connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector. The connector comprises a plug and a socket. The plug and the socket are connected by plugging. The connector has two plugging positions when the plug is plugged in the socket. The plug and the socket are moved from a first plugging position to a second plugging position by operating a first unlocking component provided on the plug. The present invention provides a connector in a convenient and safe transportation state, which not only saves installation time of client, but also ensures the IP65 protection level during transportation and avoids the occurrence of wear of metal connection parts during transportation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of connector, and belongs to an energy storage connector.BACKGROUND

[0002] Connector is used for electrical connection and signal transmission between devices, between components, and between systems, and is a basic element that constitutes a complete electrical system. As an important electronic element for electrical connection of an electronic product, the connector is widely used in many fields such as aerospace, rail transportation, etc. Among them, the connector can be used for electrical connection between two batteries in a battery pack.

[0003] In the prior art, after the battery pack is assembled by the manufacturer, in order to avoid heat damage to the battery pack during transportation, the batteries in the battery pack will not be connected to each other, and then the batteries need to be wiring harness-connected at the end customer. Specifically, the battery will be pre-connected with a socket of a connector. A plug and the socket of the connector are packaged separately during transportation. Then, the end customer connects the plug and the socket to achieve conduction between the two batteries. Since the battery pack contains multiple batteries, it contains multiple sets of positive and negative plugs and sockets. During the process of the actual manual operation, if there is a wrong connection, it is easy to cause a short circuit in the battery pack, which easily causes the battery pack to explode. Meanwhile, the socket on a single battery is in a state with electric charges. In order to meet the needs of anti-electric shock, dustproof and water proof, it is necessary to purchase dustproof insulating caps to protect the sockets. When the end customer uses the batteries, the dustproof insulating caps are usually scrapped, resulting in a waste of resources.

[0004] Meanwhile, after the product is transported to the user end of the product, the plugs and the sockets need to be connected one by one, which takes time and has the risk of misconnection. If the plugs and the sockets are transported after being connected, the vibration during transportation will cause wear on connection parts, reducing the stability of the product.

[0005] For example, the patent application with the application number CN202310235131.7 provides a connector, a shell is included for a first connection assembly. An electrical connection part is provided at one end of the shell and can be plugged into the plug-in part of the socket, so as to realize the electrical connection between the plug and the socket, and then multiple batteries pre-connected with the sockets can be connected. Among them, a temporary storage part is provided at the other end of the shell and can be inserted into the plug-in part of the socket, so that the plug and the socket are connected, but there is no electrical connection between them, thereby avoiding heating and damage to the battery pre-connected with the socket during transportation. Meanwhile, the connection between the temporary storage part and the plug-in part can also realize the correspondence of the plug and the socket. When multiple sets of positive and negative plugs and sockets are connected, the plug and the socket can correspond to each other, so as to avoid damage to the product caused by connection error. After the temporary storage part is plugged into the plug-in part of the socket, the temporary storage part can protect the interior of the plug-in part to meet the dustproof and water proof requirements of the plug-in part, and the anti-electric shock requirements when the socket is in a state with electric charges. Also, the use of dustproof insulating caps in conventional plugs is eliminated, avoiding waste of resources. However, there are also problems with this connection method. Since the plug is pre-installed with a cable, when flipping the connector, it is impossible to adjust the direction due to the high mass of the cable, and it requires a lot of strength to achieve it. In addition, the metal end with electric charges of the patent application is exposed to the outside, which will cause dust or water mist to enter into the plug during transportation, causing the IP65 protection level requirements cannot be met.

[0006] With the continuous development of the energy storage industry, more connectors will be needed. Using a connector transported in a convenient and safe state will not only save installation time at the client, but also ensure the IP65 protection level during transportation and avoid the occurrence of wear of metal connection parts during transportation.SUMMARY

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a connector with two plugging positions. The connector can realize pre-connection of a plug and a socket before the energy storage product is transported, and metal connection parts do not come into contact during transportation. In order to achieve the above object, the technical solutions adopted by the present invention are as follows.

[0008] A connector, wherein the connector comprises a plug and a socket, the plug and the socket are connected by plugging, the connector has two plugging positions when the plug is plugged in the socket, and the plug and the socket are moved from a first plugging position to a second plugging position by operating a first unlocking component provided on the plug.

[0009] Further, the plug and the socket further comprise a second unlocking component, and the second unlocking component is used to realize the separation of the plug and the socket.

