Patent Grant
11081817
This disclosure relates to a connector.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-104415 discloses a connector with two cavities capable of accommodating two terminals for supplying power to an in-vehicle device. A locking lance projects from an inner wall of the cavity and engages the terminal inserted into the cavity to prevent the terminal from coming out from the housing.
In a connector 9 described in FIG. 10 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-104415 shows a connector 9 with two terminals 91. One end of each terminal 91 shown in FIG. 10 is inserted into a cavity and the other end projects out from the housing. A connecting portion 911 is formed on a projecting end part of the terminal 91 is widened to project toward both sides in an arrangement direction of the terminals 91. The projecting end part of the terminal 91 includes a bolt inserting portion 912. The terminal 91 is connected to another conductive member by inserting a bolt through the bolt inserting portion 912.
The connecting portions 911 of the two terminals 91 shown in FIG. 10 may be too close to each other in the arrangement direction Y when accuracy in mounting the terminals 91 into the housing 92 or the molding accuracy of the housing 92 is low. Thus, there is room for improvement in terms of ensuring electrical insulation between the terminals 91.
The terminals 91 could be positioned farther apart in the arrangement direction Y to ensure insulation between the terminals 91. However, moving the terminals 91 farther apart in the arrangement direction Y enlarges the connector 9. Reducing a width of each terminal 91 in the arrangement direction Y could increase an interval between the terminals without enlarging the connector 9. However, an electrical resistance value of each terminal 91 may increase as a cross-sectional area of the terminal 91 decreases.
This disclosure was made in view of such a problem and aims to provide a connector capable of ensuring electrical insulation between two terminals without enlarging the connector and without increasing an electrical resistance value of each terminal.
One aspect of this disclosure is directed to a connector with a housing, and first and second terminals disposed side by side to be parallel to each other. One end of each of the first and second terminals is inserted into the housing while the other end thereof projects from the housing. Each of the first and second terminals includes a base projecting from the housing and a connecting portion that is wider than the base toward both sides in an arrangement direction of the first and second terminals. The connecting portion includes a bolt inserting portion. The connecting portion of the first terminal is farther from the housing than the connecting portion of the second terminal. The base includes a flat plate having a thickness in a direction orthogonal to both the arrangement direction of the first and second terminals and the terminal forming direction along the first and second terminals. A side part of the base of the first terminal adjacent to the connecting portion of the second terminal in the arrangement direction is bent with respect to the flat plate.
The connecting portions of the first and second terminals are at positions deviated from each other in the terminal forming direction. Thus, the two connecting portions can be prevented from being too close to each other, which would occur if the connecting portions were side-by-side in the arrangement direction. In this way, electrical insulation between the first and second terminals is ensured.
As described above, an interval between outer sides of the first and second terminals in the arrangement direction (i.e. a length in the arrangement direction from an end part of the first terminal opposite to the second terminal to an end part of the second terminal opposite to the first terminal) can be reduced by forming the connecting portions of the first and second terminals at positions deviated from each other in the terminal forming direction. However, this approach also brings the connecting portion of the second terminal closer the base of the first terminal in the arrangement direction, and electrical insulation between the first and second terminals may be reduced.
Accordingly, the side part of the base of the first terminal adjacent to the connecting portion of the second terminal in the arrangement direction is bent with respect to the flat plate. In this way, an interval between the connecting portion of the second terminal and the base of the first terminal in the arrangement direction is secured without increasing the interval between outer sides of the first and second terminals. Thus, insulation between the terminals is ensured without enlarging the connector. Further, the base of the first terminal can be formed by bending without reducing a cross-sectional area orthogonal to the terminal forming direction. Therefore, an increase in an electrical resistance value of the entire first terminal is avoided.
As described above, the connector ensures electrical insulation between two terminals without enlarging the connector or increasing an electrical resistance value of each terminal.
An embodiment of a connector is described using
A connector 1 of this embodiment includes a housing 2, a first terminal 31 and a second terminal 32, as shown in
The first and second terminals 31, 32 are disposed side by side to be parallel to each other. One end side of each of the first and second terminals 31, 32 is inserted into the housing 2 and the other end side thereof projects from the housing 2.
Each of the first and second terminals 31, 32 includes a base 33 and a connecting portion 34. The base 33 projects from the housing 2. The connecting portion 34 is wider than the base 33 toward both sides in an arrangement direction of the first and second terminals 31, 32 (hereinafter, referred to as a “Y direction”) and has a bolt inserting portion.
The connecting portion 34 of the first terminal 31 projects farther from the housing 2 than the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 in a terminal forming direction (hereinafter, referred to as an “X direction”) along the first and second terminals 31, 32.
The base portion 33 includes a flat plate 330 in the form of a flat plate having a thickness in a direction orthogonal to both the Y direction and the X direction (hereinafter, referred to as a “Z direction”). The base 33 of the first terminal 31 is shaped such that a side part (bent portion 36 to be described later) on a side adjacent to the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 in the Y direction is bent with respect to the flat plate 330.
In this embodiment, the first and second terminals 31, 32 may collectively be called terminals 3 unless otherwise noted. An end toward which the first and second terminals 31, 32 project from the housing 2 in the X direction is referred to as an X1 end and an opposite end thereof is referred to as an X2 end. A radial direction of the connector 1 centered on a center axis of the connector 1 extending in the X direction merely is referred to as a radial direction. A center axis area of the connector 1 in the radial direction is referred to as an inner peripheral side, and an opposite side thereof is referred to as an outer peripheral side.
[Connector 1]
As shown in
[Housing 2]
The housing 2 is made of resin having electrical insulation. As shown in
As shown in
An internal space of the mounting portion 21 is open on the X2 end, and an unillustrated mating connector is fit into the mounting portion 21 from the X2 end. With the mating connector connected to the connector 1, the X2 ends of the first and second terminals 31, 32 exposed in the mounting portion 21 are connected electrically to terminals of the mating connector. The terminal inserting portion 22 projects toward the X2 end in the mounting portion 21.
As shown in
The cavities 221 are open on the X1 side, and the terminals 3 are inserted therein from the X1 end. Specifically, the first terminal 31 is inserted into one of the two cavities 221 and the second terminal 32 is inserted into the other.
As shown in
The terminal 3 is inserted into the cavity 221 while deflecting the locking lance 222 in the Z direction. When the terminal 3 is inserted to a predetermined position in the cavity 221, the locking lance 222 is inserted into a through hole formed in the terminal 3 due to a resilient restoring force. In this way, the locking lance 222 prevents the terminal 3 inserted to the predetermined position of the cavity 221 from coming out from the cavity 221.
As shown in
The flange 23 projects more toward the outer peripheral side than the mounting portion 21 and the terminal inserting portion 22. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
[Terminals 3]
The first and second terminals 31, 32 are to be connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the power supply, and a potential difference between these is a high potential difference of, e.g. about 600 V. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A part of each of the first and second terminals 31, 32 projecting from the cavity 221 includes the base 33 and the connecting portion 34 successively from the X2 side. The base 33 is a rectangular plate long in the X direction and having a thickness in the Z direction, and the bent portion 36 bent in the Z direction from the flat plate 330.
As shown in
The first terminal 31 is bent only at a part of the base 33 on the side of the second terminal 32 in the Y direction, and the second terminal 32 is bent only at a part of the base 33 on the side of the first terminal 31 in the Y direction. In this way, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The bent portion 36 does not project more than the connecting portion 34 in the Y direction. Specifically, the bent portion 36 is located within a formation region of the connecting portion 34 in the Y direction.
The connecting portion 34 extends toward the X1 side from an X1 side end part of the flat plate portion 330. The connecting portion 34 is formed on the X1 side end part of the terminal 3. As shown in
The connecting portions 34 of the first and second terminals 31, 32 are at positions deviated from each other in the X direction. The connecting portion 34 of the first terminal 31 is at the position closer to the X1 end than the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32. In this way, the connecting portion 34 of the first terminal 31 and the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 are formed side by side in a direction oblique to both the X direction and the Y direction. As shown in
The connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 is formed side by side with the base 33 of the first terminal 31 in the Y direction. The position of the X1 end of the second terminal 32 and that of the X2 end of the first terminal 31 are equivalent in the X direction.
[Shield Shell 5]
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The resilient contact piece 52 is formed by being folded from an X1 end part of the shell body 51 toward the X2 side. The resilient contact piece 52 is cantilevered on the X1 end part of the shell body 51 and is radially deflectable. The resilient contact piece 52 is formed to bulge arcuately toward the outer peripheral side, and a top part thereof is struck toward the outer periphery side to form a contact point 521. The resilient contact pieces 52 are pressed resiliently into contact with the inner surface of the arrangement hole 131 of the case 13 with the connector 1 fastened to the case 13. The case 13 is a conductor and the shield shell 5 is grounded (earthed) to the case 13 by mounting the connector 1 on the case 13.
As described above, a high voltage of about 600 V is applied and a relatively large current flows between the first and second terminals 31, 32. Thus, noise may be radiated to the surrounding area from the first and second terminals 31, 32. However, the shield shell 5 surrounding the first and second terminals 31, 32 prevents leakage of noise radiated from the terminals 3 to the outside.
Next, functions and effects of this embodiment are described.
The connecting portion 34 of the first terminal 31 in the connector 1 projects farther from the housing 2 than the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 in the X direction. Specifically, the connecting portions 34 of the first and second terminals 31, 32 are at the positions deviated from each other in the X direction. Thus, the two connecting portions 34 can be prevented from being excessively near each other despite the side-by-side arrangement of the connecting portions 34 in the Y direction. In this way, electrical insulation between the first and second terminals 31, 32 is easily ensured.
If it is desired to reduce an interval between outer sides of the first and second terminals 31, 32 in the Y direction by forming the connecting portions 34 of the first and second terminals 31, 32 at positions deviated from each other in the X direction, the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 and the base 33 of the first terminal 31 become closer to each other in the Y direction and electrical insulation between the first and second terminals 31, 32 may be reduced.
Accordingly, the side part of the base 33 of the first terminal 31 adjacent to the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 in the Y direction is bent with respect to the flat plate 330. In this way, an interval between the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 and the base 33 of the first terminal 31 in the Y direction is secured without increasing the interval between the outer sides of the first and second terminals 31, 32. Thus, insulation between the first and second terminals 31, 32 is ensured without enlargement. Further, the base 33 is formed by bending without reducing a cross-sectional area orthogonal to the X direction. Therefore, an electrical resistance value of the entire first terminal 31 is not increased.
Further, the part of the base 33 of the first terminal 31 adjacent to the connecting portion 34 of the second terminal 32 in the Y direction has an L-shaped cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the X direction. Specifically, the first terminal 31 is bent only at the part of the base 33 on the side of the second terminal 32 in the Y direction. Therefore, productivity of the first terminal 31 is improved as compared to the case where the first terminal 31 is bent on both sides in the Y direction.
Further, the side part (bent portion 36) of the base 33 of the second terminal 32 adjacent to the first terminal 31 in the Y direction is bent with respect to the flat plate 330. That is, in this embodiment, each of the first and second terminals 31, 32 is bent. Therefore, the first and second terminals 31, 32 are not too close to each other in the Y direction and electrical insulation between the first and second terminals 31, 32 is ensured.
As described above, this embodiment provides a connector capable of ensuring electrical insulation between terminals while suppressing enlargement and an increase in an electrical resistance value of each terminal.
This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the shapes of bases 33 as shown in
In this embodiment, a flat plate 330 of the base 33 of a first terminal 31 includes projecting portions 331 projecting toward a side opposite to a second terminal 32 in the Y direction on parts that are end parts on a side opposite to the second terminal 32 in the Y direction and adjacent to both sides of a bent portion 36 in the X direction. Similarly, a flat plate 330 of the base 33 of the second terminal 32 includes projecting portions 331 projecting toward a side opposite to the first terminal 31 in the Y direction on parts that are end parts on a side opposite to the first terminal 31 in the Y direction and adjacent to both sides of a bent portion 36 in the X direction. In this way, the side of the flat plate 330 of the base 33 opposite to the bent portion 36 in the Y direction is recessed in the Y direction.
The other configuration is the same as in the first embodiment.
Note that, out of reference signs used in the second and subsequent embodiments, the same reference signs as those used in the previous embodiment denote the same constituent elements or the like as those of the previous embodiment unless otherwise noted.
A connector 1 of this embodiment includes the projecting portions 331. This can prevent a cross-sectional area orthogonal to the X direction from becoming smaller in regions in the X direction of the base 33 other than a region where the bent 36 is formed. In this way, it is possible to suppress an increase of electrical resistivity due to a small cross-section of the terminal 3 orthogonal to the X direction in a part in the X direction.
Other functions and effects are the same as in the first embodiment.
The present invention is not limited to the above respective embodiments and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the gist thereof. For example, although the parts of the terminals projecting from the housing are formed straight in one direction, these parts may be bent. In this case, the terminal forming direction indicates a bending direction along the terminals.
Further, although the connecting portion has the circular shape, there is no limitation to this and another shape such as a rectangular shape or U shape can also be employed.
Further, although the bent portion of the first terminal and the bent portion of the second terminal are bent toward the same side, these may be bent toward sides opposite to each other.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2019-022192 | Feb 2019 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6815610 | Kuboshima | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 8192212 | Casses | Jun 2012 | B2 |
| 8545265 | Sakamoto | Oct 2013 | B2 |
| 8905770 | Fujiwara | Dec 2014 | B2 |
| 9960531 | Poncini | May 2018 | B2 |
| 20040057187 | Kuboshima | Mar 2004 | A1 |
| 20170194738 | Poncini | Jul 2017 | A1 |
| 20200259276 | Fujisaki | Aug 2020 | A1 |
| 20200259284 | Fujisaki | Aug 2020 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2012-104415 | May 2012 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200259276 A1 | Aug 2020 | US |
