The present disclosure relates to electrical connectors, and, in particular, a connector system with a male terminal assembly with an internal spring member. The male terminal assembly has a shape that includes a curvilinear extent and meets strict industry performance standards and production requirements. The connector system also includes a female terminal assembly with a receiver that is configured to receive an extent of the male terminal assembly. The male and female terminal assemblies provide the connector system with high ampacity performance in a variety of installations and applications.
Over the past several decades, the number of electrical components used in automobiles, and other on-road and off-road vehicles such as pick-up trucks, commercial trucks, semi-trucks, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and sports utility vehicles (collectively “motor vehicles”) has increased dramatically. Electrical components are used in motor vehicles for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to, monitoring, improving and/or controlling vehicle performance, emissions, safety and creature comforts to the occupants of the motor vehicles. These electrical components are mechanically and electrically connected within the motor vehicle by conventional connector assemblies, which consist of an eyelet and a threaded fastener. Considerable time, resources, and energy have been expended to develop connector assemblies that meet the varied needs and complexities of the motor vehicles market, however, conventional connector assemblies suffer from a variety of shortcomings.
Motor vehicles are challenging electrical environments for both the electrical components and the connector assemblies due to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, space constraints that make initial installation difficult, harsh weather conditions, vibration, heat loads, and longevity, all of which can lead to component and/or connector failure. For example, incorrectly installed connectors, which typically occur in the assembly plant, and dislodged connectors, which typically occur in the field, are two significant failure modes for the electrical components and motor vehicles. Each of these failure modes lead to significant repair and warranty costs. For example, the combined annual accrual for warranty by all of the automotive manufacturers and their direct suppliers is estimated at between $50 billion and $150 billion, worldwide.
A more appropriate, a robust connector system must be impervious to harsh operating conditions, prolonged vibration and excessive heat, especially heat loads that accumulate “under the hood” of the vehicle. In order to create a robust solution, many companies have designed variations of spring-loaded connectors, which have a feature that retains the connector in place. Such spring-actuated connectors typically have some indication to show that they are fully inserted. Sometimes, the spring-actuated feature on the connector is made from plastic. Other times, the spring-actuated feature on the connector is fabricated from spring steel. Unfortunately, although the more recent connectors are an improvement over dated connectors using an eyelet and threaded connector, there are still far too many failures.
Part of the reason that conventional spring-actuated connector assemblies a prone to failing in motor vehicle applications is because of the design of the assembly—namely that the spring element, such as a tab, is located on the periphery of the connector. By placing the spring tab on the exterior surface of the connector, manufacturers attempt to make engagement of the assembly's components obvious to the worker assembling the part in the factory. Unfortunately, for both plastic and metal, the increased temperatures of an automotive environment make a peripheral spring prone to premature failure. It is not uncommon for the engine compartment of a motor vehicle to reach or exceed 100° C., with individual components of a motor vehicle engine reaching or exceeding 180° C. At 100° C., most plastics start to plasticize, reducing the retention force of the peripheral spring-actuated element. At 100° C., the thermal expansion of the spring steel will reduce the retention force of a peripheral spring-actuated connector. Also, with respect to spring-actuated features formed from spring steel is the effect of residual material memory inherent in the spring steel as the spring steel is thermally cycled on a repeated basis between high and low temperatures. After many temperature cycles, the spring steel will begin to return to its original, pre-formed shape, which reduces the spring-actuated element's retention force with other components of the connector system. This behavior makes the conventional connector system susceptible to vibration and failure, each of which significantly reduce the performance and reliability of conventional connectors. For these and many other reasons, the motor vehicle industry needs a more reliable connector system that is low-cost, vibration-resistant, temperature-resistant, and better overall electrical and mechanical performance.
There is clearly a market demand for a mechanically simple, lightweight, inexpensive, vibration-resistant, temperature-resistant, and robust electrical connector system with high ampacity for use in a power distribution system, such as those found in motor vehicles. The description provided in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because it is mentioned in or associated with the background section. The background section may include information that describes one or more aspects of the subject technology.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the connector system features high ampacity performance and includes a male connector assembly and a female connector assembly. Both the male and female connector assemblies have a housing and a terminal. The male terminal assembly is designed and configured to fit within the female terminal, which forms both a mechanical and electrical connection between these terminals. Specifically, the male terminal assembly includes an internal spring member, which is designed to interact with an extent of the male terminal to ensure that a proper connection is created between the male terminal and female terminal. The female terminal assembly includes a receiver that is configured to receive an extent of the male terminal assembly.
The male terminal assembly has a rearmost extent male terminal body, which includes a plurality of contact arms. A spring member is nested inside the male terminal body. The spring member resists inward deflection and applies outwardly directed force on the contact arms thereby creating a positive connection and retention force with the male terminal against and within the female terminal. Unlike other prior art connection systems, the connection between the male terminal and the female terminal become stronger when the connector system experiences elevated temperatures, thermal cycling and the application of electrical power, especially high current loads.
Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the attached drawings wherein like numerals designate like structures throughout the specification.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate disclosed embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings:
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present teachings may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and/or circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, without detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present teachings.
The Figures show a high ampacity connector system 100 designed to mechanically and electrically couple a power source (e.g., alternator or battery) to a device (e.g., radiator fan, heated seat, power distribution component, or another current drawing component). The high ampacity connector system 100 may be used in a power distribution system 10 installed in a variety of applications, including an airplane, motor vehicle, a military vehicle (e.g., tank, personnel carrier, heavy-duty truck, and troop transporter), a bus, a locomotive, a bulldozer, an excavator, a ship (e.g., yacht, pleasure boat, cargo carrier, naval military ship), a submarine, mining equipment, forestry equipment, agricultural equipment (e.g., tractor, cutters, planters, combines, threshers, harvesters), a battery pack, or a 24-48 volt system. Consistent and reliable operation of the power distribution components are essential to meet industry standards, production, and performance requirements of the power distribution system and these applications. It should be understood that multiple high ampacity connector systems 100 could be used in a single power distribution system 10 in a single application.
It should be understood that the following terms used herein shall generally mean the following:
In general, the high ampacity connector system 100 includes a male connector assembly 1000 and a female connector assembly 2000. The male assembly includes a male terminal body 1472 and a spring member 1440. The male terminal body 1472 includes a plurality of contact arms 1494 with free ends arranged along a curvilinear, namely circumferential, path. Similarly, the spring member includes a plurality of spring arms 1452 with free ends arranged along a curvilinear, namely circumferential, path. The curvilinear paths provided by the free ends are cooperatively dimensioned and the axial alignment of the spring member 1440 and the male terminal body 1472 create a mechanical interaction between the plurality of contact arms 1494 and the plurality of spring arms 1452, when the connector system 100 is in a particular state or subjected to specific operating conditions relating to the power distribution system 10. The cooperative configuration and positioning of the spring arms 1452 and contact arms 1494 creates a 360 degree compliant connector system 100 that meets and/or exceeds various standards (e.g., USCAR-2, USCAR-12, USCAR-21, USCAR-25, USCAR-37, and/or USCAR-38).
The high ampacity connector system 100 may include at least the following structural features or performance attributes: (i) a male housing assembly 1100 that is configured in a manner that ensures proper alignment between the terminal body 1472 and the spring member 1440, (ii) an approximate 1 to 1 ratio between the contact arm opening widths and the contact arm widths, as detailed below, (iii) does not include a current choke point between the male terminal body and the connection plate, (iii) has a base wall length is at least 90% of the contact arm length, (iv) does not include an extend of the male terminal body that surrounds the contact arms, (v) can meet the insertion force requirement of less than 45 Newtons for a USCAR class 2 connector without a lever assist, (vi) has a current rating of at least 500 amps with a wire size of 120 mm2 at 55° C. rise over ambient (RoA) or at 80° C. with a current derating of 80% for each male terminal assembly 1430 that is included within the system, and (vii) has a male terminal body that is made from a plurality of separate and distinct pieces that are joined together.
While this disclosure includes several embodiments of the high ampacity connector 100 in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail particular embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosed methods and systems, and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the disclosed concepts to the embodiments illustrated. As will be realized, the disclosed methods and systems are capable of other and different configurations and several details are capable of being modified without departing from the scope of the disclosed methods and systems. For example, one or more of the following embodiments, in part or whole, may be combined consistently with the disclosed methods and systems. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, not restrictive or limiting.
1) Male Connector Assembly
The male connector assembly 1000 is primarily composed of: (i) the male housing assembly 1100 and (ii) the male terminal assembly 1430. The male connector assembly 1000 may have additional features not shown within the Figures; however, such additional features are contemplated by this disclosure. For example, the male connector assembly 1000 may include: (i) a connector position assurance (CPA) assembly that meets USCAR specifications (e.g., as described within PCT/US2020/49870), (ii) an interlock (IL) or high voltage interlock (HVIL), wherein said interlock can be positioned outside of the terminals 1430, 2430 or positioned within the spring member 1440a (e.g., as described within PCT/US2020/143686), (iii) shielding assemblies that surround an extent of the terminal assemblies 1430 and are formed from metal, conductive plastic (e.g., as described within PCT/US2020/13757), or other materials that may be used in minimizing EMI noise, (iv) water resistant sealing features (e.g., seals, coatings for the connector, or etc.), (v) locking handles, levers, or structures that aid in connecting the male connector assembly 1000 to the female connector assembly 2000 and/or aid in ensuring that the high ampacity connector system 100 remains within the fully connected state, and/or (vi) any combination of these structures. Additionally, other structures that are disclosed within any of the applications incorporated herein may be used in connection with the male connector assembly 1000.
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To secure the interior male housing portion 1104 to the exterior male housing portion 1150, the housing assembly 1100 includes a housing coupling means 1140. Said housing coupling means 1140 includes an interior housing coupling member 1142 and an exterior housing coupling member 1146. In the first embodiment, the interior housing coupling member 1142 is formed in the outer rear wall 1106 and is comprised of a plurality of recessed and angled projections 1143 and coupling apertures 1144. The coupling apertures 1144 are formed between the inner surface 1106b and outer surface 1106a of the outer rear wall 1106 and below the angled projections 1143. These coupling apertures 1144 allow for the angled projections 1143 to be temporarily deformed inward or towards the center of the connector 1000 when the interior male housing portion 1104 is in the process of being coupled to the exterior male housing portion 1150. As shown in the first embodiment, the interior housing coupling member 1142 includes four angled projections 1143 positioned 90 degrees from one another. It should be understood that the interior housing coupling member 1142 may: (i) include additional structures (e.g., 5-30), (ii) fewer structures (e.g., 1-3), (iii) utilize other structures such as openings, apertures, recesses, or different types of projections that are cooperatively dimensioned and designed to interact with the exterior housing coupling member 1146.
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The male connector assembly 1000 disclosed herein relies on the housing assembly 1100 to help position the spring member 1440a within the male terminal body 1472. This reliance on the housing 1100 is in contrast to the terminal structures (e.g., lateral projections 1454a-1454d of the spring member 1440c and the interior surface of the male terminal body 1472) that are used to align the spring arms 1452a-1452p with the contact arms 1494a-1494p of the connector system disclosed in PCT/US2020/143686. In other words, the housing assembly 1100 disclosed in PCT/US2020/143686 is not configured to center the spring member 1440c within the male terminal body 1472; instead, the male terminal assembly 1430 was modified to help ensure that the spring member 1440c is suitably positioned within the male terminal body 1472. Unlike the housing assembly 1100 disclosed in PCT/US2020/143686, the housing assembly 1100 disclosed herein is more substantial with a greater amount of material that helps ensure that the housing assembly 1100 is not deformed by the terminal assembly 1430. It should be understood that in an alternative embodiment, the mass of the housing assembly 1100 disclosed herein may be reduced and/or structures that are disclosed within PCT/US2020/143686 may be added to the spring member 1440a to facilitate the proper positioning of the spring member 1440a in the male terminal body 1472.
