JP5346754B2 - Connection structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connection structure capable of pressing a plurality of contacts, with respect to a plurality of power source lines in a separate and independent state using a single connection member. <P>SOLUTION: In the connection structure constituted of a first terminal housing 4 with a plurality of first connection terminals 3 aligned, and a second terminal housing 24 with a plurality of second connection terminals 23 aligned, in which when the first terminal housing 4 and the second terminal housing 24 are insertion-coupled, each of the plurality of first connection terminals 3 and each of the plurality of second connection terminals 23 face each other so as to form a pair; and the first connection terminals 3 and the second connection terminals 23 are alternately stacked to have a laminated state, by insulating the first connection terminals 3 aligned at the first terminal housing 4 from each other, and pressing a contact point of each first connection terminal 3 and each second connection terminal 23 facing each other, and a connection means fixed at each contact point and electrically connected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connection structure that may be used for a connector of a power harness used for an eco-car such as a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle, and particularly used to transmit a large amount of power.

  In recent years, significant progress has been made, for example, in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, etc., when transferring a large amount of power for connecting devices, such as between a motor and an inverter, or between an inverter and a battery. For example, a power harness used in the above-described configuration includes, on one end thereof, a male terminal and a male side connector portion including a first terminal housing that accommodates the male terminal, a female terminal connected to the male terminal, and the female terminal. A connector having a two-divided configuration with a female connector portion including a second terminal housing to be accommodated is provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In recent years, such eco-cars have been reduced in weight for all parts for the purpose of improving energy-saving performance. However, one of the effective means for reducing the weight is to reduce the size. I hit it.

  Therefore, as a known technique, for example, there is a technique as disclosed in Patent Document 2.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a vehicle that connects a connection terminal of a multi-phase conductive member drawn from a motor for driving a vehicle and a connection terminal of a multi-phase power line cable drawn from an inverter that drives the motor. In the electrical connection structure, the connection terminal of each phase of the conductive member and the connection terminal of each phase of the corresponding power line cable are superposed, and the insulating member is disposed on the surface opposite to the superposition surface of the connection terminal This is a technique in which the connection terminals and the insulating members of the respective polymerized phases are fastened and fixed in the polymerization direction by a single bolt provided at a position penetrating them.

  That is, the technique of Patent Document 2 is a method in which connection terminals are connected to each other by clamping a plurality of contact points between connection terminals, which are overlapping surfaces of connection terminals, by tightening a single bolt in the overlap direction. However, such a configuration is effective in that it is easy to reduce the size as compared with the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP 2009-070754 A Japanese Patent No. 4037199

  However, the technique of Patent Document 2 has the following problems.

  Since the technology of Patent Document 2 is a connection configuration in which a plurality of contact points between connection terminals are sandwiched at a time to fix the connection terminals at the contact points and are electrically connected to each other. It was difficult to apply the same pressing force to each other, and as a result, the coupling force of each contact became unstable. This instability of the coupling force becomes a negative factor when applied to an automobile in which vibration is likely to occur.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connection structure capable of stabilizing the coupling force of each contact.

The present invention has been developed to achieve the above object, and includes a first terminal housing in which a plurality of first connection terminals are arranged and a plurality of second connection terminals in an arrangement. When the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing are fitted together, each of the plurality of first connection terminals and each of the plurality of second connection terminals are paired. In the connection structure in which the first connection terminals and the second connection terminals are alternately arranged and face each other in a stacked state, the plurality of the plurality of the first connection terminals and the second connection terminals are insulated while being insulated. The first connection terminal and the plurality of contacts related to the plurality of second connection terminals are pressed to fix the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal at each contact and electrically Connecting means which is connection is provided, said connecting means, the shaft pressing portion for pressing the contact above the respective first connection terminals as well as perpendicular to the distal end portion of the first connecting terminals are formed respectively It is a connection structure characterized by comprising a non-conductive connection member having a portion .

  Further, the connection member is made of metal, and includes a main body portion that forms a central axis, and an insulating body that covers an outer periphery of the main body portion and forms the pressing portion.

  The connection means further includes a fixing means for fixing the connection member to the first terminal housing and / or the second terminal housing, and the fixing means includes the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing. When the terminal housing is fitted, the respective contacts are pressed and fixed, and the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing are fastened together and fixed.

  Further, the fixing means includes a screw portion formed at a distal end portion of the connection member and a screw hole formed inside the first terminal housing and screwed into the screw portion.

  Each of the first connection terminals is supported by being aligned at a predetermined position by a plurality of first support members provided in the first terminal housing.

