Charging connector

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of preventing coming-off of a terminal with ease in a charging connector.SOLUTION: A charging connector 10 comprises a power terminal 22, a signal terminal 24, a housing 50 that holds the power terminal 22 and the signal terminal 24, and a retainer 60 combined with the housing 50. The signal terminal 24 is formed by bending a metal plate. The signal terminal 24 has: a cylindrical part 25a provided at a tip side and into which a terminal of an external charging connector is inserted; an electric wire connection part 25b provided at a rear end side and electrically connected with a signal line 34; and an intermediate part provided between the cylindrical part 25a and the electric wire connection part 25b. The intermediate part has a projection part 25c protruding beyond the cylindrical part 25a in a direction crossing an inserting / drawing-out direction. The retainer 60 has a terminal pressing part 61 extending along the electric wire connection part 25b to press the projection 25c toward the housing 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal retainer for a charging connector mounted on a vehicle. The terminal retainer is attached to a housing into which a terminal is inserted. The terminal has an annular flange portion. The terminal retainer presses against the annular flange portion, thereby preventing the terminal from coming out of the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-216176 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a charging connector, it is time-consuming to provide an annular flange portion, such as the terminal described in Patent Document 1, to prevent the terminal from coming off.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for easily preventing the terminals from coming off in a charging connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The charging connector of the present disclosure is a charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, mates with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, and includes first and second power terminals that are used to supply power to the battery, a plurality of signal terminals that are thinner than the first and second power terminals and are formed by bending metal plates, a housing that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals and mates with the external charging connector at a front end along an insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector, a retainer that combines with a rear end of the housing and holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals together with the housing, and a retainer that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals together with the housing. and a plurality of signal lines connected to respective signal terminals of the external charging connector, each of the plurality of signal terminals having a tubular portion provided at a front end side into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a wire connection portion provided at a rear end side and electrically connected to the signal lines, and an intermediate portion provided between the tubular portion and the wire connection portion, the intermediate portion having a protruding portion that protrudes further than the tubular portion in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, the retainer having a terminal pressing portion that extends along the wire connection portion and presses the protruding portion toward the housing, the intermediate portion having a semi-cylindrical connecting portion that connects the tubular portion and the wire connection portion, the protruding portion protruding from both circumferential ends of the semi-cylindrical connecting portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, in a charging connector, terminals can be easily prevented from coming off. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a charging connector according to a first embodiment and an assembly form thereof. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a front view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the electric wire with terminal and its accommodation position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the electric wire path in the charging connector. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the differences between signal terminals. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a rear view showing the rear end portion of the housing main body. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the housing body and the signal terminals. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a rear view showing the retainer. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the retainer. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating how the retainer presses the terminal from behind. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which three types of signal terminals are fitted into the regular terminal receiving portions. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which one type of signal terminal is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which another type of signal terminal is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which still another type of signal terminal is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a schematic rear view showing the state in which two types of signal terminals are fitted into the regular terminal accommodating portions. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a rear view showing the charging connector according to the second embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a signal terminal. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a rear view showing the retainer. [Figure 22]FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the signal terminal is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] The charging connector of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0011] (1) A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, mates with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, the charging connector comprising: first and second power terminals that are used to supply power to the battery; a plurality of signal terminals that are thinner than the first and second power terminals and are formed by bending metal plates; a housing that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals and that mates with the external charging connector at a front end along an insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector; and a connector that combines with a rear end of the housing and that connects the first and second power terminals together with the housing. the charging connector includes a retainer that holds a terminal and the plurality of signal terminals, and a plurality of signal wires connected to the plurality of signal terminals, each of the plurality of signal terminals having a tubular portion provided at a front end thereof into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a wire connection portion provided at a rear end thereof and electrically connected to the signal wire, and an intermediate portion provided between the tubular portion and the wire connection portion, the intermediate portion having a protruding portion that protrudes beyond the tubular portion in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, and the retainer having a terminal pressing portion that extends along the wire connection portion and presses the protruding portion toward the housing. The signal terminals are retained by the protruding portions, and the signal terminals having the protruding portions are formed by bending a metal plate, thereby easily installing the signal terminals. The terminals can be easily retained in the charging connector.

[0012] (2) In the charging connector of (1), the tubular portion may have a tubular main body and a plurality of elastic pieces provided at a tip end of the tubular main body, and the tubular main body may have a main body-side slit extending from one end to the other end of the tubular main body, thereby allowing the tubular portion to deform radially during insertion and removal.

[0013] (3) In the charging connector of (1) or (2), the protrusion may have first and second protrusions extending in opposite directions, and the housing may have first and second grooves into which the first and second protrusions fit, respectively. This prevents the signal terminal from rotating around an axis along the insertion / removal direction.

[0014] (4) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (3), the wire connection portion may have a barrel crimped to the signal wire, and the crimped portion between the barrel and the signal wire may be waterproofed by a waterproofing portion. Because the crimped portion is waterproofed, it is not necessary to provide a separate structure for waterproofing between the retainer and the signal terminal. This allows for a simplification of the structure of the charging connector.

[0015] (5) In the charging connector of (4), the waterproofing portion may have a shrink tube that covers the crimping portion. This makes it easier to attach the waterproofing portion compared to when the waterproofing portion is made of adhesive alone.

[0016] (6) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (5), the signal terminal may include a first signal terminal and a second signal terminal, and the size of the protrusion of the first signal terminal and the size of the protrusion of the second signal terminal may be different from each other. This makes it possible to easily prevent misassembly of the signal terminals using the protrusion.

[0017] (7) In the charging connector of (6), the dimension of the protrusion of the first signal terminal may be larger than the dimension of the protrusion of the second signal terminal in the insertion / removal direction. When the first signal terminal is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion for the second signal terminal, the retainer cannot be attached because the locking portion of the retainer collides with the protrusion of the first signal terminal during attachment. This prevents the first signal terminal and the second signal terminal from being misassembled when the product is produced.

[0018] (8) In the charging connector of (6) or (7), the dimension of the protrusion of the second signal terminal in the direction of extension of the protrusion may be larger than the dimension of the protrusion of the first signal terminal. As a result, when the second signal terminal is about to be inserted into the terminal accommodating portion for the first signal terminal, the protrusion of the second signal terminal hits the peripheral edge of the terminal accommodating portion, making the insertion impossible. This prevents the first signal terminal and the second signal terminal from being misassembled when the product is produced.

[0019] (9) In the charging connector of any one of (6) to (8), the first signal terminal may be disposed on the opposite side of the first and second power terminals from the second signal terminal, thereby making it easier to ensure a space in the housing for arranging the protrusions even if the protrusions have different dimensions.

[0020] (10) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (9), the tubular portion of the signal terminal may have a plurality of elastic pieces, and a width dimension between adjacent elastic pieces may be smaller than a width of a wall appearing at the rear end of the housing when the rear end of the housing is observed from the insertion / removal direction. This prevents the wall appearing at the rear end of the housing from getting between the elastic pieces when the signal terminal is inserted into the housing, improving the assembly of the charging connector.

[0021] (11) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (10), the power terminals may be formed by bending a metal plate that is thicker than the metal plate of the signal terminals. This makes it easier to reduce the processing time compared to when the power terminals are cut terminals.

[0022] (12) The charging connector of any one of (1) to (11) may further include a ground terminal having a diameter smaller than the power terminals and larger than the signal terminals, the ground terminal having a bent metal plate thicker than the metal plate of the signal terminal, the ground terminal having a front end side and a front end side into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a rear end side and a front end side wire connection portion electrically connected to a ground wire, and a ground terminal intermediate portion provided between the front end side and the front end side wire connection portion, the ground terminal intermediate portion having a front end side and a rear end side wire connection portion, the ground terminal intermediate portion having a front end side wire connection portion that projects beyond the front end side wire connection portion in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, and the retainer having a front end side wire connection portion that extends along the front end side wire connection portion and presses the front end side wire connection portion toward the housing, thereby preventing the ground terminal from coming off as well as the signal terminal.

[0023] (13) The charging connector according to any one of (1) to (12), further including: a relay terminal attached between the power terminal and the power line and extending in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction; and an exterior member covering the power line and the signal line from the rear end of the housing to intermediate portions thereof, wherein the power line is thicker than the signal line, the signal line extends while bending within the exterior member, and the power line extends in a straight line within the exterior member. This minimizes bending of the thick power line during assembly of the charging connector, thereby improving ease of assembly of the charging connector.

[0024] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the charging connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0025] [Embodiment 1] The charging connector according to the first embodiment will be described below.

[0026] <About the vehicle> First, a vehicle in which the charging connector is installed will be described.

[0027] The vehicle into which the charging connector is incorporated is an electric vehicle equipped with a power storage device and a motor. The vehicle runs by driving the motor with power from the power storage device. The vehicle may be an electric vehicle equipped only with a motor as a drive source, or may be a hybrid vehicle equipped with a motor and an engine. The power storage device in the vehicle is charged with power supplied from an external power source. The charging connector is configured to allow an external charging connector to be inserted and electrically connected. The external charging connector is a connector for a charging cable extending from the external power source.

[0028] Charging modes for a power storage device in a vehicle generally include normal charging and rapid charging. Rapid charging allows charging to be performed in a shorter time than normal charging by passing a larger current than normal charging. Normal charging is expected to use a household power source or an equivalent external power source. Rapid charging is expected to use a dedicated power source, such as a charging stand. The charging connector of the present disclosure is described as a charging connector compatible with rapid charging.

[0029] <Vehicle charging connector> The manner in which the charging connector is assembled in a vehicle will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a charging connector 10 according to a first embodiment and its assembled manner.

[0030] The charging connector 10 is attached to, for example, a mounting portion 100 provided on the outer surface of the body of a vehicle. Fig. 1 shows an example of the mounting portion 100. The mounting portion 100 is formed, for example, in a recessed shape such that a portion of a panel constituting the body is recessed toward the inside of the vehicle. A through-hole 104 is formed in a bottom panel 102 of the mounting portion 100.

[0031] A connection portion with an external charging connector is provided on the front side of the charging connector 10. The connection portion includes a portion into which the external charging connector is inserted and electrically connected. A portion of the charging connector 10, including the connection portion, passes through the through-hole 104 and is exposed to the outside of the panel 102. Another portion of the charging connector 10 is disposed further inside the vehicle than the panel 102. Typically, a vehicle body-side cover 106 is provided on the mounting portion 100. The vehicle body-side cover 106 is attached so as to be openable and closable using a hinge or the like. When the vehicle body-side cover 106 is closed, the vehicle body-side cover 106 covers the opening of the panel 102. When the vehicle body-side cover 106 is open, the charging connector 10 is exposed, and the charging connector 10 can be accessed from the outside.

[0032] In the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1 , of the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions, the X direction is defined as a direction parallel to the direction in which the charging connector 10 passes through the through-hole 104 of the panel 102. The charging connector 10 and the external charging connector are connected in the X direction. The Z direction is, for example, a vertical direction. For example, when the charging connector 10 is provided on the side of the vehicle, the Y direction is the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. For example, when the charging connector 10 is provided on the front or rear surface of the vehicle, the Y direction is the width direction of the vehicle. Hereinafter, even for components that are not in an installed state, the directions corresponding to the X, Y, and Z directions when the components are in an installed state will be described.

[0033] <Overall structure> The overall configuration of the charging connector 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 7 in addition to Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a front view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a terminal-equipped electric wire 38 and its accommodation position. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the route of the electric wire 30 in the charging connector 10. Note that the electric wire 30 is omitted in Fig. 3. Also, some of the terminal-equipped electric wires 38 are omitted in Fig. 6.

[0034] The charging connector 10 includes terminals 20, electric wires 30, a thermistor unit 40, a housing 50, a retainer 60, an electric wire cover 70, a lid unit 80, and a grommet 90.

[0035] <Terminal> The terminals 20 include connector terminals 21 and relay terminals 28. The connector terminals 21 are accommodated in a housing 50. The connector terminals 21 are connected to terminals of a mating connector. The number and type of connector terminals 21 are set appropriately depending on the standards of the charging connector 10, etc. In this embodiment, the connector terminals 21 include two power terminals 22, six signal terminals 24, and one ground terminal 26. The relay terminals 28 are interposed between the power terminals 22 and the electric wires 30. The same number of relay terminals 28 as the number of power terminals 22 (here, two) are provided. The two power terminals 22 are an example of first and second power terminals. Either of the two power terminals 22 may be designated as the first power terminal.

[0036] The power terminal 22 has a mating connection portion 23a, a terminal fixing portion 23b, and a protrusion 23c. The power terminal 22 further has a thermistor mounting portion 23d. The signal terminal 24 has a mating connection portion 25a, an electric wire connection portion 25b, and a protrusion 25c. The ground terminal 26 has a mating connection portion 27a, an electric wire connection portion 27b, and a protrusion 27c. The relay terminal 28 has a terminal fixing portion 29a and an electric wire connection portion 29b.

[0037] The mating connection portions 23a, 25a, 27a are portions that are electrically connected to connector terminals of the external charging connector. The terminal fixing portions 23b, 29a are formed with holes through which screws S can be inserted. The power terminal 22 and the relay terminal 28 are fixed to and electrically connected to each other by being fixed to the terminal fixing portions 23b, 29a with the screws S. The wire connection portions 25b, 27b, 29b are crimping portions having barrels. The barrels of the wire connection portions 25b, 27b, 29b of the signal terminal 24, the ground terminal 26, and the relay terminal 28 are crimped to ends of the corresponding electric wires 30. As a result, the signal terminal 24, the ground terminal 26, and the relay terminal 28 are fixed to and electrically connected to the corresponding electric wires 30. The protrusions 23c, 25c, 27c are provided in the middle portions of the connector terminals 21. The protruding portions 23c, 25c, and 27c are portions that are held down by the retainer 60. The thermistor mounting portion 23d is a portion where the thermistor unit 40 is mounted.

[0038] Each terminal 20 is formed by pressing (bending) a metal plate. The thickness of each terminal 20 may be set according to the allowable current value, etc. The greater the plate thickness, the larger the conductor cross-sectional area and the larger the allowable current value. In this example, the plate thickness of the signal terminal 24 is thinner than the plate thickness of the power terminal 22 and the plate thickness of the ground terminal 26. Furthermore, the plate thickness of the ground terminal 26 is thinner than the plate thickness of the power terminal 22. The plate thickness of the relay terminal 28 is the same as the plate thickness of the power terminal 22.

[0039] The signal terminal 24 is thinner than the power terminal 22 and the ground terminal 26, and the ground terminal 26 is thinner than the power terminal 22. The mating connection portions 23a, 25a, and 27a of the power terminal 22, signal terminal 24, and ground terminal 26 are formed in a cylindrical shape. The mating connection portion 25a of the signal terminal 24 has a smaller diameter than the mating connection portions 23a and 27a of the power terminal 22 and ground terminal 26, and the mating connection portion 27a of the ground terminal 26 has a smaller diameter than the mating connection portion 23a of the power terminal 22.

[0040] <Electric wire> One end of each electric wire 30 is connected to the terminal 20. The other end of each electric wire 30 extends from the grommet 90 to the outside. When the charging connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle, the other end of each electric wire 30 is connected to another device mounted on the vehicle. Such device is appropriately determined depending on the type of the electric wire 30, and may be, for example, a battery or an electronic control unit (ECU). The number and type of the electric wires 30 correspond to the number and type of the connector terminals 21. In this embodiment, the electric wires 30 include two power lines 32, six signal lines 34, and one ground line 36. One end of the power line 32 is connected to the relay terminal 28. The power line 32 is connected to the power terminal 22 via the relay terminal 28. One end of the signal line 34 is connected to the signal terminal 24. One end of the ground line 36 is connected to the ground terminal 26. One end of the thermistor electric wire 44 is connected to the thermistor 42.

[0041] Each electric wire 30 is a covered electric wire. The covered electric wire has a core wire 31a and a covering 31b that covers the core wire 31a. The core wire 31a is formed, for example, by twisting multiple metal wires. The covering 31b is formed, for example, by extruding an insulating resin around the core wire 31a. A plurality of types of electric wires 30 having different thicknesses are used as the multiple electric wires 30. The thickness of the electric wires 30 is set according to the allowable current value, etc. Typically, to increase the allowable current value, it is necessary to increase the conductor cross-sectional area, which increases the thickness of the electric wire 30 accordingly. Furthermore, the thickness of the electric wire 30 is usually correlated with the difficulty of bending the electric wire 30, and the thicker the electric wire 30, the more difficult it is to bend. For example, when a flexible electric wire and a non-flexible electric wire are bent by the same angle, the radius of curvature of the non-flexible electric wire is larger than the radius of curvature of the non-flexible electric wire, and therefore a larger installation space is required.

[0042] In this example, the power line 32 is thicker than the ground line 36 and the signal line 34. Therefore, the power line 32 is less likely to bend than the ground line 36 and the signal line 34. The ground line 36 is also thicker than the signal line 34. Therefore, the ground line 36 is less likely to bend than the signal line 34. The power terminal 22, the relay terminal 28, and the power line 32 are used to supply power to the battery. The signal terminal 24 and the signal line 34 transmit signals between the outside of the vehicle and a control unit of the vehicle. The ground terminal 26 and the ground line 36 are used for grounding.

[0043] <Wire with terminal> The terminal 20 and the electric wire 30 are electrically connected to each other and fixed together by crimping during the manufacturing process of the charging connector 10. Such an integrated electric wire 30 and terminal 20 may be called a terminal-attached electric wire 38. In this example, an electric wire 38 in which a power line 32 and a relay terminal 28 are integrated, an electric wire 38 in which a signal line 34 and a signal terminal 24 are integrated, and an electric wire 38 in which a ground line 36 and a ground terminal 26 are integrated are provided.

[0044] 5, the terminal-attached electric wire 38 may be covered with a shrinkable tube 39 to form a waterproof portion. The shrinkable tube 39 covers the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20. This prevents water from getting on the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 and from penetrating into the coating. The connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 is a crimped portion between the barrels of the electric wire connection portions 25b, 27b, and 29b and the core wires of the signal wire 34, the ground wire 36, and the power wire 32.

[0045] The shrink tube 39 covers, for example, a portion of the terminal 20 forward of the portion where the electric wire 30 is connected to the covered portion of the electric wire 30. The shrink tube 39 is a heat-shrinkable tube that shrinks when heated. The heat-shrinkable tube 39 is placed over the terminal-attached electric wire 38 in a large-diameter state before being heated. When the heat-shrinkable tube 39 is heated and shrinks, it then conforms to the shape of the connection portion, thereby adhering closely to the connection portion. For example, a hot-melt adhesive may be applied to the inner surface of the heat-shrinkable tube 39. This allows the hot-melt adhesive to fill gaps between the heat-shrinkable tube 39 and the terminal 20 and between the heat-shrinkable tube 39 and the electric wire 30, thereby improving the waterproofing properties of the shrinkable tube 39. The heat-shrinkable tube 39 does not necessarily have to be provided with a hot-melt adhesive on its inner surface.

[0046] In the electric wire with terminal 38, the waterproofing portion does not have to be the shrinkable tube 39. For example, a resin such as an adhesive may be provided instead of the shrinkable tube 39. Furthermore, in the electric wire with terminal 38, the crimped portion may not be provided with a waterproofing portion and may be exposed. The electric wire with terminal 38 may be waterproofed by a rubber stopper or the like.

[0047] <Thermistor unit> The thermistor unit 40 measures the temperature of the power supply circuit. In the charging connector 10 for rapid charging, a large current flows through the power supply circuit for charging the battery, which increases the temperature of the power supply circuit accordingly. Monitoring the temperature of the power supply circuit using the thermistor unit 40 prevents the temperature of the power supply circuit from becoming excessively high. The thermistor unit 40 includes a thermistor 42 and a thermistor wire 44. In this example, a thermistor 42 is attached to each of a pair of power terminals 22 to measure the temperature of each of the pair of power terminals 22. One end of the thermistor wire 44 is connected to the thermistor 42. The other end of the thermistor wire 44 extends from the grommet 90 to the outside, similar to the other end of the electric wire 30. When the charging connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle, the other end of the thermistor wire 44 is connected to, for example, an ECU. The thermistor wire 44 is thinner than the power line 32 and the ground wire 36. For this reason, the thermistor wire 44 is more easily bent than the power wire 32 and the ground wire 36 .

[0048] <Housing> The housing 50 holds the connector terminals 21 in a predetermined position (a position where they can be connected to the connector terminals 21 of the external charging connector). The housing 50 mates with the external charging connector at a front end portion along the insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector. The housing 50 includes a housing main body 51, a vehicle attachment portion 54, and a wire pressing portion 57.

[0049] The connector terminals 21 are accommodated in the housing main body 51. The housing main body 51 has a plurality of terminal accommodating portions 53 and an outer frame portion 52. Each of the plurality of terminal accommodating portions 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape capable of accommodating a corresponding connector terminal 21. The outer frame portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the plurality of terminal accommodating portions 53. At the middle portion of the terminal accommodating portions 53, the plurality of terminal accommodating portions 53 and the outer frame portion 52 are connected by a flat connecting portion. A lid unit 80 is attached to the front of the housing main body 51. A retainer 60 is attached to the rear of the housing main body 51.

[0050] The vehicle mounting portion 54 is a portion for mounting the charging connector 10 to the mounting portion 100. The vehicle mounting portion 54 is formed in a plate shape that protrudes from the periphery of the outer frame portion 52 in the middle portion of the housing main body 51. The vehicle mounting portion 54 is mounted to the mounting portion 100 with, for example, screws S.

[0051] The wire pressing portion 57 presses the middle portion of the wire 30 extending from the terminal 20. This makes it difficult for vibrations occurring on the other end side of the wire 30 relative to the portion pressed by the wire pressing portion 57 to be transmitted to the terminal 20, thereby suppressing friction between the terminal 20 and the housing main body 51. At the rear of the housing main body 51, a block-shaped arm 56 protrudes in the Y direction from the outer frame portion 52. The wire pressing portion 57 is provided at the tip of the arm 56 along the direction of protrusion from the housing main body 51. Three wire pressing portions 57 are provided. Two of the three wire pressing portions 57 press two power wires 32, and the remaining wire pressing portion 57 presses one ground wire 36.

[0052] <Retainer> The retainer 60 prevents the terminals 20 from coming out of the housing 50. The retainer 60 is combined with the rear end of the housing 50 to hold the terminals 20 together with the housing 50. The retainer 60 includes a terminal pressing portion 61 and ribs 69a and 69b.

[0053] The terminal pressing portion 61 presses the rear of the connector terminals 21 accommodated in the housing 50, thereby preventing the connector terminals 21 from coming out rearward from the housing 50. The terminal pressing portion 61 includes a rear cover portion 62 and multiple protruding tubular portions 63. The protruding tubular portions 63 press the signal terminals 24. The terminal pressing portion 61 further includes two power terminal pressing portions 63P and a ground terminal pressing portion 63G. The power terminals 22 are pressed by the power terminal pressing portion 63P, and the ground terminals 26 are pressed by the ground terminal pressing portion 63G.

[0054] The rear cover portion 62 closes the rear opening of the outer frame portion 52. The multiple protruding tubular portions 63 protrude forward (toward the housing 50) from the rear cover portion 62. Each protruding tubular portion 63 is formed in a tubular shape. The protruding tubular portions 63 are formed at positions corresponding to the terminal accommodating portions 53 of the six signal terminals 24. The protruding tubular portions 63 are inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53. Each protruding tubular portion 63 surrounds the signal terminal 24 on the wire connection portion 25b side relative to the protrusion 25c. Each protruding tubular portion 63 opens toward the front and rear of the retainer 60. When the protruding tubular portion 63 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, the rear end of the connector terminal 21 accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53 is accommodated within the protruding tubular portion 63 through the front opening of the protruding tubular portion 63. When each protruding tubular portion 63 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, the protruding tubular portion 63 extends along the wire connection portion 25b of the accommodated signal terminal 24. The tip of each protruding tubular portion 63 presses the protruding portion 25c of the corresponding signal terminal 24 from behind, toward the housing 50. The signal wire 34 is drawn out from the opening at the rear of the corresponding protruding tubular portion 63.

[0055] Two power terminal pressing portions 63P and one ground terminal pressing portion 63G protrude forward (toward the housing 50) from the rear cover portion 62. The power terminal pressing portions 63P are formed in a cylindrical shape like the protruding cylindrical portion 63. The ground terminal pressing portion 63G is formed in a plate shape extending in the Y direction. Each power terminal pressing portion 63P presses the protruding portion 23c of the corresponding power terminal 22 from the rear toward the housing 50. The ground terminal pressing portion 63G presses the protruding portion 27c of the ground terminal 26 from the rear toward the housing 50. The power terminal 22 and the relay terminal 28 are screwed together while being in contact with each other through the rear opening of the power terminal pressing portion 63P. The relay terminal 28 is disposed on the back surface of the rear cover portion 62. The rear opening of the power terminal pressing portion 63P is closed by the relay terminal 28. The ground wire 36 is drawn out from a hole below the ground terminal pressing portion 63G.

[0056] The ribs 69a, 69b protrude rearward from the rear cover portion 62. The ribs 69a, 69b separate the relay terminals 28 from each other. The ribs 69a, 69b also separate the relay terminals 28 from the signal terminals 24. The ribs 69a, 69b also determine the position of the relay terminals 28. The portions of the relay terminals 28 that connect to the power terminals 22 are arranged along the ribs 69a, 69b. The ribs 69a, 69b separate the terminal 20 accommodating space and the drainage space inside the grommet 90. Dust and other particles that have entered the drainage space from the drainage port 93 are prevented from reaching the terminal 20 accommodating space. This prevents dust and other particles from adhering to the terminals 20.

[0057] The housing 50 and the retainer 60 are provided with locking portions. In this example, the locking portions are provided as locking projections formed on the housing 50 and locking pieces formed on the retainer 60. The locking pieces are engaged with the locking projections, thereby maintaining the housing 50 and the retainer 60 in an attached state.

[0058] <Wire cover> The wire cover 70 is attached to the wire pressing portion 57. The wire cover 70 prevents the wires 30 from slipping out of the wire pressing portion 57. The wire cover 70 and the wire pressing portion 57 completely cover the periphery of the wires 30. In this embodiment, two wire covers 70 are provided. One of the two wire covers 70 presses two power wires 32. The other of the two wire covers 70 presses one ground wire 36.

[0059] <Lid unit> The lid unit 80 is provided at the front of the housing main body 51 in an openable and closable manner. When the lid unit 80 is opened, a connection port of the housing main body 51 is exposed. This allows an external charging connector to be connected to the charging connector 10. When the lid unit 80 is closed, the connection port of the housing main body 51 is closed by the lid unit 80. The lid unit 80 has a lid 82, a hinge unit 84, and a lock unit 86. The lid 82 is attached to the housing main body 51 via the hinge unit 84 in an openable and closable manner. The lock unit 86 keeps the lid 82 closed. During charging, an operator can open the lid 82 by operating the lock unit 86.

[0060] <Grommet> The grommet 90 is an example of an exterior member that collectively covers the housing 50 from the rear end to the intermediate portions of the power lines 32 and the signal lines 34. The grommet 90 covers the housing 50 and the retainer 60. The grommet 90 includes a first protective portion 91 and a second protective portion 94. The first protective portion 91 covers the rear end of the housing main body 51 and the retainer 60. The second protective portion 94 covers the wire pressing portion 57. The grommet 90 is made of an elastomer such as EPDM.

[0061] The first protective portion 91 is formed with a housing pull-out opening 92 and a drain opening 93. The front end of the housing main body 51 extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the housing pull-out opening 92. The drain opening 93 is an opening for draining water that has entered the inside of the charging connector 10 to the outside. It is expected that such water will enter through the opening of the housing main body 51 when the lid unit 80 is opened, for example. A cable tie 98 is attached to the outer surface of the housing pull-out opening 92. The grommet 90 is attached to the housing 50 by the cable tie 98.

