This disclosure relates generally to connectors for fastening together two parts to convey power and, more particularly, to connectors for fastening a bus bar to another bus bar or other electrical component.
Bus bars are commonly used to provide power to electrical and electronic components. Conventionally, a bus bar is a bar composed of a conductive metal, such as copper or a copper alloy, and is relatively wide and thick to better conduct electric current. Due to its composition, thickness and configuration, a bus bar is difficult to establish a secure electrical connection to. Typically, connections are made using large, complicated connectors that require numerous openings to be formed in the bus bar. Moreover, such connectors do not readily accommodate different orientations of the bus bar and the component it is being connected to. As such, it would be desirable to have a bus bar connector that is compact and permits a bus bar and another electrical components to be connected together in different orientations. The present disclosure is directed to such a bus bar connector and a method of using the same to make electrical connections.
In accordance with the disclosure, a connector is provided for connecting a bus bar to an electrical component. The connector assembly includes an electrically conductive housing defining an inner cavity. One or more canted coil contacts are partially disposed within the inner cavity and protrude therefrom so as to be partially disposed outside the housing. The one or more canted coils are electrically connected to the housing. A first end portion of an electrically conductive, flexible bridge is connected to the housing. A second end portion of the bridge is configured for connection to the electrical component. A holding apparatus releasably holds the housing against the bus bar such that the one or more coil contacts are pressed against the bus bar to make an electrical connection therewith.
The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
It should be noted that in the detailed description that follows, identical components have the same reference numerals, regardless of whether they are shown in different embodiments of the present disclosure. It should also be noted that for purposes of clarity and conciseness, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features of the disclosure may be shown in somewhat schematic form.
Spatially relative terms, such as “top”, “bottom”, “lower”, “above”, “upper”, and the like, are used herein merely for ease of description to describe one element or feature’s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as they are illustrated in (a) drawing figure(s) being referred to. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are not meant to be limiting and are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings.
Referring now to
The first and second bus bars 12, 14 are elongated, have a generally rectangular cross-section and may be constructed from a conductive metal, such as copper or a copper alloy, which may or may not be plated with another metal, such as tin or nickel. An area 29 of the first bus bar 12 may be plated (such as with silver) or otherwise conditioned to provide a good electrical contact surface. A hole 30 is formed in the first bus bar 12, proximate to the area 29, while notches 33 are formed in a front edge of the first bus bar 12.
The second bus bar 14 has a connection end 32 that is configured to enmesh or interlock with a first end portion 34 of the bridge 26. More specifically, the connection end 32 has crenellations or teeth that comprise a series of alternating tabs and grooves that enmesh with a corresponding series of alternating tabs and grooves (i.e., teeth) formed in the first end portion 34 to thereby form an edge-to-edge connection between the second bus bar 14 and the bridge 26. The enmeshed connection end 32 and first end portion 34 may be secured together by welding, such as laser welding, ultrasonic welding or resistance welding.
Instead of having an edge-to-edge connection, the bridge 26 and the second bus bar 14 may be connected together with a simple lap joint, wherein a portion of the bridge 26 overlaps the second bus bar 14 (or vice versa) and is welded thereto.
In addition to the first end portion 34, the bridge 26 includes a second end portion 40, which has crenellations or teeth that comprise a series of alternating tabs and grooves. A flexible portion 42 is joined between the first and second end portions 34, 40. The flexible portion 42 may be a strap or cable of braided wire comprised of a conductive metal, such as copper or a copper alloy, which may or may not be plated with another metal, such as tin or nickel. The first and second end portions 34, 40 may be separate components secured to ends of the flexible portion 42, or they may be formed from the flexible portion 42. More specifically, ends of a length of braided cable may be compressed into solid structures, which are then stamped to produce teeth, thereby forming the first and second end portions 34, 40. In such a manner, the bridge 26 may be a single-piece structure formed from a length of braided cable. The flexibility of the bridge 26 enables a connection to be made between two rigid assemblies that accommodates a degree of positional error (in roll, pitch and yaw) between the assemblies without affecting the proper seating of the assemblies.
The second end portion 40 of the bridge 26 is configured to enmesh or interlock with an edge portion 46 of a housing 48 of the contact assembly 28. More specifically, the teeth of the second end portion 40 enmesh with a corresponding series of alternating tabs and grooves (i.e., teeth) formed in the edge portion 46 of the housing 48, to thereby form an edge-to-edge connection between the bridge 26 and the housing 48. In this manner, the housing 48 is electrically and mechanically connected to the second bus bar 14 by the bridge 26.
Instead of having an edge-to-edge connection, the bridge 26 and the housing 48 may be connected together with a simple lap joint, wherein a portion of the bridge 26 overlaps the housing 48 (or vice versa) and is welded thereto.
