US20200119477A1 - Connector and decking structure between vehicle body and battery comprising the same - Google Patents
Connector and decking structure between vehicle body and battery comprising the same Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20200119477A1 US20200119477A1 US16/209,481 US201816209481A US2020119477A1 US 20200119477 A1 US20200119477 A1 US 20200119477A1 US 201816209481 A US201816209481 A US 201816209481A US 2020119477 A1 US2020119477 A1 US 2020119477A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- connector assembly
- connector
- assembly
- coupled
- vehicle body
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
- H01R13/629—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
- H01R12/70—Coupling devices
- H01R12/91—Coupling devices allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating or self aligning
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K1/00—Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units
- B60K1/04—Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units of the electric storage means for propulsion
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60L50/00—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle
- B60L50/50—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells
- B60L50/60—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells using power supplied by batteries
- B60L50/64—Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60L50/00—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle
- B60L50/50—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells
- B60L50/60—Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells using power supplied by batteries
- B60L50/66—Arrangements of batteries
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60L—PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60L53/00—Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
- B60L53/10—Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles characterised by the energy transfer between the charging station and the vehicle
- B60L53/14—Conductive energy transfer
- B60L53/16—Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
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- H01M2/1083—
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
- H01M50/20—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders
- H01M50/249—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
- H01M50/20—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders
- H01M50/262—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders with fastening means, e.g. locks
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/02—Contact members
- H01R13/04—Pins or blades for co-operation with sockets
- H01R13/05—Resilient pins or blades
- H01R13/052—Resilient pins or blades co-operating with sockets having a circular transverse section
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/64—Means for preventing incorrect coupling
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K1/00—Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units
- B60K1/04—Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units of the electric storage means for propulsion
- B60K2001/0405—Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units of the electric storage means for propulsion characterised by their position
- B60K2001/0438—Arrangement under the floor
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60K—ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60K1/00—Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units
- B60K1/04—Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units of the electric storage means for propulsion
- B60K2001/0455—Removal or replacement of the energy storages
- B60K2001/0472—Removal or replacement of the energy storages from below
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/73—Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R2201/00—Connectors or connections adapted for particular applications
- H01R2201/26—Connectors or connections adapted for particular applications for vehicles
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
- Y02T10/60—Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
- Y02T10/70—Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T10/00—Road transport of goods or passengers
- Y02T10/60—Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
- Y02T10/7072—Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y02T90/00—Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02T90/10—Technologies relating to charging of electric vehicles
- Y02T90/14—Plug-in electric vehicles
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a connector and a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery including the same, and more particularly, to a connector that simplifies a process of assembling a battery to a vehicle body and a docking structure between the vehicle body and the battery including the same.
- the environment-friendly vehicle is dependent on distance or time during which it may be operated by one-time battery charging, and thus a large-capacity battery system capable of storing a substantial amount of electric energy is required for environment-friendly vehicles.
- An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector capable of simplifying a process of assembling a battery to a vehicle body and capable of eliminating a risk of misconnection due to a manual operation of a connector and a docking structure between the vehicle body and the battery including the same.
- a connector may include a first connector assembly having a downwardly protruding guide pin; and a second connector assembly coupled to the first connector assembly in a lower portion of the first connector assembly and including a guide aperture in which the guide pin is accommodated.
- An end portion of the guide pin may have a shape with a width that gradually decreases toward a lower portion.
- An entrance of the guide aperture may be formed with an inclined surface having a width that increases toward an upper portion.
- the connector may further include: a bracket assembly coupled to the first connector assembly in an upper portion of the first connector assembly and configured to couple the first connector assembly to a fixing target.
- the bracket assembly may include a fixing portion attached to a lower portion of the fixing target and an elastic member having a first end coupled to the fixed portion and a second end coupled to the upper portion of the first connector assembly and compressed and relaxed in a vertical direction.
- the first connector assembly may include a first terminal configured to form an electrical connection and a first housing configured to accommodate the first terminal
- the second connector assembly may include a second terminal electrically connected to the first terminal when coupled with the first connector assembly, and a second housing configured to accommodate the second terminal and fastened to the first housing when coupled with the first connector assembly.
- a length of the guide pin may be determined such that when the first connector assembly and the second connector assembly are coupled, an end portion of the guide pin reaches an entrance of the guide aperture before an end portion of the first housing reaches an end portion of the second housing.
