Bus bar and fastening structure for bus bar

Abstract

To provide a bus bar that can be brought into sufficient contact with a fastened member without requiring excessive fastening force, and improve electric contact reliability.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a bus bar 21 that is fastened and fixed to positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14 with electrode bolts 17 and flanged nuts 19, and thin parts 25 which are made less in thickness than other parts with bottomed recessed parts formed on sides opposed to the positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14 are provided at peripheral parts of through holes 23 of the bus bar 21 that the electrode bolts 17 penetrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Bus bars and bus bar fastening structures that are fastened and fixed to fastened members by bolt fastening mechanisms have been used in various electrical connections. FIG. 9 shows a bus bar 500 disclosed in Patent Document 1. This busbar 500 is formed by pressing a metal plate into a predetermined shape, and has an overall rectangular shape with rounded notches at the four corners. Insertion holes 501 into which the male threads of the electrode terminals can be inserted are formed in the busbar 500. A pair of insertion holes 501 are formed in approximately circular shapes by punching out the busbar 500 in the plate thickness direction at positions corresponding to the positive and negative electrode terminals of adjacent battery cells (single cells).

[0003] The peripheral edge of each insertion hole 501 of bus bar 500 serves as pressed portion 502 that is pressed against the seat of the electrode terminal (fastened member) as the nut is tightened. A plurality of through holes 503 are formed at regular intervals around the periphery of bus bar 500 in the circumferential direction of pressed portion 502. All of through holes 503 have the same size and shape. Each through hole 503 extends from the inside to the outside of pressed portion 502 in a direction intersecting the radial direction, and has an elongated shape in which the length dimension in this extension direction is greater than the width dimension.

[0004] Through holes 503 are formed in the peripheral edge of pressed portion 502, forming deformed portion 505 which has lower rigidity than other portions. Deformed portion 505 is annular in shape as a whole, following the peripheral edge of pressed portion 502, and has a constant width dimension as a whole.

[0005] As a result, when pressed portion 502 is pressed by a nut (not shown) that constitutes the bolt fastening mechanism, deforming portion 505 deforms along the seat of the electrode terminal, and pressed portion 502 is pressed against the electrode terminal. Therefore, compared to a bus bar that has uniformly high rigidity, sufficient contact between bus bar 500 and the electrode terminal can be achieved without requiring an excessively large tightening force. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-109090 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the busbar 500 of Patent Document 1 described above, the through-hole 503 is provided on the peripheral edge of the pressed portion 502, which reduces the current path of the busbar fastening portion, thereby increasing the conductor resistance and potentially reducing the reliability of electrical contact.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a bus bar and a bus bar fastening structure that can achieve sufficient contact between the bus bar and the fastened member without requiring excessive tightening force and can improve electrical contact reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration. (1) A bus bar that is fastened and fixed to a fastened member by a bolt fastening mechanism, a busbar in which a thin-walled portion is provided around a through hole in the busbar through which the bolt fastening mechanism passes, the thin-walled portion being thinner than other portions by a bottomed recess formed on a side facing the fastened member. (2) A busbar fastening structure that fastens and fixes a busbar to a fastened member by a bolt fastening mechanism, the bolt fastening mechanism includes a bolt that passes through the bus bar and the fastened member, and a nut that is screwed onto the bolt, a bus bar fastening structure, in which the bus bar has a thin-walled portion that is thinner than other portions by a bottomed recess formed on the side facing the fastened member in the periphery of the through hole through which the bolt passes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bus bar and a bus bar fastening structure that can achieve sufficient contact between the bus bar and the fastened member without requiring excessive tightening force and can improve electrical contact reliability.

