FR2459562A1 - CONNECTING BATTERY CABLES FROM ACCUMULATORS - Google Patents

Abstract

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. IT INCLUDES A BOX 12 IN INSULATING MATERIAL INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE LONGITUDINAL CAVITY 14 WHICH RECEIVES AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL 18 AND A SPRING 16 IN FALSE. THE SPRING INCLUDES A BASE 50 SLIDING FITTED IN THE CAVITY AND LOCKED IN PLACE BY AN ELASTIC HANGER 82 ENGAGED IN AN OPENING 84 OF THE WALL OF THE CAVITY AND A PART OF SOLICITATION 54 IN PRESSURE AGAINST CONTACT PART 38 OF THE TERMINAL TO PREVENT NORMALLY THAT THE TERMINAL CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE BOX. THE SPRING INCLUDES A FRONT TAB 60 BY MEANS OF WHICH THE SPRING CAN BE BANGED TO RELEASE THE TERMINAL AND ALLOW ITS REMOVAL FROM THE HOUSING. APPLICATION TO ACCUMULATOR BATTERY CABLE CONNECTORS.

Description

-1 -

  The present invention relates to

  electrical sectors and it relates more specifically to

  to improvements in the connec-

  the type used to connect the battery cables used in

  the field of electric vehicles or other

  whose motive power is provided by a bat-

accumulators.

  Battery cable connectors for use in electric vehicles and similar fields typically include a housing made of an insulating material and adapted to fit a similar boot but disposed upside down of a similar cooperating connector. . Such

  connectors must be robust and resistant,

  to be assembled and used and they must be capable of

  to reliably conduct currents in the hundreds of amps range. Battery cable connectors used in the past typically include at least one and normally two terminal receiving cavities that extend longitudinally through the connector housing. A terminal comprising

  a cable attachment portion and a portion of

  tact is received in each of the cavities and a blade-

  mounted in the cavity serves to

  not in a transverse direction and to oppose the withdrawal of the terminal from the cavity,

  The battery cable connectors used

  in the past have posed some difficulties. E-

  since the contact parts of the terminals are damaged or corroded by the arcing,

  after a certain period of use, it can be

  make it desirable to remove the terminals of the box

  to replace or repair them. In the connections

  known operators, the removal of the markers is difficult and -2-

  requires the use of a special tool.

  Since the solicitation

  The contact is used to hold the terminal in the cavity of the casing, the spring must be securely fixed in the casing. In the past, the assembly of the spring required either the use of complex and expensive forming operations of the spring and / or the casing or the execution of additional operations during the manufacture of the connector, such as the deformation of

  boot or the application of needle punching to the bot-

  tier to imprison the spring. In addition, in the known devices, the spring has not been firmly

  kept inside the casing with the consequent

  this is the fact that one could accidentally pull the spring with the live terminal out of the box by pulling the cable when the box was in the state

heated, softened.

  The main aims of the present invention

  are; particular, to make an electrical connector

  that perfected to ensure the connection of cables

  battery or similar connections; to realize

  a connector in which the connector terminal is firmly held in place

  be easily removed, if desired, without using

  special tools; providing an improved mounting arrangement of a cantilever spring blade for battery cable connectors; to make a connector that avoids the problems and difficulties posed by battery cable connectors

known.

  Briefly, the goals and benefits

  above of the present invention are achieved, as well as

  than others, in one embodiment of the present

  the invention which consists in producing an electrical connector which comprises a casing made of an electrically insulating material before one or more

  terminal receiving cavities that extend lengthily

  dinalement through the shoemaker. An electrical terminal may be slidably inserted into the cavity from the back of the housing and has a cable connection portion at its rear end and a contact portion at its forward end. TJn cantilevered spring comprises a base portion fixed in

  cavity and a part of stress which is normal

  wisely spaced from the wall of the cavity and extends

  forward into the cavity in an adjoining

  at the contact part of the terminal. The biasing part of the spring can bear against the

  contact part of the terminal to prevent movement

  towards the rear or removing the terminal from the

  installed position. According to a characteristic of the in-

  In the invention, the spring has an extension portion disposed forwardly of the front end of the terminal, which extension portion is accessible through the front end of the terminal receiving cavity so that it can be flexed. the spring to disengage it from the contact portion of the terminal, thereby conveniently removing the terminal, when desired. Another feature of the present invention is the structure used to mount the cantilevered spring within the terminal receiving cavity. The cavity has grooves

  in which are engaged in sliding parts of

  lateral parts of the spring base to guide the in-

  sertion by sliding of the spring in the cavity. The wall of the cavity has an opening and the spring base portion has a resilient locking net which can bear against a rear wall of the opening to lock the spring in

  place following his insertion. An important force

  you are opposed to pulling the spring out of the bot-

  even when the box is at a high temperature. This invention, as well as the above goals and other purposes, will be better understood.

