Connector device and bus bar module

Abstract

Provided is a short-circuit prevention structure that is easy to install.　This connector device (10) comprises: a connector (30) in which a plurality of terminal fittings (32) are attached in a parallel state to a housing (31); a circuit board (21), a surface of which serves as a mounting surface (24) for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings (32); a through-hole (25) formed in a region of the circuit board (21) between adjacent terminal fittings (32); and a bus bar holder (11) serving as a short-circuit prevention member, which is a component separate from the circuit board (21). The bus bar holder (11) has: a base section (16) that is in close contact with the rear surface of the circuit board (21) and closes off the through-hole (25); and a protruding section (18) that protrudes from the base section (16) and is accommodated in the through-hole (25) with an insulating space (S) therebetween.

Description

Connector device and bus bar module

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector device and a bus bar module.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a short-circuit prevention wall formed on a housing is inserted into a short-circuit prevention groove formed on the printed circuit board as a means for preventing short circuits between multiple male terminal fittings attached to the printed circuit board. By separating the male terminal fittings with the short-circuit prevention wall, short circuits between adjacent male terminal fittings are prevented.

[0003] JP 2016-066560 A

[0004] In the above structure, the short-circuit prevention wall is fitted tightly into the short-circuit prevention groove, which makes assembly difficult.

[0005] The present disclosure was completed in light of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a short-circuit prevention structure that is easy to assemble.

[0006] The connector device of the first disclosure comprises: (1) a connector having a housing with a plurality of terminal fittings attached in parallel; a circuit board whose surface serves as a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings; through holes formed in the area between adjacent terminal fittings on the circuit board; and a short-circuit prevention member that is a separate component from the circuit board, wherein the short-circuit prevention member has a base that adheres to the back surface of the circuit board and closes the through hole, and a protrusion that protrudes from the base and is housed in the through hole with an insulating space therebetween.

[0007] The second disclosed connector device comprises a connector having a housing with a plurality of terminal fittings attached in parallel, a circuit board whose surface serves as a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings, a through hole formed in the area between adjacent terminal fittings on the circuit board, a blocking member that adheres to the back surface of the circuit board to block the through hole, and a cover that is a separate part from the housing and the circuit board, wherein the cover has a covering portion that covers the board connection portions of the terminal fittings that are exposed outside the housing, and a protrusion that protrudes from the covering portion and is accommodated in the through hole with an insulating space left therebetween.

[0008] A bus bar module of the third disclosure includes the connector device of the first disclosure and a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, and the short circuit prevention member is integrally formed with a bus bar holding portion that holds the plurality of bus bars.

[0009] A bus bar module of a fourth disclosure includes the connector device of the second disclosure and a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, and the blocking member is integrally formed with a bus bar holding portion that holds the plurality of bus bars.

[0010] According to the first, second, third and fourth disclosures, it is possible to provide a short-circuit prevention structure that is easy to assemble.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bus bar module of a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bus bar module in an exploded state, as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bus bar module in an exploded state, as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connector device. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the connector device with a cover removed. FIG. 6 is a rear cross-sectional view of the connector device. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the connector device. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a short-circuit prevention member. FIG. 9 is a rear cross-sectional view of a connector device of a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a rear cross-sectional view of a connector device of a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector device of a fourth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the connector device with a cover removed. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the cover, as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 14 is a rear cross-sectional view of the connector device. FIG. 15 is a side view of the connector device.

[0012] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. Any combination of the following embodiments, provided no contradictions exist, is also included in the embodiments for carrying out the invention. The connector device of the first disclosure includes: (1) a connector having a housing with a plurality of terminal fittings attached in parallel; a circuit board whose surface serves as a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings; through holes formed in the circuit board in a region between adjacent terminal fittings; and a short-circuit prevention member that is a separate component from the circuit board. The short-circuit prevention member has a base that adheres closely to the back surface of the circuit board to close the through hole, and a protrusion that protrudes from the base and is housed in the through hole with an insulating space between them. According to the configuration of the first disclosure, a curved creeping path is formed between adjacent terminal fittings, passing through the inner circumferential surface of the through hole, the base, and the protrusion, thereby preventing short circuits between the terminal fittings. The protrusions that form the creeping paths are housed in the through holes with an insulating space between them, which allows for easy assembly of the short-circuit prevention member and the circuit board.

