Electrical connector for a heating system, heating system, and method for installing a heat shrink cover - Patents.com

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector for a heating system, a corresponding heating system, and a method for installing a heat shrink cover around a component to be covered. In particular, the electrical connector (100, 200, 300) includes a housing (118, 218, 318) and a first connector element (102, 202, 302) having at least one first power terminal (106, 206, 306) for supplying power to a heating element (205) of a heating system (201), and a second connector element (104, 204, 304) matable with the first connector element (102, 202, 302), the second connector element (104, 204, 304) being configured to couple to the first connector element (102, 202, 302). The element (104, 204, 304) comprises a second connector element having a mating second power terminal (108, 208, 308) matable with the first power terminal (106, 206, 306), an information storage unit (112, 212, 312) for storing data usable for operating the heating system (201), and a communication interface for reading out the data stored in the information storage unit (112, 212, 312).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector for a heating system, a corresponding heating system, and a method for installing a heat shrink cover around a component to be covered. In particular, the present invention can be used for installing medium voltage (MV) joint bodies for single and three-core cables from 12 to 42 kV, but may also be advantageous for covering other components and may be used in other voltage classes. In particular, the present invention may be used for installing heat shrink joint bodies and rejacketing sleeves, as well as in principle any kind of heat shrink sleeves, such as terminations and cover sleeves, and molded products such as sheds, breakouts, boots and caps. The present invention further relates to an installation kit and an installation system for torch-free installation of heat shrink covers. [Background technology]

[0002] The majority of existing MV joints comprise a heat shrink joint body with an underlying mastic, stress control sleeve, or patch. A conductive mesh is taped to the outside of the heat shrink, and the cable's shield wire or tape shield is connected from one end of the joint to the other. Finally, the entire connection area is usually covered with a heat shrink outer protective sleeve, the so-called rejacket sleeve.

[0003] A heat shrink component in the sense of the present invention relates to an article made of a material that shrinks from an expanded state to a contracted state of significantly smaller diameter by the application of a sufficient amount of heat. Heat shrink components are widely used as joint sleeves or other cable accessories.

[0004] The present invention utilizes a heat-recoverable article (an article that is independently dimensionally heat-unstable) as a heat-shrinkable layer. In general, such articles are made from a material that can be heated to a certain temperature, deformed, for example under internal pressure, to a configuration different from its normal configuration, and then cooled while held under pressure, imparting elastic or plastic recovery properties. If the article is made from a partially crystalline material, is at least partially crosslinked in the amorphous regions, and is deformed at a temperature equal to or higher than the crystalline melting point of the material, the article will have elastic recovery properties. An article with elastic recovery properties will not recover toward its original configuration until it is heated again at least to its crystalline melting temperature. If the article is made from an amorphous material, it will be heated to a temperature at which it can be deformed by pressure, and the deformed article will then have plastic recovery properties. Examples of heat-recoverable materials can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 2,027,962 and 3,086,242. Of course, the heat-shrinkable layer can be made of any suitable material, as known to those skilled in the art. In addition, multi-layer constructions with additional elastic and / or semiconductive and conductive layers are also encompassed by the present invention.

[0005] The heat shrink covers installed according to the invention are intended to be used at voltages above approximately 1 kV. In particular, the term high voltage in the context of the present invention is intended to include the usual nominal voltage ranges of power transmission, i.e. medium voltage (MV) (approximately 3 kV to approximately 72 kV), high voltage (HV) (approximately 72 kV to approximately 245 kV) and even extra high voltage (currently up to approximately 500 kV). Of course, higher voltages may be considered in the future. These voltages may be direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) voltages. Hereinafter, the term "high voltage cable" is intended to mean a cable suitable for carrying a current greater than approximately 1 A at a voltage greater than approximately 1 kV. The term "high voltage accessory" is therefore intended to mean a device suitable for interconnecting high voltage installations and / or high voltage cables. In particular, a high voltage accessory may be either a terminal termination or a cable joint.

[0006] The present invention is also applicable to the so-called "low voltage" (LV) range, for voltages below 1 kV. The principles of the present invention may further be applied to heat shrink products used in electronic applications, plumbing and construction applications, etc.

[0007] The expression "sleeve" according to the present invention is intended to mean, in addition to straight tubular sleeves, different shaped covers for branch joints, elbows, bends, breakouts, wraparounds, sheds, etc. In addition, the term "heat shrink sleeve" is intended to include products having at least one heat shrink layer, so that the heat shrink sleeve is heat recoverable. In other words, the heat shrink sleeve according to the present invention may be made partially or completely from a heat recoverable material.