  that it - features, referring to the description

  of the embodiment of the invention

  shown in the accompanying drawings in which: 10. Figure 1 is a perspective view

  a built-in battery cable connector

  according to the present invention, before the insertion of the electrical terminals into the driver's box; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the connector of Figure 1 taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2, which shows the connector to

  following the insertion of an electrical terminal, at

  a cable is attached, in the cabinet of the con-

  nector; Figure 4 is a partially cut-away sectional view of the connector taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3; 25. Figure 5 is a sectional view of the connector taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2;

  Figure 6 is a sectional view,

  line 6-6 of Figure 3; Figure 7 is a nartial sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of a separate auxiliary connector prior to assembly to the battery cable connector shown in FIGS.

Figures 1 to 7.

  In the drawings to which reference will be made hereafter, there is shown a connector - the battery cables constructed in accordance with the principles of the

  present invention and designated by the general reference

  10. The connector 10 is of the type used to connect the accumulator battery of an electric vehicle to the vehicle driver during the operation of the vehicle or to charge accumulators while charging the accumulator battery. and disconnect it from the drive or charger. The connector 10 is designed to be interconnected, in use, with a

  identical or similar connector arranged upside down.

  The principles of the present invention may, however,

  ing; be applied to connectors used in

  purposes other than this specific application.

  In general, the connector 10 comprises a box 12 which has two cavities 14

  identical, transversely spaced, approximately

  parallel, receiving terminal. Each cavity -90 14 receives a cantilever leaf spring, designated

  by the general reference 16, as well as an electrical

  indicated by the general reference 18. In

  vice, the connector 10 serves to establish an electrical connection between a pair of cables 20 and other cables that cooperate with an identical connector or

  similar to connector 10.

  We will now give a description more

  detailed description of the embodiment of the invention which

  been represented. The casing 12 is preferably manufactured

  only in the form of a unitary unitary body, for example by molding, in a plastic material such as

  that a polycarbonate possessing the characteristics de-

  sirings of mechanical resistance and electrical insulation

  than. The casing 12 has a cable receiving rear portion 22 and a front coupling portion 24 adapted to mate with a similar coupling portion disposed upside down from another electrical connector.

  The connector shown 10 is a

  Bipolar connector and it comprises two identical cavities 14 spaced apart from each other and arranged side by side, both of which extend longitudinally through the casing. Each cavity is subdivided into a rear receiving segment 26 and a front segment 28 receiving contact with a barrier wall

  30. As more particularly

  2, 3 and 5, the stop wall 30 restricts part of the cavity and delimits an approximately rectangular aperture 32 between the segments.

  rear and front 26 and 28 of the cavity 14.

  Terminals 18 are made of a metal

  electrically conductive, relatively rigid and mechanically

  nically resistant, such as copper, and they can

  be silvered to reduce contact resistance.

  Each terminal 18 comprises a rear structure 34 for attaching a cable arranged so as to be fixed

  mechanically and electrically connected to one end

  mity of the corresponding cable 20. In the r4ali-

  shown, the fastening structure 34 has a

  cylindrical shape and barrel and it can be

  attached to the cable 20 by welding, crimping or by means

  another similar operation. Part 26 of the

  cable 14 of the cavity 14 is dimensioned

  to receive the cable 20 and the structure 34 of

  The cable is of sufficient length to leave a large gap between the rear end of the terminal 18 and the rear opening or mouthpiece.

of the cavity 14.

