conductor

Abstract

To provide an electric conductor that can achieve both an improvement of the degree of freedom in design of the shape of a bus bar, and an improvement in the versatility of an external component.SOLUTION: An electric conductor 1 comprises a plate-like bus bar 2, and an external component 3 that is attached to the bus bar 2. The bus bar 2 has, in at least part thereof, a part to be attached 13 that has a conductor part 11 and an insulating coating 12 covering the conductor part 11, and has a twisted shape in which the bus bar 2 extends while being twisted around an axis of the bus bar 2. The external component 3 has a body part 20 that has a groove part 22 extending so that it can accommodate the part to be attached 13 of the bus bar 2, and a cover part 30 that can open and close an opening of the groove part 22. The external component 3 is configured to sandwich the part to be attached 13 of the bus bar 2 in a thickness direction of the bus bar 2 by the body part 20 and the cover part 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric conductor including a plate-shaped bus bar and an exterior component attached to the bus bar. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when wiring a metal bus bar in an automobile or the like, it has been proposed to assemble an insulating exterior part so as to cover the bus bar and, if necessary, to fix the exterior part to the body of the automobile or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-190532 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-described types of bus bars generally have a shape that extends along a predetermined routing path (so-called layout) that corresponds to the specifications of an automobile or the like. Similarly, exterior components generally have a shape that corresponds to the routing path so that they can accommodate such bus bars. In other words, exterior components have a dedicated shape that differs depending on the specifications of the bus bars. Therefore, naturally, if the shape of the bus bars differs, the shape of the exterior components will also differ. Conversely, if an exterior component is to be made more general-purpose, the degree of freedom in designing the shape of the bus bars will decrease. For these reasons, it is generally difficult to achieve both increased freedom in designing the shape of the bus bars and increased versatility of the exterior components.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a conductor that can improve both the degree of freedom in designing the shape of the bus bar and the versatility of the exterior component. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the conductor according to the present invention has the following features.

[0007] A conductor including a plate-shaped bus bar and an exterior component attached to the bus bar, The bus bar is a conductor portion and an insulating coating covering the conductor portion, and at least a portion of the mounting portion has a twisted shape in which the bus bar extends while twisting around an axis of the bus bar; The exterior part is a main body portion having a groove portion extending so as to be able to accommodate the attached portion of the bus bar; and a cover portion capable of opening and closing an opening of the groove portion. Being a conductor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the conductor of the present invention, the bus bar is composed of a conductor portion covered with an insulating coating and has at least a portion of a mounting portion having a twisted shape in which the bus bar extends while twisting around the axis of the bus bar. The mounting portion is used to mount the bus bar to an exterior component. Specifically, the mounting portion of the bus bar is received in a groove portion of the exterior component. Since the conductor portion of the bus bar is thus covered with an insulating coating, there is no need to provide an exterior component that covers the entire bus bar. Furthermore, the exterior component only needs to have a groove portion that can receive the mounting portion having a twisted shape and a cover portion that opens and closes the groove, and does not need to have a shape dedicated to each bus bar shape (e.g., layout). This increases the versatility of the exterior component. Meanwhile, with a bus bar, the shape (e.g., layout) of parts other than the mounting portion can be designed without considering the presence of the exterior component. This increases the design freedom of the bus bar shape. Therefore, the conductor of this configuration achieves both increased design freedom of the bus bar shape and increased versatility of the exterior component.

[0009] Another advantage is that, because the twisted mounting portion is housed in the exterior component, the axial displacement of the exterior component (i.e., misalignment) can be suppressed compared to when a straight, non-twisted bus bar portion is housed in the exterior component. Furthermore, for example, by separately attaching exterior components to the positive bus bar and the negative bus bar, unintended short circuits between the bus bars can be prevented. Additionally, the exterior components can be made smaller, and the workability of attaching the exterior components to the bus bars can be improved.

