Electrical connection component and electrical connection unit

Abstract

An electrical connection component (3) is provided with a resin body section (6) and a surface seal section (7). The body section (6) is provided with a conductor (2) in an integrated manner. The surface seal section (7) is formed in an annular shape so as to surround the conductor (2), and seals a gap between a housing (4) and the body section (6) when the body section (6) is attached to the housing (4). The conductor (2) comprises: a first surface (15) that contacts a counterpart conductor (8) by being fixed to the counterpart conductor (8) by a conductor fastening section (9) for which a fastening direction is a direction that intersects a surface seal direction of the surface seal section (7); and a second surface (16) on the side opposite the first surface (15). The surface seal section (7) differs in thickness between a first region (28), at least a portion of which faces the first surface (15), and a second region (29), at least a portion of which faces the second surface (16).

Description

Electrical connection parts and electrical connection units

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connection part and an electrical connection unit.

[0002] Conventionally, a terminal block having a metal plate is well known, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. This terminal block is attached to a case, for example, by fastening a plate provided on a housing into which a bus bar is inserted to the case with a plurality of bolts. At this time, a sealant is interposed between the housing and the case. When the terminal block is fastened to the case via the plate, the plate is pressed against the case with a high load, ensuring sufficient surface pressure of the sealant.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-93329

[0004] However, in the case of Patent Document 1, a plate is required for the terminal block, which increases the cost of the terminal block. For this reason, there is currently a desire to eliminate the plate from the terminal block. If the plate is omitted from the terminal block, a structure is adopted in which the housing, which is the resin part of the main body of the terminal block, is directly fixed to the case with bolts or the like. However, in this case, it is not possible to ensure as high a surface pressure as with a structure using a plate.

[0005] The busbars of terminal blocks are often fixed to the mating busbars using bolts and nuts. In this structure, if the sealant does not have sufficient surface pressure, when the bolts are fastened to the nuts, a load is applied to the busbar in the direction of the bolt fastening, causing the terminal block to tilt relative to the case. In this case, the sealant will not adhere firmly to the terminal block or housing, which could result in an inability to achieve the required sealing performance.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electrical connection part and an electrical connection unit that can maintain sufficient sealing performance.

[0007] The electrical connection part that solves the above problem comprises a resin main body portion having a conductor integrally formed therein, and a face seal portion that is formed in a ring shape surrounding the conductor and seals the gap between the housing and the main body portion when the main body portion is attached to the housing, wherein the conductor is fixed to a mating conductor by a conductor fastening portion whose fastening direction is a direction that intersects with the face seal direction of the face seal portion, the conductor has a first surface facing the mating conductor and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the face seal portion has different thicknesses at the first portion, at least a portion of which faces the first surface, and the second portion, at least a portion of which faces the second surface.

[0008] The present disclosure can maintain sufficient sealing properties.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an electrical connection unit according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an electrical connection component. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of an electrical connection component. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a face seal portion. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 1. FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for fastening a busbar to a mating busbar. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an electrical connection component according to a second embodiment. FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for fastening a busbar to a mating busbar. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an electrical connection component according to a third embodiment. FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for fastening a busbar to a mating busbar.

[0010] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. [1] An electrical connection component of the present disclosure includes a resin main body integrally provided with a conductor, and a face seal portion formed in an annular shape surrounding the conductor and sealing a gap between the housing and the main body when the main body is attached to the housing, wherein the conductor is fixed to a mating conductor by a conductor fastening portion having a fastening direction intersecting a face seal direction of the face seal portion, the conductor has a first surface facing the mating conductor and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the face seal portion has different thicknesses at a first portion facing the first surface and a second portion facing the second surface.

[0011] According to this configuration, when a conductor is fastened to a mating conductor by the conductor fastening portion, if a force is applied to the conductor in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portion, the electrical connection component may tilt due to the influence of manufacturing tolerances and installation tolerances of the electrical connection component. In this configuration, a difference in thickness is formed in the face seal portion to ensure surface pressure by the face seal portion even when such a tilting force is applied to the electrical connection component. Therefore, even if a tilting force is applied to the electrical connection component when the conductor is fastened to the mating conductor by the conductor fastening portion, the face seal portion remains in close contact with both the housing and the main body. This makes it possible to maintain sufficient sealing performance.

[0012] [2] In the above [1], the face seal portion has a pair of connecting portions that connect one end of the first portion to one end of the second portion and that connect the other end of the first portion to the other end of the second portion, and the first portion and the second portion have a difference in thickness by forming the connecting portions to become thinner from one of the first portion and the second portion to the other. With this configuration, it is possible to create a difference in thickness in the face seal portion with a simple configuration in which the thickness of the connecting portions that connect the first portion and the second portion is changed.

