LIQUID-COOLED CONNECTOR

Abstract

This disclosure discloses a liquid-cooled connector, comprising a housing, at least two terminals arranged side-by-side within the housing, a liquid-cooling member provided between the two terminals, and an insulating member provided between each terminal and the liquid-cooling member. The liquid-cooling member includes a liquid-cooling housing extending along one terminal arrangement direction. The terminals located at either end of the liquid-cooling housing are each provided with a positioning cavity having an opening on one side. The two ends of the liquid-cooling housing are inserted into the positioning cavities and are secured against the lower walls of the positioning cavities opposite the openings.In the liquid-cooled connector according to this disclosure, the coolant circulates in the liquid-cooling member and, by means of the circulating flow of the coolant, a large amount of heat generated by the terminals encased in the liquid-cooling member is removed during the charging of an electrical appliance, such as an electric vehicle, in order to reduce the terminal temperatures during operation, thereby improving charging efficiency, shortening charging time, and reducing damage to the connector.

Description

A liquid cooling connector

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202320081215.5 filed on January 13, 2023, and cites the contents disclosed in the above patent application as part of this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of charging technology, and more specifically, to a liquid-cooling connector. Background Art

[0004] With the increasing popularity of new energy electric vehicles, the development of DC fast charging technology is becoming increasingly important. DC connectors, as a key component, are now available in a number of mature products on the market. To increase charging speed, shorten charging times, and provide a better user experience, DC connectors are bound to increasingly support greater charging currents and powers.

[0005] During the high-current charging process of electric vehicles, a large amount of heat will be generated at the connection between the cable and the first and second charging terminals, as well as the connection between the cable and the external power supply, causing the temperature to rise, thereby reducing the charging efficiency. The higher temperature will cause greater damage to the connector, and excessively high temperature may even cause a fire hazard.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] One purpose of the present application is to provide a new technical solution for a liquid-cooled connector.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a liquid-cooled connector, comprising: a housing, at least two terminals assembled side by side in the housing, a liquid-cooling member disposed between the two terminals, and an insulating member disposed between the terminals and the liquid-cooling member;

[0009] The liquid cooling component has a liquid cooling box extending along the arrangement direction of the terminals. The terminals at both ends of the liquid cooling box are provided with a positioning cavity with an opening on one side. The two ends of the liquid cooling box are respectively inserted into the positioning cavity and abut against the bottom wall of the positioning cavity opposite to the opening for fixation.

[0010] Optionally, the insulating component has a receiving cavity with one side open, the inner surface of the receiving cavity is matched with the outer surface of the end of the liquid cooling box, and the outer surface of the receiving cavity is matched with the inner surface of the positioning cavity.

[0011] Optionally, the insulating component further includes a blocking portion extending outward from the opening end of the accommodating cavity, and the blocking portion fits against an end surface where the opening of the positioning cavity is located.

[0012] Optionally, at least one additional terminal is provided between the terminals at both ends of the liquid cooling box, the additional terminal has a through connecting cavity, and an additional insulating component is provided between the connecting cavity and the liquid cooling box.

[0013] Optionally, the additional insulating member has a through additional accommodating cavity, and is configured to be provided with an outwardly extending blocking portion at at least one open end of the additional accommodating cavity, so that there is at least one blocking portion between adjacent terminals.

[0014] Optionally, the liquid cooling box is made of a high thermal conductivity material; and the insulating component is made of a thermally conductive insulating material.

[0015] Optionally, at least one group of liquid inlets and at least one group of liquid outlets are provided on the liquid cooling box.

[0016] Optionally, the liquid cooling box includes a liquid storage shell with an opening toward one side of the cable, and a cover covering the opening, and the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are arranged on the cover.

[0017] Optionally, the cover body and the liquid storage shell are integrally formed, or the cover body and the liquid storage shell are detachably connected.

