Busbar holder and method for manufacturing busbar holder

Abstract

To provide a busbar holder and a method for manufacturing the busbar holder that can improve the assemblability of a busbar.SOLUTION: A busbar holder 1 comprises a base 10, a cover 20, and a locking member 30. The base 10 is constituted by including a groove portion 14 that supports the cover 20 slidably along an axial direction X, and a pair of locking portions 15 provided at both ends in a width direction Y. The cover 20 is constituted by including a through hole 24 that penetrates the cover 20 along a stacking direction Z. The locking member 30 is constituted by including a protruding portion 34 that protrudes along the stacking direction Z and is inserted into the through hole 24 of the cover 20 and clamps a busbar 2 between itself and the base 10, and a pair of locked portions 35 that are provided at both ends in the width direction Y and are locked with the pair of locking portions 15 of the base 10 in a state where the protruding portion 34 is inserted into the through hole 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a busbar holder and a method for manufacturing the busbar holder. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of technology relating to conventional busbar holders, Patent Document 1 discloses a busbar holder including a base provided with an insertion space through which a busbar is inserted along the axial direction, and a cover that is assembled to the base along the axial direction and covers the insertion space from one end side in the stacking direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-1851 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the bus bar holder described in Patent Document 1 above has room for further improvement, for example, in terms of improving the ease of assembly to the bus bar.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a busbar holder and a method for manufacturing a busbar holder that can improve the ease of assembly to a busbar. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a busbar holder according to the present invention includes: a base having an insertion space through which a busbar is inserted along an axial direction; a cover assembled to the base along the axial direction and covering the insertion space from one end side in a stacking direction intersecting the axial direction; and a locking member assembled to the base and the cover along the stacking direction, wherein the base includes a groove that supports the cover slidably along the axial direction and a pair of locking portions provided at both ends in a width direction intersecting the axial direction and the stacking direction, and the cover includes a through hole that penetrates the cover along the stacking direction, and the locking member includes a protruding portion that protrudes along the stacking direction and is inserted into the through hole of the cover and holds the busbar between itself and the base, and a pair of locked portions that are provided at both ends in the width direction and locked with the pair of locking portions of the base when the protruding portion is inserted into the through hole.

[0007] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a manufacturing method of a busbar holder according to the present invention includes: a first step of assembling a busbar to a base having an insertion space by inserting the busbar into the insertion space along an axial direction; a second step of assembling a cover that covers the insertion space from one end side in a stacking direction that intersects with the axial direction relative to the base by sliding the cover along the axial direction; and a third step of assembling and fixing a locking member to the base and the cover along the stacking direction, the locking member including a protrusion that is inserted into a through hole of the cover and that holds the busbar between itself and the base, and a pair of engaged portions that are provided at both ends in a width direction that intersects with the axial direction and the stacking direction and that engage with a pair of engaging portions of the base when the protrusions are inserted into the through holes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the busbar holder and the method for manufacturing the busbar holder according to the present invention, the locking member includes a protruding portion that is inserted into the through-hole of the cover and that sandwiches the busbar between the cover and the base, and a pair of engaged portions that are provided at both widthwise ends and engage with a pair of engaging portions of the base when the protruding portions are inserted into the through-hole. With this configuration, the busbar holder and the method for manufacturing the busbar holder can assemble and fix the base, cover, and locking member to any position on a linear portion of the busbar that extends along the axial direction, for example, using the protruding portion of the locking member and the pair of engaged portions. As a result, the busbar holder and the method for manufacturing the busbar holder have the advantage of improving ease of assembly to the busbar. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of a bus bar routing structure to which a bus bar holder according to an embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exemplary exploded perspective view of a busbar holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exemplary perspective view of a busbar holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary perspective view of the busbar holder according to the embodiment, seen from an angle different from that of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a fixing portion of a busbar holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exemplary perspective view illustrating the first step of the method for manufacturing the busbar holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exemplary perspective view illustrating the second step in the method for manufacturing the busbar holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exemplary perspective view illustrating the method for manufacturing the busbar holder according to the embodiment, showing a third step. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart of a method for manufacturing a busbar holder according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exemplary perspective view of a bus bar routing structure to which a bus bar holder according to a modified example is applied. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an exemplary exploded perspective view of a busbar holder according to a modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an exemplary perspective view of a busbar holder according to a modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an exemplary perspective view of a busbar holder according to a modified example, seen from an angle different from that of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an exemplary perspective view illustrating a first step in a manufacturing method of a busbar holder according to a modified example. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an exemplary perspective view illustrating a second step in a manufacturing method of a busbar holder according to a modified example. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an exemplary perspective view illustrating a manufacturing method of a busbar holder according to a modified example, showing a third step. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and modifications. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments and modifications include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially identical.

[0011] Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications disclosed below include similar components. Therefore, in the following, the similar components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Note that in this specification, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish between parts, members, portions, positions, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

[0012] [Embodiment] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a busbar wiring structure to which a busbar holder 1 according to an embodiment is applied. The busbar holder 1 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is incorporated into a busbar 2 for distributing power from a battery mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. Here, the busbar holder 1 includes, for example, a first holder 1A that is assembled to a first busbar 2A of the busbars 2, and a second holder 1B that is assembled to a second busbar 2B of the busbars 2. One of the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B is the busbar 2 on the positive side, and the other is the busbar 2 on the negative side.

[0013] In this embodiment, the first holder 1A and the second holder 1B of the busbar holder 1 are configured with the same components. That is, the specifications of the first holder 1A are the same as those of the second holder 1B. The busbar 2 is configured to include, for example, a straight portion extending along the axial direction X and an intersecting portion intersecting the straight portion, and is formed into a crank shape as a whole. The busbar holder 1 is, for example, assembled to the straight portion of the busbar 2 and fixed to a target portion of the vehicle to support the busbar 2. This allows the busbar 2 to be fixed and supported along the wiring path.

[0014] In the following description, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with one another, the first direction will be referred to as the "axial direction X," the second direction will be referred to as the "width direction Y," and the third direction will be referred to as the "stacking direction Z." Here, the axial direction X, width direction Y, and stacking direction Z are approximately perpendicular to one another. The axial direction X typically aligns with the extension direction of the straight portions of the busbar 2, the insertion direction of the busbar 2 into the busbar holder 1, the longitudinal direction (extension direction) of the busbar holder 1, etc. The width direction Y typically aligns with the width direction of the busbar 2, the width direction of the busbar holder 1, etc. The stacking direction Z typically aligns with the plate thickness direction of the busbar 2, the height direction of the busbar holder 1, the stacking direction of the base 10, the cover 20, and the locking member 30 (described later) of the busbar holder 1, etc. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the directions used in the following description are directions in a state where the busbar holder 1 is attached to the busbar 2.

[0015] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the busbar holder 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the busbar holder 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the busbar holder 1 viewed from a different angle than FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the busbar holder 1 includes, for example, a base 10, a cover 20, and a locking member 30. That is, the first holder 1A and the second holder 1B described above each include the base 10, the cover 20, and the locking member 30. In other words, the base 10 includes a first base that is assembled to the first busbar 2A described above and a second base that is assembled to the second busbar 2B, and the cover 20 includes a first cover that is assembled to the first base along the axial direction X and a second cover that is assembled to the second base along the axial direction X. The locking member 30 includes a first locking member that is assembled to the first base and the first cover along the stacking direction Z, and a second locking member that is assembled to the second base and the second cover along the stacking direction Z.

[0016] The base 10 has an insertion space 3 formed therein, through which the bus bar 2 is inserted along the axial direction X. The insertion space 3, for example, penetrates the base 10 along the axial direction X and is open at one end in the stacking direction Z. The base 10 includes, for example, a base-side bottom wall 11, a pair of base-side side walls 12, a groove 14, a pair of locking portions 15, and a fixing portion 16 (described later). The base 10 is formed such that the base-side bottom wall 11, the pair of base-side side walls 12, the pair of locking portions 15, and the fixing portion 16 are integrally formed of, for example, a synthetic resin or the like. The base-side bottom wall 11 and the pair of base-side side walls 12 are structures for defining the insertion space 3 of the base 10. The insertion space 3 is a space through which the bus bar 2 is inserted and routed. The base-side bottom wall 11 is formed in a flat plate shape extending laterally along the axial direction X. The pair of base-side side walls 12 protrude from both ends of the base-side bottom wall 11 in the width direction Y toward one end side in the stacking direction Z, and extend along the axial direction X.

