Conductive module
Patent Information
- Application Number
- DE102018207091
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2017-05-17
- Filing Date
- 2018-05-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-20
- Estimated Expiration
- 2038-05-08
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a conductive module. 2. Description of the state of the art
[0002] In a conventional vehicle, such as an electric or hybrid vehicle, a battery pack is installed that supplies electrical power to a rotating machine as its drive source. The battery pack is equipped with a conductive module that is electrically connected to at least one of several battery cells that form a battery module. The conductive module comprises: a first conductive element that is electrically connected to an electrode terminal of a battery cell; a second conductive element that is electrically connected to both the first conductive element and to one side of an electrical connection object; and a housing element that accommodates the first and second conductive elements.The housing element comprises: a housing body having a first housing chamber in which a first conductive element is to be housed, and a second housing chamber in which a second conductive element is to be housed; a cover body that closes at least part of an opening of the second housing chamber so that the second conductive element cannot protrude from the second housing chamber; a pivoting element that causes the cover body to pivot relative to the housing body between an open position with respect to the opening of the second housing chamber and a closed position with respect to the opening of the second housing chamber; and a retaining mechanism that holds the cover body to the housing body in the closed position. This housing element is made of an insulating material, such as...The retaining mechanism is formed from a synthetic resin, wherein a thin, elastic, so-called bending hinge is configured as a pivot joint body. Furthermore, the mechanism comprises: a first engagement bracket on one side of the bending hinge, the first engagement bracket having a claw section; and a second engagement bracket on one side of the housing body, the second engagement bracket having an insertion section into which the claw section is inserted, the claw section being hooked onto a wall surface of the insertion section when insertion of the claw section into the insertion section is complete. In this retaining mechanism, the claw section of the first engagement bracket is guided along an insertion section of the second engagement bracket to the insertion section in accordance with a pivoting movement towards the closing position of the cover body relative to the housing body.This type of conductive module is disclosed, for example, in JP 2013-4 501 A. JP 2013-4 501 A discloses a so-called busbar module, which includes a busbar as a first conductive element and an electrical wire as a second conductive element and is configured to connect the respective battery cells in series or parallel via several busbars, while the voltage of the battery cells is detected with the electrical wire.
[0003] Furthermore, due to the elasticity of the pivot body of this conductive module, the pivot point does not necessarily define a pivot axis, and the position of the pivot axis may be shifted between one side of the housing body and one side of the cover body. Therefore, in the housing element, the geometric location of pivoting of the cover body relative to the housing body changes each time the pivoting movement is performed, and along with this change, the geometric location of pivoting of the claw section of the first engagement holder relative to the insertion section of the second engagement holder also changes.To insert the claw section into the insertion section, the housing element must cause the cover body to pivot to the locking position, taking into account the positional relationship between the claw section of the first engagement bracket and the insertion section of the second engagement bracket. This means that the conventional conductive module offers room for improvement regarding the engagement operation of the holding mechanism. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to create a conductive module that can improve the feasibility of the engagement of a holding mechanism when an opening of a housing body is closed with a cover body.
[0005] A conductive module according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a first conductive element electrically connected to one of two electrode terminals of battery cells as a connection target, wherein at least one of the multiple arranged battery cells is the connection target; a second conductive element having a conductor extending in a direction in which the multiple battery cells are arranged, wherein the second conductive element is configured to electrically connect the first conductive element and an electrical connection object to the conductor; and a housing element accommodating the first and the second conductive elements, wherein the housing element comprises: a housing body having a first housing chamber in which the first conductive element is housed and a second housing chamber in which the second conductive element is housed; a cover body,which closes at least part of an opening of the second housing chamber so that the second conductive element does not protrude from the second housing chamber; a pivoting body connecting the housing body and the lid body and rotating the lid body relative to the housing body between an open position of the second housing chamber with respect to the opening and a closed position of the second housing chamber with respect to the opening; and a retaining mechanism holding the lid body on the housing body in the closed position, wherein the pivoting body is a thin bending hinge having elasticity and being able to displace a pivot axis between one side of the housing body and one side of the lid body, wherein the retaining mechanism includes a first engagement bracket provided on the housing body and a second engagement bracket provided on the lid body and is configured such thatto hold the lid body on the housing body at the closure position by inserting a claw section of one of the first engagement brackets and the second engagement bracket into an insertion section of the other of the first engagement bracket and the second engagement bracket, and by hooking the claw section and a wall surface of the insertion section when insertion of the claw section into the insertion section is completed, and the first engagement bracket having a first insertion section that comes into contact with the second engagement bracket when the pivot axis of the swivel joint body is positioned on a reference pivot axis between the side of the housing body and the side of the lid body, and the second engagement bracket guiding the claw section so that it is inserted into the insertion section when a pivoting movement of the lid body relative to the housing body continues, and a second insertion section,which comes into contact with the second engagement bracket, even if the pivot axis of the swivel joint body is positioned at any point between the side of the housing body and the side of the cover body, and the second engagement bracket leads to the first insertion section as the pivoting movement of the cover body relative to the housing body continues.
