Patent Publication Number: US-9893469-B2

Title: Connector device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. JP2016-096347 filed May 12, 2016, the content of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a connector device and, in particular, relates to a connector device which is attached to an electric car or a hybrid car to transmit electric power supplied from a power system. 
     For example, this type of connector device is disclosed in JP 2002-343169A (Patent Document 1), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Referring to  FIG. 20 , Patent Document 1 discloses a connector device  900  which comprises a connector  910  and a mating connector  950 . The connector  910  comprises a housing  920 , a lever  930  and a sub-connector  940 . The lever  930  is attached to the housing  920  so as to be turnable relative to the housing  920 . The lever is formed with a cam groove  935 . The sub-connector  940  is held by the housing  920  so as to be movable relative to the housing  920  in an upper-lower direction (Z-direction). The mating connector  950  comprises a mating housing  960 . The mating housing  960  is formed with a cam projection  965 . In addition, the mating housing  960  is provided with a mating sub-connector  970  which is a part of the mating housing  960 . When the lever  930  is turned under a state where the cam projection  965  is received in the cam groove  935 , the connector  910  is moved relative to the mating connector  950  in the upper-lower direction. When the lever  930  is subsequently moved in a horizontal direction (X-direction), the sub-connector  940  is mated with the mating sub-connector  970 . 
     According to Patent Document 1, when the connector  910  is assembled, the lever  930  needs to be attached to the housing  920  with high positional accuracy. If the lever  930  is improperly positioned relative to the housing  920 , it is impossible to properly position the cam projection  965  of the mating housing  960  relative to the cam groove  935  of the lever  930  while properly positioning the housing  920  relative to the mating housing  960 . As a result, the connector  100  cannot be properly mated with the mating connector  950 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector device which comprises a connector and a mating connector properly mateable with each other. 
     An aspect of the present invention provides a connector device which comprises a connector and a mating connector which are mateable with each other. The connector comprises a housing, a power terminal and a detection terminal. The housing is formed with an axis portion. The power terminal and the detection terminal are held by the housing. The mating connector comprises a mating housing, a mating power terminal and a mating detection terminal. The mating housing is formed with a mating axis portion. One of the axis portion and the mating axis portion is a shaft, and a remaining one of the axis portion and the mating axis portion is a bearing. When the axis portion and the mating axis portion are combined with each other, the connector is turnable on the shaft relative to the mating connector between an opened position and a closed position. The mating power terminal and the mating detection terminal are held by the mating housing. When the connector is located between the opened position and the closed position, the connector is located upward of the mating connector in an upper-lower direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft. When the connector is located at the opened position, the power terminal is unconnected to the mating power terminal, and the detection terminal is unconnected to the mating detection terminal. When the connector is located at a predetermined position between the opened position and the closed position, the power terminal is connected to the mating power terminal, and the detection terminal is unconnected to the mating detection terminal. When the connector is located at the closed position, the power terminal is connected to the mating power terminal, and the detection terminal is connected to the mating detection terminal. 
     The connector according to an aspect of the present invention does not comprise such a lever that is provided to the connector of Patent Document 1. Not the lever but the housing is provided with the axis portion, and the mating housing is provided with the mating axis portion. When the axis portion and the mating axis portion are combined with each other, the connector is attached to the mating connector so that the whole of the connector is turnable relative to the mating connector. According to the aspect of the present invention, the number of the components can be reduced, and the problem due to positional inaccuracy of the lever relative to the housing can be overcome. 