[0013] (2) The mounting surface preferably has lands to which the terminal fittings are connected, and the opening area of ​​the through hole is preferably larger than the area in which the lands are formed in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement of the terminal fittings. With this configuration, a long creepage distance can be ensured between adjacent lands on the mounting surface.

[0014] (3) In (1) or (2), it is preferable that the circuit board has a sheet-like flexible base material with the terminal fittings connected to the mounting surface and a reinforcing plate fixed to the back surface of the flexible base material, and the through holes extend through the flexible base material and the reinforcing plate. With this configuration, even if the substrate to which the terminal fittings are mounted is a flexible base material that is easily deformed, the base of the short-circuit prevention member can be tightly attached to the back surface of the circuit board.

[0015] (4) In (3), it is preferable that the short-circuit prevention member has integrally formed therewith a path-maintaining portion that maintains the flexible base material in a shape that follows a predetermined wiring path. With this configuration, the number of parts can be reduced compared to when the path-maintaining portion is manufactured as a separate part from the short-circuit prevention member.

[0016] (5) In (1) or (2), it is preferable that a notch is formed on the surface of the base facing the circuit board, exposing an opening edge of the through hole on the back surface of the circuit board, and the protrusion protrudes from an inner bottom surface of the notch. With this configuration, the opening edge of the through hole on the back surface of the circuit board and the inner surface of the notch in the short-circuit prevention member can increase the creepage distance.

[0017] (6) In (1) or (2), it is preferable that a recess is formed on the protruding end surface of the protruding portion. With this configuration, the recess of the protruding portion can increase the creepage distance.

[0018] The connector device of the second disclosure (7) includes a connector having a housing with a plurality of terminal fittings mounted in parallel, a circuit board whose surface serves as a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings, through holes formed in the circuit board in regions between adjacent terminal fittings, a blocking member that adheres to the back surface of the circuit board to block the through holes, and a cover that is a separate component from the housing and the circuit board, the cover having a covering portion that covers the board connection portions of the terminal fittings that are exposed to the outside of the housing, and a protrusion that protrudes from the covering portion and is housed within the through hole with an insulating space. According to the configuration of the second disclosure, a creeping path that bends along the inner surface of the through hole or a creeping path that bends along the surface of the protrusion is formed between adjacent terminal fittings, thereby preventing short circuits between the terminal fittings. The protrusion that forms the creeping path is housed in the through hole with an insulating space, thereby improving the ease of assembly of the cover and the circuit board.

[0019] A bus bar module of the third disclosure (8) includes the connector device of the first disclosure and a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, and the short-circuit prevention member is integrally formed with a bus bar holding portion that holds the plurality of bus bars. According to the third disclosure, the connector device and the plurality of bus bars are modularized, making it easy to assemble the module to the battery cells.

[0020] A bus bar module of a fourth disclosure (9) includes the connector device of the second disclosure and a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, and the blocking member is integrally formed with a bus bar holding portion that holds the plurality of bus bars. According to the fourth disclosure, the connector device and the plurality of bus bars are modularized, facilitating assembly to the battery cells.

[0021] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] [Example 1] Example 1 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the scope of the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0022] In this Example 1, with regard to the front-to-rear direction, the F direction in Figures 1 to 5, 7, and 8 is defined as the front. With regard to the up-down direction, the H direction in Figures 1 to 8 is defined as the upper side. The bottom surface and the back surface are used synonymously. With regard to the left-to-right direction, the R direction in Figures 1 to 6 and 8 is defined as the right side. The left-to-right direction and the width direction are used synonymously.

[0023] The bus bar module M of this embodiment is attached to a battery module in which a plurality of battery cells C are connected in series. The bus bar module M is a component that constitutes a circuit for detecting the voltage of each battery cell C and the temperature of the battery module. The bus bar module M is configured to include a connector device 10 and a plurality of bus bars 39. The plurality of bus bars 39 are configured to be individually connected to electrodes (not shown) of a plurality of battery cells C.

