Inter-terminal connection structure

Abstract

To provide an inter-terminal connection structure capable of improving workability of fastening work.SOLUTION: An inter-terminal connection structure 3 comprises a first connector 1 including a first terminal 10, a second connector 2 including a second terminal 60, an electrification component 100, and fasteners 80A and 30 which fasten the first terminal 10, the second terminal 60 and the electrification component 100. The first connector 1 includes a first opening 21 in which a first contact part 11 of the first terminal 10 is exposed. The second connector 2 includes a second opening 71 in which a second contact part 61 of the second terminal 60 is exposed. The fastener 80A includes within a housing space a reception part 86 which receives an external force for fastening, a guide part 87 which faces an inner wall surface 75 of a housing wall 71 and extends along the inner wall surface 75 and a groove part 88 which is disposed between the reception part 86 and the guide part 87, and fastens the first terminal 10, the second terminal 60 and the electrification component 100 in a fitted state of the first connector 1 and the second connector 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inter-terminal connection structure comprising a first connector having a first terminal, a second connector having a second terminal, an electrically conductive component that electrically connects the first terminal and the second terminal, and a fastener that fastens the first terminal, the second terminal, and the electrically conductive component. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a connection structure has been proposed in which a pair of bus bars are electrically connected by sandwiching a relay terminal between the pair of bus bars and fastening them with a bolt and a nut (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7292013 Publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional connection structure described above, an insulating cover is attached to the bolt and a protective wall is placed around the bolt to prevent the worker from accidentally touching a terminal to which voltage is applied or a bolt in contact with the terminal (a so-called live part) when performing a fastening operation. However, the tradeoff of having the bolt surrounded by a protective wall is that it is difficult for the worker to adjust the position of the bolt. Therefore, in the conventional connection structure, if the bolt is tilted before or during the fastening operation, it is difficult to return the bolt to a position suitable for fastening. In other words, in the conventional connection structure, it is difficult to maintain the bolt in a position suitable for fastening, making it difficult to improve the workability of the fastening operation.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal connection structure that can improve the workability of fastening work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the terminal connection structure according to the present invention has the following features.

[0007] A terminal connection structure comprising: a first connector having a first terminal; a second connector having a second terminal; a current-carrying part that electrically connects the first terminal and the second terminal; and a fastener that fastens the first terminal, the second terminal, and the current-carrying part together, The first connector is a first opening that exposes a first contact portion of the first terminal and through which a part of the current-carrying component is inserted; The second connector is a second opening that exposes a second contact portion of the second terminal and through which another portion of the current-carrying component is inserted, and an accommodation wall that defines an accommodation space extending in a fastening direction of the fastener, The fastener is a receiving portion that receives an external force for fastening, a guide portion that faces an inner wall surface of the accommodating wall and extends along the inner wall surface, and a groove portion that is between the receiving portion and the guide portion and is recessed in the fastening direction, in the accommodating space, and fastens the first terminal, the second terminal, and the current-carrying part when the first connector and the second connector are fitted together; It has a terminal connection structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the terminal connection structure of the present invention, a fastener (e.g., a bolt) has a receiving portion (e.g., a head portion of the bolt) that receives an external force for fastening, a guide portion that faces the inner wall surface of the housing wall in which the fastener is housed and extends along the inner wall surface, and a groove portion that is located between the receiving portion and the guide portion and recessed in the fastening direction. Then, with the first connector and the second connector mated, the fastener fastens the first terminal, the second terminal, and the current-carrying component. Since the guide portion of the fastener faces the inner wall surface of the housing wall, even if the fastener tends to tilt in the fastening direction, for example, the guide portion of the fastener abuts against the inner wall surface of the housing wall, thereby suppressing such tilt. In other words, the guide portion of the fastener can guide the fastener so that it can move only in the fastening direction. This allows the bolt to be maintained in a position suitable for fastening, even when the fastener is housed in a housing space surrounded by the housing wall, thereby improving the workability of the fastening operation. Furthermore, the fastener has a groove between the receiving portion and the guide portion. Therefore, when a fastening metal tool (e.g., a torque wrench) is applied to the receiving portion to perform fastening work, the creepage distance between the bolt, which is the live part closest to the metal tool, and the metal tool can be made longer than if such a groove were not provided. This allows the worker to perform fastening work without excessively worrying about unintended current flow between the metal fitting and the live part. Therefore, the terminal connection structure of the present invention can improve the workability of fastening work.

