Cap, and unit with cap

Abstract

A cap (1) includes a main body portion (30) that is fitted into an opening portion (21). The main body portion (30) includes an annular portion (34) and a protruding portion (36) that comes into contact with an opening inner peripheral surface (21a). A pair of edge portions (36a) of the protruding portion (36) are connected to an outer peripheral surface (34b) of the annular portion (34), and a central portion (36b) sandwiched between the pair of edge portions (36a) has a bridge shape that is separated from the outer peripheral surface (34b), such that a gap (s) is formed between the protruding portion (36) and the outer peripheral surface (34b).

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 and detached to the opening. However, due to tolerances (so-called manufacturing variations) that inevitably occur during the cap manufacturing process and the hardness and elasticity of the material constituting the cap, it may be difficult to fit the cap into the opening or to separate the cap from the opening. For these reasons, there is a demand for a cap that can be easily attached and detached to 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 attached and detached to 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 attached to and detached from an opening to which it is attached while retaining the original function of 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, the main body portion having an annular portion that faces the inner peripheral surface of the opening, and a protrusion portion that is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the annular portion and comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the opening, and the protrusion portion has a gap between the protrusion portion and the outer peripheral 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 rear view of the cap shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of part A in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4, showing how the protruding portion of the cap comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the opening of the fitting recess when the cap is attached to the fitting recess of the housing.

[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, disk-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 (see FIG. 1 ) of the opening edge of the fitting recess 21, and the annular portion 34 faces the inner circumferential surface 21 a (see FIG. 7 ) of the opening of the fitting recess 21.

[0016] As shown in Figures 3 and 4 , 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 long in the vertical direction 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 Figure 3 ). 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.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the outer peripheral surface 34b of the annular portion 34 of the main body 30 is provided with a plurality of (four in this example) protrusions 36 that protrude radially outward from the annular portion 34 and are arranged at equal intervals around the annular portion 34. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , each protrusion 36 has a curved plate shape that extends along the circumferential direction of the annular portion 34 and has a substantially arc-shaped shape with a radius of curvature smaller than that of the outer peripheral surface 34b when viewed from the rear. The protrusions 36 also have a bridge shape in which a pair of edge portions 36a are connected to the outer peripheral surface 34b and a central portion 36b sandwiched between the pair of edge portions 36a is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface 34b. As a result, a gap s is defined between the central portion 36b of each protrusion 36 and the outer peripheral surface 34b (see also FIG. 6 ), and the protrusions 36 are elastically deformable radially inward from the annular portion 34 to narrow the gap s. 3 and 6, a front edge of the protrusion 36 extending along the circumferential direction of the annular portion 34 is connected to the annular flange portion 33 of the main body 30. A tapered surface 36c is formed on the rear edge of the central portion 36b of the protrusion 36, and is inclined in a direction moving forward as it moves radially outward of the annular portion 34, as shown in FIGS.

[0018] The diameter of an imaginary circle passing through the protruding ends of the multiple protrusions 36 (more specifically, the central portions 36b) is slightly larger than the diameter of the circle constituting the opening inner circumferential surface 21a of the fitting recess 21 of the housing 20. Therefore, when the cap 1 is attached to the fitting recess 21, each protrusion 36 elastically deforms slightly radially inward of the annular portion 34 to narrow the gap s, and its elastic restoring force maintains it in pressing contact with the opening inner circumferential surface 21a (see also FIG. 7). During the process of attaching the cap 1 to the fitting recess 21, the tapered surface 36c of each protrusion 36 functions to guide the end face 21b (see FIG. 1) of the opening edge of the fitting recess 21 so that the end face 21b moves toward the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 36.

[0019] 2 to 4, the outer peripheral surface 34b of the annular portion 34 of the main body 30 is further provided with a plurality of (two in this example) positioning protrusions 37 that protrude radially outward from the annular portion 34 and are spaced apart in positions in the circumferential direction of the annular portion 34 where the plurality of protrusions 36 are not provided. When the cap 1 is attached to the fitting recess 21, the plurality of positioning protrusions 37 are inserted into and accommodated in a plurality of (two in this example) positioning recesses 23 (see FIG. 7) formed on the opening inner peripheral surface 21a of the fitting recess 21 in correspondence with the plurality of positioning protrusions 37. This positions the cap 1 circumferentially relative to the housing 20 (connector 2).

