Protective cover and reactor

Abstract

To provide a protective cover which can be easily attached while securing an insulation distance between a peripheral device and a welded part, and a reactor provided with the protective cover.SOLUTION: A protective cover includes a top surface 91, a short side wall 92 and a long side wall 93 extending from the edge of the top surface 91, an opening surface provided on the bottom surface, a storage space surrounded by the top surface 91, the short side wall 92, and the long side wall 93 and accommodating a welding surface, a bottom surface mounting portion 95 on which the bottom surface of a bus bar 6 is mounted, and a top surface mounting portion 98 on which the top surface of the bus bar 6 is placed. The protective cover accommodates the welding surface where the bus bar 6 and the end portion 21 of the coil are welded together in the accommodation space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective cover that houses a welding surface and a reactor equipped with this protective cover. [Background technology]

[0002] A reactor consisting of a coil and a core is known. The coil generates magnetic flux when current is passed through it, and the core serves as a magnetic path through which the magnetic flux passes. In other words, a reactor is an electromagnetic component that converts electrical energy into magnetic energy and stores and releases it.

[0003] This reactor includes a bus bar for electrically connecting the coil to an external device. The ends of the bus bar and the coil are welded by melting the ends of the bus bar or the coil themselves, or by using a joining material such as solder. The bus bar and the external device are then electrically connected by fixing a terminal of the external device to the bus bar. In this way, the reactor is electrically connected to the external device via the bus bar, and current is passed through the coil.

[0004] Peripheral devices are also mounted in the vicinity of the reactor. In recent years, with the advancement of integration, peripheral devices are sometimes placed in proximity to the welded points at the ends of the busbar and coil. To ensure an insulating distance between these welded points and other electronic devices, it is known to use a protective cover to enclose these welded points. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-021741 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Conventional protective covers are inserted parallel to the welding surface, and the welding point is accommodated in the protective cover's accommodation space. The welding surface is uneven due to the presence of solidified solder or other materials. The height of these protrusions varies depending on the welding surface, making it difficult to insert the protective cover into the welding point. Furthermore, depending on the height of the protrusions, it may not be possible to insert the protective cover into the welding point. Attempting to force insertion may damage the internal structure of the protective cover, making it impossible to attach the protective cover to the welding point.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a protective cover that is easy to attach while ensuring insulation between peripheral equipment and welded points, and a reactor equipped with this protective cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The protective cover of the present invention is a protective cover that accommodates a welding surface where a first conductive member and a second conductive member are welded, and is characterized by having an upper surface, a side wall extending from the edge of the upper surface, an opening surface facing the upper surface, an accommodation space defined by the upper surface and the side wall and accommodating the welding surface, a bottom surface mounting portion on which the bottom surface of the first conductive member is placed, and an upper surface abutment portion that abuts the upper surface of the first conductive member.

[0009] A reactor equipped with this protective cover is also one aspect of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a protective cover that is easy to attach while ensuring an insulation distance between peripheral equipment and a welding point, and a reactor equipped with this protective cover. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a reactor according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the reactor of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the welded portion between the bus bar and the end of the coil. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the protective cover of the first embodiment as seen from the bottom. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the protective cover of the first embodiment is attached. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which a bus bar is placed on a bottom surface placement portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a bulging portion that constitutes a clamping portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a reactor according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the protective cover of the second embodiment as seen from the bottom. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a protective cover according to a second embodiment is attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] (First embodiment) A protective cover and a reactor according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the reactor of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the reactor of the first embodiment. In each drawing, thickness, dimensions, positional relationships, ratios, shapes, etc. may be emphasized for ease of understanding, but the present invention is not limited to such emphasis. Note that the winding axis direction of the coil is the X-axis, the horizontal arrangement direction of the coil is the Y-axis, also referred to as the arrangement direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis is the Z-axis, also referred to as the height direction.

[0013] The reactor 10 is an electromagnetic component that converts electrical energy into magnetic energy and stores and releases it, and is used in a variety of applications, including office equipment, solar power generation systems, and automobiles. The reactor 10 includes a core 1, a coil 2, and a resin member 3, and is housed in a case (not shown). The core 1 is made of a magnetic material and forms a magnetic path through which the magnetic flux generated by the coil 2 flows. The resin member 3 covers the periphery of the core 1. An end 21 of the coil 2 is welded to a bus bar 6. The bus bar 6 is electrically connected to an external device. When power is supplied from the external device, a current flows in the coil 2 via the bus bar 6, generating magnetic flux. A protective cover 9 surrounds the welded portion between the end 21 of the coil 2 and the bus bar 6, providing insulation from other components.

