JP2014150012A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector in which a lock mechanism does not work when damage of an engaging part on the connection object side is detected and the engaging part is damaged, and the connector cannot be electrified.SOLUTION: Sliders 7a, 7b are provided in a case 3. One ends of the sliders 7a, 7b are projecting forward of the case 3. The sliders 7a, 7b are slidable in the axial direction (inserting and drawing direction of a connector 1). At least a pair of sliders 7a, 7b are provided on both sides of a latch 9. More specifically, the sliders 7a, 7b are arranged to hold a lock lever 11. A case lock mechanism is released only when both sliders 7a, 7b are pushed in. Consequently, even when a part on the power reception connector side is not lost but remains, the loss is detected reliably, and connection and electrification of connectors can be prevented.

Description

  The present invention relates to a power feeding / power receiving connector used in an electric vehicle or the like.

  In recent years, electric vehicles that do not use fossil fuels have attracted attention from the viewpoint of global environmental problems. An electric vehicle is equipped with a driving battery and can be driven by electricity charged in the battery.

  In order to charge an electric vehicle, a power receiving connector on the vehicle side and a power supply connector on the power source side suitable for this are required. Moreover, at the time of a power failure, it is also possible to use it as a household power source using electricity charged in the automobile. Also in this case, a power receiving connector for receiving power from the automobile side is required. These connectors are designed for electric vehicles in consideration of ease of use, safety, and the like, and generally have a different form from the connectors conventionally used for power lines.

  As such a power supply connector for an electric vehicle, for example, a case, a connector main body slidably attached to the case and accommodating a plurality of terminals, and a pipe slidably attached to the connector main body in a coaxial direction There is a power supply connector that includes a handle and a lever, and the handle is advanced by turning the lever so that the connector main body is fitted to the connector main body of the power receiving side connector (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-188044

  On the other hand, such a charging connector for an electric vehicle is provided with a lock mechanism that prevents the power feeding connector in a state of being energized from being removed from the power receiving connector during charging. Without this locking mechanism, there is a risk that an arc is generated at the moment when the power feeding connector is pulled out of the power receiving connector while being energized.

  As such a locking mechanism, for example, there is a method in which a latch (including a pin shape) provided on the power feeding connector side is locked to a locking portion on the power receiving connector side. By preventing the lock mechanism from being released during energization, it is possible to prevent the power feeding connector from being removed from the power receiving connector during energization.

  However, if a part of the locking portion on the power receiving connector is damaged, the lock mechanism may not work. For example, if a portion where the latch, which is a locking mechanism, is locked is damaged, the latch cannot be locked even if the latch itself is fitted in the locking portion in a protruding state. Therefore, the power supply connector may be disconnected from the power reception connector even during energization.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and detects the breakage of the engaging portion on the connection target side, and if it is broken, the lock mechanism does not work and the connector cannot be energized. An object is to provide a connector.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is a connector used for charging a vehicle or receiving power from a vehicle, and includes a lock mechanism that locks the connector with a locking portion to be connected, and a proximity of the lock mechanism. A detection mechanism that detects a loss of the locking portion, and the locking mechanism includes a lock lever and a latch formed at an end of the lock lever, the latch being The detection mechanism can be engaged with the locking portion, and the detection mechanism includes a pair of sliders provided so as to sandwich the lock lever, a first elastic member that projects the slider forward, and a hole provided in the slider. A pin formed in the lock lever and fitted in the holes on both sides, a rotation shaft that rotatably supports the lock lever on the front side of the pin, and a direction in which the latch is pushed up. A second elastic member that presses the lever, and the hole is a long hole with respect to the sliding direction of the slider, and the front side of the hole is stepped on the opposite side of the latching direction of the latch When both of the pair of sliders are pushed in, the second elastic member causes the pin to fall into the step of the hole, and the lock lever rotates, so that the latch becomes the outer surface of the connector. The connector is characterized in that the latch and the locking part can be engaged with each other.

  The connector is provided with an operation lever, one end of the operation lever is rotatably joined to the lock lever, the other end is an operation unit, and the operation lever is rotated by a rotation shaft. It is desirable that the operation unit is pushed up in the same direction as the latch when the lock lever rotates and the latch protrudes from the connector.

