US5028492A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Composite coating for electrical connectors
Assignee: Olin Corp
•
Filing: 1990-03-13
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Granted: 1991-07-02
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Expires: 2010-03-13
Abstract
Abstract A composite coating for electrical connectors is provided. The coating contains a ductile metal matrix and an uniformly dispersed polymer component. The polymer component is present in a concentration effective to reduce frictional forces generated when inserting an insertion component into a socket. The composite coating has lower friction and improved fretting corrosion resistance as compared to an electrodeposited tin coating. One preferred coating contains 0.5 weight percent polytetrafluoroethylene in a tin matrix.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruce M. Guenin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 11:26
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/03; C; C09; C09D; C09D5/00; C09D5/24; C23; C23C; C23C30/00; F; F16; F16C; F16C33/00; F16C33/02; F16C33/04; H01B; H01B1/00; H01B1/20; H01B1/22; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/922; Y10S428/9265; Y10S428/929; Y10S439/00; Y10S439/931; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/12486; Y10T428/12493; Y10T428/12687; Y10T428/12694; Y10T428/12701; Y10T428/12708; Y10T428/12715
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
76 words
A composite coating, comprising: a ductile metal matrix selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, tin/lead alloys, tin/indium alloys having in excess of about 90% tin and tin/silver alloys having in excess of about 90% tin; and a uniformly dispersed polymer component selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide and polytetrafluoroethylene, wherein said polymer component is present in an amount effective to reduce friction without increasing the initial contact resistance above about 10 milliohms.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
76 words
A composite coating, comprising: a ductile metal matrix selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, tin/lead alloys, tin/indium alloys having in excess of about 90% tin and tin/silver alloys having in excess of about 90% tin; and a uniformly dispersed polymer component selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide and polytetrafluoroethylene, wherein said polymer component is present in an amount effective to reduce friction without increasing the initial contact resistance above about 10 milliohms.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The composite coating of claim 1 wherein said polymer component is a particulate having a maximum size of about 5 microns.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The composite coating of claim 2 wherein said polymer component is a particulate having a size of from about 0.5 to about 3 microns.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composite coating of claim 2 wherein said ductile metal component is tin and said polymer component is PTFE.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The composite coating of claim 4 wherein the concentration of PTFE is an effective amount up to about 0.7 weight percent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composite coating of claim 5 wherein the concentration of said polymer component is from about 0.4 to about 0.7 weight percent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
118 words
An electrical connector, comprising: a copper or copper alloy insertion component; a copper or copper alloy socket; and a composite coating on both said insertion component and said socket, said coating consisting essentially of a ductile metal matrix and a polymer dispersed throughout said matrix wherein said polymer is present in an amount effective to reduce friction and wherein the initial contact resistance is less than about 10 milliohms and said ductile metal component is selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, tin/lead alloys, tin/indium alloys having in excess of about 90% tin and tin/silver alloys having in excess of about 90% tin; and said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide and polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
118 words
An electrical connector, comprising: a copper or copper alloy insertion component; a copper or copper alloy socket; and a composite coating on both said insertion component and said socket, said coating consisting essentially of a ductile metal matrix and a polymer dispersed throughout said matrix wherein said polymer is present in an amount effective to reduce friction and wherein the initial contact resistance is less than about 10 milliohms and said ductile metal component is selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, tin/lead alloys, tin/indium alloys having in excess of about 90% tin and tin/silver alloys having in excess of about 90% tin; and said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyamide and polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
An electrical connector, comprising: a copper or copper alloy insertion component; a copper or copper alloy socket; and a composite coating on both said insertion component and said socket, the composition of said composite coating being a tin matrix containing up to about 0.7 weight percent PTFE dispersed throughout said tin matrix such that the initial contact resistance of said electrical connector is less than 10 milliohms.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
67 words
An electrical connector, comprising: a copper or copper alloy insertion component; a copper or copper alloy socket; and a composite coating on both said insertion component and said socket, the composition of said composite coating being a tin matrix containing up to about 0.7 weight percent PTFE dispersed throughout said tin matrix such that the initial contact resistance of said electrical connector is less than 10 milliohms.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The electrical connector of claim 8 wherein the composition of said composite coating is from about 0.4 to about 0.7 weight percent PTFE and the balance tin.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electrical connector of claim 8 wherein the thickness of said composite coating is from about 1 to about 3 microns.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-07-01 | 1994-12-31 | 1995-07-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-07-01 | 1998-12-31 | 1999-07-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-07-01 | 2002-12-31 | 2003-07-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |