Evaluation fixture and evaluation method

Abstract

The evaluation jig (50) includes a pair of female terminals (100) that can be connected to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector, and an adjustment member (400) that can adjust the contact resistance between the female terminals (100) and the male terminals. The female terminals (100) can be reduced in diameter. The adjustment member (400) can apply an external force to the female terminals (100) that causes the female terminals (100) to be reduced in diameter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an evaluation jig and an evaluation method. Background Art

[0002] The connection between the charging connector on the device side and the charging socket on the vehicle side generates heat due to contact resistance when power is applied. This is particularly noticeable when fast charging is performed using a large current (e.g., 400A). Therefore, a liquid-cooled charging connector is known that can cool the charging connector by a liquid such as water. For example, Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2019-187035 discloses a liquid-cooled charging connector that includes a connector that can be connected to a vehicle socket and a cooling mechanism that can cool the connector by a coolant (cooling water). Summary of the invention

[0003] In the charging connector shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-187035, the deviation in cooling performance affects the charging time. For example, in a charging connector with poor cooling performance, the time required for charging becomes longer. Therefore, there is a need to appropriately evaluate the cooling performance of the charging connector.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an evaluation jig and an evaluation method capable of appropriately evaluating the cooling performance of a charging connector.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, it is considered to evaluate the cooling performance of the charging connector (the degree of temperature rise at the connection portion between the male and female terminals) using an evaluation jig having a pair of female terminals connectable to the pair of male terminals of the charging connector.

[0006] Here, if the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal changes every time the evaluation is performed, the reliability of the evaluation result decreases. Therefore, it is preferable that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal in the evaluation jig can be adjusted to fall within a predetermined range.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, an evaluation fixture comprises a pair of female terminals that can be connected to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector, and an adjustment component that can adjust the contact resistance between the female terminals and the male terminals. The female terminals can be reduced in diameter, and the adjustment component can apply an external force to the female terminals to cause the female terminals to be reduced in diameter.

[0008] In this evaluation jig, since the female terminal can be reduced in diameter, the adjustment member can apply an external force to the female terminal to reduce the diameter of the female terminal, so that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal can be adjusted to fall within a specified range. As a result, the cooling performance of the charging connector can be properly evaluated.

[0009] However, since there is a cylindrical wall surrounding the male terminal of the charging connector, in the case of a structure in which an external force is applied to the female terminal by the adjusting member as described above, there is a possibility that the adjusting member and the cylindrical wall interfere with each other.

[0010] An evaluation method according to one aspect of the present invention is to evaluate the cooling performance of the charging connector by connecting the pair of male terminals in a charging connector having a pair of male terminals that can be cooled by a coolant and a pair of barrel walls, to the pair of female terminals in an evaluation fixture having a pair of female terminals that can be connected to the pair of male terminals and can be reduced in diameter, and an adjustment member, wherein the pair of barrel walls surround each male terminal of the pair of male terminals, and the adjustment member can apply an external force to the female terminal that causes each female terminal of the pair of female terminals to reduce its diameter. The evaluation method comprises: a removal step, in which a portion of each barrel wall of the pair of barrel walls is removed so that an operating space in which the external force can be adjusted by the adjustment member is formed around the male terminal; a connection step, in which the pair of female terminals are connected to the pair of male terminals; and an adjustment step, in which the external force is adjusted by the adjustment member in the operating space so that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal falls within a specified range.

[0011] In this evaluation method, since the operation space in which the external force adjustment operation can be performed is formed around the male terminal, the contact resistance can be adjusted in a state where the female terminal of the evaluation jig is connected to the male terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, in the removing step, it is preferred that a portion of the cylindrical wall other than a portion where the pair of cylindrical walls face each other is removed.

[0013] Thus, short circuit between the male terminals is suppressed.

[0014] In addition, the adjustment member may also include: an annular band, which is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and is formed into a ring surrounding the female terminal; a metal band, which is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the annular band and can apply a force to the female terminal to reduce the diameter of the female terminal; and an adjustment portion, which can adjust the tightening force of the metal band on the female terminal, and the annular band is made of a material with electrical insulation and thermal insulation. In this case, preferably, in the connection process, the pair of female terminals are connected to the pair of male terminals in a state where the annular band and the metal band are mounted on each of the female terminals, and in the adjustment process, the tightening force of the metal band on the female terminals is adjusted in the operation space.

[0015] The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which a vehicle is being charged.

[0017] Figure 2 is a front view of the male connector.

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at line III-III in FIG.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a perspective view of an evaluation jig according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the vicinity of the female terminal of the evaluation jig.

[0021] Figure 6 It is a perspective view showing the relationship between the female terminal of the evaluation jig and the adjustment member.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a top view of the female terminal of the evaluation jig.

[0023] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A perspective view of the female terminal is shown.

[0024] Fig. 9 is with Figure 8 Stereoscopic views of the female terminal at different angles.

[0025] Fig.10 This is an enlarged perspective view of the front end of the female terminal.

[0026] Fig.11 yes Figure 7 Cross-sectional view at line XI-XI in FIG.

[0027] Fig.12 yes Figure 7 Cross-sectional view at line XII-XII in FIG.

[0028] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 The solid line XIII shown is an enlarged view of the range indicated.

[0029] Fig.14 This is a front view of a state where a part of the cylindrical wall in the male connector is removed.

[0030] Fig.15 yes Fig.14 A perspective view of the male connector is shown.

[0031] Fig.16 yes Fig.14 Cross-sectional view at line XVI-XVI in FIG.

[0032] Fig.17 It is shown Fig.15 The illustrated is a perspective view showing a state in which the male terminal of the male connector is connected to the female terminal of the evaluation jig.

[0033] Fig.18 yes Fig.17 The cross-sectional view of the figure shown.

[0034] Fig.19 This is a diagram schematically showing the degree of temperature increase at various locations centered around the connection portion between the male terminal and the female terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings referred to below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0036] Figure 1 Schematically shows a state where a vehicle is being charged. Figure 1 2 shows a state where a charging connector 5 is connected to a charging inlet 2 of a vehicle 1, and the charging connector 5 is connected to a device 7 such as a charging station via a device-side electric wire 6. The vehicle 1 is, for example, an electric car.

[0037] The charging connector 5 includes a handle portion (not shown) to be held by a user and a male connector 10 (see Figure 2 ). The charging connector 5 is cooled by a coolant. That is, the charging connector 5 is a so-called liquid-cooled charging connector. Examples of the coolant include cooling water and the like. In addition, the coolant flows between the device 7 and the charging connector 5 via the device-side electric wire 6.

[0038] The male connector 10 is a part connected to the charging socket 2 of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the male connector 10 is based on the ChaoJi standard. Figure 2 As shown, the male connector 10 has a pair of male terminals 11 , a protective grounding terminal 12 , a pair of charging connection confirmation terminals 13 , a pair of charging communication terminals 14 , and a male connector cover 15 .

[0039] Each male terminal 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Each male terminal 11 is a DC power supply terminal. One male terminal 11 is a positive electrode, and the other male terminal 11 is a negative electrode. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the male terminal 11 is 9 mm.

[0040] The protective ground terminal 12 is arranged so as to be located in a direction ( Figure 2 The left-right direction in the figure) and the orthogonal direction ( Figure 2 A position away from one side (in the up and down direction).

[0041] Each charging connection confirmation terminal 13 is arranged at a position away from one male terminal 11 to one side in the orthogonal direction.

[0042] Each charging communication terminal 14 is disposed at a position away from the other male terminal 11 to one side in the orthogonal direction and away from each charging connection confirmation terminal 13 in a direction parallel to the direction connecting the pair of male terminals 11 .

[0043] The male connector cover 15 holds the respective terminals 11 to 14. The male connector cover 15 is made of resin. The male connector cover 15 has a bottom wall 16 and a cylindrical wall 17.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, the bottom wall 16 holds the terminals 11 to 14 in a state where the terminals 11 to 14 are inserted therethrough. The bottom wall 16 is formed in a flat plate shape. Figure 3 A portion of the female connector 20 of the charging socket 2 is shown in FIG.

[0045] The barrel wall 17 surrounds the male terminal 11. The barrel wall 17 stands upright from the portion of the bottom wall 16 surrounding the male terminal 11. The barrel wall 17 has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface. The female connector 20 of the charging socket 2 is inserted into the space between the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the male terminal 11. Figure 3 As shown, the inner diameter of the cylinder wall 17 is set to 23 mm.

[0046] The charging inlet 2 is provided on the outer surface of the vehicle 1. The charging inlet 2 includes a female connector 20. The female connector 20 includes a pair of female terminals 21 and a female connector cover 25.

[0047] Each female terminal 21 can be connected to the male terminal 11. Figure 3 As shown, each female terminal 21 has a shape capable of accommodating the male terminal 11 .

[0048] The female connector sleeve 25 holds the female terminal 21. The female connector sleeve 25 is made of resin. Figure 3 As shown, the female connector sleeve 25 has a facing portion 26 and a barrel portion 27 .

