JP7845862B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a connector comprising an electric wire, a terminal, a housing for accommodating the connection point between the electric wire and the terminal, a sealing member for sealing the opening of the accommodating space, and a heat storage member disposed within the accommodating space.

Conventionally, charging connectors have been proposed for vehicles such as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles to supply power (charge) to their batteries from outside the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This type of connector is generally also called a charging inlet.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-192482

The types of connectors (charging inlets) described above are generally required to have structures and characteristics specified by various standards. For example, when these connectors are actually used, the Joule heating generated at the terminals during power flow causes the terminal temperature (the so-called operating temperature) to rise. Therefore, from the standpoint of maintaining connector quality and safety, upper limits on the terminal operating temperature are specified in prescribed standards.

However, in the conventional connectors described above, the connection point between the terminal and the wire generates a significant amount of heat due to the high contact resistance, yet it is sealed with gaskets or similar materials to isolate it from the outside for waterproofing purposes. Furthermore, the air within this isolated space also acts as insulation. Therefore, heat dissipation from the connection point between the terminal and the wire to the outside is considered extremely difficult. In addition, for example, during rapid battery charging, a large current passes through the connector in a short time, increasing the rate of temperature rise of the terminal (especially the connection point mentioned above) per unit time compared to normal charging. For these reasons, with conventional connectors, it may be difficult to keep the terminal operating temperature within the range specified in the above standards through natural heat dissipation alone.

On the other hand, simply attaching heat dissipation components (such as metal plates) to the outside of the connector is undesirable because it can hinder the miniaturization of the connector and because the installation space for the connector within the vehicle body is limited.

One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a connector that can suppress excessive increases in the operating temperature of the terminals while avoiding an increase in the size of the connector.

To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the connector according to the present invention has the following features:

Power lines and,
A terminal connected to the aforementioned electric wire,
A housing having an internal space for accommodating the connection point between the electric wire and the terminal connection part,
The system includes a sealing member that seals the opening of the housing space so as to isolate the connection point housed in the housing space from the outside,
The aforementioned terminal is,
The terminal has a gap-reducing portion that is positioned to fill at least a portion of the remaining gap around the connection point within the aforementioned housing space and protrudes from the outer surface of the connection portion,
The aforementioned terminal is,
The terminal has a protrusion that extends toward the housing, which serves as the gap-reducing portion.
The aforementioned housing is
Having a recess that receives the aforementioned protrusion,
It must be a connector.

According to this invention, the connection point between the electric wire and the terminal is housed within a housing space. Furthermore, the terminal has a gap-reducing portion as part of its structure, positioned to fill at least a portion of the remaining gap around the connection point within the housing space. This increases the thermal capacity of the terminal itself compared to a case without such a gap-reducing portion. Therefore, by absorbing the heat generated at the connection point between the electric wire and the terminal during energization, even when the amount of heat generated at the connection point per unit time is large, such as during rapid charging, a rapid rise in the operating temperature of the terminal can be suppressed, and the operating temperature of the terminal can be raised gradually. Furthermore, by reducing the gap within the housing space with the gap-reducing portion, the amount of air within the housing space that acts as insulation can be reduced. In addition, heat transfer from the terminal to the housing (i.e., heat dissipation to the outside) can be performed efficiently. Therefore, this connector configuration can suppress excessive increases in the operating temperature of the terminal while avoiding an increase in the size of the connector.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Further details of the present invention will be clarified by referring to the accompanying drawings and reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention connected to an electric wire. Figure 2 is a front view of the connector shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing some of the components that make up the connector shown in Figure 1 in a disassembled state. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the connector shown in Figure 1 with some of the other components disassembled. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the terminals connected to the electric wire. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 5. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 2. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the D-D cross-sectional view in Figure 8, in a modified example of the present invention.

<Implementation>
Hereinafter, a connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Connector 1 is installed in a vehicle such as a plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, and is connected to a wire extending from a battery mounted in the vehicle. Connector 1 is also called a charging inlet. By fitting a mating connector (a so-called charging gun) into the mating recess 63 (see Figure 1, etc.) of connector 1, power is supplied to the battery from outside the vehicle, and the battery is charged.

For the sake of explanation, the following definitions are used, as shown in Figure 1, etc.: "Front-back direction," "Left-right direction," "Up-down direction," "Up," "Down," "Front," and "Back." The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are mutually orthogonal. The front-back direction coincides with the mating direction of connector 1 and the mating connector (not shown). The side facing forward in the mating direction (the side approaching the mating connector) from the perspective of connector 1 is called the "front side," and the side releasing the mating direction (the side moving away from the mating connector) from the perspective of connector 1 is called the "back side." The left-right direction can also be called the "width direction."

As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 7, connector 1 comprises a pair of terminals 10 and a housing 20 that houses the pair of terminals 10. One end of a pair of electric wires 30 is connected to each of the terminals 10. The other ends of the electric wires 30 are connected to a battery (not shown). The electric wires 30 consist of a conductor core wire 30a and an insulating resin sheath 30b covering the conductor core wire 30a (see Figure 7). In reality, in this example, multiple conductor core wires 30a are bundled together and covered by the sheath 30b. However, for the sake of explanation, in Figure 7, these multiple conductor core wires 30a are represented as a single conductor core wire 30a. The same applies to Figures 6 and 8. The components constituting connector 1 will be described in order below.

First, let's describe the pair of terminals 10. In this example, the pair of terminals 10 are identical in shape. Each terminal 10 is made of metal and, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, has a stepped cylindrical portion consisting of a small-diameter portion 11 and a large-diameter portion 12 located behind the small-diameter portion 11. An annular stepped portion 13 is formed at the boundary between the small-diameter portion 11 and the large-diameter portion 12. The stepped portion 13 will be locked into the locking projection 57a (see Figure 4) of the front holder 50, which will be described later (see Figure 7).

The small-diameter portion 11 is integrally provided with a cylindrical female terminal portion 14 that protrudes forward from its front end surface. Of the pair of terminals 10, the female terminal portion 14 of one terminal 10 functions as the anode terminal, and the female terminal portion 14 of the other terminal 10 functions as the cathode terminal. When connector 1 is mated with the mating connector, the female terminal portion 14 of one terminal 10 and the female terminal portion 14 of the other terminal 10 are connected to the anode male terminal portion and the cathode male terminal portion of the mating connector, respectively.

A recessed area 15 is formed on the rear end surface of the large-diameter portion 12 (see Figure 7). The conductor core wire 30a, exposed at one end of the electric wire 30, is inserted into the recessed area 15 and crimped into place (see Figure 7). During this crimping process, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, concave crimp marks 18 are formed on the outer surface of the large-diameter portion 12 at the upper and lower ends (two locations) in the circumferential direction, due to the crimping from above and below. Furthermore, the conductor core wire 30a of the electric wire 30 and the crimp marks 18 of the large-diameter portion 12 are laser-bonded. This electrically connects the terminal 10 and one end of the electric wire 30. The large-diameter portion 12 of the terminal 10 and the conductor core wire 30a of the electric wire 30 constitute the "connection point" between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 10.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the outer surface of the large-diameter portion 12 has multiple protrusions 19 that project radially outward and extend in the front-rear direction, excluding the positions of the pair of crimp marks 18. The effect of providing these multiple protrusions 19 will be described later. In this example, the provision of multiple protrusions 19 narrows the area on the outer surface of the large-diameter portion 12 that is suitable for crimping (i.e., the area where crimp marks can be formed). On the other hand, in this example, for the electrical connection between the terminal 10 and the conductor core wire 30a of the electric wire 30, in addition to mechanical joining by crimping, metallurgical joining by laser bonding is performed at the crimp marks 18. As a result, even with a small number of crimp marks, the reliability of the electrical connection between the terminal 10 and the conductor core wire 30a of the electric wire 30 is not compromised. That is, the reliability of the electrical connection between the terminal 10 and the conductor core wire 30a of the electric wire 30 can be properly maintained.

As shown in Figure 7, an annular groove 16 is formed on the outer circumferential surface near the stepped portion 13 of the small-diameter portion 11, and an annular groove 17 is formed on the outer circumferential surface near the stepped portion 13 of the large-diameter portion 12. A resin locking ring 94 is fitted into the annular groove 16, and a rubber O-ring 92 is fitted into the annular groove 17 (see Figures 5 and 7). The function of the locking ring 94 and O-ring 92 will be described later. This concludes the explanation of the pair of terminals 10.

