Electrical connector

Abstract

To provide an electrical connector capable of preventing an arc discharge occurring between terminals.SOLUTION: There is provided an electrical connector comprising one set of connectors that can be fit freely. In the set of connectors, a male connector 10 includes a male housing 1 holding a pair of male terminals 3, 3, and a female connector 20 includes a female housing 2 holding a pair of female terminals 4, 4. The male housing 1 has a connection opening 11 that can be fit freely with a header 21 provided in the female housing 2, and the female housing 2 has an insertion opening 21h through which the male terminal 3 can be inserted freely. A shutter 5 includes a pair of shutter parts 51s that can close freely the insertion opening 21h, and a follower 51b that defines displacement of the shutter 5. The male housing 1 includes a cam groove 11d that guides the follower 51b. When the female connector 20 is pulled out from the male connector 10, connection between the female terminal 4 and the male terminal 3 is physically released, and the shutter 5 closes the insertion opening 21h instantly.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector. In particular, it relates to the structure of an electrical connector provided with a mechanism for blocking arc discharge generated between a set of separated contacts when the connector is removed from the mating connector in the live state.

Background Art

[0002] It is known that arc discharge occurs between a set of separated contacts when disconnecting a set of contacts through which a relatively high-voltage current flows. When arc discharge occurs, there are problems such as the housing supporting the contacts melting, the housing being damaged, and the conductivity of the contacts deteriorating due to an insulating substance adhering to the contacts.

[0003] Due to such problems in the conventional electrical connector, an electrical connector that minimizes arc discharge occurring between the male contact and the female contact has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [[ID=2 5]] [[ID=]]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a female contact according to the prior art. Note that FIG. 12 of the present application corresponds to FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1.

[0006] Referring to FIG. 12, a female contact (hereinafter referred to as a female terminal) 9 according to the prior art includes a contact connection portion 91 formed on the tip end side, a connection portion 93 formed on the base end side, and a main body portion 92 formed between the contact connection portion 91 and the connection portion 93.

[0007] Referring to Figure 12, the contact connection portion 91 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape. A rectangular prism-shaped male terminal (not shown) can be introduced into the contact connection portion 91. The connection portion 93 crimps the conductor of the insulated wire with a conductor barrel 93b. The main body portion 92 is held in the cavity of a housing (not shown). The main body portion 92 is provided with a pair of lances 92r-92r to prevent it from coming loose.

[0008] Referring to Figure 12, the female terminal 9 has a first slit 91s on its bottom wall, extending from the tip edge of the contact connection portion 91 to the middle of the main body portion 92. Furthermore, the female terminal 9 has a second slit 92s on its top wall, extending from the tip edge of the contact connection portion 91 to the base edge of the main body portion 92.

[0009] Referring to Figure 12, the contact connection portion 91 has a pair of opposing walls 91w, 91w separated by a first slit 91s and a second slit 92s. The contact connection portion 91 also has a pair of opposing walls 92w, 92w separated by a pair of slits. These opposing walls 91w and 92w constitute an open entry that alleviates twisting when a rectangular prism-shaped male terminal is inserted into the inside of the contact connection portion 91.

[0010] Referring to Figure 12, the female terminal 9 extends from the contact connection portion 91 to the main body portion 92 and forms a pair of arc discharge contacts 911-911 that are bent inward. These arc discharge contacts 911-911 provide a force that presses against the male terminal when the rectangular prism-shaped male terminal is inserted into the main body portion 92.

[0011] Referring to Figure 12, the female terminal 9 has a pair of clamping arms that extend cantilevered from the main body toward the contact connection portion 91, and these clamping arms have a pair of main contacts 921, 921 that are bent inward.

[0012] Referring to Figure 12, the conventional female terminal 9, when the male terminal is pulled out from the female terminal 9 while the wire is live, does not cause an arc discharge from the main contact 921, but rather from the sacrificial contact, the arc discharge contact 911, thus suppressing deterioration of the contact surface of the main contact 921.

[0013] However, conventional female terminals 9 do not have a structure that suppresses arc discharge itself, which presents a problem in that it is not easy to suppress damage to the housing and deterioration of the mating terminal caused by arc discharge.

[0014] There is a need for an electrical connector that prevents arc discharge between a pair of separated terminals when the connector is removed from the other connector while the circuit is live. This can be considered the problem addressed by the present invention.

[0015] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide an electrical connector that prevents arc discharge occurring between a pair of spaced-apart terminals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] The inventors of this invention believe that by providing a shutter opening / closing mechanism in which a shutter opens when one connector is mated with the other, electrically connecting the terminals of one connector to the other, and the shutter closes when one connector is pulled out from the other, arc discharge occurring between a pair of separated terminals can be prevented. Based on this, they have invented the following new electrical connector.

[0017] (1) The electrical connector according to the present invention is an electrical connector comprising a set of connectors that can be mated together, each having a set of terminals that can be electrically connected to each other, and is equipped with a shutter that blocks the arc discharge that occurs between the terminals when these terminals are separated.

[0018] (2) Preferably the shutter can move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of connectors are mated.

[0019] (3) When a set of connectors of the electrical connector according to the present invention are in a mated state, the shutter opens, and when the mating of the set of connectors is released, the shutter is closed.

[0020] (4) The electrical connector according to the present invention is an electrical connector in which a male connector having male terminals and a female connector having female terminals can be mated, and the female connector includes an openable and closable shutter that blocks arc discharge generated between the terminals when the male terminals and the female terminals are separated.

[0021] (5) When the male connector and the female connector are not mated, it is preferable to further include a spring member that biases the shutter in a closing direction.

[0022] (6) The male connector includes a male housing that holds a pair of the male terminals, the female connector includes a female housing that holds a pair of the female terminals, the male housing has a connection opening that can be mated with a header provided in the female housing, the female housing has a pair of insertion openings through which the male terminals can be inserted, the shutter has a pair of shutter portions that can block the insertion openings and a follower that defines the displacement of the shutter, and the male housing has a cam groove that guides the follower.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] Since the electrical connector according to the present invention includes a shutter that blocks (quenches) arc discharge generated between terminals when a set of terminals that can be electrically connected to each other are separated, damage to the housing and deterioration of the terminals of the mating partner due to arc discharge can be prevented.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a state diagram in which one connector is inserted into the other connector. [Figure 2]It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the electrical connector according to the above embodiment, and is a state diagram before the other connector is mated with one connector. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the electrical connector according to the above embodiment, and is a view of the state before the other connector is mated with one connector, viewed from a direction different from that of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a perspective exploded assembly view showing the configuration of the electrical connector according to the above embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the female terminal provided in the electrical connector according to the above embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the shutter provided in the electrical connector according to the above embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a front view showing the configuration of the female connector constituting the electrical connector according to the above embodiment, and is a state diagram with the shutter closed. [Figure 8] It is a front view showing the configuration of the female connector constituting the electrical connector according to the above embodiment, and is a state diagram with the shutter open. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the male connector constituting the electrical connector according to the above embodiment, and a part is shown in a sectional view. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view showing the configuration of the male connector constituting the electrical connector according to the above embodiment, and is a locus diagram showing the movement procedure of the shutter. [Figure 11]Figure 11(A) shows the state in which the driver on the shutter is located at the starting end of the cam groove; Figure 11(B) shows the state in which the shutter has moved to the uppermost position from the state shown in Figure 11(A); Figure 11(C) shows the state in which the male connector and female connector are mated from the state shown in Figure 11(B); Figure 11(D) shows the state in which the female connector is being pulled out from the male connector from the state shown in Figure 11(C); and Figure 11(E) shows the state in which the female connector has been further pulled out from the male connector from the state shown in Figure 11(D), and the shutter has moved to the lowermost position. The left column of Figure 11 shows the vertical cross-sectional views of the male terminal and the female terminal, and the right column of Figure 11 shows the vertical cross-sectional view of the driver. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of a female contact using conventional technology. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] [Configuration of electrical connectors] (Overall structure) Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the electrical connector according to the present invention consists of a male connector 10 and a female connector 20 that can be mated together. The male connector 10 comprises a male housing 1 and a pair of square bar-shaped male contacts (hereinafter referred to as male terminals) 3, 3. The female connector 20 comprises a female housing 2 and a pair of female contacts (hereinafter referred to as female terminals) 3, 3.

[0027] Referring to Figure 2 or Figure 3, the male housing 1 holds a pair of male terminals 3-3. Referring to Figure 4 or Figure 11, the female housing 2 holds a pair of female terminals 4-4 internally. Referring to Figures 2 through 4, the female housing 2 has a header 21 at its front. The male housing 1 has a connection opening 11 that can be mated with the header 21 (see Figure 2 or Figure 4).

[0028] Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 can be mated by inserting the header 21 of the female housing 2 toward the connection opening 11 of the male housing 1. Referring to Figure 11, when the male connector 10 is inserted into the female connector 20, the pair of male terminals 3-3 are positioned opposite the pair of female terminals 4-4.

[0029] Referring to Figure 3 or Figure 8, the female housing 2 has a pair of insertion openings 21h through which the male terminal 3 can be inserted. When the shutter 5, which will be described later, is not closing the insertion openings 21h, the male terminal 3 can enter the insertion openings 21h and be electrically connected to the female terminal 4 (see Figure 11(C)).

[0030] Referring to Figure 4 or Figure 6, the female connector 20 comprises a shutter 5 and a pair of W-shaped spring members 6, 6. The shutter 5 is located inside the female housing 2. The shutter 5 is movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which a pair of connectors 10, 20 are mated.

[0031] Referring to Figure 7 or Figure 8, the spring member 6 is located inside the female housing 2. The pair of spring members 6-6 are connected to both ends of the shutter 5. When the male connector 10 and the female connector 20 are not mated, the pair of spring members 6-6 bias the shutter 5 in the closing direction.

[0032] (Female terminal configuration) Next, the configuration of the female terminal 4 according to the embodiment will be described. Referring to Figure 4 or Figure 5, it consists of a box-shaped terminal connection part 41 and a wiring part 42. The terminal connection part 41 can accommodate a male terminal 3. The wiring part 42 connects the ends of the insulated wire W by crimp connection.

[0033] Referring to Figure 4 or Figure 5, the terminal connector 41 has a pair of clamping arms 41a and 41a and a lance 41r. The pair of clamping arms 41a and 41a are cantilevered inward from both sides of the terminal connector 41. When the male terminal 3 is introduced into the terminal connector 41, the pair of clamping arms 41a and 41a can clamp the male terminal 3.

[0034] Referring to Figure 5, the lance 41r is formed on the top plate of the terminal connection portion 41. The lance 41r engages with a locking portion (not shown) formed inside the female housing 2, thereby preventing the female terminal 4 from coming out of the female housing 2.

[0035] Referring to Figure 5, the connection section 42 has a conductor barrel 42c and an insulation barrel 42i. The conductor barrel 42c crimps the conductor of the insulated wire W. The insulation barrel 42i crimps the insulated wire W from the outer circumference of the insulated portion. The female terminal 4 with the insulated wire W is introduced into the cavity 21c, with the terminal connection section 41 at the front (see Figure 1).

[0036] (Shutter configuration) Next, the configuration of the shutter 5 according to the embodiment will be described. Referring to Figure 6, it is preferable that the shutter 5 be made of an insulating synthetic resin. By molding the insulating synthetic resin, a shutter 5 having a desired shape can be obtained.

[0037] Referring to Figure 6, the shutter 5 has a pair of arms 51-51 and a connecting portion 52. The pair of arms 51-51 are arranged opposite each other with a predetermined distance between them. The connecting portion 52 connects the base ends of the pair of arms 51-51.

[0038] Referring to Figure 6, the shutter 5 has a pair of shutter portions 51s, 51s with flat surfaces on the tip side. When the pair of connectors 10, 20 are unmated, these shutter portions 51s, 51s seal a pair of insertion openings 21h, 21h (see Figure 7). A spring engagement portion 511 is provided on the back side of the shutter portion 51s, into which the central part of the spring member 6 engages.

[0039] Furthermore, referring to Figure 6, the shutter 5 has a pair of cylindrical drive elements 51b and 51b. The pair of drive elements 51b and 51b extend forward of the shutter portion 51s. Also, the pair of drive elements 51b and 51b are positioned opposite each other in their axial direction. The pair of drive elements 51b and 51b are guided by a cam groove 11d formed in the partition wall 11w inside the male housing 1 (see Figure 9), allowing the shutter 5 to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which a pair of connectors 10 and 20 are fitted.

[0040] (Internal configuration of the male housing) Next, the internal structure of the male housing 1 will be described. Referring to Figure 4 or Figure 9, the male housing 1 has a pair of partition walls 11w·11w forming inside that divide the interior. When the female housing 2 is inserted into the male housing 1, a pair of drive elements 51b·51b can be introduced outside the pair of partition walls 11w·11w (see Figure 6). When the female housing 2 is inserted into the male housing 1, the central wall 21w formed in the female housing 2 can be introduced between the pair of partition walls 11w·11w (see Figure 3).

[0041] Referring to Figure 4 or Figure 9, when the female housing 2 is inserted into the male housing 1, the pair of drive elements 51b, 51b can be introduced into the cam groove 11d. The cam groove 11d has an inclined portion 111 and a flat portion 112 that guide the drive elements 51b (see Figure 9).

[0042] (Spring component configuration) Next, the configuration of the spring member 6 according to the embodiment will be described. Referring to Figure 4 or Figures 7 and 8, the spring member 6 is preferably made of an elastically deformable metal wire. When the spring member 6 is compressed in the width direction, it can return to its initial state.

[0043] When the pair of shutter sections 51s·51s (see Figure 6) rise from the state shown in Figure 7, the spring member 6 is held in an inverted V-shaped slot formed in the inner wall of the female housing 2, and is compressed in the width direction, thereby biasing the pair of shutter sections 51s·51s with a reaction force.

