Connector

Abstract

A connector (1) according to an embodiment comprises: a terminal fitting (10); a housing (20); a fixing fitting (30); a conductive component (40, 50); a cover member (80); a first heat transfer member (90) that is sandwiched between the cover member (80) and a portion (31a) of the fixing fitting (30) which is exposed from the housing (20); a metallic shield member (70) that covers the housing (20); and a second heat transfer member (100) that is sandwiched between the shield member (70) and the cover member (80). The cover member (80) engages with the housing (20) such that displacement thereof relative to the housing (20) is restricted. The first heat transfer member (90) has flexibility so as to be deformable in accordance with the shape of a gap between the portion (31a) of the fixing fitting (30) and the cover member (80). The second heat transfer member (100) has flexibility so as to be deformable in accordance with the shape of a gap between the shield member (70) and the cover member (80).

Description

connector

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector including terminal fittings, a housing, fixing fittings embedded in the housing to fix the terminal fittings, conductive parts electrically connected to the terminal fittings, a metal shield member covering the housing, and a heat transfer member thermally connecting the shield member and the housing. This invention claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2024-036048 filed on March 8, 2024, and 2024-036050 filed on March 8, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Various connectors have been proposed for use with power cables for supplying power from a power source mounted on a vehicle or the like to an electrical load (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-83460

[0004] In the above-described types of connectors, terminal fittings and conductive components such as electric wires and bus bars are generally electrically connected within a housing. The connection points between the terminal fittings and conductive components are locations where Joule heat is generated during electrical conduction due to high contact resistance. However, despite the high Joule heat content, the connection points are isolated from the outside by being covered by the housing. This isolation makes it difficult to dissipate heat from the connection points to the outside. Due to this difficulty in heat dissipation, excessive increases in the connector temperature during electrical conduction can lead to deterioration of the components that make up the connector. Meanwhile, simply assembling dedicated heat dissipation components (e.g., heat dissipation fins, etc.) on the outside of the connector can hinder efforts to miniaturize the connector. Furthermore, assembling heat dissipation components on the outside of the connector is undesirable due to the limited installation space for the connector within the vehicle body.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can improve heat dissipation while avoiding an increase in size of the connector.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the connector according to the present invention has the following features.

[0007] a connector comprising: terminal fittings, a housing that accommodates the terminal fittings, fixing fittings that are embedded in the housing and fix the terminal fittings, a conductive part that is electrically connected to the terminal fittings, a cover member that covers a portion of the fixing fittings that is exposed from the housing, a first heat transfer member that thermally connects the portion of the fixing fittings and the cover member, a metallic shield member that covers the housing, and a second heat transfer member that thermally connects the shield member and the cover member, wherein the first heat transfer member is arranged to be sandwiched between the portion of the fixing fittings and the cover member, and has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of a gap between the portion of the fixing fittings and the cover member; the second heat transfer member is arranged to be sandwiched between the shield member and the cover member, and has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the shield member and the cover member, and the cover member engages with the housing and restricts displacement of the first heat transfer member.

[0008] According to the connector of the present invention, terminal fittings electrically connected to conductive components are fixed to the housing by fixtures embedded in the housing. A portion of the fixture is exposed from the housing, and a first heat transfer member is sandwiched between the portion of the fixture and the cover member. Furthermore, a second heat transfer member is sandwiched between the metal shield member covering the housing and the cover member. This sandwiching allows heat generated at the connection between the terminal fitting and the conductive component during electrical connection to be transferred in the following order: fixture, first heat transfer member, cover member, second heat transfer member, and shield member. The first heat transfer member has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the portion of the fixture and the cover member, resulting in a larger contact area with both the portion of the fixture and the cover member than would be possible without such flexibility. Furthermore, the cover member engages with the housing to restrict displacement of the first heat transfer member. Therefore, even when the connector is subjected to external forces such as vibrations during use or even after long-term use, the first heat transfer member can be maintained in contact with the cover member and the portion of the fixture. Similarly, the second heat transfer member has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the shield member and the cover member, resulting in a larger contact area with both the shield member and the cover member than if it did not have such flexibility. Therefore, as described above, the second heat transfer member can maintain contact with the shield member and the cover member. Additionally, in addition to its primary function of blocking electromagnetic noise, a metal shield member has a large heat capacity, excellent heat transfer, and excellent heat dissipation due to its contact with the outside air. As a result, the connector of this configuration can improve heat dissipation while avoiding an increase in the size of the connector.

[0009] The first heat transfer member may be in direct contact with a portion of the fixing member and the cover member, or indirect contact with the fixing member and the cover member via an adhesive, pressure-sensitive adhesive, or the like. In the latter case, the adhesive, pressure-sensitive adhesive, or the like preferably has excellent heat conductivity. Furthermore, the heat transfer member may be indirect contact with the shield member and a portion of the housing via another material, other than an adhesive or pressure-sensitive adhesive, that has excellent heat conductivity. The same applies to the second heat transfer member.

[0010] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the detailed description of the invention below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the connector shown in FIG. 2 with some components separated. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of portion V of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the connector according to a second embodiment with some components separated. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector according to the second embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of portion VIII of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector according to a third embodiment, corresponding to the upper portion of FIG. 7. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector according to a fourth embodiment, corresponding to the upper portion of FIG. 7. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector according to a fifth embodiment, corresponding to the upper portion of FIG. 7. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector according to a sixth embodiment, corresponding to the upper portion of FIG. 7.

[0012] 1 and 2, a connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The connector 1 shown in Fig. 1 and 2 functions as a relay connector that electrically connects a pair of electric wires 40 extending from an electric wire accommodating portion 22 of a housing 20 (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) to a mating connector (not shown) that is mated with a connector portion 23 of the housing 20.

[0013] For ease of explanation, the following definitions are used for the "front-rear direction," "up-down direction," "left-right direction," "front," "rear," "up," "down," "left," and "right" as shown in Figure 1 and elsewhere. The "front-rear direction," "up-down direction," and "left-right direction" are perpendicular to one another. The front-rear direction coincides with the mating direction of the connector portion 23 and the mating connector. The up-down direction coincides with the direction in which the pair of electric wires 40 extend from the electric wire accommodating portion 22.

[0014] 1 to 4, the connector 1 mainly includes a terminal fitting 10, a housing 20, a fixing fitting 30, an electric wire 40, a bus bar 50, a holder 60, a shield member 70, a cover member 80, a first heat transfer member 90, and a second heat transfer member 100. The configuration of each member constituting the connector 1 will be described below in order.

[0015] First, the terminal fitting 10 will be described. As shown in Figure 4, the metal terminal fitting 10 has a rod-like shape extending in the front-rear direction as a whole. The terminal fitting 10 integrally includes a front end portion 11 extending in the front-rear direction, a rear end portion 12 extending in the front-rear direction and continuing from the rear side of the front end portion 11, and a flange portion 13 extending in the radial direction of the terminal fitting 10 at the boundary between the front end portion 11 and the rear end portion 12. The front end portion 11 is a portion that connects to a terminal fitting on the mating connector side when the connector 1 is mated with the mating connector. The rear end portion 12 is a portion that is fixed to the housing 20 via a fixing bracket 30.

