Connector and connector assembly

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of reducing the size of a finger touch prevention part.SOLUTION: A connector 20 includes: a cylindrical terminal 21 having a tip end surface 21a to be brought into contact with a mating terminal 31 of a mating connector; a connector housing 22 for holding the terminal 21; a cylindrical cap 23 disposed so as to surround an outer periphery of the terminal 21 and movable along an axis of the terminal 21 from a protruding state to a retracted state; and a coil spring 24 that is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the terminal 21 and is supported by the connector housing 22 to bias the cylindrical cap 23 toward the protruding state. The cylindrical cap 23 has a frame-shaped part 23c at its tip end part, and the tip end surface 21a of the terminal 21 has an accommodation groove 21b that accommodates the frame-shaped part 23c in the retracted state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors and connector assemblies. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles are equipped with on-board devices such as high-voltage batteries and inverters. The on-board devices are connected to one another via a wire harness and a connector assembly. One connector in such a connector assembly includes a pair of coil springs arranged on both sides of a terminal held in a connector housing, and a shutter that covers the terminal and is biased by the coil springs (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The connector housing and shutter in this connector have opposing inclined surfaces, and the shutter is configured so that when pressed by the mating connector, it shifts along the inclined surfaces in a direction intersecting the connector mating direction. This exposes the terminals to connect with the mating terminals of the mating connector. Before the mating connector is mated, the tips of the terminals are covered by the shutter, preventing electric shock caused by contact with the terminals with fingers or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-159903 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the above-described connector has the problem of being large in size because a pair of coil springs are disposed on both sides of the terminal and the shutter is displaced in a direction intersecting the connector fitting direction.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector and a connector assembly that can be made smaller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a cylindrical terminal having a tip surface that comes into contact with a mating terminal of a mating connector, a connector housing that holds the terminal, a cylindrical cap that is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the terminal and is movable along the axis of the terminal from a protruding state to a retracted state, and a coil spring that is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the terminal and is supported by the connector housing to urge the cylindrical cap toward the protruding state, wherein the cylindrical cap has a frame-shaped portion at its tip, and the tip surface of the terminal has an accommodating groove that accommodates the frame-shaped portion in the retracted state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The connector and connector assembly of the present disclosure can be made smaller. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a connector in a protruding state according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a connector in a immersed state according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a connector assembly in one embodiment prior to mating. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a connector assembly in one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view, partly in section, illustrating a portion of a connector assembly according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the present disclosure comprises: [1] A cylindrical terminal having a tip surface that comes into contact with a mating terminal of a mating connector, a connector housing that holds the terminal, a cylindrical cap that is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the terminal and is movable along the axis of the terminal from a protruding state to a retracted state, and a coil spring that is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the terminal and is supported by the connector housing to urge the cylindrical cap toward the protruding state, wherein the cylindrical cap has a frame-shaped portion at its tip, and the tip surface of the terminal has an accommodating groove that accommodates the frame-shaped portion in the retracted state.

[0011] According to this configuration, the cylindrical cap, which is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the terminal, is biased toward a protruding state by a coil spring and has a frame-shaped portion at its tip, preventing fingers and other objects from coming into contact with the tip surface of the terminal. Furthermore, the tip surface of the terminal has a receiving groove that accommodates the frame-shaped portion when the cylindrical cap is retracted, allowing for surface contact with the mating terminal. Furthermore, because the cylindrical cap and coil spring are arranged to surround the outer periphery of the terminal, a configuration is achieved in which there are no unnecessary gaps, and a large installation space is not required. This allows for the miniaturization of the connector.

[0012] [2] In the above [1], the cylindrical cap may have a flexible piece with an engaging portion, and the connector housing may have an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion in the protruding state and when the flexible piece is not bent, thereby preventing the cylindrical cap from moving to the retracted state, and that disengages from the engaging portion when the flexible piece is bent, allowing the cylindrical cap to move to the retracted state.

[0013] According to this configuration, when the cylindrical cap is in the protruding state and the flexible piece is not bent, the engaging portion of the connector housing engages with the engaging portion of the flexible piece, preventing the cylindrical cap from moving to the retracted state. Therefore, for example, the cylindrical cap will not be retracted simply by pushing the cylindrical cap against the biasing force of the coil spring. In other words, the cylindrical cap can be retracted by pushing the cylindrical cap against the biasing force of the coil spring while bending the flexible piece. This further prevents fingers and other objects from coming into contact with the tip surfaces of the terminals.

