A connector integrated with a fuse

Abstract

The application provides a connector integrated with a fuse, comprising a plug, the plug comprising an inner shell, a fuse, a fuse cover and a first terminal, the inner shell having a first connecting part provided with a first insertion hole extending in the front-rear direction, the fuse cover being detachably assembled at the front end of the first connecting part, the fuse cover being provided with a through hole communicating with the first insertion hole, the fuse being inserted into the communicating through hole and the first insertion hole, and the first terminal being inserted into the first insertion hole and being in contact with the rear end pin of the fuse to realize electrical conduction. The fuse has the advantages of fast response speed, few fault points, high reliability, space saving, convenient and fast replacement of the fuse.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of new energy vehicle technology, and in particular to a connector. Background Technology

[0002] When a short circuit occurs in the high-voltage system of a new energy vehicle (such as the battery pack or motor controller), a transient current of thousands of amperes may be generated. Once a short circuit occurs, the fuse will melt instantly, cutting off the faulty circuit and preventing the wires from overheating and catching fire or critical components (such as batteries or power devices) from burning out.

[0003] Currently, in the high-voltage systems of new energy vehicles, fuses are separate from connectors. The fuses and connectors are connected by wires. In the event of a short circuit, the impedance of the wires may cause the fuse to blow late. Moreover, the wires will take up space in the battery pack or engine compartment, which cannot meet the compact layout requirements of new energy vehicles.

[0004] Therefore, how to enable fuses and connectors to be directly connected without wires is a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a connector integrating a fuse. The connector includes a plug, which includes an inner shell, a fuse, a fuse cover, and a first terminal. The inner shell has a first connecting portion, which has a first insertion hole extending in a front-rear direction. The fuse cover is detachably assembled to the front end of the first connecting portion and has a through hole communicating with the first insertion hole. The fuse is inserted into the through hole and the first insertion hole, and the first terminal is inserted into the first insertion hole and contacts the rear pin of the fuse to achieve electrical conduction.

[0006] In one alternative embodiment of the connector with an integrated fuse, the fuse cover is movably assembled to the front end of the first connection portion.

[0007] In one alternative embodiment of a connector integrating a fuse, the fuse cover has a cover body and a plug extending rearward from the cover body, the cover body being located in front of a first connecting portion, the first connecting portion having a plug hole that mates with the plug hole being located in front of a first socket, and the plug being inserted into the plug hole in a front-rear direction.

[0008] In one alternative embodiment of a connector with an integrated fuse, the cross-section of the insertion post is non-circular.

[0009] In one alternative embodiment of a connector with an integrated fuse, the plug includes a second terminal, the inner housing has a second connecting portion, the second connecting portion has a second socket extending in a front-rear direction, and the second terminal is inserted into the second socket.

[0010] In one alternative embodiment of a connector with an integrated fuse, the front end of the second connection portion extends forward beyond the first connection portion, forming a notch in front of the first connection portion, and the cover body is located within the notch.

[0011] In one alternative embodiment of the connector with integrated fuse, the front end face of the cover body is flush with the front end face of the second connecting portion, and the rear end face of the cover body abuts against the front end face of the first connecting portion.

[0012] In one alternative embodiment of a connector integrating a fuse, the second connecting portion has an elastic portion on the side near the fuse cover, the elastic portion has a locking portion, and the cover body has a mating portion on the side near the second connecting portion, the mating portion and the locking portion being elastically engaged.

[0013] In one alternative embodiment of a connector integrating a fuse, the second connecting portion is provided with a first guide groove and a first guide strip extending in a front-rear direction, and the cover body is provided with a second guide groove and a second guide strip extending in a front-rear direction. The first guide strip is slidable back and forth along the second guide groove, and the second guide strip is slidable back and forth along the first guide groove.

[0014] An alternative embodiment of a connector with an integrated fuse includes a socket, the rear end of which abuts against the front end of the plug, the socket including a third terminal that contacts the front pin of the fuse within the through-hole to achieve electrical conduction.