Next, the housing 20 will be described. In this example, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 7, the housing 20 comprises a rear holder 40, a front holder 50, an inner housing body 60, and an outer housing body 70. Each of the rear holder 40, front holder 50, inner housing body 60, and outer housing body 70 is a structural component of the housing 20 and constitutes a part of the outer surface of the housing 20. The following describes each component constituting the housing 20 in order. Note that the "structural components" of the housing 20 refer to parts that have sufficient hardness and strength to maintain the shape of the housing 20 itself in order to withstand external forces acting on the terminal 10 when it is mated with the mating terminal (not shown). In other words, these are parts made of materials that do not soften or become brittle to the extent that it becomes difficult to maintain their shape due to the rise in the operating temperature of the terminal 10.

First, let's describe the rear holder 40. The rear holder 40 is assembled from the rear end of the front holder 50 and functions to hold a pair of electric wires 30 extending rearward from a pair of terminals 10, spaced apart in the left-right direction. The rear holder 40 is a resin molded product and, as shown in Figure 4, integrally comprises a pair of circular, flat rear wall portions 41 aligned in the left-right direction and a connecting portion 42 that connects the pair of rear wall portions 41 in the left-right direction. Each rear wall portion 41 has an electric wire insertion hole 43 that penetrates in the front-rear direction. The pair of electric wires 30 are inserted through the pair of electric wire insertion holes 43, which are spaced apart in the left-right direction (see Figure 7).

Each rear wall portion 41 has a pair of cantilever-shaped locking pieces 44 that extend forward at both the upper and lower ends of its outer peripheral edge. A side wall portion 45 is integrally provided in the area outside the pair of locking pieces 44 in the left-right direction (width direction) of each rear wall portion 41, projecting forward and extending in an arc shape along the outer peripheral edge of the rear wall portion 41. The pair of side wall portions 45 can be attached to the rear end of the front holder 50 so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the rear ends of the pair of terminal holding portions 51, which will be described later (see Figure 3).

Next, the front holder 50 will be described. The front holder 50 functions to hold a pair of terminals 10 in a state of mutual insulation with a gap between them in the left-right direction. The front holder 50 is a resin molded product and, as shown in Figure 4, integrally comprises a pair of terminal holding parts 51 arranged in the left-right direction corresponding to the pair of wire insertion holes 43 of the rear holder 40, and a connecting part 56 that connects the pair of terminal holding parts 51 in the left-right direction.

As shown in Figures 4 and 7, each terminal holding portion 51 has a stepped cylindrical shape extending in the front-to-back direction, consisting of a small-diameter portion 57, a large-diameter portion 58 located behind the small-diameter portion 57, and a tapered connecting portion 59 that smoothly connects the small-diameter portion 57 and the large-diameter portion 58. The connecting portion 56 connects the large-diameter portions 58 of the pair of terminal holding portions 51 (see Figure 8). A pair of terminals 10 are inserted into the internal space of the pair of terminal holding portions 51 from the rear.

The inner diameter of the small-diameter portion 57 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the large-diameter portion 12 of the terminal 10 (see Figure 7). A locking projection 57a is integrally provided on the inner circumferential surface near the front end of the small-diameter portion 57 (see Figures 4 and 7). On the outer circumferential surface of the rear end of the large-diameter portion 58, locking projections 58a are formed at the upper and lower circumferential positions (two locations), corresponding to the pair of upper and lower locking pieces 44 of the rear holder 40 (see Figures 4 and 7).

A packing 93 (see Figure 4), described later, will be fitted to the inner circumferential surface of the rear region of the large-diameter portion 58 (see Figure 7). On the inner circumferential surface of the front region of the large-diameter portion 58, grooves 58b are provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction, recessed radially outward and extending in the front-rear direction, corresponding to the multiple protrusions 19 of the large-diameter portion 12 of the terminal 10 (see Figure 8). In other words, on the inner circumferential surface of the front region of the large-diameter portion 58 of the terminal holding portion 51, multiple protrusions 58c are provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction, projecting radially inward and extending in the front-rear direction, and grooves 58b are formed between adjacent protrusions 58c in the circumferential direction.

The front ends of the pair of small-diameter sections 57 are integrally provided with a pair of extensions 52 extending outward in the left-right direction (width direction) from both sides of the front end, and a pair of side wall sections 53 extending forward from the extension ends of the pair of extensions 52. The pair of side wall sections 53, when viewed from the front-rear direction, have a shape corresponding to a part of the circumferential shape (cylindrical shape) of the outer circumference of the cylindrical section 61 (see also Figure 3), which will be described later, of the inner housing body 60, and can be attached to the cylindrical section 61 so as to cover the outer circumference of the rear end of the cylindrical section 61.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the outer circumferential surfaces (outer surfaces in the width direction) of the pair of side wall portions 53 are provided with multiple bolt insertion portions 54 at several locations (four locations in this example). Each bolt insertion portion 54 has a bolt insertion hole 55 that penetrates in the front-to-back direction. Bolts 81 (see Figure 3) for assembling the housing 20 are inserted through the bolt insertion holes 55.

Next, the inner housing body 60 will be described. The inner housing body 60 is assembled to the front holder 50 from the front and also functions as the fitting recess 63 (see Figure 1) of the connector 1. The inner housing body 60 is a resin molded product and integrally has a cylindrical tubular portion 61 (see Figure 3) extending in the front-rear direction and a rear wall portion 62 (see Figure 7) that closes the rear opening of the tubular portion 61. The tubular portion 61 and the rear wall portion 62 define the fitting recess 63, which opens forward and is recessed to the rear.

On the rear wall portion 62, a pair of cylindrical female terminal housing portions 64 are provided, protruding forward, corresponding to the female terminal portions 14 of the pair of terminals 10 (see Figures 3 and 7). Each female terminal housing portion 64 is located within a fitting recess 63 and has an internal space that penetrates in the front-to-back direction.

As shown in Figure 3, an annular flange portion 65 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 61, at a position rearward from the center in the front-rear direction, projecting radially outward from the cylindrical portion 61. The flange portion 65 has multiple bolt insertion portions 66 at multiple locations (four in this example) in the circumferential direction, corresponding to the multiple bolt insertion portions 54 of the front holder 50. Each bolt insertion portion 66 has a bolt insertion hole 67 that penetrates in the front-rear direction. Bolts 81 (see Figure 3) for assembling the housing 20 are inserted through the bolt insertion holes 67.

Next, the outer housing body 70 will be described. The outer housing body 70 is assembled from the front to the cylindrical portion 61 of the inner housing body 60 and serves to fix the entire housing 20 to the mounting target portion (not shown) of the connector 1 provided on the vehicle. The outer housing body 70 is a resin molded product and has a cylindrical portion 71 that extends in the front-rear direction (see Figure 3). The cylindrical portion 71 can be attached to the cylindrical portion 61 of the inner housing body 60 from the front so as to cover the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 61 (see Figure 7).

As shown in Figure 3, an annular flange portion 72 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 71, at a position rearward from the center in the front-to-back direction, projecting radially outward from the cylindrical portion 71. The flange portion 72 has a rectangular outer circumferential shape when viewed from the front-to-back direction. Bolt insertion holes 73, penetrating in the front-to-back direction, are formed at each of the four corners of the flange portion 72. Bolts (not shown) for fixing the connector 1 to the mounting target portion of the connector 1 are inserted through the bolt insertion holes 73.

The above describes the individual components that make up the housing 20.

Next, the assembly procedure for connector 1 will be described. First, the pair of terminals 10, to which one end of a pair of electric wires 30 is connected, are inserted into the front holder 50. To prepare for this, as shown in Figures 4 and 7, the pair of wire insertion holes 43 of the rear holder 40 are inserted from the front through the insulation 30b of the pair of electric wires 30 connected to the pair of terminals 10. Then, a cylindrical rubber packing 93 extending in the front-to-back direction is inserted from the front, adjacent to the front side of the rear wall portion 41 of the rear holder 40, onto each of the insulation 30b of the pair of electric wires. Furthermore, rubber O-rings 92 are attached to each of the annular grooves 17 of the pair of terminals 10, and resin locking rings 94 are attached to each of the annular grooves 16 of the pair of terminals 10 (see Figures 5 and 7).

Next, the pair of terminals 10 are inserted from the rear into the internal space of the pair of terminal holding portions 51 of the front holder 50. This insertion is performed so that the multiple protrusions 19 of each terminal 10 are received (enter) into the multiple grooves 58b of the corresponding terminal holding portion 51 of the front holder 50 (see Figure 8). This insertion continues until the female terminal portions 14 of the pair of terminals 10 protrude forward from the front end of the pair of terminal holding portions 51, and the locking rings 94 of the pair of terminals 10 push aside and overcome the pair of locking protrusions 57a of the front holder 50, until the stepped portions 13 of the pair of terminals 10 are locked into the pair of locking protrusions 57a.

When this insertion is complete (i.e., when the pair of terminals 10 have been inserted into the front holder 50), as shown in Figure 7, the engagement of the locking projection 57a with the locking ring 94 and the stepped portion 13 restricts the relative movement of the pair of terminals 10 in both the front and rear directions relative to the front holder 50. Furthermore, the O-ring 92 attached to the terminal 10 is in pressure contact with the inner wall surface of the small-diameter portion 57 of the terminal holding portion 51. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, each of the multiple protrusions 19 of each terminal 10 is received (entered) into the corresponding groove 58b of the terminal holding portion 51 of the front holder 50 (see Figure 8). The effect of each of the multiple protrusions 19 being received into the corresponding groove 58b will be described later.

Next, the rear holder 40 is attached to the front holder 50. To do this, the rear holder 40 is pressed forward, and while moving the rear holder 40 and the pair of packings 93 located in front of the rear holder 40 forward relative to the pair of electric wires 30, the pair of side walls 45 of the rear holder 40 are attached to the rear end of the pair of large-diameter portions 58 of the front holder 50 so as to cover the outer circumferential surface of the rear end of the pair of large-diameter portions 58 (see Figures 3 and 7).

When the rear holder 40 is attached to the front holder 50, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, the corresponding locking projections 58a of the front holder 50 are locked into the locking holes of each locking piece 44 of the rear holder 40. This prevents the rear holder 40 from falling out of the front holder 50.

Furthermore, each packing 93 is pressed and clamped between the inner wall surface of the rear region of the large-diameter portion 58 of the terminal holding portion 51 and the outer surface of the electric wire 30 (insulation 30b). Specifically, the multiple ribs 93a of each packing 93 are pressed against the inner wall surface of the large-diameter portion 58 and the outer surface of the electric wire 30 (insulation 30b). As a result, the water-sealing function of the pair of O-rings 92 and the pair of packings 93 isolates the internal space of the pair of terminal holding portions 51 from the outside. As a result, the intrusion of water from the outside into the internal space of the pair of terminal holding portions 51 (i.e., the connection point between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 10) is suppressed. Furthermore, the front holder 50 holds the pair of terminals 10 in a state of isolation from each other with a gap between them in the left-right direction, and the rear holder 40 holds the pair of electric wires 30 extending rearward from the pair of terminals 10 with a gap between them in the left-right direction.

Once the rear holder 40 is attached to the front holder 50, the inner housing body 60 is then attached to the front holder 50 (see Figures 3 and 7). To do this, the inner housing body 60 is attached to the front holder 50 from the front side (see Figure 7) so that the pair of side walls 53 of the front holder 50 cover a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 61 of the inner housing body 60, and the female terminal portions 14 of the pair of terminals 10 are inserted into the pair of female terminal housing portions 64 of the inner housing body 60. In this completed state, the front end surfaces of the pair of side walls 53 of the front holder 50 are in contact with the rear end surface of the flange portion 65 of the inner housing body 60 (not shown).

Once the inner housing body 60 is mounted onto the front holder 50, the outer housing body 70 is then mounted onto the inner housing body 60 (see Figures 3 and 7). To achieve this, the outer housing body 70 is mounted onto the inner housing body 60 from the front, such that the cylindrical portion 71 of the outer housing body 70 covers the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 61 of the inner housing body 60 (see Figure 7). In this completed mounting state, as shown in Figure 7, the rear end surface of the cylindrical portion 71 of the outer housing body 70 is in contact with the front end surface of the flange portion 65 of the inner housing body 60.

Once the outer housing body 70 is attached to the inner housing body 60, as shown in Figure 3, several bolts (four in this example) 81 are inserted from the rear through the multiple bolt insertion holes 55 in the front holder 50 and the multiple bolt insertion holes 67 in the inner housing body 60, and tightened to the multiple fastening points (not shown) provided on the outer housing body 70. This fastens the front holder 50 and the inner housing body 60 together to the outer housing body 70, integrating the rear holder 40, front holder 50, inner housing body 60, and outer housing body 70, which constitute the skeletal components of the housing 20. This completes the assembly of the connector 1, resulting in the connector 1 shown in Figure 1.