[0018] Optionally, a cross-shaped partition plate is provided inside the liquid storage shell, and the cross-shaped partition plate is located at the center of the liquid cooling box along the arrangement direction, dividing the liquid cooling box into two groups of liquid cooling cavities that are mirror images of each other, and each liquid cooling cavity has a first liquid cooling cavity, a second liquid cooling cavity, and a connecting cavity connecting the first liquid cooling cavity and the second liquid cooling cavity; the first liquid cooling cavity is connected to one of the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, and the second liquid cooling cavity is connected to the other of the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.

[0019] Optionally, the first liquid cooling cavity is connected to the liquid inlet, and each first liquid cooling cavity is provided with an arc-shaped guide plate extending along the extension direction of the terminal, there is a gap between the arc-shaped guide plate and the inner surface of the cover body, and there is a gap between the arc-shaped guide plate and the side wall of the liquid storage shell opposite to the cover body.

[0020] Optionally, the arc-shaped guide plate has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, and the first end is closer to the center position than the second end.

[0021] Optionally, the first end has a first guide surface and a second guide surface that are oppositely arranged, and the first guide surface and the second guide surface intersect at a tip of the first end.

[0022] Optionally, the liquid-cooled connector also includes a leakage detection device, which is in the detection control loop. The leakage detection device includes two conductive elements located below the liquid-cooled component, with a gap between the two conductive elements. When leakage occurs in the liquid-cooled component, the gap is filled with liquid to switch the detection control loop from an off state to an on state, thereby triggering the leakage detection device to send a leakage signal.

[0023] Optionally, the two conductive elements are constructed as two arc-shaped plates symmetrically arranged about the gap, the two arc-shaped plates enclose a liquid contact area (ie, an area for receiving coolant leaked from the liquid-cooling component), and the gap is located at the lowest point of the liquid contact area.

[0024] A liquid-cooled connector according to the present disclosure has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. Cooling liquid flows through the liquid-cooling component, and the terminals mounted on the liquid-cooling component take away a large amount of heat generated by the terminals during the charging process of electric vehicles and other electrical equipment through the circulation of the coolant, thereby reducing the working temperature of the terminals, thereby improving the charging efficiency, shortening the charging time, and reducing the damage to the connector.

[0026] 2. The accommodating cavity of the insulating component is matched and installed between the positioning cavity of the terminal and the liquid-cooling component, so that the inner surface of the accommodating cavity is closely fitted with the outer surface of the end of the liquid-cooling component, and the outer surface of the accommodating cavity is closely fitted with the inner surface of the positioning cavity, so that the liquid-cooling component is tightly installed in the positioning cavity of the terminal. The coolant circulating inside the liquid-cooling component quickly takes away the heat generated during the charging process of the terminal, thereby improving the charging efficiency, shortening the charging time, and reducing the damage to the connector.

[0027] 3. By arranging an additional insulating component different from the insulating component on the liquid cooling component, an additional terminal is arranged on the additional insulating component, and the additional terminal and the terminals at both ends are insulated from each other by the blocking part of the insulating component, and the insulated terminals are connected to different types of wires.

[0028] 4. By providing a blocking portion on the additional insulating component, adjacent terminals are insulated from each other. Two terminals insulated from each other can be connected to the same type of wire. It can be understood that various types of terminals for charging an electrical device are defined as a charging device. Multiple terminals in the same charging device can be connected to the same positive wire or the same negative wire to be used as a positive terminal or a negative terminal; multiple terminals can also be connected to multiple positive wires or multiple negative wires to be used as positive terminals or negative terminals; multiple terminals can also be connected to multiple wires, and each wire can be set to a positive pole or a negative pole as needed.

[0029] 5. The terminals on the liquid-cooled component are insulated from each other. A liquid-cooled component may include multiple charging devices, and the positive terminal and the negative terminal in each charging device are arranged adjacent to each other. In this case, a liquid-cooled connector can be used to charge multiple electrical devices or an electrical device with multiple charging circuits. The charging devices include but are not limited to charging vehicles.

[0030] 6. A leakage detection device is installed in the connector to detect damage to the liquid cooling component in time, preventing the positive terminal and the negative terminal from being electrically connected, damaging the connector and the electrical equipment being charged by the connector, and avoiding fire and casualties.