[0015] The aforementioned connector integrates the fuse into the inner shell of the plug. This allows the fuse pins and the first terminal of the plug to directly contact each other for electrical conduction, eliminating the need for a wire. This avoids the adverse effects of wire impedance on the fuse's response speed and reduces the potential failure point of the wire, thus improving reliability. Furthermore, eliminating the wire reduces the size and weight of the entire power distribution box, freeing up space in the battery pack or engine compartment for use in new energy vehicles, accommodating their compact layout requirements. The fuse is also sealed and protected, reducing the adverse effects of external temperature and mechanical stress. Moreover, when the fuse needs replacement, simply remove the fuse cover from the inner shell, pull the old fuse out of the first socket, and replace it with the new one. After replacement, the fuse cover is reinstalled on the inner shell. In other words, fuse replacement only requires removing the fuse cover from the plug; the socket itself does not need to be disassembled. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the connector provided in this application in the plug and socket disassembled state;

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the plug;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the inner shell of the plug;

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the fuse cover for the plug;

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic diagram for removing the fuse cover and the fuse.

[0021] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0022] 100 plug;

[0023] 101 Inner shell, 1011 First connecting part, 1011a First insertion hole, 1011b Insertion hole, 1012 Second connecting part, 1012a Second insertion hole, 1012b Elastic part, X-positioning part, 1012c First guide groove, 1012d First guide strip, 1012e Slot, 1012f Partition groove;

[0024] 102 fuse;

[0025] 103 Fuse cover, 1031 Cover body, 1031a Contact part, 1031b Inner insertion part, 1032 Insertion post, C Through hole;

[0026] 104 First terminal; 105 Second terminal; 106 First high-voltage interlock terminal; 107 Plug housing; 108 Shielding housing; 109 Front sealing ring; 110 Wire sealing ring; 111 Rear cover; 112 Plastic housing secondary lock; 113 First wire; 114 Second wire;

[0027] 200 socket;

[0028] 201 Socket housing; 202 Third wire; 203 Fourth wire. Detailed Implementation

[0029] This application provides a connector with an integrated fuse. To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this application, the technical solution of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0030] like Figures 1-4 As shown, in this embodiment, the connector includes a plug 100 and a socket 200, with the front end of the plug 100 and the rear end of the socket 200 mating together. It should be noted that in this application, directional terms such as front, back, right, up, and down are relative to the viewpoint shown in the illustration, intended to clearly describe the positional relationship, and do not limit the actual arrangement to this orientation.

[0031] The plug 100 includes an inner shell 101, a fuse 102, a fuse cover 103, and a first terminal 104. The inner shell 101 has a first connecting portion 1011, which is generally an elongated structure extending in the front-rear direction. The first connecting portion 1011 is provided with a first socket 1011a, which extends in the front-rear direction.

[0032] The fuse cover 103 is detachably assembled to the front end of the first connecting portion 1011. The fuse cover 103 has a through hole C communicating with the first socket 1011a. The fuse 102 is inserted into the through hole C and the first socket 1011a. The first terminal 104 is inserted into the first socket 1011a and directly contacts the rear pin of the fuse 102 to achieve electrical conduction. The rear end of the first terminal 104 is connected to a first wire 113. In this embodiment, the plug 100 has two first terminals 104 and two fuses 102. Correspondingly, the first connecting portion 1011 has two first sockets 1011a, and the fuse cover 103 has two through holes C. Each first socket 1011a corresponds to inserting one first terminal 104 and one fuse 102, and each through hole C corresponds to inserting one fuse 102. In other words, the number of first sockets 1011a, the number of through holes C, the number of first terminals 104, and the number of fuses 102 are the same. It should be noted that the number of first terminals 104 is not limited to two; it can also be one or more.

