Charging connector

Abstract

To downsize a charging connector.SOLUTION: A charging connector 10 comprises: power terminals 22A and 22B; signal terminals 24A and 24B; a housing 50 and a retainer that hold the power terminals and the signal terminals; relay terminals 28A and 28B that have plate-like attachment parts 29Aa and 29Ba, and fixed to the power terminals 22A and 22B in a posture extending along a direction crossing an inserting / drawing-out direction; an electric power line 32 electrically connected with the power terminals 22A and 22B via the relay terminals 28A and 28B; and an exterior member that covers the retainer 60 and the power terminals and the signal terminals collectively. The electric power line 32 extends along a straight line extending in the direction crossing the inserting / drawing-out direction in the exterior member 90.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging inlet including a cylindrical portion, a housing fitted to a base end of the cylindrical portion, and an end housing fitted to the housing. A plurality of terminals are provided inside the cylindrical portion to be electrically connected to terminals of an external connector. The terminals are electrically connected to a battery via wiring passing through the housing and the end housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-83130 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Power lines are used as the wiring connecting the terminals and the battery. Power lines are thicker than signal lines, so the bending radius of the power lines tends to be larger. For this reason, if the power lines are to be bent inside the end housing according to the direction in which the wiring is drawn out, it is necessary to secure a space inside the end housing that can accommodate the bent power lines.

[0005] There is therefore a demand for miniaturizing the charging inlet.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to reduce the size of a charging connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A charging connector according to the present disclosure is a charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, mates with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, the charging connector having a housing that has a first power terminal used to supply power to the battery, an opening into which the external charging connector is inserted and removed, and a terminal holding portion that is located inside the opening when viewed along an insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector and holds the first power terminal, a first plate-shaped mounting portion that has a first through hole, and a first power line connection portion, and the first plate-shaped mounting portion is in a position extending along the insertion / removal direction, and the first relay terminal is fixed to an end of the first power terminal opposite the opening, and a first power line is connected to the first power line connection portion and electrically connected to the first power terminal via the first relay terminal, the first relay terminal has an intermediate plate-shaped portion extending in a crosswise manner from the first plate-shaped mounting portion, and the first power line connection portion is provided on an end of the intermediate plate-shaped portion opposite the first plate-shaped mounting portion, and the intermediate plate-shaped portion is a plate-shaped portion that is aligned with the insertion / removal direction. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the charging connector can be made smaller. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a charging connector according to a first embodiment and an assembly manner thereof. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the power terminal and the electric wire with terminal, and further the housing position thereof. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the electric wire path in the charging connector. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a power terminal. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a retainer and a relay terminal. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing a charging connector according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0011] The charging connector of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0012] (1) A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, mates with an external charging connector connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, the charging connector including: a first power terminal and a second power terminal used to supply power to the battery; a first signal terminal arranged on one side of the first power terminal and the second power terminal along a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first power terminal and the second power terminal are arranged; a second signal terminal arranged on the other side of the first power terminal and the second power terminal along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first power terminal and the second power terminal are arranged; an opening through which the external charging connector is inserted and removed; and a terminal holding portion that is located inside the opening when viewed along the insertion and removal direction of the external charging connector and holds the first power terminal, the second power terminal, the first signal terminal, and the second signal terminal; and a housing that combines with an end of the housing opposite to the opening and holds the first power terminal, the second power terminal, the first signal terminal, and the second signal terminal together with the housing. a first plate-shaped mounting portion having a first through hole and a first power line connection portion, the first plate-shaped mounting portion having a first relay terminal fixed to an end of the first power terminal on the opposite side to the opening, a second plate-shaped mounting portion having a second through hole and a second power line connection portion, the second plate-shaped mounting portion being connected to a second relay terminal fixed to an end of the second power terminal on the opposite side to the opening and the first power line connection portion, the second plate-shaped mounting portion being connected to a first relay terminal fixed to an end of the second power terminal on the opposite side to the opening and the first power line connection portion, the first power line electrically connected to the first power terminal via the first relay terminal, a second power line connected to the second power line connection portion and electrically connected to the second power terminal via the second relay terminal, and an exterior member that collectively covers the retainer, the first power terminal, the second power terminal, the first signal terminal, and the second signal terminal from the side opposite to the opening, wherein the first power line and the second power line extend within the exterior member along a straight line that extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0013] According to this charging connector, the first power line and the second power line extend along a straight line that extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction within the exterior member. Therefore, there is no need to secure space within the exterior member to accommodate the bent power lines. This allows the charging connector to be made smaller. In particular, the direction of the power lines relative to the longitudinal direction of the power terminals is changed by the relay terminals fastened and fixed to the power terminals, allowing the charging connector to be made smaller in the insertion / removal direction. Furthermore, since there is no need to bend the first power line and the second power line within the exterior member, the charging connector can be manufactured more easily.

[0014] (2) The charging connector of (1) may be configured such that the first power line connection portion and the second power line connection portion are disposed at positions that allow the first power line and the second power line to extend to one side along a direction in which the first power terminal and the second power terminal are arranged, and the first relay terminal is provided between the first plate-shaped mounting portion and the first power line connection portion and has a detour portion that extends to detour around the first signal terminal. This allows the first relay terminal to be disposed while avoiding interference with a signal line extending from the first signal terminal.

[0015] (3) In the charging connector according to (1) or (2), the retainer may have a wall surrounding the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal, and the wall may be formed at a position that separates the first relay terminal or the second relay terminal from the first signal terminal or the second signal terminal when viewed along the insertion / removal direction. This allows the walls to separate the relay terminals from the signal terminals.

[0016] (4) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (3), one of the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal may include a plate-shaped portion along the insertion / removal direction, and the other of the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal may include a plate-shaped portion along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. In this way, by arranging the plate-shaped portion of the first relay terminal and the plate-shaped portion of the second relay terminal along different directions, they can be arranged in a compact space, which contributes to miniaturization of the charging connector.

[0017] (5) In the charging connector according to any one of (1) to (4), the first power line and the second power line may extend along a direction in which the first power terminal and the second power terminal are arranged. This allows the first power line and the second power line to be drawn out along a direction in which the first power terminal and the second power terminal are arranged.

[0018] (6) The charging connector according to any one of (1) to (5), further comprising a first signal line connected to the first signal terminal and a second signal line connected to the second signal terminal, and the first signal line and the second signal line may be bent and bundled together within the exterior member. This allows the first signal line and the second signal line to also be directed in the exterior member and bundled together for extraction.

[0019] (7) The charging connector of any one of (1) to (6) may further include a first fastener that is inserted into the first through hole and fastens the first plate-shaped mounting portion to an end of the first power terminal opposite to the opening, and a second fastener that is inserted into the second through hole and fastens the second plate-shaped mounting portion to an end of the second power terminal opposite to the opening. This makes it possible to simply and securely connect the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal to the first power terminal and the second power terminal by the first fastener and the second fastener.

[0020] (8) In the charging connector of (7), a fastening direction of the first fastener and the second fastener may be the same as the insertion / removal direction. This makes it possible to easily perform the fastening operation of the fasteners since the fasteners can be fastened along the insertion / removal direction.

[0021] (9) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (8), the first power terminal and the second power terminal may be members formed by bending a metal plate member so that the first plate mounting portion and the second plate mounting portion can be arranged along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. This makes it possible to easily realize a configuration in which the first plate mounting portion and the second plate mounting portion can be arranged along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0022] (10) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (9), the first power terminal may have a first tubular portion into which a mating terminal is inserted, the second power terminal may have a second tubular portion into which a mating terminal is inserted, and when viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the first tubular portion may overlap the first through hole and the second tubular portion may overlap the second through hole. This makes it possible to make the charging connector compact when viewed along the insertion / removal direction.

[0023] (11) The charging connector according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the first power line and the second power line have a cross-sectional area of ​​40 mm 2 The conductor may include a conductor having a cross section of 40 mm or more. In this way, a thick power line tends to have a large bending radius and a large space to accommodate the bent portion. By configuring the first power line and the second power line to extend along a straight line that extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction within the exterior member, 2 Even when using thick first and second power lines including the above conductors, the charging connector can be made compact.

[0024] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the charging connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0025] [Embodiment 1] The charging connector according to the first embodiment will be described below.

[0026] <About the vehicle> First, a vehicle in which the charging connector is installed will be described.

[0027] The vehicle into which the charging connector is incorporated is an electric vehicle equipped with a battery and a motor. The vehicle runs by driving the motor with power from the battery. The vehicle may be an electric vehicle equipped only with a motor as a drive source, or may be a hybrid vehicle equipped with a motor and an engine. The battery in the vehicle is charged with power supplied from an external power source. The charging connector is configured so that an external charging connector 200 (see FIG. 5) can be inserted and electrically connected. The external charging connector is a connector for a charging cable extending from an external power source.

[0028] Generally, there are two types of charging modes for a battery in a vehicle: normal charging and rapid charging. Rapid charging allows charging in a shorter time than normal charging by passing a larger current than normal charging. For normal charging, a household power source or an equivalent external power source is assumed to be used. For rapid charging, a dedicated power source such as a charging station is assumed to be used. The charging connector of the present disclosure is described as a charging connector compatible with rapid charging.

[0029] <Vehicle charging connector> An installation state of the charging connector in a vehicle will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a charging connector 10 according to a first embodiment and its installation state.

[0030] The charging connector 10 is attached to, for example, a mounting portion 100 provided on the outer surface of the body of the vehicle. An example of the mounting portion 100 is shown in Fig. 1. The mounting portion 100 is formed, for example, in such a manner that a part of a panel constituting the body is recessed toward the inside of the vehicle. A through hole 104 is formed in a bottom panel 102 of the mounting portion 100.

[0031] A connection portion with an external charging connector is provided on the front side of the charging connector 10. The connection portion includes a portion into which the external charging connector is inserted and electrically connected. A portion of the charging connector 10, including the connection portion, passes through a through hole 104 and is exposed to the outside of the panel 102. Another portion of the charging connector 10 is disposed inside the vehicle relative to the panel 102. Typically, a vehicle body side cover 106 is provided on the mounting portion 100. The vehicle body side cover 106 is attached by a hinge or the like so as to be openable and closable. When the vehicle body side cover 106 is closed, the vehicle body side cover 106 covers the opening of the panel 102. When the vehicle body side cover 106 is open, the charging connector 10 is exposed and the charging connector 10 can be accessed from the outside. When the external charging connector 200 is mated and connected to the charging connector 10, charging is performed on a battery 230 provided in the vehicle.

[0032] In the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1, of the mutually orthogonal X-, Y-, and Z-directions, the X-direction is a direction parallel to the direction in which the charging connector 10 penetrates the through-hole 104 of the panel 102. The charging connector 10 and the external charging connector are connected in the X-direction. The Y-direction is a direction in which a pair of power terminals 22, which will be described later, are aligned. The Z-direction is a direction orthogonal to both the X- and Y-directions. For example, when the charging connector 10 is provided on a side surface of the vehicle, the X-direction is considered to be the width direction of the vehicle, the Y-direction is considered to be the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the Z-direction is considered to be the vertical direction. Also, for example, when the charging connector 10 is provided on the front or rear surface of the vehicle, the X-direction is considered to be the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the Y-direction is considered to be the width direction of the vehicle, and the Z-direction is considered to be the vertical direction.

[0033] <Overall composition> The overall configuration of the charging connector 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 7 in addition to Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a front view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a terminal-fitted electric wire 38 and its housing position. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the path of the electric wire 30 in the charging connector 10. Note that the electric wire 30 is omitted in Fig. 3. Also, some of the terminal-fitted electric wires 38 are omitted in Fig. 6.

[0034] The charging connector 10 includes a terminal 20, an electric wire 30, a thermistor unit 40, a housing 50, a retainer 60, an electric wire cover 70, a lid unit 80, and a grommet 90.

[0035] <Terminal> The terminal 20 includes a connector terminal 21 and a relay terminal 28 (see Figs. 3 to 6). The connector terminal 21 is accommodated in a housing 50. The connector terminal 21 is connected to a terminal of a mating connector. The number and type of the connector terminals 21 are set appropriately depending on the standard of the charging connector 10, etc. In this embodiment, two power terminals 22, six signal terminals 24, and one ground terminal 26 are provided as the connector terminals 21. The relay terminal 28 is interposed between the power terminal 22 and the electric wire 30. The relay terminals 28 are provided in the same number as the power terminals 22 (here, two). Each terminal 20 is formed by pressing (bending) a metal plate.

[0036] The power terminal 22 is a terminal used for supplying power to the battery 230. The power terminal 22 has a cylindrical portion 23a, a fastening plate-shaped portion 23b, and a protruding portion 23c. The power terminal 22 further has a thermistor attachment portion 23d.

[0037] The cylindrical portion 23a is a portion that is electrically connected to a power supply terminal of the external charging connector. The fastening plate portion 23b is a portion to which the relay terminal 28 is fastened. The power line 32 is electrically connected to the power terminal 22 via the relay terminal 28.

