Electrical connector assembly with liquid cooling features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511636-B2
Application number	US-202016801245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2020
Priority date	Apr 1, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly includes a connector housing defining a cavity in which an electrical busbar is disposed. The connector housing defines an opening to the cavity. The electrical connector assembly also includes a cover configured to enclose the cavity. The cover has an inlet port, an outlet port, and a coolant channel that is in fluidic communication with the inlet port and the outlet port. A portion of the cover is in intimate thermal contact with the electrical busbar.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
a connector housing defining a cavity in which an electrical busbar is disposed, wherein the connector housing defines an opening to the cavity; and
a cover attached to the connector housing, wherein the cover is disposed within the opening, thereby enclosing the cavity, wherein the cover forms a cooling plate that is configured to cool the electrical busbar.

2. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a coolant channel in fluidic communication with an inlet port and an outlet port and wherein a portion of the cover is in thermal contact with the electrical busbar.

3. The electrical connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein a wire cable is attached to the busbar opposite the portion of the cover in thermal contact with the electrical busbar.

4. The electrical connector assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a dielectric thermal interface gel material layer disposed between the cover and the electrical busbar, wherein the dielectric thermal interface gel material layer is in intimate physical and thermal contact with both the electrical busbar and the cover.

5. The electrical connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cover comprises a plurality of fins extending into the coolant channel which divides the coolant channel into a plurality of coolant channels that are in fluidic communication with the inlet port and the outlet port.

6. The electrical connector assembly of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of fins extend continuously through the coolant channel.

7. The electrical connector assembly of claim 4 , wherein the assembly includes a pair of electrical busbars and wherein the dielectric thermal interface gel material layer is in intimate physical and thermal contact with the pair of electrical busbars and the cover, thereby electrically isolating the pair of electrical busbars from one another.

8. The electrical connector assembly of claim 7 , wherein the dielectric thermal interface gel material layer includes an additional dielectric coated metal layer between the cover and the pair of electrical busbars, thereby electrically isolating the pair of pair of uninsulated electrical busbars from one another.

9. The electrical connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cover includes a primary seal disposed between a first cover portion defining the inlet port and the outlet port and a second cover portion that is in thermal contact with the electrical busbar.

10. The electrical connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the assembly further includes a secondary seal disposed between the cover and the connector housing.

11. The electrical connector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first cover portion is formed of a polymeric material and the second cover portion is formed of a metallic material.

12. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are interconnected to a liquid cooling system of an electrically propelled vehicle.

13. A cover assembly configured to enclose an opening to a cavity in a connector housing in which an electrical busbar is disposed, the cover assembly comprising:
a first cover portion having an inlet port and an outlet port;
a second cover portion having a coolant channel in fluidic communication with the inlet port and the outlet port; and
a dielectric thermal interface gel material layer, wherein the dielectric thermal interface gel material layer is in intimate physical and thermal contact with the second cover portion and wherein the dielectric thermal interface gel material layer is configured to be in intimate physical and thermal contact with the electrical busbar.

14. The cover assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first cover portion comprises a plurality of fins extending into the coolant channel which define a plurality of coolant channels in fluidic communication with the inlet port and the outlet port.

15. The cover assembly of claim 13 , wherein the dielectric thermal interface gel material layer has an additional dielectric coated metal layer configured to be located between the second cover and the electrical busbar.

16. The cover assembly of claim 13 , further comprising:
a primary seal disposed between the first cover portion and the second cover portion; and
a secondary seal configured to be disposed between the second cover portion and the connector housing.

17. The cover assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first cover portion is formed of a polymeric material and the second cover portion is formed of a metallic material.

18. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
a printed circuit board having an electrical temperature sensor disposed thereon;
a terminal disposed within an aperture extending through the printed circuit board; and
a thermally conductive spring attached to the printed circuit board in a location proximate the electrical temperature sensor.

19. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 18 , further comprising:
a thermally conductive material covering a portion of the spring attached to the printed circuit board and the electrical temperature sensor.

20. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the electrical temperature sensor is a surface mounted thermistor.

21. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the opening has a rectangular shape.

Assignees

• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Mathews Thomas
• Bizon Don E
• Lovitz William C
• Durse Nicholas A
• Iler Troy A

Classifications

• B60L53/16 Primary

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• H01R13/005

  Electrical coupling combined with fluidic coupling · CPC title

• Y02T90/16

  Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles · CPC title