Photovoltaic connector and photovoltaic connector protective sleeve

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of photovoltaic connectors, in particular to a photovoltaic connector and a photovoltaic connector protective sleeve. The photovoltaic connector protective sleeve comprises an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate which are oppositely arranged, and the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are buckled into a whole through a magnetic buckle. The upper cover plate is provided with an upper cavity and an upper groove, and the lower cover plate is provided with a lower cavity and a lower groove; when the upper cavity and the lower cavity are buckled into a whole, the upper cavity and the lower cavity jointly form an inner cavity, and the upper groove and the lower groove jointly form a first through hole and a second through hole; wherein one end of the first through hole and one end of the second through hole are communicated with the two ends of the inner cavity respectively, and the other end of the first through hole and the other end of the second through hole are both communicated with the outside. According to the photovoltaic connector protective sleeve, the inner cavity is used for placing the plug-in part of the connector, the first through hole and the second through hole are used for placing the cable, and the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are sealed by the magnetic buckle, so that the photovoltaic connector protective sleeve is easy to mount and dismount.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of photovoltaic connectors, and in particular to a photovoltaic connector and a photovoltaic connector protective cover. Background Art

[0002] PV connectors are exposed to outdoor use for extended periods of time. They must withstand harsh conditions, such as wind, rain, high temperatures, and extreme weather. They must be waterproof, heat-resistant, and UV-resistant, while maintaining high current carrying capacity and efficiency. Marine applications place even stricter demands on the sealing and waterproofing of PV connectors. Failure of a PV connector can result in significant safety incidents and irreversible economic losses. Therefore, further enhancements to the sealing, safety, and reliability of PV connectors are necessary.

[0003] Currently, photovoltaic connector protective covers all use snap-on connections. These connectors require manual installation or the use of tooling during on-site installation. Furthermore, they are difficult to install during routine inspections or when a connector fails. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the ease of disassembly of photovoltaic connectors while ensuring their sealing, safety, and reliability.

[0004] It should be noted that the above content is not necessarily prior art, nor is it intended to limit the scope of patent protection of this application. Utility Model Content

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a photovoltaic connector and a photovoltaic connector protective cover to solve or alleviate one or more technical problems mentioned above.

[0006] As one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an embodiment of the present application provides a photovoltaic connector protective cover.

[0007] The photovoltaic connector protective cover comprises an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate which are arranged opposite to each other.

[0008] The upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are fastened together into one piece by magnetic buckles;

[0009] The upper cover plate is provided with an upper cavity and an upper groove, and the lower cover plate is provided with a lower cavity and a lower groove;

[0010] When buckled together, the upper cavity and the lower cavity together form an inner cavity, and the upper groove and the lower groove together form a first through hole and a second through hole;

[0011] One end of the first through hole and one end of the second through hole are respectively connected to two ends of the inner cavity, and the other end of the first through hole and the other end of the second through hole are both connected to the outside.

[0012] The photovoltaic connector protective cover of the embodiment of the present application has an inner cavity for placing the plug-in part of the connector, and the first through hole and the second through hole are used for placing cables. At the same time, the upper and lower cover plates are sealed with magnetic buckles, which is easy to install and disassemble.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present application, in the photovoltaic connector protective cover, a sealing strip is provided on the edge of the inner cavity, thereby enhancing the sealing effect of the inner cavity.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present application, in a photovoltaic connector protective cover, an upper sealing groove is provided on the periphery of the upper cavity, and a lower sealing groove is provided on the periphery of the lower cavity, with the upper and lower sealing grooves being arranged opposite each other; a first sealing strip is provided within the upper sealing groove, and a second sealing strip is provided within the lower sealing groove; the height of the first sealing strip is greater than the depth of the upper sealing groove; and the height of the second sealing strip is greater than the depth of the lower sealing groove. Thus, when the upper and lower cover plates are fastened together, the first and second sealing strips contact and squeeze each other, and through their elastic deformation, they tightly adhere to the sealed contact surface, forming an effective sealing barrier.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present application, in the photovoltaic connector protective cover, the first sealing strip and the second sealing strip are both made of rubber, thereby having good elastic deformation and sealing capabilities.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present application, in a photovoltaic connector protective cover, the upper groove includes a first arcuate groove and a second arcuate groove, and the lower groove includes a third arcuate groove and a fourth arcuate groove. When the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are fastened together, the first arcuate groove and the third arcuate groove form the first through-hole, and the second arcuate groove and the fourth arcuate groove form the second through-hole. Thus, the first through-hole and the second through-hole are provided for accommodating cables.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present application, in a photovoltaic connector protective cover, the first arcuate groove, the second arcuate groove, the third arcuate groove, and the fourth arcuate groove are all stepped grooves; the width of the stepped groove on the side closer to the inner cavity is greater than the width of the stepped groove on the side farther from the inner cavity; and the groove on the side closer to the inner cavity is filled with a sealing material. This prevents moisture from entering the inner cavity through the first and second through holes and corroding the photovoltaic connector, further enhancing the moisture-insulating capability of the photovoltaic connector protective cover.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present application, in the photovoltaic connector protective cover, the sealing material is an insulating and waterproof material.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present application, in the photovoltaic connector protective cover, the magnetic buckle is made of a strong magnet, thereby enhancing the sealing reliability of the upper and lower covers.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present application, in a photovoltaic connector protective cover, at least a portion of the magnetic buckle on the upper cover is convex, while at least a portion of the magnetic buckle on the lower cover is concave. The magnetic buckle on the upper cover cooperates with the magnetic buckle on the lower cover to achieve a seal between the upper and lower covers. Thus, the overall sealing is further enhanced by the cooperation between the upper and lower magnetic buckle structures.

