CN216354910U

CN216354910U - Electric connecting device

Info

Publication number: CN216354910U
Application number: CN202122063128.0U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 邵贤典
Original assignee: Phoenix Nanjing New Energy Automotive Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Phoenix Nanjing New Energy Automotive Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2021-08-30
Filing date: 2021-08-30
Publication date: 2022-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 2031-08-30

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrical connection device. An electrical connection device comprising: two or more metal row structures, each of the metal row structures including a sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, a terminal mounting portion formed at a first end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, and a wiring portion formed at a second end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, each of the metal row structures being externally covered with an insulating case; two or more charging terminals, wherein each of the charging terminals is mounted in the terminal mounting part of the corresponding metal row structure, respectively; and the cooling unit comprises a cooling cavity for containing cooling liquid, and the two or more sheet-shaped heat conducting parts of the metal row structures are arranged on the side surfaces of the cooling cavity to form thermal contact for heat transfer.

Description

Electric connecting device

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the field of connectors, in particular to an electric connecting device with a cooling function.

Background

With the desire for rapid charging of electrically powered vehicles, such as, but not limited to, new energy vehicles, high power rapid charging solutions have gradually emerged. High-power quick charge has promoted the speed of charging, has practiced thrift the charge time. However, high-power rapid charging faces a problem of a corresponding increase in heat generation. Excessive heating may cause damage to the equipment and even cause safety problems.

It is therefore desirable to design an electrical connector device with a cooling module.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model relates to an electrical connection device comprising: two or more metal row structures, each of the metal row structures including a sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, a terminal mounting portion formed at a first end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, and a wiring portion formed at a second end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, each of the metal row structures being externally covered with an insulating case; two or more charging terminals, wherein each of the charging terminals is mounted in the terminal mounting part of the corresponding metal row structure, respectively; and the cooling unit comprises a cooling cavity for containing cooling liquid, and the two or more sheet-shaped heat conducting parts of the metal row structures are arranged on the side surfaces of the cooling cavity to form thermal contact for heat transfer.

As described above, the terminal mounting portion of the metal row structure includes the mounting base portion extending from and substantially perpendicular to the sheet-like heat-conducting portion of the metal row structure, so that the mounting base portion and the cooling cavity of the cooling unit are in direct or indirect thermal contact.

As the above-described electrical connecting device, the plurality of terminals include the charging terminals and the signal terminals, wherein each of the charging terminals is mounted in the terminal mounting portion of a corresponding one of the metal row structures.

In the electrical connection device, the width of the sheet-like heat-conducting portion of the metal row structure is 2 times or more the width of the terminal mounting portion of the metal row structure.

The electrical connection device as described above, wherein the one or more electrically conductive metal row structures comprise a first metal row structure and a second metal row structure, the plate-shaped heat conducting portion of the first metal row structure and the first side of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit are in direct or indirect thermal contact, and the plate-shaped heat conducting portion of the second metal row structure and the second side of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit are in direct or indirect thermal contact.

In the above electrical connection device, the first metal row structure and the second metal row structure have the same structure, and can be spatially symmetrically disposed on two sides of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit.

In the electrical connection device, the sheet-shaped heat conducting portion of the metal row structure is provided with a fastening opening, and the cooling cavity of the cooling unit is provided with a corresponding opening for a fastening member to pass through the metal row structure and the cooling unit.

As described above, the insulating housing covers the sheet-like heat-conducting portion sufficiently, and partially covers the terminal mounting portion and the wire connecting portion.

In the electrical connection device, the sheet-shaped heat conducting portion of the metal row structure, the cooling cavity of the cooling unit, and the insulating housing are respectively provided with through openings corresponding to the through openings in position, so that a mounting fastener can pass through the sheet-shaped heat conducting portion, the cooling cavity, and the insulating housing.

In the above electrical connection device, the cooling unit further includes a fluid pipe communicating with the cooling chamber to allow the cooling fluid to enter and exit the cooling chamber.

The electrical connection device as described above, the cooling unit includes a first cooling unit and a second cooling unit separated from each other, and the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit are in contact with the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion of the same metal row structure on the same side or in contact with the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion of the same metal row structure on both sides.

