Charging inlet

Abstract

A charging inlet (1) for connecting an external charging connector comprises: a plurality of terminals (10) for power supply that come into contact with an external terminal of a charging connector; an inlet housing (20) that holds the plurality of terminals (10); a rear case (40) that is connected to the inlet housing (20) and has an electric wire connection port (43b) for introducing therein terminals of a plurality of electric wires (100) corresponding respectively to the terminals (10); and a rear holder (50) that is attached to the electric wire connection port (43b) so as to close the opening of the electric wire connection port (43b) in a state in which the electric wires (100) are inserted into the electric wire connection port (43b). The rear holder (50) is made of a metal material and has fins (53) exposed to the outside.

Description

Charging inlet

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging inlet.

[0002] Conventionally, there are charging inlets that are installed in vehicles such as electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles to supply power from outside the vehicle to the onboard battery. It is important for charging inlets to further suppress heat generation in order to accommodate higher output to shorten charging times. Patent Document 1 discloses technology related to a charging inlet that includes a cover structure with a cooling mechanism at the opening of a housing that houses part of a power supply terminal, which generates a particularly large amount of heat during charging.

[0003] US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0021077

[0004] In the charging inlet disclosed in Patent Document 1, the cooling mechanism is provided in the cover structure that covers the opening of the housing, which makes the overall structure complex.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems inherent in the conventional technology, and an object of the present invention is to provide a charging inlet that has a simple structure and provides heat dissipation performance.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a charging inlet for connecting an external charging connector, comprising: a plurality of terminals for supplying power that contact external terminals of the charging connector; an inlet housing that holds the plurality of terminals; a rear case that is connected to the inlet housing and has a wire connection port portion through which ends of a plurality of electric wires corresponding to the terminals are introduced; and a rear holder that is attached to the wire connection port portion so as to close the opening of the wire connection port portion while each electric wire is inserted through the wire connection port portion, the rear holder being formed of a metal material and having fins exposed to the outside.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging inlet that has a simple structure and provides heat dissipation performance.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a charging inlet according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a charging inlet according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a charging inlet according to an embodiment. Fig. 4A is a perspective view that allows a tip end side of a rear holder to be seen in an embodiment. Fig. 4B is a perspective view of a rear holder separated from the state shown in Fig. 4A. Fig. 5A is a perspective view that allows a mounting end side of the rear holder to be seen in an embodiment. Fig. 5B is a perspective view of a rear holder separated from the state shown in Fig. 5A.

[0009] A charging inlet according to one embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of convenience and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a charging inlet 1 according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the charging inlet 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the charging inlet 1 taken along the line III-III in Fig. 1. The cross-sectional plane in Fig. 3 is an imaginary plane including the central axes of both of the two power supply terminals 10.

[0011] The charging inlet 1 is installed in a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and is a connector for supplying power to an on-board battery by appropriately connecting a charging connector (not shown) from outside the vehicle. The external charging connector is sometimes referred to as a "charging gun." The charging inlet 1 can be applied to various existing charging methods, but in this embodiment, it is illustrated as being compliant with the North American Charging Standard (NACS). Furthermore, for structures and the like not specifically mentioned or shown in the following description of the charging inlet 1, structures that comply with the NACS regulations can be applied.

[0012] As an example, the following description will assume that a charging connector is connected to the charging inlet 1, and define the direction in which the charging inlet 1 moves toward the charging connector as the X direction. In this case, the direction in which the charging connector moves toward the charging inlet 1 is opposite the X direction. The forward direction along the X direction may be referred to as "front," and the backward direction may be referred to as "rear." Furthermore, a YZ plane perpendicular to the X direction is assumed, and define the Y and Z directions perpendicular to each other. The Y direction is approximately horizontal. The Z direction is approximately opposite the vertical direction.

[0013] The charging inlet 1 comprises a plurality of terminals 10, an inlet housing 20, a terminal holding substrate 30, a rear case 40, a rear holder 50, a rear cover 60, a plurality of inner terminals 70, a plurality of first bolts 71, a plug member 72, and a second bolt 73.

[0014] Each of the multiple terminals 10 is a rod-shaped male terminal made of metal. In particular, the terminals 10 here correspond to terminals for charging, i.e., power supply, that are connected to female terminals (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as "external terminals") provided on the charging connector when the charging connector is connected to the charging inlet 1. In this embodiment, the charging inlet 1 complies with the NACS and therefore has two terminals 10: a first terminal 10a that functions as a DC positive or AC positive terminal, and a second terminal 10b that functions as a DC negative or AC negative terminal.

