Capacitor

Abstract

The goal is to provide capacitors that can be used with various external devices with minimal modifications. [Solution] The device comprises a capacitor element 10, a case 11 housing the capacitor element 10, and an electrode 13 connected to the capacitor element 10. The electrode 13 comprises an electrode body 131 and a tip part 132 attached to the electrode body 131. The tip part 132 is equipped with an external connection terminal 132b for connecting to an external device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a capacitor including a capacitor element and an electrode connected to the capacitor element.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes connecting two symmetric contact terminals to a metallized plastic film.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, electrodes such as bus bars used for connection to external devices need to have their shapes adapted to the connection forms of the external devices. Therefore, basically, electrodes of different shapes need to be prepared for each external device.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a capacitor that can be adapted to various external devices with minimal changes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The capacitor of the present invention includes a capacitor element 10, a case 11 that houses the capacitor element 10, and an electrode 13 connected to the capacitor element 10. The electrode 13 includes an electrode main body portion 131 and a tip portion 132 attached to the electrode main body portion 131, and the tip portion 132 is provided with an external connection terminal 132b for connection to an external device.

[0007] In the above capacitor, the electrode 13 comprises a positive electrode 14 and a negative electrode 15, and it is preferable that the electrode body portion 131 of the positive electrode 14 and the electrode body portion 131 of the negative electrode 15 have the same shape.

[0008] Furthermore, it is preferable that the tip part 132 of the positive electrode 14 and the tip part 132 of the negative electrode 15 have the same shape, and that the shapes of the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 are different by attaching the tip part 132 to the electrode body 131. It is also preferable that the electrode body 131 of the positive electrode 14 and the electrode body 131 of the negative electrode 15 are made of metal foil of the same shape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The capacitor of the present invention described above can be adapted to various external devices by changing the tip parts to match the external device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of a capacitor with the sealing material omitted. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a capacitor. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of the positive and negative electrodes. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the manufacturing process of a capacitor. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of an electrode that uses lead wires as the electrode body. [Figure 6] Figures 6A to 6D are perspective views showing modified examples of external connection terminals. [Figure 7] Figures 7A to 7C are perspective views showing modified examples of the mounting part and the part to be mounted, while Figures 7D to 7F are cross-sectional views. [Figure 8] Figures 8A to 8C show modified examples of the positive and negative electrodes in plan view, while Figure 8D is a perspective view. [Figure 9] Figure 9A is an exploded perspective view showing modified positive and negative electrodes, while Figure 9B is a perspective view showing these electrodes attached to a capacitor element. [Figure 10]Figure 10A is a cross-sectional view of a capacitor using the electrodes shown in Figure 9, and Figure 10B is a perspective view of the case. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the capacitor 1 of the present invention comprises a capacitor element 10, a case 11 housing the capacitor element 10, a sealing material 12 filled inside the case 11, and electrodes 13 connected to the capacitor element 10. The following describes each component, but the concept of "up and down" refers to the case 11 when filling it with the sealing material 12, and does not necessarily define the "up and down" orientation during use.

[0012] The capacitor element 10 is a film capacitor in which a metallized film, for example, made by depositing metal onto an insulating film, is wound around the capacitor element, and electrode surfaces 10a, formed by spraying metal, are provided at both ends in the axial direction. This capacitor element 10 is oriented horizontally with the electrode surfaces 10a facing left and right.

[0013] The case 11 is roughly rectangular in shape and comprises a bottom portion 11a and side wall portions 11b rising from the bottom portion 11a. An opening 11c is provided at the top of the case, through which the capacitor element 10 and electrodes 13 are housed inside the case 11. A portion of the electrodes 13 (mainly the external connection terminals 132b, which will be described later) is pulled out of the case 11 through this opening 11c. The case 11 is made of a non-conductive material, such as synthetic resin. However, it may also be made of metal.

[0014] The encapsulant 12 is for encapsulating the capacitor element and is, for example, an epoxy resin. However, it is not limited to epoxy resin; various known resins such as urethane resin can be used. It is preferable to use a resin with excellent moisture resistance or high thermal conductivity.

