Dual compressive connector

• US 8,303,349 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Solaredge Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Shmukler, Vadim, Gershman, Israel
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsukerman, Larisa
• Application Number:
  US12/785,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20100297860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 439/439, 439786-788, 439/835, 439/724
• US Class Current: 439/724
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02002 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the device in operations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0201 comprising specially adapted module bus-bar structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2414 conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2435 with opposite contact points, e.g. C beam
• 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: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

An electrical connector for electrically connecting multiple photovoltaic bus bars. A casing includes first and second opposing walls. An elastic strip is bent into a bent elastic strip with a first leg and a second leg. The bent elastic strip is disposed between the first and second walls of the casing with the first leg pressing against the first wall and the second leg pressing against the second wall. The bent elastic strip is configured to hold at least one of the photovoltaic bus bars between the first leg and the first wall and another of the photovoltaic bus bars between the second leg and the second wall. The bent elastic strip may be formed of resilient spring metal with a thickness and an elastic modulus. The thickness and/or the elastic modulus of the elastic strip is/are configured so that the bus bars are inserted without requiring a tool to open a space and so that the bus bars are removed from the connector without requiring a tool to break the electrical connection.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic bus bars, the electrical connector comprising:

a casing including first and second opposing walls; and

a bent elastic strip including a first leg and a second leg,

wherein said bent elastic strip is disposed between said first and second walls of said casing with said first leg pressing against said first wall and said second leg pressing against said second wall,

wherein said bent plastic elastic strip is configured to hold a first photovoltaic bus bar between said first leg and said first wall, and to hold a second photovoltaic bus bar between said second leg and said second wall;

wherein a portion of the second leg is slotted longitudinally to form a third leg,

wherein said third leg is configured to hold a third bus bar between the third leg and the second wall,

wherein the electrical connector is configured to individually connect said first bus bar, said second bus bar, and said third bus bar to said casing by individually receiving one or more of the first bus bar, the second bus bar, and the third bus bar without releasing any connected bus bars.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said bent elastic strip is formed of resilient spring metal comprising a thickness and an elastic modulus, wherein one or both of said thickness and the elastic modulus are configured to allow insertion of one or more of the first bus bar, the second bus bar, and the third bus bar without requiring a tool to open a space between one or more of said first leg and said first wall, said second leg and said second wall, and the third leg and the second wall.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said bent elastic strip is formed of resilient spring metal comprising a thickness and an elastic modulus, wherein one or both of said thickness and elastic modulus are configured to allow removal of one or more of the first bus bar, the second bus bar, and the third bus bar from the electrical connector without requiring a tool.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises one or more holes, and wherein one or more of the first leg, the second leg, and the third leg comprise a respective protrusion configured to be respectively inserted into a respective one of the one or more holes.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said first bus bar and said second bus bar are held longitudinally from the same direction.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said bent elastic strip includes a single bend.

7. An electrical connector for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic bus bars, the electrical connector comprising:

a casing including first and second opposing walls; and

a plurality of bent elastic strips each having a first leg and a second leg, wherein said bent elastic strips are disposed between said first and second opposing walls of said casing with said first leg of a first of said bent elastic strips pressing against said first opposing wall and said second leg of a last bent elastic strip pressing against said second opposing wall and intermediary first and second legs of adjacent ones of the bent elastic strips pressing on each other,

wherein said bent elastic strips are adapted for holding at least one of the photovoltaic bus bars between said intermediary first said second legs and for holding another at least one of the photovoltaic bus bars between said first leg of the first of said elastic strips and said first opposing wall or between said second leg of the last bent elastic strip and said second opposing wall.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein said bent elastic strips are formed of resilient spring metal respectively comprising a respective thickness and a respective elastic modulus, wherein at least one of said respective thickness and said respective elastic modulus of said bent elastic strips are configured to allow insertion of said bus bars without requiring a tool to open a space between one or more of said intermediary legs, between said first leg of the first of said elastic strips and said first opposing wall, and between said second leg of the last bent elastic strip and said second wall.

9. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein said bent elastic strips are formed of resilient spring metal respectively comprising a respective thickness and a respective elastic modulus, wherein at least one of said respective thickness and said respective elastic modulus of said bent elastic strips are configured such that a tool is not required to break a respective electrical connection between one of the photovoltaic bus bars and the connector, wherein breaking the respective electrical connection comprises respectively pulling on the one bus bar to release the one bus bar from said electrical connector.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a casing including first and second opposing walls; and

an elastic strip including a first leg pressing against the first wall, a second leg pressing against the second wall, and a third leg pressing against the second wall, and configured to hold a first photovoltaic bus bar between the first leg and said first wall, to hold a second photovoltaic bus bar between the second leg and the second wall, and to hold a third photovoltaic bus bar between the third leg and the second wall;

said apparatus configured to individually connect said first bus bar, said second bus bar, and said third bus bar to said casing by receiving one or more of the first bus bar, the second bus bar, or the third bus bar without releasing connected bus bars.