The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 12, 2006
Filed:
Feb. 11, 2002
George Jyh-shann Chou, Mechanicsburg, PA (US);
Bogdan Octav Ciocirlan, Middletown, PA (US);
George Jyh-Shann Chou, Mechanicsburg, PA (US);
Bogdan Octav Ciocirlan, Middletown, PA (US);
Tyco Electronics Corporation, Middletown, PA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention for heat-treating electrical contacts. The method and apparatus include plating a core wire with at least one conductive coating to form an electrical contact that experiences internal stresses. The method and apparatus further include induction heating the electrical contact for a predetermined period of time to at least partially relieve the internal stresses. A plurality of electrical contacts may be mounted on a substrate that is held near induction coils to cause heating. The electrical contacts may be formed with spring shaped bodies that are aligned at a desired orientation within magnetic fields created during induction heating. In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, different portions of each electrical contact may be annealed by different desired amounts. The electrical contacts are annealed such that a base portion of each electrical contact undergoes less annealing to retain superior strength properties and the flexible portion of the electrical contact which retains superior stress-relaxation properties.