[0062] An electric wire outlet 95 is formed in the second protective portion 94. The other end of the electric wire 30 extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the electric wire outlet 95. Three electric wire outlets 95 are provided in one grommet 90. Two of the three electric wire outlets 95 are provided for two power lines 32. One power line 32 is passed through each of the two electric wire outlets 95. The signal line 34, the ground line 36, and the thermistor electric wire 44 are passed through the remaining one of the three electric wire outlets 95.

[0063] <Wire routing in charging connector> The power line 32 extends in a straight line within the grommet 90 from one end connected to the relay terminal 28 to the other end, and then extends out of the grommet 90 through the electric wire outlet 95. Therefore, one end of the power line 32 is not inserted into the through-hole 64 of the retainer 60.

[0064] The two power lines 32 extend side by side in the Z direction within the grommet 90. The two power terminals 22 are housed in the housing main body 51 side by side in the Y direction. The difference between the alignment direction of the two power lines 32 and the alignment direction of the two power terminals 22 is absorbed by the relay terminals 28. More specifically, the two relay terminals 28 are each disposed on the rear cover portion 62. The two relay terminals 28 extend in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. Of the two relay terminals 28, the relay terminal 28A is connected to the power terminal 22 closer to the electric wire outlet 95, and the relay terminal 28B is connected to the power terminal 22 farther from the electric wire outlet 95. The relay terminals 28A and 28B are aligned in the Y direction at the portions connected to the power terminals 22, and are aligned in the Z direction at the portions connected to the electric wires 30. Relay terminal 28A extends in a straight line along rear cover portion 62 between a portion connected to power terminal 22 and a portion connected to power line 32. Relay terminal 28B is bent so as to move away from rear cover portion 62 midway from the portion connected to power terminal 22 to the portion connected to power line 32. The orientation of the main surface of relay terminal 28B changes between the portion connected to power terminal 22 and the portion connected to power line 32.

[0065] One end of the signal wire 34 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53. The other end of the signal wire 34 extends from the through hole 64 of the retainer 60, bends inside the grommet 90, and heads toward the wire outlet 95 of the grommet 90. Of the multiple signal wires 34, the signal wire 34A is connected to a signal terminal 24 positioned above the power terminals 22, and the signal wire 34B is connected to a signal terminal 24 positioned below the power terminals 22. After extending from the through hole 64, the signal wire 34A passes between the pair of power wires 32, merges with the signal wire 34B, and extends in the Y direction.

[0066] One end of the ground wire 36 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53. The ground wire 36 extends from one end to the other end through the through hole 64 of the retainer 60, bends inside the grommet 90, and moves toward the wire outlet 95 of the grommet 90 together with the signal wire 34. As described above, the ground wire 36 is less likely to bend than the signal wire 34. Therefore, at the portion where the signal wire 34 and the ground wire 36 bend from the X direction toward the Y direction, the radius of curvature of the ground wire 36 tends to be larger than the radius of curvature of the signal wire 34. The other end of the ground wire 36 is held down by the wire holding portion 57 and the wire cover 70 of the housing 50, preventing the ground wire 36 from bulging too much inside the grommet 90.

[0067] The thermistor 42 is housed in the housing main body 51 together with the power terminal 22. Therefore, one end of the thermistor wire 44 is also housed in the housing main body 51. The other end of the thermistor wire 44 passes through the through hole 64 of the retainer 60, extends to the outside of the rear cover part 62, and bends inside the grommet 90 toward the outlet of the grommet 90. The thermistor wire 44 passes through a portion of the through hole 64 that is used to insert the terminal-equipped wire 38. The thermistor wire 44 passes between the pair of power wires 32 and extends in the Y direction together with the signal wire 34.

[0068] <Relationship between the housing body and signal terminals> With further reference to Figures 8 to 10, the relationship between the housing main body 51 and the signal terminals 24 will be described. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the differences in the signal terminals 24. Figure 9 is a rear view showing the rear end of the housing main body 51. In Figure 9, the connector terminals 21 are arranged in the same order as the terminal accommodating portions 53. It is a rear view showing the rear end of the housing main body 51. Figure 10 is a diagram explaining the relationship between the housing main body 51 and the signal terminals 24. In Figure 10, the signal terminals 24 are a partially enlarged view of Figure 8, and the housing main body 51 is a partially enlarged view of Figure 9.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 8 , in this example, the multiple signal terminals 24 include three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C. Here, one signal terminal 24A, three signal terminals 24B, and two signal terminals 24C are provided. The signal terminal 24A is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53A, and the signal terminal 24B is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53B. The terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B are located above the line connecting the centers of the terminal accommodating portions 53 of the two power terminals 22 in the Z direction. The terminal accommodating portion 53A is surrounded by three terminal accommodating portions 53B. The terminal accommodating portions 53B are located on both sides of the terminal accommodating portion 53A in the Y direction. In the Z direction, one terminal accommodating portion 53B is located adjacent to the lower side of the terminal accommodating portion 53A. The terminal accommodating portion 53A and the terminal accommodating portion 53B below it are located at the center of the terminal accommodating portions 53 of the two power terminals 22 in the Y direction.

[0070] The three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C have different shapes. The shapes of the protrusions 25c of the three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C are different from one another. The first and second protrusions 25c of each signal terminal 24A, 24B, and 24C extend in opposite directions. The intermediate portion of each signal terminal 24, which connects the mating connection portion 25a and the electric wire connection portion 25b, is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape. The first protrusion 25c extends from one end of the semi-cylindrical connection portion in a direction away from the connection portion. The second protrusion 25c extends from the other end of the semi-cylindrical connection portion in a direction away from the connection portion. The distance between the tip of the first protrusion 25c from the semi-cylindrical connection portion and the tip of the second protrusion 25c is the maximum width dimension of the signal terminal 24.

[0071] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the up-down direction on the paper surface is the direction parallel to the insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector. The dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24 along the insertion / removal direction is the width of the protrusion 25c. In the example shown in FIG. 8, widths W1A, W1B, and W1C are the width dimensions of the protrusion 25c of each signal terminal 24A, 24B, and 24C. As shown in FIG. 8, the widths W1A and W1C of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24A and 24C are smaller than the width W1B of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24B. Furthermore, the width W1A of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24A is the same as the width W1C of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24C.

[0072] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the left-right direction of the paper is parallel to the direction in which the protrusion 25c extends from the semi-cylindrical connecting portion. In the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24, the dimension along the direction in which the first and second protrusions 25c extend is the width of the signal terminal 24. In the example shown in FIG. 8, widths W2A, W2B, and W2C are the widths of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C, respectively. As shown in FIG. 8, the width W2A of the signal terminal 24A is smaller than the widths W2B and W2C of the signal terminals 24B and 24C. Furthermore, the width W2B of the signal terminal 24B is smaller than the width W2C of the signal terminal 24C.

[0073] Each signal terminal 24 also has a tubular portion 25a as a mating connecting portion 25a. The tubular portion 25a is provided on the tip side of the signal terminal 24. A terminal of an external charging connector is inserted into the tubular portion 25a. The tubular portion 25a has a tubular main body 25d and multiple elastic pieces 25e. The multiple elastic pieces 25e protrude toward the tip side from the tip end of the tubular main body 25d. The multiple elastic pieces 25e form the tip end of the signal terminal 24. A semi-cylindrical connecting portion protrudes toward the rear end from the rear end of the tubular main body 25d.

[0074] 8, length dimensions LA, LB, and LC are the dimensions of the tubular body 25d of each signal terminal 24A, 24B, and 24C in the insertion / removal direction. The length dimension LA of the tubular body 25d of the signal terminal 24A is longer than the length dimensions LB and LC of the tubular body 25d of the signal terminals 24B and 24C. The length dimension LB of the tubular body 25d of the signal terminal 24B is the same as the length dimension LC of the tubular body 25d of the signal terminal 24C.

[0075] The terminal accommodating portion 53 for the signal terminal 24 has a first accommodating portion 53d and a second accommodating portion 53e. The first accommodating portion 53d accommodates the distal end portion of the signal terminal 24 beyond the protruding portion 25c. The first accommodating portion 53d is formed to be the same size as or slightly smaller than the tubular portion main body 25d. The second accommodating portion 53e accommodates the protruding portion 25c and the protruding portion beyond the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24. The second accommodating portion 53e is sized to accommodate the protruding tubular portion 63. In a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, the second accommodating portion 53e is larger than the first accommodating portion 53d, and a step is formed between the first accommodating portion 53d and the second accommodating portion 53e. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the rear end surface of the first accommodating portion 53d appears on the rear end side through the second accommodating portion 53e. When the signal terminal 24 attempts to move toward the tip of the terminal accommodating portion 53 beyond a predetermined position in the insertion / removal direction, the protrusion 25c catches on the rear end surface of the first accommodating portion 53d, restricting further movement.

[0076] Two recesses 53f are formed in each first housing portion 53d. The two recesses 53f are spaced apart in the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the first housing portion 53d. The two recesses 53f are formed in a portion of the first housing portion 53d that accommodates the tubular main body 25d and the rear end portion thereof. A protrusion 53g is formed between the two recesses 53f. The two recesses 53f and the protrusion 53g extend from the rear end to the middle portion of the first housing portion 53d. The two recesses 53f are provided on both sides of the lowest portion in the Z direction on the inner surface of the first housing portion 53d. The protrusion 53g is provided at the lowest portion in the Z direction on the inner surface of the first housing portion 53d. The two recesses 53f are recessed downward in the Z direction. The rear end of the recess 53f is recessed in the Z direction by a greater amount than the tip end of the recess 53f. The recessed portion 53f and the protruding portion 53g form an uneven shape in the X direction on the rear end surface of the first accommodating portion 53d.

