Connector assembly with reliable electrical connection

An connector assembly includes a male connector (100) having a male housing (10) and a plurality of male contacts (12); and a female connector (200) for mating with said male connector including a female housing (20) and a plurality of female contacts (21) retained in said female housing. Each female contact defines a pair of mating plates (211) spaced away from each other for said male contact locating therebetween. Each pair of said mating plates (211) have a pair of spring leaves (22) connecting therewith and defining a plurality of spring fingers (221) resiliently clamping the corresponding male contact (12) therebetween.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connector assembly for transmitting high-voltage power or the like.

2. Description of Related Art

The connector assembly for transmitting high-voltage (HV) power is widely used in hybrid, battery and/or fuel-cell vehicles, and connected electrically to devices such as batteries, electric motors, etc. The connector assembly comprises a male connector connecting to a cable and a female connector mounted onto a PCB, the male connector and the female connector join together to transfer high-voltage energy between different components of the vehicle. High-voltage power transmission is very dangerous when a poor contact occurs between the male connector and female connector, thus it is very important and necessary to ensure a reliable electrical connection between the male connector and the female connector.

Hence, a connector assembly with reliable electrical connection is desired to improve those disclosed in the aforementioned proposal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a connector assembly comprises a male connector including a male housing and a plurality of male contacts for connecting to electric cables; a female connector for mating with said male connector including a female housing and a plurality of female contacts retained in said female housing. Each female contact defines a pair of mating plates spaced away from each other to sandwich said male contact therebetween. A pair of spring leaves each defining a plurality of spring fingers are located between the respective male contacts and mating plates of the female contact.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a female connector comprises a female housing defining a pair of chambers; a pair of female contacts retained in said female housing and accommodated in said pair of chambers respectively, each female contact having a pair of mating plates protruding into the corresponding chamber and spaced from each other in a face-to-face manner; and a pair of planar spring leaves coupled to each pair of said mating plates. Each one of said pair of spring leaves comprise a plurality of spring fingers relaying on inner sides of the corresponding mating plates and protruding toward another of said pair of spring leaves.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1-3, a connector assembly including complementary male connector100and female connector200is described herein after. The connector assembly may be in particular a high-voltage (HV) connector assembly which can be used in hybrid, battery and/or fuel-cell vehicles, and connected electrically to devices such as batteries, electric motors, etc.

Referring toFIGS. 1-3 and 9-13, The male connector100includes a male housing10, a pair of blade male contacts12, a pair of retainers13assembled to the male housing10and retaining the respective male contacts12, a pair of cables14retained in the respective retainers13and connecting to the respective male contacts12, and a locking lever15pivotably mounted onto the male housing10.

Said male housing10includes a pair of oval plug portions101protruding downwardly therefrom, an enclosure104surrounding the pair of plug portions101, and a slot106formed between the plug portions101and the enclosure104. Each plug portion101defines an oval groove103formed thereon and facing downwardly.

The retainers13are received in the respective grooves103and have cavities131passing therethrough in an up-to-down direction for receiving the respective male contacts12. Each retainer13has a pair of doors132rotatably mounted on a lower side thereof for alternatively shielding or exposing said cavity131, a pair of notches135formed on two sides thereof and communicating with the cavity131, a channel136passing therethrough and communicating with the notches135, a mounting hole133formed on a rear end thereof and communicating with the cavity131for retaining the cable14.

The male connector100further comprises a pair of metal shells16enclosing said respective retainers13for electrically shielding said male contacts12, and a pair of fasteners17fastening said cables14onto said male housing10. Each retainer13has a set of elastic element134disposed on periphery thereof to resiliently resist said metal shell16so that the retainer13and metal shell16could combine together firmly. Each metal shell16has a set of first clips161protruding inwardly through the respective notch135and into the cavity131, and a set of second clips162protruding outwardly to resist embossments108formed on the respective plug portion101. A mounting groove163is formed on a rear end of the metal shell16and corresponding to the mounting hole133.

The male housing10has a pair of circular hollow projections102protruding backwardly and defining a set of ribs1021formed at periphery thereof. A pair of gaskets18are assembled to circular holes1022of said projections102to clamp the respective cables14. Each fastener17has a main body171with said cables14passing through and a set of claws172protruding forwardly form said main body171. Said claws172define retaining holes173latched onto said ribs173so that the fasteners17could fixed to said projections102firmly. Each main body171defines a set of receiving grooves175to receive bumps181formed at back side of the gasket18. The locking lever15presents as a U shape and has a pair of through holes152pivotably around a pair of shafts105formed on two lateral sides of the enclosure104so that the locking lever15could rotate around the male housing10. The locking lever15has a pair of arcuate holes154each defining a passageway155open to an rear end of the male housing10, and a resilient bolt156formed in a depression157thereof to latch a protrusion109protruding at a front end of the enclosure104.