[0033] The aforementioned connector integrates the fuse 102 within the inner shell 101 of the plug 100. This allows the pins of the fuse 102 and the first terminal 104 of the plug 100 to directly contact each other for electrical conduction, eliminating the need for wires. This avoids the adverse effects of wire impedance on the fuse 102's fusing response speed and reduces the potential failure point of wires, thus improving reliability. Furthermore, eliminating wires reduces the overall size and weight of the distribution box, freeing up space in the battery pack or engine compartment when used in new energy vehicles, accommodating the compact layout requirements of these vehicles. Moreover, the fuse 102 is sealed and protected, reducing the adverse effects of external temperature and mechanical stress on it. Furthermore, as... Figure 5 As shown, when it is necessary to replace the fuse 102, the fuse cover 103 is removed from the inner shell 101, and the old fuse 102 can be pulled out from the first socket 1011a and replaced with the new fuse 102. After replacing the new fuse 102, the fuse cover 103 is put back on the inner shell 101. In other words, the process of replacing the fuse 102 only requires removing the fuse cover 103 of the plug 100, without disassembling the socket 200. The replacement can be completed in about 3 minutes, which is convenient and quick.

[0034] The connectors for automotive battery packs or motor controllers typically have their sockets fixed inside the battery pack housing or motor controller housing. If replacing fuse 102 requires removing the socket, the battery pack housing or motor controller housing must first be opened. Repeated opening and closing can lead to a failure of the seal on the battery pack housing or motor controller housing, causing a serious safety accident. However, with the connector provided in this application, replacing fuse 102 does not require opening the battery pack housing or motor controller housing; therefore, it will not cause a failure of the seal on the battery pack housing or motor controller housing.

[0035] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the fuse cover 103 is movably connected to the front end of the first connecting part 1011. This allows the fuse cover 103 to be removed from the first connecting part 1011 by moving it forward, and to be reattached to it by moving it backward. This makes the removal and installation of the fuse cover 103 less strenuous. Furthermore, when removing or installing the fuse cover 103, it moves along the length of the fuse 102, thus avoiding shearing force on the fuse 102 and preventing damage. Alternatively, an opening can be provided on the lower side of the fuse cover 103 to allow for vertical removal and installation.

[0036] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, the first connecting part 1011 is provided with a plug hole 1011b, which is located in front of the first plug hole 1011a. Figure 4 As shown, the fuse cover 103 has a cover body 1031 and a plug post 1032 extending rearward from the cover body 1031. The plug post 1032 is movably inserted into the plug hole 1011b. In this way, the plug post 1032 and the plug hole 1011b cooperate to guide the fuse cover 103, making the installation of the fuse cover 103 more convenient.

[0037] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cross-section of the plug post 1032 is non-circular, for example, it can be rectangular, elliptical, hexagonal, etc. Correspondingly, the plug hole 1011b is a non-circular hole. In this way, the plug hole 1011b and the plug post 1032 cooperate with each other to limit the wobbling of the fuse cover 103 relative to the first connection part 1011, thereby reducing noise and avoiding the wobbling from adversely affecting the electrical conductivity reliability of the first terminal 104 and the fuse 102.

[0038] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the plug 100 also has a second terminal 105. The inner shell 101 also has a second connecting portion 1012, which is generally an elongated structure extending in the front-rear direction. The second connecting portion 1012 has a second socket 1012a, which extends in the front-rear direction and is parallel or substantially parallel to the first socket 1011a. The second terminal 105 is inserted into the second socket 1012a, and a second wire 114 is connected to the rear end of the second terminal 105. In this embodiment, the plug 100 has two second terminals 105, and the second connecting portion 1012 has two second sockets 1012a. Each second socket 1012a corresponds to one second terminal 105 being inserted, that is, the number of second terminals 105 and the number of second sockets 1012a are the same. It should be noted that the number of second terminals 105 is not limited to two; it can also be one or more.

[0039] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the front end of the second connecting part 1012 extends forward beyond the first connecting part 1011, forming a notch in front of the first connecting part 1011, and the cover body 1031 is located inside the notch.

[0040] Specifically, the front end face of the cover body 1031 is flush with the front end face of the second connecting part 1012, and the rear end face of the cover body 1031 abuts against the front end face of the first connecting part 1011. That is to say, when the rear end face of the cover body 1031 abuts against the front end face of the first connecting part 1011, the front end face of the cover body 1031 is exactly flush with the front end face of the first connecting part 1011, which facilitates the connection between the plug 100 and the socket 200.

[0041] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the second connecting portion 1012 has an elastic portion 1012b on the side near the fuse cover 103. The elastic portion 1012b has a locking portion X. The cover body 1031 has a mating portion (not visible in the figure) on the side near the second connecting portion 1012. The mating portion and the locking portion X are elastically engaged. In the figure, the locking portion X is a downwardly recessed pit; alternatively, it could be an upwardly convex protrusion. In the figure, only the rear end of the elastic portion 1012b is connected to the second connecting portion 1012; the left and right sides are disconnected from the second connecting portion 1012 by partition grooves 1012f, allowing the elastic portion 1012b to spring up or down relative to the second connecting portion 1012. When an external force is applied to move the fuse cover 103 forward, the locking portion X can elastically deform, allowing the mating portion to separate from the locking portion X, so as not to affect the disassembly of the fuse cover 103. During normal use, the locking part X and the mating part remain connected, ensuring that the fuse cover 103 is reliably connected to the inner shell 101.

[0042] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the second connecting part 1012 is provided with a slot 1012e, which can be used to insert the first high-voltage interlock terminal 106. At the same time, the slot 1012e is located below the elastic part 1012b, which can provide the elastic part 1012b with deformation space.

[0043] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the second connecting portion 1012 has a first guide groove 1012c and a first guide strip 1012d extending in the front-back direction on each of its left and right sides. The fuse cover 103 has a second guide groove A and a second guide strip B extending in the front-back direction on each of its left and right sides. The first guide strips 1012d on the left and right sides can slide back and forth along the second guide groove A on the same side, and the second guide strips B on the left and right sides can slide back and forth along the first guide groove 1012c on the same side. When the fuse cover 103 is inserted, the guide strips and guide grooves cooperate to provide guidance.

[0044] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the plug 100 also includes a plug housing 107, a shielding shell 108, a front sealing ring 109, a wire sealing ring 110, a rear cover 111, a plastic shell secondary lock 112, and a first high-voltage interlock terminal 106. The inner shell 101 is inserted inside the plug housing 107. The shielding shell 108 is located between the inner shell 101 and the plug housing 107. The front sealing ring 109 is located between the shielding shell 108 and the plug housing 107. The first wire 113 and the second wire 114 are fitted with wire sealing rings 110 on their outer sides. The rear cover 111 is assembled at the rear end of the plug housing 107. The first wire 113 and the second wire 114 pass through holes in the wire sealing ring 110 and the rear cover 111 in sequence and extend to the outside of the plug housing 107. The plastic shell secondary lock 112 is assembled on one side of the plug housing 107 and can lock the plug 100 and the socket 200 after they are mated.

[0045] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the cover body 1031 has an abutment portion 1031a and an inner insertion portion 1031b. The abutment portion 1031a is located in front of the inner insertion portion 1031b. The inner insertion portion 1031b is inserted into the shielding shell 108. The rear end face of the abutment portion 1031b abuts against the front end face of the shielding shell 108. That is, the abutment portion 1031b is located outside the shielding shell 108. A forward force can be applied to the abutment portion 1031b to remove the fuse cover 103.

[0046] Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the socket 200 includes a socket housing 201, and also includes a third terminal and a fourth terminal located within the socket housing 201. The front end of the third terminal is connected to a third wire 202, and the front end of the fourth terminal is connected to a fourth wire 203. The number of third terminals, the number of first terminals 104, and the number of fuses 102 are the same. The number of fourth terminals and the number of second terminals 105 are the same.

