Bus bar structure

Abstract

To provide a bus bar structure capable of suppressing a rise in temperature of a cover.SOLUTION: A bus bar structure 1 includes: a bus bar 100 including a pair of fastening portions 110 and a connecting portion connecting the pair of fastening portions; a covering portion made of a heat-resistant and insulating material and covering the connecting portion; and a cover 300 made of an insulating material and covering the connecting portion of the bus bar. The cover 300 includes a contact portion 310 that is in contact with the connecting portion via the covering portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a bus bar structure.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-46842 discloses a bus bar that connects a pair of adjacent single cells. The bus bar includes a conductor portion and a resin cover that covers the conductor portion. The resin cover has an inner resin cover and an outer resin cover.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the bus bar described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-46842, when a part near the fastening portion where the temperature becomes relatively high in the conductive portion comes into contact with the resin cover, there is a concern that heat accumulates in the resin cover and the temperature of the resin cover rises.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a bus bar structure capable of suppressing an increase in the temperature of the cover.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A bus bar structure according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a bus bar including a pair of fastening portions and a connecting portion that connects the pair of fastening portions, a covering portion made of a material having heat resistance and insulation properties and covering the connecting portion, and a cover made of a material having insulation properties and covering the connecting portion of the bus bar. The cover includes a contact portion that contacts the connecting portion via the covering portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a bus bar structure capable of suppressing the temperature rise of a cover can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings referred to below, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a bus bar structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view of the bus bar structure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bus bar structure. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 4. This bus bar structure 1 is preferably applied to, for example, a power storage device mounted on a vehicle. In this case, the bus bar structure 1 connects the external terminals of a pair of adjacent power storage cells in the power storage device.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the bus bar structure 1 includes a bus bar 100, a covering portion 200, and a cover 300.

[0012] The bus bar 100 is formed by bending a single metal plate. The bus bar 100 has a pair of fastening portions 110 and a connecting portion 120.

[0013] Each fastening part 110 is fastened to a terminal. A through hole is formed in each fastening part 110. For example, one of a pair of fastening parts 110 is connected to an external terminal of the positive electrode of one storage battery cell, and the other of the pair of fastening parts 110 is connected to an external terminal of the negative electrode of a storage battery cell adjacent to one storage battery cell.

[0014] The connecting part 120 connects the pair of fastening parts 110 to each other. The connecting part 120 extends long in the direction (the left - right direction in FIGS. 2 to 4) connecting the pair of fastening parts 110 to each other. The connecting part 120 is formed in a flat plate shape. The connecting part 120 has a rectangular cross - section. That is, the connecting part 120 has a main side surface S1 (see FIG. 3) and a sub - side surface S2 (see FIG. 5).

[0015] The sub - side surface S2 has an area smaller than the area of the main side surface S1. As shown in FIG. 5, the sub - side surface S2 has a first sub - side surface S2a formed on the side closer to the pair of fastening parts 110 (the upper side in FIG. 5) in the orthogonal direction (the up - down direction in FIG. 5) orthogonal to both the direction connecting the pair of fastening parts 110 to each other and the thickness direction of the connecting part 120, and a second sub - side surface S2b formed on the side farther from the pair of fastening parts 110 in the orthogonal direction.

[0016] The covering part 200 covers the connecting part 120. The covering part 200 is made of a material having heat resistance and insulation (for example, mica or silicon). The covering part 200 may be formed in a tape shape. The covering part 200 does not cover each fastening part 110. Also, it is preferable that the start and end of winding of the covering part 200 are set near the central part of the connecting part 120 in the direction connecting the pair of fastening parts 110 to each other. For example, the covering part 200 may be automatically wound by a machine around the linearly extending connecting part 120 and manually wound around the bent part including the fastening part 110.

[0017] The cover 300 covers the connecting portion 120 of the bus bar 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 300 has a shape that exposes each fastening portion 110. The cover 300 is made of an insulating material. The cover 300 is made of, for example, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polypropylene (PP), or a material in which glass is blended with these resins.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the cover 300 has a contact portion 310 and a retracted portion 320.

[0019] The contact portion 310 is in contact with the connecting portion 120 via the covering portion 200. The contact portion 310 has a main contact portion 312 and a sub-contact portion 314.

[0020] The main contact portion 312 is in contact with the main side surface S1 of the connecting portion 120 via the covering portion 200. In the present embodiment, the contact portion 310 has a pair of main contact portions 312 that contact each main side surface S1. Each main contact portion 312 extends long in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions 110 (the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 120).

[0021] The sub-contact portion 314 is in contact with the sub-side surface S2 of the connecting portion 120 via the covering portion 200. In the present embodiment, the sub-contact portion 314 has a pair of first sub-contact portions 314a that contact the first sub-side surface S2a and a pair of second sub-contact portions 314b that contact the second sub-side surface S2b.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 5, the contact area between each second sub-contact portion 314b and the second sub-side surface S2b is larger than the contact area between each first sub-contact portion 314a and the first sub-side surface S2a. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the length Lb between the outer ends of the pair of second sub-contact portions 314b in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions 110 is larger than the length La between the outer ends of the pair of first sub-contact portions 314a in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions 110. The length L1 of the main contact portion 312 in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions 110 is larger than the length La between the outer ends of the pair of first sub-contact portions 314a in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions 110.

