Terminal block

Abstract

The present invention provides a terminal block that can improve manufacturability while suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the nut. [Solution] The terminal block 10 comprises a nut 20, a main body 30 having a nut holding portion 32 for holding the nut 20, and a bus bar 40 covering the nut 20 from above along the through axis Z of the nut 20. The nut holding portion 32 has an opening 33 that allows the nut 20 to be inserted into the nut holding portion 32 along an insertion direction Y1 along an insertion axis Y perpendicular to the through axis Z, and at least one side 34a of a pair of side surfaces 34 constituting the opening 33 is part of the inner surface of a plate-shaped side wall 34b, and the bus bar 40 has an engaging projection 42 that engages with the side wall 34b to prevent the side wall 34b from deforming so that the opening 33 opens.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal block.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a terminal block, there is one including a nut, a main body portion having a nut holding portion for holding the nut, and a bus bar that covers the nut from above along the through-axis of the nut (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The nut holding portion has an opening that allows the nut to be inserted into the nut holding portion along a direction orthogonal to the through-axis. The side surface constituting the opening is a part of the inner surface of the plate-like side wall. On the inner surface of the side wall, pressing ribs protruding to hold the nut are provided. On the lower surface of the bus bar, a housing recess for housing the upper end portion of the nut is provided, and the inner diameter of the housing recess is designed to be smaller than the distance between a pair of side walls having the opening (see FIG. 5). Thus, even if the nut tries to rotate together with the bolt, the rotation of the nut is prevented by the housing recess of the bus bar, so that the amount by which the pressing ribs are worn can be reduced compared to the case where the housing recess is not provided. Therefore, for example, even when the attachment and detachment of the bolt are repeated, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the holding force of the nut due to the pressing ribs being worn out. As a result, the nut is prevented from falling out of the nut housing portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the terminal block as described above, since the bus bar having the housing recess requires high-level dimensional accuracy with respect to the nut and the main body portion, there is a problem in the manufacturability of the bus bar.

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a terminal block that can improve manufacturability while suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the nut. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The terminal block of the present disclosure comprises a nut, a main body having a nut-holding portion for holding the nut, and a busbar covering the nut from above along the through-axis of the nut, wherein the nut-holding portion has an opening that allows the nut to be inserted into the nut-holding portion along an insertion direction along an insertion axis perpendicular to the through-axis, at least one of a pair of sides constituting the opening is part of the inner surface of a plate-shaped side wall, and the busbar has an engaging projection that engages with the side wall to prevent the side wall from deforming so that the opening opens. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The terminal block of this disclosure makes it possible to improve manufacturability while suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the nut. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a terminal block in one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of a terminal block in one embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the nut holding portion in one embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a partial plan view of a terminal block in one embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line 5-5 in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a partial plan view of the terminal block in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The terminal block of this disclosure is [1] The device comprises a nut, a main body having a nut-holding portion for holding the nut, and a busbar covering the nut from above along the through-axis of the nut, wherein the nut-holding portion has an opening that allows the nut to be inserted into the nut-holding portion along an insertion direction along an insertion axis perpendicular to the through-axis, at least one of a pair of sides constituting the opening is part of the inner surface of a plate-shaped side wall, and the busbar has engaging projections that engage with the side wall to prevent the side wall from deforming so that the opening opens.

[0010] In this configuration, the nut holding portion has an opening that allows the nut to be inserted into the nut holding portion along the insertion direction along the insertion axis perpendicular to the through axis, so the nut is inserted into the nut holding portion from the opening. At least one of the pair of sides that constitute the opening is part of the inner surface of the plate-shaped side wall, and the busbar has an engaging projection that engages with the side wall to prevent the side wall from deforming so that the opening opens, thus suppressing a decrease in the holding force of the nut. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the busbar has a receiving recess that accommodates the upper end of the nut, for example, the busbar is not required to have a high level of dimensional accuracy, thus improving the manufacturability of the busbar and, consequently, the manufacturability of the terminal block.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the engaging projection may engage with the side wall at a position closer to the opening than the center position of the nut along the insertion axis. According to this configuration, the engaging projection engages with the side wall at a position closer to the opening than the center of the nut along the insertion axis, thus preventing deformation of the side wall at a position where it is particularly prone to deformation.

[0012] [3] In the above [1] or [2], the nut is held by being press-fitted into the nut holding portion, the side wall has a pressing rib that protrudes to hold the nut, and the engaging projection may extend along the through axis to at least the same position as the position where the pressing rib is located.