[0010] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the detailed description of the invention below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of conductors in a case where the conductor according to the embodiment of the present invention is used as both the positive electrode conductor and the negative electrode conductor. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the bus bar and the exterior component are separated from one of the conductors shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the conductor shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 in accordance with a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 in the modified example shown in FIG. [Figure 9] 9(a) is a perspective view of the cover portion in the modified example shown in FIG. 7 as seen from the rear and below, and FIG. 9(b) is a perspective view of the main body portion in the modified example shown in FIG. 7 as seen from the rear and above. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 in the modified example shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a conductor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conductor 1 includes a bus bar 2 and an exterior component 3 attached to a mounting portion 13 that is a part of the bus bar 2 in the extending direction. Note that FIGS. 1 and 2 only show the mounting portion 13 of the bus bar 2. The conductor 1 is typically used mounted on an automobile or the like, with the bus bar 2 wired in the automobile or the like and the exterior component 3 attached to the mounting portion 13 of the bus bar 2 fixed to the body of the automobile or the like. Note that FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example in which a pair of conductors 1, each with an exterior component 3 attached to the mounting portion 13 of a positive bus bar 2 (in this example, the right side of FIG. 2) and a negative bus bar 2 (in this example, the left side of FIG. 2), are arranged side by side with a gap between them.

[0013] For ease of explanation, the following definitions are used for "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upper," and "lower" as shown in FIG. 1 and other figures. The "front-rear direction," "left-right direction," and "upper-lower direction" are perpendicular to one another. The front-rear direction coincides with the extension direction (axial direction) of the mounting portion 13 of the busbar 2 and the extension direction of the exterior component 3. Note that these directions are defined merely for ease of explanation, and do not necessarily correspond to, for example, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and upper-lower direction of an automobile or the like when the conductor 1 is mounted in the automobile or the like. The configuration of each component constituting the conductor 1 will be described below in order.

[0014] First, the busbar 2 will be described. The busbar 2 has a shape (for example, a shape that extends while bending three-dimensionally) that extends along a wiring path according to the specifications of the vehicle or the like, and is composed of a conductor portion 11 that extends in this shape and an insulating coating 12 that covers the outer periphery of the conductor portion 11 (see FIG. 2). In this example, in the portion illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, which is a part of the extension direction of the busbar 2, the conductor portion 11 is a metal plate that has a rectangular cross section and extends in an elongated shape, and the insulating coating 12 covers the outer periphery of the conductor portion 11 over the entire extension direction of the conductor portion 11. Note that the shape of the portion of the busbar 2 not illustrated may be determined based on the specifications of the busbar 2, and does not necessarily have to be linear.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the busbar 2 has a portion extending in the front-rear direction in part of its extension direction (i.e., a portion where the conductor portion 11 is covered with the insulating coating 12), which serves as the mounting portion 13. The mounting portion 13 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape as described above over the entire extension direction (front-rear direction). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 , the outer surface of the mounting portion 13 extending in the extension direction is composed of a pair of side surfaces a arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 13 (the conductor portion 11 constituting the mounting portion 13) and a pair of side surfaces b arranged opposite to each other in the width direction of the mounting portion 13 (the conductor portion 11 constituting the mounting portion 13). In this example, since the entire extension direction of the conductor portion 11 itself is covered with the insulating coating 12, there is no need to provide an exterior component 3 that covers the entire extension direction of the busbar 2. Therefore, in this example, the exterior component 3 is attached to the busbar 2 so as to cover (enclose) only the mounting portion 13, which is a portion of the extension direction of the busbar 2, (part or all of the extension direction of the mounting portion 13). As a result, the exterior component 3 only needs to be able to accommodate (all or part of the extending direction of) the attached portion 13 of the busbar 2, and does not need to have a shape dedicated to each busbar, making it highly versatile. On the other hand, the shape of the busbar 2, other than the attached portion 13, can be designed without considering the presence of the exterior component 3. This allows for a high degree of freedom in designing the shape of the busbar 2.

[0016] 2, the mounting portion 13 of the busbar 2 has a portion in the center in the extension direction (front-rear direction) that has a twisted shape that extends while twisting by 90 degrees around the axis of the mounting portion 13. Therefore, the mounting portion 13 of the busbar 2 specifically has a vertical portion 13a that extends in the front-rear direction with its thickness direction aligned with the left-right direction and that forms the front portion of the mounting portion 13, a twisted portion 13b that has the above-mentioned twisted shape and extends in the front-rear direction and that forms the central portion in the extension direction of the mounting portion 13, and a horizontal portion 13c that extends in the front-rear direction with its thickness direction aligned with the up-down direction and that forms the rear portion of the mounting portion 13.