[0024] The connector device 10 is configured by assembling a bus bar holder 11 (short-circuit prevention member) and a conductive path 20. The conductive path 20 is configured by assembling a circuit board 21 and a connector 30. The bus bar holder 11 is made of a synthetic resin material (insulating material) and is a single component that integrates a bus bar holding portion 12, a path holding portion 14, and a short-circuit prevention portion 15. The bus bar holder 11 has the function of preventing short circuits between terminal fittings 32, as will be described later.

[0025] In a plan view of the connector device 10 viewed from above, the busbar holder 11 has a rectangular shape with its long sides facing in the front-to-rear direction. The busbar holding portion 12 has an elongated shape in the front-to-rear direction and constitutes the right side region of the busbar holder 11. The busbar holding portion 12 has a plurality of holding plate portions 13 lined up in the front-to-rear direction. A plurality of busbars 39 are individually held by the plurality of holding plate portions 13. The path holding portion 14, like the busbar holding portion 12, has an elongated shape extending in the front-to-rear direction and constitutes the left side region of the busbar holder 11. The path holding portion 14 functions to hold the circuit board 21 in a straight state in the front-to-rear direction. The path holding portion 14 is arranged next to the busbar holding portion 12.

[0026] The short-circuit prevention portion 15 is disposed in the left region of the front end portion of the bus bar holder 11. The short-circuit prevention portion 15 is disposed adjacent to the front edge of the path retainer 14 in front of it. In other words, the short-circuit prevention portion 15 is connected to the front end portion of the path retainer 14. As shown in FIG. 8 , the short-circuit prevention portion 15 has a flat base portion 16, a pair of left and right positioning protrusions 17, a pair of left and right retaining wall portions 19, and one protrusion 18. The positioning protrusions 17 are cylindrical portions that protrude upward from both left and right ends of the top surface of the base portion 16. The pair of retaining wall portions 19 are portions that rise upward from positions on the top surface of the base portion 16 forward of the positioning protrusions 17.

[0027] The protrusion 18 is a rectangular section that protrudes upward from the top surface of the base 16. The planar shape of the protrusion 18 is a rectangle with its long sides facing the front-to-rear direction. The formation range of the protrusion 18 in the front-to-rear direction is an area extending from a position forward of the positioning protrusion 17 to a position rearward of the front ends of the holding walls 19. The formation position of the protrusion 18 in the left-to-right direction is an area between the pair of holding walls 19, and is a position offset to the right of the widthwise center of the pair of holding walls 19. The upward protrusion dimension of the protrusion 18 from the base 16 is greater than the thickness dimension of the circuit board 21, which will be described later.

[0028] The circuit board 21 is a board known as an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit). The circuit board 21 includes a sheet-like flexible substrate 22 extending longitudinally and a reinforcing plate 23 made of a hard material. The flexible substrate 22 is a member that can flexibly deform. A circuit for detecting the voltage value of each battery cell C is formed on the flexible substrate 22. The upper surface of the flexible substrate 22 (the surface of the circuit board 21) functions as a mounting surface 24 for mounting terminal fittings 32 (described later). The reinforcing plate 23 is attached to the front end of the back surface (lower surface) of the flexible substrate 22. The reinforcing plate 23 increases the bending rigidity of the front end of the flexible substrate 22, making it less likely to deform.

[0029] A through hole 25 is formed at the front end of the circuit board 21. The through hole 25 is an opening that penetrates from the mounting surface 24 of the flexible base material 22 to the back surface 21L of the circuit board 21 (the back surface 23L of the reinforcing plate 23). In a plan view, the through hole 25 has a rectangular shape with its long side facing in the front-to-rear direction. The position of the through hole 25 in the left-to-right direction is offset to the right of the center of the width of the circuit board 21. A pair of left and right positioning holes 26 are formed in the circuit board 21 at positions rearward of the through hole 25. The positioning holes 26 penetrate the circuit board 21 from the mounting surface 24 to the back surface 23L of the reinforcing plate 23.