- a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery may include a battery assembly having a plurality of first guide pins that protrude upwardly; the vehicle body formed with a plurality of first guide apertures configured to accommodate the plurality of first guide pins respectively and having a battery accommodation region to which the battery assembly may be attached; a first connector assembly coupled to the vehicle body and having a second guide pin that protrudes downwardly; and a second connector assembly coupled to the battery assembly, coupled to the first connector assembly in a lower portion of the first connector assembly, and including a second guide aperture in which the second guide pin is accommodated.
- An end portion of the second guide pin may have a shape with a width that gradually decreases toward a lower portion.
- An entrance of the second guide aperture may be formed with an inclined surface having a width that increases toward an upper portion.
- a width of an upper end of the second guide aperture may be greater than twice a maximum tolerance that may occur in a process of attaching the battery assembly to the vehicle body.
- the docking structure may further include: a bracket assembly coupled to the first connector assembly in an upper portion of the first connector assembly and configured to couple the first connector assembly to the vehicle body.
- the bracket assembly may include a fixing portion attached to a lower portion of the vehicle body and an elastic member having a first end coupled to the fixed portion and a second end coupled to the upper portion of the first connector assembly and compressed and relaxed in a vertical direction.
- a length of the first guide pin may be determined such that an end portion of the first guide pin reaches an entrance of the first guide aperture before an end portion of the second guide pin reaches an entrance of the second guide aperture in a process of approaching the battery assembly to attach the battery assembly to the vehicle body.
- the first connector assembly may include a first terminal configured to form an electrical connection and a first housing configured to accommodate the first terminal
- the second connector assembly may include a second terminal electrically connected to the first terminal when coupled with the first connector assembly, and a second housing configured to accommodate the second terminal and fastened to the first housing when coupled with the first connector assembly.
- a length of the second guide pin may be determined such that when the first connector assembly and the second connector assembly are coupled, an end portion of the second guide pin reaches an entrance of the second guide aperture before an end portion of the first housing reaches an end portion of the second housing.
- FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery to which a connector is applied according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a bracket assembly and a first connector assembly of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second connector assembly of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A′ in the docking structure between the vehicle body and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 5 ;
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling relationship between a guide pin and a guide aperture of a connector in an assembly process for implementing a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- vehicle or “vehicular” or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum).
- a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.
- controller/control unit refers to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor.
- the memory is configured to store the modules and the processor is specifically configured to execute said modules to perform one or more processes which are described further below.
- FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a docking structure between a vehicle body 100 and a battery to which a connector is applied according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the connector and the docking structure between the vehicle body 100 and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may have a configuration in which a battery assembly 200 may be fixed to a lower portion of the vehicle body 100 .
- the battery assembly 200 may be moved up from the lower portion of the vehicle body 100 and may be transferred to the lower portion of the vehicle body 100 to more accurately fix the battery to a battery accommodation region previously provided in the lower portion of the vehicle body 100 .
- coupling of a connector may be performed concurrently in a process of coupling the battery assembly 200 to the vehicle body 100 to thus omit a separate connector coupling process.
- Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide the connector that enables electrical coupling of the connector through one process of transferring the battery assembly 200 to the lower portion of the vehicle body 100 to form a physical connection and the docking structure between the vehicle body 100 and the battery including the connector.
- FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the connector 1 may include a first connector assembly 20 having a guide pin 25 that protrudes downward and a second connector assembly 30 coupled to the first connector assembly 20 in a lower portion of the first connector assembly 20 , and including a guide aperture 35 in which the guide pin 25 is accommodated.
- the first connector assembly 20 may have a female connector structure and the second connector assembly 30 may have a male connector structure, but the structures may be switched as needed.
- the guide pin 25 and the guide aperture 35 may be respectively provided in the two connector assemblies 20 and 30 which are mutually coupled to each other to more accurately locate a coupling position of the two connector assemblies 20 and 30 in a process of assembling the two connector assemblies 20 and 30 .
- the two connector assemblies 20 and 30 may be coupled more accurately.
- the connector 1 may further include a bracket assembly 10 coupled to the first connector assembly 20 in an upper portion of the first connector assembly 20 and coupling the first connector assembly 20 to a fixing target (e.g., the vehicle body 100 ).
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the bracket assembly 10 and the first connector assembly 20 of the connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second connector assembly 30 of the connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 2 .
- the bracket assembly 10 may include fixing portions 11 and 13 fixed to a fixing target (e.g., the vehicle body 100 ) by a method such as welding or screw fastening, and an elastic member 15 having one end connected to the fixing portions 11 and 13 and compressed and relaxed in a vertical direction.
