Busbar assembly and electric connector assembly

Abstract

There is provided a busbar assembly comprising two conductive terminals (120), a busbar module (210) and at least two fasteners (220), each conductive terminal having a connection end (121) and a plug end (122) adapted to be inserted into an insulated connector housing (110), the busbar module comprising two busbars (211) and an insulated busbar housing (212) enclosing the two busbars, the two busbars are separated from each other and are fixedly positioned in the busbar shell, two positioning openings are formed in the busbar shell, and a part of each busbar is exposed out of the corresponding positioning opening. The connecting end (121) of each conductive terminal is configured to be at least partially positioned in a corresponding positioning opening before the plugging end is inserted into the connector shell, and is mechanically and electrically connected to a corresponding busbar through the fastener; and each conductive terminal is limited by the positioning opening so as to be oriented along a preset direction relative to the corresponding busbar.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of electrical connectors, and more particularly, to a busbar assembly and a corresponding electrical connector assembly capable of rapid assembly. Background Art

[0002] Electrical connectors are typically used to establish electrical connections between various electronic components or devices, and their application fields cover industries such as consumer electronics, household appliances, vehicles, and industrial equipment. Electrical connectors typically include connection terminals disposed within a housing to effect such electrical connection, such as conductive terminals for charging or power transmission in electric vehicles.

[0003] In conventional designs, electrical connectors are connected by wires. As the charging current increases, the temperature rise can be reduced by using large cross-sectional wires. However, in the charging application of electric vehicles, as the vehicle charging current requirement increases, such as up to 1000 A, currently conventional wires cannot meet the vehicle current-carrying temperature rise requirements. Busbars with higher current transmission capabilities and better stability can be used to connect the charging connectors to meet the demand for large current transmission. During assembly, the conductive terminals are usually first installed in the connector housing, then the busbar is connected to the conductive terminals, and finally the connection portion of the busbar and the conductive terminals needs to be covered by the housing or cover to ensure safety, which is usually a relatively complex operation, so there is a need to improve the assembly efficiency. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] In order to overcome at least one of the above and other problems and defects existing in the prior art, the present disclosure is proposed.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a busbar assembly including two conductive terminals, a busbar module, and at least two fasteners. Each conductive terminal has a connection end and a plug end adapted to be inserted into an insulating connector housing. The busbar module includes two busbars and an insulating busbar housing. The busbar housing encapsulates the two busbars such that the two busbars are spaced apart from each other and fixedly positioned within the busbar housing. The busbar housing is formed with two positioning openings, a portion of each busbar is exposed via the corresponding positioning opening, and the connection end of each conductive terminal is configured to be at least partially positioned within the corresponding one of the positioning openings of the busbar housing before the plug end is inserted into the connector housing, and is mechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding busbar via the fastener such that each conductive terminal is limited by the positioning opening to be oriented in a predetermined direction relative to the corresponding busbar.

[0006] In some embodiments, the fastener removably fixes the connection end to the busbar.

[0007] In some embodiments, the two busbars are spaced apart in the busbar housing at a predetermined spacing, and the spacing between the two conductive terminals connected to the two busbars is the same as the predetermined spacing and / or the spacing between the two conductive terminals when mounted in the connector housing.

[0008] In some embodiments, the two conductive terminals are mounted parallel to each other on the corresponding busbars via the fasteners such that the extending direction of each conductive terminal is the same as the extending direction of the corresponding busbar.

[0009] In some embodiments, a terminal connection hole is formed at the connection end of each conductive terminal, a busbar connection hole is formed at one end of each busbar for connection with the conductive terminal, and the connection end of each conductive terminal is fixedly connected to the corresponding busbar via the fastener that is at least partially inserted through the corresponding terminal connection hole and the busbar connection hole.

[0010] In some embodiments, a positioning opening is formed in the busbar housing at a position corresponding to the busbar connection hole, the busbar connection hole is exposed via the positioning opening, and the fastener is inserted into the busbar connection hole at the positioning opening.

[0011] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the positioning opening is larger than the cross-sectional area of the corresponding busbar connection hole, such that the portion of the busbar around the busbar connection hole is exposed via the positioning opening, and the connection end is positioned within the positioning opening to contact the exposed portion of the busbar.

[0012] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the connection end is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the positioning opening, and / or the width of the connection end is less than or equal to the width of the positioning opening, such that when the connection end is positioned within the positioning opening, the side wall surface of the busbar housing defining the positioning opening prevents the conductive terminal from rotating about an axis extending in the thickness direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the busbar connection hole penetrates the busbar in the thickness direction, the positioning openings are respectively formed on opposite sides of the busbar housing in the thickness direction, and the connection end is positioned within the positioning opening on one side of the busbar housing such that the terminal connection hole is aligned with the corresponding busbar connection hole in the thickness direction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the busbar connection hole and the terminal connection hole are through holes, the fastener includes a bolt and a nut, the bolt has a threaded rod portion, and the rod portion is inserted through the aligned busbar connection hole and terminal connection hole in the thickness direction from one side of the busbar to be threadedly connected to the nut located on the opposite other side of the busbar.

[0015] According to an embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical connector assembly is further provided, including an insulating connector housing and a busbar assembly described in any embodiment of the present disclosure, and at least the insertion ends of the conductive terminals are inserted and mounted in the connector housing.

[0016] In some embodiments, the conductive terminals are fixed in the connector housing by snap connection.

[0017] In some embodiments, grooves are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion ends, the connector housing defines a terminal insertion channel that extends along the insertion direction for at least accommodating the insertion ends, and elastic arms extending along the insertion direction are formed on the inner wall of the connector housing that defines the terminal insertion channel. A protrusion protruding radially into the terminal insertion channel is formed at the free end of the elastic arm, and the protrusion is adapted to be snap-engaged with the groove when the insertion end is inserted into the terminal insertion channel to prevent the conductive terminal from moving in the insertion direction.

[0018] In some embodiments, the electrical connector assembly includes a charging socket for an electric vehicle, and the conductive terminals include DC conductive terminals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become clearer from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 2 is a side view schematically showing the structure of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of a busbar assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4 is schematically showing along Figure 2 a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in;

[0024] Figure 5 is a side perspective view schematically showing the structure of a busbar module of a busbar assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 6is an end view schematically showing two opposite ends of a bus bar module of a bus bar assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 7 is a rear perspective view schematically showing a structure of a part of a connector housing of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 8 is a front view schematically showing a structure of a connector housing of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0028] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a structure of a part of a connector housing of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0029] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same or similar components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. The following description of the various embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings is intended to explain the general concept of the present disclosure and should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0030] In addition, in the following detailed description, for the sake of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it is obvious that one or more embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are shown in a schematic manner to simplify the drawings.

[0031] In the following detailed description, directional terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "upper part" and "lower part", "inner", "outer", etc. are defined according to the drawings, but the shapes and positions of the components are not limited by these terms and can be adjusted according to actual applications.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms used herein are for describing exemplary embodiments and are not intended to limit and / or restrict the present disclosure. Unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms. In the present disclosure, terms such as "comprising", "including", "having" and similar terms are used to list features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more of the features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0033] Although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various different elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and the second element may be referred to as the first element. The term "and / or" includes multiple combinations of related items or any one of the multiple related items.

[0034] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a busbar assembly and a corresponding electrical connector assembly, which can be used to establish electrical connections between various types of electronic components or devices. As an example, the electrical connector assembly provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be used as a charging connector for an electric vehicle, such as a charging socket, which can be used for high-current transmission. In other embodiments, the provided busbar assembly and the corresponding electrical connector assembly can also be used to provide safe and reliable power and signal connections between, for example, electronic devices, communication devices, medical devices, industrial electric devices, etc.

[0035] The electrical connector assembly provided according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure includes an electrical connector and a busbar assembly connected to each other. The busbar assembly can be formed by pre-assembling and connecting conductive terminals to a busbar or a busbar module. Thus, as will be described below, the pre-assembled busbar assembly (i.e., a part of its conductive terminals and the busbar) can be inserted into the connector housing quickly or only by an insertion operation. Therefore, the assembly of the electrical connector and the busbar can be completed by a simple operation, improving the assembly efficiency. In the charging application of an electric vehicle, the conductive terminals pre-assembled and connected to a busbar or a busbar module can include DC conductive terminals, such as DC+ and / or DC- terminals, which can transmit currents of up to 1000A, for example.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical connector assembly 10 is a socket connector, including a connector housing 110, which can be made of an insulating material such as plastic and defines a socket 101 for receiving the terminals of a mating connector (not shown). The conductive terminals 120 will be inserted and installed in the connector housing 110. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, before the conductive terminals 120 are inserted and installed in the connector housing 110, the conductive terminals 120 can be pre-connected or assembled together with the busbar 210. For example, the conductive terminals 120 can be mechanically and electrically connected to the busbar 211 via fasteners 220 in advance.

[0037] As an example, the connector housing 110 may include a housing body 111 defining a socket 101 and a cover 112. A terminal insertion channel 1111 for at least partially receiving and holding the inserted conductive terminal 120 is defined in the housing body 111. The terminal insertion channel 1111 may extend along an insertion direction (which may be the same as the extension or length direction Y of the conductive terminal or the bus bar) for at least accommodating the insertion end 122 of the conductive terminal 120. The terminal insertion channel 1111 may communicate with the socket 101 such that a part of the conductive terminal 120 inserted therein is exposed or adapted to make electrical contact with the terminal of the mating connector. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 112 may have a flat cylindrical extension portion to at least cover the connection portion of the conductive terminal 120 and the bus bar 211 and the portion of the conductive terminal located outside the body housing. The cover 112 may be connected to the housing body 111 in various ways. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover 112 may be snap-connected to the housing body 111. A snap or protrusion 1112 may be formed on the housing body 111, and an opening or groove 1122 for engaging or snapping the snap or protrusion 1112 may be formed on the cover 112. The cover may also be connected or engaged with the housing body in other detachable ways, or the connector housing may be an integrally formed part, and the present disclosure does not particularly limit this.

[0038] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a bus bar assembly is provided, which includes a conductive terminal 120, a bus bar 211 and a fastener 220 that are pre-assembled or connected together. The conductive terminal 120 has a connection end 121 and an insertion end 122. The connection end 121 is mechanically and electrically connected to the bus bar 211 via the fastener 220, while the insertion end 122 is adapted to be inserted into the connector housing 110, such as being inserted and held in the terminal insertion channel 1111 of the housing body 111, to make electrical contact with the terminal of the mating connector. The bus bar may be made of a suitable conductive material, such as a copper bar, an aluminum bar, etc. The fastener is preferably also made of a conductive material to ensure a stable electrical connection is established between the conductive terminal and the bus bar.

[0039] In an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure, the fastener 220 may detachably fix the conductive terminal 120, i.e., its connection end 121, to the bus bar 211, such that the conductive terminal 120 is oriented relative to the bus bar 211 in a predetermined direction. In other words, the conductive terminal 120 may be pre-assembled to the bus bar 211 by the fastener 220, such that the conductive terminal 120 pre-assembled on the bus bar 211 is oriented in a predetermined or desired direction, i.e., the same as or corresponding to the orientation of the conductive terminal 120 in the connector housing 110. This can facilitate the rapid insertion of the conductive terminal 120 into the connector housing 110 without considering the orientation of the bus bar, thereby improving the assembly efficiency. In this case, the cover 112 may also be pre-assembled with the housing body 111. During on-site installation, it is only necessary to insert the conductive terminal 120 connected to the bus bar 211 into the connector housing 110 to complete the assembly of the electrical connector and the bus bar. In some examples, the respective conductive terminals 120 may be mounted parallel to each other via the fastener 220 on the bus bars 211 arranged side by side, and the extension or length direction of each conductive terminal and the extension or length direction of the corresponding bus bar may be the same, parallel to each other, perpendicular to each other, or form other desired angles. The present disclosure does not specifically limit this.

[0040] In some embodiments, the bus bar assembly includes at least two conductive terminals 120 and at least two bus bars 211 that may be pre-assembled together. For example, as Figure 1-6 shown, two conductive terminals 120 may be respectively pre-mounted on two bus bars 211. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, each conductive terminal 120 is connected or mounted (e.g., detachably) to a corresponding one of the bus bars 211 via the fastener 220, such that the respective conductive terminals mounted on the corresponding bus bars are the same as or corresponding to their positioning, orientation, attitude, and spacing (see the spacing S shown in Figure 3 ) and other positional or layout relationships in the connector housing. In this way, the conductive terminal can be directly and rapidly inserted into the connector housing without adjusting the attitude or position of the conductive terminal. For example, the orientation of two adjacent conductive terminals 120 relative to the bus bar 211 is the same as the orientation of these two conductive terminals 120 to be mounted in the connector housing 110, and / or the spacing between two adjacent conductive terminals 120 mounted on the corresponding bus bars is the same as the spacing between these two conductive terminals 120 when mounted in the connector housing 110.

[0041] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figure 1-6As shown, a busbar module 210 is provided, which is pre-assembled with the conductive terminals 120 to form a busbar assembly. The busbar module 210 may include at least two busbars encapsulated together by an insulating housing 212. In the illustrated embodiment, the busbar module includes two busbars 211 and an insulating busbar housing 212. The busbar housing 212 encapsulates the two busbars 211 such that the two busbars 211 are spaced apart from each other electrically insulated and fixedly positioned within the busbar housing 212, forming a two-in-one busbar module. As an example, the two busbars 211 may be spaced apart within the busbar housing 212 at a predetermined pitch. By adopting such a module, the assembly operation steps of multiple individual busbars can be reduced, and the assembly efficiency can be improved. Moreover, by pre-installing the corresponding conductive terminals on each busbar in the busbar module to form a busbar assembly, the conductive terminals of the pre-assembled busbar assembly can be directly inserted into the connector housing during on-site operation, thereby quickly completing the assembly of the electrical connector and the busbar. The assembly operation is simple and the assembly efficiency is improved.

[0042] The number of fasteners may be equal to or greater than the number of connected busbars. For example, in the case where the busbar module includes two busbars, two or more fasteners may be provided to connect the conductive terminals to the corresponding busbars. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, a terminal connection hole 123 may be formed at the connection end 121 of each conductive terminal 120, and a busbar connection hole 2111 may be formed at one end of each busbar 211 for connection with the conductive terminal 120. By inserting at least a part of the fastener 220 through the corresponding terminal connection hole 123 and busbar connection hole 2111, the connection end 121 of the conductive terminal 120 can be fixedly connected to the corresponding busbar 211. The pitch S between the busbar connection holes 2111 formed on the adjacent busbars 211 of the busbar module 210 (for example, in the width direction X of the busbar or busbar module) defines the pitch between two adjacent conductive terminals 120 connected to the busbar 211, and this pitch is the same as or corresponds to the pitch when the conductive terminals 120 are positioned or inserted in the connector housing 110, and the pitch between the conductive terminals 120 inserted in the connector housing 110 is defined by the terminal insertion channels 1111 of the connector housing 110. For example, the pitch S between the busbar connection holes 2111 formed on the adjacent busbars 211 of the busbar module 210 may be the same as the pitch between the adjacent terminal insertion channels 1111 of the connector housing 110 (see Figure 9 ). As an example, the pitch between two conductive terminals 120 connected to the two busbars 211 may be the same as the predetermined pitch between the two busbars 211 positioned within the busbar housing 212, and this predetermined pitch may also be the same as the pitch S between the busbar connection holes 2111 formed on the two busbars 211.

[0043] As Figure 1 and Figure 3-6As shown, a busbar housing 212 may be formed with a positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 at a position corresponding to the busbar connection hole 2111. The busbar connection hole 2111 is exposed via the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121, and the fastener 220 is inserted into the busbar connection hole 2111 at the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121. It can be understood that the specific form of the busbar housing encapsulating the busbars is not limited, and the busbar housing is used to hold the respective busbars together in electrical insulation from each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the busbar housing 212 encapsulates the busbar 211 at various positions except the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 and the end of the busbar 211 remote from the conductive terminal 120 (see Figure 6 as shown in (a) therein), including the other end near the conductive terminal as shown in Figure 6 (b) therein), to ensure electrical safety.

[0044] In some exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure, the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 of the busbar housing 2111 may correctly position and orient the conductive terminal 120 such that the orientation and relative positional relationship of the respective conductive terminals 120 mounted on the corresponding busbar 211 are the same as or corresponding to their orientation and relative positional relationship in the connector housing, that is, such that the respective conductive terminals 120 mounted on the corresponding busbar 211, for example, without adjustment, can be directly and quickly inserted into the connector housing. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, before being inserted into the connector housing, the position, orientation, etc. of the conductive terminals mounted on the busbar may be appropriately adjusted, for example, via the fastener, to adapt to the space requirements at the assembly site, etc.

[0045] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 formed on the busbar housing 212 may be larger than the cross-sectional area of the corresponding busbar connection hole 2111, such that the portion of the busbar 211 surrounding the busbar connection hole 2111 is exposed via the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121, and at least a part of the connection end 121 of the conductive terminal 120 may be positioned within the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 to contact the exposed portion of the busbar 211. The fastener 220 may firmly press the connection end 121 of the conductive terminal 120 against the exposed portion of the busbar 211 to ensure reliable electrical contact between the connection end 121 and the busbar 211.

