JP2014160611A - Power connector for electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power connector for an electric vehicle which prevents a lever placed on a floor from being run over by a vehicle, allows a user to easily determine a direction that a user's hand holds a connector and easily apply a force for pulling out the power connector, is small, and is easily stored.SOLUTION: A power connector 10 connected with an electric vehicle includes: a housing facing the electric vehicle at a front end when the power connector 10 is connected and having an exterior component 23; a lock operation part which can be operated from the exterior of the housing and has a fitting release lever 13; and a cable 15 pulled out from the housing. The cable is obliquely pulled out from a position, which is not in a center of a rear end of the housing and is opposite to the lock operation part, in a direction different from a fore-and-aft direction of the housing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a power connector that can be connected to a power feeding connector provided in an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV), a plug-in hybrid (PHV), an electric motorcycle, an electric assist bicycle, and a senior car (registered trademark). The power feeding connector used here is used as a general name of a connector attached to the body of an electric vehicle, and is not limited to a connector for supplying electric power to the electric vehicle, and electric power is supplied from the electric vehicle. It also includes a connector for taking out.

  There exist some which were described in patent document 1 and patent document 2 as a power connector which charges an electric vehicle.

  The connector described in Patent Document 1 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The connector shown in FIG. 30 has a symmetrical housing 1 having a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface. A cable 2 is drawn from the center of the rear end of the housing 1 along the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the housing 1.

  The connector described in Patent Document 2 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The connector of FIG. 31 has a non-target-shaped housing 4 simulating a gasoline refueling gun. That is, the housing 4 includes a main body portion 5 and a grip portion 6 extending obliquely from the rear end of the main body portion 5. A cable is drawn from the center of the rear end 7 of the grip portion 6 in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the grip portion 6.

JP 2012-190769 A JP 2012-14652 A

  The connector described in Patent Document 1 has the advantage of being small and easy to store (small storage space), but (1) when placed on the floor, the lever is hit by the vehicle and is easily damaged. There are drawbacks in that the direction cannot be easily discriminated when holding, and (3) it is difficult to apply force when pulling out.

  In addition, the connector described in Patent Document 2 has the advantage that the lever is not struck by the vehicle when placed on the floor, the direction in which the lever is held by hand can be easily determined, and force can be easily applied when pulling out. However, (4) it has a drawback of being large and difficult to store (large storage space).

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle power connector that can solve all of the above-described problems (1) to (3).

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power connector connected to an electric vehicle, the housing having a front end facing the electric vehicle at the time of connection, a lock operation portion operable from the outside of the housing, A power connector for an electric vehicle comprising: a cable drawn obliquely from a position that is not the center of the rear end and on the opposite side of the lock operation portion in a direction different from the front-rear direction of the housing. can get.

  The lock operation unit may include a movable lever.

  The lever may have a recess at the rear end.

  The lever may have a convex portion at the rear end.

  The housing may have a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface and a recess in front of a portion of the outer peripheral surface from which the cable is drawn.

  The housing may have a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and may have a convex portion in front of a portion of the outer peripheral surface from which the cable is drawn.

  The housing includes two exterior parts extending parallel to each other in the front-rear direction and one front end part assembled at the front ends of the two exterior parts, and the two exterior parts have rear ends. The front ends may be coupled to each other by hooking, and the front ends may be coupled to each other by the front end components.

  The electric vehicle power connector according to one aspect of the present invention, when placed on the floor, the lever is not squeezed by the vehicle, the direction of holding by hand can be easily determined, and it is easy to apply force when pulling out, There is an advantage that it is small and easy to store.