[0015] Note that a charging inlet that complies with a general standard includes, in addition to a terminal for supplying power, a terminal for grounding, a terminal for transmitting a signal used to allow charging to begin, and a terminal for transmitting a signal used to confirm the connection of the charging connector. Although not shown, the charging inlet 1 that complies with the NACS also includes these three terminals.

[0016] Terminal 10 has a tip portion 11 and a base portion 12. When a charging connector is connected to charging inlet 1, tip portion 11 is directly connected to an external terminal. Base portion 12 is located rearward of tip portion 11 and connects one of a plurality of inner terminals 70. Base portion 12 has a bolt hole 12a formed in advance along the axial direction of terminal 10. Note that, in each terminal 10, a plug 11a manufactured separately in advance is provided on tip portion 11, and other portions may also be configured by combining a plurality of members.

[0017] The inlet housing 20 is made of synthetic resin, holds the terminals 10, and forms an exterior portion that is exposed to the outside when the charging connector is connected. The inlet housing 20 has a cylindrical portion 21, a protrusion 22, a flange portion 23, and a mounting frame portion 24.

[0018] The cylindrical portion 21 protects the tip ends 11 of the multiple terminals 10 by arranging them in an internal space whose axial direction is the X direction. A charging port 21a is provided at the front end of the cylindrical portion 21 as an opening into which the tip end of a charging connector is fitted when starting charging. The rear end of the cylindrical portion 21 is a rear wall portion 21b through which multiple terminal holding holes 21c pass and hold terminals such as the terminals 10. That is, for all terminals held in the rear wall portion 21b, all of the tip ends, including the tip end 11 of each terminal 10, are arranged in the internal space of the cylindrical portion 21 while being exposed to the outside through the charging port 21a. To seal the gap between the rear wall portion 21b and the multiple terminals 10, a portion of each terminal 10 is held in the rear wall portion 21b via an O-ring 74.

[0019] The protrusion 22 protrudes forward from the rear wall 21b inside the cylindrical portion 21, with its base end supported by the rear wall 21b. The protrusion 22 is provided to protect the terminals 10, etc., or to prevent erroneous insertion of the tip of the charging connector, and engages with a hole pre-formed in the charging connector when the tip of the charging connector is fitted into the cylindrical portion 21. When the tip of the charging connector is properly fitted into the cylindrical portion 21 in this manner, power is supplied to the vehicle battery from an external power source or the like, and the vehicle battery is charged.

[0020] The flange portion 23 supports the cylindrical portion 21 and the mounting frame portion 24. The specific shape of the flange portion 23 is determined according to the specifications of the vehicle in which the charging inlet 1 is installed. For example, bolt insertion holes 23a that penetrate in the X direction are formed at multiple locations on the flange portion 23. Bolts (not shown) are inserted into the bolt insertion holes 23a when the charging inlet 1 is attached to a predetermined location on the vehicle.

[0021] The mounting frame 24 is attached to the housing connection opening 42a of the rear case 40 when the inlet housing 20 is connected to the rear case 40. In this embodiment, the mounting frame 24 is a tubular portion with a circular opening cross section. One end of the mounting frame 24 is integrated with the flange 23 on the back side opposite to the front side where the tubular portion 21 is continuous. The other end of the mounting frame 24 is an open end that enters the interior of the housing connection opening 42a.

[0022] The terminal holding substrate 30 mounts and holds terminals for signal transmission separate from the terminals 10 for power supply. The terminal holding substrate 30 is disposed inside the mounting frame 24 of the inlet housing 20. The terminal holding substrate 30 has a circular planar shape that covers the bottom surface 23b on the flange portion 23 side when disposed on the mounting frame 24. The terminal holding substrate 30 has a plurality of terminal through-holes 31 and a plurality of pin terminals 32 used for signal transmission and the like. Each of the plurality of terminal through-holes 31 passes through a terminal 10. That is, in this embodiment, there are two terminal through-holes 31: one for passing the first terminal 10a and one for passing the second terminal 10b. The plurality of pin terminals 32 are a group of terminals that are electrically connected to the terminals for signal transmission and the like.

[0023] The rear case 40 is made of synthetic resin, is connected to the inlet housing 20, and has an accommodating portion 41 that accommodates at least the base portion 12 for each terminal 10 and a plurality of inner terminals 70. In this embodiment, the accommodating portion 41 accommodates at least the base portions 12 for two terminals 10 and the two inner terminals 70 corresponding to each terminal 10. The accommodating portion 41 will be described in detail below. The rear case 40 integrally includes a housing connecting portion 42, a wire connecting portion 43, a connection opening portion 44, and a connector portion 45.