[0009] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the invention set forth below, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inter-terminal connection structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first connector and the second connector constituting the inter-terminal connection structure shown in FIG. 1 are separated. [Figure 3]3 is an exploded perspective view of the second connector shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5, showing a state in which the first connector and the second connector have been completely mated. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top view of a terminal connection structure according to a modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example in which the nut is engaged with and integrated with the first terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a terminal connection structure 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The terminal connection structure 3 shown in Figures 1 and 6 functions to electrically connect a first terminal 10 in the first connector 1 and a second terminal 60 in the second connector 2 via a collar 100 when a first connector 1 and a second connector 2 are fitted together and a bolt 80 and a nut 30 are fastened.

[0012] For the sake of convenience, the following definitions are used for the "front-rear direction," "up-down direction," "left-right direction," "front," "rear," "up," "down," "left," and "right" as shown in FIG. 1 and other figures. The "front-rear direction," "up-down direction," and "left-right direction" are perpendicular to one another. The up-down direction coincides with the "fitting direction" and "fastening direction" of the present invention. Note that these up-down directions are defined merely for the sake of convenience, and do not necessarily correspond to the up-down direction of a vehicle or the like when the terminal connection structure 3 is mounted on the vehicle or the like.

[0013] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first connector 1 mainly includes a first terminal 10 and a first housing 20 that accommodates the first terminal 10. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the second connector 2 mainly includes a second terminal 60 and a second housing 70 that accommodates the second terminal 60. First, the first connector 1 will be described below.

[0014] First, the first terminal 10 will be described. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the metal first terminal 10 has a narrow, flat plate-like shape extending in the left-right direction in a region near one end, and the end face of one end of the first terminal 10 has a curved shape that protrudes in a semicircular arc. A through hole 11 is formed in one end of the first terminal 10, penetrating in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction). Here, the upper surface of the periphery of the through hole 11 in the first terminal 10 corresponds to the "first contact portion" of the present invention (see Figure 6).

[0015] Next, the first housing 20 will be described. The first housing 20 is a resin molded product, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, etc., includes a vertically extending tubular portion 21 and a terminal-accommodating tubular portion 22 extending leftward from approximately the vertical center of the tubular portion 21. The tubular portion 21 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is open at both the upper and lower ends. The opening at the upper end between the tubular portion 21 and the insulating cap 40 is large enough to allow the collar 100 to be inserted therethrough but not large enough to allow an operator's finger to be inserted therethrough. The terminal-accommodating tubular portion 22 has a rectangular tubular shape so that one end of the first terminal 10 can be inserted therethrough, and the hollow portion of the terminal-accommodating tubular portion 22 communicates with the hollow portion of the tubular portion 21. The extending end (left end) of the terminal-accommodating tubular portion 22 is open. A generally rectangular frame-shaped retaining portion 23 extending vertically is integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 21 in a region of the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 21 adjacent to the lower side of the terminal-accommodating cylindrical portion 22 in the vertical direction. The retaining portion 23 is for retaining a generally rectangular flat flange portion 32 (see FIG. 4) of a nut 30 (described later). A circular frame-shaped retaining portion 24 extending vertically is integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 21 in a region of the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 21 adjacent to the upper side of the terminal-accommodating cylindrical portion 22 in the vertical direction. The retaining portion 24 is for retaining the lower end of the collar 100 (see also FIG. 6). A pair of front and rear locking protrusions 25 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of both front and rear ends of the lower end of the cylindrical portion 21 (see FIG. 4). The pair of front and rear locking protrusions 25 engage with a pair of front and rear locking frame pieces 53 of the insulating cover 50 (described later) (see FIG. 2). The opening at the upper edge of the cylindrical portion 21 of the first housing 20 corresponds to the "first opening" of the present invention.

[0016] To assemble the first connector 1, first, one end of the first terminal 10 is inserted from the left side into the terminal-accommodating cylindrical portion 22 of the first housing 20. When the first terminal 10 is completely accommodated in the first housing 20, as shown in Fig. 5 , the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10 is coaxially arranged within the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 21 of the first housing 20, and the upper surface (first contact portion) of the peripheral portion of the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10 is exposed to the outside through an opening (first opening) in the upper edge portion of the cylindrical portion 21.

[0017] Next, the nut 30 is inserted into the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10, which is disposed in the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 21 of the first housing 20. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the metal nut 30 integrally includes a cylindrical cylindrical portion 31 extending vertically and a flange portion 32 extending radially outward from the lower end of the cylindrical portion 31 in a generally rectangular flat plate shape. A female thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 31. An annular groove 33 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the cylindrical portion 31. As shown in FIG. 5 , the nut 30 is inserted into the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10 from below. When the nut 30 is completely inserted into the through hole 11, the upper end of the cylindrical portion 31, including the annular groove 33, protrudes upward from the through hole 11, and the upper surface of the flange portion 32 abuts against the first terminal 10. The flange portion 32 of the nut 30 is accommodated and held in the holding portion 23 of the first housing 20. By holding the flange portion 32 by the holding portion 23, the relative rotation of the nut 30 with respect to the first housing 20 is restricted, and the first terminal 10 is prevented from coming off (separating) from the first housing 20.

[0018] Next, the insulating cap 40 is attached to the nut 30 inserted into the through-hole 11 of the first terminal 10. The insulating cap 40 is an insulating resin molded product and has a generally cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction as a whole, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 . The inner diameter of the insulating cap 40 corresponds to the outer diameter of the tubular portion 31 of the nut 30. Instead of an outer wall, cantilevered locking pieces 41 extending downward are formed at each of two opposing locations on the outer peripheral side surface of the insulating cap 40. The insulating cap 40 is attached to the tubular portion 31 of the nut 30 from above so as to cover the upper end of the tubular portion 31. When the insulating cap 40 is completely attached to the nut 30, the pair of locking pieces 41 of the insulating cap 40 engage with the annular groove 33 of the nut 30. The engagement between the pair of locking pieces 41 and the annular groove 33 prevents the insulating cap 40 from falling off (separating) from the nut 30.

[0019] Next, the insulating cover 50 is attached to the lower edge of the cylindrical portion 21 of the first housing 20. The insulating cover 50 is an insulating resin molded product and, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , has a generally circular disk shape that can cover the opening at the lower edge of the cylindrical portion 21. As shown in FIG. 5 , an annular groove 51 that is recessed downward and opens upward is formed in the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface of the insulating cover 50. A generally rectangular cylindrical retaining portion 52 that protrudes upward is formed in the center of the upper surface of the insulating cover 50 to hold the flange portion 32 of the nut 30 from below. Instead of an outer peripheral wall, cantilevered locking frame pieces 53 that extend upward are formed on each of the outer peripheral side surfaces at both front and rear ends of the insulating cover 50. The insulating cover 50 is attached to the lower edge of the cylindrical portion 21 of the first housing 20 from below. When the insulating cover 50 is completely attached to the first housing 20, the cylindrical lower edge of the tubular portion 21 is inserted into the groove 51 of the insulating cover 50, and the locking frame piece 53 of the insulating cover 50 is engaged with the locking protrusion 25 of the first housing 20. This prevents the insulating cover 50 from falling off (separating) from the first housing 20. Furthermore, the upper end of the retaining portion 52 abuts against the flange portion 32 of the nut 30, thereby restricting downward movement of the nut 30 relative to the first housing 20.

[0020] This completes the assembly of the first connector 1, yielding the first connector 1 shown in Figures 2 and 5. When the assembly of the first connector 1 is complete, the upper side of the nut 30 is covered by the insulating cap 40, and the lower side of the nut 30 is covered by the insulating cover 50, preventing a worker from accidentally touching the nut 30 (a so-called live part) that is in contact with the first terminal 10 to which a voltage may be applied. The second connector 2 will now be described.

[0021] First, the second terminal 60 will be described. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the metal second terminal 60 has a narrow, flat plate-like shape extending in the left-right direction in a region near one end, and the end face of one end of the second terminal 60 has a curved shape that protrudes in a semicircular arc. A through-hole 61 is formed in one end of the second terminal 60, penetrating in the plate thickness direction (vertical direction). Here, the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the through-hole 61 in the second terminal 60 corresponds to the "second contact portion" of the present invention (see Figure 6).