[0013] In this configuration, the nut is held in place by being press-fitted into the nut holding portion, and the side wall has a pressing rib that protrudes to hold the nut, so the nut is held in place by being pressed by the pressing rib. Furthermore, since the engaging projection extends along the through axis to at least the same position as the pressing rib, the engaging projection receives force on the extension of the force that the pressing rib receives from the nut, thus reliably preventing deformation of the side wall.

[0014] [4] In any of the above [1] to [3], the nut is held by being press-fitted into the nut holding portion, the side wall has a pressing rib that protrudes to hold the nut, the pressing rib extends along the insertion axis, and the nut may be a square nut.

[0015] In this configuration, the nut is held in place by being press-fitted into the nut holding section, and the side wall has a pressing rib that protrudes to hold the nut. Therefore, the nut is held in place by being pressed by the pressing rib. The pressing rib extends along the insertion axis, and since the nut is a square nut, the contact area with the nut along the insertion axis is large. Thus, the nut holding section can stably hold the nut.

[0016] [5] In any of the above [1] to [4], the main body and the busbar may be integrally molded products. With this configuration, since the main body and busbar are integrally molded, the engaging projections of the busbar can engage with the side wall without any gaps. Therefore, deformation of the side wall can be more firmly prevented.

[0017] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] A specific example of the terminal block 10 of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, a part of the configuration may be shown exaggeratedly or simplified. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may be different in each drawing. In this specification, "orthogonal" includes not only the case of strict orthogonality but also the case of substantially orthogonality within the scope where the effects of the present embodiment are achieved. In this specification, "opposite" means that surfaces or members are in a front-to-front position with respect to each other, and includes not only the case where they are completely in a front-to-front position but also the case where they are partially in a front-to-front position. Also, in this specification, "opposite" includes both the case where a member different from the two parts is interposed between the two parts and the case where nothing is interposed between the two parts. The terms "first," "second," "third," etc. in this specification are merely used to distinguish objects and do not rank the objects. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, and is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0018] Each drawing shows a front-rear axis X, an insertion axis Y, and a penetration axis Z that are orthogonal to each other. In the figure, a forward direction X1, which is one direction along the front-rear axis X, and a rearward direction X2, which is the opposite direction of the forward direction X1, are shown. Also, in the figure, an insertion direction Y1, which is along the insertion axis Y, and an insertion opposite direction Y2, which is the opposite direction of the insertion direction Y1, are shown. Also, an upward direction Z1, which is one direction along the penetration axis Z, and a downward direction Z2, which is the opposite direction of the upward direction Z1, are shown.

[0019] (Configuration of Terminal Block 10) As shown in Figure 1, the terminal block 10 comprises a nut 20, a main body 30, a busbar 40, a plate 50, and a packing 60. The terminal block 10 in this embodiment comprises two nuts 20 and two busbars 40. The two busbars 40 are busbar 40a and busbar 40b, respectively, in order along the insertion direction Y1, and busbars 40a and 40b have different shapes. In this embodiment, the parts related to the essential busbar 40a will be described in detail, while the detailed description of the parts related to busbar 40b will be partially omitted.

[0020] The terminal block 10 is fixed to an object to be mounted, such as a case for housing electrical components (not shown), and the plate 50 has four through holes 51 for attachment to the object by bolts or the like. The plate 50 is a rectangular plate oriented along a plane perpendicular to the front-to-back axis X, and the through holes 51 are provided at each of the four corners of the plate 50.

[0021] (Nut 20 configuration) The nut 20 is made of metal. As shown in Figure 2, the nut 20 is a square nut. That is, the nut 20 has a square shape when viewed along the through axis Z. The nut 20 has a female threaded hole 21 that penetrates along the through axis Z.

[0022] (Configuration of the main body 30) The main body 30 is made of resin material. As shown in Figure 1, the main body 30 is formed in such a way that it sandwiches the plate 50 along the front-rear axis X. More specifically, the main body 30 has a first main body 31a that supports the plate 50 from the front direction X1, a second main body 31b that supports the plate 50 from the rear direction X2, and a third main body 31c that protrudes from the second main body 31b in the rear direction X2. The first main body 31a, the second main body 31b, and the third main body 31c are the same part. The first main body 31a and the second main body 31b are integrally formed by passing through a through hole (not shown) provided in the plate 50. The first main body 31a and the second main body 31b are rectangular plate shapes along a plane perpendicular to the front-rear axis X. A packing 60 made of an elastic material is provided on the rear-direction X2 side surface of the second main body 31b. The packing 60 is provided along the edge of the second main body 31b. The packing 60 prevents water or other substances from entering the inside of a case, such as one that houses electrical components. The third main body portion 31c protrudes in the rearward direction X2 from the inside of the second main body portion 31b, which is surrounded by the packing 60. The third main body portion 31c has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0023] The main body portion 30 has a nut holding portion 32 for holding the nut 20. More specifically, the third main body portion 31c has a nut holding portion 32 for holding the nut 20. The nut holding portion 32 has an opening 33 that allows the nut 20 to be inserted into the nut holding portion 32 along an insertion direction Y1 along an insertion axis Y perpendicular to the through axis Z (see Figure 2). The nut 20 is held in place by being press-fitted into the nut holding portion 32.

