Terminal block, vehicle drive device using same, and electric vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a highly reliable terminal block having improved resistance to vibration, a vehicle drive device using same, and an electric vehicle. This terminal block (100) comprises: bus bars (101a) extending in a first direction and each having a first fitting section (108) at an end part thereof; and holders (102) each having a holding part (102a) for holding the bus bars (101a) and each having a second fitting section (113) at an outer peripheral end part of the holding part (102a). First fitting sections (108) and the second fitting sections (113) are respectively disposed at different positions in the first direction.

Description

Terminal block, vehicle drive device using same, and electric vehicle

[0001] The present application relates to a terminal block, a vehicle drive device using the same, and an electric vehicle.

[0002] Conventionally, terminal blocks connected to rotating electric machines for electric vehicle drive systems are susceptible to vibrations from road conditions or engines, and therefore require a vibration-resistant structure. Terminal blocks are also required to be able to accommodate variations in the assembly position or dimensions of the components to be connected. Furthermore, vehicle drive systems often use a pair of rotating electric machines, one operating primarily as a drive motor and the other operating primarily as a generator, so the vehicle drive system is required to position the above-mentioned terminal blocks in a manner that achieves both space efficiency and vibration resistance within the vehicle drive system. Furthermore, as a result of the above requirements, electric vehicles, such as electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles, equipped with vehicle drive systems equipped with terminal blocks require improved reliability.

[0003] In the past, in order to solve one of the above-mentioned problems, a structure has been proposed that provides clearance in each direction to hold the terminal block and absorb variations in the assembly position or dimensions of the parts to be connected (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] International Publication No. 2021-235198

[0005] However, the conventional terminal block disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1 has a clearance between the bus bar and the holder in each direction, which makes it difficult to prevent the bus bar from breaking due to stress amplitude caused by vibration, especially for long bus bars. Furthermore, the conventional terminal block disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1 is designed primarily for use in automotive battery packs. While vibration resistance is required for automotive applications, it is not intended for use in drive systems for electric vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles. The conventional terminal block disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1 does not propose a terminal block structure that can withstand relatively large vibrations within a vehicle drive system. Therefore, the conventional terminal block cannot improve vibration resistance, particularly within a vehicle drive system. Furthermore, the aforementioned problems make it difficult to improve reliability for electric vehicles. Furthermore, terminal blocks not only connected to rotating electric machines but also in power supply units of electrical equipment are expected to be affected by vibrations generated by the equipment itself or transmitted from the outside. Therefore, a terminal block that can withstand relatively large vibrations, similar to the above-mentioned problem, is needed.

[0006] The present application discloses technology for solving the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a highly reliable terminal block with improved resistance to vibration, as well as a vehicle drive device and an electric vehicle using the same.

[0007] The terminal block disclosed in the present application includes a bus bar extending in a first direction and having a first fitting portion at an end thereof, and a holder having a holding portion for holding the bus bar and a second fitting portion at an outer peripheral end of the holding portion, the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion being disposed at different positions in the first direction. The vehicle drive device disclosed in the present application also includes the above-described terminal block, a rotating electric machine connected to the terminal block, and a housing accommodating the terminal block and the rotating electric machine therein, the housing being formed by a first housing member to which the terminal block and the rotating electric machine are commonly attached, and a second housing member accommodating the rotating electric machine and the terminal block together with the first housing member. The present application also discloses a vehicle drive device including the above-described terminal block and a rotating electric machine connected to the terminal block, the rotating electric machine including a first rotating electric machine operating as a drive motor and a second rotating electric machine operating as a generator, the terminal block being provided with a plurality of bus bars connected to the first rotating electric machine and a plurality of other bus bars connected to the second rotating electric machine, and the terminal block being shared by the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine. The present application also discloses an electric vehicle having the above-described vehicle drive device, the first direction being a left-right direction of the electric vehicle, and the rotating electric machine being disposed on a side of an internal combustion engine facing the first direction.

[0008] According to the terminal block disclosed in the present application, and the vehicle drive device and electric vehicle using the same, it is possible to obtain a highly reliable terminal block with improved resistance to vibration, and a vehicle drive device and electric vehicle using the same.

