Busbar system

Abstract

A power distribution assembly having a boltless busbar system is disclosed, which is used to electrically and mechanically connect components to a power source. The power distribution assembly includes an interconnecting busbar segment that connects two boltless busbar systems together. Each boltless busbar system includes a male busbar assembly and a female busbar assembly. The male busbar assembly includes a male terminal, an internal spring member, a male inner shell, and a male outer shell, which receives the male terminal, the internal spring member, and a portion of the male inner shell. The male terminal includes a set of side walls that define a receiver and also includes at least one contact arm. The internal spring member having at least one spring arm is located in the male terminal receiver. The female busbar assembly includes a female terminal having a socket, the size of which is suitable for receiving the male terminal and the spring member in a connection position to fix the female busbar assembly to the male busbar assembly.

Description

[0001] Citation to Related Applications

[0002] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 795,015, filed on January 21, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and made a part of this patent application. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a power distribution assembly, and more particularly to a power distribution assembly including a boltless busbar system having at least one electrical connector assembly with an internal spring. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a modular power distribution assembly for use in motor vehicles (including passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles) and suitable for high power, high current and / or high voltage applications. Background Art

[0004] Over the past several decades, the number of electrical components used in automobiles and other on-road and off-road vehicles such as pickup trucks, commercial vans and trucks, semi-trucks, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and sport utility vehicles (collectively, "automobiles") has increased dramatically. Electrical components are used in automobiles for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, monitoring, improving, and / or controlling vehicle performance, emissions, safety, and providing comfort to the occupants of the automobile. Certain of these electrical components are mechanically and electrically connected within the automobile via conventional bus assemblies comprised of threaded fasteners. A great deal of time, resources, and effort have been expended to develop connector assemblies that meet the various demands and complexities of the automotive market; however, conventional connector assemblies suffer from a variety of disadvantages.

[0005] Motor vehicles are challenging electrical environments for both electrical components and connector assemblies due to many conditions, including but not limited to space constraints that make initial installation difficult, harsh operating conditions, wide ambient temperature ranges, long periods of vibration, thermal loads and life, all of which can lead to component and / or connector failures. For example, connector installation errors (usually occur in the assembly plant) and connector detachment (usually occur in the field) are two important failure modes for electrical components and motor vehicles. Each of these failure modes results in high repair and warranty costs. For example, globally, the total cumulative warranty coverage for all automakers and their direct suppliers is estimated to be between $50 billion and $150 billion per year.

[0006] Considering these challenging electrical environments, a lot of time, money and effort have been spent to find power distribution components that meet all the needs of these markets. Traditional power distribution components use customized busbars. When using customized busbars, any changes to the power distribution system may require changing the configuration of one or more busbars. These changes are both expensive and time-consuming. After finalizing the configuration of these customized busbars and manufacturing the busbars, installers usually use a combination of traditional fasteners (such as elongated fasteners, washers, nuts and / or studs) to couple the busbars to the power supply, power distribution components or devices. These traditional fasteners make it extremely difficult to install the busbars in the application because the installers may need to wear protective equipment to protect themselves in the process. Finally, after the customized busbars are properly installed in the application, they are prone to high failure rates due to their configuration. Therefore, the demand for improved power distribution components that are boltless, modular, and suitable for power distribution systems in automotive, marine and aviation applications remains unmet.

[0007] The present disclosure solves the above-discussed shortcomings and other problems, and provides advantages and features not provided by conventional connector assemblies and the prior art of such assemblies. The features and advantages of the present disclosure will be fully discussed in the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present disclosure relates to a power distribution assembly used in a wider range of power distribution systems. The power distribution assembly includes at least one boltless busbar system having a male busbar assembly, the male busbar assembly including: (i) a male busbar body, and (ii) a spring-actuated male connector assembly located within a housing assembly. The busbar system also includes a female busbar assembly, the female busbar assembly including: (i) a female busbar body, and (ii) a female connector assembly, the female connector assembly being configured to receive a portion of the spring-actuated male busbar assembly when the busbar system is in a connected state without using traditional bolts and eyelet fasteners, which may be expensive, difficult to use during installation, and oversized for certain installations or applications. The power distribution assembly is integrated into a wider range of power distribution systems used in motor vehicles (including passenger cars and commercial vehicles) for high power, high current and / or high voltage applications. In these applications, the power distribution assembly is critical to meeting industry standards, production and performance requirements for power distribution systems and motor vehicles. The power distribution assemblies may also be used in military vehicles such as tanks, armored personnel carriers, and trucks, and in marine applications such as cargo ships, tankers, yachts, and sailboats, or in telecommunications hardware such as servers.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the boltless busbar system includes a male busbar assembly having a male connector assembly and a female busbar assembly having a female connector assembly. Both the male connector assembly and the female connector assembly have terminals. The male terminal assembly is designed and configured to be fitted in the female terminal, which forms a mechanical and electrical connection between these terminals. The male terminal assembly includes an internal spring actuator or spring member, which is designed to interact with a portion of the male terminal to ensure that a proper connection is formed between the male terminal and the female terminal. More specifically, the female terminal forms a receiver configured to receive a portion of the male terminal assembly. The male terminal assembly has a male terminal body including a plurality of contact arms. A spring member is nested in the male terminal body. The spring member resists inward deflection and exerts an outward force on the contact arm, thereby generating an active connection and a retaining force between the male terminal and the female terminal. Unlike other prior art connection systems, during the operation of the power distribution system and the motor vehicle, when the environment and / or operating temperature, electrical power and load to which the power distribution assembly is subjected increases, the connection between the male terminal and the female terminal becomes stronger.

[0010] Additional structural and functional aspects and advantages of power distribution systems, power distribution assemblies, and boltless busbar systems (including components thereof) are disclosed in the detailed description section and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are used to provide further understanding and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate the disclosed embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary automotive environment including a power distribution system having a plurality of power distribution components;

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of area A of a motor vehicle environment;

[0014] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 and Figure 2 a perspective view of a first embodiment of a power distribution assembly shown, wherein the power distribution assembly includes two interconnected busbar systems;

[0015] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 An exploded view of a busbar system of the present invention, wherein each busbar system includes a male busbar assembly and a female busbar assembly;

[0016] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A perspective view of a female busbar assembly showing a female terminal assembly and a female busbar body;

[0017] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A top view of a busbar assembly;

[0018] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A side view of a busbar assembly;

[0019] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a busbar body;

[0020] Figures 9A-9B are various views of a second embodiment of a busbar body;

[0021] Fig.10 yes Figure 3 A perspective view of one of the busbar systems;

[0022] Fig.11 yes Fig.10 Exploded view of the busbar system;

[0023] Fig.12 is a perspective view of a male terminal assembly of a busbar system showing a spring member separated from a male terminal of the terminal assembly;

[0024] Fig.13 is a perspective view of the male terminal assembly showing the spring member positioned within the male terminal receptacle;

[0025] Fig.14 yes Fig.10 A perspective view of the busbar system in place;

[0026] Fig.15 yes Fig.10 A top view of the busbar system;

[0027] Fig.16 is along Fig.15 A cross-sectional view of the busbar system taken along line 16-16;

[0028] Fig.17 It is along Fig.15 A cross-sectional view of the busbar system taken along line 17-17;

[0029] Fig.18 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of a power distribution assembly including a plurality of interconnection busbar systems;

[0030] Fig.19 yes Fig.18 A bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of a power distribution assembly;

[0031] Fig. 20 yes Fig.18A bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of a power distribution assembly, wherein the power distribution assembly includes two interconnected busbar systems;

[0032] Fig.21 yes Fig.18 A side view of a second embodiment of a power distribution assembly;

[0033] Fig. 22 yes Fig.18 An exploded view of a second embodiment of a power distribution assembly;

[0034] Fig.23 yes Fig.18 A perspective view of a busbar assembly of a power distribution assembly of FIG. 1 , showing a female terminal assembly and a busbar body;

[0035] Fig.24 yes Fig.23 A top view of a busbar assembly;

[0036] Fig.25 yes Fig.23 A side view of a busbar assembly;

[0037] Fig.26 yes Fig.18 A top view of a busbar system of a power distribution assembly;

[0038] Fig. 27 is along Fig.26 A cross-sectional view of the busbar system taken along line 27-27;

[0039] Fig.28 It is along Fig.26 A cross-sectional view of the busbar system taken along line 28-28 of FIG. 1 ; and

[0040] Fig.29 It is a side view of the female terminal and the male terminal of the busbar system of the power distribution assembly;

[0041] Fig.30 It is along Fig.29 The cross-sectional view of the female terminal and the male terminal taken along the 30-30 line;

[0042] Figures 31A-31B Shows that Fig.33 A second embodiment of a spring for use in combination with a male terminal; and

[0043] Figure 32-38 An alternative embodiment of a male terminal assembly that may be used in conjunction with the first and second busbar systems is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In the detailed description below, various specific details are set forth by way of example in order to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the teachings of the present invention can be practiced without these details. In other cases, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present teachings, well-known methods, processes, components and / or circuits are described at a higher level without detailed description.

[0045] Although the present disclosure includes several embodiments in many different forms, some specific embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings and described in detail herein, it should be understood that the present disclosure should be regarded as an example of the principles of the disclosed method and system, and it is not intended to limit the various aspects of the disclosed concepts to the embodiments shown. It should be recognized that the disclosed method and system may have other and different configurations, and several details may be modified without departing from the scope of the disclosed method and system. For example, one or more of the following embodiments may be combined in part or in whole with the disclosed method and system. In this way, one or more steps in the flowchart or components in the drawings may be selectively omitted and / or combined in accordance with the disclosed method and system. Therefore, the drawings, flowcharts and detailed descriptions should be regarded as merely exemplary and not restrictive.

