Liquid cooling heat dissipation plug and liquid cooling heat dissipation connector

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of replacement of energy storage elements in electric vehicles, in particular to a liquid-cooling heat dissipation plug and a liquid-cooling heat dissipation connector which can utilize a circulating medium for circulating heat dissipation. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug comprises a front insulator arranged close to the plug plugging end and a rear insulator arranged away from the plug plugging end, a power terminal is fixedly arranged on the front insulator, the rear end of the power terminal is sleeved with a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange box body, a medium inlet and a medium outlet are formed in the heat exchange box body, and the medium inlet and the medium outlet are communicated with the power terminal. An insulating sleeve is arranged between the power terminal and a heat exchange box body of the heat exchanger, and the front insulator and the rear insulator are fixedly connected to restrain the heat exchange box body of the heat exchanger between the front insulator and the rear insulator. According to the electric connector, after the heat exchanger is arranged on the plug, a structure special for fixing the heat exchanger is not added, the technological process of fixing the heat exchanger in the manufacturing link is not added, and therefore the problem that an existing electric connector with the terminal having the circulating cooling function is high in cost is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of replacement of energy storage elements in electric vehicles, and in particular to a liquid cooling heat dissipation plug and a liquid cooling heat dissipation connector which can utilize a circulating medium to circulate heat. Background Art

[0002] In new energy electric vehicles, the transmission of signals and power between the battery pack and the vehicle relies on electrical connectors. At present, with the continuous improvement of the charging rate requirements of electric vehicles, the power requirements of electrical connectors are also getting higher and higher. As a result, the power terminals of the electrical connectors need to carry a huge current, causing serious heating. During use, the terminals are located in the closed space between the plug and the socket of the electrical connector. After the heat accumulates, it is difficult to dissipate. On the one hand, it will cause the rapid aging of the plastic parts in the electrical connector, and on the other hand, it may also bring certain safety hazards.

[0003] In general, the common way to solve the heat dissipation problem of electrical connector terminals is to increase the specifications of the terminals to increase the heat dissipation area, or to thicken the connecting wires at the tail of the terminals to improve the heat dissipation efficiency. However, the terminals of electrical connectors are generally made of precious metals, and the above methods will greatly increase the cost of the electrical connectors.

[0004] In the face of the above problems, a utility model patent with an authorization announcement number of CN218616279U and an authorization announcement date of March 14, 2023 discloses a cooling structure for automobile charging terminals. The cooling structure for automobile charging terminals includes a DC contact terminal as a power terminal and other functional terminals mixed with the DC contact terminal as a signal terminal. In the cooling structure of the automobile charging pile, an L-shaped heat dissipation portion is provided at the tail of the DC contact terminal, and the heat dissipation portion is covered with rubber for insulation. A cold water plate is also provided at the tail of the two DC contact terminals, which is actually a cold water tank. Two sets of water nozzles are connected to the cold water tank to introduce and lead out the coolant. The heat dissipation portion of the DC contact terminal fits with the corresponding side of the cold water tank. When the above-mentioned automobile charging terminal cooling structure is in use, the heat generated by the DC contact terminal is transferred to the cold water tank in the form of heat transfer. One of the two water nozzles of the cold water tank is for water inlet and the other is for water outlet, and the heat transmitted from the DC contact terminal is taken out of the connector housing by water.

[0005] Although the above-mentioned automobile charging terminal cooling structure can solve the problem of low terminal heat dissipation efficiency. However, it is necessary to set an L-shaped heat dissipation portion at the tail of the DC contact terminal. As a result, the structure of the DC contact terminal has changed, which will still lead to an increase in the overall cost of the electrical connector. And because the heat dissipation portion is set, this will also lead to an increase in the material used for the power terminal, and thus an increase in the cost of the electrical connector. In addition, in the above-mentioned structure, a special connection structure is set between the cold water plate and the shell of the electrical connector. During installation, there will inevitably be a step of fixing the cold water tank and the shell, which will complicate the assembly process of the electrical connector and, on the other hand, increase the manufacturing cost of the electrical connector. Summary of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a liquid-cooled heat dissipation plug to solve the problem of high cost of existing electrical connectors with circulating cooling terminals.

