JP7595010B2 - Male connector, female connector, connector structure, manufacturing method for male connector, manufacturing method for female connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a male connector, a female connector, a connector structure, a method for manufacturing a male connector, and a method for manufacturing a female connector.

For example, as described in JP 2008-66148 A, a male connector having multiple male terminals supported on a male terminal support base and a female connector having multiple female terminals supported on a female terminal support base are known. By inserting each of the multiple male terminals into each of the multiple female terminals, the male terminals and female terminals are electrically connected and power or signals are transmitted between them.

In this type of male connector and female connector, a guide pin portion protrudes from the male terminal support base to position the male terminal when it is inserted into the female terminal, and a guide hole into which the guide pin portion is inserted is provided in the female terminal support base. In other words, when connecting the male connector and female connector, the guide pin portion and the guide hole come into contact first. For this reason, a reinforcing member is provided in the guide hole, and metals with excellent durability are used as the material for the pin member that forms the guide pin portion and the material for the reinforcing member. On the other hand, resin is used as the material for the male terminal support base and the female terminal support base because it is lightweight and easy to mold.

Male connectors, which are constructed by integrating the pin member and male terminal support base, and female connectors, which are constructed by integrating the reinforcing member and female terminal support base, are generally manufactured by injection molding. That is, when a male connector is manufactured, the material of the male terminal support base (molten resin) that has been heated and melted is injected into a mold in which a pin member has already been arranged, and then it is cooled and solidified. When a female connector is manufactured, the material of the female terminal support base (molten resin) that has been heated and melted is injected into a mold in which a reinforcing member has already been arranged, and then it is cooled and solidified.

When performing the above-mentioned injection molding, in order to obtain a male connector with high precision by suppressing the positional deviation of the pin member relative to the mold due to the pressure of the molten resin (injection pressure), it is necessary to clamp the pin member between the movable mold and the fixed mold and firmly position and fix the pin member relative to the mold. However, in this case, since the pin member penetrates the male terminal support base in the extension direction, the thickness of the male connector in the extension direction of the pin member increases and the amount of metal material used for the pin member increases. As a result, there are concerns that it will be difficult to reduce the size and weight of the male connector and that the manufacturing costs of the male connector will increase.

Similarly, when obtaining a female connector, it is necessary to sandwich a reinforcing member between the movable and fixed dies, and since the reinforcing member penetrates the female terminal support base in the extension direction of the guide hole, the thickness of the female connector in the extension direction of the guide hole increases and the amount of metal material used for the reinforcing member increases. As a result, there are concerns that it will be difficult to reduce the size and weight of the female connector, and that the manufacturing costs of the female connector will increase.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a male connector, a female connector, a connector structure, a method for manufacturing a male connector, and a method for manufacturing a female connector that can be made smaller, lighter, and less expensive.

One aspect of the present invention is a male connector connected to a female connector provided with a female terminal, the male connector comprising: a plurality of male terminals inserted into the female terminal to be connected to the female terminal; a resin male terminal support base supporting the plurality of male terminals; and a metal pin member fixed to the male terminal support base, the pin member having a guide pin portion protruding from the male terminal support base so as to be insertable into a guide hole of the female connector; and a base end portion provided on the opposite side of the guide pin portion in the extension direction of the pin member, the male terminal support base having a press-in hole into which the base end portion of the pin member is press-fitted, and the axial length of the base end portion is shorter than the axial length of the press-in hole.

Another aspect of the present invention is a female connector that is connected to a male connector provided with a male terminal, the female connector comprising: a plurality of female terminals into which the male terminals are inserted to be connected; and a resin female terminal support base that supports the plurality of female terminals, the female terminal support base being formed with a guide hole into which the guide pin portion of the male connector is inserted; a metal annular member through which the guide pin portion is inserted is press-fitted into the guide hole on the entrance side into which the guide pin portion is inserted; the axial length of the annular member is shorter than the axial length of the guide hole.

Another aspect of the present invention is a connector structure comprising the above-mentioned male connector and the above-mentioned female connector.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a male connector comprising a resin male terminal support base supporting a plurality of male terminals and a metal pin member provided with a guide pin portion protruding from the male terminal support base, wherein a press-fit hole is formed in the male terminal support base, and a base end portion having an axial length shorter than the press-fit hole is provided on the opposite side of the guide pin portion in the extension direction of the pin member, and a press-fit process is included in which the base end portion is pressed into the press-fit hole.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a female connector comprising: a resin female terminal support base that supports a plurality of female terminals into which male terminals provided on a male connector are inserted, and in which guide holes into which the guide pin portions of the male connector are inserted; and an annular member that is provided on the entrance side of the guide holes into which the guide pin portions are inserted and through which the guide pin portions are inserted, the method comprising a press-fitting step of press-fitting the annular member, the axial length of which is shorter than that of the guide holes, into the guide holes.

