CN220106808U - Electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides an electrical connector comprising a bus bar made of conductive metal. The bus bar includes: a bus bar body comprising a plurality of conductive layers and forming a multi-layer structure, adjacent two of the plurality of conductive layers being at least partially spaced apart and/or the plurality of conductive layers being stacked on top of each other; and a contact clip connected to the bus bar body, the contact clip including first and second clamping pieces disposed opposite to and connected to each other for clamping the electrical terminal therebetween. The electrical connection of the electrical connector according to the utility model with the electrical terminals can be achieved by simply inserting the electrical terminals into the contact clips, which is simple and convenient to operate. Meanwhile, the bus bar body having the multi-layer structure may increase the current carrying capacity of the bus bar.

Description

Electric connector

Technical Field

The present utility model relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to electrical connectors for electrically connecting a plurality of batteries or battery modules together.

Background

The powertrain of an electric vehicle typically includes a plurality of batteries. These batteries may be integrated in the body in different ways. In a conventional approach, the batteries may be connected in series and/or parallel with each other to form a plurality of battery modules, which are further connected in series and/or parallel to form a battery pack, which is then integrated onto the vehicle body floor. In order to improve the utilization of the vehicle space and increase the battery power, battery integration schemes such as CTP (Cell to Pack) scheme and CTC (Cell to Chassis) scheme, which have higher space utilization, have been developed in recent years. In the CTP scheme, a plurality of batteries may be connected in series and/or parallel with each other to directly form a battery pack, which is then integrated onto the vehicle body floor. In CTC schemes, multiple batteries may be connected in series and/or parallel with each other and integrated directly into the vehicle body floor frame interior.

In general, the series connection and/or parallel connection between a plurality of batteries and/or a plurality of battery modules needs to be achieved by means of bus bars. Both ends of the bus bar are typically connected to the electrical terminals of the battery and/or the battery module by bolts or welded to the electrical terminals of the battery and/or the battery module, however, such an electrical connection operation takes a long time. At present, some pluggable electrical connection devices for connecting batteries and/or battery modules have been developed, such as the pluggable module connector disclosed in WO2019242917 A1.

It is desirable to develop the following electrical connectors for connecting a plurality of batteries and/or battery modules: the electrical connector has good current carrying and heat dissipating capabilities, is simple to operate and is capable of absorbing directional deviations/tolerances during electrical connection operations.

Disclosure of Invention

The present utility model is directed to solving the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to providing an improved electrical connector.

To this end, the present utility model provides an electrical connector comprising a bus bar made of an electrically conductive metal, the bus bar comprising: a bus bar body comprising a plurality of conductive layers forming a multi-layer structure, adjacent two of the plurality of conductive layers being at least partially spaced apart and/or stacked on top of each other; and a contact clip connected to the bus bar body, the contact clip including first and second clamping pieces disposed opposite to and connected to each other to clamp the electrical terminal therebetween.

The electrical connection of the electrical connector according to the utility model with the electrical terminals can be achieved by simply inserting the electrical terminals into the contact clips, which is simple and convenient to operate. Meanwhile, the bus bar body having the multi-layer structure may increase the current carrying capacity of the bus bar.

The present utility model may further include any one or more of the following alternative forms according to the technical idea described above.

In some alternative forms, the contact clip includes a retention tab projecting toward the interior of the contact clip, the retention tab being adapted to engage a groove on the electrical terminal to resist removal of the electrical terminal from the contact clip.

In some alternatives, at least a portion of the bus bar body has a corrugated shape.

In some alternatives, the bus bar is integrally formed by stamping.

In some alternatives, the bus bar body includes first and second conductive layers spaced apart from each other and a connection for connecting the first and second conductive layers.

In some alternatives, the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer have a substantially constant spacing therebetween.

In some alternatives, the bus bar body includes first, second and third conductive layers spaced apart from each other, and first and second connection portions, wherein the second conductive layer is located between the first and third conductive layers, and opposite edges of the second conductive layer are connected to the first and third conductive layers by the first and second connection portions, respectively.

In some alternatives, the contact clip further comprises at least one conductive sheet connected to the first clamping sheet and/or the second clamping sheet.

In some alternatives, the first conductive layer is directly connected to the first clamping plate, and a surface of the conductive plate contacts a surface of the first clamping plate and a surface of the first conductive layer.

In some alternatives, the plurality of conductive layers are stacked on top of each other and each of the plurality of conductive layers is individually shaped and includes opposite first and second longitudinal ends, and wherein the first longitudinal ends of the plurality of conductive layers are laminated together and the second longitudinal ends of the plurality of conductive layers are laminated together.

In some alternatives, the electrical connector further comprises an insulative housing, the bus bar being retained within the insulative housing, and the insulative housing including an opening through which the electrical terminal is adapted to be inserted into the contact clip.

In some alternatives, the insulating housing includes a first receptacle for receiving the contact clip and a second receptacle for receiving the bus bar body.

In some alternatives, the first receptacle includes a receiving port, and the longitudinal end of the second receptacle is adapted to be inserted into the receiving port to mount to the first receptacle such that the second receptacle is floatable relative to the first receptacle in a longitudinal direction of the bus bar.

In some alternatives, the electrical connector is adapted to electrically connect to a module terminal, the module terminal including a base having a lead, the electrical terminal being at least partially embedded in the base; wherein the first receiving member includes a sliding portion configured to cooperate with the guiding portion to guide the first receiving member to be mounted to the base portion to guide the insertion of the electrical terminal into the contact clip.

In some alternatives, at least one of the first receptacle and the contact clip includes a limit structure to limit movement of the contact clip relative to the first receptacle.

In some alternatives, the first receptacle includes a limit slot, and the first clamping tab includes a limit tab adapted to engage the limit slot to limit movement of the contact clip relative to the first receptacle in a lateral direction of the electrical connector.

In some alternatives, the first receptacle includes a stop wall disposed therein, the stop wall adapted to stop the contact clip from moving in a longitudinal direction of the electrical connector away from the first receptacle.

In some alternatives, the first receptacle has an open bottom, and the first clamping tab further comprises a limit hook adapted to hook over a bottom edge of the first receptacle to block movement of the contact clip in a vertical direction of the electrical connector away from the first receptacle via the bottom of the first receptacle.

In some alternatives, the first and second receptacles each have an open bottom; wherein, the insulating shell further comprises a first bottom cover and a second bottom cover; and wherein the first bottom cover is detachably mounted to the bottom of the first container and includes the opening, and the second bottom cover is detachably mounted to the bottom of the second container.

In some alternatives, the bus bar includes two contact clips that are connected to opposite longitudinal ends of the bus bar body, respectively.

In some alternative forms, the contact clip is made of a copper alloy.

The electrical connector according to the utility model has a good current carrying and heat dissipating capacity, is simple to operate and is capable of absorbing directional deviations/tolerances during the electrical connection operation.

Drawings

Other features and advantages of the present utility model will be better understood from the following detailed description of alternative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters identify the same or similar parts throughout, and in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an electrical connector according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model, in which the electrical connector connects module terminals of two battery modules together;

fig. 2A shows a perspective view of the electrical connector according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model from the bottom, wherein two first and second bottom covers of the insulating housing of the electrical connector are omitted;

fig. 2B illustrates a first bottom cover of an insulating housing of an electrical connector according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model;

fig. 2C illustrates a second bottom cover of the insulating housing of the electrical connector according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model;

fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a bus bar of an electrical connector according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model;

fig. 4A shows a front view of two module terminals connected by an electrical connector according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model;

fig. 4B shows a perspective view of a bus bar of an electrical connector and an electrical terminal of one module terminal according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model, wherein the bus bar and the electrical terminal are not connected together;

fig. 4C shows a perspective view of a bus bar of an electrical connector and an electrical terminal of one module terminal according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model, wherein the bus bar is connected with the electrical terminal;

fig. 5A and 5B respectively show perspective views of a bus bar of an electrical connector according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present utility model from different angles;

fig. 6A and 6B show front and top views, respectively, of a bus bar of an electrical connector according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present utility model; and

fig. 6C shows an enlarged view of the area a in fig. 6B.

