terminal block

Abstract

This invention provides a terminal block that can suppress assembly defects during the assembly of a busbar and a counterpart terminal. The terminal block (10) comprises: a plate-shaped busbar (11) having a through hole (23) through which a bolt (B) is inserted, and is fastened and connected to the counterpart terminal (T) by the bolt (B); a housing (12) for holding the busbar (11); a nut (13) for fastening the busbar (11) and the counterpart terminal (T) by engaging with the bolt (B); and a cylindrical collar (14) fixed to the nut (13) and installed together with the nut (13) in the through hole (23). The nut (13) and the collar (14) are fixed to each other in the through hole (23) in a manner that clamps the busbar (11) in the thickness direction, and can move in the orthogonal direction of the axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to terminal blocks. Background Technology

[0002] For example, the terminal block described in Patent Document 1 includes: a housing having a nut-pressing portion into which a nut is pressed; and a plate-shaped busbar disposed on the upper side of the nut-pressing portion. The busbar abuts against the upper surface of the nut that is pressed and fixed to the nut-pressing portion. By bolting it to the nut, the busbar and the counterpart terminal are fastened together.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-26517 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In terminal blocks like those described above, since the nut is fixed to the nut press-in portion of the housing, misalignment in the orthogonal direction may occur between the busbar and the nut due to manufacturing or assembly tolerances. When this orthogonal misalignment occurs between the busbar and the nut, assembly defects may occur, making it impossible to secure the busbar and the counterpart terminal with bolts.

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a terminal block that can suppress assembly defects during the assembly of the busbar and the counterpart terminal.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] The terminal block of the present invention comprises: a plate-shaped busbar having a through hole for a bolt to be inserted, which is fastened and connected to a counterpart terminal by the bolt; a housing for holding the busbar; a nut for engaging with the bolt, thereby fastening the busbar and the counterpart terminal by means of the nut and the bolt; and a cylindrical collar fixed to the nut and installed together with the nut in the through hole, wherein the nut and the collar are fixed to each other in the through hole in a manner that clamps the busbar in the thickness direction and are movable in the orthogonal direction of the axis.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to the terminal block of the present invention, assembly defects during the assembly of the busbar and the counterpart terminal can be suppressed. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view including a portion of the terminal block in one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a top view showing a portion of the terminal block in this embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The 3-3 line section view.

[0016] Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view of the terminal block in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0017] (Description of embodiments of the present invention)

[0018] First, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0019] The terminal block of the present invention,

[0020] (1) It comprises: a plate-shaped busbar having a through hole for a bolt to be inserted through, which is fastened and connected to the opposite terminal by the bolt; a housing for holding the busbar; a nut for engaging with the bolt, thereby fastening and fixing the busbar and the opposite terminal by means of the nut and the bolt; and a cylindrical collar fixed to the nut and installed together with the nut in the through hole, wherein the nut and the collar are fixed to each other in the through hole in a manner that clamps the busbar in the thickness direction and can move in the orthogonal direction of the axis.

[0021] According to this structure, before the busbar is bolted to the counterpart terminal, the nut installed in the through hole of the busbar is allowed to move in the orthogonal direction of the axis via a collar. Therefore, by moving the nut in the orthogonal direction of the axis, manufacturing tolerances or assembly tolerances can be absorbed, and as a result, assembly defects that cannot be fastened to the counterpart terminal by bolts can be suppressed.

[0022] (2) In (1) above, the nut may also have a nut body portion that engages with the bolt and a first flange portion that extends radially outward from the nut body portion, and the collar has: a fixing portion that is fixed to the nut; and a second flange portion that extends radially outward from the fixing portion and is opposite to the first flange portion in the axial direction, and a portion of the busbar enters between the first flange portion and the second flange portion.

[0023] According to this structure, the nut can be moved in the orthogonal direction of the axis, and the first flange of the nut and the second flange of the collar can prevent the nut from falling out of the through hole.