[0010] Further, the first unlocking component and the second unlocking component are located on different sides of the plug.

[0011] Further, the first unlocking component is located on the top of the plug, and the first unlocking component has two working positions, which are an unlocking position and a locking position respectively, and the first unlocking component is moved from the unlocking position to the locking position by rotating the first unlocking component.

[0012] Further, the first unlocking component includes a pre-locking block, an unlocking buckle and a connection rod connecting the pre-locking block and the unlocking buckle. An unlocking angle of the pre-locking block is β min- α< γ <360 - (β min +α), and α<β min , wherein: α is an angle between a central axis of a plane where the pre-locking block is located and a central axis where the plug is plugged in the socket, β min is a rotation angle of the pre-locking block rotating from an initial position to a position where an outermost side of the pre-locking block is tangent to an outer circle contour of the socket, and γ is a rotation angle of the pre-locking block rotating from an initial state to an unlocking state.

[0013] Further, the socket is provided with a first clamping groove and a second clamping groove. When the first unlocking component is in the unlocking position, the plug is in contact with the second clamping groove, and at this moment the plug and the socket are in the second plugging position. When the first unlocking component is in the locking position, the plug is in contact with the first clamping groove, and at this moment the plug and the socket are in the first plugging position.

[0014] Further, the plug is provided with a cover plate, wherein the cover plate is used to seal the second unlocking component on the plug.

[0015] Further, the cover plate is provided with a reinforcing rod thereon, and the reinforcing rod is provided with a circular arc surface that matches the first unlocking component.

[0016] Further, the unlocking buckle is provided with a groove, wherein the groove matches a protrusion provided on the plug.

[0017] Further, the second unlocking component includes a locking handle and a spring, wherein the locking handle has a position-limiting portion and an operation portion, and the operation portion, when being operated, enables the position-limiting part to rotate along a fixed central axis to separate the plug and the socket or plug the plug in the socket.

[0018] It can be seen from the above technical contents that the beneficial effects of the present invention include: due to that the plug and the socket of the present invention have two plugging positions, it can be realized that metal parts in the plug and the socket do not come into contact during transportation. Thereby, vibration during transportation will not cause wear of the metal contact parts.

[0019] The metal part in the plug can achieve the IP65 protection level without separate packaging, and thereby saving packaging cost.

[0020] After the product is applied, by rotating the unlocking buckle, the plug and the socket can be mated in place, and the conversion from non-electrical to electrical connection state can be achieved, which greatly reduces the installation time of the corresponding mutual matching of the plug and the socket.

[0021] It should be understood that all combinations of the aforementioned concepts and the additional concepts described in more detail below can be considered as part of the inventive subject matter of the present disclosure, as long as such concepts do not contradict each other. In addition, all combinations of the claimed subject matter are considered as part of the inventive subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0022] The aforementioned and other aspects, embodiments and features taught by the present invention can be more comprehensively understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Other additional aspects of the present invention, such as the features and / or beneficial effects of the exemplary embodiments, will be apparent from the following description or learned from the practice according to specific embodiments taught by the present invention.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings, each identical or approximately identical component shown in each figure may be represented by the same reference numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in each figure. Now, embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a plug of a connector of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a socket of the connector of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the connector of the present invention in a first plugging position. FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the connector of the present invention in a second plugging position. FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a first unlocking component of the connector of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of different minimum unlocking angles of a pre-locking block of the connector of the present invention when α=0°. FIG. 7 is a structural schematic diagram of different minimum unlocking angles of the pre-locking block of the connector of the present invention when α≠0°. FIG. 8 is a structural schematic diagram of different minimum unlocking angles of an unlocking buckle of the connector of the present invention when α≠0°. FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of the connector of the present invention in a first plugging position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to better understand the technical contents of the present invention, embodiments are specifically described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows.

[0025] In this disclosure, various aspects of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which many illustrative embodiments are shown. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not necessarily intended to include all aspects of the present invention. It should be understood that the various concepts and embodiments introduced above, as well as those described in more detail below, can be implemented in any of many ways, because the concepts and embodiments disclosed by the present invention are not limited to any implementation. In addition, some aspects of the present invention can be used alone or in any appropriate combination with other aspect of the present invention.