The assembled connector 1 is fastened and secured to the mounting target portion (not shown) of the vehicle using multiple bolts (not shown) inserted through multiple bolt insertion holes 73 in the outer housing body 70.

When charging a battery (not shown) mounted on a vehicle, the mating connector (a so-called charging gun) is fitted into the mating recess 63 of the connector 1 fixed to the mounting part of the vehicle. This allows power to be supplied to the battery from outside the vehicle via the mating connector, connector 1, and the pair of wires 30 in sequence, thereby charging the battery.

<Effects and Effects>
Next, the effect of providing multiple protrusions 19 on the outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter portion 12 of the terminal 10 will be explained. As described above, when charging a battery using the connector 1, the temperature of the pair of terminals 10 inside the connector 1 rises due to Joule heating caused by the flow of current. In particular, the connection point between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 10 is a place where a large amount of heat is generated due to the large contact resistance, but it is a place where heat dissipation to the outside is difficult because it is sealed with an O-ring 92 and a packing 93 within the internal space of the terminal holding portion 51 and isolated from the outside, and the air in the isolated internal space acts as an insulator. Therefore, in order to slow down the temperature rise of the terminal 10, it is important to efficiently absorb the heat generated at the connection point between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 10.

In this embodiment, the terminal 10 has multiple protrusions 19, which fill a portion of the gap around the connection point between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 10 within the internal space of the terminal holding portion 51 (see Figure 8). That is, the gap around the connection point is reduced compared to the case without the protrusions 19. This increases the heat capacity of the terminal 10 itself compared to the case without such protrusions. Therefore, by absorbing the heat generated at the connection point between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 10 during energization, even when the amount of heat generated at the connection point per unit time is large, such as during rapid charging, a rapid rise in the operating temperature of the terminal 10 can be suppressed, and the operating temperature of the terminal 10 can be raised gradually. Furthermore, by reducing the gap within the internal space of the terminal holding portion 51 with the multiple protrusions 19, the amount of air in the internal space that acts as insulation can be reduced. In addition, heat transfer (i.e., heat dissipation to the outside) from the terminal 10 to the front holder 50 (housing 20) can be performed efficiently.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, each of the multiple protrusions 19 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter portion 12 of the terminal 10 fits into a corresponding groove 58b provided on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter portion 58 of the front holder 50 (see Figure 8). This increases the surface area contributing to heat transfer between the two, allowing for more efficient heat transfer (i.e., heat dissipation) from the terminal 10 to the front holder 50 (housing 20).

<Other forms>
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the embodiments described above are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, in addition to mechanical joining by crimping (crimping) for the electrical connection between the terminal 10 and the conductor core wire 30a of the electric wire 30, metallurgical joining by laser joining is also performed at the crimping marks 18 of the terminal 10. Alternatively, only crimping (crimping) may be performed for the electrical connection between the terminal 10 and the conductor core wire 30a of the electric wire 30. Furthermore, at the crimping marks 18, fusion welding such as electron beam joining (different from laser joining) may be performed, pressure welding such as ultrasonic joining may be performed, or brazing such as soldering may be performed.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a protrusion 19 is provided as a "gap reduction portion" of the terminal 10, projecting radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter portion 12 of the terminal 10 and extending in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, a protrusion may be provided as a "gap reduction portion" of the terminal 10, projecting radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter portion 12 of the terminal 10 and extending in the circumferential direction of the large-diameter portion 12.

Furthermore, as shown in the modified example in Figure 9, the rear end 58d of the projection 58c (see also Figure 7) provided on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter portion 58 of the terminal holding portion 51 may be brought into contact with the front end of the packing 93. In this modified example, the packing 93 is held in a predetermined position (i.e., positioned) in the front-rear direction by being sandwiched between the projection 58c and the rear holder 40. Alternatively, instead of the projection 58c, the rear end of the large-diameter portion 12 of the terminal 10 may be brought into contact with the packing 93. Note that, as shown in Figure 7, the packing 93 may be positioned so that it neither contacts the projection 58c nor the terminal 10. Figure 9 is not the D-D cross-sectional view of Figure 8 itself, but a cross-sectional view of the connector 1 according to this modified example when cut at the location corresponding to the D-D cross-sectional view of Figure 8.