[0015] The electrode 13 includes a positive electrode 14 connected to one electrode surface 10a of the capacitor element 10 and a negative electrode 15 connected to the other electrode surface 10a of the capacitor element 10. The positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 each include an electrode main body portion 131 and a tip part 132 attached to the electrode main body portion 131. The electrode main body portion 131 and the tip part 132 are formed by punching a metal plate such as copper or aluminum into a predetermined shape and bending it as necessary.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the electrode main body portion 131 is common to the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15. In other words, the electrode main body portions 131 of the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 have the same shape. The specific shape is like the upper part of the hitting surface of a badminton racket bent at 90 degrees. The portion corresponding to the handle of the badminton racket is the element connection portion 131a for connecting to the electrode surface 10a of the capacitor element 10, the bent portion is the attached portion 131b for attaching the tip part 132, and the portion connecting the element connection portion 131a and the attached portion 131b is the connecting portion 131c. This electrode main body portion 131 is common to the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 as described above, and is symmetric about the vertical line L1 passing through the center in the width direction of the connecting portion 131c. Also, the two electrode main body portions 131 attached to the capacitor element 10 so as to face each other are plane-symmetric (left and right are reversed) with respect to the plane S1 passing through the middle of the two electrode surfaces 10a of the capacitor element 10 (see FIG. 1).

[0017] The tip part 132 is also common to the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15. In other words, the tip parts 132 of the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 have the same shape. The specific shape is strip-shaped. One end side of the strip is the attachment portion 132a attached to the attached portion 131b of the electrode main body portion 131, and the other end side is the external connection terminal 132b for connecting to an external device. The external connection terminals 132b extend in the same direction for the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15. Note that the shape of the external connection terminal 132b is appropriately changed according to the connection form of the external device.

[0018] As described above, the electrode body parts 131 and the tip parts 132 are common to each other, but when the tip parts 132 are attached to the electrode body parts 131, the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 have different shapes from each other. Specifically, the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 are each asymmetric with respect to the vertical line L1 passing through the center in the width direction of the connecting part 131c, and there is no symmetry. That is, the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 are not made common. However, since the electrode body part 131 and the tip part 132 are made common, it is not necessary to distinguish whether it is for the positive electrode 14 or the negative electrode 15, and a significant reduction in the number of parts and processes can be expected. In addition, by manufacturing the electrode body part 131 and the tip part 132 separately, there are also advantages such as being able to manufacture the electrode 13 with a complex shape that is difficult to integrally mold, or being able to reduce the material loss during pressing. Incidentally, the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 are plane-symmetric (left and right are reversed) with respect to the plane S1 passing through the middle of the two electrode surfaces 10a of the capacitor element 10 in the state of being attached to the capacitor element 10.

[0019] The capacitor 1 having the above-described configuration is manufactured, for example, as shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, first, the electrode body parts 131 are connected to the electrode surfaces 10a at both ends of the capacitor element 10 by soldering or the like, respectively. Next, this capacitor element 10 is housed in the case 11. At this time, it is preferable to project the attached part 131b from the opening 11c of the case 11. Then, the sealing material 12 is filled into the case 11. At this time, while the entire capacitor element 10 is sealed, it is filled so that the upper part of the connecting part 131c and the attached part 131b are exposed from the sealing material 12. After that, the tip part 132 is welded (arc welding, resistance welding, brazing, ultrasonic welding, laser welding) to the attached part 131b, for example, to complete the manufacture of the capacitor 1.

[0020] Thus, by first manufacturing a semi-finished capacitor 1 without the tip part 132, and then attaching the tip part 132, it becomes possible to adapt to various external devices simply by changing the tip part 132, thus increasing versatility. Alternatively, the tip part 132 may be attached before connecting to the capacitor element 10 or before filling with the sealing material 12. If the tip part 132 is attached in a detachable manner, it is also possible to adapt to various external devices by changing the tip part 132.

