Electrical connector assembly

• US 20070287322A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Antaya Technologies Corporation (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Antaya Technologies Corporation (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Machado, Manuel, Sullivan, Simon, Antaya, Stephen, Scherer, Mathew
• Granted Patent: US 7,662,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/395
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02008 for solar cells or solar cell modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/111 co-operating with pins having a circular transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5202 Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5213 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5216 characterised by the sealing material, e.g. gels or resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6641 with diode with LED H01R13/7175
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/34 comprising specially adapted electrical connection means to be structurally associated with the PV module, e.g. junction boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/061 sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly including a mounting ring having an interior region, a sealing surface at one axial end for securing to a surface, and a securement rim at an opposite axial end. A connector body having engagement surfaces can engage and seal to the mounting ring. The connector body can include electrical terminals extending into the interior region of the mounting ring for engaging mating electrical terminals.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a mounting ring having an interior region, a sealing surface at one axial end for securing to a surface, and a securement rim at an opposite axial end; and

a connector body having engagement surfaces for engaging and sealing to the mounting ring, the connector body including electrical terminals extending into the interior region of the mounting ring for engaging mating electrical terminals.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which the connector body engages and locks to the securement rim of the mounting ring.

3. The assembly of claim 2 in which the mounting ring includes an adhesive layer on the sealing surface.

4. The assembly of claim 3 in which the mounting ring engages a recess in the connector body.

5. The assembly of claim 4 in which the connector body includes an adhesive layer.

6. The assembly of claim 5 in which the electrical terminals comprise at least four female electrical terminals with circular resilient sockets.

7. The assembly of claim 6 in which the female electrical terminals are electrically connected in electrical circuitry including bypass circuitry.

8. The assembly of claim 7 in which the electrical circuitry includes diodes.

9. The assembly of claim 7 further comprising a removable cover for providing access to the electrical circuitry.

10. The assembly of claim 1 in which the electrical terminals are electrically connected to cables extending from the connector body.

11. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a solar panel having an electrical connection region with protruding circular male terminals, the mounting ring being secured around the electrical connection region whereby the circular male terminals protrude into the interior region of the mounting ring for engagement with female electrical terminals of the connector body which have circular resilient sockets.

12. The assembly of claim 11 further comprising laminating material applied to surround the mounting ring, the mounting ring blocking entry of the laminating material into the electrical connection region.

13. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

an electrical connector body; and

female electrical terminals with circular resilient sockets contained within the body, the circular resilient sockets being positioned along an electrical engagement face of the body, the electrical engagement face having a planar sealing surface surrounding the circular resilient sockets for engaging a surface and sealing around the circular resilient sockets.

14. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising an adhesive layer on the planar sealing surface.

15. The assembly of claim 14 in which the female electrical terminals are electrically connected in electrical circuitry including bypass circuitry.

16. The assembly of claim 15 in which the electrical circuitry includes diodes.

17. The assembly of claim 15 in which the electrical terminals are electrically connected to a circuit board containing the electrical circuitry.

18. The assembly of claim 15 further comprising a removable cover for providing access to the electrical circuitry.

19. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising electrical cables electrically connected to the electrical terminals and extending from the connector body.

20. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising a solar panel having an electrical connection region with protruding circular male terminals for engagement with the circular resilient sockets of the female electrical terminals.

21. The assembly of claim 20 in which the solar panel includes laminating material, the connector body being positioned within a hole in the laminating material for engaging the circular male terminals, the circular male terminals being located at a bottom of the hole.

22. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

an enclosed housing having an openable access cover covering an access opening, and an electrical engagement face positioned on the housing opposite to the access opening, at least one electrical connection opening extending through the electrical engagement face;

an electrical connector board having electrical terminals secured thereon insertable within the housing through the access opening; and

a self-locking and alignment arrangement for locking the electrical connector board within the housing and aligning the electrical terminals with the at least one electrical connection opening of the electrical engagement face for engaging mating electrical terminals protruding through the at least one opening in the electrical engagement face.

23. The assembly of claim 22 further comprising an adhesive layer on the electrical engagement face surrounding the at least one opening for securing the housing to a surface.

24. The assembly of claim 22 further comprising a pressure relief valve on the housing for relieving pressure differences within the housing.

25. The assembly of claim 22 in which the electrical terminals on the electrical connector board are female electrical terminals with circular resilient sockets and the at least one electrical connection opening comprises a series of electrical connection openings, the circular resilient sockets being aligned with corresponding electrical connection openings.

26. The assembly of claim 25 in which the female electrical terminals are electrically connected in electrical circuitry including bypass circuitry.

27. The assembly of claim 26 in which the electrical circuitry includes diodes.

28. The assembly of claim 26 in which the electrical terminals are electrically connected to a circuit board containing the electrical circuitry.

29. The assembly of claim 25 in which the electrical terminals are mounted to the electrical connector board in alignment with visual alignment holes extending through the electrical connector board for allowing visual alignment of the circular resilient sockets with mating male electrical terminals.

30. The assembly of claim 22 in which the self-locking and alignment arrangement includes self-locking protrusions extending from the housing which engage corresponding locking holes in the electrical connector board.

31. The assembly of claim 25 further comprising a solar panel having an electrical connection region with protruding circular male terminals extending through corresponding electrical connection openings in the electrical engagement face for engagement with the circular resilient sockets of the female electrical terminals.