[0014] [3] In the above [2], the engaging portion may be configured to be disengaged from the engaged portion by the flexible piece being bent by the mating connector when the mating connector is mated.

[0015] With this configuration, when the mating connector is mated, the engaging portion is disengaged from the engaged portion when the flexible piece is bent by the mating connector, so the cylindrical cap can be put into a immersed state without performing any special operations different from the operation of mating the mating connector.

[0016] [4] In any one of [1] to [3] above, the terminal may have an internal thread groove on its inner peripheral surface, and may be brought into contact with the mating terminal by a bolt that passes through the mating terminal and screws into the internal thread groove.

[0017] According to this configuration, the terminal has an internal thread groove on its inner peripheral surface, and is connected to the mating terminal by a bolt that passes through the mating terminal and screws into the internal thread groove, thereby ensuring a strong connection with the mating terminal. Furthermore, the axial force generated when the bolt is tightened can be used to bring the cylindrical cap into a recessed state, thereby ensuring an easy and strong connection.

[0018] The connector assembly of the present disclosure comprises: [5] The connector according to any one of [1] to [4] above and the mating connector are included.

[0019] According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the size of the connector as well as the connector assembly. [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for the convenience of explanation, some components may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of each part may differ from one drawing to another. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0020] (Configuration of connector assembly 10) As shown in Fig. 1, connector assembly 10 includes connector 20 and a mating connector 30 that can be mated with connector 20. Connector assembly 10 is installed in a vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. For example, the vehicle includes on-board devices such as a high-voltage battery and an inverter, and these on-board devices are connected to each other via a wire harness. Connector assembly 10 is installed as a component for connecting the on-board devices to the wire harness, for example.

[0021] The figure also shows a first axis X, a second axis Y perpendicular to the first axis X, and a third axis Z perpendicular to the first axis X and the second axis Y. The figure also shows an upward direction Z1, which is one direction along the third axis Z, and a downward direction Z2, which is another direction along the third axis Z and is the opposite direction to the upward direction Z1.

[0022] (Configuration of connector 20) As shown in Figures 2 to 4, connector 20 includes terminals 21, a connector housing 22, a cylindrical cap 23, and a coil spring 24. Connector 20 of this embodiment includes two terminals 21. Connector 20 also includes two cylindrical caps 23 and two coil springs 24, the same number as the number of terminals 21. Terminal 21 is made of a metal material and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The outer circumferential surface of cylindrical terminal 21 has a perfect circular shape.

[0023] (Configuration of connector housing 22) The connector housing 22 holds the terminals 21. More specifically, the connector housing 22 of this embodiment has a cylindrical portion 22a. The terminals 21 are held in the connector housing 22 with their outer peripheries, excluding their tip portions, covered by the cylindrical portion 22a. The two terminals 21 of this embodiment are held side by side in a direction along the first axis X. The terminals 21 of this embodiment are held with their tip portions facing upward Z1.

[0024] (Configuration of cylindrical cap 23) The cylindrical cap 23 is arranged to surround the outer periphery of the terminal 21 and is movable along the axis of the terminal 21, in other words, the third axis Z, from a protruding state (see Figures 3 and 5) to a retracted state (see Figures 4 and 7).

[0025] 2, the cylindrical cap 23 of this embodiment has a pair of hook pieces 23a extending downward Z2 from its outer circumferential surface. The pair of hook pieces 23a are provided at 180° intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical cap 23. The hook pieces 23a have hooks 23b at their lower ends. As shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical cap 23 is provided such that the hook pieces 23a pass through engagement holes 22b provided in the connector housing 22. The hooks 23b engage with the periphery of the engagement holes 22b, restricting the cylindrical cap 23 from moving upward Z1 beyond that position.

[0026] 3, the cylindrical cap 23 has a frame-shaped portion 23c at its tip, which is the end portion on the upper side Z1. In this embodiment, the frame-shaped portion 23c has four inward extending portions 23d extending radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical cap 23 and an annular portion 23e connecting the ends of the four inward extending portions 23d in an annular shape. The four inward extending portions 23d are provided at 90° intervals on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical cap 23.