[0011] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of a busbar module including a busbar according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with a part of a busbar accommodating chamber cut away. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bus bar shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the side facing the workpiece. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the bus bar module shown in FIG. 1 in a state where nuts are tightened. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a connector including a bus bar fastening structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the connector shown in FIG. 4 in a state where the nut is tightened. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a terminal block according to a third embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 7] 7 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the terminal block shown in FIG. 6, seen from diagonally above on the opposite side. [Figure 8] 8(a) to 8(f) are plan views showing modified examples of the thin-walled portion of the bus bar of this embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a bus bar in a conventional bus bar module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a main part, with a portion of a busbar accommodating section 15 cut away, of a busbar module 11 including a busbar 21 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the busbar 21 shown in Fig. 1, viewed from the side facing the positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the busbar module 11 shown in Fig. 1, showing a state in which a flanged nut 19 has been tightened.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, a bus bar module 11 according to the first embodiment includes a case 13 made of insulating resin and a bus bar 21 made of conductive metal. The case 13 is integrally molded from insulating resin as the main body of the bus bar module 11. A plurality of rectangular box-shaped bus bar accommodating sections 15 are formed in the case 13 in the arrangement direction of the unit cells (not shown). The bus bar accommodating sections 15 accommodate bus bars 21 that electrically connect the unit cells to each other.

[0015] The bus bar 21 according to the first embodiment is attached to electrode bolts 17 erected on the positive electrode terminal 12 and the negative electrode terminal 14 of adjacent cells in the battery pack, thereby connecting these cells in series. Flanged nuts 19 for fastening and fixing the bus bar 21 are screwed onto the electrode bolts 17. That is, the bus bar 21 according to the first embodiment is fastened and fixed to the positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14, which are fastened members, by a bolt fastening mechanism consisting of the electrode bolts (bolts) 17 and the flanged nuts (nuts) 19.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, bus bar 21 is formed by pressing a metal plate made of a conductive metal such as copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy into a predetermined shape, and has a generally rectangular shape as a whole.

[0017] The surface treatment of the busbar 21 is, for example, plating with silver, tin, nickel, or an alloy thereof, and may have a nickel-nickel alloy plating or copper plating as an undercoat. The surface treatment is more preferably silver or tin. When the material of the bus bar 21 is aluminum or an aluminum alloy, plating is performed after zincating or double zincating. It should be noted that the surface treatment of the bus bar 21 may not be necessary.

[0018] The bus bar 21 has through holes 23 formed therein, through which the male threads of the electrode bolts 17 pass. A pair of through holes 23 are formed in approximately circular shapes by punching out the bus bar 21 in the plate thickness direction at positions corresponding to the electrode bolts 17 of adjacent cells.

[0019] A plurality of (four in the first embodiment) thin-walled portions 25, each having a thickness thinner than that of other portions, are provided around the periphery of the through-hole 23 by rectangular bottomed recesses formed on the side (upper side in FIG. 2) facing the positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14. All of the thin-walled portions 25 are formed by bottomed recesses of the same size and shape.

[0020] All of the thin-walled portions 25 are positioned at equal intervals from the through hole 23. The multiple thin-walled portions 25 are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the through hole 23 and are arranged within the range of the seat surface in the vicinity of the through hole 23. Note that the thin-walled portions 25 may be arranged away from the vicinity of the through hole 23.

[0021] 1 , the male threads of the electrode bolts 17 are inserted into the through-holes 23 of the busbar 21, and the busbar 21 is placed on the upper surfaces of the positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14. If there is a difference in height between the upper surfaces of the electrode terminals 12, 14, the busbar 21 will be placed at an angle relative to the upper surfaces of the electrode terminals 12, 14. In this state, a portion of the busbar 21 will be floating above the surfaces of the electrode terminals 12, 14.

[0022] Next, the flanged nut 19 is screwed onto the male thread of the electrode bolt 17 protruding upward from the busbar 21 and tightened. The flanged nut 19 then presses the busbar 21 toward the electrode terminals 12, 14, and the force of this presses the periphery of the through hole 23 to conform to the steps of the electrode terminals 12, 14. At this time, the periphery of the through hole 23, which serves as the busbar fastening portion, has a plurality of thin-walled portions 25 that are thinner than the other portions, so that the periphery of the through hole 23 deforms to conform to the steps without requiring a significant force. This eliminates the floating of the busbar 21 from the electrode terminals 12, 14, and the periphery of the through hole 23 comes into face-to-face contact with the surfaces of the electrode terminals 12, 14, increasing the contact area. The busbar 21 is thus electrically connected to the positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14, and the cells are connected in series.

