TWM645487U - Electrical conducting terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical conducting terminal for an electrical connector is provided. The electrical conducting terminal has an electrical docking section for electrically contacting to another electrical terminal of another electrical connector. The electrical docking section has a substrate and a plurality of electroplating layers disposed on the substrate, wherein the electroplating layers includes a copper layer, a nickel or nickel alloy layer, a platinum alloy layer, and a palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer. The copper layer is disposed on a surface of the substrate, the nickel or nickel alloy layer is disposed above the copper layer, the platinum alloy layer is disposed above the nickel or nickel alloy layer, and the palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer is disposed above the platinum alloy layer. The nickel or nickel alloy layer excludes palladium-nickel alloy and nickel-palladium alloy.

Description

Conductive terminal

The new invention relates to a conductive terminal.

In the existing technology, in addition to meeting general performance requirements, the most important requirement is that the electrical connector must have good contact, reliable operation, and easy maintenance. Whether its operation is reliable or not directly affects the normal operation of the circuit, involving applications. The electrical connector threatens the safety of the entire electronic device.

Generally speaking, taking electronic devices such as mobile phones as an example, due to long-term use, they consume power quickly and often need to be charged. The contact area of the terminal is often plugged, unplugged or rubbed. Human hand sweat or moisture in the air will be contaminated by the contact area of the terminal close to the connector interface, making the contact area of the terminal more susceptible to corrosion. In addition, frequent Plug and pull or friction will accelerate the corrosion of the terminal copper material, thereby affecting the service life of electronic equipment. It can be seen that it is particularly important to design an electrical connector that improves the corrosion resistance of the terminal.

This new invention provides a conductive terminal, which has a multi-plated structure and has Conductive properties, corrosion resistance and wear resistance.

The conductive terminal created by this new type is suitable for electrical connectors. The conductive terminal has a butt section for electrically contacting the conductive terminal of another electrical connector. The docking section includes a base material and a multi-layer electroplating layer arranged on the base material. Multi-layer plating layers include: copper layer, nickel or nickel alloy layer, platinum alloy layer, and palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer. The copper layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate. The nickel or nickel alloy layer is disposed above the copper layer. The platinum alloy layer is disposed above the nickel or nickel alloy layer. The palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer is disposed above the platinum alloy layer.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned multi-layer electroplating layer also includes a multi-layer gold layer, respectively sandwiched between any two adjacent layers of nickel or nickel alloy layer, platinum alloy layer, palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned multi-layer electroplating layer also includes a gold layer, which is the outermost layer of the multi-layer electroplating layer away from the base material and becomes the appearance layer of the conductive terminal.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the above-mentioned gold layer is 1 μ inch to 40 μ inch.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned platinum alloy layer is a platinum-rhodium alloy layer, in which the rhodium content is 3% to 5%.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned platinum alloy layer is a platinum-palladium alloy layer, in which the palladium content is 15% to 20%.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the Vickers hardness of the above-mentioned platinum alloy layer is HV500~HV650.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the above-mentioned copper layer is 10μinch to 80μinch, the thickness of the nickel or nickel alloy layer is 1μinch to 600μinch, the thickness of the palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer is 1μinch to 100μinch, and the thickness of the platinum alloy layer is 1μinch to 100μinch.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned nickel or nickel alloy layer is a nickel-tungsten alloy layer, a nickel-phosphorus alloy layer, a nickel-cobalt alloy layer, a nickel-palladium alloy layer or a nickel-tin alloy layer.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned conductive terminal is a blank terminal, a bending terminal, a spring pin terminal or a crown spring terminal.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the material of the above-mentioned base material is copper or its alloy.

Based on the above, the butt section of the conductive terminal is configured with a copper layer, a nickel or nickel alloy layer, a platinum alloy layer and a palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer on the surface of the base material. In addition to simplifying the structural features of the multi-layer electroplating layer in the prior art, it further It greatly improves the conductive terminal's resistance to electrolytic corrosion, chemical corrosion and wear (friction loss).

20, 30: Electrical connector

21, 31: Insulating body

22, 32, 100: conductive terminals

110:Substrate

120:Copper layer

130: Nickel or nickel alloy layer

140: Palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer

150:Platinum alloy layer

160, 170: gold layer

311: Medial side

A1, B1: welding section

A2, B2: docking section

A21, B21: contact area

A3, B3: connecting section

CT: multi-layer electroplating

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the plating structure of a conductive terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one of the terminals of the electrical connector of FIG. 2 .

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of one of the terminals of the electrical connector of FIG. 4 .

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the plating structure of a conductive terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 1. In this embodiment, the conductive terminal 100 is suitable for an electrical connector, which includes a base material 110 and a multi-layer electroplating layer CT disposed thereon, wherein the multi-layer electroplating layer CT starts from the surface of the base material 110. The stack is configured and includes: a copper layer 120, a nickel (element) or nickel alloy layer 130, a platinum alloy layer 150, and a palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer 140, the palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer 140 being excluding palladium-nickel alloy and palladium-nickel alloy. .

