Connecting cable, vehicle and vehicle charging equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a connecting cable, a vehicle and vehicle charging equipment. The connecting cable comprises a cable structure and a flexible cooling pipe at least used for containing a cooling medium. The cable structure comprises a rigid conductor tube and a first insulating layer arranged on the peripheral side of the rigid conductor tube, and the rigid conductor tube is electrically connected between a power supply and a load; the flexible cooling pipe can extend into the rigid conductor pipe through one end of the rigid conductor pipe and is in heat conduction contact with the rigid conductor pipe; and the end part of the cable structure is provided with a fixing piece, and the fixing piece is used for fixing the flexible cooling pipe on the cable structure after the flexible cooling pipe extends into the rigid conductor pipe, so that the current-carrying capability of the connecting cable can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a connecting cable, a vehicle and a vehicle charging device. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles, such as new energy vehicles, have developed rapidly because they have no exhaust emissions and do not pollute the environment.

[0003] A vehicle generally includes a battery pack and a charging socket provided on the vehicle body. The charging socket and the battery pack are electrically connected through a connecting cable. When charging the battery pack, the battery pack acts as a load and the charging socket acts as a power source. A charging pile can be connected to the charging socket, and power transmission between the charging socket and the battery pack can be achieved through the connecting cable to charge the battery pack. However, the current carrying capacity of the connecting cable in the related art is low. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing a connecting cable, a vehicle, and a vehicle charging device, so as to improve the current carrying capacity of the connecting cable to a certain extent.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a connecting cable, comprising a cable structure and a flexible cooling pipe for accommodating at least a cooling medium;

[0006] The cable structure comprises a rigid conductor tube and a first insulating layer arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rigid conductor tube, wherein the rigid conductor tube is used for electrically connecting between a power source and a load;

[0007] The flexible cooling tube can extend into the rigid conductor tube through one end of the rigid conductor tube and be in thermal contact with the rigid conductor tube; a fixing piece is provided at the end of the cable structure, and the fixing piece is used to fix the flexible cooling tube on the cable structure after the flexible cooling tube extends into the rigid conductor tube.

[0008] Optionally, the fixing member includes a main body, and along the axial direction of the flexible cooling pipe, the flexible cooling pipe includes a first flexible area and a second flexible area located at an end of the first flexible area;

[0009] The main body portion may extend into the inner cavity of the second flexible zone to sandwich the second flexible zone between the main body portion and the cable structure.

[0010] Optionally, the main body has a containing cavity therein, and at least one end of the containing cavity is open so as to communicate with the inner cavity of the first flexible zone when the main body extends into the inner cavity of the second flexible zone.

[0011] Optionally, the inner tube wall of the rigid conductor tube has a groove;

[0012] The groove is recessed in an axial direction away from the rigid conductor tube, and the second flexible area and at least a portion of the main body can extend into the groove.

[0013] Optionally, a recessed portion is provided on a groove wall of the groove facing the axial side of the rigid conductor tube, and the recessed portion is recessed in an axial direction away from the rigid conductor tube;

[0014] The main body has a protrusion at a position corresponding to the recessed portion, and the protrusion protrudes in a direction away from the axial direction of the main body to confine a portion of the second flexible zone within the recessed portion.

[0015] Optionally, the main body has a guiding inclined surface, and in a direction along which the main body extends into the second flexible area, the guiding inclined surface extends inwardly;

[0016] And / or, the fixing member further comprises an abutment portion connected to the main body; along the radial direction of the main body, the abutment portion extends in a direction away from the main body, and can abut against an end face of the cable structure in the axial direction when the main body is inserted into the inner cavity of the second flexible zone;

[0017] And / or, there are at least two main body parts, and the second flexible area is used for at least any one of the main body parts to extend into.

[0018] Optionally, the fixing member and the cable structure are detachably connected;

[0019] The fixing member has a first fixing portion, and the cable structure has a second fixing portion that is detachably matched with the first fixing portion, so as to connect the fixing member and the cable structure.

[0020] Optionally, one of the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion comprises a fixing hole, and a center line of the fixing hole intersects with a direction in which the main body extends into the second flexible zone;

[0021] The other of the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion comprises a fixing protrusion, and the fixing protrusion can extend into the fixing hole to connect the fixing member to the cable structure;

[0022] And / or, there are at least two first fixing parts, and among all the first fixing parts, at least two of them are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the main body; there are at least two second fixing parts, and they are arranged one-to-one with the first fixing parts.

[0023] Optionally, the fixing member further comprises an extension arm which can be covered on the outer circumference of the cable structure, one end of the extension arm is connected to the main body, the other end of the extension arm is a free end, and the first fixing portion is located on the extension arm;

[0024] The outer peripheral surface of the cable structure is provided with a positioning groove, and the extension arm can extend into the positioning groove;

[0025] The shape of the positioning groove is adapted to the shape of the extension arm; and / or, a guiding structure is provided between the extension arm and the side groove wall of the positioning groove to guide the cooperation between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion.

[0026] Optionally, along the axial direction of the rigid conductor tube, the rigid conductor tube has a first section and second sections located on both sides of the first section;

[0027] The first insulating layer is located on the first section, and the fixing member is connected to the second section;

[0028] One of the second sections is used for being electrically connected to the power source, and the other of the second sections is used for being electrically connected to the load.

[0029] Optionally, each of the second segments includes a first subsegment and a second subsegment, and the first subsegment is located between the first segment and the second subsegment;

[0030] The second sub-segment is used to be connected to the fixing member, the first sub-segment of one of the second segments is used to be electrically connected to the power source, and the first sub-segment of another of the second segments is used to be electrically connected to the load.