[0024] More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the nut holding portion 32 has a pair of side surfaces 34 and an end surface 35. The pair of side surfaces 34 extend in the insertion direction Y1, continuous with the opening 33. In other words, the opening 33 is formed by the ends of the pair of side surfaces 34 in the opposite insertion direction Y2. The end surface 35 connects the ends of the pair of side surfaces 34 in the insertion direction Y1.

[0025] Furthermore, the nut holding portion 32 has a support portion 36 capable of supporting the nut 20 from a downward direction Z2. The support portion 36 is provided at the lower ends of a pair of side surfaces 34 and end surfaces 35. The support portion 36 protrudes inward from the pair of side surfaces 34 and end surfaces 35 and is formed in a U-shape.

[0026] At least one of the pair of side surfaces 34 that constitute the opening 33 is part of the inner surface of the plate-shaped side wall 34b. The side wall 34b is a wall that extends from the rearward end X2 of the main body 30 in the opposite insertion direction Y2.

[0027] The side wall 34b has a pressing rib 37 that protrudes to hold the nut 20. The pressing rib 37 protrudes forward in the X1 direction from the side surface 34a of the side wall 34b and extends along the insertion axis Y. The pressing rib 37 has a shape in which its width along the through axis Z narrows as it protrudes forward in the X1 direction from the side surface 34a of the side wall 34b. As a result, the pressing rib 37 is configured to be more easily plastically deformed towards the tip in the forward direction X1. In addition, the tip of the pressing rib 37 in the opposite insertion direction Y2 has an inclined portion 37a. More specifically, the inclined portion 37a is inclined such that the amount of protrusion from the side surface 34a in the forward direction X1 decreases as it approaches the tip in the opposite insertion direction Y2. In this embodiment, four pressing ribs 37 are provided on the nut holding portion 32. More specifically, the side wall 34b has two pressing ribs 37, which are positioned apart along the through axis Z. The side surface 34c, which forms the opening 33 and faces the side wall 34b, has pressing ribs 37 that face the pressing ribs 37 on the side surface 34a of the side wall 34b. The side wall 34b also has an engagement recess 34e on its upper surface 34d.

[0028] The end surface 35 constitutes a part of the boundary wall 35a located at the boundary between busbar 40a and busbar 40b (see Figure 2). The end surface 35 has a projection 35b that protrudes in the opposite insertion direction Y2 and extends along the through axis Z. The projection surface 35c, which is the end face of the projection 35b in the opposite insertion direction Y2, is a flat surface. In this embodiment, the end surface 35 has two projections 35b.

[0029] (40 busbar configuration) Busbar 40 is made of metal. As shown in Figure 1, the busbar 40 has a plate-like shape extending along the front-to-back axis X, with a bent structure in the middle. The busbar 40 covers the nut 20 from above Z1 along the through axis Z of the nut 20. The busbar 40 has through holes 41 at both ends that penetrate along the through axis Z. In the busbar 40, the diameter of the through hole 41a in the portion overlapping with the nut 20 is designed to be slightly larger than the diameter of the female screw hole 21 (see Figure 5).