[0030] A plurality of lands 27 (pads) for connecting terminal fittings 32 (described later) are formed on the mounting surface 24 of the circuit board 21. The lands 27 are arranged in a row spaced apart in the left-right direction (width direction). In plan view, each land 27 has a rectangular shape with its long side facing the front-rear direction. The length of the land 27 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the opening dimension of the through hole 25 in the front-rear direction. In the front-rear direction, the formation range of the lands 27 is within the opening area of ​​the through hole 25. A front edge 25F of the opening edge of the through hole 25 is located forward of the front end of the land 27. A rear edge 25R of the opening edge of the through hole 25 is located rearward of the rear end of the land 27.

[0031] The lands 27 are arranged in parallel in the width direction in two regions separated by the through-hole 25. In this embodiment, four lands 27 are arranged in the narrow region to the right of the through-hole 25, and nine lands 27 are arranged in the wide region to the left of the through-hole 25. The four lands 27L to the right of the through-hole 25 constitute a temperature detection circuit for detecting the temperature of the battery cell C, and therefore the voltage of these four lands 27L is low (e.g., several volts to several tens of volts). The nine lands 27 to the left of the through-hole 25 constitute a voltage detection circuit for detecting the voltage of the battery cell C. Of the lands 27 of the voltage detection circuit, the land 27 located at the leftmost position has the lowest voltage, and the voltage of the lands 27 toward the right increases stepwise. The voltage of the current flowing through the land 27H closest to the through-hole 25 can be as high as approximately 800 V, for example. Therefore, the potential difference between the two adjacent lands 27L and 27H with the through hole 25 therebetween is close to 800V.

[0032] The connector 30 is configured by assembling a housing 31, a plurality of terminal fittings 32, and a cover 38. The housing 31 has a flat shape with a small height relative to its dimensions in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. The cover 38 is attached to the housing 31 to conceal the portions of the plurality of terminal fittings 32 that are exposed at the rear of the housing 31.

[0033] The terminal fitting 32 is formed by bending a metal rod-shaped member. The terminal fitting 32 has a harness connection portion 33 that extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction and a board connection portion 34 that extends rearward from the rear end of the harness connection portion 33. The board connection portion 34 has a leg portion 35 that extends linearly downward from the rear end of the harness connection portion 33 and a mounting portion 36 that extends rearward from the lower end of the leg portion 35.

[0034] The terminal fittings 32 are attached to the housing 31 in a juxtaposed state in the left-right direction. The terminal fittings 32 are attached by press-fitting the harness connection portions 33 into the housing 31 from the rear. The rear ends of the harness connection portions 33 of the terminal fittings 32 and the entire board connection portions 34 are exposed at the rear of the housing 31. The number of terminal fittings 32 attached to one housing 31 is the same as the number of lands 27 (13 poles). The positional relationship (parallel pitch in the left-right direction) of the 13 mounting portions 36 is the same as that of the lands 27. The connector 30 is attached to the mounting surface 24 via pegs 37 fixed to both the left and right outer surfaces of the housing 31. The mounting portion 36 of each terminal fitting 32 is placed on solder (not shown) applied to the upper surface of the land 27.

[0035] The mounted connector 30 and circuit board 21 are then reflow-processed in a reflow furnace (not shown). The reflow process electrically connects the mounting surface 24 and the lands 27 via the solder. After the reflow process, the cover 38 is attached to the housing 31. This completes the conductive path 20.

[0036] After the reflow process, the conductive paths 20 are assembled to the upper surface of the short-circuit prevention portion 15 of the bus bar holder 11. During assembly, the positioning holes 26 are fitted onto the positioning protrusions 17, and the pair of retaining walls 19 are engaged with both ends of the cover 38. As the retaining walls 19 engage with the cover 38, the upper surface of the base 16 of the short-circuit prevention portion 15 is brought into close contact with the back surface 21L of the circuit board 21 (the back surface 23L of the reinforcing plate 23). The connector device 10 is constructed by assembling the conductive paths 20 to the bus bar holder 11.

[0037] When the connector device 10 is assembled, the protrusions 18 of the bus bar holder 11 pass through the through holes 25 of the circuit board 21, and the upper ends of the protrusions 18 protrude above the mounting surface 24 of the circuit board 21. In plan view, an insulating space S is secured over the entire periphery between the outer surfaces of the protrusions 18 (both the front and rear surfaces and both the left and right outer surfaces) and the inner surfaces of the through holes 25. In other words, the outer surfaces of the protrusions 18 and the inner surfaces of the through holes 25 are not in contact over the entire area.

