Motor vehicle with a power rail arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle with a busbar arrangement (1), comprising - a first, rigid busbar (2) made of an electrically conductive material and having a connecting section (20) at at least one end, and - a second, rigid busbar (3) made of an electrically conductive material and having a connecting section (30) at at least one end, wherein the busbars (2, 3) are connected to each other at the connecting sections (20, 30) and wherein each of the connecting sections (20, 30) has an elongated hole (21, 31) through which a connecting means is passed, so that the connecting sections (20, 30) of the busbars (2, 3) are connected to each other by an elongated hole-to-elongated hole connection (5).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle with a busbar arrangement, wherein the busbar arrangement comprises a first, rigid busbar made of an electrically conductive material and having a connecting section at at least one end, and a second, rigid busbar made of an electrically conductive material and having a connecting section at at least one end, wherein the busbars are connected to each other at the connecting sections.

[0002] In automotive engineering, busbar assemblies comprising at least two busbars and their mechanical connections are subjected to high force impulses during specific events, such as a crash. These mechanical forces are difficult to absorb and often lead to the mechanical connections of the busbars breaking. This is detrimental because high electrical currents flow through the systems in which the busbar assemblies are used in motor vehicles, creating a risk of arcing, short circuits, and potentially even fires.

[0003] To address this problem, current technology often uses flexible components, particularly braids, of the busbar to absorb the force impulses that occur during specific events. However, these flexible components also have disadvantages, as they can oscillate unintentionally when subjected to vibration loads.

[0004] EP 3 982 487 A1 discloses a generic conductor rail arrangement for a motor vehicle, in which the connecting sections of the two rigid conductor rails comprise a plurality of bores arranged side by side. This allows for length adjustment of the conductor rail arrangement. When the conductor rail arrangement is adjusted to the desired length, a screw is passed through two pairs of aligned bores in the connecting sections of the two conductor rails to connect them. This type of conductor rail connection is disadvantageous when impact impulses occur that act in the longitudinal direction of the conductor rail arrangement.

[0005] DE 10 2008 062 108 A1 discloses an adapter for converters comprising a first busbar and a second busbar, between which an electrically insulating material, in particular insulating foil, is provided. The first busbar can be screw-connected at each of its two end regions to a busbar of a rectifier, inverter, and / or converter that is connected to the upper DC link potential. The second busbar can be screw-connected at each of its two end regions to a busbar of a rectifier, inverter, and / or converter that is connected to the lower DC link potential. Slotted holes are provided in the end regions of the busbars to allow for length compensation. If the converters to be connected deviate slightly from their intended position, this deviation can be compensated for.

[0006] The invention aims to further develop a motor vehicle of the type mentioned above in such a way that the conductor rail arrangement is insensitive to vibration loads and can also effectively absorb shock impulses.

[0007] The solution to this problem is a motor vehicle of the generic type with the features of the characterizing part of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to advantageous further developments of the invention.

[0008] A motor vehicle according to the invention is characterized in that each of the connecting sections of the busbars has an elongated hole, wherein a connecting element designed as a connecting screw is passed through the elongated holes, so that the connecting sections of the busbars, which are preferably made of metal, are connected to each other by an elongated hole-elongated hole connection, wherein a limit force can be set via the tightening torque of the connecting screw during the manufacture of the elongated hole-elongated hole connection, up to which the relative position of the busbars is kept stable and upon exceeding which the busbars are displaced relative to each other.The present invention provides a motor vehicle with a busbar assembly that is insensitive to vibration loads and, moreover, can effectively absorb impact impulses acting in the longitudinal direction of the busbar assembly due to the slotted-slotted connection. The minimum force required to act on the slotted-slotted connection of the busbar assembly to allow longitudinal displacement of the busbars can be precisely adjusted by the mechanical tightening torque of the connecting screw during the manufacturing of the slotted-slotted connection. In other words, the tightening torque of the connecting screw during the manufacturing of the slotted-slotted connection determines the strength of the connection and thus a limit force up to which the relative position of the busbars is held stable, and beyond which displacement of the busbars occurs.The longitudinal displacement of the busbars upon impact, particularly in a crash, advantageously prevents damage to both the mechanical and electrical connections. Furthermore, the inclusion of elongated holes in the busbar connection sections allows for the advantageous compensation of manufacturing tolerances. Designing the connecting element as a screw enables particularly simple and cost-effective production of the slotted-to-slotted connection.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the connecting element, designed as a connecting screw, is made of an electrically conductive material, in particular metal. In addition to the mechanical connection, the connecting element thus advantageously also provides an electrical connection between the two busbars of the busbar assembly.

