Plug and battery pack

Abstract

The utility model relates to the external connection technical field of battery pack discloses a plug and battery pack, and the plug includes the male plug and female plug of mutual plug -in cooperation, and the male plug includes male insulating casing, the plurality of female terminals fixed in it, and the female plug includes female insulating casing, the plurality of male terminals fixed in it, each female terminal, male terminal are tellurium bronze terminals, and the front end of female terminal is the tubular structure of plug -in section, and the periphery of the front end of male terminal has the elastic contact part of radial elastic deformation, and is matched with the front end of female terminal, when the male plug, female plug are connected, the front end of male insulating casing is inserted into the casing mouth of female insulating casing, and is pasted with the inner wall of female insulating casing, each male terminal in female insulating casing is inserted into each female terminal in male insulating casing respectively, and the elastic contact part is under the extrusion of the inner wall of female terminal, and is in radial elastic compression shape.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of external connection technology for battery packs, specifically to a plug and a battery pack. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of lithium-ion battery technology and the continuous expansion of its application fields, the types and numbers of devices using lithium-ion batteries are increasing daily. During the production, testing, and use of lithium-ion batteries, various models of charging and discharging male connectors are often required, depending on different current specifications and physical dimensions. Current market trends demand that these connectors possess greater current-carrying capacity while maintaining a small size to meet the high power density development needs of devices.

[0003] Currently, most common connectors on the market (such as the widely used XT-60 model and its compatible products) use brass for their electrical connection terminals. While brass has good machinability, its inherent resistivity is high, limiting its conductivity. When a connector needs to carry a larger current within the same volume, the brass terminals will generate significant heat due to excessive resistance, causing the overall connector temperature to rise sharply. This not only results in energy efficiency loss but also poses serious safety hazards, such as accelerated aging of insulation materials, connector deformation, and even, in extreme cases, fire.

[0004] Furthermore, there is still room for improvement in the versatility of existing connectors. Although the XT-60 connector has become a de facto industry standard, compatible products from different manufacturers vary in key performance aspects (such as current capacity and temperature rise control), and users often face a limited selection of high-performance alternatives. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One of the objectives of this utility model is to provide a novel plug and battery pack that improves the conductivity of the battery pack terminals, thereby significantly increasing the overcurrent capacity, reducing the operating temperature, and ensuring good versatility and safety without increasing the size.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a plug comprising a male plug and a female plug that are mutually inserted and mated. The male plug includes a male insulating shell and a plurality of female terminals fixed therein; The female plug includes a female insulating shell and a plurality of male terminals fixed therein; All of the female and male terminals are tellurium bronze terminals. The female terminal has a tubular front connector section, and the outer periphery of the front connector section of the male terminal has an elastic contact portion capable of radial elastic deformation, which matches the front connector section of the female terminal. When the male plug and female plug are connected, the front end of the male insulating shell is inserted into the opening of the female insulating shell and is in contact with the inner wall of the female insulating shell. Each of the male terminals located in the female insulating shell is inserted into each of the female terminals located in the male insulating shell. The elastic contact part is in a radially elastic compressed state under the squeezing action of the inner wall of the female terminal.

[0007] Optionally, a weight-reducing hole is provided inside the male insulating housing.

[0008] Optionally, one of the guide groove and the guide rib is provided on the outer wall of the male insulating shell, and the other of the guide groove and the guide rib is provided on the inner wall of the female insulating shell, wherein the guide groove and the guide rib extend axially. When the male and female plugs are connected, each of the guide ribs slides along the guide groove and is confined within the guide groove.

[0009] Optionally, each of the male terminals has an axially extending central groove and a plurality of axially extending axial grooves located within the central groove, forming a plurality of lobes capable of radial elastic deformation. Each lobe is located between two adjacent circumferential axial grooves. The front end segments of the male and female terminals are interference-fitted.

[0010] Optionally, the outer periphery of the mother insulating shell is provided with a raised or recessed anti-slip portion on the outer wall.

[0011] Optionally, the anti-slip portion is perpendicular to the axial direction of each of the male terminals.

[0012] Optionally, the male insulating shell and / or female insulating shell are provided with positive and negative polarity markings.

[0013] Optionally, at least one outer corner of the male insulating housing is configured as an anti-reverse corner that is asymmetrical in shape with any other outer corner; At least one inner corner of the mother insulating shell is configured as an anti-reverse corner that is asymmetrical with any other inner corner.

[0014] Optionally, the female terminals located at the rear end of the male insulating housing and the male terminals located at the rear end of the female insulating housing are respectively axially extending welding portions, or the rear ends are further bent downwards by 90 degrees, and the bottom surface of the ends forms a planar patch portion for surface mounting.

[0015] Includes the battery pack body, and the male or female plug of any of the plugs described above.

[0016] As can be seen from the above, the male and female terminals of the plug in this embodiment are made of tellurium bronze, which has high conductivity. Compared with traditional brass terminals, when the same current flows through, according to Joule's law (P=I²R), the resistance (R) of tellurium bronze terminals is significantly lower, thus greatly reducing the heat (P) generated. This helps to reduce the risk of overheating and fire caused by large current flowing through the terminals to be connected. Furthermore, while maintaining high conductivity, tellurium bronze has better strength, hardness, and machinability than pure copper. This makes the fabrication of the male and female terminals more convenient and reliable, ensuring that the elastic contact portion on the male terminal maintains good elastic recovery ability after repeated insertion and removal, which helps to extend the service life of the plug. The plug in this embodiment achieves a stable electrical connection and strong resistance to vibration and loosening through the interference fit between the elastic contact portion on the outer periphery of the male terminal's front insertion section and the tubular structure of the female terminal's front insertion section. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of this application, do not constitute an undue limitation of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 1 , 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a male plug consisting of a male insulating shell and a female terminal is provided for an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 3 , 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a female plug consisting of a female insulating shell and male terminals is provided for an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 5 , 6 A schematic diagram of the connection structure of the male plug and female plug provided in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 7 , 8 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the male and female plugs after they are connected and mated, provided for an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 9 , 10 The front view and bottom view of the male and female plugs after they are connected and mated according to the embodiments of this utility model; Figure 11 for Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the AA cross-sectional structure; Figure 12 , 13 for Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the BB and CC cross-sectional structure.

[0019] 1: Male plug; 11: Male insulating housing; 12: Female terminal; 13: Weight reduction hole; 2: Female plug; 21: Female insulating shell; 22: Male terminal; 23: Lobe; 3: Guide groove; 4: Guide rib; 5: Anti-slip part; 6: Positive and negative terminal markings; 7: Anti-reverse rotation corner; 8: Axial welding section. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the present invention are used to explain the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0021] Examples of embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in a detailed description below, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout.

[0022] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that terms such as "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0023] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0024] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] See Figures 1-13 .

[0026] This utility model embodiment provides a plug, including a matching male plug 1 and a female plug 2.

[0027] Among them, see Figure 1 , 2 The male plug 1 includes a male insulating housing 11, which has at least two sockets. A female terminal 12 is fixed in each socket. The front end of the female terminal 12 is a connecting section. The front end connecting section of the female terminal 12 is constructed as a tubular structure to allow the male terminal 22 on the opposite end of the female plug 2 to be interference-fitted.

[0028] See Figure 3 , 4 The female plug 2 includes a female insulating shell 21 with an opening at the front end. At least two male terminals 22 are fixed inside the shell cavity of the female insulating shell 21. The front end of each male terminal 22 is a plug-in end, and the front plug-in ends are all located inside the shell and do not extend beyond the front opening. The outer periphery of the front plug-in end of each male terminal 22 is provided with an elastic contact portion that can undergo radial elastic deformation. The shape of the elastic contact portion matches the tubular inner wall of the female terminal 12.

[0029] In this embodiment, all female terminals 12 and all male terminals 22 are made of tellurium bronze, which may, but is not limited to, tellurium bronze of the American ASTM standard grade C14500, a copper alloy material with high conductivity and easy machining. Its conductivity percentage is generally greater than 85% IACS (where IACS is the abbreviation for International Standard for Annealed Copper), and its typical conductivity percentage is between 90% IACS and 98% IACS. For example, tellurium bronze of the American ASTM standard grade C14500 has a conductivity of approximately 93% IACS, and some tellurium bronzes, such as CuTe(P), can achieve a conductivity of over 95% IACS. Because tellurium bronze is made by adding trace amounts of tellurium (usually 0.4%-0.7%) to a copper matrix, the tellurium element forms compound particles with copper, which has very little impact on the crystal structure of the copper matrix. As a result, most of the free electrons can maintain their directional movement ability, and its conductivity is much higher than that of brass, a traditional connector terminal material (conductivity of about 28% IACS), and is also significantly better than some other copper alloys.

[0030] See Figures 5-13 As shown, when the male plug 1 mates with the female plug 2, the front end of the male insulating housing 11 inserts into the opening of the female insulating housing 21, achieving initial insertion positioning and insulation protection for the conductive terminals. Subsequently, the male terminal 22 inside the female insulating housing 21 is inserted into the female terminal 12 inside the male insulating housing 11. When the elastic contact portion of the male terminal 22 enters the tubular structure of the female terminal 12, it is squeezed by the inner wall of the female terminal 12, resulting in radial elastic compression. This continuous elastic pressure ensures that a large-area, low-resistance, tight electrical contact is formed between the male terminal 22 and the female terminal 12.

[0031] As can be seen from the above, the male terminal 22 and female terminal 12 of the plug in this embodiment are made of tellurium bronze terminals with high conductivity. Compared with traditional brass terminals, when the same current passes through, according to Joule's law (P=I²R), the resistance (R) of tellurium bronze terminals is significantly lower, thus greatly reducing the heat (P) generated. This helps to reduce the risk of overheating and fire caused by large current passing through the terminals to be connected. Furthermore, while maintaining high conductivity, tellurium bronze has better strength, hardness, and machinability than pure copper. This makes the preparation of male terminal 22 and female terminal 12 more convenient and reliable, ensuring that the elastic contact portion on male terminal 22 can maintain good elastic recovery ability after repeated insertion and removal, which helps to extend the service life of the plug. The plug in this embodiment achieves a stable electrical connection and strong resistance to vibration and loosening through the interference fit between the elastic contact portion on the outer periphery of the front section of male terminal 22 and the tubular structure of the front section of female terminal 12.

[0032] In this embodiment, either the male plug 1 or the female plug 2 can serve as the output interface of the battery pack, while the other shell serves as a plug for electrical devices or chargers to connect to the output interface of the battery pack. This plug can safely and efficiently carry the large charging and discharging currents of the battery. Its low heat generation characteristics are particularly important for densely packed battery packs, avoiding the risk of thermal runaway caused by localized overheating and improving the safety and reliability of the entire battery system.

[0033] See Figure 1 , 2 As an illustration of this embodiment, a weight reduction hole 13 is provided on the male insulating shell 11 to remove excess material in areas that do not affect structural strength and insulation performance, thereby saving raw materials, reducing product cost and weight, and also facilitating heat dissipation of the connector during insertion and removal.

[0034] As an illustration of this embodiment, an axially extending guide groove 3 (or guide rib 4) is provided on the outer wall of the male insulating shell 11, and a corresponding guide rib 4 (or guide groove 3) is provided on the inner wall of the female insulating shell 21. During the insertion process, the guide rib 4 first slides into the guide groove 3, guiding the male and female plugs 2 to align in the correct axial and circumferential positions. This design facilitates the implementation of anti-reverse insertion, ensuring that the male and female terminals 12 can only be mated in the single correct direction, preventing short circuits between the positive and negative poles due to incorrect insertion, and greatly improving operational safety. Furthermore, this guide structure makes the insertion and removal process smoother and less strenuous.

[0035] As an illustration of this embodiment, the elastic contact portion of the male terminal 22 of the female plug 2 in this embodiment is formed by machining an axially extending central groove located at the axis and multiple circumferentially distributed axial grooves, thus forming multiple independent, radially elastically deformable petals 23. These multiple petals 23 constitute a "basket"-like structure, increasing the contact points with the inner wall of the female terminal 12. The outer diameter of the male terminal 22 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the female terminal 12, resulting in an interference fit between the male terminal 22 and the female terminal 12's insertion section. During insertion, each petal 23 undergoes independent elastic deformation, ensuring that each petal 23 makes 360-degree tight contact with the inner wall of the female terminal 12. The multi-point contact of each petal 23 significantly reduces contact resistance, further improving conductivity and heat dissipation. The interference fit ensures contact stability and the required feel during insertion and removal.

[0036] As an illustration of this embodiment, raised or recessed anti-slip portions 5 are respectively provided on the outer wall of the handle portion at the rear end of the male and female insulating housings 21, and on the outer wall of the female insulating housing 21, with the extension direction of the anti-slip portions 5 perpendicular to the terminal axis. The user's fingers rub against the anti-slip portions 5 during insertion and removal. This design increases the friction between the hand and the housing, making insertion and removal operations easier and more reliable, especially in humid or oily environments.

[0037] As an illustration of this embodiment, positive and negative polarity marking sections 6 are respectively provided on the male insulating shell 11 and the female insulating shell 21. These markings, using "+" and "-" symbols or color differentiation, clearly indicate the polarity, allowing users to quickly and accurately identify the polarity, avoiding incorrect connections, and improving safety and operational efficiency. As an illustration of this embodiment, the positive and negative polarity marking sections 6 can be provided laterally on the male insulating shell 11 and the female insulating shell 21, allowing for convenient operation during both rear electrode welding and front electrode insertion.

