Power Terminal

Abstract

To miniaturize a charging connector.SOLUTION: A charging connector 10 includes: a housing 50 including power terminals 22A, 22B, a signal terminal 24, a terminal holding part holding the power terminals and the signal terminal; a retainer 60 holding, together with the housing, the power terminals and the signal terminal; and a plate-shaped connection and a power line connection which have a through hole. The charging connector further includes, relay terminals 28A, 28B fixed to an end portion of a power terminal 22 and a power line 32 electrically connected to the power terminal via the relay terminals, in a posture extending along a direction crossing an insertion / extraction direction. The power terminal 22 is a member comprising a bent metal-shaped member, and cylinder parts 23a of the power terminal 22 each have a slit along a longitudinal direction thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to power terminals. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging inlet including a cylindrical portion, a housing fitted to a base end of the cylindrical portion, and an end housing fitted to the housing. The cylindrical portion is provided with a plurality of terminals electrically connected to terminals of an external connector. The terminals are electrically connected to a battery via wiring passing through the housing and the end housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-83130 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide a power terminal formed by bending a metal plate member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The power terminal of the present disclosure is a power terminal formed by bending a metal plate-like member, and comprises a tubular portion into which the terminal is inserted, a fastening plate-like portion having a fastening through-hole, and a plate-like connecting portion located between the tubular portion and the fastening plate-like portion, wherein the tubular portion includes an annular portion and a plurality of long pieces extending from the annular portion on the opposite side to the connecting portion, the plurality of long pieces being arranged in an annular shape via slits, and a circumferential portion of the annular portion being connected to the connecting portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a power terminal formed by bending a metal plate-shaped member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a charging connector according to a first embodiment and its assembly state. [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 power terminals and the electric wires with terminals, as well as their accommodation positions. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the electric wire path in the charging connector. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a power terminal. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the retainer and the relay terminal. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing a charging connector according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0009] The charging connector of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0010] (1) A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, mates with an external charging connector connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, the charging connector comprising: a housing having a first cylindrical portion into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted and a first power terminal used to supply power to the battery; a second cylindrical portion into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted and a second power terminal used to supply power to the battery; a signal terminal; an opening through which the external charging connector is inserted and removed; and a terminal holding portion that is located inside the opening when viewed along an insertion and removal direction of the external charging connector and holds the first power terminal, the second power terminal, and the signal terminal; a retainer that is combined with an end of the housing opposite to the opening and that holds the first power terminal, the second power terminal, and the signal terminal together with the housing; and a first plate-shaped connecting portion that has a first through hole. and a first power line connection portion, the first plate-shaped connection portion being oriented to extend in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, a first relay terminal fixed to an end of the first power terminal on the opposite side from the opening, a second plate-shaped connection portion having a second through hole and a second power line connection portion, the second plate-shaped connection portion being oriented to extend in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, a second relay terminal fixed to an end of the second power terminal on the opposite side from the opening, a first power line connected to the first power line connection portion and electrically connected to the first power terminal via the first relay terminal, and a second power line connected to the second power line connection portion and electrically connected to the second power terminal via the second relay terminal, the first power terminal and the second power terminal being members formed by bending a metal plate member, and the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion each having a slit along its longitudinal direction.

[0011] According to this charging connector, the first power terminal and the second power terminal are formed by bending a metal plate. Therefore, the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion can be easily formed into a shape having a slit along their respective longitudinal directions, i.e., a shape suitable for inserting a terminal of an external charging connector. Furthermore, because there is a high degree of freedom in the shape of the ends of the first power terminal and the second power terminal opposite the opening, it is also easy to set the extension orientation of the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal fixed to the ends of the first power terminal and the second power terminal opposite the opening to be along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. This makes it easy to set the drawing direction of the first power line and the second power line to be a direction intersecting the first power terminal and the second power terminal, thereby enabling the charging connector to be miniaturized.

[0012] (2) The charging connector of (1) may further include: a first fastening plate portion having a first fastening through-hole at an end of the first power terminal opposite the opening; a second fastening plate portion having a second fastening through-hole at an end of the second power terminal opposite the opening; a first fastener inserted through the first through-hole and the first fastening through-hole to fasten the first plate connecting portion to the first fastening plate portion; and a second fastener inserted through the second through-hole and the second fastening through-hole to fasten the second plate connecting portion to the second fastening plate portion. This allows the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal to be easily and securely connected to the first power terminal and the second power terminal by the first fastener and the second fastener.

[0013] (3) In the charging connector of (2), the first fastening plate portion and the second fastening plate portion may extend in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, and the fastening direction of the first fastener and the second fastener may be the same as the insertion / removal direction. This allows the fasteners to be fastened along the insertion / removal direction, making the fastening operation easy.

[0014] (4) In the charging connector of (2) or (3), when viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the first tubular portion may overlap the first through hole, and the second tubular portion may overlap the second through hole, thereby making the charging connector compact when viewed along the insertion / removal direction.

[0015] (5) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (4), the signal terminal may include a first signal terminal and a second signal terminal, the first signal terminal being arranged on one side of an arrangement line connecting a central axis of the first power terminal and a central axis of the second power terminal as viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the second signal terminal being arranged on the other side of the arrangement line as viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the first power line connection portion and the second power line connection portion being arranged at positions that allow the first power line and the second power line to extend to one side along the arrangement line, and the first relay terminal being provided between the first plate-shaped connection portion and the first power line connection portion and having a detour portion that extends to detour around the first signal terminal. This allows the first relay terminal to be arranged while avoiding interference with a signal line extending from the first signal terminal.

[0016] (6) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (5), a portion of one of the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal may include a plate-shaped portion that is aligned with the insertion / removal direction, and a portion of the other of the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal may include a plate-shaped portion that is aligned with a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. In this way, by arranging the plate-shaped portion of the first relay terminal and the plate-shaped portion of the second relay terminal to be aligned in different directions, they can be arranged in a compact space, contributing to miniaturization of the charging connector.

