Touch-protected contact component
By using contact parts protected by touch in the connection of electric vehicle battery modules, the safety problems of high current and high voltage connections are solved, and the effect of safety improvement and assembly simplification is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411624882.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-11-16
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-14
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-16
AI Technical Summary
In electric vehicles, the connection of the battery module needs to meet the safety requirements of high current and high voltage while avoiding destructive arcs during the connection.
A contact protected contact component is employed, including a contact element made of a first material, a connecting element that penetrates and is electrically connected to the contact element, and a contact housing that retains the contact element and the connecting element. The connecting element is maintained in the plug-in position with respect to the contact housing and protrudes from the contact element in the plug-in direction, and the penetrating portion of the contact element is made of a second material with high resistance.
By increasing the safety of high current or high voltage connections, reducing or avoiding the occurrence of destructive arcs, the assembly process is simplified and complexity is reduced.
Smart Images
Figure CN120016187A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The invention relates to a contact component protected from touch for electrically connecting a battery module, in particular a battery module in an electric vehicle, wherein the contact component is configured to be connected to a mating contact component and a contact assembly having such a contact component and a mating contact component. Background Art
[0002] In electric vehicles, the battery is the main source of drive energy. The battery usually consists of several battery modules that must be electrically connected to each other. In addition, the battery must be connected to the user load of the electric vehicle. The requirements for such connections are high. They must be robustly constructed to withstand high currents as well as vibration and temperature influences. In addition, these connections must be touch-proof so that people are not endangered by high voltages and high currents. Finally, precautions must be taken to avoid damaging or destroying components of the electric vehicle, for example by sparks or arcs, when establishing the connections. Summary of the invention
[0003] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a modular connector that meets these requirements.
[0004] On the one hand, the present invention solves this problem by means of a touch-protected contact component for electrically connecting battery modules, wherein the contact component is configured to be connected to a mating contact component in a plug-in direction, wherein the contact component has a contact element made of a first material, a connecting element penetrating the contact element and being electrically conductively connected to the contact element, and a contact housing for holding the contact element and the connecting element, wherein the connecting element is held in a plug-in position relative to the contact housing, in which the connecting element protrudes from the contact element in the plug-in direction, and the part of the connecting element penetrating the contact element and protruding from the contact element is made of a second material having a greater electrical resistance than the first material.
[0005] On the other hand, the problem is solved by a contact assembly having the above-mentioned touch-protected contact component and a mating contact component, the contact assembly comprising a mating contact, a mating connecting element and a mating contact housing, the mating contact being configured to be in electrical contact with the contact component, the mating connecting element being configured to be complementary to the connecting element for connecting the contact component and the mating contact component, the mating contact component being conductively connected to the mating contact, and the contact element and the mating connecting element being held in the mating contact housing.
[0006] These solutions allow to increase the safety of high current or high voltage connections, to facilitate handling during assembly and to eliminate additional pre-charging circuits which would require more components and increase complexity. Due to its higher resistance, the connection element forms a pre-charging resistor which reduces or even avoids destructive arcs.
[0007] Due to the higher resistance of the connecting element material, the voltage peak is reduced when the connection is established. At the same time, since the connecting element protrudes from the contact element, it is ensured that one end of the arc lies on the connecting element.
[0008] The present invention can be further improved by the following configurations, each of which is preferred in itself and can be combined with any of the other configurations.
[0009] The first material and the second material are preferably primary conductors, and include, for example, metals having good electrical conductivity.
[0010] The first material may include or consist of copper and / or aluminum. Both materials are highly conductive, durable, easily molded, versatile, and cost-effective.
[0011] The second material may contain steel or consist of steel. Steel components have a higher melting point and a higher electrical resistance, which results in lower current and less material removal in the event of a spark.
[0012] The connecting element can have a threaded part or be configured as a threaded part, which has a threaded section and a pre-contact pin, which adjoins the threaded section in the plug-in direction. The pre-contact pin ensures that the connecting element first contacts the mating contact part and that the thread is not damaged by the arc. The diameter of the pre-contact pin should be smaller than the core diameter of the threaded section. The length of the pre-contact pin in the longitudinal direction can be between about one third of its diameter and about its diameter or more. The longitudinal axis of the threaded part, in particular the longitudinal axis of the pre-contact pin, is preferably parallel to the plug-in direction.
[0013] The screw is held by the contact housing so as to be rotatable and can preferably be driven or screwed from the outside of the contact part. In particular, it has a head with a screw driver, which should be designed to be touch-protected. In addition, the screw can have a flange, which follows the head in the plug-in direction and has a larger diameter than the diameter of the head.
