Connectors

Abstract

A connector includes: a resin shell assembled to a wall portion of a box-shaped body; a busbar held by the shell and having a fastening portion disposed within the wall portion to be connected to a terminal fitting by bolt fastening; and a nut held by the shell with a gap between the nut and the fastening portion, the gap allowing insertion of the terminal fitting and engaging with the bolt to fasten the fastening portion and the terminal fitting inserted into the gap together. A recessed portion, recessed to allow the busbar to be cut away, is provided within the wall portion of the busbar. The recessed portion is exposed to the outside of the shell and is not covered by the resin constituting the shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector and a holding structure for electric wires with terminals. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a connector has been proposed that is mounted on the outer wall of a box-shaped body, such as a transmission (e.g., a CVT) for a vehicle or motor, in which a liquid, such as lubricating oil, is sealed, and electrically connects devices and the like disposed inside and outside the outer wall. This type of connector is also called a relay connector and is typically assembled to the outer wall of the box-shaped body by inserting into a hole provided in the outer wall (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Citation List

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: JP-2013-157256-A.

[0006] The above-mentioned prior art connector has a structure that holds the conductive busbars within a resin shell. Connectors with this structure are typically manufactured by injecting molten resin into a mold to surround the busbars positioned within the mold (i.e., through insert molding). Due to this manufacturing method, the busbars are subject to the flow pressure of the molten resin flowing within the mold during molding, depending on the shape of the shell, the shape and arrangement of the busbars, and other factors. This can lead to the busbars being inadvertently displaced within the mold (i.e., positional deviation can occur). When this manufactured connector is actually used, this positional deviation of the busbars can hinder proper connection between the busbars and terminals on the mating side, and therefore, it is necessary to minimize this positional deviation. Summary of the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector having excellent positional accuracy of a bus bar.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects, the features of the connector and the holding structure of the terminal-attached electric wire according to the present invention are described below.

[0009] A connector according to the present invention includes: a resin housing assembled to a wall portion of a box-shaped body to be mounted; and a busbar including a main body portion insert-molded and held in the housing, and a fastening portion provided inside the box-shaped body relative to the wall portion and connected to a terminal fitting by fastening with bolts. The main body portion of the busbar includes a portion where an exposed portion, which is exposed to the outside of the housing and not covered by the resin constituting the housing, is provided on the inner layer of the box-shaped body relative to the wall portion.

[0010] Furthermore, details of the present invention will be explained by reading aspects for implementing the present invention described below (hereinafter, referred to as “embodiments”) with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 A is Figure 1 A top view of the connector is shown. Figure 2 B is Figure 1 A perspective view of a portion of the connector is shown, and Figure 2 C is Figure 2 Enlarged view of portion A.

[0013] Figure 3 A is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of line BB, and Figure 3 B is along Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of line CC of A.

[0014] Figure 4 A to Figure 4 C shows Figure 1 A pair of busbars is shown, where Figure 4 A is its perspective view, Figure 4 B is its side view, and Figure 4 C is its main view.

[0015] Figure 5 A is Figure 3 Enlarged view of part D in A, Figure 5 B is along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of line EE, and Figure 5 C is the comparative example Figure 5 B corresponds to the view.

[0016] Figure 6 A to Figure 6 C is a view showing the process of assembling the connector to the outer wall of the box, wherein Figure 6 A is a side view showing a state before assembly, Figure 6 B is a side view showing the assembled state, and Figure 6 C is a front view showing the assembled state.

[0017] Figure 7 A to Figure 7 C is a time series diagram showing the assembly of the terminal fitting of the terminal-attached electric wire to the Figure 1 A view of the connector process is shown.

[0018] Figure 8is a perspective view showing a connector according to a modification.

[0019] Figure 9 A and Figure 9 B is a time series diagram showing the assembly of the terminal fitting of the terminal-attached electric wire to the Figure 8 A view of the front half of the connector is shown.

[0020] Figure 10 A and Figure 10 B is a time series diagram showing the assembly of the terminal fitting of the terminal-attached electric wire to the Figure 8 A view of the second half of the connector is shown.

[0021] Figure 11 A is along Figure 10 A cross-sectional view of line FF of B, and Figure 11 B is along Figure 11 Cross-sectional view of line GG of A.

[0022] Figure 12 According to another modification Figure 9 A corresponding schematic diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] <Example>

[0024] Hereinafter, a connector 1 and a terminal-attached electric wire holding structure including the connector 1 and the terminal-attached electric wire 8 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] like Figure 6 A to Figure 6 As shown in C, Figure 1 The connector 1 shown is typically used in a state where the connector 1 is mounted on an outer wall 60 of a case (box-shaped body) such as a vehicle transmission (e.g., CVT), with the distal side of the main body portion 11 exposed to oil (hydraulic oil, etc.) in the case, and the connection portion 12 and the connector portion 13 exposed to air or water. The outer surface 61 of the outer wall 60 is exposed to the air or water outside the case, while the inner surface 62 of the outer wall 60 is exposed to the oil stored in the case. The connector 1 functions as a relay connector, that is, it electrically connects a pair of terminal-attached electric wires 8 (see FIG. 1 ) to be connected to the fastening portions 31 of a pair of busbars 31 exposed from the distal surface of the main body portion 11. Figure 6 C, etc.) and a mating connector (not shown) to be fitted to the connector portion 13.

[0026] For ease of description, the following Figure 1As shown in FIG. 1 , the "front-back direction," "left-right direction," "up-down direction," "front," "back," "left," "right," "up," and "down" are defined. The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The up-down direction coincides with the mating direction of the connector portion 13 and the mating connector. The left-right direction coincides with the extending direction of the pair of terminal-attached wires 8 connected to the fastening portions 31 of the pair of busbars 3 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 6 C).

