Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to automotive connector assemblies. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an integrated connector assembly for facilitating connection between a battery and a plurality of other modules of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND
[0002] A power harness in a vehicle is currently structured as a collection of cables, connectors, and ring terminals that are interconnected through a junction known as a junction box. The connectors are used to connect different modules in the vehicle. Ring terminals are used to connect the cables to each other and the cables act as a conduit to transfer power from a battery to other modules. This design emphasizes modularity; however the existing junction box uses bolts to secure connections between the different modules. This bolting method may lead to loose connections which may result in short circuits, and consequently increases a likelihood of triggering short circuit detection mechanisms. In more severe scenarios, such loose connections and potential short circuits pose a serious safety concern, as they could lead to electrical fires. The risk of fire is a critical issue that necessitates re-evaluation of the existing design to enhance safety measures.
[0003] The existing junction box includes the battery and a motor controller as separate modules, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The battery includes three power poles, whereas the motor controller includes two signal poles. A first power pole of the battery is connected to a charging connector through a charging negative terminal. A second power pole is connected to the charging connector through a battery positive terminal, and a third power pole is connected to a battery negative terminal. Further, a first signal pole of the motor controller is connected to a Power Distribution Unit (PDU) through the battery positive terminal, whereas the second signal pole is connected to the PDU through the battery negative terminal. The battery positive terminal is directly connected to a key. However, the connections between the battery, the charging connector, the motor controller, the PDU, and the key may be done using a number of bolted joints, which leads to a failure mode where loose connections may occur, potentially causing the joints to heat up, and in more severe instances, leading to harness fires.
[0004] There is, therefore, a need for an improved assembly for connecting the battery to the remaining modules in the vehicle by overcoming the deficiencies in the prior art(s).

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0005] A general object of the present disclosure is to provide an integrated connector assembly for integrating a plurality of cables connecting several modules of a vehicle.
[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an integrated connector assembly that includes a single interface for a battery for power and signal transmission.
[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an integrated connector assembly with a multi-joint terminal to distribute power from a charging connector to a motor controller.

SUMMARY
[0008] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to automotive connector assemblies. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an integrated connector assembly for facilitating connection between a battery and a plurality of other modules of a vehicle.
[0009] In an aspect, the present disclosure describes an integrated connector assembly for a vehicle. The integrated connector assembly includes a plurality of primary poles for electrically connecting a charging connector and a motor controller to a battery. The integrated connector assembly includes a plurality of secondary poles for communicatively connecting a signal harness, a key, and a Power Distribution Unit (PDU) to the battery.
[0010] In an embodiment, the plurality of primary poles may include a battery negative terminal (B-), a battery positive terminal (B+), and a charging negative terminal (C-).
[0011] In an embodiment, the battery negative terminal (B-) is directly connected to the motor controller, the battery positive terminal (B+) is connected to the motor controller and the charging connector through a multi-joint terminal, and the charging negative terminal (C-) is directly connected to the charging connector through an inline connector.
[0012] In an embodiment, the multi-joint terminal may include a plurality of ends, wherein a first end (B+) may be connected to the battery, a second end may be connected to the charging connector, and a third end may be connected to the motor controller.
[0013] In an embodiment, the second end of the multi-joint terminal connecting to the charging connector may be enabled, and the third end of the multi-joint terminal connecting to the motor controller may be disabled when a vehicle is in a charging mode.
[0014] In an embodiment, the second end of the multi-joint terminal connecting to the charging connector may be disabled, and the third end of the multi-joint terminal connecting to the motor controller may be enabled when the vehicle is in motion.
[0015] In an embodiment, the plurality of secondary poles may be connected to the signal harness and the key via a first connector, and the plurality of secondary poles may be connected to the PDU via a second connector.
[0016] In an embodiment, the first connector and the second connector may be an Ingress Protection (IP) rated connector.
[0017] In an embodiment, the IP rated connector may be provided to avoid ingress of water, dust, oil, or other contaminants into the battery.
[0018] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an example schematic view of an electric saddle type vehicle.
[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a conventional junction box of a vehicle.
