ES2361493T3 - ELECTRIC CONNECTOR WITHOUT ARC. - Google Patents

Abstract

Electrical connector (40) comprising: a main contact terminal (12) that includes means for connecting the main contact terminal to an electrical conductor; an auxiliary contact terminal (16); and a resistive element (6) that connects the auxiliary contact terminal (16) to the main contact terminal (12), such that the current passing through the auxiliary contact terminal (16) also passes through the terminal of main contact (12) and the resistive element, the resistive element being characterized in that an increase in the electrical resistance of the resistive element retards an input current through the resistive element, so that the resistive element conducts a current approximately equal to the input current for a period of time called activation time; The electrical connector is being configured to disconnect the main contact terminal of an electrical coupling terminal (32) in an electrical coupling connector (50) before disconnection of the auxiliary contact terminal from an electrical coupling terminal (36) in the electrical coupling connector, the time being to disconnect the main contact terminal at a sufficient distance so that an electric arc comprising a disconnection time cannot be sustained, the disconnection time being less than the activation time, so The arc is avoided by disconnecting the main contact terminal.

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector that includes means for preventing or suppressing an arc when the power contacts are disconnected or separated, while carrying substantial energy or electrical current. The present invention also relates to an electrical connector that uses a positive temperature coefficient resistance bypass between the contacts that are disconnected sequentially, so that the voltage and current will be below a threshold at which it can be produce an arc, when each contact is separated from a coupling contact.

Contacts that carry significant amounts of energy will form an arc when disconnected. The magnitude of the arc damage experienced by the contacts depends on their physical structure, the load current, the supply voltage, the separation speed, the characteristics of the load (resistive, capacitive, inductive), as well As of other factors.

Future automotive systems are expected to use 42 volts in order to reduce load currents and associated wiring losses. This voltage increase can cause significant arc damage to occur in the present connectors designed to operate at 12 volts. To avoid possible responsibilities associated with catastrophic connector failures, automakers are requesting a new connector design that can be replaced without disconnecting a significant number of times. Ten cycles are considered as a minimum requirement.

To disconnect a power of 42 volts without significant damage, the interruption of approximately 1500 watts is required for many loads and up to 15 KW for the main battery circuit. Current modules used in automotive applications can consume more than 500 watts. Power supplies must supply one or more kilowatts of power. Conventional solutions require that the current be cut before the contacts separate or disengage or employ a sacrificial contact part. The cost, space, reliability, safety, performance and complexity of these conventional solutions make them unsuitable for many applications, including automobile electrical systems.

There are many things that are known in the electrical energy profession that quickly extinguish an arc and there are many things known in the relay industry that minimize arc damage to connectors and contacts. These can be found in the literature, such as "Gaseous Conductors" by James D. Cobine and "Ney Contact Manual" by Kenneth E. Pitney. Most of these procedures are not practical in small, independent electrical connectors, such as those used in cars, computers and appliances. None of the procedures provided in the literature will eliminate the arch. Conventional contacts are destroyed when nominal currents are interrupted with sufficient frequency and slowly enough, although these conventional contacts may be rated for current interruption. There is a finite life for existing connectors, since arc will occur and cause damage every time the connector is disconnected under load.

Apparatus, switches or resistors with resistance of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) have been used or proposed for use, in circuit breakers that are used to break fault currents, specifically defined and excessive overloads, for which these switches are classified . On the other hand, electrical connectors are intended to carry a wide range of currents during actual use. Although an electrical connector can be classified to carry a certain current, in actual practice, an electrical connector will carry currents in a wide range due to variations in the load. The cost, size and weight of an electrical connector will generally increase with the increase in the current rating, so that the lowest rated connector suitable for use in a specific application will normally be used. Due to multiple loads with different current needs they pass through a single connector, as well as for the economic, inventory and product line consistency of the connector, it is not uncommon to minimize the number of different connectors used in a specific product. The net result is that a specific connector will take either from its nominal current, or even an overcurrent for safety and life tests, to a significantly lower current. If that connector is disconnected while carrying a current, or hot swapping, without an arc, arc prevention should be effective for a wide range of currents, from the arc current threshold to the nominal current of that connector. In other words, unlike circuit breakers, heat exchange connectors must be protected from arcing in a wide range of currents. Therefore, the use of a PTC resistor in the same way as it is used in a circuit breaker will not be suitable for use in an electrical connector. The activation time varies from a PTC device, in which the resistance depends on the temperature of the device, and the temperature depends on the current, due to I2R heating. Thus, the activation time for a PTC device used in an electrical connector will vary due to the wide range of currents that will be carried by a particular electrical connector.

When PTC resistance devices are used in the switches, relays, fuses and circuit breakers, the two halves of the electrical contacts remain in the same physical device. The contacts separated from each other, but only for a well-defined and established distance, and the separated contacts remain part of the device package. The essential function of the electrical connectors is to completely separate the two contact halves. No physical connection is maintained between the two halves, and all physical bonds are broken between two contacts of the coupling connector. In order to protect the separation of electrical contacts that carry arc-producing energy, the PTC device must be connected through the contact pair until the current is sufficiently reduced to avoid arcs. Thus, the problem is that a physical electrical connection in both halves of the electrical separation contact must be maintained in a conventional use of a PTC device, even in a connector, all physical connections must be broken.

In switches, relays, fuses and circuit breakers, where prior art PTC devices are used, the contact separation distance and the type of separation are controlled. In these prior art devices, the contact separation must be sufficient to keep the nominal voltage at bay. The index of separation can be done as fast as possible to shorten the time in which arc formation could occur, thus minimizing the associated damage. The electrical connectors must be completely separated. The electrical connectors are also separated manually, and the separation rate varies greatly between current electrical connections. Even for a certain design of manually separated electrical connector, the separation index will vary significantly each time two electrical connectors are decoupled manually.

To overcome these problems, the present invention provides a connector according to claim 1, which employs a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistor in the electrical connector in series with an auxiliary electrical contact portion or contact terminal, whose combination It is in parallel with a main electrical contact portion or contact terminal, which is disconnected first. This arrangement of the component parts will prevent the arc when two electrical connectors are disengaged while carrying current. Both the main contact and the auxiliary contacts can be coupled with a terminal or terminals in a complementary electrical connector. In preferred embodiments, the main and auxiliary contacts are male terminals or sheets that mate with a female terminal or receptacle in the corresponding electrical connector. However, the resistance element PTC could also be used with female terminals. The PTC resistor element, however, should only be used with the terminals in one half of a coupling pair of electrical connectors. The auxiliary or main contact portions or terminals in one of the two connectors must incorporate the PTC element. When a conventional discrete PTC element is used, such as a commercially available POLYSWITCH® device, the auxiliary and main contact portions or terminals on the other of the two coupling connectors must be connected together directly, without a discrete PTC device between them. However, in other applications, PTC media can be placed in the two connectors.

A discrete PTC resistor element can be used in auxiliary and main contact terminals so that the PTC device can form an integrated unit. Means for forming this integrated unit would be to mold a PTC conductive polymer between the auxiliary and main contact terminals. The PTC conductive polymer could also be overmoulded around the portions of the auxiliary and main contact terminals, with the PTC conductive polymer molded between the auxiliary and main contact terminals. Insert molding techniques could be used to place the PTC conductive polymer between the auxiliary and main contact terminals. The PTC conductive polymer could also be a discrete component that is molded as a shape that would fit the parts of the auxiliary and main contact terminals, and this discrete component could be joined between the auxiliary and main contact terminals by welding, a conductive adhesive or some other conductive bonding agent.

The main contact must be disengaged before the auxiliary contact, and in the representative embodiments shown here, the auxiliary contact is longer than the main contact. In the preferred embodiment, the PTC element comprises a conductive polymer element in which the conductive particles are contained in a polymer matrix. Normally, the conductive particles form a conductive path that has a resistance greater than the resistance of the main terminal, so that, under a normal coupling operation, the main contact would carry substantially all of the current. However, as the current in the PTC element increases, the polymer expands and the resistance increases. When the current through the PTC element increases rapidly due to disconnection of the main contact terminal, the resistance will increase rapidly due to heating I2R of the polymer. To avoid arcing when the main contact is not coupled, the disconnection time for the main contact must be less than the time for the resistance of the PTC element to increase too much. Most of the current through the main contact must be carried through the PTC element and the auxiliary contact until the main contact has moved to a position where the arc is no longer possible. Before the auxiliary contact is disconnected from the coupling terminal, the resistance in the PTC element must be increased so that the current flow through the auxiliary contact falls below the arc threshold before the auxiliary contact is disengaged. This time is called the activation time of this PTC resistive element. Since the activation time of the PTC element will depend on the initial current through the main contact, which can vary over a wide range, the activation time for a given electrical connector will therefore not be constant. To ensure that the PTC element will be activated, the electrical connector of the present invention employs closures that cannot be activated, after disconnection of the main contact, during a time interval that will be greater than the maximum activation time for the PTC element. . However, these closures should also allow rapid movement between the two electrical connectors as the main contact moves through a portion of its path in which it is susceptible to arcing. Similarly, the auxiliary contact must move quickly through an arc-susceptible region when disconnected. Preferred embodiments of the present invention, therefore, utilize several sets of closures that must be decoupled sequentially, and that provide a delay time between disconnecting a first series of closures and disconnecting a second series of closures. This time delay must be longer than the maximum PTC activation time. This multiple closure configuration provides a versatile implementation of the invention. If, however, a specific electrical connector serves loads with a small difference between the maximum and minimum current loads, a simpler closing mechanism can be used. The maximum attainable separation speed and the additional length of the auxiliary contact could, in some cases, provide adequate time for activation of the PTC device.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the steps that a representative electrical connector terminal, according to the present invention, will pass while decoupling.

Figure 2 is a view of coupling contact terminals, in accordance with a configuration used to demonstrate the characteristics of an electrical connector employing the present invention.

Figures 3A-3C are representative plots showing the activation times for various currents of electrical connector terminals according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a plot showing the variation of the activation time to the current.

Figure 5 is a view of the coupled plug and the electrical connectors of the header, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the placement of a PTC device connected between two contact terminals.

Figure 6 is a view of two decoupled electrical connectors incorporating the first embodiment of the present invention, and the terminals shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view of the coupled configuration of the two electrical connectors shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view of the coupling face of a plug connector incorporating receptacle contact terminals in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 9 is a three-dimensional view of the plug connector shown in Figure 8, showing the sequential closures employed in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a view of a housing of the header connector, which can be coupled with the connector shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Figure 11 is a three-dimensional view of the header shown in Figure 10, showing two closing notches that are located in different positions along the coupling axis of the electrical connector.

Figure 12 is a three-dimensional view of a receptacle contact terminal comprising a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 13 is a three-dimensional view of a foil contact terminal comprising a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14 is a view in which the coupling terminals of Figures 12 and 13 are aligned before coupling.

Figure 15 is a side view of the coupling terminals shown in Figure 14.

Figure 16 is a top view of the coupling terminals shown in Figures 14 and 15.

Figure 17 is a view of the auxiliary contact terminal of the second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 18 is a view of the main contact terminal of the second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 19 is a view showing the way in which the main and auxiliary contact terminals are positioned, so that a PTC material can be overmoulded.

Figure 20 is a view of the coupling pin and header connectors according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 21 is another view of the coupling pin and header connectors of Figure 20.

Figure 22 is a view showing the plug and head connectors of Figures 20 and 21 in a fully coupled configuration.

Figure 23 is a view of the coupling face of the housing of the plug connector of the embodiment which is also shown in Figures 20 to 22.

Figure 24 is a view of a lever that is used with the plug connector of Figure 23.

Figure 25 is a view of the coupling face of the header housing of the embodiment of Figures 20 to 23.

Figures 26 to 32 show the coupling sequence of the two connectors of the second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 26 is a side view of the two coupling connectors of the second embodiment in a first coupling position, showing the application of a force for the initial coupling of the two electrical connectors.

Figure 27 is a three-dimensional view of the two coupling connectors in the position also shown in Figure 26.

Figure 28 is a detail view showing the position of the coupling aid lever when the two connectors are in the position shown in Figures 26 and 27.

Fig. 29 is a side view of the two connectors of the second embodiment in a second position, showing the application of a force to the coupling aid lever.

Figure 30 is a three-dimensional view of the two connectors in the position of Figure 29.

Figure 31 is a view of the two connectors of the second embodiment, showing the two connectors in a fully coupled configuration and also shows the manner in which the lever can be unlocked.

Figure 32 is a three-dimensional view of the two connectors in the position also shown in Figure 31.

Figures 33 to 37 show the decoupling sequence for the two connectors of the second embodiment.

Figure 33 is a side view of the two connectors in an intermediate position in which the lever has been disengaged. This figure shows the position in which the lever can be used to disconnect the main contact.

Figure 34 is a three-dimensional view of the two connectors in the position also shown in Figure 33.

Figure 35 shows the way in which the closures are disengaged, after the lever has been rotated to its final position, so that the auxiliary contact terminal can be disconnected. The main contact is completely decoupled at this stage of the decoupling cycle.

Figure 36 is a three-dimensional view of the two connectors in the position also shown in Figure 35.

Figure 37 shows the two connectors in a completely disengaged position.

Figure 38 is a photograph showing the damage that would occur when a configuration of the prior art connector is disconnected once at 59 V, while carrying a current of 60 amps.

Figure 39 is a photograph showing a configuration of the contact terminal similar to 5 shown in Figure 38, in which the present invention has been used to protect the coupling sections of the terminals after being disconnected fifty times in 59 volts, while carrying a current of 60 amps.

Figure 40 is a schematic representation of means for protecting an electrical system from the effects of overvoltage of an inductive load.

Figure 41 is a schematic representation of a second means for protecting an electrical system from the effects of overvoltage of an inductive load.

Figures 42A to 42D show an alternative embodiment in which a connector assembly employs a lever that provides rapid unidirectional movement through the contact disconnection and time delay zones between them with a single lever.

A series of complex events cause harmful arcs when the contacts separate while carrying substantial energy. A simple description of the main events that occur in typical energy contacts helps to understand this phenomenon. First, when the contacts begin to separate, a point is reached where there is not enough metal area to support the flow of current. A very small molten bridge forms and breaks with increasing temperature and separation distance. In general, this can occur in currents greater than 0.1 amps and voltages greater than 9 volts. A sufficient current is necessary to cause the fusion and a sufficient voltage is needed to maintain it and advance to the next phase. As the molten micropuente reduces and breaks, electrons are released and current continues to flow by ionizing the atmosphere involved. A true arc is the following result. This true arc consists of several subparts including the cathode point, the cathode drop region, a very hot plasma channel, the anode drop region and the anode point. The plasma channel is at approximately 5000 ° C and the anode and cathode points reach approximately 2000 ° C with currents of 10 to 20 amps.

If the arc is allowed to occur, the mating contacts will be damaged. The degree of damage is controlled by many factors that determine the total energy of the arc. The main ways to limit arc energy are to minimize voltage and current and maximize separation speed. There may be other means, but they do not lend themselves well to applications in which typical connector designs are used. For ordinary connectors, the only factor that can be controlled to a large extent is the separation speed.

By integrating a resistance element with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) into a two-piece contact, voltage and current can be maintained below the arc voltage threshold and when two connectors are disconnected. This produces a contact in which the arc will not occur, while significant power is interrupted, since the connectors are disconnected. A PTC device can be used, as a discrete PTC resistor is exemplified by an RHE 110 POLYSWITCH® device manufactured and sold by the Raychem division of Tyco Electronics Inc. POLYSWITCH® is a registered trademark of Tyco Electronics Inc. The discrete device cables can be soldered to the respective main and auxiliary contacts. The conductors of the discrete device could also be fixed by means of contact springs or by means of rivets or closing anchors on the contacts. A conductive polymer, of the type exemplified by this discrete device can also be overmolded into contact terminals to form a new component, or a PTC device can be integrated with the contact terminals to form an integrated component or unit. This approach cannot eliminate the relatively benign spark that can occur when a high power consumption circuit is connected. In the range of energy of interest, this benign spark tends to do little damage to the base metal of the contacts and the shape of the contact. The general characteristics of POLYSWITCH® devices are described in US 5,737,160 and the patents incorporated herein by reference. US Patent 5,737,160 and the other patent incorporated herein are incorporated herein by reference to all effects. The formulation of a PTC conductive device of the type used in a discrete POLYSWITCH® device is described in US 6,104,587, which is incorporated herein by reference. This same formula can also be used to form the PTC conductive polymer that can be molded in a manner compatible with the main and auxiliary contacts, or the PTC polymer can be overmolded or inserted molded with the contact terminals described below in relation to the representative embodiments described herein.

Figure 1 shows the concept of an arc-free energy contact, in accordance with the present invention. Representative male and female terminals, or sheet 7 and receptacle 9, in accordance with the present invention, are shown in different stages of disconnection or decoupling. There are three important components of the energy contact illustrated in Figure 1. The main contact 1, or the main portion of the contact, carries the charging current during normal operation. The main contact is deflected by an auxiliary contact connected in longer series 3 or contact portion and by a positive temperature coefficient resistance 5 or resistance, which is between the main contact and the auxiliary contact.

Figure 1 illustrates the four stages that occur during the separation of the plug connector from the coupling receptacle connector. In step 0 (Figure 1a: main contact coupled; auxiliary contact coupled; and PTC reset), the contact leads to a high current. The current mainly flows through the main contact or the main portion of the contact. Only a relatively small bypass current flows through the positive temperature coefficient resistance connected in series or resistance (PTC) and the auxiliary contact portion. Stage 0 represents the normal operating configuration of a connector. The relative movement of the two contacts in this position would result in the normal drag action between the two contact surfaces.

Step 1 (Figure 1b: main contact open, auxiliary contact coupled, and active PTC) shows the configuration in which the main contact or the main contact portion has been separated or disconnected from the coupling contact on the other connector. The main sheet is separated from the main receptacle through the main contact disconnection zone (MDZ), which occurs between stage 0 and stage 1, in which the contact of the main sheet is in the decoupling process of the corresponding female contact or receptacle. Although the two contacts are in this main disconnect zone, the two contacts are not completely separated. A contact rebound may occur when the spring elements flex and as irregular surfaces in the contact result in momentary separation and engagement. It is while the main contact and the receptacle contact are in this disconnect contact zone (MDZ) that arc formation is more likely between the two connectors, since a relatively large existing current is disconnected. For a conventional prior art connector, the arc could be produced through a small separation in the MDZ, if the voltage and current are above an arc threshold for the particular connector configuration. However, in the present invention, the voltage and current through the separation of the opening are limited by the positive temperature coefficient resistance (PTC) or the resistance and the auxiliary contact or the contact portion. The duration of the MDZ must be shorter than the activation time for the PTC device so that the PTC device does not change to a deactivated or open condition before the end of the separation between the contacts.

When the coupling contacts have moved to the position identified as step 1, the main contact is physically separated from its coupling contact, so that the arc can no longer be initiated. Since there was only a small amount of current flowing through the PTC resistor during stage 0, the I2R heating remained low causing the resistance of the PTC resistor to be in a low state when the contacts reach the position identified as stage 1 As the resistance is relatively low, the current flows through the PTC resistor to the auxiliary contact and to the PTC, which acts as a switch, it can be said to be activated. Although the auxiliary contact or auxiliary contact portion remains connected to the coupling contact in the coupling connector or to the same circuit in the coupling connector, the current through the PTC resistor and the auxiliary contact will be greater than in step 1 and, therefore, the I2R heating will increase. The resistance of the PTC resistance increases with increasing temperature. Step 2 illustrates this configuration in which the longest auxiliary contact remains connected to the coupling contact as a continuous physical decoupling or relative movement between the connectors and contact terminals. Step 2 (Figure 1c: main contact, open; auxiliary contact coupled, and PCT deactivated) illustrates a snapshot of a position of the contacts during the time after the main contact separates and before disconnection of the auxiliary contacts. It is during stage 2 that the PTC resistance will open or, in other words, its resistance will increase significantly. Therefore, the PTC switch is now in the off position.

Before the moment when the auxiliary contact is separated from the coupling contact, or from the circuit that includes the coupling contact, the current flowing through the auxiliary contact will be located below the arc threshold. This is due to the greater resistance of the PTC during the moment when the relative movement of the two terminals or connectors occurs. This range of movement in the disconnection movement is called the PTC opening zone. When the auxiliary contact is finally separated in step 3 (Figure 1d: main contact open, auxiliary contact open, and PTC reset), there is only a small amount of current leakage flowing through the connectors. At this point there will be sufficient electrical energy to support an arc between the auxiliary contact portions. Sufficient time must elapse, while the terminals or connectors are in the PTC opening zone, so that the current is below the arc threshold before the auxiliary contact is physically disconnected from the receptacle contact in the Auxiliary Disconnect Zone (ADZ). Step 3 shows the coupling contacts completely separated and disconnected with the main contact and the auxiliary contact open. As the current no longer flows through the connectors, the PTC resistor will return to the reset state of lower temperature and resistance. The contact assembly will then be in a state so that they will work again, so that the arc will not occur when the connectors are decoupled under load.

Preferably, this contact configuration is used in a connector housing that allows speed control to ensure that the timing of the steps illustrated in Figure 1 will be appropriate. The housing must also ensure that the decoupling speed is unidirectional. That is, there should be no macro break action of the main contact when the connector separates. Discontinuities of nanoseconds or microseconds will occur, but these micro-breaking actions will not interfere with arc protection because the PTC resistance will be chosen to react much slower than these relatively high speed events. The four stages must pass in a sequential and unidirectional way.

The sheet contact 7 of Figure 1 is coupled with the receptacle contact 9, which has flexible spring beams that engage with the pin or the sheet contact. The reed contact or the plug includes a main contact 1 or main contact portion and an auxiliary contact 3 or auxiliary contact portion. In this embodiment, the main contact and the auxiliary contact are two separate metal sheets that each fit into separate spring beams in the receptacle contact. In this representative configuration, the container contact comprises a single-piece metal element with separate spring beams that are coupled to the main contact and the auxiliary contact, respectively. The main contact and the coupling receptacle contact are each printed circuit style contacts with multiple wires extending from the rear ends of each contact. The auxiliary contact or sheet does not include means, such as PCB cables, for connection to the external circuit regardless of the main contact. The PTC resistor employed in the present invention may comprise a molded element that can be joined along at least one side of the central section of the main contact. A suitable conductive adhesive can be used if necessary. The auxiliary contact is attached to the PTC resistor along another side, so that the PTC element is physically and electrically positioned between the main contact and the auxiliary contact. Stages 0 to 3 show the relative positions of the contacts as a connector in which these included contacts are coupled. The PTC element used here preferably comprises a conductive polymer that can be molded with the desired shape. Filled with conductive particles, such as carbon black, are dispersed in a non-conductive polymer to form a conductive path that has a resistance that depends on the temperature and condition of the polymer. Devices that employ a conductive polymer are well known and available from Tyco Electronics. These POLYSWITCH® devices are used in other applications. Barium titanate or semiconductor materials that exhibit PTC behavior may also be used, but these alternative PTC materials may be too expensive for practical use in electrical connectors.

Figure 2 is a view of a configuration of the sample contact terminal 2 that is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present invention when the terminals are cyclic in the manner shown in Figure 1. The configuration of the sample shown in Figure 2 includes two male terminal sheets 12, 16. A main terminal sheet 12 is connected in series with a longer auxiliary terminal sheet 16 by a discrete PTC device 6. In this configuration, a PTC device having characteristics is used generally equivalent to a Tyco Electronics RHE 110. The wires 8 are welded to the auxiliary and main terminal sheets 12, 16. These sheets of terminals 12, 16, connected in series by means of the PTC device, can be coupled and decoupled from two terminals of receptacle 32, 36, which will be connected in parallel to a common external conductor. Each of the main terminals 12 and 32, shown in Figure 2, can continuously carry all the current used here. Auxiliary terminals 16, 36 carry all current only for as long as necessary for the POLYSWITCH® device to move or open. The two receptacle terminals 32, 36 can be considered to represent a terminal having several spring elements 34A, B and 38A for contacting two separate sheets 12, 16. The auxiliary sheet 16 is longer than the main sheet, so which will be connected first and the last one disconnected from the terminal assembly of the receptacle 30.

Figures 3A to 3C and 4 show the relationship between the current and the activation time for a connector and the contact terminal using a PTC resistor device in the manner described herein. Figures 3A to 3C are plotted showing voltage waveforms when the coupling contacts are disconnected under power. Figure 3A shows the results of the second and tenth cycles for contacts that were cyclic with two amps carried by the coupling contacts. Figure 3B shows the results of the second and tenth cycle for the same contact configuration, in which five amps were carried by the coupling contacts. Figure 3C shows waveforms for a ten amp test in which the first, tenth, thirty-third, thirty-sixth and fifty-fifth cycles are recorded. Figure 3C also shows the difference between waveforms in which no arc occurred and in which arc occurred when the PTC material was not allowed to return to its active condition before the contacts disconnect again. The comparison between these waveforms in Figure 3C shows the effectiveness of the PTC material. The comparison of Figures 3A to 3C shows that the time to disconnect the two coupling contact terminals differs for different currents. In other words, the decoupling speed was not the same for each waveform. The activation time for the PTC resistor device, which is used here, as a function of the current is shown in Figure 4.

Figures 5 to 11 show an electrical connector assembly 4 that can be used with the contact configuration 2 of Figure 2 and with a discrete conductor polymer PTC device or switch 6, such as the Tyco Electronics RHE110. Figure 5 shows a portion of a coupling header and plug connector configuration 4 in which a discrete conductive polymer PTC device 6 is used. The discrete PTC device 6 is inserted into a pocket 48 formed at the rear or the printed circuit board side of a molded receptacle header housing 42. This pocket 48 retains the conductive polymer PTC device 6, but provides sufficient space to allow the PTC device 6 to expand. The cables 8 in the discrete PTC device 6 are directly welded to a rear portion 14 of the main contact element 12 and to a rear portion 18 of the auxiliary contact element 16 In this configuration, only the main contact element 12 in the header 40 is It will directly attach an external conductor to a printed circuit board. The auxiliary contact element 16 will not be connected to an external conductor through the printed circuit board. Its only contact with an external conductor would be through the discrete PTC element 6, or in the coupling configuration, through the auxiliary receptacle terminal 36 with which it is coupled.

Figures 6 and 7 show the manner in which this embodiment ensures that the PTC resistor device 6 is in the proper state during disconnection of the main contact 12 and disconnection of the auxiliary contact 16. The housing of the plug connector 52 and the Header housing 42 of Figures 6 and 7 have two separate locking mechanisms that must be operated independently to disengage connector 50 from header 40. As seen in Figures 6 to 9, the plug connector housing 52 It has two sets of two closing teeth 54A, B and 60A, B. Header 40 has two sets of two closing teeth 44A, B and 46A, B. A set of closures 54A, B at the bottom and top of the housing of the plug connector 52 are attachable and detachable from a set of closing teeth 44A, B, also at the top and bottom of the housing header 42. A second set of closures or auxiliary 60A, B on opposite sides of the pin housing 52 are attachable and detachable from a second set of closing or auxiliary teeth 46A, B on the sides of the header housing 42. As shown in Figure 6, the closing tooth 44A at the top of the header housing 42 is further separated from the coupling end of the header housing 42 of a closing tooth 46A, B on an adjacent side of the header housing

42. The closure tooth 44B at the bottom of the header housing 42, hidden in Figure 6, is in the same axial position as the closure tooth 44A at the top of the header housing 42. Similarly, the hidden closing tooth 46B on the opposite side of the header housing 42 is in the same axial position as the closing tooth 46A on the front of the header housing 42 as seen in Figure 6. In the full coupling configuration 5 of Figure 7, the closures 54A, B in the lower and upper part of the housing of the plug connector 52 hold the closing teeth of the lower and upper part 44A, B in the housing of the header 42.

As seen in Figures 8 and 9, the closures of the plug connector 54A, B and 60A, B can be disengaged from the coupling teeth 44A, B and 46A, B, by pressing on the opposite end 58, 64 of each closing to decouple a closing projection 56, 62 at the remote end of the closures of a corresponding tooth in the heading 40 The arrows in Figures 8 and 9 show the locations of the closures 54A, B and 60A, B to which apply the force to release the closures of the teeth. To disconnect the fully coupled plug connector 50 from the header 40, it is necessary to first disconnect the upper and lower part or the main closures 58A, B from the corresponding upper and lower part and / or the main closures 44A and B. As has already been done described with reference to Figure 6, the upper and lower teeth 44A, B are further from the coupling end of the header than the side or auxiliary teeth 46A and B. Thus, in the fully coupled configuration, the closing projections 56 and 62 , which are in the same axial position for the upper, lower and lateral closures, will only fit into the upper and lower teeth 44A, B. Thus, the upper and lower teeth 54A, B must be disengaged first. If an attempt is made to first decouple the side closures 60A, B the plug connector 50 cannot be decoupled from the header 40, because the upper and lower main closure projections 56 will still be coupled with the lower and upper main teeth 44A, B to lock the two halves of the connector 40, 50 in the fully coupled configuration.

After the upper and lower main closures 54A, B are decoupled from the lower and upper main teeth 44A, B, the plug connector 50 can be moved in the axial direction to partially disengage the two connectors 40, 50. However, a short axial movement of the plug connector 50 in relation to the header 40 will carry the closing projections 62 inside the auxiliary side closures 60A, B in engagement with the side teeth 46A, B in the header housing 42. The side closures 60A, B can be manually pressed to decouple them from the side teeth 46A, B, so that the electrical coupling connectors 40, 50 can be completely disengaged. However, to press the side closures 60A, B, a person seeking to disconnect the two connectors 40, 50, will first have to release the upper and lower closures 54A, B and turn his hand to subsequently hold the side closures 60A, B. This manual operation will take some time. Therefore, the two connectors 40, 50 can only be decoupled sequentially with a finite time interval between the decoupling of the two sets of closures 44A, B and 46A, B. The disconnection or decoupling is therefore a Two stage procedure. The time delay dictated by the two separate sets of closures and projections is important if the connector is for disconnecting a wide variety of currents, as it is used to ensure that the PTC device 6 is in the proper state during the main disconnection zone (MDZ) and the auxiliary disconnection zone (ADZ), as illustrated in figure 1. The release of the upper and lower closures 54A, B corresponds to the movement of the coupling contacts 2, as shown in the figure 2, from stage 0 to the stage, as shown in Figure 1. In other words, decoupling the upper and lower closures 54A, B and teeth 44A, B allows the movement of the coupling contact terminals 2 through the MDZ, in which the main contact 12 is disconnected from the main receptacle terminal 32. As the PTC resistor device 6 is in the active state at this time, substantially all of the current previously flowing through the main contact terminals 12 and 32 will initially flow through the PTC device 6 and through the auxiliary contact 16, which is still connected to the auxiliary receptacle terminal 36. This will allow the main contact to be disconnected or uncoupled. no bow

Manual movement from the upper and lower closures 54A, B to the side closures 60A, B releasing the side teeth 46A, B will allow the coupled PTC connector to move from stage 2 to stage 3, as illustrated in the Figure 1. Next, the release of the side closures 60A, B from the side teeth 46A, B will allow the connectors 40, 50 to move rapidly through the auxiliary disconnection zone (ADZ) to subsequently disconnect the contact auxiliary 16 of its auxiliary coupling receptacle terminal 36. Since the current flow through the auxiliary contact 16 has decayed sufficiently before the movement of the auxiliary contact 16 through the ADZ, there will be no arc when the auxiliary contact 16 is disconnected or decoupling the terminal of the auxiliary receptacle 36. The time delay created by the sequential manipulation of the two separate sets of closures will provide adequate time for the mate The polymeric material in the PTC 6 device becomes hot due to the I2R heating and the switching of the PTC 6 device to the deactivated position or the high resistance state. This time delay will be sufficient to overcome the large PTC activation time difference that can be expected when a specific connector design that could be disconnected in a range of different currents. Identical connector assemblies can be used in various applications where the current is unknown and can vary from the arc threshold for that given connector to, and perhaps momentarily, beyond its maximum rated current.

Teeth 44A, B and 46A, B can also function as inertial teeth so that closures 54A, B and 60A, B will press the connectors to either side of both MDZ and ADZ when the arc would occur without the full range protection provided by this contact and connector design. Connectors 40, 50, therefore, cannot adhere in a position where the arc could occur. The contour of these teeth can also be chosen to accelerate the connectors 40, 50 through the ADZ and the MDZ, further reducing the possibility of arch formation. The use of inertial teeth in this manner is described in greater detail in US patent application 09 / 929,432 filed on August 14, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.

A second embodiment of a connector terminal 110 that implements the present invention is shown in Figures 12 to 19. This terminal 110 also includes a main contact 112, an auxiliary contact 130 and a conductive polymer PTC resistive element 140 between the two contacts. 112 and 130. In this embodiment, a discrete PTC device, such as a POLYSWITCH® device, is replaced by an overmoulded conductive polymer having similar active characteristics. The conductive polymer is overmoulded around the portions of the main and auxiliary contacts 112, 130.

The receptacle terminal 150 used in this second embodiment is shown in Fig. 12. The male or reed terminal 110 that mates with the receptacle terminal 150 is shown in Fig. 13. The receptacle terminal 150 has three sets of springs. opposite 152 A, B, C located on the front of the contact terminal of the receptacle 150. These springs 152 A, B, C have contact points 154 A, B, C, located near the distal or front ends of the springs , each comprising bent curved beams. A grip section 156 is located at the rear of this receptacle terminal 150, and a single external conductor or cable can be attached to this receptacle terminal.

The male or reed terminal 110, shown in Figure 13, has two main contact plates 114 A, B, located on opposite sides of the longest auxiliary contact 130 located between the two main reed contacts 114 A, B. The auxiliary contact 130 is fixed both physically and electrically to the main contacts 112 by overmoulded PTC conductive polymer 140. Each of the contacts 112, 130 extends forwardly from the conductive polymer 140 in a position where they can be inserted into contact with springs 152 A, B, C in the corresponding receptacle terminal 150. This reed terminal 110 also extends from the rear of the overmoulded conductive polymer 140 with the printed circuit board wires 126 located at the most delayed extension. This rear section 124 is part of a single stamped and formed element that also includes the two main contact sections 114 A, B. The auxiliary contact 130 is a separate part that is mounted on this main contact terminal 110 by the conductive polymer PTC overmold 140.

Figures 14 to 16 show the terminal of the attachable sheet 110 and the receptacle terminal 150 of Figures 12 and 13. As shown in Figures 14 to 16, the receptacle terminal 150 also includes a separate sleeve 158, which surrounds the base of terminal 150 and includes safety beams 159 A, B that support the external springs 152 A, B, which are coupled with the main contact sections 114 A, B, of the reed terminal. These safety beams 159 A, B increase the contact force between the main contact plates 114 A, B and the receptacle terminals 150. During normal operation, the main contact 112 will carry the majority, if not substantially all of the current carried by coupling connectors 104 and 106, indicated first in Figure 20, and this additional contact force will improve the performance of the connectors. The central springs 152C, in the receptacle terminal 150, are not supported by the beams extending from the sleeve

158. These central springs 152C will only be coupled with the auxiliary sheet contact 130, which during normal operation will only lead to a relatively insignificant current. Only momentarily, during coupling and decoupling, will the auxiliary contact conduct any significant current, so safety beams are not necessary.

Figure 17 shows the stamped and formed metal auxiliary sheet contact 130, and Figure 18 shows the stamped and formed main contact 112. The auxiliary contact 130 includes a contact section 132 in the form of a standard sheet that is typically used to mate with a receptacle terminal 150 having spring beams 152 C that mate with the sheet section 132. The auxiliary contact 130 will typically be coated in the sheet contact section 132 so that an electrical contact can be established reliable. The auxiliary contact also includes a transverse element 134 located at the rear of the contact section of the sheet 132. This transverse element 134 is a plane that is offset and parallel to the plane of the contact section of the auxiliary sheet 132. The contact section of the sheet 132 is connected to the cross member 134 by an intermediate section 136 that extends between the two planes of the two main elements of the auxiliary contact. The transverse element 134 is separated from the contact section of the sheet 132 so that the transverse element 134 will also be separated from the main contact 112 to provide space for the conductive polymer PTC 140 that will be placed between the auxiliary contact 130 and the main contact 112

The main contact 112 is an essentially flat stamped and formed metal element having two main contact sections 114 A, B, which are separated on opposite sides of a central cutout 116 extending from the front of the main contact 112 to a middle section 118. The width of this cutout 116 is sufficient to receive the contact section of the sheet 132 of the auxiliary contact 130 and provide adequate separation between the section of the auxiliary sheet 132 and the two main sheet contact sections 114 A , B. A rear section 124 of the main contact 112 extends from a rear edge 120 of the middle section 118, and includes two pins or wires 126 that can be inserted into through holes in a printed circuit board to connect to external conductors in the printed circuit board to the main contact 112. There is no direct connection between the external conductors to the auxiliary contact 130, which not through the overmolded PTC conductive polymer 140 or when connected to the coupling receptacle terminal

150. The main contact terminal 112 also includes two notches 122 at opposite edges to provide a surface to secure the main contact 112 to the PTC conductive polymer 140.

Figure 19 shows how the PTC conductive polymer 140 can be overmoulded around the auxiliary contact 130 and main contact 112, or, alternatively, in which the two contacts 112, 130 can be inserted molded into the PTC conductive polymer 140. Each of the contacts 112, 130 is mounted on a support strip 128, 138. Figure 19 shows these two support strips 128, 138 and pilot holes 129, 139 in each support strip. These pilot holes 129, 139 provide means for the correct location of the two contact elements 112, 130. The two aligned contact elements 112, 130 are then placed in a mold cavity. Since the auxiliary sheet portions 132 and the two main contact sheet sections 114 A, B are in the same plane, the mold can be easily closed around these flat elements. The conductive polymer can then be molded in the surrounding relationship with respect to the portions of the auxiliary contact 130 and the main contact 112 that are placed in the mold cavity. After the conductive polymer has cooled sufficiently to solidify, the contact assembly can be removed from the mold cavity and the support strips 128, 138 can be removed in a timely manner. This will leave a set of reed terminals 102 that can be mounted in an electrical connector housing, such as a header housing 200 that has many of the features of a conventional printed circuit board header.

