Terminal connection structure

Abstract

To increase the contact area of a contact member, and reduce the insertion load required to insert a male terminal into a female terminal.SOLUTION: A terminal connection structure may include: a columnar male terminal extending in an axial direction; a female terminal defining a hole into which the male terminal is inserted; and at least one contact member sandwiched between an outer surface of the male terminal and an inner surface of the female terminal to electrically connect the male terminal and the female terminal. The contact member may have a first contact portion and a second contact portion which are elastically deformed in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the first contact portion and the second contact portion may be positioned differently from each other in the axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a terminal connection structure.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a terminal connection structure. The terminal connection structure includes a rod-shaped male terminal and a tubular female terminal. A contact member for electrically connecting the two terminals is provided between the male terminal and the female terminal. The contact member is disposed between the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal and is configured to be elastically deformable in the radial direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The above-described terminal connection structure is used, for example, in a power circuit of an electric vehicle. In this case, a relatively large current flows through the terminal connection structure. When a large current flows through the male terminal or the female terminal, the amount of heat generated at the contact member that connects the two terminals increases. In order to suppress the heat generation of the contact member, it is effective to increase the contact area of the contact member with respect to the male terminal and the female terminal. However, in order to increase the contact area of the contact member, if the contact member is expanded in the axial direction, the range in which the contact member elastically deforms also increases when the male terminal is inserted into the female terminal. As a result, the insertion load (i.e., insertion resistance) required to insert the male terminal into the female terminal increases. This specification provides a technology that can increase the contact area of the contact member and reduce the insertion load required to insert the male terminal into the female terminal with respect to this problem.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The technology disclosed in this specification is embodied in a terminal connection structure. This terminal connection structure may include a columnar male terminal extending in the axial direction, a female terminal having a hole into which the male terminal is inserted, and at least one contact member interposed between the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal for electrically connecting the male terminal and the female terminal. The contact member has a first contact portion and a second contact portion that are elastically deformed in the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the positions of the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the axial direction may be different from each other.

[0006] According to the above-described terminal connection structure, even when the contact member is expanded in the axial direction to increase the contact area of the contact member, an increase in the insertion load can be suppressed. That is, when the male terminal is inserted into the female terminal, first, the first contact portion (or the second contact portion) is elastically deformed, and then the second contact portion (or the second contact portion) is elastically deformed. As a result, the range in which elastic deformation occurs simultaneously in the contact member is relatively small, and an increase in the insertion load is suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In the first aspect of the present technology, as described above, the terminal connection structure may include a columnar male terminal extending in the axial direction, a female terminal having a hole into which the male terminal is inserted, and at least one contact member interposed between the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal for electrically connecting the male terminal and the female terminal. The contact member has a first contact portion and a second contact portion that are elastically deformed in the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the positions of the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the axial direction may be different from each other.

[0009] In the second aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above first aspect, the contact member has a plurality of elastic pieces each extending in the axial direction and arranged in the circumferential direction, and at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces may have the first contact portion and the second contact portion. In this case, the plurality of elastic pieces may be provided over the entire length in the circumferential direction of the outer surface, or may be provided only in a partial section in the circumferential direction of the outer surface.

[0010] In the third aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above second aspect, each of the plurality of elastic pieces may have the first contact portion and the second contact portion. According to such a configuration, the first contact portion and the second contact portion can be arranged without bias in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the contact between the male terminal and the female terminal by the contact member is stably maintained.

[0011] In the fourth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above third aspect, the contact member may have an upper end portion extending in the circumferential direction and a lower end portion extending in the circumferential direction. In this case, the plurality of elastic pieces may extend between the upper end portion and the lower end portion. According to such a configuration, the rigidity of the contact member as a whole can be increased without impairing the elastic properties.

[0012] In a fifth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above-described fourth aspect, the first contact portion may extend from the upper end portion to an intermediate portion of the elastic piece. And the second contact portion may extend from the lower end portion to the intermediate portion of the elastic piece. According to such a configuration, it is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of the contact member.

[0013] In a sixth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above-described fifth aspect, the contact member may contact one of the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal at the upper end portion, the lower end portion, and the intermediate portion. And the contact member may contact the other of the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal at the first contact portion and the second contact portion. According to such a configuration, the contact member is stably held between the male terminal and the female terminal.