Furthermore, the multilayer electroplating layer CT of this embodiment also includes multiple layers of gold layers 160, and these gold layers 160 are respectively sandwiched between any adjacent ones of the nickel or nickel alloy layer 130, the platinum alloy layer 150, and the palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer 140. between two floors. In other words, there are two gold layers 160 in this embodiment, one gold layer 160 is located between the nickel or nickel alloy layer 130 and the platinum alloy layer 150, and the other gold layer 160 is located between the platinum alloy layer 150 and the palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer 150. between alloy layers 140. In addition, the multi-layer electroplating CT of this embodiment also includes a gold layer 170 , which is the outermost layer away from the base material 110 in the multi-layer electroplating CT to become the appearance layer of the conductive terminal 100 and provide the conductive terminal 100 with visual aesthetics. .

In this embodiment, the thickness of the copper layer 120 is 10 μinch to 80 μinch, the thickness of the nickel or nickel alloy layer 130 is 1 μinch to 600 μinch, the thickness of the palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer 140 is 1 μinch to 100 μinch, and the thickness of the platinum alloy layer 150 is 1μinch to 100μinch. The thickness of the gold layer 160 is 1 μ inch to 40 μ inch respectively, and the thickness of the gold layer 170 as the appearance layer is 3 μ inch.

Specifically, the material of the base material 110 of the conductive terminal 100 is copper or its alloy, and is, for example, a plate made of metallic copper or other shaped structural parts. The conductive terminal 100 depends on the type of electrical connector that the conductive terminal 100 is suitable for. Furthermore, the copper layer 120 is disposed on the surface of the base material 110, which is used to initially provide surface caulking for the aforementioned base material 110, and is also used to enhance the adhesion strength of the subsequent electroplating layer. To put it simply, the base material 110 needs to be processed by stamping, bending, or casting to smoothly form the shape of the conductive terminal 100. Therefore, the surface of the base material 110 is easily damaged during the processing, so the copper layer 120 can First, a preliminary repair effect is provided on the surface of the base material 110 .

Next, the conductive terminal 100 is disposed on the copper layer 120 with a nickel or nickel alloy layer 130 . Here, the nickel or nickel alloy layer 130 is a nickel-tungsten alloy layer, a nickel-phosphorus alloy layer, a nickel-cobalt alloy layer or a nickel-tin alloy layer, while excluding the nickel-palladium alloy layer and the palladium-nickel alloy layer, and its anti-corrosion properties are also It can initially provide a preliminary protective effect for the substrate 110 and copper layer 120 covered by it, and can also provide an isolation effect for the subsequent electroplating layer to prevent impurities on the substrate 110 from affecting the plating process and quality of the subsequent electroplating layer. .

Next, the gold layer 160 is disposed on the nickel or nickel alloy layer 130, and then the platinum alloy layer 150 is disposed on the gold layer 160. The gold layer 160 has good ductility, which can reduce the internal stress between the electroplated layers or serve as a buffer layer to effectively improve the structural strength of the multi-layer electroplated CT layer and avoid cracks or even falling off due to excessive thickness of the electroplated layer. This occurs when a subsequent gold layer 160 is disposed over the platinum alloy layer 150 as characterized here, followed by a palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer 140 and another gold layer 170 .

The platinum alloy layer 150 of this embodiment, especially the platinum-ruthenium alloy layer, has a ruthenium content of 1% to 3% and a Vickers hardness of HV500 to HV650. Therefore, it has anti-wear properties. This feature allows the conductive terminals to be 100 copes with the electrical conductivity of the flashlight connector Wear of terminals (not shown) during mating.

In another embodiment, the platinum alloy layer 150 may also be a platinum-rhodium alloy layer, in which the rhodium content is 3% to 5%. In another embodiment, the platinum alloy layer 150 may also be a platinum-palladium alloy layer, in which the palladium content is 15% to 20%. Simply put, the platinum alloy layer 150 created in this new invention can be selected from the above three types.

