Bus bar

Abstract

To suppress the propagation of vibration.SOLUTION: A bus bar includes a flat bus bar base 10 and a male tab-shaped bus bar terminal connection portion 20A erected from the bus bar base 10, the bus bar terminal connection portion 20A is electrically connected to a relay terminal connection portion 552 of a relay component 550 via an intermediate terminal fitting 570, and the bus bar base 10 is provided with a reinforcing rib 11 which protrudes from the flat surface at at least one point on the flat surface and suppresses deformation of the bus bar base 10 due to vibrations accompanying the operation of the relay component 550 transmitted to the bus bar terminal connection portion 20A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bus bar. [Background technology]

[0002] A bus bar is housed in the housing of an electrical connection box such as a junction box, and electrically connects at least two components to be electrically connected. This bus bar is, for example, a plate-shaped conductive member press-formed from a metal plate as a base material, and has terminal connection portions formed in the shape of male tabs to which the components to be electrically connected are directly or indirectly connected. This type of bus bar is disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-259228 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of a bus bar, if the electrically connected component is a relay component that can be a vibration source, vibrations caused by the relay component being driven are transmitted to the terminal connection portion, and these vibrations propagate from the terminal connection portion. Because the bus bar is housed in the housing of the electrical connection box with some degree of play (backlash), there is a risk of abnormal noise being generated by the bus bar vibration. In addition, the bus bar may be electrically connected to the relay component via an intermediate terminal fitting, in which case the intermediate terminal fitting indirectly connects the bus bar's male tab-shaped terminal connection portion to the male tab-shaped terminal connection portion of the relay component. In the case of a bus bar, if the intermediate terminal fitting physically and electrically connects the terminal connection portion using spring force, it is sufficient for the intermediate terminal fitting to absorb and attenuate vibrations caused by the relay component being driven. However, the intermediate terminal fitting may amplify the vibrations and transmit them to the terminal connection portion.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bus bar that can suppress the propagation of vibration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is characterized in that it comprises a flat busbar base and a busbar terminal connection portion in the shape of a male tab erected from the busbar base, the busbar terminal connection portion being electrically connected to a relay terminal connection portion of a relay component via an intermediate terminal fitting, and the busbar base is provided with a reinforcing rib that protrudes from the plane of the busbar base at at least one location on the plane and suppresses deformation of the busbar base due to vibrations transmitted to the busbar terminal connection portion when the relay component is driven. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The bus bar according to the present invention has a reinforcing rib at the bus bar base, which increases its rigidity and suppresses the propagation of vibrations caused by the actuation of relay components to the bus bar base. This suppresses the generation of abnormal noise due to the bus bar's own vibration. Furthermore, in this bus bar, if the relay terminals absorb and damp the vibrations caused by the actuation of relay components, the propagation of the vibrations to the bus bar base can be further suppressed, further suppressing the generation of abnormal noise due to the bus bar's own vibration. On the other hand, even if the relay terminals amplify the vibrations caused by the actuation of relay components, the reinforcing rib provided at an appropriate position in this bus bar can suppress the generation of abnormal noise due to the bus bar's own vibration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an electrical junction box provided with a bus bar according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an electrical connection box provided with a bus bar according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the bus bar and the intermediate terminal fitting of the embodiment housed in the bus bar housing. [Figure 4]4 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the relay terminal metal fitting taken along the line XX in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a simulation analysis result of an equivalent radiation power level regarding the bus bar according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the simulation analysis result of the equivalent radiation power level regarding the bus bar of the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating an example of a bus bar according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing another example of the bus bar according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing another example of the bus bar according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the bus bar according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0010] [Embodiment] One embodiment of a bus bar according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] Reference numeral 1 in Fig. 1 indicates a bus bar of this embodiment. This bus bar 1 is housed in the housing of an electrical connection box 500 such as a junction box, and electrically connects at least two components to be electrically connected (Figs. 1 to 3). The bus bar 1 shown here electrically connects a relay component 550, which is a component to be electrically connected, to another component to be electrically connected (Figs. 1 and 2).

