US-12620746-B2 - Connector with elastic heat storage member abutting electric wire connection part

Abstract

A connector includes a terminal including an electric wire connection part electrically connected to a conductive electric wire and an electrical connection part that can be electrically connected to a connection counterpart member; a housing that accommodates and holds the terminal therein; and a heat storage member that is formed in a cylindrical shape by a conductive metal material, that accommodates the electric wire connection part therein, and that covers an outer surface of the electric wire connection part. The heat storage member includes a plurality of inner fins that protrude from an inner surface side and that are disposed while being brought into contact with the outer surface of the electric wire connection part.

Inventors

• Yasuhiro Yamaguchi
• Hideki Mizuno

Assignees

• YAZAKI CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20231103

Priority Date

20221109

Claims (8)

1. 1 . A connector, comprising: a terminal that includes an electric wire connection part electrically connected to a conductive electric wire and an electrical connection part that is able to be electrically connected to a connection counterpart member; a housing that accommodates and holds the terminal therein; and a heat storage member that is formed in a cylindrical shape by a conductive metal material, that accommodates the electric wire connection part therein, and that covers an outer surface of the electric wire connection part, wherein the heat storage member includes a plurality of inner fins that protrude from an inner surface side and that are disposed while being brought into contact with the outer surface of the electric wire connection part.
2. 2 . The connector according to claim 1 , further comprising: a terminal holder that is assembled to an end part of the housing and that accommodates the electric wire connection part therein, and a water sealing member that is assembled to the terminal holder and that stops water between an outer surface of the electric wire and an inner surface of the terminal holder, wherein the heat storage member is disposed in a watertight region formed between the electric wire connection part and the terminal holder.
3. 3 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the heat storage member includes a plurality of outer fins that protrude from an outer surface side, and that are disposed while being brought into contact with an inner surface of a member located outside the heat storage member.
4. 4 . The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the heat storage member includes a plurality of outer fins that protrude from an outer surface side, and that are disposed while being brought into contact with an inner surface of a member located outside the heat storage member.
5. 5 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the inner fins are elastically deformable, and deform according to a shape of the outer surface of the electric wire connection part that is brought into contact with the inner fins.
6. 6 . The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the inner fins are elastically deformable, and deform according to a shape of the outer surface of the electric wire connection part that is brought into contact with the inner fins.
7. 7 . The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the outer fins are elastically deformable, and deform according to a shape of the inner surface of the member that is brought into contact with the outer fins.
8. 8 . The connector according to claim 4 , wherein the outer fins are elastically deformable, and deform according to a shape of the inner surface of the member that is brought into contact with the outer fins.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-179292 filed in Japan on Nov. 9, 2022. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector. 2. Description of the Related Art For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-221612 discloses a connector including a plurality of terminals and a housing having a terminal housing part that accommodates and holds the terminals. Incidentally, a charging connector such as the connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-221612 described above is expected to respond to a large current, to correspond to an increase in the battery capacity and a reduction in the charging time. In this case, when a large current flows between the connectors, the amount of heat generated from a place with high resistance such as an electrical connection part in which the terminals are connected to each other, and an electric wire connection part in which the terminal and the electric wire are connected may be increased, and the heat may be accumulated in a heat generation source. Consequently, a rapid temperature increase may occur in the connector. Thus, to respond to a large current, there is a need to prevent a rapid temperature increase in the connector, by increasing the diameter of the electric wire or by additionally providing a cooling device. As a result, there is room for improvement in terms of a possible increase in the size of the connector. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can prevent an increase in size while satisfying the temperature requirements. In order to achieve the above mentioned object, a connector according to one aspect of the present invention includes a terminal that includes an electric wire connection part electrically connected to a conductive electric wire and an electrical connection part that is able to be electrically connected to a connection counterpart member; a housing that accommodates and holds the terminal therein; and a heat storage member that is formed in a cylindrical shape by a conductive metal material, that accommodates the electric wire connection part therein, and that covers an outer surface of the electric wire connection part, wherein the heat storage member includes a plurality of inner fins that protrude from an inner surface side and that are disposed while being brought into contact with the outer surface of the electric wire connection part. The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a connector according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a sectional view cut along line A-A in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a sectional view cut along line B-B in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a heat storage member according to the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the temperature rise rate of the connector according to the embodiment; FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a connector according to a modification; FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of the connector according to the modification; and FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a heat storage member according to the modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Moreover, the components in the following embodiment include those that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, or those substantially the same. EMBODIMENT For example, a connector 1 according to the present embodiment is installed in a vehicle in which a battery is mounted such as an electric vehicle (EV) and a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The connector 1 is a connection mechanism that can charge the battery, by being attached to a vehicle body, and by being electrically connected to a power source outside the vehicle via a vehicle side opening part. The connector 1 forms what is called a charging inlet. The connection portion of the connector 1 can be exposed to the outside of a vehicle, by attaching an openable/closable lid (not illustrated) thereto and by opening the lid. The connector 1 includes a terminal T provided on a terminal end of an electric wire W, a housing 100 th