electrical connectors

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, which mainly comprises a test terminal, a positive terminal and a negative terminal coaxially arranged in a connector base. The negative terminal is located outside the positive terminal, and an insulating cap is provided on the top of the two terminals. The lower end of the annular wall of the insulating cap is formed with one or more screw buckles, which are connected to the negative terminal by screw buckles. The top surface of the insulating cap is formed with a downwardly concave annular groove, which can effectively extend the creepage distance between the negative terminal and the positive terminal to meet safety requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector capable of effectively extending the creepage distance between positive and negative terminals. Background Art

[0002] Generally, electric scooters mainly obtain power by replacing batteries, and the battery and the scooter end are connected to each other with matching and pluggable connectors. An electrical connector (female end) that is often installed at the battery end is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, a negative terminal 81, a positive terminal 82 and a test terminal 83 are coaxially provided in a connector base 80; the test terminal 83 is located at the axis center, the positive terminal 82 is hollow cylindrical and coaxially located outside the test terminal 83, and the negative terminal 81 is also cylindrical, with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the positive terminal 82, and coaxially located outside the positive terminal 82.

[0003] The lower ends of the negative terminal 81 and the positive terminal 82 are isolated from each other by the connector base 80. An annular gap is formed at the upper ends of the negative terminal 81 and the positive terminal 82. An insulating cap 90 is provided in the annular gap to ensure that the upper ends of the negative terminal 81 and the positive terminal 82 are also isolated from each other. Figure 8 、 Figure 9 As shown, the insulating cap 90 primarily consists of a cap portion 91 with a plurality of circularly arranged arcuate claws 92 extending downward from its bottom surface. Each claw 92 has a hook 920 formed at its lower end, with gaps between adjacent claws 92. The inner diameter of the negative terminal 81 matches that of the claws 92, and its opening is formed with a hole edge 810 extending toward the axial direction. In other words, the diameter of the negative terminal 81 at the hole edge 810 is smaller than the inner diameter of the negative terminal 81.

[0004] When the insulating cap 90 is inserted with its claws 92 into the annular gap between the negative terminal 81 and the positive terminal 82, the adjacent claws 92 shrink in diameter using the space between them, allowing the hooks 920 at their lower ends to pass through the hole 810 of the negative terminal 81. After the hooks 920 pass through the hole 810, the claws 92 are released from their contracted state, and the hooks 920 are then buckled inside the hole 810 of the negative terminal 81, completing the assembly of the insulating cap 90. Because the insulating cap 90 serves as the insulating medium between the negative terminal 81 and the positive terminal 82, its specifications must meet the safety requirements of specific standards.

[0005] According to GB 24155-2020 "Safety Requirements for Electric Motorcycles and Electric Mopeds", specific specifications are made for the creepage distance and electrical clearance of charging interfaces. Among them, the creepage distance of power batteries should meet the following requirements:

[0006] 1. The creepage distance d1 between the power battery connection terminals is calculated according to the following formula (1), in mm:

[0007] d1≥0.25U+5 (1)

[0008] 2. The creepage distance d2 between live parts and the electrical platform is calculated according to the following formula (2), in mm:

[0009] d2≥0.125U+5 (2)

[0010] In the above formulas (1) and (2), U is the maximum operating voltage between the two output terminals of the power battery, in volts.

[0011] In addition, the electrical gap between conductive parts should be no less than 2.5mm.

[0012] Cooperate Figure 10 As shown in FIG. 1 , the measurement method of electrical clearance and creepage distance can be seen. It discloses two connecting terminals 71 and 72 on a carrier 70. The two connecting terminals 71 and 72 respectively have a conductive surface 710 and 720. The distance between the two conductive surfaces 710 and 720 is the electrical clearance G, and the distance between the two connecting terminals 71 and 72 along the surface of the carrier 70 is the creepage distance D.

[0013] According to the safety requirements of the above standards, the creepage distance of the insulating cap 90 of the above electrical connector as the insulating medium of the negative terminal 81 and the positive terminal 82 must meet the requirements of the above standards. Figure 8 As shown, the creepage distance between the negative terminal 81 and the positive terminal 82 of the insulating cap 90 includes two paths, including and in is the distance from the negative terminal 81 to the positive terminal 80 along the surface of the cap portion 91 of the insulating cap 90, is the distance from the negative terminal 81 to the positive terminal 82 along the bottom of the annular gap, but whether or None of them meet the requirements of the aforementioned standards, which means that they do not meet the safety requirements.