[0012] The busbar 1 is a conductive member formed into a plate shape from a conductive material such as a metal material. For example, the busbar 1 is press-formed using a metal plate as a base material. The busbar 1 has a flat base portion (hereinafter referred to as the "busbar base portion") 10 and a male tab-shaped terminal connection portion (hereinafter referred to as the "busbar terminal connection portion") 20 extending from the busbar base 10 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The busbar 1 shown here has a plurality of busbar terminal connection portions 20, and a relay component 550 is electrically connected to one of the plurality of busbar terminal connection portions 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "busbar terminal connection portion 20A") via a relay terminal fitting 570 (FIGS. 1, 3, and 4).

[0013] Here, relay component 550 includes relay body 551 and terminal connection portion (hereinafter referred to as "relay terminal connection portion") 552 protruding from relay body 551 (FIG. 1). Relay component 550 shown here is provided with relay terminal connection portion 552 formed in the shape of a male tab.

[0014] Furthermore, relay terminal fitting 570 physically and electrically connects bus bar terminal connecting portion 20A, and has electrical connecting portion 571, which is located inside cylindrical terminal body 572 and physically and electrically connects relay terminal connecting portion 552 (FIG. 4). Therefore, bus bar terminal connecting portion 20A is electrically connected to relay terminal connecting portion 552 via relay terminal fitting 570. Relay terminal fitting 570 shown here is press-formed using a metal plate as a base material.

[0015] The electrical connection portion 571 flexes and deforms as the bus bar terminal connection portion 20A is inserted, and the reaction force (spring force) acts on the flat surface of the bus bar terminal connection portion 20A, thereby sandwiching the bus bar terminal connection portion 20A between the electrical connection portion 571 and the inner wall surface of the terminal main body 572 ( FIG. 4 ). Therefore, the bus bar terminal connection portion 20A is physically and electrically connected to the relay terminal fitting 570 by the spring force that the relay terminal fitting 570 applies to the flat surface of the bus bar terminal connection portion 20A. Furthermore, the electrical connection portion 571 flexes and deforms as the relay terminal connection portion 552 is inserted, and the reaction force (spring force) acts on the flat surface of the relay terminal connection portion 552, thereby sandwiching the relay terminal connection portion 552 between the electrical connection portion 571 and the inner wall surface of the terminal main body 572 ( FIG. 4 ). Therefore, the relay terminal connection portion 552 is physically and electrically connected to the relay terminal fitting 570 by the spring force that the relay terminal fitting 570 applies to the flat surface of the relay terminal connection portion 552. However, here, relay terminal connection portion 552 is sandwiched between bulging portion 573 that bulges out from the inner wall surface of terminal main body 572 and electrical connection portion 571. Electrical connection portion 571 shown here is formed in a U-shape that is sandwiched between bus bar terminal connection portion 20A and relay terminal connection portion 552 inside the cylindrical portion of terminal main body 572, and applies reaction forces (spring forces) in opposite directions to bus bar terminal connection portion 20A and relay terminal connection portion 552.

[0016] Electrical junction box 500 includes a housing that houses bus bar 1, relay component 550, and relay terminal fitting 570. This housing is molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and includes case member 510 and cover member 520 that are assembled together (FIG. 1).

[0017] Case member 510 has formed therein an accommodation chamber (hereinafter referred to as "bus bar accommodation chamber") 511 for accommodating bus bar 1 (FIGS. 1 and 3). Bus bar 1 is accommodated in bus bar accommodation chamber 511 with relay terminal fittings 570 attached to bus bar terminal connection portions 20A. Therefore, bus bar accommodation chamber 511 also accommodates relay terminal fittings 570.

[0018] Cover member 520 is attached to case member 510, thereby covering case member 510 together with bus bar 1. Cover member 520 shown here covers relay terminal fittings 570 together with bus bar 1. Therefore, cover member 520 has through holes formed therein for inserting relay terminal connecting portions 552 into relay terminal fittings 570. Cover member 520 has an outer wall surface on which a standing wall surrounding the through hole is provided, and the space inside the standing wall is used as a chamber 521 for accommodating relay component 550 (hereinafter referred to as the "relay accommodating chamber") (FIG. 1).

