Bus connection structure

Abstract

A bus bar connection structure (1) includes a bus bar (15) and a bus bar (17). The bus bar (15) includes a first body extending in a front-rear direction, and has a recess formed by pressing one end of the first body in the front-rear direction in the front-rear direction. The bus bar (17) includes a second body extending in a direction inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, and has a protruding portion formed by protruding one end of the second body in the inclined direction in the inclined direction. The concave portion and the convex portion have a shape that enables the bus bar (17) to rotate relative to the bus bar (15) on the convex portion in a plane including a front-rear direction and an inclined direction. The concave portion and the convex portion have engaged with each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bus bar connection structure. Background Art

[0002] In a battery pack mounted on an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle that travels using an electric motor, a bus bar is used to connect electrodes of a plurality of batteries (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] As an example of routing a flat rectangular parallelepiped metal conductor, i.e., a bus bar, in an inclined direction, in Figure 7 the illustrated bus bar connection structure 101, between linearly extending bus bars 110 and 113, a bus bar 112 having an inclined end face is provided in line with the routing direction, and the bus bars are joined together. Further, as another example, in Figure 8 the illustrated bus bar connection structure 101A, the upper surface of a bus bar 122 arranged according to the routing direction is joined to the lower surfaces of linearly extending bus bars 121 and 123.

[0004] Citation List

[0005] Patent Document

[0006] Patent Document 1: JP2017-4744A Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical Problem

[0008] However, in Figure 7 the illustrated bus bar connection structure 101, since the joining angles in each routing direction are different, it is necessary to make the inclination angles of the end faces of the bus bar 112 different, and thus the versatility is low. Further, in Figure 8 the illustrated bus bar connection structure 101A, since the bus bars are connected to each other on the upper and lower surfaces, it is necessary to provide a space in the thickness (plate thickness) direction. Further, in the bus bar connection structure described in Patent Document 1, since the bus bars are connected to each other through a hinge portion, and the hinge portion has a cylindrical portion formed by bending the end portion of each bus bar into a cylindrical shape, in addition to the plate thickness of the bus bar, a space for the cylindrical portion is also required.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a bus bar connection structure capable of improving versatility and saving space.

[0010] Solution to the Problem

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the bus bar connection structure according to the present invention is characterized as follows.

[0012] A bus bar connection structure, comprising:

[0013] A first bus bar having a first main body portion extending in a first direction and a concave portion recessed in a first direction at one end of the first main body portion in the first direction; and

[0014] A second bus bar having a second main body portion extending in a second direction and a convex portion protruding in the second direction from one end of the second main body portion in the second direction, wherein

[0015] the concave portion and the convex portion have a shape that allows the second bus bar to rotate relative to the first bus bar around the convex portion as an axis within a plane including the first direction and the second direction, and

[0016] the concave portion engages with the convex portion.

[0017] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, a bus bar connection structure capable of improving versatility and saving space can be provided.

[0019] The present invention has been briefly described above. In addition, details of the present invention can be further clarified by referring to the following modes for implementing the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a bus bar connection structure according to a first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an exploded perspective view of the shown bus bar connection structure.

[0022] Figure 3 is Figure 1 an enlarged top view of a part of the shown bus bar connection structure.

[0023] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a bus bar connection structure according to a second embodiment.

[0024] Figure 5 is Figure 4 an exploded perspective view of the shown bus bar connection structure.

[0025] Figure 6 is Figure 4 an enlarged top view of a part of the shown bus bar connection structure.

[0026] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a bus bar connection structure in the prior art.

[0027] Figure 8A perspective view showing another example of a bus bar connection structure in the prior art. Detailed implementation

[0028] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] (First Embodiment)

[0030] Figure 1 A perspective view showing the bus bar connection structure 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 Is Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the shown bus bar connection structure 1. Figure 3 Is Figure 1 An enlarged top view of a part of the shown bus bar connection structure 1. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, as Figure 1 Shown, the "front-rear direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" are defined. The "front-rear direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-rear direction is an example of the first direction.

