High-voltage terminal rack

Abstract

A two-piece high voltage (HV) terminal mount includes a terminal mount and a contact spring. The terminal mount includes at least a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion, and forms an opening for receiving a first busbar and a second busbar. The contact spring is configured to engage with the top portion of the terminal mount, wherein the contact spring includes a spring portion that extends into the opening of the terminal mount.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 187,588, filed May 12, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 195,785, filed June 12, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Technology

[0003] This disclosure relates to a high-voltage terminal block, and more particularly to a two-piece high-voltage (HV) terminal block.

[0004] High-voltage terminal blocks consist of a rigid outer housing and more compliant contact springs. Typically, the rigid outer housing and the more compliant contact springs are separate and made of different materials, requiring assembly during manufacturing. This type of high-voltage frame is a two-piece assembly. In some embodiments, the conductive busbars are crimped to the rigid outer housing, thus forming a three-piece assembly. It would be beneficial to develop a high-voltage terminal block that provides the same functionality but eliminates the need for a rigid outer housing and more compliant contact springs—a separate component. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect, a two-piece high-voltage (HV) terminal block includes a terminal block and a contact spring. The terminal block includes at least a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion, and forms openings for receiving a first busbar and a second busbar. The contact spring is configured to engage with the top portion of the terminal block, wherein the contact spring includes a spring portion extending into the opening of the terminal block.

[0006] According to another aspect, the connector assembly includes a housing assembly, a two-piece terminal assembly, and a terminal position guarantee (TPA). The housing assembly includes at least a first opening for receiving a busbar. The two-piece terminal assembly includes a terminal block and a contact spring engaging with the terminal block, wherein the two-piece terminal assembly is located within the housing assembly. The terminal position guarantee (TPA) is located adjacent to the two-piece terminal assembly within the housing assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1A This is an isometric view of a high-voltage (HV) terminal assembly according to some embodiments;

[0008] Figure 1B This is an isometric view of a high-voltage (HV) terminal assembly with the outer casing removed, showing a high-voltage (HV) terminal block according to some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a connector assembly associated with a high-voltage terminal assembly according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 3A This is an isometric view of a terminal assembly with a contact spring installed, according to some embodiments. Figure 3B This is a side view of a terminal assembly with a contact spring installed, according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 4A This is a cross-sectional view of a connector assembly positioned to receive the connector-side busbar according to some embodiments. Figure 4B It is a cross-sectional view of a connector assembly including the connector-side busbar in the installation position, according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is an isometric view of a bidirectional through-terminal assembly according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 6 It is based on the utilization of some implementation methods Figure 5A and Figure 5B An exploded view of the bidirectional through-type terminal assembly and the bidirectional through-type connector assembly shown.

[0014] Figure 7 This is an isometric view of a bidirectional through-connector assembly according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0015] According to some aspects, the present invention relates to a high-voltage (HV) terminal assembly. In some embodiments, the high-voltage terminal assembly is a two-part assembly including a terminal frame and a spring contact, wherein the spring contact is configured to engage with the terminal frame. In some embodiments, the terminal frame is made of a first material (e.g., stainless steel) having a first thickness, and the spring contact is made of a second material (e.g., stainless steel) having a second thickness less than the first thickness. As a result, the terminal frame provides greater stiffness compared to the spring contact, as desired.

[0016] Now for reference Figures 1A to 1B A high-voltage terminal assembly 100 is provided, which utilizes paired connector assemblies 108a and 108b. In this example, the high-voltage terminal assembly 100 is a right-angle assembly. Terminal ports 102a and 102b are configured to receive corresponding terminals (not shown) in a first longitudinal or horizontal direction. Conductive busbars 104a and 104b (referred to as connector-side busbars) extend in a vertical direction perpendicular to the connection direction associated with the terminal ports 102a and 102b.

