Terminal connection structure

Abstract

The terminal connection structure (10) comprises a column-shaped male member (12) extending in the axial direction (D1), a female terminal (14) defining a hole (14h) into which the male member (12) is inserted, and at least one contact member (20; 120; 220) inserted between the outer surface (12a) of the male member (12) and the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14) and electrically connecting the male member (12) and the female terminal (14). The above contact member (20; 120; 220) has a first contact portion (26a) and a second contact portion (26b; 126b) that are elastically deformed in a diameter direction (D2) perpendicular to the axial direction (D1), and the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b; 126b) are formed at different positions in the axial direction (D1).

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a terminal connection structure. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-8878 describes a terminal connection structure. The terminal connection structure comprises a rod-shaped male member and a tube-shaped female terminal. A contact member is formed between the male member and the female terminal to electrically connect the two terminals. The contact member is positioned between the outer surface of the male member and the inner surface of the female terminal and is configured to be elastically deformable in the diameter direction. The problem to be solved

[0003] The above-described terminal connection structure is used, for example, in the power circuit of an electric train. In this case, a relatively large current flows through the terminal connection structure. When a large current flows through the male or female terminal, the amount of heat generated in the contact member connecting the two terminals increases. To suppress the heat generation of the contact member, it is effective to increase the contact area of ​​the contact member with respect to the male and female terminals. However, if the contact member is expanded in the axial direction to increase the contact area of ​​the contact member, the range of elastic deformation of the contact member also increases when the male terminal is inserted into the female terminal. As a result, the insertion load (i.e., insertion resistance) required to insert the male terminal into the female terminal increases. The present disclosure provides a technology that can reduce the insertion load required to insert the male terminal into the female terminal while increasing the contact area of ​​the contact member. means of solving the problem

[0004] The terminal connection structure of the present disclosure comprises a column-shaped male member extending in an axial direction, a female terminal defining a hole into which the male member is inserted, and at least one contact member sandwiched between the outer surface of the male member and the inner surface of the female terminal and electrically connecting the male member and the female terminal. The contact member has a first contact portion and a second contact portion that are elastically deformed in a diameter direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the first contact portion and the second contact portion are formed at different positions in the axial direction.

[0005] According to the terminal connection structure described above, even when the contact member is expanded in the axial direction to increase the contact area of ​​the contact member, the increase in insertion load can be suppressed. That is, as the male member is inserted into the female terminal, the first contact portion (or the second contact portion) is elastically deformed first, and then the second contact portion (or the first contact portion) is elastically deformed. As a result, the range in which elastic deformation occurs simultaneously in the contact member is relatively small, and thus the increase in insertion load is suppressed. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0006] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and like reference numerals denote like elements. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the terminal connection structure of Example 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal connection structure along line II-II of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a contact member in its natural state, taken out from between the male and female terminals. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a contact member in its natural state. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a contact member in its natural state along the VV line of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a contact member in its natural state in Example 2. FIG. 7 shows a modified example of a contact member in Example 2. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a contact member in its natural state in Example 3. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a contact member in its natural state along the line IX-IX of FIG. 8. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0007] In a first embodiment of the present technology, as previously described, the terminal connection structure may comprise a column-shaped male member extending in the axial direction, a female terminal defining a hole into which the male member is inserted, and at least one contact member sandwiched between the outer surface of the male member and the inner surface of the female terminal and electrically connecting the male member and the female terminal. The contact member may have a first contact portion and a second contact portion that are elastically deformed in a diameter direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the first contact portion and the second contact portion may be formed at different positions in the axial direction.

[0008] In a second embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the first embodiment above, the contact member may have a plurality of elastic pieces, and each of the plurality of elastic pieces may be arranged in a circumferential direction while extending in the axial direction. At least one of the plurality of elastic pieces may be a first elastic piece having the first contact portion and the second contact portion. In this case, the plurality of elastic pieces may be formed over the entire length in the circumferential direction of the outer surface, or may be formed only in a portion of the circumferential direction of the outer surface.

[0009] In a third embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the second embodiment above, each of the plurality of elastic pieces may be a first elastic piece having the first contact portion and the second contact portion. With such a configuration, the first contact portion and the second contact portion can be arranged without deviation with respect to the circumferential direction. Accordingly, contact between the male and female terminals by the contact member is stably maintained.

