ELECTRICAL CONNECTION SYSTEM FOR USE ON ALUMINUM WIRES

• US 20100087105A1
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: O'Malia, Frank W., Drew, George Albert, Palm, William J., Gump, Bruce S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,722,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/879
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/188 having an uneven wire-receiving surface to improve the contact

Abstract

A connection mechanism includes a metal segment in mechanical and electrical communication with the remainder of the connection mechanism on at least one side. The segment includes at least one tab protruding from the segment on a first side and a central area of the segment with a plurality of metal deformations. When the metal deformations are pressed into aluminum, they are capable of piercing through corrosion on the surface of the aluminum in order to make electrical contact with the aluminum.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. A wire harness comprising:

a wire having an exposed terminal end section;

a connector on said one wire, the connector comprising;

a segment;

wherein the segment includes a plurality of integrally formed tabs with notches between the tabs, the tabs being crimped around an exposed terminal end of said wire;

wherein the segment is in mechanical and/or electrical communication with the remainder of the connection mechanism on at least one side;

at least one of said plurality of tabs including a plurality of integrally formed metal knurls and being crimped with a force to have said knurls pierce through corrosion on the surface of the exposed terminal end section of the wire in order to make electrical contact with the wire; and

at least one other tab being crimped about said exposed terminal end of said exposed wire with less force than said at least one tab with said knurls.

16. The wire harness of claim 10 wherein the notches provide expansion capability for the aluminum when the tabs are pressed firmly into the aluminum to make electrical contact.

23. A wire harness as defined in claim 10 further comprising:

wherein said at least one said tab and said at least one other of said tabs being formed with a step therebetween at a respective notch between said two tabs.

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

17. A method for crimping a connector around an aluminum wire, comprising:

preparing an aluminum wire and a metal segment of the connector to be crimped together, wherein the segment includes an area with metal deformations capable of piercing through corrosion on the wire;

using a first tool to wrap at least two tabs of the segment around the wire;

using the first or a second tool to press at least a first of the at least two tabs of the segment onto the wire with enough force to make an electrical connection between the segment and the wire.

ensuring that the metal deformations on the segment pierce any corrosion on the wire.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising using the first, second or a third tool to press at least a second of the at least two tabs onto the wire with less force than was used to press the first tab onto the wire.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the metal deformations are knurls or serrations.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least two tabs are a plurality of tabs on two sides of the segment.

21. A crimp terminal connection mechanism comprising:

a plurality of integrally formed tab sections axially spaced that extend laterally from a first side of said terminal connector with notches therebetween, said tab section being crimped onto exposed aluminum wire;

at least one of said plurality of integrally formed tab sections having a plurality of knurls integrally formed thereon;

at least one of said tabs with said knurls being crimped with a force about said exposed aluminum wire to pierce through corrosion on the surface of the aluminum wire in order to make electrical contact with said aluminum wire; and

at least one other of said tabs being crimped with a lesser force about said exposed aluminum wire to provide a mechanical connection with said aluminum wire.

4. The crimp terminal connection mechanism of claim 21 wherein each knurl is either a ridge or a protuberance which is small with respect to the size of the central area on the segment.

8. The crimp terminal connection mechanism of claim 21 further comprising at least one integrally formed tab protruding laterally from an opposite second side of said terminal connection and having a plurality of knurls thereon that face knurls on a tab extending from said first side.

22. A crimp terminal connection mechanism as defined in claim 21 further comprising:

wherein said at least one said tab and said at least one other of said tabs being formed with a step therebetween at a respective notch between said two tabs.