[0014] In a seventh aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above-described fifth aspect or sixth aspect, the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction of the first contact portion and the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction of the second contact portion may be equal to each other. That is, in the contact member having a shape in a natural state taken out from between the male terminal and the female terminal, the protrusion amount in the radial direction of the first contact portion with respect to the upper end portion and the intermediate portion and the protrusion amount in the radial direction of the second contact portion with respect to the lower end portion and the intermediate portion may be equal to each other. According to such a configuration, the contact between the contact member and the male terminal and the female terminal is stably maintained.

[0015] In an eighth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above-described fifth aspect or sixth aspect, the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction of the first contact portion may be smaller than the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction of the second contact portion. That is, in the contact member having a shape in a natural state taken out from between the male terminal and the female terminal, the protrusion amount in the radial direction of the first contact portion with respect to the upper end portion and the intermediate portion may be smaller than the protrusion amount in the radial direction of the second contact portion with respect to the lower end portion and the intermediate portion.

[0016] In a ninth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above-described eighth aspect, the first contact portion may be located on the opening side of the hole of the female terminal with respect to the second contact portion. According to such a configuration, the elastic deformation amount of the first contact portion located on the opening side of the hole of the female terminal can be made relatively small, and the insertion load can be more effectively reduced.

[0017] In a tenth aspect of the present technology, in addition to any one of the above-described second to eighth aspects, at least one of the other plurality of elastic pieces may have a third contact portion that elastically deforms in the radial direction. In this case, the third contact portion may have a larger dimension in the axial direction than either the first contact portion or the second contact portion. According to such a configuration, it is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of the contact member.

[0018] In an eleventh aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above-described tenth aspect, each of the plurality of elastic pieces may have either both the first contact portion and the second contact portion or the third contact portion. In this case, the circumferential arrangement order of the elastic piece having both the first contact portion and the second contact portion (first elastic piece) and the elastic piece having the third contact portion (second elastic piece) is not particularly limited and can be freely designed.

[0019] In a twelfth aspect of the present technology, in addition to the above-described eleventh aspect, the elastic piece having both the first contact portion and the second contact portion and the elastic piece having the third contact portion may be alternately arranged along the circumferential direction. According to such a configuration, a plurality of elastic pieces having both the first contact portion and the second contact portion (first elastic pieces) and a plurality of elastic pieces having the third contact portion (second elastic pieces) can be arranged without bias in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the contact between the male terminal and the female terminal by the contact member is stably maintained. However, in another aspect, two or more first elastic pieces adjacent to each other and two or more second elastic pieces adjacent to each other may be alternately arranged along the circumferential direction.

[0020] In a 13th aspect of the present technology, in addition to any one of the 10th to 12th aspects described above, the contact member may have an upper end portion extending in the circumferential direction and a lower end portion extending in the circumferential direction. In this case, the plurality of elastic pieces may extend between the upper end portion and the lower end portion. According to such a configuration, the rigidity of the contact member as a whole is increased without impairing the elastic properties.

[0021] In a 14th aspect of the present technology, in addition to the 13th aspect described above, the first contact portion may extend from the upper end portion to an intermediate portion of the elastic piece. And the second contact portion may extend from the lower end portion to the intermediate portion of the elastic piece. And the third contact portion may extend from the upper end portion to the lower end portion. According to such a configuration, it is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of the contact member.

[0022] In a 15th aspect of the present technology, in addition to the 14th aspect described above, the contact member may contact one of the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal at the upper end portion, the lower end portion, and the intermediate portion. And the contact member may contact the other of the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal at the first contact portion, the second contact portion, and the third contact portion. According to such a configuration, the contact member is stably held between the male terminal and the female terminal.

[0023] In a 16th aspect of the present technology, in addition to any one of the 1st to 15th aspects described above, the terminal connection structure may be adopted in an electric vehicle. In this case, one of the male terminal and the female terminal may be electrically connected to an electric motor that drives a wheel of the electric vehicle. And the other of the male terminal and the female terminal may be electrically connected to a power control circuit that controls the current flowing through the electric motor.

[0024] Hereinafter, representative and non-limiting specific examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to show those skilled in the art the details for implementing preferred examples of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Also, the additional features and inventions disclosed below can be used separately or together with other features and inventions in order to provide an improved terminal connection structure.

[0025] Also, the combinations of features and steps disclosed in the following detailed description are not essential for implementing the present invention in the broadest sense, and are described only for explaining representative specific examples of the present invention in particular. Furthermore, the various features of the above and below representative specific examples, as well as the various features described in the independent and dependent claims, do not have to be combined as described in the specific examples here or in the order listed in order to provide additional and useful embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] All features described in this specification and / or the claims are intended to be disclosed individually and independently of each other as limitations to the initial disclosure and the claimed specific matters, apart from the configurations of the features described in the examples and / or claims. Furthermore, all descriptions regarding numerical ranges and groups or populations are made with the intention of disclosing intermediate configurations as limitations to the initial disclosure and the claimed specific matters.

Examples

[0027] (Example 1) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the terminal connection structure 10 of Example 1 will be described. The terminal connection structure 10 can be used in the power circuit of an electric vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the terminal connection structure 10 includes a male terminal 12, a female terminal 14, and a contact member 20. Although it is an example, the female terminal 14 is electrically connected to an electric motor that drives the wheels of the electric vehicle via the bus bar 2 of the electric motor. The male terminal 12 is electrically connected to a power control circuit that controls the current flowing through the electric motor. The power control circuit has, for example, an inverter circuit and a converter circuit.

[0028] Although it is an example, the electric motor is a motor driven by three-phase AC power, and the terminal connection structure 10 of this embodiment has at least three male terminals 12 and three female terminals 14 for the U phase, V phase, and W phases. Although it is an example, the three male terminals 12 are provided on a common terminal block in a power control unit having a power control circuit. The three female terminals 14 are provided on a common terminal block in a motor unit having an electric motor. When charging the electric vehicle, since the electric motor is used as a step-up / step-down circuit (so-called neutral point charging), the terminal connection structure 10 may further have a fourth male terminal 12 and a female terminal 14 for connecting the charging power supply and the neutral point. Note that a part or all of the configuration according to the present technology may be applied to all of the above three pairs of terminals 12, 14 or four pairs of terminals 12, 14, or may be applied to at least one of the terminal pairs 12, 14. The contact member 20 is a member that is interposed between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 and electrically connects the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14.

[0029] The male terminal 12 is generally a columnar member. The male terminal 12 is made of metal. The metal material constituting the male terminal 12 is, for example, copper. In a modified example, the metal material constituting the male terminal 12 may be aluminum. The male terminal 12 has an outer surface 12a and a tip surface 12b located at the tip of the male terminal 12.

[0030] The female terminal 14 is a member having a hole 14h, and the male terminal 12 is inserted through the opening of the hole 14h. The female terminal 14 detachably receives the male terminal 12. The female terminal 14 is made of metal. The metal material constituting the female terminal 14 is, for example, copper. In a modified example, the material constituting the female terminal 14 may be aluminum. The female terminal 14 has an inner surface 14a that faces the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12 and defines the hole 14h.

[0031] Here, in this specification, with reference to the columnar male terminal 12, a cylindrical coordinate system composed of an axial direction D1, a radial direction D2, and a circumferential direction D3 is defined. The axial direction D1 is a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the columnar male terminal 12, and its coordinate axis is defined on the central axis C of the male terminal 12. The axial direction D1 coincides with the insertion direction of the male terminal 12 with respect to the female terminal 14. The radial direction D2 is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1 and is defined by a coordinate axis with the central axis C of the male terminal 12 as the origin. And the circumferential direction D3 is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction D1 and the radial direction D2 and is defined by a coordinate axis that circulates around the central axis C of the male terminal 12.

[0032] The contact member 20 is interposed between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 in the radial direction D2. The first contact member 20 is disposed between the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12 and the inner surface 14a of the female terminal 14.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the contact member 20 is generally a cylindrical plate member that extends along the circumferential direction D3. The contact member 20 has an upper end portion 22, a lower end portion 24, and a plurality of elastic pieces 26. Each of the plurality of elastic pieces 26 extends in the axial direction D1. The contact member 20 has a shape in which the plurality of elastic pieces 26 are arranged in the circumferential direction D3. The upper end portion 22 is located at the upper end of the contact member 20 and extends in the circumferential direction D3. The lower end portion 24 is located at the lower end of the contact member 20 and extends in the circumferential direction D3. Each of the plurality of elastic pieces 26 extends between the upper end portion 22 and the lower end portion 24. According to such a configuration, without impairing the elastic properties, the rigidity of the contact member 20 as a whole is enhanced.

[0034] That is, both ends of each elastic piece 26 are connected in series along the circumferential direction D3, respectively, so that the rigidity of the contact member 20 as a whole is increased. On the other hand, even if both ends of the plurality of elastic pieces 26 are connected to other adjacent elastic pieces 26 or separated from other adjacent elastic pieces 26, the change in the elastic modulus in the radial direction D2 of the plurality of elastic pieces 26 is relatively small.

[0035] The plurality of elastic pieces 26 are provided over substantially the entire length of the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12. The "substantially the entire length" in this specification means a length of about 70% or more of the entire length in the circumferential direction D3 of the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12. However, the plurality of first elastic pieces 26 are not limited thereto and may be provided only in a partial section in the circumferential direction D3 of the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12.

[0036] Each of the plurality of elastic pieces 26 has a first contact portion 26a, a second contact portion 26b, and an intermediate portion 26m located between the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b. The first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b are elastically deformed along the radial direction D2. That is, the plurality of elastic pieces 26 are connected to each other by the upper end portion 22 and the lower end portion 24 at both ends thereof. The first contact portion 26a extends from the upper end portion 22 to the intermediate portion 26m of the elastic piece 26. The second contact portion 26b extends from the lower end portion 24 to the intermediate portion 26m of the elastic piece 26. The positions of the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b in the axial direction D1 are different from each other.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contact member 20 is in contact with the inner surface 14a of the female terminal 14 at the upper end portion 22, the lower end portion 24, and the intermediate portion 26m. The contact member 20 is in contact with the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12 at the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b. The contact member 20 has a shape in which the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b protrude radially inward toward the central axis C in the radial direction D2. That is, the male terminal 12 is press-fitted into the female terminal 14, and the contact member 20 is elastically deformed in the radial direction D2 between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14. According to such a configuration, the contact member 20 is stably held between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14.

[0038] However, as another embodiment, the middle portion 26m of the contact member 20 may not contact either the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12 or the inner surface 14a of the female terminal 14. In this case, each of the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b functions as a leaf spring supported only at one end. However, it is also assumed that in some of the plurality of elastic pieces 26, the middle portion 26m contacts or separates from the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12 or the inner surface 14a of the female terminal 14. In that case, it is assumed that the elasticity in the radial direction D2 of the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b varies greatly between the contacting state and the separated state.

[0039] However, the direction in which the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b project in the radial direction D2 is not limited to the radially inner side, and may be the radially outer side. In this case, the contact member 20 may contact the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12 at the upper end portion 22, the lower end portion 24, and the middle portion 26m, and may contact the inner surface 14a of the female terminal 14 at the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b. Although not particularly limited, the inner surface 14a of the female terminal 14 has a recess 15. The lower end portion 24 of the contact member 20 is disposed in the recess 15 of the inner surface 14a of the female terminal 14. This recess 15 positions the contact member 20 in the axial direction D1. However, the dimension of the recess 15 in the axial direction D1 is larger than the dimension of the contact member 20 in the axial direction D1. This is because when the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b elastically deform in the radial direction D2, the dimension of the contact member 20 in the axial direction D1 changes.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction D2 of the first contact portion 26a is equal to that of the second contact portion 26b. That is, in the contact member 20 having a shape in a natural state taken out from between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14, the protrusion amount X1 in the radial direction D2 of the first contact portion 26a and the protrusion amount X2 in the radial direction D2 of the second contact portion 26b are equal to each other. Note that the protrusion amount X1 of the first contact portion 26a is the protrusion amount with respect to the upper end portion 22 and the intermediate portion 26m, and the protrusion amount X2 of the second contact portion 26b is the protrusion amount with respect to the lower end portion 24 and the intermediate portion 26m. According to such a configuration, the contact between the contact member 20 and the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 is stably maintained.

[0041] As described above, the terminal connection structure 10 of the present embodiment is used in the power circuit of an electric vehicle. In this case, a relatively large current flows through the terminal connection structure 10. When a large current flows through the male terminal 12 or the female terminal 14, the amount of heat generated increases in the contact member 20 that connects the two terminals 12 and 14. In order to suppress the heat generation of the contact member 20, it is effective to increase the contact area of the contact member 20 with respect to the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14. However, when the contact member 20 is expanded in the axial direction D1 in order to increase the contact area of the contact member 20, the range in which the contact member 20 elastically deforms also increases when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 14. As a result, the insertion load (that is, the insertion resistance) required to insert the male terminal 12 into the female terminal 14 increases.

[0042] Regarding the above, according to the terminal connection structure 10 of the first embodiment, even when the contact member 20 is expanded in the axial direction D1 to increase the contact area of the contact member 20, an increase in the insertion load can be suppressed. That is, when the male terminal 12 is inserted into the female terminal 14, first, the first contact portion 26a elastically deforms, and then the second contact portion 26b elastically deforms. As a result, the range in which elastic deformation occurs simultaneously in the contact member 20 is relatively small, and an increase in the insertion load is suppressed.

[0043] In this embodiment, each of the plurality of elastic pieces 26 has a first contact portion 26a and a second contact portion 26b. According to such a configuration, the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b can be arranged without bias with respect to the circumferential direction D3. Therefore, the contact between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 by the contact member 20 is stably maintained. However, not all of the plurality of elastic pieces 26 need to have the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b, and at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces 26 may have the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 26b. In addition, the number of the contact portions 26a and 26b provided along the axial direction D1 of the elastic piece 26 is not limited to two, and the elastic piece 26 may have three or more contact portions.

[0044] In addition, in the contact member 20 in this embodiment, the first contact portion 26a extends from the upper end portion 22 to the middle portion 26m of the elastic piece 26, and the second contact portion 26b extends from the lower end portion 24 to the middle portion 26m of the elastic piece 26. According to such a configuration, it is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of the contact member 20.

[0045] (Example 2) Referring to FIG. 6, the terminal connection structure of Example 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the contact member 120 in Example 2 has an upper end portion 22, a lower end portion 24, and a plurality of elastic pieces 126 extending between the upper end portion 22 and the lower end portion 24. Each of the plurality of elastic pieces 126 has a first contact portion 26a, a second contact portion 126b, and an intermediate portion 26m located between the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 126b. In each elastic piece 126, the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction D2 of the first contact portion 26a is smaller than the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction D2 of the second contact portion 126b. That is, in the contact member 120 having a shape in a natural state taken out from between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14, the protruding amount X1 in the radial direction D2 of the first contact portion 26a is smaller than the protruding amount X2 in the radial direction D2 of the second contact portion 126b. Note that the protruding amount X1 of the first contact portion 26a is the protruding amount with respect to the upper end portion 22 and the intermediate portion 26m, and the protruding amount X2 of the second contact portion 126b is the protruding amount with respect to the lower end portion 24 and the intermediate portion 26m. Thus, the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 126b are configured such that their elastic deformation amounts are different from each other. In this regard, the contact member 120 in Example 2 is different from the contact member 20 in Example 1.

[0046] Regarding other configurations of the contact member 120, it is configured in the same manner as the terminal connection structure 10 of Example 1. In addition, in particular in this embodiment, the first contact portion 26a is located on the opening side of the hole 14h of the female terminal 14 (i.e., the insertion opening side where the male terminal 12 is inserted) with respect to the second contact portion 126b. According to such a configuration, the elastic deformation amount of the first contact portion 26a located on the insertion opening side of the hole 14h of the female terminal 14 can be made relatively small, and the insertion load can be more effectively reduced.

[0047] In Example 2, the contact member 120 has a first contact portion 26a and a second contact portion 126b integrally formed as one member. However, it is not limited to this, and the contact member 120 may be constituted by a combination of a plurality of members. For example, in a modified example shown in FIG. 7, the contact member 120A is constituted by a combination of one member having the first contact portion 26a and one member having the second contact portion 126b. According to such a configuration, even when the shapes of the first contact portion 26a and the second contact portion 126b are different from each other, each member constituting the contact member 120A only needs to be provided with a contact portion having the same shape (that is, the first contact portion 26a or the second contact portion 126b). Thereby, each member constituting the contact member 120A can be easily and accurately manufactured.

[0048] (Example 3) Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the terminal connection structure of Example 3 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the contact member 220 in Example 3 has a plurality of first elastic pieces 26 and a plurality of second elastic pieces 226. The plurality of first elastic pieces 26 and the plurality of second elastic pieces 226 extend between the upper end portion 22 and the lower end portion 24. Each of the plurality of first elastic pieces 26 has both a first contact portion 26a and a second contact portion 26b that elastically deform in the radial direction D2, and can be configured in the same manner as the plurality of elastic pieces 26 in Example 1. Each of the plurality of second elastic pieces 226 has a third contact portion 226c. The third contact portion 226c has a larger dimension in the axial direction D1 than either the first contact portion 26a or the second contact portion 26b. Thus, the contact member 220 is further provided with a plurality of second elastic pieces 226 having the third contact portion 226c, and in this regard, the contact member 220 in Example 3 is different from the contact member 20 in Example 1. Other configurations of the contact member 220 are configured in the same manner as the terminal connection structure of Example 1.