[0027] like Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 3C , the terminal-attached electric wire 8 is constructed by attaching a terminal fitting 42 to one end of an electric wire 41. The other end of the electric wire 41 is connected to a device (e.g., an oil pump, etc., not shown) disposed within the housing. The metal terminal fitting 42 is a circular terminal (so-called LA terminal) comprising a circular flat plate portion 43 having a bolt through-hole 43a formed therein.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in FIG. 8B , the connector 1 includes a housing 2 and a pair of bus bars 3 which are insert-molded and held in the housing 2. Hereinafter, each component constituting the connector 1 will be described in order.

[0029] First, the case 2 will be described. The case 2 is a resin molded product, and as Figures 1 to 3 As shown in FIG. 2 , the entire device comprises a main body 11, a connecting portion 12 extending rearward from the rear end of the main body 11, and a connector portion 13 protruding upward from the rear end of the connecting portion 12. Figure 3 A and Figure 3 B, the lower surface of the connecting portion 12 extends in an inclined direction from the lower front side toward the upper rear side. When viewed from the left and right directions, the housing 2 has a substantially L-shape.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown in FIG. 1B , the main body 11 has a generally cylindrical shape extending in the front-to-back direction. The outer diameter of the main body 11 (excluding the O-ring 5 and the annular protrusion 19) is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 63 of the outer wall 60, so that the main body 11 can be inserted into the mounting hole 63. The outer diameters of the O-ring 5 and the annular protrusion 19 are larger than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 63. Figure 3 A and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 2B , substantially the entire portion of the pair of busbars 3 extending in the front-to-back direction is embedded in the main body 11 and the connecting portion 12 by insert molding. The fastening portions 31 of the pair of busbars 3 are exposed from the front end surface of the main body 11, thereby being arranged side by side with intervals in the vertical direction (see FIG. 2B ). Figure 1 wait).

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 A and Figure 3 As shown in B, the connector portion 13 has a substantially rectangular tubular shape extending in the up-down direction and in the left-right direction. Figure 3As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, a generally rectangular fitting recess 14 that is recessed downward is formed inside the connector portion 13. The bottom surface of the fitting recess 14 is formed by a portion of the upper end surface of the connecting portion 12. The contact portions 32 of the pair of busbars 3, which will be described later, are exposed inside the fitting recess 14 so as to be arranged side by side with an interval in the left-right direction (see also FIG. Figure 2 A). The mating connector is fitted into the mating recess 14. When the mating connector is fitted into the mating recess 14, the pair of contact portions 32 connect to a pair of terminals (not shown) housed in the mating connector. A guide protrusion 20 is provided between the pair of contact portions 32, extending in the vertical direction to guide the mating connector during mating.

[0032] On the front end surface of the main body 11, a rectangular flat plate-shaped partition wall 15 protruding forward and extending in the left-right direction is integrally formed to divide a pair of fastening parts 31 in the up-down direction (see FIG. Figure 1 、 Figure 3 A. Figure 3 B, etc.). Figure 2 A to Figure 2 C and Figure 3 A and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 2B , nut holding portions are formed on the front end surface of the main body portion 11 at the upper and lower sides of the partition wall 15, respectively, corresponding to a pair of fastening portions 31. A metal nut 4 is fixed to each of the nut holding portions 16 so as to be non-rotatable and slightly movable in the front-rear direction.

[0033] When the connector 1 is assembled to the housing (see Figure 6 B) The front end surface of the main body 11 (i.e., the pair of fastening portions 31) is exposed to the oil stored in the tank. The provision of partition wall 15 increases the insulation distance (particularly, the creepage distance) between the fastening portions 31 of the upper and lower busbars 3. This prevents unintended electrical conduction between the pair of busbars 3 even if conductive fine particles (e.g., contamination such as wear powder from gears) are present in the oil.

[0034] like Figure 2 B. Figure 3 A. Figure 3As shown in FIG. B, a plurality of grooves 17 are formed on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the front portion of the main body portion 11. The grooves 17 are formed to reduce the thickness of the main body portion 11 of the shell 2 and prevent the occurrence of depressions (so-called sinking) and the like caused by molding shrinkage when the shell 2 is molded. In this example, each groove 17 has a shape that is recessed radially inwardly of the main body portion 11 and extends in the circumferential direction of the main body portion 11. By reducing the thickness of the main body portion 11 by the plurality of grooves 17, the dimensional change of the main body portion 11 itself due to the molding shrinkage of the resin constituting the main body portion 11 can be reduced, the positional accuracy of the busbar 3 is improved, and the gap L (see FIG. 1 ) between the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4, which will be described later, is reduced. Figure 2 C) The dimensional accuracy is also improved. In other words, the gap L can be prevented from being too large or too small.

[0035] like Figure 3 A. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1B and the like, an annular recess 18 is formed on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the rear portion of the main body 11. A rubber O-ring 5 is fitted into the annular recess 18. An annular protrusion 19 is formed at the rear end of the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the main body 11, protruding radially outward. The annular protrusion 19 functions as a stopper, limiting the insertion depth of the main body 11 when the main body 11 is inserted into the mounting hole 63 in the outer wall 60 of the housing.

[0036] like Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1A , a generally rectangular cylindrical wall 21 protruding upward is formed on the bottom surface of the mating recess 14 of the connector portion 13, facing the generally rectangular side surfaces of the mating recess 14 (as viewed from above) with a gap therebetween. Thus, a generally rectangular annular recess 22, which is recessed downward, is defined by the bottom and side surfaces of the mating recess 14 and the cylindrical wall 21. A rubber packing 6 is inserted into and secured to the recess 22. When the mating connector is mated to the connector portion 13, the packing 6 performs a water-stopping function, preventing water from entering through the mating portion between the mating connector and the connector portion 13.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown in Figure A, a downwardly recessed recess 23 is formed on the bottom surface of the fitting recess 14 of the connector portion 13, surrounding the base (lower end) of the contact portion 32 of each busbar 3 in the area surrounded by the cylindrical wall 21. Recess 23 is filled with potting material 7 and cured. Potting material 7 exhibits a water-stopping function, preventing water from entering through the boundary between the case 2 and the busbar 3. This completes the description of the case 2.