[0009] 2 is a perspective view showing a terminal block according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a terminal block according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic view for explaining a method of assembling the terminal block according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic view for explaining a method of assembling the terminal block according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of a combination of a holder and a bus bar of the terminal block according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an example of a combination of a holder and a bus bar of the terminal block according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a modified example of the terminal block according to embodiment 1. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a vehicle drive device to which the terminal block according to embodiment 1 is attached. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an electric vehicle equipped with a vehicle drive device having the terminal block according to embodiment 1. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a holder of the terminal block according to embodiment 2. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the terminal block according to embodiment 2. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a terminal block according to embodiment 3. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the terminal block according to embodiment 3.

[0010] The terminal block according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this application, "orthogonal" includes cases where the terminals are orthogonal, and also includes cases where the intersecting angle is approximately 85° to 95° and can be considered substantially orthogonal. In addition, the same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or equivalent parts.

[0011] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal block according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the terminal block according to embodiment 1 as viewed from the vehicle vertical direction (Z direction), and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 1, terminal block 100 according to embodiment 1 is used in an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, and includes bus bar 101 that electrically connects multiple devices mounted in the vehicle's left-right direction (X direction), holder 102 that holds bus bar 101 and is formed from an insulating material, bracket portion 103 for assembling holder 102 to a first housing member 114a (described later), and nut 104 for connecting the device to bus bar 101.

[0012] 1, the holder 102 is provided with bus bars 101a and 101b as bus bars 101 having mutually different shapes, and it is assumed that the above-mentioned multiple devices are driven by three-phase AC, and the bus bars 101a and 101b are provided so that three systems of bus bars 101 having approximately the same shape corresponding to the three phases are adjacent to each other in parallel. As will be described in detail separately, a pair of rotating electric machines having different shapes is commonly connected to the terminal block 100, and one and the other of the pair of rotating electric machines having different shapes are connected to the bus bar 101a and the bus bar 101b, respectively.

[0013] The following describes in detail the configuration of the bus bar 101a, to which one of the characteristic configurations of the terminal block 100 of the first embodiment is applied, and the manner in which the bus bar 101a is fixed to the holder 102. In the terminal block 100 of the first embodiment, the holder 102 has a plurality of slot-shaped holding portions 102a that hold the respective bus bars 101a, and the respective bus bars 101a are arranged in the holding portions 102a so as to be parallel to each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction (Y direction). Each holding portion 102a includes a holder fitting portion 113 that fits with the bus bar 101a, a protrusion 105 that holds the bus bar 101a, and a nut groove 106 that stores a nut 104. In the holder 102 of the terminal block 100 of the first embodiment, the protrusion 105 also functions as the holder fitting portion 113, and the holder fitting portion 113 and the protrusion 105 are the same component.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , the protrusions 105 that form the holder fitting portions 113 of the holders 102 are provided on each holder 102 in the vehicle longitudinal direction (Y direction). Specifically, the protrusions 105 are provided on both ends of the holding portion 102a in the vehicle longitudinal direction (Y direction). Furthermore, the protrusions 105 provided on both ends are arranged at different positions in the vehicle transverse direction (X direction), with the positions shifted from each other. As will be described later, when assembling the bus bar 101a to the holding portion 102a, if the protrusions 105 are in the same position at both ends of the holding portion 102a in the vehicle longitudinal direction (Y direction), the notches that form the bus bar fitting portions 108 of the bus bar 101a must be arranged in the same position for assembly. If the busbar fitting portions 108 of the busbars 101a were arranged in the same position, the spacing between the notches of the busbars 101a would be narrow, which would reduce the strength of the busbars 101a and potentially cause the current density of the busbars 101a to become too high. Therefore, the protrusions 105 are arranged in different positions, shifted in the left-right direction (X direction) of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction (X direction) of the vehicle and intersecting the front-rear direction (Y direction) of the vehicle is defined as the vertical direction (Z direction) of the vehicle, the protrusions 105 are arranged to restrict the position of the busbars 101a in the vertical direction (Z direction) of the vehicle.

[0015] In the terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment, the bus bar 101a includes terminal holes 107 for fastening the bus bar 101a to a device mounted on the vehicle with a bolt, and bus bar fitting portions 108 provided in the vehicle longitudinal direction (Y direction), one on each side, to engage with the holder fitting portion 113 of the holder 102. Specifically, the bus bar fitting portions 108 are formed by, for example, recessed notches provided at both ends of the bus bar 101a in the vehicle longitudinal direction (Y direction). Furthermore, the bus bar fitting portions 108 provided at both ends are arranged at different positions in the vehicle transverse direction (X direction), with their positions offset from each other. In this way, by arranging the cutout portions that are the busbar fitting portions 108 of the busbar 101a at different positions in the left-right direction (X direction) of the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the gap between the busbar fitting portion 108 of the busbar 101a and the busbar fitting portion 108 provided on the opposite side in the front-rear direction (Y direction) of the vehicle from becoming narrow (it is possible to eliminate narrow portions), and it is possible to minimize an increase in the current density of the busbar 101a when power is supplied to the equipment.

[0016] The number of protrusions 105 and holder fitting portions 113 provided on the holding portion 102a of the holder 102, and the number of busbar fitting portions 108 of the busbar 101a can be set arbitrarily in the vehicle longitudinal direction (Y direction) or the vehicle lateral direction (X direction). The shape of the nut 104 is not limited to a square. Also, there may or may not be a gap between the nut 104 and the nut groove 106 that stores the nut 104. Furthermore, the nut 104 may be directly attached to the busbar 101a by crimping or the like.

[0017] 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams illustrating a method for assembling a terminal block according to the first embodiment. A method for forming the terminal block 100 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 . First, the nut 104 is inserted into the nut groove 106 of the holder 102. Then, as shown in FIG. 4 , the busbar fitting portion 108 of the busbar 101a is aligned with the holder fitting portion 113 of the holder 102, and the busbar 101a is brought into contact with the holder 102 from the vertical direction of the vehicle (Z direction). In the state shown in FIG. 4 , the holder fitting portion 113 and the busbar fitting portion 108 are at the same height in the vertical direction of the vehicle (Z direction). From this stage, the busbar 101a and the holder 102 are engaged with each other. Next, as shown in FIG. 5 , the busbar 101a is slid in the left-right direction of the vehicle (X direction). As described above, the terminal block 100 is formed by assembling the busbar 101a and the nut 104 to the holder 102.

[0018] 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams showing examples of combinations of the holder and bus bar of the terminal block according to the first embodiment. In the terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment, the holder fitting portion 113 of the holder 102 and the bus bar fitting portion 108 of the bus bar 101a are rectangular in shape. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the holder fitting portion 113 may be semicircular in shape. The holder fitting portion 113 may also be any other shape, such as triangular. Furthermore, the shapes of the holder fitting portion 113 and the bus bar fitting portion 108 do not need to match as long as they can be assembled. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the holder fitting portion 113 may be semicircular and the bus bar fitting portion 108 may be rectangular, such as trapezoidal.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified terminal block according to the first embodiment. In the terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment, the protrusion 105 of the holder 102 and the holder fitting portion 113 share the same function, but they may be configured with separate functions. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , a protrusion serving as the busbar fitting portion 112 can be provided on the busbar 101a, and the holder fitting portion 113 of the holder 102 can be aligned with the holder groove in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 8 , and then slid in the vehicle's left-right direction (X direction) in the direction of the arrow for assembly. This structure allows the busbar 101a to move in the vehicle's left-right direction (X direction), thereby filling gaps with connecting components during bolt tightening. This suppresses bending stress on the busbar 101a during bolt tightening, while the protrusion 105 restricts movement in the vehicle's up-down direction (Z direction). This reduces stress amplitude due to vibrations caused by road conditions such as riding over bumps or unevenness. This results in a structurally robust and highly reliable product.

[0020] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a vehicle drive device to which the terminal block according to the first embodiment is attached. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing an electric vehicle equipped with a vehicle drive device having the terminal block according to the first embodiment. Note that second housing member 114b is not shown in Fig. 10. Hereinafter, with reference to Figs. 9 and 10, the manner in which terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment and the pair of rotating electric machines 115 and 116 are attached, their positional relationship when mounted on a vehicle, and the like will be described.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 9 , in a vehicle drive device 130 equipped with the terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment, the terminal block 100 and the rotating electric machines 115 and 116 to which the terminal block 100 is connected are commonly fixed to a first housing member 114a constituting a housing 114 of the vehicle drive device 130. The terminal block 100 is shared by the rotating electric machines 115 and 116. As shown in Fig. 9 , a pair of rotating electric machines are provided, and the terminal block 100 is electrically connected to the connection plates of each of the rotating electric machines. Of the pair of rotating electric machines, one rotating electric machine 115 is a rotating electric machine that operates mainly as a drive motor, and the other rotating electric machine 116 is a rotating electric machine that operates mainly as a generator, and they are provided in combination in the vehicle drive device 130.