[0023] According to the busbar 21 of the first embodiment configured as described above, the peripheral portion of the through hole 23 of the busbar 21 is provided with a plurality of thin-walled portions 25 that are thinner than the remaining portions, due to rectangular recesses with bottoms formed on the side facing the positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14 (the upper side in FIG. 2 ). When the peripheral portion of the through hole 23 is pressed by the flanged nut 19, the peripheral portion of the through hole 23 is deformed to conform to the step, and the peripheral portion of the through hole 23 is pressed against the electrode terminals 12, 14. Therefore, compared to a busbar having uniformly high rigidity, sufficient contact between the busbar 21 and the electrode terminals 12, 14 can be achieved without requiring an excessively large tightening force.

[0024] Furthermore, the thin-walled portion 25 of the busbar 21 is configured as a bottomed recess formed on the side facing the positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14. Therefore, unlike busbar 500 (see FIG. 9 ) in which a deformed portion 505 is formed by a through-hole 503, the current path of the busbar 21 is not reduced, and therefore the conductor resistance can be reduced, improving electrical contact reliability. Furthermore, with the flanged nut 19, the flange portion serves as the interface with the busbar 21, ensuring a larger interface area than with a regular nut. Furthermore, because the thin-walled portion 25 of the busbar 21 is not pierced, the amount of waste material can be reduced, resulting in cost advantages.

[0025] Furthermore, in the bus bar 21 of the first embodiment, a plurality of thin-walled portions 25 are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the through hole 23. Therefore, the entire peripheral portion of the through hole 23 has the same rigidity, and can be uniformly adapted to any step (surface shape of the fastened member).

[0026] Therefore, according to the bus bar 21 of the first embodiment, it is possible to bring the bus bar 21 and the electrode terminals 12, 14 into sufficient contact with each other without requiring an excessively large tightening force, and it is possible to improve the reliability of the electrical contact.

[0027] (Second embodiment) Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a connector 20 equipped with a bus bar fastening structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the connector 20 shown in Fig. 4, showing a state in which a flanged nut 19 is tightened.

[0028] 4, in the busbar fastening structure according to the second embodiment, busbar 31A having a flat, strip-like cross section is fastened to another busbar 31B, which is a fastened member, by a bolt fastening mechanism. These busbars 31A and 31B constitute a wiring member 30, whose outer circumferential surface is covered with insulating coating 32 except for the periphery of through-holes 33 formed at the ends. The covering 32 is made of, for example, an insulating resin material, and is provided on the outer periphery of the bus bars 31A and 31B so as to cover the entire periphery.

[0029] That is, the routing member 30 includes busbars 31A and 31B each having a flat, band-like cross section, and an insulating coating 32 provided on the outer circumferential surfaces of the busbars 31A and 31B, excluding the peripheries of through holes 33 formed at the ends of the busbars 31A and 31B. Around the circular through hole 33 in the busbar 31A, a plurality of (four in the second embodiment) thin-walled portions 35 are formed, each having a thickness thinner than the remaining portions, by rectangular recessed portions with bottoms formed on the side facing the busbar 31B. Around the circular through hole 33 in the busbar 31A, a plurality of (four in the second embodiment) thin-walled portions 35 are formed, each having a thickness thinner than the remaining portions, by rectangular recessed portions with bottoms formed on the side facing the busbar 31A. All of the thin-walled portions 35 are formed by recessed portions with bottoms of the same size and shape.

[0030] All of the thin-walled portions 35 are positioned at equal intervals from the through hole 33. The multiple thin-walled portions 35 are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the through hole 33 and are arranged within the range of the seat surface in the vicinity of the through hole 33. Note that the thin-walled portions 35 may also be arranged away from the vicinity of the through hole 33.

[0031] The bolt fastening mechanism includes a bolt 22 that passes through a through hole 33 of bus bar 31A and a through hole 33 of another bus bar 31B, and a flanged nut 19 that screws onto bolt 22.

[0032] Bus bars 31A and 31B have thin-walled portions 35 that are thinner than other portions by bottomed recesses formed on opposing sides around through-holes 33 through which bolts 22 pass.

