Terminal and charging device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a terminal and a charging device. The terminal comprises a terminal body which is an integrated metal cold heading piece and is used for transmitting current; and an insulator injection-molded to the terminal body at a time. The insulator includes: an insulating cap injection-molded onto a front end of the terminal body; and an insulating sleeve injection-molded onto the outer periphery of the terminal body for positioning the terminal into the terminal hole of the housing. A hollow inner cavity is formed in the front end of the terminal body, and the insulating cap is joined into the inner cavity of the terminal body and protrudes from the front end of the terminal body. According to the utility model, the terminal body is the integrated metal cold heading piece, so that the manufacturing time can be reduced. In addition, according to the utility model, the insulation cap does not need to be manufactured and assembled independently, and a positioning flange does not need to be formed on the terminal body, so that the production efficiency is improved, and the cost is reduced. Besides, the hollow inner cavity is formed in the front end of the terminal body, so that the material consumption of the terminal body can be reduced, and the cost can be further reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a terminal, a method for manufacturing the terminal, and a charging device including the terminal. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the new energy vehicle market, competition in charging devices is becoming increasingly fierce, demanding not only higher performance from charging devices but also lower prices. In existing technologies, charging devices (e.g., charging sockets) typically include a housing and power terminals for transmitting charging current, housed in terminal holes within the housing. Existing power terminals are generally made of copper or copper alloys, resulting in high costs. Furthermore, to position the power terminals within the terminal holes of the housing, a positioning flange is formed at the rear end of the mating portion of the power terminal, increasing material usage and cost. Additionally, to achieve a seal between the power terminals and the housing, a sealing element is injection-molded onto the power terminals; however, the waterproof sealing effect of this injection-molded element is poor. Moreover, to prevent human fingers from touching the front end of the power terminals, an insulating cap is installed. Separate manufacturing and installation of the insulating cap are time-consuming, reducing production efficiency. Finally, to lock the terminals within the housing, a locking portion suitable for engagement with the housing is formed on the terminal body, further reducing production efficiency and increasing manufacturing costs. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to solve at least one aspect of the aforementioned problems and defects existing in the prior art.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a terminal is provided. The terminal includes: a terminal body, which is an integral cold-forged metal part for transmitting current; and an insulator, which is injection-molded into the terminal body in one piece. The insulator includes: an insulating cap, which is injection-molded onto the front end of the terminal body for preventing human fingers from touching the front end of the terminal body; and an insulating sleeve, which is injection-molded onto the outer periphery of the terminal body for positioning the terminal into a terminal hole in a housing. A hollow inner cavity is formed in the front end of the terminal body, and the insulating cap is engaged into the inner cavity of the terminal body and protrudes from the front end of the terminal body.

[0005] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the insulating cap includes: a joining portion, which is injection molded into the inner cavity of the terminal body; and a protective portion connected to the joining portion, wherein the inner cavity is a bottomed blind hole, and the protective portion extends forward along the axial direction of the terminal body from the front end of the terminal body for a predetermined length.

[0006] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the insulating sleeve includes a front insulating sleeve and a rear insulating sleeve spaced apart axially on the terminal body, and a sealing ring mounting groove for mounting a sealing ring is defined between the rear end face of the front insulating sleeve and the front end face of the rear insulating sleeve.

[0007] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal further includes a sealing ring, which is installed in the sealing ring mounting groove. The sealing ring is adapted to be radially pressed between the exposed outer peripheral surface of the terminal body and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal hole of the housing to achieve a seal between the two.

[0008] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the outer peripheral surfaces of the front insulating sleeve and the rear insulating sleeve cooperate with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing portion of the terminal hole of the housing to position the terminal in the terminal hole of the housing.

[0009] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front insulating sleeve, the groove being adapted to engage with an elastic snap in the terminal hole of the housing to lock the terminal in the terminal hole of the housing.

[0010] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the slot is an annular groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front insulating sleeve.