[0022] As described above, the rotating electric machine 115 mainly operates as a drive motor, and the rotating electric machine 116 mainly operates as a generator, but it is also possible to switch the operating modes and exchange the roles of the two. The housing 114 of the vehicle drive device 130 includes a second housing member 114b, and is composed of a first housing member 114a and a second housing member 114b. The housing 114 accommodates the rotating electric machines 115, 116, and terminal block 100.

[0023] The terminal block 100 is provided with a total of six bus bars 101, including three bus bars 101a each connected to a three-phase connection plate 117 of the rotating electric machine 115 and three bus bars 101b each connected to a three-phase connection plate 118 of the rotating electric machine 116, and these bus bars are assembled to a common holder 102. As shown in Fig. 9, for example, the terminal holes 107 provided in the bus bars 101a and 101b are arranged on the same side. Furthermore, the mounting surfaces of the terminal holes of the bus bars corresponding to the power supplies of the respective rotating electric machines are positioned at positions offset from each other in the axial direction of the respective rotating electric machines, which prevents interference between the power supply lines to the respective rotating electric machines (or power supply lines from the rotating electric machine to an external device during power generation operation) and improves workability during installation.

[0024] 10 , in an electric vehicle 140 equipped with a vehicle drive device 130 having the terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment, the X direction corresponds to the left-right direction of the vehicle, the Y direction corresponds to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the Z direction corresponds to the up-down direction of the vehicle. The X direction corresponds to the axial direction of the rotating electric machines 115 and 116. As shown in FIG. 10 , a power feeder 119 connected to the rotating electric machine 115 and a power feeder 120 connected to the rotating electric machine 116 are connected to the terminal block 100 as independent three-phase power feeders. Specifically, a bus bar 101 a and a terminal hole 107 for connection to the rotating electric machine 115 and a bus bar 101 b and a terminal hole 107 for connection to the rotating electric machine 116 are connected to the bus bar 101 a and a terminal hole 107 for connection to the rotating electric machine 115, which are mounted on a common holder 102, respectively. As shown in Fig. 10 , the internal combustion engine 121 is disposed near the rotating electric machine 116, which operates as a generator, in the axial direction and in the left-right direction (X direction) of the vehicle. The internal combustion engine 121 is disposed, for example, on the rear side of the first housing member 114a. The transmission 122 is disposed near the rotating electric machine 115, which operates as a drive motor, in the axial direction and in the left-right direction (X direction) of the vehicle. In Fig. 10 , the transmission 122 is disposed, for example, on the rear side of the first housing member 114a, but it may also be disposed on the side of the second housing member 114b, which is not shown in Fig. 10 .

[0025] As described above, vehicle drive device 130 equipped with terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment includes a common terminal block 100 for a pair of rotating electric machines, namely, rotating electric machine 115 that operates primarily as a drive motor and rotating electric machine 116 that operates primarily as a generator, and a total of six bus bars, each of which is connected to each rotating electric machine and includes two sets of three-phase bus bars 101, mounted on holder 102 made of a single common member. This results in an arrangement that improves space efficiency within vehicle drive device 130. As a result, housing 114 that houses the pair of rotating electric machines and terminal block 100 can be made compact, and vehicle drive device 130 with a reduced overall size can be obtained in terms of the ratio of power performance of vehicle drive device 130. Furthermore, the terminal blocks that would normally need to be installed on each of a pair of rotating electric machines are made common, and further, a total of six bus bars, each with two sets of three-phase bus bars 101, are assembled to a holder 102 made from a single common member, thereby reducing the number of parts and making assembly work more efficient.

[0026] Furthermore, by making the housing 114 more compact, reducing the amount of housing material used or eliminating heavy housing materials leads to a lighter vehicle drive device 130, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and simplifying the components required to attach the vehicle drive device 130 to the electric vehicle 140. As a result, a structure can be obtained that contributes to significantly lower costs without affecting performance or contributing to improved fuel efficiency. Furthermore, since the shared terminal block 100 is fixed to the first housing member 114a shared with the pair of rotating electric machines and is located near both of the pair of rotating electric machines, particularly at approximately the same distance from both, it is expected that vibrations caused by the rotational operation of each rotating electric machine will interfere with each other and be attenuated. This cooperates with the effect of increasing the vibration resistance due to the positional relationship of the terminal block 100 with respect to the direction of the vehicle, and more significantly improves vibration resistance, resulting in improved reliability of the terminal block 100 alone or the vehicle drive device 130 as a whole.

