Patent US5139890A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5139890A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Silver-coated electrical components
Assignee: Olin Corp
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Filing: 1991-09-30
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Granted: 1992-08-18
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Expires: 2011-09-30
Abstract
Abstract There has been provided an electrical component having resistance to oxidation and wear. The component has a copper or copper alloy substrate coated with a relatively thick layer of silver. A thin layer of gold may be deposited on the external surface of the silver coating layer to improve oxidation resistance, lubricity and to serve as a diffusion barrier.
Inventors
- 👤 John G. Cowie
- 👤 George J. Muench
- 👤 Julius Fister
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 21:30
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H1/00; H01H1/02; H01H1/021; H01H1/023; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/03; H01H1/025; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/922; Y10S428/9265; Y10S428/929; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/12493; Y10T428/12771; Y10T428/12861; Y10T428/12875; Y10T428/12889; Y10T428/12896; Y10T428/12903; Y10T428/1291
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
67 words
An electrical component, comprising: a copper or copper alloy substrate; and a coating layer having a thickness of from about 3.5 to about 20 microns contacting said substrate, said coating layer being an alloy of silver and at least one elemental addition selected from the group consisting of niobium and zirconium, said elemental addition being present in a concentration effective to increase the hardness of said alloy.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
67 words
An electrical component, comprising: a copper or copper alloy substrate; and a coating layer having a thickness of from about 3.5 to about 20 microns contacting said substrate, said coating layer being an alloy of silver and at least one elemental addition selected from the group consisting of niobium and zirconium, said elemental addition being present in a concentration effective to increase the hardness of said alloy.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The electrical component of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said silver alloy coating layer is from about 4 to about 8 microns.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The electrical component of claim 1 wherein the concentration of said elemental addition is from that effective to increase hardness to about 10 atomic percent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The electrical component of claim 13 wherein the concentration of said elemental addition is from about 1 to about 5 atomic percent.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electrical component of claim 3 having a first barrier metal on the external surface of said silver alloy coating layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The electrical component of claim 5 wherein said first barrier metal is selected from the group consisting of gold, palladium and mixtures thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The electrical component of claim 6 wherein said first barrier metal is gold having a thickness of from that effective to minimize tarnishing to about 0.15 microns.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The electrical component of claim 7 wherein the thickness of said first barrier metal is from about 0.05 to about 0.10 microns.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The electrical component of claim 7 wherein said silver alloy coating layer is in direct contact with said substrate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The electrical component of claim 7 wherein a second barrier layer is disposed between said substrate and said silver alloy coating layer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The electrical component of claim 10 wherein said second barrier layer is selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron and chromium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
The electrical component of claim 11 wherein said second barrier layer is nickel.
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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) | 1995-08-18 | 1996-02-17 | 1996-08-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-08-18 | 2000-02-17 | 2000-08-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-08-18 | 2004-02-17 | 2004-08-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |