JP7633105B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector having a shutter mechanism.

Conventionally, wire harnesses (electric wires) that electrically connect various electrical components mounted on automobiles and the like are connected by connectors. Such connectors are usually composed of male and female connectors. For example, in the case of a connector structure applied to an optional specification, one connector connected to the end of a pre-installed electric wire is known to have a shutter mechanism at the front opening of the housing for the purpose of dust prevention, terminal protection, and prevention of electric shock to the surroundings until the other connector is mated. In particular, in electric automobiles and the like, a connector (inlet) with a shutter mechanism is used to prevent electric shock accidents, etc., and prevents the exposure of the terminals at the front opening when the connector is not connected. One example of such a configuration is the connector with a shutter mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1.

This connector with a shutter mechanism is configured so that one connector has a shutter on the front that rotates outward when an external force is applied, and the other connector has a tip that presses against the front of the shutter of one connector when the connectors are mated, causing the shutter to rotate.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-138785

In the connector with a shutter mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the connectors are mated, the tip of the mating connector (mating hood portion) presses the front portion of the shutter, causing the shutter to rotate outward (forward) around the pin and open. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid interference when the connectors are mated by setting the stroke (connector size) of the mating connector in consideration of the rotation trajectory of the shutter opening. As a result, the mating hood portion of the mating connector becomes longer by the amount of space required for opening and closing the shutter, resulting in a larger connector size.

The shutter is constantly biased toward the inside of the housing by a coil spring, and is configured to close the front opening of the housing when the connector is not connected. The coil spring that constantly biases the shutter in the closing direction is, for example, a torsion coil spring wound around a pin that supports the shutter. As a result, the coil spring is located near the front opening of the housing and is susceptible to the effects of dust, water, etc. For this reason, conventional connectors with shutter mechanisms are prone to a high risk of spring malfunction.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to guarantee the spring function of a connector with a shutter mechanism and to provide a compact connector.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration.
(1) A connector comprising: a housing for accommodating connection terminals; an outer case for accommodating and holding the housing; a movable case having first cam grooves formed through side walls of the movable case corresponding to both side walls of the outer case and arranged to be freely movable within the outer case in a connector mating direction; a shutter having a shutter front wall covering a front opening of the housing into which a mating connector is mated, shutter side walls provided at both ends of the shutter front wall, and a shutter boss protruding from an outer surface of the shutter side wall and engaging with the first cam groove; and a spring for elastically biasing the movable case towards the mating connector, wherein the first cam groove engages with the shutter boss to rotate the shutter in the opening and closing direction around the shutter boss in conjunction with the movement of the movable case.

According to the connector of the above configuration (1), the tip of the mating connector rotates the shutter in the opening and closing direction via a movable case that is arranged inside the outer case and is free to move in the connector mating direction. Therefore, with a connector of this configuration, it is no longer necessary to lengthen the mating hood portion of the mating connector in consideration of the opening and closing trajectory of the shutter, as is the case with conventional connectors with a shutter mechanism.

(2) The connector described in (1) above, characterized in that it is provided with a third cam groove provided on both side walls of the outer case, which engages with the shutter boss to move the shutter relative to the outer case in the connector mating direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable case, a movable case boss protruding from the inner surface of the movable case side wall of the movable case, and a second cam groove formed on the shutter side wall of the shutter, which engages with the movable case boss to support the rotational movement of the shutter moving in the connector mating direction.

According to the connector of the configuration (2) above, when the mating connector is mated, the movable case boss engages with the second cam groove, supporting the shutter's rotational movement, and the shutter can move to the rear of the outer case together with the movable case while rotating smoothly in the opening direction. This makes it easier to prevent the shutter from interfering with the mating connector, allowing for greater design freedom.

(3) The connector according to (2) above, characterized in that the third cam groove is provided with a third displacement cam portion that moves the shutter via the shutter boss engaged with the third cam groove so that the shutter front wall is displaced toward the shutter boss while the shutter rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position.

According to the connector having the configuration of (3) above, when the shutter is opened, the front wall of the shutter, which is the rotation tip (free end), is displaced toward the shutter boss, which is the center of rotation, by the third displacement cam portion of the third cam groove. Therefore, when the shutter is opened, the front wall of the shutter does not protrude outward from the outer case, and the connector can be made compact when the shutter is open.

(4) The connector according to (3) above, characterized in that the first cam groove is provided with a first displacement cam portion that extends in a direction intersecting with the third displacement cam portion in a side view and cooperates with the third displacement cam portion to displace the shutter boss toward the mating connector along the connector fitting direction immediately before the shutter rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position.

According to the connector having the configuration of (4) above, immediately before the shutter rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position, the first displacement cam portion of the first cam groove extending in a direction intersecting with the third displacement cam portion in a side view displaces the shutter front wall toward the mating connector via the shutter boss in the connector fitting direction. Thus, the shutter can be configured so that the shutter covers the front opening with the front wall abutting against the opening edge of the front opening in the shutter closed position.
That is, just before the shutter rotates from the state in which the front wall of the shutter abuts against the edge of the front opening to the shutter open position, the front wall of the shutter is displaced toward the mating connector and moves away from the edge of the front opening. Therefore, the front wall of the shutter rotating to the shutter open position is not rubbed against the edge of the front opening.
As a result, the front wall of the shutter, which covers the front opening while abutting against the opening edge, can reliably prevent dust, water, etc. from entering the front opening of the housing.

(5) The connector described in (4) above, characterized in that the second cam groove is provided with a second displacement cam portion that supports the displacement of the shutter toward the mating connector along the connector fitting direction immediately before the shutter rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position.

According to the connector having the configuration of (5) above, the shutter displaces toward the mating connector along the connector mating direction immediately before rotating from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position, and the displacement action is supported by the movable case boss engaging with the second displacement cam portion of the second cam groove. Thus, the shutter displaces toward the mating connector along the connector mating direction while maintaining a posture parallel to the connector mating direction, and it is possible to prevent the front wall of the shutter from hitting the edge of the front opening (a part of the opening edge coming into strong contact).

(6) The shutter front wall includes an elastic packing that abuts against an opening edge of the front opening.
The connector according to (4) or (5) above, characterized in that

According to the connector having the above configuration (6), the elastic packing provided on the front wall of the shutter can elastically contact the opening edge of the front opening. Therefore, the elastic packing that abuts against the opening edge and covers the front opening can more reliably prevent the intrusion of dust, water, etc. into the front opening of the housing.

(7) The connector according to any one of (1) to (6) above, characterized in that the spring is interposed between the movable case and the rear wall of the housing.

According to the connector of the above configuration (7), the spring that elastically biases the movable case toward the mating connector is located on the rear wall side of the housing contained and held in the outer case, and is away from the opening of the outer case (the mating opening of the housing). Therefore, the spring located inside the outer case away from the opening is less susceptible to the effects of dust, water, etc., making it easier to guarantee the spring function of the connector with a shutter mechanism.

(8) A connector according to any one of (1) to (7) above, characterized in that an abutment portion that is pressed against the tip of the mating connector when the connectors are mated is provided at the front end of the intersection of the movable case side wall and the movable case top wall in the movable case.

According to the connector of the above configuration (8), the tip of the mating connector presses and urges the abutment portion provided at the front end of the intersection between the relatively rigid movable case side wall and the movable case top wall. Therefore, the movable case, which is pressed and urged against the tip of the mating connector when the connectors are mated, is less likely to deform due to the pressing force of the mating connector, and there is no need to make the movable case thicker than necessary.

The present invention ensures the spring function of a connector with a shutter mechanism and provides a compact connector.

The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following description of the embodiment of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the attached drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing an inlet constituting a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and an inlet plug which is a mating connector to be fitted into the inlet; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inlet shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is a perspective view of the rear side of the movable case and the shutter shown in FIG. 2. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a movable case with a shutter attached thereto is separated from an outer case with the top plate shown in FIG. 1 omitted. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a main portion of the inlet shown in FIG. 1 with a part cut away. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the center portion of the inlet shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the inlet and the inlet plug shown in FIG. 1 start to be fitted together; FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the initial mating state of the inlet and inlet plug according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of the essential parts of the inlet with the cover covering the third cam groove omitted, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the inlet. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an intermediate state of engagement between the inlet and the inlet plug according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of the essential parts of the inlet with the cover covering the third cam groove omitted, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the inlet. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the completed mating state of the inlet and inlet plug according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of the main parts of the inlet with the cover covering the third cam groove omitted, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main parts of the inlet. 2A is a front view of the inlet shown in FIG. 1 , in which FIG. 2A shows a closed state in which the front opening of the housing is covered with a shutter, and FIG. 2B shows an open state in which the front opening of the housing is open. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet constituting a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a movable case having a shutter attached thereto is separated from an outer case. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the rear side of the movable case and the shutter shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is an enlarged side view of a main portion of the inlet shown in FIG. 12 with a part cut away. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the center portion of the inlet shown in FIG. 12 . 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the initial mating state of an inlet and an inlet plug according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of a main portion of the inlet with a cover covering a third cam groove omitted, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main portion of the inlet. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the state immediately after the inlet and inlet plug according to the second embodiment of the present invention are fitted together, in which (a) is a side view of the main parts of the inlet with the cover covering the third cam groove omitted, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main parts of the inlet. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an intermediate state of mating between an inlet and an inlet plug according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of a main portion of the inlet with a cover covering a third cam groove omitted, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main portion of the inlet. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an intermediate state of mating between an inlet and an inlet plug according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of a main portion of the inlet with a cover covering a third cam groove omitted, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main portion of the inlet. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the completed mating state of the inlet and inlet plug according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side view of the main parts of the inlet with the cover covering the third cam groove omitted, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main parts of the inlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an inlet 1 constituting a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and an inlet plug 5 which is a mating connector mated with the inlet 1. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inlet 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rear side of a movable case 31 and a shutter 41 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the movable case 31 with the shutter 41 attached separated from the outer case 51 shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inlet 1, which is a connector according to this first embodiment, comprises a housing 21 that accommodates a connection terminal 70, an outer case 51 that houses and holds the housing 21, a movable case 31 that is arranged within the outer case 51 so as to be freely movable in the connector mating direction, a shutter 41 that covers the front opening 25 of the housing 21 into which the plug housing 81 of the inlet plug (mating connector) 5 is mated, and a spring 30 that elastically biases the movable case 31 toward the inlet plug 5 (see Figures 6 and 7).
In this specification, the front-to-rear direction refers to the direction along the connector fitting direction of the housing 21 (left-to-right direction in Figure 7), with the side where the plug housing 81 of the inlet plug 5 is fitted being defined as the front, the up-down direction refers to the direction in which the shutter 41 opens and closes perpendicular to the connector fitting direction of the housing 21 (up-down direction in Figure 7), with the top plate 50 side of the outer case 51 being defined as the top.

The housing 21 is made of electrically insulating synthetic resin and has a front wall 26 provided with a pair of terminal accommodating cylindrical portions 23, 23 which protrude toward the inlet plug 5 side.
A connection terminal 70 connected to an end portion of a high-voltage cable 71 is accommodated within the terminal accommodating cylindrical portion 23. A front opening 25 into which a connection terminal 90 of an inlet plug 5 is inserted is formed at the front end of the terminal accommodating cylindrical portion 23. The high-voltage cable 71 connected to the connection terminal 70 is pulled out from the rear end opening of the terminal accommodating cylindrical portion 23.

The connection terminal 70 is a female terminal made of a conductive metal material and formed into a cylindrical rod shape. A joint hole 72 is formed at the rear end of the connection terminal 70, and a conductor 73 of a high-voltage cable 71 drawn out from the rear end opening of the terminal housing tube portion 23 is inserted into the joint hole 72 and crimped (see FIG. 7).
A seal member 75 is attached to the high voltage cable 71 drawn out from the rear end opening of the terminal accommodating tubular portion 23, and is liquid-tightly sealed to the terminal accommodating tubular portion 23. The seal member 75 is prevented from coming off by a rear holder 77 attached to the rear end of the terminal accommodating tubular portion 23.

