Charging inlet

Abstract

It provides a charging inlet that is advantageous in suppressing temperature rise. [Solution] The charging inlet 1 comprises an inlet housing 20 that holds a plurality of terminals 10, a rear case 40 connected to the inlet housing 20, a cooling case 61 attached to the rear case 40, a water cooling unit 60 in which the inner surface 61a of the cooling case 61 is part of the flow path for the refrigerant C, a plurality of inner terminals 70 inside the rear case 40 that are individually connected to the base portions 12 of the plurality of terminals 10 and individually connected to the ends of a plurality of electric wires 100 introduced from the outside, and a filling section 80. The rear case 40 has a housing section 41 that accommodates at least the base portions 12 of the plurality of terminals 10 and the plurality of inner terminals 70. The filling section 80 is molded or constructed of an insulating filler that is filled into the remaining portion of the housing section 41 so as to contact at least a portion of the outer surface 61b of the cooling case 61.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to 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. In the charging inlet, it is important to further suppress heat generation in order to cope with higher power output to shorten the charging time. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a charging inlet provided with a cover structure portion having a cooling mechanism at an opening of a housing portion that houses a part of a power supply terminal having a particularly large amount of heat generation during charging.

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, although a part of the cover structure portion provided with the cooling mechanism is housed inside the housing portion, it is separated from the power supply terminal through a space, so there is room for improvement in order to more efficiently suppress the temperature rise.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art. And an object of the present invention is to provide a charging inlet advantageous for suppressing temperature rise.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An aspect of the present invention is a charging inlet for connecting an external charging connector, comprising: a plurality of rod-shaped terminals for power supply whose tips contact the external terminals of the charging connector; an inlet housing that holds the plurality of terminals with its tips exposed to the outside; a rear case connected to the inlet housing; a cooling case attached to the rear case, comprising a water cooling unit in which the inner surface of the cooling case is part of a coolant flow path; a plurality of inner terminals located inside the rear case, which are individually connected to the base portions of the plurality of terminals and individually connected to the ends of a plurality of electric wires introduced from the outside; and a filling portion, wherein the rear case has a housing portion that accommodates at least the base portions of the plurality of terminals and the plurality of inner terminals, and the filling portion is molded or constructed of an insulating filler material that is filled into the remaining portion of the housing portion so as to contact at least a part of the outer surface of the cooling case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging inlet that is advantageous in suppressing temperature rise. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1A] This is a perspective view showing the front side of a charging inlet according to one embodiment. [Figure 1B] This is a perspective view showing the back side of a charging inlet according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view of a charging inlet according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of a charging inlet according to one embodiment. [Figure 4A] This is a perspective view showing the front side of the rear case in one embodiment. [Figure 4B] This is a perspective view showing the back of the rear case in one embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of a water-cooling unit in one embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of a charging inlet illustrating the filling section molding process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes in detail a charging inlet according to one embodiment, using the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0010] Figure 1A is a perspective view showing the front side of the charging inlet 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 1B is a perspective view showing the back side of the charging inlet 1. Here, the front side of the charging inlet 1 refers to the side from which the charging port 21a is open to the outside. On the other hand, the back side of the charging inlet 1 is the opposite side of the front side and refers to the side that is hidden inside the vehicle when the charging inlet 1 is installed in the vehicle.

[0011] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet 1. Note that in Figure 2, the filling portion 80, which is formed inside the rear case 40 as the potting material hardens after the assembly process of the charging inlet 1, is depicted as hardened outside the rear case 40 for convenience.

[0012] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the charging inlet 1, corresponding to section III-III in Figure 1. The cross-sectional plane in Figure 3 is a virtual plane containing the central axes of both of the two power supply terminals 10.

[0013] The charging inlet 1 is a connector installed in vehicles such as electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles, which supplies power to the onboard battery by connecting an external charging connector (not shown) to the vehicle as appropriate. The external charging connector is sometimes referred to as a "charging gun." The charging inlet 1 can be applied to various existing charging methods, but in this embodiment, it is exemplified as conforming to NACS (North American Charging Standard). Furthermore, structures and other details not specifically mentioned or not shown in the following description of the charging inlet 1 may be applied if they comply with the provisions of NACS.

[0014] Hereinafter, as an example, assume a case where a charging connector is connected to the charging inlet 1, and define the direction in which the charging inlet 1 faces the charging connector as the X direction. In this case, the direction in which the charging connector comes toward the charging inlet 1 is the opposite direction 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". Further, assume a YZ plane orthogonal to the X direction, and define the Y direction and the Z direction orthogonal to each other. The Y direction generally follows the horizontal direction. The Z direction is generally the opposite direction to the vertical direction.

[0015] The charging inlet 1 includes a plurality of terminals 10, an inlet housing 20, a terminal holding substrate 30, a rear case 40, a rear holder 50, a water cooling unit 60, a plurality of inner terminals 70, a plurality of bolts 71, a plug member 72, and a filling portion 80.

[0016] The plurality of terminals 10 are each male terminals made of metal and rod-shaped. In particular, the terminal 10 referred to here corresponds to a charging or power supply terminal that is connected to a female terminal (hereinafter referred to as "external terminal") provided in the charging connector when the charging connector is connected to the charging inlet 1. In this embodiment, since the charging inlet 1 conforms to NACS, it has two terminals 10, namely, a first terminal 10a that functions as DC plus or AC plus, and a second terminal 10b that functions as DC minus or AC minus.

[0017] Note that a charging inlet conforming to a general standard includes, in addition to the power supply terminals, a terminal for ground, a signal transmission terminal used for permitting charging start, and a signal transmission terminal used for confirming the connection of the charging connector. The charging inlet 1 conforming to NACS also includes these three terminals, although not shown.

