Patent Description:
Power terminals usually comprise a contact portion, a connection portion and an intermediate portion between the two. The current intensity that such power terminals can conduct without excessive temperature rise depends on the cross-section of at least the contact portion. The greater the current intensity that can be conducted by a power terminal, the larger the cross-section of the contact portion. Among the power terminals, there are some in which at least the contact portion has a plate-like shape. The thickness of the plate that can be used for making such a power terminal is also limited by the fact that the greater the thickness, the more operations such as punching, embossing, bending, etc. are difficult. More particularly, for example for copper alloys, a thickness of <NUM> millimetres of bulk material is a limit which becomes difficult to cross. Therefore, it becomes easier to make power terminals with a greater width, than with a greater thickness. But, increasing the width of a power terminal has more impact on the size of the connector accommodating such a power terminal, than increasing its thickness. The patent application published under <CIT> discloses a multilayer power terminal according to the preamble of appended claim <NUM>.

A purpose of this disclosure is to provide a power terminal that can conduct relatively high current intensity without excessive temperature rise and without complexifying excessively its manufacturing.

For this purpose, it is disclosed a power terminal according to claim <NUM>.

Indeed, such a power terminal comprises a contact portion with a main top surface and at least one contact area protruding from the main top surface. The contact area protruding from the main top surface improves the connection between said power terminal and the power terminal of a counter-connector. However, this protrusion results from the embossment or the stamping of the multi-layer structure of the contact portion. It is easier to emboss a multi-layer structure than a bulk structure. Therefore, the manufacturing of the power terminal does not require more sophisticated and/or complex tools even if the thickness of the multi-layer structure is greater than that of a bulk structure. In other words, the cross-section of the contact portion can be increased by increasing the thickness, i.e. the number of layers of the multi-layer structure.

In this document, the terms "embossing", "embossment", "embossed" shall be understood with a general meaning corresponding to a deformation of a layer or a plurality of layers, whatever the technology used to achieve this deformation (embossing, stamping, punching, etc.).

The power terminal according to claim <NUM> possibly comprises one and/or the other of the features listed in Claims <NUM> to <NUM>, each considered independently of each other or in combination with one or more others.

According to another aspect, it is disclosed a set of power terminals according to any one of claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

According to another aspect, it is disclosed it is disclosed a connector according to claim <NUM>.

Other features, purposes and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following detailed description given with reference to the appended drawings and by way of non-limiting examples and in which:.

An example embodiment of a connector assembly <NUM> is shown in <FIG>. According to this example, the connector assembly <NUM> comprises a male connector <NUM> and a female connector <NUM>. The male connector <NUM> has a housing made of dielectric material and which comprises a cavity <NUM> configured for accommodating at least one male power terminal <NUM>. The female connector <NUM> has a housing made of dielectric material and which comprises a cavity <NUM> configured for accommodating at least one female power terminal <NUM>. When the male <NUM> and female <NUM> connectors are mated, the male <NUM> and female <NUM> power terminals electrically connect to each other.

As shown on <FIG> and <FIG>, the female power terminal <NUM> comprises a terminal body <NUM> and a cage <NUM>. The terminal body <NUM> comprises a contact portion <NUM>, a connection portion <NUM> and an intermediate portion <NUM> between the two.

The terminal body <NUM> has essentially a plate-like shape. In the illustrated example, the contact portion <NUM> and the intermediate portion <NUM> are aligned, whereas the connection portion <NUM> extends at right angle from the intermediate portion <NUM>. The contact portion <NUM>, the connection portion <NUM> and the intermediate portion <NUM> are formed as a multilayer structure. In the example shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the contact portion <NUM> comprises eight conductive layers <NUM>, whereas the connection portion <NUM> and the intermediate portion <NUM> comprise six conductive layers <NUM>. For example, each layer <NUM> is made of a copper alloy. Each layer <NUM> has a thickness of about <NUM> millimetre. Each layer <NUM> has a width W of about <NUM> millimetres. Each layer <NUM> has two main surfaces delimiting it a direction D corresponding to its thickness. The layers <NUM> are stacked in a direction D perpendicular to the main surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> of the contact <NUM> and intermediate <NUM> portions.

The contact portion <NUM> comprises a main top surface <NUM> and two contact areas <NUM> protruding from the main top surface <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, each layer <NUM> of the contact portion <NUM> comprises two first embossed regions <NUM>. The first embossed regions <NUM> of each layer <NUM> are registered with the first embossed regions <NUM> of an adjacent layer. The first embossed regions <NUM> of the top layer 13A respectively form a contact area <NUM>. In the example illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the female power terminal <NUM> has two contact areas <NUM> (each corresponding respectively to a first embossed region <NUM>). However, the contact portion <NUM> may comprise, in variations, only one contact area <NUM>. Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, the contact portion <NUM> may comprise, in variations, more than two contact areas <NUM> (e.g. twelve contact areas <NUM> as shown in <FIG>).

In the intermediate region <NUM>, each layer <NUM> comprises at least one second embossed region <NUM>. In the example illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the female power terminal <NUM> has four second embossed regions <NUM>. Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, the intermediate region <NUM> may comprise, in variations, more or less than four second embossed regions <NUM> (e.g. eight second embossed regions <NUM> as shown in <FIG>). The second embossed regions <NUM> may result from embossing, from stamping or from another operation adapted for deforming the stacked layers <NUM>. These operations (embossing, stamping or the like) mechanically couple the layers <NUM> together. They strengthen the multilayer structure and improve the electrical conductivity between adjacent layers <NUM>. The second embossed regions <NUM> may be embossed or stamped from the main top surface <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>) or from the main bottom surface <NUM>. Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, several second embossed regions <NUM> may be embossed or stamped from the main top surface <NUM> and others may be embossed or stamped from the main bottom surface <NUM> (in other words, each layer <NUM> of the plurality of conductive layers <NUM> comprises embossed or stamped regions <NUM> embossed or. stamped in opposite directions).

The cage <NUM> is cut and shaped in a sheet metal (e.g. of stainless steel). As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the cage <NUM> has a "U" shape, with a top wall <NUM> and a bottom wall <NUM>, each respectively corresponding to a branch of the "U", and a lateral wall <NUM> joining the top <NUM> and bottom <NUM> walls. An elastic tongue <NUM> extends from the top wall <NUM> towards the bottom wall <NUM>. The tongue <NUM> is configured so as to allow a male terminal <NUM> to be inserted between the top wall <NUM> and the main top surface <NUM> of the contact portion <NUM> of the female terminal <NUM>. More particularly, the tongue <NUM> is configured for pressing a contact portion of the male terminal <NUM> against the contact areas <NUM>. The cage <NUM> comprises hooks 23A, 23B, 23C configured for maintaining the cage <NUM> on the plurality of conductive layers <NUM> of the contact portion <NUM>. The hooks 23A, 23B, 23C can also help to maintain the layers <NUM> assembled together. In the example shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, there are a front hook 23A and a lateral hook 23B, each one respectively engaging a notch 24A or 24B cut in the layers <NUM> of the contact portion <NUM>. These front 23A and lateral 23B hooks do not cover the main top surface <NUM>. Possibly, since the contact areas <NUM> protrude from the main top surface <NUM>, the front hook 23A can stick-out further than the main top surface <NUM>, while remaining below the top of the contact areas <NUM>. The lateral hook 23B is advantageously flush with the main top surface <NUM>. The cage <NUM> also comprise two rear hooks 23C which come back over the main top surface <NUM> and catch the layers <NUM> together. The rear hooks 23C may also serves for blocking a forward movement of the male terminal <NUM>. Each rear hook 23C is inserted behind a shoulder <NUM> cut in the layers <NUM> and located behind the contact portion <NUM>.