[0011] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a positioning recess is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the terminal body. The positioning recess has a front positioning step and a rear positioning step that are axially opposite to each other on the terminal body. The front end of the front insulating sleeve is injection molded onto the front positioning step, and the rear end of the rear insulating sleeve is injection molded onto the rear positioning step to axially position the front insulating sleeve and the rear insulating sleeve.

[0012] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal body is a copper part or a copper alloy part.

[0013] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal is a power terminal for a charging device for transmitting charging current.

[0014] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal body has a columnar mating portion for mating with a mating terminal, the insulating cap is injection molded onto the front end of the columnar mating portion of the terminal body, and the insulating sleeve is injection molded onto the outer periphery of the rear portion of the columnar mating portion of the terminal body.

[0015] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal body further has a flat welding portion for soldering to a power line or busbar, the flat welding portion being connected to the rear end of the columnar mating portion.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a terminal manufacturing method is provided. The terminal manufacturing method includes the following steps:

[0017] S10: Provide a metal blank;

[0018] S20: Cold heading of metal billet into a columnar semi-finished product with an inner cavity and a positioning recess;

[0019] S30: Flatten the rear end of the columnar semi-finished product to form a terminal body;

[0020] S40: Place the terminal body into an injection mold and inject molten injection material into the injection mold to injection mold an insulator onto the terminal body in one step;

[0021] S50: After the injection molding material has cooled and solidified, the terminal is removed from the injection mold.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal manufacturing method further includes the step of:

[0023] S60: Install the sealing ring into the sealing ring mounting groove between the front insulating sleeve and the rear insulating sleeve of the terminal.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, a charging device is provided. The charging device includes: a housing having terminal holes; and the aforementioned terminals being inserted into the terminal holes of the housing.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an elastic buckle is formed in the terminal hole of the housing, and the elastic buckle engages with a groove on the insulator of the terminal to lock the terminal in the terminal hole of the housing.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the charging device may be a charging base or a charging gun.

[0027] In the foregoing exemplary embodiments of this invention, the terminal body is a one-piece cold-forged metal part, which reduces manufacturing time. Furthermore, the insulating cap for protection against electric shock and the insulating sleeve for positioning are injection molded onto the terminal body in a single step. Therefore, this invention eliminates the need for separately manufacturing and assembling the insulating cap, and also eliminates the need to form a positioning flange on the terminal body. Thus, this invention improves production efficiency and reduces production costs. In addition, a hollow inner cavity is formed in the front end of the terminal body, thereby reducing the material used in the terminal body and further reducing its cost.

[0028] Furthermore, in some of the aforementioned exemplary embodiments of this utility model, the sealing ring installed between the front insulating sleeve and the rear insulating sleeve can effectively achieve a seal between the terminal and the housing.

[0029] Furthermore, in some of the aforementioned exemplary embodiments of this invention, a slot suitable for elastic snap-fit ​​engagement within the housing is formed on the front insulating sleeve. Therefore, this invention does not require a locking portion on the terminal body to engage with the housing. Consequently, this invention can further improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.

[0030] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 A perspective view of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0032] Figure 2 Showing an axial sectional view of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 An exploded view of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 4 Showing an anatomical view of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 Showing a planar sectional view of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This diagram shows a metal blank for manufacturing a terminal body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This diagram shows a columnar semi-finished product for manufacturing a terminal body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a terminal body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0039] Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing a terminal body and an insulator injection-molded into the terminal body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 This shows a cross-sectional view of a charging device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of this utility model with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the overall inventive concept of this utility model and should not be construed as a limitation thereof.

[0042] Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth for ease of explanation to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated to simplify the figures.

[0043] According to a general technical concept of this utility model, a terminal is provided. The terminal includes: a terminal body for transmitting current; and an insulator, which is injection molded onto the terminal body in one step. The insulator includes: an insulating cap, injection molded onto the front end of the terminal body for preventing human fingers from touching the front end of the terminal body; and an insulating sleeve, injection molded onto the outer periphery of the terminal body for positioning the terminal in a terminal hole in a housing. The insulating sleeve includes a front insulating sleeve and a rear insulating sleeve spaced apart axially on the terminal body, and a sealing ring mounting groove for mounting a sealing ring is defined between the rear end face of the front insulating sleeve and the front end face of the rear insulating sleeve.