- a fixing target e.g., the vehicle body 100
- an elastic member 15 having one end connected to the fixing portions 11 and 13 and compressed and relaxed in a vertical direction.
- the fixing portions 11 and 13 may include a bracket 11 in direct contact with the vehicle body 100 and having a first end fixed to the vehicle body 100 and a bracket holder 13 joined to a second end of the bracket 11 to be spaced apart from the vehicle body 100 by a predetermined distance.
- a first end of the elastic member 15 may be fixed to the bracket holder 13 and a second end may be coupled to an upper portion of the first connector assembly 20 .
- the elastic member 15 operates to provide an elastic force in the vertical direction, that is, to be compressed and relaxed.
- the vehicle body 100 and the battery assembly 200 need to be assembled with a predetermined space to compensate for a mismatch. Since the space may reduce the coupling force between the first connector assembly 20 and the second connector assembly 30 , the elastic member 15 may be applied to correct the distance in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the elastic member 15 may provide a repulsive force to the first connector assembly 20 in a direction of the second connector assembly 30 , thereby eliminating the influence of the distance and maintaining a high coupling force between the two connector assemblies 20 and 30 .
- the elastic member 15 may also provide an effect of attenuating vertical direction vibration (e.g., up-and-down direction vibration while the vehicle is being driven) in an environment in which the first connector assembly 20 and the second connector assembly 30 are engaged with each other.
- the first connector assembly 20 may include a first housing 21 and first terminals 22 and 23 accommodated by the first housing 21 and the guide pin 25 .
- the first terminals 22 and 23 may be manufactured of a metal material to form an electrical connection with a terminal provided in the second connector assembly 30 .
- the first housing 21 may accommodate the first terminals 22 and 23 , fix positions of the first terminals 22 and 23 and provide a guide structure for coupling with the second connector assembly 30 and may be implemented of a material such as synthetic resin, plastic, or the like having an insulating property.
- the connector 1 may be manufactured to be able to transmit a charged voltage, a high voltage, and a control signal.
- reference numeral 21 a designates a housing for the high voltage in which the high voltage (the charged voltage) comes and goes
- reference numeral 22 designates a terminal for the high voltage.
- reference numeral 21 b designates a housing for a low voltage through which the low voltage or the control signal comes and goes
- reference numeral 23 designates a terminal for the low voltage.
- the first connector assembly 20 may include the guide pin 25 that protrudes downward.
- the guide pin 25 may have a shape (e.g., an inverted conical shape) with a width that decreases toward a lower portion to facilitate insertion into the guide aperture 35 .
- the second connector assembly 30 may include a second housing 31 and second terminals 32 and 33 and the guide aperture 35 .
- the second housing 31 may fix and accommodate the second terminals 32 and 33 at predetermined positions and may operate as a guide when fastened to the first housing 21 .
- the second housing 31 may include a housing 31 a for the high voltage in which the terminal 32 for the high voltage may be accommodated in a position that corresponds to the housing 21 a for the high voltage of the first connector assembly 20 and a housing 31 b for the low voltage in which the terminal 33 for the low voltage may be accommodated in a position that corresponds to the housing 21 b for the low voltage of the first connector assembly 20 .
- the guide aperture 35 may be a space where the guide pin 25 is inserted and accommodated and may be formed with an inclined surface 351 and a width of an entrance of the guide aperture 35 may thus increase toward an upper portion.
- a width of the uppermost end of the inclined surface 351 may be appropriately determined by an assembly tolerance expected in a process of coupling the vehicle body 100 and the battery assembly 200 together. This will be described again in a description of the docking structure between the vehicle body 100 and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure to be described later.
- the guide pin 25 may be provided to facilitate an alignment of the two connector assemblies 20 and 30 before the first and second connector assemblies 20 and 30 are fastened to each other and thus may be provided to have a sufficient length.
- a length of the guide pin 25 may be determined such that an end of the guide pin 25 reaches an entrance of the guide aperture 35 before an end of the first housing 21 reaches an end of the second housing 31 when the first connector assembly 20 and the second connector assembly 30 are coupled.
- FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing a docking structure between the vehicle body 100 and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A′ in the docking structure between the vehicle body 100 and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 5 .
- an area occupied by the battery assembly 200 may have a size sufficient to correspond to about half a projection area of the vehicle body 100 .
- the entire battery assembly 200 may be transferred horizontally to a battery accommodation region of a lower portion of the vehicle body 100 previously located in an upper portion.
- the battery assembly 200 may include a guide pin 201 that protrudes in a direction of the vehicle body 100 , i.e. upward.