The electrical connector assembly as described above, wherein the first end is a mating end of the connector assembly and the second end is a tail end of the connector assembly.

In the above electrical connecting device, the plurality of terminals are pin terminals, and the electrical connector is provided in a pin connector.

As the above-described electrical connector device, the plurality of terminals are receptacle terminals, and the electrical connector device is provided in a receptacle connector.

The utility model also relates to an electrical connection device comprising: a first conductive bar structure and a second conductive bar structure, each of the conductive bar structures including a sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, a terminal mounting portion formed at a first end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, and a wire connection portion formed at a second end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion; a first terminal mounted on the terminal mounting portion of the first conductor bar structure and a second terminal mounted on the terminal mounting portion of the second conductor bar structure; and the heat dissipation unit comprises a heat dissipation body for absorbing heat, and the sheet-shaped heat conduction parts of the first conductive bar structure and the second conductive bar structure are arranged on two sides of the heat dissipation body and form direct or indirect thermal contact with the two sides.

Drawings

To further clarify embodiments of the present invention, a more particular description of embodiments of the present invention will be rendered by reference to the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the utility model and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope as claimed.

Further, it should be understood that the primary connections of the various components are illustrated in the drawings, and not all connections are necessarily drawn to scale in practice.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an electrical connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a first view.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an electrical connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a second perspective.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural view of an electrical connection device with an insulation case removed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an electrical connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numerals referred to in fig. 1-4:

1. 1a, 1 b: a charging terminal;

2. 2a, 2 b: metal row

22: sheet-like heat conducting portion

3: cooling unit

4. 4a, 4 b: insulating shell

5 a: fluid inflow pipe

5 b: fluid outflow conduit

6: bolt piece

7. 7a, 7 b: terminal mounting part

75: mounting base

8. 8a, 8 b: wire connection part

Detailed Description

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the claimed subject matter may be practiced. It is to be understood that the following detailed description is intended for purposes of illustration, and is not to be construed as limiting the utility model; those skilled in the art, having the benefit of this disclosure, may effect numerous modifications thereto and changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the claimed subject matter.

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various described embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the various embodiments described may be practiced without these specific details. Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

The terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and in the claims of the present application do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. An embodiment is an example implementation or example. Reference in the specification to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "various embodiments," or "other embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the technology. The various appearances "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "some embodiments" are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiments. Elements or aspects from one embodiment may be combined with elements or aspects of another embodiment.

The utility model will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Reference is first made to fig. 1, 2 and 4. Fig. 1 and 2 are schematic structural views of an electrical connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a first viewing angle and a second viewing angle, respectively. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connection device shown in fig. 1 and 2. An electrical connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a charging terminal 1 (including a pair of

terminals

1a and 1b), one or more metal rows 2 (which may include a pair of

metal rows

2a and 2b, for example), a cooling unit 3, and an insulating case 4 (which includes an insulating case 4a of the metal row 2a, and an insulating case 4b of the metal row 2b, for example). In one non-limiting embodiment, the electrical connection device is shown for use with a charging plug.

The charging terminal 1 may be configured to be inserted into a charging socket to charge a connected electric device. For example, in an application scenario of a new energy automobile, the charging terminal 1 may be a charging terminal in a charging gun (charging plug), which may be inserted into a socket of the new energy automobile, so as to charge the new energy automobile.

The cooling unit 3 is for cooling/dissipating heat and comprises cooling cavities containing a cooling liquid, which may be arranged between the metal rows 2. For example, in a structure with two

metal rows

2a, 2b as shown in fig. 3, the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 may be "sandwiched" between the two