The electric vehicle power connector which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a left view, (e) Is a right side view. The external appearance perspective view of the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. The disassembled perspective view of the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. The use state of the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. 1 is shown, (a) is a perspective view of the state before connecting to the inlet of an electric vehicle, (b) is the perspective view of the state connected to the inlet of the electric vehicle. The form when operating the electric power connector for electric vehicles of Drawing 1 is shown, (a) is a front view of the form which grasped the connector with hand, (b) is the front view of the form which operated the lever of the connector with hand. The front view for demonstrating the detailed structure of the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. The state which put the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. 1 on the flat surface is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view. The left view which shows the state in which it laid down when the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. 1 was set | placed on the flat surface. The modification of the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. 1 is shown, (a) is a front view of the form when the lever is not operated, (b) is the front view of the form after the lever is operated. The other modification of the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. 1 is shown, (a) is a front view of the form when the lever is not operated, (b) is a front view of the form after the lever is operated. The electric vehicle power connector which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, (d) is a left view, (e) Is a right side view. The external appearance perspective view of the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. 11. 11 shows a usage state of the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. 11, (a) is a perspective view of a state before being connected to the inlet of the electric vehicle, and (b) is a perspective view of a state of being connected to the inlet of the electric vehicle. The form when operating the electric connector for electric vehicles of FIG. 11 is shown, (a) is a front view of the form which hold | gripped the connector with the hand, (b) is the front view of the form which operated the lever of the connector with the hand. The front view for demonstrating the detailed structure of the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. The perspective view which shows the electrical component contained in the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. The perspective view for demonstrating the assembly process of the fitting part contained in the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining a process of assembling electrical components into a fitting portion included in the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. 11, wherein FIG. 11A is a perspective view before assembly, and FIG. FIG. 4C is a perspective view when the assembly is completed. The state in the middle of the assembly | attachment of the fitting release lever with respect to the connector main body contained in the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. 11 is shown, (a) And (b) is each a perspective view seen from a different angle. The state after the assembly | attachment of the fitting cancellation | release lever with respect to the connector main body contained in the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. 11 is shown, (a) And (b) is each a perspective view seen from a different angle. It is a figure for demonstrating the assembly process of the internal component with respect to the exterior component contained in the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. 11, (a) is a perspective view before an assembly | attachment, (b) is a perspective view after an assembly | attachment. The same state as FIG.22 (b) is shown, (a) is the front view which abbreviate | omitted the internal mechanism, (b) is a left view. The figure for demonstrating the combination process of two exterior components contained in the electric vehicle power connector of FIG. FIG. 24C shows the same state as that shown in FIG. 24C when the fitting part is located slightly outside the fitting part along the fitting axis, (a) is a front view, and (b). (A) Sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted the internal mechanism obtained along the AA line, (c) is sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted the internal mechanism obtained along the BB line of (a). 25 shows a state when the fitting portion is in a position slid inward along the fitting axis with respect to the exterior component from the state of FIG. 25, (a) is a front view, and (b) is an AA of (a). Sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted the internal mechanism obtained along the line, (c) is sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted the internal mechanism obtained along the BB line of (a). FIG. 26 shows a state in which the fitting portion is in a position where the fitting part has rotated or circularly moved less than 360 ° with respect to the fitting axis from the state of FIG. 26 (this is referred to as “rotation” in this specification). (A) is a front view, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the internal mechanism obtained along the line AA in (a), and (c) is obtained along the line BB in (a). Sectional drawing which abbreviate | omitted the internal mechanism made. The perspective view of only the principal part which showed the internal structure in the same state as FIG. The front view which shows the modification of the electric power connector for electric vehicles of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector currently disclosed by patent document 1 (Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2012-190769). The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector currently disclosed by patent document 2 (Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2012-14652).

  First, the structure of the electric vehicle power connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  An electric vehicle power connector 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is a connector used to supply electric power to an electric vehicle, and includes a fitting portion 11 provided at a front portion and a connector coupled to the fitting portion 11. The main body 12 includes a fitting release lever 13 that functions as a lock operation portion provided on the upper surface of the connector main body 12, an internal wiring 14 provided inside, and a cable 15 connected to the internal wiring 14. Hereinafter, these will be described in order.

(Fitting part 11)
The fitting part 11 is a part to be fitted with a power receiving connector, that is, an inlet installed on the vehicle body of the electric vehicle. Consists of.

  The waterproof rubber 18 is a part for preventing liquid from entering when fitting with the inlet, and is installed along the circumference inside the fitting surface of the fitting receiving part 17. The waterproof rubber pressing part 19 holds the waterproof rubber 18 so as not to be detached, and has a structure in which it is caught in the holes 17a opened to the left and right of the fitting receiving part 17 by the claws 19a.

  The terminal retainer component 21 is a component for preventing the terminal 22 from coming out by attaching the terminal 22 after setting the terminal 22 in the terminal installation hole 17 b opened on the rear side of the fitting receiving component 17. The terminal holding member 21 has a structure in which the terminal holding member 21 is caught by a claw 17c provided on the fitting receiving member 17 and stays.

  The waterproof rubber 18 is made of, for example, silicon rubber. The fitting receiving component 17, the waterproof rubber pressing component 19, and the terminal pressing component 21 are made of a resin such as PBT.