In assembly of the male connector100, combine the respective metal shells16and retainers13together, and install them into the respective grooves103, the second clips162of the metal shells16resist the embossments108of the male housing10so as to fix the metal shells16into the grooves103firmly. The male contacts12connecting with the respective cables14enter into the respective plug portions101of the male housing10, pass through the fasteners17and gaskets18, the mounting grooves163of the metal shell16, the mounting holes133of the retainers13, and finally retained in the cavities13of the retainers13. Mount the fasteners17onto the projections102to fix the cables14onto the male housing10. Finally, assemble the locking lever15to the male housing10, the holes152of the locking lever15pivotably engage with the shafts105of the enclosure104.

Referring toFIGS. 1-8, the female connector200comprises a female housing20, a pair of female contacts21retained in the female housing20, two pairs of planar spring leaves22coupled to said female contacts21, two pairs of protection boards23attached to said female contacts21and spring leaves22.

The female housing20has a base205, a pair of reception portions201protruding upwardly from said base205and integrally connecting to each other, and a pair of raised portions206protruding from two sides of the reception portions201. Each reception portion201defines a chamber202for accepting the respective plug portion101of the male connector100and a peripheral wall209surrounding the chamber202in an open-ended manner.

Each female contact21defines a mating portion having a pair of mating plates211protruding into the respective chamber202, a mounting portion opposite to said mating portion and having a pair of mounting plates212extending beyond said base205. Each pair of mating plates211are spaced from each other in a face-to-face manner and form a receiving space213therebetween. Each mating plate211defines a set of holes215passing therethrough. Each pair of mounting plates212snuggle with each other in a face-to-face manner, and integrally connect to each other at lateral sides thereof. Each pair of mounting plates21define a pair of circular apertures214passing therethrough and aligning to each other.

The two pairs of spring leaves22are assembled to inner sides of the respective mating plates21and received in the respective receiving spaces213. Each spring leaf22includes a plurality of spring fingers221extending along the respective mating plates21in said mating direction, a hook222at upper ends of said spring fingers221and bending outwardly to clasp an upper end of the corresponding mating plate21, a pair of legs223extending at two lateral sides of said spring fingers and defining two latches224locking onto two lateral sides of the respective mating plate21. Said spring fingers221of each spring leaf22are spaced from each other at intervals in a traverse direction and connected by two bars225at two opposite ends of said spring fingers221in said mating direction so as to prevent the spring fingers221from deformation and improve elastic strength of the spring leaf22. Each spring finger221defines a pair of convex portions226disposed along said mating direction and protruding into the receiving space213. In other embodiments of this invention, said spring leaves22could also be integrally coupled to said mating plates21. In this invention the spring leaves22are designed to meet the requirements for t-rise and current capability, when the spring leaves22and female contacts20are separated from each other and made from different materials, the female contacts20may use less expensive materials and thus the project of this invention would be much more cost effective.

Each protection board23has a pair of barbs231retained in a cave207of said female housing20, a groove232for receiving said mating plate21land spring leaf22, and a set of posts233are formed in said groove232for being retained into said holes215of the mating plate211. Said protection board23holds the respective mating plate211and spring leaf22together so as to combine the mating plate211and spring leaf22firmly. Each protection board23further has a pair of gaps234receiving said latches224therein.

Said female connector200further comprises a pair of shielding shells24received in the respective chambers202and surrounding the respective pair of protection boards23. Said shielding shell24defines a set of feet241retained in said female housing20and a cutout242for accepting said male connector100.

Referring toFIGS. 14-19, when said male connector100is being plugged into said female connector200, the locking lever15is rotated to an open state of a vertical situation perpendicular to said male housing10, said raised portions206of the female connector200pass through the respective passageways155and enter into the respective arcuate holes154of the locking lever15such that the arcuate holes154of the locking lever15can engage the raised portions206of the female connector200. Especially referring toFIG. 16of the “plugged state” connector assembly, by subsequent actuation and pivoting of the locking lever15from the open state to a close state of a horizontal situation, the male connector100, owing to the arcuate holes154which cooperate with the raised portions206, can be drawn towards the female connector200and fixed thereto, the resilient bolt156latches onto the protrusion109of the male housing10so as to prevent the locking lever15from vibration. Therefore, the male connector100and female connector could connect with each other reliably.

Referring toFIGS. 17-19, the plug portions101are inserted into said chambers202of the reception portions201, the peripheral walls209of the reception portions201enter into the slot106of the male housing10so that the enclosure104could fully enclose the reception portions201, the enclosure104of the male housing10further define a pair of recesses107for said raised portions206passing through. The protection boards23push away the doors132of the retainer13and enter into the cavities131. Said male contacts12enter into the receiving spaces213of the female contacts21and are sandwiched between the respective spring leaves22, the convex portions226of said spring fingers221resist the respective male contacts12so as to promote reliability of electrical connection between the male connector100and the female connector200. The protection boards23hold the respective mating plates211and spring leaves22so as to prevent them from outward deformation. The shielding shells24engage with the respective channels136so as to shielding the male and female contacts12,21from electromagnetic interference. Furthermore, the first clips161resist the shielding shell24so as to make electrical connections between the respective shielding shells24and metal shells16.