[0033] A connector 20 equipped with a bus bar fastening structure according to the second embodiment fastens a first harness 37 having two wiring members 30 and a second harness 39 having two other wiring members 30 with bolts 22 and flanged nuts 19, and an end of the first harness 37 and an end of the second harness 39 are covered by a case and a cover (not shown). Note that the number of wiring members 30 in each of the first harness 37 and the second harness 39 is not limited to two.

[0034] In a connector 20 having a busbar fastening structure according to the second embodiment, a busbar 31A of a wiring member 30 and a busbar 31B of another wiring member 30 are fastened and fixed by a bolt 22 passing through each through hole 33 and a flanged nut 19 threaded onto the bolt 22, thereby directly electrically connecting the busbars 31A and 31B, which are conductors.

[0035] As a result, connector 20 equipped with the bus bar fastening structure according to the second embodiment does not require a connector housing or an electrical junction box, thereby reducing the vehicle installation space. Furthermore, bus bars 31A, 31B are directly fixed to each other by bolts 22 and flanged nuts 19, enabling a high-strength connection.

[0036] Furthermore, a rectangular recess with a bottom is formed on the side facing busbar 31B around through hole 33 of busbar 31A, thereby providing a plurality of thin-walled portions 35 that are thinner than the other portions. Also, a rectangular recess with a bottom is formed on the side facing busbar 31A around through hole 33 of busbar 31B, thereby providing a plurality of thin-walled portions 35 that are thinner than the other portions.

[0037] Therefore, when the flanged nuts 19 and bolts 22 press the peripheries of the through holes 33 of the bus bar 31A and the other bus bar 31B, the peripheries of the through holes 33 of the other bus bar 31A are deformed and pressed against each other. Therefore, compared to bus bars having a uniformly high rigidity, sufficient contact between the bus bar 31A and the other bus bar 31B can be achieved without requiring an excessively large tightening force.

[0038] Furthermore, the thin-walled portions 35 of the busbars 31A and 31B are formed by bottomed recesses formed on opposing sides. Therefore, unlike busbar 500 (see FIG. 9 ) in which deformed portions 505 are formed by through-holes 503, the current path of busbars 31A and 31B is not small, and therefore conductor resistance can be reduced, preventing a decrease in electrical contact reliability. Furthermore, with flanged nut 19, the flange portion serves as the interface with busbar 31A, ensuring a larger interface area than with a conventional nut. Furthermore, because the thin-walled portions 35 of busbars 31A and 31B are not pierced, the amount of waste material can be reduced, resulting in cost advantages.

[0039] (Third embodiment) Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a terminal block 40 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the terminal block 40 shown in Fig. 6, viewed obliquely from above on the opposite side.

[0040] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the terminal block 40 according to the third embodiment includes a housing 42 that is attached to a mounting hole in a mounting portion, and a bus bar 51 that is a conductive member having fastening portions at both ends and is inserted into a bus bar insertion hole 44 of the housing 42.

[0041] The housing 42 is molded from insulating resin, with the upper side in the drawing serving as a fastening portion 48 and the lower side in the drawing serving as an assembly portion 49. The housing 42 has a flange portion 46 between the fastening portion 48 and the assembly portion 49 that protrudes outward toward the outer periphery.

[0042] The terminal block 40 is fitted with an attachment portion 49 of the housing 42 inserted into an attachment hole formed in the case (attached portion) of a device such as a drive motor. In this state, the terminal block 40 is attached to the case via a flange portion 46 of the housing 42. An annular seal member 50 is attached to the flange portion 46 of the housing 42 on the attachment portion 49 side, and by attaching the terminal block 40 to the case, the seal member 50 provides a liquid-tight seal between the case and the terminal block 40.

[0043] The housing 42 has a plurality of bus bar insertion holes 44 penetrating from the front to the back, and the bus bars 51 are press-fitted into these bus bar insertion holes 44 . The housing 42 has a nut accommodating recess 47, which is a recess that is rectangular in plan view, on the side of the assembly portion 49. The nut accommodating recess 47 is open on its lateral side. The nut 29, which is rectangular in plan view, is accommodated in the nut accommodating recess 47 from its lateral side.