[0017] Next, we will explain the exterior part 3. The exterior part 3 is a resin molded body, and as shown in Fig. 2, is composed of a main body part 20 extending in the front-rear direction, and a cover part 30 that is separate from the main body part 20 and extends in the front-rear direction and can open and close an opening of a groove part 22 (described later) of the main body part 20.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 20 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the front-rear direction. A groove 22 is provided on an upper surface 21 (the plane facing upward) of the main body 20. The groove 22 is recessed downward, opens upward, and penetrates the main body 20 in the front-rear direction. The groove 22 accommodates the mounting portion 13 (=vertical portion 13a+twisted portion 13b+horizontal portion 13c) of the busbar 2 (see also FIGS. 4 to 6). The surface shape of the inner wall of the groove 22 will be described in detail later. Engaged portions 23 are provided at both ends of the main body 20 in the front-rear direction and both ends of the main body 20 in the left-right direction (four locations in total). Each engaged portion 23 engages with a corresponding engaging portion 33 (described later) of the cover 30. A fixing portion 41 is provided in the front-rear center of the outer surface of the left wall of the main body 20. The fixing portion 41 is for fixing the main body 20 to the body of a vehicle or the like.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the cover portion 30 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape extending in the front-rear direction, corresponding to the shape of the upper surface 21 of the main body portion 20. A groove 32 is provided on the lower surface 31 (the downward-facing plane) of the cover portion 30. The groove 32 is recessed upward, opens downward, and extends in the front-rear direction. The vertical portion 13a and the twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 of the busbar 2 are accommodated in the groove 32 (see also FIGS. 4 to 6). Therefore, the groove 32 extends from the front end of the cover portion 30 in the front-rear direction to a midpoint between the rear end and the center in the front-rear direction. Details of the surface shape of the inner wall of the groove 32 will be described later. Engagement portions 33 are provided at both ends of the cover portion 30 in the front-rear direction and both ends of the cover portion 30 in the left-right direction (four locations in total), corresponding to the engaged portions 23 of the main body portion 20. In this example, the engaging portion 33 is a locking piece having a locking protrusion, and the engaged portion 23 is a locking hole into which the engaging piece is inserted to lock the locking protrusion. The configuration of each part that constitutes the conductor 1 has been described above.

[0020] Next, a procedure for attaching the exterior component 3 to the busbar 2 will be described. To attach the exterior component 3 to the busbar 2, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the attached portion 13 (= vertical portion 13a+twisted portion 13b+horizontal portion 13c), which is a part of the extending direction of the busbar 2, is accommodated in the groove portion 22 of the main body portion 20 from which the cover portion 30 is separated. Next, the cover portion 30 is assembled to the main body portion 20 so that the vertical portion 13a and the twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 are accommodated in the groove portion 32 and so that the lower surface 31 of the cover portion 30 and the upper surface 21 of the main body portion 20 are in surface contact (see FIGS. 4 to 6). This completes the attachment of the exterior component 3 to the busbar 2, and the conductor 1 shown in FIG. 1 in an assembled state is obtained. When the assembly of the conductor 1 is complete, the cover part 30 is maintained in a state in which it is firmly fixed to the main body part 20 by the engagement of the four engaging parts 33 and the four engaged parts 23, respectively.

[0021] The surface shape of the inner wall of groove 22 of main body 20 and the surface shape of the inner wall of groove 32 of cover 30 will be described in detail below. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the surface of the inner wall of groove 22 of main body 20 has a surface shape that extends along the outer surface of attachment portion 13 (= vertical portion 13a + twisted portion 13b + horizontal portion 13c) housed in groove 22 over the entire area in the front-to-rear direction, while being in contact with or close to this outer surface (see Figures 4 to 6), and in particular, at the location where twisted portion 13b of attachment portion 13 is housed, has a surface shape that curves along the outer surface of twisted portion 13b in response to the twisted shape of twisted portion 13b and extends in contact with or close to this outer surface (see Figure 5).