[0017] exist Figure 1BIn the illustrated embodiment, a portion of the housing associated with the high-voltage terminal assembly 100 is removed to expose the connector assemblies 108a and 108b. In this embodiment, connector-side buses 106a and 106b extend longitudinally from the connector assemblies 108a and 108b, respectively. Similarly, connector-side buses 104a and 104b extend downward from the connector assemblies 108a and 108b. As described in more detail below, in some embodiments, connector-side buses 104a and 104b are through-type buses, eliminating the need for crimping the buses to the connector assemblies 108a and 108b, respectively. In some embodiments, connector-side buses 106a and 106b slide downward into the connector assemblies 108a and 108b, respectively, and are secured by contact springs (126, e.g., Figure 3A and Figure 3B (As shown) It is in contact with busbars 104a and 104b on the joint side respectively.

[0018] Now for reference Figures 2 to 4B Various views are provided of the connector assemblies 108a, 108b and terminal assemblies 114a, 114b (collectively referred to as terminal assemblies 114) housed within the respective connector assemblies 108a, 108b. In some embodiments, each terminal assembly 114 is a two-piece assembly comprising a terminal holder 116 and a contact spring 118, as shown in Figure 114. Figure 3A and Figure 3B A more detailed description was provided.

[0019] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the connector assembly 108a includes a housing assembly 110a, a terminal assembly 114a, and a terminal position guarantee (TPA) 112a. With respect to the connector assembly 108a, the terminal assembly 114a is located within the housing assembly 110a. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the connector-side busbar 104a is located within the housing assembly 110a and is held by the terminal assembly 114a. An opening or port 115a is configured to receive the connector-side busbar 106a (e.g., ...). Figure 1A As shown), the connector-side busbar 106a is held in place by the terminal assembly 114a. Specifically, as shown in reference... Figure 3A and Figure 3BThe contact spring 118 is configured to apply a normal force to the connector-side busbar 106a, thereby causing the connector-side busbar 106a to contact the connector-side busbar 104a. In some embodiments, the TPA 112a is configured to be located within the housing assembly 110a and engage with the terminal assembly 114a within the housing assembly 110a. In some embodiments, the TPA 112a includes a locking feature (not shown) that engages with the housing assembly 110a to lock the TPA 112a in place within the housing assembly 110a. Similarly, the connector assembly 108b includes the housing assembly 110b, the terminal assembly 114b, and the terminal position guarantee (TPA) 112b.

[0020] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Terminal assembly 114a is shown. Terminal assembly 114a is a two-piece assembly including a terminal block 116 and a contact spring 118. Terminal assembly 114a includes an opening. The spring portion 126 of the contact spring 118 extends into the opening, wherein the opening is configured to receive a connector-side busbar 104a and a connector-side busbar 106a (e.g., ...). Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown). As described above, the spring portion 126 of the contact spring 118 contacts the connector-side busbar 106a, and causes the connector-side busbar 106a to contact the connector-side busbar 104a (as shown). Figure 4A and Figure 4B (See in more detail below).

[0021] In some embodiments, the terminal frame 116 is made of a single piece of material folded into a desired shape and having a first uniform thickness. In some embodiments, the contact spring 118 is made of a single piece of material folded into a desired shape and having a second uniform thickness, wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness. One advantage of the two-piece terminal assembly is that the thickness of the material forming the terminal frame 116 is greater than the thickness of the material forming the contact spring 118, and the greater thickness of the terminal frame 116 compared to the contact spring 118 provides better stiffness. Similarly, due to the thickness of the contact spring, the contact spring 118, particularly the spring portion 126, is more flexible. In some embodiments, the terminal frame 116 and the contact spring 118 are made of the same material (e.g., stainless steel), wherein characteristics such as the stiffness of the terminal frame 116 and the contact spring 118 are selected based on the thickness of the individual components. In other embodiments, the terminal frame 116 and the contact spring 118 can be made of different materials. For example, the terminal frame 116 can be made of high-carbon steel, while the contact spring 118 can be made of stainless steel. In some embodiments, the terminal block 116 is "C-shaped" and includes a top portion 132, a middle portion 134, and a bottom portion 136, wherein the top portion 132 and the bottom portion 136 are parallel to each other. The middle portion 134 is transverse to the top portion 132 and the bottom portion 136 and connects the top portion 132 and the bottom portion 136. The top portion 132, the middle portion 134, and the bottom portion 136 form openings configured to receive a connector-side busbar 106 and a connector-side busbar 104. In some embodiments, the top portion 132 is configured to receive and capture a contact spring 118, wherein the spring portion 126 extends into the opening and is configured to apply a normal force to the connector-side busbar 106 to cause the connector-side busbar 106 to contact the connector-side busbar 104. In some embodiments, the bottom portion 136 of the terminal block 116 includes a stop feature 142, a front guide feature 138, and a side guide feature 140. The stop feature 142 defines the maximum extent to which the connector-side busbar 104 can extend into the terminal frame 116. The side guide feature 140 and the front guide feature 138 facilitate guiding the connector-side busbar 104 into the opening of the terminal frame 116. Furthermore, the front guide feature 138 overlaps with the TPA 112a's overlapping feature 150 (as shown in the image). Figure 4A and Figure 4B (As shown) interact to ensure that the terminal block 116 is properly positioned within the housing 110.

