Power connector and method of assembly

Abstract

A power connector and its method of assembly are provided. The power connector includes a socket receptacle and a plug which are couplable together. The socket receptacle includes an insulative socket receptacle housing, a conductive body and a lock attached to the body, but is also movable relative thereto. The body and lock seat within the socket receptacle housing. The lock has a top section and a rear section which are angled relative to each other, and the rear section has an opening therethrough. The plug including a plug housing and a conductive pin. The pin passes through the body and engages with the rear section of the lock in a locked condition.

Description

POWER CONNECTOR AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLYBACKGROUND

[0001] Power connectors are used for high current, high voltage energy storage and power distribution units. Such power connectors may be used in high power applications such as computers, data servers, busbar applications, and electric vehicle (EV) systems.SUMMARY

[0002] A power connector and its method of assembly are provided.

[0003] In an embodiment, the power connector includes a socket receptacle and a plug which are couplable together. The socket receptacle includes an insulative socket receptacle housing, a conductive body and a lock attached to the body, but which is also movable relative thereto. The body and lock seat within the socket receptacle housing. The lock has a top section and a rear section which are angled relative to each other, and the rear section has an opening therethrough. The plug including a plug housing and a conductive pin. The pin passes through the body and engages with the rear section of the lock in a locked condition.

[0004] In an embodiment, the pin is releasable from the lock.

[0005] A method of assembling a power connector is provided. The method includes: inserting a conductive pin into a passageway of a conductive body having a flexible lock thereon, the lock having a top section and a rear section which are angled relative to each other, the top section being engaged with the body, the rear section having an opening therethrough and partially blocking the passageway; engaging a free end of the pin with the rear section of the lock, thereby causing the lock to move relative to the body; passing the free end of the pin through the lock; and engaging the lock with a shank of the pin.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a power connector according to various aspects of the present disclosure, shown mounted on a substrate;

[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the power connector, and the substrate to which the power connector may be attached;

[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a socket receptacle and a terminal of the power connector;

[0010] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an assembled socket body of the socket receptacle and the terminal, with a lock exploded therefrom;

[0011] FIG. 5 illustrates a side elevation view of the lock;

[0012] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the socket receptacle and terminal prior to assembly with a plug of the power connector;

[0013] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the socket receptacle shown with modifications thereto;

[0014] FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of the socket receptacle of FIG. 7 shown partially in cross-section;

[0015] FIGS. 9-12 illustrate cross-sectional views of the socket receptacle, terminal and plug during assembly; and

[0016] FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate cross-sectional views of the socket receptacle, terminal and plug during disassembly.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] While the disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, specific embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure, and is not intended to limit the disclosure to that as illustrated and described herein. Therefore, unless otherwise noted, features disclosed herein may be combined to form additional combinations that were not otherwise shown for purposes of brevity. It will be further appreciated that in some embodiments, one or more elements illustrated by way of example in a drawing(s) may be eliminated and / or substituted with alternative elements within the scope of the disclosure.

[0018] The present disclosure relates to a power connector 20 for high current, high voltage energy storage and power distribution units. The power connector 20 may be used in high power applications such as computers, data servers, busbar applications, and electric vehicle (EV) systems.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the power connector 20 includes a socket receptacle 22 in which a terminal 24 is mounted, and a plug 26 which is configured to be mated with the terminal 24. The socket receptacle 22 includes an insulative socket receptacle housing 28, a conductive socket 30 and a lock 32. The plug 26 includes an insulative plug housing 34 and aconductive pin 36. The pin 36 seats within the terminal 24 and is releasably locked to the socket 30 by the lock 32.

[0020] As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the socket receptacle housing 28 has a top wall 38, front and rear walls 40, 42 extending downward therefrom, and opposite side walls 44, 46 extending therebetween which define an open ended cavity 48 therein. The cavity 48 is open to the bottom of the socket receptacle housing 28. The top wall 38 includes a latch 50 which can be depressed into the cavity 48 such that the latch 50 flexes inwardly from the remainder of the top wall 38. The latch 50 is separated from the remainder of the top wall 38 by a gap 52 which surrounds three sides of the latch 50. The front wall 40 has an opening 54 therethrough which is open to the cavity 48. A chamfer 56 may extend from the front surface of the front wall 40 to the opening 54. The side walls 44, 46 have latches 58 therein, each of which has an inwardly extending barb 60 (shown in FIG. 1 in phantom line) extending into the cavity 48. The latches 58 are separated from the remainder of the side walls 44, 46 by gaps 62. The latches 58 can be flexed outwardly from the remainder of the side walls 44, 46.