2, a semi-cylindrical spring housing 29 is provided in the center of the housing 21 to house the spring 30, which is a compression coil spring, along the connector fitting direction. The spring 30 housed in the spring housing 29 is interposed between a spring receiving portion 34 of the movable case 31 (described later) and a spring support portion 27 provided on the rear wall of the housing 21, thereby elastically biasing the movable case 31 toward the inlet plug 5.

2, the outer case 51 is a flat case made up of a first case 52, a second case 53, and a top plate 50. An opening 3 is defined in the front of the outer case 51, into which the tip of the inlet plug 5 is inserted.
The first housing 52 is integrally formed with a rectangular bottom wall 56, a side wall 54 erected on one side edge of the bottom wall 56, and a rear wall 57 connected to the rear edges of the bottom wall 56 and the side wall 54.
The second housing 53 has a side wall 55 opposing the side wall 54 and a rear wall 58 connected to the rear edge of the side wall 55, which are integrally formed.

A third cam groove 60 for guiding a shutter boss 47 of the shutter 41 (described later) is formed through the side walls 54 and 55, which are both side walls of the outer case 51, in the connector fitting direction. The third cam groove 60 has a reference portion 61 located at the heightwise middle portion of the side walls 54 and 55 of the outer case 51 at the inlet plug 5 side end, a third displacement cam portion 63 extending obliquely upward from the reference portion 61 toward the rear of the side walls 54 and 55 (diagonally upward to the right in FIG. 8A), and a parallel portion 65 extending parallel to the connector fitting direction from the third displacement cam portion 63 toward the rear of the side walls 54 and 55.

The inlet 1 of the first embodiment is configured to be in the shutter open position by rotating the shutter front wall 43 of the shutter 41 toward the bottom wall 56 of the outer case 51. Therefore, the third displacement cam portion 63 of the third cam groove 60 is configured to extend obliquely upward from the reference portion 61 toward the rear of the side walls 54 and 55. In contrast, when the shutter front wall 43 is configured to be in the shutter open position by rotating it toward the top plate 50 of the outer case 51, the third displacement cam portion 63 of the third cam groove 60 is configured to extend obliquely downward from the reference portion 61 toward the rear of the side walls 54 and 55.

In addition, guide grooves 59 extending in the connector fitting direction are recessed in the inner surfaces of side walls 54 and 55 to face each other and serve to guide guide ribs 36 of movable case 31 (described later) in sliding motion. A high-voltage cable 71 drawn out from housing 21 is led out from openings formed in rear walls 57 and 58, which form the rear walls of outer case 51.

The top plate 50 has a visor portion 15 extending in front of an upper wall portion 13 that defines a housing storage space together with a first housing 52 and a second housing 53 .
A pair of cover portions 17, 17 are vertically disposed on the underside of both sides of the upper wall portion 13 for respectively covering third cam grooves 60 formed through both side walls of the outer case 51. Also, a guide rib 19 is provided on the underside of the central portion of the eaves portion 15, extending in the connector fitting direction for guiding the fitting of the plug housing 81 of the inlet plug 5 into the housing 21 accommodated in the outer case 51.

2 and 3, the movable case 31 is a frame body with a U-shaped cross section, which has a rectangular movable case top wall 33 and a pair of movable case side walls 35, 35 suspended downward from both side edges of the movable case top wall 33. The rear lower ends of the pair of movable case side walls 35, 35 are connected by a connecting portion 32 to prevent them from falling inward.
A spring receiving portion 34 in the form of a protrusion that protrudes downward is formed in the center of the rear end of the upper wall 33 of the movable case.

A first cam groove 37 is formed through each of the movable case side walls 35, 35, which correspond to the side walls 54 and 55 on both sides of the outer case 51. The first cam groove 37 is formed by a notched opening that extends diagonally upward from the rear end of the movable case side wall 35 toward the front, and has a boss insertion portion 37a formed by a horizontal portion that extends forward from the rear, and a first rotating cam portion 37b formed by a curved portion that continues to the front end of the boss insertion portion 37a.

A guide rib 36 extending along the connector fitting direction is provided on the outer surface of the movable case side wall 35, and a movable case boss 38 is provided on the inner surface of the movable case side wall 35. The movable case boss 38 is located below the first rotating cam portion 37b in the first cam groove 37.
Further, at the front end of the intersection between the movable case side walls 35 , 35 and the movable case top wall 33 of the movable case 31 , there are provided contact portions 39 which are pressed and biased by the pressing portion 87 at the tip end of the inlet plug 5 .

The shutter 41 has a shutter front wall 43, shutter side walls 45, 45 vertically attached to both ends of the shutter front wall 43, and a shutter boss 47 that protrudes from the outer surface of the shutter side wall 45 and engages with the first cam groove 37 of the movable case 31. The shutter boss 47 is located on the extending end side (the side opposite the shutter front wall 43) of the shutter side walls 45, 45 vertically attached to both ends of the shutter front wall 43, and serves as the center of rotation of the shutter front wall 43 that rotates in the opening and closing direction.
The flat shutter front wall 43 covers the front openings 25 of a pair of terminal accommodating tube portions 23, 23 protruding from the front wall 26 of the housing 21 contained within the outer case 51, thereby preventing the connection terminal 70 from being exposed at the front opening 25 when the inlet 1 is not connected.

In the shutter side walls 45 , second cam grooves 48 that engage with the movable case bosses 38 of the movable case 31 are formed linearly along a direction perpendicular to the shutter front wall 43 .
Thus, the shutter 41 is attached to the movable case 31 with the shutter boss 47 engaged with the corresponding first cam groove 37 and the second cam groove 48 engaged with the corresponding movable case boss 38 .

Next, an assembly procedure for the above-mentioned inlet 1 will be described.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of the inlet 1 shown in Fig. 1, with a part cut away. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the central part of the inlet shown in Fig. 1.
First, the housing 21 containing the connection terminal 70 is placed at a predetermined position on the bottom wall 56 of the first housing 52, and the movable case 31 equipped with the shutter 41 is placed at a predetermined position on the first housing 52, and then the second housing 53 is fixed to the first housing 52 by the screws 11.