[0019] Furthermore, a part of the upright wall of cover member 520 is cut out, and a holding portion (hereinafter referred to as "relay holding portion") 522 that holds relay component 550 in relay accommodating chamber 521 is provided in the cutout portion (FIG. 1). Relay holding portion 522 constitutes a so-called locking mechanism that hooks onto claw portion 553 protruding from the outer wall surface of relay body 551 and holds claw portion 553 (FIG. 1).

[0020] In this housing, case member 510 is not provided with a holding mechanism for holding busbar 1 in busbar accommodating chamber 511 (for example, a mechanism for holding busbar 1 in busbar accommodating chamber 511 by providing a through hole in busbar 1, providing a vertical wall of busbar accommodating chamber 511 with a claw portion to be inserted into the through hole, and hooking the claw portion onto the periphery of the through hole). However, in this housing, busbar 1 is indirectly held relative to cover member 520 via relay component 550 held in cover member 520 and relay terminal fitting 570 to which relay terminal connecting portion 552 of relay component 550 is fitted and connected.

[0021] Incidentally, in relay component 550, vibrations are generated by its on / off switching operation, and the vibrations are transmitted to relay terminal connection portion 552. The vibrations caused by the driving of relay component 550 are transmitted from relay terminal connection portion 552 to bus bar terminal connection portion 20A via intermediate terminal fitting 570, and then propagated from bus bar terminal connection portion 20A to bus bar base 10. Because bus bar 1 is not fixed to case member 510, if the vibrations of relay component 550 propagate to bus bar base 10, the vibrations of bus bar base 10 may cause abnormal noise. Furthermore, even if bus bar 1 in bus bar accommodating chamber 511 is held in case member 510 by the aforementioned holding mechanism, the holding mechanism has play (backlash) between the claw portion and the through hole, and therefore, bus bar 1 can move within bus bar accommodating chamber 511 relative to case member 510 by the play. Therefore, even if the busbar 1 is held in the case member 510 by its holding mechanism, if the vibration of the relay component 550 is transmitted to the busbar base 10, there is a risk that the vibration of the busbar base 10 will cause abnormal noise.

[0022] Therefore, in this embodiment, the busbar 1 is formed as follows to suppress the generation of abnormal noise caused by vibrations accompanying the driving of the relay component 550. The busbar 1 of this embodiment is provided with a reinforcing rib 11 on the busbar base 10 (FIG. 1), and this reinforcing rib 11 suppresses shape deformation caused by vibrations accompanying the driving of the relay component 550 that are transmitted to the busbar terminal connection portion 20A, thereby suppressing the generation of abnormal noise caused by the vibrations. The reinforcing rib 11 protrudes from the plane of the busbar base 10 at at least one point on the plane.

[0023] The location of the reinforcing rib 11 is determined as follows. Here, the equivalent radiation power level for a conventional busbar 1conv is obtained by simulation analysis (double-dashed lines in FIGS. 5 and 6). In this conventional busbar 1conv, the busbar base 10 does not have a reinforcing rib 11, and a relay component 550 is attached to the busbar terminal connection portion 20A via a relay terminal fitting 570. As a result of the analysis, in the conventional busbar 1conv, vibration occurs near the busbar terminal connection portion 20A in the busbar base 10 (i.e., near the vibration input portion of the relay component 550 in the busbar base 10) and in a portion of the busbar base 10 with low rigidity. Therefore, in the busbar 1 of this embodiment, reinforcing ribs 11 are provided in the vicinity of the busbar terminal connection portion 20A in the busbar base 10 (i.e., in the vicinity of the input portion of the vibration of the relay component 550 in the busbar base 10) and in a portion of the busbar base 10 with low rigidity. In this example, the reinforcing ribs 11 are provided in positions and in the number that reduce the equivalent radiated power level at a specific frequency Fs (the frequency of vibration caused by driving the relay component 550).