[0006] According to a further aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that the second insertion section is a sliding contact surface that guides the contacted second engagement holder while maintaining a contact state until the second engagement holder reaches the first insertion section.
[0007] According to a further aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that the second insertion section is an inclined surface which is inclined with respect to a guiding direction of the second engagement holder by the first insertion section.
[0008] According to a further aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that the second housing chamber comprises an inner wall section on one side of the pivot axis, wherein the pivot body is connected to the inner wall section on a wall section forming the second housing chamber, and an outer wall section which is arranged with respect to the inner wall section over an interior of the second housing chamber with a space in between, the cover body comprising an inner end section on one side of the pivot axis to which the pivot body is connected, and an outer end section which is arranged with respect to a space from the inner end section, and in the holding mechanism the first engagement bracket is provided on the outer wall section and the second engagement bracket is provided on the outer end section.
[0009] According to a further aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that the second housing chamber comprises an inner wall section on one side of the pivot axis, wherein the pivot body is connected to the inner wall section on a wall section forming the second housing chamber, and an outer wall section which is arranged over the interior of the second housing chamber with a space between it and the inner wall section, the cover body comprising an inner end section on one side of the pivot axis to which the pivot body is connected, and an outer end section which is arranged with a space from the inner end section, and the retaining mechanism is arranged between the outer wall section and the outer end section and is also arranged between the inner wall section and the inner end section.
[0010] According to a further aspect of the present invention, it is preferred that the second conductive element is an electrical wire comprising a core wire as the conductor and a sheathing that surrounds the core wire.
[0011] The above and other problems, features, advantages and the technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiments of the invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of a conductive module according to one embodiment; Fig. Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating a battery module; Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating part of a housing element, with a lid body open; Fig. Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating part of the housing element, with the lid body open; Fig. Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating part of the housing element, with the lid body closed; Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating part of the housing element, with the lid body closed; Fig. 7 is along a line X1-X1 to Fig. 4. Cross-sectional view taken and is an enlarged view of a holding mechanism; Fig. 8 is along a line X2-X2 to Fig. 4. Cross-sectional view taken and is an enlarged view of the holding mechanism; Fig. 9 is along a line Y1-Y1 to Fig. 6. Cross-sectional view taken and is an enlarged view of the holding mechanism; Fig. 10 is along a line Y2-Y2 in Fig. 6. Cross-sectional view taken and is an enlarged view of the holding mechanism; and Fig. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view, which Fig. 8 and Fig. 10 corresponds to and illustrates an example when a second engagement bracket comes into contact with a second insertion section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] The embodiments of a conductive module according to the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The embodiment
[0013] An embodiment of a conductive module according to the present invention is described with respect to the Fig. 1 to 11 described.
[0014] Reference numeral 1 in Fig. Figure 1 illustrates a conductive module according to the present embodiment. The conductive module 1 is connected to at least one of the several battery cells 120 that make up the battery module 110 ( Fig. 2) form, electrically connected, and together with battery module 110, form battery group 100. Battery group 100 is installed in a vehicle (such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle) that has a rotating machine as a drive source and is used to supply power to the rotating machine or the like. First, a connection target of the conductive module 1 is described. It is stated that the conductive module 1 in Fig. 1 and the battery module 110 in Fig. 2. Their parts are illustrated by extracting them.
[0015] The battery cell 120 contains the cell body 121 and two electrode terminals 122 ( Fig. 2) Each of the electrode terminals 122 is provided at some position on the cell body 121 in a state where it is exposed to the outside, wherein one of the electrode terminals 122 is a positive electrode, while the other of the electrode terminals 122 is a negative electrode. Each of the electrode terminals 122 can, for example, be a plate-like element provided on an outer wall surface of the cell body 121, or a column-shaped pillar projecting from the outer wall surface of the cell body 121. In the battery cell 120, if the cell body 121 has multiple outer wall surfaces, each electrode terminal 122 can be arranged on an outer wall surface, wherein the outer wall surface on which the electrode terminal 122 is arranged can be subdivided for each electrode terminal 122.In the battery module 110, each of the battery cells 120 is arranged in a row, with one electrode terminal 122 of each battery cell 120 arranged in a row and the other electrode terminal 122 also arranged in a row. Therefore, in this battery module 110, the electrode terminal groups 125, which contain the electrode terminals 122 arranged in a row, are provided at two locations.