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The exterior male housing portion 1150 of the male housing assembly 1100 is designed to surround a substantial extent of the male terminal body 1472. The exterior male housing portion 1150 is primarily composed of a forward extent 1154 and a rearward extent 1170. The forward extent 1154 surrounds and protects the contact arms 1494a-1494p from multiple aspects, including accidentally coming into contact with a foreign object. Due to the height of the outer rear wall 1106, an inner surface 1154a of the forward extent 1154 is positioned a receiving height HR (e.g., between 3 mm and 5 mm, preferably 4.3 mm) away from the outer surface 1116a of the interior sidewall 1116. This receiving height HR is designed to allow the female terminal assembly 2430 to make contact with the male terminal assembly 1430 and is determined by the designer by balancing the protection of the contact arms 1494a-1494p, the thickness of the female connector assembly 2000 that fits within this space, and the manufacturing/installation tolerances. Balancing these factors should be done in a manner that optimizes the protection of the contact arms 1494a-1494p, while ensuring that the high ampacity connector system 100 can properly function.
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The spring arms 1452a-1452p extend from the curvilinear spring sections 1448a-1448p, away from the rear spring wall 1444, and terminate at the free end 1446. The spring arms 1452a-1452p are arranged along a curvilinear spring arm path. In the embodiments shown in the Figures, this curvilinear spring arm path is in the form of a circle. It should be understood that the curvilinear spring arm path in other embodiments may not be circular, but instead may be an oval, oblong, ellipse, crescent, curvilinear triangle, quatrefoil, teardrop, or any other shape that has a curvilinear path. In even a further embodiment, the path that the spring arms 1452a-1452p follow may not be completely curvilinear and instead may only have one curvilinear aspect and other aspects that are substantially linear. For example, in this alternative embodiment, the spring arms may be arranged in a modified square, wherein the top linear extent of the square has been removed and replaced with a curvilinear extent. It should be understood that other similar combinations are contemplated by this disclosure.
The spring arms 1452a-1452p have a substantially linear outer surface 1453 and have a width that is between 1 mm and 3 mm, preferably is 2 mm. As discussed in greater detail below, the width of each spring arm 1452a-1452p is slightly larger than the width of the associated contact arm 1494a-1494p. This slight increase in width helps ensure that the spring member 1440a can properly and evenly apply a biasing force on the contact arms 1494a-1494p when the connector system 100 is in various states or is subject to certain operating conditions. Also, as shown in the Figures, the spring member 1440a—namely, the spring arms 1452a-1452p—lack structures (e.g., lateral projections 1454a-1454d of the spring member 1440c) that are used to align the spring arms 1452a-1452p with the contact arms 1491a-1494p as disclosed in connection with the connector system discussed in PCT/US2020/143686.
As shown in the Figures, the spring arms 1452a-1452p are not directly connected to one another. In other words, there are spring arm gaps 1450a-1450p that extend between: (i) the spring arms 1452a-1452p, (ii) between the curvilinear spring sections 1448a-1448p, and (iii) into an extent of the rear wall 1444. This configuration allows for the omnidirectional movement of the spring arms 1452a-1452p, which facilitates the mechanical coupling between the male terminal 1470 and the female terminal assembly 2430. It should further be understood that the spring arms 1452a-1452p are not surrounded or partially surrounded by sidewall structures. Instead, the spring arms 1452a-1452p alternate with the spring arm gaps 1450a-1450p alone the curvilinear spring arm path. In other embodiments, the spring arms 1452a-1452p may be coupled to other structures to restrict their omnidirectional expansion. The number and width of individual spring arms 1452a-1452p and openings may vary. In addition, the width of the individual spring arms 1452a-1452p is typically equal to one another; however, in other embodiments, one or more than one of the spring arms 1452a-1452p may be wider than other spring arms.
The spring member 1440a is typically formed from a single piece of material (e.g., metal); thus, the spring member 1440a is a one-piece spring member 1440a or has integrally formed features. In particular, the curvilinear spring sections 1448a-1448p and the spring arms 1452a-1452p are integrally formed with one another. To integrally form these features, the spring member 1440a is typically formed using a die forming process. The die forming process mechanically forces the spring member 1440a into the proper shape. As discussed in greater detail in PCT/US2018/19787 and PCT/US2019/36010, when the spring member 1440a is formed from a flat sheet of metal, installed within the male terminal 1472, inserted into the female receptacle 2472, and is subjected to elevated temperatures, the spring member 1440a applies an outwardly directed spring thermal force ST on the contact arms 1494a-1494p due in part to the fact that the spring member 1440a attempts to return to a flat sheet. However, it should be understood that other ways of forming the spring member 1440a may be utilized, such as stamping, pressing, drawing, casting, printing, or a similar method of manufacturing. In other embodiments, the features of the spring member 1440a may not be formed from a one-piece or be integrally formed, but instead formed from separate pieces that are welded together.
Unlike the spring arm 31 that is disclosed within FIGS. 4-8 of PCT/US2018/19787, the free end 1446 of the spring arms 1452a-1452p do not have a curvilinear component that extends along the length of the spring arm 1452a-1452p. Instead, the spring arms 1452a-1452p have a substantially planar outer surface. This configuration is beneficial because it ensures that the forces associated with the spring 1440a are applied substantially perpendicular to the free end 1488 of the male terminal body 1472. In contrast, the curvilinear components of the spring arm 31 are disclosed within FIGS. 4-8 of PCT/US2018/19787 do not apply a force in this manner. Additionally, unlike the spring 1440c disclosed in PCT/US2020/143686, the spring 1440a disclosed herein does not include lateral projections 1454a-1454d that are used to properly position the spring member 1440c within the male terminal body 1472.
In an alternative embodiment that is not shown, each spring arm 1452a-1452p may not have a substantially linear configuration and instead may have a curvilinear configuration along the width of the spring arm 1452a-1452p. In another embodiment, the width of each spring arm 1452a-1452p may be increased (thus, reducing the number of spring arms 1452a-1452p) and each spring arm 1452a-1452p may have a curvilinear configuration. In this embodiment, the spring member may have three spring arms, wherein each spring arm extends around an extent (e.g., 110 degrees) of a circle. In a further embodiment, each spring arm 1452a-1452p may have a curvilinear configuration that is not based on a circle, but instead is based upon an oval, oblong, ellipse, crescent, curvilinear triangle, quatrefoil, teardrop, or any other shape that has a curvilinear extent.