[0018] Terminal 10 has a tip portion 11 and a base portion 12. When a charging connector is connected to the charging inlet 1, the tip portion 11 is directly connected to an external terminal. The base portion 12 is located on the rear side of the tip portion 11 and connects to one of the plurality of inner terminals 70. The base portion 12 has a bolt hole 12a formed in advance along the axial direction of the terminal 10. In each terminal 10, in addition to a plug 11a manufactured separately in advance being provided at the tip portion 11, other parts may also be composed of a combination of a plurality of members.

[0019] The inlet housing 20 is made of synthetic resin, holds each terminal 10, and constitutes an exterior portion that is exposed to the outside when connecting a charging connector. The inlet housing 20 has a cylindrical portion 21, a protrusion portion 22, a flange portion 23, and a mounting frame portion 24.

[0020] The cylindrical portion 21 arranges and protects the tip portions 11 of the plurality of terminals 10 in an internal space with the X direction as the axial direction. At the front end of the cylindrical portion 21, a charging port 21a is provided as an opening for fitting the tip of the charging connector when starting charging. The rear end of the cylindrical portion 21 is a rear wall portion 21b through which a plurality of terminal holding holes 21c that hold terminals such as the terminal 10 penetrate respectively. That is, for all the terminals held by the rear wall portion 21b, all the tip portions including the tip portion 11 of each terminal 10 are arranged in the internal space of the cylindrical portion 21 and are exposed to the outside through the charging port 21a.

[0021] The protrusion portion 22 protrudes forward from the rear wall portion 21b while the root end is supported by the rear wall portion 21b inside the cylindrical portion 21. The protrusion portion 22 is provided for protecting each terminal 10 or preventing misinsertion of the tip of the charging connector. When the tip of the charging connector is fitted into the cylindrical portion 21, it engages with a hole portion formed in advance in the charging connector. When the tip of the charging connector is normally fitted into the cylindrical portion 21 in this way, power is supplied from an external power source or the like to the in-vehicle battery, and the in-vehicle battery is charged.

[0022] The flange portion 23 supports the cylindrical portion 21 and the mounting frame portion 24. The specific shape of the flange portion 23 is determined according to the specifications of the vehicle in which the charging inlet 1 is installed. For example, bolt insertion holes 23a that penetrate in the X direction are formed at multiple locations on the flange portion 23. Bolts (not shown) are inserted through the bolt insertion holes 23a when the charging inlet 1 is attached to a predetermined location on the vehicle.

[0023] The mounting frame portion 24 is attached to the housing connection opening portion 42a of the rear case 40 when the inlet housing 20 is connected to the rear case 40. In this embodiment, the mounting frame portion 24 is a cylindrical portion with a circular opening cross-section. One end of the mounting frame portion 24 is integrated with the flange portion 23 on the back side opposite to the front side where the cylindrical portion 21 is continuous. The other end of the mounting frame portion 24 is an open end that enters the interior of the housing connection opening portion 42a.

[0024] The terminal holding substrate 30 holds and mounts terminals for signal transmission that are separate from the power supply terminals 10. The terminal holding substrate 30 is positioned inside the mounting frame portion 24 of the inlet housing 20. The planar shape of the terminal holding substrate 30 is circular, covering the bottom surface 23b on the flange portion 23 side when positioned on the mounting frame portion 24. The terminal holding substrate 30 has a plurality of terminal through holes 31 and a plurality of pin terminals 32 used for signal transmission, etc. Each of the plurality of terminal through holes 31 passes through the terminal 10. In other words, in this embodiment, there are two terminal through holes 31: one for the first terminal 10a and one for the second terminal 10b. The plurality of pin terminals 32 are a group of terminals that are electrically connected to the signal transmission terminals, etc.

[0025] Figure 4A is a perspective view showing the front side of the rear case 40. Figure 4B is a perspective view showing the back side of the rear case 40. Here, the front side of the rear case 40 refers to the side where the opening of the housing connection port 42a is opened, that is, the side to which the inlet housing 20 is connected. On the other hand, the back side of the rear case 40 is the opposite side of the front side, in the direction opposite to the X direction which corresponds to the direction in which the inlet housing 20 is connected to the rear case 40.

[0026] The rear case 40 is made of synthetic resin and is connected to the inlet housing 20. It has a housing section 41 that accommodates at least a base portion 12 for each terminal 10 and a plurality of inner terminals 70. In this embodiment, the housing section 41 accommodates at least two base portions 12 for two terminals 10 and two inner terminals 70 corresponding to each terminal 10. The housing section 41 will be described in detail below. The rear case 40 integrally includes a housing connecting section 42, a wire connection section 43, a connection work opening section 44, and a connector section 45.

[0027] The housing connecting portion 42 connects to the mounting frame portion 24 of the inlet housing 20. The housing connecting portion 42 has a housing connecting opening portion 42a and a first bottom wall portion 42b.

[0028] The housing connection opening 42a is a cylindrical portion into which the mounting frame portion 24 is fitted when connecting the housing connection portion 42. The axial direction of the housing connection opening 42a is along the X direction, which is the connection direction to the inlet housing 20. The opening cross-section of the housing connection opening 42a is a circle, which is set in advance to match the shape of the outer circumference of the mounting frame portion 24 so that the mounting frame portion 24 can be fitted into it. One end of the housing connection opening 42a is an opening into which the mounting frame portion 24 is introduced when fitting the mounting frame portion 24. The other end of the housing connection opening 42a is supported by the first bottom wall portion 42b.