[0016] In this battery module 110, two electrode terminals 122, which are adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction of the battery cells 120, are connected by a conductive busbar 150 ( Fig. 1) connected to each electrode terminal group 125. The busbar 150 is formed from a conductive material, such as a metal. By arranging the busbar 150 for each combination of the two adjacent electrode terminals 122, the two electrode terminals 122 are physically and electrically connected for each combination. In this embodiment, the busbar 150 is formed in a rectangular, flat plate shape, with the multiple busbars 150 for each electrode terminal group 125 arranged along the orientation of the battery cells 120. If the electrode terminal 122 has, for example, a plate shape, the busbar 150 is physically and electrically connected to the electrode terminal 122 by welding (laser welding or the like).If, on the other hand, the electrode terminal 122 is a column, a through-hole is formed in the busbar 150 through which each electrode terminal 122 is inserted. By fastening the busbar 150 to the electrode terminal 122 with screws or the like, the busbar 150 and the electrode terminal 122 are physically and electrically connected to each other. In this battery module 110, there are two electrode terminals 122 that are not connected by the busbar 150, one of which is a so-called positive total electrode, while the other is a so-called negative total electrode. In the case where the electrode terminal 122 is a column, a busbar 151 with a through-hole is provided in both the positive total electrode and the negative total electrode.The busbar 150 and the busbar 151 are also housed in a housing element 30, which will be described later.
[0017] In the battery cell 120 of the present embodiment, the cell body 121 forms, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped. Therefore, the battery module 110 of the present embodiment, through the respective battery cells 120, effectively forms a rectangular parallelepiped, having six wall surfaces of an assembly that contains the multiple battery cells 120 along the arrangement direction of the multiple battery cells 120. In the battery cell 120 of the present embodiment, studs are vertically provided on two opposing outer wall surfaces of the cell body 121, each stud being used as the electrode connection 122. Therefore, in the battery module 110 of the present embodiment, the electrode connection group 125 is provided in each of the opposing two of the six wall surfaces that form the rectangular parallelepiped.The busbar 150 of the present embodiment has a through-hole through which two adjacent electrode terminals 122 are inserted. In the vehicle, the battery module 110 is, for example, mounted such that one axis of each electrode terminal 122 is orthogonal to a vertical direction of the vehicle.
[0018] The conductive module 1 of the present embodiment is connected to at least one of the respective electrode connection groups 125 with respect to the battery module 110, which is configured as described above.
[0019] The conductive module 1 contains a first conductive element 10, a second conductive element 20 and a housing element 30 that accommodates the first and second conductive elements 10 and 20 ( Fig. 1) The conductive module 1 can contain at least one first conductive element 10 and at least one second conductive element 20. In this embodiment, several first conductive elements 10 and several second conductive elements 20 are provided.
[0020] The first conductive element 10 is made of a conductive material, such as a metal. In at least one of the several battery cells 120, which are arranged as the battery module 110, the connection point, the first conductive element 10 is electrically connected to one of the two electrode terminals 122 of the battery cell 120. The electrical connection between the first conductive element 10 and the electrode terminal 122 can be direct or indirect. In the former case, where the first conductive element 10 is directly (i.e., physically) and electrically connected to the electrode terminal 122, for example, by forming a through-hole in the flat first conductive element 10 and inserting the electrode terminal 122 into the through-hole, the first conductive element 10 can be attached to the electrode terminal 142 together with the busbar 150.In this case, the busbar 150 itself can be used as the first conductive element 10. Alternatively, in the latter case, where the first conductive element 10 is indirectly connected to the electrode terminal 122, the first conductive element 10 can be formed, for example, by being physically and electrically connected to the busbar 150 by welding (laser welding or the like), and thus electrically connected to the electrode terminal 122 via the busbar 150. In this embodiment, the busbar 150 itself is used as the first conductive element 10.
[0021] The second conductive element 20 is made of a conductive material, such as a metal. The second conductive element 20 has a conductor 21 that extends in the arrangement direction of the multiple battery cells 120 and connects the conductor 21 to the first conductive element 10 and the electrical connection object 200 ( Fig. 1) electrically connects. The second conductive element 20 connects the conductor 21 directly or indirectly to the first conductive element 10 or the electrical connection object 200, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the conductor 21 and the first conductive element 10 and between the conductor 21 and the electrical connection object 200. In the case of a direct connection by attaching a (not illustrated) metal terminal, which is attached to the conductor 21, together with the first conductive element 10 to the electrode terminal 122, and by welding (laser welding or the like) the conductor 21 to the first conductive element 10, the conductor 21 and the first conductive element 10 can be physically and electrically connected.In the case of the indirect connection, a third conductive element (not illustrated) can be arranged between the conductor 21 and the first conductive element 10 to electrically connect the conductor 21 and the first conductive element 10. For example, a circuit protection element (a fuse or the like) with a fusible element could be used as the third conductive element. In this embodiment, an electrical wire comprising the conductor 21, which serves as a core wire, and a sheath 22, which encloses the conductor 21, is used as the second conductive element 20. It should be noted that the core wire can be a rod-like conductor formed in a column shape or a bundle of several individual wires (e.g., a twisted wire formed by twisting several individual wires together).
