Connector

Abstract

A connector (1) which is a configuration to be assembled into a wire harness for an automobile to distribute power, and which includes a plurality of bus bars (2) and a housing (3) housing the bus bars (2). The housing (3) includes: a bus bar holding portion (32) at one side thereof; and a terminal accommodating chamber (39) at the other side thereof for accommodating a terminal (9) electrically connected to the bus bar (2). The bus bar holding section (32) includes a pair of clamping plates (33, 34) that clamp the bus bar (2) from both sides in the thickness direction of the bus bar. The housing (3) is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation plates (35) which are respectively provided vertically from the clamping plates (34). In addition, a heat dissipation plate (35) standing from the clamping plate (34) of the bus bar holding part (32) of the upper stage to the bus bar holding part (32) of the lower stage is spaced apart from the clamping plate (33) of the bus bar holding part (32) of the lower stage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector comprising a bus bar and a housing. Background Art

[0002] There is known a connector for an automobile (also referred to as a “joint connector”), which includes a bus bar and a housing and is configured to connect a plurality of terminals to each other.

[0003] For example, the connector described in Patent Document 1 includes a bus bar and a housing for accommodating the bus bar, and a plurality of connector terminals extend from a strip-shaped substrate portion on the bus bar. A bus bar holding groove for holding the substrate portion is formed on one side of the housing, and a receiving space for accommodating a plurality of connector terminals is formed on the other side. A female terminal connected to the end of the wire is inserted into the receiving space, and the female terminal is mated with the connector terminal. Such a connector connects the female terminals mated to a plurality of connector terminals to each other.

[0004] [Citation List]

[0005] [Patent Document]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JPH8-17531A Summary of the invention

[0007] [Technical issues]

[0008] There is a problem in the above connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 that when current flows in the order from the electric wire to the terminal to the bus bar, Joule heat is generated to cause a high temperature inside the housing, and there is room for improvement.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the heat dissipation performance of a connector including a bus bar and a housing.

[0010] [Solution to the problem]

[0011] The present invention corresponds to a connector, which includes: a bus bar; and a shell, which accommodates the bus bar, wherein the connector is characterized in that: the shell includes a bus bar retaining portion at one side thereof, and the bus bar retaining portion includes a pair of clamping plates, the pair of clamping plates clamp the bus bar from both sides in the thickness direction of the bus bar, the shell includes a terminal accommodating chamber at the other side thereof for accommodating terminals electrically connected to the bus bar, and the shell includes a heat dissipation plate, which is erected from one of the pair of clamping plates.

[0012] [Effects of the invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, since the case includes the heat dissipation plate erected from one of a pair of clamping plates that clamp the bus bar, heat dissipation performance can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 2 is a view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 Exploded view of the connector in .

[0016] Figure 3 It is cut along the horizontal direction Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the connector in FIG.

[0017] Figure 4 It is cut along the length direction Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the connector in FIG.

[0018] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 A view of the functionality of the connector in .

[0019] Reference Mark List

[0020] 1 Connector

[0021] 2 Busbars

[0022] 3 Housing

[0023] 9 terminals

[0024] 32 Bus bar holding portion

[0025] 35 heat sink

[0026] 39 Terminal accommodation chamber DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Will refer to Figures 1 to 5 A “connector” according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0028] Figures 1 to 5 The connector 1 shown is assembled into a wiring harness for an automobile to distribute electric power. The connector 1 includes a plurality of bus bars 2 and a housing 3 that accommodates the bus bars 2 .

[0029] The bus bar 2 is obtained by stamping a metal plate or the like, and Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of connector terminals 22 extend from the strip-shaped substrate portion 21. The connector terminals 22 are formed in a tongue shape and extend perpendicularly to the length direction of the substrate portion 21. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 2 , a locking protrusion 23 is formed at the base end of the connector terminal 22 near the substrate portion 21 to be locked with the housing 2. Figure 4As shown, the end side of the joint terminal 22 is mated with the female terminal 9 connected to the end of the electric wire 8. Figure 3 In the figure, terminal 9 is omitted.

[0030] The housing 3 is made of an insulating synthetic resin. The housing 3 is formed into a rectangular cylindrical shape having an upper wall 30a, a lower wall 30b, and a pair of left and right side walls 30c, 30d. The housing 3 has a bus bar holding portion 32 on its rear side (one side), and a terminal accommodating chamber 39 for accommodating terminals 9 electrically connected to the bus bar 2 on its front side (the other side). In addition, a locking portion 31 for attaching the housing 3 to a structure (a vehicle body, an electrical connection box, an electronic unit, etc.) is provided on the outer surface of the lower wall 30b.

[0031] Note that names such as "upper wall 30a", "lower wall 30b", "side walls 30c, 30d", etc. are used only for ease of explanation in this specification and do not need to match the actual left side, right side, front side and rear side when the connector 1 is installed in the car.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, in this example, 12 terminal accommodating chambers 39 are arranged in the lateral direction of the housing 3 (the direction in which the side wall 30c and the side wall 30d face each other), and the group of these terminal accommodating chambers 39 in the lateral direction is arranged in three sections in the vertical direction of the housing 3 (the direction in which the upper wall 30a and the lower wall 30b face each other). These terminal accommodating chambers 39 are divided by 11 vertical partition walls 38 provided between the side wall 30c and the side wall 30d and 2 horizontal partition walls 37 provided between the upper wall 30a and the lower wall 30b. As shown in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, each terminal accommodation chamber 39 is provided with a lance 40 for engaging with the terminal 9 .