[0017] (7) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (6), the first relay terminal and the second relay terminal may have a first plating layer, the first power terminal and the second power terminal may have a second plating layer, and the second plating layer may have a higher abrasion resistance than the first plating layer. This can increase the abrasion resistance of the power terminals into which terminals are externally inserted and removed.

[0018] (8) In the charging connector of (7), the first plating layer may contain tin, and the second plating layer may contain silver, thereby making the second plating layer more wear-resistant than the first plating layer.

[0019] (9) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (8), the first power terminal and the second power terminal may have a protruding portion that protrudes beyond the first tubular portion or the second tubular portion when viewed along the insertion / removal direction, and the retainer may have a pressing portion that presses the protruding portion from the opposite side of the first tubular portion or the second tubular portion along the insertion / removal direction. In this way, the retainer presses the protruding portion, thereby enabling the first power terminal and the second power terminal to be firmly pressed within the terminal holding portion.

[0020] (10) In the charging connector of any one of (1) to (9), a waterproof section may be provided at each of a connection portion between the first power line and the first power line connecting portion and a connection portion between the second power line and the second power line connecting portion, thereby preventing water from entering each connection portion.

[0021] (11) In the charging connector of (10), the waterproofing portion may be a heat-shrinkable tube. This allows each connection portion to be easily waterproofed by the heat-shrinkable tube.

[0022] (12) The charging connector according to any one of (1) to (11) may further include an exterior member that collectively covers the retainer, the first power terminal, the second power terminal, and the signal terminal from the side opposite to the opening. In this case, the exterior member can collectively protect the power terminals and the signal terminals.

[0023] (13) In the charging connector of (12), the exterior member may be an elastic member. This allows the portion of the charging connector opposite the opening to be easily entirely covered with the elastic exterior member. This improves the waterproofness of the portion of the charging connector opposite the opening.

[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 equipped with a charging connector will be described.

[0027] The vehicle into which the charging connector is incorporated is an electric vehicle equipped with a battery and a motor. The vehicle travels by driving the motor with power from the battery. 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 battery in the vehicle is charged with power supplied from an external power source. The charging connector is configured so that an external charging connector 200 (see FIG. 5) can be inserted and electrically connected. The external charging connector is a connector for a charging cable extending from an external power source.

[0028] Generally, there are two types of charging modes for a vehicle battery: 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 charging connector 10. The connection portion includes a portion into which the external charging connector is inserted for electrical connection. A portion of charging connector 10, including the connection portion, passes through through-hole 104 and is exposed to the outside of panel 102. Another portion of charging connector 10 is disposed further inside the vehicle than panel 102. Typically, a vehicle body-side cover 106 is provided on mounting portion 100. Vehicle body-side cover 106 is attached so as to be openable and closable using a hinge or the like. When vehicle body-side cover 106 is closed, vehicle body-side cover 106 covers the opening of panel 102. When vehicle body-side cover 106 is open, charging connector 10 is exposed and can be accessed from the outside. When external charging connector 200 is mated and connected to this charging connector 10, charging of a battery 230 provided in the vehicle is performed.

[0032] In the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1 , of the X, Y, and Z directions which are orthogonal to one another, 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 Y direction is a direction in which a pair of power terminals 22 (described later) are aligned. The Z direction is a direction orthogonal to both the X and Y directions. For example, when the charging connector 10 is provided on a side of the vehicle, the X direction is considered to be the width direction of the vehicle, the Y direction is considered to be the fore-aft direction of the vehicle, and the Z direction is considered to be the vertical direction. Furthermore, when the charging connector 10 is provided on the front or rear surface of the vehicle, the X direction is considered to be the fore-aft direction of the vehicle, the Y direction is considered to be the width direction of the vehicle, and the Z direction is considered to be the vertical direction.

[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 (see FIGS. 3 to 6). 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 number of relay terminals 28 provided is the same as the number of power terminals 22 (here, two). Each terminal 20 is formed by pressing (bending) a metal plate.

[0036] The power terminal 22 is a terminal used to supply power to the battery 230. The power terminal 22 has a cylindrical portion 23a, a fastening plate-shaped portion 23b, and a protruding portion 23c. The power terminal 22 further has a thermistor attachment portion 23d.

[0037] Cylindrical portion 23a is a portion that is electrically connected to a power supply terminal of the external charging connector. Fastening plate portion 23b is a portion to which relay terminal 28 is fastened. Power line 32 is electrically connected to power terminal 22 via relay terminal 28.

[0038] 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 electric wire connection portions 25b, 27b are portions to which electric wires are connected, and in this case, are crimped portions. The signal terminal 24 and the ground terminal 26 are crimped to the ends of the corresponding electric wires 30 by the electric wire connection portions 25b, 27b. As a result, the signal terminal 24 and the ground terminal 26 are fixed while being electrically connected to the corresponding electric wires 30.

[0039] Protrusions 23c, 25c, and 27c are provided at the middle of each connector terminal 21. Protrusions 23c, 25c, and 27c are portions that are pressed by retainer 60. Thermistor attachment portion 23d is a portion where the thermistor unit 40 is attached.

[0040] 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 is assumed to be, for example, a battery, an electronic control unit (ECU), etc. 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 (see FIGS. 2 and 7). 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 together a plurality of metallic wires. The core wire 31a may be a single-core wire. 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 plurality of electric wires 30. The thickness of the electric wires 30 is set according to the allowable current value, etc. Normally, to increase the allowable current value, it is necessary to increase the conductor cross-sectional area, which increases the thickness of the electric wires 30 accordingly. Furthermore, the thickness of the electric wire 30 is normally correlated with the difficulty of bending the electric wire 30, and the thicker the electric wire 30, the more difficult it is to bend the electric wire 30. For example, when an easy-to-bend electric wire and a hard-to-bend electric wire are bent by the same angle, the radius of curvature of the hard-to-bend electric wire is larger than the radius of curvature of the easy-to-bend 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 cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor of the power line 32 is, for example, 40 mm2 or more. The cross-sectional area of ​​the conductor of the power line 32 is, for example, 120 mm2 or less. Furthermore, the ground line 36 is thicker than the signal line 34. Therefore, the ground line 36 is less likely to bend than the signal line 34.