[0031] The bus bar connection structure 1 will be assembled between components and / or devices of an automobile, for example, for electrical connection within a battery pack used as a power source for driving a vehicle motor. The bus bar connection structure 1 is a bus bar for supplying vehicle driving power, that is, a high-voltage bus bar.

[0032] The bus bar connection structure 1 includes bus bars 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19. As described below, adjacent bus bars are joined together by, for example, laser welding. The bus bar 15 is an example of the first bus bar, and the bus bar 17 is an example of the second bus bar.

[0033] Each of the bus bars 11, 13, 15, and 17 is formed by stamping a conductive metal plate having a predetermined thickness and has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. The bus bars 11, 15, and 19 extend in the front-rear direction. The bus bar 13 extends in the up-down direction. The bus bar 17 extends in an inclined direction that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the front-rear direction. The inclined direction is an example of the second direction. The bus bar 11 has a through hole 111 for mounting to a component at its rear end, and its front end is joined to the upper end face of the bus bar 13. The lower end face of the bus bar 13 is joined to the upper surface of the rear end portion of the bus bar 15.

[0034] The bus bar 15 includes a main body portion 151 extending in the front-rear direction, and a concave portion 152 recessed in the front-rear direction at one end in the front-rear direction of the main body portion 151, i.e., the front end portion. The main body portion 151 is an example of the first main body portion. The bus bar 17 includes a main body portion 171 extending in an inclined direction, and a convex portion 172 protruding in the inclined direction from one end in the inclined direction of the main body portion 171, i.e., the rear end portion. The concave portion 152 and the convex portion 172 have a shape that allows the bus bar 17 to rotate relative to the bus bar 15 around the convex portion 172 as an axis in a horizontal plane, i.e., a plane including the front-rear direction and the inclined direction. The concave portion 152 and the convex portion 172 are joined together.

[0035] The concave portion 152 has an end face 15a with a concave arc shape. The convex portion 172 has an end face 17a with a convex arc shape corresponding to the concave arc shape of the end face 15a. The end face 15a is an example of the first end face, and the end face 17a is an example of the second end face. The concave portion 152 and the convex portion 172 respectively have end faces 15a, 17a with concave and convex arc shapes having substantially the same diameter dimensions, so that they can rotate in a state of being in contact with each other. The concave and convex arc-shaped end faces 15a, 17a are configured such that the diameter of the convex arc-shaped end face 17a is slightly smaller than the diameter of the concave arc-shaped end face 15a. Therefore, the bus bar 15 and the bus bar 17 can be connected in such a manner that the main body portions 151, 171 are arranged at a predetermined angle in a state where the end faces 15a, 17a are in contact with each other.

[0036] In the bus bar connection structure 1, the concave portion 152 and the convex portion 172 have a shape that allows the bus bar 17 to rotate relative to the bus bar 15 around the convex portion 172 as an axis in a horizontal plane, i.e., a plane including the front-rear direction and the inclined direction, and the concave portion 152 is joined to the convex portion 172. According to this configuration, the joining angle between the bus bar 15 and the bus bar 17 can be adjusted, thereby improving the versatility of the bus bar connection structure 1. In addition, since the bus bar 15 and the bus bar 17 are connected in the same plane, compared with the case where the bus bar 15 and the bus bar 17 are connected in an overlapping manner, the space in the thickness (plate thickness) direction, i.e., the up-down direction, can be reduced. In addition, the bus bar 15 and the bus bar 17 are joined to each other through an arc surface, so that the joining area is large and stable conduction can be achieved.

[0037] At the front end of the bus bar 17, a recess identical to the recess 152 of the bus bar 15 is provided. At the rear end of the bus bar 19, a projection identical to the projection 172 of the bus bar 17 is provided, and at the front end, a through hole 191 for mounting to a component is provided. The recess and the projection have a shape that allows the bus bar 19 to rotate relative to the bus bar 17 in a horizontal plane around the projection as an axis. Therefore, the joining angle between the bus bar 17 and the bus bar 19 can be adjusted. The bus bar 17 and the bus bar 19 are arranged such that the main body portions 151 and 171 form a predetermined angle, and the recess 152 and the projection 172 are engaged with each other. By connecting the bus bar 17 and the bus bar 19 in this way, the space in the thickness direction can be reduced compared to the case where the bus bar 17 and the bus bar 19 are connected in an overlapping manner. The bus bar 17 is an example of the first bus bar, and the bus bar 19 is an example of the second bus bar.

[0038] As Figure 3 shown, the convex arc-shaped end face 17a of the bus bar 17 has an arc width WA equal to or less than the dimension in the width direction of the main body portion 171, i.e., the width WB, and the arc opening angle θ, i.e., the angle around the center point O, is approximately 270 degrees. As Figure 3 shown, the bus bar 17 has a notch 173 between the main body portion 171 and the end face 17a. By providing the notch 173, the length of the convex arc of the end face 17a, i.e., the length of the end face 17a in the horizontal plane, can be increased, and the bus bar 17 can be rotated relative to the bus bar 15 to a position where the front end portion 153 contacts the notch 173. That is, the rotatable range of the bus bar 17 relative to the bus bar 15 can be increased. Therefore, the versatility of the bus bar connection structure 1 can be improved. The front end portion 153 is formed by the left and right side faces of the front end of the main body portion 151 of the bus bar 15 and the left and right end portions of the recess 152. The notch 173 is formed in a shape and size that can accommodate the front end portion 153. Since the end face 17a has an arc opening angle θ of 225 degrees or more and 315 degrees or less, the rotatable range of the bus bar 17 relative to the bus bar 15 can be increased, and the connection strength between the projection 172 and the main body portion 171 through the notch 173 can be ensured.

[0039] The bus bar connection structure 1 configured as described above is formed by joining bus bars 11, 15, 17, and 19 together. In the bus bar connection structure 1, the bus bars 11 and 19 are respectively mounted to various components through through holes 111 and 191 to achieve electrical continuity between the components. At the butting portions between adjacent bus bars among the bus bars 15, 17, and 19, one bus bar has convex arc-shaped end faces 17a, 19a, and the other bus bar has concave arc-shaped end faces 15a, 17b that are substantially the same as the diameter of the convex arc. Since the joint surfaces of the bus bars 15, 17, and 19 are arc-shaped, there is no need to provide inclined end faces at different angles according to the wiring direction, and the bus bars can be joined in all directions of the arc. As described above, in the bus bar connection structure 1, since the bus bars are joined to each other through arc surfaces, the rotation direction can be arbitrarily adjusted for joining, so that the bus bars can be mounted to components with different paths, improving versatility. In addition, in the bus bar connection structure 1, since the bus bars are joined to each other through arc surfaces, the connection area is larger than that of ordinary butting joints, and stable conduction can be achieved.

[0040] (Second Embodiment)

[0041] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a bus bar connection structure according to the second embodiment. Figure 5 is Figure 4 an exploded perspective view of the shown bus bar connection structure. Figure 6 is Figure 4 an enlarged top view of a part of the shown bus bar connection structure. Hereinafter, for the sake of description, as Figure 5 shown, the "front-back direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" are defined. The "front-back direction", "left-right direction", and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. In the second embodiment, the same components and parts as Figures 1 to 4 shown are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0042] The bus bar connection structure 1A includes bus bars 15A, 17A, and 19A as Figure 4 shown, instead of the bus bars 15, 17, and 19 in the bus bar connection structure 1 as Figures 1 to 3 shown.

[0043] The bus bar 15A includes a main body portion 151A extending in the front-rear direction, and a recessed portion 152A recessed in the front-rear direction at a front end portion, which is one end portion of the main body portion 151A in the front-rear direction. The main body portion 151A is an example of the first main body portion. The bus bar 17A includes a main body portion 171A extending in an inclined direction, and a convex portion 172A protruding in the inclined direction from a rear end portion, which is one end portion of the main body portion 171A in the inclined direction. The recessed portion 152A and the convex portion 172A have a shape that allows the bus bar 17A to rotate relative to the bus bar 15A around the convex portion 172A as an axis in a horizontal plane, that is, a plane including the front-rear direction and the inclined direction. The recessed portion 152A and the convex portion 172A are joined together.

[0044] The recessed portion 152A has an end face 15Aa with a concave arc shape. The convex portion 172A has an end face 17Aa with a convex arc shape corresponding to the concave arc shape of the end face 15Aa. The end face 15Aa is an example of the first end face, and the end face 17Aa is an example of the second end face. The recessed portion 152A and the convex portion 172A respectively have concave and convex arc-shaped end faces 15Aa and 17Aa that are substantially the same as the diameter size of the convex arc, so they can rotate in a state of being in contact with each other. The concave and convex arc-shaped end faces 15Aa and 17Aa are configured such that the diameter of the convex arc-shaped end face 17Aa is slightly smaller than the diameter of the concave arc-shaped end face 15Aa. Therefore, the bus bar 15A and the bus bar 17A can be connected in such a way that the main body portions 151A and 171A are arranged at a predetermined angle in a state where the end faces 15Aa and 17Aa are in contact with each other.

[0045] In the bus bar connection structure 1A, the recessed portion 152A and the convex portion 172A have a shape that allows the bus bar 17A to rotate relative to the bus bar 15A around the convex portion 172A as an axis in a horizontal plane, that is, a plane including the front-rear direction and the inclined direction, and the recessed portion 152A and the convex portion 172A are joined together. According to this configuration, the joining angle between the bus bar 15A and the bus bar 17A can be adjusted, so that the versatility of the bus bar connection structure 1A can be improved. In addition, since the bus bar 15A and the bus bar 17A are connected in the same plane, compared with the case where the bus bar 15A and the bus bar 17A are connected in an overlapping manner, the space in the thickness direction, that is, the up-down direction, can be reduced. In addition, the bus bar 15A and the bus bar 17A are joined to each other through an arc surface, so that the joining area is large and stable conduction can be achieved.

[0046] At the front end of the bus bar 17A, a recess identical to the recess 152A of the bus bar 15A is provided. The bus bar 19A is provided with a protrusion identical to the protrusion 172A of the bus bar 17A at the rear end, and has a through hole 19A1 for mounting to a component at the front end. The recess and the protrusion have a shape that allows the bus bar 19A to rotate relative to the bus bar 17A in a horizontal plane around the protrusion as an axis. Therefore, the joining angle between the bus bar 17A and the bus bar 19A can be adjusted. The bus bar 17A and the bus bar 19A are arranged such that the main body portions 151A and 171A form a predetermined angle, and the recess 152A and the protrusion 172A are joined to each other. By connecting the bus bar 17A and the bus bar 19A in this way, the space in the thickness direction can be reduced compared to the case where the bus bar 17A and the bus bar 19A are connected in an overlapping manner. The bus bar 17A is an example of the first bus bar, and the bus bar 19A is an example of the second bus bar.

[0047] As Figure 6 shown, the convex arc-shaped end face 17Aa of the bus bar 17A has an arc width WA greater than the dimension of the main body portion 171A in the width direction, i.e., the width WB, and the arc opening angle θ, i.e., the angle around the center point O, is approximately 270 degrees. Since the arc width WA of the end face 17Aa is greater than the width WB of the main body portion 171A, the rotatable range of the bus bar 17A relative to the bus bar 15A is increased. Therefore, the versatility of the bus bar connection structure 1A can be improved. Since the end face 17Aa has an arc opening angle θ of 225 degrees or more and 315 degrees or less, the rotatable range of the bus bar 17A relative to the bus bar 15A can be sufficiently increased, which is advantageous in actual use.

[0048] The bus bar connection structure 1A configured as described above is formed by joining the bus bar 11, the bus bar 15A, the bus bar 17A, and the bus bar 19A together. In the bus bar connection structure 1A, the bus bar 11 and the bus bar 19A are respectively mounted to various components through the through hole 111 and the through hole 19A1 to achieve electrical connectivity. At the butt joint between adjacent bus bars among the bus bars 15A, 17A, and 19A, one bus bar has a convex arc-shaped end face 17Aa, 19Aa with a diameter larger than the width of the bus bar main body portion, and the other bus bar has a concave arc-shaped end face 15Aa, 17Ab with a diameter substantially the same as that of the convex arc. Since the joining surfaces of the bus bars 15A, 17A, and 19A are arc-shaped, there is no need to provide inclined end faces with different angles according to the wiring direction, and the bus bars can be joined in all directions of the arc. As described above, in the bus bar connection structure 1A, since the bus bars are joined to each other through an arc surface, the rotation direction can be arbitrarily adjusted for joining, so that the bus bars can be mounted to components with different paths, improving the versatility. In addition, in the bus bar connection structure 1A, since the bus bars are joined to each other through an arc surface, the connection area is larger than that of a common butt joint, and stable conduction can be achieved.

[0049] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. In addition, the materials, shapes, dimensions, numerical values, forms, quantities, arrangement positions, etc. of the components in the above embodiments are arbitrarily selected and not restricted as long as the present invention can be implemented. In the above embodiments, one end surface 17a, 17Aa of the busbars 17, 17A is convex arc-shaped, while the other end surface 17b, 17Ab of the busbars 17, 17A is concave arc-shaped. Alternatively, both end surfaces can be convex arc-shaped, or both end surfaces can be concave arc-shaped.

[0050] In addition, in the above embodiments, the concave portions 152, 152A of the busbars 15, 15A and the convex portions 172, 172A of the busbars 17, 17A are joined by the concave arc-shaped end surfaces 15A, 15Aa and the convex arc-shaped end surfaces 17a, 17Aa. However, the shapes of the concave and convex portions are not limited to arc shapes. The concave and convex portions can have any shape that allows one busbar to rotate relative to the other busbar in a horizontal plane around the convex portion as the axis, and can be, for example, polygonal or gear-shaped.

[0051] Here, the features of the busbar connection structure according to the above embodiments of the present invention are briefly summarized and listed in [1] to [5] below.

[0052] [1] A busbar connection structure (1, 1A), comprising:

[0053] A first busbar (busbar 15) having a first main body portion (main body portion 151) extending in a first direction (front-rear direction) and a concave portion (152) recessed in one end portion of the first main body portion in the first direction; and

[0054] A second busbar (busbar 17) having a second main body portion (main body portion 171) extending in a second direction and a convex portion (172) protruding in the second direction from one end portion of the second main body portion in the second direction, wherein,

[0055] The concave portion and the convex portion have a shape that allows the second busbar to rotate relative to the first busbar around the convex portion as the axis in a plane including the first direction and the second direction, and

[0056] The concave portion and the convex portion are joined to each other.

[0057] According to the bus bar connection structure having the configuration of [1] above, the concave portion and the convex portion have a shape that allows the second bus bar to rotate relative to the first bus bar around the convex portion as an axis within a plane including the first direction and the second direction, and the concave portion and the convex portion are engaged with each other. According to this configuration, the engagement angle between the first bus bar and the second bus bar can be adjusted, thereby improving the versatility of the bus bar connection structure. In addition, since the first bus bar and the second bus bar are connected within the same plane, the space in the thickness direction can be reduced compared to the case where the first bus bar and the second bus bar are connected in an overlapping manner.

[0058] [2] In the bus bar connection structure according to [1],

[0059] The concave portion (152) has a first end face (end faces 15a, 15Aa) in the shape of a concave arc, and

[0060] The convex portion (172) has a second end face (end faces 17a, 17Aa) in the shape of a convex arc corresponding to the concave arc.

