Cap, and unit with cap

Abstract

A cap (1) includes a main body portion (30) that is fitted into an opening portion (21), and a manipulation portion (40) that protrudes from the main body portion (30). The main body portion (30) includes: an annular portion (34) that faces an opening inner peripheral surface (21a) of the opening portion (21); a supporting portion (31) that has a plate shape extending in a direction intersecting the protrusion direction of the manipulation portion (40) and that has one plate surface to which the manipulation portion (40) is connected; and a transmission portion (35) that is connected to the other plate surface of the supporting portion (31) and is connected to the annular inner surface of the annular portion (34).

Description

Cap and capped unit

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap that is to be removably attached to an opening of an attachment target, and a capped unit that uses the cap.

[0002] Charging connectors have been proposed for supplying power from outside the vehicle (charging) a battery mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. This type of connector is generally also called a charging inlet (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-026288

[0004] The conventional charging inlet described above has an opening where terminals are provided and a hinged lid for exposing or sealing the opening as needed. From the perspective of simplifying the charging inlet, it is conceivable to replace the hinged lid with a cap that can be attached to or detached from the opening. However, generally, the task of separating the cap from the opening tends to be more difficult than the task of fitting the cap into the opening. This is because, in the former task, it is easy for an operator to apply force to the cap to push the cap into the opening, whereas in the latter task, it is difficult for an operator to apply force to the cap to pull it out of the opening. For these reasons, there is a demand for a cap that can be easily separated from the opening of a charging inlet while retaining its original functionality (e.g., dustproofness, waterproofness, etc.). Furthermore, as can be understood from this description, it is desirable for a cap to combine its original functionality with the ability to be easily separated from any opening to which it is attached, regardless of the charging inlet.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cap that can be easily separated from an opening to which it is attached while retaining its original function as a cap, and a capped unit that uses the cap.

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, the cap is a cap that is to be removably attached to an opening of an attachment object, and comprises a main body portion that is to be fitted into the opening, and an operating portion that protrudes from the main body portion and extends outward from the opening, the main body portion having an annular portion that faces the inner peripheral surface of the opening, a support portion that has a plate shape that extends in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the operating portion and has one plate surface to which the operating portion is connected, and a transmission portion that is connected to the other plate surface of the support portion and is connected to the inner ring surface of the annular portion.

[0007] In another aspect of the present invention, a capped unit includes: the cap described above; and an attachment object having an opening to which the cap is attached.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a connector and a cap constituting a capped connector according to an embodiment of the present invention are separated. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the cap shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cap shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the rear. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 in a state in which a forward external force is applied to the operating unit.

[0009] A capped connector 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a cap 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1 , the capped connector 3 is composed of the cap 1 and a connector 2 to which the cap 1 is attached. The connector 2 is installed in a vehicle such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, and is connected to an electric wire extending from a battery mounted on the vehicle. The connector 2 is also called a charging inlet. By mating a mating connector (a so-called charging gun) with the mating recess 21 of the connector 2 (see FIG. 1 ), power is supplied to the battery from outside the vehicle, thereby charging the battery.

[0010] For the sake of convenience, the following definitions are used for the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upper," and "lower," as shown in FIG. 1 and elsewhere. The "front-rear direction," "left-right direction," and "upper-lower direction" are perpendicular to one another. The front-rear direction coincides with the mating direction of the connector 2 and the mating connector (not shown). The front side of the mating direction (the side approaching the mating connector) from the perspective of the connector 2 is referred to as the "front side," and the release side of the mating direction (the side moving away from the mating connector) from the perspective of the connector 2 is referred to as the "rear side." Note that the "front-rear direction," "left-right direction," and "upper-lower direction" are defined merely for the sake of convenience, and do not necessarily correspond to the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and upper-lower direction of the vehicle when the connector 2 is mounted on the vehicle.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the connector 2 to which the cap 1 is attached includes a pair of left and right terminals 10 and a housing 20 that accommodates the pair of left and right terminals 10. One ends of a pair of left and right electric wires 4 are connected to the pair of left and right metal terminals (female terminals) 10, respectively. The other ends of the pair of left and right electric wires 4 are connected to, for example, a battery (not shown). In this example, the housing 20 is formed by combining multiple resin parts, etc., but it may also be formed from a single resin part.