[0031] Optionally, each of the second segments is provided with at least one conductive connector, and each of the second segments is electrically connected to the corresponding power source or the load through the conductive connector;

[0032] The power source and the load both have a hollow conductive terminal with one end open, and the second section can extend into the hollow conductive terminal through the open end;

[0033] The conductive connecting member is elastic; and / or the conductive connecting member includes an annular conductive member wound around the outer circumference of the second section; and / or the second section has a limiting groove, and part of the conductive connecting member is located in the limiting groove.

[0034] Optionally, the cable structure further includes a shielding layer disposed on at least a portion of the outer periphery of the first insulating layer;

[0035] The cable structure further comprises a second insulating layer disposed on at least a portion of the outer periphery of the shielding layer;

[0036] And / or, the flexible cooling pipe comprises an insulating flexible pipe.

[0037] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle, comprising a load, a power source and the connection cable as described above.

[0038] Optionally, both the load and the power supply have a cooling cavity;

[0039] The flexible cooling pipe is connected between the cooling cavity of the load and the cooling cavity of the power source to transmit the cooling medium between the load and the power source.

[0040] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle charging device, comprising a load, a power supply, and the connecting cable as described above.

[0041] The connecting cable, vehicle and vehicle charging device provided by the present invention electrically connect the rigid conductor tube between the power source and the load by making the cable structure include a rigid conductor tube and a first insulating layer arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rigid conductor tube, and by making the flexible cooling tube extend into the rigid conductor tube through one end of the rigid conductor tube and be in thermal contact with the rigid conductor tube. In this way, when the connecting cable is used, power can be transmitted between the power source and the load through the rigid conductor tube, and the cooling medium can also at least cool the rigid conductor tube, thereby avoiding the situation where the temperature of the rigid conductor tube is too high to a certain extent, ensuring the safety and reliability of vehicle charging, and preventing the situation where the temperature of the rigid conductor tube is too high and affects the current carrying capacity of the cable structure and the connecting cable. Moreover, compared with the solution in which the cable structure is a flexible braided cable such as a cable bundle, this can improve the current carrying capacity of the cable structure without increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the cable structure, so as to achieve an increase in the charging rate within the same packaging volume, thereby avoiding the increase in raw material costs caused by increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the rigid conductor tube to improve the current carrying capacity to a certain extent, and avoiding the situation where the vehicle's cruising range is lost due to the increase in the weight of the connecting cable. Moreover, by cooling the rigid conductor tube with a cooling medium, it is also possible to avoid, to a certain extent, the cable structure from being ablated due to high temperature, thereby ensuring the service life of the cable structure.

[0042] At the same time, by arranging a fixing at the end of the cable structure, the fixing can fix the flexible cooling tube on the cable structure after the flexible cooling tube is inserted into the rigid conductor tube. Compared with the solution that the flexible cooling tube and the rigid conductor tube are integrally formed by heat shrinkage, co-extrusion and other processes, that is, the inner tube wall of the flexible cooling tube and the outer tube wall of the rigid conductor tube are completely connected together, the present invention is arranged in this way to achieve the separate manufacturing of the flexible cooling tube and the cable structure, and fix them by the fixing, so that the manufacturing of the connecting cable is simple. At the same time, because the fixing is located at the end of the cable structure, the flexible cooling tube can be loosened or deformed by expansion and contraction relative to the rigid conductor tube, so that when the connecting cable needs to be bent and laid according to the layout requirements of the whole vehicle, the damage of the flexible cooling tube can be avoided to a certain extent, thereby ensuring the bending quality of the rigid conductor tube and the flexible cooling tube, and then ensuring the heat conduction efficiency between the two to a certain extent, improving the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube, thereby further improving the current carrying capacity of the cable structure, and further improving the charging rate of loads such as battery packs.

[0043] Moreover, since the rigid conductor tube is rigid, the structural strength of the rigid conductor tube can be guaranteed to a certain extent, which is beneficial to ensuring the structural strength of the entire connecting cable and ensuring the stable transmission of power between the load and the power supply. Since the flexible cooling tube and the cable structure are manufactured separately, this can also improve the convenience of extending the flexible cooling tube into the rigid conductor tube, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the connecting cable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a cable structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible cooling pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a flexible cooling pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a fixing member according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a cable structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 A partial cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a cable structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a connecting cable according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the middle A direction;

[0052] Fig. 9 The figure is a partial cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a connecting cable according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Among them, 1. cable structure; 101. first section; 102. second section; 103. first sub-section; 104. second sub-section; 11. rigid conductor tube; 111. groove; 112. recessed portion; 113. second fixing portion; 114. positioning groove; 115. first side wall; 116. second side wall; 117. limiting groove; 12. first insulating layer; 13. shielding layer; 14. second insulating layer; 2. flexible cooling tube; 21. first flexible area; 22. second flexible area; 221. raised portion; 3. fixing member; 31. main body; 311. accommodating cavity; 312. raised portion; 313. guiding slope; 32. abutting portion; 33. extending arm; 331. first fixing portion; 4. guiding structure; 5. conductive connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0055] A vehicle generally includes a battery pack and a charging socket provided on the vehicle body. The charging socket and the battery pack are electrically connected through a connecting cable. When charging the battery pack, the battery pack acts as a load and the charging socket acts as a power source. A charging pile can be connected to the charging socket, and power transmission between the charging socket and the battery pack can be achieved through the connecting cable to charge the battery pack. However, the current carrying capacity of the connecting cable in the related art is low.