[0038] The signal terminal 24 has a mating connection portion 25a, an electric wire connection portion 25b, and a protrusion 25c. The ground terminal 26 has a mating connection portion 27a, an electric wire connection portion 27b, and a protrusion 27c. The electric wire connection portions 25b, 27b are portions to which electric wires are connected, here, crimping portions. The signal terminal 24 and the ground terminal 26 are crimped to the ends of the corresponding electric wires 30 by the electric wire connection portions 25b, 27b. As a result, the signal terminal 24 and the ground terminal 26 are fixed while being electrically connected to the corresponding electric wires 30.

[0039] The protrusions 23c, 25c, and 27c are provided at the middle portion of each connector terminal 21. The protrusions 23c, 25c, and 27c are portions that are pressed by the retainer 60. The thermistor attachment portion 23d is a portion where the thermistor unit 40 is attached.

[0040] One end of each electric wire 30 is connected to the terminal 20. The other end of each electric wire 30 extends from the grommet 90 to the outside. When the charging connector 10 is mounted on the vehicle, the other end of each electric wire 30 is connected to another device mounted on the vehicle. Such device is appropriately set according to the type of the electric wire 30, and is assumed to be, for example, a battery, an electronic control unit (ECU), etc. The number and type of the electric wires 30 correspond to the number and type of the connector terminals 21. In the example of the present embodiment, the electric wire 30 includes two power lines 32, six signal lines 34, and one ground line 36 (see FIGS. 2 and 7). One end of the power line 32 is connected to the relay terminal 28. The power line 32 is connected to the power terminal 22 via the relay terminal 28. One end of the signal line 34 is connected to the signal terminal 24. One end of the ground line 36 is connected to the ground terminal 26. One end of the thermistor electric wire 44 is connected to the thermistor 42.

[0041] Each electric wire 30 is a coated electric wire. The coated electric wire has a core wire 31a and a coating 31b that covers the core wire 31a. The core wire 31a is formed, for example, by twisting a plurality of metallic wires. The core wire 31a may be a single-core wire. The coating 31b is formed, for example, by extruding an insulating resin around the core wire 31a. As the plurality of electric wires 30, a plurality of types of electric wires 30 having different thicknesses are used. The thickness of the electric wire 30 is set according to the allowable current value, etc. Normally, in order to increase the allowable current value, it is necessary to increase the conductor cross-sectional area, and the thickness of the electric wire 30 becomes larger accordingly. Also, the thickness of the electric wire 30 is usually correlated with the difficulty of bending the electric wire 30, and the thicker the electric wire 30, the harder it is to bend. For example, when an easy-to-bend electric wire and a hard-to-bend electric wire are bent by the same angle, the radius of curvature of the hard-to-bend electric wire becomes larger than the radius of curvature of the easy-to-bend electric wire, and therefore a larger arrangement space is required.

[0042] In this example, the power line 32 is thicker than the ground line 36 and the signal line 34. Therefore, the power line 32 is less likely to bend than the ground line 36 and the signal line 34. The cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor of the power line 32 is, for example, 40 mm 2 The cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor of the power line 32 is, for example, 120 mm 2 The ground line 36 is also thicker than the signal line 34. Therefore, the ground line 36 is less prone to bending than the signal line 34.

[0043] <Wire with terminal> The terminal 20 and the electric wire 30 are fixed and integrated while being electrically connected to each other by crimping during the manufacturing process of the charging connector 10. Such an integrated electric wire 30 and terminal 20 may be called a terminal-attached electric wire 38. In this example, an electric wire 38 with a terminal in which a power line 32 and a relay terminal 28 are integrated, an electric wire 38 with a terminal in which a signal line 34 and a signal terminal 24 are integrated, and an electric wire 38 with a terminal in which a ground line 36 and a ground terminal 26 are integrated are provided.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, the electric wire with terminal 38 may be covered with a shrink tube 39. The shrink tube 39 covers the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20. This prevents water from getting on the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 and water from penetrating into the coating 31b. The shrink tube 39 covers, for example, a portion of the terminal 20 forward of the portion to which the electric wire 30 is connected to the portion of the electric wire 30 where the coating 31b is located. The shrink tube 39 is, for example, a heat shrink tube 39 that shrinks when heated. The shrink tube 39 is placed over the electric wire with terminal 38 in a large diameter state before being heated. Thereafter, when the shrink tube 39 is heated and shrinks, it takes a shape corresponding to the shape of the connection portion, so that it can be closely attached to the connection portion. For example, a hot melt adhesive may be provided on the inner surface of the shrink tube 39. This allows the hot melt adhesive to fill the gap between the shrink tube 39 and the terminal 20 and the gap between the shrink tube 39 and the electric wire 30, improving the waterproofing of the shrink tube 39. The hot melt adhesive does not have to be provided on the inner surface of the shrink tube 39. In the electric wire with terminal 38, the shrink tube 39 may not be provided at the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20, and the connection portion may be exposed. In the electric wire with terminal 38, instead of the shrink tube 39, a resin such as an adhesive may be provided at the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20.

[0045] <Thermistor unit> The thermistor unit 40 measures the temperature of the power terminal 22. In the charging connector 10 for quick charging, a large current flows through the power terminal 22 for supplying power for charging the battery, and therefore the temperature rise of the power terminal 22 is correspondingly large. By monitoring the temperature of the power terminal 22 using the thermistor unit 40, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the power terminal 22 from becoming too high. The thermistor unit 40 has a thermistor 42 and a thermistor wire 44 (see FIG. 6). In this example, the thermistor 42 is attached to each of the pair of power terminals 22, and the temperature of each of the pair of power terminals 22 is measured. One end of the thermistor wire 44 is connected to the thermistor 42. The other end of the thermistor wire 44 extends to the outside from the grommet 90 in the same manner as the other end of the wire 30. When the charging connector 10 is mounted on the vehicle, the other end of the thermistor wire 44 is connected to, for example, an ECU. The thermistor wire 44 is thinner than the power wire 32 and the ground wire 36. For this reason, the thermistor wire 44 is more easily bent than the power wire 32 and the ground wire 36.

[0046] <Housing> Housing 50 holds connector terminal 21 in a predetermined position (a position where connector terminal 21 of the external charging connector can be connected). Housing 50 includes a housing main body 51, a vehicle attachment portion 54, and a wire pressing portion 57 (see FIGS. 3 to 6).

[0047] The connector terminals 21 are accommodated in the housing main body 51. The housing main body 51 has an outer frame portion 52 and a plurality of terminal holding portions 53. Each of the plurality of terminal holding portions 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape capable of accommodating a corresponding connector terminal 21. The outer frame portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the plurality of terminal holding portions 53. At an intermediate portion of the terminal holding portion 53, the plurality of terminal holding portions 53 and the outer frame portion 52 are connected by a flat plate-shaped connecting portion. An opening portion 51A through which the external charging connector is inserted and removed is formed in a portion of the outer frame portion 52 facing toward the outside of the vehicle beyond the connecting portion. The terminal holding portion 53 is located inside the opening portion 51A when viewed along the insertion and removal direction of the external charging connector. A lid unit 80 is attached to the front of the housing main body 51. A retainer 60 is attached to the rear of the housing main body 51.