[0014] From the above, it can be seen that existing electrical connectors cannot meet safety requirements in terms of creepage distance, and further review is needed to find a feasible solution. Summary of the Invention

[0015] Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that utilizes a special insulating cap design and its mounting structure to increase the creepage distance between the positive and negative terminals, thereby meeting the requirements of safety regulations.

[0016] The main technical means adopted to achieve the above-mentioned purpose is to make the above-mentioned electrical connector include a connector base, in which a test terminal, a positive terminal and a negative terminal are coaxially and electrically isolated, and an insulating cap is provided between the positive terminal and the negative terminal; wherein

[0017] The test terminal is located at the axis center of the connector base;

[0018] The positive terminal is hollow and cylindrical and is located outside the test terminal;

[0019] The negative terminal is cylindrical and is located outside the positive terminal. An annular gap is formed between the upper end of the negative terminal and the upper end of the positive terminal for mounting the insulating cap. The inner wall of the negative terminal has one or more stoppers formed along the circumference.

[0020] The insulating cap includes a cap portion and an annular wall extending downward from the bottom surface of the cap portion. An annular groove is coaxially formed on the surface of the cap portion. The annular groove extends in a thickness direction to the annular wall but does not pass through the bottom of the annular wall. A matching screw-on structure is formed between the annular wall of the insulating cap and the inner wall of the negative terminal, so that the insulating cap can be rotatably installed in the annular gap between the negative terminal and the positive terminal. The screw-on structure has one or more buckle blocks formed along the circumference of the lower end of the outer diameter wall of the annular wall of the insulating cap.

[0021] The annular gap between the negative terminal and the positive terminal is filled with an insulating glue, the height of the insulating glue is higher than the buckle block of the insulating cap and does not fill the annular gap.

[0022] From the above, it can be seen that the present invention mainly forms an annular groove on the cap surface of the insulating cap and makes the annular groove penetrate into the ring wall, thereby greatly lengthening the creepage distance from the negative terminal along the cap surface to the positive terminal, thereby meeting the requirements of safety regulations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way. In addition, the shapes and proportional dimensions of the various components in the drawings are merely illustrative and are used to help understand the present invention, and are not intended to specifically limit the shapes and proportional dimensions of the various components of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can select various possible shapes and proportional dimensions to implement the present invention according to specific circumstances under the guidance of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3This is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of some components of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a conventional electric vehicle connector.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of a conventional electric vehicle connector.

[0032] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of a conventional electric vehicle connector.

[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram for creepage distance calculation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The details of the present invention can be more clearly understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and the description of the specific embodiments of the present invention. However, the specific embodiments of the present invention described herein are only for the purpose of explaining the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention in any way. Based on the teachings of the present invention, a skilled person can conceive of any possible variations based on the present invention, and such variations should be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0035] For a preferred embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, a test terminal 20, a positive terminal 30 and a negative terminal 40 are coaxially and electrically isolated in a connector base 10, and an insulating cap 50 is provided between the positive terminal 30 and the negative terminal 40;

[0036] In this embodiment, the connector base 10 is cylindrical and made of insulating material. It has a bottom from which an outer ring 11 and an inner ring 12 extend vertically upward. The outer ring 11 and the inner ring 12 are coaxially arranged and formed with a plurality of connecting ribs 13. The test terminal 20 is fixed to the bottom of the connector base 10 at one end and coaxially located within the inner ring 12 at the other end.

[0037] The positive terminal 30 is hollow and cylindrical, with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the test terminal 20 , and is coaxially located between the periphery of the test terminal 20 and the inner ring 12 of the connector base 10 ; the lower end of the positive terminal 30 is fixed to the bottom of the connector base 10 .

[0038] Please refer to Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, the negative terminal 40 is cylindrical, with an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the positive terminal 30, and is coaxially located around the positive terminal 30. The lower end of the negative terminal 40 is fixed to the bottom of the connector base 10 and is isolated from the lower end of the positive terminal 30. An annular gap 14 is formed between the upper end of the negative terminal 40 and the upper end of the positive terminal 30 to accommodate the insulating cap 50.

[0039] See also Figure 4 As shown, the insulating cap 50 includes a cap portion 51 and a continuous annular wall 52 extending downward from the bottom surface of the cap portion 51. A disc-shaped through-hole is coaxially formed in the center of the cap portion 51. The diameter of the through-hole matches the inner diameter of the positive terminal 30. The outer diameter of the cap portion 51 is larger than the inner diameter of the negative terminal 40, and is adapted to cover the top ends of the negative and positive terminals 40, 30. An annular groove 510 is coaxially formed on the surface of the cap portion 51. The groove 510 extends in the thickness direction to the annular wall 52, but does not penetrate the bottom of the annular wall 52. Specifically, the groove 510 is as deep as possible without penetrating the annular wall 52. This extends the surface distance from the outer periphery of the cap portion 51 to the inner periphery (the edge of the through-hole), thereby significantly increasing the creepage distance between the negative and positive terminals 40, 30.

