Connector assembly

Abstract

The present application relates to a connector assembly comprising: a housing interface constituting a part of a housing for encapsulating an electrical component of a vehicle; and a connector detachably connected to the housing interface to introduce power or signals into the electrical component; the shell interface is provided with an interface body, a fixing part located on the outer side of the interface body and used for being connected with the connector, and a transition part located between the fixing part and the interface body, and the interface body is provided with a sealing surface matched with a sealing surface of the connector; the transition portion defines a recess recessed from the sealing surface in a connection direction from the connector to the housing interface, the recess constituting a passage leading to an exterior of the connector assembly when the connector is connected to the housing interface. According to the connector assembly, the height of the reinforcing ribs on the sealing surface of the shell interface is reduced, so that the drainage gap exists between the mounting column and the sealing surface, water is effectively drained when the connector assembly encounters water, and the corrosion resistance of the sealing surface in the connector assembly is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a connector assembly for supplying power to electrical components of a vehicle, and particularly to a drainage structure of the housing of the connector assembly. Background Art

[0002] In new energy vehicles, various power transmission units, abbreviated as PTUs, are used. In such power transmission units PTUs, a wide variety of connectors are used. Different connectors have different shapes and matching assembly interfaces. Usually, connector suppliers will recommend available assembly interfaces to customers, and customers passively select and use the connector interfaces provided by the suppliers. However, since it is impossible to mass-produce aluminum alloy housings machined and engraved by computer numerical control (CNC) machines during mass production, during mass production, PTU housings are usually die-castings made by the casting process of metal materials. When using the die-casting process, the manufacturing of the interfaces therein often focuses too much on reducing materials to avoid problems such as porosity in the materials due to thick walls.

[0003] However, when using the die-casting process to make thin-walled parts, new problems will arise. That is, due to strength reasons, thin-walled parts must be designed with ribs. At the positions where the ribs are located, there will be some recesses after the connector is assembled at the interface. When encountering water, such as when it is raining or when washing the car, etc., water will accumulate in these recesses. The presence of water will accelerate the corrosion of the sealing surface between the connector and the housing, thereby affecting the service life of automotive components and further affecting the safety of the vehicle.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to provide a reliable connector assembly for a vehicle, which can alleviate the problem of the sealing connection between the connector and the housing being corroded by moisture, thereby improving the sealing safety performance and service life of the connector assembly. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] The present application aims to provide a connector assembly that can reduce the overall sealing performance degradation caused by the corrosion of the sealing component between the connector and the housing interface to be connected by moisture while ensuring the strength of the die-cast part.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present application provides a connector assembly, comprising: a housing interface, the housing interface forming a part of a housing for encapsulating electrical components of a vehicle; and a connector detachably connected to the housing interface to introduce power or signals into the electrical components within the housing; the housing interface having an interface body, a fixing portion located outside the interface body for connection of the connector, and a transition portion located between the fixing portion and the interface body, the interface body having a sealing surface that mates with a sealing surface of the connector, wherein the transition portion defines a recess that is recessed from the sealing surface in a connection direction from the connector to the housing interface, and the recess forms a passage leading to the outside of the connector assembly when the connector is connected to the housing interface.

[0007] Optionally, the fixing portion is a plurality of mounting posts each having a respective threaded hole.

[0008] Optionally, the transition portion is a reinforcing rib connecting the plurality of mounting posts and the interface body to reinforce the housing interface.

[0009] Optionally, the shape and size of the sealing surface of the connector correspond to the shape and size of the sealing surface of the interface body.

[0010] Optionally, a seal is provided between the sealing surface of the connector and the sealing surface of the interface body to achieve waterproof sealing between the two.

[0011] Optionally, the depth t of the recess from the sealing surface in the connection direction is not less than 2 mm.

[0012] Optionally, the width w of the recess limited by the distance between the mounting post and the interface body is not less than 2 mm.

[0013] Optionally, the housing interface and the housing are integrally formed by die-casting from a metallic material.

[0014] Optionally, the housing interface and the housing are separate metallic material parts and are hermetically connected together by a mechanical connection means.

[0015] Optionally, the fixing portion is a plurality of bosses each having a threaded hole.