[0020] 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 FIG. 2 , 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 , 3 , and 6 , the cylindrical portion 41 of the operating portion 40 and the cylindrical protrusion 35 of the main body portion 30 are positioned opposite 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 FIG. 6 ). 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 .

[0021] To fit 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 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. 7 ). When the cap 1 is attached to the fitting recess 21, as described above, each protrusion 36 elastically deforms slightly radially inward of the annular portion 34 to narrow the gap s, and its elastic restoring force presses against the opening inner circumferential surface 21a. In this way, the protrusion 36 elastically deforms toward the gap s, which can absorb manufacturing variations in the cap 1 and the housing 20, and even if the protrusion 36 is made of a high-hardness material, it is easier to deform than if there were no gap s. Therefore, no excessive external force is required when fitting the main body 30 into the fitting recess 21 as described above, or when removing the main body 30 from the fitting recess 21 as described below. Conversely, by increasing the contact area between the protrusion 36 and the opening inner circumferential surface 21a of the fitting recess 21 (the so-called contact allowance), the cap 1 can be stably held in the fitting recess 21 without requiring excessive external force.

[0022] 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 unit 40, thereby removing (separating) the cap 1 from the fitting recess 21. Specifically, 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 unit 40. The external force is applied through the operating unit 40 to the central wall portion 31 connected to the operating unit 40, causing the central wall portion 31 to elastically deform so as to be displaced forward, 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 circumferential surface 21 a of the fitting recess 21 , so that the cap 1 can be easily and properly separated from the fitting recess 21 .

[0023] 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 housing 20, thereby sealing the mating recess 21. This allows the cap 1 to perform its intended functions (e.g., dustproofness, waterproofness, etc.). At this time, the protrusion 36 provided on the outer peripheral surface 34b of the annular portion 34 of the main body 30 contacts the opening inner peripheral surface 21a of the mating recess 21. Because a gap s exists between the protrusion 36 and the outer peripheral surface 34b of the annular portion 34, the protrusion 36 elastically deforms toward the gap s, thereby absorbing manufacturing variations. Even if the protrusion 36 is made of a high-hardness material, it deforms more easily than if there was no gap s. Therefore, excessive external force is not required when fitting the main body 30 into the mating recess 21 or when removing the main body 30 from the mating recess 21. Conversely, by increasing the contact area between the protrusion 36 and the opening inner peripheral surface 21a of the fitting recess 21 (so-called contact allowance), the cap 1 can be stably held in the fitting recess 21 without requiring excessive external force. Therefore, the cap 1 and capped connector 3 according to this embodiment can be easily attached to and detached from the fitting recess 21 of the housing 20 while retaining the original function of the cap 1.

[0024] Furthermore, in the cap 1 according to this embodiment, the protrusion 36 has a plate-like, bridge-like shape, which allows the central portion 36b of the protrusion 36 to elastically deform toward the gap s when it comes into contact with the opening inner circumferential surface 21a of the fitting recess 21.

[0025] Furthermore, with the cap 1 according to this embodiment, when the cap 1 is fitted into the fitting recess 21, the user can apply an external force to the operating portion 40 protruding from the main body portion 30 of the cap 1 to separate the cap 1 from the fitting recess 21 (for example, by the user pinching the operating portion 40 with their fingers and pulling it out in the protruding direction).

[0026] 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.

[0027] Here, in the embodiment of the present invention described above, the cap (1) is a cap (1) that is to be detachably attached to an opening (21) of an attachment object (2), and includes a main body portion (30) that is to be fitted into the opening (21), the main body portion (30) having an annular portion (34) that faces an opening inner peripheral surface (21 a) of the opening (21), and a protrusion portion (36) that is provided on an outer peripheral surface (34 b) of the annular portion (34) and that comes into contact with the opening inner peripheral surface (21 a), and the protrusion portion (36) has a gap (s) between the protrusion portion (36) and the outer peripheral surface (34 b) of the annular portion (34).