[0031] Other features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application.

[0033] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid cooling connector of the present application;

[0034] FIG2 is an exploded view of the liquid cooling connector of the present application;

[0035] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the terminals at both ends of the liquid-cooled connector of the present application;

[0036] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the assembled liquid-cooling component, terminals, and additional terminals in the liquid-cooling connector of the present application;

[0037] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid-cooling component, terminals, and additional terminals in the liquid-cooling connector of the present application after decomposition;

[0038] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid storage cavity and the cover body of the liquid cooling component in the liquid cooling connector of the present application after being disassembled;

[0039] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid storage cavity in a liquid cooling component in a liquid cooling connector of the present application;

[0040] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid storage cavity in a liquid cooling component of the liquid cooling connector of the present application without a top wall.

[0041] The following are marked in the figure: 1-shell; 2-terminal; 21-positioning cavity; 211-bottom wall; 22-fixing part; 23-connecting cavity; 24-cable connecting part; 3-liquid cooling component; 31-liquid cooling box; 32-liquid inlet; 33-liquid outlet; 34-liquid cooling cavity; 35-liquid inlet pipe; 36-liquid outlet pipe; 311-liquid storage shell; 312-cover; 313-cross-shaped partition plate; 314-vertical plate; 315-horizontal plate; 316-inner surface of connecting area; 341-first liquid cooling cavity; 342-second liquid cooling cavity; 343-connecting cavity; 3411-partition Flow area; 3412-confluence area; 3413-inner liquid flow area; 3414-outer liquid flow area; 41-insulating member; 411-accommodating cavity; 42-blocking portion; 43-additional insulating member; 431-additional accommodating cavity; 7-arc-shaped plate; 71-first end; 72-second end; 73-first guide surface; 74-second guide surface; 8-leakage detection device; 81-conductive element; 82-gap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangements of components and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application.

[0043] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses.

[0044] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0045] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0046] A liquid-cooled connector according to the present disclosure, as shown in FIG1 to FIG8 , includes a housing 1, at least two terminals 2 assembled side by side in the housing 1, a liquid-cooling member 3 disposed between the two terminals 2, and an insulating member 41 disposed between the terminals 2 and the liquid-cooling member 3;

[0047] The liquid cooling component 3 has a liquid cooling box body 31 extending along the arrangement direction of the terminals 2. The terminals 2 located at both ends of the liquid cooling box body 31 are provided with a positioning cavity 21 with an opening on one side. The two ends of the liquid cooling box body 31 are respectively inserted into the positioning cavity 21 and abut against the bottom wall 211 of the positioning cavity 21 arranged opposite to the opening for fixation.

[0048] Cooling liquid flows through the liquid-cooling component 3, and the terminal 2 mounted on the liquid-cooling component 3 takes away a large amount of heat generated by the terminal 2 during the charging process of electrical equipment such as electric vehicles through the circulation of the cooling liquid, thereby reducing the working temperature of the terminal 2, thereby improving the charging efficiency, shortening the charging time, and reducing the damage to the connector.

[0049] Each terminal 2 comprises a fixed portion 22 fixedly assembled with the housing 1, a positioning cavity 21 connected to the liquid-cooling member 3, and a cable connection portion 24 connected to the cable. The free end of the fixed portion 22 is connected to the mating terminal. Since the positioning cavity 21 is open at one end and has a bottom wall 211 and an inner peripheral wall, the positioning cavity 21 and the inner peripheral wall allow for maximum contact with the insulating member 41. The insulating member 41 then makes maximum contact with the liquid-cooling member 3. As a result, the coolant flowing through the liquid-cooling member 3 quickly dissipates the high temperatures generated by the terminal 2 during charging.

[0050] By arranging terminals 2 at both ends of the liquid cooling member 3 and connecting the positioning cavities 21 of the terminals 2 at both ends to the ends of the liquid cooling member 3 , the terminals 2 at both ends can be restricted from rotating radially around the central axis of the terminals 2 .