[0017] The pair of base-side side walls 12 are provided with a pair of protrusions 13 that protrude toward each other in the width direction Y. The pair of protrusions 13 extend along the axial direction X so as to span between one end and the other end of the pair of base-side side walls 12 in the axial direction X. In this embodiment, grooves 14 are provided on the base end sides of the pair of protrusions 13. The grooves 14 are set grooves that support the cover 20 so that it is slidable along the axial direction X. The grooves 14 are surrounded by the pair of protrusions 13, the pair of base-side side walls 12, and the base-side bottom wall 11, and are configured as recesses that are recessed in the width direction Y further than the tip ends of the pair of protrusions 13.

[0018] The pair of locking portions 15 are portions that are locked with locked portions 35 of the locking member 30, which will be described later. The pair of locking portions 15 are formed, for example, in a claw shape on the outer surfaces of the pair of base-side side walls 12. That is, the pair of locking portions 15 are provided at both ends of the base 10 in the width direction Y. In this embodiment, the pair of locking portions 15 are provided at one end of the pair of base-side side walls 12 in the axial direction X. The pair of locking portions 15 each have a locking surface that faces the locked portion 35 along the stacking direction Z, and the locking surface and the locked portion 35 are locked together along the stacking direction Z, thereby locking the locking member 30 to the base 10.

[0019] The cover 20 covers the insertion space 3 formed in the base 10 from one end side in the stacking direction Z. The cover 20 includes, for example, a cover-side bottom wall 21, a pair of cover-side side walls 22, and a through hole 24. The cover 20 is formed, for example, by integrally forming the cover-side bottom wall 21 and the pair of cover-side side walls 22 using a synthetic resin or the like. The cover-side bottom wall 21 and the pair of cover-side side walls 22, together with the base 10, are structures for defining the insertion space 3. The insertion space 3 is a space into which the bus bar 2 is inserted and routed. The cover-side bottom wall 21 is formed in a flat plate shape extending laterally along the axial direction X. The pair of cover-side side walls 22 protrude from both ends of the cover-side bottom wall 21 in the width direction Y toward the other end side in the stacking direction Z and extend along the axial direction X.

[0020] The pair of cover-side side walls 22 are provided with a pair of protruding pieces 23 that protrude stepwise along the stacking direction Z on sides that are apart from each other along the width direction Y. The pair of protruding pieces 23 extend along the axial direction X so as to span between one end and the other end of the pair of cover-side side walls 22 in the axial direction X. In this embodiment, the pair of protruding pieces 23 are inserted into and engaged with the above-mentioned grooves 14 on the base 10 side. The thickness of the pair of protruding pieces 23 along the width direction Y is approximately the same as the depth of the pair of grooves 14 along the width direction Y. The width of the pair of protruding pieces 23 along the stacking direction Z is approximately the same as the width of the pair of grooves 14 along the stacking direction Z. In this embodiment, the abutment between the pair of protruding pieces 23 and the pair of protrusions 13 suppresses movement (detachment) of the cover 20 toward one end of the base 10 in the stacking direction Z.

[0021] The through hole 24 is a portion into which a protrusion 34 of the locking member 30, which will be described later, is inserted. The through hole 24 is provided in the cover-side bottom wall 21 and penetrates the cover-side bottom wall 21 along the stacking direction Z. In this embodiment, the through hole 24 is provided at one end of the cover-side bottom wall 21 in the axial direction X. The through hole 24 is configured to include, for example, a first through hole 24a into which the first protrusion 34a of the protrusion 34 is inserted, and a second through hole 24b into which the second protrusion 34b of the protrusion 34 is inserted. The first through hole 24a and the second through hole 24b are formed, for example, in the shape of a slit that extends laterally along the width direction Y, and are positioned apart from each other along the axial direction X. In this embodiment, the first through hole 24a and the second through hole 24b are engaged with the first protrusion 34a and the second protrusion 34b, thereby restricting movement of the cover 20 along the axial direction X relative to the base 10 fixed via the locking member 30 and thus the engaging portion 35.

