JP5651530B2 - Power supply connector - Google Patents

Description

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

  Conventionally, as a power supply connector used for charging an electric machine driven by electric power such as an electric vehicle or the like, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a plurality of terminals are slidably attached to a front half of a cylindrical case. A connector body, an operation lever for operating the movement of the connector body, and after inserting the cylindrical case into the power receiving side connector of the electric vehicle, the operation of the operation lever advances the connector body to move the power receiving side connector and the connector body. Some include a lock unit that locks the movement of the operation lever in a connected state, a release lever that releases the lock, and an electromagnetic lock mechanism that locks the release operation of the release lever.

Japanese Patent No. 2752032

The electromagnetic lock mechanism makes the release operation of the release lever impossible by causing the plunger to protrude from the solenoid with the charging and inserting the plunger into the engagement hole of the release lever.
However, if the plunger is not inserted into the engagement hole due to a relative positional shift between the plunger and the engagement hole due to some trouble, the release lever can be released. There is a possibility that the power feeding connector being charged is pulled out from the power receiving side connector.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a power supply connector that can more reliably prevent the power supply connector from being pulled out during charging.

  As a means for solving the above problems, a power supply connector according to the present invention is provided in a charging device that supplies power to an electric machine, and is a power supply connector that is detachably connected to a power receiving side connector provided in the electric machine, A case body that can be mechanically connected to the power receiving side connector, and the power receiving side connector that is accommodated in the case body so as to be movable in an axial direction along an attaching / detaching direction of the power receiving side connector. A connector main body having a terminal that can be electrically connected to the case body, an operation mechanism capable of operating the axial movement of the connector main body with respect to the case body, and the connector main body moves to the one end side by a predetermined amount to When the power receiving side connector is electrically connected, the plunger is engaged with a lock portion provided integrally with the connector main body to restrict the movement of the connector main body. An electromagnetic lock mechanism, wherein the lock portion engages the plunger when the connector main body is in a full connection position with respect to the power receiving connector, and the connector main body is in the full connection position. And a second engagement portion that engages the plunger when it is in the half-connection position before reaching the position.

In the power supply connector according to the present invention, the electromagnetic locking mechanism may advance and retract the plunger in a direction orthogonal to the wall surface along the axial direction of the locking portion.
At this time, the first engagement portion is formed of a through hole, a bottomed recess or a notch formed in the lock portion, and the second engagement portion is adjacent to the first engagement portion in the axial direction. It may consist of a through hole, a bottomed recess or a notch.
In addition, the first engaging portion is formed of a through hole that is long in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and the second engaging portion is formed of a countersunk bottomed concave portion continuous with the first engaging portion. It may be.

In the power supply connector according to the present invention, the connector main body has a power supply terminal and a communication terminal, and when the connector main body is in the half-connection position, the power supply terminal is connected to the power receiving connector. On the other hand, at least one of the communication terminals may release the connection state with the power receiving connector.
Further, the power supply connector according to the present invention includes a lock mechanism that restricts the case body from being detached from the power receiving side connector when the case body is connected to the power receiving side connector, and a housing position in the case of the connector main body. And a lock release mechanism that releases the restriction of detachment by the lock mechanism in conjunction with the movement to the position.

According to the above power feeding connector, when connecting the power feeding connector to the power receiving side connector to charge the electric machine, first, with the connector body retracted into the case body, one end side of the case body is used as the power receiving side connector. It is possible to secure the mechanical connection state by connecting, and then it is possible to make electrical connection with the power receiving connector by advancing the connector body with the operation mechanism, and to safely connect the power supply connector with the power receiving connector. be able to.
Conversely, when removing the power supply connector from the power receiving connector, first, the connector body is retracted into the case body by the operation mechanism to release the electrical connection with the power receiving connector, and then the case body and then the power receiving connector are received. It becomes possible to remove from the side connector, and the power feeding connector can be safely detached from the power receiving side connector.
In addition, by actuating the electromagnetic lock mechanism using the electrical connection of the connector body to the power receiving connector as a trigger, the movement of the connector body in a state where the electrical machine is connected can be restricted, and the electrical connection caused by erroneous operation of the operation mechanism, etc. Blocking can be avoided.
And even if the plunger of the electromagnetic lock mechanism moves forward before the connector main body reaches the full connection position due to, for example, malfunction of the operation mechanism, the second engagement with the plunger is performed when the connector main body is in the half connection position. By having the engaging portion, it is possible to more reliably limit the movement of the lock portion and thus the connector body, and more reliably prevent the power supply connector from being pulled out during charging.

