JP2011138686A - Power feed connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power feed connector capable of performing smooth connection work irrespective of an arrangement site of a receiving-side connector. <P>SOLUTION: The power feed connector "A" which has a charging device for feeding power to an electric machine, and is connected to a receiving-side connector is provided with a cylindrical case 1 formed in a cylindrical shape and having a front end opening 1a opened at a front end in a center axis line L1 direction, a connector body 2 housed in the cylindrical case 1 in a state that a terminal 21 electrically connected to the receiving-side connector is made to face the front end opening 1a, and a clip 8 extended so as to protrude to the outside of the cylindrical case 1 and axially supported in free rotation by the cylindrical case 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a power supply connector used for charging an electric machine such as an electric vehicle.

Conventionally, as a power supply connector used for charging an electric machine driven by electric power such as an electric vehicle, a connector main body having a plurality of terminals attached to a front half portion of a cylindrical case as in Patent Document 1, for example Some have a grip (handle) attached to the rear half of the cylindrical case.
In this power feeding connector, the grip is integrally fixed to the cylindrical case, and the operator holds the grip and connects the power feeding connector to the power receiving side connector provided in the electric vehicle.

Japanese Patent No. 2752032

  By the way, since an electric vehicle has a greater degree of design freedom than a gasoline vehicle, the power receiving side connector may be disposed at any location of the electric vehicle body. However, in the above conventional power supply connector, the grip is fixed to the cylindrical case. Therefore, depending on the location of the power receiving connector, the presence of the grip may be an obstacle, and the power supply connector that grips the grip. In addition to the complexity of handling, there is a possibility that it becomes difficult to connect the power supply connector due to the structure, and the smooth connection work cannot be performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a power supply connector that enables a smooth connection operation regardless of the location of the power receiving side connector.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
That is, the power feeding connector according to the present invention is a power feeding connector for connecting to a power receiving side connector provided in the electric machine, provided in a charging device for supplying electric power to the electric machine, and is formed in a cylindrical shape and its central axis A cylindrical case having a front end opening that opens at the front end in the direction, and a connector main body housed in the cylindrical case with a terminal for electrical connection to the power receiving side connector facing the front end opening; And a grip that extends outwardly of the cylindrical case and is pivotally supported with respect to the cylindrical case.

  The power supply connector preferably includes a lock mechanism that fixes rotation of the grip with respect to the cylindrical case.

  In the power supply connector, the lock mechanism is provided in the cylindrical case, and has a plurality of through-holes arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis of the grip, and the rotation of the grip. It is preferable to include a pin member inserted into any one of the through holes according to a moving angle.

  Further, in the power feeding connector, the locking mechanism is provided in the cylindrical case, and has a groove width smaller than the diameter of the through hole and passes through each through hole in the circumferential direction of the rotation axis. The fixing pin further includes a fixing pin having a diameter larger than the groove width, and a guide pin that can be inserted into the groove width, and the fixing pin is inserted into the through hole. It is preferable that the state and the state where the fixing pin is removed from the through hole and the guide pin is inserted into the through hole can be selectively taken.

  In the power feeding connector, it is preferable that the pin member further includes a biasing member that biases the fixing pin toward the through hole.

In the power supply connector of the present invention, the grip is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the cylindrical case, so that the angle formed by the grip and the cylindrical case can be freely changed.
Therefore, according to this power feeding connector, smooth connection work can be performed regardless of the location of the power receiving side connector by appropriately rotating the grip according to the location of the power receiving side connector.

It is the side view which made a part of electric power feeding connector concerning the embodiment of the present invention a cross section. FIG. 2 is a view in the direction of an arrow X in FIG. 1. It is YY sectional drawing of FIG. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the power receiving side connector which connects the electric power feeding connector of FIG. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the state which connected the electric power feeding connector of FIG. 1 with respect to the receiving side connector. It is a figure which shows the state which rotated the grip in FIG. It is YY sectional drawing of FIG. 1 which shows the modification of a fixing pin.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a power feeding connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, a power supply connector A of the present embodiment is provided in a charging device such as a charging stand that supplies power to an electric vehicle, and a power receiving side connector B (see FIG. 4) provided in the electric vehicle at the time of charging. ).

