A charging socket and a main body component thereof, and a manufacturing method of the main body component

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of connectors, in particular to a charging socket and a main component of the charging socket and a manufacturing method of the main component. The main component of the charging socket comprises an insulator, signal contact pieces and lead terminals corresponding to the signal contact pieces, the lead terminals have plug-in ends and fixed ends fixed with the signal contact pieces, the signal contact pieces and the lead terminals are integrally fixed in the insulator by being integrally formed by the insulator, the insulator has an external plug-in part, an internal wiring part and an internal plug-in interface, the signal contact pieces are located in the external plug-in part, the external plug-in part is used for fixing power terminals of the charging socket in the external plug-in part so as to be plugged in and matched with a charging plug, the internal wiring part is used for connecting a cable connected with the power terminals, and the plug-in ends of the lead terminals are located in the internal plug-in interface so as to be plugged in and matched with a signal connector. The main component is an integral component, does not need subsequent assembly steps, simplifies the structure and reduces the cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, specifically to a charging socket and its main body component, and a method for manufacturing the main body component. Background Technology

[0002] When charging a new energy vehicle, the charging plug needs to be plugged into the car's charging socket. The current charging socket is equipped with high-voltage cable terminals and low-voltage cable terminals, which are used to connect with the corresponding terminals in the external charging plug, so that the charging plug can be electrically connected to the high-voltage and low-voltage cables inside the car.

[0003] The basic structure of existing charging sockets can be found in a DC charging socket disclosed in Chinese Utility Model Patent No. CN220086515U. It includes a charging interface panel, a front housing, a rear housing, high-voltage terminals, a PE ground terminal, low-voltage terminals, and an integrated circuit board. The high-voltage terminals are also power terminals, and the low-voltage terminals are also signal contacts. The charging interface panel, the front housing, and the rear housing are combined in sequence to form the external protective structure of the charging socket. The shape of the charging interface panel is not limited and is used to adapt to external charging plugs. The low-voltage terminals and the integrated circuit board are located inside the front housing of the charging socket, so that they can be used to connect to the low-voltage cables in the car, realize the signal conduction when the new energy vehicle is powered on, and facilitate the detection of power supply information and charging status.

[0004] The charging socket's main components consist of the front housing, rear housing, and internal parts. Common structures of these main components can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1 , Figure 2 The front housing 100 and the rear housing 101 are sealed together by the housing sealing ring 106. The signal contact 103 and the circuit board 104 are located in the inner cavity of the housing. The front end of the signal contact is a plug-in end, and the rear end is connected to the contact structure of the circuit board. The circuit board is provided with plug-in pins 105. Each signal contact has a corresponding plug-in pin. All plug-in pins are located in the same plug interface 102 of the rear housing. The plug interface is used to adapt to the corresponding signal connector inside the car. The signal connector is connected to a signal cable. After the charging gun is plugged into the charging socket, it is connected to the signal circuit inside the car through the signal contact, the circuit board, and the signal connector.

[0005] The aforementioned charging sockets use independent circuit boards to connect each signal contact to the same signal connector. Some charging sockets use spring contacts instead of integrated circuit boards, such as the national standard DC charging socket with integrated signal terminal disclosed in Chinese invention patent application CN120320121A. This includes a base plate, spring contacts, signal terminals, and a temperature sensor assembly. The base plate has a set of blind holes at both ends for signal terminal insertion, and a first through hole in the middle for DC terminal insertion. The spring contact is integrally molded into the base plate, and the upper and lower ends of the spring contact have first insertion terminals placed in the blind holes. The upper end of the spring contact has a row of wiring pins extending from the bottom of the base plate and a temperature sensor locking slot. The row of wiring pins can be used to mate with the connector plug on the wiring harness. Regardless of whether an integrated circuit board or a spring contact is used instead of a circuit board, a separate adapter plate is installed in the front and rear housings.

[0006] As the new energy vehicle industry develops rapidly, end customers are becoming increasingly sensitive to product costs, and future products will further evolve towards modularization and integration. Currently, the main components of integrated charging sockets typically consist of a front shell, signal contacts, an adapter plate, a sealing ring, and a rear shell, assembled into a complete assembly. Due to the assembly involved, the product structure is complex, with many parts, numerous assembly steps, long processing times, and high costs. This makes it difficult to meet the future requirements for extremely simplified products, and the assembly process is prone to errors and omissions, leading to product performance failure. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a main component of a charging socket to solve the problems of complex assembly structure and high cost of the main component of current charging sockets; the purpose of this invention is also to provide a charging socket and a method for manufacturing the main component thereto solve the above problems.

