Battery Terminal Unit

Abstract

To provide a battery terminal unit in which loosening of a cover member with respect to a base member or abnormal noise is suppressed without degrading assembly work efficiency of the cover member with respect to the base member.SOLUTION: A fuse unit 1 comprises: a bus bar 2 which is fixed to a battery terminal 60; a base member 3 inside which the bus bar 2 is housed; a cover member 4 which covers the battery terminal 60; and a latching mechanism 5 which moves the cover member 4 to a mounting position in a mounting direction with respect the base member 3 to thereby regulate movement of the cover member 4 from the mounting position in a direction opposite to the mounting direction, so that the cover member 4 is latched to the base member 3. The base member 3 includes: a pair of pressing portions 14 which is opposite, in a width direction, to a mounting direction-side terminal 24 of the cover member 4 in a mounting state in which the cover member 4 is maintained at the mounting position, and each pressing portion 14 includes a protruded portion 16 which contacts the mounting direction-side terminal 24 to press the same to an orthogonal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery terminal unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicle batteries are fitted with removable covers to protect the fastening portions between the battery posts and battery terminals, which are exposed to the outside. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cover that covers the outer surface of a fuse unit body and has a pair of cover-side locking portions that lock onto a pair of body-side locking portions, and in a locked state where the cover-side locking portions are locked onto the body-side locking portions, the cover-side locking portions bend outward, providing a restoring force that suppresses rattles and abnormal noise. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-88307 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in order to suppress as much rattle and noise as possible by using the locking mechanism described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the cover-side locking portion and the main body-side locking portion. Therefore, more force must be applied when locking the cover-side locking portion to the main body-side locking portion, which may reduce the ease of assembly.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a battery terminal unit that suppresses rattle and abnormal noise of the cover member relative to the base member without reducing the ease of assembling the cover member to the base member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a battery terminal unit according to the present invention includes: a bus bar fixed to a battery terminal fixed to a battery post and electrically connected to the battery post via the battery terminal; an insulating base member that accommodates the bus bar; a cover member that is insulating and covers the battery post and the battery terminal in a fixed state in which the bus bar is fixed to the battery post via the battery terminal; and a locking mechanism that locks the cover member to the base member in a state in which movement of the cover member from the mounted position in a direction opposite to the mounted direction by moving the cover member in a mounting direction to a mounted position relative to the base member, wherein the base member has a restricting portion that restricts movement of at least the cover member in the mounting direction at the mounted position, and at least one pressing portion that faces a mounting direction side end of the cover member in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction in a mounted state in which the cover member is maintained at the mounted position relative to the base member, and the pressing portion has a protrusion that contacts the mounting direction side end and presses in the orthogonal direction in the mounted state. the locking mechanism locks the locking portion of the cover member to the locked portion of the base member, and the pressing portion is formed so as to sandwich, in the orthogonal direction, the mounting direction side end portion of the cover member, which moves from an locking start position where the locking portion is locked to the locked portion to an locking completion position, between the outer circumferential surface of the base member and the protrusion, and when the base member is viewed from the orthogonal direction, one of the locked portion and the pressing portion is provided at the end portion on the mounting direction side, and the other is provided at the end portion on the opposite side to the mounting direction. It is characterized by:

[0007] The battery terminal unit according to the present invention has the effect of suppressing rattle and abnormal noise of the cover member relative to the base member without reducing the workability of assembling the cover member to the base member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a battery terminal unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the battery terminal unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view (part 1) showing a schematic configuration of a battery terminal unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view (part 2) showing a schematic configuration of the battery terminal unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a battery terminal unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 6(A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the pressing part shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a battery terminal unit according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of a battery terminal unit according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that would be easily conceivable to a person skilled in the art or that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments can be variously omitted, replaced, or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0010] [Embodiment] The battery terminal unit according to this embodiment is, for example, a fuse unit 1 having an overcurrent protection function. The fuse unit 1 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, electrically connected to a battery post 51 of a battery 50 via a battery terminal 60, and used for overcurrent protection of an electric circuit. The fuse unit 1 includes a bus bar 2, a base member 3, a cover member 4, and a locking mechanism 5.

[0011] In the following description, the illustrated X direction is the depth direction of the fuse unit 1 in this embodiment. The illustrated Y direction is the width direction of the fuse unit 1 in this embodiment. The illustrated Z direction is the attachment / detachment direction of the fuse unit 1 in this embodiment. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction intersect with each other, and are orthogonal here. One of the X directions is the X1 direction and the other is the X2 direction. One of the Z directions is the Z1 direction (attachment direction) and the other is the Z2 direction (detachment direction). The Z direction is a direction along the vertical direction, but is not limited to this.

[0012] Here, the battery terminal 60 is attached to the battery post 51 of the battery 50. The battery terminal 60 is attached to the battery post 51 to electrically connect the battery 50 and the fuse unit 1. The battery 50 is formed, for example, in the shape of a housing and is a so-called secondary battery or electricity storage device. The battery 50 has a battery housing 52 that contains battery fluid and various components of the battery 50. Of the multiple surfaces of the battery 50, the battery post 51 is erected on the surface that is positioned vertically upper when the battery 50 is mounted on a vehicle. The battery post 51 protrudes vertically upward from the vertically upper surface of the battery housing 52. The battery post 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape, more specifically, a cylindrical shape that is tapered so that the diameter decreases toward the tip. The battery terminal 60, attached to the battery terminal stopper 70, is fixed to the battery post 51 with fastening members such as bolts and nuts.

[0013] The battery terminal stopper 70 restricts the rotation of the battery terminal 60 about the central axis X of the battery post 51 when the battery terminal 60 is attached to the battery post 51. The battery terminal stopper 70 limits the attachment angle of the battery terminal 60 relative to the battery post 51.

[0014] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the busbar 2 is made of a conductive plate-shaped metal material or the like and includes a fusible element 32. The fusible element 32 is located in the current path of the busbar 2 and melts when an overcurrent flows. The fusible element 32 is, for example, a low-melting-point metal tip crimped and welded to a narrow, strip-shaped conductive portion of the busbar 2. When an overcurrent flows, the fusible element 32 melts and interrupts the corresponding current path. Here, the overcurrent of the fusible element 32 refers to, for example, a current greater than or equal to a predetermined rated current. The fusible element 32 melts when a current greater than or equal to the predetermined rated current flows. The rated current of the fusible element 32 is determined according to the current of the circuit to be protected. When viewed from the width direction of the fuse unit 1, the busbar 2 is formed in an inverted L shape. The busbar 2 is housed within the base member 3, but the electrically connected portion is exposed from the base member 3. The portion of the bus bar 2 exposed from the base member 3 is the portion to be connected to the battery terminal 60, and the portion to which the stud bolt 35 is attached.

[0015] The busbar 2 is electrically connected to the battery terminal 60 by inserting the stud bolts 61 of the battery terminal 60 into the bolt insertion holes 2a and fastening them with nuts (not shown). In other words, the busbar 2 is fixed to the battery terminal 60 and electrically connected to the battery post 51 via the battery terminal 60. The busbar 2 is also electrically connected to the electric wire 6 by inserting the stud bolts 35 into bolt insertion holes of terminal fittings (not shown) provided at the ends of the electric wires 6 and fastening them with nuts (not shown).

[0016] The base member 3 is made of an insulating resin material or the like, and houses the bus bar 2 therein. When viewed from the width direction of the fuse unit 1, the base member 3 is formed in an inverted L shape to match the shape of the bus bar 2. A cover member 4 is attached to the base member 3 from the mounting direction of the fuse unit 1, and is locked by a locking mechanism 5. The base member 3 has a base main body 10 that extends in the mounting / removal direction of the fuse unit 1, and a depth direction side extension portion 11 that extends from the end of the base main body 10 in the removal direction in one direction in the depth direction (for example, the X1 direction).

[0017] When viewed from the mounting / removal direction, one end of the depth-direction extension 11 is C- or U-shaped, exposing a portion of the bus bar 2 that connects to the battery terminal 60. The base body 10 includes a protective member 31 for protecting the fusible element 32 provided on the bus bar 2. When viewed from the mounting / removal direction of the fuse unit 1, the protective member 31 is C- or U-shaped and protects the fusible element 32 housed therein. When the cover member 4 is maintained in the mounting position relative to the base member 3, the base body 10 includes a pair of retaining portions 14 that face the mounting-direction side end 24 of the cover member 4 in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction. The mounting position refers to the position where the cover member 4 is moved in the mounting direction relative to the base member 3 and locked to the base member 3 by the locking mechanism 5, thereby restricting movement of the cover member 4 in the removal direction. The pair of retaining portions 14 face each other in the width direction, which is one of the orthogonal directions.

