POWER FEED CONNECTOR

• US 20160322748A1
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Inventors: YAHAGI, Keiji, TAKAHASHI, Kenji, KATSURA, Go
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62933 Comprising exclusively pivoting lever
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/639 Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/701 the switch being actuated by an accessory, e.g. cover, locking member
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/717 with built-in light source
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power feed connector includes: a tubular case that has a front end opening portion being open at a front end in a central axis direction; a connector main body that is accommodated inside the tubular case and is slidable in the central axis direction; an operation lever portion that has a first end being disposed inside the tubular case; a link mechanism that is directly connected to the connector main body and the operation lever portion and converts a turning motion of the operation lever portion into a linear motion of the connector main body in the central axis direction; and a grip portion that is integrally provided with the tubular case and extends in a direction intersecting the central axis direction

Claims

1. A power feed connector which is connected to a power receiving connector of an electromotive machine and supplies electric power to the electromotive machine, the power feed connector comprising:

a tubular case that is formed to have a tubular shape and has a front end opening portion being open at a front end in a central axis direction thereof;

a connector main body that is accommodated inside the tubular case and is slidable in the central axis direction of the tubular case;

an operation lever portion that is turnably and axially supported by the tubular case;

a link mechanism that is directly connected to the connector main body and the operation lever portion and converts a turning motion of the operation lever portion into a linear motion of the connector main body in the central axis direction; and

a grip portion that is integrally provided with the tubular case and extends in a direction intersecting the central axis direction,

wherein a first end of the operation lever portion is disposed inside the tubular case,

a second end of the operation lever portion protrudes outward through the open hole formed at a rear end of the tubular case, is disposed in the rear end portion of the tubular case regardless of a turning position of the operation lever portion and is positioned on an inner side from both end portions of the tubular case in a width direction, the width direction being a direction orthogonal to the central axis direction of the tubular case and the extending direction of the grip portion,

the first end of the operation lever portion is axially supported by the tubular case,

an intermediate portion of the operation lever portion is joined to the connector main body through the link mechanism, and

the operation lever portion is formed in a bent manner such that the second end is positioned on a rear side from the intermediate portion regardless of the turning position of the operation lever portion.

2. The power feed connector according to claim 1,

wherein the connector main body is movable between a retreated position and an advanced position, the retreated position being positioned on a rear side of the tubular case, and the advanced position being positioned on a front side of the tubular case, and

the second end of the operation lever portion is positioned near a central axis from an outer circumferential surface of the tubular case in a state where the operation lever portion is disposed at a position corresponding to the retreated position of the connector main body.

3. The power feed connector according to claim 1,

wherein a pair of contact surfaces which face each other in a turning direction of the operation lever portion and with which the operation lever portion can come into contact is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the open hole, and

when the operation lever portion comes into contact with the contact surfaces, movement of the connector main body in the central axis direction is restricted.

7. The power feed connector according to claim 1,

wherein the operation lever portion includes two belt-like plate materials which are disposed so as to have a space therebetween in a rotation axis direction thereof.

4-6. -6. (canceled)

8. A power feed connector which is connected to a power receiving connector of an electromotive machine and supplies electric power to the electromotive machine, the power feed connector comprising:

a tubular case that is formed to have a tubular shape and has a front end opening portion being open at a front end in a central axis direction thereof;

a connector main body that is accommodated inside the tubular case and is slidable in the central axis direction of the tubular case;

an operation lever portion that is turnably and axially supported by the tubular case;

a link mechanism that is directly connected to the connector main body and the operation lever portion and converts a turning motion of the operation lever portion into a linear motion of the connector main body in the central axis direction; and

a grip portion that is integrally provided with the tubular case and extends in a direction intersecting the central axis direction,

wherein a first end of the operation lever portion is disposed inside the tubular case,

a second end of the operation lever portion protrudes outward through the open hole formed at a rear end of the tubular case, is disposed in the rear end portion of the tubular case regardless of a turning position of the operation lever portion, and is positioned on an inner side from both end portions of the tubular case in a width direction, the width direction being a direction orthogonal to the central axis direction of the tubular case and the extending direction of the grip portion,

a ridge portion is formed on a circumferential edge of the open hole of the tubular case, protrudes from an outer surface of the tubular case, and surrounds the open hole, and

the operation lever portion further includes an open hole covering portion which covers the open hole and the ridge portion from the outer surface side of the tubular case.

10. The power feed connector according to claim 8,

wherein the connector main body is movable between a retreated position and an advanced position, the retreated position being positioned on a rear side of the tubular case, the advanced position being positioned on a front side of the tubular case, and

the second end of the operation lever portion is positioned near a central axis from an outer circumferential surface of the tubular case in a state where the operation lever portion is disposed at a position corresponding to the retreated position of the connector main body.

11. The power feed connector according to claim 8,

wherein a pair of contact surfaces which face each other in a turning direction of the operation lever portion and with which the operation lever portion can come into contact is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the open hole, and

when the operation lever portion comes into contact with the contact surfaces, movement of the connector main body in the central axis direction is restricted.

12. The power feed connector according to claim 8,

wherein the operation lever portion includes two belt-like plate materials which are disposed so as to have a space therebetween in a rotation axis direction thereof.

9. A power feed connector which is connected to a power receiving connector of an electromotive machine and supplies electric power to the electromotive machine, the power feed connector comprising:

a tubular case that is formed to have a tubular shape and has a front end opening portion being open at a front end in a central axis direction thereof;

a connector main body that is accommodated inside the tubular case and is slidable in the central axis direction of the tubular case;

an operation lever portion that is turnably and axially supported by the tubular case;

a link mechanism that is directly connected to the connector main body and the operation lever portion and converts a turning motion of the operation lever portion into a linear motion of the connector main body in the central axis direction; and

a grip portion that is integrally provided with the tubular case and extends in a direction intersecting the central axis direction,

wherein a first end of the operation lever portion is disposed inside the tubular case,

a second end of the operation lever portion protrudes outward through the open hole formed at a rear end of the tubular case, is disposed in the rear end portion of the tubular case regardless of a turning position of the operation lever portion, and is positioned on an inner side from both end portions of the tubular case in a width direction, the width direction being a direction orthogonal to the central axis direction of the tubular case and the extending direction of the grip portion,

a display lamp that is provided in the rear end portion of the tubular case and is lit so as to issue notification of a state where electric power is supplied to the electromotive machine,

the connector main body is movable between a retreated position and a advanced position, the retreated position being positioned on a rear side of the tubular case, and the advanced position being positioned on a front side of the tubular case, and

the operation lever portion is disposed on the outer surface of the tubular case, and further includes a lamp covering portion which covers the display lamp in a state where the connector main body is disposed at the retreated position and exposes the display lamp to the outside of the tubular case in a state where the connector main body is disposed at the advanced position.

13. The power feed connector according to claim 9,

wherein the connector main body is movable between a retreated position and an advanced position, the retreated position being positioned on a rear side of the tubular case, the advanced position being positioned on a front side of the tubular case, and

the second end of the operation lever portion is positioned near a central axis from an outer circumferential surface of the tubular case in a state where the operation lever portion is disposed at a position corresponding to the retreated position of the connector main body.

14. The power feed connector according to claim 9,

wherein a pair of contact surfaces which face each other in a turning direction of the operation lever portion and with which the operation lever portion can come into contact is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the open hole, and

when the operation lever portion comes into contact with the contact surfaces, movement of the connector main body in the central axis direction is restricted.

15. The power feed connector according to claim 9,

wherein the operation lever portion includes two belt-like plate materials which are disposed so as to have a space therebetween in a rotation axis direction thereof.