[0038] 5, a mounting portion 36H connected to a land 27H through which a high-voltage current flows is disposed immediately to the left of the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18. A mounting portion 36L connected to a land 27L through which a low-voltage current flows is disposed immediately to the right of the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18. The potential difference between the mounting portions 36H, 36L of two adjacent terminal fittings 32 sandwiching the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18 is close to 800 V. Therefore, if the creepage distance between the two mounting portions 36H, 36L is short, there is a risk of a short circuit occurring between the two mounting portions 36H, 36L.

[0039] To address this issue, a through hole 25 is formed between the two mounting portions 36H, 36L, and a protrusion 18 is disposed within the through hole 25, without contacting the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 25. This ensures a creeping path between the mounting portions 36H, 36L, passing through the left inner surface of the through hole 25, the upper surface of the base 16, the left outer surface of the protrusion 18, the upper end surface of the protrusion 18, the right side surface of the protrusion 18, the upper surface of the base 16, and the right inner surface of the through hole 25. The creeping path distance (creeping distance) is longer than the creeping distance when the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18 are not formed by the sum of the vertical distance along the left and right inner surfaces of the through hole 25 and the vertical distance along the left and right outer surfaces of the protrusion 18. This prevents short circuits between the mounting portions 36H, 36L.

[0040] Furthermore, an insulating space S is secured around the entire circumference between the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 25 and the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 18. Therefore, during the process of assembling the conductive path 20 (circuit board 21) to the bus bar holder 11 (short-circuit prevention part 15), there is no risk of the protrusion 18 coming into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 25. In other words, there is no risk of sliding resistance occurring between the protrusion 18 and the circuit board 21. Therefore, even if the tolerances of the through hole 25 and the protrusion 18 are large, this does not interfere with the assembly of the circuit board 21 and the short-circuit prevention part 15.

[0041] A front edge 25F of the through hole 25 is located forward of the front ends of the lands 27, 27H, 27L and the mounting portions 36, 36H, 36L. A rear edge 25R of the through hole 25 is located rearward of the rear ends of the lands 27, 27H, 27L and the mounting portions 36, 36H, 36L. Therefore, the creeping path between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L on the mounting surface 24 is a curved path that follows the front edge 25F or the rear edge 25R of the through hole 25. Therefore, the formation of the through hole 25 ensures a long creeping distance between the mounting portions 36H and 36L on the mounting surface 24.

[0042] The bus bar module M of the first embodiment includes a connector device 10 and a plurality of bus bars 39 for connecting a plurality of battery cells C. A bus bar holder 11, which functions as a short-circuit prevention member, is integrally formed with a bus bar holding portion 12 that holds the plurality of bus bars 39. With this configuration, the connector device 10 and the plurality of bus bars 39 are modularized as a single assembly, facilitating the assembly work to the battery cells C.

[0043] The connector device 10 of the first embodiment includes a connector 30, a circuit board 21, and a bus bar holder 11 that functions as a short-circuit prevention member. The connector 30 has a configuration in which a plurality of terminal fittings 32 are attached in parallel to a housing 31. The surface of the circuit board 21 functions as a mounting surface 24 for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings 32. A through hole 25 is formed in the region of the circuit board 21 between the mounting portions 36H, 36L of adjacent terminal fittings 32. The bus bar holder 11 is a component separate from the circuit board 21. The short-circuit prevention portion 15 of the bus bar holder 11 has a base 16 and a protrusion 18. The base 16 is in close contact with the back surface 21L of the circuit board 21 to close the through hole 25. The protrusion 18 protrudes from the base 16 and is housed in the through hole 25 with an insulating space S therebetween.

[0044] A curved creeping path is formed between adjacent terminal fittings 32 (high-potential mounting portion 36H and low-potential mounting portion 36L) via the inner circumferential surface of through hole 25, base 16, and protrusion 18, preventing short circuits between terminal fittings 32 (between mounting portion 36H and mounting portion 36L). The protrusion 18 that forms the creeping path is housed in through hole 25 with an insulating space S between them, improving the ease of assembly of bus bar holder 11 (short-circuit prevention portion 15) and circuit board 21.