[0021] As best shown in FIG. 4, the socket 30 includes an upper portion 64 and a lower portion 66 extending from a lower end of the upper portion 64. The upper portion 64 has a top surface 68, an opposite bottom surface 70, a front surface 72, an opposite rear surface 74, and side surfaces 76, 78 extending therebetween. Each side surface 76, 78 has an elongated slot 80 at a lower end thereof which may extend from the rear surface 74. The lower portion 66 may be a threaded shank. An elongated groove 82 is provided in the top surface 68 and extends parallel to the front surface 72. The groove 82 may extend between the side surfaces 76, 78. A step 84 is provided within a central portion of the groove 82. A wall, which may be cylindrical, forms a pin receiving passageway 86 that extends through the socket 30 from the front surface 72 to the rear surface 74. An axial centerline of the socket 30 is defined between the front surface 72 and the rear surface 74. A chamfer 88 may be provided at the entrance of the pin receiving passageway 86 in the front surface 72. A counterbore 90 is provided in the rear surface 74 around the exit of the pin receiving passageway 86.

[0022] The lock 32 is formed as a flexible spring, and may be formed of stainless steel. The lock 32 has a rear section 92 and a top section 94 extending from an upper end of the rear section 92. The top section 94 has a front lip 96 extending from a front end thereof. Prior to assembly with the socket 30 as shown in FIG. 5, the rear and top sections 92, 94 are preferably at a non-perpendicular angle A, for example eighty -two (82) degrees, relative to each other, but may be perpendicular to each other, and the front lip 96 is perpendicular to the top section 94. The rear section 92 includes an opening 98 therethrough. A top edge 100 ofthe opening 98 may be linear, and a bottom edge 102 of the opening 98 is generally U- shaped, see FIG. 2. The bottom edge 102 has a curved portion 104, see FIG. 4, on a front side of the rear section 92. The front lip 96 has a central cutout 106 that generally mirrors the shape of the step 84.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the terminal 24 includes a conductive contact 108 and may include a conductive cap 110. The contact 108 may formed from a ring-like connecting portion 112 having a plurality of separate flexible beams 114 cantilevered therefrom such that a passageway 116 is formed therein which extends from a front end of the contact 108 to a rear end of the contact 108. The flexible beams 114 extend from an end of the connecting portion 112, and each beam 114 is generally parallel to, and radially spaced from, an axial centerline of the contact 108. The beams 114 are spaced apart from each other around the circumference of the connecting portion 112. Each beam 114 may have a first portion which extends at an angle from the connecting portion 112 at a corner, and a second portion which extends at an angle from an end of the first portion at a corner. The first portion angles inwardly toward the axial centerline, and the second portion angles outwardly from the axial centerline. The comers may be radiused and may be aligned around the circumference of the contact 108 and define an inner diameter. The cap 110 has an annular first wall 118 which defines an opening that forms part of the passageway 116, and a second wall 120 extending radially outwardly from and perpendicular to the first wall 118. Other forms of the contact 108 are within the scope of the disclosure.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 6, the contact 108 is seated within the passageway 86 of the socket 30 such that the rear end of the contact 108 generally aligns with the rear end of the socket 30, the front end of the contact 108 is spaced from the front end of the socket 30, and the axial centerlines of the socket 30 and the contact 108 align. An outer surface of the connecting portion 112 abuts against an inner surface of the wall forming the pin receiving passageway 86 of the socket 30. The cap 110 secures the socket 30 and the contact 108 together. In an embodiment, the cap 110 is press fit to the socket 30 and to the contact 108. In an embodiment, the cap 110 is crimped to the socket 30 and to the contact 108. The wall 118 of the cap 110 engages against the inner surface of the connecting portion 112. The wall 120 seats within the counterbore 90. Other means for attaching the contact 108 to the socket 30 are within the scope of the present disclosure. The cap 110 can be eliminated and the contact 108 directly attached to the socket 30.

[0025] The lock 32 seats on the socket 30. The rear section 92 of the lock 32 extends along and engages against the rear surface 74 of the socket 30, the top section 94 of the lock32 extends proximate to the top surface 68 of the socket 30, and the front lip 96 of the lock 32 seats within the groove 82. The rear and top sections 92, 94 are at an angle of greater than ninety (90) degrees relative to each other. The central cutout 106 of the front lip 96 engages with the step 84 of the groove 82 in an interference fit to secure the lock 32 to the socket 30. The wall 120, if provided, is between the rear section 92 of the lock 32 and the rear surface 74 of the socket 30.