[0049] The facing portion 26 is parallel to the axial direction of the male terminal 11 ( Figure 3 The surface 26S of the facing portion 26 is formed flat. Figure 3As shown, the distance between the surface 26S of the facing portion 26 and the surface 16S of the bottom wall 16 in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the male terminal 11 is set to 40 mm.

[0050] The barrel 27 is formed into a cylindrical shape surrounding the female terminal 21. The barrel 27 is connected to the facing portion 26 in a state where the central axis of the barrel 27 is orthogonal to the facing portion 26. The outer diameter of the barrel 27 is smaller than the inner diameter of the barrel wall 17. When the charging inlet 2 is connected to the charging connector 5, the front end 27a of the barrel 27 abuts against the surface 16S of the bottom wall 16. Figure 3 As shown, the length of the front end portion 27a in the direction parallel to the axial direction of the tube portion 27 is set to 6 mm.

[0051] Next, refer to Figures 4 to 13 The evaluation jig 50 is described. The evaluation jig 50 is a jig capable of evaluating the cooling performance of the charging connector 5 (the amount of heat generated at the connection portion between the male terminal 11 and the female terminal). Figure 4 As shown, the evaluation jig 50 includes a pair of female terminals 100 , an electric wire 200 , a pair of crimping terminals 300 , and a pair of adjustment members 400 .

[0052] Each female terminal 100 is a terminal connected to the male terminal 11. Each female terminal 100 includes a plurality of (eight in this embodiment) contact pieces 110, a support portion 120, and a female-side flange 130.

[0053] Each contact piece 110 is a portion that can contact the male terminal 11. The plurality of contact pieces 110 are arranged around a central axis A (see Figure 11 to Figure 13 ) are arranged at intervals. Specifically, the plurality of contact pieces 110 are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis A. In addition, the number of the contact pieces 110 is preferably set to be 3 or more and 8 or less, and particularly preferably set to 8. Each contact piece 110 has a flexible piece 112 and a contact portion 114.

[0054] The flexible piece 112 has a shape extending in a direction parallel to the central axis A. The flexible piece 112 constitutes a part of a cylinder having the central axis A. That is, Fig.12 as well as Fig.13 In the cross section shown, the outer peripheral surface of the flexible piece 112 is arc-shaped. A slit 112S is provided between a pair of flexible pieces 112 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the cylinder.

[0055] The length L1 of the flexible sheet 112 in the direction parallel to the central axis A (see Figure 7 ) is set to be at least twice the outer diameter of the cylinder. Fig.11 ) is 17 mm, and the length L1 of the flexible sheet 112 is 35 mm. The inner diameter φ1 of the cylinder (refer to Fig.11) is 13 mm. That is, the thickness of the flexible sheet 112 is 2 mm.

[0056] The flexible piece 112 can be elastically deformed so that the front end 112a of the flexible piece 112 is displaced in the radial direction of the cylinder relative to the base end which is the connection portion between the flexible piece 112 and the support portion 120. That is, the plurality of contact pieces 110 (the cylinder) can be reduced in diameter.

[0057] like Fig.12 as well as Fig.13 As shown, the flexible sheet 112 has an opposing surface 112b that is opposite to the flexible sheet 112 adjacent to the flexible sheet 112 in the circumferential direction of the cylinder. A set of opposing surfaces 112b that are opposite to each other in the circumferential direction are parallel to each other. The interval between a set of opposing surfaces 112b is 1 mm.

[0058] The contact portion 114 has a shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the flexible sheet 112 toward the central axis A. The contact portion 114 is connected to a portion of the inner surface of the flexible sheet 112 that is away from the front end portion 112a in a direction parallel to the central axis A. That is, the front end portion 112a of the flexible sheet 112 is configured as a protrusion that is away from the support portion 120 in a direction parallel to the central axis A ( Fig.11 ) protrudes from the contact portion 114.

[0059] The contact portion 114 has a shape that is curved in a manner that bulges inwardly in the radial direction. Fig.13 As shown, the boundary portion 113 between the flexible sheet 112 and the contact portion 114 has a curved shape. The curvature of the top 114c of the contact portion 114 is smaller than the curvature of the boundary portion 113. In this embodiment, the curvature radius of the top 114c is 1 mm. The curvature radius of the boundary portion 113 is, for example, 0.5 mm.

