Charging connector and method of manufacturing charging connector assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10270187-B2
Application number	US-201615756173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2016
Priority date	Dec 25, 2015
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A charging connector that facilitates a routing operation of an electric cable and is unlikely to cause contact failure between a connection terminal and an electric cable is provided. The charging connector has a housing having socket portions extending along an axial direction, connection terminals accommodated in terminal receptacle portions formed radially inward of the socket portions, and a rotation regulator structure operable to regulate rotation of the connection terminals about their axes with respect to the socket portions. The connection terminal includes a plug connection portion to which a terminal of the charging plug can be connected and a terminal coupling portion located at an opposite side of the plug connection portion in the axial direction. The fixture terminal is coupled to the terminal coupling portion. The rotation regulator structure includes terminal engagement portions formed in the connection terminal and socket engagement portions formed on the socket portions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A charging connector for electrically connecting an electric cable connected via a fixture terminal and a charging plug to each other, the charging connector comprising:
a housing having at least one socket portion extending along an axial direction;
a conductive connection terminal accommodated in a terminal receptacle portion formed radially inward of the socket portion, the connection terminal including:
a plug connection portion to which a terminal of the charging plug can be connected, and
a terminal coupling portion located at an opposite side of the plug connection portion in the axial direction, the fixture terminal being coupled to the terminal coupling portion; and

a rotation regulator structure operable to regulate rotation of the connection terminal about its axis with respect to the socket portion.

2. The charging connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the rotation regulator structure includes at least one terminal engagement portion formed on the connection terminal and at least one socket engagement portion formed on the socket portion, and regulates rotation of the connection terminal by engagement of the at least one terminal engagement portion and the at least one socket engagement portion.

3. The charging connector as recited in claim 2 , wherein the at least one terminal engagement portion includes a plurality of terminal engagement portions formed at locations that are symmetrical to each other with respect to an axis of the connection terminal.

4. The charging connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one socket engagement portion includes a plurality of socket engagement portions formed at locations that are symmetrical to each other with respect to an axis of the socket portion.

5. The charging connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the terminal coupling portion of the connection terminal has an engagement surface with which an engagement piece provided on the fixture terminal is engaged.

6. The charging connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the terminal coupling portion of the connection terminal has an attachment surface that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the connection terminal, wherein the fixture terminal secured to the connection terminal is in contact with the attachment surface.

7. charging connector as recited in claim 1 , wherein the terminal coupling portion of the connection terminal has an attachment surface that is in parallel to the axial direction of the connection terminal, wherein the fixture terminal secured to the connection terminal is in contact with the attachment surface.

8. The charging connector as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an end cap detachably attached to an end of the socket portion so as to hold the connection terminal within the terminal receptacle portion,
wherein the rotation regulator structure includes at least one terminal engagement portion formed on the connection terminal and at least one cap engagement portion formed on the end cap, and regulates rotation of the connection terminal by engagement of the at least one terminal engagement portion and the at least one cap engagement portion.

9. The charging connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one terminal engagement portion is formed on the terminal coupling portion of the connection terminal.

10. The charging connector as recited in claim 9 , wherein the terminal coupling portion of the connection terminal includes a larger-diameter portion on which the at least one terminal engagement portion is formed and a smaller-diameter portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the larger-diameter portion.

11. The charging connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one terminal engagement portion has a terminal engagement surface extending in parallel to the axis of the connection terminal, and
wherein the at least one cap engagement portion has a cap engagement surface extending in parallel to the terminal engagement surface.

12. The charging connector as recited in claim 8 , wherein the end cap has at least one cap portion having a wall surface configured to abut a side surface of the fixture terminal to regulate rotation of the fixture terminal.

13. The charging connector as recited in claim 12 , wherein the at least one terminal engagement portion has a terminal engagement surface extending in parallel to the axis of the connection terminal, and
wherein the at least one cap engagement portion has a cap engagement surface extending in a continuous manner from the wall surface of the cap portion and in parallel to the terminal engagement surface.

14. The charging connector as recited in claim 12 , wherein the at least one socket portion includes a plurality of socket portions arranged adjacent to each other,
wherein the at least one cap portion includes a plurality of cap portions provided so as to correspond to the plurality of socket portions arranged adjacent to each other, and
wherein the wall surface of each of the plurality of cap portions extends perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of socket portions are arranged adjacent to each other.

15. A method of manufacturing a charging connector assembly including a charging connector to which a charging plug can be attached and an electric cable connected to the charging connector, the method comprising:
preparing a housing having a cylindrical socket portion with a terminal receptacle portion formed inward of the socket portion;
preparing a conductive connection terminal having a plug connection portion to which a terminal of the charging plug can be connected and a terminal coupling portion located at an opposite side of the plug connection portion in an axial direction;
inserting the connection terminal into the terminal receptacle portion of the socket portion along the axial direction while engaging at least one terminal engagement portion formed on the connection terminal and at least one socket engagement portion formed on the socket portion with each other to regulate rotation of the connection terminal about its axis with respect to the socket portion;
preparing a conductive fixture terminal having an insertion hole formed therein;
securing an end of the electric cable to the fixture terminal to electrically connect the electric cable to the fixture terminal; and
after the inserting the connection terminal into the terminal receptacle portion of the socket portion, inserting a fastener through the insertion hole of the fixture terminal to which the end of the electric cable has been secured, and fastening the fastener to a fastening hole formed in the terminal coupling portion of the connection terminal to secure the fixture terminal to the connection terminal.

16. A method of manufacturing a charging connector assembly including a charging connector to which a charging plug can be attached and an electric cable connected to the charging connector, the method comprising:
preparing a housing having a cylindrical socket portion with a terminal receptacle portion formed inward of the socket portion;
preparing a conductive connection terminal having a plug connection portion to which a terminal of the charging plug can be connected and a terminal coupling portion located at an opposite side of the plug connection portion in an axial direction;
inserting the connection terminal into the terminal receptacle portion of the socket portion along the axial direction;
preparing an end cap for holding the connection terminal within the terminal receptacle portion;
attaching the end cap to an end of t

Assignees

• Fujikura Ltd

Inventors

• Morita Kohei
• Inoue Nobuaki

Classifications

• H01R43/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors (of trolley lines B60M1/28) · CPC title

• H01R13/56

  Means for preventing chafing or fracture of flexible leads at outlet from coupling part · CPC title

• H01R4/30 Primary

  utilising a screw or nut clamping member (H01R4/50 takes precedence; utilising a clamping member acted on by screw or nut H01R4/38; {for coaxial cables H01R9/0521}) · CPC title

• B60L53/16

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• H01R43/20

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title