[0007] At the same time, the purpose of the present invention is also to provide a liquid cooling connector using the above-mentioned liquid cooling plug.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the liquid cooling heat dissipation plug of the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: A liquid-cooled heat dissipation plug comprises a front insulator arranged near the plug plug end and a rear insulator arranged away from the plug plug end, the front insulator is fixedly provided with a power terminal, a heat exchanger is sleeved at the rear end of the power terminal, the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange box, a medium inlet and a medium outlet are arranged on the heat exchange box, an insulating sleeve is arranged between the power terminal and the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger, the front insulator and the rear insulator are fixedly connected to constrain the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger therebetween.

[0009] Furthermore, the heat exchange box is provided with holes corresponding to the power terminals, and the heat exchange box is sleeved on the power terminals by cooperating with the corresponding power terminals through the holes.

[0010] Furthermore, the front end of the insulating sleeve is provided with an outer flange, and the outer flange is engaged with the hole edge of the corresponding hole position in a blocking manner.

[0011] Furthermore, the medium inlet and the medium outlet are located in a space surrounded by the power terminals.

[0012] Furthermore, the rear insulator is provided with a blocking sheet which is separated between the dielectric inlet, the dielectric outlet and the adjacent power terminals.

[0013] Furthermore, the cross section of the baffle is arc-shaped, and the concave surface is close to the medium inlet or the medium outlet.

[0014] Furthermore, an inlet joint is provided at the medium inlet, and an outlet joint is provided at the medium outlet.

[0015] Furthermore, the front end of the insulating sleeve is stop-matched with a step surface provided on the corresponding power terminal.

[0016] Furthermore, a grounding terminal is also provided on the front insulator, and a recess for avoiding the grounding terminal is provided on the heat exchange box.

[0017] Beneficial effects: The liquid-cooled heat dissipation plug of the present invention is an improved invention. Specifically, the heat exchanger of the liquid-cooled heat dissipation plug of the present invention is sleeved on the rear end of the power terminal, and the insulation between the power terminal and the heat exchange box is realized by the insulating sleeve sleeved on the power terminal. Therefore, the installation requirements can be met without changing or with a small change in the structure of the power terminal, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the power terminal. In addition, since the heat exchanger is fixed by the constraints of the front and rear insulators, that is, the front and rear insulators are fixed to each other, the heat exchanger will be fixed, and there is no need to set up a special heat exchanger fixing structure. The fixing between the front and rear insulators belongs to a common structure in the connector field. Therefore, after the heat exchanger is arranged, there is no need to add a special structure for fixing the heat exchanger, and the process flow of fixing the heat exchanger in the manufacturing link is not added, thereby solving the problem of high cost of the existing terminal with circulating cooling electrical connector.

[0018] The liquid cooling connector of the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: A liquid-cooled heat dissipation connector comprises a plug and a socket, wherein the plug comprises a front insulator arranged near the plug plug end and a rear insulator arranged away from the plug plug end, the front insulator is fixedly provided with a power terminal, a heat exchanger is sleeved at the rear end of the power terminal, the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange box, a medium inlet and a medium outlet are arranged on the heat exchange box, an insulating sleeve is arranged between the power terminal and the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger, and the front insulator and the rear insulator are fixedly connected to constrain the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger therebetween.

[0019] Furthermore, the heat exchange box is provided with holes corresponding to the power terminals, and the heat exchange box is sleeved on the power terminals by cooperating with the corresponding power terminals through the holes.

[0020] Furthermore, the front end of the insulating sleeve is provided with an outer flange, and the outer flange is engaged with the hole edge of the corresponding hole position in a blocking manner.

[0021] Furthermore, the medium inlet and the medium outlet are located in a space surrounded by the power terminals.

[0022] Furthermore, the rear insulator is provided with a blocking sheet which is separated between the dielectric inlet, the dielectric outlet and the adjacent power terminals.

[0023] Furthermore, the cross section of the baffle is arc-shaped, and the concave surface is close to the medium inlet or the medium outlet.

