JP2018156870A - Contact member and contact pair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contact member and a contact pair capable of surely shifting from a contact state with a mating member to a non-contact state in addition to reducing connection resistance with the mating member.SOLUTION: A contact pair includes a contact member provided with a conductive portion which becomes a molten state when at least one of predetermined heating and predetermined pressurization is performed and becomes a solid phase when at least one of the heating and the pressurization is released, a mating member electrically connected to the contact member, and a protrusion that presses the conductive portion to an electrical connection portion with the contact member in the mating member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a contact member and a contact pair.

  As a member that is arranged in a contact state and can conduct, and is arranged in a non-contact state and is not electrically connected, a pair of a female terminal and a male terminal fitted to each other, a contact switch, etc. It is widely used.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that a urethane sponge impregnated with the following liquid metal is provided between a female terminal and a male terminal to reduce resistance between the terminals and prevent leakage of the liquid metal. The liquid metal is a eutectic alloy made of 68.5% by mass Ga-21.5% by mass In-10% by mass, called Galinstan or the like.

JP 2009-059479 A

  A member that is used by being electrically connected to the mating member as described above is desired to have a low connection resistance when placed in contact with the mating member and conducting. Moreover, when arrange | positioning from a contact state with an other party member to a non-contact state, and making it non-conducting, it is desired that it can transfer to a non-contact state reliably from a contact state with an other party member.

  If a liquid metal is interposed between terminals as described in Patent Document 1, the contact area between both terminals and the liquid metal is easily increased, and the connection resistance between the terminals is likely to be reduced. Further, when the fitting state between the female terminal and the male terminal is released to make it physically non-contact, the liquid metal between the terminals can be brought into non-contact state. However, in the case of a metal that is liquid at room temperature, such as the above-described Galinstan, when the terminal is used at room temperature, the liquid metal is easily wetted and adhered to the terminal. For example, when removing the fitting state of both terminals, the liquid metal between the terminals may flow without breaking and cross between the terminals, and the liquid metal may maintain a state in which both terminals can conduct. There is. Therefore, it is desired that a low resistance connection structure can be constructed by interposing a molten conductive material such as a liquid metal, and that it can be reliably transferred from a contact state with a counterpart member in a non-contact state.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a contact member and a contact pair that can reduce connection resistance with a counterpart member and can reliably shift from a contact state with a counterpart member in a non-contact state.

The contact member according to the present disclosure is
A conductive portion is provided that enters a molten state when at least one of predetermined heating and predetermined pressurization is performed, and becomes a solid phase when at least one of the heating and pressurization is released.

  The contact member can reduce the connection resistance with the mating member and can reliably shift from the contact state with the mating member in a non-contact state.

It is process explanatory drawing which shows a use condition typically about an example of the contact pair of embodiment. It is process explanatory drawing which shows a use condition typically about another example of the contact pair of embodiment.

First, the contents of the embodiment of the present invention will be listed and described.
(1) The contact member according to one aspect of the present invention is
A conductive portion is provided that enters a molten state when at least one of predetermined heating and predetermined pressurization is performed, and becomes a solid phase when at least one of the heating and pressurization is released.

  If said contact member is arrange | positioned in contact with the other member electrically connected, a conductive part can be interposed between the other members. The conductive portion is in a molten state when subjected to predetermined heating or pressurization. The contact member can be electrically connected to the mating member through the molten conductive portion. Since the molten conductive part has fluidity, it is easy to increase the contact area with the mating member. Therefore, according to the contact member described above, the connection resistance with the mating member can be reduced and the low resistance connection structure can be constructed by the intervention of the molten conductive portion.

