Charging Connector for an Electric Vehicle

Abstract

An electric vehicle charging connector includes contact elements that are electrically connected to a cable. The contact elements comprise a block portion and at least one contact finger extending from the block portion, and a cooling tube for forced cooling that includes a liquid coolant for cooling at least one of the contact elements. The cooling tube is fluidly connected to an internal cooling channel of the contact element. The cooling channel extends from the block portion into the contact finger so that both parts are cooled by the cooling fluid.

Claims

1. Electric vehicle charging connector, comprising: contact elements that are electrically connected to a cable, wherein the contact elements comprise a block portion and at least one contact finger extending from the block portion; a cooling tube for forced cooling, the cooling tube comprising a liquid coolant is configured for cooling at least the contact elements; wherein the cooling tube is fluidly connected to an internal cooling channel of each of the contact elements; wherein the cooling channel extends from the block portion into the contact finger so that both parts are cooled by the cooling fluid.

2. The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein an exit of the cooling channel of the block portion is connected to a cable jacket of the cables so that the cooling fluid cools the cables at a return flow.

3. The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the cooling channels in the block portion provide a communication channel with which the cooling fluid partly bypasses the cooling channel of the contact finger.

4. The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 3, wherein the communication channel has a smaller cross section than the cooling channel of the block portion and/or the contact finger.

5. The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the cooling channels have one of a circular-, a teardrop-, a diamond-, a square- or an ellipse-shaped cross-section.

6. The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact element is a single 3D-printing part.

7. The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact element comprises at least two pieces that are joined together by brazing or welding.

8. The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the cooling channel in the finger has a meander or spiral design.

9. The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1, wherein contact finger has a flat shape.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0023] FIG. 1 is an outline view from a side perspective of an electric vehicle charging connector in accordance with the disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a contact element with a cooling channel in accordance with the disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 3a is a diagrammatic view of a cooling channel design of the contact finger according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 3b is a diagrammatic view of a cooling channel design of the contact finger according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d are alternative embodiments of a cooling channel cross section in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an electric vehicle charging connector 10, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electric vehicle charging connector 10 may comprise essentially an outer casing or enclosure 14, respectively, an inner casing or enclosure 18, respectively, a cable 22 for conducting charge current from a charge station (not shown) to a battery charge socket. The cable 22 is linked to a contact element 26 inside the inner enclosure 18. At an opposite end to the cable 22, the contact element 26 comes in contact with a respective socket of a vehicle. The function of the inner enclosure 18 is to ensure electrical insulation, to provide mechanical strength, and to prevent the electric vehicle charging connector 10 from contamination by intruding water and dirt. For this reason, the inner enclosure 18 is massively sealed, and in some designs exhibits also a nearly completely potted structure. This structure is further enclosed in the outer enclosure 14. The purpose of the structure is to provide a handle for a user and other functions that interact with the user. One of the reasons for separating enclosure 14 and 18 is weight reduction.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows the contact element 26 with a cooling channel 30 according to an embodiment of the invention. The contact element 26, which is made of an e.g. copper material, comprises a block portion 34 and flat contact fingers 38, extending from the block portion 34. For providing the cooling channel 30 in the contact element 26, either this part can be manufactured via 3D printing or by welding respectively brazing two halves of contact element parts 26 together. In this embodiment, the contact element 26 provides two contact fingers 38, which are parallel and spaced apart to each other. The contact fingers 38 provide the electric contact with a mating contact of a vehicle socket (not shown). The electric vehicle charging connector 10 further comprises a cooling tube 42 that is fluidly connected to the block portion 34 of the contact element 26. The cooling fluid of the cooling tube 42 thereby can enter into the cooling channel 30 of the block portion 34. The cooling channels 30 of the block portion are connected with cooling channels 30 of the contact fingers 38, which extends to the tip of the fingers 38. In this example, the cooling channel 30 of the contact finger 38 has a U-shape.

[0030] With the cooling fluid, the block portion 34 and the contact finger 38 can be cooled. At an exit of the cooling channels 30, they are split up into three branches entering in a cable jacket 46 of the cables 22. Thereby, the cables 22 are additionally cooled. In this embodiment, a communication channel 50 is provided in the block portion 34, connecting the cooling channel 30 in the entry region 54 with the cooling channel 50 at an exit region 58. Thereby, the cooling channel 30 of the contact finger 38 can be partly bypassed. In an embodiment not shown, the contact element 26 also could be provided without the communication channel 54. Thereby, the whole cooling fluid is forced to circulate through the contact finger 38. In order to circulate and cool the cooling fluid, the charge station (not shown) provides a fluid pump and a device for cooling the cooling fluid.

[0031] FIG. 3a shows a cooling channel design of the contact finger 38 according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, the cooling channel 30 in the contact finger 38 form several loops in a longitudinal direction of the contact finger 38. Thereby a large area of the contact finger 38 can be cooled, so that the heat of the contact finger 38 efficiently can be removed. A further embodiment of a cooling channel design of the contact finger 38 is shown in FIG. 3b, where the cooling channel 30 in the finger 38 form several loop in a transverse direction of the contact finger 38. Also with this design, a high cooling effect can be achieved.

[0032] FIGS. 4a-d show different embodiments of a cooling channel 30 cross section. A first embodiment (FIG. 4a) shows a circular design of the cooling channel 30. In a second embodiment (FIG. 4b), the cross section has a diamond-shaped cross section. This design has the advantage that if the contact element 26 is manufactured by a 3D printing process, no printing support structure in the cooling channel 30 is required. FIG. 4c shows a teardrop cross section. The same would be true for the ellipse design (FIG. 4d), if the cooling channel 30 is printed along the longitudinal axis of the ellipse. The ellipse design further has the advantage that due to a smaller height in one axis of the ellipse, this cooling channel can also be provided in flat parts like the contact fingers 38.

[0033] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

[0034] The use of the terms a and an and the and at least one and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of the term at least one followed by a list of one or more items (for example, at least one of A and B) is to be construed to mean one item selected from the listed items (A or B) or any combination of two or more of the listed items (A and B), unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms comprising, having, including, and containing are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning including, but not limited to,) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., such as) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

[0035] Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0036] 10 electric vehicle charging connector [0037] 14 outer enclosure [0038] 18 inner enclosure [0039] 22 cable [0040] 26 contact element [0041] 30 cooling channel [0042] 34 block portion [0043] 38 contact finger [0044] 42 cooling tube [0045] 46 cable jacket [0046] 50 communication channel [0047] 54 entry region [0048] 58 exit region