Connector

Abstract

A connector comprises a terminal, a first busbar configured to connect to the terminal, a first fastener configured to secure the terminal and the first busbar, a second busbar configured to connect to the first busbar, a second fastener configured to secure both the first and second busbars, and a housing configured to accommodate the terminal. The first busbar has a plate thickness at a second position, where it is secured to the second fastener and connected to the second busbar, that is greater than the plate thickness of the first busbar at a first position, where it is secured to the first fastener and connected to the terminal. The second position is configured to act as a heat storage area.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector comprising a terminal, a first busbar, a second busbar attached to and connected with the first busbar, and a housing that accommodates the terminal. State of the art

[0002] In related technology, a charging plug has been proposed to be installed in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle in order to supply (charge) electrical energy from outside the vehicle to a battery installed in the vehicle (see, for example, patent literature 1). List of cited documents Patent literature

[0003] Patent Literature 1: JP2019-192482A Summary of the invention

[0004] Connectors of this type generally require structures defined by various standards. For example, when the charging plug is actually used, the temperature (the so-called operating temperature) of the connector rises due to the heat generated in joules during current flow. Accordingly, an upper limit or similar for the operating temperature of the connector is defined by a predefined standard, taking into account quality control, safety, and similar aspects of the connector.Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a dedicated heat storage component that absorbs the joule heat generated around the connector during current flow, in order to reduce the temperature rise of the connector per unit of time and prevent the operating temperature of the connector from reaching a predetermined upper limit when the amount of heat generated by the connector per unit of time is particularly high, such as during fast charging. However, from the perspective of avoiding complicating the connector's manufacturing process, reducing manufacturing costs, and the like, it is desirable to limit an excessive rise in the operating temperature of the connector without such a heat storage component.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can limit an excessive increase in the operating temperature of a connection without a dedicated heat storage component or the like.

[0006] To fulfill the above-mentioned task, the connector according to the present invention has the following features.

[0007] A connector comprises a terminal, a first busbar configured to connect to the terminal, a first fastener configured to secure the terminal and the first busbar, a second busbar configured to connect to the first busbar, a second fastener configured to secure both the first and second busbars, and a housing configured to accommodate the terminal. The first busbar has a plate thickness at a second position, where it is secured to the second fastener and connected to the second busbar, that is greater than the plate thickness of the first busbar at a first position, where it is secured to the first fastener and connected to the terminal. The second position is configured to act as a heat storage section.

[0008] According to the connector of the present invention, the first busbar at the second position, which is connected to the second busbar, has a plate thickness greater than the plate thickness of the first busbar at the first position, which is connected to the terminal. The second position acts as a heat storage section. Accordingly, the heat generated in the terminal is absorbed by using a portion (i.e., the second section) of the first busbar originally used for power supply as a heat storage section without a dedicated heat storage component. This makes it possible to limit a rapid rise in the terminal's operating temperature and to increase the terminal's operating temperature gradually, even when the amount of heat generated per unit of time in the terminal is large, as during fast charging. This prevents the terminal's operating temperature from reaching a predetermined upper limit.Since the plate thickness in the second position is large, the number of components of the connector can also be reduced by providing a part (for example, a screw hole) with which the second fastening element engages in the second position, without requiring a counter-component (for example, a nut) for the second fastening element (for example, a bolt) as a separate component. Therefore, the connector of the present invention can limit an excessive increase in the operating temperature of the connection without a dedicated heat storage component or the like.

[0009] The present invention has been briefly described above. Details of the present invention can be clarified by reading the methods for carrying out the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the in Fig. 1 of the connector shown; Fig. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a rear view of a first busbar on a left side, which is in Fig. 2 is shown; and Fig. 5 is a rear view of a second busbar, which is located in Fig. 2 is shown. Description of exemplary implementations

[0010] A connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. The connector in Fig. Connector 1 shown is a charging plug (so-called charging port) that is installed in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle to supply (charge) electrical energy from outside the vehicle to a battery mounted inside the vehicle.