[0060] like Fig.13 As shown in FIG. 1 , the angle formed by the straight line connecting the specific top 114c and the central axis A and the straight line connecting the top 114c adjacent to the specific top 114c and the central axis A is set to 45 degrees. The angle formed by the tangent line at the end of one side of the contact portion 114 in the circumferential direction and the tangent line at the end of the other side of the contact portion 114 in the circumferential direction is set to 30 degrees.

[0061] The contact portion 114 has a shape extending in a direction parallel to the central axis A. Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown, the contact portion 114 has a contact edge portion 114 a and a connecting portion 114 b .

[0062] The contact edge portion 114 a has a shape extending in a direction parallel to the central axis A. The length L3 of the contact edge portion 114 a is set to 4.7 mm.

[0063] The connecting portion 114b connects the contact edge 114a to the inner surface of the flexible sheet 112. The connecting portion 114b has a shape that is inclined in a manner that gradually approaches the inner surface of the flexible sheet 112 as it moves away from the contact edge 114a in a direction parallel to the central axis A. The curvature radius of the boundary portion between the connecting portion 114b and the inner surface of the flexible sheet 112 is 0.5 mm. The curvature radius of the boundary portion between the connecting portion 114b and the contact edge 114a is 1.5 mm.

[0064] The support portion 120 supports the plurality of contact pieces 110. In the present embodiment, the support portion 120 is formed into a cylindrical shape centered on the central axis A. The outer peripheral surface of the support portion 120 is continuous with the outer peripheral surface of each flexible piece 112. That is, the outer diameter of the support portion 120 is the same as the outer diameter of the cylinder formed by the plurality of flexible pieces 112.

[0065] like Fig.11 As shown, the thickness of the support portion 120 is the same as the thickness of each flexible sheet 112. Figure 7 As shown, the length L2 of the support portion 120 in the direction of the central axis A is set to be smaller than the length L1 of each flexible piece 112. Specifically, the length L2 of the support portion 120 is 22 mm. In addition, the support portion 120 may also be formed in a cylindrical shape or a square tube shape.

[0066] The female flange 130 has a shape extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the support portion 120 in the radial direction of the support portion 120. The female flange 130 is formed flat. The length of the female flange 130 in the direction parallel to the central axis A is set to be the same as that of the support portion 120 (22 mm in this embodiment).

[0067] The female flange 130 is provided with an insertion hole 130h. The diameter of the insertion hole 130h is 10.5 mm. The distance between the central axis A and the center of the insertion hole 130h is 21 mm.

[0068] The wire 200 is used to connect a pair of female terminals 100 to each other. The wire 200 is made of copper or silver. The cross-sectional area of ​​the wire 200 is preferably set to 70 mm 2 Above 95mm 2 In this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the electric wire 200 is set to 95 mm 2 The length of the electric wire 200 is set to be 2 m or longer. Fig.19 To explain the reason.

[0069] Fig.19 The temperature of each terminal and each wire when a current of 400A is supplied for 30 minutes with the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 21 connected is shown. Fig.19In the figure, the region R of the connection portion between the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 21 is the region with the highest temperature.

[0070] like Fig.19 As shown, the cross-sectional area of ​​the wire 3 on the vehicle side is 95 mm 2 In either case, when the portion 100 cm from the male terminal 11 is being water-cooled or when the portion is not being water-cooled, it is confirmed that the temperature of the portion 100 cm away from the female terminal 21 in the vehicle-side electric wire 3 is stable (the influence of heat generation at the connection portion between the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 21 can be substantially ignored).

[0071] Furthermore, when the portion is being water-cooled, the cross-sectional area of ​​the electric wire 3 on the vehicle side is 70 mm 2 and 95mm 2 When any area is measured, it is confirmed that the temperature of the portion of the vehicle-side electric wire 3 that is 100 cm away from the female terminal 21 is stable (the influence of heat generation at the connection portion between the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 21 can be substantially ignored).

[0072] According to the above results, by setting the length of the electric wire 200 to be greater than 2 m, the influence of the heat generated at the connection portion between one male terminal 11 and one female terminal 21 on the connection portion between another male terminal 11 and another female terminal 21 through the electric wire can be ignored. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the length of the electric wire 200 is set to be greater than 2 m.

[0073] Each crimping terminal 300 is connected to the end portion 210 of the electric wire 200. Each crimping terminal 300 has a crimping portion 310 and a crimping side flange 320.

[0074] The crimping portion 310 crimps the end portion 210 of the electric wire 200 .