     An appreciation of the objectives of the present invention and a more complete understanding of its structure may be had by studying the following description of the preferred embodiment and by referring to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view showing a connector of the connector device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partially cut-away, perspective view showing a housing of the connector of  FIG. 2 . The illustrated housing is under a state where the connector is located at a closed position. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view showing a mating connector of the connector device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view showing the connector device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the connector device of  FIG. 1 , wherein the connector is located at an opened position. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 5 , taken along line A-A, wherein the connector is located at the opened position. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the connector device of  FIG. 1 , wherein the connector is located at a predetermined position. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 7 , wherein the connector is located at the predetermined position. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 8 , taken along line D-D. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 8 , taken along line E-E. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 5 , taken along line B-B, wherein the connector is located at the predetermined position. 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 5 , taken along line C-C, wherein the connector is located at the predetermined position. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing the connector device of  FIG. 1 , wherein the connector is located at the closed position. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 7 , wherein the connector is located at the closed position. 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 14 , taken along line F-F. 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 14 , taken along line G-G. 
         FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 12 , wherein the connector is located at the closed position. 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector device of  FIG. 13 , wherein the connector is located at the closed position. 
         FIG. 20  is a side view showing a connector device of Patent Document 1. 
     
    
    
     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a connector device  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a connector  100  and a mating connector  200 . The mating connector  200  is attached to an object (not shown) such as an electric car and connected with a power system (not shown) and a motor (not shown). When the connector  100  is mated with the mating connector  200 , the connector device  10  connects the power system and the motor with each other so that electric power supplied from the power system is transmitted to the motor. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the mating connector  200  comprises a mating housing  210 , two mating power terminals  240  and a mating sub-connector  250 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the mating housing  210  is formed with two mating axis portions  220  and two mating guide portions  270 . Each of the mating axis portions  220  of the present embodiment is a shaft which projects outward in the Y-direction. As can be seen from this structure, an axial direction of the shaft (mating axis portion  220 ) in the present embodiment is the Y-direction. The mating axis portions  220  are apart from in the axial direction. Each of the mating axis portions  220  is formed with a flange  222 . Each of the flanges  222  is located at an outside end of the corresponding mating axis portion  220  in the axial direction and protrudes in a perpendicular plane perpendicular to the axial direction. The perpendicular plane in the present embodiment is the XZ-plane. Each of the mating guide portions  270  is a projection which projects inward in the axial direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the mating housing  210  has a wall portion  230 . The wall portion  230  is a rear wall which is located at a rear side of the mating housing  210  in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The wall portion  230  extends in an upper-lower direction perpendicular to both the axial direction and the front-rear direction. The front-rear direction in the present embodiment is the X-direction. Therefore, “forward” means the negative X-direction, and “rearward” means the positive X-direction. The upper-lower direction in the present embodiment is the Z-direction. Therefore, “downward” means the negative Z-direction, and “upward” means the positive Z-direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the wall portion  230  of the mating housing  210  is formed with two regulation portions  232 , an additional regulation portion  234  and a block portion  236 . Each of the regulation portions  232  and the additional regulation portion  234  projects rearward. As shown in  FIG. 13 , each of the regulation portions  232  has a lower surface perpendicular to the upper-lower direction and an upper surface oblique to the upper-lower direction. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the additional regulation portion  234  has a lower surface oblique to the upper-lower direction and an upper surface perpendicular to the upper-lower direction. As can be seen from  FIG. 4 , the block portion  236  is located at an upper end of the wall portion  230  in the upper-lower direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , each of the mating power terminals  240  is a so-called socket contact. As shown in  FIGS. 10 and 16 , each of the mating power terminals  240  is provided with a contact point  242 . Each of the contact points  242  of the present embodiment is movable at least in the axial direction. As shown in  FIG. 4 , each of the mating power terminals  240  is connected to a power cable  500 . Each of the mating power terminals  240  is held by and fixed to the mating housing  210  and is unmovable relative to the mating housing  210 . The mating power terminals  240  are apart from each other in the axial direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the mating sub-connector  250  comprises a sub-housing  254  and two mating detection terminals  260 . Each of the mating detection terminals  260  is held by and fixed to the sub-housing  254 . The mating sub-connector  250  is held by and fixed to the mating housing  210 . Thus, each of the mating detection terminals  260  is held by and fixed to the mating housing  210  via the sub-housing  254  of the mating sub-connector  250  and is unmovable relative to the mating housing  210 . The mating detection terminals  260  are apart from each other in the axial direction. Each of the mating detection terminals  260  is connected to a signal cable  510 . As shown in  FIGS. 11 and 17 , each of the mating detection terminals  260  is provided with a contact point  262 . Each of the contact points  262  of the present embodiment is movable at least in the axial direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the connector  100  comprises a housing  110 , a power terminal  150  and a detection terminal  160 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 7 , the housing  110  is formed with two axis portions  120 , two guide paths  124  and two guide portions  170 . Each of the axis portions  120  of the present embodiment is a bearing. The axis portions  120  are apart from each other in the axial direction. Each of the axis portions  120  is formed with a guide face  122 . Each of the guide faces  122  extends in the perpendicular plane. The guide paths  124  are provided so as to correspond to the axis portions  120 , respectively. As can be seen from  FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 , each of the guide paths  124  is a channel which guides one of the shafts  220  to the corresponding axis portion  120 . Each of the guide paths  124  extends in a radial direction in a circular polar coordinate system on the shaft  220  (hereafter, referred to as “predetermined circular polar coordinate system”). As shown in  FIG. 2 , each of the guide paths  124  of the present embodiment passes through the housing  110  in the axial direction. Each of the guide portions  170  is a channel which is recessed in the axial direction to have an arc-like shape in the perpendicular plane. Although the guide portion  170  of the present embodiment is the channel with a bottom in the axial direction, the guide portion  170  may have no bottom. In other words, the guide portion  170  may pass through the housing  110  in the axial direction. 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the housing  110  of the present embodiment is formed with a base portion  130 , a spring portion  140 , two regulated portions  142 , an additional regulated portion  144  and a release portion  146 . The spring portion  140  extends from the base portion  130  to have a reversed U-like shape. The spring portion  140  is resiliently deformable. Each of the regulated portions  142  and the additional regulated portion  144  is supported by the spring portion  140 . The release portion  146  is provided on an end of the spring portion  140 . When the release portion  146  is operated, the spring portion  140  is resiliently deformed so that each of the regulated portions  142  and the additional regulated portion  144  is moved at least in the radial direction in the predetermined circular polar coordinate system. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the power terminal  150  has two blades  152  and a coupling portion  154  which couples the blades  152  to each other. As shown in  FIGS. 10 and 16 , the power terminal  150  is a member which connects the two mating power terminals  240  with each other. As shown in  FIG. 2 , each of the blades  152  extends in the perpendicular plane. Each of the blades  152  is formed with three chamfered edges. Thus, each of the blades  152  has a first chamfered portion  156  and a second chamfered portion  158 . As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the first chamfered portion  156  intersects with at least the circumferential direction in the predetermined circular polar coordinate system, and the second chamfered portion  158  intersects with at least the radial direction in the predetermined circular polar coordinate system. As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the coupling portion  154  is attached to and held by the housing  110 . In particular, the power terminal  150  of the present embodiment is fixed to the housing  110  and is unmovable relative to the housing  110 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the detection terminal  160  has two contact portions  162  and a coupling portion  164  which couples the contact portions  162  to each other. As can be seen from  FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 , the detection terminal  160  is held by the housing  110 . Unlike the connector of Patent Document 1, the detection terminal  160  of the present embodiment is fixed to the housing  110  and is unmovable relative to the housing  110 . 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 6 , a distance between the axis portion  120  and the power terminal  150  is shorter than another distance between the axis portion  120  and the detection terminal  160 . Because of this structure, the power terminal  150  can be connected to the mating connector  200  before the detection terminal  160  is connected to the mating connector  200  without enlarging the size of the connector device  10 . 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 1, 6, 8 and 14 , when the axis portions  120  and the mating axis portions  220  are combined with each other, the connector  100  is turnable on the shaft (mating axis portion  220 ) relative to the mating connector  200  between an opened position and a closed position. The opened position is a position at which the connector  100  stands up as shown in  FIG. 6 . The closed position is another position at which the connector  100  lies down as shown in  FIG. 14 . As can be seen from  FIGS. 6, 8 and 14 , when the connector  100  is located between the opened position and the closed position, the connector  100  is located upward of the mating connector  200  in the upper-lower direction. 