[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an integrated connector assembly for a vehicle, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view of a multi-joint terminal used in an integrated connector assembly, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of an inline connector used in an integrated connector assembly, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the various embodiments and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the present disclosure as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates.
[0026] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory of the present disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
[0027] Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more…” or “one or more elements is required.
[0028] Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.
[0029] Use of the phrases and/or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.
[0030] Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure. The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components proceeded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices or other sub-systems or other elements or other structures or other components or additional devices or additional sub-systems or additional elements or additional structures or additional components.
[0031] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0032] For the sake of clarity, the first digit of a reference numeral of each component of the present disclosure is indicative of the Figure number, in which the corresponding component is shown. For example, reference numerals starting with digit “1” are shown at least in Figure 1. Similarly, reference numerals starting with digit “2” are shown at least in Figure 2.
[0033] An Electric Vehicle (EV) or a battery powered vehicle including, and not limited to two-wheelers such as scooters, mopeds, motorbikes/motorcycles; three-wheelers such as auto-rickshaws, four-wheelers such as cars and other Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) and Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs) primarily work on the principle of driving an electric motor using the power from the batteries provided in the EV. Furthermore, the EV may have at least one wheel which is electrically powered to traverse such a vehicle. The term ‘wheel’ may be referred to any ground-engaging member which allows traversal of the EV over a path. The types of EVs include Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Range Extended Electric Vehicle. However, the subsequent paragraphs pertain to the different elements of the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV).
[0034] In construction, as shown in FIG. 1, an EV (10) typically comprises a battery or battery pack (12) enclosed within a battery casing and includes a Battery Management System (BMS), an on-board charger (14), a Motor Controller Unit (MCU), an electric motor (16), and an electric transmission system (18). The primary function of the above-mentioned elements is detailed in the subsequent paragraphs: The battery of the EV (10) (also known as Electric Vehicle Battery (EVB) or traction battery) is re-chargeable in nature and is the primary source of energy required for the operation of the EV (10), wherein the battery (12) is typically charged using the electric current taken from the grid through a charging infrastructure (20). The battery (12) may be charged using Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC), wherein in case of AC input, the on-board charger (14) converts the AC signal to DC signal after which the DC signal is transmitted to the battery (12) via the BMS. However, in case of DC charging, the on-board charger (14) is bypassed, and the current is transmitted directly to the battery (12) via the BMS.
[0035] The battery (12) is made up of a plurality of cells which are grouped into a plurality of modules in a manner in which the temperature difference between the cells does not exceed 5 degrees Celsius. The terms “battery”, “cell”, and “battery cell” may be used interchangeably and may refer to any of a variety of different rechargeable cell compositions and configurations including, but not limited to, lithium-ion (e.g., lithium iron phosphate, lithium cobalt oxide, other lithium metal oxides, etc.), lithium-ion polymer, nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium, nickel hydrogen, nickel-zinc, silver zinc, or other battery type/configuration. The term “battery pack” as used herein may be referred to multiple individual batteries enclosed within a single structure or multi-piece structure. The individual batteries may be electrically interconnected to achieve a desired voltage and capacity for a desired application. The Battery Management System (BMS) is an electronic system whose primary function is to ensure that the battery (12) is operating safely and efficiently. The BMS continuously monitors different parameters of the battery such as temperature, voltage, current, and so on, and communicates these parameters to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Motor Controller Unit (MCU) in the EV (10) using a plurality of protocols including and not limited to a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol which facilitates the communication between the ECU/MCU and other peripheral elements of the EV (10) without the requirement of a host computer.
[0036] The MCU primarily controls/regulates the operation of the electric motor (16) based on the signal transmitted from the vehicle battery, wherein the primary functions of the MCU include starting of the electric motor (16), stopping the electric motor (16), controlling the speed of the electric motor (16), enabling the vehicle to move in the reverse direction and protect the electric motor (16) from premature wear and tear. The primary function of the electric motor (16) is to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, wherein the converted mechanical energy is subsequently transferred to the transmission system of the EV (10) to facilitate movement of the EV (10). Additionally, the electric motor (16) also acts as a generator during regenerative braking (i.e., kinetic energy generated during vehicle braking/deceleration is converted into potential energy and stored in the battery of the EV). The types of motors generally employed in EVs (10) include, but are not limited to DC series motor, Brushless DC motor (also known as BLDC motors), Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), Three Phase AC Induction Motors, and Switched Reluctance Motors (SRM).