[0016] Next, the housing 20 will be described. The housing 20 is a resin molded product. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the housing 20 integrally includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body 21, a wire accommodating portion 22 extending downward from the bottom end of the main body 21, and a connector portion 23 protruding forward from the front end of the main body 21. As such, the housing 20 has a substantially L-shape when viewed from the left and right.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the wire accommodating portion 22 is a cylindrical portion extending in the vertical direction and having a slot-like shape that is elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from below. A pair of wire accommodating holes (not shown) are provided inside the wire accommodating portion 22, extending in the vertical direction and aligned in the left-right direction. Each wire accommodating hole has a circular cross-sectional shape. The lower end of each wire accommodating hole is open. The upper end of each wire accommodating hole is partially blocked by the main body 21. The upper end of each wire accommodating hole communicates with the internal space of a terminal metal fitting accommodating cylindrical portion 25 (described later) of the connector portion 23 via a communication hole 27 (see FIG. 4 ) extending in the vertical direction. Each wire accommodating hole accommodates an electric wire 40 to which a bus bar 50 is connected. The bus bar 50 is inserted through the communication hole 27 (see FIG. 4 ). A plurality of (four) locking portions (locking protrusions) 24 are provided on the outer peripheral surface near the lower end of the wire accommodating portion 22, aligned at intervals in the circumferential direction of the wire accommodating portion 22. A locked portion (locking frame portion) 63 of the holder 60, which will be described later, is locked to the locking portions 24 of the wire accommodating portion 22.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , the connector portion 23 has an outer tube portion 26 that has a slot-like shape that is elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front and extends in the front-rear direction. A pair of cylindrical terminal fitting accommodating tube portions 25 are provided inside the outer tube portion 26, extending in the front-rear direction and aligned in the left-right direction. The front ends of each terminal fitting accommodating tube portion 25 are open. The rear ends of each terminal fitting accommodating tube portion 25 are partially closed by the main body portion 21. The terminal fitting accommodating tube portions 25 accommodate the tip ends 11 of the terminal fittings 10. A rubber gasket (not shown) is provided on the outer periphery of the rear end of the outer tube portion 26. This gasket serves to seal the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the connector portion of the mating connector that is inserted onto the outer tube portion 26 and the outer circumferential surface of the outer tube portion 26 when the connector 1 is mated with the mating connector.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , fixing metal fittings 30 are embedded (integrated) by insert molding in the main body 21 at locations that close the rear ends of the pair of terminal fitting accommodating cylindrical portions 25. The fixing metal fittings 30 are components that function to secure the terminal fittings 10 to the housing 20. The fixing metal fittings 30 are made of metal. As shown in FIG. 5 , the fixing metal fittings 30 are composed of a cylindrical main body 31 that extends in the front-rear direction, is closed at its rear end by a bottom wall portion 31a, and is open at its front end, and a flange portion 32 that extends radially from the edge of the opening at the front end of the main body 31. Most of the main body 31 is embedded in the main body 21. The front end opening and flange portion 32 of the main body 31 are exposed to the internal space of the terminal fitting accommodating cylindrical portion 25 at the rear end of the main body 21. The bottom wall 31a of the cylindrical main body 31 (more specifically, the rear end portion of the bottom wall 31a) is exposed so as to slightly protrude rearward from the rear end surface of the main body 21. The rear end 12 of the terminal fitting 10 is inserted (press-fitted) into the cylindrical main body 31. Alternatively, the rear end 12 of the terminal fitting 10 and the cylindrical main body 31 may be fastened to each other like a bolt and a nut. In the case of the above-described fastening structure, the rear end 12 of the terminal fitting 10 is fastened to the cylindrical main body 31. The upper end of the rear end of the main body 21, including the pair of left and right bottom wall portions 31a exposed from the rear end surface of the main body 21, will be referred to as the "rear upper end 21a" hereinafter. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 (particularly FIG. 3), the rear upper end 21a has a columnar shape that extends in the front-rear direction and protrudes rearward, and has a slot-like shape that is elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the rear. In this manner, the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing metal fittings 30 are exposed so as to protrude slightly rearward from the rear end surface of the rear upper end portion 21 a of the housing 20 .

[0020] 1 to 3, a pair of flanges 28 protruding in the left-right direction are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the wire accommodating portion 22 near the boundary with the main body portion 21. Each flange 28 is provided with a bolt insertion hole 28a penetrating in the front-rear direction (see FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0021] Next, the electric wires 40 and the bus bars 50 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, each electric wire 40 is composed of a metal conductor core 41 and an insulating coating 42 that covers the conductor core 41. The lower end of a metal bus bar 50 is attached to one end of the electric wire 40 so as to be electrically connected to the conductor core 41. The bus bar 50 has a flat plate shape that extends in the vertical direction. An insertion hole 51 is formed in the upper end of the bus bar 50, through which the rear end 12 of the terminal fitting 10 is inserted.

[0022] Next, the holder 60 will be described. The holder 60 is a resin molded product. As shown in FIG. 4 , the holder 60 includes a main body 61 having a pair of wire insertion holes 62 extending in the vertical direction and aligned in the horizontal direction. The outer peripheral shape of the main body 61 corresponds to the inner peripheral shape of the wire accommodating portion 22, and has an elongated hole shape that is long in the horizontal direction when viewed from below. At the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the main body 61, multiple (four) cantilevered locked portions (locking frame portions) 63 are provided so as to be aligned at intervals in the circumferential direction of the wire accommodating portion 22, corresponding to the multiple locking portions 24 of the wire accommodating portion 22. The main body 61 of the holder 60 is inserted into the open end of the wire accommodating portion 22 with the wires 40 inserted into the wire insertion holes 62, respectively. By being inserted in this manner, the holder 60 functions to hold the pair of electric wires 40 extending from the electric wire housing portion 22 at the open end of the electric wire housing portion 22 .

[0023] Next, the shield member 70 will be described. The shield member 70 is formed by pressing, bending, and the like, a metal plate. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the shield member 70 includes a main body 71. The main body 71 has a shape that allows it to be attached to the housing 20 so as to cover the main body 21, the upper portion of the wire accommodating portion 22, and the connector portion 23 of the housing 20. Bolt holes (not shown) are provided on the front end surfaces of both left and right ends of the lower end of the main body 71, corresponding to the bolt insertion holes 28a of the pair of left and right flange portions 28 of the housing 20. A pair of left and right flange portions 72 are integrally formed on both left and right ends of the upper region of the main body 71. Each flange portion 72 has a bolt insertion hole 72a that penetrates in the front-rear direction (see FIGS. 1 to 3 ). The shield member 70 is attached to the housing 20 so that the main body 71 covers the main body 21, the upper portion of the wire accommodating portion 22, and the outer surface of the connector portion 23 of the housing 20. By being attached in this manner, the shielding member 70 mainly performs a shielding function to prevent electromagnetic noise from leaking from the inside.

[0024] Next, the cover member 80 will be described. The cover member 80 is a resin molded product. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , the cover member 80 is composed of a flat plate portion 81 having a flat plate-like shape extending in the up-down and left-right directions and having a laterally elongated hole-like shape corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the rear upper end 21a of the housing 20 when viewed from the rear, and a cylindrical portion 82 extending forward from the outer peripheral edge of the flat plate portion 81. As shown in FIG. 5 , a first recess 83 is provided in the front end surface of the flat plate portion 81 (the surface facing the first heat transfer member 90) into which at least a portion of the first heat transfer member 90 can fit. A second recess 84 is provided in the rear end surface of the flat plate portion 81 (the surface facing the second heat transfer member 100) into which at least a portion of the second heat transfer member 100 can fit. In this example, the first recess 83 is formed in the entire area of ​​the front end surface of the flat plate portion 81 except for the outer peripheral edge. The second recess 84 is formed over the entire rear end surface of the flat plate portion 81 except for the outer peripheral edge portion (see also FIG. 3 ). The resin material constituting the cover member 80 has better thermal conductivity than the resin material constituting the housing 20. The cover member 80 is attached to the housing 20 so that the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the cover member 80 and the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the rear end surface of the upper rear end portion 21 a of the housing 20. Attached in this manner, the cover member 80 fulfills functions such as holding the first heat transfer member 90.