In a further alternative embodiment, the spring member 1440a may include: (i) a centering means (e.g., spring member 1440c, disclosed within PCT/US2020/143686) and/or (ii) recesses and associated strengthening ribs (e.g., spring member 1440b, disclosed within PCT/US2019/36010). The centering means may be: (i) formed as a part of the internal rear wall 1120, (ii) it may be formed by a projection that extends inward from the interior wall of the male housing assembly 1100 (e.g., projection that fits between one pair of contact arms 1494a-1494p), (iii) a projection that extends outward from the spring member 1440a and fits within a recess formed within the male housing assembly 1100, or (iv) a combination of these structures.
The above changes to the configuration of the spring member 1440a or other changes (e.g., thickness) to the spring member 1440a may alter the forces that are associated with the spring 1440a. Alterations to the forces that are associated with the spring 1440a, alter the forces associated with coupling/decoupling the male and female connector assemblies 1000, 2000. In particular, the spring biasing force SBF is the amount of force that is applied by the spring member 1440a to resist the inward deflection of the free end 1446 of the spring member 1440a when the male terminal assembly 1430 is inserted within the female terminal assembly 2430. Specifically, as best shown in
In other words, when the male terminal assembly 1430 is inserted into the female terminal assembly 2430, the extent of the outer surface is forced radially inward towards the center 1490 of the male terminal 1470. This inward force on the outer surface displaces the free end 1446 of the spring member 1440a inward (i.e., towards the center 1490). The spring member 1440a resists this inward displacement by providing the spring biasing force SBF. Because the spring biasing force SBF is associated with inward deflection occurs during the insertion of the male terminal assembly 1430 into the female terminal assembly 2430, said spring biasing force SBF factors into the insertion force associated with mating the male connector assembly 1000 with the female connector assembly 2000. This insertion force of this connector 100 is targeted to be at or below 45 Newtons, which is the maximum that is permitted by a connector to meet class 2 of USCAR 25, and is below 75 Newtons, which is the maximum that is permitted by a connector to meet class 3 of USCAR 25. Thus, the disclosed connector 100 can: (i) meet the insertion force requirement of both classes 2 and 3 of the USCAR specifications, (ii) does not require a lever assist, and (iii) provides high ampacity with a rating to transfer or carry at least 500 amps of current over time without the connector 100 experiencing performance degradation and/or failure.
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It should be understood that the height or the thickness of the male terminal connection plate 1474 may be reduced as long as the cross-sectional area of the male terminal connection plate 1474 is greater than, or equal to, the cross-sectional area of the contact arms 1494a-1494p. However, reducing the height or length of the male terminal connection plate 1474 should be considered in light of the fact that the male connector assembly 1000 is currently designed to accept a 120 mm2 wire 1495 to enable the connector assembly 100 to carry over 500 amps. In other words, reducing the size of the male terminal connection plate 1474 to a size that prevents the connector's 100 ability to accept 120 mm2 wire 1495 may have a greater effect on reducing the ampacity of the connector 100 than the creation of a minor current choke point that could be formed between the male terminal connection plate 1474 and the male terminal body 1472. In light of the above discussion, a designer of similar connector systems must consider multiple factors, (e.g., the cross-sectional area of the male terminal connection plate 1474, the cross-sectional area of the contact arms 1494a-1494p, material properties of the terminal, wire sizes, and etc.) when designing a connector system intended to meet USCAR specifications, ampacities, and other requirements. As such, theoretical designs that attempt to modify conventional connectors or combine extents of conventional designs are insufficient, technically unsound, and defective because they amount to mere design exercises that are not tethered to the complex realities of designing, testing, manufacturing and certifying actual connectors, like the connector system 100.
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It should also be understood that the male terminal 1470 may be formed from a single sheet of metal or more portions (e.g., four). Additionally, it should be understood that each piece of the male terminal 1470 includes a number of integrally formed structures (e.g., contact arms 1494, base 1478a-1478b, and rear male terminal wall assembly 1480a-1480b). However, in other embodiments, these structures may not be integrally formed or other manufacturing methods may be utilized. For example, stamping, pressing, drawing, casting, printing, or a similar method of manufacturing may be utilized may be used. Additionally, the integrally formed structures may be individually formed and welded together.
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The first or forward transition extent 1482a-1482b: (i) is coupled between the base wall 1478a-1478b and the second or rear transition extent 1484a-1484b, and (ii) finishes the angular transition from the linear connection plate 1474 to the base wall 1478a-1478b. In particular, an angle gamma γ extending between the outer surface of the rear transition extent 1484a-1484b and an outer surface of the forward transition extent 1482a-1482b is between 170 degrees and 190 degrees, preferably is 180 degrees, while angle delta δ extending between the outer surface of the rear transition extent 1484a-1484b and the outer surface of the forward transition extent 1482a-1482b is between 160 degrees and 190 degrees, preferably is 177.5 degrees. Additionally, an angle epsilon ε extending between the outer surface of the forward transition extent 1482a-1482b and the base wall 1478a-1478b is between 180 degrees and 225 degrees, preferably is 205 degrees, while angle zeta (extending between the outer surface of the forward transition extent 1482a-1482b and the base wall 1478a-1478b is between 160 degrees and 200 degrees, preferably is 176 degrees. The angular transition can also be noted by the increase in the thickness of the terminal body 1472 to this extent, as it extends from approximately 12 mm to approximately 21 mm at the widest point. Overall, this transition section has a length LF that is approximately 10 mm, and internal width WIF, that extends from the forwardmost extent of the rear transition extent 1484a-1484b to the forwardmost extent of the forward transition extent 1482a-1482b, is approximately 4.16 mm, and a height that is shrinking from 22 mm to 21 mm. It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the rear male terminal wall assembly 1480a-1480b may be formed from a single extent that extends between the plate and the base wall 1478a-1478b.