[0048] The vehicle mounting portion 54 is a portion for mounting the charging connector 10 to the mounting portion 100. The vehicle mounting portion 54 is formed in a plate shape protruding around the outer frame portion 52 in the middle portion of the housing body 51. The vehicle mounting portion 54 is attached to the mounting portion 100 by, for example, screws S.

[0049] The electric wire pressing portion 57 presses the middle portion of the electric wire 30 extending from the terminal 20. This makes it difficult for vibrations occurring on the other end side of the electric wire 30 from the portion pressed by the electric wire pressing portion 57 to be transmitted to the terminal 20, and friction between the terminal 20 and the housing body 51 is suppressed. At the rear of the housing body 51, a block-shaped arm 56 protrudes in the Y direction from the outer frame portion 52. The electric wire pressing portion 57 is provided at the tip portion of the arm 56 along the protruding direction from the housing body 51. Three electric wire pressing portions 57 are provided. Two of the three electric wire pressing portions 57 press two power lines 32, and the remaining one electric wire pressing portion 57 presses one ground line 36. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the signal line 34 extends along the ground line 36.

[0050] <Retainer> The retainer 60 prevents the terminals 20 from coming off the housing 50. The retainer 60 includes a terminal pressing portion 61 and walls 64, 65, and 66.

[0051] The terminal pressing portion 61 presses the rear of the connector terminal 21 accommodated in the housing 50. This prevents the connector terminal 21 from coming out rearward from the housing 50. The terminal pressing portion 61 includes a rear cover portion 62 and a plurality of protruding tube portions 63.

[0052] The rear cover part 62 closes the rear opening of the outer frame part 52. A plurality of through holes are formed in the rear cover part 62. The plurality of through holes are formed at positions corresponding to the respective terminal holding parts 53. The power terminals 22 and the relay terminals 28 are in contact with each other and screwed through the through holes corresponding to the power terminals 22. The relay terminals 28 are disposed on the rear surface of the rear cover part 62. The signal lines 34 and the ground lines 36 are drawn out from the through holes corresponding to the signal terminals 24 and the ground terminals 26.

[0053] The multiple protruding tubular portions 63 protrude forward (toward the housing 50) from the rear cover portion 62. The multiple protruding tubular portions 63 are formed at positions corresponding to the respective terminal holding portions 53. Each protruding tubular portion 63 communicates with each through hole. The tip of each protruding tubular portion 63 is inserted into the corresponding terminal holding portion 53 to press the corresponding protrusions 23c, 25c, 27c from behind.

[0054] The walls 64, 65, and 66 protrude rearward from the rear cover portion 62 in the insertion / removal direction. The walls 64 and 65 are walls that separate the relay terminals 28 from the surroundings. The walls 64 and 65 also serve as restriction walls that restrict the position of the relay terminals 28. The wall 66 is a partition wall that separates the terminal 20 accommodation space and the drainage space inside the grommet 90.

[0055] The housing 50 and the retainer 60 are provided with locking portions. In this example, the locking portions are a locking protrusion formed on the housing 50 and a locking piece formed on the retainer 60. When the locking piece is locked to the locking protrusion, the retainer 60 is joined to the rear end of the housing 50 on the opposite side to the opening 51A. As a result, the retainer 60 holds the connector terminal 21 together with the housing 50.

[0056] <Wire cover> The wire cover 70 is attached to the wire pressing portion 57. The wire cover 70 prevents the wire 30 from slipping out of the wire pressing portion 57. The wire cover 70 and the wire pressing portion 57 cover the entire periphery of the longitudinal middle portion of the wire 30. In this embodiment, two wire covers 70 are provided. One of the two wire covers 70 presses two power wires 32. The other of the two wire covers 70 presses one ground wire 36.

[0057] <Lid unit> The lid unit 80 is provided in front of the housing main body 51 so as to be openable and closable. When the lid unit 80 is opened, a connection port of the housing main body 51 is exposed. This allows an external charging connector to be connected to the charging connector 10. When the lid unit 80 is closed, the connection port of the housing main body 51 is closed by the lid unit 80. The lid unit 80 has a lid 82, a hinge unit 84, and a lock unit 86. The lid 82 is attached to the housing main body 51 via the hinge unit 84 so as to be openable and closable. The lock unit 86 maintains the lid 82 in a closed state. During charging work, an operator can open the lid 82 by operating the lock unit 86.

[0058] <Grommet> The grommet 90 covers the retainer 60 and the terminals 20 together from the side opposite to the opening 51A with respect to the housing 50. The grommet 90 includes a first protective portion 91 and a second protective portion 94. The first protective portion 91 covers the rear end portion of the housing main body 51 and the retainer 60. The second protective portion 94 covers the electric wire pressing portion 57. The grommet 90 is an elastic member. The grommet 90 is made of an elastomer such as EPDM. The grommet 90 is, for example, an integrally molded product. The grommet is an example of an exterior member that covers the retainer 60 and the terminals 20 together. The exterior member does not need to be an elastic member, and may be made of hard resin, metal, or the like. In other words, the exterior member may be a protector or a grommet.

[0059] A housing pull-out opening 92 and a drainage opening 93 are formed in the first protection portion 91. The housing pull-out opening 92 is an example of an opening that covers the rear end of the housing 50. The front end of the housing main body 51 extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the housing pull-out opening 92. The housing pull-out opening 92 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the X direction. The drainage opening 93 is an opening for draining water that has entered the inside of the charging connector 10 to the outside. It is assumed that such water enters from the front end of the housing main body 51 when the lid unit 80 is opened, for example. The drainage opening 93 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the Z direction.

[0060] A cable tie 98 is attached to the outer surface of the housing pull-out opening 92. The grommet 90 is attached to the housing 50 by the cable tie 98. An annular rib 92a is provided on the inner surface of the housing pull-out opening 92. The annular rib 92a is provided around the entire circumference of the inner surface of the housing pull-out opening 92. The annular rib 92a is in close contact with the outer surface of the housing main body 51 around the entire circumference. When the housing pull-out opening 92 is fastened by the cable tie 98, the annular rib 92a is compressed between the inner surface of the housing pull-out opening 92 and the outer surface of the housing main body 51. This improves the watertightness between the outer surface of the housing main body 51 and the inner surface of the housing pull-out opening 92.