[0056] Based on this, an embodiment of the present invention provides a connecting cable, a vehicle and a vehicle charging device, wherein the connecting cable includes a cable structure and a flexible cooling tube for accommodating at least a cooling medium, and the cable structure includes a rigid conductor tube electrically connected between a power source and a load. The flexible cooling tube and the rigid conductor tube are manufactured separately, and then the flexible cooling tube is extended into the rigid conductor tube, and the two are in thermal contact, so that the rigid conductor tube can be cooled and cooled by the cooling medium, thereby improving the current carrying capacity of the cable structure and the connecting cable, which is beneficial to improving the charging efficiency of loads such as battery packs. At the same time, since the flexible cooling tube and the rigid conductor tube are manufactured separately, and the flexible cooling tube is extended into the rigid conductor tube, it can be fixed by a fixing piece at the end of the cable structure, so that the flexible cooling tube can be loosened relative to the rigid conductor tube or deformed by expansion and contraction, so that when the connecting cable is bent according to the layout requirements of the whole vehicle, the flexible cooling tube can be damaged to a certain extent, thereby ensuring the bending quality of the rigid conductor tube and the flexible cooling tube.

[0057] The following describes in detail the connection cable, vehicle and vehicle charging device provided by the present invention through specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0058] Reference Figures 1 to 9 As shown, this embodiment provides a connection cable, which can be used in a vehicle, or can also be used in a charging device for charging a vehicle.

[0059] Specifically, both the vehicle and the charging device have a power source and a load.

[0060] Taking a vehicle as an example, the vehicle may be a new energy vehicle, such as a car, a sports utility vehicle, a truck, etc. The vehicle includes a battery pack and a charging socket arranged on the vehicle body. For example, the battery pack and the charging socket may be electrically connected together using the connecting cable. When charging, the output end of the charging device may be plugged into the charging socket, and power may be transmitted between the charging socket and the battery pack through the connecting cable to charge the battery pack. At this time, the battery pack is formed as a load, and the charging socket is formed as a power source.

[0061] In other embodiments, the vehicle may further include an engine, etc. For example, the connection cable may be used to connect the battery pack and the engine, and power may be transmitted from the battery pack to the engine to supply power to the engine, etc., so that the vehicle can travel normally. In this case, the battery pack serves as a power source and the engine serves as a load.

[0062] The charging device may be, for example, a charging pile having a charging module and a charging gun, which may be plugged into a charging socket to charge a battery pack on the vehicle. In this case, the charging module serves as a power source, and the charging gun serves as a load.

[0063] The connecting cable comprises a cable structure 1 and a flexible cooling pipe 2 at least for accommodating a cooling medium.

[0064] Specifically, the cable structure 1 includes a rigid conductor tube 11 and a first insulating layer 12 arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rigid conductor tube 11. The rigid conductor tube 11 is used to electrically connect between a power source and a load, thereby realizing power transmission between the power source and the load.

[0065] The flexible cooling tube 2 can extend into the rigid conductor tube 11 through one end of the rigid conductor tube 11 and be in thermal contact with the rigid conductor tube 11. A fixing member 3 is provided at the end of the cable structure 1, and the fixing member 3 is used to fix the flexible cooling tube 2 on the cable structure 1 after the flexible cooling tube 2 extends into the rigid conductor tube 11.

[0066] For example, when making a connecting cable, the flexible cooling tube 2 can be first extended into the rigid conductor tube 11, and then the flexible cooling tube 2 can be fixed by the fixing member 3. After that, the connecting cable can be bent according to the layout requirements of the whole vehicle, and finally the connecting cable can be cut according to the requirements.

[0067] Exemplarily, the rigid conductor tube 11 may be a hard round tube, which may be made of a conductive material such as aluminum, copper, or a copper-aluminum composite material.

[0068] The first insulating layer 12 can be made of insulating materials such as cross-linked polyolefin, cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, thermoplastic resin, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), etc. For example, the first insulating layer 12 can be tightly wrapped around the outside of the rigid conductor tube 11.

[0069] Exemplarily, the cooling medium may be a cooling liquid, such as water or oil. Of course, the cooling medium may also be a phase change material such as a hydrated salt or paraffin.

[0070] In specific implementation, when the cooling medium is coolant, a power pump can also be provided on the vehicle or the vehicle charging device to connect the power pump with the flexible cooling pipe 2 and the component storing the coolant, so as to realize the circulation and transportation of the coolant.

[0071] The connecting cable provided in this embodiment has a cable structure 1 including a rigid conductor tube 11 and a first insulating layer 12 arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rigid conductor tube 11, so that the rigid conductor tube 11 is electrically connected between the power supply and the load, and the flexible cooling tube 2 can be extended into the rigid conductor tube 11 through one end of the rigid conductor tube 11 and is in thermal contact with the rigid conductor tube 11. In this way, when the connecting cable is used, power can be transmitted between the power supply and the load through the rigid conductor tube 11, and the cooling medium can also cool at least the rigid conductor tube 11, so that the rigid conductor tube 11 can be prevented from being overheated to a certain extent, thereby ensuring The safety and reliability of vehicle charging can be prevented, and the rigid conductor tube 11 can be prevented from overheating and affecting the current-carrying capacity of the cable structure 1 and the connecting cable. Compared with the solution in which the cable structure is a flexible braided cable such as a cable bundle, the current-carrying capacity of the cable structure 1 can be increased without increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the cable structure 1, so as to achieve an increase in the charging rate within the same packaging volume, thereby avoiding to a certain extent the increase in the cost of raw materials caused by increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the rigid conductor tube 11 to increase the current-carrying capacity, and to a certain extent avoiding the loss of vehicle range caused by the increase in the weight of the connecting cable. Moreover, by cooling the rigid conductor tube 11 with a cooling medium, it is also possible to avoid to a certain extent the situation in which the cable structure 1 is ablated due to high temperature, thereby ensuring the service life of the cable structure 1.