[0024] Furthermore, an inlet joint is provided at the medium inlet, and an outlet joint is provided at the medium outlet.

[0025] Furthermore, the front end of the insulating sleeve is stop-matched with a step surface provided on the corresponding power terminal.

[0026] Furthermore, a grounding terminal is also provided on the front insulator, and a recess for avoiding the grounding terminal is provided on the heat exchange box.

[0027] Beneficial effects: The liquid-cooled heat dissipation connector of the present invention is an improved invention. Specifically, in the liquid-cooled heat dissipation connector of the present invention, the heat exchanger of the plug is sleeved on the rear end of the power terminal, and the insulation between the power terminal and the heat exchange box is achieved by the insulating sleeve sleeved on the power terminal. Therefore, the installation requirements can be met without changing or with a small change in the structure of the power terminal, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the power terminal. In addition, since the heat exchanger is fixed by the constraints of the front and rear insulators, that is, the front and rear insulators are fixed to each other, the heat exchanger will be fixed, and there is no need to set up a special heat exchanger fixing structure. The fixing between the front and rear insulators belongs to a common structure in the connector field. Therefore, after the heat exchanger is arranged, there is no need to add a special structure for fixing the heat exchanger, and the process flow of fixing the heat exchanger in the manufacturing link is not added, thereby solving the problem of high cost of the existing terminal with circulating cooling electrical connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of an embodiment of a liquid cooling heat dissipation plug of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded view of the liquid cooling heat sink in the ; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a module formed by a power terminal, an insulating sleeve, a heat exchanger and a rear insulator of a liquid-cooled heat dissipation plug.

[0029] In the figure: 11, front insulator; 12, rear insulator; 13, power terminal; 14, heat exchanger; 15, insulating sleeve; 16, plug housing; 17, baffle; 18, inlet connector; 19, outlet connector; 20, ground terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The features and performance of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0031] The battery replacement connector of an electric vehicle needs to withstand a large current during use. In the face of the heating problem caused by the large current, the ideal solution is to introduce a circulating cooling structure such as liquid cooling. How the circulating cooling method is introduced will have a great impact on the cost of the electrical connector. For example, if a completely new structure is adopted and the power terminals and the corresponding insulators, housings, and heat exchangers are designed separately, the cost of the electrical connector will increase sharply in terms of materials and assembly processes. If the structure of the original electrical connector can be retained as much as possible, it will inevitably bring about cost savings to a certain extent. The technical solution of the liquid-cooled heat dissipation plug of the present invention is proposed on the basis of the above inventive concept.

[0032] Based on the above inventive concept, the basic implementation of the liquid cooling heat dissipation plug of the present invention is as follows: like Figure 1-3 As shown, the liquid-cooled heat dissipation plug includes a front insulator 11 arranged near the plug plug end and a rear insulator 12 arranged away from the plug plug end, the front insulator 11 is fixedly provided with a power terminal 13, a heat exchanger 14 is sleeved at the rear end of the power terminal 13, the heat exchanger 14 includes a heat exchange box, the heat exchange box is provided with a medium inlet and a medium outlet, an insulating sleeve 15 is provided between the power terminal 13 and the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger 14, the front insulator 11 and the rear insulator 12 are fixedly connected to constrain the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger 14 therebetween.

[0033] The front insulator 11 can adopt the same structure as the plug in the prior art, and is located at the front end of the plug, that is, the end that is plugged into the socket when the plug is in use. Naturally, the rear insulator 12 is located at the rear end of the plug, that is, the end that is away from the end that is plugged into the socket when in use. The front and rear insulators cooperate with each other to constrain the power terminal 13 in the plug housing 16 and insulate it relative to the plug housing 16. The power terminal 13 is mainly used for the transmission of large currents when in use and is the main heat-generating component of the plug. The heat exchanger 14, also known as a heat exchanger, is used to pass a cooling medium to take away the heat generated during the operation of the power terminal 13 to avoid excessive temperature rise inside the connector. As a typical structure of the heat exchanger 14, it includes a heat exchange box, and heat exchange surfaces are formed on the outer surface of the heat exchange box to respectively conduct heat with the power terminal 13.