[0049] In addition, in the contact member 220, the first elastic pieces 26 and the second elastic pieces 226 are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction D3. According to such a configuration, a plurality of first elastic pieces 26 having both the first contact portions 26a and the second contact portions 26b and a plurality of second elastic pieces 226 having the third contact portions 226c can be arranged without bias with respect to the circumferential direction D3. Therefore, the contact between the contact member 220 and the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 is stably maintained. However, the arrangement order of the first elastic pieces 26 and the second elastic pieces 226 in the circumferential direction D3 is not limited to this and can be freely designed. For example, in another embodiment, in the contact member, two or more first elastic pieces 26 adjacent to each other and two or more second elastic pieces 226 adjacent to each other may be alternately arranged along the circumferential direction D3.

[0050] Regarding the first elastic piece 26, the first contact portion 26a extends from the upper end portion 22 to the intermediate portion 26m of the first elastic piece 26, and the second contact portion 26b extends from the lower end portion 24 to the intermediate portion 26m of the first elastic piece 26. Regarding the second elastic piece 226, the third contact portion 226c extends from the upper end portion 22 to the lower end portion 24. According to such a configuration, it is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of the contact member 220.

[0051] Although not particularly limited, the length of the first elastic piece 26 in the axial direction D1 is equal to the length of the second elastic piece 226 in the axial direction D1. As described above, the third contact portion 226c has a larger dimension in the axial direction D1 than either the first contact portion 26a or the second contact portion 26b. This configuration is also advantageous in terms of increasing the contact surface of the contact member 220.

[0052] In addition, the contact member 220 in the present embodiment is formed from a single plate member by pressing or the like. Therefore, the thickness of the first elastic piece 26 and the thickness of the second elastic piece 226 are equal to each other. That is, the thicknesses of the first contact portion 26a, the second contact portion 26b, and the third contact portion 226c are equal to each other. In such a relationship of the contact portions 26a, 26a, 226c, if the dimension in the axial direction D1 of the third contact portion 226c is relatively large, the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction D2 of the third contact portion 226c is larger than either the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction D2 of the first contact portion 26a or the elastic deformation amount in the radial direction D2 of the second contact portion 26b. That is, in the contact member 220 having a shape in a natural state taken out from between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14, the protrusion amount X3 in the radial direction D2 of the third contact portion 226c is larger than either the protrusion amount X1 in the radial direction D2 of the first contact portion 26a or the protrusion amount X2 in the radial direction D2 of the second contact portion 26b. Thereby, the third contact portion 226c can obtain relatively large elastic properties. Note that the protrusion amount X1 of the first contact portion 26a is the protrusion amount of the first elastic piece 26 with respect to the upper end portion 22 and the intermediate portion 26m. The protrusion amount X2 of the second contact portion 26b is the protrusion amount of the first elastic piece 26 with respect to the lower end portion 24 and the intermediate portion 26m. The protrusion amount X3 of the third contact portion 226c is the protrusion amount of the second elastic piece 226 with respect to the upper end portion 22 and the lower end portion 24.

[0053] When the contact member 220 is disposed between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 shown in FIG. 1, it contacts the inner surface 14a of the female terminal 14 at the upper end portion 22, the lower end portion 24, and the intermediate portion 26m. And the contact member 220 contacts the outer surface 12a of the male terminal 12 at the first contact portion 26a, the second contact portion 26b, and the third contact portion 226c. According to such a configuration, the contact member 220 is stably held between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14.

[0054] As described above, each of the various terminal connection structures 10 disclosed in this specification may be applied to only a part of the plurality of terminal pairs 12, 14. According to the terminal connection structure 10 according to the present technology, the gap between the male terminal 12 and the female terminal 14 can be made relatively small. Therefore, even if the terminal connection structure 10 according to the present technology is applied to only at least one of the plurality of terminal pairs 12, 14, the entire plurality of male terminals 12 are accurately positioned with respect to the entire plurality of female terminals 14. In addition, in all of the plurality of terminal pairs 12, 14, the vibration of the male terminal 12 with respect to the female terminal 14 is suppressed.