[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] As shown in FIG. 6 , a waterproofing portion may be provided at the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 of the terminal-attached electric wire 38. The waterproofing portion may be a heat-shrinkable tube 39 that is heat-shrunk while covering the connection portion. This prevents water from getting on the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 and from penetrating into the coating 31b. The heat-shrinkable tube 39 covers, for example, a portion of the terminal 20 forward of the portion where the electric wire 30 is connected to the portion of the electric wire 30 where the coating 31b is located. The heat-shrinkable tube 39 is placed over the terminal-attached electric wire 38 in its large diameter state before being heated. Thereafter, when the heat-shrinkable tube 39 is heated and shrinks, it conforms to the shape of the connection portion, thereby allowing it to adhere closely to the connection portion. For example, a hot-melt adhesive may be provided on the inner surface of the heat-shrinkable tube 39. This allows the hot melt adhesive to fill gaps between the heat shrink tube 39 and the terminal 20 and gaps between the heat shrink tube 39 and the electric wire 30, improving the waterproofing properties of the heat shrink tube 39. The hot melt adhesive does not have to be provided on the inner surface of the heat shrink tube 39. In the terminal-attached electric wire 38, the heat shrink tube 39 may not be provided at the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20, and the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 may be exposed. In the terminal-attached electric wire 38, a resin such as an adhesive may be provided at the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 instead of the heat shrink tube 39. A configuration in which the resin covers the connection portion and hardens can also function as a waterproofing portion. FIG. 6 shows the heat shrink tube 39 covering the connection portion between the power line connection portions 29Ab, 29Bb of the relay terminal 28 and the power line 32.

[0045] <Thermistor unit> The thermistor unit 40 measures the temperature of the power terminals 22. In the charging connector 10 for rapid charging, a large current flows through the power terminals 22, which supply power to charge the battery, and therefore the temperature of the power terminals 22 increases accordingly. By using the thermistor unit 40 to monitor the temperature of the power terminals 22, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the power terminals 22 from becoming excessively high. The thermistor unit 40 has a thermistor 42 and a thermistor wire 44 (see FIG. 6 ). In this example, the thermistor 42 is attached to each of the pair of power terminals 22, and the temperature of each of the pair of power terminals 22 is measured. One end of the thermistor wire 44 is connected to the thermistor 42. The other end of the thermistor wire 44 extends to the outside from the grommet 90, 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 wire 32 and the ground wire 36. Therefore, the thermistor wire 44 is more easily bent than the power wire 32 and the ground wire 36.

[0046] <Housing> Housing 50 holds connector terminal 21 in a predetermined position (a position where connector terminal 21 of the external charging connector can be connected). Housing 50 includes a housing main body 51, a vehicle attachment portion 54, and a wire pressing portion 57 (see FIGS. 3 to 6).

[0047] The connector terminals 21 are accommodated in the housing main body 51. The housing main body 51 has an outer frame portion 52 and a plurality of terminal holding portions 53. Each of the plurality of terminal holding 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 surrounding the plurality of terminal holding portions 53. At intermediate portions of the terminal holding portions 53, the plurality of terminal holding portions 53 and the outer frame portion 52 are connected by flat-plate-shaped connecting portions. An opening 51A through which the external charging connector is inserted and removed is formed in a portion of the outer frame portion 52 that faces more toward the outside of the vehicle than the connecting portions. The terminal holding portions 53 are located inside the opening 51A when viewed along the insertion and removal direction of the external charging connector. 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] The wire pressing portion 57 presses the middle portion of the electric wire 30 extending from the terminal 20. This makes it difficult for vibrations occurring on the other end side of the electric 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 protruding direction 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. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the signal wire 34 extends along the ground wire 36.

[0050] <Retainer> The retainer 60 prevents the terminals 20 from coming off the housing 50. The retainer 60 includes a terminal pressing portion 61 and walls 64, 65, and 66.

[0051] The terminal pressing portion 61 presses the rear of the connector terminal 21 accommodated in the housing 50, thereby preventing the connector terminal 21 from coming out rearward from the housing 50. The terminal pressing portion 61 includes a rear cover portion 62 and a plurality of protruding tubular portions 63 as pressing portions.

[0052] The rear cover portion 62 closes the rear opening of the outer frame portion 52. A plurality of through holes are formed in the rear cover portion 62. The plurality of through holes are formed at positions corresponding to the terminal holding portions 53. The power terminals 22 and the relay terminals 28 are in contact with each other and fastened with screws through the through holes corresponding to the power terminals 22. The relay terminals 28 are disposed on the rear surface of the rear cover portion 62. The signal lines 34 and the ground lines 36 are drawn out from the through holes corresponding to the signal terminals 24 and the ground terminals 26.

[0053] The multiple protruding tubular portions 63 protrude forward (toward the housing 50) from the rear cover portion 62. The multiple protruding tubular portions 63 are formed at positions corresponding to the respective terminal holding portions 53. Each protruding tubular portion 63 communicates with a respective through-hole. The tip of each protruding tubular portion 63 is inserted into the corresponding terminal holding portion 53 to press the corresponding protruding portion 23c, 25c, or 27c from behind. For example, among the protruding tubular portions 63, a pair of protruding tubular portions 63 corresponding to the power terminal 22 serves as a pressing portion to press the protruding portion 23c from the opposite side to the tubular portion 23a (see FIG. 5).

[0054] Walls 64, 65, and 66 protrude rearward from rear cover portion 62 in the insertion / removal direction. Walls 64 and 65 separate relay terminals 28 from the surrounding area. Walls 64 and 65 also serve as restriction walls that restrict the position of relay terminals 28. Wall 66 is a partition wall that separates the terminal 20 accommodating space and the drainage space inside grommet 90.