  A terminal contact portion 38 extends to the front of the cable fixing structure 34 of the

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  In its general configuration, the contact portion 38 is approximately flat and shaped.

  of soul. Terminal 18 is inserted in 18 boxes

  14 through the rear opening 36 of the cavity, the contact portion passes through the opening 32 and

  enters the front portion 28 of receipt of con-

  In FIG. 3, the cable fixing structure 34 of the terminal 18 is in abutment with the stop wall 30 which serves as a stop before, when

the terminal is fully inserted.

  The coupling portion 24 of the casing 12 comprises a tray structure 40 and a cover structure 42 cooperating with each cavity 14. The contact receiving portion 28 of each cavity 14 is formed between a tray structure 40 and the

  cooperating lid structure 42.

  38 of each terminal 18 has a contact surface

  rounded tact 44 adjacent to its front end. Lors-

  that the connector 10 is adapted to a similar connector

  When returned, the tray structure 40 is

  sounded between tray and lid structures

  similar to the other connector and the con-

  tact 44 is in abutment against a similar cooperating contact surface of the other connector, with a friction action and overlap. Ribs 46 and complementary grooves 48 are respectively formed on the tray structure 40 and in the cover structure to fulfill a guiding and positioning function for the ribs and

  similar grooves of a cooperating connector.

  To apply an elastic transverse biasing force to the contact portion 38 of the

  terminal and to retain the terminal 18 inserted in the cavity

  corresponding tee, the spring blade 16 cantilever -8- is mounted inside the cavity. The spring 16 is made of a suitable spring material, such as stainless steel, and has a portion of

  base 50 fixed within the receiving part 26

  14 of the cavity 14, an intermediate portion 52 extending above the stop wall 30 and through the opening 32 and a forwardly extending biasing portion 54 disposed adjacent to the

  contact portion 38 of terminal 18.

  After assembly of the spring 16 and the

  terminal 18 inside the casing 12, the ground portion

  of the spring applies a loading force

  elastic cross-section (downwards in view of

  3) to the contact portion 38 of the terminal 18 so as to urge the contact surface 44 to a similar surface of the terminal of a connector

cooperating coupled.

  The retention of the terminal 18 is also effected by the spring 16. The contact portion 38 of the terminal 18 has a rim or step 56 oriented

  rearward. The solicitation portion 54 of the

  16 has a front edge or wall 58 which not only

  is used to apply the trans-

  to the contact part 38 but which also extends

  above step 56 to prevent accidental removal of terminal 18 from cavity 14

  by the abutment of the edge 58 against the step 56.

  The removal of a terminal 18 from the cavity 14 is easily performed with the connector 10 of the present invention. For example, it may happen during the use of the connector 10 that the contact surface 44 of the terminal 18 is damaged or corroded

  because of arcing, if the connector is used

  se to make or break a connection, charging.

  Damage to the contact surface 44 neut provo-

  An increase in the electrical resistance of a contact established with the terminal 18, which causes a new damage of the contact and / or the damage of the cooperating contact. Therefore, it is desirable that terminal 18 can be removed for replacement.

place or repair it.

  The spring 16 is provided with an extension or tongue 60 which protrudes forward and makes it easy to clear the edge 58 of the step 56, when desired. The tongue 60 is in the form of an extension of the central region of the portion

  of solicitation 54 of section 16 and, as

  shown in Figure 3, it extends forwardly beyond the most advanced end of

  terminal 18. The front end of the

  40 is provided with a front wall 62 and a wall 64 extending rearwardly reinforced by a series of

  stiffening partitions or reinforcements 66. The central part

  the wall 64 extending rearwardly in alignment with

  tongue 60 is removed to form an access opening 68 which makes it easy to

  access to the tongue 60 through the opening or

  front closure 70 of the cavity 16. As a result,

  it is easy to flex the part of

  quote 54 from spring 16 in the transverse direction

  dirty (looking up at Figure 3) by inserting

  a screwdriver or other tool available through

  the mouth 70 of the cavity and the access opening 68.

  As can be seen in Figures 2

  and, the biasing portion 54 of the spring 16 becomes

  tends, overall, forward and parallel to

  an outer wall 72 of the tray structure 40.

  The normal spacing between the biasing portion 54 and the wall 72 is greater than the overlap of the edge 58 of the spring and the step 56 of the contact in order to -10-

  allow to separate them from each other. Preferably

  this, the distance between the solicitation portion 54 and

  the wall 72 is not much larger than the

  aforesaid overlap so that the wall 72 forms a stopping surface or support for the part of sollicita-

54 of the spring.