Detailed Description

The making and using of the embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating a particular manner of making and using the utility model, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the utility model. The structural position of the various components as described, such as upper, lower, top, bottom, etc., is not absolute, but rather relative. These orientation expressions are appropriate when the various components are arranged as shown in the figures, but when the position of the various components in the figures is changed, these orientation expressions are also changed accordingly.

The electrical connector according to the present disclosure will be described below taking a module terminal for connecting a plurality of battery modules as an example of the electrical connector according to the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that an electrical connector according to the present disclosure may also be used to electrically connect electrical terminals of a plurality of batteries together. It will also be appreciated that electrical connectors according to the present disclosure may also be used in other applications where electrical connections between multiple electrical terminals/components/devices are desired.

Fig. 1 shows an electrical connector 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present utility model.

Referring to fig. 1 and 4A, an electrical connector 10 may electrically connect module terminals 20 of a plurality of battery modules (not shown) together. The module terminal 20 may include a base 21 and an electrical terminal 22 at least partially embedded in the base 21. The electrical terminals 22 are made of an electrically conductive material and are in the form of strips. For clarity of description, the description will be made below with reference to the XYZ rectangular coordinate system in the drawings, wherein the X direction is the lateral direction of the electrical connector 10; the Y-direction is the longitudinal direction of the electrical connector 10; the Z-direction is the vertical direction of the electrical connector 10.

Referring to fig. 1 and 3, the electrical connector 10 includes a bus bar 100 made of a conductive metal. The bus bar 100 may include a bus bar body 102 and at least two contact clips 104. The bus bar body 102 includes a plurality of conductive layers 106, and the conductive layers 106 form a multi-layer structure. Adjacent two conductive layers 106 of the plurality of conductive layers 106 are at least partially spaced apart. Each contact clip 104 is connected to the bus bar body 102, and each contact clip 104 includes a first clip tab 108 and a second clip tab 110 that are disposed opposite and connected to each other. Wherein the first clamping tab 108 and the second clamping tab 110 of each contact clip 104 are adapted to clamp an electrical terminal 22 to be electrically connected therebetween.

Each of the at least two contact clips 104 of the electrical connector 10 may hold one electrical terminal 22 for electrical connection therewith such that the at least two electrical terminals 22 may be electrically connected to each other through the at least two contact clips 104 and the bus bar body 102 connected to the at least two contact clips 104. Moreover, the above-mentioned electrical connection can be achieved by simply inserting each of the electrical terminals 22 into the first and second clamping pieces 108 and 110 of the corresponding contact clip 104, which is simple and convenient to operate. Also, the bus bar body 102 having a multi-layer structure may increase the current carrying capacity of the bus bar body 102. Further, since adjacent two of the plurality of conductive layers 106 are at least partially spaced apart, the heat dissipation capability of the bus bar body 102 can be increased, preventing an excessive temperature rise of the bus bar body 102 when energized, thereby preventing an increase in resistance of the bus bar body 102 and reducing adverse thermal effects on components surrounding the bus bar body 102.

Referring to fig. 3, the bus bar 100 may be integrally formed by stamping, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the bus bar and simplifying the manufacturing process. In the illustrated embodiment, the bus bar 100 includes one bus bar body 102 and two contact clips 104, with opposite longitudinal ends 103a, 103b of the bus bar body 102 being connected to the two contact clips 104, respectively. In some embodiments, the bus bar 100 may be made of a copper alloy so that the bus bar 100 has better conductivity and the contact clip 104 has a greater clamping force.