  Each of the second connection terminals is supported by being aligned at a predetermined position by a plurality of second support members provided in the second terminal housing.

  Further, when the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing are fitted to the first terminal housing and / or the second terminal housing, the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing A waterproof housing structure for sealing the gap is provided.

  The first terminal housing and / or the second terminal housing has a cable insertion hole for inserting a cable connected to each of the plurality of first connection terminals and / or the plurality of second connection terminals. Each of the cable insertion holes is provided with a cable waterproof structure that seals between the cable and the first terminal housing and / or between the cable and the second terminal housing. It is characterized by that.

  In addition, each contact may transmit electricity of different voltage and current.

  The first terminal housing and the second terminal housing may be fitted so that the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal intersect and contact each other in a plan view.

  According to the present invention, the coupling force of each contact can be stabilized.

It is a sectional side view which shows the connector which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows a male side connector part, (a) is a sectional side view, (b) is a cross-sectional view. It is a figure which shows a 1st connection terminal, (a) is a side view, (b) is a top view. It is a sectional side view which shows a female side connector part. It is a figure which shows a 2nd connection terminal, (a) is a side view, (b) is a top view. It is a figure which shows a connection member, (a) is a side view, (b) is a sectional side view. It is a figure explaining the connection using the connector of FIG. 1, (a) is a sectional side view, (b) is a top view. It is a figure explaining the connection using the connector of FIG. 1, (a) is a sectional side view, (b) is a front view of a male side connector part, (c) is a front view of a female side connector part. It is a figure explaining the effect of the connector of FIG. (A) is a modification of the screw part of a connection member, (b) is a figure showing a screw hole screwed together in a screw part of (a). (A) is a figure which shows the modification of a 2nd connection terminal, (b) is a figure explaining the connection using the 2nd connection terminal of (a). (A), (b) is a figure which shows the modification of the connector of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the connector of FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the connector which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows a 1st connection terminal, (a) is a side view, (b) is a top view. It is a figure which shows a connection member, (a) is a side view, (b) is a sectional side view. It is a figure which shows a nut, (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a side view. It is a figure which shows a nut, (a) is a sectional side view, (b) is the sectional view on the AA line of (a). It is a figure which shows a spring, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of a nut. (A), (b) is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of a nut. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of a nut. (A), (b) is a figure which shows an example of the connection structure of this invention.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  A connector will be described as an example of the connection structure of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a connector according to a first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 100 according to the first embodiment includes a male connector portion 1 and a female connector portion 2, and by fitting these connector portions 1 and 2, a plurality of connectors are provided. This is for connecting the power lines together.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the male connector section 1 includes a conductive first terminal housing 4 in which a plurality (three) of first connection terminals (male terminals) 3 are arranged inside. Here, a terminal having a connecting member 38 to be described later is a male terminal, and a connector portion on the side having the male terminal is referred to as a male connector portion 1. That is, the first terminal housing 4 may be a male (male side housing) or a female (female side housing) as a housing. Here, the case where the 1st terminal housing 4 is a male side housing is demonstrated as an example.

  Each first connection terminal 3 is connected to cables 5a to 5c, respectively. In these cables 5a to 5c, electricity of different voltage and / or current is transmitted. For example, in the first embodiment, a three-phase AC power line between the motor and the inverter is assumed, and ACs having different phases of 120 ° C. are transmitted to the cables 5a to 5c. These cables 5 a to 5 c are formed by forming an insulating layer 7 on the outer periphery of the conductor 6.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, each first connection terminal 3 includes a caulking portion 8 that is caulked and connected to the conductor 6 exposed from the tip end portion of the cable 5, and a round contact formed integrally with the caulking portion 8. 9. A circular hole 10 for inserting the connection member 38 is formed in the round contact 9. The diameter of the circular hole 10 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the pressing portion 41 of the connection member 38. Further, a tapered portion 11 is formed at the tip of the round contact 9 in order to improve the insertability.

  Each first connection terminal 3 is preferably made of a metal having high conductivity such as silver, copper, or aluminum for the purpose of reducing power transmission loss in the connector 100.

  Referring to FIG. 2 again, the first terminal housing 4 is formed of a cylindrical body 12 having a bottomed end and a rectangular cross section.

  The outer peripheral portion on the opening side of the cylindrical body 12 is formed in a tapered shape in consideration of the fitting property with the female connector portion 2. In addition, a housing waterproof structure 13 that seals between the male connector portion 1 and the female connector portion 2 is provided on the outer peripheral portion on the opening side of the cylindrical body 12.

  The waterproof housing structure 13 includes a recess 14 formed in the outer peripheral portion on the opening side of the cylindrical body 12 and a packing 15 such as an O-ring provided in the recess 14.