32. The assembly of claim 31 in which the solar panel includes laminating material, the housing being positioned within a hole in the laminating material for engaging the circular male terminals, the circular male terminals being located at a bottom of the hole.

33. A method of forming an electrical connection with an electrical connector assembly having a mounting ring and a connector body comprising:

securing the mounting ring to a surface, the mounting ring having an interior region, a sealing surface at one axial end for securing to the surface, and a securement rim at an opposite axial end; and

engaging and sealing engagement surfaces of the connector body to the mounting ring, the connector body including electrical terminals extending into the interior region of the mounting ring which engage mating electrical terminals protruding from the surface into the interior of the mounting ring.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising engaging and locking the connector body to the securement rim of the mounting ring.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising securing the mounting ring with an adhesive layer on the sealing surface.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising engaging the mounting ring in a recess in the connector body.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising providing the connector body with an adhesive layer.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising providing the electrical terminals with at least four female electrical terminals having circular resilient sockets.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising electrically connecting the female electrical terminals in electrical circuitry including bypass circuitry.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising providing the electrical circuitry with diodes.

41. The method of claim 39 further comprising providing access to the electrical circuitry with a removable cover.

42. The method of claim 33 further comprising electrically connecting the electrical terminals to cables extending from the connector body.

43. The method of claim 33 further comprising securing the mounting ring around an electrical connection region of a solar panel having circular male terminals protruding into the interior region of the mounting ring which engage female electrical terminals of the connector body which have circular resilient sockets.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising applying laminating material surrounding the mounting ring, the mounting ring blocking entry of the laminating material into the electrical connection region.

45. A method of forming an electrical connection with an electrical connector assembly comprising:

containing female electrical terminals with circular resilient sockets within an electrical connector body, the circular resilient sockets being positioned along an electrical engagement face of the body, the electrical engagement face having a planar sealing surface surrounding the circular resilient sockets; and

engaging the sealing surface of the electrical engagement face with a surface for sealing around the circular resilient sockets and for electrically engaging the circular resilient sockets with mating male circular terminals protruding from the surface.

46. The method of claim 45 further comprising securing the electrical engagement face with an adhesive layer on the planar sealing surface.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising electrically connecting the female electrical terminals in electrical circuitry including bypass circuitry.

48. The method of claim 47 further comprising providing the electrical circuitry with diodes.

49. The method of claim 47 further comprising electrically connecting the female electrical terminals to a circuit board containing the electrical circuitry.

50. The method of claim 47 further comprising providing access to the electrical circuitry with a removable cover.

51. The method of claim 45 further comprising electrically connecting the female electrical terminals to electrical cables extending from the connector body.

52. The method of claim 45 further comprising electrically connecting the electrical connector body to a solar panel having an electrical connection region at which the mating circular male terminals protrude from said surface.

53. The method of claim 52 in which the solar panel includes laminating material, the method further comprising positioning the connector body within a hole in the laminating material for engaging the circular male terminals, the circular male terminals being located at a bottom of the hole.

54. A method of forming an electrical connection with an electrical connector assembly comprising:

providing an enclosed housing having an openable access cover covering an access opening, and an electrical engagement face positioned on the housing opposite the access opening, at least one electrical connection opening extending through the electrical engagement face;

inserting an electrical connector board having electrical terminals secured thereon within the housing through the access opening; and

locking the electrical connector board within the housing and aligning the electrical terminals with the at least one electrical connection opening of the electrical engagement face with a self-locking and alignment arrangement to engage mating electrical terminals that protrude through the at least one electrical connection opening in the electrical engagement face.

55. The method of claim 54 further comprising securing the housing to a surface with an adhesive layer on the electrical engagement face surrounding the at least one electrical connection opening.

56. The method of claim 54 further comprising relieving pressure differences within the housing with a pressure relief valve.

57. The method of claim 54 in which the electrical terminals on the electrical connector board are female electrical terminals with circular resilient sockets, and the at least one electrical connection opening comprises a series of electrical connection openings, the method further comprising aligning the circular resilient sockets with corresponding electrical connection openings.

58. The method of claim 57 further comprising electrically connecting the female electrical terminals in electrical circuitry including bypass circuitry.

59. The method of claim 58 further comprising providing the electrical circuitry with diodes.

60. The method of claim 58 further comprising electrically connecting the female electrical terminals to a circuit board containing the electrical circuitry.

61. The method of claim 57 further comprising mounting the female electrical terminals to the electrical connector board in alignment with visual alignment holes extending through the electrical connector board for allowing visual alignment of the circular resilient sockets with mating male electrical terminals.

62. The method of claim 54 further comprising extending self-locking protrusions of the self-locking and alignment arrangement from the housing and engaging corresponding locking holes in the electrical connector board.

63. The method of claim 57 further comprising electrically connecting the housing to a solar panel having an electrical connection region at which the mating electrical terminals are circular male terminals protruding from a surface at the electrical connection region into respective electrical connection openings for engaging corresponding circular resilient sockets.

64. The method of claim 63 in which the solar panel includes laminating material, the method further comprising positioning the housing within a hole in the laminating material for engaging the circular male terminals, the circular male terminals being located at a bottom of the hole.