[0022] Next, the second housing 70 will be described. The second housing 70 is a resin-molded product. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the second housing 70 integrally includes a vertically extending tubular portion 71 and a terminal-accommodating tubular portion 72 extending leftward from approximately the vertical center of the tubular portion 71. The tubular portion 71 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is open at both the upper and lower ends. Each of the openings at the upper and lower ends of the tubular portion 71 is large enough to allow the collar 100 to be inserted therethrough but not large enough to allow an operator's fingers to be inserted therethrough. The lower edge of the tubular portion 71 is shaped so that it can be inserted into the upper edge of the tubular portion 21 of the first housing 20 (see FIG. 6). The terminal-accommodating tubular portion 72 has a rectangular tubular shape so that one end of the second terminal 60 can be inserted therethrough. The hollow portion of the terminal-accommodating tubular portion 72 communicates with the hollow portion of the tubular portion 71. The extending end (left end) of the terminal-accommodating tubular portion 72 is open. A generally circular frame-shaped holding portion 73 extending vertically for holding a cylindrical collar 100 (see FIG. 3) is integrally provided with the cylindrical portion 71 in an area of ​​the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 71 adjacent to the lower side of the terminal accommodating cylindrical portion 72 in the vertical direction. A pair of front and rear locking protrusions 74 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of both front and rear ends of the upper end of the cylindrical portion 71 (see FIG. 3). The pair of front and rear locking protrusions 74 engage with a pair of front and rear locking frame pieces 92 of the insulating cover 90 (described later) (see FIG. 2). Here, the opening at the lower edge of the cylindrical portion 71 of the second housing 70 corresponds to the "second opening" of the present invention, and the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical portion 71 extending vertically above the terminal accommodating cylindrical portion 72 corresponds to the "accommodating wall" of the present invention.

[0023] To assemble the second connector 2, first, one end of the second terminal 60 is inserted from the left side into the terminal-accommodating cylindrical portion 72 of the second housing 70. When the second terminal 60 is completely accommodated in the second housing 70, as shown in Fig. 5 , the through-hole 61 of the second terminal 60 is coaxially arranged within the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 71 of the second housing 70, and the lower surface (second contact portion) of the peripheral portion of the through-hole 61 of the second terminal 60 is exposed to the outside through an opening (second opening) in the lower edge portion of the cylindrical portion 71.

[0024] Next, the bolt with insulating cover 80A is inserted into the through-hole 61 of the second terminal 60 disposed in the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 71 of the second housing 70. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the bolt with insulating cover 80A is composed of a metal bolt 80 consisting of a head portion 81, a seat portion 82, and a shaft portion (male thread portion) 83, and an insulating cover 84 that is integrated with the bolt 80 so as to cover the entire outer surface of the head portion 81 of the bolt 80 and the upper surface and outer peripheral side surface of the seat portion 82.

[0025] The insulating cover 84 is an insulating resin molded product, and is integrated with the bolt 80 by insert molding or the like. An annular protrusion 85 that protrudes upward is formed at the upper corner of the outer peripheral edge of the insulating cover 84 in a portion that covers the seating surface portion 82. The outer peripheral side surface of the annular protrusion 85 and the outer peripheral side surface of the insulating cover 84 in a portion that covers the seating surface portion 82 are continuous in the vertical direction without any steps, and constitute the "outer peripheral side surface of the insulating cover 84." The outer peripheral side surface of the insulating cover 84 constitutes a cylindrical outer peripheral side surface that extends in the vertical direction and has a size corresponding to the inner wall surface 75 (see FIG. 5) of the cylindrical portion (accommodating wall) located above the terminal accommodating cylindrical portion 72 of the cylindrical portion 71.

[0026] In insulating cover 84, the portion that covers the entire outer surface (top and side surfaces) of head 81 of bolt 80 constitutes receiving portion 86 that receives an external force from a fastening metal tool, the outer peripheral edge portion extending in the vertical direction of insulating cover 84 including the outer peripheral side surface of insulating cover 84 constitutes guide portion 87 that faces inner wall surface 75 of tubular portion 71 (housing wall) and extends along inner wall surface 75, and an annular recess that is recessed downward and located between annular protrusion 85 (i.e., the upper end of guide portion 87) and receiving portion 86 constitutes groove portion 88. As shown in Fig. 5, in bolt 80A with insulating cover, shank 83 is inserted into through hole 61 of second terminal 60 from above. During the process of inserting the shaft portion 83 into the through-hole 61, the outer peripheral side surface of the insulating cover 84, which extends in the vertical direction and has a size corresponding to the inner wall surface 75 of the cylindrical portion 71, moves relatively downward while in contact (sliding) with (or maintaining a small gap between) the inner wall surface 75 of the cylindrical portion 71. Therefore, during this process, even if the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A attempts to tilt in the vertical direction, the outer peripheral side surface (guide portion 87) of the insulating cover 84 abuts against the inner wall surface 75 of the cylindrical portion 71, thereby suppressing such tilt. In other words, the guide portion 87 of the insulating cover 84 can guide the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A so that the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A can move only in the vertical direction.

[0027] 5 , the insertion of the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A into the through hole 61 is completed in a state in which the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A is held relative to the second housing 70 such that the seating surface 82 of the bolt 80 is spaced apart in the vertical direction from the periphery of the through hole 61 of the second terminal 60 due to frictional force caused by contact between the outer peripheral side surface of the insulating cover 84 and the inner wall surface 75 of the cylindrical portion 71. Note that if there is a small gap between the outer peripheral side surface of the insulating cover 84 and the inner wall surface 75 of the cylindrical portion 71, the insertion of the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A into the through hole 61 is completed in a state in which the seating surface 82 of the bolt 80 abuts against the periphery of the through hole 61 of the second terminal 60. When the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A has been completely inserted into the through hole 61, the above-described action of the guide portion 87 of the insulating cover 84 can maintain the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A in an orientation suitable for fastening (an orientation that is not tilted in the vertical direction), thereby improving the operability of the subsequent fastening operation. Furthermore, since the shaft portion 83 of the bolt 80 is inserted through the through-hole 61, the second terminal 60 is prevented from coming off (separating) from the second housing .

[0028] Next, the insulating cover 90 is attached to the upper edge of the cylindrical portion 71 of the second housing 70. The insulating cover 90 is an insulating resin molded product and, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 , has a generally cylindrical shape that can be attached to the upper edge of the cylindrical portion 71. As shown in FIG. 5 , an annular groove 91 that is recessed upward and opens downward is formed in the lower end surface of the generally cylindrical insulating cover 90. Instead of an outer peripheral wall, cantilevered locking frame pieces 92 that extend downward are formed on each of the outer peripheral side surfaces at both front and rear ends of the insulating cover 90. The insulating cover 90 is attached to the upper edge of the cylindrical portion 71 of the second housing 70 from above. When the insulating cover 90 is completely attached to the second housing 70, the cylindrical upper edge of the cylindrical portion 71 is inserted into the groove 91 of the insulating cover 90, and the locking frame pieces 92 of the insulating cover 90 are engaged with the locking protrusions 74 of the second housing 70. This prevents the insulating cover 90 from falling off (separating) from the second housing 70.

[0029] 2 and 5 is obtained. When the second connector 2 is in an assembled state, the upper side (head 81 and seat 82) of the bolt 80 is covered by the insulating cover 84, and the lower side (shank 83) of the bolt 80 is covered by the cylindrical portion 71 of the second housing 70, thereby preventing an operator from accidentally touching (mistouching) the bolt 80 that is in contact with the second terminal 60 to which a voltage may be applied (a so-called live part).

[0030] The first connector 1 and the second connector 2, which have been assembled as described above, are mated as follows. First, as shown in Fig. 5 and other figures, a cylindrical metal collar 100 extending in the vertical direction is inserted from below into the hollow portion of the second housing 70 of the second connector 2. When the collar 100 has been completely inserted into the second housing 70, the collar 100 is held by the retaining portion 73 in a state in which it is in contact with the lower surface (second contact portion) of the periphery of the through-hole 61 of the second terminal 60 and is arranged coaxially with the through-hole 61. Next, the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are mated from a state in which the first connector 1 is positioned above the second connector 2. This fitting progresses so that the lower edge of the cylindrical portion 71 of the second housing 70 is inserted into the upper edge of the cylindrical portion 21 of the first housing 20, and so that the lower end of the collar 100 enters the annular gap between the retaining portion 24 of the first housing 20 and the outer peripheral side surface of the insulating cap 40 and is held by the retaining portion 24, and when the fitting is complete, the collar 100 contacts the upper surface (first contact portion) of the peripheral portion of the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10 (see Figure 6).

[0031] Next, a metal tool (not shown) for fastening is used to fasten the bolt 80 and the nut 30. Specifically, with the metal tool inserted into the groove 88 of the insulating cover 84 of the bolt 80A with insulation cover and in contact with the receiving portion 86 (the portion covering the head 81 of the bolt 80), the shank (male thread portion) 83 of the bolt 80 is inserted into the hollow portion of the tubular portion 31 of the nut 30, and the metal tool is rotated relative to the first housing 20, so that the shank 83 of the bolt 80 is screwed into the female threads of the hollow portion of the nut 30 with a predetermined torque. Here, the insulating cover 84 of the bolt 80A with insulation cover has a groove 88 between the receiving portion 86 and the guide portion 87. Therefore, when the metal tool is brought into contact with the receiving portion 86 to perform the fastening operation, the creepage distance between the metal tool and the bolt 80, which is the live part closest to the metal tool, can be made longer than in a case where such a groove 88 is not provided. This allows the worker to perform fastening work without excessively worrying about unintentional current flowing through the metal fittings.

[0032] By the above fastening operation, the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 60 are fastened and fixed in place with the collar 100 pressed and clamped between the upper surface (first contact portion) of the periphery of the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10 and the lower surface (second contact portion) of the periphery of the through hole 61 of the second terminal 60. In this way, the inter-terminal connection structure 3 shown in Figures 1 and 6 is completed. In the completed inter-terminal connection structure 3, as shown in Figure 6, the first terminal 10 in the first connector 1 and the second terminal 60 in the second connector 2 are electrically connected via the collar 100.

[0033] In the inter-terminal connection structure 3 shown in FIG. 6 in which the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are mated, as shown in FIG. 7, the tubular portion 21, the tubular portion 71, the retaining portion 24, the collar 100, the insulating cap 40, the tubular portion 31 of the nut 30, and the shank 83 of the bolt 80, all of which are located in a range where the tubular portion 21 of the first connector 1 and the tubular portion 71 of the second connector 2 overlap each other in the vertical direction, have a circular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the vertical direction (the mating direction) in that range. Therefore, when the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are mated, the positional relationship between the tubular portion 21 and the tubular portion 71 in the circumferential direction can be selected arbitrarily. For example, in the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the circumferential positions of the tubular portion 21 and the tubular portion 71 are selected so that the extension directions of both the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 60 are leftward (the same direction). In contrast to this, for example, as shown in Figure 8, the circumferential positions of the tubular portion 21 and the tubular portion 71 may be selected so that the extension direction of the first terminal 10 faces left and the extension direction of the second terminal 60 faces forward (so that the extension directions of both intersect with each other).

[0034] <Actions and Effects> As described above, according to the terminal connection structure 3 of this embodiment, the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A (its insulating cover 84) has a receiving portion 86 that receives an external force for fastening, a guide portion 87 that faces the inner wall surface 75 of the accommodation wall (cylindrical portion 71) in which the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A is accommodated and extends along the inner wall surface 75, and a groove portion 88 that is located between the receiving portion 86 and the guide portion 87 and is recessed in the fastening direction (up and down direction). Then, with the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 mated, the first terminal 10, the second terminal 60, and the collar 100 are fastened together with the bolt 80 and the nut 30. Because the guide portion 87 of the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A faces the inner wall surface 75 of the accommodation wall 71, for example, even if the insulating cover-equipped bolt 80A tries to tilt relative to the fastening direction, the guide portion 87 abuts against the inner wall surface 75 of the accommodation wall 71, thereby suppressing such tilt. In other words, the guide portion 87 of the bolt 80A with insulating cover can guide the bolt 80A with insulating cover so that the bolt 80A can move only in the fastening direction. This allows the bolt 80A with insulating cover to be maintained in a position suitable for fastening, even when the bolt 80A is housed in the housing space defined by the housing wall 71, thereby improving the workability of the fastening operation. Furthermore, the bolt 80A with insulating cover has a groove 88 between the receiving portion 86 and the guide portion 87. Therefore, when a fastening metal tool is placed against the receiving portion 86 to perform the fastening operation, the creepage distance between the bolt 80, which is the live part closest to the metal tool, and the metal tool can be made longer than in a case where such a groove 88 is not provided. This allows the worker to perform the fastening operation without excessive consideration of unintended current flow to the metal fitting. Therefore, the terminal connection structure 3 according to this embodiment can improve the workability of the fastening operation.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the terminal connection structure 3 of this embodiment, in a cross section perpendicular to the fitting direction (vertical direction), the first tubular portion (tubular portion 21) of the first connector 1 has a circular cross section, and the second tubular portion (tubular portion 71) of the second connector 2 has a circular cross section. This makes it possible to arbitrarily select the positional relationship in the circumferential direction between the first tubular portion 21 and the second tubular portion 71 when fitting the first connector 1 and the second connector 2. Therefore, the terminal connection structure 3 of this embodiment offers excellent design freedom for the current path using the first connector 1 and the second connector 2.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the terminal connection structure 3 of this embodiment, the receiving portion 86, the guide portion 87, and the groove portion 88 can be integrally provided on the insulating cover 84 that covers the bolt 80 in the bolt 80A with insulating cover. Since the insulating cover 84 serves both to insulate the bolt 80 and to guide the bolt 80, the bolt 80A with insulating cover can be made smaller.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the terminal connection structure 3 of this embodiment, both the first cylindrical portion 21 (first opening) and the second cylindrical portion 71 (second opening) have a size that allows the collar 100 to be inserted therethrough but does not allow the operator's fingers to be inserted therethrough, thereby preventing accidental contact with live parts.