  The connector is provided with a lock portion for locking the operation lever. When the first detection portion detects that the latch protrudes, the lock portion is activated and the operation lever cannot be operated. It is desirable to be able to energize.

  It is preferable that the connector is provided with a second detection unit that detects the operation of the lock unit, and that the second detection unit detects that the lock unit has been operated, thereby enabling energization.

  According to the present invention, since the defect detection mechanism for detecting the defect of the engaging part to be connected is provided, when the defect of the engaging part is detected, the latch is not operated and the connector is locked to the connection object. Can not be. In particular, a pair of sliders are provided on both sides of the lock lever, and only when both sliders are pushed in, it is judged that there is no defect and can be locked by a latch. It is.

  In addition, a long hole-like hole is provided in the slider, a pin of the lock mechanism is inserted into the hole, and the pin is lowered into the step by the movement of the slider, so that the latch can be moved, so the structure is simple.

  Also, when one end of the release lever is pivotably joined to the lock lever, and the release lever is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft, the lock lever rotates and the latch protrudes from the connector. The operation unit is pushed up in the same direction as the latch. For this reason, the user can easily grasp the locked state, and the operation for unlocking is easy.

  Further, since the release lever is locked by the lock unit so that the operation unit cannot be operated during energization, the lock is not accidentally released during energization.

  In addition, by providing a detection unit that detects the operation of the lock unit, it is possible to prevent energization when the lock unit is malfunctioning. By doing so, the lock portion can be operated without fail when energized.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector in which the locking portion on the connection target side is detected and the locking mechanism is not effective when the locking portion is damaged, and the connector cannot be energized.

The side view which shows the connector 1. FIG. (A) is a plan view of the vicinity of the connector portion 5, and (b) is a front view of the connector 1. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the connector 1. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the connector 1 inserted into the power receiving connector 41. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lock lever 11 of FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the state in which the latch 9 is engaged with the locking portion 43. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lock lever 11 of FIG. 6. It is a figure which shows the state by which the deficient part 45 was provided in the power receiving connector 41, (a) is side sectional drawing, (b) is a front view. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the loss detection means in the state which detected the defect | deletion, (a) is the figure seen from the slider 7a side, (b) is the figure seen from the slider 7b side.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the connector 1, FIG. 2A is a plan view in the vicinity of the connector portion, and FIG. 2B is a front view of the connector 1. In the following figures, illustration of cables and the like is omitted. The connector 1 mainly includes a case 3 and a connector portion 5.

  Various mechanical structures described later, cables not shown, and the like are accommodated in the case 3. An operation unit 15 is provided at the upper rear part of the case 3. The operation unit 15 is an operation part for releasing a lock mechanism described later. Details of the lock mechanism and the like will be described later.

  The connector part 5 is provided in front of the case 3. The connector part 5 is a part connected to a power receiving connector or the like to be connected. The connector 1 may be a power feeding connector for feeding power to a power receiving connector provided in an electric vehicle or the like, or for receiving electricity charged in a car and using it for a household power source or the like. Any of the power receiving connectors may be used. In the following description, an example in which the connector 1 is a power feeding connector will be described.

  A latch 9 is exposed at the upper portion of the connector portion 5. The latch 9 is a part that engages with a power receiving connector or the like to be connected. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a pair of sliders 7 a and 7 b are provided on both sides of the latch 9. The sliders 7 a and 7 b protrude from the end surface of the case 3 and can be pushed into the case 3. The sliders 7a and 7b are always pushed forward by an elastic member (not shown). That is, the sliders 7 a and 7 b protrude from the end surface of the case 3 in a normal state (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and not used).

  Next, the internal structure of the connector 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

  A lock lever 11 is provided inside the case 3. The lock lever 11 is rotatably attached to the case 3 by a rotating shaft 23. A latch 9 is formed at the front end of the lock lever 11 so as to face upward. The latch 9 protrudes forward from a hole formed in the case 3, and a locking claw is disposed upward at the upper portion of the connector portion 5.

  One end portion of the operation lever 13 is connected to the end portion on the rear side of the lock lever 11 by a link 27 so as to be rotatable relative to each other. The operation lever 13 is rotatably attached to the case 3 by a rotation shaft 25. Therefore, when the lock lever 11 rotates around the rotation shaft 23, the operation lever 13 also rotates in the opposite direction around the rotation shaft 25 correspondingly.