metal rows

2a, 2 b. The material of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 may comprise a metal or a metal alloy. In a preferred embodiment of the utility model, preferred materials of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 include aluminum, copper. In other embodiments, the material of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 may also comprise stainless steel.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the electrical connection device with the insulating case 4 removed, thereby more clearly showing the configuration of the metal row 2. Each of the metal rows 2 includes a sheet-like heat-conducting portion 22, a terminal mounting portion 7 formed at a first end (a direction shown in fig. 3, i.e., a plugging end of the connector) of the sheet-like heat-conducting portion 22, and a wire connection portion 8 (including a wire connection portion 8a of the metal row 2a, and a wire connection portion 8B of the metal row 2B) formed at a second end (B direction shown in fig. 3, i.e., a tail end of the connector) of the sheet-like heat-conducting portion 22. The plate-like heat conducting portion 22 of the metal row 2 is configured to be adapted to be in effective thermal contact with a cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 containing a cooling liquid, thereby facilitating heat conduction. Furthermore, the terminal mounting portion 7 of the metal bar 2 comprises a mounting base 75, which mounting base 75 extends from and is substantially perpendicular to the sheet-like heat conducting portion 22 of the metal bar 2, so that the mounting base 75 and the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 can also be in effective thermal contact.

In the embodiment of the present application, the effective "thermal contact" between two objects may be direct contact between the two objects, or indirect contact using other substances with good thermal conductivity as an intermediate heating medium.

In the embodiment of the present application, the material of the metal row 2 includes, but is not limited to, gold, silver, copper, etc. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the metal row 2 may comprise a copper row.

As described previously, each metal row 2 (e.g., metal row 2a and metal row 2b shown in fig. 3) may include the wire connection portion 7 at the second end. The wire connecting portion 7 may be configured to form a mechanical and electrical connection with a wire. For example, the wire connecting portion 7 may be configured for a soldering process or a crimping process of a wire.

As an example, an embodiment in which the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 has a substantially square shape is shown in fig. 1-4. However, this is not essential. In other embodiments, the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 may have any suitable shape or combination of shapes without departing from the design spirit of the present invention.

Further, as shown in connection with fig. 1-2, 4, the electrical connection device may further comprise an insulating housing 4, the insulating housing 4 being configured for encasing the metal row 2. For example, as shown in fig. 4, each metal row 2 is covered by a corresponding insulating case 4. According to the embodiment, the insulating case 4 sufficiently covers the sheet-like heat-conductive portion 22, and partially covers the terminal mounting portion 7 and the wire connecting portion 8. This configuration of the insulating shell 4 makes it possible to achieve a sufficient electrical isolation of the metal rows 2 from each other and of the metal rows 2 from the cooling cavities of the cooling unit 3. For example, in a structure having two

metal rows

2a, 2b as shown in fig. 1-2, 4, the insulating housing 4 may be configured for electrically isolating the

metal rows

2a, 2b from each other and between each

metal row

2a, 2b and the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 to prevent short circuits. As further shown in fig. 4, the insulating case 4 is also configured to partially accommodate the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3, and thus, when the two metal rows 2 are spatially symmetrically located at both sides of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3, the two insulating cases 4 form an enclosure for the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 from both sides.

Further, as shown in fig. 3, the width of the sheet-like heat-conducting portion 22 of the metal row 2 (the terminal insertion direction is the longitudinal direction, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is the width direction) is 2 times or more the width of the terminal mounting portion 7 of the metal row 2. This allows the two terminal mounting portions 7 to be positioned without interference when the two metal bars 2 are placed on both sides of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3.

In an embodiment of the utility model, the insulating shell 4 may comprise an insulating thermoplastic material. In a further preferred embodiment of the utility model, the insulating shell 4 may comprise an insulating thermoplastic material capable of conducting heat. The insulating case 4 may be formed outside the metal bar 2 through an over-molding process.

In one non-limiting embodiment, as shown in fig. 1-4, the insulating shell 4, the metal row 2 and the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 are provided with openings so that the insulating shell 4 and the metal row 2 can be secured to the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 by fasteners, such as bolt members 6. The number of bolt pieces 6 (and the corresponding number of openings) may be determined on a case by case basis. In addition to bolt members, other suitable fastening means may be used with the present invention (e.g., adjacent insulating shells 4 may be joined by snap-fitting), and the present application is not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 1-4, the cooling unit 3 of the electrical connection device may further comprise a fluid conduit. The fluid conduits may comprise at least one fluid inflow conduit 5a and at least one fluid outflow conduit 5b, wherein the at least one fluid inflow conduit 5a is configured for allowing a cooling liquid to flow into the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 and the fluid outflow conduit 5b is configured for allowing a cooling liquid to flow out of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3. The material of the fluid conduit may include any available material suitable for containing any suitable cooling fluid, as the present invention is not limited in this respect.