[0075] The crimping side flange 320 is connected to the crimping portion 310. The crimping side flange 320 is formed flat. The crimping side flange 320 is provided with an insertion hole (not shown). The crimping side flange 320 is fixed to the female side flange 130 by a bolt B and a nut (not shown). The bolt B is inserted through the insertion hole 130h of the female side flange 130 and the insertion hole of the crimping side flange 320.

[0076] The adjustment member 400 can adjust the contact resistance between the female terminal 100 and the male terminal 11. Specifically, the adjustment member 400 can apply an external force to each female terminal 100 to reduce its diameter. The adjustment member 400 includes an annular band 410, a metal band 420, and an adjustment portion 430.

[0077] The annular belt 410 is installed around the plurality of contact pieces 110. The annular belt 410 surrounds the entire circumference of the plurality of contact pieces 110. The annular belt 410 is made of a material (resin, etc.) having electrical and thermal insulation properties. The length of the annular belt 410 in a direction parallel to the central axis A is smaller than the length of the slit 112S in the same direction.

[0078] The metal band 420 is wound around the annular band 410. The metal band 420 can apply an external force to the plurality of contact pieces 110 of the female terminal 100 to reduce the diameter of the plurality of contact pieces 110.

[0079] The adjustment part 430 can adjust the tightening force (external force that reduces the diameter of the contact pieces 110) of the metal band 420. Specifically, the adjustment part 430 adjusts the tightening force by adjusting the diameter of the metal band 420. The adjustment part 430 has a screw that can adjust the diameter of the metal band 420.

[0080] Next, an evaluation method for evaluating the cooling performance of the charging connector 5 using the evaluation jig 50 is described. Specifically, the cooling performance of the charging connector 5 is evaluated by connecting a pair of female terminals 100 of the evaluation jig 50 to a pair of male terminals 11 in the male connector 10. The evaluation method includes a removal step, a connection step, an adjustment step, and an evaluation step.

[0081] The removal process is a process of removing a portion of each barrel wall 17 of the male connector sleeve 15. Specifically, Figure 14 to Figure 16 As shown, in the removing process, a portion of each barrel wall 17 is removed so that an operating space 17S that enables the adjustment unit 430 to perform the external force adjustment operation is formed around the male terminal 11. As a result, a portion of each male terminal 11 is exposed. Therefore, in the removing process, the portion that can suppress the occurrence of a short circuit between the male terminals 11 or between the male terminal 11 and the other terminals 12 to 14, that is, the portion other than the portion of the barrel wall 17 where a pair of barrel walls 17 are opposite to each other is removed. In this embodiment, the portion of the barrel wall 17 outside the male terminal 11 in the direction connecting the male terminal 11 and the protective grounding terminal 12 is removed.

[0082] The connection step is a step of connecting a pair of female terminals 100 of the evaluation jig 50 to a pair of male terminals 11. In the connection step, the female terminals 100 are connected to the male terminals 11 in a state where the annular band 410 and the metal band 420 are attached around the plurality of contact pieces 110 of each female terminal 100. Fig.17 as well as Fig.18 As shown, in the connection process, the female terminal 100 is inserted until the front end portion 112a of each flexible piece 112 abuts against the surface 16S of the bottom wall 16 of the male connector sleeve 15. Fig.17, only the state where one female terminal 100 is inserted into the male terminal 11 is shown.

[0083] The adjustment process is a process for adjusting the connection state between the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 100. Specifically, in the adjustment process, the external force (the tightening force generated by the metal band 420) is adjusted by the adjustment unit 430. More specifically, in the adjustment process, the external force is adjusted by operating the adjustment unit 430 in the operation space 17S using an operating tool (not shown) so that the contact resistance between the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 100 falls within a specified range. In this process, for example, Fig.17 The tightening force of the adjustment portion 430 is adjusted using the operating tool.

[0084] In the adjustment step, the external force is preferably adjusted so that the contact resistance is 0.06 mΩ or more and 0.15 mΩ or less, and more preferably adjusted so that the contact resistance is 0.08 mΩ or more and 0.1 mΩ or less.

[0085] Here, if Fig.18 As shown in FIG. 1 , the contact resistance is obtained by measuring the resistance value between a point P1 4.5 mm away from the surface 16S of the bottom wall 16 and a point P2 43 mm away from the surface 16S of the bottom wall 16. The contact resistance can be measured by a milliohm meter or can be obtained by the voltage drop when a current of 400 A is supplied. In addition, the point P2 is near the boundary between the area that affects the standard when designing the male connector 10 including the male terminal 11 and the area that does not affect it.