[0022] The locking member 30 locks the cover 20 in a predetermined position relative to the base 10. The locking member 30 includes, for example, a bottom wall 31, a protrusion 34, and a pair of engaged portions 35. The locking member 30 is formed, for example, from a synthetic resin or the like, with the bottom wall 31, the protrusion 34, and the pair of engaged portions 35 integrally formed. The bottom wall 31 is formed in the shape of a flat plate extending horizontally along the width direction Y. The width of the bottom wall 31 along the width direction Y is approximately the same as the width of the base-side bottom wall 11 along the width direction Y. The bottom wall 31 covers the open ends of the pair of base-side side walls 12 opposite the base-side bottom wall 11. The locking member 30 is also referred to as a lid member or the like.

[0023] The protrusion 34 protrudes from the bottom wall 31 toward the other end side (toward the base 10) in the stacking direction Z and extends along the width direction Y. The protrusion 34 includes, for example, a first protrusion 34a that is inserted into the first through-hole 24a of the cover 20 described above and a second protrusion 34b that is inserted into the second through-hole 24b of the cover 20. The first protrusion 34a and the second protrusion 34b each extend horizontally along the width direction Y and are spaced apart from each other along the axial direction X. That is, in this embodiment, the first protrusion 34a and the second protrusion 34b are arranged parallel to each other. The first protrusion 34a and the second protrusion 34b function as portions that sandwich the busbar 2 between themselves and the base-side bottom wall 11.

[0024] The pair of locked portions 35 are portions that are locked with the pair of locking portions 15 of the base 10 described above. The pair of locked portions 35 are provided, for example, at both ends of the bottom wall 31 in the width direction Y and are formed in the shape of locking holes into which the pair of locking portions 15 are inserted. The pair of locked portions 35 each have a locked surface that faces the locking portion 15 along the stacking direction Z, and when the first protrusion 34 a and the second protrusion 34 b described above are inserted into the first through hole 24 a and the second through hole 24 b of the cover 20, the locked surface and the locking surface of the locking portion 15 are locked together along the stacking direction Z, thereby locking the locking member 30 and the cover 20 to the base 10.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fixing portion 16 of the busbar holder 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the fixing portion 16 is a portion to which the vehicle-side stay 4 is fixed. The fixing portion 16 is provided on the outer surface of the base-side bottom wall 11 of the base 10 described above. The fixing portion 16 includes, for example, an insertion hole 16a into which the stay 4 is inserted along the width direction Y and a locking piece 16b to which the stay 4 is locked along the width direction Y. The insertion hole 16a is configured as a through-hole that penetrates the fixing portion 16 along the width direction Y. In this embodiment, a tapered surface 16f is provided at an open end on one end side of the insertion hole 16a in the width direction Y to improve the insertability of the stay 4. The tapered surface 16f is inclined toward both sides in the stacking direction Z and both sides in the axial direction X as it approaches the one end side in the width direction Y.

[0026] The locking piece 16b is formed in a cantilever spring shape on the peripheral wall of the insertion hole 16a on the other end side in the stacking direction Z (opposite the base-side bottom wall 11). Specifically, the locking piece 16b has one end side in the width direction Y (the tapered surface 16f side) connected to the peripheral wall of the fixing portion 16, while the other end side in the width direction Y is configured as a free end that is elastically deformable along the stacking direction Z. A pair of slits 16c (see FIG. 3) extending along the width direction Y is provided on both sides of the locking piece 16b in the axial direction X. The pair of slits 16c extend from a midpoint on the one end side in the width direction Y of the peripheral wall of the fixing portion 16 toward the other end side in the width direction Y and open on the other end side in the width direction Y.

[0027] The locking piece 16b also has a protrusion 16d (see FIG. 5) that protrudes along the stacking direction Z. The protrusion 16d is a portion that engages with an opening 4a provided at the tip of the stay 4. The stay 4 is formed, for example, in the shape of a flat plate that extends horizontally along the width direction Y, and the opening 4a is configured as a through-hole that penetrates the stay 4 along the stacking direction Z. In this embodiment, an inclined surface 16e is provided on one end side of the protrusion 16d in the width direction Y to guide the tip end of the stay 4. The inclined surface 16e is inclined from the top of the protrusion 16d toward the one end side in the width direction Y toward the other end side in the stacking direction Z (the locking piece 16b side).

[0028] In this embodiment, the tip of the stay 4 is inserted into the insertion hole 16a of the fixing part 16 having the above-described configuration from one end side in the width direction Y (the tapered surface 16f side). Then, the tip of the stay 4 is guided along the inclined surface 16e of the protrusion 16d, causing the free end of the locking piece 16b on the other end side in the width direction Y to elastically deform along the stacking direction Z. Then, the tip of the stay 4 climbs over the protrusion 16d, causing the locking piece 16b to return to its free state, and the protrusion 16d is inserted into and engaged with the opening 4a of the stay 4. In this state, the inner surface of the opening 4a and the locking surface of the protrusion 16d are locked together in the width direction Y, and the stay 4 is locked (fixed) to the fixing part 16.

[0029] Next, an example of a manufacturing method (assembly method) for the busbar holder 1 having the above configuration will be described. Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the manufacturing method for the busbar holder 1, showing a first step S1, Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the manufacturing method for the busbar holder 1, showing a second step S2, Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the manufacturing method for the busbar holder 1, showing a third step S3, and Fig. 9 is a flowchart of the manufacturing method for the busbar holder 1.

[0030] First, in the first step S1, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 , the busbars 2 are inserted into the insertion spaces 3 of the bases 10 along the axial direction X to be assembled. In this case, the busbar holders 1 are arranged, for example, with the insertion spaces 3 of the pair of bases 10 opening in opposite directions along the stacking direction Z, and the busbars 2 are inserted into the insertion spaces 3 along the stacking direction Z. That is, the first holder 1A of the busbar holder 1 is arranged with the insertion spaces 3 of the bases 10 opening toward one end of the stacking direction Z, and the first busbar 2A of the busbars 2 is inserted into the insertion spaces 3 from one end of the stacking direction Z. Meanwhile, the second holder 1B of the busbar holder 1 is arranged with the insertion spaces 3 of the bases 10 opening toward the other end of the stacking direction Z, and the second busbar 2B of the busbars 2 is inserted into the insertion spaces 3 from the other end of the stacking direction Z.

[0031] In this embodiment, the busbar 2 includes a conductive busbar body 2a and an insulating covering portion 2b that is insulating and covers the busbar body 2a, and the busbar holder 1 is assembled to the insulating covering portion 2b of the busbar 2. The insulating covering portion 2b is provided, for example, over substantially the entire linear portion of the busbar 2 that extends along the axial direction X, and the pair of bases 10, the pair of covers 20, and the pair of locking members 30 of the busbar holder 1 are assembled to predetermined positions of the insulating covering portion 2b.

[0032] Next, in the process of second step S2, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, the cover 20 is assembled by sliding it along the axial direction X relative to the base 10. In this case, the busbar holder 1 is set, for example, at a position where the pair of covers 20 are offset along the axial direction X from the pair of bases 10 on the busbar 2 (see Figure 6), and in this state, the pair of covers 20 are slid along the axial direction X toward the pair of bases 10 and inserted into the pair of bases 10.

[0033] Next, in the process of third step S3, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the locking member 30 is assembled and fixed to the base 10 and the cover 20 along the stacking direction Z. In this case, for example, the pair of locking members 30 are inserted into the through holes 24 of the pair of covers 20 from opposite directions along the stacking direction Z, and the respective locked portions 35 are locked with the locking portions 15 of the pair of bases 10. By performing the first step S1 to the third step S3, the first holder 1A and the second holder 1B of the busbar holder 1 (the pair of bases 10, the pair of covers 20, and the pair of locking members 30) are assembled to the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B of the busbar 2, and the busbar holder 1 can be manufactured.