[0072] At the same time, by arranging a fixing part 3 at the end of the cable structure 1, the fixing part 3 can fix the flexible cooling tube 2 on the cable structure 1 after the flexible cooling tube 2 extends into the rigid conductor tube 11. Compared with the solution in which the flexible cooling tube and the rigid conductor tube are integrally formed by processes such as heat shrinkage and co-extrusion, that is, the inner tube wall of the flexible cooling tube 2 and the outer tube wall of the rigid conductor tube 11 are completely connected together, the present embodiment realizes the separate manufacturing of the flexible cooling tube 2 and the cable structure 1, and fixes them by the fixing part 3, so that the manufacturing of the connecting cable is simple. At the same time, since the fixing part 3 is located at the end of the cable structure 1, the flexible cooling tube 2 can be loosened or deformed such as expanding and contracting relative to the rigid conductor tube 11, so that when the connecting cable needs to be bent and laid according to the layout requirements of the entire vehicle, damage to the flexible cooling tube 2 can be avoided to a certain extent, thereby ensuring the bending quality of the rigid conductor tube 11 and the flexible cooling tube 2, and then ensuring the heat conduction efficiency between the two to a certain extent, improving the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11, thereby further improving the current carrying capacity of the cable structure 1, and further improving the charging rate of loads such as battery packs.

[0073] Moreover, since the rigid conductor tube 11 is rigid, the structural strength of the rigid conductor tube 11 can be guaranteed to a certain extent, which is beneficial to ensuring the structural strength of the entire connecting cable and ensuring the stable transmission of power between the load and the power supply. Since the flexible cooling tube 2 and the cable structure are manufactured separately, this can also improve the convenience of extending the flexible cooling tube 2 into the rigid conductor tube 11, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the connecting cable.

[0074] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 As shown, the cable structure 1 further includes a shielding layer 13 disposed on at least a portion of the outer circumference of the first insulating layer 12 .

[0075] With this arrangement, on the one hand, the shielding layer 13 provides shielding against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and protects the rigid conductor tube 11 from damage. Meanwhile, the shielding layer 13 can at least provide physical protection for the rigid conductor tube 11 to avoid damage to the rigid conductor tube 11 .

[0076] The shielding layer 13 may be formed by weaving a conductive metal, for example, the conductive metal may be aluminum, copper, conductive thermoplastic plastic, etc.

[0077] Exemplarily, the shielding layer 13 may be grounded to the body-in-white of the vehicle.

[0078] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 As shown, the cable structure 1 further includes a second insulating layer 14 disposed on at least a portion of the outer circumference of the shielding layer 13 .

[0079] In this way, the shielding layer 13 can be insulated to a certain extent to ensure the safety of the connecting cable when in use.

[0080] The material of the second insulating layer 14 may be the same as that of the first insulating layer 12 .

[0081] In some embodiments, the flexible cooling tube 2 includes an insulating flexible tube, so that the flexible cooling tube 2 can be electrically insulated when the rigid conductor tube 11 transmits electricity, thereby preventing the cooling medium from becoming charged, especially when the cooling medium circulates in the vehicle, thereby ensuring the safety of user use.

[0082] Exemplarily, the flexible cooling tube 2 can be made of electrically insulating heat-conductive materials, such as cross-linked polyolefin, cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, thermoplastic resin, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), etc.

[0083] In some embodiments, reference Figures 2 to 9 As shown, the fixing member 3 includes a main body 31. Along the axial direction of the flexible cooling tube 2, the flexible cooling tube 2 includes a first flexible area 21 and a second flexible area 22 located at the end of the first flexible area 21. The main body 31 can extend into the inner cavity of the second flexible area 22 to sandwich the second flexible area 22 between the main body 31 and the cable structure 1.

[0084] In this way, the second flexible zone 22 is clamped by the main body 31 and the cable structure 1, thereby achieving an interference fit between the main body 31 and the cable structure 1 (specifically the rigid conductor tube 11), thereby achieving a reliable connection between the flexible cooling tube 2 and the cable structure 1, and in this way, the sealing performance between the outer wall surface of the second flexible zone 22 and the inner wall surface of the rigid conductor tube 11 can be guaranteed to a certain extent, thereby avoiding the leakage and waste of cooling medium to a certain extent, and further ensuring the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11, ensuring the current-carrying capacity of the cable structure 1.

[0085] In some embodiments, reference Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the main body 31 has a receiving cavity 311 therein, and at least one end of the receiving cavity 311 is open so as to communicate with the inner cavity of the first flexible area 21 when the main body 31 extends into the inner cavity of the second flexible area 22 .

[0086] In this way, the main body 31 cooperates with the cable structure 1 to clamp the second flexible zone 22, and the accommodating cavity 311 of the main body 31 can also accommodate cooling medium, thereby increasing the size of the space that can be used to accommodate the cooling medium in the entire connecting cable to a certain extent, and further ensuring the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11, thereby further improving the current carrying capacity and further improving the charging rate of the battery pack, etc.

[0087] Exemplarily, for example, the main body 31 and the second flexible zone 22 may be brought into thermal contact, so that efficient cooling of the rigid conductor tube 11 is achieved through the cooling medium in the accommodating cavity 311 and the first flexible zone 21 .

[0088] In some embodiments, both the load and the power source have cooling cavities, and the flexible cooling tube 2 is connected between the cooling cavity of the load and the cooling cavity of the power source to transmit cooling medium between the load and the power source.

[0089] This allows the cooling medium to flow between the power supply, connecting cables and load, preventing the entire vehicle or vehicle charging equipment from overheating and ensuring charging safety.

