Cable Connectors

Abstract

Provided is a cable connector that does not allow cables to be reconnected easily when the cables are unintentionally separated. A cable connector 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with: a connection member 23 to which a cable C1 is electrically connected; a housing H (10, 12, 21, 22) for holding the connection member 23; and insulating mechanisms M (13, 24) for providing insulation between the cable C1 and the connection member 23 when the cable C1 is separated from the connection member 23 due to tension acting on the cable C1.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable connector. [Background technology]

[0002] A typical solar cell module has a main body in which a plurality of solar cells are sealed, and a cable extending from the main body for connection to an external circuit that performs, for example, voltage adjustment, orthogonal conversion, etc. Such a cable is usually connected to the external circuit by a cable connector such as a connector or a terminal box. It is desirable for such a cable connector to be able to perform reliable electrical connection. For this reason, many techniques have been proposed for improving the connectivity of the cable connector, as described in, for example, Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-124034 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, if a vehicle equipped with a solar cell module has an accident, or for some other reason the cable of the solar cell module becomes unintentionally disconnected from the external circuit, there is a risk of a malfunction such as a short circuit or ground fault occurring on the external circuit side. In such a situation, if the cable of the solar cell module is unintentionally reconnected, electricity may suddenly flow, causing a secondary disaster such as electric shock or an electrical fire.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector that prevents the cable from being easily reconnected in the event of unintentional separation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cable connector according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a connecting member to which a cable is electrically connected, a housing for holding the connecting member, and an insulating mechanism for insulating between the cable and the connecting member when the cable is separated from the connecting member by applying tension to the cable.

[0007] In a cable connector according to one embodiment of the present invention, the insulation mechanism may include an insulation container held in the housing and containing a fluid insulation agent, and a destruction member fixed to the cable and destroying the insulation container to cause the insulation agent to flow out when the cable is separated from the connection member.

[0008] In a cable connecting device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the housing has a passing groove through which at least a part of the destruction member passes when the cable is connected to the connecting member, and the passing groove has a transverse groove portion extending in a direction different from the extension direction of the cable and is formed so as to guide the destruction member around the insulation container to the tip side of the insulation container in the extension direction of the cable.

[0009] In the cable connector according to one aspect of the present invention, the passage groove may have a tip groove portion extending in the extension direction of the cable at a tip side of the insulating agent container in the extension direction of the cable.

[0010] In the cable connector according to the above aspect, the housing may have an openable and closable lid portion that holds the insulating agent container.

[0011] In the cable connector according to one aspect of the present invention, the insulating mechanism may include an elastic member having a slit formed therein, the elastic member being elastically deformed to form an opening through which the cable can be inserted. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cable connector that does not easily reconnect the cable in the event of unintentional separation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a cable connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cable connector of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cable connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a cable connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cable connector of FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience, hatching and component symbols may be omitted, and in such cases, other drawings shall be referred to. Also, for convenience, the dimensions of various components in the drawings have been adjusted for easy viewing. Furthermore, in the following description, components similar to those in the previously described embodiment may be assigned the same symbols, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted.

[0015] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cable connector 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cable connector 1 of Fig. 1.

[0016] The cable connector 1 of this embodiment is a connector that concentrically connects a first cable C1 and a second cable C2. The cable connector 1 includes a male connector 10 that is attached to an end of the first cable C1, and a female connector 20 that is attached to an end of the second cable C2 and connected to the male connector 10.

[0017] The first cable C1 and the second cable C2 may each have a core wire Cw and an insulating coating Ci that covers the core wire Cw. The first cable C1 and the second cable C2 are connected to the male connector 10 or the female connector 20 with the insulating coating Ci at the end portion removed to expose the core wire Cw.

[0018] The male connector 10 has a male fixing part 11 attached to the outer periphery of the tip part of the insulating coating Ci of the first cable C1, a protective tube 12 extending from the male fixing part 11 and covering the outside of the exposed part of the core wire Cw of the first cable C1 with a gap therebetween, and a destructive member 13 protruding from the outer periphery of the tip part of the protective tube 12.

[0019] The female connector 20 has a female fixing part 21 attached to the outer periphery of the tip end of the insulating coating Ci of the second cable C2, an outer tube 22 extending from the female fixing part 21 and covering the outside of the exposed portion of the core wire Cw of the second cable C2 with a gap therebetween and fitting onto the outer periphery of the protective tube 12 of the male connector 10, a connecting member 23 held by the female fixing part 21 and fitted onto the outside of the exposed portion of the core wire Cw of the second cable C2 and protruding further from the core wire Cw into which the core wire of the first cable C1 can be inserted, and an insulating agent container 24 held by the outer tube 22 and containing a fluid insulating agent.