Here, the features of the embodiments of the connector 1 according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [3].
[1]
Electric wire (30) and,
A terminal (10) connected to the aforementioned electric wire (30),
A housing (20) having an internal housing space for accommodating the connection point between the electric wire (30) and the terminal (10),
The device comprises a sealing member (93) that seals the opening of the housing space so as to isolate the connection point housed in the housing space from the outside,
The aforementioned terminal (10) is
The terminal (10) has a gap-reducing portion (19) which is arranged to fill at least a portion of the gap remaining around the connection point within the aforementioned housing space,
Connector (1).

In the connector configuration described in [1] above, the connection point between the electric wire and the terminal is housed within a housing space. Furthermore, the terminal has a gap-reducing portion as part of its structure, positioned to fill at least a portion of the remaining gap around the connection point within the housing space. This increases the thermal capacity of the terminal itself compared to a configuration without such a gap-reducing portion. Therefore, by absorbing the heat generated at the connection point between the electric wire and the terminal during energization, even when the amount of heat generated at the connection point per unit time is large, such as during rapid charging, a rapid rise in the terminal's operating temperature can be suppressed, and the terminal's operating temperature can be raised gradually. Moreover, by reducing the gap within the housing space with the gap-reducing portion, the amount of air within the housing space that acts as insulation can be reduced. In addition, heat transfer from the terminal to the housing (i.e., heat dissipation to the outside) can be performed efficiently. Therefore, this connector configuration can suppress excessive increases in the terminal's operating temperature while avoiding an increase in the connector's size.

[2]
The connector (1) described in [1] above,
The aforementioned terminal (10) is
The terminal (10) has a protrusion (19) that extends toward the housing (20) as the gap reduction portion,
The housing (20) is
Having a recess (58b) that receives the convex portion (19),
Connector (1).

According to the connector configuration described in [2] above, the protrusions on the terminals, which serve as gap-reducing parts, fit into the recesses of the housing. This increases the surface area that contributes to heat transfer between the two, allowing for more efficient heat transfer (i.e., heat dissipation) from the terminals to the housing.

[3]
In the connector (1) described in [1] or [2] above,
The aforementioned terminal (10) is
At the connection point, the conductor core wire (30a) of the electric wire (30) is crimped to the conductor core wire (30a) and mechanically joined to the conductor core wire (30a), and is also metallurgically joined to the conductor core wire (30a) by a crimp mark (18) that is recessed toward the conductor core wire (30a).
Connector (1).

According to the connector configuration described in [3] above, the terminal and the conductor core of the electric wire are connected not only by mechanical joining through crimping, but also by metallurgical joining at the crimped marks (e.g., fusion welding such as laser bonding, pressure bonding such as ultrasonic bonding, and brazing such as soldering). This allows for proper electrical connection between the terminal and the conductor core through metallurgical joining, even if the areas suitable for mechanical joining (i.e., areas where crimped marks are generated) are reduced by providing a gap reduction section in the terminal. Therefore, excessive temperature rise of the terminal can be suppressed without compromising the reliability of the electrical connection between the terminal and the conductor core.

1. Connector 10. Terminals 18. Crimping marks 19. Protrusions (gap reduction sections, protrusions)
20 Housing 30 Wire 30a Conductor core wire 58b Groove (recess)
93. Packing (sealing material)

Claims (3)

Power lines and,
The terminal connected to the aforementioned electric wire,
A housing having an internal space for accommodating the connection point between the electric wire and the terminal connection part,
The system includes a sealing member that seals the opening of the housing space so as to isolate the connection point housed in the housing space from the outside,
The aforementioned terminal is,
The terminal has a gap-reducing portion that is positioned to fill at least a portion of the remaining gap around the connection point within the aforementioned housing space and protrudes from the outer surface of the connection portion,
The aforementioned terminal is,
The terminal has a protrusion that extends toward the housing, which serves as the gap-reducing portion.
The aforementioned housing is
Having a recess that receives the aforementioned protrusion,
connector. In the connector according to claim 1 ,
The aforementioned terminal is,
At the connection point, the conductor core of the electric wire is crimped to the conductor core and mechanically joined to the conductor core, and is also metallurgically joined to the conductor core by a crimp mark that is recessed toward the conductor core.
connector. In the connector according to claim 2 ,
The gap reduction portion is provided in a position that avoids the crimping marks.
connector.