Outer casing and resin-encapsulated electrical components

Abstract

To provide an exterior case capable of suppressing the disorderly spread of a resin leaked out of the case, and a resin-sealed electrical component using this exterior case.SOLUTION: An exterior case includes a case body 21 that accommodates an electrical component 3 and an electrode plate 4 connected to the electrical component 3 and fills with a resin 5, a terminal block 22 that protrudes from the outer surface of the case body 21 on which an external connection terminal 42 of the electrode plate 4 drawn out from the case body 21 is stacked, a resin receiving recess 22b that is provided in the terminal block 22, and a guide surface G that guides the resin 5 leaking out of the case body 21 through the external connection terminal 42 and flowing along the external connection terminal 42 and / or the outer surface of the case body 21 to the resin receiving recess 22b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an exterior case for housing electrical components and filling with resin, and a resin-sealed electrical component using the exterior case.

Background Art

[0002] In a capacitor formed by housing a capacitor element, an electrode plate, and a filling resin in a substantially box-shaped exterior case having an opening on the upper surface, an external connection terminal used for connection to an external device may be drawn out of the case from the opening so as to straddle the upper end of the case. In such a capacitor, if the external connection terminal is close to the inner wall surface of the case, the filling resin may climb between the external connection terminal and the inner wall surface and leak out of the case.

[0003] To solve this problem, in Patent Document 1, the wall of the case is made into a double wall to store the resin that has climbed up in the gap formed between the walls. Further, in Patent Document 2, a resin receiver is provided on the outer wall surface of the case to receive the resin that flows down along the outer wall surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an outer casing that can suppress the disorderly spread of resin leaking outside the case, and a resin-sealed electrical component using this outer casing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The exterior case of the present invention is characterized by comprising a case body 21 for housing an electrical component 3 and an electrode plate 4 connected to the electrical component 3, and for filling with resin 5; a terminal block 22 protruding from the outer surface of the case body 21, to which the external connection terminals 42 of the electrode plate 4 that have been pulled out to the outside of the case body 21 are stacked; a resin receiving recess 22b provided on the terminal block 22; and a guide surface G that guides the resin 5 that leaks out to the outside of the case body 21 via the external connection terminals 42 and flows along the external connection terminals 42 and / or the outer surface of the case body 21 to the resin receiving recess 22b.

[0008] In the above-described exterior case, the terminal block 22 is provided with an insertion hole 22a for inserting a connector 6 that connects the external connection terminal 42 and the terminal block 22, and it is preferable that the insertion hole 22a is located on the tip side of the resin receiving recess 22b.

[0009] The resin-encapsulated electrical component of the present invention is a resin-encapsulated electrical component in which an electrical component 3 and an electrode plate 4 are housed in the outer case 2 and filled with resin 5, characterized in that the outer case 2 is provided with a pair of guide surfaces G, and the external connection terminals 42 of the electrode plate 4 are located between the pair of guide surfaces G. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The outer casing of the present invention is equipped with a guide surface that directs the resin flowing along the outer surface of the external connection terminals and / or the case body to a resin receiving recess, thereby suppressing the disorderly spread of leaked resin.

[0011] If the terminal block is equipped with an insertion hole for inserting a connector that links the external connection terminal to the terminal block, and the insertion hole is located on the tip side of the resin receiving recess, then even if the resin flowing on the outer surface of the case body reaches the terminal block, it will be contained in the resin receiving recess, thereby suppressing the adhesion of resin near the insertion hole.

[0012] In the resin-encapsulated electrical component of the present invention, the external connection terminals of the electrode plate are located between a pair of guide surfaces, which further suppresses the disorderly spread of leaked resin. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view showing a resin-encapsulated electrical component according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a resin-encapsulated electrical component. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a resin-encapsulated electrical component. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing a modified version of the outer casing. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the guide surface. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Next, an embodiment of the resin-encapsulated electrical component 1 of this invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, this resin-encapsulated electrical component 1 comprises an outer case 2, an electrical component 3 housed in the outer case 2, an electrode plate 4 connected to the electrical component 3, and a resin 5 filled inside the outer case 2. The above components will be described below, but the concepts of "up and down," "left and right," and "front and back" refer to the process of filling the resin 5 inside the outer case 2, and do not necessarily define the "up and down," "left and right," and "front and back" during use.

[0015] The exterior case 2 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and includes a case body 21, a terminal block 22, a guide surface G, and mounting legs 24.

[0016] The case body 21 includes a bottom portion 21a and side wall portions 21b rising from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom portion 21a. The bottom portion 21a is, for example, substantially rectangular in plan view. The side wall portions 21b rise substantially vertically upward from the four sides of the bottom portion 21a. An accommodation space for accommodating the electrical components 3 and the electrode plates 4 is formed inside. The upper end of the case body 21 (side wall portions 21b) is an opening 21c, and the electrical components 3 and the electrode plates 4 are accommodated in the accommodation space through this opening 21c, and the resin 5 is filled. Also, external connection terminals 42 of the electrode plates 4 described later are drawn out of the case body 21 through this opening 21c.

[0017] The terminal block 22 is used as a base for making an electrical connection between an external device and the external connection terminals 42 of the electrode plates 4, and protrudes horizontally from, for example, the middle part (near the center in the vertical direction) of the outer surface of the side wall portions 21b. However, it is not necessary to be in the middle part, and it may be provided at any height as long as the upper surface of the terminal block 22 is located below the upper end of the side wall portions 21b. The terminal block 22 is substantially rectangular parallelepiped.

[0018] Two depressions are provided on the upper surface of the terminal block 22. The depression on the tip side is an insertion hole 22a for inserting a connector 6 such as a clinching nut attached to the external connection terminal 42 of the electrode plate 4. The insertion hole 22a is substantially circular in plan view, but can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the inserted connector 6. Also, although it does not penetrate in FIG. 3, it may penetrate. By inserting the connector 6 into this insertion hole 22a, the positioning of the electrode plate 4 with respect to the exterior case 2 is performed. Therefore, accurate attachment can be achieved without using a positioning jig.

[0019] The recess on the base end is a resin receiving recess 22b for receiving resin 5 that leaks out of the case body 21 via the external connection terminal 42. In plan view, it is roughly rectangular and has a bottom surface 22b1, a front surface 22b2, left and right sides 22b3, and a back surface 22b4. The back surface 22b4 is formed by the outer surface of the side wall portion 21b. The width of the resin receiving recess 22b in the left-right direction (distance between the left and right sides 22b3) is preferably the same as or greater than the width of the hanging portion 42c and terminal portion 42d of the external connection terminal 42, which will be described later, in the left-right direction. The depth of the resin receiving recess 22b is such that, when the terminal portion 42d of the external connection terminal 42, which will be described later, is placed on top of the upper surface of the terminal block 22 (closely facing each other), a gap is secured between the bottom surface 22b1 and the lower surface of the terminal portion 42d so that capillary action does not occur.

[0020] The pair of guide surfaces G are composed of two rib-like projections 23 that protrude from the outer surface of the side wall portion 21b, provided so as to extend upward from the inner surface (side surface 22b3) of the resin receiving recess 22b. The rib-like projections 23 reach the upper end of the side wall portion 21b. An extension portion 23a that extends further to the inner surface side of the side wall portion 21b may also be provided (see dotted line in Figure 3). The rib-like projections 23 function as guides that lead the resin 5 leaking from the opening 21c to the resin receiving recess 22b. Preferably, the protruding length of the rib-like projections 23 is the same as or greater than the distance from the surface of the side wall portion 21b to the surface of the external connection terminal 42 on the side wall portion 21b side.

[0021] The spacing between the two rib-like protrusions 23 differs between the upper and lower sections. Specifically, the upper section has a wider section W where the spacing between the two rib-like protrusions 23 in the left-right direction is increased. The lower section has a narrow section N where the spacing between the two rib-like protrusions 23 is approximately equal to the width of the hanging portion 42c of the external connection terminal 42. By positioning the hanging portion 42c in this narrow section N, the left-right movement of the electrode plate 4 is restricted. In other words, the two rib-like protrusions 23 also function as positioning elements for the electrode plate 4. Furthermore, if the width of the narrow section N is set to a width sufficient to fit the hanging portion 42c, accurate mounting can be achieved. Combined with the positioning effect of the connector 6, this results in even more precise mounting.

[0022] On the upper surface of the side wall portion 21b located between the two rib-shaped protrusions 23, a groove 21b1 extending from one rib-shaped protrusion 23 toward the other rib-shaped protrusion 23 is provided, so that the capillary phenomenon between the groove 21b1 and the lower surface of the later-described bridging portion 42b of the external connection terminal 42 can be suppressed (see FIG. 3).

[0023] The mounting legs 24 are for attaching the case main body 21 to an external device or the like, and are provided, for example, near the corners of the case main body 21 in a plan view. Further, for example, the lower surface of the bottom portion 21a and the lower surface of the mounting legs 24 are provided so as to be located on the same plane. Note that a plurality of mounting legs 24 may be provided, or none may be provided at all. Also, the terminal block 22 may be provided with the function of the mounting legs 24.

[0024] The electrical component 3 is, for example, a wound film capacitor in which a metallized film is wound. As the film capacitor, a multilayer film capacitor may be used. Also, various capacitor elements such as ceramic capacitors and electrolytic capacitors may be used. Furthermore, not limited to capacitor elements, various electrical components such as semiconductor elements, resistors, inductors, and piezoelectric elements can be used.

[0025] The electrode plate 4 is made of a metal plate such as aluminum or copper, for example. The electrode plate 4 includes a base portion 41 connected to the electrode portion of the electrical component 3, and an external connection terminal 42 extending from the base portion 41 and used for connection to an external device.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the external connection terminal 42 is extended outside the case body 21 so as to straddle the upper end of the side wall portion 21b of the case body 21. This external connection terminal 42 comprises a rising portion 42a that rises along the inner surface of the side wall portion 21b, a straddling portion 42b that extends laterally from the upper end of the rising portion 42a and straddles the upper end of the side wall portion 21b, a hanging portion 42c that hangs down from the tip of the straddling portion 42b along the outer surface of the side wall portion 21b, and a terminal portion 42d that extends from the lower end of the hanging portion 42c toward the tip of the terminal block 22. The straddling portion 42b and the hanging portion 42c are located between a pair of guide surfaces G (see Figure 2). The terminal portion 42d is provided with a connection hole 42d1 for connecting to external equipment. A connector 6 that connects the external connection terminal 42 and the terminal block 22 is fixed (for example, press-fitted) into this connection hole 42d1. The external device will be connected to terminal 42d.

[0027] The rising portion 42a faces the inner surface of the side wall portion 21b, the straddling portion 42b faces the upper surface of the side wall portion 21b, and the hanging portion 42c faces the outer surface of the side wall portion 21b, each with a small gap between them. However, they may also be in contact with each other. The base end of the terminal portion 42d is located above the resin receiving recess 22b, and the tip end is in contact with the upper surface of the terminal block 22.

[0028] The resin 5 is an insulating resin. Thermosetting resins or photocurable resins are preferred, such as epoxy resins, urethane resins, and silicone resins. The resin 5 is filled into the outer casing 2 to the extent that it embeds mainly the base portion 41 of the electrode plate 4 and the electrical components 3. It is also filled to the extent that at least the base end of the rising portion 42a is located within the resin 5.

[0029] Incidentally, when resin 5 is filled into the outer case 2, the uncured resin 5 can creep up between the inner surface of the side wall portion 21b and the rising portion 42a and leak out of the case body 21, flowing between the upper surface of the side wall portion 21b and the lower surface of the straddling portion 42b, or between the outer surface of the side wall portion 21b and the hanging portion 42c, in short, along the outer surface of the external connection terminal 42 and / or the case body 21. However, since the outer case 2 of the present invention is equipped with a guide surface G that extends along the side ends of the straddling portion 42b and the hanging portion 42c, it is possible to prevent the leaked resin 5 from flowing to unintended locations. Furthermore, since the guide surface G is continuous with the resin receiving recess 22b, the leaked resin 5 can be reliably guided into the resin receiving recess 22b. Furthermore, since the connection hole 42d1 is located beyond the resin receiving recess 22b, any leaked resin 5 flows into the resin receiving recess 22b and does not reach the vicinity of the connection hole 42d1, thus preventing resin from adhering to the vicinity of the connection hole 42d1 and enabling a good connection with external equipment. In addition, since the present invention is designed on the premise that resin 5 will leak out, it is possible to bring the distance between the external connection terminal 42 and the side wall portion 21b as close as possible, which also allows for miniaturization of the entire resin-sealed electrical component 1.

[0030] Next, a modified example will be described. As a method for forming the guide surface G, in addition to the rib-like projection 23, a groove 25 extending vertically may be provided in the side wall portion 21b, as shown in Figure 4A. Since the groove 25 extends from the upper end of the side wall portion 21b to the resin receiving recess 22b of the terminal block 22, the leaked resin 5 can be reliably guided to the resin receiving recess 22b. The external connection terminal 42 can also be positioned by fitting it into the groove 25. In short, the external connection terminal 42 should be surrounded or covered by a part of the side wall portion 21b (or a member attached to the side wall portion 21b).