[0061] An electric wire outlet 95 is formed in the second protective portion 94. The other end of the electric wire 30 extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the electric wire outlet 95. Three electric wire outlets 95 are provided in one grommet 90. Two of the three electric wire outlets 95 are provided for two power lines 32. One power line 32 passes through each of the two electric wire outlets 95. The signal line 34, the ground line 36, and the thermistor electric wire 44 are passed through the remaining one of the three electric wire outlets 95.

[0062] <Terminal position relationship> The positional relationship between the housing 50 and the connector terminals 21 held by the retainer 60 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0063] The charging connector 10 includes a pair of power terminals 22. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector, the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged to be aligned in the Z direction. For example, the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged to be aligned in the horizontal direction with respect to the vertical direction.

[0064] The pair of power terminals 22 are an example of a first power terminal and a second power terminal. In the following description, one of the pair of power terminals 22 may be distinguished as a first power terminal 22A and the other as a second power terminal 22B, as necessary. Each part of the first power terminal and the second power terminal may also be distinguished by adding a "first" or a "second" to the prefix. The power line 32 and the screw S, which is an example of a fastener, may also be distinguished by adding a "first" or a "second" to the prefix depending on the first power terminal 22A or the second power terminal 22B to which they are connected.

[0065] The signal terminals 24 are arranged on both sides of the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged, as viewed along the insertion / removal direction. In the following description, the signal terminals 24 may be classified as a first signal terminal 24A and a second signal terminal 24B. The first signal terminal 24A is one of the signal terminals 24 that is arranged on one side (e.g., the upper side) of the pair of power terminals 22 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged, as viewed along the insertion / removal direction. The second signal terminal 24B is one of the signal terminals 24 that is arranged on the other side (e.g., the lower side) of the pair of power terminals 22 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged, as viewed along the insertion / removal direction. As for the signal line 34 connected to the signal terminal 24, the one connected to the first signal terminal 24A may be classified as a first signal line, and the one connected to the second signal terminal 24B may be classified as a second signal line, as necessary.

[0066] Here, four first signal terminals 24A are arranged on one side (e.g., the upper side) along a direction perpendicular to the line-up direction of the pair of power terminals 22. More specifically, one first signal terminal 24A is arranged on one side (e.g., the upper side) between the pair of power terminals 22 along a direction perpendicular to the line-up direction of the pair of power terminals 22, and the remaining three first signal terminals 24A are arranged in a position farther away from the pair of power terminals 22 than the one first signal terminal 24A, along the line-up direction of the pair of power terminals 22.

[0067] Further, two second signal terminals 24B are arranged on the other side (e.g., the lower side) along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged. More specifically, the two second signal terminals 24B are arranged side by side with respect to the pair of power terminals 22, along the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged, on the other side (e.g., the lower side) along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged. A ground terminal 26 is arranged between the two second signal terminals 24B. Terminal holding portions 53 that house each connector terminal 21 are also provided at positions corresponding to each of the connector terminals 21.

[0068] <Power terminal> A more specific example of the power terminal 22 will be described. In this embodiment, the first power terminal 22A and the second power terminal 22B have the same configuration. As shown in Fig. 8, the power terminal 22 includes a tubular portion 23a and a fastening plate-shaped portion 23b. The tubular portion 23a is provided at one end of the power terminal 22, and the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b is provided at the other end.

[0069] The cylindrical portion 23a is formed in a cylindrical shape into which the mating rod-shaped terminal 210 is inserted. The cylindrical portion 23a is formed with a slit 23s extending from a longitudinal middle portion to a tip portion. A plurality of slits are formed so as to be aligned in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 23a. By forming the slits 23s in the cylindrical portion 23a, the long piece 23p between the slits 23s in the cylindrical portion 23a can be elastically deformed. This allows the long piece 23p to be elastically pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the mating terminal 210.

[0070] The fastening plate-shaped portion 23b has a fastening through hole 23bh and is a portion formed in a plate shape. The fastening through hole 23bh may penetrate both sides of the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b, and does not need to be a hole surrounded by a periphery. A part of the periphery of the fastening through hole 23bh may reach the outer periphery of the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b through a slit. The fastening plate-shaped portion 23b crosses the axial direction of the above-mentioned tubular portion 23a, and here is perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular portion 23a. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the fastening through hole 23bh and a through hole 29Aah (or 29Bah) described later are arranged so as to overlap with the tubular portion 23a. The central axis of the fastening through hole 23bh may coincide with the central axis of the tubular portion 23a. In this embodiment, the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b is formed in a disk shape except for a portion connected to the connecting portion 23e described next. The outer shape of the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b is not particularly limited, and may be formed in a polygonal plate shape such as a quadrangular plate shape, for example. Since the fastening plate portion 23b is arranged along a direction intersecting the central axis of the tubular portion 23a, the plate-shaped mounting portions 29Aa, 29Ba described later, which are superimposed on the fastening plate portion 23b, are also arranged along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0071] A connecting portion 23e is provided between the cylindrical portion 23a and the fastening plate portion 23b. The connecting portion 23e has an elongated plate portion, one end of which is connected to a part of the circumferential direction of the base end portion of the cylindrical portion 23a, and the other end of which is connected to one side of the fastening plate portion 23b.

[0072] The pair of protruding portions 23c are provided on both sides of the connecting portion 23e closer to the cylindrical portion 23a. As described above, the retainer 60 can hold the pair of protruding portions 23c.

[0073] The power terminal 22 may be a member formed by bending a metal plate-like member 220. For example, a metal plate-like member 220 made of a copper plate, a copper alloy plate, or the like is punched into a shape that forms the power terminal 22 (see imaginary line L in FIG. 8 for a part of the punched shape). During or after punching, each punched portion is bent to form the tubular portion 23a, the fastening plate-like portion 23b, and the protruding portion 23c. In this way, the power terminal 22 is manufactured. The power terminal 22 can be manufactured more efficiently and at a lower cost than when a metal block member is cut.

[0074] <Relay terminal> The relay terminal 28 will be described in more detail. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the retainer 60 and the relay terminal 28. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 to 7, and 9, one of the pair of relay terminals 28 is connected to the first power terminal 22A, and the other is connected to the second power terminal 22B. The pair of relay terminals 28 are an example of a first relay terminal and a second relay terminal, and have different shapes. In the following description, the pair of relay terminals 28 that is connected to the first power terminal 22A may be distinguished as the first relay terminal 28A, and the one that is connected to the second power terminal 22B may be distinguished as the second relay terminal 28B, as necessary. Each part of the first relay terminal 28A and the second relay terminal 28B may also be distinguished by adding "first" or "second" to the prefix.