[0010] In a fourth embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the third embodiment above, the contact member may have an upper portion extending in the circumferential direction and a lower portion extending in the circumferential direction. In this case, the plurality of elastic pieces may extend between the upper portion and the lower portion. With such a configuration, the overall rigidity of the contact member is increased without impairing the elastic properties.

[0011] In the fifth embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the fourth embodiment above, the first contact portion may be extended from the upper portion to the middle portion of the first elastic piece. Also, the second contact portion may be extended from the lower portion to the middle portion of the first elastic piece. Such a configuration is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of ​​the contact member.

[0012] In a sixth embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the fifth embodiment above, the contact member may contact the inner surface of the female terminal at the upper portion, the lower portion, and the middle portion, and the contact member may contact the outer surface of the male terminal at the first contact portion and the second contact portion. Alternatively, the contact member may contact the outer surface of the male terminal at the upper portion, the lower portion, and the middle portion, and the contact member may contact the inner surface of the female terminal at the first contact portion and the second contact portion. With such a configuration, the contact member is stably maintained between the male terminal and the female terminal.

[0013] In the seventh embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the fifth or sixth embodiment above, the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction of the first contact portion may be equal to the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction of the second contact portion. That is, in a contact member having a shape in a natural state extracted from between the male member and the female terminal, the amount of protrusion in the diameter direction of the first contact portion with respect to the upper and middle portions may be equal to the amount of protrusion in the diameter direction of the second contact portion with respect to the lower and middle portions. According to this configuration, contact between the male member and the female terminal by the contact member is stably maintained.

[0014] In the eighth embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the fifth or sixth embodiment above, the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction of the first contact portion may be smaller than the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction of the second contact portion. That is, in a contact member having a shape in a natural state extracted between a male member and a female member, the amount of protrusion in the diameter direction of the first contact portion with respect to the upper and middle portions may be smaller than the amount of protrusion in the diameter direction of the second contact portion with respect to the lower and middle portions.

[0015] In the ninth embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the eighth embodiment above, the first contact portion may be formed at a position closer to the opening of the hole of the female terminal than the second contact portion. With such a configuration, the amount of elastic deformation of the first contact portion located on the opening side of the hole of the female terminal can be made relatively small, thereby allowing the insertion load to be reduced more effectively.

[0016] In the tenth embodiment of the present technology, in addition to any one of the second to eighth embodiments above, at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces other than the first elastic piece may be a second elastic piece having a third contact portion that is elastically deformed in the diameter direction. In this case, the third contact portion may have a larger dimension in the axial direction than either the first contact portion or the second contact portion. Such a configuration is advantageous with respect to increasing the contact area of ​​the contact member.

[0017] In the eleventh embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the tenth embodiment described above, each of the plurality of elastic pieces may have either the first contact portion and the second contact portion, or the third contact portion. In this case, the arrangement order in the circumferential direction of the elastic piece having both the first contact portion and the second contact portion (first elastic piece) and the elastic piece having the third contact portion (second elastic piece) is not particularly limited and can be freely designed.

[0018] In the 12th embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the 11th embodiment above, the first elastic member having both the first contact portion and the second contact portion, and the second elastic member having the third contact portion may be arranged alternately along the circumferential direction. With such a configuration, the first elastic member and the second elastic member can be arranged without deviation with respect to the circumferential direction. Accordingly, contact between the male member and the female member by the contact member is stably maintained. However, in other embodiments, two or more first elastic members adjacent to each other and two or more second elastic members adjacent to each other may be arranged alternately along the circumferential direction.

[0019] In the 13th embodiment of the present technology, in addition to any one of the 10th to 12th embodiments above, the contact member may have an upper portion extending in the circumferential direction and a lower portion extending in the circumferential direction. In this case, the plurality of elastic pieces may extend between the upper portion and the lower portion. With such a configuration, the overall rigidity of the contact member is increased without impairing the elastic properties.