[0008] To install heat shrink products for LV, MV, and HV applications, typically an open flame, such as a gas torch, is used. However, from an operational safety point of view, the use of an open flame is inconvenient. Furthermore, it is desirable to reduce the amount of energy required to install the product. In some cases, it is also desirable to reduce the amount of heat generated during installation. It is therefore desirable to use an energy source other than an open flame, preferably electrical energy. In particular, it is desirable to be able to install the joint body and the re-jacketing sleeve in one process, torch-free, without further intervention by the cable jointer.

[0009] Such a heating system is known, for example, from EP 3 624 288 A1. Furthermore, as mentioned in this document, it is known to provide the installation kit with an identification tag for identifying the type and construction of the heat shrink cover, so that the operator can read the information on the identification tag using an identification reader, for example a barcode or QR code reader. The identification reader is connected to the control unit via a cable.

[0010] However, a challenge with barcode or QR identification tags is that a jointer may read the tag of an adjacent joint, causing the control unit to use an incorrect heating sequence, and the outdoor installation location may make the reading procedure difficult to execute. Barcode or QR identification tags may be lost or easily removed from a heat shrink joint and reused in other supposedly identical joints, but with a slightly altered installation sequence (e.g., due to changes in the internal heater circuitry). Furthermore, the information stored by the barcode or QR identification tag cannot be changed or supplemented in the field during or after the installation process. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] Thus, a need remains for an improvement to existing heating systems for heat shrink covers and methods for installing the heat shrink covers on the components they cover that mitigates or overcomes the shortcomings of conventional installation methods, results in significant reductions in installation time, manufacturing costs, and complexity, and improves the manner in which product and installation data is obtained by a control unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0013] The present disclosure is based on the idea of ​​providing an electric heating element with an information storage unit. This storage unit may be placed directly on the electrical connector connected to the electric heating element or at any other location in the product. There is an electrically conductive, in particular wired, connection between the information storage unit and the control unit. This allows the control unit to automatically detect the type of the connected joint and obtain the correct installation procedure. Thus, installation errors due to the use of incorrect installation procedures (in particular temperature profiles) can be avoided.

[0014] Furthermore, the user guidance provided by the control unit is greatly simplified by the automatic detection of the joints: the incorporation of a keyboard, which may be required to key in additional information, can be avoided. The unit also immediately recognizes if the heater system is disconnected again and returns to the initial state before the connection was established.

[0015] In particular, the present disclosure provides an electrical connector for a heating system, comprising a housing, which may advantageously be electrically insulating, and a first connector element comprising at least a pair of first power terminals for supplying power to a heating element of the heating system. A second connector element is provided which is matable with the first connector element. The second connector element may comprise a pair of mating second power terminals which are matable with the pair of power terminals and may be adapted to be connected to a control unit. According to the present disclosure, the connector comprises an information storage unit for storing data usable for operating the heating system, and a communication interface for reading out the data stored in the information storage unit. The data may, for example, represent information regarding the type and identity of the heating system and / or may indicate a time-power sequence to be used for operating the heating system.

[0016] The use of such connectors in the power input lines of the heating elements simplifies the interaction between the user and the machine and avoids accidental mismatching of the product or mishandling of the control unit including any connected cables. Furthermore, any reuse of the identification data and associated data sets can be prevented.

[0017] According to an advantageous example, the information storage unit is a non-volatile electronic storage unit comprising at least one read-only memory (ROM). The ROM may be, for example, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) and / or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). In general, a PROM is a form of digital memory in which the setting of each bit is locked by a fuse or anti-fuse, eFUSEs may also be used. It is a type of read-only memory (ROM). The data therein is permanent and cannot be changed. PROMs are used in digital electronic devices to store permanent data, usually low-level programs such as firmware or microcode. A key difference with standard ROM is that data is written to a ROM during manufacturing, whereas in a PROM the data is programmed into it after manufacturing. Thus, ROMs tend to be used only for high volume production runs with well-qualified data, whereas PROMs are used to allow companies to run tests on a subset of devices in sequence before burning the data into all devices.

[0018] PROMs are manufactured in a blank state and may be programmed at wafer stage, final test stage or in-system, depending on the technology. Blank PROM chips are programmed by inserting them into a device called a PROM programmer. In the context of the present disclosure, PROMs are programmed with the desired information when manufacturing a heating unit comprising one or more electric heating elements. During its operational life, the information stored in the PROM is not changed again.