[0012] A mating recess 21 that opens forward and is recessed rearward is defined at the front end of the housing 20. In this example, the mating recess 21 is a recess that has a circular shape when viewed from the front. The housing 20 is provided with a pair of cylindrical terminal accommodating portions 22 that protrude forward within the mating recess 21 and correspond to the pair of left and right terminals 10. Each terminal accommodating portion 22 has an internal space that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction. The pair of left and right terminals 10 are accommodated in the pair of left and right terminal accommodating portions 22 of the housing 20, respectively. By mating a mating connector with the mating recess 21 of the housing 20, a pair of left and right male terminals (not shown) belonging to the mating connector are connected to the pair of left and right terminals 10, respectively, and power is supplied to the battery from outside the vehicle.

[0013] The cap 1 is a part that is removably fitted into the mating recess 21 of the housing 20, and by being fitted into the mating recess 21 and covering the opening of the mating recess 21, it serves the functions of protecting the pair of left and right terminals 10 located within the mating recess 21, as well as preventing dust from entering the mating recess 21.

[0014] The cap 1 is typically made of elastomer (or rubber) and is an elastically deformable molded body. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the cap 1 is composed of a main body 30 that fits into the fitting recess 21 to cover the opening of the fitting recess 21, and an operating part 40 that protrudes forward from the main body 30 and extends outward from the fitting recess 21.

[0015] 2 to 4 , the main body 30 includes a flat, disc-shaped central wall 31 extending in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, a tapered wall 32 extending obliquely from the entire circumference of the outer periphery of the central wall 31 toward the front and radially outward, an annular flange 33 extending radially outward from the entire circumference of the outer periphery of the tapered wall 32, and a substantially cylindrical annular portion 34 extending rearward from the entire circumference of the outer periphery of the tapered wall 32. When the cap 1 is attached to the fitting recess 21, the central wall 31 and the tapered wall 32 cover the opening of the fitting recess 21, the annular flange 33 faces the end face (front end face) 21 b of the opening edge of the fitting recess 21, and the annular portion 34 faces the inner circumferential surface 21 a of the opening of the fitting recess 21 (see also FIG. 5 ).

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , the main body 30 further includes a cylindrical protrusion 35 that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the central wall 31. The cylindrical protrusion 35 has a cylindrical, elongated, hole-like shape that is vertically long when viewed from the rear, and both upper and lower ends of the cylindrical protrusion 35 are connected to the inner ring surface of the annular portion 34. In the front-rear direction, the position of the protruding end (rear end) of the cylindrical protrusion 35 coincides with the position of the opening end (rear end) 34a of the annular portion 34 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 , etc.). Therefore, both upper and lower ends of the cylindrical protrusion 35 are also connected to the opening end 34a of the annular portion 34. The hollow portion of the cylindrical protrusion 35 penetrates in the front-rear direction, and the front end opening of the cylindrical protrusion 35 is formed in the central wall 31. A pair of left and right recesses 36 are formed in the vertical center of the pair of left and right outer surfaces of the cylindrical protrusion 35 that extend in the vertical direction. The pair of left and right recesses 36 function as relief portions to prevent interference between the cylindrical protrusion 35 and the pair of left and right terminal accommodating portions 22 when the cap 1 is attached to the fitting recess 21 .