[0011] For the sake of simplicity, the following terms "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "forward-backward direction", "up-down direction" and "left-right direction" are used as in Fig. 1 and the like are defined as shown. The “forward-backward direction”, the “up-down direction”, and the “left-right direction” are orthogonal to each other. The left-right direction corresponds to a “first direction” and a “second direction” of the present disclosure. The forward-backward direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction need not necessarily correspond to a forward-backward direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction of the vehicle or the like to which the connector 1 is attached. The components of the connector 1 are described below in sequence.

[0012] As in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2 to Fig. As illustrated in Figure 3, the connector 1 comprises a pair of left and right terminals 10, a pair of left and right first busbars 20, each fastened to the pair of left and right terminals 10 by first bolts 51, a pair of left and right second busbars 30, each fastened to the pair of left and right first busbars 20 by second bolts 52, and a housing 40 that accommodates the pair of left and right terminals 10. When the connector 1 is attached to the vehicle, it is fastened to the vehicle by securing the housing 40 to a mounting hole 3 (see Figure 3). Fig. 3) is attached, which is in a plate-shaped vehicle-side element 2 (for example, a vehicle body panel; see Fig. 1 and Fig. 3) is configured. Terminal 10 (also referred to as the power terminal) is electrically connected to a mating terminal (not shown) belonging to a mating plug (for example, a so-called charging plug) that is connected to connector 1 during the battery charging process, and the second busbar 30 is electrically connected to one side of the battery. The configurations of the elements comprising connector 1 are described below in sequence.

[0013] First, terminal 10 is described. The pair of left and right terminals 10 is held by a pair of left and right terminal retaining sections 42, which will be described later and are provided in the housing 40 (see Fig. 3) As in Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the metal connector 10 has a rod shape which extends in a straight forward-backward direction overall and in particular comprises a small-diameter section 11 located at a tip end (front end) and a large-diameter section 12 located at a rear (back end) of the small-diameter section 11 and having a larger diameter than the small-diameter section 11.

[0014] The small diameter section 11 is a part that is connected to the mating connector belonging to the mating plug that is attached to a hood section 41 (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2 to Fig. 3) of the housing 40, and is a part that is attached to the connection holding section 42 (see Fig. 3) of the housing 40. The large-diameter section 12 is provided at its rear end face with a forward-facing bolt hole (internal threaded bore) 13. The first busbar 20 is attached and secured to the rear end face of the large-diameter section 12 by screwing the first metal bolt 51 into the bolt hole 13 (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 3).

[0015] Next, the first busbar 20 is described. The pair of left and right first busbars 20 is each attached to and connected with the pair of left and right terminals 10, oriented in opposite directions (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. 4) As in the Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. As illustrated in Figure 4, the first metal busbar 20 has a plate shape which extends overall in a left-right direction and in particular includes a fastening section 21 which is located on an inside in a left-right direction and a body section 22 which is located on an outside in a left-right direction.

[0016] The fastening section 21 of the first busbar 20 has a substantially rectangular, flat plate shape extending in the left-right direction and is formed with a first through hole 23 running in the plate thickness direction (forward-backward direction) (see Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. 4) The leg section (external thread section) of the first bolt 51 is inserted into the first through hole 23. The first through hole 23 has an elongated shape, where the hole width in the left-right direction is greater than the hole width in the top-bottom direction, so that the position of the first bolt 51 inserted into the first through hole 23 is adjustable in the left-right direction relative to the first through hole 23.