[0033] The terminal 9 is obtained by stamping a metal plate. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the terminal 9 includes: a coating crimping piece 91, a core wire crimping piece 92 and a matching portion 93. The coating crimping piece 91 crimps the portion covered by the coating at the end of the electric wire 8, and the core wire crimping piece 92 crimps the core wire exposed by stripping the coating. The matching portion 93 has: a square barrel 94, which receives the connector terminal 22; and a spring piece 95, which elastically contacts the connector terminal 22 inserted into the square barrel 94.

[0034] like Figure 1As shown, in this example, three bus bar holding portions 32 are arranged in the lateral direction of the housing 3, and the groups of these lateral bus bar holding portions 32 are arranged in three stages along the vertical direction of the housing 3. The bus bar 2 is accommodated in the housing 3 in the following manner: the length direction of the substrate portion 21 is consistent with the lateral direction of the housing 3, and the thickness direction thereof is consistent with the vertical direction of the housing.

[0035] The bus bar holding portion 32 includes a pair of clamping plates 33, 34 that sandwich the bus bar 2 from both sides in the thickness direction. The clamping plate 33 is connected to the rear end of the horizontal partition wall 37 and extends rearward. The clamping plate 34 is connected to the rear end of the vertical partition wall 38 and extends rearward. Regarding the bus bar holding portion 32 located at the upper stage, the upper wall 30a serves as the clamping plate 33, and the bus bar 2 is sandwiched between the upper wall 30a and the clamping plate 34. Figure 3 As shown, between adjacent bus bar holding portions 32, they are separated from each other by a vertical partition wall 38 extending to the rear end of the housing 3. Thus, a short circuit between adjacent bus bars 2 is prevented.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the inner space of the bus bar holding portion 32 communicates with the inner space of the terminal accommodating chamber 39. A locked portion 41 is formed at the boundary between the bus bar holding portion 32 and the terminal accommodating chamber 39 to be locked with the locking protrusion 23 of the bus bar 2.

[0037] The bus bar 2 is inserted into the bus bar holding portion 32 from the rear end side of the housing 3, and the locking protrusion 23 is locked in the locked portion 41 of the housing 3, thereby being assembled in the housing 3. In the bus bar 2 assembled in the housing 3, the substrate portion 21 is positioned in the bus bar holding portion 32, and the plurality of connector terminals 22 are respectively positioned in the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 39.

[0038] Furthermore, when the bus bar 2 is assembled into the housing 3, the rear end surface 20 of the base plate portion 21 is pressed with a jig, thereby inserting the bus bar 2 into the bus bar holding portion 32. Therefore, jig guide grooves 36a, 36b, 36c are formed in the bus bar holding portion 32.

[0039] In addition, the housing 3 includes a plurality of heat dissipation plates 35 erected from the clamping plate 34. Each heat dissipation plate 35 is erected vertically from the clamping plate 34 and continues to the rear end of the vertical partition wall 38. In addition, the heat dissipation plates 35 erected (hanging down) from the clamping plate 34 of the upper bus bar holding portion 32 to the lower bus bar holding portion 32 are spaced apart from the clamping plate 33 in the lower bus bar holding portion 32. In addition, as Figure 4 As shown, the longitudinal direction of the heat sink 35 coincides with the insertion direction of the bus bar 2 into the bus bar holding portion 32 and the insertion direction of the terminal 9 into the terminal accommodating chamber 39 .

[0040] According to the connector 1 having the above configuration, as Figure 5 As shown by the dotted arrows in FIG. 1 , the current flows from the wire 8 to the terminal 9 and then to the bus bar 2 in this order. Joule heat is generated through each current-carrying part. The heat generated is as follows: Figure 5 As shown by the dotted arrow in the figure, the heat diffuses from the bus bar 2 to the surrounding housing 3, and then dissipates from the surface of the housing 3 to the air. According to such a connector 1, by providing the above-mentioned heat dissipation plate 35, the surface area of ​​the housing 3 around the bus bar 2 is increased, and the heat dissipation performance from the surface of the housing 3 to the air is improved. In addition, since the heat dissipation plate 35 is vertically erected from the clamping plate 34 and is continuous with the rear end of the vertical partition wall 38, the rigidity of the bus bar holding portion 32 is also improved.

[0041] Note that the above-described embodiment only illustrates typical aspects of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Of course, as long as these modifications still have structure according to the present invention, they are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A connector (1), comprising: Busbar (2); as well as a housing (3) accommodating the bus bar (2), The housing (3) includes a bus bar holding portion (32) at one side thereof, and the bus bar holding portion (32) includes a pair of clamping plates (33, 34) that clamp the bus bar (2) from both sides in the thickness direction of the bus bar. The housing (3) includes a terminal accommodation chamber (39) at the other side thereof for accommodating a terminal (9) configured to be electrically connected to the bus bar (2), and The housing (3) includes a heat dissipation plate (35) which is erected from one of the pair of clamping plates (33, 34).

2. The connector (1) according to claim 1, in, A plurality of bus bars (2) are provided, The housing (3) includes a plurality of bus bar holding portions (32), and the plurality of bus bar holding portions (32) are arranged in the thickness direction of the bus bar (2), and The heat dissipation plate (35) erected from the clamping plate (33, 34) of one of the plurality of bus bar holding portions (32) is spaced apart from the clamping plate (33, 34) of another bus bar holding portion (32).

3. The connector (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The heat dissipation plate (35) is vertically erected from one of the pair of clamping plates (33, 34).

4. The connector (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The length direction of the heat sink (35) is consistent with the insertion direction of the bus bar (2) into the bus bar holding portion (32) and the insertion direction of the terminal (9) into the terminal accommodating chamber (39).

Images