JP2022007469A - Connector and cable with connector - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a connector and a cable with the connector that can reduce the pressure loss in a refrigerant flow path provided inside the terminal while cooling to the tip of the terminal.SOLUTION: A connector inserted into an inlet of an electric vehicle includes at least one terminal connected to the mating terminal of the inlet, and the terminal includes a refrigerant flow path provided between the base end and the tip inside the terminal, an end opening formed on the base end side of the terminal, and an outer peripheral opening formed on the outer peripheral surface of the terminal, and the refrigerant flow path includes a first branch flow path that connects the end opening and the outer peripheral opening without passing through the tip end side of the terminal, and a second branch flow path that connects the end opening and the outer peripheral opening via the tip end side of the terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to connectors and cables with connectors.

Patent Document 1 discloses a charging gun used for quick charging of an electric vehicle. The charging gun is connected to the tip of a charging cable having a positive electrode line and a negative electrode line. Inside the positive electrode line and the negative electrode line, a cooling tube through which the cooling liquid flows is provided. The charging gun has a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal. The positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are hollow inside, and two openings are provided at the bottom of each terminal. In the positive electrode terminal, one opening provided at the bottom is connected to a cooling pipe in the positive electrode line, and the other opening is connected to an intermediate pipe. In the negative electrode terminal, one opening provided at the bottom is connected to a cooling pipe in the negative electrode wire, and the other opening is connected to the intermediate pipe.

Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 10837294

A connector used for charging an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) is inserted into an inlet provided in the electric vehicle. Generally, this type of connector includes a plurality of terminals including a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal as power terminals for supplying electric power to an electric vehicle. The cable to which the connector is attached comprises a plurality of wire conductors connected to each terminal. The inlet of the electric vehicle is provided with a terminal on the other side to which the terminal of the connector is connected. The connector and inlet have standardized terminal shapes and sizes, terminal arrangements, etc., and are designed to meet predetermined specifications.

From the viewpoint of shortening the charging time of an electric vehicle, quick charging with a larger current is being considered. However, due to the large current, the terminal of the connector and the wire conductor of the cable generate heat and the temperature rises. When the temperature rise of the terminal and the wire conductor exceeds a predetermined range, it is necessary to stop charging. Therefore, it is desired to cool the terminal of the connector and the wire conductor of the cable.

In the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above, by arranging the isolation plate inside the terminal, a refrigerant flow path is formed in which all the refrigerant supplied from the cooling pipe passes through the tip side inside the terminal and turns back. There is. However, in such a folded refrigerant flow path, although it is possible to cool to the tip of the terminal, the flow path is narrow and the pressure loss increases.

The following can be said when comparing those with and without the folded refrigerant flow path inside the terminals. When the output of the pump that pumps the refrigerant to the cooling pipe is the same, if the terminal has the folded refrigerant flow path inside, the flow rate of the refrigerant output from the pump decreases due to the increase in pressure loss. The cooling pipe also has the role of cooling the electric wire conductor provided in the cable. As a result of the decrease in the flow rate of the refrigerant, the ability of the cooling pipe to cool the wire conductor of the cable is reduced, which causes the temperature of the wire conductor to rise. On the other hand, when the refrigerant is pumped from the pump at the same flow rate, if the above-mentioned folded refrigerant flow path is provided inside the terminal, it is necessary to use a high-output pump, so that the size of the pump becomes large. As a result of the increase in size of the pump, the size of the charger that houses the pump is increased.

Therefore, one of the purposes of the present disclosure is to provide a connector capable of reducing the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path provided inside the terminal while cooling to the tip of the terminal, and a cable with a connector.

The connectors of this disclosure are
A connector that is inserted into the inlet of an electric vehicle.
It has at least one terminal connected to the other terminal of the inlet.
The terminal is
A refrigerant flow path provided between the base end and the tip inside the terminal,
An end opening formed on the base end side of the terminal and
It has an outer peripheral opening formed on the outer peripheral surface of the terminal, and has an outer peripheral opening.
The refrigerant flow path is
A first branch flow path that connects the end opening and the outer peripheral opening without passing through the tip end side of the terminal.
It has a second branch flow path that connects the end opening and the outer peripheral opening via the tip end side of the terminal.

The cables with connectors of this disclosure are
With the connector of this disclosure
Equipped with a cable,
The cable is
The electric wire conductor connected to the terminal and
Equipped with a cooling pipe through which the refrigerant flows
The cooling tube is connected to the end opening of the terminal.

The connector and the cable with a connector of the present disclosure can reduce the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path provided inside the terminal while cooling to the tip of the terminal.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the connector according to the second embodiment. FIG. 2B is a schematic view illustrating the position of the convex portion provided on the isolation plate arranged inside the terminal in the connector according to the second embodiment, and shows a state in which the outer peripheral opening is viewed from the outside of the terminal. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the connector according to the third embodiment. FIG. 4A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV shown in FIG. 1 in the first modification, and is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the isolation plate. FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV shown in FIG. 1 in the first modification, and is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the isolation plate. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the connector according to the modified example 2. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a charger including a cable with a connector according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the cable in the cable with a connector according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the cable in the cable with a connector according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing still another configuration example of the cable in the cable with a connector according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of Embodiments of the present disclosure]
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

(1) The connector according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is
A connector that is inserted into the inlet of an electric vehicle.
It has at least one terminal connected to the other terminal of the inlet.
The terminal is
A refrigerant flow path provided between the base end and the tip inside the terminal,
An end opening formed on the base end side of the terminal and
It has an outer peripheral opening formed on the outer peripheral surface of the terminal, and has an outer peripheral opening.
The refrigerant flow path is
A first branch flow path that connects the end opening and the outer peripheral opening without passing through the tip end side of the terminal.
It has a second branch flow path that connects the end opening and the outer peripheral opening via the tip end side of the terminal.

The connector of the present disclosure can be cooled to the tip of the terminal. The reason is that the terminal has a refrigerant flow path inside, and this refrigerant flow path has a second branch flow path passing through the tip end side of the terminal. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the terminal. Further, the connector of the present disclosure can reduce the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path. The reason is that the refrigerant flow path has a first branch flow path that does not pass through the tip end side of the terminal. Therefore, the connector of the present disclosure can reduce the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path while cooling to the tip of the terminal.

In the connector of the present disclosure, the refrigerant is introduced into the refrigerant flow path from one of the end opening and the outer peripheral opening, and passes through each of the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path to the other. It is discharged from the opening of. That is, one opening serves as an inlet for the refrigerant flow path for introducing the refrigerant, and the other opening serves as the outlet for the refrigerant flow path for discharging the refrigerant. It can be said that the first branch flow path is a flow path in which a part of the refrigerant flows between the end opening and the outer peripheral opening without passing through the tip end side of the terminal. It can be said that the second branch flow path is a flow path in which the remaining refrigerant flows between the end opening and the outer peripheral opening via the tip end side of the terminal.

The first branch flow path does not pass through the tip side of the terminal, so the flow path length is short. Since the flow path length of the first branch flow path is short, the pressure loss of the entire refrigerant flow path becomes small. That is, the refrigerant flow path having the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path can reduce the pressure loss as compared with the conventional refrigerant flow path in which all the refrigerants pass through the tip end side of the terminal and turn back. The refrigerant flow path referred to here is a refrigerant flow path at the terminal, and the pressure loss of the entire refrigerant flow path is not the total pressure loss including the cable. The connector of the present disclosure reduces the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path at the terminal as compared with the conventional case. Therefore, when the refrigerant is pumped using a pump having the same output, the flow rate of the refrigerant output from the pump increases. As a result, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipe provided in the cable is increased, so that the cooling capacity of the electric wire conductor by the cooling pipe is improved. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the temperature rise of the electric wire conductor provided in the cable. Further, in the connector of the present disclosure, when the refrigerant is pumped at the same flow rate, the output of the pump can be smaller than in the conventional case because the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path is reduced. Therefore, since it is possible to use a small pump, it is difficult to increase the size of the charger.

(2) As one form of the above connector,
It is mentioned that the inside of the terminal has an isolation plate arranged so as to separate the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path.

In the above mode, the refrigerant flow path can be divided into a first branch flow path and a second branch flow path by an isolation plate arranged inside the terminal.

(3) As one form of the connector described in (2) above,
The isolation plate is
The first surface facing the outer peripheral opening side and
A second surface facing the side opposite to the outer peripheral opening side,
It has a convex portion that protrudes from the first surface toward the outer peripheral opening.
The convex portion may be provided so as to separate the outer peripheral opening portion from the tip end side and the proximal end side of the terminal when the outer peripheral opening portion is viewed from the front.

In the above embodiment, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through each of the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path can be adjusted by the convex portion protruding from the first surface of the isolation plate. In the above embodiment, the opening on the tip end side of the terminal separated by the convex portion in the outer peripheral opening leads to the second branch flow path via the tip end side of the terminal. On the other hand, the opening on the base end side of the terminal separated by the convex portion leads to the first branch flow path that does not pass through the tip end side of the terminal.

(4) As one form of the connector described in (3) above,
Let α be the length of the terminal in the outer peripheral opening along the axial direction.
When the outer peripheral opening is viewed from the front, the position of the convex portion is in the range of 1/3 or more and 2/3 or less of the α from the tip end side to the proximal end side of the terminal in the outer peripheral opening. Be done.

In the above embodiment, since the position of the convex portion with respect to the outer peripheral opening is within the above-mentioned specific range, it is easy to appropriately secure the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in each of the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path. .. When the position of the convex portion is α / 3 or more from the tip end side to the base end side of the terminal in the outer peripheral opening, the above-mentioned opening area on the tip end side connected to the second branch flow path can be secured. By securing the opening area connected to the second branch flow path, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in the second branch flow path can be appropriately secured. When the position of the convex portion is 2α / 3 or less from the tip end side of the terminal to the proximal end side in the outer peripheral opening, the above-mentioned opening area on the proximal end side connected to the first branch flow path can be secured. By securing the opening area connected to the first branch flow path, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in the first branch flow path can be appropriately secured.

(5) As one form of the connector described in (2) above,
It may have a first hole penetrating the isolation plate.

In the above embodiment, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through each of the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path can be adjusted by the first hole formed in the isolation plate. In the above embodiment, the first branch flow path is composed of the first hole.

(6) As one form of the connector according to any one of (2) to (5) above,
The width of the isolation plate may be smaller than the inner diameter of the terminal.

Since the width of the isolation plate is smaller than the inner diameter of the terminal, a gap through which the refrigerant passes is formed between at least one side edge portion of the isolation plate and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal. In the above mode, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in each of the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path can be adjusted by the above gap.

(7) As one form of the above connector,
The terminal has two terminals
It may be mentioned to have a connecting pipe for connecting the outer peripheral openings of the two terminals to each other.

In the above embodiment, by connecting the outer peripheral openings of both terminals to each other by a connecting pipe, the refrigerant flow paths of both terminals can be connected via the connecting pipe. According to the above embodiment, it is possible to form a circulation flow path of the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant flow path of each terminal.

(8) The cable with a connector according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is
The connector according to any one of (1) to (7) above, and
Equipped with a cable,
The cable is
The electric wire conductor connected to the terminal and
Equipped with a cooling pipe through which the refrigerant flows
The cooling tube is connected to the end opening of the terminal.

By providing the above-mentioned connector, the cable with a connector of the present disclosure can cool down to the tip of the terminal and reduce the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path provided inside the terminal. Further, if the cable is provided with a cooling tube, the wire conductor can be cooled. As described above, in the connector, the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path at the terminal is reduced, so that the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipe can be increased. By increasing the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling pipe, the cooling capacity of the electric wire conductor by the cooling pipe is improved. Therefore, the cable with a connector of the present disclosure can effectively suppress the temperature rise of the terminal of the connector and the wire conductor of the cable. It is possible to achieve both cooling of the connector terminal and cooling of the electric wire conductor.

[Details of Embodiments of the present disclosure]
Specific examples of the connector of the present disclosure and the cable with a connector will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in the figure indicate the same or corresponding parts. It should be noted that the invention of the present application is not limited to these examples, and is indicated by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

"connector"
[Embodiment 1]
The connector 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

<Overview>
The connector 1 according to the first embodiment is inserted into the inlet 501 of the electric vehicle 500 shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 includes at least one terminal 10. One of the features of the connector 1 of the first embodiment is that the terminal 10 has a refrigerant flow path 20 provided inside the terminal 10, an end opening 24, and an outer peripheral opening 26. The refrigerant flow path 20 has a first branch flow path 21 and a second branch flow path 22. The first branch flow path 21 connects the end opening 24 and the outer peripheral opening 26 without passing through the tip end side of the terminal 10. The second branch flow path 22 connects the end opening 24 and the outer peripheral opening 26 via the tip end side of the terminal 10.
Hereinafter, the configuration of the connector 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view cut along the central axis of the connector 1 in a plane passing through the central axis of the terminal 10. In the connector 1, the side inserted into the inlet 501 (FIG. 6) is the tip end, and the side opposite to the tip end is the base end. In FIG. 1, the upper side is the tip end side and the lower side is the base end side. The base end side of the connector 1 is the side to which the cable 101 (FIG. 6) is connected.

(Terminal)
When the connector 1 is inserted into the inlet 501 (FIG. 6), the terminal 10 is connected to a mating terminal (not shown) provided in the inlet 501. In this embodiment, the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b are provided. The first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b are electric power terminals that supply electric power to the electric vehicle 500 (FIG. 6). The first terminal 10a is a positive electrode terminal, and the second terminal 10b is a negative electrode terminal. Both terminals 10a and 10b have substantially the same basic configuration, and have a symmetrical structure with respect to the central axis of the connector 1. Although not shown in the present embodiment, the connector 1 is provided with a ground terminal, a signal terminal for inputting / outputting a pilot signal necessary for charge control to and from the electric vehicle 500, and the like, in addition to the power terminal. Has been done. The terminal 10 is housed in a housing (not shown).

