Electrical Contact with Textured Contact Interface

An electrical contact having at least one textured contact interface. The at least one textured contact interface includes a radiused portion with a plurality of raised contact areas. Voids are positioned between the plurality of raised contact areas. The radiused portion of the at least one textured contact interface provides more than one point of contact when the radiused portion of the at least one textured contact interface is positioned in electrical engagement with a mating electrical contact.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an electrical contact with a textured contact interface to improve connector reliability under harsh environment conditions. In particular, the textured contact interface provides more than one point of possible contact over wider ranges of tolerance and alignment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrical connectors are plugged together with a mating connector in order to produce an electrical connection. Electrical connectors are generally used either for signal transmission or for power transmission and can be defined as an electromechanical system which provides a separable interface between two electronic subsystems. For this purpose, electrical connectors normally have electrically conductive contacts or terminals that engage conductive contacts or terminals of the mating connector when plugged together to make an electrical and mechanical connection therebetween. In many applications, when the connector and mating connector are plugged-together, one or both of the conductive contacts of the connector and the conductive contacts of the mating connector exert forces on the other in order to guarantee a reliable, electrically conductive connection.

In many applications the connectors and contacts are exposed to harsh environmental conditions, such as moisture, temperature variations, vibrations, and corrosive media. Exposure to such environments can result in the formation of insulating oxide layers in contact areas and therefore to the malfunction of connectors.

It would therefore be beneficial to provide contacts with textured contact surfaces which improves the reliability of the electrical connection between the contacts and the mating contacts improves contact reliability in general, but also under harsh environment conditions. In particular, it would be beneficial to provide textured contact surfaces which provide two or more contact points to improve contact reliability under high vibration conditions and which can change with changing tolerance/alignment of the contacts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following provides a summary of certain illustrative embodiments of the present invention. This summary is not an extensive overview and is not intended to identify key or critical aspects or elements of the present invention or to delineate its scope.

The connector system includes textured contact interfaces to improve connector reliability under harsh environment conditions. The textured beam can provide two or more points of contact over a wide range of connector tolerance stack up. The textured contact face can provide a reservoir of contact lubricant that can be drawn into the mating contact point over time/mating cycles.

The two points of contact improves connector reliability under high vibration conditions. This method of attaining two points of contact works over a greater range of connector tolerance stack up than previous designs. Also, the lubricant reservoir can provide better reliability over more mating cycles.

The texture can be accomplished by various manufacturing methods and may have different geometry. For example, the textured pattern may be stamped into the contact face using progressive die tooling. In an embodiment, the texture could be applied by laser or other methods.

An embodiment is directed to an electrical contact having at least one textured contact interface. The at least one textured contact interface has a plurality of raised contact areas with voids positioned between the plurality of raised contact areas. The at least one textured contact interface provides more than one point of contact when the at least one textured contact interface is positioned in electrical engagement with a mating electrical contact.

An embodiment is directed to an electrical contact having at least one textured contact interface. The at least one textured contact interface includes a radiused portion with a plurality of raised contact areas. Voids are positioned between the plurality of raised contact areas. The radiused portion of the at least one textured contact interface provides more than one point of contact when the radiused portion of the at least one textured contact interface is positioned in electrical engagement with a mating electrical contact.

An embodiment is directed to an electrical contact having at least one textured contact interface. The at least one textured contact interface having a plurality of raised contact areas with voids positioned between the plurality of raised contact areas. Lubricant is provided in the voids. The raised contact areas of the at least one textured contact interface provides more than one point of contact when the raised contact areas of the at least one textured contact interface are positioned in electrical engagement with a mating electrical contact.

Additional features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. As will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, further embodiments of the invention are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and associated descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive in nature.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, schematically illustrate one or more exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the Figures. Reference numerals are used throughout the detailed description to refer to the various elements and structures. Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention.

Referring toFIG.1, an illustrative embodiment of an electrical contact10is shown. The contact10has circuit board mounting section12, a housing securing section14and a mating section16. In the embodiment shown, the circuit board mating section12has an eye of the needle configuration, but other configurations may be used. The circuit board mating section12is configured to make a mechanical and electrical connection with a circuit board (not shown). Alternative type of mounting sections12may be used.

In the embodiment shown, the securing section14has a barbs18and a lance20. The barbs18and lance20are configured to cooperate with a housing (not shown) of an electrical connector (not shown) to retain the contact10is position relative to the housing of the electrical connector. Alternative configurations of the securing section14may be used.