[0086] In the evaluation process, the cooling performance is evaluated by whether the temperature of the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 100 is below 90° C. when a charging current of 400 A is supplied for 30 minutes while the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 100 are connected. In addition, the temperature of the male terminal 11 and the female terminal 100 can be detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the male terminal 11 or the female terminal 100.

[0087] As described above, by using the evaluation jig 50 of the present embodiment, the amount of heat generated when the charging connector 5 is energized can be appropriately evaluated.

[0088] The exemplary embodiments described above are specific examples of the following aspects.

[0089] The evaluation jig of the above embodiment includes a pair of female terminals that can be connected to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector, and an electric wire that connects the pair of female terminals to each other, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the electric wire is 70 mm 2 Above 95mm 2 Hereinafter, the length of the electric wire is 2 m or more.

[0090] In this evaluation jig, the cross-sectional area of ​​the wire is 70 mm 2 Above 95mm 2 Since the length of the electric wire is 2 m or more, the heat generation (degree of temperature rise) at the connection between the male terminal and the female terminal can be appropriately evaluated when the power is turned on (evaluated) without being substantially affected by the heat dissipation characteristics of the electric wire. Therefore, each terminal can be designed based on the evaluation results.

[0091] Furthermore, it is preferred that the electric wire is made of copper.

[0092] In addition, the evaluation jig includes a pair of female terminals that can be connected to a pair of male terminals of the charging connector, and an adjustment member that can adjust the contact resistance between the female terminals and the male terminals, the female terminals can be reduced in diameter, and the adjustment member includes: an annular band that is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminals and is formed into a ring surrounding the female terminals; a metal band that is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the annular band and can apply a force that reduces the diameter of the female terminals to the female terminals; and an adjustment portion that can adjust the tightening force of the metal band on the female terminals, the annular band being made of a material having electrical insulation and thermal insulation. .

[0093] Since the evaluation jig has an adjustment part capable of adjusting the external force (fastening force) of the metal belt relative to the female terminal, the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal can be adjusted, and further, since the annular belt disposed between the female terminal and the metal belt is made of a material having electrical insulation and thermal insulation, heat dissipation from the metal belt to the adjustment part is suppressed. Therefore, the evaluation accuracy of suppressing the amount of heat generated at the connection part between the male terminal and the female terminal is reduced.

[0094] In addition, the evaluation method of the above-mentioned embodiment is to evaluate the cooling performance of the charging connector by connecting the pair of female terminals in an evaluation fixture having a pair of female terminals that can be connected to the pair of male terminals in a charging connector having a pair of male terminals that can be cooled by a coolant. The evaluation method comprises: a connection process, in which the pair of female terminals are connected to the pair of male terminals; an adjustment process, in which the connection state between the male terminal and the female terminal is adjusted so that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal is greater than 0.06 mΩ and less than 0.15 mΩ; and an evaluation process, which, after the adjustment process, evaluates the cooling performance based on whether the temperature of the male terminal and the female terminal is less than 90°C when a charging current of 400A is supplied to the male terminal and the female terminal for 30 minutes.

[0095] In this evaluation method, since the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal is set within the range of 0.06 mΩ to 0.15 mΩ, the deviation of the evaluation result is suppressed. Therefore, the cooling performance of the charging connector can be properly evaluated. In addition, by designing the female terminal of the charging socket so that the contact resistance is 0.06 mΩ to 0.15 mΩ, when charging is performed through the charging connector that obtains a good evaluation result in the evaluation process, the temperature of the male terminal and the female terminal is below 90°C when a charging current of 400A is supplied for 30 minutes.

[0096] Furthermore, in the adjustment step, it is preferred that the connection state is adjusted so that the contact resistance is 0.08 mΩ or more and 0.1 mΩ or less.

[0097] In addition, the evaluation method of the above-mentioned embodiment is to evaluate the cooling performance of the charging connector by connecting the pair of female terminals in an evaluation fixture having a pair of female terminals that can be connected to the pair of male terminals in a charging connector having a pair of male terminals that can be cooled by a coolant and a bottom wall that holds the pair of male terminals in a state where the pair of male terminals are inserted through. The evaluation method comprises: a connection process, in which the pair of female terminals are connected to the pair of male terminals; and an adjustment process, in which the connection state between the male terminal and the female terminal is adjusted so that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal falls within a specified range, and in the adjustment process, the resistance between a point in the male terminal that is 4.5 mm away from the surface of the bottom wall and a point in the female terminal that is 43 mm away from the surface of the bottom wall is measured as the contact resistance.