[0013] [3] In the above [2], the connecting portion has an inclined surface that slopes linearly from one of the first portion and the second portion to the other. This configuration allows the inclined surface of the face seal portion to be in face-to-face contact with the opposing surface, which is advantageous in ensuring sufficient sealing performance.

[0014] [4] In any of the above [1] to [3], the main body has a seal accommodating portion that accommodates the face seal portion, and the seal accommodating portion is formed with a portion that accommodates the first portion and a portion that accommodates the second portion having the same depth. With this configuration, it is possible to make the depth of the seal accommodating portion constant, making it possible to easily manufacture a main body having a seal accommodating portion.

[0015] [5] In any of the above [1] to [4], the main body has a seal receiving portion that receives the face seal portion, and the seal receiving portion has a deep groove portion in a portion that receives the thicker of the first portion and the second portion. With this configuration, even if the face seal portion has a shape with a difference in thickness, the deep groove portion is formed in the seal receiving portion to absorb that thickness, so when the electrical connection component is attached to the housing, it can be kept upright. Therefore, when the electrical connection component is fixed to the housing, the conductor is less likely to come into contact with the mating conductor, which improves the workability of attaching the electrical connection component.

[0016] [6] In any of the above [1] to [5], the second portion is formed thicker than the first portion. With this configuration, even if the electrical connection part tilts relative to the housing when the conductor is fastened to the mating conductor by the conductor fastening portion, the second portion can elastically deform to accommodate this tilt, thereby maintaining a state of close contact with both the housing and the main body. In this way, the sealing performance of the face seal portion can be maintained.

[0017] [7] In any of the above [1] to [5], the first portion is formed thicker than the second portion. With this configuration, when the conductor is fastened to the mating conductor by the conductor fastening portion, even if a force in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portion is applied to the conductor, the electrical connection part is supported by the first portion, which has a sufficient thickness, making it difficult for the conductor to tilt in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portion. Therefore, the orientation of the electrical connection part relative to the housing is unlikely to change before and after the conductor is fastened to the mating conductor by the conductor fastening portion, and the sealing condition of the face seal part is unlikely to change. This makes it possible to maintain the sealing performance of the face seal part.

[0018] [8] In any of [1] to [7] above, the conductors are arranged in a fixed direction, and the main body has mounting portions on both sides of the conductor arrangement direction, to which main body fastening portions for fastening the main body to the housing are attached. With this configuration, if both sides of the main body are fixed to the housing by the main body fastening portions in a two-point fixation, the electrical connection component is likely to tilt due to the influence of the force in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portions when the conductors are fixed to the mating conductors by the conductor fastening portions. However, in an electrical connection component with such a structure, measures are taken to provide a difference in thickness between the face seal portions, so that sealing by the face seal portions can be ensured even in an electrical connection component with two-point fixation.

[0019] [9] The electrical connection unit of the present disclosure includes a resin main body having an integral conductor, a housing to which the main body is attached, and a face seal formed in an annular shape surrounding the conductor and sealing a gap between the housing and the main body, wherein the conductor is fixed to a mating conductor by a conductor fastening part whose fastening direction is perpendicular to the face seal direction of the face seal part, the conductor has a first surface facing the mating conductor and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the face seal part has different thicknesses at the first portion, at least a portion of which faces the first surface, and the second portion, at least a portion of which faces the second surface. This configuration makes it possible to obtain effects similar to those of an electrical connection component.

[0020] [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In each drawing, for the convenience of explanation, some components may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of each part may differ from the actual ones.

[0021] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. (Electrical connection unit 1) As shown in Fig. 1 , the electrical connection unit 1 includes an electrical connection part 3 having a conductor 2, and a housing 4 to which the electrical connection part 3 is attached. The electrical connection unit 1 electrically connects, for example, a motor (not shown) mounted inside the housing 4 and an external inverter (not shown). For example, if the electrical connection part 3 is a terminal block, the electrical connection unit 1 is a terminal block unit. The motor is, for example, a three-phase AC motor.

[0022] 2, the electrical connection component 3 includes a resin body 6 integrally provided with the conductor 2, and a surface seal 7 that seals the gap between the housing 4 and the body 6. The electrical connection component 3 in this example is, for example, a terminal block in which the conductor 2 is fixed to a mating conductor 8 by a conductor fastening portion 9. The surface seal seals the gap between the housing 4 and the body 6 in a planar direction (the X-Y plane direction in FIG. 2, etc.), for example.

[0023] (Conductor 2) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a plurality of conductors 2 are arranged in a fixed direction (Y-axis direction in Figure 1, etc.). The conductors 2 are, for example, rod-shaped conductors through which a large current flows, so-called bus bars. In this example, the conductors 2 are arranged at equal intervals in the width direction of the electrical connection part 3. The conductors 2 are formed in the shape of long, thin plates extending in the height direction of the electrical connection part 3 (Z-axis direction in Figure 1, etc.). An insertion hole 10 (see Figure 2) for attaching a conductor fastening part 9 is formed at the upper end of the conductor 2. In addition, a hole 10a is also formed at the lower end of the conductor 2 for inserting a member such as a bolt for fixing a terminal of a motor.

[0024] For example, in the case of a three-phase AC motor, three conductors 2 are provided. The three conductors 2 constitute, for example, a U-phase, a V-phase, and a W-phase. AC signals that are, for example, 120 degrees out of phase with each other, are passed through the conductors 2 of the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase. High-voltage and large-current signals required for a three-phase AC motor are passed through each conductor 2.

[0025] 2 and 3 , the conductor fastening portion 9 has a head 11 and a shaft 12. The conductor fastening portion 9 is, for example, a bolt. The shaft 12 of the conductor fastening portion 9 is inserted into the insertion hole 10 of the conductor 2 and the insertion hole 13 of the mating conductor 8, and the fastened portion 14 is screwed onto the shaft 12 with the head 11 interfering with the conductor 2, thereby fixing the conductor 2 to the mating conductor 8. The fastened portion 14 is, for example, a nut.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3 , the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by a conductor fastening portion 9, whose fastening direction (the direction of arrow A1 in Fig. 3 ) is a direction intersecting the face sealing direction (the direction of arrow A2 in Fig. 3 ) of the face seal portion 7. As a result, the conductor 2 has a first surface 15 facing the mating conductor 8 and a second surface 16 opposite the first surface 15. The electrical connection part 3 is attached and fixed to the housing 4 so as to cover an opening 4a formed in the top surface of the housing 4.

[0027] 2 , the main body 6 has a conductor support portion 19 that supports the conductor 2, and a flange portion 20 that extends perpendicularly from the conductor support portion 19. The main body 6 is formed integrally with the conductor 2, for example, by molding, in which the conductor 2 is set in a mold and resin is poured into it. The main body 6 has a seal accommodating portion 21 that accommodates the face seal portion 7. The seal accommodating portion 21 is formed on the back surface of the flange portion 20.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 , the main body 6 has mounting portions 23 on both sides in the arrangement direction of the conductors 2 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. 1 ), to which main body fastening portions 22 for fixing the main body 6 to the housing 4 are attached. In this example, the mounting portions 23 are holes for inserting the shafts of the main body fastening portions 22. The main body fastening portions 22 are, for example, bolts. The main body 6 is fixed to the housing 4 by inserting the main body fastening portions 22 into collars 24 housed in the mounting portions 23 and fastening them to step portions 25 on the top surface of the housing 4. The fixing structure of the main body 6 to the housing 4 is a two-point fixation in which the main body 6 is fixed to the housing 4 by the two main body fastening portions 22 on both sides of the width direction of the main body 6.

[0029] 2 , the face seal portion 7 is formed in a ring shape so as to surround the conductor 2. Specifically, the face seal portion 7 is formed in a ring shape so as to surround the conductor support portion 19 of the main body portion 6 from the periphery. The face seal portion 7 seals the gap between the housing 4 and the main body portion 6 when the main body portion 6 is attached to the housing 4.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4, the face seal portion 7 has a first portion 28, a second portion 29, and a pair of connecting portions 30. At least a portion of the first portion 28 is disposed facing the first surface 15 of the conductor 2. At least a portion of the second portion 29 is disposed facing the second surface 16 of the conductor 2. The connecting portions 30 connect one end of the first portion 28 to one end of the second portion 29, and also connect the other end of the first portion 28 to the other end of the second portion 29. In this example, the connecting portions 30 include a first connecting portion 30a that connects one end of the first portion 28 to one end of the second portion 29, and a second connecting portion 30b that connects the other end of the first portion 28 to the other end of the second portion 29.

[0031] 4 and 5 , the face seal portion 7 is formed in a rectangular loop shape when viewed in the axial direction of the seal opening 31 in its natural, non-elastically deformed state. The face seal portion 7 has a first seal surface 32 that contacts the main body 6 and a second seal surface 33 that contacts the housing 4. The first seal surface 32 may have one or more annular lips. The first seal surface 32 may include a radially inner lip and a radially outer lip, and may have, for example, two annular lips. The second seal surface 33 may be formed in a flat shape and may not include an annular lip.