[0061] According to the bus bar connection structure having the configuration of [2] above, since the first bus bar and the second bus bar are engaged with each other through an arc surface, the connection area is large, and stable conduction can be achieved.

[0062] [3] In the bus bar connection structure according to [2],

[0063] The second end face (end face 17a) has an arc width (WA) equal to or less than the dimension (width WB) of the second main body portion (main body portion 171) in the width direction intersecting the second direction, and an arc opening angle (θ) of 225 degrees or more and 315 degrees or less, and

[0064] The second bus bar (bus bar 17) has a cutout between the second main body portion and the second end face.

[0065] According to the bus bar connection structure having the configuration of [3] above, since the second bus bar has a cutout between the second main body portion and the second end face, the length of the convex arc of the second end face can be increased, and the second bus bar can rotate relative to the first bus bar to a position where the front end portion of the first bus bar contacts the cutout. That is, the rotatable range of the second bus bar relative to the first bus bar can be increased. Therefore, the versatility can be improved. In addition, the arc opening angle is 225 degrees or more and 315 degrees or less, so that the rotatable range of the second bus bar relative to the first bus bar can be increased, and the connection strength between the convex portion and the second main body portion through the cutout can be ensured.

[0066] [4] In the bus bar connection structure according to [2],

[0067] The arc width (WA) of the second end face is greater than the dimension (width WB) of the second main body portion in the width direction intersecting the second direction.

[0068] In the bus bar connection structure having the configuration of [4] above, since the arc width of the second end face having a convex arc shape is greater than the width of the second main body portion, the rotatable range of the second bus bar relative to the first bus bar can be increased. Therefore, versatility can be improved.

[0069] [5] In the bus bar connection structure according to any one of [1] to [4],

[0070] The first bus bar and the second bus bar are bus bars for supplying vehicle drive power.

[0071] In the bus bar connection structure having the configuration of [5] above, this bus bar connection structure can be used for electrical connection in, for example, a high-voltage battery pack mounted on a vehicle.

[0072] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-197910 filed on December 12, 2022, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0073] Industrial Applicability

[0074] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bus bar connection structure that can improve versatility and save space. The present invention having such an effect is useful in terms of bus bar connection structures.

[0075] List of Reference Signs

[0076] 1, 1A Bus bar connection structure

[0077] 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 15A, 17A, 19A Bus bars

[0078] 15a, 17a, 17b, 15Aa, 17Aa, 17Ab, 19a, 19Aa End faces

[0079] 151, 151A, 171, 171A Main body portions

[0080] 152, 152A Recesses

[0081] 153 Front end portions

[0082] 172, 172A Protrusions

[0083] O Center point

[0084] WA Arc width

[0085] WB Main body portion width

[0086] θ arc opening angle

Claims

1. A busbar connection structure, comprising: A first busbar having a first main body portion extending in a first direction and a concave portion recessed in a first direction at one end of the first main body portion in the first direction; And A second busbar having a second main body portion extending in a second direction and a convex portion protruding in the second direction from one end of the second main body portion in the second direction, Wherein the concave portion and the convex portion have a shape that allows the second busbar to rotate relative to the first busbar around the convex portion as an axis in a plane including the first direction and the second direction, and Wherein the concave portion and the convex portion are engaged with each other.

2. The busbar connection structure according to claim 1, Among them, The concave portion has a first end face in a concave arc shape, and Wherein the convex portion has a second end face in a convex arc shape corresponding to the concave arc shape.

3. The busbar connection structure according to claim 2, Among them, The second end face has an arc width equal to or less than the dimension of the second main body portion in the width direction intersecting the second direction, and an arc opening angle of 225 degrees or more and 315 degrees or less, and Wherein the second busbar has a notch between the second main body portion and the second end face.

4. The busbar connection structure according to claim 2, Among them, The arc width of the second end face is greater than the dimension of the second main body portion in the width direction intersecting the second direction.

5. The busbar connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Among them, The first busbar and the second busbar are busbars for supplying vehicle drive power.

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