ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SYSTEM, AN ELECTRICAL DEVICE COMPRISING THE SAME AND A METHOD FOR UNMATING THE SAME

• US 20110171843A1
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FCI Automotive Holding
• Inventors: Schmidt, Rainer, Pabst, Thomas, Trancart, Stephane, Casses, Claude, Cappe, Patrice
• Granted Patent: US 8,192,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/188
• 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 13/62927 Comprising supplementary or additional locking means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7038 making use of a remote controlled switch, e.g. relais, solid state switch activated by the engagement of the coupling parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for unmating an electrical connector assembly wherein the movement for unmating the first and second connectors is temporarily blocked after interlocking contacts are disconnected and before the power contacts are disconnected. The invention also relates to a connector system and a connector assembly offering such functions.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. Method for unmating an electrical connector assembly comprising a first connector accommodating a first power contact, a second connector accommodating a second power contact, a first interlocking contact and a second interlocking contact accommodated in the first connector or in the second connector, the connection of the interlocking contacts being intended to close a power switch and the disconnection of the interlocking contacts being intended to open a power switch, for respectively connecting or disconnecting an electrical power source to the power contacts,

wherein the first and second connectors are unmated along a mating axis,

wherein the movement for unmating the first and second connectors is temporarily blocked after interlocking contacts are disconnected and before the power contacts are disconnected

33. Method according to claim 32, wherein unblocking means are actuated for unblocking the unmating movement so as to disconnect the power contacts after the first and second connectors has been temporarily blocked during the unmating movement and after interlocking contacts are disconnected.

34. Method according to claim 33, wherein the unblocking means unblocks a slider having a tubular shape along the mating axis and the unblocking means comprises a button hinged relatively to the slider and adapted to be pushed along a direction perpendicular to the mating axis.

35. Method according to claim 34, wherein the slider is blocked in the mated position of the first and second connectors by blocking means which are located on the slider at a different location from the unbloking means.

36. Method according to claim 32,

wherein the first and second connectors are designed to be mated through a unique plugging movement along a mating axis (XX′

) and unmated along the same mating axis, this unique plugging movement comprising a first and second plugging movement portions,

and wherein,

on the first plugging movement portion, the first and second power contacts are in an electrical connection state chosen amongst an electrically connected state and an electrically disconnected state, while the first and second interlocking contacts are not electrically connected,

on the second plugging movement portion, the first and second power contacts are electrically connected, while the first and second interlocking contacts are also electrically connected.

37. Method according to claim 36, wherein a third plugging movement portion is intercalated between the first and second plugging portions, the first, second and third plugging movement portions forming the unique plugging movement along the mating axis (XX′

), and wherein safety means ensures that the first and second power contacts are electrically connected, while the first and second interlocking contacts are not electrically connected.

38. Electrical connector assembly comprising a first connector accommodating a first power contact, and a second connector accommodating a second power contact, the first and second connectors being able to mate and unmate along a mating axis (XX′

), in order to connect and disconnect the first and second power contacts,

a first interlocking contact and a second interlocking contact accommodated in the first connector or in the second connector, the connection of the interlocking contacts being designed to close a power switch and the disconnection of the interlocking contacts being intended to open a power switch, for respectively connecting or disconnecting an electrical power source to the power contacts,

blocking, respectively unblocking, means so as to block temporarily blocked after interlocking contacts are disconnected and before the power contacts are disconnected during the unmating movement of the first and second connectors.

39. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 38, comprising unblocking means that can be actuated for unblocking the unmating movement so as to disconnect the power contacts after the first and second connectors has been temporarily blocked during the unmating movement and after interlocking contacts are disconnected.

40. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 39, wherein the unblocking means comprises an unblocking element actionable by an operator with a movement that is different from a translation along the mating axis (XX′

) away from the first connector.

41. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 38, comprising a slider having a tubular shape along the mating axis and the unblocking means comprises a button hinged relatively to the slider and adapted to be pushed along a direction perpendicular to the mating axis for unblocking the slider.

42. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 41, wherein the slider is blocked in the mated position of the first and second connectors by blocking means which are located on the slider at a different location from the unblocking means, so that the unblocking means is actionable by an operator with a movement that is different from a translation along the mating axis (XX′

) away from the first connector.

43. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 38, wherein the first connector comprises a first stop, and the second connector comprises a second stop, the first and second stops being aligned along the mating axis (XX′

) so as to prevent unmating of the first and second connectors.

44. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 43, wherein the second connector comprises shifting means for shifting the second stop with respect to the first stop, transversally with respect to the mating axis (XX′

), and blocking means for blocking the shifting means in a blocked position in which the first and second stops are aligned.

45. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 44,

wherein the second connector comprises a body delimitating an accommodating chamber for the second power contact, and a slider intended to slide along the mating axis (XX′

) with respect to the body away from the first connector, the slider comprising a third stop,

wherein the shifting means comprise the slider and the blocking means comprise the third stop and a fourth stop, the third and fourth stops being aligned with each other along the mating axis (XX′

) so as to block, in the blocked position, the sliding of the slider,

wherein the unblocking means are intended to shift the third and fourth stops with respect to each other transversally with respect to the mating axis (XX′

).

46. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 45,

wherein the unblocking means comprise a flexible arm, on which the fourth stop is fixed,

wherein the button is intended to push the flexible arm so as to shift the fourth stop with respect to the third stop.

47. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 38,

wherein the first and second connectors are designed to be mated through a unique plugging movement along a mating axis (XX′

) and unmated along the same mating axis, this unique plugging movement comprising a first and second plugging movement portions,

and wherein,

on the first plugging movement portion, the first and second power contacts are in an electrical connection state chosen amongst an electrically connected state and an electrically disconnected state, while the first and second interlocking contacts are not electrically connected,

on the second plugging movement portion, the first and second power contacts are electrically connected, while the first and second interlocking contacts are also electrically connected.

48. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 47, comprising connecting means for connecting the two interlock contacts with each other on the third plugging movement portion.

49. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 48, wherein the connecting means comprises, in the second connector, a first resilient arm intended to come into contact with the first interlock contact,

wherein the first interlock contact comprises a front end towards the second connector, and

wherein the first connector comprises first separating means for moving the first resilient arm away from the first interlock contact on the third plugging movement portion.

50. Electrical connector according to claim 49, wherein the first separating means comprises a first lug located along the front end.

51. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 48,

wherein the first connector comprises the second interlock contact, and

wherein the connecting means comprise, in the second connector, a shorting element for connecting the two interlock contacts with each other.

52. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 48,

wherein connecting means comprises a shorting element with a central portion connecting two resilient arms, and

wherein the central portion and the two resilient arms are integral and made in one single piece.

53. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 38, comprising a connector, a corresponding counter connector and locking means to lock connector and counter-connector with each other, which locking means comprises an actuating means for the release of the locking of connector and counter-connector, wherein the locking means further comprises:

first and second locking members designed to engage locking means assigned to the actuating means, whereby the first locking member is designed to interact with the locking means to lock connector and counter-connector in a first locking position and the second locking member is designed to interact with the locking means to lock connector and counter-connector in a second position, wherein upon actuating of the actuating means the locking between connector and counter-connector can be released to move connector and counter-connector from the first to the second locking position and from the second to an unlocked position, and in that

the locking means is released from the second position to the unlocked position upon further actuation of the actuating means.

54. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 53, wherein said further actuation of the actuating means corresponds to the release of the actuating means.

55. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 53, comprising guiding means designed to move the actuating means into its initial position upon movement of the connector out of the first locking position, so that the second locking member interacts with said locking means assigned to the actuating means to lock connector and counter-connector in said second position.

56. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 55, wherein upon movement of the connector out of the first locking position, the guiding means engages a part of the actuating means and forces it into its non-actuated position, so that upon reaching the second locking position the locking element assigned to the actuating means interacts with the second locking member to prevent a further movement of connector and counter-connector into a fully un-mated condition.

57. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 53, wherein the first locking position is spaced from the second position in the mating direction of connector and counter-connector.

58. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 57, wherein the actuating means is an actuating arm being attached to one of connector or counter-connector and the locking members are protrusions provided on the respective other of connector or counter-connector.

59. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 58, wherein the actuating arm is attached to the connector so that it can be moved from an actuated position in which the first, respectively the second, locking members and the locking means are released and an initial position in which the first, respectively the second, locking members and the locking means are engaged and lock connector and counter-connector with each other.

60. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 53, wherein the connector and counter-connector are provided with latching means.

61. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 60, wherein upon movement of the connector and counter-connector from the first to the second locking position the latching means are released.

62. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 53, wherein power contacts are designed to be in contact with each other in the first and the second locking position of connector and counter-connector.

63. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 53, wherein the interlock contacts are adapted to detect the movement of the connector out of the first locking position into the second locking position.

64. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 53, wherein the connector is a service plug for an electrical power circuit of a passenger vehicle, comprising a housing and two electrical contact terminals being arranged inside a housing and electrically coupled with each other inside of the housing, and the counter-connector is a corresponding service socket comprising two electrical power lines which in the coupled condition of service plug and socket are electrically connected by means of the service plug and which are electrically disconnected in the un-coupled condition of the service plug.