Examples of the material of the terminal 10 include copper or a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The shape, size, arrangement, etc. of the terminal 10 are designed in accordance with predetermined specifications. Examples of the specifications of the connector for an electric vehicle include CHAdeMO.

(Main body)
The terminal 10 has a main body portion 11. The main body 11 is a region of the tip end side of the terminal 10 that is in electrical contact with a mating terminal (not shown) of the inlet 501 (FIG. 6). When the main body 11 comes into contact with the other side terminal of the inlet 501, the terminal 10 and the other side terminal are electrically connected. The terminal 10 of this example is a rod-shaped male terminal. The mating terminal of the inlet 501 is a female terminal.

The shape of the terminal 10 in this example is a round bar. The diameter of the main body 11 is appropriately set according to the above specifications. The diameter of the main body 11 is, for example, 6 mm or more and 15 mm or less.

(Base end)
Of the terminals 10, the portion on the base end side excluding the main body portion 11 is the base end portion 12. For example, the electric wire conductor 110 of any of the cables 101 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 described later is electrically connected to the proximal end side region of the proximal end portion 12. In the case of this example, the base end portion 12 of the first terminal 10a and the first electric wire conductor 111 of the cable 101 are connected. The base end portion 12 of the second terminal 10b and the second electric wire conductor 112 of the cable 101 are connected. The tip end side region of the base end portion 12 of this example is the same as the outer diameter and inner diameter of the main body portion 11. The proximal end side region of the proximal end portion 12 has a larger outer diameter and inner diameter than the main body portion 11. The terminal 10 of this example has an enlarged diameter portion 14 having an inner diameter larger than that of the distal end side in the proximal end side region of the proximal end portion 12.

(Refrigerant flow path)
The refrigerant flow path 20 is provided between the base end and the tip end inside the terminal 10. The refrigerant 90 flows through the refrigerant flow path 20. The refrigerant flow path 20 of this example is formed by making a hole from the end surface of the base end portion 12 of the terminal 10 toward the tip end. The refrigerant flow path 20 extends to the tip end side of the terminal 10, specifically, the tip end side of the main body 11. An end opening 24, which will be described later, is provided on the end surface of the base end 12. An outer peripheral opening 26, which will be described later, is provided on the side surface of the base end portion 12. The tip side of the refrigerant flow path 20 is closed.

The cross-sectional shape and inner diameter of the refrigerant flow path 20 can be appropriately selected. The cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path 20 is a cross-sectional shape cut in a direction orthogonal to the central axis of the terminal 10. In this example, the cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path 20 is circular. The inner diameter of the refrigerant flow path 20 is the diameter in the cross section thereof, and if the cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path 20 is circular, it is the diameter, and if it is not circular, it corresponds to the diameter of a circle equal to the cross-sectional area. do. If the inner diameter of the refrigerant flow path 20 is too small, it becomes difficult for the refrigerant 90 to flow, and the pressure loss becomes large. Therefore, the output of the pump 221 shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later, increases. If the inner diameter of the refrigerant flow path 20 is too large, the current-carrying cross-sectional area of the terminal 10 decreases, which makes it difficult for current to flow. The inner diameter of the refrigerant flow path 20 in the main body 11 depends on the diameter of the main body 11, but may be, for example, 4 mm or more and 14 mm or less. The ratio of the inner diameter of the refrigerant flow path 20 to the diameter of the main body 11, that is, the ratio of the inner diameter of the main body 11 to the outer diameter of the main body 11 is, for example, 50% or more and 90% or less.

(Branch flow path)
The refrigerant flow path 20 has a first branch flow path 21 and a second branch flow path 22. In the first branch flow path 21, of the refrigerant 90 flowing in the refrigerant flow path 20, a part of the refrigerant 90 has the tip end side of the terminal 10 between the end opening 24 and the outer peripheral opening 26, which will be described later. It flows without going through. In the second branch flow path 22, the remaining refrigerant 90 flows through the end opening 24 and the outer peripheral opening 26 via the tip end side of the terminal 10.

In the present embodiment, the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22 are separated by an isolation plate 30 described later. Specifically, in the space provided on the outer peripheral opening 26 side separated by the isolation plate 30 inside the terminal 10, the section from the proximal end side to the outer peripheral opening 26 is the first branch flow path 21. .. Further, the section from the base end side to the tip of the space provided on the side opposite to the outer peripheral opening 26 side across the isolation plate 30 and the outer peripheral opening 26 side straddling the tip are folded back to the outer peripheral opening 26 side. The section from the tip end side of the space to the outer peripheral opening 26 is the second branch flow path 22.

(Refrigerant)
The refrigerant 90 is an insulating refrigerant having an insulating property. Examples of the refrigerant 90 include a fluorine-based inert liquid, insulating oil, and silicone oil. Examples of insulating oil include mineral oil and synthetic oil.

(End opening)
The end opening 24 is formed on the base end side of the terminal 10. The end opening 24 is connected to the refrigerant flow path 20. In this example, an end opening 24 is provided on the end surface of the base end 12. The cooling pipe 120 of the cable 101 illustrated in FIG. 7 and the like, which will be described later, is connected to the end opening 24. The shape and size of the end opening 24 are not particularly limited. The shape of the end opening 24 of this example is a circular shape. The diameter of the end opening 24 is, for example, 4 mm or more.

(Outer circumference opening)
The outer peripheral opening 26 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the terminal 10. The outer peripheral opening 26 is connected to the refrigerant flow path 20. The outer peripheral opening 26 is provided at the position of the base end portion 12. In this example, the outer peripheral openings 26 of the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b are provided so as to face each other. The shape and size of the outer peripheral opening 26 are not particularly limited. The shape of the outer peripheral opening 26 of this example is a circular shape. The diameter of the outer peripheral opening 26 may be, for example, 4 mm or more and 14 mm or less.

(Isolation board)
In this embodiment, the isolation plate 30 is provided inside the terminal 10. The isolation plate 30 is located between the base end and the tip of the inside of the terminal 10, and is arranged so as to separate the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22. Specifically, the isolation plate 30 extends along the axial direction of the terminal 10 so as to divide the inside of the terminal 10 into two on the outer peripheral opening 26 side and the opposite side thereof. The isolation plate 30 has a first surface 31 facing the outer peripheral opening 26 side and a second surface 32 facing the side opposite to the outer peripheral opening 26 side. The tip of the isolation plate 30 does not reach the inner tip of the terminal 10. That is, the tip side of the refrigerant flow path 20 is not blocked by the isolation plate 30. Inside the terminal 10, the outer peripheral opening 26 side and the opposite side are connected by the tip side of the refrigerant flow path 20 with the isolation plate 30 interposed therebetween.

