Overheat protection mechanism and fireproof connection structure of an electrical connector

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of connectors and provides an overheat protection mechanism of an electric connector and a fireproof connecting structure. The overheat protection mechanism of the electric connector comprises a first conductive component and a second conductive component which are electrically contacted in a normal state; an elastic driving member is configured to apply a driving force to the first conductive component in a direction away from the second conductive component; a locking assembly is used to overcome the driving force of the elastic driving member in the normal state, and lock the first conductive component in the position of electrical contact with the second conductive component; a heat-sensitive triggering element is thermally coupled with the first conductive component and is made of a material which loses its structural integrity at a predetermined temperature; when the first conductive component is overheated due to overload and the temperature of the heat-sensitive triggering element reaches or exceeds the predetermined temperature, the heat-sensitive triggering element fails, the locking assembly loses the locking effect on the first conductive component, and the first conductive component is driven to move in the direction away from the second conductive component, thereby realizing power-off separation. Therefore, the safety and fireproof property of the structure are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of connector technology, and specifically relates to an overheat protection mechanism and a fire-resistant connection structure for an electrical connector. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the booming development of grassland wind farms and solar-pastoral integrated projects has not only optimized the energy structure but also promoted local economic development and ecological protection. However, grassland ecosystems are characterized by extensive flammable vegetation cover, drought, and strong winds during the spring and autumn seasons, making them inherently high-risk areas for fires. Therefore, extremely stringent requirements are placed on fire safety in grassland areas, placing fire risk prevention at the core of project construction and operation management.

[0003] In the construction and operation of photovoltaic power plants in grassland areas, the electrical connections between photovoltaic modules typically rely on industry-standard connectors, such as the common MC4 type connector. However, these universal connectors and their conventional application methods were not designed with full consideration of the unique, harsh environment of grasslands, which also has extremely high fire protection requirements. Therefore, they exhibit significant inadequacies in adaptability and safety hazards, specifically as follows: 1. The fire resistance of the materials used is insufficient to meet the stringent environmental requirements: The outer shell and internal insulation of general-purpose plugs are usually made of engineering plastics, and their flame retardant ratings (such as UL94 V-2, HB, etc.) are mostly basic industrial standards. In grassland environments, plugs are exposed to high temperatures and strong ultraviolet radiation for a long time, which can easily lead to aging, and flammable materials such as dry grass and bird nests can easily accumulate around them. Once the plug causes an electrical fault due to poor contact, overload, or aging, generating local high temperatures or electric arcs, the existing flame retardant ability of its materials is insufficient to effectively suppress combustion, and it can easily ignite the surrounding dry vegetation, which may trigger a rapidly spreading catastrophic grassland fire.

[0004] 2. Lack of consideration for fire resistance in structural design: Taking the commonly used MC4 plug as an example, its male and female connectors use a mechanical locking structure. When an internal short circuit occurs due to a fault, generating high temperatures and causing the insulation material to burn, this locking structure usually does not automatically disengage, causing the fault point to remain energized and repeatedly heated. This "adhesive" burning state causes the plastic shell to continuously melt and drip, greatly increasing the risk of igniting surrounding flammable materials, posing a significant safety hazard.

[0005] 3. Lack of effective condition monitoring and early warning mechanisms, making daily maintenance difficult: Universal plugs themselves lack the function of real-time monitoring of their critical fire-resistant status (such as contact point temperature and insulation resistance). In photovoltaic power plants, many plugs are installed under the modules or concealed in grassland environments, making it difficult for routine manual inspections to detect subtle overheating points or early signs of failure caused by internal deterioration. This monitoring blind spot makes it impossible to detect and warn of potential fire risks in a timely manner, hindering the implementation of preventative maintenance measures.

[0006] In summary, the universal electrical connectors widely used in existing photovoltaic power plants in grassland areas have serious deficiencies in terms of material fire resistance, structural fire safety design, and condition monitoring capabilities, making them incompatible with the high-risk fire environment of grasslands. These deficiencies make the connection points a significant potential source of fire risk for the power plant, failing to meet the stringent requirements for grassland ecological protection and high-reliability safe operation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a photovoltaic module connection device specifically designed for high-fire-risk environments such as grasslands, possessing a higher fire safety level and monitoring capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the above problems, the present invention provides an overheat protection mechanism for an electrical connector, comprising: The first conductive component and the second conductive component are in electrical contact under normal conditions; An elastic actuator is configured to apply a driving force to a first conductive component in a direction away from the second conductive component; A locking component is used to overcome the driving force of the elastic actuator under normal conditions and lock the first conductive component in a position where it is in electrical contact with the second conductive component. The thermal trigger element, thermally coupled to the first conductive component, is made of a material that would lose its structural integrity at a predetermined temperature; When the first conductive component overheats due to overload, and the temperature of the thermal trigger element reaches or exceeds a predetermined temperature, the thermal trigger element fails, causing the locking assembly to lose its locking effect on the first conductive component. The elastic drive component then drives the first conductive component to move away from the second conductive component, thereby achieving power-off separation between the two.

[0008] Furthermore, the locking assembly includes a fixed member and a movable member that is movable relative to the fixed member, the movable member being connected to the first conductive component; a thermal triggering element is disposed between the fixed member and the movable member to maintain the locked state of the movable member relative to the fixed member at room temperature.

[0009] Furthermore, the fastener is provided with a locking part made of a material that can lose its structural integrity, and the movable part is provided with a mating part. In the locked state, the locking part and the mating part engage with each other.

[0010] Furthermore, The fixed part is a fixedly installed slot body, and the movable part is a sliding part that is slidably installed in the slot body; The engaging part is a tooth structure made of a low-melting-point alloy and formed on the slot body, while the mating part is a mating tooth provided on the sliding part that meshes with the tooth structure.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes a heat-conducting component, one end of which is used to be close to the heating part of the first conductive component, and the other end is close to the tooth structure.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes an operating element that is linked to the slider. The operating element can be actuated to drive the slider to move along the slot body, so that the mating teeth switch between different positions of the tooth structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the melting point of the low-melting-point alloy is 200℃.

[0014] Furthermore, the thermal trigger element is a solder, tin alloy, or a plastic part with a specific melting point.

[0015] The present invention also provides a fire-resistant connection structure, comprising: The main casing is made of flame-retardant material; An electrical connection mechanism, located within the main housing, includes a conductive male connector and a conductive female connector; An overheat protection mechanism, wherein the first conductive component is a conductive male connector and the second conductive component is a conductive female connector.

[0016] Furthermore, the conductive male and conductive female connectors are positioned opposite each other within the main housing along the insertion / removal direction.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes a manual locking mechanism disposed within the main housing, which is connected to the conductive male connector for manually controlling the conductive male connector to switch between the extended connection position and the retracted disconnect position.

[0018] Furthermore, the manual locking mechanism includes: Positioning base, fixed inside the main shell; The displacement component selectively abuts against the conductive male connector and can move relative to the positioning base. The actuator is operatively connected to the displacement element; The actuator is configured to drive the displacement member in response to external actuation, so that the displacement member selectively engages with a first mating position or a second mating position on the positioning base, thereby locking the conductive male connector in the extended or retracted position.

[0019] Furthermore, the positioning base is a fixed slot, and the first mating position and the second mating position are first slots and second slots of different depths located on its inner wall.

[0020] Furthermore, the displacement member is a sliding member that is axially movable within the fixed slot, and the actuator is an operating member that is axially pressed.

[0021] Furthermore, the sliding member and the operating member are linked, so that the axial pressing operating member can drive the sliding member to selectively engage with the first or second slot.

[0022] Furthermore, the outer periphery of the slider is provided with multiple guide portions, which are used to engage with the first or second slot.

[0023] Furthermore, the manual locking mechanism is a press-type sliding locking mechanism.

[0024] Furthermore, the operating component is sleeved outside the sliding component and can move and / or rotate axially relative to the fixed slot; A driving structure is provided between the sliding member and the operating member, so that the axial movement of the operating member can be converted into the axial movement and / or circumferential rotation of the sliding member, thereby driving the guide part to switch between different slots.

[0025] Furthermore, the slider is a sliding ratchet, and the guide portion thereon consists of multiple strip-shaped structures extending along the axial direction; The operating component is a driven rotating ratchet, and its inner wall is provided with multiple protrusions spaced apart circumferentially. The drive structure includes a first guide ramp at one end of the strip structure and a second guide ramp at one end of the protrusion near the strip structure, which cooperates with the first guide ramp.

[0026] Furthermore, the strip structure is a strip-shaped elastic claw with radial elasticity.

[0027] Furthermore, when the driven rotating ratchet is pressed axially, the raised second guide slope interacts with the first guide slope of the strip structure, driving the sliding ratchet to move axially and rotate circumferentially, causing the strip structure to move out of the second slot and into the first slot, and the conductive male head switches to the extended state.

[0028] Furthermore, the end face of the driven rotating ratchet is provided with multiple V-shaped contour structures spaced apart circumferentially; When the conductive male connector is in the extended connection position, continue to press the driven rotating ratchet axially. The V-shaped contour structure on its end face interacts with the first guide slope, driving the sliding ratchet to rotate circumferentially again, causing the strip structure to disengage from the first slot and re-enter the second slot, and the conductive male connector retracts accordingly.

[0029] Furthermore, the first slot and / or the second slot are made of a material that can be melted at a predetermined temperature to serve as a thermal trigger element of the overheat protection mechanism; Furthermore, a heat-conducting structure is provided on the fixed slot or sliding component. One end of the heat-conducting structure is thermally coupled to the conductive male connector, and the other end is located in the slot made of a fusible material. The heat-conducting structure is a heat-conducting component in the overheat protection mechanism.

[0030] Furthermore, the fusible material is a low-melting-point alloy; The heat-conducting structure is a heat conductor located on the inner wall of the main housing. Its position is configured such that when the conductive male connector is in the extended connection position, one end of the heat conductor is thermally coupled to the cable conductor electrically connected to the conductive male connector through a bias contact or a small gap, and the other end of the heat conductor extends to the position of the first slot.

[0031] Furthermore, it also includes elastic drive components; One end of the elastic actuator is fixed inside the main housing, and the other end acts on the conductive male connector, providing a separation force to move the conductive male connector away from the conductive female connector, and constituting the elastic actuator in the overheat protection mechanism; or, The elastic drive element is directly disposed between the conductive male connector and the sliding ratchet; The sliding ratchet is provided with a restoring force, either directly or indirectly, by the elastic drive component, which tends to disengage from the first or second slot.

[0032] Furthermore, a buffer spring is provided inside the connector end of the conductive male connector to provide axial buffering when the conductive male connector is connected to the conductive female connector.

[0033] Furthermore, it also includes a first cable and a second cable; The first cable passes through one end of the main housing, the manual locking mechanism, and the conductive male connector, with its conductor end electrically connected to and fixed to the conductive male connector; The second cable passes through the other end of the main housing, is electrically connected to the conductive female connector, and is fixed in place. The first cable and the second cable are connected by a co-extruded rubber insulation layer.

[0034] Furthermore, the flame-retardant material is polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

[0035] Furthermore, the outer surface of the main housing is provided with a passive temperature indicator layer that undergoes observable changes when a preset warning temperature is reached.

[0036] Furthermore, the passive temperature indicator layer is an inorganic thermochromic pigment coating applied to the surface of the housing. The inorganic thermochromic pigment includes molybdate and zinc phosphate, and the preset warning temperature is 200°C.

[0037] Furthermore, the inner wall of the conductive male and / or conductive female connectors is embedded with a graphite lubricating layer, and the connection end faces of the two are complete metal planes.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages: Thanks to the design that integrates a thermal trigger element made of low-melting-point alloys with a mechanical locking assembly, when the connection point temperature abnormally rises to a dangerous threshold (e.g., 200°C), it can automatically trigger mechanical separation within a short time, completely cutting off the fault current and fundamentally preventing continuous overheating and "sticking" combustion. Furthermore, a passive temperature indicator layer provides an intuitive overheat warning without the need for power supply, facilitating inspection and detection.

[0039] This invention breaks away from the complex protection model that relies on electronic sensors and external circuits, creatively constructing a purely mechanical, passive thermo-mechanical energy conversion and execution system. Its working principle utilizes the energy (heat) of overheating itself to disrupt (melt) the mechanical structure maintaining the lock, releasing the mechanical energy pre-stored in the elastic drive element (spring), thereby driving the separation action. This architecture requires no external power supply, has extremely high reliability, fast response speed, and fundamentally achieves a strong causal correlation between overheating and power failure, solving electrical safety issues.

[0040] This overheat protection mechanism features a modular design, making it easy to integrate into various electrical connectors and significantly improving their safety level. When applied to photovoltaic connector plugs specifically designed for grassland environments, and combined with an ultra-high flame-retardant housing, it forms a multi-layered, active and passive fire safety system that integrates material flame retardancy, structural self-protection, and status visualization. This not only greatly enhances the operational safety of grassland photovoltaic power stations and reduces fire risk, but its simple structure also translates to high reliability and low maintenance costs.

[0041] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the application. The objectives and other advantages of this application may be realized and obtained by means of the structures pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0043] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a fire-resistant connection structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a fire-resistant connection structure including an overheat protection mechanism according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 3A schematic diagram of two slot structures in a fire-resistant connection structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a sliding member in a fire-resistant connection structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another angled sliding member in a fire-resistant connection structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 The diagram shows a male and female connector in a fire-resistant connection structure according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the male connector in a fire-resistant connection structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the female connector in a fire-resistant connection structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0044] In the picture: 100. Main housing; 200. Electrical connection mechanism; 201. Conductive male connector; 201a. Shoulder; 202. Conductive female connector; 203. Rubber insulating layer; 300. Manual locking mechanism; 301. Fixed slot; 301a. First slot; 301b. Second slot; 302. Sliding ratchet; 302a. Strip-shaped pawl; 302b. First guide slope; 303. Driven rotating ratchet; 303a. Protrusion; 303b. Second guide slope; 303c. V-shaped contour structure; 305. Elastic drive component; 306. Buffer spring; 306a. Protrusion; 307. Thermal conductive structure; 400. Waterproof cap. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0046] Example 1 This embodiment provides a fireproof connection structure, the overall structure of which is as follows: Figure 1 As shown. The plug mainly includes a main housing 100, an electrical connection mechanism 200, a manual locking mechanism 300, and an integrated overheat protection mechanism.

[0047] The main housing 100 is made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material, which has an extremely high flame retardant rating (such as UL94 V-0), excellent UV resistance, and high and low temperature resistance. The outer surface of the housing is coated with an inorganic thermochromic pigment coating with molybdate and zinc phosphate as the main components, forming a passive temperature indicator layer. It is initially light gray and turns orange when the local temperature reaches 200°C, thus providing an overheat warning.

[0048] The electrical connection mechanism includes a conductive male connector 201 and a conductive female connector 202, which are arranged opposite each other along the insertion / removal direction. The conductive male connector 201 is fixedly connected to the conductor end of the first cable 401, and the conductive female connector 202 is fixedly connected to the conductor end of the second cable 402. Figure 6 As shown, the conductive male connector 201 has an internal spring buffer structure to absorb the impact during insertion and removal. Both the conductive male connector 201 and the conductive female connector 202 have a graphite lubricating layer embedded in their inner walls to reduce friction and improve conductivity. The mating surfaces of both are complete metal planes, ensuring reliable contact over a large area.

[0049] The manual locking mechanism 300 is used to manually switch the conductive male connector 201 between the "extended connected position" and the "retracted disconnected position". The overheat protection mechanism is automatically triggered and forcibly drives the conductive male connector 201 to retract to the disconnected position when overheating due to overload is detected in the conductive male connector 201 or the conductive female connector 202. The core innovation of this invention lies in using the mechanical structure of the manual locking mechanism 300 as the execution basis of the overheat protection mechanism, achieving a deep integration of the two major functions.

[0050] The manual locking mechanism 300 maintains the extension and locking of the conductive male connector 201 at room temperature via a fusible component (slot). When abnormal overheating occurs, heat is transferred to the fusible component via a heat conduction path, causing it to reach its melting point (e.g., 200°C) and fail. Once this locking support fails, a pre-set elastic reset force within the manual locking mechanism 300 is released, thereby driving the entire locking mechanism to unlock. After unlocking, another, more powerful elastic actuator (separation spring) specifically designed for overheat protection quickly springs the conductive male connector 201 back, achieving rapid physical separation from the conductive female connector 202 and completely cutting off the circuit. The entire process is driven entirely by thermal and mechanical energy, requiring no circuit or program control.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the manual locking mechanism 300 is a push-to-slide locking mechanism, including a fixed slot 301, a sliding member 302, and an operating member 303. The fixed slot 301 is the fixing member in the overheat protection mechanism.

[0052] The fixing slot 301 is fixed inside the main housing 100. Multiple slots are machined circumferentially on its inner wall, including a first slot 301a (shallow) and a second slot 301b (deep) of different depths. The first slot 301a and the second slot 301b are the engaging parts in the overheat protection mechanism. In this embodiment, the first slot 301a and the second slot 301b are integrally formed with the main housing 100 using an insert injection molding or die casting process from a low-melting-point alloy (such as a tin-bismuth alloy with a melting point of 200°C) or a low-melting-point plastic (such as low-density polyethylene, thermoplastic polyurethane, etc.). Here, the fusible slot serves a dual function: it is both a manually locked positioning structure and a thermal trigger element of the overheat protection mechanism.

[0053] In this embodiment, the sliding member 302 is specifically a sliding ratchet, which is axially movable within the fixed slot 301. The sliding ratchet selectively abuts against the conductive male connector 201. The outer periphery of the sliding ratchet 302 is provided with multiple axially extending, radially elastic strip-shaped structures 302a (i.e., strip-shaped spring claws), serving as guides in the overheat protection mechanism. The ends of the strip-shaped structures 302a are machined with first guide slopes 302b.

[0054] In this embodiment, the operating component 303 is specifically a driven rotating ratchet, which is sleeved on the outside of the sliding ratchet 302. Multiple protrusions 303a are spaced circumferentially on its inner wall, and one end of each protrusion 303a near the strip-shaped structure 302a has a second guide slope 303b. The end face of the driven rotating ratchet 303 also has multiple V-shaped contour structures 303c.

[0055] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the strip-shaped claw 302a engages in the first slot 301a, and the conductive male connector 201 is locked in the extended position, reliably connected to the conductive female connector 202.

[0056] Initially, when the conductive male connector 201 extends and axially presses against the driven rotating ratchet 303, the V-shaped profile structure 303c (the inclined surface of the V-shaped profile structure 303c) on its end face interacts with the inclined surface of the strip-shaped pawl 302a in the first slot 301a, generating a resultant force that causes the sliding ratchet 302 to both slightly retract axially and rotate circumferentially. This causes the strip-shaped pawl 302a to rotate out of the first slot 301a and, under the elastic force of the elastic drive member 305, slide axially into the second slot 301b. At this time, the conductive male connector 201 is no longer subjected to the axial force of the elastic drive member 305, thus separating the conductive male connector 201 from the conductive female connector 202.

[0057] When the driven rotating ratchet 303 (i.e., the operating member) is pressed again in the disconnected state, its second guide slope 303b interacts with the first guide slope 302b of the sliding ratchet 302, driving the sliding ratchet 302 to rotate circumferentially and move axially again, so that the strip-shaped pawl 302a is re-engaged into the first slot 301a, and at the same time, under the push of the elastic drive member 305, the conductive male connector 201 extends out.

[0058] The elastic drive 305 employs a main spring, simultaneously achieving manual locking reset and overheat protection drive. This main spring is sleeved on the outside of the conductive male connector 201. One end is fixed to a mounting base inside the main housing 100, and the other end acts on a shoulder 201a on the outer wall of the conductive male connector 201. Therefore, the main spring always applies a retraction force to the conductive male connector 201. This retraction force constitutes the elastic drive of the overheat protection mechanism. In another embodiment, the main spring is directly disposed between the tail of the conductive male connector and the sliding ratchet, both of which can be connected to the main spring separately. When the sliding ratchet is locked, the spring is compressed between the male connector and the ratchet, similarly providing a reset force for the sliding ratchet.

[0059] Meanwhile, since the main spring is connected to the sliding ratchet 302 via the conductive male connector 201, the force exerted by the main spring on the male connector is transmitted to the sliding ratchet 302 through this transmission chain. This indirectly provides the sliding ratchet 302 with a reset force that tends to disengage it from the currently engaged slot 301a. This means that the main spring used for manual locking reset and the "elastic drive element 305" used for overheat protection are physically the same spring, namely the main spring, simplifying the structure.

[0060] like Figure 7 As shown, a buffer spring 306 is independently disposed inside the connecting end of the conductive male connector 201, and is fitted onto a protrusion 306a on its inner wall. The first cable 401 passes through the inner cavity of the protrusion, so that the buffer spring 306 also wraps around the first cable 401. The main function of the buffer spring 306 is to provide gentle axial cushioning at the moment when the conductive male connector 201 and the conductive female connector 202 are connected, avoiding hard impact and protecting the end face structure. This spring also provides a force to separate the conductive male connector 201 and the conductive female connector 202 to a certain extent.

[0061] like Figure 8 As shown, when the conductive female connector 202 is inserted, the buffer spring 306 first contacts and is compressed against the end face of the conductive female connector 202, and then the end face of the conductive male connector 201 contacts and conducts electricity with the conductive female connector 202. This process provides a smooth connection buffer.

[0062] like Figure 2As shown, the heat-conducting structure 307 is a sheet-like, columnar, or wine grape-shaped metal heat-conducting body, which also serves as a heat-conducting component in the overheat protection mechanism. It is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the main housing 100, rather than on a moving part. Its installation position is precisely designed so that when the conductive male connector 201 is fully extended and in the connection position, one end of the heat-conducting body forms a precise off-center contact or maintains a very small heat transfer gap with the cable conductor end that is pressed and fixed at the tail of the conductive male connector 201. This design ensures that, in the static connection state, heat can be conducted from the heated contact area through the conductive male connector 201 to the conductor end (metal sheet) of the cable, and then efficiently transferred to the heat-conducting body through thermal radiation, air convection, or point contact. The other end of the heat-conducting body extends to a position very close to the first slot 301a made of a low-melting-point alloy. This path establishes a stable heat conduction channel from the internal heat source to the external fusible trigger point.

[0063] like Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, when the contact point between the conductive male connector 201 and the conductive female connector 202 generates abnormal heat due to overload, loosening, or other reasons, the heat is conducted through the conductive male connector 201 to the conductive terminal of the corresponding cable at its tail, and then rapidly transferred to the first slot 301a made of a low-melting-point alloy via a heat conductor. When the temperature reaches the melting point of the alloy (200℃) or the melting point of the plastic part, the structural strength of the first slot 301a is lost, resulting in localized melting or softening.

[0064] At this point, the mechanical constraint of the locking pawl 302a (which also serves as a guide) is broken. Driven by the return spring 305, the sliding ratchet 302 undergoes a slight movement, causing the pawl 302a to disengage from the melted first slot 301a. Once the lock is released, the enormous elastic potential energy stored in the buffer spring 306 is released instantaneously. The elastic force of the buffer spring 306 acts on the conductive male connector 201, driving it to move in the retraction direction at an extremely high speed, thereby achieving a forced and complete physical separation from the conductive female connector 202, breaking the arc and cutting off the faulty circuit.

[0065] like Figure 1 As shown, the first cable 401 passes through the manual locking mechanism 300, the main housing 100, and one end of the conductive male connector 201, with its conductive terminal crimped and fixed to the tail of the conductive male connector 201. The second cable 402 passes through the other end of the main housing 100, with its conductive terminal crimped and fixed to the conductive female connector 202. The two cable segments are connected outside the plug by a co-extruded rubber insulation layer 203, ensuring insulation while allowing for flexibility and easy installation. The inner wall of the connection end of the conductive male connector 201 and / or the conductive female connector 202 is embedded with a graphite lubricating layer, and the connection end faces of both are complete metal planes. The two cables are connected by a rubber block, with the metal plane contacting each cable respectively.

[0066] Example 2 This embodiment provides an independently applicable overheat protection mechanism for electrical connectors. Its core structure shares the same principle as some components integrated in Embodiment 1, but it can be sold and installed as a standalone module. The mechanism includes a housing containing a fixed retaining groove, a sliding element, an elastic drive element (spring), and low-melting-point alloy retaining teeth. The fixed retaining groove can be installed onto the male connector side requiring protection via threads or snap-fit, while the sliding element is drively connected to the male connector component. Its working principle and triggering process are completely consistent with those described in Embodiment 1: upon overheating, the alloy retaining teeth melt, and the spring drives the male connector component to separate from the female connector. This embodiment illustrates the versatility and modularity of this overheat protection mechanism.

[0067] This overheat protection mechanism features a modular design, making it easy to integrate into various electrical connectors and significantly improving their safety level. Applied to photovoltaic connector plugs specifically designed for grassland environments, and combined with an ultra-high flame-retardant PEEK housing, it forms a multi-layered, active and passive fire safety system encompassing material flame retardancy, structural self-protection, and status visualization. This not only greatly enhances the operational safety of grassland photovoltaic power stations and reduces fire risk, but its simple structure also translates to high reliability and low maintenance costs. PEEK material is used as the structural material for the plug to ensure it will not melt at 300 degrees Celsius and maintains an aging life of at least 80,000 hours under strong ultraviolet light. Molybdate (MgMoO4) + zinc phosphate (Zn3(PO4)2) is used as an inorganic thermochromic pigment coated on the housing surface. The initial color of the pigment is light gray, changing from gray to orange when the plug temperature rises to 200 degrees Celsius, serving as a fault indication.

[0068] In another embodiment, the thermal trigger element is not necessarily a low-melting-point alloy slot integrated with the fixing slot. For example, it can be a separate pin or latch made of a low-melting-point alloy (such as solder) or a plastic with a specific melting point (such as hot melt adhesive), inserted into a locking hole between the sliding member and the fixing member to achieve locking. Upon overheating, this separate element melts or softens, thus releasing the lock. The thermally conductive element can also be a thermally conductive silicone sleeve wrapped around a conductive component, or it can directly utilize a metal component for conduction.

[0069] The installation process for this application is as follows: Clean the conductors at the ends of the photovoltaic module cables and remove any burrs.

[0070] Installation of conductive female connector 202: Insert the second cable through the tail end of the conductive female connector housing (i.e., the end with external threads). When you hear a "click" sound from inside, it indicates that the cable conductor has been automatically locked and secured by the internal snap-fit ​​structure (rubber snap, i.e., rubber insulation layer 203) of the conductive female connector. Then, tighten the waterproof cap 400 at the tail end of the female connector (which is threaded onto the conductive female connector 201). Finally, install and secure the conductor female connector to the end of the inserted cable conductor.

[0071] Installing the male conductor 201: Organize the conductor at the end of the photovoltaic module cable on the other side. First, install and secure the male conductor 201 to the end of the cable conductor. Then, thread the first cable through the tail of the male conductor 201 (i.e., the end with the push-to-lock mechanism). During insertion, when you feel noticeable spring resistance and hear a "click," it indicates that the cable conductor has been secured by the internal connection structure of the male conductor (such as a metal spring clip), and the manual locking mechanism is in its initial ready state. The male conductor 201 also connects to the corresponding waterproof cap 400 thread.