[0020] The outer tube 22 has, on its inner circumferential surface, a passing groove 25 for receiving the destructive member 13 of the male connector 10. The passing groove 25 has one end opening at the tip edge (the edge on the base end side of the first cable C1) of the outer tube 22, a receiving groove portion 251 extending in the extension direction of the tip portion of the first cable C1, a lateral groove portion 252 extending from the other end of the receiving groove portion 251 in a direction different from the extension direction of the first cable C1, for example, in the circumferential direction of the outer tube 22 (a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first cable C1) as shown in the figure, a tip groove portion 253 extending from the tip of the lateral groove portion 252 to the tip side in the extension direction of the first cable C1, and an emergency groove portion 254 extending from the tip of the lateral groove portion 252 to the base end side of the first cable C1 and terminated by the insulating agent container 24.

[0021] The connection member 23 is electrically connected to the core wire Cw of the second cable C2, and electrically connects the core wire Cw of the first cable C1 when the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are connected. For this reason, the connection member 23 is made of a conductive material such as copper.

[0022] The insulating agent container 24 is formed so as to be destructible by the destructive member 13. Specifically, the portion of the insulating agent container 24 that the destructive member 13 can come into contact with may be formed thin, or the entire insulating agent container 24 may be formed using a material with relatively low strength. Conversely, the destructive member 13 has sufficient strength to be able to destroy the insulating agent container 24. For this reason, the destructive member 13 may be formed from a material different from that of the protective tube 12. Furthermore, the destructive member 13 may have a sharp edge so as to easily destroy the insulating agent container 24.

[0023] When tension is applied to the first cable C1 to separate the core wire Cw of the first cable C1 from the connecting member 23, the insulating agent container 24 is broken by the breaking member 13 which comes into contact with the insulating agent container 24 through the emergency groove portion 254, causing the contained insulating agent to flow out. The insulating agent leaked from the insulating agent container 24 covers the connecting member 23 and prevents the core wire Cw of the first cable C1 from contacting the connecting member 23 again. In other words, the insulating agent container 24 and the breaking member 13 constitute an insulating mechanism M that insulates between the first cable C1 and the connecting member 23 when a large external force is applied to the cable C1 such as to pull it out of the cable connector 1 and the core wire Cw becomes detached from the connecting member 23.

[0024] With the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 connected, the male fixed part 11, the protective tube 12, the female fixed part 21 and the outer tube 22 accommodate the exposed part of the core wire Cw of the first cable C1, the exposed part of the core wire of the second cable C2, and the connecting member 23 connecting the core wire Cw of the first cable C1 and the core wire Cw of the second cable C2, and constitute a housing H that is insulated from the outside. For this reason, the male fixed part 11, the protective tube 12, the female fixed part 21 and the outer tube 22 are preferably made of an insulating material such as resin.

[0025] When connecting the male connector 10 and the female connector 20, at least a part of the destruction member 13 is inserted into the passing groove 25, and the destruction member 13 is moved along the passing groove 25 so that at least a part of the destruction member 13 passes through the passing groove 25. This causes the destruction member 13 to bypass the insulator container 24 and reach the tip side of the insulator container 24 in the extending direction of the first cable C1. In other words, the passing groove 25 guides the destruction member 13 to prevent contact with the insulator container 24 when connecting the male connector 10 and the female connector 20, thereby preventing unintended damage to the insulator container 24.

[0026] Since the passing groove 25 has the tip groove portion 253, in the final stage of connecting the male connector 10 and the female connector 20, the core wire Cw of the first cable C1 can be inserted straight without being rotated relative to the connecting member 23. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary twisting of the core wire Cw of the first cable C1.

[0027] As described above, in the case of unintentional separation of the first cable C1 from the connecting member 23, the cable connecting device 1 of this embodiment causes the insulating agent to flow out of the insulating agent container 24, thereby preventing the first cable C1 from easily reconnecting with the second cable C2, thereby preventing electric shock and electrical fires.

[0028] Furthermore, in the event of unintentional separation of the first cable C1 from the connection member 23, the cable connection device 1 covers the connection member 23 with the insulating agent leaked from the insulating agent container 24. This prevents short circuits, electric leakage, etc. that may be caused by, for example, water entering through the opening from which the first cable C1 was removed, and improves safety by preventing, for example, an uninformed user from forcibly connecting the first cable C1 or other wiring to the connection member 23 in an attempt to restore the device.

[0029] <Second embodiment> 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cable connector 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The cable connector 1A of this embodiment is a terminal box.

[0030] The cable connector 1A comprises a box-shaped housing 30, a terminal block 40 disposed inside the housing 30 and to which a cable C is connected, and an insulation mechanism 50 that provides insulation between the cable C and the terminal block 40 when the cable C is pulled out of the housing 30.

[0031] The housing 30 has a box-shaped main body 31 with one side open, and a lid 32 that seals the opening of the main body 31. The lid 32 may be detachable from the main body 31, or may be connected to the main body 31 by a hinge or the like so as to be openable and closable.

