Terminal block

Abstract

The objective is to provide a terminal block that can improve the ease of assembly to the housing. [Solution] The terminal block 1 comprises a busbar 10 connected to an external terminal 2 (connecting mating member), a housing 20 provided with an insertion space 21 through which the busbar 10 is inserted, a packing 30 that seals the annular space between the busbar 10 and the inner surface 21a of the insertion space 21, a first holding part 41 that holds the packing 30, and a second holding part 42 that holds the nut 51 of a fastening member 50 that fastens the busbar 10 and the external terminal 2, and a front holder 40 that is assembled to the housing 20.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] As a technology related to a conventional terminal block, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal block including a bus bar connected to a connection partner member, a housing provided with an insertion space portion through which the bus bar is inserted, and a nut holder that holds a nut of a fastening member for fastening the bus bar and the connection partner member.

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 this type of terminal block, for example, separately from the nut holder, there may be provided a packing holder that holds a packing for sealing an annular space between the bus bar and the inner surface of the insertion space portion. In this case, there is a risk that the number of parts increases and the assemblability with respect to the housing deteriorates.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a terminal block capable of improving the assemblability with respect to a housing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the terminal block according to the present invention comprises a busbar connected to a mating member, a housing provided with an insertion space through which the busbar is inserted, a packing that seals the annular space between the busbar and the inner surface of the insertion space, a first holding portion that holds the packing, and a second holding portion that holds the nut of a fastening member that fastens the busbar and the mating member, and a front holder assembled to the housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the terminal block according to the present invention, the front holder is configured to include a first holding portion for holding a packing and a second holding portion for holding a nut of a fastening member that fastens the busbar to a mating member, and is assembled to the housing. With this configuration, the terminal block can reduce the number of parts that are assembled to the housing, for example, by the first and second holding portions of the front holder. As a result, the terminal block has the effect of improving the ease of assembly to the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exemplary perspective view of a terminal block according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exemplary exploded perspective view of a terminal block according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an illustrative perspective view of the front holder of a terminal block according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a terminal block according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the components in the embodiments described below include those that are easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art. In this specification, ordinal numbers are used solely to distinguish parts, components, locations, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

[0010] [Embodiment] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a terminal block 1 according to an embodiment. The terminal block 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and relays the electrical connection between a first device (not shown) and a second device. The terminal block 1 of this embodiment is configured to include a busbar 10, and the external terminal 2 (see Figure 4) of the first device is electrically connected to a first connection part 11 provided at one end of the busbar 10. In addition, the external terminal 2 of the second device is electrically connected to a second connection part 12 provided at the other end of the busbar 10. In this embodiment, the external terminal 2 of the first device or the second device is an example of a connecting partner member. The first device is, for example, one of a motor and an inverter, and the second device is, for example, the other of a motor and an inverter. Note that the terminal block 1 is not limited to this example and may be used, for example, to relay between the first device or the second device and a cable, or to relay between cable materials, etc.

[0011] In the following explanation, of the three intersecting directions, the first direction will be referred to as the "axial direction X," the second direction as the "width direction Y," and the third direction as the "height direction Z." Here, the axial direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z are approximately orthogonal to each other. The axial direction X typically corresponds to the extension direction of the busbar 10, the insertion direction of the busbar 10 into the housing 20 (insertion space 21), the fastening direction between the first connection part 11 of the busbar 10 and the external terminal 2, and the depth direction (front-to-back direction) of the terminal block 1. The width direction Y typically corresponds to the width direction of the busbar 10 and the width direction (left-to-right direction) of the terminal block 1. The height direction Z typically corresponds to the height direction (plate thickness direction) of the busbar 10, the fastening direction between the second connection part 12 of the busbar 10 and the external terminal 2, and the height direction (up-down direction) of the terminal block 1. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the directions used in the following explanation refer to the directions when terminal block 1 is mounted on the vehicle.

[0012] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal block 1. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal block 1 is composed of, for example, a busbar 10, a housing 20, a packing 30, a front holder 40, and a fastening member 50. The busbar 10 is a terminal fitting made of a conductive metal material and is electrically connected to the external terminal 2 described above. In this embodiment, the terminal block 1 is provided with one busbar 10. The number of busbars 10 is not limited to this example, and for example, multiple busbars 10 may be provided arranged along the width direction Y.

[0013] The busbar 10 is composed of, for example, a first connecting portion 11 provided at one end in the axial direction X, a second connecting portion 12 provided at the other end in the axial direction X, and an intermediate portion 13 provided between the first connecting portion 11 and the second connecting portion 12. The first connecting portion 11, the second connecting portion 12, and the intermediate portion 13 are integrally formed from a conductive metal material. That is, the busbar 10 is formed in a three-dimensional, integral crank shape by applying various processes such as bending to a single sheet of metal to match the shapes corresponding to each part of the first connecting portion 11, the second connecting portion 12, and the intermediate portion 13.

