Temperature-monitored load contact module and cooled charging plug

Abstract

A load contact module for a charging plug-in connection includes: a load contact, which is designed to electromechanically contact a load contact to be inserted and/or slid on; a mounting portion, which is designed to connect the load contact module to a support of a charging plug and/or of a charging socket; and a temperature sensor for the temperature monitoring of a charging process, wherein the temperature sensor has a distance from the mounting portion.

Claims

1. A load-contact module for a plug-in charging connection, comprising: a first load contact, which is designed to electromechanically contact a second load contact to be inserted and/or slid on the first load contact; a mounting portion, which is designed to connect the load-contact module to a support of a charging plug and/or of a charging socket; a temperature sensor for monitoring a temperature of a charging process; and an insertion opening for receiving the second load contact to be inserted and/or slid on the first load contact; wherein the first load contact extends between a first end and a second end thereof in a direction of an axis of the load-contact module, wherein the first end of the first load contact is associated with the mounting portion and the second end is remote from the first end; wherein the temperature sensor is arranged between the second end of the first load contact and the insertion opening in the direction of the axis of the load-contact module; and wherein the temperature sensor is at a first distance from the mounting portion in the direction of the axis of the load-contact module, the insertion opening is at a second distance from the mounting portion in the direction of the axis of the load-contact module, and the first distance is less than the second distance.

2. The load-contact module according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is received in a thermally conductive plastics material and/or is cast in a thermally conductive plastics material at least in part.

3. The load-contact module according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is arranged between the second end of the first load contact and a collar of a housing of the load-contact module, which collar defines the insertion opening.

4. The load-contact module according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion has an end surface which forms an axial stop for mounting the load-contact module on the support; and wherein the first distance is defined between the temperature sensor and the end surface of the mounting portion.

5. The load-contact module according to claim 1, wherein a thermally conducting contact spring is designed to abut the second load contact; and wherein the contact spring is provided to conduct heat in the direction of the temperature sensor.

6. The load-contact module according to claim 5, wherein the contact spring abuts a thermally conductive plastics material.

7. The load-contact module according to claim 1, wherein the first load contact is a socket contact, which has an opening for inserting a pin contact; wherein the first load contact is surrounded over the periphery by an insulation housing; wherein a flexible conducting track is guided on a lateral surface of the insulation housing facing away from the first load contact; wherein the flexible conducting track is coupled to the temperature sensor; and wherein the flexible conducting track is guided from the temperature sensor to a printed circuit board and is connected to the printed circuit board.

8. The load-contact module according to claim 1, wherein the first distance is 10 mm or greater.

9. A charging plug for a motor vehicle, comprising: an active and/or passive cooling device designed to cool load contacts or components required for transferring charging power; and a load contact module including: a first load contact, which is designed to electromechanically contact a second load contact to be inserted and/or slid on the first load contact; a mounting portion, which is designed to connect the load-contact module to a support of a charging plug and/or of a charging socket; a temperature sensor for monitoring a temperature of a charging process; and an insertion opening for receiving the second load contact to be inserted and/or slid on the first load contact; wherein the first load contact extends between a first end and a second end thereof in a direction of an axis of the load-contact module, wherein the first end of the first load contact is associated with the mounting portion and the second end is remote from the first end, wherein the temperature sensor is arranged between the second end of the first load contact and the insertion opening in the direction of the axis of the load-contact module; and wherein the temperature sensor is at a first distance from the mounting portion in the direction of the axis of the load-contact module, the insertion opening is at a second distance from the mounting portion in the direction of the load-contact module, and the first distance is less than the second distance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in greater detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings schematically showing embodiments, and in which:

(2) FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a load-contact module according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 1B is another perspective view of the load-contact module from FIG. 1A,

(4) FIG. 1C is a front view of the load-contact module from FIG. 1A;

(5) FIG. 1D is an exploded side view of the load-contact module from FIG. 1A,

(6) FIG. 1E is a cross section of the load-contact module from FIG. 1A along sectional line 1E-1E shown in FIG. 1C,

(7) FIG. 2A is a front view of a charging plug according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 2B is a side view of the charging plug from FIG. 2A;

(9) FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the charging plug from FIG. 2A, with part of the charging plug being shown in an exploded view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIG. 1A to 1E show a load-contact module 2 according to the invention for a plug-in charging connection.

(11) The load-contact module 2 has a load contact 4, which is designed to electromechanically contact a load contact 6 to be inserted and/or slid on.

(12) The load-contact module 2 has a mounting portion 8, which is designed to connect the load-contact module 2 to a support 10 of a charging plug 12 and/or of a charging socket.

(13) The load-contact module 2 has a temperature sensor 14, which is provided for the temperature monitoring of a charging process. The temperature sensor 14 is at a distance a from the mounting portion 8.

(14) In the present case, the temperature sensor 14 is received and cast in a thermally conductive plastics material 16.

(15) The load contact 4 has a first end 18 which is associated with the mounting portion 8. The load contact 4 has a second end 20 which is remote from the first end 18.

(16) A distance a1 between an end face 22 of the load contact 4 formed at the second end 20 of the load contact 4 and the mounting portion 8 is smaller than the distance a between the temperature sensor 14 and the mounting portion 8.

(17) The distances a, a1 are measured along a longitudinal axis L of the load-contact module 2. The mounting portion 8 has an end surface 24 which forms an axial stop for mounting the load-contact module 2 at a contact point of the load-contact module in the support 10. The distance a between the temperature sensor 14 and the mounting portion 8 is therefore an axial distance a measured along the longitudinal axis L between the temperature sensor 14 and the end surface 24 of the mounting portion 8. In the present case, the temperature sensor 14 is arranged between the end face 22 of the load contact 4 and a collar 28 of a housing 30 of the load-contact module 2, which collar defines an insertion opening 26.

(18) The load-contact module 2 comprises a thermally conducting contact spring 32, which is designed as a metal round-wire contact spring 32 in the present case. The round-wire contact spring 32 is configured to abut the pin contact 6 over the periphery. The round-wire contact spring 32 serves to conduct heat in the direction of the temperature sensor 14.

(19) If the pin contact 6 heats up during a charging process, heat is therefore conducted via the round-wire contact spring 32 and the thermally conductive plastics material 16 to the temperature sensor 14.

(20) In the present case, the load contact 4 is a socket contact 4, which has an opening for inserting the pin contact 6. The load contact 4 is surrounded over the periphery by an insulation housing 34. A flexible conducting track 38 is guided on a lateral surface 36 of the insulation housing 34 facing away from the load contact 4. The flexible conducting track 38 is coupled to the temperature sensor 14. The flexible conducting track 38 is guided from the temperature sensor 14 to a printed circuit board 40 and is connected to the printed circuit board 40.

(21) In the present case, the distance a between the temperature sensor 14 and the mounting portion 8 is greater than 20 mm.

(22) FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C show the charging plug 12 according to the invention for charging a traction battery of a motor vehicle, which comprises an active cooling device 44 integrated in a charging-plug housing 42. The cooling device 44 is provided for cooling components of the charging plug which are involved in transferring charging power during a charging process. The charging plug 12 has two load-contact modules 2 according to the invention, which are each interchangeably and detachably fastened to the support 10 by means of a screw 46.