Bus bar

Abstract

To provide a bus bar excellent in heat dissipation at low cost.SOLUTION: A bus bar includes multiple conductive plate-shaped members 10 having a pair of main surfaces MF extending in a first direction X and a second direction Y, and side parts SF extending from the edges of each of the pair of the main surfaces MF in a third direction Z to connect the pair of main surfaces MF, where at least portions of each of the multiple plate-shaped members 10 overlap in the third direction Z to form an overlapping portion 11. The overlapping portion 11 contains welds 20 that join the multiple plate-like members 10 in the third direction Z. In at least one of the first direction X and the second direction Y, the side parts SF of some of the plate-like members 10 out of the multiple plate-like members 10 are positioned offset from the side parts SF of other plate-like members 10 out of the multiple plate-like members 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bus bar. [Background technology]

[0002] Bus bars have been known as conductors for conducting large amounts of current. For example, bus bars are used as conductors in electrical junction boxes mounted on automobiles, etc. However, due to the large amounts of current that flow through such bus bars, they can become very hot.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a heat dissipation member is welded to a busbar to dissipate heat generated in the busbar. Specifically, in Patent Document 1, of the L-shaped heat dissipation member consisting of a plate portion parallel to the main surface of the busbar and a plate portion perpendicular to the main surface of the busbar, the plate portion parallel to the main surface of the busbar is welded to the main surface of the busbar. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-151149

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to separately provide the L-shaped heat dissipation member as described above, which leads to an increase in costs in order to achieve heat dissipation. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a bus bar that is low in cost and has excellent heat dissipation properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The busbar of the present invention comprises a plurality of conductive plate-like members each having a pair of main surfaces extending in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, and side portions extending from each edge of the pair of main surfaces in a third direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction to connect the pair of main surfaces, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of plate-like members overlaps with each other in the third direction to form an overlapping portion, and the overlapping portion has a welded portion that joins the plurality of plate-like members in the third direction, and the side portions of some of the plurality of plate-like members are offset from the side portions of other of the plurality of plate-like members in at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

[0008] The first direction may be the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of plate-like members.

[0009] Furthermore, the side portions of the some of the plate-like members may be positioned offset from the side portions of the other plate-like members in the second direction.

[0010] Furthermore, the length of the some of the plate-shaped members in the second direction may be longer than the length of the other plate-shaped members in the second direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the side portions of the some of the plate-like members may be positioned offset from the side portions of the other plate-like members in both the first direction and the second direction.

[0012] Furthermore, the second direction may be the longitudinal direction of some of the plate-like members, and the first direction may be the longitudinal direction of the other plate-like members.

[0013] Furthermore, in the first direction, the position of the side portion on one side of some of the plate-shaped members may be misaligned with the position of the side portion on one side of the other plate-shaped members, and the position of the side portion on the other side of the some of the plate-shaped members may be misaligned with the position of the side portion on the other side of the other plate-shaped members; and in the second direction, the position of the side portion on one side of some of the plate-shaped members may be misaligned with the position of the side portion on one side of the other plate-shaped members, and the position of the side portion on the other side of some of the plate-shaped members may be misaligned with the position of the side portion on the other side of the other plate-shaped members.

[0014] Additionally, on the main surface, the welded portion may include one or more linear weld marks having a component in one direction.

[0015] Moreover, on the main surface, the welded portion may include a weld mark having components in two or more directions.

[0016] Moreover, the welded portion may include an annular weld mark on the main surface.

[0017] The welded portion may be a laser weld mark. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, a bus bar having excellent heat dissipation properties is provided at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a bus bar according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a bus bar according to a first comparative example. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a bus bar according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a bus bar according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a bus bar according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a bus bar according to a second comparative example. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a bus bar according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a protruding portion of the bus bar shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a bus bar according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a plan view schematically showing a bus bar according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a first modified example of the pattern of welds on the main surface of the plate-shaped member. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the pattern of welds on the main surface of the plate-shaped member. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third modified example of the pattern of welds on the main surface of the plate-shaped member. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third modified example of the pattern of welds on the main surface of the plate-shaped member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the busbar according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments exemplified below are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified or improved from the following embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of each component may be exaggerated or reduced, and hatching may be omitted, in order to facilitate understanding.

[0021] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view that schematically illustrates a busbar according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the busbar 1 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of conductive plate-shaped members 10. In this embodiment, the busbar 1 includes three plate-shaped members 10. However, the number of plate-shaped members that make up the busbar 1 is not limited to three, as long as there is a plurality of plate-shaped members, and may be two, four, or more. Furthermore, the plate-shaped members 10 are preferably made of a material that has excellent conductivity, and may be copper, for example. Therefore, the plate-shaped members 10 themselves may be used as the busbar.

[0022] In this embodiment, the three plate-like members 10 have the same dimensions and shape. Specifically, each of the three plate-like members 10 has a pair of main surfaces MF, MF extending in a first direction X and a second direction Y intersecting the first direction (orthogonal in this embodiment), and side portions SF extending from the edges of each of the pair of main surfaces MF, MF in a third direction Z intersecting both the first direction X and the second direction Y (orthogonal in this embodiment). The pair of main surfaces MF, MF includes a main surface MF1 on one side in the third direction Z (hereinafter, for convenience, may be referred to as the "upper side") and a main surface MF2 on the other side in the third direction Z (hereinafter, for convenience, may be referred to as the "lower side"). The side portions SF connect the pair of main surfaces MF (main surfaces MF1 and MF2). In this embodiment, the plate-like member 10 has a rectangular shape with the first direction X as its longitudinal direction when viewed from the third direction Z. Furthermore, the length of the plate-shaped member 10 in the third direction Z is shorter than the length in the first direction X and the length in the second direction Y. Therefore, the plate-shaped member 10 is formed into a plate shape with a small length (thickness) in the third direction Z.

[0023] The plate-like member 10 may be formed so that its length (width) in the second direction Y is about 20 mm to 30 mm, and its length (thickness) in the third direction Z is about 1 mm, for example.

[0024] In this embodiment, the three plate-shaped members 10 include an upper plate-shaped member 10A, a lower plate-shaped member 10C, and a plate-shaped member 10B located between the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C in the third direction Z. The three plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are stacked in the third direction Z as follows. That is, in the first direction X, the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are aligned in the same position. Meanwhile, in the second direction Y, the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C are aligned in the same position, but the side portion SF of the plate-shaped member 10B is offset from the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the second direction Y, the side SF of one (part of) the plate-shaped members 10B among the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, 10C is positioned offset relative to the respective side SF of the other plate-shaped members 10A, 10C among the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, 10C.

[0025] In the busbar 1, portions of each of the multiple plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C overlap in the third direction Z to form overlapping portions 11. In FIG. 1, these overlapping portions 11 are schematically indicated by dashed lines. Note that in FIG. 1, the dashed lines indicating the overlapping portions 11 are positioned slightly to the other side in the second direction Y (hereinafter, for convenience, may be referred to as the "right side") of the solid lines indicating the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C on one side in the second direction Y (hereinafter, for convenience, may be referred to as the "left side"), and slightly to the left of the solid line indicating the right side portion SF of the plate-shaped member 10B. However, this is to make the dashed lines visible in the drawings; in reality, the dashed lines overlap these solid lines. This also applies to other drawings in which dashed lines are used to indicate overlapping portions.

[0026] The overlapping portion 11 includes welds 20 that join the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C. In FIG. 1 , the welds 20 are schematically indicated by dashed lines. The welds 20 join the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C in the third direction Z and electrically connect them to each other. The welds 20 are weld marks formed by a predetermined welding process. The method for welding the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C is not particularly limited as long as the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are joined in the third direction Z and electrically connected to each other. For example, any welding method, such as laser welding, arc welding, plasma arc welding, or electron beam welding, can be used. However, in this embodiment and other embodiments described later, laser welding is used as the welding method. Therefore, the welds 20 are weld marks formed by a laser.

[0027] In this embodiment, on each main surface MF of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C, the weld 20 is formed along the first direction X (the longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped member 10) over the entire length of the plate-shaped member 10 in the first direction X. Also, in this embodiment, on each main surface MF of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C, the weld 20 is located near the center of the overlapping portion 11 in the second direction Y, and is a single linear weld mark. That is, in this embodiment, on the main surface MF, the weld 20 includes a single linear weld mark having a component in one direction (a component in the first direction X).

[0028] Of the multiple plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C, one plate-shaped member 10B overlaps the other plate-shaped members 10A and 10C while being shifted to one side (left side) in the Y direction relative to the other plate-shaped members 10A and 10C. With this configuration, the portion of the plate-shaped member 10B on the left side (one side in the second direction Y) of the overlapping portion 11 forms a protrusion 10B1 that protrudes leftward relative to the left side SF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10B. Also, the portion of each of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C on the right side (the other side in the second direction) of the overlapping portion 11 forms a protrusion 10A1, 10C1 that protrudes rightward relative to the right side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B.

[0029] 2 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a busbar 1000 according to a first comparative example. As shown in FIG. 2, the busbar 1000 is a busbar in which three plate-shaped members 10 are overlapped in the third direction Z to form overlapping portions 11 without shifting some of the plate-shaped members 10 in the Y direction (i.e., the positions of the side portions SF of the three plate-shaped members 10 in the first direction X are aligned, and the positions of the side portions SF of the three plate-shaped members 10 in the second direction Y are aligned), and the overlapping portions 11 include welded portions 20 that join the three plate-shaped members 10 in the third direction Z. Note that in FIG. 2, the overlapping portions 11 are schematically illustrated by dashed lines, and the welded portions 20 are schematically illustrated by broken lines.

[0030] 2, the busbar 1 of this embodiment has the protrusions 10A1, 10B1, and 10C1 described above. Therefore, compared to the busbar 1000 shown in FIG. 2, (1) both surfaces (upper surface 10B1a and lower surface 10B1b) of the protrusion 10B1 in the third direction Z, (2) the lower surface 10A1a of the protrusion 10A1 in the third direction Z, and (3) the upper surface 10C1a of the protrusion 10C1 in the third direction Z are exposed to the space outside the busbar. That is, according to this embodiment, the side surfaces SF of some of the plate-shaped members 10B among the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are shifted in the second direction Y with respect to the respective side surfaces SF of the other plate-shaped members 10A and 10C. Therefore, the surface area of the surfaces exposed to the outside is increased by the surface areas of the surfaces 10B1a, 10B1b, 10A1a, and 10C1a described above. Therefore, the bus bar 1 has excellent heat dissipation properties.

[0031] Furthermore, in the busbar 1, the side SF of one of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C is offset from the side SF of the other plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, thereby improving heat dissipation. Therefore, there is no need to attach a separate heat dissipation member to improve the heat dissipation of the busbar. Therefore, according to this embodiment, excellent heat dissipation can be achieved at low cost.

[0032] Furthermore, since the busbar 1 is formed by welding together a plurality of plate-shaped members 10, each of which can function as a busbar, welding any part of the overlapping portion 11 where all of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10 overlap will electrically connect all of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10 together. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the positions of the welds 20 and the pattern of the welds 20 on the main surface MF can be selected relatively freely. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the degree of freedom in designing the busbar is high, and for example, the shape of the busbar can be selected relatively freely.

[0033] In this embodiment, the welds 20 are weld marks made by a laser. That is, in this embodiment, the multiple plate-shaped members 10 are joined by laser welding. A fiber laser, for example, used for laser welding, can easily focus the spot, making it advantageous for welding highly reflective materials, such as copper. In the busbar 1, some of the plate-shaped members 10 are shifted to increase the surface area exposed to the outside of the busbar 1 and improve heat dissipation. Therefore, the larger the area of the shifted portion (i.e., the smaller the overlapping portion 11), the better the heat dissipation. As described above, laser welding makes it easy to focus the spot, so the laser can accurately irradiate the overlapping portion 11 even when the overlapping portion 11 is small. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the overlapping portion 11, thereby further increasing the surface area exposed to the outside, resulting in a busbar with superior heat dissipation.

[0034] (Second embodiment) Next, a busbar according to a second embodiment will be described. Regarding the busbar according to this embodiment, only the differences from the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment will be described, and the other components will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted except in specific cases.

[0035] Fig. 3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a busbar 2 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the busbar 2 has a similar configuration to the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes three plate-shaped members and that the side portions SF of the three plate-shaped members are aligned at the same position in the first direction X. However, the busbar 2 differs from the busbar 1 mainly in the following points.

[0036] The busbar 2 includes three plate-shaped members 10. In this embodiment, the three plate-shaped members 10 are an uppermost plate-shaped member 10A, a lowermost plate-shaped member 10C, and a plate-shaped member 10B located between the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C in the third direction Z. In the third direction Z, the three plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are stacked in a staircase-like manner. In the first direction X, the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are aligned at the same position. Meanwhile, in the second direction Y, the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are arranged such that the plate-shaped member 10A is shifted to the right (the other side in the second direction Y) relative to the plate-shaped member 10B, and the plate-shaped member 10C is shifted to the left (one side in the second direction Y) relative to the plate-shaped member 10B.

[0037] In the bus bar 2, portions of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C overlap with each other in the third direction Z to form overlapping portions 211. The overlapping portions 211 include a first overlapping portion 211A where portions of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C overlap with each other, a second overlapping portion 211B where portions of the plate-shaped members 10B and 10C overlap with each other, and a third overlapping portion 211C where portions of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10B overlap with each other. In the second direction Y, the second overlapping portion 211B is on the left side (one side) of the first overlapping portion 211A, and the third overlapping portion 211C is on the right side (the other side) of the first overlapping portion 211A. The first overlapping portion 211A has a weld 20 that joins the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C in the third direction Z. In FIG. 4, the overlapping portion 211 is shown schematically by a chain line, and the welded portion 20 is shown schematically by a broken line.

[0038] In this embodiment, on each main surface MF of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C, the weld 20 is formed along the first direction X (the direction of the long sides of the plate-shaped members) over the entire length of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C in the first direction X. Also, in this embodiment, on each main surface MF of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C, the weld 20 is located near the center of the first overlapping portion 211A in the second direction Y, and is a single linear weld mark. That is, in this embodiment, on the main surface MF, the weld 20 includes a single linear weld mark having a component in one direction (a component in the first direction X).

[0039] As described above, the three plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are stacked in a staircase pattern. With this configuration, the side portions SF of some of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C among the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are offset in the second direction Y from the side portions SF of the other plate-shaped members 10B. In this embodiment, the portion of the plate-shaped member 10A on the right side (the other side in the second direction Y) of the third overlapping portion 211C forms a protruding portion 10A1 that protrudes rightward from the right side portion SF of the plate-shaped member 10B. Furthermore, the portion of the plate-shaped member 10C on the left side (one side in the second direction Y) of the second overlapping portion 211B forms a protruding portion 10C1 that protrudes leftward from the left side portion SF of the plate-shaped member 10B. The plate-like member 10B also has a second side portion 10B1 on the right side of the first overlapping portion 211A, and a first side portion 10B2 on the left side of the first overlapping portion 211A.

[0040] 2, the busbar 2 in this embodiment has the protrusions 10A1 and 10C1, the other-side portion 10B1, and the one-side portion 10B2. Therefore, compared to the busbar 1000 shown in FIG. 2, (1) a lower surface 10A1a of the protrusion 10A1, (2) a lower surface 10B1a of the other-side portion 10B1, (3) an upper surface 10B2a of the one-side portion 10B2, and (4) an upper surface 10C1a of the protrusion 10C1 are exposed to the space outside the busbar. That is, according to this embodiment, the side portions SF of some of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C among the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B, and 10C are shifted in the second direction Y with respect to the side portions SF of the other plate-shaped members 10B. Therefore, the surface area of the surfaces exposed to the outside is increased by the surface areas of the surfaces 10A1a, 10B1a, 10B2a, and 10C1a.

[0041] According to the busbar 2, the same effect as that of the busbar 1 can be obtained.

[0042] (Third embodiment) Next, a busbar according to a third embodiment will be described. Regarding the busbar according to this embodiment, only the differences from the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment will be described, and the other components will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted except in specific cases.

[0043] Fig. 4 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a busbar 3 according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the busbar 3 has a similar configuration to the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes three plate-shaped members and that the side portions SF of the three plate-shaped members are aligned at the same position in the first direction X. However, the busbar 3 differs from the busbar 1 mainly in the following points.

[0044] The busbar 3 includes two plate-shaped members 10 and one plate-shaped member 310. The plate-shaped member 310 is made of a material with excellent conductivity, and may be made of copper, for example, like the plate-shaped member 10. The plate-shaped member 310 has a length in the first direction X similar to that of the plate-shaped member 10, a length (thickness) in the third direction Z similar to that of the plate-shaped member 10, and a length (width) in the second direction Y different from that of the plate-shaped member 10. In this embodiment, the length (width) in the second direction Y of the plate-shaped member 310, which is one (a part) of the plate-shaped members 10, 10, and 310, is longer than the length (width) in the second direction Y of each of the plate-shaped members 10, 10, which are the other plate-shaped members of the plate-shaped members 10, 10, and 310.

[0045] In this embodiment, the three plate-shaped members 10, 10C, and 310 are stacked in the third direction Z so that one of the two plate-shaped members 10, 10, the plate-shaped member 10A, is the uppermost, the other plate-shaped member 10C is the lowermost, and the plate-shaped member 310 is between the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C. In the first direction X, the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, and 310 are aligned at the same position. In the second direction Y, the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C are aligned at the same position.

[0046] In the bus bar 3, the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C and a portion of the plate-shaped member 310 overlap in the third direction Z to form an overlapping portion 311, and this overlapping portion 311 has a welded portion 20 that joins the plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, and 310 in the third direction Z. Note that in Fig. 4, the overlapping portion 311 is schematically indicated by a dashed line, and the welded portion 20 is schematically indicated by a broken line.

[0047] In this embodiment, on the main surface MF of each of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, and 310, the weld 20 is formed along the first direction X (the direction of the long sides of the plate-shaped member) over the entire length of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, and 310 in the first direction X. Also, in this embodiment, on the main surface MF of each of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, and 310, the weld 20 is located near the center of the overlapping portion 311 in the second direction Y, and is a single linear weld mark. That is, in this embodiment, on the main surface MF, the weld 20 includes a single linear weld mark having a component in one direction (a component in the first direction X).

[0048] As described above, the width of the plate-shaped member 310 is greater than the width of the plate-shaped member 10. With this configuration, in this embodiment, the side SF of the plate-shaped member 310, which is one (a part) of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, and 310, is offset in the second direction Y from the respective side SF of the other plate-shaped members 10A and 10C. In this embodiment, the portion of the plate-shaped member 310 on the left side (one side in the second direction Y) of the overlapping portion 311 forms a protruding portion 310A that protrudes leftward from the left side SF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C. In addition, the portion of the plate-shaped member 310 on the right side (the other side in the second direction) of the overlapping portion 311 forms a protruding portion 310B that protrudes rightward from the right side SF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10C.

[0049] Since the busbar 2 in this embodiment has the above-mentioned protrusions 310A and 310B, compared to the busbar 1000 shown in Figure 2, (1) both side surfaces of the protrusion 310A in the third direction Z (upper side surface 310A1 and lower side surface 310A2), (2) both side surfaces 310A3 and 310A4 of the protrusion 310A in the first direction X, (3) both side surfaces of the protrusion 310B in the third direction Z (upper side surface 310B1 and lower side surface 310B2), and (4) both side surfaces 310B3 and 310B4 of the protrusion 310B in the first direction X are exposed to the space outside the busbar 3. That is, according to this embodiment, in the second direction Y, the side portions SF of some of the plate-shaped members 310 among the multiple plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, 310 are shifted relative to the respective side portions SF of the other plate-shaped members 10A, 10C, and therefore the surface area of the surfaces exposed to the outside increases by the surface area of the above-mentioned faces 310A1, 310A2, 310A3, 310A4, 310B1, 310B2, 310B3, 310B4.

[0050] The busbar 3 can provide the same effects as the busbar 1. Furthermore, compared to the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment, the busbar 3 has a larger surface area exposed to the outside, which can further improve heat dissipation.

[0051] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a busbar according to a fourth embodiment will be described. Regarding the busbar according to this embodiment, only the differences from the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment will be described, and the other components will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted except in specific cases.

[0052] Fig. 5 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a busbar 4 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the busbar 4 has a similar configuration to the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment in that the side portions SF of the plurality of plate-like members are aligned at the same position in the first direction X. However, the busbar 4 differs from the busbar 1 mainly in the following points.

[0053] The bus bar 4 includes two plate-shaped members. Specifically, the bus bar 4 includes one plate-shaped member 10 and one plate-shaped member 410. The plate-shaped member 410 is formed of a material with excellent conductivity, and may be formed of copper, for example, like the plate-shaped member 10. The plate-shaped member 410 has a length in the first direction X similar to that of the plate-shaped member 10, a length (thickness) in the third direction Z similar to that of the plate-shaped member 10, and a length (width) in the second direction Y different from that of the plate-shaped member 10. In this embodiment, the length (width) in the second direction Y of the plate-shaped member 410, which is one (a part) of the plate-shaped members 10, 410, is longer than the length (width) in the second direction Y of the plate-shaped member 10, which is the other plate-shaped member of the plate-shaped members 10, 410.

[0054] In this embodiment, the two plate-shaped members 10, 410 are stacked in the third direction Z so that the plate-shaped member 10 is on top and the plate-shaped member 410 is on the bottom. In the first direction X, the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10, 410 are aligned at the same position. In addition, in the second direction Y, the side portions SF on one side (left side) of the plate-shaped members 10, 410 are aligned at the same position.

[0055] In the bus bar 4, a portion of the plate-shaped member 10 and a portion of the plate-shaped member 410 overlap in the third direction Z to form an overlapping portion 411, and this overlapping portion 411 has a welded portion 20 that joins the plate-shaped members 10 and 410 in the third direction Z. Note that in Fig. 5, the overlapping portion 411 is schematically indicated by a dashed line, and the welded portion 20 is schematically indicated by a broken line.

[0056] In this embodiment, the welded portion 20 includes one or more (two in this embodiment) linear weld marks 21, 21 on each main surface MF of the plate-shaped member 10, 410. One of the two weld marks 21, 21 is located near an edge on one side of the main surface MF of each of the plate-shaped members 10, 410 in the first direction X and is formed along the second direction Y (the direction of the short side of the plate-shaped member) over substantially the entire length of the plate-shaped member 10 in the second direction Y. The other of the two weld marks 21, 21 is located near an edge on the other side of the main surface MF of each of the plate-shaped members 10, 410 in the first direction X and is formed along the second direction Y (the direction of the short side of the plate-shaped member) over substantially the entire length of the plate-shaped member 10 in the second direction Y. Thus, in this embodiment, the welded portion 20 includes two linear weld marks 21, 21 having a component in one direction (a component in the second direction Y).

[0057] As described above, the width of the plate-shaped member 410 is greater than the width of the plate-shaped member 10. With this configuration, in this embodiment, the side SF of the plate-shaped member 410, which is one (a part) of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10, 410, is shifted in the second direction Y from the side SF of the other plate-shaped member 10. In this embodiment, the portion of the plate-shaped member 410 on the right side (the other side in the second direction Y) of the overlapping portion 411 forms a protruding portion 410A that protrudes to the right from the right side SF of the plate-shaped member 10.

[0058] 6 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a busbar 2000 according to a second comparative example. As shown in FIG. 6, the busbar 2000 is a busbar in which two plate-shaped members 10 are overlapped in the third direction Z to form an overlapping portion 411 without shifting some of the plate-shaped members 10 in the Y direction (i.e., by aligning the positions of the side portions SF of the two plate-shaped members 10 in the first direction X and by aligning the positions of the side portions SF of the two plate-shaped members 10 in the second direction Y). The overlapping portion 411 includes a welded portion 20 that joins the two plate-shaped members 10 in the third direction Z. In FIG. 6, the overlapping portion 411 is schematically illustrated by a dashed line, and the welded portion 20 is schematically illustrated by a broken line.

[0059] 6, the busbar 4 in this embodiment has the protrusion 410A described above, and therefore, compared to the busbar 2000 shown in FIG. 6, (1) both surfaces (upper surface 410A1 and lower surface 410A2) of the protrusion 410A in the third direction Z, and (2) both surfaces 410A3, 410A4 of the protrusion 410A in the first direction X are exposed to the space outside the busbar 2. That is, according to this embodiment, the side surfaces SF of some of the plate-like members 410 among the plurality of plate-like members 10, 410 are shifted in the second direction Y with respect to the side surfaces SF of the other plate-like members 10, and therefore the surface area of the surfaces exposed to the outside is increased by the surface areas of the surfaces 410A1, 410A2, 410A3, 410A4 described above.

[0060] According to the busbar 4, the same effect as that of the busbar 1 can be obtained.

[0061] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a busbar according to a fifth embodiment will be described. Regarding the busbar according to this embodiment, only the differences from the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment will be described, and the other components will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted except in specific cases.

[0062] Fig. 7 is a perspective view that schematically illustrates a busbar 5 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the busbar 5 is similar to the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment in that a plurality of plate-shaped members are stacked in the third direction Z and that the plurality of plate-shaped members includes a plate-shaped member 10. However, the busbar 5 differs from the busbar 1 mainly in the following points.

[0063] The bus bar 5 includes two plate-shaped members, as in the fourth embodiment. Specifically, the bus bar 5 includes one plate-shaped member 10 and one plate-shaped member 510. The plate-shaped member 510 is formed of a material with excellent conductivity, and may be formed of copper, for example, like the plate-shaped member 10. The plate-shaped member 510 has a length in the first direction X that is different from that of the plate-shaped member 10, a length (width) in the second direction Y that is different from that of the plate-shaped member 10, and a length (thickness) in the third direction Z that is the same as that of the plate-shaped member 10. In this embodiment, the length in the first direction X of the plate-shaped member 510, which is one (a part) of the plate-shaped members 10 and 510, is longer than the length in the first direction X of the plate-shaped member 10, which is the other plate-shaped member of the plate-shaped members 10 and 510, and the length (width) of the plate-shaped member 510 in the second direction Y is longer than the length (width) of the plate-shaped member 10 in the second direction Y.

[0064] In this embodiment, the two plate-shaped members 10, 510 are stacked in the third direction Z so that the plate-shaped member 10 is on the upper side and the plate-shaped member 510 is on the lower side. In the second direction Y, the side portions SF on one side (left side) of each of the plate-shaped members 10, 510 are aligned at the same position.

[0065] In the bus bar 5, a portion of the plate-shaped member 10 and a portion of the plate-shaped member 510 overlap in the third direction Z to form an overlapping portion 511, and this overlapping portion 511 has a welded portion 20 that joins the plate-shaped members 10 and 510 in the third direction Z. Note that in Fig. 7, the overlapping portion 511 is schematically indicated by a dashed line, and the welded portion 20 is schematically indicated by a broken line.

[0066] In this embodiment, the welded portion 20 includes one or more (two in this embodiment) linear weld marks 21, 21 on each main surface MF of the plate-shaped member 10, 510, as in the fourth embodiment. One of the two weld marks 21, 21 is located near an edge on one side of the main surface MF of the plate-shaped member 10 in the first direction X and is formed along the second direction Y (the direction of the short side of the plate-shaped member) over substantially the entire length of the plate-shaped member 10 in the second direction Y. The other of the two weld marks 21, 21 is located near an edge on the other side of the main surface MF of the plate-shaped member 10 in the first direction X and is formed along the second direction Y (the direction of the short side of the plate-shaped member) over substantially the entire length of the plate-shaped member 10 in the second direction Y. Thus, in this embodiment, the welded portion 20 includes two linear weld marks 21, 21 having a component in one direction (a component in the second direction Y).

[0067] As described above, the length of the plate-shaped member 510 in the first direction X is longer than the length of the plate-shaped member 10 in the first direction X, and the width of the plate-shaped member 510 is greater than the width of the plate-shaped member 10. With this configuration, in this embodiment, in the first direction X, the side SF of the plate-shaped member 510 that is one (a part) of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10, 510 is shifted relative to the side SF of the other plate-shaped members 10, and in the second direction Y, the side SF of the plate-shaped member 410 is shifted relative to the side SF of the plate-shaped member 10. That is, in both the first direction X and the second direction Y, the side SF of the plate-shaped member 510 that is one (a part) of the plate-shaped members 10, 510 is shifted relative to the side SF of the other plate-shaped members 10 of the plate-shaped members 10, 510. As a result, the portion of plate-like member 510 that is located outside overlapping portion 511 forms U-shaped protruding portion 510A having two 90° corners.

[0068] 8 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the protrusion 510A. As shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion 510A includes a rectangular first protrusion 510A1 located on the right side (the other side in the second direction Y) of the overlapping portion 511, a second protrusion 510A2 located on one side of the overlapping portion 511 in the first direction X, a third protrusion 510A3 located on the other side of the overlapping portion 511 in the first direction X, a square fourth protrusion 510A4 connecting the first protrusion 510A1 and the second protrusion 510A2, and a square fifth protrusion 510A5 connecting the first protrusion 510A1 and the third protrusion 510A3. Each of the fourth protrusion 510A4 and the fifth protrusion 510A5 includes a 90° corner in the U-shape of the protrusion 510A. 7 and 8, for convenience, imaginary lines indicating boundaries between the protrusions 510A1 to 510A5 are shown as broken lines.

[0069] Inner circumferential surface 510Ai of protruding portion 510A has a U-shape with two 90° corners, and forms the outer circumferential surface of overlapping portion 511 of plate-like member 510. That is, inner circumferential surface 510Ai of protruding portion 510A is not exposed to the space outside busbar 5.

[0070] The busbar 5 in this embodiment has the protrusion 510A described above, and therefore, compared to the busbar 2000 shown in FIG. 6 , further includes: (1) both surfaces of the first protrusion 510A1 in the third direction Z (upper surface 510A1a and lower surface 510A1b); (2) both surfaces of the second protrusion 510A2 in the third direction Z (upper surface 510A2a and lower surface 510A2b); (3) one side (left side) surface 510A2c of the second protrusion 510A2 in the second direction Y; (4) both surfaces of the third protrusion 510A3 in the third direction Z (upper surface 510A3a and lower surface 510A3b); and (5) one side (left side) of the third protrusion 510A3 in the second direction Y. (6) the surfaces 510A3c, (7) the surfaces on both sides of the fourth protrusion 510A4 in the third direction Z (upper surface 510A4a and lower surface 510A4b), (8) the surface 510A4c on one side of the fourth protrusion 510A4 in the first direction X, (9) the surfaces on both sides of the fifth protrusion 510A5 in the third direction Z (upper surface 510A5a and lower surface 510A5b), (10) the surface 510A5c on the other side of the fifth protrusion 510A5 in the first direction X, and (11) the surface 510A5d on the other side (right side) of the fifth protrusion 510A5 in the second direction Y are exposed to the space outside the busbar 5. That is, according to this embodiment, in both the first direction X and the second direction Y, the side portions SF of some of the plate-shaped members 510 among the plurality of plate-shaped members 10, 510 are shifted relative to the side portions SF of the other plate-shaped members 10, and therefore the surface area of the surfaces exposed to the outside increases by the surface area of the above-mentioned surfaces 510A1a-510A1b, 510A2a-510A2c, 510A3a-510A3c, 510A4a-510A4d, and 510A5a-510A5d.

[0071] Busbar 5 can provide the same effects as busbar 1. Furthermore, busbar 5 has a larger surface area exposed to the outside than busbar 4 according to the fourth embodiment, and therefore can further improve heat dissipation.

[0072] (Sixth embodiment) Next, a busbar according to a sixth embodiment will be described. Regarding the busbar according to this embodiment, only the differences from the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment will be described, and the other components will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted except in specific cases.

[0073] FIG. 9 is a plan view (viewed from above in the third direction Z) that schematically illustrates a busbar 6 according to a sixth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the busbar 6 is similar to the busbar 1 according to the first embodiment in that a plurality of plate-like members 10 are stacked in the third direction Z. However, the busbar 6 differs from the busbar 1 mainly in the following points.

[0074] The bus bar 6 includes two plate-shaped members, as in the fourth embodiment. Specifically, the bus bar 5 includes two plate-shaped members 10, 10. The two plate-shaped members 10 are stacked in the third direction Z, including an upper plate-shaped member 10A and a lower plate-shaped member 10B. The multiple plate-shaped members 10A, 10B are stacked such that one (a part) of the multiple plate-shaped members 10A has its longitudinal direction in the second direction Y, and the other of the multiple plate-shaped members 10A, 10B has its longitudinal direction in the first direction X. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B are stacked such that one of the four 90-degree corners of the plate-shaped member 10A coincides with one of the four 90-degree corners of the plate-shaped member 10B. When viewed from the third direction Z, the bus bar 6 has an L-shape, and the plate-like members 10A and 10B form an angle of 90°.

[0075] In this embodiment, on one side in the first direction X, the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10B are aligned in the same position. On the other side in the first direction X, the side portion SF of one (a part of) the plate-shaped members 10A of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A and 10B is shifted relative to the side portion SF of the other plate-shaped member 10B of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A and 10B. Specifically, the side portion SF on the other side in the first direction X of the plate-shaped member 10A is shifted to one side in the first direction X relative to the side portion SF on the other side in the first direction X of the plate-shaped member 10B.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, on one side (left side) in the second direction Y, the side portions SF of the plate-shaped members 10A, 10B are aligned in the same position. On the other side (right side) in the second direction Y, the side portion SF of one (part of) the plate-shaped members 10A of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B is shifted relative to the side portions SF of the other plate-shaped members 10B of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B. Specifically, the side portion SF on the other side (right side) in the second direction Y of the plate-shaped member 10A is shifted to the right relative to the side portion SF on the other side (right side) in the second direction Y of the plate-shaped member 10B.

[0077] In the bus bar 6, a portion of the plate-shaped member 10A and a portion of the plate-shaped member 10B overlap in the third direction Z, forming an overlapping portion 611. This overlapping portion 611 corresponds to a corner of the L-shaped bus bar 6, and has a substantially square shape when viewed from the third direction Z. This overlapping portion 611 has a welded portion 20 that joins the plate-shaped members 10A and 10B in the third direction Z. In FIG. 9 , the overlapping portion 611 is schematically indicated by a dashed line, and the welded portion 20 is schematically indicated by a broken line.

[0078] In this embodiment, the weld 20 includes a weld mark having components in two or more directions. Specifically, on each main surface MF of the plate-shaped members 10A and 10B, the weld 20 is an annular weld mark and has a square shape that is concentric with and substantially similar to the overlapping portion 611. Note that while FIG. 9 shows the weld 20 with four chamfered corners, the four corners do not need to be chamfered, and the weld 20 may be a square with four 90° corners. As described above, in this embodiment, because the weld 20 is an annular weld mark, the plate-shaped members 10A and 10B are welded on four sides (both sides in the first direction X and both sides in the second direction Y) inside the overlapping portion 611. Therefore, in this embodiment, the plate-shaped members 10A and 10B can be joined at the overlapping portion 611 more firmly and regardless of directionality.

[0079] As described above, the busbar 6 has an L-shape when viewed from the third direction Z. With this configuration, in this embodiment, the portion of the plate-shaped member 10A on the right side (the other side in the second direction Y) of the overlapping portion 611 forms the protruding portion 10A1 that protrudes rightward from the right side portion SF of the plate-shaped member 10B.

[0080] 6, the busbar 6 in this embodiment has the protrusion 10A1 described above, and therefore, in addition, (1) a lower surface 10A1a of the protrusion 10A1 in the third direction Z and (2) a surface 10Ba of the upper main surface MF1 of the plate-shaped member 10B excluding the overlapping portion 611 are exposed to the space outside the busbar 6. That is, according to this embodiment, the side portions SF of some of the plate-shaped members 10A among the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B are shifted relative to the side portions SF of the other plate-shaped members 10B in both the first direction X and the second direction Y, and therefore the surface area of the surfaces exposed to the outside is increased by the surface areas of the above-described surfaces 10A1a, 10Ba.

[0081] According to the bus bar 6, the same effect as that of the bus bar 1 can be obtained.

[0082] In addition, in one example, the busbar 6 allows a current flowing through the plate-shaped member 10A in the second direction Y toward the overlapping portion 611 to flow through the overlapping portion 611 to the plate-shaped member 10B, whose longitudinal direction is the first direction X. In another example, a current flowing through the plate-shaped member 10B in the first direction X toward the overlapping portion 611 to flow through the overlapping portion 611 to the plate-shaped member 10A, whose longitudinal direction is the second direction Y. In other words, the busbar 6 allows a current flowing in one of the first direction X and the second direction Y to be changed to a current flowing in the other of the first direction X and the second direction Y.

[0083] Seventh embodiment Next, a busbar according to a seventh embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a busbar according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, a busbar 7 according to this embodiment has a configuration generally similar to that of the busbar 6 according to the sixth embodiment, and is a modified version of the busbar 6. That is, the same components as those of the busbar 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the sixth embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted unless necessary.

[0084] 10, busbar 7 differs from busbar 6 only in that plate-shaped members 10A and 10B are stacked such that the four 90° corners of plate-shaped member 10A do not coincide with the four 90° corners of plate-shaped member 10B. This point will be explained below.

[0085] In this embodiment, one side SF in the first direction X of one (part of) plate-shaped member 10A of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B is shifted to the other side in the first direction X with respect to one side SF in the first direction X of another plate-shaped member 10B of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B. Also, the other side SF in the first direction X of plate-shaped member 10A is shifted to one side in the first direction X with respect to the other side SF in the first direction X of plate-shaped member 10B.

[0086] In this embodiment, the side SF on one side (left side) in the second direction Y of one (part) of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B is shifted to one side (left) with respect to the side SF on one side (left side) in the second direction Y of the other of the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B. In addition, the side SF on the other side (right side) in the second direction Y of the plate-shaped member 10A is shifted to the other side (right side) with respect to the side SF on the other side (right side) in the second direction Y of the plate-shaped member 10B.

[0087] In this way, in the first direction X, in the busbar 7, the position of one side SF of the plate-shaped member 10A is misaligned with the position of one side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B, and the position of the other side SF of the plate-shaped member 10A is misaligned with the position of the other side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B, and in the second direction Y, the position of one side SF of the plate-shaped member 10A is misaligned with the position of one side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B, and the position of the other side SF of the plate-shaped member 10A is misaligned with the position of the other side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B.

[0088] In the bus bar 7, an overlapping portion 711 is formed at a portion where a part of the plate-shaped member 10A and a part of the plate-shaped member 10B overlap in the third direction Z. This overlapping portion 711 has a substantially square shape when viewed from the third direction Z. The overlapping portion 711 has a welded portion 20 that joins the plate-shaped members 10A and 10B in the third direction Z. Note that in FIG. 10, the overlapping portion 611 is schematically indicated by a dashed line, and the welded portion 20 is schematically indicated by a broken line. In this embodiment, the welded portion 20 has a configuration similar to that of the welded portion 20 in the sixth embodiment.

[0089] As described above, the side SF of the plate-shaped member 10A is offset from the side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B on one side and the other side in the first direction X, and the side SF of the plate-shaped member 10A is offset from the side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B on one side (left side) and the other side (right side) in the second direction Y. With this configuration, in this embodiment, the part of the plate-shaped member 10A on the right side (the other side in the second direction Y) of the overlapping portion 711 forms a first protrusion 10A1 that protrudes rightward from the right side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B, and the part of the plate-shaped member 10A on the left side (one side in the second direction Y) of the overlapping portion 711 forms a second protrusion 10A2 that protrudes leftward from the left side SF of the plate-shaped member 10B.

[0090] Since the busbar 7 in this embodiment has the first protrusion 10A1 and the second protrusion 10A2, compared to the busbar 2000 shown in FIG. 6, the following are further exposed to the space outside the busbar 7: (1) the lower surface 10A1a of the first protrusion 10A1; (2) the lower surface 10A2a of the second protrusion 10A2; (3) the upper surface 10B1a of the portion 10B1 of the upper main surface MF1 of the plate-shaped member 10B that is on the other side in the first direction X of the overlapping portion 711; and (4) the upper surface 10B2a of the portion 10B2 of the upper main surface MF1 of the plate-shaped member 10B that is on one side in the first direction X of the overlapping portion 711. That is, according to this embodiment, in both the first direction X and the second direction Y, the side portions SF of some of the plate-shaped members 10A among the plurality of plate-shaped members 10A, 10B are shifted relative to the side portions SF of the other plate-shaped members 10B, and therefore the surface area of the surfaces exposed to the outside increases by the surface area of the above-mentioned faces 10A1a, 10A2a, 10B1a, 10B2a.

[0091] The bus bar 7 can provide the same effects as the bus bar 6.

[0092] Although the present invention has been described above using the above embodiment as an example, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0093] For example, in the above embodiment, the plurality of plate-like members have the same length (thickness) in the third direction Z. However, the bus bar may be formed from a plurality of plate-like members having different thicknesses. The thickness of the bus bar (i.e., the total thickness of the plurality of plate-like members) is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, about 3 mm.

[0094] Furthermore, the shape of the welded portion 20 on the main surface MF is not limited to that described in the above embodiments. For example, the welded portion 20 described in the fourth to fifth embodiments or the welded portion 20 described in the sixth to seventh embodiments may be applied to the first to third embodiments. Furthermore, the welded portion 20 described in the first to third embodiments or the welded portion 20 described in the sixth to seventh embodiments may be applied to the fourth to fifth embodiments. Furthermore, the welded portion 20 described in the first to third embodiments or the welded portion 20 described in the fourth to seventh embodiments may be applied to the sixth to seventh embodiments.

[0095] Furthermore, the welded portion 20 may have, for example, the following weld marks. That is, the welded portion 20 may have weld marks as shown in Fig. 11. The welded portion 20 shown in Fig. 11 includes a plurality of linear weld marks 21 (two in the illustrated example) extending in the first direction X inside the overlapping portion indicated by the dashed dotted line. By having the welded portion 20 have a plurality of linear weld marks 21 extending along the first direction X or the second direction Y, it is possible to more firmly join a plurality of plate-like members.

[0096] Furthermore, the welded portion 20 may have a weld mark as shown in Fig. 12. The welded portion 20 shown in Fig. 12 includes one or more linear weld marks (one in the illustrated example) that extend diagonally along the first direction X and the second direction Y (i.e., have components in two directions) inside the overlapping portion shown by the dashed dotted line. Because the welded portion 20 shown in Fig. 12 has components in two directions (a component in the first direction X and a component in the second direction Y), it is possible to more firmly join multiple plate-like members.

[0097] Furthermore, the welded portion 20 may have a weld mark as shown in Fig. 13. The welded portion 20 shown in Fig. 13 includes a substantially U-shaped weld mark that extends along the first direction X and the second direction Y (i.e., has two-directional components) inside the overlapping portion indicated by the dashed dotted line. Because the welded portion 20 shown in Fig. 13 has two-directional components (a component in the first direction X and a component in the second direction Y), it is possible to more firmly join multiple plate-like members.

[0098] Furthermore, the welded portion 20 may have a weld mark as shown in Fig. 14. The welded portion 20 shown in Fig. 14 is located inside the overlapping portion indicated by the dashed line, and includes an elliptical weld mark (i.e., an annular weld mark having components in two or more directions) with the first direction X as the major axis direction and the second direction Y as the minor axis direction. Because the welded portion 20 shown in Fig. 14 has components in two or more directions, it is possible to more firmly join multiple plate-like members.

[0099] Furthermore, the welded portion 20 may include weld marks having any other shape on the main surface MF.

[0100] Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, examples have been described in which the side portions SF of some of the plurality of plate-shaped members are offset in the second direction Y with respect to the side portions SF of other of the plurality of plate-shaped members. However, as a modification of the above-described first and second embodiments, the side portions SF of some of the plurality of plate-shaped members may be offset in the first direction X with respect to the side portions SF of other of the plurality of plate-shaped members.

[0101] Furthermore, in the sixth and seventh embodiments described above, an example has been described in which some of the plurality of plate-shaped members (plate-shaped members 10A) form an angle of 90° with respect to other plate-shaped members (plate-shaped members 10B) among the plurality of plate-shaped members (plate-shaped members 10A, 10B). However, as a modification of the sixth and seventh embodiments, some of the plurality of plate-shaped members may form an angle α with respect to other plate-shaped members among the plurality of plate-shaped members in the range of 0°<α<90° or 90°<α<180°.

[0102] In addition, those skilled in the art can appropriately modify the bus bar of the present invention in accordance with conventionally known knowledge. As long as the configuration of the present invention is still achieved even after such modifications, the modifications are of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1 to 7, 1000, 2000... busbar, 10, 310, 410, 510... plate-like member, 11, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711... overlapping portion, 20... welded portion, 21... weld marks, MF, MF1, MF2... main surface, SF... side portion, X... first direction, Y... second direction, Z... third direction

Claims

1. a plurality of conductive plate-like members each having a pair of main surfaces extending in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, and side portions extending from edges of the pair of main surfaces in a third direction intersecting both the first direction and the second direction to connect the pair of main surfaces; At least a portion of each of the plurality of plate-like members overlaps with another in the third direction to form an overlapping portion, the overlapping portion includes a weld portion that joins the plurality of plate-like members in the third direction, a busbar in which, in at least one of the first direction and the second direction, the side portions of some of the plurality of plate-shaped members are offset from the side portions of other of the plurality of plate-shaped members.

2. The bus bar according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of plate-like members has a longitudinal direction in the first direction.

3. The bus bar according to claim 2 , wherein the side portions of the some of the plate-shaped members are offset from the side portions of the other plate-shaped members in the second direction.

4. The bus bar according to claim 3 , wherein a length of the some of the plate-shaped members in the second direction is longer than a length of the other plate-shaped members in the second direction.

5. The bus bar according to claim 2 , wherein the side portions of the some of the plate-shaped members are offset from the side portions of the other plate-shaped members in both the first direction and the second direction.

6. The bus bar according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a longitudinal direction of the some of the plate-shaped members and the second direction is a longitudinal direction of the other plate-shaped members.

7. In the first direction, a position of the side portion on one side of the some of the plate-like members is misaligned with a position of the side portion on one side of the other plate-like members, and a position of the side portion on the other side of the some of the plate-like members is misaligned with a position of the side portion on the other side of the other plate-like members, 7. The busbar according to claim 6, wherein, in the second direction, a position of the side portion on one side of one of the some of the plate-shaped members is offset from a position of the side portion on one side of one of the other plate-shaped members, and a position of the side portion on the other side of the some of the plate-shaped members is offset from a position of the side portion on the other side of the other plate-shaped members.

8. The busbar according to claim 1 , wherein on the main surface, the welded portion includes one or more linear weld marks having a unidirectional component.

9. The bus bar according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion includes a weld mark on the main surface having components in two or more directions.

10. The busbar according to claim 9 , wherein the welded portion includes an annular weld mark on the main surface.

11. The bus bar according to claim 1 , wherein the welded portion is a laser weld mark.

Images