[0038] Next, a pair of bus bars 3 will be described. Figures 2 to 4 B It can be understood that a pair of busbars 3 are held in the housing 2 by insert molding so as to be spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Figure 4As shown in FIG. 1A , the right and left busbars 3 are identical in that they have a generally L-shaped overall shape when viewed from the left and right directions, but each has a different shape. Each busbar 3 is formed by pressing and bending a pair of metal plates of busbars 3. One busbar 3 serves as a positive-side conductive portion, and the other busbar 3 serves as a negative-side conductive portion.

[0039] Each of the busbars 3 has a flat plate portion with a plate thickness direction oriented in the left-right direction and having a substantially L-shape when viewed in the left-right direction, except for the fastening portion 31. The flat plate portion has a shape corresponding to the aforementioned substantially L-shape of the housing 2 when viewed in the left-right direction. More specifically, as Figure 3 A and Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 2A , the left busbar 3 has the aforementioned substantially L-shaped shape by arranging and connecting a main body portion 36 embedded in the housing 2 and extending in the front-rear direction and a contact portion 32 extending in the top-bottom direction so as to be substantially orthogonal to each other. Figure 3 B. Figure 4 A and Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 2B , the right busbar 3 includes a main body portion 36 embedded in the housing 2 and extending in the front-to-rear direction, a contact portion 32 extending in the top-to-bottom direction, and a connecting portion 37 extending obliquely from the lower front side toward the upper rear side. The right busbar 3 has the aforementioned substantially L-shaped shape by arranging the main body portion 36 and the contact portion 32 so as to be substantially orthogonal to each other and connecting the two via the connecting portion 37. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 3B , the connection portion 37 extends along the lower surface of the connection portion 12 of the shell 2 in a manner substantially in the same inclination as the lower surface of the connection portion 12. In other words, since the right busbar 3 has the connection portion 37 in this shape, the lower surface of the connection portion 12 of the shell 2 can be formed into a shape inclined in the inclination direction. Figure 3 As shown in A, the left busbar 3 is arranged at a position where the left busbar 3 does not interfere with the lower surface of the connecting portion 12. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 2B , due to the different shapes of the left and right busbars 3, the main body 36 of the left busbar 3 and the main body 36 of the right busbar 3 are offset from each other in the vertical direction. As described above, due to the above-described shapes of the left and right busbars 3, the lower surface of the connecting portion 12 of the housing 2 can be inclined as described above, and the outer dimensions of the housing 2 can be reduced.

[0040] like Figure 4As shown in A, the fastening portion 31 of the left busbar 3 is a flat plate portion that is bent from the front end portion of the main body portion 36 and extends to the right, and the fastening portion 31 of the right busbar 3 is a flat plate portion that is bent from the front end portion of the main body portion 36 and extends to the left. Each fastening portion 31 is formed with a bolt through-hole 31a that passes through in the plate thickness direction (i.e., the front-to-back direction). In this way, since the fastening portion 31 is bent from the front end portion of the main body portion 36 and extends in the left-to-right direction, the length of the busbar 3 in the front-to-back direction (and subsequently, the length of the connector 1) can be reduced compared to the case where the fastening portion 31 extends continuously forward from the front end portion of the main body portion 36. In addition, the fastening portions 31 of the left and right busbars 3 are arranged to be offset from each other in the up-down direction and to be different from each other. In this way, the fastening portions 31 of the left and right busbars 3 are arranged to be offset from each other, so that the interval between the left and right busbars 3 can be reduced (in particular, as Figure 4 C, the main body 36 passes through the inside of the O-ring 5 indicated by the dotted line). Therefore, the pair of busbars 3 can be reasonably arranged in the outer diameter of the main body 11 (i.e., in the O-ring 5) without excessively increasing the outer diameter of the main body 11 of the shell 2.

[0041] In each busbar 3, a pair of through-holes 33 are formed at positions adjacent to the lower side of the base (lower end) of the contact portion 32 in the front-to-back direction. In each busbar 3, a downwardly recessed recess 34 is formed at the upper edge of the portion adjacent to the rear side of the fastening portion 31. Hereinafter, for each busbar 3, the lower edge of the recess 34 corresponding to the position adjacent to the rear side of the fastening portion 31 (located directly below the recess 34) is referred to as the "lower edge 35."

[0042] like Figure 3 A to Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 2B , in each busbar 3, substantially the entire body portion 36 is embedded in the body portion 11 and the connection portion 12 of the housing 2 by insert molding. At the same time, the fastening portion 31, contact portion 32, recess 34, and lower edge 35 of the busbar 3 are exposed to the outside of the housing 2.

[0043] Specifically, if Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the fastening portion 31 of the left busbar 3 is exposed from the front end surface of the main body 11 on the upper side of the partition wall 15, extends rightward in front of the nut 4 located on the upper side of the partition wall 15, and covers the nut 4 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 C). Similarly, the fastening portion 31 of the right busbar 3 is exposed from the front end surface of the main body 11 below the partition wall 15 , extends leftward in front of the nut 4 below the partition wall 15 , and covers the nut 4 .

[0044] A gap L in the front-rear direction is provided between each of the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4 located on the upper side of the partition wall 15 and each of the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4 located on the lower side of the partition wall 15 (see FIG. Figure 2C), and the bolt through hole 31a of the fastening portion 31 and the female screw portion (not shown) of the nut 4 are coaxially arranged. The gap L is slightly larger than the plate thickness of the flat plate portion 43 of the terminal fitting 42 of the terminal electric wire 8. The terminal fitting 42 of the terminal electric wire 8 is connected to the fastening portion 31 by inserting the flat plate portion 43 into the gap L and being fastened and fixed to the fastening portion 31 (see Figure 6 C and Figure 7 A to Figure 7 C).