  A plurality of cable insertion holes 16 for inserting the cables 5 a to 5 c connected to the first connection terminals 3 are formed on the bottom side (the left side in the drawing) of the cylindrical body 12. Each cable insertion hole 16 is provided with a cable waterproof structure 17 that seals between the cables 5 a to 5 c and the cylindrical body 12.

  The cable waterproof structure 17 includes a recess 18 formed in the opening surface of the cable insertion hole 16 that contacts the outer periphery of the cables 5 a to 5 c, and a packing 19 such as an O-ring provided in the recess 18.

  Further, a flange 20 having a fixing hole 49 (see FIG. 8) for fixing the male connector 1 to a housing such as a device is formed on the outer periphery on the bottom side of the cylindrical body 12. You may make it provide the packing etc. which seal between the apparatus and the male side connector part 1 in the edge peripheral part 21 by the side of the bottom part of the flange 20. FIG. In addition, this structure does not presuppose that the male connector part 1 is fixed to housing | casings, such as an apparatus, The flange 20 may be provided in the female connector part 2, and the male connector part 1 and the female connector 2 may be provided. Moreover, it is good also as a free state in which neither the male side connector part 1 nor the female side connector part 2 is fixed to housings, such as an apparatus.

  Furthermore, a plurality of first support members (slit components) 22 are provided on the inner wall of the cylindrical body 12. The plurality of first support members 22 are for supporting the first connection terminals 3 from below (the lower side in the drawing) and aligning and supporting them at predetermined positions (predetermined height positions).

  Each first support member 22 is made of a non-conductive resin or the like that is an insulator so as to insulate the first connection terminals 3 from each other and prevent a short circuit. Even if the cables 5 a to 5 c connected to the first connection terminal 3 are excellent in flexibility, the first connection terminal 3 can be supported at a predetermined position by the first support member 22. Since cables having excellent flexibility can be used as the cables 5a to 5c, the degree of freedom in wiring when the cables 5a to 5c are laid can be improved.

  The cylindrical body 12 is preferably made of a metal such as aluminum having high electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity for light shielding performance, heat dissipation, and weight reduction of the connector 100, but may be formed of resin or the like. good.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the female connector section 2 includes a second terminal housing 24 in which a plurality (three) of second connection terminals (female terminals) 23 are arranged inside. In addition, the connector part by the side which has a female terminal is called the female side connector part 2 here. That is, the second terminal housing 24 may be a male (male side housing) or a female (female side housing) as a housing. Here, the case where the 2nd terminal housing 24 is a female side housing corresponding to the 1st terminal housing 4 which is a male side housing is demonstrated.

  Each second connection terminal 23 is connected to cables 25a to 25c, respectively. Since these cables 25a to 25c are respectively connected to the cables 5a to 5c through the respective contacts of the first connection terminals 3 and the second connection terminals 23, the voltage and / or current corresponding to the cables 5a to 5c. Electricity is transmitted. The cables 25 a to 25 c are formed by forming an insulating layer 27 on the outer periphery of the conductor 26.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, each second connection terminal 23 includes a caulking portion 28 that is caulked and connected to the conductor 26 exposed from the distal end portion of the cable 25, and a U-shape formed integrally with the caulking portion 28. And a contact 29.

The inner width L ₁ of the U-shaped contact 29 is formed smaller than the outer diameter of the pressing portion 41 of the connecting member 38. A tapered portion 30 is formed at the distal end portion of the U-shaped contact 29 in order to improve the insertability.

  Each second connection terminal 23 is preferably made of a metal having high conductivity such as silver, copper, or aluminum for the purpose of reducing power transmission loss in the connector 100.

  Referring to FIG. 4 again, the second terminal housing 24 includes a cylindrical body 31 having a bottomed end and a rectangular cross section. Since the first terminal housing 4 is fitted in the second terminal housing 24, the inner peripheral portion on the opening side of the cylindrical body 12 is formed in a tapered shape in consideration of the fitting property with the first terminal housing 4. Has been.

  On the contrary, the second terminal housing 24 may be fitted into the first terminal housing 4. In this case, the inner peripheral portion on the opening side of the cylindrical body 12 constituting the first terminal housing 4 is formed in a tapered shape, and the outer peripheral portion on the opening side of the second terminal housing 24 is formed in a tapered shape, so that the housing is waterproof. The structure 13 may be formed on the outer peripheral portion on the opening side of the second terminal housing 24.