<FIG> show various versions of a set of female power terminals <NUM> (without cage). The three versions shown in <FIG> differ from each other by the number of conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the intermediate portion <NUM> and the connection portion <NUM>. For example, the female power terminal <NUM> shown in <FIG> comprises eight layers <NUM>, in the contact portion <NUM>, as well as in the intermediate portion <NUM> and in the connection portion <NUM>. Therefore, the cross-section of these contact portion <NUM>, connection portion <NUM> and intermediate portion <NUM> is about <NUM> times <NUM> times the width of the female power terminal <NUM> (e.g. if the width is about <NUM>, the cross-section is about <NUM>×<NUM>×<NUM>=<NUM><NUM>). Such a female power terminal <NUM> is adapted for conducting currents up to <NUM> Amps without exceeding <NUM>. The female power terminal <NUM> shown in <FIG> comprises eight layers <NUM> in the contact portion <NUM>, but only six layers in the intermediate portion <NUM> and in the connection portion <NUM>. Therefore, the cross-section of the contact portion <NUM> remains the same as in the version of <FIG>, but the cross-section of the connection portion <NUM> and intermediate portion <NUM> is about <NUM> times <NUM> times the width of the female power terminal <NUM> (e.g. if the width is about <NUM>, the cross-section is about <NUM>×<NUM>×<NUM>=<NUM><NUM>). Such a female power terminal <NUM> is adapted for conducting currents up to <NUM> Amps without exceeding <NUM>. The female power terminal <NUM> shown in <FIG> comprises eight layers <NUM> in the contact portion <NUM>, but only four layers in the intermediate portion <NUM> and in the connection portion <NUM>. Therefore, the cross-section of the contact portion <NUM> remains the same as in the versions of <FIG>, but the cross-section of the connection portion <NUM> and intermediate portion <NUM> is about <NUM> times <NUM> times the width of the female power terminal <NUM> (e.g. if the width is about <NUM>, the cross-section is about <NUM>×<NUM>×<NUM>=<NUM><NUM>). Such a female power terminal <NUM> is adapted for conducting currents up to <NUM> Amps without exceeding <NUM>.

In the power terminals <NUM> shown in <FIG>, the thickness of the contact portion <NUM> is greater than <NUM>. It is advantageous to have a thicker portion where the contact between the male <NUM> and female <NUM> power terminals is. Indeed, the temperature may rise at the contact points (i.e. in the contact areas <NUM>) more than elsewhere.

In the set of female power terminals <NUM> shown in <FIG>, each one of the three terminals has N (with N=<NUM>) conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the contact portion <NUM>. The female power terminal <NUM> shown in <FIG> has N conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the intermediate portion <NUM> and the connection portion <NUM>. The female power terminal <NUM> shown in <FIG> has N-<NUM>=<NUM> conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the intermediate portion <NUM> and the connection portion <NUM>. The female power terminal <NUM> shown in <FIG> has N-<NUM>=<NUM> conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the intermediate portion <NUM> and the connection portion <NUM>. More generally, if the number of conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the contact portion <NUM> is a positive integer N, the number of conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the intermediate portion <NUM> and/or the connection portion <NUM> is N-n, where n is chosen as a positive integer lower a than N.

The set of female power terminals <NUM> disclosed above has the advantage that it allows to adapt the number of conductive layers <NUM> (i.e. to adapt the cost) to the application, while keeping the same interface both for the male power terminal <NUM> and the male <NUM> and female <NUM> connectors.

A connector, for example a female connector <NUM>, can accommodate one or several female power terminals <NUM> of this set of female terminals <NUM>. When this connector <NUM> accommodates several terminals <NUM>, said several female power terminals <NUM> can be the same, said several female power terminals <NUM> can differ by the number of conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the intermediate portion <NUM> and the connection portion <NUM>, whereas the number of conductive layers <NUM> stacked in the contact portion <NUM> are the same as shown in <FIG>.

Claim 1:
Power terminal (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising a contact portion (<NUM>), a connection portion (<NUM>) and an intermediate portion (<NUM>) between the contact portion (<NUM>) and the connection portion (<NUM>), the contact (<NUM>) and intermediate (<NUM>) portions comprising a plurality of conductive layers (<NUM>) stacked along a direction corresponding to their respective thicknesses, the contact portion (<NUM>) comprising a main top surface (<NUM>) and at least one contact area (<NUM>) protruding from the main top surface (<NUM>),
wherein each layer (<NUM>) of the plurality of conductive layers (<NUM>) in the contact portion (<NUM>) comprises at least one first embossed region (<NUM>), said at least one first embossed region (<NUM>) of each layer (<NUM>) being registered with said at least one first embossed region (<NUM>) of an adjacent layer (<NUM>), and said at least one first embossed region (<NUM>) of a top layer (<NUM>) forming said at least one contact area (<NUM>),
characterized in that, in the intermediate portion (<NUM>), each layer (<NUM>) of the plurality of conductive layers (<NUM>) comprises at least one second embossed region (<NUM>) that mechanically couples the layers (<NUM>) together.