[0046] The accompanying drawings illustrate a power distribution assembly 50 designed to mechanically and electrically: (i) couple power sources (e.g., alternators or batteries) to each other, and (ii) couple power sources to power distribution / control components, or (iii) couple power sources to devices (e.g., radiator fans, heated seats, power distribution components, or other power-consuming components). The power distribution assembly 50 may be used for high power applications, high current applications, and high voltage applications in a power distribution system 10 that may be installed in an aircraft, a motor vehicle 1000, a military vehicle (e.g., a tank, an armored personnel carrier, a heavy truck, and a troop transporter), a bus, a locomotive, a tractor, a ship, a submarine, a battery pack, a 24-48 volt system. In these applications, the power distribution assembly 50 is critical to meeting industry standards, production, and performance requirements for the power distribution system 10 and the motor vehicle. It should be understood that multiple power distribution assemblies 50 may be used in a single application. For example, multiple power distribution assemblies 50 may be used in conjunction with various devices and components contained within a single motor vehicle, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0047] Figure 1-2 A motor vehicle environment is shown including a power distribution system 10 that includes a number of components, such as a charger, a battery pack assembly 14, a DC-DC converter, and a motor. Figure 1 and 2As shown, the battery pack assembly 14 has a skateboard-shaped configuration, wherein the battery pack assembly 14 has a plurality (e.g., 36) of battery pack modules 16, which are arranged in a substantially linear configuration at or below the axle height when installed and are located below a large portion of the vehicle body (not shown). The battery pack module 16 is formed by a plurality (e.g., 12) of cells 18, wherein the cells 18 are coupled to each other to form a positive terminal 20 and a negative terminal 22 of each of the battery pack modules 16. The positive terminals 20 of these battery pack modules 16 are coupled to each other (e.g., in parallel and in series) through a power distribution assembly 50 to produce a battery pack assembly 14 that provides a voltage at an appropriate level for the operation of the vehicle 1000. Like the positive terminal 20, the negative terminal 22 is also similarly coupled together through the power distribution assembly 50.

[0048] like Figure 3-17 As shown, the power distribution assembly 50 generally includes: (i) two busbar systems 100, and (ii) an interconnected busbar segment 98 extending between the two busbar systems 100. The busbar system 100 includes: (i) a male busbar assembly 200, and (ii) a female busbar assembly 600. The male busbar assembly 200 includes a male busbar body 590a and a male housing assembly 220 that substantially surrounds a male terminal assembly 430. The male terminal assembly 430 replaces at least one of the conventional bolts used to couple the busbar to other components (e.g., other busbars or devices). In other words, at least a portion of the busbar system 100 is boltless, or has no conventional threaded fasteners. The male housing assembly 220 is designed to: (i) facilitate the coupling of the male terminal assembly 430 with the female terminal 800, (ii) minimize the chance of the male terminal assembly 430 accidentally making electrical contact with other devices or components of the motor vehicle 1000, and (iii) comply with industry standards, such as USCAR specifications. like Figure 3-4 , 10-11, 14-22 and 26-28, the male bus assembly 200 may also include a cable strain relief component 530. In an alternative embodiment, the bus system 100 may include a connector position assurance assembly ("CPA") designed to enable the bus system 100 to meet USCAR specifications, including USCAR-12, USCAR-25 and USCAR-2. For example, the male shell assembly 220 may include a CPA assembly that includes a protrusion received by an opening in the female bus body 590b. In addition, details and other examples of CPA assemblies are disclosed in PCT application PCT / US2019 / 36127, which is incorporated herein by reference. The cable strain relief component 530 and the CPA assembly may be omitted entirely, or replaced with different components. For example, due to the construction of the male bus body 590a (e.g., length, stiffness, positioning, etc.), the cable strain relief component 530 may be omitted.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 4-7 , the female bus assembly 600 includes a female terminal 800 and a female bus body 590b, wherein the female bus body 590b is mechanically and electrically connected to the interconnecting bus segment 98. In some embodiments, the female bus body 590b is formed integrally with the interconnecting bus segment 98, which allows the designer / manufacturer to form these two components from a single elongated prefabricated bus. Other details of the manufacturing process are described below. Like the male bus assembly 200, the female bus assembly 600 may also include an anti-touch probe. The anti-touch probe is described in more detail in PCT / US2019 / 36127 and PCT / US2019 / 36010, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. As described above, the anti-touch probe is an optional component that can be omitted entirely or replaced with a different component.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 1-30 , the power distribution assembly 50 disclosed herein does not utilize bolts, screws, fasteners, etc.: (i) to connect at least a portion of the busbar and a power source (e.g., an alternator or battery) to each other, and (ii) to connect the power source to a power distribution / control component, or (iii) to connect the power source to a device (e.g., a radiator fan, heated seat, power distribution component, or other power-consuming component). This enables the system to be assembled in an efficient manner compared to conventional bolt-type busbar designs. For example, conventional busbar designs require the manufacturer to assign a first person to tighten the bolts onto the busbar, and then assign a second person to check the torque of the bolts. In contrast, the busbar system 100 only requires one person to press the male busbar assembly 200 into the female busbar assembly 600, hear the slight click of the barb 287 locking into place, pull the connector assembly to ensure that they are properly coupled together, and check a portion of the system (in compliance with the Push, Snap, Pull, Check "PCTS" specification). In other words, the male busbar assembly and the female busbar assembly can be coupled to each other by the installer without using separate tools. Not only does this reduce labor costs by requiring only one person in a shorter time, it also requires less space and is more durable than traditional busbar bolts.

[0051] The busbar system 100 differs from a floating busbar in that the busbar system 100 can be used in harsh environments that are subject to severe vibration. Specifically, a floating busbar system must typically be used in an environment without significant vibration because the busbar can become loose from the connector in which it is located. Additionally, unlike the busbar system 100, a floating busbar typically does not allow for large height changes or angle changes between connectors. Thus, the busbar system 100 overcomes these severe limitations associated with floating busbars.

[0052] In addition, the power distribution assembly 50 provides a modular and customizable design that: (i) allows changes to be made without creating new molds or bending processes, (ii) allows the power distribution assembly 50 to be formed during production in the installation environment (e.g., without customizing the busbars prior to production), and (iii) allows the power distribution assembly 50 to be shipped in a flat and unassembled form, which can save space required for shipping and reduce the possibility of damage to the busbars before installation. For example, the male busbar body and the female busbar body can be separated from each other and shipped in a configuration where the male busbar body and the female busbar body are substantially coplanar with each other. Instead of making a custom busbar, the designer can: (i) change the length of the busbar by changing the location where the female terminal is formed, (ii) change the angle of the connecting busbar by changing the angle of the female terminal, and (iii) change which segments are rigid and which segments are flexible. For example, the power distribution assembly 50 can utilize interconnecting busbar segments 98 that are essentially rigid buses formed of a single conductor and male busbar bodies 590a that are essentially flexible buses formed of multiple conductors. This combination of rigid and flexible busbars provides the desired stability within the power distribution assembly 50 while allowing the flexible busbars to overcome height variations, angular variations, and absorb vibrations within the system.

[0053] The manufacturing process of the power distribution assembly 50 highlights its modular design. Figure 3 As shown, the first step in manufacturing the power distribution assembly 50 is to obtain busbar materials. These busbar materials may include two different types of materials, wherein the first material may be a single conductor coated with a protective layer, and the second material may be a plurality of conductors stacked together and coated with a protective material. The second step is to place the first material into a punch and form two sets of holes (i) at the desired spacing and (ii) at the desired angle. The formation of the holes produces the female terminal 800. The third step includes assembling the male terminal assembly 430, coupling the male terminal assembly 430 to the male busbar body 590a, and fully seating the male inner shell 224 in the male outer shell 280. The fourth step is to couple the male busbar assembly 200 to the female busbar assembly 600 using a downward force. When the male terminal assembly 430 is coupled to the female terminal 800, the manufacture of the power distribution assembly 50 is completed. It can be clearly recognized from the above steps that an unlimited number of power distribution assemblies 50 can be produced by changing the formation spacing of the female terminal 800 or changing the angle of the female terminal 800.

[0054] It should be understood that these terms, as used herein, generally have the following meanings. "High power" refers to applications subject to: (i) voltages between 20 volts and 600 volts, regardless of current; or (ii) currents greater than or equal to 80 amperes, regardless of voltage. "High current" refers to currents greater than or equal to 80 amperes, and typically greater than 80 amperes in the automotive industry, regardless of voltage. "High voltage" refers to 20 volts to 600 volts, and typically greater than 47 volts in the automotive industry, regardless of current.

[0055] I. Female Connector Assembly

[0056] Figure 3-17 Various views of a busbar assembly 600 are provided. The busbar assembly 600 includes: (i) a busbar body 590b, and (ii) a female terminal 800. The busbar body 590b can have different configurations and / or compositions. For example, the busbar body 590b can include: (i) a single solid conductor, (ii) a plurality of (e.g., between 2 and 100) solid conductors (see Figure 8 ), (iii) a single braided conductor (see Figures 9A-9B ), (iv) a plurality of (e.g., 2 to 30) braided conductors, (v) a plurality of (e.g., between 2 and 100) solid connectors, each of which includes a portion that interacts with another solid connector, or (vi) any busbar configuration known in the art. It should be understood that the female busbar body 590b may be made of any suitable material, including stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, silver, gold, copper, nickel-plated copper, steel, zinc, brass, bronze, iron, platinum, lead, tungsten, lithium, tin, combinations of the listed materials, or other similar metals. For example, the busbar body 509b may include six layers, wherein the layers alternate between copper and aluminum. In addition, depending on the material type / properties and configuration of the female busbar body 590b, the busbar body 509b may be rigid (e.g., a small portion is generally not bendable by hand) or flexible (e.g., a small portion is generally bendable by hand). For example, a busbar body 509b comprising a single solid connector is generally rigid, while a busbar body 509b comprising a braided connector is generally flexible.

[0057] If the female bus body 590b includes multiple conductors, the female bus body 590b has an integrally formed mounting portion 593 that combines the multiple conductors into a single conductor. The mounting portion 593 is typically a single solid conductor that facilitates electrical and mechanical coupling of the female bus body 590b with another component. Specifically, the female terminal 800 and the first portion of the bus body coupling device 282 facilitate such electrical and mechanical coupling. In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the first portion of the female bus body 590b coupling device 282 includes a female coupling hole 591 formed in the mounting portion 593. The female coupling hole 591 is configured to interact with the second portion of the female bus body 590b coupling device 282 to couple the male housing assembly 220 to the female bus body 590b (see Fig.16 ).like Figure 5-7 As shown, the female coupling hole 591 may be located adjacent to the female terminal 800. Alternatively, the female coupling hole 591 may be located at a distance from the female terminal 800 to ensure that the female coupling hole 591 does not affect the durability and strength of the female busbar body 590b. In other embodiments, the female busbar body 590b coupling device 282 may include or be replaced by other structures that utilize magnetic force, spring force, material bias force, compression force, or a combination of these forces.