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 2, 4, 7, 9 and 15 , when the connector  100  is turned between the opened position and the closed position, the guide faces  122  are located inward of the flanges  222  in the axial direction, respectively. In the meantime, each of the guide faces  122  faces the corresponding flange  222  in the axial direction to guide a movement of the corresponding flange  222  in the perpendicular plane. Moreover, when the connector  100  is turned, the projections of the mating guide portions  270  are moved in the channels of the guide portions  170 , respectively, to guide the turn of the connector  100 . 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 , in an attachment process of the connector  100  to the mating connector  200 , the connector  100  is moved along the upper-lower direction after placed above the mating connector  200  under a state where the connector  100  stands up, or where a longitudinal direction of the connector  100  extends in parallel to the upper-lower direction. During this attachment process, each of the guide paths  124  receives the corresponding mating axis portion  220  and guides the corresponding mating axis portion  220  to the corresponding axis portion  120  along the upper-lower direction. As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the thus-attached connector  100  is located at the opened position, each of the guide paths  124  extends along the upper-lower direction and opens downward. As can be seen from  FIGS. 4 and 6 , when the connector  100  is located at the opened position, the power terminal  150  is unconnected to the mating power terminals  240 , and the detection terminal  160  is unconnected to the mating detection terminals  260 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , when the connector  100  is turned from the opened position to predetermined position which is located between the opened position and the closed position, the additional regulated portion  144  is brought into abutment with the additional regulation portion  234  so that the additional regulation portion  234  temporarily regulates a movement of the connector  100  toward the closed position beyond the predetermined position. As shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , at that time, the power terminal  150  is connected to the mating power terminals  240 , but the detection terminal  160  is not yet moved to the mating detection terminals  260 . Thus, as shown in  FIGS. 8 to 11 , when the connector  100  is located at the predetermined position, the power terminal  150  is connected to the mating power terminals  240 , but the detection terminal  160  is unconnected to the mating detection terminals  260 . Since the detection terminal  160  is unconnected to the mating detection terminals  260 , the signal cables  510  are unconnected with each other. Because of this disconnection between the signal cables  510 , the power system (not shown) can detect that the connector  100  is not completely mated with the mating connector  200 . Therefore, the power system can make control so that the electric current does not flow through the power cables  500  even under a state where the power terminal  150  physically connects the mating power terminals  240  to each other. 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 10 , each of the blades  152  of the power terminal  150  is moved in the perpendicular plane while the connector  100  is turned. Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , since the guide faces  122  guide the flanges  222 , respectively, each of the blades  152  can be properly moved in the perpendicular plane and can be moved into the inside of the corresponding mating power terminal  240 . 
     As previously described, each of the blades  152  is formed with not only the first chamfered portion  156  but also the second chamfered portion  158 . Because of this structure, when the blades  152  are connected to the mating power terminals  240 , respectively, the blades  152  are smoothly received into the mating power terminals  240 , respectively. In the present embodiment, each of the thus-received blades  152  of the power terminal  150  is located in the corresponding mating power terminal  240  and is in contact with the contact point  242  of the corresponding mating power terminal  240  in the axial direction. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , as described above, when the connector  100  is located at the predetermined position, the additional regulated portion  144  is in abutment with the additional regulation portion  234  so that the movement of the connector  100  is temporarily regulated. When the connector  100  under this state receives a force which is larger than another force due to the regulation of the additional regulation portion  234  and which urges the connector  100  to be turned toward the closed position, the spring portion  140  is resiliently deformed so that the additional regulated portion  144  is moved outward in the radial direction of the turn of the connector  100 . As a result, the aforementioned regulation is released, so that the connector  100  can be moved to the closed position as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 14 to 17 , when the connector  100  is located at the closed position, the power terminal  150  is connected to the mating power terminals  240 , and the detection terminal  160  is connected to the mating detection terminals  260 . Because of this connection, the power system (not shown) can detect that the connector  100  is completely mated with the mating connector  200 . Therefore, the power system can make control so that the electric current flows through the power cables  500 . 