[0014] Core 1 can be a powder magnetic core, a ferrite core, a laminated steel plate, or a metal composite core. A metal composite core is a magnetic body made by mixing magnetic powder and resin and then hardening the resin. Core 1 serves as a magnetic path through which the magnetic flux generated by coil 2 passes.

[0015] The core 1 is made up of four plate-shaped portions 11 and a pair of yoke portions 12, and is not provided on the inner periphery of the coil 2. The plate-shaped portions 11 are made up of flat core members, and are arranged between adjacent coils 2 or between the coil 2 and the case so that their wide surfaces are perpendicular to the arrangement direction.

[0016] Yoke portion 12 is made of a flat core member, and its wide surface is joined with an adhesive or the like to the end face of plate-shaped portion 11 that is perpendicular to the winding axis direction of coil 2. Yoke portion 12 has protrusion 13. Protrusion 13 is formed such that the end face of yoke portion 12 that faces the inner peripheral surface of coil 2 protrudes toward the inner circumference of coil 2. Note that protrusion 13 in this embodiment may or may not be inserted into the inner circumference of coil 2. Providing protrusion 13 can suppress the spread of magnetic flux between coil 2 and yoke portion 12.

[0017] The resin member 3 covers the periphery of the core 1. Examples of the resin that constitutes the resin member 3 include epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, urethane resin, BMC (Bulk Molding Compound), PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide), PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate), and a composite of these. Note that a thermally conductive filler may be mixed into the resin.

[0018] Resin member 3 is made up of resin bodies 31 and 32 and is configured to be separable into two. Resin bodies 31 and 32 each have a plate-shaped portion covering portion 33 that covers plate-shaped portion 11, a coil mounting portion 34 on which coil 2 is mounted, and a yoke covering portion 35 that covers yoke portion 12. However, the length of plate-shaped portion covering portion 33 and coil mounting portion 34 of resin body 31 in the winding axis direction is longer than the length of plate-shaped portion covering portion 33 and coil mounting portion 34 of resin body 32 in the winding axis direction.

[0019] The coil 2 is composed of a single conductive member that is insulated with enamel or the like. The coil 2 is formed by winding the conductive member into a cylindrical shape while shifting the winding position in the winding axis direction. In this embodiment, the coil 2 is an edgewise coil made of flat copper wire. Three coils 2 are provided. The coils 2 are arranged side by side with a gap between them so that the winding axis directions are parallel. A plate-shaped portion 11 is provided between each coil 2.

[0020] An end 21 of the coil 2 is welded to the bus bar 6. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the welded portion between the bus bar and the end of the coil. As shown in FIG. 3, a tip surface 211 of the end 21 of the coil 2 extends upward from the coil 2 so as to be perpendicular to the height direction. Furthermore, the wide surface of the rectangular wire of the end 21 of the coil 2 is perpendicular to the winding axis direction. Note that "upward" refers to a direction away from the installation surface when the reactor 10 is installed on an installation object, and "downward" refers to a direction toward the installation surface. For example, as will be described later, when the reactor 10 is housed in a case, "upward" refers to a direction away from the bottom surface of the case, and "downward" refers to a direction toward the bottom surface of the case. This end 21 of the coil 2 is a second conductive member as defined in the claims.

[0021] The busbar 6 is made of a flat, electrically conductive member. One end of the busbar 6 is fixed to the terminal block 7 and is electrically connected to a terminal of an external device. The other end of the busbar 6 extends upward until the top surface 61 of the busbar 6 is flush with the tip surface 211 of the coil 2, and extends parallel to the arrangement direction so as to intersect with the end surface 21 of the coil 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , the top surface 61 of the busbar 6 and the tip surface 211 of the coil 2 are flush with each other. The top surface 61 of the busbar 6 is the end surface opposite the end surface of the busbar 6 that faces the resin member 3. The busbar 6 abuts against the end surface 21 of the coil 2, and the tip surface 62 of the busbar 6 protrudes in the arrangement direction beyond the end surface 21 of the coil 2. The busbar 6 is a first electrically conductive member as defined in the claims.

[0022] The busbar 6 and the end 21 of the coil 2 are joined by fusing the flush top surface 61 of the busbar 6 and the tip surface 211 of the coil 2. That is, the top surface 61 of the busbar 6 and the tip surface 211 of the coil 2 become the welding surfaces. Melted material from the busbar and coil remains on this welding surface, creating an uneven surface. Welding in this manner electrically connects the busbar 6 and the coil 2. When power is supplied from an external device, current flows through the coil 2 via the busbar 6, generating magnetic flux, which then flows within the core 1.