The base wall or band 1478a-1478b extends forward from the first or forward transition extent 1482a-1482b. The base wall 1478a-1478b has an outer surface 1479a that has a curvilinear configuration and an inner surface 1479b that also has a curvilinear configuration. Said curvilinear configurations of the inner and outer surfaces 1479a-1479b form a hollow cylinder or cylindrical shell shape with: (i) a leading curvilinear and specifically cylindrical edge 1477, (ii) an outer diameter DCA or thickness that is between 20 mm and 22 mm, preferably 21 mm (e.g., a radius of 10.5 mm), and (iii) an interior diameter that is between 18 mm and 20 mm, preferably 19.4 mm (e.g., a radius of 9.7 mm). Referring to
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As shown in the Figures, the contact arms 1494a-1494p are not directly connected to one another. In other words, there are contact arm openings 1496a-1496p positioned between the contact arms 1494a-1494p and extend along the lateral length of said contact arms 1494a-1494p. This configuration allows for the omnidirectional movement of the contact arms 1494a-1494p, which facilitates the mechanical coupling between the male terminal 1470 and the female terminal assembly 2430. When the male terminal assembly 1430 is in the fully coupled state SFC, the contact arm openings 1496a-1496p are aligned with the spring arm gaps 1450a-1450p. This configuration of gaps 1450a-1450p forms the same number of spring arms 1452a-1452p as the number of contact arms 1494a-1494h. In other words, the embodiment includes 16 spring arms 1452a-1452p and 16 contact arms 1494a-1494p. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the number of spring arms 1452a-1452p may not match the number of contact arms 1494a-1494p. For example, there may be fewer spring arms 1452a-1452p than contact arms 1494a-1494p.
To help ensure that the connector system 100 is 360 degree compliant and does not have disconnection associated problems, the contact arm opening WCO is equal to or less than the contact arm width WC. In other words, if the connector's outer diameter is over a predetermined value (e.g., 12 mm) and the ratio between the contact arm opening WCO to contact arm width WC is greater than 1 to 1, then the connector system 100 may fail to meet the 360 degree compliance requirements. Referring to
The 1 to 1 ratio of the contact arm opening width WCO to the contact arm width We is also shown in the figures disclosed in PCT/US2020/143788. Specifically, those figures show a connector system with contact arm opening widths and contact arm widths that are between 2.5 mm and 3.5 mm, preferably 2.9 mm. While the connector system 100 disclosed herein and the connector system disclosed in PCT/US2020/143788 both have mechanical width ratios that are substantially similar, the contact arms 1494a-1494p disclosed herein does not have the current choke point that is formed in the contact arms of the connector disclosed within PCT/US2020/143788. As such, the effective electrical width of the contact arms of the connector disclosed within PCT/US2020/143788 is approximately 1.9 mm and is not effective equal to the mechanical width of 2.9 mm. Therefore, the connector disclosed in PCT/US2020/143788 has a mechanical 1 to 1 ratio, while having a 2 to 1 electrical ratio. In contrast, the connector system 100 disclosed herein does not have a similar current choke point in the contact arms 1494a-1494p and as result, this connector system 100 has mechanical and electrical ratios of 1 to 1.
Additionally, FIGS. 87-96 of PCT/US2020/143788 disclose a connector system with contact arm opening widths between 2 and 2.8 mm and contact arm widths between 1 mm and 1.4 mm. Accordingly, the connector system disclosed in FIGS. 87-96 of PCT/US2019/36010 has a 2 to 1 ratio that is substantially different than the connector system 100 disclosed herein. In other words, if the outer diameter of the male terminal disclosed in FIGS. 87-96 of PCT/US2019/36010 was increased from approximately 6.5 mm to 24 mm to create a revised male terminal, and then this revised male terminal would fail certain 360 degree compliant testing requirements. In fact, even connectors that have a 1.45 to 1 ratio have failed certain 360 degree compliant testing requirements. In summary, the approximate 1 to 1 ratio provided by the disclosed connector system 100 ensures that said connector system 100 will meet the 360 degree compliant testing requirements leading to a substantial benefit over connectors that cannot meet this compliance testing requirement.
As shown in
As disclosed above, the contact arms 1494a-1494p extend forward from the leading curvilinear edge 1477 of the base wall 1478a-1478b and as such the contact arms 1494a-1494p and their associated free ends 1488 are arranged along a curvilinear contact arm path and in the embodiments shown in the figures this curvilinear contact arm path is in the form of a circle. It should also be understood that the shape of the contact arm path substantially matches the shape of the spring arm path. In fact, said paths are cooperatively dimensioned and positioned in a manner to allow mechanical interaction to occur between the plurality of contact arms 1494a-1494p and the plurality of spring arms 1452a-1452p, when the connector system is in a particular state (e.g., fully assembled) or subjected to certain operating conditions (e.g., subjected to high heat environments). It should be understood that the curvilinear contact arm path in other embodiments may not be circular, but instead may be an oval, oblong, ellipse, crescent, curvilinear triangle, quatrefoil, teardrop, or any other shape that has a curvilinear path. In even a further embodiment, the path that the contact arms 1494a-1494p follow may not be completely curvilinear and instead may only have one curvilinear aspect and other aspects that are substantially linear. For example, in this alternative embodiment, the contact arms 1494a-1494p may be arranged in a modified square, wherein the top linear extent of the square has been removed and replaced with a curvilinear shaped extent. It should be understood that other similar combinations are contemplated by this disclosure.
Unlike the sidewall portions that are disclosed in connection with PCT/US2020/143788, PCT/US2020/143686, PCT/US2020/133446, PCT/US2020/50018, PCT/US2020/49870, PCT/US2020/14484, PCT/US2020/13757, PCT/US2019/36127, PCT/US2019/36070, PCT/US2019/36010, an extent of the male terminal body 1472 does not surround or flank an extent of the contact arms 1494a-1494p. In other words, the contact arms 1494a-1494p are spatially arranged such that they define a gap there between and are separated by contact arm openings 1450 but no intervening structures (e.g., a side wall portion residing between two contact arms 1494) of the male terminal body 1472 reside adjacent to or between the contact arms 1494a-1494p. Further, no structure of the male terminal body 1472 encircles or flanks the spring arms 1494a-1494p. Additionally, the configuration of the contact arms 1494a-1494p disclosed herein is beneficial over the configuration of the terminals shown in FIGS. 9-15, 18, 21-31, 32, 41-42, 45-46, 48 and 50 in PCT/US2018/19787 because: (i) the contact arms 1494a-1494p can have a shorter overall length, which means less metal material is needed for formation and the male terminal 1470 can be installed in narrower, restrictive spaces, (ii) the connector 100 has a higher ampacity, (iii) the male terminal 1470 is easier to assemble, and (iv) other beneficial features that are disclosed herein or can be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art from study of this disclosure.
