Conductive member

Abstract

To provide a conductive member capable of preventing wrinkles generated in a resin tube attached to a flat conductor.SOLUTION: A conductive member 1 includes a belt-like flat conductor 10 having a bent part 16 bent toward a width direction, a plurality of resin tubes 21,23 mounted so as to cover the periphery of the flat conductor 10 excluding the bent part 16, and an adhesive tape 30 wound so as to close a gap between a resin tube 21 and a resin tube 23 from which the bent part 16 is exposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conductive member. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, power supply circuits and the like have used conductive members that are connected to a power source such as a battery to supply electricity to electrical components, etc. Some of these conductive members include a strip-shaped flat conductor having a predetermined width.

[0003] Such conductive members must ensure the electrical insulation of the flat conductors. For example, known techniques include covering the flat conductors with an insulating material and insulating the flat conductors with a protector made of insulating resin (see Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0004] For example, when insulating the bus bars by resin molding, there is a problem in that mold costs are incurred due to insert molding, which increases the manufacturing cost of the conductive member. Furthermore, when the periphery of the bus bar is painted with an insulating material, the equipment used for painting becomes larger, which increases the initial equipment costs and the manufacturing costs of the conductive member.

[0005] 5, there is provided a conductive member 501, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, in which a strip-shaped bus bar (flat conductor) 510 is inserted into a heat-shrinkable resin tube (heat-shrinkable tube), and the heat-shrinkable tube is heated to cause thermal shrinkage, thereby forming insulating coating 520 that partially covers the outer periphery of bus bar 510. Bus bar 510 is made of a conductive metal plate having a substantially rectangular cross section, and connection holes 514 are formed in the connecting portions at both longitudinal ends exposed from insulating coating 520. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-4444 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-81731 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-171187 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the above-described conductive member 501, bus bar 510 must be passed through a resin tube that is molded into a straight shape. Therefore, when bus bar 510 has bent portion 516 that is bent in the width direction, as in conductive member 502 shown in FIG. 6 , it is difficult to pass bus bar 510 through the resin tube. Furthermore, when bus bar 510 is passed through the resin tube, wrinkles 518 due to bending occur on the inner side of the resin tube due to the difference in wire length between the outer and inner circumferences of bent portion 516 of bus bar 510. Therefore, the dimensions of the resin tube are unstable, and the resin tube may cover the connecting portion of bus bar 510 or may not cover the necessary area of ​​bus bar 510.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a conductive member that can prevent wrinkles from occurring in a resin tube attached to a flat conductor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration. a strip-shaped flat conductor having a bent portion bent in a width direction; a plurality of resin tubes (insulating and heat-resistant tubes) attached so as to cover the periphery of the flat conductor except for the bent portion; an adhesive tape wound around the resin tube so as to close a gap between the resin tube and the resin tube where the bent portion is exposed; A conductive member comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The conductive member according to the present invention can prevent wrinkles from occurring in the resin tube attached to the flat conductor.

[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 a perspective view showing a conductive member according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conductive member shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in the middle of assembly of the conductive member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of resin tubes have been attached to the flat conductor. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of resin tubes have been attached to the flat conductor of the conductive member according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional conductive member. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a conventional conductive member having a bent portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The conductive member 1, 1A according to this embodiment is, for example, an inter-stack wiring module used for electrically connecting multiple battery stacks. Of course, the conductive member 1 of the present invention is not limited to the inter-stack wiring module of this embodiment, and can be applied to various power supply circuits such as a high-voltage cable that electrically connects a battery assembly and a control device such as an inverter.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conductive member 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conductive member 1 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the conductive member 1 according to the first embodiment mainly comprises a strip-shaped flat conductor (busbar) 10 having a bent portion 16 bent in the width direction, a plurality of resin tubes 21, 23 attached to cover the periphery of the flat conductor 10 except for the bent portion in the middle, and adhesive tape 30 wrapped around the resin tubes 21 and 23 to seal the gaps between them.

[0015] 2, the flat conductor 10 of the first embodiment is formed by edgewise bending a substantially long, flat conductive metal plate that has been pressed into a predetermined shape, into a U-shape having two bent portions 16 bent in the width direction. Connection holes 14 are formed in the connecting portions at both longitudinal ends of the flat conductor 10, penetrating in the thickness direction of the plate. The conductive metal plate can be made of various conductive metal materials such as copper or copper alloy, aluminum or aluminum alloy, etc.

[0016] The resin tubes 21, 23 in the first embodiment are heat-shrinkable tubes having at least one of electrical insulation and heat resistance, and are formed by cutting a long, linearly molded heat-shrinkable tube to a predetermined length. Whether the resin tubes 21 and 23 have electrical insulation and / or heat resistance (fire resistance) is appropriately selected depending on the location or purpose of use of the conductive member 1, etc.