[0029] The first bottom wall portion 42b is a flat plate-like portion perpendicular to the connection direction. One main plane of the first bottom wall portion 42b faces the inner space of the housing connection opening portion 42a. The other main plane of the first bottom wall portion 42b faces the inner space of the main cylindrical portion 43a of the wire connection portion 43. The first bottom wall portion 42b also has terminal insertion holes 42c for introducing the base portion 12 of each terminal 10 into the main cylindrical portion 43a when connecting the inlet housing 20 holding a plurality of terminals 10 to the housing connection portion 42. The opening shape of the terminal insertion holes 42c is an elongated hole with a long axis set along the Y direction and a short axis set along the Z direction, in order to insert two base portions 12 arranged in parallel in the Y direction into one hole.

[0030] The wire connection section 43 accommodates the ends of multiple wires 100 and forms a space for connecting the multiple wires 100 to the base section 12 of the corresponding terminal 10 via the inner terminal 70. In this embodiment, there are two wires 100. The wire connection section 43 has a main cylindrical section 43a, a wire connection opening section 43b, and a second bottom wall section 43c.

[0031] The main cylindrical portion 43a constitutes the main body of the wire connection portion 43. The axial direction of the main cylindrical portion 43a is in the opposite direction to the Y direction, which is the direction in which the electric wire 100 is introduced. The opening cross section of the main cylindrical portion 43a is an elongated hole shape in which the long axis is set along the Z direction and the short axis is set along the X direction, in order to introduce two electric wires 100 in a parallel position in the Z direction. A part of the outer surface of the main cylindrical portion 43a is continuous with the housing connection opening portion 42a. Another part of the outer surface of the main cylindrical portion 43a, which is located on the opposite side in the X direction from the part continuous with the housing connection opening portion 42a, is continuous with the connection work opening portion 44.

[0032] The wire connection port 43b is one end of the main body cylindrical portion 43a and is an opening for introducing two electric wires 100 into the main body cylindrical portion 43a from the outside. In this embodiment, the opening cross-section of the wire connection port 43b coincides with the opening cross-section of the main body cylindrical portion 43a. The wire connection port 43b also has a plurality of locking protrusions 43d on its outer circumferential surface that engage with the engaging piece 53a provided on the rear holder 50 when the rear holder 50 is attached.

[0033] The second bottom wall portion 43c is the other end of the main body cylindrical portion 43a and is a wall portion that faces the opening of the wire connection port portion 43b in the Y direction.

[0034] The connection work port 44 is a cylindrical section located inside the main cylindrical section 43a of the wire connection section 43, for performing connection work between the base portion 12 of the terminal 10, which has been introduced through the terminal insertion hole 42c, and the inner terminal 70, which has been introduced through the wire connection port 43b. One end of the connection work port 44 is an opening for introducing multiple bolts 71 and some of the tools used to fasten each bolt 71 during the above connection work. The other end of the connection work port 44 is supported on the outer surface of the main cylindrical section 43a, as described above. The opening of the connection work port 44 faces the opening of the terminal insertion hole 42c in the X direction via the main cylindrical section 43a. In other words, the axial direction of the connection work port 44 is along the X direction. The cross-section of the opening of the connection work port 44 is an elongated hole shape, with the long axis set along the Y direction and the short axis set along the Z direction.

[0035] Furthermore, the connection port portion 44 has a plurality of engagement pieces 44a on its outer circumferential surface, each of which has an engagement hole formed to engage with one of the plurality of locking protrusions 61f provided on the cooling case 61 when the cooling case 61 of the water cooling unit 60 is attached.

[0036] The connector portion 45 is a cylindrical portion that houses multiple pin terminals 32 mounted on the terminal holding substrate 30 while exposing them to the outside. One end of the connector portion 45 is an opening for connecting an external connector. The other end of the connector portion 45 is supported by the first bottom wall portion 42b of the housing connecting portion 42. The hole 45a of the connector portion 45 is open to the inside of the housing connecting portion 42 from the first bottom wall portion 42b. In other words, the axial direction of the connector portion 45 is along the X direction. The opening cross-section of the connector portion 45 is a rectangle with a longer side set along the Y direction and a shorter side set along the Z direction.

[0037] Here, the rear case 40 has a housing section 41 that accommodates at least the base portions 12 of the two terminals 10 and the two inner terminals 70, as described above. The housing section 41 is a part of the rear case 40 that forms an integrally communicating internal space. Specifically, the housing section 41 in this embodiment includes a part that forms the internal space of the housing connecting section 42, a part that forms the internal space of the wire connection section 43, and a part that forms the internal space of the connection work opening section 44, all of which communicate with each other. In other words, the housing section 41 is a part of the rear case 40 that is integrally sealed when the respective opening ends of the housing connecting opening section 42a, the wire connection opening section 43b, and the connection work opening section 44 are all closed. That is, in this embodiment, the internal space that accommodates the base portions 12 of the two terminals 10 and the two inner terminals 70 corresponds to the internal space of the wire connection section 43, but the housing section 41 is not limited to the part that forms the internal space of the wire connection section 43.

[0038] The rear holder 50 is made of synthetic resin and is attached to the wire connection port 43b of the rear case 40 so as to close the opening of the wire connection port 43b when two wires 100 are inserted through the wire connection port 43b of the rear case 40. The rear holder 50 integrally comprises a plurality of support cylinder portions 51, a top plate portion 52, and an annular frame portion 53.

[0039] Multiple support cylinders 51 are provided for each electric wire 100, and support the electric wire 100 by passing through it and making close contact with the outer surface of the electric wire 100. In this embodiment, there are two support cylinders 51.

