Terminal Block

Abstract

To provide a terminal block 1 with which it is possible to electrically connect a motor and an inverter, and also prevent an oil F retained in the inside of a housing H from leaking to the outside.SOLUTION: Provided is a terminal block 1 for connecting a motor arranged in the inside of a housing H and an inverter arranged on the outside of the housing H. The terminal block 1 comprises: a plate-like busbar 3 having a motor-side connection part 32a at one end that is arranged in the inside of an oil F and having an inverter-side connection part 37a at other end that is arranged on the outside of the housing H; a main body 2 for holding the busbar 3 therethrough and attached to the housing H that accommodates the motor; an insulating enclosure body 4 of insulating properties that encloses the busbar 3, except at least the motor-side connection part 32a and the inverter-side connection part 37a; and a first sealing part 6 for sealing at least a portion on a boundary surface between the insulating enclosure body 4 and the busbar 3 in a cross sectional direction that intersects the boundary surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal block for connecting a motor arranged inside a housing of a vehicle such as an automobile to an inverter arranged outside the housing. [Background technology]

[0002] In an electric vehicle that uses a motor as a driving force, inverter power is supplied from outside the housing to the motor disposed inside the housing, and therefore a terminal block is provided on the housing to electrically connect the motor and the inverter.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a terminal block consisting of a terminal (connection member) having one end connected to the motor side and the other end connected to the inverter side, and a base portion (terminal block main body portion) that holds the terminal and is attached to a housing (case member).

[0004] However, since the terminal block of Patent Document 1 is attached to a housing that contains a speed change mechanism, etc., it is necessary to prevent oil, such as automatic transmission fluid, from leaking from the gap between the terminal block and the housing. For this reason, the terminal block of Patent Document 1 is provided with a seal member that seals the boundary surface between the base part and the housing.

[0005] However, the terminal block of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement because it is not provided with any means for preventing oil from leaking out of the housing along the surface of the terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 035476 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a terminal block that can electrically connect a motor and an inverter and prevent oil stored inside a housing from leaking to the outside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a terminal block that is attached to a housing that stores oil inside, and connects a motor arranged inside the housing to an inverter arranged outside the housing, and that, when attached to the housing, comprises a plate-shaped terminal having a motor-side connection portion at one end that is connected to the motor and arranged in the oil, and an inverter-side connection portion at the other end that is connected to the inverter and arranged outside the housing, a base portion that penetrates and holds the terminal, and is attached to the housing that accommodates the motor, and an insulating enclosure that surrounds the penetrating terminal, except for at least the motor-side connection portion and the inverter-side connection portion. and a terminal through hole is provided in the base portion, the terminal being inserted between the motor side and the inverter side of the housing and through which the terminal passes. The insulating surrounding body is integrally formed with a first surrounding portion surrounding a portion of the terminal disposed in the oil on the motor side of the base portion, and a second surrounding portion surrounding a portion of the terminal passing through the terminal through hole and assembled to the terminal through hole. The terminal The terminal extends between the first surrounding portion and the second surrounding portion. Cross section direction To Sealing part to be sealed and a base-side sealing portion that seals the gap between the second surrounding portion assembled to the terminal through hole and the base portion in the cross-sectional direction. It is characterized by:

[0009] The term "connected to the motor side" means that the motor is directly connected to the motor or is connected via wiring. The term "connected to the inverter side" means that the inverter is directly connected to the inverter or is connected via wiring.

[0010] According to this invention, since the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body and the terminal is sealed by the sealing portion, the terminal block can prevent oil from flowing along the surface of the terminal to the outside of the housing. As a result, the terminal block can electrically connect the motor and the inverter, and can prevent oil stored inside the housing from leaking to the outside.

[0011] As an aspect of the present invention, the sealing portion is The first surrounding portion The motor side End In Between the terminal and the first surrounding portion The cross-sectional direction To It may be configured to be sealed. With this configuration, the terminal block can fill the sealing portion more easily and the sealing state of the sealing portion can be easily confirmed from the outside, compared to when a sealing portion is provided between the motor side edge and the inverter side edge on the boundary surface. This allows the terminal block to reliably seal the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body and the terminal, making it possible to more effectively prevent oil stored inside the housing from leaking to the outside.

[0012] As another aspect of the present invention, the insulating surrounding body may be provided with a sealing recess on the end face facing the motor that is concave along the terminal, and the sealing portion may be provided so that at least a portion of the sealing recess is filled.

[0013] With this configuration, the terminal block can more easily fill the sealing portion and more reliably seal the interface between the insulating enclosure and the terminal, thereby further preventing the oil stored inside the housing from leaking out to the outside.

[0014] In another aspect of the invention, the terminal may extend in a direction penetrating the base portion and may include a penetrating plate portion penetrating the base portion, a first connecting plate portion extending from one end of the penetrating plate portion in the plate thickness direction of the penetrating plate portion and having the motor side connecting portion at its tip, and a second connecting plate portion extending from the other end of the penetrating plate portion in the plate thickness direction of the penetrating plate portion and having the inverter side connecting portion at its tip.

