Protector and bus bar modular

Abstract

To provide a protector and a modular bus bar that allow the extension direction of a flat wiring material to be changed.SOLUTION: A protector 1 includes a first case 10 having a first passage 11 through which a first portion 31a of a flat wiring material 3 is routed, a second case 20 having a second passage 21 through which a second portion 31b of the flat wiring material is routed, and a rotation structure configured to enable the second case to rotate relative to the first case, and the second case holds the second portion so as to form a folded portion 32a between the first and second portions, and the rotation structure is configured to change an intersection angle θ of the second portion with respect to the first portion at the folded portion by rotating the second case relative to the first case.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protector and a busbar module. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a conventional technique for connecting a connector connected to a flat wiring material to a mating connector. Patent Document 1 discloses a circuit body with a connector, which includes a circuit body made of a flexible substrate on which a wiring pattern is provided, and a connector attached to the circuit body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-021595 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a configuration in which a flat wiring material is protected by a protector, it is desirable to be able to accommodate cases in which the relative position of the mating connector with respect to the protector is different. For example, if the direction in which the flat wiring material extends from the protector can be changed, a common protector can be applied to mating connectors in different positions.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a protector and a busbar module that are capable of changing the extending direction of a flat wiring material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The protector of the present invention comprises a first case having a first passage through which a first portion of a flat wiring material is routed, a second case having a second passage through which a second portion of the flat wiring material is routed, and a rotation structure configured to enable the second case to rotate relative to the first case, wherein the second case holds the second portion so as to form a folded portion between the first portion and the second portion, and the rotation structure is configured to change the intersection angle of the second portion with respect to the first portion at the folded portion by rotating the second case relative to the first case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the protector according to the present invention, the rotation structure is configured to change the crossing angle of the second portion with respect to the first portion at the folded portion of the flat wiring material by rotating the second case relative to the first case. According to the protector according to the present invention, it is possible to change the extension direction of the flat wiring material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bus bar module according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the second case according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a plan view of the protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating deformation of the folded portion. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating deformation of the folded portion. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of another protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another first case according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view of another first case according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a plan view of another protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a plan view of another protector according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a plan view showing an example of the second case according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a plan view showing an example of a first case according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A protector and a busbar module according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art or that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] An embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 18. The embodiment relates to a protector and a busbar module. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a busbar module according to an embodiment, Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of a protector according to an embodiment, Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a protector according to an embodiment, Fig. 5 is a plan view of a second case according to an embodiment, Figs. 6 and 7 are plan views of a protector according to an embodiment, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a protector according to an embodiment, Fig. 9 is a plan view of a protector according to an embodiment, and Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrams for explaining deformation of a folded portion.

[0011] Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of another protector according to the embodiment, Fig. 13 is a perspective view of another first case according to the embodiment, Fig. 14 is a plan view of another first case according to the embodiment, Figs. 15 and 16 are plan views of another protector according to the embodiment, Fig. 17 is a plan view showing an example of a second case according to the embodiment, and Fig. 18 is a plan view showing an example of a first case according to the embodiment. Fig. 8 shows a cross section taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 2.

[0012] The protector 1 of this embodiment is a protective member that protects the flat wiring material 3. The flat wiring material 3 is a flexible, flat wiring material, such as a flexible printed circuit board. The flat wiring material 3 may also be another flat wiring material, such as a flexible flat cable.

[0013] The protector 1 of this embodiment constitutes, for example, a part of a busbar module 100. The busbar module 100 is assembled to a battery module 210 of a battery pack 200. The battery module 210 has a plurality of battery cells 220. The plurality of battery cells 220 are arranged along an arrangement direction BA.

[0014] The busbar module 100 includes a plurality of busbars 110, a case 120, a flat wiring material 3, a connector 50, and a protector 1. The busbars 110 are connectable to electrodes of the battery cells 220. The busbars 110 connect the electrodes of two adjacent battery cells 220, for example.

[0015] The case 120 accommodates the plurality of bus bars 110 and a portion of the flat wiring material 3. The case 120 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The case 120 has a holding portion that holds the bus bars 110. The plurality of bus bars 110 are held by the case 120 in an aligned state in the arrangement direction BA. The case 120 is fixed to the battery module 210 while holding the plurality of bus bars 110 and the flat wiring material 3.