[0038] <Other aspects> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited thereto.

[0039] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, in the first connector 1, the cylindrical portion 31 of the nut 30 is inserted into the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10, thereby engaging the nut 30 with the first terminal 10, but the nut 30 is not integrated with the first terminal 10. In contrast, as long as the structure of the first housing 20 of the first connector 1 allows, the nut 30 with the cylindrical portion 31 inserted into the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10 may be integrated with the first terminal 10, as shown in FIG. 9. This integration may be achieved, for example, by press-fitting the cylindrical portion 31 of the nut 30 into the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10, or by crimping the nut 30 with the cylindrical portion 31 inserted into the through hole 11 of the first terminal 10. This integration reduces the number of parts required to configure the inter-terminal connection structure 3, thereby improving the workability of the fastening operation.

[0040] Here, the features of the embodiment of the terminal-to-terminal connection structure 3 according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [5].

[0041] [1] A terminal connection structure (3) comprising: a first connector (1) having a first terminal (10); a second connector (2) having a second terminal (60); an electrically conductive part (100) that electrically connects the first terminal (10) and the second terminal (60); and a fastener (80A, 30) that fastens the first terminal (10), the second terminal (60), and the electrically conductive part (100), The first connector (1) a first opening (21) that exposes a first contact portion (11) of the first terminal (10) and through which a part of the current-carrying component (100) is inserted; The second connector (2) a second opening (71) that exposes a second contact portion (61) of the second terminal (60) and through which another portion of the current-carrying component (100) is inserted, and a housing wall (71) that defines a housing space extending in a fastening direction of the fastener (80A, 30), The fastener (80A) is The connector has, in the accommodating space, a receiving portion (86) that receives an external force for fastening, a guide portion (87) that faces an inner wall surface (75) of the accommodating wall (71) and extends along the inner wall surface (75), and a groove portion (88) that is between the receiving portion (86) and the guide portion (87) and is recessed in the fastening direction, and fastens the first terminal (10), the second terminal (60), and the current-carrying part (100) together when the first connector (1) and the second connector (2) are fitted together. Terminal connection structure (3).

[0042] According to the terminal connection structure of the above-described configuration [1], a fastener (e.g., a bolt) has a receiving portion (e.g., a head portion of the bolt) that receives an external force for fastening, a guide portion that faces the inner wall surface of the housing wall in which the fastener is housed and extends along the inner wall surface, and a groove portion that is located between the receiving portion and the guide portion and recessed in the fastening direction. Then, with the first connector and the second connector mated, the fastener fastens the first terminal, the second terminal, and the current-carrying component. Since the guide portion of the fastener faces the inner wall surface of the housing wall, even if the fastener tends to tilt in the fastening direction, for example, the guide portion of the fastener abuts against the inner wall surface of the housing wall, thereby suppressing such tilt. In other words, the guide portion of the fastener can guide the fastener so that it can move only in the fastening direction. This allows the bolt to be maintained in a position suitable for fastening, even when the fastener is housed in a housing space surrounded by the housing wall, thereby improving the workability of the fastening operation. Furthermore, the fastener has a groove between the receiving portion and the guide portion. Therefore, when a fastening metal tool (e.g., a torque wrench) is applied to the receiving portion to perform fastening work, the creepage distance between the bolt, which is the live part closest to the metal tool, and the metal tool can be made longer than if such a groove were not provided. This allows the worker to perform fastening work without excessively worrying about unintended current flow between the metal fitting and the live part. Therefore, the terminal connection structure of this configuration can improve the workability of fastening work.

[0043] [2] In the terminal connection structure (3) described in [1] above, The first connector (1) has a first cylindrical portion (21) surrounding the first opening, The second connector (2) has a second cylindrical portion (71) surrounding the second opening, The first cylindrical portion (21) and the second cylindrical portion (71) are When the first connector (1) and the second connector (2) are mated, one of the first tubular portion (21) and the second tubular portion (71) is inserted into the other in the mating direction, and the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the mating direction is circular in the range where the first tubular portion (21) and the second tubular portion (71) overlap each other. Terminal connection structure (3).

[0044] According to the terminal connection structure of the configuration [2] above, in a cross section perpendicular to the mating direction, the cross-sectional shape of the first tubular portion of the first connector is circular, and the cross-sectional shape of the second tubular portion of the second connector is also circular. This allows the circumferential positional relationship between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion to be selected arbitrarily when mating the first connector and the second connector. Therefore, the terminal connection structure of this configuration offers excellent design freedom for the current path using the first connector and the second connector.

