The present invention relates to a connector which can reduce the number of parts, simplify a configuration thereof, and perform assembly and disassembly at short times.
A power supply device as a drive source of an electric motor is mounted on an electric vehicle driving with an electric motor and a hybrid vehicle driving with a combination of an engine and an electric motor and so on.
The power supply device has a battery assembly which includes a plurality of batteries. A positive electrode is arranged at one end of the battery, and a negative electrode is arranged at the other end thereof. The batteries are connected in series so as to obtain a desired voltage. Furthermore, the batteries are disposed along one direction so that the positive electrode and the negative electrode are positioned next to each other.
In the above electric vehicle and the hybrid vehicle, a receiving connector is arranged. The receiving connector is fitted to a feeder connector (for example, see the Patent Document 1) which is connected to a battery charger or a household electric source, and the battery assembly is charged.
As shown in
[PTL 1]
Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Application No. 2010-55809
In the connector housing 103 of the feeder connector disclosed in the Patent Document 1, the terminal 124, the sleeve member 192 and the rear packing 133 are held in the connector housing 103 by the rear holder 105. For this reason, it is required to arrange the rear holder 105 in the connector housing 103. As a result, there is a problem such that the number of parts of the feeder connector is increased.
Furthermore, the rear holder 105 is fitted to the rear end 103a of the connector housing 103 after a plurality of electric wires which are respectively connected to the terminals 124 are inserted into a prescribed position of the rear holder 105. Therefore, construction thereof becomes complex. So it takes a lot of trouble in assembling of the connector.
Furthermore, since the rear holder 105 is fitted to the rear end 103a of the connector housing 103, the rear holder 105 is not removed easily from the connector housing 103 when disassembling of the connector housing 103 is required with maintenance or repair. Thus, time required for disassembling of the connector housing 103 and hard work are increased.
Furthermore, the connector housing 103 is assembled with great caution so as to not be assembled in a case of the feeder connector in a wrong direction. For this reason, time required for assembling the feeder connector is longer.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems. More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector which can reduce the number of parts, simplify a configuration thereof, and perform assembly and disassembly at short times.
In order to attain the above object, the present invention provides a connector to be mated with a mating connector which includes a connector housing receiving a terminal and a fixing member for fixing the terminal; a case receiving the connector housing; and an abutment member vertically arranged in the case so that the abutment member is positioned at the end portion of the connector housing away from the mating connector, and abutting on the fixing member received in the end portion of the connector housing so as to prevent the terminal from moving in a longitudinal direction of the terminal.
The connector further includes an insertion slit in which an electric wire connected to the terminal is inserted. The insertion slit is arranged in the abutment member.
According to the connector of the present invention, the abutment member which abuts on the fixing member received in the connector housing is vertically arranged in the case. Therefore, parts such as a rear holder can be reduced, and the number of parts can be reduced.
Furthermore, since the abutment member which abuts on the fixing member received in the connector housing is arranged in the case, construction of the connector can be simplified. Moreover, time required for assembling the connector can be reduced.
In addition, an end portion of the connector housing is not closed with a rear holder and so on, namely, is opened. For this reason, a fixing member and a terminal which are received in the connector can be removed and disassembled by only dismounting the connector housing from the case of the feeder connector. Therefore, maintenance, repair and the like can be easily performed, and time spent on the disassembly of the connector can be decreased.
Furthermore, according to the connector of the present invention, the insertion slit is arranged in the abutment member which abuts on the fixing member received in the connector housing. As a result, an assembly direction of the connector housing can be positioned by only inserting an electric wire guided from the end portion of the connector housing into the insertion slit. Therefore, assembling work of the connector can be easily performed, and time required for assembling the connector can be reduced.
Thus, the connector of the present invention can reduce the number of parts, and simplify a configuration thereof. Furthermore, assembly and disassembly of the connector can be performed at short time.
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A connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to
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As shown in
The electric contact portion 25 has a plurality of slits 25a (In illustration example, four slits are provided) and a rib 25b, and is formed in a taper shape. The slit 25a extends from one end of the opening 18 side to a central portion along a longitudinal direction of the terminal 24. The rib 25b is arranged in the one end of the opening 18 side. Thereby, when a male-type terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the electric contact portion 25, a tip of the male-type terminal abuts on a tip portion of the electric contact portion 25, and expands the electric contact portion 25. As a result, a pressing force of the electric contact portion 25 so as to press the surface of the male-type terminal is increased, and electric contact is steadily performed. Furthermore, when the male-type terminal is removed from the electric contact portion 25, the electric contact portion 25 is returned to a shape before deforming by elastic restoring force. Thus, performance of electric contact can be maintained even if the insertion and removing thereof are repeated.
The electric wire connecting portion 26 is formed in a cylindrical shape. When a core wire 71a of the electric wire 71 is inserted into the electric wire connecting portion 26, the electric wire connecting portion 26 is crimped, and the core wire 71a is connected to the electric wire connecting portion 26. The electric wire connecting portion 26 is crimped by common tools such as a crimp tool. A sleeve member 29 and a rear packing 33 are arranged in the electric wire connecting portion 26, and are fixing members. The electric wire connecting portion 26 is inserted into the sleeve member 29 and the rear packing 33. Further, the sleeve member 29 and the rear packing 33 are slidingly contacted in an inner wall of a second receiving portion 21b.
The sleeve member 29 as the fixing member is formed in a tube shape of a cross sectional C-shape. The sleeve member 29 has an inner periphery formed along an external form of the electric wire connecting portion 26 and an external form of the electric wire 71, an outer periphery formed along an inner periphery of the second receiving portion 21b, and a slit 29b parallel to a longitudinal direction of the sleeve member 29 from one end of the sleeve member 29 to the other end thereof. The slit 29b is formed with the same width as the diameter of the electric wire connecting portion 26 and the wire diameter of the electric wire 71. Therefore, the sleeve member 29 can easily be fixed to the electric wire connecting portion 26 connected to the core wire 71a of the electric wire 71 by crimping.
The rear packing 33 as the fixing member is formed in a cylindrical shape. The inner periphery of the rear packing 33 is formed along the external form of the electric wire 71, and the outer periphery thereof is formed along the inner periphery of the second receiving portion 21b. The rear packing 33, as an example, consists of synthetic rubber having excellent electric property such as silicone rubber or ethylene-propylene rubber, The rear packing 33 has a packing main body 32, a plurality of circular projection portions 32a, and a core member 35. The circular projection portions 32a are arranged in the outer periphery of the packing main body 32, and extend in a periphery direction. The core member 35 is arranged in a concentric pattern between the inner periphery of the packing main body 32 and the outer periphery thereof, and integrally formed with the packing main body 32. The circular projection potions 32a are located with spaces in a longitudinal direction of the terminal 24 each other. The core member 35, as one example, is made of hard resin such as polybutylene terephthalate resin.
The center packing 31 is formed in a circular shape, and consists of synthetic rubber having excellent electric property such as silicone rubber or ethylene-propylene rubber. Furthermore, the center packing 31 is fitted between a pair of the ribs 28 which arranged in the middle area of the terminal 24.
The terminal receiving portion 21 has the first receiving portion 21a which receives the electric contact portion 25, and the second receiving portion 21b which receives the electric wire connecting portion 26. The terminal receiving portion 21 is formed in communication with the end portion 3a side away from the mating connector and the opening 18. Furthermore, the terminal receiving portion 21 is formed along the external form of the terminal 24.
The first receiving portion 21a is formed in a cylindrical shape along the external form of the electric contact portion 25 of the terminal 24. A insertion hole 21c in which the male-type terminal of the mating connector is inserted is arranged in the tip portion of the first receiving portion 21a. Thereby, the electric contact portion 25 of the terminal 24 is protected from deformation and dirt by casually contacting.
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The terminal receiving portions 21 are arranged opposed each other in the opening 18 based on the arrangement of the male-type terminal so that the male-type terminal of the mating connector is electrically connected. Furthermore, the opening 18 is projected slightly longer than a tip of the terminal receiving portion 21.
The projection portion 17 is arranged in the outer periphery of the opening 18 of the connector housing 3, and extends to the circular projection 8. Furthermore, the projection portion 17 is slidably formed so that a gap of the mating connector is fitted to the projection portion 17.
As shown in
The packing member 22, as one example, is made of synthetic rubber such as polyurethane rubber having excellent mechanical strength and good abrasion resistance. As shown in
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The lock portion 14a extends close to one end of the opening 18 of the connector housing 3. Furthermore, as shown in
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More specifically, when the connector housing 3 in which the plurality of terminals 24 and the plurality of electric wires 71 connected to the terminals 24 are assembled is received in the receiving chamber 43 in a suitable assembly direction, each relative location of the plurality of insertion slits 42 corresponding to the plurality of the electric wires 71 guided from the end portion 3a of the connector housing 3 is a design position. Therefore, the connecter housing 3 can be received in the receiving chamber 43 in a suitable assembly direction by matching the connector housing 3 to a position in which the electric wires 71 are inserted in the insertion slits 42.
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The electric wire guiding portion 61, as shown in
The electric wire protection 62 is made of synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride resin having excellent insulation properties and flame retardant properties, and integrally formed with the electric wire guiding portion 61 and the electric wire 71. Furthermore, the electric wire protection 62 includes flexible characteristics. For this reason, when the electric wire 71 is bent close to the electric wire protection 62, the electric wire protection 62 prevents the electric wire 7 from local bending because the electric wire protection 62 is elastically deformed.
The electric wire 71, as shown in
The signal electric wire, for example, is used for signal communications of connecting condition between the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle and a plug-in station, charging status and so on.
Next, assembly work of the connector 1 constructed as described above will he explained.
First, as shown in
Next, as shown in
Next, the lock lever 14, the spring member 45 biasing the lock lever 14, the electric wire guiding portion 61 and parts not shown are assembled in the case member 7 at a prescribed position respectively, and the case member 7 is closed and locked by the case member 6. Then, the pair of the case members 6 and 7 are fixed by the fixing means such as the screw member not shown, and finally the connector 1 is assembled.
The connector assembled in the above manner is used as a charging connector of the electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle. The vehicle and the connector 1 are communicated each other, and current is applied after a signal of a charging start is transmitted from the vehicle. Also, the connector 1 is not limited to the charging connector described above. For example, the connector of the present invention can be used for a number of things as a connector connected to the mating connector.
Next, disassembly work of the connector 1 will be explained.
First, the fixing means such as the screw member of the connector 1 is removed, and the case members 6 and 7 are separated. Subsequently, the lock lever 14, the spring member 45, the electric wire guiding portion 61 and the other parts are removed.
Second, the connector housing 3 is removed from the receiving chamber 43 of the case member 7. At this time, since each insertion slit 42a, 42b, 42c of the abutment member 41 is formed parallel to the assembly direction of the connector housing 3, the electric wires 71 are pulled out from each the slit 42a, 42b, 42c at the same time as the removal of the connector housing 3.
Thereafter, the rear packing 33, which is inserted in the second receiving portion 21b of the connector housing 3 removed from the receiving chamber 43, as the fixing member is pulled out. Then, the electric wire 71 is pulled in a direction away from the end portion 3a of the connector housing 3 and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the terminal 24, and the terminal 24 is removed from the connector housing 3.
In the above manner, the rear packing 33, the terminal 24 and so on in the connector 1 can be easily removed and disassembled from the connector housing 3 without removing a member such as a rear holder.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the connector 1 to be mated with the mating connector has the connector housing 3 receiving the terminal 24 and the fixing member 33 fixing the terminal 24; the case 2 receiving the connector housing 3; and the abutment member 41 vertically arranged in the case 2 so that the abutment member 41 is positioned at the end portion 3a of the connector housing 3 away from the mating connector, and abutting on the fixing member 33 received in the end portion 3a of the connector housing 3 so as to prevent the terminal 24 from moving in a longitudinal direction of the terminal 24.
Thus, the connector 1 of the present invention can reduce parts such as a rear holder and a number of parts because the abutment member 41 abutting on the fixing member 33 received in the connector housing 3 is vertically arranged in the case 2.
Furthermore, construction of the connector 1 can be simplified, and time required for assembling the connector 1 can be reduced.
Furthermore, in the connector 1, the end portion 3a of the connector housing 3 is opened without being closed by the rear holder. Therefore, the fixing member 33 received in the connector housing 3, the terminal 24 received in the connector housing 3 and so on can be removed and disassembled by only removing the connector housing from the case 2. Thus, maintenance and repair can be easily performed, and time spent on the disassembly of the connector 1 can be reduced.
In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the insertion slit 42 is arranged in the abutment member 41 of the connector 1 so as to insert the electric wire 71 connected to the terminal 24 into the insertion slit 42. Therefore, it is possible to position an assembly direction of the connector housing 3. Thus, assembling work of the connector 1 can be easily performed, and time required for assembling the connector can be reduced.
In this manner, the connector of the present invention 1 can reduce the number of parts and be simple in structure. Additionally, time required for assembling and disassembling can be reduced.
Next, another example according to the embodiment of the connector 1 of the present invention 1 will be explained with reference to
The connector 1 according to the other embodiment, as shown in
While, in the embodiment, the present invention is described, it is not limited thereto, Various change and modifications can be made with the scope of the present invention.
1 connector
2 case
3 connector housing
3
a end portion
6, 7 a pair of case members
21 terminal receiving portion
21
a first receiving portion
21
b second receiving portion
24 terminal
25 electric contact portion
26 electric wire connecting portion
32 packing main body
33 rear packing (fixing member)
41 abutment member
42, 42a, 42b, 42c insertion slit
43 receiving chamber
71 electric wire
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2011-126966 | Jun 2011 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2012/003483 | 5/29/2012 | WO | 00 | 4/17/2014 |