  A plurality of cable insertion holes 32 for inserting the cables 25 a to 25 c connected to the second connection terminals 23 are formed on the bottom side (the left side in the drawing) of the cylindrical body 31. Each cable insertion hole 32 is provided with a cable waterproof structure 33 that seals between the cables 25 a to 25 c and the cylindrical body 31.

  The cable waterproof structure 33 includes a recess 34 formed on the opening surface of the cable insertion hole 32 that contacts the outer periphery of the cables 25 a to 25 c and a packing 35 such as an O-ring provided in the recess 34.

  Further, when the female connector portion 2 and the male connector portion 1 are fitted to the upper portion (the upper side in the drawing) of the cylindrical body 31, the connection member 38 provided in the male connector portion 1 is dodged. A dovetail groove 36 is formed on the opening side of the cylindrical body 31.

  Furthermore, a plurality of tubular second support members (slit components) 37 are provided on the inner wall of the cylindrical body 12. The plurality of second support members 37 support the cables 25a to 25c connected to the respective second connection terminals 23, and align and support the respective second connection terminals 23 at predetermined positions. Is.

  Each second connection terminal 23 faces each other so as to be paired with each second connection terminal 23 when the male connector part 1 and the female connector part 2 are fitted by each second support member 37 ( That is, it is positioned and supported so as to be positioned above each first connection terminal 3 (to be connected).

  Each second support member 37 does not support the second connection terminal 23 itself, and the second connection terminal 23 has a certain degree of freedom (although the second connection terminal 23 itself may be supported). In this case, the supporting force is such that the second connection terminal 23 has a certain degree of freedom).

  Each second support member 37 is made of a non-conductive resin or the like in order to insulate the second connection terminals 23 from each other and prevent a short circuit. The second support member 37 can support the second connection terminal 23 at a predetermined position even if the cables 25a to 25c connected to the second connection terminal 23 are excellent in flexibility. Since cables having excellent flexibility can be used as the cables 25a to 25c, the degree of freedom in wiring when the cables 25a to 25c are laid can be improved.

  The cylindrical body 31 is preferably made of a metal such as aluminum having high electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity for lightness of shielding performance, heat dissipation, and connector 100, but it may be formed of resin or the like. good.

  When the connector 100 according to the first embodiment is engaged with the first terminal housing 4 and the second terminal housing 24, each of the three first connection terminals 3 and the three second connection terminals 23 is connected. The connection structure is a stacked structure in which the first connection terminals 3 and the second connection terminals 23 are alternately arranged so as to face each other in pairs, and the first connection terminals are aligned with the first terminal housing 4. The first connection terminal 3 and the second connection terminal 23 are fixed at the respective contact points by pressing the contact points of the first connection terminal 3 and the second connection terminal 23 facing each other while insulating the connection terminals 3 from each other. In addition, a connection means for electrical connection is provided.

  The connection means includes a non-conductive connection member 38 and a fixing means for fixing the non-conductive connection member 38.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the connection member 38 includes a non-conductive bolt (non-conductive flange) having a head portion 39 and a shaft portion 40 orthogonal to the circular hole 10 of each first connection terminal 3. Hexagon bolt).

  A large-diameter pressing portion 41 for pressing a contact point between the first connection terminal 3 and the second connection terminal 23 is formed above each first connection terminal 3 (upper side in the drawing) on the body portion of the shaft portion 40. In addition, a screw portion 43 that is screwed into a screw hole 42 (see FIG. 2) as a fixing means formed in the lower inner wall that is inside the cylindrical body 12 is formed at the tip portion of the shaft portion 40.

  The corner portion of each pressing portion 41 is chamfered in a tapered shape, and the second connection terminal 23 can be easily inserted.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the connecting member 38 is made of a metal (for example, SUS, iron, copper alloy, etc.), a main body 44 that forms the central axis of the connecting member 28, and a resin (as an insulator) For example, it is made of PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) resin, PPA (polyphthalamide) resin, PA (polyamide) resin, epoxy resin), and includes an insulating portion 45 that covers the outer periphery of the main body portion 44 and forms the pressing portion 41. Good. As described above, the connecting member 38 has a fold structure of the metal main body portion 44 and the resin insulating portion 45, so that the strength can be increased compared to the case where the entire connecting member 38 is formed of resin. Moreover, there exists an advantage that the press part 41 is easy to form by making the insulating part 45 which forms the press part 41 into resin.

  The screw portion 43 of the shaft portion 40 may be formed in the exposed main body portion 44 by exposing the tip end portion of the main body portion 44. Thereby, durability of the screw part 43 and fastening property can be improved.