  The other end of the operation lever 13 serves as the operation unit 15. The operation unit 15 is exposed to the outside near the upper part behind the case 3, and the operator can operate the operation lever 13 from the outside. Therefore, when the operator operates the operation unit 15, the operation lever 13 can be rotated around the rotation shaft 25.

  Inside the case 3, sliders 7a and 7b are provided. One end of the sliders 7 a and 7 b protrudes forward of the case 3. The sliders 7a and 7b are slidable in the axial direction (insertion / removal direction of the connector 1). At least one pair of sliders 7 a and 7 b is provided on both sides of the latch 9. That is, the sliders 7 a and 7 b are arranged so as to sandwich the lock lever 11.

  The sliders 7a and 7b have the same structure. A hole 17 is provided near the rear end of the sliders 7a and 7b. The hole 17 is formed in a long hole shape in the axial direction. Between the rotating shaft 23 of the lock lever 11 and the link 27, a pin 19 protruding in both sides is provided. The pin 19 is inserted into each hole 17 of the sliders 7a and 7b. Details of the relationship between the hole 17 and the pin 19 will be described later.

  The lock lever 11 is pressed downward by the spring 21 between the rotating shaft 23 and the link 27. That is, the spring 21 presses the lock lever 11 in the direction in which the latch 9 rotates upward.

  A plunger 35 is provided below the vicinity of the link 27 of the operation lever 13. A micro switch 29 is provided below the plunger 35. The micro switch 29 is a detection unit that detects the operation of the operation lever 13.

  A plunger 37 is provided below the operation lever 15 and the vicinity of the operation lever 13. An electromagnetic solenoid 33 is provided below the plunger 37. The electromagnetic solenoid 33 penetrates the inside thereof, and the solenoid shaft 39 can be operated by operating the electromagnetic solenoid 33.

  The electromagnetic solenoid 33 is provided with a spring 31. The spring 31 applies a force to the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 in the direction in which the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 is pulled back. Therefore, at the normal time, the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 is pulled back to the front side by the spring 31. A micro switch 31 is provided behind the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39. The micro switch 31 is a detection unit that detects the operation of the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39. In a normal state, since the plunger 37 is located behind the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39, the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 does not move backward.

  Next, a state where the connector 1 is connected to the connection target will be described. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the connector 1 is inserted into the power receiving connector 41 to be connected. Note that illustration of the connector portion 5 and the terminal portions of the power receiving connector 41 is omitted. With the case 3 inserted into the power receiving connector 41, a locking portion 43 is formed at a position corresponding to the latch 9 on the inner surface of the power receiving connector 41. The locking portion 43 is a recess with which the locking claw of the latch 9 is engaged.

  The connector portion 5 of the connector 1 is inserted into the power receiving connector 41. Since the outer diameter of the case 3 is larger than that of the connector portion 5, the case 3 contacts the end face of the power receiving connector 41 when the connector portion 5 is inserted into the power receiving connector 41. That is, when the connector portion 5 of the connector 1 is inserted into the power receiving connector 41, the case 3 hits the peripheral portion of the power receiving connector 41 (the wall portion in front of the locking portion 43). Since the sliders 7 a and 7 b protrude in front of the case 3, the sliders 7 a and 7 b come into contact with the peripheral edge portion of the power receiving connector 41 (wall portion constituting the locking portion 43).

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lock lever 11. As shown in FIG. 5, the sliders 7 a and 7 b come into contact with the wall portion constituting the locking portion 43 and are pushed backward (inside the case 3) (in the direction of arrow B in the figure). When the sliders 7a and 7b move backward, the position of the hole 17 with respect to the pin 19 moves. That is, the relative position of the pin 19 and the hole 17 moves.

  Here, the hole 17 is a long hole with respect to the moving direction of the sliders 7a and 7b. A step 18 is provided on the front side of the hole 17 and is expanded downward. That is, the hole 17 is formed with substantially the same height within a predetermined range from the rear side. In this range, the height of the hole 17 corresponds to the diameter of the pin 19. For this reason, the movement of the pin 19 in the vertical direction is restricted by the hole 17. Therefore, when the pin 19 is positioned behind the hole 17 (the state shown in FIG. 3), the lock lever 11 is restricted from rotating. For this reason, even if the lock lever 11 is pressed downward by the spring 21, the lock lever 11 does not rotate.

