JP7615946B2 - Charging connector - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a charging connector.

Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal retaining material for a charging connector mounted on a vehicle. The terminal retaining material is attached to a housing into which a terminal is inserted. The terminal is formed with an annular flange portion. The terminal retaining material presses against this annular flange portion, thereby preventing the terminal from coming out of the housing.

JP 2017-216176 A

In charging connectors, it is time-consuming to provide an annular flange portion, such as the terminal described in Patent Document 1, to prevent the terminal from coming loose.

Therefore, the objective is to provide a technology that can easily prevent the terminals from coming loose in a charging connector.

The charging connector disclosed herein is a charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, engages with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, and includes first and second power terminals that are used to supply power to the battery, a plurality of signal terminals that are thinner than the first and second power terminals and are formed by bending metal plates, a housing that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals and engages with the external charging connector at a front end along the insertion/removal direction of the external charging connector, and a charging connector that combines with the rear end of the housing to charge the first and second power terminals together with the housing. The charging connector includes a retainer that holds a power terminal and the plurality of signal terminals, and a plurality of signal lines that are connected to the plurality of signal terminals, each of the plurality of signal terminals having a tubular portion at the front end into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a wire connection portion at the rear end that is electrically connected to the signal line, and an intermediate portion between the tubular portion and the wire connection portion, the intermediate portion having a protruding portion that protrudes beyond the tubular portion in a direction that intersects with the insertion/removal direction, and the retainer having a terminal pressing portion that extends along the wire connection portion and presses the protruding portion toward the housing.

According to this disclosure, the terminals of the charging connector can be easily prevented from coming loose.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a charging connector according to a first embodiment and an assembly manner thereof. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the charging connector according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the electric wire with terminal and its accommodation position. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the electric wire path in the charging connector. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the differences between signal terminals. FIG. 9 is a rear view showing the rear end portion of the housing main body. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the housing body and the signal terminals. FIG. 11 is a rear view showing the retainer. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the retainer. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining how the retainer holds the terminal from behind. FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which three types of signal terminals are fitted in regular terminal receiving portions. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which one type of signal terminal is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which another type of signal terminal is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions. FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which still another type of signal terminal is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions. FIG. 18 is a schematic rear view showing a state in which two types of signal terminals are properly accommodated in terminal accommodating portions. FIG. 19 is a rear view showing the charging connector according to the second embodiment. FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a signal terminal. FIG. 21 is a rear view showing the retainer. FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the signal terminal is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion.

[Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure]
First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

The charging connector disclosed herein is as follows:

(1) A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, engages with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle, the charging connector comprising: first and second power terminals that are used to supply power to the battery; a plurality of signal terminals that are thinner than the first and second power terminals and are formed by bending metal plates; a housing that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals and engages with the external charging connector at a front end along the insertion/removal direction of the external charging connector; and a housing that is combined with a rear end portion of the housing and that connects the first and second power terminals together with the housing. The charging connector includes a retainer that holds the terminals and the plurality of signal terminals, and a plurality of signal lines that are connected to the plurality of signal terminals, each of the plurality of signal terminals having a tubular portion provided at the front end into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a wire connection portion provided at the rear end and electrically connected to the signal lines, and an intermediate portion provided between the tubular portion and the wire connection portion, the intermediate portion having a protruding portion that protrudes beyond the tubular portion in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction, and the retainer having a terminal pressing portion that extends along the wire connection portion and presses the protruding portion toward the housing. The signal terminals are prevented from coming off using the protruding portions, and the signal terminals having the protruding portions are formed by bending a metal plate, so that the signal terminals are easily provided. The terminals can be easily prevented from coming off in the charging connector.

(2) In the charging connector of (1), the tube portion has a tube portion main body and a plurality of elastic pieces provided on the tip side of the tube portion main body, and the tube portion main body may have a body side slit formed therein that extends from one end of the tube portion main body to the other end. This allows room for the tube portion to deform in the radial direction when inserted or removed.

(3) In the charging connector of (1) or (2), the protrusion may have a first and a second protrusion extending in opposite directions, and the housing may be formed with a first and a second groove into which the first and the second protrusion fit, respectively. This prevents the signal terminal from rotating around an axis along the insertion/removal direction.

(4) In any one of the charging connectors (1) to (3), the electric wire connection portion may have a barrel crimped to the signal wire, and the crimped portion between the barrel and the signal wire may be waterproofed by a waterproofing portion. Because the crimped portion is waterproofed, it is not necessary to provide a separate structure for waterproofing between the retainer and the signal terminal. This allows for a simplification of the structure of the charging connector.

(5) In the charging connector of (4), the water-stopping portion may have a shrink tube that covers the crimping portion. This makes it easier to install the water-stopping portion compared to when the water-stopping portion is made of only adhesive.

(6) In any one of the charging connectors (1) to (5), the signal terminal may have a first signal terminal and a second signal terminal, and the dimensions of the protrusion of the first signal terminal and the dimensions of the protrusion of the second signal terminal may be different from each other. This makes it possible to easily prevent misassembly of the signal terminals using the protrusion.

(7) In the charging connector of (6), the dimension of the protrusion of the first signal terminal in the insertion/removal direction may be larger than the dimension of the protrusion of the second signal terminal. As a result, if the first signal terminal is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion for the second signal terminal, the retainer cannot be attached because the locking portion of the retainer collides with the protrusion of the first signal terminal when the retainer is attached. This prevents the first signal terminal and the second signal terminal from being misassembled.

(8) In the charging connector of (6) or (7), the dimension of the protrusion of the second signal terminal may be larger than the dimension of the protrusion of the first signal terminal in the direction in which the protrusion extends. As a result, when the second signal terminal is about to be inserted into the terminal housing for the first signal terminal, the protrusion of the second signal terminal hits the peripheral portion of the terminal housing, making it impossible to insert. This prevents the first signal terminal and the second signal terminal from being misassembled.

(9) In any one of the charging connectors (6) to (8), the first signal terminal may be disposed on the opposite side of the second signal terminal with respect to the first and second power terminals. This makes it easier to ensure a space in the housing for the protrusions to be disposed therein, even if the protrusions have different dimensions.

(10) In any one of the charging connectors (1) to (9), the tubular portion of the signal terminal may have a plurality of elastic pieces, and the width dimension between adjacent elastic pieces may be smaller than the width of a wall that appears at the rear end of the housing when the rear end of the housing is observed from the insertion/removal direction. This prevents the wall that appears at the rear end of the housing from getting between the elastic pieces when the signal terminal is inserted into the housing, improving the assembly of the charging connector.

(11) In any one of the charging connectors (1) to (10), the power terminal may be formed by bending a metal plate that is thicker than the metal plate of the signal terminal. This makes it easier to reduce the processing time compared to when the power terminal is a cut terminal.

(12) The charging connector according to any one of (1) to (11) further includes a ground terminal having a smaller diameter than the power terminal and a larger diameter than the signal terminal, the ground terminal being formed by bending a metal plate thicker than the metal plate of the signal terminal, the ground terminal having a ground terminal side tube portion provided at the front end into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a ground terminal side electric wire connection portion provided at the rear end and electrically connected to a ground wire, and a ground terminal side intermediate portion provided between the ground terminal side tube portion and the ground terminal side electric wire connection portion, the ground terminal side intermediate portion having a ground terminal side protruding portion protruding beyond the ground terminal side tube portion in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction, and the retainer may have a ground terminal pressing portion extending along the ground terminal side electric wire connection portion and pressing the ground terminal side protruding portion toward the housing. This makes it possible to prevent the ground terminal from coming off in the same way as the signal terminal.

(13) The charging connector according to any one of (1) to (12) further includes an intermediate terminal attached between the power terminal and the power line and extending in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction, and an exterior member covering the power line and the signal line from the rear end of the housing to an intermediate portion thereof, the power line being thicker than the signal line, the signal line extending while bending inside the exterior member, and the power line extending in a straight line inside the exterior member. This can reduce the need to bend the thick power line as much as possible when assembling the charging connector, improving the ease of assembly of the charging connector.

[Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure]
Specific examples of the charging connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, the charging connector according to the first embodiment will be described.

<About the vehicle>
First, a vehicle in which the charging connector is installed will be described.

The vehicle in which the charging connector is incorporated is an electric vehicle equipped with a power storage device and a motor. The vehicle runs by driving the motor with power from the power storage device. The vehicle may be an electric vehicle equipped only with a motor as a drive source, or a hybrid vehicle equipped with a motor and an engine. The power storage device in the vehicle is charged with power supplied from an external power source. The charging connector is configured so that an external charging connector can be inserted and electrically connected. The external charging connector is a connector for a charging cable extending from an external power source.

Charging modes for a power storage device in a vehicle generally include normal charging and rapid charging. Rapid charging allows charging to be completed in a shorter time than normal charging by passing a larger current than normal charging. For normal charging, a household power source or an equivalent external power source is assumed to be used. For rapid charging, a dedicated power source such as a charging station is assumed to be used. The charging connector of the present disclosure is described as a charging connector compatible with rapid charging.

<Charging connector in vehicle>
An assembly mode of the charging connector in a vehicle will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a charging connector 10 according to a first embodiment and its assembly mode.

The charging connector 10 is attached to a mounting portion 100 provided on the outer surface of the body of the vehicle, for example. FIG. 1 shows an example of the mounting portion 100. The mounting portion 100 is formed, for example, in such a manner that a part of a panel constituting the body is recessed toward the inside of the vehicle. A through hole 104 is formed in a panel 102 at the bottom of the mounting portion 100.

A connection portion with an external charging connector is provided on the front side of the charging connector 10. The connection portion includes a portion into which the external charging connector is inserted and electrically connected. A portion of the charging connector 10, including the connection portion, passes through the through hole 104 and is exposed to the outside of the panel 102. Another portion of the charging connector 10 is disposed inside the vehicle relative to the panel 102. Typically, a vehicle body side cover 106 is provided on the mounting portion 100. The vehicle body side cover 106 is attached so as to be openable and closable by a hinge or the like. When the vehicle body side cover 106 is closed, the vehicle body side cover 106 covers the opening of the panel 102. When the vehicle body side cover 106 is open, the charging connector 10 is exposed, and the charging connector 10 can be accessed from the outside.

In this disclosure, as shown in FIG. 1, of the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions, the X direction is parallel to the direction in which the charging connector 10 passes through the through hole 104 of the panel 102. The charging connector 10 and the external charging connector are connected in the X direction. The Z direction is, for example, the vertical direction. For example, when the charging connector 10 is provided on the side of the vehicle, the Y direction is the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. For example, when the charging connector 10 is provided on the front or rear surface of the vehicle, the Y direction is the width direction of the vehicle. Below, for members that are not in an installed state, a description will be given in accordance with the directions corresponding to the X, Y, and Z directions when in an installed state.

<Overall composition>
The overall configuration of the charging connector 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 7 in addition to Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a front view showing the charging connector 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a terminal-attached electric wire 38 and its housing position. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the path of the electric wire 30 in the charging connector 10. Note that the electric wire 30 is omitted in Fig. 3. Also, some of the terminal-attached electric wires 38 are omitted in Fig. 6.

The charging connector 10 includes a terminal 20, an electric wire 30, a thermistor unit 40, a housing 50, a retainer 60, an electric wire cover 70, a lid unit 80, and a grommet 90.

<Terminals>
The terminal 20 includes a connector terminal 21 and a relay terminal 28. The connector terminal 21 is accommodated in a housing 50. The connector terminal 21 is connected to a terminal of a mating connector. The number and type of the connector terminals 21 are appropriately set according to the standard of the charging connector 10, etc. In the example of the present embodiment, two power terminals 22, six signal terminals 24, and one ground terminal 26 are provided as the connector terminals 21. The relay terminal 28 is interposed between the power terminal 22 and the electric wire 30. The relay terminals 28 are provided in the same number as the power terminals 22 (here, two). The two power terminals 22 are an example of a first and second power terminal. Either of the two power terminals 22 may be set as the first power terminal.

The power terminal 22 has a mating connection portion 23a, a terminal fixing portion 23b, and a protrusion 23c. The power terminal 22 further has a thermistor mounting portion 23d. The signal terminal 24 has a mating connection portion 25a, an electric wire connection portion 25b, and a protrusion 25c. The ground terminal 26 has a mating connection portion 27a, an electric wire connection portion 27b, and a protrusion 27c. The relay terminal 28 has a terminal fixing portion 29a and an electric wire connection portion 29b.

The mating connection parts 23a, 25a, 27a are parts that are electrically connected to the connector terminals of the external charging connector. The terminal fixing parts 23b, 29a have holes through which the screws S can be inserted. The power terminal 22 and the relay terminal 28 are fixed and electrically connected to each other by being fixed to the terminal fixing parts 23b, 29a with the screws S. The wire connection parts 25b, 27b, 29b are crimp parts having barrels. The signal terminal 24, the ground terminal 26, and the relay terminal 28 are crimped to the ends of the corresponding electric wires 30 by the barrels of the wire connection parts 25b, 27b, 29b. As a result, the signal terminal 24, the ground terminal 26, and the relay terminal 28 are fixed and electrically connected to the corresponding electric wires 30. The protrusions 23c, 25c, 27c are provided in the middle parts of the connector terminals 21. Protrusions 23c, 25c, and 27c are the parts that are held down by the retainer 60. Thermistor mounting portion 23d is the part where the thermistor unit 40 is mounted.

Each terminal 20 is formed by pressing (bending) a metal plate. The thickness of each terminal 20 may be set according to the allowable current value, etc. The greater the plate thickness, the greater the conductor cross-sectional area and the greater the allowable current value. In this example, the plate thickness of the signal terminal 24 is thinner than the plate thickness of the power terminal 22 and the plate thickness of the ground terminal 26. The plate thickness of the ground terminal 26 is also thinner than the plate thickness of the power terminal 22. The plate thickness of the relay terminal 28 is the same as the plate thickness of the power terminal 22.

The signal terminal 24 is thinner than the power terminal 22 and the ground terminal 26, and the ground terminal 26 is thinner than the power terminal 22. The mating connection parts 23a, 25a, 27a of the power terminal 22, the signal terminal 24, and the ground terminal 26 are formed in a cylindrical shape. The mating connection part 25a of the signal terminal 24 has a smaller diameter than the mating connection parts 23a, 27a of the power terminal 22 and the ground terminal 26, and the mating connection part 27a of the ground terminal 26 has a smaller diameter than the mating connection part 23a of the power terminal 22.

<Electric wires>
One end of each electric wire 30 is connected to the terminal 20. The other end of each electric wire 30 extends from the grommet 90 to the outside. When the charging connector 10 is mounted on the vehicle, the other end of each electric wire 30 is connected to another device mounted on the vehicle. Such a device is appropriately set according to the type of the electric wire 30, and is assumed to be, for example, a battery, an electronic control unit (ECU), etc. The number and type of the electric wires 30 correspond to the number and type of the connector terminals 21. In the example of the present embodiment, the electric wire 30 includes two power lines 32, six signal lines 34, and one ground line 36. One end of the power lines 32 is connected to the relay terminal 28. The power lines 32 are connected to the power terminal 22 via the relay terminal 28. One end of the signal line 34 is connected to the signal terminal 24. One end of the ground line 36 is connected to the ground terminal 26. One end of the thermistor electric wire 44 is connected to the thermistor 42.

Each electric wire 30 is a coated electric wire. The coated electric wire has a core wire 31a and a coating 31b that covers the core wire 31a. The core wire 31a is formed, for example, by twisting multiple metal wires. The coating 31b is formed, for example, by extruding an insulating resin around the core wire 31a. As the multiple electric wires 30, multiple types of electric wires 30 with different thicknesses are used. The thickness of the electric wire 30 is set according to the allowable current value, etc. Normally, to increase the allowable current value, it is necessary to increase the conductor cross-sectional area, and the thickness of the electric wire 30 becomes thicker accordingly. In addition, the thickness of the electric wire 30 is usually correlated with the difficulty of bending the electric wire 30, and as the electric wire 30 becomes thicker, the electric wire 30 becomes harder to bend. For example, when an easy-to-bend electric wire and a hard-to-bend electric wire are bent at the same angle, the radius of curvature of the hard-to-bend electric wire will be larger than the radius of curvature of the easy-to-bend electric wire, and therefore a larger installation space will be required.

In this example, the power line 32 is thicker than the ground line 36 and the signal line 34. Therefore, the power line 32 is less likely to bend than the ground line 36 and the signal line 34. The ground line 36 is also thicker than the signal line 34. Therefore, the ground line 36 is less likely to bend than the signal line 34. The power terminal 22, the relay terminal 28, and the power line 32 are used to supply power to the battery. The signal terminal 24 and the signal line 34 send signals between the outside of the vehicle and the control unit of the vehicle. The ground terminal 26 and the ground line 36 are used for grounding.

<Wire with terminal>
The terminal 20 and the electric wire 30 are fixed and integrated while being electrically connected to each other by crimping during the manufacturing process of the charging connector 10. Such an integrated electric wire 30 and terminal 20 may be called a terminal-attached electric wire 38. In this example, a terminal-attached electric wire 38 in which a power line 32 and a relay terminal 28 are integrated, a terminal-attached electric wire 38 in which a signal line 34 and a signal terminal 24 are integrated, and a terminal-attached electric wire 38 in which a ground line 36 and a ground terminal 26 are integrated are provided.

As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal-attached electric wire 38 may be covered with a shrink tube 39 to form a waterproof section. The shrink tube 39 covers the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20. This prevents water from getting on the connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 and prevents water from penetrating into the coating. The connection portion between the electric wire 30 and the terminal 20 is the crimped portion between the barrels of the electric wire connection portions 25b, 27b, and 29b and the core wires of the signal line 34, the ground line 36, and the power line 32.

The shrink tube 39 covers, for example, the portion of the terminal 20 in front of the portion to which the electric wire 30 is connected to the portion of the electric wire 30 that is covered. The shrink tube 39 is a heat shrink tube 39 that shrinks when heated. The heat shrink tube 39 is placed over the terminal-attached electric wire 38 in a large diameter state before being heated. After that, when the heat shrink tube 39 is heated and shrinks, it takes a shape corresponding to the shape of the connection portion, so that it can be tightly attached to the connection portion. For example, a hot melt adhesive may be provided on the inner surface of the heat shrink tube 39. This allows the hot melt adhesive to fill the gap between the heat shrink tube 39 and the terminal 20 and the gap between the heat shrink tube 39 and the electric wire 30, thereby improving the waterproofing of the shrink tube 39. The inner surface of the heat shrink tube 39 does not need to be provided with a hot melt adhesive.

In the electric wire with terminal 38, the water-stopping portion does not have to be the shrink tube 39. For example, instead of the shrink tube 39, a resin such as an adhesive may be provided. Also, in the electric wire with terminal 38, the crimped portion may not have a water-stopping portion and may be exposed. The electric wire with terminal 38 may be water-stopped by a rubber plug or the like.

<Thermistor unit>
The thermistor unit 40 measures the temperature of the power supply circuit. In the charging connector 10 for rapid charging, a large current flows through the power supply circuit for charging the battery, and therefore the temperature rise of the power supply circuit is large. By using the thermistor unit 40 to monitor the temperature of the power supply circuit, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the power supply circuit from becoming too high. The thermistor unit 40 has a thermistor 42 and a thermistor wire 44. In this example, the thermistor 42 is attached to each of the pair of power terminals 22, and the temperature of each of the pair of power terminals 22 is measured. One end of the thermistor wire 44 is connected to the thermistor 42. The other end of the thermistor wire 44 extends to the outside from the grommet 90 in the same manner as the other end of the wire 30. When the charging connector 10 is mounted on the vehicle, the other end of the thermistor wire 44 is connected to, for example, an ECU. The thermistor wire 44 is thinner than the power line 32 and the ground line 36. For this reason, the thermistor wire 44 is easier to bend than the power wire 32 and the ground wire 36 .

<Housing>
The housing 50 holds the connector terminal 21 in a predetermined position (a position where the connector terminal 21 of the external charging connector can be connected). The housing 50 mates with the external charging connector at a front end portion along the insertion/removal direction of the external charging connector. The housing 50 includes a housing main body 51, a vehicle attachment portion 54, and a wire pressing portion 57.

The connector terminals 21 are accommodated in the housing body 51. The housing body 51 has a plurality of terminal accommodating portions 53 and an outer frame portion 52. Each of the plurality of terminal accommodating portions 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape capable of accommodating a corresponding connector terminal 21. The outer frame portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the plurality of terminal accommodating portions 53. At the middle portion of the terminal accommodating portion 53, the plurality of terminal accommodating portions 53 and the outer frame portion 52 are connected by a flat connecting portion. A lid unit 80 is attached to the front of the housing body 51. A retainer 60 is attached to the rear of the housing body 51.

The vehicle mounting portion 54 is a portion for mounting the charging connector 10 to the mounting portion 100. The vehicle mounting portion 54 is formed in a plate shape that protrudes around the outer frame portion 52 at the middle portion of the housing main body 51. The vehicle mounting portion 54 is attached to the mounting portion 100 by, for example, screws S.

The wire pressing portion 57 presses the middle portion of the wire 30 extending from the terminal 20. This makes it difficult for vibrations occurring on the other end side of the portion of the wire 30 pressed by the wire pressing portion 57 to be transmitted to the terminal 20, suppressing friction between the terminal 20 and the housing body 51. At the rear of the housing body 51, a block-shaped arm 56 protrudes in the Y direction from the outer frame portion 52. The wire pressing portion 57 is provided at the tip of the arm 56 along the protruding direction from the housing body 51. Three wire pressing portions 57 are provided. Two of the three wire pressing portions 57 press two power lines 32, and the remaining wire pressing portion 57 presses one ground line 36.

<Retainer>
The retainer 60 prevents the terminals 20 from coming out of the housing 50. The retainer 60 is combined with a rear end portion of the housing 50 to hold the terminals 20 together with the housing 50. The retainer 60 includes a terminal pressing portion 61 and ribs 69a and 69b.

The terminal pressing portion 61 presses the rear of the connector terminal 21 housed in the housing 50. This prevents the connector terminal 21 from slipping out rearward from the housing 50. The terminal pressing portion 61 includes a rear cover portion 62 and multiple protruding tubular portions 63. The protruding tubular portions 63 press the signal terminals 24. The terminal pressing portion 61 further includes two power terminal pressing portions 63P and a ground terminal pressing portion 63G. The power terminal 22 is pressed by the power terminal pressing portion 63P, and the ground terminal 26 is pressed by the ground terminal pressing portion 63G.

The rear cover portion 62 closes the rear opening of the outer frame portion 52. The multiple protruding tube portions 63 protrude forward (toward the housing 50) from the rear cover portion 62. Each protruding tube portion 63 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The protruding tube portions 63 are formed at positions corresponding to the terminal accommodating portions 53 of the six signal terminals 24. The protruding tube portions 63 are inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53. Each protruding tube portion 63 surrounds the signal terminal 24 on the wire connection portion 25b side of the protruding portion 25c. Each protruding tube portion 63 opens to the front and rear of the retainer 60. When the protruding tube portion 63 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, the rear end of the connector terminal 21 accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53 is accommodated in the protruding tube portion 63 from the front opening of the protruding tube portion 63. When each protruding tube portion 63 is inserted into the terminal housing portion 53, it extends along the electric wire connection portion 25b of the accommodated signal terminal 24. The tip of each protruding tube portion 63 presses the protruding portion 25c of the corresponding signal terminal 24 from behind toward the housing 50. The signal line 34 is pulled out from the rear opening of the corresponding protruding tube portion 63.

The two power terminal pressing parts 63P and one ground terminal pressing part 63G protrude forward (towards the housing 50) from the rear cover part 62. The power terminal pressing part 63P is formed in a cylindrical shape like the protruding tube part 63. The ground terminal pressing part 63G is formed in a plate shape extending in the Y direction. Each power terminal pressing part 63P presses the protruding part 23c of the corresponding power terminal 22 from the rear toward the housing 50. The ground terminal pressing part 63G presses the protruding part 27c of the ground terminal 26 from the rear toward the housing 50. The power terminal 22 and the relay terminal 28 are screwed in contact through the rear opening of the power terminal pressing part 63P. The relay terminal 28 is arranged on the back surface of the rear cover part 62. The rear opening of the power terminal pressing part 63P is blocked by the relay terminal 28. The ground wire 36 is drawn out from a hole below the ground terminal pressing part 63G.

The ribs 69a and 69b protrude rearward from the rear cover portion 62. The ribs 69a and 69b separate the relay terminals 28 from each other. The ribs 69a and 69b also separate the relay terminals 28 from the signal terminals 24. The ribs 69a and 69b also determine the position of the relay terminals 28. The portion of the relay terminal 28 that is connected to the power terminal 22 is arranged along the ribs 69a and 69b. The ribs 69a and 69b separate the terminal 20 storage space and the drainage space inside the grommet 90. Dust and other particles that have entered the drainage space from the drainage port 93 are prevented from reaching the terminal 20 storage space. This prevents dust and other particles from adhering to the terminals 20.

The housing 50 and the retainer 60 are provided with locking portions. In this example, the locking portions are a locking protrusion formed on the housing 50 and a locking piece formed on the retainer 60. The locking piece locks onto the locking protrusion, thereby maintaining the housing 50 and the retainer 60 in an attached state.

<Wire cover>
The wire cover 70 is attached to the wire pressing portion 57. The wire cover 70 prevents the wire 30 from coming out of the wire pressing portion 57. The wire cover 70 and the wire pressing portion 57 cover the entire periphery of the wire 30. In this embodiment, two wire covers 70 are provided. One of the two wire covers 70 presses two power lines 32. The other of the two wire covers 70 presses one ground line 36.

<Lid unit>
The lid unit 80 is provided in front of the housing main body 51 so as to be openable and closable. When the lid unit 80 is opened, a connection port of the housing main body 51 is exposed. This allows an external charging connector to be connected to the charging connector 10. When the lid unit 80 is closed, the connection port of the housing main body 51 is closed by the lid unit 80. The lid unit 80 has a lid 82, a hinge unit 84, and a lock unit 86. The lid 82 is attached to the housing main body 51 via the hinge unit 84 so as to be openable and closable. The lock unit 86 maintains the lid 82 in a closed state. During charging work, an operator can open the lid 82 by operating the lock unit 86.

<Grommet>
The grommet 90 is an example of an exterior member that collectively covers the housing 50 from the rear end to the intermediate portions of the power lines 32 and the signal lines 34. The grommet 90 covers the housing 50 and the retainer 60. The grommet 90 includes a first protective portion 91 and a second protective portion 94. The first protective portion 91 covers the rear end of the housing main body 51 and the retainer 60. The second protective portion 94 covers the electric wire pressing portion 57. The grommet 90 is made of an elastomer such as EPDM.

The first protective portion 91 is formed with a housing pull-out opening 92 and a drainage opening 93. The front end of the housing main body 51 extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the housing pull-out opening 92. The drainage opening 93 is an opening for draining water that has entered the inside of the charging connector 10 to the outside. It is assumed that such water enters through the opening of the housing main body 51 when the lid unit 80 is opened, for example. A cable tie 98 is attached to the outer surface of the housing pull-out opening 92. The grommet 90 is attached to the housing 50 by the cable tie 98.

An electric wire outlet 95 is formed in the second protective section 94. The other end of the electric wire 30 extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the electric wire outlet 95. Three electric wire outlets 95 are provided in one grommet 90. Two of the three electric wire outlets 95 are provided for two power lines 32. One power line 32 is passed through each of the two electric wire outlets 95. The signal line 34, the ground line 36, and the thermistor wire 44 are passed through the remaining one of the three electric wire outlets 95.

<Wire path in charging connector>
The power line 32 extends in a straight line within the grommet 90 from one end connected to the relay terminal 28 to the other end, and extends to the outside of the grommet 90 through the electric wire outlet 95. Therefore, one end of the power line 32 is not inserted into the through hole 64 of the retainer 60.