[0018] The retaining portion 14 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the width direction of the base body 10 and faces a portion of the outer peripheral surface 10a of the base body 10 in the width direction. A pocket portion 15 is formed between the retaining portion 14 and the outer peripheral surface 10a of the base body 10. The pocket portion 15 is a space into which the mounting direction side end 24 of the cover member 4 is inserted, at least in the mounted state. The pocket portion 15 is open in one of the removal direction and depth direction of the base body 10 (e.g., the X2 direction) and closed in the other of the mounting direction and depth direction of the base body 10 (e.g., the X1 direction). The retaining portion 14 is provided at the end on the mounting direction side when the base member 3 is viewed from the orthogonal direction. The retaining portion 14 has a protrusion 16 that contacts the mounting direction side end 24 of the cover member 4 and presses it in the width direction in the mounted state.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 6B , the protrusion 16 faces the outer peripheral surface 10a of the base body 10 in the width direction and protrudes toward the pocket portion 15. The protrusion 16 is provided on the removal direction side of the pressing portion 14 and extends in the depth direction of the pressing portion 14. In the attached state, the protrusion 16 has a height and strength sufficient to press and elastically deform the attachment direction side end 24 of the cover member 4. This height is in the width direction. The pocket portion 15 has a gap V formed therein so that the attachment direction side end 24 can elastically deform inward in the width direction even when pressed by the protrusion 16. In other words, when the attachment direction side end 24 elastically deforms due to the pressure of the protrusion 16, the attachment direction side end 24 moves into the gap V in the pocket portion 15. The attachment direction side end 24 may or may not contact the outer peripheral surface 10a of the base body 10 due to the pressure of the protrusion 16.

[0020] 2, 5, and 7, the base body 10 has a pair of guide ribs 17 formed in a convex shape from the outer peripheral surface 10a of the base body 10 toward the outside of the base member 3 in mutually perpendicular directions. Each guide rib 17 is formed to extend in the mounting direction (or the mounting / removal direction).

[0021] The cover member 4 is made of an insulating resin material or the like, and covers the battery post 51 and the battery terminal 60 when the bus bar 2 is fixed to the battery post 51 via the battery terminal 60. The cover member 4 is formed in an inverted L shape when viewed from the width direction of the fuse unit 1. The cover member 4 is attached to the base member 3 in the attachment direction of the fuse unit 1, and is locked by a locking mechanism 5. The cover member 4 includes a cover main body 20, a lid body 21, and a hinge 22 that connects the cover main body 20 and the lid body 21. The cover main body 20, the lid body 21, and the hinge 22 are integrally molded.

[0022] The cover body 20 extends in the direction in which the fuse unit 1 is attached and detached, and the end of the cover body 20 in the detachment direction is bent toward one side in the depth direction. The end of the cover body 20 bent toward one side in the depth direction is connected to the lid body 21 via a hinge 22. The hinge 22 opens and closes the lid body 21 in the direction Q (FIG. 1). The cover body 20 has an attachment direction side end 24 at its end on the attachment direction side. In the attached state, the attachment direction side end 24 comes into contact with the protrusion 16 of the pressing portion 14 and is pressed from the outside in the width direction by the protrusion 16, elastically deforming inward in the width direction. In the attached state, the attachment direction side end 24 elastically deforms inward in the width direction, but a restoring force pushes the pressing portion 14 outward in the width direction via the protrusion 16.

[0023] 5 and 7, the cover body 20 has a pair of guide grooves 27 formed in a concave shape from the inner peripheral surface 20a of the cover body 20 toward the inside of the cover member 4 in directions perpendicular to each other. Each guide rib 17 is formed to extend in the mounting direction (or the mounting / removal direction).

[0024] The lid body 21 is connected to the cover body 20 via a hinge 22 and opens and closes in the direction Q relative to the cover body 20. In a fixed state in which the bus bar 2 is fixed to the battery post 51 via the battery terminal 60, the lid body 21 covers the battery post 51, the battery terminal 60, and the battery terminal stopper 70 when in a closed state.

[0025] The locking mechanism 5 locks the cover member 4 to the base member 3 in a state in which movement of the cover member 4 from the installation position in the direction opposite to the installation direction is restricted by moving the cover member 4 relative to the base member 3 in the installation direction. The locking mechanism 5 locks the locking portion 23 of the cover member 4 to the locked portion 13 of the base member 3. When viewed from the orthogonal direction, the locked portion 13 is provided at the end on the side opposite to the installation direction, i.e., the end on the removal direction side. When viewed from the orthogonal direction, the locked portion 13 is provided spaced apart from the pressing portion 14 in the installation / removal direction. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the locking portion 23 has an elastic portion 23a and a locking protrusion 23b.

[0026] The elastic portion 23a extends in the attachment / detachment direction, and its end in the attachment direction is connected to the cover body 20. The end in the removal direction of the elastic portion 23a elastically deforms in the depth direction, with the end in the attachment direction as the base point. The locking protrusion 23b is formed outward from the elastic portion 23a, and faces the locked portion 13 in the attachment / detachment direction when the locking portion 23 is locked to the locked portion 13.

[0027] The base member 3 has a restricting portion 12 that restricts movement of the cover member 4 in the mounting direction when in the mounted position. In the mounted state, the restricting portion 12 restricts movement of the cover member 4 in the mounting direction by abutting against the abutting portion 25 of the cover member 4 in the mounting / removal direction. In the mounted state, the restricting portion 12 is provided on the opposite side of the locking protrusion 23b across the locked portion 13 in the mounting / removal direction.

[0028] In the fuse unit 1 configured as described above, the cover member 4 is attached to the base member 3 by an assembly worker in a fixed state in which the bus bar 2 is fixed to the battery post 51 via the battery terminal 60. Specifically, the assembly worker moves the cover member 4 relative to the base member 3 in the attachment direction to the attachment position. When the cover member 4 moves relative to the base member 3 in the attachment direction to the attachment position, the pair of guide ribs 17 slide along the pair of guide grooves 27 to guide the cover member 4 to the attachment position. After the locking projection 23b of the locking portion 23 abuts against the locked portion 13, the elastic portion 23a elastically deforms in the X2 direction as the cover member 4 moves to the attachment position, causing the locking projection 23b to climb over the locked portion 13. This locks the locking portion 23 to engage with the locked portion 13. At this time, the restricting portion 12 faces the abutting portion 25 in the attachment / detachment direction and restricts movement of the cover member 4 relative to the base member 3 in the attachment direction. In this way, the locking mechanism 5, the restricting portion 12, and the abutting portion 25 can mainly suppress rattle and abnormal noise in the direction of attachment / detachment of the cover member 4 to / from the base member 3. Furthermore, a gap U is formed between the locked portion 13 and the locking protrusion 23b (FIG. 6A). As a result, when an operator changes the locking mechanism 5 from the locked state to the unlocked state, if the elastic portion 23a elastically deforms in the X2 direction, the locking protrusion 23b moves into the gap U, making it easier to detach the cover member 4 from the base member 3.

[0029] Furthermore, when an assembly worker moves the cover member 4 relative to the base member 3 in the installation direction to the installation position, the protrusion 16 of the pressing portion 14 comes into contact with the installation direction side end 24 and presses the installation direction side end 24 in the width direction. This mainly suppresses widthwise rattle and abnormal noise of the cover member 4 relative to the base member 3. The pressing portion 14 maintains the pressing state against the installation direction side end 24 from the locking start position S, where the locking portion 23 locks with the locked portion 13, to the locking completion position T (FIGS. 3 and 4). As a result, for example, even if the cover member 4 shifts in the installation / removal direction relative to the base member 3 and is locked, the pressing state of the installation direction side end 24 by the pressing portion 14 is maintained, and rattle and abnormal noise of the cover member 4 in the widthwise and depthwise directions can be suppressed.

[0030] As described above, the fuse unit 1 of this embodiment includes the bus bar 2 fixed to the battery terminal 60, the base member 3 that houses the bus bar 2 therein, the cover member 4 that covers the battery terminal 60, and the locking mechanism 5 that locks the cover member 4 to the base member 3 by moving the cover member 4 in the installation direction to an installation position relative to the base member 3 and restricting movement of the cover member 4 from the installation position in the direction opposite to the installation direction. In the installed state, the base member 3 has a pair of pressing portions 14 that face the installation direction side end portions 24 of the cover member 4 in the width direction, and the pressing portions 14 have protrusions 16 that come into contact with the installation direction side end portions 24 and press them in the width direction.

[0031] With the above configuration, in the attached state, the protrusion 16 of the pressing portion 14 comes into contact with the attachment direction side end 24 of the base member 3 and presses it in the width direction perpendicular to the attachment direction, so there is no need to increase the rigidity of the locking mechanism 5 to suppress rattle or abnormal noise of the cover member 4 relative to the base member 3. Therefore, by increasing the rigidity of the locking mechanism 5, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the ease of assembling the cover member 4 relative to the base member 3 and to suppress rattle or abnormal noise of the cover member 4 relative to the base member 3.