  Further, when the contact member shifts from the contact state with the counterpart member to the non-contact state, if the above-described conductive portion is in a molten state, the contact member has fluidity and is easily separated from the counterpart member. Furthermore, the conductive portion becomes a solid phase when the predetermined heating or pressurization is released (from the liquid phase to the solid phase), stops flowing, and is wet so as to cross between the base material of the contact member and the counterpart member. Cannot be maintained. That is, the contact state between the contact member and the mating member due to the interposition of the conductive portion in the molten state can be eliminated, and a non-contact state can be achieved. Such a contact member described above can reduce the state in which the conductive state in the molten state is interposed between the contact member and the contact member is maintained so that the contact state is maintained and the conductive state can be established. Therefore, according to the above contact member, the transition from the contact state with the counterpart member to the non-contact state can be performed more reliably.

(2) As an example of the above contact member,
Examples of the conductive part include a form made of a metal or a semimetal that becomes a molten state by the predetermined pressure. Examples of the metal or metalloid include those having a volume in the liquid phase smaller than that in the solid phase.

  When the above metal or metalloid is subjected to a predetermined pressure, it changes to a liquid phase so as to be in a more stable phase state and becomes a molten state. Therefore, for example, the conductive part can be changed from the solid phase to the molten state by bringing the contact member and the mating member in the above form into a pressure contact state, and the conductive part can be changed from the liquid phase to the solid phase by releasing the pressure contact state. Therefore, the said form can reduce a connection resistance with an other party member by interposition of a molten-state electroconductive part by setting it as a press-contact state, when taking conduction with the other party member. In addition, the above-described configuration facilitates separation of the mating member from the molten conductive portion when the transition from the press-contact state with the mating member to the non-contact state, and the non-contact state of the conductive portion becomes solid by releasing the press-contact state. A contact state can be secured.

(3) As an example of the above contact member,
Examples of the conductive portion include a metal that is melted by the predetermined heating and is made of a metal having a melting point of 250 ° C. or lower. The metal may be a pure metal composed of a single metal element or an alloy containing one or more additive elements in the metal element serving as a parent phase. The melting point is pure metal, and the liquidus temperature is 250 ° C. or lower for alloys.

  The said form can make an electroconductive part a molten state by predetermined | prescribed heating. In particular, if the metal has a melting point of 250 ° C. or lower, the heat energy required for melting can be reduced. For example, if the contact member and the mating member are placed in contact with each other and energized, the conductive portion may be heated to a molten state by Joule heat based on electrical resistance including the connection resistance between them. . And if melting | fusing point is as low as 250 degrees C or less, the time required for a fusion | melting can also be shortened, and a low-resistance contact state can be constructed | assembled earlier. On the other hand, if the predetermined heating is eliminated and the temperature of the conductive portion is equal to or lower than the melting point of the conductive portion, the conductive portion can be changed from a liquid phase to a solid phase. In particular, if the melting point is low as described above, it becomes a solid phase sooner, and a non-contact state with the counterpart member can be established earlier. In such a form, when conducting with the mating member, the connection resistance with the mating member can be reduced by interposing the conductive portion in a molten state by heating. The lower the melting point, the earlier it can be brought into a low resistance contact state. In addition, in the above configuration, when the state of contact with the counterpart member is changed from the contact state to the non-contact state, it is easy to separate the counterpart member from the conductive portion that is in a molten state by heating, and the temperature of the conductive portion can be kept below the melting point because heating is eliminated. For example, the conductive portion becomes a solid phase, and it is easier to ensure a non-contact state by heat shrinking. The lower the melting point, the earlier the non-contact state with the counterpart member can be secured.

(4) The contact pair according to one aspect of the present invention is:
The contact member of (2) above;
A mating member electrically connected to the contact member;
A projecting portion that pressurizes the conductive portion is provided at an electrical connection portion of the counterpart member with the contact member.

  When the contact member provided with the above-mentioned conductive part and the mating member are placed in contact with each other, the protruding part of the mating member can pressurize the conductive part locally into a molten state. If the contact member and the mating member are separated, the above-described pressurization state is released, and the conductive portion can be changed from a liquid phase to a solid phase. Therefore, when the above contact pair is conductive, the contact resistance can be reduced by interposing the molten conductive portion by arranging the contact member and the mating member in contact with each other. In addition, when the contact point pair shifts from the contact state to the non-contact state, the mating member can be easily separated from the molten conductive portion, and the conductive portion becomes non-solid by releasing the pressurized state. A contact state can be secured.