[0055] The housing 50 and the retainer 60 are provided with locking portions. In this example, the locking portions include a locking protrusion formed on the housing 50 and a locking piece formed on the retainer 60. When the locking piece engages with the locking protrusion, the retainer 60 joins with the rear end of the housing 50 on the side opposite the opening 51A. As a result, the retainer 60 holds the connector terminals 21 together with the housing 50.

[0056] <Wire cover> The wire cover 70 is attached to the wire pressing portion 57. The wire cover 70 prevents the wire 30 from slipping out of the wire pressing portion 57. The wire cover 70 and the wire pressing portion 57 cover the entire periphery of the longitudinal middle portion of the wire 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.

[0057] <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.

[0058] <Grommet> The grommet 90 collectively covers the retainer 60 and the terminals 20 from the side of the housing 50 opposite the opening 51A. The grommet 90 includes a first protective portion 91 and a second protective portion 94. The first protective portion 91 covers the rear end portion 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 an elastic member. The grommet 90 is made of an elastomer such as EPDM. The grommet 90 is, for example, an integrally molded product. The grommet is an example of an exterior member that collectively covers the retainer 60 and the terminals 20. The exterior member does not need to be an elastic member and may be made of a hard resin, metal, or the like. In other words, the exterior member may be, for example, a protector or a grommet.

[0059] The first protective portion 91 is formed with a housing pull-out opening 92 and a drain opening 93. The housing pull-out opening 92 is an example of an opening that covers the rear end of the housing 50. 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 housing pull-out opening 92 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the X direction. 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 from the front end of the housing main body 51 when the lid unit 80 is opened, for example. The drain opening 93 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the Z direction.

[0060] A cable tie 98 is attached to the outer surface of the housing outlet 92. The grommet 90 is attached to the housing 50 by the cable tie 98. An annular rib 92a is provided on the inner surface of the housing outlet 92. The annular rib 92a is provided around the entire circumference of the inner surface of the housing outlet 92. The annular rib 92a is in close contact with the outer surface of the housing main body 51 around the entire circumference. When the housing outlet 92 is fastened with the cable tie 98, the annular rib 92a is compressed between the inner surface of the housing outlet 92 and the outer surface of the housing main body 51. This improves the watertightness between the outer surface of the housing main body 51 and the inner surface of the housing outlet 92.

[0061] 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.

[0062] <Terminal position> The positional relationship between the housing 50 and the connector terminals 21 held by the retainer 60 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0063] The charging connector 10 includes a pair of power terminals 22. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction of the external charging connector, the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged to be aligned in the Z direction. For example, the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged to be aligned in the horizontal direction with respect to the vertical direction.

[0064] The pair of power terminals 22 are an example of a first power terminal and a second power terminal. In the following description, one of the pair of power terminals 22 may be distinguished as a first power terminal 22A and the other as a second power terminal 22B, as necessary. Each part of the first power terminal and the second power terminal may also be distinguished by adding a prefix of "first" or "second." The power line 32 and the screw S, which is an example of a fastener, may also be distinguished by adding a prefix of "first" or "second," depending on the first power terminal 22A or the second power terminal 22B to which they are connected.

[0065] The signal terminals 24 are arranged on both sides of the line of the pair of power terminals 22 when viewed along the insertion / removal direction. In the following description, the signal terminals 24 may be distinguished as first signal terminals 24A and second signal terminals 24B. The first signal terminal 24A is one of the signal terminals 24 that is arranged on one side (e.g., above) of the line of the pair of power terminals 22 along the line of the central axes of the pair of power terminals 22 when viewed along the insertion / removal direction. The second signal terminal 24B is one of the signal terminals 24 that is arranged on the other side (e.g., below) of the line of the line of the pair of power terminals 22 when viewed along the insertion / removal direction. Regarding the signal lines 34 connected to the signal terminals 24, the one connected to the first signal terminal 24A may be referred to as the first signal line, and the one connected to the second signal terminal 24B may be referred to as the second signal line, as necessary.

[0066] Here, four first signal terminals 24A are arranged on one side (e.g., the upper side) along a direction perpendicular to the line-up direction of the pair of power terminals 22. More specifically, one first signal terminal 24A is arranged on one side (e.g., the upper side) between the pair of power terminals 22 along a direction perpendicular to the line-up direction of the pair of power terminals 22, and the remaining three first signal terminals 24A are arranged side by side along the line-up direction of the pair of power terminals 22 at positions farther away from the pair of power terminals 22 than the one first signal terminal 24A.

[0067] Furthermore, two second signal terminals 24B are arranged on the other side (e.g., below) along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged. More specifically, the two second signal terminals 24B are arranged side by side along the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged, on the other side (e.g., below) of the pair of power terminals 22 along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are arranged. A ground terminal 26 is arranged between the two second signal terminals 24B. Terminal holding portions 53 that house each connector terminal 21 are also provided at positions corresponding to each of the connector terminals 21.

[0068] <Power terminal> A more specific example of the power terminal 22 will be described. In this embodiment, the first power terminal 22A and the second power terminal 22B have the same configuration. As shown in Fig. 8, the power terminal 22 includes a tubular portion 23a and a fastening plate portion 23b. The tubular portion 23a is provided at one end of the power terminal 22, and the fastening plate portion 23b is provided at the other end.

[0069] The cylindrical portion 23a is formed in a cylindrical shape into which a mating rod-shaped terminal 210 is inserted. The cylindrical portion 23a has a slit 23s extending from the longitudinal middle to the tip. A plurality of slits 23s are formed and aligned circumferentially around the cylindrical portion 23a. The long pieces 23p between the slits in the cylindrical portion 23a are connected via an annular portion on the base end side of the cylindrical portion 23a. Each long piece 23p can elastically deform inward and outward from the cylindrical portion 23a, with the annular portion serving as a fulcrum. When the mating terminal 210 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 23a, each long piece 23p elastically deforms outward from the cylindrical portion 23a. When the terminal 210 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 23a, the long pieces 23p are pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the terminal 210 due to the elastic force of each long piece 23p returning to its original shape. When the terminal 210 is pulled out from the cylindrical portion 23a, the long pieces 23p return to their original annular arrangement.