[0026] The socket 30, having the terminal 24 and the lock 32 mounted thereon, is inserted into the cavity 48 of the socket receptacle housing 28 through the open bottom end. The socket 30 and terminal 24 form a conductive body. The latches 58 flex outwardly to allow the upper portion 64 of the socket 30 to slide into the cavity 48. After the upper portion 64 of the socket 30 passes by the barbs 60 on the latches 58, the latches 58 resume their initial condition and the barbs 60 engage within the slots 80 of the upper portion 64 to prevent the movement of the socket 30 within the cavity 48. The lower portion 66 extends downward from the socket receptacle housing 28. The lower surface of the latch 50 on the top wall 38 of the socket receptacle housing 28 may engage with the upper surface of the top section 94 of the lock 32. The front surface 72 of the upper portion 64 of the socket 30 seats against the front wall 40 of the socket receptacle housing 28, and the axial passageway 86 of the socket 30 aligns with the opening 54 in the socket receptacle housing 28. A space 122 is provided between the rear section 92 and the rear wall 42 of the socket receptacle 22.

[0027] FIGS. 7 and 8 show modifications which can be provided on the insulative socket receptacle housing 28. A front rib 124 extends upward from the top wall 38 and from the front wall 40, a first side rib 126 extends upward from the top wall 38 and from the side wall 44 and is positioned proximate to the portion of the gap 52 which is to the first side of the latch 50, and a second side rib 128 extends upward from the top wall 38 and from the side wall 46 and is positioned proximate to the portion of the gap 52 which is to the second side of the latch 50. The ribs 124, 126, 128 increase the distance between the uppermost surface of the socket receptacle housing 28 and the conductive components therein to minimize arcing. The front rib 124 may only be provided in front of the gap 52. A rib is not provided at the rear end of the latch 50 to allow for the operator’s finger to easily access the latch 50. Each latch 58 has been modified to include a plurality of recesses 130 on its exterior surface which extend from a bottom end of the latch 58. Each latch 58, its gaps 62 and recesses 130 face, and are covered by, a cover portion 132 extending outward from the respective side wall 44, 46. The cover portions 132 have open upper ends 134 and open lower ends 136. The cover portions 132 cover the gaps 62 between the latches 58 and the remainder of the side walls 44,46. The open upper and lower ends 134, 136 allow for air flow through the cover portions 132. The cover portions 132 prevent contact with the conductive components in the socket receptacle housing 28.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, prior to assembly with the plug 26, a portion of the opening 98 in the rear section 92 of the lock 32 aligns with the passageway 116 of the terminal 24, and a bottom section of the bottom edge 102 of the opening 98 is above a bottom section of the passageway 116 of the terminal 24 such that a portion of the passageway 116 of the terminal 24 is partially blocked in the axial direction.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plug housing 34 includes a front wall 138 and a side wall 140 which extends rearward therefrom. The front wall 138 has an opening 142 therethrough and the walls 138, 140 define a cavity 144, see FIG. 9, therein which opens to a rear end of the plug housing 34. An axial centerline extends from the front wall 138 to the rear end of the plug housing 34. The opening 142 opens into the cavity 144. The side wall 140 is shown as cylindrical, but the side wall 140 can take other forms, such as for example square in cross-section. A plurality of spaced apart flexible arms 146, see FIG. 9, extend inwardly into the cavity 144 from the side wall 140. The flexible arms 146 extend in the direction of the axial centerline of the plug housing 34.

[0030] The pin 36 has a shank formed in an embodiment by a front portion 148 and a rear portion 150 extending from a rear end of the front portion 148. Each of the each of the front and rear portions 148, 150 may be cylindrical. A flange 152 extends radially outward from the front end of the rear portion 150. The front portion 148 has a diameter which is less than the diameter of the rear portion 150. The inner diameter defined by the corners of the contact 108 is less than the diameter of the front portion 148 of the pin 36. The front portion 148 has a rounded free end 154 which may be hemispherical. A groove 156, which may be circumferential, extends around at least a portion of the circumference of the front portion 148 proximate to the rounded free end 154. The rear portion 150 may have a cavity therein which extends from the rear end thereof.