- a guide aperture for accommodating the guide pin 201 may be formed in the battery accommodation region of the lower portion of the vehicle body 100 .
- the bracket assembly 10 of the connector 1 may be coupled to the lower portion of the vehicle body 100 and the first connector assembly 20 may be coupled to a lower portion of the bracket assembly 10 .
- the second connector assembly 30 may be disposed in an upper portion of a case of the battery assembly 200 .
- a tolerance in an arrangement position or a diameter of the guide pin 201 of the battery assembly 200 may exist, and a tolerance may exist in a diameter of the guide aperture of the vehicle body 100 for accommodating the guide pin 201 , and a tolerance may exist at a position where the bracket assembly 10 is disposed.
- the docking structure between the vehicle body 100 and the battery may be completed by fastening the first connector assembly 20 and the second connector assembly 30 of the connector 1 to each other, and thus the first connector assembly 20 and the second connector assembly 30 need to be able to offset the above-mentioned tolerances and be mutually coupled before the first connector assembly 20 and the second connector assembly 30 are fastened to each other.
- a size of an entrance portion of the guide aperture 35 provided in the second connector assembly 30 may be determined based on the sum of all the tolerances that may be considered in the entire process of assembling the battery assembly 200 to the vehicle body 100 .
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling relationship between the guide pin 25 and the guide aperture 35 of the connector 1 in an assembly process for implementing a docking structure between the vehicle body 100 and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG.
- a length of the guide pin 201 of the first connector assembly 20 may be determined such that an end of the guide pin 201 of the battery assembly 200 reaches an entrance of a guide aperture 35 of the vehicle body 100 before the end of the guide pin 25 of the first connector assembly 20 reaches the entrance of the guide aperture 35 of the second connector assembly 30 in a process of approaching the battery assembly 200 to attach the battery assembly 200 to the vehicle body 100
- a connector and a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery including the connector may achieve a position arrangement (a physical connection) of a battery assembly and a connector coupling (an electrical connection) using a single process in a process of mounting the battery assembly to the vehicle body. Accordingly, the connector and the docking structure between the vehicle body and the battery including the connector according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may expect various effects of simplifying a battery assembling process, increasing a storage energy through the enlargement of a battery system applicable to the process, and improving workability related to battery assembly maintenance and repair, etc.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
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- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Electrochemistry (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Battery Mounting, Suspending (AREA)
- Arrangement Or Mounting Of Propulsion Units For Vehicles (AREA)
- Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
- Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0120658, filed on Oct. 10, 2018, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.
- The present disclosure relates to a connector and a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery including the same, and more particularly, to a connector that simplifies a process of assembling a battery to a vehicle body and a docking structure between the vehicle body and the battery including the same.
- Recently, as interest in environmental problems has increased, technology development and demand for an environment-friendly vehicle that uses an electric energy stored in a battery to drive an electric motor and generate power have been increasing. The environment-friendly vehicle is dependent on distance or time during which it may be operated by one-time battery charging, and thus a large-capacity battery system capable of storing a substantial amount of electric energy is required for environment-friendly vehicles.
- However, as the size and the capacity of a battery system are increased, a process of assembling the battery to a lower portion of a vehicle body becomes complex. Since a manual operation for connecting a separate connector is performed after a physical coupling, a connection failure may occur due to negligence or error of an operator.
- The contents described as the related art have been provided merely to assist in understanding the background of the present disclosure and should not be considered as corresponding to the related art known to those having ordinary skill in the art.
- An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector capable of simplifying a process of assembling a battery to a vehicle body and capable of eliminating a risk of misconnection due to a manual operation of a connector and a docking structure between the vehicle body and the battery including the same.
- According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a connector may include a first connector assembly having a downwardly protruding guide pin; and a second connector assembly coupled to the first connector assembly in a lower portion of the first connector assembly and including a guide aperture in which the guide pin is accommodated.
- An end portion of the guide pin may have a shape with a width that gradually decreases toward a lower portion. An entrance of the guide aperture may be formed with an inclined surface having a width that increases toward an upper portion. The connector may further include: a bracket assembly coupled to the first connector assembly in an upper portion of the first connector assembly and configured to couple the first connector assembly to a fixing target. The bracket assembly may include a fixing portion attached to a lower portion of the fixing target and an elastic member having a first end coupled to the fixed portion and a second end coupled to the upper portion of the first connector assembly and compressed and relaxed in a vertical direction.
