US 12,439,502 B2
Intrinsically safe electrical connector
Shane Ballingall, Malaga (AU); Jose De Andrade, Malaga (AU); Richard Kabzinski, Malaga (AU); Karl Rosewarne, Malaga (AU); and Ryan Willis, Malaga (AU)
Assigned to Connector Technologies Pty Ltd, Malaga (AU)
Appl. No. 18/030,451
Filed by Connector Technologies Pty Ltd, Malaga (AU)
PCT Filed Oct. 4, 2021, PCT No. PCT/AU2021/051156
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 5, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/073060, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 14, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020903612 (AU), filed on Oct. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0292424 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. H05B 45/30 (2020.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.01); H02M 3/335 (2006.01); H05B 47/20 (2020.01)
CPC H05B 47/20 (2020.01) [H02J 50/10 (2016.02); H02M 3/335 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrical connector comprising:
a supply side housing comprising:
i) an AC input with input protection for receiving an AC supply;
ii) a primary rectifier arrangement configured to rectify the AC input to a DC input;
iii) a female socket having a single layer air-cored supply coil sealed within the socket, a capacitor arranged in series with the supply coil to form a series resonant LC arrangement; and
iv) a half-bridge resonant converter switched mode power supply arrangement supplied from the DC input and driving the supply coil to produce a symmetrical AC waveform, said converter configured with a switching frequency substantially matched to a resonant frequency of the series resonant LC arrangement; and
a load side housing comprising:
a) a male plug configured to fit inside the female socket and having a single layer air-cored load coil sealed within said plug; and
b) a secondary rectifier arrangement configured to rectify an AC waveform induced within the load coil to produce a DC output for supply to a load;
wherein the supply and load side housings are complementarily engageable via the plug and socket so that electrical power transfer is facilitated from the AC input to the DC output through electromagnetic induction via the sealed supply and load coils;
wherein the supply and/or load side housings are manufactured from a polymer material having suitable thermal conductivity to facilitate heat dissipation from the connector;
wherein the supply and/or load side housings define heat dissipation structures thereon, such as ribs or fins, to facilitate heat dissipation from the connector;
wherein the resonant converter switched mode power supply arrangement is configured to automatically and continuously monitor and adjust the switching frequency to maintain maximum power transfer to the secondary rectifier arrangement.