It is sectional drawing which follows the center axis line of the electric power feeding connector of one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 1 of the power receiving side connector which connects the said electric power feeding connector. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 1 of the state which connected the said electric power feeding connector to the said receiving side connector. (A) is the front view which looked at the locking part of the above-mentioned electric supply connector from the same direction as Drawing 1, and (b) is an AA sectional view of (a). It is sectional drawing equivalent to FIG.4 (b) which shows the effect | action of the electromagnetic locking mechanism containing the said locking part in order of (a)-(c). It is sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 5 which shows the comparative example of this embodiment. (A) is a front view equivalent to Drawing 4 (a) showing the 1st modification of this embodiment, and (b) is a BB sectional view of (a). (A) is the front view equivalent to Drawing 4 (a) showing the 2nd modification of this embodiment, and (b) is a CC sectional view of (a). (A) is a front view equivalent to Drawing 4 (a) showing the 3rd modification of this embodiment, and (b) is a DD sectional view of (a).

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
A power supply connector A shown in FIG. 1 is provided in a charging device such as a charging stand that supplies power to an electric vehicle, for example, and is connected to a power receiving side connector B (see FIGS. 2 and 3) provided in the electric vehicle, for example, quickly. It is for charging. The power feeding connector A is slidable in a cylindrical case (cylindrical case 1) 1 formed in a cylindrical shape (hollow shape) and a direction along the central axis L1 of the cylindrical case 1 (hereinafter referred to as a central axial direction). The connector main body 2 accommodated in the cylindrical case 1 in a state and the operation mechanism 3 for operating the movement of the connector main body 2 in the central axis direction relative to the cylindrical case 1 are provided. The central axis L1 is also an axis along the direction in which the power feeding connector A is attached to and detached from the power receiving side connector B. For convenience of explanation, the arrow FR at the tip of the central axis L1 will be described as the front.

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

  A grip portion 12 that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical case 1 is integrally fixed to the rear end portion of the cylindrical case 1. The grip part 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the internal space of the cylindrical case 1 in which the connector main body 2 is arranged communicates with the internal space of the grip part 12. A display lamp 13 such as an LED is provided at the rear end of the cylindrical case 1. The display lamp 13 is set to turn on when charging, for example, and turn off when charging is completed.

  The connector main body 2 is accommodated close to the front end side of the cylindrical case 1, and a plurality of power supply side terminals 21 for electrical connection to the power receiving side connector B and the plurality of power supply sides are provided at the front end portion. A cylindrical terminal storage portion 22 for storing the terminal 21 and a cable storage portion 23 for storing the cable 4 connected to the base end portion of the power supply side terminal 21 are provided. The cable 4 is arranged so as to extend from the power supply side terminal 21 side to the outside of the power supply connector A through the grip portion 12.

In addition to the power supply terminal 21a for supplying power to the electric vehicle, the power supply side terminal 21 includes, for example, a communication terminal 21b for communicating information required for charge control between the charging device and the electric vehicle. . The terminal storage portion 22 is formed so that the front end of the power supply side terminal 21 faces forward from the front end opening 1 a of the cylindrical case 1.
The specific number and arrangement of the power supply side terminals 21, the specific shape of the terminal storage portion 22, and the shape of the insertion portion 11 of the cylindrical case 1 described above can be arbitrarily set. For example, those defined in “Japanese Electric Vehicle Standard: JEVS G 105” can be mentioned.

  The cable storage portion 23 is a cylindrical member disposed on the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1 with respect to the terminal storage portion 22, and is fixed to the rear end portion of the terminal storage portion 22. A sliding pin 24 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cable storage portion 23 so as to protrude outward in the radial direction. The sliding pin 24 is accommodated in a sliding groove 14 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical case 1 so as to extend along the central axis direction, and the connector body 2 is placed in the central axial direction with respect to the cylindrical case 1. It is slidable.

The sliding range of the connector main body 2 with respect to the cylindrical case 1 is regulated by the regulating means 5 provided in the power feeding connector A. The regulating means 5 is formed on a spherical ball plunger 52 urged from the inner peripheral surface side of the cylindrical case 1 by the coil spring 51 toward the outer peripheral surface of the cable housing portion 23, and on the outer peripheral surface of the cable housing portion 23. It is comprised by the recessed part 53 made.
Two recesses 53 are arranged at intervals in the central axis direction. The inner surface of each recess 53 is formed in a circular arc shape corresponding to the spherical surface of the ball plunger 52, and the tip of the ball plunger 52 enters the recess 53.

