Terminal Connection Unit

Abstract

Disclosed is a terminal connection unit that can realize tolerance absorption by using a simple structure and a small number of components.　The terminal connection unit 10 comprises: an energizing member 12 having a connection part 16 to which a counterpart terminal 14 is connected; and a support part 18 fixedly supporting the energizing member 12. The support part 18 has a linking member 22 linking the counterpart terminal 14 and the connection part 16 of the energizing member 12, and the linking member 22 can displace relative to a support part body 46 of the support part 18 as a result of the exertion of an external force on the linking member 22, the external force being associated with displacement of the counterpart terminal 14.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal connection unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various devices, electrical junction boxes, and the like mounted on vehicles are provided with terminal connection units having connection portions to which mating terminals are connected. As described in Patent Document 1, for example, such terminal connection units have a support portion that fixedly supports an electrically-conductive member wired in the device or electrical junction box, and a connection portion provided at an end of the electrically-conductive member is attached to an attachment portion that is displaceable in a first direction relative to the support portion. Furthermore, the electrically-conductive member has an expandable portion that is expandable in the first direction between the connection portion and a portion fixed to the support portion. As a result, the position of the connection portion can be varied in the first direction by expanding and contracting the expandable portion in the first direction and displacing the attachment portion, which advantageously absorbs positional tolerances between the external terminal and the connection portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 157420 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the structure of Patent Document 1, the expandable portion of the current-carrying member needs to be configured using a braided wire or a laminated bus bar. Therefore, there has been a demand for an improved structure that can accommodate tolerances with a small number of parts and a simple structure.

[0005] Therefore, a terminal connection unit is disclosed that has a small number of parts and a simple structure, and is capable of absorbing tolerances. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The terminal connection unit of the present disclosure includes a current-carrying member having a connection portion to which a mating terminal is connected, and a support portion that fixedly supports the current-carrying member, the support portion having a linking member that links the mating terminal and the connection portion of the current-carrying member, and when an external force caused by displacement of the mating terminal is applied to the linking member, the linking member is displaceable relative to a support portion main body of the support portion. the connecting portion of the current-carrying member has a long bolt insertion hole extending in a first direction, the coupling member is constituted by a holder disposed below the connecting portion and assembled to the support portion so as to be displaceable in the first direction, the holder holds a nut or a bolt, the holder has a connection portion accommodating portion disposed above the nut or the bolt and accommodating the connecting portion so as to be fastened to the nut or the bolt, a mating terminal accommodating portion for accommodating the mating terminal, and an abutting portion that abuts against the mating terminal, the mating terminal abutting against the abutting portion causes the mating terminal to be guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion so as to be fastened to the nut or the bolt, and the holder is displaced in the first direction. It is something that... [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a terminal connection unit that has a small number of parts and a simple structure and is capable of absorbing tolerances. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a connection portion and a mating terminal are connected at one connection position in a terminal connection unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the terminal connection unit shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal connection unit shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the connection portion and the mating terminal are connected at different connection positions in the terminal connection unit shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the connection portion and the mating terminal in the terminal connection unit shown in FIG. 1 are connected at yet another connection position. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connection portion and the mating terminal are connected in the terminal connection unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a plan view of the terminal connection unit shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal connection unit shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a perspective view showing the holder constituting the terminal connection unit shown in FIG. 9, viewed from the bottom side. [Figure 14] 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which the mating terminal has begun to be accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion in the terminal connecting unit shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. [Figure 16] 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mating terminal is further accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion in the terminal connecting unit shown in FIG. 9 from the state shown in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVII-XVII in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connection portion and the mating terminal are connected in the terminal connection unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal connection unit shown in FIG. [Figure 20] 20 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a mechanism for absorbing tolerances when the mating terminals in the terminal connecting unit shown in FIG. 18 are shorter than the reference dimension, and is a plan view of the terminal connecting unit. [Figure 21] 21 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a mechanism for absorbing tolerances when the mating terminals in the terminal connecting unit shown in FIG. 18 are shorter than the reference dimension, and shows a state continued from FIG. 20. FIG. [Figure 22] 22 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a mechanism for absorbing tolerances when the mating terminals in the terminal connecting unit shown in FIG. 18 are shorter than the reference dimension, and shows a state continued from FIG. 21. FIG. [Figure 23]FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a mechanism for absorbing tolerances when the mating terminals in the terminal connecting unit shown in FIG. 18 are longer than the reference dimension, and is a plan view of the terminal connecting unit. [Figure 24] 24 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a mechanism for absorbing tolerances when the mating terminal is longer than the reference dimension in the terminal connecting unit shown in FIG. 18, and shows a state continued from FIG. 23. FIG. [Figure 25] 25 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a mechanism for absorbing tolerances when the mating terminal is longer than the reference dimension in the terminal connecting unit shown in FIG. 18, and shows a state continued from FIG. 24. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The terminal connection unit of the present disclosure comprises: The current-carrying member has a connection portion to which a mating terminal is connected, and a support portion that fixedly supports the current-carrying member, and the support portion has a connecting member that connects the mating terminal and the connection portion of the current-carrying member, and when an external force accompanying displacement of the mating terminal is applied to the connecting member, the connecting member can be displaced relative to the support portion main body of the support portion.

[0010] According to the terminal connection unit of the present disclosure, the external force caused by the displacement of the mating terminal can be used to displace the coupling member to a position where the mating terminal and the connection portion can be coupled, eliminating the need to align the mating terminal, the connection portion, and the coupling member, and making it easy to couple the mating terminal and the connection portion. This makes it possible to provide a terminal connection unit that has a simple structure with a small number of parts and is capable of accommodating tolerances, without providing an expandable portion made of a braided wire or laminated bus bar in the current-carrying member, as in conventional structures.

[0011] The terminal connection unit may be provided integrally with the case of an on-board component such as a junction box, or may be provided separately from the on-board component and mounted on the outer surface of or near the on-board component.

[0012] Preferably, the connection portion of the current-carrying member has a long bolt insertion hole extending in a first direction, the connecting member is constituted by a holder arranged below the connection portion and assembled to the support portion so as to be displaceable in the first direction, the holder holds a nut or a bolt, the holder has a connection portion accommodating portion arranged above the nut or the bolt and accommodating the connection portion so as to be able to fasten to the nut or the bolt, a mating terminal accommodating portion for accommodating the mating terminal, and an abutment portion that abuts against the mating terminal, and when the mating terminal abuts against the abutment portion, the mating terminal is guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion so as to be able to fasten to the nut or the bolt, and the holder is displaced in the first direction.

[0013] The connecting portion of the current-carrying member has a long bolt insertion hole extending in a first direction, and a holder constituting a coupling member is assembled to a support portion that fixedly supports the current-carrying member so as to be displaceable in the first direction. The holder holds a nut or bolt and has a connection portion accommodating portion in which a connection portion is disposed above the nut or bolt so as to be fastened to the nut or bolt. Furthermore, by abutting a mating terminal on an abutting portion provided on the holder, the mating terminal can be guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion of the holder so as to be fastened to the nut or bolt held in the holder. Additionally, the holder can be displaced in the first direction to a position corresponding to the positional tolerance between the mating terminal and the connecting portion. As a result, simply by abutting the mating terminal on the abutting portion and guiding it into the mating terminal accommodating portion, the mating terminal can be brought into a state in which it can be fastened to the connecting portion and the nut or bolt, and the mating terminal can be fastened to the connecting portion with the bolt or nut while absorbing the tolerance. Therefore, a simpler structure can be adopted as a tolerance absorption mechanism, while more stable conduction between the mating terminal and the connecting portion can be achieved.

[0014] It is preferable that the current-carrying member is formed of a bus bar, the connection portion is provided at one end of the bus bar, and the bolt insertion hole extends in the longitudinal direction of the bus bar. Since the current-carrying member is formed of a bus bar and only a long bolt insertion hole is required at one end, the structure of the current-carrying member itself can be simplified and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0015] It is preferable that the support portion has a pair of guide rails extending in the first direction and arranged in parallel with a gap between them, the connection portion of the current-carrying member is inserted into one end of the guide rails, and the holder is engaged with the guide rails so as to be displaceable in the first direction. Simply by providing a pair of guide rails on the support portion and displaceably engaging the holder between the guide rails, it is possible to provide a structure that can absorb positional tolerances between the connection portion and the mating terminal in the first direction.

[0016] It is preferable that the nut or bolt held by the holder is arranged below the connection portion of the current-carrying member, and the abutment portion and the mating terminal accommodating portion of the holder are arranged above the connection portion of the current-carrying member. Since the nut or bolt is arranged below the connection portion and the abutment portion and the mating terminal accommodating portion are arranged above the connection portion, the work of abutting the mating terminal against the abutment portion and the work of fastening the mating terminal to the connection portion with the nut or bolt can be performed with good visibility, thereby improving workability.

[0017] Preferably, each of the pair of guide rails has a plurality of elastically deformable engaging protrusions that protrude toward the other guide rail and are spaced apart in the first direction, and the holder has a pair of claws that engage with the engaging protrusions of each of the guide rails. The engagement of the plurality of engaging protrusions provided on both guide rails with the pair of claws provided on the holder allows the holder to be temporarily held in a position that corresponds to the tolerance in the first direction. This prevents the holder from being displaced when the mating terminal and the connection portion are fastened with a bolt, improving the workability of the bolt fastening operation.

[0018] The engaging protrusions may be configured in any shape. For example, they may be of a ratchet type that allows displacement in the first direction only from the other end of the guide rail toward one end thereof due to elastic deformation of the claw portion, or may be of a shape that allows displacement in both directions in the first direction due to elastic deformation of the claw portion.

[0019] Preferably, the connection portion of the current-carrying member has a wide bolt insertion hole that also extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the holder is assembled to the support portion so as to be displaceable in the second direction, the abutment portion includes a first abutment portion and a second abutment portion, and when the mating terminal abuts on the first abutment portion, the mating terminal is guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion in the first direction and the holder is displaced in the first direction, and when the mating terminal abuts on the second abutment portion, the mating terminal is guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion in the second direction and the holder is displaced in the second direction.

[0020] The holder has a first contact portion and a second contact portion, and when the mating terminal contacts the first contact portion, the holder is displaced in a first direction, and when the mating terminal contacts the second contact portion, the holder is displaced in a second direction. Furthermore, the mating terminal is simultaneously guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion in both directions. This advantageously absorbs positional tolerances between the mating terminal and the connection portion not only in the first direction but also in the second direction, improving the versatility of the terminal connection unit.

[0021] It is preferable that the holder includes a bottom wall that holds the nut or the bolt in the center, a pair of first inclined surfaces that protrude upward from side edges of the bottom wall that face each other in the first direction as they move outward in the first direction, and a pair of second inclined surfaces that protrude upward from side edges of the bottom wall that face each other in the second direction as they move outward in the second direction, and that the mating terminal accommodating portion and the connection portion accommodating portion are arranged in the height direction of the holder between the lower ends of the first inclined surfaces and the second inclined surfaces and the nut or the bolt.

