Connectors

Abstract

A connector (1) comprises a rod-shaped terminal (10A, 10B, and 10C), a terminal holder (20) that holds the terminal (10A, 10B, and 10C), and a temperature sensor (50) configured to measure the temperature of the terminal (10A, 10B, and 10C). The terminal holder (20) comprises a plurality of locking sections (241, 242, and 243) arranged side by side in a circumferential direction around the terminal (10A), wherein the plurality of locking sections (241, 242, and 243) are elastically displaceable in the radial direction of the terminal (10A) and engage with the terminal (10A) to restrict movement of the terminal (10A) in the radial direction and in an axial direction.One of the multiple locking sections (241, 242 and 243) comprises a through-hole (28) that penetrates the locking section (241) and a support wall (29, 29) that projects radially outward from a circumferential edge section of the through-hole (28). The temperature sensor (50) is located next to the terminal block (10A), passes through the through-hole (28) and is arranged along the support wall (29, 29).

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector. State of the art

[0002] In the prior art, a power supply connector has been proposed for supplying (charging) electrical power from outside a vehicle to a battery mounted in a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The power supply connector is connected to a power supply or the like outside the vehicle and is configured to be inserted into a charging port provided in the vehicle (see, for example, patent literature 1). This type of connector is also referred to as a charging connector. List of oppositions patent literature

[0003] Patent literature 1: JP6475669B Summary of the invention

[0004] In the aforementioned prior art charging connector, a plurality of rod-shaped terminals are successively inserted into terminal receiving chambers of a housing and temporarily secured (so-called temporary locking). Subsequently, a rear retainer is mounted on the housing, thereby finally securing the plurality of terminals to the housing (so-called final locking). Furthermore, the prior art charging connector often incorporates a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the terminal. The temperature sensor is frequently provided via a metal piece that makes contact with a circumferential surface of the terminal. In this case, during the aforementioned temporary securing, the metal piece is attached to the circumferential surface of the terminal, and subsequently, the temperature sensor is mounted onto the metal piece.Thus, the temperature sensor is positioned between the housing and the rear bracket. However, with the current state of the art charging connector, it is necessary to mount the metal piece and the temperature sensor in a temporarily fixed position when attaching the rear bracket to the housing, indicating a need for improvement.

[0005] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances and it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector which can simplify the work of mounting a rear bracket to a housing.

[0006] To fulfill the above-mentioned task, a connector according to the present invention is characterized by the following.

[0007] A connector comprises a rod-shaped terminal, a terminal holder that holds the terminal, and a temperature sensor configured to measure the terminal's temperature. The terminal holder includes a plurality of locking sections arranged side-by-side in a circumferential direction around the terminal. These multiple locking sections are elastically displaceable in the radial direction of the terminal and engage with the terminal to restrict movement of the terminal in both the radial and axial directions. One of the multiple locking sections includes a through-hole penetrating the locking section and a support wall projecting radially outward from a circumferential edge portion of the through-hole.The temperature sensor is located next to the terminal block, runs through the through hole and is positioned along the support wall.

[0008] According to the connector of the present invention, the work of mounting the rear holder to the housing can be simplified.

[0009] The present invention has been briefly described above. Details of the present invention can be clarified by reading about the types (hereinafter referred to as the "embodiment") of the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a variety of terminal blocks and a holder. Fig. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of main parts in the Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of the area in the Fig. 1 connector shown. Fig. Figure 5 is a perspective view that provides a comparative example. Fig. Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of main parts in the Fig. 5. Description of embodiments / design form

[0010] A connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. The connector 1 is a connector installed in a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and is connected to an electrical line 2 originating from a battery, device, or the like, mounted in the vehicle. The connector 1 is also referred to as a charging inlet. By fitting a mating connector (so-called charging gun) into an opening section 37 (see the Fig. 1) To connect connector 1, electrical energy is supplied to the battery from a power supply or the like outside the vehicle, and the battery is charged.

[0011] For the sake of description, the following describes how in the Fig. Figures 1 to 4 define a "front-back" direction, a "left-right" direction, and a "top-bottom" direction. The front-back, left-right, and top-bottom directions are perpendicular to each other. The front-back direction corresponds to the insertion direction of connector 1 and the mating connector (not shown), with a front and a rear side of the insertion of connector 1 to the mating connector corresponding to "front" and "back," respectively.