[0022] Here, the exemplary electrical connection object 200 is a battery monitoring unit that monitors the battery status (voltage, current, temperature, and the like) of battery cell 120. An electrical wire, as the second conductive element 20, is provided, for example, as a voltage detection line that detects the voltage of battery cell 120.
[0023] The housing element 30 is made of an insulating material, such as a synthetic resin. The housing element 30 has a housing body 40 in which the first and second conductive elements 10 and 20 are to be housed (the Fig. 1, 3 to 6). The housing body 40 has a first housing chamber 41, in which the first conductive element 10 is to be housed, and a second housing chamber 42, in which the second conductive element 20 is to be housed. The first housing chamber 41 is provided for each first conductive element 10. On the other hand, the second housing chamber 42 is provided as a single space in which the multiple second conductive elements 20, guided by the respective first housing elements 41, are to be housed. In this housing element 30, the respective first housing chambers 41 are arranged side by side in the arrangement direction of the multiple battery cells 120, with the second conductive elements 20 extending along the arrangement direction of the multiple battery cells 120.
[0024] Furthermore, the housing element 30 includes a cover body 50, which closes at least part of an opening 42a of the second housing chamber 42, so that the second conductive element 20 does not protrude from the second housing chamber 42, and a pivot joint body 60, which connects the housing body 40 and the cover body 50 and causes the cover body 50 to move between an opening position (the Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) regarding the opening 42a of the second housing chamber 42 and a closure position (the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6) regarding the opening 42a of the second housing chamber 42 ( Fig. 1, Fig. 3 to Fig. 6) swivels.
[0025] In this housing element 30, the housing body 40, the cover body 50, and the pivot body 60 are formed as a single piece. Therefore, the pivot body 60 is designed as a so-called flexural hinge. A flexural hinge is a thin, elastic section formed between the housing body 40 and the cover body 50, in which the position of the pivot axis can be shifted between the side of the housing body 40 and the side of the cover body 50. An exemplary flexural hinge 60 has sufficient elasticity to allow pivoting between the housing body 40 and the cover body 50 and is designed as a rectangular, thin, flat plate. Additionally, in this embodiment, the pivot body 60 connects the opening 42a of the second housing chamber 42 of the housing body 40 and the cover body 50.The pivot body 60 is initially in the form of a flat plate, whereby bending can cause the cover body 50 to pivot relative to the housing body 40. In this embodiment, a relative positional relationship between the housing body 40 and the cover body 50 is defined as an open position in the initial state of the pivot body 60. Additionally, the pivot axis in the pivot body 60 is shifted between the side of the housing body 40 and the side of the cover body 50 according to the bending position.
[0026] The second housing chamber 40 and the cover body 50 have close sections that are directly adjacent to each other when the cover body 50 closes the opening 42a of the second housing chamber 42. The respective close sections of the second housing chamber 42 and the cover body 50 can be in contact with each other. The second housing chamber 42 and the cover body 50 each have at least two close sections, the close sections of which are opposite each other via the opening 42a.
[0027] The close section of the second housing chamber 42 is provided in a wall section that forms the second housing chamber 42. The second housing chamber 42 contains, for example, a side of the pivot axis (hereinafter referred to as the "inner wall section") 42b, to which the pivot joint body 60 is connected to the wall section, and a wall section (hereinafter referred to as an "outer wall section") 42c, which is arranged above the interior of the second housing chamber 42 with a space between them (the inner wall section 42b). Fig. 3 to 6). In the second housing chamber 42, the near section is provided at the inner wall section 42b and the outer wall section 42c. The near section of the second housing chamber 42 is provided, for example, at the circumferential edge section of the opening 42a of the second housing chamber 42, which is part of the inner wall section 42b and the outer wall section 42c, or closer to an inner surface or the like than the circumferential edge section of the opening 42a in the inner wall section 42b and the outer wall section 42c.