In a further alternative embodiment that is not shown, each contact arm 1494a-1494p may not have a curvilinear configuration (as shown in the figures) and instead may have a substantially linear configuration along the width of the contact arm. Additionally, the width of the contact arms 1494a-1494p may be increased such that fewer contact arms (e.g., between 14 and 3) are necessary to form the male terminal body 1472 that is 360 degree compliant. Further, the curvilinear configuration of the width of each contact arm may not be based on a circle, but instead is based upon an oval, oblong, ellipse, crescent, curvilinear triangle, quatrefoil, teardrop, or any other shape that has a curvilinear extent.
Assembling the exterior connector assembly 1000 occurs across multiple steps or stages. The first step in assembling the exterior connector assembly 1000 is assembling the male terminal assembly 1430, which is shown in
2) Female Connector Assembly
Referring to
The female housing assembly 2100 is designed to: (i) protect and isolate the female terminal assembly 2430 from foreign objects and (ii) aid in the coupling of the male terminal assembly 1430 to the female terminal assembly 2430. To accomplish this, the female housing assembly 2100 generally includes an interior female housing portion 2104 and exterior female housing portion 2150. The interior female housing portion 2104 includes a configuration of walls that are: (i) cooperatively dimensioned to fit within the connector receptacle 1126, (ii) have retaining projections that aid in retaining the interior female housing portion within the female terminal assembly 2430, and (iii) have structures that aid in the alignment of the female connector assembly 2000 with the male connector assembly 1000.
As shown in
The female terminal assembly 2430 includes a connection plate 2474 and a sidewall 2434 that forms a female receptacle 2472. The connection plate 2474 may be configured as a busbar lug, a threaded pin, a tubular lug, or any other type of connecting type. The female receptacle 2472 is designed to receive an extent of the male terminal assembly 1430 and mainly the contact arms 1494a-1494p. Referring to
Additional details about the female terminal assembly 2430 are generally discussed PCT Application Nos. PCT/US2020/13757, PCT/US2019/36127, PCT/US2019/36070, PCT/US2019/36010, which are incorporated herein and as such these details will not be repeated here. For example, these PCT applications disclose that the inner dimensions of the female terminal assembly 2430 are smaller than an extent of the outer dimensions of the male terminal assembly 1430. This dimensional relationship ensures that the terminal assemblies 1430, 2430, are in a proper electrical and mechanical connection with one another.
3) Connecting the Connector System
4) Terminal Properties and Functionality
As best shown in
The male terminal body 1472, including the contact arms 1494a-1494p, may be formed from a first material such as copper, a highly-conductive copper alloy (e.g., C151 or C110), aluminum and/or another suitable electrically conductive material. The first material preferably has an electrical conductivity of more than 80% of IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard, i.e., the empirically derived standard value for the electrical conductivity of commercially available copper). For example, C151 typically has 95% of the conductivity of standard, pure copper compliant with IACS. Likewise, C110 has a conductivity of 101% of IACS. In certain operating environments or technical applications, it may be preferable to select C151 because it has anti-corrosive properties desirable for high-stress and/or harsh weather applications. The first material for the male terminal body 1472 is C151 and is reported, per ASTM B747 standard, to have a modulus of elasticity (Young's modulus) of approximately 115-125 gigapascals (GPa) at room temperature and a coefficient of terminal expansion (CTE) of 17.6 ppm/degree Celsius (from 20-300 degrees Celsius) and 17.0 ppm/degree Celsius (from 20-200 degrees Celsius).
The spring member 1440a may be formed from a second material such as spring steel, stainless steel (e.g., 301SS, ¼ hard), alloys that include iron, and/or another suitable material having greater stiffness (e.g., as measured by Young's modulus) and resilience than the first material of the male terminal body 1472. The second material preferably has an electrical conductivity that is less than the electrical conductivity of the first material. The second material also has a Young's modulus that may be approximately 193 GPa at room temperature and a coefficient of terminal expansion (CTE) of 17.8 ppm/degree Celsius (from 0-315 degrees Celsius) and 16.9 ppm/degree Celsius (from 0-100 degrees Celsius). In contemplated high-voltage applications, the cross-sectional area of copper alloy forming the male terminal body is balanced with the conductivity of the selected copper alloy. For example, when a copper alloy having lower conductivity is selected, the contact arms 1494a-1494p formed therefrom have a greater cross-sectional area so as to adequately conduct electricity. Likewise, the selection of a first material having a higher conductivity may allow for contact arms 1494a-1494p having a relatively smaller cross-sectional area while still meeting conductivity specifications.
In an example embodiment, the CTE of the second material may be greater than the CTE of the first material, i.e., the CTE of the spring member 1440a is greater than the CTE of the male terminal body 1472. Therefore, when the assembly of the male terminal body 1472 and the spring member 1440a is subjected to the high-voltage and high-temperature environment typical for use of the electrical connector described in the present disclosure, the spring member 1440a expands relatively more than the male terminal body 1472. Accordingly, the outward force SBF produced by the spring member 1440a on the contact arms 1494a-1494p of the male terminal body 1472 is increased in accordance with the increased temperature, which is reference to below as a thermal spring force, STF.
An example application of the present disclosure, such as for use in a vehicle alternator, is suitable for deployment in a class 5 automotive environment, such as that found in passenger and commercial vehicles. Class 5 environments are often found under the hood of a vehicle, e.g., alternator, and present 1500 Celsius ambient temperatures and routinely reach 2000 Celsius. When copper and/or highly conductive copper alloys are subjected to temperatures above approximately 150° Celsius said alloys become malleable and lose mechanical resilience, i.e., the copper material softens. However, the steel forming the spring member 1440a retains hardness and mechanical properties when subjected to similar conditions. Therefore, when the male terminal body 1472 and spring member 1440a are both subjected to high-temperature, the first material of the male terminal body 1472 softens and the structural integrity of the spring member 1440a, formed from the second material, is retained, such that the force applied to the softened contact arms 1494a-1494p by the spring member 1440a more effectively displaces the softened contact arms 1494a-1494p outward relative the interior of the male terminal body 1472, in the fully connected position SFC.