[0026] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments can be implemented without one or more specific details or with other alternative and / or additional method, material components. In other cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring the aspects of the embodiments of the present invention. Similarly, for the purpose of explanation, specific quantities, materials, and configurations are described to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented without specific details. In addition, it should be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings are illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0027] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a connector includes a plug 1 and a socket 2. The plug 1 and the socket 2 are connected by plugging. When the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2, there are two plugging positions. The plug 1 and the socket 2 are moved from a first plugging position to a second plugging position by operating a first unlocking component 11 provided on the plug.

[0028] A sealing ring 14 is provided on the plug. One end of the sealing ring 14 is sleeved in a mounting groove provided on the plug shell, and the other end of the sealing ring 14 cooperates with the socket mated with the plug.

[0029] The first unlocking component 11 has two working positions, which are an unlocking position and a locking position, respectively. The first unlocking component 11 is moved from the unlocking position to the locking position by rotating the first unlocking component 11. The first unlocking component 11 includes a pre-locking block 113, an unlocking buckle 111, and a connection rod 112 connecting the pre-locking block and the unlocking buckle, wherein the unlocking buckle 111 is located outside the plug 1, and the pre-locking block 113 is located inside the plug 1.

[0030] The socket 2 is provided with a first clamping groove 21 and a second clamping groove 22. When the first unlocking component 11 is in the unlocking position, the plug 1 contacts the second clamping groove 22, and at this moment the plug 1 and the socket 2 are in the second plugging position. When the first unlocking component 11 is in the locking position, the plug 1 contacts the first clamping groove 21, and at this moment the plug 1 and the socket 2 are in the first plugging position. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, when in the first plugging position, pins provided in the socket 2 and a crown spring component provided in the plug 1 do not come into contact, and the connector can be applied to any occasion without electricity. Because the pins and the crown spring component are both in a plastic shell at this time, the waterproof level of the connection can reach IP65 at this time. When in the second plugging position, the pins provided in the socket 2 and the crown spring component provided in the plug 1 are in contact, and the connector can be applied to occasions with electricity, and the waterproof level of the connection can reach IP67 at this time.

[0031] The plug 1 and the socket 2 also include a second unlocking component. For the specific structure of the second unlocking component, please refer to the patent with patent publication number CN216698943U. The relevant technical features disclosed by the patent are the same as the structure of the second unlocking component in the present application. The second unlocking component is used for the separation of the plug 1 and the socket 2. The second unlocking component is disposed in the plug 1. The second unlocking component includes a locking handle and a spring, wherein the locking handle 13 has a position-limiting portion 131 and an operation portion 132. The operation on the operation portion 132 can make the position-limiting portion 131 to rotate along a fixed central axis. The position-limiting portion 131 moves to separate the plug 1 and the socket 2 or to plug the plug 1 in the socket 2. A cover plate 12 is provided on the plug 1, wherein the cover plate 12 is used to seal the second unlocking component on the plug 1. And a reinforcing rod 121 is provided on the cover plate 12. The reinforcing rod 121 is provided with a circular arc surface that matches the first unlocking component 11. The reinforcing rod 121 is in contact with the connection rod 112 provided on the first unlocking component 11. The main purpose of the configuration of the reinforcing rod 121 is to increase supporting force for the connection rod 112, to avoid the strength reduction due to the long connection rod 112.

[0032] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the first unlocking component 11 includes the pre-locking block 113, the unlocking buckle 111, and the connection rod 112 connecting the pre-locking block 113 and the unlocking buckle 111. When the first unlocking component 11 needs to realize unlocking, the locking angle range of the pre-locking block 113 at different installation positions is β min -α to β min +α, and α<β min . Therefore, if the first unlocking component 11 is to realize unlocking, the unlocking angle that can meet the condition when it realizes unlocking is β min -α<γ<360-(β min +α), wherein, α is a counterclockwise rotation angle between the central axis AB of a plane where the pre-locking block 113 is located and the central axis CD where the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2, that is, angle ∠DOB; AB and CD intersect at a point O, and β min is the minimum rotation angle between the central axis AB of the plane where the pre-locking block 113 is located when the pre-locking block 113 rotates, from an initial position, to a position where an outermost side of the pre-locking block 113 is tangent to an outer circle contour of the socket 2 and the central axis CD where the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2, that is, angle ∠BOB"; and γ is the rotation angle of the first unlocking component rotating from the initial state to the unlocked state, that is, angle ∠A'OB ".