[0023] Reactor 10 includes six bus bars 6, with three bus bars 6 provided on each end of coil 2 in the winding axis direction. That is, three bus bars 6 are provided on the resin body 31 side, and the remaining three bus bars 6 are provided on the resin body 32 side. Each bus bar 6 has a welding surface welded to coil 2, and these three welding surfaces are arranged in a straight line along the arranging direction.

[0024] The bus bar 6 provided on the resin body 31 side is fixed to a terminal block 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal block 7 is seamlessly formed integrally with the resin body 31. The terminal block 7 extends from the upper surface of the resin body 31. The bus bar 6 provided on the resin body 32 side is fixed to a terminal block (not shown) that is separate from the resin body 32.

[0025] The reactor 10 of this embodiment is housed in a case (not shown). The case is made of a lightweight metal with high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum alloy, and has heat dissipation properties. The case does not necessarily have to be made of metal, and may be made of a resin with excellent thermal conductivity, a resin with a metal heat sink embedded in part of the resin, or a resin containing a metal filler.

[0026] The case has a box-like shape that is open at the top. Specifically, the case has a roughly rectangular bottom surface with four sides, four side walls rising from the edges of the four sides of the bottom surface, and an open top surface. The space enclosed by the bottom surface and the side walls is an accommodation space that accommodates reactor 10. Reactor 10 is inserted into the accommodation space of the case through the opening at the top surface of the case.

[0027] A filler molded portion is formed in the gap between the reactor 10 and the case. The filler molded portion is a component formed by filling the gap between the reactor 10 and the case with a filler material, which then solidifies. A relatively soft, highly thermally conductive resin is suitable as the filler material to ensure the heat dissipation performance of the reactor 10 and reduce vibration propagation. Specific examples include silicone resin, urethane resin, epoxy resin, and acrylic resin.

[0028] The method of forming the filled molding portion may involve accommodating reactor 10 in the case, then filling the case with the filler material and allowing it to solidify, or alternatively, filling the case with the filler material in advance, then accommodating reactor 10, and allowing the filler material to solidify.

[0029] The reactor 10 may be provided with a sensor. The sensor detects the state of the reactor 10. The sensor is, for example, a temperature sensor. The sensor is held by a sensor holding portion of the resin member 3 between the plate-shaped portion 11 and the coil 2. The sensor transmits temperature information detected by the detection portion to the outside via lead wires.

[0030] (protective cover) Reactor 10 is equipped with a protective cover 9. Protective cover 9 accommodates the welding surfaces of coil 2 and bus bar 6 and provides insulation from components arranged close to the welding surfaces. Protective cover 9 is made of resin, and the same type of resin as that used for resin member 3 can be used, but because it is arranged in a heat-generating area, a highly heat-resistant resin such as PPS is preferable. Note that protective cover 9 is provided only on the welding surfaces of end 21 of coil 2 and bus bar 6 arranged on the resin body 32 side, but it may also be provided on the welding surfaces of end 21 of coil 2 and bus bar 6 arranged on the resin body 31 side.

[0031] 4(a) is a perspective view of the protective cover as seen from the side, and FIG. 4(b) is a perspective view of the protective cover as seen from the bottom. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the protective cover attached. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the protective cover 9 has an elongated shape. The protective cover 9 has an upper surface 91, short side walls 92, long side walls 93, and an opening surface 94. When viewed from above, the upper surface 91 has an elongated rectangular shape having a pair of opposing short sides and a pair of opposing long sides.

[0032] The center of the short side of the top surface 91 is located at a higher position (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the apex) than both ends of the short side. When the cross section of the top surface 91 is viewed from the short side, one side from the apex toward the long side wall 93 is inclined obliquely, and the other side is curved. In other words, the top surface 91 is made up of two surfaces, one of which is inclined and the other is curved. The top surface 91 is in the shape of a thin plate, and is hollow inside.

[0033] The short side wall 92 extends from a short side of the edge of the upper surface 91 toward the opening surface 94 of the protective cover 9. The long side wall 93 extends from a long side of the edge of the upper surface 91 toward the opening surface 94 of the protective cover 9. The positions of the extending tips of the short side wall 92 and the long side wall 93 are the same height. Both end portions of the short side wall 92 and the long side wall 93 are connected over their entire surfaces to the adjacent long side wall 93 or the end portions of the short side wall 92. In other words, the short side wall 92 and the long side wall 93 are ring-shaped.

[0034] The thickness of the short side wall 92 and the long side wall 93 is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. If it is thinner than 1.0 mm, the strength is insufficient and there is a risk of breakage when attaching the protective cover 9. On the other hand, if it is thicker than 2.0 mm, attachment and formability will be impaired. Note that the thickness of the short side wall 92 refers to the length in the direction along the long side wall 93 (the alignment direction), and the thickness of the long side wall 93 refers to the length in the direction along the short side wall 92 (the winding axis direction).

