Electrical connector secured by means of terminal position assurance device and protected against penetration of solid foreign matter

Abstract

An electrical connector male terminal which is safe and protected from penetration by solid foreign bodies, in which:-a male insulation cap (5) is movable in the connection direction between an unlocked position and a locked position and comprises: an internal cavity into which a terminal conductor (3) extends both in the locked position and in the unlocked position; a contact cage (16) arranged on a wall of the inner cavity, the contact cage (16) being coupled to the male insulation cap (5) in a connection direction (28); and-the male connector terminal has a terminal position assurance means which allows the male insulation cap (5) to enter the locking position together with the contact holder (16) only when the terminal conductor (3) is in a predetermined correct position on the insulation base (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electrical connectors having terminal position protection devices and protective devices to prevent penetration by solid foreign objects.

[0002] The field of safety electrical connectors involves connectors equipped with devices for securing connections, particularly those designed to prevent connection when the connector is not ready or the connection does not provide the required level of safety. In the field of safety connectors, TPA (“Terminal Position Assurance”) devices are commonly used to prevent the connection of male and female connectors under certain conditions.

[0003] The field of connectors that prevent penetration by solid foreign objects involves connectors with protective measures to prevent users from contacting live parts. This field includes connectors that meet protection standards such as IP2X.

[0004] In some industries, such as the automotive industry that produces electric vehicles, connectors that meet both of these requirements are needed. Background Technology

[0005] For example, known electric vehicles feature connector elements that are both safe and prevent penetration by solid foreign objects. Specifically, electrical connectors used to connect traction batteries, which may be high-voltage and high-power, can pose a risk to users and must be secured and protected against penetration by solid foreign objects.

[0006] Electrical connectors that are both safe and protected against penetration by solid foreign objects are typically bulky and expensive. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to improve the connectors of the prior art, making them safe and protected against penetration by solid foreign objects.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention relates to a male terminal of an electrical connector that is secure and protected against penetration by foreign objects, comprising: an insulating base; a terminal conductor mounted in and protruding from the insulating base; and a male insulating cap surrounding the terminal conductor, the male insulating cap including a connecting groove that allows access to the terminal conductor and protects it against penetration by solid foreign objects.

[0009] In the male connector terminal:

[0010] - The male insulating cap is movable in the connection direction between an unlocked position and a locked position. The unlocked position prevents the male connector terminals from connecting, while the locked position allows the male connector terminals to connect. The male insulating cap includes: an internal cavity into which the terminal conductors extend in both the locked and unlocked positions; a contact retainer disposed on the wall of the internal cavity and coupled to the male insulating cap in the connection direction; and

[0011] - The male connector terminal has a terminal position guarantee member that allows the male insulating cap to enter the locked position together with the contact retainer only when the terminal conductor is in the predetermined correct position on the insulating base (insulating socket).

[0012] According to another objective, the present invention relates to an electrical connector comprising an electrical connector male terminal and an electrical connector female terminal as described above. In this connector, the female connector terminal includes a female insulating cap surrounding a male insulating cap of the male connector terminal.

[0013] The electrical connector according to the invention is secure and protected against penetration by solid foreign objects, achieving its security and protection functions in a minimal space, thereby improving security and reducing costs.

[0014] In addition to reducing materials and costs, the small footprint also directly contributes to protective functions, as it facilitates the use of small gaps around live parts.

[0015] The male terminal of the electrical connector according to the present invention may include, individually or in combination, the following additional features:

[0016] - The contact holder has a conductive support wall adjacent to the terminal conductor;

[0017] - The connecting groove is positioned opposite the space of the internal cavity of the male insulating cap, the space being adapted to accommodate the female connecting terminal, the terminal conductor being arranged in the space between the conductive support walls;

[0018] - The contact retainer includes resilient contact elements facing the conductive support wall;

[0019] - The resilient contact element includes resilient blades mounted on a contact retainer;

[0020] - The flexible blades are mounted on a frame that is fixed to the wall of the contact cage by flexible flanges, and the contact cage is mounted in the male insulating cap by clamping these flexible flanges;

[0021] -The contact retainer has three adjacent walls and an open face;

[0022] -The contact cage has a fixed end that mates with the edge of the male insulating cap;

[0023] - The male insulating cap includes lateral blades on a bearing edge adapted to secure a contact retainer within the male insulating cap;

[0024] - The terminal position guarantee member includes at least one locking lug disposed on the insulating base and adapted to mate with the male insulating cap;

[0025] - The male insulating cap includes a locking notch and an unlocking notch, and the locking lugs are adapted to be received in the locking notch and the unlocking notch respectively for the locking position and the unlocking position of the male insulating cap;

[0026] - The male insulating cap includes a support collar having a through hole adapted for the passage of the locking lug;

[0027] - The terminal position guarantee component includes a stop tab for the terminal conductor. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following non-limiting description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] - Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the male terminal of the electrical connector according to the present invention;

[0030] - Figure 2 It is applicable Figure 1 Exploded view of the male and female terminals;

[0031] - Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the male terminal;

[0032] - Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the male terminal;

[0033] - Figure 5 The insulating base of the male terminal is shown;

[0034] - Figure 6 A perspective view of the male insulating cap of the male terminal is shown;

[0035] - Figure 7 This is a top view of the male insulating cap;

[0036] - Figures 8 to 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the male insulating cap;

[0037] - Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the male terminal, with the male insulating cap in the unlocked position;

[0038] - Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional view of the male terminal, with the male insulating cap in the locked position;

[0039] - Figure 13 yes Figure 2 Bottom view of the female connector shown;

[0040] - Figure 14 This is a cross-sectional view of the connector according to the present invention, wherein the male and female terminals are connected together.

[0041] Elements similar to or common in various embodiments have the same reference numerals. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Figure 1 A male terminal 1 of an electrical connector according to the present invention is shown. The male terminal 1 is secure, i.e., its internal connector elements are ensured to be correctly positioned, and it is also protected against penetration by solid foreign objects, i.e., its design prevents the user from accessing the live components.

[0043] In this example, male terminal 1 is safe because it will prevent electrical connection to the terminal if the internal terminal conductor is not properly positioned, and it also meets the IP2X protection rating.

[0044] In this example, the male terminal could be a connection terminal for a traction battery in an electric vehicle. The voltage of such a battery could be on the order of 100 to 800 volts.

[0045] Male terminal 1 includes:

[0046] - Insulating base 2, in this example, can be integrated with the battery case on which the terminal is mounted;

[0047] - Terminal conductor 3 is installed in the insulating base 2. In this example, terminal conductor 3 can be made of a busbar with a large cross-section and can be connected to the battery electrode through its end 4;

[0048] - The male insulating cap 5 combines the functions of connection safety and protection against penetration by solid foreign objects.

[0049] The male insulating cap 5 surrounds and protects the terminal conductor 3. The male insulating cap 5 has a connecting groove 6, which allows connection to a complementary female terminal.

[0050] In this example (electric vehicle traction battery), male terminal 1 is a visible portion protruding from the battery pack and enables electrical connection to one of the battery electrodes. In principle, the battery pack will have at least two male terminals 1 as described. This prevents the user from contacting live parts, even if the battery has been disconnected from the wiring harness.

[0051] Figure 2 An example exploded view of female terminal 7 is shown, which is suitable for... Figure 1 The male terminal shown.

[0052] The female terminal 7 includes a housing 8 made of insulating material and a female connection terminal 9 arranged in the housing 8 and connected to a suitable wire harness or conductor (not shown).

[0053] The female terminal 7 also has a female insulating cap 10, which is inserted into the housing 8 and surrounds the female connection terminal 9 to protect it from penetration by solid foreign objects.

[0054] Figure 3This is an exploded view of the male terminal 1. The male terminal 1 includes contact retainers 16 arranged in the male insulating cap 5, and these elements are mounted on the peripheral wall 11 of the insulating base 2.

[0055] The male insulating cap 5 is made of insulating material. For example, it is molded from a polymer.

[0056] The contact retainer 16 is a conductive element designed to contact the terminal conductor 3 and the female connection terminal 9 when connecting the male terminal 1 and the female terminal 7. The contact retainer 16 is made by any suitable means, such as from folded sheet metal.

[0057] Therefore, the terminal conductor 3 is inserted into the hole 17 in the insulating base 2 and surrounded by the male insulating cap 5. The connecting groove 6 provides access to the terminal conductor 3 only for the suitable female connecting terminal 9.

[0058] The male terminal 1 includes a terminal position guaranteeing member, which ensures that the terminal conductor 3 is correctly positioned within the male terminal 1. If the terminal conductor 3 is not in place or is not correctly positioned, the male terminal connection is prevented.

[0059] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of male terminal 1 in its nominal state, i.e., installed and ready for connection. The connection is made along the connection direction 28 shown in the figure.

[0060] In this position, the male insulating cap 5 is in the locked position.

[0061] Terminal conductor 3 is located in sleeve 18 of insulating base 2, so that it protrudes from insulating base 2.

[0062] The male insulating cap 5 has a support collar 19, which rests on the peripheral wall 11 of the insulating base 2 when the male insulating cap 5 is in the locked position.

[0063] The male insulating cap 5 has an internal cavity into which the terminal conductor extends. A contact retainer 16 is arranged in the internal cavity of the male insulating cap 5 and has a conductive support wall 20 adjacent to the terminal conductor 3, which can be positioned against the conductive support wall.

[0064] The connecting groove 6 is positioned opposite to the space 37 in the internal cavity, which is the female connecting terminal 9 (see...). Figure 14 Terminal conductor 9 is arranged between the space 37 and the conductive support wall 20.

[0065] Contact retainer 16 has resilient contact element 21 (in) Figure 8 and Figure 9 As can be seen in the image, the elastic contact element faces the conductive support wall 20 and is intended to press the female connection terminal 9 and the male terminal conductor 3 against the conductive support wall 20.

[0066] Thus, the female connection terminal 9 and the male terminal conductor 3 are electrically connected and surrounded by the contact retainer 16 and the male insulating cap 5.

[0067] Figure 5 The insulating base 2 of the male terminal 1 is shown.

[0068] Insulating base 2 includes:

[0069] - Peripheral wall 11, used for positioning the male insulating cap 5 and supporting it on the insulating base 2;

[0070] - Two resiliently deformable stop tabs 12 are part of the terminal position guarantee component. For this purpose, each resilient stop tab 12 has teeth 13 at its end. If the terminal conductor 3 is not properly installed in the insulating base 2, the teeth 13 prevent the male insulating cap 5 from moving into the locked position.

[0071] The insulating base 2 is also characterized by a resiliently deformable locking lug 14, the end of which has a latch 15. The stop tab 12 and the locking lug 14 are located within a perimeter defined by the peripheral wall 11 and are intended to interact with the terminal conductor 3 and the male insulating cap 5, as described below.

[0072] Figures 6 to 10 The assembly of the contact retainer 16 in the male insulating cap 5 is shown: Figure 6 This is a 3D view of the component; Figure 7 It is a top view; Figure 8 It is to follow Figure 7 A sectional view of section AA; Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A three-dimensional view of the cross-section; Figure 10 It is to follow Figure 7 A view of the BB section.

[0073] refer to Figure 6 The male insulating cap 5 has through holes 22 in the support collar 19, through which the locking lug 14 can pass.

[0074] Figure 8 , 9 The cross-section in Figure 10 shows how the contact retainer 7 is mounted in the male insulating cap 5. The contact retainer 16 has a fastening end 23 at the lower part of its conductive support wall 20, which allows it to be clamped into the male insulating cap 5 by bending. In this example, the fastening end 23 is formed by a bent portion of the edge of the conductive support wall 20, which rests on the edge 24 of the inner wall of the male insulating cap 5.

[0075] The contact retainer 16 is preferably made of bent sheet metal with elastic properties for positioning in the male insulating cap 5.

[0076] Therefore, the contact retainer 16 is held in place between the edge 24 of the male insulating cap 5 and the opposite face.

[0077] On the wall 36 of the contact retainer 16 facing the conductive support wall 20, the contact retainer 16 carries an elastic contact element 21. Advantageously, in this example, the elastic contact element 21 helps in the positioning of the contact retainer 16, and its elastic properties are used for this purpose.

[0078] In this example, the resilient contact element 21 includes resilient blades 27 mounted on a frame 35, which is secured to the wall 36 by resilient flanges 34. The contact retainer 16 is mounted in the male insulating cap 5 by clamping these resilient flanges 34 between the edge 25 of the male insulating cap 5 and the opposing face of the male insulating cap 5.