[0051] According to one embodiment of a liquid-cooled connector disclosed herein, as shown in FIG2 , the insulating component 41 has a accommodating cavity 411 with an opening on one side, the inner surface of the accommodating cavity 411 is matched with the outer surface of the end of the liquid-cooling box 31 , and the outer surface of the accommodating cavity 411 is matched with the inner surface of the positioning cavity 21 .

[0052] The accommodating cavity 411 of the insulating component 41 is matched and installed between the positioning cavity 21 of the terminal 2 and the liquid-cooling component 3 (the accommodating cavity 411 can be matched and installed between the positioning cavity 21 of the terminal 2 and the liquid-cooling box 31 of the liquid-cooling component 3), so that the inner surface of the accommodating cavity 411 is closely fitted with the outer surface of the end of the liquid-cooling component 3, and the outer surface of the accommodating cavity 411 is closely fitted with the inner surface of the positioning cavity 21, so that the liquid-cooling component 3 is closely installed in the positioning cavity 21 of the terminal 2, and the coolant circulating inside the liquid-cooling component 3 quickly takes away the heat generated by the terminal 2 during the charging process, thereby improving the charging efficiency, shortening the charging time, and reducing the damage to the connector.

[0053] In actual applications, the inner surface of the accommodating cavity 411 and the outer surface of the end of the liquid-cooling component 3, and the outer surface of the accommodating cavity 411 and the inner surface of the positioning cavity 21 can be filled with thermally conductive insulating glue; if filling is not required, thermally conductive insulating glue can also be omitted.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the insulating member 41 further includes a blocking portion 42 extending outward from the open end of the accommodating cavity 411 , and the blocking portion 42 is in contact with the end surface of the opening of the positioning cavity 21 .

[0055] The blocking portion 42 can insulate adjacent terminals 2 so that different types of terminals 2 can be set on the same liquid-cooled component 3 at the same time. For example, the terminals 2 at both ends are used as positive terminals and negative terminals respectively. The blocking portion 42 serves to separate the positive terminal and the negative terminal, preventing the positive terminal and the negative terminal from being electrically connected, damaging the connector and the electrical equipment being charged by the connector, and avoiding fire and casualties.

[0056] According to one embodiment of a liquid-cooled connector disclosed herein, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, at least one additional terminal 2 is provided between the terminals 2 at both ends of the liquid-cooled box 31, and the additional terminal 2 has a through connecting cavity 23, and an additional insulating member 43 is provided between the connecting cavity 23 and the liquid-cooled box 31.

[0057] By providing an additional insulating component 43 different from the insulating component 41 on the liquid-cooling component 3, an additional terminal 2 is provided on the additional insulating component 43, and the additional terminal 2 and the terminals 2 at both ends are insulated from each other by the blocking portion 42 of the insulating component 41. The terminals 2 insulated from each other are connected to different types of wires, that is, the positive terminal connected to the positive wire and the negative terminal connected to the negative wire are insulated from each other. The positive wire and the positive terminal connected to the positive wire, and the negative wire and the negative terminal connected to the negative wire will generate heat because a large current will be conducted during the charging process, and they need to be cooled and need to be connected to the liquid-cooling component 3.

[0058] Specifically, as shown in FIG5 , the additional insulating member 43 has a through additional accommodating cavity 431 , and is configured to have an outwardly extending blocking portion 42 provided at at least one open end of the additional accommodating cavity 431 , so that there is at least one blocking portion 42 between adjacent terminals 2 .