- The first connector assembly may include a first terminal configured to form an electrical connection and a first housing configured to accommodate the first terminal, and the second connector assembly may include a second terminal electrically connected to the first terminal when coupled with the first connector assembly, and a second housing configured to accommodate the second terminal and fastened to the first housing when coupled with the first connector assembly. A length of the guide pin may be determined such that when the first connector assembly and the second connector assembly are coupled, an end portion of the guide pin reaches an entrance of the guide aperture before an end portion of the first housing reaches an end portion of the second housing.
- According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery may include a battery assembly having a plurality of first guide pins that protrude upwardly; the vehicle body formed with a plurality of first guide apertures configured to accommodate the plurality of first guide pins respectively and having a battery accommodation region to which the battery assembly may be attached; a first connector assembly coupled to the vehicle body and having a second guide pin that protrudes downwardly; and a second connector assembly coupled to the battery assembly, coupled to the first connector assembly in a lower portion of the first connector assembly, and including a second guide aperture in which the second guide pin is accommodated.
- An end portion of the second guide pin may have a shape with a width that gradually decreases toward a lower portion. An entrance of the second guide aperture may be formed with an inclined surface having a width that increases toward an upper portion. A width of an upper end of the second guide aperture may be greater than twice a maximum tolerance that may occur in a process of attaching the battery assembly to the vehicle body.
- The docking structure may further include: a bracket assembly coupled to the first connector assembly in an upper portion of the first connector assembly and configured to couple the first connector assembly to the vehicle body. The bracket assembly may include a fixing portion attached to a lower portion of the vehicle body and an elastic member having a first end coupled to the fixed portion and a second end coupled to the upper portion of the first connector assembly and compressed and relaxed in a vertical direction. A length of the first guide pin may be determined such that an end portion of the first guide pin reaches an entrance of the first guide aperture before an end portion of the second guide pin reaches an entrance of the second guide aperture in a process of approaching the battery assembly to attach the battery assembly to the vehicle body.
- The first connector assembly may include a first terminal configured to form an electrical connection and a first housing configured to accommodate the first terminal, and the second connector assembly may include a second terminal electrically connected to the first terminal when coupled with the first connector assembly, and a second housing configured to accommodate the second terminal and fastened to the first housing when coupled with the first connector assembly. A length of the second guide pin may be determined such that when the first connector assembly and the second connector assembly are coupled, an end portion of the second guide pin reaches an entrance of the second guide aperture before an end portion of the first housing reaches an end portion of the second housing.
- The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery to which a connector is applied according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a bracket assembly and a first connector assembly of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second connector assembly of the connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A′ in the docking structure between the vehicle body and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown inFIG. 5 ; and -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling relationship between a guide pin and a guide aperture of a connector in an assembly process for implementing a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. - It is understood that the term “vehicle” or “vehicular” or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.
- Although exemplary embodiment is described as using a plurality of units to perform the exemplary process, it is understood that the exemplary processes may also be performed by one or plurality of modules. Additionally, it is understood that the term controller/control unit refers to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store the modules and the processor is specifically configured to execute said modules to perform one or more processes which are described further below.
- The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
- Hereinafter, a connector and a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery including the connector according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a docking structure between avehicle body 100 and a battery to which a connector is applied according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG. 1 , the connector and the docking structure between thevehicle body 100 and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may have a configuration in which abattery assembly 200 may be fixed to a lower portion of thevehicle body 100. During an assembling process of thebattery assembly 200, thebattery assembly 200 may be moved up from the lower portion of thevehicle body 100 and may be transferred to the lower portion of thevehicle body 100 to more accurately fix the battery to a battery accommodation region previously provided in the lower portion of thevehicle body 100. - Additionally, coupling of a connector may be performed concurrently in a process of coupling the
battery assembly 200 to thevehicle body 100 to thus omit a separate connector coupling process. Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide the connector that enables electrical coupling of the connector through one process of transferring thebattery assembly 200 to the lower portion of thevehicle body 100 to form a physical connection and the docking structure between thevehicle body 100 and the battery including the connector. -
