# US 12,179,616 B2 · Vehicle electrical connector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,616 B2 - Document ID: US12179616B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/741,357 - Filed: 2022-05-10 - Published: 2022-11-17 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-11 - Assignees: Advanced Connectek Inc. - Applicants: Advanced-Connectek Inc. - Inventors: Sheng-Hsiang Huang; Yu-Feng Ke; Ming-Lung Chien - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179616B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - H01R 24/50: mounted on a PCB [Printed Circuit Board] - H01R 13/502: composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) - H01R 13/631: for engagement only - H01R 13/639: Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} - H01R 2201/26: for vehicles - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract A vehicle electrical connector includes an outer shell, an inner shell, and a conductive assembly. The outer shell includes a groove and assembling channels. The assembling channel extends from an opening on an outer side of the groove toward an inner tubular wall surface of the groove. The inner shell is in the outer shell and includes a base and a casing. The casing extends outward from one side of the base. The inner shell includes buckle blocks outside the casing. The buckle block is guided in the assembling channel through a path of the assembling channel, so that the buckle block is positioned in the assembling channel. Hence, after the inner shell is axially inserted into the outer shell and then rotated into a predetermined position, the inner shell and the outer shell can be stably held with each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle electrical connector, comprising: an outer shell comprising a groove and a plurality of assembling channels, wherein each of the assembling channels extends from an opening on an outer side of the groove toward an inner tubular wall surface of the groove; an inner shell comprising a base, a casing, and a through hole, wherein the casing extends outward from one side of the base and is inserted into the groove; the through hole is formed inside the base and the casing; the inner shell comprises a plurality of buckle blocks, each of the buckle blocks is outside the casing, and each of the buckle blocks is guided in each of the assembling channels through a path of a corresponding one of the assembling channels, so that each of the buckle blocks is positioned in the corresponding one of the assembling channels; and a conductive assembly comprising a conductive member and an insulated housing, wherein the insulated housing is fitted over the conductive member, and the conductive member and the insulated housing are positioned in the through hole. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the assembling channels comprises an axial channel and a rail portion, and the axial channel extends toward an inner side of the groove along the opening of the groove; the rail portion is at an inner side the axial channel, and the rail portion extends circumferentially along the inner tubular wall surface of the groove; each of the assembling channels has a positioning groove, and the positioning groove is inside the rail portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein the inner side of each of the axial channels has a first positioning location, and each of the buckle blocks is axially moved to a corresponding one of the first positioning locations along the axial channel; the positioning groove has a second positioning location, and each of the buckle blocks is rotated and moved toward a corresponding one of the second positioning locations along the rail portion, so that each of the buckle blocks is positioned in the corresponding one of the second positioning locations. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein a distance between the first positioning location and the opening of the groove is equal to a distance between the second positioning location and the opening of the groove. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein each of the rail portions has an inclined portion; each of the buckle blocks is rotated from the corresponding one of the first positioning locations along the inner tubular wall surface of the groove, elastically contacts a corresponding one of the inclined portions, and is moved toward the corresponding one of the second positioning locations, so that each of the buckle blocks is positioned in the corresponding one of the second positioning locations. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein each of the inclined portions has a guiding inclined surface or a plurality of convex portions, and each of the buckle blocks contacts a corresponding one of the guiding inclined surfaces or the plurality of convex portions of a corresponding one of inclined portions in point-contacting or surface-contacting manners, and each of the buckle blocks has a mating inclined surface or a curved surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein each of the rail portions has a flat surface, and the flat surface of each of the rail portions is inside a corresponding one of the inclined portions and interference contacts a corresponding one of the buckle blocks. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein a distance between the flat surface of each of the rail portions and the opening of the groove is greater than a distance between the corresponding one of the second positioning locations and the opening of the groove. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein each of the rail portions has a suspension arm and a concave portion, the concave portion is at a side portion of suspension arm, the concave portions provides a space for the suspension arm to swing elastically in the space, and each of the buckle blocks contacts a corresponding one of the suspension arms. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a side portion of the outer shell has a mating block in plate-shaped, and the mating block is connected to the base of the inner shell.