[0024] The housing connecting portion 42 connects the mounting frame portion 24 of the inlet housing 20. The housing connecting portion 42 has a housing connecting opening portion 42a and a first bottom wall portion 42b.

[0025] The housing connection port 42a is a cylindrical portion into which the mounting frame 24 is fitted when connecting the housing connection portion 42. The axial direction of the housing connection port 42a is along the X direction, which is the connection direction to the inlet housing 20. The opening cross section of the housing connection port 42a is a circle that is preset to match the shape of the outer periphery of the mounting frame 24 so that the mounting frame 24 can be fitted. One end of the housing connection port 42a is an opening through which the mounting frame 24 is introduced when fitting the mounting frame 24. The other end of the housing connection port 42a is supported by the first bottom wall 42b.

[0026] The first bottom wall portion 42b is a flat portion perpendicular to the connecting direction. One of the main planes of the first bottom wall portion 42b faces the inner space of the housing connecting port portion 42a. The other main plane of the first bottom wall portion 42b faces the inner space of the tubular main body portion 43a of the wire connecting portion 43. The first bottom wall portion 42b also has terminal insertion holes 42c for inserting the base portions 12 of each terminal 10 into the tubular main body portion 43a when connecting the inlet housing 20 holding multiple terminals 10 to the housing connecting portion 42. The opening shape of the terminal insertion hole 42c is an elongated hole with a major axis set along the Y direction and a minor axis set along the Z direction so that two base portions 12 arranged side by side in the Y direction can be inserted into one hole.

[0027] The wire connection portion 43 forms a space portion that accommodates the ends of the plurality of wires 100 and connects the plurality of wires 100 to the base portions 12 of the corresponding terminals 10 via the inner terminals 70. In this embodiment, there are two wires 100. The wire connection portion 43 has a main body tubular portion 43a, a wire connection port portion 43b, and a second bottom wall portion 43c.

[0028] The main body tubular portion 43a constitutes the main body of the electric wire connection portion 43. The axial direction of the main body tubular portion 43a is along the opposite direction to the Y direction, which is the direction in which the electric wires 100 are introduced. The opening cross section of the main body tubular portion 43a is an elongated hole shape with the major axis set along the Z direction and the minor axis set along the X direction so that two electric wires 100 can be introduced in a parallel orientation in the Z direction. A portion of the outer surface of the main body tubular portion 43a is continuous with the housing connection port 42a. Another portion of the outer surface of the main body tubular portion 43a, which is located on the opposite side in the X direction from the portion continuous with the housing connection port 42a, is continuous with the connection work port 44.

[0029] The wire connection port 43b is one end of the main body tubular portion 43a and is an opening for introducing two electric wires 100 from the outside into the main body tubular portion 43a. In this embodiment, the opening cross section of the wire connection port 43b matches the opening cross section of the main body tubular portion 43a. In addition, the wire connection port 43b has a plurality of first locking protrusions 43d on its outer circumferential surface that engage with engagement holes 52a provided in the rear holder 50 when the rear holder 50 is attached.

[0030] The second bottom wall portion 43c is the other end of the main body tubular portion 43a and is a wall portion that faces the opening of the electric wire connection port portion 43b in the Y direction.

[0031] The connection opening 44 is a cylindrical portion for performing the connection operation between the base portion 12 of the terminal 10 introduced through the terminal insertion hole 42c and the inner terminal 70 introduced through the wire connection opening 43b inside the cylindrical main body portion 43a of the wire connection portion 43. One end of the connection opening 44 is an opening for introducing the first bolts 71 and part of the tool used to fasten each of the first bolts 71 during the connection operation. The other end of the connection opening 44 is supported on the outer surface of the cylindrical main body portion 43a, as described above. The opening of the connection opening 44 faces the opening of the terminal insertion hole 42c in the X direction via the cylindrical main body portion 43a. In other words, the axial direction of the connection opening 44 is aligned with the X direction. The cross section of the opening of the connection opening 44 is elongated, with the major axis set along the Y direction and the minor axis set along the Z direction. The connection opening 44 also has a plurality of second locking projections 44a on its outer circumferential surface that engage with the engagement pieces 62a provided on the rear cover 60 when the rear cover 60 is attached.

[0032] The connector portion 45 is a cylindrical portion that houses the multiple pin terminals 32 mounted on the terminal holding substrate 30 while exposing them to the outside. One end of the connector portion 45 is an opening for connecting an external connector. The other end of the connector portion 45 is supported by the first bottom wall portion 42b of the housing connecting portion 42. The hole portion 45a of the connector portion 45 opens from the first bottom wall portion 42b to the inside of the housing connecting portion 42. In other words, the axial direction of the connector portion 45 is along the X direction. The cross section of the opening of the connector portion 45 is rectangular with long sides set along the Y direction and short sides set along the Z direction.

[0033] As described above, the rear case 40 has an accommodating portion 41 that accommodates at least the base portions 12 of the two terminals 10 and the two inner terminals 70. The accommodating portion 41 is a portion of the rear case 40 that forms an internal space that is interconnected. Specifically, the accommodating portion 41 in this embodiment includes a portion that forms the internal space of the housing connecting portion 42, a portion that forms the internal space of the wire connecting portion 43, and a portion that forms the internal space of the connection opening 44, all of which are interconnected. In other words, the accommodating portion 41 is a portion of the rear case 40 that is sealed when the open ends of the housing connecting opening 42a, the wire connecting opening 43b, and the connection opening 44 are all closed. In other words, in this embodiment, the internal space that accommodates the base portions 12 of the two terminals 10 and the two inner terminals 70 corresponds to the internal space of the wire connecting portion 43, but the accommodating portion 41 is not limited to the portion that forms the internal space of the wire connecting portion 43.

[0034] Fig. 4A is a perspective view that allows the front end side of the rear holder 50 to be seen. Fig. 4B is a perspective view of the rear holder 50 divided into two from the state shown in Fig. 4A. Fig. 5A is a perspective view that allows the mounting end side of the rear holder 50 to be seen. Fig. 5B is a perspective view of the rear holder 50 divided into two from the state shown in Fig. 5A. Here, the mounting end side of the rear holder 50 refers to the side that is attached to the wire connection port 43b of the rear case 40. On the other hand, the front end side of the rear holder 50 is the opposite side to the mounting end side in the Y direction, which is the penetration direction of each of the first insertion hole portion 51a and the second insertion hole portion 51b.

[0035] The rear holder 50 is attached to the electric wire connection port 43b of the rear case 40 so as to close the opening of the electric wire connection port 43b with two electric wires 100 inserted through the electric wire connection port 43b. The rear holder 50 is made of a metal material with relatively high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy. The rear holder 50 has a holder main body 51, an annular frame 52, and fins 53.

[0036] The holder body 51 is a block portion having a plurality of insertion holes through which the electric wires 100 are inserted, corresponding to each other. In this embodiment, the holder body 51 has two insertion holes: a first insertion hole 51a through which the first electric wire 100a is inserted, and a second insertion hole 51b through which the second electric wire 100b is inserted. The first insertion hole 51a and the second insertion hole 51b are formed in parallel and spaced apart from each other in the Z direction. The opening diameter of each insertion hole is set to allow the electric wire 100 to pass through and contact the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 100. A cross section of the outer peripheral surface of the holder body 51, taken along a cut surface perpendicular to the penetration direction of each insertion hole, has an elliptical shape with a major axis set along the Z direction and a minor axis set along the X direction, in accordance with the arrangement of the insertion holes.

[0037] When the rear holder 50 is attached to the wire connection port 43b, the annular frame 52 introduces the tip of the wire connection port 43b into the annular frame 52 and faces closely to the outer peripheral surface of the wire connection port 43b. The annular frame 52 is integrated with the fins 53 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the holder main body 51 that are closest to the annular frame 52. The outer and inner cross sections of the annular frame 52 are elliptical, with the major axis set along the Z direction and the minor axis set along the X direction, in accordance with the outer cross section of the wire connection port 43b. The inner cross section of the annular frame 52 is larger than the outer cross section of the holder main body 51. Furthermore, a portion of the annular frame 52 has multiple engagement holes 52a that each engage with one of the multiple first locking protrusions 43d when the rear holder 50 is attached to the wire connection port 43b.

[0038] The fins 53 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the holder main body 51 so as to be exposed to the outside of the rear holder 50. In this embodiment, the rear holder 50 is provided with a plurality of fins 53 that are arranged in parallel in the Y direction corresponding to the penetration direction of each insertion hole, and adjacent fins 53 are spaced apart at regular intervals. Each fin 53 is a plate-shaped portion that protrudes to the same height from the outer peripheral surface of the holder main body 51. However, some fins 53 may be annular as a whole in accordance with the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the holder main body 51. Note that the specific shape or arrangement of the fins 53 in this embodiment is merely an example and may be changed as appropriate in accordance with, for example, a change in the shape of the rear holder 50.