[0014] The first connection portion 11 is the part that is electrically and mechanically connected to the external terminal 2 of the first device described above. The first connection portion 11 extends, for example, along the height direction Z. The first connection portion 11 is provided with a mounting hole 11a into which a bolt or the like of a fastening member 50 that fastens the busbar 10 and the external terminal 2 is attached. The mounting hole 11a is a through hole that penetrates the first connection portion 11 along the axial direction X, and is configured, for example, as a round hole with approximately the same diameter as the shaft of the bolt.

[0015] The second connection portion 12 is the part that is electrically and mechanically connected to the external terminal 2 of the second device described above. The second connection portion 12 extends, for example, along the axial direction X and is positioned offset from the first connection portion 11 towards the other end in the axial direction X. The second connection portion 12 is provided with a mounting hole 12a into which a bolt or the like of a fastening member 50 that fastens the busbar 10 and the external terminal 2 is attached. The mounting hole 12a is a through hole that penetrates the second connection portion 12 along the height direction Z and is configured, for example, as a round hole with a diameter larger than the shaft of the bolt. As a result, the mounting hole 12a can absorb the positional displacement of the fastening member 50 along the axial direction X relative to the nut 51, which will be described later.

[0016] The intermediate portion 13 is the part connected between the first connecting portion 11 and the second connecting portion 12. The intermediate portion 13 includes, for example, a bent portion interposed between the first connecting portion 11 and the second connecting portion 12. The bent portion is formed by bending at an angle of approximately 90° with respect to the first connecting portion 11 and the second connecting portion 12. In this embodiment, the width of the intermediate portion 13 along the width direction Y is approximately the same as the width of the first connecting portion 11 along the width direction Y, and is configured to be slightly larger than the width of the second connecting portion 12 along the width direction Y.

[0017] The housing 20 holds the bus bar 10, the front holder 40, etc., and is formed of a synthetic resin material having insulation properties or the like. The housing 20 includes, for example, a housing body 22, a flange portion 23 that protrudes outward in the radial direction (width direction Y and height direction Z) from the housing body 22, and a protruding portion 24 that protrudes from the housing body 22 toward the other end side in the axial direction X. The housing 20 is configured such that the housing body 22, the flange portion 23, and the protruding portion 24 are integrally formed. The flange portion 23 is formed, for example, in a substantially elliptical annular shape along the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 22.

[0018] The housing body 22 is provided with an insertion space portion 21 through which a part of the second connection portion 12 and the intermediate portion 13 of the bus bar 10 is inserted along the axial direction X. The insertion space portion 21 is, for example, an opening (through hole) that penetrates the housing body 22 along the axial direction X. In the present embodiment, the bus bar 10 is assembled to the housing 20 by being inserted along the axial direction X with respect to the insertion space portion 21. Note that the terminal block 1 is not limited to this example, and for example, the bus bar 10 and the housing 20 may be integrally formed by insert molding or the like.

[0019] The protruding portion 24 includes, for example, a protruding portion main body 24a, a groove portion 24b, and an insertion hole 24c. The protruding portion main body 24a is provided on the other end surface of the housing body 22 in the axial direction X and protrudes along the axial direction X from the other end surface. The protruding portion main body 24a is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that extends along a direction (XY plane) intersecting the height direction Z. The protruding portion main body 24a is positioned offset to the other end side (lower side) in the height direction Z with respect to the insertion space portion 21 on the other end surface of the housing body 22.

[0020] The groove portion 24b is recessed, for example, from the upper surface of the protruding portion main body 24a toward the other end side (lower side) in the height direction Z and is open toward the one end side (upper side) in the height direction Z. The groove portion 24b engages with the outer surface of the second holding portion 42 of the front holder 40 described later and holds the second holding portion 42. Further, an insertion hole 24c through which the bolt of the fastening member 50 is inserted is provided at the bottom of the groove portion 24b. The insertion hole 24c is a through hole penetrating the protruding portion main body 24a along the height direction Z and is configured, for example, as a round hole having a larger diameter than the shaft portion of the bolt.

[0021] The packing 30 suppresses foreign matters such as moisture from entering the inside of the housing 20. The packing 30 is formed of, for example, an elastically deformable member such as rubber or resin. The packing 30 is formed in a substantially elliptical annular shape along the outer surface of the second connection portion 12 in the bus bar 10 and is inserted into the insertion space portion 21 described above. The packing 30 is configured to be in close contact with the outer surface of the second connection portion 12 and the inner surface 21a (see FIG. 4) of the insertion space portion 21 by elastic deformation and seal the annular space between the outer surface of the second connection portion 12 and the inner surface 21a of the insertion space portion 21. The packing 30 is also referred to as an O-ring or the like.