[0017] Furthermore, at the ends of the resin tube 21 and the resin tube 23 adjacent to each other, oblique cut portions 22 and 24 are formed, respectively, which are parallel to the center line L of the bent portion 16 when attached to the flat conductor 10.

[0018] Next, the assembly procedure for the conductive member 1 will be described. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the conductive member 1 according to the first embodiment in the middle of assembly. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the state in which the attachment of a plurality of resin tubes 21, 23 to the flat conductor 10 has been completed.

[0019] 3, the resin tube 21 is passed through one end of the flat conductor 10 and attached to the middle of the flat conductor 10. In this case, the resin tube 21 has a total length shorter than the total length of the flat conductor 10 and has an oblique cut portion 22 parallel to the center line L of the bent portion 16, so that it is less likely to get stuck in the bent portion 16 of the flat conductor 10 and can be attached to the flat conductor 10 smoothly.

[0020] Next, the resin tubes 23 are passed through both ends of the flat conductor 10 and attached to both ends of the flat conductor 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the multiple resin tubes 21 and 23 are attached to cover the periphery of the flat conductor 10 except for the bent portion 16 in the middle portion. At this time, gaps are formed between the oblique cut portions 22 at both ends of the resin tube 21 and the oblique cut portions 24 of the resin tubes 23, exposing the bent portions 16 of the flat conductor 10.

[0021] Then, the resin tubes 21 and 23 are heated to cause them to shrink, and then an adhesive tape 30 is wound around them so as to close the gap between the resin tube 21 and the resin tube 23 where the bent portion 16 of the flat conductor 10 is exposed.

[0022] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, an insulating coating 20 made up of resin tubes 21 and 23 and an adhesive tape 30 is formed on the middle portion of the flat conductor 10. Whether the adhesive tape 30 has electrical insulation and / or heat resistance (fire resistance) is appropriately selected depending on the location or purpose of use of the conductive member 1, etc.

[0023] That is, the flat conductor 10 is inserted into these resin tubes 21, 23, and the resin tubes 21, 23 are heated to cause thermal shrinkage, and then adhesive tape 30 is wrapped around the resin tubes 21 and 23 to seal the gap between them, thereby easily forming an insulating coating 20 that covers the outer periphery of the flat conductor 10.

[0024] Therefore, according to the conductive member 1 of the first embodiment described above, the resin tubes 21, 23 do not cover the bent portion 16 of the flat conductor 10, and therefore wrinkles do not occur in the resin tube at the bent portion 16. Therefore, the dimensions of the insulating coating 20 are stable, and the insulating coating 20 does not cover the connecting portions at both ends of the flat conductor 10 or does not fail to cover the necessary area of ​​the flat conductor 10.

[0025] Next, a conductive member 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of resin tubes 23, 25 have been attached to a flat conductor 10A of a conductive member 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Note that components of the conductive member 1A that are similar to those of the conductive member 1 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the conductive member 1A of this second embodiment has as its main components a strip-shaped flat conductor 10A having a bent portion 16 bent in the width direction, a plurality of resin tubes 23, 25 attached so as to cover the periphery of the flat conductor 10A except for the bent portion 16 in the middle portion, and adhesive tape 30 (not shown) wrapped around the resin tube 25 and the resin tube 23 so as to seal the gaps between them.

[0027] The flat conductor 10A of this second embodiment is formed into a crank shape having two bent portions 16 bent in the width direction by edgewise bending a conductive metal plate having an approximately long, flat shape that has been pressed into a predetermined shape.

[0028] The resin tubes 23, 25 in the second embodiment are heat-shrinkable tubes having at least one of electrical insulation and heat resistance, and are formed by cutting a long, linearly molded heat-shrinkable tube to a predetermined length.

[0029] At both ends of the resin tube 25 adjacent to another resin tube 23, a diagonal cut portion 26 is formed that is parallel to the center line L of the bent portion 16 when attached to the flat conductor 10A. At the end of the resin tube 23 adjacent to another resin tube 25, a diagonal cut portion 24 is formed that is parallel to the center line L of the bent portion 16 when attached to the flat conductor 10A.

[0030] Next, the assembly procedure for the conductive member 1A will be described. First, the resin tube 25 is passed through one end of the flat conductor 10A and attached to the middle of the flat conductor 10A. In this case, the resin tube 25 has a total length shorter than the total length of the flat conductor 10A and has an oblique cut portion 26 parallel to the center line L of the bent portion 16, so that it is less likely to get stuck in the bent portion 16 of the flat conductor 10A and can be smoothly attached to the flat conductor 10A.