[0012] As in the Fig. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector 1 comprises a plurality of terminal blocks 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C), a terminal block holder 20 that holds the plurality of terminal blocks 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C), a housing 30 to which the terminal block holder 20 is mounted, and temperature sensors 50 that are held by the terminal blocks 10 (10A). The components of the connector 1 are described below in sequence. Construction of terminal block 10

[0013] First, the plurality of terminal blocks 10 (10A, 10B and 10C) is described. In this example, the plurality comprises (specifically five) terminal blocks 10 (10A, 10B and 10C), as shown in the Fig. Figure 2 and the like show a pair of terminal blocks 10A with the same shape and the largest diameter, a pair of terminal blocks 10B with the same shape and the smallest diameter, and a single terminal block 10C with a medium diameter. The temperature sensor 50 is mounted only on the pair of terminal blocks 10A with the largest diameter and is not mounted on the other three terminal blocks 10B and 10C (see the Fig. 2).

[0014] The pair of terminal blocks 10A with the largest diameter are terminal blocks for electrical power supply, used for the aforementioned charging or similar applications. The pair of terminal blocks 10C with the smallest diameter are terminal blocks for signal transmission. The single terminal block 10B with the medium diameter is a ground (GND) terminal block. The number of terminal blocks 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C) used in connector 1, the size (thickness) of the diameters of the terminal blocks 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C), the ratio between the diameters of the terminal blocks 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C), and the like are not limited to those described in this embodiment.

[0015] The 10A terminal block is made of metal. As shown in the Fig. As shown in Figure 4, terminal 10A is a male terminal with a stepped cylindrical bar shape, comprising a small-diameter section 11 (terminal connection section), a large-diameter section 12 positioned behind the small-diameter section 11, and a medium-diameter section 13 (core wire connection section) positioned behind the large-diameter section 12. A coupling section 16, formed as a conical surface, connects the small-diameter section 11 and the large-diameter section 12, with the diameter gradually increasing from the small-diameter section 11 towards the large-diameter section 12.When connector 1 is joined to the mating connector, the small diameter section 11 of terminal 10A is connected to a female terminal (not shown) of the mating connector.

[0016] An annular groove section 14 is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter section 12. When the terminal block 10A is mounted on the terminal block holder 20, a locking projection 24A of an elastic locking element 24, which is provided in the terminal block holder 20 to be described later, is fitted into the annular groove section 14 (see the Fig. 3) In such a terminal block 10A, the axes of the small diameter section 11, the large diameter section 12, the medium diameter section 13, the annular groove section 14 and the coupling section 16 are arranged along the same line.

[0017] An end section of electrical line 2 (see the Fig. 1 to 3) is connected to a rear end section of section 13 with medium diameter of terminal 10A. The other end section of electrical conductor 2 is connected to an electrical power source (not shown). As in the Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the electrical conductor 2 comprises a conductor core wire 2A and a coating 2B of an insulating resin covering the conductor core wire 2A. A recessed section 15, projecting forward, is formed in a rear end face of the medium-diameter section 13. The conductive core wire 2A, exposed at one end of the electrical conductor 2, is inserted into the recessed section 15 and secured by crimping. This electrically connects the terminal 10A and the one end of the electrical conductor 2. In this example, a tubular outer element 3 is also provided, arranged to cover a predetermined area in the front-to-back direction, including a connection section between the terminal 10A and the electrical conductor 2.Although the construction of terminal block 10A has been described, the descriptions of terminal blocks 10B and 10C are omitted, as they have essentially the same construction. The various terminal block 10 types (10A, 10B, and 10C) have been described above. Construction of the terminal block holder 20

[0018] Next, the terminal block holder 20 is described. The terminal block holder 20 is a resin-molded product and comprises, as shown in the Fig. Figure 3 shows a single-piece rear wall section 21 with a substantially circular, flat plate shape, forming a rear end section of the terminal block holder 20, and a plurality of (in this example, four) extension sections 22, which extend forward (towards the housing 30) from different positions in the circumferential direction of a circumferential edge of the rear wall section 21. In the present example, the four extension sections 22 project forward from four circumferential edges of the rear wall section 21, excluding both the upper and lower end sections as well as the left and right end sections.Each of the extension sections 22 is a wall with a convex arcuate surface and a concave arcuate surface along the perimeter of the rear wall section 21 and extends towards the housing 30 along a generatrix of the convex arcuate surface and a generatrix of the concave arcuate surface.