[0022] In some embodiments, the contact spring 118 is also "C-shaped" and has a first portion 120, an intermediate portion 122, and a second portion 124. The first portion 120 and the second portion 124 are configured to engage with the terminal block 116, wherein the spring portion 126 extends into an opening provided within the terminal assembly 114a. Figure 3BAs shown, the first portion 120 and the second portion 124 surround the top portion 132 of the terminal frame 116 and prevent the contact spring 118 from moving forward or backward relative to the terminal frame 116. In some embodiments, the contact spring 118 also includes a cutout portion 128 located within the intermediate portion 122 and a spring 130 formed within the cutout portion 128. In some embodiments, the spring 130 bends or flexes toward the terminal frame 116.

[0023] During the process of installing the contact spring 118 onto the terminal block 116 (which requires the contact spring 118 to slide over the terminal block 116), the spring 130 bends or flexes on the top surface of the terminal block 116.

[0024] A groove or channel (not shown) formed on the top surface of the terminal frame 116 is configured to receive and capture the spring 130 when the contact spring 118 is fully engaged with the terminal frame 116. The engagement of the spring 130 with the groove or channel (not shown) of the terminal frame 116 prevents the contact spring 118 from sliding relative to the terminal frame 116.

[0025] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a cross-sectional view showing the insertion of the connector-side busbar 104b into the connector assembly 108b. (See image.) Figure 4A As shown, a contact spring 118 is mounted on a terminal block 116, and a terminal assembly 114b is mounted within a housing assembly 110b. In some embodiments, a TPA 112b is mounted within the housing assembly 110b and is pushed to engage with the terminal block 116 to ensure that the terminal block 116 is correctly positioned (e.g., seated) within the housing assembly 110b. In some embodiments, an overlap feature 152 associated with the TPA 112b engages with a front guide feature 138 of the terminal block 116 to ensure that the terminal block 116 is correctly positioned / seated within the housing assembly 110b. In some embodiments, the TPA 112b includes a locking feature (not shown) that engages with the housing assembly 110b to ensure that the TPA 112b (and the terminal assembly 114b) are correctly positioned / seated within the housing assembly 110b.

[0026] After the terminal assembly 114b and TPA 112b are inserted into the housing assembly 110b, the connector-side busbar 104b is inserted into the connector assembly 108b. In some embodiments, a front guide feature 138 and a side guide feature 140 associated with the terminal frame 116 are used to guide the connector-side busbar 104b into proper position within the terminal frame 116. Similarly, a stop feature 142 associated with the terminal frame 116 is configured to receive the connector-side busbar 104b. After the connector-side busbar 104b is positioned within the connector assembly 108b, the connector-side busbar 106b can be inserted into the opening 115b on the connector assembly 108b. Once inserted, the connector-side busbar 106b interacts with and compresses the spring portion 126 of the contact spring 118. The compression of the spring portion 126 generates a normal force on the connector-side busbar 106b, which presses the connector-side busbar 106b into contact with the connector-side busbar 104b.