[0016] When the flat wiring material 3 is a flexible printed circuit board, the flat wiring material 3 has a base film, a conductive layer, and a coverlay. The conductive layer is sandwiched and protected between the base film and the coverlay. The conductive layer is, for example, a conductive metal foil and has a circuit pattern including a plurality of detection lines. The detection lines are connected to the corresponding bus bars 110 and thermistors. The detection lines are connected to the monitoring unit 230 of the battery pack 200 via the connector 50. The monitoring unit 230 is, for example, arranged on an end surface of the battery module 210 in the arrangement direction BA.

[0017] The protector 1 is disposed, for example, at an end of the case 120 in the arrangement direction BA. The flat wiring material 3 is routed from the case 120 to the connector 50 via the protector 1.

[0018] 2 and 3, the protector 1 of this embodiment has a first case 10, a second case 20, and a sliding body 40. In each of the drawings such as Figures 2 and 3, the cover 22 of the first case 10 and the cover 42 of the sliding body 40 are shown in an open state. When the protector 1 is actually used, the covers 22 and 42 are closed.

[0019] 2 and 3, the second case 20 is rotatable relative to the first case 10. Therefore, the protector 1 of this embodiment allows the flat wiring material 3 to extend from the second case 20 in a desired direction.

[0020] 4, the first case 10 has a first passage 11, a bus bar side passage 12, protrusions 13 and 14, and a support shaft 15. The first case 10 is molded from, for example, an insulating synthetic resin.

[0021] The bus bar side passage 12 can accommodate the flat wiring material 3 and extends in the arrangement direction BA. The bus bar side passage 12 is disposed adjacent to an end of the case 120. The bus bar side passage 12 is connected to an end of the case 120 in the arrangement direction BA. The bus bar side passage 12 may be configured as a part of the case 120, may engage with the end of the case 120, or may be fixed to the battery module 210 or the like so as to be adjacent to the end of the case 120.

[0022] The busbar-side passage 12 has a bottom wall 12a and side walls 12b. The pair of side walls 12b are arranged at both widthwise ends of the bottom wall 12a and extend in the arrangement direction BA. The bottom wall 12a is provided with a protrusion 14 that engages the flat wiring material 3. The protrusion 14 is inserted into a through hole that the flat wiring material 3 has.

[0023] The first passage 11 extends in a first direction X. The first direction X is a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction BA. The first direction X is a direction in which the flat wiring material 3 is arranged in the first passage 11 and extends. The direction perpendicular to both the first direction X and the arrangement direction BA is called the "second direction Y." The second direction Y is the width direction of the flat wiring material 3 arranged in the first passage 11.

[0024] The first passage 11 has a bottom wall 11a and a pair of side walls 11b. The shape of the bottom wall 11a is, for example, rectangular. An end of the bottom wall 11a in the first direction X is connected to the bottom wall 12a of the bus bar side passage 12. The pair of side walls 11b are arranged on both sides of the bottom wall 11a in the second direction Y. The side walls 11b extend in the first direction X. The bottom wall 11a and the pair of side walls 11b form a groove portion that accommodates the flat wiring material 3. A protrusion 13 is provided on the bottom wall 11a. The protrusion 13 protrudes from the bottom wall 11a in the arrangement direction BA. The shape of the protrusion 13 illustrated is cylindrical.

[0025] The protrusion 13 has a function as a locking portion that locks the flat wiring material 3 and a function of guiding the guide hole 23 of the second case 20. The protrusion 13 is disposed, for example, at the center of the bottom wall 11a in the second direction Y.

[0026] The support shaft 15 is disposed at the end of the first passage 11 in the second direction Y. The support shaft 15 is inserted into the recess 24 of the second case 20 and rotatably supports the second case 20. The illustrated support shaft 15 has a cylindrical shape. The support shaft 15 is formed to be connected to the side wall 11b so as to be located near the flat wiring material 3.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the second case 20 has a second passage 21, a cover 22, a guide hole 23, a recess 24, and a slide groove 25. The second case 20 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The second case 20 has an extension direction Ex and a width direction W. The extension direction Ex is the direction in which the flat wiring material 3 extends in the second passage 21. The width direction W is the width direction of the flat wiring material 3 routed in the second passage 21 and is perpendicular to the extension direction Ex.