  The connecting member 38 is inserted from the outside to the inside of the cylindrical body 12. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, a connection member insertion hole 46 for inserting the connection member 38 is formed in the upper part (upper side in the drawing) of the cylindrical body 12. A recess 47 is formed on the opening surface of the connection member insertion hole 46 so as to seal between the connection member 38 and the cylindrical body 12, and a packing 48 such as an O-ring is provided in the recess 47.

  In the first embodiment, the connection member 38 is inserted into the connection member insertion hole 46 in advance before the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 are fitted.

  Next, the connection between the first connection terminal 3 and the second connection terminal 23 using the connector 100 according to the first embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the male connector portion 1 and the female connector portion 2 are fitted, the upper portion of the shaft portion 40 of the connection member 38 is displaced by the dovetail groove 36 of the second terminal housing 24. The second connection terminal 23 is inserted between each first connection terminal 3 and each pressing portion 41.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 8, when the screw portion 43 of the connecting member 38 is screwed into the screw hole 42 of the cylindrical body 12, the connecting member 38 is pushed into the bottom portion of the screw hole 42 while being rotated. Accordingly, each second connection terminal 23 is pressed against each first connection terminal 3 by each pressing portion 41. Since each first connection terminal 3 is supported by the first support member 22 below the first connection terminal 3, each first connection terminal 3 and each second connection point at each contact point between each first connection terminal 3 and each second connection terminal 23. The two connection terminals 23 are firmly contacted and fixed. Further, the second terminal housing 24 is pressed against the first terminal housing 4 by the head portion 39 of the connection member 38, and the first terminal housing 4 and the second terminal housing 24 are fastened together.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the first connection terminal 3 and the second connection are pressed by pressing the plurality of contact points related to the plurality of first connection terminals 3 and the plurality of second connection terminals 23 by the connection member 38. Since the terminal can be fixed and electrically connected to each contact, the coupling force of each contact can be stabilized. Thereby, it is possible to realize a particularly effective connector for an automobile in which vibration is likely to occur.

  In the first embodiment, a three-phase AC power line is assumed, but according to the technical idea of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. The upper three lines 50a to 50c are used as a three-phase AC power line between the motor and the inverter, and the lower two lines 51a and 51b are used as a DC two-phase power line for an air conditioner. Also good. By configuring in this way, it is possible to connect power lines for multiple applications at once with a single connector, so there is no need to prepare different connectors for each application, saving space and reducing costs. Can contribute.

  In the first embodiment, the first connection terminal 3 and the second connection terminal 23 are in contact with each other on the surface, but the first contact with the second connection terminal 23 that is the surface on the contact side. It is good also as a structure which forms a convex part in the surface at the side of the connection terminal 3, and the U-shaped contact 29 of the 2nd connection terminal 23 fits in this convex part. With this configuration, the coupling force between the first connection terminal 3 and the second connection terminal 23 can be further stabilized. That is, it is particularly effective against vibration in the direction perpendicular to the connection member 38.

  Further, the terminal surfaces of the first connection terminal 3 and the second connection terminal 23 may be roughened by knurl processing or the like, the frictional force is increased, and the terminals are not easily moved to be firmly fixed at each contact. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a spiral recess 52 to be a screw groove is formed in the shaft portion 40, a screw hole 53 to be screwed into the spiral recess 52 is formed in the cylindrical body 12, and the spiral recess 52 is formed. The screw hole 53 may be screwed. In addition, in the aspect of FIG. 10, each contact can be fixed with few screwing rotation speeds by enlarging the pitch of a thread groove.

  In the first embodiment, the lengths of the branched tips of the U-shaped contacts 29 of the second connection terminals 23 are the same, but as shown in FIG. One of these lengths may be formed long to form a J-shaped contact 54. By adopting a shape like the J-shaped contact 54, as shown in FIG. 11B, it can be inserted into the shaft portion 40 of the connecting member 38 even from an oblique direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cable. Become.

  Further, in the structure of the present invention, since each first connection terminal 3 and each second connection terminal 23 are connected using the connection member 38 as an axis, as shown in FIG. The first terminal housing 4 and the second terminal housing 24 are connected to the second connection terminals 23 of the side connector portion 2 such that the first connection terminals 3 of the male connector portion 1 intersect and contact each other in plan view. By comprising, the male connector part 1 and the female connector part 2 can also be L-shaped fitted. Moreover, as shown in FIG.12 (b), the 1st terminal housing 4, the 1st connection terminal 3, the 2nd terminal housing 24, and the 2nd connection terminal 23 are formed diagonally, and the female with respect to the male side connector part 1 is formed. The insertion / extraction direction of the side connector part 2 can be diversified.