[0017] The body section 22 of the first busbar 20 has a plate thickness (thickness in the forward-backward direction) that is greater than the plate thickness (thickness in the forward-backward direction) of the mounting section 21 and the plate thickness (thickness in the forward-backward direction) of the second busbar 30, and has an essentially rectangular flat plate shape extending in the left-right direction. The body section 22 with the greater plate thickness also has a greater heat capacity. For this reason, the body section 22 acts as a heat storage section, actively absorbing the heat generated during current flow in the first busbar 20. When the charging connector 1 is actually used, the temperature (the so-called operating temperature) of the terminal 10 rises due to the Joule heat generated in the terminal 10 during current flow.In this respect, the heat transferred from terminal 10 to the first busbar 20 is absorbed by the body section 22 (heat storage section), even if the amount of heat generated per unit of time in terminal 10 is large, as in fast charging, and thus it is possible to prevent a rapid increase in the operating temperature of terminal 10 and to gradually increase the operating temperature of terminal 10.

[0018] The first busbar 20 is formed in the body section 22 with a bolt hole (internal threaded bore) 24, which runs in the direction of the plate thickness (forward-backward direction) (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. 4) The second busbar 30 is attached and fixed to a rear end face of the body section 22 by screwing the second metal bolt 52 into the bolt hole 24 (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2 to Fig. 3) Since the body section 22 has a large plate thickness, the bolt hole 24 (internal threaded hole), which is a part with which the second bolt 52 engages, can be provided in the body section 22 without providing a counter-component (for example, a nut) of the second bolt 52 as a separate component.

[0019] Next, the second busbar 30 is described. The pair of left and right second busbars 30 is each attached to and connected with the pair of left and right first busbars 20, extending in the top-bottom direction and spaced apart in the left-right direction (see Fig. 1, Fig. 2 to Fig. 3) As in the Fig. As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 and 5, the second metal busbar 30 has a flat plate shape that extends straight in the top-bottom direction. The second busbar 30 is formed in its upper end section with a second through-hole 31, which runs in the plate thickness direction (forward-backward direction). The leg section (external thread section) of the second bolt 52 is inserted into the second through-hole 31. The second through-hole 31 has an elongated shape, in which the hole width in the left-right direction is larger than the hole width in the top-bottom direction, so that the position of the second bolt 52 inserted into the second through-hole 31 is adjustable in the left-right direction relative to the second through-hole 31.

[0020] Next, the housing 40 is described. The housing 40 is attached to the mounting hole 3 of the vehicle-side element 2. The housing 40 is a molded plastic body and comprises the tubular hood section 41, which has an open front end and extends in a forward-backward direction, as shown in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2 to Fig. 3 shown. Hood section 41 is a section to which a mating connector is attached. As shown in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 3, the hood section 41 is formed with the pair of left and right connection retaining sections 42 on a rear wall that blocks its rear end. In particular, each of the connection retaining sections 42 is a through-hole extending in the forward-backward direction and holding the small-diameter section 11 of the connection 10 (see Figure 3). Fig. 3) The distance between the left and right terminal holding section 42 (i.e. the pair of left and right terminals 10) is set to a value that corresponds to a standard applicable to connector 1.

[0021] The hood section 41 is provided at a rear end face of the rear wall, which blocks its rear end, with a tubular section 43 that projects rearward to surround the pair of left and right connecting retaining sections 42 corresponding to the mounting hole 3 of the vehicle-side element 2 (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) The tubular section 43 is inserted into the mounting hole 3 of the vehicle-side element 2 and secured therein (see Fig. 3) The tubular section 43 is provided at its middle section in the left-right direction with a flat, plate-shaped partition 44 extending in the top-bottom direction to divide an internal space of the tubular section 43 in the left-right direction into two parts (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) The elements that make up connector 1 are described above.

[0022] Next, an assembly procedure for the connector 1 is described. To assemble the connector 1, the housing 40 is first prepared in which the distance between the pair of left and right terminal retaining sections 42 (i.e., the pair of left and right terminals 10) is set to a value corresponding to a standard applicable to the connector 1, and the housing 40 is mounted to the vehicle-side element 2 from a front side (see Fig. 3) In particular, the housing 40 is mounted on the vehicle-side element 2 such that the tubular section 43 of the housing 40 is inserted into and secured in the mounting hole 3 of the vehicle-side element 2, and an outer circumferential edge section of the rear wall of the hood section 41, which is located on an outside relative to the tubular section 43, comes into contact with the front of the vehicle-side element 2.

