Temperature measurement unit and charging inlet

Abstract

To provide a temperature measurement unit capable of improving operability of attachment to a terminal while making a measurement accuracy of a terminal temperature hardly deteriorate.SOLUTION: A temperature measurement unit 40 is provided at a charging inlet 1 connected with an external charging connector, measures temperature of a rod-like terminal 10 held by a holding cylinder part 22, and comprises: a temperature sensor 41 that is arranged outside the holding cylinder part 22, and includes a measurement body 41a including a chip thermistor 41c; a holding part 43a that holds the measurement body 41a; and a holding metal fitting 43 that includes a pair of elastic pieces 43b that is engaged with a terminal 10 by mutually nipping side parts of the terminal 10. The holding cylinder part 22 houses a root side of the terminal 10 coaxially in a state where a tip end side of the terminal 10 as a side connected to the external terminal of the charging connector is exposed. The holding part 43a holds the measurement body 41a so that at least one part of the measurement body 41a is opposite to one part of the holding cylinder part 22 in an axial direction of the holding cylinder part 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature measurement unit and a charging inlet.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a charging inlet installed in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle for supplying power from outside the vehicle to an in-vehicle battery. When the charging inlet is used, Joule heat is generated at the terminals provided in the charging inlet, causing the temperature of the terminals to rise. Patent Document 1 discloses a charging inlet (vehicle-side charging connector) that attaches a thermistor to a terminal by covering the thermistor, the terminal, and an electric wire with a heat shrink tube in a state where the thermistor is in close contact with the outer surface of the terminal in order to measure the terminal temperature.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the charging inlet disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the thermistor is in close contact with the outer surface of the terminal, it is advantageous in terms of the measurement accuracy of the terminal temperature. However, when attaching the thermistor to the terminal in the charging inlet, the operator needs to position the thermistor at a predetermined position on the outer surface of the terminal and then perform the attachment and heating shrinkage of the heat shrink tube, so there are difficulties in the attachment workability.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of such conventional technologies. An object of the present invention is to provide a temperature measurement unit that makes it difficult to reduce the measurement accuracy of the terminal temperature and improves the attachment workability to the terminal, and a charging inlet equipped with the same.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] An aspect of the present invention is a temperature measurement unit provided in a charging inlet to which an external charging connector is connected, for measuring the temperature of a rod-shaped terminal held in a holding cylinder portion. The temperature measurement unit includes a temperature sensor disposed outside the holding cylinder portion and having a measurement body enclosing a chip thermistor, a holding portion for holding the measurement body, and a holding metal fitting having a pair of elastic pieces that engage with the terminal by sandwiching the side portions of the terminal with each other. The holding cylinder portion houses the base side of the terminal coaxially with the tip side of the terminal exposed, which is the side connected to the external terminal of the charging connector. The holding portion holds the measurement body such that at least a part of the measurement body faces a part of the holding cylinder portion in the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a charging inlet to which an external charging connector is connected, including a rod-shaped terminal, a terminal holder having a holding cylinder portion for holding the terminal, a housing having an insertion hole through which the tip side of the terminal, which is the side connected to the external terminal of the charging connector, is inserted, and the terminal holder is mounted from a direction opposite to the direction in which the charging connector is connected, and a temperature measurement unit for measuring the temperature of the terminal. The temperature measurement unit is the temperature measurement unit according to the above aspect.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a temperature measurement unit that makes it difficult to reduce the measurement accuracy of the terminal temperature and improves the workability of attaching the terminal to the charging inlet, and a charging inlet including the same.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, a temperature measurement unit and a charging inlet according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a part of a charging inlet 1 according to an embodiment. In FIG. 1, among the main elements constituting the charging inlet 1, the housing 30 is shown separately.

[0012] The charging inlet 1 is a connector installed in a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and is used to supply power to an in-vehicle battery by appropriately connecting a charging connector (not shown) from the outside of the vehicle. Note that the external charging connector may be referred to as a "charging gun". Hereinafter, as an example, assuming that a charging connector is connected to the charging inlet 1, the direction in which the charging inlet 1 faces the charging connector is defined as the X direction. In this case, the direction in which the charging connector comes toward the charging inlet 1 is the direction opposite to the X direction. Also, the advancing side along the X direction may be denoted as "front", and conversely, the retreating side may be denoted as "rear". The charging inlet 1 includes a plurality of terminals 10, a terminal holder 20, a housing 30, and a temperature measurement unit 40.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a terminal holder 20 to which each terminal 10 and each temperature measurement unit 40 are assembled. On the other hand, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a terminal holder 20 in which each terminal 10 is assembled but each temperature measurement unit 40 is not assembled. FIG. 4 is a front view of the terminal holder 20 shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from a direction opposite to the X direction.

[0014] The plurality of terminals 10 are each male terminals made of metal and rod-shaped. In the present embodiment, there are seven terminals 10 including four first terminals 10a having the same shape, a pair of second terminals 10b having the same diameter as each other, and one third terminal 10c. The first terminal 10a is a terminal for power supply, that is, for charging. In the present embodiment, a temperature measurement unit 40 is assembled for each first terminal 10a. The second terminal 10b is a terminal for signal transmission having a smaller diameter than the first terminal 10a. The third terminal 10c is a terminal for ground (GND) having the same diameter as the first terminal 10a. Note that the number of the first terminals 10a and the like, the diameter dimensions of each terminal 10, and the size relationship of the diameters between the terminals 10 are not particularly limited.

[0015] Each terminal 10 also has a connection portion 11, a connection portion 12, and a joining portion 13. The connection portion 11 is connected to a female terminal (hereinafter referred to as an “external terminal”) (not shown) provided on the charging connector when the charging connector is connected to the charging inlet 1. The connection portion 12 is located on the rear side of the connection portion 11 and integrally connects the connection portion 11 and the joining portion 13. The joining portion 13 joins one of the plurality of electric wires 2. The other end of each electric wire 2 is connected to an object in the vehicle such as an in-vehicle battery. As illustrated in FIG. 7 below, the electric wire 2 has a core wire 2a that is a conductor and a covering portion 2b that is an insulator covering the core wire 2a. Here, a recess (not shown) that is recessed forward may be formed on the rear end surface of the joining portion 13. After the end of the core wire 2a exposed at the end of the electric wire 2 is inserted into the recess and then clamped, the end of the electric wire 2 is connected to the connection portion 12, and the terminal 10 and the electric wire 2 are electrically connected.

[0016] Furthermore, each terminal 10 has an annular groove portion 14 formed along the outer periphery on the side portion of the terminal 10. In the present embodiment, the annular groove portion 14 is formed on the side portion of the connecting portion 12. As will be described in detail below, when the terminal 10 is assembled to the holding cylinder portion 22 of the terminal holder 20, a locking projection 25a, which is a part of the holding cylinder portion 22, engages with the annular groove portion 14.

[0017] The terminal holder 20 is made of synthetic resin and holds each terminal 10. The terminal holder 20 has a main wall portion 21, a plurality of holding cylinder portions 22, and a side wall portion 23.

[0018] The main wall portion 21 is a substantially circular bottom portion. In the present embodiment, the main plane of the main wall portion 21 is a YZ plane defined in the Y direction and the Z direction that are respectively orthogonal to the X direction and orthogonal to each other. The main wall portion 21 has a plurality of openings 21a (see FIG. 7) corresponding to each terminal 10.

[0019] Each of the plurality of holding cylinder portions 22 directly holds one of the terminals 10. In the present embodiment, since seven terminals 10 are provided, there are seven holding cylinder portions 22 that are adapted to the shape of each terminal 10. The seven holding cylinder portions 22 include four first holding cylinder portions 22a, two second holding cylinder portions 22b, and one third holding cylinder portion 22c. The first holding cylinder portion 22a holds the first terminal 10a. The second holding cylinder portion 22b holds the second terminal 10b. The third holding cylinder portion 22c holds the third terminal 10c.

[0020] With the X direction as the axial direction, the holding cylinder portion 22 coaxially accommodates the base side of the terminal 10 with the tip side of the terminal 10 exposed. Here, the tip side of the terminal 10 is the side connected to the external terminal in the terminal 10, and in the present embodiment, refers to the portion including the connecting portion 11 and the front side of the connecting portion 12. On the other hand, the base side of the terminal 10 refers to the portion including the rear side of the connecting portion 12 and the joining portion 13 in the present embodiment.

[0021] Further, the holding cylinder portion 22 is composed of a plurality of elastic locking pieces 25 arranged along the axial direction and configured such that a terminal insertion hole 24 for inserting the terminal 10 is formed. In the present embodiment, the holding cylinder portion 22 is composed of three elastic locking pieces 25. In this case, the cross-section of each elastic locking piece 25 is in an arc shape along the periphery of the opening 21a. The elastic locking piece 25 is in the shape of a cantilever beam with the front tip end being the free end and the rear end being the fixed end continuous with the periphery of the opening 21a. The opening diameter of each opening 21a and the diameter dimension of each terminal insertion hole 24 correspond to the diameter dimension of the terminal 10 to be inserted.

[0022] Each elastic locking piece 25 has a locking protrusion 25a protruding toward the inside in the radial direction of the terminal insertion hole 24 at the tip end and engaging with the annular groove portion 14 of the terminal 10. When the terminal 10 is assembled to the holding cylinder portion 22, it is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 24 from the rear side through the opening 21a. At this time, until the locking protrusion 25a engages with the annular groove portion 14, it contacts the side portion of the terminal 10 and elastically deforms in the radial direction of the terminal insertion hole 24.

[0023] In the present embodiment, the seven holding cylinder portions 22 are arranged as follows with respect to the front wall surface of the main wall portion 21. Referring to FIG. 4, when the direction along the Z direction is defined as the vertical direction, at a position above the vertical center of the main wall portion 21, a pair of second holding cylinder portions 22b are arranged side by side at intervals in the left - right direction along the Y direction. Also, at the vertical center position of the main wall portion 21, three holding cylinder portions 22 are arranged at equal intervals such that two first holding cylinder portions 22a sandwich one third holding cylinder portion 22c. Further, at a position below the vertical center of the main wall portion 21, two first holding cylinder portions 22a are arranged side by side at intervals in the left - right direction.

[0024] The side wall portion 23 is a cylindrical portion in which a part of the inner wall surface is continuous with the periphery of the main wall portion 21 and constitutes the outer frame of the terminal holder 20.

[0025] Further, when a plurality of temperature measurement units 40 are installed, the terminal holder 20 has a plurality of notches 26 for routing the electric wires 42 provided in each temperature measurement unit 40 between the front side and the rear side of the main wall portion 21. Each notch 26 is formed so as to communicate between the outside of the side wall portion 23 and the routing position of the electric wire 42. In the present embodiment, since a temperature measurement unit 40 is assembled for each first terminal 10a, the terminal holder 20 has four notches 26.