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of aconnector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG. 2 , theconnector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include afirst connector assembly 20 having aguide pin 25 that protrudes downward and asecond connector assembly 30 coupled to thefirst connector assembly 20 in a lower portion of thefirst connector assembly 20, and including aguide aperture 35 in which theguide pin 25 is accommodated. - In
FIG. 2 , thefirst connector assembly 20 may have a female connector structure and thesecond connector assembly 30 may have a male connector structure, but the structures may be switched as needed. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, theguide pin 25 and theguide aperture 35 may be respectively provided in the two connector assemblies 20 and 30 which are mutually coupled to each other to more accurately locate a coupling position of the two connector assemblies 20 and 30 in a process of assembling the twoconnector assemblies first connector assembly 20 is attached to thevehicle body 100 and thesecond connector assembly 30 is provided in thebattery assembly 200, even when an alignment tolerance of a particular order occurs in an assembling process of thevehicle body 100 and thebattery assembly 200, since a coupling position arrangement may be possible by theguide pin 25 and theguide aperture 35 before terminal parts provided in the twoconnector assemblies - In addition, the
connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may further include abracket assembly 10 coupled to thefirst connector assembly 20 in an upper portion of thefirst connector assembly 20 and coupling thefirst connector assembly 20 to a fixing target (e.g., the vehicle body 100).FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing thebracket assembly 10 and thefirst connector assembly 20 of theconnector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown inFIG. 2 .FIG. 4 is a perspective view of thesecond connector assembly 30 of theconnector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown inFIG. 2 . - Referring to
FIGS. 2 to 4 , the respective configurations of theconnector 1 will be more specifically described. First, thebracket assembly 10 may includefixing portions elastic member 15 having one end connected to thefixing portions - The fixing
portions bracket 11 in direct contact with thevehicle body 100 and having a first end fixed to thevehicle body 100 and abracket holder 13 joined to a second end of thebracket 11 to be spaced apart from thevehicle body 100 by a predetermined distance. A first end of theelastic member 15 may be fixed to thebracket holder 13 and a second end may be coupled to an upper portion of thefirst connector assembly 20. Theelastic member 15 operates to provide an elastic force in the vertical direction, that is, to be compressed and relaxed. - Since a dimensional tolerance of the
vehicle body 100 and a tolerance of thebattery assembly 200 may be different from each other and mismatch may occur during the coupling, thevehicle body 100 and thebattery assembly 200 need to be assembled with a predetermined space to compensate for a mismatch. Since the space may reduce the coupling force between thefirst connector assembly 20 and thesecond connector assembly 30, theelastic member 15 may be applied to correct the distance in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In other words, when thefirst connector assembly 20 and thesecond connector assembly 30 are fastened, theelastic member 15, for example, a spring, may provide a repulsive force to thefirst connector assembly 20 in a direction of thesecond connector assembly 30, thereby eliminating the influence of the distance and maintaining a high coupling force between the twoconnector assemblies - The
elastic member 15 may also provide an effect of attenuating vertical direction vibration (e.g., up-and-down direction vibration while the vehicle is being driven) in an environment in which thefirst connector assembly 20 and thesecond connector assembly 30 are engaged with each other. Thefirst connector assembly 20 may include afirst housing 21 andfirst terminals first housing 21 and theguide pin 25. Thefirst terminals second connector assembly 30. Thefirst housing 21 may accommodate thefirst terminals first terminals second connector assembly 30 and may be implemented of a material such as synthetic resin, plastic, or the like having an insulating property. - In a structure in which the
battery assembly 200 incorporates and accommodates a high voltage battery, a low voltage battery, and a controller configured to operate the high voltage battery and the low voltage battery in one case, theconnector 1 may be manufactured to be able to transmit a charged voltage, a high voltage, and a control signal. InFIGS. 2 and 3 ,reference numeral 21 a designates a housing for the high voltage in which the high voltage (the charged voltage) comes and goes, andreference numeral 22 designates a terminal for the high voltage. Additionally, inFIGS. 2 and 3 ,reference numeral 21 b designates a housing for a low voltage through which the low voltage or the control signal comes and goes, andreference numeral 23 designates a terminal for the low voltage. As described above, thefirst connector assembly 20 may include theguide pin 25 that protrudes downward. Theguide pin 25 may have a shape (e.g., an inverted conical shape) with a width that decreases toward a lower portion to facilitate insertion into theguide aperture 35. - The
second connector assembly 30 may include asecond housing 31 andsecond terminals guide aperture 35. Thesecond housing 31 may fix and accommodate thesecond terminals first housing 21. Similar to thefirst connector assembly 20, thesecond housing 31 may include ahousing 31 a for the high voltage in which the terminal 32 for the high voltage may be accommodated in a position that corresponds to thehousing 21 a for the high voltage of thefirst connector assembly 20 and ahousing 31 b for the low voltage in which the terminal 33 for the low voltage may be accommodated in a position that corresponds to thehousing 21 b for the low voltage of thefirst connector assembly 20. - The