[0040] Furthermore, a matching screw-on structure is formed between the annular wall 52 of the insulating cap 50 and the inner wall of the negative terminal 40, so that the insulating cap 50 is rotatably installed in the annular gap 14 between the negative terminal 40 and the positive terminal 30. The inner diameter of the annular wall 52 matches the outer diameter of the positive terminal 30 so that it can be sleeved outside the positive terminal 30. The so-called screw-on structure mainly has one or more buckle blocks 521 formed along the circumference of the lower end of the outer diameter wall of the annular wall 52, and a buckle block 521 formed along the circumference on the inner wall of the negative terminal 40. Regarding the above-mentioned stopper 41, in this embodiment, the annular wall 52 is formed with two buckle blocks 521 along the circumference at the lower end of the outer diameter wall. The two buckle blocks 521 are located at two opposite positions at the lower end of the outer diameter wall of the annular wall 52. A stopper 41 is formed at two corresponding opposite positions on the inner wall of the negative terminal 40. The two stoppers 41 are located at the opening of the negative terminal 40. A notch 42 is formed between one end of one stopper 41 and the other end of the other stopper 41. The width of the notch 42 is greater than the circumference of the buckle block 521 to facilitate the passage of the buckle block 521.

[0041] When the insulating cap 50 is aligned with the notch 42 of the opening of the negative terminal 40 by the buckle 521 at the lower end of the annular wall 52 and inserted downwardly into the annular gap 14 between the negative terminal 40 and the positive terminal 30, the insulating cap 50 is then rotated at an angle so that the buckle 521 at the lower end of the annular wall 52 is rotated to the bottom of the stopper 41 at the opening of the negative terminal 40, and the buckle 521 is then stopped by the stopper 41 (see Figure 5 ), and the installation and fixation of the insulating cap 50 is completed. To facilitate the buckle block 521 to enter under the stopper 41, the outer end of the buckle block 521 is formed with a beveled surface to guide the outer end of the buckle block 521 to enter under the stopper 41 and have a tightening effect.

[0042] In order to allow the insulating cap 50 to be more accurately rotated to a specific angle for fixation, a starting mark 511 is formed on the edge of the cap 51 at a position corresponding to the inner end of the buckle block 521, and an end mark 512 is formed at an outer position away from the inner end of the buckle block 521. The distance between the end mark 512 and the starting mark 511 is less than the circumference of the buckle block 521. A positioning mark 43 is formed on the outer wall of the negative terminal 40 at a position corresponding to one end of the notch 42. The positioning mark 43 corresponds to the starting mark 511 on the cap 51. That is, when the insulating cap 50 is to be installed into the annular gap 14 between the negative terminal 40 and the positive terminal 30, the starting mark 511 on the cap 51 can be aligned with the positioning mark 43 on the outer wall of the negative terminal 40. After the insulating cap 50 is inserted and rotated to the end mark 512 on the cap 51, it can be aligned with the positioning marks 43 on the outer walls of the positive and negative terminals 40 (please refer to the reference to FIG. 2 ). Figure 1 As shown), at this time, the buckle block 521 at the lower end of the annular wall 52 is just rotated to the bottom of the stop portion 41 to complete the fixation, thereby making the installation of the insulating cap 50 easier and faster.

[0043] Still see Figure 5 As shown, in order to further ensure that the surface of the cap portion 51 of the insulating cap 50 is the only insulating surface between the negative terminal 40 and the positive terminal 30, before installing the insulating cap 50, a dispensing method is used to fill the annular gap 14 between the negative terminal 40 and the positive terminal 30 with an insulating glue 15. The insulating glue 15 is filled to the bottom of the annular gap 14 and the inner wall of the negative terminal 40. The height of the insulating glue 15 is higher than the buckle 521 of the insulating cap 50, so that after the insulating cap 50 is installed, the insulating glue 15 is filled in the annular gap 14, thereby making the surface of the cap portion 51 of the insulating cap 50 the only insulating surface between the negative terminal 40 and the positive terminal 30. The cap 51 uses the annular groove 510 on the surface to greatly extend the creepage distance of the insulating surface, thereby meeting the safety requirements of specific standards, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the creepage distance from the negative terminal 40 to the positive terminal 30 through the surface of the cap 51 is Compared with the existing electrical connector, the creepage distance formed by the cap portion of the insulating cap has been greatly extended, and fully meets the safety requirements of specific standards.