[0022] By simply providing a pair of first inclined surfaces and a pair of second inclined surfaces on the bottom wall of the holder, it is possible to advantageously accommodate the tolerances of the mating terminal and the connection part on both sides in the first direction and on both sides in the second direction. Moreover, the mating terminal accommodating portion and the terminal part accommodating portion can be positioned in the height direction of the holder between the lower end of each inclined surface and the nut or bolt held in the holder, i.e., at a position sandwiched between the lower end of each inclined surface and the nut or bolt. As a result, the mating terminal and the connection part can be quickly fastened even at a position that corresponds to the tolerance, improving workability.

[0023] It is preferable that the connector further includes a mating terminal configured at one end of a mating bus bar, the mating terminal including a terminal portion that expands to a size that can be accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion, and a crank-shaped bent portion that is provided on the other end side of the mating bus bar relative to the terminal portion, and the terminal portion is arranged lower than the other end side of the mating bus bar.

[0024] The mating terminal is formed by a mating busbar, and a crank-shaped bend on the mating busbar positions the terminal portion accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion below the other end of the mating busbar. Therefore, when the first and second abutment portions include the first and second inclined surfaces as described above, the terminal portion needs to be displaced downward to accommodate tolerances. However, by providing the bend, it is not necessary to displace the terminal portion downward to a position located on the other end of the mating busbar beyond the bend. As a result, the terminal connection unit of this embodiment can be applied without affecting existing in-vehicle components to which the other end of the mating busbar is connected.

[0025] It is preferable that the connecting member is formed of a bus bar, one longitudinal end of the connecting member and the connection portion are connected by a first pin, the connecting member is rotatable and displaceable relative to the connection portion around the central axis of the first pin, the other longitudinal end of the connecting member and the mating terminal are connected by a second pin, the connecting member is rotatable and displaceable relative to the mating terminal around the central axis of the second pin, and an external force accompanying displacement of the mating terminal is applied to the connecting member, so that the connecting member connected to the mating terminal by the second pin is rotatable and displaceable relative to the support portion main body around the central axis of the first pin.

[0026] One longitudinal end of the connecting member, which is formed by a bus bar, is connected to the connection portion by a first pin, and the other longitudinal end of the connecting member is connected to the mating terminal by a second pin. That is, the connecting member, the connection portion, and the mating terminal only need to have circular through-holes through which the pins are inserted, eliminating the need for oval or other through-holes, for example, to accommodate tolerances. This minimizes the reduction in the amount of metal constituting each component of the connecting member, the connection portion, and the mating terminal, thereby improving electrical conductivity and rigidity compared to, for example, cases in which oval through-holes are provided. In particular, by pivoting the connecting member at one longitudinal end about the central axis of the first pin, the other longitudinal end of the connecting member can be displaced in an arc. Therefore, the second pin or the through-hole through which the second pin is inserted, which is provided at the other longitudinal end of the connecting member, can be displaced in two mutually orthogonal directions (e.g., the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction). This allows tolerances in two mutually orthogonal directions to be accommodated.

[0027] It is preferable that the mating terminal further includes a mating bus bar configured at one end, the other end of the mating bus bar is connected to a third bus bar, and the rotational displacement of the connecting member allows displacement of the mating bus bar, so that the bolt insertion holes at the other end of the mating bus bar and the bolt insertion holes in the third bus bar are aligned with each other, and the mating bus bar and the third bus bar are fixed together with bolts.

[0028] By connecting both longitudinal ends of the connecting member with the first and second pins, the mating bus bar, one end of which is connected to the other longitudinal end of the connecting member, can move over a larger range. This allows for greater flexibility in selecting the connection position between the mating bus bar and the third bus bar. In particular, by rotating the connecting member, it is easy to align the bolt insertion holes at the other end of the mating bus bar with the bolt insertion holes in the third bus bar, thereby achieving stable bolt fastening between the mating bus bar and the third bus bar.

[0029] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the terminal connection unit of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0030] <Embodiment 1> A terminal connection unit 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The terminal connection unit 10 is mounted on a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and connects a current-carrying member 12 on an on-board component, such as a junction box, to a mating terminal 14 extending from a mating device. The terminal connection unit 10 can be positioned in any orientation. However, in the following description, the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 3, the lower side will be referred to as the lower side in FIG. 3, the front side will be referred to as the right side in FIG. 2, the rear side will be referred to as the left side in FIG. 2, the left side will be referred to as the lower side in FIG. 2, and the right side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 2. In the following description, the front-to-rear direction may be referred to as a first direction. Furthermore, in some cases, for multiple identical components, only some of the components may be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other components.

[0031] <Terminal connection unit 10> The terminal connection unit 10 of the first embodiment includes a current-carrying member 12 having a connection portion 16 to which a mating terminal 14 is connected, and a support portion 18 that fixedly supports the current-carrying member 12. The connection portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12 has a long bolt insertion hole 20 extending in the front-rear direction, which is a first direction. The support portion 18 also has a holder 22 as a connecting member disposed below the connection portion 16 and assembled so as to be displaceable in the first direction (front-rear direction), and the holder 22 holds a nut 24. Note that FIGS. 1 to 3 show a state in which the connection portion 16 and the mating terminal 14 are connected at the forward-most connection position among multiple connection positions provided on the terminal connection unit 10. In another aspect, the holder may hold a bolt; for example, a bolt head may be embedded in the holder and a bolt shaft may protrude upward.

[0032] <Mating terminal 14> Although not limited to this, mating terminal 14 is provided, for example, at one end (rear end) of mating bus bar 26 extending from the mating device. Mating bus bar 26 is, for example, a thick bus bar that is long in the first direction (front-rear direction) and has a relatively large cross-sectional area, and has high deformation rigidity. Therefore, the tolerance of mating bus bar 26 tends to be relatively large. Note that, although not limited to this, the length of mating bus bar 26 (front-rear direction dimension) can be assumed to be, for example, about 2 m.

[0033] The mating busbar 26 is covered, for example, over substantially the entire length in an insulating coating 28 made of synthetic resin, and the insulating coating 28 is removed at one end (rear end) to expose the flat metal plate that constitutes the mating busbar 26. A circular bolt insertion hole 30 is provided at the portion of the mating busbar 26 where the insulating coating 28 is removed to expose the flat metal plate. The other end (front end) of the mating busbar 26 is provided with a positioning hole 32 that is, for example, approximately oval and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The other end of the mating busbar 26 is placed on a terminal block 34 provided in the mating device, for example, and a positioning pin 36 protruding upward from the terminal block 34 is inserted into the positioning hole 32 at the other end (front end) of the mating busbar 26. The positioning pin 36 is movable within the positioning hole 32 extending in the front-rear direction, thereby allowing the mating bus bar 26 to be displaced in the front-rear direction relative to the terminal block 34.

[0034] <Conductive member 12> The current-carrying member 12 is formed of, for example, a bus bar extending in a first direction (front-rear direction), and a connection portion 16 is provided at one end (front end) of the bus bar. The connection portion 16 is formed with a bolt insertion hole 20 that penetrates the thickness direction (up-down direction) of the bus bar and extends in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). The lengthwise dimension (front-rear dimension) of the bolt insertion hole 20 is not limited. However, when the holder 22 is fixed at multiple positions in the front-rear direction as described below, it is preferable that the bolt insertion hole 20 and the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 communicate with each other in the up-down direction regardless of whether the holder 22 is at the frontmost or rearmost position. Furthermore, a bolt insertion hole 38 is formed at the other end (rear end) of the current-carrying member 12 (bus bar). In the first embodiment, the widthwise dimension (left-right dimension) of the connection portion 16 is smaller than the widthwise dimension (left-right dimension) of the rear end of the mating bus bar 26.

[0035] A bus bar 40 extending from an on-vehicle component such as a junction box (not shown) is connected to the other end (rear end) of the current-carrying member 12. A bolt insertion hole 42 is formed at one end of the bus bar 40. The current-carrying member 12 and the bus bar 40 are overlapped with each other to align the bolt insertion holes 38, 42, and bolts 44 inserted into the bolt insertion holes 38, 42 are fastened to nuts 74 (described later), thereby fixing the current-carrying member 12 and the bus bar 40 in a mutually conductive state. While the extension direction of the bus bar 40 is not limited, in the first embodiment, the bus bar 40 extends in a direction intersecting the current-carrying member 12, and particularly in the first embodiment, the bus bar 40 extends in a direction perpendicular to the current-carrying member 12 (left-right direction). This allows the front-rear dimension of the terminal connection unit 10 to be smaller than, for example, when the bus bar 40 extends in the front-rear direction.

[0036] <Support part 18> The support part 18 has a support part main body 46 made of synthetic resin, and the holder 22 described above is assembled to the support part main body 46 so as to be displaceable in a first direction (front-rear direction). In the first embodiment, the support part main body 46 is composed of an upper main body 48 and a lower main body 50 which can be assembled to and separated from each other in the up-down direction. In the first embodiment, the support part main body 46 has a generally rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction in a plan view, and both the upper main body 48 and the lower main body 50 are generally rectangular members extending in the front-rear direction in a plan view.

[0037] That is, the upper main body 48 has an upper base portion 52 shaped like a generally rectangular flat plate, and the upper base portion 52 has a larger front-to-rear dimension than its left-to-right dimension. A pair of guide rails 54, 54 protruding upward are provided at both left-to-right ends of the front portion of the upper base portion 52. Each of these guide rails 54 has a predetermined vertical and front-to-rear dimension. In short, the support portion 18 (upper main body 48 of the support portion main body 46) has a pair of guide rails 54, 54 extending in the first direction (front-to-rear direction) and arranged side by side with a gap in the left-to-right direction.

[0038] Each guide rail 54 has a front opening 55a at its other front end and a rear opening 55b at its one rear end, and the left-right gap between each guide rail 54 communicates outward in the front-to-rear direction through the front openings 55a and rear openings 55b. The left-to-right gap between each guide rail 54 also communicates with the external space above through upper openings 55c at the upper ends of each guide rail 54. In the first embodiment, the left-to-right distance between each guide rail 54 is substantially constant in the front-to-rear direction, and this left-to-right distance between each guide rail 54 is greater than the width dimension (left-to-right dimension) of the mating terminal 14.