[0019] In an area located radially within the circumferential edge of the rear wall section 21, a plurality of (in this example five) circular through-holes are formed at intervals corresponding to the plurality of terminal blocks 10 (10A, 10B and 10C). As also in the Fig. As shown in Figure 4, a plurality of elastic locking pieces 241, 242 and 243 (locking sections) extend forward from a plurality of different positions in the circumferential direction of a circumferential edge of the through-hole 23, which corresponds to the terminal 10A, such that an substantially cylindrical terminal insertion hole 25 is defined, which extends continuously forward from the through-hole 23 (see the Fig. 3) Each of the elastic locking pieces 241, 242 and 243 extends in an arc shape along the circumferential edge of the through-hole 23 (viewed from the front). The terminal block 10A is inserted from the rear through the through-hole 23 into each terminal block insertion hole 25.

[0020] Each of the elastic locking elements 241, 242, and 243 has a cantilevered shape supported by the rear wall section 21 and is elastically deformable, thus extending radially in the direction of the terminal insertion hole 25, i.e., radially around the axis of the terminal 10A. A locking projection 24A is formed at a pointed end section (front end section) of each of the elastic locking elements 241, 242, and 243, extending inward radially in the direction of the terminal insertion hole 25. The locking projections 24A are arranged circumferentially in the small-diameter section 11 of the terminal 10A and can engage with the annular groove section 14 of the terminal 10A to restrict movement of the terminal 10A in the radial and axial directions.

[0021] The elastic locking element 241 has a through-hole 28 and support walls 29, 29 that project radially outwards from a circumferential edge section of the through-hole 28. The support walls 29, 29 extend in the front-to-back direction. The temperature sensor 50, which will be described later, is guided through the through-hole 28. The through-hole 28 and the support walls 29, 29 are provided only in each elastic locking element 241 of the through-hole 23 that corresponds to terminal 10A, and are not provided in the through-holes 23 that correspond to terminals 10B, 10C.

[0022] Each through-hole 23 has a diameter dimension corresponding to the diameter dimension of the corresponding terminal block 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C). Similarly, each terminal block insertion hole 25, defined by the plurality of elastic locking elements 24 extending from the circumferential edge of each through-hole 23, has a diameter dimension corresponding to the diameter dimension of the corresponding terminal block 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C). As shown in the Fig. As shown in Figure 4 and the like, the pair of through holes 23 (and the pair of terminal insertion holes 25) with the largest diameter corresponding to the pair of terminals 10A with the largest diameter are arranged side by side with a distance in the left-right direction at a position above a center in the top-bottom direction of the rear wall section 21. Housing construction 30

[0023] Next, housing 30 will be described. As in the Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the housing 30 is a resin-molded product and comprises a cylindrical tube section 31 extending in the front-to-back direction and a flange section 32 projecting radially outward from an outer circumferential surface of the tube section 31. Viewed from the front-to-back direction, the flange section 32 has a substantially rectangular outer circumferential shape. Bolt insertion holes 33 are formed at respective corner sections of a circumferential edge section of the flange section 32, penetrating in the front-to-back direction. A bolt (not shown) for attaching the connector 1 to a predetermined assembly section of the vehicle is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 33.

[0024] A plurality of (five) terminal receiving chambers 34 are formed within the tube section 31 such that they penetrate in the front-to-back direction. When the terminal holder 20 is installed in the housing 30, the corresponding terminal 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C) is inserted into each terminal receiving chamber 34 from the rear. The diameter of each terminal receiving chamber 34 corresponds to the diameter of the corresponding terminal 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C). As described above, the number, thickness, and other characteristics of the terminals 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C) used in the connector 1 are not limited to those described in the present embodiment.Accordingly, the number, size and the like of the terminal receiving chambers 34 can also be appropriately determined on the basis of the number, thickness and the like of the terminals 10 (10A, 10B and 10C) and are not limited to the content described in the present embodiment. Construction of the temperature sensor 50

[0025] Next, the temperature sensor 50 will be described. As in the Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the temperature sensor 50 comprises a body section 51 containing a thermistor. In this example, the body section 51 has a substantially cuboid shape extending in the front-to-back direction and features a flat surface 51A on an outer face, serving as the temperature sensing surface. A pair of electrical leads 52, connected to the thermistor, extends from a rear end of the body section 51. The flat surface 51A of the temperature sensor 50 is positioned over the outer element 3 on an outer surface of the section 13 with the mean diameter of the terminal 10A and is fixed by means of a shrinkable tube 53 with an adhesive.When the terminal block 10A is inserted into the terminal block insertion hole 25 from the rear of the terminal block holder 20, the temperature sensor 50 is guided through the through-hole 28 and then positioned next to the terminal block 10A so that it is sandwiched around it on both sides in the circumferential direction by the support walls 29, 29. The components forming the connector 1 have been described above. Assembly process

[0026] Next, the assembly of connector 1 is described. To assemble connector 1, the temperature sensor 50 is first mounted on terminal 10A. Then, the multiple terminals 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C) are mounted on terminal holder 20. Finally, terminal holder 20 is mounted on housing 30.