[0044] Another example Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, the bottom ends of the test terminal 20, the positive terminal 30 and the negative terminal 40 are electrically connected to a detection connection piece 201, a positive electrical connection piece 301 and a negative electrical connection piece 401 respectively. One end of the detection connection piece 201, the positive electrical connection piece 301 and the negative electrical connection piece 401 is covered on the bottom of the connector base 10, and the other end extends out of the connector base 10 for external connection.

[0045] As can be seen from the above, the present invention mainly forms an annular groove coaxially on the surface of the insulating cap between the negative terminal and the positive terminal. The annular groove is coaxially located between the negative terminal and the positive terminal, thereby allowing the cap surface of the insulating cap to serve as the insulating surface between the negative terminal and the positive terminal. The insulating surface is further extended due to the formation of the annular groove, thereby allowing the above-mentioned electrical connector to significantly extend the creepage distance between the negative terminal and the positive terminal, thereby meeting the safety requirements of specific standards.

[0046] The detailed explanations of the above-mentioned embodiments are intended only to explain the present invention so as to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention. However, these descriptions cannot be interpreted as limiting the present invention for any reason. In particular, the various features described in different embodiments may also be arbitrarily combined with each other to form other embodiments. Unless otherwise clearly described, these features should be understood to be applicable to any embodiment and are not limited to the described embodiments.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising a test terminal, a positive terminal, and a negative terminal coaxially and electrically isolated within a connector base, wherein an insulating cap is provided between the positive terminal and the negative terminal; characterized in that: The test terminal is located at the axis center of the connector base; The positive terminal is in the shape of a hollow cylinder and is located at the periphery of the test terminal; The negative terminal is cylindrical and is located outside the positive terminal. An annular gap is formed between the upper end of the negative terminal and the upper end of the positive terminal for mounting the insulating cap. The inner wall of the negative terminal has one or more stoppers formed along the circumference. The insulating cap includes a cap portion and an annular wall extending downward from the bottom surface of the cap portion. An annular groove is coaxially formed on the surface of the cap portion. The annular groove extends in a thickness direction to the annular wall but does not pass through the bottom of the annular wall. A matching screw-on structure is formed between the annular wall of the insulating cap and the inner wall of the negative terminal, so that the insulating cap can be rotatably installed in the annular gap between the negative terminal and the positive terminal. The screw-on structure has one or more buckle blocks formed along the circumference of the lower end of the outer diameter wall of the annular wall of the insulating cap. The annular gap between the negative terminal and the positive terminal is filled with an insulating glue, the height of the insulating glue is higher than the buckle block of the insulating cap and does not fill the annular gap.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The annular wall is formed with two buckle blocks along the circumference at the lower end of the outer diameter wall, and the two buckle blocks are located at two opposite positions at the lower end of the outer diameter wall of the annular wall. A stopper is formed at two corresponding opposite positions on the inner wall of the negative terminal, and the two stoppers are located at the opening of the negative terminal, and a gap is formed between one end of one stopper and the other end of the other stopper.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The outer end of the buckle block is formed with an oblique cut surface.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein: The edge of the cap of the insulating cap forms a starting mark at a position corresponding to the inner end of the buckle block, and forms an ending mark at an outer position away from the inner end of the buckle block; the outer wall of the negative terminal forms a positioning mark at a position corresponding to one end of the notch, and the positioning mark corresponds to the starting mark on the cap.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein: The insulating cap has a disc-shaped through hole coaxially formed in the center thereof. The diameter of the through hole matches the inner diameter of the positive terminal. The outer diameter of the cap is larger than the inner diameter of the negative terminal and covers the top of the negative terminal and the positive terminal.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The connector base is cylindrical and has a bottom. An outer ring and an inner ring are vertically extended upward from the bottom. The outer ring and the inner ring are coaxially arranged and a plurality of connecting ribs are formed between the two rings.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein: The test terminal, the positive terminal and the negative terminal are respectively fixed on the bottom of the connector base with one end, and the other end is coaxially located between the inner rings.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein: The bottom ends of the test terminal, the positive terminal and the negative terminal are electrically connected to a detection connection piece, a positive electrical connection piece and a negative electrical connection piece respectively. One end of the detection connection piece, the positive electrical connection piece and the negative electrical connection piece is covered on the bottom of the connector base, and the other end extends outside the connector base.

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