[0023] Next, the pair of left and right connectors 10 is mounted to the housing 40 from the rear. Specifically, each connector 10 is inserted from the rear into the corresponding connector retaining section 42, and the rear end of the small-diameter section 11 is held by the corresponding connector retaining section 42. When the pair of left and right connectors 10 is mounted, the pair of small-diameter left and right sections 11 projects forward from the pair of left and right connector retaining sections 42 and is located in an internal space within the hood section 41, and the pair of large-diameter left and right sections 12 projects rearward from the tubular section 43 inserted into the mounting hole 3, with the partition 44 positioned between them from the left and right (see Figure 1). Fig. 3) The order of mounting the housing 40 on the vehicle-side element 2 and mounting the connector 10 on the housing 40 can be reversed.

[0024] Next, the pair of left and right first busbars 20 are each attached to the pair of left and right terminals 10. Specifically, the leg section of the first bolt 51, which is inserted into the first through-hole 23 of the mounting section 21, is screwed into the bolt hole 13 of the large-diameter section 12 of the corresponding terminal 10 in such a way that the mounting section 21 is oriented on the inside in a left-right direction and extends in a left-right direction, thereby securing the first busbar 20 to the corresponding terminal 10. At this point, the position of the first bolt 51 inserted into the first through-hole 23 is adjustable relative to the through-hole 23 in a left-right direction.Accordingly, by changing the position of the first bolt 51 in the left-right direction in the first through-hole 23 according to an arrangement of the terminal 10, the terminal 10 and the first busbar 20 can be fastened without changing the shape of the first busbar 20 or its position in the left-right direction, even if the distance between the pair of left and right terminals 10 differs according to the standard applicable to the connector 1. Therefore, the first busbar 20 can also be used jointly even if the arrangement of the terminal 10 differs in the left-right direction.

[0025] Next, the pair of left and right second busbars 30 are each attached to the pair of left and right first busbars 20. Specifically, the leg section of the second bolt 52 inserted into the second through-hole 31 of the second busbar 30 is screwed into the bolt hole 24 of the body section 22 of the corresponding first busbar 20 in such a way that the second through-hole 31 is located at its upper end section and extends in the top-bottom direction, thereby securing the second busbar 30 to the corresponding first busbar 20. At this point, the position of the second bolt 52 inserted into the second through-hole 31 is adjustable in the left-right direction relative to the second through-hole 31.Accordingly, by changing the position of the second bolt 52 in the left-right direction in the second through-hole 31 according to an arrangement of the first busbar 20, the first busbar 20 and the second busbar 30 can be fastened without changing the shape of the second busbar 30 or its position in the left-right direction, even if it is necessary to change the position of the first busbar 20 in the left-right direction according to the standard applicable to connector 1. Therefore, the second busbar 30 can also be used jointly even if the arrangement of the first busbar 20 in the left-right direction differs. This completes the assembly of connector 1, and the result shown in [reference missing] is obtained. Fig. 1. Connector shown 1. Use and impact

[0026] As described above, in the present embodiment, the first busbar 20, according to the connector 1, has a plate thickness at a second position (body section 22), which is connected to the second busbar 30, that is greater than the plate thickness of the first busbar 20 at a first position (mounting section 21), which is connected to the terminal 10. The second position 22 acts as a heat storage section. Accordingly, the heat generated in the first busbar 20 during energization is absorbed by the body section 22 with a large heat capacity without a dedicated heat storage component. This makes it possible to limit a rapid rise in the operating temperature of the terminal 10 and to increase the operating temperature of the terminal 10 gently, even when the amount of heat generated per unit time in the terminal 10 is large, as during fast charging.Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the operating temperature of the connection 10 from reaching a predetermined upper limit. Since the plate thickness of the second position 22 is considerable, a part (bolt hole 24) can also be provided at the second position 22 with which the second fastening element 52 engages, without requiring a counter-component (e.g., a nut) of the second fastening element (second bolt 52) ​​as a separate component. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the connector 1 can limit an excessive increase in the operating temperature of the connection 10 without a dedicated heat storage component or the like.