The two power lines 32 extend in the grommet 90 side by side in the Z direction. The two power terminals 22 are arranged in the Y direction and housed in the housing body 51. The difference between the direction in which the two power lines 32 are arranged and the direction in which the two power terminals 22 are arranged is absorbed by the relay terminals 28. More specifically, the two relay terminals 28 are arranged on the rear cover portion 62. The two relay terminals 28 extend in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction. Of the two relay terminals 28, the relay terminal 28A is connected to the power terminal 22 closer to the electric wire outlet 95, and the relay terminal 28B is connected to the power terminal 22 farther from the electric wire outlet 95. The relay terminals 28A and 28B are arranged in the Y direction in the portion connected to the power terminal 22, and in the Z direction in the portion connected to the electric wire 30. Relay terminal 28A extends in a straight line along rear cover portion 62 between the portion connected to power terminal 22 and the portion connected to power line 32. Relay terminal 28B is bent so as to move away from rear cover portion 62 midway from the portion connected to power terminal 22 to the portion connected to power line 32. Relay terminal 28B changes the orientation of the main surface between the portion connected to power terminal 22 and the portion connected to power line 32.

One end of the signal line 34 is inserted into the terminal housing 53. The other end of the signal line 34 extends from the through hole 64 of the retainer 60, bends in the grommet 90, and heads toward the wire outlet 95 of the grommet 90. Of the multiple signal lines 34, signal line 34A is connected to a signal terminal 24 located above the power terminal 22, and signal line 34B is connected to a signal terminal 24 located below the power terminal 22. After extending from the through hole 64, signal line 34A passes between the pair of power lines 32, merges with signal line 34B, and extends in the Y direction.

One end of the ground wire 36 is inserted into the terminal housing 53. The ground wire 36 extends from one end to the other end through the through hole 64 of the retainer 60, and while bending in the grommet 90, moves toward the wire outlet 95 of the grommet 90 together with the signal wire 34. As described above, the ground wire 36 is less likely to bend than the signal wire 34, so that the radius of curvature of the ground wire 36 tends to be larger than the radius of curvature of the signal wire 34 at the portion where the signal wire 34 and the ground wire 36 bend from the X direction to the Y direction. The other end of the ground wire 36 is held down by the wire holding portion 57 and the wire cover 70 of the housing 50, thereby preventing the ground wire 36 from bulging too much in the grommet 90.

The thermistor 42 is housed in the housing body 51 together with the power terminal 22. Therefore, one end of the thermistor wire 44 is also housed in the housing body 51. The other end of the thermistor wire 44 extends outward from the rear cover portion 62 through the through hole 64 of the retainer 60, and while bending inside the grommet 90, heads toward the outlet of the grommet 90. The thermistor wire 44 passes through a portion of the through hole 64 that is used to insert the terminal-attached wire 38. The thermistor wire 44 passes between a pair of power lines 32 and extends in the Y direction together with the signal line 34.

<Relationship between the housing body and signal terminals>
With further reference to Figs. 8 to 10, the relationship between the housing body 51 and the signal terminals 24 will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the difference between the signal terminals 24. Fig. 9 is a rear view showing the rear end of the housing body 51. In Fig. 9, the connector terminals 21 are arranged in the same order as the terminal accommodating portions 53. It is a rear view showing the rear end of the housing body 51. Fig. 10 is a diagram explaining the relationship between the housing body 51 and the signal terminals 24. In Fig. 10, the signal terminals 24 are a partially enlarged view of Fig. 8, and the housing body 51 is a partially enlarged view of Fig. 9.

As shown in FIG. 8, in this example, the multiple signal terminals 24 have three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C. Here, one signal terminal 24A, three signal terminals 24B, and two signal terminals 24C are provided. The signal terminal 24A is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53A, and the signal terminal 24B is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53B. The terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B are located above the line connecting the centers of the terminal accommodating portions 53 of the two power terminals 22 in the Z direction. The terminal accommodating portion 53A is surrounded by three terminal accommodating portions 53B. In the Y direction, the terminal accommodating portions 53B are located on both sides of the terminal accommodating portion 53A. In the Z direction, one terminal accommodating portion 53B is located next to the lower side of the terminal accommodating portion 53A. The terminal accommodating portion 53A and the terminal accommodating portion 53B below it are located in the center of the terminal accommodating portions 53 of the two power terminals 22 in the Y direction.

The three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C have different shapes. The shapes of the protrusions 25c of the three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C are different from each other. In each of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C, the first and second protrusions 25c extend in opposite directions. In the middle part of each signal terminal 24, the connecting part that connects the mating connection part 25a and the electric wire connection part 25b is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape. The first protrusion 25c extends from one end of the semi-cylindrical connecting part in a direction away from the connecting part. The second protrusion 25c extends from the other end of the semi-cylindrical connecting part in a direction away from the connecting part. The distance between the tip of the first protrusion 25c from the semi-cylindrical connecting part and the tip of the second protrusion 25c is the maximum width dimension of the signal terminal 24.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the up-down direction on the paper is parallel to the insertion/removal direction of the external charging connector. The dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24 along the insertion/removal direction is the width of the protrusion 25c. In the example shown in FIG. 8, widths W1A, W1B, and W1C are the widths of the protrusion 25c of each of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C. As shown in FIG. 8, the widths W1A and W1C of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminals 24A and 24C are smaller than the width W1B of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24B. Furthermore, the width W1A of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24A is the same as the width W1C of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24C.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the left-right direction of the paper is parallel to the direction in which the protrusion 25c extends from the semi-cylindrical connecting portion. In the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24, the dimension along the direction in which the first and second protrusions 25c extend is the width dimension of the signal terminal 24. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the width dimensions W2A, W2B, and W2C are the width dimensions of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C, respectively. As shown in FIG. 8, the width dimension W2A of the signal terminal 24A is smaller than the width dimensions W2B and W2C of the signal terminals 24B and 24C. Furthermore, the width dimension W2B of the signal terminal 24B is smaller than the width dimension W2C of the signal terminal 24C.

Each signal terminal 24 has a tubular portion 25a as a mating connection portion 25a. The tubular portion 25a is provided on the tip side of the signal terminal 24. A terminal of an external charging connector is inserted into the tubular portion 25a. The tubular portion 25a has a tubular body 25d and multiple elastic pieces 25e. The multiple elastic pieces 25e protrude from the tip of the tubular body 25d toward the tip side. The multiple elastic pieces 25e form the tip of the signal terminal 24. A semi-cylindrical connecting portion protrudes from the rear end of the tubular body 25d toward the rear end side.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, length dimensions LA, LB, and LC are the dimensions of the tubular body 25d of each signal terminal 24A, 24B, and 24C in the insertion/removal direction. The length dimension LA of the tubular body 25d of signal terminal 24A is longer than the length dimensions LB and LC of the tubular body 25d of signal terminals 24B and 24C. The length dimension LB of the tubular body 25d of signal terminal 24B and the length dimension LC of the tubular body 25d of signal terminal 24C are the same.

The terminal accommodating portion 53 for the signal terminal 24 has a first accommodating portion 53d and a second accommodating portion 53e. The first accommodating portion 53d accommodates the tip end of the signal terminal 24 that is closer to the protruding portion 25c. The first accommodating portion 53d is formed to be the same size as or slightly smaller than the tubular body 25d. The second accommodating portion 53e accommodates the protruding portion 25c and the rear end of the signal terminal 24 that is closer to the protruding portion 25c. The second accommodating portion 53e is sized to accommodate the protruding tubular portion 63. In the direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction, the second accommodating portion 53e is larger than the first accommodating portion 53d, and a step is formed between the first accommodating portion 53d and the second accommodating portion 53e. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 9, the rear end surface of the first accommodating portion 53d appears on the rear end side through the second accommodating portion 53e. When the signal terminal 24 attempts to move toward the tip of the terminal housing 53 beyond a predetermined position in the insertion/removal direction, the protrusion 25c catches on the rear end surface of the first housing 53d, restricting further movement.

Two recesses 53f are formed in each first storage portion 53d. The two recesses 53f are spaced apart in the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the first storage portion 53d. The two recesses 53f are formed in a portion of the first storage portion 53d that accommodates the tubular body 25d and the rear end portion thereof. A protrusion 53g is formed between the two recesses 53f. The two recesses 53f and the protrusion 53g extend from the rear end of the first storage portion 53d to the middle portion. The two recesses 53f are provided on both sides of the lowermost portion in the Z direction on the inner surface of the first storage portion 53d. The protrusion 53g is provided in the lowermost portion in the Z direction on the inner surface of the first storage portion 53d. The two recesses 53f are recessed downward along the Z direction. The rear end of the recess 53f is recessed in the Z direction by a greater amount than the tip of the recess 53f. On the rear end surface of the first storage section 53d, the recessed portion 53f and the protruding portion 53g form an uneven shape in the X direction.

In the second housing portion 53e of some of the terminal housing portions 53B and 53C, a groove 53h is formed into which the protrusion 25c fits. In the second housing portion 53e of the terminal housing portions 53B and 53C, a first and second groove 53h into which the first and second protrusions 25c respectively fit is formed. The first and second grooves 53h are formed at positions 180 degrees apart from each other on the inner surface of the second housing portion 53e. Each groove 53h is sized according to the protrusion 25c to be accommodated. In addition, each groove 53h is recessed from the inner surface of the second housing portion 53e in a direction according to the direction of the signal terminal 24. The signal terminal 24B is accommodated in the terminal housing portion 53B so that the first and second protrusions 25c extend in the Y direction. The first and second grooves 53h in the terminal housing portion 53B are recessed in the Y direction from the inner surface of the second housing portion 53e. The signal terminal 24C is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53C so that the first and second protrusions 25c extend in a direction intersecting the Y and Z directions. The first and second grooves 53h in the terminal accommodating portion 53C are recessed from the inner surface of the second accommodating portion 53e in a direction intersecting the Y and Z directions. The first and second protrusions 25c of the signal terminals 24B and 24C fit into the first and second grooves 53h of the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C. This prevents the signal terminals 24B and 24C from rotating around an axis along the insertion/removal direction.