guide aperture 35 may be a space where theguide pin 25 is inserted and accommodated and may be formed with aninclined surface 351 and a width of an entrance of theguide aperture 35 may thus increase toward an upper portion. A width of the uppermost end of theinclined surface 351 may be appropriately determined by an assembly tolerance expected in a process of coupling thevehicle body 100 and thebattery assembly 200 together. This will be described again in a description of the docking structure between thevehicle body 100 and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure to be described later. - Meanwhile, the
guide pin 25 may be provided to facilitate an alignment of the twoconnector assemblies second connector assemblies guide pin 25 may be determined such that an end of theguide pin 25 reaches an entrance of theguide aperture 35 before an end of thefirst housing 21 reaches an end of thesecond housing 31 when thefirst connector assembly 20 and thesecond connector assembly 30 are coupled. -
FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing a docking structure between thevehicle body 100 and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A′ in the docking structure between thevehicle body 100 and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown inFIG. 5 . Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6 , when thebattery assembly 200 is coupled to thevehicle body 100, an area occupied by thebattery assembly 200 may have a size sufficient to correspond to about half a projection area of thevehicle body 100. To assemble thebattery assembly 200 to thevehicle body 100, theentire battery assembly 200 may be transferred horizontally to a battery accommodation region of a lower portion of thevehicle body 100 previously located in an upper portion. - To first reduce a tolerance in a process of determining a position where the
battery assembly 200 is disposed, thebattery assembly 200 may include aguide pin 201 that protrudes in a direction of thevehicle body 100, i.e. upward. A guide aperture for accommodating theguide pin 201 may be formed in the battery accommodation region of the lower portion of thevehicle body 100. In other words, in a process of assembling thebattery assembly 200 to thevehicle body 100, an assembly starts to reduce the tolerance by inserting the guide pins 201 of thebattery assembly 200 into the guide aperture of thevehicle body 100. - Moreover, the
bracket assembly 10 of theconnector 1 may be coupled to the lower portion of thevehicle body 100 and thefirst connector assembly 20 may be coupled to a lower portion of thebracket assembly 10. Thesecond connector assembly 30 may be disposed in an upper portion of a case of thebattery assembly 200. In a process of forming theguide pin 201 of thebattery assembly 200 described above, a tolerance in an arrangement position or a diameter of theguide pin 201 of thebattery assembly 200 may exist, and a tolerance may exist in a diameter of the guide aperture of thevehicle body 100 for accommodating theguide pin 201, and a tolerance may exist at a position where thebracket assembly 10 is disposed. - In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the docking structure between the
vehicle body 100 and the battery may be completed by fastening thefirst connector assembly 20 and thesecond connector assembly 30 of theconnector 1 to each other, and thus thefirst connector assembly 20 and thesecond connector assembly 30 need to be able to offset the above-mentioned tolerances and be mutually coupled before thefirst connector assembly 20 and thesecond connector assembly 30 are fastened to each other. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, to offset the tolerances and achieve a connector coupling to a precise position, a size of an entrance portion of theguide aperture 35 provided in thesecond connector assembly 30 may be determined based on the sum of all the tolerances that may be considered in the entire process of assembling thebattery assembly 200 to thevehicle body 100. -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a coupling relationship between theguide pin 25 and theguide aperture 35 of theconnector 1 in an assembly process for implementing a docking structure between thevehicle body 100 and a battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 7 , when a radius d of an entrance of theguide aperture 35 provided in thesecond connector assembly 30, that is, the uppermost radius d of the entrance formed with theinclined surface 351, is determined to be greater than the entire tolerance (e.g., when a width of an upper end of theguide aperture 35 is set to be greater than twice the maximum tolerance), even when theguide pin 25 of thefirst connector assembly 20 is off of a center of theguide aperture 35 by the maximum tolerance, theguide pin 25 may be inserted into theguide aperture 35 and thus, the connector coupling may be possible. - As described above, since the
guide pin 201 of thebattery assembly 200 may first be inserted into theguide aperture 35 of thevehicle body 100 in the assembling process of forming the docking structure between thevehicle body 100 and the battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a length of theguide pin 201 of thefirst connector assembly 20 may be determined such that an end of theguide pin 201 of thebattery assembly 200 reaches an entrance of aguide aperture 35 of thevehicle body 100 before the end of theguide pin 25 of thefirst connector assembly 20 reaches the entrance of theguide aperture 35 of thesecond connector assembly 30 in a process of approaching thebattery assembly 200 to attach thebattery assembly 200 to thevehicle body 100 - As described above, a connector and a docking structure between a vehicle body and a battery including the connector according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may achieve a position arrangement (a physical connection) of a battery assembly and a connector coupling (an electrical connection) using a single process in a process of mounting the battery assembly to the vehicle body. Accordingly, the connector and the docking structure between the vehicle body and the battery including the connector according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may expect various effects of simplifying a battery assembling process, increasing a storage energy through the enlargement of a battery system applicable to the process, and improving workability related to battery assembly maintenance and repair, etc.