[0079] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the male insulating cap 5 without the contact retainer 16, showing the lateral blades 38 of the carrying edge 26, which is also suitable for securing the contact retainer 16 in the male insulating cap 5.

[0080] Advantageously, the contact retainer 16 consists of three adjacent walls (conductive support wall 20, wall 36, and central wall 39) and has an open face. This structure makes assembly easy and safe with few moving parts: the contact retainer 16 is assembled by inserting it into the male insulating cap 5, thereby causing the two opposing walls 20 and 36 to come together through the elastic deformation of the contact retainer 16 to pass through the edges 24 and 25. During this same insertion operation, the lateral blade 38 is pushed back. At the end of the operation, the lateral blade 38 returns to its position and locks the contact retainer 16 with the edge 26, while the other walls are locked by the edges 24 and 25.

[0081] Thus, the contact retainer 16 is connected to the male insulating cap 5 in the connection direction 28.

[0082] In this example, the contact retainer 16 is coupled to the male insulating cap 5 in the connection direction 28 and is completely fixed in the male insulating cap 5. It is only necessary to couple the contact retainer 16 and the male insulating cap 5 along the connection direction 28, or the contact retainer 16 can be movable in the male insulating cap 5 in two directions perpendicular to the connection direction 28.

[0083] Therefore, when the male insulating cap 5 moves along the connection direction 28, the contact retainer 16 can move together with the male insulating cap. The male insulating cap 5 can actually move along the connection direction 28 on the insulating base 2 between the locked position and the unlocked position, so the contact retainer 16 accompanies the male insulating cap 5 during its movement.

[0084] Figure 11This is a cross-sectional view showing the male terminal 1 being assembled. The male insulating cap 5 is in the locked position together with the contact retainer 16.

[0085] In this position, the latches 15 of the locking lugs 14 are all inserted into the unlocking recesses 29 provided in the male insulating cap 5. The unlocking recesses 29 are designed to hold the male insulating cap 5 in place. Figure 11 The height shown.

[0086] In the first assembly step, the male insulating cap 5 is placed on the insulating base 2 in the unlocked position. Then, the terminal conductor 3 is positioned in the insulating base 2 (position as shown). Figure 11 (As shown). When the male insulating cap 5 is in its unlocked position, the terminal conductor 3 can be inserted into the sleeve 18 of the insulating base 2 until the stop tab 12 engages in the lateral recess 31 of the terminal conductor 3. Then, the terminal conductor 3 is in its predetermined correct position.

[0087] The male insulating cap 5 cannot move to its locked position as long as the terminal conductor 3 is not in its correct position.

[0088] The male insulating cap is then pushed back to its locked position, wherein the latch 15 of the locking lug 14 engages in the locking recess 30 on the male insulating cap 5.

[0089] Figure 12 The male terminal 1 is shown perpendicular to Figure 11 The cross-section of the cross-section passes through the plane extending from the terminal conductor 3. Figure 12 This shows that terminal conductor 3 is in the correct position and male insulating cap 5 is in the locked position.

[0090] As long as the terminal conductor 3 is not fully inserted into its correct position (where the stop tab 12 engages with the side recess 31 in the correct position), the stop tab 12 will remain separated, adjacent to the body of the terminal conductor 3. In this position, if an attempt is made to lower the male insulating cap 5 closer to the insulating base 2 in the connection direction 28, the teeth 13 of the stop tab 12 will abut against the lower periphery of the male insulating cap, preventing the male insulating cap from reaching its locked position. Thus, the terminal position guarantee function is achieved.

[0091] When the male insulating cap 5 is in its locked position, the locking lug 14 is in place in the locking recess 30, and the support collar 19 of the male insulating cap abuts against the peripheral wall 11, thereby allowing the corresponding female terminal to be connected.

[0092] Figure 13 and 14 This shows how to connect the female terminal to the aforementioned male terminal.

[0093] Figure 13 This is a view taken from below, showing... Figure 2The connection side of the female terminal 7 is shown. The female insulating cap 10 of the female terminal 7 is recessed into its housing 8, surrounding and protecting the female connection terminal 9.