[0033] The specific value of β min will change according to the length of the pre-locking block 113, the position of the pre-locking block 113 and the position of the central axis where the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 6, assuming that the angle α=∠DOB between the central axis AB of the plane where the pre-locking block 113 is located and the central axis CD where the plug is plugged in the socket is 0°, in this case, whether unlocking clockwise or counterclockwise, the minimum angle required for the pre-locking block 113 to avoid the socket 2 is ∠BOB"=β min , and the pre-locking block 113 is tangent to the outer circular contour of the socket 2 at this moment.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 7, assuming that the angle between the central axis AB of the plane where the pre-locking block 113 is located and the central axis CD where the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2 is ∠DOB=α, in this case, the angle ∠ DOB=α is necessarily smaller than ∠ BOB"=β min , because when the angle ∠ DOB=α is greater than ∠ BOB"=β min , the pre-locking block 113 cannot achieve the blocking, and there is only the second plugging position for the plug 1 and the socket 2. If the first unlocking component 113 is rotated clockwise at this time, the unlocking angle ∠A'OB" =γ at this time is 360-(β min + α); if the first unlocking component is rotated counterclockwise at this time, the unlocking angle ∠A'OB"=γ at this time is β min -α.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 8, when the first unlocking component 11 needs to realize unlocking, the unlocking angle of the unlocking buckle 111 is β min -α< γ' <360-(β min +α), wherein α is the angle between the central axis AB of the plane where the pre-locking block 113 is located and the central axis CD where the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2; β is the unlocking angle of the pre-locking block 113 in different installation positions; β min is minimum rotation angle between the central axis AB of the plane where the unlocking buckle 111 is located when the pre-locking block 113 rotates, from the initial position, to a position where the outermost side of the pre-locking block 113 is tangent to the outer circle contour of the socket 2 and the central axis CD where the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2; γ' is the rotation angle of the first unlocking component 11 rotating from the initial state to the unlocking state. The central axis CD where the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2 is a straight line between the center point of the connection rod and the center where the plug 1 is plugged in the socket 2. Since the pre-locking block 113 and the unlocking buckle 111 are connected through the connection rod 112 and the connection rod 112 is a smooth straight rod, when the pre-locking block 113 rotates an angle, the unlocking buckle 111 also rotates the same angle. Therefore, the unlocking angle γ' of the unlocking buckle 111 is the same as the unlocking angle γ of the pre-locking block 113.

[0037] As stated above, the rotation angles required for the first unlocking member 11 moving from the first plugging position to the second plugging position are shown in a table as follows: Clockwise rotationCounterclockwise rotationOption 1Option 2α / / 10°20°β min / / 54°60°The unlocking angle of the first unlocking component γ=γ'β min -α<γ=γ'<360-(β min +α)β min -α<γ=γ'<360-(β min +α)90°90°

[0038] As shown in the above table, if α=0° and β min =54°, the unlocking angle β is shown in Figure 7. When rotating clockwise, the required unlocking angle is 54°. That is, if the unlocking effect is to be achieved, it needs to rotate at least 54°. That is, the unlocking angle of the first unlocking component 11 is 54° to 306°. When the unlocking angle of the first unlocking component 11 is within this range, such as 90° or 60° selected, the unlocking requirement can be satisfied.

[0039] When α=20° and β min =54°, the required unlocking angle β is 34° when rotated clockwise. That is, if the unlocking effect is to be achieved, it needs to rotate at least 34°. The unlocking angle of the first unlocking component 11 is 34° to 286°. When the unlocking angle of the first unlocking component 11 is within this range, such as 90° or 60° selected, the unlocking requirement can be satisfied.

[0040] When α=10° and β min =60°, the required unlocking angle β is 50° when rotated clockwise. That is, if the unlocking effect is to be achieved, it needs to rotate at least 50°. The unlocking angle of the first unlocking component 11 is 50° to 290°. When the unlocking angle of the first unlocking component 11 is within this range, such as 90° or 60° selected, the unlocking requirement can be satisfied.

[0041] When α=20° and β min =60°, the required unlocking angle β is 40° when rotated clockwise. That is, if the unlocking effect is to be achieved, it needs to rotate at least 40°. The unlocking angle of the first unlocking component 11 is 40° to 320°. When the unlocking angle of the first unlocking component 11 is within this range, such as 90° or 60° selected, the unlocking requirement can be satisfied.