[0015] According to this configuration, for example, the terminal can be formed into a substantially Z-shape, so that the terminal block can be configured to have a terminal with a reduced length in the direction penetrating the base portion. Furthermore, when the first connecting plate portion and the second connecting plate portion are fixed to the motor and the inverter, respectively, with fastening members, the terminal block allows the fastening members to have substantially the same fastening direction, thereby improving workability when connecting to the motor and the inverter.

[0016] As another aspect of the present invention, the through plate portion may be configured by connecting a first through plate portion that is integrally formed with the first connecting plate portion and constitutes an L-shaped terminal on the motor side, and a second through plate portion that is integrally formed with the second connecting plate portion and constitutes an L-shaped terminal on the inverter side.

[0017] With this configuration, compared to a case in which an approximately Z-shaped terminal whose through plate portion is made of a single flat plate is passed through a base portion, the terminal block can make the through hole in the base portion through which the terminal passes smaller, and can easily pass the terminal through the through hole in the base portion. This makes it possible to prevent the base portion of the terminal block from becoming too large, and also to improve the ease of assembling the terminals to the base portion.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, the insulating surrounding body is provided for the motor side L-shaped terminal, a terminal holding portion for holding the inverter side L-shaped terminal is provided outside the housing, the motor side L-shaped terminal and the inverter side L-shaped terminal are connected outside the housing, and a base side sealing portion is provided for sealing the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body and the base portion.

[0019] According to this configuration, the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body and the base portion is sealed with the base side sealing portion, so that the terminal block can prevent oil from flowing from the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body and the base portion to the outside of the housing.

[0020] Furthermore, because the motor-side L-shaped terminal and the inverter-side L-shaped terminal are connected outside the housing, the terminal block can prevent the connection between the motor-side L-shaped terminal and the inverter-side L-shaped terminal from being corroded by oil stored inside the housing, making it possible for the terminal block to more steadily connect the motor-side L-shaped terminal and the inverter-side L-shaped terminal.

[0021] As a further aspect of the present invention, the motor-side L-shaped terminal may be made of a material having corrosion resistance, or may have a plated surface. According to this configuration, the terminal block can prevent the motor-side connection portion disposed in the oil from being corroded by the oil, and therefore the terminal block can further stabilize the electrical connection between the motor and the inverter.

[0022] As a further aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the terminals may be arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the plate width direction, and the insulating surrounding body may integrally surround the plurality of terminals. According to this configuration, the terminal block can easily assemble the terminals arranged at a desired interval to the base by, for example, holding the multiple terminals in advance with the insulating enclosure. Furthermore, since the terminal block can pass the multiple terminals through the base at one time, the ease of assembly of the multiple terminals can be improved.

[0023] As a further aspect of the present invention, the pitch in the parallel direction of the plurality of motor side connection parts may be different from the pitch in the parallel direction of the plurality of inverter side connection parts. According to this configuration, the terminal block can easily connect the motor and the inverter having different parallel direction pitches.

[0024] As a further aspect of the present invention, the base portion may be made of aluminum die casting. According to this configuration, the terminal block can hold the terminals while suppressing an increase in weight. Furthermore, the terminal block can suppress damage to the base portion due to, for example, contact with a foreign object, and therefore can prevent unintended oil leakage due to damage to the base portion. Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a terminal block that can electrically connect a motor and an inverter and prevent oil stored inside a housing from leaking to the outside. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of a terminal block and a case member in a longitudinal cross section along the front-rear direction. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the external appearance of the terminal block and the case member as viewed from above in a front view. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the external appearance of the terminal block and the case member as viewed from below and from the front. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the appearance of the terminal block. [Diagram 5] A cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the external appearance of the terminal block as viewed from above and in front. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the appearance of the terminal block as viewed from below and rearward; [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the external appearance of the bus bar as viewed from above and in the front direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the appearance of the bus bar. [Figure 10] AA cross-sectional view of the motor-side L-shaped terminal, the insulating surrounding body, the first sealing portion, and the second sealing portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The terminal block 1 of the present embodiment is a terminal block that connects a motor arranged inside a housing of a vehicle such as an automobile to an inverter arranged outside the housing. Such a terminal block 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 10.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of the terminal block 1 and the case member 100 in a longitudinal cross section along the front-to-rear direction X, FIG. 2 shows an exploded oblique view of the terminal block 1 and the case member 100 as viewed from above and in the front, FIG. 3 shows an exploded oblique view of the terminal block 1 and the case member 100 as viewed from below and in the front, and FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the terminal block 1.