Examples of the material of the separating plate 30 include metal and resin. Examples of the metal include copper or a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, stainless steel and the like. Examples of the resin include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin (ABS), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), fluororesin (PTFE), and the like. Examples thereof include epoxy resin (EP), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and the like.

The isolation plate 30 can be fixed inside the terminal 10 as follows, for example.
(1) A groove is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10, and the side edge portion of the isolation plate 30 is fitted into the groove.
(2) The isolation plate 30 is adhered to the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10.

(Connecting pipe)
In the present embodiment, the connection pipe 40 for connecting the outer peripheral openings 26 of the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b to each other is provided. The refrigerant flow paths 20 of both terminals 10a and 10b are connected via a connecting pipe 40. The refrigerant 90 can be sent from one of the refrigerant channels 20 of the terminals 10a and 10b to the other refrigerant channel 20 by the connecting pipe 40. Thereby, it is possible to form a circulation flow path of the refrigerant 90 passing through the refrigerant flow path 20 of each of the terminals 10a and 10b. The connection pipe 40 of this example is linearly arranged between both terminals 10a and 10b. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, both terminals 10a and 10b and the connecting pipe 40 are arranged in an H shape. Both ends of the connecting pipe 40 are fixed to the outer peripheral surfaces of both terminals 10a and 10b by, for example, adhering, screwing, or welding.

The shape and inner diameter of the connecting pipe 40 are not particularly limited. The shape of the connecting pipe 40 in this example is cylindrical. The inner diameter of the connecting pipe 40 is, for example, 4 mm or more and 14 mm or less. The inner diameter of the connecting pipe 40 may be the same as the diameter of the outer peripheral opening 26, or may be larger than the diameter of the outer peripheral opening 26. Examples of the material of the connecting pipe 40 include resin and rubber. Examples of the resin include PE, PP, PA, PVC, ABS, PBT, PTFE, EP, PC, PPS and the like. Examples of the rubber include silicone rubber, ethylene / propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, and fluororubber.

<Refrigerant flow in the refrigerant flow path>
The flow of the refrigerant 90 flowing through the refrigerant flow path 20 will be described. The refrigerant 90 is introduced into the refrigerant flow path 20 from one of the end opening 24 and the outer peripheral opening 26. The refrigerant 90 introduced into the refrigerant flow path 20 is discharged from the other opening through each of the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22. That is, one of the end opening 24 and the outer peripheral opening 26 serves as the inlet of the refrigerant flow path 20, and the other opening serves as the outlet of the refrigerant flow path 20. In this embodiment, the case where the refrigerant 90 is introduced from the end opening 24 of the first terminal 10a is illustrated. The white arrows in FIG. 1 indicate the flow of the refrigerant 90.

The refrigerant flow path 20 in the first terminal 10a will be described in detail. Of the refrigerant 90 introduced from the end opening 24, some of the refrigerant 90 flows through the first branch flow path 21 and is discharged from the outer peripheral opening 26 without passing through the tip end side of the terminal 10. The remaining refrigerant 90 flows through the second branch flow path 22 and is discharged from the outer peripheral opening 26 via the tip end side of the terminal 10. In the case of this example, the refrigerant 90 discharged from the outer peripheral opening 26 of the first terminal 10a is sent to the outer peripheral opening 26 of the second terminal 10b via the connecting pipe 40.

The refrigerant flow path 20 in the second terminal 10b will be described in detail. Of the refrigerant 90 introduced from the outer peripheral opening 26, some of the refrigerant 90 flows through the first branch flow path 21 and is discharged from the end opening 24 without passing through the tip end side of the terminal 10. The remaining refrigerant 90 flows through the second branch flow path 22, passes through the tip end side of the terminal 10, and is discharged from the end opening 24.

<Action effect>
The connector 1 of the first embodiment described above has the following effects.

It can cool down to the tip of the terminal 10. The reason is that the refrigerant flow path 20 is provided inside the terminal 10, and the refrigerant flow path 20 has a second branch flow path 22 passing through the tip end side of the terminal 10. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the terminal 10. In this example, since the terminals 10a and 10b, which are the power terminals, are cooled, the temperature rise of the power terminals can be suppressed when rapid charging is performed with a large current. The connector 1 can be suitably used for quick charging of the electric vehicle 500 (FIG. 6).

The pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 20 can be reduced. The reason is that the refrigerant flow path 20 has a first branch flow path 21 that does not pass through the tip end side of the terminal 10. Since the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 20 at the terminal 10 is reduced, the flow rate of the refrigerant output from the pump 221 (FIG. 6) described later can be increased. By increasing the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing through the cooling pipe 120 of the cable 101 (FIG. 7 and the like) described later, the cooling capacity of the electric wire conductor 110 by the cooling pipe 120 is improved. Therefore, the temperature rise of the electric wire conductor 110 provided in the cable 101 can be effectively suppressed.

Further, by having the connecting pipe 40, it is possible to connect the refrigerant flow paths 20 of both terminals 10a and 10b via the connecting pipe 40. Therefore, it is possible to circulate the refrigerant 90 in the refrigerant flow paths 20 of the terminals 10a and 10b. By circulating the refrigerant 90, both terminals 10a and 10b can be efficiently cooled. The connecting pipe 40 is linearly arranged between both terminals 10a and 10b. As a result, the refrigerant flow paths 20 of both terminals 10a and 10b can be connected at a substantially shortest distance, so that the pressure loss can be reduced. Further, since the connecting pipe 40 is linearly arranged between the terminals 10 and 10b, the size of the entire connector 1 does not increase, and the size of the housing for accommodating the terminals 10 does not increase.

In addition, since the terminal 10 is a rod-shaped male terminal, it is easy to provide the refrigerant flow path 20 inside the terminal 10.

[Embodiment 2]
The connector 2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. The connector 2 of the second embodiment is different from the connector 1 of the first embodiment in that the isolation plate 30 has the convex portion 30a. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 2A is a vertical sectional view of the connector 2. FIG. 2B is a front view of the outer peripheral opening 26 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the terminal 10.

(Convex part)
As shown in FIG. 2A, the convex portion 30a projects from the first surface 31 of the isolation plate 30 toward the outer peripheral opening portion 26. The convex portion 30a is provided so as to separate the outer peripheral opening 26 from the distal end side and the proximal end side of the terminal 10 when the outer peripheral opening 26 is viewed from the front (see FIG. 2B). The opening on the distal end side of the terminal 10 separated by the convex portion 30a in the outer peripheral opening 26 is connected to the second branch flow path 22 passing through the distal end side of the terminal 10. On the other hand, the opening on the base end side of the terminal 10 separated by the convex portion 30a is connected to the first branch flow path that does not pass through the tip end side of the terminal 10.

The convex portion 30a of this example projects in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the terminal 10. As shown in FIG. 2B, the convex portion 30a extends linearly along the horizontal direction. When viewed from the axial direction of the terminal 10, the convex portion 30a projects to the position of the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10, that is, the extension surface to the outer peripheral opening 26 on the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10. In the case of this example, the shape of the convex portion 30a seen from the axial direction of the terminal 10 is a semicircular shape.