[0008] The technical solution for the main component of the charging socket of the present invention is as follows: A main component of a charging socket includes an insulator, signal contacts, and lead terminals corresponding to the signal contacts. The lead terminals have a plug-in end and a fixed end that is fixed to the signal contacts. The signal contacts and lead terminals are integrally fixed within the insulator by molding. The insulator has an external plug-in portion, an internal wiring portion, and an internal insertion interface. The signal contacts are located within the external plug-in portion, and the power terminals of the charging socket are fixed within the external plug-in portion for mating with a charging plug. The internal wiring portion is used to connect cables connected to the power terminals. The plug-in ends of the lead terminals are located within the internal insertion interface for mating with a signal connector.

[0009] Beneficial effects: This invention improves the main body of the charging socket in the prior art by fixing the signal contact and lead terminal to an insulator. The signal contact and lead terminal are directly fixed in the insulator, and an external plug-in part, an internal wiring part, and an internal plug interface are formed on the insulator. The plug-in ends of the lead terminals are centrally located in the internal plug interface to realize the plugging of the car's internal signal connector. The internal wiring part realizes the connection of the car's internal power cable. The external plug-in part realizes the adaptation plugging with the external charging plug. In this way, the main body is formed into a whole component, simplifying the structure, reducing costs, and reducing the number of subsequent assembly steps while meeting the functions of existing products, thus avoiding the risks in the assembly process.

[0010] Furthermore, the plug end and the fixed end of the lead terminal face opposite directions, with the plug end facing the tail side of the main body component and the fixed end facing the head side of the main body component. The lead terminal has a bent structure and has a transition section located between the plug end and the fixed end. The extension direction of the transition section is perpendicular to the head and tail direction of the main body component.

[0011] Beneficial effects: It facilitates reliable fixing of signal contacts and lead terminals, ensures reliable conductive connection, and saves space.

[0012] Furthermore, the fixed end of the lead terminal is welded to the signal contact, and the fixed end of the lead terminal is located on one side of the signal contact and welded to the outer peripheral surface of the signal contact.

[0013] Beneficial effects: Welding is used to fix and conduct signals to the lead terminals, which is stable, reliable and simple in structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the insulator includes a central disc-shaped portion, with an external plug-in portion and an internal wiring portion located on both sides of the central disc-shaped portion and integrally connected. The external plug-in portion includes a plug post for fixing signal contacts and a plug post for fixing power terminals. The plug post has an opening for inserting an adapter conductor of the charging plug. A plug sleeve is provided on the central disc-shaped portion, forming the internal plug-in interface. The plug sleeve and the internal wiring portion are located on the same side of the central disc-shaped portion. The internal wiring portion includes a connecting sleeve for connecting the cable connected to the power terminal. The external plug-in portion includes a plug post for fixing the protective grounding terminal, and the internal wiring portion includes a connecting sleeve for connecting the cable connected to the protective grounding terminal.

[0015] Beneficial effects: The use of the intermediate disc-shaped section to achieve changes in the size and shape of the head and tail section helps to reduce the space occupied by the insulator.

[0016] Furthermore, the middle disc-shaped portion is provided with a panel fixing portion for fixing the panel housing of the charging socket.

[0017] Beneficial effects: Molding the panel housing and the insulator separately facilitates adaptation to different types of panel housings and improves the versatility of the main components.

[0018] Furthermore, each lead terminal is provided with a break to make them independent of each other.

[0019] Beneficial effects: Each lead terminal can be formed from a single sheet material, and the connecting parts between the lead terminals can be broken to make them independent, which facilitates manufacturing.

[0020] Furthermore, the lead terminals corresponding to the signal contact are contact lead terminals, and the main body also includes sensor lead terminals. The fixed end of the sensor lead terminal is used to connect to a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the power terminal, and the plug end of the sensor lead terminal is located inside the plug interface.

[0021] Beneficial effects: It enables the integrated design of the temperature sensor lead structure, facilitating the connection between the temperature sensor and the signal connector.

[0022] Furthermore, the plug-in ends of the contact lead terminals and the plug-in ends of the sensor lead terminals are arranged in a row, and there are two sets of sensor lead terminals, with two in each set. Each contact lead terminal is located between the two sets of sensor lead terminals.

[0023] Beneficial effects: It allows for a more concentrated arrangement of contact lead terminals, with the outermost sensor lead terminals on both sides adapting to the position of the power terminals, resulting in a compact structure and space saving.

[0024] Furthermore, the fixed end of the sensor lead terminal extends into the inner cavity of the inner wiring portion for connection of the temperature sensor.

[0025] Beneficial effects: The temperature sensor can be installed inside the inner cavity of the insulator to connect with the sensor lead terminals and contact the power terminals. The insulator can effectively protect the temperature sensor, and the structure is simple and reliable.

