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CN-122029705-A - Bus bar connector

CN122029705ACN 122029705 ACN122029705 ACN 122029705ACN-122029705-A

Abstract

A connector for connecting an aluminum bus bar to a printed circuit board. The connector includes a channel-shaped frame having a top wall and spaced apart side walls. The side walls of the frame are secured to the bus bars. The contact plate is disposed inside the frame and is fixed to a top wall of the frame. The contact plate has a planar body abutting an inner surface of the top wall and a plurality of annular spring fingers projecting downwardly therefrom. The edge portion of the printed circuit board extends through a slot in a side wall of the frame. Inside the frame, at least one conductive pad of the printed circuit board engages a spring finger of the contact plate to electrically connect the printed circuit board to the contact plate.

Inventors

  • R. SCHNEIDER

Assignees

  • 易纳纬工业有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20240919
Priority Date
20230922

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A connector for connecting an aluminum bus bar to a printed circuit board, the connector comprising: A conductive frame having a top wall with an inner surface extending between a pair of spaced apart side walls, the side walls having grooves formed therein, wherein the grooves in the side walls cooperate to define a transverse channel therethrough configured to receive an edge portion of the printed circuit board therein, and wherein each side wall extends from the top wall and has a free end with at least one mounting structure configured for securing to the bus bar to physically and electrically connect the frame to the bus bar, and A contact plate disposed inside the frame and secured to a top wall of the frame for electrically connecting the contact plate to the frame, the contact plate having a planar body abutting an inner surface of the top wall and at least one spring finger projecting downwardly so as to be disposed at least partially in the channel for engaging the printed circuit board when the printed circuit board is inserted into the channel.
  2. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the frame is formed of an aluminum alloy and the contact plate is formed of a conductive metal other than aluminum or an aluminum alloy.
  3. 3. The connector of claim 2, wherein the contact plate is formed of phosphor bronze.
  4. 4. The connector of claim 2, wherein the body of the contact plate has at least one mounting hole formed therein, wherein the top wall of the frame has at least one peg protruding downwardly from an inner surface thereof, and wherein the at least one peg of the frame is swaged into the at least one mounting hole of the contact plate to secure the contact plate to the frame.
  5. 5. The connector of claim 4, wherein the at least one mounting hole comprises a plurality of mounting holes and the at least one post comprises a plurality of posts, and wherein the posts are individually swaged into the mounting holes.
  6. 6. The connector of claim 4, wherein the at least one spring finger comprises a plurality of spring fingers.
  7. 7. The connector of claim 6, wherein the contact plate is a unitary structure.
  8. 8. The connector of claim 7, wherein the body of the contact plate has an inner edge to which the spring fingers are connected, and wherein the spring fingers are spaced apart and bent to have an annular shape.
  9. 9. The connector of claim 8, wherein each spring arm curves downwardly from an inner edge of the body of the contact plate, then curves rearwardly, then curves upwardly, and terminates at a free end spaced from the body.
  10. 10. The connector of claim 7, wherein the frame is a unitary structure.
  11. 11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the at least one mounting structure of each side wall of the frame includes a pair of outwardly extending legs having a flat bottom surface for welding to the bus bar.
  12. 12. The connector of claim 11, wherein the free end of each sidewall further comprises a tab extending downwardly farther than the leg.
  13. 13. The connector of claim 10, wherein the groove in the sidewall has an enlarged entrance portion disposed at a front of the frame, the entrance portion configured to guide an edge portion of the printed circuit board into the groove.
  14. 14. An assembly comprising the connector of claim 1, an aluminum bus bar, and a printed circuit board, wherein the bus bar is electrically connected to a frame of the connector, and the printed circuit board is electrically connected to a contact plate of the connector.
  15. 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the bus bar and the printed circuit board are disposed parallel to each other.
  16. 16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the at least one mounting structure of each side wall of the frame comprises a pair of outwardly extending feet having a flat bottom surface welded to a surface of the bus bar.
  17. 17. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the at least one mounting structure of each side wall of the frame comprises tabs extending downwardly from free ends of the side walls, respectively; Wherein the bus bar has a pair of grooves formed therein, and Wherein the tabs of the side walls are welded into the grooves of the bus bars, respectively.
  18. 18. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the printed circuit board includes at least one conductive pad connected to a circuit, the at least one conductive pad disposed toward an edge portion of the printed circuit board, the edge portion of the printed circuit board disposed in the channel of the connector such that the at least one spring finger presses against the at least one conductive pad to make electrical connection therewith.
  19. 19. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the at least one spring finger comprises a plurality of spring fingers.
  20. 20. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the frame is formed of an aluminum alloy and the contact plate is formed of phosphor bronze.

Description

Bus bar connector Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application is based on 35U.S. c. ≡119 (e) claiming priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/539,912 filed on day 22 of year 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to connectors for connecting two portions together to transmit electrical signals, and more particularly to connectors for connecting bus bars to printed circuit boards to transmit electrical signals. Background Bus bars are commonly used to provide power to electrical and electronic components, such as printed circuit boards. Generally, the bus bar is a bar or plate composed of a conductive metal such as copper or aluminum, and is relatively wide and thick to better conduct current. Due to the composition, thickness and configuration of the bus bars, it is difficult to connect the bus bars to relatively fragile and flexible substrates, such as printed circuit boards, particularly in situations where space limitations exist. This difficulty increases when the bus bar is composed of aluminum (e.g., commonly used in electric vehicles). Aluminum oxidizes rapidly when exposed to air, adversely affecting its electrical conductivity. This rapid oxidation of aluminum, particularly where the electrical connection must be made several times, complicates the electrical connection of the printed circuit board to the aluminum bus bar. Based on the foregoing, it would be desirable to have a simple and compact bus bar connector, and to allow the aluminum bus bar and the printed circuit board to be connected together several times. Disclosure of Invention In accordance with the present disclosure, a connector for connecting an aluminum bus bar to a printed circuit board is provided. The connector includes a conductive frame having a top wall with an inner surface extending between a pair of spaced apart side walls, and the side walls have a groove formed therein. The grooves in the side walls cooperate to define a transverse channel through the frame configured to receive an edge portion of the printed circuit board therein. Each side wall extends from the top wall and has a free end with at least one mounting structure configured for securing to the bus bar to physically and electrically connect the frame to the bus bar. The contact plate is disposed inside the frame and secured to a top wall of the frame so as to electrically connect the contact plate to the frame. The contact plate has a flat (planar) body abutting an inner surface of the top wall and at least one spring finger projecting downwardly so as to be at least partially disposed in the channel to engage the printed circuit board when the printed circuit board is inserted into the channel. Drawings The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: Fig. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a connector constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 shows a side view of the connector of FIG. 1; fig. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the connector of fig. 1; fig. 4 shows a bottom perspective view of the frame of the connector of fig. 1; fig. 5 shows a bottom perspective view of the contact plate of the connector of fig. 1; FIG. 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1 connected to a bus bar; FIG. 7 shows a side view of the connector of FIG. 1 connecting a printed circuit board to a bus bar; Fig. 8 shows a front perspective view of the connector of fig. 1 connected to a bus bar, and Fig. 9 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of the connector of fig. 1 connecting a printed circuit board to a bus bar. Detailed Description It should be noted that in the following detailed description, like components have like reference numerals regardless of whether they are shown in different embodiments of the present disclosure. It should also be noted that for purposes of clarity and conciseness, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features of the disclosure may be shown in somewhat schematic form. Spatially relative terms, such as "top," "bottom," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, are used herein for ease of description only to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as they are illustrated in the referenced figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are not intended to be limiting and are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. Referring now to fig. 1-3, a connector 10 constructed in accordance with the present disclosure is shown. The connector 10 is used to connect the bus bar 12 to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 14 in order to transmit signals (e.g., voltage signals monitored by a monitor