  The insertion and retention of the spring 16 is done in a convenient and reliable manner. The base portion 50 of the spring 16 is approximately

  flat it has tabs or projections 74 se-

  stretching transversely. When the spring 16 is inserted into the cavity 14 by a forward movement through the rear opening 36, the tabs 74 are received in and guided by a pair of grooves 76 formed between bosses 78 formed in the wall of the casing. and an approximately flat base wall 80 which forms one of the sides of part 26 of

  receiving cable from the cavity 14.

  In order to automatically lock

  that and secure the spring 16 in the fully inserted position, the base portion 50 of the spring is provided with a locking tab 82 which tilts rearward transversely and from the plane approximately

  flat of the basic part. The base wall 80 of the bot-

  tier 12 is provided with a recess or a trans-

  84. During the insertion of spring 16, the

  tab 82 flattens to allow the movement of necks.

  slackening of the tabs 74 in the grooves 76 and when the complete insertion position is reached,

  the tab 82 engages abruptly in the recess 84.

  As a result, the insertion and fixing of the spring

  16 are easily performed without the use of a

  complexity or additional manufacturing operations

tary.

  This mounting arrangement produces

  These retainers and a resistance to the tearing of the spring 16 important. This is important because naked

  the spring is used to secure terminal 18 to the

  the interior of the cavity 14 and that large forces can be applied to a terminal 18, for example by a pull on the cable 20. After the spring 16 has been put in place, the rear edge of the lug 82 is in an abutment full and firm against a rear wall 86 of the recess 84 and the retention of the spring is obtained by the buckling resistance of the tab 82 of the spring and by the resistance

  buckling of the base wall 80 and the box 12.

  In the embodiment of the invention,

  As shown, the locking recess 84 is formed through the entire thickness of the base wall 80 for the convenience of molding. A

  cover 88 is fixed to the casing 12 so as to cover

open the opening 84.

  As more particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3, the base portion 50 of the spring 16 may be slightly curved or curved rather than perfectly flat. Use of the bent configuration prevents the spring 16 from floating in the cavity 14 and keeps the fulcrum portion 88 of the spring 16 firmly against the wall

base 80.

  Problems can occur if terminal 18 is incorrectly assembled and is placed in

  a position turned upside down in the cavity 14.

  The opening 32 delimited by the stop wall 30 and the shape of the contact portion 38 of the terminal are such that the contact portion could be inserted either in the correct orientation shown or in an inverted orientation. In the latter case, the step 56 and no longer the rounded contact surface 44 of the terminal 18 would be presented to the contact part of a

  cooperating terminal. If both terminals were incorrect

  assembled in this manner, the stands 56 of the two terminals could be hooked so that the terminals would be locked together and it would be

  difficult, if not impossible, to separate them.

  Incorrect assembly of the terminal 18 in the cavity 14 is prevented with the connector 10 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the flat, blade-shaped contact portion 38 of terminal 18 generally extends from a diametrical and transverse central plane of the terminal. The cable fixing structure 34 is not symmetrical with respect to this diametrical central plane. One side, the lower side considering Figure 3, that is to say the opposite side to that adjacent to the spring 16, extends further in the forward direction and comes to bear

  against the stop wall 30 to form an abutment

  end before the terminal. The opposite side, that is to say the side disposed facing the spring 16, is shortened because

  that it does not extend so far forward.

  The Intermediate Dice 52 of the blade-

  spring 16 is formed so as to bow or

  to move away from the base wall 80 as it approaches the opening 32.

  shown in Figure 3, the upper or adjacent side

  one hundred of the cable fixing structure 34 of the terminal conforms to the shape of the intermediate portion of the spring. If an attempt is made to insert the terminal 18 in an incorrect assembly arrangement or upside down, the opposite side of the cable attachment structure 34 impinges on the intermediate portion of the spring 52 well before a complete insertion of the terminal was obtained. An incorrectly mounted terminal can not

  because of the obstacle raised by the inter-

  -13- mediate 52 of the spring, be inserted sufficiently in

  the box to allow the edge 58 of the spring of ve-

  leaning against the rounded contact portion 44, whereby a person assembling the connector 10 will be warned of the incorrect orientation of the terminal.

do not 18.