[0030] In this embodiment, the main body 30 and the busbar 40 are integrally molded products. More specifically, the main body 30 and the busbar 40 are integrally molded by insert molding. In this embodiment, in addition to the main body 30 and the busbar 40, the plate 50 is also integrally molded by insert molding.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the bus bar 40a has an engaging projection 42. The engaging projection 42 engages with the side wall 34b to prevent the side wall 34b from deforming so that the opening 33 opens. More specifically, the engaging projection 42 extends from the rear end of the bus bar 40a in the direction X2 and is bent downward in the direction Z2. The engaging projection 42 is located in the engaging recess 34e of the side wall 34b and, by engaging with the engaging recess 34e, prevents the side wall 34b from deforming so that the opening 33 opens along the front-rear axis X. In this embodiment, the engaging recess 34e is formed by the engaging projection 42 when the main body 30 is molded with the bus bar 40a as an insert, and the engaging projection 42 is located in the engaging recess 34e at the stage when the side wall 34b is molded.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the engaging projection 42 is located at the center of the busbar 40a along the insertion axis Y. More specifically, the center position of the engaging projection 42 along the insertion axis Y coincides with the center position of the through hole 41a, and therefore coincides with the center position of the female screw hole 21 of the nut 20. In other words, the center position of the engaging projection 42 along the insertion axis Y, the center position of the through hole 41a of the busbar 40a, and the center position of the female screw hole 21 of the nut 20 are all located on the same front-to-back axis X.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, the engaging projection 42 extends along the through axis Z to at least the same position as the pressing rib 37. In this embodiment, the engaging projection 42 extends to the pressing rib 37 located in the upper direction Z1 of the two pressing ribs 37.

[0034] (Operation of this embodiment) The operation of this embodiment will be described below. As shown in Figure 2, when the nut holder 32 holds the nut 20, the nut 20 is inserted through the opening 33 of the nut holder 32 along the insertion direction Y1. The nut 20 is held in place by being press-fitted into the nut holder 32.

[0035] More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the nut 20 is inserted into the nut holding portion 32 while being pressed by the tip of the pressing rib 37, and is held in the nut holding portion 32 while being pressed by the tip of the pressing rib 37. In this embodiment, the pressing rib 37 is set so that when the nut 20 is inserted into the nut holding portion 32, the tip of the pressing rib 37 is slightly scraped or slightly crushed by the nut 20. Figure 5 schematically illustrates the scraped tip of the pressing rib 37.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the state in which the nut 20 is in contact with the protruding surface 35c of the end surface 35 indicates that the nut 20 has been fully inserted into the nut holding portion 32. At this time, the center of the female threaded hole 21 of the nut 20 coincides with the center of the through hole 41a of the busbar 40a.

[0037] In this state, a mating terminal (not shown) is connected to the busbar 40a. Specifically, the busbar 40a and the mating terminal are connected by a bolt (not shown) that passes through the mating terminal and the busbar 40a and is screwed into the female threaded hole 21 of the nut 20, with the mating terminal superimposed on the busbar 40a in the upward direction Z1.

[0038] In this case, assuming that the busbar 40a does not have an engaging projection 42, when the bolt is tightened, rotational force is also applied to the nut 20, which may cause the nut 20 to rotate as well. If this rotation occurs, the rotation of the nut 20 may deform the side wall 34b so that the opening 33 opens.

[0039] In contrast, the busbar 40a has an engaging projection 42, which engages with the engaging recess 34e of the side wall 34b (see Figure 5). Therefore, even if a rotational force is generated on the nut 20 due to its rotation, the deformation of the side wall 34b that would cause the opening 33 to open is prevented.

[0040] (Effects of this embodiment) Next, the effects of this embodiment are described below. (1) The nut holding portion 32 has an opening 33 that allows the nut 20 to be inserted into the nut holding portion 32 along the insertion direction Y1 which is perpendicular to the through axis Z, so the nut 20 is inserted into the nut holding portion 32 from the opening 33. At least one side 34a of the pair of side surfaces 34 that constitute the opening 33 is part of the inner surface of the plate-shaped side wall 34b, and the bus bar 40a has an engaging projection 42 that engages with the side wall 34b to prevent the side wall 34b from deforming so that the opening 33 opens. This suppresses a decrease in the holding force of the nut 20. Specifically, for example, it is possible to prevent the force with which the nut holding portion 32 holds the nut 20 from decreasing when the bolt is repeatedly attached and detached. Thus, the nut 20 is prevented from falling out of the nut holding portion 32. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the busbar 40 has a receiving recess for accommodating the upper end of the nut 20, for example, the busbar 40a is not required to have a high level of dimensional accuracy, thus improving the manufacturability of the busbar 40a and, consequently, the manufacturability of the terminal block 10.

[0041] (2) The nut 20 is held in place by being press-fitted into the nut holding portion 32, and the side wall 34b has a pressing rib 37 that protrudes to hold the nut 20, so the nut 20 is held in place by being pressed by the pressing rib 37. Furthermore, since the engaging projection 42 extends along the through axis Z to at least the same position as the pressing rib 37, the engaging projection 42 receives force on the extension of the force that the pressing rib 37 receives from the nut 20, so deformation of the side wall 34b can be stably prevented.

