Miniaturized electric contact assembly for microswitch

• US 4,634,824 A
• Filed: 03/01/1985
• Issued: 01/06/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tetsuo Takano
• Original Assignee: Tetsuo Takano
• Inventors: Takano, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcus, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S.
• Application Number:
  US06/707,404
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 200/262, 200/266, 200/267, 420/496
• US Class Current: 200/266
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/025 having copper as the basic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/042 by mechanical deformation
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2011/046 by plating

Abstract

A contact assembly for a microswitch has a contact material inserted into and calked in a hole formed in a base material which is a copper alloy having iron phosphide crystallized therein and having a chemical composition of 0.025 to 0.040% by weight of phosphorus, 0.05 to 0.15% by weight of iron and the rest of copper.

Claims

1. A contact assembly for a microswitch, comprising:

a base material having a hole formed therein; and

a contact material inserted into and calked in the hole in the shape of a rivet, wherein said base material comprises a copper alloy having iron phosphide crystallized therein, having an electrical conductivity of 96-97 (% IACS), having a heat transfer rate of not less than 1.0 (cal/cm, sec, °

C.) at a temperature of approximately 20°

C. and having a chemical composition of 0.025 to 0.040% by weight of phosphorus, 0.05 to 0.15% by weight of iron and the remainder copper.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said contact material is silver.

3. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said contact material is a silver alloy.

4. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said contact material has a surface area two to four times an actual area of contact between said contact material and a mating contact determined by a magnitude of current applied therebetween.