Although the figures show mainly two

fluid conduits

5a and 5b, other embodiments of the utility model may comprise more than two conduits. In embodiments with more than two conduits, one or more conduits may be fluid inflow conduits and the other one or more conduits may be fluid outflow conduits. For example, in one non-limiting embodiment, three fluid conduits may be included, wherein one conduit may be a fluid inflow conduit and the other two conduits may be fluid outflow conduits. Other numbers of fluid inflow and outflow conduits may also be provided.

Furthermore, although the conduit 5a is described as a fluid inflow conduit and the conduit 5b is described as a fluid outflow conduit 5b in connection with the figures, this is not essential. The conduit 5a may be a fluid outflow conduit and the conduit 5b may be a fluid inflow conduit. The

reference numerals

5a, 5b are only for distinguishing the different fluid conduits.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the cooling liquid may be pumped to the fluid inflow conduit 5a by an external pump, pass through the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3, and flow out from the fluid outflow conduit 5 b. Heat generated during the charging process can be conducted to the cooling unit 3 through the metal bar 2, the cooling liquid in the cooling unit 3, which has absorbed heat, is discharged through the fluid outflow pipe 5b, and at the same time, the cooling liquid with a lower temperature is continuously delivered from the outside to the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 through the fluid inflow pipe 5 a. In embodiments of the utility model, the flow rate of the cooling fluid may be adjustable, for example by controlling the speed of operation of the pump, setting valves, etc.

According to an aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the metal bar 2 with a larger area is connected to the charging terminal 1 to realize the current transmission, and the larger surface area of the metal bar 2 is more beneficial to the effective conduction of the heat generated during the charging process. On the other hand, the configuration of the present invention such that the cooling cavity of the cooling unit 3 is "sandwiched" between the metal bars 2 better enables the cooling liquid in the cooling unit 3 to sufficiently absorb a large amount of heat generated during charging from the top surface, the bottom surface, and the side surfaces. Therefore, by adopting the structural design, the utility model realizes good cooling effect.

As described above, the electrical connection device of the present invention may be applied to a charging gun for charging a new energy vehicle. However, this is only an example of one application scenario. The electric connecting device structure can be applied to other scenes which generate larger heat due to high-power charging.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described by taking two charging terminals as an example, it is understood that there may be a plurality of terminals in the electrical connector device, and the heat dissipation means proposed by the present invention may be adopted for a part of the terminals, for example, the charging terminal generating a larger heat, and the heat dissipation means proposed by the present invention may not be adopted for the signal terminal generating a smaller heat.

Although in the above-described embodiment, the two

metal rows

2a and 2b having the same configuration are spatially symmetrically provided on both sides of the cooling unit 3, it is understood that the metal rows provided on both sides of the cooling unit 3 may have different configurations, or the number of the metal rows provided on both sides of the cooling unit 3 may be different. For example, in the case where three charging terminals are required to be subjected to heat dissipation treatment, 1 wide metal row is provided on the upper side of the cooling unit and 2 narrow metal rows are provided on the lower side thereof, so that the terminal mounting portions of the three metal rows do not interfere with each other.

Although in the examples an embodiment is given in which the metal row and one cooling unit are in thermal contact, it is understood that a first cooling unit and a second cooling unit may be provided separately from each other, and the same metal row may be in contact with both the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit. For example, the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit are located on both sides of the same metal row.

Although in the embodiments an insulating housing 4 is used to ensure sufficient electrical isolation of the metal rows 2 from each other and of the metal rows 2 from the cooling cavities of the cooling unit 3, it will be appreciated that the insulating housing 4 may not be used in case the housing of the cooling unit 3 is of an insulating material and the metal rows are spaced apart from each other by a large distance.

Although the embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to a plug connector including pin terminals, it is understood that the means proposed in the present invention is also applicable to a receptacle connector including receptacle terminals, or other connectors.

Although the embodiment has been described with reference to the metal row 2, it is understood that a conductive row structure of other material may be adopted instead of the metal row 2.