[0032] 5 , the face seal portion 7 is formed so that the first portion 28 and the second portion 29 have different thicknesses. The first portion 28 is a sealing portion that exists, for example, in a portion where the main body portion 6 sinks when the conductor 2 of the electrical connection part 3 fixed to the housing 4 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9. The second portion 29 is a sealing portion that exists, for example, in a portion where the main body portion 6 rises when the conductor 2 of the electrical connection part 3 fixed to the housing 4 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9. In this example, the second portion 29 is formed thicker than the first portion 28.

[0033] The first portion 28 and the second portion 29 have a thickness difference formed by forming the connecting portion 30 thinner from one of the first portion 28 and the second portion 29 to the other. Specifically, the connecting portion 30 has an inclined surface 35 that slopes linearly from one of the first portion 28 and the second portion 29 to the other. In this example, the inclined surface 35 is formed in a shape that slopes downward from the second portion 29 to the first portion 28. In this example, the inclined surface 35 is formed on the second seal surface 33 of the face seal portion 7. As a result, a thickness difference is formed on the second seal surface 33 of the face seal portion 7.

[0034] In the seal receiving portion 21, the portion receiving the first portion 28 and the portion receiving the second portion 29 are formed to the same depth. Furthermore, the first seal surface 32 is oriented horizontally (in the X-Y plane direction in FIG. 1, etc.) before the electrical connection component 3 is attached to the housing 4. In other words, before the electrical connection component 3 is attached to the housing 4, the top surfaces of the first portion 28 and the second portion 29 are at the same height.

[0035] (Operation of First Embodiment) Next, the operation of the electrical connection component 3 (electrical connection unit 1) of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 5 , when fixing the electrical connection component 3 to the housing 4, first, the conductor support portion 19 of the main body 6 is inserted into the opening 4a of the housing 4, and then the electrical connection component 3 is placed on the step portion 25 of the housing 4. In this example, because the inclined surface 35 is provided on the second seal surface 33 of the face seal portion 7, the electrical connection component 3 is placed on the housing 4 in an inclined state. Specifically, the electrical connection component 3 is placed on the housing 4 in an inclined state by a predetermined amount in the clockwise direction on the page.

[0036] 6( a), the electrical connection component 3 is placed on the step portion 25 and then fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening portion 22. The face seal portion 7 is crushed when the electrical connection component 3 is fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening portion 22, and seals the gap between the electrical connection component 3 and the housing 4. In this example, the second portion 29 is formed thicker than the first portion 28, so when the face seal portion 7 is crushed by the electrical connection component 3 and the housing 4 to form a seal, the amount of elastic deformation of the face seal portion 7 is greater in the second portion 29 than in the first portion 28.

[0037] Furthermore, in this example, since the second seal surface 33 of the face seal portion 7 is inclined, even when the electrical connection part 3 is fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening part 22, the electrical connection part 3 is inclined in advance so as to approach the mating conductor 8. Therefore, even when the electrical connection part 3 is fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening part 22, the conductor 2 is brought as close as possible to the mating conductor 8.

[0038] Next, as shown in FIG. 6( b), the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9. In this example, the electrical connection part 3 is tilted in advance so that the conductor 2 is as close as possible to the mating conductor 8. Therefore, when the conductor 2 is fastened to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9, even if a force acts on the conductor 2 in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portion 9 (the direction of arrow A1 shown in FIG. 3), the electrical connection part 3 is unlikely to tilt clockwise as viewed in the drawing. In this way, if the orientation of the electrical connection part 3 is maintained, the second portion 29 of the face seal portion 7 remains in close contact with both the housing 4 and the main body 6. Therefore, the sealing performance of the face seal portion 7 is maintained.

[0039] (Effects of the First Embodiment) The configuration of the above embodiment provides the following effects. (1.1) The electrical connection component 3 includes a resin main body 6 and a face seal 7. The conductor 2 is integrally formed with the main body 6. The face seal 7 is formed in an annular shape surrounding the conductor 2 and seals the gap between the housing 4 and the main body 6 when the main body 6 is attached to the housing 4. The conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by a conductor fastening portion 9, the fastening direction of which is perpendicular to the face seal direction of the face seal 7. The conductor 2 has a first surface 15 facing the mating conductor 8 and a second surface 16 opposite the first surface 15. The face seal 7 has different thicknesses between a first portion 28, at least a portion of which faces the first surface 15, and a second portion 29, at least a portion of which faces the second surface 16.

[0040] According to this configuration, when the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9, if a force is applied to the conductor 2 in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portion 9, the electrical connection component 3 may tilt due to the influence of manufacturing tolerances and installation tolerances. In this configuration, in order to ensure that the surface pressure of the face seal portion 7 is maintained even when such a tilting force is applied to the electrical connection component 3, a difference in thickness is formed in the face seal portion 7. Therefore, even if a tilting force is applied to the electrical connection component 3 when the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9, the face seal portion 7 remains in close contact with both the housing 4 and the main body 6. Therefore, sufficient sealing performance can be maintained.

[0041] (1.2) The face seal portion 7 has a pair of connecting portions 30 that connect one end of the first portion 28 to one end of the second portion 29 and also connect the other end of the first portion 28 to the other end of the second portion 29. The connecting portions 30 are formed so that they become thinner from one side of the first portion 28 to the other side of the second portion 29, thereby creating a difference in thickness between the first portion 28 and the second portion 29. With this configuration, a difference in thickness can be created in the face seal portion 7 through the simple configuration of changing the thickness of the connecting portions 30 that connect the first portion 28 and the second portion 29.

[0042] (1.3) The connecting portion 30 has an inclined surface 35 that slopes linearly from one of the first portion 28 and the second portion 29 to the other. This configuration allows the inclined surface 35 of the face seal portion 7 to be in surface contact with the opposing surface. This is advantageous in ensuring sufficient sealing performance.

[0043] (1.4) The main body 6 has a seal accommodating portion 21 that accommodates the face seal portion 7. The seal accommodating portion 21 is formed so that the portion that accommodates the first portion 28 and the portion that accommodates the second portion 29 are formed to the same depth. This configuration makes it possible to make the depth of the seal accommodating portion 21 constant, and therefore makes it possible to easily manufacture the main body 6 that has the seal accommodating portion 21.

[0044] (1.5) The second portion 29 is formed thicker than the first portion 28. With this configuration, even if the electrical connection part 3 tilts relative to the housing 4 when the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9, the elastic deformation of the second portion 29 can follow this tilt, thereby maintaining a state of close contact with both the housing 4 and the main body 6. In this way, the sealing properties of the face seal portion 7 can be maintained.

[0045] (1.6) A plurality of conductors 2 are arranged in a fixed direction. The main body 6 has mounting portions 23 on both sides of the conductor 2 arrangement direction, to which main body fastening portions 22 for fixing the main body 6 to the housing 4 are attached. With this configuration, if both sides of the main body 6 are fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening portions 22 at two points, the electrical connection part 3 is likely to tilt due to the influence of the force in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portions 9 when the conductors 2 are fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portions 9. However, in the electrical connection part 3 with this structure, a measure is taken to provide a difference in thickness in the face seal portion 7, so that the sealing performance of the face seal portion 7 can be ensured even in an electrical connection part 3 with two-point fixation.

[0046] (1.7) The second seal surface 33 of the face seal portion 7 is formed flat, which makes it possible to increase the contact area with the housing 4. Therefore, even if the housing 4 has blowholes or other defects, the face seal portion 7 can be tightly attached to the housing 4. This further contributes to maintaining high sealing performance.

[0047] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is an example in which the seal structure of the first embodiment is modified. Therefore, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted. Only the different parts will be described in detail.

[0048] (Face seal portion 7) As shown in Fig. 7, the face seal portion 7 has a linearly inclined inclined surface 35 on the first seal surface 32. In this manner, a difference in thickness of the face seal portion 7 is formed on the first seal surface 32 of the face seal portion 7. In this example, the inclined surface 35 is formed in a shape that slopes linearly downward from the second portion 29 to the first portion 28 on the first seal surface 32. Specifically, the inclined surface 35 is formed in a shape that slopes linearly downward from the second portion 29 to the first portion 28 on the top surface of the connecting portion 30.

[0049] 7 , the seal accommodating portion 21 has a deep groove portion 37 in a portion that accommodates the thicker of the first portion 28 and the second portion 29. In the present example, the deep groove portion 37 is provided in a portion that accommodates the second portion 29 in the seal accommodating portion 21 formed in the main body 6. Note that the seal accommodating portion 21 is formed in a shape such that, in the portion that accommodates the connecting portion 30, the groove gradually becomes shallower from the deep groove portion 37 that accommodates the second portion 29 toward the portion that accommodates the first portion 28.

[0050] When the deep groove portion 37 is formed in the seal receiving portion 21, the electrical connection component 3 is arranged in an upright position relative to the housing 4 when placed on the housing 4 before being fixed by the main body fastening portion 22. Furthermore, in the case of a structure having the deep groove portion 37, if the inclined surface 35 is formed on the first seal surface 32, it becomes possible for the face seal portion 7 to come into contact with both the housing 4 and the main body portion 6 in a balanced manner when the electrical connection component 3 is arranged in an upright position relative to the housing 4.

[0051] 8( a), in this example, the deep groove 37 is provided in the seal receiving section 21 at the portion that receives the second portion 29, so the electrical connection component 3 stands upright when placed on the housing 4. That is, even if there is a difference in thickness between the face seals 7, the groove in the seal receiving section 21 where the thicker portion is received is formed deeper, so when placed on the housing 4, the electrical connection component 3 does not tilt in the direction toward the mating conductor 8 but stands upright. Therefore, when the electrical connection component 3 is fixed to the housing 4, the conductor 2 is less likely to come into contact with the mating conductor 8, which improves the ease of installation of the electrical connection component 3.

[0052] The electrical connection part 3, which is in an upright position, is then fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening part 22. When the electrical connection part 3 is fixed by the main body fastening part 22, it sinks downward in an upright position and crushes the face seal part 7. When the electrical connection part 3 is fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening part 22, a high degree of adhesion is ensured between the main body part 6 and the second part 29 by the large reaction force "F1" shown in the figure.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8(b), after the electrical connection part 3 is fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening part 22, the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening part 9. At this time, a force acts on the conductor 2 in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening part 9 (the direction of arrow A1 in Figure 8(b)). As a result, the electrical connection part 3 moves clockwise on the page and becomes tilted by a predetermined amount.

[0054] In this example, the second portion 29 of the face seal portion 7 is formed thicker than the first portion 28. Therefore, even if the electrical connection part 3 tilts a predetermined amount clockwise on the paper when the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening part 9, the elastic deformation of the second portion 29 follows the tilt, so that the second portion 29 remains in close contact with both the housing 4 and the main body 6. When the electrical connection part 3 moves a predetermined amount clockwise on the paper, the second portion 29 follows the movement and the amount of crushing decreases, but the state of contact with both the housing 4 and the main body 6 is maintained. Therefore, although the reaction force applied from the second portion 29 to the electrical connection part 3 is reduced to "F2," sufficient sealing is ensured.

[0055] As a result, even if the electrical connection part 3 tilts when the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening part 9, the sealing performance at the second part 29 of the face seal part 7 is not deteriorated. Furthermore, since the deep groove part 37 is provided in the seal receiving part 21, the electrical connection part 3 can be placed in an upright position without tilting when placed in the housing 4. This makes it difficult for the conductor 2 to come into contact with the mating conductor 8, which improves the workability of installing the electrical connection part 3.

[0056] (Effects of the Second Embodiment) According to the configuration of the above embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0057] (2.1) The seal receiving portion 21 has a deep groove portion 37 in a portion that receives the thicker of the first portion 28 and the second portion 29. With this configuration, even if the face seal portion 7 has a shape with a difference in thickness, the deep groove portion 37 is formed in the seal receiving portion 21 to absorb that thickness. Therefore, when the electrical connection component 3 is attached to the housing 4, the electrical connection component 3 can be kept upright. Therefore, when the electrical connection component 3 is fixed to the housing 4, the conductor 2 is less likely to come into contact with the mating conductor 8, which improves the workability of attaching the electrical connection component 3.

[0058] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. Note that in the third embodiment, only the differences from the first and second embodiments will be described in detail.

[0059] (Face seal portion 7) As shown in Fig. 9, the face seal portion 7 is formed so that the first portion 28 is thick and the second portion 29 is thin. In this manner, the first portion 28 is formed thicker than the second portion 29. In this example, the inclined surface 35 is formed in a shape that slopes linearly downward from the first portion 28 to the second portion 29 on the first seal surface 32. Specifically, the inclined surface 35 is formed in a shape that slopes linearly downward from the first portion 28 to the second portion 29 on the top surface of the connecting portion 30.

[0060] 9 , in this example, deep groove portion 37 is provided in the portion of seal accommodating portion 21 formed in main body 6 that accommodates first portion 28. Note that seal accommodating portion 21 is formed in a shape such that, in the portion that accommodates connecting portion 30, the groove gradually becomes shallower from deep groove portion 37 that accommodates first portion 28 toward the portion that accommodates second portion 29.

[0061] 10(a), in this example, the deep groove portion 37 is provided in the seal accommodating portion 21 at the portion that accommodates the first portion 28, so the electrical connection component 3 stands upright when placed in the housing 4. In other words, even if there is a difference in thickness between the face seal portions 7, the groove is formed deeper in the portion of the seal accommodating portion 21 where the thicker portion is accommodated, so the electrical connection component 3 does not tilt in the direction toward the mating conductor 8 when placed in the housing 4 and stands upright.