[0025] Next, the first heat transfer member 90 will be described. When the housing 20 is fully assembled, the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the rear end surface of the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20 and the front end surface, including the first recess 83, of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). In this example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the first heat transfer member 90 has a thin sheet-like shape that is rectangular and elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front-rear direction. The first heat transfer member 90 is made of a material that has higher thermal conductivity than the resin material constituting the housing 20. The first heat transfer member 90 is made of a flexible material that can deform to fit the shape of the gap between the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20 and the front end surface, including the first recess 83, of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80.

[0026] Next, the second heat transfer member 100 will be described. When the housing 20 is fully assembled, the second heat transfer member 100 is sandwiched between the rear end surface, including the second recess 84, of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80 and the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). In this example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the second heat transfer member 100 has a thin sheet-like shape that is rectangular and elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front-rear direction. The second heat transfer member 100 is made of a material that has higher thermal conductivity than the resin material that constitutes the housing 20. The second heat transfer member 100 is made of a flexible material that can deform to fit the shape of the gap between the rear end surface, including the second recess 84, of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80 and the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70.

[0027] The first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 100 may be made of, for example, a thermally conductive resin material, a mixed material in which a heat transfer body is mixed with a base resin, or a mesh material made of a wire rod with thermal conductivity. The first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 100 may be made by processing the above materials into a plate or tape shape. Furthermore, if the above materials are sufficiently flexible in the environment in which the first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 100 will be used, the above materials may be applied in a paste form to the housing 20, the shield member 70, and the cover member 80.

[0028] The configuration of each member that constitutes the connector 1 has been described above.

[0029] Next, a procedure for assembling the connector 1 will be described. First, the pair of electric wires 40 are accommodated in the electric wire accommodating portion 22. To prepare for this, first, one ends of the pair of electric wires 40 are inserted through the pair of electric wire insertion holes 62 of the holder 60. Next, the lower ends of the bus bars 50 are connected to the one ends of the pair of electric wires 40 so as to be electrically connected to the conductor core wires 41.

[0030] Next, a pair of bus bars 50 connected to one ends of the pair of electric wires 40 are inserted from the open end of the electric wire accommodating portion 22 of the housing 20. The upper end of each bus bar 50 is inserted through the communication hole 27 of the housing 20 and positioned so as to overlap the front side of the flange portion 32 of the fixing bracket 30 exposed in the internal space of the terminal metal fitting accommodating cylindrical portion 25 of the connector portion 23. The upper end of each bus bar 50 is positioned so that the insertion hole 51 of the bus bar 50 is positioned above the front end opening of the fixing bracket 30 (see FIG. 4 ).

[0031] Next, the pair of terminal fittings 10 are inserted from the open ends of the pair of terminal fitting accommodating cylindrical portions 25 of the connector portion 23 of the housing 20. The rear end portion 12 of each terminal fitting 10 is inserted through the insertion hole 51 of the bus bar 50 and inserted (press-fitted or fastened) into the cylindrical main body portion 31 of the fixing bracket 30. When the insertion (press-fitted or fastened) of the terminal fittings 10 is complete, the upper end portion of the bus bar 50 is sandwiched between the flange portion 13 of the terminal fitting 10 and the flange portion 32 of the fixing bracket 30. This sandwiching secures the terminal fittings 10 and bus bar 50 to the housing 20. This fixation secures the tip end portion 11 of the terminal fitting 10 to the internal space of the terminal fitting accommodating cylindrical portion 25, and the pair of electric wires 40 connected to the pair of bus bars 50 extend from the open ends of the electric wire accommodating portion 22. Thereafter, the holder 60, through which the pair of electric wires 40 are inserted, is moved upward relative to the pair of electric wires 40, and the holder 60 is attached to the open end of the electric wire accommodating portion 22 so that the main body 61 of the holder 60 is inserted into the open end of the electric wire accommodating portion 22. When the holder 60 is fully attached, the multiple locked portions 63 of the holder 60 are locked with the multiple locking portions 24 of the electric wire accommodating portion 22 (see FIG. 4 , etc.). This locking prevents the holder 60 from falling out of the electric wire accommodating portion 22, and the pair of electric wires 40 extending from the electric wire accommodating portion 22 are held at the open end of the electric wire accommodating portion 22. This completes the operation of accommodating the pair of electric wires 40 in the electric wire accommodating portion 22.

[0032] Next, the cover member 80 is attached to the housing 20. To do this, the sheet-like first heat transfer member 90 is attached to the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the rear end surface of the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20, or to the front end surface including the first recesses 83 of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80. In this attached state, the cover member 80 is attached to the housing 20 so that the flat plate portion 81 covers the rear end surface of the upper rear end 21 a and the tubular portion 82 covers the outer periphery of the upper rear end 21 a (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). When the cover member 80 is completely attached to the housing 20, the first heat transfer member 90 is pressed and sandwiched between the pair of left and right bottom wall portions 31 a exposed from the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20 and the front end surface including the first recesses 83 of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80, as shown in FIG. 5 . Due to the flexibility of the first heat transfer member 90, the first heat transfer member 90 flexibly deforms to fit the shape of the gap between the pair of left and right bottom wall portions 31a exposed from the upper rear end portion 21a and the front end surface, including the first recess 83, of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80. At least a portion of the first heat transfer member 90 fits into the first recess 83. By fitting in this way, the first heat transfer member 90 makes contact with both the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 80 over a larger contact area than if the first heat transfer member 90 were not flexible. Furthermore, the cover member 80 is attached to the housing 20 so that the cylindrical portion 82 of the cover member 80 covers the outer periphery of the upper rear end portion 21a of the housing 20. By being attached in this manner, the cover member 80 engages with the housing 20 and is restricted from displacement in the up-down and left-right directions (directions intersecting the direction in which the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 80).

[0033] Next, the shield member 70 is attached to the housing 20. For this attachment, the sheet-like second heat transfer member 100 is attached to the rear end surface, including the second recess 84, of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80, or to a portion of the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70 that faces the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80. In this attached state, the shield member 70 is attached to the housing 20 so as to cover the main body portion 21, the upper portion of the wire accommodating portion 22, and the connector portion 23 of the housing 20. When the attachment of the shield member 70 to the housing 20 is complete, the second heat transfer member 100 is pressed and sandwiched between the rear end surface, including the second recess 84, of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80 and the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70, as shown in FIG. 5 . Due to the flexibility of the second heat transfer member 100, the second heat transfer member 100 flexibly deforms to fit the shape of the gap between the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70 and the rear end surface, including the second recess 84, of the flat plate portion 81 of the cover member 80. At least a portion of the second heat transfer member 100 fits into the second recess 84. By fitting in this way, the second heat transfer member 100 comes into contact with both the shield member 70 and the cover member 80 over a larger contact area than if the second heat transfer member 100 were not flexible. This completes the assembly of the connector 1, and the connector 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is obtained.