[0029] Furthermore, Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Figure 4, Figure 6 shows an exploded oblique view of terminal block 1 as viewed from the front and above, Figure 7 shows an exploded oblique view of terminal block 1 as viewed from the rear and below, and Figure 8 shows an exploded oblique view of bus bar 3 as viewed from the front and above. In addition, FIG. 9 shows a plan view of the bus bar 3, and FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the motor-side L-shaped terminal 31, the insulating surrounding body 4, the first sealing portion 6, and the second sealing portion .

[0030] 1 is the upper side of the terminal block 1, and the lower side of FIG. 1 is the lower side of the terminal block 1. The arrow X in the figure indicates the front-to-rear direction of the terminal block 1 (hereinafter referred to as the front-to-rear direction X), and the arrow Y indicates the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction X in a planar view (hereinafter referred to as the width direction Y).

[0031] First, the housing H to which the terminal block 1 of this embodiment is attached contains a rotor and a stator (not shown, hereafter referred to as a motor) inside, and oil F such as automatic transmission fluid is stored at the bottom. The housing H is configured such that a portion that contains the rotor and the like and a portion that contains, for example, a vehicle transmission (not shown) are integrated or separate.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing H has a bottom opening Ha, which is closed by a terminal block 1, formed on the underside of either the portion that houses the motor or the portion that houses the vehicle's transmission.

[0033] 1, the terminal block 1 of this embodiment is attached to the underside of the housing H so as to close the bottom opening Ha of the housing H. Furthermore, the terminal block 1 is entirely covered by a case member 100 attached to the housing H from below, as shown in FIGS.

[0034] Here, the case member 100 is made of aluminum die-cast and is formed in a generally box-like shape with an open top. The front surface of the case member 100 is provided with a harness opening 101 into which an inverter terminal Wt of an inverter harness W is inserted, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 .

[0035] 1 to 3, a service hole 102 for fastening and fixing the inverter terminal Wt of the inverter harness W to the terminal block 1 is formed on the bottom surface of the case member 100. The opening of this service hole 102 is closed by a cover (not shown).

[0036] The inverter harness W is provided with the inverter terminal Wt at one end, and is electrically connected to an inverter (not shown) disposed outside the housing H at the other end.

[0037] The terminal block 1 covered by the case member 100 described above electrically connects the motor arranged inside the housing H and the inverter arranged outside the housing H. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, this terminal block 1 comprises an aluminum die-cast main body 2 that is attached to a housing H, and three bus bars 3 that are arranged in parallel along the width direction Y and are held through the main body 2.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the terminal block 1 is fixed to the main body 2 and includes an insulating surrounding body 4 and a terminal holding portion 5 that integrally hold the three bus bars 3.

[0039] In addition, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the terminal block 1 is provided with a first sealing portion 6 that seals the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the bus bar 3, and a second sealing portion 7 that seals the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the main body 2, in order to prevent the oil F stored in the housing H from leaking to the outside.

[0040] 2 to 4, the main body 2 has a thickness in the up-down direction and is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape in plan view that is elongated in the front-rear direction X. The main body 2 is fastened and fixed to the lower surface of the housing H with a sheet-like metal gasket (not shown) sandwiched therebetween.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the main body 2 has a terminal through hole 2a through which the bus bar 3 passes and a fastening hole 2b for fastening and fixing the bus bar 3 to the motor, which are opened from the rear to the front in this order.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal through-hole 2a and the fastening operation hole 2b are each formed to have a generally elongated elliptical shape that is long in the width direction Y when viewed from above. In addition, when attached to the housing H, as shown in FIG. 1, a cover member 8 for closing the fastening hole 2b is attached to the main body 2 with a metal gasket (not shown) sandwiched therebetween.

[0043] 5, the three bus bars 3 are formed from a generally strip-shaped plate material and are configured to form a generally Z-shape in side view when viewed from the width direction Y. When attached to the housing H, the bus bars 3 are held by the main body 2 such that one end side is located in the oil F and the other end side is located outside the housing H, as shown in FIG.

[0044] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the busbar 3 is configured by connecting a motor side L-shaped terminal 31 arranged above and an inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 arranged below the motor side L-shaped terminal 31 outside the housing H.

[0045] The motor-side L-shaped terminal 31 is formed by plating the surface of a conductive metal plate. When the motor-side L-shaped terminal 31 is attached to the housing H, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 8, the motor-side L-shaped terminal 31 is integrally formed with a first connection plate portion 32 disposed in the oil F of the housing H and a first through plate portion 33 extending downward from the first connection plate portion 32.

[0046] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the first connecting plate portion 32 is fastened and fixed to a motor terminal Mt provided on the motor using a screw 11 in a state where it is attached to the housing H.

[0047] As shown in Figures 5 and 8, the first connecting plate portion 32 has a thickness in the up-down direction and is a generally rectangular flat plate when viewed from above that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction X, and is formed with a length in the front-to-rear direction X from the front end of the fastening work hole 2b of the main body 2 to the terminal through hole 2a.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the first connecting plate portion 32 is disposed so that its front end portion is located above the fastening hole 2b of the main body 2 when attached to the housing H. As shown in Figures 5 and 8, a motor side connection portion 32a, which is a through hole through which a screw 11 for fastening to the motor terminal Mt is inserted, is formed at the front end of the first connection plate portion 32 and opens in the vertical direction.