[0039] Furthermore, the rear holder 50 can be freely separated, specifically, into a first holder structure 50a and a second holder structure 50b. The rear holder 50 is separated so that each of the insertion holes is separated into two or more parts. In the present embodiment, the rear holder 50 is separated into two parts so that each of the first insertion hole 51a and the second insertion hole 51b is separated into two parts. When attaching the rear holder 50, in consideration of ease of fitting the electric wires 100 into each insertion hole, it is desirable that a separation surface 50c between the first holder structure 50a and the second holder structure 50b be set so as to approximately pass through the central axis of the insertion hole of each insertion hole.

[0040] The first holder structure 50a and the second holder structure 50b have bolt through holes 51c through which the shanks of the second bolts 73 pass to fasten them together after they are combined. The bolt through holes 51c are provided so as to pass between the first insertion hole portions 51a and the second insertion hole portions 51b along the X direction, which is the direction in which the first holder structure 50a and the second holder structure 50b are combined.

[0041] The first holder structure 50a also has a first cylindrical portion 51d that accommodates a nut (not shown) that is fastened to a second bolt 73 with its shaft portion passing through the bolt through-hole 51c. Similarly, the second holder structure 50b has a second cylindrical portion 51e that accommodates the head of the second bolt 73 with its shaft portion passing through the bolt through-hole 51c. The first cylindrical portion 51d and the second cylindrical portion 51e are coaxially arranged along the X direction and have symmetrical shapes with respect to the parting plane 50c. The protruding height of each of the first cylindrical portion 51d and the second cylindrical portion 51e from the outer peripheral surface of the holder main body 51 is the same as the protruding height of the fins 53. Portions of the first cylindrical portion 51d and the second cylindrical portion 51e are integrated with the fins 53. Therefore, the first cylindrical portion 51 d and the second cylindrical portion 51 e can protect the head or nut of the second bolt 73 and also function as a heat dissipation portion similar to the fins 53 .

[0042] Furthermore, to prevent misalignment after being combined with each other, the first holder structure 50a and the second holder structure 50b each have an engagement piece 51f and an engagement groove 51g shaped to engage with the engagement piece 51f. The engagement piece 51f and the engagement groove 51g are provided between the first insertion hole portion 51a and the second insertion hole portion 51b, and on a side farther from the annular frame portion 52 than the bolt through holes 51c in the penetration direction of each insertion hole. When the first holder structure 50a and the second holder structure 50b are combined with each other, the engagement piece 51f of the first holder structure 50a engages with the engagement groove 51g of the second holder structure 50b, and the engagement piece 51f of the second holder structure 50b engages with the engagement groove 51g of the first holder structure 50a.

[0043] The rear cover 60 is made of synthetic resin and is attached to the connection access port 44 so as to cover the opening of the connection access port 44 of the rear case 40. The rear cover 60 integrally includes a top plate 61, an annular frame 62, and an annular inner frame 63.

[0044] Top plate 61 is a flat plate that is perpendicular to the opposite direction to the Z direction, which is the attachment direction of rear cover 60 to connection opening 44. The planar shape of top plate 61 is set in advance to match the external cross section of connection opening 44.

[0045] The annular frame 62 is continuous with the edge of the top plate 61, and when the rear cover 60 is attached to the connection opening 44, the tip of the connection opening 44 is introduced into the annular frame 62, and the annular frame 62 faces closely to the outer circumferential surface of the connection opening 44. A portion of the annular frame 62 is elastically deformable and has a plurality of engaging pieces 62a formed with engaging holes that each engage with one of the plurality of second locking projections 44a when the rear cover 60 is attached to the connection opening 44.

[0046] The annular inner frame 63 is continuous with the inner surface of the top plate 61 so as to be spaced a fixed distance from the inside of the annular frame 62. When the rear cover 60 is attached to the connection opening 44, the annular inner frame 63 is introduced into the tip of the connection opening 44, with at least a portion of the annular inner frame 63 facing closely to the inner circumferential surface of the connection opening 44. A packing 75 is fitted between the inner circumferential surface of the connection opening 44 and the outer circumferential surface of the annular inner frame 63 to seal the space between the tip of the connection opening 44 and the rear cover 60.