As shown in FIG. 3, the interval between the recesses 53 is such that the connector body 2 is located at the position where the entire terminal accommodating portion 22 is accommodated in the cylindrical case 1 as shown in FIG. It is set so as to be movable between a position where a part of the terminal accommodating portion 22 protrudes from the front end opening 1a of the cylindrical case 1 (hereinafter referred to as a case protruding position).
That is, in a state where the connector main body 2 is disposed at the housing accommodation position, the movement of the connector main body 2 is restricted by the ball plunger 52 entering the first concave portion 53A located on the front end side of the cylindrical case 1. . Further, in a state where the connector main body 2 is arranged at the projecting position outside the case, the movement of the connector main body 2 is restricted by the ball plunger 52 entering the second concave portion 53B located on the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1. The

  In the restricting means 5, since the concave portion 53 is formed in a circular arc shape corresponding to the ball plunger 52, if the force is greater than the restricting force due to the elasticity of the coil spring 51, the operation mechanism 3 described later is operated. The connector body 2 is moved from the in-case housing position to the case protruding position side against the restriction force of the coil spring 51, and the connector body 2 is moved from the case protruding position to the in-case housing position side. Is possible.

The operation mechanism 3 is provided on the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1, and an operation lever 31 pivotally supported with respect to the cylindrical case 1 and the rotation of the operation lever 31. A spur gear 32 that rotates and a rack 34 that is fixed to the connector main body 2 and moves in the direction of the central axis as the spur gear 32 rotates are provided.
The rack 34 is fixed to the cable housing portion 23 in the cylindrical case 1, and the teeth of the rack 34 that mesh with the spur gear 32 are arranged in the central axis direction. The tooth forming surface of the rack 34 faces the same side as the protruding direction of the grip portion 12 (the lower side in FIG. 1). The rack 34 may be fixed to the rear end of the cable storage portion 23, for example. However, in consideration of interference with the cable 4 extending from the rear end of the cable storage portion 23, the cable storage portion is illustrated as in the illustrated example. It is preferable to be fixed to the outer peripheral surface of 23.

The operation lever 31 has one end 31 a in the longitudinal direction protruding outside the cylindrical case 1, and the other end 31 b is pivotally supported by the cylindrical case 1 by a lever shaft 35. The other end portion 31b of the operation lever 31 may be disposed in the cylindrical case 1, but for example, the lever shaft 35 protrudes to the outside of the cylindrical case 1 and the like, as in the end portion 31a. The outer case 1 may be disposed outside.
The lever shaft 35 is orthogonal to the central axis direction, and the operation lever 31 is rotatable about the lever shaft 35.

The lever shaft 35 and the other end 31b of the operation lever 31 are located below the tooth formation surface of the rack 34 facing downward in FIG. On the other hand, one end 31 a of the operation lever 31 is positioned above the tooth formation surface of the rack 34. In other words, the one end 31 a of the operation lever 31 is disposed on the opposite side of the tooth formation surface of the rack 34. The operation lever 31 protrudes in the direction opposite to the protruding direction of the grip portion 12 described above so as to be away from the central axis L1 with respect to the cylindrical case 1.
The spur gear 32 is arranged below the teeth forming surface of the rack 34 so as to mesh with the rack 34 in the cylindrical case 1, and can be rotated integrally with the operation lever 31 via the lever shaft 35. It is pivotally supported.

  In the operation mechanism 3, one end 31 a of the operation lever 31 is a power point when the operator rotates the operation lever 31, and the other end 31 b of the operation lever 31 serves as a fulcrum when the operation lever 31 is rotated. . Further, the meshed portion of the spur gear 32 and the rack 34 that are integrally fixed to the operation lever 31 acts to cause the connector body 2 to act on the connector body 2 so that the connector body 2 is moved in the direction of the central axis. It has become a point. Since this action point is located between the force point and the fulcrum of the operation lever 31, the movement direction of the one end 31 a of the operation lever 31 matches the movement direction of the connector body 2 as the operation lever 31 rotates. Will do.