Although the present invention has been described in the embodiments by taking as an example a cooling unit containing a cooling liquid, it will be understood that the cooling unit is an example of a heat dissipating unit, which may be replaced by various other forms of heat dissipating units, such as passive heat sinks, or a combination of heat sinks and air cooling devices, and that the heat dissipating body of such heat dissipating unit for absorbing heat may be in direct or indirect thermal contact with the sheet-like heat dissipating portion of the conductive bar structure. It is to be understood that the drawings and the foregoing description of the utility model primarily address the improvements sought herein. Depending on the specific application, the electrical connection device or the cooling unit may include a structure for performing other functions or matching the specific use environment, which is not limited by the present invention.

The basic concept of the present invention has been described above. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing disclosure is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the present application. Various modifications, improvements and adaptations to the present application may occur to those skilled in the art, although not explicitly described herein. Such modifications, improvements and adaptations are proposed in the present application and thus fall within the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An electrical connection device, comprising:

two or more metal row structures, each of the metal row structures including a sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, a terminal mounting portion formed at a first end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, and a wiring portion formed at a second end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, each of the metal row structures being externally covered with an insulating case;

two or more charging terminals, wherein each of the charging terminals is mounted in the terminal mounting part of the corresponding metal row structure, respectively; and

the cooling unit comprises a cooling cavity for containing cooling liquid, and two or more sheet-shaped heat conducting parts of metal row structures are arranged on the side surfaces of the cooling cavity to form thermal contact for heat transfer.

2. The electrical connection device of claim 1, wherein the terminal mounting section of the metal row structure includes a mounting base portion extending from and substantially perpendicular to the sheet-like thermally conductive portion of the metal row structure such that the mounting base portion is in direct or indirect thermal contact with the cooling cavity of the cooling unit.

3. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of the sheet-like heat-conducting portion of the metal row structure is 2 times or more the width of the terminal mounting portion of the metal row structure.

4. The electrical connection device of claim 1, wherein the two or more metal row structures comprise a first metal row structure and a second metal row structure, the plate-like thermally conductive portion of the first metal row structure being in direct or indirect thermal contact with a first side of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit, and the plate-like thermally conductive portion of the second metal row structure being in direct or indirect thermal contact with a second side of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit.

5. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and second metal row structures are of identical construction and can be provided spatially symmetrically on both sides of the cooling cavity of the cooling unit.

6. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate-like heat conducting portion of the metal row structure is provided with fastening openings and the cooling cavity of the cooling unit is provided with corresponding openings for mounting fasteners through the metal row structure and the cooling unit.

7. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insulating case substantially covers the sheet-like heat-conductive portion and partially covers the terminal mounting portion and the wire connecting portion.

8. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the plate-shaped heat-conducting portion of the metal row structure, the cooling cavity of the cooling unit, and the insulating housing are each provided with through openings at corresponding positions for mounting fasteners to pass through the plate-shaped heat-conducting portion, the cooling cavity, and the insulating housing.

9. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling unit further comprises a fluid conduit in communication with the cooling chamber for the passage of cooling fluid into and out of the cooling chamber.

10. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cooling unit includes a first cooling unit and a second cooling unit separated from each other, the first cooling unit and the second cooling unit being in contact with the plate-shaped heat conductive parts of the same metal row structure at the same side or in contact with the plate-shaped heat conductive parts of the same metal row structure at both sides.

11. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first end is a mating end of the electrical connection device and the second end is a tail end of the electrical connection device.

12. The electrical connection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two or more charging terminals are pin terminals, the electrical connection device being provided in a pin connector.

13. The electrical connection device of claim 1, wherein the two or more charging terminals are receptacle terminals, the electrical connection device being disposed in a receptacle connector.

14. An electrical connection device, comprising:

a first conductive bar structure and a second conductive bar structure, each of the conductive bar structures including a sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, a terminal mounting portion formed at a first end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion, and a wire connection portion formed at a second end of the sheet-shaped heat-conducting portion;

a first terminal mounted on the terminal mounting portion of the first conductor bar structure and a second terminal mounted on the terminal mounting portion of the second conductor bar structure;

and the heat dissipation unit comprises a heat dissipation body for absorbing heat, and the sheet-shaped heat conduction parts of the first conductive bar structure and the second conductive bar structure are arranged on two sides of the heat dissipation body and form direct or indirect thermal contact with the two sides.