Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

John Scott Badgley

Richard L Allor

Dawn Roberta White

Jerald Edward Jones

Samir Samir

There is disclosed herein a method for attaching a terminal to a metallic mating surface on a workpiece by friction joining, comprising the steps of: (1) providing the terminal and the workpiece, wherein the terminal comprises an electrically conductive body having a top end to which an electrical connector may be attached, a bottom end having a bottom surface generally conforming to the mating surface of the workpiece, a rotational axis substantially orthogonal to the bottom surface about which the terminal may be rotated, and a layer of solder attached to the bottom surface wherein the layer has an outer perimeter and defines a central solder-free region about the axis; (2) rotating the terminal about its rotational axis at a predetermined rotational speed while holding the workpiece stationary; (3) pressing together the rotating terminal and the stationary workpiece using a predetermined forging force for a predetermined length of time, so as to promote a galling bond between the mating surfaces; and (4) abruptly stopping the rotation of the terminal. During the pressing together step, the solder is generally maintained at an average temperature below its melting temperature.

Method for attaching a terminal connector to a metallic surface

An automotive body glass product, comprising: (a) a laminated glass having its perimeter painted to obscure the presence of applied adhesives; (b) conductive leads on or in the glass and having one or more conductive lead terminals; (c) an ultra thin pad of noble metal deposited onto a small zone of the glass in connection with at least one terminal; and (d) a conductive metal clip connected to the end of each lead path, said clip having a dimple thereof bonded to the pad by inertial welding of the dimple and noble metal pad material.

Friction welding non-metallics to metallics

There is disclosed herein a terminal connector 20 attachable to a metallic mating surface 52 on a workpiece 50 by friction joining. One embodiment of the connector 20 comprises an electrically conductive body 22 having a top end 24 to which an electrical connector 70 may be attached, a bottom end 26 having a bottom surface 28 generally conforming to the mating surface 52 of the workpiece 50, and an axis R substantially orthogonal to the bottom surface 28 about which the terminal 20 may be rotated. Attached to the bottom surface 28 is a layer of solder 30 having an outer perimeter 32 and defining a central solder-free region 34 about the axis R. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface 28 of the terminal 20 is substantially circular in shape, and the layer of solder 30 is substantially annular in shape with the central solder-free region 34 being substantially circular and generally centered about the rotational axis R. The solder layer 30 may further define a plurality of evenly spaced radial grooves 38 therein.

Terminal connector capable of attachment to a metallic surface

An aluminum clip useful for being bonded to glass and serving as a terminal for an electrical lead circuit in or on such glass, comprising: an aluminum-based body having a cup shape. The cup shape having a substantially flat surface; an ultra thin pad of noble metal adhered to the substantially flat surface, the pad presenting a surface roughness in the range of 1-5 microns.

A method of inertial bonding of a conductive metallic member to a fragile non-conductive member, comprising: (a) depositing a thin adherent conductive pad onto the fragile member to present a first friction creating surface: (b) forming the conductive metallic member with a second friction mating surface conforming essentially to the first friction creating surface; (c) bringing the first and second friction surfaces together with high relative movement transverse to the surfaces and with a gradually increasing forging force along an axis perpendicular to the surfaces to generate sufficient frictional heat therebetween to effect at least a galling or smearing of melted particles of said surfaces; and (d) abruptly ceasing the relative rotation and increasing forging force upon the attainment of such melted particles at the engaging interface between the surfaces.

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Garden City, MI, United States of America

John Scott Badgley