The power supply connector A includes a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of lock arms (lock mechanisms) 6 that are provided on the front end side of the cylindrical case 1 and engage the power supply connector A with the power reception side connector B. The lock arms 6 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical case 1 so as to surround the connector main body 2.
Each lock arm 6 is formed in a rod shape extending in the central axis direction. A locking claw 61 is formed at the front end of each lock arm 6 so as to protrude outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical case 1. The rear end portion of each lock arm 6 is pivotally supported on the cylindrical case 1 by a pin 62 orthogonal to the central axis direction. That is, each lock arm 6 is attached to the cylindrical case 1 so as to be swingable.
A torsion spring 63 is attached to the pin 62, and the urging force of the torsion spring 63 urges each lock arm 6 to move the front end side to the radially outer side of the cylindrical case 1. At this time, if there is no unlocking operation by the unlocking mechanism 7 to be described later, the locking claw 61 protrudes from the insertion hole 11a of the cylindrical case 1 to the outside.

  The power feeding connector A has at least one locking claw 61 of each lock arm 6 (for example, the upper one in FIG. 1, hereinafter referred to as one lock arm 6A) against the urging force of the torsion spring 63 in a cylindrical shape. An unlocking mechanism 7 for retracting in the case 1 is provided. The unlocking mechanism 7 is formed on an extension portion 71 extending from the rear end of one lock arm 6A to the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1 along the central axis L1, and on the connector main body 2 side of the extension portion 71. A first protrusion 72 and a second protrusion 73 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the connector body 2 are provided.

The extension portion 71 is disposed opposite to the outer peripheral surfaces of the connector main body 2 and the cable storage portion 23, and the first protrusion 72 projects toward the outer peripheral surface of the cable storage portion 23. In addition, the protrusion height of the first protrusion 72 is set so as not to contact the outer peripheral surfaces of the connector main body 2 and the cable storage portion 23.
The second projecting portion 73 projects toward the extension portion 71, but contacts the first projecting portion 72 and the extension portion 71 when the connector main body 2 is disposed in the vicinity of the projecting position outside the case (see FIG. 3). do not do.

On the other hand, in a state where the connector main body 2 is disposed at the housing accommodation position (see FIG. 1), the second protrusion 73 abuts on the first protrusion 72. By this contact, one lock arm 6 </ b> A swings against the urging force of the torsion spring 63, and the locking claw 61 is retracted into the cylindrical case 1.
That is, the lock release mechanism 7 moves the locking claw 61 of one lock arm 6A in the retracted position (position shown in FIG. 1) into the cylindrical case 1 and the insertion hole in conjunction with the operation of the operation lever 31. It moves between 11a and the protrusion position (position shown in FIG. 3) which protrudes outside the cylindrical case 1.
For example, each of the lock arms 6 on the lower side in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as another lock arm 6B) does not have the extension 71 and the first protrusion 72, and does not have the corresponding second protrusion 73. .

  The power supply connector A includes an electromagnetic lock mechanism 9 that prevents the connector body 2 from moving relative to the cylindrical case 1. The electromagnetic lock mechanism 9 is provided with a solenoid 91 including a cylindrical electromagnet 93 fixed to the cylindrical case 1 and a plunger 94 inserted therethrough, and a slidable integrally with the connector main body 2 and the plunger 94. And a lock portion 92 having an engagement hole 92a to be inserted. The lock portion 92 may be configured by fixing a separate member to the connector main body 2 as in the illustrated example, but may be formed integrally with the connector main body 2, for example.

  The plunger 94 of the solenoid 91 is in a retracted position where the plunger 91 is retracted by the urging force of the compression coil spring 95 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) to suppress the protrusion from the electromagnet 93 when no current flows through the electromagnet 93 (FIG. 5 ( a))) When an electric current flows through the electromagnet 93, the electromagnet 93 is in a protruding position in which it moves forward against the urging force of the compression coil spring 95 to increase the protruding amount from the retracted position (see FIG. 4B). Note that power is supplied to the electromagnet 93 when power is supplied to the electric vehicle (charging).

  When the connector main body 2 is disposed at a position protruding from the case, the lock portion 92 is disposed at a position in the central axis direction in which the plunger 94 protruding from the electromagnet 93 can be inserted into the engagement hole 92a. When the connector main body 2 is arranged closer to the in-case housing position than the projecting position outside the case, the engagement hole 92a is arranged at a position shifted in the central axis direction with respect to the plunger 94, Even if it protrudes, it is not inserted into the engagement hole 92a.

