through some distance from the surface and then starting at a point interior of said fayable surface to increase with distance from said fayable surface of contact toward the interface of gold-containing metal with an underlying, metallurgically bonded layer of metal from the group of nickel and alloys rich in nickel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
An electric power connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said underlying metallurgically bonded layer is a layer of essentially pure nickel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
An electric power connector as claimed in claim 2 wherein said layer of essentially pure nickel is the principal structural element of said connector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
An electric power connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said underlying metallurgically bonded layer is an electrodeposit of nickel about 3 to about 10 micrometers thick on an electroconductive substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
An electric power connector as claimed in claim 4 wherein said electroconductive substrate is selected from the group of copper, brass, aluminium bronze, copper-nickel-aluminium alloy, cupro-nickel, beryllium copper and copper-nickel-tin alloy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
An electric power connector as claimed in claim 5 wherein said electroconductive substrate is selected from the group of age-hardened copper-base alloys.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
An electric power connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein two or more components of said connector have fayable surfaces of said alloy of gold and nickel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
An electric power connector as claimed in any preceding claim having mateable male and female components.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
100 words
An electric power connector material comprising an electroconductive base having at least one surface made of a metal from the group of nickel and nickel-rich alloys and having overlying and metallurgically bonded thereto a layer of gold about 0.1 to about 2 micrometers thick, said layer of gold containing near its outer surface about 1 to 10% by weight of nickel, the content of nickel remaining essentially constant over some distance interior of said outer surface and starting to increase at a point remote from said outer surface and continuing to increase as the distance from said outer surface increases.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
100 words
An electric power connector material comprising an electroconductive base having at least one surface made of a metal from the group of nickel and nickel-rich alloys and having overlying and metallurgically bonded thereto a layer of gold about 0.1 to about 2 micrometers thick, said layer of gold containing near its outer surface about 1 to 10% by weight of nickel, the content of nickel remaining essentially constant over some distance interior of said outer surface and starting to increase at a point remote from said outer surface and continuing to increase as the distance from said outer surface increases.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
An electric power connector material as claimed in claim 9 wherein the underlying metal is nickel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electric power connector material as claimed in claim 10 wherein said nickel is an electrodeposit on an electroconductive base.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
12 An electric power connector material as claimed in any of claims 9 to 11 wherein said electroconductive base is a metal from the group of copper, brass, aluminium bronze, copper-nickel-aluminium, cupro-nickel, beryllium copper and copper-nickel-tin alloy.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
An electric power connector material as claimed in claim 12 wherein said electroconductive substrate is an age-hardened and copper-base alloy.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
An electric power connector material as claimed in any of claims 9 to 13 in strip form.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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