[0027] 2, the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21 has a housing groove 21b that houses the frame-shaped portion 23c in a recessed state. That is, the frame-shaped portion 23c is frame-shaped corresponding to the housing groove 21b, in other words, formed in a mesh-like shape. The frame-shaped portion 23c engages with the terminal 21, thereby restricting the cylindrical cap 23 from moving downward Z2 from that position. More specifically, the frame-shaped portion 23c engages with the bottom of the housing groove 21b of the terminal 21, thereby restricting the cylindrical cap 23 from moving downward Z2 from that position.

[0028] As described above, the cylindrical cap 23 is movable within a range until its movement is restricted, and is movable between a protruding state (see Figures 3 and 5) and a retracted state (see Figures 4 and 7).

[0029] (Configuration of coil spring 24) The coil spring 24 is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the terminal 21, and is supported by the connector housing 22 to bias the cylindrical cap 23 toward the protruding state, that is, upward Z1.

[0030] 5, in this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 22a of the connector housing 22 has a support portion 22c that bulges outward in the radial direction at its lower portion. The coil spring 24 is disposed in a compressed state such that its lower end is supported by the support portion 22c of the connector housing 22 and its upper end biases the lower surface of the cylindrical cap 23 upward Z1.

[0031] (Configuration of the mating connector 30) 1, the mating connector 30 includes a mating terminal 31, a mating housing 32, and a shield shell 33. The mating connector 30 of this embodiment includes two mating terminals 31 and two shield shells 33. A shielded electric wire 34 is connected to the mating connector 30. The shielded electric wire 34 includes a core wire 34a, an inner coating (not shown) that covers the core wire 34a, a shielding material such as a braided wire (not shown) that covers the inner coating, and an outer coating 34b that covers the shielding material.

[0032] (Configuration of counterpart terminal 31) 2, the mating terminal 31 is made of a metal material and has a flat plate shape. The mating terminal 31 has a fastening hole 31a. The mating terminal 31 is connected to a core 34a of the shielded electric wire 34.

[0033] (Configuration of the mating housing 32) 1, the mating connector 30 is an L-shaped connector in which the direction in which the shielded wire 34 connected to the mating terminals 31 is inserted into the mating housing 32 is perpendicular to the direction in which the mating housing 32 is fitted into the connector 20. In other words, the shielded wire 34 extends from the mating housing 32 along the second axis Y, and the connector fitting direction in which the mating housing 32 is fitted into the connector 20 is downward Z2 along the third axis Z. The mating housing 32 has a cover 35 that closes a hole (not shown) through which the shielded wire 34 is inserted.

[0034] 1 and 5, the mating housing 32 has an opening 32a in the upper wall for inserting a bolt 36, which will be described later. The opening 32a is ultimately closed by a closing member 37 (see FIG. 1).

[0035] (Shield Shell 33 configuration) The shield shell 33 is made of a metal material and formed into a cylindrical shape. The shield shell 33 is fixed to the mating housing 32 while accommodating the exposed core wire 34a of the shielded electric wire 34 and the mating terminal 31. The shield shell 33 is electrically connected to a shielding material, such as a braided wire (not shown), of the shielded electric wire 34. As shown in FIG. 5 , the shield shell 33 has an upper wall opening 33a in its upper wall for inserting a bolt 36 (described later). The shield shell 33 also has a lower wall opening 33b in its lower wall for exposing the mating terminal 31.

[0036] (Details of each component) As shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical cap 23 has a flexible piece 23g having an engaging portion 23f. The flexible piece 23g extends upward Z1 from the lower portion of the cylindrical cap 23. In this embodiment, the flexible piece 23g first protrudes radially outward from the portion where one of the hook pieces 23a is provided, and then extends further upward Z1 from the tip. As shown in FIG. 6, the engaging portion 23f is provided in the middle portion of the flexible piece 23g. The engaging portion 23f is provided so as to protrude in the width direction of the flexible piece 23g. The engaging portion 23f has an inclined portion 23h at its upper portion, the amount of protrusion of which decreases upward Z1. The flexible piece 23g also has a bent portion 23j at its upper end, and the bent portion 23j has a first inclined surface 23k with a chamfered corner at the upper end.

[0037] 3 and 6, the connector housing 22 has an engaged portion 22d that engages with the engaging portion 23f when the cylindrical cap 23 is in a protruding state and the flexible piece 23g is not bent. The engaged portion 22d abuts against the engaging portion 23f to prevent the cylindrical cap 23 from moving to the retracted state. Furthermore, when the flexible piece 23g is bent so as to collapse, the engaged portion 22d disengages from the engaging portion 23f, allowing the cylindrical cap 23 to move to the retracted state.