[0022] Similarly, the surface of the inner wall of the groove portion 32 of the cover portion 30 has a surface shape that extends along the outer surfaces of the vertical portion 13a and twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 that is housed in the groove portion 32, while contacting or being close to said outer surfaces, throughout the entire front-to-rear direction (see Figures 4 and 5). In particular, at the location where the twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 is housed, the surface shape curves along the outer surface of the twisted portion 13b in accordance with the twisted shape of the twisted portion 13b, and extends while contacting or being close to said outer surface (see Figure 5).

[0023] Therefore, when the assembly of the conductor 1 is complete, in the vertical portion 13a and twisted portion 13b of the mounting portion 13, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, a pair of side surfaces a arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 13 are sandwiched in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 13 by the inner groove walls of groove portion 22 and groove portion 32 (which are in contact or close proximity), and a pair of side surfaces b arranged opposite to each other in the width direction of the mounting portion 13 are sandwiched in the width direction of the mounting portion 13 by the inner groove walls of groove portion 22 and groove portion 32 (which are in contact or close proximity). In the horizontal portion 13c of the mounting portion 13, as shown in Figure 6, a pair of side surfaces a arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 13 are sandwiched in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 13 by the inner groove wall of the groove portion 22 and the lower surface 31 of the cover portion 30 (which are in contact or close proximity), and a pair of side surfaces b arranged opposite to each other in the width direction of the mounting portion 13 are sandwiched in the width direction of the mounting portion 13 by only the inner groove wall of the groove portion 22 (which are in contact or close proximity).

[0024] As described above, when the assembly of the conductor 1 is complete, the exterior component 3 (= main body 20+cover 30) sandwiches the attached portion 13 (= vertical portion 13a+twisted portion 13b+horizontal portion 13c) covered by the exterior component 3 in the thickness direction and width direction over the entire extension direction of the attached portion 13, through cooperation of the inner wall of the groove portion 22 of the main body 20, the inner wall of the groove portion 32 of the cover portion 30, and the underside 31 of the cover portion 30. This makes it possible to prevent the attached portion 13 of the busbar 2 from being displaced in the thickness direction and width direction within the exterior component 3 (so-called rattle).

[0025] After the assembly is completed, the conductor 1 is mounted on an automobile or the like with the bus bar 2 wired in the automobile or the like and the fixing portion 41 (see Figure 1, etc.) provided on the exterior part 3 attached to the mounting portion 13 of the bus bar 2 fixed to the body of the automobile or the like.

[0026] When removing the busbar 2 from the exterior part 3 of the conductor 1 after assembly is completed, first, the four engaged portions 23 of the main body part 20 and the four engaging portions 33 of the cover part 30 are disengaged, and the cover part 30 is separated from the main body part 20. Next, the attached portion 13 of the busbar 2 is moved upward toward the outside of the groove part 22 through an opening that opens above the groove part 22 of the main body part 20. This completes the operation of removing the busbar 2 from the exterior part 3.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when a pair of conductors 1, each having an exterior part 3 attached to the attachment part 13 of the positive bus bar 2 and the attachment part 13 of the negative bus bar 2, are arranged side by side with a gap between them, when removing each of the pair of conductors 1 from the exterior part 3, by leaving a sufficient gap between the pair of conductors 1, it is possible to prevent one bus bar 2 from contacting the other bus bar 2, thereby preventing unintentional short circuits between the bus bars 2.

[0028] <Actions and Effects> According to the conductor 1 of this embodiment, the busbar 2 is composed of a conductor portion 11 covered with an insulating coating 12 and has at least a portion of a mounting portion 13 having a twisted shape in which the busbar 2 extends while twisting around its axis. The mounting portion 13 is used to mount the busbar 2 to an exterior component 3. Specifically, the mounting portion 13 of the busbar 2 is accommodated in a groove 22 of the exterior component 3. Because the conductor portion 11 of the busbar 2 is covered with the insulating coating 12, there is no need to provide an exterior component 3 to cover the entire busbar 2. Furthermore, the exterior component 3 only needs to have a groove 22 that can accommodate the mounting portion 13 having a twisted shape and a cover portion 30 that opens and closes the groove 22, and does not need to have a shape dedicated to each busbar 2. This increases the versatility of the exterior component 3. Meanwhile, the shape of the busbar 2, other than the mounting portion 13, can be designed without considering the presence of the exterior component 3. This increases the design freedom of the busbar 2's shape. Therefore, the conductor 1 according to this embodiment can improve both the degree of freedom in designing the shape of the busbar 2 and the versatility of the exterior component 3.

[0029] Another effect is that, because the twisted mounted portion 13 is housed in the exterior component 3, it is possible to suppress displacement of the exterior component 3 in the axial direction of the busbar 2 (the occurrence of so-called misalignment) compared to when a linearly extending portion of the busbar 2 without a twisted shape is housed in the exterior component 3. Furthermore, for example, by separately attaching the exterior component 3 to each of the positive busbar 2 and the negative busbar 2, it is possible to prevent unintended short circuits between the busbars. In addition, it is possible to reduce the size of the exterior component 3 and improve the workability of attaching the exterior component 3 to the busbar 2.

[0030] Furthermore, the exterior component 3 is configured such that the main body 20 and the cover 30 sandwich the attached portion 13 of the busbar 2 in the thickness direction of the busbar 2. This makes it possible to prevent the busbar 2 from being displaced in the thickness direction within the groove 22 of the exterior component 3 (so-called rattle).

[0031] Furthermore, the inner walls of the grooves 22 of the main body 20 of the exterior component 3 and the inner walls of the grooves 32 of the cover 30 have surface shapes that curve along the outer surface of the attached portion 13 in accordance with the twisted shape of the attached portion 13. This makes it easier for the inner walls of the grooves of the main body 20 and the cover 30 to come into surface contact with the busbar 2, thereby more effectively suppressing displacement of the busbar 2 in the thickness direction within the grooves 22 of the exterior component 3 (the occurrence of so-called rattle).

[0032] <Other forms> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as the present invention can be achieved.

[0033] In the above embodiment (see Figures 1 to 6), when the assembly of the conductor 1 is complete, the surfaces formed by the inner walls of the groove portions 22 of the main body 20, the inner walls of the groove portions 32 of the cover portion 30, and the underside 31 of the cover portion 30 have a surface shape that extends along the entire front-to-rear direction, while contacting or being close to the outer surface of the mounting portion 13 (= vertical portion 13a + twisted portion 13b + horizontal portion 13c) of the busbar 2 covered by the exterior part 3 (see Figures 4 to 6).Therefore, when the assembly of the conductor 1 is complete, the exterior part 3 (= main body 20 + cover portion 30) sandwiches the mounting portion 13 in the thickness direction and width direction over the entire extension direction of the mounting portion 13 (= vertical portion 13a + twisted portion 13b + horizontal portion 13c) covered by the exterior part 3.

[0034] In contrast, in the modified example shown in Figures 7 to 13, the surface of the inner wall of groove portion 22, which penetrates main body portion 20 in the front-to-rear direction, has a surface shape that extends along the outer surface of vertical portion 13a of attached portion 13 of busbar 2 when housed in groove portion 22, while contacting or being close to said outer surface, and extends away from the outer surfaces of twisted portion 13b and horizontal portion 13c of attached portion 13 of busbar 2 when housed in groove portion 22 (see Figures 10 to 13).

[0035] However, a first protrusion 24 that protrudes upward toward the outer surface of the twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 when housed in the groove 22 is formed in the groove 22 at a position in the front-rear direction corresponding to the twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 (see FIGS. 8, 9(b), and 13). The protruding end face of the first protrusion 24 has a surface shape that curves along the outer surface of the twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 when housed in the groove 22 and abuts or comes close to the outer surface (see FIGS. 12 and 13).

[0036] Similarly, the surface of the inner wall of groove 32 penetrating cover 30 in the front-rear direction has a surface shape that extends along and in contact with or close to the outer surface of vertical portion 13a of mount 13 housed in groove 32, and extends away from the outer surfaces of twisted portion 13b and horizontal portion 13c of mount 13 housed in groove 32 (see FIGS. 11 to 13). However, groove 32 at a front-rear position corresponding to the front-rear position at which first protrusion 24 of main body 20 is provided has second protrusion 34 that protrudes downward toward the outer surface of twisted portion 13b of mount 13 housed in groove 32 (see FIGS. 8, 9(a), and 13). The protruding end surface of the second protrusion 34 has a surface shape that curves along the outer surface of the twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 when it is accommodated in the groove portion 32 and abuts or is close to the outer surface (see Figures 12 and 13).