[0042] (3) The pressing rib 37 extends along the insertion axis Y, and since the nut 20 is a square nut, the contact area with the nut 20 along the insertion axis Y is large. Therefore, the nut holding portion 32 can stably hold the nut 20.

[0043] (4) Since the main body 30 and the bus bar 40 are integrally molded, the engaging projection 42 of the bus bar 40 can engage with the side wall 34b without any gaps. Therefore, deformation of the side wall 34b can be prevented more firmly.

[0044] (modified version) The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6, the engaging projection 42 may engage with the side wall 34b at a position closer to the opening 33 than the center position of the nut 20 along the insertion axis Y. More specifically, the center position of the engaging projection 42 along the insertion axis Y may be positioned closer to the opening 33 than the center position of the nut 20. This prevents deformation of the side wall 34b at a position where it is particularly susceptible to deformation.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the engaging projection 42 is assumed to extend along the through axis Z to at least the same position as the pressing rib 37, but it is not limited to this and does not have to extend to the position of the pressing rib 37.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the nut 20 is a square nut, but it is not limited to this, and the nut 20 does not have to be a square nut. That is, the nut 20 may be a polygonal nut such as a hexagonal nut or an octagonal nut.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the main body 30 and the busbar 40 are described as integrally molded products, but the invention is not limited to this, and the main body 30 and the busbar 40 do not have to be integrally molded products. In this case, for example, the busbar 40 may be configured to be attached to the main body 30 from above Z1.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the insertion axis Y along the insertion direction Y1 of the nut 20 is assumed to be perpendicular to the front-to-rear axis X on which the busbar 40 extends. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the insertion axis Y may coincide with the front-to-rear axis X.

[0050] In the above embodiment, one of the pair of side surfaces 34 constituting the opening 33, side surface 34a, is assumed to be part of the inner surface of the plate-shaped side wall 34b, but this is not limited to this. That is, both side surfaces 34 of the pair of side surfaces 34 constituting the opening 33 may be part of the corresponding plate-shaped side walls. In this case, the bus bar 40a may have two engaging projections 42 that engage with each of the two side walls.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the side wall 34b is assumed to have an engagement recess 34e on its upper surface 34d, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and the side wall 34b does not have an engagement recess 34e. In this case, the engagement projection 42 only needs to engage with the outer surface of the side wall 34b, which is the surface opposite to the side surface 34.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the terminal block 10 is provided with two nuts 20 and two busbars 40, but it is not limited to this, and the terminal block 10 may be provided with one nut 20 or three or more nuts 20. Also, the terminal block 10 may be provided with one busbar 40 or three or more busbars 40.

[0053] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 10 Terminal block 20 nuts 21 Female screw holes 30 Main body 31a 1st body part 31b Second body part 31c 3rd body part 32 Nut holding part 33 Opening 34 Side view 34a side 34b side wall 34c side 34d top 34e Engaging recess 35 End surface 35a boundary wall 35b Protrusion 35c protruding surface 36 Support part 37 Pressing Ribs 37a Slope 40 Bus Bar 40a Busbar 40b Bus Bar 41 Through hole 41a Through hole 42 Engagement protrusion 50 plates 51 Through hole 60 packing X Anteroposterior axis X1 forward direction X2 rearward Y insertion axis Y1 Insertion direction Y2 Insertion opposite direction Z through axis Z1 upward direction Z2 Downward

Claims

1. Nut and, A main body having a nut holding portion for holding the nut, The nut comprises a bus bar that covers the nut from above along the through axis, The nut holding portion has an opening that allows the nut to be inserted into the nut holding portion along an insertion direction that is perpendicular to the through axis, At least one of the pair of sides constituting the opening is part of the inner surface of the plate-shaped side wall, The busbar has engaging projections that engage with the side wall to prevent the side wall from deforming so that the opening opens. terminal block.

2. The engaging projection engages with the side wall at a position closer to the opening than the center position of the nut along the insertion axis. The terminal block according to claim 1.

3. The nut is held in place by being press-fitted into the nut holding portion. The side wall has a pressing rib that protrudes to hold the nut, The engaging projection extends along the through axis to at least the same position as the pressing rib. The terminal block according to claim 1.

4. The nut is held in place by being press-fitted into the nut holding portion. The side wall has a pressing rib that protrudes to hold the nut, The pressing rib extends along the insertion axis, The nut is a square nut. The terminal block according to claim 1.

5. The main body and the busbar are integrally molded parts. The terminal block according to claim 1.

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