[0038] 6, the shield shell 33 has a second inclined surface 33c at a position corresponding to the first inclined surface 23k in the bottom wall opening 33b. The second inclined surface 33c is provided so as to bend the flexible piece 23g by generating a component force B while coming into sliding contact with the first inclined surface 23k when the mating connector 30 is mated with the connector 20. In other words, the engaging portion 23f is provided so as to be disengaged from the engaged portion 22d by the flexible piece 23g being bent by the shield shell 33 of the mating connector 30 when the mating connector 30 is mated with the connector 20.

[0039] 8 and 9, when the mating connector 30 is fitted to the connector 20, the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21 comes into contact with the mating terminal 31. The lower surface of the mating terminal 31 comes into surface contact with the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21 excluding the accommodating groove 21b.

[0040] 5 and 7, the terminal 21 has an internal thread groove 21c on its inner peripheral surface, and is brought into contact with the mating terminal 31 by a bolt 36 that passes through a fastening hole 31a of the mating terminal 31 and screws into the internal thread groove 21c. This brings the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21 into pressing contact with the mating terminal 31. In this embodiment, an annular collar 38 is interposed between the head 36a of the bolt 36 and the mating terminal 31. In this embodiment, a resin protective cap 39 is integrally provided on the head 36a of the bolt 36.

[0041] (Operation of the embodiment) As shown in Figures 1 and 3, when the connector 20 is not mated with the mating connector 30, the tip of the terminal 21 is covered with a protruding cylindrical cap 23, thereby preventing fingers and the like from coming into contact with the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21.

[0042] 7, when the mating connector 30 is fitted to the connector 20, the cylindrical cap 23 is brought into a recessed state, and the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21 comes into contact with the mating terminal 31 as shown in FIG. 9. This electrically connects the terminal 21 and the mating terminal 31. Furthermore, because the mating terminal 31 is in surface contact with the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21, for example, electrical resistance is reduced and heat generation is suppressed even when a large current flows.

[0043] Furthermore, when the mating connector 30 is removed from the connector 20, the cylindrical cap 23 returns from the retracted state to the protruding state due to the biasing force of the coil spring 24. This prevents fingers or the like from coming into contact with the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21.

[0044] (Effects of the embodiment) Next, the effects of the above embodiment will be described below. (1) Cylindrical cap 23, which is arranged to surround the outer periphery of terminal 21, is biased toward a protruding state by coil spring 24 and has frame-shaped portion 23c at its tip, preventing fingers and the like from coming into contact with tip surface 21a of terminal 21. Furthermore, tip surface 21a of terminal 21 has accommodation groove 21b that accommodates frame-shaped portion 23c when cylindrical cap 23 is retracted, enabling surface contact with mating terminal 31. Furthermore, because cylindrical cap 23 and coil spring 24 are arranged to surround the outer periphery of terminal 21, a configuration is achieved in which no unnecessary gaps are created, and a large installation space is not required. This allows for the miniaturization of connector 20, and ultimately the miniaturization of connector assembly 10.

[0045] (2) When the cylindrical cap 23 is in the protruding state and the flexible piece 23g is not bent, the engaged portion 22d of the connector housing 22 engages with the engaging portion 23f of the flexible piece 23g, thereby preventing the cylindrical cap 23 from moving to the retracted state. Therefore, for example, the cylindrical cap 23 will not be retracted simply by pushing the cylindrical cap 23 against the biasing force of the coil spring 24. In other words, the cylindrical cap 23 is retracted by pushing the cylindrical cap 23 against the biasing force of the coil spring 24 while bending the flexible piece 23g. This further prevents fingers and the like from coming into contact with the tip surface 21a of the terminal 21.

[0046] (3) When the mating connector 30 is mated, the engaging portion 23f is disengaged from the engaged portion 22d by the flexible piece 23g being bent by the mating connector 30, more specifically, by the shield shell 33 of the mating connector 30. Therefore, the cylindrical cap 23 can be put into the immersed state without performing any special operation different from the operation for mating the mating connector 30.