  6 is a view showing a state in which the latch 9 is locked to the power receiving connector 41, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lock lever 11 in this state. As described above, on the front side of the hole 17, the entire height of the hole 17 is expanded downward. Further, since the lock lever 11 is pressed backward by the spring 21, the pin 19 is pressed below the hole 17.

  Therefore, when the pin 19 moves forward to the step portion 18 (state shown in FIG. 5), as shown in FIG. 7, the pin 19 fits into the step portion 18 (in the direction of arrow D in the figure). That is, the lock lever 11 rotates around the rotation shaft 23. As a result, the latch 9 moves in a direction protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the connector part 5 (in the direction of arrow E in the figure), and the link 27 moves down (in the direction of arrow C in the figure).

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the link 27 moves downward, the operation lever 13 rotates around the rotation shaft 25 in the opposite direction to the lock lever 11 in conjunction with this movement. At this time, the micro switch 29 is pushed in by the plunger 35 provided at the lower part of the lock lever 11 to be turned on. In other words, the micro switch 29 functions as a detection unit that detects that the lock lever 11 is reliably rotated and the latch 9 is protruded.

  When the operation of the latch 9 is detected by the micro switch 29, the electromagnetic solenoid 39 is energized. Therefore, the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 protrudes backward against the spring 31. At this time, the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 is positioned below the plunger 37 provided in the lower part of the operation lever 13 near the operation unit 15. Thus, the solenoid shaft 39 is positioned below the plunger 37, so that the operation portion 15 of the operation lever 13 is prevented from being pushed down. That is, the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 becomes a lock portion that holds the engaged state in which the latch 9 protrudes.

  Further, the vicinity of the tip of the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 is in contact with the micro switch 31. That is, when the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 operates, the micro switch 31 is turned on. In other words, the micro switch 31 functions as a detection unit that detects that the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 is reliably operated and the operation unit 15 is locked. Only when the microswitch 31 is turned on, the connector 1 is in a state where electricity can be supplied.

  As described above, according to the connector 1 of the present embodiment, by arranging the pair of sliders 7a and 7b in the vicinity of both ends of the latch 9, it is possible to reliably grasp that there is no defect in the vicinity of the locking portion. Can do. Also, only when there is no defect, the latch 9 can be operated to connect the connectors.

  Further, when the latch 9 does not operate, the electromagnetic switch 39 does not operate because the micro switch 29 is in the OFF state. For this reason, it will not be in an energized state. In addition, when the electromagnetic solenoid 33 (electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39) malfunctions due to freezing or the like, the microswitch 31 is in an OFF state, so that it is not energized.

  For example, FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram in the case where a defective portion 45 is partially generated in the vicinity of the locking portion 43 of the power receiving connector 41 (wall portion constituting the locking portion 43), and FIG. FIG. 8B is a front sectional view of the power receiving connector 41. As shown in FIG. 8B, the pair of sliders 7 a and 7 b are pressed against the power receiving connector 41 when the connectors are connected to each other. Therefore, as shown in the drawing, even if a large part of the locking part 43 is missing, if there is a non-deficient part in one part, one slider 7b cannot detect the missing part.

  FIG. 9 is a view showing the operation of the defect detection means in this case, FIG. 9 (a) is a view seen from one side, and FIG. 9 (b) is a view seen from the other side. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a case where only the slider 7b contacts the power receiving connector 41 and is pushed into the case 3, and the slider 7a corresponds to the position of the chipped portion 45, so that it does not contact the power receiving connector side and is not pushed. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the slider 7 a is located in the defective portion 45 and is not pushed into the case 3. Therefore, the slider 7a does not move. For this reason, the position of the pin 19 does not change in the hole 17 of the slider 7a.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the slider 7b is pushed in, the position of the pin 19 changes in the hole 17 of the slider 7b as described above. Therefore, when the pin 19 moves to the step portion 18, the lock lever 11 tends to move downward by the spring 21.

  However, since the pin 19 on one side (the slider 7a side) does not move to the step portion 18, it is restricted from moving downward. Therefore, the lock lever 11 is prevented from moving downward by the hole 17 on the slider 7a side, and the lock lever 11 does not rotate. For this reason, the microswitch 29 is not turned ON.