[0058] like Figure 8 As shown, the female busbar body 590b may also include a protective layer 594 that substantially surrounds the female busbar body 590b. The protective layer 594 may serve as an insulator that isolates the current configured to flow through the male busbar body 590a and the female busbar body 590b from other structures or elements contained in the environment. In other embodiments, the protective layer 594 may also include a non-conductive material layer and a conductive material layer that are used to reduce the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted from the female busbar body 590b (e.g., shielding). It should be understood that the protective layer 594 must be durable enough to withstand the bending and movement of the conductor within the protective layer without causing the conductor to cut, tear, or wear the protective layer 594.

[0059] The busbar body 590b is mechanically and electrically connected to the interconnector busbar segment 98. In some embodiments, the busbar body 590b is integrally formed with the interconnector busbar segment 98. Integrating the busbar body 590b with the interconnector busbar segment 98 allows the designer / manufacturer to form both components from a single elongated prefabricated busbar. For example, the busbar body 590b may include a mounting portion 593 and a small portion of the plurality of solid conductors, while the interconnector busbar segment 98 includes only the plurality of solid conductors and the protective layer 594.

[0060] A.Female terminal

[0061] Figure 4-7, 11 and 16-17 provide various views of the female terminal 800. The female terminal 800 includes a female terminal body 810. The female terminal body 810 includes a plurality of angled segments (e.g., triangles) 815a-815d forming a set of female terminal side walls 812a-812d. Specifically, one female terminal side wall 812a among the set of female terminal side walls 812a-812d: (i) substantially parallel to another female terminal side wall 812c among the set of female terminal side walls 812a-812d, and (ii) substantially perpendicular to two female terminal side walls 812b, 812d among the set of female terminal side walls 812a-812d. The female terminal body 810 defines a female terminal receiver 814. The female terminal receiver 814 is designed and configured to be electrically and mechanically coupled to a portion of the male terminal 470 when the male terminal 470 is inserted into the female terminal receiver 814.

[0062] The female terminal 800 is formed in the mounting portion 593 of the female busbar body 590b. Figure 3-17 In the first embodiment shown, a punch or other similar machine may be used to extrude the triangular portions 315a-315d from the female busbar body 590b to form the female terminal 800. Figure 18-28 In the second embodiment shown, a stretching method is used to form the female terminal side walls 812a-812d. Each of these methods has its own advantages, stamping is relatively inexpensive, and stretching is relatively reliable. It should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates other methods of forming the female terminal 800 from the female bus body 590b, including additive manufacturing or a combination of the methods disclosed herein. By forming the female terminal 800 from the female bus body 590b, the female terminal 800 includes arcuate side walls 813a-813d. The arcuate side walls 813a-813d: (i) couple the triangular portions 815a-815d to the straight portions of the female bus body 590b (see Figure 3-17 ), or (ii) coupled to a rectangular receiver (see Figure 18-28 ). The curved sidewalls 813a-813d facilitate compression of the contact arms 494a-494d, which will be disclosed in more detail below. In some embodiments, the curved sidewalls 813a-813d may be coated with a material to reduce the amount of friction generated by the metal contact arms 494a-494d sliding on the metal curved sidewalls 813a-813d. For example, a high temperature polymer material may be used.

[0063] By forming the female terminal 800 from the female bus body 590b, the female terminal 800 is formed integrally with the female bus body 590b. This reduces the need for additional materials or components, improves durability, and allows the female bus body 590b to be manufactured in a time-saving manner. In addition, forming the female terminal 800 from the female bus body 590b eliminates the need for a separately formed female shell. This is beneficial because it reduces the number of parts and cost of the female bus assembly 600 and the height requirements of the bus system 100. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the female terminal 800 can be formed by a separate process and can be coupled to the female bus body 590b. For example, the female terminal 800 can be formed using any known method, such as casting or additive manufacturing processes (such as 3D printing).

[0064] II. Male busbar assembly

[0065] Figure 3-4 , 10-22 and 26-38 provide various views of the male busbar assembly 200 of the busbar system 100. The male busbar assembly 200 includes: (i) a male housing assembly 220, (ii) a male terminal assembly 430, and (iii) a male busbar body 590a. The male housing assembly 220 includes a male inner housing 224 and a male outer housing 280. The male inner housing 224 and the male outer housing 280 both have complex geometric shapes, with recesses, protrusions, and openings therethrough that match each other in position and size to allow the male inner housing 224 to be inserted into the male outer housing 280. As shown in FIG. Fig.17 and 27 As shown, the male outer housing 280 substantially surrounds a majority of the male inner housing 224, including the portion where the male terminal assembly 430 is coupled to the male busbar body 590a.

[0066] A.Male housing

[0067] like Figure 3-4 , 10-11, 14-22 and 26-28, the male housing 280 includes: (i) a set of side walls 281a-281d, (ii) a front wall 285, and (ii) a busbar body coupling device 282 coupled to a portion of the side walls 281a-281d. The set of side walls 281a-281d form a rectangular socket 283 configured to receive a portion of the male inner housing 224, which is Fig.16 , 17, 27, and 28. The front wall 285 is configured to surround the front portion 283a of the rectangular socket 283. The second portion of the bus body coupling device 282 extends from the outer surface of the side walls 281b, 281d and the front wall 285, and, in some embodiments, can be formed integrally with the side walls 281b, 281d and the front wall 285. The bus body coupling device 282 includes: (i) a set of side walls 286a-286c, and (ii) a downwardly extending tab or bus protrusion 284 with a barb 287. The barb 287 of the bus protrusion 284 is configured to secure the male housing 280 to the female bus body 590b. To achieve this coupling, the bus protrusion 284 is configured to pass through a female coupling hole 591 formed in the bus body 580b. The tapered portion of the bus bar protrusion 284 helps align the male housing 280 with the female coupling hole 591.

[0068] When the bus protrusion 284 is inserted into the female coupling hole 591, the user applies sufficient force to temporarily elastically deform the bus protrusion 284 so that the barb 287 extends into the female coupling hole 591. Once the barb 287 passes through the female coupling hole 591, the flexible bus protrusion 284 returns to its original or undeformed state to facilitate coupling the male housing 280 to the female bus body 590b. It should be understood that the male housing 280 can be made from a non-conductive material using any known technology (such as injection molding technology, 3D printing, casting, thermoforming, etc.). In particular, non-conductive materials are discussed in PCT / US2019 / 36127, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0069] B. Male inner shell

[0070] like Fig.11 , 14 , 16-17, 22 and 27-28, the male inner housing 224 has: (i) a body 226, and (ii) a male inner housing receptacle 260. The body 226 includes a set of side walls 228a-228b forming a receiver 230, which is configured to receive a portion of the male terminal assembly 430 and the male busbar body 590a (see Fig.11 and 14 ). The set of side walls 228a-228b also includes a male locking device 256, which in this exemplary embodiment includes locking member protrusions 234a, 234b, which are configured to interact with locking member sockets formed on the inner surface of the male outer side walls 281b, 281d. It should be understood that the male locking device 256 may include different component arrangements, combinations or quantities. For example, the male locking device 256 may include a structure that utilizes magnetic force, spring force, material bias force, compression force, or a combination of these forces.

[0071] like Fig.11 As shown, the socket 260 is formed by a set of terminal socket side walls 262a-262d and a terminal socket front wall 264. The socket 260 is configured to tightly receive a large portion of the male terminal assembly 430. This configuration provides additional rigidity for the male terminal assembly 430 and limits the exposure amount of the male terminal assembly 430. However, the entire male terminal assembly 430 is not surrounded by the male inner shell 224. Therefore, in order to facilitate the coupling of the male terminal assembly 430 to the female terminal 800, the side walls 262a-262d respectively have male terminal openings 268a-268d extending therethrough. The male terminal openings 268a-268d extend through the middle sections of the side walls 262a-262d and are configured to allow a portion of the male terminal assembly 430 to protrude or pass over the side walls 262a-262d so that the male terminal assembly 430 can contact the female terminal 800. The male terminal openings 268a-268d may be configured such that they are not large enough to accept insertion of an assembler's finger, a probe, or other foreign object.

[0072] It should be understood that the greater the extent to which the male terminal assembly 430 protrudes from the outer surface 274, the greater the likelihood that the male terminal assembly 430 will accidentally come into contact with a foreign object. Therefore, the portion of the male terminal assembly 430 that protrudes from the outer surface 274 needs to balance this ability in order to form a proper connection with the female terminal 800. The design disclosed herein balances these factors, and the portion of the male terminal assembly 430 that protrudes from the outer surface 274 is less than 2 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm. Compared to the length of the male terminal opening 268a-268d, the portion of the male terminal assembly 430 that protrudes from the outer surface 274 is less than 8% of the length, preferably less than 4% of the length.

[0073] The male inner housing 224 is configured to be in a position to contact the male terminal assembly 430; therefore, it is desirable that the male inner housing 224 is formed of a non-conductive material. It should be understood that the selected non-conductive material should be able to adequately isolate the male terminal assembly 430, even when a large current load flows through the male terminal assembly 430. As described above and in other parts of this application, the male inner housing 224 can be formed using any suitable method, such as injection molding technology, 3D printing, casting, thermoforming, or any other similar technology.

[0074] In other embodiments, the socket 260 and the male terminal openings 268a-268d may have different configurations to accommodate male terminal assemblies 430 of different shapes. For example, the socket 260 may have an elongated rectangular configuration to receive the male terminal assembly shown and described in Figures 59-68 of PCT patent application PCT / US2019 / 036010. In addition, in this embodiment of PCT patent application PCT / US2019 / 036010, the terminal receiver does not have a male terminal opening located in the middle section of the side wall because the side wall does not have a contact arm. Alternatively, the socket 260 may have a substantially circular configuration to receive the male terminal assembly shown and described in Figures 87-96 of PCT patent application PCT / US2019 / 036010. In other embodiments, the socket 260 may be triangular, hexagonal, or any other shape.

[0075] C. Male terminal assembly

[0076] Figure 11-14 , 16-17, 22 and 27-28 provide various views of the male terminal assembly 430 of the first embodiment, and Figure 32-38 . In the first embodiment, the male terminal assembly 430 includes a spring member 440b and a male terminal 470. The male terminal 470 includes a male terminal body 472 and a male terminal connecting member or connecting piece 474. The male terminal body 472 includes: (i) a first or front male terminal wall 480, (ii) a set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d, and (iii) a second or rear male terminal wall 484. The combination of the first or front male terminal wall 480 and the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d forms a spring receiver 486. The spring member 440b includes a set of spring member side walls 442a-442d and a rear spring wall 444.