[0028] The second passage 21 has a bottom wall 21a, a pair of side walls 21b, and an edge portion 21c. The shape of the bottom wall 21a is, for example, rectangular. The pair of side walls 21b are arranged on both sides of the bottom wall 21a in the width direction W. The side walls 21b extend in the extension direction Ex. The bottom wall 21a and the pair of side walls 21b form a groove portion that accommodates the flat wiring material 3.

[0029] The edge portion 21c is formed so as to be able to form a folded portion in the flat wiring material 3. The edge portion 21c is disposed at the end of the bottom wall 21a in the extending direction Ex. The edge portion 21c is formed linearly and extends in the width direction W from the end of one side wall 21b toward the other side wall 21b.

[0030] A cylindrical portion 26 is provided at a corner of the second passage 21. The cylindrical portion 26 is arranged at the corner where the edge portion 21c and one of the side walls 21b intersect. The cylindrical portion 26 has a cylindrical shape with an axis 26x extending in the arrangement direction BA. The recess 24 is a through hole that passes through the cylindrical portion 26. That is, the axis 26x of the recess 24 is perpendicular to both the extension direction Ex and the width direction W. The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical portion 26 perpendicular to the axis 26x is approximately fan-shaped. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical portion 26 has an arc-shaped portion. The axis 26x is located on an extension line of the edge portion 21c.

[0031] A guide hole 23 is formed in the bottom wall 21a. The guide hole 23 penetrates the bottom wall 21a. When the bottom wall 21a is viewed from above, the guide hole 23 has an arc shape. The center of the arc of the guide hole 23 is, for example, the axis 26x. One end of the guide hole 23 is the wall surface of the edge portion 21c. In other words, the guide hole 23 extends from the edge portion 21c in the circumferential direction centered on the axis 26x.

[0032] The central angle of the arc of guide hole 23 corresponds to the range of rotation of second case 20 relative to first case 10. The other end 23a of guide hole 23 is located at the center of bottom wall 21a in width direction W. In this case, the arc of guide hole 23 has a central angle of approximately 45 degrees.

[0033] The cover 22 is connected to the side wall 21b of the second passage 21 via a hinge portion 22a. The cover 22 covers the groove portion that accommodates the flat wiring material 3 and protects the flat wiring material 3. The cover 22 has an engaging portion 22b that engages with the second passage 21. The second passage 21 has a frame-shaped engaging portion 21d into which the engaging portion 22b is inserted.

[0034] The pair of slide grooves 25 guide the slide body 40 along the extending direction Ex. The slide grooves 25 are provided in the side wall 21b and penetrate the side wall 21b. The slide grooves 25 extend from one end to the other end of the second passage 21.

[0035] The edge portion 21c of the second passage 21 is positioned so as to be able to support the first folded portion 32a of the flat wiring material 3. Figure 8 shows a cross section VIII-VIII of Figure 2. As shown in Figure 8, the edge portion 21c is erected from the bottom wall 21a toward the arrangement direction BA. The edge portion 21c can form the first folded portion 32a in the flat wiring material 3. The first folded portion 32a has a curved shape that is convex toward the first side X1 in the first direction X.

[0036] The first folded portion 32a is formed between the first portion 31a and the second portion 31b of the flat wiring material 3. The first portion 31a is a portion that is routed in the first passage 11 and extends in the first direction X. The second portion 31b is a portion that is routed in the second passage 21 and extends in the first direction X. The first folded portion 32a, the first portion 31a, and the second portion 31b form a substantially U-shape so as to surround the bottom wall 21a.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, the sliding body 40 has a main body 41, a cover 42, a support wall 43, and legs 44. The sliding body 40 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The main body 41 has a bottom wall 41a and a pair of side walls 41b. The bottom wall 41a is, for example, rectangular in shape. The pair of side walls 41b are arranged on both sides of the bottom wall 41a in the width direction. The side walls 41b extend in the extension direction Ex. The bottom wall 41a and the pair of side walls 41b form a groove portion that accommodates the flat wiring material 3.

[0038] The cover 42 is connected to the side wall 41b of the main body 41 via a hinge portion 42a. The cover 42 covers the groove portion that accommodates the flat wiring material 3 and protects the flat wiring material 3. The cover 42 has an engagement portion 42b. The main body 41 has an engagement portion 41c that corresponds to the engagement portion 42b.

[0039] The legs 44 are inserted into the slide grooves 25 of the second case 20 and are guided by the slide grooves 25. The legs 44 protrude from the side walls 41b in a direction perpendicular to the bottom wall 41a. The legs 44 have claws 44a at their tips. The claws 44a are engaged with the side walls 21b of the second case 20.

[0040] The support wall 43 is connected to the end of the bottom wall 41a in the first direction X. The support wall 43 is a portion that supports the end 3b of the flat wiring material 3. The support wall 43 has a protrusion 43a that engages the flat wiring material 3.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, the sliding body 40 holds the flat wiring material 3 so as to form a second folded portion 32b in the flat wiring material 3. The second folded portion 32b has a curved shape convex toward the second side X2 in the first direction X. The second folded portion 32b is formed between the second portion 31b and the third portion 31c of the flat wiring material 3. The third portion 31c is a portion that is routed in the sliding body 40 and extends in the first direction X. The second folded portion 32b, the second portion 31b, and the third portion 31c form an approximately U-shape so as to surround the bottom wall 41a of the sliding body 40.

[0042] 6 shows the second case 20 assembled to the first case 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the support shaft 15 of the first case 10 is inserted into the recess 24 of the second case 20. The support shaft 15 and the recess 24 form a rotation structure 60. The rotation structure 60 is configured to allow the second case 20 to rotate relative to the first case 10.

[0043] The support shaft 15 has a cylindrical shape. A protrusion 15a is provided at the tip of the support shaft 15 to prevent it from coming off. The protrusion 15a is locked by the cylindrical portion 26. The second case 20 can rotate relative to the first case 10 around the central axis 15x of the support shaft 15 as the center of rotation.

[0044] The protrusion 13 of the first case 10 is inserted into the guide hole 23 of the second case 20. The guide hole 23 guides the protrusion 13 and defines the range of relative rotation of the second case 20 with respect to the first case 10. One end of the range of movement is defined by the end 23a of the guide hole 23. The other end of the range of movement is defined by the edge 21c. The edge 21c functions as a stopper that locks the protrusion 13.

[0045] A lock 13a is provided at the tip of the protrusion 13. The lock 13a is a claw-shaped protrusion that protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 13. As shown in FIG. 6 , the lock 13a faces the bottom wall 21a of the second passage 21 and is locked by the bottom wall 21a. The lock 13a protrudes in the radial direction of the arc along which the guide hole 23 extends. Therefore, when the second case 20 rotates relative to the first case 10, the overlap of the lock 13a with the bottom wall 21a is maintained at a constant size. As a result, the protrusion 13 is prevented from slipping out of the guide hole 23, allowing the second case 20 to rotate stably relative to the first case 10.

[0046] The recess 24 accommodates the support shaft 15 so that the support shaft 15 can rotate inside the recess 24. When accommodated in the recess 24, the position of the support shaft 15 is on an extension of the edge portion 21c. It is preferable that the position of the central axis 15x of the support shaft 15 is on an imaginary line IL along the edge portion 21c. When the support shaft 15 is positioned in this manner, twisting, lifting, tension, etc. are less likely to occur in the flat wiring material 3 when the second case 20 rotates, as will be described later.

[0047] 7 shows the second case 20 rotated relative to the position in FIG. 6. The extension direction Ex of the second case 20 is inclined relative to the first direction X. That is, the protector 1 in FIG. 7 can extend the flat wiring material 3 in a direction intersecting the first direction X. The second case 20 can rotate relative to the first case 10 within the range allowed by the guide hole 23, and the extension direction of the flat wiring material 3 can be changed.

[0048] The second case 20 has a predetermined rotation position at which it rotates relative to the first case 10. The predetermined rotation position is the rotation position shown in FIG. 6, where the protrusion 13 is engaged by the end 23a of the guide hole 23. When the second case 20 is in the predetermined rotation position, the extension direction Ex of the second case 20 coincides with the first direction X. Therefore, the flat wiring material 3 is folded back so that the extension direction of the first portion 31a and the extension direction of the second portion are parallel to each other.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 8, the protector 1 is configured to hold the flat wiring material 3 by bending it into a substantially S-shape. The protector 1 forms a first folded portion 32a and a second folded portion 32b in the flat wiring material 3, and forms an excess length portion 30 in the flat wiring material 3. The rotation position of the second case 20 shown in Fig. 8 is a predetermined rotation position. At this time, the edge portion 21c of the second case 20 supports the first folded portion 32a from the inside, as shown in Fig. 8.

[0050] The sliding body 40 can slide relative to the second case 20 while being guided by the second case 20. The moving direction of the sliding body 40 is the extending direction Ex of the second case 20. When the second case 20 is in a predetermined rotation position, the sliding body 40 can move along the first direction X.

[0051] The sliding body 40 can slide relative to the second case 20 to pull out the excess length portion 30 of the flat wiring material 3 from the second passage 21. When the sliding body 40 moves from the position shown in FIG. 8 toward the first side X1, the excess length portion 30 is pulled out. On the other hand, when the sliding body 40 moves toward the second side X2, the pulled out excess length portion 30 is accommodated in the second passage 21.

[0052] 9 shows the flat wiring material 3 when the second case 20 is in the rotated position of FIG. 7. The second case 20 rotates relative to the first case 10 while holding the second portion 31b of the flat wiring material 3. The second portion 31b is housed in a space formed by the second passage 21 and the sliding body 40, and is held by the second passage 21. In the protector 1 of this embodiment, the end 3d of the flat wiring material 3 is further held by the sliding body 40. In other words, the flat wiring material 3 is held by both the second passage 21 and the sliding body 40.

[0053] When the second case 20 rotates relative to the first case 10, the second portion 31b of the flat wiring material 3 rotates relative to the first portion 31a. This changes the intersection angle θ as shown in FIG. 9. The intersection angle θ is the angle at which the second portion 31b intersects with the first portion 31a. In other words, the intersection angle θ is the angle between the first direction, which is the extension direction of the first portion 31a, and the extension direction Ex of the second portion 31b. The first folded portion 32a of the flat wiring material 3 follows the rotation of the second case 20 while deforming so that the intersection angle θ changes.

[0054] In the protector 1 of this embodiment, the central axis 15x of the support shaft 15 is located on the imaginary line IL. As a result, as will be described below, when the second case 20 rotates and the flat wiring material 3 is deformed, the flat wiring material 3 is less likely to be twisted, lifted, or stretched.

[0055] FIG. 10 shows the flat wiring material 3 when the crossing angle θ is 0 degrees. The rotational position of the second case 20 when the crossing angle θ is 0 degrees is a predetermined rotational position. At this time, the flat wiring material 3 is folded back so that the first direction X, which is the extension direction of the first portion 31a, and the extension direction Ex of the second portion 31b are parallel to each other. When the crossing angle θ is 0 degrees, the edge portion 21c of the second passage 21 supports the first folded back portion 32a from the inside. At this time, the edge portion 21c can determine the position and shape of the first folded back portion 32a.

[0056] FIG. 11 shows the flat wiring material 3 when the rotational position of the second case 20 is different from the predetermined rotational position. The intersection angle θ has a value different from 0 [deg]. The flat wiring material 3 deforms so that the first folded portion 32a is inclined with respect to the second direction Y. The flat wiring material 3 deforms so that a part of the first portion 31a in FIG. 10 wraps around the edge portion 21c and changes into the second portion 31b. At this time, a gap may be formed between the first folded portion 32a and the edge portion 21c.

[0057] In the protector 1 of this embodiment, the central axis 15x is located on the imaginary line IL. Therefore, when the second case 20 rotates, the flat wiring material 3 can easily deform while following the second case 20. As shown in FIG. 11, the flat wiring material 3 deforms around point 3a. Point 3a is the end of the first folded portion 32a on the central axis 15x side. Before and after the second case 20 rotates, the portion of point 3a is small in deformation. The portion of the first folded portion 32a opposite to point 3a is largely deformed. This deformation allows the flat wiring material 3 to easily follow the rotation of the second case 20.

[0058] Next, another rotation structure 60 according to an embodiment will be described. 12 and 13 show a rotation structure 60 including a pair of guide grooves 16 and a pair of protrusions 27. The pair of guide grooves 16 are disposed in the first case 10, for example. In this case, the pair of protrusions 27 are disposed in the second case 20.

[0059] The guide grooves 16 are arc-shaped grooves that guide the corresponding protrusions 27 along an arc-shaped trajectory. The first case 10 has a guide wall 17 that has the guide grooves 16. The guide grooves 16 penetrate the guide wall 17. The guide wall 17 is, for example, a wall portion that connects to the side surface of the first passage 11 as shown in FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 14, the two guide grooves 16 are arranged concentrically. In other words, the center of the arc of one guide groove 16 and the center of the arc of the other guide groove 16 are common. The rotation center Cx about which the second case 20 rotates is located at the center of the arc of the guide groove 16. The two guide grooves 16 in FIG. 13 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a straight line in the first direction X that passes through the rotation center Cx.

[0060] 12, the protrusion 27 protrudes from the side wall 21b of the second case 20 in a direction perpendicular to the bottom wall 21a. The protrusion 27 is formed in a plate shape that can be inserted into the guide groove 16. A claw 27a is provided at the tip of the protrusion 27. The claw 27a is engaged with the guide wall 17.

[0061] 15 shows the flat wiring material 3 when the second case 20 is in a predetermined rotation position. At this time, the first folded portion 32a of the flat wiring material 3 extends in the second direction Y. The second case 20 can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the first case 10 from the predetermined rotation position.

[0062] Figure 16 shows the flat wiring material 3 when the rotation position of the second case 20 is different from the predetermined rotation position. In other words, the intersection angle θ has a value different from 0 [deg]. The two guide grooves 16 guide the two protrusions 27 to rotate the second case 20 relative to the first case 10. The rotation center Cx of the second case 20 is the middle position between the two protrusions 27. The rotation center Cx in Figure 16 is the center of the width direction of the flat wiring material 3. By rotating the second case 20 relative to the first case 10, the extension direction of the flat wiring material 3 can be set to the desired direction.

[0063] The rotation center Cx is not limited to the widthwise center of the flat wiring material 3. The rotation center Cx may be set, for example, at the widthwise end of the flat wiring material 3. In the second case 20 of Figure 17, the two protrusions 27 are arranged so that the rotation center Cx is located at the end of the wiring path 21e described later.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 17, the second case 20 has an expanded width portion 28. The expanded width portion 28 is a portion of the second passage 21 expanded in the width direction W. The second passage 21 has a wiring path 21e. The wiring path 21e is an arrangement path envisioned as an area in which the second portion 31b of the flat wiring material 3 is arranged. The wiring path 21e is set along the extension direction Ex. The expanded width portion 28 is arranged at the end of the second passage 21 in the extension direction Ex, and protrudes in the width direction W relative to the wiring path 21e.

[0065] One of the two protrusions 27 is arranged in the widened portion 28. The two protrusions 27 are arranged so that the rotation center Cx is located at the end of the wiring path 21e in the width direction W. The two protrusions 27 are arranged on a virtual line IL along the edge portion 21c. When the second case 20 in Figure 17 rotates relative to the first case 10, the first folded portion 32a extends in the radial direction centered on the rotation center Cx. Therefore, the deformation of the flat wiring material 3 is similar to the deformation shown in Figure 9.

[0066] The two guide grooves 16 may have arc shapes with different radii. FIG. 18 shows two guide grooves 16 with different radii. The two guide grooves 16 include a first guide groove 16a and a second guide groove 16b. The first guide groove 16a has a relatively small radius R1, and the second guide groove 16b has a relatively large radius R2. The first guide groove 16a and the second guide groove 16b are arranged concentrically. The guide wall 17a having the first guide groove 16a is arranged closer to the rotation center Cx than the guide wall 17b having the second guide groove 16b.

[0067] The first guide groove 16a and the second guide groove 16b are arranged, for example, so that the rotation center Cx is located at the end of the wiring passage 21e. The rotation center Cx may be located on the imaginary line IL. The imaginary line IL in FIG. 18 is a straight line that follows the edge portion 21c of the second case 20.

[0068] In a rotation structure 60 having two guide grooves 16 and two protrusions 27, the position of the rotation center Cx can be set to a desired position by both making the radii of the two guide grooves 16 different and adjusting the positions of the two guide grooves 16.

[0069] As described above, the protector 1 of this embodiment has a first case 10, a second case 20, and a rotation structure 60. The first case 10 has a first passage 11 in which the first portion 31a of the flat wiring material 3 is routed. The second case 20 has a second passage 21 in which the second portion 31b of the flat wiring material 3 is routed. The rotation structure 60 is configured to allow the second case 20 to rotate relative to the first case 10.

[0070] The second case 20 holds the second portion 31b so as to form a folded portion between the first portion 31a and the second portion 31b. The rotation structure 60 is configured to change the intersection angle θ of the second portion 31b with respect to the first portion 31a at the folded portion by rotating the second case 20 relative to the first case 10. The protector 1 of this embodiment is capable of changing the extension direction of the flat wiring material 3. The extension direction of the flat wiring material 3 in this embodiment is the extension direction Ex of the second case 20.

[0071] The protector 1 can be used even when the arrangement of the mating connector in the device to which it is applied is different. The mating connector is provided, for example, in the monitoring unit 230. The protector 1 of this embodiment can rotate the second case 20 and extend the flat wiring material 3 toward the mating connector even if the orientation of the mating connector relative to the protector 1 is different. Therefore, according to the protector 1 of this embodiment, a common protector 1 can be applied to multiple devices having mating connectors in different positions, making it possible to reduce the number of product numbers related to the protector 1.

[0072] The rotation structure 60 has, for example, a recess 24 arranged in the second case 20, and a support shaft 15 arranged in the first case 10 and inserted into the recess 24. The rotation structure 60 rotates the second case 20 relative to the first case 10 around the central axis 15x of the support shaft 15 as the center of rotation. Note that the recess 24 may be arranged in the first case 10. In this case, the support shaft 15 is arranged in the second case 20.

[0073] The rotation structure 60 has, for example, a pair of arc-shaped guide grooves 16 arranged in the first case 10, and a pair of protrusions 27 arranged in the second case 20 and inserted into the guide grooves 16. The rotation structure 60 rotates the second case 20 relative to the first case 10 by guiding the protrusions 27 along the guide grooves 16. Note that the guide grooves 16 may be arranged in the second case 20. In this case, the protrusions 27 are arranged on the first case 10.

[0074] The second case 20 of this embodiment has a linear edge 21c that can support the folded portion from the inside. The rotational positions at which the second case 20 rotates relative to the first case 10 include predetermined rotational positions. When the rotational position of the second case 20 is the predetermined rotational position, the flat wiring material 3 is folded so that the extension direction of the first portion 31a and the extension direction of the second portion 31b are parallel. The edge 21c may be arranged to support the folded portion from the inside when the rotational position of the second case 20 is the predetermined rotational position. In this case, the rotation center Cx about which the second case 20 rotates relative to the first case 10 is preferably located on a line along the edge 21c. The line along the edge 21c is, for example, the virtual line IL in this embodiment. By arranging the rotation center Cx in this manner, twisting, lifting, tension, etc., are less likely to occur in the flat wiring material 3 when the second case 20 rotates.

[0075] The busbar module 100 of this embodiment includes a protector 1, a flat wiring material 3, a connector 50, and a plurality of busbars 110. The connector 50 and the busbars 110 are connected to the flat wiring material 3. The busbars 110 can be connected to electrodes of the battery cells 220. In the busbar module 100 of this embodiment, even if the position of the monitoring unit 230 relative to the protector 1 is different, the flat wiring material 3 can be extended toward the monitoring unit 230.

[0076] The range of rotation of the second case 20 relative to the first case 10 is not limited to the illustrated range. The rotation range of the second case 20 may be 90 degrees or 180 degrees. When the rotation range of the second case 20 is 180 degrees, the rotation structure 60 may be configured so that the second case 20 can rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise relative to a predetermined rotation position.

[0077] The protector 1 may not have a sliding body 40. Referring to FIG. 8, when the protector 1 does not have the sliding body 40, the protector 1 may not form the second folded portion 32b in the flat wiring material 3. In this case, the flat wiring material 3 may extend from the second case 20 toward the second side X2. Furthermore, when the protector 1 does not have the sliding body 40, the extension direction of the flat wiring material 3 relative to the second case 20 is not limited to the extension direction Ex. The flat wiring material 3 may extend from the second case 20 toward the width direction W.

[0078] The protector 1 may have a third case in addition to the first case 10 and the second case 20. In this case, the protector 1 may have a second rotation structure that rotates the third case relative to the second case 20. The third case holds the flat wiring material 3 so as to form a third folded portion in the flat wiring material 3. The second rotation structure is configured to change the crossing angle at the third folded portion by rotating the third case relative to the second case 20.

[0079] The second rotation structure may have a recess disposed in one of the second case 20 and the third case, and a support shaft disposed in the other case. The second rotation structure may have a guide groove disposed in one of the second case 20 and the third case, and a protrusion disposed in the other case.

[0080] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1: Protector 3: Flat cable 10: first case; 11: first passage; 12: busbar side passage; 13, 14: protrusions 15: Support shaft, 15x: Central axis, 16: Guide groove 20: second case, 21: second passage, 21c: edge portion, 21e: wiring path 22: Cover, 23: Guide hole 24: recessed portion, 25: slide groove, 26: cylindrical portion, 26x: axis, 27: protrusion 28: Widening section 31a: first part, 31b: second part 32a: first folded portion, 32b: second folded portion 40: Slide body, 41: Main body, 42: Cover, 43: Support wall, 44: Leg 50: Connector 60: Rotating structure 100: busbar module, 110: busbar, 120: case 130: Monitoring unit 200: Battery pack, 210: Battery module, 220: Battery cell BA: arrangement direction, Ex: extension direction, W: width direction X: first direction, Y: second direction Cx: Center of rotation IL: Virtual line θ: Intersection angle

Claims

1. a first case having a first passage through which a first portion of the flat wiring material is routed; a second case having a second passage through which a second portion of the flat wiring material is routed; a rotation structure configured to allow the second case to rotate relative to the first case; Equipped with the second case holds the second portion so as to form a folded portion between the first portion and the second portion; The rotation structure is configured to change an intersection angle of the second portion with respect to the first portion at the folded portion by rotating the second case relative to the first case. A protector characterized by the above.

2. the rotation structure includes a recessed portion disposed in one of the first case and the second case, and a support shaft disposed in the other of the first case and the second case and inserted into the recessed portion; The rotation structure rotates the second case relative to the first case around the central axis of the support shaft. The protector according to claim 1 .

3. the rotation structure includes a pair of arc-shaped guide grooves disposed in one of the first case and the second case, and a pair of protrusions disposed in the other of the first case and the second case and inserted into the guide grooves; The rotation structure rotates the second case relative to the first case by guiding the protrusion along the guide groove. The protector according to claim 1 .

4. the second case has a linear edge portion capable of supporting the folded-back portion from the inside, a rotational position at which the second case rotates relative to the first case includes a predetermined rotational position, When the rotation position of the second case is the predetermined rotation position, the flat wiring material is folded back so that the extension direction of the first portion and the extension direction of the second portion are parallel to each other, the edge portion is arranged to support the folded-back portion from inside when the rotation position of the second case is the predetermined rotation position, The center of rotation about which the second case rotates relative to the first case is located on a line along the edge. The protector according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The protector according to claim 1; The flat wiring material; A connector connected to the flat wiring material; a plurality of bus bars connected to the flat wiring material and connectable to electrodes of battery cells; A busbar module comprising:

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