[0014] In an alternative configuration, the connection element can have a threaded bushing with an internal thread or be configured as a threaded bushing.The mating connection element can then comprise a threaded piece.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the contact element can have a busbar or be configured as a busbar. Alternatively or cumulatively, the contact element can have a contact socket or be configured as a contact socket. A combination of a busbar and a contact socket can also be provided. The advantage of the different options is that the contact component can be adapted to different installation space requirements depending on the application.
[0016] A preferred embodiment of the invention can have a touch protection element made of an electrically insulating material, which surrounds the connecting element at its end opposite to the plugging direction. If the connecting element is designed as a screw, the touch protection element can surround the screw head of the connecting element, which allows safe manual assembly.
[0017] In one configuration, the connecting element can be longer than the contact element and can protrude from the contact element. Alternatively, the connecting element can be shorter than the contact element and cannot protrude from the contact element. Accordingly, the mating connecting element can be constructed complementarily and, if the connecting element is constructed shorter, the mating connecting element can, for example, be longer than the mating contact.
[0018] A preferred embodiment of the contact part can comprise a spring element, by means of which the connecting element is held elastically in the plug-in direction in the plug-in position.
[0019] The spring element can be supported in particular axially between the contact housing and the connecting element. The spring element can be a separate component and can abut against the end of the connecting element facing in the direction opposite to the plugging direction. The spring element can abut against the head of the connecting element, in particular the flange. This allows the spring element to generate an axial spring force that presses the connecting element into the desired position. The spring element can be a disc spring. The spring element can also be a helical spring, such as a compression spring. The use of a spring is cost-effective and allows the contact component to be easily manufactured.
[0020] According to another configuration, the spring element can be formed integrally with the contact housing. The spring element can be configured, for example, as a contact tongue, which elastically engages the connecting element transversely to the plugging direction and / or radially in the plugging direction. In this case, the spring element can abut against the connecting element via an inclined surface. The inclined surface can convert the radial spring force of the spring element into an axial direction. Such an integral spring element is easier to manufacture and simplifies assembly.
[0021] A configuration with a plurality of spring elements is also possible, each spring element adopting one of the above-mentioned configurations. In particular, the spring elements can be configured in the same way.
[0022] In an alternative or cumulative embodiment, the connecting element can be held in the contact housing in a frictionally engaged manner, which reduces the number of components and allows easy handling.
[0023] Furthermore, the connecting element can be overmoulded by the housing in order to save assembly steps.
[0024] A preferred embodiment of the contact arrangement provides that the contact element and the mating connecting element are held in a mating contact housing in a touch-protected manner in order to meet safety requirements.
[0025] Depending on the configuration of the connection element, if the connection element is a threaded part, the mating connection element can be, for example, a threaded bushing. The threaded bushing can protrude toward the connection element against the plugging direction of the mating contact part and can protrude beyond the surface of the mating contact. Alternatively or cumulatively, the mating contact can have a flat surface and be formed, for example, by the busbar itself.
[0026] The mating contact can be made of a first material. The mating connection element can be made of a second material. Thus, the mating contact and the contact element can form a main contact pair made of the same material, and the connection element and the mating connection element can form a pre-contact pair, wherein the pre-contact pair can be electrically connected before the main contacts during the plugging movement of the contact part and the mating contact part.
[0027] The contact part and the mating contact part can have housing sections that can be plugged into each other, and the contact part and the mating contact part are guided through the housing sections in the plugging direction when plugged together. In particular, the housing sections can be configured so that the contact part and the mating contact part are actively guided when plugged together. With this configuration, movements transverse to the plugging direction can be blocked by the housing sections.
[0028] Furthermore, the contact part and the mating contact part may be configured such that they can be plugged together in a plugging movement extending along the plugging direction, in particular, the contact part and the mating contact part may be configured such that they can be plugged together parallel to the plugging direction.
[0029] During the plugging movement until the contact element and the mating contact come into contact, the distance between the connection element and the mating connection element may always be smaller than the distance between the contact element and the mating contact. The distance between the pre-contact pin and the mating connection element may always be smaller than the distance between the contact socket and the mating contact to ensure initial contact by the pre-contact pair.
[0030] During the plugging movement, electrical contact can be made between the connection element and the mating connection element before electrical contact is made between the contact element and the mating contact. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] In the following, the invention is described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings by means of exemplary embodiments. In this context, the same reference numerals are always used in the drawings for elements that correspond to each other in terms of function and / or structure.
[0032] According to the above description, if the technical effect associated with the feature of the embodiment is irrelevant to a specific application, the feature can be omitted. On the contrary, if the technical effect of the feature to be added is relevant to a specific application, the feature that does not yet exist in the embodiment can also be added to the embodiment according to the above description.
