Electrical connection apparatus with improved thermal coupling of a printed circuit board which has a temperature sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10547131-B2
Application number	US-201716313573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is an electrical connection apparatus for coupling to a corresponding connecting device and for transmitting electrical energy. The electrical connection apparatus includes at least one power contact arranged in a housing of the apparatus and connected to the housing, and at least one temperature sensor for determining a temperature of the power contact. The apparatus further includes a printed circuit board arranged in the housing of the electrical connection apparatus between the power contact and a retaining section of the housing, with the printed circuit board being clamped between the power contact and the retaining section by means of a spring-force apparatus arranged between the power contact and the retaining section. The printed circuit board is thermally coupled to the power contact directly or by means of the spring-force apparatus. The at least one temperature sensor is arranged on the printed circuit board.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical connection apparatus for coupling to a corresponding connecting device and for transmitting electrical energy, wherein the electrical connection apparatus comprises
at least one power contact which is arranged in a housing of the electrical connection apparatus and is connected to said housing, and
at least one temperature sensor for determining a temperature of the power contact,
wherein:
the electrical connection apparatus further comprises a printed circuit board which is arranged in the housing of said electrical connection apparatus and is arranged between the power contact and a retaining section of the housing;
the printed circuit board is clamped between the power contact and the retaining section by means of a spring-force apparatus which is arranged between the power contact and the retaining section;
the printed circuit board is thermally coupled to the power contact directly or by means of the spring-force apparatus; and
the at least one temperature sensor is arranged on the printed circuit board.

2. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board is electrically connected to the power contact directly or by means of the spring-force apparatus.

3. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board comprises a contact surface which is in an electrically conductive form and which is electrically connected to the power contact directly or by means of the spring-force apparatus.

4. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the spring-force apparatus is in the form of a surface-mounted spring-force apparatus and is soldered to the contact surface.

5. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the printed circuit board comprises a through hole, through which the power contact protrudes; and
the contact surface of the printed circuit board surrounds the through hole thereof.

6. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the spring-force apparatus is arranged between the power contact and the printed circuit board and is electrically connected to the power contact and the printed circuit board; and
the printed circuit board is clamped against the retaining section by means of the spring-force apparatus.

7. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the power contact comprises a securing flange, by means of which the power contact is connected to the housing; and
the securing flange extends radially away from a longitudinal axis (L) of the power contact.

8. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the spring-force apparatus is arranged between the securing flange and the retaining section of the housing.

9. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printed circuit board includes a plurality of power contacts having a cross-section associated with a maximum allowable current that can flow through each of the power contacts.

10. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a surface normal of the printed circuit board is oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis (L) of the power contact.

11. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the housing comprises a front region and a back region that can be connected thereto;
the power contact is arranged in the back region and is connected thereto;
the retaining section of the housing is arranged in the front region; and
the printed circuit board is arranged between the back region and the front region.

12. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is a temperature-dependent electrical resistor, in particular a thermistor.

13. A charging station for delivering electrical energy to a receiver of electrical energy, wherein the charging station comprises an electrical connection apparatus according to claim 1 in the form of a charging plug, which is electrically connected to the charging station by means of a supply cable.

14. The electrical connection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the printed circuit board comprises a through hole, through which the power contact protrudes; and
the contact surface of the printed circuit board surrounds the through hole thereof.

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact E Mobility Gmbh

Inventors

• Feldner Ralf
• Garth Carsten
• Gebhardt Tanja

Classifications

• H01R13/6658

  on printed circuit board (H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H05K2201/09072

  Hole or recess under component or special relationship between hole and component · CPC title