[0035] The end surface of the protective cover 9 facing the top surface 91 is an opening surface 94. As shown in FIG. 4(b), this opening surface 94 is defined by a bottom surface mounting portion 95 (described later) provided on one of the short side walls 92, the other short side wall 92, and a pair of long side walls 93.

[0036] The welding surface, together with end 21 of coil 2 and a portion of busbar 6, is inserted into protective cover 9 through opening 94. That is, the space defined by top surface 91, short side wall 92, and long side wall 93 serves as an accommodation space for accommodating end 21 of coil 2, a portion of busbar 6, and the welding surface. Protective cover 9 of this embodiment accommodates the welding surfaces of three busbars 6 arranged on the resin body 32 side and coil 2. The length of the accommodation space in the long side direction is approximately the same as the length from tip surface 62 of busbar 6 arranged at one end of the three lined up busbars 6 to tip surface 62 of busbar 6 arranged at the other end.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 5, one of the short side walls 92 has a bottom mounting portion 95. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bus bar 6 is placed on the bottom mounting portion 95. As shown in Fig. 6, the bottom mounting portion 95 protrudes from the end of the short side wall 92 on the opening surface 94 side toward the storage space. The protruding length of the bottom mounting portion 95 is preferably 2.0 mm or more. By making the protruding length 2.0 mm or more, the bus bar 6 can be securely sandwiched between the bottom mounting portion 95 and an upper surface abutment portion 98 (described later), and the protective cover 9 can be stably fixed and positioned.

[0038] The end surface of the bottom mounting portion 95 facing the upper surface 91 is flat. The bottom surface of the bottom mounting portion 95 supports the bottom surface of the bus bar 6, which protrudes beyond the end 21 of the coil 2 in the arrangement direction. The bottom surface of the bus bar 6 is the end surface of the bus bar 6 facing the resin member 3. A gap at least as long as the bus bar 6 in the height direction is provided between the bottom mounting portion 95 and the upper surface 91 to support the bus bar 6. The thickness of the bottom mounting portion 95 in the height direction (the length from the flat surface of the bottom mounting portion 95 to the end surface opposite this flat surface) is preferably 1.0 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. A thickness thinner than 1.0 mm results in insufficient strength, which may result in breakage when attaching the protective cover 9, for example. On the other hand, a thickness thicker than 2.0 mm results in poor attachment and moldability.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 5, each of the pair of short side walls 92 has a tip surface abutment portion 96 that abuts against the tip surface 62 of the bus bar 6. The tip surface abutment portion 96 is the inner surface of the short side wall 92 (the end surface that defines the storage space). The tip surface abutment portion 96 is a flat surface. Each tip surface abutment portion 96 abuts against the tip surface 62 of the bus bar 6 located at both ends of the three bus bars arranged side by side.

[0040] The long side walls 93 have clamping portions 97. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the clamping portions 97 have a pair of bulging portions 971 that bulge from each long side wall 93 into the storage space. The bulging portions 971 are arranged opposite each other and bulge toward the opposing bulging portion 971, but do not reach each other. That is, a gap is provided between the opposing bulging portions 971. The size of this gap is approximately the same as the thickness of the busbar 6. The thickness of the busbar 6 is the length from one wide surface of the flat busbar 6 to the other wide surface. The clamping portions 97 sandwich the wide surfaces of the busbar 6. The opposing bulging portions 971 have approximately the same length along the long side walls 93. Three clamping portions 97 are provided to clamp each busbar 6.

[0041] The end face of the bulging portion 971 on the opening surface 94 side is at the same height as the end face of the long side wall 93 on the opening surface 94 side, and is flush with it. Of the end faces of the opposing bulging portion 971, the end on the opening surface 94 side is notched obliquely toward the long side wall 93. That is, the entrance portion of the gap of the clamping portion 97 is larger than the thickness of the bus bar 6, and the gap between the opposing bulging portions 971 is wide.

[0042] The bulging portion 971a constituting the clamping portion 97 may bulge so as to extend from the upper surface 91 toward the opening surface 94. In this embodiment, the bulging portion 971a is provided on the short side wall 92 opposite the short side wall 92 having the bottom mounting portion 95. The bulging portion 971a is disposed opposite the bulging portion 971 with a gap therebetween, and the bus bar 6 is sandwiched between the bulging portion 971 and the bulging portion 971a. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the bulging portion 971a. As shown in FIG. 7, the tip of the bulging portion 971a has a claw portion 972 that protrudes toward the opposing bulging portion 971. The claw portion 972 abuts against the bottom surface of the bus bar 6. From the viewpoint of ease of insertion of the bus bar 6, the protruding length of the claw portion 972 is preferably one-third or less of the length of the gap between the bulging portion 971 and the bulging portion 971a.