The male terminal body 1472, spring member 1440a, and female terminal body 2434, are configured to maintain conductive and mechanical engagement while withstanding elevated temperatures and thermal cycling resulting from high-power, high-voltage applications to which the connector assembly is subjected. Further, the male terminal body 1472 and female terminal body 2434 may undergo thermal expansion as a result of the elevated temperatures and thermal cycling resulting from high-voltage, high-temperature applications, which increases the outwardly directed force applied by the male terminal body 1472 on the female terminal body 2434. The configuration of the male terminal body 1472, spring member 1440a, and the female terminal body 2434 increase the outwardly directed connective force therebetween while the connector system 100 withstands thermal expansion resulting from thermal cycling in the connected position Pc.
Based on the above exemplary embodiment, the Young's modulus and the CTE of the spring member 1440a are greater than the Young's modulus and the CTE of the male terminal body 1472. Thus, when the male terminal body 1472 is used in a high current application that subjects the connector system 3100 to repeated thermal cycling with elevated temperatures (e.g., approximately 1500 Celsius), then: (i) the male terminal body 1472 become malleable and loses some mechanical resilience, i.e., the copper material in the male terminal body 1472 softens and (ii) the spring member 1440a does not become as malleable or lose as much mechanical stiffness in comparison to the male terminal body 1472.
Thus, when utilizing a spring member 1440a that is mechanically formed by a cold forced process into its shape (e.g., utilizing a die forming process) and then subjected to elevated temperatures, the spring member 1440a will attempt to at least return to its uncompressed state, which occurs prior to insertion of the male terminals assembly 1430 within the female terminal assembly 1430, and preferably to its original flat state, which occurs prior to formation of the spring member 1440a. In doing so, the spring member 1440a will apply a generally outward directed thermal spring force, STF, (as depicted by the arrows labeled “STF” in
Further illustrated in
5) Second Embodiment of the Connector System
The primary differences between the first and the second embodiments of the connector systems 100, 3100 that is disclosed herein in the fact that the plates 1474, 2474 of the first embodiment 100 are substantially parallel with the terminal body 1472, 2472 and the plates 4474, 5474 of the second embodiment 3100 are substantially perpendicular with the terminal body 4472, 5472. The change in orientation from the 180 degree connector shown in the first embodiment 100 to the 90 degree connector shown in the second embodiment 3100 causes other minor changes to the male housing 4100 and terminal assembly 4430. For example, the second connector embodiment 3100 does not include a rear male terminal wall assembly and is not formed from two separate and distinct pieces.
As discussed above in connection with the first embodiment of the connector 100, the second embodiment of the connector 3100 includes at least the following: (i) a male housing assembly 4100 that includes separation walls 4122a-4122p in order to obviate the need to modify the spring member 4440a to ensure proper alignment within the spring receiver 4486, (ii) includes free ends 4446 of the spring arms 4452a-4452p and free ends 4488 of the contact arms 4494a-4494p that are arranged along a curvilinear path (i.e., circular path), (iii) the spring arms 4452a-4452p and contact arms 4494a-4494p are cooperatively dimensioned and positioned to allow for mechanical interactions to occur between the plurality of contact arms and the plurality of spring arms when placed in particular states or subjected to certain operating conditions, (iv) a 1 to 1 ratio between the contact arm opening WCO and the contact arm width WC, (iv) does not include a current choke point between the male terminal body 4472 and the plate 4474, (v) has a base wall length LB that is between 90% and 110% of the contact arm length LCA, (vi) does not include an extent of the male terminal body 1472 that surround an extent of the contact arms 1494a-1494p, (vii) has high ampacity with a rating to carry at least 500 amps with a wire size 120 mm2 at 55° C. RoA or at 80° C. with a current derating of 80%, (viii) is T4/V4/S3/D2/M2 compliant, (ix) is 360 degree compliant, (x) can meet the insertion force requirement of <45 Newtons for a USCAR class 2 connector without a lever assist, (xi) includes the terminal properties and functionality that are discussed above in connection with the first embodiment, and (xii) other features or functionality that is apparent to one of skill in the art based on study of this specification and its figures.
As discussed above in connection in regards to the current choke point between the male terminal body 4472 and the plate 4474, the cross-sectional area of the male terminal connection plate 4474 at the point that the male terminal connection plate 4474 is coupled to the male terminal body 4472 is greater than the cross-sectional area of the contact arms 1494a-1494p at the point the arms contact the inner surface of the female receptacle 5472. In other words, the height HCP of the male terminal connection plate 4474 (12.4 mm)*thickness TCP of the male terminal connection plate 4474 (2.5 mm) should be greater than, or equal to, the thickness TCA of the contact arms 4494a-4494p (0.8 mm)*number of contact arms (16)*contact width WCA of the contact arms 4494a-4494p (1.9 mm). Accordingly, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the male terminal connection plate 4474 at this body connection location BCL is 31 mm2, which is greater than the cross-sectional area of the contact arms 4494a-4494p at terminal connection location TCL is 24.32 mm2. Thus, a current choke point between the male terminal connection plate 4474 and the male terminal body 4472 will not be formed. It should be understood that the thickness TCP of the male terminal connection plate 4474 has been increased in this embodiment from 1.65 mm to 2.5 mm because the using a thickness of 1.65 mm and along with a height HCP of 12.4 mm would create a choke point because the cross-sectional area of the male terminal connection plate 4474 (i.e., 20.46 mm2), would be is less than the cross-sectional area of the contact arms 4494a-4494p (i.e., 24.32 mm2).