[0040] The top plate portion 52 is a flat plate portion perpendicular to the direction opposite to the Y direction, which is the mounting direction of the rear holder 50 to the wire connection port portion 43b. The top plate portion 52 supports two support cylinder portions 51 on one main plane side, leaving their respective openings open on the other main plane side. When the rear holder 50 is attached to the wire connection port portion 43b, the top plate portion 52 covers the opening of the wire connection port portion 43b. Therefore, the planar shape of the top plate portion 52 is set in advance to match the outer cross-section of the wire connection port portion 43b. In addition, the top plate portion 52 supports each support cylinder portion 51 such that their respective central axes are aligned along the Y direction and are parallel to each other in the Z direction.

[0041] When the rear holder 50 is attached to the wire connection port 43b, the annular frame portion 53 introduces the tip of the wire connection port 43b into its interior and faces the outer circumferential surface of the wire connection port 43b while being in close proximity to it. The annular frame portion 53 is continuous with the edge of the main plane on the top plate portion 52 opposite to the side on which the two support cylinder portions 51 are supported. Furthermore, a part of the annular frame portion 53 is elastically deformable and has a plurality of engaging pieces 53a, each having an engaging hole that engages with one of the plurality of locking projections 43d when the rear holder 50 is attached to the wire connection port 43b.

[0042] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the water cooling unit 60 before the rear case 40 is installed.

[0043] The water cooling unit 60 is installed in the rear case 40 and releases the heat stored in the filling section 80 molded in the housing section 41 to the outside using a coolant C. In this embodiment, the water cooling unit 60 is installed in the connection work port 44 of the rear case 40. The water cooling unit 60 comprises a cooling case 61, a lid 62, a first joint 63, and a second joint 64.

[0044] The cooling case 61 is the main body of the water-cooling unit 60, with its interior serving as a flow path for the refrigerant C. The cooling case 61 has a container shape with one container opening 61c and a bottom wall 61d facing the opening of the container opening 61c. When the water-cooling unit 60 is installed in the rear case 40, the cooling case 61 is attached to the connection work port 44 of the rear case 40 so as to cover the opening of the connection work port 44. Therefore, the shape of the opening of the container opening 61c and the planar shape of the bottom wall 61d are elongated holes that match the cross-section of the opening of the connection work port 44. The material of the cooling case 61 may be synthetic resin or a metal with excellent conductivity such as an aluminum alloy.

[0045] At least a portion of the inner surface 61a of the cooling case 61 constitutes part of the flow path for the refrigerant C after the lid portion 62 is joined to the cooling case 61. At this time, the refrigerant C flows while in contact with at least the inner surface 61a of the bottom wall 61d. When the cooling case 61 is installed in the connection work port portion 44, at least a portion of the cooling case 61, including the bottom wall 61d, is housed in the housing portion 41 of the rear case 40. When the charging inlet 1 is finally in the product state, at least the outer surface 61b of the bottom wall 61d is in contact with the filling portion 80.

[0046] The cooling case 61 has an annular frame portion 61e that is continuous with the edge of the container opening 61c. When the cooling case 61 is attached to the connecting work port 44, the annular frame portion 61e introduces the tip of the connecting work port 44 into its interior and faces the outer circumferential surface of the connecting work port 44 while being in close proximity. In addition, a part of the annular frame portion 61e is elastically deformable and has a plurality of locking protrusions 61f that engage with the engaging piece 44a when the cooling case 61 is attached to the connecting work port 44.

[0047] The lid portion 62 is made of synthetic resin and is attached to the cooling case 61 so as to cover the opening of the container opening 61c. The lid portion 62 has a top plate portion 62a, a first joint connecting portion 62b, a second joint connecting portion 62c, a refrigerant inlet portion 62d, a refrigerant outlet portion 62e, and a reinforcing structure portion 62f.

[0048] The top plate portion 62a is a flat plate portion perpendicular to the X direction, which is the mounting direction of the lid portion 62 to the cooling case 61. The planar shape of the top plate portion 62a is set to be oval to match the opening shape of the container opening 61c. If the cooling case 61 is made of metal, the outer edge of the top plate portion 62a, which is made of synthetic resin, and the metal container opening 61c are directly joined by a so-called metal-resin joint. This ensures airtightness so that the refrigerant C circulating inside the cooling case 61 does not leak to the outside.

[0049] The first joint connecting portion 62b connects one connection port of the first joint 63. The second joint connecting portion 62c connects one connection port of the second joint 64. The first joint connecting portion 62b and the second joint connecting portion 62c are each provided on the surface side of the top plate portion 62a, i.e., the side exposed to the outside. Furthermore, the first joint connecting portion 62b and the second joint connecting portion 62c are arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the long axis in the oval planar shape of the top plate portion 62a. In this embodiment, the first joint connecting portion 62b and the second joint connecting portion 62c are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction on the top plate portion 62a.

[0050] The refrigerant inlet 62d is a cylindrical portion that communicates with the hole in the first joint connection 62b and introduces refrigerant C into the cooling case 61. The refrigerant outlet 62e is a cylindrical portion that communicates with the hole in the second joint connection 62c and discharges refrigerant C from the inside of the cooling case 61. The refrigerant inlet 62d and the refrigerant outlet 62e are each provided on the underside of the top plate 62a, that is, on the side facing the flow path formed inside the cooling case 61 when the lid 62 is attached to the cooling case 61.

[0051] The reinforcing structure 62f is provided on the underside of the top plate portion 62a and is composed of, for example, a combination of a cylindrical frame portion and reinforcing ribs. In this embodiment, the refrigerant inlet portion 62d and the refrigerant outlet portion 62e are also part of the reinforcing structure 62f.