In the embodiment shown, the mating section16extends from the securing section14in a direction away from the mounting section12. The mating section16has a single contact arm30extending from a free end32of the mating section16. Other configuration of the contact arm30may be used.

Each contact arm30has a radiused contact portion34provided between the free end32of the mating section16and the securing section14. The mating section16extends from the securing section14at an angle, wherein the radiused contact portion34of each contact arm is offset from the plane of the securing section14.

Each radiused contact portion34has a textured contact interface36. As shown inFIG.7, the textured contact interface36has a plurality of raised contact areas38. The raised contact areas38are separated by voids or valleys40.

The raised contact areas38and voids40are applied at an angle41across the face of the textured contact interface36of the radiused contact portion34. In various illustrative embodiments the raised contact areas38extend at an angle41between 0 degrees and 90 degrees relative to a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the contact arm30of the mating section16of the electrical contact10. In various other illustrative embodiments the raised contact areas38extend at an angle41of between 20 degrees and 70 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the contact arm30of the mating section16of the electrical contact10. The voids40extend at the same angle41relative to a longitudinal axis of the electrical contact10as the raised contact areas38.

The configuration of the textured contact interface36shown inFIGS.1-8is meant to be illustrative. The raised contact areas38and voids40of the textured contact interface36can take on many configurations, such as, but not limited to, the configurations shown inFIGS.10and11. The raised contact areas38and voids40may be manufactured by laser or other known methods.

As shown inFIG.7, lubricant42may be provided in the voids40. During mating of the contact10to a mating contact or mating substrate44(FIGS.4through6), the lubricant can migrate from the voids40to the raised contact areas38. The lubricant may be any lubricant that provides lubricating properties to protect the surface to which it is applied and allows for multiple mating cycles. The lubricant may be, but is not limited to, a solid lubricant, such as graphite, or a liquid lubricant.

As the contact interfaces36of the contact10are mated with the mating contact or mating substrate44, the lubricant42is transferred, deposited or applied to the raised contact areas38by a wiping action or the like. Continued mating causes the mating contact or mating substrate44to move into engagement with the voids40and lubricant42. As this occurs, the lubricant42from the voids40is transferred, deposited or applied to the raised contact areas38by a wiping action or the like.

The textured contact interface36improves contact10reliability under harsh environment conditions, as angled raised contact areas38provide two or more points of contact46,48(FIG.7) over a wide range of connector tolerance stack up. The two or more points of contact improves contact reliability under high vibration conditions. The points of contact46,48can change with tolerance/alignment, as represented inFIGS.4-6andFIGS.9A and9B.

The textured contact face can provide a reservoir of contact lubricant that can be drawn into the mating contact point over time/mating cycles. Also, the lubricant reservoir can provide better reliability over more mating cycles.

The raised contact areas38and voids40of the textured contact interface36can be accomplished by various manufacturing methods and may have different geometry. For example, the textured contact interface36may be stamped into the contact face using progressive die tooling or the textured contact interface36may be applied by laser or other methods.

Referring toFIG.2, an alternate embodiment of a contact10is shown. The mating section16has bifurcated contact arms30extending from a free end32of the mating section16. In the embodiment shown, the bifurcated contact arms30have a similar configuration, however, the bifurcated contact arms30may have different configurations.

Each contact arm30has a radiused contact portion34. Each radiused contact portion34has a textured contact interface36. The textured contact interface36has a plurality of raised contact areas38. The raised contact areas38are separated by voids or valleys40. The raised contact areas38and voids40are applied at an angle41across the face of the textured contact interface36of the radiused contact portion34.

The other features and operation of contact10shown inFIG.2is similar to that described above.

Referring toFIG.3, another alternate embodiment of a contact10is shown. The mating section16has bifurcated inchworm beam contact arms30extending from a free end32of the mating section16.

Each contact arm30has two radiused contact portions34. Each radiused contact portion34has a textured contact interface36. The textured contact interface36has a plurality of raised contact areas38. The raised contact areas38are separated by voids or valleys40. The raised contact areas38and voids40are applied at an angle41across the face of the textured contact interface36of the radiused contact portion34.

The other features and operation of contact10shown inFIG.3is similar to that described above.

Textured contact surfaces can be applied to any type of contact tip design including a bifurcated tip, single tip or other known designs. The textured contact surfaces provide more than one point of contact over wider ranges of tolerance and alignment than known contacts.