[0024] (3) In (2) above, the outer diameter of the first flange portion may also be greater than the outer diameter of the second flange portion.

[0025] According to this structure, the outer diameter of the second flange of the collar can be reduced, and the outer diameter of the first flange of the nut can be increased, thereby increasing the fit allowance of the nut relative to the busbar.

[0026] (4) In (2) or (3) above, the busbar may have a first surface that contacts the opposite terminal and a second surface that contacts the nut, the second surface being the opposite side of the first surface, the insertion hole penetrating the busbar from the first surface to the second surface, the insertion hole having: a stepped portion disposed in the middle of the axial direction of the insertion hole; a first inner diameter portion disposed on the side of the first surface relative to the stepped portion; and a second inner diameter portion disposed on the side of the second surface relative to the stepped portion, and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first inner diameter portion, the second flange portion being disposed within the first inner diameter portion, and the second inner diameter portion entering between the first flange portion and the second flange portion.

[0027] According to this structure, it is possible to configure the nut and the collar so that they do not fall out of the through hole while the collar is placed inside the through hole.

[0028] (5) In (4) above, the second flange portion is located entirely within the first inner diameter portion in the axial direction when the busbar and the opposite terminal are fastened and fixed by the bolt and the nut.

[0029] According to this structure, even when the busbar and the other terminal are fastened, the collar does not protrude from the first surface of the busbar, thus allowing the busbar and the other terminal to be properly fastened.

[0030] (6) In any of (1) to (5) above, the collar may have a locking part, the insertion hole has a rotation limiting part, and the rotation limiting part is locked in the locking part in the circumferential direction.

[0031] This structure can suppress the free rotation of the collar and nut during bolt tightening, thereby improving the assemblability of the bolt.

[0032] (7) In any of (1) to (6) above, the nut and the collar may be fixed to each other by threaded engagement.

[0033] According to this structure, the nut and collar can be easily fixed by threaded engagement.

[0034] (8) In any of (1) to (7) above, the nut and the collar may be fixed to each other by pressing.

[0035] According to this structure, nuts and collars can be easily fixed by pressing in.

[0036] (Details of embodiments of the present invention)

[0037] Specific examples of the terminal block of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, for ease of description, some parts of the structure are sometimes exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of the various parts sometimes differ in the drawings. The term "orthogonal" in this specification includes not only strictly orthogonal cases, but also cases that are approximately orthogonal within the scope of achieving the function and effect of this embodiment.

[0038] It should be noted that the term "cylindrical" as used in this specification includes not only shapes with a continuous circumferential wall, but also shapes formed by combining multiple components, and shapes such as a C-shape with a notch in a portion of the circumference. The outer circumferential shape of a "cylindrical" includes, but is not limited to, circular, elliptical, and polygonal shapes with pointed or rounded corners. "Cylindrical" refers to a shape with a through hole when viewed from above, including cylinders with the same outer circumferential shape and the inner circumferential shape of the through hole, or cylinders with different outer circumferential and inner circumferential shapes. "Cylindrical" includes a cylinder with a predetermined length extending along an axial direction passing through the center axis of the through hole, regardless of its length. Furthermore, "opposite" in this specification refers to a position where surfaces or components are directly opposite each other, including not only positions where they are completely opposite each other, but also positions where they are partially opposite each other. Additionally, "opposite" in this specification includes both cases where a component separate from the two parts is interposed between the two parts and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this specification are only used to distinguish objects and do not order them. This invention is not limited to these examples, but is intended, through the claims, to include all modifications of the same meaning and scope as the claims.

[0039] (Structure of terminal block 10)

[0040] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The terminal block 10 of this embodiment shown is, for example, installed in a vehicle-mounted device (not shown). It should be noted that, for ease of explanation, only the bolt fastening portion of the terminal block 10 that is fastened to the counterpart terminal T is shown in the accompanying drawings. The terminal block 10 includes a plate-shaped busbar 11, a housing 12 that holds the busbar 11, a nut 13 for screwing in the bolt B, and a cylindrical collar 14.

