Connector device
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- YAZAKI CORP
- Filing Date
- 2018-06-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
1. Field of the invention The present invention relates to a connector device in which a first connector and a second connector are fitted together and connected. 2. Description of the related technology A conventional connector device is known that includes a first connector having a first housing which has a concave section with an opening on one side thereof, and a first connection (plug-in connection) provided in a concave section of the first housing, and a second connector having a second housing which has a convex section to fit into the concave section, and a second connection (receiving connection) located in the convex section of the second housing (see, for example, Japanese patent application disclosure no. JP 2014-75217 A).This type of connection device is, for example, fitted in a vehicle, such as a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle, and the first terminal is inserted into the second terminal and electrically connected to it when the convex section of the second housing is fitted into the concave section of the first housing. It is now necessary to ensure reliable contact between the first and second terminals in the connection device described above, even in a vibrating environment. Therefore, a configuration is adopted in which the clearance (distance) between the convex section of the second housing and the second terminal, which is located within the convex section, is minimized, and movement of the second terminal within the second housing is prevented to avoid affecting the contact point between the first and second terminals due to vibration. However, if the clearance between the second housing and the second terminal is minimal, it is difficult to compensate for positional deviation (positional tolerance) of the first terminal relative to the concave section of the first housing using the clearance described above when the first and second housings are fitted together. Therefore, the contact between the first and second terminals deviates, and a problem arises in which the insertion resistance between the first and second connectors increases. Further prior art is known from documents US 6,019,625 A, US 6,238,226 B1, and US 5,295,843 A. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention was made with regard to the above description and one object of it is to provide a connector device which is able to improve the contact reliability between a first connection and a second connection and at the same time prevent an increase in the insertion resistance between a first connector and a second connector. A connector device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a first connector comprising a first housing having a concave section with an opening on one side thereof, and a first connector provided in the first housing and projecting from a base of the concave section towards the opening; and a second connector comprising a second housing having a convex section to fit into the concave section, and a second connector located in the convex section of the second housing and having a connector receiving section into which the first connector is inserted and electrically connected when the convex section is fitted into the concave section, wherein the connector receiving section is located within the convex section at a predetermined distance, slots,Cut out until the connector-receiving section is exposed, each is provided on faces of the convex section of the second housing, which is positioned with the connector-receiving section interposed, and the first housing includes ribs extending from inner faces of the concave section, which are opposite each other, to the respective opposite faces, clamping the connector-receiving section through the slots when the convex section and the concave section are fitted together. According to this configuration, because the terminal-receiving section of the second terminal, which is to be accommodated in the convex section of the second housing, is clamped by the ribs provided in the concave section of the first housing through the slots, when the concave section of the first housing and the convex section of the second housing are fitted together, the movement of the terminal-receiving section with respect to the first terminal is restricted and it is possible to improve the contact reliability between the first terminal and the second terminal.Additionally, because the connector-receiving section of the second connector is located within the convex section at the predetermined distance, the connector-receiving section moves within the convex section before the ribs clamp the connector-receiving section, making it possible to easily connect the second connector and the first connector and preventing an increase in the fitting resistance between the first connector and the second connector. According to a second aspect of the invention, it is preferred in the connector device that the predetermined distance is set to a size that accommodates a positional tolerance of the first connection provided in the first housing. According to this configuration, because the positional tolerance of the first connection is accommodated by the distance, it is possible to easily connect the second and first connections and to prevent an increase in the insertion resistance between the first and second connectors. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the terminal receiving section of the second terminal can include a recessed section that contacts the first terminal, and a spring section that tensions the recessed section in a direction of pushing the first terminal, and the ribs can begin to engage with the terminal receiving section after contact between the first terminal and the recessed section, and cover at least one contact section between the first terminal and the recessed section in order to clamp the terminal receiving section when the convex section and the concave section are aligned.According to this configuration, because the ribs, after contact between the first terminal and the indented section, begin to engage with the terminal-receiving section, it is possible to easily connect the indented section of the second terminal and the first terminal. Additionally, once the convex and concave sections have aligned, the ribs cover at least one contact area between the first terminal and the indented section, clamping the terminal-receiving section firmly. Therefore, the ribs prevent movement or wobbling of the second terminal that might be accompanied by vibration, thus ensuring reliable contact between the first and second terminals. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the first connection can be a flat, plate-shaped strip connection, and the plurality of ribs and slots can be provided parallel along the width of the strip connection. According to this configuration, because the strip connection, which has the flat plate shape, and the second connection are clamped by the plurality of ribs provided parallel to each other, it is possible to ensure that the strip connection and the second connection make uniform contact with each other. The above-mentioned and other objectives, features, advantages and the technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the associated drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the fitting connection between a first connector and a second connector, provided in a connector device according to the present embodiment, is disconnected; Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the first connector; Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the second connector; Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a state before a first terminal of the first connector and a second terminal of the second connector are connected; Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the first terminal is inserted into the second terminal; and Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the connection between the first terminal and the second terminal is completed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXECUTION FORMS An embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The invention is not otherwise limited to this embodiment. In addition, the components in this embodiment include a component that can be replaced by a person skilled in the field or by a substantially equivalent component. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vertical direction in the figure is expressed as "upper" and "lower". Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the fitting connection between a first connector and a second connector, provided in a connection device according to the present embodiment, is disconnected. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the first connector, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the second connector. The connection device according to the present embodiment is, for example, mounted in a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle, and is used to connect a high-voltage cable that transmits a large amount of electrical energy between devices, such as between a motor and an inverter or between an inverter and a battery. As illustrated in Fig. 1, a connector device 1 comprises a first connector 10 and a second connector 20, which is mated to the first connector 10. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the first connector 10 comprises a first housing 11 and a first terminal (also referred to as a plug-in terminal) 12 provided within the first housing 11. The first housing 11 is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape using a resin material having insulating properties, and a connector fitting chamber (concave section) 13, having an opening 13A on one side thereof, is formed within the first housing 11. The first terminal 12 is provided to protrude from a rear wall (bottom) 13B of the connector fitting chamber (concave section) 13 towards the opening 13A.The first terminal 12 is a so-called strip terminal, which is obtained by forming a conductive metal material into a flat plate shape. In the present embodiment, the three first terminals 12 are arranged side by side in a width direction of the connector fitting chamber 13. Cables (not shown) are each connected to the first terminals 12. A plurality of ribs 14, extending from an upper and a lower surface (internal surfaces facing each other) of the connector fitting chamber 13 to the respective opposing surfaces, with the first connection 12 interposed in the vertical direction, are integrally provided in the first housing 11. The plurality of ribs 14 is provided for each of the first connections 12 and is arranged parallel in the width direction of the first connection 12. With respect to the one first connection 12, the three ribs 14 in the present embodiment extend downwards from the upper surface of the connector fitting chamber 13 to the first connection 12, and the two ribs 14 extend upwards from the lower surface therein to the first connection 12.A distal end of the first connector 12 is positioned closer to the opening 13A than these ribs 14 and contacts the second connector 20 in front of the rib 14. The number and positions of the ribs 14 are not limited to the example of the present embodiment and can be suitably modified depending on the size of the first connector 12. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the second connector 20 includes a second housing 21 and a second connection (also referred to as a receiving connection) 22 provided in the second housing 21. The second housing 21 is formed using a resin material having insulating properties and includes a main body section 23 having a horizontally elongated elliptical column shape and three connector fitting sections (convex sections) 24 projecting from the main body section 23 and fitting into the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first connector 10. Each of the connector fitting sections 24 is formed to have a shape and size to fit into the connector fitting chamber 13. A connection housing chamber 25 is formed in the connector fitting section 24 and the main body section 23, and the second connection 22 is housed in the connection housing chamber 25. The second terminal 22 is a terminal metal fitting formed into a desired shape by hammering, bending, or the like after stamping a conductive metal sheet material into a predetermined form. The second terminal 22 includes