[0052] The first joint 63 is the joint on the side that introduces refrigerant C into the cooling case 61. That is, the refrigerant introduction pipe 200a is connected to the connection port of the first joint 63 that is opposite to the connection port connected to the first joint connecting section 62b. The second joint 64 is the joint on the side that discharges refrigerant C from the inside of the cooling case 61. That is, the refrigerant discharge pipe 200b is connected to the connection port of the second joint 64 that is opposite to the connection port connected to the second joint connecting section 62c. Here, the first joint 63 and the second joint 64 may be, for example, L-shaped joints that are partially rotatable. This allows the first joint 63 to rotate after being connected to the first joint connecting section 62b, thereby changing the direction toward the other connection port, i.e., the angle at which the refrigerant introduction pipe 200a is taken out. Similarly, by rotating the main body of the second joint 64 after it has been connected to the second joint connecting portion 62c, the direction toward which the other connection port faces, that is, the angle of the outlet of the refrigerant discharge pipe 200b, can be appropriately changed.

[0053] The refrigerant inlet pipe 200a is connected to a refrigerant circulation device (not shown) and, as described above, to the first fitting 63. The refrigerant outlet pipe 200b is connected to a refrigerant circulation device (not shown) and, as described above, to the second fitting 64. With this configuration of the water-cooled unit 60, the refrigerant C circulated by the operation of the refrigerant circulation device is introduced into the cooling case 61 via the refrigerant inlet 62d and then discharged from the inside of the cooling case via the refrigerant outlet 62e. The refrigerant C may be, for example, a silicone oil suitable for use at relatively high temperatures, but is not particularly limited.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, when the water cooling unit 60 is installed in the rear case 40, at least the outer surface 61b of the bottom wall 61d of the cooling case 61 is in contact with the filling section 80. Also, inside the cooling case 61, the refrigerant C flows while in contact with at least the inner surface 61a of the bottom wall 61d. Therefore, the heat generated inside the charging inlet 1 is initially stored in the filling section 80, but is then transferred to the refrigerant C through the walls of the cooling case 61, such as the bottom wall 61d, and finally discharged to the outside via the refrigerant C. In other words, the heat stored in the filling section 80 is dissipated by the refrigerant C. Here, if the cooling case 61 is made of metal, the heat stored in the filling section 80 is transferred to the refrigerant C more efficiently through the walls of the cooling case 61 than if the cooling case 61 were made of synthetic resin.

[0055] Furthermore, regarding insulation, even though the cooling case 61 is made of metal and a portion of it is housed in the housing section 41 of the rear case 40, it does not come into direct contact with conductive parts such as the multiple inner terminals 70 which are heat sources, and is insulated by the filling section 80, so there is no problem.

[0056] The multiple inner terminals 70 are terminal fittings manufactured by machining sheet metal material having a certain thickness. The multiple inner terminals 70 are individually connected to the base portion 12 of the multiple terminals 10, and are also individually connected to the ends of the multiple electric wires 100 introduced from the outside. In this embodiment, there are two inner terminals 70: a first inner terminal 70a connected to the first terminal 10a, and a second inner terminal 70b connected to the second terminal 10b.

[0057] Here, multiple wires 100 corresponding to each power supply terminal 10 are connected to the charging inlet 1. In other words, in this embodiment, two wires 100 are connected to the charging inlet 1: a first wire 100a corresponding to the first terminal 10a and a second wire 100b corresponding to the second terminal 10b. Each wire 100 has a conductor core wire 101 and an insulating sheath 102 covering the core wire 101. The end of the core wire 101 exposed at one end of each wire 100 is joined to one of the two inner terminals 70. The other end of each wire 100 is pre-connected to an object inside the vehicle, such as an onboard battery.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, two electric wires 100 are introduced in the direction opposite to the Y direction to the rear case 40 which houses the base portion 12 of each terminal 10, each positioned with its axial direction aligned with the X direction. In this case, the first inner terminal 70a and the second inner terminal 70b may have the following structure or shape.

[0059] First, the second inner terminal 70b integrally comprises a second connecting portion 70f and a second joining portion 70h. The second connecting portion 70f is a straight, flat plate portion having a second through hole 70g at its tip. When the second inner terminal 70b is housed in the main cylindrical portion 43a of the rear case 40, the second connecting portion 70f maintains a position in which its main plane is parallel to the YZ plane, while contacting the base portion 12 of the second terminal 10b. At this time, the second through hole 70g is positioned so as to be approximately coaxial with the bolt hole 12a of the second terminal 10b. The second joining portion 70h is continuous with the second connecting portion 70f in the Y direction and joins the end of the core wire 101 of the second electric wire 100b. In this embodiment, the second joining portion 70h is a crimping portion that crimps the end of the core wire 101 of the second electric wire 100b. In other words, in the Z direction, the height position of the central axis of the terminal portion of the second electric wire 100b is approximately the same as the height position of the central axis of the bolt holes 12a of the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b.