[Details of the embodiment of the present invention]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. 1 and 2, the conductive portion 12 is shown with cross-hatching so that it can be easily understood.

[Embodiment 1]
(Overview)
The contact member 1 according to the embodiment is a member that is used by being electrically connected to the mating member 2 as shown in FIG. The contact pair 3 according to the embodiment includes the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 of the embodiment. Typically, the contact member 1 becomes conductive when placed in contact with the mating member 2, and becomes non-conductive when placed in a physically non-contact state with the mating member 2. As a specific application example of the contact pair 3, it is used for a female terminal or a male terminal (one terminal corresponds to the contact member 1 and the other terminal corresponds to the counterpart member 2) attached to the end of the electric wire, a circuit component, or the like. Switches such as contact switches (one of the set of switch pieces, one of which corresponds to the contact member 1 and the other corresponds to the mating member 2), a trolley wire and a pair of rubbing plates slidably contacting the trolley wire, etc. And a pair of sliding contact members that are in sliding contact with the feeding member (one corresponds to the contact member 1 and the other corresponds to the counterpart member 2).

  The contact member 1 of the embodiment includes a conductive portion 12 that is in a molten state when at least one of predetermined heating and predetermined pressurization is performed and becomes a solid phase when at least one of heating and pressurization is released. Details will be described below.

(Contact member)
The contact member 1 includes a base material 10 containing a metal and a conductive portion 12 provided at a location corresponding to an electrical connection location of at least the counterpart member 2 in the base material 10.

((Base material))
The constituent material of the base material 10 is typically a metal. Examples of the metal constituting the base material 10 include various pure metals such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, silver, silver alloy, iron, and iron alloy, and various alloys. Copper, aluminum, silver, and alloys thereof have a low electrical resistivity, and can be the contact member 1 or the contact pair 3 that can construct a connection structure with lower resistance. Copper and copper alloys have a higher electrical conductivity and lower electrical resistivity than aluminum, iron, and their alloys, are easy to process, and are relatively inexpensive. Aluminum and aluminum alloys are high in electrical conductivity, low in electrical resistivity, lightweight, easy to process, and relatively inexpensive. Silver and silver alloys have higher electrical conductivity and lower electrical resistivity than copper and copper alloys. Iron and iron alloys have lower electrical conductivity and higher electrical resistivity than aluminum and the like, but are excellent in mechanical properties such as strength and wear resistance.

  The base material 10 is obtained by manufacturing a material made of the above-described constituent material so as to have a predetermined shape or the like according to the use of the contact member 1. Known production methods and production conditions can be used. For example, when the contact member 1 is the above-mentioned female terminal, male terminal, switch piece of a contact switch, or the like, a stretched material such as a rolled plate or extruded material made of the above-described constituent material is formed into a predetermined shape by press molding or the like. Manufacturing the substrate 10. Alternatively, for example, when the contact member 1 is the above-described sliding contact member, the powder molded body formed into a predetermined shape is sintered to manufacture the base material 10 made of the sintered body. Alternatively, for example, when the contact member 1 is a power supply member such as the above-described trolley wire, the base material 10 is manufactured by drawing a material (such as a continuous cast rolled material) made of the above-described constituent material into a predetermined shape. Can be mentioned. The base material 10 can take various forms such as the above-described shaped or sintered body of a stretched material, the above-described stretched material such as a wire rod, an extruded bar, and a rolled plate material, and other cast materials.

  The base material 10 includes a holding portion (not shown) that holds the conductive portion 12. Here, when the conductive portion 12 is in a molten state and has fluidity, the conductive portion 12 may flow out to the surroundings and may be lost from an electrical connection location with the mating member 2 in the contact member 1. Therefore, for example, the base material 10 has a wall portion or the like surrounding the conductive portion 12 as a holding portion so that the shape can be maintained in the solid phase conductive portion 12 (preferably the initial solid phase conductive portion 12) before melting. It is preferable to prepare for. By doing so, a predetermined amount of the conductive portion 12 can be present at a predetermined location.