[0027] In the example of terminal block 100 described above, the arrangement has been described as a preferred example illustrating the positional relationship with the left-right, front-rear, and up-down directions of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle. However, even in the structure of terminal block 100 alone, with respect to the first direction corresponding to the left-right direction of the vehicle described in embodiment 1, the second direction corresponding to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the third direction corresponding to the up-down direction of the vehicle, terminal block 100 can shift bus bar 101 in the first direction. Therefore, by filling the gap with the connecting part when the bolt is tightened, it is possible to suppress bending stress when the bolt is tightened while restricting movement in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the basic effect envisioned in this application, such as being able to reduce the stress amplitude due to vibration mainly in the second direction, can be obtained.

[0028] Furthermore, in the example of terminal block 100 described above, for each bus bar 101 that is assembled to a common holder 102 and connected to rotating electric machines 115 and 116, respectively, a bus bar 101a that is connected to rotating electric machine 115 is provided with a holder fitting portion 113 on holder 102, which is a characteristic configuration of terminal block 100 of embodiment 1, and bus bar fitting portion 108 that engages with holder fitting portion 113 and is shifted in the first direction. However, conversely, a similar configuration may be applied only to bus bar 101b that is connected to rotating electric machine 116, and naturally, a similar configuration may be applied to both bus bars 101a, bus bar 101a and bus bar 101b, including bus bar 101b that is connected to rotating electric machine 116.

[0029] Furthermore, as explained in embodiment 1, for a pair of rotating electric machines consisting of a rotating electric machine 115 that operates mainly as a drive motor and a rotating electric machine 116 that operates mainly as a generator, a common terminal block 100 is provided, and a total of six systems of bus bars 101, each of which is provided with two sets of three-phase bus bars 101, are assembled to a holder 102 made of a single common member, and as for the effects of the vehicle drive device 130 according to embodiment 1 obtained by adopting a configuration for the first housing member 114a that is common to the pair of rotating electric machines of this common terminal block 100, these effects can be obtained in the same way even if the above-mentioned characteristic configuration is not used for both bus bars 101 connected to the rotating electric machine 115 and the rotating electric machine 116 in the terminal block 100.

[0030] As described above, terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment includes bus bar 101a extending in a first direction and having bus bar fitting portion 108 as a first fitting portion at an end thereof, and holder 102 having holding portion 102a for holding bus bar 101a and having holder fitting portion 113 as a second fitting portion at an outer peripheral end of holding portion 102a, whereby first fitting portion and second fitting portion are disposed at different positions in the first direction. Furthermore, first fitting portion is a notch, and second fitting portion is protrusion 105. Furthermore, multiple bus bars 101a are provided in parallel in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. When a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions is defined as a third direction, protrusion 105 restricts the position of bus bar 101a with respect to the third direction. Furthermore, in the terminal block 100 mounted on a vehicle, the first direction is the left-right direction of the vehicle, the second direction is the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the third direction is the up-down direction of the vehicle. The first fitting portions are provided at both ends of the bus bar 101a in the second direction and are arranged at different positions in the first direction, and the second fitting portions are provided at both ends of the holding portion 102a in the second direction and are arranged at different positions in the first direction.

[0031] Furthermore, the vehicle drive device 130 equipped with the terminal block 100 according to embodiment 1 includes the terminal block 100, a rotating electric machine connected to the terminal block 100, and a housing 114 that houses the terminal block 100 and the rotating electric machine therein, and the housing is formed by a first housing member 114a to which the terminal block 100 and the rotating electric machine are commonly attached, and a second housing member 114b that houses the rotating electric machine and the terminal block 100 together with the first housing member 114a. Furthermore, vehicle drive device 130 equipped with terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment includes terminal block 100 and a rotating electric machine connected to terminal block 100, the rotating electric machine including first rotating electric machine 115 operating as a drive motor and second rotating electric machine 116 operating as a generator, terminal block 100 is provided with a plurality of bus bars 101 a connected to first rotating electric machine 115 and a plurality of other bus bars 101 b connected to the second rotating electric machine, and terminal block 100 is shared by first rotating electric machine 115 and second rotating electric machine 116. Furthermore, electric vehicle 140 equipped with vehicle drive device 130 having terminal block 130 according to the first embodiment has a first direction which is the left-right direction of electric vehicle 140, and the rotating electric machine is disposed on the side of internal combustion engine 121 facing the first direction.