  The battery lead connector 10 of the present invention is used in combination with a separate auxiliary electrical connector which has been designated 100 and has been shown in perspective in FIG.

  is connected to a similar connector returned the con-

  auxiliary unit 100 is also connected to a con-

  similar auxiliary node returned carried by the other main connector. The auxiliary connector has smaller dimensions than the 1i0 connector and is designed to conduct lower currents, for example

  it can be used as a pilot connector for

  connections with a control circuit of a battery charger or with accessories used

in an electric vehicle.

  As more particularly shown in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the casing 12 of the connector comprises a cavity 102 integrally molded with the front coupling portion 24 of the casing between the front portions 28 of receiving contact cavities 14. The cell 102 is dimensioned so as to be able to

  slidingly receiving the auxiliary connector 100.

  The auxiliary connector 100 has a

  separate box 104 which is made of an insulating material

  and carrying two electrical terminals 106 each electrically and mechanically connected to a respective wire 108. The rear part 22 for receiving the cables of the box 12 has an opening 110 facing towards

  the back, through which pass the threads 108.

-14-

  A wall 112 of the cell 102 and a

  114 of the auxiliary connector box 104 are

  arranged face-to-face in a sliding relationship

  when connector 100 is inserted into

  102. In order to conveniently and releasably secure the auxiliary connector 100 to the connector 10, the

  wall 112 has a locking opening 116.

A flexible and resilient latch 118, integrally formed, is carried by the wall 114. When the auxiliary connector 100 is moved backwards until it is in place, the latch 118 is first moved downwardly by a cam action produced by the support of the inclined surface 120 of the

  latch against the wall 112. Where the position of

  When fully engaged, latch 118 engages abruptly into opening 116 to immobilize casing 104 of the auxiliary connector in place, in an easy and convenient manner and without the use of separate fasteners or other components. like. In addition, it is easy to detach the connector 100 from the connector 10, when desired, by introducing a suitable tool into the opening 116 and making

  flex the latch 118 to extract it from the opening.

  Although the invention has been described in

  referring to the details of the embodiment

  on the drawings, the details should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention

  as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (6)

R E V E N D I C A T I 0 N S   1. An electrical connector characterized in that it comprises, in combination, a casing (12) made of an electrically insulating material, a   terminal receiving cavity (14) extending longitudinally   dinalement through the casing, an electrical terminal (18) slidably insertable into the cavity from a rear end of the casing and having a cable connecting portion (34) at its rear end and a portion of contact (38) at its front end, the cavity and the terminal having cooperating structures for guiding insertion of the terminal into the cavity and for preventing displacement   forward of the terminal beyond an installed position   EAA; a cantilever spring (16) having a base portion (50), fastening structures for securing   the basic part, the spring before a part of   quotation (54) normally spaced from the wall of the   cavity and extending forwards into the cavity at   shooting of the base part in an adjacent layout   at the contact part of the terminal; the part of   releasing the spring and the contact portion of the terminal having cooperating locking structures (56, 58) to prevent rearward movement of the terminal from the installed position; and the   fastening structures having grooves (76)   in the walls of the cavity, protruding side portions (74) formed on the base portion of the spring   likely to be slideably   and elastic retaining means (82, 84) for   hold from the base in the cavity.   2. Elastic connector according to claim   cation 1, characterized in that the elastic retaining means comprise an opening (84) formed in the wall of the cavity and a flexible projection (82) of the spring (16) extending rearwardly and   transversely received in the opening.   3. Elastic connector according to the claim   2, characterized in that the grooves (76) comprise two facing grooves formed in   the opposite side walls of the cavity in the vicinity   ge of the base wall (80) of the cavity, the opening   aforesaid (84) being formed in the base wall.   4. Electrical connector according to the claim   1, characterized in that the spring (16) comprises   carries an extension (60) disposed in front of the former   front end of the terminal (18) and accessible through   the front end of the cavity (14).   5. Electrical connector according to the claim   4, characterized in that the extension (60) is constituted by a tongue of smaller width   protruding from the central region of spell (16). -   6. Electrical connector according to the claim   4, characterized in that the green structure   rusting comprises a wall (56) facing towards the rear   re, formed on the contact part, which normally overlaps   wrongly a forward-facing edge (58) formed on the spring (16).