In the male connector of the present invention, the axial length of the base end of the pin member is shorter than the axial length of the press-fit hole in the male terminal support base, and the base end is pressed into the press-fit hole so as not to penetrate the male terminal support base. Therefore, compared to a male connector in which the pin member penetrates the male terminal support base, for example, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the male connector in the extension direction of the pin member and an increase in the amount of metal material used for the pin member. As a result, it is possible to achieve a smaller, lighter, and less costly male connector.

In the female connector of the present invention, the axial length of the annular member reinforcing the guide hole is shorter than the axial length of the guide hole of the female terminal support base, and the annular member is pressed into the entrance side of the guide hole so as not to penetrate the female terminal support base. Therefore, compared to a female connector in which a reinforcing member reinforcing the guide hole penetrates the female terminal support base, for example, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the female connector in the extension direction of the guide hole and an increase in the amount of metal material used for the annular member (reinforcing member). As a result, it is possible to achieve a smaller, lighter, and less costly female connector.

In the connector structure of the present invention, by providing the above-mentioned male connector and female connector, it is possible to effectively achieve miniaturization, weight reduction, and cost reduction.

In the manufacturing method of the male connector of the present invention, the base end of the pin member is pressed into the press-in hole formed in the male terminal support base without penetrating the male terminal support base. In this case, the pin member and the male terminal support base can be integrated with high precision using simple pressurized press-in equipment to obtain a male connector. Therefore, unlike the case where the pin member and the male terminal support base are integrated by injection molding, for example, complex equipment such as a mold having a configuration for fixing the pin member in the cavity is not required, making it possible to reduce manufacturing costs. In addition, since the pin member does not penetrate the male terminal support base, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the male connector in the extension direction of the pin member and an increase in the amount of metal material used for the pin member. As a result, it is possible to achieve a smaller, lighter, and less expensive male connector.

In the manufacturing method of the female connector of the present invention, the annular member is pressed into the guide hole formed in the female terminal support base without penetrating the female terminal support base. In this case, the annular member and the female terminal support base can be integrated with high precision using simple pressurized press-in equipment to obtain a female connector. Therefore, unlike the case where the annular member and the female terminal support base are integrated by injection molding, for example, complex equipment such as a mold having a configuration for fixing the annular member in the cavity is not required. In addition, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the male connector in the extension direction of the guide hole and an increase in the amount of metal material used for the pin member. As a result, it is possible to achieve a reduction in size, weight, and cost of the female connector.

FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a female connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a connector structure in which the female connector of FIG. 1A and the male connector of FIG. FIG. 1B is an external perspective view of a battery pack equipped with the female connector of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1C is a schematic side view of an electric vehicle equipped with the male connector of FIG. 5A is a schematic perspective view of an annular member of the female connector of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 5B is a schematic perspective view of a pin member of the male connector of FIG. 1B. FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a heating step in a manufacturing method for a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 6B and 6C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a press-fitting step in the manufacturing method of FIG. 6A. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a heating step in a manufacturing method for a female connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 7B and 7C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a press-fitting step in the manufacturing method of FIG. 7A. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a female connector and a male connector according to a comparative example are joined together. FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the male connector, female connector, connector structure, manufacturing method for a male connector, and manufacturing method for a female connector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following drawings, components that have the same or similar functions and effects are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations may be omitted.

In the following, an example will be described in which the male connector 10 according to the present embodiment shown in Figures 1B and 2 is provided in the electric vehicle 12 shown in Figure 4, and the female connector 14 according to the present embodiment shown in Figures 1A and 2 is provided in the battery pack 16 shown in Figure 3. That is, in this embodiment, the male connector 10 of Figure 1B is provided in the battery pack storage section 18 provided in the electric vehicle 12 of Figure 4. In addition, by storing the battery pack 16 of Figure 3 in the battery pack storage section 18 of Figure 4, the female connector 14 of the battery pack 16 can be joined to the male connector 10 of the battery pack storage section 18 of Figure 4. In this way, the connector structure 20 (Figure 2) is composed of the male connector 10 and the female connector 14 that can be joined to each other.

The male connector 10 in FIG. 1B is not limited to being provided in the battery pack storage section 18 of the electric vehicle 12 in FIG. 4. For example, the male connector 10 may be provided in a battery pack storage section provided in a battery pack charging device (not shown) instead of the electric vehicle 12, or may be provided in something other than the battery pack storage section 18. The male connector 10 in FIG. 1B may be provided in the battery pack 16 in FIG. 3, and the female connector 14 in FIG. 1A may be provided in the battery pack storage section 18 in FIG. 4. Furthermore, the female connector 14 may be provided in something other than the battery pack 16 and the battery pack storage section 18.