[0044] According to a general technical concept of this utility model, a terminal is provided. The terminal includes: a terminal body, which is an integral cold-forged metal part for transmitting current; and an insulator, which is injection-molded into the terminal body in one piece. The insulator includes: an insulating cap, which is injection-molded onto the front end of the terminal body to prevent human fingers from touching the front end of the terminal body; and an insulating sleeve, which is injection-molded onto the outer periphery of the terminal body to position the terminal into a terminal hole in the housing. A hollow inner cavity is formed in the front end of the terminal body, and the insulating cap is engaged into the inner cavity of the terminal body and protrudes from the front end of the terminal body.

[0045] According to another overall technical concept of this utility model, a terminal manufacturing method is provided, comprising: providing a metal blank; cold-forging the metal blank into a columnar semi-finished product having an inner cavity and a positioning recess; flattening the rear end of the columnar semi-finished product to form a terminal body; placing the terminal body into an injection mold and injecting molten injection molding material into the injection mold to injection mold an insulator onto the terminal body in one step; and removing the terminal from the injection mold after the injection molding material has cooled and solidified.

[0046] According to another general technical concept of the present invention, a charging device is provided. The charging device includes: a housing having terminal holes; and the aforementioned terminals being inserted into the terminal holes of the housing.

[0047] Figure 1 A perspective view of a terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 2 Showing an axial sectional view of a terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 An exploded view of a terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 Showing an anatomical view of a terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 Showing a planar sectional view of a terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing a metal blank 10” for manufacturing a terminal 100 body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a columnar semi-finished product 10' for manufacturing a terminal 100 body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a terminal body 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing a terminal body 10 and an insulator 20 injection-molded into the terminal body 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This shows a cross-sectional view of a charging device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of this utility model, a terminal 100 is disclosed. The terminal includes a terminal body 10 and an insulator 20. The terminal body 10 is a one-piece cold-forged metal part used for transmitting current. The insulator 20 is injection-molded onto the terminal body 10 in a single step. The insulator 20 includes an insulating cap 21 and an insulating sleeve 22. The insulating cap 21 is injection-molded onto the front end of the terminal body 10 to prevent human fingers from touching the front end of the terminal body 10. The insulating sleeve 22 is injection-molded onto the outer periphery of the terminal body 10 to position the terminal 100 into the terminal hole 40 of the housing 4. A hollow inner cavity 101 is formed in the front end of the terminal body 10, and the insulating cap 21 is engaged into the inner cavity 101 of the terminal body 10 and protrudes from the front end of the terminal body 10.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 10As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the insulating cap 21 includes a connecting portion 211 and a protective portion 212. The connecting portion 211 is injection molded into the inner cavity 101 of the terminal body 10. The protective portion 212 is connected to the connecting portion 211. The inner cavity 101 of the terminal body 10 is a bottomed blind hole, and the protective portion 212 extends forward along the axial direction of the terminal body 10 from the front end of the terminal body 10 by a predetermined length.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the insulating sleeve 22 includes a front insulating sleeve 22 and a rear insulating sleeve 22 spaced apart axially from the terminal body 10, and a sealing ring mounting groove 201 for mounting the sealing ring 3 is defined between the rear end face of the front insulating sleeve 22 and the front end face of the rear insulating sleeve 22.

[0051] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, terminal 100 further includes a sealing ring 3, which is installed in a sealing ring mounting groove 201. The sealing ring 3 is adapted to be radially pressed between the exposed outer peripheral surface of terminal body 10 and the inner peripheral surface of terminal hole 40 of housing 4 to achieve a seal between the two.