[0090] For example, both ends of the main body 31 may be open, so that the cooling cavity on the power source and the cooling cavity on the load can be connected to the first flexible area 21 through the corresponding main body 31 .

[0091] Specifically, the battery pack generally includes a hollow cooling plate, the inner cavity of the cooling plate forms a cooling cavity of the battery pack, and the battery cell module of the battery pack can be cooled by the cooling plate to avoid thermal runaway of the battery pack. In this way, when the connecting cable is connected to the battery pack, the cooling medium in the battery pack can be effectively utilized.

[0092] In some embodiments, reference Figures 5 to 9 As shown, the inner wall of the rigid conductor tube 11 has a groove 111. The groove 111 is recessed in the axial direction away from the rigid conductor tube 11, and the second flexible area 22 and at least part of the main body 31 can extend into the groove 111. The axial direction of the rigid conductor tube 11 can be, for example, Fig. 9 In the X direction.

[0093] This arrangement can improve the smoothness of the cooling medium flowing between the first flexible zone 21 and the accommodating cavity 311 to a certain extent, thereby further improving the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11, and further improving the current carrying capacity of the cable structure 1. Moreover, the second flexible zone 22 and the main body 31 can be axially positioned to a certain extent through the groove 111, thereby ensuring the stability of the second flexible zone 22 and the main body 31 and further ensuring the cooling efficiency.

[0094] Reference Fig. 9 Specifically, when the second flexible zone 22 is sandwiched between the main body 31 and the cable structure 1, the inner diameter of the first flexible zone 21 can be equal to the inner diameter of the accommodating cavity 311, and the inner diameter of the first flexible zone 21 can be Fig. 9 b in the figure, the inner diameter of the accommodating cavity 311 can be Fig. 9 This makes the cooling medium flow more smoothly and improves the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11.

[0095] For example, refer to Figure 3 and 9 For example, the inner diameter of at least the portion of the second flexible zone 22 located in the groove 111 can be made larger than the inner diameter b of the first flexible zone 21, so as to accommodate the second flexible zone 22 in the groove 111. Of course, when the main body 31 extends into the second flexible zone 22, the second flexible zone 22 can be deformed and squeezed into the groove 111 due to the action of the main body 31.

[0096] In some embodiments, reference Figures 6 to 9As shown, a recessed portion 112 is provided on the groove wall of the groove 111 facing the axial side of the rigid conductor tube 11, and the recessed portion 112 is recessed in the axial direction away from the rigid conductor tube 11. Figures 4 to 9 The main body 31 has a protrusion 312 at a position corresponding to the recess 112 , and the protrusion 312 protrudes in a direction away from the axial direction of the main body 31 to confine a portion of the second flexible zone 22 within the recess 112 .

[0097] In this way, the groove 111 can accommodate at least part of the second flexible zone 22 and the main body 31 to ensure smooth flow of the cooling medium and realize axial positioning of the second flexible zone 22 and the main body 31. At the same time, part of the second flexible zone 22 can be further positioned by the recessed portion 112, thereby improving the stability of the flexible cooling tube 2 in the rigid conductor tube 11, and further ensuring stable heat exchange between the flexible cooling tube 2 and the rigid conductor tube 11, thereby ensuring the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11.

[0098] Exemplarily, for example, the protrusion 312 may press a portion of the second flexible region 22 into the recess 112 to form a protrusion 221 on the second flexible region 22 .

[0099] Of course, in other embodiments, the protrusion 221 may be directly provided on the second flexible region 22 so that the protrusion 221 extends into the recess 112 .

[0100] In some embodiments, reference Figure 6 As shown, along the axial direction of the rigid conductor tube 11 , the recessed portion 112 has a first side wall 115 and a second side wall 116 opposite to each other, and along the radial direction of the rigid conductor tube 11 , the distance between the first side wall 115 and the second side wall 116 gradually decreases.

[0101] Among them, refer to Figure 6 The axial direction of the rigid conductor tube 11 can be Figure 6 The up and down directions in Fig. 9 In the X direction, the radial direction of the rigid conductor tube 11 can be the direction from the center to the edge of the rigid conductor tube 11. Figure 6 Taking the right part of the rigid conductor tube 11 as an example, the radial direction of the rigid conductor tube 11 can be Figure 6 In the direction from left to right.

[0102] In this way, while positioning part of the second flexible zone 22 through the recessed portion 112, compared with the solution of keeping the distance between the first side wall and the second side wall unchanged, the cross-sectional area of ​​the rigid conductor tube 11 at the recessed portion 112 can be guaranteed to a certain extent, which is beneficial to further ensure the current-carrying capacity of the rigid conductor tube 11 and the cable structure 1 and the charging rate of loads such as the battery pack; and compared with the solution of gradually increasing the distance between the first side wall and the second side wall, this can improve the convenience of partially extending the second flexible zone 22 into the recessed portion 112 to a certain extent, thereby improving the installation efficiency and positioning efficiency of the flexible cooling tube 2 in the rigid conductor tube 11.

[0103] In some embodiments, reference Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the main body 31 has a guide slope 313, and the guide slope 313 extends inwardly along the direction in which the main body 31 extends into the second flexible area 22. Figure 6 For the main body 31 on the left side, the direction in which the main body 31 extends into the second flexible area 22 can be, for example, Figure 6 The bottom-up direction and Figure 4 In the X direction.

[0104] In this way, the guiding slope 313 can improve the convenience and efficiency of the main body 31 extending into the inner cavity of the second flexible zone 22, thereby improving the clamping efficiency of the second flexible zone 22 to a certain extent, and further improving the assembly convenience and efficiency of the connecting cable.