[0045] The mounting surface 24 has lands 27, 27H, and 27L to which terminal fittings 32 are connected. In the front-rear direction perpendicular to the parallel arrangement of the terminal fittings 32, the opening area of ​​the through hole 25 is larger than the formation area of ​​the land 27. With this configuration, a long creepage distance can be ensured between adjacent lands 27 on the mounting surface 24.

[0046] The circuit board 21 has a sheet-like flexible base material 22 having terminal fittings 32 connected to a mounting surface 24 thereof, and a reinforcing plate 23 fixed to the rear surface of the flexible base material 22. The through holes 25 penetrate the flexible base material 22 and the reinforcing plate 23. With this configuration, even if the terminal fittings 32 are mounted on the flexible base material 22, which is easily deformed, the base 16 of the short-circuit prevention member can be tightly attached to the rear surface 21L of the circuit board 21.

[0047] The bus bar holder 11 (short circuit prevention portion 15) is integrally formed with a path retaining portion 14 for retaining the flexible substrate 22 in a shape that follows a predetermined wiring path. This configuration allows for a reduction in the number of parts compared to when the path retaining portion 14 is manufactured as a separate part from the bus bar holder 11 (short circuit prevention member).

[0048] [Example 2] A connector device 40 according to Example 2 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 9. In Example 2, the up-down direction is defined as the H direction in Figure 9. The left-right direction is defined as the R direction in Figure 9. In the connector device 40 according to Example 2, the short-circuit prevention portion 42 of the bus bar holder 41 has a different configuration from that of Example 1. Since the other configurations are the same as those of Example 1, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0049] The short-circuit prevention portion 42 of the second embodiment has a notch 44 formed by recessing the upper surface of the base 43. The protrusion 45 protrudes upward from the inner bottom surface of the notch 44. In a plan view, the notch 44 has a rectangular shape larger than the opening area of ​​the through-hole 25. That is, the front edge of the notch 44 is located forward of the front edge of the through-hole 25, and the rear edge of the notch 44 is located rearward of the rear edge of the through-hole 25. The left edge of the notch 44 is located to the left of the left edge of the through-hole 25, and the right edge of the notch 44 is located to the right of the right edge of the through-hole 25. An opening edge 25E of the through-hole 25 on the back surface 21L of the circuit board (back surface 23L of the reinforcing plate) faces the top surface of the base 43 in a non-contact state.

[0050] The creeping path between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L is a path that passes through the left inner surface of the through hole 25, the back surface 21L of the circuit board 21, the left inner surface of the cutout 44, the inner bottom surface of the cutout 44, the left outer surface of the protrusion 45, the upper end surface of the protrusion 45, the right outer surface of the protrusion 45, the inner bottom surface of the cutout 44, the right inner surface of the cutout 44, the back surface 21L of the circuit board 21, and the right inner surface of the through hole 25.

[0051] In the second embodiment, a notch 44 is formed on the surface (top surface) of the base 43 facing the circuit board 21, exposing the opening edge 25E of the through hole 25 on the back surface 21L of the circuit board 21. The protrusion 45 protrudes upward from the inner bottom surface of the notch 44. With this configuration, the opening edge 25E of the through hole 25 on the back surface 21L of the circuit board 21 and the inner surface of the notch 44 of the short-circuit prevention portion 42 can increase the creepage distance.

[0052] [Example 3] A connector device 50 according to Example 3 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 10. In Example 3, the up-down direction is defined as the H direction in Figure 10. The left-right direction is defined as the R direction in Figure 10. In the connector device 50 according to Example 3, the short-circuit prevention portion 52 of the bus bar holder 51 has a different configuration from that of Example 1. Since the other configurations are the same as those of Example 1, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0053] The short circuit prevention portion 52 of the third embodiment has a protrusion 54 that protrudes upward from the base 53. A recess 55 is formed on the upper end surface of the protrusion 54. In a rear view of the connector device 50 seen from the rear, the recess 55 is formed in the center in the left-right direction of the protrusion 54. The front and rear ends of the recess 55 may or may not open to the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 54.