(Connector body 12)
The connector main body 12 basically comprises two exterior parts 23 and defines the shape of the electric vehicle power connector 10. The fitting part 11, the fitting release lever 13, the internal wiring 14, and the cable 15 are sandwiched between the two exterior parts 23 and stored inside, and then the two exterior parts 23 are fixed to each other by the fixing screws 24.

  Fixing is not limited to a screw, and for example, a method of providing a claw for fixing and engaging with each other, or a method of fastening with an adhesive may be considered. Considering maintenance, screwing that can be removed later is realistic.

  A recess 12 a is provided at least in the lower part of the connector body 12. The recess 12 a extends in an annular shape along the outer peripheral portion of the connector main body 12.

  Each of the two exterior parts 23 is a resin such as PBT. Made of metal such as aluminum.

  The fitting receiving component 17 and the two exterior components 23 are collectively referred to as a housing here.

(Fitting release lever 13)
The fitting release lever 13 is attached to the connector main body 12 via the rotating shaft 13a and is rotatable. The coil spring 25 is installed on the rear side of the rotating shaft 13a, and the fitting release lever 13 returns to the original position by the force of the coil spring 25. The mating is released by pushing down the lever operating portion 13b provided at the rear of the mating releasing lever 13. At this time, the coil spring 25 is compressed.

  The rotary shaft 13a is formed integrally with the fitting release lever 13 in this embodiment, but has a structure in which, for example, a through hole is formed in the portion and a metal (for example, stainless steel) shaft is passed as a separate part. May be.

  The lever operating portion 13b is provided with a recess 13c at a position corresponding to the recess 12a of the connector body 12. Further, a protrusion 13d is provided on the rear portion of the recess 13c of the lever operation portion 13b so that the finger can be easily caught. A fitting lock claw portion 13e is provided at the front portion of the fitting release lever 13.

  Although the installation position of the fitting lock claw part 13e is determined by the standard or the like, the position of the lever operation part 13b is arbitrary. In the present embodiment, the lever operation portion 13 b is installed on the upper surface side of the connector main body 12.

  The fitting release lever 13 is made of a metal such as aluminum or a high strength resin such as PPS.

(Internal wiring 14)
In this embodiment, the internal wiring 14 includes a terminal 22, an electric wire connected to the terminal 22, a resistor, and a fitting release detection switch 26, and is finally connected to the electric wire of the cable 15. The switch 26 for fitting release detection is switched by rotating the arm of the switch when the fitting release lever 13 is pushed down. Since the circuit of the internal wiring 14 depends on the system including the power feeding device, the configuration is not limited to the configuration exemplified in this embodiment.

  The terminal 22 is basically a so-called slit contact, and is often composed of a metal obtained by silver plating or the like on a copper base material. The connection between the terminal 22 and the electric wire of the internal wiring 14 is obtained by pressure bonding.

(Cable 15)
The cable 15 is connected to a power feeding device (not shown) and has a certain thickness, for example, a configuration in which four electric wires are bundled into one.

  The connector main body 12 is fixed by attaching a cable clasp 27 to the base portion of the cable 15, and providing a portion in which the cable clasp 27 is accommodated in the exterior component 23, and housing the cable clasp 27 therein.

  The cable 15 is drawn obliquely from a position that is not the center of the rear end of the connector main body 12 and on the side opposite to the fitting release lever 13 in a direction different from the front-rear direction (fitting axial direction) of the connector main body 12. ing. Preferably, the central axis of the connector main body 12 and the central axis of the cable 15 are designed to form an angle of 20 ° to 60 °.

  The cable clasp 27 is made of a metal such as stainless steel.

  The detailed structure, operation, and handling of the electric vehicle power connector 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The electric vehicle power connector 10 is basically handled by a human hand and performs a fitting operation and a detaching operation. For this reason, the position held by the hand is naturally determined to some extent.

  The inlet 31 installed on the vehicle body of the electric vehicle is usually covered with a lid 32. At the time of the fitting operation, the lid 32 is opened as shown in FIG. 4A, and the electric vehicle power connector 10 is fitted to the inlet 31. At the time of fitting and insertion, the front side or the rear end of the recesses 12a and 13c is pushed in as a starting point. In the present embodiment, the recess 12a extends in an annular shape along the outer peripheral portion of the connector body 12, so that the front side of the recess on the side surface can be used as a starting point. When the fitting operation is completed, the fitting lock claw portion 13e is hooked on the claw receiving portion 31a of the inlet 31 so that the electric vehicle power connector 10 is fitted to the inlet 31 as shown in FIG. Locked.