[0047] The inner terminals 70 are terminal fittings manufactured by machining a sheet metal material having a certain thickness. The inner terminals 70 are individually connected to the base portions 12 of the terminals 10 and also individually connected to the ends of the electric wires 100 introduced from the outside. In this embodiment, there are two inner terminals 70: a first inner terminal 70a connected to the first terminal 10a and a second inner terminal 70b connected to the second terminal 10b.

[0048] Here, a plurality of electric wires 100 corresponding to the respective power supply terminals 10 are connected to the charging inlet 1. That is, in this embodiment, two electric wires 100 are connected to the charging inlet 1: a first electric wire 100a corresponding to the first terminal 10a, and a second electric wire 100b corresponding to the second terminal 10b. Each electric wire 100 has a core wire 101 which is a conductor and a sheath 102 which is an insulator that covers the core wire 101. The end of the core wire 101 exposed at one end of each electric wire 100 is joined to one of the two inner terminals 70. The other end of each electric wire 100 is pre-connected to an object inside the vehicle, such as an on-board battery.

[0049] In this embodiment, the two electric wires 100 are introduced in the direction opposite to the Y direction into the rear case 40, which houses the base portions 12 of the terminals 10, each oriented with its axial direction aligned with the X direction. In this case, the first inner terminal 70a and the second inner terminal 70b may each have the following structure or shape.

[0050] First, the second inner terminal 70b integrally includes a second connecting portion 70f and a second joint portion 70h. The second connecting portion 70f is a linear flat plate having a second through-hole 70g at its tip. When the second inner terminal 70b is housed in the main body tubular portion 43a of the rear case 40, the second connecting portion 70f contacts the base portion 12 of the second terminal 10b while its main plane is maintained parallel to the YZ plane. At this time, the second through-hole 70g is positioned approximately coaxially with the bolt hole 12a of the second terminal 10b. The second joint portion 70h is continuous with the second connecting portion 70f in the Y direction and joins the end of the core wire 101 of the second electric wire 100b. In this embodiment, the second joint portion 70h is a crimping portion that crimps the end of the core wire 101 of the second electric wire 100b. That is, in the Z direction, the height position of the central axis of the end portion of the second wire 100b is approximately the same as the height position of the central axis of each of the bolt holes 12a of the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b.

[0051] On the other hand, the first inner terminal 70a integrally includes a first connecting portion 70c and a first joining portion 70e. The first electric wire 100a, which is to be connected to the first inner terminal 70a, is introduced into the main body tubular portion 43a of the rear case 40 in parallel with the second electric wire 100b. Therefore, the height positions of the first electric wire 100a and the second electric wire 100b in the Z direction are different from each other. On the other hand, the first connecting portion 70c is a flat plate portion having a first through hole 70d at its tip. However, since the height positions of the bolt holes 12a of the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b in the Z direction are substantially the same, the height positions of the first through hole 70d and the second through hole 70g are also substantially the same. Therefore, the planar shape of the first connecting portion 70c is L-shaped so as to avoid the second connecting portion 70f, as shown in FIG. 1 . When the first inner terminal 70a is housed in the main body tubular portion 43a of the rear case 40, the first connecting portion 70c contacts the base portion 12 of the first terminal 10a while maintaining its principal plane parallel to the YZ plane. At this time, the first through-hole 70d is positioned approximately coaxially with the bolt hole 12a of the first terminal 10a. The first joint portion 70e is continuous with the first connecting portion 70c in the Y direction and joins an end of the core wire 101 of the first electric wire 100a. In this embodiment, the first joint portion 70e, like the second joint portion 70h, is a crimping portion that crimps an end of the core wire 101 of the first electric wire 100a. When the first inner terminal 70a and the second inner terminal 70b are housed in the main body tubular portion 43a, the first joint portion 70e and the second joint portion 70h are positioned approximately the same in the Y direction.

[0052] The plurality of first bolts 71 are fastening members used to fasten the base portion 12 of the terminal 10 to the inner terminal 70. In this embodiment, there are two first bolts 71: one that is fastened to the bolt hole 12a of the first terminal 10a after the bolt shank passes through the first through hole 70d, and one that is fastened to the bolt hole 12a of the second terminal 10b after the bolt shank passes through the second through hole 70g.

[0053] The plug member 72 is, for example, a rubber plug, and seals the gap between the electric wire connection port 43b and the plurality of electric wires 100. The plug member 72 has two electric wire through holes 72a through which two electric wires 100 are individually passed. The plug member 72 is tightly held inside the electric wire connection port 43b in a state in which the electric wires 100 pass through each of the electric wire through holes 72a while being in close contact with each other.