a terminal receiving section 26 configured to accept the first terminal 12, and a connecting section 30 to which a cable (not shown) is crimped. The connector-receiving section 26 is formed in a square tube shape, which has an opening 26A in the insertion direction of the first connector 12. The opening 26A is formed in a wide rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the first connector 12, so that the first connector 12 can be inserted through it. Additionally, the connector-receiving section 26 includes a recessed section 27 that contacts the first connector 12, which is inserted through the opening 26A, and a spring section 28 that presses and tensions the first connector 12 against the recessed section 27. The spring section 28 is formed by bending a metal plate, and a plurality of spring sections 28 are formed along the insertion direction of the first connector 12.Accordingly, the multitude of spring sections 28 presses and tensions the first terminal 12 against the recessed section 27, so that it is possible to cause the first terminal 12 to make uniform contact with the recessed section 27 (the second terminal 22). As described above, the second port 22 is housed in the port-accommodation chamber 25, which is formed in the second housing 21. In the present embodiment, the port-receiving section 26 of the second port 22 is arranged such that a distance 40, having a predetermined size, is provided between the port-receiving section 26 and each of the inner surfaces (in particular, a top surface and a bottom surface) of the port-accommodation chamber 25. The port-receiving section 26 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction within a range equal to the distance 40.The size of the gap 40 is equal to, or greater than, the positional tolerance (positional deviation) of the first connection 12, which is provided in the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first housing 12. The positional tolerance of the first connection 12 can be accommodated because the connection receiving section 26 moves within the connection housing chamber 25. Additionally, the second housing 21 has an insertion opening 24A formed at a distal end of the connector fitting section 24, and the insertion opening 24A communicates with the opening 26A of the connection receiving section 26, which is to be accommodated in the connection housing chamber 25. Additionally, slots 29 are provided in the connector fitting section 24 of the second housing 21 on each of an upper surface 24B and a lower surface 24C, positioned with the connector receiving section 26 interposed. The slot 29 is formed in a position corresponding to the rib 14 of the first housing 11, and the three slots 29 are provided on the upper surface 24B of the connector fitting section 24 facing the connector receiving section 26, and the two slots 29 are provided on the lower surface 24C of the connector fitting section 24 facing the connector receiving section 26. All slots 29 are formed to be cut out until the connector receiving section 26 is exposed, and the ribs 14, which penetrate the slots 29, clamp the connector receiving section 26 vertically. Next, a fitting process between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 is described. Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state before the first terminal of the first connector and the second terminal of the second connector are connected. Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first terminal is inserted into the second terminal. Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connection between the first terminal and the second terminal is complete. First, as shown in Fig. 4, the connector fitting section 24 of the second connector 20 is inserted into the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first connector 10 along the insertion direction (the X direction in the drawing). The connector fitting section 24 is designed to have the shape and size to fit into the connector fitting chamber 13. Therefore, each of the upper surfaces 24B and lower surfaces 24C of the connector fitting section 24 is guided by the inner surface of the connector fitting chamber 13 and inserted into the connector fitting chamber 13. Additionally, a distal end 12A of the first connector 12 is positioned closer to the opening side 13A of the connector fitting chamber 13 than the rib 14.Therefore, when the connector fitting section 24 is inserted into the connector fitting chamber 13, the distal end 12A of the first connector 12 is inserted into the connector receiving section 26, which is housed in the connector accommodating chamber 25 of the connector fitting section 24, through the insertion opening 24A and the opening 26A. In the present embodiment, the connector receiving section 26 is arranged such that the predetermined distance 40 is provided between the connector receiving section 26 and each of the upper and lower surfaces of the connector housing chamber 25, and the connector receiving section 26 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction within the area of the distance 40. Additionally, the size of the distance 40 is set equal to or greater than the positional tolerance of the first connector 12, which is provided in the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first housing 11. Therefore, when the first connector 12 is inserted into the connector receiving section 26, it is possible to compensate for the positional tolerance of the first connector 12 by moving the connector receiving section 26 vertically (in the Y direction in the drawing) within the connector housing chamber 25.Therefore, it is possible to prevent a deviation of the contact of the first terminal 12 with respect to the terminal receiving section 26 (the second terminal 22), and therefore it is possible to prevent an increase in the fitting resistance between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20. Subsequently, when the connector fitting section 24 of the second connector 20 is further inserted into the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first connector 10, as shown in Fig. 5, the first terminal 12 contacts the recessed section 27 and the spring section 28 of the terminal receiving section 26. The first terminal 12 is pressed against the recessed