Referring to fig. 3, in the illustrated embodiment, each contact clip 104 is generally U-shaped. The first clamping tab 108 of the contact clamp 104 is generally planar and extends along the YZ plane. The second clamping piece 110 of the contact clamp 104 comprises two clamping portions 112, each clamping portion 112 having a bend 114 bent towards the inside of the contact clamp 104 to give the contact clamp 104 a better elasticity. When the electrical terminal 22 is inserted into place within the contact clip 104, the bent portion 114 abuts against a surface of the electrical terminal 22 such that the electrical terminal 22 is clamped between the bent portions 114 of the first and second clamping tabs 108, 110. The contact clip 104 further includes a top sheet 128, and the first clamping sheet 108 and the second clamping sheet 110 are connected to each other by the top sheet 128.

It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the first and second clamping tabs may have other suitable configurations; for example, the first clamping piece may also include a bent portion bent toward the inside of the contact clip; for another example, the second clamping piece may comprise one or more than two clamping portions.

Referring to fig. 1, 3-4C, the mating portion 28 of the electrical terminal 22 is adapted to be inserted into the electrical connector 10 in the Z-direction to electrically connect with the electrical connector 10. When the plug portion 28 has been inserted into the electrical connector 10, the width direction of the plug portion 28 is in the Y direction and the length direction of the plug portion 28 is in the Z direction. Hereinafter, in describing the electrical terminal 22, the Y direction refers to the width direction of the insertion portion 28, and the Z direction refers to the length direction of the insertion portion 28.

Each contact clip 104 may include a retention tab 116. The retention tabs 116 are adapted to engage the grooves 23 on the plug portion 28 to block the electrical terminals 22 from exiting the contact clip 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the retention tab 116 protrudes from the first clamping tab 108 toward the interior of the contact clip 104. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the retention tab may protrude from the second clip tab toward the interior of the contact clip.

The groove 23 on the plug-in portion 28 may extend in the Z-direction, in other words, the groove 23 extends in the insertion direction of the plug-in portion 28 into the contact clip 104. The groove 23 may include a first section 24, a second section 25, and a third section 26, with the retention tab 116 passing through the first section 24, the second section 25, and then into and retained in the third section 26 in sequence as it enters the groove 23.

In some embodiments, the Y-dimension of the first section 24 is greater than the Y-dimension of the retention protrusion 116 such that the retention protrusion 116 may also smoothly enter the groove 23 under the guidance of the first section 24 in the event that there is a certain positional deviation of the first section 24 of the groove 23 from the retention protrusion 116 in the Y-direction during connection of the electrical connector 10 to the electrical terminal 22. Furthermore, the guiding action of the first section 24 also reduces the insertion force required for inserting the plug-in portion 28 of the electrical terminal 22 into the contact clip 104. In some embodiments, the Y-dimension of the second section 25 is less than the Y-dimension of the retention tab 116 to prevent the retention tab 116 that has entered the third section 26 from disengaging the groove 23, thereby preventing the electrical terminal 22 from being disengaged from the contact clip 104. In some embodiments, the Z-dimension of the third section 26 may be greater than the Z-dimension of the retention protrusion 116 such that the retention protrusion 116 is able to move in the Z-direction within the third section 26, in other words such that the electrical connector 10 may compensate for Z-direction deviations/tolerances during connection of the electrical connector 10 with the electrical terminal 22. In some embodiments, the Y-dimension of the third section 26 may be substantially equal to the Y-dimension of the retention protrusion 116 to increase contact of the retention protrusion 116 with the inside of the groove 23, reducing the contact resistance of the electrical terminal 22 with the contact clip 104.