[0077] Please refer to Figure 12-13 , the spring member side walls 442a-442d include: (i) first or arcuate spring segments 448a-448d, (ii) second spring segments, bottom spring segments, or intermediate spring segments 450a-450d, and (iii) third segments or spring arms 452a-452d, respectively. The arcuate spring segments 448a-448d extend between the rear spring wall 444 and the bottom spring segments 450a-450d, and the bottom spring segments 450a-450d are substantially perpendicular to the rear spring wall 444. In other words, the outer surface of the bottom spring segments 450a-450d is substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the rear spring wall 444.

[0078] The bottom spring segments 450a-450d are located between the arcuate spring segments 448a-448d and the spring arms 452a-452d. Figure 12-13As shown, the bottom spring segments 450a-450d are not connected to each other, so that mid-section gaps are formed between the bottom spring segments 450a-450d of the spring member 440b. These gaps facilitate omnidirectional expansion of the spring arms 452a-452d, which facilitates mechanical coupling between the male terminal 470 and the female terminal 800. The spring arms 452a-452d extend from the bottom spring segments 450a-450d of the spring member 440b in a direction away from the rear spring wall 444 and terminate at a free end 446. The spring arms 452a-452d are generally coplanar with the bottom spring segments 450a-450d, so that the outer surfaces of the spring arms 452a-452d are coplanar with the outer surfaces of the bottom spring segments 450a-450d. Similar to PCT / US2018 / 019787 Figure 4-8 Unlike the spring arm 31 disclosed in PCT / US2018 / 019787, the free ends 446 of the spring arms 452a-452d do not have a curved component. Instead, the spring arms 452a-452d have a substantially flat outer surface. This configuration is beneficial because it ensures that the force associated with the spring member 440b is applied substantially perpendicular to the free end 488 of the male terminal body 472. In contrast, the spring arm 446 of PCT / US2018 / 019787 Figure 4-8 The curved portion of the spring arm 31 disclosed in does not apply force in this manner.

[0079] Like the bottom spring segments 450a-450d, the spring arms 452a-452d are not connected to each other. In other words, there are spring arm openings extending between the spring arms 452a-452d. Due to the spring arm openings and spring finger apertures, the individual spring arms 452a-452d are not connected to each other, or are not connected to structures other than the bottom spring segments 450a-450d. This configuration allows omnidirectional movement of the spring arms 452a-452d, which helps the mechanical coupling between the male terminal 470 and the female terminal 800. In other embodiments, the spring arms 452a-452d may be coupled to other structures to limit their omnidirectional expansion. The number and width of the individual spring arms 452a-452d and the openings may vary. In addition, the widths of the individual spring arms 452a-452d are generally equal to each other; however, in other embodiments, one of the spring arms 452a-452d may be wider than the other spring arms.

[0080] The spring member 440b is typically formed of a single piece of material (e.g., metal). Therefore, the spring member 440b is a one-piece spring member 440b, or has an integrally formed structure. In particular, the following structures are integrally formed: (i) rear spring wall 444, (ii) arc-shaped spring segments 448a-448d, (iii) bottom spring segments 450a-450d, and (iii) spring arms 452a-452d. In order to form these structures integrally, the spring member 440b is typically formed using a molding process. The molding process mechanically forces the spring member 440b to form. As discussed in more detail below and in PCT / US2019 / 036010, when the spring member 440b is formed of a flat sheet of metal, mounted in the male terminal body 472 and connected to the female terminal 800, and subjected to high temperatures, the spring member 440b applies an outward spring thermal force S on the contact arms 494a-494d. TF , which is partly due to the spring member 440b trying to return to the flat sheet metal form. However, it should be understood that other ways of forming the spring member 440b may also be utilized, such as casting or using an additive manufacturing process (e.g., 3D printing). In other embodiments, the construction of the spring member 440b may not be formed from a single piece or integrally formed, but rather from separate components that are welded together.

[0081] Figures 31A-31B 4. A view of a spring member 440a is shown that is configured to work in conjunction with a male terminal 470 having two contact arms 494a-494d. The primary differences between the first and second embodiments include two changes to the construction of the spring member, wherein these changes include removing: (i) the recess 439 and associated reinforcing ribs 441, and (ii) changing the width of the bottom spring segments 450a-450d. As described in PCT / US2019 / 036010, these changes to the construction of the spring member 440b change the forces associated with the spring member 440b. Specifically, the spring biasing force S BF It is the force applied by the spring member 440b to resist the inward deflection of the free end 446 of the spring member 440b when the male terminal assembly 430 is inserted into the female terminal 800. Specifically, because a portion of the outer surface of the male terminal body 472 is slightly larger than the interior of the female terminal 800, this inward deflection occurs during the insertion of the male terminal assembly 430. Therefore, when the male terminal assembly 430 is inserted into the female terminal 800, a portion of the outer surface is pressed toward the center 490 of the male terminal 470. This inward force on the outer surface causes the free end 446 of the spring member 440b to move inward (i.e., toward the center 490). The spring member 440b provides a spring biasing force S BF to resist this inward displacement.

[0082] Figure 4 , 11 , 14, 16-17 and 22 show a first embodiment of the male terminal 470. As described above, the first embodiment of the male terminal 470 includes a male terminal body 472 and a male terminal connecting member or connecting piece 474. Specifically, the male terminal connecting member or connecting piece 474 is coupled to the male terminal body 472 and is configured to receive a portion of the male busbar body 590a, such as Fig.17 and 27 As shown. The male bus body 590a is typically welded to the male terminal connecting member or connecting piece 474; however, the present disclosure contemplates other methods of connecting the male bus body 590a to the male terminal connecting member or connecting piece 474 (e.g., forming the male bus body 590a as part of the male terminal connecting member or connecting piece 474). For example, the male terminal connecting member or connecting piece 474 may include a second component configured to form a locking receiver when a portion of the male bus body 590a is placed within the receiver. The male bus body 590a is mechanically and electrically connected to the interconnecting bus segment 98. In some embodiments, the male bus body 590a is integrally formed with the interconnecting bus segment 98. Integrating the male bus body 590a with the interconnecting bus segment 98 allows the designer / manufacturer to form these two components from a single elongated prefabricated bus. For example, the male busbar body 590a may include a mounting portion 593 and a small portion of the plurality of solid conductors, while the interconnector busbar segment 98 includes only the plurality of solid conductors and the protective layer 594 .

[0083] like Figure 4 , 11 , 14, 16-17 and 22, the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d are coupled to each other and generally form a rectangular prism. The set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d includes: (i) side wall portions 492a-492d generally having a "U-shaped" configuration, (ii) contact arms 494a-494d, and (iii) a plurality of contact arm openings 496a-496h. Figure 12-13As best shown, the side wall portions 492a-492d are substantially planar and have a U-shaped configuration. The U-shaped configuration is formed by three substantially straight segments, wherein a second or middle segment 500a-500d is coupled to a first or end segment 498a-498d at one end and to a third or opposite end segment 502a-502d at the other end. The contact arms 494a-494d: (i) extend from a portion of the middle segment 500a-500d of the side wall portions 492a-492d, (ii) extend in a direction away from the second or rear male terminal wall 484, (iii) span a portion of the plurality of contact arm openings 496a-496h, and (iv) terminate adjacent the front male terminal wall 480. This construction is beneficial compared to the terminal construction shown in Figures 9-15, 18, 21-31, 32, 41-42, 45-46, 48 and 50 of PCT / US2018 / 019787 because it results in: (i) a shorter overall length, which means that less metal material is required to form this construction and the male terminal 470 can be installed in a narrower confined space, (ii) a higher current carrying capacity, (iii) easier assembly, (iv) improved structural rigidity because the contact arms 494a-494d are located within the side wall portions 492a-492d of the male terminal 470, (iv) the benefits disclosed in conjunction with PCT / US2019 / 036010, and (v) other beneficial features disclosed herein or that can be inferred from the present disclosure by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0084] The group of multiple contact arm openings 496a-496h is formed integrally with the middle portion 500a-500d of the group of male terminal side walls 482a-482d. The multiple contact arm openings 496a-496h extend along the lateral length of the contact arms 494a-494d to form a structure in which the contact arms 494a-494d are not laterally connected to the following structures: (i) another contact arm 494a-494h or (ii) a structure other than a portion of the side wall portion 492a-492d of the male terminal 470 to which the contact arms 494a-494d are coupled. In addition, the multiple contact arm openings 496a-496h are aligned with the spring arm openings. This opening configuration forms the same number of spring arms 452a-452d as the number of contact arms 494a-494d. In other words, Figure 12-13 Four spring arms 452a-452d and four contact arms 494a-494d are shown. In addition, these figures show that the width of the spring arms 452a-452d substantially matches the width of the contact arms 494a-494d. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the number of spring arms 452a-452d may not match the number of contact arms 494a-494d. For example, the number of spring arms 452a-452d may be less.

[0085] The contact arms 494a-494d extend at an outward angle away from the second or rear male terminal wall 484. In particular, the outward angle between the outer surface of a portion of the side wall portion 492a-492d and the outer surface of the first portion of the contact arm 494a-494d can be between 0.1 degrees and 16 degrees, preferably between 5 degrees and 12 degrees, and most preferably between 7 degrees and 8 degrees. This outward angle is shown in various figures, but in combination Figure 16-17 This outward angle can be best seen in FIGS. 27-28. When the male terminal assembly 430 is inserted into the female terminal 800, this configuration allows the female terminal 800 to deflect or shift the contact arms 494a-494d inward and toward the center 490 of the male terminal 470. Figure 16-17 This inward deflection is best shown in Figures 27-28 and 27-28 and other figures included in PCT / US2019 / 036010. This inward deflection helps ensure that proper mechanical and electrical connection is made by ensuring that the contact arms 494a-494d are in contact with the female terminal 800.