The groove 53h is not formed in the second housing 53e of some terminal housings 53A. The second housing 53e of the terminal housing 53A is formed to a size that can accommodate the protrusion 25c. The second housing 53e of the terminal housing 53A is formed with a rotation suppressing protrusion 53i. The rotation suppressing protrusion 53i protrudes from a part of the inner surface of the second housing 53e toward the inside of the second housing 53e. The rotation suppressing protrusion 53i is located on the trajectory of the protrusion 25c when the signal terminal 24A rotates around an axis along the insertion/removal direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the rotation suppressing protrusion 53i is provided at a position different from the recess 53f and the protrusion 53g when viewed from the X direction.

A slit 25f is formed at the tip of the tube portion 25a. The slit 25f separates one portion of the tube portion 25a along the circumferential direction from the other portion. Here, the slit 25f is defined as a space between the multiple elastic pieces 25e. The multiple elastic pieces 25e protrude from positions spaced apart from one another along the circumferential direction of the tube portion main body 25d. Each space between the multiple elastic pieces 25e lined up in the circumferential direction is defined as a slit 25f. In this example, three elastic pieces 25e are lined up in the circumferential direction in one signal terminal 24. Therefore, three slits 25f are formed in one signal terminal 24.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, width dimension W3 is the width of the tip of slit 25f in signal terminal 24C. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 10, width dimension W4 is the width of protrusion 53g in terminal accommodating portion 53 of signal terminal 24C. Width dimension W4 is the width of the wall that appears at the rear end of housing 50 when the rear end of housing 50 is observed from the insertion/removal direction. Width dimension W3 of slit 25f is smaller than width dimension W4 of protrusion 53g as a wall. Therefore, when signal terminal 24C is inserted into terminal accommodating portion 53, protrusion 53g is prevented from entering slit 25f, making it easier to insert the terminal.

The width dimension of the tip of the slit 25f in the signal terminals 24A and 24B is the same as the width dimension of the tip of the slit 25f in the signal terminal 24C. In addition, the width dimension of the convex portion 53g in the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the signal terminals 24A and 24B is the same as the width dimension of the convex portion 53g in the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the signal terminal 24C. Therefore, when the signal terminals 24A and 24B are inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, the convex portion 53g is prevented from entering the slit 25f, making it easier to insert the terminals.

Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 10, width dimension W5 is the width dimension of the protruding portion 53g in the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the ground terminal 26. The protruding portion 53g in the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the ground terminal 26 is the wall with the smallest width among the walls that appear at the rear end of the housing 50 when the rear end of the housing 50 is observed from the insertion/removal direction. Here, width dimension W3 of the slit 25f is smaller than width dimension W5 of the wall. As a result, when each signal terminal 24 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, none of the walls at the rear end of the housing 50 enters the slit 25f, making it easier to insert the terminals.

The slit 25f extends rearward from the tip of the tube portion 25a. The protrusion 53g of the terminal accommodating portion 53 extends forward from the rear end of the first accommodating portion 53d. When the rear end of the housing 50 is observed from the insertion/removal direction, the rear end of the protrusion 53g is exposed.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, width dimension W6 is the width dimension of the rear end of slit 25f. Width dimension W6 of the rear end of slit 25f is greater than width dimension W3 of the tip of slit 25f.

The elastic pieces 25e are bent at their middle portions so that the tips of the elastic pieces 25e are located radially closer to the center than the rear ends of the elastic pieces 25e. As a result, the diameter of the tubular portion 25a at the tips of the elastic pieces 25e is smaller than the diameter of the tubular portion 25a at the rear ends of the elastic pieces 25e. As a result, the distance between adjacent elastic pieces 25e at the tips of the elastic pieces 25e is smaller than the distance between adjacent elastic pieces 25e at the rear ends of the elastic pieces 25e.

In addition, here, the plate width of the rear end of each elastic piece 25e is smaller than the plate width of the tip end. As a result, the distance between adjacent elastic pieces 25e at the tip end of the elastic piece 25e is smaller than the distance between adjacent elastic pieces 25e at the rear end of the elastic piece 25e.

A body-side slit 25g is also formed in the tubular body 25d. The body-side slit 25g extends from one axial end to the other axial end of the tubular body 25d. As described above, the signal terminal 24 is formed by bending a metal plate. The circumferential length of the metal plate in the tubular body 25d is slightly shorter than the circumferential length of a circle corresponding to the diameter of the tubular body 25d. One end and the other end of the metal plate in the circumferential direction do not overlap in the radial direction, but are separated in the circumferential direction. As a result, the space between one end and the other end of the metal plate in the circumferential direction forms the body-side slit 25g.

<Relationship between the retainer and the terminal>
The relationship between the retainer 60 and the connector terminal 21 will be described with further reference to Figures 11 to 13. Figure 11 is a rear view showing the retainer 60. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the retainer 60. Figure 13 is a view explaining how the retainer 60 presses the connector terminal 21 from behind.

The retainer 60 has a plurality of through holes 64. Each through hole 64 penetrates the retainer 60 along the insertion/removal direction. The through holes 64 are formed at positions corresponding to the terminal accommodating portions 53. A protruding tube portion 63 is formed on the periphery of the through hole 64. Each protruding tube portion 63 has a protruding tube portion main body 63a. The protruding tube portion 63 that holds the signal terminal 24B further has a protruding portion pressing protrusion 63b. The protruding portion pressing protrusion 63b protrudes from the outer surface of the protruding tube portion main body 63a to the outer periphery. The protruding portion pressing protrusion 63b enters the groove 53h and presses the protruding portion 25c. The protruding tube portion 63 that holds the signal terminals 24A and 24C does not have a protruding portion pressing protrusion 63b. In this example, four through holes 64 are formed in one retainer 60 corresponding to the terminal accommodating portions 53 of the six signal terminals 24.

Each of the four through holes 64 has a hollow portion 65 of the protruding tube portion 63, a terminal insertion hole 66, and a terminal pressing portion side slit 67. The hollow portion 65 of the protruding tube portion 63 is a portion that connects the front opening and the rear opening of the protruding tube portion 63. The terminal insertion hole 66 is located outside the protruding tube portion 63 in a direction that intersects with the insertion/removal direction. The terminal pressing portion side slit 67 is formed over the entire length of the protruding tube portion 63 in the insertion/removal direction. The terminal pressing portion side slit 67 communicates with the hollow portion 65 and the terminal insertion hole 66.

In two of the four through holes 64, 64A and 64B, one terminal insertion hole 66 communicates with the hollow portion 65 of one protruding tube portion 63. The hollow portion 65 of the protruding tube portion 63 in the through holes 64A and 64B is separated from the hollow portion 65 of the other protruding tube portion 63.

In two of the four through holes 64, 64C and 64D, one terminal insertion hole 66 communicates with the hollow portions 65 of the two protruding tube portions 63. These two through holes 64C and 64D are shared through holes 64C and 64D. In the shared through hole 64C, one terminal insertion hole 66C communicates with one hollow portion 65C1 through one terminal pressing portion side slit 67C1 and also communicates with another hollow portion 65C2 through another terminal pressing portion side slit 67C2. In the shared through hole 64D, one terminal insertion hole 66D communicates with one hollow portion 65D1 through one terminal pressing portion side slit 67D1 and also communicates with another hollow portion 65D2 through another terminal pressing portion side slit 67D2.

After the six signal terminals 24 are connected to the signal wires 34 to form the terminal-attached electric wires 38, they penetrate the retainer 60 through the through holes 64 corresponding to the terminal accommodating sections 53 in which they are accommodated. Specifically, the signal terminal 24A and the signal terminal 24B to the left of the signal terminal 24A among the three signal terminals 24B penetrate the retainer 60 through the through hole 64C. The signal terminal 24B to the right of the signal terminal 24A among the three signal terminals 24B penetrates the retainer 60 through the through hole 64A. The signal terminal 24B below the signal terminal 24A among the three signal terminals 24B penetrates the retainer 60 through the through hole 64B. The two signal terminals 24C penetrate the retainer 60 through the through hole 64D.

Each of the four through holes 64 is formed to a size that allows the corresponding signal terminal 24 to pass through. Each of the four through holes 64 is larger than the maximum width dimension at the middle of the signal terminal 24 through which it passes. The maximum width dimension at the middle of the signal terminal 24 is the width dimension at the protruding portion 25c. Specifically, the through holes 64A and 64B are larger than the width dimension W1B at the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B. The through hole 64C is larger than the width dimension W1A at the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24A and the width dimension W1B at the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B. The through hole 64D is larger than the width dimension W1C at the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24C.

The maximum width dimension of the middle part of the signal terminal 24 is larger than the width dimension of the terminal pressing part side slit 67. The middle part of the signal terminal 24 cannot pass through the terminal pressing part side slit 67.

The minimum width dimension of the signal terminal 24 from the protruding portion 25c toward the electric wire connection portion 25b or the diameter of the signal line 34 connected to the signal terminal 24 is the same as or smaller than the width dimension of the terminal pressing portion side slit 67. As a result, after the protruding portion 25c passes through the through hole 64, the signal terminal 24 or the signal line 34 can move through the terminal pressing portion side slit 67 into the hollow portion 65 of the protruding tube portion 63. Here, the diameter of the signal line 34 is smaller than the width dimension of the terminal pressing portion side slit 67. The signal line 34 is allowed to pass through the terminal pressing portion side slit 67.