[0070] The fastening plate portion 23b has a fastening through hole 23bh and is formed in a plate shape. The fastening through hole 23bh need not be a surrounded hole as long as it penetrates both sides of the fastening plate portion 23b. A portion of the periphery of the fastening through hole 23bh may reach the outer periphery of the fastening plate portion 23b via a slit. The fastening plate portion 23b intersects with the axial direction of the tubular portion 23a, and in this case, is perpendicular to the axial direction of the tubular portion 23a. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the fastening through hole 23bh and a through hole 29Aah (or 29Bah) described later are arranged to overlap with the tubular portion 23a. The central axis of the fastening through hole 23bh may coincide with the central axis of the tubular portion 23a. In this embodiment, the fastening plate portion 23b is formed in a disk shape except for a portion connected to the connecting portion 23e described next. The outer shape of the fastening plate portion 23b is not particularly limited, and may be formed in a polygonal plate shape, such as a rectangular plate shape. Since the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b is arranged along a direction intersecting the central axis of the tubular portion 23a, the plate-shaped mounting portions 29Aa and 29Ba described later, which are superimposed on the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b, are also arranged along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0071] A connecting portion 23e is provided between the cylindrical portion 23a and the fastening plate-like portion 23b. The connecting portion 23e has an elongated plate-like portion, one end of which is connected to a part of the circumferential direction of the base end of the cylindrical portion 23a, and the other end of which is connected to one side of the fastening plate-like portion 23b.

[0072] The pair of protruding portions 23c protrude from both sides of the connecting portion 23e closer to the cylindrical portion 23a. When viewed along the longitudinal direction of the power terminal 22, the tip ends of the pair of protruding portions 23c protrude beyond the cylindrical portion 23a. As described above, the protruding cylindrical portion 63 of the retainer 60 can press the cylindrical portion 23c from the side opposite the cylindrical portion 23a.

[0073] The power terminal 22 may be a member formed by bending a metal plate member 220. For example, a metal plate member 220 made of a copper plate, a copper alloy plate, or the like is punched into a shape that forms the power terminal 22 (see imaginary line L in FIG. 8 for some punched shapes). During or after punching, each punched portion is bent to form the tubular portion 23a, the fastening plate portion 23b, and the protruding portion 23c. In this way, the power terminal 22 is manufactured. The power terminal 22 can be manufactured more efficiently and at lower cost than when a metal block member is machined.

[0074] <Relay terminal> The relay terminals 28 will be described in more detail. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the retainer 60 and the relay terminals 28. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 to 7, and 9, one of the pair of relay terminals 28 is connected to the first power terminal 22A, and the other is connected to the second power terminal 22B. The pair of relay terminals 28 are an example of a first relay terminal and a second relay terminal, and have different shapes. In the following description, as necessary, the one of the pair of relay terminals 28 connected to the first power terminal 22A may be referred to as the first relay terminal 28A, and the one connected to the second power terminal 22B may be referred to as the second relay terminal 28B. The respective parts of the first relay terminal 28A and the second relay terminal 28B may also be distinguished by adding "first" or "second" to their names.

[0075] The second relay terminal 28B has a plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba, a power line connecting portion 29Bb, and an intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc. When the second relay terminal 28B is fixed to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b of the second power terminal 22B, the second relay terminal 28B extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0076] More specifically, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba is formed in a plate shape. The outer shape of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba is not particularly limited. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba may be formed in a non-circular plate shape and may have a shape that contacts the wall 65 to prevent rotation. A through-hole 29Bah is formed in the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba. Note that the through-hole 29Bah need not be a surrounded hole as long as it penetrates both sides of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba. A portion of the periphery of the through-hole 29Bah may reach the outer periphery of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba via a slit. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba may have the same configuration as a plate-shaped terminal with a hole, known as a LA terminal. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba is overlapped with the fastening plate portion 23b at the rear end of the second power terminal 22B opposite the opening 51A. In this state, the through-hole 29Bah and the fastening through-hole 23bh are aligned in the same position when viewed along the insertion / removal direction. A screw S, which is an example of a fastener, is inserted through the through hole 29Bah and the fastening through hole 23bh from the side opposite the opening 51A, and the screw S is threaded into the nut. This fastens the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b. In this state, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba intersects with the insertion / removal direction. The fastener may be a rivet instead of a screw. The fastener tightens the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b in a direction that brings them closer to each other, thereby combining the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b. The fastening direction is the same as the direction in which the fastener is inserted through the through hole 29Bah and the fastening through hole 23bh. In this embodiment, the fastening direction is the same as the insertion / removal direction. Therefore, the fastener can be inserted through the through hole 29Bah and the fastening through hole 23bh along the insertion / removal direction. If the fastener is a screw, the screw may be rotated around an axis along the insertion / removal direction.

[0077] An intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc extends from the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. In this embodiment, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc extends toward one side in the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are aligned. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc extend in the same plane intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0078] The power line connection portion 29Bb is provided at an end of the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc. Therefore, the second relay terminal 28B extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction as a whole.

[0079] The power line connection portion 29Bb is a portion to which the power line 32 is connected. In this embodiment, the power line connection portion 29Bb is crimped to the core wire 31a exposed at the end of the power line 32. The power line connection portion 29Bb and the core wire 31a may be connected by soldering, ultrasonic welding, or the like. The power line 32 connected to the power line connection portion 29Bb is electrically connected to the second power terminal 22B via the second relay terminal 28B. The power line 32 extends from the power line connection portion 29Bb along a straight line that extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0080] The first relay terminal 28A has a plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa, a power line connecting portion 29Ab, and an intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac. When the first relay terminal 28A is fixed to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b of the first power terminal 22A, the first relay terminal 28A extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0081] More specifically, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa is formed in a plate shape. Similar to the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa has a through hole 29Aah formed therein. Similar to the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba, there are no particular limitations on the outer shape of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa or the shape of the through hole 29Aah. The plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa is placed on the fastening plate portion 23b at the rear end of the first power terminal 22A on the side opposite the opening 51A. In this state, similar to the above, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa is fastened to the fastening plate portion 23b by a screw S, which is an example of a fastener. In this state, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa intersects with the insertion / removal direction.