[0086] like Fig.11 , 14 As shown, the terminal ends of the contact arms 494a-494d are arranged to: (i) be within the aperture formed by the U-shaped side wall portions 492a-492d, (ii) be within the spring receiver 486, (iii) be substantially parallel to the side wall portions 492a-492d, and (iv) contact the flat outer surface of the spring arms 452a-452d when the spring member 440b is inserted into the spring receiver 486. This configuration is similar to that of PCT / US2018 / 019787. Figure 3-8 The illustrated construction is advantageous because the assembler of the male terminal assembly 430 does not have to apply significant force to deform the majority of the contact arms 494a-494d outwardly to receive the spring member 440b. Figure 6 This necessary deformation is best shown in FIG. 1 , which is caused by the tilt of the contact arm 11 and the outer surface of the spring arm 31 and the inner surface of the contact arm 11 being adjacent to each other with no gap between them. Figure 3-8 In comparison, the Fig.13 , 16 -17 and 27-28 show that a gap is formed between the outer surface of the spring member 440b and the inner surface of the contact arms 494a-494d. Therefore, the force required to insert the spring member 440b into the spring receiver 486 is small because the assembler does not have to force the contact arms 494a-494d to deform significantly during the insertion of the spring member 440a.

[0087] The male terminal 470 is typically formed from a single piece of material (e.g., metal). Therefore, the male terminal 470 is a one-piece male terminal 470 and has an integrally formed structure. In order to form these structures in one piece, the male terminal 470 is typically formed using a punching process. However, it should be understood that other ways of forming the male terminal 470 may also be utilized, such as casting or using an additive manufacturing process (e.g., 3D printing). In other embodiments, the structure of the male terminal 470 may not be formed from a single piece or integrally formed, but rather may be formed from separate components welded together. When forming the male terminal 470, it should be understood that any number (e.g., between 1 and 100) of contact arms 494a-494d may be formed within the male terminal 470.

[0088] Placing the spring member 440b within the male terminal assembly 430 may be accomplished through a number of steps or stages. Fig.12 Provided in decomposed state S D The first embodiment of the male terminal assembly 430, and Fig.13 Supplied in partially assembled state S P A first embodiment of the male terminal assembly 430, Fig.14 , 16 and 17 provide the assembled state S A A first embodiment of a male terminal assembly 430. Fig.12 4 shows a first stage of assembling the male terminal assembly 430, wherein the front male terminal wall 480 is in an open or flat position P O , and the spring member 440b is separated from the male terminal 470. In the open position P O , the front male terminal wall 480 is substantially coplanar with the male terminal side wall 482c of the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d. This configuration of the male terminal 470 exposes the spring receiver 486 and places the male terminal 470 in a state ready to receive the spring member 440b. The figure shows a second stage of assembling the male terminal assembly 430, wherein the front male terminal wall 480 is in an open or horizontal position P O , and the spring member 440b is placed or inserted into the spring receiver 486. In order to achieve the inserted state, an insertion force F is applied to the spring member 440b. I , to insert the spring member 440b into the spring receiver 486. Insertion force F I applied to the spring member 440b until the second or rear male terminal wall 484 is in a position adjacent to the rear spring wall 444, the free end 488 of the male terminal 470 is substantially aligned with the free end 446 of the spring member 440b, and a portion of the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d is in a position adjacent to a portion of the spring member side walls 442a-442d.

[0089] exist Figure 8 FIG. 4 shows a third stage of assembling the male terminal assembly 430, wherein: (i) the front male terminal wall 480 is closed or vertical; CL , and (ii) the spring member 440b is disposed within the spring receiver 486. To close the front male terminal wall 480, an upward force is applied to the front male terminal wall 480 to bend it about its seam so that it is in a position adjacent to the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d. After the front male terminal wall 480 is in position, the top edge is coupled (e.g., welded) to the male terminal side wall 482a of the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d of the male terminal body 472. Here, the closure or vertical P of the front male terminal wall 480 CL Ensure that the spring member 440b is retained within the male terminal 470. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the front male terminal wall 480 may be omitted, may not have the anti-touch probe opening 510 extending therethrough, may not extend completely from the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d (e.g., partially extend from any side wall in the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d), or may be a separate component coupled to two side walls in the set of male terminal side walls 482a-482d.

[0090] After the third assembly stage of the male terminal assembly 430 is completed, the male terminal assembly 430 can be placed in the male inner housing 224 to place the male busbar assembly 200 in the seated position P. S ,like Fig.14 As shown. The male terminal assembly 430 can be retained in the male inner housing 224 by a retaining device (not shown). However, exemplary retaining devices that can be integrated into the male inner housing 224 are described in detail in PCT / US2020 / 13757 and PCT / US2019 / 36070. After the male busbar assembly 200 is in the first partially assembled state P1, the male inner housing 224 is in the male outer housing 280. The coupling of the male inner housing 224 and the male outer housing 280 has been discussed above. When the male inner housing 224 and the male outer housing 280 are coupled together, the male busbar assembly 200 is in the fully seated position P1. FS ,like Figure 16-17 shown.

[0091] III. Coupling of male connector assembly and female connector assembly

[0092] Figure 15-17 2 shows the coupling of the male busbar assembly 200 and the female busbar assembly 600. Specifically, the male busbar assembly 200 and the female busbar assembly 600 are initially in a separated or disengaged position P. D In this position, the male busbar assembly 200 and the female busbar assembly 600 are not in mechanical or electrical contact with each other. DIn the process, the assembler applies a coupling force F on the male busbar assembly 200. C , so as to force the male busbar assembly 200 to move toward the female busbar assembly 600. The coupling force F C Move the male busbar assembly 200 and the female busbar assembly 600 to the middle position P I , in which: (i) the busbar protrusion 284 contacts the female coupling hole 591, and (ii) the contact arms 494a-494d are in contact with the arcuate side walls 813a-813d of the female terminal 800. However, in this intermediate position P I , male busbar assembly 200 is not mechanically or electrically coupled to female busbar assembly 600 because male busbar assembly 200 and female busbar assembly 600 are not fully engaged with each other.

[0093] In the middle position P I , the assembler continues to apply the coupling force F on the male busbar assembly 200 C , so as to shift the male busbar assembly 200 toward the female busbar assembly 600 and then move it into the connection position P C (See Figure 15-17 ). As the male busbar assembly 200 and the female busbar assembly 600 move from the middle position P I Move to connection position P C , the contact arms 494a-494d are pressed or compressed inwardly toward the center 490 of the male terminal 470. The inward compression of the contact arms 494a-494d, in turn, causes the spring arms 452a-452d to deform inwardly toward the center 490 of the male terminal 470. As described above, the spring member 440b resists this inward compression and exerts an outward spring biasing force on the contact arms 494a-494d. C , the male busbar assembly 200 is mechanically and electrically coupled to the female busbar assembly 600 without using conventional bolt and eyelet fasteners.

[0094] A.Terminal

[0095] Figure 3-17 Various views of the male terminal assembly 430 and the female terminal 800 are shown, and Figure 18-30 A second embodiment of a busbar system 1100 is disclosed. The second embodiment of the busbar system 1100 is very similar to the first embodiment of the busbar system 100, except that the female terminal 1800 is formed using a different method. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, the above disclosure related to the busbar system 100 will not be repeated below. However, it should be understood that the numbers that differ by 1000 represent similar structures and components. For example, the disclosure related to the male terminal assembly 430 is also applicable to the male terminal assembly 1430.

[0096] Due to the similarities between the first and second embodiments, the following disclosure about the terminals (including the male terminal assembly 430 and the female terminal 800, and the male terminal assembly 1430 and the female terminal 1800) is equally applicable to both embodiments. Figure 29-30 , the combination of the outer surfaces of the contact arms 1494a-1494d forms a rectangle having a width / height ratio that is slightly greater than the width / height ratio of the rectangle associated with the female terminal 1800 (e.g., 0.1% to 15% greater). When the slightly larger male terminal assembly 1430 is inserted into the slightly smaller female terminal 1800, the outer surfaces of the contact arms 1490a-1494d are pressed toward the center 1490 of the male terminal assembly 430. Since the outer surfaces of the contact arms 1494a-1494d are pressed toward the center 490 of the male terminal assembly 1430, the free end 1446 of the spring member 1440b is also pressed toward the center 1490 of the male terminal assembly 1430. The spring 1440a provides a spring biasing force S BF (like Fig.30 Marked as "S BF ") to resist this inward displacement. The spring bias force S BF The free end 1488 of the male terminal 1470 is generally directed outward. In other words, the spring biasing force S BF A wedging or squeezing effect is provided to the contact arms 1494 a - 1494 d such that the outer surfaces of the contact arms 1494 a - 1494 d remain engaged with the female terminal 800 .

[0097] The drawings show that the busbar system 100 provides an omnidirectional and 360° conforming connection that complies with certain automotive or motorcycle specifications. As shown in this embodiment, the contact arms 1494a-1494d are symmetrical and evenly spaced. The busbar system 100 is 360° conforming because the outer surface of the contact arms 1490a-1494d contacts each side wall 1482a-1482d of the female terminal 800 and the spring biasing force S BF A force is applied generally outward from the center 1490 in all four cardinal directions (e.g., up, down, left, and right). The 360° fit characteristic of the busbar system 100 helps maintain mechanical and electrical connections under severe mechanical conditions (e.g., vibration). In conventional blade or fork connectors (i.e., connected only on two opposing sides), vibrations may form harmonic resonances, which can cause the connector to oscillate with a greater amplitude at a particular frequency. For example, subjecting a fork connector to harmonic resonance may cause the fork connector to open. It should not happen that the fork connector opens during conduction because the momentary mechanical separation of the fork connector from the associated terminal may cause an arc. The arc may have serious adverse effects on the terminal and the entire electrical system formed by the terminal. However, the 360° fit feature of the present disclosure can prevent catastrophic failures caused by strong vibrations and arcs.

[0098] The male terminal 1470 (including the contact arms 1494a-1494d) can be formed of a first material such as copper, a high conductivity copper alloy (e.g., C151 or C110), aluminum, and / or another suitable conductive material. The conductivity of the first material is preferably higher than 80% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard, i.e., an empirically derived standard value for the conductivity of commercial copper). For example, the conductivity of C151 is typically 95% of the conductivity of pure copper that meets the IACS standard. Similarly, the conductivity of C110 is 101% IACS. In certain working environments or technical applications, C151 is preferably selected because it has the corrosion resistance required for high stress and / or severe weather applications. The first material for the male terminal 1470 is C151, which has an elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of about 115-125 gigapascals (GPa) at room temperature and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 17.6 ppm / °C (from 20°C to 300°C) and 17.0 ppm / °C (from 20°C to 200°C) according to ASTM B747. The spring members 1400a, 1400b may be formed of a second material such as spring steel, stainless steel (e.g., 1 / 4 hard 301 stainless steel), and / or another suitable material having a higher stiffness (e.g., measured by Young's modulus) and elasticity than the first material of the male terminal 1470. The electrical conductivity of the second material is preferably less than the electrical conductivity of the first material. The second material also has a Young's modulus of approximately 193 GPa at room temperature, and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of approximately 17.8 ppm / °C (from 0°C to 315°C) and 16.9 ppm / °C (from 0°C to 100°C).