[0046] Exemplarily, the cross-sectional shape of the connection end 121 of the conductive terminal 120 is substantially the same as or similar to the cross-sectional shape of the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 formed on the busbar housing 212. As an example, the connection end 121 may have a substantially flat profile, such as having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape. Alternatively or additionally, the width of the connection end 121 of the conductive terminal 120 in the width direction X may be equal to or less than the width of the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 of the busbar housing 212, so that when the connection end 121 is positioned within the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121, the side wall surfaces of the busbar housing 212 that define the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 can prevent or limit the rotation of the conductive terminal 120 about an axis extending in the thickness direction Z of the busbar or the busbar module, thereby enabling the conductive terminal to be correctly or precisely positioned and oriented, and further enabling the conductive terminal pre-assembled on the busbar to be inserted into the connector housing in one step or quickly.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the busbar connection hole 2111 penetrates the busbar 211 in the thickness direction Z, and positioning grooves or positioning openings 2121 are respectively formed on opposite sides of the busbar housing 212 in the thickness direction Z. The connection end 121 of the conductive terminal 120 is positioned within the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 on one side of the busbar housing 212, such that the terminal connection hole 123 is aligned with the corresponding busbar connection hole 2111 in the thickness direction Z to facilitate the insertion of the fastener 220 therein. Illustratively, the depth of the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 in the thickness direction Z may be less than, equal to, or greater than the thickness of the connection end 121 of the conductive terminal 120, such that the side walls of the connection end 121 can at least partially abut or be adjacent to the inner wall surfaces of the busbar housing 212 that define the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121. The busbar housing may have appropriate strength to limit the connection end within the positioning opening.

[0048] In some examples, such as Figure 1-5As shown, at least one of the busbar connection hole 2111 and the terminal connection hole 123 is a through hole, or it can be a threaded hole. The fastener 220 can include a bolt 221 and a nut 222. The bolt 221 has a threaded rod portion 2211. The rod portion 2211 is inserted through the aligned busbar connection hole 2111 and terminal connection hole 123 in the thickness direction Z from one side of the busbar 211, and is threadedly connected to the nut 222 located on the opposite side of the busbar 211. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener 220 can further include a flange 2212, which can be positioned in the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 of the busbar housing 212 when fixing the connection end of the conductive terminal to the busbar, so as to contact or abut against the exposed portion of the busbar 211. The connection end 121 of the conductive terminal 120 can be located in the positioning groove or positioning opening 2121 on the same side as the nut 222, or can be located on the same side as the head 2213 of the bolt 221. It can be understood that the specific form of the fastener is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, as long as the connection end of the conductive terminal can be held or fixed to the corresponding busbar by the fastener.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the conductive terminal 120 can be fixed or held in the connector housing 110 by snap connection. Thus, the conductive terminal 120 pre-installed on the busbar 211 can be directly inserted into the connector housing 110, such as into its terminal insertion channel 1111, and the assembly of the conductive terminal in the connector housing can be completed.

[0050] As an example, as Figure 1-3 shown in FIGS. 7-9, a groove 124, such as a circumferentially extending annular groove, can be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion end 122 of the conductive terminal 120, and an elastic arm 1113 extending in the terminal insertion direction can be formed on the inner wall of the connector housing 110 that defines the terminal insertion channel 1111. A protrusion 1114 that radially protrudes or protrudes into the terminal insertion channel 1111 can be formed at the free end of the elastic arm 1113 near the socket 101. The protrusion 1114 is adapted to be snap-engaged with the groove 124 by the elasticity of the elastic arm when the insertion end 122 is inserted into the terminal insertion channel 1111, which can prevent or limit the movement of the conductive terminal 120 in the insertion direction, so that the conductive terminal 120 can be held in the connector housing 110. In addition, this snap engagement between the protrusion 1114 and the groove 124 can allow the conductive terminal 120 to rotate relative to the connector housing 110 to adjust the positioning of the conductive terminal 120 relative to the connector housing 110. As Figure 8 shown in FIGS. 9As shown, the protrusion 1114 of the resilient arm 1113 can be exposed from the portion of the connector housing 110 that defines the socket 101 (e.g., via the opening). When it is necessary to disassemble the conductive terminal, by radially moving or pushing the protrusion 1114 of the resilient arm 1113 outwardly, the protrusion 1114 can be disengaged from the groove 124 of the conductive terminal 120. Therefore, the disassembly operation is also simple.

