Connector for power-supply unit with a signal line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577388-B2
Application number	US-201514610525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Feb 17, 2014
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A connector for being attached to a power-supply unit including a switching element and for mating with a mating connector of a wire harness, the connector including a connecting terminal including an end portion connected to an output terminal in a casing of the power-supply unit, a housing fixed to the casing and enclosing at least a portion of the connecting terminal, a current sensor enclosed in the housing so as to detect a magnetic field generated by an electric current flowing through the connecting terminal, and a signal line for transmitting an output signal of the current sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector for being attached to a power-supply unit comprising a switching element and for mating with a mating connector of a wire harness, the connector comprising:
a connecting terminal comprising an end portion connected to an output terminal in a casing of the power-supply unit;
a housing fixed to the casing and enclosing at least another end portion of the connecting terminal;
a current sensor for detecting a magnetic field generated by an electric current flowing through the connecting terminal; and
a signal line for transmitting an output signal of the current sensor,
wherein the current sensor is mounted on a substrate held by the housing in a vicinity of the connecting terminal such that the current sensor is enclosed by the housing.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the signal line comprises a portion led out of the housing that extends out in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the end portion of the connecting terminal.

3. The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting terminal further comprises a plurality of connecting terminals arranged in parallel in a predetermined alignment direction corresponding to a plurality of output terminals each for a phase current output from the power-supply unit, and
wherein the signal line extends out along the predetermined alignment direction.

4. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the current sensor comprises a GMR sensor comprising a giant magnetoresistive element, and
the giant magnetoresistive element comprises a detection axis along a direction of the magnetic field generated by the electric current flowing through the connecting terminal.

5. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the current sensor comprises a plurality of current sensors that are each arranged to detect a magnetic field generated by a multi-phase current output from the power-supply unit, and are mounted on the substrate held by the housing.

Assignees

• Hitachi Metals Ltd

Inventors

• Umetsu Jun
• Suzuki Sachio
• Akimoto Katsuya
• Futakuchi Naoki
• Hayashi Shinya
• Futatsumori Takahiro

Classifications

• G01R33/093 Primary

  using multilayer structures, e.g. giant magnetoresistance sensors (thin magnetic films H01F10/00) · CPC title

• H01R13/6683

  with built-in sensor · CPC title

• H01R2105/00

  Three poles · CPC title

• H01R13/6608 Primary

  with built-in single component (H01R13/68, H01R13/70 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title