[0072] After completing the above steps, push out the conductive male connector 201 by pressing the operating component, and then insert it into the installed conductive female connector 202 for connection.

[0073] The overheat protection mechanism and fireproof connection structure provided by this invention feature an ingenious design. All components can be manufactured using conventional machining, injection molding, and assembly processes, requiring no special or expensive equipment. Its purely mechanical working principle ensures high reliability and long lifespan, making it particularly suitable for applications with extremely high safety and reliability requirements, such as photovoltaic power stations, charging piles, and other high-current connection scenarios in grassland and forest environments. It has broad prospects for industrial production and application.

[0074] Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An overheat protection mechanism for an electrical connector, characterized in that, include: The first conductive component and the second conductive component are in electrical contact under normal conditions; The elastic drive member (305) is configured to apply a driving force to the first conductive member in a direction away from the second conductive member; A locking component is used to overcome the driving force of the elastic drive member (305) under normal conditions and lock the first conductive member in a position where it is in electrical contact with the second conductive member; The thermal trigger element, thermally coupled to the first conductive component, is made of a material that would lose its structural integrity at a predetermined temperature; When the first conductive component overheats due to overload, and the temperature of the thermal trigger element reaches or exceeds the predetermined temperature, the thermal trigger element fails, causing the locking component to lose its locking effect on the first conductive component. The elastic drive (305) then drives the first conductive component to move away from the second conductive component, thereby achieving power-off separation between the two.

2. The overheat protection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking assembly includes a fixed member and a movable member that is movable relative to the fixed member, the movable member being connected to the first conductive component; the thermal triggering element is disposed between the fixed member and the movable member, and is used to maintain the locked state of the movable member relative to the fixed member at room temperature.

3. The overheat protection mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fastener has a locking part made of a material that can lose its structural integrity, and the movable part has a mating part. In the locked state, the locking part and the mating part engage with each other.

4. The overheat protection mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fixing component is a fixedly installed slot body, and the movable component is a sliding component that is slidably installed in the slot body; The engaging part is a tooth structure made of a low-melting-point alloy formed on the slot body, and the mating part is a mating tooth provided on the sliding member that meshes with the tooth structure.

5. The overheat protection mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a heat-conducting component, one end of which is used to be close to the heating part of the first conductive component, and the other end is used to be close to the tooth structure.

6. The overheat protection mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes an operating element that is linked to the slider, the operating element being actuated to drive the slider to move along the slot body, so that the mating teeth switch between different positions of the tooth structure.

7. The overheat protection mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The melting point of the low-melting-point alloy is 200℃.

8. The overheat protection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermal triggering element is a solder, tin alloy, or a plastic part with a specific melting point.

9. A fire-resistant connection structure, characterized in that, include: The main housing (100) is made of flame-retardant material; An electrical connection mechanism (200) is disposed within the main housing (100) and includes a conductive male connector (201) and a conductive female connector (202). The overheat protection mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first conductive component is the conductive male connector (201) and the second conductive component is the conductive female connector (202).

10. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, The conductive male connector (201) and the conductive female connector (202) are disposed opposite to each other in the main housing (100) along the insertion / removal direction.

11. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes a manual locking mechanism (300) disposed in the main housing (100), the manual locking mechanism (300) selectively abutting against the conductive male connector (201) for manually controlling the conductive male connector (201) to switch between the extended connection position and the retracted disconnect position.

12. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 11, characterized in that, The manual locking mechanism (300) includes: The positioning base is fixed inside the main housing (100); The displacement element selectively abuts against the conductive male connector (201) and is movable relative to the positioning base; An actuator is operatively connected to the displacement element; The actuator is configured to drive the displacement member in response to external actuation, so that the displacement member selectively engages with a first mating position or a second mating position on the positioning base, thereby locking the conductive male connector (201) in the extended position or the retracted position.

13. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 12, characterized in that, The positioning base is a fixed slot (301), and the first mating position and the second mating position are a first slot (301a) and a second slot (301b) with different depths provided on its inner wall.

14. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 13, characterized in that, The displacement member is a sliding member that can be axially moved within the fixed slot (301), and the actuator is an operating member that is axially pressed.

15. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 14, characterized in that, The slider is linked with the operating component, so that axially pressing the operating component can drive the slider to selectively engage with the first slot (301a) or the second slot (301b).

16. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 15, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the slider is provided with a plurality of guide portions, which are used to engage with the first slot (301a) or the second slot (301b).

17. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 16, characterized in that, The manual locking mechanism (300) is a press-type sliding locking mechanism.

18. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 17, characterized in that, The operating component is sleeved outside the sliding component and can move and / or rotate axially relative to the fixed slot (301); A driving structure is provided between the slider and the operating member, so that the axial movement of the operating member can be converted into the axial movement and / or circumferential rotation of the slider, thereby driving the guide to switch between different slots.

19. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 18, characterized in that, The sliding component is a sliding ratchet (302), and the guide portion provided thereon is a plurality of strip-shaped structures extending along the axial direction; The operating component is a driven rotating ratchet (303), and its inner wall is provided with a plurality of protrusions (303a) spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The driving structure includes a first guide slope (302b) disposed at the end of the strip structure, and a second guide slope (303b) disposed on the protrusion (303a) near one end of the strip structure, which cooperates with the first guide slope (302b).

20. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 19, characterized in that, The strip structure is a strip-shaped elastic claw (302a) with radial elasticity.

21. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 19, characterized in that: When the driven rotating ratchet (303) is pressed axially, the second guide slope (303b) of the protrusion (303a) interacts with the first guide slope (302b) of the strip structure, driving the sliding ratchet (302) to move axially and rotate circumferentially, so that the strip structure moves out of the second slot (301b) and is inserted into the first slot (301a), and the conductive male connector (201) switches to the extended state.

22. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 21, characterized in that: The driven rotating ratchet (303) has multiple V-shaped contour structures (303c) spaced apart circumferentially on its end face. When the conductive male connector (201) is in the extended connection position, the driven rotating ratchet (303) is pressed axially. The V-shaped contour structure (303c) on its end face interacts with the first guide slope (302b), driving the sliding ratchet (302) to rotate circumferentially again, causing the strip structure to disengage from the first slot (301a) and re-enter the second slot (301b), and the conductive male connector (201) retracts accordingly.

23. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 or 22, characterized in that, The first slot (301a) and / or the second slot (301b) are made of a material that can be melted at a predetermined temperature to serve as a thermal trigger element of the overheat protection mechanism; Furthermore, the fixed slot (301) or the sliding member is provided with a heat-conducting structure (307), one end of the heat-conducting structure (307) is thermally coupled to the conductive male connector (201), and the other end is disposed in the slot made of a fusible material; wherein, the heat-conducting structure (307) is the heat-conducting component in the overheat protection mechanism.

24. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 23, characterized in that: The fusible material is a low-melting-point alloy; The heat-conducting structure (307) is a heat conductor disposed on the inner wall of the main housing (100), and its position is configured such that when the conductive male connector (201) is in the extended connection position, one end of the heat conductor is thermally coupled to the cable conductor electrically connected to the conductive male connector (201) through a bias contact or a small gap, and the other end of the heat conductor extends to the position of the first slot (301a).

25. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 19, characterized in that, It also includes a flexible drive component (305); One end of the elastic drive element (305) is fixed inside the main housing (100), and the other end acts on the conductive male connector (201), providing the conductive male connector (201) with a separation elastic force that causes it to move away from the conductive female connector (202), and constitutes the elastic drive element (305) in the overheat protection mechanism; or, The elastic drive member (305) is directly disposed between the conductive male connector (201) and the sliding ratchet (302). The elastic drive (305) provides a restoring force directly or indirectly to the sliding ratchet (302), causing it to tend to disengage from the first slot (301a) or the second slot (301b).

26. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 25, characterized in that, The conductive male connector (201) is also provided with a buffer spring (306) inside the connection end, which is used to provide axial buffer when the conductive male connector (201) and the conductive female connector (202) are connected.

27. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 11, characterized in that, It also includes the first cable and the second cable; The first cable passes through one end of the main housing (100), the manual locking mechanism (300), and the conductive male connector (201), and its conductor end is electrically connected to and fixed to the conductive male connector (201); The second cable passes through the other end of the main housing (100), and is electrically connected to and fixed to the conductive female connector (202); The first cable and the second cable are connected by a co-extruded rubber insulation layer (203).

28. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, The flame-retardant material is polyetheretherketone.

29. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, The outer surface of the main housing (100) is provided with a passive temperature indicator layer that undergoes observable changes when a preset warning temperature is reached.

30. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 29, characterized in that, The passive temperature indicator layer is an inorganic thermochromic pigment coating applied to the surface of the outer casing. The inorganic thermochromic pigment contains molybdate and zinc phosphate, and the preset warning temperature is 200°C.

31. The fire-resistant connection structure according to claim 27, characterized in that, The inner wall of the connection end of the conductive male connector (201) and / or conductive female connector (202) is embedded with a graphite lubricating layer, and the connection end face of the two is a complete metal plane.

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