[0034] In the connector 1, the connection points between the bus bars 50 and the terminal fittings 10 connected to a pair of electric wires 40 are locations where Joule heat is generated in the terminal fittings when current is applied due to high contact resistance. However, despite the high Joule heat content, these connection points are located within the housing 20 for reasons such as insulation from the outside. Due to this location, it is very difficult to dissipate heat from the connection points between the bus bars 50 and the terminal fittings 10 to the outside. Furthermore, for example, when a large current passes through the connector 1 in a mating state, the amount of heat generated also increases. In this regard, in the connector 1, the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing fitting 30 is exposed from the upper rear end portion 21a of the housing 20, and a first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing fitting 30 and the cover member 80. Furthermore, a second heat transfer member 100 is sandwiched between the metal shield member 70 covering the housing 20 and the cover member 80. By sandwiching the busbars 50 and terminal fittings 10 in this manner, heat generated at the connection points between the busbars 50 and terminal fittings 10 during current flow is transferred in the following order: fixing fitting 30, first heat transfer member 90, cover member 80, second heat transfer member 100, and shield member 70. Because the first heat transfer member 90 is flexible as described above, it comes into contact with both the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing fitting 30 exposed from the upper rear end portion 21a of the housing 20 and the cover member 80 over a larger contact area than if it were not flexible. Similarly, because the second heat transfer member 100 is flexible as described above, it comes into contact with both the shield member 70 and the cover member 80 over a larger contact area than if it were not flexible. This contact allows the connector 1 to improve heat dissipation.

[0035] When the connector 1 is fully assembled, the bolt holes in the shield member 70 overlap the rear sides of the bolt insertion holes 28a in the flange portion 28 of the housing 20, and the bolt insertion holes 28a in the flange portion 28 and the bolt holes in the shield member 70 are aligned in the front-to-rear direction (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The housing 20 and the shield member 70 are fastened together by threading bolts inserted into the pair of left and right bolt insertion holes 28a into the bolt holes in the shield member 70. The pair of left and right flange portions 72 (bolt insertion holes 72a) provided on the shield member 70 of the connector 1 are used to fasten the connector 1 and the mating connector together when the connector 1 and the mating connector are mated.

[0036] <Operations and Effects> As described above, according to the connector 1 of this embodiment, the terminal fitting 10 connected to the bus bar 50 is fixed to the housing 20 by the fixing bracket 30. The bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 is exposed from the housing 20, and the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 80. Furthermore, the second heat transfer member 100 is sandwiched between the metal shield member 70 that covers the housing 20 and the cover member 80. By sandwiching the second heat transfer member 100 in this manner, heat generated at the connection between the terminal fitting 10 and the bus bar 50 during current flow is transferred in the following order: fixing bracket 30, first heat transfer member 90, cover member 80, second heat transfer member 100, and shield member 70. The first heat transfer member 90 has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 80. Therefore, compared to a case where the first heat transfer member 90 does not have such flexibility, it comes into contact with both the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 80 over a larger contact area. Furthermore, at least a portion of the first heat transfer member 90 fits into the first recess 83 of the cover member 80, and the cover member 80 engages with the housing 20, restricting displacement of the first heat transfer member 90 in directions (up / down and left / right) intersecting the direction in which the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the cover member 80 and the bottom wall 31a of the fastener 30. Therefore, even when external forces such as vibrations are applied during use of the connector 1 or even after the connector 1 has been used for an extended period of time, the first heat transfer member 90 can remain in contact with the cover member 80 and the bottom wall 31a of the fastener 30. Similarly, the second heat transfer member 100 has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the shield member 70 and the cover member 80. Therefore, compared to a case in which the second heat transfer member 100 does not have such flexibility, the second heat transfer member 100 comes into contact with both the shield member 70 and the cover member 80 over a larger contact area. Furthermore, at least a portion of the second heat transfer member 100 fits into the second recess 84 of the cover member 80. Therefore, as described above, the second heat transfer member 100 can be maintained in contact with the shield member 70 and the cover member 80. In addition, the metal shield member 70 not only has its original function of blocking electromagnetic noise, but also has a large heat capacity, excellent heat transfer, and excellent heat dissipation because it is in contact with the outside air. As a result, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can improve heat dissipation while avoiding an increase in size of the connector 1.

[0037] Furthermore, the cover member 80 has better heat transfer properties than the housing 20, which provides the following effect: Heat generated at the connection point between the terminal fitting 10 and the bus bar 50 is efficiently transferred to the second heat transfer member 100 via the first heat transfer member 90 and the cover member 80.

[0038] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment, detailed description of the same components as those in the above-described embodiment will be omitted.

[0039] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the connector 1 of the second embodiment mainly includes a terminal fitting 10, a housing 20, a fixing fitting 30, an electric wire 40, a bus bar 50, a holder 60, a shield member 70, a cover member 280, a first heat transfer member 90, and a second heat transfer member 100.

[0040] The cover member 280 is a resin molded product. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , the cover member 280 is composed of a flat plate portion 281 having a flat plate-like shape extending in the up-down and left-right directions and having a laterally elongated slot-like shape corresponding to the outer periphery of the rear upper end 21 a of the housing 20 when viewed from the rear, and a cylindrical portion 282 rising forward in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the flat plate portion 281. The resin material constituting the cover member 280 has superior thermal conductivity to the resin material constituting the housing 20. The cover member 280 is attached to the housing 20 such that the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the rear end surface of the rear upper end 21 a of the housing 20. Attached in this manner, the cover member 280 performs functions such as holding the first heat transfer member 90.

[0041] When the housing 20 is fully assembled, the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the rear end surface of the upper rear end portion 21 a of the housing 20 and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280 (see FIGS. 7 and 8 ). The first heat transfer member 90 is made of a flexible material that can deform to fit the shape of the gap between the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the upper rear end portion 21 a of the housing 20 and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280.

[0042] When the housing 20 is in an assembled state, the second heat transfer member 100 is sandwiched between the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280 and the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The second heat transfer member 100 is made of a flexible material that can deform to fit the shape of the gap between the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280 and the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70.

[0043] Next, the procedure for assembling the connector 1 according to the second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. First, the pair of wires 40 are accommodated in the wire accommodating portion 22.

[0044] Next, a pair of bus bars 50 connected to one ends of the pair of electric wires 40 are inserted from the open end of the wire accommodating portion 22 of the housing 20. Next, a pair of terminal fittings 10 are inserted from the open end of the pair of terminal fitting accommodating cylindrical portions 25 of the connector portion 23 of the housing 20. When the insertion (press-fitting or fastening) of the terminal fittings 10 is complete, the terminal fittings 10 and the bus bars 50 are fixed to the housing 20. Thereafter, the main body portion 61 of the holder 60 is attached to the open end of the wire accommodating portion 22 so as to be inserted into the open end of the wire accommodating portion 22. This completes the process of accommodating the pair of electric wires 40 in the wire accommodating portion 22.

[0045] Next, the cover member 280 is attached to the housing 20. To do this, the sheet-like first heat transfer member 90 is attached to the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the rear end surface of the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20, or to portions of the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280 facing the pair of left and right bottom wall portions 31 a. With the cover member 280 attached in this manner, the flat plate portion 281 covers the rear end surface of the upper rear end 21 a, and the cylindrical portion 282 covers the outer periphery of the upper rear end 21 a (see FIGS. 7 and 8 ). When the cover member 280 is completely attached to the housing 20, the first heat transfer member 90 is pressed and sandwiched between the pair of left and right bottom wall portions 31 a exposed from the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20 and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280, as shown in FIG. 8 . Due to the flexibility of the first heat transfer member 90, the first heat transfer member 90 flexibly deforms to fit the shape of the gap between the pair of left and right bottom wall portions 31a exposed from the upper rear end portion 21a and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280. Due to this deformation, the first heat transfer member 90 comes into contact with both the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 280 over a larger contact area than if the first heat transfer member 90 were not flexible. Furthermore, the cover member 280 is attached to the housing 20 so that the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280 covers the outer periphery of the upper rear end portion 21a of the housing 20. By being attached in this manner, the cover member 280 engages with the housing 20 and is restricted from displacement in the up-down direction and the left-right direction (directions intersecting the direction in which the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portions 31a of the fixing bracket 30).