[0075] The second relay terminal 28B has a plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba, a power line connection portion 29Bb, and an intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc. In a state in which the second relay terminal 28B is fixed to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b of the second power terminal 22B, the second relay terminal 28B extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0076] More specifically, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba is formed in a plate shape. The outer shape of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba is not particularly limited. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba may be formed in a non-circular plate shape and may be in a shape that is in contact with the wall 65 to prevent rotation. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba is formed with a through hole 29Bah. The through hole 29Bah need only penetrate both sides of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba, and does not need to be a hole surrounded by the periphery. A part of the periphery of the through hole 29Bah may reach the outer periphery of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba through a slit. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba may have the same configuration as a plate-shaped terminal with a hole, so-called an LA terminal. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba is overlapped on the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b at the rear end of the second power terminal 22B opposite to the opening 51A. In this state, the through hole 29Bah and the fastening through hole 23bh are arranged at the same position when viewed along the insertion / removal direction. A screw S, which is an example of a fastener, is inserted into the through hole 29Bah and the fastening through hole 23bh from the opposite side to the opening 51A, and the screw S is screwed into the nut. As a result, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba is fastened to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b. In this state, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba crosses the insertion / removal direction. The fastener may be a rivet instead of a screw. The fastener tightens the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b in a direction in which they approach each other to combine the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b, which is defined as the fastening direction. The fastening direction is the same as the direction in which the fastener is inserted into the through hole 29Bah and the fastening through hole 23bh. In this embodiment, the fastening direction is the same as the insertion / removal direction. Therefore, the fastener can be inserted into the through hole 29Bah and the fastening through hole 23bh along the insertion / removal direction. Also, if the fastener is a screw, the screw may be rotated around an axis along the insertion / removal direction.

[0077] An intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc extends from the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. In this embodiment, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc extends toward one side in the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc extend in the same plane intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0078] A power line connection portion 29Bb is provided at an end of the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc. Therefore, the second relay terminal 28B generally extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0079] The power line connection portion 29Bb is a portion to which the power line 32 is connected. In this embodiment, the power line connection portion 29Bb is crimped to the core wire 31a exposed at the end of the power line 32. The power line connection portion 29Bb and the core wire 31a may be connected by soldering, ultrasonic welding, or the like. The power line 32 connected to the power line connection portion 29Bb is electrically connected to the second power terminal 22B via the second relay terminal 28B. The power line 32 extends along a straight line extending from the power line connection portion 29Bb in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0080] The first relay terminal 28A has a plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa, a power line connection portion 29Ab, and an intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac. When the first relay terminal 28A is fixed to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b of the first power terminal 22A, the first relay terminal 28A extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0081] More specifically, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa is formed in a plate shape. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa has a through hole 29Aah formed therein, similar to the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba. As with the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba, the outer shape of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the shape of the through hole 29Aah are not particularly limited. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa is overlapped with the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b at the rear end of the first power terminal 22A on the side opposite to the opening 51A. In this state, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa is fastened to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b by the screw S, which is an example of a fastener, in the same manner as described above. In this state, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa crosses the insertion / removal direction.

[0082] Since the first power terminal 22A and the second power terminal 22B are adjacent to each other, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba are provided at adjacent positions with a gap therebetween. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba are located at the same position in the insertion / removal direction.

[0083] An intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac extends from the plate-shaped attachment portion 29Aa in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0084] A power line connection portion 29Ab is provided at an end of the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac. Therefore, the first relay terminal 28A as a whole extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0085] Like the power line connection portion 29Bb, the power line connection portion 29Ab is a portion to which the power line 32 is connected. When the power line 32 is connected to the power line connection portion 29Ab, the power line 32 is electrically connected to the first power terminal 22A via the first relay terminal 28A. The power line 32 extends along a straight line extending from the power line connection portion 29Bb in a direction intersecting with the insertion / removal direction.

[0086] The pair of power lines 32 may extend in the same direction or in different directions along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. In this embodiment, the pair of power lines 32 extend in the same direction along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0087] That is, as described above, the power line connection portion 29Bb of the second relay terminal 28B is disposed at an outer position in the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged relative to the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba. The power line connection portion 29Ab of the first relay terminal 28A is disposed at a position parallel to the power line connection portion 29Bb. More specifically, the power line connection portion 29Ab is disposed at a position more inward than the power line connection portion 29Bb. This allows the pair of power lines 32 connected to the pair of power line connection portions 29Ab, 29Bb to be extended in parallel in the direction in which the pair of power lines 32 are arranged.

[0088] The power line connection portion 29Ab of the first relay terminal 28A detours around the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc of the second relay terminal 28B and heads toward the power line connection portion 29Bb. Therefore, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac of the first relay terminal 28A has a structure as a detour portion.

[0089] More specifically, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac is formed in a long and narrow plate shape. One side of one end of the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac is connected to an edge of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa on the opposite side to the second relay terminal 28B. This allows the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac to bend along the insertion / removal direction. By bending the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac in its thickness direction, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac can be easily aligned along a narrow and flexible path when viewed along the insertion / removal direction.

[0090] In this embodiment, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac includes an inclined portion 29Ac1 and an aligned direction portion 29Ac2 (see Figs. 7 and 9). The inclined portion 29Ac1 is a portion that is inclined from a portion connected to the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa toward a portion between the pair of power terminals 22 while being inclined with respect to the aligned direction of the pair of power terminals 22. The inclined portion 29Ac1 extends toward a position farther away from the first signal terminal 24A with respect to the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa. The aligned direction portion 29Ac2 is a portion that extends along the aligned direction of the pair of power terminals 22 while bending from an end of the inclined portion 29Ac1. The aligned direction portion 29Ac2 extends along a path outside the first signal terminal 24A. The power line connection portion 29Ab is connected to an end of the aligned direction portion 29Ac2. In this manner, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac passes through a detouring path that passes through a path outside the pair of power terminals 22 and the first signal terminal 24A.

[0091] In this embodiment, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac is a plate-shaped portion along the insertion / removal direction, and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc is a plate-shaped portion along the direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. The intermediate terminal 28 is required to be a member having a cross-sectional area corresponding to the current flowing therethrough in order to form a power path. For this reason, the intermediate plate-shaped portions 29Ac and 29Bc also need to be set to a width and thickness according to the current. For example, if both the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc are aligned along the direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, a large area is required to arrange the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc as viewed along the insertion / removal direction. By combining the intermediate plate-shaped portions 29Ac and 29Bc with their extending directions changed as in this embodiment, it becomes easier to arrange the intermediate plate-shaped portions 29Ac and 29Bc in a compact space. In particular, by aligning intermediate plate portion 29Ac, which acts as a detour and tends to have a long path length, along the insertion / removal direction, intermediate plate portions 29Ac, 29Bc can be easily arranged in a compact space when viewed along the insertion / removal direction.