Referring to fig. 3, the bus bar body 102 may include first and second conductive layers 106a and 106b spaced apart from each other and a connection portion 118 for connecting the first and second conductive layers 106a and 106 b. The first conductive layer 106a and the second conductive layer 106b may have a substantially constant spacing therebetween, so that the bus bar body 102 may uniformly dissipate heat, thereby reducing its temperature rise and improving its current carrying capacity. In the illustrated embodiment, the first conductive layer 106a is directly connected to the first clamping tab 108 of the contact clip 104, while the second conductive layer 106b is not directly connected to the contact clip 104, but is indirectly connected to the contact clip 104 through the connection 118 and the first conductive layer 106 a. In the illustrated embodiment, the bus bar body 102 includes two connection portions 118. Each of the two connection portions 118 connects one longitudinal end of the first conductive layer 106a to a corresponding longitudinal end of the second conductive layer 106b, such that the first conductive layer 106a and the second conductive layer 106b are connected to each other by the two connection portions 118. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the bus bar body 102 may also include other suitable numbers of connecting portions 118.

At least a portion of the bus bar body 102 may have a corrugated configuration. This allows the bus bar body 102 to elastically deform in the X and Y directions during connection of the electrical connector 10 with the electrical terminal 22 to absorb misalignment/tolerance in the X and Y directions, while also absorbing vibration after the electrical connector 10 is connected with the electrical terminal 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate portion 120 of the bus bar body 102 has a corrugated configuration, in other words, the intermediate portions of the first and second conductive layers 106a, 106b each have a corrugated configuration.

Referring to fig. 1-2C, the electrical connector 10 may include an insulative housing 200, and the insulative housing 200 may be made of an insulative material, such as a plastic having a relatively high dielectric strength. The bus bar 100 may be held within the insulating housing 200 to avoid safety accidents caused by an installer touching the bus bar 100 by mistake when installing the electrical connector 10. Insulative housing 200 may include an opening 202 through which electrical terminals 22 may be inserted into contact clip 104.

The insulating housing 200 may include two first receptacles 204 and one second receptacle 206. Each first receptacle 204 may receive a respective one of the two contact clips 104 and include a receiving port 208, and the second receptacle 206 may receive the bus bar body 102. Each of the opposite longitudinal ends 207a, 207b of the second receiving member 206 is adapted to be mounted to the respective first receiving member 204 by insertion into a receiving port 208 of the first receiving member 204 such that the second receiving member 206 is capable of floating relative to the two first receiving members 204 in the longitudinal direction of the bus bar 100. When the bus bar 100 is changed in length due to a temperature change caused by power on/off, the second receiving members 206 may float along the longitudinal direction of the bus bar 100 with respect to the two first receiving members 204 to accommodate the length change of the bus bar 100, thereby reducing the thermal stress of the bus bar 100.

In the illustrated embodiment, each first receptacle 204 has a generally box-type configuration and has an open bottom 210. The second receptacle 206 has a shape that mates with the bus bar body 102 and has open longitudinal ends 207a, 207b and an open bottom 212. In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate portion of the second pod 206 has a corrugated shape. Each contact clip 104 can enter a respective first receptacle 204 from its bottom 210 and the bus bar body 102 can enter a second receptacle 206 from its bottom 212 of the second receptacle 206.

At least one of the first receptacle 204 and the contact clip 104 includes a limit feature to limit movement of the contact clip 104 relative to the first receptacle 204. Each first receiver 204 may include a limit slot 214 and, correspondingly, the first clamping tab 108 of the contact clip 104 received within that first receiver 204 includes a limit tab 122. Limit tab 122 may engage limit slot 214 to limit movement of contact clip 104 in the X-direction relative to first receptacle 204. Each first receptacle 204 may include a retaining wall 216 disposed therein, and the retaining wall 216 may retain the contact clip 104 within the first receptacle 204 to prevent movement of the contact clip 104 in the Y direction away from the first receptacle 204. To block movement of the contact clip 104 in the Z-direction away from the first receiver 204 via the bottom 210 of the first receiver 204, the first clamping tab 108 may further include a stop hook 124, which stop hook 124 may hook over the bottom edge 213 of the first receiver 204.