[0043] The long-side side wall 93 is cut out at a position facing the bulging portion 971a. This cutout is formed by positioning a mold so as to sandwich the bulging portion 971a in order to form the claw portion 972. Therefore, if the claw portion 972 is formed without providing a cutout in the long-side side wall 93, it is not necessary to form a cutout. Therefore, the claw portion 972 may be provided not only in the bulging portion 971a but also in the bulging portion 971 that bulges out from the long-side side wall 93.

[0044] An upper surface abutment portion 98 is provided on the upper surface 91 of the protective cover 9. The upper surface 91 of the upper surface abutment portion 98, which faces the upper surface 61 of the bus bar 6, bulges out toward the accommodation space. The upper surface abutment portion 98 bulges out to a length that will abut the upper surface 61 of the bus bar 6 when the bus bar 6 is placed in the accommodation space, and its tip is flat. In other words, the tip of the upper surface abutment portion 98 abuts the upper surface 61 of the bus bar 6. In other words, a space is provided between the upper surface 91 of the protective cover 9 and the upper surface of the bus bar 6. This space is provided in anticipation of a case in which the welding surface provided on the upper surface 61 of the bus bar 6 has irregularities and the protrusions are higher than the upper surface 61 of the bus bar 6.

[0045] The upper surface contact portion 98 may be located anywhere as long as it is located so as to come into contact with the upper surface 61 of the bus bar 6 while avoiding the welding surface, but it is preferable to locate it in a position close to the clamping portion 97. If the distance from the clamping portion 97 is large, dimensional variation increases, reducing the installation area between the upper surface contact portion 98 and the upper surface 61 of the bus bar 6, which may reduce the function of fixing and regulating the position of the protective cover 9.

[0046] In this embodiment, two upper surface abutment portions 98 are provided, and they abut against the upper surfaces of the bus bar 6 located in the center and the bus bar 6 located on the short side wall 92 side that does not have a bottom surface mounting portion 95, respectively.However, three upper surface abutment portions 98 may be provided, and they may also abut against the bus bar 6 located on the short side wall 92 side that has a bottom surface mounting portion 95.

[0047] (Attaching the protective cover) Next, a method for attaching the protective cover 9 will be described. First, the worker holds the protective cover 9 so that the opening 94 on the short side wall 92 side having the bottom mounting portion 95 of the protective cover 9 (the opening 94 between the bottom mounting portion 95 and the clamping portion 97) faces the tip surface 62 of the bus bar 6. Then, the worker moves the protective cover 9 so that the tip surface 62 of the bus bar 6 fits into the accommodation space. At this time, the protective cover 9 is moved while the bottom mounting portion 95 and the bus bar 6 are in contact with each other or while maintaining their positions close to each other.

[0048] Then, just before the tip surface 62 of the busbar 6 abuts or abuts against the top surface 91 of the protective cover 9, the opening surface 94 of the protective cover 9 is rotated approximately 90 degrees from the bottom surface mounting portion 95 toward the top surface 61 (welding surface) of the busbar 6. That is, the protective cover 9 is inserted into the gap between the bulging portions 971 that constitute the clamping portion 97. Then, after the approximately 90-degree rotation, the top surface abutting portion 98 abuts against the top surface 61 of the busbar 6, preventing further rotation of the protective cover 9, signaling completion of attachment. When the top surface abutting portion 98 abuts against the top surface 61 of the busbar 6, the bottom surface mounting portion 95 places the bottom surface of the busbar 6, and the tip surface abutting portion 96 abuts against the tip surface 62 of the busbar 6. In this manner, by rotating the protective cover 9, the welding surface together with the end 21 of the coil 2 and a part of the bus bar 6 is accommodated in the accommodation space of the protective cover 9.

[0049] Note that, between the bottom mounting portion 95 and the top surface 91, it is sufficient to provide a gap at least as long as the busbar 6 in the height direction so that the busbar 6 can be placed thereon, but this gap is preferably larger than the length of the busbar in the height direction. In other words, it is preferable that a gap is created between the top surface 61 of the busbar 6 and the top surface 91 of the protective cover 9 when the busbar 6 is placed on the bottom mounting portion 95. As described above, the protective cover 9 rotates around the bottom mounting portion 95 to accommodate the welding surface, including the end 21 of the coil 2 and a portion of the busbar 6, in the accommodation space. Therefore, if the size of this gap is larger than the length of the busbar in the height direction, it becomes easier to insert the busbar 6 between the bottom mounting portion 95 and the top surface 91.

[0050] (Action and effect) As described above, the protective cover 9 of this embodiment includes the top surface 91, the short side walls 92 and long side walls 93 extending from the edge of the top surface 91, the opening 94 provided on the bottom surface, an accommodation space for accommodating the welding surface defined by the top surface 91, the short side walls 92, and the long side walls 93, a bottom surface placement portion 95 for placing the bottom surface of the bus bar 6, and an top surface abutment portion 98 that abuts against the top surface 61 of the bus bar 6. The protective cover 9 accommodates the welding surface where the end 21 of the coil 2 and the bus bar 6 are welded.

[0051] As described above, the protective cover 9 surrounds the welding surface within a storage space defined by the top surface 91, the short-side sidewalls 92, and the long-side sidewalls 93. This allows insulation to be achieved in areas other than the bottom surface of the protective cover 9, making it possible to position other devices close to the welding surface, thereby achieving integration. The surface of the protective cover 9 facing the top surface 91 is an opening 94. However, since the opening 94 is located at a distance from the welding surface and other devices are rarely placed on the opening 94 side, the presence of the opening 94 does not significantly affect insulation. Furthermore, the bottom mounting portion 95 and the top contact portion 98 sandwich the bottom and top surfaces of the busbar 6, thereby fixing the protective cover 9 and restricting its position in the height direction.

[0052] Furthermore, the protective cover 9 can be easily attached by rotating it toward the welding surface starting from the bottom mounting portion 95. Because the welding surface has projections and recesses, for example, when attaching the protective cover by moving it parallel to the welding surface, if the projections are located higher than the upper surface 61 of the bus bar 6, it may be difficult or impossible to insert. However, the protective cover 9 of this embodiment is attached by covering the welding surface from above, and a space is provided between the welding surface and the upper surface of the protective cover 9. This allows the protective cover 9 to be attached without being affected by the projections and recesses of the welding surface. Therefore, the protective cover 9 can be easily attached.

[0053] The long side wall 93 has a clamping portion 97 that protrudes from the long side wall 93 toward the bus bar 6 and clamps the bus bar 6. This makes it possible to regulate the position of the protective cover 9 in the direction of the winding axis and to fix the protective cover 9 more firmly.

[0054] The end of the clamping portion 97 on the opening surface 94 side is cut out toward the long side wall 93. By rotating the protective cover 9, the bus bar 6 and the end 21 of the coil 2 are accommodated in the accommodation space through the opening surface 94 on the bottom surface of the protective cover 9. Therefore, by cutting out the end of the clamping portion 97 on the opening surface 94 side toward the long side wall 93, the bus bar 6 can be more easily guided into the clamping portion 97, making it easier to attach the protective cover. In particular, when accommodating multiple welding surfaces as in this embodiment, the position of the bus bar 6 is more likely to deviate from the predetermined position than when accommodating only one welding surface. However, even if there is some positional misalignment, by increasing the gap of the clamping portion 97, it becomes easier to insert the bus bar 6 between the clamping portions 97, making it easier to attach the protective cover 9.

[0055] Furthermore, protective cover 9 accommodates three welding surfaces, which are arranged on the same straight line. Protective cover 9 also includes a pair of tip surface abutment portions 96 that abut against tip surfaces 62 of bus bars 6 arranged on both ends of three bus bars 6 arranged on the same straight line. This allows the position of protective cover 9 to be regulated in the arrangement direction.

[0056] The cross-sectional shape of the top surface 91 when viewed from the short side is inclined obliquely from the apex toward the long side wall 93. By inclining the top surface 91, the dimensions of the protective cover 9 can be made smaller than when the top surface 91 is curved. This allows other devices to be placed closer to the protective cover 9, enabling further integration. Note that in this embodiment, the curved top surface 91 may also be an inclined surface. This allows for even greater integration.

[0057] Bulging portion 971a constituting clamping portion 97 has claw portion 972, which comes into contact with the lower surface of bus bar 6. This allows protective cover 9 to be fixed more firmly and prevents it from falling off.

[0058] Two upper surface contact portions 98 are provided, and they respectively contact the upper surface 61 of the busbar 6 located in the center and the busbar 6 located on the short side wall 92 that does not have the bottom mounting portion 95. In other words, no upper surface contact portion 98 is provided that contacts the upper surface 61 of the busbar 6 located on the short side wall 92 that has the bottom mounting portion 95. As described above, the protective cover 9 is attached by rotating it around the bottom mounting portion 95. Therefore, if an upper surface contact portion 98 that contacts the upper surface 61 of the busbar 6 located on the short side wall 92 that has the bottom mounting portion 95 were provided, there is a risk that the upper surface contact portion 98 and the busbar 6 would interfere with each other during attachment, making attachment difficult. Therefore, by intentionally not providing an upper surface contact portion 98 that contacts the upper surface 61 of the busbar 6 located on the short side wall 92 that has the bottom mounting portion 95, the protective cover 9 can be attached more smoothly.

[0059] (Second embodiment) A reactor 10 of a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same configurations and functions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the reactor of the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a protective cover 9a is provided separately, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0060] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the protective cover of the second embodiment as seen from the bottom. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the protective cover of the second embodiment attached. The protective cover 9a has a curved portion 99 extending outward from the top surface 91 of the short side wall 92 that does not have the bottom mounting portion 95. "Outward" refers to the direction opposite to the storage space. The curved portion 99 is formed by bending a flat plate.

[0061] Busbar 6 extends upward so that top surface 61 of busbar 6 is at the same height as tip surface 211 of end 21 of coil 2, and curves so that tip surface 62 of busbar 6 extends parallel to the arrangement direction and intersects with end 21 of coil 2. In other words, busbar 6 has curved portion 63. The inner surface of curved portion 63 is shaped to follow the curved shape of curved portion 63 of busbar 6 and abuts against curved portion 63.

[0062] A claw portion 991 is provided at the tip of the curved portion 99. The length of the claw portion 991 in the direction along the short side wall 92 (in the direction of the winding axis) is shorter than the length of the curved portion 99 in the direction along the short side wall 92, and the claw portion 991 extends from approximately the center of the tip surface of the curved portion 99. As shown in FIG. 10 , the claw portion 991 extends downward from the curved portion 99 and bends toward the short side wall 92. In other words, when the bus bar 6 is housed in the protective cover 9a, the tip of the claw portion 991 bends toward the bus bar 6. The bus bar 6 is provided with a cutout portion into which the tip of the claw portion 991 is inserted. The tip of the claw portion 991 is inserted and fitted into this cutout portion.

[0063] Further, a short-side side wall 92 that does not have bottom surface mounting portion 95 has a cutout portion 921 cut out from the bottom surface of protective cover 9a toward top surface 91. The width of cutout portion 921 is slightly larger than the thickness of bus bar 6. The height of cutout portion 921 is set so that it abuts against top surface 61 of bus bar 6 when bus bar 6 is housed in protective cover 9a. That is, the upper surface of the cutout portion of short-side side wall 92 functions as top surface abutment portion 98.

[0064] A pair of protruding walls 922 are provided outward from the edge of the short-side side wall 92 that constitutes this cutout portion 921. The protruding walls 922 extend parallel to the direction along the long-side side wall 93 (the arrangement direction) so as to maintain the width of the cutout portion 921. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, only one of the protruding walls 922 extends to the tip of the curved portion 99 and is connected to the curved portion 99, while the other protruding wall 922 does not reach the tip of the curved portion 99; however, the other protruding wall 922 may also extend to the tip of the curved portion 99 and be connected to it.

[0065] The bulging portion 971 constituting the clamping portion 97 is provided on this protruding wall 922. That is, the bulging portion 971 bulges from the inner wall of the protruding wall 922 toward the opposing bulging wall 971, and the gap between them is substantially the same as the width of the bus bar 6. The clamping portion 97 sandwiches the wide surface of the curved bus bar 6. Note that in the first embodiment, the pair of short side walls 92 each have the tip surface abutment portion 96, but in this embodiment, only the short side wall 92 having the bottom surface mounting portion 95 has the tip surface abutment portion 96.

[0066] In this way, the protective cover 9a of the second embodiment protects each welding surface individually. The method of attaching this protective cover 9a is similar to that of the first embodiment: first, the opening surface 94 of the protective cover 9a is aligned with the tip surface 62 of the busbar 6, the protective cover is inserted, and the bottom surface mounting portion 95 is used as a starting point to rotate the protective cover 9a toward the top surface 61 (welding surface) of the busbar 6. Then, the clamping portions 97 clamp the wide surface of the busbar 6, and the curved portions 99 cover the curved portions 63 of the busbar 6. Finally, the claw portions 991 are inserted into the notches of the busbar 6 and fitted together, thereby attaching the protective cover 9a. At this time, the curved portions 99 abut against the curved portions 63 of the busbar 6, the top surface abutting portions 98 abut against the top surface 61 of the busbar 6, and the tip surface abutting portions 96 abut against the tip surface 62 of the busbar 6.

