IP Library Granted Patent US 12713570
Granted Patent B2
US 12713570 · App. 17/876,325 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Power connector having an EMI enclosure

Inventor: Evan Lawrence Craig (Vernon Hills, IL)
Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH
H05K9/0018H01H85/2015H01H85/2045H01H85/22H01H85/547H01R13/688
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12713570
App. No.
17/876,325
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power connector includes a housing having a front wall including a socket configured to receive a power plug. The power connector includes an electrical component held by the housing being electrically connected to a power contact in the socket. The electrical component is a heat generating component. The power connector includes an EMI enclosure coupled to the housing. The EMI enclosure has walls defining a chamber. The housing, power contacts, and electrical component are received in the chamber. The walls of the EMI enclosure provide EMI shielding for the electrical component. The EMI enclosure includes a flap extending from a wall of the EMI enclosure into the chamber having a flap thermal interface thermally coupled to the electrical component to dissipate heat from the electrical component.

Claims (38)

1 . A power connector comprising:

a housing extending between a front and a rear and having a front wall at the front including a socket configured to receive a power plug;

power contacts held by the housing, the power contacts having mating ends in the socket for mating with the power plug;

an electrical component held by the housing, the electrical component being electrically connected to at least one of the power contacts, the electrical component being a heat generating component;

an electromagnetic interference (EMI) enclosure coupled to the housing, the EMI enclosure having walls surrounding and defining a chamber, the housing being received in the chamber with the walls extending between the front and the rear of the housing, the power contacts received in the chamber and surrounded by the walls, the electrical component received in the chamber and surrounded by the walls, the walls of the EMI enclosure providing EMI shielding for the electrical component above, below and along opposite sides of the chamber an entire depth of the housing between the front and the rear of the housing, the EMI enclosure including a first flap extending from a first wall of the walls into the chamber, the first flap being deflectable relative to the first wall, the first flap including a flap thermal interface thermally coupled to the electrical component to dissipate heat from the electrical component; and

an electrical insulator between the first flap and the electrical component, the electrical insulator being thermally conductive, the electrical insulator including a flexible film having a thermal pad on the flexible film, the thermal pad being thermally conductive, the thermal pad being positioned between the first flap and the electrical component.

2 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the first flap is stamped from the first wall.

3 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein a slot is defined in the first wall between the first flap and a first wall portion of the first wall, the slot thermally separates the first flap from the first wall portion.

4 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the first wall is a first side wall, the walls include a second side wall opposite the first side wall, a first end wall extending between the first and second side walls, and a second end wall extending between the first and second side walls, the walls including a back wall at a rear of the chamber to provide shielding along the rear of the housing, the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall, and the second end wall extending to the front of the housing.

5 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the EMI enclosure includes a second flap extending from a second wall of the walls into the chamber, the second flap including a second flap thermal interface.

6 . The power connector of claim 5 , wherein the second wall is parallel to the first wall and on an opposite side of the chamber from the first wall.

7 . The power connector of claim 5 , wherein the second wall extends from the first wall and is oriented perpendicular to the first wall.

8 . The power connector of claim 5 , wherein the second flap is thermally coupled to a second electrical component located in the chamber.

9 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the first wall includes a second flap extending into the chamber, the second flap being independently deflectable from the first flap.

10 . The power connector of claim 9 , wherein the second flap is embedded in the first flap.

11 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical component is a fuse contact electrically connected to a fuse held in the housing, the flap thermal interface of the first flap being thermally coupled to the fuse contact to dissipate heat from the fuse contact.

12 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the first flap includes a hinge at a proximal end of the first flap and a tip at a distal end of the first flap, the flap thermal interface located proximate to the tip, the first flap being trapezoidal shaped having side edges between the proximal end and the distal end, the side edges being angled non-parallel to each other, the proximal end being longer than the distal end.

13 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the first wall includes a wall portion separated from the first flap by a slot, the slot thermally separating the first flap from the wall portion, the wall portion having a cooler temperature than the first flap when the first flap is dissipating heat from the electrical component.

14 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the EMI enclosure includes a second flap embedded in the first flap, the second flap being separated from the first flap by a slot, the slot thermally separating the first flap from the second flap.

15 . The power connector of claim 14 , wherein the second flap includes a second flap thermal interface aligned with the flap thermal interface along an axis.

16 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the first flap is surrounded by a first slot, the EMI enclosure including a second flap surrounded by a second slot, the second flap being separated from the first flap by the first slot, at least one wall portion, and the second slot.

17 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure extends between a front and a rear, the first flap having a first proximal end and a first distal end, the first distal end being closer to the rear, the EMI enclosure including a second flap having a second proximal end and a second distal end, the second distal end being closer to the front.

18 . The power connector of claim 17 , wherein the first proximal end is separated from the second proximal end by a separation distance greater than a first length of the first flap between the first proximal end and the first distal end and greater than a second length of the second flap between the second proximal end and the second distal end.

19 . The power connector of claim 1 , further comprising:

a power terminal held by the housing, the power terminal having a terminating end configured to be electrically connected to a device power circuit of a device to supply power to the device;

a fuse holder coupled to the housing, the fuse holder including a fuse pocket holding a fuse, the fuse having end caps and a fuse wire between the end caps;

an input fuse contact coupled to the power contact, the input fuse contact including an input contact arm coupled to the corresponding end cap of the fuse; and

an output fuse contact coupled to the power terminal, the output fuse contact including an output contact arm coupled to the corresponding end cap of the fuse;

wherein at least one of the power terminal, the input fuse contact and the outer fuse contact defining the electrical component; and

wherein the chamber of the EMI enclosure receives the fuse, the input fuse contact, and the output fuse contact, the walls of the EMI enclosure providing EMI shielding for the fuse, the flap thermal interface of the first flap being thermally coupled to at least one of the input fuse contact and the output fuse contact.

20 . A power connector comprising:

a housing having a front wall including a socket configured to receive a power plug;

power contacts held by the housing, the power contacts having mating ends in the socket for mating with the power plug;

an electrical component held by the housing, the electrical component being electrically connected to at least one of the power contacts, the electrical component being a heat generating component;

an electromagnetic interference (EMI) enclosure coupled to the housing, the EMI enclosure having walls defining a chamber, the housing being received in the chamber, the power contacts received in the chamber, the electrical component received in the chamber, the walls of the EMI enclosure providing EMI shielding for the electrical component, the EMI enclosure including a first flap extending from a first wall of the walls into the chamber, the first flap being deflectable relative to the first wall, the first flap including a flap thermal interface thermally coupled to the electrical component to dissipate heat from the electrical component, the EMI enclosure including a second flap embedded in the first flap.

21 . The power connector of claim 20 wherein the second flap is separated from the first flap by a slot, the slot thermally separating the first flap from the second flap.

22 . The power connector of claim 20 , further comprising an electrical insulator between the first flap and the electrical component, the electrical insulator being thermally conductive.

23 . The power connector of claim 22 , wherein the electrical insulator includes a flexible film having a thermal pad on the flexible film, the thermal pad being thermally conductive, the thermal pad being positioned between the first flap and the electrical component.