The convex portion 30a does not necessarily have to protrude to the position of the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10, and may extend to the front of the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10. The amount of protrusion of the convex portion 30a may be appropriately set in the range from the first surface 31 of the isolation plate 30 to the extension surface to the outer peripheral opening 26 on the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10. The lower limit of the protrusion amount of the convex portion 30a is preferably about 1/3 or more, more preferably 1/2 or more of the distance from the first surface 31 to the extension surface. The distance from the first surface 31 to the extension surface corresponds to the radius of the inner diameter of the terminal 10 in this example. By setting the lower limit of the protrusion amount of the convex portion 30a to the above range, the effect of the convex portion 30a can be appropriately exerted. The upper limit of the protrusion amount of the convex portion 30a is from the first surface 31 to the extension surface. In order to arrange the isolation plate 30 integrally provided with the convex portion 30a from the end opening 24 to the inside of the terminal 10, it is preferable that the upper limit of the protrusion amount of the convex portion 30a is within the above range.

The convex portion 30a is located between the distal end side and the proximal end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26, specifically, the proximal end side of the terminal 10 and closer to the distal end side than the proximal end side. do. As shown in FIG. 2B, assuming that the length of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26 along the axial direction is α, the position of the convex portion 30a is long from the tip end side to the base end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening portion 26. It is preferably in the range of 1/3 or more and 2/3 or less of the α. The position of the convex portion 30a is the central position of the thickness of the convex portion 30a. The thickness of the convex portion 30a is the length of the convex portion 30a along the axial direction of the terminal 10. FIG. 2B shows a case where the position of the convex portion 30a is α / 2 from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26. That is, the convex portion 30a is located at the center of the outer peripheral opening portion 26. The length α is the maximum value of the inner dimension of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26 along the axial direction. The length α is equal to the diameter of the outer peripheral opening 26 when the shape of the outer peripheral opening 26 is circular. When the shape of the outer peripheral opening 26 is other than circular, the length from the upper edge on the tip end side to the lower edge on the proximal end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26 is defined as α.

<Action effect>
The connector 2 of the second embodiment further exerts the following actions and effects in addition to the actions and effects of the first embodiment.

The flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing in each of the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22 can be adjusted. The reason is that the convex portion 30a can adjust the opening area on the distal end side connected to the second branch flow path 22 in the outer peripheral opening 26 and the opening area on the proximal end side connected to the first branch flow path 21. Is. If the opening area on the distal end side of the outer peripheral opening 26 is relatively large, the ratio of the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing to the second branch flow path 22 passing through the distal end side of the terminal 10 increases. As a result, the cooling capacity of the terminal 10 is improved. On the contrary, if the opening area on the base end side of the outer peripheral opening 26 is relatively large, the ratio of the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing to the first branch flow path 21 that does not pass through the tip end side of the terminal 10 increases. As a result, the amount of the refrigerant 90 flowing in the second branch flow path 22 passing through the tip end side of the terminal 10 is reduced, and the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 20 can be further reduced.

The position of the convex portion 30a is in the range of 1/3 or more and 2/3 or less of the length α from the tip end side to the base end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26, so that the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 21 and the second It is easy to appropriately secure the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing in each of the branch flow paths 22 of the above. When the position of the convex portion 30a is α / 3 or more from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26, the above-mentioned opening area on the distal end side can be secured. The flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing in the second branch flow path 22 can be appropriately secured. When the position of the convex portion 30a is 2α / 3 or less from the tip end side to the proximal end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26, the above-mentioned opening area on the proximal end side can be secured. The flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing in the first branch flow path 21 can be appropriately secured. It is easy to achieve both cooling of the terminal 10 and reduction of pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 20.

[Embodiment 3]
The connector 3 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The connector 3 of the third embodiment is different from the connector 1 of the first embodiment in that the isolation plate 30 has the first hole 30o. Hereinafter, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the connector 3.

(First hole)
The first hole 30o penetrates the isolation plate 30. In the present embodiment, the first hole 30o constitutes the first branch flow path 21 that does not pass through the tip end side of the terminal 10. The shape and size of the first hole 30o are not particularly limited. The shape of the first hole 30o in this example is a circular shape. The diameter of the first hole 30o is, for example, 4 mm or more and 14 mm or less. The diameter of the first hole 30o may be the same as the diameter of the outer peripheral opening 26, or may be smaller or larger than the diameter of the outer peripheral opening 26.

The position of the first hole 30o in the axial direction of the terminal 10 is not particularly limited. In this example, the first hole 30o is formed in the isolation plate 30 at a position corresponding to the region of the base end portion 12 of the terminal 10. Specifically, the position of the first hole 30o is a position corresponding to the distal end side region of the proximal end portion 12. More specifically, the position of the first hole 30o is a position overlapping the outer peripheral opening 26. The first hole 30o is provided coaxially with the outer peripheral opening 26.

In the present embodiment, the isolation plate 30 has a blocking portion 36 at the end on the base end side. The blocking unit 36 blocks the flow of the refrigerant 90 passing through the base end side of the space on the outer peripheral opening 26 side of the isolation plate 30 inside the terminal 10. The blocking portion 36 is provided on the first surface 31 side of the isolation plate 30, and projects from the end portion of the isolation plate 30 on the base end side in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the terminal 10. The cutoff portion 36 extends from the first surface 31 to the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10.

<Action effect>
The connector 3 of the third embodiment further exerts the following effects in addition to the effects of the first embodiment.

The flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing in each of the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22 can be adjusted by the first hole 30o. Specifically, when the diameter of the first hole 30o is small, the flow path cross-sectional area of the first branch flow path 21 becomes small, and the ratio of the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing through the second branch flow path 22 increases. As a result, the cooling capacity of the terminal 10 is improved. On the contrary, when the diameter of the first hole 30o is large, the flow path cross-sectional area of the first branch flow path 21 becomes large, and the ratio of the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing through the first branch flow path 21 increases. As a result, the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 20 can be further reduced.

[Modification 1]
The width of the isolation plate 30 may be the same as the inner diameter of the terminal 10, that is, the inner diameter of the refrigerant flow path 20, or may be smaller than the inner diameter of the terminal 10. The width of the isolation plate 30 is the length along the radial direction of the terminal 10 in the isolation plate 30 when the isolation plate 30 is arranged inside the terminal 10. When the width of the isolation plate 30 is the same as the inner diameter of the terminal 10, as shown in FIG. 4A, both side edges of the isolation plate 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10 are in contact with each other. When the width of the isolation plate 30 is smaller than the inner diameter of the terminal 10, as shown in FIG. 4B, a gap of 30 g through which the refrigerant 90 passes between at least one side edge of the isolation plate 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10. Is formed. By having the gap 30 g in the refrigerant flow path 20, the refrigerant 90 can flow through the gap 30 g. Therefore, the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 passing through the tip end side of the terminal 10 can be reduced by the gap 30 g. That is, the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing in each of the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22 can be adjusted by the gap 30 g.