[0105] In some embodiments, reference Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the fixing member 3 further includes an abutment portion 32 connected to the main body portion 31. In the radial direction of the main body portion 31, the abutment portion 32 extends in a direction away from the main body portion 31, and can abut against the end surface of the cable structure 1 in the axial direction when the main body portion 31 extends into the inner cavity of the second flexible zone 22 and is in place.

[0106] In this way, the main body 31 is positioned by the abutment between the abutment portion 32 and the cable structure 1, so that the position stability and accuracy of the fixing member 3 relative to the cable structure 1 can be improved to a certain extent, thereby ensuring the clamping effect of the second flexible area 22. In addition, when the main body 31 clamps the second flexible area 22, the position of the main body 31 when it is extended into the second flexible area 22 can be indicated, thereby improving the convenience and clamping efficiency of the second flexible area 22.

[0107] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 As shown, there are at least two main body parts 31 , and the second flexible area 22 is used for at least any one of the main body parts 31 to extend into.

[0108] With such arrangement, for example, when one of the main bodies 31 is damaged, the other main bodies 31 can be used to clamp the second flexible area 22, thereby preventing the entire fixing member 3 from being scrapped.

[0109] In a specific implementation, for example, one of the main bodies 31 may be extended into the second flexible area 22 , and the other main body 31 may be extended into the cooling cavity of the power source or the load to realize the flow of the cooling medium.

[0110] In some embodiments, the fixing member 3 and the cable structure 1 are detachably connected, so that when one of the fixing member 3 and the cable structure 1 is damaged, only the damaged part needs to be replaced, thereby avoiding the scrapping of the fixing member 3 and the cable structure 1 as a whole to a certain extent, which is beneficial to saving maintenance and use costs.

[0111] In some embodiments, reference Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the fixing member 3 has a first fixing portion 331 , and the cable structure 1 has a second fixing portion 113 . The fixing member 3 is detachably connected to the cable structure 1 through the cooperation of the first fixing portion 331 and the second fixing portion 113 .

[0112] In this way, the stability of the fixing member 3 on the cable structure 1 can be further improved, thereby ensuring a stable connection between the flexible cooling tube 2 and the cable structure 1 , and further ensuring the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11 .

[0113] In some embodiments, reference Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the first fixing portion 331 includes a fixing hole, and the center line of the fixing hole intersects with the direction in which the main body 31 extends into the second flexible zone 22. The second fixing portion 113 includes a fixing protrusion, which can be extended into the fixing hole to connect the fixing member to the cable structure 1. The direction in which the main body 31 extends into the second flexible zone 22 can be Figure 4 In the X direction, the center line of the fixing hole can be Figure 4 In the Y direction, the two directions can be perpendicular or the angle between them is not equal to 90°.

[0114] In this way, the connection and positioning of the fixing member 3 on the cable structure 1 can be achieved by extending the fixing protrusion into the fixing hole. The first fixing portion 331 and the second fixing portion 113 have simple structures and are easy to connect.

[0115] Of course, the first fixing portion 331 may include a fixing protrusion, and the second fixing portion 113 may include a fixing hole.

[0116] In other embodiments, the first fixing portion 331 may be a fixing buckle, and the second fixing portion 113 may be a fixing buckle hole into which the fixing buckle can extend and match.

[0117] In some embodiments, reference Figures 1 to 6 As shown, there are at least two first fixing portions 331 , and among all the first fixing portions 331 , at least two first fixing portions 331 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the main body 31 . There are at least two second fixing portions 113 , and they are arranged one-to-one with the first fixing portions 331 .

[0118] In this way, the fixing part 3 and the cable structure 1 can be fixed at multiple positions in the circumferential direction of the main body 31, thereby improving the connection stability between the two, and further ensuring the stability of the flexible cooling tube 2 in the rigid conductor tube 11, so that the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11 can be further improved.

[0119] In some embodiments, reference Figures 4 to 7 As shown, the fixing member 3 also includes an extension arm 33 that can be covered on the outer circumference of the cable structure 1 , one end of the extension arm 33 is connected to the main body 31 , the other end of the extension arm 33 is a free end, and the first fixing portion 331 is located on the extension arm 33 .

[0120] This arrangement allows the extension arm 33 to be deformed relative to the main body 31 to facilitate the cooperation between the first fixing portion 331 and the second fixing portion 113, thereby improving the cooperation efficiency between the two.

[0121] In some embodiments, reference Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a positioning groove 114 is formed on the outer circumference of the cable structure 1 , and the extension arm 33 can extend into the positioning groove 114 .

[0122] In this way, the extension arm 33 can be positioned through the positioning groove 114 to ensure a reliable connection between the fixing member 3 and the cable structure 1. At the same time, since the extension arm 33 can be extended into the positioning groove 114, the outer diameter of the connecting cable at the extension arm 33 can be reduced to a certain extent, thereby reducing the space occupied by the connecting cable and preventing the connecting cable from interfering with other external structures.

[0123] In some embodiments, the shape of the positioning slot 114 matches the shape of the extension arm 33 .

[0124] In this way, the positioning effect of the positioning groove 114 on the extension arm 33 can be further improved, and the connection reliability between the fixing member 3 and the cable structure 1 can be further ensured.

[0125] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, a guide structure 4 is provided between the extension arm 33 and the side groove wall of the positioning groove 114 to guide the cooperation between the first fixing portion 331 and the second fixing portion 113 .

[0126] Such an arrangement can improve the matching efficiency between the first fixing portion 331 and the second fixing portion 113 to a certain extent, and further improve the assembly efficiency of the cable structure 1 .

[0127] For example, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 The guide structure 4 may include, for example, an inclined surface provided on at least one of the extension arm 33 and the side groove wall of the positioning groove 114 , and the inclined surface extends inwardly along the matching direction of the first fixing portion 331 and the second fixing portion 113 .