[0024] For example, Fig. 7 shows a busbar 1A having a circular reinforcing rib 11A. In this busbar 1A, the reinforcing ribs 11A are provided at four locations on the busbar base 10, increasing the rigidity at each location. The solid line in Fig. 5 shows the equivalent radiated power level of this busbar 1A. In this busbar 1A, the equivalent radiated power level at a specific frequency Fs can be reduced compared to that of a conventional busbar 1conv.

[0025] For example, FIG. 8 shows a busbar 1B having reinforcing ribs 11B formed in a cross shape, such as a cross or a diagonal cross. In this busbar 1B, reinforcing ribs 11B are provided at 11 locations on the busbar base 10, increasing rigidity at each location. The dashed line in FIG. 5 indicates the equivalent radiated power level of this busbar 1B. With this busbar 1B, the equivalent radiated power level at a specific frequency Fs can be reduced compared to that of a conventional busbar 1conv. Furthermore, with this busbar 1B, the equivalent radiated power level at a specific frequency Fs can be reduced compared to that of a busbar 1A provided with circular reinforcing ribs 11A.

[0026] Alternatively, the reinforcing ribs 11 may be formed in a linear shape extending in the same direction as the thickness direction of the busbar terminal connection portion 20A. FIG. 9 shows a busbar 1C having such linear reinforcing ribs 11C. In this busbar 1C, the reinforcing ribs 11C are provided at four locations on the busbar base 10, increasing rigidity at each location. In this example, the four reinforcing ribs 11C are arranged at approximately equal intervals. The solid line in FIG. 6 indicates the equivalent radiated power level of this busbar 1C. In this busbar 1C, the equivalent radiated power level at a specific frequency Fs can be reduced compared to that of a conventional busbar 1conv.

[0027] As described above, the busbar 1 (1A, 1B, 1C) of this embodiment has increased rigidity due to the reinforcing ribs 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) provided on the busbar base 10, thereby suppressing the propagation of vibrations caused by the driving of the relay component 550 to the busbar base 10. Therefore, the busbar 1 (1A, 1B, 1C) can suppress the generation of abnormal noise caused by its own vibration. Furthermore, in the busbar 1 (1A, 1B, 1C), if the relay terminal fittings 570 absorb and attenuate the vibrations caused by the driving of the relay component 550, the propagation of the vibrations to the busbar base 10 can be further suppressed, thereby further suppressing the generation of abnormal noise caused by its own vibration. On the other hand, in the busbar 1 (1A, 1B, 1C), even if the relay terminal fittings 570 amplify the vibrations caused by the driving of the relay component 550, the reinforcing ribs 11 (11A, 11B, 11C) provided at appropriate positions can suppress the generation of abnormal noise caused by its own vibration.

[0028] Furthermore, since the bus bar 1 (1A, 1B, 1C) of this embodiment can suppress vibration, wear of the contact points between the bus bar terminal connecting portion 20A and the intermediate terminal fitting 570 can also be suppressed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C bus bar 10 Busbar base 11, 11A, 11B, 11C Reinforcement rib 20A bus bar terminal connection 550 Relay Parts 552 Relay terminal connection 570 Relay terminal fittings

Claims

1. a flat bus bar base; a male tab-shaped bus bar terminal connection portion erected from the bus bar base; and the bus bar terminal connection portion is electrically connected to the relay terminal connection portion of the relay component via a relay terminal fitting; a reinforcing rib is provided on the bus bar base, protruding from the plane at at least one location on the plane, to suppress deformation of the bus bar caused by vibrations accompanying the driving of the relay component and transmitted to the bus bar terminal connection portion.

2. The bus bar according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing rib is formed in a circular or cross shape.

3. The bus bar according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing rib is formed in a linear shape extending in the same direction as a plate thickness direction of the bus bar terminal connection portion.

4. 4. The bus bar according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar terminal connection portion is physically and electrically connected to the intermediate terminal fitting by a spring force applied by the intermediate terminal fitting to a plane of the bus bar terminal connection portion.

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