  That is, the direction in which the cable is drawn from the connector 100 can be matched with the shape of the installation location, which can contribute to space saving. In addition, in FIG. 12, the 1st terminal housing which is the male side connector part 1 side was made into the female side housing, and the 2nd terminal housing which is the female side connector part 2 side was made into the male side housing.

  Moreover, in 1st Embodiment, although it was set as the in-line structure which connects cables with the connector 100, it is not limited to such a structure. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, rigid bus bars 55 are used as the first connection terminals 3 of the male connector 1, and each bus bar 55 is aligned by an alignment member 56 made of resin to form a hollow cylindrical first terminal. A female connector portion 58 is configured in which the male connector portion 58 is configured by being housed in the housing 57, and the bus bar 55 of the male connector portion 58 is connected to a connection terminal such as a device in advance, and the cables 25a to 25c are connected. It is good also as a structure which fits two. In this configuration, the bus bar 55 that is the first connection terminal 3 is rigid and is aligned by the alignment member 56, and thus it is not necessary to provide the first support member 22 described above. However, the bus bar 55 is not rigid. In this case, the support member 22 as in the first embodiment is necessary. As a method of aligning and holding the bus bar 55 on the alignment member 56, for example, a method of inserting the bus bar 55 when the alignment member 56 is molded and then hardening and aligning the resin, or holding the bus bar 55 on the alignment member 56 formed in advance. There is a method of press-fitting and maintaining alignment.

  In the first embodiment, the cables 5a to 5c and the cables 25a to 25c are cables having excellent flexibility, but may be rigid cables. The first support member 22 and the second support member 37 can be omitted.

  A connector according to the second embodiment will be described.

  As illustrated in FIG. 14, the connector 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the connector 100 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the first connection terminals 59 a to 59 c and the configuration of the connection member 60.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the first connection terminals 59a to 59c of the connector 200 are configured by press-fitting nuts 62a to 62c into circular holes 61a to 61c, respectively. The nuts 62a to 62c are for screwing the first connection terminals 59a to 59c to the connection member 60, respectively. Details of the nuts 62a to 62c will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 16A, the connection member 60 of the connector 200 has pressing portions 63 a to 63 c as with the connection member 38. The outer diameters of the pressing parts 63a to 63c are gradually reduced from the upper pressing part 63a to the lower pressing part 63c. That is, the connection member 60 is tapered.

  Screw portions 64a and 64b that are screwed into the nuts 62a and 62b of the first connection terminals 59a and 59b are formed on the upper portions of the pressing portions 63b and 63c. In addition, a screw portion 64 c that is screwed with the nut 62 c of the first connection terminal 59 c and screwed with the screw hole 42 of the cylindrical body 12 is formed at the distal end portion of the shaft portion 65. That is, the screw portions 64a to 64c are formed in a portion having a gradually smaller outer diameter from the upper screw portion 64a to the lower screw portion 64c.

  Therefore, the inner diameter of the nut 62a is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the pressing portion 63b, the inner diameter of the nut 62b is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the pressing portion 63c, and the inner diameter of the nut 62c is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the shaft portion 65. .

  The reason why the connecting member 60 is tapered and the outer diameters of the screw portions 64a to 64c are gradually reduced will be described below.

  For example, in order to arrange the first connection terminal 59a at a predetermined position of the connection member 60 (that is, a position where the nut 62a of the first connection terminal 59a is screwed into the screw portion 64a), the connection member 60 is connected to the first connection terminal 60a. It will penetrate the nut 62a of the terminal 59a.

  At this time, if the outer diameters of the screw portions 64a to 64c are the same, the nut 62a is screwed into the screw portions 64c and 64b one by one until the nut 62a of the first connection terminal 59a is screwed into the screw portion 64a. It must be allowed to pass after it is troublesome.

  On the other hand, in the tapered configuration such as the connecting member 60, the outer diameters of the screw portions 64c and 64b are smaller than the inner diameter of the nut 62a, so that they can pass through without being screwed together. Therefore, the operation of inserting the connection member 60 into the nuts 62a to 62c of the first connection terminals 59a to 59c becomes very simple, which can contribute to shortening the manufacturing time. Similarly, since the operation of removing the connection member 60 is simplified, it can contribute to shortening the maintenance work time.

  For this reason, in the connector 200 according to the second embodiment, the connection member 60 is tapered, and the outer diameters of the screw portions 64a to 64c are gradually reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 16B, the connection member 60 also includes a main body portion 66 made of metal and an insulating portion 67 formed so as to cover the outer periphery of the main body portion 66 in the same manner as the connection member 38 of the connector 100. good.