[0026] The housing 30 is made of synthetic resin, constitutes an exterior portion that is exposed to the outside when connecting the charging connector, and mounts the terminal holder 20. The housing 30 has a cylindrical portion 31 and a flange portion 32.

[0027] The cylindrical portion 31 has a plurality of terminal accommodation chambers 33 inside for individually accommodating and protecting the connection portions 11 of the plurality of terminals 10 held by the terminal holder 20. That is, in the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 31 has seven terminal accommodation chambers 33. The terminal accommodation chamber 33 has a cylindrical internal space with the X direction as the axial direction, and has a shape into which an external terminal to be connected to the terminal 10 can be inserted. Further, the terminal accommodation chamber 33 has a rear wall portion 35 formed with an insertion hole 36 through which the tip side of the terminal 10 is inserted at the rear end portion. The diameter dimension of the insertion hole 36 only needs to be larger than the diameter dimension of the connection portion 11 of the terminal 10 accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber 33 provided with the insertion hole 36, and may be smaller than each diameter dimension of the connecting portion 12 or the joining portion 13. Note that the housing 30 may have a cylindrical portion other than the cylindrical portion 31 in order to conform to the standards of various charging methods. Further, the rear wall portion 35 may be provided with a rib or a cylindrical portion protruding rearward.

[0028] Further, the housing 30 has a fitting frame portion 34 that fits with a part of a housing (hereinafter referred to as "external housing") provided on the charging connector along the outer peripheral shape of the cylindrical portion 31. When a part of the external housing is fitted into the fitting frame portion 34, power is supplied from an external power source or the like to the in-vehicle battery, and the in-vehicle battery is charged.

[0029] The flange portion 32 supports the cylindrical portion 31 and the fitting frame portion 34. The specific shape of the flange portion 32 is determined according to the specifications of the vehicle where the charging inlet 1 is installed. For example, bolt insertion holes 32a penetrating in the X direction are formed at a plurality of locations on the flange portion 32. When the charging inlet 1 is attached to a predetermined location of the vehicle, bolts (not shown) are inserted into the bolt insertion holes 32a.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a partial exploded view of the temperature measurement unit 40. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the temperature measurement unit 40. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the charging inlet 1 cut along the VII-VII section in FIG. 2 so that the cross-section of one of the four temperature measurement units 40 can be visually recognized. In FIG. 7, the housing 30 is simply drawn by a virtual line. Also, in FIG. 7, the temperature measurement unit 40 attached to the first terminal 10a held by the first holding cylinder portion 22a which is the most upstream in the Y direction among the three holding cylinder portions 22 arranged in the vertical center position of the main wall portion 21 in the terminal holder 20 is the cutting reference. Further, the cutting plane in FIG. 7 is the XZ plane passing through the central axis of the first terminal 10a attached to the temperature measurement unit 40 serving as the cutting reference. In addition, in FIGS. 5 and 6, assuming that the temperature measurement unit 40 corresponds to the one shown in cross-section in FIG. 7, the direction indication of XYZ is given.

[0031] The temperature measurement unit 40 measures the temperature of any one of the plurality of terminals 10. In the present embodiment, the temperature measurement unit 40 measures the temperature of the first terminal 10a. Therefore, there are four temperature measurement units 40. The temperature measurement unit 40 includes a temperature sensor 41, a pair of electric wires 42, a holding fitting 43, a wire holder 44, a unit housing 45, and a potting portion 46.

[0032] The temperature sensor 41 is disposed outside the first holding cylinder portion 22a and includes a measurement body 41a and a pair of lead frames 41b. The measurement body 41a is composed of a chip thermistor 41c (see FIG. 7) and a coating body 41d.

[0033] The chip thermistor 41c is an electronic component whose resistance value changes as the temperature of the first terminal 10a changes. The type of thermistor that can be adopted as the chip thermistor 41c is not particularly limited. For example, the chip thermistor 41c may be an NTC thermistor formed by firing an oxide containing components such as manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co).

[0034] The pair of lead frames 41b are made of a metal such as copper (Cu), and are formed into a bar shape with a rectangular cross-section by etching, pressing, or the like, and are conductors that electrically connect the chip thermistor 41c and the electric wire 42. One lead frame 41b functions as an output-side lead, and the other lead frame 41b functions as an input-side lead that is electrically connected to an external power source when the temperature sensor 41, that is, the temperature measurement unit 40, is in use. In each lead frame 41b, the chip thermistor 41c is connected to the tip, and the core wire 42a of the electric wire 42 is joined to the joining end 41g including the rear end. Also, the tip of one lead frame 41b and the tip of the other lead frame 41b mount the chip thermistor 41c so as to sandwich each other along the Y direction.

[0035] Also, each lead frame 41b has a symmetrical shape with respect to each other, and has an extension portion 41e and a bent portion 41f. The extension portion 41e is a portion that extends along the X direction, which is the axial direction of the first holding cylinder portion 22a. The joining end 41g is the rear portion of the extension portion 41e. The bent portion 41f supports the measurement body 41a and is a portion bent at an angle θ from the tip of the extension portion 41e toward the side portion of the first terminal 10a. In the present embodiment, the angle θ is 90°.

[0036] The covering 41d is a resin part molded to enclose the chip thermistor 41c and constitutes the exterior part of the measuring body 41a. The outer shape of the covering 41d is substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The covering 41d may be molded by a transfer molding method using a mold. In this case, the synthetic resin material forming the covering 41d may be an epoxy resin as a thermosetting resin, which is excellent in heat resistance, water resistance, electrical insulation, etc.

[0037] The pair of electric wires 42 are temperature measurement electric wires distinguishable from the plurality of electric wires 2 connected for each terminal 10. Each electric wire 42 has a core wire 42a which is a conductor and a covering part 42b which is an insulator covering the core wire 42a. The end of the core wire 42a exposed at the terminal of the electric wire 42 may be joined to the joining end 41g of the lead frame 41b by, for example, laser welding.

[0038] The holding fitting 43, also called a sensor holder, is a metal member that holds a part of the temperature sensor 41 and is attached to the first terminal 10a to transmit the heat generated at the first terminal 10a to the temperature sensor 41. The holding fitting 43 is formed by performing pressing and bending processes on a single metal plate. The holding fitting 43 has a holding part 43a and a pair of elastic pieces 43b.

[0039] The holding part 43a directly holds the measuring body 41a. The holding part 43a has a bottom part 43e, a standing wall part 43c, and a pair of side wall parts 43d.

[0040] The bottom part 43e places the measuring body 41a when the holding part 43a holds the measuring body 41a. In the present embodiment, the shape of the bottom part 43e is a substantially rectangular flat plate shape including a pair of side edges along the X direction and a pair of side edges orthogonal to the X direction. Also, at the bottom part 43e, when the holding fitting 43 is attached to the first terminal 10a, the back surface on the opposite side of the surface on which the measuring body 41a is placed faces a part of the side part of the first terminal 10a.

[0041] The standing wall portion 43c protrudes from the front side edge of a pair of side edges orthogonal to the X direction at the bottom portion 43e in a direction opposite to the direction facing the side portion of the first terminal 10a, and faces the front surface of the measurement body 41a when the holding portion 43a holds the measurement body 41a. Here, assuming the surface of the measurement body 41a that contacts the bottom portion 43e as the lower surface, at the standing wall portion 43c, the tip portion on the side opposite to the root portion continuous with the bottom portion 43e is bent so as to face a part of the bottom portion 43e. When the holding portion 43a holds the measurement body 41a, in the direction orthogonal to the bottom portion 43e, a part of the measurement body 41a is between the bottom portion 43e and the tip portion of the standing wall portion 43c. In the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, the direction in which the bottom portion 43e and the tip portion of the standing wall portion 43c face each other is along the Z direction.

[0042] A pair of side wall portions 43d protrude individually from a pair of side edges located between the root portion and the tip portion of the standing wall portion 43c in a direction opposite to the X direction, and face either side surface of the measurement body 41a when the holding portion 43a holds the measurement body 41a. At each side wall portion 43d, the tip portion on the side opposite to the root portion continuous with the standing wall portion 43c is bent toward the direction in which they face each other. When the holding portion 43a holds the measurement body 41a, in the direction parallel to the bottom portion 43e and orthogonal to the X direction, a part of the measurement body 41a is sandwiched between the pair of side wall portions 43d. In the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, the direction in which the pair of side wall portions 43d face each other is along the Y direction.

[0043] By having the shape as described above, the holding portion 43a holds the measurement body 41a so as to wrap it in two directions, namely, the direction in which the bottom portion 43e and the tip portion of the standing wall portion 43c face each other, and the direction in which the pair of side wall portions 43d face each other. Therefore, the holding portion 43a makes it easier to transfer the heat transmitted from the pair of elastic pieces 43b to the measurement body 41a.

[0044] Further, the holding portion 43a holds the measurement body 41a such that at least a part of the measurement body 41a faces a part of the first holding cylinder portion 22a in the axial direction of the first holding cylinder portion 22a. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the holding portion 43a holds the measurement body 41a such that the measurement body 41a faces a part of the locking projection 25a at the tip of the first holding cylinder portion 22a. In the present embodiment, the axial direction of the first holding cylinder portion 22a is along the X direction as described above.

[0045] The pair of elastic pieces 43b engage with the first terminal 10a by sandwiching the side portions of the first terminal 10a while contacting the side portions of the first terminal 10a. The pair of elastic pieces 43b project individually from a pair of side edges along the X direction of the bottom portion 43e in a direction facing the side portions of the first terminal 10a and face each other. Each elastic piece 43b can be elastically deformed in the facing direction of each other. Each elastic piece 43b has a curved portion that projects in an arc shape convex to the outside in the facing direction of each other so as to conform to the outer peripheral shape of the side portion of the first terminal 10a. In the present embodiment, when the holding fitting 43 is attached to the first terminal 10a, each curved portion is assembled to the side portion of the connecting portion 12 so as to cover the outer periphery of the connecting portion 12 of the first terminal 10a.

[0046] That is, the holding fitting 43 transmits the heat transmitted from the first terminal 10a to the pair of elastic pieces 43b to the measurement body 41a at least via the bottom portion 43e.

[0047] The wire holder 44 is a synthetic resin member that holds a pair of lead frames 41b included in the temperature sensor 41 and holds a pair of electric wires 42 joined to the joining ends 41g of the respective lead frames 41b. The wire holder 44 has a pair of joining end accommodating portions 44a, a pair of wire accommodating portions 44b, and a plurality of engaging claws 44c.