[0042] According to actual usages, the first unlocking component 11 is usually provided at the top of the plug 1. When implementing related operations, due to the usage of the connector, the top of the plug 1 faces an operator in the application scenario, allowing the operator to quickly observe the status of the connector. At the use site, when the connector needs to be moved from the first plugging position to the second plugging position, the operator can move it to the unlocked position and press the plug 1 toward the socket 2 to move the connector to the second plugging position, thereby achieving electrical connection of the connector.

[0043] Since the pre-locking block 113 of the first unlocking component 11 will contact the socket 2 during the actual use, and the position-limiting portion 131 on the locking handle 13 provided by the second unlocking component will also contact the socket 2, in order to ensure the strength of the shell of the plug 1, the pre-locking block 113 and the position-limiting portion 131 on the locking handle 13 are usually not located on the same side of the plug 1, as shown in Figure 9.

[0044] The unlocking buckle 111 is provided with a groove, wherein the groove cooperates with a protrusion provided on the plug 1. This configuration ensures that the unlocking buckle 111 cannot unlock itself through the cooperation between the groove and the protrusion when the unlocking buckle 111 is in the unlocking position and the locking position.

[0045] The previous description of the invention is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to implement or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described in the specification, but should be granted the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0046] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that, due to that the plug 1 and the socket 2 of the present invention have two plugging positions, it can be realized that metal parts in the plug 1 and the socket 2 do not come into contact during transportation. Thereby, vibration during transportation will not cause wear of the metal contact parts.

[0047] The metal part in the plug 1 can achieve the IP65 protection level without separate packaging, and thereby saving packaging cost.

[0048] After the product is applied, by rotating the unlocking buckle 111, the plug 1 and the socket 2 can be mated in place, and the conversion from non-electrical to electrical connection state can be achieved, which greatly reduces the installation time of the corresponding mutual matching of the plug 1 and the socket 2.

[0049] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not to limit the present invention. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the definition of the claims.

Claims

1. A connector, wherein the connector comprises a plug and a socket, the plug and the socket are connected by plugging, the connector has two plugging positions when the plug is plugged in the socket, and the plug and the socket are moved from a first plugging position to a second plugging position by operating a first unlocking component provided on the plug.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the plug and the socket further comprise a second unlocking component, and the second unlocking component is used to realize the separation of the plug and the socket.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the first unlocking component and the second unlocking component are located on different sides of the plug, and a sealing ring is provided on the plug.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first unlocking component is located on the top of the plug, and the first unlocking component has two working positions, which are an unlocking position and a locking position respectively, and the first unlocking component is moved from the unlocking position to the locking position by rotating the first unlocking component.

5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first unlocking component includes a pre-locking block, an unlocking buckle and a connection rod connecting the pre-locking block and the unlocking buckle, when the first unlocking component needs to realize unlocking, a locking angle range of the pre-locking block at different installation positions is βmin-α to βmin+α, and α<βmin, and an unlocking angle that meets a condition for the first unlocking component to realize unlocking is βmin-α< γ <360 - (βmin+α), wherein α is an angle between a central axis of a plane where the pre-locking block is located and a central axis where the plug is plugged in the socket, βmin is a rotation angle of the pre-locking block rotating from an initial position to a position where an outermost side of the pre-locking block is tangent to an outer circle contour of the socket, and γ is a rotation angle of the first unlocking component rotating from an initial state to an unlocking state.

6. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the socket is provided with a first clamping groove and a second clamping groove, when the first unlocking component is in the unlocking position, the plug is in contact with the second clamping groove, and at this moment the plug and the socket are in the second plugging position, when the first unlocking component is in the locking position, the plug is in contact with the first clamping groove, and at this moment the plug and the socket are in the first plugging position.

7. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the plug is provided with a cover plate, wherein the cover plate is used to seal the second unlocking component on the plug.

8. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the cover plate is provided with a reinforcing rod thereon, and the reinforcing rod is provided with a circular arc surface that matches the first unlocking component.

9. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the unlocking buckle is provided with a groove, wherein the groove matches a protrusion provided on the plug.

10. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the second unlocking component includes a locking handle and a spring, wherein the locking handle has a position-limiting portion and an operation portion, and the operation portion, when being operated, enables the position-limiting portion to rotate along a fixed central axis to separate the plug and the socket or plug the plug in the socket.

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