[0032] Therefore, with the terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment, the vehicle drive device 130 equipped with the terminal block 100, and the electric vehicle 140 equipped with the vehicle drive device 130 having the terminal block, it is possible to obtain one or more of the following effects: improving the vibration resistance required for a terminal block provided in a power supply unit of an electric device, particularly improving the vibration resistance required for the terminal block 100 connected to a rotating electric machine for the vehicle drive device 130 of the electric vehicle 140; arranging the terminal block 100 in a space-efficient manner within the vehicle drive device 130; suppressing stress generated within the terminal block 100, particularly restricting movement of the bus bar 101 in the vehicle up-down direction; and reducing stress amplitude due to vibration. As a result, with the terminal block 100 according to the first embodiment, the vehicle drive device 130 equipped with the terminal block 100, and the electric vehicle 140 equipped with the vehicle drive device 130 having the terminal block, it is possible to improve reliability.

[0033] Embodiment 2. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a holder of a terminal block according to embodiment 2, and Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a terminal block according to embodiment 2. In Figs. 11 and 12, components with the same reference numerals as those used to describe terminal block 100 in embodiment 1 indicate the same or corresponding configurations, and their description will be omitted. Note that the terminal block 100 of embodiment 2 has the same overall configuration of vehicle drive device 130 and the same connection to devices mounted on electric vehicle 140 as embodiment 1.

[0034] The terminal block 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the holding portion 102a of the holder 102 has a protrusion 109 on a surface thereof that faces the protrusion 105 across the bus bar 101a. The surface of the holding portion 102a that faces the protrusion 105 across the bus bar 101a is the surface on which the bus bar 101a is placed. The protrusions 109 are provided at two locations on each side of the vehicle in the left-right direction (X direction). This configuration further restricts the position of the bus bar 101a in the vehicle's up-down direction (Z direction).

[0035] Although protrusion 109 has a rectangular shape in the second embodiment, it may have any shape, such as a hemispherical shape. Furthermore, by designing bus bar 101a to eliminate any gap between bus bar 101a and protrusions 105 and 109 in the vertical direction of the vehicle (Z direction), bus bar 101a is sandwiched between protrusions 105 and 109 and held in place by friction between bus bar 101a and protrusions 105 and 109. This prevents bus bar 101a from falling off from holder 102 even if an impact load is applied to terminal block 100 during transportation, etc.

[0036] As described above, according to terminal block 100 of the second embodiment, holding portion 102a is provided with protrusion 109, which is another protrusion, on a surface facing protrusion 105 with bus bar 101a in between, and protrusion 109 is provided at both ends of holding portion 102a in the first direction, that is, the extension direction of bus bar 101a, and in the left-right direction of the vehicle (X direction). Also, according to terminal block 100 of the second embodiment, bus bar 101a is sandwiched between protrusion 105 and protrusion 109, and is held by the frictional force of protrusion 105 and protrusion 109.

[0037] Therefore, according to the terminal block 100 of the second embodiment, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, the holding force of the holder 102 on the bus bar 101a is increased, thereby further improving reliability.

[0038] Embodiment 3. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a terminal block according to embodiment 3, and Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a terminal block according to embodiment 3. In Figs. 13 and 14, components with the same reference numerals as those used to explain terminal block 100 in embodiments 1 and 2 indicate the same or corresponding configurations, and their description will be omitted. Note that the terminal block 100 of embodiment 3 has the same overall configuration of vehicle drive device 130 and the same connection to devices mounted on electric vehicle 140 as embodiment 1.

[0039] In the terminal block 100 according to the third embodiment, the holding portion 102a of the holder 102 has a protrusion 110 on a surface facing the protrusion 105 across the bus bar 101a, and the bus bar 101a has a recess 111 at a position that engages with the protrusion 110 when the bus bar 101a is assembled to the holder 102. The surface facing the protrusion 105 across the bus bar 101a is the surface of the holding portion 102a on which the bus bar 101a is placed. The protrusion 110 and the recess 111 are provided at one end each in the left-right direction (X direction) of the vehicle. This configuration not only restricts the position of the bus bar 101a in the vehicle up-down direction (Z direction) but also restricts its position in the vehicle fore-aft direction (Y direction), preventing the bus bar 101a from falling off the holder 102.