[0048] The pair of joint end accommodating portions 44a may be notch portions that individually accommodate a pair of joint ends 41g obtained by joining the core wires 42a of the electric wire 42. The pair of electric wire accommodating portions 44b may be groove portions that are formed along the X direction so as to be continuous between one of the pair of joint end accommodating portions 44a and the outside, and that accommodate a part of the electric wire 42. The plurality of engaging claws 44c are used when assembling the wire holder 44 to the unit housing 45. In the present embodiment, along the direction in which the pair of lead frames 41b face each other, there are two engaging claws 44c protruding in one direction and two engaging claws 44c protruding in the opposite direction.

[0049] Also, a part of the wire holder 44 enters between the upper surface of the measurement body 41a and the tip of the standing wall portion 43c of the holding fitting 43 when the temperature measurement unit 40 is assembled. Thereby, the wire holder 44 falling off from the holding fitting 43 attached to the first terminal 10a, that is, the temperature sensor 41, the electric wire 42, or the unit housing 45 falling off is suppressed.

[0050] The unit housing 45 is a synthetic resin member that houses at least a part of the temperature sensor 41 inside while leaving an open surface 45f (see FIG. 7) facing a part of each of the first terminal 10a and the first holding cylinder portion 22a. The unit housing 45 has an upper wall portion 45a, a front wall portion 45b, an inclined wall portion 45c, a pair of side wall portions 45e, and a plurality of locking holes 45d.

[0051] The upper wall portion 45a is a flat plate portion that approximately covers the extending portion 41e of the pair of lead frames 41b included in the temperature sensor 41 disposed outside the first holding cylinder portion 22a from the side opposite to the first holding cylinder portion 22a.

[0052] The front wall portion 45b is a flat plate portion that approximately covers the holding portion 43a holding the measurement body 41a from the front side in the direction opposite to the X direction, which is the axial direction of the first terminal 10a and the first holding cylinder portion 22a. That is, the front wall portion 45b has a main plane parallel to the YZ plane orthogonal to the X direction, and faces while being close to the standing wall portion 43c of the holding portion 43a.

[0053] The inclined wall portion 45c is a flat plate portion that connects the upper wall portion 45a and the front wall portion 45b, and faces the continuous portion between the extending portion 41e and the bent portion 41f in the pair of lead frames 41b. Further, the measuring body 41a held by the holding portion 43a is disposed in the space from the inclined wall portion 45c toward the side portion of the first terminal 10a. The fact that the unit housing 45 is provided with the inclined wall portion 45c is also advantageous in that, for example, when the terminal holder 20 is attached to the housing 30, a part of the unit housing 45 is less likely to interfere with a part of the rear wall portion 35 of the housing 30.

[0054] When the pair of side wall portions 45e are regarded as one continuous wall portion including the upper wall portion 45a, the inclined wall portion 45c, and the front wall portion 45b, they are individually continuous with one side edge and the other side edge of the continuous wall portion, and face each other along the direction in which the pair of lead frames 41b face each other. In each side wall portion 45e, the edge portion on the side opposite to the side continuous with the continuous wall portion forms the open surface 45f and is close to the outer surface of the first holding cylinder portion 22a or the side portion of the first terminal 10a exposed from the first holding cylinder portion 22a.

[0055] Note that, for structural reinforcement or fixing of the potting portion 46 or the like, the unit housing 45 may be provided with wall portions other than those described above.

[0056] When the wire holder 44 is assembled to the unit housing 45, the plurality of locking holes 45d individually engage with the plurality of engaging claws 44c provided on the wire holder 44. In the present embodiment, as described above, since the wire holder 44 is provided with four engaging claws 44c, each side wall portion 45e is provided with two locking holes 45d for individually engaging two engaging claws 44c.

[0057] The potting portion 46 fills a pair of lead frames 41b, a wire holder 44, etc. disposed inside the unit housing 45. The synthetic resin as the potting material used for molding the potting portion 46 may be an epoxy resin or the like, and is not particularly limited. Note that the potting portion 46 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is an example of the shape cured after the assembly of the temperature measurement unit 40.

[0058] Next, the assembly of the charging inlet 1 will be described.

[0059] When assembling the charging inlet 1, first, it is necessary to assemble the plurality of terminals 10 to the terminal holder 20 and assemble the temperature measurement unit 40. The order before and after these operations does not matter. Also, the assembly of the charging inlet 1 may be performed by an operator, or a part or all of the operations may be performed in a factory where the work is automated.

[0060] First, the assembly of the plurality of terminals 10 to the terminal holder 20 will be described. The seven terminals 10 with the ends of any of the electric wires 2 connected to the joint portion 13 are respectively assembled to the corresponding holding cylinder portions 22 in the terminal holder 20. When each terminal 10 is assembled to the corresponding holding cylinder portion 22, it is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 24 from the rear side toward the front side through the opening 21a, that is, along the X direction in the present embodiment. When the insertion of the terminal 10 into the terminal insertion hole 24 is started, the locking projection 25a continuously contacts the side portion of the joint portion 13 and the side portion of the connecting portion 12 of the terminal 10, and by the pressing force from those side portions, it elastically deforms in the radial direction of the terminal insertion hole 24. Then, when the locking projection 25a reaches the annular groove portion 14 formed in the connecting portion 12, it elastically returns inward in the radial direction of the holding cylinder portion 22 and engages with the annular groove portion 14, thereby completing the assembly of the terminal 10 to the holding cylinder portion 22.