[0019] Additionally, erasable PROM (EPROM) may be used to allow limited reprogramming.

[0020] In particular, if it is desired that the information storage unit also be used to store further information during or after the installation process, for example for documentation purposes, the information storage unit may be 2 It may also comprise an EEPROM, also called a PROM. An EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) is a user-modifiable read-only memory (ROM) that can be repeatedly erased and reprogrammed (written) by application of a higher than normal voltage. Unlike an EPROM chip, an EEPROM does not need to be removed from its mounting location to be modified. However, an EEPROM chip must be erased and reprogrammed in its entirety, not selectively. It also has a finite lifespan, but can only be reprogrammed tens or hundreds of thousands of times, which is more than sufficient for this application.

[0021] E over using PROM 2 An advantage of using a PROM is that the control unit can also re-write installation specific details (e.g. installation date, installer ID, etc.) into the memory for later use, which provides an added benefit in the case of fault analysis.

[0022] In addition, data can easily be written to the memory during the manufacturing process.

[0023] According to a further advantageous example of the present disclosure, the communication interface comprises at least one communication terminal for electrical contact with a mating connector. In particular, the one or more communication terminals may be arranged such that a connection is established when the first connector element and the mating second connector element are plugged into each other in order to supply power to one or more heating elements forming a heating unit of the heating system. This arrangement has the additional advantage that a loss of electrical contact to the heating unit can be immediately recorded by the control unit via the communication path.

[0024] Alternatively or additionally, the communication interface comprises a wireless communication interface, which allows access to the stored information even in situations where the power terminals are not connected, e.g. before installation for testing purposes or after installation for documentation purposes and fault analysis. The wireless communication interface may be operable under any known technology, e.g. Bluetooth®, etc.

[0025] Advantageously, the communication interface is adapted for two-way communication of the information storage unit with the control unit, ensuring that the control unit can not only obtain information from the information storage unit, such as the type of heating element and / or the type and characteristics of the cover of the heat shrink object already pre-assembled with the heating unit, but also input further information into the information storage unit, as already mentioned, such further information may relate to the date of installation and / or installer ID.

[0026] According to a further advantageous example of the disclosure, the information storage unit comprises an RFID tag arranged on the housing of the first connector element, and the communication interface comprises an RFID reader arranged on the second connector element. This solution has the advantage that a robust, well-established and low-cost technology is used, which furthermore does not require ohmic contacts for the transmission of information. As known in the art, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) denotes a contactless data exchange between an RFID transponder and an RFID writer / reader device. The RFID writer / reader device generates a magnetic or electromagnetic field for the purpose of data transmission, which energizes the RFID transponder. As long as the RFID transponder remains within the electromagnetic field of the RFID writer / reader device, data can be exchanged. In addition to being able to read information from the chip of the RFID transponder, new data can also be stored on the chip.

[0027] By placing an RFID writer / reader device in the mating second connector, separation of the plug connection can also be detected.

[0028] Exemplarily, the storage unit may comprise a printed circuit board mounted within the housing with the electronic information storage unit assembled to the printed circuit board. For example, the housing may have two parts that are electrically insulated from each other. A first part holds one or more pairs of power terminals, and a second part holds the printed circuit board with the information storage unit.

[0029] According to a further advantageous example of the present disclosure, the first connector element is further adapted to receive temperature measurement signals from one or more external temperature sensors, which may for example be attached to the heat shrink cover in order to monitor the temperature values ​​actually realized.

[0030] The present disclosure further relates to a corresponding heating system for a heat shrink component, the heating system comprising at least one heating element and at least one electrical connector according to the present disclosure, the heating element being connected to at least a pair of first power terminals.

[0031] The heating system may further comprise a control unit for controlling the supply of power to the at least one heating element, the control unit operable to communicate bidirectionally with the electronic storage unit.

[0032] In order to be independent of an energy source such as a mains power supply, the heating system may further comprise its own generator and / or battery pack forming said power supply, which may be connected, either directly or via a separate control unit, to an electrical connector attached to the heating unit.

[0033] In this case, at least one of the generator and / or the battery pack further comprises the above-mentioned electrical connector to allow two-way communication with the control unit, so that the control unit can identify the type and characteristics of the connected power source and adapt the control scheme for powering the heating unit to the particular power source.

[0034] Finally, the present disclosure also relates to a method for installing a heat shrink cover, the method comprising the steps of providing at least one heating element on the heat shrink cover, the heating element being electrically connected to a first connector element of an electrical connector according to the present disclosure; connecting a power source to the at least one heating element by connecting a mating second connector element to the first connector element; reading data stored in the information storage unit via the communication interface; and supplying power to the at least one heating element to perform a heating process according to the data stored in the information storage unit.