[0054] Second bolt 73 is a fastening member used to fasten first holder structure 50a and second holder structure 50b together in rear holder 50. In the present embodiment, to facilitate the assembly of charging inlet 1, second bolt 73 is fastened in a direction that matches the fastening direction of first bolt 71 to bolt through hole 51c after first holder structure 50a and second holder structure 50b are combined.

[0055] Next, a manufacturing process of the charging inlet 1 will be described.

[0056] The manufacturing process of the charging inlet 1 includes a process of assembling the charging inlet 1. Note that the manufacturing process may be performed by a worker, or may be performed in a factory where part or all of the manufacturing process is automated.

[0057] In the process of assembling the charging inlet 1, first, an inlet housing 20 is prepared, which preliminarily holds a plurality of terminals, including the power supply terminal 10, and a terminal holding substrate 30. Additionally, a first electric wire 100a having a first inner terminal 70a attached to its end, and a second electric wire 100b having a second inner terminal 70b attached to its end are prepared.

[0058] Next, the mounting frame portion 24 of the inlet housing 20 is fitted into the housing connecting portion 42 of the rear case 40, thereby connecting the inlet housing 20 to the rear case 40. At this time, at least a portion of the base portion 12 for each terminal 10 is introduced into the interior of the main body tubular portion 43a through the terminal insertion hole 42c.

[0059] Furthermore, the tip end of the first electric wire 100a, to which the first inner terminal 70a is attached, and the tip end of the second electric wire 100b, to which the second inner terminal 70b is attached, are introduced into the interior of the main body tubular portion 43a through the electric wire connection port 43b. Then, after the gap between the electric wire connection port 43b and the two electric wires 100 is sealed with the plug member 72, the rear holder 50 is attached to the electric wire connection port 43b. At this time, the first through hole 70d provided in the first inner terminal 70a is positioned approximately coaxially with the bolt hole 12a of the first terminal 10a, and the first connection portion 70c is adjacent to the base portion 12 of the first terminal 10a. Similarly, the second through hole 70g provided in the second inner terminal 70b is positioned so as to be approximately coaxial with the bolt hole 12a of the second terminal 10b, while the second connection portion 70f is close to the base portion 12 of the second terminal 10b.

[0060] When attaching the rear holder 50 to the electric wire connection port 43b, the first holder structure 50a and the second holder structure 50b are first combined to sandwich, in the X direction, two electric wires 100 routed from the electric wire connection port 43b to the outside. At this time, the first electric wire 100a is fitted into the first insertion hole 51a of the rear holder 50, and the second electric wire 100b is fitted into the second insertion hole 51b of the rear holder 50. Furthermore, the multiple engagement holes 52a provided in the annular frame 52 of the rear holder 50 each engage with one of the multiple first locking protrusions 43d provided in the electric wire connection port 43b. Thereafter, the shanks of the second bolts 73 are inserted into the bolt through holes 51c, and the second bolts 73 are tightened, thereby completing the attachment of the rear holder 50.

[0061] Next, each first bolt 71 is introduced into the interior of the tubular main body portion 43a through the connection opening 44 of the rear case 40. Subsequently, part of a tool used to tighten each first bolt 71 is introduced into the interior of the tubular main body portion 43a through the connection opening 44. Then, by tightening one of the first bolts 71, the first connection portion 70c of the first inner terminal 70a is connected to the base portion 12 of the first terminal 10a. Similarly, by tightening the other first bolt 71, the second connection portion 70f of the second inner terminal 70b is connected to the base portion 12 of the second terminal 10b. Then, the rear cover 60 is attached to the connection opening 44 while the tip of the connection opening 44 and the rear cover 60 are sealed with a packing 75. This completes the assembly process of the charging inlet 1 and ultimately the manufacturing process of the charging inlet 1.

[0062] Next, the effects of the charging inlet 1 will be described.

[0063] First, charging inlet 1, which connects to an external charging connector, includes multiple terminals 10 for supplying power that come into contact with external terminals of the charging connector, and inlet housing 20 that holds the multiple terminals 10. Charging inlet 1 includes a rear case 40 that is connected to inlet housing 20 and has wire connection ports 43b into which ends of multiple electric wires 100 corresponding to the terminals 10 are introduced. Charging inlet 1 also includes a rear holder 50 that is attached to wire connection ports 43b so as to close the openings of wire connection ports 43b with each electric wire 100 inserted through the wire connection ports 43b. Rear holder 50 is made of a metal material and has fins 53 that are exposed to the outside.