At this time, the pair of guide ribs 36, 36 of the movable case 31 are engaged with the corresponding guide grooves 59 of the outer case 51. The movable case 31 is movable relative to the outer case 51 in the connector fitting direction.
5, the shutter 41 attached to the movable case 31 has a pair of shutter bosses 47, 47 each penetrating the first cam groove 37 engaged with the corresponding third cam groove 60 of the outer case 51. Thus, the shutter 41 is movable relative to the outer case 51 along the connector fitting direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable case 31.

6, when the movable case 31 is placed at a predetermined position in the first housing 52, the spring receiving portion 34 is inserted between the front end of the spring 30 housed in the spring housing portion 29 and the front wall 26 of the housing 21. Thus, the movable case 31 is elastically biased toward the front of the housing 21, which is the inlet plug 5 side.
Finally, the top plate 50 is fixed to the upper parts of the first housing 52 and the second housing 53 by the screws 10, completing the assembly of the inlet 1. The assembled inlet 1 is attached to, for example, the body of an electric vehicle via the top plate 50. Here, the up-down direction of the vehicle body is the up-down direction of the inlet 1 when attached to the vehicle body, but the attachment direction is not limited to this.

Here, the functions of the first cam groove 37 of the movable case 31, the second cam groove 48 of the shutter 41, and the third cam groove 60 of the outer case 51 will be described.
When the inlet 1 and the inlet plug 5 are not fitted together, as shown in Fig. 5, the movable case 31 is positioned on the inlet plug 5 side (left side in Fig. 5) relative to the outer case 51 due to the elastic biasing force of the spring 30. At this time, the shutter boss 47 is positioned in the boss insertion portion 37a of the first cam groove 37, and its tip portion is positioned in the reference portion 61 of the third cam groove 60. Therefore, the shutter 41, whose second cam groove 48 is engaged with the movable case boss 38, is in the shutter closed position (see Fig. 11(a)) in which the shutter front wall 43 covers the front opening 25 of the housing 21.

When the movable case 31 moves against the elastic force of the spring 30 to the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51 (right side in FIG. 5), the shutter boss 47 reaches the first rotating cam portion 37b of the first cam groove 37. Then, the second cam groove 48 engages (follows) with the movable case boss 38, and the shutter 41, whose rotation is supported when it moves along the connector fitting direction, rotates the shutter front wall 43 downward around the shutter boss 47 as the center of rotation to the shutter open position (see FIG. 11(b)). Also, when the movable case 31 moves to the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51 (right side in FIG. 5), the shutter boss 47 reaches the third displacement cam portion 63 of the third cam groove 60. Then, the shutter 41 rotated to the shutter open position has the shutter front wall 43, which is the rotation tip (free end), displaced toward the shutter boss 47, which is the center of rotation (upper side in FIG. 5). The movable case 31 moves further toward the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51, and the shutter boss 47 reaches the parallel portion 65 of the third cam groove 60. Then, the shutter 41 moves in parallel toward the rear of the outer case 51 while rotated to the shutter open position.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the inlet 1 and inlet plug 5 shown in FIG. 1 at the beginning of mating.
The inlet plug 5, which is fitted into and electrically connected to the inlet 1, includes a connection terminal 90 that fits into the connection terminal 70 of the inlet 1, and a plug housing 81 having a pair of terminal accommodating chambers 83, 83 that accommodate the connection terminal 90, as shown in Figures 1 and 7.
The plug housing 81 is molded from an electrically insulating synthetic resin. On both sides of the tip of the plug housing 81, pressing portions 87, 87 that can be pressed against the abutment portions 39, 39 of the movable case 31 are provided. A fitting guide groove 85 is formed on the upper surface of the plug housing 81. The fitting guide groove 85 has a tapered portion whose width increases toward the inlet 1. When the inlet plug 5 is fitted into the inlet 1, this fitting guide groove 85 engages with a guide rib 19 provided on the top plate 50 of the inlet 1, thereby guiding the plug housing 81 into the housing 21.

A connection terminal 90 connected to the end of a high-voltage cable 91 is housed in the terminal housing 83. The high-voltage cable 91 connected to the connection terminal 90 is pulled out from the rear end opening of the terminal housing 83.

The connection terminal 90 is a male terminal made of a conductive metal material and formed into a cylindrical rod shape. A joint hole 92 is formed at the rear end of the connection terminal 90, and a conductor 93 of a high-voltage cable 91 drawn out from the rear end opening of the terminal accommodating chamber 83 is inserted into the joint hole 92 and crimped.
A seal member 95 is attached to the high voltage cable 91 drawn out from the rear end opening of the terminal accommodating chamber 83, and liquid-tightly seals the terminal accommodating chamber 83. The seal member 95 is prevented from coming off by a rear holder 97 attached to the rear end of the terminal accommodating chamber 83.

Next, the operation of fitting the inlet 1 and the inlet plug 5 will be described.
Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the initial state of mating of the inlet 1 and the inlet plug 5, and Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining the intermediate and completed states of mating of the inlet 1 and the inlet plug 5. Fig. 11 is a front view of the inlet 1 shown in Fig. 1, where (a) shows a closed state in which the front opening 25 of the housing 21 is covered by the shutter 41, and (b) shows an open state in which the front opening 25 of the housing 21 is open.

7 and 8, when the inlet 1 and the inlet plug 5 are not mated, the movable case 31 is located on the inlet plug 5 side (left side in FIG. 8) with respect to the outer case 51. At this time, the shutter boss 47 is located in the boss insertion portion 37a of the first cam groove 37, and its tip portion is located in the reference portion 61 of the third cam groove 60. Then, the shutter 41, whose second cam groove 48 is engaged with the movable case boss 38, is in the shutter closed position in which the shutter front wall 43 covers the front opening 25 of the housing 21, as shown in FIG. 11(a).
Therefore, the connection terminal 70 of the inlet 1 is not exposed because the shutter 41 is closed, thereby preventing dust from entering the inlet 1, protecting the terminals, and preventing electric shock.

From this state, the inlet plug 5 starts to be inserted and fitted into the inlet 1. First, from the state shown in Fig. 8, the inlet plug 5 is moved toward the inlet 1, and insertion and fitting of the plug housing 81 into the outer case 51 starts.
At this time, as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the pressing portion 87 at the tip of the plug housing 81 of the inlet plug 5 abuts against the abutment portion 39 at the tip of the movable case 31, and presses the abutment portion 39 against the elastic force of the spring 30.

