Power connector system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10128624-B2
Application number	US-201715661853-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Aug 1, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A power connector system includes a header connector having a header housing mounted to a chassis. The header housing holds a header terminal comprising a plurality of contact members arranged side-by-side in a stacked arrangement. Each contact member has a pair of spring beams defining sockets at a mating end of the contact member. The sockets of the contact members are aligned to define a tab socket of the header terminal. The power connector system includes a plug connector having a plug housing holding a tab terminal. The tab terminal has a mating end and a cable end. The mating end is received in a mating direction into the tab socket of the header terminal during mating to electrically connect the tab terminal with the header terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power connector system comprising:
a header connector having a header housing mounted to a chassis, the header housing having a mating end, the header connector including a header terminal held by the header housing at the mating end of the header housing, the header terminal comprising a plurality of contact members arranged side-by-side in a stacked arrangement, each contact member having a pair of spring beams defining a socket at a mating end of the contact member, the sockets of the contact members being aligned to define a tab socket of the header terminal exposed at the mating end of the header housing; and
a plug connector having a plug housing having a mating end mated to the mating end of the header housing, the plug connector including a tab terminal held at the mating end of the plug housing, the tab terminal having a cable end and a mating end, the mating end being received in a mating direction into the tab socket of the header terminal during mating to directly mate to the header terminal and to electrically connect the tab terminal with the header terminal.

2. The power connector system of claim 1 , wherein the tab terminal is a solid piece of metal terminated to a power cable at the cable end, the tab terminal having a first side and a second side, the tab terminal also having an edge at the mating end, the edge being loaded into the tab socket of the header terminal during mating.

3. The power connector system of claim 1 , wherein the header terminal has multiple points of contact with the tab terminal.

4. The power connector system of claim 1 , wherein the plug connector includes a lever connected to the housing, the lever engaging the header connector, wherein the plug connector is moved relative to the header connector when the lever is actuated to mate and unmate the plug connector and the header connector.

5. The power connector system of claim 1 , wherein the spring beams of the contact members are deflectable against the tab terminal when mated thereto.

6. The power connector system of claim 1 , wherein each of the contact members defines a fork contact at the mating end.

7. The power connector system of claim 6 , wherein the mating end of the contact member is a first contact member and each of the contact members defines a fork contact at a second mating end opposite the first mating end, the fork contact at the second mating end defining a socket configured to receive a bus bar therein.

8. The power connector system of claim 1 , wherein the header connector includes a header touch guard to make the header connector touch-safe, and the plug connector includes a plug touch guard to make the plug connector touch-safe.

9. A power connector system comprising:
a header connector having a header housing mounted to a chassis, the header housing defining a header chamber, the header housing having a mating end, the header connector including a plurality of contact members held in the header chamber at the mating end of the header housing, the contact members being arranged side-by-side in a stacked arrangement to define a header terminal, the contact members each having a pair of spring beams defining a socket at a mating end of the respective contact member, the sockets of the contact members being aligned to define a tab socket of the header terminal, the header connector including a header touch guard around the header terminal, the header touch guard having openings that provide mating access to the header terminal but are touch-safe; and
a plug connector having a plug housing defining a plug chamber, the plug housing having a mating end mated to the mating end of the header housing and a cable end with a power cable extending from the cable end, the plug connector holding a tab terminal in the plug chamber at the mating end of the plug housing, the tab terminal having a mating end being received in a mating direction into the tab socket of the header terminal during mating to directly mate to the contact members of the header terminal and to electrically connect the tab terminal with each of the contact members in the header terminal, the tab terminal having a cable end that is terminated to the power cable, the plug connector having a plug touch guard at the mating end of the plug housing that provides mating access to the tab terminal but is touch-safe.

10. The power connector system of claim 9 , wherein the header touch guard surrounds a top, sides, and edges of the header terminal.

11. The power connector system of claim 9 , wherein the plug touch guard covers the mating end of the tab terminal and is received in the tab socket of the header terminal during mating.

12. The power connector system of claim 9 , wherein the plug touch guard covers the mating end of the tab terminal, the tab terminal having opposite first and second sides that are exposed inside the plug chamber, the spring beams of the contact members in the header terminal engaging the first and second sides of the tab terminal inside the plug chamber during mating.

13. The power connector system of claim 9 , wherein the tab terminal is a solid piece of metal terminated to the power cable, the tab terminal having a first side and an opposite, second side, the tab terminal also having an edge at the mating end of the tab terminal, the edge being loaded into the tab socket of the header terminal during mating.

14. The power connector system of claim 9 , wherein the header terminal has multiple points of contact with the tab terminal.

15. The power connector system of claim 9 , wherein the plug connector includes a lever connected to the housing, the lever engaging the header connector, wherein the plug connector is moved relative to the header connector when the lever is actuated to mate and unmate the plug connector and the header connector.

16. The power connector system of claim 9 , wherein the spring beams of the contact members are deflectable against the tab terminal when mated thereto.

17. The power connector system of claim 9 , wherein each of the contact members defines a fork contact at the mating end of the respective contact member.

18. A power connector system comprising:
a header connector having a header housing mounted to a chassis, the header housing having a mating end, the header connector including a plurality of contact members arranged side-by-side in a stacked arrangement to define a header terminal at the mating end of the header housing, the contact members being double-ended fork contacts having pairs of spring beams that define sockets at both a first mating end and a second mating end of the respective contact member, the sockets at the first mating ends of the contact members being aligned to define a tab socket of the header terminal, the sockets at the second mating ends of the contact members being aligned to define a bus bar socket of the header terminal configured to receive a bus bar therein; and
a plug connector having a plug housing having a mating end mated to the mating end of the header housing, the plug connector including a tab terminal held at the mating end of the plug housing, the plug housing having a mating end and a cable end with a power cable extending from the cable end, the tab terminal having a mating end being received in a mating direction into the tab socket of the header terminal during mating to directly mate to the contact members of the header terminal and to electrically connect the tab terminal with each of the contact members in the header terminal, the tab terminal having a cable end terminated to

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Tyler Adam Price
• Boyer Aric J
• Rhein David James

Classifications

• H01R13/447

  Shutter or cover plate · CPC title

• H01R13/113

  co-operating with pins or blades having a rectangular transverse section · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R13/112 Primary

  forked sockets having two legs · CPC title

• H01R13/62938

  Pivoting lever comprising own camming means · CPC title