As shown in FIG. 4B, when the width of the isolation plate 30 is smaller than the inner diameter of the terminal 10, a gap of 30 g is provided between both side edges of the isolation plate 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10. You may. Further, a gap 30 g may be provided between one side edge portion of the isolation plate 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10, so that the other side edge portion and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10 are in contact with each other. The larger the gap 30 g, the smaller the ratio of the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 passing through the tip end side of the terminal 10, so that the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 20 can be further reduced. The width of the gap 30 g, that is, the distance from the side edge portion of the isolation plate 30 to the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10 may be appropriately set. The width of the gap 30 g may be, for example, ½ or less of the inner diameter of the terminal 10. As shown in FIG. 4B, the size of the gap 30 g is the sum of the widths of the gaps 30 g when the gaps 30 g are present on both sides of the isolation plate 30. When the gap 30 g is provided, the tip of the isolation plate 30 may not reach the tip inside the terminal 10 as shown in FIG. 1, or may reach the tip of the terminal 10.

The gap 30 g may be provided in a part of the isolation plate 30 in the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction of the isolation plate 30 is a direction along the axial direction of the terminal 10 in the isolation plate 30, that is, a direction orthogonal to the width direction when the isolation plate 30 is arranged inside the terminal 10. For example, a part of the side edge portion of the isolation plate 30 in the longitudinal direction is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10, and the remaining portion has a gap of 30 g with the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10. The isolation plate 30 can be fixed to the inside of the terminal 10 by contacting a part of the isolation plate 30 in the longitudinal direction with the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10. In the longitudinal direction of the isolation plate 30, the more the side edges of the isolation plate 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10 are in contact with each other, the easier it is to hold the isolation plate 30 so that it does not move due to the flow of the refrigerant 90. In particular, if both ends of the distal end side and the proximal end side of the isolation plate 30 are fixed so as to be in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the terminal 10, the isolation plate 30 can be held more stably.

[Modification 2]
Modification 2 will be described with reference to FIG. In the second modification, the configuration in which the circulation pipe 42 is provided in the connector 2 of the second embodiment described above is illustrated.

The circulation pipe 42 is connected to the outer peripheral opening 26 of each of the first terminal 10a and the second terminal 10b. The circulation pipe 42 connected to the outer peripheral opening 26 of each of the terminals 10a and 10b is independent.

In this example, at the terminals 10a and 10b, the refrigerant 90 sent through the cooling pipe 120 of the cable 101 (FIG. 7 and the like) described later is introduced into the refrigerant flow path 20 from the end opening 24. The refrigerant 90 introduced into the refrigerant flow path 20 is discharged from the outer peripheral opening 26 through the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22. Then, the refrigerant 90 discharged from the outer peripheral opening 26 is returned through the circulation pipe 42. The circulation pipe 42 is fixed to the outer peripheral surfaces of both terminals 10a and 10b by, for example, adhering, screwing, or welding.

The shape and inner diameter of the circulation pipe 42 are not particularly limited. The shape of the circulation pipe 42 of this example is cylindrical. The inner diameter of the circulation pipe 42 is, for example, 4 mm or more and 14 mm or less. Examples of the material of the circulation pipe 42 include resin and rubber. Examples of the resin include PE, PP, PA, PVC, PC, PPS and the like. Examples of the rubber include silicone rubber, ethylene / propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, and fluororubber.

According to the second modification, by having the circulation pipe 42, the refrigerant 90 can be circulated independently in each of the refrigerant flow paths 20 of the terminals 10a and 10b. Specifically, the refrigerant 90 sent through the individual cooling pipes 120 connected to the respective end openings 24 of the terminals 10a and 10b passes through the refrigerant flow paths 20 of the terminals 10a and 10b, respectively. It is returned through the circulation pipe 42. That is, an independent circulation flow path of the refrigerant 90 can be configured for each of the terminals 10a and 10b. The pump 221 (FIG. 6), which will be described later, for pumping the refrigerant to each cooling pipe 120 may be individually provided or shared for each cooling pipe 120. In the second modification, the case where the circulation pipe 42 is applied to the configuration of the second embodiment is illustrated, but the configuration having the circulation pipe 42 can be applied to any of the configurations of the first and third embodiments. Further, in the second modification, the refrigerant 90 may be introduced from the outer peripheral openings 26 of the terminals 10a and 10b, and the refrigerant 90 may be discharged from the end openings 24. In this case, the circulation pipe 42 serves as the outbound pipe for the refrigerant 90, and the cooling pipe 120 of the cable 101 (FIG. 7 or the like) described later connected to the end opening 24 serves as the return pipe for the refrigerant 90.

《Cable with connector》
The cable with a connector 100 according to the embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. Refer to FIG. 1 as appropriate for the configuration of the connector 1.

<Overview>
The cable 100 with a connector according to the embodiment is provided in the charger 200 (FIG. 6) described later. As shown in FIG. 6, the cable 100 with a connector includes a connector 1 and a cable 101. The connector 1 is attached to the tip of the cable 101. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the cable 101 includes an electric wire conductor 110 connected to a terminal 10 provided in the connector 1 (FIG. 1), and a cooling pipe 120 through which the refrigerant 90 flows. In the present embodiment, the connector 1 of the first embodiment is provided, but it is also possible to change to the connectors 2 and 3 of the second and third embodiments.
Hereinafter, the configuration of the charger 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 6, and then a configuration example of the cable 101 in the cable 100 with a connector will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The configuration of the cable 101 shown in FIG. 7 is an example, and is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 described later, it is possible to change the positional relationship between the electric wire conductor 110 and the cooling pipe 120.

(Charger)
The charger 200 of this example is a quick charger that quickly charges the battery 510 mounted on the electric vehicle 500. The electric vehicle 500 is, for example, an EV, a PHEV, or the like. The electric vehicle 500 includes not only ordinary vehicles but also construction machinery and agricultural machinery such as motorcycles, large vehicles such as buses and trucks, and special vehicles such as tractors and forklifts. As shown in FIG. 6, the charger 200 includes a power conversion device 210. The charger 200 converts alternating current supplied from a power system (not shown) into direct current by the power conversion device 210, and outputs the alternating current to the electric wire conductor 110 (FIG. 7) of the cable 101. The output current may be, for example, 250 A or more, and further 400 A or more. By inserting the connector 1 into the inlet 501 of the electric vehicle 500, the charger 200 and the electric vehicle 500 are electrically connected.

Further, the charger 200 of this example includes a tank 220 for storing the refrigerant 90 and a pump 221. Further, a cooling device (not shown) for cooling the refrigerant 90 may be provided. The cooling device may be provided at an appropriate position. The cooling device may be provided in the tank 220 or between the tank 220 and the pump 221, for example. The pump 221 pumps the refrigerant 90 from the tank 220 to the cooling pipe 120 (FIG. 7) of the cable 101.