In the shared through hole 64C, an insulating wall 68C is provided at the portion where the terminal pressing portion side slit 67C1 and the terminal pressing portion side slit 67C2 are connected by a straight line. The insulating wall 68C is part of the protruding tube portion 63. The insulating wall 68C ensures an insulating distance between the two signal terminals 24A and 24B that pass through the shared through hole 64C.

Insulating walls 68D1 and 68D2 are provided in the shared through hole 64D at the portion where the terminal pressing portion side slit 67D1 and the terminal pressing portion side slit 67D2 are connected by a straight line. The insulating wall 68D1 is a part of the protruding tube portion 63. The insulating wall 68D2 is a wall provided separately from the protruding tube portion 63. The insulating wall 68D2 extends downward in the Z direction from the end of the insulating wall 68D1. The four through holes 64 are separated by the rear cover portion 62 of the retainer 60. The insulating walls 68D1 and 68D2 ensure an insulating distance between the two signal terminals 24C and the ground terminal 26 that pass through the shared through hole 64C.

The rear opening of the cylindrical power terminal pressing portion 63P is blocked by the relay terminal 28. Therefore, the thermistor wire 44 cannot be pulled out through the rear opening of the power terminal pressing portion 63P. The thermistor wire 44 passes through one of the four through holes 64 and penetrates the retainer 60. For example, the thermistor wire 44 of the thermistor 42 connected to one power terminal 22 passes through the retainer 60 through the through hole 64A. The thermistor wire 44 of the thermistor 42 connected to the other power terminal 22 passes through the retainer 60 through the through hole 64C.

<Preventing incorrect assembly of signal terminals>
With further reference to Fig. 14 to Fig. 17, the prevention of misassembly of three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, 24C will be described. Fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, 24C are accommodated in the regular terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, 53C. Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which one type of signal terminal 24A is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, 53C. Fig. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which another type of signal terminal 24B is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, 53C. Fig. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which yet another type of signal terminal 24C is accommodated in three types of terminal accommodating portions 53A, 53B, 53C.

As described above, the dimensions of the protrusions 25c are different for the three types of signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C. Furthermore, the tubular portion 25a of the signal terminal 24A is longer than the tubular portion 25a of the signal terminals 24B and 24C. As a result, each of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C cannot be properly accommodated in a terminal accommodating portion 53 other than the corresponding terminal accommodating portion 53A, 53B, and 53C. Here, the fact that the signal terminal 24 cannot be properly accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53 includes not only the case where the signal terminal 24 cannot be inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53, but also the case where the retainer 60 cannot be attached to the housing 50 when the signal terminal 24 is inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the retainer 60 is attached to the housing 50 with each signal terminal 24A, 24B, 24C accommodated in the corresponding terminal accommodating portion 53A, 53B, 53C, each protruding tube portion 63 is inserted to a predetermined position into the second accommodating portion 53e of each terminal accommodating portion 53. This allows the housing 50 and the retainer 60 to be locked at the locking portion, and the housing 50 and the retainer 60 are attached.

As shown in FIG. 15, the signal terminal 24A can be inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C. This is because the maximum width of the signal terminal 24A is smaller than the maximum width of the signal terminals 24B and 24C and the width of the corresponding terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C. However, the length of the tubular portion 25a of the signal terminal 24A is longer than the length of the tubular portion 25a of the signal terminal 24B and 24C. Therefore, when the signal terminal 24A is inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C, the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24A is located rearward of the normal position of the protruding portion 25c. Therefore, when the retainer 60 is attached to the housing 50 with the signal terminal 24A inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C, the protruding tubular portion 63 cannot be inserted to the normal position into the terminal accommodating portions 53B and 53C in which the signal terminal 24A is accommodated. As a result, the housing 50 and the retainer 60 cannot be locked at the locking portion, and the housing 50 and the retainer 60 cannot be attached. This prevents the signal terminal 24A from being misassembled into the terminal housing portions 53B and 53C.

As shown in FIG. 16, the signal terminal 24B cannot be inserted into the terminal accommodating portion 53A. This is because the maximum width dimension of the signal terminal 24B is greater than the maximum width dimension of the signal terminal 24A and the width dimension of the corresponding terminal accommodating portion 53A. This prevents the signal terminal 24B from being erroneously assembled into the terminal accommodating portion 53A.

The signal terminal 24B can also be inserted into the terminal housing 53C. This is because the maximum width of the signal terminal 24B is smaller than the maximum width of the signal terminal 24C and the width of the corresponding terminal housing 53C. However, the width of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B is larger than the width of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24C. Therefore, when the signal terminal 24B is inserted into the terminal housing 53C, the rear end of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B is located rearward of the normal position. Therefore, when the retainer 60 is attached to the housing 50 with the signal terminal 24B inserted into the terminal housing 53C, the protruding tube portion 63 cannot be inserted to the normal position into the terminal housing 53C in which the signal terminal 24B is accommodated. As a result, the housing 50 and the retainer 60 cannot be locked at the locking portion, and the housing 50 and the retainer 60 cannot be attached. This prevents the signal terminal 24B from being misassembled into the terminal housing 53C.

As shown in FIG. 17, the signal terminal 24C cannot be inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B. This is because the maximum width dimension of the signal terminal 24C is larger than the maximum width dimension of the signal terminals 24A and 24B and the width dimension of the corresponding terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B. This prevents the signal terminal 24C from being misassembled into the terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B.

In the above example, in the insertion/removal direction, the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24B is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminals 24A and 24C. Therefore, the combinations of signal terminals 24 that satisfy the first condition that the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the first signal terminal 24 is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the second signal terminal 24 in the insertion/removal direction are the combination of signal terminals 24B and 24C, and the combination of signal terminals 24A and 24C.

In the above example, in the direction in which the protrusion 25c extends, the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24C is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminals 24A and 24B, and the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24B is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24A. Therefore, the combinations of signal terminals 24 that satisfy the second condition that the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the second signal terminal 24 is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the first signal terminal 24 in the direction in which the protrusion 25c extends are the combination of signal terminals 24A and 24B, the combination of signal terminals 24B and 24C, and the combination of signal terminals 24A and 24C.

In the above example, the signal terminals 24A and 24B are arranged on the opposite side of the signal terminal 24C, sandwiching the two power terminals 22. Therefore, the combinations of signal terminals 24 that satisfy the third condition that the first signal terminal 24 is arranged on the opposite side of the second signal terminal 24, sandwiching the two power terminals 22, are the combination of signal terminals 24A and 24C, and the combination of signal terminals 24B and 24C.

In the above example, the combination of signal terminals 24 that satisfies all of the first, second, and third conditions is the combination of signal terminals 24B and 24C. That is, in the insertion/removal direction, the dimension of the protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24B is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24C. Also, in the direction in which the protrusion 25c extends, the dimension of the protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24C is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of signal terminal 24B. Also, signal terminal 24B is disposed on the opposite side of signal terminal 24C, sandwiching the two power terminals 22 therebetween.

<Signal terminal retention status>
The holding state of the signal terminals 24 will be described with further reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a schematic rear view showing a state in which two types of signal terminals 24A and 24B are accommodated in regular terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B.

When the signal terminal 24A is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53A, a rotation suppressing protrusion 53i is provided at the position of the protrusion 25c in the insertion/removal direction. Therefore, when the signal terminal 24A attempts to rotate around an axis along the insertion/removal direction, as shown in FIG. 18, the protrusion 25c comes into contact with the rotation suppressing protrusion 53i in either direction of rotation, suppressing further rotation. This suppresses the rotation of the signal terminal 24A around the axis along the insertion/removal direction to less than one rotation. This prevents the amount of twist in the signal line 34 connected to the signal terminal 24A from becoming too large.

The rotation suppression protrusion 53i continues to the rear end of the terminal accommodating portion 53A. The rotation suppression protrusion 53i fits into the terminal pressing portion side slit 67 in the protruding tube portion 63 that presses the signal terminal 24A, further rearward than the protrusion 25c. The terminal pressing portion side slit 67 is closed by the rotation suppression protrusion 53i. The signal terminal 24A is allowed to rotate less than one turn around an axis along the insertion/removal direction. Even in this case, because the terminal pressing portion side slit 67 is closed by the rotation suppression protrusion 53i, the signal terminal 24A or the signal line 34 connected thereto is prevented from fitting into the terminal pressing portion side slit 67 when the signal terminal 24A rotates around an axis along the insertion/removal direction.

When the signal terminal 24B is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 53B, as shown in FIG. 18, the first and second protrusions 25c are accommodated in the first and second grooves 53h, respectively. As a result, when the signal terminal 24B attempts to rotate around an axis along the insertion/removal direction, the protrusions 25c come into contact with the inner surface of the groove 53h, thereby preventing further rotation. The amount of rotation around the axis along the insertion/removal direction of the signal terminal 24B is small, and is smaller than the amount of rotation around the axis along the insertion/removal direction of the signal terminal 24A.

As with signal terminal 24B, the first and second protrusions 25c of signal terminal 24C are housed in the first and second grooves 53h, respectively, thereby preventing rotation around an axis along the insertion/removal direction.

The tubular body 25d of the signal terminal 24A is longer in the insertion/removal direction than the tubular body 25d of the signal terminals 24B and 24C. Therefore, the signal terminal 24A is supported in the terminal accommodating portion 53 at a longer distance in the insertion/removal direction than the signal terminals 24B and 24C at the tubular body 25d. This makes it difficult for the signal terminal 24A to rotate around an axis that intersects with the insertion/removal direction (for example, around the Y axis or the Z axis).