[0060] On the other hand, the first inner terminal 70a integrally includes a first connection portion 70c and a first joint portion 70e. Here, the first electric wire 100a, which is to be connected to the first inner terminal 70a, is introduced into the main cylindrical portion 43a of the rear case 40 in parallel with the second electric wire 100b, so the height positions of the first electric wire 100a and the second electric wire 100b in the Z direction are different from each other. On the other hand, the first connection portion 70c is a flat plate portion having a first through hole 70d at its tip. However, since the height positions of the bolt holes 12a of the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b are approximately the same in the Z direction, the height positions of the first through hole 70d and the second through hole 70g are also approximately the same. Therefore, the planar shape of the first connection portion 70c is L-shaped, as shown in Figure 2, so as to avoid the second connection portion 70f. When the first inner terminal 70a is housed in the main cylindrical portion 43a of the rear case 40, the first connecting portion 70c maintains a position in which its main plane is parallel to the YZ plane, and contacts the base portion 12 of the first terminal 10a. At this time, the first through hole 70d is positioned so as to be approximately coaxial with the bolt hole 12a of the first terminal 10a. The first joint portion 70e is continuous with the first connecting portion 70c in the Y direction and connects the end of the core wire 101 of the first electric wire 100a. In this embodiment, the first joint portion 70e, like the second joint portion 70h, is a crimping portion that crimps the end of the core wire 101 of the first electric wire 100a. When the first inner terminal 70a and the second inner terminal 70b are housed in the main cylindrical portion 43a, the positions of the first joint portion 70e and the second joint portion 70h in the Y direction are approximately the same.

[0061] Multiple bolts 71 are fastening members used to fasten the base portion 12 of the terminal 10 to the inner terminal 70. In this embodiment, there are two bolts 71: one whose bolt shaft passes through the first through hole 70d and is fastened to the bolt hole 12a of the first terminal 10a, and another whose bolt shaft passes through the second through hole 70g and is fastened to the bolt hole 12a of the second terminal 10b.

[0062] The plug member 72 is, for example, a rubber plug that seals the space between the wire connection port 43b and the multiple wires 100. The plug member 72 has two wire through-holes 72a through which two wires 100 pass individually. The plug member 72 is tightly held inside the wire connection port 43b with the wires 100 passing through each wire through-hole 72a in close contact with each other.

[0063] In this embodiment, the filling portion 80 is formed by filling the remaining portion of the housing portion 41 with a potting material, which is an insulating filler. Here, the remaining portion of the housing portion 41 refers to the space remaining after removing the base portion 12 of each terminal 10 and each inner terminal 70 and other elements that are arranged inside the housing portion 41. In other words, after the filling portion 80 is formed, there is virtually no space remaining in the housing portion 41.

[0064] In this embodiment, the potting material used to form the filling portion 80 is a synthetic resin that is liquid before curing and hardens at room temperature. For example, a silicone resin with excellent heat resistance, electrical insulation, and flexibility is used as the synthetic resin. However, the specific material of the synthetic resin is not limited to these examples.

[0065] Next, we will describe the manufacturing process of the charging inlet 1, assuming that the filling section 80 is molded with potting material.

[0066] The manufacturing process for the charging inlet 1 includes an assembly process for the charging inlet 1 and a filling section molding process performed after the assembly process. This manufacturing process may be performed by an operator, or it may be performed in a factory where part or all of the manufacturing process is automated.

[0067] In the assembly process of the charging inlet 1, first, an inlet housing 20 is prepared, which already holds multiple terminals, including the power supply terminal 10, and a terminal holding board 30. At the same time, a first electric wire 100a with a first inner terminal 70a attached to its end and a second electric wire 100b with a second inner terminal 70b attached to its end are prepared.

[0068] Next, the mounting frame portion 24 of the inlet housing 20 is fitted onto the housing connecting portion 42 of the rear case 40, thereby connecting the inlet housing 20 to the rear case 40. At this time, at least a portion of the base portion 12 for each terminal 10 is introduced into the main body cylindrical portion 43a through the terminal insertion hole 42c.

[0069] Furthermore, the tip of the first electric wire 100a to which the first inner terminal 70a is attached, and the tip of the second electric wire 100b to which the second inner terminal 70b is attached, are introduced into the main body cylinder 43a through the wire connection port 43b. After the space between the wire connection port 43b and the two electric wires 100 is sealed with the plug member 72, the rear holder 50 is attached to the wire connection port 43b. At this time, the first through hole 70d provided in the first inner terminal 70a is positioned so as to be approximately coaxial with the bolt hole 12a of the first terminal 10a, while the first connection portion 70c is close to the base portion 12 of the first terminal 10a. Similarly, the second through-hole 70g provided in the second inner terminal 70b is positioned so as to be approximately coaxial with the bolt hole 12a of the second terminal 10b, while the second connecting portion 70f is close to the base portion 12 of the second terminal 10b.

[0070] Next, each bolt 71 is introduced into the main body cylindrical portion 43a through the connection work opening 44 of the rear case 40. Subsequently, a part of the tool used to fasten each bolt 71 is introduced into the main body cylindrical portion 43a through the connection work opening 44. Then, by fastening one bolt 71, the first connection portion 70c of the first inner terminal 70a is connected to the base portion 12 of the first terminal 10a. Similarly, by fastening the other bolt 71, the second connection portion 70f of the second inner terminal 70b is connected to the base portion 12 of the second terminal 10b. This completes the assembly process of the charging inlet 1. However, at this stage, the water cooling unit 60 has not yet been attached to the connection work opening 44 of the rear case 40.

[0071] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the charging inlet 1 illustrating the filling process, drawn to correspond to Figure 3.

[0072] In the filling section molding process, first, the charging inlet 1, after the assembly process is completed, is maintained in a position where the X direction coincides with the vertical direction. Next, as shown by the white arrows in Figure 6, the potting material before hardening is introduced into the housing section 41 through the connection work port 44. The potting material is introduced until the remaining portion of the housing section 41 is filled. At this time, the mounting frame portion 24 of the inlet housing 20 is fitted into the housing connection port 42a of the rear case 40, so leakage of the potting material through the housing connection port 42a is suppressed. In addition, the plug member 72 and the rear holder 50 are attached to the wire connection port 43b of the rear case 40, so leakage of the potting material through the wire connection port 43b is suppressed.