[0028] The near section of the cover body 50 is provided at the closure position on a circumferential end section directly adjacent to the inner wall section 42b and the outer wall section 42c of the second housing chamber 42. The cover body 50 includes, for example, an end section (hereinafter referred to as an "inner end section") 51 on the side of the pivot axis, wherein the pivot joint body 60 is connected to the end section 51 at its circumferential end section, and an end section (hereinafter referred to as an "outer end section") 52, which is arranged with a space from the inner end section 51 (the Fig. 3 to 6). The inner end section 51 and the outer end section 52 are arranged at the closure position in a position that is separated from the interior of the second housing chamber 42. The cover body 50 has the inner end section 51 and the outer end section 52 as a close section (the Fig. 3 to 6). At the closure position, the inner end section 51 is located directly adjacent to the inner wall section 42b of the second housing chamber 42, and the outer end section 52 is located directly adjacent to the outer wall section 42c of the second housing chamber 42.
[0029] Furthermore, the housing element 30 has a retaining mechanism 70 which, in the closed position, holds the cover body 50 to the housing body 40 (the Fig. 1, 3 to 10). In the housing element 30, the retaining mechanism 70 is also formed as a single unit with the housing body 40, the cover body 50 and the pivot joint body 60.
[0030] The holding mechanism 70 includes a first engagement bracket 71, which is provided on the housing body 40, and a second engagement bracket 72, which is provided on the cover body 50, (which Fig. 1, 3 and 4 to 10). The holding mechanism 70 is designed such that a claw section 73 of one of the first engagement brackets 71 and the second engagement bracket 72 is inserted into an insertion section 74 of the other of the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72, wherein the cover body 50 is held at the closure position by the housing body 40 by the engagement of the claw section 73 and a wall surface 74a of the insertion section 74 when the insertion of the claw section 73 into the insertion section 74 is completed (the Fig. 7 to 10). The claw section 73 and the wall surface 74a can be brought into contact with each other at the closure position and can be brought into contact with each other at the closure position by the movement of the cover body 50 towards the side of the opening position. For example, when the pivot body 60 returns to its original shape at the closure position, the claw section 73 and the wall surface 74a come into contact with each other. The claw section 73 is designed as a claw-shaped projection section on one of the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72. The insertion section 74 is a groove or a through-hole formed in the other of the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72, wherein one of the several wall surfaces forming the groove or through-hole is the wall surface 74a into which the claw section 73 is hooked.In the holding mechanism 70, the second engagement bracket 72 also pivots in accordance with the pivoting movement of the cover body 50 by the pivot joint body 60 relative to the housing body 50 with respect to the first engagement bracket 71, whereby the claw section 73 is inserted into the insertion section 74. In this embodiment, the insertion section 74 is provided on the first engagement bracket 71, while the claw section 73 is provided on the second engagement bracket 72.
[0031] As described above, the position of the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60 is displaced between the side of the housing body 40 and the side of the cover body 50 due to its elasticity. However, in the holding mechanism 70, the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72 are designed such that the claw section 73 is inserted into the insertion section 74 when the position of the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60 is at a predetermined position, in order to maintain an engagement state between the claw section 73 and the insertion section 74. Here, the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60 at the predetermined position is referred to as a reference pivot axis 65A ( Fig. 10).
[0032] The first engagement bracket 71 includes an insertion section (hereinafter referred to as a "first insertion section") 71a, which comes into contact with the second engagement bracket 72 when the pivot axis 65 of the swivel joint body 60 is positioned on the reference pivot axis 65A between the side of the housing body 40 and the side of the cover body 50, guiding the second engagement bracket 72 so that the claw section 73 is inserted into the insertion section 74 as the pivoting movement of the cover body 50 relative to the housing body 40 continues (the Fig. 4, 6 and 7 to 10). The first insertion section 71a is designed as a sliding contact surface that guides the contacted second engagement holder 72 while maintaining the contact state until the claw section 73 is inserted into the insertion section 74.
[0033] The first insertion section 71a is designed such that it comes into contact with the claw section 73 of the second engagement bracket 72 when the pivoting joint body 60 causes the cover body 50 to pivot relative to the housing body 40 with the reference pivot axis 65A, and guides the claw section 73 to the insertion section 74, while maintaining the contact state as the pivoting movement of the cover body 50 continues. Therefore, in the first engagement bracket 71 of this embodiment, the first insertion section 71a is provided in continuation with the insertion section 74, wherein the surface on the side of the first insertion section 71a, beneath the multiple wall surfaces that form the insertion section 74, becomes the wall surface 74a on which the claw section 73 is hooked.