[0049] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, when the first penetrating plate portion 33 is attached to the housing H, it is fastened and fixed to the terminal holding portion 5 using screws 12, sandwiching the second connecting plate portion 37 of the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 described later.

[0050] 5, the first through plate portion 33 and a second connection plate portion 37 of the inverter-side L-shaped terminal 35 form a through plate portion 34 that vertically passes through the terminal through hole 2a of the main body 2.

[0051] 5 and 8, the first through plate portion 33 is bent downward at the rear end of the first connecting plate portion 32, and then extends in the up-down direction to pass through the terminal through hole 2a of the main body 2. In addition, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8, a screw insertion hole 33a through which the screw 12 is inserted is formed in the lower portion of the first through plate portion 33, opening in the front-rear direction X.

[0052] On the other hand, the inverter-side L-shaped terminal 35 is formed of a conductive metal plate. As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 8, when the inverter-side L-shaped terminal 35 is attached to the housing H, the inverter-side L-shaped terminal 35 is integrally formed with a second through plate portion 36 which constitutes the through plate portion 34 together with the first through plate portion 33 of the motor-side L-shaped terminal 31, and a second connecting plate portion 37 which extends rearward from the second through plate portion 36.

[0053] As shown in Figure 5, when the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 is attached to the housing H, the front surface of the second through plate portion 36 abuts against the rear surface of the first through plate portion 33 of the motor side L-shaped terminal 31 outside the housing H, and is connected to the first through plate portion 33 using a screw 12.

[0054] More specifically, the second through plate portion 36 has a thickness in the front-rear direction X and is formed in a generally rectangular flat plate shape when viewed from the front that is elongated in the up-down direction, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 8. At the upper portion of the second through plate portion 36, as shown in Fig. 5, a screw insertion hole 36a is formed in the front-rear direction X, which communicates with the screw insertion hole 33a of the motor-side L-shaped terminal 31 and through which the screw 12 is inserted.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 5, the second connecting plate portion 37 is disposed outside the housing H when attached to the housing H, and is connected to the inverter terminal Wt by using a screw 13.

[0056] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, this second connecting plate portion 37 extends rearward from the lower end of the second penetrating plate portion 36 with a length in the front-to-rear direction X such that its rear end is located above the service hole 102 of the case member 100.

[0057] Furthermore, at the rear end of the second connection plate portion 37, as shown in Figures 5 and 8, an inverter side connection portion 37a, which is a through hole through which a screw 13 for fastening to the inverter terminal Wt is inserted, is formed opening in the vertical direction.

[0058] Here, of the three inverter side L-shaped terminals 35, the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 located in the center in the width direction Y is referred to as the first inverter side L-shaped terminal 351, and the inverter side L-shaped terminals 35 adjacent to both sides of the first inverter side L-shaped terminal 351 in the width direction Y are referred to as the second inverter side L-shaped terminals 352, and will be described in further detail.

[0059] As shown in Figure 9, the second connection plate portion 37 of the first inverter side L-shaped terminal 351 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in a plan view that is slightly wider than the second through plate portion 36, and an inverter side connection portion 37a is formed as an opening at approximately the center in the width direction Y.

[0060] On the other hand, the second connection plate portion 37 of the second inverter side L-shaped terminal 352 is formed in an approximately L-shape in a plan view, extending rearward from the second through plate portion 36 and then extending in the width direction Y away from the first inverter side L-shaped terminal 351, as shown in Figure 9.

[0061] Furthermore, the second connection plate portion 37 of the second inverter side L-shaped terminal 352 has an inverter side connection portion 37a formed therein at an opening in a portion extending toward the width direction Y at approximately the same position in the front-to-rear direction X as the inverter side connection portion 37a of the first inverter side L-shaped terminal 351.

[0062] For this reason, when the three busbars 3 are arranged side by side in the width direction Y at a desired interval, as shown in Figure 9, the pitch L2 of the inverter side connection portions 37a in the width direction Y is wider than the pitch L1 of the motor side connection portions 32a in the width direction Y.

[0063] 5 to 7, the insulating surrounding body 4 integrally surrounds the three bus bars 3 except for at least the motor side connection part 32a and the inverter side connection part 37a, and is fixed to the upper surface of the main body 2 by using bolts 14. The insulating surrounding body 4 is made of insulating synthetic resin and is formed by insert molding.

[0064] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the insulating surrounding body 4 is integrally formed with a first surrounding portion 41 extending in the front-to-rear direction X and a second surrounding portion 42 extending downward from the rear end of the first surrounding portion 41. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the insulating surrounding body 4 has an upper flange portion 43 and a lower flange portion 44 integrally formed therewith, which protrude from the second surrounding portion 42. The insulating surrounding body 4 has a portion below the upper flange portion 43 formed in a shape that allows it to be inserted into the terminal through-hole 2 a of the main body 2 .

[0065] More specifically, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the first surrounding portion 41 has a generally elongated elliptical shape when viewed from the front, which is long in the width direction Y, and integrally surrounds the first connecting plate portions 32 of the three motor side L-shaped terminals 31.

[0066] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, when the first surrounding portion 41 is attached to the housing H, it covers an area from a position in the fore-and-aft direction X that is approximately the same as the rear end edge of the fastening work hole 2b of the main body 2 to the rear end of the first connecting plate portion 32.

[0067] 10, three sealing recesses 41a are formed on the front end surface of the first surrounding portion 41, the sealing recesses 41a being recessed rearward along the outer circumferential surface of the first connecting plate portion 32. The sealing recesses 41a are formed as portions to be filled with the first sealing portion 6 described below.

[0068] 5 to 7, the second surrounding portion 42 has a generally elongated elliptical shape in a plan view that is long in the width direction Y, and integrally surrounds the first through plate portions 33 of the three motor side L-shaped terminals 31. The second surrounding portion 42 is formed so as to have an outer shape smaller than the terminal through-hole 2a of the main body 2 and a generally elongated elliptical shape in a plan view.

[0069] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 10, the second surrounding portion 42 is continuous with the first surrounding portion 41 and covers the range from the first surrounding portion 41 to a position slightly below the underside of the main body 2 and above the screw insertion hole 33a of the first penetrating plate portion 33.

[0070] 5 and 10, the upper flange portion 43 is formed at a vertical position where it abuts against the upper surface of the main body 2 when attached to the housing H. The upper flange portion 43 protrudes along the outer circumferential surface of the second surrounding portion 42, as shown in FIGS.

[0071] 6 and 7, the upper flange portion 43 has three fixing portions 45 for fastening to the main body 2, which extend rearward and toward both sides in the width direction Y. Note that, as shown in FIG. 10, the fixing portions 45 are provided with collars 45a through which the bolts 14 for fastening to the main body 2 are inserted.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, the lower flange portion 44 is formed at a position spaced downward from the upper flange portion 43 at a distance substantially equal to the length of the terminal through-hole 2a in the vertical direction.

[0073] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the lower flange portion 44 is provided to protrude along the outer circumferential surface of the second surrounding portion 42 so as to have an outer shape having substantially the same size as the terminal through-hole 2a of the main body 2.

[0074] 5 to 7, the terminal holding part 5 is a box-like shape made of synthetic resin with an open top, and is fixed to the underside of the main body 2 by bolts 15. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the terminal holding part 5 is a box-like shape that is generally rectangular in plan view and is elongated in the width direction Y, and integrally holds, by engagement, three inverter-side L-shaped terminals 35 arranged side by side in the width direction Y on its outer circumferential surface.

[0075] Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the terminal holding portion 5 is formed in a roughly box-like shape with a front portion 51 and a rear portion 52 that face each other at a predetermined distance in the front-to-rear direction X, a pair of side portions 53 that face each other in the width direction Y and connect the front portion 51 and the rear portion 52, and a bottom portion 54 that covers the lower opening.

[0076] As shown in Figure 5, this terminal holding portion 5 holds the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 so that the rear surface of the second penetrating plate portion 36 abuts against the front surface portion 51 and the upper surface of the second connecting plate portion 37 abuts against the bottom surface portion 54.

[0077] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal holding portion 5 has a nut 55 on the front portion 51 into which a screw 12 for connecting the motor side L-shaped terminal 31 and the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 is screwed, and a nut 56 on which a screw 13 for connecting the inverter terminal Wt and the bus bar 3 is screwed, provided on the bottom portion 54.

[0078] 5 to 7, the terminal holding portion 5 is provided with two fixing portions 57 for fastening to the underside of the main body 2, one on the front portion 51 and one on the rear portion 52. Note that, as shown in FIG. 5, the fixing portion 57 is provided with a collar 57a through which the bolt 15 for fastening to the main body 2 is inserted.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 10, the first sealing portion 6 is made of a resin material such as a fluoroelastomer, and seals at least a portion of the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the bus bar 3 in a cross-sectional direction (width direction Y and up-down direction) that intersects the boundary surface.

[0080] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, three first sealing portions 6 are provided so as to cover the outer circumferential surface of bus bar 3, respectively. Here, the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the busbar 3 is the surface which combines the contact surface between the first surrounding portion 41 and the first connecting plate portion 32 and the contact surface between the second surrounding portion 42 and the first penetrating plate portion 33, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0081] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the first sealing portion 6 is provided at the front end position on the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the bus bar 3, i.e., at the front end position on the boundary surface between the first surrounding portion 41 and the first connecting plate portion 32.