[0099] Based on the above exemplary embodiments, the Young's modulus and CTE of the spring members 1400a, 1400b are greater than the Young's modulus and CTE of the male terminal 1470. Therefore, when the male terminal 1470 is used in a high power application that subjects the busbar system 1100 to repeated thermal cycles at high temperatures (e.g., about 150° C.): (i) the male terminal 1470 becomes ductile and loses some mechanical elasticity, i.e., the copper material in the male terminal 1470 softens, and (ii) the spring members 1400a, 1400b do not become ductile or lose as much mechanical stiffness as the male terminal 1470. Therefore, when the spring member 1440b is mechanically cold formed (e.g., using a die forging process) and the spring member 1440b is subjected to high temperatures, the spring member 1440b will attempt to return to at least its uncompressed state before the male terminal assembly 1430 is inserted into the female terminal 1800, preferably to the initial flat state before the spring member 1440b is formed. Thus, the spring members 1400a, 1400b exert a generally outward thermal spring force S on the free end 1488 of the male terminal 1470. TF (like Fig.30 Marked as "S TF ”). The thermal spring force S TF Depending on the local temperature conditions in the installation environment of the busbar system 1100, including high and / or low temperatures. BF and thermal spring force S TF The combination of provides a composite bias force S RBF This force ensures that the outer surfaces of the contact arms 494a-494d are forced into contact with the inner surfaces of the female terminal 1800 when the male terminal 1470 is inserted into the female terminal 1800 and during operation of the busbar system 1100, thereby ensuring electrical and mechanical connection. In addition, during repeated operation of the busbar system 100, as repeated thermal cycling events occur, the male terminal assembly 1430 causes the outward resultant spring force S applied to the female terminal 800 to be increased. RBF It should be understood that more details about the male terminal 470 and the spring members 440a, 440b are discussed in PCT / US2020 / 13757, PCT / US2019 / 36127, PCT / US2019 / 36070, and PCT / US2019 / 36010.

[0100] The busbar system 100 is T4 / V4 / S3 / D2 / M2, where the busbar system 100 meets and exceeds the following conditions: (i) T4 is system exposure to 100 to 150°C, (ii) V4 is severe vibration, (iii) S1 is sealed high pressure spray, (iv) D2 is 200,000 mile durability, and (v) M2 is the force required to connect the male busbar assembly 200 to the female busbar assembly 600 is less than 45 Newtons. The male terminal assembly 430 and female terminal 800 shown in the following figures can carry the rated load (RoA) at 55°C, or derated to 80% at 80°C: (i) at Figure 1-30 In the case of 16 mm2 wire, 190 A can be carried, 25 mm2 wire can carry 220 A, 35 mm2 wire can carry 236 A, and 50 mm2 wire can carry 245 A; (ii) in the case of Fig.33 In the case of a 50 mm2 wire, 245 A can be carried, a 75 mm2 wire can carry 280 A, and a 100 mm2 wire can carry 330 A; (iii) in the case of Fig.32 (iv) In Fig.34 In the case of a 100 mm2 wire, 365 amps can be carried; (v) Fig.37 In the case of a 16 mm2 wire, 88 amps can be carried; (vi) Fig.35In the case of a 16 mm2 wire, 185 amps can be carried, and (vi) Fig.38 In the embodiment of the present invention, 25 square millimeters of wire can be used to carry 225 amps. In addition, other performance specifications of the busbar system 100 disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0101] IV. Figure 32-38 Alternative male terminal assembly shown

[0102] Figure 32-38 Alternative embodiments of male terminal assemblies 430 that can be used in conjunction with the busbar system 100 disclosed herein are shown. It should be understood that many of the features of these alternative embodiments are the same as the features of the male terminal assemblies disclosed herein. For example, all of these assemblies include a spring member located within a receiver. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, the disclosure above related to the busbar system 100 is not repeated below. Instead, more details about each of these assemblies are disclosed in PCT / US2019 / 36010, wherein: male terminal assembly 2430 is disclosed in conjunction with Figures 39-48, Figure 1-38 A male terminal assembly 3430 is disclosed, a male terminal assembly 4430 is disclosed in conjunction with Figures 59-68, a male terminal assembly 5430 is disclosed in conjunction with Figures 69-78, a male terminal assembly 6430 is disclosed in conjunction with Figures 79-86, and a male terminal assembly 7430 is disclosed in conjunction with Figures 87-96. It should be understood that the busbar system 100 can use any of these male terminal assemblies 2430, 3430, 4430, 5430, 6430, 7430, 8430 to replace the above-mentioned male terminal assembly 430. Therefore, the disclosure of PCT / US2019 / 36010 is fully incorporated herein by reference. If such a replacement is made, it should be understood that the female terminal 800 needs to be modified to accept such an alternative assembly.

[0103] Materials and Publications Incorporated by Reference

[0104] PCT applications PCT / US2020 / 13757, PCT / US2019 / 36127, PCT / US2019 / 36070, PCT / US2019 / 36010 and PCT / US2018 / 019787, and U.S. patent application 16 / 194,891, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and made a part hereof.

[0105] The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) specifications, including: J1742_201003-"Connections of High Voltage On-Board Vehicle Electrical Wiring Harnesses - Test Methods and General Performance Requirements", last revised in March 2010, are fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this document.

[0106] The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications, including: (i) D4935-18 - "Standard Test Method for Measuring the Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Planar Materials", and (ii) ASTM D257 - "Standard Test Method for DC Resistance or Conductance of Insulating Materials", are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and made a part hereof.

[0107] American National Standards Institute and / or EOS / ESD Association specifications, including: ANSI / ESD STM11.11 - "Measurement of Surface Resistivity of Electrostatically Dissipative Planar Materials", are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and made a part hereof.

[0108] German Industrial Standard (DIN) specifications, including: "Connectors for use in electronic equipment - Tests and measurements - Part 5-2: Current-carrying capacity test; Test 5b: Current-temperature derating" (IEC 60512-5-2:2002), are fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.

[0109] United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) specifications, including: (i) SAE / USCAR-2, 6th Revision, last revised in February 2013, ISBN: 978-0-7680-7998-2; (ii) SAE / USCAR-12, 5th Revision, last revised in August 2017, ISBN: 978-0-7680-8446-7; (iii) SAE / USCAR-21, 3rd Revision, last revised in December 2014; (iv) SAE / USCAR-31, 3rd Revision, last revised in December 2015; (v) SAE / USCAR-41, 3rd Revision, last revised in December 2016; (vi) SAE / USCAR-50, 3rd Revision, last revised in February 2017, ISBN: 978-0-7680-7998-2; (vii) SAE / USCAR-60, 3rd Revision, last revised in February 2016, ISBN: 978-0-7680-7998-2; (vii) SAE / USCAR-70, 3rd Revision, last revised in February 2017, ISBN: 978-0-7680-8446-7; (vii) SAE / USCAR-80, 3rd Revision, last revised in February 2017, ISBN: 978-0-7680-8446-7 E / USCAR-25, 3rd Revision, Revised March 2016, ISBN: 978-0-7680-8319-4; (v) SAE / USCAR-37, Revised August 2008, ISBN: 978-0-7680-2098-4; (vi) SAE / USCAR-38, 1st Revision, Revised May 2016, ISBN: 978-0-7680-8350-7, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and made a part hereof.

[0110] Other standards, including Federal Test Standards 101C and 4046, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and made a part hereof.

[0111] Industrial Applicability

[0112] The above disclosure may represent an improvement in the art as it provides a modular and boltless power distribution assembly 50. In one embodiment, the female terminal has a tubular structure made of a high conductivity copper sheet. The high conductivity copper material may be C151 or C110. One side of the high conductivity copper sheet may be pre-plated with silver, tin or coated with tin so that the inner surface of the tubular member is plated. The male terminal assembly includes a male terminal body and a spring member. The male terminal body has a plurality of contact arms (e.g., four contact arms). The four contact arms may be arranged at an angle of 90°, which means that each contact arm has one arm facing the side wall of the female terminal. Each contact arm has a thickness, a terminal end, and a flat surface having a length and a width.

[0113] A spring member is configured to be nested in the male terminal body. The spring member has a spring arm, a middle section, and a rear wall or bottom. The spring arm is connected to the middle section or bottom section. The spring arm has a terminal end, a thickness, and a flat surface with a length and a width. In the illustrated embodiment, the number of spring arms provided by the spring member is the same as the number of contact arms provided by the contact element. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring arm may correspond to the contact arm one-to-one. The size of the spring arm is such that the terminal end of the associated contact arm engages with the flat surface of the spring arm. The number of spring arms of the illustrated embodiment is an even number, and the spring arms are symmetrical and evenly spaced. The male terminal is fitted in the tubular member of the female terminal so that the contact arm engages with the inner surface of the tubular member. The spring arm helps ensure that the contact arm forms an electrical connection with the tubular member. The terminal end of the contact arm meets the flat surface of the spring arm, forcing the contact arm to substantially form a right angle or at least an obtuse angle relative to the outer surface of the spring arm.