[0039] An engagement protrusion 56 is provided at the rear portion of each guide rail 54, with which a claw portion 88 (described later) of the holder 22 engages. This engagement protrusion 56 protrudes from each guide rail 54 toward the other guide rail 54, that is, protrudes inward in the left-right direction, which is the opposing direction of the pair of guide rails 54. Furthermore, each of the left and right guide rails 54 is provided with a plurality of engagement protrusions 56 spaced apart from each other in a first direction (front-rear direction). In the first embodiment, each engagement protrusion 56 has a substantially triangular cross section, and the front surface of each engagement protrusion 56 is an inclined surface 58 that is inclined in a direction such that the protrusion dimension of each engagement protrusion 56 inward in the left-right direction gradually decreases toward the front, and the rear surface of each engagement protrusion 56 is a vertical surface 60 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0040] In particular, in the first embodiment, the portion of each guide rail 54 where each engaging protrusion 56 is formed is thinner than other portions of each guide rail 54 (for example, the front portion of each guide rail 54), and through-grooves that extend in the front-rear direction and penetrate each guide rail 54 in the thickness direction (left-right direction) are formed on both the top and bottom sides of the portion where each engaging protrusion 56 is formed. This makes the portion of each guide rail 54 where each engaging protrusion 56 is formed elastically deformable in the left-right direction.

[0041] As a result, as will be described later, the claws 88 of the holder 22 are engaged with the vertical surfaces 60 of the engaging protrusions 56 between the guide rails 54, 54, thereby assembling the holder 22 to the support body 46. The inclined surfaces 89 of the claws 88 come into contact with the inclined surfaces 58 of the engaging protrusions 56, and the claws 88 elastically deform the engaging protrusions 56 outward in the left-right direction, thereby enabling the holder 22 to be displaced in the first direction, particularly from front to rear, between the guide rails 54, 54. In the first embodiment, since the rear surfaces of the engaging protrusions 56 are the vertical surfaces 60, the holder 22 is prevented from moving forward between the guide rails 54, 54.

[0042] A through window 62 is formed in the center of the rear portion of the upper base portion 52 in the left-right direction, penetrating the upper base portion 52 in the thickness direction (up-down direction). The through window 62 is generally rectangular in plan view, and a generally annular frame portion 64 protruding upward is provided around the periphery of the through window 62. A right portion of the frame portion 64 is cut out to penetrate in the left-right direction, forming a right outlet 66 through which the bus bar 40 is pulled out to the right, as described below. A front portion of the frame portion 64 is cut out to penetrate in the front-rear direction, forming a front outlet 68 through which the current-carrying member 12 (bus bar) is pulled out forward, as described below. In the first embodiment, the right outlet 66 is cut out further downward in the frame portion 64 than the front outlet 68.

[0043] Furthermore, the lower main body 50 includes a lower base portion 70 in the shape of a generally rectangular flat plate, which has generally the same shape as the upper base portion 52 in a plan view. An upper protrusion 72 that protrudes upward is provided in the rear portion of the lower base portion 70 at a position corresponding to the through window 62 of the upper base portion 52, and a nut 74 is fixed in a generally embedded state at the upper end of the upper protrusion 72.

[0044] The upper body 48 and the lower body 50, each having such a shape, are stacked vertically and fixed to each other to form the support body 46. In the first embodiment, the upper body 48 and the lower body 50 are fixed by press-fitting, i.e., the downwardly protruding portion of the upper body 48 is fitted into the upwardly opening portion of the lower body 50 in a substantially press-fit state. Then, by assembling the upper body 48 and the lower body 50 to each other, the upwardly protruding portion 72 protruding upward from the lower base portion 70 is inserted into the frame-shaped portion 64 through the through window 62 in the upper base portion 52. As a result, the nut 74 is provided in the frame-shaped portion 64 of the support body 46 and is exposed upward. Note that the method of fixing the upper body 48 and the lower body 50 is not limited to press-fitting; for example, a locking structure, adhesive bonding, welding, or other conventionally known fixing methods may be used.

[0045] <Holder 22> The holder 22 has a generally box-like shape that opens upward and is made of synthetic resin. That is, the holder 22 includes a bottom wall 76 that is generally rectangular in plan view and a peripheral wall 78 that protrudes upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall 76. In the first embodiment, the peripheral wall 78 is composed of a rear wall 80 on the rear side and a pair of side walls 82, 82 on both the left and right sides. In the first embodiment, the left-right intermediate portion of the rear wall 80 is formed with a smaller vertical dimension than each of the side walls 82. That is, the upper end of the left-right intermediate portion of the rear wall 80 is formed with a notched recess that is recessed downward relative to each of the side walls 82.

[0046] The left-right dimension of this recess is slightly larger than the left-right dimension of the connection portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12, and the recess in the rear wall 80 forms a rear outlet 84 through which the current-carrying member 12 (bus bar) is pulled rearward, as will be described later. In the first embodiment, the left-right distance between the outer surfaces of each side wall 82 is approximately equal to or slightly smaller than the width dimension (left-right dimension) of the mating terminal 14, and the distance between the opposing surfaces of each side wall 82 is larger than the width dimension (left-right dimension) of the connection portion 16.

[0047] Furthermore, both left and right ends of the rear wall 80 of the holder 22 are provided with abutment portions 86 that abut against the mating terminals 14 when the connecting portions 16 of the current-carrying members 12, which will be described later, are fastened to the mating terminals 14 with bolts. Each abutment portion 86 protrudes upward beyond the corresponding side wall 82. More specifically, when the connecting portions 16 of the current-carrying members 12 are housed in connecting portion housings 92, which will be described later, of the holder 22, the abutment portions 86 protrude upward beyond the corresponding side walls 82. Each left and right end of the rear wall 80 on which the abutment portions 86 are provided protrudes outward in the left and right direction beyond the corresponding side walls 82. As a result, each left and right end of the rear wall 80 is provided with a pair of claw portions 88 that engage with the engaging protrusions 56 provided on the guide rails 54 of the support body 46. The rear surfaces of each of the claw portions 88 form inclined surfaces 89 that are inclined in a direction such that the outward protrusion of each claw portion 88 in the left and right direction gradually decreases toward the rear.

[0048] Here, a nut accommodating portion 90 that protrudes upward is provided in the approximate center of the bottom wall 76. The nut accommodating portion 90 is cylindrical, and the outer shape of the nut accommodating portion 90 is approximately hexagonal to match the shape of the nut 24. The nut 24 is accommodated in this nut accommodating portion 90 and fixed as necessary, so that the nut 24 is held by the holder 22. Note that in the first embodiment, when the nut 24 is accommodated in the nut accommodating portion 90, the upper end of the nut 24 protrudes above the nut accommodating portion 90.

[0049] When fastening the connecting portion 16 and the mating terminal 14 (described later) with a bolt, the connecting portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12 is inserted into the holder 22, i.e., between the left and right side walls 82, through the rear outlet 84 in the rear wall 80 of the holder 22, and is placed on top of the upper end of the nut 24. In other words, the nut 24 held by the holder 22 is arranged below the connecting portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12. This allows the long bolt insertion hole 20 provided in the connecting portion 16 to communicate with the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 in the vertical direction. In other words, a connecting portion accommodating portion 92 that accommodates the connecting portion 16 so that it can be fastened to the nut 24 is formed by the space above the nut accommodating portion 90 in the holder 22 and between the opposing surfaces of the side walls 82.

[0050] Furthermore, as will be described later, when the connecting portion 16 and the mating terminal 14 are fastened with a bolt, the mating terminal 14 inserted from the front through the front openings 55a of the guide rails 54 abuts against the abutting portions 86 of the holder 22 and is placed on top of the connecting portion 16. Therefore, when the holder 22 is assembled to the support body 46, a mating terminal accommodating portion 94 that accommodates the mating terminal 14 is formed in front of the abutting portions 86 of the holder 22 and by the space between the opposing surfaces of the guide rails 54. In other words, the abutting portions 86 and the mating terminal accommodating portion 94 of the holder 22 are arranged above the connecting portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12.

[0051] <Method of assembling the terminal connection unit 10> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the terminal connection unit 10. However, the method for assembling the terminal connection unit 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0052] First, the upper body 48 and the lower body 50 are stacked vertically and fixed to each other. This completes the support body 46. The nut 24 is then accommodated in the nut accommodating portion 90 of the holder 22 and secured as necessary, so that the nut 24 is held by the holder 22. After that, the holder 22 holding the nut 24 is inserted from the front through the front openings 55a of the guide rails 54 of the support body 46, so that the inclined surfaces 58 of the forward-most engagement protrusions 56 of the guide rails 54 and the inclined surfaces 89 of the claws 88 of the holder 22 abut against each other in the front-to-rear direction. Then, by pushing the holder 22 rearward relative to the support body 46, the engaging protrusions 56 elastically deform outward in the left-right direction, allowing the holder 22 to be displaced rearward, and the claws 88 climb over the engaging protrusions 56, causing the engaging protrusions 56 to elastically restore their original shape and become engaged with the vertical surfaces 60 of the engaging protrusions 56. As a result, the holder 22 is assembled to the support body 46 in its forward-most position, and the support 18 is completed.

[0053] In addition, the holder 22 may be inserted into the support body 46 from above through the upper opening 55c between the guide rails 54, 54, and the holder 22 may be assembled to a predetermined position on the support body 46 by inserting each claw portion 88 on the holder 22 between adjacent engagement protrusions 56, 56 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0054] Next, at the rear portion of the support portion 18, the left end of the bus bar 40 extending from an on-board component such as a junction box is inserted into the frame portion 64 through the right outlet 66 of the frame portion 64, and the left end of the bus bar 40 is placed on the upward protrusion 72 located inside the frame portion 64. Thereafter, the other end (rear end) of the current-carrying member 12 (bus bar) is inserted into the frame portion 64 through the front outlet 68 of the frame portion 64 and placed on the left end of the bus bar 40. This vertically connects the bolt insertion hole 38 at the rear end of the current-carrying member 12 (bus bar), the bolt insertion hole 42 at the left end of the bus bar 40, and the inner hole of the nut 74 disposed in the upward protrusion 72, and the bolt 44 is inserted through these and fastened to the nut 74. As a result, the left end of bus bar 40 and the rear end of current-carrying member 12 (bus bar) are fixed in a state where they overlap each other at the rear portion of support portion 18.

[0055] Furthermore, by fixing the current-carrying member 12 (bus bar) in this manner, the connection portion 16 at one end (front end) of the current-carrying member 12 (bus bar) is inserted into and accommodated in the connection portion accommodating portion 92 in the holder 22 through the rear opening 55b on one end side of each guide rail 54 and the rear outlet 84 of the holder 22, and the connection portion 16 is placed on the nut 24 held by the holder 22. As a result, the bolt insertion hole 20 in the connection portion 16 and the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 are mutually communicated in the vertical direction, and in this state the terminal connection unit 10 is completed.

[0056] <Method of connecting the connecting portion 16 and the mating terminal 14> Hereinafter, a specific example of a method for connecting the connection portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12 to the mating terminal 14 in the terminal connection unit 10 assembled as described above will be described. Note that the method for connecting the connection portion 16 to the mating terminal 14 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0057] The mating terminal 14 at one end (rear end) of the mating bus bar 26 is inserted from the front through the front opening 55a between the guide rails 54, 54 and is superimposed on the connection portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12, and a positioning pin 36 protruding upward from, for example, the terminal block 34 of the mating device is inserted into the positioning hole 32 at the other end (front end). However, if the mating bus bar 26 is long, for example, about 2 m, attempting to work on both ends of the mating bus bar 26 simultaneously is not easy due to the problem of the tolerances of the mating bus bar 26, which tend to be relatively large.