[0027] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Terminal assembly 514 is shown. Terminal assembly 514 is a two-piece assembly including terminal block 516 and contact spring 518. Terminal assembly 514 includes openings for receiving connector-side busbars 606a, 606b (e.g., ...). Figure 6 (As shown). Typically, terminal assembly 514 is configured to receive one of the connector-side busbars 606a or 606b, rather than both simultaneously. In some embodiments, contact spring 518 includes a first spring portion 526a and a second spring portion 526b extending into the opening of terminal assembly 514, respectively. As described above, at least one of the spring portions 526a and 526b of contact spring 518 contacts one of the corresponding connector-side busbars 606a and / or 606b, and causes the particular connector-side busbar 606a and / or 606b to contact the connector-side busbar 604 (e.g., ...). Figure 6 and Figure 7 (As shown in more detail below). One advantage of this design is that the connector assembly 608 (as shown below) Figure 6 As shown, the connector-side busbar can be received from multiple directions, enabling the connector assembly 608 to be used in different applications that require different orientations of the connector-side busbar.

[0028] In some embodiments, the terminal frame 516 is made of a single piece of material folded into a desired shape and having a first uniform thickness. In some embodiments, the contact spring 518 is made of a single piece of material folded into a desired shape and having a second uniform thickness, wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness. One advantage of the two-piece terminal assembly is that the thickness of the material forming the terminal frame 516 is greater than the thickness of the material forming the contact spring 518, and the greater thickness of the terminal frame 516 compared to the contact spring 518 provides better stiffness. Similarly, due to the thickness of the contact spring, the contact spring 518, particularly the spring portions 526a and 526b, is more flexible. In some embodiments, the terminal frame 516 and the contact spring 518 are made of the same material (e.g., stainless steel), wherein characteristics such as the stiffness of the terminal frame 516 and the contact spring 518 are selected based on the thickness of the individual components. In other embodiments, the terminal frame 516 and the contact spring 518 can be made of different materials. For example, the terminal frame 516 can be made of high-carbon steel, while the contact spring 518 can be made of stainless steel. In some embodiments, the terminal block 516 is C-shaped and includes a top portion 532, a middle portion 534, and a bottom portion 536, wherein the top portion 532 and the bottom portion 536 are parallel to each other. The middle portion 534 is transverse to the top portion 532 and the bottom portion 536 and connects the top portion 532 and the bottom portion 536. The top portion 532, the middle portion 534, and the bottom portion 536 form openings configured to receive one or both of the connector-side busbars 606a, 606b and the connector-side busbar 604 (e.g., Figure 6 and Figure 7 (As shown). In some embodiments, the terminal block 516 includes an aperture 535 formed along the bottom portion 536, the aperture 535 being configured to receive a connector-side busbar 604 (e.g. Figure 6 and Figure 7 (As shown). In Figures 2 to 4B In the illustrated embodiment, the connector assembly is unidirectional because the connector-side busbar is fixed to the connector assembly 108 only in one direction. As a result of this unidirectionality, the terminal block 116 is oriented such that the opening of the terminal block 116 receives both the connector-side busbar 106 and the connector-side busbar 104. Conversely, Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The terminal block 516 shown is oriented to allow bidirectional connection of connector-side buses 606a, 606b. The terminal block 516 includes an aperture 535 to allow connector-side bus 604 to be positioned within the terminal block 516.

[0029] In some embodiments, the top portion 532 is configured to receive and capture the contact spring 518, wherein spring portions 526a, 526b extend into the opening and are configured to apply normal forces to the connector-side busbars 606a, 606b, respectively, to cause each connector-side busbar 606a, 606b to contact the connector-side busbar 604. In some embodiments, the contact spring 518 includes only one spring portion 526, instead of two spring portions 526a, 526b. That is, in some embodiments, a single spring portion 526 contacts the connector-side busbar 606 regardless of its orientation. In some embodiments, the bottom portion 636 of the terminal block 616 may include a reference to... Figure 3A and Figure 3B The features described are similar to the stop features (not shown), the front guide features (not shown), and the side guide features (not shown).