First, referring to Figure 4, the electric vehicle 12 provided with the battery pack storage section 18 will be briefly described. Below, an example will be described in which the electric vehicle 12 is a saddle-type electric motorcycle, but the electric vehicle 12 may also be, for example, an electrically assisted bicycle or an electric car (neither of which are shown).

The electric vehicle 12 is provided with a drive motor 24 disposed near the rear wheel 22 as a driving force source. The electric vehicle 12 can travel, etc., by supplying power from a battery pack 16 (FIG. 3) to the drive motor 24. The electric vehicle 12 is also provided with a housing-shaped battery pack storage section 18 that opens upward inside a seat holding section 28 that holds a seat 26 on which a user sits. The seat 26 is rotatable by a rotation shaft (not shown) provided on the forward side in the traveling direction (the side of the arrow Z1 in FIG. 4). When the seat 26 is rotated in the direction in which the seat 26 sits on the seat holding section 28, the opening 18a provided above the battery pack storage section 18 is closed.

Meanwhile, the end of the seat 26 on the rear side in the travel direction (the side indicated by the arrow Z2 in FIG. 4) is rotated in a direction away from the seat holding portion 28, thereby opening 18a of the battery pack storage portion 18. Through the opening 18a in this open state, it becomes possible to store the battery pack 16 (FIG. 3) in the battery pack storage portion 18 or to remove the battery pack 16 from the battery pack storage portion 18. In other words, the battery pack 16 is removably stored in the battery pack storage portion 18.

A male connector 10 is provided at the bottom of the battery pack storage section 18, and a female connector 14 is provided at the bottom of the battery pack 16 (Fig. 3). Therefore, by storing the battery pack 16 in the battery pack storage section 18, the male connector 10 and the female connector 14 can be electrically connected as shown in Fig. 2, and power from the battery pack 16 in Fig. 3 can be supplied to the drive motor 24 in Fig. 4 via the mutually connected male connector 10 and female connector 14.

Next, the male connector 10 according to this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Figures 1B and 2. The male connector 10 includes a plurality of male terminals 32 (eight in this embodiment) that are inserted into a plurality of female terminals 30 (described later) of the female connector 14 and connected to the female terminals 30, a male terminal support base 34 that supports the male terminals 32 so that they are spaced apart from one another, and a pin member 36.

The multiple male terminals 32 are, for example, approximately rectangular plates made of a conductor such as metal, the male terminal support base 34 is, for example, an insulator made of insulating thermoplastic resin, and the pin member 36 is, for example, made of a durable metal.

The male terminal support base 34 is, for example, in the form of a plate whose longitudinal direction is the arrangement direction (arrow X direction) of the multiple male terminals 32. Tab portions 38 protrude from both longitudinal ends of the male terminal support base 34. The male terminal support base 34 is fixed to the bottom of the battery pack storage section 18 (Figure 4) by screwing or the like via the tab portions 38 so that its thickness direction is along the up-down direction (arrow Y direction).

In addition, a plurality of terminal members 40 are provided so as to penetrate the male terminal support base 34 in the vertical direction. The male terminals 32 are portions of the terminal members 40 that protrude upward (toward the arrow Y1) from the upper surface 34a of the male terminal support base 34. The terminal members 40 have downward protrusions 42 that protrude downward (toward the arrow Y2) from the lower surface 34b of the male terminal support base 34. The male terminals 32 protrude upward at the inner bottom of the battery pack storage section 18 (Figure 4).

The multiple downward protrusions 42 protrude downward outside the battery pack storage section 18 (Figure 4) and are electrically connected to the drive motor 24 (Figure 4) via a power line or the like (not shown), or are electrically connected to a control section (not shown) of the electric vehicle 12 (Figure 4) via a signal transmission line (not shown).

The male terminal support base 34 has one press-fit hole 44 formed on each side of the arrangement direction of the multiple male terminals 32. In this embodiment, the press-fit hole 44 is a bottomed hole that is open at the upper end and closed at the lower end.