((Conductive part))
The conductive portion 12 included in the contact member 1 according to the embodiment moves the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 relative to each other so that they are placed in contact with each other and become conductive. Therefore, it is in a molten state and is interposed between the base member 10 of the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 (see the lower diagram of FIG. 1), and contributes to reducing the connection resistance between them. In addition, when the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 shift from the contact state to the non-contact state, the conductive portion 12 physically connects the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 by being in a molten state having fluidity. This contributes to easy separation. Furthermore, the conductive portion 12 is released from predetermined heating and pressurization to become a solid phase and loses its fluidity, so that the conductive portion 12 extends so as to flow between the base material 10 and the counterpart member 2 and maintains a contact state. This contributes to a reliable transition in a non-contact state (see the upper diagram of FIG. 1). Such a conductive portion 12 is made of a material that changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase (molten state) by applying predetermined heating or pressurization, and from the liquid phase to solid phase by releasing predetermined heating or pressurization.

  For example, the conductive part 12 may be in the form of a metal or semi-metal that becomes a molten state by a predetermined pressure. Examples of such a metal or metalloid include those having a liquid phase volume smaller than the solid phase volume. When a predetermined pressure is applied when this metal or metalloid is in a solid phase, the liquid phase having a smaller volume is in a stable phase state, so that it changes to a liquid phase, that is, a molten state, and the above-mentioned holding The molten state can be maintained by continuing to pressurize while being held by the part. Examples of such metals include various pure metals and various alloys such as gallium, gallium alloy, bismuth, bismuth alloy, germanium, and germanium alloy, and examples of the semimetal include silicon. Both of these metals and metalloids have a smaller electrical resistance in the liquid phase than in the solid phase. Therefore, since the conductive portion 12 itself has a low resistance in addition to the interposed conductive portion 12 in the molten state, the connection resistance between the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 can be reduced. The electrical resistance in the liquid phase is gallium: 25.8 μΩ · cm, bismuth: 130.2 μΩ · cm, germanium: 63 μΩ · cm, silicon: 81 μΩ · cm.

  Gallium and its alloys, bismuth and its alloys have relatively low melting points (melting point of gallium: 30 ° C., melting point of bismuth: 271 ° C.). Therefore, the conductive portion 12 made of gallium or the like has a melting point due to Joule heat generated from the base material 10 or the counterpart member 2 in addition to being melted by a predetermined pressure when the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 are electrically connected. When heated above, the molten state can be maintained.

  For example, the electroconductive part 12 will be in a molten state by predetermined | prescribed heating, and the form which consists of a metal whose melting | fusing point (or liquidus temperature) is 250 degrees C or less is mentioned. This metal can maintain a molten state when it is continuously heated while being held by the above-mentioned holding part or the like. In particular, if the metal has a relatively low melting point of 250 ° C. or lower, less heat energy is required for melting the conductive portion 12. Depending on the melting point, the heating may be about Joule heat generated when the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 are conducted. When Joule heat is used for melting the conductive portion 12, the heating portion 4 </ b> H that applies thermal energy can be eliminated. Further, as the melting point is lower, the conductive portion 12 can be changed from the solid phase to the molten state in a shorter time, and a state in which the connection resistance with the counterpart member 2 is lower can be established earlier. In addition, as the melting point is lower, the conductive portion 12 can be changed from a liquid phase to a solid phase in a shorter time, and a non-contact state with the counterpart member 2 can be established earlier.

  The lower the melting point of the constituent metal of the conductive portion 12, the lower the heat energy and the shorter the time required for the state change. Therefore, it is preferably less than 250 ° C. and more preferably 230 ° C. or less. However, when the use environment of the contact member 1 and the contact pair 3 is normal temperature (20 ° C. ± 15 ° C. in JIS), if the melting point is not higher than normal temperature, the conductive portion 12 is melted without performing predetermined heating. It is a state, it extends so that it may flow between the base material 10 of the contact member 1, and the other member 2, and the contact state between both is easy to be maintained, and it is hard to be in a non-contact state. Therefore, it is preferable that the melting point exceeds the use environment temperature of the contact member 1 or the contact pair 3, typically about room temperature or higher, specifically 25 ° C. or higher, further 30 ° C. or higher, and higher than 35 ° C. . If the melting point is 50 ° C. or higher, further 80 ° C. or higher, and 100 ° C. or higher, even if the usage environment is normal temperature, if the heating is released and the temperature of the conductive portion 12 becomes lower than the melting point, the conductive portion 12 becomes Become a solid phase.

  Examples of the pure metal having a melting point of about room temperature to 250 ° C. include gallium (30 ° C.), indium (157 ° C.), tin (232 ° C.), and the like (numbers in parentheses are melting points).

  Examples of alloys having a melting point of about room temperature to 250 ° C. include gallium alloys, indium alloys, and tin alloys. Tin alloys are used as low melting point solders, such as Sn-Ag alloys (about 222 ° C), Sn-Ag-Cu alloys (about 217 ° C to 219 ° C), Sn-Ag-Bi-Cu alloys ( 218 ° C.), Sn—In—Ag—Bi alloy (about 206 ° C. to 212 ° C.), Sn—Zn alloy (about 198 ° C.), Sn—Zn—Bi alloy (about 196 ° C.), Sn—Bi alloy (139 C.), Sn—In alloy (about 119 ° C.) and the like (the numerical values in parentheses are melting points).

  The electroconductive part 12 should just be equipped in the location corresponding to the electrical connection location with the other party member 2 in the base material 10 of the contact member 1, The shape, a form, etc. can be selected suitably. The conductive portion 12 is, for example, (1) a coating film provided on the base material 10 and (2) a molded body (cast material, rolled material, wire drawing material, etc.) formed into a predetermined shape such as a plate shape or a rod shape, and a laser. One that is joined to the base material 10 by welding, brazing, soldering, or the like such as welding or stud welding, (3) one in which the molded body is fixed to the base material 10 using fastening members such as bolts and nuts, (4) One integrated by casting the above-described molded body (in this case, the base material 10 is a cast material), (5) One integrated by sintering simultaneously (in this case, the base material 10 and the conductive material) The part 12 may be a sintered body). The conductive portion 12 can take various forms such as the above-described coating film, cast material, and spread material. If the conductive portion 12 is a coating film, the conductive portion 12 can be easily provided for any base material 10.

  1 and 2 show a case where the electrical connection portion with the mating member 2 in the base material 10 is a flat surface, and the conductive portion 12 is also in a flat shape along this surface. It can be set as the form which has fine unevenness | corrugation in the electrical connection location with the other party member 2. FIG. In this embodiment, the contact area between the base material 10 and the molten conductive portion 12 can be easily increased by the fine unevenness described above. From this point, it is expected that the connection resistance can be easily reduced. In this embodiment, the conductive portion 12 can be easily provided by using, for example, the above-described coating film.

  The thickness of the conductive part 12 in the solid phase can be selected as appropriate. If the thickness is thick to some extent, it is expected that a large number of molten conductive portions 12 can be easily secured, and the connection resistance can be easily reduced by the presence of the molten conductive portions 12. If the thickness is too thick, a large amount of pressure and heat energy are required to completely melt the conductive portion 12, or the time for returning to the solid phase becomes long, and the time for shifting to the non-contact state becomes long. There is a possibility. On the other hand, if the thickness is too thin, there is a possibility that the absolute amount of the conductive portion 12 in the molten state cannot be sufficiently secured. The average thickness of the conductive portion 12 in the solid phase is about 1 μm or more and 5000 μm (5 mm) or less, and more preferably about 2 μm or more and 3000 μm (3 mm) or less. Ideally, the conductive portion 12 performs only a state change such as repetition of a solid phase and a liquid phase, and the mass of the conductive portion 12 itself does not change. Therefore, it is expected that the above-mentioned thickness can be used for a long time.