[0030] In some embodiments, the contact spring 518 is also "C-shaped" and has a first portion 520, an intermediate portion 522, and a second portion 524. The first portion 520 and the second portion 524 are configured to engage with the terminal block 516, particularly with the top portion 532 of the terminal block 516. In some embodiments, the spring portions 526a, 526b extend into an opening within the terminal assembly 514. As mentioned above, in some embodiments, only a single spring portion 526 is used, instead of two separate spring portions 526a, 526b. Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the first portion 520 and the second portion 524 surround the top portion 532 of the terminal frame 516 and prevent the contact spring 518 from moving forward or backward relative to the terminal frame 516. In some embodiments, the contact spring 518 also includes a cutout portion 528 located within the intermediate portion 522 and a spring 530 formed within the cutout portion 528. In some embodiments, the spring 530 bends or flexes toward the terminal frame 516. During the mounting of the contact spring 518 onto the terminal frame 516 (which requires the contact spring 518 to slide over the terminal frame 516), the spring 530 bends or flexes on the top surface 532 of the terminal frame 516. A groove or channel (not shown) formed on the top surface 532 of the terminal frame 516 is configured to receive and capture the spring 530 when the contact spring 518 is fully engaged with the terminal frame 516. The engagement of the spring 530 with the groove or channel (not shown) of the terminal frame 516 prevents the contact spring 518 from sliding relative to the terminal frame 516.

[0031] In some embodiments, the terminal block 516 is configured for use in a bidirectional high-voltage terminal assembly, wherein connector-side buses 606a, 606b can be positioned from either side of the high-voltage terminal assembly. To accommodate connector-side buses 606a, 606b extending from the terminal block 516 in either direction, spring portions 526a, 526b are configured to extend toward the central portion 534 of the terminal block 516. The orientation of the spring portions 526a, 526b within the opening of the terminal block 516 allows the connector-side buses 506a, 506b to be inserted vertically (i.e., from the top) into the terminal block 516 (e.g., from the top). Figure 6 and Figure 7 (As shown).

[0032] Now for reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 An exploded view and an assembly view of the bidirectional connector assembly 608 are provided. Figure 6 The exploded view shown illustrates the assembly of the housing 610, terminal assembly 514, and terminal retainer 612, which are part of the bidirectional connector assembly 608, as follows: Figure 7 As shown. Figure 6 As shown, a contact spring 518 is mounted on a terminal holder 516, and a terminal assembly 514 is mounted within a housing assembly 610. In some embodiments, a terminal retainer 612 is mounted within the housing assembly 610 and is pushed to engage with the terminal holder 516 to ensure that the terminal holder 516 is properly positioned (e.g., seated) within the housing assembly 610. In some embodiments, an overlap feature (not shown) associated with the terminal retainer 612 engages with the terminal holder 516 to ensure that the terminal holder 516 is properly positioned / seated within the housing assembly 610. In some embodiments, the terminal retainer 612 includes a locking feature (not shown) that engages with the housing assembly 610 to ensure that the terminal retainer 612 (and the terminal assembly 514) are properly positioned / seated within the housing assembly 610. In some embodiments, the terminal holder 516 is held in place by the terminal retainer 612, wherein the terminal holder 516 does not require features to hold it within the housing assembly 610.

[0033] After the terminal assembly 514 and terminal retainer 612 are inserted into the housing assembly 610, the connector-side bus 604 is inserted into the connector assembly 608. The connector-side bus 604 is inserted from below the connector assembly 608 and passes through the terminal retainer 612 into the terminal holder 514. In some embodiments, this allows the connector assembly 608 to be mounted on top of the connector-side bus 604, wherein the connector-side bus 608 is then moved into place within the connector assembly 608. In some embodiments, the connector-side bus 604 is held and locked in place by the terminal retainer 612. In other embodiments, the position of the connector-side bus 604 is held by the terminal retainer 612, but not locked in place by the terminal retainer 612. After the connector-side bus 604 is positioned within the connector assembly 608, the connector-side buses 606a and 606b can be inserted into the openings 615 on the connector assembly 608. In some embodiments, connector-side bus 606a is disposed from a first direction, and connector-side bus 606b is disposed from a second direction opposite to the first direction. Thus, the connector assembly 608 is bidirectional. In some embodiments, inserting connector-side bus 606a into opening 615 causes compression of spring portion 526a, thereby generating a normal force on connector-side bus 606a, which presses connector-side bus 606a into contact with connector-side bus 604. Similarly, inserting connector-side bus 606b into opening 615 causes compression of spring portion 526b, thereby generating a normal force on connector-side bus 606b, which presses connector-side bus 606b into contact with connector-side bus 604. In some embodiments, connector-side buses 606a and 606b respectively include notches 620a and 620b for receiving spring portions 526a and 526b, respectively. The engagement of notches 620a and 620b with spring portions 526a and 526b prevents the connector-side busbars 606a and 606b from moving within the connector assembly 608.