  Here, in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 (a), the lock portion 92 has a flat plate shape (wall shape) with a predetermined thickness parallel to the central axis direction and parallel to the paper surface of each drawing. The solenoid 91 is disposed on the back side of the drawing. The solenoid 91 projects the plunger 94 toward the front side of the paper, and allows the lock portion 92 to be inserted into the engagement hole 92a penetrating in the direction perpendicular to the paper. Then, on the plate surface on the back side of the paper surface of the lock portion 92, a countersunk bottomed concave portion (second engaging portion) 96 is provided in front of the engaging hole (first engaging portion) 92a. . Due to the bottomed recess 96 and the engagement hole 92a, a recess having a two-stage depth is formed on the back side of the lock portion 92 in the drawing.

  The connector body 2 electrically connects both the power supply terminal 21a and the communication terminal 21b to the power receiving side connector B when it reaches the projecting position outside the case (all connection positions), but just before reaching the projecting position outside the case. In this position, the electrical connection of the communication terminal 21b is released while the electrical connection of the power supply terminal 21a is maintained. Hereinafter, a position just before reaching the case protruding position (a position slightly shifted rearward from the case protruding position) is referred to as a half-connection position of the connector main body 2.

  Since the electromagnetic lock mechanism 9 restricts the movement of the connector body 2 in the center axis direction, particularly in the rearward direction, when the connector body 2 is in the half-connection position, the engagement hole 92a is displaced from the plunger 94 and Although insertion is hindered (see the figure), the plunger 94 engages with the bottomed recess 96 even in this state, so that the connector body 2 can be moved backward (disengaged from the power receiving connector B) beyond the half-connection position. Limited (see figure).

  The figure shows an electromagnetic lock mechanism 9 'having no bottomed recess 96 as a comparative example. In this case, it is the same that the insertion of the plunger 94 into the engagement hole 92a is prevented when the connector body 2 is in the half-connected position (see the figure). In this state, the tip of the plunger 94 is placed on the plate surface. Since it only contacts, the backward movement beyond the half-connection position of the connector body 2 is not limited (see the figure), and the power supply connector A may be detached from the power reception side connector B due to an erroneous operation of the operation lever 31 or the like. There is.

  1, 3, and 4 (a), the engagement hole 92a has a front-rear width that is such that play is added to the diameter of the plunger 94 in the front-rear direction along the central axis L1. On the other hand, in the vertical direction parallel to the paper surface and perpendicular to the central axis L1, it has a rectangular shape having a sufficiently wide vertical width with respect to the diameter of the plunger 94. The bottomed recess 96 also has a rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction in the front view, and the bottomed recess 96 and the engagement hole 92a form a square outer periphery in the front view. Thereby, the rearward movement of the connector main body 2 at the projecting position outside the case or the semi-connected position is accurately restricted, while the relative displacement between the plunger 94 and the lock portion 92 in the vertical direction is allowed.

Hereinafter, modified examples of the lock portion 92 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Each of the lock portions 192, 292, and 392 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 has a flat plate shape (wall shape) having a predetermined thickness parallel to the central axis direction and parallel to the paper surface, similarly to the lock portion 92 shown in FIG. The solenoid 91 is disposed behind the lock portions 192, 292, and 392 on the paper surface side.
The lock portion 92 shown in FIG. 4 has a front-rear width in which the engagement hole 92a and the bottomed recessed portion 96 can be disposed on the inside, and is constant in the vertical direction in the figure, but the lock portion 192 shown in FIGS. , 292 has the front-rear width of the upper part (formation part such as the engagement hole) in the figure equivalent to that of the lock portion 92 shown in FIG. 4, and the lower part of the figure cuts out the front side to narrow the front-rear width. Therefore, the weight of the parts is reduced.

  The lock portion 192 shown in FIG. 7 is recessed in a circular engagement hole 192a having an inner diameter that is the amount of play added to the diameter of the plunger 94 in the front view and a plate surface on the back side of the paper surface of the lock portion 192. It has a countersink-shaped bottomed recess 196 that continues in front of the engagement hole 192a. The engagement hole 192a and the bottomed recess 196 form an outer periphery having an oval shape that is long in the front-rear direction in the front view. Due to the engagement hole 192a and the bottomed recess 196, a recess having a two-stage structure is also formed in the lock portion 192.

  8 has a pair of front and rear engagement holes 292af and 292ar similar to the engagement hole 192a in the front view. The rear engagement hole 292ar in the figure engages the plunger 94 when the connector main body 2 is in the protruding position outside the case, and the front engagement hole 292af in the figure is the plunger when the connector main body 2 is in the half-connection position. 94 is engaged.