[0027] Furthermore, according to the connector 1 in the present embodiment, the first through-hole 23 of the first busbar 20 for inserting the first fastening element (first bolt 51) has an elongated hole shape that is extended in a first direction (left-right direction), and the second through-hole 31 of the second busbar 30 for inserting the second fastening element 52 has an elongated hole shape that is extended in a second direction (left-right direction). Therefore, even if the arrangement of the terminal 10 differs depending on the standard applicable to the connector 1, the terminal 10 and the first busbar 20 can be fastened by changing the position of the first fastening element 51 in the first through-hole 23 according to the arrangement of the terminal 10, without changing the shape of the first busbar 20 or its position in the housing 40.Even if it is necessary to change the position of the first busbar 20, the first busbar 20 and the second busbar 30 can be secured by changing the position of the second fastening element 52 in the second through-hole 31 according to the arrangement of the first busbar 20, without changing the shape of the second busbar 30 or its position in the housing 40. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the connector 1 can utilize the first and second busbars 20, 30 together, even if the arrangement of the connection 10 is different.

[0028] According to the connector with configuration [3], the pair of terminals 10 are arranged side by side in the direction in which the first through-hole 23 of the first busbar 20 extends (i.e., in the first direction). Accordingly, the terminals 10 and the first busbar 20 can be fastened even if the distance between the pair of terminals 10 differs according to the standard, without changing the shape of the first busbar 20 or the position of the first busbar 20 in the housing 40. Further examples of implementation

[0029] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made 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 are freely selectable and not limited, as long as the present invention can be implemented.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the position of the first bolt 51 inserted into the first through-hole 23 is adjustable in the left-right direction relative to the first through-hole 23, since the first through-hole 23 of the first busbar 20 has an elongated hole shape that is extended in the left-right direction, and since the second through-hole 31 of the second busbar 30 has an elongated hole shape that is extended in the left-right direction, the position of the second bolt 52 inserted into the second through-hole 31 is adjustable in the left-right direction relative to the second through-hole 31.On the other hand, although the first through-hole 23 of the first busbar 20 has an elongated hole shape that is extended in the left-right direction, so that the position of the first bolt 51 inserted into the first through-hole 23 is adjustable in the left-right direction relative to the first through-hole 23, the second through-hole 31 of the second busbar 30 may have an elongated hole shape that is extended in the top-bottom direction, so that the position of the second bolt 52 inserted into the second through-hole 31 is adjustable in the top-bottom direction relative to the second through-hole 31.