[0035] For example, the power supply is connected by connecting the control unit to at least one heating element. Further, the control unit reads information from the information storage unit indicating a required heating profile from the storage unit. Thus, power is supplied to the at least one heating element to perform the heating process according to the required heating profile.

[0036] This allows for a particularly safe and efficient torch-free installation of the heat shrink cover.

[0037] Furthermore, if the information storage unit comprises an electronic storage unit, the method may further include storing the information entered by the control unit in the electronic storage unit during or after the heating process is completed. As mentioned above, this information may be useful for documentation purposes and in case of failure analysis.

[0038] Advantageously, the control unit is in communication with a further electrical connector, the first connector element of which is connected to a further electrical component. For example, the type and / or presence of a battery and / or generator may be detected by the control unit.

[0039] The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and form a part of this specification to illustrate several embodiments of the present invention. These drawings, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. The drawings are intended merely to illustrate preferred and alternative examples of how the present invention can be implemented and used, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention to only the embodiments shown and described. Furthermore, several aspects of the embodiments may form solutions according to the present invention, either individually or in various combinations. Thus, the embodiments described below may be considered either alone or in any combination thereof. Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following more detailed description of various embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic partially exploded perspective view of an electrical connector according to a first example; [Diagram 2] 2 is a further view of the electrical connector of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a heating system for a heat-shrunk, heat-recoverable article. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of an electrical connector according to a second example. [Diagram 5] 5 is a further view of the electrical connector of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the electrical connector of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 5 is a further perspective view of another portion of the electrical connector of FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, and initially with reference to FIG.

[0042] In order to avoid open flames during the installation process of medium voltage heat shrink joints and to improve the reliability of the installation process, a family of heat shrink joints has been developed in which each heat shrink joint (also called heat shrink cover) is equipped with an electric heater unit. The heater unit comprises one or more heater circuits (also called heating elements), which must be energized in a specific sequence with varying power levels to generate a heat wave starting from the center of the joint, similar to the heat wave achieved by the manual shrink process with a torch. Advantageously, the installation process is carried out with an electric control unit capable of installing up to three joints at the same time.

[0043] Due to differences in joint sizes, heater circuit designs and heating sequences vary. To address this situation, previous heating systems require an operator to manually input the heater sequence into a controller, and to keep the control unit generic (i.e., there is no need to store all the different heater sequences within the control unit), it would be beneficial if the sequence and all other relevant information, such as batch number, manufacturing date, etc., were automatically provided to the control unit.

[0044] For the installation of the aforementioned heat shrink joint, a control unit (either battery powered or connected to the mains or AC generator) is connected to the heater unit of the joint. The heater unit may, for example, contain up to 12 individual heater circuits, also referred to below as heating elements. If a common return contact is not used, a total of 24 individual contacts are required to operate the heating elements.

[0045] A plug connector is provided to connect the power terminals of the heating unit to the control unit. Figure 1 shows an electrical connector 100 according to one example of the present disclosure. The connector 100 comprises a first connector element 102 and a mating second connector element 104. The first connector element 102 and the second connector element 104 are plugged into each other during the heating process to supply electrical energy to the heating element of the heating unit. It is noted that the electrical leads attached to the heating unit are not shown in Figure 1 for clarity.

[0046] In the illustrated example, the first connector element 102 has six pairs of power terminal sockets 106 that are connected to the heating units, with each pair of power terminal sockets 106 being connected to one heating element. Of course, it should be noted that any other suitable number of power terminals may be used in the present disclosure. Additionally, pin contacts may be provided on the first connector element 102 instead of socket terminals.

[0047] In the illustrated example, the mating second connector element 104 is provided with pairs of power terminal pins 108 which can be plugged into the socket 106 to establish an electrical connection. The power terminal pins 108 are connected to a control unit, preferably via conductive leads. In the connected state, releasable locking means, such as releasable latch hooks 110, secure the first connector element 102 and the second connector element 104 to one another.

[0048] Advantageously, an information storage unit 112, for example comprising a PROM, EPROM or EEPROM, is placed in the first connector 102 of the receiving side of the heater unit, which automatically provides all stored information to the control unit when the connection is made. Depending on the type of PROM interface, it can be as little as one (1 wire), two (I 2 C) or three (SPI) additional contacts are required to read the data.