The pin member 36 has a guide pin portion 46 that extends upward from the upper surface 34a of the male terminal support base 34, and a base end portion 48 that is provided on the opposite side (lower end side) of the guide pin portion 46 in the extending direction of the pin member 36. The axial length (arrow Y direction) of the base end portion 48 of the pin member 36 is shorter than the axial length (arrow Y direction) of the press-fit hole 44. The base end portion 48 of the pin member 36 is pressed into the press-fit hole 44 of the male terminal support base 34, so that the pin member 36 is integrated with the male terminal support base 34 without penetrating the male terminal support base 34. In this embodiment, a flange 50 is provided at the upper end of the base end portion 48, and the upper surface 50a of the flange 50 and the upper surface 34a of the male terminal support base 34 are arranged flush with each other.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the outer periphery of the base end 48 of the pin member 36 is provided with an uneven portion 52 that creates an anchor effect between the base end 48 and the male terminal support base 34 (FIG. 1B). In this embodiment, the uneven portion 52 has a groove portion 54 that is recessed toward the axis of the base end 48 and goes around the base end 48, and a knurled portion 56 that is provided above and below the groove portion 54 of the base end 48. However, the uneven portion 52 can have various shapes that create an anchor effect between the base end 48 and the male terminal support base 34. For example, the uneven portion 52 may be formed on the outer periphery of the base end 48 by a known roughening process or the like.

Next, the battery pack 16 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 3. The battery pack 16 is configured by housing a plurality of battery cells and a battery management device (both not shown) inside a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 58 that constitutes the exterior. The battery cells are, for example, lithium secondary batteries, and when the capacity (amount of stored electricity) is reduced by supplying power to the drive motor 24 (FIG. 4), the capacity can be restored by receiving power from the battery pack charging device. In other words, the battery cells can be repeatedly charged and discharged. The battery management device, for example, controls the charging and discharging of the battery core pack and communicates with the electric vehicle 12 (FIG. 4), etc.

The case 58 can be formed, for example, from a metal such as aluminum, or from a resin (including fiber-reinforced resin). A handle 60 is provided on the top side of the case 58, which can be gripped when carrying the battery pack 16. A female connector 14 is provided at the bottom inside the case 58. Although not shown, a cutout is provided in the bottom wall of the case 58 to expose the female connector 14 to the outside of the case 58.

Next, the female connector 14 according to this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Figures 1A and 2. The female connector 14 has a female terminal support base 62, a plurality of female terminals 30 that are supported by the female terminal support base 62 and arranged at intervals from each other, and a metal ring-shaped member 66 that reinforces the entrance side of a guide hole 64 provided in the female terminal support base 62, as described below.

The female terminal support base 62 is an insulator made of, for example, insulating thermoplastic resin. A tab portion 68 protrudes from the side of the female terminal support base 62. A plurality of terminal insertion holes 70 and, for example, two guide holes 64 are provided on the lower end surface of the female terminal support base 62. The female terminal support base 62 is fixed to the bottom wall of the case 58 by screw fastening or the like via the tab portion 68. A plurality of male terminals 32 of the male connector 10 can be individually inserted into each of the plurality of terminal insertion holes 70.

The female terminal 30 has an abutment portion 74 where two roughly rectangular plate-shaped terminals 72 are abutted, and a branch portion 78 that branches into two at the branch point 76 at the lower end of the abutment portion 74. At the branch portion 78, the two plate-type terminals 72 extend downward from the branch point 76 a predetermined distance while separated from each other, then approach each other to form a closest portion 80, and then move away from each other to form an open end 82 at the lowest end.

The majority of the lower end of the branched portion 78 of each female terminal 30 is disposed inside the terminal insertion hole 70. Therefore, when a male terminal 32 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 70, the tip side of the male terminal 32 is inserted between the plate terminals 72 through the open end 82 of the female terminal 30 in the terminal insertion hole 70 as shown in FIG. 2. As a result, the plate terminal 72 is maintained in contact with the male terminal 32 by its elastic force, and the closest portion 80 becomes the electrical connection point between the female terminal 30 and the male terminal 32.

In addition, the upper part of the abutment portion 74 protrudes upward from the female terminal support base 62 and is electrically connected to the input/output terminals of multiple battery cells via power lines passing through the battery management device, or electrically connected to the battery management device via a signal transmission line, although neither are shown in the figure.

The female terminal support base 62 has a guide hole 64 formed on each side of the arrangement direction (arrow X direction) of the multiple terminal insertion holes 70, and the guide pin portion 46 of the male connector 10 can be inserted into each guide hole 64. The guide hole 64 is a bottomed hole that is closed at the upper end and open at the lower end, and the lower end side (opening side, arrow Y2 side) of the guide hole 64 is the entrance side into which the guide pin portion 46 is inserted.

