CHARGING CONNECTOR, TERMINAL FITTING AND METHOD OF FIXING A SENSOR TO A TERMINAL FITTING

• US 20190036278A1
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Published: 01/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: SHIMIZU, Tooru, SCHMIDT, Heiko
• Granted Patent: US 10,644,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/72 using a heat shrinking insulating sleeve

Abstract

A charging connector for charging a battery installed in a vehicle includes a housing (51) with at least one accommodating chamber (64a) for at least partly accommodating at least one terminal fitting (10), and at least one sensor (S) mounted to at least one terminal fitting (10) by a shrinking tube (20). A corresponding method and a corresponding terminal fitting (10) also are provided.

Claims

1. A charging connector for charging a battery installed in a vehicle comprising:

a housing (51) comprising at least one accommodating chamber (64a) for at least partly accommodating at least one terminal fitting (10), and

at least one sensor (S) mounted to at least one terminal fitting (10) wherein said sensor (S) is placed into a mounting bracket (30), sleeve (40) or clamp (50;

54) which is/can be prefixed to an outer surface of the terminal fitting (10) and the sensor (S) is then mounted and affixed to the terminal fitting (10) by means of at least one shrinking tube (20).

2. The charging connector of claim 1, further comprising at least one thermal coupling member (30;

40;

50;

52;

54) for mounting said sensor (S) to the terminal fitting (10).

3. The charging connector of claim 2, wherein the thermal coupling member (30;

40;

50;

52;

54) comprises at least one of said sleeve (40), said mounting bracket (30) and said clamp (50;

52;

54), and/or wherein the thermal coupling member (30;

40;

50;

52;

54) having said sensor (S) being at least partly arranged therein is fixed to the terminal fitting (10) by the at least one shrinking tube (20).

4. The charging connector of claim 3, wherein the thermal coupling member (30;

40;

50;

52;

54) is made of a material having a good thermal conductivity.

13. The charging connector of claim 1, wherein the sensor (S) is a temperature sensor such as a NTC sensor or a PTC sensor or a PT sensor.

14. The charging connector of claim 13, wherein the temperature sensor (S) is an NTC sensor, a PTC sensor or a PT sensor.

5. A method of fixing a sensor to a terminal fitting comprising the steps of:

placing the sensor (S) into a mounting bracket (30), sleeve (40) or clamp (50;

54),

prefixing said mounting bracket (30), sleeve (40) or clamp (50;

54) to an outer surface of the terminal fitting (10),

placing at least one shrinking tube (20) over said outer surface, and

heating said shrinking tube (20) so as to fix the sensor (S) on the outer surface of the terminal fitting (10).

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of thermally coupling the sensor (S) to the terminal fitting (10) by means of a thermal coupling member (30;

40;

50;

52;

54), particularly by placing said sensor (S) in the thermal coupling member (30;

40;

50;

52;

54) before placing it on the outer surface of the terminal fitting (10).

7. A terminal fitting comprising:

a wire connection portion (12) to be connected with a wire (W),

a connecting part (14) to be connected with a mating terminal fitting, and

a sensor (S) mounted on an outer surface of the terminal fitting (10) by means of a mounting bracket (30), sleeve (40) or clamp (50;

54), and at least one shrinking tube (20).

8. The terminal fitting of claim 7, further comprising at least one thermal coupling member (30;

40;

50;

52;

54) for mounting said sensor (S) to the terminal fitting (10).

9. The terminal fitting of claim 7, wherein said sensor (S) is placed at least partly onto an outer surface of the wire connection portion (12).

10. The terminal fitting of claim 7, further comprising a groove (12a) in said wire connection portion (12), said groove (12a) extending substantially along an axial direction of the terminal fitting (10).

11. The terminal fitting of claim 7, wherein the sensor (S) is a temperature sensor.

12. The terminal fitting of claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor (S) is an NTC sensor, a PTC sensor or a PT sensor.