[0049] In other words, the number of electrical contacts depends on the interface technology of the information storage unit. In each case, two contacts are provided for the power supply, one additional contact is provided if a one-wire connection is used, alternatively or additionally, an I 2 Two contacts, SCL and SDA, are provided for communication according to the I-C (Inter-integrated circuit) protocol. 2 In C, multiple slaves can be connected to one master, or multiple masters can control one or more slaves. 2 The C protocol transmits data between devices using only two wires: a bidirectional serial data (SDA) line and a serial clock (SCL) line that carries a clock signal to synchronize the output of bits and the sampling of the bits. The clock signal is always controlled by the master.

[0050] If communication is done using the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) protocol, three or four additional contacts are required: MISO, MOSI, SCLK, and optionally SS. SPI is a common communication protocol used by many different devices. For example, SD card reader modules, RFID card reader modules, and 2.4GHz radio transceivers all use SPI to communicate with microcontrollers.

[0051] One particular benefit of SPI is that it conveys data without interruption. Any number of bits can be sent or received in a continuous stream. 2 In C, data is sent in packets, limited to a specific number of bits, and the data is fragmented during transmission, with start and stop conditions defining the beginning and end of each packet.

[0052] Devices that communicate via SPI are in a master-slave relationship. The master is the controlling device (usually a microcontroller) while the slaves (usually sensors, displays, or memory chips) receive instructions from the master. The simplest configuration of SPI is a single-master-single-slave system, but one master can control more than one slave. There are usually four lines: MOSI (master output / slave input), which is the line through which the master sends data to the slaves; MISO (master input / slave output), which is the line through which the slaves send data to the master; SCLK (clock), which is the line for the clock signal; and SS / CS (slave select / chip select), which is the line through which the master selects which slave to send data to.

[0053] It should be noted, however, that the inventive concepts are not limited to any particular communications protocol, and any suitable protocol may be used to advantage.

[0054] An electrically insulating housing 118 surrounds the power terminals 106 and the information storage unit 112 .

[0055] As can be seen from Fig. 1, the information storage unit 112 comprises a communication terminal 113 having a plurality of first contact elements 114 in the form of sockets, which can be electrically contacted by a plurality of mating second contact elements 116 arranged in a mating plug connector 117 when the connector 100 is plugged in. The second contact elements 116 are pin-shaped. Of course, the arrangement can be reversed, i.e. the pins are arranged in the first connector element 102 and the sockets are arranged in the second connector element 104. Moreover, as mentioned above, the number of contact elements depends on the selected communication protocol of the information storage unit 112.

[0056] Furthermore, if the information storage unit 112 is provided with a wireless communication interface, such as a Bluetooth® communication interface, the ohmic contacts 114, 116 may be omitted entirely, although ohmic contacts have the advantage that such wired connections are robust, cost-effective and less cumbersome.

[0057] The second contact element 116 is connected to the control unit via an electrical lead. According to the present disclosure, bidirectional communication can be performed via these contact elements 114, 116, whereby data can be retrieved from the information storage unit 112 and furthermore data can be input and stored in the information storage unit 112. By automatically detecting the type of the connected joint and communicating the correct installation procedure to the control unit, installation failures due to incorrect installation procedures can be completely avoided.

[0058] In addition, the user guidance provided by the control unit is greatly simplified by the automatic detection of joints, for example avoiding the incorporation of a keyboard that may be required to key in additional information. The control unit also immediately recognizes if the heater unit is disconnected again and returns to the initial state before the connection was made.

[0059] 2 shows a rotated view of the electrical connector 100. As can be seen in this figure, the information storage unit 112 comprises a circuit carrier, for example a printed circuit board (PCB) 120. A memory module 122 is assembled on the PCB 120 as an electronic storage unit.

[0060] Of course, a ceramic substrate or a flexible circuit board may be used instead of the PCB 120. For example, a three-dimensional carrier structure formed by MID technology inside the housing 118, a so-called three-dimensional molded circuit component (3D-MID), may be used as a substrate for mounting the memory module 122.

[0061] Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a heating system 201 using a further example electrical plug connector 200. It should be noted that instead of the electrical plug connector 200 the electrical plug connector 100 of Figs. 1 and 2 above may be used.

[0062] The heating system 201 comprises one or more heating units 203, each of which comprises one or more heating elements 205. These heating units 203 may be pre-assembled to the heat shrink cover that is to be shrunk (i.e., installed).