  The lock portion 392 shown in FIG. 9 has the front-rear width of the lower portion in the drawing equal to that of the lock portion 92 shown in FIG. 4, and the upper portion in the drawing is provided with a notch 392a on the rear side to narrow the front-rear width. Is. The notch 392a is opened upward and rearward in the figure, but when the plunger 94 is engaged with the notch 392a, the rearward movement of the lock portion 392 and thus the connector main body 2 is restricted. In front of the notch 392a, a bottomed recess 396 is formed in the plate surface on the back side of the paper surface of the lock portion 392. Due to the notches 392 a and the bottomed recesses 396, a recess having a two-stage structure is also formed in the lock portion 392.

  4, 7 to 9 are shown as a first engagement part for restricting the movement of the connector body 2 at the projecting position outside the case and a second engagement part for restricting the movement of the connector body 2 at the half-connection position. In addition to the engagement hole (through hole), bottomed recess and notch shown, any other through hole, bottomed recess and notch may be used as long as the plunger 94 can be engaged. These may be used in any combination.

  The power receiving side connector B is fixed to the body of an electric vehicle or the like, and as shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical shell 101 that receives the insertion portion 11 of the cylindrical case 1 and a cylindrical shape provided therein. Terminal receiving section 102 and a power receiving side terminal (not shown) arranged in the terminal storing section 102. The terminal storage portion 102 is received in the terminal storage portion 22 of the connector main body 2 in a state where the insertion portion 11 of the cylindrical case 1 is received in the shell 101 (see FIG. 3). That is, the shapes of the shell 101 and the terminal storage portion 102 correspond to the insertion portion 11 and the terminal storage portion 22 of the power supply connector A, respectively. Locking recesses 103 that can be engaged with the locking claws 61 of the lock arms 6 of the power supply connector A are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the shell 101 so as to correspond to the number and arrangement of the lock arms 6.

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

Next, a procedure for attaching / detaching the power feeding connector A to / from the power receiving side connector B will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, in a state where the connector main body 2 is disposed at the housing accommodation position, the operator grasps the grip portion 12 and connects the front end portion (insertion portion 11) of the cylindrical case 1 to the power receiving side connector B. Is inserted into the shell 101. At this time, the locking claws 61 of the other lock arm 6B are in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the shell 101, and the other lock arm 6B is rocked against the urging force of the torsion spring 63. When the insertion portion 11 is inserted into the shell 101 by a predetermined amount, the locking claw 61 of the other lock arm 6B engages with the locking recess 103 of the power receiving side connector B as shown in FIG. The connector B is temporarily fitted. At this time, if the connector main body 2 is in the case accommodation position, the electrical connection between the power feeding connector A and the power receiving connector B is interrupted.

  Next, the connector main body 2 is moved to the front end side of the cylindrical case 1 by the operation mechanism 3 so that the connector main body 2 is arranged at the projecting position outside the case. More specifically, the operator grasps the one end portion 31 a of the operation lever 31 and rotates it so as to move it to the front end side of the cylindrical case 1. It moves to the front end side and is arranged at the projecting position outside the case. Thereby, the power feeding side terminal 21 of the power feeding connector A is electrically connected to the power receiving side terminal of the power receiving side connector B.

  At this time, the second protrusion 73 of the unlocking mechanism 7 moves together with the connector body 2 and is separated from the first protrusion 72, so that the locking claw 61 of the one lock arm 6A is moved by the urging force of the torsion spring 63. The locking claw 61 protrudes outside from the insertion hole 11 a of the cylindrical case 1, and the locking claw 61 engages with the locking recess 103 of the power receiving side connector B. Thereby, the cylindrical case 1 of the power feeding connector A is fitted to the power receiving side connector B in a state where it is mechanically prevented from coming off.

At this time, the solenoid 91 is energized with the electrical connection between the power supply connector A and the power receiving side connector B as a trigger, and the plunger 94 moves forward and is inserted into the engagement hole 92 a of the lock portion 92. Thereby, the movement of the connector main body 2 in the state where the electrical connection is made is prevented, and the electrical connection between the power feeding connector A and the power receiving connector B is surely prevented.
In this way, charging of the electric vehicle is started in a state where the power feeding connector A and the power receiving side connector B are mechanically and electrically connected.

Here, even if the connector main body 2 that should have been placed at the projecting position outside the case is slightly displaced toward the projecting position inside the case due to, for example, a malfunction of the operation mechanism 3, the second engaging portion such as the bottomed recess 96. Plunger 94 is engaged with this. As a result, the backward movement of the connector main body 2 beyond the half-connection position is restricted, and the power supply connector A is prevented from being detached from the power receiving side connector B due to an erroneous operation of the operation mechanism 3 or the like.
When the connector main body 2 is in the half-connection position, the electrical connection of the communication terminal 21b is released while maintaining the electrical connection of the power supply terminal 21a. Accordingly, for example, the display lamp 13 is caused to blink. It is also possible to give a warning to the surroundings, and it is possible to promote complete connection to the power receiving side connector B of the connector main body 2.

When the charging of the electric vehicle is completed, the power supply to the electromagnet 93 is stopped accordingly, and the plunger 94 is detached from the engagement hole 92 a of the lock portion 92 by the urging force of the compression coil spring 95. As a result, the connector main body 2 enters a movable state (a state in which the operation lever 31 can be operated).
Thereafter, the operator grips the one end 31 a of the operation lever 31 and rotates the operation lever 31 so as to move to the rear end side of the cylindrical case 1, so that the connector main body 2 is moved to the rear end of the cylindrical case 1. It moves to the side and is arranged at the accommodation position in the case. Thereby, the electrical connection between the power feeding connector A and the power receiving connector B is cut off.

  In conjunction with the rotation operation, the second protrusion 73 of the unlocking mechanism 7 abuts on the first protrusion 72 of the one lock arm 6A, and the one lock arm resists the urging force of the torsion spring 63. By swinging 6A and retracting the latching claw 61 into the cylindrical case 1, the power feeding connector A returns to the state of being temporarily fitted to the power receiving side connector B.

Thereafter, the operator grasps the grip portion 12 and pulls out the power feeding connector A from the power receiving side connector B, whereby the work for removing the power feeding connector A is completed.
In the temporary fitting state, the engaging claw 61 of the other lock arm 6B is engaged with the power receiving side connector B, but the engaging claw 61 of one lock arm 6A and the receiving side connector B are engaged. Since the engagement is released, the engagement force between the power supply connector A and the power receiving connector B is weakened, so that the power supply connector A can be easily pulled out.

  As described above, the power supply connector A of the present embodiment is provided in a charging device that supplies power to the electric machine, and is detachably connected to the power receiving side connector B provided in the electric machine, The case body 1 that can be mechanically connected to the power receiving side connector B, and the case body 1 is housed in the case body 1 so as to be movable in the central axis direction along the attaching / detaching direction of the power receiving side connector B and in the central axis direction. A connector main body 2 having a power supply side terminal 21 that can be electrically connected to the power receiving side connector B on one end side, and an operation mechanism capable of operating movement of the connector main body 2 in the central axis direction relative to the cylindrical case 1 3 and a lock portion 92 provided integrally with the connector main body 2 when the connector main body 2 is moved to the one end side by a predetermined amount and electrically connected to the power receiving side connector B. 94 and an electromagnetic lock mechanism 9 that restricts the movement of the connector main body 2 by engaging 94, and the lock portion 92 is in a position where the connector main body 2 is fully connected to the power receiving side connector B (projecting position outside the case). A first engagement portion (engagement hole 92a) that engages the plunger 94 at a certain time, and the plunger 94 is engaged when the connector main body 2 is in a half connection position before reaching the full connection position. It has a 2nd engaging part (bottomed recessed part 96).

According to this configuration, when the power feeding connector A is connected to the power receiving side connector B so as to charge the electric machine, first, the connector body 2 is retracted into the cylindrical case 1 and then the cylindrical case 1 is One end side is connected to the power receiving side connector B to ensure a mechanical connection state, and thereafter the connector body 2 can be advanced by the operation mechanism 3 to make electrical connection with the power receiving side connector B. A and the power receiving side connector B can be safely connected.
Conversely, when removing the power feeding connector A from the power receiving side connector B, first, the connector main body 2 is retracted into the cylindrical case 1 by the operating mechanism 3 to release the electrical connection with the power receiving side connector B, and thereafter The cylindrical case 1 and thus the power receiving connector B can be detached from the power receiving connector B, and the power feeding connector A can be safely detached from the power receiving connector B.
Further, by actuating the electromagnetic lock mechanism 9 using the electrical connection of the connector body 2 to the power receiving side connector B as a trigger, the movement of the connector body 2 in a state where the electrical connection is made can be restricted, and the operation mechanism 3 is erroneously operated. It is possible to avoid interruption of the electrical connection due to the above.
Even when the plunger 94 of the electromagnetic lock mechanism 9 advances before the connector main body 2 reaches the full connection position due to, for example, a malfunction of the operation mechanism 3, the plunger 94 is still in the half-connection position. By having the second engaging portion that engages, the movement of the lock portion 92 and thus the connector main body 2 can be more reliably restricted, and the power supply connector A can be more reliably prevented from being pulled out during charging.