[0023] The retraction portion 320 has retracted from the covering portion 200. The retraction portion 320 is formed between a pair of sub-contact portions 314 that are in contact with each sub-side surface S2. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the retraction portion 320 is formed between a pair of first sub-contact portions 314a and between a pair of second sub-contact portions 314b.

[0024] The portion of the cover 300 other than the contact portion 310 is separated from the covering portion 200. That is, the cover 300 is separated from the fastening portion 110 and from the end portion of the connecting portion 120 in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions 110.

[0025] As described above, in the bus bar structure 1 according to the present embodiment, since the cover 300 is in contact with the connecting portion 120, which is at a lower temperature than the fastening portion 110, via the covering portion 200, the temperature rise in the vicinity of the fastening portion 110 of the cover 300 is suppressed. Therefore, the temperature rise of the cover 300 is suppressed.

[0026] Further, by setting the start and end of winding of the covering portion 200 near the center of the connecting portion 120 in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions 110, the contact between the covering portion 200 and the cover 300 in the vicinity of the fastening portion 110 is suppressed, and furthermore, the holding of the connecting portion 120 by the cover 300 becomes stable.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described exemplary embodiments are specific examples of the following aspects.

[0028] [Aspect 1] A bus bar including a pair of fastening portions and a connecting portion that connects the pair of fastening portions, A covering portion made of a material having heat resistance and insulation properties and covering the connecting portion, A cover made of a material having insulation properties and covering the connecting portion of the bus bar, and The cover includes a contact portion that contacts the connecting portion via the covering portion, a bus bar structure.

[0029] In this bus bar structure, since the cover is in contact with the connecting portion, which is at a lower temperature than the fastening portion, via the covering portion, the temperature rise in the portion of the cover near the fastening portion is suppressed. Therefore, the temperature rise of the cover is suppressed.

[0030] [Aspect 2] The connecting portion has a main side surface and a sub side surface having an area smaller than the area of the main side surface, and the contact portion has a main contact portion in contact with the main side surface and a sub contact portion in contact with the sub side surface, and is the bus bar structure according to Aspect 1.

[0031] In this aspect, since the contact area between the connecting portion and the cover is effectively ensured, the temperature rise of the cover is more reliably suppressed. Further, since the cover contacts the connecting portion from two directions, namely, the direction sandwiching the main side surface and the direction sandwiching the sub side surface, the holding state of the bus bar by the cover is stabilized.

[0032] [Aspect 3] The sub side surface has a first sub side surface formed on the side closer to the pair of fastening portions in the orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to both the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions and the thickness direction of the connecting portion, and a second sub side surface formed on the side farther from the pair of fastening portions in the orthogonal direction, and the sub contact portion has a pair of first sub contact portions in contact with the first sub side surface and a pair of second sub contact portions in contact with the second sub side surface, and the cover is provided between the pair of first sub contact portions and between the pair of second sub contact portions, and further includes a retracting portion that retracts from the covering portion, and is the bus bar structure according to Aspect 2.

[0033] [Aspect 4] The length between the outer ends of the pair of second sub-contact portions in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions is greater than the length between the outer ends of the pair of first sub-contact portions in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions, the bus bar structure according to aspect 3.

[0034] [Aspect 5] The length of the main contact portion in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions is greater than the length between the outer ends of the pair of first sub-contact portions in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions, the bus bar structure according to aspect 3 or 4.

[0035] It should be noted that all aspects of the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is shown by the scope of claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0036] 1 Bus bar structure, 100 Bus bar, 110 Fastening portion, 120 Connecting portion, 200 Coating portion, 300 Cover, 310 Contact portion, 312 Main contact portion, 314 Sub-contact portion, 314a First sub-contact portion, 314b Second sub-contact portion, 320 Retreating portion, S1 Main side surface, S2 Sub side surface, S2a First sub side surface, S2b Second sub side surface.

Claims

1. A bus bar including a pair of fastening portions and a connecting portion connecting the pair of fastening portions; A covering portion made of a material having heat resistance and insulation properties and covering the connecting portion; A cover made of an insulating material and covering the connecting portion of the bus bar, the bus bar structure comprising: The cover includes a contact portion that contacts the connecting portion via the covering portion.

2. The connecting portion has: A main side surface; A secondary side surface having an area smaller than the area of the main side surface, and the bus bar structure according to claim 1, wherein: The contact portion has: A main contact portion in contact with the main side surface; A secondary contact portion in contact with the secondary side surface.

3. The secondary side surface has: A first secondary side surface formed on the side closer to the pair of fastening portions in the orthogonal direction orthogonal to both the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions and the thickness direction of the connecting portion; A second secondary side surface formed on the side farther from the pair of fastening portions in the orthogonal direction, and the bus bar structure according to claim 2, wherein: The secondary contact portion has: A pair of first secondary contact portions in contact with the first secondary side surface; A pair of second secondary contact portions in contact with the second secondary side surface, and the cover is provided between the pair of first secondary contact portions and between the pair of second secondary contact portions, and further includes a retracted portion retracted from the covering portion.

4. The length between the outer ends of the pair of second secondary contact portions in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions is greater than the length between the outer ends of the pair of first secondary contact portions in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions, and the bus bar structure according to claim 3.

5. The length of the main contact portion in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions is greater than the length between the outer ends of the pair of first secondary contact portions in the direction connecting the pair of fastening portions, and the bus bar structure according to claim 3 or 4. ​

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