  As described above, even when the latching portion 43 of the power receiving connector 41 is partially damaged and only one slider 7b is pushed, the lock lever 11 does not rotate, and the power receiving connector 41 and the connector 1 are locked. I can't let you.

  Similarly, when only the slider 7a is pushed in and the slider 7b is not pushed in, the lock lever 11 does not rotate, and the power receiving connector 41 and the connector 1 cannot be locked. That is, unless both the slider 7a and the slider 7b are in contact with the front wall portion of the locking portion 43, the lock mechanism by the lock lever 11 does not operate and it cannot be energized. For this reason, it can prevent being extracted during energization.

  Thus, in the present invention, the case lock mechanism is not released unless both of the pair of sliders 7a and 7b are pushed in. For this reason, even when a part on the power receiving connector side remains without being lost, it is possible to reliably detect the loss and prevent connection and energization between the connectors. The installation positions of the sliders 7a and 7b are not limited to the illustrated example, and may be other parts as long as it is possible to detect a defect near the engaging portion between the connector 1 and the power receiving connector 41.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, the technical scope of this invention is not influenced by embodiment mentioned above. It is obvious for those skilled in the art that various modifications or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood that it belongs.

  For example, although the electromagnetic solenoid shaft 39 is operated by the electromagnetic solenoid 33 as the lock portion, the present invention is not limited to this. If the connector 1 can be securely locked, other configurations such as an actuator can be applied. In addition, if the operation of the lock lever 11 or the operation lever 13 can be detected, other switches or the like can be applied instead of the micro switches 29 and 31.

  The lock lever 11 and the operation lever 13 do not necessarily have to be interlocked. If the lock lever 11 and the sliders 7a and 7b are provided, it is possible to detect the loss of the locking portion 43. For this reason, by detecting the operation of the lock lever 11 with a micro switch or the like, it is possible to make it impossible to energize when it is lost.

1 ... Connector 3 ... Case 5 ... Connector 7a, 7b ... Slider 9 ... Latch 11 ... Lock lever 13 ... Control lever 15 ... Control unit 17 ... Hole 18 ......... Step 19 ......... Pin 21 ......... Spring 23, 25 ......... Rotating shaft 27 ......... Link 29, 31 ......... Micro switch 33 ......... Electromagnetic solenoid 35, 37 ......... Plunger 39 ... Electromagnetic solenoid shaft 41 ... Power receiving connector 43 ... Locking part 45 ... Defect

Claims (4)

A connector used for charging a car or receiving power from a car,
A locking mechanism for locking the connector to a locking portion to be connected;
A detection mechanism that is provided in the vicinity of the locking mechanism and detects a loss of the locking portion;
Comprising
The lock mechanism includes a lock lever and a latch formed at an end of the lock lever, and the latch is engageable with the locking portion;
The detection mechanism is formed in a pair of sliders provided so as to sandwich the lock lever, a first elastic member for projecting the slider forward, a hole provided in the slider, and the lock lever. A pin that fits into the hole, a rotary shaft that rotatably supports the lock lever on the front side of the pin, and a second elastic member that presses the lock lever in a direction to push up the latch,
The hole is a long hole with respect to the sliding direction of the slider, and the front side of the hole is enlarged in a step shape on the opposite side to the latching direction of the latch,
When both of the pair of sliders are pushed in, the second elastic member causes the pin to fall into the step of the hole, and the lock lever rotates, so that the latch protrudes from the outer surface of the connector, and the latch A connector, wherein the engaging portion can be engaged with each other. The connector is provided with an operation lever,
One end portion of the operation lever is rotatably joined to the lock lever, and the other end portion is an operation portion.
The operation lever is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein when the lock lever rotates and the latch protrudes from the connector, the operation unit is pushed up in the same direction as the latch. The connector is provided with a lock portion for locking the operation lever,
3. The device according to claim 2, wherein when the first detection unit detects that the latch protrudes, the lock unit is activated, the operation of the operation lever is disabled, and the power supply is enabled. connector. The connector is provided with a second detection unit that detects the operation of the lock unit,
4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the second detection unit detects that the lock unit has been operated and enters a state in which energization is possible.

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