[0021] A second aspect of the present application provides a photovoltaic connector.

[0022] The photovoltaic connector includes the photovoltaic connector protective cover described in the second aspect; the photovoltaic connector includes a connector plug body and a first cable and a second cable located at both ends of the connector plug body; wherein the connector plug body is located within an inner cavity, the first cable extends to the outside through the first through hole, and the second cable extends to the outside through the second through hole. As a result, the photovoltaic connector has excellent sealing performance and is suitable for use in various harsh outdoor environments. The photovoltaic protective cover is also easy to disassemble, facilitating routine inspection and replacement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings represent the same or similar components or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings only depict some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0024] Figure 1 is a top view of a photovoltaic connector protective cover provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a side view of the photovoltaic connector protective cover and the photovoltaic connector provided in an embodiment of the present application when not assembled.

[0026] Description of reference numerals:

[0027] 1-sealing material; 201-upper cover; 202-lower cover; 3-photovoltaic connector; 301-connector plug body; 302-first cable; 303-second cable; 4-inner cavity; 5-sealing strip; 6-magnetic buckle; 701-first through hole; 702-second through hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clearly understood, this application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict. This application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the examples.

[0029] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can, for example, be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0030] In the present application, when it comes to a numerical interval (i.e., a numerical range), unless otherwise specified, the distribution of the optional numerical values ​​in the numerical interval is considered to be continuous, and includes the two numerical endpoints (i.e., the minimum and maximum values) of the numerical interval, and each numerical value between the two numerical endpoints. Unless otherwise specified, when the numerical interval only refers to an integer in the numerical interval, including the two endpoint integers of the numerical range, and each integer between the two endpoints, is equivalent to directly enumerating each integer. When multiple numerical ranges are provided to describe a feature or characteristic, these numerical ranges can be merged. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the numerical range disclosed in this application should be understood to include any and all subranges included therein. The "numerical value" in the numerical interval can be any quantitative value, such as a number, a percentage, a ratio, etc. "Numerical interval" allows broadly including quantitative intervals such as percentage intervals, ratio intervals, and ratio intervals.

[0031] The present application provides a technical solution for a photovoltaic connector protective cover, thereby improving the convenience of disassembly. Detailed information is provided below.

[0032] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present application will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these exemplary embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0033] A first aspect of the present application provides a photovoltaic connector protective cover.

[0034] In some embodiments, as Figures 1 and 2As shown, the photovoltaic connector protective cover may include:

[0035] The upper cover plate 201 and the lower cover plate 202 are arranged opposite to each other.

[0036] The upper cover 201 and the lower cover 202 are fastened together by a magnetic buckle 6;

[0037] The upper cover plate 201 is provided with an upper cavity and an upper groove, and the lower cover plate 202 is provided with a lower cavity and a lower groove;

[0038] When buckled together, the upper cavity and the lower cavity together form the inner cavity 4, and the upper groove and the lower groove together form the first through hole 701 and the second through hole 702;

[0039] One end of the first through hole 701 and one end of the second through hole 702 are respectively connected to two ends of the inner cavity 4 , and the other end of the first through hole 701 and the other end of the second through hole 702 are both connected to the outside.

[0040] In the photovoltaic connector protective cover of the embodiment of the present application, the inner cavity 4 is used to accommodate the mating portion of the connector, while the first through hole 701 and the second through hole 702 are used to accommodate the cable. A magnetic buckle is used to seal the upper and lower covers, making them easy to install and remove. It is understood that the upper cover 201 and the lower cover 202 in the present application can adopt a symmetrical structure. When the two are buckled into one, the overall shape can be box-shaped, cylindrical, etc.

[0041] Preferably, in the photovoltaic connector protective cover, the magnetic buckle 6 is made of a strong magnet, a high-performance magnet, or a rare earth magnet with an extremely high magnetic energy product (BHmax). This enhances the sealing reliability of the upper and lower covers. For example, the magnetic buckle 6 can be made of at least one of a neodymium iron boron magnet and a samarium cobalt magnet.

[0042] In some embodiments, in the photovoltaic connector protective cover, at least a portion of the magnetic buckle 6 of the upper cover 201 is convex, and at least a portion of the magnetic buckle 6 of the lower cover 202 is concave. The magnetic buckle 6 of the upper cover 201 and the magnetic buckle 6 of the lower cover 202 cooperate to achieve a seal between the upper cover 201 and the lower cover 202. Thus, the overall sealing is further enhanced through the cooperation of the upper and lower magnetic buckle structures.

[0043] It is understood that at least a portion of the magnetic buckles 6 on the upper cover 201 are convex, including all of the magnetic buckles 6 on the upper cover 201 being convex or a portion of the magnetic buckles 6 on the upper cover 201 being convex, and correspondingly, the magnetic buckles 6 on the lower cover 202 are concave. In addition, when a portion of the magnetic buckles 6 on the upper cover 201 are convex, the remaining portion of the magnetic buckle 6 can be flush with the engagement surface or concave.

[0044] This application does not set a limit on the number of magnetic buckles, and reliability can be increased by increasing the number of magnetic buckles. For example, 10 magnetic buckles 6 are respectively provided on the buckling surfaces of the upper cover 201 and the lower cover 202, thereby forming 10 pairs of magnetic buckles to strengthen the connection between the upper cover 201 and the lower cover 202. While being easy to install and operate, the upper cover 201 and the lower cover 202 are matched with each other through 10 strong magnetic buckles made of neodymium iron boron material. It not only protects the photovoltaic connector, but also facilitates installation and routine inspection.

[0045] In some embodiments, in the photovoltaic connector protective sleeve, a sealing strip 5 is provided on the edge of the inner cavity 4 , thereby enhancing the sealing effect of the inner cavity 4 .

[0046] In a specific embodiment, an upper sealing groove is provided on the periphery of the upper cavity, and a lower sealing groove is provided on the periphery of the lower cavity, with the upper and lower sealing grooves being arranged opposite each other. A first sealing strip is provided within the upper sealing groove, and a second sealing strip is provided within the lower sealing groove. The height of the first sealing strip is greater than the depth of the upper sealing groove, and the height of the second sealing strip is greater than the depth of the lower sealing groove. Therefore, when the upper cover 201 and the lower cover 202 are fastened together, the first and second sealing strips contact and squeeze each other, elastically deforming to tightly adhere to the sealing contact surface, forming an effective sealing barrier.

[0047] Furthermore, the first sealing strip and the second sealing strip may be rubber sealing strips, for example, at least one of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), silicone rubber, chloroprene rubber, etc.

[0048] Furthermore, the first sealing strip and the second sealing strip can be fixed in the upper and lower grooves by using glue.

[0049] In some embodiments, in a photovoltaic connector protective cover, the upper groove includes a first arcuate groove and a second arcuate groove, and the lower groove includes a third arcuate groove and a fourth arcuate groove. The first arcuate groove and the second arcuate groove are provided on the upper cover plate 201, and the third arcuate groove and the fourth arcuate groove are provided on the lower cover plate 202. When the upper cover plate 201 and the lower cover plate 202 are fastened together, the first arcuate groove and the third arcuate groove form the first through hole 701, and the second arcuate groove and the fourth arcuate groove form the second through hole 702. Thus, the first through hole 701 and the second through hole 702 for accommodating cables are provided.

[0050] Preferably, if Figure 1 As shown, the first, second, third, and fourth arc-shaped grooves are all stepped grooves; the width of the stepped grooves on the side closer to the inner cavity 4 is greater than the width of the stepped grooves on the side farther from the inner cavity 4; and the grooves on the side closer to the inner cavity 4 are filled with sealing material 1. Thus, the first through hole 701 and the second through hole 702 are both stepped through holes. The through hole on the side closer to the inner cavity 4 is the inner through hole, and the through hole on the side closer to the inner cavity 4 is the outer through hole. The inner through hole is wider than the outer through hole, and the inner through hole is filled with sealing material 1, which fills the space between the cable and the through hole while allowing the cable to pass through. Thus, the provision of the inner through hole prevents moisture from entering the inner cavity through the first and second through holes 701, 702 and corroding the photovoltaic connector, further enhancing the moisture-isolating capability of the photovoltaic connector protective cover.

[0051] Furthermore, the sealing material 1 may be made of insulating and waterproof materials, such as rubber and plastic.

[0052] A second aspect of the present application provides a photovoltaic connector.

[0053] In some embodiments, the photovoltaic connector 3 is sleeved in the photovoltaic connector protective sleeve described in the first aspect;

[0054] The photovoltaic connector 3 includes a connector plug body 301, which is a male plug and a female plug assembled into one body. The two ends of the connector plug body 301 are respectively provided with a first cable 302 and a second cable 303;

[0055] The connector body 301 is located within the inner cavity 4, the first cable 302 extends to the exterior through the first through-hole 701, and the second cable 303 extends to the exterior through the second through-hole 702. This ensures excellent sealing and is suitable for use in a variety of harsh outdoor environments. The photovoltaic protective cover is easily removable, facilitating routine inspection and replacement.

[0056] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0057] For ease of description, the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right," "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal," and "top, bottom" are generally based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application. The directional terms "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of the components themselves. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures will be positioned "below" or "below" other devices or structures. Therefore, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0058] Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "mounted," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection, electrical connection, or communication; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0059] Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact via another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0060] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to actual proportional relationships. The techniques, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods and equipment should be considered as part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as being merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0061] It should also be noted that references to "one embodiment," "another embodiment," "an embodiment," and the like throughout this specification refer to specific features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with that embodiment as included in at least one embodiment generally described herein. The appearance of the same expression in multiple places in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with any embodiment, it is intended that such feature, structure, or characteristic, when implemented in conjunction with other embodiments, also fall within the scope of this application.

[0062] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0063] It should also be noted that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and do not limit the scope of patent protection of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the scope of patent protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A photovoltaic connector protective cover, characterized in that: It includes an upper cover plate and a lower cover plate that are arranged opposite to each other, and the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are fastened together into one by a magnetic buckle; The upper cover plate is provided with an upper cavity and an upper groove, and the lower cover plate is provided with a lower cavity and a lower groove; When buckled together, the upper cavity and the lower cavity together form an inner cavity, and the upper groove and the lower groove together form a first through hole and a second through hole; One end of the first through hole and one end of the second through hole are respectively connected to two ends of the inner cavity, and the other end of the first through hole and the other end of the second through hole are both connected to the outside.

2. The photovoltaic connector protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing strip is provided on the edge of the inner cavity.

3. The photovoltaic connector protective cover according to claim 2, characterized in that: An upper sealing groove is provided on the periphery of the upper cavity, and a lower sealing groove is provided on the periphery of the lower cavity, and the upper sealing groove and the lower sealing groove are arranged opposite to each other; A first sealing strip is provided in the upper sealing groove, and a second sealing strip is provided in the lower sealing groove; The height of the first sealing strip is greater than the depth of the upper sealing groove; The height of the second sealing strip is greater than the depth of the lower sealing groove.

4. The photovoltaic connector protective cover according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first sealing strip and the second sealing strip are both made of silicone rubber.

5. The photovoltaic connector protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper groove includes a first arc-shaped groove and a second arc-shaped groove, and the lower groove includes a third arc-shaped groove and a fourth arc-shaped groove; When the upper cover plate and the lower cover plate are buckled together, the first arc-shaped groove and the third arc-shaped groove form the first through hole, and the second arc-shaped groove and the fourth arc-shaped groove form the second through hole.

6. The photovoltaic connector protective cover according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first arc-shaped groove, the second arc-shaped groove, the third arc-shaped groove and the fourth arc-shaped groove are all step grooves; The groove width of the step groove on the side close to the inner cavity is greater than the groove width of the step groove on the side away from the inner cavity; The groove on one side of the step groove close to the inner cavity is filled with sealing material.

7. The photovoltaic connector protective cover according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sealing material is an insulating and water-proof material.

8. The photovoltaic connector protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The material of the magnetic buckle is a strong magnet.

9. The photovoltaic connector protective cover according to claim 8, characterized in that: At least part of the magnetic buckle of the upper cover is convex, and at least part of the magnetic buckle of the lower cover is concave. The magnetic buckle of the upper cover cooperates with the magnetic buckle of the lower cover to achieve sealing between the upper cover and the lower cover.

10. A photovoltaic connector, characterized in that: The photovoltaic connector comprises the photovoltaic connector protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The photovoltaic connector includes a connector plug body and a first cable and a second cable located at both ends of the connector plug body; The connector plug-in body is located in the inner cavity, the first cable extends to the outside through the first through hole, and the second cable extends to the outside through the second through hole.

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