[0031] To assemble the pin 36 with the plug housing 34, the free end 154 of the pin 36 is inserted through the open rear end, through the cavity 144, and then through the front opening 142. The front portion 148 extends forward of the front wall 138 of the plug housing 34. The flange 152 engages the arms 146 and causes the arms 146 to move toward the side wall 140. Once the flange 152 passes by the arms 146, the arms 146 resume their initial state and engage a rear end of the flange 152. This secures the pin 36 to the plug housing 34.

[0032] To form the power connector 20, the plug 26 is inserted into the socket receptacle 22 as shown in FIGS. 9-12. The lock 32 is initially in an unflexed condition as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9. The free end 154 of the pin 36 is passed through the opening 54 in the front end of the socket receptacle 22 and through the entrance of the pin receiving passageway 86. The chamfers 56, 88 assist in guiding the pin 36 into the passageway 116 of the terminal 24. As the pin 36 is pushed further into the socket receptacle 22, the free end 154 of the pin 36 engages the flexible beams 114 and causes the beams 114 to flex outwardly, see FIG. 10. As the pin 36 is pushed further into the socket receptacle 22, the front portion 148 of the pin 36 passes through the beams 114, with the corners engaging the front portion 148, and the rounded free end 154 engages with the bottom edge 102 of the rear section 92 of the lock 32, see FIG. 10. As the pin 36 is pushed further into the socket receptacle 22, the rounded free end 154 causes the rear section 92 of the lock 32 to move vertically downward and puts the lock 32 into a flexed condition, see FIG. 11. The upper surface of the top section 94 of the lock 32 still engages against the lower surface of the latch 50 on the top wall 38 of the socket receptacle housing 28, or may disengage as shown from the lower surface of the latch 50. The opening in the rear section 92 is sized such that the top edge 100 of the opening 98 does not engage with the rounded end 154 of the pin 36. The front radiused edge of the bottom edge 102 assists in this movement of the rear section 92. The rounded end 154 passes through the opening 98 and once the groove 156 aligns with the rear section 92, the lock 32 resumes its unflexed condition and the bottom edge 102 seats within the groove 156, see FIG. 12, to move the lock 32 to a locked condition. The rounded end 154 seats within the space 122. As a result, the lock 32 locks the plug 26 to the socket receptacle 22.

[0033] The plug 26 can be released from the socket receptacle 22 by depressing the latch 50 on the socket receptacle housing 28 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Depression of the latch 50 engages the top section 94 of the lock 32, and causes the rear section 92 of the lock 32 to move downward and out of the groove 156, see FIG. 13, and into an unlocked condition. The top edge 100 of the opening 98 does not engage with the pin 36. Once the bottom edge 102 of the opening 98 in the rear section 92 of the lock 32 is not within the groove 156, the pin 36 can be pulled axially out of the socket receptacle 22, see FIG. 14.

[0034] The lower portion 66 of the socket 30 is mounted to a substrate 158, such as a printed circuit board or a busbar. In FIG. 2, the substrate 158 is shown as a printed circuit board with a conductive contact pad 160 on an upper face thereof which surrounds a plated conductive through hole 162. With the printed circuit board, the bottom surface 70 of the socket 30 contacts the contact pad 160 and the lower portion 66 of the socket 30 extends intothe through hole 162. If a busbar is provided as the substrate 158, the busbar has a through hole (like through hole 162) therethrough through which the lower portion 66 of the socket 30 extends, and the bottom surface 70 of the socket 30 contacts a mating surface of the busbar surrounding the through hole. If the lower portion 66 of the socket 30 is threaded, a washer 164 and nut 166 can be secured to an opposite side of the substrate 158 to mount the socket receptacle 22 to the substrate 158. The pin 36 of the plug 26 is electrically coupled to another component (not shown). Current travels through the pin 36 of the plug 26, through the terminal 24, through the socket 30, to the substrate 158. The contact of the bottom surface 70 of the socket 30 with the contact pad 160 provides a large surface of contact between the socket 30 and the substrate 158 for current transmission.

[0035] While the socket 30 and terminal 24 are described and shown as separate components to form the conductive body, the socket 30 and terminal 24 may be integrally formed as a single piece.

[0036] While the terminal 24 and cap 110 are described and shown as separate components, the terminal 24 and cap 110 may be integrally formed as a single component. Also, the counterbore 90 and wall 120 may be eliminated in embodiments of the contact 108.

[0037] The present disclosure can be used to provide a right angle screw mount for the power connector 20.