The charger 200 may have a function of receiving the electric power discharged from the battery 510 of the electric vehicle 500 via the cable 100 with a connector and supplying it to, for example, a home.

(cable)
<Electric wire conductor>
As shown in FIG. 7, the cable 101 of this example includes a first wire conductor 111 and a second wire conductor 112. The first electric wire conductor 111 and the second electric wire conductor 112 are power lines for supplying electric power to the electric vehicle 500 (FIG. 6). The first wire conductor 111 is a positive electrode wire, and the second wire conductor 112 is a negative electrode wire. The electric wire conductors 111 and 112 are connected to the terminals 10a and 10b provided in the connector 1 (FIG. 1), respectively. In the case of this example, the first electric wire conductor 111 is connected to the base end portion 12 of the first terminal 10a. The second wire conductor 112 is connected to the base end portion 12 of the second terminal 10b. Although not shown in the present embodiment, the cable 101 is provided with, in addition to the power line, a ground line, a signal line for transmitting a pilot signal necessary for charge control with the electric vehicle 500, and the like. Has been done.

The electric wire conductor 110 is composed of, for example, a stranded wire in which a plurality of strands are twisted, a stranded wire in which a plurality of stranded wires are further twisted, or a compression conductor in which these stranded wires are compression-molded. An insulating coating 130 is provided on the outer periphery of the electric wire conductor 110 of this example. Examples of the material of the electric wire conductor 110 include copper or a copper alloy, aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

<Cooling pipe>
As shown in FIG. 7, the cable 101 of this example includes two cooling pipes 120. The cooling pipe 120 of this example is arranged along each of the first electric wire conductor 111 and the second electric wire conductor 112. The cooling pipe 120 may be vertically attached to the first electric wire conductor 111 and the second electric wire conductor 112 along the longitudinal direction, or may be attached around the first electric wire conductor 111 and the second electric wire conductor 112. It may be wound in a spiral shape. Each cooling pipe 120 is connected to a refrigerant flow path 20 provided inside each of the terminals 10a and 10b provided in the connector 1 (FIG. 1). In the case of this example, the cooling pipe 120 provided along the first electric wire conductor 111 is connected to the end opening 24 of the first terminal 10a. A cooling tube 120 provided along the second wire conductor 112 is connected to the end opening 24 of the second terminal 10b.

The material of the cooling pipe 120 may be, for example, rubber or a flexible resin. Examples of the rubber include silicone rubber, ethylene / propylene rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, and fluororubber. Examples of the resin include PE, PP, PA, PVC, PC, PPS and the like.

In this embodiment, the refrigerant 90 is passed through the cooling pipe 120 provided along the first electric wire conductor 111 from the tank 220 of the charger 200 (FIG. 6) by the pump 221 to the first terminal 10a in the connector 1 (FIG. 1). Will be sent to. The refrigerant 90 introduced into the refrigerant flow path 20 from the end opening 24 of the first terminal 10a passes through the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22 and is discharged from the outer peripheral opening 26. .. The refrigerant 90 discharged from the outer peripheral opening 26 of the first terminal 10a is sent to the outer peripheral opening 26 of the second terminal 10b via the connecting pipe 40. The refrigerant 90 introduced into the refrigerant flow path 20 from the outer peripheral opening 26 of the second terminal 10b passes through the first branch flow path 21 and the second branch flow path 22 and is discharged from the end opening 24. .. The refrigerant 90 discharged from the end opening 24 of the second terminal 10b is returned to the tank 220 through the cooling pipe 120 provided along the second wire conductor 112. That is, the cooling pipe 120 provided along the first electric wire conductor 111 serves as the outbound pipe for the refrigerant 90, and the cooling pipe 120 provided along the second electric wire conductor 112 serves as the return pipe for the refrigerant 90, and the circulating flow of the refrigerant 90. The road is constructed.

In the configuration having the circulation pipe 42 (FIG. 5) as described in the second modification, the cable 101 further includes two circulation pipes 42. In FIG. 7, the circulation pipe 42 is shown by a two-dot chain line. The circulation pipe 42 may or may not be provided in close contact with the electric wire conductors 111 and 112 and the cooling pipe 120.

<others>
The cable 101 of this example has inclusions 140 and a sheath 150. The inclusions 140 are interposed around the wire conductors 111 and 112 and the cooling pipe 120 with the insulating coating 130. The sheath 150 integrally covers the electric wire conductors 111 and 112 with the insulating coating 130, the cooling pipe 120, and the inclusions 140. Examples of the material of the inclusions 140 include ethylene and propylene rubber. Examples of the material of the sheath 150 include chloroprene rubber and the like.

As another configuration example of the cable 101, the configuration shown in FIG. 8 can be mentioned. In the configuration of the cable 101 shown in FIG. 8, the cooling pipe 120 is provided inside each of the wire conductors 111 and 112. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the wire conductors 111 and 112 are twisted around the outer periphery of the cooling pipe 120. Specifically, the electric wire conductors 111 and 112 are configured by twisting the above-mentioned twisted wires around the outer periphery of the cooling pipe 120. In the case of this example, the cooling pipe 120 provided in the first electric wire conductor 111 is connected to the end opening 24 of the first terminal 10a shown in FIG. The cooling pipe 120 provided in the second electric wire conductor 112 is connected to the end opening 24 of the second terminal 10b shown in FIG. Further, the inclusions 140 are interposed around the electric wire conductors 111 and 112 coated with the insulating coating 130. The sheath 150 integrally covers the wire conductors 111 and 112 with the insulating coating 130 and the inclusions 140. In the configuration having the circulation pipe 42 (FIG. 5) described above, the cable 101 includes two circulation pipes 42. In FIG. 8, the circulation pipe 42 is shown by a two-dot chain line. The circulation pipe 42 may or may not be provided in close contact with the electric wire conductors 111 and 112 and the cooling pipe 120.

As yet another configuration example of the cable 101, the configuration shown in FIG. 9 can be mentioned. In the configuration of the cable 101 shown in FIG. 9, wire conductors 111 and 112 are provided inside each cooling pipe 120, respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the wire conductors 111 and 112 do not have an insulating coating. In the case of this example, the cooling pipe 120 in which the first electric wire conductor 111 is arranged is connected to the end opening 24 of the first terminal 10a shown in FIG. The cooling pipe 120 in which the second electric wire conductor 112 is arranged is connected to the end opening 24 of the second terminal 10b shown in FIG. Further, the inclusions 140 are interposed around the cooling pipe 120 in which the electric wire conductors 111 and 112 are arranged inside. The sheath 150 integrally covers the cooling pipe 120 and the inclusions 140. In the configuration having the circulation pipe 42 (FIG. 5) described above, the cable 101 includes two circulation pipes 42. In FIG. 8, the circulation pipe 42 is shown by a two-dot chain line. The circulation pipe 42 may or may not be provided in close contact with the electric wire conductors 111 and 112 and the cooling pipe 120.