[0058] First, the front end of the mating bus bar 26 is placed on the terminal block 34 of the mating device, and the positioning pins 36 of the terminal block 34 are inserted into the positioning holes 32. Thereafter, the rear end of the mating bus bar 26 is inserted from the front through the front opening 55a between the pair of guide rails 54, 54, or from above through the upper opening 55c, and is aligned from above with the connection portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12 accommodated in the connection portion accommodating portion 92 of the holder 22. In other words, the mating terminal 14 is accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion 94, which is the space between the pair of guide rails 54, 54 and in front of the abutment portion 86.

[0059] 1 to 3 show a case where the manufacturing error of the mating bus bar 26 with respect to the reference dimension is relatively small, and shows a state in which the mating terminal 14 is accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion 94 without any problem when the positioning pin 36 is inserted into the positioning hole 32, and the mating terminal 14 is overlapped from above on the connection portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12. When the rear end of the mating terminal 14 is overlapped from above on the connection portion 16, if the rear end of the mating terminal 14 does not abut against the abutment portions 86 protruding upward on the holder 22, i.e., if there is a gap in the front-to-rear direction between the rear end of the mating terminal 14 and the abutment portions 86, the mating bus bar 26 is displaced rearward with respect to the terminal block 34. As a result, the rear end of the mating terminal 14 abuts against the abutment portions 86 on the holder 22 in the front-to-rear direction, and the bolt insertion hole 30 provided in the mating terminal 14 and the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 held by the holder 22 are aligned in the vertical direction. Then, a bolt (not shown) is inserted through the bolt insertion hole 30 in the mating terminal 14 and the bolt insertion hole 20 in the connection portion 16 and fastened to the nut 24 held by the holder 22, thereby completing the connection between the connection portion 16 and the mating terminal 14.

[0060] 5 and 6, a case will be described in which the manufacturing error of the mating busbar 26 with respect to the reference dimensions is relatively large, for example, the mating busbar 26 is longer than that shown in Figures 1 to 3. In this case, if the holder 22 is assembled to the frontmost position relative to the support portion 18 as shown in Figures 1 to 3, even if the front end portion of the mating busbar 26 is placed on the terminal block 34 of the mating device and the positioning pins 36 of the terminal block 34 are inserted into the positioning holes 32 and then an attempt is made to accommodate the mating terminals 14 in the mating terminal accommodating portions 94, due to the long length of the mating busbar 26, for example, the rear end portion of the mating terminal 14 will end up resting on each abutment portion 86, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 2.

[0061] In such a case, with the rear end portions of the mating terminals 14 placed on the contact portions 86, for example, the positioning pins 36 are removed from the positioning holes 32, and the mating bus bar 26 is moved forward relative to the terminal block 34. This causes the rear end portions of the mating terminals 14 to move forward relative to the contact portions 86, allowing the mating terminals 14 to be accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portions 94 and the contact portions 86 to abut against the rear end portions of the mating terminals 14 in the front-to-rear direction. Note that at this time, the positioning pins 36 are positioned, for example, rearward of the positioning holes 32.

[0062] Therefore, next, with the abutting portions 86 and the rear end portions of the mating terminals 14 abutting against each other in the front-to-rear direction, the mating bus bar 26 is pushed rearward relative to the terminal block 34 to displace it. As a result, the abutting portions 86 are pushed rearward by the rear end portions of the mating terminals 14, and the inclined surfaces 89 of the claws 88 provided on the holder 22 abut against the inclined surfaces 89 of the engagement protrusions 56 on the support portion 18. The engagement protrusions 56 are elastically deformed outward in the left-to-right direction, allowing the mating terminals 14 and the holder 22 to be displaced rearward (in the first direction). Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the engagement protrusions 56 repeatedly undergo elastic deformation and elastic restoration, displacing the mating bus bar 26 rearward a predetermined distance. As a result, the claws 88 are engaged with the vertical surfaces 60 of the engagement protrusions 56, and the positioning pins 36 enter the positioning holes 32 at, for example, a connection position in the middle of the front-to-rear direction among the multiple connection positions provided on the holder 22 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0063] That is, when the mating terminal 14 is accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion 94, the bolt insertion hole 30 of the mating terminal 14, the bolt insertion hole 20 of the connecting portion 16, and the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 are in communication with each other, but the other end of the mating busbar 26 is not properly connected. The other end of the mating busbar 26 can be properly connected by abutting the mating terminal 14 against the abutment portions 86 of the holder 22 and pushing it backward. As a result, both ends of the mating busbar 26 can be properly connected. In this state, bolts (not shown) are inserted through the bolt insertion holes 30 of the mating terminal 14 and the bolt insertion holes 20 of the connecting portion 16 and fastened to the nuts 24, thereby completing the connection between the mating terminal 14 and the connecting portion 16. As described above, in the first embodiment, the connecting member that connects the mating terminal 14 and the connecting portion 16 is configured to include the holder 22, and the support portion 18 has the connecting member (holder 22). An external force caused by the rearward displacement of the mating terminal 14 is applied to the holder 22, so that the holder 22 can be displaced rearward relative to the support portion main body 46 of the support portion 18.

[0064] The rearward movement of the mating bus bar 26 can be completed when the positioning pin 36 enters the positioning hole 32. However, once the positioning pin 36 enters the positioning hole 32, both ends of the mating bus bar 26 are properly connected. Therefore, even if the mating bus bar 26 is further displaced rearward after the positioning pin 36 enters the positioning hole 32, there is no problem, and the mating terminal 14 and the connection portion 16 can be bolted together at any position desired by the worker.

[0065] Next, referring to Figures 7 and 8, a case will be described in which the manufacturing error of mating bus bar 26 with respect to the reference dimensions is even larger, for example, mating bus bar 26 is even longer than that shown in Figures 5 and 6. In such a case, the basic connection method is the same as that explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

[0066] 1 to 3 and 5 and 6, by pushing the mating bus bar 26 backward while the mating terminal 14 is in contact with each abutment portion 86 of the holder 22, the mating terminal 14 and the holder 22 are displaced in the first direction to the position shown in Figures 7 and 8, and the positioning pin 36 is inserted into the positioning hole 32. As a result, both ends of the mating bus bar 26 are connected in the correct state, and by inserting a bolt (not shown) through the bolt insertion hole 30 of the mating terminal 14 and the bolt insertion hole 20 of the connection portion 16 and fastening it to the nut 24, the connection between the mating terminal 14 and the connection portion 16 is completed.

[0067] According to the terminal connection unit 10 of the first embodiment, when connecting the mating terminal 14 and the connection portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12, the mating terminal 14 can be guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion 94 by abutting the mating terminal 14 against each abutment portion 86 of the holder 22 that holds the nut 24. When the mating terminal 14 is positioned in the mating terminal accommodating portion 94, the bolt insertion hole 30 of the mating terminal 14, the bolt insertion hole 20 of the connection portion 16, and the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 are in communication in the vertical direction, and the mating terminal 14 and the connection portion 16 can be connected by inserting a bolt (not shown) into each bolt insertion hole 30, 20 and fastening it to the nut 24.

[0068] In particular, even if the mating busbar 26 having the mating terminal 14 is long and tends to have a relatively large tolerance, the mating busbar 26 can be routed in the correct position while accommodating the tolerance of the mating busbar 26 by abutting the mating terminal 14 against the contact portions 86 of the holder 22 that holds the nut 24, thereby displacing the mating terminal 14 and the holder 22 together. This eliminates the need for a braided wire or laminated busbar as a current-carrying member in the terminal connection unit, as in conventional structures, and enables tolerance absorption with a simpler structure. Furthermore, by adopting the structure of embodiment 1, it is not necessary to accurately position both ends of the long mating busbar 26 when connecting the mating terminal 14 and the connection portion 16. Instead, the positions of the holder 22 and the nut 24 can be adjusted according to the length of the mating busbar 26, improving assembly workability.

[0069] The basic idea of ​​embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is that by abutting the mating terminal 14 against each abutment portion 86 of the holder 22 and pressing the holder 22 with the mating terminal 14, the position of the nut 24 can be adjusted according to the length of the mating bus bar 26, thereby absorbing the tolerance of the mating bus bar 26, and the specific structure and shape of the other end (front end) of the mating bus bar 26 are not limited.

[0070] Current-carrying member 12 is configured by a bus bar, and bolt insertion hole 20 extending in the longitudinal direction of the bus bar is formed in connection portion 16 at one end of the bus bar. Particularly in embodiment 1, bolt insertion hole 20 and inner hole 91 of nut 24 communicate in the up-down direction regardless of whether holder 22 is in the front-rear direction or the rear-rear direction. As a result, by abutting mating terminal 14 with each abutment portion 86 of holder 22, bolt insertion hole 30 of mating terminal 14 and inner hole 91 of nut 24 are aligned, and as a result, bolt insertion hole 20 of connection portion 16 and bolt insertion hole 30 of mating terminal 14 can be communicated with each other. Therefore, by forming bolt insertion hole 20 in connection portion 16 in an elongated hole shape, communication between each bolt insertion hole 20, 30 and inner hole 91 of nut 24 can be easily achieved.

[0071] Support portion 18 is provided with guide rails 54 extending in a first direction (front-rear direction), and holder 22 is capable of displacement in the first direction (front-rear direction) along these guide rails 54. This makes it possible to realize a tolerance absorption structure in the longitudinal direction of long mating bus bar 26, which is prone to tolerance problems, and also makes it possible to reduce the size of terminal connection unit 10 in the left-right direction.

[0072] The connection portion 16 of the current-carrying member 12 is placed above the nut 24, and each abutting portion 86 of the holder 22 protrudes above the connection portion 16, forming a mating terminal accommodating portion 94 that includes the space above the connection portion 16 and in front of the abutting portions 86. This allows the mating terminal 14 to be accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion 94 from above or from the front, improving work efficiency by enabling a single person to work on even a long mating bus bar 26, for example. In addition, the operation of accommodating the mating terminal 14 in the mating terminal accommodating portion 94 and the operation of fastening the connection portion 16 and the mating terminal 14 with bolts can be performed with good visibility.

[0073] Each of the pair of guide rails 54 has an engaging protrusion 56, and the holder 22 has claws 88 that can engage with the engaging protrusions 56. In particular, the engaging protrusions 56 are provided at multiple locations in the front-to-rear direction, allowing the holder 22 to be fixed at multiple locations between the guide rails 54 in the front-to-rear direction. This prevents the holder 22 from unintentionally displacing in the front-to-rear direction when the holder 22 is displaced in the front-to-rear direction in accordance with the length of the mating bus bar 26, thereby stably performing the bolt fixing work between the mating terminal 14 and the connection portion 16. In particular, in the first embodiment, the holder 22 can move from front to rear between the guide rails 54 but cannot move from rear to front, which more reliably prevents unintentional displacement of the holder 22.