[0017] The operating portion 40 is a portion that is operated (external force is applied) by a user's finger or the like when attaching or detaching the cap 1 to or from the fitting recess 21 of the housing 20. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , the operating portion 40 has a cylindrical portion 41 that protrudes forward from the front surface of the central wall portion 31 of the main body portion 30. The cylindrical portion 41 has a cylindrical shape that is elongated in the vertical direction when viewed from the front, corresponding to the cylindrical protrusion 35 of the main body portion 30. As can be seen from FIGS. 2 to 5 , the cylindrical portion 41 of the operating portion 40 and the cylindrical protrusion 35 of the main body portion 30 are positioned facing each other with the central wall portion 31 in between. In other words, substantially the entire connection region (vertically elongated frame-like region) between the tubular portion 41 and the central wall portion 31 overlaps substantially the entire connection region (vertically elongated frame-like region) between the tubular protrusion 35 and the central wall portion 31, allowing the tubular portion 41 of the operating unit 40 and the tubular protrusion 35 of the main body portion 30 to interlock integrally with each other across the central wall portion 31 as if they were a single continuous part. The opening at the protruding end (front end) of the tubular portion 41 is closed by a flat connecting portion 43 extending vertically, while the rear end of the tubular portion 41 opens in the central wall portion 31. Thus, the hollow portions of the tubular portion 41 and the hollow portions of the tubular protrusion 35 communicate with each other in the longitudinal direction (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). The tubular portion 41 includes a pair of left and right plate-like portions 44 each having a substantially rectangular, flat shape and extending longitudinally. The pair of left and right plate-like portions 44 are portions that are actually operated (external force is applied) by the user's fingers or the like when attaching or detaching the cap 1 to or from the fitting recess 21 of the housing 20 .

[0018] When fitting the cap 1 into the fitting recess 21 of the housing 20, the user pinches the pair of left and right plate-like portions 44 of the operating portion 40 of the cap 1 with their fingers, and in this state, pushes the cap 1 into the fitting recess 21 (applying a rearward external force to the operating portion 40) so that the annular portion 34 of the main body 30 is inserted into the fitting recess 21 until the annular flange portion 33 of the main body 30 abuts against the end face (front end face) 21b of the opening edge of the fitting recess 21. This allows the cap 1 to be fitted into the fitting recess 21 (see FIG. 5 ).

[0019] On the other hand, when the cap 1 is fitted into the fitting recess 21 of the housing 20, the user can pinch the pair of left and right plate-like portions 44 of the cap 1 with their fingers and, in this state, apply a forward external force to the operating portion 40, thereby removing (separating) the cap 1 from the fitting recess 21. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6 , when the user pinches the pair of left and right plate-like portions 44 with their fingers and pulls the cap 1 forward, a forward external force (a direction away from the fitting recess 21) is applied to the operating portion 40. The external force is applied to the central wall portion 31 connected to the operating portion 40 through the operating portion 40, causing the central wall portion 31 to elastically deform so as to be displaced forward (see the black arrow in Fig. 6 ), and the external force is applied through the cylindrical protrusion 35 to the annular portion 34 connected to the central wall portion 31 via the cylindrical protrusion 35. As a result, the annular portion 34 is displaced in a direction away from the opening inner surface 21a of the fitting recess 21 (see the white arrow in Figure 6), allowing the cap 1 to be easily and properly separated from the fitting recess 21.

[0020] As described above, with the cap 1 and capped connector 3 according to this embodiment, the main body 30 of the cap 1 is fitted into the mating recess 21 of the attachment target (connector 2), thereby sealing the mating recess 21. This allows the cap 1 to perform its intended functions (e.g., dustproofness, waterproofness, etc.). Furthermore, the cap 1 attached to the mating recess 21 of the attachment target (connector 2) can be separated from the mating recess 21 by a user applying an external force for separation to the operation portion 40 protruding from the main body 30 of the cap 1. Specifically, when an external force is applied to the operation portion 40 in the protruding direction (e.g., when the user pinches and pulls the operation portion 40 with their fingers), the external force is applied to the central wall portion 31 of the main body 30 through the operation portion 40, causing the central wall portion 31 to elastically deform, and the external force is applied to the annular portion 34 of the main body 30 through the cylindrical protrusion 35. This causes the annular portion 34 to be displaced away from the opening inner peripheral surface 21a of the fitting recess 21, making it possible to easily separate the cap 1 from the fitting recess 21. Therefore, the cap 1 and the capped connector 3 according to this embodiment can be properly separated from the fitting recess 21 of the connector 2 to which the cap 1 is attached.