[0020] In the 14th embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the 13th embodiment above, the first contact portion may be extended from the upper portion to the middle portion of the first elastic piece. Also, the second contact portion may be extended from the lower portion to the middle portion of the first elastic piece. Also, the third contact portion may be extended from the upper portion to the lower portion. Such a configuration is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of ​​the contact member.

[0021] In the 15th embodiment of the present technology, in addition to the 14th embodiment above, the contact member may contact the inner surface of the female terminal at the upper portion, the lower portion, and the middle portion, and the contact member may contact the outer surface of the male terminal at the first contact portion, the second contact portion, and the third contact portion. Alternatively, the contact member may contact the outer surface of the male terminal at the upper portion, the lower portion, and the middle portion, and the contact member may contact the inner surface of the female terminal at the first contact portion, the second contact portion, and the third contact portion. According to such a configuration, the contact member is stably maintained between the male terminal and the female terminal.

[0022] In the 16th embodiment of the present technology, in addition to any one of the first to 15 embodiments above, the terminal connection structure may be mounted on an electric vehicle. In this case, one of the male and female terminals may be electrically connected to an electric motor that drives the wheels of the electric vehicle. In addition, the other of the male and female terminals may be electrically connected to a power control circuit that controls the current flowing through the electric motor.

[0023] Hereinafter, representative and non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to indicate the details of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, additional features and disclosures disclosed below may be used separately from or together with other features or disclosures to provide a more improved terminal connection structure.

[0024] Furthermore, the combinations of features or processes disclosed in the following detailed description are not essential for carrying out the present disclosure in the broadest sense and are described only to explain representative embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the various features of the representative embodiments described above and below, and the various features of those described in independent and dependent claims, must not be combined in the same way as in the embodiments described herein or in the order listed in order to provide additional useful embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] All features described in this specification and / or claims are intended to be disclosed individually and independently of each other as a limitation to the original disclosure and specific claimed matters, apart from the configuration of features described in the embodiments and / or claims. Additionally, all descriptions of numerical ranges and groups or assemblies are intended to disclose intermediate configurations thereof as a limitation to the original disclosure and specific claimed matters.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the terminal connection structure (10) of Example 1 is described. The terminal connection structure (10) can be used in the power circuit of an electric vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the terminal connection structure (10) comprises a male terminal (12), a female terminal (14), and a contact member (20). As an example, the female terminal (14) is electrically connected to an electric motor that drives the wheels of the electric vehicle through the busbar (2) of the electric motor. The male terminal (12) is electrically connected to a power control circuit that controls the current flowing through the electric motor. The power control circuit has, for example, an inverter circuit and a converter circuit.

[0028] As an example, the electric motor is a motor driven by three-phase AC power, and the terminal connection structure (10) of this embodiment has at least three male terminals (12) and three female terminals (14) for the U phase, V phase, and W phase. As an example, the three male terminals (12) are formed on a common terminal block in a power control unit having a power control circuit. The three female terminals (14) are formed on a common terminal block in a motor unit having an electric motor. In addition, when charging the electric vehicle, the terminal connection structure (10) may additionally have a fourth male terminal (12) and a female terminal (14) that connect the charging power source and the neutral point in order to use the electric motor as a step-up / step-down circuit (so-called neutral point charging). In addition, some or all of the configurations related to the present invention may be applied to all of the three pairs of terminals (12, 14) or four pairs of terminals (12, 14), or to at least one of the terminal pairs (12, 14). The contact member (20) is a member interposed between the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14) to electrically connect the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14).

[0029] The member (12) is generally a cylindrical member. The member (12) is constructed using metal. The metal material constituting the member (12) is, for example, copper. In a modified example, the metal material constituting the member (12) may be aluminum. The member (12) has an outer surface (12a) and a front surface (12b) located at the tip of the member (12).

[0030] The female terminal (14) is a member having a hole (14h), into which the male terminal (12) is inserted through the opening of the hole (14h). The female terminal (14) detachably receives the male terminal (12). The female terminal (14) is constructed using metal. The metal material constituting the female terminal (14) is, for example, copper. In a variation, the material constituting the female terminal (14) may be aluminum. The female terminal (14) has an inner surface (14a) that defines the hole (14h) while facing the outer surface (12a) of the male terminal (12).