With continued reference to fig. 1-2C, the insulating housing 200 further includes two first bottom covers 218 detachably connected to the two first receptacles 204, respectively, and a second bottom cover 220 detachably connected to the second receptacle 206. Each first bottom cover 218 may be detachably mounted to the bottom 210 of the corresponding first receptacle 204 by, for example, a snap fit and includes an opening 202 into which the power terminal 22 is inserted. The second bottom cover 220 may be detachably mounted to the bottom 212 of the second container 206 by, for example, a snap fit.

Each first bottom cover 218 may include a bottom plate 222 having an opening 202 and a pair of snap arms 224 extending from the bottom plate 222, each snap arm 224 having a first snap slot 226. Each first receiver 204 may include a pair of first snap-in projections 228 on opposite sides thereof, respectively. The pair of snap arms 224 are adapted to sandwich the first receptacle 204 therebetween, and the first snap groove 226 of each snap arm 224 engages with a corresponding first snap projection 228 to connect the first receptacle 204 with the first bottom cover 218. The second bottom cover 220 includes a plurality of second snap-in protrusions 230 on each of its opposite sides, and the second container 206 includes a plurality of second snap-in grooves 232 on each of its opposite sides, each second snap-in protrusion 230 being adapted to engage with a corresponding second snap-in groove 232 to connect the second container 206 with the second bottom cover 220.

Referring to fig. 1, 2A and 3, each first receiving member 204 may further include a sliding portion 234, and accordingly, the base 21 of each module terminal 20 includes a guiding portion 27, and the sliding portion 234 may cooperate with the guiding portion 27 to guide the first receiving member 204 to be mounted to the base 21, thereby guiding the insertion of the conductive terminal 22 into the contact clip 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide portion 27 is in the form of a groove and has a generally T-shaped cross section, and the sliding portion 234 has a shape that matches the guide portion 27. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the slider 234 and the guide 27 may have other suitable shapes.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1-3, bus bar 100 includes two contact clips 104 and one bus bar body 102; accordingly, the insulating housing 200 includes two first receiving members 204 and two first bottom covers 218 and one second receiving member 206 and one second bottom cover 220. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the bus bar may also include more than two contact clips and more than one bus bar body; accordingly, the insulating housing may include more than two first receiving parts and more than two first bottom covers, and more than one second receiving parts and more than one second bottom covers. For example, in some embodiments, a bus bar may include three contact clips and two bus bar bodies, wherein the three contact clips are disposed at intervals along a longitudinal direction of the bus bar, and adjacent two contact clips are connected to each other by one bus bar body.

Fig. 5A and 5B illustrate a bus bar 100 of an electrical connector according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present utility model. The bus bar of the electrical connector according to the second exemplary embodiment is similar in structure to the bus bar of the electrical connector according to the first exemplary embodiment, and differs mainly in that: the contact clip 104 of the bus bar 100 according to the second exemplary embodiment further includes a conductive sheet 126, and the bus bar body 102 of the bus bar 100 further includes a third conductive layer 106c.

Referring to fig. 5A and 5B, the bus bar 100 in the second exemplary embodiment is integrally formed by punching. The contact clip 104 of the bus bar 100 includes a first clip tab 108, a second clip tab 110, and a top tab 128. The first and second clamping tabs 108, 110 are disposed opposite and are connected to one another by a top tab 128. The bus bar body 102 of the bus bar 100 includes first, second and third conductive layers 106a, 106b and 106c spaced apart from each other, and first and second connection portions 118a and 118b, wherein the second conductive layer 106b is located between the first and third conductive layers 106a and 106c, and opposite edges of the second conductive layer 106b are connected to the first and third conductive layers 106a and 106c through the first and second connection portions 118a and 118b, respectively. The first conductive layer 106a and the second conductive layer 106b may have a substantially constant spacing therebetween. The second conductive layer 106b and the third conductive layer 106c may have a substantially constant spacing therebetween. The first conductive layer 106a is directly connected to the first clamping tab 108 of the contact clip 104, while the second conductive layer 106b and the third conductive layer 106c are not directly connected to the contact clip 104.