[0073] Next, the water cooling unit 60 is attached to the connection port 44. At this stage, neither the refrigerant inlet pipe 200a nor the refrigerant outlet pipe 200b is connected to the first joint 63 or the second joint 64 of the water cooling unit 60. As a result, the remaining portion of the housing 41 in the rear case 40 is sealed by filling it with the potting material before it hardens.

[0074] In this embodiment, a synthetic resin that hardens at room temperature is used as the potting material, so the potting material hardens naturally and the filling section 80 is formed. This completes the filling section molding process of the charging inlet 1, and finally the manufacturing process of the charging inlet 1 is completed.

[0075] Here, for example, if the charging inlet 1 is manufactured in a factory with an automated manufacturing process, it is conceivable that the manufacturing process will proceed with multiple charging inlets 1 placed on a conveyor belt. In this case, the charging inlet 1 with the water cooling unit 60 attached to the connection work port 44 will be left on the conveyor belt for about 30 minutes, allowing the filling section 80 to form naturally. In other words, as long as about 30 minutes have passed since the water cooling unit 60 was attached to the connection work port 44, the charging inlet 1 removed from the conveyor belt will be in a finished state, that is, ready to be shipped as a product.

[0076] Next, we will explain the effect of charging inlet 1.

[0077] First, the charging inlet 1, to which an external charging connector is connected, comprises a plurality of rod-shaped terminals 10 for power supply, the tip portion 11 of which contacts the external terminals of the charging connector, and an inlet housing 20 that holds the plurality of terminals 10 with the tip portion 11 exposed to the outside. The charging inlet 1 comprises a rear case 40 connected to the inlet housing 20, and a cooling case 61 attached to the rear case 40, and a water cooling unit 60 in which the inner surface 61a of the cooling case 61 is part of the flow path for the refrigerant C. The charging inlet 1 also comprises a plurality of inner terminals 70 inside the rear case 40, which are individually connected to the base portions 12 of the plurality of terminals 10 and individually connected to the ends of the plurality of electric wires 100 introduced from the outside, and a filling portion 80. The rear case 40 has a housing portion 41 that accommodates at least the base portions 12 of the plurality of terminals 10 and the plurality of inner terminals 70. The filling section 80 is formed or constructed from an insulating filler material that is filled into the remaining portion of the housing section 41 so as to be in contact with at least a portion of the outer surface 61b of the cooling case 61.

[0078] Here, the multiple terminals 10 correspond to two terminals 10, namely the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b, in the above example. Similarly, the multiple electric wires 100 correspond to two electric wires 100, namely the first electric wire 100a and the second electric wire 100b, in the above example. Furthermore, the multiple inner terminals 70 correspond to two inner terminals 70, namely the first inner terminal 70a and the second inner terminal 70b, in the above example.

[0079] First, in the charging inlet 1, the remaining portion of the housing section 41 that houses each terminal 10, which generates particularly large amounts of heat during charging, and the inner terminals 70 connected to each terminal 10, is filled with a filling section 80 formed or constructed from an insulating filler material. In other words, the filling section 80 is in direct contact with at least a part of the terminal 10 and the entire inner terminal 70, so it can directly absorb and store heat from each terminal 10 and each inner terminal 70 during charging. Therefore, with the charging inlet 1, heat resistance performance compliant with predetermined charging standards can be obtained with a simple structure.

[0080] Furthermore, in an attempt to meet the recent demand for higher currents in charging inlets, the temperature rise will also increase with the increased current, and as a result, it is conceivable that the heat stored by the filling section 80 may exceed the limit heat capacity.

[0081] In contrast, in the charging inlet 1, the water cooling unit 60 is installed in the rear case 40. At this time, the filling section 80 is in contact with at least a portion of the outer surface 61b of the cooling case 61. Meanwhile, inside the cooling case 61, the refrigerant C flows while in contact with the inner surface 61a. Therefore, the water cooling unit 60 can transfer the heat accumulated in the filling section 80 to the refrigerant C through the wall of the cooling case 61 and discharge it to the outside via the refrigerant C. In other words, with the charging inlet 1, the heat accumulated in the filling section 80 is dissipated by the refrigerant C, so even under conditions where the heat stored in the filling section 80 exceeds the limit heat amount, the temperature rise can be suppressed in advance.

[0082] Furthermore, since the remaining portion of the housing 41 is filled with the filling portion 80, there is little to no space in that remaining portion where air simply exists. Generally, air in a closed space can exert an insulating effect and inhibit heat transfer. In other words, the charging inlet 1 makes it possible to minimize the space in which air exists in the remaining portion of the housing 41, thereby improving the heat transfer performance from the terminals 10 and inner terminals 70 to at least the cooling case 61 during charging.

[0083] As described above, this embodiment provides a charging inlet 1 that is advantageous in suppressing temperature rise.

[0084] Furthermore, in the charging inlet 1, the filler material may be potting material.

[0085] In this case, the filling section 80 will be formed from the potting material filled into the remaining portion of the housing section 41. The potting material is initially liquid and hardens when heated or left at room temperature. Therefore, when providing the filling section 80 in the remaining portion of the housing section 41, the potting material, which is the filling material, can be spread to every corner of the remaining portion. Consequently, the charging inlet 1 can further improve the heat transfer performance from the terminals 10 and inner terminals 70 to at least the cooling case 61 during charging.

[0086] Furthermore, in the charging inlet 1, the rear case 40 may have a connection work port 44 for performing the connection work between the base portion 12 of the terminal 10 and the inner terminal 70. The potting material may be a synthetic resin that hardens at room temperature. The potting material before hardening may be introduced into the housing portion 41 through the connection work port 44.