[0062] Furthermore, in this example, the first portion 28 of the face seal portion 7 is formed thick. Therefore, when the electrical connection component 3 is fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening portion 22 and the face seal portion 7 is crushed, the first portion 28 is crushed more than the second portion 29. Therefore, the electrical connection component 3 is strongly supported by the first portion 28, which is crushed to a large extent, and is therefore less likely to tip over in the clockwise direction on the page.

[0063] 10(b), when the electrical connection part 3 is fixed to the housing 4 by the main body fastening part 22 and then the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening part 9, a force acts on the conductor 2 in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening part 9 (the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 10(b)). However, in this example, the first portion 28, which is significantly crushed, makes it difficult for the conductor 2 to tilt clockwise on the page, so instead the mating conductor 8 moves closer to the conductor 2, and they are fixed together.

[0064] As described above, by forming the first portion 28 of the face seal portion 7 thicker than the second portion 29, the upright state of the electrical connection part 3 is maintained before and after the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8. Therefore, both the first portion 28 and the second portion 29 of the face seal portion 7 are maintained in close contact with the housing 4 and the main body 6. Therefore, the sealing properties of the face seal portion 7 are maintained even after the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9.

[0065] (Effects of the Third Embodiment) According to the configuration of the above embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first and second embodiments, the following effects can be obtained.

[0066] (3.1) The first portion 28 is formed thicker than the second portion 29. With this configuration, when the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9, even if a force is applied to the conductor 2 in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portion 9, the electrical connection part 3 is supported by the first portion 28, which has a sufficient thickness, making it difficult for the electrical connection part 3 to tilt in the fastening direction of the conductor fastening portion 9. Therefore, the position of the electrical connection part 3 relative to the housing 4 is unlikely to change before and after the conductor 2 is fixed to the mating conductor 8 by the conductor fastening portion 9, and the sealing condition of the face seal portion 7 is unlikely to change. Therefore, the sealing performance of the face seal portion 7 can be maintained.

[0067] (Other Embodiments) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0068] In each embodiment, the face seal portion 7 may have an inclined surface 35 on both the first seal surface 32 and the second seal surface 33. In each embodiment, the conductor 2 is not limited to a flat plate shape and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape (a thin and elongated cylinder). In the case of a cylindrical shape, for example, only the end portion may be flat, and this flat portion may be the portion that is fixed to the mating conductor 8.

[0069] In each embodiment, the face seal portion 7 may be changed to, for example, a circular ring (including an ellipse) or a triangular ring. In each embodiment, the conductor 2 is not limited to having a shape that extends linearly, and may have a shape that is bent partway along the line.

[0070] In each embodiment, the fixing of the electrical connection component 3 to the housing 4 is not limited to two-point fixing, and may be a structure having three or more fixing points. In each embodiment, the connecting portion 30 may be formed, for example, in a stepped shape in which the thickness changes in stages.

[0071] In each embodiment, the conductor fastening portion 9 and the main body fastening portion 22 are not limited to bolts or screws, and other members such as clips may be used. In each embodiment, the mounting portion 23 is not limited to being used as a portion for fixing the electrical connection component 3 to the housing 4. For example, it may be used as a portion for attaching another component to the electrical connection component 3.

[0072] In each embodiment, the hole shape of the attachment portion 23 may be, for example, a shape in which a part of the periphery of the hole is cut out. In each embodiment, the attachment portions 23 may have different shapes.

[0073] In each embodiment, the arrangement and number of the mounting portions 23 may be changed as appropriate. The face seal portion 7 having the shape of the first embodiment may be used in the second and third embodiments.

[0074] In each embodiment, the electrical connection part 3 is not limited to a terminal block, but may be a connector. In this case, the electrical connection unit 1 is not limited to a terminal block unit, but may be a connector unit.

[0075] In the illustrated non-limiting embodiment, the thickness of the face seal portion 7 may refer to the distance between the first sealing surface 32 and the second sealing surface 33 of the face seal portion 7, for example, in the Z-axis direction in FIG. 1 . The first sealing surface 32 and the second sealing surface 33 of the face seal portion 7 may be parallel to a first imaginary plane, which may be the XY plane in FIG. 1 . The first portion 28 of the face seal portion 7 may extend over a first angular range around the central axis of the face seal portion 7. The first portion 28 of the face seal portion 7 may be positioned closer to the first surface 15 than the second surfaces 16 of the multiple conductors 2 and may extend parallel to the multiple first surfaces 15 of the multiple conductors 2. The second portion 29 of the face seal portion 7 may extend over a second angular range around the central axis of the face seal portion 7. The second portion 29 of the face seal portion 7 may be positioned closer to the second surface 16 than the first surfaces 15 of the multiple conductors 2 and may extend parallel to the multiple second surfaces 16 of the multiple conductors 2.