[0034] In addition, the first insertion section 71a in this embodiment includes a first sliding contact surface 71a1, which is a main guide surface of the second engagement holder 72, and a second sliding contact surface 71a2, which facilitates the insertion of the second engagement holder 72 (the Fig. 7 to 10). In this first insertion section 71a, a guiding direction of the claw section 73 along the first sliding contact surface 71a1 is a principal guiding direction of the second engagement bracket 72. The first sliding contact surface 71a1 in this example is configured such that it guides the second engagement bracket 72 together with the claw section 73 along an axial direction of the electrode connection 122. The second sliding contact surface 71a2 is a section with which the second engagement bracket 72 first comes into contact and is located on a side opposite the insertion section 74 with respect to the first sliding contact surface 71a1. It is desirable that the second sliding contact surface 71a2 be configured as an inclined surface, inclined so that it approaches the side of the pivot body 60 as the second sliding contact surface 71a2 moves away from the insertion section 74.
[0035] In this holding mechanism 70, at least one of the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72 exhibits elasticity. In this holding mechanism 70, at least one of the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72 is distorted when the claw section 73 is guided along the first insertion section 71a. The first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72 are designed such that the distortion is eliminated when the claw section 73 is inserted into the insertion section 74.
[0036] To create an engagement state between the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72, it is necessary in the holding mechanism 70, configured as described above, to eventually shift the position of the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60 to the position of the reference pivot axis 65A as the pivoting movement continues, and to guide the second engagement bracket 72 through the first insertion section 71a of the first engagement bracket 71, regardless of the position of the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60, when the pivoting movement to the locking position of the cover body 50 relative to the housing body 40 begins. In other words, in this holding mechanism 70, it is necessary to guide the second engagement bracket 72 to the first insertion section 71a of the first engagement bracket 71, regardless of the position of the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60.The first engagement bracket 71 includes a second insertion section 71b, which comes into contact with the second engagement bracket 72 even when the pivot axis 65 of the swivel joint body 60 is positioned at any position between the side of the housing body 40 and the side of the cover body 50, and the second engagement bracket 72 leads to the first insertion section 71a when the pivoting movement of the cover body 50 with respect to the housing body 40 continues (the . Fig. 4, 6 and 7 to 10). The second insertion section 71b is designed as a sliding contact surface that guides the contacted second engagement holder 72 while maintaining the contact state until the second engagement holder 72 reaches the first insertion section 71a.
[0037] The second insertion section 71b in this example is designed such that the second engagement bracket 72 first comes into contact with the second insertion section 71b when the cover body 50 is caused to pivot to the locking position relative to the housing body 40. Therefore, the second insertion section 71b is designed such that, regardless of the position of the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60, it is located at a geometric locus of pivoting of the second engagement bracket 72 that corresponds to the pivot axis 65. Fig. 11). In this example, the second insertion section 71b is provided in accordance with the geometric location of the pivoting of the tip of the second engagement bracket 72 on the side of the claw section 73.
[0038] Furthermore, the second insertion section 71b is designed as an inclined surface which is inclined with respect to a guide direction (a guide direction along the first sliding contact surface 71a1) of the second engagement bracket 72 by the first insertion section 71a. The second insertion section 71b in this example is an inclined surface in a direction opposite to the second sliding contact surface 71a2 and is inclined away from the pivot body 60 when the second insertion section 71b moves away from the insertion section 74 and the first insertion section 71a in the guide direction of the second engagement bracket 72.
[0039] In this holding mechanism 70, the second engagement bracket 72 comes into contact with the second insertion section 71b, irrespective of the position of the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60, when the pivoting movement towards the closing position of the cover body 50 relative to the housing body 40 begins, as the pivoting movement continues. Therefore, in the holding mechanism 70, the second engagement bracket 72 is guided along the second insertion section 71b by further ensuring that the pivoting movement continues, so that the claw section 73 of the second engagement bracket 72 can be brought into contact with the first insertion section 71a. Similarly, in the holding mechanism 70, the claw section 73 can be guided along the first insertion section 71a to the insertion section 74 by further ensuring that the pivoting movement continues.As described above, in the holding mechanism 70 it is possible to insert the claw section 73 into the insertion section 74 and to create an engagement state between the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72, even if the pivot axis 65 of the pivot body 60 is displaced to any position between the side of the housing body 40 and the side of the cover body 50, because the second engagement bracket 72 can be guided to the first insertion section 71a of the first engagement bracket 71.Therefore, this conductive module 1 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which it is possible to improve the feasibility of the engagement operation between the first engagement holder 71 and the second engagement holder 72 in the holding mechanism 70, even if an operator or the like does not know the mutual positional relationship between the first insertion section 71a of the first engagement holder 71 and the second engagement holder 72, because the claw section 73 can be inserted into the insertion section 74.