[0031] In this specification, a cylindrical coordinate system consisting of an axial direction (D1), a diameter direction (D2), and a circumferential direction (D3) is defined based on a column-shaped member (12). The axial direction (D1) is a direction parallel to the length direction of the column-shaped member (12), and its coordinate axis is defined on the central axis (C) of the member (12). The axial direction (D1) coincides with the insertion direction of the member (12) with respect to the female member (14). The diameter direction (D2) is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (D1), and is defined as a coordinate axis with the central axis (C) of the member (12) as the origin. And, the circumferential direction (D3) is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (D1) and the diameter direction (D2), and is defined as a coordinate axis that rotates around the circumference of the central axis (C) of the member (12).

[0032] The contact member (20) is interposed between the male member (12) and the female member (14) in the diameter direction (D2). The contact member (20) is positioned between the outer surface (12a) of the male member (12) and the inner surface (14a) of the female member (14).

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the contact member (20) is a plate member that is generally cylindrical in shape and extends along the circumferential direction (D3). The contact member (20) has an upper portion (22), a lower portion (24), and a plurality of elastic pieces (26). Each of the plurality of elastic pieces (26) extends in the axial direction (D1). The contact member (20) has a shape in which the plurality of elastic pieces (26) are arranged in the circumferential direction (D3). The upper portion (22) is located at the upper end of the contact member (20) and extends in the circumferential direction (D3). The lower portion (24) is located at the lower end of the contact member (20) and extends in the circumferential direction (D3). Each of the plurality of elastic pieces (26) extends between the upper portion (22) and the lower portion (24). With this configuration, the overall rigidity of the contact member (20) is increased without damaging the elastic properties.

[0034] That is, the overall rigidity of the contact member (20) is increased as both ends of each elastic piece (26) are connected in a series along the circumferential direction (D3). On the other hand, when both ends of a plurality of elastic pieces (26) are connected to an adjacent elastic piece (26) or separated from an adjacent elastic piece (26), the change in elasticity modulus in the diameter direction (D2) of the plurality of elastic pieces (26) is relatively small.

[0035] A plurality of elastic pieces (26) are formed along the approximately entire length of the outer surface (12a) of the member (12). In this specification, "approximately entire length" refers to a length of at least 70% of the total length in the circumferential direction (D3) of the outer surface (12a) of the member (12). However, the plurality of elastic pieces (26) are not limited to this and may be formed only along a portion of the circumferential direction (D3) of the outer surface (12a) of the member (12).

[0036] Each of the plurality of elastic pieces (26) has a first contact portion (26a), a second contact portion (26b), and an intermediate portion (26m) located between the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b). The first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b) are elastically deformed along the diameter direction (D2). That is, the plurality of elastic pieces (26) are connected to each other at both ends by an upper portion (22) and a lower portion (24). The first contact portion (26a) extends from the upper portion (22) to the intermediate portion (26m) of the elastic piece (26). The second contact portion (26b) extends from the lower portion (24) to the intermediate portion (26m) of the elastic piece (26). The first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b) are different in position in the axial direction (D1).

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contact member (20) is in contact with the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14) at the upper portion (22), lower portion (24), and middle portion (26m). The contact member (20) is in contact with the outer surface (12a) of the male terminal (12) at the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b). The contact member (20) has a shape in which the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b) protrude inward in the radial direction, approaching the central axis (C) in the radial direction (D2). That is, the male member (12) is pressed into the female member (14), and the contact member (20) is elastically deformed in the diameter direction (D2) between the male member (12) and the female member (14). With this configuration, the contact member (20) is stably maintained between the male member (12) and the female member (14).

[0038] However, in another embodiment, the middle portion (26m) of the contact member (20) does not need to come into contact with either the outer surface (12a) of the male member (12) or the inner surface (14a) of the female member (14). In this case, each of the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b) functions as a plate spring supported at only one end. However, in some of the plurality of elastic pieces (26), it is also conceivable that the middle portion (26m) may come into contact with the outer surface (12a) of the male member (12) or the inner surface (14a) of the female member (14), or be separated from it. In that case, it is conceivable that the elasticity in the diameter direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b) fluctuates significantly between the contacted state and the separated state.