[0031] Here, the features of the embodiment of connector 1 described above according to the present invention are briefly summarized and listed in the following points [1] to [3]. [1] A connector (1) comprises a terminal (10), a first busbar (20) configured to be connected to the terminal (10), a first fastening element (51) configured to secure the terminal (10) and the first busbar (20), a second busbar (30) configured to be connected to the first busbar (20), a second fastening element (52) configured to secure the first busbar (20) and the second busbar (30), and a housing (40) configured to accommodate the terminal (10).The first busbar (20) has a plate thickness at a second position (22), which is to be attached to the second mounting element (52) and connected to the second busbar (30), that is greater than the plate thickness of the first busbar (20) at a first position (21), which is to be attached to the first mounting element (51) and connected to the terminal (10). The second position (22) is configured to function as a heat storage section. According to the connector with configuration [1], the first busbar at the second position, which is connected to the second busbar, has a plate thickness greater than the plate thickness of the first busbar at the first position, which is connected to the terminal. The second position acts as a heat storage section. Accordingly, the heat generated in the terminal is absorbed by using a portion (i.e., the second section) of the first busbar originally used for power supply as a heat storage section without a dedicated heat storage component. This makes it possible to limit a rapid rise in the terminal's operating temperature and to increase the terminal's operating temperature gradually, even when the amount of heat generated per unit time in the terminal is large, as during fast charging. This prevents the terminal's operating temperature from reaching a predetermined upper limit.Since the plate thickness in the second position is considerable, a component (e.g., a bolt hole) with which the second fastener engages is provided in the second position without a separate mating component (e.g., a nut) for the second fastener (e.g., a bolt). This reduces the number of components in the connector. Therefore, with this configuration, the connector can limit an excessive increase in the operating temperature of the connection without a dedicated heat storage component or similar device. [2] In the connector (1) according to [1], a first through hole (23) provided at the first position (21) and through which the first fastening element (51) can be inserted has an elongated hole shape in which a hole width in a predetermined first direction is greater than a hole width in a direction that intersects the first direction, and enables the position of the first fastening element (51) in the first through hole (23) to be adjustable in the first direction.A second through-hole (31) provided in the second busbar (30) through which the second fastening element (52) can be inserted has an elongated hole shape in which the hole width in a predetermined second direction is larger than the hole width in a direction that intersects the second direction, and allows the position of the second fastening element (52) in the second through-hole (31) to be adjustable in the second direction. According to the connector with configuration [2], the first through-hole of the first busbar for inserting the first fastener has an elongated hole shape that extends in the first direction, and the second through-hole of the second busbar for inserting the second fastener has an elongated hole shape that extends in the second direction. Therefore, even if the terminal arrangement differs depending on the standard applicable to the connector, by changing the position of the first fastener in the first through-hole according to the terminal arrangement, the terminal and the first busbar can be secured without changing the shape of the first busbar or its position in the enclosure. Even if it is necessary to change the position of the first busbar, the first and second busbars can be secured by changing the position of the second mounting element in the second through-hole, according to the arrangement of the first busbar, without altering the shape or position of the second busbar in the enclosure. Therefore, with this configuration, the connector can share internal busbars even if the terminal arrangements differ. [3] In the connector (1) according to [2] a pair of terminals (10) is configured to be arranged next to each other in the first direction. According to the connector with configuration [3], the pair of terminals is arranged side by side in the direction in which the first through-hole of the first busbar extends (i.e., in the first direction). Accordingly, the terminals and the first busbar can be secured without changing the shape of the first busbar or its position in the enclosure, even if the distance between the pair of terminals differs according to the standard. 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 2019-192482A

[0003]

Claims

Connector (1) comprising: a terminal (10); a first busbar (20) configured to be connected to the terminal (10); a first fastening element (51) configured to secure the terminal (10) and the first busbar (20); a second busbar (30) configured to be connected to the first busbar (20); a second fastening element (52) configured to secure the first busbar (20) and the second busbar (30);and a housing (40) configured to accommodate the connection (10), wherein the first busbar (20) at a second position (22), which is to be attached to the second mounting element (52) and connected to the second busbar (30), has a plate thickness greater than the plate thickness of the first busbar (20) at a first position (21), which is to be attached to the first mounting element (51) and connected to the connection (10), and wherein the second position (22) is configured to function as a heat storage section. Connector (1) according to claim 1, wherein a first through-hole (23) provided at the first position (21) and through which the first fastening element (51) can be inserted has an elongated hole shape in which a hole width in a predetermined first direction is greater than a hole width in a direction that intersects the first direction, and it allows a position of the first fastening element (51) in the first through-hole (23) to be adjustable in the first direction, and wherein a second through-hole (31) provided in the second busbar (30) and through which the second fastening element (52) can be inserted has an elongated hole shape in which a hole width in a predetermined second direction is greater than a hole width in a direction that intersects the second direction, and it allowsthat the position of the second fastening element (52) in the second through-hole (31) is adjustable in the second direction. Connector (1) according to claim 2, wherein the pair of terminals (10) is configured to be arranged side by side in the first direction.

Images