[0087] With the charging inlet 1, the base portion 12 and inner terminal 70 for each terminal 10 are connected to each other, and the unhardened potting material is simply introduced into the housing portion 41, which allows the filling portion 80 to be formed naturally.

[0088] In addition, the cooling case 61 in the charging inlet 1 may have one container opening 61c and a bottom wall 61d facing the opening of the container opening 61c, through which the refrigerant C flows. The cooling case 61 may be attached to the connection work port 44 such that at least the bottom wall 61d is housed in the housing 41 and the outer surface 61b of the bottom wall 61d is in contact with the filling port 80, while covering the opening of the connection work port 44.

[0089] In this case, at least the outer surface 61b of the bottom wall 61d of the cooling case 61 is in contact with the filling section 80. Meanwhile, inside the cooling case 61, the refrigerant C flows while in contact with at least the inner surface 61a of the bottom wall 61d. Furthermore, the bottom wall 61d can be positioned in the housing section 41 so as to be close to the terminal 10 or inner terminal 70, which generate particularly large amounts of heat during charging, via the filling section 80. Therefore, with the charging inlet 1, the heat accumulated in the filling section 80 of the water cooling unit 60 can be transferred to the refrigerant C through the bottom wall 61d, which is close to the heat source, and discharged to the outside, thereby further improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0090] Furthermore, in the charging inlet 1, the filling material may be a heat dissipation sheet.

[0091] In this case, the filling section 80 will consist of a heat dissipation sheet filled into the remaining portion of the housing section 41. The heat dissipation sheet is a sheet-like member that combines both high insulation and high thermal conductivity, manufactured, for example, by blending boron nitride with a synthetic resin such as silicone resin. When providing the filling section 80 in the remaining portion of the housing section 41, instead of the above-mentioned filling section molding process corresponding to the case where the filling section 80 is molded with a potting material, a filling section configuration process is performed in which the heat dissipation sheet is housed in the remaining portion. In the filling section configuration process, for example, a heat dissipation sheet prepared in advance in the shape of a long, narrow strip may be wrapped around the terminal 10 or inner terminal 70, or a heat dissipation sheet prepared in advance in small pieces may be packed into the remaining portion. In this case, compared to the case where the filling material is a potting material, although there may be a large area of ​​air present in the remaining portion of the housing section 41, the remaining portion can be roughly filled with the heat dissipation sheet. Therefore, with the charging inlet 1, it is possible to improve the heat transfer performance from the terminals 10 and inner terminals 70 to at least the cooling case 61 during charging with a simpler structure or manufacturing process than when the filler material is potting material.

[0092] In the above explanation, when the filling portion 80 is formed by a potting material, a potting material made of a synthetic resin such as silicone resin was given as an example. However, the potting material used to form the filling portion 80 may also be a synthetic resin such as silicone resin further mixed with metal powder such as aluminum alloy powder. Such a potting material has superior thermal conductivity compared to one that does not contain metal powder. Therefore, a filling portion 80 formed with such a potting material is more suitable for heat storage than one formed with a potting material that does not contain metal powder, and as a result, higher heat resistance can be obtained.

[0093] Furthermore, in the charging inlet 1, as an example where the direction toward the external charging connector, i.e., the direction in which the multiple terminals 10 protrude, is defined as the X direction, the routing direction of the multiple wires 100 from the rear case 40 is approximately along the Y direction, which is horizontal. However, embodiments of the charging inlet 1 are not limited to this. For example, even if the orientation of the inlet housing 20 is the same as in the above example, the routing direction of the multiple wires 100 from the rear case 40 may be approximately along the vertical direction, which is opposite to the Z direction.

[0094] Although each 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 Charging Inlet 10 terminals 10a First terminal 10b 2nd terminal 11 Tip 12 Base 20 Inlet Housing 40 Rear Case 41 Storage Unit 44 Connection work port 60 Water Cooling Units 61 Cooling Case 61a Inner surface 61b External surface 61c Container opening 61d Bottom wall 70 Inner terminal 70a First inner terminal 70b Second inner terminal 80 Filling section 100 wire 100a First wire 100b 2nd wire C Refrigerant

Claims

1. A charging inlet for connecting an external charging connector, Multiple rod-shaped terminals for power supply that come into contact with the external terminals and tip of the aforementioned charging connector, An inlet housing that exposes the tip to the outside and holds a plurality of the terminals, A rear case connected to the aforementioned inlet housing, A water cooling unit comprising a cooling case attached to the rear case, wherein the inner surface of the cooling case is part of the refrigerant flow path, Inside the rear case, there are multiple inner terminals that are individually connected to the base portions of multiple terminals and individually connected to the ends of multiple wires introduced from the outside, It comprises a filling section, The rear case has a housing portion that accommodates at least the base portion of the plurality of terminals and the plurality of inner terminals, The filling portion is a charging inlet, which is formed or constructed of an insulating filler that is filled into the remaining portion of the housing so as to be in contact with at least a portion of the outer surface of the cooling case.

2. The charging inlet according to claim 1, wherein the filler is a potting material.

3. The rear case has a connection work opening for performing the connection work between the base portion of the terminal and the inner terminal, The potting material is a synthetic resin that hardens at room temperature. The charging inlet according to claim 2, wherein the potting material before hardening is introduced into the housing through the connection work port.

4. The cooling case has one container opening and a bottom wall facing the opening of the container, through which the refrigerant flows. The charging inlet according to claim 3, wherein the cooling case is attached to the connection work port such that at least the bottom wall is housed in the housing and the outer surface of the bottom wall is in contact with the filling portion, while covering the opening of the connection work port.

5. The charging inlet according to claim 1, wherein the filler is a heat dissipation sheet.

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