[0026] The technical solution of the charging socket of the present invention is as follows: A charging socket includes a main body component, which includes an insulator, signal contacts, and lead terminals corresponding to the signal contacts. The lead terminals have a plug-in end and a fixed end that is fixed to the signal contacts. The signal contacts and lead terminals are integrally fixed within the insulator by molding. The insulator has an external plug-in portion, an internal wiring portion, and an internal insertion interface. The signal contacts are located within the external plug-in portion and are fixed within the external plug-in portion for the charging socket's power terminals to be adapted for plugging into a charging plug. The internal wiring portion is used to connect a cable connected to the power terminals. The plug-in end of the lead terminal is located within the internal insertion interface for adapting for plugging into a signal connector.

[0027] Beneficial effects: This invention improves the main body of the charging socket in the prior art by fixing the signal contact and lead terminal to an insulator. The signal contact and lead terminal are directly fixed in the insulator, and an external plug-in part, an internal wiring part, and an internal plug interface are formed on the insulator. The plug-in ends of the lead terminals are centrally located in the internal plug interface to realize the plugging of the car's internal signal connector. The internal wiring part realizes the connection of the car's internal power cable. The external plug-in part realizes the adaptation plugging with the external charging plug. In this way, the main body is formed into a whole component, simplifying the structure, reducing costs, and reducing the number of subsequent assembly steps while meeting the functions of existing products, thus avoiding the risks in the assembly process.

[0028] Furthermore, the plug end and the fixed end of the lead terminal face opposite directions, with the plug end facing the tail side of the main body component and the fixed end facing the head side of the main body component. The lead terminal has a bent structure and has a transition section located between the plug end and the fixed end. The extension direction of the transition section is perpendicular to the head and tail direction of the main body component.

[0029] Beneficial effects: It facilitates reliable fixing of signal contacts and lead terminals, ensures reliable conductive connection, and saves space.

[0030] Furthermore, the fixed end of the lead terminal is welded to the signal contact, and the fixed end of the lead terminal is located on one side of the signal contact and welded to the outer peripheral surface of the signal contact.

[0031] Beneficial effects: Welding is used to fix and conduct signals to the lead terminals, which is stable, reliable and simple in structure.

[0032] Furthermore, the insulator includes a central disc-shaped portion, with an external plug-in portion and an internal wiring portion located on both sides of the central disc-shaped portion and integrally connected. The external plug-in portion includes a plug post for fixing signal contacts and a plug post for fixing power terminals. The plug post has an opening for inserting an adapter conductor of the charging plug. A plug sleeve is provided on the central disc-shaped portion, forming the internal plug-in interface. The plug sleeve and the internal wiring portion are located on the same side of the central disc-shaped portion. The internal wiring portion includes a connecting sleeve for connecting the cable connected to the power terminal. The external plug-in portion includes a plug post for fixing the protective grounding terminal, and the internal wiring portion includes a connecting sleeve for connecting the cable connected to the protective grounding terminal.

[0033] Beneficial effects: The use of the intermediate disc-shaped section to achieve changes in the size and shape of the head and tail section helps to reduce the space occupied by the insulator.

[0034] Furthermore, the middle disc-shaped portion is provided with a panel fixing portion for fixing the panel housing of the charging socket.

[0035] Beneficial effects: Molding the panel housing and the insulator separately facilitates adaptation to different types of panel housings and improves the versatility of the main components.

[0036] Furthermore, each lead terminal is provided with a break to make them independent of each other.

[0037] Beneficial effects: Each lead terminal can be formed from a single sheet material, and the connecting parts between the lead terminals can be broken to make them independent, which facilitates manufacturing.

[0038] Furthermore, the lead terminals corresponding to the signal contact are contact lead terminals, and the main body also includes sensor lead terminals. The fixed end of the sensor lead terminal is used to connect to a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the power terminal, and the plug end of the sensor lead terminal is located inside the plug interface.

[0039] Beneficial effects: It enables the integrated design of the temperature sensor lead structure, facilitating the connection between the temperature sensor and the signal connector.

[0040] Furthermore, the plug-in ends of the contact lead terminals and the plug-in ends of the sensor lead terminals are arranged in a row, and there are two sets of sensor lead terminals, with two in each set. Each contact lead terminal is located between the two sets of sensor lead terminals.

[0041] Beneficial effects: It allows for a more concentrated arrangement of contact lead terminals, with the outermost sensor lead terminals on both sides adapting to the position of the power terminals, resulting in a compact structure and space saving.

[0042] Furthermore, the fixed end of the sensor lead terminal extends into the inner cavity of the inner wiring portion for connection of the temperature sensor.

[0043] Beneficial effects: The temperature sensor can be installed inside the inner cavity of the insulator to connect with the sensor lead terminals and contact the power terminals. The insulator can effectively protect the temperature sensor, and the structure is simple and reliable.

[0044] The technical solution for the manufacturing method of the main component of the charging socket of the present invention is as follows: A method for manufacturing the main body component of a charging socket includes the following steps: manufacturing a lead terminal having a plug-in end and a fixed end; fixing a signal contact to the fixed end of the corresponding lead terminal; the signal contact and the lead terminal are integrally fixed within an insulator as part of the insulator; the insulator is formed with an external plug-in portion for connecting to a charging plug, an internal connector portion for connecting a power cable, and an internal interface for connecting to a signal connector; the signal contact is located within the external plug-in portion and the power terminal of the charging socket is fixed within the external plug-in portion; the plug-in end of the lead terminal is located within the internal interface.

[0045] Beneficial effects: This invention improves the manufacturing method of the main component of the charging socket in the prior art. After fixing the signal contact and lead terminal, it is integrally formed with the insulator. The signal contact and lead terminal are directly fixed in the insulator, and an external plug-in part, an internal wiring part, and an internal plug interface are formed on the insulator. The plug-in end of the lead terminal is centrally located in the internal plug interface to realize the plugging of the car's internal signal connector. The internal wiring part realizes the connection of the car's internal power cable. The external plug-in part realizes the adaptation plugging with the external charging plug. In this way, the main component is formed into a whole component, simplifying the structure, reducing costs, and reducing the number of subsequent assembly steps while meeting the functions of existing products, avoiding the risks in the assembly process.

[0046] Furthermore, each lead terminal is formed by stamping an integral sheet, and the lead terminals are connected to each other by a connecting part to form an integral metal frame. The metal frame is placed in the insulator injection mold and fixed inside as the insulator is formed. By breaking the connecting part, each lead terminal becomes independent of each other.

[0047] Beneficial effects: Using a single sheet material facilitates the molding of multiple lead terminals, saving manufacturing costs and making it easier to position and pre-set the lead terminals in the insulator injection mold.

[0048] Furthermore, the insulator is formed by secondary injection molding. After the metal frame is formed along with the insulator in one step, the connecting part is exposed from the insulator, the connecting part is broken, and then the insulator is formed in a second step, and the insulator covers the lead terminal inside.

[0049] Beneficial effects: The two-stage injection molding process is beneficial for the molding of insulators with complex shapes. After the first injection molding, the metal frame is broken into independent lead terminals, and then the lead terminals are wrapped with the insulator made by the second injection molding, which is beneficial for the sealing of the lead terminals in the insulator. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main components of a charging socket in the prior art; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A disassembled diagram of the main components of the charging socket; In the diagram: 100, front housing; 101, rear housing; 102, connector; 103, signal contact; 104, circuit board; 105, connector pin; 106, housing seal ring.

[0051] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the rear view of the main body component of the charging socket according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the main body of the charging socket from a head-down perspective; Figure 5 for Figure 3 A disassembled diagram of the main components of the charging socket; Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the fixing structure of the lead terminals and signal contacts in the diagram; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing that all lead terminals are not disconnected; Figure 8 for Figure 6 A front view showing that all lead terminals are not disconnected; Figure 9 for Figure 6 A front view diagram of each lead terminal after it has been disconnected.

[0052] In the diagram: 11. Insulator; 12. Internal connector; 13. Power line connection; 14. PE line connection; 15. Panel mounting part; 16. Power terminal mounting part; 17. PE terminal mounting part; 18. Signal contact mounting part; 19. Intermediate disc-shaped part; 21. Contact lead terminal; 211. Insertion pin; 212. Soldering pin; 22. Break-off section; 23. Connecting section; 24. Sensor lead terminal; 31. Signal contact components. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The basic concept of the main body of the charging socket of the present invention is to fix the signal contact and lead terminal and form them integrally with the insulator. The signal contact and lead terminal are directly fixed in the insulator, and an external plug-in part, an internal wiring part and an internal plug interface are formed on the insulator, so that the main body is formed into an integral part, which simplifies the structure and reduces the cost while meeting the functions of existing products.

[0054] The following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific examples.

[0055] An embodiment of the main component of the charging socket of the present invention: like Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6As shown, the main components of the charging socket include an insulator 11, lead terminals, and signal contacts 31. The charging socket is a national standard DC charging socket, conforming to Chinese national standards for DC charging interfaces, primarily used for DC charging of electric vehicles. Accordingly, the charging socket has six signal contacts, two power terminals, and one PE terminal. The PE terminal is the protective grounding terminal, the power terminals are high-voltage terminals used to transmit large charging currents, and the signal contacts are low-voltage terminals used to transmit signals. The six signal contacts are CC1 / CC2, A+ / A-, and S+ / S-. The charging socket is installed on the vehicle body, internally connected to the vehicle's internal wiring, and externally used to connect to the charging gun, which is also the charging plug.

[0056] The main component of the charging socket, which is also its main functional part, is integrally formed by an insulator 11, a signal contact 31, and lead terminals. The lead terminals have a plug-in end and a fixed end. The lead terminal fixed to the signal contact 31 is the contact lead terminal 21. The signal contact 31 and the contact lead terminal 21 correspond one-to-one. The contact lead terminal 21 has a plug-in end and a fixed end fixed to the signal contact 31. The signal contact 31 and the contact lead terminal 21 are integrally formed and fixed within the insulator 11. The insulator 11 has an external plug-in part, an internal wiring part, and an internal insertion interface 12. The signal contact 31 is located within the external plug-in part, and the power terminal of the charging socket is fixed within the external plug-in part for mating with the charging plug. The internal wiring part is used to connect the cable connected to the power terminal. The plug-in end of the contact lead terminal 21 is located within the internal insertion interface 12 for mating with the signal connector.

[0057] After the signal contact 31 and the contact lead terminal 21 are fixed, they are integrally formed with the insulator 11 through an insert injection molding process. The signal contact 31 and the lead terminal are directly fixed inside the insulator 11. An external plug-in part, an internal wiring part, and an internal plug interface 12 are formed on the insulator 11. The plug-in ends of the lead terminals are concentrated in the internal plug interface 12 to realize the plugging of the internal signal connector of the car. The internal wiring part realizes the connection of the internal power cable of the car. The external plug-in part realizes the adaptation plugging with the external charging plug. In this way, the main components are formed into a whole component, simplifying the structure, reducing costs, and reducing the number of subsequent assembly steps while meeting the functions of the existing products, thus avoiding the risks in the assembly process.

[0058] With the head and tail direction of the main component as the front and back direction, the front end is the insertion end and the rear end is the wiring end. The external insertion part of the insulator 11 is at the front, and the internal wiring part and the internal insertion interface 12 are at the rear.

[0059] The plug-in end and fixed end of the lead terminal face opposite directions, with the plug-in end facing rearward and the fixed end facing forward. The plug-in end faces the tail side of the main body component, and the fixed end faces the head side of the main body component. The plug-in end of the lead terminal is located in the rearward-extending section, and the fixed end is located in the forward-extending section. The lead terminal has a bent structure and a transition section located between the plug-in end and the fixed end. The extension direction of the transition section is perpendicular to the head-tail direction of the main body component, and the transition section is perpendicular to and integrally connected with the front and rear sections. Utilizing the forward-extending section facilitates reliable fixing and conductive connection between the signal contact and the lead terminal, reduces the size of the signal contact, and saves space. In other embodiments, the forward-extending section may be omitted, and the transition section may be directly fixed to the signal contact.

[0060] The fixed end of the contact lead terminal 21 is welded to the signal contact 31. The fixed end of the contact lead terminal 21 is located on the radial side of the signal contact 31 and welded to the outer peripheral surface of the signal contact 31. The signal contact 31 is cylindrical, and the front section of the contact lead terminal 21 overlaps the outer peripheral surface of the signal contact 31. Welding is used to achieve the fixing and conductive connection between the signal contact 31 and the lead terminal, which is stable, reliable, and simple in structure. In other embodiments, the rear end face of the signal contact 31 can also be welded to the lead terminal. In other embodiments, the lead terminal can also have a socket, and the rear end of the signal contact can be inserted into the corresponding socket to form a contact.

[0061] The insulator 11 includes a central disc-shaped portion 19, with external connectors and internal wiring portions located on the front and rear sides of the central disc-shaped portion 19 and integrally connected. The external connectors include connectors for fixing signal contacts 31, connectors for fixing power terminals, and connectors for fixing protective grounding terminals. The connector for fixing signal contacts 31 is a signal contact fixing portion 18, the connector for fixing power terminals is a power terminal fixing portion 16, and the connector for fixing protective grounding terminals is a PE terminal fixing portion 17. There is one PE terminal fixing part 17 corresponding to the PE terminal, two power terminal fixing parts 16 corresponding to the power terminals, and six signal contact fixing parts 18 corresponding to the signal contacts 31. Each plug-in post extends forward and is spaced apart from each other. The front end of the plug-in post has an opening for the insertion of the adapter conductor of the charging plug. The power terminal, signal contact 31, and PE terminal are respectively fixed inside the corresponding plug-in post. Each plug-in post forms the external plug-in part of the insulator 11. The charging plug is plugged into the external plug-in part of the insulator 11 and its corresponding terminal is inserted into the corresponding plug-in post and connected to the terminal.

[0062] A plug-in cylinder is provided on the intermediate disc-shaped portion 19, extending rearward from the intermediate disc-shaped portion 19 to form an internal insertion interface 12. Both the plug-in cylinder and the internal wiring portion are located on the same side of the intermediate disc-shaped portion 19, i.e., the rear side. The opening of the plug-in cylinder faces rearward for insertion of corresponding signal connectors inside the vehicle. The insertion ends of each lead terminal are located within the internal insertion interface 12. A signal cable is connected to the tail of the signal connector, and its head is used to insert into the internal insertion interface 12. The internal contacts of the signal connector are inserted into corresponding leads to establish signal circuit continuity.

[0063] The internal wiring section is located below the internal connector 12. The internal wiring section includes a connecting sleeve for connecting the cable to the power terminal and a connecting sleeve for connecting the cable to the protective grounding terminal. The connecting sleeves extend rearward. The cable connected to the power terminal is a power cable with a larger diameter. The cable connected to the protective grounding terminal is a grounding cable with a smaller diameter. The connecting sleeve corresponding to the power cable is the power wire connecting part 13, and the connecting sleeve corresponding to the grounding cable is the PE wire connecting part 14. The PE wire connecting part 14 and the PE terminal fixing part 17 are connected front-to-back, and the power terminal fixing part 16 and the power wire connecting part 13 are connected front-to-back.

[0064] After the power terminal is fixed to the cable, it can be inserted into the inner cavity of the power line connection part 13, so that the power terminal is installed in the power terminal fixing part 16, and the power cable is fixed inside the power line connection part 13. After the PE terminal is fixed to the cable, it can be inserted into the inner cavity of the PE line connection part 14, so that the PE terminal is installed in the PE terminal fixing part 17, and the grounding cable is fixed inside the PE line connection part 14. The tail ends of both the power line connection part 13 and the PE line connection part 14 are provided with structures for connecting tail caps. The tail caps can be snapped into the opening of the corresponding connecting cylinder to fix the cable and form a seal.

[0065] In this embodiment, the signal contact 31 is integrally molded and embedded within the fixed insulator 11, while the power terminal and PE terminal are separately installed within the insulator 11. In other embodiments, the power terminal and PE terminal may also be integrally embedded within the insulator, depending on the circumstances.

[0066] The intermediate disc-shaped portion 19 is provided with a panel fixing portion 15 for fixing the panel housing of the charging socket. The panel housing of the charging socket has a flange for fixing to the vehicle body. The center of the panel housing has a central hole for exposing the mating end of the main component. Both the panel housing and the main component have portions for mating with the charging plug. The panel fixing portion 15 consists of four fixing posts distributed at the four corners. Insert nuts can be installed in the fixing posts to fix the panel housing to the main component with fasteners. Molding the panel housing and the insulator 11 separately facilitates the adaptation to the molding of different types of panel housings and improves the versatility of the main component. The panel housing can be customized, while the main component can be universal. In other embodiments, the panel housing and the insulator can also be integrally molded as needed.

[0067] The lead terminal corresponding to the signal contact 31 is the contact lead terminal 21. The main body also includes a sensor lead terminal 24. The fixed end of the sensor lead terminal 24 is used to connect to a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature of the power terminal. The plug end of the sensor lead terminal 24 is located inside the internal plug interface 12. The temperature sensor lead structure is integrated to facilitate the connection between the temperature sensor and the signal connector.

[0068] The insertion ends of the contact lead terminals 21 and the insertion ends of the sensor lead terminals 24 are arranged in a row, spaced apart on the left and right, and are flattened to the inner insertion interface 12. There are two sets of sensor lead terminals 24, with two in each set, and each contact lead terminal 21 is located between the two sets of sensor lead terminals 24. This arrangement of the contact lead terminals 21 is relatively concentrated, and the outermost two sensor lead terminals 24 are adapted to the position of the power terminals, resulting in a compact structure and saving space.

[0069] The fixed end of the sensor lead terminal 24 extends into the inner cavity of the inner wiring part for the temperature sensor to be connected. The inner cavity of the inner wiring part is also the inner cavity of the connecting cylinder. The temperature sensor can be installed from the inner cavity of the inner wiring part of the insulator 11 to connect with the sensor lead terminal 24 and contact the power terminal. The insulator 11 can effectively protect the temperature sensor, and the structure is simple and reliable.

[0070] The fixed ends of the sensor lead terminals 24 face rearward. A set of two sensor lead terminals 24 are connected to both ends of the temperature sensor to form a temperature detection circuit. The two temperature sensors are used to detect the temperature of the two power terminals respectively. After the insulator 11 is formed, the fixed ends of the sensor lead terminals 24 are exposed inside the power line connection portion 13. The sensor lead terminals 24 are also bent structures, with transition sections perpendicular to the fixed end and the plug-in end. The transition sections of each lead terminal are fixed inside the intermediate disc-shaped portion 19.

[0071] Combination Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9Each lead terminal is formed from a single sheet material, which can be stamped and then bent to form a forward-extending welding pin 212 and a rearward-extending insertion pin 211. The welding pin 212 forms the fixed end, and the insertion pin 211 forms the insertion end. During stamping, the lead terminals are not completely cut off initially, and a connecting part 23 is retained between adjacent lead terminals. The position of the connecting part is set according to requirements. The connecting part 23 is used to place each lead terminal on a single metal frame, which facilitates positioning and pre-positioning into the mold during injection molding.

[0072] A connecting section is provided at the junction of the transition section and the rear section of any two adjacent lead terminals. A U-shaped connecting section is provided between the lead terminals corresponding to the two lowermost signal contacts 31. The two ends of the U-shaped connecting section are respectively connected to the transition section of the two lead terminals, which improves the strength of the metal frame and increases the bonding area of ​​the lead terminals.

[0073] Each connecting section 23 is provided with a break portion 22, which is a weak point and can be thinned by stamping. It can then be broken off by a die punch, creating breaks between the individual lead terminals, thus making them independent and preventing short circuits. In other embodiments, the lead terminals can also be manufactured individually and then pre-positioned in the injection mold of the insulator.

[0074] The metal frame is a component used during the manufacturing process. After the main body is fully manufactured, the metal frame no longer exists; instead, it becomes individual lead terminals embedded within the insulator 11. The main body of the charging socket has a mating end to mate with the charging gun's insertion part. The mating end of the inner plug interface 12, which mates with the lead terminals, is used to connect to a low-voltage signal connector, realizing the low-voltage connector mating part for signal conversion.

[0075] The lead terminals serve to conduct internal leads, connecting the contact signals to the rear pin header. The pin header is a row of lead terminal plug-in terminals. The signal contacts can be connected to the lead terminals by welding or riveting. After connection, the contacts and metal frame are integrated as a whole. Through a secondary injection molding process, the outer surface is coated with adhesive to form the main structure of the charging socket, encasing the lead terminals and contacts internally, thus forming the complete main component of the charging socket.

[0076] After the insulator 11 is injected once, a portion of the insulator 11 is formed and fixed to the metal frame, and the broken portion 22 of the connecting part 23 of the metal frame is exposed. That is, the broken portion 22 is not covered in the first molding. Then, it is punched out using a mold and placed into a secondary injection mold for molding. The insulator 11 is then fully formed and covers the signal terminal. In other embodiments, the insulator and the metal frame can also be integrally molded in one piece. After molding, an exposed opening of the broken portion is left for the mold punch to punch out. After punching out, the exposed opening is then sealed with glue.

[0077] By integrating signal contacts and lead terminals into a single structure through secondary injection molding, components such as temperature sensors and protective resistors can be further integrated into a single unit using the aforementioned method, with fixed connection structures provided on the corresponding lead terminals.

[0078] By using built-in lead terminals, signal conduction is achieved through connection between the lead terminals and signal contacts. Both are then integrally injected into the insulator of the charging socket, and bonded together through a secondary injection process. Once the main component is formed, it becomes a single unit, eliminating the need for subsequent assembly steps. This results in a stable and reliable product structure at a lower cost. This integrated charging socket design simplifies the product significantly, resulting in a simple structure, low cost, and reduced assembly steps while still fulfilling existing product functions, thus avoiding risks during installation.

[0079] An embodiment of the method for manufacturing the main component of the charging socket of the present invention: The manufacturing method of the main component of the charging socket includes the following steps: manufacturing lead terminals with plug-in ends and fixed ends; fixing signal contacts to the fixed ends of the corresponding lead terminals; integrating the signal contacts and lead terminals into the insulation body as a whole; forming an external plug-in part for connecting to a charging plug, an internal wire part for connecting power cables, and an internal plug-in interface for connecting to a signal connector on the insulation body; the signal contacts are located inside the external plug-in part and the power terminals of the charging socket are fixed inside the external plug-in part; and the plug-in ends of the lead terminals are located inside the internal plug-in interface.

[0080] After the signal contact and lead terminal are fixed, they are integrally formed with the insulator. The signal contact and lead terminal are directly fixed in the insulator, and an external plug-in part, an internal wiring part, and an internal plug interface are formed on the insulator. The plug-in ends of the lead terminals are centrally located in the internal plug interface to realize the plugging of the automotive internal signal connector. The internal wiring part realizes the connection of the automotive internal power cable. The external plug-in part realizes the adaptation plugging with the external charging plug. In this way, the main components are formed into a whole component, simplifying the structure, reducing costs, and reducing the number of subsequent assembly steps while meeting the existing product functions, thus avoiding the risks in the assembly process.

[0081] Each lead terminal is formed by stamping from a single sheet of material. The leads terminals are connected to each other by a connecting section to form a single metal frame. The metal frame is placed in the insulator injection mold and fixed within it as the insulator is formed. By breaking the connecting section, each lead terminal becomes independent. Using a single sheet of material facilitates the molding of multiple leads terminals, saving manufacturing costs and simplifying the positioning of the leads terminals in the insulator injection mold.

[0082] The insulator is manufactured using a two-stage injection molding process. After the metal frame is formed along with the insulator in the first stage, the connecting part protrudes from the insulator, the connecting part is broken off, and then the insulator is formed again in the second stage, with the insulator encasing the lead terminals inside. This two-stage injection molding process is advantageous for molding insulators with complex shapes. After the first injection molding, the metal frame is broken into independent lead terminals, and then the lead terminals are encased in the second-stage injection molded insulator, which facilitates the sealing of the lead terminals within the insulator.

[0083] For details on the manufacturing method of the main component of the charging socket, please refer to the implementation scheme of the main component of the charging socket described in the above embodiments.

[0084] Embodiments of the charging socket of the present invention: The charging socket includes a main body component, the structure of which is the same as that described in the embodiments of the main body component of the charging socket described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0085] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still make modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments without creative effort, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A main component of a charging socket, characterized in that, It includes an insulator (11), a signal contact (31), and lead terminals corresponding to the signal contact. The lead terminals have a plug-in end and a fixed end that is fixed to the signal contact. The signal contact and the lead terminals are integrally fixed in the insulator by molding. The insulator has an external plug-in part, an internal wiring part, and an internal plug interface (12). The signal contact is located in the external plug-in part and the power terminal of the charging socket is fixed in the external plug-in part for use with the charging plug. The internal wiring part is used to connect the cable connected to the power terminal. The plug-in end of the lead terminal is located in the internal plug interface for use with the signal connector.

2. The main component of the charging socket according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plug end and the fixed end of the lead terminal face opposite directions. The plug end faces the tail side of the main body component, and the fixed end faces the head side of the main body component. The lead terminal has a bent structure and has a transition section located between the plug end and the fixed end. The extension direction of the transition section is perpendicular to the head and tail direction of the main body component.

3. The main component of the charging socket according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixed end of the lead terminal is welded to the signal contact (31), and the fixed end of the lead terminal is located on one side of the signal contact (31) and welded to the outer peripheral surface of the signal contact (31).

4. The main body component of the charging socket according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The insulator (11) includes a central disc-shaped portion (19), with an external plug-in portion and an internal wiring portion located on both sides of the central disc-shaped portion (19) and integrally connected. The external plug-in portion includes a plug post for fixing a signal contact (31) and a plug post for fixing a power terminal. The plug post has an opening for inserting an adapter conductor of a charging plug. The central disc-shaped portion (19) is provided with a plug tube, which forms the internal plug-in interface (12). The plug tube and the internal wiring portion are located on the same side of the central disc-shaped portion (19). The internal wiring portion includes a connecting tube for connecting the cable connected to the power terminal. The external plug-in portion includes a plug post for fixing a protective grounding terminal, and the internal wiring portion includes a connecting tube for connecting the cable connected to the protective grounding terminal.

5. The main component of the charging socket according to claim 4, characterized in that, A panel fixing part (15) is provided on the middle disc-shaped part (19) for fixing the panel housing of the charging socket.

6. The main body component of the charging socket according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, Each lead terminal is provided with a break to make them independent of each other.

7. The main body component of the charging socket according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The lead terminal corresponding to the signal contact (31) is the contact lead terminal (21). The main body also includes a sensor lead terminal (24). The fixed end of the sensor lead terminal (24) is used to connect a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the power terminal. The plug end of the sensor lead terminal (24) is located inside the internal plug-in interface (12).

8. The main body component of the charging socket according to claim 7, characterized in that, The insertion ends of the contact lead terminals (21) and the insertion ends of the sensor lead terminals (24) are arranged in a row. There are two sets of sensor lead terminals (24), and each set has two terminals. Each contact lead terminal (21) is located between the two sets of sensor lead terminals (24).

9. The main component of the charging socket according to claim 7, characterized in that, The fixed end of the sensor lead terminal (24) extends into the inner cavity of the inner wiring part for the temperature sensor to be connected.

10. A charging socket, characterized in that, Includes the main body component of the charging socket as described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. A method for manufacturing the main component of a charging socket, characterized in that, The steps include: fabricating a lead terminal with a plug-in end and a fixed end; fixing the signal contact (31) to the fixed end of the corresponding lead terminal; the signal contact (31) and the lead terminal are integrally fixed inside the insulator (11) as the insulator (11) is formed; the insulator (11) is formed with an external plug-in part for fitting and plugging into the charging plug, an internal wire part for connecting the power cable, and an internal plug-in interface (12) for fitting and plugging into the signal connector; the signal contact (31) is located inside the external plug-in part and the power terminal of the charging socket is fixed inside the external plug-in part; the plug-in end of the lead terminal is located inside the internal plug-in interface (12).

12. The method for manufacturing the main component of the charging socket according to claim 11, characterized in that, Each lead terminal is formed by stamping an integral sheet. Each lead terminal is connected to an integral metal frame by a connecting part (23). The metal frame is placed in the injection mold of the insulator (11) and fixed inside as the insulator (11) is formed. Each lead terminal is made independent by breaking the connecting part (23).

13. The method for manufacturing the main component of the charging socket according to claim 12, characterized in that, The insulator (11) is formed by secondary injection molding. After the metal frame is formed with the insulator (11) in one step, the connecting part (23) is exposed from the insulator (11), the connecting part is broken, and then the insulator (11) is formed again. The insulator (11) covers the lead terminal inside.

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