When the movable case 31 moves rearward relative to the outer case 51 on the opposite side to the inlet plug 5 (right side in FIG. 9), the shutter boss 47 reaches the first rotating cam portion 37b of the first cam groove 37. Then, the second cam groove 48 engages (follows) the movable case boss 38, and the shutter 41, whose rotation is supported as it moves along the connector fitting direction, rotates the shutter front wall 43 downward with the shutter boss 47 as the center of rotation.

From this state, when the inlet plug 5 is further inserted deeper toward the rear of the inlet 1, the shutter 41 is rotated to the shutter open position where the shutter front wall 43 is parallel to the bottom wall 56 of the outer case 51, as shown in Figures 10(a), 10(b) and 11(b). Then, when the shutter boss 47 reaches the parallel portion 65 of the third cam groove 60, the shutter 41 moves in parallel to the rear of the outer case 51 while being rotated to the shutter open position.
The connection terminal 90 of the inlet plug 5 is fitted into and connected to the connection terminal 70 of the inlet 1, whereby the high voltage cable 71 and the high voltage cable 91 are electrically connected.
Therefore, the inlet 1 and the inlet plug 5 are fitted together and electrically connected by butting the tip of the movable case 31 against the tip of the plug housing 81 .

As described above, with the inlet 1 according to the first embodiment, the tip of the inlet plug 5 rotates the shutter 41 in the opening and closing direction via the movable case 31 that is arranged to be freely movable in the connector fitting direction within the outer case 51. Therefore, with the inlet 1 according to the first embodiment, it is no longer necessary to lengthen the fitting hood portion of the inlet plug in consideration of the opening and closing trajectory of the shutter, as is the case with conventional connectors with a shutter mechanism.

The inlet 1 according to the first embodiment also includes a third cam groove 60 provided on both side walls of the outer case 51 and engaging with the shutter boss 47 to move the shutter 41 relative to the outer case 51 in the connector mating direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable case 31, a movable case boss 38 protruding from the inner surface of the movable case side walls 35, 35, and a second cam groove 48 formed on the shutter side walls 45, 45 and engaging with the movable case boss 38 to support the rotational movement of the shutter 41 moving in the connector mating direction.

Therefore, according to the inlet 1 of the first embodiment, when the inlet plug 5 is fitted, the shutter 41, whose rotation is supported by the movable case boss 38 engaging with the second cam groove 48, can move to the rear of the outer case 51 together with the movable case 31 while rotating smoothly in the opening direction. Therefore, it is easier to prevent the shutter 41 from interfering with the inlet plug 5, and the degree of freedom in design can be increased.

The third cam groove 60 of the inlet 1 according to the first embodiment is provided with a third displacement cam portion 63 that moves the shutter 41 via the shutter boss 47 engaged (driven) with the third cam groove 60 so that the shutter front wall 43 is displaced toward the shutter boss 47 while the shutter 41 rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position.

Therefore, according to the inlet 1 of the first embodiment, when the shutter is opened, the third displacement cam portion 63 of the third cam groove displaces the shutter front wall 43, which is the rotation tip (free end), toward the shutter boss 47, which is the center of rotation (upward). Therefore, when the shutter is opened, the shutter front wall 43 does not protrude downward (outward) from the outer case 51, and the inlet 1 can be made compact when the shutter is open.

Moreover, the spring 30 in the inlet 1 according to the first embodiment is interposed between the spring receiving portion 34 provided at the rear end of the movable case 31 and the spring support portion 27 provided on the rear wall of the housing 21 .
Therefore, according to the inlet 1 of the first embodiment, the spring 30 that elastically biases the movable case 31 toward the inlet plug 5 is disposed on the rear wall side of the housing 21 contained and held in the outer case 51, and is separated from the opening 3 (front opening 25 of the housing 21) of the outer case 51. Thus, the spring 30 disposed inside the outer case 51 and separated from the opening 3 is less susceptible to the effects of dust, water, etc., making it easier to ensure the spring function of the connector with a shutter mechanism.

In addition, in the inlet 1 of this first embodiment, a contact portion 39 that is pressed by a pressing portion 87 at the tip of the inlet plug 5 when the connector is mated is provided at the front end of the intersection between the movable case side walls 35, 35 and the movable case top wall 33 of the movable case 31.
Therefore, according to the inlet 1 of the first embodiment, the pressing portion 87 at the tip of the inlet plug 5 presses and urges the abutment portion 39 provided at the front end of the intersection between the relatively rigid movable case side walls 35, 35 and the movable case top wall 33. Thus, the movable case 31, which is pressed and urged by the tip of the inlet plug 5 when the connector is fitted, is less likely to deform due to the pressing force of the inlet plug 5, and there is no need to make the wall thickness of the movable case 31 thicker than necessary.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the movable case 31A with the shutter 41A attached thereto separated from the outer case 51 in the inlet 1A constituting the connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the rear side of the movable case 31A and the shutter 41A shown in Fig. 12.
The inlet 1A according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the inlet 1 of the above-mentioned first embodiment, except that an outer case 51A, a movable case 31A and a shutter 41A are used instead of the outer case 51, the movable case 31 and the shutter 41 in the inlet 1 of the above-mentioned first embodiment. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used to designate components that are substantially the same as those in the inlet 1 of the above-mentioned first embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12, an outer case 51A of an inlet 1A according to the second embodiment is made up of a first housing 52, a second housing 53, and a top plate 50 (not shown).
A third cam groove 60 for guiding a shutter boss 47 of a shutter 41A (described later) is formed through a side wall 54 and a side wall 55 on both sides of the outer case 51A in the connector fitting direction.

12 and 13, a first cam groove is formed penetrating each of the movable case side walls 35, 35 of the movable case 31A. The first cam groove 37A is formed by an elongated hole that extends and curves in the front-rear direction of the movable case 31A.
The first cam groove 37A has a first displacement cam portion formed by a curved portion and a horizontal portion extending diagonally upward (diagonally upward to the right in FIG. 13) from the middle portion of the first cam groove 37A to the rear side (right side in FIG. 13) and intersecting with the third displacement cam portion 63 in a side view, and a first rotating cam portion 37b formed by a curved portion extending diagonally upward (diagonally upward to the left in FIG. 13) continuous with the front end of the first displacement cam portion.