The embodiment of Figures 12 to 19 is representative of an integrated terminal or contact, which includes a main contact, an auxiliary contact and a PTC conductive polymer. An integrated terminal or contact can be manufactured by means other than the overmolding or insert molding manufacturing process illustrated by this specific embodiment. For example, it is not necessary to mold the PTC conductive polymer in relation to the auxiliary and main contacts. The PTC material or a PTC device only has to be placed between the main and auxiliary contacts. An integrated device can be manufactured by joining a PTC device between the two contacts. A PTC device can be secured to the contacts by welding the PTC device to one or two contacts or by using a conductive adhesive or other conductive interconnecting means. The integral terminal assembly could be formed by first molding the PTC conductive polymer in a way to fit the two terminals, which would then be placed in coupling or near the molded PTC device and then fixed or joined to form an electrical connection. Molding would not be the only procedure that could be used to form a discrete PTC device, which would then be incorporated into an integral assembly. For example, some other manufacturing technology would be used for non-polymeric PTC materials. Another manufacturing technique would be to mold the PTC material between the two contacts, but not in the surrounding relationship. Another approach would be to place one of the contacts in a mold and then mold the PTC conductive polymer in contact with this contact or terminal. The other contact or terminal could then be attached to the PTC polymer by welding, conductive adhesive or some other conductive bonding agent. In addition, the structure of the main and auxiliary contacts used in the embodiment of Figures 12 to 19 is merely representative, and other integrated contacts may include contacts or terminals of different construction or shape. For example, only one main contact may be necessary in other configurations. In addition, other embodiments could employ female or receptacle terminals that are part of an integral terminal device that includes a PTC device or PTC conductive material. Figures 20 to 37 show details of the electrical connector housings 160, 200 and the electrical connectors 104, 106 in the receptacle terminal 130 and the reed terminal 110 of this second embodiment that could be used. The sheet terminal 110 is placed in a header housing 200 of generally conventional construction, except for single arrangements for the sheet terminal 110 shown in Figures 13 to 16. The receptacle terminal 150 shown in Figure 12 it is mounted in a connector housing 160 that is attachable with the header housing 200. Figure 20 shows that the receptacle terminal 150 and the blade terminal 110 can be used in connectors that also include conventional receptacle terminals and blade terminals which are used in circuits where the current would always be below the arc threshold for that type of terminal.

The embodiment of Fig. 20 also includes a lever 180 that functions as a mechanical aid to overcome the forces that resist the coupling and decoupling of the two electrical connectors 104,

106. The lever 180 is mounted in the housing of the connector 160 and is coupled with the housing of the header 200, so that the rotation of the lever 180 moves the connector 106 in relation to the header 200. However, as will be described later in more detail, the lever 180 does not move the two connectors 104, 106 completely from a fully engaged position to a completely disengaged position, nor does it move the two connectors from a completely disengaged position to a fully engaged position. Figure 21 shows the two connectors 104, 106 in a completely uncoupled configuration and Figure 22 is a view of a fully coupled configuration. The comparison of these two views shows that the lever 180 is turned clockwise to fully engage with the two connectors 104, 106.

Figures 23 and 24 show the way in which the lever 180 can be mounted on the housing of the plug connector 160. The lever has two arms 182 that are joined by a central handle 184 in the form of a transverse piece that extends between the ends of the arms 182. Each actuator arm of the lever 182 includes a pivot pin 190 located inside the arm, between its opposite ends. These pivot pins 190 fit into bushes 170 on the sides of the connector housing of the plug 160. The bushes 170 are formed in a sleeve 166 surrounding the sides of the main body 162 of the housing of the connector of the plug 160. Each bushing 170 it has a circular support surface 172 that is interrupted by a groove 174 that extends into the coupling face 164 of the connector housing 160. Each arm 182 also includes a finger 194 at its distal or free end. A cam arm 192 is positioned on one side of each pivot pin 190. As will be described later in more detail, these cam arms 192 will fit inside cam slots 208 in the header housing 200 to impart a movement relative between pin 106 connector and header 104 when lever 180 rotates.

The connector housing of the pin 160 also includes a closure of the auxiliary housing 196 located at the top 198 of the housing 160 shown in Figure 23. There is an inertial tooth in the housing 160 that is opposite the closure of the housing 196 The mechanical help lever 180 is used to disconnect the main reed contacts 114 A, B from the terminal of the coupling receptacle 150 in the plug connector

106. The auxiliary closure 196 must be activated to disconnect the contact of the auxiliary sheet 130 from the terminal of the coupling receptacle 150.

The housing of the molded header 200 that engages with the housing of the connector 160 is shown in Figure 25. This housing of the header 200 has a header cover 202, which forms a cavity 204 in which at least one reed terminal is located without arc 110, such as that shown in figures 13 and 14. Other terminals, typically in the form of male pins, can also be placed inside this cavity

204. These other conventional male pins are coupled with conventional receptacles and used in circuits that do not carry enough current or electrical energy to create an arc. Alternatively, more than one arc-free terminal 110 incorporating the present invention could be placed in header 104.

A cam pressure slot 208 is located on each outer side of this header cover 202. Only one cam pressure slot 208 is shown in Figure 25. A symmetrical cam pressure slot is hidden from view on the side. opposite of the view of the header housing 200 shown in Figure 25. These cam pressure grooves 208 are sized to receive the cam arm 192 located on the lever 180 that is mounted in the housing of the pin 160. The arms of cam 192 engage with the surfaces of these slots when lever 180 rotates between the first and second positions. When the lever 180 rotates to fully engage the two connectors, each cam arm engages the surface 210 of the cam groove 208 closer to the coupling end of the header. When the cam arm 192 rotates in the opposite direction, the cam arm engages with the other side 212 of the cam slot 208 to cause relative movement of the two connectors 104, 106 from a configuration fully coupled to a configuration in which the shortest main contacts 114 A, B are decoupled or disconnected, but the auxiliary contact 130 is still coupled with its mating receptacle contact terminal 150. Guide rails 218 are included in the external and internal surfaces from the cover 202 to ensure that the coupling connectors 104, 106 move in parallel to a coupling shaft during decoupling and coupling. These guide rails 218 also include reaction surfaces, which prevent the cam arms 192 from decoupling from the corresponding cam slots 208.

An inclined surface 216 is located adjacently and slightly towards the back of each cam groove.

208. The grooves of the cam 208 and these inclined surfaces 216 are formed in a rib 214 protruding from the outer side face of the header cover. The inclined surface 216 extends laterally outwardly of the portion of the rib 214, in which the groove of the cam 208 is formed. These inclined surfaces 216 are placed in positions such that the fingers 194 located at the distal ends of the two lever arms 182 for pushing each lever arm 182 outward, so that the fingers 194 can be separated from the front edges 168 of the sleeve of the plug connector 116, so that the lever 180 is free to move. The way in which the arms of the lever 182 are unlocked, and the importance of this feature, will be described later in greater detail.