  By the way, in the connection structure of this invention, when connecting the power supply line of a some application collectively with one connector 200, there are cases where it is desired to press each contact with a different tightening torque for each power supply line.

  As a method of pressing the respective contacts with different tightening torques, the pitches of the thread grooves of the nuts 62a to 62c of the first connection terminals 59a to 59c and the screw portions 64a to 64c of the connection member 60 are made different from each other. Can be considered.

  However, in such a configuration, when changing the system of the power supply line connected by the connector 200, not only the first connection terminals 59a to 59c but also the connection member 60 must be replaced for changing the pitch of the screw grooves. I will have to. That is, since the first connection terminals 59a to 59c and the connection member 60 have a one-to-one correspondence, the connection member 60 must be replaced when the first connection terminals 59a to 59c are replaced.

  Therefore, in the connector 200, the nuts 62a to 62c of the first connection terminals 59a to 59c have a ratchet structure so that they can rotate when a prescribed tightening torque is applied so that the respective contacts can be pressed with different tightening torques. did.

  As shown in FIG. 17, each nut 62 (62 a to 62 c) includes a nut housing 68, a nut main body portion 69, and a spring 72 provided between the nut housing 68 and the nut main body portion 69. Is composed of a storage portion in which the nut main body 69 is stored, and a press-fit portion 70 formed in the upper portion of the storage portion and press-fitted into each of the circular holes 61a to 61c of the first connection terminals 59a to 59c.

  As shown in FIG. 18, a plurality of protrusions 71 are formed on the outer periphery of the nut main body 69 at a predetermined interval. Further, a female thread that is screwed into any one of the screw parts 64 a to 64 c of the connection member 60 is cut on the inner peripheral surface of the nut main body 69.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the spring 72 includes a hollow cylindrical spring main body 73 and spring portions 74 formed radially on the outer periphery of the spring main body 73 at predetermined intervals.

  On the side surface of the spring main body 73, a plurality of cutout portions 75 that fit into the protrusions 71 of the nut main body portion 69 are formed. By fitting each notch 75 to the corresponding protrusion 71 of the nut body 69, the spring 72 is fixed to the outer periphery of the nut body 69. The distal end portion of the spring portion 74 is folded toward the spring main body 71 side.

  Referring again to FIG. 18, the inner peripheral surface of the nut housing 68 has a reduced diameter portion 77 and an edge portion 78 so as to restrict the rotation of the spring nut 76 in which the spring 72 is fitted to the nut main body 69 in one direction. Are formed into an uneven shape formed alternately.

  A method for manufacturing the nut 62 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 20, a nut housing 68 having both ends opened is prepared. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 21, the spring 72 and the nut main body 69 are fitted to form a spring nut 76. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 22, the spring nut 76 is accommodated in the accommodating portion of the nut housing 68, and the lower portion 79 of the nut housing 68 is pressed and bent inward, whereby the lid is applied to the accommodating portion of the nut housing 68. To do. The nut 62 is obtained by the above process.

  With this configuration, that is, when the connecting member 60 (right screw in FIG. 16) is tightened by making the nut 62 (62a to 62c) have a ratchet structure, the spring nut 76 tries to rotate rightward. However, the rotation of the reduced diameter portion 77 is restricted by the spring force of the spring portion 74 (the force by which the spring portion 74 presses the inner surface of the shrinkage portion 77 of the nut housing 68). The connection terminals 59a to 59c are raised, and the second connection terminals 23 are pressed by the first connection terminals 59a to 59c and the pressing portions 63a to 63c.

  When the connection member 60 is tightened in this state, the tightening torque exceeds the spring force of the spring portion 74, the spring portion 74 is deformed, and the spring nut 76 is idled in the right direction. Thereby, each contact is not pressed with a tightening torque equal to or higher than a specified torque, and is pressed with a suitable tightening torque.

  On the contrary, when loosening the tightening of the connecting member 60, the tip end portion of the spring portion 74 is caught by the edge portion 78, and the rotational torque of the connecting member 60 is directly transmitted to the nuts 62a to 62c. Easy to loosen.

  As described above, in the connector 200, the first connecting terminals 59a to 59c and the pressing portions 63a to 63c are connected to the second connecting terminals by tightening the connecting member 60 and raising the first connecting terminals 59a to 59c. Since the respective contact points are pressed by sandwiching the individual 23, each second connection terminal 23 may not have a degree of freedom as in the connector 100 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in the connector 200 according to the second embodiment, each second connection terminal 23 is supported by the second support member 80 together with the cables 25a to 25c, as shown in FIG.