[0037] The transmission system (18) of the EV (10) facilitates the transfer of the generated mechanical energy by the electric motor (16) to the wheels (22a, 22b) of the EV (10). Generally, the transmission systems (18) used in EVs (10) include single speed transmission system and multi-speed (i.e., two-speed) transmission system, wherein the single speed transmission system comprises a single gear pair whereby the EV (10) is maintained at a constant speed. However, the multi-speed/two-speed transmission system comprises a compound planetary gear system with a double pinion planetary gear set and a single pinion planetary gear set thereby resulting in two different gear ratios which facilitates higher torque and vehicle speed.
[0038] In one embodiment, all data pertaining to the EV (10) and/or charging infrastructure (20) are collected and processed using a remote server (known as cloud) (24), wherein the processed data is indicated to the rider/driver of the EV (10) through a display unit present in the dashboard (26) of the EV (10). In an embodiment, the display unit may be an interactive display unit. In another embodiment, the display unit may be a non-interactive display unit.
[0039] Embodiments explained herein relate to automotive connector assemblies. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an integrated connector assembly for facilitating connection between a battery and a plurality of other modules of a vehicle.
[0040] In an aspect, the present disclosure describes an integrated connector assembly for a vehicle. The integrated connector assembly includes a plurality of primary poles for electrically connecting a charging connector and a motor controller to a battery. The integrated connector assembly includes a plurality of secondary poles for communicatively connecting a signal harness, a key, and a Power Distribution Unit (PDU) to the battery.
[0041] Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with respect to FIGs. 3-5.
[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram (300) of an integrated connector assembly (302) for a vehicle, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0043] With reference to FIG. 3, the connector assembly (302) may be integrated, for example, with a battery of the vehicle. It may be appreciated that the integrated connector assembly (302) may be interchangeably referred to as the connector assembly (302) throughout the disclosure. The battery may be connected to remaining modules of the vehicle using the connector assembly (302). The connector assembly (302) may include a plurality of primary poles (304) or power wires for directly connecting the battery to the remaining modules. The primary poles may be provided for supplying power to the remaining modules, for example, a charging connector (308) and a motor controller (310) of the vehicle. Further, the connector assembly (302) may include an Ingress Protection (IP) interface in the battery for power and signal connections between the remaining modules.
[0044] In an embodiment, the plurality of primary poles (304) may be provided for electrically connecting the charging connector (308) and the motor controller (310) to the battery. The plurality of primary poles (304) may include, without limitation, a battery negative terminal (B-) (304a), a battery positive terminal (B+) (304b), and a charging negative terminal (C-) (304c). In an embodiment, the battery negative terminal (B-) (304a) may be directly connected to the motor controller (310).
[0045] In an embodiment, the battery positive terminal (B+) (304b) may be connected to the motor controller (310) and the charging connector (308) through a multi-joint terminal (318). In an embodiment, the multi-joint terminal (318) may include a plurality of ends (318a-318c), as illustrated in FIG. 4. In an embodiment, the charging negative terminal (C-) (304c) may be directly connected to the charging connector (308) through an inline connector (322), as illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0046] In an embodiment, the connector assembly (302) may include the plurality of secondary poles (306). The plurality of secondary poles (306) may be, for example, but are not limited to, 12 secondary poles. The plurality of secondary poles (306) may be, for example, 0.35 sqmm to 1.5 sqmm terminals. The plurality of secondary poles (306) may carry power to the modules which demand less power, for example, a signal harness (312), a Power Distribution Unit (PDU) (316), and a key (314). In an embodiment, the plurality of secondary poles (306) may be provided for supplying signal to the signal harness (312), and power to the PDU (316) and the key (314).
[0047] In an embodiment, the plurality of secondary poles (306) may be connected to the signal harness (312) and the key (314) via a first connector (320a). In an embodiment, the plurality of secondary poles (306) may be connected to the PDU (316) through a second connector (320b). In an embodiment, the first connector (320a) and the second connector (320b) may be an Ingress Protection (IP) rated connector. In an embodiment, the first connector (320a) and the second connector (320b) may be integrated into a single connector, which may be IP rated connector for connecting the signal harness (312), the key (314), and the PDU (316) to the battery. The IP rated connector may be provided to avoid ingress of water, dust, oil, or other contaminants into the battery.