[0041] Busbar 11 is formed into a flat plate shape from a conductive material. Busbar 11 may be formed from metal materials such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, or stainless steel. Housing 12 may be formed from an insulator such as synthetic resin. Busbar 11 can be installed separately from housing 12 or integrally formed with housing 12 through insert molding or other methods. Collar 14 is fixed to nut 13 and installed together with nut 13 in the through hole 23 of busbar 11 (described later). Busbar 11 is fastened to the counterpart terminal T by bolt B and nut 13. For example, a washer W is placed between the head of bolt B and the counterpart terminal T.

[0042] The counterpart terminal T is, for example, a wiring harness-side terminal included in the vehicle-mounted equipment. The counterpart terminal T is, for example, formed in a flat plate shape. The counterpart terminal T is, for example, formed of a metal material such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, or stainless steel. The counterpart terminal T has a terminal-side through-hole Ta for inserting a bolt B.

[0043] (Structure of busbar 11)

[0044] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the busbar 11 has a first surface 21, a second surface 22 as its opposite side, and a through hole 23 for inserting a bolt B. The first surface 21 is the surface that contacts the opposite terminal T. The second surface 22 is the surface that contacts the nut 13. The through hole 23 extends from the first surface 21 through the busbar 11 along the thickness direction to the second surface 22. The through hole 23 is approximately circular about the axis L1. It should be noted that in the following description, the direction along the axis L1 and the direction orthogonal to the axis L1 are referred to as "axial direction" and "orthogonal direction," respectively. In addition, in the following description, the circumferential direction and the radial direction about the axis L1 are referred to as "circumferential direction" and "radial direction," respectively.

[0045] The manifold 11 has a through-hole 23 with a first inner diameter portion 24 and a second inner diameter portion 25 arranged along the axial direction, and a stepped portion 26 that forms the boundary between the first inner diameter portion 24 and the second inner diameter portion 25. The stepped portion 26 is provided in the middle portion of the through-hole 23 in the axial direction. The first inner diameter portion 24 is provided in the through-hole 23 on the side of the first surface 21 of the stepped portion 26. The second inner diameter portion 25 is provided in the through-hole 23 on the side of the second surface 22 of the stepped portion 26, and has a diameter smaller than that of the first inner diameter portion 24.

[0046] (Structure of nut 13)

[0047] The nut 13 has a nut body portion 31 for engaging with bolt B and a first flange portion 32 extending radially outward from the nut body portion 31. The nut 13 is formed, for example, of a metal material. The nut body portion 31 is cylindrical, extending along the axial direction. An internal thread for engaging with bolt B is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the nut body portion 31.

[0048] The first flange portion 32 extends radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the nut body portion 31. Viewed from the axial direction, the first flange portion 32 is, for example, circular. A portion of the outer peripheral side of the upper surface in the axial direction of the first flange portion 32 becomes a seat surface that contacts the second surface 22 of the busbar 11.

[0049] The collar 14 is fixed to the upper end of the nut body 31. The nut 13 and the collar 14 are fixed to each other in the through hole 23 in a way that clamps the busbar 11 in the thickness direction, and can move in the orthogonal direction of the axis.

[0050] (Structure of collar 14)

[0051] The collar 14 is cylindrical in shape, for example. The collar 14 is formed of metal, synthetic resin, etc. The collar 14 has a fixing part 41 that is fixed to the nut 13 and a second flange part 42 that extends radially outward from the fixing part 41.

[0052] The fixing portion 41 of the collar 14 is cylindrical. The fixing portion 41 is, for example, externally fixed to the upper end of the nut body 31. The fixing portion 41 and the nut body 31 are fixed to each other, for example, by threaded engagement. That is, an external thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper end of the nut body 31, and this external thread of the nut body 31 engages with the internal thread on the inner circumferential surface of the fixing portion 41. Thus, the nut 13 and the collar 14 are fixed to each other through the insertion hole 23 of the manifold 11. With the collar 14 fixed to the nut 13, the collar 14 is disposed within the insertion hole 23.

[0053] Viewed from the axial direction, the second flange portion 42 of the collar 14 is, for example, circular. The second flange portion 42 is opposite to the first flange portion 32 in the axial direction. The outer diameter of the first flange portion 32 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the second flange portion 42. With the collar 14 fixed to the nut 13, the second flange portion 42 is disposed within the first inner diameter portion 24. A clearance is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the second flange portion 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the first inner diameter portion 24, which allows the collar 14 and the nut 13 to move in the axially orthogonal direction. In addition, the fixing portion 41 of the collar 14 is disposed within the second inner diameter portion 25 of the insertion hole 23. A clearance is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the fixing portion 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the second inner diameter portion 25, which allows the collar 14 and the nut 13 to move in the axially orthogonal direction.

[0054] The peripheral portion of the through hole 23 in the busbar 11 enters between the first flange 32 and the second flange 42. Specifically, the second inner diameter portion 25 of the through hole 23 enters between the first flange 32 and the second flange 42. That is, the nut 13 and the collar 14 are fixed to each other in such a way that the second inner diameter portion 25 is clamped in the axial direction by the first flange 32 and the second flange 42. Thus, the nut 13 and the collar 14 are installed in the through hole 23 in a manner that allows them to move in the orthogonal axial direction. The axial dimension from the upper surface of the opposing first flange 32 to the lower surface of the second flange 42 is set to be greater than the axial dimension of the second inner diameter portion 25. This slightly allows the mutually fixed nut 13 and collar 14 to move in the axial direction. Furthermore, the axial dimension from the upper surface of the first flange portion 32 to the upper surface of the second flange portion 42 is set to be less than the plate thickness of the busbar 11 from the first surface 21 to the second surface 22. As a result, with the busbar 11 and the counterpart terminal T fastened together by bolts B and nuts 13, the axial dimension of the second flange portion 42 is entirely located within the first inner diameter portion 24.

[0055] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the second flange portion 42 of the collar 14 includes a locking portion 43. The locking portion 43 is, for example, concave in a radially inward direction from the outer periphery of the second flange portion 42. In the collar 14 of this embodiment, the second flange portion 42 has, for example, a plurality of (two in this embodiment) locking portions 43. The plurality of locking portions 43 are arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0056] In the manifold 11, the first inner diameter portion 24 of the through hole 23 has a rotation limiting portion 27, which engages with the locking portion 43 in the circumferential direction. The number of rotation limiting portions 27 is the same as that of the locking portion 43 of the collar 14. That is, the through hole 23 in this embodiment has two rotation limiting portions 27. Each rotation limiting portion 27 protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the first inner diameter portion 24 and enters the concave locking portion 43 of the second flange portion 42. As a result, the rotation of the collar 14 and the nut 13 centered on the axis L1 is limited.

[0057] (The function of this implementation method)

[0058] The function of this embodiment will be explained below.

[0059] Nut 13 is mounted in the insertion hole 23 of busbar 11 and is movable in the orthogonal direction by being fixed to collar 14. Therefore, when busbar 11 and the counterpart terminal T are fastened by bolt B, nut 13 moves in the orthogonal direction, thereby absorbing manufacturing or assembly tolerances in the orthogonal direction. When bolt B is screwed onto nut 13, rotation limiting parts 27 of insertion hole 23, which are engaged with locking parts 43 of collar 14, prevent nut 13 from spinning freely. Thus, busbar 11 and counterpart terminal T can be fastened by bolt B and nut 13.

[0060] (Effects of this implementation method)

[0061] The effects of this embodiment will be explained below.