The annular member 66 is pressed into the entrance side of the guide hole 64 so that the axial directions (arrow Y direction) of the guide hole 64 and the annular member 66 are aligned, so that the female terminal support base 62 and the annular member 66 are integrated, and the entrance side of the guide hole 64 is reinforced by the annular member 66. Therefore, even if the guide pin portion 46 is brought close to the guide hole 64 with the axial direction of the guide pin portion 46 and the axial direction of the guide hole 64 slightly misaligned, the guide pin portion 46 abuts against the metal annular member 66, thereby suppressing damage to the guide hole 64. In other words, a press-in portion 84 into which the annular member 66 is pressed is provided at the lower end side (entrance side) of the guide hole 64, and an insertion portion 85 into which the guide pin portion 46 is inserted is provided above the press-in portion 84 of the guide hole 64.

The inner diameter of the annular member 66 is set slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide pin portion 46 so that the guide pin portion 46 can be inserted into the annular member 66. The annular member 66 may be provided with a tapered portion 66a in which the inner diameter tapers from the lower end side to the upper end side. The length of the annular member 66 in the axial direction (arrow Y direction) is set shorter than the length of the female terminal support base 62 in the axial direction (up and down direction, arrow Y direction) so that the annular member 66 does not penetrate the female terminal support base 62.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the outer periphery of the annular member 66 is provided with an uneven portion 86 that creates an anchor effect between the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62 (FIG. 1A). In this embodiment, the uneven portion 86 has a groove portion 88 that is recessed toward the axial center side of the annular member 66 and goes around the annular member 66, and a knurled portion 90 that is provided above and below the groove portion 88 of the annular member 66. However, the uneven portion 86 can have various shapes that create an anchor effect between the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62. For example, the uneven portion 86 may be formed on the outer periphery of the annular member 66 by a known roughening process or the like.

With reference to Figures 6A to 6C, the manufacturing method of the male connector 10 according to this embodiment will be described by taking the case of obtaining the male connector 10 (Figure 1B) configured as described above as an example. In this manufacturing method, in order to integrate the male terminal support base 34 and the pin member 36, first, as shown in Figure 6A, a heating process is performed to heat the base end 48 of the pin member 36. In this heating process, for example, the guide pin portion 46 of the pin member 36 is held by a press-fitting jig 92, and the base end 48 is heated by a heating means 94. Note that various means capable of heating the metal base end 48 can be used as the heating means 94, and examples of such means include a heater and a high-frequency induction heating device. In the heating process, it is preferable to heat the base end 48 of the pin member 36 to a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature at which the thermoplastic resin that is the material of the male terminal support base 34 softens.

6B, for example, a press-in jig 92 holding the pin member 36 is brought close to the press-in hole 44 of the male terminal support base 34. This performs a press-in process in which the heated base end 48 is pressed into the press-in hole 44 without penetrating the male terminal support base 34. In this embodiment, by abutting the press-in jig 92 against the upper surface 50a of the flange 50 provided on the pin member 36, it is possible to perform the press-in easily and satisfactorily.

In this press-fitting step, the male terminal support base 34, which has been melted by the heat of the base end 48 heated in the heating step, solidifies while entering the interior of the uneven portion 52 provided on the base end 48. As a result, a male connector 10 can be obtained in which the male terminal support base 34 and the pin member 36 are firmly integrated due to the anchor effect.

The heating process and the pressing process may be performed after joining the male terminals 32, etc. to the male terminal support base 34, or may be performed before joining.

With reference to Figures 7A to 7C, the manufacturing method of the female connector 14 according to this embodiment will be described by taking the case of obtaining the female connector 14 (Figure 1A) configured as described above as an example. In this manufacturing method, in order to integrate the female terminal support base 62 and the annular member 66, a heating process is first performed to heat the annular member 66 as shown in Figure 7A. In this heating process, for example, the annular member 66 held by the press-fitting jig 96 is heated by a heating means 98. As the heating means 98, various means capable of heating the metallic annular member 66 can be used, such as a heater or a high-frequency induction heating device. In the heating process, it is preferable to heat the annular member 66 to a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature at which the thermoplastic resin that is the material of the female terminal support base 62 softens.

7B, for example, a press-in jig 96 holding the annular member 66 is brought close to the entrance side of the guide hole 64 of the female terminal support base 62. This performs a press-in process in which the heated annular member 66 is pressed into the guide hole 64 without penetrating the female terminal support base 62. In this press-in process, the female terminal support base 62, which has been melted by the heat of the annular member 66 heated in the heating process, solidifies in a state in which it has entered inside the uneven portion 86 provided on the outer periphery of the annular member 66. As a result, a female connector 14 can be obtained in which the female terminal support base 62 and the annular member 66 are firmly integrated due to the anchor effect.

The heating process and the pressing process may be performed after joining the female terminal 30, etc. to the female terminal support base 62, or may be performed before joining.