[0059] By providing a blocking portion 42 on the additional insulating member 43, adjacent terminals 2 are insulated from each other. Two mutually insulated terminals 2 can be connected to the same type of wire. It can be understood that the various types of terminals 2 used to charge a charging device are defined as a charging device. Multiple terminals 2 in the same charging device can be connected to the same positive wire or the same negative wire to serve as a positive terminal or a negative terminal; multiple terminals 2 can also be connected to multiple positive wires or multiple negative wires to serve as positive terminals or negative terminals. This solves the problem that when the positive wire or negative wire has a larger diameter, the corresponding terminal 2 will also have a larger diameter. The connectors including the positive and negative terminals are not easy to be arranged in a small and flat space. In this case, the relatively small terminals 2 are electrically connected in a row and then connected to the corresponding type of positive wire or negative wire with a larger diameter, thereby achieving a flat arrangement of the large-diameter terminals 2 and optimizing the assembly space of the terminals 2. In addition, the large-diameter positive conductor is configured to include multiple small-diameter conductors for use as positive conductors, and the large-diameter negative conductor is configured to include multiple small-diameter conductors for use as negative conductors. Each terminal 2 in the positive terminal is correspondingly connected to each small-diameter conductor serving as a positive conductor; each terminal 2 in the negative terminal is correspondingly connected to each small-diameter conductor serving as a negative conductor. The connection stability between the terminal 2 and each small-diameter conductor is higher, and it is more suitable for wiring in a flat space.

[0060] The terminals 2 provided on the liquid-cooling component 3 are insulated from each other. A liquid-cooling component 3 may include multiple charging devices, and the positive terminal and the negative terminal in the same charging device are arranged adjacent to each other. In this case, a liquid-cooling connector can be used to charge multiple charging terminals, multiple electrical devices, or an electrical device with multiple charging circuits.

[0061] The insulating member 41 and the additional insulating member 43, and adjacent additional insulating members 43 can be bonded together by a thermally conductive insulating adhesive to prevent relative displacement between the insulating member 41 and the additional insulating member 43, which would cause the terminal 2 to contact the liquid-cooling member 3, resulting in electrical connection between the positive terminal and the negative terminal, causing equipment damage, personal injury, and property loss.

[0062] According to an embodiment of a liquid-cooled connector disclosed herein, the liquid-cooled housing 31 is made of a highly thermally conductive material; and the insulating member 41 is made of a thermally conductive insulating material.

[0063] The liquid cooling box 31 is made of a high thermal conductivity material, which can be a high thermal conductivity metal such as copper, aluminum, copper alloy, or aluminum alloy. The liquid cooling box 31 made of a high thermal conductivity material can realize rapid heat exchange between the high-temperature terminal 2 and the low-temperature coolant circulating in the liquid cooling box 31, thereby cooling the terminal 2, improving charging efficiency, shortening charging time, and reducing damage to the connector.

[0064] The thermally conductive insulating material can be thermally conductive insulating silicone or thermally conductive insulating ceramic. The insulating member 41, made of this material, acts as a heat transfer agent between the liquid cooling box 31 and the terminal 2, transferring the high temperature of the terminal 2 to the low temperature of the coolant, thereby cooling the terminal 2.

[0065] In one embodiment of a liquid-cooling connector according to the present disclosure, as shown in FIG2 , at least one group of liquid inlets 32 and at least one group of liquid outlets 33 are provided on a liquid-cooling box 31 .

[0066] The liquid cooling box 31 is provided with a liquid inlet 32 ​​and a liquid outlet 33 to realize the circulation of the coolant in the liquid cooling box 31 , keep the liquid cooling box 31 at a low temperature, and take away the high temperature generated during the charging process of the terminal 2 .

[0067] Specifically, as shown in FIG6 , the liquid cooling box 31 includes a liquid storage housing 311 opened toward one side of the cable, and a cover 312 covering the opening. The liquid inlet 32 ​​and the liquid outlet 33 are provided on the cover 312 .

[0068] The liquid inlet 32 ​​and the liquid outlet 33 are arranged on the cover 312 , so that the structure of the liquid cooling box 31 is regular, the assembly of the liquid cooling connector is simplified, and the arrangement space of the liquid cooling box 31 in the housing 1 is reduced.

[0069] More specifically, the cover 312 and the liquid storage housing 311 are integrally formed, or the cover 312 and the liquid storage housing 311 are detachably connected.