The cylindrical body 25d of the signal terminals 24B and 24C is shorter in the insertion/removal direction than the cylindrical body 25d of the signal terminal 24A. Even in this case, the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminals 24B and 24C is supported on the inner surface of the groove 53h. This makes it difficult for the signal terminals 24B and 24C to rotate around an axis (e.g., around the Y-axis or Z-axis) that extends in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction.

<Relationship between ground terminal, housing and retainer>
The mating connection portion 27a and the wire connection portion 27b of the ground terminal 26 are an example of a ground terminal side tube portion and a ground terminal side wire connection portion. The ground terminal 26 has a ground terminal side intermediate portion provided between the mating connection portion 27a and the wire connection portion 27b. The protruding portion 27c is an example of a ground terminal side that protrudes beyond the ground terminal side tube portion in a direction intersecting with the insertion/removal direction. The ground terminal pressing portion 63G of the retainer 60 extends along the wire connection portion 27b and presses the protruding portion 27c toward the housing 50.

Unlike the first and second protrusions 25c, the first and second protrusions 27c extend in the same direction (here, the positive Z-direction side). The ground terminal pressing portion 63G is formed on the upper peripheral edge of the terminal insertion hole 66D on the front surface of the rear cover portion 62. The ground terminal pressing portion 63G is formed in a flat plate shape extending in the Y direction and presses the tips of the first and second protrusions 27c.

In this example, the ground terminal 26 can also pass through the retainer 60 in the form of a terminal-attached electric wire 38. As shown in FIG. 11, the through hole 64D is formed to a size that allows the terminal-attached electric wire 38 of the ground terminal 26 to pass through.

<Effects, etc.>
According to the charging connector 10 configured as described above, the signal terminal 24 is prevented from coming off by using the protrusion 25c, and the signal terminal 24 having this protrusion 25c is formed by bending a metal plate, so that the signal terminal 24 can be easily provided. In the charging connector 10, the signal terminal 24 can be easily prevented from coming off.

The tubular body 25d also has a body-side slit 25g that extends from one end of the tubular body 25d to the other end. This allows room for the tubular body 25a to deform in the radial direction when inserting or removing the tubular body 25d.

The housing 50 also has first and second grooves 53h into which the first and second protrusions 25c fit, respectively. This prevents the signal terminal 24 from rotating around an axis along the insertion/removal direction.

In addition, because the crimped portion between the electric wire connection portion 25b and the signal wire 34 is waterproof, it is not necessary to provide a separate structure such as a rubber plug to waterproof the area between the retainer 60 and the signal terminal 24. This allows for a simplified structure.

The watertight portion also has a shrink tube 39 that covers the crimped portion. This makes it easier to install the watertight portion compared to when the watertight portion is made of adhesive only.

The dimensions of the protrusions 25c of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C are different from each other. This makes it possible to easily prevent misassembly of the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C using the protrusions 25c.

In addition, in the insertion/removal direction, the dimension of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B is larger than the dimension of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminals 24A and 24C. As a result, if the signal terminal 24B is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53C for the signal terminals 24A and 24C, the protruding tube portion 63 of the retainer 60 collides with the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24B when the retainer 60 is attached, making it impossible to attach the retainer 60. This prevents the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C from being misassembled and being manufactured into a product.

In addition, in the direction in which the protrusion 25c extends, the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24C is larger than the dimension of the protrusion 25c of the signal terminals 24A and 24B. As a result, when the signal terminal 24C is about to be inserted into the terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B for the signal terminals 24A and 24B, the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24C hits the peripheral portion of the terminal accommodating portions 53A and 53B, making it impossible to insert. This prevents the signal terminals 24A, 24B, and 24C from being misassembled and becoming a product.

The signal terminals 24A and 24B are arranged on the opposite side of the power terminal 22 from the signal terminal 24C. This makes it easier to ensure a space for the protrusion 25c in the housing 50 even if the protrusion 25c has a different dimension. For example, the protrusion 25c of the signal terminal 24C is longer than the protrusions 25c of the signal terminals 24A and 24B. The signal terminal 24C fits into the terminal accommodating portion 53C in a state tilted around an axis along the insertion/removal direction. This causes the direction of the maximum width of the signal terminal 24C to intersect with the direction in which the terminal accommodating portion 53C and the terminal accommodating portion 53 of the ground terminal 26 are aligned. The groove 53h of the terminal accommodating portion 53C is formed in a direction that corresponds to the tilted attitude of the signal terminal 24C.

In addition, the width dimension W3 between adjacent elastic pieces 25e is smaller than the width dimensions W4, W5 of the walls such as the protrusion 53g that appear at the rear end of the housing 50 when the rear end of the housing 50 is observed from the insertion/removal direction. This prevents the walls that appear at the rear end of the housing 50 from getting between the elastic pieces 25e when the signal terminal 24 is inserted into the housing 50, improving the assembly of the charging connector 10.

The power terminal 22 is also made by bending a thicker metal plate than the signal terminal 24. This makes it easier to reduce the processing time compared to when the power terminal 22 is a cut terminal. The protruding portion 23c of the power terminal 22 is pressed toward the housing 50 by the power terminal pressing portion 63P. This makes it possible to prevent the power terminal 22 from coming loose, just like the signal terminal 24.

In addition, the protrusion 27c of the ground terminal 26 is pressed toward the housing 50 by the ground terminal pressing portion 63G. This makes it possible to prevent the ground terminal 26 from coming loose, just like the signal terminal 24.

In addition, the power lines 32 are thicker than the signal lines 34, and the signal lines 34 extend while bending inside the grommet 90, while the power lines 32 extend in a straight line inside the grommet 90. This makes it possible to assemble the charging connector 10 with minimal bending of the thick power lines 32, improving the ease of assembly of the charging connector 10.

[Embodiment 2]
A charging connector according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 19 is a rear view showing a charging connector 110 according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 19, the signal line 34 is omitted. Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a signal terminal 124 in the charging connector 110. Fig. 21 is a rear view showing a retainer 160 in the charging connector 110. Fig. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the signal terminal 124 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 153. In the description of this embodiment, components similar to those described so far are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

In the charging connector 110, the ground terminal 26 and the ground wire 36 are omitted. As a result, the configuration related to the ground terminal 26 and the ground wire 36 is omitted in the housing 150 and the retainer 160. Furthermore, eight signal terminals 124 are provided in the charging connector 110. The eight signal terminals 124 are housed in groups of four, with the power terminal 22 in between. In the rear view of FIG. 19, the four signal terminals 124 are arranged to correspond to the four vertices of a square. The square is tilted 45 degrees so that one diagonal line is aligned in the Z direction. In this example, all eight signal terminals 124 have the same shape.

In the signal terminal 124, a slit 25f is formed between the elastic pieces 125e. In the housing 150, walls such as the protrusion 53g appear at the rear end. In this example, the width of the slit 25f is smaller than the width of the wall, so that when the signal terminal 124 is inserted into the housing 150, the wall such as the protrusion 53g is prevented from getting stuck in the slit 25f.

As shown in FIG. 20, in the signal terminal 124, the width dimension of the tip of the slit 25f is smaller than the width dimension of the rear end of the slit 25f. Also, in the signal terminal 124, the diameter of the tubular portion 125a at the tip of the elastic piece 125e is smaller than the diameter of the tubular portion 125a at the rear end of the elastic piece 125e. In the elastic piece 125e, the width dimension of the tip is smaller than the width dimension of the rear end. As shown in FIG. 20, in the elastic piece 125e of the signal terminal 124, the width dimension of the tip is smaller than the width dimension of the rear end. The diameter of the tubular portion 125a at the tip of the elastic piece 125e is smaller than the diameter of the tubular portion 25a at the tip of the elastic piece 25e.

The shape of the protruding portion 125c of the signal terminal 124 is different from the shape of the protruding portion 25c of the signal terminal 24. In the signal terminal 124, the first and second protruding portions 125c extend in the same direction as the protruding portion 23c of the power terminal 22 and the protruding portion 27c of the ground terminal 26. The protruding tube portion 163 is formed in a cylindrical shape like the protruding tube portion 63. The tip of the protruding tube portion 163 presses the first and second protruding portions 125c toward the housing 150. As shown in FIG. 22, the tip of the first and second protruding portions 125c are pressed by the protruding tube portion 163.

Similar to the signal terminal 24, the signal terminal 124 is also formed into a terminal-attached electric wire 38 and then passes through the through hole 164 of the retainer 160. Since the first and second protrusions 125c extend in the same direction, the maximum width dimension of the signal terminal 124 is smaller than the maximum width dimension of the signal terminal 24. Therefore, the through hole 164 in the retainer 160 is also smaller than the through hole 64 in the retainer 60. Furthermore, the retainer 160 does not have shared through holes 64C and 64D, and eight through holes 164 are formed to correspond to the eight signal terminals 124.

In the terminal accommodating portion 153, a groove 53h for accommodating the protruding portion 125c is not formed. Instead, all eight terminal accommodating portions 153 are provided with a rotation suppressing protrusion 53i, similar to the terminal accommodating portion 53A. At the rear end side of the protruding portion 125c, the rotation suppressing protrusion 53i is accommodated in the terminal pressing portion side slit 167 of the protruding tube portion 163, as described above. Note that, since the distance between the signal terminals 124 is close and the space is limited, the terminal pressing portion side slits 167A of the three through holes 164A located in the middle in the Y direction among the eight through holes 164 are larger in width than the terminal pressing portion side slits 167B of the other five through holes 164B. For this reason, the rotation suppressing protrusion 53i that fits in the terminal pressing portion side slit 167A is larger in width than the rotation suppressing protrusion 53i that fits in the terminal pressing portion side slit 167B. The rotation suppression protrusion 53i that fits into the terminal pressing portion side slit 167A has two small protrusions spaced apart in the circumferential direction, which increases the width of the rotation suppression protrusion 53i.

