Patent Application
20170324182
The present invention relates to connectors.
In general, electrical apparatuses are supplied with electric power from a power supply to operate. Normally, electric power is supplied from a power supply to an electrical apparatus via a connector. The connector used in this case establishes an electrical connection by mating a male-ended connector having a protruding shape and a female-ended connector having an indented shape.
In recent years, as a measure against global warming, the supply of direct-current high-voltage electric power, which is limited in power loss in voltage conversion or power transmission and does not require an increase in cable thickness, has been studied in power transmission in local areas as well. Such form of supplying electric power is considered desirable particularly for information apparatuses such as servers, which consume a large amount of electric power.
Electric power supplied to electrical apparatuses may affect human bodies or the operations of electronic components if the voltage is high. In the case of using such high-voltage electric power for information apparatuses such as servers, because the apparatuses are installed or maintained by human work, connectors that establish electrical connection need to be different from connectors used for a common alternate-current commercial power supply.
When the voltage supplied from a power supply is 100 V or higher, or a direct-current high voltage, for example, when the electric power supplied from a power supply is direct-current 400 V, it is dangerous to use connectors presently used for alternating-current 100V as they are because sufficient safety and reliability are not ensured.
The present invention is made in view of the above, and has an object of providing a connector that makes it possible to supply high-voltage electric power with safety.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a connector configured to mate with and electrically connect to another connector includes a first contact configured to contact the other connector at a first position, and a second contact having a higher resistance value than the first contact, and configured to contact the other connector at a second position that is closer to the leading end of the connector than is the first position.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a connector configured to electrically connect to another connector includes a first metal plate configured to contact the other connector, a second metal plate configured to contact the other connector, and a resistor connected to the first metal plate and the second metal plate.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a connector configured to mate with and electrically connect to another connector includes a contact including multiple metal plates configured to contact the other connector and a resistor connecting adjacent metal plates among the multiple metal plates.
According to an aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that is compatible with power supplies higher in voltage than presently-available commercial power supplies or with direct-current power supplies and makes it possible to safely supply electric power from these power supplies.
Embodiments of the present invention are described below. The same members or the like are assigned the same reference numeral, and are not repetitively described.
A connector according to a first embodiment is described.
The connector according to this embodiment is the jack contact 100 as depicted in
The jack contact 100 is surrounded and covered by a housing formed of an insulator such as a resin material, and an opening is formed in part of the housing where the plug contact 200 fits into the jack contact 100. The jack contact 100 is connected to a power supply cable.
The plug contact 200 is formed of a metal material such as copper into a plate shape. The plug connector may include a housing that is formed of an insulator and exposes the plug contact 200. The plug connector is connected to an electronic apparatus or the like.
According to this embodiment, one of the jack contact 100 and the plug contact 200 is connected to a power supply, and the other is connected to an electronic apparatus or the like.
As depicted in
The first jack 110 is formed of a metal material such as copper. The first jack 110 includes a first jack contact 111 formed into a U shape, into which the plug contact 200 is inserted. The first jack contact 111 includes a first contact portion 112 that comes into contact with the plug contact 200 in the vicinity of its end. The first jack contact 111 is connected to a first jack terminal 113. The first jack terminal 113 is at the same potential as a second jack terminal 123 and a third jack terminal 133.
The second jack 120 is formed of a metal material such as copper. The second jack 120 includes a second jack contact 121 formed into a U shape, into which the plug contact 200 is inserted. The second jack contact 121 includes a second contact portion 122 that comes into contact with the plug contact 200 in the vicinity of its end. The second jack contact 121 is formed to surround the first jack contact 111. The second contact portion 122 is positioned outside the first jack contact 111. A first resistor 140 is provided between the second jack contact 121 and the second jack terminal 123.
The third jack 130 is formed of a metal material such as copper. The third jack 130 includes a third jack contact 131 formed into a U shape, into which the plug contact 200 is inserted. The third jack contact 131 includes a third contact portion 132 that comes into contact with the plug contact 200 in the vicinity of an end 130a. According to this embodiment, the third contact portion 132, the second contact portion 122, and the first contact portion 112 are arranged in this order of proximity to the plug contact 200. The third contact portion 132 is positioned at the end of the jack contact 100 in the fitting direction of the jack contact 100. The third jack contact 131 is formed to surround and cover the second jack contact 121. The third contact portion 132 is positioned outside the second jack contact 121. A second resistor 150 is provided between the third jack contact 131 and the third jack terminal 133.
According to this embodiment, the resistance value of the second resistor 150 is higher than the resistance value of the first resistor 140. For example, when the supply voltage is 400 V, no arc is believed to be generated if a flowing electric current is 1 A or less. Therefore, the resistance value of the second resistor 150 is preferably 400Ω or more.
According to the connector of this embodiment, two jack contacts 100, one positive and one negative, are provided as depicted in
Next, removal of the plug connector from the jack connector according to this embodiment is described. According to this embodiment, it is assumed that the first jack terminal 113, the second jack terminal 123, and the third jack terminal 133 are interconnected and are further connected to a high-voltage power supply such as a direct-current power supply of +400 V.
As described above, the first resistor 140 is provided between the second jack contact 121 and the second jack terminal 123, and the second resistor 150 is provided between the third jack contact 131 and the third jack terminal 133. No resistor, however, is provided between the first jack contact 111 and the first jack terminal 113. Accordingly, the electric current flowing from the jack contact 100 to the plug contact 200 flows most through a current path of the lowest resistance that goes through the first jack 110. That is, most of the electric current flows from the first jack terminal 113 to the plug contact 200 through the first jack contact 111 and the first contact portion 112.
Next, as depicted in
According to this embodiment, the resistance value of the first resistor 140 is lower than the resistance value of the second resistor 150. Therefore, in the state of
Next, as depicted in
In the state of
Next, as depicted in
When the resistance value of the second resistor 150 is 400Ω or more, the electric current that flows from the jack connector to the plug connector is 1 A or less, and the flowing electric current is small. Therefore, no arc is generated between the plug contact 200 and the third contact portion 132 when the plug contact 200 is separated from the third contact portion 132.
Thus, it is possible to prevent the generation of an arc at the time of pulling the plug contact 200 out of the jack contact 100 according to this embodiment.
Next, a connector according to a second embodiment is described.
The connector according to this embodiment is the plug contact 300 having the structure as depicted in
In the following description, the connector according to this embodiment may be referred to as “plug connector”, and the other connector according to this embodiment may be referred to as “jack connector.”
As depicted in
The metal plate 310 includes the first metal plate 311, a second metal plate 312, a third metal plate 313, and a fourth metal plate 314. The first metal plate 311, the second metal plate 312, the third metal plate 313, and the fourth metal plate 314 are arranged at slight intervals in descending order of a distance from the jack contact 400 to be connected, that is, descending order of a distance to a leading end 300a of the plug contact 300 in a direction in which the plug contact 300 fits into the jack contact 400. The first through fourth metal plates 311 through 314 are formed of a metal material such as copper.
The metal plate 310 is placed in an insulator part 330 formed of an insulator such as a resin material or a ceramic with the first through third resistors 321 through 323 connected to the metal plate 310. The metal plate 310 includes a first surface 310a covered with the insulator part 330 and a second surface 310b exposed on the insulator part 330. Alternatively, the plug contact 300 may be a printed board formed into the shape of a plug contact with elements corresponding to the first through fourth metal plates 311 through 314 formed on a surface, using conductive wires or the like.
As depicted in
Likewise, the second resistor 322 is connected to the surface of the second metal plate 312 and a surface of the adjacent third metal plate 313.
Likewise, the third resistor 323 is connected to the surface of the third metal plate 313 and a surface of the adjacent fourth metal plate 314.
Each of the first through third resistors 321 through 323 is attached to the first surface 310a of the metal plate 310. As depicted in
The jack contact 400 is formed of a metal material, and includes a U-shaped jack contact part 411 into which the plug contact 300 is inserted. The jack contact part 411 includes a contact portion 412 that contacts the plug contact 300 in the vicinity of its end.
For example, when the supply voltage is 400 V, no arc is generated if a flowing electric current is 1 A or less. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the resistance value of the series combined resistance of the first through third resistors 321 through 323 is preferably 400Ω or more.
The gap between the first metal plate 311 and the second metal plate 312, the gap between the second metal plate 312 and the third metal plate 313, and the gap between the third metal plate 313 and the fourth metal plate 314 are inclined relative to the fitting direction of the plug contact 300 and the jack contact 400. As a result, when the plug contact 300 is removed from the jack contact 400, the contact portion 412 of the jack contact 400 positioned in the vicinity of the gap between the first metal plate 311 and the second metal plate 312 contacts both the first metal plate 311 and the second metal plate 312.
To be more specific, with the movement of the jack contact 400, the contact portion 412 in contact with the first metal plate 311 alone contacts both the first metal plate 311 and the second metal plate 312, and is thereafter detached from the first metal plate 311 to contact the second metal plate 312 alone. Accordingly, the contact portion 412 is in contact with at least one of the first metal plate 311 and the second metal plate 312. Therefore, it is possible to prevent generation of an arc due to the interruption of a flow of electric current between the jack contact 400 and the plug contact 300.
Likewise, the contact portion 412 contacts both the second metal plate 312 and the third metal plate 313 in the vicinity of the gap between the second metal plate 312 and the third metal plate 313. Furthermore, the contact portion 412 contacts both the third metal plate 313 and the fourth metal plate 314 in the vicinity of the gap between the third metal plate 313 and the fourth metal plate 314. Accordingly, when the plug contact 300 is pulled out of the jack contact 400, the jack contact 400 can be kept in contact with any of the first through fourth metal plates 311 through 314, thus preventing a sudden interruption of electric current. Furthermore, as the metal plate contacted by the jack contact 400 changes from the first metal plate 311 to the second metal plate 312, the third metal plate 313, and the fourth metal plate 314, the resistance value of the plug contact 300 gradually increases to gradually decreases a flow of electric current between the jack contact 400 and the plug contact 300.
According to this embodiment, two plug contacts 300, one positive and one negative, are provided, and likewise, two jack contacts 400, one positive and one negative, are provided.
Next, removal of the plug connector from the jack connector according to this embodiment is described. According to this embodiment, it is assumed that the jack contact 400 is connected to a high-voltage power supply such as a direct-current power supply of +400 V.
Next, as depicted in
Next, as depicted in
Next, as depicted in
Next, as depicted in
When the contact portion 412 of the jack contact 400 is in contact with the fourth metal plate 314 of the plug contact 300, the electric current flows through the third resistor 323, the second resistor 322, and the first resistor 321. When the resistance value of the combined resistance of the first through third resistors 321 through 323 connected in series is 400Ω or more, the flowing electric current is 1 A or less. Because the flowing electric current is small, no arc is generated between the contact portion 412 of the jack contact 400 and the fourth metal plate 314 of the plug contact 300 when the contact portion 412 is detached from the fourth metal plate 314.
Thus, according to embodiments of the present invention, a connector is provided with multiple contacts, and the resistance value of the contacts increases in accordance with the operation of disconnecting the connector and another connector. According to this arrangement, when disconnecting the other connector from the connector, the contact of the other connector contacting a contact of the connector is caused to contact another contact of a high resistance value of the connector, and is thereafter detached from the contact of the connector initially contacted by the other connector. The generation of an arc is prevented by causing the resistance value of a contact of the connector that is last detached from the contact of the other connector to be sufficiently high to limit an electric current flowing through the contacts.
All examples and conditional language provided herein are intended for pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority or inferiority of the invention. Connectors have been described based on embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the form of providing multiple contacts is not limited to providing contacts that are different in resistance value from each other or connecting multiple metal plates with resistors as described above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-241694 | Nov 2014 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2015/083019 | 11/25/2015 | WO | 00 |