[0016] According to the present application, by reducing the height of the reinforcing rib at the sealing surface of the housing interface, a gap for water drainage is provided between the mounting post and the sealing surface, so that when the connector assembly encounters water, the water can be effectively discharged without causing water accumulation, improving the corrosion resistance of the sealing surface between the connector and the housing interface, extending the service life of the vehicle components, and increasing the safety of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and other aspects of the present application will be understood more clearly with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are only schematic and not drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A perspective view of a connector assembly according to the present application is schematically shown;

[0019] Figure 2 A view of the connector assembly according to the present application as seen from the connector side is schematically shown;

[0020] Figure 3 A perspective view of the connector assembly according to the present application as observed after the connector is disassembled is schematically shown; and

[0021] Figure 4 A view of the connector assembly according to the present application as observed from the sealing surface direction after the connector is disassembled is schematically shown. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0022] The preferred embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to examples. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments do not impose any limitation on the present application, and the features in each embodiment can be combined with each other. In different drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and for the sake of brevity, some components are omitted, but this does not mean excluding other components. It should be understood that the dimensions, proportional relationships, and the number of components in the drawings do not limit the present application.

[0023] Figure 1 A perspective view of a connector assembly according to the present application is shown. The connector assembly includes a housing interface 1, which is a part of a housing 2 for encapsulating various electrical components of a vehicle. Usually, the housing interface 1 and the housing 2 are made into an integral part. For example, the entire housing including the housing interface 1 is made of a metal material by die-casting. However, the present application is not limited thereto. According to needs, the housing interface 1 and the housing 2 can also be provided as separate metal components, and then hermetically connected together by various mechanical connection methods such as non-detachable connection methods like welding or detachable connection methods like screw fastening connection, to protect the various electrical components therein and provide ports for power or signal input to these electrical components.

[0024] The connector assembly in the present application further includes a connector 3 that cooperates with the housing interface 1, and the connector 3 is detachably connected to the housing interface 1. As shown in the figure, the connector 3 is connected to the housing interface 1 by four screws 4. Of course, the present application is not limited to using screws for fastening connection, and other known methods in the art can also be used for connection, such as snap connection.

[0025] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connector assembly as viewed from one side of the connector 3, showing that the connector 3 is fixed to the housing interface 1 by four screws 4. However, the number of screws 4 is not limited to four and can be specifically set as required.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1 and 2 , the connector 3 has a connector body 41 in the shape of a rectangular cylinder with rounded corners and a mounting flange 42 extending from the connector body 41. Accordingly, the mounting flange 42 also has a rectangular shape with rounded corners. The mounting flange 42 has four mounting holes (not shown in the figure) for the four screws 4 to be inserted to fasten the connector 3 to the housing interface 1.

[0027] Although the connector body 41 is shown as having a rectangular cross-section with rounded corners, the present application is not limited thereto. The connector body 41 can have various shapes according to the number of cable cores to be connected and the connection mode, for example, a square cross-section, an elliptical cross-section, a triangular cross-section, etc.

[0028] Figure 2 FIG. 3 shows that the four screws 4 are respectively arranged at the four corners of the mounting flange 42. However, the present application is not limited thereto. According to the specific structure and the available space of the connector 3, the mounting holes and the screws 4 can be arranged at non-corner positions, for example, on the four sides, such as the middle positions of the four sides, etc. Or, the mounting holes and the screws 4 can be asymmetrically arranged on the mounting flange 42.

[0029] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a part of the housing interface 1 and the housing 2 as viewed from the sealing surface side after the connector 3 of the connector assembly is removed.

[0030] The housing interface 1 has an interface body 11, and the interface body 11 has a shape and size corresponding to the mounting flange 42 of the connector 3 to cooperate with the mounting flange 42. When the mounting flange 42 has a rectangular cross-section with rounded corners, the interface body 11 also has a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Of course, it can also have other shapes that vary according to the specific shapes of the connector body 41 and the mounting flange 42, for example, the cross-section can be elliptical, square, triangular, etc.

[0031] The interface body 11 has an opening 15 leading to the inside of the housing 2 so as to be able to access the electrical components inside the housing 2, thereby facilitating the connector 3 to supply power or input signals to the electrical components accommodated inside the housing 2. The interface body 11 also has a sealing surface 14 facing the side of the connector 3, and the sealing surface 14 cooperates with the sealing surface 43 on the mounting flange 42 of the connector 3 to make a sealing connection between the connector 3 and the housing interface 1.

[0032] To this end, a groove extending circumferentially (not shown in the figure) may be provided on the sealing surface 43 of the mounting flange 42 of the connector 3. A seal, such as an O-ring or a lip seal, may be provided in the groove. When the sealing surface 43 of the connector 3 mates with the sealing surface 14 of the housing interface 1, the seal abuts against the sealing surface 14 and deforms, thereby achieving fluid sealing.

[0033] However, the present application is not limited thereto, and it may also be arranged conversely. For example, a groove may be provided on the sealing surface 14 of the interface body 11, and the sealing ring is placed in the groove, and the sealing is achieved by the sealing ring abutting against and deforming the sealing surface 43.

[0034] Alternatively, a gasket made of an elastic material, such as a rubber gasket, may be directly provided between the sealing surface 43 and the sealing surface 14. The shape of the gasket corresponds to the sealing surface 14 and the sealing surface 43. Thus, after the connector 3 and the housing interface 1 are connected, the outer periphery of the gasket is flush with or slightly recessed from the outer peripheral surfaces of the mounting flange 42 and the interface body 11, and does not protrude outside from the mounting flange 42 and the interface body 11.

[0035] The housing 2 and the housing interface 1 may be made of a metal material, such as aluminum alloy. After being installed on a vehicle, the housing 2 and the connector 3 generally will not be replaced again. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the seal between the housing 2 and the connector 3 has a service life almost as long as the vehicle life, which puts relatively high requirements on the corrosion resistance protection of the sealing surface 14 and the sealing surface 43 and the seal therebetween. This can be improved in two aspects. On the one hand, the housing interface 1, the connector 3, and the seal therebetween use materials with corrosion resistance. On the other hand, waterproof protection should be provided for the seal between these three components to prevent water accumulation during rain, car washing, etc. from corroding these components, thereby reducing their service life.

[0036] To facilitate the installation of the connector 3 to the housing 2, the housing interface 1 has a plurality of mounting posts 12. The positions and numbers of the mounting posts 12 correspond to the positions and numbers of the mounting holes on the mounting flange 42 of the connector 3. Each mounting post 12 has a post hole 16, and the post hole 16 may be a threaded hole. When the mounting post 12 is aligned with the mounting hole on the mounting flange 42, the screw 4 is inserted into the mounting hole and the post hole 16, thereby connecting the connector 3 and the housing interface 1 together.

[0037] The housing 2 and the housing interface 1 are usually die-cast from a metallic material. To reduce the weight, the thickness is usually controlled. However, in the case of a reduced thickness, in order to ensure the strength of the entire housing 2, a reinforcing rib 13 is provided between the interface body 11 and the mounting post 12, and the reinforcing rib 13 forms a transition portion between the interface body 11 and the mounting post 12.

[0038] In the present application, it is shown that there are 4 mounting posts 12, which correspond to the 4 mounting holes on the mounting flange 42 of the connector 3. Of course, according to requirements, other numbers of mounting holes and mounting posts 12 can also be provided.

[0039] The mounting posts 12 shown in the figure are cylindrical. However, the present application is not limited thereto, and they can be set to other shapes according to requirements, such as square-column shapes, elliptical-column shapes, etc., or they can also be set to a boss shape with a column hole 16 in the middle.

[0040] The reinforcing rib 13 is set to be recessed a certain distance from the plane where the sealing surface 14 is located towards the housing 2 (i.e., in the connection direction of the connector 3 to the housing interface 1), thereby defining a recess 17. For example, the recess depth t of the recess 17 from the plane where the sealing surface 14 is located towards the housing 2 is as Figure 3 shown not less than 2 mm. For example, it can be 2.4 - 3 mm. Of course, this is only an example. As long as the recess depth t of the recess 17 is large enough to prevent water from remaining at the recess 17 due to capillary action on the one hand, and small enough to ensure the strength of the housing interface 1 through the transitional connection of the reinforcing rib 13 between the interface body 11 and the mounting post 12 on the other hand.

[0041] Figure 4 Schematically shown is a view of the connector assembly according to the present application as observed from the sealing surface direction after the connector is disassembled, as Figure 4 shown. The width w of the recess 17 defined by the distance between the mounting post 12 and the interface body 11 is preferably not less than 2 mm, such as 2 - 3 mm. This is also only an example and can be modified according to specific requirements. As long as the setting of this width can prevent water from remaining at the recess 17 due to capillary action on the one hand, and can ensure the strength of the housing interface 1 through the transitional connection of the reinforcing rib 13 between the interface body 11 and the mounting post 12 on the other hand.

[0042] In the present application, since the surface of the mounting flange 42 of the connector 3 facing the housing interface 11, i.e., the surface including the sealing surface 13, is a flat surface, accordingly, the surface 18 of the mounting post 12 facing the connector 3 side is flush with the sealing surface 14, so as to facilitate the mating of the sealing surface 43 and the sealing surface 14 and the connection of the mounting flange 42 and the mounting post 12.

[0043] However, modifications can also be made as required. For example, the surface of the mounting flange 42 facing the housing interface 1 can also be made stepped, for example, having a sealing surface 43 and a mounting surface (not shown) located on different planes. The sealing surface 43 is to cooperate with the sealing surface 14, and the mounting surface is to cooperate with the surface 18 of the mounting post 12. Correspondingly, the surface 18 of the mounting post 12 can be set not to be flush with the sealing surface 14, but can be higher or lower than the sealing surface 14.

[0044] By providing such recesses 17 in the stiffening rib 13 of the present application, when the connector 3 and the mounting post 12 are connected by screws through the mounting flange 42, a sealing fit is achieved between the sealing surface 43 of the connector 3 and the sealing surface 14 of the housing interface 1. At this time, the recess 17 forms a gap between the connector 3 and the housing interface 1. When the connector assembly is invaded by moisture in an environment such as vehicle washing or rain, water can leave the connector assembly along the gap formed by the recess 17, and no accumulation will occur at the stiffening rib 13, thus preventing the sealing between the connector 3 and the housing interface 1 from being corroded by water for a long time. The sealing performance between the connector 3 and the housing interface 1 can be guaranteed for a long time, thereby improving the service life of vehicle components and the safety performance of the entire vehicle.

[0045] Although the foregoing description is that the housing interface 1 has a plurality of recesses 17 separated from each other, and these recesses 17 communicate with each other after the connector 3 is connected to the housing interface 1, modifications can also be made thereto. For example, a part of the mounting posts 12, such as two mounting posts 12, can be integrally formed, so that the two recesses 17 are also continuous, as long as the recess 17 can lead to the outside to drain moisture.

[0046] The present application has been described in detail in combination with specific embodiments. Obviously, the above description and the embodiments shown in the drawings should be understood as exemplary and do not constitute a limitation to the present application. Those skilled in the art can make various variations or modifications thereto without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these variations or modifications do not depart from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A connector assembly, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing interface (1), the housing interface (1) forming part of a housing (2) for encapsulating electrical components of a vehicle; And A connector (3) detachably connected to the housing interface (1) for introducing power or signals into the electrical components within the housing (2); The housing interface (1) has an interface body (11), a fixing portion located outside the interface body (11) for connection by the connector (3), and a transition portion between the fixing portion and the interface body (11), the interface body (11) having a sealing surface (14) that mates with a sealing surface (43) of the connector (3); Wherein, the transition portion defines a recess (17) that is recessed from the sealing surface (14) in the connection direction from the connector (3) to the housing interface (1), and the recess (17) forms a passage leading to the outside of the connector assembly when the connector (3) is connected to the housing interface (1).

2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein The fixing portion is a plurality of mounting posts (12) with respective threaded holes (16).

3. The connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein, The transition portion is a reinforcing rib (13) connecting the plurality of mounting posts (12) and the interface body (11) to strengthen the housing interface (1).

4. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein The shape and size of the sealing surface (43) of the connector (3) correspond to the shape and size of the sealing surface (14) of the interface body (11).

5. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein A seal is provided between the sealing surface (43) of the connector (3) and the sealing surface (14) of the interface body (11) to achieve waterproof sealing between the two.

6. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The depth t of the recess (17) from the sealing surface (14) in the connection direction is not less than 2 mm.

7. The connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein The width w of the recess (17) limited by the distance between the mounting posts (12) and the interface body (11) is not less than 2 mm.

8. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein The housing interface (1) and the housing (2) are integrally formed by die-casting from a metallic material.

9. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The housing interface (1) and the housing (2) are separate metallic material parts and are hermetically connected together by a mechanical connection means.

10. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The fixing portion is a plurality of bosses with threaded holes (16).

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