[0044] 7, bus bar 51 according to the third embodiment is made of a conductive metal material such as copper or a copper alloy, and is formed into a flat plate having a predetermined length. Both ends of bus bar 51 are fastening portions each having a through hole 53 through which flanged bolt 27 passes.

[0045] Around the through hole 53 in the bus bar 51, there are provided a plurality of thin-walled portions 55 that are thinner than other portions by circular bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the bus bar 41 or terminal fitting 58, which will be described later as the fastening member.

[0046] Then, the bus bars 51 are inserted into the bus bar insertion holes 44 of the housing 42, thereby being attached to the housing 42. In this way, the terminal block 40 is obtained in which a plurality of bus bars 51 (six in the third embodiment) are inserted into the housing 42.

[0047] Bus bar 51 inserted into housing 42 is positioned so that the fastening portion formed at the end on the leading end side (lower side in the drawing) in the insertion direction faces nut 29 accommodated in nut accommodating recess 47. This allows through hole 53 to communicate with the screw hole of nut 29.

[0048] A terminal fitting 58, which is a fastening member provided at the end of an electric wire 56 that is wiring material on the device side to which terminal block 40 is attached, is connected to a fastening portion formed at the end of bus bar 51 on the leading side in the insertion direction. To connect terminal fitting 58 to bus bar 51, as shown in Fig. 6, flanged bolt 27 is inserted into hole 58a formed in terminal fitting 58, passed through through hole 53, and screwed into nut 29 accommodated in nut accommodating recess 47. In this way, terminal fitting 58 is fastened to the fastening portion formed at the end of bus bar 51 on the leading side in the insertion direction by flanged bolt 27 and nut 29, and is electrically connected.

[0049] At this time, when flanged bolt 27 and nut 29 press the periphery of through hole 53 in bus bar 51, the periphery of through hole 53 is deformed and pressed against terminal fitting 58. Therefore, compared to a bus bar having uniformly high rigidity, sufficient contact between bus bar 51 and terminal fitting 58 can be achieved without requiring excessive tightening force.

[0050] Furthermore, bus bar 41, which is wiring material on the device to be connected, is connected as a fastened member to a fastening portion formed at the end of bus bar 51 on the rear end side in the insertion direction (upper side in the drawing). To connect bus bar 41 to bus bar 51, flanged bolt 27 is passed through through hole 43 formed at the end of bus bar 41 and passed through through hole 53, and then screwed into nut 29. As a result, bus bar 41, which is wiring material, is fastened to the fastening portion formed at the end of bus bar 51 on the rear end side in the insertion direction by flanged bolt 27 and nut 29, and is electrically connected.

[0051] In addition, around the through hole 43 of the bus bar 41, there are provided a plurality of thin-walled portions 45 that are thinner than other portions by circular bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the bus bar 51.

[0052] Therefore, when flanged bolt 27 and nut 29 press the periphery of through hole 53 in bus bar 51 and the periphery of through hole 43 in bus bar 41, the peripheries of through holes 53, 43 are deformed and pressed against each other. Therefore, compared to bus bars having uniformly high rigidity, bus bar 51 and bus bar 41 can be brought into sufficient contact with each other without requiring an excessive tightening force.

[0053] Furthermore, thin-walled portion 55 of busbar 51 and thin-walled portion 45 of busbar 41 are configured by bottomed recesses formed on opposing sides. Therefore, busbars 51, 41 do not have a small current path, as in busbar 500 (see FIG. 9 ) in which deformed portion 505 is formed by through-hole 503, and therefore conductor resistance can be reduced, preventing a decrease in electrical contact reliability. Furthermore, flanged bolt 27 uses the flange portion as the joint surface with busbar 41, ensuring a larger joint area than a regular bolt.

[0054] (Variation) 8(a) to 8(f) are plan views showing modified examples of the thin-walled portions of bus bars 21A to 21F of this embodiment.

[0055] As shown in (a) of Figure 8, four thin-walled portions 25 that are thinner than other portions are provided around the through hole 23 of the bus bar 21A by rectangular bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the fastened member. The four thin portions 25 are arranged within the range of the seat surface in the vicinity of the through-hole 23, and are arranged along both longitudinal edges of the bus bar 21A.