[0048] In an embodiment, the first connector (320a) and the second connector (320b) may disconnect the signal harness (312) from the power harness or the plurality of the primary poles (304). Consequently, if any module or peripheral component fails, that particular module or the peripheral component may be replaced. For example, if the signal harness (312) is damaged or failed, only the signal harness (312) may be replaced. This may enhance modularity and facilitate a plug-and-play assembly and disassembly of the signal harness (312). Therefore, the replacement costs associated with the entire connector assembly (302) may be minimized.
[0049] FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view (400) of the multi-joint terminal (318) used in the integrated connector assembly (302), according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0050] With respect to FIG. 4, the multi-joint terminal (318) comprises the plurality of ends (318a-318c). A first end (318a) of the multi-joint terminal (318) may be connected to the battery positive terminal (B+) (304b). A second end (318b) of the multi-joint terminal (318) may be connected to the charging connector (308). A third end (318c) of the multi-joint terminal (318) may be connected to the motor controller (310).
[0051] For example, the multi-joint terminal (318) may be a Y-joint terminal. The inclusion of the Y-shaped terminal may enhance modularity and facilitate ease of serviceability of the connector assembly (302). In an embodiment, the multi-joint terminal (318) may be provided to distribute power from the charging connector (308) to the motor controller (310). In an embodiment, the multi-joint terminal (318) may include, for example, a brass metal block with the plurality of ends (e.g., 318a-318c) and a plurality of cavities.
[0052] In an embodiment, the multi-joint terminal (318) may be connected to the battery, the motor controller (310), and the charging connector (308) via an ultrasonic weld.
[0053] In an embodiment, the second end (318b) of the multi-joint terminal (318) connecting to the charging connector (308) may be enabled, and the third end (318c) of the multi-joint terminal (318) connecting to the motor controller (310) may be disabled when the vehicle is in a charging mode.
[0054] In an embodiment, the second end (318b) of the multi-joint terminal (318) connecting to the charging connector (308) may be disabled, and the third end (318c) of the multi-joint terminal (318) connecting to the motor controller (310) may be enabled when the vehicle is in motion.
[0055] In an embodiment, an outer cover, for example, a plastic snap cover may be provided for covering an outer portion of the multi-joint terminal (318). The outer cover may be provided for protecting the multi-joint terminal (318) from splashes. In an embodiment, O-rings may be included in the multi-joint terminal (318) to provide IP rating with the plastic snap cover in the multi-joint terminal (318).
[0056] FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view (500) of an inline connector (322) used in the integrated connector assembly (302), according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0057] In an embodiment, the battery, for example, the charging negative terminal (C-) (304c) may be directly connected to the charging connector (308) through the inline connector (322). The inline connector (322) may include a female terminal (504) and a male terminal (506). The female terminal (504) and the male terminal (506) may be covered using a casing, for example, a plastic casing. The ends of the female terminal (504) and the male terminal (506) may include a threaded joint. The plastic casing may be rotated and the threads may be adjusted or tightened to generate mating force required for the inline connector (322). The inline connector (322) may be an IP rated connector to prevent water ingress.
[0058] In an embodiment, the inline connector (322) may include sealing O-rings (502) to create an IP-rated seal against both the female terminal (504) and the male terminal (506) in the joint. In an embodiment, the inline connector (322) may include a force application element (510) to apply pressure to both the female terminal (504) and the male terminal (506), and secure both the female terminal (504) and the male terminal (506) in position.
[0059] In an embodiment, the inline connector (322) may include a spring mechanism (508) to provide a secure and resilient connection between the female terminal (504) and the male terminal (506). The spring mechanism (508) may exert a controlled force to maintain continuous contact and ensure optimised electrical connectivity within the inline connector (322) for providing low contact resistance.