[0082] Since the first power terminal 22A and the second power terminal 22B are adjacent to each other, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba are provided adjacent to each other with a gap therebetween. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba are located at the same position in the insertion / removal direction.

[0083] An intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac extends from the plate-shaped attachment portion 29Aa in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0084] The power line connecting portion 29Ab is provided at an end of the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac, so that the first relay terminal 28A as a whole extends in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0085] Like power line connection portion 29Bb, power line connection portion 29Ab is a portion to which power line 32 is connected. When power line 32 is connected to power line connection portion 29Ab, power line 32 is electrically connected to first power terminal 22A via first relay terminal 28A. Power line 32 extends along a straight line from power line connection portion 29Bb in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0086] The pair of power lines 32 may extend in the same direction or in different directions intersecting the insertion / removal direction. In this embodiment, the pair of power lines 32 extend in the same direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction.

[0087] That is, as described above, the power line connection portion 29Bb of the second relay terminal 28B is disposed at a position outside the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba in the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are aligned. The power line connection portion 29Ab of the first relay terminal 28A is disposed at a position parallel to the power line connection portion 29Bb. More specifically, the power line connection portion 29Ab is disposed at a position more inward than the power line connection portion 29Bb. This allows the pair of power lines 32 connected to the pair of power line connection portions 29Ab, 29Bb to extend in parallel in the direction in which the pair of power lines 32 are aligned.

[0088] The power line connecting portion 29Ab of the first relay terminal 28A detours around the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc of the second relay terminal 28B and heads toward the power line connecting portion 29Bb. Therefore, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac of the first relay terminal 28A has a structure as a detour portion.

[0089] More specifically, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac is formed in a long, narrow plate shape. One side of one end of the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac is connected to the edge of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa on the opposite side from the second relay terminal 28B. This allows the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac to bend along the insertion / removal direction. By bending the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac in its thickness direction, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac can be easily aligned along a narrow and flexible path when viewed along the insertion / removal direction.

[0090] In this embodiment, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac includes an inclined portion 29Ac1 and an aligned direction portion 29Ac2 (see FIGS. 7 and 9). The inclined portion 29Ac1 is a portion that is inclined from a portion connected to the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa toward the space between the pair of power terminals 22 while inclining with respect to the aligned direction of the pair of power terminals 22. The inclined portion 29Ac1 extends toward a position farther away from the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa than the first signal terminal 24A. The aligned direction portion 29Ac2 is a portion that curves from the end of the inclined portion 29Ac1 and extends along the aligned direction of the pair of power terminals 22. The aligned direction portion 29Ac2 extends along a path outside the first signal terminal 24A. The end of the aligned direction portion 29Ac2 is connected to the power line connection portion 29Ab. In this manner, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac follows a detour path that is outside the pair of power terminals 22 and the first signal terminal 24A.

[0091] In this embodiment, the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac is a plate-shaped portion extending along the insertion / removal direction, and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc is a plate-shaped portion extending along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. Because the relay terminal 28 forms a power path, it must be a member having a cross-sectional area commensurate with the flowing current. Therefore, the width and thickness of the intermediate plate-shaped portions 29Ac and 29Bc must also be set according to the current. For example, if both the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc are aligned along a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, a large area is required to accommodate the intermediate plate-shaped portions 29Ac and 29Bc as viewed along the insertion / removal direction. By combining the intermediate plate-shaped portions 29Ac and 29Bc with different extension directions, as in this embodiment, it becomes easier to arrange the intermediate plate-shaped portions 29Ac and 29Bc in a compact space. In particular, by aligning intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac, which acts as a detour and tends to have a long path length, along the insertion / removal direction, it is easy to arrange intermediate plate-shaped portions 29Ac and 29Bc in a compact space when viewed along the insertion / removal direction.

[0092] Furthermore, because intermediate plate portion 29Ac is bent from fastening plate portion 23b of first power terminal 22A toward tubular portion 23a, intermediate plate portion 29Ac itself is disposed within the length dimension of first power terminal 22A along the insertion / removal direction. Therefore, the presence of intermediate plate portion 29Ac along the insertion / removal direction is unlikely to affect the size of charging connector 10 in the insertion / removal direction.

[0093] The relay terminal 28 has a shape in which plate-like portions are connected on the same plane or a shape in which plate-like portions are bent, and therefore can be formed by bending a metal plate member by press working or the like.

[0094] The relay terminal 28 may have a first plating layer 28f. The power terminal 22 may have a second plating layer 22f. The abrasion resistance of the second plating layer 22f may be higher than that of the first plating layer 28f. The abrasion resistance here may be evaluated, for example, by a reciprocating abrasion test method defined in JIS H 8503:1989, "Testing Method for Abrasion Resistance of Plating." For example, the first plating layer 28f may contain tin, and the second plating layer 22f may contain silver.

[0095] Unlike the relay terminal 28, the mating terminal 210 is repeatedly inserted and removed from the cylindrical portion 23a of the power terminal 22. Therefore, by providing the power terminal 22 with the second plating layer 22f, which has high abrasion resistance, a good electrical connection between the power terminal 22 and the terminal 210 is maintained. In contrast, the relay terminal 28 does not rub against other terminals, so a plating material can be selected that takes into account other characteristics (e.g., corrosion resistance, cost, etc.) without placing importance on abrasion resistance.

[0096] The relay terminal 28 may be fixed to the pair of power terminals 22, for example, by fastening and fixing the plate-shaped mounting portions 29Aa, 29Ba to the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b exposed at the rear of the retainer 60 while the pair of power terminals 22 is held by the housing 50 and the retainer 60.

[0097] <Terminals and walls> The positional relationship between the walls 64, 65 provided on the retainer 60 and the terminal 20 will be described in more detail.

[0098] As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 9, the wall 64 surrounds the periphery of the first relay terminal 28A. More specifically, the wall 64 surrounds the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac of the first relay terminal 28A. When viewed in the insertion / removal direction, the wall 64 is formed to follow the outer peripheries of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac. The first relay terminal 28A is disposed within the wall 64, thereby restricting rotation of the first relay terminal 28A around the screw S. When viewed in the insertion / removal direction, the wall 64 includes a portion 64a interposed between the first relay terminal 28A and the first signal terminal 24A and a portion 64b interposed between the first relay terminal 28A and the second signal terminal 24B.

[0099] The wall 65 surrounds the second relay terminal 28B. More specifically, the wall 65 surrounds the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc of the second relay terminal 28B. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the wall 65 is formed to follow the outer peripheries of the plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc. The second relay terminal 28B is disposed within the wall 65, thereby restricting rotation of the second relay terminal 28B around the screw S. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the wall 64 and the wall 65 share a portion of each other in the portion where a pair of power terminals 22 are adjacent to each other. When viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the wall 65 includes a portion 65a interposed between the second relay terminal 28B and the first signal terminal 24A and a portion 65b interposed between the second relay terminal 28B and the second signal terminal 24B.

[0100] <Wire routing in charging connector> As shown in Fig. 7, the power line 32 extends straight through the grommet 90 from one end connected to the pair of relay terminals 28 to the other end, and then extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the outlet. The two power lines 32 extend side by side in the Z direction within the grommet 90. The two power terminals 22 are accommodated in the housing main body 51 side by side in the Y direction. The direction in which the two power lines 32 are aligned and the direction in which the two power terminals 22 are aligned are converted by the relay terminals 28, as described above.

[0101] One end of the signal wires 34 is inserted into the terminal holding portion 53. The other end of the signal wires 34 extends from the through hole, is bent and bundled in the grommet 90, and extends toward the outlet of the grommet 90. More specifically, among the multiple signal wires 34, a first signal wire 34A is connected to a first signal terminal 24A positioned above the power terminals 22, extends from the through hole, passes between the pair of power wires 32, merges with the second signal wire 34B, and extends in the Y direction. The second signal wire 34B is connected to a second signal terminal 24B positioned below the power terminals 22, extends from the through hole, merges with the first signal wire 34A, and extends in the Y direction. The signal wires 34 may be bundled by a guide portion 58 provided on the wire pressing portion 57. The guide portion 58 has a pair of side walls 58a, and the multiple signal lines 34 are arranged between the side walls 58a to be bundled together. The multiple signal lines may also be bundled together using adhesive tape, a cable tie, or the like.

[0102] One end of the ground wire 36 is inserted into the terminal holding portion 53. The ground wire 36 extends from one end to the other end through the through hole, bends inside the grommet 90, and moves toward the outlet 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, which prevents the ground wire 36 from bulging too much inside the grommet 90.

[0103] 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, 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 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.

[0104] The insertion / removal direction, the direction in which the drain outlet 93 opens, and the direction in which the power line 32 extends inside the grommet 90 intersect with one another. Here, the insertion / removal direction is the X direction. The direction in which the drain outlet 93 opens is the Z direction. The direction in which the power line 32 extends inside the grommet 90 is the Y direction. The insertion / removal direction, the direction in which the drain outlet 93 opens, and the direction in which the power line 32 extends inside the grommet 90 are perpendicular to one another, but may intersect at an angle other than perpendicular.

[0105] <Effects, etc.> According to this charging connector 10, the power terminals 22 are formed by bending a metal plate-like member 220. Therefore, the tubular portions 23a can be easily formed with slits 23s along their respective longitudinal directions, i.e., with a shape suitable for inserting the mating terminals 210. Furthermore, the end of the power terminals 22 opposite the tubular portions 23a has a high degree of freedom in shape. Therefore, the first relay terminals 28A and the second relay terminals 28B fixed to the fastening plate-like portions 23b, which are the end of the power terminals 22 opposite the tubular portions 23a, can easily be oriented in a direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction. This allows the drawing directions of the power lines 32 connected to the first relay terminals 28A and the second relay terminals 28B to be easily set in a direction intersecting the power terminals 22. This eliminates the need to provide bent portions in the power lines 32, enabling the charging connector 10 to be more compact.

[0106] The end of the power terminals 22 opposite to the cylindrical portion 23a is a fastening plate portion 23b having a fastening through-hole 23bh, and the first plate-shaped mounting portion 29Aa of the first relay terminal 28A and the second plate-shaped mounting portion 29Ba of the second relay terminal 28B are fastened and fixed to the fastening plate portion 23b with fasteners such as screws S. This allows the first relay terminal 28A and the second relay terminal 28B to be easily and securely connected and fixed to the corresponding power terminals 22.

[0107] Furthermore, the fastening plate-shaped portion 23b intersects with the insertion / removal direction, and the fastening direction of a fastener such as a screw S is set to be the same as the insertion / removal direction. This makes it easy to perform the fastening work of a fastener such as a screw S by simply performing the work along the insertion / removal direction.

[0108] Furthermore, because the cylindrical portion 23a overlaps the through-hole 29Aah (or 29Bah) when viewed along the insertion / removal direction, the fastening points can be set on the longitudinal extensions of the power terminals when viewed along the insertion / removal direction, which allows the charging connector 10 to be made compact when viewed along the insertion / removal direction.

[0109] Furthermore, the first relay terminal 28A has an intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac as a detour portion that extends to bypass the first signal terminal 24A, so that the first relay terminal 28A can be positioned while avoiding interference with the signal line 34 extending from the first signal terminal 24A.