[0082] The first sealing portion 6 is filled into the sealing recess 41a of the insulating surrounding body 4 so as to seal the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the busbar 3 and the insulating surrounding body 4 in a vertical cross section along the width direction Y. The first sealing portion 6 is filled so that a part of it overflows forward from the sealing recess 41a, as shown in FIG.

[0083] 6 and 7, the second sealing portion 7 is made of synthetic rubber such as fluororubber and is formed into a cylindrical body extending in the vertical direction. The second sealing portion 7 is attached between the upper flange portion 43 and the lower flange portion 44 of the insulating surrounding body 4 as shown in FIG.

[0084] Furthermore, the second sealing portion 7 is formed into a shape that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the terminal through-hole 2a when the insulating surrounding body 4 is attached to the main body 2, as shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the second sealing portion 7 is integrally formed of a main body portion 71 which is a cylindrical body having an approximately elongated elliptical shape when viewed from above, and an expanded diameter portion 72 which protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 71.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 10, the main body portion 71 is formed into a shape having an inner surface slightly smaller than the outer circumference of the second surrounding portion 42 of the insulating surrounding body 4 and an outer surface smaller than the terminal through-hole 2a of the main body 2.

[0086] 10, the expanded diameter portion 72 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 71 in the vicinity of the approximate center in the up-down direction of the main body portion 71. The expanded diameter portion 72 has a generally trapezoidal cross-sectional shape whose longer side is on the outer circumferential surface side so as to fit the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 71.

[0087] This type of expanded diameter portion 72 is formed so as to abut against the inner surface of the terminal through hole 2a when the insulating surrounding body 4 is assembled to the main body 2, thereby sealing the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the main body 2.

[0088] As described above, the terminal block 1 of this embodiment is attached to the housing H in which the oil F is stored, and connects the motor arranged inside the housing H and the inverter arranged outside the housing H.

[0089] When this terminal block 1 is attached to the housing H, it is provided with a plate-shaped bus bar 3 having a motor side connection portion 32a at one end which is connected to the motor side and arranged in the oil F, and an inverter side connection portion 37a at the other end which is connected to the inverter side and arranged outside the housing H.

[0090] Furthermore, the terminal block 1 includes a main body 2 that holds the bus bar 3 therethrough and is attached to a housing H that accommodates a motor, and an insulating surrounding body 4 that surrounds the passing bus bar 3, except for at least the motor side connection portion 32a and the inverter side connection portion 37a.

[0091] The terminal block 1 is provided with a first sealing portion 6 on at least a portion of the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the bus bar 3, for sealing in a cross-sectional direction intersecting the boundary surface.

[0092] According to this, the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the bus bar 3 is sealed by the first sealing portion 6, so that the terminal block 1 can prevent the oil F from flowing along the surface of the bus bar 3 to the outside of the housing H. As a result, the terminal block 1 can electrically connect the motor and the inverter, and can also prevent the oil F stored inside the housing H from leaking to the outside.

[0093] Moreover, the first sealing portion 6 is configured to seal in the cross-sectional direction at the front end on the boundary surface. With this configuration, the terminal block 1 can be filled with the first sealing portion 6 more easily than when a first sealing portion is provided between the edge on the motor side and the edge on the inverter side on the boundary surface, and the sealing state of the first sealing portion 6 can be easily confirmed from the outside. This allows the terminal block 1 to reliably seal the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the bus bar 3, making it possible to more effectively prevent the oil F stored inside the housing H from leaking to the outside.

[0094] The insulating surrounding body 4 is provided with a sealing recess 41a on its front end surface, the sealing recess 41a being recessed along the bus bar 3. The first sealing portion 6 is provided such that at least a portion of the first sealing portion 6 is filled in the sealing recess 41a.

[0095] According to this configuration, the terminal block 1 can more easily fill the first sealing portion 6 and more reliably seal the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the bus bar 3. Therefore, the terminal block 1 can further prevent the oil F stored inside the housing H from leaking to the outside.

[0096] In addition, the busbar 3 extends in the vertical direction and is provided with a through plate portion 34 that penetrates the main body 2, a first connection plate portion 32 that extends forward from one end of the through plate portion 34 and has a motor side connection portion 32a at its tip, and a second connection plate portion 37 that extends rearward from the other end of the through plate portion 34 and has an inverter side connection portion 37a at its tip.

[0097] According to this configuration, for example, the bus bar 3 can be formed in a substantially Z-shape, so that the terminal block 1 can configure the bus bar 3 with a reduced length in the vertical direction. Furthermore, when the first connecting plate portion 32 and the second connecting plate portion 37 are fixed to the motor and the inverter with screws 11 and 13, respectively, the terminal block 1 allows the fastening directions of the screws 11 and 13 to be approximately the same, thereby improving workability when connecting to the motor and the inverter.

[0098] In addition, the through plate portion 34 is configured by connecting a first through plate portion 33 which is formed integrally with the first connecting plate portion 32 and constitutes the motor side L-shaped terminal 31, and a second through plate portion 36 which is formed integrally with the second connecting plate portion 37 and constitutes the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35.