[0021] In the electrode 13 shown in Figure 1, the electrode body 131 was plate-shaped, but as shown in Figure 5, lead wires may be used. In this case, it is preferable to use multiple lead wires to ensure sufficient cross-sectional area. Furthermore, to facilitate connection with the lead wires, an insertion hole 132b1 for inserting the lead wires may be provided in the tip part 132. Note that the tip part 132 in Figure 5 is the same shape but reversed. Therefore, this tip part 132 is also common to both the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15.

[0022] Although the external connection terminal 132b in Figure 1 was strip-shaped, it may be provided with bolt holes 132b2 (see Figure 6A) for bolt connection to external equipment, or it may be made pin-shaped (see Figure 6B) or comb-shaped with two or three or more prongs (see Figure 6C) for insertion into a circuit board or the like. Furthermore, it may be made wider than the mounting portion 132a as needed, such as when welding to external equipment (see Figure 6D).

[0023] In Figure 1, both the mounting portion 131b and the mounting portion 132a are flat plates, with the mounting portion 132a overlapping the mounting portion 131b. However, as shown in Figure 7A, the cross-sectional shape of the mounting portion 131b may be roughly U-shaped, and the mounting portion 132a may be inserted into the gap G. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7B, the cross-sectional shape of the mounting portion 132a may be roughly U-shaped, and the mounting portion 131b may be inserted into the gap G. If the purpose is simply positioning, a roughly L-shaped cross-section is also acceptable (see Figure 7C). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7D, crimping may be used for fixing, or as shown in Figure 7E, an insertion portion IN with a return B provided on either the mounting portion 131b or the mounting portion 132a may be inserted into an insertion hole H provided on the other. When welding or soldering, as shown in Figure 7F, the protrusion P provided on one of the mounting portion 131b and the mounting portion 132a may be fitted into the groove C provided on the other before welding.

[0024] In Figure 1, a single capacitor element 10 is housed in a case 11, which is a so-called single-element module. However, multiple capacitor elements 10 may be housed in the case. In addition, an electrode 13 may be connected to each capacitor element 10, or one electrode 13 may be connected to multiple capacitor elements 10. Furthermore, multiple tip parts 132 may be attached to a single electrode body 131, or one tip part 132 may be attached to multiple electrode body 131s.

[0025] While the electrode body 131 and tip part 132 are common to the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15, they may have different shapes. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8A, the electrode body 131 may be common, but the tip part 132 may be different, or as shown in Figure 8B, the tip part 132 may be common, but the electrode body 131 may be different. Also, as shown in Figure 8C, the electrode body 131s and tip parts 132 may have different shapes from each other. In this case, the electrode body 131 and tip part 132 may be bent in a plan view. Furthermore, the insertion direction into external devices may be different from each other. Also, as shown in Figure 8D, the insertion direction of one tip part 132 may be oriented upwards. Of course, the insertion direction of both tip parts 132 may also be oriented upwards.

[0026] Figures 9A and 9B show another modified example of the electrode 13. The electrode body 131 of this electrode 13 is made of metal foil (for example, copper foil, but not limited to this, metal foil made of aluminum, nickel, zinc, tin, etc. is also acceptable). The thickness is, for example, 0.2 to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.3 mm. This electrode body 131 is flexible in the thickness direction. Therefore, dimensional errors and assembly errors can be absorbed by the deformation of the electrode body 131. Specifically, for example, if the axial dimension of the capacitor element 10 is shorter than designed, it is necessary to move the tip part 132 away from the electrode surface 10a, but because the electrode body 131 is flexible, this movement can be performed easily and accurately. If the joint between the electrode body 131 and the tip part 132 does not face the electrode surface 10a (for example, it is located above the electrode surface 10a), the tip part 132 on the positive electrode 14 side and the tip part 132 on the negative electrode 15 side can also be moved closer to each other.