[0046] Next, the shield member 70 is attached to the housing 20. To do this, the sheet-like second heat transfer member 100 is attached to the rear end surface of the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280 or to a portion of the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70 that faces the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280. In this attached state, the shield member 70 is attached to the housing 20 so as to cover the main body portion 21, the upper portion of the wire accommodating portion 22, and the connector portion 23 of the housing 20. When the shield member 70 is completely attached to the housing 20, the second heat transfer member 100 is pressed and sandwiched between the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280 and the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70, as shown in FIG. 8 . Due to the flexibility of the second heat transfer member 100, the second heat transfer member 100 flexibly deforms to fit the shape of the gap between the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70 and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280. Due to this deformation, the second heat transfer member 100 is in contact with both the shield member 70 and the cover member 280 over a larger contact area than when the second heat transfer member 100 does not have flexibility. In other words, the second heat transfer member 100 thermally connects the shield member 70 and the cover member 280. This completes the assembly of the connector 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0047] As described above, according to the connector 1 of the second embodiment, the terminal fitting 10 connected to the bus bar 50 is fixed to the housing 20 by the fixing bracket 30. The bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 is exposed from the housing 20, and the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portion 31a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 280. Furthermore, the second heat transfer member 100 is sandwiched between the metal shield member 70 that covers the housing 20 and the cover member 280. By sandwiching the second heat transfer member 100 in this manner, heat generated at the connection point between the terminal fitting 10 and the bus bar 50 during current flow is transferred in the following order: fixing bracket 30, first heat transfer member 90, cover member 280, second heat transfer member 100, and shield member 70. The first heat transfer member 90 has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the bottom wall 31 a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 280, and therefore has a larger contact area with both the bottom wall 31 a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 280 than if it did not have such flexibility. Furthermore, the cover member 280 engages with the housing 20, restricting displacement in directions (up / down and left / right) that intersect the direction in which the first heat transfer member 90 is sandwiched between the bottom wall 31 a of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 280. Therefore, even if an external force such as vibration is applied when the connector is used, or even if the connector is used for an extended period of time, the first heat transfer member 90 can be maintained in contact with the cover member 280 and the bottom wall 31 a of the fixing bracket 30. Similarly, the second heat transfer member 100 has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the shield member 70 and the cover member 280, and therefore has a larger contact area with both the shield member 70 and the cover member 280 than if it did not have such flexibility. Therefore, as described above, the second heat transfer member 100 can be maintained in contact with the shield member 70 and the cover member 280. In addition, the metal shield member 70 has a large heat capacity and excellent heat transfer properties, in addition to its original function of blocking electromagnetic noise, and is also excellent in heat dissipation because it is in contact with the outside air. As a result, the connector 1 according to the second embodiment can improve heat dissipation properties while avoiding an increase in the size of the connector 1.

[0048] Furthermore, the cover member 280 has better heat transfer properties than the housing 20, which provides the following effect: Heat generated at the connection point between the terminal fitting 10 and the bus bar 50 is efficiently transferred to the second heat transfer member 100 via the first heat transfer member 90 and the cover member 280.

[0049] <Third Embodiment> A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the third embodiment, detailed description of the same components as those in the above-described embodiments will be omitted.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 9, the fixing bracket 30 has a cylindrical main body 31 that is open at its front end (one end) and closed at its rear end (the other end) by a bottom wall 31a. A portion of the outer circumferential surface of the main body 31 and the bottom wall 31a are exposed from the housing 20. An opening 321b is formed in the upper rear end 21a of the housing 20, exposing the upper portion of the outer circumferential surface of the main body 31 in the fixing bracket 30. The upper portion of the outer circumferential surface of the main body 31 and the bottom wall 31a are exposed from the housing 20 through the opening 321b. Note that the opening 321b may be formed to expose the lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of the main body 31 in the fixing bracket 30, or may be formed to expose the upper portion or side of the outer circumferential portion of the main body 31.

[0051] For example, at the fixing member 30, one-quarter or more of the circumferential circumference of the tubular main body 31 may be exposed, or one-half or more of the circumferential circumference of the tubular main body 31 may be exposed. For example, when viewed in the radial direction of the tubular main body 31, the tubular main body 31 may be exposed up to a position forward of the front end of the bottom wall 31a (a position overlapping with the space when viewed in the radial direction). For example, when viewed in the radial direction of the tubular main body 31, the tubular main body 31 may be exposed up to a position overlapping with at least a portion of the terminal fitting 10.

[0052] The first heat transfer member 390 thermally connects the cover member 280 to a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 31 exposed from the housing 20 and the bottom wall 31a. The first heat transfer member 390 is made of a material with higher thermal conductivity than the resin material constituting the housing 20. The first heat transfer member 390 is made of a flexible material. The first heat transfer member 390 may be made of the same material as the first heat transfer member 90 described above. The first heat transfer member 390 includes a sheet-shaped main body 391 and a protrusion 392 protruding forward from the upper end of the main body 391. The main body 391 and the protrusion 392 constituting the first heat transfer member 390 are integrally formed from the same material. The thickness (front-rear direction) of the main body 391 is thinner than the thickness (up-down direction) of the protrusion 392. The main body 391 and the protrusion 392 may be integrally formed from different materials. The thickness (thickness in the front-rear direction) of the main body 391 may be greater than the thickness (thickness in the up-down direction) of the protrusion 392 .

[0053] For example, the first heat transfer member 390 may be formed in an arc shape that follows the outer periphery of the cylindrical main body 31 exposed from the housing 20. For example, the first heat transfer member 390 may contact the outer periphery of the cylindrical main body 31 in the fixing bracket 30 over at least one-quarter of the circumference, or over at least one-half of the circumference. For example, a portion of the first heat transfer member 390 may contact the outer periphery of the cylindrical main body 31 at a position forward of the front end of the bottom wall 31a (a position overlapping with the space when viewed in the radial direction) when viewed in the radial direction of the cylindrical main body 31. For example, a portion of the first heat transfer member 390 may contact the outer periphery of the cylindrical main body 31 at a position overlapping with at least a portion of the terminal fitting 10 when viewed in the radial direction of the cylindrical main body 31.

[0054] The cover member 280 is attached to the housing 20 so that the main body 391 of the first heat transfer member 390 is sandwiched between the cover member 280 and the bottom wall portions 31a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the rear end surface of the rear upper end portion 21a of the housing 20, and so that the protrusion 392 of the first heat transfer member 390 is sandwiched between the cover member 280 and the upper portion of the cylindrical main body 31. By being attached in this manner, the cover member 280 fulfills functions such as holding the first heat transfer member 390.

[0055] When the housing 20 is fully assembled, the main body 391 of the first heat transfer member 390 is sandwiched between the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the rear end surface of the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20 and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280. When the housing 20 is fully assembled, the protrusion 392 of the first heat transfer member 390 is sandwiched between the upper portions of the cylindrical main body portions 31 of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the openings 321 b of the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20 and the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280. The first heat transfer member 390 is made of a flexible material that can deform to fit the shape of the gap between the bottom wall portions 31 a of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the upper rear end 21 a of the housing 20 and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280, and the shape of the gap between the upper portions of the cylindrical main body portions 31 exposed from the openings 321 b and the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280.