section 27 by a clamping force of the spring section 28, and the first terminal 12 and the recessed section 27 (the second terminal 22) begin to make contact with each other. Here, the upper and lower ribs 14 are formed to be brought into engagement with the terminal receiving section 26 by the slot 29 after the first terminal 12 and the recessed section 27 make contact with each other.Therefore, the rib 14 does not obstruct the contact between the first terminal 12 and the indented section 27, and it is therefore possible to simply connect the first terminal 12 and the indented section 27. Additionally, the upper and lower ribs 14 engage with the connector receiving section 26 to clamp the connector receiving section 26, as shown in Fig. 6. In this case, a vertical distance between the upper and lower ribs 14 is set to be shorter than the length of the connector housing chamber 25 in the vertical direction, and furthermore, each vertical distance 41 between each of the upper and lower ribs 14 and the connector receiving section 26 is set to be smaller than the vertical distance 40 between the connector housing chamber 25 and the connector receiving section 26. Therefore, the movement of the connector receiving section 26 (of the second connector 22) within the connector housing chamber 25 is restricted by the upper and lower ribs 14. Additionally, in the present embodiment, the upper and lower ribs 14 have a length L (a length in one fitting direction) to cover a contact section 42 between the first terminal 12 and the recessed section 27. Therefore, when the fitting between the connector fitting section 24 of the second connector 20 and the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first connector 10 is complete, the upper and lower ribs 14 can cover the contact section 42 between the first terminal 12 and the recessed section 27 and clamp the terminal receiving section 26. This prevents movement or wobbling of the terminal receiving section 26 (of the second terminal 22) associated with vehicle vibration and thus maintains reliable contact between the first terminal 12 and the second terminal 22. As described above, the connecting device 1 according to the present embodiment comprises: the first connector 10, which has the first housing 11, which has the connector fitting chamber 13 with an opening on one side thereof, and the first terminal 12, which is provided in the first housing 11 and protrudes from the rear wall 13B of the connector fitting chamber 13 towards the opening 13A; and the second connector 20, which has the second housing 21, which has the connector fitting section 24, which is to be fitted into the connector fitting chamber 13, and the second terminal 22, which is housed in the connector fitting section 24 of the second housing 21, and the terminal receiving section 26, into which the first terminal 12 is inserted and electrically connected when the connector fitting section 24 is fitted into the connector fitting chamber 13.The connector receiving section 26 is housed within the connector housing chamber 25 of the connector fitting section 24 at a predetermined distance 40. The connector fitting section 24 of the second housing 21 is provided with slots 29 on the upper surface 24B and the lower surface 24C, which are positioned with the connector receiving section 26 interposed between them, until the connector receiving section 26 is exposed. The first housing 11 includes the ribs 14, which extend from the upper and lower surfaces of the connector fitting chamber 13 to the respective opposite surfaces and vertically clamp the connector receiving section 26 through the slots 29 when the connector fitting section 24 and the connector fitting chamber 13 are aligned. According to this configuration, when the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first housing 11 and the connector fitting section 24 of the second housing 21 are fitted together, the terminal receiving section 26 of the second terminal 22, which is to be accommodated in the terminal housing chamber 25, is clamped by the upper and lower ribs 14 provided in the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first housing 11 through the slot 29 in the connector fitting section 24, and therefore the movement of the terminal receiving section 26 with respect to the first terminal 12 is restricted, and it is possible to improve the contact reliability between the first terminal 12 and the second terminal 22.Additionally, because the connection receiving section 26 of the second connection 22 is housed within the connection housing chamber 25 of the connector fitting section 24 at the predetermined distance 40, the connection receiving section 26 moves within the connection housing chamber 25 before the upper and lower ribs 14 clamp the connection receiving section 26, thus making it possible to easily connect the second connection 22 and the first connection 12 and to prevent the increase in the fitting resistance between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20. Additionally, because the predetermined distance 40 according to the present embodiment is set to the size that accommodates the positional tolerance of the first terminal 12, which is provided in the connector fitting chamber 13 of the first housing 11, it is possible to easily connect the second terminal 22 and the first terminal 12 and to prevent the increase in the fitting resistance between the first connector 10 and the second connector 20. Additionally, because the terminal receiving section 26 of the second terminal 22, according to the present embodiment, includes the recessed section 27, which contacts the first terminal 12, and the spring section 28, which tensions the recessed section 27 in the direction of the first terminal 12 being pressed, and because the rib 14 begins to engage with the terminal receiving section 26 after contact between the first terminal 12 and the recessed section 27, it is possible to prevent the rib 14 from obstructing contact between the first terminal 12 and the recessed section 27. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the connection between the first terminal 12 and the recessed section 27.Furthermore, the ribs 14 cover the contact section 42 between the first terminal 12 and the recessed section 27 and clamp at least the terminal receptacle section 26 securely when the connector fitting section 24 and the connector fitting chamber 13 are aligned. Therefore, it is possible to suppress movement or wobble of the terminal receptacle section 26 (of the second terminal 22), which may be caused, for example, by vehicle vibration, thus maintaining reliable contact between the first terminal 12 and the second terminal 22. Additionally, because the first connection 12 according to the present embodiment is the flat plate-shaped strip connection and the plurality of ribs 14 and slots 29 are provided parallel over the width direction of the strip connection, the flat plate-shaped strip connection and the connection receiving section 26 are clamped by the plurality of ribs 14 which are provided parallel, so that it is possible to cause the strip connection and the recessed section 27 of the connection receiving section 26 to make uniform contact. Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The present embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made within a scope that does not deviate from the essential nature of the invention. The present embodiment and its modifications are contained within the invention as described in the claims and the equivalent scope therein, as well as within the scope and essence of the invention.For example, the embodiment described above has been described with respect to the configuration in which the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are used to connect the high-voltage cable to be connected to a three-phase AC motor or the like, and therefore has the three first terminals 12 and the three second terminals 22 respectively, but it is obvious that the number of terminals can be changed appropriately according to the application. Additionally, the present embodiment has been described with respect to the configuration in which the rib 14 and the slot 29 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the first housing 11 and the second housing 21, respectively. However, the rib 14 and the slot 29 can be provided in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, as long as the rib 14 and the slot 29 are configured to clamp the terminal receiving section 26 of the second terminal 22. Furthermore, the rib 14 and the slot 29 can be provided to align not only vertically but also horizontally. In addition, the connector device 1 is used to connect a high-voltage cable that transmits a large amount of energy between the devices, such as between the motor and the inverter or between the inverter and the battery in the present embodiment; it is obvious that the invention can also be applied to a connector device that is to be used for a different application. According to the present embodiments, because the terminal receiving section of the second terminal, which is to be accommodated in the convex section of the second housing, is clamped by the ribs provided in the concave section of the first housing through the slot when the concave section of the first housing and the convex section of the second housing are fitted together, the movement of the terminal receiving section with respect to the first terminal is restricted and it is possible to improve the contact reliability between the first terminal and the second terminal.Additionally, because the connector-receiving section of the second connector is located within the convex section at the predetermined distance, the connector-receiving section moves within the convex section before the ribs clamp the connector-receiving section, making it possible to easily connect the second connector and the first connector and preventing an increase in the fitting resistance between the first connector and the second connector.
Claims
A connector device (1) comprising: a first connector (10) comprising a first housing (11) having a concave section (13) with an opening (13A) on one side thereof, and a first terminal (12) provided in the first housing (11) and projecting from a bottom (138) of the concave section (13) towards the opening (13A); and a second connector (20) comprising a second housing (21) having a convex section (24) to fit into the concave section (13), and a second terminal (22) housed in the convex section (24) of the second housing (21) and having a terminal receiving section (26) into which the first terminal (12) is inserted and electrically connected when the convex section (24) is fitted into the concave section (13), wherein the terminal receiving section (26) is housed within the convex section (24) at a predetermined distance (40),Slots (29), cut out until the connector receiving section (26) is exposed, are each provided on surfaces (24B, 24C) of the convex section (24) of the second housing (21), which are positioned with the connector receiving section (26) interposed, and the first housing includes ribs (14) extending from inner surfaces of the concave section (13), which are opposite each other, to the respective opposite surfaces and clamping the connector receiving section (26) through the slots (29) when the convex section (24) and the concave section (13) are fitted together. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance (40) is set to a distance which has a size which accommodates a positional tolerance of the first connector (12) which is provided in the first housing (11). The connector device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector receiving section (26) of the second connector (22) includes a recessed section (27) that contacts the first connector (12) and a spring section (28) that tensions the recessed section (27) in a direction of pushing the first connector (12), and the ribs (14) begin to engage with the connector receiving section (26) after contact between the first connector (12) and the recessed section (27), and cover at least one contact section between the first connector (12) and the recessed section (27) to clamp the connector receiving section when the convex section (24) and the concave section (13) are aligned. The connector device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first connection (12) is a flat plate-shaped strip connection, and the plurality of ribs (14) and slots (29) are provided parallel over a width direction of the strip connection.