Timothy P Hoepfner

US Patent:

20070224842, Sep 27, 2007

Filed:

May 30, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/755275

Inventors:

Timothy Hoepfner - Grand Ledge MI, US
Makoto Sato - Ann Arbor MI, US

Assignee:

AGC AUTOMOTIVE AMERICAS R&D, INC. - Ypsilanti MI

International Classification:

H01R 33/00

US Classification:

439034000

Abstract:

A window pane has a substrate formed from glass and includes an electrical device including an electrical conductor. An electrical connector is operatively connected to and in electrical communication with the conductor for transferring electrical energy to the conductor. An electrical connector is bonded to the electrical conductor and has a first interacting portion. A terminal is disposed adjacent to the electrical connector and has a second interacting portion for interacting with the first interacting portion to mechanically couple the electrical connector and the terminal. The substrate has a first coefficient of thermal expansion and the connector has a second coefficient of thermal expansion. A difference between the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion is equal to or less than 5×10/ C. Due to the mechanical coupling between the connector and the terminal, the terminal and connector are less prone to bending, breakage, or delamination than conventional connector structures.

US Patent:

20070105412, May 10, 2007

Filed:

Jan 2, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/619081

Inventors:

Timothy Hoepfner - Grand Ledge MI, US
Makoto Sato - Ann Arbor MI, US

Assignee:

AGC AUTOMOTIVE AMERICAS R&D, INC. - Ypsilanti MI

International Classification:

H05K 1/00

US Classification:

439083000

Abstract:

A window pane has a substrate formed from glass and includes an electrical device. The electrical device includes an electrical conductor and an electrical connector. A layer of solderable metal is bonded to the connector. A layer of solder is bonded to the layer of solderable metal and the conductor, with the connector and the conductor in electrical communication through the layer of solderable metal and the layer of solder. The substrate has a first coefficient of expansion and the connector has a second coefficient of thermal expansion. A difference between the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion is equal to or less than 5×10/ C. for minimizing mechanical stress between the connector and the substrate due to thermal expansion of the connector and the substrate resulting from changes in temperature. The solder is comprised of less than 70 parts by weight of Sn along with a greater than 30 parts by weight of a reaction rate modifier. The reaction rate modifier increases the solderability of the solder to the conductor.

US Patent:

20140353015, Dec 4, 2014

Filed:

May 30, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/905979

Inventors:

- Alpharetta GA, US
- Ypsilanti MI, US
Timothy P. Hoepfner - Grand Ledge MI, US

International Classification:

H01R 4/02
B23K 35/24

US Classification:

174255, 174257, 1741261

Abstract:

A solder joint is disposed on an electrical conductor which comprises silver. The solder joint comprises bismuth and tin. The solder joint has a microstructure comprising a bismuth-rich solder bulk and a silver-solder reaction zone. The bismuth-rich solder bulk is disposed adjacent to the silver-solder reaction zone. The solder joint comprises a plurality of bismuth-rich grains formed from bismuth and substantially dispersed throughout at least the bismuth-rich solder bulk of the solder joint. A window pane comprising the solder joint is also disclosed.