[0052] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, because there is no injection-molded insulator in the sealing area of ​​the terminal body 10 that contacts the sealing ring 3, the sealing performance between the terminal body 10 and the sealing ring 3 can be guaranteed. In the illustrated embodiment, even if the insulating sleeve 22 injection-molded onto the terminal body 10 undergoes slight deformation, it has no impact on the sealing performance of the sealing ring 3. Therefore, in this application, there are no special requirements for the material properties of the insulating sleeve 22, expanding the range of injection molding materials that can be used to injection-mold the insulating sleeve 22, which can reduce manufacturing costs.

[0053] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the outer peripheral surfaces of the front insulating sleeve 22 and the rear insulating sleeve 22 mate with the inner peripheral surface of the fixing portion of the terminal hole 40 of the housing 4 to position the terminal 100 in the terminal hole 40 of the housing 4.

[0054] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, a groove 202 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front insulating sleeve 22. The groove 202 is adapted to engage with the elastic buckle 41 in the terminal hole 40 of the housing 4 to lock the terminal 100 in the terminal hole 40 of the housing 4.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the aforementioned slot 202 is an annular groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front insulating sleeve 22.

[0056] like Figures 1 to 10As shown in the illustrated embodiment, a positioning recess 102 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the terminal body 10. The positioning recess 102 has a front positioning step 111 and a rear positioning step 112 that are axially opposite to each other on the terminal body 10. The front end of the front insulating sleeve 22 is injection molded onto the front positioning step 111, and the rear end of the rear insulating sleeve 22 is injection molded onto the rear positioning step 112 to axially position the front insulating sleeve 22 and the rear insulating sleeve 22.

[0057] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the terminal body 10 can be made of copper or copper alloy.

[0058] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, terminal 100 can be a power terminal for a charging device used to transmit charging current.

[0059] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the terminal body 10 has a columnar mating portion 11 for mating with a mating terminal, an insulating cap 21 is injection molded onto the front end of the columnar mating portion 11 of the terminal body 10, and an insulating sleeve 22 is injection molded onto the outer periphery of the rear portion of the columnar mating portion 11 of the terminal body 10.

[0060] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the terminal body 10 also has a flat solder portion 12 for soldering to a power line (not shown) or a busbar (not shown), the flat solder portion 12 being connected to the rear end of the columnar mating portion 11.

[0061] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, in another exemplary embodiment of this utility model, a terminal manufacturing method is also disclosed for manufacturing the aforementioned terminal 100. The terminal manufacturing method includes the following steps:

[0062] S10: As Figure 6 As shown, a metal blank 10” is provided;

[0063] S20: As Figure 7 As shown, the metal billet 10” is cold-forged into a columnar semi-finished product 10' having an inner cavity 101 and a positioning recess 102;

[0064] S30: As Figure 8 As shown, the rear end of the columnar semi-finished product 10' is flattened to form the terminal body 10;

[0065] S40: Place the terminal body 10 into the injection mold and inject molten injection material into the injection mold to injection mold the insulator 20 onto the terminal body 10 in one step;

[0066] S50: After the injection molding material has cooled and solidified, remove terminal 100 from the injection mold.

[0067] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the aforementioned terminal manufacturing method further includes the step of:

[0068] S60: As Figure 5 As shown, the sealing ring 3 is installed into the sealing ring mounting groove 201 between the front insulating sleeve 22 and the rear insulating sleeve 22 of the terminal 100.

[0069] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, in another exemplary embodiment of this utility model, a charging device is also disclosed. The charging device includes a housing 4 and the aforementioned terminals 100. The housing 4 has terminal holes 40 formed therein. The terminals 100 are inserted into the terminal holes 40 of the housing 4.

[0070] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, an elastic buckle 41 is formed in the terminal hole 40 of the housing 4. The elastic buckle 41 engages with the slot 202 on the insulator 20 of the terminal 100 to lock the terminal 100 in the terminal hole 40 of the housing 4.

[0071] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the charging device can be a charging dock or a charging gun.

[0072] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments described above are exemplary and can be improved upon. The structures described in the various embodiments can be freely combined without causing structural or principle conflicts, and these changes should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0073] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation thereof.