[0077] The second accommodating portions 53e of some of the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C are formed with grooves 53h into which the protrusions 25c fit. The second accommodating portions 53e of the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C are formed with first and second grooves 53h into which the first and second protrusions 25c fit, respectively. The first and second grooves 53h are formed on the inner surface of the second accommodating portion 53e at positions 180 degrees apart from each other. Each groove 53h is sized according to the protrusion 25c to be accommodated. Each groove 53h is recessed from the inner surface of the second accommodating portion 53e in a direction corresponding to the orientation of the signal terminal 24. The signal terminal 24B is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53B so that the first and second protrusions 25c extend in the Y direction. The first and second grooves 53h of the terminal accommodating portion 53B are recessed from the inner surface of the second accommodating portion 53e in the Y direction. The signal terminal 24C is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53C so that the first and second protrusions 25c extend in a direction intersecting the Y and Z directions. The first and second grooves 53h in the terminal accommodating portion 53C are recessed from the inner surface of the second accommodating portion 53e in a direction intersecting the Y and Z directions. The first and second protrusions 25c of the signal terminals 24B and 24C fit into the first and second grooves 53h of the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C. This prevents the signal terminals 24B and 24C from rotating around their axes along the insertion / removal direction.

[0078] The groove 53h is not formed in the second accommodating portion 53e of some of the terminal accommodating portions 53A. The second accommodating portion 53e of the terminal accommodating portion 53A is formed to a size that allows the protrusion 25c to fit therein. The second accommodating portion 53e of the terminal accommodating portion 53A is formed with a rotation inhibiting protrusion 53i. The rotation inhibiting protrusion 53i protrudes from a part of the inner surface of the second accommodating portion 53e toward the inside of the second accommodating portion 53e. The rotation inhibiting protrusion 53i is located on the trajectory of the protrusion 25c when the signal terminal 24A rotates around an axis along the insertion / removal direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the rotation inhibiting protrusion 53i is located at a different position from the recess 53f and the protrusion 53g when viewed from the X direction.

[0079] A slit 25f is formed at the tip of the tubular portion 25a. The slit 25f separates one portion of the tubular portion 25a along the circumferential direction from another portion. Here, the slit 25f is defined as a space between the multiple elastic pieces 25e. The multiple elastic pieces 25e protrude from positions spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the tubular portion main body 25d. Each space between the multiple elastic pieces 25e lined up in the circumferential direction is defined as a slit 25f. In this example, three elastic pieces 25e are lined up in the circumferential direction in one signal terminal 24. Therefore, three slits 25f are formed in one signal terminal 24.

[0080] In the example shown in Fig. 10, width W3 is the width of the tip of slit 25f in signal terminal 24C. Also, in the example shown in Fig. 10, width W4 is the width of protrusion 53g in terminal accommodating portion 53 of signal terminal 24C. Width W4 is the width of the wall that appears at the rear end of housing 50 when the rear end of housing 50 is observed from the insertion / removal direction. Width W3 of slit 25f is smaller than width W4 of protrusion 53g as a wall. Therefore, when signal terminal 24C is inserted into terminal accommodating portion 53, protrusion 53g is prevented from entering slit 25f, facilitating terminal insertion.

[0081] The width of the tip of the slit 25f in the signal terminals 24A and 24B is the same as the width of the tip of the slit 25f in the signal terminal 24C. Furthermore, the width of the protrusion 53g in the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the signal terminals 24A and 24B is the same as the width of the protrusion 53g in the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the signal terminal 24C. Therefore, when the signal terminals 24A and 24B are inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, the protrusion 53g is prevented from entering the slit 25f, facilitating the terminal insertion.

[0082] 10, width W5 is the width of the protrusion 53g in the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the ground terminal 26. The protrusion 53g in the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the ground terminal 26 is the narrowest wall that appears at the rear end of the housing 50 when the rear end of the housing 50 is observed from the insertion / removal direction. Here, width W3 of the slit 25f is smaller than width W5 of the wall. This prevents any wall at the rear end of the housing 50 from entering the slit 25f when each signal terminal 24 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, facilitating terminal insertion.

[0083] The slit 25f extends rearward from the tip of the cylindrical portion 25a. The protrusion 53g of the terminal accommodating portion 53 extends forward from the rear end of the first accommodating portion 53d. When the rear end of the housing 50 is observed from the insertion / removal direction, the rear end of the protrusion 53g is exposed.

[0084] 10, width W6 is the width of the rear end of slit 25f, which is greater than width W3 of the leading end of slit 25f.

[0085] The elastic pieces 25e are bent at their middle portions so that the leading ends of the elastic pieces 25e are positioned radially closer to the center than the rear ends of the elastic pieces 25e. As a result, the diameter of the tubular portion 25a at the leading ends of the elastic pieces 25e is smaller than the diameter of the tubular portion 25a at the rear ends of the elastic pieces 25e. As a result, the distance between adjacent elastic pieces 25e at the leading ends of the elastic pieces 25e is smaller than the distance between adjacent elastic pieces 25e at the rear ends of the elastic pieces 25e.

[0086] In addition, the width of each elastic piece 25e at its rear end is smaller than the width of its front end, so that the distance between adjacent elastic pieces 25e at their front ends is smaller than the distance between adjacent elastic pieces 25e at their rear ends.

[0087] Furthermore, a body-side slit 25g is formed in the tubular main body 25d. The body-side slit 25g extends from one axial end to the other axial end of the tubular main body 25d. As described above, the signal terminal 24 is formed by bending a metal plate. The circumferential length of the metal plate in the tubular main body 25d is slightly shorter than the circumferential length of a circle corresponding to the diameter of the tubular main body 25d. One end and the other end of the metal plate in the circumferential direction do not overlap in the radial direction, but are separated in the circumferential direction. As a result, the space between one end and the other end of the metal plate in the circumferential direction forms the body-side slit 25g.

[0088] <Relationship between retainer and terminal> 11 to 13, the relationship between the retainer 60 and the connector terminal 21 will be described. Fig. 11 is a rear view showing the retainer 60. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the retainer 60. Fig. 13 is a view explaining how the retainer 60 presses the connector terminal 21 from behind.

[0089] The retainer 60 has a plurality of through holes 64. Each through hole 64 penetrates the retainer 60 in the insertion / removal direction. The through holes 64 are formed at positions corresponding to the terminal accommodating sections 53. A protruding tubular section 63 is formed around the periphery of the through hole 64. Each protruding tubular section 63 has a protruding tubular section main body 63a. The protruding tubular section 63 that holds the signal terminal 24B further has a protruding section pressing protrusion 63b. The protruding section pressing protrusion 63b protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the protruding tubular section main body 63a. The protruding section pressing protrusion 63b fits into the groove 53h and presses the protrusion 25c. The protruding tubular section 63 that holds the signal terminals 24A and 24C does not have a protruding section pressing protrusion 63b. In this example, four through holes 64 are formed in one retainer 60, corresponding to the terminal accommodating sections 53 of the six signal terminals 24.

[0090] Each of the four through holes 64 has a hollow portion 65 of the protruding tubular portion 63, a terminal insertion hole 66, and a terminal pressing portion side slit 67. The hollow portion 65 of the protruding tubular portion 63 is a portion that connects the front opening and the rear opening of the protruding tubular portion 63. The terminal insertion hole 66 is located outside the protruding tubular portion 63 in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. The terminal pressing portion side slit 67 is formed over the entire length of the protruding tubular portion 63 in the insertion / removal direction. The terminal pressing portion side slit 67 connects the hollow portion 65 and the terminal insertion hole 66.

[0091] In two of the four through holes 64, namely, through holes 64A and 64B, one terminal insertion hole 66 communicates with the hollow portion 65 of one protruding tubular portion 63. The hollow portions 65 of the protruding tubular portions 63 in the through holes 64A and 64B are separated from the hollow portions 65 of the other protruding tubular portions 63.

[0092] In two of the four through holes 64, 64C and 64D, one terminal insertion hole 66 communicates with the hollow portions 65 of the two protruding tubular portions 63. These two through holes 64C and 64D are shared through holes 64C and 64D. In the shared through hole 64C, one terminal insertion hole 66C communicates with one hollow portion 65C1 through one terminal pressing portion-side slit 67C1 and also communicates with another hollow portion 65C2 through another terminal pressing portion-side slit 67C2. In the shared through hole 64D, one terminal insertion hole 66D communicates with one hollow portion 65D1 through one terminal pressing portion-side slit 67D1 and also communicates with another hollow portion 65D2 through another terminal pressing portion-side slit 67D2.

[0093] After the six signal terminals 24 are connected to the signal wires 34 to form the terminal-attached electric wires 38, they penetrate the retainer 60 through the through-holes 64 corresponding to the terminal accommodating portions 53 into which they fit. Specifically, the signal terminal 24A and the signal terminal 24B on the left of the signal terminal 24A among the three signal terminals 24B penetrate the retainer 60 through the through-hole 64C. The signal terminal 24B on the right of the signal terminal 24A among the three signal terminals 24B penetrates the retainer 60 through the through-hole 64A. The signal terminal 24B below the signal terminal 24A among the three signal terminals 24B penetrates the retainer 60 through the through-hole 64B. The two signal terminals 24C penetrate the retainer 60 through the through-hole 64D.

[0094] Each of the four through holes 64 is formed to a size that allows the corresponding signal terminal 24 to pass through. Each of the four through holes 64 is larger than the maximum width dimension of the intermediate portion of the signal terminal 24 that it passes through. The maximum width dimension of the intermediate portion of the signal terminal 24 is the width dimension of the protruding portion 25c. Specifically, the through holes 64A and 64B are larger than the width dimension W1B of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B. The through hole 64C is larger than the width dimension W1A of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24A and the width dimension W1B of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B. The through hole 64D is larger than the width dimension W1C of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24C.

[0095] The maximum width of the intermediate portion of the signal terminal 24 is greater than the width of the terminal pressing portion side slit 67. The intermediate portion of the signal terminal 24 cannot pass through the terminal pressing portion side slit 67.

[0096] The minimum width of the signal terminal 24 from the protruding portion 25c toward the electric wire connection portion 25b or the diameter of the signal wire 34 connected to the signal terminal 24 is equal to or smaller than the width of the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67. As a result, after the protruding portion 25c passes through the through hole 64, the signal terminal 24 or the signal wire 34 can move through the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67 and into the hollow portion 65 of the protruding tubular portion 63. Here, the diameter of the signal wire 34 is smaller than the width of the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67. The signal wire 34 can pass through the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67.

[0097] In the shared through hole 64C, an insulating wall 68C is provided at a portion where a straight line connects the terminal pressing portion side slit 67C1 and the terminal pressing portion side slit 67C2. The insulating wall 68C is a part of the protruding tubular portion 63. The insulating wall 68C ensures an insulating distance between the two signal terminals 24A and 24B that pass through the shared through hole 64C.

[0098] Insulating walls 68D1 and 68D2 are provided in the shared through hole 64D at the portion where the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67D1 and the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67D2 are connected by a straight line. The insulating wall 68D1 is part of the protruding tubular portion 63. The insulating wall 68D2 is a wall provided separately from the protruding tubular portion 63. The insulating wall 68D2 extends downward in the Z direction from the end of the insulating wall 68D1. The four through holes 64 are separated by the rear cover portion 62 of the retainer 60. The insulating walls 68D1 and 68D2 ensure an insulating distance between the two signal terminals 24C and the ground terminal 26 that pass through the shared through hole 64C.

[0099] The rear opening of the cylindrical power terminal pressing portion 63P is blocked by the relay terminal 28. Therefore, the thermistor wire 44 cannot be drawn out through the rear opening of the power terminal pressing portion 63P. The thermistor wire 44 passes through one of the four through holes 64 and penetrates the retainer 60. For example, the thermistor wire 44 of the thermistor 42 connected to one power terminal 22 passes through the retainer 60 via the through hole 64A. The thermistor wire 44 of the thermistor 42 connected to the other power terminal 22 passes through the retainer 60 via the through hole 64C.

[0100] <Preventing misassembly of signal terminals> 14 to 17, prevention of misassembly of three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which the three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C are properly accommodated in the terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, and 53C. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which one type of signal terminal 24A is accommodated in the three types of terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, and 53C. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which another type of signal terminal 24B is accommodated in the three types of terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, and 53C. FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which yet another type of signal terminal 24C is accommodated in the three types of terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, and 53C.

[0101] As described above, the dimensions of the protrusions 25c of the three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C are different from one another. Furthermore, the tubular portion 25a of the signal terminal 24A is longer than the tubular portions 25a of the signal terminals 24B and 24C. For these reasons, each of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C cannot be properly accommodated in any terminal accommodating portion 53 other than the corresponding terminal accommodating portion 53A, 53B, and 53C. Here, the expression "the signal terminal 24 cannot be properly accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53" includes not only cases where the signal terminal 24 cannot be inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, but also cases where the retainer 60 cannot be attached to the housing 50 when the signal terminal 24 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53.

[0102] 14, when the retainer 60 is attached to the housing 50 with the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C accommodated in the corresponding terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, and 53C, the protruding tubular portions 63 are inserted up to a predetermined position into the second accommodating portions 53e of the terminal accommodating portions 53. This allows the housing 50 and the retainer 60 to be locked at the locking portions, and the housing 50 and the retainer 60 are attached.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 15 , the signal terminal 24A can be inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C. This is because the maximum width of the signal terminal 24A is smaller than the maximum width of the signal terminals 24B and 24C and the width of the corresponding terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C. However, the length of the tubular portion 25a of the signal terminal 24A is longer than the length of the tubular portion 25a of the signal terminal 24B and 24C. Therefore, when the signal terminal 24A is inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C, the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24A is positioned rearward of its normal position. Therefore, when the retainer 60 is attached to the housing 50 with the signal terminal 24A inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C, the protruding tubular portion 63 cannot be inserted to its normal position into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C in which the signal terminal 24A is accommodated. As a result, the housing 50 and the retainer 60 cannot be locked at the locking portions, and the housing 50 and the retainer 60 cannot be attached. This prevents the signal terminals 24A from being incorrectly assembled into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C.

[0104] 16, the signal terminal 24B cannot be inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53A because the maximum width of the signal terminal 24B is greater than the maximum width of the signal terminal 24A and the width of the corresponding terminal accommodating portion 53A. This prevents the signal terminal 24B from being incorrectly inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53A.

[0105] Furthermore, the signal terminal 24B can be inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53C. This is because the maximum width of the signal terminal 24B is smaller than the maximum width of the signal terminal 24C and the width of the corresponding terminal accommodating portion 53C. However, the width of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B is larger than the width of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24C. Therefore, when the signal terminal 24B is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53C, the rear end of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B is positioned further rearward than the normal position. Therefore, when the retainer 60 is attached to the housing 50 with the signal terminal 24B inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53C, the protruding tubular portion 63 cannot be inserted to the normal position into the terminal accommodating portion 53C in which the signal terminal 24B is accommodated. As a result, the housing 50 and the retainer 60 cannot be locked at the locking portion, and the housing 50 and the retainer 60 cannot be attached. This prevents the signal terminal 24B from being erroneously assembled into the terminal accommodating portion 53C.

[0106] 17, the signal terminal 24C cannot be inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B because the maximum width of the signal terminal 24C is greater than the maximum width of the signal terminals 24A and 24B and the width of the corresponding terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B. This prevents the signal terminal 24C from being incorrectly inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B.

[0107] In the above example, in the insertion / removal direction, the dimension of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B is larger than the dimension of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminals 24A and 24C. Therefore, the combinations of signal terminals 24 that satisfy the first condition that the dimension of the protruding portion 25c of the first signal terminal 24 is larger than the dimension of the protruding portion 25c of the second signal terminal 24 in the insertion / removal direction are the combination of signal terminals 24B and 24C and the combination of signal terminals 24A and 24C.

[0108] In the above example, the dimension of protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24C is larger than the dimension of protrusion 25c of signal terminals 24A and 24B in the extending direction of protrusion 25c, and the dimension of protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24B is larger than the dimension of protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24A. Therefore, the combinations of signal terminals 24 that satisfy the second condition that the dimension of protrusion 25c of second signal terminal 24 is larger than the dimension of protrusion 25c of first signal terminal 24 in the extending direction of protrusion 25c are the combination of signal terminals 24A and 24B, the combination of signal terminals 24B and 24C, and the combination of signal terminals 24A and 24C.

[0109] In the above example, the signal terminals 24A and 24B are arranged on the opposite side of the signal terminal 24C across the two power terminals 22. Therefore, the combinations of signal terminals 24 that satisfy the third condition that the first signal terminal 24 is arranged on the opposite side of the second signal terminal 24 across the two power terminals 22 are the combination of signal terminals 24A and 24C and the combination of signal terminals 24B and 24C.

[0110] In the above example, the combination of signal terminals 24 that satisfies all of the first, second, and third conditions is the combination of signal terminals 24B and 24C. That is, in the insertion / removal direction, the dimension of the protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24B is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24C. Also, in the extension direction of the protrusion 25c, the dimension of the protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24C is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24B. Also, signal terminal 24B is arranged on the opposite side of signal terminal 24C with two power terminals 22 in between.

[0111] <Regarding the signal terminal retention status> The holding state of the signal terminals 24 will be described with further reference to Figure 18. Figure 18 is a schematic rear view showing the state in which two types of signal terminals 24A and 24B are housed in the regular terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B.

[0112] When the signal terminal 24A is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53A, a rotation-preventing protrusion 53i is provided at the position of the protrusion 25c in the insertion / removal direction. Therefore, when the signal terminal 24A attempts to rotate around an axis along the insertion / removal direction, as shown in FIG. 18 , the protrusion 25c comes into contact with the rotation-preventing protrusion 53i in either direction of rotation, thereby preventing further rotation. This prevents the signal terminal 24A from rotating around its axis along the insertion / removal direction to less than one full rotation. This prevents the signal line 34 connected to the signal terminal 24A from being twisted too much.

[0113] The rotation restricting protrusion 53i continues to the rear end of the terminal accommodating portion 53A. The rotation restricting protrusion 53i fits into the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67 of the protruding tubular portion 63, which presses the signal terminal 24A, at a position rearward of the protrusion 25c. The terminal pressing portion-side slit 67 is closed by the rotation restricting protrusion 53i. The signal terminal 24A is allowed to rotate less than one full rotation around an axis along the insertion / removal direction. Even in this case, because the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67 is closed by the rotation restricting protrusion 53i, the signal terminal 24A or the signal line 34 connected thereto is prevented from fitting into the terminal pressing portion-side slit 67 when the signal terminal 24A rotates around an axis along the insertion / removal direction.

[0114] 18, when the signal terminal 24B is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53B, the first and second protrusions 25c are accommodated in the first and second grooves 53h, respectively. As a result, when the signal terminal 24B attempts to rotate around an axis along the insertion / removal direction, the protrusions 25c come into contact with the inner surface of the groove 53h, thereby preventing further rotation. The amount of rotation of the signal terminal 24B around the axis along the insertion / removal direction is small, and is smaller than the amount of rotation of the signal terminal 24A around the axis along the insertion / removal direction.

[0115] As with the signal terminal 24B, the first and second protrusions 25c of the signal terminal 24C are housed in the first and second grooves 53h, respectively, thereby restricting rotation around an axis along the insertion / removal direction.

[0116] The tubular body 25d of the signal terminal 24A is longer in the insertion / removal direction than the tubular bodies 25d of the signal terminals 24B and 24C. Therefore, the tubular body 25d of the signal terminal 24A is supported in the terminal accommodating portion 53 over a longer distance in the insertion / removal direction than the tubular bodies 25d of the signal terminals 24B and 24C. This makes it difficult for the signal terminal 24A to rotate around an axis that intersects with the insertion / removal direction (for example, around the Y-axis or the Z-axis).

[0117] The cylindrical bodies 25d of the signal terminals 24B and 24C are shorter in the insertion / removal direction than the cylindrical body 25d of the signal terminal 24A. Even in this case, the protrusions 25c of the signal terminals 24B and 24C are supported by the inner surface of the groove 53h. This makes it difficult for the signal terminals 24B and 24C to rotate around an axis extending in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction (for example, around the Y-axis or the Z-axis).

[0118] <Relationship between ground terminal, housing and retainer> The mating connection portion 27a and the wire connection portion 27b of the ground terminal 26 are examples of a ground terminal-side tubular portion and a ground terminal-side wire connection portion. The ground terminal 26 has a ground terminal-side intermediate portion provided between the mating connection portion 27a and the wire connection portion 27b. The protruding portion 27c is an example of a ground terminal side portion that protrudes beyond the ground terminal-side tubular portion in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. The ground terminal pressing portion 63G of the retainer 60 extends along the wire connection portion 27b and presses the protruding portion 27c toward the housing 50.

[0119] Unlike the first and second protrusions 25c, the first and second protrusions 27c extend in the same direction (here, the positive side in the Z direction). The ground terminal pressing portion 63G is formed on the front surface of the rear cover portion 62, on the peripheral portion above the terminal insertion hole 66D. The ground terminal pressing portion 63G is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the Y direction and presses the tip ends of the first and second protrusions 27c.

[0120] In this example, the ground terminal 26 can also be inserted into the retainer 60 in the form of the terminal-attached electric wire 38. As shown in Fig. 11, the through-hole 64D is formed to have a size that allows the terminal-attached electric wire 38 of the ground terminal 26 to be inserted therethrough.

[0121] <Effects, etc.> In charging connector 10 configured as described above, signal terminal 24 is prevented from coming off using protrusion 25c, and signal terminal 24 having protrusion 25c is formed by bending a metal plate, which allows for easy installation of signal terminal 24. In charging connector 10, signal terminal 24 can be easily prevented from coming off.

[0122] Furthermore, a body-side slit 25g extending from one end to the other end of the cylindrical body 25d is formed in the cylindrical body 25d, which allows room for the cylindrical body 25a to deform in the radial direction when inserting or removing the cylindrical body 25d.

[0123] Furthermore, first and second grooves 53h into which the first and second protrusions 25c respectively fit are formed in the housing 50. This prevents the signal terminals 24 from rotating around an axis along the insertion / removal direction.

[0124] Furthermore, since the crimped portion between the electric wire connection portion 25b and the signal wire 34 is waterproof, it is not necessary to provide a separate structure such as a rubber plug to waterproof the space between the retainer 60 and the signal terminal 24. This allows for a simplified structure.

[0125] The waterproof portion also has a shrinkable tube 39 that covers the crimped portion, which makes it easier to attach the waterproof portion compared to when the waterproof portion is made of adhesive only.

[0126] Furthermore, the dimensions of the protrusions 25c of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C are different from one another, which makes it possible to easily prevent misassembly of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C by using the protrusions 25c.

[0127] Furthermore, in the insertion / removal direction, the dimension of protruding portion 25c of signal terminal 24B is larger than the dimension of protruding portion 25c of signal terminals 24A and 24C. As a result, when signal terminal 24B is accommodated in terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53C for signal terminals 24A and 24C, the protruding tubular portion 63 of retainer 60 collides with protruding portion 25c of signal terminal 24B during attachment of retainer 60, making it impossible to attach retainer 60. This prevents signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C from being misassembled and being shipped as a product.

[0128] Furthermore, in the direction in which protrusion 25c extends, the dimension of protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24C is larger than the dimension of protrusion 25c of signal terminals 24A and 24B. As a result, when signal terminal 24C is about to be inserted into terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B for signal terminals 24A and 24B, protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24C hits the peripheral edge of terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B, preventing the insertion. This prevents signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C from being misassembled and being shipped as products.

[0129] Furthermore, the signal terminals 24A and 24B are disposed on the opposite side of the power terminal 22 from the signal terminal 24C. This makes it easy to ensure sufficient space in the housing 50 for the protrusions 25c, even if the protrusions 25c have different dimensions. For example, the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24C is longer than the protrusions 25c of the signal terminals 24A and 24B. The signal terminal 24C is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53C in a tilted state around an axis along the insertion / removal direction. As a result, the direction in which the signal terminal 24C has its maximum width intersects with the direction in which the terminal accommodating portion 53C and the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the ground terminal 26 are aligned. The groove 53h of the terminal accommodating portion 53C is oriented to correspond to the tilted position of the signal terminal 24C.

[0130] Furthermore, the width W3 between adjacent elastic pieces 25e is smaller than the widths W4 and W5 of walls such as protrusions 53g that appear at the rear end of the housing 50 when the rear end of the housing 50 is observed from the insertion / removal direction. This prevents the walls that appear at the rear end of the housing 50 from getting between the elastic pieces 25e when the signal terminal 24 is inserted into the housing 50, improving the assembly of the charging connector 10.

[0131] Furthermore, the power terminals 22 are formed by bending a metal plate that is thicker than the metal plate of the signal terminals 24. This makes it easier to reduce the processing time compared to when the power terminals 22 are cut terminals. The protruding portions 23c of the power terminals 22 are pressed toward the housing 50 by the power terminal pressing portions 63P. This makes it possible to prevent the power terminals 22 from coming loose, just like the signal terminals 24.

[0132] Furthermore, the protruding portion 27c of the ground terminal 26 is pressed by the ground terminal pressing portion 63G toward the housing 50. This makes it possible to prevent the ground terminal 26 from coming off, similar to the signal terminal 24.

[0133] Furthermore, the power wires 32 are thicker than the signal wires 34, and the signal wires 34 extend while bending inside the grommet 90, while the power wires 32 extend in a straight line inside the grommet 90. This reduces the need to bend the thick power wires 32 as much as possible when assembling the charging connector 10, improving the ease of assembling the charging connector 10.

[0134] [Embodiment 2] A charging connector according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 19 is a rear view showing a charging connector 110 according to the second embodiment. The signal wire 34 is omitted from Fig. 19. Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a signal terminal 124 in the charging connector 110. Fig. 21 is a rear view showing a retainer 160 in the charging connector 110. Fig. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the signal terminal 124 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 153. In the description of this embodiment, components similar to those described so far will be assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0135] The charging connector 110 does not include the ground terminal 26 and the ground wire 36. As a result, the housing 150 and the retainer 160 are free of components related to the ground terminal 26 and the ground wire 36. The charging connector 110 is also provided with eight signal terminals 124. The eight signal terminals 124 are housed in groups of four, with the power terminal 22 sandwiched between them. In the rear view of FIG. 19 , the four signal terminals 124 are arranged to correspond to the four vertices of a square. The square is tilted 45 degrees so that one diagonal line is aligned with the Z direction. In this example, all eight signal terminals 124 have the same shape.

[0136] Slits 25f are also formed between the elastic pieces 125e in the signal terminal 124. Walls such as protrusions 53g appear at the rear end of the housing 150. In this example, the width of the slits 25f is smaller than the width of the walls, which prevents the walls such as protrusions 53g from getting caught in the slits 25f when the signal terminal 124 is inserted into the housing 150.

[0137] As shown in Figure 20, in the signal terminal 124, the width dimension of the tip end of the slit 25f is smaller than the width dimension of the rear end of the slit 25f. Also in the signal terminal 124, the diameter of the tubular portion 125a at the tip end of the elastic piece 125e is smaller than the diameter of the tubular portion 125a at the rear end of the elastic piece 125e. In the elastic piece 125e, the width dimension of the tip end is smaller than the width dimension of the rear end. In the elastic piece 125e of the signal terminal 124, as shown in Figure 20, the width dimension of the tip end is smaller than the width dimension of the rear end. The diameter of the tubular portion 125a at the tip end of the elastic piece 125e is smaller than the diameter of the tubular portion 25a at the tip end of the elastic piece 25e.