[0056] Note that the protrusions 392 of the first heat transfer member 390 are not limited to being sandwiched between the tubular portion 282 of the cover member 280 and the upper portions of the tubular main bodies 31 of the pair of left and right fixing brackets 30 exposed from the openings 321b of the upper rear end 21a of the housing 20 when the housing 20 is in the assembled state. For example, the protrusions 392 of the first heat transfer member 390 may be provided for each fixing bracket 30 exposed from the openings 321b of the upper rear end 21a of the housing 20 when the housing 20 is in the assembled state.

[0057] As described above, according to the connector 1 of the third embodiment, a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 31 and the bottom wall 31a are exposed from the housing 20, and the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body 31 exposed from the housing 20 and the bottom wall 31a are connected to the cover member 280 by the first heat transfer member 390. With this connection, the first heat transfer member 390 comes into contact with both the portion of the fixing bracket 30 and the cover member 280 over a larger contact area than when only the bottom wall 31a exposed from the housing 20 is connected to the cover member 280 by the first heat transfer member 90 (see FIG. 8 ). Therefore, heat dissipation is further improved.

[0058] <Fourth embodiment> A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the fourth embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the fourth embodiment, detailed description of the same components as those in the above-described embodiments will be omitted.

[0059] As shown in Figure 10, the cover member 280 has a flat plate portion 281 that is formed in a flat plate shape and faces the bottom wall portion 31a via a part of the first heat transfer member 390 (main body portion 391), and a cylindrical portion 282 that rises in a cylindrical shape from the outer peripheral edge of the flat plate portion 281 and is spaced apart from the cylindrical main body portion 31.

[0060] The connector 1 further includes a third heat transfer member 410 that thermally connects a portion of the shield member 70 different from the connection portion of the second heat transfer member 100 to a portion of the first heat transfer member 390 via the cylindrical portion 282. The third heat transfer member 410 is a flexible member. The third heat transfer member 410 is made of a material with higher thermal conductivity than the resin material constituting the housing 20. The third heat transfer member 410 is provided on the upper surface (outer surface) of the upper wall portion of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280. The third heat transfer member 410 is thermally connected to the protrusion 392 of the first heat transfer member 390 via the upper wall portion of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280. The connection portion of the second heat transfer member 100 is a portion of the front surface of the rear wall portion of the main body 71 of the shield member 70 that faces the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280. The portion of the shield member 70 that is different from the connection portion of the second heat transfer member 100 is a portion of the lower surface of the upper wall portion of the main body 71 of the shield member 70 that includes a portion facing the third heat transfer member 410 .

[0061] The shield member 70 is provided with a heat receiving portion 473 that receives heat from the third heat transfer member 410. The heat receiving portion 473 is provided on the underside of the upper wall portion of the main body portion 71 of the shield member 70 (a portion different from the connection portion of the second heat transfer member 100). The heat receiving portion 473 is not limited to being provided on the upper wall portion of the shield member 70, but may also be provided on a side wall portion of the shield member 70. The heat receiving portion 473 constitutes a part of the shield member 70. The heat receiving portion 473 is formed integrally with the shield member 70 using the same material. The heat receiving portion 473 may also be formed integrally with the shield member 70 using a material different from that of the shield member 70.

[0062] When the assembly of the housing 20 is complete, the third heat transfer member 410 is sandwiched between the upper wall portion of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280 and the heat receiving portion 473 of the shield member 70. The third heat transfer member 410 is made of a flexible material that can be deformed to fit the shape of the gap between the upper wall portion of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280 and the heat receiving portion 473 of the shield member 70.

[0063] As described above, according to the connector 1 of the fourth embodiment, a portion of the shield member 70 different from the connection portion of the second heat transfer member 100 is connected to a part of the first heat transfer member 390 by the third heat transfer member 410 via the cylindrical portion 282. This connection allows heat transferred from the fixing bracket 30 to the cover member 280 to be transferred to the shield member 70 via the third heat transfer member 410 in addition to the second heat transfer member 100. Therefore, heat dissipation is improved compared to when heat transferred from the fixing bracket 30 to the cover member 280 is transferred to the shield member 70 only via the second heat transfer member 100 (see FIG. 9 ).

[0064] Fifth Embodiment A fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the fifth embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the fifth embodiment, detailed description of the same components as those in the above-described embodiments will be omitted.

[0065] 11 , the fixing bracket 30 has a cylindrical main body 31 that is open at its front end (one end) and closed at its rear end (the other end) by a bottom wall 31 a. The cover member 280 has a flat plate-like portion 281 that faces the bottom wall 31 a via a part of the first heat transfer member 90, and a cylindrical portion 282 that rises cylindrically from the outer periphery of the flat plate portion 281 and passes through a part of the housing 20 to follow the cylindrical main body 31.

[0066] The first heat transfer member 90 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between a part (bottom wall portion 31 a) of the fixing bracket 30 and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280. The second heat transfer member 100 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the shield member 70 and the flat plate portion 281. The connector 1 has an extending portion 510 that connects the first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 100 and extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280. The connector 1 is configured so that heat is conducted along the surface of the extending portion 510.

[0067] The extending portion 510 extends from the upper end of the first heat transfer member 90 toward the front end of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280, along the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 282. The extending portion 510 then bends upward to follow the front end of the cylindrical portion 282. The extending portion 510 then extends toward the rear end of the cylindrical portion 282 (the upper end of the flat plate portion 281) along the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 282, and is connected to the upper end of the second heat transfer member 100.

[0068] The extending portion 510 is not limited to extending from the upper end portion of the first heat transfer member 90, but may extend from a side end portion or a lower end portion of the first heat transfer member 90 toward the front end portion of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280 so as to follow the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 282. After that, the extending portion 510 is not limited to bending upward so as to follow the front end portion of the cylindrical portion 282, but may also be bent downward or to the side.

[0069] The shape formed by combining the first heat transfer member 90, the second heat transfer member 100, and the extending portion 510 has a uniform thickness along its extension direction. The shape formed by combining the first heat transfer member 90, the second heat transfer member 100, and the extending portion 510 has a thickness that is thinner than the thickness of the cover member 280 along its extension direction. The extending portion 510 is formed integrally with the first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 100 using the same material. Note that the extending portion 510 may be formed integrally with the first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 100 using a material different from that of the first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 100.

[0070] When the housing 20 is in an assembled state, a part of the extension portion 510 is sandwiched between the upper end surface of the rear upper end portion 21 a of the housing 20 and the upper wall portion of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280. The portion of the extension portion 510 that is sandwiched between the upper end surface of the rear upper end portion 21 a of the housing 20 and the upper wall portion of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280 is made of a flexible material that can deform to fit the shape of the gap between the upper end surface of the rear upper end portion 21 a of the housing 20 and the upper wall portion of the cylindrical portion 282 of the cover member 280.

[0071] As described above, according to the connector 1 of the fifth embodiment, the first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 100 are connected via the extension portion 510 that extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of the tubular portion 282, and heat is transferred along the surface of the extension portion 510. A characteristic of heat transfer in a heat transfer member is that heat tends to move along the surface rather than along the thickness of the heat transfer member. This configuration allows heat generated at the connection between the terminal fitting 10 and the bus bar 50 (conductive component) and the like to be dissipated to the outside via the first heat transfer member 90, the extension portion 510, and the second heat transfer member 100 more efficiently than when the extension portion 510 is not provided (see FIG. 8 ).