- Although the present disclosure has been shown and described with respect to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims.
Claims (15)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
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KR10-2018-0120658 | 2018-10-10 | ||
KR1020180120658A KR102635922B1 (en) | 2018-10-10 | 2018-10-10 | Connecter and decking structure between vehicle body and battery comprising the same |
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US10622740B1 US10622740B1 (en) | 2020-04-14 |
US20200119477A1 true US20200119477A1 (en) | 2020-04-16 |
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US16/209,481 Active US10622740B1 (en) | 2018-10-10 | 2018-12-04 | Connector and docking structure between vehicle body and battery comprising the same |
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US (1) | US10622740B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3637561B1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR102635922B1 (en) |
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DE102020110744A1 (en) * | 2020-04-21 | 2021-11-18 | Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft | Method for arranging a high-voltage storage device having a plurality of battery modules on a support structure of a motor vehicle and a high-voltage storage arrangement |
CN113036501B (en) * | 2021-02-26 | 2024-03-15 | 中国第一汽车股份有限公司 | High-low voltage integrated electric connector |
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JP3244011B2 (en) | 1996-12-12 | 2002-01-07 | 住友電装株式会社 | Split connector |
US7641516B1 (en) * | 2008-09-19 | 2010-01-05 | Harris Corporation | Electrical connector |
CN101783460A (en) * | 2010-03-01 | 2010-07-21 | 李立国 | Vibration isolation device of blind-mate connector of power battery box of electric vehicle |
US20110256753A1 (en) * | 2010-04-16 | 2011-10-20 | Amphenol Corporation | Electronic assembly with keying and guidance features |
DE102010022987B4 (en) * | 2010-06-08 | 2012-12-20 | Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co. Kg | Electrical device with a connector and electrical connector |
CN201985360U (en) * | 2011-03-16 | 2011-09-21 | 南京普斯迪尔电子科技有限公司 | Device for guiding and positioning switching interface of battery pack |
CN103199379B (en) * | 2012-01-05 | 2016-12-14 | 李立国 | Blind-insertion type vibration isolation connector of electric automobile power battery |
FR2990746A1 (en) * | 2012-05-16 | 2013-11-22 | Staubli Sa Ets | CONNECTING ASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY THEREFOR |
KR102039749B1 (en) | 2013-02-27 | 2019-11-01 | 타이코에이엠피 주식회사 | Joint connector assembly |
US9960622B2 (en) * | 2015-03-12 | 2018-05-01 | Streamlight, Inc. | Battery charger usable with plural different power supplies |
KR101734683B1 (en) * | 2015-10-07 | 2017-05-11 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Power Distibuting Block Of Vehicle |
KR102533294B1 (en) * | 2017-08-22 | 2023-05-18 | 현대자동차주식회사 | High voltage connector |
KR101969996B1 (en) * | 2017-10-31 | 2019-04-18 | 주식회사 경신 | Connector for vehicle |
KR102106448B1 (en) * | 2017-12-11 | 2020-05-04 | 삼성에스디아이 주식회사 | Battery pack |
JP6981237B2 (en) * | 2017-12-22 | 2021-12-15 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | Vehicle charging system |
KR102536218B1 (en) * | 2017-12-28 | 2023-05-25 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Charging apparatus, server for managing charge and charging method |
KR102614172B1 (en) * | 2018-03-19 | 2023-12-14 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Connecting structure of connector |
-
2018
- 2018-10-10 KR KR1020180120658A patent/KR102635922B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2018-12-04 US US16/209,481 patent/US10622740B1/en active Active
- 2018-12-04 EP EP18210050.3A patent/EP3637561B1/en active Active
- 2018-12-11 CN CN201811509653.7A patent/CN111038241A/en active Pending
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EP3637561A1 (en) | 2020-04-15 |
US10622740B1 (en) | 2020-04-14 |
KR20200040971A (en) | 2020-04-21 |
KR102635922B1 (en) | 2024-02-13 |
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