[0055] In the embodiment, the male terminal 12 was a cylindrical member, but it is not limited thereto. The male terminal 12 may be, for example, a polygonal columnar member. The hole of the female terminal 14 is also not limited to the configuration of the embodiment, and the female terminal 14 may not have a hole 14h with a circular cross section. The shape of the hole of the female terminal 14 can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the male terminal 12.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 10: Terminal connection structure, 12: Male terminal, 12a: Outer surface, 14: Female terminal, 20, 120, 120A, 220: Contact member, 22: Upper end portion, 24: Lower end portion, 26: (First) elastic piece, 26a: First contact portion, 26b: Second contact portion, 26m: Intermediate portion, 226: Second elastic piece, 226c: Third contact portion, C: Central axis, D1: Axial direction, D2: Radial direction, D3: Circumferential direction, X1, X2, X3: Projection amount

Claims

1. a columnar male terminal extending in the axial direction and a female terminal having a hole into which the male terminal is inserted, at least one contact member interposed between the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal and electrically connecting the male terminal and the female terminal, comprising the contact member having a first contact portion and a second contact portion that are elastically deformed in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the first contact portion and the second contact portion being different from each other in position in the axial direction, a terminal connection structure.

2. the contact member having a plurality of elastic pieces each extending in the axial direction and arranged in the circumferential direction, at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces having the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the terminal connection structure according to Claim 1.

3. each of the plurality of elastic pieces having the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the terminal connection structure according to Claim 2.

4. the contact member having an upper end portion extending in the circumferential direction and a lower end portion extending in the circumferential direction, the plurality of elastic pieces extending between the upper end portion and the lower end portion, the terminal connection structure according to Claim 3.

5. the first contact portion extending from the upper end portion to an intermediate portion of the elastic piece, the second contact portion extending from the lower end portion to the intermediate portion of the elastic piece, the terminal connection structure according to Claim 4.

6. the contact member being in contact with one of the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal at the upper end portion, the lower end portion, and the intermediate portion, the first contact portion and the second contact portion being in contact with the other of the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal, the terminal connection structure according to Claim 5.

7. the elastic deformation amount of the first contact portion in the radial direction and the elastic deformation amount of the second contact portion in the radial direction being equal to each other, the terminal connection structure according to Claim 5.

8. the elastic deformation amount of the first contact portion in the radial direction being smaller than the elastic deformation amount of the second contact portion in the radial direction, the terminal connection structure according to Claim 5.

9. the first contact portion being located on the opening side of the hole of the female terminal with respect to the second contact portion, the terminal connection structure according to Claim 8.

10. at least one other of the plurality of elastic pieces having a third contact portion that is elastically deformed in the radial direction, The terminal connection structure according to claim 2, wherein the third contact portion has a larger dimension in the axial direction than either of the first contact portion and the second contact portion.

11. The terminal connection structure according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of elastic pieces has either both of the first contact portion and the second contact portion or the third contact portion.

12. In the contact member, the elastic pieces having both the first contact portion and the second contact portion and the elastic pieces having the third contact portion are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction, the terminal connection structure according to claim 11.

13. The contact member has an upper end portion extending in the circumferential direction and a lower end portion extending in the circumferential direction, The plurality of elastic pieces extend between the upper end portion and the lower end portion, the terminal connection structure according to any one of claims 10 to 12.

14. The first contact portion extends from the upper end portion to an intermediate portion of the elastic piece, The second contact portion extends from the lower end portion to the intermediate portion of the elastic piece, The third contact portion extends from the upper end portion to the lower end portion, the terminal connection structure according to claim 13.

15. The contact member is in contact with one of the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal at the upper end portion, the lower end portion, and the intermediate portion, In the first contact portion, the second contact portion, and the third contact portion, the contact member is in contact with the other of the outer surface of the male terminal and the inner surface of the female terminal, the terminal connection structure according to claim 14.

16. The terminal connection structure is employed in an electric vehicle, One of the male terminal and the female terminal is electrically connected to an electric motor that drives a wheel of the electric vehicle, The other of the male terminal and the female terminal is electrically connected to a power control circuit that controls a current flowing through the electric motor, the terminal connection structure according to claim 1.

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