[0072] Sixth Embodiment A sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the sixth embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the sixth embodiment, detailed description of the same components as those in the above-described embodiments will be omitted.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 12 , the first heat transfer member 90 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between a part of the fixing bracket 30 (bottom wall portion 31a) and the flat plate portion 281 of the cover member 280. The second heat transfer member 600 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the shield member 70 and the flat plate portion 281. The first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 600 each have a uniform thickness in the extension direction. The thickness of the first heat transfer member 90 is thinner than the thickness of the second heat transfer member 600. The second heat transfer member 600 is formed in a shape that is thicker than the thickness of the sheet-shaped first heat transfer member 90 in the front-to-rear direction. The second heat transfer member 600 may be made of the same material as the second heat transfer member 100 described above.

[0074] The main body 71 of the shield member 70 is provided with a recess 674 into which at least a portion of the second heat transfer member 600 can fit. The recess 674 is provided on the front surface of the rear wall of the main body 71 of the shield member 70 (the surface that faces the rear end surface of the flat plate portion 281). Note that the front surface of the rear wall of the main body 71 of the shield member 70 may be a flat surface. The installation mode of the recess 674 can be changed according to design specifications.

[0075] As described above, according to the connector 1 of the sixth embodiment, the first heat transfer member 90 and the second heat transfer member 600 each have a uniform thickness along their extension direction. The thickness of the first heat transfer member 90 is thinner than the thickness of the second heat transfer member 600, which provides the following advantages: Heat transfer is improved compared to when the thickness of the first heat transfer member 90 is greater than or equal to the thickness of the second heat transfer member 600. Furthermore, the thickness of the second heat transfer member 600 is thicker than the thickness of the first heat transfer member 90, which makes it easier to ensure that the second heat transfer member 600 has a thickness that allows it to be sufficiently compressed. When the second heat transfer member 600 has a thickness that allows it to be sufficiently compressed, tolerances due to thermal expansion and contraction can be absorbed. Furthermore, the second heat transfer member 600, which is disposed on the outer side of the cover member 280, is easily made larger in area than the first heat transfer member 90, which is disposed on the inner side of the cover member 280. The reduction in heat transfer due to the thicker second heat transfer member 600 can be addressed by making the area of ​​the second heat transfer member 600 larger than the area of ​​the first heat transfer member 90. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both improved heat transfer and improved resistance to thermal expansion and contraction.

[0076] <Other Aspects> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications, improvements, etc. are possible. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the cover member 80 is made of a resin material that has better thermal conductivity than the resin material that constitutes the housing 20. However, the cover member 80 may be made of the same resin material as the resin material that constitutes the housing 20.

[0078] The features of the embodiment of the connector 1 according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [8].

[0079] [1] A connector (1) comprising: a terminal fitting (10); a housing (20) that accommodates the terminal fitting (10); a fixing fitting (30) that is embedded in the housing (20) and fixes the terminal fitting (10); a conductive part (40, 50) that is electrically connected to the terminal fitting (10); a cover member (80, 280) that covers a portion (31 a) of the fixing fitting (30) that is exposed from the housing (20); a first heat transfer member (90, 390) that thermally connects the portion (31 a) of the fixing fitting (30) and the cover member (80, 280); a metallic shield member (70) that covers the housing (20); and a second heat transfer member (100, 600) that thermally connects the shield member (70) and the cover member (80, 280), wherein the first heat transfer member (90, 390) is the second heat transfer member (100, 600) is arranged to be sandwiched between a portion of the fixing metal fitting (30) and the cover member (80, 280), and has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the portion (31 a) of the fixing metal fitting (30) and the cover member (80, 280); the second heat transfer member (100, 600) is arranged to be sandwiched between the shield member (70) and the cover member (80, 280), and has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the shield member (70) and the cover member (80, 280); and the cover member (80, 280) engages with the housing (20) to restrict displacement of the first heat transfer member (90, 390).

[0080] According to the connector of the above configuration [1], the terminal fittings electrically connected to the conductive components are fixed to the housing by a fixing fitting embedded in the housing. A portion of the fixing fitting is exposed from the housing, and a first heat transfer member is sandwiched between this portion of the fixing fitting and a cover member. Furthermore, a second heat transfer member is sandwiched between a metal shield member covering the housing and the cover member. This sandwiching allows heat generated at the connection between the terminal fitting and the conductive component during electrical connection to be transferred in the following order: fixing fitting, first heat transfer member, cover member, second heat transfer member, and shield member. The first heat transfer member has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the portion of the fixing fitting and the cover member, resulting in a larger contact area with both the portion of the fixing fitting and the cover member than would be possible without such flexibility. Furthermore, the cover member engages with the housing to restrict displacement of the first heat transfer member. Therefore, even when the connector is subjected to external forces such as vibrations during use or even after long-term use, the first heat transfer member can be maintained in contact with the cover member and a portion of the fixing fitting. Similarly, the second heat transfer member has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the shield member and the cover member, resulting in a larger contact area with both the shield member and the cover member than if it did not have such flexibility. Therefore, as described above, the second heat transfer member can maintain contact with the shield member and the cover member. Additionally, in addition to its primary function of blocking electromagnetic noise, a metal shield member has a large heat capacity, excellent heat transfer, and excellent heat dissipation due to its contact with the outside air. As a result, the connector of this configuration can improve heat dissipation while avoiding an increase in the size of the connector.

[0081] The first heat transfer member may be in direct contact with a portion of the fixing member and the cover member, or indirect contact with the fixing member and the cover member via an adhesive, pressure-sensitive adhesive, or the like. In the latter case, the adhesive, pressure-sensitive adhesive, or the like preferably has excellent heat conductivity. Furthermore, the heat transfer member may be indirect contact with the shield member and a portion of the housing via another material, other than an adhesive or pressure-sensitive adhesive, that has excellent heat conductivity. The same applies to the second heat transfer member.

[0082] [2] The connector (1) according to the above [1], wherein the material constituting the cover member (80, 280) has better heat conductivity than the material constituting the housing (20).

[0083] According to the connector having the configuration [2] above, the cover member has better heat transfer properties than the housing, which provides the following effect: Heat generated at the connection points between the terminal fittings and the conductive parts is efficiently transferred to the second heat transfer member via the first heat transfer member and the cover member.

[0084] [3] The connector (1) according to the above [1] or [2], wherein the material constituting the first heat transfer member (90, 390) and the second heat transfer member (100, 600) has better heat conductivity than the material constituting the housing (20).

[0085] According to the connector having the configuration [3] above, the material constituting the first and second heat transfer members has better heat conductivity than the material constituting the housing, which provides the following effect: Heat generated at the connection points between the terminal fittings and the conductive parts can be dissipated to the outside via the first and second heat transfer members more efficiently than when the housing is in direct contact with the shield member.

[0086] [4] The connector (1) according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the cover member (80) has a first recess (83) on a surface facing the first heat transfer member (90) into which at least a portion of the first heat transfer member (90) fits, and a second recess (84) on a surface facing the second heat transfer member (100) into which at least a portion of the second heat transfer member (100) fits.

[0087] According to the connector of the configuration [4] above, at least a portion of the first heat transfer member fits into the first recess of the cover member, thereby restricting displacement in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first heat transfer member is sandwiched between the cover member and a portion of the fastener. Therefore, even if an external force such as vibration is applied when the connector is in use, or even if the connector is used for a long period of time, the first heat transfer member can be maintained in contact with the cover member and a portion of the fastener. Furthermore, at least a portion of the second heat transfer member fits into the second recess of the cover member, thereby maintaining the second heat transfer member in contact with the shield member and the cover member, as described above.

[0088] [5] The connector (1) according to any one of [1] to [4] above, wherein the fixing metal fitting (30) has a cylindrical tubular main body (31) having one end open and the other end closed by a bottom wall (31 a), a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular main body (31) and the bottom wall (31 a) are exposed from the housing (20), and the first heat transfer member (390) thermally connects the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the tubular main body (31) exposed from the housing (20) and the bottom wall (31 a) to the cover member (280).