(Pressurized form)
In the pressurization mode in which the conductive portion 12 is melted by the predetermined pressurization described above, for example, at least one of the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 is provided with an appropriate pressurization portion 4P, and the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 are connected. It can be mentioned that the structure can be pressed. FIG. 1 illustrates a case where the contact member 1 includes a pressurizing unit 4P. In this embodiment, when the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 are conductive, the conductive portion 12 can be in a molten state by being placed in a pressure contact state by the pressing portion 4P (see FIG. Figure 1 below). At the time of energization, the conductive portion 12 is also heated by the Joule heat of the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 and is easily maintained in a molten state. When shifting from the pressure contact state between the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 to a non-contact state (non-conducting state), the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 can be easily separated if the conductive portion 12 is in a molten state. When the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 are relatively separated from each other and the pressure contact state is released, the conductive portion 12 becomes a solid phase. As described above, the conductive portion 12 becomes a solid phase because it is not sufficiently energized by being relatively separated from each other and the Joule heat is not generated. As a result, the contact member 1 cannot maintain the contact state with the counterpart member 2 and can be in a non-contact state.

  If the pressurizing unit 4P is provided as described above, for example, as in the mating member 2A shown in FIG. 1, the electrical connection location with the contact member 1 in the mating member 2A can be a flat surface. Alternatively, as in the mating member 2B shown in FIG. 2, the projecting portion 20 that pressurizes the conductive portion 12 is provided at an electrical connection location with the contact member 1 in the mating member 2B, and the conductive portion 12 is locally disposed by the projecting portion 20. It can be set as the structure which can be pressurized. In this case, when the pressurizing part 4P is provided, a high pressure can be applied to the conductive part 12, and the molten state can be ensured. Alternatively, in this case, when the contact member 1 and the mating member 2B are arranged in contact with each other, since the local pressurization by the protrusion 20 is possible, the pressurization unit 4P is omitted and the configuration is simplified. You can also.

  The protrusions 20 may be adjusted in shape, number, etc. so that when the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 are placed in contact with each other, pressure can be generated to the extent that the conductive portion 12 can be melted. The shape and number of the protrusions 20 shown in FIG. 2 are examples. The protrusion 20 cuts the material to be the conductive portion 12, joins a section to become the protrusion 20 by welding / brazing / soldering such as laser welding or stud welding, or the conductive portion 12. It is provided by casting the projecting portion 20 integrally with a mold, or using the conductive portion 12 as a sintered body and sintering a powder compact having the projecting portion 20.

  Since the mating member 2B has the projecting portion 20, the surface area is larger than when the projecting portion 20 is not provided, and the contact area with the conductive portion 12 in a molten state can be easily increased (see the enlarged view in FIG. 2). From this point, it is expected that the connection resistance can be easily reduced.

  The pressurizing unit 4P can include various mechanisms that can be pressurized. For example, various elastic members such as rubber and spring, and members that reciprocate such as cylinders and pistons may be arranged at predetermined positions.

  As a specific example of the pressurization form, Table 1 shows the constituent material of the conductive portion 12 and the pressure required to become a molten state at room temperature (20 ° C. here). Table 1 shows the pressure (MPa) required when the conductive part 12 is made of gallium (Ga) or bismuth (Bi). The pressurizing unit 4P may be configured to be equal to or higher than the pressure values shown in Table 1 according to the use environment temperature (here, room temperature (20 ° C.)).