     In the present embodiment, when the connector  100  is located between the predetermined position and the closed position, the power terminal  150  is kept to be in contact with the mating power terminals  240  in the axial direction. As can be seen from  FIGS. 2 and 16 , when the connector  100  is located at the closed position, the first chamfered portion  156  intersects with the upper-lower direction, and the second chamfered portion  158  intersects with the front-rear direction. As shown in  FIG. 16 , when the connector  100  is located at the closed position, the power terminal  150  has a cross-section of an angular, reversed U-like shape in a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, or in the YZ-plane. 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 11 and 17 , the detection terminal  160  is unconnected to the mating detection terminals  260  before the connector  100  is moved to the closed position. The detection terminal  160  is connected to the contact points  262  of the mating detection terminals  260  at the time when the connector  100  is moved to the closed position. As shown in  FIG. 17 , when the connector  100  is located at the closed position, the detection terminal  160  has a cross-section of an angular U-like shape in a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, or in the YZ-plane. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , when the connector  100  is located at the closed position, the spring portion  140  extends upward from the base portion  130 , and the release portion  146  is located at an upper end of the spring portion  140 . In the meantime, the block portion  236  is located at a position same as that of the release portion  146  in the upper-lower direction. The block portion  236  is located inward of the release portion  146  in the radial direction to block an operation of the release portion  146 . 
     In a turning operation of the connector  100  from the closed position to the opened position, the connector  100  is first turned from the closed position to the predetermined position as shown in  FIG. 13 . As can be seen from  FIG. 13 , when the connector  100  is turned from the closed position to the predetermined position, the regulated portions  142  are brought into abutment with the regulation portions  232 , respectively, so that the regulation portions  232  regulate a movement of the connector  100  toward the opened position beyond the predetermined position. At that time, the base of the spring portion  140 , or the boundary portion between the spring portion  140  and the base portion  130 , is located below the regulated portions  142 , and the release portion  146  is located at an upper side of the spring portion  140 . Because of this arrangement, even if the connector  100  is forced to be turned toward the opened position, the regulated portions  142  are further caught by the regulation portions  232 , respectively, so that the regulation can be prevented from being undesirably released. 
     As shown in  FIG. 13 , when the connector  100  is located at the predetermined position, the release portion  146  is apart from the block portion  236  in the circumferential direction of the turn of the connector  100 . The thus-located release portion  146  is operable without being blocked by the block portion  236 . As can be seen from  FIG. 13 , when the release portion  146  is moved outward in the radial direction of the turn of the connector  100 , the spring portion  140  is resiliently deformed, and the regulation of the regulated portions  142  by the regulation portions  232  is released. As a result, the connector  100  can be further turned toward the opened position. The outward direction in the radial direction of the turn of the connector  100  can be resolved into two components, namely the rearward component in the front-rear direction and the upward component in the upper-lower direction. As can be seen from  FIGS. 7, 9, 13 and 15 , in the present embodiment, the predetermined position is rather nearer to the closed position than the opened position. Because of this arrangement, when the connector  100  is located at the predetermined position, the rearward component is rather larger than the upward component. Therefore, when the release portion  146  illustrated in  FIG. 13  is operated to be moved rearward, the regulation can be released. This release allows the connector  100  to be turned to the opened position beyond the predetermined position. 
     While there has been described about specific embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited thereto but can be variously modified. 
     In the aforementioned embodiment, the axis portion  120  is the bearing, and the mating axis portion  220  is the shaft. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The axis portion  120  may be the shaft, and the mating axis portion  220  may be the bearing. 
     In the aforementioned embodiment, the guide portion  170  is the arc-like shaped channel, and the mating guide portion  270  is the projection. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The guide portion  170  may be the projection, and the mating guide portion  270  may be the channel. 
     While there has been described what is believed to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention.