Connector device and bus bar module

Abstract

To provide a short-circuit prevention structure with excellent assemblability.SOLUTION: A connector device 10 comprises: a connector 30 in which a plurality of terminal fittings 32 is fitted to a housing 31 in a parallel manner; a circuit board 21 whose surface acts as a mounting surface 24 for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings 32; a through-hole 25 which is formed in a region, on the circuit board 21, located between adjacent ones of the terminal fittings 32; and a bus bar holder 11, as a short-circuit prevention member, which is a separate component from the circuit board 21. The bus bar holder 11 has: a base part 16 which comes into close contact with a rear surface of the circuit board 21 so as to close the through-hole 25; and a protruding part 18, protruding from the base part 16, which is housed with an insulation space S in the through-hole 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector device and a bus bar module.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a short-circuit prevention wall formed in a housing is inserted into a short-circuit prevention groove formed in a printed circuit board as a means for preventing short circuits between a plurality of male terminal fittings attached to the printed circuit board. By partitioning between the male terminal fittings with the short-circuit prevention wall, short circuits between adjacent male terminal fittings are prevented.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the above structure is configured to fit the short-circuit prevention wall into the short-circuit prevention groove without a gap, the assemblability is not good.

[0005] The present disclosure has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a short-circuit prevention structure with good assemblability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The connector device according to the first disclosure includes: (1) a connector in which a plurality of terminal fittings are attached to a housing in a parallel state; a circuit board whose surface is a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings; a through hole formed in a region between the adjacent terminal fittings of the circuit board; a short-circuit prevention member which is a component separate from the circuit board. The short - circuit prevention member has a base portion that closely adheres to the back surface of the circuit board to close the through - hole, and a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion and is accommodated in the through - hole with an insulating space provided therein.

[0007] The connector device of the second disclosure is a connector in which a plurality of terminal fittings are attached in parallel to a housing, a circuit board whose surface serves as a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings, a through - hole formed in a region between adjacent ones of the terminal fittings on the circuit board, a closing member that closely adheres to the back surface of the circuit board to close the through - hole, and a cover which is a component separate from the housing and the circuit board, wherein the cover has a covering portion that covers a board connection portion of the terminal fittings that is exposed outside the housing, and a protrusion that protrudes from the covering portion and is accommodated in the through - hole with an insulating space provided therein.

[0008] The bus - bar module of the third disclosure comprises the connector device according to claim 1, and a plurality of bus - bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, wherein a bus - bar holding portion for holding the plurality of bus - bars is integrally formed on the short - circuit prevention member.

[0009] The bus - bar module of the fourth disclosure comprises the connector device according to claim 7, and a plurality of bus - bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, wherein a bus - bar holding portion for holding the plurality of bus - bars is integrally formed on the closing member.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the first, second, third, and fourth disclosures, a short-circuit prevention structure with good assemblability can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. Combinations of the following multiple embodiments arbitrarily within a non - conflicting range are also included in the forms for implementing the invention. The connector device of the first disclosure is (1) a connector in which a plurality of terminal fittings are attached to a housing in a parallel state, a circuit board whose surface is a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings, a through - hole formed in a region between the adjacent terminal fittings of the circuit board, and a short - circuit prevention member which is a component separate from the circuit board. The short - circuit prevention member has a base portion that closely adheres to the back surface of the circuit board to block the through - hole, and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the base portion and is accommodated in the through - hole with an insulating space therebetween. According to the configuration of the first disclosure, between adjacent terminal fittings, a bending - type creeping - path is configured via the inner peripheral surface of the through - hole, the base portion, and the protrusion portion, so that short - circuit between the terminal fittings can be prevented. Since the protrusion portion constituting the creeping - path is accommodated in the through - hole with an insulating space therebetween, the assemblability between the short - circuit prevention member and the circuit board is good.

[0013] (2) The mounting surface preferably has lands to which the terminal fittings are connected, and in a direction orthogonal to the parallel direction of the terminal fittings, the opening region of the through - hole is larger than the formation region of the lands. According to this configuration, a long creeping - distance between adjacent lands on the mounting surface can be ensured.

[0014] (3) In (1) or (2), the circuit board preferably has a sheet - like flexible base material to which the terminal fittings are connected on the mounting surface, and a reinforcing plate fixed to the back surface of the flexible base material, and the through - hole preferably penetrates the flexible base material and the reinforcing plate. According to this configuration, even if the mounting target of the terminal fitting is a flexible base material that is easily deformed, the base portion of the short - circuit prevention member can be closely adhered to the back surface of the circuit board.

[0015] (4) In (3), it is preferable that a path holding portion for holding the flexible base material in a shape along a predetermined wiring path is integrally formed on the short - circuit prevention member. According to this configuration, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the path holding portion is manufactured as a separate part from the short - circuit prevention member.

[0016] (5) In (1) or (2), a notch portion for exposing the opening edge portion of the through - hole on the back surface of the circuit board is formed on the opposing surface of the base portion with respect to the circuit board, and it is preferable that the protruding portion protrudes from the inner bottom surface of the notch portion. According to this configuration, the creepage distance can be increased by the opening edge portion of the through - hole on the back surface of the circuit board and the inner surface of the notch portion of the short - circuit prevention member.

[0017] (6) In (1) or (2), it is preferable that a concave portion is formed on the protruding end surface of the protruding portion. According to this configuration, the creepage distance can be increased by the concave portion of the protruding portion.

[0018] The connector device of the second disclosure is (7) A connector in which a plurality of terminal fittings are attached to a housing in a parallel state, a circuit board whose surface is a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings, a through - hole formed in a region between the adjacent terminal fittings of the circuit board, a closing member that is in close contact with the back surface of the circuit board and closes the through - hole, and a cover that is a part separate from the housing and the circuit board. The cover has a covering portion that covers the board connection portion of the terminal fitting that is exposed outside the housing, and a protruding portion that protrudes from the covering portion and is accommodated in the through - hole with an insulating space left. According to the configuration of the second disclosure, between adjacent terminal fittings, a creepage path in a form bent along the inner surface of the through - hole or a creepage path in a bent form along the surface of the protruding portion is configured, so that a short - circuit between the terminal fittings can be prevented. Since the protruding portion that constitutes the creepage path is accommodated in the through - hole with an insulating space left, the assemblability between the cover and the circuit board is good.

[0019] The bus bar module of the third disclosure is, (8) The connector device according to claim 1 and a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, wherein the short circuit prevention member is integrally formed with a bus bar holding portion for holding the plurality of bus bars. According to the third disclosure, since the connector device and the plurality of bus bars are modularized, the assembly work to the battery cell is easy.

[0020] The bus bar module of the fourth disclosure is, (9) The connector device according to claim 7 and a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, wherein the blocking member is integrally formed with a bus bar holding portion for holding the plurality of bus bars. According to the fourth disclosure, since the connector device and the plurality of bus bars are modularized, the assembly work to the battery cell is easy.

[0021] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] [Example 1] Example 1 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the claims, and includes all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0022] In the present Example 1, regarding the front-rear direction, the F direction in FIGS. 1 to 5, 7, and 8 is defined as the front. Regarding the up-down direction, the H direction in FIGS. 1 to 8 is defined as the up. The lower surface and the back surface are used synonymously. Regarding the left-right direction, the R direction in FIGS. 1 to 6 and 8 is defined as the right. The left-right direction and the width direction are used synonymously.

[0023] The bus bar module M of this embodiment is attached to a battery module in a form in which a plurality of battery cells C are connected in series. The bus bar module M is a member that constitutes a circuit for detecting the voltage of each battery cell C and the temperature of the battery module. The bus bar module M includes a connector device 10 and a plurality of bus bars 39. The plurality of bus bars 39 are individually connected to the electrodes (not shown) of the plurality of battery cells C.

[0024] The connector device 10 is configured by assembling a bus bar holder 11 (short - circuit prevention member) and a conductive path 20. The conductive path 20 is configured by assembling a circuit board 21 and a connector 30. The bus bar holder 11 is made of a synthetic resin material (insulating material) and is a single component in which a bus bar holding portion 12, a path holding portion 14, and a short - circuit prevention portion 15 are integrated. The bus bar holder 11 has a function of preventing a short - circuit between terminal fittings 32, as will be described later.

[0025] In a plan view of the connector device 10 viewed from above, the bus bar holder 11 forms a rectangle with its long side oriented in the front - rear direction. The bus bar holding portion 12 has an elongated shape in the front - rear direction and is a part that constitutes the right - hand side region of the bus bar holder 11. The bus bar holding portion 12 has a plurality of holding plate portions 13 arranged in the front - rear direction. The plurality of bus bars 39 are individually held by the plurality of holding plate portions 13. The path holding portion 14, like the bus bar holding portion 12, has an elongated shape extending in the front - rear direction and is a part that constitutes the left - hand side region of the bus bar holder 11. The path holding portion 14 is a part that functions to hold the circuit board 21 in a state of extending straight in the front - rear direction. The path holding portion 14 is arranged so as to be aligned laterally with the bus bar holding portion 12.

[0026] The short - circuit prevention part 15 is arranged in the left - hand region at the front end part of the bus bar holder 11. The short - circuit prevention part 15 is arranged adjacent to the front edge of the path holding part 14 in the forward direction. That is, the short - circuit prevention part 15 is connected to the front end part of the path holding part 14. As shown in FIG. 8, the short - circuit prevention part 15 has a flat - plate - shaped base part 16, a pair of left - and - right positioning protrusions 17, a pair of holding wall parts 19, and one protrusion part 18. The positioning protrusions 17 are cylindrical parts that protrude upward from both left - and - right ends on the upper surface of the base part 16. The pair of holding wall parts 19 are parts that rise upward from a position in front of the positioning protrusions 17 on the upper surface of the base part 16.

[0027] The protrusion part 18 is a part that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the base part 16 and has a rectangular shape. The planar view shape of the protrusion part 18 is a rectangle with the long side oriented in the front - rear direction. The formation range of the protrusion part 18 in the front - rear direction is a region extending from a position in front of the positioning protrusion 17 to a position behind the front end of the holding wall part 19. The formation position of the protrusion part 18 in the left - right direction is a region between the pair of holding wall parts 19 and is a position shifted to the right from the center in the width direction of the pair of holding wall parts 19. The upward protrusion dimension of the protrusion part 18 from the base part 16 is larger than the thickness dimension of the circuit board 21 described later.

[0028] The circuit board 21 is a board called FPC (Flexible printed circuits). The circuit board 21 has a sheet - shaped flexible base material 22 that extends long in the front - rear direction and a reinforcing plate 23 made of a hard material. The flexible base material 22 is a member that can be deformed flexibly. A circuit for detecting the voltage value of each battery cell C is formed on the flexible base material 22. The upper surface of the flexible base material 22 (the surface of the circuit board 21) functions as a mounting surface 24 for mounting the terminal fitting 32 described later. The reinforcing plate 23 is attached to the front - end part on the back surface (lower surface) of the flexible base material 22. The front - end part of the flexible base material 22 has an increased bending rigidity due to the reinforcing plate 23 and is in a form that does not deform easily.

[0029] A through-hole 25 is formed at the front end of the circuit board 21. The through-hole 25 is an opening that penetrates from the mounting surface 24 to the back surface of the circuit board 21 (the back surface of the reinforcing plate 23). The planar shape of the through-hole 25 is a rectangle with its long side oriented in the front-rear direction. The position of the through-hole 25 in the left-right direction is offset to the right from the center in the width direction of the circuit board 21. A pair of left and right positioning holes 26 are formed at a position behind the through-hole 25 in the circuit board 21. The positioning holes 26 penetrate the circuit board 21 from the mounting surface 24 to the back surface.

[0030] On the mounting surface 24 of the circuit board 21, a plurality of lands 27 (pads) for connecting a terminal fitting 32 described later are formed. The plurality of lands 27 are arranged in a row at intervals in the left-right direction (width direction). The planar shape of each land 27 is a rectangle with its long side oriented in the front-rear direction. The length of the land 27 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the opening dimension of the through-hole 25 in the front-rear direction. In the front-rear direction, the formation range of the lands 27 is within the opening area of the through-hole 25. The front edge 25F of the opening edge of the through-hole 25 is located in front of the front end of the land 27. The rear edge 25R of the opening edge of the through-hole 25 is located behind the rear end of the land 27.

[0031] The plurality of lands 27 are arranged in parallel in the width direction in two regions divided into left and right with the through hole 25 in between. In this embodiment, four lands 27 are arranged in the narrow-width region on the right side of the through hole 25, and nine lands 27 are arranged in the wide-width region on the left side of the through hole 25. The four lands 27L on the right side of the through hole 25 constitute a temperature detection circuit for detecting the temperature of the battery cell C, so the voltage of these four lands 27L is low voltage (for example, several V to several tens of V). The nine lands 27 on the left side of the through hole 25 constitute a voltage detection circuit for detecting the voltage of the battery cell C. Among the lands 27 of the voltage detection circuit, the land 27 located on the leftmost side has the lowest voltage, and the voltage gradually increases towards the right side lands 27. The voltage of the current flowing through the land 27H closest to the through hole 25 becomes as high as about 800V, for example. Therefore, the potential difference between two adjacent lands 27L and 27H sandwiching the through hole 25 becomes a value close to 800V.

[0032] The connector 30 is configured by assembling a housing 31, a plurality of terminal fittings 32, and a cover 38. The housing 31 has a flat shape with a small height dimension with respect to the dimensions in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The cover 38 covers and hides the portions of the plurality of terminal fittings 32 that are exposed behind the housing 31 when attached to the housing 31.

[0033] The terminal fitting 32 is formed by bending a metal rod-shaped member. The terminal fitting 32 has a harness connection portion 33 extending linearly in the front-rear direction and a board connection portion 34 extending rearward from the rear end of the harness connection portion 33. The board connection portion 34 has a leg portion 35 extending linearly downward from the rear end of the harness connection portion 33 and a mounting portion 36 extending rearward from the lower end of the leg portion 35.

[0034] The plurality of terminal fittings 32 are attached to the housing 31 in a state of being arranged in parallel in the left - right direction. The attachment of the terminal fittings 32 is performed by press - fitting the harness - side connection portion into the housing 31 from the rear. At the rear of the housing 31, the rear ends of the harness connection portions 33 of the plurality of terminal fittings 32 and the entire substrate connection portion 34 are exposed. The number of terminal fittings 32 attached to one housing 31 is the same as the above - mentioned lands 27 (13 poles). The positional relationship (parallel pitch in the left - right direction) of the 13 mounting portions 36 is the same as that of the lands 27. The connector 30 is attached to the mounting surface 24 via pegs 37 fixed to the left and right outer side surfaces of the housing 31. The mounting portion 36 of each terminal fitting 32 is placed on the solder (not shown) applied to the upper surface of the land 27.

[0035] The connector 30 and the circuit board 21 in the mounted state are subjected to reflow processing in a reflow furnace (not shown). By the reflow processing, the mounting surface 24 and the lands 27 are fixedly connected so as to be electrically conductive via the solder. After the reflow processing, a cover 38 is assembled to the housing 31. Thus, the conductive path 20 is formed.

[0036] The conductive path 20 after the reflow processing is assembled to the upper surface of the short - circuit prevention portion 15 in the bus bar holder 11. At the time of assembly, the positioning holes 26 are fitted into the positioning protrusions 17, and a pair of holding wall portions 19 are locked to both ends of the cover 38. When the holding wall portions 19 are locked to the cover 38, the upper surface of the base portion 16 of the short - circuit prevention portion 15 is in close contact with the back surface of the circuit board 21 (the back surface of the reinforcing plate 23). By assembling the conductive path 20 to the bus bar holder 11, the connector device 10 is formed.

[0037] In the state where the connector device 10 is assembled, the protrusion 18 of the bus bar holder 11 penetrates through the through hole 25 of the circuit board 21, and the upper end portion of the protrusion 18 protrudes upward from the mounting surface 24 of the circuit board 21. In a plan view, an insulating space S is ensured over the entire circumference between the outer peripheral surface (the front and rear surfaces and the left and right outer side surfaces) of the protrusion 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 25. That is, the outer surface of the protrusion 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 25 are non-contact over the entire region.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, in the position closest to the left side of the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18, a mounting portion 36H connected to a land 27H through which a high-voltage current flows is arranged. In the position closest to the right side of the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18, a mounting portion 36L connected to a land 27L through which a low-voltage current flows is arranged. The potential difference between the mounting portions 36H and 36L of the two terminal fittings 32 adjacent to each other with the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18 interposed therebetween is close to a value of 800V. Therefore, if the creepage distance between the two mounting portions 36H and 36L is short, there is a risk of a short circuit occurring between the two mounting portions 36H and 36L.

[0039] As a countermeasure, the through hole 25 is opened between the two mounting portions 36H and 36L, and a protrusion 18 that is non-contact with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 25 is interposed in the through hole 25. Thereby, between the mounting portions 36H and 36L, a creepage path passing through the left inner side surface of the through hole 25, the upper surface of the base portion 16, the left outer side surface of the protrusion 18, the upper end surface of the protrusion 18, the right side surface of the protrusion 18, the upper surface of the base portion 16, and the right inner side surface of the through hole 25 is ensured. The distance (creepage distance) of this creepage path is longer by the length obtained by combining the vertical distance along the left and right inner side surfaces of the through hole 25 and the vertical distance along the left and right outer side surfaces of the protrusion 18 compared to the creepage distance when the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18 are not formed. Therefore, a short circuit between the mounting portions 36H and 36L can be prevented.

[0040] In addition, an insulating space S is ensured over the entire circumference between the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 25 and the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 18. Therefore, in the process of assembling the conductive path 20 (circuit board 21) to the bus bar holder 11 (short - circuit prevention part 15), there is no possibility that the protrusion 18 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 25. That is, there is no possibility of generating sliding resistance between the protrusion 18 and the circuit board 21. Therefore, even if the tolerances of the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18 are large, it does not hinder the assembly of the circuit board 21 and the short - circuit prevention part 15.

[0041] The front edge 25F of the through hole 25 is located in front of the front ends of the lands 27, 27H, 27L and the mounting parts 36, 36H, 36L, and the rear edge 25R of the through hole 25 is located behind the rear ends of the lands 27, 27H, 27L and the mounting parts 36, 36H, 36L. Therefore, the creeping path between the high - potential mounting part 36H and the low - potential mounting part 36L on the mounting surface 24 is a bent path along the front edge 25F or the rear edge 25R of the through hole 25. Therefore, the creeping distance between the mounting parts 36H, 36L on the mounting surface 24 is ensured to be long by forming the through hole 25.

[0042] The bus bar module M of the first embodiment includes a connector device 10 and a plurality of bus bars 39 for connecting a plurality of battery cells C. A bus bar holding part 12 for holding the plurality of bus bars 39 is integrally formed in the bus bar holder 11 having a function as a short - circuit prevention member. According to this configuration, since the connector device 10 and the plurality of bus bars 39 are modularized as one assembly, the assembly work to the battery cell C is easy.

[0043] The connector device 10 of Example 1 includes a connector 30, a circuit board 21, and a bus bar holder 11 having a function as a short - circuit prevention member. The connector 30 is in a form in which a plurality of terminal fittings 32 are attached to a housing 31 in parallel. The surface of the circuit board 21 functions as a mounting surface 24 for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings 32. Through - holes 25 are formed in a region between the mounting portions 36H and 36L of adjacent terminal fittings 32 on the circuit board 21. The bus bar holder 11 is a component separate from the circuit board 21. The short - circuit prevention portion 15 of the bus bar holder 11 has a base portion 16 and a protrusion portion 18. The base portion 16 is in close contact with the back surface of the circuit board 21 and closes the through - hole 25. The protrusion portion 18 protrudes from the base portion 16 and is accommodated in the through - hole 25 with an insulating space S left therein.

[0044] Between adjacent terminal fittings 32 (the high - potential mounting portion 36H and the low - potential mounting portion 36L), a bending - shaped creeping path via the inner peripheral surface of the through - hole 25, the base portion 16, and the protrusion portion 18 is formed, so that a short - circuit between the terminal fittings 32 (between the mounting portions 36H and 36L) can be prevented. Since the protrusion portion 18 constituting the creeping path is accommodated in the through - hole 25 with an insulating space S left therein, the assemblability between the bus bar holder 11 (the short - circuit prevention portion 15) and the circuit board 21 is good.

[0045] The mounting surface 24 has lands 27, 27H, 27L to which the terminal fittings 32 are connected. In the front - rear direction orthogonal to the parallel direction of the terminal fittings 32, the opening region of the through - hole 25 is larger than the formation region of the land 27. According to this configuration, a long creeping distance between adjacent lands 27 on the mounting surface 24 can be ensured.

[0046] The circuit board 21 has a sheet - like flexible base material 22 to which the terminal fittings 32 are connected on the mounting surface 24, and a reinforcing plate 23 fixed to the back surface of the flexible base material 22. The through - hole 25 penetrates both the flexible base material 22 and the reinforcing plate 23. According to this configuration, even if the mounting object of the terminal fitting 32 is the easily - deformable flexible base material 22, the base portion 16 of the short - circuit prevention member can be brought into close contact with the back surface of the circuit board 21.

[0047] In the bus bar holder 11 (short-circuit prevention part 15), a path holding part 14 for holding the flexible base material 22 in a shape along a predetermined wiring path is integrally formed. According to this configuration, compared with the case where the path holding part 14 is manufactured as a separate part from the bus bar holder 11 (short-circuit prevention member), the number of parts can be reduced.

[0048] [Example 2] The connector device 40 of Example 2 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In the second embodiment, regarding the vertical direction, the H direction in FIG. 9 is defined as the upward direction. Regarding the left-right direction, the R direction in FIG. 9 is defined as the rightward direction. The connector device 40 of the second embodiment has a different configuration for the short-circuit prevention part 42 of the bus bar holder 41 from that of the first embodiment. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations, and the description of the structure, operation, and effect is omitted.

[0049] The short-circuit prevention part 42 of the second embodiment has a notch part 44 with a shape in which the upper surface of the base part 43 is recessed. The protrusion part 45 protrudes upward from the inner bottom surface of the notch part 44. In plan view, the notch part 44 forms a rectangle larger than the opening area of the through hole 25. That is, the front edge of the notch part 44 is located in front of the front edge of the through hole 25, and the rear edge of the notch part 44 is located behind the rear edge of the through hole 25. The left side edge of the notch part 44 is located to the left of the left side edge of the through hole 25, and the right side edge of the notch part 44 is located to the right of the right side edge of the through hole 25. The opening edge part 25E of the through hole 25 on the back surface of the circuit board (the back surface of the reinforcing plate) faces the upper surface of the base part 43 in a non-contact state in the vertical direction.

[0050] The creepage path between the high-potential mounting part 36H and the low-potential mounting part 36L is a path passing through the left inner side surface of the through hole 25, the back surface of the circuit board 21, the left inner side surface of the notch part 44, the inner bottom surface of the notch part 44, the left outer side surface of the protrusion part 45, the upper end surface of the protrusion part 45, the right outer side surface of the protrusion part 45, the inner bottom surface of the notch part 44, the right inner side surface of the notch part 44, the back surface of the circuit board 21, and the right inner side surface of the through hole 25.

[0051] In the second embodiment, a notch 44 is formed on the opposing surface (upper surface) of the base portion 43 facing the circuit board 21 to expose the opening edge portion 25E of the through hole 25 on the back surface of the circuit board 21. The protruding portion 45 protrudes upward from the inner bottom surface of the notch 44. According to this configuration, the creepage distance can be increased by the opening edge portion 25E of the through hole 25 on the back surface of the circuit board 21 and the inner surface of the notch 44 of the short-circuit prevention portion 42 material.

[0052] [Embodiment 3] The connector device 50 of Embodiment 3 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 10. In the third embodiment, regarding the vertical direction, the H direction in FIG. 10 is defined as the upward direction. Regarding the left and right directions, the R direction in FIG. 10 is defined as the rightward direction. The connector device 50 of the third embodiment has a short-circuit prevention portion 52 of the bus bar holder 51 configured differently from that of the first embodiment. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the structure, operation, and effects is omitted.

[0053] The short-circuit prevention portion 52 of the third embodiment has a protruding portion 54 protruding upward from the base portion 53. A concave portion 55 is formed on the upper end surface of the protruding portion 54. In a rear view of the connector device 50 viewed from the rear, the concave portion 55 is formed at the center in the left-right direction of the protruding portion 54. The front end and the rear end of the concave portion 55 may or may not open to the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 54.

[0054] The creepage path between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L is a path passing through the left inner side surface of the through hole 25, the upper surface of the base portion 53, the left outer side surface of the protruding portion 54, the upper end surface of the protruding portion 54, the bent inner surface of the concave portion 55, the upper end surface of the protruding portion 54, the right outer side surface of the protruding portion 54, the upper surface of the base portion 53, and the right inner side surface of the through hole 25. The concave portion 55 formed on the protruding end surface of the protruding portion 54 can increase the creepage distance between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L.

[0055] [Embodiment 4] The connector device 60 of Example 4 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15. In Example 4, regarding the front-back direction, the F direction in FIGS. 11 to 13 and 15 is defined as the front. Regarding the up-down direction, the H direction in FIGS. 11 to 15 is defined as the up. Regarding the left-right direction, the R direction in FIGS. 1 to 15 is defined as the right. The left-right direction and the width direction are used synonymously. The connector device 60 of Example 4 has a configuration different from that of Example 1 for the short-circuit prevention means between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L. Since the other configurations are the same as those of Example 1, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the structure, operation, and effect is omitted.

[0056] Among the connectors 61 constituting the connector device 60 of Example 4, the housing 31 and the terminal fitting 32 have the same configuration as the connector 30 of Example 1. The cover 62 of the connector 61 of Example 1 has a different shape from the cover 38 of Example 1. The cover 62 of Example 4 is a single component having a covering portion 63 that covers the portion (substrate connection portion 34) exposed behind the housing 31 among the terminal fittings 32, and a protrusion 64 protruding downward from the covering portion 63. The shape and size of the protrusion 64 in the bottom view of the connector device 60 viewed from below are the same as those of the protrusion 18 in the plan view of Example 1.

[0057] The circuit board 21 of Example 4 is the same member as that of Example 1. The region of the bus bar holder 65 of Example 4 where the front end portion of the circuit board 21 is attached functions as a closing portion 66. In a state where the circuit board 21 is attached to the bus bar holder 65, the closing portion 66 closes the entire opening region of the through hole 25 of the circuit board 21. The upper surface of the closing portion 66 is in close contact with the back surface of the circuit board 21 (the back surface of the reinforcing plate 23). The protrusion 64 is accommodated in the through hole 25 from above the circuit board 21. An insulating space S is ensured over the entire circumference between the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 25 and the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 64. The lower end surface (projecting end surface) of the protrusion 64 faces the upper surface of the closing portion 66 with a vertical interval therebetween.

[0058] The connector device 60 of this Example 4 includes a connector 61, a circuit board 21, a bus bar holder 65 (blocking member), and a cover 62. The connector 61 is in a form in which a plurality of terminal fittings 32 are attached to a housing 31 in parallel. The surface of the circuit board 21 functions as a mounting surface 24 for mounting a plurality of terminal fittings 32.

[0059] In a region between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L of adjacent terminal fittings 32 on the circuit board 21, a through hole 25 is formed. The bus bar holder 65 is in close contact with the back surface of the circuit board 21 and closes the through hole 25. The cover 62 is a component separate from the housing 31 and the circuit board 21. The cover 62 has a covering portion 63 and a protruding portion 64. The covering portion 63 covers the board connection portion 34 of the terminal fitting 32 that is exposed outside the housing 31. The protruding portion 64 protrudes downward from the covering portion 63 and is accommodated in the through hole 25 with an insulating space S left therein.

[0060] According to the connector device 60 of this Example 4, between adjacent terminal fittings 32, a creeping path in a form bent along the inner surface of the through hole 25 or a creeping path in a bent form along the surface of the protruding portion 64 is configured. Since this bent creeping path is a path with a long creeping distance ensured, a short circuit between the terminal fittings 32 can be prevented. The protruding portion 64 that constitutes the creeping path is accommodated in the through hole 25 with an insulating space S left therein, so the assemblability between the cover 62 and the circuit board 21 is good.

[0061] [Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described by the above description and drawings, but is indicated by the scope of the claims. The present invention includes meanings equivalent to the scope of the claims and all modifications within the scope of the claims, and also includes the following embodiments. The circuit board may be a rigid board (hard board) that does not have flexibility. The width dimension of the protrusion may be the same as the opposing interval between the inner surface of the through hole and the outer surface of the protrusion, or may be smaller than that. If the width dimension of the protrusion is smaller than the opposing interval between the through hole and the protrusion, a short circuit caused by the opening edge of the through hole and the outer surface of the protrusion approaching each other can be avoided. In the front-rear direction perpendicular to the parallel direction of the terminal fittings, the opening area of the through hole may be the same as the land formation area, or may be smaller than the land formation area. The path holding portion may be a component separate from the short-circuit prevention member. The bus bar holding portion may be a component separate from the short-circuit prevention member.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0062] 10…Connector device 11…Bus bar holder (short-circuit prevention member) 12…Bus bar holding portion 13…Holding plate portion 14…Path holding portion 15…Short-circuit prevention portion 16…Base portion 17…Positioning protrusion 18…Protrusion 19…Holding wall portion 20…Conductive path 21…Circuit board 22…Flexible base material 23…Reinforcing plate 24…Mounting surface 25…Through hole 25E…Opening edge portion of the through hole 25F…Front edge of the through hole 25R…Rear edge of the through hole 26…Positioning hole 27…Land 27H…High-potential land 27L…Low-potential land 30…Connector 31…Housing 32…Terminal fitting 33…Harness connection portion 34…Board connection portion 35…Leg portion 36…Mounting portion 36H… High - potential mounting part 36L… Low - potential mounting part 37… Peg 38… Cover 39… Bus bar 40… Connector device 41… Bus bar holder (short - circuit prevention member) 42… Short - circuit prevention part 43… Base part 44… Notch 45… Protrusion 50… Connector device 51… Bus bar holder (short - circuit prevention member) 52… Short - circuit prevention part 53… Base part 54… Protrusion 55… Recess 60… Connector device 61… Connector 62… Cover 63… Covering part 64… Protrusion 65… Bus bar holder (blocking member) 66… Blocking part C… Battery cell M… Bus bar module S… Insulation space

Claims

1. A connector in which a plurality of terminal fittings are attached to a housing in a parallel state, A circuit board whose surface is a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings, A through hole formed in a region between the adjacent terminal fittings of the circuit board, A short-circuit prevention member which is a component separate from the circuit board, and The short-circuit prevention member, A base portion that is in close contact with the back surface of the circuit board and closes the through hole, A connector device having a protrusion that protrudes from the base portion and is accommodated in the through hole with an insulating space therebetween.

2. The mounting surface has lands to which the terminal fittings are connected, The connector device according to claim 1, wherein an opening region of the through hole is larger than a formation region of the lands in a direction orthogonal to a parallel direction of the terminal fittings.

3. The circuit board has a sheet-like flexible base material to which the terminal fittings are connected on the mounting surface, and a reinforcing plate fixed to the back surface of the flexible base material, The connector device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the through hole penetrates the flexible base material and the reinforcing plate.

4. The connector device according to claim 3, wherein a path holding portion for holding the flexible base material in a shape along a predetermined wiring path is integrally formed in the short-circuit prevention member.

5. A notch for exposing an opening edge portion of the through hole on the back surface of the circuit board is formed on a surface of the base portion facing the circuit board, The connector device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the protrusion protrudes from an inner bottom surface of the notch.

6. The connector device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a concave portion is formed on a protruding end surface of the protrusion.

7. A connector in which a plurality of terminal fittings are attached to a housing in a parallel state, A circuit board whose surface is a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings, A through hole formed in a region between the adjacent terminal fittings of the circuit board, A closing member that is in close contact with the back surface of the circuit board and closes the through hole, A cover which is a component separate from the housing and the circuit board, and The cover, A covering portion that covers a board connection portion of the terminal fittings exposed to the outside of the housing, A connector device having a protrusion that protrudes from the covering portion and is accommodated in the through hole with an insulating space therebetween.

8. The connector device according to claim 1, and A bus bar module including a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, wherein the short-circuit prevention member integrally has a bus bar holding portion for holding the plurality of bus bars.

9. The connector device according to claim 7, A bus bar module including a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, wherein the blocking member integrally has a bus bar holding portion for holding the plurality of bus bars.

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