[0040] Here, it is desirable that the retaining mechanism 70 be arranged in the housing element 30 at least between the outer wall section 42c of the second housing chamber 42 and the outer end section 52 of the cover body 50 on the side opposite the pivot axis 65 to which the pivot body 60 is connected, in order to maintain the function of the cover body 50 as the cover by means of the retaining mechanism 70. In this arrangement, the retaining mechanism 70 determines the location and number of retaining mechanisms according to the length of the outer end section 52 of the cover body 50. For example,If the outer end section 52 of the cover body 50 is short and it is possible to ensure the holding force in the engagement state at only one position, a holding mechanism 70 is arranged between the outer wall section 42c and the outer end section 52, whereas if the outer end section 52 of the cover body 50 is long and it is impossible to ensure the holding force in the engagement state at only one position, several holding mechanisms 70 may be arranged between the outer wall section 42c and the outer end section 52.
[0041] In this exemplary housing element 30, the retaining mechanism 70 is arranged between the outer wall section 42c and the outer end section 52, and furthermore between the inner wall section 42b of the opening 42a of the second housing chamber 42 and the inner end section 51 of the cover body 50. Here, the retaining mechanism 70 arranged between the outer wall section 42c and the outer end section 52 is referred to as a first retaining mechanism 70A, while the retaining mechanism 70 arranged between the inner wall section 42b and the inner end section 51 is referred to as a second retaining mechanism 70B. Fig. 1, Fig. 3 to Fig.6) In the first holding mechanism 70A, the first engagement bracket 71 is provided on the outer wall section 42c, while the second engagement bracket 72 is provided on the outer end section 52. On the other hand, in the second holding mechanism 70B, the first engagement bracket 71 is provided on the inner wall section 42b, while the second engagement bracket 72 is provided on the inner end section 51.
[0042] In the conductive module 1 of the present embodiment, in one of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, the second engagement holder 72 is guided via the second insertion section 71b to the first insertion section 71a, while in the other of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, the second engagement holder 72 is also guided via the second insertion section 71b to the first insertion section 71a.Therefore, this conductive module 1 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which it is possible to improve the feasibility of the engagement operation between the first engagement holder 71 and the second engagement holder 72 in each of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, even if an operator or the like does not know the mutual positional relationship between the first insertion section 71a of the first engagement holder 71 and the second engagement holder 72 in each of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, because the claw section 73 can be inserted into the insertion section 74.Additionally, in this conductive module 1, it is possible to engage the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72 of each of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, even if the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72 are engaged either by the first holding mechanism 70A or by the second holding mechanism 70B; therefore, from this point of view, the feasibility of the engagement work can also be improved.
[0043] The second insertion section 71b can, incidentally, be provided on at least one of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B. In the conductive module 1 of the present embodiment configured in this way, the second engagement bracket 72 is guided via the second insertion section 71a to the first insertion section 71b in one of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, so that even if the other of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B does not have the second insertion section 71b, the second engagement bracket 72 of the other is guided to the first insertion section 71a.Even if the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B are configured as described above, this conductive module 1 of the present embodiment therefore has a configuration in which it is possible to improve the feasibility of the engagement operation between the first engagement holder 71 and the second engagement holder 72 in each of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, even if an operator or the like does not know the mutual positional relationship between the first insertion section 71a of the first engagement holder 71 and the second engagement holder 72 in each of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, because the claw section 73 can be inserted into the insertion section 74.In other words, even if an attempt is made to engage this conductive module 1 with the first engagement bracket 71 and the second engagement bracket 72 of the other of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B, which does not have the second insertion section 71b, the second engagement bracket 72 of the one of the first holding mechanism 70A and the second holding mechanism 70B is led via the second insertion section 71b to the first insertion section 71a at this time; and therefore, from this point of view, the feasibility of the engagement work can also be improved.
[0044] In the conductive module according to the present embodiment, during the pivoting movement to the closing position of the cover body with respect to the housing body, it is possible to insert the claw section of the holding mechanism into the insertion section and to create an engagement state between the first engagement holder and the second engagement holder, even if the pivot axis of the swivel joint body is displaced to any position between the side of the housing body and the side of the cover body, because the second engagement holder can be inserted into a first insertion section of the first engagement holder by means of a second insertion section of the first engagement holder.Therefore, the conductive module has a configuration that makes it possible to improve the feasibility of the engagement operation between the first engagement holder and the second engagement holder in the holding mechanism, even if an operator or the like does not know the mutual positional relationship between the first insertion section of the first engagement holder and the second engagement holder, because the claw section can be inserted into the insertion section.
[0045] Although the invention has been described for a complete and clear disclosure with regard to specific embodiments, the attached claims are not to be restricted in this way, but are to be interpreted as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that a person skilled in the art in the field may think of, which fall entirely within the basic doctrine set forth herein.