[0010] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying figures. Fig. 1 a top view of a part of a first conductor rail of a conductor rail arrangement of a motor vehicle, which is designed according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 a side view of part of a busbar arrangement, which is the first busbar according to Fig. 1 and a second busbar, in a mechanically unloaded state, Fig. 3 a side view of the busbar arrangement according to Fig. 2 after being subjected to a force impulse.

[0011] With reference to Fig. Figure 1 shows a part of a first busbar 2 of a busbar arrangement 1 of a motor vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention. The first busbar 2 is rigid and made of an electrically conductive material, in particular metal. The first busbar 2 has a connecting section 20 at one end in which an elongated hole 21 is formed.

[0012] With reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Details of the connection of the first busbar 2 with a second busbar 3 of the busbar arrangement 1 will be explained in more detail below.

[0013] The second busbar 3 is also rigid and made of an electrically conductive material, in particular metal. Like the first busbar 2, the second busbar 3 also has a connecting section 30 at one end, in which an elongated hole 31 is formed.

[0014] To connect the two busbars 2, 3 at the connecting sections 20, 30, the two elongated holes 21, 31 correspond in size and shape such that a connecting element can be inserted through them during assembly. In this case, the connecting element is a metal connecting screw 4, which passes through the aligned elongated holes 21, 31 of the connecting sections 20, 30 of the two superimposed busbars 2, 3. Thus, the two busbars 2, 3 are connected both mechanically and electrically by means of an elongated-hole connection 5, which is established by the connecting screw 4. The elongated holes 21, 31 also allow for length adjustment of the busbar assembly 1.

[0015] Fig. Figure 2 shows a side view of the busbar assembly 1 in a situation where the slotted-slotted connection 5 of the busbar assembly 1 is mechanically unloaded. Preferably, the slotted-slotted connection 5 is designed to be able to slide under defined forces.

[0016] Fig. Figure 3 shows a side view of the busbar assembly 1 in a situation where the slot-to-slot connection 5 of the busbar assembly 1, and thus also the busbar assembly 1 itself, were subjected to an external force impulse, causing the busbars 2 and 3 to be displaced relative to each other, while the slot-to-slot connection 5, and thus also the electrical contact between the busbars 2 and 3, were maintained. As shown in Fig. To identify the first power rail 2 - starting from the one in Fig.In position 2 shown, the first busbar was shifted to the right relative to the connecting screw 4 by the force impulse. The second busbar 3, on the other hand, was shifted to the left relative to the connecting screw 4.

[0017] The minimum force required to act on the slotted-slotted connection 5 of the busbar assembly 1 to allow longitudinal displacement of the busbars 2, 3 can be precisely adjusted by the tightening torque of the connecting screw 4 during the assembly of the slotted-slotted connection 5. In other words, the tightening torque of the connecting screw 4 during the assembly of the slotted-slotted connection 5 determines the strength of the connection and thus a limit force up to which the relative position of the busbars 2, 3 is maintained and beyond which displacement of the busbars 2, 3 occurs. The longitudinal displacement of the busbars 2, 3 upon the occurrence of a force impulse, particularly in the event of a crash, advantageously prevents damage to both the mechanical and electrical connections of the busbars 2, 3.

[0018] Furthermore, by providing the elongated holes 21, 31 in the connecting sections 20, 30 of the busbars 2, 3, manufacturing tolerances can also be advantageously compensated.

Claims

[1] Motor vehicle with a conductor rail arrangement (1), wherein the conductor rail arrangement (1) - a first, rigid busbar (2) made of an electrically conductive material and having a connecting section (20) at at least one end, and - a second, rigid busbar (3) made of an electrically conductive material and having a connecting section (30) at at least one end, wherein the busbars (2, 3) are connected to each other at the connecting sections (20, 30), characterized by, that each of the connecting sections (20, 30) of the busbars (2, 3) has an elongated hole (21, 31), wherein a connecting element designed as a connecting screw (4) is passed through the elongated holes (21, 31), so that the connecting sections (20, 30) of the busbars (2, 3) are connected to each other by an elongated-hole connection (5), wherein a limit force can be set via the tightening torque of the connecting screw (4) during the manufacture of the elongated-hole connection (5), up to which the relative position of the busbars (2, 3) is kept stable and upon exceeding which the busbars (2, 3) are displaced relative to each other. [2] Motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by , that the connecting element designed as a connecting screw (4) is made of an electrically conductive material. [3] Motor vehicle according to claim 2, characterized by, that the connecting element designed as a connecting screw (4) is made of metal.

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