[0062] (1) The terminal block 10 includes: a nut 13, which engages with a bolt B to fasten the busbar 11 and the counterpart terminal T; and a cylindrical collar 14, which is fixed to the nut 13 and installed together with the nut 13 in the insertion hole 23. The nut 13 and the collar 14 are fixed to each other in the insertion hole 23 in a manner that clamps the busbar 11 in the thickness direction, and can move in the orthogonal direction of the axis. According to this structure, the collar 14 allows the nut 13, which is installed in the insertion hole 23 of the busbar 11, to move in the orthogonal direction of the axis. Therefore, by moving the nut 13 in the orthogonal direction of the axis, manufacturing tolerances or assembly tolerances can be absorbed, and as a result, assembly defects that cannot be fastened to the busbar 11 and the counterpart terminal T by the bolt B can be suppressed.

[0063] (2) The nut 13 has a nut body portion 31 that engages with the bolt B and a first flange portion 32 extending radially outward from the nut body portion 31. The collar 14 has a fixing portion 41 fixed to the nut 13; and a second flange portion 42 extending radially outward from the fixing portion 41 and opposite to the first flange portion 32 in the axial direction. A portion of the busbar 11 enters between the first flange portion 32 and the second flange portion 42. According to this structure, the nut 13 can be moved in the axially orthogonal direction, and the first flange portion 32 of the nut 13 and the second flange portion 42 of the collar 14 can prevent the nut 13 from falling out of the through hole 23.

[0064] (3) The outer diameter of the first flange portion 32 is greater than the outer diameter of the second flange portion 42. According to this structure, the outer diameter of the second flange portion 42 of the collar 14 can be reduced, and the outer diameter of the first flange portion 32 of the nut 13 can be increased, thereby increasing the fit allowance of the nut 13 relative to the manifold 11.

[0065] (4) The busbar 11 has a first surface 21 that contacts the opposite terminal T and a second surface 22 that contacts the nut 13, the second surface 22 being the opposite side of the first surface 21. The insertion hole 23 of the busbar 11 extends from the first surface 21 through the busbar 11 to the second surface 22. The insertion hole 23 of the busbar 11 has: a stepped portion 26, provided in the middle of the axial direction of the insertion hole 23; a first inner diameter portion 24, provided on the side of the first surface 21 opposite to the stepped portion 26; and a second inner diameter portion 25, provided on the side of the second surface 22 opposite to the stepped portion 26, and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first inner diameter portion 24. The second flange portion 42 of the collar 14 is disposed within the first inner diameter portion 24. The second inner diameter portion 25 enters between the first flange portion 32 and the second flange portion 42. According to this structure, it is possible to configure the nut 13 and the collar 14 to not fall out of the through hole 23 while placing the collar 14 in the through hole 23.

[0066] (5) When the busbar 11 and the counterpart terminal T are fastened together using bolt B and nut 13, the axial direction of the second flange portion 42 is entirely within the first inner diameter portion 24. According to this structure, even when the busbar 11 and the counterpart terminal T are fastened together, the collar 14 does not protrude from the first surface 21 of the busbar 11, thus the busbar 11 and the counterpart terminal T can be properly fastened together.

[0067] (6) The collar 14 has a locking part 43. The insertion hole 23 of the busbar 11 has a rotation limiting part 27, which is locked in the locking part 43 in the circumferential direction. According to this structure, the free rotation of the collar 14 and the nut 13 when the bolt B is tightened can be suppressed, and as a result, the assemblability of the bolt B can be improved.

[0068] (7) Nut 13 and collar 14 are fixed to each other by threaded engagement. According to this structure, nut 13 and collar 14 can be easily fixed by threaded engagement.

[0069] (Other implementation methods)

[0070] The above embodiments can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiments and the following variations can be combined with each other within the scope of technical inconsistency.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the nut 13 and the collar 14 are fixed to each other by threaded engagement, but alternatively, they can also be fixed to each other by press-fitting. According to this structure, the nut 13 and the collar 14 can be easily fixed by press-fitting. Alternatively, the nut 13 and the collar 14 can also be fixed to each other by riveting. According to this structure, the nut 13 and the collar 14 can be easily fixed by riveting.