[0063] The electrical connection for powering the heating element 205 is provided by an electrical connector 200. In the illustrated example, this is a circular connector with spring-loaded pins, so-called "pogo pins", in the second connector element. They are used for their improved durability over other electrical contacts, and for the resilience of their electrical connections to mechanical shock and vibration. Essentially, these pins are the same type of spring-loaded contacts used to connect memory, but with a significantly higher current rating.

[0064] The second connector element 204 may also have an information storage unit, since the structure and installation sequence of the joints may change during the life cycle of the final product. It cannot be guaranteed that a jointer will always pick products with the same batch number from the stock for installation. Secondly, the joints may not always be sold as a kit of three, and in case of a single product replacement, it is necessary to ensure that all details are provided to successfully install the product. Finally, the memory chip also contains the serial number and other unique information of the product. Thus, each product requires its own memory chip.

[0065] The first connector element 202 is connected to the heating unit 203 for supplying power to each of the heating elements 205. According to the present disclosure, the first connector element 202 is provided with an information storage unit 212 similar to the information storage unit described in relation to Figures 1 and 2. It should be noted that Figure 3 is merely a schematic diagram and that the information storage unit 212 is of course integrated in the housing 218 of the first connector element 202.

[0066] The second connector element 204 is connected to a control unit 226 via an electrical lead 224. The control unit 226 outputs power to the heating unit 203. The power is controlled using pulse width modulation (PWM). On the output side, the control unit 226 may have a number of output ports 228. In the drawing of Fig. 3, three output ports 228 are shown. However, it is clear that fewer or more output ports 228 may be provided. A connector with an information storage unit may be used for the connector 230 attached to the electrical output lead 224, so that a proper connection of such lead 224 can be monitored.

[0067] On the input side, the control unit 226 has at least one input port 232 to which either a generator 234 or a battery pack 236 may be connected via an electrical input lead 240. A connection to mains power may be established via a mains plug 238. As shown diagrammatically, each connector in the heating system 201 may be provided with an information storage unit 212 according to the present disclosure to identify the respective connected component. For example, information from and to a battery management system (BMS) of the battery pack 236 may be stored in an information storage unit located in a connector attached to the battery pack 236.

[0068] Identification of further components required by the control unit 226 may be performed according to the principles of the present disclosure. In addition to identification purposes, PROMs may be added to all connectors such as connected cables (AC power, battery cables) and batteries and intermediate plugs to record the number of uses if any consumable parts have a maximum number of usage cycles. Again, the use of EEPROM is preferred over PROM, since the control unit can then also rewrite the memory with specific details of the installation (e.g. installation date, installer ID, etc.) for later use. This may provide an additional benefit in case of failure analysis.

[0069] Although not shown in Figs. 1-3, an RFID tag may be beneficially used as the information storage unit 112 to achieve a similar function. However, there are further aspects to consider: the information of the RFID tag may need to be manually assigned to a particular output of the control unit. Inconsistencies cannot be detected by the control unit in all cases. To a certain extent, plausibility checks can be used to identify improper assignment of data. The RFID tag may be easily removed from the heat shrink joint and reused in other supposedly identical joints, but with a slightly altered installation sequence (e.g. due to changes in the internal heater circuit). Disconnection / reconnection of the joint may not be detectable by the control unit.

[0070] However, these drawbacks can be avoided by placing an RFID reader directly on the second connector element of each connector, with a corresponding RFID tag concealedly placed in the mating first connector element.

[0071] A further advantageous example of the electrical connector 300 will be described in detail below in relation to figures 4 to 7. In this example, the first connector element 302 comprises a base plate 303 forming a housing 318 which can be attached to a heating system (not shown). For example, the heating system is placed around the heat shrink product to be installed. After the installation process, the first connector element 302 advantageously remains in place, so that documentation of the installation process remains on-site.

[0072] The second connector element 304 comprises a housing 319 which accommodates in an integrated form a control unit capable of reading information from an information storage unit 312 arranged in the first connector element 302. The control unit is further operable to control the installation process and to provide the required heating power to the heating system according to the information read from the information storage unit 312.

[0073] For this purpose, the second connector element 304 comprises a microcontroller and switching circuitry making it possible to supply power to the heating system according to a defined time sequence and at defined voltage and / or current values. The second connector element 304 draws power from a battery or other power source, e.g. the mains supply, via an electrical lead 307.

[0074] An operator can monitor the heating process via a display device 342, for example a liquid crystal display (LCD). Furthermore, keys 344 are provided to enable the operator to interfere with the heating process and / or input information to be stored in an information storage unit 312 arranged in the heating system. Instead of separate keys 344, the display device may be directly touch-sensitive and thus function as an input device.

[0075] To fix the second connector element 304 to the first connector element 302, a locking means 310, for example in the form of a snap hook 346, a hinge hook 347 and two magnets 348 interacting with a respective steel plate 350, are provided. However, only one locking means 310 and also releasable fixing means of different concepts (for example screws or different snap-fit ​​mechanisms) may be provided according to the present disclosure.

[0076] Instead of using plug connectors, the power connection is made via abutment contact with contact pads and compressible spring-loaded contacts. In particular, as can be seen in FIG. 6, the first connector element 302 comprises an array of contact pads forming first power terminals 306. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the mating second power terminals 308 comprise compressible spring-loaded terminals. The second power terminals 308 are compressed with the second connector element 304 secured to the first connector element 302, such that a secure electrical contact is established and maintained throughout the installation process due to the spring force pressing outwardly on each power terminal 308. This is important for conducting the relatively high currents used during the heating process.

[0077] According to the present disclosure, the first connector element 302 is provided with an information storage unit 312. The information storage unit 312 is electrically contacted via a row of first contact elements 314 which are part of the communication terminals 313. The information storage unit 312, which comprises for example a PROM, EPROM or EEPROM, is advantageously arranged in the receiving first connector 302, which is connectable to the heating unit 203. The information storage unit 312 is operable to automatically provide all stored information to the control unit when the connection is made. Depending on the type of PROM interface, a minimum of one (1 wire), two (I 2 C) or three (SPI) additional contacts are required to read the data.

[0078] Mating second contact elements 316 are arranged on the second connector element 304. It should be noted that these second contact elements 316 are not drawn to scale but are merely schematic. The second contact elements 316 are part of a mating connector 317 for contacting the communication terminals 313. The normal force generated by the magnets 348 on the steel plate 350 when the second connector element 304 is attached to the first connector element 302 and the locking means 310 establish an electrical contact by abutment. Of course, plug connections or sliding spring contacts may also be used in the communication terminals 313. Furthermore, the second contact elements 316 may also comprise compressible spring-loaded terminals as described above for the second power terminals 308. The terminals are compressed with the second connector element 304 secured to the first connector element 302, such that a secure electrical contact is established and maintained throughout the installation process due to the spring force biasing each second contact element 316 outward.

[0079] The information storage unit 312 is similar to the information storage unit described in relation to Figs. 1 and 2 and offers the same advantages. In particular, the information storage unit 312 comprises a memory module 322 mounted on a circuit carrier 320. In addition to the above examples, the second connector element 304 integrally houses a control unit in its housing 319, so that only an external power source (e.g. a battery pack or mains power) is required to install the heat shrink components to which the heating system with the first connector element 302 is attached. However, a further control unit may be connected to the second connector element 304. In this case, the controller in the second connector element 304 is operated as a slave. In particular, for applications in which the heating unit 203 comprises multiple heating elements 205, a further at least mostly identical control unit may be connected to the heating unit 203, preferably by means of multiple at least mostly identical first connector elements 302.

[0080] 5, the side of the base plate 303 facing away from the second connector element 304 is connectable to a heating system such that the first power terminal 306 is connected to a heating element of a heating unit. Thus, power is supplied to the heating element under the control of a control unit integrated in the second connector element 304. The heat shrink component attached to the heating element is heated according to a defined temperature and timing schedule based on information read from the information storage unit 312.

[0081] It should be noted that although in the above description only power transfer via ohmic contacts was mentioned, wireless power transfer may also be used in the connector according to the present disclosure. For example, a contactless coupling by induction may be provided for power transfer. Inductive coupling has the advantage of being robust and completely sealed against ingress of moisture and dust. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 100 Electrical Connector 102 first connector element 104 (mating) second connector element 106 Multiple pairs of power terminal sockets, first power terminal 108 Pairs of power terminal pins, second power terminal 110 Locking means 112 Information Storage Unit 113 Communication terminal 114 First Contact Element 116 Second Contact Element 117 Mating connector for contacting communication terminal 118 Housing 120 Circuit Carrier, PCB 122 Memory Module 200 Electrical Connectors 201 Heating System 202 first connector element 203 Heating Unit 204 (Mating) Second Connector Element 205 Heating element, heater circuit 206 Power Terminal Socket 208 Power Terminal Pin 210 Locking means 212 Information Storage Unit 214 First Contact Element 216 Second Contact Element 218 Housing 220 Circuit Carrier, PCB 222 Memory Module 224 Electrical Output Lead 226 Control Unit 228 output ports 230 Connectors in Electrical Leads 232 input ports 234 Generator 236 Battery Pack 238 Mains plug 240 Electrical Input Lead 300 Electrical Connectors 302 first connector element 303 Base Plate 304 (Mating) Second Connector Element 306 Pairs of first power terminals 307 Electrical Lead 308 Multiple pairs of second power terminals 310 Locking means 312 Information Storage Unit 313 Communication terminal 314 First Contact Element 316 Second Contact Element 317 Mating connector for contacting communication terminal 318 Housing of first connector element 319 Second connector element housing 320 Circuit Carrier, PCB 322 Memory Module 342 Display Devices 344 Keys 346 Snap Hook 347 Hinge Hook 348 magnet 350 Steel Plate