[0027] First, the temperature sensor 50 is positioned so that the flat surface 51A is in contact with the medium-diameter section 13 of the terminal block 10A via the outer element 3. In this state, the small-diameter section 11 of the terminal block 10A is inserted into the shrinkable tubing 53. The shrinkable tubing 53 is then moved to a position where it covers the temperature sensor 50. Finally, the temperature sensor 50 is fixed to the medium-diameter section 13 of the terminal block 10A by applying heat to shrink the shrinkable tubing 53.

[0028] Next, each terminal 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C), to which an end section of the electrical conductor 2 is connected and to which the outer element 3 is provided, is inserted from the rear into the corresponding terminal insertion hole 25 of the terminal holder 20. The insertion of terminal 10A is complete when the plurality of locking projections 24A are fitted into the annular groove section 14 of the large-diameter section 12. At this point, the temperature sensor 50 is guided through the through-hole 28 and then positioned next to terminal 10A such that it is sandwiched in a circumferential manner by the support walls 29 on both sides. This maintains a condition in which the flat surface 51A of the temperature sensor 50 and the outer surface of the medium-diameter section 13 of terminal 10A are in contact via the outer element 3.Accordingly, the temperature of terminal 10A can be measured appropriately by accurately transferring the heat from terminal 10A to temperature sensor 50. Once the insertion of all remaining terminals 10B and 10C is complete, the assembly of the multiple terminals 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C) on the terminal holder 20 is finished.

[0029] Next, the terminal block holder 20 is mounted on the housing 30. Specifically, the plurality of terminals 10 (10A, 10B, and 10C), which project forward from the terminal block holder 20, are inserted from the rear into the plurality of terminal receiving chambers 34 of the housing 30. The terminal block holder 20 is mounted on the housing 30 such that the tube section 31 of the housing 30 enters a space bounded by the plurality of extension sections 22 of the terminal block holder 20. Effects of the design

[0030] As described above, according to connector 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, the through-hole 28 and the support walls 29, 29, which project radially outwards from the circumferential edge section of the through-hole 28, are provided in the elastic locking element (locking section) 241. The temperature sensor 50 is arranged next to the terminal 10A, extends through the through-hole 28 and is positioned along the support walls 29, 29. Therefore, when assembling connector 1, the temperature sensor 50 can be pre-fixed to the terminal 10A.This means that, according to the connector 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, when mounting the terminal block holder 20 on the housing 30, it is not necessary to mount the temperature sensor 50 in the preliminary fixing stage as in the prior art, and the work of mounting the terminal block holder 20 on the housing 30 can be simplified compared to the prior art.

[0031] Since the pair of support walls 29, 29 is designed to sandwich-like enclose the temperature sensor 50 from both sides in the circumferential direction of the terminal block 10A, the temperature sensor 50 can be stably fixed according to the connector 1 of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Since the temperature sensor 50 is arranged via the outer element 3 on the outer surface of the medium-diameter section 13 (core wire connection section) of the terminal 10A, the temperature of the terminal 10A can be reliably detected according to the connector 1 of the embodiment of the present invention. Other embodiments

[0033] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and modifications, improvements, and the like can be made in a suitable manner. Furthermore, materials, shapes, sizes, numbers, arrangement positions, and the like of components in the embodiment described above can be freely selected and are not restricted, as long as the present invention can be implemented.

[0034] According to the embodiment described above, the temperature sensor 50 is arranged on the outer surface of the terminal 10A via the external element 3, but is not limited to this. The external element 3 can be omitted. That is, the temperature sensor 50 can be arranged directly on the outer surface of the terminal 10A and fixed by the shrinkable tubing 53. Accordingly, the heat generated in the terminal 10A is transferred directly to the temperature sensor 50. Comparison with the comparison example

[0035] The Fig. 5 and Fig. Figure 6 shows a connector 100 of a comparative example in comparison to the connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the comparative example to be described below, the components already described in the embodiment are provided in the drawings with the corresponding reference numerals, and their description is accordingly simplified or omitted.