[0072] In the terminal block 10 of the above embodiment, the locking portion 43 of the collar 14 and the rotation limiting portion 27 of the insertion hole 23 may have opposite concave-convex relationships. That is, the locking portion 43 may be a convex shape that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the second flange portion 42, and the rotation limiting portion 27 may be a concave shape that is recessed radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the first inner diameter portion 24.

[0073] In the above embodiments, the nut 13 may also be configured to be circumferentially locked in the through hole 23.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the second inner diameter portion 25, configured as a through hole 23, enters between the first flange portion 32 and the second flange portion 42, thereby configuring the collar 14 to be housed within the through hole 23 and the upper surface of the collar 14 not to protrude from the first surface 21 of the busbar 11. However, this is not particularly limited to this; for example, the second flange portion 42 of the collar 14 may be configured to contact the first surface 21 of the busbar 11. In this case, it is preferable to configure the diameter of at least the lower end of the terminal-side through hole Ta to be larger than the outer diameter of the second flange portion 42, etc., so that the opposite terminal T does not interfere with the collar 14.

[0075] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the invention is not limited to these illustratives. That is, the scope of the invention is set forth in the claims and is intended to include all modifications that are equivalent to and within the scope of the claims.

[0076] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0077] 10: Terminal block, 11: Busbar, 12: Housing, 13: Nut, 14: Collar, 21: First surface, 22: Second surface, 23: Through hole, 24: First inner diameter, 25: Second inner diameter, 26: Step, 27: Rotation limiting part, 31: Nut body, 32: First flange, 41: Fixing part, 42: Second flange, 43: Locking part, B: Bolt, L1: Axis, T: Counter terminal, Ta: Terminal side through hole, W: Washer.

Claims

1. A terminal block comprising: The plate-shaped busbar has through holes for bolts to be inserted, and is fastened and connected to the opposite terminal by the bolts; Housing, holding the busbar; A nut, by engaging with the bolt, thereby securing the busbar and the counterpart terminal together using the nut and the bolt; and A cylindrical collar is fixed to the nut and installed together with the nut in the through hole. The nut and the collar are fixed to each other in the through hole to clamp the busbar in the thickness direction, and can move in the orthogonal direction of the axis.

2. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein, The nut has a nut body portion that engages with the bolt and a first flange portion that extends radially outward from the nut body portion. The collar has a fixing part, which is fixed to the nut; The second flange portion extends radially outward from the fixing portion and is axially opposite to the first flange portion. A portion of the busbar enters between the first flange and the second flange.

3. The terminal block according to claim 2, wherein, The outer diameter of the first flange is greater than the outer diameter of the second flange.

4. The terminal block according to claim 2, wherein, The busbar has a first surface that contacts the opposite terminal and a second surface that contacts the nut, the second surface being the opposite side of the first surface. The through hole extends from the first surface to the second surface through the busbar. The insertion hole has: a stepped portion disposed at the middle portion in the axial direction of the insertion hole; a first inner diameter portion disposed on the first surface side relative to the stepped portion; and a second inner diameter portion disposed on the second surface side relative to the stepped portion, and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first inner diameter portion. The second flange portion is disposed within the first inner diameter portion. The second inner diameter portion enters between the first flange portion and the second flange portion.

5. The terminal block according to claim 4, wherein, With the busbar and the counterpart terminal fastened and fixed by the bolts and nuts, the axial direction of the second flange portion is entirely located within the first inner diameter portion.

6. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein, The collar has a locking part. The insertion hole has a rotation limiting part, which is circumferentially locked to the locking part.

7. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein, The nut and the collar are fixed to each other by threaded engagement.

8. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein, The nut and the collar are fixed to each other by pressing.

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