  The disengagement operation is an operation while operating the fitting release lever 13 with a finger. It is expected that the operation of the fitting release lever 13 is usually performed with the thumb. By providing the lever operating portion 13b with the concave portion 13c and the connector main body 12 with the concave portion 12a, the lever operating portion 13b and the lower portion of the connector main body 12 are guided so that the thumb and index finger are sandwiched naturally. .

  Further, the cable 15 is pulled out at an appropriate angle to a position where the remaining three fingers will come. As a result, when the electric vehicle power connector 10 is provided, it is guided to a form as shown in FIGS. Therefore, the electric vehicle power connector 10 is gripped mainly by the thumb and index finger, or two or three fingers including the middle finger, and the remaining fingers support the cable 15 in an auxiliary manner. It becomes.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the lever operation portion 13b is so arranged that the rear end (right side in the drawing) is higher than the bottom surface of the recess 13c even when the lever operation portion 13b is pushed in during the release operation (the state in which the lock is released). It is configured. Thereby, at the time of the detachment operation, the lever operation portion 13b is pushed in such a manner that the thumb and the index finger are respectively hooked on the recess portion 13c of the lever operation portion 13b and the recess portion 12a of the lower portion of the connector main body 12, and the electric vehicle power connector 10 The operation is to pull out toward the rear end.

  Conventionally, the lever is pushed in to release the lock during the detachment operation, but it is not the starting point of the force for pulling out the connector. The starting point of the pulling force is that the connector body is extended to hold it at a position along the four fingers other than the thumb that operates the lever, or a part other than the cable that is continuous from the connector body is installed. This is the starting point of power.

  On the other hand, the electric vehicle power connector 10 described above is reduced in size by eliminating such a configuration.

  Further, in the above-described electric vehicle power connector 10, the cable 15 is different from the front-rear direction of the connector body 12 from a position that is not the center of the rear end of the connector body 12 and is opposite to the fitting release lever 13. It is pulled out diagonally in the direction. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the electric vehicle power connector 10 is in such a posture that the two points of the cable 15 and the front portion of the fitting portion 11 are grounded to the flat surface 32 such as the floor or the ground. Even if it is placed, then the electric vehicle power connector 10 will lie down almost certainly as shown in FIG. As a result, the fitting release lever 13 does not protrude upward on the flat surface 32. Therefore, even if the electric vehicle power connector 10 is stepped on with a foot or on a vehicle tire, the fitting release lever 13 Since it is possible to prevent a load from being directly applied to 13, the risk of breakage of the fitting release lever 13 is reduced.

  A modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Parts similar to those in FIGS. 1 to 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. 9A shows an unoperated state of the fitting release lever 13, and FIG. 9B shows a state after the fitting release lever 13 is operated.

  In the modification of FIG. 9, a convex portion 12 b for hooking a finger is provided on the lower surface in front of the portion where the cable 15 is pulled out of the substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the connector main body 12 of the electric vehicle power connector 10. Yes. Further, a convex portion 13 f for hooking a finger is also provided on the rear upper surface of the fitting release lever 13. The convex portion 13f serves as a starting point of the pulling force when the fitting is released.

  Another modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Parts similar to those in FIGS. 1 to 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. 10A shows an unoperated state of the fitting release lever 13, and FIG. 10B shows a state after the fitting release lever 13 is operated.

  In the modification of FIG. 10, a convex portion 12 b for hooking a finger is provided on the lower surface in front of the portion where the cable 15 is pulled out of the substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the connector main body 12 of the electric vehicle power connector 10. Yes. Further, the rear upper surface of the mating release lever 13 is a flat surface 13g, and when the lever operation portion 13b is pushed during the detachment operation, a portion where a finger is caught on the connector body 12 side appears.

  Next, the structure of the electric vehicle power connector 40 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The electric vehicle power connector 40 shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 13 is also a connector used for supplying electric power to the electric vehicle, and includes a fitting portion 41 provided at the front portion and a connector coupled to the fitting portion 41. It includes a main body 42, a fitting release lever 43 that functions as a lock operation portion provided on the upper surface of the connector main body 42, an internal wiring 44 provided inside, and a cable 45 connected to the internal wiring 44. Hereinafter, these will be described in order.

(Fitting part 41)
The fitting portion 41 is a portion that fits with a power receiving connector, that is, an inlet installed on the vehicle body of the electric vehicle. Consists of.

  The waterproof rubber 48 is a part for preventing liquid from entering during fitting with the inlet, and is installed along the circumference inside the fitting surface of the fitting receiving part 47. The waterproof rubber pressing component 49 holds the waterproof rubber 48 so as not to come off, and has a structure in which it is caught by the claw 49a in the holes 47a opened to the left and right of the fitting receiving component 47.

  The terminal holding part 51 is a part for preventing the terminal 52 from coming out by attaching the terminal 52 after setting the terminal 52 in the terminal installation hole 47 b opened on the rear side of the fitting receiving part 47. The terminal pressing part 51 is structured to be caught by a claw 47 c provided on the fitting receiving part 47.

  The waterproof rubber 48 is made of, for example, silicon rubber. The fitting receiving part 47, the waterproof rubber pressing part 49, and the terminal pressing part 51 are made of a resin such as PBT.

(Connector body 42)
The connector main body 42 basically includes two exterior parts 53 and defines the shape of the electric vehicle power connector 40. After fitting part 41, fitting release lever 43, internal wiring 44, and cable 45 are sandwiched between two exterior parts 53 and stored inside, two exterior parts are assembled by an assembly structure and an assembly method described in detail later. 53 are fixed to each other.

  A recess 42 a is provided at least in the lower part of the connector main body 42. The recess 42 a extends in an annular shape along the outer peripheral portion of the connector main body 42.

  Each of the two exterior parts 53 is a resin such as PBT. Made of metal such as aluminum.

  The fitting receiving component 47 and the two exterior components 53 are collectively referred to as a housing here.

(Fitting release lever 43)
The fitting release lever 43 is attached to the connector main body 42 via the rotating shaft 43a and is rotatable. The coil spring 55 is installed on the rear side of the rotating shaft 43a, and the fitting release lever 43 returns to the original position by the force of the coil spring 55. The mating is released by pushing down the lever operating portion 43b provided at the rear of the mating releasing lever 43. At this time, the coil spring 55 is compressed.

  In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 43a is integrally formed with the fitting release lever 43. For example, the rotation shaft 43a has a structure in which a through hole is formed in the portion and a metal (for example, stainless steel) shaft is passed as a separate part. May be.

  The lever operation portion 43b is provided with a recess 43c at a position corresponding to the recess 42a of the connector body 42. Further, a protrusion 43d is provided on the rear part of the recess 43c of the lever operation part 43b so that the finger can be easily caught. A fitting lock claw portion 43e is provided at the front portion of the fitting release lever 43.

  The installation position of the fitting lock claw portion 43e is determined by standards, but the position of the lever operation portion 43b is arbitrary. In the present embodiment, the lever operation portion 43 b is installed on the upper surface side of the connector main body 42.

  The fitting release lever 43 is made of a metal such as aluminum or a high-strength resin such as PPS.

(Internal wiring 44)
In this embodiment, the internal wiring 44 is composed of a terminal 52, a wire connected to the terminal 52, a resistor, and a fitting release detection switch 56, and is finally connected to the wire of the cable 45. The switch 56 for fitting release detection is switched by rotating the arm of the switch when the fitting release lever 43 is pushed down. Since the circuit of the internal wiring 44 depends on the system including the power feeding device, the configuration is not limited to the configuration exemplified in this embodiment.

  The terminal 52 is basically a so-called slit contact, and is often composed of a metal obtained by silver plating or the like on a copper base material. The connection between the terminal 52 and the electric wire of the internal wiring 44 is obtained by pressure bonding.

(Cable 45)
The cable 45 is connected to a power feeding device (not shown) and has a certain thickness, for example, a configuration in which four electric wires are bundled into one.

  The connector main body 42 is fixed by attaching a cable clasp 57 to the base portion of the cable 45, and providing a portion where the cable clasp 57 is accommodated in the exterior part 53, and housing the cable clasp 57 therein.

  The cable 45 is drawn obliquely in a direction different from the front-rear direction of the connector main body 42 from a position that is not the center of the rear end of the connector main body 52 and is opposite to the fitting release lever 43. Preferably, the connector main body 42 and the cable 45 are designed so that the central axis forms an angle of 20 ° to 60 °.

  The cable clasp 57 is made of a metal such as stainless steel.

  The detailed structure, operation, and handling of the electric vehicle power connector 40 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The electric vehicle power connector 40 is basically handled by a person with a hand and performs a fitting operation and a detaching operation. For this reason, the position held by the hand is naturally determined to some extent.