13, the shutter front wall 43 of the shutter 41A includes an elastic packing 49 that abuts against the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25 of the pair of terminal accommodating cylindrical portions 23, 23. The elastic packing 49 is formed from an elastic member such as a rectangular sheet of sponge or rubber, and is provided integrally with the inner surface of the shutter front wall 43.
That is, the shutter 41A and the pair of terminal accommodating cylindrical portions 23, 23 are configured to cover the front opening 25 with the shutter front wall 43 abutting the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25 when the shutter is in the closed position.

In the shutter side wall 45 , a second cam groove 48 A that engages with the movable case boss 38 of the movable case 31 is formed as an elongated hole that extends and curves along a direction perpendicular to the shutter front wall 43 .
The second cam groove 48A has a second rotating cam portion 48a extending rearward (to the right in Figure 13) from the middle portion of the second cam groove 48A, and a second displacement cam portion 48b extending diagonally downward (diagonally downward to the left in Figure 13) continuous with the front end of the second rotating cam portion 48a.
Thus, the shutter 41A is attached to the movable case 31A with the shutter boss 47 engaged with the corresponding first cam groove 37A and the second cam groove 48A engaged with the corresponding movable case boss 38.

Next, the functions of the first cam groove 37A of the movable case 31A, the second cam groove 48A of the shutter 41A, and the third cam groove 60 of the outer case 51A will be described.
Fig. 14 is an enlarged side view of the inlet 1A shown in Fig. 12, with a part cut away, showing a main part of the inlet 1A. Fig. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the central part of the inlet 1A shown in Fig. 12.

14 and 15, when the inlet 1A and the inlet plug 5 are not fitted together, the movable case 31A is positioned on the inlet plug 5 side (left side in FIG. 15) with respect to the outer case 51A due to the elastic force of the spring 30. At this time, the shutter boss 47 is positioned in the horizontal portion of the first displacement cam portion in the first cam groove 37A, and its tip portion is positioned at the front end portion of the third displacement cam portion 63 in the third cam groove 60.
Therefore, the shutter 41A, in which the second displacement cam portion 48b of the second cam groove 48A is engaged with the movable case boss 38, is in the shutter closed position (see Figure 15) in which the elastic gasket 49 of the shutter front wall 43 abuts against the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25 of the terminal accommodating tube portion 23 to cover the front opening 25 of the housing 21.

When the movable case 31A moves against the elastic force of the spring 30 toward the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51A (the right side in FIG. 15), the shutter boss 47 of the shutter 41A first reaches the curved portion of the first displacement cam portion in the first cam groove 37A. The shutter boss 47 is then squeezed between the third displacement cam portion 63 of the third cam groove 60 and the first displacement cam portion of the first cam groove 37A, and is displaced toward the inlet plug 5 along the connector fitting direction. The second displacement cam portion 48b of the second cam groove 48, which is inclined diagonally downward and forward in accordance with the inclination of the curved portion of the first displacement cam portion, engages (follows) the movable case boss 38. Therefore, the shutter 41A, whose displacement action toward the inlet plug 5 is supported by the movable case 31A, can be displaced diagonally downward and forward along the inclination of the curved portion of the first displacement cam portion while maintaining a posture parallel to the connector fitting direction (a state in which the extension direction of the shutter side walls 45, 45 is maintained parallel to the connector fitting direction).

Furthermore, when the movable case 31A moves toward the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51A, the shutter boss 47 reaches the front end of the first displacement cam portion in the first cam groove 37A, and its tip reaches the reference portion 61 in the third cam groove 60. Then, the second rotating cam portion 48a of the second cam groove 48 engages (follows) the movable case boss 38, supporting the displacement motion of the shutter 41A toward the inlet plug 5, and the shutter 41A is displaced diagonally downward (diagonally downward to the left in FIG. 15) toward the inlet plug 5 along the connector fitting direction.

When the movable case 31A further moves toward the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51A, the shutter boss 47 reaches the first rotating cam portion 37b of the first cam groove 37A. Then, the second cam groove 48 engages (follows) the movable case boss 38, and the shutter 41, whose rotation is supported as it moves along the connector fitting direction, rotates the shutter front wall 43 downward with the shutter boss 47 as the center of rotation, and reaches the shutter open position.

In addition, as the movable case 31 moves to the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51 (right side in FIG. 15), the shutter boss 47 reaches the third displacement cam portion 63 of the third cam groove 60. Then, the shutter 41 rotated to the shutter open position displaces the shutter front wall 43, which is the rotation tip (free end), toward the shutter boss 47, which is the center of rotation (upper side in FIG. 15). The movable case 31A moves further toward the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51A, and the shutter boss 47 reaches the parallel portion 65 of the third cam groove 60. Then, the shutter 41A moves in parallel to the rear of the outer case 51A while rotated to the shutter open position.

Next, the operation of fitting the inlet 1A and the inlet plug 5 will be described.
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the state in which the inlet 1A and inlet plug 5 according to the second embodiment of the present invention begin to be fitted together, FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the state immediately after the inlet 1A and inlet plug 5 are fitted together, FIGS. 18 and 19 are diagrams illustrating the state in the middle of fitting the inlet 1A and inlet plug 5, and FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating the state in which the inlet 1A and inlet plug 5 are fitted together.

As shown in Figure 16, when the inlet 1 and the inlet plug 5 are not mated, the movable case 31A is located on the inlet plug 5 side (left side in Figure 16) relative to the outer case 51A. At this time, the shutter boss 47 is located in the horizontal portion of the first displacement cam portion in the first cam groove 37A, and its tip portion is located at the front end portion of the third displacement cam portion 63 in the third cam groove 60.

Therefore, the shutter 41A, in which the second displacement cam portion 48b of the second cam groove 48A is engaged with the movable case boss 38, is in the shutter closed position (see Figure 15) in which the elastic gasket 49 of the shutter front wall 43 abuts against the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25 of the terminal accommodating tube portion 23 to cover the front opening 25 of the housing 21.
Therefore, the connection terminal 70 of the inlet 1A is not exposed because the shutter 41A is closed, thereby preventing dust, protecting the terminals, and preventing electric shock.