[0034] In this embodiment, when removing the busbars 2 from the busbar holder 1, the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B of the busbar 2 can be removed in opposite directions (away from each other) along the stacking direction Z. This prevents the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B from coming closer to each other than a certain distance, and also has the advantage of preventing short circuits of the busbars 2 because one of the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B can be removed first.

[0035] As described above, in the busbar holder 1 and the manufacturing method of the busbar holder 1 of this embodiment, the locking member 30 includes the protruding portion 34 that is inserted into the through hole 24 of the cover 20 and sandwiches the busbar 2 between the cover 20 and the base 10, and a pair of locked portions 35 that are provided at both ends in the width direction Y and that are locked with the pair of locking portions 15 of the base 10 when the protruding portion 34 is inserted into the through hole 24. With this configuration, the busbar holder 1 and the manufacturing method of the busbar holder 1 can assemble and fix the base 10, the cover 20, and the locking member 30 to any position on a linear portion of the busbar 2 that extends along the axial direction X, for example, using the protruding portion 34 of the locking member 30 and the pair of locked portions 35. As a result, the busbar holder 1 and the manufacturing method of the busbar holder 1 can improve the ease of assembly to the busbar 2.

[0036] Furthermore, in the busbar holder 1 of this embodiment, the protrusions 34 include a first protrusion 34a extending along the width direction Y and a second protrusion 34b extending parallel to the first protrusion 34a, and the through holes 24 include a first through hole 24a into which the first protrusion 34a is inserted and a second through hole 24b into which the second protrusion 34b is inserted. With this configuration, the busbar holder 1 can clamp the busbar 2, for example, with the multiple first protrusions 34a and second protrusions 34b, thereby further suppressing movement of the busbar 2 along the axial direction X relative to the locking member 30 and the base 10. Furthermore, engagement of the multiple first protrusions 34a and second protrusions 34b with the first through holes 24a and second through holes 24b further suppresses movement of the cover 20 along the axial direction X relative to the locking member 30 and the base 10.

[0037] Moreover, in the busbar holder 1 of this embodiment, the base 10 further has a fixing portion 16 configured to include an insertion hole 16a into which the vehicle-side stay 4 is inserted along the width direction Y, and a cantilever spring-like locking piece 16b provided on the peripheral wall of the insertion hole 16a and with which the stay 4 is locked along the width direction Y. With this configuration, the busbar holder 1 can relatively easily fix the base 10 to the vehicle-side stay 4 (the part to be fixed) by, for example, the insertion hole 16a and the locking piece 16b of the fixing portion 16.

[0038] Furthermore, in the busbar holder 1 of this embodiment, the busbar 2 includes a conductive busbar body 2a and an insulating covering portion 2b that is insulating and covers the busbar body 2a, and the base 10, the cover 20, and the locking member 30 are assembled to the insulating covering portion 2b of the busbar 2. With this configuration, the busbar holder 1 can be assembled to the busbar 2, for example, more easily, more smoothly, or more appropriately.

[0039] Furthermore, in the busbar holder 1 of this embodiment, the busbar 2 is configured to include a pair of a first busbar 2A and a second busbar 2B, and includes a first holder 1A that is assembled to the first busbar 2A and has a base 10, a cover 20, and a locking member 30, and a second holder 1B that is assembled to the second busbar 2B and is formed separately from the first holder 1A and has the base 10, the cover 20, and the locking member 30. With this configuration, the busbar holder 1 can, for example, assemble the first holder 1A and the second holder 1B individually to the pair of the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B of the busbar 2, thereby further improving the ease of assembly to the busbar 2.