[0061] When the terminal 10 is held by the holding cylinder portion 22, the joint portion 13 of the terminal 10 and a part of the connecting portion 12 are surrounded by three elastic locking pieces 25 that constitute the holding cylinder portion 22. At this time, the locking protrusions 25a at the respective tip portions are engaged with the annular groove portion 14, thereby restricting the movement of the terminal 10 in the radial direction and the X direction with respect to the holding cylinder portion 22.

[0062] Next, the assembly of the temperature measurement unit 40 will be described. In the present embodiment, four temperature measurement units 40 are assembled in advance. First, after the temperature sensor 41 is disposed at a predetermined position of the wire holder 44, the core wire 42a of the electric wire 42 is joined to the joining end 41g of each lead frame 41b. Subsequently, the measuring body 41a of the temperature sensor 41 is held by the holding portion 43a of the holding fitting 43. At this time, a part of the wire holder 44 enters between the upper surface of the measuring body 41a and the tip portion of the standing wall portion 43c of the holding fitting 43. By the assembly up to this point, the temperature measurement unit 40 is in the state shown in FIG. 5. Then, the potting portion 46 is formed while the wire holder 44 holding a pair of lead frames 41b and a part of the electric wire 42 is disposed at a predetermined position inside the unit housing 45, thereby completing the assembly of the temperature measurement unit 40.

[0063] When the assembly of the plurality of terminals 10 to the terminal holder 20 and the assembly of the temperature measurement unit 40 are completed, next, the temperature measurement unit 40 is attached to the terminals 10. In the present embodiment, the temperature measurement unit 40 is attached for every four first terminals 10a.

[0064] First, the temperature measurement unit 40 is disposed outside the corresponding first holding cylinder portion 22a in a posture where a pair of elastic pieces 43b of the holding fitting 43 are positioned forward and a pair of electric wires 42 are routed rearward. Subsequently, the pair of elastic pieces 43b are attached to the first terminal 10a by sandwiching the side portions of the connecting portion 12 of the first terminal 10a with each other. Then, the pair of electric wires 42 are routed from the front side to the rear side of the main wall portion 21 through a notch portion 26 provided in advance in the vicinity of the corresponding first holding cylinder portion 22a in the terminal holder 20, thereby completing the attachment of the temperature measurement unit 40 to the first terminal 10a.

[0065] In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, two temperature measurement units 40 are attached to the corresponding first terminals 10a from a direction along the Z direction, and the other two temperature measurement units 40 are attached to the corresponding first terminals 10a from a direction along the Y direction. Here, the attachment posture of the temperature measurement unit 40 with respect to the terminal 10 is not limited to these. The attachment posture of the temperature measurement unit 40 may be determined so that the temperature measurement unit 40 does not interfere with a part of the rear wall portion 35 when the terminal holder 20 is attached to the housing 30 as shown in FIG. 7, for example.

[0066] When the temperature measurement unit 40 is attached to the first terminal 10a, the curved portions of the pair of elastic pieces 43b are assembled while being pressed into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 12. Thereby, the heat of the first terminal 10a is properly transmitted to the elastic pieces 43b during the operation of the charging inlet 1. The heat transmitted from the first terminal 10a to the pair of elastic pieces 43b is transmitted to the measurement body 41a at least via the bottom portion 43e as described above.

[0067] Also, when the temperature measurement unit 40 is attached to the first terminal 10a, at least a part of the measurement body 41a of the temperature sensor 41 faces a part of the locking projection 25a of the first holding cylinder portion 22a in the X direction as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, outside the first holding cylinder portion 22a, the distance from the measurement body 41a to the side portion of the connecting portion 12 in the first terminal 10a is shorter than the distance from the outer peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 22a to the side portion of the connecting portion 12 at the same height position. Also, the pair of elastic pieces 43b engage with the connecting portion 12 of the first terminal 10a where the annular groove portion 14 with which the locking projection 25a engages is formed. On the other hand, the measurement body 41a is held by the holding portion 43a directly above each elastic piece 43b. That is, the holding bracket 43 and the measurement body 41a held by a part of the holding bracket 43 are positioned in the vicinity of the locking projection 25a in the X direction. Further, in the pair of lead frames 41b of the temperature sensor 41, the extending portion 41e is bent by 90° with respect to the bent portion 41f extending in a direction orthogonal to the X direction from the measurement body 41a. Therefore, the portion where the extending portion 41e is disposed inside the temperature measurement unit 40 is disposed close to the outer peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 22a along the X direction without interfering with the first holding cylinder portion 22a.

[0068] And when the attachment of the plurality of temperature measurement units 40 to the first terminals 10a is completed, next, the terminal holder 20 is attached to the housing 30.

[0069] The terminal holder 20 is attached to the housing 30 from the X direction, which is the direction opposite to the direction in which the charging connector is connected. At this time, the connecting portions 11 of the plurality of terminals 10 exposed so as to protrude forward from the terminal holder 20 are respectively inserted into the plurality of terminal accommodation chambers 33 provided in the housing 30 from the rear side through the insertion holes 36. At the same time, the portion of the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 30 that protrudes rearward enters the inner space formed by the side wall portion 23 of the terminal holder 20 as shown in FIG. 7.