[0045] In this way, the fastening portion 31 (of the left bus bar 3) located on the upper side of the partition wall 15 and the fastening portion 31 (of the right bus bar 3) located on the lower side of the partition wall 15 are provided to extend in directions opposite to each other in the left-right direction, so that Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 3 , when viewed in the front-to-back direction, substantially the entire pair of fastening portions 31 is located within the circular area within the O-ring 5 mounted in the annular recess 18 of the main body 11. Therefore, when the main body 11 is inserted into the mounting hole 63, the pair of fastening portions 31 are prevented from interfering with the outer peripheral edge of the mounting hole 63 and the like. Furthermore, when the O-ring 5 is externally inserted into the main body 11 from the front side and mounted in the annular recess 18, the pair of fastening portions 31 are less likely to become an obstruction.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1A , the contact portions 32 of the pair of busbars 3 are exposed inside the fitting recess 14 of the connector 13 , facing each other with a gap therebetween in the left-right direction, and extending in the up-down direction. The pair of contact portions 32 have the same shape.

[0047] like Figure 3 A and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 2B , for each busbar 3 , the recess 34 is exposed in one of the plurality of grooves 17 formed in the main body 11 of the shell 2 (see FIG. Figure 2 A), and the lower edge 35 is exposed in another one of the plurality of grooves 17. This construction is achieved in the following manner: when the busbar 3 is molded in the shell 2, the recess 34 and the lower edge 35 are held so that the recess 34 and the lower edge 35 are vertically sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower inner surfaces of the molding die, and a protrusion (not shown) formed on the upper inner surface of the molding die is matched with the recess 34. In this way, by matching the protrusion of the molding die with the recess 34, even if the busbar 3 receives the flow pressure of the molten resin flowing in the mold, positional deviation of the busbar 3 (particularly, in the front-rear direction) and the like are less likely to occur. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the busbar 3 relative to the shell 2 can be improved, and a gap L (see Figure 2C) Too large or too small. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the temporary fixation of the terminal fitting 42 (described later) due to the gap L being too large and the weakening of the cooperative fastening of the bolt 50 (described later) due to the gap L being too large. In addition, it is possible to prevent the situation where it is difficult to temporarily fix the terminal fitting 42 to the gap L due to the gap L being too small.

[0048] Furthermore, since the recess 34 is exposed in the groove 17, it is possible to prevent the peripheral components from accidentally scratching the recess 34 when the connector 1 is used. Figure 6 B) Recess 17 (i.e., recess 34) is located inside the housing. In other words, recess 34 is provided in busbar 3 so that it lies inside the housing when connector 1 is in use. Therefore, when connector 1 is in use, recess 34 is exposed to the oil stored in the housing. In this example, the portion of busbar 3 surrounding recess 34 is surrounded by the inner walls of recess 17. Therefore, even if fine conductive particles (e.g., contamination from wear particles such as gears) are present in the oil, unintended electrical conduction between busbar 3 and peripheral conductive components is prevented. If recess 34 is located outside the housing and exposed to the outside air, foreign matter such as water can enter the housing through the minute gaps created between the resin forming shell 2 and busbar 3 (recess 34). Furthermore, the location of recess 34 inside the housing offers an advantage in preventing such foreign matter intrusion.

[0049] For each bus bar 3, a portion forming a pair of through holes 33 is embedded in the housing 2 by insert molding. Figure 5 A and Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 2B , the resin material also enters the interior of the through hole 33, so that a bridge portion 24 connecting the resin material located near the left and right end edges of the through hole 33 is formed inside the through hole 33. Therefore, when the case 2 is molded, shrinkage (so-called sinking) of the resin that is recessed in a direction away from the surface of the busbar 3 is less likely to occur in the recess 23 (see FIG. 2B ) located on the periphery of the through hole 33 and filled with the potting material 7. Figure 5 A) vicinity. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the potting material 7 from leaking out of the recess 23 through the gap caused by the sinking. When the through hole 33 is not formed in the bus bar 3 (which is different from the present example), as shown in FIG. Figure 5 The sinking shown by C in the direction away from the surface of the busbar 3 is likely to occur near the recess 23 in the housing 2. This sinking may cause leakage of the potting material 7. The components of the connector 1 have been described above.

[0050] Next, we will refer to Figure 6 A to Figure 6 C and Figure 7 A to Figure 7C describes the process of assembling the connector 1 to the outer wall 60 of the box and the process of assembling a pair of terminal-attached wires 8 to the connector 1. First, assemble the connector 1 to the outer wall 60 of the box. Figure 6 A and Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 2B , the main body 11 of the shell 2 is inserted from the outer surface 61 side into the mounting hole 63 having a cylindrical inner circumferential surface and formed in the outer wall 60 of the box body until the annular protrusion 19 abuts against the edge of the mounting hole 63 on the outer surface 61 side, and the main body 11 and the outer wall 60 are locked to each other by a predetermined locking mechanism (not shown), thereby achieving assembly.

[0051] When the connector 1 is assembled to the outer wall 60 of the box body (see Figure 6 B) The minute annular gap between the cylindrical outer circumference of the main body 11 and the inner circumference of the mounting hole 63 of the outer wall 60 is sealed liquid-tight and air-tight by an O-ring 5. This separates the air and water on the outer surface 61 of the outer wall 60 of the housing from the oil on the inner surface 62 of the outer wall 60. The fastening portions 31 of the pair of busbars 3, as well as the recessed portion 34 and lower edge 35 of the busbars 3, are all located inside the housing.

[0052] Next, the pair of terminal-attached wires 8 are assembled to the connector 1. First, the other ends of the pair of terminal-attached wires 8 (the ends on the side opposite the ends connected to the terminal fittings 42) are connected to devices located inside the housing (e.g., an oil pump, etc., not shown). The other ends of the pair of terminal-attached wires 8 can be connected to these devices before the connector 1 is assembled to the outer wall 60 of the housing.

[0053] Next, the flat plate portions 43 of the terminal fittings 42 of the pair of terminal-attached wires 8 are fastened and secured to the fastening portions 31 of the pair of busbars 3. When fastening and securing the terminal fittings 42 (flat plate portions 43) extending from the device located inside the box to the pair of fastening portions 31 located inside the box, the limited space inside the box may require the wires 8 to bend significantly (i.e., the wires 41 may be bent with a small bend radius). This requirement is particularly increased when the device is located near the pair of fastening portions 31. In this case, since this work is performed within the confined space of the box while resisting the elastic force generated by the bent wires 41, it is difficult to improve workability. This is particularly difficult when a large-diameter wire (so-called thick wire) is used as the wire 41, or when the wire 41 is significantly curved, the elastic force generated by the wire 41 is also large, making this work even more difficult.