From this state, the inlet plug 5 starts to be inserted and fitted into the inlet 1A. First, from the state shown in Fig. 16, the inlet plug 5 is moved toward the inlet 1A side, and insertion and fitting of the plug housing 81 into the outer case 51A starts.
At this time, as shown in Figures 17(a) and 17(b), the pressing portion 87 at the tip of the plug housing 81 of the inlet plug 5 abuts against the abutment portion 39 at the tip of the movable case 31A, pressing the abutment portion 39 against the elastic force of the spring 30.

When the movable case 31 moves rearward on the opposite side to the inlet plug 5 (right side in FIG. 17 ) relative to the outer case 51, first, the shutter boss 47 reaches the curved portion of the first displacement cam portion in the first cam groove 37A. Then, the shutter boss 47 is compressed between the third displacement cam portion 63 of the third cam groove 60 and the first displacement cam portion of the first cam groove 37A, and is displaced toward the inlet plug 5 along the connector fitting direction. That is, the first displacement cam portion extends in a direction intersecting with the third displacement cam portion 63 of the outer case 51A in a side view, and can displace the shutter boss 47 toward the inlet plug 5 along the connector fitting direction in cooperation with the third displacement cam portion 63 immediately before the shutter 41A rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position.
The shutter 41A, whose displacement motion toward the inlet plug 5 is supported by the second displacement cam portion 48b of the second cam groove 48 engaging (following) with the movable case boss 38, can be displaced while maintaining a posture parallel to the connector fitting direction.

Furthermore, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 18, when the movable case 31A moves toward the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51A, the shutter boss 47 reaches the front end of the first displacement cam portion in the first cam groove 37A, and the tip portion reaches the reference portion 61 in the third cam groove 60. Then, the second rotating cam portion 48a of the second cam groove 48 engages (is driven by) the movable case boss 38, supporting the displacement motion of the shutter 41A toward the inlet plug 5 side, and the shutter 41A is displaced diagonally downward (diagonally downward to the left in FIG. 18) toward the inlet plug 5 side along the connector fitting direction.

Furthermore, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 19, when the movable case 31A moves toward the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51A, the shutter boss 47 reaches the first rotating cam portion 37b of the first cam groove 37A. Then, the second cam groove 48 engages (is driven by) the movable case boss 38, and the shutter 41, whose rotation is supported as it moves along the connector fitting direction, rotates the shutter front wall 43 downward with the shutter boss 47 as the center of rotation, and reaches the shutter open position.

In addition, as the movable case 31A moves to the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51A (right side in FIG. 19), the shutter boss 47 reaches the third displacement cam portion 63 of the third cam groove 60. Then, the shutter 41A rotated to the shutter open position displaces the shutter front wall 43, which is the rotation tip (free end), toward the shutter boss 47, which is the center of rotation (upper side in FIG. 19). The movable case 31A moves further toward the opposite side of the inlet plug 5 relative to the outer case 51A, and the shutter boss 47 reaches the parallel portion 65 of the third cam groove 60. Then, the shutter 41A moves in parallel to the rear of the outer case 51A while rotated to the shutter open position.

When the inlet plug 5 is inserted further backward in the inlet 1 from this state, the shutter 41A is rotated to the shutter open position where the shutter front wall 43 is parallel to the bottom wall 56 of the outer case 51A, as shown in Figures 20(a) and 20(b). Then, when the shutter boss 47 reaches the parallel portion 65 of the third cam groove 60, the shutter 41A moves in parallel to the rear of the outer case 51A while rotated to the shutter open position.

The connection terminal 90 of the inlet plug 5 is fitted into and connected to the connection terminal 70 of the inlet 1, whereby the high voltage cable 71 and the high voltage cable 91 are electrically connected.
Therefore, the inlet 1A and the inlet plug 5 are fitted together and electrically connected by butting the tip of the movable case 31A against the tip of the plug housing 81.

Therefore, in addition to the effects of the inlet 1 according to the first embodiment, according to the inlet 1A according to the second embodiment, immediately before the shutter 41A rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position, the shutter front wall 43 is displaced toward the inlet plug 5 side via the shutter boss 47 along the connector fitting direction by the first displacement cam portion of the first cam groove 37A extending in a direction intersecting with the third displacement cam portion 63 in a side view. Therefore, the shutter 41A can be configured so that the shutter front wall 43 covers the front opening 25 in a state of abutting against the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25 in the shutter closed position.

That is, immediately before the shutter 41A rotates from a state in which the shutter front wall 43 abuts against the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25 to the shutter open position, the shutter front wall 43 is displaced toward the inlet plug 5 and moves away from the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25. Therefore, the shutter front wall 43 rotating to the shutter open position is not rubbed against the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25.
As a result, the shutter front wall 43 of the shutter 41A, which covers the front opening 25 while abutting the opening edge 25a, can reliably prevent dust, water, etc. from entering the front opening 25 of the housing 21.

In addition, with the inlet 1A according to the second embodiment, the shutter 41A displaces toward the inlet plug 5 along the connector fitting direction immediately before rotating from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position, and the displacement action is supported by the movable case boss 38 engaging with the second displacement cam portion 48b of the second cam groove 48. Thus, the shutter 41A displaces toward the inlet plug 5 along the connector fitting direction while maintaining a posture parallel to the connector fitting direction, and the shutter front wall 43 can be prevented from hitting one side of the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25 (a part of the opening edge 25a coming into strong contact).

In addition, with the inlet 1A according to the second embodiment, the elastic packing 49 provided on the shutter front wall 43 can elastically contact the opening edge 25a of the front opening 25. Therefore, the elastic packing 49 that abuts against the opening edge 25a and covers the front opening 25 can more reliably prevent the intrusion of dust, water, etc. into the front opening 25 of the housing 21.

The inlets 1 and 1A of the above-described embodiments ensure the spring function of the connector with a shutter mechanism and provide a compact connector.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited.

For example, in the above embodiment, an inlet with a shutter mechanism is used as an example for an electric vehicle, but the connector of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to various connectors based on the spirit of the present invention.

Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the connector according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [8].
[1] A housing (21) for accommodating a connection terminal (70);
an outer case (51, 51A) that accommodates and holds the housing (21);
a movable case (31, 31A) in which first cam grooves (37, 37A) are formed through movable case side walls (35, 35) corresponding to both side walls (54, 55) of the outer case (51, 51A), respectively, and which is arranged in the outer case (51, 51A) to be freely movable in a connector fitting direction;
a shutter (41, 41A) having a shutter front wall (43) covering a front opening (25) of the housing (21) into which a mating connector (inlet plug 5) is fitted, shutter side walls (45, 45) provided at both ends of the shutter front wall (43), and a shutter boss (47) protruding from an outer surface of the shutter side wall (45) and engaging with the first cam groove (37, 37A);
a spring (30) that elastically biases the movable case (31, 31A) toward the mating connector (inlet plug 5),
The first cam groove (37, 37) engages with the shutter boss (47), thereby rotating the shutter (41, 41A) in the opening/closing direction around the shutter boss (47) in conjunction with the movement of the movable case (31, 31).
A connector (inlet 1, 1A) characterized in that
[2] a third cam groove (60) provided on each side wall (54, 55) of the outer case (51, 51A), and engaging with the shutter boss (47) to move the shutter (41, 41A) relative to the outer case (51, 51A) along a connector fitting direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable case (31, 31A);
a movable case boss (38) protruding from an inner surface of the movable case side wall (35, 35) of the movable case (31, 31A);
a second cam groove (48, 48A) formed on the shutter side wall (45, 45) of the shutter (41) and engaging with the movable case boss (38) to support a rotational movement of the shutter (41, 41A) moving along a connector fitting direction;
The connector (inlet 1, 1A) according to the above [1],
[3] A third displacement cam portion (63) is provided in the third cam groove (60) to move the shutter (41, 41A) via the shutter boss (47) engaged with the third cam groove (60) so that the shutter front wall (43) is displaced toward the shutter boss (47) while the shutter (41, 41A) rotates from a shutter closed position to a shutter open position.
The connector (inlet 1) according to the above [2].
[4] The first cam groove (37A) is provided with a first displacement cam portion (37c) that extends in a direction intersecting with the third displacement cam portion (63) in a side view and displaces the shutter boss (47) toward the mating connector (inlet plug 5) along the connector fitting direction in cooperation with the third displacement cam portion (63) immediately before the shutter (41A) rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position.
The connector (inlet 1A) according to the above [3].
[5] The second cam groove (48A) is provided with a second displacement cam portion (48b) that supports a displacement motion of the shutter (41A) displaced toward the mating connector (inlet plug 5) along the connector fitting direction immediately before the shutter (41A) rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position.
The connector (inlet 1A) according to the above [4].
[6] The shutter front wall (43) includes an elastic packing (49) that abuts against the opening edge (25a) of the front opening (25).
The connector (inlet 1A) according to the above [4] or [5],
[7] The spring (30) is interposed between the movable case (31, 31A) and the rear wall (spring support portion 27) of the housing (21).
The connector (inlet 1, 1A) according to any one of the above [1] to [6],
[8] A contact portion (39) that is pressed against a tip portion (pressing portion 87) of the mating connector (inlet plug 5) when the connectors are fitted together is provided at a front end of an intersection between the movable case side wall (35, 35) and the movable case top wall (33) of the movable case (31, 31A).
The connector (inlet 1, 1A) according to any one of the above [1] to [7],

1...Inlet (connector)
5...Inlet plug (mating connector)
21...Housing 25...Front opening 30...Spring 31...Movable case 35...Movable case side wall 37...First cam groove 41...Shutter 43...Shutter front wall 45...Shutter side wall 47...Shutter boss 48...Second cam groove 51...Outer case 54...Side wall 55...Side wall 60...Third cam groove 70...Connection terminal

Claims (7)

A housing for accommodating a connection terminal;
an outer case that accommodates and holds the housing;
a movable case disposed within the outer case so as to be movable in parallel in a connector fitting direction, the movable case having first cam grooves formed therethrough in side walls of the movable case corresponding to both side walls of the outer case;
a shutter having a front wall covering a front opening of the housing into which a mating connector is fitted, shutter side walls provided at both ends of the front wall, and a shutter boss protruding from an outer surface of the side wall and engaging with the first cam groove;
a spring that elastically biases the movable case toward the mating connector;
a third cam groove provided on each side wall of the outer case, the third cam groove engaging with the shutter boss to move the shutter relative to the outer case in a connector fitting direction in conjunction with movement of the movable case;
a movable case boss protruding from an inner surface of the movable case side wall of the movable case;
a second cam groove formed on the shutter side wall of the shutter and engaging with the movable case boss to support a rotational movement of the shutter that moves along a connector fitting direction;
the first cam groove engages with the shutter boss to rotate the shutter about the shutter boss in an opening/closing direction in conjunction with the movement of the movable case;
A connector characterized by: a third displacement cam portion is provided in the third cam groove, the third displacement cam portion moving the shutter via the shutter boss engaged with the third cam groove so that the shutter front wall is displaced toward the shutter boss while the shutter rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position;
2. The connector according to claim 1 . a first displacement cam portion is provided in the first cam groove, the first displacement cam portion extending in a direction intersecting with the third displacement cam portion in a side view, and displacing the shutter boss toward the mating connector along the connector fitting direction in cooperation with the third displacement cam portion immediately before the shutter rotates from the shutter closed position to the shutter open position;
3. The connector according to claim 2. a second displacement cam portion is provided in the second cam groove to support a displacement operation of the shutter displaced toward the mating connector along the connector fitting direction immediately before the shutter rotates from a shutter closed position to a shutter open position;
4. The connector according to claim 3. The shutter front wall includes an elastic packing that abuts against an opening edge of the front opening.
5. The connector according to claim 3 or 4 . The spring is interposed between the movable case and a rear wall of the housing.
The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . a contact portion that is pressed against a tip portion of the mating connector when the connectors are fitted to each other is provided at a front end of an intersection between the movable case side wall and the movable case top wall of the movable case;
The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .

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