[0032] Furthermore, in the fuse unit 1 of this embodiment, the pressing portion 14 maintains a pressing state against the mounting direction side end portion 24 from the locking start position where the locking portion 23 locks with the locked portion 13 in the locking mechanism 5 to the locking completion position. This allows the pressing state by the pressing portion 14 against the mounting direction side end portion 24 of the base member 3 to be maintained not only at the locking completion position but also immediately before the locking completion position. Therefore, the pressing portion 14 can be positioned in the orthogonal direction from the locking start position to the locking completion position, so that the locking portion can be easily locked with the locked portion 13.

[0033] Furthermore, in the fuse unit 1 of this embodiment, when viewed from the orthogonal direction, one of the locked portion 13 and the pressing portion 14 is provided at the end on the mounting direction side of the base member 3, and the other is provided at the end on the opposite side to the mounting direction. As a result, the cover member 4 is locked to the base member 3 on one side and pressed on the other side at different positions in the mounting direction, and the relative movement between the base member 3 and the cover member 4 is restricted compared to when the locking and pressing states of the cover member 4 are close to each other, thereby further suppressing rattling and abnormal noise of the cover member 4.

[0034] Furthermore, in the fuse unit 1 of this embodiment, when the cover member 4 moves to the mounting position in the mounting direction relative to the base member 3, the pair of guide ribs 17 slide along the pair of guide grooves 27 to guide the cover member 4 to the mounting position. This improves the ease of assembling the cover member 4 to the base member 3. Furthermore, by inserting the guide ribs 17 into the guide grooves 27 across the width of the base member 3, the relative movement of the cover member 4 in the width direction and depth direction relative to the base member 3 is restricted, further suppressing rattling and abnormal noise of the cover member 4.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the fuse unit 1 has an overcurrent protection function, but is not limited to this, and may not have an overcurrent protection function.

[0036] In addition, in the above embodiment, the pressing portions 14 are provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the base body 10 that face each other in the width direction, but this is not limited to this and they may be provided on only one of the outer peripheral surfaces. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1 fuse unit 2 busbars 3 Base material 4 Cover member 5 Locking mechanism 12 Regulatory Department 13 Locked part 14 Presser foot 16 Protrusion 17 Guide rib 23 Locking part 24 Mounting direction side end 27 Guide groove 51 Battery Post 60 Battery terminal

Claims

1. a bus bar fixed to a battery terminal fixed to the battery post and electrically connected to the battery post via the battery terminal; a base member having insulating properties and accommodating the bus bar therein; a cover member having insulating properties, the cover member covering the battery post and the battery terminal in a fixed state in which the bus bar is fixed to the battery post via the battery terminal; a locking mechanism that locks the cover member to the base member in a state where movement of the cover member from the installation position in a direction opposite to the installation direction is restricted by moving the cover member to an installation position relative to the base member in an installation direction, The base member is a restricting portion that restricts movement of at least the cover member in the mounting direction at the mounting position; and at least one pressing portion that faces an end portion of the cover member in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction in an attached state in which the cover member is maintained in an attached position relative to the base member, The holding portion is a protrusion that contacts the mounting direction side end and presses the mounting direction side end in the mounted state, The locking mechanism includes: The cover member is fitted with a locking portion of the base member, The holding portion is the cover member is formed so as to sandwich, in the orthogonal direction, an end portion of the cover member on the mounting direction side, which moves from an engagement start position where the engagement portion is engaged with the engaged portion to an engagement completion position, between an outer peripheral surface of the base member and the protrusion, The locked portion and the pressing portion are When the base member is viewed from the orthogonal direction, one of the ends is provided at an end on the mounting direction side, and the other is provided at an end on a side opposite to the mounting direction. A battery terminal unit characterized by:

2. The base member is a pair of guide ribs formed in a convex shape from the outer peripheral surface of the base member toward the outside of the base member in the orthogonal direction and extending in the mounting direction; The cover member is a pair of guide grooves formed in a concave shape from an inner peripheral surface of the cover member toward the inside of the cover member in the orthogonal direction and extending in the mounting direction; The pair of guide ribs are When the cover member moves to the mounting position in the mounting direction relative to the base member, the cover member slides along the pair of guide grooves to guide the cover member to the mounting position.

2. The battery terminal unit according to claim 1.

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