In addition, the above-mentioned nickel or nickel alloy layer 130 and platinum alloy layer 150 can also improve the corrosion resistance required by the conductive terminal 100 . For example, there may be moisture in the environment where the electrical connector is used, or even if the user accidentally spills a drink. These moisture or drinks can easily damage the conductive terminals due to electrical conduction during operation of the electrical connector. 100 produces electrochemical reactions and causes corrosion. Therefore, the conductive terminal 100 using the multi-layer electroplating layer CT in this embodiment can effectively improve its tolerance and service life.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one of the terminals of the electrical connector of FIG. 2 . Please refer to Figures 2 and 3 at the same time. In this embodiment, the aforementioned multi-layer electroplating layer CT is applied to the electrical connector 20. As shown in Figure 2, the electrical connector 20 includes an insulating body 21 and a plurality of conductive terminals 22 arranged thereon. , these conductive terminals 22 are, for example, bend-type terminals, and each conductive terminal 22 is further divided into a welding section B1, a butt section B2 and a connecting section B3 as shown in FIG. 3, where the electrical connector 20 is, for example, a socket connector, and The welding section B1 is used for welding on a circuit board (not shown), for example. The connection section B3 is connected between the welding section B1 and the butt section B2, and the connection section B3 is substantially inserted into the insulating body 21 . Accordingly, the multi-layer electroplated layer CT of this embodiment is suitable to be disposed in the contact area B21 of the butt section B2, that is, the insulated part of the edge body 21, so that when it is connected to another conductive terminal of another electrical connector, the contact area B21 can maintain its electrical conduction characteristics and also have the required resistance due to the multi-layer electroplating layer CT. Abrasion and corrosion resistance properties.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of one of the terminals of the electrical connector of FIG. 4 . Please refer to FIGS. 4 and 5 at the same time. The electrical connector 30 of this embodiment is, for example, a socket connector, which includes an insulating body 31 and a plurality of conductive terminals 32 . The conductive terminals 32 are, for example, blanking terminals, and each conductive terminal 32 is further divided into a welding section A1, a butt section A2 and a connection section A3. The connection section A3 is connected between the welding section A1 and the butt section A2. The butt section A2 has a contact area A21 that exposes the inner side 311 of the insulating body 31. It is successfully electrically connected to another conductive terminal of another electrical connector. Therefore, the contact area A21 of this embodiment is configured with the aforementioned multi-layer electroplating layer CT, so that the conductive terminal 32 has wear resistance and corrosion resistance in the contact area A21 .

In addition to the above embodiments shown in Figures 2 to 5, the multi-layer electroplated CT disclosed in the present invention can further be applied to pogo pins or crown spring terminals, that is, in The aforementioned multi-layer electroplating layer CT is disposed in the electrical contact area of the terminal.

To sum up, in the above embodiments of the present invention, the butt section of the conductive terminal is configured with a copper layer, a nickel or nickel alloy layer, a platinum alloy layer and a palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer on the surface of the base material. In addition to simplifying the existing In addition to the structural characteristics of the multi-layer electroplating layer in the technology, it also further provides the conductive terminal with better resistance to electrolytic corrosion, chemical corrosion and wear resistance (friction loss resistance).

100:Conductive terminal

110:Substrate

120:Copper layer

130: Nickel or nickel alloy layer

140: Palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer

150:Platinum alloy layer

160, 170: gold layer

CT: multi-layer electroplating

Claims (12)

A conductive terminal suitable for an electrical connector. The conductive terminal has a butt section. The butt section is used to electrically contact with a conductive terminal of another electrical connector. The butt section includes a base material and a base material arranged on the Multi-layer electroplating layers on the substrate, the multi-layer electroplating layers include: A copper layer, arranged on the surface of the substrate; A nickel or nickel alloy layer is arranged above the copper layer, and the nickel or nickel alloy layer excludes palladium-nickel alloy or nickel-palladium alloy; A platinum alloy layer disposed above the nickel or nickel alloy layer; and A palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer is disposed above the platinum alloy layer. The conductive terminal according to claim 1, wherein the multi-layer electroplating layer further includes a multi-layer gold layer sandwiched between any adjacent layers of the nickel or nickel alloy layer, the platinum alloy layer, the palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer. between two floors. As for the conductive terminal according to claim 1, the multi-layer electroplating layer further includes a gold layer, which is the outermost layer of the multi-layer electroplating layer away from the base material to become the appearance layer of the conductive terminal. As for the conductive terminal according to claim 2 or 3, the thickness of each gold layer is 1 μ inch to 40 μ inch. As for the conductive terminal according to claim 1, the platinum alloy layer is a platinum-ruthenium alloy layer, wherein the ruthenium content is 1% to 3%. As for the conductive terminal according to claim 1, the platinum alloy layer is a platinum-rhodium alloy layer, wherein the rhodium content is 3% to 5%. As for the conductive terminal described in claim 1, the platinum alloy layer is a platinum-palladium alloy layer, wherein the palladium content is 15% to 20%. As for the conductive terminal according to claim 1, the Vickers hardness of the platinum alloy layer is HV500~HV650. As for the conductive terminal according to claim 1, the thickness of the copper layer is 10 μinch to 80 μinch, the thickness of the nickel or nickel alloy layer is 1 μinch to 600 μinch, and the thickness of the palladium alloy or nickel alloy layer is 1 μinch to 100 μinch, The thickness of the platinum alloy layer is 1 μinch to 100 μinch. As for the conductive terminal according to claim 1, the nickel or nickel alloy layer is a nickel-tungsten alloy layer, a nickel-phosphorus alloy layer, a nickel-cobalt alloy layer or a nickel-tin alloy layer. The conductive terminal according to claim 1, which is a blanking terminal, a bending terminal, a spring pin terminal or a crown spring terminal. As for the conductive terminal according to claim 1, the material of the base material is copper or its alloy.

Images