[0056] As shown in (b) of Figure 8, four thin-walled portions 25 that are thinner than other portions are provided around the through hole 23 of the bus bar 21B by rectangular bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the fastened member. The four thin portions 25 are arranged outside the range of the seat surface, which is near through-hole 23, and are arranged along both longitudinal edges of bus bar 21B.

[0057] As shown in (c) of Figure 8, four thin-walled portions 25 that are thinner than other portions are provided around the through hole 23 of the bus bar 21C by rectangular bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the fastened member. The four thin-walled portions 25 are arranged within the range of the seat surface near the through hole 23, and are respectively arranged along a center line X extending in the longitudinal direction of the bus bar 21B and a straight line Y at the center of the through hole 23 and perpendicular to the center line X.

[0058] As shown in (d) of Figure 8, eight thin-walled portions 25 that are thinner than other portions are provided around the through hole 23 of the bus bar 21D by rectangular bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the fastened member. Eight thin portions 25 are arranged inside and outside the bearing surface of busbar 21D, along center line X extending in the longitudinal direction of busbar 21B and along both longitudinal side edges of busbar 21D.

[0059] As shown in (e) of Figure 8, four thin-walled portions 26 that are thinner than other portions are provided around the through hole 23 of the bus bar 21E by triangular bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the fastened member. The four thin portions 26 are arranged outside the range of the seat surface, near the through-hole 23, and are arranged along both longitudinal edges of the bus bar 21D.

[0060] As shown in (f) of Figure 8, four thin-walled portions 28 that are thinner than other portions are provided around the through hole 23 of the bus bar 21F by circular, bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the fastened member. The four thin portions 28 are arranged outside the range of the seat surface, which is near the through-hole 23, and are arranged along both longitudinal side edges of the bus bar 21F.

[0061] In addition to the above-described busbars 21A to 21F, the shape of the thin-walled portions of the busbar of the present invention may also be semicircular, elliptical, or polygonal with pentagons or more. The thin-walled portions may be arranged in various ways within the spirit of the present invention.

[0062] In addition, examples of materials for the flanged bolt 27, the bolt 22, the flanged nut 19, and the nut 29 in each of the above-described embodiments include steel, stainless steel, copper, copper alloy, ceramic material, and resin material. A washer may also be used between bolt 22 and bus bar 31B.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0064] For example, a connector may be constructed in which the bus bar of the present invention is used as a terminal that is connected to an end of an electric wire and accommodated in a terminal accommodating chamber of a connector housing.

[0065] Here, the features of the busbar and the busbar fastening structure according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [7]. [1] A bus bar (21, 31A, 31B, 51) fastened and fixed to a fastened member (positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14, bus bars 31B, 31A, bus bar 41 or terminal fitting 58) by a bolt fastening mechanism (electrode bolt 17 and flanged nut 19, bolt 22 and flanged nut 19, flanged bolt 27 and nut 29), The busbar (21, 31A, 31B, 51) has a thin-walled portion (25, 35, 55) formed around the through hole (23, 33, 53) through which the bolt fastening mechanism (electrode bolt 17, bolt 22, flanged bolt 27) passes, the thin-walled portion being thinner than other portions, by a bottomed recess formed on the side facing the fastened member (positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14, busbar 31B, 31A, busbar 41 or terminal fitting 58).