  When the connector main body 2 has a power supply terminal 21a and a communication terminal 21b, and the connector main body 2 is in the half-connection position, the power supply terminal 21a is connected to the power receiving side connector B. On the other hand, at least one of the communication terminals 21b releases the connection state with the power receiving side connector B, so that the charging of the electric machine is continued even when the connector body 2 is in the half connection position, It is possible to issue a warning or the like that the connector body 2 is in the half-connected position.

  Furthermore, when the cylindrical case 1 is connected to the power receiving side connector B, a lock arm 6 that restricts the separation of the cylindrical case 1 from the power receiving side connector B, and the housing position of the connector main body 2 in the case The lock release mechanism 7 for releasing the release restriction by the lock arm 6 in conjunction with the movement to the position of the connector body 2 allows the release restriction of the cylindrical case 1 from the power receiving side connector B to be accommodated in the case housing position of the connector body 2. In the state where the electrical connection to the power receiving side connector B of the connector main body 2 is released and accommodated in the cylindrical case 1, the cylindrical case 1 and thus the power feeding connector A are received on the power receiving side. It can be safely removed from the connector B.

As mentioned above, although embodiment which concerns on the electric power feeding connector of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A various change can be added in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. .
In the above embodiment, the power supply connector A provided in the charging device for an electric vehicle has been described. However, the power supply connector of the present invention can be applied to a charging device for various electric machines driven by electric power. .

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS A ... Power feeding connector, B ... Power receiving side connector, 1 ... Cylindrical case (case body), 2 ... Connector main body, 21 ... Power feeding side terminal (terminal), 21a ... Power feeding terminal, 21b ... Communication terminal, 3 ... Operation Mechanism: 92 ... Lock portion, 94 ... Plunger, 9 ... Electromagnetic lock mechanism, 92a, 192a, 292ar ... Engagement hole (first engagement portion, through hole), 96, 196, 396 ... Bottomed recess (second engagement) 292af ... engagement hole (second engagement part, through hole), 392a ... notch (first engagement part), 6 ... lock arm, 7 ... unlock mechanism

Claims (6)

A power supply connector that is provided in a charging device that supplies electric power to an electric machine and is detachably connected to a power receiving side connector provided in the electric machine,
A case body mechanically connectable to the power receiving side connector;
A connector main body, which is accommodated in the case body so as to be movable in an axial direction along an attaching / detaching direction with the power receiving side connector, and has a terminal capable of being electrically connected to the power receiving side connector on one end side in the axial direction;
An operation mechanism capable of operating movement of the connector body in the axial direction relative to the case body;
When the connector main body moves a predetermined amount to the one end side and is electrically connected to the power receiving side connector, a plunger is engaged with a lock portion provided integrally with the connector main body to restrict the movement of the connector main body. And an electromagnetic lock mechanism
The lock portion is in a first engagement portion that engages the plunger when the connector main body is in a full connection position with respect to the power receiving connector, and in a half connection position before the connector main body reaches the full connection position. A power supply connector comprising: a second engagement portion that engages the plunger at a certain time.   The power feeding connector according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic locking mechanism moves the plunger forward and backward in a direction orthogonal to a wall surface along the axial direction in the lock portion.   The first engagement portion is formed of a through hole, a bottomed recess or a notch formed in the lock portion, and the second engagement portion is adjacent to the first engagement portion in the axial direction. The power supply connector according to claim 2, comprising a bottomed recess or a notch.   The first engaging portion is formed of a through-hole that is long in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and the second engaging portion is formed of a countersunk bottomed concave portion continuous with the first engaging portion. The power supply connector according to claim 2.   When the connector main body has a power supply terminal and a communication terminal, and the connector main body is in the half-connection position, the power supply terminal maintains a connection state with the power receiving side connector, while the communication terminal 5. The power supply connector according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the power supply unit releases a connection state with the power receiving side connector. 6.   A locking mechanism for restricting the detachment of the case body from the power receiving side connector when the case body is connected to the power receiving side connector, and the locking mechanism in conjunction with the movement of the connector main body to the housing housing position. The power supply connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a lock release mechanism that releases the release restriction due to.

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