Methods and apparatuses, including computer program code are disclosed herein that provide damage protection to cables and connectors. In one aspect, there is provided an apparatus. The apparatus may include an electrical connector comprising a power supply pin and at least one control pin. The apparatus may further include a protective element configured to change a state of the at least one control pin to cause the power supply pin to become inactive. The protective element may be integrated with the electrical connector and/or integrated at one or more locations along the length of a cable.

A circuit measures temperature in a charging handle 150 of an electric vehicle charging station (EVSE) 100. A temperature sensor is connected between a control pilot line 115 and ground line G in the charging handle of the EVSE. The control pilot line transmits a square wave signal CP having positive and negative portions, to an electric vehicle, according to the SAE J1772 standard. A temperature monitor 300 in the EVSE, coupled to a pilot signal measurement circuit 230 in the EVSE, measures the negative portions of the square wave signal resulting from the temperature sensor conducting current in response to changes in temperature in the handle. Temperature measurement of the charging handle is achieved without significant added cost or complexity, by reusing existing components in the EVSE, with little or no modification required to EVSE electronics, and minimal modification of the handle.

A power interface device includes a first connecting module, a second connecting module and a processing module. The processing module performs the following: receiving a supply voltage through the first connecting module from a power supply device that employs a fast charging technology and that provides, based on an informing output, the supply voltage having a magnitude dependent on the informing output; generating the informing output; outputting the informing output to the power supply device through the first connecting module; and starting to output the supply voltage to the second connecting module when determining that a condition associated with the magnitude of the supply voltage is met.

An overheat-protection device with a cord that includes a transmission wire to transmit electrical power and a sensor wire to transmit a signal, a plug attached to an end of the cord, and a thermistor includable in the plug and connected to the sensor wire. The signal may be received and/or analyzed by a sensing device, which may control a switching device to open and/or close a power circuit. The thermistor may detect a level of heat, which may be communicated as a signal via the sensor wires. The signal may be definable by the thermistor varying a level of resistance to the signal responsive to the level of detected heat. The thermistor may be a NTC thermistor and may be constructed from a thermal plastic or a ceramic.

A power cord includes a plug and a load connection portion connected to a load. The plug contains a plurality of plug pins which are respectively inserted in plug pin insertion holes of a power socket and connected to the power socket and a plurality of PTC thermistors, at least one of which is provided for each of the plug pins to detect a temperature of the corresponding plug pin. The PTC thermistors form one series circuit, and the power cord includes a shut-off device which turns off power supply to the load connection portion from the plug pins when a resistance value of the series circuit is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

A varistor (50) comprising: a feed-through conductor (52) and a varistor disc (72) interposed between, and electrically connected to, conductor layers disposed on opposite surfaces of the varistor disc (72), the conductor layers being electrically isolated from one another; wherein the varistor disc (72) comprises a through aperture (60) through which the feed-through conductor extends; a first one of the conductor layers is electrically connected to the feed-through conductor; a second one of the conductor layers is, in normal use, permanently electrically connected to ground the varistor (50). This configuration enables one side of the disc (72) to be connected to the feed-through terminal, and the other side of the disc (72) to be connected to a ground plane, such as an earthed bulkhead of a wall or cabinet, via a metal plate forming part of the varistor (50) housing.

A vehicle power adaptor module includes a vehicle-sided connector and an interchangeable socket. The vehicle-sided connector includes a connector body and a first connecting portion. The first connecting portion is connected with the connector body. The connector body is configured to electrically connect with an electric vehicle. The interchangeable socket includes a socket body and a second connecting portion. The second connecting portion is connected with the socket body. The socket body is configured to electrically connect with an electronic equipment. The second connecting portion is configured to detachably connect with the first connecting portion.

A connector includes a terminal, a housing, a temperature sensor, and a holding structure. The holding structure holds the temperature sensor so as to be movable in at least a first orthogonal direction in a space portion (housing formation space portion). The housing has the base portion and the pressing arm portion extending from the base portion in the contact direction and elastically deformable with respect to the first orthogonal direction orthogonal to the contact direction. The pressing arm portion has a protrusion portion that protrudes into the space portion and comes into contact with the temperature sensor. When the protrusion portion comes into contact with the temperature sensor, the pressing arm portion is elastically deformed to press the temperature sensor located in the space portion with respect to the first orthogonal direction, and the pressed temperature sensor is brought into contact with the terminal.

The present invention relates to a protection apparatus (100) for protecting an electrical circuit. The protection apparatus comprises a thermal protection device (10) for interrupting the electrical circuit at a specific temperature and also an insertion slot (20) for receiving a fuse (21) for interrupting the electrical circuit at a specific current intensity in the electrical circuit. The thermal protection device (10) and the insertion slot (20) are connected in series in the electrical circuit (40), wherein the insertion slot and the thermal protection device are arranged adjacently.

An electrical connector includes a male electrical plug, a female socket, a housing, and a control system. The male electrical plug, which is supplied with power, is electrically connected to the female socket. The housing contains the male electrical plug, the female socket, and a control system. The control system includes a temperature sensor and a transceiver with the temperature sensor sensing a temperature at a location within the housing and the transceiver transmitting a signal representative of the temperature to an alarm device remotely located from the electrical connector. The electrical connector can include one or more switches that are remotely controllable by the alarm device to interrupt the electrical connection between the male plug and the female socket.