[0060] Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosed devices and systems may be readily implemented, fully or partially, in software using, for example, object or object-oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer platforms. Alternatively, embodiments of the disclosed methods, processes, modules, devices, systems, and computer program product can be implemented partially or fully in hardware using, for example, standard logic circuits or a very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design. Other hardware or software can be used to implement embodiments depending on the speed and/or efficiency requirements of the systems, the particular function, and/or particular software or hardware system, microprocessor, or microcomputer being utilized.
[0061] In this application, unless specifically stated otherwise, the use of the singular includes the plural and the use of “or” means “and/or.” Furthermore, use of the terms “including” or “having” is not limiting. Any range described herein will be understood to include the endpoints and all values between the endpoints. Features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined, rearranged, omitted, etc., within the scope of the invention to produce additional embodiments. Furthermore, certain features may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.
[0062] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the disclosure is determined by the claims that follow. The disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present disclosure when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE
[0063] The present disclosure provides an integrated connector assembly for integrating a plurality of cables connecting several modules of a vehicle, thereby reducing complexity of the connector assembly.
[0064] The present disclosure provides an integrated connector assembly that reduces a number of interfaces used for power and signal transmission in a battery.
[0065] The present disclosure provides an integrated connector assembly with a multi-joint terminal to effectively distribute power from a charging connector to a motor controller.
[0066] The present disclosure minimizes time and effort required for assembling or disassembling an integrated connector assembly during a failure mode and a service mode.
[0067] The present disclosure reduces the overall assembly cost of the integrated connector assembly.

List of References:
Integrated Connector assembly (302)
Primary poles (304)
Secondary poles (306)
Charging Connector (308)
Motor Controller (310)
Signal Harness (312)
Key (314)
Power Distribution Unit (PDU) (316)
Multi-joint terminal (318)
Ends of multi-joint terminal (318a-318c)
First Connector (320a)
Second Connector (320b)
Inline Connector (322)
Sealing O-rings (502)
Female Connector (504)
Male Connector (506)
Spring Mechanism (508)
Force Application Element (510)
, Claims:1. An integrated connector assembly (302) for a vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of primary poles (304) for electrically connecting a charging connector (308) and a motor controller (310) to a battery; and
a plurality of secondary poles (306) for communicatively connecting a signal harness (312), a key (314), and a Power Distribution Unit (PDU) (316) to the battery.
2. The integrated connector assembly (302) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of primary poles (304) comprises a battery negative terminal (B-) (304a), a battery positive terminal (B+) (304b), and a charging negative terminal (C-) (304c).
3. The integrated connector assembly (302) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
a battery negative terminal (B-) (304a) of the plurality of primary poles (304) is directly connected to the motor controller (310);
a battery positive terminal (B+) (304b) of the plurality of primary poles (304) is connected to the motor controller (310) and the charging connector (308) through a multi-joint terminal (318); and
a charging negative terminal (C-) (304c) of the plurality of primary poles (304) is directly connected to the charging connector (308) through an inline connector (322).
4. The integrated connector assembly (302) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the multi-joint terminal (318) comprises a plurality of ends, wherein a first end (318a) of the plurality of ends is connected to the battery positive terminal (B+) (304b), a second end (318b) of the plurality of ends is connected to the charging connector (308), and a third end (318c) of the plurality of ends is connected to the motor controller (310).
5. The integrated connector assembly (302) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second end (318b) of the multi-joint terminal (318) connecting to the charging connector (308) is enabled, and the third end (318c) of the multi-joint terminal (318) connecting to the motor controller (310) is disabled when the vehicle is in a charging mode.
6. The integrated connector assembly (302) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second end (318b) of the multi-joint terminal (318) connecting to the charging connector (308) is disabled, and the third end (318c) of the multi-joint terminal (318) connecting to the motor controller (310) is enabled when the vehicle is in motion.
7. The integrated connector assembly (302) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of secondary poles (306) is connected to the signal harness (312) and the key (314) via a first connector (320a), and wherein the plurality of signal poles (306) is connected to the PDU (316) via a second connector (320b).
8. The integrated connector assembly (302) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first connector (320a) and the second connector (320b) are an Ingress Protection (IP) rated connector.
9. The integrated connector assembly (302) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the IP rated connector is provided to avoid ingress of water, dust, oil, or contaminants into the battery.