[0032] The terminal block 40 can have a configuration including a base portion 41 fixed to the main body portion 31 of the housing 30, a connection member 42 having a plate-shaped portion 421 to which the core wire Cw of the cable C is electrically connected, a pressing plate 43 disposed opposite the connection member 42 and sandwiching the core wire Cw of the cable C between the connection member 42, and a screw 44 for pressing the pressing plate 43 to the connection member 42. Although not shown, for example, output wiring of a solar cell module or the like is connected to the connection member 42.

[0033] The insulating mechanism 50 has a breaking member 51 attached to the cable C, and an insulating agent container 52 that is held by the lid portion 32 and contains a fluid insulating agent. The insulating mechanism 50 may also include a holding member 53 in which the cable C is placed and that has a groove 531 that holds the insulating agent leaked from the insulating agent container 52 in a space in which the cable C can be placed.

[0034] The destruction member 51 can be fixed, for example, by crimping or a fastening band to the outer periphery of the insulating coating Ci of the cable C. The destruction member 51 may also be fixed to the core wire Cw of the cable C.

[0035] In the cable connecting device 1A, after the cable C is connected to the terminal block 40 with the lid portion 32 open, the main body portion 31 is sealed with the lid portion 32 that holds the insulating agent container 52, thereby sealing the housing 30 and disposing the insulating agent container 52 in a position where it can be destroyed by the destroying member 51 when the cable C is pulled out. This makes it possible to prevent the insulating agent leaking from the insulating agent container 52 from causing the cable C to be unintentionally reconnected to the connecting member 42 when the cable C is separated from the connecting member 42.

[0036] <Third embodiment> Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cable connector 1B according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cable connector 1B of Fig. 4. The cable connector 1B of this embodiment is a terminal box.

[0037] The cable connector 1B comprises a box-shaped housing 30, a terminal block 40 disposed inside the housing 30 and to which a cable C is connected, and an insulation mechanism 60 that provides insulation between the cable C and the terminal block 40 when the cable C is pulled out of the housing 30.

[0038] The insulating mechanism 60 in this embodiment has an elastic member 61 disposed inside the opening of the housing 30 through which the cable C is inserted. The elastic member 61 has a slit 611 formed therein, and expands the slit 611 by elastic deformation to form an opening through which the cable C can be inserted. The elastic member 61 is preferably deformable so that its volume can be compressed, and can be formed from, for example, sponge-like rubber.

[0039] In the cable connector 1B, when the cable C is pulled out of the housing 30, the elastic member 61 restores its shape and closes the opening through which the cable C was inserted, so that the cable C is not easily reconnected to the connecting member 42.

[0040] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications are possible.

[0041] The guide groove may not have an emergency groove portion, and a part of the side wall of the lateral groove portion on the cable base end side may be formed by the insulating agent container. The guide groove may not have a tip groove portion. The lateral groove portion may extend in a spiral shape around the central axis of the cable, and may be curved so that the inclination angle with respect to the extending direction of the cable changes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1,1A,1B Cable connector 10 Male connector 11 Male side fixing part 12 Protective tube 13 Destruction material 20 Female connector 21 Female side fixing part 22 Outer cylinder 23 Connection parts 24 Insulation container 25 Passing groove 251 Receiving groove 252 Transverse groove 253 Tip groove 254 Emergency groove 30 Housing 31 Main body 32 Lid 40 Terminal block 41 Base 421 Plate-shaped part 42 Connection parts 43 Retaining plate 44 Screw 50 Insulation mechanism 51 Destruction material 52 Insulation container 53 Retaining member 531 Groove 60 Insulation mechanism 61 Elastic member 611 Slit C Cable C1 First Cable C2 2nd cable Ci Insulation Cw core H Housing M Insulation mechanism

Claims

1. A connection member to which the cable is electrically connected; a housing for holding the connection member; an insulating mechanism that insulates the cable from the connection member when the cable is separated from the connection member by applying tension to the cable; Equipped with The insulating mechanism includes: an insulating agent container held by the housing and containing a fluid insulating agent; a destruction member fixed to the cable, which destroys the insulating agent container and causes the insulating agent to flow out when the cable is separated from the connection member; A cable connection device having a

2. the housing has a passage groove through which at least a portion of the destruction member passes when the cable is connected to the connection member, 2. The cable connector according to claim 1, wherein the passage groove has a transverse groove portion extending in a direction different from the extension direction of the cable and is formed to guide the destructive member to bypass the insulation container and to a tip side of the insulation container in the extension direction of the cable.

3. 3. The cable connector according to claim 2, wherein the passage groove has a tip groove portion extending in the extending direction of the cable, the tip portion being located on a tip side of the insulating agent container in the extending direction of the cable.

4. The cable connector according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has an openable and closable lid portion that holds the insulating agent container.

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