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US-20260128555-A1 - CONNECTOR STRUCTURE

US20260128555A1US 20260128555 A1US20260128555 A1US 20260128555A1US-20260128555-A1

Abstract

A connector structure includes a case that holds a terminal, a thermistor capable of detecting a temperature of the terminal, and a thermistor holder that brings the thermistor into close contact with the terminal, in which the case includes an insulating cylindrical portion into which the thermistor holder is inserted, and a notch is formed in the cylindrical portion, the notch being open to allow the thermistor holder to be pushed in when the thermistor holder is inserted.

Inventors

  • Noriyoshi Yamanishi
  • Shoya UEDA

Assignees

  • YAZAKI CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251104
Priority Date
20241105

Claims (7)

  1. 1 . A connector structure comprising: a case that holds a terminal; a thermistor capable of detecting a temperature of the terminal; and a thermistor holder that brings the thermistor into close contact with the terminal, wherein the case includes an insulating cylindrical portion into which the thermistor holder is inserted, and a notch is formed in the cylindrical portion, the notch being open to allow the thermistor holder to be pushed in when the thermistor holder is inserted.
  2. 2 . The connector structure according to claim 1 , wherein the notch is formed at least at a position facing each other in a direction intersecting an axial direction of the cylindrical portion.
  3. 3 . The connector structure according to claim 2 , wherein the notch is formed within a range of a central angle of 180 degrees or more when viewed from the axial direction.
  4. 4 . The connector structure according to claim 1 , wherein a pair of the cylindrical portions are provided adjacent to each other, and the notch is formed in a portion different from a portion where the pair of cylindrical portions are adjacent to each other.
  5. 5 . The connector structure according to claim 4 , wherein the case further includes an insulating wall portion at the portion where the pair of cylindrical portions are adjacent to each other.
  6. 6 . The connector structure according to claim 1 , wherein the thermistor holder brings the thermistor into close contact with the terminal by a reaction force generated when the thermistor holder is pushed outward during assembly to the terminal.
  7. 7 . The connector structure according to claim 6 , wherein the terminal has a columnar shape, the thermistor holder includes an arc-shaped holding portion that follows an outer periphery of the terminal, and the thermistor holder brings the thermistor into close contact with the terminal by a reaction force generated when the holding portion is pushed outward during assembly to the terminal.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention Embodiments of the present invention relate to a connector structure. Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-193380 filed in Japan on November 5, 2024, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Description of Related Art Connectors are known that include terminals to be connected to electric wires and a housing in which the terminals are housed. A thermistor is attached to an outer peripheral surface of the terminal. Prior Art Document Patent Document Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2023-3340 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION When assembling a thermistor holder that brings a thermistor into close contact with a terminal, the assembling process can be difficult in some cases. One embodiment provides a connector structure that allows for easy assembly of a thermistor holder. A connector structure according to one embodiment includes a case that holds a terminal, a thermistor capable of detecting a temperature of the terminal, and a thermistor holder that brings the thermistor into close contact with the terminal, in which the case includes an insulating cylindrical portion into which the thermistor holder is inserted, and a notch is formed in the cylindrical portion, the notch being open to allow the thermistor holder to be pushed in when the thermistor holder is inserted. According to one embodiment, the thermistor holder can be easily assembled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a connector structure according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the connector structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a cylindrical portion of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a method of assembling a thermistor holder of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a method of assembling the thermistor holder, following FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a case where the thermistor holder is inserted into a cylindrical portion of a comparative example. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a case where the thermistor holder is inserted, following FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a case where the thermistor holder is inserted into the cylindrical portion of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a case where the thermistor holder is inserted into the cylindrical portion, following FIG. 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements, such as “parallel,” “orthogonal,” “center,” and “coaxial,” do not only mean such arrangements or states in a strict sense, but also include arrangements or states in which there is a relative displacement with an angle or distance to the extent that a tolerance or the same function can be obtained. In the drawings used in the following description, the scale of each member may be changed as appropriate to make each member recognizable. Connector Structure FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a connector structure 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the connector structure 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 together, the connector structure 1 includes a case 2 that holds a terminal 10, a thermistor 3 that can detect the temperature of the terminal 10, and a thermistor holder 4 that brings the thermistor 3 into close contact with the terminal 10. The connector structure 1 is installed in a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle, in order to supply (charge) electric power from outside the vehicle to a battery mounted on the vehicle. The connector structure 1 is connected to an electric wire 5 extending from a battery mounted on a vehicle. The connector structure 1 constitutes a charging inlet. By fitting a mating connector (for example, a charging gun) into the connector structure 1, electric power is supplied to the battery from outside the vehicle, and the battery is charged. In the following description, an orthogonal coordinate system of X, Y, and Z will be used as necessary. The Z direction corresponds to an axial direction of a cylindrical portion 25, which will be described later. The X direction corresponds to a direction in which a pair of cylindrical portions 25, which will be described later, are adjacent to each other. The Y direction is a direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Z direction. In the following description, of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, the arrow side in the drawing will be referred to as a plus (+) side, and the side opposite to th