[0099] With this configuration, compared to a case in which an approximately Z-shaped bus bar whose through plate portion is made of a single flat plate is passed through the main body 2, the terminal block 1 can make the terminal through hole 2a of the main body 2 smaller and the bus bar 3 can be easily passed through the terminal through hole 2a of the main body 2. This makes it possible to prevent the main body 2 of the terminal block 1 from becoming large in size, and also to improve the ease of assembling the bus bar 3 to the main body 2.

[0100] The insulating surrounding body 4 is provided for the motor side L-shaped terminal 31. Furthermore, the terminal block 1 is provided, outside the housing H, with a terminal holding portion 5 that holds the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35.

[0101] The motor side L-shaped terminal 31 and the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 are connected outside the housing H, and a second sealing portion 7 is provided to seal the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the main body 2.

[0102] According to this configuration, the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the main body 2 is sealed with the second sealing portion 7, so that the terminal block 1 can prevent oil F from flowing from the boundary surface between the insulating surrounding body 4 and the main body 2 to the outside of the housing H.

[0103] Furthermore, since the motor side L-shaped terminal 31 and the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 are connected outside the housing H, the terminal block 1 can prevent the connection portion between the motor side L-shaped terminal 31 and the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 from being corroded by the oil F stored inside the housing H. Therefore, the terminal block 1 can make the electrical connection between the motor side L-shaped terminal 31 and the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 more stable.

[0104] Moreover, the surface of the motor-side L-shaped terminal 31 is plated. According to this configuration, the terminal block 1 can prevent the motor-side connection portion 32a disposed in the oil F from being corroded by the oil F. Therefore, the terminal block 1 can further stabilize the electrical connection between the motor and the inverter.

[0105] The bus bars 3 are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the width direction Y. The insulating surrounding body 4 is configured to surround the bus bars 3 integrally. According to this configuration, the terminal block 1 can hold the multiple bus bars 3 in advance with the insulating surrounding body 4, so that the bus bars 3 arranged in parallel at desired intervals can be easily assembled to the main body 2. Furthermore, the terminal block 1 can pass the multiple bus bars 3 through the main body 2 at one time, so that the ease of assembly of the multiple bus bars 3 can be improved.

[0106] In addition, in the bus bar 3, the pitch L1 in the width direction Y of the multiple motor side connection portions 32a and the pitch L2 in the width direction Y of the multiple inverter side connection portions 37a are different. According to this configuration, the terminal block 1 can easily connect a motor and an inverter having different parallel direction pitches.

[0107] Moreover, the main body 2 is made of die-cast aluminum. According to this configuration, the terminal block 1 can hold the bus bar 3 while suppressing an increase in weight. Furthermore, the terminal block 1 can suppress damage to the main body 2 due to, for example, contact with a foreign object, and therefore can prevent unintended leakage of the oil F due to damage to the main body 2.

[0108] In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment, The terminal of the present invention corresponds to the bus bar 3 of the embodiment, Similarly, The base part corresponds to the main body 2, The sealing portion corresponds to the first sealing portion 6, The cross-sectional direction corresponds to the width direction Y, The direction penetrating the base corresponds to the up-down direction, The thickness direction of the through plate corresponds to the front-rear direction X. The plate width direction corresponds to the width direction Y, The base side sealing portion corresponds to the second sealing portion 7, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0109] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the bus bar 3 is fixed to the motor terminal Mt using the bolt 15, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the bus bar 3 may be fixed with a nut to a substantially cylindrical terminal that is provided upright directly on the motor. Alternatively, the bus bar 3 and the motor may be connected via a wire.

[0110] Further, the motor-side L-shaped terminal 31 has a plated surface, but is not limited to this, and may be a motor-side L-shaped terminal made of a corrosion-resistant material. Similarly to the motor-side L-shaped terminal 31, the inverter-side L-shaped terminal 35 may be made of a corrosion-resistant material or may have a plated surface.

[0111] In addition, the busbar 3 has a through plate portion 34 composed of a first through plate portion 33 and a second through plate portion 36, but this is not limited to this, and the busbar may have a through plate portion composed of a single flat plate. In addition, the busbar 3 is generally Z-shaped when viewed from the side, but is not limited thereto and may be a busbar of any suitable shape. For example, the busbar may be generally L-shaped when viewed from the side, and may be made up of a first connecting plate portion having a thickness in the up-down direction, and a through plate portion and a second connecting plate portion having a thickness in the front-rear direction X.

[0112] In addition, although the motor side L-shaped terminal 31 and the inverter side L-shaped terminal 35 are connected outside the housing H, this is not limited to this, and the motor side L-shaped terminal and the inverter side L-shaped terminal may be connected inside the housing H.

[0113] In addition, the configuration is provided with an insulating surrounding body 4 that integrally surrounds the three bus bars 3, but this is not limited to this, and the configuration may also be provided with three insulating surrounding bodies that surround each of the bus bars 3. Furthermore, although the terminal block 1 is provided with three bus bars 3, the present invention is not limited to this, and the terminal block may be provided with only one bus bar.