[0064] In the above example, the plurality of terminals 10 correspond to the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b, that is, two terminals 10. In the above example, the plurality of electric wires 100 correspond to the first electric wire 100a and the second electric wire 100b, that is, two electric wires 100.

[0065] Because the rear case 40 houses the ends of the electric wires 100 connected to the terminals 10, which generate a particularly large amount of heat during charging, the rear case 40 itself can become hot during charging. In response to this, in the charging inlet 1, a rear holder 50 made of metal and having fins 53 exposed to the outside is attached to the wire connection ports 43b of the rear case 40, through which the electric wires 100 are introduced. Therefore, with the charging inlet 1, the rear holder 50 can function as a heat sink for dissipating heat stored in the rear case 40 to the outside, thereby achieving higher heat dissipation performance without complicating the structure of the rear case 40. Furthermore, with the charging inlet 1, the rear holder 50 is provided separately from the rear case 40. By preparing various rear holders 50 with different shapes, sizes, etc., in advance, the rear holders 50 can be replaced as needed to meet the required heat dissipation performance.

[0066] As described above, this embodiment provides the charging inlet 1 that achieves heat dissipation performance with a simple structure. In another embodiment, if the connection opening 44 of the rear case 40 is already equipped with a cooling mechanism, the rear holder 50 can be additionally employed to further improve heat dissipation performance.

[0067] In addition, in the charging inlet 1, the metal material forming the rear holder 50 may be an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy.

[0068] According to the charging inlet 1, the rear holder 50 is made of a material with excellent thermal conductivity, and therefore the heat dissipation performance of the rear holder 50 can be further improved.

[0069] Furthermore, in charging inlet 1, rear holder 50 may have a plurality of insertion holes for inserting a corresponding one of electric wires 100 therethrough, and each insertion hole may be divided into two or more separate holes.

[0070] Here, in the above example, the multiple insertion hole portions correspond to two insertion hole portions: a first insertion hole portion 51a through which the first electric wire 100a is inserted, and a second insertion hole portion 51b through which the second electric wire 100b is inserted.

[0071] According to the charging inlet 1, the divided parts can be combined to sandwich two electric wires 100 routed from the electric wire connection port 43b to the outside, thereby attaching the rear holder 50 to the electric wire connection port 43b. This facilitates the attachment of the rear holder 50 to the electric wire connection port 43b, which in turn facilitates the replacement of the rear holder 50. Note that, although the above description illustrates a case in which the rear holder 50 is divided into two parts, the first holder structure 50a and the second holder structure 50b, the rear holder 50 may be divided into three or more parts if the overall shape of the rear holder 50 is more unique.

[0072] In the charging inlet 1, as an example, when the direction toward the external charging connector, i.e., the protruding direction of the multiple terminals 10, is defined as the X direction, the routing direction of the multiple electric wires 100 from the rear case 40 is along the Y direction, which is a roughly horizontal direction. However, the embodiment of the charging inlet 1 is not limited to this. For example, even if the posture of the inlet housing 20 of the charging inlet 1 is the same as the above example, the routing direction of the multiple electric wires 100 from the rear case 40 may be along the direction opposite to the Z direction, which is a roughly vertical direction.

[0073] The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-097565 (filing date: June 17, 2024) are incorporated herein by reference.

[0074] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims.

[0075] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Charging inlet 10 Terminal 10a First terminal 10b Second terminal 20 Inlet housing 40 Rear case 43b Electric wire connection port 50 Rear holder 51a First insertion hole 51b Second insertion hole 53 Fin 100 Electric wire 100a First electric wire 100b Second electric wire

Claims

1. A charging inlet for connecting an external charging connector, comprising: a plurality of terminals for supplying power that come into contact with external terminals of the charging connector; an inlet housing that holds the plurality of terminals; a rear case that is connected to the inlet housing and has an electric wire connection port through which ends of a plurality of electric wires corresponding to the terminals are introduced; and a rear holder that is attached to the electric wire connection port so as to close the opening of the electric wire connection port while each of the electric wires is inserted through the electric wire connection port, wherein the rear holder is made of a metal material and has fins exposed to the outside.

2. The charging inlet according to claim 1, wherein the metal material forming the rear holder is an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy.

3. A charging inlet as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear holder has a plurality of insertion holes for inserting a corresponding one of the electric wires, and each of the insertion holes is divided into two or more.

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