[0138] The shape of the protruding portion 125c of the signal terminal 124 is different from the shape of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24. In the signal terminal 124, the first and second protruding portions 125c extend in the same direction as the protruding portion 23c of the power terminal 22 and the protruding portion 27c of the ground terminal 26. The protruding tubular portion 163 is formed in a cylindrical shape like the protruding tubular portion 63. The tip of the protruding tubular portion 163 presses the first and second protruding portions 125c toward the housing 150. As shown in FIG. 22 , the tip of the first and second protruding portions 125c are pressed by the protruding tubular portion 163.

[0139] Like the signal terminals 24, the signal terminals 124 are also formed into terminal-attached electric wires 38 and then pass through the through holes 164 of the retainer 160. Because the first and second protrusions 125c extend in the same direction, the maximum width dimension of the signal terminals 124 is smaller than the maximum width dimension of the signal terminals 24. Therefore, the through holes 164 in the retainer 160 are also smaller than the through holes 64 of the retainer 60. Furthermore, the retainer 160 does not have shared through holes 64C, 64D, and instead has eight through holes 164 formed to correspond to the eight signal terminals 124.

[0140] The terminal accommodating portion 153 does not have a groove 53h for accommodating the protrusion 125c. Instead, all eight terminal accommodating portions 153 have a rotation-restricting protrusion 53i, similar to the terminal accommodating portion 53A. The rotation-restricting protrusion 53i is fitted into the terminal-pressing-portion-side slit 167 of the protruding tubular portion 163, rearward of the protrusion 125c, as described above. Because the signal terminals 124 are close to each other and space is limited, the terminal-pressing-portion-side slits 167A of the three through holes 164A located in the middle of the eight through holes 164 in the Y direction are wider than the terminal-pressing-portion-side slits 167B of the other five through holes 164B. Therefore, the rotation-restricting protrusions 53i fitted into the terminal-pressing-portion-side slits 167A are wider than the rotation-restricting protrusions 53i fitted into the terminal-pressing-portion-side slits 167B. The rotation restricting protrusion 53i that fits into the terminal pressing portion side slit 167A has two small protrusions that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, thereby increasing the width of the rotation restricting protrusion 53i.

[0141] [Note] Although the above description has been given assuming that the body-side slits 25g are formed in the tubular body 25d, this is not a required configuration. The body-side slits 25g may not be formed in the tubular body 25d. For example, the body-side slits 25g may not be formed if one circumferential end and the other circumferential end overlap in the radial direction.

[0142] Furthermore, although the width between adjacent elastic pieces 25e has been described as being smaller than the width of the walls of protrusions 53g and the like that appear at the rear end of housing 50 when the rear end of housing 50 is observed from the insertion / removal direction, this is not a required configuration. The width between adjacent elastic pieces 25e may be the same as or larger than the width of the walls of protrusions 53g and the like.

[0143] Although the power terminal 22 has been described as being formed by bending a metal plate, this is not a required configuration. For example, a power terminal may be formed by cutting a metal cylindrical member. Similarly, the ground terminal 26 may be formed by cutting a metal cylindrical member.

[0144] Although the charging connector 10 has been described above as including a grommet 90 as an exterior member, this is not a required configuration. For example, the charging connector may include a protector made of resin with low elasticity. Furthermore, the charging connector 10 may not include an exterior member. Furthermore, the power lines 32 may extend in a bent state within the exterior member.

[0145] The configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually contradictory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 10, 110 charging connector 20 terminals 21 Connector terminal 22 Power terminal 23a Counterpart connection part 23b Terminal fixing part 23c Protrusion 23d Thermistor mounting part 24, 24A, 24B, 24C, 124 signal terminals 25a, 125a Mating connection part (tube part) 25b Wire connection part 25c, 125c protrusion 25d barrel body 25e, 125e elastic strip 25f slit 25g Body side slit 26 Ground terminal 27a Mating connection part (ground terminal side tube part) 27b Wire connection part (ground terminal side wire connection part) 27c Protrusion (Ground terminal side protrusion) 28, 28A, 28B relay terminals 29a Terminal fixing part 29b Wire connection part 30 Electric wire 31a core wire 31b Covering 32 Power Lines 34 Signal line 36 Ground Line 38 Wire with terminals 39 Shrink Tube 40 Thermistor Unit 42 Thermistor 44 Thermistor wire 50, 150 housing 51 Housing body 52 outer frame 53, 53A, 53B, 53C, 153 terminal housing 53d First storage section 53e Second storage section 53f recess 53g Convex part (wall) 53h groove 53i Rotation suppression protrusion 54 Vehicle mounting part 56 Arm 57 Wire clamp 60, 160 retainer 61 Terminal holder 62 Rear cover part 63, 163 Projecting cylinder part 63a Projecting tube body 63b Protrusion pressing convex part 63P Power terminal holder 63G Ground terminal holder 64, 64A, 64B, 164, 164A, 164B through hole 64C, 64D Shared through hole (through hole) 65, 65C1, 65C2, 65D1, 65D2 Hollow part 66, 66C, 66D Terminal insertion holes 67, 67C1, 67C2, 67D1, 67D2, 167, 167A, 167B Terminal retainer side slit 68C, 68D1, 68D2 insulating walls 69a, 69b Ribs 70 Wire cover 80 Lid Unit 82 Lid 84 Hinge unit 86 Lock Unit 90 Grommet (protector) 91 1st Protection Department 92 Housing outlet 93 Drain 94 2nd Protection Department 95 Wire outlet 98 Cable ties 100 Mounting part 102 Panels 104 Through hole 106 Body side cover S screw

Claims

1. A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, is mated with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, first and second power terminals used to supply power to the battery; a plurality of signal terminals each having a smaller diameter than the first and second power terminals and each formed by bending a metal plate; a housing that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals and that is adapted to mate with the external charging connector at a front end portion along an insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector; a retainer mated with a rear end of the housing to hold the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals together with the housing; a plurality of signal lines connected to the plurality of signal terminals, respectively; Equipped with Each of the plurality of signal terminals includes a cylindrical portion provided at a front end side and into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a wire connection portion provided at a rear end side and electrically connected to the signal line, and an intermediate portion provided between the cylindrical portion and the wire connection portion, the intermediate portion has a protruding portion that protrudes further than the cylindrical portion in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, the retainer has a terminal pressing portion that extends along the electric wire connection portion and presses the protrusion toward the housing, the intermediate portion has a semi-cylindrical connecting portion that connects the cylindrical portion and the electric wire connecting portion, The protrusions protrude from both circumferential ends of the semi-cylindrical connecting portion of the charging connector.

2. The charging connector according to claim 1, The cylindrical portion has a cylindrical body and a plurality of elastic pieces provided on a tip side of the cylindrical body, The charging connector has a body-side slit formed in the cylindrical body, the slit extending from one end to the other end of the cylindrical body.

3. The charging connector according to claim 1 or 2, The protrusions include first and second protrusions extending in opposite directions, The housing has first and second grooves formed therein, into which the first and second protrusions fit, respectively.

4. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the wire connection portion has a barrel crimped onto the signal wire; The charging connector, wherein a crimped portion between the barrel and the signal line is waterproofed by a waterproofing portion.

5. The charging connector according to claim 4, The waterproof portion of the charging connector has a shrink tube that covers the crimping portion.

6. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the signal terminals include a first signal terminal and a second signal terminal; a size of the protrusion of the first signal terminal and a size of the protrusion of the second signal terminal are different from each other;

7. The charging connector according to claim 6, a dimension of the protruding portion of the first signal terminal in the insertion / removal direction being larger than a dimension of the protruding portion of the second signal terminal;

8. The charging connector according to claim 6 or 7, a dimension of the protrusion of the second signal terminal in an extending direction of the protrusion, the dimension of the protrusion of the first signal terminal being larger than a dimension of the protrusion of the second signal terminal;

9. The charging connector according to any one of claims 6 to 8, The first signal terminal is disposed on an opposite side of the second signal terminal with the first and second power terminals interposed therebetween.

10. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The cylindrical portion of the signal terminal has a plurality of elastic pieces, a width dimension between adjacent elastic pieces is smaller than a width of a wall that appears at the rear end of the housing when the rear end of the housing is observed from the insertion / removal direction.

11. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The power terminal is formed by bending a metal plate that is thicker than the metal plate of the signal terminal.

12. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a ground terminal having a diameter smaller than that of the power terminal and larger than that of the signal terminal, the ground terminal being formed by bending a metal plate having a thickness greater than that of the metal plate of the signal terminal; the ground terminal includes a ground terminal side tubular portion provided at a front end side and into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a ground terminal side wire connection portion provided at a rear end side and electrically connected to a ground wire, and a ground terminal side intermediate portion provided between the ground terminal side tubular portion and the ground terminal side wire connection portion, the ground terminal-side intermediate portion has a ground terminal-side protruding portion that protrudes beyond the ground terminal-side cylindrical portion in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, The retainer has a ground terminal pressing portion that extends along the ground terminal side wire connection portion and presses the ground terminal side protrusion toward the housing.

13. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 12, a relay terminal attached between the power terminal and the power line and extending in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction; an exterior member that collectively covers the rear end portion of the housing to intermediate portions of the power lines and the signal lines; Furthermore, the power line is thicker than the signal line; The signal line extends while bending inside the exterior member, and the power line extends straight inside the exterior member.

Images