[0036] In the Fig.In the connector 100 of the comparative example shown in Figure 5, a through-hole 280 is provided in an elastic locking element (locking section) 2410, and a box-shaped cover element 101 is provided such that it covers the through-hole 280. The cover element 101 can accommodate the temperature sensor described in the embodiment. Since the through-hole 280 is covered by the box-shaped cover element 101, in such a connector 100, when the elastic locking element 2410 is bent and deformed, the wall section of the cover element 101 acts as a rib and inhibits the bending and deformation of the elastic locking element 2410. For this reason, in the connector 100 of the comparative example, there is a possibility that the insertion of the terminal block during assembly may become difficult, or that a base end section or a tip end section of the elastic locking element 2410 may break.From the foregoing, the superiority of connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention becomes apparent.

[0037] Features of the embodiment of the connector described above according to the present invention are briefly summarized here and listed below under points [1] to [3].

[0038] [1] A connector (1) comprising: a rod-shaped terminal block (10A, 10B and 10C); a terminal block holder (20) that holds the terminal block (10A, 10B and 10C); and a temperature sensor (50) configured to measure the temperature of the terminal block (10A, 10B and 10C), wherein The terminal holder (20) comprises a plurality of locking sections (241, 242 and 243) arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the terminal (10A), wherein the plurality of locking sections (241, 242 and 243) are elastically displaceable in the radial direction of the terminal (10A) and engage with the terminal (10A) to restrict movement of the terminal (10A) in the radial direction and in an axial direction. one of the multiple locking sections (241, 242 and 243) comprises a through hole (28) that penetrates the locking section (241), and a support wall (29, 29) that projects radially outwards from a circumferential edge section of the through hole (28), and the temperature sensor (50) is located next to the terminal block (10A), passes through the through hole (28) and is located along the support wall (29, 29).

[0039] According to the connector (1) with the above-mentioned configuration [1], when mounting the terminal holder (20) on the housing (30) it is not necessary to mount the temperature sensor (50) in a preliminary fixing stage as in the prior art, and the work of mounting the terminal holder (20) on the housing (30) can be simplified compared to the prior art.

[0040] [2] In the case of the connector (1) according to point [1] above A pair of support walls (29, 29) is provided such that it sandwiches around the temperature sensor (50) from both sides in the circumferential direction. Since the pair of support walls (29, 29) is designed to sandwich-like enclose the temperature sensor 50 from both sides in the circumferential direction of the terminal 10A, the temperature sensor (50) can be stably fixed according to the connector (1) with the above-mentioned configuration [2].

[0041] [3] In the case of the connector (1) according to point [1] above The terminal block (10A) comprises a terminal block connection section (11) to be connected to a mating terminal block, and a core wire connection section (13) to be connected to the conductor core wire (2A) of the electrical conductor (2), and The temperature sensor (50) is arranged on an outer surface of the core wire connection section (13).

[0042] Since the temperature sensor (50) is arranged via the outer element (3) on the outer surface of the section (13) with medium diameter of the terminal (10A), the temperature of the terminal (10A) can be reliably detected according to the connector (1) with the above configuration [3]. Reference symbol list 1 connector 10A terminal block 11 Small diameter section (terminal connection section) 13 Medium diameter section (core wire connecting section) 20 terminal block holders 28 through hole 29 Retaining wall 30 cases 50 temperature sensor 241, 242, 243 Locking section QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 6475669B

[0003]

Claims

[1] A connector (1) comprising: a rod-shaped terminal block (10A, 10B and 10C); a terminal block holder (20) that holds the terminal block (10A, 10B and 10C); and a temperature sensor (50) configured to measure the temperature of the terminal block (10A, 10B and 10C), wherein the terminal holder (20) comprises a plurality of locking sections (241, 242 and 243) arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the terminal (10A), wherein the plurality of locking sections (241, 242 and 243) are elastically displaceable in the radial direction of the terminal (10A) and engage with the terminal (10A) to restrict movement of the terminal (10A) in the radial direction and in an axial direction, wherein one of the plurality of locking sections (241, 242 and 243) comprises a through-hole (28) that penetrates the locking section (241), and a support wall (29, 29) that projects radially outwards from a circumferential edge section of the through-hole (28), and wherein the temperature sensor (50) is located next to the terminal block (10A), passes through the through hole (28) and is located along the support wall (29, 29). [2] The connector (1) according to claim 1, wherein a pair of support walls (29, 29) is provided such that it sandwiches around the temperature sensor (50) from both sides in the circumferential direction. [3] The connector (1) according to claim 1, wherein the terminal (10A) comprises a terminal connection section (11) to be connected to a mating terminal, and a core wire connection section (13) to be connected to the conductor core wire (2A) of the electrical conductor (2), and wherein the temperature sensor (50) is arranged on an outer surface of the core wire connection section (13).

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