Electronic component

Abstract

A frame terminal 8 is bent so that its cross-sectional shape is an S-shape, and such that separation distances L1, L2 and L3 in a horizontal direction between an uppermost portion and a lowermost portion, in the vertical direction, of an end portion side face 21a of a resistance element 8 built into a mold divider 1, and a part substantially midway between an uppermost point and a lowermost point thereof, and the parts of the surface of the frame terminal 6 that correspond to these parts in the horizontal direction satisfy the relation L1>L2≥L3. As a result, in the mold divider 1, a space which is to be filled with a joining material and which has a non-uniform separation distance is formed between the frame terminal 6 and the end portion side face 21a, thereby making it possible to ensure the bonding strength between the resistance element 8 and the frame terminal 6.

Description

Electronic Components

[0001] The present invention relates to high voltage electronic components.

[0002] Mold dividers are used as resistors for voltage divider circuits in automotive battery management systems such as BMS (Battery Management Systems). They realize voltage divider resistance consisting of multiple chip resistors in a single package, thereby reducing the mounting area and enabling the creation of higher precision voltage divider resistance.

[0003] As described above, mold dividers enable voltage division in a single package, and depending on their specifications, high voltages of 500 V or more, or even 1000 V or more, may be applied between the electrodes, and insulation must be taken into consideration, so the chip resistor is covered with a resin mold. The electrodes of the chip resistor are then joined to a frame within the mold, allowing it to be connected to an external circuit.

[0004] Therefore, focusing on the joining structure between the electrodes and the frame in a resin-molded electronic component, for example, a high-voltage electrical device described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which a passive element (resistor) functioning as a voltage divider is molded in the internal region of a ribbed molded body that functions as a package, and the passive element is connected to a lead frame. The lead frame is formed with segments that sandwich the top edge of the passive element from above and below, and segments that sandwich the sides of the passive element from below and right and left. The entire passive element and part of the lead frame are covered with an exterior material.

[0005] The surface mount resistor described in Patent Document 2 has a structure that connects the side and bottom surfaces of the resistor to the lead terminals (frame), in consideration of the problem of the electrodes and terminals of the chip resistor coming loose when heated during mounting, etc. In other words, electrodes are formed across the end surfaces and bottom surface of the substrate of the chip resistor, and these electrodes are soldered to plate-shaped lead terminals, with the entire chip resistor and part of the lead terminals being covered with an exterior member.

[0006] On the other hand, Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which, in a multilayer capacitor as an electronic component, parts of the lead terminals and the capacitor are covered with an exterior material, and convex portions are provided on the opposing end face portions of the lead terminals to ensure electrical contact between the opposing end face portions and the terminal portions of the capacitor.

[0007] JP 2018-522423 A JP 2021-141126 A JP 2002-043166 A

[0008] The joining structure between the electrode and the frame in the high-voltage electrical device described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above has the problem that, even if the connection between the lead frame and the passive element (resistor) can be secured, the processing of the lead frame (forming of the cut pieces) for this purpose is complicated and dimensional accuracy matching the resistor is required, which leads to an increase in the cost of the parts.

[0009] The resistor in Patent Document 2 has a structure in which the surface of the lead terminal (frame) and the surface of the electrode of the chip resistor are in surface contact, so when connecting the lead terminal and the electrode, the solder interposed between them is pushed away and may not be able to ensure a sufficient thickness of the solder as a connecting member. Also, for solder connection to the resistor, the lead terminal is bent at a right angle to provide a flat portion and a vertical portion, but bending the lead terminal to provide such a right-angle portion is difficult, and there is a possibility that surface contact between the electrode of the chip resistor and the lead terminal may not be ensured.

[0010] The structure disclosed in Patent Document 3 can sandwich the multilayer capacitor by utilizing the elasticity of the lead terminals themselves. However, in this case, the convex portions provided on the opposing end faces of the lead terminals come into direct contact with the lead terminals, which applies pressure to the terminal portions of the capacitor, potentially damaging the capacitor.