Referring now to
In addition to the housing 48, the contact assembly 28 includes a plurality of coil contacts 66 mounted in a holding frame 68. The coil contacts 66 are formed from copper or, more preferably, a copper alloy, such as C18080, which is an alloy of copper, chromium, silicon, titanium, silver and iron. Another suitable copper alloy is C151, which is an alloy of copper and zirconium. The coil contacts 66 are pre-loaded and canted in an axial direction. The holding frame 68 is planar and has a plurality of slots 70 formed therein. The coil contacts 66 are trapped within the slots 70 so as to be secured within the housing 48. The holding frame 68, with the coil contacts 66 mounted thereto, is disposed on the shelf 62 of the guide 54. The holding frame 68 may be secured to the shelf 62, such as by press-fit or welding. With the holding frame 68 so positioned, top portions of the coil contacts 66 are disposed in the holding cavity 56 and are pressed against an interior surface of the housing 48, thereby making an electrical connection therewith. The stops 64 project inward, toward ends of the coil contacts 66, and are in engagement therewith. The stops 64 help maintain the canted configuration of the coil contacts 66, respectively.
In some embodiments, the contact assembly 28 may further include the sealing gasket 60. As set forth above, the sealing gasket 60 is secured within the groove 58 and is disposed around the holding frame 68 with the coil contacts 66. The sealing gasket 60 may have a ribbed construction and may be comprised of silicone rubber or another type of water-resistant elastomer. As will be described more fully below, the seal 68 is used to form a seal with the first bus bar 12 when the contact assembly 28 is pressed into engagement with the first bus bar 12 by the upper and lower brackets 22, 24. In some embodiments, the sealing gasket 60 may not be necessary and may not be included in the contact assembly 28.
The upper bracket 22 may be formed from heat-treated steel or other structural material. The steel may be provided with a zinc chromate, nickel or other protective finish. The upper bracket 22 is channel-shaped and includes a base 80 joined between a pair of outwardly-extending arms 82. Toward free ends of the arms 82, first engagement structures 84 may be formed in the arms 82, respectively. Each engagement structure 84 includes a series of openings with inwardly slanting tabs disposed therein. The engagement structures 84 are configured to interlock with second engagement structures 86 that may be formed in the lower bracket 24.
The lower bracket 24 may also be formed from heat-treated steel provided with a protective finish. The lower bracket 24 includes a base plate 88 having a pair of side flanges 90 joined to opposing side edges thereof. A pair of L-shaped front tabs 92 are joined to a front edge of the base plate 88, while an L-shaped rear tab 94 is joined to a rear edge of the base plate 88. The side flanges 90 include the second engagement structures 86, respectively. Each second engagement structure 86 includes a series of openings with inwardly slanting tabs disposed therein.
Referring back to
With the lower bracket 24 secured to the first bus bar 12 and the upper bracket 22 and the contact assembly 28 secured to the second bus bar 14, the two assemblies are then aligned with each other such that the anchor pin 51 of the housing 48 is aligned with the hole 30 in the first bus bar 12 and the coil contacts 66 protruding downward from the housing 48 are aligned with the area 29 on the first bus bar 12. The two assemblies are then pressed together to insert the anchor pin 51 in the hole 30 and to press the upper bracket 22 into engagement with the lower bracket 24 such that the engagement structures 84 in the upper bracket 22 interlock with the second engagement structures 86 in the lower bracket 24, thereby mechanically securing together the first and second bus bars 12, 14. When the two assemblies are secured together as described above, lower portions of the coil contacts 66 are compressed against the area 29, thereby making a good electrical connection between the coil contacts 66 and the first bus bar 12. Since the coil contacts 66 are electrically connected to the second bus bar 14 through the housing 48, the first and second bus bars 12, 14 are also electrically connected together when the two assemblies are mechanically secured together using the upper and lower brackets 22, 24.
With the first and second bus bars 12, 14 connected together as described above, the flexibility of the bridge 26 allows the first and second bus bars 12, 14 to be mounted in correct positions, even though there may be a misalignment between the two positions in terms of roll, pitch and/or yaw.
As described above, the upper and lower brackets 22, 24 function as a clamping assembly for releasably holding the housing 48 against the first bus bar 12 such that the coil contacts 66 are pressed against the first bus bar 12 to make an electrical connection therewith. More specifically, the upper bracket 22 is configured to act as a stiff spring that is strong enough to overcome the forces from the coil contacts 66 and the sealing gasket 60, while taking up the stacked thickness tolerances of the rigid components inside, e.g. the first and second bus bars 12, 14. When the housing 48 is held against the first bus bar 12 in this manner, the sealing gasket 60 is also pressed against the first bus bar 12, thereby forming a seal around the periphery of the holding cavity 56 and the coil contacts 66 disposed therein. The seal prevents the ingress of water into holding cavity 56 and into contact with the coil contacts 66.