[0074] While some embodiments of the general concept of this utility model have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general concept of this utility model, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

[0075] It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the words "a" or "an" do not exclude multiple elements. Furthermore, any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A terminal characterized by comprising: Comprising: a terminal body (10) which is an integrated metal cold upset part for transmitting electric current; and an insulating body (20) which is injection molded to the terminal body (10) once, the insulating body (20) comprising: an insulating cap (21) which is injection molded to the front end of the terminal body (10) for preventing a human finger from touching the front end of the terminal body (10); and an insulating sleeve (22) which is injection molded to the outer periphery of the terminal body (10) for positioning the terminal (100) into a terminal hole (40) of a housing (4), a hollow inner cavity (101) is formed in the front end of the terminal body (10), the insulating cap (21) is engaged into the inner cavity (101) of the terminal body (10) and protrudes from the front end of the terminal body (10).

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein: the insulating cap (21) comprises: an engaging portion (211) which is injection molded into the inner cavity (101) of the terminal body (10); and a guard portion (212) which is connected to the engaging portion (211), the inner cavity (101) is in the form of a blind hole with a bottom, the guard portion (212) extends forward from the front end of the terminal body (10) along the axial direction of the terminal body (10) by a predetermined length.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein: the insulating sleeve (22) comprises a front insulating sleeve (22) and a rear insulating sleeve (22) which are spaced apart in the axial direction of the terminal body (10), a seal ring mounting groove (201) for mounting a seal ring (3) is defined between the rear end face of the front insulating sleeve (22) and the front end face of the rear insulating sleeve (22). Further comprising:

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein a seal ring (3) which is mounted into the seal ring mounting groove (201), the seal ring (3) is adapted to be radially pressed between the exposed outer peripheral surface of the terminal body (10) and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal hole (40) of the housing (4) to achieve sealing therebetween.

5. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein: the outer peripheral surfaces of the front insulating sleeve (22) and the rear insulating sleeve (22) cooperate with the inner peripheral surface of the fixed portion of the terminal hole (40) of the housing (4) to position the terminal (100) in the terminal hole (40) of the housing (4).

6. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein: a clamping groove (202) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front insulating sleeve (22), the clamping groove (202) is adapted to engage with an elastic buckle (41) inside the terminal hole (40) of the housing (4) to lock the terminal (100) in the terminal hole (40) of the housing (4).

7. The terminal according to claim 6, wherein: the clamping groove (202) is a ring-shaped groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front insulating sleeve (22).

8. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein: ​ A positioning recess (102) is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the terminal body (10), the positioning recess (102) has a front positioning step (111) and a rear positioning step (112) opposite in the axial direction of the terminal body (10), the front end of the front insulating sleeve (22) is injection molded on the front positioning step (111), and the rear end of the rear insulating sleeve (22) is injection molded on the rear positioning step (112) to axially position the front insulating sleeve (22) and the rear insulating sleeve (22).

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein: The terminal body (10) is made of copper or a copper alloy.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein: The terminal (100) is a power terminal for transmitting a charging current for a charging device.

11. The terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The terminal body (10) has a cylindrical mating portion (11) for mating with a mating terminal, the insulating cap (21) is injection molded on the front end of the cylindrical mating portion (11) of the terminal body (10), and the insulating sleeve (22) is injection molded on the outer circumferences of the rear part of the cylindrical mating portion (11) of the terminal body (10).

12. The terminal according to claim 11, characterized in that: The terminal body (10) further has a flat welding portion (12) for welding to a power line or a bus bar, the flat welding portion (12) is connected to the rear end of the cylindrical mating portion (11).

13. A charging device, characterized by Comprising: A housing (4) formed with a terminal hole (40); And The terminal (100) according to any one of claims 1-12 is inserted into the terminal hole (40) of the housing (4).

14. The charging device according to claim 13, characterized in that: An elastic buckle (41) is formed in the terminal hole (40) of the housing (4), the elastic buckle (41) engages with the clamping groove (202) on the insulator (20) of the terminal (100) to lock the terminal (100) in the terminal hole (40) of the housing (4).

15. The charging device of claim 13, wherein: The charging device is a charging base or a charging gun.

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