Two latch grooves 220 are located on the upper surface of the header housing 200 when viewed from the perspective of Figure 25. These latch grooves 220 receive latch clips 186 of lever handle 184 a to lock lever 180 in position when the connectors are fully engaged. These clips 186 can be deactivated by pressing a shoulder 188 on the lever 184. The header cover 202 also includes two teeth 222, 224 protruding from the upper surface. Identical teeth protrude from the bottom surface of the header cover. These teeth 222, 224 are coupled with opposite surfaces inside the connector sleeve. These teeth work in the same manner as those shown in US patent application 09 / 929,432 filed on August 14, 2001, incorporated by reference. The first or inner tooth 222 engages a surface in the sleeve of the plug connector 166 to keep the connectors in a fully engaged configuration. A force applied to the lever 180 is sufficient to cause slight deformation of the connector housings to allow the connectors to move to a fully coupled configuration. Similarly, a force applied to the lever 180 in the opposite direction overcomes the engagement effect of this inner tooth 222 so that the connectors 104, 106 can be moved from a fully coupled configuration to an intermediate configuration in which the contacts main 12 have been disconnected, but in which the auxiliary contact 130 remains in engagement with the receptacle terminal 150. At this point, the closure of the auxiliary pin connector housing 196 is coupled with the second or external tooth 224, which is it moves laterally with respect to the first tooth 222 and is closer to the coupling end of the header connector 104. The additional rotation of the lever 180 cannot then disconnect the connectors due to the coupling between the auxiliary closure 196 and the second or external teeth 224. At this point, the operator must press the opposite end of the auxiliary closure 196 placed in the upper part of the housing. pin connector pin 160. There is an inertial tooth that can be overcome with increased decoupling force. The upper part of the closure is the only cantilever beam that the user must press. The inertial tooth at the bottom of the connector is necessary to ensure that the auxiliary contact is decoupled or disconnected quickly and cleanly through the auxiliary disconnection zone (ADZ). The lever 180 will be rotated sufficiently to expose the closure 196, but it will take some time for the operator to change the position of the hand from the lever 180 to the top of the auxiliary closure 196 and press it to completely disengage the connectors. This time delay will be sufficient for the I2R heating to switch the conductive polymer PTC 140 from an active state, or of low resistance, to a deactivated or high resistance state. This delay will also be sufficient to allow the current flow through the auxiliary contact 130 to fall below the arc threshold, regardless of the initial current flowing through the connector, and the activation time of the conductive PTC polymer 140, or other PTC devices. After the auxiliary closure 196 has been disengaged and the inertial characteristic has been overcome, then the connectors 104, 106 can be completely disconnected and separated.

Figures 29 to 32 show the manner in which the two connectors 104, 106 are coupled. Figures 33 to 37 show the decoupling steps. To couple the two connectors 104, 106, it is first necessary for an operator to press the two connectors 104, 106 in partial engagement. Since the header 104 will normally be fixed to an electrical component, and can be mounted on a fixed bulkhead or panel, this stage will normally require the operator to hold the plug connector 106, which will normally be attached to the wires or to the end of a beam. of cables. The operator will align the two connectors and then press the plug connector 106 in partial engagement with the header connector 104. Of course, there will be no functional difference if the receptacle is a bulkhead mounted configuration attached to the cables. There is also no relevant difference if the receptacle is a free hanging cable version, except in the two connectors it should probably be attached to perform the coupling operation. The auxiliary closure 196 will move up and over the tooth 224. (The inertial characteristic opposite the auxiliary closure 196 must also be overcome). The end of the auxiliary contact 130 will be coupled with the receptacle terminal 150. If the circuit to which any terminal 110 is fixed is active, some current will initially flow through the auxiliary contact 130, and there will be a spark when the auxiliary contact 130 It attaches to receptacle terminal 150. A spark is benign compared to a breakage arc and will not cause significant damage. Assuming that the current initially flows through the first auxiliary contact 130 at this point, the conductive polymer PTC 140 will also conduct, as it will be in the active or reset state before coupling. If the initial current is not high enough, the conductive polymer PTC 140 will move to the inactive condition. If the initial current is not sufficient to displace the conductive polymer PTC 140, then the conductive polymer PTC 140 will remain in the active state. The operator cannot press connector 104, 106 to its fully coupled configuration, because cam profiles for lever mechanism 180 will prevent further movement of the connector unless the lever rotates. Just before the coupling of the main contacts 112 with the receptacle terminal 150, the fingers 194 on the arms of the lever 182 will engage on the inclined surfaces 216 outside the header cover 202 to force the arms of the lever 182 outward and release the arms of the lever 182 by running into the edges 168 of the sleeve of the housing of the plug 166. The lever 180 can now be turned to its fully engaged position, as shown in Figures 31 and 32, in the that the main contacts 112 will be fully coupled with the receptacle terminal 150. If the connectors 104, 106 are coupled in an active state with sufficient current to cause the PTC resistive material to switch to its deactivated state before coupling, a spark it will also occur when the main contacts 112 are coupled with the receptacle terminal 150. The spark, however, will not cause any significant damage due to its benign nature compared to an arc of rupture. In any case, once there is a low resistance path established between the main contact foil sections 114 A, B and the receptacle terminal 150, only a small amount of current can flow through the auxiliary contact 130 and the polymer PTC driver 140. If the conductive polymer PTC 140 had been in the deactivated state, the connection of the main contacts 114 A, B of the receptacle terminal 150 would be sufficient to reduce the current through the conductive polymer PTC 140 to allow the conductive polymer PTC 140 to be cool and restart to an active state. The conductive polymer PTC will then be able to protect against an arc when the decoupling of the connectors 104, 106 breaks an active circuit. This cooling and recovery of the low resistance state occurs very quickly, of the order of seconds or less in the typical applicable devices.

The first stage in the decoupling process is to press the release boss 184 to allow the rotation of the mechanical help lever 180. The arrow in Figure 31 shows the direction in which a force is applied to this release boss. After the release projection is disengaged, the lever 180 can be rotated clockwise as shown in Figure 33. The movement of the lever 180 from the position shown in Figure 31 to the position shown in Figure 33, and finally to the position shown in Figure 35, the main contact 112 will be disengaged from the receptacle terminal 150. With reference to Figure 1, this will displace the main contact sheet sections 114 A, B from stage 0 through the main disconnection zone (MDZ) to stage 2. The inner tooth 222 in the header housing 200 and a corresponding tooth or raised surface inside the sleeve of the plug connector 166 will also prevent the two connectors 104, 106 remain in the MDZ, where the contacts remain in contact, or experience an intermittent contact that could establish an arc between the main contact 112 and the rec terminal Entacle 150. There is another tooth for the main contact which is a symmetrical image of tooth 222 located at the bottom of the header. The tooth not mentioned is on the opposite side and moved out of the center to distribute the load evenly. This tooth is important because a tooth would create instability. If this time is prolonged, the conductive polymer PTC 140 can change to the inactive state and allow the development of an arc. The shape of these teeth 222 will press the connectors out of the MDZ. Once the lever 180 has been moved to the position shown in Figure 36, the auxiliary closure 196 will be exposed, and the operator can operate the closure. This auxiliary closure 196 must be pressed so that the second tooth 224 can be passed, and an inertial tooth for the auxiliary contacts that is located on the side opposite the closure, located closer to the coupling end of the header housing 200. The time that an operator would take to decouple the auxiliary closure 196, after first turning the lever 180, it will be sufficient for the current to pass through the conductive polymer PTC 140 to be reduced to a level where the arc will not be generated when the auxiliary contact 130 is disconnected. In other words, the PTC opening zone will last long enough for the PTC to open regardless of the current flowing through the connector when decoupling begins. The current will be low enough that a harmful arc is not generated when auxiliary contact 130 moves through the ADZ (auxiliary disconnection zone). After the connectors have moved through these states, the plug connector 106 will be completely disconnected and separated from the header, as shown in Figure 37.

Figure 38 shows the damage that an arc can produce for a conventional contact that has been disconnected once with a pure resistive load at 59 volts, 60 amps, without the use of the PTC resistor of the present invention. Damage to the spring elements in the corresponding connector must be taken into account. Figure 39 shows a similar contact that has been disconnected fifty times with a pure resistive load at 59 volts, 60 amps with a PTC in accordance with the present invention. The two coupling contacts are not damaged. The auxiliary contact in the protected version is also in good condition, since there was only a leakage of current flowing through the auxiliary when it was separated from the coupling contact. The comparison of Figures 38 and 39 shows that despite the PTC resistance is subject to the male contact, protection is also achieved in the female contact. It should be understood, however, that the PTC resistor and auxiliary contact can be used on the side of the receptacle and that the main and auxiliary contacts need not be male elements.