[0114] Further, although the insulating surrounding body 4 is configured to be inserted into the terminal through-hole 2a of the main body 2, the present invention is not limited to this, and the insulating surrounding body may be configured not to be inserted into the terminal through-hole. Further, the terminal holding portion 5 is not inserted into the terminal through-hole 2a of the main body 2, but is not limited to this, and the terminal holding portion 5 may be inserted into the terminal through-hole.

[0115] In addition, the terminal block 1 is provided with an insulating surrounding body 4 surrounding the motor side L-shaped terminal 31 of the bus bar 3, but this is not limited to this, and the terminal block may be provided with an insulating surrounding body surrounding the motor side L-shaped terminal and an insulating surrounding body surrounding the inverter side L-shaped terminal, and the insulating surrounding bodies are connected to each other.

[0116] Furthermore, the first sealing portion 6 is provided on the front end surface of the insulating surrounding body 4, but this is not limiting, and a sealing portion that seals the gap between the busbar 3 and the insulating surrounding body 4 may be provided at any appropriate position on the boundary surface between the busbar 3 and the insulating surrounding body 4. Alternatively, sealing portions that seal the gap between the busbar 3 and the insulating surrounding body 4 may be provided at multiple positions on the boundary surface between the busbar 3 and the insulating surrounding body 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1...Terminal block 2. Main body 3…Busbar 4...Insulating enclosure 5...Terminal holding part 6…First sealing part 7…Second sealing part 31...Motor side L-type terminal 32...First connecting plate portion 32a…Motor side connection part 33…First through plate section 34…Penetration plate section 35...L-shaped terminal on inverter side 36…Second through-hole plate section 37...Second connecting plate portion 37a…Inverter side connection 41a...sealing recess F: Oil H…Housing L1…Pitch L2…Pitch X…Anteroposterior direction Y: Width direction

Claims

1. A terminal block that is attached to a housing that stores oil therein and connects a motor disposed inside the housing to an inverter disposed outside the housing, a plate-shaped terminal, which when attached to the housing, has a motor-side connection portion at one end that is connected to the motor and disposed within the oil, and has an inverter-side connection portion at the other end that is connected to the inverter and disposed outside the housing; a base portion that is attached to the housing that accommodates the motor and that passes through and holds the terminal; an insulating surrounding body that surrounds the terminals that pass through, except for at least the motor side connection portion and the inverter side connection portion; the base portion is provided with a terminal through hole through which the motor side and the inverter side of the housing are inserted and through which the terminal passes, The insulating surrounding body is a first surrounding portion surrounding a portion of the terminal that is disposed in the oil on the motor side of the base portion, and a second surrounding portion surrounding a portion of the terminal that passes through the terminal through hole and that is assembled to the terminal through hole are integrally formed, a sealing portion that seals between the terminal disposed in the oil and the first surrounding portion in a cross-sectional direction intersecting with a direction in which the terminal extends, the sealing portion being disposed closer to the motor than the base portion; a base-side sealing portion that seals the gap between the second surrounding portion assembled to the terminal through hole and the base portion in the cross-sectional direction is provided. terminal block.

2. The base side sealing portion is integrally formed with a main body portion attached to the outer peripheral surface of the second surrounding portion and an expanded diameter portion protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion. The terminal block according to claim 1 .

3. The sealing portion is At an end of the first surrounding portion on the motor side, a gap between the terminal and the first surrounding portion is sealed in the cross-sectional direction. The terminal block according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The insulating surrounding body is a sealing recess that is recessed along the terminal is provided on the end surface on the motor side; The sealing portion is At least a part of the sealing recess is filled with the The terminal block according to claim 3.

5. The terminal is a through plate portion extending in a direction penetrating the base portion and penetrating the base portion; a first connection plate portion extending from one end of the through plate portion in a plate thickness direction of the through plate portion and having the motor side connection portion at a tip end thereof; A second connection plate portion is provided extending from the other end of the through plate portion in the plate thickness direction of the through plate portion and having the inverter side connection portion at its tip. The terminal block according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The through plate portion is a first through plate portion integrally formed with the first connection plate portion to constitute a motor side L-shaped terminal; a second through-hole plate portion which is integrally formed with the second connection plate portion and which constitutes an inverter-side L-shaped terminal; The terminal block according to claim 5.

7. The motor side L-shaped terminal is It is made of a corrosion-resistant material or has a plated surface. The terminal block according to claim 6.

8. The terminals are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the plate width direction, The insulating surrounding body is configured to integrally surround the plurality of terminals. The terminal block according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The pitch in the parallel direction of the plurality of motor-side connection parts is different from the pitch in the parallel direction of the plurality of inverter-side connection parts. The terminal block according to claim 8.

10. The base is made of die-cast aluminum. The terminal block according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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