Here, as shown in FIG. 8, a comparative male connector 100 will be described. The male connector 100 has a pin member 102 and a male terminal support base 104 instead of the pin member 36 and the male terminal support base 34 shown in FIG. 2 and the like. In the male connector 100, the pin member 102 and the male terminal support base 104 are integrated by injection molding, so the pin member 102 is provided through the male terminal support base 104. In addition, in the male connector 100, in order to suppress the positional deviation of the pin member 102 with respect to the injection molding mold (not shown), it is necessary to provide an engagement portion 106 that engages with the mold on the lower end side (base end side) of the pin member 102 exposed from the male terminal support base 104.

On the other hand, in the male connector 10 according to the present embodiment, the base end 48 of the pin member 36 is pressed into the press-in hole 44 of the male terminal support base 34 so as not to penetrate the male terminal support base 34, and the pin member 36 and the male terminal support base 34 are integrated. Therefore, unlike the male connector 100 of the comparative example, there is no need to provide an engagement portion 106 or the like on the pin member 36, and as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the male connector 10 in the extension direction of the pin member 36 and an increase in the amount of metal material used for the pin member 36. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the male connector 10.

8, the female connector 110 of the comparative example has a reinforcing member 112 and a female terminal support base 114 instead of the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62 shown in FIG. 2, etc. In the female connector 110, the reinforcing member 112 and the female terminal support base 114 are integrated by injection molding, so the reinforcing member 112 is provided through the female terminal support base 114. In addition, in the female connector 110, in order to suppress misalignment of the reinforcing member 112 with respect to the injection molding die (not shown), it is necessary to provide an engagement portion 116 that engages with the die on the upper end side of the reinforcing member 112 exposed from the female terminal support base 114.

On the other hand, in the female connector 14 according to the present embodiment, the ring-shaped member 66 reinforcing the guide hole 64 is press-fitted only into the entrance side of the guide hole 64 of the female terminal support base 62 so as not to penetrate the female terminal support base 62. Therefore, unlike the female connector 110 of the comparative example, for example, there is no need to provide an engagement portion 116, and as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the female connector 14 in the extension direction of the guide hole 64 and an increase in the amount of metal material used for the ring-shaped member 66. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the female connector 14.

As described above, the connector structure 20 of this embodiment, which has a male connector 10 and a female connector 14, each of which can be made smaller, lighter, and less expensive, can also effectively reduce the size, weight, and cost of the entire connector structure 20.

In the manufacturing method of the male connector 10 according to the present embodiment, the heated base end 48 is pressed into the press-in hole 44 formed in the male terminal support base 34 without penetrating the male terminal support base 34. In this case, the pin member 36 and the male terminal support base 34 can be integrated with high precision by a simple pressurized press-in equipment to obtain the male connector 10. Therefore, unlike the case where the pin member 36 and the male terminal support base 34 are integrated by injection molding, for example, it is possible to eliminate the need for complex manufacturing equipment (not shown) such as a mold having a configuration for engaging with the engagement portion 106 (FIG. 8) of the pin member 102 in the cavity. This makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the male connector 10. In addition, since the pin member 36 does not penetrate the male terminal support base 34 and there is no need to provide an engagement portion (FIG. 8) on the pin member 36, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the male connector 10 in the extension direction of the pin member 36 and an increase in the amount of metal material used for the pin member 36. As a result, the male connector 10 can be made smaller, lighter, and less expensive.

In the manufacturing method of the female connector 14 according to the present embodiment, the heated annular member 66 is pressed into the guide hole 64 formed in the female terminal support base 62 without penetrating the female terminal support base 62. In this case, the female connector 14 can be obtained by integrating the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62 with high accuracy using a simple pressurized press-in equipment. Therefore, unlike the case where the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62 are integrated by injection molding, for example, it is possible to eliminate the need for complex equipment (not shown) such as a mold having a configuration for engaging with the engagement portion 116 (FIG. 8) of the reinforcing member 112 in the cavity. In addition, since the annular member 66 does not penetrate the female terminal support base 62 and there is no need to provide an engagement portion (FIG. 8) on the annular member 66, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the female connector 14 in the extension direction of the guide hole 64 and an increase in the amount of metal material used for the reinforcing member 112. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the female connector 14.

In the male connector 10 according to the above embodiment, an uneven portion 52 is provided on the outer periphery of the base end 48.

In addition, in the manufacturing method of the male connector 10 according to the above embodiment, an uneven portion 52 is provided on the outer periphery of the base end 48, and a heating process is performed to heat the base end 48 prior to the press-fitting process. In the press-fitting process, the male terminal support base 34 made of thermoplastic resin is melted by the heat of the base end 48 heated in the heating process and solidifies while entering the uneven portion 52, thereby integrating the pin member 36 and the male terminal support base 34.