[0070] As described above, when the attachment of the terminal holder 20 to the housing 30 is completed, the assembly of the charging inlet 1 is completed.

[0071] Next, the effects of the temperature measurement unit 40 and the charging inlet 1 will be described.

[0072] First, the temperature measurement unit 40 is provided at the charging inlet 1 for connecting an external charging connector, and measures the temperature of the rod-shaped terminal 10 held by the holding cylinder portion 22. The temperature measurement unit 40 is disposed outside the holding cylinder portion 22 and includes a temperature sensor 41 having a measurement body 41a containing a chip thermistor 41c. Further, the temperature measurement unit 40 includes a holding fitting 43 having a holding portion 43a for holding the measurement body 41a and a pair of elastic pieces 43b that engage with the terminal 10 by sandwiching the side portions of the terminal 10. The holding cylinder portion 22 coaxially houses the base side of the terminal 10 in a state where the tip side of the terminal 10, which is the side connected to the external terminal of the charging connector, is exposed. The holding portion 43a holds the measurement body 41a such that at least a part of the measurement body 41a faces a part of the holding cylinder portion 22 in the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion 22.

[0073] Here, in the above example, the terminal 10 with which the pair of elastic pieces 43b engage, that is, the terminal 10 that is the object of temperature measurement by the temperature measurement unit 40, is the first terminal 10a. Also, in the above example, the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion 22 corresponds to the X direction.

[0074] First, in the temperature measurement unit 40, the holding fitting 43 has a pair of elastic pieces 43b in addition to the holding portion 43a that holds the measurement body 41a of the temperature sensor 41. The pair of elastic pieces 43b engage with the terminal 10 by sandwiching the side portions of the terminal 10 that is the object of temperature measurement. That is, since the holding fitting 43 is simply attached to the terminal 10, the temperature sensor 41 and thus the temperature measurement unit 40 can also be simply attached to the terminal 10. Therefore, according to the temperature measurement unit 40, for example, compared with the attachment operation in which an operator positions a thermistor at a predetermined position on the outer surface of the terminal and performs operations such as attaching a heat shrink tube, the attachment workability can be improved.

[0075] Further, in the temperature measurement unit 40, at least a part of the measurement body 41a faces, in the axial direction, a part of the holding cylinder portion 22 that holds the terminal 10 which is the object to be measured for temperature, as exemplified with reference to FIG. 7. Therefore, outside the holding cylinder portion 22, the distance from the measurement body 41a to the side portion of the terminal 10 becomes shorter, for example, even when compared with the distance from the position at the same height as the outer peripheral surface of the holding cylinder portion 22 to the same side portion of the terminal 10. That is, the distance between the terminal 10 and the measurement body 41a can be kept short. Thus, during temperature measurement, the heat transmitted from the terminal 10 to the pair of elastic pieces 43b is quickly transmitted to the measurement body 41a held by the holding portion 43a. Therefore, according to the temperature measurement unit 40, since the measurement body 41a of the temperature sensor 41 can be brought close to the terminal 10 to measure the temperature, it is difficult to reduce the measurement accuracy.

[0076] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the temperature measurement unit 40 that can improve the workability of attaching to the terminal 10 while making it difficult to reduce the measurement accuracy of the terminal temperature.

[0077] Also, in the temperature measurement unit 40, the temperature sensor 41 may have a lead frame 41b with a chip thermistor 41c connected to the tip. The lead frame 41b may have an extension portion 41e extending along the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion 22, and a bent portion 41f that bends from the extension portion 41e toward the side portion of the terminal 10 while supporting the measurement body 41a.

[0078] According to this temperature measurement unit 40, while bringing the measurement body 41a close to the side portion of the terminal 10 as described above, the extension portion 41e of the lead frame 41b can be arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the holding cylinder portion 22. Therefore, when the temperature measurement unit 40 is installed, it becomes easier to avoid interference with the holding cylinder portion 22, and the space region required for installing the temperature measurement unit 40 outside the holding cylinder portion 22 can be made smaller.

[0079] Further, the temperature measurement unit 40 may have a unit housing 45 that houses at least a part of the temperature sensor 41 inside while leaving an open surface 45f facing a part of each of the terminal 10 and the holding cylinder portion 22. The lead frame 41b may be embedded by a potting portion 46 inside the unit housing 45.

[0080] According to this temperature measurement unit 40, since at least a part of the temperature sensor 41 is housed inside the unit housing 45, it can be directly protected from external impacts and the like. Further, since the lead frame 41b is embedded by the potting portion 46, even if moisture enters the periphery of the temperature measurement unit 40 by any chance, a short circuit can be suppressed.

[0081] Also, in the temperature measurement unit 40, the terminal 10 may have an annular groove portion 14 on the side portion. The holding cylinder portion 22 may be composed of a plurality of elastic locking pieces 25 arranged so that a terminal insertion hole 24 through which the terminal 10 is inserted is formed along the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion 22. Each elastic locking piece 25 may have a locking protrusion 25a that protrudes toward the inside in the radial direction of the terminal insertion hole 24 at the tip and engages with the annular groove portion 14 of the terminal 10. The measurement body 41a may face a part of the locking protrusion 25a.