[0110] Furthermore, since the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Ac is a plate-shaped portion that extends along the insertion / removal direction, and the intermediate plate-shaped portion 29Bc is a plate-shaped portion that extends along a direction that intersects with the insertion / removal direction, each plate-shaped portion can be arranged in a compact space along different directions, which contributes to the miniaturization of the charging connector 10.

[0111] Furthermore, since the wear resistance of the second plating layer 22f of the power terminal 22 is higher than the wear resistance of the first plating layer 28f of the relay terminal 28, the wear resistance of the power terminal 22 into which the mating terminal 210 is inserted and removed can be increased, and good electrical connectivity can be maintained.

[0112] For example, if the first plating layer 28f contains tin and the second plating layer 28f contains silver, the wear resistance of the plating layer 22f of the power terminal 22 can be made higher than the wear resistance of the plating layer 28f of the relay terminal 28.

[0113] Furthermore, if the power terminal 22 has a protruding portion 23c and the retainer 60 has a protruding tubular portion 63 as a pressing portion that presses the protruding portion 23c, the retainer 60 can firmly press the power terminal 22 within the terminal holding portion 53 of the housing 50.

[0114] Furthermore, by providing a water blocking portion at the connection portion between the power line 32 and the power line connection portions 29Ab, 29Bb, adhesion of water to the connection portion is suppressed.

[0115] If a heat shrinkable tube 39 is used as the waterproof portion, the connection portion can be easily waterproofed.

[0116] Furthermore, the retainer 60 and the terminals 20 can be protected collectively by covering them together from the side opposite to the opening 51A with the grommet 90 as an exterior member.

[0117] Furthermore, if the exterior member is a grommet having elasticity, it is possible to easily cover the entire portion of charging connector 10 opposite opening 51A while deforming grommet 90. This improves the waterproofness of the portion of charging connector 10 opposite opening 51A.

[0118] [Variations] Fig. 10 is a rear view showing a charging connector 110 according to a modified example. Note that some components, such as the electric wire 30, are omitted from Fig. 10. In addition, in the description of this modified example, the same components as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0119] The charging connector 110 shown in FIG. 10 is provided with eight signal terminals 24. More specifically, when viewed along the insertion / removal direction, four signal terminals 24 are arranged on one side of the direction in which the pair of power terminals 22 are aligned, and four signal terminals 24 are arranged on the other side. Note that the pair of power terminals 22 are hidden by the relay terminals 28 in FIG. 10, but are arranged at positions corresponding to the pair of screws S, as in the first embodiment. The four signal terminals 24 are arranged at positions corresponding to the vertices of a diamond. In addition, in this example, the ground terminal 26 is omitted. Accordingly, structures related to the ground terminal 26 are omitted from the housing 150 corresponding to the housing 50 and the retainer 160 corresponding to the retainer 60.

[0120] 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]

[0121] 10 Charging connector 20 terminals 21 Connector terminal 22 Power terminal (22A first power terminal, 22B second power terminal) 22f Second plating layer 23a Cylinder part 23b Fastening plate portion 23bh fastening through hole 23c, 25c, 27c protrusion 23d Thermistor mounting part 23e Connecting part 23p long piece 23s slit 24 Signal terminal (24A 1st signal terminal, 24B 2nd signal terminal) 25a, 27a Mating connection part 25b, 27b Wire connection part 26 Ground terminal 28 Relay terminal (28A 1st relay terminal, 28B 2nd relay terminal) 28f First plating layer 29Aa, 29Ba Plate-shaped mounting part 29Aah, 29Bah through hole 29Ab, 29Bb power line connection 29Ac, 29Bc Intermediate plate-shaped part 29Ac1 Inclined section 29Ac2 Arrangement direction part 30 Electric wire 31a core wire 31b Covering 32 Power Lines 34 signal line (34A first signal line, 34B second signal line) 36 Ground Line 38 Wire with terminals 39 Shrink Tube 40 Thermistor Unit 42 Thermistor 44 Thermistor wire 50 Housing 51 Housing body 51A opening 52 outer frame 53 Terminal holding part 54 Vehicle mounting part 56 Arm 57 Wire clamp 58 Information Department 58a side wall 60 Retainer 61 Terminal holder 62 Rear cover part 63 Projecting cylinder part 64, 65, 66 Wall 64a, 65a: Portions interposed between the relay terminal and the first signal terminal 64b, 65b: Portions interposed between the relay terminal and the second signal terminal 70 Wire cover 80 Lid Unit 82 Lid 84 Hinge unit 86 Lock Unit 90 Grommets 91 1st Protection Department 92 Housing outlet 92a Circular rib 93 Drain port 94 2nd Protection Department 95 Wire outlet 98 Cable ties 100 Mounting part 102 Panel 104 Through hole 106 Body side cover 110 Charging connector 150 Housing 160 Retainer 200 External charging connector 210 terminal 220 parts 230 Battery S screw

Claims

1. A power terminal formed by bending a metal plate-like member, a cylindrical portion into which the terminal is inserted; a fastening plate-shaped portion having a fastening through hole; a plate-shaped connecting portion located between the tubular portion and the fastening plate-shaped portion; Equipped with the cylindrical portion includes an annular portion and a plurality of elongated pieces extending from the annular portion to a side opposite to the connecting portion, the plurality of elongated pieces being arranged in an annular shape with slits interposed therebetween, a circumferential portion of the annular portion is connected to the connecting portion, The connecting portion has an elongated plate-like portion, one end of the elongated plate-shaped portion is connected to a portion of the circumferential direction of the base end of the cylindrical portion, and the other end of the elongated plate-shaped portion is connected to the fastening plate-shaped portion, the fastening plate-shaped portion is curved and connected to the connecting portion so as to be perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylindrical portion, The power terminal, wherein the fastening through-hole overlaps with the tubular portion in the axial direction.

2. A power terminal according to claim 1, The power terminal, wherein the fastening through-hole penetrates in an axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

3. A power terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2, The power terminal has a protruding portion provided on the connecting portion so as to protrude beyond the cylindrical portion when viewed in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

Images