  The inlet 61 installed on the vehicle body of the electric vehicle is usually covered with a lid 62. During the fitting operation, the lid 62 is opened as shown in FIG. 14A, and the electric vehicle power connector 40 is fitted to the inlet 61. At the time of fitting insertion, the front side or the rear end of the recesses 42a and 43c is pushed in. In the present embodiment, the concave portion 42a extends in an annular shape along the outer peripheral portion of the connector main body 42, so that the front side of the concave portion on the side surface can be used as a starting point. When the fitting operation is completed, the fitting lock claw portion 43e is hooked on the claw receiving portion 61a of the inlet 61, so that the electric vehicle power connector 40 is fitted to the inlet 61 as shown in FIG. Locked.

  The detachment operation is an operation while operating the fitting release lever 43 with a finger. It is expected that the operation of the fitting release lever 43 is usually performed with the thumb. By providing the lever operating portion 43b with the concave portion 43c and the connector main body 42 with the concave portion 42a, the lever operating portion 43b and the lower portion of the connector main body 42 are guided so that the thumb and index finger are sandwiched naturally. .

  Furthermore, the cable 45 is pulled out at an appropriate angle to a position where the remaining three fingers will come. As a result, when the electric vehicle power connector 40 is provided, it is guided to a form as shown in FIGS. Therefore, the electric vehicle power connector 40 is gripped mainly by the thumb and index finger, or two or three fingers including the middle finger, and the remaining fingers support the cable 45 in an auxiliary manner. It becomes.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16, the lever operation portion 43b is configured such that the rear end (right side in the drawing) is higher than the bottom surface of the recess 43c even when the lever operation portion 43b is pushed in during the detachment operation (the state in which the lock is released). It is configured. Thereby, at the time of the detachment operation, the lever operation unit 43b is pushed in such a manner that the thumb and the index finger are respectively hooked on the recess 43c of the lever operation unit 43b and the recess 42a of the lower part of the connector main body 42, and the electric vehicle power connector 40 The operation is to pull out toward the rear end.

  Conventionally, the lever is pushed in to release the lock during the detachment operation, but it is not the starting point of the force for pulling out the connector. The starting point of the pulling force is that the connector body is extended to hold it at a position along the four fingers other than the thumb that operates the lever, or a part other than the cable that is continuous from the connector body is installed. This is the starting point of power.

  On the other hand, the electric vehicle power connector 40 described above is reduced in size by eliminating such a configuration.

  Next, an assembly structure and an assembly method of the electric vehicle power connector 40 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The assembly of the electric vehicle power connector 40 is performed according to the following procedures (1) to (7).

(1) Connection of internal wiring 44, terminal 52, and cable 45 (see FIG. 17)
An electronic component such as a resistor or a fitting release detection switch 56 is connected to an electric wire included in the cable 45 by soldering or the like to constitute a circuit. Finally, the electric wire of the cable 45 is crimped to the terminal 52, and the assembly of the electrical components is completed. A cable clasp 57 is fitted at the base of the cable 45.

(2) Assembly of fitting part 41 (see FIG. 18)
A waterproof rubber 48 is fitted on the inner peripheral portion of the fitting receiving component 47 on the fitting side (front side). A shape for receiving the waterproof rubber 48 is formed on the fitting receiving component 47 side, and is fitted into the shape.

  After the waterproof rubber 48 is fitted, the waterproof rubber pressing component 49 is fitted to prevent the waterproof rubber 48 from coming off. The waterproof rubber pressing part 49 has claws 49a formed at the tips of the spring portions 49b on both side surfaces. The waterproof rubber 48 and the waterproof rubber pressing part 49 are fixed to the fitting receiving part 47 by hooking the claws 49 a into the holes 47 a on both sides of the fitting receiving part 47.

(3) Incorporation of electrical components into the fitting portion 41 (see FIG. 19)
As shown in FIG. 19 (a), five terminal insertion holes 47d connected to the terminal installation holes 47b are formed on the inner side opposite to the fitting side of the fitting receiving component 47 (rear side). Has been. As shown in FIG. 19B, the terminals 52 of the electrical components described above are respectively inserted into the terminal insertion holes 47d. Thereafter, the terminal pressing part 51 is fitted and fixed to the rear side of the fitting receiving part 47. A hole 51 a is opened in the circumferential surface of the terminal holding member 51, and the terminal holding member 51 is fixed by being hooked on a protrusion 47 c provided on the circumference of the fitting receiving member 47. Thus, as shown in FIG. 19C, the assembly of the internal components is completed.

(4) Assembly of the fitting release lever 43 to the exterior component 53 (see FIGS. 20 and 21)
As shown in FIGS. 20 (a) and 20 (b), the rotary shaft 43a of the fitting release lever 43 is inserted into a circular groove 53a formed on the front upper side of one of the exterior parts 53 on the right side, and the fitting is released. The coil spring 55 is inserted into a round groove 43h for spring installation provided on the lower surface of the lever 43 while being compressed. Thus, as shown in FIG. 21, the assembly of the fitting release lever 43 to the exterior component 53 is completed.

(5) Incorporation of internal components into the exterior component 53 (see FIGS. 22 and 23)
As shown in FIG. 22, the internal components described above are arranged at predetermined positions on the right exterior part 53. The cable clasp 57 attached to the cable 45 is housed in a rectangular frame 53 b provided at the rear end of the right exterior part 53. The fitting release detection switch 56 is installed below the fitting release lever 43 on the rear side of the rotation shaft 43a of the fitting release lever 43, and is configured to be switched by the vertical movement of the fitting release lever 43. It is preferable that a dowel hole or the like is provided in an appropriate position in advance and a dowel pin installed in the switch is fitted. Other wiring (electric wires) are arranged in the space at the lower center of the exterior part 53.

  As will be apparent from the following description, the unevenness provided on the inner surface of the front part of the exterior part 53 and the unevenness provided on the outer periphery of the fitting receiving part 47 are combined, and as shown in FIG. The component 47 is installed in a form that has an angle θ in the rotational direction from the normal position with respect to the fitting axis X and is slightly removed from the front side by a distance S. In FIG. 23, the internal wiring 44 and the terminal 52 are not shown for convenience.

(6) Combination of two exterior parts 53 (see FIG. 24)
As shown in FIG. 24A, the hook portion 65 provided in the rear end of the left exterior component 23 is fitted into and hooked into the substantially rectangular groove 64 provided in the rear end of the right exterior component 23. Then, as shown in FIGS. 24B and 24C, the two exterior parts 53 are aligned with each other in such a manner as to sandwich the above-described internal components.

  In the present embodiment, a round groove 66 and a round boss 67 are provided at the rear end portion of each exterior component 53 so that the exterior component 53 does not fall off at this stage, and can be temporarily held by light press-fitting.

  As described above, the fitting receiving component 47 has a structure in which the exterior component 53 cannot be correctly combined unless it is installed in a form deviated from the normal position. 24, illustration of the internal wiring 44 and the terminal 52 is omitted for convenience.

(7) Fixing the two exterior parts 53 (see FIGS. 25 to 28)
As shown in FIG. 25, a state is obtained in which the two exterior parts 53 are aligned with the outer periphery of the rear part of the fitting receiving part 47. In this state, the two exterior parts 53 are joined at the rear part by the groove 64 and the hooking part 65 shown in FIG. 24, but are not joined at the front part. Also, a plurality of convex portions 68 intermittently formed in the circumferential direction on the front inner surface 53c of the exterior component 53 and a plurality of convex portions formed intermittently in the circumferential direction on the rear outer surface 47e of the fitting receiving component 47. 69 are located at the same position in the fitting axis direction (front-rear direction) and interfere with each other. In this state, the fitting receiving part 47 cannot rotate with respect to the exterior part 53.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 26, a state is obtained in which the fitting portion 41 is pushed (slid) inward in the fitting axial direction with respect to the two exterior components 53 combined with each other. In this state, the projecting portion 72 provided on the circumference is fitted to the front portion of the left and right exterior components 53 in the groove 71 provided on the outer periphery of the fitting receiving component 47. Therefore, the exterior component 53 is shown in FIG. It becomes impossible to separate in the left-right direction in c). Further, the convex portion 68 of the exterior component 53 and the convex portion 69 of the fitting receiving component 47 are displaced in the fitting axial direction, and mutual interference is released. It can be turned.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 27, the fitting receiving component 47 is rotated with respect to the exterior component 53. That is, the fitting receiving part 47 is rotated about the fitting axis and moved to the normal position. In this embodiment, it is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the fitting surface side. As a result, as shown in FIG. 28, the convex portion 69 on the outer peripheral portion of the fitting receiving component 47 and the convex portion 68 on the inner side of the exterior component 53 face each other in the direction along the fitting axis X. Therefore, the fitting receiving part 47 cannot be moved (slid) in the direction along the fitting axis X with respect to the exterior part 53, and the fitting axis direction is fixed and held. That is, the convex portion 69 of the fitting receiving component 47 and the convex portion 68 of the exterior component 53 receive a load in the fitting axial direction during the fitting operation and the detaching operation. In addition, the shape which becomes a stopper with the combination of unevenness | corrugation is provided so that it may not rotate further from a regular position.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 27, a protrusion 73 is provided on the exterior part 53 side, and a groove 74 is provided in the portion of the fitting receiving part 47, and these are fixed in a proper position by being caught, It is designed not to rotate backward. The protrusion 73 forcibly enters the groove 74 while partially deforming the exterior part 53 when the fitting receiving part 47 is rotated. Note that this structure is not limited to the engagement of the protrusion and the groove. For example, a circular hole is made to penetrate a part of the exterior component 53 from the outside, and the same size as the above-described circular hole is provided at the opposite position of the fitting receiving component 47. A method is also conceivable in which a round groove is opened and a so-called split pin is inserted after rotation.