[0098] In this evaluation method, since the measurement point of the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal is determined, an appropriate evaluation result of the cooling performance can be obtained. Specifically, the measurement point on the male terminal side is a point 4.5 mm away from the surface of the bottom wall. At this point, since the cross-sectional area of ​​the male terminal is large enough, the influence on the contact resistance becomes small. In addition, the measurement point on the female terminal side is a point 43 mm away from the surface of the bottom wall. This point is near the boundary between the area that affects the standard when designing the charging connector including the male terminal and the area that does not affect it. Therefore, by designing the female terminal of the charging socket in a manner that makes the contact resistance measured at this point less than that, when charging is performed using a charging connector that meets the standard, the temperature of the male terminal and the female terminal during charging can be suppressed below the reference value.

[0099] Furthermore, in the evaluation method, it is preferred that an evaluation step is provided after the adjustment step, in which the cooling performance is evaluated based on whether the temperature of the male terminal and the female terminal is below 90°C when a charging current of 400A is supplied to the male terminal and the female terminal for 30 minutes.

[0100] In addition, the evaluation fixture of the above-mentioned embodiment has a pair of female terminals that can be connected to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector, and an adjustment component that can adjust the contact resistance between the female terminals and the male terminals. The female terminals can be reduced in diameter, and the adjustment component can apply an external force to the female terminals to cause the female terminals to be reduced in diameter.

[0101] In this evaluation jig, since the female terminal can be reduced in diameter, the adjustment member can apply an external force to the female terminal to reduce the diameter of the female terminal, so that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal can be adjusted to fall within a specified range. Therefore, the cooling performance of the charging connector can be properly evaluated.

[0102] In addition, the evaluation method of the above-mentioned embodiment is to evaluate the cooling performance of the charging connector by connecting the pair of male terminals in the charging connector having a pair of male terminals that can be cooled by a coolant and a pair of barrel walls, the pair of female terminals that can be connected to the pair of male terminals and can be reduced in diameter, and the pair of female terminals in the evaluation fixture of the adjustment member, wherein the pair of barrel walls surround each male terminal of the pair of male terminals, and the adjustment member can apply an external force to the female terminal that causes each female terminal of the pair of female terminals to reduce its diameter. The evaluation method comprises: a removal process, in which a portion of each barrel wall of the pair of barrel walls is removed so that an operating space in which the external force adjustment operation can be performed by the adjustment member is formed around the male terminal; a connection process, in which the pair of female terminals are connected to the pair of male terminals; and an adjustment process, in which the external force is adjusted by the adjustment member in the operating space so that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal falls within a specified range.

[0103] In this evaluation method, since the operation space in which the external force adjustment operation can be performed is formed around the male terminal, the contact resistance can be adjusted in a state where the female terminal of the evaluation jig is connected to the male terminal.

[0104] Furthermore, in the removing step, it is preferred that a portion of the cylindrical wall other than a portion where the pair of cylindrical walls face each other is removed.

[0105] Thus, short circuit between the male terminals is suppressed.

[0106] In addition, the adjustment member may also include: an annular band, which is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and is formed into a ring surrounding the female terminal; a metal band, which is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the annular band and can apply a force to the female terminal to reduce the diameter of the female terminal; and an adjustment portion, which can adjust the tightening force of the metal band on the female terminal, and the annular band is made of a material with electrical insulation and thermal insulation. In this case, preferably, in the connection process, the pair of female terminals are connected to the pair of male terminals in a state where the annular band and the metal band are mounted on each of the female terminals, and in the adjustment process, the tightening force of the metal band on the female terminals is adjusted in the operation space.

[0107] In addition, the evaluation fixture of the above-mentioned embodiment has a female terminal that can be connected to the male terminal of the charging connector, and the female terminal has: a plurality of contact pieces that can respectively contact the male terminal and are arranged at intervals around the central axis; and a support portion that supports the plurality of contact pieces, each of the plurality of contact pieces has: a flexible piece, which has a shape extending from the support portion in a direction parallel to the central axis; and a contact portion, which protrudes from the inner surface of the flexible piece toward the central axis, the flexible piece constitutes a part of a cylinder having the central axis, the length of the flexible piece in a direction parallel to the central axis is more than twice the outer diameter of the cylinder, the flexible piece can be elastically deformed in a manner that causes the front end portion of the flexible piece to be displaced in the radial direction of the cylinder relative to the base end portion serving as the connection portion between the flexible piece and the support portion, and the contact portion has a shape that is bent in a manner that protrudes inward along the radial direction.