[0114] Although some embodiments are shown and described above, various modifications are conceivable without significantly departing from the spirit of the present disclosure; the scope of protection of the present disclosure is limited only by the scope of the appended claims. For example, the overall shape of the male bus assembly 200 can be changed to: a triangular prism, a pentagonal prism, a hexagonal prism, an octagonal prism, a sphere, a cone, a tetrahedron, a cuboid, a dodecahedron, an icosahedron, an octahedron, an ellipsoid, or any other similar shape. Although the overall shape of the male bus assembly 200 can be changed, the shape of the male terminal assembly 430 and the female terminal 800 can remain unchanged to match the shape of the overall male bus assembly 200. For example, the shape of the male bus assembly 200 can be a hexagonal prism, while the male terminal assembly 430 and the female terminal 800 can be substantially cubic. In other embodiments, the shape of the male terminal assembly 430 may be changed to: a triangular prism, a pentagonal prism, a hexagonal prism, an octagonal prism, a sphere, a cone, a tetrahedron, a dodecahedron, an icosahedron, an octahedron, an ellipsoid, or any other similar shape. If the shape of the male terminal assembly 430 is changed to any of the above shapes, it should be understood that the female terminal 800 can be changed to facilitate the insertion of the male terminal assembly 430 into the female terminal 800, the electrical connection with the female terminal 800, and the extraction from the female terminal 800. In addition, as described above, although the shapes of the male terminal assembly 430 and the female terminal 800 can be changed, the overall shape of the male busbar assembly 200 can remain unchanged to match the shape of the male terminal assembly 430.

[0115] The busbar system 100 may have any number of male busbar assemblies 200 and female busbar assemblies 600. Each of these male busbar assemblies 200 and female busbar assemblies 600 may include a plurality of male terminal assemblies 430 and female terminals 800. For example, the male busbar assembly 200 may include 1 to 50 male terminal assemblies 430, preferably 1 to 15 male terminal assemblies 430, more preferably 1 to 8 male terminal assemblies 430, and most preferably 1 to 4 male terminal assemblies 430. Similarly, the female busbar assembly 600 may include 1 to 50 female terminals 800, preferably 1 to 15 female terminals 800, more preferably 1 to 8 female terminals 800, and most preferably 1 to 4 female terminals 800. It should be understood that these male terminal assemblies 430 and female terminals 800 may be arranged in any manner within the male housing assembly 220 and within the female busbar body 590b. For example, four male terminal assemblies 430 may be organized in a cube format with two terminals at the top and the other two terminals located directly below the top two terminals. It should also be understood that when multiple connectors are included in the busbar system 100, the system designer may need to reduce the absolute number of current / voltage terminals to account for creepage distance considerations.

[0116] In other embodiments, one or both of the rear spring walls 444 may be omitted. The spring member 440b may have different configurations, such as: (i) having a curvilinear shoulder disposed near the free end 446, (ii) having a wall disposed opposite the rear wall and connected to a portion of one of the spring fingers to limit the movement of the free end 446, (iii) having a spring arm having a width greater than the width of the middle section, (iv) having a spring finger width that does not match the width of the contact arm (e.g., a spring finger may be wider or narrower than the contact arm), (v) or any combination of these features.

[0117] In other embodiments, the male terminal body 472 may have different configurations, for example: (i) the contact opening may not be straight (e.g., curved), may be of different lengths, may have different widths, may extend beyond the location where the contact arm intersects the side wall, or may not occupy the entire length of each contact arm, (ii) the contact arm may not extend from the side wall at an outward angle, (iii) no gap may be formed between the spring member and the contact arm, (iv) may be composed of different materials (e.g., C151 plated with (a) silver, (b) tin, (c) SS301, (d) other similar materials, or (e) a combination of multiple such materials).

[0118] Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and are not limiting. The word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." For use with the terms "including," "having," and the like, when used as transitional conjunctions in the claims, the terms are to be interpreted as inclusive in a manner similar to the interpretation of the term "comprising." Relational terms such as first and second, etc., may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.

[0119] Phrases such as an aspect, this aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, this implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, this embodiment, another embodiment, one or more embodiments, a configuration, this configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, subject technology, disclosure, the present disclosure, and other variations thereof are used for convenience and do not mean that the disclosure associated with such phrases is necessary for subject technology or that such disclosure is applicable to all configurations of subject technology. The disclosure associated with such phrases may be applicable to all configurations, or one or more configurations. The disclosure associated with such phrases may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects, and vice versa, and this also applies similarly to other aforementioned phrases.

[0120] In view of the foregoing description, numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventor for implementing the present disclosure. It should be understood that the embodiments shown are merely exemplary and should not be construed as constituting limitations on the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A busbar system for electrically connecting components in a power distribution system in a motor vehicle, the busbar system comprising: Male busbar assembly, comprising: (i) a male terminal having a set of side walls defining a receptacle and wherein at least one of the side walls has a contact arm, (ii) an internal spring member sized to be retained within a receptacle of the male terminal, (iii) a male inner housing having a set of side walls defining a male inner housing receptacle, wherein at least one of the side walls has an aperture, and wherein, in a seated position, (a) the male inner housing receptacle receives the male terminal and the internal spring member, and (b) the aperture receives a portion of the contact arm to expose the portion of the contact arm, and (iv) a male housing having a set of side walls defining a male housing receptacle, wherein, in a fully seated position, the male housing receptacle receives (a) the male terminal, (b) the internal spring member, and (c) the male inner housing; and Busbar assembly, comprising: (i) a busbar body having conductors and female terminals, and (ii) a receptacle formed in a portion of the female terminal, the receptacle being sized to receive the male terminal and the spring member in a connected position to secure the female busbar assembly to the male busbar assembly.

2. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: As the busbar system moves from the partially connected position to the connected position, (a) the contact arms of the male terminals slide into engagement with the arcuate segments of the female terminals, and (b) the contact arms shift inwardly as they slide into engagement with the arcuate segments of the female terminals.

3. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The male terminal includes a plurality of contact arms, and the spring member includes a plurality of spring arms, and wherein, in the connected position, (i) the first spring arm applies a first outward biasing force on the first contact arm to displace the first contact arm and engage the inner surface of the receiver of the female terminal, and (ii) the second spring arm applies a second outward force on the second contact arm to displace the second contact arm and engage the inner surface of the receiver of the female terminal, and Wherein a direction of the first outward biasing force is different from a direction of the second outward biasing force.

4. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: In the connected position, the spring arms exert an outward biasing force on the contact arms to displace the contact arms into engagement with the inner surface of the receptacle of the female terminal.

5. The busbar system according to claim 4, wherein: In the connected position, due to the high temperatures experienced during use of the busbar system, the outward biasing force exerted by the spring arms on the contact arms increases due to residual material memory and thermal expansion.

6. The busbar system according to claim 4, wherein: The outward biasing force exerted by the spring arm on the contact arm is increased by residual material memory and thermal expansion caused by high temperatures and thermal cycling.

7. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The female terminal is formed from the female busbar body by a stamping or drawing process.

8. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The busbar body is mechanically and electrically connected to an interconnector busbar segment, which is rigid and formed from a single conductor.

9. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The male busbar assembly also includes a flexible male busbar body including a plurality of conductors.

10. The busbar system according to claim 9, wherein: The male busbar body and the female busbar body are formed of any one of the following materials: stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, silver, gold, copper, nickel-plated copper, steel, zinc, brass, bronze, iron, lead, tungsten, lithium, or tin.

11. The busbar system according to claim 9, wherein: The male busbar body and the female busbar body are partially surrounded by a protective layer serving as an insulator.

12. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The male busbar assembly and the female busbar assembly may be coupled to each other by an installer without using separate tools.

13. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The busbar system complies with the PCTS specification.

14. The busbar system of claim 1, further comprising a busbar body coupling device comprising a first portion formed within the female busbar body and a second portion extending from the male housing; and in, In the connected position, the first portion receives the second portion, thereby coupling the male housing to the female busbar body.

15. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The female busbar assembly does not include a housing surrounding the female terminals.

16. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The busbar system is configured to couple a high voltage power source to the device while complying with USCAR specifications.

17. The busbar system according to claim 1, wherein: The busbar system does not include threaded connectors.

18. A busbar system for electrically connecting components in a power distribution system in a motor vehicle, the busbar system comprising: Male busbar assembly, comprising: (i) a male terminal having a set of side walls defining a receptacle and wherein at least one of the side walls has a contact arm, (ii) an internal spring member sized to be retained within a receptacle of the male terminal, (iii) a male inner housing having a set of side walls defining a male inner housing receptacle, wherein at least one of the side walls has an aperture, and wherein, in a seated position, (a) the male inner housing receptacle receives the male terminal and the internal spring member, and (b) the aperture receives a portion of the contact arm to expose the portion of the contact arm, and Busbar assembly, comprising: (i) a busbar body having conductors and female terminals, and (ii) a receptacle formed in a portion of the female terminal, the receptacle being sized to receive the male terminal and the spring member in a connected position to secure the female busbar assembly to the male busbar assembly.

19. The busbar system according to claim 18, wherein: As the busbar system moves from the partially connected position to the connected position, (a) the contact arms of the male terminals slide into engagement with the arcuate segments of the female terminals, and (b) the contact arms shift inwardly as they slide into engagement with the arcuate segments of the female terminals.

20. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The male terminal includes a plurality of contact arms, and the spring member includes a plurality of spring arms, and wherein, in the connected position, (i) the first spring arm applies a first outward biasing force on the first contact arm to displace the first contact arm and engage the inner surface of the receiver of the female terminal, and (ii) the second spring arm applies a second outward force on the second contact arm to displace the second contact arm and engage the inner surface of the receiver of the female terminal, and Wherein a direction of the first outward biasing force is different from a direction of the second outward biasing force.

21. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The male terminal is made of a high conductivity copper material, including at least one of the copper alloys commonly known as C151 or C110.

22. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The spring member is made of spring steel.

23. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The male terminal includes a movable front wall that surrounds the receiver and the spring member when the spring member is positioned within the receiver to reach a fully assembled position of the male connector assembly.

24. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: In the connected position, the spring arms exert an outward biasing force on the contact arms to displace the contact arms into engagement with the inner surface of the receptacle of the female terminal.

25. The busbar system of claim 24, wherein: In the connected position, the outward biasing force exerted by the spring arms on the contact arms increases due to thermal expansion as a result of the high temperatures experienced during use of the electrical connector system.

26. The busbar system of claim 24, wherein: The outward force exerted by the spring arm on the contact arm is increased by thermal expansion caused by high temperatures and thermal cycling.

27. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The female terminal is formed from the female busbar body by a stamping or drawing process.

28. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The busbar body is mechanically and electrically connected to an interconnector busbar segment, which is rigid and formed from a single conductor.

29. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The male busbar assembly also includes a flexible male busbar body including a plurality of conductors.

30. The busbar system of claim 29, wherein: The male busbar body and the female busbar body are formed of any one of the following materials: stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, silver, gold, copper, nickel-plated copper, steel, zinc, brass, bronze, iron, lead, tungsten, lithium, or tin.