(Heating mode)
In the heating mode in which the conductive portion 12 is melted by the predetermined heating described above, for example, an appropriate heating portion 4H is provided in at least one of the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2, and the conductive portion 12 can be heated. Can be mentioned. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when the contact member 1 includes the heating unit 4 </ b> H, when the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 are in a non-contact state, the conductive portion 12 is heated to be in a molten state and melted into the counterpart member 2. The conductive part 12 in a state can be reliably brought into contact. As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the mating member 2 includes the heating unit 4H, the conductive unit 12 can be heated by arranging the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 in a contact state. In the heating mode, when the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 are electrically connected, the conductive portion 12 heated by the heating unit 4H is in a molten state and can be interposed between the contact member 1 and the mating member 2. At the time of energization, the conductive portion 12 is also heated by the Joule heat of the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 and is easily maintained in a molten state. When shifting from the contact state between the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 to the non-contact state (non-conducting state), if the heating unit 4H is left heated, the conductive unit 12 is in a molten state and the mating member 2 is easily separated. When the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 are relatively separated from each other, if the predetermined heating is released, the conductive portion 12 becomes a solid phase, and the contact state with the mating member 2 cannot be maintained. can do.

  As described above, when the conductive portion 12 using Joule heat is melted, the heating portion 4H can be omitted. In this embodiment, when the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 are conductive, the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 are placed in contact with each other and are energized so that they are conductive by Joule heat generated in the contact member 1 and the like. The portion 12 is heated to be in a molten state and can be interposed between the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2. When shifting from the contact state between the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 to the non-contact state (non-conducting state), the mating member 2 can be easily separated if the conductive portion 12 is in a molten state. When the contact member 1 and the mating member 2 are relatively separated from each other and are not sufficiently energized, and no sufficient Joule heat is generated, the predetermined heating is released and the conductive portion 12 becomes a solid phase. 2 cannot be maintained, and a non-contact state can be achieved.

  The contact member 1 and the mating member 2 in the heating form can be used in the above-described flat shape (FIG. 1), or in a concavo-convex shape having minute irregularities or protrusions 20 (FIG. 2).

  Both the pressurizing unit 4P and the heating unit 4H may be provided, and the above-described pressurization mode and heating mode may be combined. In this case, the protrusion 20 can be provided or omitted.

(Main effect)
Since the contact member 1 of the embodiment can be interposed between the mating member 2 and the conductive portion 12 that is in a molten state by performing predetermined heating or pressurization, the connection resistance with the mating member 2 can be reduced, A low resistance connection structure can be constructed. And when the predetermined heating and pressurization are cancelled | released, the contact part 1 of embodiment is the state which became wet so that the electroconductive part 12 might become a solid phase and may cross between the base material 10 of the contact member 1, and the other member 2 Cannot be maintained, and the contact state with the counterpart member 2 is eliminated. Therefore, the contact member 1 of the embodiment can reduce the connection resistance with the mating member 2 and can more reliably shift from the contact state with the mating member 2 to the non-contact state. Since the contact pair 3 of the embodiment includes the contact member 1 of such an embodiment, the connection resistance between the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 can be reduced by the presence of the molten conductive portion 12, and the conductive portion 12. Since it becomes a solid phase, the transition from the contact state of the contact member 1 and the counterpart member 2 to the non-contact state can be performed more reliably.

  The present invention is not limited to these exemplifications, but is defined by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Contact member 10 Base material 12 Conductive part 2,2A, 2B Opposing member 20 Protrusion part 3 Contact pair 4H Heating part 4P Pressurizing part

Claims (4)

  A contact member comprising a conductive portion that is in a molten state when at least one of predetermined heating and predetermined pressurization is performed and becomes a solid phase when at least one of the heating and pressurization is released.   The contact member according to claim 1, wherein the conductive portion is made of a metal or a semimetal that becomes a molten state by the predetermined pressure.   The contact member according to claim 1, wherein the conductive portion is melted by the predetermined heating and is made of a metal having a melting point of 250 ° C. or less. The contact member according to claim 2,
A mating member electrically connected to the contact member;
A contact pair provided with a protruding portion that pressurizes the conductive portion at an electrical connection point of the mating member with the contact member.

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