[0033] As shown in the following figure:
[0034] Figure 1 Illustration of contact parts protected from touch;
[0035] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a contact component protected from touch;
[0036] Figure 3 Illustration of a contact assembly having a touch-protected contact part and a mating contact part;
[0037] Figure 4 a cross-sectional view of the first contact between the contact member and the mating contact member; and
[0038] Figure 5 Illustration of the contact assembly when fully engaged. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of a contact element 1 protected from touch is shown.
[0040] Figure 1 A touch-protected contact component 1 is shown, which has a contact element 2. In this example, the contact element 2 is formed directly by the busbar 4, in particular by one end of the busbar 4. The contact element 2 can also be designed as a combination of a busbar 4 and a contact socket 6. If the busbar 4 itself forms the contact element 2, the contact socket 6 can be omitted. The busbar 4 can be designed as an elongated plate and can be oriented with a wide longitudinal surface 8 in the plug-in direction 10, in which the contact component 1 is connected with a mating contact element (not shown). The connecting element 14 is plugged through the opening 12 of the contact element 2 and protrudes from the contact element 2 in the plug-in direction 10.
[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the connecting element 14 can be designed as a screw 15 with a threaded section 16. The pre-contact pin 18 can extend in the plugging direction 10 on the threaded section 16 of the connecting element 14. The diameter 20 of the pre-contact pin 18 can be smaller than the core diameter 22 of the threaded section 16. The length of the pre-contact pin 18 in the plugging direction 10 can be between about one third of its diameter and about its diameter or more.
[0042] The contact element 2 and the connecting element 14 are at least partially surrounded by a contact housing 24 in a touch-protected manner. The contact housing 24 can be constructed in one piece. The contact housing 24 can also be composed of multiple parts. The contact housing 24 has a through-opening 26, through which the connecting element 14 is plugged, and through which the connecting element 14 protrudes from the contact housing 24 in the plug-in direction 10. The through-opening 26 of the contact housing 24 and the opening 12 of the contact element 2 can be coaxially aligned with each other or can be constructed to overlap at least partially so that the connecting element can be guided through the two openings 26, 12.
[0043] The contact housing 24 may also have a spring element 28 which holds the connecting element 14 in a plugging position 30 in which it protrudes from the contact socket 6 in the plugging direction. This is intended to allow the connecting element 14 to contact a mating contact component earlier than the contact element 2.
[0044] The spring element 28 generates in particular a spring force 32 in order to maintain the plug position 30. In this case, the spring element 28 can be designed as a compression spring, for example as a helical spring or a disc spring. In another preferred configuration, the spring element 28 can be part of the contact housing 24 and in particular can be integrally formed by the contact housing 24. In such a case, the spring element 28 can be designed as an elastic contact tongue or a clamping lug. Instead of the spring element 28, the connecting element 14 can also be held in the contact housing 24 in a frictionally engaged manner.
[0045] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated configuration, the touch-protected contact part 1 has a touch protection element 34 which is mounted or sprayed onto the connecting element at the end of the connecting element 14 lying opposite to the plug-in direction and has a screw drive 36 for manual assembly. The touch protection element 34 can be located on the non-contact side 38 of the contact part 1, i.e. at the end 40 of the connecting element 14 lying opposite to the plug-in direction 10.
[0046] Figure 2 A sectional view of a contact component 1 protected from touch is shown, wherein an embodiment of a connecting element 14 is shown as a screw having a flange 41 and / or a screw head 42 at the non-contact end 40 of the connecting element 14, wherein the screw head 42 bears against a surface 44 of a busbar 4 of the contact element 2 on the non-contact side 38. The touch protection element 34 thus surrounds the screw head 42 and is pressed into the plug-in position 30 by a spring element 28, which is located between the contact housing 24 and the touch protection element 34 or the connecting element 14. In this case, the spring element bears against the flange 41, the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the screw head 42 and which follows the screw head 42 in the plug-in direction.
[0047] Contact element 2 Figure 2 4 shows a connection between a busbar 4 and a contact socket 6, wherein the connecting element 14 is first plugged through the busbar 4 and then through the contact socket 6 in the plug-in direction 10 and projects out of the contact socket 6. All three elements are electrically conductively connected to one another in the contact part protected from contact.
[0048] The connecting element 14 is made of a different material than the contact element 2. Thus, the connecting element 14 can be made of steel and the contact element 2 can be made of copper. In the preferred embodiment, the contact housing 24 is divided into two in the plugging direction and in one half 46 it holds the contact socket 6 on the busbar 4. The spring element 28 can be located in the other half 48.