Claims
[1] Conductive module (1) comprising: a first conductive member (10) electrically connected to one of two electrode terminals (122) of battery cells (120) as a connection target, wherein at least one of the plurality of arranged battery cells (120) is the connection target; a second conductive member (20) having a conductor (21) extending in a direction in which the plurality of battery cells (120) are arranged, wherein the second conductive member (20) is configured to electrically connect the first conductive member (10) and an electrical connection object (200) to the conductor (21); and a housing element (30) which accommodates the first and second conductive elements (10, 20), wherein the housing element (30) includes: a housing body (40) having a first housing chamber (41) in which the first conductive element (10) is housed, and a second housing chamber (42) in which the second conductive element (20) is housed; a lid body (50) that closes at least part of an opening (42a) of the second housing chamber (42) so that the second conductive element (20) does not come out of the second housing chamber (42); a rotary joint body (60) that connects the housing body (40) and the lid body (50) and rotates the lid body (50) with respect to the housing body (40) between an opening position of the second housing chamber (42) with respect to the opening (42a) and a closing position of the second housing chamber (42) with respect to the opening (42a); and a holding mechanism (70) that holds the lid body (50) to the housing body (40) at the closing position, wherein the pivot body (60) is a thin bending hinge having elasticity and capable of shifting a position of a pivot axis (65) between one side of the housing body (40) and one side of the cover body (50), wherein the holding mechanism (70) includes a first engagement bracket (71) provided on the housing body (40) and a second engagement bracket (72) provided on the lid body (50), and is configured to hold the lid body (50) on the housing body (40) at the closure position by inserting a claw portion (73) of one of the first engagement bracket (71) and the second engagement bracket (72) into an insertion portion (74) of the other of the first engagement bracket (71) and the second engagement bracket (72) and by hooking the claw portion (73) and a wall surface (74a) of the insertion portion (74) when insertion of the claw portion (73) into the insertion portion (74) is completed, and the first engagement bracket (71) has a first insertion portion (71a) that comes into contact with the second engagement bracket (72) when the pivot axis (65) of the rotary joint body (60) is positioned at a reference pivot axis (65A) between the side of the housing body (40) and the side of the lid body (50), and guides the second engagement bracket (72) so that the claw portion (73) is inserted into the insertion portion (74) when a pivoting movement of the lid body (50) with respect to the housing body (40) continues, and a second insertion portion (71b) that comes into contact with the second engagement bracket (72) even when the pivot axis (65) of the rotary joint body (60) is positioned at any position between the side of the housing body (40) and the side of the lid body (50), and guides the second engagement bracket (72) to the first insertion portion (71a),when the pivoting movement of the cover body (50) relative to the housing body (40) continues, [2] The conductive module (1) according to claim 1, wherein the second insertion portion (71b) is a sliding contact surface that guides the contacted second engagement bracket (72) while maintaining a contact state until the second engagement bracket (72) reaches the first insertion portion (71a). [3] The conductive module (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second insertion portion (71b) is an inclined surface inclined with respect to a guiding direction of the second engagement bracket (72) by the first insertion portion (71a). [4] Conductive module (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the second housing chamber (42) includes an inner wall portion (42b) on one side of the pivot axis (65), wherein the rotary joint body (60) is connected to the inner wall portion (42b) at a wall portion forming the second housing chamber (42), and an outer wall portion (42c) disposed above an interior of the second housing chamber (42) with a space therebetween with respect to the inner wall portion (42b), the lid body (50) includes an inner end portion (51) on one side of the pivot axis (65) to which the pivot body (60) is connected, and an outer end portion (52) arranged with a space from the inner end portion (51), and in the holding mechanism (70), the first engagement bracket (71) is provided on the outer wall portion (42c) and the second engagement bracket (72) is provided on the outer end portion (52). [5] Conductive module (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the second housing chamber (42) includes an inner wall portion (42b) on one side of the pivot axis (65), wherein the rotary joint body (60) is connected to the inner wall portion (42b) at a wall portion forming the second housing chamber (42), and an outer wall portion (42c) disposed above an interior of the second housing chamber (42) with a space therebetween with respect to the inner wall portion (42b), the lid body (50) includes an inner end portion (51) on one side of the pivot axis (65) to which the pivot body (60) is connected, and an outer end portion (52) arranged with a space from the inner end portion (51), and the holding mechanism (70) is arranged between the outer wall portion (42c) and the outer end portion (52) and is also arranged between the inner wall portion (42b) and the inner end portion (51). [6] The conductive module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second conductive member (20) is an electric wire including a core wire as the conductor (21) and a sheath (22) covering the core wire.
Citation Information
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