Claims

1. An electrical connector for a heating system (201), comprising: The electrical connector (100, 200, 300) comprises: - a first connector element (102, 202, 302) comprising a housing (118, 218, 318) and at least one first power terminal (106, 206, 306) for supplying power to a heating element (205) of said heating system (201); a second connector element (104, 204, 304) matable with the first connector element (102, 202, 302), the second connector element (104, 204, 304) comprising a mating second power terminal (108, 208, 308) matable with the at least one first power terminal (106, 206, 306); an information storage unit (112, 212, 312) for storing data usable for operating said heating system (201); a communication interface for reading said data stored in said information storage unit (112, 212, 312); Equipped with Electrical connector.

2. said information storage unit (112, 212, 312) being an electronic storage unit comprising at least one programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) and / or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM); 2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

3. the communication interface comprises at least one communication terminal (113, 313) having a first contact element (114, 314) for connection to a second contact element (116, 316) of a mating conductive connector (117, 317); 3. The electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the communication interface comprises a wireless communication interface; 4. The electrical connector according to claim 1.

5. the communication interface is adapted for bidirectional communication of the information storage unit (112, 212, 312) with the control unit (226); 5. The electrical connector according to claim 1.

6. the information storage unit (112, 212, 312) comprises an RFID tag disposed on the housing (118, 218, 318) of the first connector element (102, 202, 302); The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface comprises an RFID reader disposed on the second connector element (104, 204, 304).

7. The information storage unit (112, 212, 312) comprises a printed circuit board; The printed circuit board (120, 220, 320) is mounted within the housing (118, 218, 318) with an electronic storage unit (122, 222, 322) assembled to the printed circuit board (120, 220, 320).

7. The electrical connector according to claim 1.

8. the first connector element (102, 202, 302) is further adapted to receive a temperature measurement signal from an external temperature sensor; 8. An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. 1. A heating system for a heat shrink component, comprising: The heating system (201) comprises: at least one heating unit (203) having at least one heating element (205); at least one electrical connector (100, 200, 300) according to any one of claims 1 to 8; Equipped with the at least one heating element (205) is connected to the at least one first power terminal (106, 206, 306); Heating system.

10. a control unit (226) for controlling the supply of power to the at least one heating element (205); the control unit (226) is operable to communicate with the information storage unit (112, 212, 312) via the communication interface (113, 313); The heating system of claim 9.

11. a generator (234) forming the power supply and / or a battery pack (236) forming the power supply; 11. A heating system according to claim 9 or 10.

12. At least one of the generator (234) and / or the battery pack (236) further comprises an electrical connector (100, 200, 300) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to enable bidirectional communication with the control unit (226). The heating system of claim 11.

13. 1. A method for installing a heat shrink cover, comprising: The method comprises: - providing at least one heating element (205) on said heat shrink cover, said heating element (205) being electrically connected to a first connector element (102, 202, 302) of an electrical connector (100, 200, 300) according to any one of claims 1 to 8; - connecting a power source (226) to the at least one heating element (205) by connecting the mating second connector element (104, 204, 304) to the first connector element (102, 202, 302); - reading said data stored in said information storage unit (112, 212, 312) via said communication interface; - supplying power to said at least one heating element (205) to perform a heating process according to said data stored in said information storage unit (112, 212, 312); Including, method.

14. the information storage unit (112, 212, 312) comprises an electronic storage unit (122, 222, 322), the method further comprising the step of storing the information input by the control unit (226) in the electronic storage unit (122, 222, 322) after the heating process is completed. The method of claim 13.

15. said control unit (226) being in communication with a further electrical connector (100, 200, 300) whose first connector element (102, 202, 302) is connected to a further electrical component; 15. The method according to claim 13 or 14.

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