[0045] [3] In the terminal connection structure (3) described in [1] above, The fastener (80A) is a bolt (80); and an insulating cover (84) that covers a head (81) of the bolt (80) and has a shape that widens from the head (81) toward the inner wall surface (75), The insulating cover (84) The portion covering the head portion (81) constitutes the receiving portion (86), the edge portion of the containing wall (71) on the inner wall surface (75) side constitutes the guide portion (87), and the groove portion (88) is formed between the receiving portion (86) and the guide portion (87). Terminal connection structure (3).

[0046] According to the terminal connection structure of the above [3], the receiving portion, the guide portion, and the groove portion can be integrally provided on the insulating cover that covers the bolt of the fastener. The insulating cover serves both as an insulator and a guide for the bolt, allowing the fastener to be made smaller.

[0047] [4] In the terminal connection structure (3) described in [3] above, The fastener is The bolt (80) has a nut (30) into which it is screwed, The nut (30) is The terminal is engaged with the first terminal (10) and is integrated with the first terminal (10). Terminal connection structure (3).

[0048] According to the terminal connection structure of the above-mentioned [4], the nut of the fastener is engaged with the first terminal and integrated with the first terminal. As a result, the number of parts constituting the terminal connection structure is reduced by the amount of the first terminal and the nut being integrated with each other. This makes it possible to improve the workability of the fastening operation.

[0049] [5] In the terminal connection structure (3) described in [1] above, The first opening (21) and the second opening (71) are The size is large enough to allow the current-carrying part (100) to pass through but not large enough to allow an operator's fingers to pass through. Terminal connection structure (3).

[0050] According to the inter-terminal connection structure of the configuration [5] above, at least one of the first opening and the second opening has a size that allows a current-carrying component to be inserted therethrough but not a size that allows an operator's finger to be inserted therethrough, thereby preventing accidental contact with live parts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 First Connector 2 Second Connector 3. Terminal connection structure 10 1st terminal 11 Through hole (first contact part) 21 cylindrical portion (first opening, first cylindrical portion) 30 Nut (fastener) 60 2nd terminal 61 Through hole (second contact part) 71 Cylindrical portion (second opening, containing wall, second cylindrical portion) 75 Inner wall surface 80A Insulated Covered Bolt (Fastener) 80 bolts (fasteners) 81 Head 84 Insulating cover 86 Receiving part 87 Information Department 88 Groove 100 Colors (Electrical Parts)

Claims

1. A terminal connection structure comprising: a first connector having a first terminal; a second connector having a second terminal; a current-carrying part that electrically connects the first terminal and the second terminal; and a fastener that fastens the first terminal, the second terminal, and the current-carrying part together, The first connector is a first opening that exposes a first contact portion of the first terminal and through which a part of the current-carrying component is inserted; The second connector is a second opening that exposes a second contact portion of the second terminal and through which another portion of the current-carrying component is inserted; and an accommodation wall that defines an accommodation space extending in a fastening direction of the fastener, The fastener is a receiving portion that receives an external force for fastening, a guide portion that faces an inner wall surface of the accommodating wall and extends along the inner wall surface, and a groove portion that is located between the receiving portion and the guide portion and recessed in the fastening direction, in the accommodating space, and fastens the first terminal, the second terminal, and the current-carrying part when the first connector and the second connector are fitted together; Terminal connection structure.

2. 2. The terminal connection structure according to claim 1, the first connector has a first cylindrical portion surrounding the first opening, the second connector has a second cylindrical portion surrounding the second opening, The first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion are When the first connector and the second connector are mated, one of the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion is inserted into the other in the mating direction, and the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the mating direction is circular in a range where the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion overlap each other. Terminal connection structure.

3. 2. The terminal connection structure according to claim 1, The fastener is a bolt; and an insulating cover that covers a head of the bolt and has a shape that expands from the head toward the inner wall surface, The insulating cover is The portion covering the head constitutes the receiving portion, the edge portion of the containing wall on the inner wall surface side constitutes the guide portion, and the groove portion is provided between the receiving portion and the guide portion. Terminal connection structure.

4. 4. The terminal connection structure according to claim 3, The fastener is The bolt has a nut screwed into it, The nut is the first terminal is engaged with the first terminal and is integrated with the first terminal; Terminal connection structure.

5. 2. The terminal connection structure according to claim 1, At least one of the first opening and the second opening is The size is such that the current-carrying part can be inserted through the hole but the operator's fingers cannot be inserted through the hole. Terminal connection structure.

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