  In short, according to the connector 200 according to the second embodiment, since the connection member 60 is tapered, the operation of inserting the connection member 60 into the nuts 62a to 62c of the first connection terminals 59a to 59c is performed. It becomes very simple and can contribute to shortening of the manufacturing time. Similarly, in the work of removing the connecting member 60, it is also easy to contribute to shortening of the maintenance work time.

  Furthermore, according to the connector 200 according to the second embodiment, the connection member 60 is provided with the screw portions 64a to 64c, and the first connection terminals 59a to 59c are provided with the ratchet structure nuts 62a to 62c. Each contact can be pressed with a different tightening torque.

  As described above, the connector has been described as an example of the connection structure of the present invention. However, the connection structure of the present invention can be applied to other than the connector.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 23 (a), a female terminal side in which a second terminal housing 82 provided with a plurality of second connection terminals 81 connected to a circuit of an electronic device is arranged in a housing 83 of the electronic device. The male side connector part 87 which consists of the 1st terminal housing 86 in which the some 1st connection terminal 85 was provided in the connector part 84 is fitted, and each 1st connection terminal 85 and each 2nd connection terminal 81 are connected. The present invention can also be applied to various connection structures 300.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 23 (b), the male side connector portion 87 can be fitted to the female side connector portion 84 at various angles by variously changing the shape of the first terminal housing 86. Thus, the direction in which the cable 88 is pulled out can be diversified.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the first and second embodiments, the screw hole 42 is formed on the first terminal housing side, but the first terminal housing side is not a screw hole but only a through hole. It may be formed on the second terminal housing side. Moreover, the screw hole may be formed over both the 1st terminal housing side and the 2nd terminal housing side.

  Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the screw hole 42 is formed at a position where the screw hole 42 is screwed with the screw portion on the distal end side of the connection member 60, but on the head side of the connection member 60. You may form a screw part and may form a screw hole so that it may screw together with the screw part formed in this head side.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Male side connector part 2 Female side connector part 3 1st connection terminal 4 1st terminal housing 23 2nd connection terminal 24 2nd terminal housing 38 Connection member

Claims (10)

A first terminal housing in which a plurality of first connection terminals are arranged, and
A second terminal housing provided with a plurality of second connection terminals aligned,
When the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing are fitted, each of the plurality of first connection terminals and each of the plurality of second connection terminals face each other and form a pair. In the connection structure in which the connection terminals and the second connection terminals are alternately arranged in a stacked state,
While insulating the first connection terminals and the second connection terminals, by pressing the plurality of first connection terminals and the plurality of contacts according to the plurality of second connection terminals, respectively, the first connection terminals and Connection means for fixing and electrically connecting the second connection terminal at each contact is provided ,
The connecting means includes
It consists of a non-conductive connection member having a shaft portion in which the tip portion of each first connection terminal is orthogonal to each other and a pressing portion for pressing the contact point is formed above each first connection terminal. Connection structure. The connecting member is
A main body made of metal and forming a central axis;
The connection structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connection structure is made of an insulating material and includes an insulating portion that covers the outer periphery of the main body and forms the pressing portion. The connection means further includes a fixing means for fixing the connection member to the first terminal housing and / or the second terminal housing,
The fixing means presses and fixes each contact when the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing are fitted together, and fastens the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing together. connection structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that to fixed. The fixing means includes
A threaded portion formed at the tip of the connecting member;
4. The connection structure according to claim 3 , comprising a screw hole formed inside the first terminal housing and screwed into the screw portion. 5. Each first connecting terminal, a plurality of first support member provided within the first terminal housing each claim 1-4, characterized in that it is supported are aligned in a predetermined position The connection structure described. Each of the second connecting terminals, a plurality of second supporting member provided in the second inside terminal housing, each claim 1-5, characterized in that it is supported are aligned in a predetermined position The connection structure described. The first terminal housing and / or the second terminal housing has a space between the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing when the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing are fitted together. connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the housing waterproof structure for sealing is provided. The first terminal housing and / or the second terminal housing have a plurality of cable insertion holes for inserting cables connected to the plurality of first connection terminals and / or the plurality of second connection terminals, respectively. Formed,
Each of the cable insertion holes is provided with a cable waterproof structure that seals between the cable and the first terminal housing and / or between the cable and the second terminal housing. connection structure according to any one of claims 1-7. In each of the contacts, the connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, different voltages and electric currents, characterized in that it is transmitting. Wherein the first terminal housing and the second terminal housing, claim, characterized in that the said first connecting terminal and the second connecting terminal is fitted into contact with crosses in plan view 1-9 The connection structure according to any one of the above.

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