[0028] According to the cap having the above configuration, the cap's main body is fitted into the opening of the target, sealing the opening. This allows the cap to perform its intended functions (e.g., dustproofness, waterproofness, etc.). At this time, the protrusions on the outer surface of the annular portion of the main body come into contact with the inner surface of the opening. Because a gap exists between the protrusions and the outer surface of the annular portion, the protrusions elastically deform toward the gap, absorbing manufacturing variations. Furthermore, even when the protrusions are made of a high-hardness material, they deform more easily than when there is no gap. Therefore, no excessive external force is required when fitting the main body into the opening or removing the main body from the opening. Conversely, by increasing the contact area between the protrusions and the inner surface of the opening (i.e., the so-called contact margin), the cap can be stably held in the opening without requiring excessive external force. Therefore, the cap of this configuration can be easily attached and detached from the target opening while maintaining its intended function.

[0029] Furthermore, the protrusion (36) may have a plate-like shape having a pair of edge portions (36a), and the pair of edge portions (36a) may be connected to the outer peripheral surface (34b) of the annular portion (34), and a central portion (36b) of the protrusion (36) sandwiched between the pair of edge portions (36a) may have a bridge shape that is separated from the outer peripheral surface (34b), thereby forming the gap (s).

[0030] According to the cap having the above configuration, the protruding portion has a bridge-like shape, which allows the central portion of the protruding portion to easily elastically deform toward the gap when the central portion contacts the inner circumferential surface of the opening.

[0031] Furthermore, the device may further include an operating portion (40) that protrudes from the main body portion (30) and extends outward from the opening portion (21).

[0032] With the cap of the above configuration, when the cap is fitted into the opening, the user can apply an external force to the operating part that protrudes from the main body of the cap to separate the cap from the opening (for example, the user can pinch the operating part with their fingers and pull it out in the protruding direction).

[0033] 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.

[0034] According to the capped unit having the above configuration, the cap's main body is fitted into the opening of the target, sealing the opening. This allows the cap to perform its intended functions (e.g., dustproofness, waterproofness, etc.). At this time, the protrusions on the outer surface of the annular portion of the main body come into contact with the inner surface of the opening. Because a gap exists between the protrusions and the outer surface of the annular portion, the protrusions elastically deform toward the gap, absorbing manufacturing variations. Furthermore, even when the protrusions are made of a high-hardness material, they deform more easily than when there is no gap. Therefore, no excessive external force is required when fitting the main body into the opening or removing the main body from the opening. Conversely, by increasing the contact area between the protrusions and the inner surface of the opening (i.e., the contact margin), the cap can be stably held in the opening without requiring excessive external force. Therefore, the capped unit having this configuration can be easily attached to and detached from the target opening while still maintaining its intended function as a cap.

[0035] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-104151) filed on June 27, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0036] The cap of the present invention can be easily attached to and detached 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.

[0037] 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 34 Annular portion 34b Outer peripheral surface 36 Protruding portion 36a Edge portion 36b Central portion 40 Operating portion s Gap

Claims

1. A cap to be removably attached to an opening of an object to be attached to, comprising a main body to be fitted into the opening, the main body having an annular portion to face the inner peripheral surface of the opening, and a protruding portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the annular portion to come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the opening, the protruding portion having a gap between the protruding portion and the outer peripheral surface of the annular portion.

2. A cap as described in claim 1, wherein the protrusion has a plate-like shape with a pair of edges, and the pair of edges are connected to the outer peripheral surface of the annular portion, and the central portion of the protrusion, which is sandwiched between the pair of edges, has a bridge shape that is separated from the outer peripheral surface, thereby providing the gap.

3. A cap according to claim 1, further comprising an operating portion that protrudes from said main body portion and extends outward from said 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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