[0067] In the second embodiment, too, the protective cover 9a can be easily attached by rotating it from the bottom surface mounting portion 95 toward the welding surface. The protective cover 9a includes claws 991 that fit into the notches of the busbars 6. This allows the protective cover 9a to be more firmly fixed. The curved portions 99 conform to the shape of the curved portions 63 of the busbars 6 and abut against the curved portions of the busbars 6. Therefore, the busbars 6 are sandwiched between the tip surface abutting portions 96 and the curved portions 99, thereby regulating the position of the protective cover 9a in the arrangement direction. In other words, in the first embodiment, the position of the busbars 6 is regulated by sandwiching the busbars 6 between the pair of tip surface abutting portions 96. In this embodiment, the position of the protective cover 9a is regulated by sandwiching the busbars 6 between the tip surface abutting portions 96 and the curved portions 99.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since each welding surface is individually accommodated by the protective cover 9a, there is no need to arrange the welding surfaces on the same straight line, so the welding position can be freely formed and dead space can be effectively utilized.

[0069] (Other embodiments) Although the present specification describes an embodiment of the present invention, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

[0070] In this embodiment, the first conductive member is the bus bar 6 and the second conductive member is the end 21 of the coil 2. However, the first conductive member may be the end 21 of the coil 2 and the second conductive member may be the bus bar 6. However, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to configure the first conductive member as the bus bar 6 and the second conductive member as the end 21 of the coil 2. Since the coil 2 is wound, dimensional errors due to design accuracy are likely to occur. For this reason, for example, it may be difficult to insert the end 21 of the coil 2 between the clamping portions 97, or the upper surface of the end 21 of the coil 2 may not abut against the upper surface abutting portion 98. On the other hand, the bus bar 6 can be formed with better dimensional accuracy than the coil 2, and therefore can be accommodated in a predetermined location in the accommodation space of the protective covers 9, 9a, making it difficult for the protective covers 9, 9a to come off.

[0071] In this embodiment, the bus bar 6 and the end 21 of the coil 2 are joined by melting the top surface 61 of the bus bar 6 and the tip surface 211 of the coil 2, but they may also be welded using a joining material such as solder. When welding using a joining material, there is a higher possibility that the height of the welded surface will be higher than when melting. However, because the protective covers 9, 9a have a space between the welded surface and the top surface of the protective cover 9, they can be easily attached.

[0072] In the second embodiment, the clamping portion 97 is formed by forming a bulge 971 on the protruding wall 922, but a pair of protruding walls 922 may also be configured as the clamping portion 97. That is, the width of the cutout portion 921 may be made substantially the same as the thickness of the bus bar 6, and the gap between the pair of protruding walls 922 may be made substantially the same as the thickness of the bus bar 6, so that the protruding walls 922 can clamp the wide surface of the bus bar 6. In this case, the protective cover 9a can be more firmly fixed and the protective cover 9a can be prevented from falling off. However, clamping the bus bar 6 with the entire protruding wall 922 may make it difficult to insert the bus bar 6, so the configuration as in the second embodiment improves the attachability of the protective cover 9. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10 Reactor 1 core 11 Plate-shaped part 12 Yoke 13 Protrusion 2 coils 21 End 211 Tip surface 3 Resin parts 31, 32 Resin body 33 Plate-shaped part covering part 34 Coil attachment part 35 Yoke coating 6 Busbar 61 Top surface 62 Tip surface 63 Curved section 7 Terminal block 9, 9a Protective cover 91 Top surface 92 Short side wall 921 Notch 922 Projecting wall 93 Long side wall 94 Aperture 95 Bottom mounting section 96 Tip surface contact part 97 Clamping part 971, 971a bulge 972 Claw 98 Top contact part 99 Curved section 991 Claw

Claims

1. A protective cover that houses a welding surface where a first conductive member and a second conductive member are welded, The top surface and a sidewall extending from an edge of the top surface; an opening surface facing the upper surface; a receiving space defined by the top surface and the side wall, the receiving space receiving the welding surface; a bottom surface placement portion on which the bottom surface of the first conductive member is placed; an upper surface contact portion that contacts an upper surface of the first conductive member; To have A protective cover characterized by:

2. further comprising a clamping portion that protrudes from the upper surface or the side wall toward the first conductive member and clamps the first conductive member; The protective cover according to claim 1 .

3. an end portion of the clamping portion on the opening side is cut out toward the side wall; The protective cover according to claim 2 .

4. the first conductive member has a notch, a tip surface abutting portion that abuts against a tip surface of the first conductive member; a claw portion that fits into the notch portion; Further comprising:

4. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein:

5. A plurality of the welding surfaces are accommodated; the plurality of welding surfaces are arranged on the same straight line; further comprising a pair of tip surface abutment portions that abut against tip surfaces of the first conductive members disposed at both ends, 4. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein:

6. the first conductive member is a bus bar, the second conductive member being a coil; 6. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein:

7. a coil attached to the core; a bus bar welded to an end of the coil; A protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6; To have A reactor characterized by the above.

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