[0021] Furthermore, in the cap 1 according to this embodiment, the operating portion 40 and the cylindrical protrusion 35 are positioned facing each other with the central wall portion 31 in between. In other words, the operating portion 40 and the cylindrical protrusion 35 can move together as if they were a single continuous part with the central wall portion 31 in between. This allows an external force applied to the operating portion 40 to be efficiently transmitted to the annular portion 34 via the transmission portion. This makes it even easier to separate the cap 1.

[0022] Furthermore, in the cap 1 according to this embodiment, the cylindrical protrusion 35 is connected to the open end 34a of the annular portion 34 within the fitting recess 21. This allows an external force to be transmitted to the open end 34a of the annular portion 34 via the cylindrical protrusion 35, causing the annular portion 34 to be significantly displaced in a direction away from the open inner circumferential surface 21a of the fitting recess 21. This further facilitates the task of separating the cap 1.

[0023] It should be noted that 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 modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited thereto.

[0024] For example, in the above embodiment, the cylindrical portion 41 of the operating unit 40 and the cylindrical protrusion 35 of the main body 30 are disposed in positions facing each other across the central wall 31. In contrast, as long as the cylindrical portion 41 of the operating unit 40 is connected to the front surface of the central wall 31 and the cylindrical protrusion 35 of the main body 30 is connected to the rear surface of the central wall 31 and the inner ring surface of the annular portion 34, the cylindrical portion 41 of the operating unit 40 and the cylindrical protrusion 35 of the main body 30 do not have to be disposed in positions facing each other across the central wall 31. For example, the main body 30 may be configured so that the cylindrical portion 41 of the operating unit 40 extends in the up-down direction and the cylindrical protrusion 35 of the main body 30 extends in the left-right direction.

[0025] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the position of the protruding end (rear end) of the tubular protruding portion 35 in the front-rear direction coincides with the position of the opening end (rear end) 34a of the annular portion 34, so that both upper and lower ends of the tubular protruding portion 35 are connected to the opening end 34a of the annular portion 34. In contrast, the position of the protruding end (rear end) of the tubular protruding portion 35 in the front-rear direction is located forward of the opening end (rear end) 34a of the annular portion 34 (i.e., midway in the front-rear direction), so that both upper and lower ends of the tubular protruding portion 35 do not have to be connected to the opening end 34a of the annular portion 34.

[0026] Here, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the cap (1) is a cap (1) that is to be detachably attached to an opening (21) of an attachment object (2), and has a main body portion (30) that is to be fitted into the opening (21), and an operating portion (40) that protrudes from the main body portion (30) and extends outward from the opening (21), and the main body portion (30) has an annular portion (34) that faces the inner peripheral surface (21 a) of the opening (21), a support portion (31) that has a plate shape that extends in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the operating portion (40) and has one plate surface to which the operating portion (40) is connected, and a transmission portion (35) that is connected to the other plate surface of the support portion (31) and is connected to the inner ring surface of the annular portion (34).

[0027] According to the cap having the above configuration, the main body of the cap is fitted into the opening of the target, thereby sealing the opening. This allows the cap to fulfill its inherent functions (e.g., dustproofness, waterproofness, etc.). Furthermore, with the cap fitted into the opening, a user can apply an external force to the operating portion protruding from the main body of the cap, thereby separating the cap from the opening. More specifically, when an external force is applied to the operating portion (e.g., when a user pinches the operating portion with their fingers and attempts to pull it out in the protruding direction), the external force is applied to the support portion of the main body through the operating portion, deforming the support portion, and then to the annular portion of the main body through the transmission portion. That is, the external force is transmitted in the following order: operating portion, support portion, transmission portion, and annular portion. This causes the annular portion to displace away from the inner circumferential surface of the opening, allowing the cap to be easily separated from the opening. Therefore, the cap having this configuration can be easily separated from the opening of the target while retaining its inherent functions.