[0070] The connection method between the cover body 312 and the liquid storage shell 311 can be set as needed. The connection relationship of the one-piece molded structure has better stability. In practice, the cover body 312 and the liquid storage shell 311 can be welded or bonded into an integrated structure; the detachable connection structure can confirm the internal structure of the liquid-cooling component 3 during the assembly process. In practice, the detachable connection structure requires a sealing ring to be set between the cover body 312 and the liquid storage shell 311, and fixed with a connection device such as bolts.

[0071] More specifically, a cross-shaped partition plate 313 is provided inside the liquid storage shell 311. The cross-shaped partition plate 313 is located at the center of the liquid cooling box 31 along the arrangement direction, dividing the liquid cooling box 31 into two groups of liquid cooling cavities 34 that are mirror images of each other, and each liquid cooling cavity 34 has a first liquid cooling cavity 341, a second liquid cooling cavity 342 and a connecting cavity 343 connecting the first liquid cooling cavity 341 and the second liquid cooling cavity 342; the first liquid cooling cavity 341 is connected to one of the liquid inlet 32 ​​and the liquid outlet 33, and the second liquid cooling cavity 342 is connected to the other of the liquid inlet 32 ​​and the liquid outlet 33.

[0072] The vertical plate 314 of the cross-shaped partition plate 313 is located at the center position of the arrangement direction of the liquid-cooling box 31. That is, the plane where the vertical plate 314 is located is the center plane of the liquid-cooling component 3. The vertical plate 314 divides the liquid-cooling box 31 into two groups of liquid-cooling cavities 34 that are mirror images of each other about the center plane. Each liquid-cooling cavity 34 is a separate coolant circulation system to realize heat exchange between the terminal 2 and the liquid-cooling component 3.

[0073] The transverse plate 315 of the cross-shaped partition plate 313 is arranged to intersect with the vertical plate 314. Preferably, the transverse plate 315 is perpendicular to the vertical plate 314. The two ends of the transverse plate 315 do not contact the inner walls of the ends of the liquid-cooling box 31 along the arrangement direction of the terminals 2 to form a connecting cavity 343. The two side walls of the transverse plate 315 along the extension direction of the terminals 2 are respectively connected to the inner wall of the cover body 312 and the side wall of the liquid storage shell 311 opposite to the cover body 312, thereby forming a first liquid-cooling cavity 341 and a second liquid-cooling cavity 342 connected by the connecting cavity 343 in each liquid-cooling cavity 34. The first liquid-cooling cavity 341 is provided with a liquid inlet 32 ​​near the vertical plate 314. The cooling liquid flows into the first liquid-cooling cavity 341 through the liquid inlet 32 ​​and flows toward the inner wall of the end on the same side. The cooling liquid flows into the second liquid-cooling cavity 342 through the connecting cavity 343 and then flows out of the liquid-cooling component 3 through the liquid outlet 33.

[0074] The liquid cooling box 31 can allow the cooling liquid to flow through the entire internal space of the liquid cooling box 31 through the cross-shaped partition plate 313, so that the heat generated by the positive terminal and the negative terminal set in the liquid cooling component 3 can be dissipated in time, thereby reducing the temperature of the terminal 2 during operation, thereby improving the charging efficiency and shortening the charging time.

[0075] The inner surface 316 of the connection area between the end side wall of the liquid cooling box 31 and the circumferential side wall of the liquid cooling box 31 may be rounded or may be a right angle.

[0076] More specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the first liquid cooling cavity 341 is connected to the liquid inlet 32, and each first liquid cooling cavity 341 is provided with an arc-shaped plate 7 (arc-shaped guide plate) extending along the extension direction of the terminal 2. There is a gap between the arc-shaped plate 7 and the inner surface of the cover body 312, and there is a gap between the arc-shaped plate 7 and the side wall of the liquid storage shell 311 opposite to the cover body 312.

