CABLE CONNECTOR

• US 20140220808A1
• Filed: 06/04/2012
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Fuehrer, Thomas, Seelig, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 9,331,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/345
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6272 comprising a single latching arm
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6278 comprising a pin snapping into a recess
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6392 for extension cord
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The subject matter of the invention is a cable connector (1) for electrically connecting an electric vehicle to a charging apparatus, wherein the cable connector (1) is designed to form an electric connection to a device connector (2) associated with the electric vehicle or the charging apparatus, the cable connector (1) has a latching means (4) which is designed in such a manner that a pair of cable connectors (1) and device connectors (2) connected to each other can be latched to each other by means of the latching means (4), and the cable connector (1) has a counter-contour (10) which is designed in such a manner that a locking means (8) associated with the device connector (2) for locking the latching means (4) against being unlatched can be prevented from being unlocked by the counter-contour (10).

Claims

1. A cable connector for electrically connecting an electric vehicle to a charging apparatus, wherein

the cable connector is designed to produce an electrical connection to a device connector associated with the electric vehicle or the charging apparatus,

the cable connector has a latching means designed in such a way that a pair of interconnected cable connectors and device connectors can be latched to one another by means of the latching means, and

the cable connector has a mating contour designed in such a way that a locking means associated with the device connector for locking the latching means against being unlatched can be prevented from being unlocked by the mating contour.

2. The cable connector according to claim 1, wherein the mating contour is designed in such a way that the locking means for locking the latching means can be introduced at least in part into the mating contour, and/or, when the locking means locks the latching means, the mating contour surrounds the locking means and bears thereagainst at least in part.

3. The cable connector according to claim 1, wherein the latching means is arranged and designed pivotably on the cable connector for latching and unlatching and is acted on by spring force, in such a way that the latching means is biased into its latching position on account of the spring force.

4. A plug-in connector arrangement comprising a cable connector according to claim 1 and a device connector wherein

the device connector has a latching recess for latching of the latching means

the device connector comprises the locking means, and the locking means for locking and unlocking the latching means is movable axially in the plug-in direction of the connectors.

5. The plug-in connector arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the cable connector has a cable connector housing and the device connector has a device connector housing, the mating contour is arranged on the cable connector housing and the cable connector housing and the device connector housing are designed in such a way and the locking means is arranged in such a way that, when the cable connector is connected to the device connector, the locking means in its locking position is arranged only within the cable connector housing and the device connector housing.

6. The plug-in connector arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the cable connector has a cable connector housing and the device connector has a device connector housing, the mating contour is arranged on the cable connector housing, and the cable connector is connectable to the device connector in such a way that, when the cable connector is connected to the device connector, a gap of ≦

2 mm, preferably ≦

1 mm, and most preferably ≦

0.5 mm, is formed between the mating contour and the device connector.

7. The plug-in connector arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the locking means is designed as a locking pin.

8. The plug-in connector arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the locking means and the mating contour each have a contour corresponding to one another.

9. The plug-in connector arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the device connector has an actuator, which is controllable by an electrical pulse, for actuating the locking means, and the device connector has a power source for generating the electrical pulse.