[0054] In this regard, in this example, first, Figure 6As shown in FIG. C, while bending a pair of electric wires 41 extending from the device, the flat plate portion 43 of one terminal fitting 42 of the pair of terminal fittings 42 approaches the upper fastening portion 31 from the right side. Then, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown in FIG. A, insert the flat plate portion 43 into the gap L between the upper fastening portion 31 and the nut 4. Similarly, move the flat plate portion 43 of the other terminal fitting 42 of the pair of terminal fittings 42 closer to the lower fastening portion 31 from the left (see FIG. Figure 6 C), and inserted into the gap L between the lower fastening portion 31 and the nut 4.

[0055] As described above, when the flat plate portion 43 of each terminal fitting 42 is inserted into the gap L between the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4, the flat plate portion 43 is pressed against the fastening portion 31 or the nut 4 by the elastic force generated by the electric wire 41, and the flat plate portion 43 (i.e., the terminal fitting 42) can be held in the gap L by the friction force. In other words, before the terminal fitting 42 is fastened to the fastening portion 31, the terminal fitting 42 can be temporarily fixed (temporarily placed) in the gap L between the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4. Therefore, the operator can use the bolt 50, the fastening tool, etc. for fastening by releasing his or her hands from the electric wire 41 or the terminal fitting 42. Therefore, the operator does not need to perform bolt fastening, etc. while pressing the terminal-belt electric wire 8, thereby facilitating the bolt fastening work. In addition, when the terminal fitting 42 is temporarily fixed in this manner, even if the bolt through hole 43a (see Figure 6 C) is not necessarily aligned with the bolt through hole 31a of the fastening portion 31 (see Figure 6 C) and the female screw portion of the nut 4, the flat plate portion 43 can also be held in the gap L between the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4. Therefore, the workability of connecting the terminal-attached electric wire 8 to the connector 1 can be further improved.

[0056] Then, starting from the state where the pair of terminal fittings 42 are temporarily fixed, the bolt through holes 43a of the flat plate portion 43 are aligned with respect to the upper fastening portion 31, and then, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 2B , the bolt 50 is inserted from the upper side in the order of the bolt hole 31a and the bolt hole 43a, and is screwed into the female screw portion of the nut 4 located on the lower side of the flat plate portion 43, thereby fastening the flat plate portion 43 (i.e., the terminal fitting 42) and the upper fastening portion 31 together (see FIG. Figure 7 C). Similarly, the bolt through-holes 43a of the flat plate portion 43 are aligned with the lower fastening portion 31. The bolts 50 are then inserted from the lower side through the bolt through-holes 31a and 43a in that order and screwed into the female screw portion of the nut 4 located on the upper side of the flat plate portion 43, thereby fastening the flat plate portion 43 (i.e., the terminal fitting 42) and the lower fastening portion 31 together. This completes the assembly of the pair of terminal-attached wires 8 to the connector 1.

[0057] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, a pair of fastening portions 31 and a pair of nuts 4 located on the front end surface of the main body portion 11 are exposed to the outside. Figure 8 As shown, a cover 9 can be provided to cover the pair of fastening portions 31 and the pair of nuts 4. Therefore, when the connector 1 is assembled to a housing or the like, it is possible to prevent peripheral components from inadvertently coming into contact with the fastening portions 31 or the like. Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, by increasing the creepage distance between the pair of fastening portions 31, it is possible to prevent unintended conduction between the pair of busbars 3.

[0058] Hereinafter, the Figure 8 The cover 9 is made of a transparent resin or the like and is supported by the partition wall 15 of the main body 11 so that the cover 9 can cover a pair of fastening portions 31 and a pair of nuts 4 in a closed position (see FIG. Figure 8 and Figure 9 A) and the cover 9 does not cover the opening position of the pair of fastening parts 31 and the pair of nuts 4 (see Figure 9 B) can be rotated between (can be opened and closed).

[0059] like Figure 8 、 Figure 9 As shown in FIG. 1A and the like, the cover 9 integrally includes a flat plate portion 71 that extends perpendicularly to the front-to-back direction in the closed position, and an extension portion 72 that extends rearward from a portion including the lower right corner of the outer peripheral edge of the flat plate portion 71 in the closed position. When viewed from the front-to-back direction, the entire flat plate portion 71 in the closed position is positioned within the circular area within the O-ring 5 mounted in the annular recess 18 of the main body 11. Therefore, when the main body 11 is inserted into the mounting hole 63, the flat plate portion 71 in the closed position is prevented from interfering with the outer peripheral edge of the mounting hole 63. Furthermore, when the O-ring 5 is inserted into the main body 11 from the front and mounted in the annular recess 18, the cover 9 is less likely to become an obstruction.

[0060] The extension portion 72 is integrally provided with a rotational shaft portion 73 extending in the vertical direction. The rotational shaft portion 73 is selectively rotatably inserted into the temporary locking hole 25 and the fully locking hole 26 provided at the right end of the partition wall 15 of the main body portion 11. The temporary locking hole 25 and the fully locking hole 26 are arranged so that the temporary locking hole 25 is located in front of the fully locking hole 26 and the temporary locking hole 25 and the fully locking hole 26 are aligned in the front-to-back direction. The temporary locking hole 25 and the fully locking hole 26 communicate with each other in the front-to-back direction via a narrow gap. Therefore, when a rearward force is applied to the rotational shaft portion 73 (with the lid 9 in the closed position) while the rotational shaft portion 73 is rotatably inserted into the temporary locking hole 25, the rotational shaft portion 73 moves from the temporary locking hole 25 to the fully locking hole 26, and the rotational shaft portion 73 can be switched to a state where the rotational shaft portion 73 is rotatably inserted into the fully locking hole 26.