[0039] However, the direction in which the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b) protrude in the diameter direction (D2) is not limited to the inner side in the diameter direction, but may be the outer side in the diameter direction. In this case, the contact member (20) may contact the outer surface (12a) of the male terminal (12) at the upper portion (22), lower portion (24), and middle portion (26m), and may contact the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14) at the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b). Additionally, although not specifically limited, the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14) has a concave portion (15). The lower portion (24) of the contact member (20) is positioned in the concave portion (15) of the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14). The contact member (20) in the axial direction (D1) is positioned by this concave portion (15). However, the dimension of the concave portion (15) in the axial direction (D1) is larger than the dimension of the contact member (20) in the axial direction (D1). This is because the dimension of the contact member (20) in the axial direction (D1) changes when the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b) are elastically deformed in the diameter direction (D2).

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) and the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction (D2) of the second contact portion (26b) are equal to each other. That is, in the contact member (20) which is the shape in a natural state extracted from between the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14), the amount of protrusion (X1) in the diameter direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) and the amount of protrusion (X2) in the diameter direction (D2) of the second contact portion (26b) are equal to each other. Also, the protrusion amount (X1) of the first contact portion (26a) is the protrusion amount for the upper portion (22) and the middle portion (26m), and the protrusion amount (X2) of the second contact portion (26b) is the protrusion amount for the lower portion (24) and the middle portion (26m). According to this configuration, contact between the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14) by the contact member (20) is stably maintained.

[0041] As described above, the terminal connection structure (10) of this embodiment is used in the power circuit of an electric vehicle. In this case, a relatively large current flows through the terminal connection structure (10). When a large current flows through the male terminal (12) or the female terminal (14), the amount of heat generated in the contact member (20) connecting the two terminals (12, 14) increases. In order to suppress the heat generated by the contact member (20), it is effective to increase the contact area of ​​the contact member (20) with respect to the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14). However, if the contact member (20) is expanded in the axial direction (D1) to increase the contact area of ​​the contact member (20), the range in which the contact member (20) undergoes elastic deformation increases as the male terminal (12) is inserted into the female terminal (14). As a result, the insertion load (i.e., insertion resistance) required to insert the male terminal (12) into the female terminal (14) increases.

[0042] Regarding the above, according to the terminal connection structure (10) of Example 1, even when the contact member (20) is expanded in the axial direction (D1) to increase the contact area of ​​the contact member (20), the increase in insertion load can be suppressed. That is, when the male member (12) is inserted into the female terminal (14), first the first contact portion (26a) is elastically deformed, and then the second contact portion (26b) is elastically deformed. As a result, the range in which elastic deformation occurs simultaneously in the contact member (20) is relatively small, so the increase in insertion load is suppressed.

[0043] In this embodiment, each of the plurality of elastic pieces (26) has a first contact portion (26a) and a second contact portion (26b). With this configuration, the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b) can be arranged without deviation with respect to the circumferential direction (D3). Accordingly, contact between the male member (12) and the female member (14) by the contact member (20) is stably maintained. However, not all of the plurality of elastic pieces (26) have the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b), and it is sufficient if at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces (26) has the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b). In addition, the number of contact portions (26a, 26b) formed along the axial direction (D1) of the elastic piece (26) is not limited to two, and the elastic piece (26) may have three or more contact portions.

[0044] Additionally, in the contact member (20) of the present embodiment, the first contact portion (26a) extends from the upper portion (22) to the middle portion (26m) of the elastic piece (26), and the second contact portion (26b) extends from the lower portion (24) to the middle portion (26m) of the elastic piece (26). This configuration is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of ​​the contact member (20).