[0038] As an illustration of this embodiment, at least one outer corner of the male insulating housing 11 and at least one inner corner of the female insulating housing 21 are respectively constructed as anti-reverse insertion corners 7 with shapes asymmetrical to the other corners of the insulating housing. Through the asymmetrical corner design, the male plug 1 can only be fully inserted into the female plug 2 in the only correct orientation, providing double protection against reverse insertion. Even if the user does not pay attention to the guide groove rib, it is impossible to force incorrect insertion, and the safety is extremely high.

[0039] As an illustration of this embodiment, the rear end of the terminal can be configured as an axial welding portion 8 suitable for wire soldering, providing a flexible mounting method to adapt to different production process requirements; alternatively, the rear end of the terminal can be configured as a 90-degree vertical bend (not shown in the figure), with the bottom surface of the end set as a surface mount portion. The bent surface mount portion allows the terminal to be directly mounted onto the circuit board (PCB) through a reflow soldering process, just like SMT components. Surface mount technology is particularly suitable for automated mass production, improving the consistency and efficiency of battery pack production lines and saving space.

[0040] As an illustration of this embodiment, either the male plug 1 or the female plug 2 can be placed on the battery pack end, and the other on the device end, giving the battery pack's power input / output interface greater overcurrent capacity and lower operating temperature. The multiple safety designs in the plug, such as anti-reverse insertion and anti-inverting, eliminate the risk of short circuits in the battery pack due to incorrect connector insertion, which is crucial for high-energy-density lithium-ion battery systems. Furthermore, the surface mount design on the bottom surface of the terminal simplifies the layout and manufacturing of the battery pack's internal PCB, resulting in high reliability and long lifespan, and reducing maintenance costs for end products.

[0041] In summary, by employing tellurium bronze material and combining it with a series of ingenious structural designs, this invention successfully provides a plug and battery pack solution that is small in size, has a large current carrying capacity, high safety, and strong versatility, significantly enhancing product competitiveness.

[0042] The above embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this technical solution. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the above embodiments should be included within the scope of protection of this technical solution.

Claims

1. A plug comprising a male plug and a female plug that are mutually inserted and mated, characterized in that: The male plug includes a male insulating shell and a plurality of female terminals fixed therein; The female plug includes a female insulating shell and a plurality of male terminals fixed therein; All of the female and male terminals are tellurium bronze terminals. The female terminal has a tubular front connector section, and the outer periphery of the front connector section of the male terminal has an elastic contact portion capable of radial elastic deformation, which matches the front connector section of the female terminal. When the male plug and female plug are connected, the front end of the male insulating shell is inserted into the opening of the female insulating shell and is in contact with the inner wall of the female insulating shell. Each of the male terminals located in the female insulating shell is inserted into each of the female terminals located in the male insulating shell. The elastic contact part is in a radially elastic compressed state under the squeezing action of the inner wall of the female terminal.

2. The plug according to claim 1, characterized in that, Weight reduction holes are provided inside the male insulating housing.

3. The plug according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the guide groove and guide rib is provided on the outer wall of the male insulating shell, and the other of the guide groove and guide rib is provided on the inner wall of the female insulating shell. The guide groove and guide rib extend axially. When the male and female plugs are connected, each of the guide ribs slides along the guide groove and is confined within the guide groove.

4. The plug according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the male terminals has an axially extending central groove and a plurality of axially extending axial grooves located within the central groove, forming a plurality of lobes capable of radial elastic deformation. Each lobe is located between two adjacent circumferential axial grooves. The front end segments of the male and female terminals are interference-fitted.

5. The plug according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the mother insulating shell is provided with a raised or recessed anti-slip part on the outer wall.

6. The plug according to claim 5, characterized in that, The anti-slip portion is perpendicular to the axial direction of each of the male terminals.

7. The plug according to claim 1, characterized in that, The male and / or female insulating shells are provided with positive and negative polarity markings.

8. The plug according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one outer corner of the male insulating housing is configured as an anti-reverse corner with a shape asymmetrical to any other outer corner; At least one inner corner of the mother insulating shell is configured as an anti-reverse corner that is asymmetrical with any other inner corner.

9. The plug according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the female terminals located at the rear end of the male insulating housing and each of the male terminals located at the rear end of the female insulating housing are respectively axially extending welding portions, or the rear ends are further bent downwards by 90 degrees, and the bottom surface of the end forms a planar patch portion for surface mounting.

10. A battery pack, characterized in that, It includes the battery pack body and the male or female plug in the plug as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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