[0128] Of course, the guide structure 4 may also include a guide protrusion disposed on the extension arm 33 and a guide groove disposed on the side groove wall of the positioning groove 114 , and the guide protrusion extends into the guide groove and can slide along the guide groove.

[0129] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 As shown, along the axial direction of the rigid conductor tube 11, the rigid conductor tube 11 has a first section 101 and second sections 102 located on both sides of the first section 101. The first insulating layer 12 is located on the first section 101, and the fixing member 3 is connected to the second sections 102. One of the second sections 102 is used to be electrically connected to a power source, and the other second section 102 is used to be electrically connected to a load.

[0130] With such an arrangement, the first insulating layer 12 can be used to provide insulation protection for the first section 101 to ensure safety in use, and the connection of the flexible cooling tube 2 and the cable structure 1 can be achieved through the connection of the fixing member 3 on the second section 102, which is convenient for connection and also facilitates electrical connection between the power supply and the load and the rigid conductor tube 11.

[0131] in, Figure 5 Only the second section 102 on one side of the first section 101 is shown.

[0132] For example, during production, a first insulating layer 12 can be first provided on the entire rigid conductor tube 11 , and then the first insulating layer 12 at the second section 102 can be peeled off to expose the outer wall surface of the second section 102 , and then the second fixing portion 113 , the positioning groove 114 , etc. can be formed on the second section 102 .

[0133] In some embodiments, reference Figure 6 As shown, each second segment 102 includes a first subsegment 103 and a second subsegment 104, and the first subsegment 103 is located between the first segment 101 and the second subsegment 104. The second subsegment 104 is used to connect with the fixing member 3, wherein the first subsegment 103 of one second segment 102 is used to be electrically connected to a power source, and wherein the first subsegment 103 of another second segment 102 is used to be electrically connected to a load.

[0134] In this way, the partitioned connection of the power supply, the load and the fixing part 3 on the second section 102 is achieved to prevent interference during connection, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electrical connection between the power supply, the load and the rigid conductor tube 11 and the fixing effect of the fixing part 3 on the flexible cooling tube 2, further ensuring the stability of the flexible cooling tube 2, and further improving the cooling efficiency of the rigid conductor tube 11.

[0135] In some embodiments, reference Figures 7 to 9 As shown, each second segment 102 is provided with at least one conductive connector 5, and each second segment 102 is electrically connected to a corresponding power source or load through the conductive connector 5. The power source and the load both have a hollow conductive terminal with one end open, and the second segment 102 can extend into the hollow conductive terminal through the open end.

[0136] In this way, while the second section 102 is electrically connected to the power supply or load through the conductive connector 5, the second section 102 can also be protected to a certain extent through the inner cavity of the hollow conductive terminal, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electrical connection and the stable connection between the rigid conductor tube 11 and the flexible cooling tube 2.

[0137] Exemplarily, during specific implementation, different numbers of conductive connectors 5 may be selected according to the power transmission requirements between the power source and the load.

[0138] In some embodiments, the conductive connector 5 is elastic, so that when the second section 102 extends into the hollow conductive terminal, the conductive connector 5 can be deformed to achieve electrical connection between the rigid conductor tube 11 and the hollow conductive terminal while improving the electrical connection efficiency. The elasticity of the conductive connector 5 can further ensure the reliability of the electrical connection and the stability of power transmission.

[0139] In some embodiments, reference Figure 7 As shown, the conductive connector 5 includes an annular conductive member wound around the outer circumference of the second section 102, so that the rigid conductor tube 11 and the hollow conductive terminal can be electrically connected from the circumference of the second section 102, thereby further increasing the contact area between the two and further improving the stability of the electrical connection.

[0140] Exemplarily, the conductive connecting member 5 may be, for example, a conductive spring, a conductive foam, etc. For example, the conductive connecting member 5 may be a metal connecting member.

[0141] In some embodiments, reference Figures 6 to 9As shown, the second section 102 has a limiting groove 117, and part of the conductive connector 5 is located in the limiting groove 117, so that the guide connector can be limited by the limiting groove 117, thereby improving the stability of the conductive connector 5 to a certain extent, and further ensuring the reliable electrical connection between the rigid conductor tube 11 and the hollow conductive terminal.

[0142] When the conductive connecting member 5 is annular, the limiting groove 117 is also correspondingly annular.

[0143] This embodiment also provides a vehicle, including a load, a power source, and a connecting cable.

[0144] The structure and implementation principle of the connection cable are the same as those of the connection cables provided in the above embodiments, and can bring the same or similar technical effects, which will not be described in detail here, and specific details can be referred to the description of the above embodiments.

[0145] This embodiment also provides a vehicle charging device, including a load, a power supply, and a connecting cable.

[0146] The structure and implementation principle of the connection cable are the same as those of the connection cables provided in the above embodiments, and can bring the same or similar technical effects, which will not be described in detail here, and specific details can be referred to the description of the above embodiments.

[0147] In this article, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0148] In this article, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the statement "comprises a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0149] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A connecting cable, characterized in that: It comprises a cable structure (1) and a flexible cooling pipe (2) at least for accommodating a cooling medium; The cable structure (1) comprises a rigid conductor tube (11) and a first insulating layer (12) arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rigid conductor tube (11), wherein the rigid conductor tube (11) is used for electrically connecting between a power source and a load; The flexible cooling tube (2) can extend into the rigid conductor tube (11) through one end of the rigid conductor tube (11) and be in thermal contact with the rigid conductor tube (11); a fixing member (3) is provided at the end of the cable structure (1), and the fixing member (3) is used to fix the flexible cooling tube (2) on the cable structure (1) after the flexible cooling tube (2) extends into the rigid conductor tube (11).

2. The connecting cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing member (3) comprises a main body (31), and along the axial direction of the flexible cooling pipe (2), the flexible cooling pipe (2) comprises a first flexible area (21) and a second flexible area (22) located at the end of the first flexible area (21); The main body (31) can extend into the inner cavity of the second flexible area (22) so as to sandwich the second flexible area (22) between the main body (31) and the cable structure (1).

3. The connecting cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body (31) has a receiving cavity (311) therein, and at least one end of the receiving cavity (311) is open so as to communicate with the inner cavity of the first flexible area (21) when the main body (31) extends into the inner cavity of the second flexible area (22).

4. The connecting cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner tube wall of the rigid conductor tube (11) is provided with a groove (111); The groove (111) is recessed in an axial direction away from the rigid conductor tube (11), and the second flexible area (22) and at least a portion of the main body (31) can extend into the groove (111).

5. The connecting cable according to claim 4, characterized in that: A recessed portion (112) is provided on the groove wall of the groove (111) on one side of the axial direction of the rigid conductor tube (11), and the recessed portion (112) is recessed in the axial direction away from the rigid conductor tube (11); The main body (31) has a protrusion (312) at a position corresponding to the recessed portion (112), and the protrusion (312) protrudes in a direction away from the axial direction of the main body (31) to confine a portion of the second flexible area (22) within the recessed portion (112).

6. The connecting cable according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body (31) is provided with a guiding inclined surface (313), and in a direction along which the main body (31) extends into the second flexible area (22), the guiding inclined surface (313) extends inwardly at an angle; And / or, the fixing member (3) further comprises an abutment portion (32) connected to the main body portion (31); along the radial direction of the main body portion (31), the abutment portion (32) extends in a direction away from the main body portion (31), and can abut against an end face of the cable structure (1) in the axial direction when the main body portion (31) is inserted into the inner cavity of the second flexible zone (22) and is in place; And / or, there are at least two main body parts (31), and the second flexible area (22) is used for at least any one of the main body parts (31) to extend into.

7. The connecting cable according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The fixing member (3) and the cable structure (1) are detachably connected; The fixing member (3) has a first fixing portion (331), and the cable structure (1) has a second fixing portion (113) that is detachably matched with the first fixing portion (331), so as to connect the fixing member (3) and the cable structure (1).

8. The connecting cable according to claim 7, characterized in that: One of the first fixing portion (331) and the second fixing portion (113) comprises a fixing hole, and a center line of the fixing hole intersects with a direction in which the main body portion (31) extends into the second flexible area (22); The other of the first fixing portion (331) and the second fixing portion (113) comprises a fixing protrusion, and the fixing protrusion can extend into the fixing hole to connect the fixing member to the cable structure (1); And / or, there are at least two first fixing parts (331), and among all the first fixing parts (331), at least two first fixing parts (331) are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the main body (31); and there are at least two second fixing parts (113), and they are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first fixing parts (331).

9. The connecting cable according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fixing member (3) further comprises an extension arm (33) which can be covered on the outer peripheral surface of the cable structure (1), one end of the extension arm (33) is connected to the main body (31), the other end of the extension arm (33) is a free end, and the first fixing portion (331) is located on the extension arm (33); The outer peripheral surface of the cable structure (1) is provided with a positioning groove (114), and the extension arm (33) can extend into the positioning groove (114); The shape of the positioning groove (114) is adapted to the shape of the extension arm (33); and / or a guide structure (4) is provided between the extension arm (33) and the side groove wall of the positioning groove (114) to guide the cooperation between the first fixing portion (331) and the second fixing portion (113).

10. The connecting cable according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Along the axial direction of the rigid conductor tube (11), the rigid conductor tube (11) has a first section (101) and second sections (102) located on both sides of the first section (101); The first insulating layer (12) is located on the first section (101), and the fixing member (3) is connected to the second section (102); One of the second sections (102) is used to be electrically connected to the power source, and the other of the second sections (102) is used to be electrically connected to the load.

11. The connecting cable according to claim 10, characterized in that: Each of the second sections (102) comprises a first subsection (103) and a second subsection (104), wherein the first subsection (103) is located between the first section (101) and the second subsection (104); The second sub-segment (104) is used to be connected to the fixing member (3), the first sub-segment (103) of one of the second segments (102) is used to be electrically connected to the power source, and the first sub-segment (103) of another of the second segments (102) is used to be electrically connected to the load.

12. The connecting cable according to claim 10, characterized in that: Each of the second sections (102) is provided with at least one conductive connecting member (5), and each of the second sections (102) is electrically connected to the corresponding power source or the load via the conductive connecting member (5); The power source and the load both have a hollow conductive terminal with one end open, and the second section (102) can extend into the hollow conductive terminal through the open end; The conductive connecting member (5) is elastic; and / or the conductive connecting member (5) comprises an annular conductive member wound around the outer circumference of the second section (102); and / or the second section (102) has a limiting groove (117), and part of the conductive connecting member (5) is located in the limiting groove (117).

13. The connecting cable according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The cable structure (1) further comprises a shielding layer (13) arranged on at least a portion of the outer circumference of the first insulating layer (12); The cable structure (1) further comprises a second insulating layer (14) arranged on at least part of the outer periphery of the shielding layer (13); And / or, the flexible cooling pipe (2) comprises an insulating flexible pipe.

14. A vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises a load, a power supply and a connecting cable as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, characterized in that The load and the power supply are both provided with a cooling cavity; The flexible cooling pipe (2) is connected between the cooling cavity of the load and the cooling cavity of the power source to transmit the cooling medium between the load and the power source.

16. A vehicle charging device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a load, a power supply and a connecting cable as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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