[0045] Example 2

[0046] Referring to FIG. 6, the terminal connection structure of Example 2 is described. As shown in FIG. 6, the contact member (120) in Example 2 has an upper portion (22), a lower portion (24), and a plurality of elastic pieces (126) extending between the upper portion (22) and the lower portion (24). Each of the plurality of elastic pieces (126) has a first contact portion (26a), a second contact portion (126b), and an intermediate portion (26m) located between the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (126b). In each elastic piece (126), the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) is smaller than the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction (D2) of the second contact portion (126b). That is, in the contact member (120) which is a natural shape extracted from between the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14), the protrusion amount (X1) in the diameter direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) is smaller than the protrusion amount (X2) in the diameter direction (D2) of the second contact portion (126b). Additionally, the protrusion amount (X1) of the first contact portion (26a) is the protrusion amount for the upper portion (22) and the middle portion (26m), and the protrusion amount (X2) of the second contact portion (126b) is the protrusion amount for the lower portion (24) and the middle portion (26m). In this way, the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (126b) are configured such that their elastic deformation amounts are different from each other, and in this respect, the contact member (120) in Example 2 is different from the contact member (20) in Example 1.

[0047] Other configurations of the contact member (120) are configured in the same way as the terminal connection structure (10) of Example 1. In addition, in this embodiment, the first contact portion (26a) is formed closer to the opening of the hole (14h) of the female terminal (14) (i.e., the insertion opening into which the male terminal (12) is inserted) than the second contact portion (126b). With this configuration, the amount of elastic deformation of the first contact portion (26a) located on the insertion opening side of the hole (14h) of the female terminal (14) can be made relatively small, thereby allowing the insertion load to be reduced more effectively.

[0048] In Example 2, the contact member (120) has the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (126b) formed integrally as a single member. However, this is not limited to this, and the contact member (120) may be composed of a combination of multiple members. For example, in one modified example shown in FIG. 7, the contact member (120A) is composed of a combination of one member having the first contact portion (26a) and one member having the second contact portion (126b). With this configuration, even if the shapes of the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (126b) are different from each other, each member constituting the contact member (120A) only needs to have a contact portion having the same shape (i.e., the first contact portion (26a) or the second contact portion (126b)). Thus, each component constituting the contact member (120A) can be easily manufactured with high precision.

[0049] Example 3

[0050] Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the terminal connection structure of Example 3 is described. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the contact member (220) in Example 3 has a plurality of first elastic pieces (26) and a plurality of second elastic pieces (226). The plurality of first elastic pieces (26) and the plurality of second elastic pieces (226) extend between the upper portion (22) and the lower portion (24). Each of the plurality of first elastic pieces (26) has both a first contact portion (26a) and a second contact portion (26b) that are elastically deformed in the diameter direction (D2), and can be configured in the same way as the plurality of elastic pieces (26) of Example 1. Each of the plurality of second elastic pieces (226) has a third contact portion (226c). The third contact portion (226c) has a larger dimension in the axial direction (D1) than either the first contact portion (26a) or the second contact portion (26b). In this way, a plurality of second elastic pieces (226) having the third contact portion (226c) are additionally formed in the contact member (220), and in this respect, the contact member (220) in Example 3 is different from the contact member (20) of Example 1. The other configuration of the contact member (220) is configured in the same way as the terminal connection structure of Example 1.

[0051] Additionally, in the contact member (220), a first elastic piece (26) and a second elastic piece (226) are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction (D3). According to this configuration, a plurality of first elastic pieces (26) having both a first contact portion (26a) and a second contact portion (26b), and a plurality of second elastic pieces (226) having a third contact portion (226c) can be arranged without bias with respect to the circumferential direction (D3). Accordingly, contact between the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14) by the contact member (220) is stably maintained. However, the arrangement order of the first elastic piece (26) and the second elastic piece (226) in the circumferential direction (D3) is not limited to this and can be freely designed. For example, in another embodiment, in the contact member, two or more first elastic pieces (26) adjacent to each other and two or more second elastic pieces (226) adjacent to each other may be arranged alternately along the circumferential direction (D3).

[0052] With respect to the first elastic piece (26), the first contact portion (26a) extends from the upper portion (22) to the middle portion (26m) of the first elastic piece (26), and the second contact portion (26b) extends from the lower portion (24) to the middle portion (26m) of the first elastic piece (26). With respect to the second elastic piece (226), the third contact portion (226c) extends from the upper portion (22) to the lower portion (24). This configuration is advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of ​​the contact member (220).