[0047] (4) The terminal 21 has an internal thread groove 21c on its inner circumferential surface, and is brought into contact with the mating terminal 31 by the bolt 36 that passes through the fastening hole 31a of the mating terminal 31 and screws into the internal thread groove 21c, thereby enabling a firm contact with the mating terminal 31. In addition, the axial force generated when the bolt 36 is tightened can be used to bring the cylindrical cap 23 into a recessed state. This allows an easy and firm connection to be ensured.

[0048] (Example of change) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the cylindrical cap 23 has a flexible piece 23g having an engaging portion 23f, and the connector housing 22 has an engaged portion 22d, but this is not limited to this and the configuration may not have these.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the engaging portion 23f is disengaged from the engaged portion 22d when the flexible piece 23g is bent by the mating connector 30 when the mating connector 30 is mated, but this is not limiting. For example, the engaging portion 23f may be an engaging portion that is disengaged from the engaged portion when the flexible piece is bent by a different action from the action when the mating connector 30 is mated.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the terminal 21 has an internal thread groove 21c on its inner circumferential surface and is brought into contact with the mating terminal 31 by the bolt 36 that passes through the fastening hole 31a of the mating terminal 31 and screws into the internal thread groove 21c. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the terminal 21 may be modified to have a configuration that does not have the internal thread groove 21c. In this case, the bolt 36 may be modified to be a press-fit member that is press-fitted into the terminal 21.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the frame-shaped portion 23c has four extensions 23d and an annular portion 23e, but this is not limiting as long as it can prevent fingers or other objects from entering the interior. For example, the frame-shaped portion 23c may have three extensions 23d arranged at 120° intervals on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical cap 23 and an annular portion 23e connecting the ends of the three extensions 23d in an annular shape. Of course, the shape of the accommodating groove 21b of the terminal 21 must be changed depending on the shape of the frame-shaped portion 23c.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the connector 20 is described as having two terminals 21, but this is not limited thereto, and the connector 20 may be configured to have, for example, three or more terminals 21. In this case, the numbers of cylindrical caps 23 and coil springs 24 must also be changed according to the number of terminals 21. Of course, the number of mating terminals 31 included in the mating connector 30 may also be changed according to the number of terminals 21. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Connector Assembly 20 Connectors 21 terminals 21a Tip surface 21b Storage groove 21c female thread groove 22 Connector housing 22a Cylinder part 22b Engagement hole 22c Support part 22d Engaged part 23 Cylindrical Cap 23a Hook piece 23b Hook 23c Frame-shaped part 23d Inner extension 23e Circular section 23f Engagement part 23g flexible piece 23h Slope 23j Bend part 23k 1st slope 24 Coil spring 30 Mating connector 31 Mating terminal 31a Fastening hole 32 Mating housing 32a opening 33 Shield Shell 33a Upper wall opening 33b Lower wall opening 33c 2nd slope 34 Shielded wire 34a core wire 34b Outer sheath 35 Cover 36 volts 36a head 37 Closure element 38 Color 39 Protective Cap B component force X 1st axis Y 2nd axis Z 3rd axis Z1 upper Z2 downward

Claims

1. a cylindrical terminal having a tip surface that comes into contact with a mating terminal of a mating connector; a connector housing for holding the terminals; a cylindrical cap disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the terminal and movable along the axis of the terminal from a protruding state to a retracted state; a coil spring disposed around the outer periphery of the terminal and supported by the connector housing to bias the cylindrical cap toward the protruding state; Equipped with the cylindrical cap has a frame-shaped portion at a tip end thereof, The tip surface of the terminal has an accommodation groove that accommodates the frame-shaped portion in the recessed state. connector.

2. the cylindrical cap has a flexible piece having an engaging portion, The connector housing has an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion in the protruding state and when the flexible piece is not bent, thereby preventing the cylindrical cap from moving to the retracted state, and that disengages from the engaging portion in the state when the flexible piece is bent, thereby allowing the cylindrical cap to move to the retracted state. The connector according to claim 1 .

3. When the mating connector is mated, the flexible piece is bent by the mating connector, and the engaging portion is brought into the disengaged state with the engaged portion. The connector according to claim 2 .

4. The terminal has an internal thread groove on an inner peripheral surface, and is brought into contact with the mating terminal by a bolt that passes through the mating terminal and is screwed into the internal thread groove. The connector according to claim 1 .

5. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the mating connector; A connector assembly comprising:

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