[0092] Furthermore, because intermediate plate portion 29Ac is bent from fastening plate portion 23b of first power terminal 22A toward cylindrical portion 23a, intermediate plate portion 29Ac itself is disposed within the length dimension of first power terminal 22A along the insertion / removal direction. For this reason, the presence of intermediate plate portion 29Ac along the insertion / removal direction is unlikely to affect the size of charging connector 10 in the insertion / removal direction.

[0093] The relay terminal 28 has a shape in which plate-like portions are connected on the same plane or a shape in which plate-like portions are bent, and therefore can be formed by bending a metal plate member by press working or the like.

[0094] The relay terminal 28 may be fixed to the pair of power terminals 22, for example, by fastening and fixing the plate-shaped mounting portions 29Aa, 29Ba to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b exposed to the rear of the retainer 60 while the pair of power terminals 22 is held by the housing 50 and the retainer 60.

[0095] <Terminals and walls> The positional relationship between the walls 64, 65 provided on the retainer 60 and the terminals 20 will be described more specifically.

[0096] As shown in Figs. 3, 5, 7 and 9, the wall 64 is a wall surrounding the periphery of the first relay terminal 28A. More specifically, the wall 64 is a wall surrounding the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac of the first relay terminal 28A. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the wall 64 is formed so as to follow the outer periphery of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac. The first relay terminal 28A is disposed inside the wall 64, so that the rotation of the first relay terminal 28A around the screw S is restricted. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the wall 64 includes a portion 64a interposed between the first relay terminal 28A and the first signal terminal 24A and a portion 64b interposed between the first relay terminal 28A and the second signal terminal 24B.

[0097] The wall 65 is a wall surrounding the second relay terminal 28B. More specifically, the wall 65 is a wall surrounding the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc of the second relay terminal 28B. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the wall 65 is formed so as to follow the outer periphery of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc. The second relay terminal 28B is disposed inside the wall 65, so that the rotation of the second relay terminal 28B around the screw S is restricted. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the wall 64 and the wall 65 share a part of each other in the portion where the pair of power terminals 22 are adjacent to each other. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the wall 65 includes a portion 65a interposed between the second relay terminal 28B and the first signal terminal 24A and a portion 65b interposed between the second relay terminal 28B and the second signal terminal 24B.

[0098] <Wire path in charging connector> 7, the power line 32 extends straight within the grommet 90 from one end connected to the pair of relay terminals 28 to the other end, and then extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the outlet. The two power lines 32 extend within the grommet 90 side by side in the Z direction. The two power terminals 22 are accommodated in the housing main body 51 side by side in the Y direction. The direction in which the two power lines 32 are aligned and the direction in which the two power terminals 22 are aligned are converted by the relay terminals 28 as described above.

[0099] One end of the signal wire 34 is inserted into the terminal holding portion 53. The other end of the signal wire 34 extends from the through hole, is bent in the grommet 90, and is bundled into one, and faces the outlet of the grommet 90. More specifically, the first signal wire 34A of the multiple signal wires 34 is connected to the first signal terminal 24A located above the power terminal 22, extends from the through hole, passes between the pair of power wires 32, merges with the second signal wire 34B, and extends in the Y direction. The second signal wire 34B is connected to the second signal terminal 24B located below the power terminal 22, extends from the through hole, merges with the first signal wire 34A, and extends in the Y direction. The signal wires 34 may be bundled by a guide portion 58 provided on the wire pressing portion 57. The guide portion 58 has a pair of side walls 58a, and the multiple signal lines 34 are arranged between the side walls 58a to be bundled together. The multiple signal lines may also be bundled together using adhesive tape, a cable tie, or the like.

[0100] One end of the ground wire 36 is inserted into the terminal holding portion 53. The ground wire 36 extends from one end to the other end through the through hole, and while bending inside the grommet 90, moves toward the outlet of the grommet 90 together with the signal wire 34. As described above, the ground wire 36 is less likely to bend than the signal wire 34, and therefore the radius of curvature of the ground wire 36 is likely to be larger than the radius of curvature of the signal wire 34 at the portion where the signal wire 34 and the ground wire 36 bend from the X direction toward the Y direction. The other end of the ground wire 36 is held down by the wire holding portion 57 and the wire cover 70, thereby preventing the ground wire 36 from bulging too much inside the grommet 90.

[0101] The thermistor 42 is accommodated in the housing body 51 together with the power terminal 22. Therefore, one end of the thermistor electric wire 44 is also accommodated in the housing body 51. The other end of the thermistor electric wire 44 extends to the outside of the rear cover part 62 through the through hole, and while bending inside the grommet 90, heads toward the outlet of the grommet 90. The thermistor electric wire 44 passes through a portion of the through hole that is used for inserting the terminal-attached electric wire 38. The thermistor electric wire 44 passes between the pair of power lines 32 and extends in the Y direction together with the signal line 34.

[0102] The insertion / removal direction, the direction in which drain outlet 93 opens, and the direction in which power line 32 extends inside grommet 90 intersect with each other. Here, the insertion / removal direction is the X direction. The direction in which drain outlet 93 opens is the Z direction. The direction in which power line 32 extends inside grommet 90 is the Y direction. The insertion / removal direction, the direction in which drain outlet 93 opens, and the direction in which power line 32 extends inside grommet 90 are perpendicular to each other, but may intersect at an angle other than perpendicular.

[0103] <Effects, etc.> According to the charging connector 10 configured as described above, the power line 32 extends along a straight line that extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction within the grommet 90, which is an example of an exterior member. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure a space for accommodating the bent power line 32 within the grommet 90. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the charging connector 10. In particular, since the direction of the power line 32 relative to the longitudinal direction of the power terminal 22 is changed by the relay terminal 28 fastened and fixed to the power terminal 22, it is possible to reduce the size of the charging connector 10 in the insertion / removal direction. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to bend the thick and difficult-to-bend power line 32 within the grommet 90, it is possible to easily manufacture the charging connector 10.

[0104] In particular, the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor of the power line 32 is 40 mm 2 If the above is the case, it becomes difficult to bend the power line 32, and the space required to accommodate the bent portion becomes larger. In such a case, a configuration that does not require bending the power line 32 inside the grommet 90 is more effective.

[0105] In addition, since the first relay terminal 28A has an intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac as a detour portion that extends to detour around the first signal terminal 24A, the first relay terminal 28A can be positioned while avoiding interference with the signal line extending from the first signal terminal 24A.

[0106] Furthermore, since the walls 64, 65 of the retainer 60 have portions 64a, 64b, 65a, 65b formed at positions separating the relay terminals 28 and the signal terminals 24, the relay terminals 28 and the signal terminals 24 can be separated by a tangible object.