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4B and 4C, the relationship between the terminal block 22 and the external connection terminals 42 does not need to be 1:1; two or more external connection terminals 42 may be connected to one terminal block 22. In this case, the width of the resin receiving recess 22b in the left-right direction may be widened so that the resin 5 leaking out along multiple external connection terminals 42 is collected in one resin receiving recess 22b. Also, as shown in Figure 4C, it is possible to gather external connection terminals 42 that have been pulled out from separate positions together on one terminal block by bending them or the like. In addition, if the external connection terminals 42 are bent, distorted, or inclined when viewed from the front, the guide surface G may be bent, distorted, or inclined to follow the external connection terminals 42. In areas where leaked resin 5 tends to accumulate, such as bent sections, measures such as increasing the height of the guide surface G (the protruding length of the rib-shaped projection 23) may be taken. Note that although three rib-shaped projections 23 are provided in Figures 4B and 4C, the central rib-shaped projection 23 may be omitted. In other words, multiple external connection terminals 42 may be positioned between a pair of guide surfaces G.

[0032] The cross-sectional shape of the rib-like projections 23 forming the guide surface G can be various shapes, such as polygons like triangles and squares, circles, plates, U-shapes, and L-shapes. They may also be inclined inwards, outwards, or in other directions (see Figure 5A). The cross-sectional shape of the groove 25 is not limited to a square shape; various shapes such as a dovetail groove (see Figure 5B) can be adopted.

[0033] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the present invention. For example, although two guide surfaces G were provided, only one may be provided. For example, if the resin 5 leaks out in only one direction, a guide surface G may be provided only in the direction of leakage. Of course, three or more may be provided. Also, the guide surfaces G may be arranged so that the spacing widens downwards, or they may be arranged in a straight line. Furthermore, although the case body 21 was described as a roughly rectangular parallelepiped, various shapes such as a roughly polyhedron, a roughly cylindrical shape, or a roughly spherical shape can be adopted. Also, the bottom portion 21a and the side wall portion 21b may be curved, wavy, or inclined.

[0034] Although the outer casing 2 was envisioned as being integrally molded, the terminal block 22 and rib-like protrusions 23 may be separate parts from the side wall portion 21b and attached to the side wall portion 21b by fitting, bonding, welding, etc. The connector 6 may be a clinching nut, a regular hexagonal nut, or a push-in connector. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1. Resin-encapsulated electrical components 2. Outer case 21 Case body 21a bottom 21b Side wall part 21b1 Groove at the upper end of the side wall 21c opening 22 Terminal block 22a Insertion hole 22b Resin receiving recess 22b1 Bottom 22b2 front 22b3 side 22b4 back G Guide surface 23 Rib-like projections 23a Extension W Wide section N Narrow section 24 Mounting legs 25 grooves 3. Electrical components 4 Electrode plate 41 Base part 42 External connection terminals 42a Rising section 42b Straddle section 42c Hanging part 42d Terminal section 42d1 connection hole 5 resin 6. Connectors

Claims

1. An electrical component and, An electrode plate connected to an electrical component, An outer casing that houses the electrical components and electrode plates, The outer casing is filled with resin, The outer case is A case body for housing electrical components and electrode plates and filling with resin, The external connection terminals of the electrode plates, which are pulled out from the case body, are stacked on a terminal block that protrudes from the outer surface of the case body, A resin receiving recess provided on the terminal block, It includes a guide surface that directs resin that leaks out of the case body via the external connection terminal and flows along the external connection terminal and / or the outer surface of the case body to a resin receiving recess, The resin receiving recess is separated from the inside of the case body by the side wall of the case body. The external connection terminal is extended outside the case body, straddling the upper end of the side wall that separates the resin receiving recess from the inside of the case body. A resin-encapsulated electrical component in which the guide surface extends upward from the upper end of the side wall separating the resin receiving recess from the inside of the case body.

2. The terminal block is provided with an insertion hole for inserting a connector that connects the external connection terminal to the terminal block. The resin-encapsulated electrical component according to claim 1, wherein the insertion hole is located on the tip side of the resin receiving recess.

3. The outer case comprises a pair of guide surfaces, The resin-encapsulated electrical component according to claim 1, wherein the external connection terminals of the electrode plate are located between a pair of guide surfaces.

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