Drive unit and connector fastening structure

Abstract

To provide a technique for surely fastening bolts in a right order in a fastening structure for a connector to be connected to a terminal of a drive unit.SOLUTION: A fastening structure comprises: first terminals 4 and 6 and second terminals 24 and 26 of a drive section accommodated in a housing 2a of a drive unit; and a connector including first bolts 32 and 34 to be fastened for fixing a connector 20 to the housing 2a and second bolts 28 and 30 to be fastened for connecting the second terminals 24 and 26 to the first terminals 4 and 6. A length A1 of a neck lower part of the first bolts 32 and 34, a distance B1 between a seat surface of the first bolts 32 and 34 at a fastening preparation position and a first bolt hole 14 of the housing 2a to which the first bolts 32 and 34 are fastened, a length A2 of a neck lower part of the second bolts 28 and 30 and a distance B2 between a seating face of the second bolts 28 and 30 at a fastening preparation position and second bolt holes 10 and 12 of the housing 2a to which the second bolts 28 and 30 are fastened satisfy A1>B1 and A2<B2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a connector fastening structure in a drive unit mounted on a vehicle or the like.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector for electrically connecting a drive unit such as a motor generator and an inverter (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The connector described in Patent Document 1 is configured to connect the terminals provided in the connector to the terminals (bus bars) provided in the concave portion of the drive unit housing by fastening with bolts. The connector includes a connector housing that holds the terminals and bolts such that the fastening direction (axial direction) of the bolts coincides with the insertion direction (axial direction of the bolt hole) of the bolts into the bolt holes of the unit housing. Such a connector housing is provided with a seal that can be elastically held between the unit housing, and tolerances related to the bolts and bolt holes are absorbed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The connector includes, in its housing, in addition to bolts for fixing the terminals, housing fixing bolts for fixing the connector housing to the unit housing. When these bolts are fastened, the seal described above abuts against the unit housing, so that the position of the connector housing toward the unit housing is regulated to a predetermined position.

[0006] The bolt is fastened at the position regulated in this way. At that time, first, the bolt for fixing the terminal may be fastened to the bolt hole of the unit housing, and then, the bolt for fixing the housing may be fastened to the bolt hole of the unit housing. When the bolt for fixing the housing is fastened later, the seal will receive the resistance due to the tightening force by coming into contact with the connector housing. As a result, the bolt tightening torque of the bolt for fixing the terminal fastened first may decrease.

[0007] This specification provides a technique capable of surely fastening bolts in the correct order in the fastening structure of a connector connected to a terminal of a drive unit.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] The technique disclosed in this specification is embodied in a fastening structure for fastening a connector to a drive unit. This fastening structure includes a first terminal of a drive part housed in the housing of the drive unit, a second terminal connected to the first terminal, a first bolt fastened to fix the connector to the housing, and a second bolt fastened to connect the second terminal to the first terminal, and a connector. When connecting the first terminal and the second terminal, the connector is configured to be arranged at a fastening preparation position spaced a predetermined distance from the housing, and the length A1 of the neck lower part of the first bolt, the distance B1 between the seating surface of the first bolt at the fastening preparation position and the first bolt hole of the housing to which the first bolt is fastened, the length A2 of the neck lower part of the second bolt, and the distance B2 between the seating surface of the second bolt at the fastening preparation position and the second bolt hole of the housing to which the second bolt is fastened satisfy the following relationship: (1) A1 > B1 (2) A2 < B2 It is configured to satisfy.

[0009] According to this fastening structure, at the fastening preparation position before terminal connection, by satisfying the above relationship, the second bolt cannot be fastened first, and it is surely fastened in the order of the first bolt and the second bolt. Only after the first bolt is fastened in the first bolt hole, the second bolt is fastened in the second bolt hole, and the first terminal and the second terminal are connected. As a result, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the fastening torque after the second bolt is fastened.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, the connector structure of the drive unit will be described with reference to the drawings. The drive unit is, for example, an e-axle or the like in which an inverter, a combination of an inverter and a converter, or a combination of these with a gear set and / or a motor is combined. The drive unit is mounted on a vehicle, for example. Examples of the vehicle include various electric vehicles (BEV, HEV, PHEV, fuel cell vehicle).

[0012] FIG. 1 shows an example of the state before fastening of the fastening structure 100 of the connector in the e-axle 2 as a drive unit, and FIG. 2 shows an example of the fastening state of another fastening structure 102. As shown in FIG. 1, the fastening structure 100 is a structure for connecting the P terminal 4 and the N terminal 6 of the e-axle 2 and the P terminal 24 and the N terminal 26 of the connector 20.

[0013] The e-axle 2 includes a motor, a gear set, and an inverter as a drive unit (not shown), and these are provided in a housing 2a. The P terminal 4 and the N terminal 6 are each connected to the P terminal 24 and the N terminal 26 of a connector 20 for connecting a cable from a battery (not shown) in order to supply power to the inverter. The P terminal 4 and the N terminal 6 are examples of the first terminals disclosed in this specification, and the P terminal 24 and the N terminal 26 are examples of the second terminals disclosed in this specification.