  The power supply connector A includes a cylindrical case 1 formed in a cylindrical shape along the central axis L 1, a connector main body 2 accommodated in the cylindrical case 1, and a central axis of the connector main body 2 with respect to the cylindrical case 1. The operation mechanism 3 for operating the movement in the L1 direction, a grip 8 pivotally supported by the cylindrical case 1, and a lock mechanism 9 for fixing the rotation of the grip 8 are roughly configured. Yes.

  The cylindrical case 1 has a front end opening 1a that opens to the front end (the left end in FIG. 1) in the direction of the central axis L1. The front end portion of the cylindrical case 1 is configured as an insertion portion 11 that is inserted into the shell 101 of the power receiving connector B, and a locking claw 61 of a lock arm 6 described later is inserted into the peripheral wall of the insertion portion 11. An insertion hole 11 a is formed so as to face the radially outer side of the portion 11.

  The connector body 2 is housed near the front end side of the cylindrical case 1 and houses a plurality of power feeding side terminals (terminals) 21 for electrical connection to the power receiving side connector B and a plurality of power feeding side terminals 21. A cylindrical terminal storage portion 22 and a cable storage portion 23 for storing the cable 4 connected to the proximal end of the power supply side terminal 21. The cable 4 is arranged so as to extend from the power supply terminal 21 side to the outside of the power supply connector A through the grip 8.

  In addition to the power supply terminal for supplying power to the electric vehicle, the power supply side terminal 21 includes, for example, a communication terminal for communicating information required for charge control between the charging device and the electric vehicle. Further, the terminal accommodating portion 22 is formed so that the front end of the power supply side terminal 21 faces outward from the front end opening 1 a of the cylindrical case 1.

  The specific number and arrangement of the power supply side terminals 21, the specific shape of the terminal storage portion 22, and the shape of the insertion portion 11 of the cylindrical case 1 described above can be arbitrarily set. For example, those defined in “Japanese Electric Vehicle Standard: JEVS G 105” can be mentioned.

  The cable storage portion 23 is fixed to the rear end of the terminal storage portion 22 so as to be arranged on the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1 with respect to the terminal storage portion 22. A sliding pin 24 that protrudes radially outward is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cable housing portion 23. The sliding pin 24 is accommodated in a sliding groove 14 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case 1 so as to extend in the direction of the central axis L1. It is slidable in the direction of the central axis L1.

  Note that the range of movement of the connector body 2 with respect to the cylindrical case 1 is regulated by the regulating means 5 provided in the power feeding connector A. The restricting means 5 includes a spherical ball plunger 52 that is urged by the coil spring 51 from the inner peripheral surface side of the cylindrical case 1 toward the outer peripheral surface of the cable storage portion 23, and the outer peripheral surface of the cable storage portion 23. It is comprised by the formed recessed part 53. FIG.

  Two recesses 53 are arranged at intervals in the direction of the central axis L1. The inner surface of each recess 53 is formed in an arc shape corresponding to the spherical surface of the ball plunger 52, and a part of the ball plunger 52 enters the each recess 53.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the distance between the two recesses 53 is such that the connector main body 2 is located at a position where the entire terminal accommodating portion 22 of the connector main body 2 is accommodated in the cylindrical case 1 (hereinafter referred to as an accommodating position). .) And a position where a part of the terminal accommodating portion 22 protrudes from the front end opening 1a of the cylindrical case 1 (hereinafter referred to as a protruding position), as shown in FIG. Is set to

  That is, in a state where the connector main body 2 is disposed at the housing position, the movement of the connector main body 2 is restricted by the ball plunger 52 entering the first concave portion 53 </ b> A located on the front end side of the cylindrical case 1. Further, in a state where the connector main body 2 is arranged at the protruding position, the movement of the connector main body 2 is restricted by the ball plunger 52 entering the second concave portion 53B located on the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1.

  In this restricting means 5, since the concave portion 53 is formed in an arc shape corresponding to the ball plunger 52, if the force is greater than the urging force of the coil spring 51, the coil 5 is operated by operating the operation mechanism 3 described later. In order to resist the urging force of the spring 51, the connector body 2 is moved from the state in which the connector body 2 is disposed in the housing position in a direction to project from the front end opening 1a, and the connector body 2 is disposed in the projecting position. It is possible to move the connector main body 2 in the direction in which the connector main body 2 is accommodated in the cylindrical case 1 from the state where it is formed.

