Cell-monitoring connector for fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12482989-B2
Application number	US-202217820193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2022
Priority date	Oct 12, 2021
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

In an embodiment a cell-monitoring connector includes a housing including a lock portion corresponding to a groove portion defined by lock recesses stacked and overlapped in the first direction, wherein the lock recesses are formed in at least one of upper portions or lower portions of terminals protruding in a second direction, the second direction intersecting the first direction toward the cell-monitoring connector from side portions of separators included in the plurality of unit cells and a connector position assurance (CPA) including a lower portion configured to be inserted into the lock portion of the housing in a third direction and to be locked in the groove portion and an upper portion extending from the lower portion in the third direction, the upper portion having a top surface having an area larger than an area of the lower portion in a direction intersecting the third direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cell-monitoring connector comprising:
a housing including a lock portion corresponding to a groove portion defined by lock recesses stacked and overlapped in a first direction of a plurality of unit cells, wherein the lock recesses are formed in at least one of upper portions or lower portions of terminals protruding in a second direction of the plurality of unit cells, the second direction intersecting the first direction toward the cell-monitoring connector from side portions of separators included in the plurality of unit cells; and a connector position assurance (CPA) comprising:
a lower portion configured to be inserted into the lock portion of the housing in a third direction and to be locked in the groove portion; and
an upper portion extending from the lower portion in the third direction, the upper portion having a top surface having an area larger than an area of the lower portion in a direction intersecting the third direction,
wherein the CPA is configured to be selectively inserted into the lock portion in the third direction, the third direction intersecting each of the first direction and the second direction, and to be locked in the groove portion in order to prevent the housing from being separated from the separators in the second direction, and
wherein the housing comprises:
a first CPA configured to be locked in the groove portion formed by an arrangement of the lock recesses located in the upper portions of the terminals, and
a second CPA configured to be locked in the groove portion formed by an arrangement of the lock recesses located in the lower portions of the terminals.

2 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 1 , wherein the CPA comprises an insertion hole inwardly recessed in the second direction in order to receive a removal tool insertable from outside.

3 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 2 , wherein the insertion hole is located at a lowermost end of the upper portion.

4 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 2 , wherein the insertion hole is located between a lowermost end and an uppermost end of the upper portion.

5 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 2 , wherein a height of the insertion hole in the third direction gradually decreases from an entrance thereof to an innermost portion thereof.

6 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 2 , further comprising connection terminals configured to be inserted into connection terminal insertion holes so as to be connected to the terminals, the connection terminal insertion holes being located in a front surface of the housing while communicating with slits located in a rear surface of the housing.

7 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 6 , further comprising a terminal position assurance (TPA) configured to be mounted to the front surface of the housing in order to press the connection terminals into the housing.

8 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 7 ,
wherein the TPA includes an upper portion, and wherein, when one side of the removal tool is inserted into the insertion hole and when an opposite side of the removal tool is pressed in the third direction, the upper portion of the TPA supports a lower surface of the removal tool so as to unlock the CPA from the groove portion.

9 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 7 ,
wherein the housing includes a locking protrusion protruding in the third direction, and wherein the TPA includes a fixing piece configured to be engaged with the locking protrusion so as to fix the TPA when an opposite side of the removal tool is pressed in the third direction.

10 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first insertion hole arranged in the first CPA; and a second insertion hole arranged in the second CPA, wherein the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole have shapes that are symmetrical to each other in the third direction with respect to a center of the housing.

11 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the CPA and a top surface of the housing are located in the same horizontal plane when the CPA is locked in the groove portion.

12 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the upper portion corresponds to a press-fit surface that is pressed when the CPA is inserted into the lock portion in the third direction.

13 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 1 , wherein the CPA includes a plurality of engagement protrusions protruding in the first direction.

14 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 13 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of protrusion-receiving recesses formed to receive the plurality of engagement protrusions in a slide-fitting manner when the plurality of engagement protrusions is pressed in the third direction.

15 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 13 , wherein the plurality of engagement protrusions comprises:
a first engagement protrusion configured to primarily assemble the CPA that has not been assembled to the housing to the housing, and a second engagement protrusion configured to fix the CPA that has been primarily assembled to the housing.

16 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 13 , wherein some of the plurality of engagement protrusions protrude in the first direction from first opposite outer side surfaces of the CPA, the first opposite outer side surfaces being located opposite each other in the first direction among outer side surfaces of the CPA.

17 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 16 , wherein remaining ones of the plurality of engagement protrusions protrude in the first direction from second opposite outer side surfaces of the CPA, the second opposite outer side surfaces being spaced apart from or extending from the first opposite outer side surfaces in the second direction.

18 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 1 , wherein the CPA includes at least one shift-preventing portion protruding in the first direction.

19 . The cell-monitoring connector according to claim 18 , wherein the housing has a shift-preventing-portion-receiving recess to receive the at least one shift-preventing portion in the third direction.

20 . A cell-monitoring connector comprising:
a housing including a lock portion corresponding to a groove portion defined by lock recesses stacked and overlapped in a first direction of a plurality of unit cells, wherein the lock recesses are formed in at least one of upper portions or lower portions of terminals protruding in a second direction of the plurality of unit cells, the second direction intersecting the first direction toward the cell-monitoring connector from side portions of separators included in the plurality of unit cells; and a connector position assurance (CPA) comprising:
a lower portion configured to be inserted into the lock portion of the housing in a third direction and to be locked in the groove portion; and
an upper portion extending from the lower portion in the third direction, the upper portion having a top surface having an area larger than an area of the lower portion in a direction intersecting the third direction,
wherein the CPA is configured to be selectively inserted into the lock portion in the third direction, the third direction intersecting each of the first direction and the second direction, and to be locked in

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Lee Jong Jun

Classifications

• H01M8/04559

  of fuel cell stacks · CPC title

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01R13/639 Primary

  Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} · CPC title

• G01R31/364

  Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements · CPC title

• H01R13/641 Primary

  by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement · CPC title