[0014] The mounting portion of the connector 20 in the housing 2a is formed as a concave portion 8 for inserting the P terminal 24 and the N terminal 26 of the connector 20 and fixing them to the P terminal 4 and the N terminal 6 respectively. In the inner part of the concave portion 8, a bolt hole 10 of a bolt 28 for fixing the P terminal 24 to the P terminal 4 and a bolt hole 12 of a bolt 30 for fixing the N terminal 26 to the N terminal 6 are formed. The bolt holes 10 and 12 are each formed as a cylindrical body extending straight toward the connector 20, and screw threads for screwing with the neck portions of the bolts 28 and 30 are formed inside. The bolts 28 and 30 are examples of the second bolts disclosed in this specification, and the bolt holes 10 and 12 are examples of the second bolt holes disclosed in this specification.

[0015] The P terminal 4 and the N terminal 6 are each formed as a bus bar having a tip portion that abuts against the top surfaces 10a and 12a facing the connector 20 of the bolt holes 10 and 12, and the other tip portion is connected to the inverter inside the e-axle 2.

[0016] The concave portion 8 of the housing 2a includes an outer peripheral portion 8a for fixing the housing 20a of the connector 20 surrounding the bolt holes 10 and 12 provided in the central portion. The outer peripheral portion 8a includes bolt holes 14 and 16 for fixing bolts 32 and 34 for fixing the housing 20a of the connector 20 to the housing 2a of the e-axle 2. The bolts 32 and 34 are examples of the first bolts, and the bolt holes 14 and 16 are examples of the first bolt holes disclosed in this specification.

[0017] The connector 20 includes a housing 20a that conforms to the shapes of the concave portion 8 and the outer peripheral portion 8a of the housing 2a of the e-axle 2. The housing 20a holds the P terminal 24 and the N terminal 26 at predetermined positions so as to be connectable to the P terminal 4 and the N terminal 6, and bolts 28 and 30 are respectively retained to prevent them from coming off the P terminal 24 and the N terminal 26. The bolts 28 and 30 are respectively held so as to be fastenable to the bolt holes 10 and 12. Further, bolts 32 and 34 are retained to prevent them from coming off and are held so as to be fastenable to the bolt holes 14 and 16 in the outer peripheral portion 8a of the housing 2a.

[0018] The housing 20a further includes a seal 36 provided on the inner peripheral portion facing the inner wall surface of the outer peripheral portion 8a of the housing 2a to seal the connection portion and absorb tolerances of bolts and the like. By providing the seal 36, when the connector 20 is brought close to the e-axle 2 in order to fasten the connector 20 to the e-axle 2, the connector 20 can be arranged at a fastening preparation position spaced apart from the housing 2a by a predetermined distance. At the fastening preparation position, the axial directions of the bolts 28, 30, 32, 34 of the connector 20 coincide with the extending directions (axial directions) of the bolt holes 10, 12, 14, 16.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, at the fastening preparation position, when the distance between the lower portions of the heads of the bolts 32 and 34 is A1, the distance between the seating surfaces of the bolts 32 and 34 and the top surfaces of the bolt holes 14 and 16 is B1, the distance between the lower portions of the heads of the bolts 28 and 30 is A2, and the distance between the seating surfaces of the bolts 28 and 30 and the top surfaces 10a and 12a of the bolt holes 10 and 12 is B2, the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied. In FIG. 1, A1 > A2.

[0020] (1) A1 > B1 (2) A2 < B2

[0021] By doing so, in the fastening preparation position, with respect to bolts 28 and 30, since A2 is smaller than B2, the fastening operation of bolts 28 and 30 to bolt holes 10 and 12 cannot be performed. On the other hand, with respect to bolts 32 and 34, since A1 is larger than B1, the fastening operation of bolts 32 and 34 to bolt holes 14 and 16 is possible. As a result, bolts 32 and 34 are first fastened, and then bolts 28 and 30 are fastened. For this reason, it is avoided that bolts 28 and 30 are fastened first and then the fastening torque decreases.

[0022] In addition, in FIG. 1, A1 > A2 is set, but it is not limited to this, and as in the fastening structure 102 shown in FIG. 2, A1 = A2 may be used. Furthermore, A1 < A2 may also be used.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0023] 2 drive unit, 2a housing, 4 P terminal (drive unit), 6 N terminal (drive unit), 8 concave portion, 10, 12 bolt holes (for fastening terminal fixing bolts), 14, 16 bolt holes (for fastening connector fixing bolts), 20 connector, 20a housing, 24 P terminal (connector), 26 N terminal (connector), 28, 30 bolts (for terminal fixing), 32, 34 bolts (for connector fixing), 36 seal, 100, 102 fastening structure

Claims

【Claim 1】 A fastening structure for fastening a connector to a drive unit, comprising: a first terminal of a drive part housed in a housing of the drive unit; a second terminal connected to the first terminal; a first bolt fastened to fix the connector to the housing; and a second bolt fastened to connect the second terminal to the first terminal; wherein the connector is configured to be disposed at a fastening preparation position spaced a predetermined distance from the housing when connecting the first terminal and the second terminal; and lengths A1 of the lower neck portions of the first bolts, distances B1 between seat surfaces of the first bolts at the fastening preparation position and first bolt holes of the housing to which the first bolts are fastened, lengths A2 of the lower neck portions of the second bolts, and distances B2 between seat surfaces of the second bolts at the fastening preparation position and second bolt holes of the housing to which the second bolts are fastened satisfy the following relationships: (1)A1 > B1 (2)A2 < B2 The fastening structure is configured to satisfy the above. ​

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