In these cases, the bonding strength between the base end 48 of the pin member 36 and the press-fit hole 44 of the male terminal support base 34 can be increased, thereby improving the durability of the male connector 10.

In the female connector 14 according to the above embodiment, an uneven portion 86 is provided on the outer periphery of the annular member 66.

In addition, in the manufacturing method of the female connector 14 according to the above embodiment, an uneven portion 86 is provided on the outer periphery of the annular member 66, and a heating process is performed to heat the annular member 66 prior to the press-fitting process. In the press-fitting process, the female terminal support base 62 made of thermoplastic resin is melted by the heat of the annular member 66 heated in the heating process and solidifies while entering the uneven portion 86, thereby integrating the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62.

In these cases, the bonding strength between the annular member 66 and the guide hole 64 of the female terminal support base 62 can be increased, thereby improving the durability of the female connector 14.

In the male connector 10 according to the above embodiment, the press-in hole 44 has a bottom. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1B, the opening at the upper end side (arrow Y1 side) of the press-in hole 44 is blocked by the base end 48 of the pin member 36, and the lower end side (arrow Y2 side) of the press-in hole 44 is blocked by the bottom of the press-in hole 44. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as water and dust from entering the press-in hole 44. However, the press-in hole 44 may be a through hole without a bottom.

In the female connector 14 according to the above embodiment, the guide hole 64 is a bottomed hole. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1A, the upper end side (arrow Y1 side) of the guide hole 64 is blocked by the bottom of the guide hole 64, so that foreign matter such as water and dust can be prevented from entering the guide hole 64. However, the guide hole 64 may be a through hole without a bottom.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For example, in the manufacturing method of the male connector 10 according to the above embodiment, the heating step is performed before the press-in step, but the press-in step may be performed without the heating step. In this case, the pin member 36 and the male terminal support base 34 can be integrated with high precision using a simpler press-in equipment to obtain the male connector 10. Note that, for example, when the heating step is not performed, the uneven portion 52 does not need to be provided on the outer periphery of the base end 48. Also, when the heating step is not performed, the material of the male terminal support base 34 is not limited to thermoplastic resin, and various resins such as thermosetting resins can be used.

In the press-in process of the manufacturing method of the male connector 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention, the base end 48 may be pressed into the press-in hole 44 while at least one of the thermoplastic resin male terminal support base 34 and the pin member 36 is vibrating, thereby integrating the pin member 36 and the male terminal support base 34. In other words, for example, the base end 48 may be pressed into the press-in hole 44 without penetrating the male terminal support base 34 while at least one of the male terminal support base 34 and the pin member 36 is ultrasonically vibrated using an ultrasonic press-in device (not shown).

Even in this case, the pin member 36 and the male terminal support base 34 can be integrated with high precision using simple equipment to obtain the male connector 10. Therefore, as in the above embodiment, it is possible to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the male connector 10.

In addition, as described above, when the press-in process is performed by vibrating at least one of the male terminal support base 34 and the pin member 36, the outer periphery of the base end 48 may or may not have an uneven portion 52. If the uneven portion 52 is provided, the male terminal support base 34 melted by frictional heat caused by vibration or the like enters the inside of the uneven portion 52 of the base end 48 and solidifies, so that the male terminal support base 34 and the pin member 36 can be integrated more firmly. In addition, when the press-in process is performed by vibrating at least one of the male terminal support base 34 and the pin member 36, it is not necessary to perform a heating process before the press-in process, but a heating process may be performed.

In the manufacturing method of the female connector 14 according to the above embodiment, the heating step is performed before the press-in step, but the press-in step may be performed without the heating step. In this case, the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62 can be integrated with high precision using simpler press-in equipment to obtain the female connector 14. Note that, for example, when the heating step is not performed, the outer periphery of the annular member 66 does not need to have the uneven portion 86. Also, when the heating step is not performed, the material of the female terminal support base 62 is not limited to thermoplastic resin, and various resins such as thermosetting resins can be used.

In the press-fitting step in the manufacturing method of the female connector 14 according to another embodiment of the present invention, the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62 may be integrated by pressing the annular member 66 into the guide hole 64 while at least one of the thermoplastic resin female terminal support base 62 and the annular member 66 is vibrated. In other words, for example, the annular member 66 may be pressed into the guide hole 64 without penetrating the female terminal support base 62 while at least one of the female terminal support base 62 and the annular member 66 is ultrasonically vibrated using an ultrasonic press-fitting device (not shown).

Even in this case, the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62 can be integrated with high precision using simple equipment to obtain the female connector 14. Therefore, as in the above embodiment, it is possible to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the female connector 14.