Figures 38 and 39 show the effects of the PTC conductive polymer device to prevent arc damage when a connector assembly is used with a pure resistive load. Inductive loads can be expected to produce surge peaks when the connectors disconnect, while high currents flow. If the PTC device can withstand those voltage peaks, the arc protection will work exactly as described above. If the PTC device cannot withstand voltage spikes, then it can be destroyed, unless it is protected from surges by using a surge protection device such as MOV, Zener diodes or spark separations. Alternatively, the inductive load may have the surge protection devices through it and will no longer be destructive to the surge exposure for the PTC device. Figure 40 shows how a surge suppressor or surge clamp 40 (such as a Zener diode, MOV or spark sparking) can be connected in parallel with the PTC device 402 in a connector assembly without protected arc 404, according to the present invention including a main contact 406 and an auxiliary contact 408. The connector 404 is shown connected to a battery or power supply 410 and an inductive load 412.

Figure 41 shows an alternative arrangement in which an arc-free connector 414 according to the invention, which includes a main contact 406, an auxiliary contact 408 and a PTC device 402, is connected to a battery or power supply 410 and a Protected load 416 that includes an inductive load 406 and a surge suppressor or surge clamp 400 (such as a Zener diode, MOV or spark separation) are connected in parallel with each other.

The arrangements shown in Figures 40 and 41 compensate for the voltage peaks indicated above.

The separation rate is controlled in each of the representative embodiments of the present invention by employing a two-stage decoupling procedure that results in a sufficient time delay for the PTC conductive polymer device to be deactivated before The auxiliary contact is disengaged. Means are also provided in the preferred embodiment that will ensure that the main contacts disconnect quickly before the PTC element can switch to the deactivated condition. The representative means described herein are not the only means of controlling the separation rate that can be employed. The decoupling speed of a manually operated electrical connector can be controlled in different ways. In addition, if the current load range is limited, which means that there is a minimum current that can flow, which is a significant percentage of the maximum current, the delay caused by the additional length of the auxiliary contact may be sufficient, causing a Uncoupling other than two stages is unnecessary.

There are other approaches to make some resistance that the human operator must overcome when disconnecting a coupling connector. An example is shown in Figures 42A to 42D, which shows a receptacle connector 304 and a coupling pin connector 306 that includes means for providing rapid unidirectional movement through the contact disconnection zones and the time delay between the same with a single lever. This alternative lever configuration can provide high unidirectional speed through the MDZ and ADZ, while also providing a time delay between those zones, without additional closure. High speed is generated when the cantilever beam loaded 316 on the lever 308 pushes the pin of the pin 310 through the teeth of the receptacle housing 312, 314 in a housing channel 318, as shown in Figures 42A and 42C. As shown in Figure 42B, the time delay is caused when the cantilever beam 316 on the lever 308 relaxes after pushing the pin

5 of the pin 310 through the first tooth of the receptacle cover 312 and then again flexed or recharged by the continuous movement of the lever 308 until it can push the pin of the pin 310 through the second tooth of the housing of receptacle 314.

In other versions, a stop, or spring release feature, also preloads human force to the level necessary to ensure sufficient speed in the areas of critical separation. Pistons, or devices

10 dampers, can provide controlled resistance that can slow down the speed and additional closing mechanisms or levers can force momentary stops between the separation of the main and auxiliary contacts if necessary. Other means will also be apparent to an expert in the field.

The present invention is also not limited to a PTC conductive polymer device. There are other positive temperature coefficient devices that could replace the PTC conductive polymer devices or the materials 15 that are used in the preferred embodiments described according to. It is known that there are PTC metal devices that could be employed in alternative embodiments that employ all the basic elements of the present invention. Other PT materials such as doped BaTiO3 can also be used, although the expense of these different alternatives may prevent them from having an acceptable commercial alternative to the use of PTC conductive polymer devices and materials. Other alternative embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art. For the

Therefore, the invention, described in terms of a representative preferred embodiment, is not limited to those representative embodiments, but as defined in the following claims.

Claims (9)

one.

 Electrical connector (40) comprising:

a main contact terminal (12) that includes means for connecting the main contact terminal to an electrical conductor; an auxiliary contact terminal (16); and a resistive element (6) that connects the auxiliary contact terminal (16) to the main contact terminal (12), such that the current passing through the auxiliary contact terminal (16) also passes through the terminal of main contact (12) and the resistive element, the resistive element being characterized in that an increase in the electrical resistance of the resistive element retards an input current through the resistive element, so that the resistive element conducts a current approximately equal to the input current for a period of time called activation time; The electrical connector is being configured to disconnect the main contact terminal of an electrical coupling terminal (32) in an electrical coupling connector (50) before disconnection of the auxiliary contact terminal from an electrical coupling terminal (36) in the electrical coupling connector, the time being to disconnect the main contact terminal at a sufficient distance so that an electric arc comprising a disconnection time cannot be sustained, the disconnection time being less than the activation time, so The arc is avoided by disconnecting the main contact terminal.

2.

 Electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the main contact terminal leads to a higher current when connected to the electrical coupling connector carrying the auxiliary contact terminals when both the main and auxiliary contact terminals are connected to the electrical connector of coupling

3.

 Electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary contact terminal is disconnected from an electrical coupling terminal after a finite time interval from disconnection of the main contact terminal, the finite time interval being long enough for the Resistance in the resistive element increases sufficiently to reduce the current through the auxiliary contact terminal below an arc threshold, so that the arc does not occur when disconnected from the auxiliary contact terminal.

Four.

 Electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the resistive element comprises a positive temperature coefficient resistance element, the resistive element being characterized by a finite activation time for switching from a first relatively low resistance state to a second state of relatively higher resistance.

5.

 Electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the main contact terminal can be separated from the coupling contact before the auxiliary contact terminal is disconnected from a circuit that includes the coupling contact in the disconnection of the main contact terminal of the coupling contact and before disconnection of the auxiliary contact terminal of the circuit, so that both the main contact terminal and the auxiliary contact terminal can be disconnected without arc.

6.

 Electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein the main contact terminal comprises an electrical route of less resistance than an electrical route through the auxiliary contact terminal and the positive temperature coefficient resistance, so that a rapid increase occurs of the current through the positive temperature coefficient resistor and the auxiliary contact terminal after the main contact terminal separates from the coupling contact.

7.

 Electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the resistive element is characterized by a higher rate of change of the electrical resistance in response to a change in the temperature of the auxiliary contact terminal;

the main contact terminal and auxiliary contact terminal being configured so that during decoupling, the main contact terminal is decoupled from the means of the coupling terminal before the auxiliary contact terminal is decoupled from the means of the terminal coupling contact, so that the current flowing through the resistive element and the auxiliary contact terminal decreases between the decoupling of the main contact terminal and the decoupling of the auxiliary contact terminal to limit arc formation when the electrical terminal is decoupling the coupling contact terminal.

8.

 Electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the current through the resistive element and the auxiliary contact terminal initially increases when the main contact terminal is disengaged from the coupling contact terminal.

9.

 Electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is configured such that, when the electrical connector is disengaged from the electrical coupling connector, the main contact means is disconnected from the means of the coupling terminal in the electrical connector of coupling prior to disconnection of the auxiliary contact means and the coupling terminal means, such that a current path through the auxiliary contact means and the resistive means to the coupling terminal means remain intact after the disconnection of the main contact media from the media

coupling terminal; the resistance through the resistive means and the auxiliary contact means are greater when the auxiliary contact means is disconnected from the coupling terminal means when the main contact means is disconnected from the coupling terminal means, so that the arc does not occur when the main contact means and the auxiliary contact means are disconnected sequentially from the coupling terminal means.