[0040] [Variations] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a busbar wiring structure to which a busbar holder 1C according to a modified example is applied, FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the busbar holder 1C, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the busbar holder 1C, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the busbar holder 1C, viewed from a different angle than that of FIG. 12. The busbar holder 1C shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 has a similar configuration to the busbar holder 1 of the above embodiment. Therefore, the busbar holder 1C can obtain the same actions and effects as the above embodiment based on the similar configuration.

[0041] However, this modification differs from the above embodiment in that, as shown in Figures 10 to 13, the locking member 30 is assembled to approximately the center of the base 10 in the axial direction X. Specifically, in this modification, the pair of locking portions 15 of the base 10 are provided in approximately the center of the pair of base-side side walls 12 in the axial direction X, and the through hole 24 of the cover 20 is provided in approximately the center of the cover-side bottom wall 21 in the axial direction X. In addition, in this modification, the first through hole 24a of the through hole 24 is formed in a slit shape extending laterally along the width direction Y, and the second through hole 24b of the through hole 24 is formed in a slit shape extending laterally along the axial direction X. The first through hole 24a and the second through hole 24b are provided spaced apart from each other and are formed in a substantially L-shape when viewed from the stacking direction Z.

[0042] On the other hand, the first protrusion 34a of the protrusion 34 of the locking member 30 extends horizontally in the width direction Y, and the second protrusion 34b of the protrusion 34 extends horizontally in the axial direction X. The first protrusion 34a and the second protrusion 34b are spaced apart from each other and are formed in a substantially L-shape when viewed from the stacking direction Z. That is, in this modification, the first protrusion 34a and the second protrusion 34b are arranged to intersect (orthogonally intersect) each other. In this modification, the first through-hole 24a and the second through-hole 24b are engaged with the first protrusion 34a and the second protrusion 34b, thereby restricting movement of the cover 20 along the axial direction X relative to the locking member 30, and thus the base 10 to which the cover 20 is fixed via the locked portion 35.

[0043] Next, an example of a manufacturing method (assembly method) for the busbar holder 1C having the above configuration will be described. Fig. 14 is a perspective view illustrating the manufacturing method for the busbar holder 1C, showing a first step S1, Fig. 15 is a perspective view illustrating the manufacturing method for the busbar holder 1C, showing a second step S2, and Fig. 16 is a perspective view illustrating the manufacturing method for the busbar holder 1C, showing a third step S3.

[0044] First, in the first step S1, as shown in Fig. 14, the busbar 2 is inserted into the insertion space 3 along the axial direction X and assembled to the base 10. In this case, the busbar holder 1C is arranged in a state where the insertion spaces 3 of the pair of bases 10 are open in opposite directions along the stacking direction Z, for example, as in the above embodiment, and the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B of the busbar 2 are inserted into the respective insertion spaces 3 along the stacking direction Z.

[0045] Next, in the process of second step S2, as shown in Fig. 15, the cover 20 is assembled by sliding it along the axial direction X relative to the base 10. In this case, for example, the busbar holder 1C is set such that the pair of covers 20 are shifted along the axial direction X from the pair of bases 10 in the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B (see Fig. 14), and in this state, the pair of covers 20 are slid along the axial direction X toward the pair of bases 10 and inserted into the pair of bases 10.

[0046] Next, in the process of third step S3, as shown in Fig. 16, the locking member 30 is assembled and fixed to the base 10 and the cover 20 along the stacking direction Z. In this case, for example, the pair of locking members 30 are inserted into the through holes 24 of the pair of covers 20 from opposite directions along the stacking direction Z, and the respective locked portions 35 are locked with the locking portions 15 of the pair of bases 10. By performing the first step S1 to the third step S3, the first holder 1A and the second holder 1B (the pair of bases 10, the pair of covers 20, and the pair of locking members 30) of the busbar holder 1C can be assembled to the first busbar 2A and the second busbar 2B of the busbar 2, thereby manufacturing the busbar holder 1C.

[0047] As described above, in the busbar holder 1C of this modified example, the protrusions 34 include the first protrusions 34a extending along the width direction Y and the second protrusions 34b extending along the axial direction X intersecting the first protrusions 34a, and the through holes 24 include the first through holes 24a into which the first protrusions 34a are inserted and the second through holes 24b into which the second protrusions 34b are inserted. With this configuration, the busbar holder 1C can, for example, further suppress movement of the busbar 2 along the axial direction X relative to the locking member 30 and the base 10 by the first protrusions 34a and the second protrusions 34b and the first through holes 24a and the second through holes 24b intersecting each other, and can further suppress movement of the cover 20 along the axial direction X relative to the locking member 30 and the base 10.

[0048] In the above embodiment and modified example, the busbar holders 1, 1C are exemplified as being configured to include a first holder 1A and a second holder 1B, i.e., a pair of bases 10, a pair of covers 20, and a pair of locking members 30. However, this is not limited to this example, and the busbar holders 1, 1C may be configured to include, for example, one or three or more bases 10, one or three or more covers 20, and one or three or more locking members 30.

[0049] While the above describes exemplary embodiments and modifications of the present invention, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments and modifications can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the specifications of each configuration, shape, and the like (structure, type, direction, format, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1, 1C busbar holder 1A First holder 1B Second holder 2 Busbar 2A 1st bus bar 2a Busbar body 2B Second bus bar 2b Insulation coating 3 Insertion space 4 Stay 10 base 14 Groove 15 Locking part 16 Fixed part 16a Insertion hole 16b Locking piece 20 Cover 24 through holes 24a 1st through hole 24b 2nd through hole 30 Locking member 34 Protrusion 34a 1st protrusion 34b Second protrusion 35 Locked part X-axis direction Y width direction Z stacking direction

Claims

1. a base provided with an insertion space through which the bus bar is inserted along the axial direction; a cover that is assembled to the base along the axial direction and covers the insertion space from one end side in a stacking direction that intersects with the axial direction; a locking member that is assembled to the base and the cover along the stacking direction, the base includes a groove portion that supports the cover slidably along the axial direction, and a pair of locking portions that are provided at both ends in a width direction that intersects with the axial direction and the stacking direction, the cover is configured to include a through hole that penetrates the cover along the stacking direction, The locking member includes a protruding portion that protrudes along the stacking direction, is inserted into the through hole of the cover, and holds the bus bar between itself and the base, and a pair of locked portions that are provided at both ends in the width direction and are locked with the pair of locking portions of the base when the protruding portions are inserted into the through hole. Busbar holder.

2. the protruding portion includes a first protruding portion extending along the width direction, and a second protruding portion extending in a direction parallel to the first protruding portion or along the axial direction intersecting with the first protruding portion, The through hole includes a first through hole into which the first protruding portion is inserted and a second through hole into which the second protruding portion is inserted. The busbar holder according to claim 1 .

3. The base further has a fixing portion including an insertion hole into which a vehicle-side stay is inserted along the width direction, and a cantilever spring-shaped locking piece that is provided on a peripheral wall of the insertion hole and by which the stay is locked along the width direction. The busbar holder according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the bus bar includes a bus bar body having electrical conductivity and an insulating coating portion having electrical insulation and covering the bus bar body, The base, the cover, and the locking member are assembled to the insulating coating portion of the bus bar. The busbar holder according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The bus bar includes a pair of a first bus bar and a second bus bar, a first holder assembled to the first bus bar and including the base, the cover, and the locking member; a second holder that is assembled to the second bus bar and is formed separately from the first holder, the second holder including the base, the cover, and the locking member; The busbar holder according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a first step of assembling a bus bar to a base having an insertion space by inserting the bus bar into the insertion space along an axial direction; a second step of assembling a cover that covers the insertion space from one end side in a stacking direction intersecting with the axial direction by sliding it along the axial direction relative to the base; a third step of assembling and fixing a locking member to the base and the cover along the stacking direction, the locking member including: a protruding portion that is inserted into the through hole of the cover and that sandwiches the bus bar between itself and the base; and a pair of engaged portions that are provided at both ends in a width direction that intersects the axial direction and the stacking direction and that are engaged with a pair of engaging portions of the base when the protruding portion is inserted into the through hole; A method for manufacturing a bus bar holder comprising:

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