[0074] <Embodiment 2> Next, a terminal connection unit 100 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 17. Although the second embodiment employs a current-carrying member 101 substantially similar to that of the first embodiment, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of a support portion 102 that fixedly supports the current-carrying member 101 and a mating bus bar 104 serving as a bus bar. The following mainly describes the differences between the first embodiment and the terminal connection unit 100. Components and parts that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIGS. 9 to 11 show a state in which both ends of the mating bus bar 104 are properly connected, while FIGS. 14 and 15 show a state in which mating terminals 106 provided on the mating bus bar 104 have begun to be accommodated in mating terminal accommodating portions 110 provided in a holder 108 serving as a connecting member, and FIGS. 16 and 17 show a state in which the mating terminals 106 are further accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portions 110 than in FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0075] <Mating terminal 106> The terminal connection unit 100 of the second embodiment is configured to include a mating terminal 106 (a mating bus bar 104). In the second embodiment, the mating bus bar 104 is also assumed to be, for example, a thick bus bar that is long in the first direction (front-rear direction) and has a relatively large cross-sectional area. The mating terminal 106 at one end (rear end) of the mating bus bar 104 includes a terminal portion 112 that extends in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) and a bent portion 114 that is bent in a crank shape at the other end (front end) side of the terminal portion 112. In the second embodiment, the left-right dimension of the terminal portion 112 is larger than the left-right dimension of a portion of the mating bus bar 104 in front of the terminal portion 112. As a result, the terminal portion 112 has a substantially square shape or a substantially rectangular shape in plan view in which the left-right dimension is larger than the front-rear dimension. A circular bolt insertion hole 30 is formed in the approximately central portion of the terminal portion 112, penetrating the terminal portion 112 in the up-down direction. Furthermore, by providing bent portion 114 in front of terminal portion 112, terminal portion 112 at the rear end portion of counterpart bus bar 104 is disposed lower than the other end side (front end side).

[0076] In addition, the other end (front end) of the mating bus bar 104 has an approximately circular positioning hole 116, through which a positioning pin 36 protruding upward from a terminal block 34 provided on the mating device is inserted.

[0077] <Conductive member 101> The current-carrying member 101 also has a bolt insertion hole 120 formed in a connection portion 118 at its front end, which penetrates the current-carrying member 101 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The bolt insertion hole 120 in the second embodiment has a larger width dimension (left-right dimension) than the bolt insertion hole 20 in the first embodiment, and although the first direction (front-rear direction) is the longitudinal direction overall, the bolt insertion hole 120 has a wide shape that also extends in a second direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the first direction. As in the first embodiment, a bus bar 40 extending from an on-vehicle component such as a junction box (not shown) is connected to the rear end of the current-carrying member 101.

[0078] <Support part 102> The support part 102 has a support part main body 122 to which the holder 108 is attached. The support part main body 122 is composed of an upper main body 124 and a lower main body 50, similar to the first embodiment. Note that the lower main body 50 has the same structure as the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0079] The upper main body 124 includes an upper base portion 126 in the shape of a generally rectangular flat plate, and a through-hole 128 is formed in the front portion of the upper base portion 126, penetrating in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The through-hole 128 has a long length in a first direction (front-rear direction) as a whole, but is wide enough to extend in a second direction (left-right direction). A generally rectangular locking plate insertion hole 130 is formed in the front portion of the through-hole 128, extending in the left-right direction and penetrating in the vertical direction, and is continuous with the through-hole 128. The locking plate insertion hole 130 is sized to allow a locking plate 162 (described later) provided on the holder 108 to be inserted therethrough.

[0080] Additionally, an elastic piece 132 is provided on the inner peripheral edge in front of the locking plate insertion hole 130, protruding downward and protruding forward from the downward protruding end. The elastic piece 132 is elastically deformable in the up-down direction, and a jumping protrusion 134 is provided on the front end of the elastic piece 132. At both left-right ends of the top surface of the upper base portion 126, upwardly protruding displacement restricting portions 136 are provided at positions in the front-rear direction substantially equal to the through-hole 128. Thus, if the holder 108 is excessively displaced left-right relative to the support main body 122, the displacement restricting portions 136 come into contact with the holder 108, thereby restricting further left-right displacement of the holder 108. The upper base portion 126 is provided at its rear portion with a through window 62 and a frame-shaped portion 64, as in the first embodiment. The upper main body 124 and the lower main body 50 are fixed by press-fitting, as in the first embodiment, to form the support main body 122.

[0081] <Holder 108> The holder 108 has a generally box-like shape that opens upward. The holder 108 includes a bottom wall 138 that is generally rectangular in plan view and a peripheral wall 140 that protrudes upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall 138. The rear portion of the bottom wall 138 has a larger width dimension (left-right dimension) than the front portion in accordance with the shape of the mating terminal 106. In the second embodiment, the peripheral wall 140 includes a front wall 141 on the front side, a rear wall 142 on the rear side, and a pair of side walls 144, 144 on both the left and right sides. A front outlet 145 and a rear outlet 146 that are notched and penetrate the front and rear directions are formed in the left-right intermediate portions of the front wall 141 and the rear wall 142, respectively. In the second embodiment, abutting portions 148 that abut against the mating terminal 106 when the mating terminal 106 is connected to the connecting portion 118 are formed in the front wall 141, the rear wall 142, and each side wall 144.

[0082] Specifically, the abutment portions 148 include first abutment portions 150 that are provided on the front wall 141 and the rear wall 142 and that guide displacement of the holder 108 in a first direction (front-to-rear direction), and second abutment portions 152 that are provided on each side wall 144 and that guide displacement of the holder 108 in a second direction (left-to-right direction). More specifically, the first abutment portions 150 are generally plate-shaped portions that protrude inward in the front-to-rear direction from both left and right sides of the front withdrawal opening 145 and the rear withdrawal opening 146 in the front wall 141 and the rear wall 142, and the upper end surface of the first abutment portion 150 is a first inclined surface 154 that is inclined in a direction in which the up-down dimension of the first abutment portion 150 increases (protrudes further upward) as it goes outward in the first direction (front-to-rear direction). The second contact portions 152 are generally plate-shaped portions that protrude inward in the left-right direction at multiple locations spaced apart in the front-rear direction on each side wall 144, and the upper end surfaces of the second contact portions 152 form second inclined surfaces 156 that are inclined in a direction such that the vertical dimension of the second contact portions 152 increases (they protrude further upward) as they extend outward in the second direction (left-right direction). At the lower end portions of the first and second contact portions 150 and 152, an area that is surrounded by the first and second contact portions 152 and has a generally rectangular shape in plan view forms the mating terminal accommodating portion 110.

[0083] A generally cylindrical nut accommodating portion 158 is provided in the approximate center of the bottom wall 138 and protrudes downward, with the inner hole of this nut accommodating portion 158 opening to the upper surface of the bottom wall 138. The nut 24 is accommodated in the nut accommodating portion 158 from above and fixed in place as necessary, thereby holding the nut 24 in place with the holder 108. As shown in FIG. 13 , a locking plate 162 is integrally formed with the nut accommodating portion 158 via a connecting portion 160, and the locking plate 162 has a generally rectangular plate shape that protrudes from the lower end of the connecting portion 160 on both the left and right sides.

[0084] Furthermore, each side wall 144 of holder 108 is provided with a contact portion 164 that protrudes downward and comes into contact with the upper surface of support body 122 (the upper surface of upper base portion 126) when holder 108 is assembled to support body 122. Each contact portion 164 is provided over the entire length of each side wall 144 in the front-to-rear direction, and the width dimension (left-to-right dimension) of the protruding tip of contact portion 164 is made small, thereby reducing friction between contact portion 164 and support body 122 when holder 108 is displaced.

[0085] When fastening the connecting portion 118 and the mating terminal 106 with a bolt (described later), the connecting portion 118 of the current-carrying member 101 is inserted into the holder 108 through the rear outlet 146 in the rear wall 142 of the holder 108 and is placed on the bottom wall 138. This allows the bolt insertion hole 120 provided in the connecting portion 118 to communicate with the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 accommodated in the nut accommodating portion 158 in the bottom wall 138 in the up-down direction. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the connecting portion accommodating portion 166 is formed between the left-right direction of the first abutting portions 150 that constitute the front outlet 145 and the rear outlet 146 in the holder 108. In particular, in the second embodiment, the connecting portion accommodating portion 166 is provided between the lower ends of the first inclined surfaces 154 and the second inclined surfaces 156 and the nut 24 in the height direction of the holder 108.

[0086] As will be described later, when the connecting portion 118 and the mating terminal 106 are fastened with a bolt, the mating terminal 106 inserted from above the holder 108 is accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion 110 surrounded by the first abutting portions 150 and the second abutting portions 152, and is placed on top of the connecting portion 118. In particular, in the second embodiment, when the connecting portion 118 is placed on the holder 108, the top surface of the connecting portion 118 is positioned below the lower ends of the first inclined surfaces 154 and the second inclined surfaces 156. As a result, in the second embodiment, the mating terminal accommodating portion 110 is provided between the lower ends of the first inclined surfaces 154 and the second inclined surfaces 156 and the nut 24 in the height direction of the holder 108.

[0087] <Method of Assembling the Terminal Connection Unit 100> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the terminal connection unit 100. However, the method for assembling the terminal connection unit 100 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0088] First, the upper body 124 and the lower body 50 are stacked vertically and fixed to each other. This completes the support body 122. The nut 24 is then accommodated in the nut accommodating portion 158 of the holder 108 and secured as necessary, so that the nut 24 is held by the holder 108. The locking plate 162 of the holder 108 holding the nut 24 is then inserted into the locking plate insertion hole 130 of the support body 122, and the contact portions 164 on both the left and right sides are brought into contact with the upper surface of the support body 122. The entire holder 108 is then displaced rearward, so that the locking plate 162 and connecting portion 160 protruding downward from the holder 108 climb over the overhanging protrusion 134 provided on the upper base portion 126 and are positioned within the through-hole 128 located behind the locking plate insertion hole 130. This allows holder 108 to be assembled to support portion main body 122, completing support portion 102. After holder 108 has been assembled to support portion main body 122 in this manner, connecting portion 160 and overhanging projection 134 come into contact with each other, thereby preventing holder 108 from slipping out upward through locking plate insertion hole 130.

[0089] Next, as in the first embodiment, the bus bar 40 extending from an on-vehicle component such as a junction box is connected to the current-carrying member 101. By fixing the current-carrying member 101 in this manner, the connection portion 118 of the current-carrying member 101 is inserted into and accommodated in the connection portion accommodating portion 166 in the holder 108 through the rear outlet 146 of the holder 108, and the connection portion 118 is placed on top of the bottom wall 138. As a result, the bolt insertion hole 120 of the connection portion 118 and the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 are mutually communicated in the vertical direction, and the terminal connection unit 100 is completed in this state.

[0090] <Method of connecting connecting portion 118 and mating terminal 106> Hereinafter, a specific example of a method for connecting the connection portion 118 of the current-carrying member 101 to the mating terminal 106 in the terminal connection unit 100 assembled as described above will be described. Note that the method for connecting the connection portion 118 to the mating terminal 106 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0091] 14 and 15, the front end of the mating bus bar 104 is placed on the terminal block 34 of the mating device, the positioning pins 36 of the terminal block 34 are inserted into the positioning holes 116, and the mating terminals 106 (terminal portions 112) at the rear end of the mating bus bar 104 are inserted from above into the holder 108. In this state, as shown in Fig. 15, the connection portions 118 and the terminal portions 112 of the current-carrying member 101 face each other in the vertical direction, but due to tolerances of the mating bus bar 104, etc., it is conceivable that the bolt insertion holes 30 in the terminal portions 112 and the inner holes 91 of the nuts 24 held by the holder 108 are misaligned, as shown in the plan view of Fig. 14. In particular, in Figure 14, the terminal portion 112 is shown biased left and rearward relative to the center of the holder 108, with the left end of the terminal portion 112 abutting against the upper end of each left second abutment portion 152 (each second inclined surface 156) of the holder 108, and the rear end of the terminal portion 112 abutting against the upper end of each rear first abutment portion 150 (each first inclined surface 154).

[0092] 16 and 17 , by pressing the mating bus bar 104 downward, the holder 108 is displaced in a direction in which the bolt insertion hole 30 and the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 are aligned as the terminal portion 112 abuts against the first contact portions 150 (first inclined surfaces 154) and the second contact portions 152 (second inclined surfaces 156). Specifically, as the rear end of the terminal portion 112 abuts against the rear first contact portions 150 (first inclined surfaces 154), the holder 108 moves rearward (first direction) on the support portion main body 122. Furthermore, as the left end of the terminal portion 112 abuts against the left second contact portions 152 (second inclined surfaces 156), the holder 108 moves leftward (second direction) on the support portion main body 122.

[0093] 9 to 11 , by pushing mating bus bar 104 all the way down, terminal portion 112 abuts against each first abutment portion 150 and is guided in the first direction (front-rear direction), and also abuts against each second abutment portion 152 and is guided in the second direction (left-right direction). As a result, terminal portion 112 is accommodated in mating terminal accommodating portion 110 surrounded by each first abutment portion 150 (each first inclined surface 154) and each second abutment portion 152 (each second inclined surface 156). As a result, terminal portion 112 and connecting portion 118 are overlapped in the up-down direction with terminal portion 112 and inner hole 91 of nut 24 provided in holder 108 aligned with each other. Then, a bolt (not shown) is inserted through the bolt insertion hole 30 in the terminal portion 112 and the bolt insertion hole 120 in the connecting portion 118, which are connected in the vertical direction, and fastened by the nut 24, thereby completing the connection between the connecting portion 118 and the mating terminal 106 (terminal portion 112). As described above, in the second embodiment as well, the connecting member that connects the mating terminal 106 and the connecting portion 118 is configured to include the holder 108, and the support portion 102 has the connecting member (holder 108). Then, an external force caused by downward displacement of the mating terminal 106 is applied to the holder 108, so that the holder 108 can be displaced in the left-right and front-rear directions relative to the support portion main body 122 of the support portion 102.

[0094] In the second embodiment, a connecting portion 160 protruding downward from the holder 108 is inserted into a through-hole 128 of the support body 122, and the connecting portion 160 is movable in a first direction (front-rear direction) and a second direction (left-right direction) inside the through-hole 128. This allows the holder 108 to move in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction on the support body 122. Furthermore, because the bolt insertion hole 120 in the connection portion 118 has a wide shape that extends not only in the front-rear direction but also in the left-right direction, the bolt insertion hole 30 in the terminal portion 112, the bolt insertion hole 120 in the connection portion 118, and the inner hole 91 of the nut 24 are aligned and communicate with each other in the up-down direction, regardless of whether the holder 108 moves in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction.

[0095] Even in the terminal connection unit 100 of embodiment 2 having the above-described structure, when connecting the mating terminal 106 and the connection portion 118 of the conductive member 101, the mating terminal 106 (terminal portion 112) can be abutted against the abutment portion 148 (each first abutment portion 150 and each second abutment portion 152) in the holder 108, thereby guiding the terminal portion 112 into the mating terminal accommodating portion 110, thereby achieving the same effect as in embodiment 1.

[0096] In particular, by making through hole 128 provided in support body 122 wide so as to extend not only in the front-rear direction but also in the left-right direction, holder 108 can move not only in the front-rear direction but also in the left-right direction on support body 122. Similarly, by making bolt insertion hole 120 provided in connection portion 118 wide so as to extend not only in the front-rear direction but also in the left-right direction, bolt insertion hole 30 in terminal portion 112 and bolt insertion hole 120 in connection portion 118 are communicated in the up-down direction, and ultimately also with inner hole 91 of nut 24, regardless of the direction in which holder 108 moves.

[0097] Each first abutment portion 150 has a first inclined surface 154, and each second abutment portion 152 has a second inclined surface 156, and the area surrounded by each first abutment portion 150 (each first inclined surface 154) and each second abutment portion 152 (each second inclined surface 156) forms the mating terminal accommodating portion 110. As a result, by pressing the terminal portion 112 downward, the terminal portion 112 is automatically accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion 110 as the peripheral edge of the terminal portion 112 abuts against each first inclined surface 154 and / or each second inclined surface 156. As a result, even when mating bus bar 104 is a long bus bar, the alignment of bolt insertion holes 30, 120 and nuts 24 can be achieved simply by placing the front end of mating bus bar 104 on terminal block 34 of the mating device and inserting the rear end into holder 108 from above and pushing it downward. This means that the work of connecting mating terminal 106 and connecting portion 118 can be performed by one person, improving work efficiency.

[0098] A bent portion 114 is provided at the rear end portion of mating bus bar 104, and terminal portion 112 is located lower than the front end side of mating bus bar 104. This reduces the amount of downward pushing of mating bus bar 104, and reduces the risk of mating bus bar 104 interfering with components located between terminal connection unit 100 and terminal block 34 of the mating device when mating bus bar 104 is pushed downward.

[0099] <Embodiment 3> Next, a terminal connection unit 170 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 25. The basic configuration of the terminal connection unit 170 according to the third embodiment is similar to that of the first and second embodiments, with the support portion 172 having a coupling member that couples the mating terminal 174 to a connection portion 178 of a current-carrying member 176 formed of a bus bar. While the coupling member is formed by the holder 22 or 108 in the first and second embodiments, the coupling member is formed by the bus bar 180 in the third embodiment. An external force caused by displacement of the mating terminal 174 is applied to the bus bar 180, thereby displacing the bus bar 180 relative to the support portion main body 182 of the support portion 172. In the third embodiment, the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction will be described as the directions shown in FIG. 18. In the third embodiment, the same components and parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0100] <Support part 172> The support portion 172 includes a bus bar 180 and a support portion main body 182. The support portion main body 182 is, for example, a member having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view and is formed of an insulating synthetic resin or the like. The support portion main body 182 extends in the front-rear direction, and a nut 74 is embedded in the rear end portion of the support portion main body 182. As in the first embodiment, the rear end of the current-carrying member 176 and the bus bar 40 extending to the right are overlapped at the rear end portion of the support portion main body 182, and the bolt insertion holes 38, 42 provided therein are aligned. Then, bolts 44 are inserted into both bolt insertion holes 38, 42 and fastened to the nuts 74, whereby the current-carrying member 176 and the bus bar 40 are fixed in a mutually conductive state. In short, the conductive member 176 and the bus bar 40 are fixedly supported on the upper surface of the support body 182, and a pair of side wall portions 184, 184 protruding upward from the upper surface of the support body 182 are provided on both widthwise edge portions of the conductive member 176 and the bus bar 40.

[0101] Furthermore, a limiting wall portion 186 is provided on the upper surface of support portion main body 182. When bus bar 180 serving as a connecting member is pivotally displaced around first pin 198 (described later), both side surfaces of bus bar 180 come into contact with limiting the pivotal displacement of bus bar 180. Limiting wall portion 186 has an annular frame shape as a whole, and is generally fan-shaped in a plan view having a predetermined central angle centered on the position where first pin 198 is formed. As a result, the outer shape of limiting wall portion 186 has a circumferential dimension of its outer peripheral portion (front portion) greater than the circumferential dimension of its inner peripheral portion (rear portion). Furthermore, the rear portion of the inner surface of limiting wall portion 186 forms curved surface 187 having a predetermined circumferential dimension. In the first embodiment, limiting wall portion 186 is formed integrally with the pair of side wall portions 184, 184 described above. In particular, in the first embodiment, notched openings 188, 188 are provided on both the left and right sides of the front portion of limiting wall portion 186, and the provision of these openings 188 makes the vertical dimension of the front portion of limiting wall portion 186 smaller than that of the rear portion. Then, mating terminal 174, which is connected to second pin 200 (described later) of bus bar 180, extends to the outside of support portion 172 through opening 188 in limiting wall portion 186.

[0102] <Mating terminal 174 (mating bus bar 190)> The mating terminal 174 is configured at one end of the mating bus bar 190. In the third embodiment, the mating bus bar 190 extends in a direction (left-right direction) substantially perpendicular to the support portion 172, and the mating terminal 174 is configured at the right end of the mating bus bar 190. A circular pin insertion hole 192, through which a second pin 200 (described later) is inserted, is formed in the mating terminal 174, penetrating the mating terminal 174 in the thickness direction (up-down direction). The other end of the mating bus bar 190 is also exposed without the insulating coating 28, and a bolt insertion hole 194 is formed in the exposed metal plate at the other end of the mating bus bar 190, penetrating the thickness direction (up-down direction). Similar to the first embodiment, the mating bus bar 190 is preferably a long, thick bus bar with a relatively large cross-sectional area, high deformation rigidity, and a relatively large tolerance. This allows the effects of the present disclosure to be effectively achieved.

[0103] <Conductive member 176> The current-carrying member 176 is configured by a bus bar extending in the front-rear direction as in the first embodiment, and the front end of the bus bar serves as a connection portion 178. A circular pin insertion hole 196, through which a first pin 198 (described later) is inserted, is formed in the connection portion 178 so as to penetrate in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the connection portion 178. As described above, the bolt insertion hole 38 is formed in the rear end of the current-carrying member 176.

[0104] <Connecting member (bus bar 180)> Bus bar 180, serving as a connecting member, has a generally rectangular flat plate shape overall and is a metal flat plate made of copper (including copper alloys), aluminum (including aluminum alloys), or the like, which has excellent conductivity. Bus bar 180 extends in the front-to-rear direction overall. A first pin 198 that protrudes upward is provided at the rear end, which is one end in the longitudinal direction of bus bar 180, and a second pin 200 that protrudes upward is provided at the front end, which is the other end in the longitudinal direction. In the third embodiment, these first and second pins 198 and 200 are formed integrally with bus bar 180, but they may also be formed separately from bus bar 180. Furthermore, a rear end surface of bus bar 180 is formed as a curved surface 201. When bus bar 180 pivots around the central axis of first pin 198, as described below, interference between a rear portion of the inner surface of limiting wall portion 186 and the rear end surface of bus bar 180 is avoided, thereby realizing smooth displacement of bus bar 180.

[0105] Here, when assembling terminal connection unit 170, first pin 198 is inserted into pin insertion hole 196 of connection portion 178, thereby connecting bus bar 180 at its rear end, and bus bar 180 is capable of rotatable displacement about the central axis of first pin 198 relative to connection portion 178. Similarly, second pin 200 is inserted into pin insertion hole 192 of mating terminal 174, thereby connecting bus bar 180 at its front end, and bus bar 180 is capable of rotatable displacement about the central axis of second pin 200 relative to mating terminal 174. By connecting connection portion 178 and mating terminal 174 via bus bar 180 in this manner, current-carrying member 176 and mating bus bar 190 are electrically connected.

[0106] <Third bus bar 202> A third bus bar 202 is connected to the other end of mating bus bar 190. Third bus bar 202 extends in a direction (front-rear direction) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of mating bus bar 190, and a circular bolt insertion hole 204 is formed at the front end of third bus bar 202. A terminal block 210 composed of an upper base portion 206 and a lower base portion 208 is provided below third bus bar 202. A through window 212 penetrating in the thickness direction (vertical direction) is formed in upper base portion 206, and an upward protrusion 216 having a nut 214 at its upper end is formed in lower base portion 208. As a result, when upper base portion 206 and lower base portion 208 are fixed together by, for example, press fitting to form terminal block 210, upper protrusion 216 is inserted into through window 212 and nut 214 is exposed upward. It is preferable that third bus bar 202 is fixedly provided on terminal block 210 or that misalignment of the two is substantially prevented by a mechanism not shown, and that bolt insertion hole 204 in third bus bar 202 and nut 214 in terminal block 210 are maintained in a state of communication in the vertical direction.

[0107] <Method of Assembling the Terminal Connection Unit 170> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the terminal connection unit 170. However, the method for assembling the terminal connection unit 170 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0108] First, the bus bar 180 is placed within the frame-shaped limiting wall portion 186 of the support body 182. Then, the bus bar 40 is placed on the rear end portion of the support body 182, and the current-carrying member 176 is placed over the bus bar 40. This causes the first pin 198 of the bus bar 180 to be inserted into the pin insertion hole 196 of the connection portion 178 of the current-carrying member 176, and aligns the nut 74 of the support body 182 with the bolt insertion hole 42 of the bus bar 40 and the bolt insertion hole 38 of the current-carrying member 176. Then, the bolt 44 is inserted into the bolt insertion holes 38, 42 and fastened to the nut 74. As a result, the current-carrying member 176 is fixedly supported on the support body 182, and the bus bar 180 is rotatable about the central axis of the first pin 198 relative to the connection portion 178. Such bus bar 180 is overlapped with mating bus bar 190 from above, and second pins 200 of bus bar 180 are inserted into pin insertion holes 192 of mating terminals 174. This completes terminal connection unit 170 of embodiment 3. In this terminal connection unit 170, mating bus bar 190 is rotatable about the central axis of second pin 200 relative to bus bar 180.

[0109] <Method of connecting counterpart bus bar 190 and third bus bar 202> A specific example of a method for connecting the mating bus bar 190 and the third bus bar 202 using the terminal connection unit 170 assembled as described above will be described below. The method for connecting the mating bus bar 190 and the third bus bar 202 is not limited to the embodiment described below. FIGS. 20 to 22 show a case where the length dimension of the mating bus bar 190 is shorter than the reference dimension by an amount corresponding to the tolerance, while FIGS. 23 to 25 show a case where the length dimension of the mating bus bar 190 is longer than the reference dimension by an amount corresponding to the tolerance. The third bus bar 202 is fixedly supported on the terminal block 210, and the bolt insertion holes 204 in the third bus bar 202 and the inner holes of the nuts 214 on the terminal block 210 are in communication with each other.

[0110] 20 , when mating bus bar 190 is shorter than the reference dimension, simply connecting bus bar 180 and mating bus bar 190 by inserting second pin 200 into pin insertion hole 192 of mating terminal 174 may not result in bolt insertion hole 194 provided at the other end of mating bus bar 190 reaching bolt insertion hole 204 in third bus bar 202. Specifically, for example, when the other longitudinal end (front end) of bus bar 180 is located on the right side (right position R) within limiting wall portion 186 as shown in FIG. 20 , there is a relatively large gap between bolt insertion hole 194 in mating bus bar 190 and bolt insertion hole 204 in third bus bar 202.

[0111] Therefore, with second pin 200 inserted into pin insertion hole 192 and bus bar 180 and mating bus bar 190 connected to each other, mating bus bar 190 is displaced to the left. An external force caused by this displacement of mating bus bar 190 is exerted on bus bar 180 via second pin 200, causing mating terminal 174 to rotate and displace relative to bus bar 180 about the central axis of second pin 200, and causing bus bar 180 to rotate and displace about the central axis of first pin 198 relative to connection portion 178. As a result, bus bar 180 rotates and displaces about the central axis of first pin 198 relative to support portion main body 182, and the front end of bus bar 180 is positioned at the center (central position C) within limiting wall portion 186, as shown in FIG. In this state, the misalignment between the bolt insertion hole 194 in the mating bus bar 190 and the bolt insertion hole 204 in the third bus bar 202 is smaller than in Figure 20, but there is still a misalignment between the two bolt insertion holes 194, 204.

[0112] Therefore, the mating bus bar 190 is further displaced to the left. As a result, the bus bar 180 is further pivotally displaced about the central axis of the first pin 198 relative to the support body 182, and the front end of the bus bar 180 is positioned on the left side (left position L) within the limiting wall 186, as shown in FIG. 22 . As a result, the offset between the bolt insertion holes 194 in the mating bus bar 190 and the bolt insertion holes 204 in the third bus bar 202 is smaller than in FIG. 21 , and the bolt insertion holes 194, 204 are aligned and communicated with each other. Then, by inserting bolts (not shown) into the bolt insertion holes 194, 204 and fastening them to nuts 214, the mating bus bar 190 and the third bus bar 202 are coupled and electrically connected. This completes an electrical path from the bus bar 40 to the third bus bar 202 via the current-carrying member 176, the bus bar 180, and the mating bus bar 190.

[0113] 23, when mating bus bar 190 is longer than the reference dimension, simply connecting bus bar 180 and mating bus bar 190 may result in a relatively large misalignment between bolt insertion hole 194 provided at the other end of mating bus bar 190 and bolt insertion hole 204 in third bus bar 202. Specifically, this may occur when, for example, the front end of bus bar 180 is located on the left side (left position L) within limiting wall portion 186, as shown in FIG.

[0114] In such a case, while bus bar 180 and mating bus bar 190 are connected, mating bus bar 190 is displaced to the right. An external force caused by this displacement of mating bus bar 190 is applied to bus bar 180 via second pin 200, causing bus bar 180 to rotate about the central axis of first pin 198 relative to support portion main body 182, and the front end of bus bar 180 is positioned at the center (center position C) within limiting wall portion 186, as shown in Fig. 24. In this state, the offset between bolt insertion hole 194 in mating bus bar 190 and bolt insertion hole 204 in third bus bar 202 is smaller than in Fig. 23, but there is still an offset between both bolt insertion holes 194, 204.

[0115] Therefore, the mating bus bar 190 is further displaced to the right. As a result, the bus bar 180 is further pivotally displaced about the central axis of the first pin 198 relative to the support body 182, and the front end of the bus bar 180 is positioned on the right side (right position R) within the limiting wall 186, as shown in FIG. 25 . As a result, the offset between the bolt insertion holes 194 in the mating bus bar 190 and the bolt insertion holes 204 in the third bus bar 202 becomes smaller than in FIG. 24 , and the bolt insertion holes 194, 204 are aligned and communicated with each other. Then, by inserting bolts (not shown) into the bolt insertion holes 194, 204 and fastening them to nuts 214, the mating bus bar 190 and the third bus bar 202 are coupled and electrically connected. This completes an electrical path from the bus bar 40 to the third bus bar 202 via the current-carrying member 176, the bus bar 180, and the mating bus bar 190.

[0116] That is, by using terminal connection unit 170 of the third embodiment, the distance between second pin 200 of bus bar 180 and bolt insertion hole 204 of third bus bar 202 can be adjusted in accordance with the length of mating bus bar 190. This can accommodate the tolerance of mating bus bar 190, which is a thick bus bar and tends to have a large tolerance. That is, in the third embodiment as well, by inserting second pin 200 into pin insertion hole 192 to connect mating bus bar 190 and bus bar 180, and then displacing mating bus bar 190, an external force caused by the displacement of mating bus bar 190 is applied to bus bar 180, and bus bar 180, which serves as a connecting member, is displaced relative to support portion main body 182. This can achieve the same effect as in the first embodiment.

[0117] In particular, in the third embodiment, bus bar 180 is configured to pivot about the central axis of first pin 198 relative to support portion main body 182. As a result, the front end of bus bar 180, i.e., the central axis of second pin 200, moves in an arc-like manner in a plan view. In FIGS. 21 and 22, the arc-like trajectory A of the central axis of second pin 200 from right position R to center position C and left position L is shown by a two-dot chain line. In addition, in FIGS. 24 and 25, the arc-like trajectory A of the central axis of second pin 200 from left position L to center position C and right position R is shown by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIGS. 21 and 24, second pin 200 can move not only in the left-right direction but also in the front-back direction by a movement distance α. This allows mating terminal 174 connected to second pin 200 to also move in the front-back direction by a movement distance α. 22 and 25, the front end (second pin 200) of bus bar 180 can move in the left-right direction by a movement distance β, which allows mating terminal 174 to also move in the left-right direction by a movement distance β. As a result, terminal connection unit 170 of embodiment 3 can accommodate tolerances in two mutually orthogonal directions (front-rear and left-right directions).

[0118] By adopting such a tolerance absorbing structure, it is only necessary to provide circular pin insertion holes 196, 192 in connecting portion 178 and mating terminal 174, and therefore it is not necessary to provide elongated bolt insertion holes 20, 120 as in the first and second embodiments, and it is possible to secure a larger amount of metal constituting current-carrying member 176 and mating bus bar 190. As a result, current-carrying performance and rigidity are improved.