[0034] The terminal assembly 114 is oriented to allow the connector-side busbar to extend only in a single direction. Figure 2 Compared to the connector assembly 108 shown, Figure 6 and Figure 7 The terminal assembly 514 shown is oriented to allow connector-side busbars 606a, 606b to extend bidirectionally from the connector assembly 608. For example... Figure 7 As shown, wires 622a and 622b and corresponding connector-side busbars 606a and 606b extend from connector assembly 608 in opposite directions.

[0035] While the invention has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes can be made and its elements can be replaced by equivalents without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, various modifications can be made to adapt specific situations or materials to the teachings of the invention without departing from its main scope. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited to the disclosed specific embodiments, but rather to include all embodiments falling within the appended claims.

Claims

1. A high-voltage terminal assembly, comprising: A terminal block having at least a top portion, a bottom portion and a middle portion, and forming an opening for receiving at least a first busbar, the middle portion connecting the top portion and the bottom portion, and defining an orifice for receiving a connector-side busbar; as well as A contact spring configured to engage with the top portion of the terminal block, wherein the contact spring includes a first spring portion and a second spring portion, each extending into the opening of the terminal block, wherein the first spring portion is configured to contact a first busbar positioned in a first orientation, and the second spring portion is configured to contact the first busbar positioned in a second orientation.

2. The high-voltage terminal assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal block is made of a first material having a first uniform thickness, and the contact spring is made of a second material having a second uniform thickness.

3. The high-voltage terminal assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first uniform thickness is greater than the second uniform thickness.

4. The high-voltage terminal assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first material and the second material are different.

5. The high-voltage terminal assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first material and the second material are stainless steel.

6. The high-voltage terminal assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The contact spring is C-shaped and includes a first portion, a middle portion, and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to wrap around the opposite ends of the top portion of the terminal block to prevent movement in the forward and backward directions.

7. The high-voltage terminal assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The contact spring includes a cutout formed in the middle portion and a spring extending through the cutout, wherein the spring is bent to contact the top portion of the terminal block.

8. The high-voltage terminal assembly as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The top portion of the terminal block includes a groove configured to receive a spring extending through the cutout, wherein engagement of the spring within the groove prevents the contact spring from moving in a direction that allows the contact spring to slide over the top portion of the terminal block.

9. A connector assembly, comprising: A housing assembly having a first opening for receiving a first busbar; A two-piece terminal assembly located within the housing assembly, the two-piece terminal assembly including a terminal frame and a contact spring engaging with the terminal frame, the terminal frame including a top portion, a middle portion and a bottom portion, the middle portion connecting the top portion and the bottom portion and defining an opening for receiving a connector-side busbar; as well as A terminal position guarantee is located within the housing assembly adjacent to the two-piece terminal assembly; The contact spring includes a first spring portion and a second spring portion, each extending into the terminal block, wherein the first spring portion is configured to contact the first busbar positioned in a first orientation, and the second spring portion is configured to contact the first busbar positioned in a second orientation.

10. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal block is made of a first material having a uniform first thickness, and the contact spring is made of a second material having a uniform second thickness, wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness.

11. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal block is made of a first material, and the contact spring is made of a second material.

12. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The first material and the second material are different.

13. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The first material and the second material are stainless steel.

14. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal block includes at least a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion, and forms an opening for receiving a first busbar and a connector-side busbar. The contact spring is C-shaped and includes a first portion, a middle portion, and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to wrap around the opposite ends of the top portion of the terminal block to prevent movement in the forward and backward directions.

15. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The contact spring includes a cutout formed in the middle portion and a spring extending through the cutout, wherein the spring is bent to contact the top portion of the terminal block.

16. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that, The top portion of the terminal block includes a groove configured to receive a spring extending through the cutout, wherein engagement of the spring within the groove prevents the contact spring from moving in a direction that allows the contact spring to slide over the top portion of the terminal block.

17. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, Both the first spring portion and the second spring portion extend toward the middle portion of the terminal frame into the opening of the terminal frame.

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