[0082] According to this temperature measurement unit 40, outside the holding cylinder portion 22, the position where the pair of elastic pieces 43b of the holding fitting 43 are attached to the side portion of the terminal 10 can be set in the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion 22 in the vicinity of the locking protrusion 25a at the tip of the holding cylinder portion 22. Therefore, outside the holding cylinder portion 22, particularly, the space region required for installing the temperature measurement unit 40 in the direction along the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion 22 can be made smaller.

[0083] In addition, the charging inlet 1 for connecting an external charging connector includes a rod-shaped terminal 10 and a terminal holder 20 having a holding cylinder portion 22 for holding the terminal 10. The charging inlet 1 has an insertion hole 36 through which the tip side of the terminal 10, which is the side connected to the external terminal of the charging connector, is inserted, and includes a housing 30 to which the terminal holder 20 is attached from the direction opposite to the direction in which the charging connector is connected. Further, the charging inlet 1 includes a temperature measurement unit for measuring the temperature of the terminal 10. This temperature measurement unit is the above-described temperature measurement unit 40.

[0084] According to the present embodiment, since the temperature measurement unit 40 is provided, it is possible to provide the charging inlet 1 that improves the workability of attaching to the terminal 10 while making it difficult to reduce the measurement accuracy of the terminal temperature.

[0085] Also, according to the charging inlet 1, since the temperature measurement unit 40 is provided, it is possible to make the space region required for installing the temperature measurement unit 40 smaller outside the holding cylinder portion 22. For example, referring to FIG. 7, assume a case where the terminal holder 20 is attached to the housing 30. At this time, a narrow space represented by a distance L along the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion 22 is generated between the locking projection 25a at the tip of the holding cylinder portion 22 provided on the terminal holder 20 and the rear wall portion 35 in the housing 30 where the insertion hole 36 is formed.

[0086] Here, in such a narrow space represented by the distance L, it is actually difficult for an operator to perform operations such as attaching a heat shrink tube while positioning a thermistor on the side of the connecting portion 12 of the first terminal 10a. On the other hand, according to the charging inlet 1 according to the present embodiment, by providing the temperature measurement unit 40, it is possible to arrange the measurement body 41a of the temperature sensor 41 close to the side of the connecting portion 12 of the first terminal 10a in the narrow space.

[0087] In the above description, each temperature measurement unit 40 is attached to the terminal 10 by attaching a pair of elastic pieces 43b of the holding fitting 43 to the side portion of the terminal 10. On the other hand, the temperature measurement unit 40 may be attached to the holding cylinder portion 22, for example, by engaging a locking hole (not shown) provided in a part of the unit housing 45 with a locking projection (not shown) provided on the outer peripheral portion of the holding cylinder portion 22 in the terminal holder 20. By including such an engaging structure, the temperature measurement unit 40 can be attached to the terminal 10 more stably.

[0088] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiments are not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiments.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0089] 1 Charging inlet 10 Terminal 10a First terminal 14 Annular groove portion 20 Terminal holder 22 Holding cylinder portion 22a First holding cylinder portion 24 Terminal insertion hole 25 Elastic locking piece 25a Locking projection 30 Housing 36 Insertion hole 40 Temperature measurement unit 41 Temperature sensor 41a Measuring body 41b Lead frame 41c Chip thermistor 41e Extension portion 41f Bent portion 43 Holding fitting 43a Holding portion 43b Elastic piece 45 Unit housing 45f Open surface 46 Potting portion

Claims

1. A temperature measurement unit provided at a charging inlet for connecting an external charging connector and measuring the temperature of a rod-shaped terminal held by a holding cylinder portion, a temperature sensor disposed outside the holding cylinder portion and having a measurement body containing a chip thermistor, a holding portion for holding the measurement body, and a holding fitting having a pair of elastic pieces that engage with the terminal by sandwiching side portions of the terminal with each other, wherein the holding cylinder portion coaxially houses the base end side of the terminal in a state where the tip end side of the terminal, which is the side connected to the external terminal of the charging connector, is exposed, the holding portion holds the measurement body such that at least a part of the measurement body faces a part of the holding cylinder portion in the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion, the temperature measurement unit.

2. The temperature sensor has a lead frame with the chip thermistor connected at the tip, the lead frame, has an extension portion extending along the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion, and a bent portion that bends from the extension portion toward the side portion of the terminal while supporting the measurement body, the temperature measurement unit according to claim 1.

3. having a unit housing that houses at least a part of the temperature sensor inside while leaving an open surface facing a part of each of the terminal and the holding cylinder portion, the lead frame is embedded by a potting portion inside the unit housing, the temperature measurement unit according to claim 2.

4. the terminal has an annular groove portion in the side portion, the holding cylinder portion is composed of a plurality of elastic locking pieces arranged along the axial direction of the holding cylinder portion and such that a terminal insertion hole for inserting the terminal is formed, each of the elastic locking pieces has a locking projection at the tip end that projects inward in the radial direction of the terminal insertion hole and engages with the annular groove portion of the terminal, the measurement body faces a part of the locking projection, the temperature measurement unit according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A charging inlet for connecting an external charging connector, a rod-shaped terminal, a terminal holder having a holding cylinder portion for holding the terminal, a housing having an insertion hole through which the tip end side of the terminal, which is the side connected to the external terminal of the charging connector, is inserted, and for attaching the terminal holder from a direction opposite to the direction of connecting the charging connector, and a temperature measurement unit for measuring the temperature of the terminal. The temperature measurement unit is a charging inlet, which is the temperature measurement unit according to claim 1 or 2.

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