[0034] In order to ensure sufficient safety and realize reliable insulation between the power terminal 13 and the heat exchanger 14, an insulating sleeve 15 is installed at the tail end of the power terminal 13. The insulating sleeve 15 can be made of an insulating material with good thermal conductivity. In order to ensure a certain heat dissipation efficiency and shorten the heat conduction path between the power terminal 13 and the heat exchange box, the wall thickness of the insulating sleeve 15 can be controlled, and a thinner insulating sleeve 15 can be used. As the specific material of the insulating sleeve 15 has been disclosed in the prior art, such materials as rubber coating are not described here. In theory, all materials in the prior art that can be insulated and have certain thermal conductivity can be used as the material of the insulating sleeve 15.

[0035] Since the insulating sleeve 15 is sleeved on the power terminal 13, and the heat exchange box is also sleeved on the power terminal 13, the power terminal 13 found in the existing technology can be used, or it can be simply lengthened by a certain size, so the cost of the power terminal 13 can be better controlled, and the "suiting" method is also easy to implement, the process is relatively simple, and it will not lead to a sharp increase in the manufacturing cost of the plug.

[0036] By adopting the above structure, the outer surface of the power terminal 13 is in close contact with the insulating sleeve 15, and the outer surface of the insulating sleeve 15 is in close contact with the heat exchange box, so that the heat generated by the power terminal 13 can be transferred to the heat exchange box, and then taken away by the cooling medium introduced into the heat exchange box, thereby avoiding excessive temperature rise at the plug-in position of the plug and the socket.

[0037] The front insulator 11 and the rear insulator 12 are fixedly connected to constrain the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger 14 between the two. It should be noted here that in the prior art, the front and rear insulators of the plug are fixed, which is a relatively common structure. The plug of the present invention utilizes the characteristics of the assembly structure of the front and rear insulators. When the front and rear insulators are fixed, the heat exchange box can be fixed by fixing the front and rear insulators. Therefore, the manufacturing process is simple, and the assembly efficiency of the plug can be guaranteed to a large extent, avoiding a sharp increase in its manufacturing cost.

[0038] Furthermore, based on the above basic embodiment, as a preferred embodiment, holes corresponding to the power terminals 13 are provided on the heat exchange box, and the heat exchange box is sleeved on the power terminals 13 through the holes in cooperation with the corresponding power terminals. By adopting this structure, all the power terminals 13 can share one heat exchange box, that is, one heat exchanger, thereby simplifying the structure of the plug of the present invention.

[0039] It should be noted here that, although in the above-mentioned embodiment, each power terminal 13 shares a heat exchanger 14, in other embodiments of the plug of the present invention, the power terminals 13 can also be grouped, and a corresponding heat exchanger 14 can be configured for each group of power terminals 13, or a corresponding heat exchanger can be configured for each power terminal. These structures can achieve the effect of controlling temperature rise and facilitating installation, which should be understandable to ordinary technicians in this field, and no further elaboration will be made here.

[0040] On the basis of the above embodiments, as a further optimized embodiment, the front end of the insulating sleeve 15 is provided with an outer flange, and the outer flange is engaged with the hole edge of the corresponding hole. The outer flange can be located at the end of the insulating sleeve 15, or at a position close to the end of the insulating sleeve. The outer flange is engaged with the hole edge of the corresponding hole, which can play a role in positioning the insulating sleeve, preventing the insulating sleeve from slipping back during the installation of the water exchange water tank or during use, thereby ensuring its insulation effect.

[0041] On the basis of the implementation method that each power terminal 13 shares a heat exchanger, the medium inlet and medium outlet of the heat exchange box are located in the space surrounded by the power terminals. This structure can make full use of the space between the power terminals 13, facilitate the layout of the heat exchange box, and will not increase the radial size of the plug too much, ensuring its compatibility with the existing socket, and achieving further cost control.