It should be understood that the height HCP of the male terminal connection plate 4474 may be reduced while increasing the thickness TCP of the male terminal connection plate 4474 to ensure that a current choke point is not created. However, if a reduction in the height HCP of the male terminal connection plate 4474 reduces the length of the base wall 4478a-4478b to a point where the base wall length LB is less than 90% of the contact arm length LCA can lead to appreciable manufacturing difficulties with a male terminal body 1472 that has a diameter that is greater than 12 mm. To avoid such manufacturing difficulties, the base wall length LB is approximately 130% of the contact arm length LCA. In other words, the base wall length LB is between 11 mm and 13 mm, preferably 12.4 mm, while the contact arm length LCA is between 9 mm and 10 mm, preferably 9.5 mm. Thus, the base wall length LB is approximately 2.9 mm longer than the contact arm length LCA. Other measurements of the male terminal body 4472 are shown in connection with
6) Related Information for the Systems 100, 3100
The systems 100, 3100 are T4/V4/S3/D2/M2, wherein the system 100, 3100 meets and exceeds: (i) T4 is exposure of the system 100 to 150° C., (ii) V4 is severe vibration, (iii) S1 is sealed high-pressure spray, (iv) D2 is 200k mile durability, and (v) M2 is less than 45 Newtons of force is required to connect the male terminal assembly 1430, 4430 to the female terminal assembly 2430, 5430. In addition to being T4/V4/S3/D2/M2 compliant, the system 100, 3100 is push, click, tug, scan (PCTS) compliant, wherein additional information about this standard is disclosed within PCT/US2020/49870.
It should be understood that the male terminal assemblies 1430, 4430 and the female terminal assemblies 2430, 5430 disclosed within this application are rated to carry at least 500 amps with a wire size 120 mm2 at 55° C. rise over ambient (RoA) or at 80° C. with a current derating of 80%. In comparison, conventional 14 mm round connector sold by Amphenol under the PowerLok name, the connector disclosed herein: (i) has similar current carry capacities, (ii) is approximately 25% lighter, (iii) is approximately 50% less expensive to manufacture, and (iv) is more robust because it can meet USCAR 2 T4/V4 rating. These mechanical and electrical benefits over the conventional connectors provide considerable advantages of these conventional connectors, while meeting industry regulations and requirements. As such, it should be understood that theoretical designs that attempt to modify connectors or combine extents of conventional designs are insufficient (and in some instances, woefully insufficient) because they amount to mere design exercises that are not tethered to the complex realities of obtaining these mechanical and electrical benefits over the conventional connectors along with the designing, testing, manufacturing and certifying a connector system 100.
The spring member 1440a, 4440a disclosed herein may be replaced with the spring members shown in PCT/US2019/36010 or U.S. Provisional 63/058,061. Further, it should be understood that alternative configurations for connector assemble 1000, 2000, 4000, 5000 are possible. For example, any number of male terminal assemblies 1430, 4430 (e.g., between 2-30, preferably between 2-8, and most preferably between 2-4) may be positioned within a housing 1100, 4100. Additionally, alternative configurations for connector systems 100, 3100 are possible. For example, the female connector assembly 2000, 5000 may be reconfigured to accept these multiple male terminal assemblies 1430, 4430 into a single female terminal assembly 2430, 5430. It should also be understood that the male terminal assemblies may have any number of contact arms 1494, 5494 (e.g., between 2-100, preferably between 2-50, and most preferably between 2-8) and any number of spring arms 1452, 5452 (e.g., between 2-100, preferably between 2-50, and most preferably between 2-8). As discussed above, the number of contact arms 1494, 5494 may not equal the number of spring arms. For example, there may be more contact arms 1494, 5494 than spring arms 1452, 5452. Alternatively, there may be fewer contact arms 1494, 5494 than spring arms 1452, 5452.
Materials and Disclosure that are Incorporated by Reference
PCT Application Nos. PCT/US2020/143788, PCT/US2020/143686, PCT/US2020/133446, PCT/US2020/50018, PCT/US2020/49870, PCT/US2020/14484, PCT/US2020/13757, PCT/US2019/36127, PCT/US2019/36070, PCT/US2019/36010, and PCT/US2018/19787, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/194,891 and U.S. Provisional Applications 62/897,658 62/897,962, 62/988,972, 63/051,639, 63/058,061, 63/068,622, 63/109,135, 63/159,689, 63/222,859, 63/234,320, each of which is fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
SAE Specifications, including: J1742_201003 entitled, “Connections for High Voltage On-Board Vehicle Electrical Wiring Harnesses—Test Methods and General Performance Requirements,” last revised in March 2010, each of which is fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
ASTM Specifications, including: (i) D4935-18, entitled “Standard Test Method for Measuring the Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Planar Materials,” and (ii) ASTM D257, entitled “Standard Test Methods for DC Resistance or Conductance of Insulating Materials,” each of which are fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
American National Standards Institute and/or EOS/ESD Association, Inc Specifications, including: ANSI/ESD STM11.11 Surface Resistance Measurements of Static Dissipative Planar Materials, each of which is fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
DIN Specification, including Connectors for electronic equipment—Tests and measurements—Part 5-2: Current-carrying capacity tests; Test 5b: Current-temperature derating (IEC 60512-5-2:2002), each of which are fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
USCAR Specifications, including: (i) SAE/USCAR-2, Revision 6, which was last revised in February 2013 and has ISBN: 978-0-7680-7998-2, (ii) SAE/USCAR-12, Revision 5, which was last revised in August 2017 and has ISBN: 978-0-7680-8446-7, (iii) SAE/USCAR-21, Revision 3, which was last revised in December 2014, (iv) SAE/USCAR-25, Revision 3, which was revised on March 2016 and has ISBN: 978-0-7680-8319-4, (v) SAE/USCAR-37, which was revised on August 2008 and has ISBN: 978-0-7680-2098-4, (vi) SAE/USCAR-38, Revision 1, which was revised on May 2016 and has ISBN: 978-0-7680-8350-7, each of which are fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
Other standards, including Federal Test Standard 101C and 4046, each of which is fully incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
While some implementations have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the disclosure; and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims. For example, the overall shape of the of the components described above may be changed to: a triangular prism, a pentagonal prism, a hexagonal prism, octagonal prism, sphere, a cone, a tetrahedron, a cuboid, a dodecahedron, a icosahedron, a octahedron, a ellipsoid, or any other similar shape.
Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and are not limiting. The word exemplary is used to mean serving as an example or illustration. To the extent that the term includes, have, or the like is used, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term comprise as comprise is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.
Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases.
Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit from PCT patent application PCT/US2021/047180, filed Aug. 23, 2021 and U.S. provisional patent application 63/068,622, filed Aug. 21, 2020, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63068622 | Aug 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/US2021/047180 | Aug 2021 | US |
Child | 18111183 | US |