[0119] Furthermore, by connecting mating bus bar 190 to connection portion 178 via pins at two locations (first and second pins 198, 200), the other end (bolt insertion hole 194) of mating bus bar 190 can be displaced over a larger area relative to connection portion 178. This makes it possible to more reliably align bolt insertion hole 194 in mating bus bar 190 with bolt insertion hole 204 in third bus bar 202, and more reliably achieve bolt fastening between mating bus bar 190 and third bus bar 202.

[0120] <Modification> Although Embodiments 1 to 3 have been described above in detail as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific descriptions. Modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0121] (1) In the first and second embodiments, the holder 22, 108 holds the nut 24, and a bolt (not shown) is inserted from above into the mating terminal 14, 106 and the connecting portion 16, 118 to secure the mating terminal 14, 106 and the connecting portion 16, 118 to each other. However, this is not limited to this. That is, the holder may hold a bolt that protrudes upward. In this case, instead of a circular bolt insertion hole, the mating terminal may have, for example, a bolt insertion groove extending forward from the rear end of the mating terminal. Then, the connecting portion is placed on the holder from above, and the bolt that protrudes upward is inserted into the elongated bolt insertion hole. At the same time, the mating terminal is placed on the upper surface of the connecting portion from the front, and the bolt is inserted from behind into the bolt insertion groove. Thereafter, the rear end of the mating terminal is brought into contact with the abutment portion of the holder, displacing the holder to an appropriate position, and a nut is fastened to the bolt that protrudes upward, thereby securing the connecting portion and the mating terminal to each other.

[0122] (2) In the first embodiment, the front surface of each engaging protrusion 56 is inclined 58 and the rear surface is vertical 60, allowing the holder 22 to be displaced in one direction, from front to rear. However, both the front and rear surfaces of each engaging protrusion may be inclined, allowing the holder to be displaced in both directions, in the front-to-rear direction. In this case, the movement of the holder from front to rear may be achieved by abutting the rear end of the mating terminal against the abutment portion of the holder, as in the first embodiment, and the movement of the holder from rear to front may be achieved manually, for example, by an operator pressing the abutment portion that protrudes upward with his or her finger.

[0123] (3) In the third embodiment, the first and second pins 198, 200 protruding upward from the bus bar 180 are integrally formed with the bus bar 180, and the connection portion 178 and the mating terminal 174 are overlapped with the bus bar 180 from above. However, this is not limited to this. That is, for example, the first and second pins may be provided so as to protrude upward from the support portion main body, or pin insertion holes through which the first and second pins are inserted may be provided at both longitudinal ends of the coupling member. Alternatively, the first and second pins may protrude downward from the connection portion or the mating terminal, and pin insertion holes through which the first and second pins are inserted may be provided at both longitudinal ends of the coupling member. Alternatively, the first and second pins may be provided so as to protrude downward from the coupling member, and the coupling member may be overlapped from above the connection portion or the mating terminal, so that the first and second pins are inserted into pin insertion holes provided in the connection portion and the mating terminal. In short, in the third embodiment, it is sufficient that the connection portion and the connecting member, and the connecting member and the mating terminal are each connected by a pin, and the member in which the pin and the pin insertion hole through which the pin is inserted are provided is not limited.

[0124] (4) In the third embodiment, third bus bar 202 is located to the left of current-carrying member 176, and mating bus bar 190 extends from current-carrying member 176 in a direction substantially perpendicular to bus bar 180. However, this is not limited to this. That is, for example, the third bus bar may be located in front of the current-carrying member, and the mating bus bar may extend in substantially the same direction as the current-carrying member via a connecting member. Note that the member connected to the other end of the mating bus bar is not limited to a bus bar (third bus bar 202 in the embodiment), and may be, for example, a terminal provided at the end of an electric wire.

[0125] (5) The shape of the mating bus bar is not limited, but is preferably long and thick as described in the above embodiment. That is, since a mating bus bar that is long and thick tends to have large tolerances, the terminal connection unit disclosed herein can effectively absorb the tolerances. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 10 Terminal connection unit (embodiment 1) 12 Current-carrying member (bus bar) 14 Mating terminal 16 Connection 18 Support part 20 Bolt insertion holes 22 Holder (connecting member) 24 Nut 26 Counterpart bus bar 28 Insulation coating 30 Bolt insertion hole 32 Positioning hole 34 Terminal block 36 Locating pin 38 Bolt insertion hole 40 Busbar 42 Bolt insertion hole 44 volts 46 Support body 48 Upper body 50 Lower body 52 Upper base part 54 Guide rail 55a Front opening 55b Rear opening 55c Upper opening 56 Engagement protrusion 58 Slope 60 vertical plane 62 Through window 64 Frame-shaped part 66 Right side drawer 68 Front drawer 70 Lower base 72 Upper protrusion 74 Nut 76 Bottom wall 78 Peripheral wall 80 Back wall 82 Side wall 84 Rear drawer 86 Contact part 88 Claw 89 Slope 90 Nut receiving section 91 Inner hole 92 Connection housing 94 Mating terminal housing 100 Terminal connection unit (embodiment 2) 101 Current-carrying members 102 Support part 104 Counterpart busbar (busbar) 106 Mating terminal 108 Holder (connecting member) 110 Mating terminal accommodating section 112 Terminal section 114 Bend 116 Positioning hole 118 Connection 120 Bolt insertion hole 122 Support body 124 Upper body 126 Upper base part 128 Through Hole 130 Locking plate insertion hole 132 Elastic piece 134 Overhanging protrusion 136 Displacement control section 138 Bottom Wall 140 Peripheral wall 141 Front wall 142 Back wall 144 Side wall 145 Front drawer 146 Rear drawer 148 Contact part 150 1st contact part 152 Second contact part 154 1st slope 156 2nd slope 158 Nut receiving section 160 Connection section 162 Locking plate 164 Contact part 166 Connection housing 170 Terminal connection unit (embodiment 3) 172 Support part 174 Mating terminal 176 Current-carrying member (bus bar) 178 Connection 180 Busbar (connecting member) 182 Support body 184 Side wall 186 Restriction wall 187 Curved Surfaces 188 Opening 190 Counterpart bus bar 192 Pin insertion hole 194 Bolt insertion hole 196 Pin insertion hole 198 First Pin 200 2nd pin 201 Curved Surface 202 3rd bus bar 204 Bolt insertion hole 206 Upper base part 208 Lower base 210 Terminal block 212 Through window 214 Nut 216 Upper protrusion R Right position C center position L left position A trajectory

Claims

1. a current-carrying member having a connection portion to which a mating terminal is connected; a support portion that fixedly supports the current-carrying member, the support portion has a connecting member that connects the mating terminal and the connection portion of the current-carrying member, an external force caused by displacement of the mating terminal is applied to the connecting member, whereby the connecting member is displaceable relative to a support portion main body of the support portion; The connection portion of the current-carrying member has a long bolt insertion hole extending in a first direction, the connecting member is configured by a holder disposed below the connection portion and assembled to the support portion so as to be displaceable in the first direction, the holder holds a nut or a bolt; the holder has a connection portion accommodating portion disposed above the nut or the bolt and accommodating the connection portion so that it can be fastened to the nut or the bolt, a mating terminal accommodating portion that accommodates the mating terminal, and an abutting portion that abuts against the mating terminal, When the mating terminal abuts against the abutment portion, the mating terminal is guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion so that it can be fastened with the nut or the bolt, and the holder is displaced in the first direction.

2. 2. The terminal connection unit according to claim 1, wherein the current-carrying member is a bus bar, the connection portion is provided at one end of the bus bar, and the bolt insertion hole extends in the longitudinal direction of the bus bar.

3. the support portion has a pair of guide rails extending in the first direction and arranged in parallel with a gap therebetween, The connection portion of the current-carrying member is inserted from one end side of the guide rail, 3. The terminal connecting unit according to claim 1, wherein the holder is engaged with the guide rail so as to be displaceable in the first direction.

4. 4. The terminal connection unit according to claim 3, wherein the nut or the bolt held by the holder is positioned below the connection portion of the current-carrying member, and the abutment portion and the mating terminal accommodating portion of the holder are positioned above the connection portion of the current-carrying member.

5. Each of the pair of guide rails has a plurality of elastically deformable engaging protrusions that protrude toward the other guide rail and are arranged spaced apart from each other in the first direction, 4. The terminal connecting unit according to claim 3, wherein said holder has a pair of claws that engage with said engaging projections of each of said guide rails.

6. the connection portion of the current-carrying member has a wide bolt insertion hole that also extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the holder is assembled to the support portion so as to be displaceable in the second direction, the abutment portion includes a first abutment portion and a second abutment portion, When the mating terminal abuts against the first abutment portion, the mating terminal is guided into the mating terminal accommodating portion in the first direction, and the holder is displaced in the first direction.

3. The terminal connection unit according to claim 1, wherein when the mating terminal abuts against the second abutment portion, the mating terminal is guided in the second direction into the mating terminal accommodating portion and the holder is displaced in the second direction.

7. The holder has a bottom wall that holds the nut or the bolt at its center; a pair of first inclined surfaces that protrude upward from side edge portions of the bottom wall that face each other in the first direction and extend outward in the first direction; a pair of second inclined surfaces that protrude upward from side edge portions of the bottom wall that face each other in the second direction toward the outside in the second direction, 7. The terminal connection unit according to claim 6, wherein the mating terminal accommodating portion and the connection portion accommodating portion are arranged between the lower ends of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface and the nut or the bolt in the height direction of the holder.

8. The mating terminal is further configured at one end of the mating bus bar, the mating terminal includes a terminal portion that expands to a size that can be accommodated in the mating terminal accommodating portion, and a crank-shaped bent portion that is provided on the other end side of the mating bus bar relative to the terminal portion, The terminal connection unit according to claim 6 , wherein the terminal portion is disposed below the other end of the mating bus bar.

9. the connecting member is constituted by a bus bar, a first pin is connected to one end of the connecting member in the longitudinal direction and the connecting portion, and the connecting member is rotatable about a central axis of the first pin relative to the connecting portion; the other end of the connecting member in the length direction and the mating terminal are connected by a second pin, and the connecting member is rotatable and displaceable around the central axis of the second pin relative to the mating terminal, 2. The terminal connection unit of claim 1, wherein an external force caused by displacement of the mating terminal is applied to the connecting member, so that the connecting member connected to the mating terminal by the second pin can be rotated and displaced around the central axis of the first pin relative to the support body.

10. The mating terminal further includes a mating bus bar having one end thereof connected to a third bus bar, and the other end of the mating bus bar is connected to a third bus bar.

10. The terminal connection unit according to claim 9, wherein rotational displacement of the connecting member allows displacement of the mating bus bar, so that the bolt insertion holes at the other end of the mating bus bar and the bolt insertion holes in the third bus bar are aligned with each other, and the mating bus bar and the third bus bar are fixed together with bolts.

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