[0011] Therefore, if the above-mentioned joint structure between the electrodes and the frame in conventional electronic components is applied to an in-vehicle BMS, the joint strength between the chip component and the frame inside the mold may be insufficient, making it impossible to accurately divide the voltage using the voltage dividing resistor, which may result in the in-vehicle battery being overcharged or not being charged at all.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an electronic component such as a thick-film mold divider that ensures bonding strength between a resistor element (chip component) inside the mold and a frame terminal.

[0013] As one means for achieving the object and solving the above-mentioned problems, for example, the electronic component of the present invention has the following configuration: That is, the electronic component of the present invention includes a resistance element having electrodes formed on both ends of a plate-like substrate and a resistor formed between the electrodes, an exterior member that covers at least the entire resistance element, and a frame terminal having one end connected to the electrodes and the other end extended to the outside from the exterior member, wherein the frame terminal is bent into a predetermined shape so that the longitudinal distance between an end electrode located on an end face of the resistance element in the longitudinal direction and a portion of the frame terminal facing the end electrode is not uniform.

[0014] For example, the frame terminal is bent so that its cross section in the longitudinal direction has an S-shape. Furthermore, for example, the outer surface of the end electrode is taken as a reference plane, and line segments are drawn in the longitudinal direction from the top to the bottom of the resistance element in the thickness direction, starting from the reference plane, and the line segment that first abuts against the frame terminal is taken as L1, the longitudinal distance between the outer surface of the end electrode and the frame terminal at the bottom of the outer surface in the thickness direction is taken as L2, and the longitudinal distance between the outer surface of the end electrode and the frame terminal when the frame terminal is closest to the side electrode in the longitudinal direction is taken as L3, where the longitudinal distances satisfy the relationship L1 > L2 ≥ L3.

[0015] For example, the frame terminal is bent such that the portion is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction and the cross section of the portion in the longitudinal direction is linear. Furthermore, for example, the outer surface of the end electrode is taken as a reference plane, and line segments are drawn in the longitudinal direction from the top to the bottom of the resistor element starting from the reference plane, and the line segment that first abuts the frame terminal is taken as a longitudinal distance L1 between the outer surface and the frame terminal, a longitudinal distance L2 between the outer surface and the frame terminal at a lowermost part of the outer surface of the end electrode in the thickness direction, and a longitudinal distance L3 between the outer surface and the frame terminal at a portion of the end electrode that is approximately midway between the uppermost part and the lowermost part in the thickness direction. The longitudinal distances satisfy the relationship L1 > L3 > L2.

[0016] For example, if the distance between the bottom electrode located on the bottom surface of the end of the resistor element and the frame terminal when they are closest in the thickness direction of the resistor element is L4, and the distance between the bottom electrode and the frame terminal when they are farthest from the frame terminal in the thickness direction is L5, the distances satisfy the relationship L4<L5. Also, for example, the space formed between the end electrode and the frame terminal and the bottom electrode, which has the distances L1 to L5, is used as a pool of bonding material that bonds the end electrode and the bottom electrode to the frame terminal.

[0017] Furthermore, for example, the resistor element may be disposed at a position where the center of gravity of the resistor element in the longitudinal direction coincides with the center of gravity of the electronic component. Furthermore, for example, the resistor element may be disposed such that the center of gravity of the resistor element is offset toward one of the electrodes formed at both ends of the plate-like substrate relative to the center of gravity of the electronic component in the longitudinal direction. For example, the exterior member may be made of an insulating resin molded member and cover the entire resistor element and a part of the frame terminal.

[0018] Furthermore, the electronic component of the present invention is characterized in that it is a thick-film mold divider for high voltage, in which a first resistor is formed between a first electrode and a second electrode among the electrodes formed at both ends of the plate-like substrate, and a second resistor is formed between the second electrode and a third electrode.

[0019] According to the present invention, the bonding strength between the resistive element (chip component) built into the mold divider and the frame terminal can be improved, and the function of the resistive element as a high-voltage dividing resistor (divider) can be maintained.