[0089] According to the connector of the configuration [5] above, a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body and the bottom wall are exposed from the housing, and the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical main body and the bottom wall that are exposed from the housing are connected to the cover member by the first heat transfer member. This connection allows the first heat transfer member to be in contact with both the portion of the fixing bracket and the cover member over a larger contact area than when only the bottom wall that is exposed from the housing is connected to the cover member by the first heat transfer member. Therefore, heat dissipation is further improved.

[0090] [6] The connector (1) described in [5] above, wherein the cover member (280) has a flat plate portion (281) formed in a flat plate shape and facing the bottom wall portion (31 a) via a part of the first heat transfer member (390), and a cylindrical portion (282) standing in a cylindrical shape from the outer peripheral edge of the flat plate portion (281) at a distance from the cylindrical main body portion (31), and the connector (1) further includes a third heat transfer member (410) that thermally connects a part of the shield member (70) different from the connection part of the second heat transfer member (100) to a part of the first heat transfer member (390) via the cylindrical portion (282).

[0091] According to the connector having the configuration [6] above, a portion of the shield member different from the connection portion of the second heat transfer member is connected to a part of the first heat transfer member via the cylindrical portion by the third heat transfer member. This connection allows heat transferred from the fixing bracket to the cover member to be transferred to the shield member via the third heat transfer member in addition to the second heat transfer member. Therefore, heat dissipation is improved compared to when heat transferred from the fixing bracket to the cover member is transferred to the shield member only via the second heat transfer member.

[0092] [7] The connector (1) according to any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein the fixing metal fitting (30) has a cylindrical tubular main body portion (31) having one end side open and the other end side closed by a bottom wall portion (31 a), the cover member (280) has a flat plate portion (281) formed in a flat plate shape and facing the bottom wall portion (31 a) via a part of the first heat transfer member (90), and a tubular portion (282) rising in a cylindrical shape from the outer circumferential edge of the flat plate portion (281) via a part of the housing (20) along the tubular main body portion (31), the first heat transfer member (90) is arranged so as to be sandwiched between a part of the fixing metal fitting (30) and the flat plate portion (281), the second heat transfer member (100) is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the shield member (70) and the flat plate portion (281), The connector (1) has an extension portion (510) that connects the first heat transfer member (90) and the second heat transfer member (100) and extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion (282), and is configured so that heat is transferred along the surface of the extension portion (510).

[0093] According to the connector of the configuration [7] above, the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member are connected via an extension portion that extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of the cylindrical portion, and heat is transferred along the surface of the extension portion. The heat transfer characteristics of the heat transfer member are such that heat tends to move along the surface rather than along the thickness direction of the heat transfer member. This configuration allows heat generated at the connection between the terminal fitting and the conductive component, for example, to be dissipated to the outside via the first heat transfer member, the extension portion, and the second heat transfer member more efficiently than in a connector without the extension portion.

[0094] [8] The connector (1) according to any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein the first heat transfer member (90) and the second heat transfer member (600) each have a uniform thickness in the extension direction, and the thickness of the first heat transfer member (90) is thinner than the thickness of the second heat transfer member (600).

[0095] According to the connector having the configuration [8] above, the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member each have a uniform thickness along their extension direction. The thickness of the first heat transfer member is thinner than the thickness of the second heat transfer member, which provides the following advantages: Heat transfer is improved compared to when the thickness of the first heat transfer member is greater than or equal to the thickness of the second heat transfer member. Furthermore, the thickness of the second heat transfer member is thicker than the thickness of the first heat transfer member, which makes it easier to ensure that the second heat transfer member has a thickness that allows it to be sufficiently compressed. When the second heat transfer member has a thickness that allows it to be sufficiently compressed, tolerances due to thermal expansion and contraction can be absorbed. Furthermore, the second heat transfer member disposed on the outer side of the cover member is more likely to have a larger area than the first heat transfer member disposed on the inner side of the cover member. The reduction in heat transfer due to the thicker second heat transfer member can be addressed by making the area of ​​the second heat transfer member larger than the area of ​​the first heat transfer member. Therefore, both improved heat transfer and improved resistance to thermal expansion and contraction can be achieved.

[0096] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Connector 10 Terminal metal fitting 20 Housing 30 Fixing metal fitting 31 Cylindrical main body portion 31a Bottom wall portion (part of fixing metal fitting) 40 Electric wire (conductive part) 50 Bus bar (conductive part) 70 Shield member 80, 280 Cover member 83 First recess 84 Second recess 90, 390 First heat transfer member 100, 600 Second heat transfer member 281 Flat plate portion 282 Cylindrical portion 410 Third heat transfer member 510 Extension portion

Claims

1. A connector comprising: terminal fittings, a housing that accommodates the terminal fittings, fixing fittings that are embedded in the housing and fix the terminal fittings, a conductive part that is electrically connected to the terminal fittings, a cover member that covers a portion of the fixing fittings exposed from the housing, a first heat transfer member that thermally connects the portion of the fixing fittings and the cover member, a metallic shield member that covers the housing, and a second heat transfer member that thermally connects the shield member and the cover member, wherein the first heat transfer member is arranged to be sandwiched between the portion of the fixing fittings and the cover member, and has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of a gap between the portion of the fixing fittings and the cover member, the second heat transfer member is arranged to be sandwiched between the shield member and the cover member, and has flexibility that allows it to deform to fit the shape of the gap between the shield member and the cover member, and the cover member engages with the housing and restricts displacement of the first heat transfer member.

2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the material constituting the cover member has better thermal conductivity than the material constituting the housing.

3. A connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the material constituting the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member has better heat conductivity than the material constituting the housing.

4. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cover member has a first recess on the surface facing the first heat transfer member into which at least a portion of the first heat transfer member fits, and a second recess on the surface facing the second heat transfer member into which at least a portion of the second heat transfer member fits.

5. A connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fixing metal fitting has a cylindrical tubular main body portion having one open end and the other closed by a bottom wall portion, a part of the outer circumferential surface of the tubular main body portion and the bottom wall portion are exposed from the housing, and the first heat transfer member thermally connects the part of the outer circumferential surface of the tubular main body portion exposed from the housing and the bottom wall portion to the cover member.

6. A connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover member has a flat portion formed in a flat plate shape and facing the bottom wall portion via a part of the first heat transfer member, and a cylindrical portion that rises in a cylindrical shape from the outer peripheral edge of the flat portion at a distance from the cylindrical main body portion, and the connector further comprises a third heat transfer member that thermally connects a part of the first heat transfer member to a part of the first heat transfer member via the cylindrical portion in the shield member that is different from the connection point of the second heat transfer member.

7. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fixing bracket has a cylindrical tubular main body portion which is open at one end and closed at the other end by a bottom wall portion, the cover member has a flat plate portion formed in a flat plate shape and facing the bottom wall portion via a part of the first heat transfer member, and a tubular portion which rises in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the flat plate portion via a part of the housing and along the tubular main body portion, the first heat transfer member is arranged so as to be sandwiched between a part of the fixing bracket and the flat plate portion, the second heat transfer member is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the shielding member and the flat plate portion, and the connector has an extension portion which connects the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member and extends from the inner surface to the outer surface of the tubular portion, and is configured so that heat is transferred along the surface of the extension portion.

8. A connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first heat transfer member and the second heat transfer member each have a uniform thickness in the direction of extension, and the thickness of the first heat transfer member is thinner than the thickness of the second heat transfer member.

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