[0077] The curved plate 7 divides the first liquid-cooling chamber 341, which is connected to the liquid inlet 32, into a diversion zone 3411 upstream of the curved plate 7, a confluence zone 3412 downstream of the curved plate 7, and inner and outer liquid flow zones 3413 and 3414 on either side of the curved plate 7. Coolant flowing into the first liquid-cooling chamber 341 is diverted by the curved plate 7, reducing the impact of the coolant on the side wall of the liquid storage housing 311 opposite the cover 312. Coolant flowing from the outer liquid flow zone 3414 is guided along the curved portion of the curved plate 7 toward the connecting chamber 343, where it flows into the second liquid-cooling chamber 342. This ensures that the coolant flows through the entire liquid-cooling chamber 34, promptly removing heat generated by the terminals 2 connected to the liquid-cooling component 3 during charging.

[0078] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 , the arc-shaped plate 7 has a first end 71 and a second end 72 opposite to the first end 71 , and the first end 71 is closer to the center position than the second end 72 .

[0079] The first end 71 is aligned with the liquid inlet 32 ​​to divert the coolant flowing into the liquid inlet 32 ​​into the inner liquid flow area 3413 and the outer liquid flow area 3414 on both sides of the arc plate 7. The projection of the first end 71 on the cover body 312 divides the flow cross-section of the liquid inlet 32 ​​on the cover body 312 into two halves (optionally).

[0080] More specifically, the first end 71 has a first guide surface 73 and a second guide surface 74 that are oppositely disposed. The first guide surface 73 and the second guide surface 74 intersect at the tip of the first end 71 .

[0081] The first guide surface 73 and the second guide surface 74 divert the coolant flowing into the liquid inlet 32 ​​into the inner liquid flow area 3413 and the outer liquid flow area 3414, reducing the impact of the coolant on the first end 71. The contour line of the first end 71 is parallel to the vertical plate 314 and perpendicular to the horizontal plate 315. The projection line of the contour line of the first end 71 onto the liquid inlet 32 ​​is located at the center line of the liquid inlet 32 ​​along the arrangement direction of the terminals 2. At this time, when the liquid inlet 32 ​​is a shape that is left-right symmetrical about the center line, the first end 71 can make the coolant flowing in through the liquid inlet 32 ​​flow evenly into the inner liquid flow area 3413 and the outer liquid flow area 3414.

[0082] According to one embodiment of a liquid-cooled connector disclosed herein, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid-cooled connector further includes a liquid leakage detection device 8, which is in a detection control loop. The liquid leakage detection device 8 includes two conductive elements 81 located below the liquid-cooled component 3, with a gap 82 between the two conductive elements 81. When liquid leakage occurs in the liquid-cooled component 3, the gap 82 is filled with liquid to switch the detection control loop from an off state to an on state, thereby triggering the liquid leakage detection device 8 to send a leakage signal.

[0083] A leakage detection device 8 is provided in the liquid-cooled connector to detect damage to the liquid-cooled component 3, thereby preventing the positive terminal and the negative terminal from being electrically connected, thereby damaging the connector and the electrical equipment being charged by the connector, and avoiding fire and casualties.

[0084] Specifically, the two conductive elements 81 are constructed as two arc-shaped plates symmetrically arranged about the gap 82. The two arc-shaped plates enclose a liquid contact area (i.e., an area for receiving coolant leaked from the liquid-cooled component), and the gap 82 is located at the lowest point of the liquid contact area.

[0085] As shown in Figure 5, the liquid-cooling component 3 also includes a liquid inlet pipe 35 connected to the liquid inlet 32 ​​and a liquid outlet pipe 36 connected to the liquid outlet 33. The liquid receiving area blocks the entire liquid-cooling component 3 from below, and the entire liquid-cooling component 3 can be completely projected onto the liquid receiving area. When liquid leaks in any area of ​​the liquid-cooling component 3, it can be caught by the liquid receiving area. Since the liquid receiving area is composed of two arc-shaped plates and the gap 82 is located at the lowest point of the liquid receiving area, the liquid dripping into the liquid receiving area slides to the gap 82 at the lowest point, switching the detection control circuit from the disconnected state to the on state, so as to trigger the control device in the detection control circuit to send a leakage signal. The control device can send a prompt message to the prompt device based on the leakage signal to remind the user. The prompt information includes but is not limited to sound, light, and text information.