[0020] 1(a) is an external perspective view of a thick film mold divider according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from a first angle, and FIG. 1(b) is an external perspective view of the thick film mold divider according to the first embodiment, as viewed from a second angle different from the first angle. It is a perspective view of the mold divider according to the first embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view of the mold divider of FIG. 2, cut along the line A-A'. It is a detailed view of the area surrounded by dashed line B in FIG. 3. It is a diagram for explaining a method of defining the separation distance L1 between a reference plane and a first frame in the x-axis direction. It is a cross-sectional view of the mold divider according to the second embodiment, cut along its longitudinal direction. It is a detailed view of the area surrounded by dashed line C in FIG. 6. FIG. 8(a) is a diagram showing an embodiment of a mold divider in which the center line of the mold divider and the center line of a resistor element in the x-axis direction are aligned, and FIG. 8(b) is a diagram showing an embodiment of a mold divider in which the center line of the resistor element is positioned such that the center line of the resistor element is offset toward the first frame from the center line of the mold divider. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for disposing a resistor element by displacing it toward the first frame terminal side of the mold divider.

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiment, a thick film mold divider will be described as an example of an electronic component, but the resistive element contained in the mold is not limited to a thick film divider. In addition to resistive elements, for example, varistor elements, capacitor elements, etc. can also be used.

[0022] 1A and 1B are external perspective views of a thick film mold divider (hereinafter simply referred to as a mold divider) according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from different angles. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mold divider according to the first embodiment.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1(a) etc., the mold divider 1 of this embodiment is rectangular in plan view and has a structure in which an upper surface portion 2 having a predetermined thickness in the z-axis direction and a first protrusion portion 3, a second protrusion portion 4 and a third protrusion portion 5 extending vertically (in the z-axis direction) from the underside of the upper surface portion 2 and functioning as legs when the mold divider is mounted on a circuit board are formed.

[0024] The entire molded divider 1, including the upper surface portion 2, the first protrusion portion 3, the second protrusion portion 4, and the third protrusion portion 5, is covered with an exterior material 15 integrally molded with an insulating resin (mold resin) such as epoxy resin. At the center of the lower surface side in the z-axis direction of the upper surface portion 2, there is provided a housing portion 9 that houses a mold-sealed resistive element 8, such as a thick-film divider, a thin-film divider, or a thick-film / thin-film chip resistor. By incorporating such a resistive element 8, the molded divider 1 functions as a voltage-dividing resistor.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1( a), a first electrode terminal (first frame terminal) 6 is formed on the first protrusion 3, and as shown in FIG. 1( b), a second electrode terminal (second frame terminal) 7 a and a third electrode terminal (third frame terminal) 7 b are formed on the second protrusion 4 in parallel in the y-axis direction.

[0026] That is, in the mold divider 1, a first frame terminal 6 is formed at one end of the resistive element 8 in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction), and a second frame terminal 7a and a third frame terminal 7b are formed at the other end of the resistive element 8 in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction).

[0027] 2 , the resistor element 8 has a first electrode 16 formed at one longitudinal end thereof, and a second electrode 17a and a third electrode 17b formed at the other longitudinal end thereof. A first resistor 31 is formed between the first electrode 16 and the second electrode 17a on the upper surface of the resistor element 8, and a second resistor 32 is formed between the second electrode 17a and the third electrode 17b, thereby forming a voltage-dividing resistor. A protective film (not shown) is present on the upper surface of the insulating substrate 13, covering the entire upper portions of the first resistor 31 and the second resistor 32 and portions of the first electrode 16, the second electrode 17a, and the third electrode 17b.

[0028] 4 and omitted in FIG. 2, the end electrodes 20 provided at both longitudinal ends of the insulating substrate 13 of the resistor element 8 are formed corresponding to the first to third electrodes, respectively, with an upper surface electrode 23 made of a thick film formed by firing an Ag-Pd paste or the like, an end surface electrode 21 made of a thin film formed by sputtering an Ni-Cr, and a lower surface electrode 25 made of a thick film formed by firing an Ag paste or the like. Furthermore, the upper surface electrode 23, end surface electrode 21, and lower surface electrode 25 are covered with a nickel plating layer and a tin plating layer.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, inside the mold divider 1, one end of the first frame terminal 6 is connected via a bonding material (e.g., solder) to a first electrode 16 of the resistor element 8 accommodated in the accommodation portion 9, one end of the second frame terminal 7a is connected via a bonding material to a second electrode 17a of the resistor element 8, and one end of the third frame terminal 7b is connected via a bonding material to a third electrode 17b of the resistor element 8.