[0040] As described above, the terminal block 100 according to the first to third embodiments, the vehicle drive device 130 equipped with the terminal block 100, and the electric vehicle 140 equipped with the vehicle drive device 130 having the terminal block 100 can particularly exhibit the effects of the first to third embodiments in hybrid electric vehicles that are subjected to vibrations from the engine in addition to vibrations from the road surface.

[0041] Although various exemplary embodiments and examples are described in this application, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but may be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless variations not illustrated are contemplated within the scope of the technology disclosed in this specification. For example, this includes cases where at least one component is modified, added, or omitted, or where at least one component is extracted and combined with components of another embodiment.

[0042] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Terminal block, 101, 101a, 101b Bus bar, 102 Holder, 102a Holding portion, 103 Bracket portion, 104 Nut, 105 Protrusion, 106 Nut groove, 107 Terminal hole, 108 Bus bar fitting portion, 109 Protrusion, 110 Protrusion, 111 Recess, 112 Bus bar fitting portion, 113 Holder fitting portion, 114 Housing, 114a First housing member, 114b Second housing member, 115 Rotating electric machine, 116 Rotating electric machine, 117 Wire connection board, 118 Wire connection board, 119 Power supply line, 120 Power supply line, 121 Internal combustion engine, 122 Transmission, 130 Vehicle drive device, 140 Electric vehicle

Claims

1. A terminal block comprising: a bus bar extending in a first direction and having a first fitting portion at an end; and a holder having a holding portion for holding the bus bar and having a second fitting portion at an outer peripheral end of the holding portion, wherein the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion are each disposed at different positions in the first direction.

2. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein the first fitting portion is a notch and the second fitting portion is a protrusion.

3. The terminal block described in claim 2, characterized in that the bus bars are arranged in parallel in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and when a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions is defined as a third direction, the protrusion regulates the position of the bus bars with respect to the third direction.

4. A terminal block to be mounted on a vehicle, characterized in that the first direction is the left-right direction of the vehicle, the second direction is the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the third direction is the up-down direction of the vehicle.

5. A terminal block as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the first mating portions are provided at both ends of the bus bar in the second direction and are arranged at different positions in the first direction, and the second mating portions are provided at both ends of the holding portion in the second direction and are arranged at different positions in the first direction.

6. A terminal block as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the holding portion has another protrusion on a surface opposing the protrusion with the bus bar in between, and the other protrusion is provided on each of both ends of the holding portion in the first direction.

7. The terminal block according to claim 6, wherein the bus bar is sandwiched between the protrusion and the other protrusion and is held in place by friction between the protrusion and the other protrusion.

8. A terminal block according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the bus bar is provided with a recess at a position corresponding to the other protrusion, and the other protrusion is disposed in the recess.

9. A vehicle drive device comprising: a terminal block as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; a rotating electric machine connected to the terminal block; and a housing that houses the terminal block and the rotating electric machine therein, wherein the housing is formed by a first housing member to which the terminal block and the rotating electric machine are commonly attached, and a second housing member that houses the rotating electric machine and the terminal block together with the first housing member.

10. A vehicle drive device comprising: a terminal block as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8; and a rotating electric machine connected to the terminal block, wherein the rotating electric machine includes a first rotating electric machine operating as a drive motor and a second rotating electric machine operating as a generator, the terminal block is provided with a plurality of bus bars connected to the first rotating electric machine and a plurality of other bus bars connected to the second rotating electric machine, and the terminal block is shared by the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine.

11. A vehicle drive device as described in claim 10, further comprising a housing that houses the terminal block, the first rotating electric machine, and the second rotating electric machine therein, the housing being formed by a first housing member to which the terminal block, the first rotating electric machine, and the second rotating electric machine are commonly attached, and a second housing member that houses the first rotating electric machine, the second rotating electric machine, and the terminal block together with the first housing member.

12. An electric vehicle having a vehicle drive device as described in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the first direction is a left-right direction of the electric vehicle, and the rotating electric machine is disposed on the side of the internal combustion engine facing the first direction.

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