[0066] According to the busbar (21, 31A, 31B, 51) described in [1] above, a plurality of thin-walled portions (25, 35, 55) whose thickness is thinner than other portions are provided around the through hole (23, 33, 53) in the busbar (21, 31A, 51) by bottomed recesses formed on the side facing the fastened member (positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14, busbars 31B, 31A, busbar 41 or terminal fittings 58). Therefore, when the bolt fastening mechanism (electrode bolt 17 and flanged nut 19, bolt 22 and flanged nut 19, flanged bolt 27 and nut 29) presses the periphery of the through hole (23, 33, 53), the periphery of the through hole (23, 33, 53) is deformed, and the periphery of the through hole (23, 33, 53) is pressed against the fastened members (positive and negative electrode terminals 12 and 14, bus bars 31A, 31B, 41, terminal fittings 58). Therefore, compared to a bus bar having a uniformly high rigidity, sufficient contact can be achieved between the bus bar (21, 31A, 51) and the fastened members (positive and negative electrode terminals 12 and 14, bus bars 31B, 41, terminal fittings 58) without requiring excessive fastening force. Furthermore, the thin-walled portions (25, 35, 55) of the bus bars (21, 31A, 51) are configured by bottomed recesses formed on the sides facing the fastened members (positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14, bus bars 31B, 31A, 41, terminal fittings 58), so the current path of the bus bars (21, 31A, 51) is not reduced, and therefore the conductor resistance can also be reduced, improving the reliability of electrical contact.

[0067] [2] The plurality of thin-walled portions (25, 35, 55) are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the through hole (23, 33, 53). The busbar (21, 31A, 51) according to [1] above.

[0068] According to the busbar (21, 31A, 51) described in [2] above, the peripheral portion of the through hole (23, 33, 53) has the same rigidity throughout, and can be adapted to the surface shape of any fastened member (positive and negative electrode terminals 12, 14, busbars 31B, 41, terminal fittings 58) evenly.

[0069] [3] The bus bar (31A) according to the above [1] or [2] has a cross-sectional shape formed in a flat band shape, An insulating coating (32) is provided on the outer peripheral surface except for the periphery of the through hole (33). Routing member (30).

[0070] According to the wiring member (30) described in [3] above, the bus bar (31A) can be brought into sufficient contact with the fastened member (bus bar 31B) without requiring excessive tightening force, thereby improving the reliability of electrical contact.

[0071] [4] A busbar fastening structure in which a busbar (31A) is fastened to a fastened member (busbar 31B) by a bolt fastening mechanism, the bolt fastening mechanism includes a bolt (22) that penetrates the bus bar (31A) and the fastened member (bus bar 31B), and a nut (flanged nut 19) that is screwed onto the bolt (22); The bus bar (31A) has a thin-walled portion (35) that is thinner than other portions due to a bottomed recess formed on the side of the fastened member (bus bar 31B) around the through hole (33) through which the bolt (22) passes.

[0072] According to the bus bar fastening structure described in [4] above, the peripheral portion of the through hole 33 in the bus bar 31A is provided with a plurality of thin-walled portions 35 that are thinner than other portions due to bottomed recesses formed on the fastened member (bus bar 31B) side. When the peripheral portion of the through hole 33 is pressed by the bolt 22 and the nut (flanged nut 19), the peripheral portion of the through hole 33 is deformed and pressed against the fastened member (bus bar 31B). Therefore, compared to a bus bar having uniformly high rigidity, sufficient contact between the bus bar 31A and the fastened member (bus bar 31B) can be achieved without requiring excessive tightening force. Furthermore, since the thin-walled portion (35) of the bus bar (31A) is configured by a bottomed recess formed on the side of the fastened member (bus bar 31B), the current path of the bus bar (31A) does not become small, and therefore the conductor resistance can also be reduced, improving the reliability of electrical contact.

[0073] [5] The fastened member is a bus bar (31B) having a thin-walled portion (35) that is thinner than other portions due to a bottomed recess formed on the bus bar (31A) side in the periphery of a through hole (33) through which the bolt (22) passes. The busbar fastening structure according to [4] above.

[0074] According to the bus bar fastening structure described in [5] above, when the bolts 22 and the nuts (flanged nuts 19) press the peripheries of the through holes 33 of the bus bar 31A and the other bus bar 31B, the peripheries of the through holes 33 are deformed and pressed against each other. Therefore, compared to bus bars having uniformly high rigidity, the bus bar 31A and the other bus bar 31B can be sufficiently brought into contact with each other without requiring an excessively large tightening force. Furthermore, since the thin-walled portions (35) of the bus bar (31A) and the other bus bar (31B) are configured by bottomed recesses formed on the opposing sides, the current paths of the bus bar (31A) and the other bus bar (31B) do not become small, and therefore the conductor resistance can also be reduced, thereby preventing a decrease in electrical contact reliability.