[0094] The female insulating cap 10 also has an insulating lip 32 that covers the edge of the female connection terminal 9, preventing the user from touching the edge.

[0095] Furthermore, the distance D2 between the female connection terminal 9 and each edge of the housing 8 is sized to ensure that solid foreign objects cannot penetrate it. For example, in the case of IP2X protection rating, the distance D2 is less than 12.5 mm.

[0096] The small dimension between the connecting groove 6 of the male terminal 1 and the edge of the male insulating cap 5 makes it possible to have a small distance D2.

[0097] Figure 14 This is a cross-sectional view showing the male terminal 1 and female terminal 7 that have been connected.

[0098] The female connection terminal 9 is positioned against the terminal conductor 3 in the space 37, and the two elements are pressed against each other by the elastic contact element 21 and against the conductive support wall 20 of the contact holder 16.

[0099] The assembly of the male insulating cap 5 and the contact retainer 16 to which it is coupled allows for a reduction in the dimensions of the distance D1 (width of the connecting slot 6) on the male terminal 1 and the distance D2 on the female terminal 7, thereby protecting the male and female terminals of the connector from penetration by solid foreign objects.

Claims

1. A male terminal for an electrical connector, said male terminal being secure and protected against penetration by foreign objects, comprising: Insulating base (2); Terminal conductor (3), which is mounted in and protrudes from the insulating base (2); male insulating cap (5) surrounding the terminal conductor (3), the male insulating cap including a connecting groove (6) that allows access to the terminal conductor (3) and protects it from penetration by solid foreign objects; The male connector terminal is characterized in that: - The male insulating cap (5) is movable in the connection direction (28) between an unlocked position and a locked position, the unlocked position preventing the male connector terminal from connecting, and the locked position allowing the male connector terminal to connect. The male insulating cap includes: an internal cavity into which the terminal conductor (3) extends in both the locked and unlocked positions; a contact retainer (16) disposed on the wall of the internal cavity and coupled to the male insulating cap (5) in the connection direction (28); and wherein... - The male connector terminal has a terminal position guarantee member that allows the male insulating cap (5) to enter the locked position together with the contact retainer (16) only when the terminal conductor (3) is in a predetermined correct position on the insulating base (2).

2. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact holder (16) has a conductive support wall (20) adjacent to the terminal conductor (3).

3. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting groove (6) is positioned opposite the space (37) of the internal cavity of the male insulating cap (5), the space (37) being adapted to receive the female connecting terminal (9), and the terminal conductor (3) being arranged between the space (37) and the conductive support wall (20).

4. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The contact holder (16) includes an elastic contact element (21) facing the conductive support wall (20).

5. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The elastic contact element (21) includes an elastic blade (27) mounted on the contact retainer (16).

6. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic blade (27) is mounted on the frame (35), which is fixed to the wall (36) of the contact holder (16) by an elastic flange (34), and the contact holder (16) is mounted in the male insulating cap (5) by clamping the elastic flange (34).

7. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The contact retainer (16) has three adjacent walls (20, 36, 39) and an open face.

8. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The contact retainer (16) has a fixed end (23) that mates with the edge (24) of the male insulating cap (5).

9. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The male insulating cap (5) includes a lateral blade (38) of a bearing edge (26) adapted to secure the contact retainer (16) in the male insulating cap (5).

10. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The terminal position guaranteeing member includes at least one locking lug (14) disposed on the insulating base (2) and adapted to engage with the male insulating cap (5).

11. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to claim 10, characterized in that, The male insulating cap (5) includes a locking notch (30) and an unlocking notch (29), and the locking lug (14) is adapted to be received in the locking notch (30) and the unlocking notch (29) respectively for the locking position and the unlocking position of the male insulating cap (5).

12. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to any one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that, The male insulating cap (5) includes a support collar (19) having a through hole (22) suitable for the locking lug (14) to pass through.

13. The male terminal of the electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The terminal position guaranteeing member includes a stop tab (12) for the terminal conductor (3).

14. An electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising: The male terminal of the electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 13; and Female terminal of electrical connector; The female connector terminal is characterized in that it includes a female insulating cap (10) surrounding the male insulating cap (5) of the male connector terminal.

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