[0038] Directional terms such as front, rear, horizontal, vertical and the like are used for ease in explanation, and do not denote a required orientation in use.

[0039] While a particular embodiment is illustrated in and described with respect to the drawings, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated in and discussed with respect to the drawings and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure and appended drawings. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims. Further, the foregoing descriptions describe methods that recite the performance of a number of steps. Unless stated to the contrary, one or more steps within a method may not be required, one or more steps may be performed in a different order than as described, and one or more stepsmay be formed substantially contemporaneously. Finally, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A socket receptacle comprising: a conductive body having a passageway therethrough; a lock coupled to the body and movable relative to the body, the lock having a top section and a rear section which are angled relative to each other, the top section being engaged with the body, the rear section having an opening therethrough which at least partially aligns with the passageway in the body; and a socket receptacle housing including an opening and a cavity extending from the opening, wherein the body and lock are seated within the cavity and the opening aligns with the passageway in the body.

2. The socket receptacle of claim 1 in combination with a conductive pin which seats within the passageway of the body and through the opening of the lock to engage with the rear section of the lock in a locked condition, wherein the rear section of the lock partially blocks a rear end of the passageway prior to assembly of the pin with the lock.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein a bottom edge of the opening though the lock has a chamfer thereon.

4. The combination of claim 2, wherein the pin includes a groove in which the rear section of the lock seats when the lock is in the locked condition.

5. The combination of claim 2, wherein the socket receptacle housing includes a depressible latch which engages with the top section of the lock when the lock is moved to an unlocked condition.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the depressible latch is in a top wall of the socket receptacle housing and is separated from the top wall by gaps, and wherein socket receptacle housing further includes ribs extending upward from the top wall, wherein the gaps are between the ribs and the depressible latch.

7. The socket receptacle of claim 2, wherein rear ends of the body and the lock are spaced from a rear wall of the socket receptacle housing by a space, and wherein a free end of the pin seats within the space in the locked condition.

8. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the socket receptacle housing includes a depressible latch which engages with the top section of the lock when the lock is moved to an unlocked condition.

9. The socket receptacle of claim 8, wherein the depressible latch is in a top wall of the socket receptacle housing and is separated from the top wall by gaps, and wherein socket receptacle housing further includes ribs extending upward from the top wall, wherein the gaps are between the ribs and the depressible latch.

10. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a socket and a separate terminal mounted therein.

11. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the socket receptacle housing is formed of insulative material and the lock is formed of stainless steel.

12. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the top section and the rear section of the lock are angled relative to each other at an angle of 82 degrees prior to assembly with the body.

13. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the top section and the rear section are angled relative to each other at an angle of less than 90 degrees prior to assembly with the body, and the top section and the rear section are angled relative to each other at an angle of greater than 90 degrees after assembly with the body.

14. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the top section further includes a front lip which extends downward and engages within a groove of the body.

15. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the body has a lower section that is couplable to a substrate.

16. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the lock is a spring.

17. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the socket receptacle housing includes a top wall, a front wall extending downward therefrom and through which the opening is provided, a rear wall which is opposite to the front wall, side walls extending between the front and rear walls, ribs extending upward from the top wall, a depressible latch in the top wall which is engageable with the lock and which is separated from the top wall and the ribs by gaps, a side latch in each side wall which engages with the body and is separated from the respective side wall by gaps, and cover portions which extend from the respective side wall and cover an exterior of the respective side latch and gaps.

18. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein the socket receptacle housing includes a top wall, a front wall extending downward therefrom and through which the opening is provided, a rear wall which is opposite to the front wall, side walls extending between the front and rear walls, a side latch in each side wall which engages with the body and are separated from the respective side wall by gaps, and cover portions which extend from the respective side wall and cover an exterior of the respective side latch and gaps.

19. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein each cover portion has an open upper end and an open lower end.

20. The socket receptacle of claim 1, wherein each side latch has a plurality of recesses in an exterior surface thereof which faces the cover portion.

21. A method of assembling a power connector comprising: inserting a conductive pin into a passageway of a conductive body having a flexible lock thereon, the lock having a top section and a rear section which are angled relative to each other, the top section being engaged with the body, the rear section having an opening therethrough and partially blocking the passageway; and engaging a free end of the pin with the rear section of the lock, thereby causing the lock to move relative to the body; passing the free end of the pin through the lock; and engaging the lock with a shank of the pin.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising detaching the pin from the body by depressing a latch which engages with the lock.

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