In addition, when the press-in process is performed by vibrating at least one of the female terminal support base 62 and the annular member 66 as described above, the outer periphery of the annular member 66 may or may not have an uneven portion 86. If the uneven portion 86 is provided, the female terminal support base 62 melted by frictional heat caused by vibration or the like enters the inside of the uneven portion 86 of the annular member 66 and solidifies, so that the annular member 66 and the female terminal support base 62 can be integrated more firmly. In addition, when the press-in process is performed by vibrating at least one of the female terminal support base 62 and the annular member 66, the heating process described above does not need to be performed before the press-in process, but a heating process may be performed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 male connector 14 female connector 20 connector structure 30 female terminal 32 male terminal 34 male terminal support base 36 pin member 44 press-fit hole 46 guide pin portion 48 base end 52, 86 uneven portion 62 female terminal support base 64 guide hole 66 annular member

Claims (7)

A male connector (10) to be connected to a female connector (14) provided with a female terminal (30),
A plurality of male terminals (32) that are inserted into the female terminals and connected to the female terminals;
A male terminal support base (34) made of a thermoplastic resin for supporting the plurality of male terminals;
A metallic pin member (36) fixed to the male terminal support base;
Equipped with
The pin member has a guide pin portion (46) protruding from the male terminal support base so as to be insertable into the guide hole (64) of the female connector, and a base end portion (48) provided on the opposite side of the guide pin portion in the extending direction of the pin member,
The male terminal support base is formed with a press-fit hole (44) into which the base end of the pin member is press-fitted,
The axial length of the base end is shorter than the thickness of the male terminal support base in the axial direction,
The outer periphery of the base end is provided with an uneven portion (52),
A part of the male terminal support base is inserted into the groove portion (54) of the uneven portion,
A male connector , wherein the portion of the male terminal support base that has entered the groove is a molten portion of the male terminal support base that has solidified while still in the groove . 2. The male connector according to claim 1,
The male connector, wherein the press-fit hole is a blind hole. A female connector (14) to be connected to a male connector (10) provided with a male terminal (32),
A plurality of female terminals (30) into which the male terminals are inserted and connected;
A female terminal support base (62) made of a thermoplastic resin for supporting the plurality of female terminals;
Equipped with
The female terminal support base is formed with a guide hole (64) into which the guide pin portion (46) of the male connector is inserted,
A metal annular member (66) through which the guide pin portion is inserted is press-fitted into the guide hole on the inlet side through which the guide pin portion is inserted,
The axial length of the annular member is shorter than the axial length of the guide hole,
The outer periphery of the annular member is provided with an uneven portion (86),
A part of the female terminal support base is inserted into the groove portion (88) of the uneven portion,
A female connector , wherein the portion of the female terminal support base that has entered the groove portion is a molten portion of the female terminal support base that has solidified while still in the groove portion . 4. The female connector according to claim 3,
The guide hole is a bottomed hole of a female connector. A connector structure (20) comprising a male connector as described in claim 1 or 2 and a female connector as described in claim 3 or 4. A method for manufacturing a male connector (10) comprising a resin male terminal support base (34) supporting a plurality of male terminals (32) and a metal pin member (36) provided with a guide pin portion (46) protruding from the male terminal support base, comprising:
a press-fitting hole (44) is formed in the male terminal support base, and a base end (48) having an axial length shorter than a thickness of the male terminal support base in the axial direction is provided on the opposite side of the guide pin portion in the extending direction of the pin member, and a press-fitting step is provided in which the base end is press-fitted into the press-fitting hole,
The outer periphery of the base end is provided with an uneven portion (52),
a heating step of heating the base end portion before the press-fitting step,
This is a method for manufacturing a male connector, in which, in the pressing process, the male terminal support base made of thermoplastic resin, which is melted by the heat of the base end heated in the heating process, solidifies while entering the interior of the uneven portion, thereby integrating the pin member and the male terminal support base. A method for manufacturing a female connector (14) comprising: a resin female terminal support base (62) for supporting a plurality of female terminals (30) into which male terminals (32) provided on a male connector (10) are inserted, the female terminal support base (62) having a guide hole (64) into which a guide pin portion (46) of the male connector is inserted; and an annular member (66) provided on the entrance side of the guide hole into which the guide pin portion is inserted and through which the guide pin portion is inserted,
a press-fitting step of press-fitting the annular member, the annular member having an axial length shorter than that of the guide hole, into the guide hole;
having
The outer periphery of the annular member is provided with an uneven portion (86),
a heating step of heating the annular member before the press-fitting step,
In the pressing process, the female terminal support base made of thermoplastic resin melted by the heat of the annular member heated in the heating process enters the interior of the uneven portion and solidifies, thereby integrating the annular member and the female terminal support base.

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