[0076] The conductors 2 in the illustrated non-limiting embodiments may be referred to as bus bars or elongated metal plates having a bar length (Z), a bar width (Y), and a bar thickness (X). As in the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the multiple conductors 2 may be supported in a row relative to the body portion 6, for example, aligned along the Y axis in FIG. 1 . The multiple conductors 2 may be referred to as a subset of multiple bus bars aligned in line. The Y axis in FIG. 1 may be referred to as a linear alignment line along which the multiple conductors 2 are aligned. The first surface 15 and the second surface 16 of the multiple conductors 2 supported by the body portion 6 may extend parallel to a second imaginary plane, which may be the YZ plane in FIG. 1 . The flange portion 20 of the body portion 6 may extend parallel to a first imaginary plane, which may be the XY plane in FIG. 1 . As shown in Fig. 6 , when the flange portion 20 of the main body portion 6 is tilted about the Y axis with respect to a first imaginary plane, which may be the XY plane in Fig. 1 , the first surface 15 and the second surface 16 of the plurality of conductors 2 may be tilted with respect to a second imaginary plane, which may be the YZ plane in Fig. 1. The difference in thickness between the first portion 28 and the second portion 29 of the face seal portion 7 is advantageous in preventing or minimizing seal leakage between the housing 4 and the main body portion 6 of the electrical connection component 3, regardless of the occurrence of tilt with respect to the first imaginary plane and / or the second imaginary plane.

[0077] In each embodiment, the present disclosure has been described with reference to an example, but it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the example or structure. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0078] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Electrical connection unit 2 Conductor 3 Electrical connection part 4 Housing 4a Opening 6 Main body 7 Face seal portion 8 Mating conductor 9 Conductor fastening portion 10 Insertion hole 10a Hole portion 11 Head portion 12 Shank portion 13 Insertion hole 14 Fastened portion 15 First surface 16 Second surface 19 Conductor support portion 20 Flange portion 21 Seal accommodating portion 22 Main body fastening portion 23 Mounted portion 24 Collar 25 Step portion 28 First portion 29 Second portion 30 Connecting portion 30a First connecting portion 30b Second connecting portion 31 Seal opening 32 First seal surface 33 Second seal surface 35 Inclined surface 37 Deep groove portion A1 Fastening direction A2 Face seal direction

Claims

1. An electrical connection component comprising: a resin main body having an integral conductor; and a face seal formed in a ring shape surrounding the conductor and sealing any gaps between the housing and the main body when the main body is attached to the housing, wherein the conductor is fixed to a mating conductor by a conductor fastening part whose fastening direction is a direction intersecting the face seal direction of the face seal part, wherein the conductor has a first surface facing the mating conductor and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the face seal part has different thicknesses at a first portion at least partially facing the first surface and a second portion at least partially facing the second surface.

2. An electrical connection part as described in claim 1, wherein the face seal portion has a pair of connecting portions that connect one end of the first portion to one end of the second portion and that connect the other end of the first portion to the other end of the second portion, and the first portion and the second portion have a difference in thickness such that the connecting portions are formed thinner from one of the first portion and the second portion to the other.

3. The electrical connection part according to claim 2, wherein the connecting portion has an inclined surface that slopes linearly from one of the first portion and the second portion to the other.

4. An electrical connection component as described in claim 1, wherein the main body portion has a seal accommodating portion that accommodates the face seal portion, and the seal accommodating portion is formed so that a portion that accommodates the first portion and a portion that accommodates the second portion are formed at the same depth.

5. An electrical connection component as described in claim 1, wherein the main body portion has a seal accommodating portion that accommodates the face seal portion, and the seal accommodating portion has a deep groove portion in a portion that accommodates the thicker of the first portion and the second portion.

6. The electrical connection part according to claim 1, wherein the second portion is formed to be thicker than the first portion.

7. The electrical connection part according to claim 1, wherein the first portion is formed thicker than the second portion.

8. An electrical connection part as described in claim 1, wherein the conductors are arranged in a fixed direction and a plurality of conductors are provided, and the main body has mounting portions on both sides of the arrangement direction of the conductors, to which main body fastening portions for fixing the main body to the housing are attached.

9. An electrical connection unit comprising: a resin main body having an integral conductor; a housing to which the main body is attached; and a face seal formed in a ring shape surrounding the conductor and sealing a gap between the housing and the main body, wherein the conductor is fixed to a mating conductor by a conductor fastening part whose fastening direction is a direction intersecting the face seal direction of the face seal part, the conductor having a first surface facing the mating conductor and a second surface opposite the first surface, and the face seal part has different thicknesses at a first portion at least partially facing the first surface and a second portion at least partially facing the second surface.

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