31. The busbar system of claim 29, wherein: The male busbar body and the female busbar body are partially surrounded by a protective layer serving as an insulator.

32. The busbar system of claim 29, wherein: The male busbar body and the female busbar body can be separated from each other and transported in a configuration in which the male busbar body and the female busbar body are substantially coplanar with each other.

33. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The male busbar assembly and the female busbar assembly may be coupled to each other by an installer without using separate tools.

34. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The busbar system complies with the PCTS specification.

35. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The male busbar assembly also includes a male housing having a set of side walls defining a male housing receptacle, wherein in a fully seated position, the male housing receptacle receives (a) a male terminal, and (b) an internal spring member.

36. The busbar system of claim 35, further comprising a busbar body coupling device comprising a first portion formed within the female busbar body and a second portion extending from the male housing; and in, In the connected position, the first portion receives the second portion, thereby coupling the male housing to the female busbar body.

37. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The female busbar assembly does not include a housing surrounding the female terminals.

38. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The busbar system is configured to couple a high voltage power source to the device while complying with USCAR specifications.

39. The busbar system of claim 18, wherein: The busbar system does not include threaded connectors.

40. A busbar system configured to electrically connect components within a power distribution system, the busbar system comprising: A male busbar assembly comprising: (i) a male terminal; (ii) a male housing having a busbar coupling protrusion and a set of side walls defining a male housing receptacle, wherein at least one of the side walls has a contact arm, wherein the male housing receptacle receives the male terminal; and (iii) a male inner housing having a set of side walls defining a male inner housing receptacle, wherein at least one of the side walls has an aperture, and wherein, in a seated position, (a) the male inner housing receptacle receives the male terminal, and (b) the aperture receives a portion of the contact arm to expose the portion of the contact arm, and Busbar assembly, comprising: (i) conductors, (ii) a female terminal formed in the conductor and having a receptacle sized to receive the male terminal in a connected position to secure the female busbar assembly to the male busbar assembly, and (iii) a busbar coupling hole formed in the conductor and configured to receive a portion of the busbar coupling protrusion at a connection position.

41. The busbar system of claim 40, wherein the male terminal has a set of side walls defining a receptacle, and wherein at least one of the side walls has a contact arm; and in, As the busbar system moves from the partially connected position to the connected position, (a) the contact arms of the male terminals slide into engagement with the arcuate segments of the female terminals, and (b) the contact arms shift inwardly as they slide into engagement with the arcuate segments of the female terminals.

42. The busbar system of claim 40, wherein: The female terminal is formed in the conductor by a stamping or drawing process.

43. The busbar system of claim 40, wherein: The male busbar assembly includes a plurality of conductors, and the female busbar assembly includes only a single conductor.

44. The busbar system of claim 43, wherein: The conductors of the female busbar assembly are more rigid than the plurality of conductors of the male busbar assembly.

45. The busbar system of claim 40, wherein: The busbar assembly is integrally formed with the interconnector busbar segments.

46. ​​The busbar system of claim 40, wherein: The male busbar assembly and the female busbar assembly are coupled to each other by an installer without the use of separate tools.

47. The busbar system of claim 40, wherein: The busbar system does not include threaded connectors.

48. A busbar system for a power distribution system, the busbar system comprising: Male busbar assembly, comprising: (i) a male terminal having a set of side walls defining a receptacle and wherein at least one of the side walls has a contact arm, (ii) an internal spring member sized to be retained within a receptacle of the male terminal, (iii) a male inner housing having a set of side walls defining a male inner housing receptacle, wherein at least one of the side walls has an aperture, and wherein, in a seated position, (a) the male inner housing receptacle receives the male terminal and the internal spring member, and (b) the aperture receives a portion of the contact arm to expose the portion of the contact arm, and (iv) a male housing having a set of side walls defining a male housing receptacle, wherein, in a fully seated position, the male housing receptacle receives (a) the male terminal, (b) the internal spring member, and (c) the male inner housing; and Busbar assembly, comprising: (i) a single conductor, and (ii) a female terminal formed in a single conductor, the female terminal having a receptacle sized to receive a range of the male terminal assembly in a connected position to secure the female busbar assembly to the male busbar assembly; and Wherein, the busbar system does not include a threaded connector for fixing the female busbar assembly to the male busbar assembly.

49. The busbar system of claim 48, wherein: When the busbar system moves from the partially connected position to the connected position, (a) a portion of the male terminal assembly slides into engagement with the side wall of the female terminal, and (b) a portion of the male terminal assembly shifts inward as the male terminal assembly slides into engagement with the arcuate segment of the female terminal.

50. The busbar system of claim 48, wherein: The female terminal is formed in a single conductor by a stamping or drawing process.

51. The busbar system of claim 48, wherein: The male busbar assembly includes a plurality of conductors; and Wherein, the single conductor of the female busbar assembly is more rigid than the multiple conductors of the male busbar assembly.

52. The busbar system of claim 48, wherein: The male busbar assembly and the female busbar assembly may be coupled to each other by an installer without using separate tools.

53. The busbar system of claim 48, wherein: The male terminal assembly includes a male housing having a protrusion, and the conductor of the female terminal assembly includes a hole formed therein; Therein, in the connected position, the hole formed in the conductor receives the protrusion of the male housing, thereby coupling the male busbar assembly to the female busbar assembly.

54. The busbar system of claim 53, wherein: The protrusion of the male housing further includes a barb that is positioned below a lower surface of a conductor of the female terminal assembly when the female busbar assembly and the male busbar assembly are in a connected position.

55. The busbar system of claim 48, wherein: The male terminal assembly includes a male terminal having a set of side walls, and at least one of the side walls has a contact arm that engages a portion of the female terminal assembly when the female busbar assembly and the male busbar assembly are in a connected position.

56. A busbar system configured to electrically connect components within a power distribution system, the busbar system comprising: A female busbar assembly comprising: (i) a conductor, (ii) a first portion of a busbar coupling device formed in the conductor, and (iii) a female terminal formed in the conductor and having a receiver, and A male busbar assembly comprising: (i) a male terminal having a set of side walls defining a receptacle and wherein at least one of the side walls has a contact arm, (ii) a second portion of a busbar coupling device, (iii) a male inner housing having a set of side walls defining a male inner housing receptacle, wherein at least one of the side walls has an aperture, and wherein, in a seated position, (a) the male inner housing receptacle receives the male terminal, and (b) the aperture receives a portion of the contact arm to expose the portion of the contact arm; and Wherein, at the connection position of the female busbar assembly and the male busbar assembly: (i) the first portion of the busbar coupling device receives the second portion of the busbar coupling device, and (ii) the receiver receives the male terminal.

57. The busbar system of claim 56, wherein: The male terminal has a set of side walls defining a receptacle, and wherein at least one of the side walls has a contact arm; and When the busbar system moves from a partially connected position to a connected position, (a) the contact arm of the male terminal slides into engagement with the arcuate segment of the female terminal, and (b) the contact arm shifts inward as the contact arm slides into engagement with the arcuate segment of the female terminal.

58. The busbar system of claim 56, wherein: The female terminal is formed in the conductor by a stamping or drawing process.

59. The busbar system of claim 56, wherein: The male busbar assembly includes a plurality of conductors, and the female busbar assembly includes only a single conductor.

60. The busbar system of claim 59, wherein: The conductors of the female busbar assembly are more rigid than the plurality of conductors of the male busbar assembly.

61. The busbar system of claim 56, wherein: The busbar assembly is integrally formed with the interconnector busbar segments.

62. The busbar system of claim 56, wherein: The male busbar assembly and the female busbar assembly are coupled to each other by an installer without the use of separate tools.

63. The busbar system of claim 56, wherein: The busbar system does not include threaded connectors.

64. A busbar system for a power distribution system, the busbar system comprising: Male busbar assembly, comprising: (i) a male terminal having a set of side walls defining a receptacle and wherein at least one of the side walls has a contact arm, (ii) an internal spring member sized to be retained within a receptacle of the male terminal, (iii) a male inner housing having a set of side walls defining a male inner housing receptacle, wherein at least one of the side walls has an aperture, and wherein, in a seated position, (a) the male inner housing receptacle receives the male terminal and the internal spring member, and (b) the aperture receives a portion of the contact arm to expose the portion of the contact arm, and (iv) a male housing having a set of side walls defining a male housing receptacle, wherein, in a fully seated position, the male housing receptacle receives (a) the male terminal, (b) the internal spring member, and (c) the male inner housing; and Busbar assembly, comprising: (i) a single conductor, and (ii) a female terminal formed in the single conductor, the female terminal having a receptacle dimensioned to receive a portion of the male terminal assembly in a connected position to secure the female busbar assembly to the male busbar assembly; and The male busbar assembly and the female busbar assembly can be coupled to each other by an installer without using separate tools to reach a connection position.

65. The busbar system of claim 64, wherein: When the busbar system moves from the partially connected position to the connected position, (a) a portion of the male terminal assembly slides into engagement with the side wall of the female terminal, and (b) a portion of the male terminal assembly shifts inward as a portion of the male terminal slides into engagement with the arcuate segment of the female terminal.

66. The busbar system of claim 64, wherein: The female terminal is formed in a single conductor by a stamping or drawing process.

67. The busbar system of claim 64, wherein: The male busbar assembly includes a plurality of conductors; and Wherein, the single conductor of the female busbar assembly is more rigid than the multiple conductors of the male busbar assembly.

68. The busbar system of claim 64, wherein: The male busbar assembly and the female busbar assembly are coupled to each other by an installer without the use of separate tools.

69. The busbar system of claim 64, wherein: The male terminal assembly includes a male housing having a protrusion, and the conductor of the female terminal assembly includes a hole formed therein; Therein, in the connected position, the hole formed in the conductor receives the protrusion of the male housing, thereby coupling the male busbar assembly to the female busbar assembly.

70. The busbar system of claim 69, wherein: The protrusion of the male housing further includes a barb that is positioned below a lower surface of a conductor of the female terminal assembly when the female busbar assembly and the male busbar assembly are in a connected position.

71. The busbar system of claim 64, wherein: The male terminal assembly includes a male terminal having a set of side walls, and at least one of the side walls has a contact arm that engages a portion of the female terminal assembly when the female busbar assembly and the male busbar assembly are in a connected position.

Images