[0053] Additionally, although not specifically limited, the length in the axial direction (D1) of the first elastic piece (26) and the length in the axial direction (D1) of the second elastic piece (226) are equal. As described above, the third contact part (226c) has a larger dimension in the axial direction (D1) than either the first contact part (26a) or the second contact part (26b). This configuration is also advantageous in terms of increasing the contact area of ​​the contact member (220).

[0054] Additionally, in this embodiment, the contact member (220) is formed from a single plate member by press processing or the like. Accordingly, the thickness of the first elastic piece (26) and the thickness of the second elastic piece (226) are equal to each other. That is, the first contact part (26a), the second contact part (26b), and the third contact part (226c) have the same thickness. In the relationship between such contact portions (26a, 26a, 226c), if the dimension in the axial direction (D1) of the third contact portion (226c) is relatively large, the amount of elastic deformation in the radial direction (D2) of the third contact portion (226c) is greater than either the amount of elastic deformation in the radial direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) or the amount of elastic deformation in the radial direction (D2) of the second contact portion (26b). That is, in the contact member (220) which is a natural shape extracted from between the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14), the protrusion amount (X3) in the diameter direction (D2) of the third contact portion (226c) is greater than either the protrusion amount (X1) in the diameter direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) or the protrusion amount (X2) in the diameter direction (D2) of the second contact portion (26b). Thus, the third contact portion (226c) can obtain a relatively large elastic property. In addition, the protrusion amount (X1) of the first contact portion (26a) is the protrusion amount of the first elastic piece (26) relative to the upper portion (22) and the middle portion (26m). The protrusion amount (X2) of the second contact portion (26b) is the protrusion amount of the first elastic piece (26) for the lower portion (24) and the middle portion (26m). The protrusion amount (X3) of the third contact portion (226c) is the protrusion amount of the second elastic piece (226) for the upper portion (22) and the lower portion (24).

[0055] When the contact member (220) is positioned between the male member (12) and the female member (14) shown in FIG. 1, it contacts the inner surface (14a) of the female member (14) at the upper portion (22), lower portion (24), and middle portion (26m). Additionally, the contact member (220) contacts the outer surface (12a) of the male member (12) at the first contact portion (26a), second contact portion (26b), and third contact portion (226c). With this configuration, the contact member (220) is stably maintained between the male member (12) and the female member (14).

[0056] As described above, the various terminal connection structures (10) disclosed in this specification may be applied to only some of the plurality of terminal pairs (12, 14). According to the terminal connection structure (10) related to the present technology, the gap between the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14) can be made relatively small. Therefore, even if the terminal connection structure (10) related to the present technology is applied to at least one of the plurality of terminal pairs (12, 14), the entirety of the plurality of male terminals (12) is positioned with high precision with respect to the entirety of the plurality of female terminals (14). Additionally, in all of the plurality of terminal pairs (12, 14), vibration of the male terminal (12) relative to the female terminal (14) is suppressed.

[0057] Additionally, in the embodiment, the male member (12) was a cylindrical member, but it is not limited to this. The male member (12) may be, for example, a polygonal prism-shaped member. The hole of the female member (14) is also not limited to the configuration of the embodiment, and the female member (14) does not need to have a hole (14h) with a circular cross-section. The shape of the hole of the female member (14) can be appropriately changed to match the shape of the male member (12).