[0086] Although some specific embodiments of the present application have been described in detail by way of examples, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. The scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A liquid-cooled connector, characterized in that, The invention comprises a housing, at least two terminals arranged side by side in the housing, a liquid cooling member arranged between the two terminals, and an insulating member arranged between the terminals and the liquid cooling member; The liquid cooling component has a liquid cooling box extending along the arrangement direction of the terminals. The terminals located at both ends of the liquid cooling box are provided with a positioning cavity with an opening on one side. The two ends of the liquid cooling box are respectively inserted into the positioning cavity and abut against the bottom wall of the positioning cavity arranged opposite to the opening for fixation.

2. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 1, wherein: The insulating component has a accommodating cavity with one side open, the inner surface of the accommodating cavity is matched with the outer surface of the end of the liquid cooling box, and the outer surface of the accommodating cavity is matched with the inner surface of the positioning cavity.

3. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The insulating component further includes a blocking portion extending outward from the opening end of the accommodating cavity, and the blocking portion is in contact with the end surface of the positioning cavity where the opening is located.

4. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 1, wherein: At least one additional terminal is provided between the terminals at both ends of the liquid cooling box. The additional terminal has a through-connecting cavity. An additional insulating member is provided between the connecting cavity and the liquid cooling box.

5. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The additional insulating component has a through additional accommodating cavity, and is configured to be provided with an outwardly extending blocking portion at at least one open end of the additional accommodating cavity, so that there is at least one blocking portion between adjacent terminals.

6. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the liquid cooling box is a high thermal conductivity material; the material of the insulating component is a thermal conductive insulating material.

7. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid cooling box is provided with at least one group of liquid inlets and at least one group of liquid outlets.

8. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The liquid cooling box comprises a liquid storage shell with an opening toward one side of the cable, and a cover covering the opening, wherein the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are arranged on the cover.

9. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 8, characterized in that The cover body and the liquid storage housing are integrally formed, or the cover body and the liquid storage housing are detachably connected.

10. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 8, characterized in that A cross-shaped partition plate is provided inside the liquid storage housing, and the cross-shaped partition plate is located at the center of the liquid cooling box along the arrangement direction, dividing the liquid cooling box into two groups of liquid cooling cavities that are mirror images of each other, and each of the liquid cooling cavities has a first liquid cooling cavity, a second liquid cooling cavity, and a connecting cavity connecting the first liquid cooling cavity and the second liquid cooling cavity; The first liquid-cooling cavity is connected to one of the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, and the second liquid-cooling cavity is connected to the other of the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.

11. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 10, characterized in that: The first liquid cooling cavity is communicated with the liquid inlet, and each first liquid cooling cavity is provided with an arc-shaped guide plate extending along the extension direction of the terminal. There is a gap between the arc-shaped guide plate and the inner surface of the cover body, and there is a gap between the arc-shaped guide plate and the side wall of the liquid storage housing opposite to the cover body.

12. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 11, wherein: The arc-shaped guide plate has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, and the first end is closer to the center position than the second end.

13. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 12, wherein: The first end has a first flow guiding surface and a second flow guiding surface that are oppositely arranged, and the first flow guiding surface and the second flow guiding surface intersect at a tip of the first end.

14. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid-cooled connector also includes a liquid leakage detection device, which is in a detection control circuit. The liquid leakage detection device includes two conductive elements located below the liquid-cooled component, with a gap between the two conductive elements. When the liquid-cooled component leaks, the gap is filled with liquid to switch the detection control circuit from an off state to an on state, thereby triggering the liquid leakage detection device to send a leakage signal.

15. The liquid cooling connector according to claim 14, wherein: The two conductive elements are constructed as two arc-shaped plates symmetrically arranged with respect to the gap. The two arc-shaped plates enclose a liquid contact area, and the gap is located at the lowest point of the liquid contact area.

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