[0027] The electrode body portion 131 is welded or soldered to the tip part 132. To facilitate welding or soldering, a hole is provided in the portion that overlaps with the tip part 132 (the portion to be attached 131b). Furthermore, to facilitate welding or soldering to the electrode surface 10a of the capacitor element 10, a hole is also provided in the portion that overlaps with the electrode surface 10a, serving as an element connection portion 131a. Note that the electrode body portion 131 has the same shape on both the positive electrode 14 side and the negative electrode 15 side (they are standardized).

[0028] Figure 10A shows a capacitor 1 using the electrode 13 of Figure 9A, in which the joint between the electrode body 131 and the tip part 132 is embedded in the sealing material 12. In this case, the electrode body 131 and the tip part 132 are joined together in advance before filling with the sealing material 12. However, it is not always necessary to embed the joint, and even if it is not embedded, the electrode body 131 and the tip part 132 may be joined together before filling with the sealing material 12.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10A and 10B, the case 11 is provided with a fitting portion 11d for fitting the tip part 132. This fitting portion 11d is a recess into which the mounting portion 132a of the tip part 132 can be fitted. To avoid interfering with the fitting of the mounting portion 132a into the fitting portion 11d, the electrode body portion 131 is attached to the side of the case 11 opposite to the side wall portion 11b. In addition, to suppress leakage of the sealing material 12 from the vicinity of the fitting portion 11d to the outside of the case, a rising portion 11e is provided, which is an upward extension of the upper end of the side wall portion 11b.

[0030] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the present invention.

[0031] For example, the capacitor element 10 is not limited to a film capacitor; various types of capacitor elements such as ceramic capacitors and electrolytic capacitors can be used. The orientation of the electrode surface 10a of the capacitor element 10 is not limited to the left-right direction, but may also be in the up-down direction.

[0032] Furthermore, when manufacturing the tip part 132, if bending is performed on at least one of the positive electrode 14 side or the negative electrode 15 side, the positive electrode 14 side and the negative electrode 15 side may be manufactured to have the same shape up to a certain point. In other words, the cutting shape is the same, and the subsequent bending process may result in different shapes for the positive electrode 14 side and the negative electrode 15 side. Even in this case, since the parts have the same shape until bending, it is possible to reduce the burden of managing directionality, for example.

[0033] Furthermore, if both the electrode body 131 and the tip part 132 are plate-shaped, they were joined by overlapping them in the thickness direction of the plates, but they may also be joined by butting their end faces together. If the joining method is welding, it will be a so-called butt weld. In the case of joining by overlapping, a step equal to the thickness of the plates is created, which may cause problems with connections to external equipment, for example, but this problem does not occur with butt welding. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 Capacitor 10 Capacitor element 10a Electrode surface S1 A plane passing through the midpoint between the two electrode surfaces. 11 cases 11a bottom 11b Side wall part 11c aperture 11d Insertion part 11e Rising section 12. Sealing material 13 electrodes 14 Positive electrode 15 Negative electrode 131 Electrode body 131a Element connection section 131b Mounted part 131c Connection part L1 Vertical line passing through the center in the width direction of the connecting section 132 Tip parts 132a Mounting part 132b External connection terminal 132b1 Through hole 132b2 Bolt hole G Gap B (Return) IN insertion part H insertion hole C Groove P protrusion

Claims

1. It comprises a capacitor element, a case for housing the capacitor element, and electrodes connected to the capacitor element. The electrode comprises an electrode body and a tip part that is attached to the electrode body. A capacitor whose tip is equipped with an external connection terminal for connecting to external devices.

2. The electrode comprises a positive electrode and a negative electrode. The capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the electrode body portion of the positive electrode and the electrode body portion of the negative electrode have the same shape.

3. The tip of the positive electrode and the tip of the negative electrode have the same shape. The capacitor according to claim 2, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode have different shapes, achieved by attaching a tip part to the electrode body.

4. The capacitor according to claim 2, wherein the electrode body portion of the positive electrode and the electrode body portion of the negative electrode are made of metal foil of the same shape.

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