[0022] The fastening members 50 are provided in a pair corresponding to the first connection portion 11 and the second connection portion 12 of the bus bar 10, respectively, and fasten the external terminal 2 of the first device described above and the first connection portion 11, and fasten the external terminal 2 of the second device and the second connection portion 12. The pair of fastening members 50 each includes a bolt (not shown) and a nut 51 provided with a female screw portion that meshes with the male screw portion of the bolt. In the present embodiment, the nut 51 of the fastening member 50 on the second connection portion 12 side is attached and fixed to the housing 20 while being held by the second holding portion 42 of the front holder 40 described later, and is aligned with the mounting hole 12a in the height direction Z as it is inserted into the insertion space portion 21 of the second connection portion 12. Then, the fastening member 50 on the second connection portion 12 side has the second connection portion 12 and the external terminal 2 sandwiched between the head of the bolt and the nut 51, and the male screw portion of the bolt and the female screw portion of the nut 51 are fastened.

[0023] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the front holder 40 of the terminal block 1, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal block 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front holder 40 holds the packing 30 and the nut 51 of the fastening member 50, and is formed of an insulating synthetic resin material. The front holder 40 is composed of, for example, a first holding part 41 for holding the packing 30, a second holding part 42 for holding the nut 51, and a flange part 43. The front holder 40 is formed integrally with the first holding part 41, the second holding part 42, and the flange part 43. That is, the front holder 40 is composed of the first holding part 41, the second holding part 42, and the flange part 43 as a single component.

[0024] The first retaining portion 41 is provided at one end of the front holder 40 in the axial direction X. The first retaining portion 41 is composed of, for example, a cylindrical portion 41a that is inserted into the insertion space portion 21 of the housing 20. The cylindrical portion 41a is formed in a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape along the inner surface 21a of the insertion space portion 21 and the outer surface of the second connecting portion 12 in the busbar 10. The second connecting portion 12 is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical portion 41a along the axial direction X. In this embodiment, for example, the packing 30, which has been pre-inserted into the insertion space portion 21, is held by the tip surface 41b of the cylindrical portion 41a on the end side in the axial direction X contacting the packing 30. That is, the first retaining portion 41 holds (supports) the packing 30 in the axial direction X by the tip surface 41b of the cylindrical portion 41a.

[0025] In this embodiment, the insertion space 21 is configured to include, for example, a small-diameter portion and a large-diameter portion 21b with a wider opening than the small-diameter portion. The small-diameter portion is provided at one end of the insertion space 21 in the axial direction X, and only the second connecting portion 12 and a part of the intermediate portion 13 of the busbar 10 are inserted into it. On the other hand, the large-diameter portion 21b is provided at the other end of the insertion space 21 in the axial direction X, and the second connecting portion 12 of the busbar 10, the packing 30, and the first holding portion 41 (cylindrical portion 41a) of the front holder 40 are inserted into it.

[0026] In this embodiment, the front holder 40 is assembled to the housing 20 by, for example, the first retaining portion 41 (cylindrical portion 41a) being press-fitted into the large-diameter portion 21b of the insertion space portion 21, and the second retaining portion 42 engaging with the groove portion 24b of the aforementioned protruding portion 24. In Figure 4, for convenience, a gap is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 41a and the inner surface 21a of the large-diameter portion 21b. However, in reality, the inner surface 21a of the large-diameter portion 21b is formed to conform to the shape of the outer circumferential surface (tapered surface) of the cylindrical portion 41a, and the inner surface 21a of the large-diameter portion 21b and the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 41a are assembled in close contact.

[0027] The second retaining portion 42 is provided at the other end of the front holder 40 in the axial direction X. The second retaining portion 42 is composed of, for example, a base portion 42a that supports the second connecting portion 12 of the busbar 10 and a recess 42b that holds the nut 51. The base portion 42a is provided at the other end of the first retaining portion 41 (cylindrical portion 41a) in the axial direction X and protrudes from the other end along the axial direction X. The base portion 42a is positioned, for example, offset from the insertion hole of the first retaining portion 41 (cylindrical portion 41a) towards the other end side (downward side) in the height direction Z. The base portion 42a has, for example, a flat upper surface, which supports the second connecting portion 12.