[0075] [6] A connector (20) having the busbar fastening structure described in [5] above.

[0076] According to the connector (20) described in [6] above, the bus bar (31A) and another bus bar (31B) are fastened and fixed by bolts (22) passing through the respective through holes (33) and nuts (flanged nuts 19) threaded onto the bolts (22), thereby directly electrically connecting the bus bars (31A, 31B) which are conductors. As a result, the connector (20) of this configuration does not require a connector housing or an electrical junction box, thereby reducing the vehicle installation space. Furthermore, the bus bars (31A, 31B) are directly fixed to each other by the bolts (22) and nuts (flanged nuts 19), enabling a high-strength connection.

[0077] [7] A housing (42) that is attached to a mounting hole of a mounting portion; a bus bar (51) according to the above [1], which is a conductive member having fastening portions at both ends, inserted into the bus bar insertion hole (44) of the housing (42) and fastened to the fastened member (terminal metal fitting 58) by the bolt fastening mechanism (flanged bolt 27 and nut 29); A terminal block (40) comprising:

[0078] According to the terminal block (40) described in [7] above, the bus bars (51) are inserted into the bus bar insertion holes (44) of the housing (42) to be attached to the housing (42). This provides the terminal block (40) with the plurality of bus bars (51) inserted into the housing (42). The fastening portion formed at the end of the bus bar (51) on the tip side in the insertion direction is connected to the fastened member (terminal fitting (58) provided at the end of the electric wire (56), which is the wiring material on the equipment side to which the terminal block (40) is attached). When the bolt fastening mechanism (flanged bolt 27 and nut 29) presses the periphery of through hole 53 in bus bar 51, the periphery of through hole 53 is deformed and pressed against the fastened member (terminal metal fitting 58). Therefore, compared to a bus bar having uniformly high rigidity, sufficient contact between bus bar 51 and fastened member (terminal metal fitting 58) can be achieved without requiring excessive fastening force. Furthermore, the thin-walled portion 55 of the bus bar 51 is configured as a bottomed recess formed on the side facing the fastened member (terminal metal fitting 58). Therefore, the bus bar 51 does not reduce the current path, and therefore the conductor resistance can be reduced, preventing a decrease in electrical contact reliability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 12...Positive electrode terminal (fastened member) 14...Negative electrode terminal (fastened member) 17...Electrode bolt (bolt fastening mechanism) 19...Flanged nut (bolt fastening mechanism) 21...Busbar 23...Through hole 25...Thin section

Claims

1. A bus bar that is fastened and fixed to a fastened member by a bolt fastening mechanism, a busbar in which a thin-walled portion is provided around a through hole in the busbar through which the bolt fastening mechanism passes, the thin-walled portion being thinner than other portions by a bottomed recess formed on a side facing the fastened member.

2. The plurality of thin-walled portions are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the through hole. The busbar of claim 1 .

3. The bus bar according to claim 1 or 2 has a cross section formed into a flat band shape, An insulating coating is provided on the outer peripheral surface excluding the periphery of the through hole. Routing components.

4. A bus bar fastening structure that fastens and fixes a bus bar to a fastened member by a bolt fastening mechanism, the bolt fastening mechanism includes a bolt that passes through the bus bar and the fastened member, and a nut that is screwed onto the bolt, a bus bar fastening structure, in which the bus bar has a thin-walled portion that is thinner than other portions by a bottomed recess formed on the side facing the fastened member in the periphery of the through hole through which the bolt passes.

5. the fastened member is a bus bar having a thin-walled portion that is thinner than other portions by a bottomed recess formed on the bus bar side in a periphery of a through hole through which the bolt passes, The bus bar fastening structure according to claim 4.

6. A connector comprising the bus bar fastening structure according to claim 5.

7. a housing attached to a mounting hole of a mounting portion; the bus bar according to claim 1, which is a conductive member having fastening portions at both ends thereof, and which is inserted into the bus bar insertion hole of the housing and fastened to the fastened member by the bolt fastening mechanism; A terminal block comprising:

Images