[0028] Furthermore, the operating section (40) and the transmission section (35) may be arranged to face each other with the support section (31) interposed therebetween.

[0029] With the cap configured as described above, the operating portion and the transmission portion are arranged to face each other across the support portion. In other words, the operating portion and the transmission portion can be interlocked as if they were a single, continuous part, sandwiching the support portion. This allows external force applied to the operating portion to be efficiently transmitted to the annular portion via the transmission portion. This further simplifies the process of separating the caps.

[0030] Furthermore, the transmission portion (35) may be connected to an open end (34a) of the annular portion (34) on the inner side of the opening (21).

[0031] With the cap configured as described above, the transmission part is connected to the opening end of the annular part on the inside of the opening. This allows the external force for removing the cap from the opening to be transmitted to the opening end of the annular part via the transmission part, allowing the annular part to be significantly displaced in a direction away from the inner circumferential surface of the opening. This further facilitates the task of separating the cap.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the capped unit (3) comprises the above-described cap (1) and an attachment object (2) having an opening (21) to which the cap (1) is attached.

[0033] According to the capped unit having the above configuration, the main body of the cap is fitted into the opening of the target to seal the opening. This allows the cap to fulfill its inherent functions (e.g., dustproofness, waterproofness, etc.). Furthermore, with the cap fitted into the opening, a user can apply an external force to the operating portion protruding from the main body of the cap to separate the cap from the opening. More specifically, by applying an external force to the operating portion protruding from the main body of the cap, the cap attached to the target opening can be separated from the opening. Specifically, when an external force is applied to the operating portion (e.g., when a user pinches the operating portion with their fingers and attempts to pull it out in the protruding direction), the external force is applied to the support portion of the main body through the operating portion, deforming the support portion, and the external force is applied to the annular portion of the main body through the transmission portion. That is, the external force is transmitted in the following order: the operating portion, the support portion, the transmission portion, and the annular portion. This causes the annular portion to displace away from the inner circumferential surface of the opening, allowing the cap to be easily separated from the opening. Therefore, the capped unit of this configuration can be easily separated from the opening to which it is attached while still retaining its original function as a cap.

[0034] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-104150) filed on June 27, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0035] The cap of the present invention can be easily separated from the opening of the object to which it is attached while retaining its original function as a cap, and the capped unit of the present invention uses this cap. The present invention having this effect can be used, for example, in a charging inlet for an automobile.

[0036] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Cap 2 Connector (attachment object) 3 Capped connector (capped unit) 21 Fitting recess (opening) 21a Opening inner peripheral surface 30 Main body 31 Central wall (supporting portion) 34 Annular portion 34a Opening end 35 Cylindrical protruding portion (transmitting portion) 40 Operating portion

Claims

1. A cap that is to be removably attached to an opening of an object to be attached, comprising: a main body that is to be fitted into the opening; and an operating part that protrudes from the main body and extends outwards from the opening, wherein the main body has: an annular part that faces the inner circumferential surface of the opening; a support part that has a plate shape that extends in a direction intersecting the protruding direction of the operating part, and the operating part is connected to one of the plate surfaces; and a transmission part that is connected to the other plate surface of the support part and is connected to the inner ring surface of the annular part.

2. A cap according to claim 1, wherein the operating section and the transmission section are arranged to face each other with the support section in between.

3. A cap according to claim 1, wherein the transmission portion is connected to an open end of the annular portion on the inner side of the opening.

4. A capped unit comprising: a cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and an attachment object having an opening to which the cap can be attached.

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