[0028] The recess 42b is recessed, for example, from the upper surface of the base portion 42a toward the other end (downward) in the height direction Z, and is open toward the one end (upward) in the height direction Z. The recess 42b engages with the nut 51 and holds the nut 51. Furthermore, the recess 42b is formed in a rectangular shape along the outer circumferential surface of the nut 51 when viewed, for example, from the height direction Z (see Figures 2 and 3). Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotation of the nut 51 relative to the recess 42b can be suppressed by the contact between the side surface of the recess 42b and the outer circumferential surface of the nut 51. In addition, in this embodiment, the nut 51 is press-fitted and fixed into the recess 42b.

[0029] The flange portion 43 is provided between the first retaining portion 41 and the second retaining portion 42. The flange portion 43 protrudes radially outward from the other end of the first retaining portion 41 (cylindrical portion 41a) in the axial direction X. The flange portion 43 has one end face 43a (see Figure 4) on the other end face of the housing body 22 in the axial direction X that faces the peripheral edge of the insertion space portion 21. In this embodiment, for example, the contact between the one end face 43a and the other end face of the housing body 22 restricts the movement of the front holder 40 toward the one end in the axial direction X relative to the housing 20, thereby pushing the first retaining portion 41 and the packing 30 to a predetermined position in the insertion space portion 21 (large diameter portion 21b).

[0030] As described above, in the terminal block 1 of this embodiment, the front holder 40 is configured to include a first holding portion 41 for holding the packing 30 and a second holding portion 42 for holding the nut 51 of the fastening member 50 that fastens the busbar 10 and the external terminal 2 (connecting mating member), and is assembled to the housing 20. With this configuration, the terminal block 1 can reduce the number of parts that are assembled to the housing 20 by, for example, the first holding portion 41 and the second holding portion 42 of the front holder 40. As a result, the ease of assembly of the terminal block 1 to the housing 20 can be improved.

[0031] Furthermore, in the terminal block 1 of this embodiment, the first holding portion 41 is configured to include a cylindrical portion 41a that is inserted into the insertion space portion 21, and the packing 30 is held by the tip surface 41b of the cylindrical portion 41a. With this configuration, the terminal block 1 can, for example, hold the packing 30 along the axial direction X (the direction in which the cylindrical portion 41a is inserted into the insertion space portion 21) by the tip surface 41b of the cylindrical portion 41a, and thereby suppress the movement (detachment) of the packing 30 along the axial direction X relative to the first holding portion 41.

[0032] Furthermore, in the terminal block 1 of this embodiment, the second holding portion 42 is configured to include a recess 42b for holding the nut 51, and the nut 51 is press-fitted and fixed into the recess 42b. With this configuration, the terminal block 1 can hold the nut 51 more securely by the recess 42b, and thereby suppress misalignment (loosening, rotation, etc.) of the nut 51 relative to the second holding portion 42.

[0033] In this embodiment, the packing 30 is exemplified as being held on the tip surface 41b of the first retaining portion 41 (cylindrical portion 41a) of the front holder 40, but the invention is not limited to this example. For example, the packing 30 may be held on the outer circumferential surface of the first retaining portion 41 (cylindrical portion 41a). Also, in this embodiment, the front holder 40 is exemplified as being assembled to the housing 20 by the first retaining portion 41 being press-fitted into the insertion space portion 21 and the second retaining portion 42 engaging with the groove portion 24b of the protruding portion 24, but the invention is not limited to this example. For example, it may be assembled to the housing 20 by claw engagement or the like. Also, in this embodiment, the mating member is exemplified as being the external terminal 2 of the first or second device, but the invention is not limited to this example.

[0034] Although embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated above, these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, each configuration, shape, and other specifications (structure, type, direction, form, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 1 Terminal block 2. External terminals (connecting mating components) 10 Busba 20 Housing 21 Insertion space 21a Inner surface 30 packing 40 Front Holder 41 1st holding part 41a Cylindrical part 41b Tip surface 42 Second holding part 42b recess 50 Fastening members 51 Nut X-axis direction Y width direction Z (height direction)

Claims

1. A busbar that is connected to the mating component, A housing provided with an insertion space through which the busbar is inserted, A packing that seals the annular space between the busbar and the inner surface of the insertion space, A front holder is assembled to the housing and comprises a first retaining portion for holding the packing, and a second retaining portion for holding the nut of the fastening member that fastens the busbar and the mating member. Equipped with a terminal block.

2. The first retaining portion is configured to include a cylindrical portion that is inserted into the insertion space, and the packing is held by the tip surface of the cylindrical portion. The terminal block according to claim 1.

3. The second retaining portion is configured to include a recess for holding the nut, and the nut is press-fitted and fixed into the recess. The terminal block according to claim 1 or 2.

Images