Claims

Claim 1 A terminal connection structure (10), comprising: a column-shaped male member (12) extending in the axial direction (D1); and a female terminal (14) defining a hole (14h) into which the male member (12) is inserted. and includes at least one contact member (20; 120; 220) that is sandwiched between the outer surface (12a) of the male member (12) and the inner surface (14a) of the female member (14) and electrically connects the male member (12) and the female member (14); the contact member (20; 120; 220) has a first contact portion (26a) and a second contact portion (26b; 126b) that are elastically deformed in a diameter direction (D2) perpendicular to the axial direction (D1); the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b; 126b) are formed at different positions in the axial direction (D1); and the contact member (20; 120; 220) has a plurality of elastic pieces (26; 126; 226) having each of the plurality of elastic pieces (26; 126; 226) extends in the axial direction (D1) and is arranged in the circumferential direction (D3), and at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces (26; 126; 226) is a first elastic piece (26; 126) having the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b; 126b), and the contact member (20; 120; 220) has an upper portion (22) and a lower portion (24), the upper portion (22) extends in the circumferential direction (D3) from the upper end of the contact member (20; 120; 220), and the lower portion (24) extends in the circumferential direction from the lower end of the contact member (20; 120; 220). (D3) extending, and the plurality of elastic pieces (26; 126; 226) extend between the upper part (22) and the lower part (24) and are connected to the upper part (22) and the lower part (24), terminal connection structure (10). Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A terminal connection structure (10) wherein each of the plurality of elastic pieces (26; 126; 226) is the first elastic piece (26; 126) having the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b; 126b). Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A terminal connection structure (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first contact portion (26a) extends from the upper portion (22) to the middle portion (26m) of the first elastic piece (26; 126), and the second contact portion (26b; 126b) extends from the lower portion (24) to the middle portion (26m) of the first elastic piece (26; 126). Claim 6 In claim 5, the contact member (20; 120; 220) is in contact with the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14) at the upper portion (22), the lower portion (24), and the middle portion (26m), and is in contact with the outer surface (12a) of the male terminal (12) at the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b; 126b), in a terminal connection structure (10). Claim 7 In claim 5, the contact member (20; 120; 220) is in contact with the outer surface (12a) of the male member (12) at the upper portion (22), the lower portion (24), and the middle portion (26m), and is in contact with the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14) at the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b; 126b), a terminal connection structure (10). Claim 8 In claim 5, the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) is equivalent to the amount of elastic deformation in the diameter direction (D2) of the second contact portion (26b; 126b), in a terminal connection structure (10). Claim 9 In claim 5, the elastic deformation amount in the diameter direction (D2) of the first contact portion (26a) is smaller than the elastic deformation amount in the diameter direction (D2) of the second contact portion (26b; 126b), terminal connection structure (10). Claim 10 In claim 9, the terminal connection structure (10) is formed such that the first contact portion (26a) is formed closer to the opening of the hole (14h) of the female terminal (14) than the second contact portion (26b; 126b). Claim 11 In claim 1, among the plurality of elastic pieces (26; 126; 226), at least one other than the first elastic piece (26; 126) is a second elastic piece (226) having a third contact portion (226c) that is elastically deformed in the diameter direction (D2), and the length in the axial direction (D1) of the third contact portion (226c) is greater than the length in the axial direction (D1) of either the first contact portion (26a) and the second contact portion (26b; 126b), a terminal connection structure (10). Claim 12 In claim 11, each of the plurality of elastic pieces (26; 126; 226) is either the first elastic piece (26; 126) or the second elastic piece (226), forming a terminal connection structure (10). Claim 13 In claim 12, the terminal connection structure (10) wherein the first elastic member (26; 126) and the second elastic member (226) are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction (D3) on the contact member (20; 120; 220). Claim 14 delete Claim 15 In claim 11, the first contact portion (26a) extends from the upper portion (22) to the middle portion (26m) of the first elastic piece (26; 126), the second contact portion (26b; 126b) extends from the lower portion (24) to the middle portion (26m) of the first elastic piece (26; 126), and the third contact portion (226c) extends from the upper portion (22) to the lower portion (24), forming a terminal connection structure (10). Claim 16 In claim 15, the contact member (20; 120; 220) is in contact with the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14) at the upper portion (22), the lower portion (24), and the middle portion (26m), and is in contact with the outer surface (12a) of the male terminal (12) at the first contact portion (26a), the second contact portion (26b, 126b), and the third contact portion (226c), in a terminal connection structure (10). Claim 17 In claim 15, the contact member (20; 120; 220) is in contact with the outer surface (12a) of the male member (12) at the upper portion (22), the lower portion (24), and the middle portion (26m), and is in contact with the inner surface (14a) of the female terminal (14) at the first contact portion (26a), the second contact portion (26b; 126b), and the third contact portion (226c), in a terminal connection structure (10). Claim 18 In claim 1, the terminal connection structure (10) is mounted on an electric vehicle, and one of the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14) is electrically connected to an electric motor that drives the wheels of the electric vehicle, and the other of the male terminal (12) and the female terminal (14) is electrically connected to a power control circuit that controls the current flowing through the electric motor.

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