The contact clip 104 also includes a conductive tab 126, the conductive tab 126 being connected to the first clamping tab 108 to increase the current carrying capacity at the contact clip 104. The surface of the conductive tab 126 may contact the surface of the first clamping tab 108 and the surface of the first conductive layer 106a to increase the current carrying capacity of the contact clip 104 at the interface with the bus bar body 102. In other embodiments, the conductive tab 126 may not contact the first clamping tab 108 but may be spaced apart from the first clamping tab 108.

In the illustrated embodiment, the conductive tab 126 is connected to the first clamping tab 108. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the conductive tab 126 may be connected to the second clamping tab 110; or the contact clip 104 may include two conductive tabs 126, the two conductive tabs 126 being connected to the first clamping tab 108 and the second clamping tab 110, respectively.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bus bar body 102 includes three conductive layers. In other embodiments, the bus bar body may also include more than three conductive layers. In the illustrated embodiment, the bus bar body 102 includes two first connection portions 118a and two second connection portions 118b. It will be appreciated that the bus bar body may also include other suitable numbers of first and second connection portions.

Fig. 6A to 6C show a bus bar 100 of an electrical connector according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present utility model. The bus bar of the electrical connector according to the third exemplary embodiment is similar in structure to the bus bar of the electrical connector according to the first exemplary embodiment, and differs mainly in that: the bus bar 100 according to the third exemplary embodiment is not integrally formed.

Referring to fig. 6A to 6C, a bus bar 100 in the third exemplary embodiment includes a bus bar body 102 and two contact clips 104. The bus bar body 102 includes a plurality of conductive layers 106 stacked on top of one another. Each of the plurality of conductive layers 106 is individually shaped and includes opposing first and second longitudinal ends 130a, 130b. The first longitudinal ends 130a of the plurality of conductive layers 106 may be laminated together, for example, by bonding, to form one longitudinal end 103a of the bus bar body 102, and the second longitudinal ends 130b of the plurality of conductive layers 106 may be laminated together, for example, by bonding, to form the other longitudinal end 103b of the bus bar body 102. The two contact clips 104 may be connected to opposite longitudinal ends 103a, 103b of the busbar body 102, respectively, by welding. The intermediate portion 120 of the bus bar body 102 may have a corrugated shape.

In the present utility model, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; can be mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly, through intermediaries, or both, may be in communication with each other or in interaction with each other, unless expressly defined otherwise. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to the specific circumstances.

It should also be appreciated that the various components and features described herein may be made from a variety of materials including, but not limited to, polymers, rubbers, metals, and the like, as well as other suitable materials or combinations of materials known to those skilled in the art. The embodiment shown in fig. 1-6C shows only the shape, size and arrangement of the various optional components of the electrical connector according to the present utility model, which is however merely illustrative and not limiting, and other shapes, sizes and arrangements may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model.

While the foregoing has disclosed the subject matter and the features of the utility model, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining the teachings of the utility model, may make variations and improvements to the concepts disclosed herein, and fall within the scope of the utility model. The above description of embodiments is illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the utility model is defined by the claims.

Claims (17)

1. An electrical connector (10), characterized in that the electrical connector (10) comprises a bus bar (100) made of an electrically conductive metal, the bus bar (100) comprising:

a bus bar body (102), the bus bar body (102) comprising a plurality of conductive layers (106), the plurality of conductive layers (106) forming a multi-layer structure, adjacent two conductive layers (106) of the plurality of conductive layers (106) being at least partially spaced apart and/or the plurality of conductive layers (106) being stacked on top of each other; and

-a contact clip (104), the contact clip (104) being connected to the busbar body (102), the contact clip (104) comprising a first clamping tab (108) and a second clamping tab (110) arranged opposite and connected to each other for clamping an electrical terminal (22) therebetween.