[0037] 11, in the vertical portion 13a of the attachment portion 13, a pair of side surfaces a arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the attachment portion 13 are sandwiched in the thickness direction of the attachment portion 13 by the groove portions 22 and 32 (which are in contact or close proximity), and a pair of side surfaces b arranged opposite to each other in the width direction of the attachment portion 13 are sandwiched in the width direction of the attachment portion 13 by the groove portions 22 and 32 (which are in contact or close proximity). Furthermore, in the twisted portion 13b of the attachment portion 13, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 (particularly FIG. 13), a pair of side surfaces a arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the attachment portion 13 are sandwiched in the thickness direction of the attachment portion 13 by the protruding end faces of the first protrusions 24 and the second protrusions 34 (which are in contact or close proximity). As described above, when the assembly of the conductor 1 is complete, the exterior component 3 (=main body portion 20+cover portion 30) sandwiches the vertical portion 13a and twisted portion 13b of the attached portion 13 covered by the exterior component 3 in the thickness direction through cooperation of the inner wall of the groove portion 22 of the main body portion 20, the protruding end face of the first protrusion 24 of the main body portion 20, the inner wall of the groove portion 32 of the cover portion 30, and the protruding end face of the second protrusion 34 of the cover portion 30. As a result, even in the modified examples shown in FIGS. 7 to 13, it is possible to prevent the attached portion 13 of the busbar 2 from being displaced in the thickness direction within the exterior component 3 (so-called rattle).

[0038] Here, the features of the above-described embodiment of the electric conductor 1 according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [4].

[0039] [1] A conductor (1) comprising a plate-shaped bus bar (2) and an exterior part (3) attached to the bus bar (2), The bus bar (2) is The bus bar (2) includes a conductor portion (11) and an insulating coating (12) covering the conductor portion (11), and at least a portion of the mounting portion (13) has a twisted shape in which the bus bar (2) extends while twisting around an axis of the bus bar (2), The exterior part (3) is The mounting device includes a main body (20) having a groove (22) extending so as to be able to accommodate the attached portion (13) of the bus bar (2), and a cover (30) capable of opening and closing an opening of the groove (22). Conductor (1).

[0040] According to the conductor having the configuration [1] above, the bus bar includes a conductor portion covered with an insulating coating and at least a portion of the bus bar includes a mounting portion having a twisted shape in which the bus bar extends while twisting around its axis. The mounting portion is used to mount the bus bar to an exterior component. Specifically, the mounting portion of the bus bar is received in a groove portion of the exterior component. Because the conductor portion of the bus bar is thus covered with an insulating coating, there is no need to provide an exterior component that covers the entire bus bar. Furthermore, the exterior component only needs to have a groove portion that can receive the mounting portion having a twisted shape and a cover portion that opens and closes the groove, and does not need to have a shape dedicated to each bus bar shape (e.g., layout). This increases the versatility of the exterior component. Meanwhile, with the bus bar, the shape (e.g., layout) of parts other than the mounting portion can be designed without considering the presence of the exterior component. This increases the design freedom of the bus bar shape. Therefore, the conductor having this configuration achieves both increased design freedom of the bus bar shape and increased versatility of the exterior component.

[0041] Another advantage is that, because the twisted mounting portion is housed in the exterior component, the axial displacement of the exterior component (i.e., misalignment) can be suppressed compared to when a straight, non-twisted bus bar portion is housed in the exterior component. Furthermore, for example, by separately attaching exterior components to the positive bus bar and the negative bus bar, unintended short circuits between the bus bars can be prevented. Additionally, the exterior components can be made smaller, and the workability of attaching the exterior components to the bus bars can be improved.