[Additional Notes]
Although the above description has been given assuming that the body-side slits 25g are formed in the tubular body 25d, this is not a required configuration. The body-side slits 25g may not be formed in the tubular body 25d. For example, the body-side slits 25g may not be formed by overlapping one circumferential end and the other circumferential end in the radial direction.

In addition, up until now, it has been explained that the width dimension between adjacent elastic pieces 25e is smaller than the width dimension of the wall such as the protrusion 53g that appears at the rear end of the housing 50 when the rear end of the housing 50 is observed from the insertion/removal direction, but this is not a required configuration. The width dimension between adjacent elastic pieces 25e may be the same as or larger than the width dimension of the wall such as the protrusion 53g.

Although it has been described above that the power terminal 22 is formed by bending a metal plate, this is not a required configuration. For example, a metal tubular member may be machined to form a power terminal. Similarly, the ground terminal 26 may be machined to form a ground terminal by machining a metal tubular member.

Although the charging connector 10 has been described so far as having a grommet 90 as an exterior member, this is not a required configuration. For example, the charging connector may have a resin protector with low elasticity. Also, for example, the charging connector 10 may not have an exterior member. Furthermore, the power line 32 may be bent and extend within the exterior member.

The configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent.

10, 110 Charging connector 20 Terminal 21 Connector terminal 22 Power terminal 23a Counterpart connection portion 23b Terminal fixing portion 23c Protrusion 23d Thermistor mounting portion 24, 24A, 24B, 24C, 124 Signal terminal 25a, 125a Counterpart connection portion (tubular portion)
25b Electric wire connection portion 25c, 125c Protrusion portion 25d Cylindrical body 25e, 125e Elastic piece 25f Slit 25g Body side slit 26 Ground terminal 27a Mating connection portion (ground terminal side cylindrical portion)
27b Wire connection part (ground terminal side wire connection part)
27c Protrusion (ground terminal side protrusion)
28, 28A, 28B Relay terminal 29a Terminal fixing portion 29b Wire connection portion 30 Wire 31a Core wire 31b Coating 32 Power line 34 Signal line 36 Ground line 38 Wire with terminal 39 Shrink tube 40 Thermistor unit 42 Thermistor 44 Thermistor wire 50, 150 Housing 51 Housing body 52 Outer frame portion 53, 53A, 53B, 53C, 153 Terminal accommodating portion 53d First accommodating portion 53e Second accommodating portion 53f Recessed portion 53g Protruding portion (wall)
53h Groove 53i Rotation suppressing protrusion 54 Vehicle mounting portion 56 Arm 57 Wire pressing portion 60, 160 Retainer 61 Terminal pressing portion 62 Rear cover portion 63, 163 Protruding tube portion 63a Protruding tube portion main body 63b Protruding portion pressing protrusion 63P Power terminal pressing portion 63G Ground terminal pressing portion 64, 64A, 64B, 164, 164A, 164B Through hole 64C, 64D Shared through hole (through hole)
65, 65C1, 65C2, 65D1, 65D2 Hollow portion 66, 66C, 66D Terminal insertion hole 67, 67C1, 67C2, 67D1, 67D2, 167, 167A, 167B Terminal pressing portion side slit 68C, 68D1, 68D2 Insulating wall 69a, 69b Rib 70 Wire cover 80 Lid unit 82 Lid 84 Hinge unit 86 Lock unit 90 Grommet (protector)
Reference Signs List 91 First protective portion 92 Housing outlet 93 Drain outlet 94 Second protective portion 95 Electric wire outlet 98 Cable tie 100 Mounting portion 102 Panel 104 Through hole 106 Vehicle body side cover S Screw

Claims (12)

A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, is mated with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle,
first and second power terminals used to supply power to the battery;
a plurality of signal terminals each having a bent metal plate and each signal terminal is thinner than the first and second power terminals;
a housing that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals and that is adapted to mate with the external charging connector at a front end portion along an insertion/removal direction of the external charging connector;
a retainer mated with a rear end of the housing to hold the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals together with the housing;
a plurality of signal lines connected to the plurality of signal terminals, respectively;
Equipped with
Each of the plurality of signal terminals has a cylindrical portion provided at a front end side and into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, an electric wire connection portion provided at a rear end side and electrically connected to the signal line, and an intermediate portion provided between the cylindrical portion and the electric wire connection portion,
the intermediate portion has a protruding portion that protrudes beyond the cylindrical portion in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction,
the retainer has a terminal pressing portion extending along the electric wire connection portion and pressing the protruding portion toward the housing,
The protrusion has a first protrusion and a second protrusion extending in opposite directions to each other,
The housing has first and second grooves into which the first and second protrusions fit, respectively . A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, is mated with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle,
first and second power terminals used to supply power to the battery;
a plurality of signal terminals each having a bent metal plate and each signal terminal is thinner than the first and second power terminals;
a housing that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals and that is adapted to mate with the external charging connector at a front end portion along an insertion/removal direction of the external charging connector;
a retainer mated with a rear end of the housing to hold the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals together with the housing;
a plurality of signal lines connected to the plurality of signal terminals, respectively;
Equipped with
Each of the plurality of signal terminals has a cylindrical portion provided at a front end side and into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, an electric wire connection portion provided at a rear end side and electrically connected to the signal line, and an intermediate portion provided between the cylindrical portion and the electric wire connection portion,
the intermediate portion has a protruding portion that protrudes beyond the cylindrical portion in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction,
the retainer has a terminal pressing portion extending along the electric wire connection portion and pressing the protruding portion toward the housing,
The signal terminal includes a first signal terminal and a second signal terminal,
A charging connector, wherein a dimension of the protrusion of the first signal terminal and a dimension of the protrusion of the second signal terminal are different from each other. The charging connector according to claim 2 ,
a dimension of the protruding portion of the first signal terminal is larger than a dimension of the protruding portion of the second signal terminal in the insertion/removal direction. The charging connector according to claim 2 or 3 ,
a dimension of the protrusion of the second signal terminal in an extending direction of the protrusion is larger than a dimension of the protrusion of the first signal terminal. The charging connector according to any one of claims 2 to 4 ,
the first signal terminal is disposed on an opposite side to the second signal terminal with the first and second power terminals interposed therebetween. A charging connector that is mounted on a vehicle, is mated with an external charging connector that is connected to an external power source of the vehicle, and is used to charge a battery provided in the vehicle,
first and second power terminals used to supply power to the battery;
a plurality of signal terminals each having a bent metal plate and each signal terminal is thinner than the first and second power terminals;
a housing that holds the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals and that is adapted to mate with the external charging connector at a front end portion along an insertion/removal direction of the external charging connector;
a retainer mated with a rear end of the housing to hold the first and second power terminals and the plurality of signal terminals together with the housing;
a plurality of signal lines connected to the plurality of signal terminals, respectively;
Equipped with
Each of the plurality of signal terminals has a cylindrical portion provided at a front end side and into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, an electric wire connection portion provided at a rear end side and electrically connected to the signal line, and an intermediate portion provided between the cylindrical portion and the electric wire connection portion,
the intermediate portion has a protruding portion that protrudes beyond the cylindrical portion in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction,
the retainer has a terminal pressing portion extending along the electric wire connection portion and pressing the protruding portion toward the housing,
The cylindrical portion of the signal terminal has a plurality of elastic pieces,
a width dimension between adjacent elastic pieces is smaller than a width of a wall appearing at the rear end of the housing when the rear end of the housing is observed from the insertion/removal direction. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The tube portion has a tube body and a plurality of elastic pieces provided on a tip side of the tube body,
The charging connector has a body-side slit formed in the cylindrical body, the body slit extending from one end to the other end of the cylindrical body. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
the wire connection portion has a barrel crimped onto the signal wire,
a crimping portion between the barrel and the signal line is waterproofed by a waterproofing portion. 9. The charging connector according to claim 8 ,
The waterproof portion includes a shrink tube that covers the crimping portion. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
The power terminal is formed by bending a metal plate that is thicker than the metal plate of the signal terminal. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10 ,
a ground terminal having a diameter smaller than that of the power terminal and larger than that of the signal terminal, the ground terminal being formed by bending a metal plate having a thickness larger than that of the metal plate of the signal terminal;
the ground terminal includes a ground terminal side cylindrical portion provided at a front end side and into which a terminal of the external charging connector is inserted, a ground terminal side wire connection portion provided at a rear end side and electrically connected to a ground wire, and a ground terminal side intermediate portion provided between the ground terminal side cylindrical portion and the ground terminal side wire connection portion,
the ground terminal intermediate portion has a ground terminal protruding portion that protrudes beyond the ground terminal cylindrical portion in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction,
The retainer has a ground terminal pressing portion that extends along the ground terminal side wire connection portion and presses the ground terminal side protrusion toward the housing. The charging connector according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ,
a relay terminal attached between the power terminal and the power line and extending in a direction intersecting the insertion/removal direction;
an exterior member that collectively covers the rear end portion of the housing to intermediate portions of the power lines and the signal lines;
Further equipped with
the power line is thicker than the signal line;
The signal line extends while being curved inside the exterior member, and the power line extends straight inside the exterior member.

Images