  In such a connector main body 2, the rear end side of the cable housing portion 23 is connected to the operation mechanism 3. The operation mechanism 3 includes an operation lever 31 having one end protruding outside the cylindrical case 1, and the operator can move the connector body 2 in the direction of the central axis L <b> 1 by operating the operation lever 31. It is configured to be able to.

  The grip 8 extends so that one end in the longitudinal direction protrudes to the outside of the cylindrical case 1, and the other end is pivotally supported by the cylindrical case 1 by a grip shaft 81. The grip 8 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the internal space of the cylindrical case 1 in which the connector main body 2 is arranged communicates with the internal space of the grip 8. The cable 4 connected to the connector main body 2 is arranged so as to extend from the power supply side terminal 21 to the outside of the power supply connector A through the grip 8.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the grip shaft 81 extends along a rotation axis L2 orthogonal to the center axis L1, and both ends of the grip shaft 81 extend to the rear end of the cylindrical case 1 and are centered. The pair of side plate portions 12, 12 facing each other with the axis L1 interposed therebetween is fixedly supported via a fixing member 81a such as a nut.

  Thereby, the grip 8 can be rotated around the rotation axis L2 in a virtual plane extending in the direction of the center axis L1. The virtual plane means both a virtual plane including the central axis L1 and a virtual plane along the central axis L1 (not including the central axis L1 but parallel to the central axis L1).

  The lock mechanism 9 is a mechanism for fixing the grip 8 that is rotatable with respect to the cylindrical case 1 as described above in a state where the extending direction of the grip 8 and the central axis L1 form a predetermined angle. In this case, the cylindrical case 1 includes a through hole 91 and a guide groove 92, and a pin member 93 provided in the grip 8.

  The through hole 91 is a circular hole formed in one side plate portion 12 (front side in FIG. 1) of the pair of side plate portions 12 and 12 in the cylindrical case 1 and is spaced in the circumferential direction of the rotation axis L2. A plurality (five in the present embodiment) are formed. In the present embodiment, when the arrangement angle of one through hole 91 arranged on the front end side of the cylindrical case 1 with respect to the rotation axis L2 is set to 0 °, the angle is ± 45 °, ± 90 °. The other four through holes 91 are respectively arranged. In other words, a total of five through holes 91 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotation axis L2 within a range of 180 ° on the front end side viewed from the rotation axis L2.

  The guide groove 92 is a slit-like groove formed in one side plate portion 12 like the through hole 91 and has a groove width smaller than the diameter of the through hole 91 and sequentially passes through the plurality of through holes 91. Thus, it extends in an arc shape in the circumferential direction of the rotation axis L2. In the present embodiment, the guide groove 92 extends in the circumferential direction of the rotation axis L2 over a range of 180 ° on the front end side as viewed from the rotation axis L2, similarly to the five through holes 91.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pin member 93 includes a fixed pin 94, a guide pin 95, and an urging member 96.
The guide pin 95 is a pin that extends in the direction of the pin axis L3 parallel to the rotation axis L2, and has a diameter that can be inserted into the guide groove 92. One end (right end in FIG. 3) of the guide pin 95 is fixedly supported to the grip 8 via, for example, a screw, and the radial position around the rotation axis L2 is the above-described through-hole 91 and The guide groove 92 is disposed so as to coincide with the guide groove 92. Thereby, in the state where the guide pin 95 is fixedly supported by the grip 8, the other end (the left end portion in FIG. 3) of the guide pin 95 is inserted into the through hole 91 or the guide groove 92.

  The fixed pin 94 includes a cylindrical portion 94a that is slidably fitted to the guide pin 95 in the direction of the pin axis L3. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 94a is the groove width of the guide groove 92. The size is larger than the through hole 91 and slightly smaller. As a result, the fixing pin 94 can be inserted into the through hole 91 while being fitted around the guide pin 95 when the circumferential position around the rotation axis L2 coincides with the through hole 91. .

  In a state where the fixing pin 94 is inserted into the through hole 91, one end (right end portion in FIG. 3) of the cylindrical portion 94a abuts on the grip 8, so that the fixing pin 94 is in the direction of the pin axis L3. Positioned. Further, a pin knob portion 94b for closing the other end opening of the cylindrical portion 94a is provided at the other end of the cylindrical portion 94a (the left end portion in FIG. 3).

  The biasing member 96 is, for example, a coil spring that can be expanded and contracted in the direction of the pin axis L3, and is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the cylindrical portion 94a of the fixing pin 94, and has one end fixed to the guide pin 95. The other end is fixed to the pin knob 94 b of the fixed pin 94. By this urging member 96, the fixing pin 94 is urged in the direction in which it is inserted into the through hole 91.

  When the pin member 93 having the above-described configuration has the circumferential position of the pin member 93 and the through hole 91 with the rotation axis L2 as the center, the biasing force of the biasing member 96 is used as shown in FIG. The fixing pin 94 is inserted in the through hole 91. When the pin grip portion 94b of the fixing pin 94 is gripped and pulled in a direction away from the grip 8, as shown in FIG. 3B, the fixing pin 94 comes out of the through hole 91, The guide pin 95 is inserted into the through hole 91. That is, the pin member 93 can selectively take a state where the fixing pin 94 is inserted into the through hole 91 and a state where the fixing pin 94 is removed from the through hole 91 and only the guide pin 95 is inserted into the through hole 91. It is configured as follows.

  In addition, the power supply connector A of the present embodiment includes a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of lock arms 6 provided on the front end side of the cylindrical case 1 and locking the power supply connector A to the power reception side connector B. The plurality of lock arms 6 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical case 1 so as to surround the connector body 2.

  Each lock arm 6 is formed in a substantially bar shape extending in the direction of the central axis L1. A locking claw 61 is formed at the front end of the lock arm 6 so as to protrude radially outward of the cylindrical case 1, and the rear end of the lock arm 6 is pivotally supported by the cylindrical case 1 by a pin 62. That is, each lock arm 6 is attached to the cylindrical case 1 so as to be swingable.

  A torsion spring 63 is fixed to the pin 62, and the urging force of the torsion spring 63 causes the lock arm 6 to swing so that its front end side moves radially outward of the cylindrical case 1. Is being energized. In this biased state, the locking claw 61 protrudes from the insertion hole 11a of the cylindrical case 1 to the outside.

  Further, the power supply connector A of the present embodiment includes a lock release mechanism 7 that retracts the locking claw 61 of one lock arm 6A into the cylindrical case 1 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 63 described above. . The unlocking mechanism 7 includes an extension portion 71 extending from the rear end of one lock arm 6A to the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1 along the central axis L1, and a first protrusion 72 formed on the extension portion 71. The second protrusion 73 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the connector main body 2 is provided.

  The extension portion 71 is disposed opposite to the outer peripheral surface of the cable storage portion 23, and the first protrusion 72 projects toward the outer peripheral surface of the cable storage portion 23. Note that the protruding height of the first protrusion 72 is set so as not to contact the outer peripheral surface of the cable storage portion 23.

  The second protruding portion 73 protrudes toward the extending portion 71, and does not contact the first protruding portion 72 and the extending portion 71 when the connector main body 2 is disposed at the protruding position (see FIG. 3). On the other hand, in a state where the connector main body 2 is disposed at the accommodation position (see FIG. 1), the connector main body 2 contacts the first protrusion 72. By this contact, the second protrusion 73 presses the extension 71 against the radial direction of the cylindrical case 1 against the urging force of the torsion spring 63, and as a result, the locking claw 61 of the one lock arm 6 </ b> A. Is retracted into the cylindrical case 1.

  That is, the lock release mechanism 7 moves the locking claw 61 of one lock arm 6A in conjunction with the operation of the operation mechanism 3 into the retracted position (position shown in FIG. 1) in the cylindrical case 1 and the insertion hole 11a. It is comprised so that it may move between the protrusion position (position shown in FIG. 5) which protrudes outside.

  In addition, the power supply connector A of the present embodiment includes an electromagnetic lock mechanism 120 that prevents the connector main body 2 from moving relative to the cylindrical case 1 during charging. The electromagnetic lock mechanism 120 includes a solenoid 121 including a cylindrical electromagnet 123 fixed to the cylindrical case 1 and a plunger 124 inserted through the cylindrical electromagnet 123, and an engagement hole 122a provided in the connector body 2 and through which the plunger 124 is inserted. And a lock portion 122 having the same. The lock portion 122 may be configured so that a separate member is used as the connector body 2 as in the illustrated example, but may be formed integrally with the connector body 2, for example.

The plunger 124 of the solenoid 121 is accommodated in the electromagnet 123 by an urging means (not shown) or the like when no current flows through the electromagnet 123, and protrudes from the electromagnet 123 while current flows through the electromagnet 123. Note that power supply to the electromagnet 123 is performed during charging (power supply to the electric vehicle).
The lock portion 122 is arranged at a position where the plunger 124 protruding from the electromagnet 123 can be inserted into the engagement hole 122a in a state where the connector body 2 is arranged at the protruding position. In the state where the connector main body 2 is disposed at the housing position, the engagement hole 122a of the lock portion 122 is positioned with respect to the plunger 124, and even if the plunger 124 protrudes, the engagement hole 122a is inserted. There is no.

  The power receiving connector B connected to the power feeding connector A having the above configuration is fixed to the body of the electric vehicle and the like, and as shown in FIG. 4, a cylindrical shell that receives the insertion portion 11 of the cylindrical case 1. 101, a cylindrical terminal storage portion 22 provided therein, and a power receiving side terminal (not shown) disposed in the terminal storage portion 22 are generally configured. The terminal accommodating part 22 is received in the terminal accommodating part 22 of the connector main body 2 in the state (refer FIG. 5) which received the insertion part 11 of the cylindrical case 1 in the shell 101. FIG. That is, the shapes of the shell 101 and the terminal storage portion 22 correspond to the insertion portion 11 and the terminal storage portion 22 of the power feeding connector, respectively. Further, locking recesses 53 that engage with the locking claws 61 of the power feeding connector A are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the shell 101 so as to correspond to the number and arrangement of the lock arms 6.

  The power receiving side terminal contacts or abuts the power feeding side terminal 21 of the power feeding connector A to electrically connect the power feeding connector A and the power receiving side connector B, and plays the same role as the power feeding side terminal 21. That is, the number and arrangement of the power receiving side terminals correspond to the power feeding side terminals 21 of the power feeding connector A.

  When the power feeding connector A configured as described above is connected to the power receiving side connector B, first, the operator holds the grip 8 with the connector main body 2 arranged at the accommodation position as shown in FIG. The front end portion of the cylindrical case 1 is inserted into the shell 101 and inserted into the power receiving side connector B. In this state, the locking claw 61 of the other lock arm 6B is engaged with the locking recess 103 of the power receiving side connector B, and the power feeding connector A is temporarily fitted to the power receiving side connector B.

  Next, the connector body 2 is moved to the front end side of the cylindrical case 1 by the operation mechanism 3 so that the connector body 2 is arranged at the protruding position. More specifically, when the operator grips the operation lever 31 and rotates the operation lever 31 so as to move to the front end side of the cylindrical case 1, the connector main body 2 is moved to the front end side of the cylindrical case 1. It will be arranged in the protruding position.

In this state, the operation of the operation lever 31 described above causes the second protrusion 73 of the lock release mechanism 7 to move together with the connector body 2 and separate from the first protrusion 72. For this reason, the locking claw 61 of one lock arm 6A protrudes outside from the insertion hole 11a of the cylindrical case 1 by the urging force of the torsion spring 63 and engages with the locking recess 103 of the power receiving side connector B. As a result, the power feeding connector A is completely fitted to the power receiving side connector B. Further, in this state, the power supply side terminal 21 is in contact with or in contact with the power reception side terminal, and the power supply connector A and the power reception side connector B are electrically connected to be in a chargeable state.
When the operation lever 31 is rotated, the power supply connector A and the power receiving side connector B are electrically connected after the locking claw 61 of the lock arm 6A is engaged with the locking recess 103 of the power receiving side connector B. Is done.

When charging is started in this completely fitted state, a current flows through the electromagnet 123 and the plunger 124 is inserted into the engagement hole 122 a of the lock portion 122. That is, the electromagnetic lock mechanism 120 prevents the connector main body 2 from moving, and can reliably prevent the power feeding side terminal 21 of the power feeding connector A and the power receiving side terminal of the power receiving side connector B from being separated during charging.
When the charging is completed, the power supply to the electromagnet 123 is stopped, and accordingly, the plunger 124 comes out of the engagement hole 122a of the lock portion 122. That is, the connector main body 2 becomes movable.

  Thereafter, when the power feeding connector A is removed from the power receiving side connector B, the operator operates the operation mechanism 3 to move the connector main body 2 to the accommodation position on the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1. In this state, the operation of the operation mechanism 3 described above causes the second protrusion 73 of the lock release mechanism 7 to move together with the connector main body 2 and contact the first protrusion 72.

  As a result, the second protrusion 73 presses the extension 71 against the radially outer side of the cylindrical case 1 against the urging force of the torsion spring 63, and the locking claw 61 of one lock arm 6 </ b> A is inside the cylindrical case 1. Will be evacuated. That is, the power supply connector A returns to the state of being temporarily fitted to the power receiving side connector B. Thereafter, the grip 8 is gripped and the power feeding connector A is pulled out from the power receiving side connector B, whereby the work for removing the power feeding connector A is completed.

  Here, for example, depending on the arrangement location of the power receiving side connector B in the electric vehicle, when the power feeding connector A is connected to the power receiving side connector B, the presence of the grip 8 of the power feeding connector A may hinder the connection work. It is done. In this case, the grip 8 is rotated with respect to the cylindrical case 1 by the following procedure, and the grip 8 is moved to a position that does not hinder the connection work.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the fixing pin 94 is inserted into the through hole 91, the rotation of the grip 8 around the rotation axis L <b> 2 is locked, and the grip 8 is attached to the cylindrical case 1. It is in a fixed state. When the fixing pin 94 is pulled from the through hole 91 to the side away from the grip 8, only the guide pin 95 is inserted into the through hole 91 as shown in FIG. In this state, since the guide pin 95 can be inserted into the guide groove 92, the grip 8 can be rotated with respect to the cylindrical case 1 as shown in FIG. That is, when the grip 8 is to be rotated, the guide pin 95 is inserted into the guide groove 92 and moved along the guide groove 92, and therefore the guide pin 95 hinders rotation. Can be avoided. As a result, the grip 8 can be freely rotated with respect to the cylindrical case 1 over 180 °, which is the formation range of the guide groove 92.

  Then, after the grip 8 is rotated as described above, when the fixing pin 94 is inserted into one of the through holes 91 according to the urging force of the urging member 96, the rotation of the grip 8 is locked, and the grip 8 is It is fixed with respect to the cylindrical case 1. That is, the grip 8 is fixed at a predetermined rotation angle by inserting the fixing pin 94 into any of the plurality of through holes 91 according to the rotation angle of the grip 8.

  As described above, according to the power supply connector A of the present embodiment, since the grip 8 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the cylindrical case 1, the angle between the grip 8 and the cylindrical case 1 can be freely set. Can be changed. Therefore, it is possible to perform a smooth connection work regardless of the location of the power receiving side connector B of the electric vehicle by appropriately rotating the grip 8 so that it does not interfere with the location of the power receiving side connector B. It becomes.

  Further, since the rotation of the grip 8 can be fixed by the lock mechanism 9, it is possible to prevent the grip 8 from rotating unexpectedly when the operator grips the grip 8 and handling becomes complicated. .

  Further, since the lock mechanism 9 is configured to insert the pin member 93 into any of the plurality of through holes 91 formed in the cylindrical case 1, the rotation of the grip 8 can be reliably fixed.

  In addition, a guide groove 92 that passes through the plurality of through holes 91 is formed in the cylindrical case 1, and a state in which the fixing pin 94 is inserted into the through hole 91, and the fixing pin 94 is detached from the through hole 91 and is a guide pin Since only 95 is inserted in the through hole 91, the grip 8 can be rotated and fixed easily and smoothly. That is, since the fixing pin 94 and the guide pin 95 are connected and the pin member 93 can be rotated and fixed without removing the pin member 93 from the grip 8 and the cylindrical case 1, handling is easy. Can be.

  Furthermore, since the urging member 96 that urges the fixing pin 94 toward the through hole 91 is provided on the pin member 93, the fixing pin 94 is resisted against the urging of the urging member 96 in the through hole 91. When the grip 8 is rotated, the fixing pin 94 is inserted into the through hole 91 in accordance with the urging force of the urging member 96. Therefore, it is possible to easily shift to the locked state.

  The power connector A according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. is there.

  For example, in the pin member 93 of the above embodiment, the fixing pin 94 is slidably fitted on the guide pin 95 fixed to the grip 8, and the fixing pin 94 passes between the fixing pin 94 and the guide pin 95. Although the urging member 96 that urges toward the inside of the hole 91 is provided, a pin member 113 having a configuration shown in FIG. 7 may be used as a modified example.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the pin member 113 in this modification is integrated with a fixing pin 114 that can be inserted into the through hole 91 and one end of the fixing pin 114 (the right end portion in FIG. 7). A guide pin 115 that is fixed and can be inserted into a hole 82 that penetrates the inside and outside of the grip 8 is connected to one end of the guide pin 115 (the right end in FIG. 7). An urging member 116 that urges the inner side (right side in FIG. 7) is provided.

  In such a modification, the guide pin 115 may be inserted into the through hole 91 by pulling the fixing pin 114 out of the through hole 91 against the bias of the biasing member 96. it can. In other words, the fixing pin 114 is configured to be selectively inserted into the through hole 91 and the fixing pin 114 is removed from the through hole 91 and the guide pin 115 is inserted into the through hole 91. Therefore, as in the embodiment, the grip 8 can be rotated and fixed easily and smoothly.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the grip 8 is configured to rotate about the rotation axis L2 with respect to the cylindrical case 1, but the grip 8 is orthogonal to the rotation axis L2 in addition to the rotation axis L2. It is good also as a structure which rotates also around the axis line to do. As described above, the grip 8 can be rotated around two axes perpendicular to each other with respect to the cylindrical case 1, so that it is possible to more flexibly correspond to the place where the power receiving side connector B is arranged. Can be performed more smoothly.

Further, the grip 8 may be divided into two in the extending direction, and the divided pieces may be connected to each other so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the rotation axis L2. In this case, the rotation range on one end side of the grip 8 can be expanded to 180 ° or more, for example, so that the connection work can be performed more flexibly.
Further, it is preferable that the axis parallel to the rotation axis L <b> 2 is disposed outside the cylindrical case 1. In this case, by sharing the rotation angle between the rotation axis L2 and the axis parallel to the rotation axis L2, the grip 8 is rotatably inserted while ensuring a wide rotation range on one end side of the grip 8. Therefore, the opening part of the cylindrical case 1 formed for this purpose can be made small.

  In the embodiment, the power supply connector A provided in the charging device for electric vehicles has been described. However, the power supply connector of the present invention can be applied to a charging device for various electric machines driven by electric power.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS A ... Power feeding connector, B ... Power receiving side connector, 1 ... Cylindrical case, 1a ... Front end opening part, 2 ... Connector main body, 3 ... Operation mechanism, 4 ... Cable, 8 ... Grip, 9 ... Locking mechanism, 21 ... Power feeding side Terminal (terminal), 81 ... grip shaft, 91 ... through hole, 92 ... guide groove, 93 ... pin member, 94 ... fixing pin, 95 ... guide pin, 96 ... biasing member, 113 ... pin member, 114 ... fixing pin 115 ... guide pins, 116 ... biasing members, L1 ... center axis, L2 ... rotation axis

Claims (5)

A power supply connector for connecting to a power receiving side connector provided in the electric machine, provided for a charging device that supplies electric power to the electric machine,
A cylindrical case having a front end opening which is formed in a cylindrical shape and opens at the front end in the direction of the central axis;
A connector main body housed in the cylindrical case with a terminal for electrical connection to the power receiving side connector facing the front end opening,
A power feeding connector comprising: a grip that extends so as to protrude to the outside of the cylindrical case and is pivotally supported with respect to the cylindrical case.   The power supply connector according to claim 1, further comprising a lock mechanism that fixes rotation of the grip relative to the cylindrical case. The locking mechanism is
A plurality of through-holes provided in the cylindrical case and arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis of the grip;
The power supply connector according to claim 2, further comprising: a pin member that is inserted into any of the through holes according to a rotation angle of the grip. The locking mechanism is
A guide groove provided in the cylindrical case and having a groove width smaller than the diameter of the through hole and extending in the circumferential direction of the rotation axis so as to pass through each through hole;
The pin member is
A fixing pin having a diameter larger than the groove width, and a guide pin that can be inserted into the groove width,
A state in which the fixing pin is inserted into the through hole and a state in which the fixing pin is removed from the through hole and the guide pin is inserted into the through hole can be selectively taken. The power supply connector according to claim 3, wherein The pin member is
The power feeding connector according to claim 4, further comprising a biasing member that biases the fixing pin toward the through hole.

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