High voltage (HV) terminal frame

1 . A header assembly comprising:

a housing assembly having a first opening;

a two-piece terminal assembly positioned within the housing assembly, the two-piece terminal assembly including a terminal frame and a contact spring engaged with the terminal frame; and

a terminal position assurance (TPA) positioned within the housing assembly adjacent to the two-piece terminal assembly;

wherein the first opening of the housing assembly is aligned with an opening defined by the terminal frame such that a first bus bar inserted through the first opening is received in the opening of the terminal frame, and wherein the header assembly is configured for selective bi-directional connection of the first bus bar and wherein the selective bi-directional connection includes: a first connection in which the first bus bar is insertable through the first opening of the housing assembly such that the first bus bar extends in a first direction from the header assembly; and a second connection in which the first bus bar is insertable through the first opening of the housing assembly such that the first bus bar extends in a second direction from the header assembly.

2 . The header assembly of claim 1 , wherein the terminal frame is fabricated from a first material having a first uniform thickness and the contact spring is fabricated from a second material having a second uniform thickness, wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness.

3 . The header assembly of claim 1 , wherein the terminal frame is fabricated from a first material and the contact spring is fabricated from a second material.

4 . The header assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first material and the second material are dissimilar.

5 . The header assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first material and the second material are stainless steel.

6 . The header assembly of claim 1 , wherein the terminal frame includes at least a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion, wherein an opening configured to receive the first bus bar is defined by the top, bottom and middle portions; and

wherein the contact spring is C-shaped and includes a first portion, a middle portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to wrap around opposite ends of the top portion of the terminal frame to prevent movement in a forward and backward direction.

7 . The header assembly of claim 6 , wherein the contact spring includes a cut-out formed in the middle portion and a spring extending across the cut-out, wherein the spring is bent to contact the top portion of the terminal frame.

8 . The header assembly of claim 7 , wherein the top portion of the terminal frame includes a groove configured to the receive the spring extending across the cut-out, wherein engagement of the spring within the groove prevents movement of the contact spring along a direction the contact spring is slid over the top portion of the terminal frame.

9 . The header assembly of claim 1 , wherein the terminal frame includes at least a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion, wherein the middle portion of the terminal frame includes an aperture configured to receive a header side bus bar.

10 . The header assembly of claim 9 , wherein the contact spring includes a first spring portion and a second spring portion located adjacent to the first spring portion, wherein both the first spring portion and the second spring portion extend into the opening of the terminal frame, wherein the first spring portion is configured to contact the first bus bar oriented in a first orientation and the second spring portion is configured to contact the first bus bar oriented in a second orientation opposite the first orientation.

11 . The header assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first bus bar is received within the first opening of the housing assembly from a vertical direction.

12 . The header assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first bus bar includes an indentation, wherein the first spring portion or the second spring portion is received within the indentation.

13 . A header assembly comprising:

a housing assembly having at least a first opening for receiving a first bus bar;

a two-piece terminal assembly including a terminal frame and a contact spring engaged with the terminal frame, wherein the two-piece terminal assembly is positioned within the housing assembly and configured to receive a second bus bar; and

a terminal position assurance (TPA) placed within the housing assembly and engaging the two-piece terminal assembly within the housing assembly;

wherein:

the terminal frame includes at least a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion forming an opening for receiving at least a first bus bar,

wherein the bottom portion of the terminal frame includes a stop feature, a front guide feature and a side guide feature, and the front guide feature interacts with an overlapping feature of the TPA to ensure the terminal frame is properly positioned within the housing; and

the contact spring is C-shaped and includes a first portion, a middle portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to wrap around opposite ends of the top portion of the terminal frame to prevent movement in a forward and backward direction.

14 . The header assembly of claim 13 , wherein the contact spring includes a cut-out formed in the middle portion and a spring extending across the cut-out, wherein the spring is bent to contact the top portion of the terminal frame.

15 . The header assembly of claim 13 , wherein the terminal frame includes at least a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion, wherein the middle portion of the terminal frame includes an aperture configured to receive the second bus bar.

16 . The header assembly of claim 13 , wherein the terminal assembly is fabricated from a material with low conductivity.

17 . A header assembly comprising:

a housing assembly having at least a first opening for receiving a first bus bar;

a two-piece terminal assembly including a terminal frame and a contact spring engaged with the terminal frame, wherein the two-piece terminal assembly is positioned within the housing assembly and configured to receive a second bus bar; and

a terminal position assurance (TPA) placed within the housing assembly and engaging the two-piece terminal assembly within the housing assembly;

wherein:

the contact spring includes a first spring portion and a second spring portion located adjacent to the first spring portion,

both the first spring portion and the second spring portion extend into the opening of the terminal frame, and

the first spring portion is configured to contact the first bus bar oriented in a first orientation and the second spring portion is configured to contact the first bus bar oriented in a second orientation opposite the first orientation.