In order to protect against electric shock during assembly and/or service, the touch guard 104 may be provided for covering the connector assembly 20, as shown in
Referring now to
As shown best in
The track bracket 212 may be mounted to the first bus bar 12 by placing a lower surface of the first bus bar 12 onto the base 220 such that the rear tab 230 of the track bracket 212 partially extends into the hole 30 of the first bus bar 12 and the front tabs 226 extend through the notches 33 of the first bus bar 12. With the track bracket 212 so mounted, first and second track structures 222, 224 are disposed on opposing sides of the first bus bar 12, with the open ends of the track slots 236 facing forward, toward the front of the first bus bar 12.
The housing 218 has the same construction as the housing 48, except the housing 218 does not have the projection 50 with the anchor pin 51. In addition, the housing 218 has a pair of first lugs 240 and a pair of second lugs 242 extending therefrom. More specifically, a first lug 240 and a second lug 242 are joined to each side of the housing 48 in a spaced-apart manner and extend laterally outward therefrom. The first lugs 240 are disposed proximate to the posterior end of the housing 218, opposite to the edge portion 46, while the second lugs 242 are disposed proximate to the edge portion 46. As best shown in
The housing 218 (mounted to the second bus bar 14) is connected to the track bracket 212 (mounted to the first bus bar 12) by aligning the posterior of the housing 218 with the front of the track bracket 212 such that the first lugs 240 are laterally aligned with spaces 250 between the first track structures 222 and the first bus bar 12 and are at the level of the openings to the track slots 236. The housing 218 and the track bracket 212 are brought together such that the first lugs 240 pass through the spaces 250 and enter the track slots 236 in the second track structures 224 and the second lugs 242 enter the track slots 236 in the first track structures 222. As the first and second lugs 240, 242 move through the track slots 236, they engage the interior edges 238 and are guided downward, which moves the housing 218 and the coil contacts 66 downward, toward the first bus bar 12. When the first and second lugs 240, 242 abut the closed ends of the track slots 236, lower portions of the coil contacts 66 are pressed against the area 29, thereby making a good electrical connection between the coil contacts 66 and the first bus bar 12.
Although not shown, a touch guard may be provided for covering the connector assembly 208. The touch guard may have substantially the same construction as the touch guard 104, except the center section may be configured differently to accommodate the track bracket 212, instead of the upper and lower brackets 22, 24.
It should be appreciated that instead of being used to connect together the first and second bus bars 12, 14, the connector assemblies 20, 208 may each be used to connect the first bus bar 12 to another electrical component. For example, as shown in
The terminal assembly 260 includes a mounting plate 264 and a threaded bolt 266. The mounting plate 264 has a hole 268 extending therethrough and a slot 270 disposed below the hole 268. The bolt 266 extends through the hole 268, with a head of the bolt 266 abutting an inner surface of the mounting plate 264. A threaded body of the bolt 266 projects outwardly from an outer surface of the mounting plate 264. The bolt 266 may be secured within the hole 268 by a threaded coupling between the bolt 266 and an interior edge of the plate 264 and/or by welding. The first end portion 34′ of the bridge 26′ is disposed in the slot 270 and is secured therein by press-fit and/or welding.
The bolt 266 may function as a power terminal, which, by way of example, may be used for connection to a lug of an insulated cable.
The connector assembly 20, 208 of the present disclosure provides a number of benefits over traditional bus bar connector assemblies. The connector assembly 20, 208 has a small foot print, but can accommodate high current. In addition, the connector assembly 20, 208 can be facilely operated to repeatedly connect and disconnect electrical components. Moreover, the flexible bridge 26 permits connections to be made between electrical components in different orientations. The sealing gasket 60 enables a water proof connection to be made between the connector assembly 20, 208 and an electrical component (e.g. first bus bar 12). The edge-to-edge connection of the bridge 26 to the housing 48, 218 and to an electrical component (such as the second bus bar 14) forms a low profile connection between the connector assembly 20, 208 and the electrical component, which is desirable for many applications. For example, the low profile connection facilitates the mounting of a sleeve over the the connector assembly 20, 208 and the two electrical components, e.g., the first and second bus bars 14. The sleeve may be composed of electrical insulating material to insulate the connection. Moreover the sleeve may be water proof to facilitate the formation of a water proof connection between electrical components, e.g. the first and second bus bars 12, 14.
It is to be understood that the description of the foregoing exemplary embodiment(s) is (are) intended to be only illustrative, rather than exhaustive. Those of ordinary skill will be able to make certain additions, deletions, and/or modifications to the embodiment(s) of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the spirit of the disclosure or its scope.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.: 63/089,276 filed on 8 Oct. 2020, which is herein incorporated by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2021/052797 | 9/30/2021 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63089276 | Oct 2020 | US |