[0042] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiment, as a further optimized embodiment, a baffle 17 is provided on the rear insulator 12 to separate the medium inlet, the medium outlet and the adjacent power terminal 13. The baffle 17 can play the role of isolating the power terminal from the medium inlet and outlet, increasing the creepage distance between the two, thereby further improving the safety of the plug. In addition, the baffle 17 can also play the role of protecting the medium inlet and the medium outlet. When the baffle 17 is provided, preferably, the cross-section of the baffle is arc-shaped, and the concave surface is close to the medium inlet or the medium outlet, so that the baffle 17 can have a relatively larger width and better play an insulating role. In order to facilitate the connection with the liquid cooling circulation system on the charger and other equipment, an inlet joint is provided at the medium inlet, and an outlet joint is provided at the medium outlet.

[0043] It should be noted that, although in the above embodiment, an inlet joint 18 is provided at the medium inlet and an outlet joint 19 is provided at the medium outlet, a person skilled in the art should be able to understand that in some other embodiments, the inlet joint 18 and the outlet joint 19 may be omitted, in which case the water exchange tank may be used in conjunction with a circulation pipeline with its own joint.

[0044] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred embodiment, the front end of the insulating sleeve 15 is matched with the step surface provided on the corresponding power terminal 13. This can limit the position of the insulating sleeve relative to the power terminal 13 in the axial direction, ensuring that it can bring good insulation effect. When the insulating sleeve 15 is provided with the above outer flange, the hot water exchange tank can also cooperate with the power terminal 13 to achieve clamping and fixing of the insulating sleeve 15.

[0045] As a preferred embodiment, the front insulator 11 is also provided with a grounding terminal 20, and the heat exchange box is provided with a recess for avoiding the grounding terminal 20. The grounding terminal 20 is to ensure the safety of the plug, and by providing the recess on the heat exchange box, the heat exchanger and the grounding terminal 20 can be prevented from interfering with each other. This structure further facilitates the installation of the heat exchanger. Of course, in some embodiments, the grounding terminal will not be necessary, and in this case, there is naturally no need to provide the recess on the heat exchange box.

[0046] Specific implementation of the liquid cooling heat dissipation connector of the present invention: The liquid cooling heat dissipation connector of the present invention comprises a plug and a socket, wherein the plug is the liquid cooling heat dissipation plug of the present invention, which has been described in detail in the foregoing text. The structure of the socket is the prior art, so the structure of the plug and the socket will not be repeated here.

[0047] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. The patent protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the claims. All equivalent structural changes made using the contents of the description and drawings of the present invention should also be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling heat dissipation plug, comprising a front insulator (11) arranged near a plug plug end and a rear insulator (12) arranged away from the plug plug end, wherein a power terminal (13) is fixedly arranged on the front insulator, characterized in that: A heat exchanger (14) is sleeved at the rear end of the power terminal, the heat exchanger (14) comprising a heat exchange box, the heat exchange box being provided with a medium inlet and a medium outlet, an insulating sleeve (15) is provided between the power terminal (13) and the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger, and the front insulator (11) and the rear insulator (12) are fixedly connected to constrain the heat exchange box of the heat exchanger (14) therebetween.

2. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchange box body is provided with holes corresponding to the power terminals (13), and the heat exchange box body is sleeved on the power terminals by cooperating with the corresponding power terminals (13) through the holes.

3. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front end of the insulating sleeve (15) is provided with an outer flange, and the outer flange is engaged with the hole edge of the corresponding hole position in a blocking manner.

4. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The medium inlet and the medium outlet are located in a space surrounded by the power terminals (13).

5. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rear insulator (12) is provided with a blocking piece (17) separating the medium inlet, the medium outlet and the adjacent power terminal (13).

6. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug according to claim 5, characterized in that: The baffle (17) has an arc-shaped cross section, and the concave surface is close to the medium inlet or the medium outlet.

7. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: An inlet joint (18) is provided at the medium inlet, and an outlet joint (19) is provided at the medium outlet.

8. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The front end of the insulating sleeve (15) is stop-matched with a step surface provided on the corresponding power terminal (13).

9. The liquid cooling heat dissipation plug according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The front insulator (11) is also provided with a grounding terminal (20), and the heat exchange box is provided with a recessed portion for avoiding the grounding terminal.

10. A liquid cooling connector, comprising a plug and a socket, characterized in that: The plug is a liquid cooling plug as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images