[0054] The creepage path between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L is a path that passes through the left inner surface of the through-hole 25, the upper surface of the base 53, the left outer surface of the protrusion 54, the upper end surface of the protrusion 54, the curved inner surface of the recess 55, the upper end surface of the protrusion 54, the right outer surface of the protrusion 54, the upper surface of the base 53, and the right inner surface of the through-hole 25. The recess 55 formed in the protruding end surface of the protrusion 54 can increase the creepage distance between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L.

[0055] [Example 4] A connector device 60 according to Example 4 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 15. In Example 4, the front-rear direction is defined as the F direction in Figures 11 to 13 and 15. The up-down direction is defined as the H direction in Figures 11 to 15. The left-right direction is defined as the R direction in Figures 1 to 14. The left-right direction and the width direction are used synonymously. The connector device 60 according to Example 4 differs from Example 1 in the short-circuit prevention means between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L. Since the other configurations are the same as those of Example 1, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0056] Of the connector 61 constituting the connector device 60 of the fourth embodiment, the housing 31 and the terminal fittings 32 have the same configuration as the connector 30 of the first embodiment. The cover 62 of the connector 61 of the first embodiment has a shape different from the cover 38 of the first embodiment. The cover 62 of the fourth embodiment is a single component having a cover portion 63 that covers the portion of the terminal fittings 32 that is exposed at the rear of the housing 31 (board connection portion 34), and a protrusion 64 that protrudes downward from the cover portion 63. The shape and size of the protrusion 64 in a bottom view of the connector device 60 viewed from below are the same as the protrusion 18 in a plan view of the first embodiment.

[0057] The circuit board 21 of Example 4 is the same member as that of Example 1. The region of the bus bar holder 65 of Example 4 to which the front end of the circuit board 21 is attached functions as a blocking portion 66. When the circuit board 21 is attached to the bus bar holder 65, the blocking portion 66 blocks the entire opening region of the through hole 25 of the circuit board 21. The upper surface of the blocking portion 66 is in close contact with the back surface 21L of the circuit board 21 (the back surface 23L of the reinforcing plate 23). The protrusion 64 is housed in the through hole 25 from above the circuit board 21. An insulating space S is secured around the entire circumference between the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 25 and the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 64. The lower end surface (protruding end surface) of the protrusion 64 faces the upper surface of the blocking portion 66 with a gap therebetween in the vertical direction.

[0058] A connector device 60 of the fourth embodiment includes a connector 61, a circuit board 21, a bus bar holder 65 (a blocking member), and a cover 62. The connector 61 has a configuration in which a plurality of terminal fittings 32 are attached in parallel to a housing 31. The surface of the circuit board 21 functions as a mounting surface 24 for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings 32.

[0059] A through hole 25 is formed in the region of the circuit board 21 between the high-potential mounting portion 36H and the low-potential mounting portion 36L of adjacent terminal fittings 32. The bus bar holder 65 is in close contact with the rear surface 21L of the circuit board 21 to close the through hole 25. The cover 62 is a component separate from the housing 31 and the circuit board 21. The cover 62 has a covering portion 63 and a protrusion 64. The covering portion 63 covers the board connection portion 34 of the terminal fitting 32 that is exposed to the outside of the housing 31. The protrusion 64 protrudes downward from the covering portion 63 and is housed in the through hole 25 with an insulating space S therebetween.

[0060] According to the connector device 60 of the fourth embodiment, a creeping path that is bent along the inner surface of the through hole 25 or a creeping path that is bent along the surface of the protrusion 64 is formed between adjacent terminal fittings 32. This bent creeping path ensures a long creeping distance, thereby preventing short circuits between the terminal fittings 32. The protrusion 64 that forms the creeping path is housed in the through hole 25 with an insulating space S between them, which allows for easy assembly of the cover 62 and the circuit board 21.