2. The electrical connector (10) of claim 1, wherein the contact clip (104) includes a retention protrusion (116) protruding toward an interior of the contact clip (104), the retention protrusion (116) being adapted to engage a groove (23) on the electrical terminal (22) to resist the electrical terminal (22) from exiting the contact clip (104).

3. The electrical connector (10) of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the bus bar body (102) has a corrugated shape.

4. The electrical connector (10) of claim 1, wherein the bus bar (100) is integrally formed by stamping.

5. The electrical connector (10) of claim 4, wherein the bus bar body (102) includes first and second conductive layers (106 a, 106 b) spaced apart from each other and a connection portion (118) for connecting the first and second conductive layers (106 a, 106 b).

6. The electrical connector (10) of claim 5, wherein the first conductive layer (106 a) and the second conductive layer (106 b) have a substantially constant spacing therebetween.

7. The electrical connector (10) of claim 4, wherein the bus bar body (102) includes first (106 a), second (106 b) and third (106 c) conductive layers spaced apart from each other, and first (118 a) and second (118 b) connection portions, wherein the second conductive layer (106 b) is located between the first (106 a) and third (106 c) conductive layers, and opposite edges of the second conductive layer (106 b) are connected to the first (106 a) and third (106 c) conductive layers by the first (118 a) and second (118 b) connection portions, respectively.

8. The electrical connector (10) of claim 5, wherein the contact clip (104) further comprises at least one conductive tab (126), the at least one conductive tab (126) being connected to the first clamping tab (108) and/or the second clamping tab (110).

9. The electrical connector (10) of claim 8, wherein the first conductive layer (106 a) is directly connected to the first clamping tab (108) and a surface of the conductive tab (126) contacts a surface of the first clamping tab (108) and a surface of the first conductive layer (106 a).

10. The electrical connector (10) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive layers (106) are stacked on top of each other and each of the plurality of conductive layers (106) is individually shaped and includes opposite first (130 a) and second (130 b) longitudinal ends, and wherein the first (130 a) and second (130 b) longitudinal ends of the plurality of conductive layers (106) are laminated together.

11. The electrical connector (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the electrical connector (10) further comprises an insulating housing (200), the bus bar (100) is held within the insulating housing (200), and the insulating housing (200) comprises an opening (202), the electrical terminal (22) being adapted to be inserted into the contact clip (104) via the opening (202).

12. The electrical connector (10) of claim 11, wherein the insulative housing (200) includes a first receptacle (204) for receiving the contact clip (104) and a second receptacle (206) for receiving the bus bar body (102).

13. The electrical connector (10) of claim 12, wherein the first receptacle (204) includes a receiving port (208) and the longitudinal end of the second receptacle (206) is adapted to be mounted to the first receptacle (204) by insertion into the receiving port (208) such that the second receptacle (206) is floatable relative to the first receptacle (204) in a longitudinal direction of the bus bar (100).

14. The electrical connector (10) according to claim 12, wherein the electrical connector is adapted to be electrically connected to a module terminal (20), the module terminal (20) comprising a base (21) having a guiding portion (27), the electrical terminal (22) being at least partially embedded in the base (21); wherein the first receiving member (204) comprises a sliding portion (234), the sliding portion (234) being configured for cooperating with the guiding portion (27) for guiding the mounting of the first receiving member (204) onto the base portion (21) for guiding the insertion of the electrical terminal (22) into the contact clip (104).

15. The electrical connector (10) of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first receptacle (204) and the contact clip (104) includes a limit feature (122, 214;216; 124) to limit movement of the contact clip (104) relative to the first receptacle (204).

16. The electrical connector (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the bus bar (100) comprises two contact clips (104), the two contact clips (104) being connected to opposite longitudinal ends (103 a, 103 b) of the bus bar body (102), respectively.

17. The electrical connector (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the contact clip (104) is made of a copper alloy.