[0061] The locking portion 74 is provided on the rear surface of the left end portion of the flat plate portion 71 in the closed position. When the cover 9 is set in the closed position and the rotation shaft portion 73 is inserted into the complete locking hole 26, the locking portion 74 can be locked to the locked portion 27 provided at the left end portion of the partition wall 15.

[0062] When the flat plate portion 71 is in the closed position, a pair of ribs 76 are formed on the rear surface of the center portion in the vertical direction of the flat plate portion 71 and are spaced apart in the vertical direction and extend in the left-right direction (see FIG. Figure 11 A and Figure 11 B). Therefore, the recess 75 defined by the pair of ribs 76 is formed to extend in the left-right direction. When the cover 9 is in the closed position and the rotation shaft portion 73 is inserted into the fully locked hole 26, the protruding end portion (protrusion) 15a extending in the left-right direction of the partition wall 15 is inserted into the recess 75 (see Figure 11 A and Figure 11 B). Thus, the protrusions 15a and recesses 75 intertwine at locations sandwiched between the pair of fastening portions 31, resulting in a structure in which the oil inlet path through the partition wall 15 is elongated (a so-called labyrinth structure). This more reliably prevents unintended electrical conduction between the pair of busbars 3.

[0063] exist Figure 8 In the example shown, when the connector 1 is assembled to the outer wall 60 of the case, the main body 11 is inserted into the mounting hole 63 of the outer wall 60 of the case with the cover 9 in the closed position and the rotating shaft portion 73 inserted into the temporary locking hole 25. Therefore, the peripheral components can be prevented from accidentally contacting the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4.

[0064] After the connector 1 is assembled to the outer wall 60 of the box, Figure 9 As shown in FIG. 1A , while the cover 9 is in the closed position and the rotating shaft portion 73 is inserted into the temporary locking hole 25 , the flat plate portion 43 of the terminal fitting 42 is inserted into the gap L between the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4 and is temporarily fixed. Figure 9 As shown in FIG. 2B , the cover 9 is opened and held in the open position while the rotation shaft portion 73 is inserted into the temporary locking hole 25, and the fastening portion 31 and the flat plate portion 43 are fastened together by the bolt 50. Here, the cover 9 is opened because the flat plate portion 71 covers the fastening portion 31 when the cover 9 is closed, and the flat plate portion 71 becomes an obstacle.

[0065] After the coordinated tightening work is completed by the bolt 50, as shown in FIG. Figure 10 As shown in A, while the rotation shaft portion 73 is kept inserted into the temporary locking hole 25, the cover 9 is closed again. Then, a backward force is applied to the cover 9 (flat plate portion 71). Figure 10As shown in FIG. 2B , the rotation shaft portion 73 moves from the temporary locking hole 25 to the complete locking hole 26, the locking portion 74 of the cover 9 is locked to the locked portion 27 of the partition wall 15, and the protrusion 15 a of the partition wall 15 is inserted into the recess 75 of the cover 9, thereby forming the above-mentioned labyrinth structure. Thus, the assembly of the terminal-attached wire 8 to the connector 1 is completed.

[0066] When the work of assembling the terminal-attached electric wire 8 to the connector 1 is completed, the locking portion 74 of the cover 9 is locked to the locked portion 27 of the partition wall 15, thereby preventing the cover 9 from being accidentally opened. In addition, due to the above-mentioned labyrinth structure, accidental conduction between the pair of bus bars 3 can be reliably prevented.

[0067] exist Figure 9 In the example shown in A, with the cover 9 in the closed position and the rotating shaft portion 73 inserted into the temporary locking hole 25, the flat plate portion 43 of the terminal fitting 42 is inserted into the gap L between the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4 and is temporarily fixed. Figure 12 As shown, with the cover 9 in the closed position and the rotating shaft portion 73 inserted into the temporary locking hole 25, the flat plate portion 43 of the terminal fitting 42 can be inserted into the gap between the fastening portion 31 and the flat plate portion 71 of the cover 9 and temporarily secured. In this case, when the flat plate portion 43 is inserted into the gap between the fastening portion 31 and the flat plate portion 71, the elastic force generated by the wire 41 presses the flat plate portion 43 against the fastening portion 31 or the flat plate portion 71, and the flat plate portion 43 (i.e., the terminal fitting 42) is retained in the gap by friction. Furthermore, when the terminal fitting 42 is temporarily secured in this manner, the flat plate portion 43 can be retained in the gap between the fastening portion 31 and the flat plate portion 71, even if the bolt holes 43a of the flat plate portion 43 are not necessarily aligned with the bolt holes 31a of the fastening portion 31 and the female screw portion of the nut 4. Consequently, the workability of connecting the terminal-attached wire 8 to the connector 1 can be further improved. In this way, when the flat plate portion 43 (i.e., the terminal fitting 42) is temporarily fixed to the gap between the fastening portion 31 and the flat plate portion 71, as described in the above embodiment, the flat plate portion 43 is then inserted into the gap L between the fastening portion 31 and the nut 4, and the fastening portion 31 and the flat plate portion 43 are fastened together by the bolt 50.

[0068] <Functions and Effects>

[0069] As described above, according to the connector 1 of this embodiment, when the busbar 3 is insert-molded in the housing 2, the recessed portion 34 (i.e., exposed portion) of the busbar 3 engages the inner surface of the molding die. This reduces the likelihood of positional deviation of the busbar 3, even if the busbar 3 is subjected to flow pressure from the molten resin flowing in the mold. Consequently, the positioning accuracy of the busbar 3 in the housing 2 can be improved. Furthermore, since the recessed portion 34 of the busbar 3 is located on the inner side of the case relative to the outer wall 60, compared to a case where the recessed portion 34 is exposed to the outside of the case, the interior of the case is shielded from the external environment by the outer wall 60. This prevents foreign matter, such as water, from entering the boundary between the recessed portion 34 and the housing 2. In other words, the recessed portion 34 does not particularly adversely affect the sealing performance of the case, etc. As described above, the connector 1 of this configuration can improve the positioning accuracy of the busbar 3 in the housing 2 without excessively compromising the original performance of the connector 1 mounted on the outer wall 60 of the case (for example, the sealing performance of the case is not impaired).

[0070] Furthermore, recess 34 of busbar 3 is exposed in recess 17 of housing 2. Since recess 17 reduces the thickness of housing 2, dimensional variations in housing 2 due to resin shrinkage during molding can be reduced, and the positioning accuracy of busbar 3 and the dimensional accuracy of gap L between fastening portion 31 and nut 4 can be improved. Furthermore, since recess 34 of busbar 3 is exposed in recess 17, when connector 1 is in use, accidental catching of peripheral components on recess 34 is prevented. Furthermore, since the outer periphery of recess 34 is surrounded by the inner wall of recess 17, even when a liquid such as lubricating oil is sealed within a transmission and conductive fine particles (e.g., contamination such as wear powder from gears) are contained in the liquid, accidental electrical conduction between busbar 3 and peripheral conductive components can be prevented.

[0071] Furthermore, the recessed portion 34 having a cutout shape is provided at the exposed portion of the busbar 3. Therefore, since the recessed portion 34 of the busbar 3 and the inner surface of the molding die can be more firmly engaged with each other, it is possible to further prevent the positional deviation of the busbar 3 when it receives the flow pressure of the molten resin flowing in the mold from occurring.

[0072] Furthermore, potting material 7 (sealant) that seals the boundary between busbar 3 and case 2 is provided between contact portion 32 of busbar 3 and recess 34 of main body portion 36 of busbar 3, located outside the case. Consequently, since recess 34 of busbar 3 is not exposed to the outside of the case, intrusion of foreign matter from the outside is prevented. Furthermore, potting material 7 also prevents intrusion of foreign matter from the outside through the boundary. Potting material 7 also prevents the contents of the case (e.g., oil, etc.) from escaping from the inside to the outside.

[0073] Furthermore, after assembling the housing 2 to the outer wall 60 of the case, while bending the electric wires 41 extending from a device or the like disposed within the case, when the terminal fitting 42 is connected to (i.e., bolted to) the fastening portion 31 of the busbar 3, the terminal fitting 42 can be inserted into the gap L between the fastening portion 31 and the cover 9. The elastic force generated by the electric wires 41 can press the terminal fitting 42 against the fastening portion 31 or the cover 9, and the terminal fitting 42 can be retained in the gap L by friction. In other words, before the terminal fitting 42 is fastened to the fastening portion 31, the terminal fitting 42 can be temporarily fixed (temporarily placed) in the gap L between the fastening portion 31 and the cover 9. Therefore, the operator can use the bolt 50, a fastening tool, etc. by freeing their hands from the electric wires 41 or the terminal fitting 42. Consequently, the operator does not need to perform bolt tightening, etc., while pressing the terminal-attached electric wires 8, thereby facilitating the bolt tightening work. In particular, in connector 1, since the positional accuracy of busbar 3 is excellent, the size of gap L between fastening portion 31 of busbar 3 and nut 4 can be prevented from becoming excessively large or small. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the aforementioned temporary fixation of terminal fitting 42 from being insufficient, and to prevent the joint fastening by bolt 50 from being impaired due to excessive gap L. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent a situation where temporary fixation of terminal fitting 42 into gap L becomes difficult due to gap L being too small. Therefore, in connector 1 according to this embodiment, the workability of connecting terminal-attached electric wire 8 to connector 1 can be improved.

[0074] <Other embodiments>

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications and improvements may be made as appropriate. Furthermore, as long as the present invention can be achieved, the various structural elements of the embodiments are arbitrary, and are not limited in terms of material, shape, size, quantity, arrangement position, etc.

[0076] In the above embodiment, a pair of busbars 3 are insert-molded and held in the housing 2 of the connector 1. However, a single busbar 3 may be insert-molded and held in the housing 2 of the connector 1. In this case, the partition wall 15 of the connector 1 is unnecessary.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the recessed portion 34 of the busbar 3 is exposed in one of the plurality of grooves 17 formed in the main body 11 of the housing 2. However, the recessed portion 34 of the busbar 3 may also be exposed at a location where the plurality of grooves 17 are not formed on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the main body 11 of the housing 2. Furthermore, an engaging portion having a different shape from the recessed portion 34 may be provided at the exposed portion of the busbar 3, as long as the engaging portion can engage with a protrusion or the like formed on the inner surface of the molding die. For example, a bend formed by bending the busbar 3 may be provided at the exposed portion, and the bend may serve as an engaging portion with the protrusion or the like of the molded article.

[0078] In the above embodiment, connector 1 is mounted to the outer wall 60 of a housing (box-shaped body), such as a transmission case. However, connector 1 may also be mounted to a wall other than the outer wall of the housing (box-shaped body). For example, if the interior and exterior of the housing are separated by multiple walls, connector 1 may be mounted to any of the walls.

[0079] Here, features of an embodiment of the connector 1 according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed as [1] to [5] below. [1]

[0081] A connector (1) comprising:

[0082] a resin case (2) to be assembled to a wall portion (60) of a box-shaped body as an installation target; and

[0083] a busbar (3) comprising a main body portion (36) insert-molded and held in the housing (2), and a fastening portion (31) provided inside the box-shaped body relative to the wall portion (60) and fastened to a terminal fitting (42) by using a bolt (50),

[0084] The main body (36) of the busbar (3) includes a portion in which an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside of the shell (2) and not covered by the resin constituting the shell (2) is arranged on the inner side of the box-shaped body relative to the wall portion (60). [2]

[0086] The connector (1) according to [1], wherein

[0087] The shell (2) has one or more grooves (17), and

[0088] The exposed portion of the busbar (3) is arranged in the groove (17). [3]

[0090] The connector (1) according to [1] or [2], wherein

[0091] The main body portion (36) of the busbar (3) has a recess (34) in the exposed portion so that the busbar (3) can be cut away. [4]

[0093] The connector (1) according to any one of [1]-[3], wherein

[0094] The busbar (3) includes a contact portion (32) provided on the outside of the box-shaped body relative to the wall portion (60) and connected to an external terminal, and

[0095] The connector (1) further includes a sealing member (7) between the contact portion (32) and the exposed portion of the main body portion (36) for sealing the boundary between the busbar (3) and the shell (2). [5]

[0097] The connector (1) according to any one of [1]-[4], further comprising:

[0098] A nut (4) is held by the shell (2) in a state where there is a gap between the nut and the fastening portion (31) allowing the terminal fitting (42) to be inserted, and is engaged with the bolt (50) to fasten the fastening portion (31) and the terminal fitting (42) inserted in the gap (L) together.