[0049] Figures 3 to 5 A contact assembly 50 is shown with a touch-protected contact part 1 and a mating contact part 52 .
[0050] Figure 3 The touch-protected contact assembly 50 is shown before contact is made.
[0051] The mating contact component 52 includes a mating connection element 54 and a mating contact 56. In this case, the mating connection element 54 is configured to be complementary to the connection element 14. The mating connection element 54 can be configured as a threaded bushing 55 having an internal thread 58, wherein the threaded section 16 is configured so that the threaded section 16 engages when it contacts the internal thread 58 of the mating connection element 56. The mating contact 56 can be a busbar 4. Likewise, the mating contact 56 can be a combination of a busbar 4 and a contact socket 6.
[0052] The busbars 4 of the touch-protected contact part 1 and the busbars 4 of the mating contact part 52 may each have a wide longitudinal surface 8 pointing towards the other busbar 4. The busbars 4 may be aligned parallel to each other and may be spaced apart before contact is made.
[0053] In the mating contact part 52 , the mating connecting element 54 is guided through an opening 60 of the mating contact 56 and projects counter to the plug-in direction 10 over the surface of the busbar 4 .
[0054] One embodiment provides a protective ring 62 made of a non-conductive material, which is placed on the mating connection element 54 having a through opening 64. The protective ring 62 can function as a finger protection during assembly. The protective ring 62 can have a slightly larger diameter than the mating connection element 54.
[0055] The connecting element 14 can be manually rotated about the axis of the plugging direction 10 by means of the touch protection element 34 of the touch-protected contact part 1. The mating connecting element 54 can be made of the same material as the connecting element 14. The mating connecting element 54 can be made of steel or a material containing steel. The mating contact 56 can be made of the same material as the contact element 2.
[0056] Figure 4 The contact assembly 50 is shown during initial contact during assembly. Figure 4 It is shown that the connection element 14 with the pre-contact pin 18 first contacts the mating connection element 54 of the mating contact part 52, and the contact element 2 and the mating contact 56 are still at a distance 57 from each other. In this case, the protective ring 62 can prevent possible sparks. Thus, the connection element 14 and the mating connection element 54 can form a pre-contact pair, while the contact element 2 and the mating contact 56 form a main contact pair.
[0057] The mating connection element 54 is configured in this embodiment such that a flange 66 is formed at a non-contact end 68 of the mating connection element 54 and abuts against a surface of the busbar 4 on a non-contact side 70 of the mating contact part.
[0058] After the initial contact of the connecting element 14 with the mating connecting element 54 , the contact element 2 can now be connected to the mating contact 56 by manually screwing the connecting element 14 into the mating connecting element 54 via the touch protection element 34 .
[0059] The contact housing 24 and the mating contact housing 74 of the touch-protected contact component 1 can be configured such that the housing section 72 of the contact housing 24 can be inserted into the mating contact housing 74 in sections and the housing section 72 therefore has a smaller diameter than the mating contact housing 74. Alternatively, the mating contact housing 74 can have a section with a smaller diameter than the contact housing 24, so that the contact housing 24 can be inserted at least in sections on the mating contact housing 74.
[0060] In particular, the housing section 72 and the mating contact housing 74 can be designed such that the connection from the connecting element 14 to the mating connecting element 54 and the connection from the contact element 2 to the mating contact 56 are guided on the housing section 72 along the plug-in direction 10 .
[0061] Figure 5The contact assembly 50 is shown when the connecting element 14 and the mating connecting element 54 and the contact element 2 and the mating contact 56 are in full contact. An alternative embodiment provides that the connecting element 14 is shorter than the contact element 2 and does not protrude from the contact element 2, while the mating connecting element 54 is longer than the mating contact 56 and protrudes from the mating contact 56, so that the initial contact of the pre-contact pair is still ensured. The opposite configuration is also conceivable. Alternatively, the connecting element 14 can be configured as a threaded bushing 55, and the mating connecting element 54 is configured as a threaded member that is frictionally connected to the threaded bushing 55.
[0062] Reference numerals
[0063] 1Contact parts protected from touch
[0064] 02Contact elements
[0065] 04Bus
[0066] 06Contact socket
[0067] 08 Longitudinal surface of busbar
[0068] 10. Plug direction
[0069] 12 Opening of contact element
[0070] 14Connection elements, threaded parts
[0071] 15 Threaded Parts
[0072] 16 thread segments
[0073] 18 pre-contact pins
[0074] 20 Pre-contact pin diameter
[0075] 22 Core diameter of threaded section
[0076] 24 contact housing
[0077] 26Through opening of contact housing
[0078] 28 Spring element
[0079] 30 Plug-in position of connecting element
[0080] 32 Spring force
[0081] 34 Touch protection parts
[0082] 36 screw drive parts
[0083] 38 Non-contact side of contact component
[0084] 40 Non-contact end of connecting element
[0085] 41 Flange
[0086] 42 thread head
[0087] 44 Busbar surface
[0088] 46 Half of the contact housing with the contact bushing
[0089] 48 The other half of the contact housing having the contact bushing
[0090] 50 contact assembly
[0091] 52 Mating contact parts
[0092] 54 matching connection elements
[0093] 55 thread bushing
[0094] 56 Mating contacts
[0095] 57 Main contact distance
[0096] 58 internal thread
[0097] 60 Opening for mating contacts
[0098] 62 protection ring
[0099] 64 protection ring through opening
[0100] 66 Flange of mating connecting element
[0101] 70 Non-contact side of mating contact component
[0102] 72 Shell section
[0103] 74 Mating contact housing
Claims
1. A contact component (1) protected from touch for electrically connecting a battery module, in, The contact component (1) is configured to be connected to a mating contact component (52) in a plug-in direction (10). The contact component (1) comprises a contact element (2) made of a first material. a connecting element (14) which penetrates the contact element (2) and is electrically conductively connected to the contact element (2), and A contact housing (24) which holds the contact element (2) and the connecting element (14); wherein the connecting element (14) is held in a plug-in position (30) relative to the contact housing (24), in which position the connecting element (14) protrudes from the contact element (2) in the plug-in direction (10), and The portion of the connecting element (14) that penetrates the contact element (2) and protrudes from the contact element (2) is made of a second material having a resistance greater than that of the first material.
2. The touch-protected contact component (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The first material and the second material are primary electrical conductors.
3. The touch-protected contact component (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The first material comprises copper and / or aluminum, and the second material comprises steel.
4. The contact element (1) protected from touch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in, The connecting element (14) comprises a threaded part having a threaded section (16) and a pre-contact pin (18) adjoining the threaded section (16) in the plug-in direction (10). The diameter (20) of the pre-contact pin (18) is smaller than the core diameter (22) of the threaded section (16).
5. The contact element (1) protected from touch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in, The contact part (1) has a spring element (28), by means of which the connecting element (14) is elastically held in the plug-in position (30) along the plug-in direction (10).
6. The touch-protected contact component (1) according to claim 5, in, The spring element (28) is supported between the contact housing (24) and the connecting element (14).
7. The contact component (1) protected against touch according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The contact element (2) comprises a busbar (4).
8. The touch-protected contact component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The contact element (2) comprises a contact socket (6).
9. A touch-protected contact component (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the connecting element (14) comprises a touch protection piece (34) made of an electrically insulating material, the touch protection piece (34) surrounding the connecting element (14) at an end (40) of the connecting element (14) located opposite to the plug-in direction (10).
10. A contact assembly (50) for connecting a battery module, A contact element (1) having a touch protection according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and A mating contact component (52) comprising a mating contact (56) and a mating connecting element (54), wherein the mating contact is configured to be in electrical contact with the contact element (2), the mating connecting element is configured to be complementary to the connecting element (14) for connecting the contact component (1) and the mating contact component (52), and the mating contact component is electrically conductively connected to the mating contact (56), and A mating contact housing (74) in which the contact element (2) and the mating connecting element (54) are held.
11. The contact assembly (50) according to claim 10, in, The mating contact (56) is made of the first material, and the mating connecting element (54) is made of the second material.
12. The contact assembly (50) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The mating connection element (54) comprises a threaded bushing (55).
13. The contact assembly (50) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein: The contact component (1) and the mating contact component (52) comprise housing segments (72) which can be plugged into each other and, when plugged together, the contact component (1) and the mating contact component (52) are guided along the plugging direction (10) by means of the housing segments (72).
14. The contact assembly (50) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, in, The contact component (1) and the mating contact component (52) are configured to be plugged together in a plugging movement extending along the plugging direction (10). During the plugging movement until the contact element (2) and the mating contact (56) come into contact, the distance between the connecting element (14) and the mating connecting element is always smaller than the distance (57) between the contact element (2) and the mating contact (56).
15. The contact assembly (50) according to any one of claims 10 to 14, in, The contact component (1) and the mating contact component (52) are configured to be plugged together in a plugging movement extending along the plugging direction (10). During the plugging movement, electrical contact is established between the connecting element (14) and the mating connecting element (54) before electrical contact is established between the contact element (2) and the mating contact (56).