[0042] [2] In the conductor (1) described in [1] above, The exterior part (3) is The body portion (20) and the cover portion (30) are configured to sandwich the attached portion (13) of the bus bar (2) in the thickness direction of the bus bar (2). Conductor (1).

[0043] According to the conductor having the configuration [2] above, the exterior component is configured so that the mounting portion of the bus bar is sandwiched between the main body and the cover in the thickness direction of the bus bar, thereby preventing the bus bar from being displaced in the thickness direction within the groove of the exterior component (so-called rattle).

[0044] [3] In the conductor (1) described in [2] above, The groove portion (22) of the main body portion (20) is The groove has an inner wall that is curved to fit along one outer surface (side surface a on the lower right side in FIG. 5 ) of the mounting portion (13) in the thickness direction in accordance with the twisted shape, The cover portion (30) is The cover wall (the groove inner wall of the groove portion 32) has a shape that curves along the other outer surface (side surface a on the upper left side in FIG. 5 ) of the attachment portion (13) in the thickness direction in correspondence with the twisted shape. Conductor (1).

[0045] According to the conductor having the configuration [3] above, the inner wall of the groove of the main body of the exterior component and the cover wall of the cover have surface shapes that curve to fit the outer surface of the attached component in accordance with the twisted shape of the attached component. This makes it easier for the inner wall of the groove of the main body and the cover wall to come into surface contact with the bus bar, thereby more effectively suppressing displacement of the bus bar in the thickness direction within the groove of the exterior component (the occurrence of so-called rattle).

[0046] [4] In the conductor (1) described in [2] above, The groove portion (22) of the main body portion (20) is a first protruding portion (24) protruding toward one outer surface in the thickness direction of the attached portion (13) and having a protruding end surface that is curved so as to fit along the one outer surface (side surface a on the lower right side in FIG. 13) in accordance with the twisted shape; The cover portion (30) is a second protruding portion (34) protruding toward the other outer surface in the thickness direction of the mounting portion (13) and having a protruding end surface that is curved so as to fit along the other outer surface (side surface a on the upper left side in FIG. 13) in accordance with the twisted shape; Conductor (1).

[0047] According to the conductor having the configuration [4] above, the protruding end face of the first protrusion provided on the main body of the exterior component and the protruding end face of the second protrusion provided on the cover have a surface shape that curves along the outer surface of the mount base in accordance with the twisted shape of the mount base. This makes it easier for the protruding end faces of the first protrusion and the second protrusion to come into surface contact with the bus bar, thereby more effectively suppressing displacement of the bus bar in the thickness direction within the groove of the exterior component (the occurrence of so-called rattle). [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Conductor 2 Busbar 3 Exterior parts 11 Conductor 12 Insulation coating 13 Mounting part 20 Main body 22 Groove 24 Projection (1st projection) 30 Cover 31 Bottom side 32 Groove 34 Projection (second projection)

Claims

1. A conductor including a plate-shaped bus bar and an exterior component attached to the bus bar, The bus bar is a conductor portion and an insulating coating covering the conductor portion, and at least a portion of the mounting portion has a twisted shape in which the bus bar extends while twisting around an axis of the bus bar; The exterior part is a main body portion having a groove portion extending so as to be able to accommodate the attached portion of the bus bar; and a cover portion capable of opening and closing an opening of the groove portion. conductor.

2. 2. The conductor according to claim 1, The exterior part is The mounting portion of the bus bar is sandwiched between the main body portion and the cover portion in a thickness direction of the bus bar. conductor.

3. The conductor according to claim 2, The groove of the main body portion is a groove inner wall having a curved shape that corresponds to the twisted shape and that is curved along one outer surface of the attached portion in the thickness direction; The cover portion is a cover wall having a curved shape that corresponds to the twisted shape and follows the other outer surface of the attachment portion in the thickness direction; conductor.

4. The conductor according to claim 2, The groove of the main body portion is a first protruding portion that protrudes toward one outer surface of the attached portion in the thickness direction and has a protruding end surface that is curved so as to follow the one outer surface in accordance with the twisted shape; The cover portion is a second protruding portion protruding toward the other outer surface of the attached portion in the thickness direction and having a protruding end surface curved in a shape that corresponds to the twisted shape and follows the other outer surface; conductor.

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