[0061] Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, but is defined by the claims. The present invention includes all modifications equivalent to and within the scope of the claims, including the following embodiments. The circuit board may be a rigid board (hard board) that is not flexible. The width of the protrusion may be the same as or smaller than the distance between the inner surface of the through hole and the outer surface of the protrusion. If the width of the protrusion is smaller than the distance between the through hole and the protrusion, short circuits caused by the proximity of the opening edge of the through hole to the outer surface of the protrusion can be avoided. In the front-rear direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the terminal fittings, the opening area of ​​the through hole may be the same as or smaller than the area where the land is formed. The path retainer may be a component separate from the short-circuit prevention member. The busbar retainer may be a component separate from the short-circuit prevention member.

[0062] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Connector device 11...Bus bar holder (short circuit prevention member) 12...Bus bar holding portion 13...Holding plate portion 14...Path holding portion 15...Short circuit prevention portion 16...Base portion 17...Positioning protrusion 18...Protrusion portion 19...Holding wall portion 20...Conductive path 21...Circuit board 21L...Back surface of circuit board 22...Flexible base material 23...Reinforcing plate 23L...Back surface of reinforcing plate 24...Mounting surface 25...Through hole 25E...Opening edge portion of through hole 25F...Front end edge of through hole 25R...Rear end edge of through hole 26...Positioning hole 27...Land 27H...High potential land 27L...Low potential land 30...Connector 31...Housing 32...Terminal fitting 33...Harness connection portion 34...Board connection portion 35...Leg portion 36...Mounting portion 36H...High potential mounting portion 36L...Low potential mounting portion 37...Peg 38...Cover 39...Bus bar 40...Connector device 41...Bus bar holder (short circuit prevention member) 42...Short circuit prevention portion 43...Base 44...Notch 45...Protrusion 50...Connector device 51...Bus bar holder (short circuit prevention member) 52...Short circuit prevention portion 53...Base 54...Protrusion 55...Recess 60...Connector device 61...Connector 62...Cover 63...Covering portion 64...Protrusion 65...Bus bar holder (blocking member) 66...Blocking portion C...Battery cell M...Bus bar module S...Insulating space

Claims

1. A connector device comprising: a connector having a plurality of terminal fittings attached to a housing in a parallel state; a circuit board having a surface serving as a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings; a through hole formed in a region between the adjacent terminal fittings on the circuit board; and a short-circuit prevention member which is a component separate from the circuit board, wherein the short-circuit prevention member has a base portion that closely adheres to the back surface of the circuit board to close the through hole, and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the base portion and is housed in the through hole with an insulating space therebetween.

2. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting surface has lands to which the terminal fittings are connected, and in a direction orthogonal to the parallel direction of the terminal fittings, an opening region of the through hole is larger than a formation region of the lands.

3. The connector device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the circuit board has a sheet-like flexible base material to which the terminal fittings are connected on the mounting surface, and a reinforcing plate fixed to the back surface of the flexible base material, and the through hole penetrates through the flexible base material and the reinforcing plate.

4. The connector device according to claim 3, wherein the short-circuit prevention member is integrally formed with a path holding portion for holding the flexible base material in a shape along a predetermined wiring path.

5. The connector device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a notch portion for exposing an opening edge portion of the through hole on the back surface of the circuit board is formed on a surface of the base portion facing the circuit board, and the protrusion portion protrudes from an inner bottom surface of the notch portion.

6. The connector device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a recess is formed on a protruding end surface of the protrusion portion.

7. A connector device comprising: a connector having a plurality of terminal fittings attached to a housing in a parallel state; a circuit board having a surface serving as a mounting surface for mounting the plurality of terminal fittings; a through hole formed in a region between the adjacent terminal fittings on the circuit board; a closing member that closely adheres to the back surface of the circuit board to close the through hole; and a cover which is a component separate from the housing and the circuit board, wherein the cover has a covering portion that covers a board connection portion of the terminal fittings exposed outside the housing, and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the covering portion and is housed in the through hole with an insulating space therebetween.

8. A bus bar module comprising the connector device according to claim 1 and a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, wherein a bus bar holding portion for holding the plurality of bus bars is integrally formed in the short-circuit prevention member.

9. A bus bar module comprising the connector device according to claim 7 and a plurality of bus bars for connecting a plurality of battery cells, wherein a bus bar holding portion for holding the plurality of bus bars is integrally formed in the blocking member.

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