[0044] [Function of electrical connectors] Next, the operation and effects of the electrical connector will be explained while describing the operation of the electrical connector according to the embodiment.

[0045] Referring to Figures 9 to 11, as shown in Figure 11(A), just before inserting the female connector 20 into the male connector 10, the drive element 51b on the shutter 5 is located at the starting end of the cam groove 11d. When the female connector 20 is further inserted into the male connector 10 from the state shown in Figure 11(A), the drive element 51b is guided along the inclined portion 111 (see circled number "1" in Figure 10).

[0046] As shown in Figure 11(B), when the drive element 51b has reached the top of the inclined section 111, the shutter 5 is moving in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the female connector 20 and the male connector 10 are mated. In other words, the shutter 5 is open so that the male terminal 3 can be connected to the female terminal 4. In this case, the spring member 6 is pushed by the shutter 5 and is in the uppermost position inside the female housing 2 (see Figure 8).

[0047] From the state shown in Figure 11(B), when the female connector 20 is further inserted into the male connector 10, the driver 51b is guided along the flat portion 112 (see the circled number "2" in Figure 10). Then, the male terminal 3 can be connected to the female terminal 4. While the driver 51b is moving along the flat portion 112, it is also possible to turn the driver 51b back, returning to the state shown in Figure 11(A).

[0048] When the female connector 20 fully engages with the male connector 10 from the state shown in Figure 11(B), the shutter 5 is biased by the spring member 6, so the driven element 51b falls from the end of the flat section 112 and strikes the stop wall as shown in Figure 11(C) (see circled number "3" in Figure 10).

[0049] In the state shown in Figure 11(C), the lower edge of the shutter portion 51s (see Figure 6) is close to the male terminal 3 but does not come into contact with it. As a result, the female connector 20 can be easily pulled out from the male connector 10 without the shutter portion 51s coming into contact with the male terminal 3.

[0050] When the female connector 20 is pulled out of the male connector 10 from the state shown in Figure 11(C), the drive 51b moves from the state shown in Figure 11(D) to the state shown in Figure 11(E). In other words, the drive 51b moves from the circled number "4" in Figure 10 to the circled number "5" in Figure 10. Then, the drive 51b can return to the initial state shown in Figure 11(A). In this way, the drive 51b follows a partially irreversible trajectory.

[0051] When the female connector 20 is pulled out of the male connector 10 from the state shown in Figure 11(E), the connection between the female terminal 4 and the male terminal 3 is physically released, and the shutter 5 instantly closes the insertion opening 21h, thereby interrupting (extinguishing) the arc discharge that occurs between the female terminal 4 and the male terminal 3. As a result, the electrical connector according to this embodiment can prevent damage to the housing and deterioration of the mating terminals caused by arc discharge.

[0052] In the electrical connector according to this embodiment, when mating the female connector 20 to the male connector 10, the shutter 5 opens and the female connector 20 and male connector 10 can be mated simply by inserting the female connector 20 into the male connector 10.

[0053] The present invention discloses an embodiment in which a shutter 5 is provided on the female connector side and a cam groove that defines the operation of the shutter 5 is provided on the male connector side. However, it is also possible to provide the cam groove that defines the operation of the shutter 5 on the female connector side and a drive that is guided by the cam groove on the male connector side.

[0054] The electrical connector according to this embodiment discloses an embodiment that can be adapted to an electrical connector for wire-to-board use. Referring to Figure 3, the male connector 10 has positioning pins 11p protruding from the bottom surface of the male housing 1 for positioning on a printed circuit board (not shown).

[0055] The electrical connector according to the present invention can be applied to wire-to-wire electrical connectors and to board-to-board electrical connectors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Male Housing 2 Female Housings 3 male terminal 4 female terminal 5 shutters 6.6 Pair of spring members 10 Male Connectors 20 Female Connectors

Claims

1. An electrical connector in which a male connector having male terminals and a female connector having female terminals can be mated together, The female connector is equipped with an openable and closable shutter that blocks arc discharge that occurs between the terminals when the male terminal and the female terminal are separated. The male connector comprises a male housing that holds a pair of the male terminals, The female connector comprises a female housing that holds a pair of the female terminals, The male housing has a connection opening that can be fitted into a header provided in the female housing, The female housing has a pair of insertion openings through which the male terminal can be inserted, The aforementioned shutter is, A pair of shutters that can be used to seal the aforementioned insertion opening, The shutter has a drive that defines the displacement of the shutter, The male housing has a cam groove for guiding the driver, and is an electrical connector.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, further comprising a spring member that biases a force in the direction of closing the shutter when the male connector and the female connector are not mated.

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