  As a result, the two exterior parts 53 cannot be separated in the left-right direction, and the fitting receiving part 47 cannot move in the fitting axial direction and cannot rotate, and the combined state of the two exterior parts 53 is fixed. Retained.

  FIG. 29 shows a modification of the second embodiment.

  In FIG. 29, the part from which the cable 45 at the rear part of the exterior part 53 is drawn out is formed as a separate cylindrical part 75. In this case, the separate part 75 is pushed in by providing the same structure as the structure provided at the rear part of the fitting receiving part 47 and the front part of the exterior part 53 at the front part of the separate part 75 and the rear part of the exterior part 53. The rear part of the two exterior parts 53 can be fixed by the rotating method. In this case, the fixing of the front portions of the two exterior components 53 may not be limited to the method described in the second embodiment.

  In addition, although several embodiment and the modified example were demonstrated above, this invention is not limited to them, Of course, what combined them suitably is also contained in this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 2 Cable 4 Housing 5 Main body part 6 Grip part 7 Rear end 10 Electric vehicle power connector 11 Fitting part 12 Connector main body 12a Concave part 12b Convex part 13 Fitting release lever 13a Rotating shaft 13b Lever operating part 13c Concave part 13d Protrusion 13e Fitting lock claw part 13f Protruding part 13g Flat surface 14 Internal wiring 15 Cable 17 Fitting receiving part 17a Hole 17b Terminal installation hole 17c Claw 18 Waterproof rubber 19 Waterproof rubber holding part 19a Claw 21 Terminal holding part 22 Terminal 23 Exterior part 24 Fixing Screw 25 Coil spring 26 Fitting detection switch 27 Cable clamp 31 Inlet 31a Claw receiving portion 32 Lid 40 Electric vehicle power connector 41 Fitting portion 42 Connector body 42a Recess 43 Fitting release lever 43a Rotating shaft 43b Lever operation Part 43c concave part 43d protrusion 43e fitting lock claw part 43h round groove 44 internal wiring 45 cable 47 fitting receiving part 47a hole 47b terminal installation hole 47c claw 47d terminal insertion hole 48 waterproof rubber 49 waterproof rubber holding part 49a claw 51 terminal holding part 52 terminal 53 exterior part 55 coil spring 56 fitting release detection switch 57 cable clasp 61 inlet 61a claw receiving part 62 lid 64 groove 65 hook part 66 round groove 67 round boss 68 convex part 69 convex part 71 groove 72 projecting part 74 Groove 75 Separate parts θ Angle S Distance X Mating axis

Claims (7)

  A power connector connected to an electric vehicle, the housing having a front end facing the electric vehicle when connected, a lock operating portion operable from outside the housing, and not the center of the rear end of the housing and the lock A power connector for an electric vehicle, comprising: a cable drawn obliquely from a position opposite to the operation portion in a direction different from the front-rear direction of the housing.   The electric vehicle power connector according to claim 1, wherein the lock operation unit includes a movable lever.   The electric vehicle power connector according to claim 2, wherein the lever has a recess at a rear end.   The electric vehicle power connector according to claim 2, wherein the lever has a convex portion at a rear end.   5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and has a recess in front of a portion of the outer peripheral surface from which the cable is pulled out. Power connector.   5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a substantially cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and has a convex portion in front of a portion of the outer peripheral surface from which the cable is pulled out. Power connector.   The housing includes two exterior parts extending parallel to each other in the front-rear direction and one end part assembled at the front ends of the two exterior parts, and the two exterior parts are coupled to each other by hooking the rear ends. The electric power connector for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the front ends are coupled to each other by the end parts.

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