[0051] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes can be made therein without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. In addition, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified, the terms "comprising", "including", and "having" as used herein do not exclude other elements or steps. Further, any element numbers in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A busbar assembly, characterized in that: The busbar assembly includes two conductive terminals, a busbar module and at least two fasteners. Each conductive terminal has a connecting end and a plug end adapted to be inserted into an insulating connector housing. The busbar module comprises two busbars and an insulating busbar housing, wherein the busbar housing encloses the two busbars so that the two busbars are spaced apart from each other and fixedly positioned in the busbar housing, and the busbar housing is formed with two positioning openings, and a portion of each busbar is exposed through the corresponding positioning opening, and The connecting end of each conductive terminal is configured to be at least partially positioned in a corresponding one of the positioning openings of the busbar housing before the plug-in end is inserted into the connector housing, and to be mechanically and electrically connected to a corresponding one of the busbars via the fastener, so that each conductive terminal is limited by the positioning opening to be oriented in a predetermined direction relative to the corresponding busbar.

2. The busbar assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fastener detachably secures the connection end to the busbar.

3. The busbar assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two busbars are spaced apart in the busbar housing at a predetermined interval, and The distance between the two conductive terminals connected to the two bus bars is the same as the predetermined distance and the distance between the two conductive terminals when they are installed in the connector housing.

4. The busbar assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The two conductive terminals are mounted on the corresponding busbar in parallel with each other via the fasteners, so that the extending direction of each conductive terminal is the same as the extending direction of the corresponding busbar.

5. The busbar assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: A terminal connection hole is formed at the connection end of each conductive terminal. A busbar connection hole is formed at one end of each busbar for connecting with the conductive terminal, and The connection end of each conductive terminal is fixedly connected to the corresponding busbar via the fastener at least partially inserted through the corresponding terminal connection hole and the busbar connection hole.

6. The busbar assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The busbar housing is formed with the positioning opening at a position corresponding to the busbar connection hole, and the busbar connection hole is exposed through the positioning opening, and The fastener is inserted into the busbar connection hole at the positioning opening.

7. The busbar assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cross-sectional area of ​​the positioning opening is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the corresponding busbar connection hole, so that a portion of the busbar surrounding the busbar connection hole is exposed through the positioning opening, and The connection end is positioned in the positioning opening to contact the exposed portion of the busbar.

8. The busbar assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the connecting end is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the positioning opening, and / or the width of the connecting end is less than or equal to the width of the positioning opening, so that when the connecting end is positioned in the positioning opening, the side wall surface of the busbar housing that defines the positioning opening prevents the conductive terminal from rotating around an axis extending in the thickness direction.

9. The busbar assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The busbar connection hole penetrates the busbar in the thickness direction, The busbar housing is provided with positioning openings on opposite sides in the thickness direction, and The connection end is positioned in the positioning opening on one side of the busbar housing so that the terminal connection holes are aligned with the corresponding busbar connection holes in the thickness direction.

10. The busbar assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The busbar connection hole and the terminal connection hole are through holes, The fastener includes a bolt and a nut, wherein the bolt has a threaded shank, and the shank is inserted from one side of the busbar in the thickness direction through the aligned busbar connection holes and the terminal connection holes to be threadedly connected with the nut located on the other side opposite to the busbar.

11. An electrical connector assembly comprising an insulating connector housing, It is characterized in that The electrical connector assembly further comprises the busbar assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and at least the plug-in end of the conductive terminal is inserted into and installed in the connector housing.

12. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that: The conductive terminal is fixed in the connector housing by a snap connection.

13. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that: A groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the plug end. The connector housing defines a terminal insertion passage extending along an insertion direction for accommodating at least the plug-in terminal, and The inner wall of the connector housing defining the terminal insertion channel is formed with an elastic arm extending along the insertion direction, and the free end of the elastic arm is formed with a protrusion protruding radially into the terminal insertion channel, and the protrusion is suitable for engaging with the groove when the plug-in end is inserted into the terminal insertion channel to prevent the conductive terminal from moving in the insertion direction.

14. The electrical connector assembly according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: The electrical connector assembly comprises a charging socket for an electric vehicle, and the conductive terminals comprise direct current conductive terminals.

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