[0099] According to the connector having the structure [1], when the busbar is insert-molded in the shell, by engaging the exposed portion of the busbar with the inner surface of the molding die, even when the busbar receives the flow pressure of the molten resin flowing in the mold, the position deviation of the busbar is less likely to occur. Therefore, the position accuracy of the busbar can be improved. In addition, since the exposed portion of the busbar is arranged on the inner side of the box-shaped body relative to the outer wall, compared with the case where the exposed portion is exposed to the outside of the box-shaped body, since the inside of the box-shaped body is isolated from the external environment by the outer wall, foreign matter such as water can be prevented from entering the boundary between the exposed portion of the busbar and the shell. Foreign matter entering the boundary may be a factor that impairs the sealing performance of the box-shaped body, so it is desirable to reduce foreign matter as much as possible. In the connector of this structure, as described above, the exposed portion has no particular adverse effect on the sealing performance of the box-shaped body, etc. Therefore, the connector of this structure can improve the position accuracy of the busbar without excessively damaging the original performance of the connector installed on the outer wall of the box-shaped body (for example, the sealing performance of the box-shaped body is not impaired).

[0100] According to the connector of construction [2], the exposed portion of the busbar is arranged in the groove of the shell. Since the thickness of the shell is reduced by the groove, the dimensional change of the shell itself due to the molding shrinkage of the resin can be reduced, and the position accuracy of the busbar can be improved. In addition, since the exposed portion of the busbar is arranged in the groove, when the connector is used, the peripheral components are prevented from accidentally hanging on the exposed portion. In addition, since the periphery of the exposed portion is surrounded by the inner wall of the groove, even if a liquid such as lubricating oil is sealed inside a transmission and conductive fine particles (for example, so-called contamination such as wear powder of the gear) are contained in the liquid, accidental conduction between the busbar and the peripheral conductive components can be prevented.

[0101] According to the connector of configuration [3], the recessed portion having a cutout shape is provided at the exposed portion of the busbar. Therefore, since the exposed portion (recessed portion) of the busbar and the inner surface of the molding die can be more firmly engaged with each other, it is possible to further prevent the positional deviation of the busbar from occurring when the busbar receives the flow pressure of the molten resin flowing in the mold.

[0102] According to the connector of configuration [4], a sealant that seals the boundary between the busbar and the housing is provided between the contact portion of the busbar outside the housing and the exposed portion of the main body of the busbar. Therefore, since the exposed portion of the busbar is not exposed outside the housing, intrusion of foreign matter from the outside can be prevented, and intrusion of foreign matter from the outside through the boundary can also be prevented by the sealant. The sealant prevents the contents of the housing (e.g., oil, etc.) from flowing out from the inside to the outside of the housing.

[0103] According to the connector of construction [5], after the shell is assembled to the wall portion (e.g., outer wall) of the box-shaped body, for example, when the terminal fitting is connected to the fastening portion of the busbar (i.e., cooperatively fastened by a bolt and a nut) while the electric wire extending from the device or the like provided in the box-shaped body is bent, if the terminal fitting is inserted into the gap between the fastening portion and the cover, the terminal fitting can be pressed against the fastening portion or the cover by the elastic force generated by the electric wire, and the terminal fitting can be held in the gap. In other words, before the terminal fitting is fastened and fixed to the fastening portion, the terminal fitting can be temporarily fixed (temporarily placed) in the gap between the fastening portion and the cover. Therefore, for example, when the terminal fitting is fastened and fixed, the operator can free his or her hands from the electric wire or the terminal fitting to prepare a bolt, a fastening tool, etc. Therefore, even if, for example, the wire extending from the device is bent significantly (i.e., with a small bend radius) due to the narrow interior space of the box-shaped body, the operator does not have to constantly press the terminal-attached wire when securing the terminal fitting to the connector's busbar. This makes tightening and securing the terminal fitting easier. In particular, the excellent positioning accuracy of the busbar in this connector prevents the gap between the busbar's fastening portion and the nut from becoming excessively large or small. Consequently, insufficient provisional securing of the terminal fitting and a weak tightening force by the bolt due to an excessively large gap can be prevented. Furthermore, situations where the gap is too small, making it difficult to provisionally secure the terminal fitting within it, can be avoided.

[0104] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector having excellent positional accuracy of a bus bar.

Claims

1. A connector, comprising: a resin case to be assembled to a wall portion of a box-shaped body as an installation target; as well as a busbar including a main body portion that is insert-molded and held in the case, and a fastening portion that is provided inside the box-shaped body relative to the wall portion and is to be connected to a terminal fitting by fastening with bolts, wherein the main body of the busbar includes a portion in which an exposed portion, which is exposed to the outside of the shell and not covered by the resin constituting the shell, is disposed inside the box-shaped body relative to the wall portion; and The main body of the busbar has a recessed portion in the exposed portion, which is formed by cutting away the busbar.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein The shell has one or more grooves, and The exposed portion of the bus bar is disposed in the groove.

3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The busbar includes a contact portion provided on the outside of the box-shaped body relative to the wall portion and to be connected to an external terminal, and The connector further includes a sealant between the contact portion and the exposed portion of the body portion that seals a boundary between the bus bar and the housing.

4. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A nut is held by the housing with a gap between the nut and the fastening portion allowing the terminal fitting to be inserted, and cooperates with the bolt to fasten the fastening portion and the terminal fitting inserted in the gap together.

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