[0047] After the plug 100 is connected to the socket 200, the third terminal contacts the front pin of the fuse 102 to achieve electrical conduction, and the fourth terminal contacts the second terminal 105 to achieve electrical conduction.

[0048] Preferably, the third terminal contacts the front pin of the fuse 102 in the through hole C of the fuse cover 103. In this way, when the plug 100 and the socket 200 are mated, the through hole C can guide the third terminal to be accurately inserted into the through hole C and reliably contact the front pin of the fuse 102.

[0049] Specifically, the socket 200 also includes a second high-voltage interlock terminal. After the plug 100 is connected to the socket 200, the second high-voltage interlock terminal contacts the first high-voltage interlock terminal 106 to achieve electrical conduction and send a signal that the plug 100 and the socket 200 have been connected.

[0050] The above examples illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of these embodiments are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this application without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A connector integrated with a fuse, characterized by, The connector includes a plug (100), the plug (100) includes an inner shell (101), a fuse (102), a fuse cover (103), and a first terminal (104). The inner shell (101) has a first connecting portion (1011), the first connecting portion (1011) is provided with a first socket (1011a) extending in the front-rear direction, the fuse cover (103) is detachably assembled to the front end of the first connecting portion (1011), the fuse cover (103) is provided with a through hole (C) communicating with the first socket (1011a), the fuse (102) is inserted into the through hole (C) and the first socket (1011a), and the first terminal (104) is inserted into the first socket (1011a) and contacts the rear pin of the fuse (102) to achieve electrical conduction.

2. The fuse-integrated connector according to claim 1, wherein The fuse cover (103) is movably assembled to the front end of the first connecting part (1011).

3. The fuse-integrated connector according to claim 2, wherein The fuse cover (103) has a cover body (1031) and a plug post (1032) extending rearward from the cover body (1031). The cover body (1031) is located in front of the first connecting part (1011). The first connecting part (1011) is provided with a plug hole (1011b) that mates with the plug post (1032). The plug hole (1011b) is located in front of the first plug hole (1011a). The plug post (1032) is inserted into the plug hole (1011b) in the front-rear direction.

4. The fuse-integrated connector according to claim 3, wherein The cross-section of the plug post (1032) is non-circular.

5. The fuse integrated connector of claim 3, wherein, The plug (100) has a second terminal (105), the inner shell (101) has a second connecting part (1012), the second connecting part (1012) is provided with a second socket (1012a) extending in the front-rear direction, and the second terminal (105) is inserted into the second socket (1012a).

6. The fuse-integrated connector according to claim 5, wherein The front end of the second connecting part (1012) extends forward beyond the first connecting part (1011) and forms a notch in front of the first connecting part (1011), and the cover body (1031) is located in the notch.

7. The fuse-integrated connector according to claim 6, wherein The front end face of the cover body (1031) is flush with the front end face of the second connecting part (1012), and the rear end face of the cover body (1031) abuts against the front end face of the first connecting part (1011).

8. The fuse integrated connector of claim 6, wherein, The second connecting part (1012) has an elastic part (1012b) on the side near the fuse cover (103), and a locking part (X) is provided on the elastic part (1012b). The cover body (1031) has a mating part on the side near the second connecting part (1012), and the mating part is elastically engaged with the locking part (X).

9. The fuse-integrated connector according to claim 8, wherein The second connecting part (1012) is provided with a first guide slot (1012c) and a first guide strip (1012d) extending in the front-rear direction, the cover body (1031) is provided with a second guide slot (A) and a second guide strip (B) extending in the front-rear direction, the first guide strip (1012d) can slide in the front-rear direction along the second guide slot (A), and the second guide strip (B) can slide in the front-rear direction along the first guide slot (1012c).

10. The fuse-integrated connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The connector comprises a socket (200), the rear end of the socket (200) is connected with the front end of the plug (100), the socket (200) comprises a third terminal, the third terminal is in contact with the front end pin of the fuse (102) in the through hole (C) to realize electrical conduction.

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