<Action effect>
The cable 100 with a connector of the embodiment has the following effects.

By providing the connector 1 (FIG. 1), it is possible to reduce the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 20 in the terminal 10 while cooling to the tip of the terminal 10. Further, the electric wire conductor 110 of the cable 101 can be cooled. The reason is that the cooling pipe 120 is provided inside the cable 101. Therefore, the cable 100 with a connector can cool both the terminal 10 of the connector 1 and the wire conductor 110 of the cable 101. In this example, since the electric wire conductors 111 and 112, which are power lines, are cooled by the cooling pipe 120, the temperature rise of the power line can be suppressed when rapid charging is performed with a large current. The cable 100 with a connector can be suitably used for quick charging of the electric vehicle 500.

In particular, in the connector 1, since the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path 20 at the terminal 10 is reduced, the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 output from the pump 221 can be increased. By increasing the flow rate of the refrigerant 90 flowing through the cooling pipe 120, the cooling capacity of the electric wire conductor 110 by the cooling pipe 120 is improved. Therefore, the cable 100 with a connector can effectively suppress the temperature rise of the terminal 10 and the electric wire conductor 110.

[Test Example 1]
Similar to the connector 2 of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a connector having a configuration in which the isolation plate 30 having the convex portion 30a is arranged inside the terminal 10 is manufactured. In Test Example 1, two types of connectors having different positions of the convex portions 30a were prepared. Sample No. In the connector 1, the position of the convex portion 30a is α / 2 from the tip end side to the base end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26. Sample No. In the connector of 2, the position of the convex portion 30a is 2α / 3 from the tip end side to the base end side of the terminal 10 in the outer peripheral opening 26.

Sample No. 1, No. A cable with a connector was constructed using each of the two connectors. For the cable with connector of each sample, the pressure loss when the refrigerant was pumped from the pump at the same flow rate was investigated. The output flow rate of the pump was 4.4 liters / minute. The results are shown in Table 1.

The pressure loss is the pressure loss of the entire cable with a connector including the cooling pipe of the cable. The total length of the cable is about 3 m.

As shown in Table 1, the sample No. Sample No. 2 is the sample No. It can be seen that the pressure loss is larger than 1. Sample No. In the connector of 2, the sample No. Compared to the connector of No. 1, the position of the convex portion of the isolation plate is located on the base end side of the terminal in the outer peripheral opening. Therefore, the sample No. The connector of 2 has a relatively small opening area on the base end side of the terminal at the outer peripheral opening. That is, since a large amount of refrigerant flows in the second branch flow path passing through the tip end side of the terminal, the pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path becomes large. As a result, the sample No. The pressure loss is larger in 2. In other words, sample No. It can be said that the connector of 1 has a smaller pressure loss in the refrigerant flow path, so that the refrigerant can flow more easily.

Next, for the cable with a connector of each sample, the temperature rise value of the terminal and the temperature rise value of the wire conductor when the output flow rate of the pump was adjusted so that the total pressure loss became close to each other were investigated. The results are shown in Table 2.

The temperature rise value of the terminal and the electric wire conductor is a temperature rise value when a predetermined current is applied in an environment of room temperature of about 20 ° C. The temperature of the terminal and the electric wire conductor at the start of energization is about 20 ° C.

As shown in Table 2, the sample No. 1, No. In each of 2, since the temperature rise width of the terminal and the electric wire conductor is 40 ° C. or less and further 30 ° C. or less, it can be said that the terminal and the electric wire conductor can be sufficiently cooled. Therefore, the sample No. 1, No. In 2, both the cooling of the connector terminal and the cooling of the cable wire conductor can be achieved at the same time.

Sample No. 1 and sample No. Compared with No. 2, there is almost no difference in the temperature rise of the terminals, but the sample No. No. 1 is the sample No. It can be seen that the temperature rise of the electric wire conductor can be suppressed more significantly than in 2. Sample No. The reason why 1 has a higher cooling capacity of the electric wire conductor is considered as follows. Sample No. The connector of No. 1 is the sample No. Since the refrigerant flows more easily than the connector of 2, the output flow rate of the pump becomes large. As a result, the sample No. In No. 1, the amount of refrigerant flowing in the cooling pipe is larger, so that the temperature rise of the wire conductor is significantly suppressed.

1,2,3 Connector 10 Terminal 10a 1st Terminal 10b 2nd Terminal 11 Main Body, 12 Base End 14 Expansion 20 Refrigerator Flow 21 First Branch, 22 Second Branch 24 End opening 26 Outer peripheral opening 30 Separation plate 30a Convex part, 30o First hole 30g Gap 31 First surface, 32 Second surface 36 Blocking part 40 Connection pipe 42 Circulation pipe 90 Coolant 100 Cable with connector 101 Cable 110 Wire Conductor 111 First Wire Conductor, 112 Second Wire Conductor 120 Cooling Tube, 130 Insulation Coating 140 Inclusions, 150 Sheath 200 Charger 210 Power Converter 220 Tank, 221 Pump 500 Electric Vehicle, 501 Inlet, 510 Battery α Length

Claims (8)

A connector that is inserted into the inlet of an electric vehicle.
It has at least one terminal connected to the other terminal of the inlet.
The terminal is
A refrigerant flow path provided between the base end and the tip inside the terminal,
An end opening formed on the base end side of the terminal and
It has an outer peripheral opening formed on the outer peripheral surface of the terminal, and has an outer peripheral opening.
The refrigerant flow path is
A first branch flow path that connects the end opening and the outer peripheral opening without passing through the tip end side of the terminal.
It has a second branch flow path that connects the end opening and the outer peripheral opening via the tip end side of the terminal.
connector. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising an isolation plate arranged inside the terminal so as to separate the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path. The isolation plate is
The first surface facing the outer peripheral opening side and
A second surface facing the side opposite to the outer peripheral opening side,
It has a convex portion that protrudes from the first surface toward the outer peripheral opening.
The connector according to claim 2, wherein the convex portion is provided so as to separate the outer peripheral opening portion from the tip end side and the proximal end side of the terminal when the outer peripheral opening portion is viewed from the front. Let α be the length of the terminal in the outer peripheral opening along the axial direction.
3. When the outer peripheral opening is viewed from the front, the position of the convex portion is in the range of 1/3 or more and 2/3 or less of the α from the tip end side to the proximal end side of the terminal in the outer peripheral opening. The connector described in. The connector according to claim 2, which has a first hole penetrating the isolation plate. The connector according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the width of the isolation plate is smaller than the inner diameter of the terminal. The terminal has two terminals
The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a connecting tube for connecting the two outer peripheral openings to each other of the two terminals. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Equipped with a cable,
The cable is
The electric wire conductor connected to the terminal and
Equipped with a cooling pipe through which the refrigerant flows
The cooling tube is connected to the end opening of the terminal.
Cable with connector.

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