[0107] In addition, since the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac is a plate-shaped portion that extends along the insertion / removal direction, and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc is a plate-shaped portion that extends along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, each plate-shaped portion can be arranged in a compact space with different directions, which contributes to miniaturization of the charging connector 10.

[0108] Furthermore, since the power lines 32 are aligned in the direction in which the power terminals 22 are arranged, the direction in which the power lines 32 are drawn can be aligned with the direction in which the power terminals 22 are arranged.

[0109] Furthermore, since the signal lines 34 are easier to bend than the power lines 32, they can be easily bent and changed direction within the grommet 90 and can be bundled together and pulled out.

[0110] Furthermore, since the relay terminals 28 are fastened to the power terminals 22 by the screws S, which are an example of fasteners, the relay terminals 28 can be connected to the power terminals 22 simply and securely by the screws S.

[0111] In addition, since the fastening direction of the screw S, which is an example of a fastening device, is the same as the insertion / removal direction, the screw S can be inserted along the insertion / removal direction from the rear of the charging connector, and the screw S can be tightened around an axis along the insertion / removal direction, making the fastening operation easy to perform.

[0112] Furthermore, since the power terminal 22 is a bent metal plate-like member, the plate-like mounting portions 29Aa, 29Ba of the relay terminal 28 can be arranged along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, so that the fastening plate portion 23b can be easily arranged along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0113] Furthermore, when viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the cylindrical portion 23a overlaps with the through holes 29Aah, 29Bah, so that the charging connector 10 can have a compact configuration when viewed along the insertion / removal direction.

[0114] [Variations] Fig. 10 is a rear view showing a charging connector 110 according to a modified example. Note that some members such as the electric wire 30 are omitted in Fig. 10. In addition, in the description of this modified example, the same components as those described so far are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0115] In the charging connector 110 shown in FIG. 10, eight signal terminals 24 are provided. More specifically, as viewed along the insertion / removal direction, four signal terminals 24 are arranged on one side of the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged, and four signal terminals 24 are arranged on the other side. Note that the pair of power terminals 22 are hidden by the relay terminals 28 in FIG. 10, but are arranged at positions corresponding to the pair of screws S as in the first embodiment. The four signal terminals 24 are arranged at positions corresponding to the vertices of the diamond. In this example, the ground terminal 26 is omitted. Accordingly, structures related to the ground terminal 26 are omitted in the housing 150 corresponding to the housing 50 and the retainer 160 corresponding to the retainer 60.

[0116] The configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 10 Charging connector 20 Terminals 21 Connector terminal 22 Power terminal (22A first power terminal, 22B second power terminal) 23a Cylinder part 23b Fastening plate part 23bh fastening through hole 23c, 25c, 27c protrusion 23d Thermistor mounting part 23e Connecting part 23p long piece 23s slit 24 Signal terminal (24A 1st signal terminal, 24B 2nd signal terminal) 25a, 27a Mating connection part 25b, 27b Wire connection 26 Ground terminal 28 Relay terminal (28A 1st relay terminal, 28B 2nd relay terminal) 29Aa, 29Ba Plate-shaped mounting part 29Aah, 29Bah through hole 29Ab, 29Bb Power line connections 29Ac, 29Bc Intermediate plate-shaped part 29Ac1 Inclined section 29Ac2 direction section 30 Electric wire 31a core wire 31b Covering 32 Power Lines 34 Signal line (34A first signal line, 34B second signal line) 36 Ground Line 38 Wire with terminal 39 Shrink Tube 40 Thermistor unit 42 Thermistor 44 Thermistor wire 50 Housing 51 Housing body 51A opening 52 Outer frame 53 Terminal holding part 54 Vehicle mounting part 56 Arm 57 Wire clamp 58 Information Department 58a side wall 60 Retainer 61 Terminal holder 62 Rear cover part 63 Projecting cylinder part 64, 65, 66 Wall 64a, 65a: A portion interposed between the relay terminal and the first signal terminal 64b, 65b: A portion between the relay terminal and the second signal terminal 70 Wire Cover 80 Lid unit 82 Lid 84 Hinge unit 86 Lock Unit 90 Grommet 91 1st Protection Department 92 Housing outlet 92a Circular rib 93 Drain port 94 2nd Protection Department 95 Wire outlet 98 Cable Ties 100 Mounting part Panel 102 104 Through hole 106 Body side cover 110 Charging connector 150 Housing 160 Retainer 200 External charging connector 210 Terminal 220 Parts 230 Battery S screw

Claims

1. A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, engages with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, a first power terminal used to supply power to the battery; a housing including an opening into which the external charging connector is inserted and removed, and a terminal holding portion that is located inside the opening when viewed along an insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector and that holds the first power terminal; a first relay terminal including a first plate-shaped mounting portion having a first through hole and a first power line connection portion, the first plate-shaped mounting portion being fixed to an end portion of the first power terminal opposite to the opening portion in a posture extending along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction; a first power line connected to the first power line connection portion and electrically connected to the first power terminal via the first relay terminal; Equipped with the first relay terminal has an intermediate plate-shaped portion extending from the first plate-shaped mounting portion so as to intersect with the first plate-shaped mounting portion, and the first power line connection portion is provided on an end of the intermediate plate-shaped portion opposite to the first plate-shaped mounting portion, The intermediate plate-shaped portion is a plate-shaped portion extending along the insertion / removal direction of the charging connector.

2. 2. The charging connector according to claim 1, A second power terminal is further provided for supplying power to the battery. the terminal holding portion holds the second power terminal, a second relay terminal including a second plate-shaped mounting portion having a second through hole and a second power line connection portion, the second plate-shaped mounting portion being fixed to an end portion of the second power terminal opposite to the opening portion in a position extending along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction; a second power line connected to the second power line connection portion and electrically connected to the second power terminal via the second relay terminal; Further equipped with the first power line and the second power line extend along a straight line extending in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, the first power line connection portion and the second power line connection portion are arranged at positions that enable the first power line and the second power line to extend to one side along a direction in which the first power terminal and the second power terminal are aligned.

3. The charging connector according to claim 2, a first signal terminal disposed on one side of the first power terminal and the second power terminal in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first power terminal and the second power terminal are arranged; Further equipped with the terminal holding portion holds the first signal terminal, The intermediate plate portion extends so as to bypass the first signal terminal.

4. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The charging connector further includes a retainer that is coupled to an end of the housing opposite the opening and that holds the first power terminal together with the housing.

5. The charging connector according to claim 4, The charging connector further includes an exterior member that collectively covers the retainer and the first power terminal from the side opposite the opening.

Images