[0108] In this evaluation jig, since the length of the flexible piece in the direction parallel to the central axis is more than twice the outer diameter of the cylinder, the plastic deformation of each flexible piece when the female terminal is repeatedly connected to the male terminal and the female terminal is pulled out from the male terminal is suppressed, and further, since each contact portion has a shape curved in a radially inwardly convex manner, it stably contacts the male terminal. Therefore, since the specified contact resistance is stably reproduced, the cooling performance of the charging connector can be appropriately evaluated.

[0109] Furthermore, it is preferred that the contact portion has a shape extending in a direction parallel to the central axis.

[0110] In this way, even if the female terminal is connected to the male terminal in a state where the central axis of the female terminal is inclined with respect to the central axis of the male terminal, the posture of the female terminal can be guided so that the two central axes are aligned.

[0111] Furthermore, it is preferred that the flexible sheet has a protrusion protruding from the contact portion in a direction parallel to the central axis and in a direction away from the support portion.

[0112] Furthermore, it is preferable that a boundary portion between the flexible sheet and the contact portion has a curved shape.

[0113] In this case, it is preferable that the curvature of the top of the contact portion is smaller than the curvature of the boundary portion.

[0114] Furthermore, it is preferred that the flexible piece has an opposing surface opposing a flexible piece adjacent to the flexible piece in the circumferential direction of the cylinder, and a pair of opposing surfaces opposing each other in the circumferential direction are parallel to each other.

[0115] The embodiments of the present invention have been described, but it should be understood that all the contents of the embodiments disclosed this time are only illustrative and do not limit the present invention. The scope of the present invention is shown by the protection scope of the claims, which is intended to include the meaning equivalent to the protection scope of the claims and all changes within the protection scope.

Claims

1. An evaluation jig for evaluating the cooling performance of a charging connector, comprising: a pair of female terminals connectable to a pair of male terminals of a charging connector; and an adjustment member capable of adjusting the contact resistance between the female terminal and the male terminal, The female terminal can be reduced in diameter. The adjustment member is an annular component mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal. The adjusting member comprises: an annular band, which is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and is formed into a ring shape surrounding the female terminal; a metal band mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the annular band and capable of applying a tightening force to the female terminal so as to reduce the diameter of the female terminal; and an adjusting portion capable of adjusting the tightening force by adjusting the diameter of the metal band, The tightening force is adjusted by the adjusting member in the operation space so that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal falls within a specified range.

2. An evaluation method for evaluating the cooling performance of a charging connector by connecting a pair of male terminals in the charging connector to a pair of female terminals in an evaluation fixture, wherein: The charging connector comprises: the pair of male terminals that can be cooled by a coolant, and a pair of cylindrical walls surrounding each of the male terminals of the pair of male terminals, the evaluation fixture comprises the pair of female terminals and an adjustment member, the pair of female terminals having a plurality of contact pieces that can each contact with the male terminals and are arranged at intervals around a central axis, the female terminals can be connected to the pair of male terminals and can be reduced in diameter, the adjustment member is mounted on the outer peripheral surfaces of the plurality of contact pieces, and can apply a tightening force to the plurality of contact pieces of each of the female terminals of the pair of female terminals to reduce the diameter of the plurality of contact pieces, Each contact piece of the plurality of contact pieces has: a flexible sheet having a shape extending in a direction parallel to the central axis; and a contact portion protruding from the inner surface of the flexible sheet toward the central axis, This evaluation method has: a removing step in which a portion of each of the pair of barrel walls is removed so that an operating space capable of adjusting the tightening force by the adjusting member is formed around the male terminal; a connecting step in which the pair of female terminals are connected to the pair of male terminals; as well as An adjustment step in which the tightening force is adjusted by the adjustment member in the operation space so that the contact resistance between the male terminal and the female terminal falls within a predetermined range.

3. The evaluation method according to claim 2, wherein: In the removing step, portions of the cylindrical wall other than portions where the pair of cylindrical walls face each other are removed.

4. The evaluation method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The adjusting member comprises: an annular band, which is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the female terminal and is formed into a ring shape surrounding the female terminal; a metal band mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the annular band and capable of applying a tightening force to the female terminal so as to reduce the diameter of the female terminal; as well as an adjusting portion capable of adjusting the tightening force by adjusting the diameter of the metal band, The annular belt is made of a material having electrical and thermal insulation properties. In the connection step, the pair of female terminals are connected to the pair of male terminals in a state where the annular band and the metal band are attached to each of the female terminals. In the adjustment step, the fastening force of the metal band to the female terminal is adjusted in the operation space.

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