[0031] Next, the resin tubes 23 are passed through both ends of the flat conductor 10A and attached to both ends of the flat conductor 10A. Thus, the multiple resin tubes 25, 23 are attached to cover the periphery of the flat conductor 10A except for the bent portion 16 in the middle portion. At this time, gaps are formed between the oblique cut portions 26 at both ends of the resin tube 25 and the oblique cut portions 24 of the resin tubes 23, exposing the bent portions 16 of the flat conductor 10A.

[0032] Then, the resin tubes 25 and 23 are heated to cause them to thermally shrink, and then an adhesive tape 30 (not shown) is wound around the resin tube 25 to close the gap between the resin tube 25 and the resin tube 23 where the bent portion 16 of the flat conductor 10A is exposed. An insulating coating made up of the resin tubes 25 and 23 and the adhesive tape 30 is formed in the middle portion of the flat conductor 10A.

[0033] Therefore, according to the conductive member 1A of the second embodiment described above, the resin tubes 25, 23 do not cover the bent portion 16 of the flat conductor 10A, and thus wrinkles do not occur in the resin tube at the bent portion 16. Therefore, the dimensions of the insulating coating are stable, and the insulating coating does not cover the connecting portions at both ends of the flat conductor 10A or fail to cover the necessary area of ​​the flat conductor 10A.

[0034] As described above, according to the conductive members 1, 1A of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring in the resin tube attached to the flat conductors 10, 10A.

[0035] 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.

[0036] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which resin tubes 21, 23, and 25 made of heat-shrinkable tubes were used, but the resin tubes of the present invention are not limited to heat-shrinkable tubes, and various resin tubes can be used as long as they can be attached to cover the periphery of the flat conductor.

[0037] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which a flat conductor (10, 10A) formed in a U-shape or a crank shape was used, but the shape of the flat conductor of the present invention is not limited to these, and various shapes having one or more bent portions bent in the width direction can be adopted.

[0038] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the conductive member according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [3]. [1] A strip-shaped flat conductor (10, 10A) having a bent portion (16) bent in the width direction; a plurality of resin tubes (21, 23, 25) attached to cover the periphery of the flat conductor (10, 10A) except for the bent portion (16); an adhesive tape (30) wound around the resin tube (21, 25) so as to close a gap between the resin tube (23) and the resin tube (21, 25) where the bent portion (16) is exposed; A conductive member (1, 1A) comprising:

[0039] According to the conductive member (1, 1A) described in [1] above, the resin tube (21, 23, 25) does not cover the bent portion (16) of the flat conductor (10, 10A), so that the resin tube does not wrinkle at the bent portion (16). Furthermore, since the resin tubes (21, 23, 25) have a shorter overall length than the flat conductors (10, 10A), they are less likely to clog the bent portions (16) of the flat conductors (10, 10A) and can be smoothly attached to the flat conductors (10, 10A).

[0040] [2] The ends of the plurality of adjacent resin tubes (21, 23, 25) are each formed with an oblique cut portion (22, 24, 26) parallel to the center line (L) of the bent portion (16). The conductive member (1, 1A) according to the above [1].

[0041] According to the conductive member (1, 1A) described in [2] above, the resin tubes (21, 23, 25) have the diagonal cut portions (22, 24, 26) formed at the adjacent ends, respectively, so that they are less likely to get stuck in the bent portion (16) of the flat conductor (10, 10A) and can be attached to the flat conductor (10, 10A) more smoothly.

[0042] [3] The resin tubes (21, 23, 25) are heat-shrinkable tubes having at least one of electrical insulation and heat resistance. The conductive member (1, 1A) according to the above [1] or [2].

[0043] According to the conductive member (1, 1A) described in [3] above, the flat conductor (10, 10A) is inserted into the resin tube (21, 23, 25), and the resin tube (21, 23, 25) is heated to cause thermal shrinkage, whereby an insulating coating (20) that partially covers the outer periphery of the flat conductor (10, 10A) can be easily formed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1...Conductive member 10...Flat conductor 16...Bent section 21...Resin tube 23...Resin tube 30...Adhesive tape

Claims

1. a strip-shaped flat conductor having a bent portion bent in a width direction; a plurality of resin tubes attached so as to cover the periphery of the flat conductor except for the bent portion; an adhesive tape wound around the resin tube so as to close a gap between the resin tube and the resin tube where the bent portion is exposed; A conductive member comprising:

2. The ends of the plurality of resin tubes adjacent to each other are each formed with an oblique cut portion parallel to the center line of the bent portion. The conductive member according to claim 1 .

3. The resin tube is a heat-shrinkable tube having at least one of electrical insulation and heat resistance. The conductive member according to claim 1 or 2.

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