[0030] The first frame terminal 6 is formed by bending a flat plate-like member into a predetermined shape described later. The other end of the first frame terminal 6 extends in the x-axis direction along the underside of the upper surface portion 2, is drawn out to the outside of the exterior material 15 at the point where it reaches the end face of the first protrusion 3 in the x-axis direction, and is then bent and arranged to reach the bottom of the first protrusion 3 while extending in the z-axis direction along the end face of the first protrusion 3 in the x-axis direction.

[0031] Like the first frame terminal 6, the second frame terminal 7a and the third frame terminal 7b are also bent into a predetermined shape, and like the other end of the first frame terminal 6, each extends in the x-axis direction along the underside of the upper surface portion 2, is pulled out to the outside of the outer casing material 15 when it reaches the end face of the second protrusion portion 4 in the x-axis direction, and is then bent and arranged to extend in the z-axis direction along the end face of the second protrusion portion 4 in the x-axis direction and reach the bottom of the second protrusion portion 4.

[0032] In the mold divider 1, the first protrusion 3, the second protrusion 4, and the third protrusion 5 not only function as legs when mounted on the circuit board as described above, but also form deep recesses between the first protrusion 3 and the third protrusion 5, and between the second protrusion 4 and the third protrusion 5, thereby contributing to ensuring a longer creepage distance between the frame terminals formed on the protrusions.

[0033] Next, the internal structure of the mold divider 1 will be described in detail. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the mold divider 1 of Fig. 2 taken along the line A-A'. Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the area surrounded by the dashed line B in Fig. 3, and is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship and bonding mode between the resistor element 8 and the first frame terminal 6 in the mold divider 1.

[0034] 4, the positional relationship and bonding mode between the second frame terminal 7a and the third frame terminal 7b and the resistor element 8 are similar to the positional relationship and bonding mode between the resistor element 8 and the first frame terminal 6, and therefore will not be illustrated or described here. Also, in FIG. 4, the protective film covering the first resistor 31 is not illustrated. The same applies to FIGS. 5 and 7 described below.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4 etc., the first frame terminal 6 of the mold divider 1 has a cross-sectional shape that is bent in an S-shape. In the resistor element 8, the end electrode 20 is composed of the upper electrode 23, the end electrode 21, and the lower electrode 25 as described above, and the end electrode 21 and the first frame terminal 6 facing it are arranged a predetermined distance apart so that the distance between their surfaces is not uniform in the x-axis direction. "Not uniform" means that the distance between the end electrode 21 and the first frame terminal 6 varies depending on the opposing portion, or they are not equally spaced apart.

[0036] Then, by placing a bonding material 27 (e.g., solder) in the space formed by separating these first frame terminals 6 from the end side surface 21a by a predetermined distance, the first frame terminals 6 and the resistive element 8 are electrically and mechanically connected.

[0037] 4 , the first frame terminal 6 has an S-shaped cross section, and therefore the distance that the first frame terminal 6 is separated from the end side surface 21 a of the resistor element 8 varies depending on the location thereof. In other words, when the outer surface of the end side surface 21 a extending in the vertical direction (z-axis direction) is taken as a reference plane, the first frame terminal 6 has an S-shaped cross section whose horizontal distance (separation distance) from the reference plane is not uniform. Therefore, if multiple line segments are drawn starting from the reference plane and heading horizontally (x-axis direction) toward the first frame terminal 6, the lengths of the line segments when they hit the first frame terminal 6 (separation distance) will not be uniform either.

[0038] More specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the length (separation distance) of a line segment drawn in the x-axis direction from the uppermost portion of the end side surface 21 a in the z-axis direction (the point where the reference plane intersects with the upper surface 23 a of the upper surface electrode 23) when the line segment abuts against the first frame terminal 6 is defined as L1, the length (separation distance) of a line segment drawn in the x-axis direction from the lowermost portion of the end side surface 21 a in the z-axis direction (the point where the reference plane intersects with the lower surface 25 a of the lower surface electrode 25) when the line segment abuts against the first frame terminal 6 is defined as L2, If the length (separation distance) of the line segment at the point where the line segment drawn in the x-axis direction from the end side surface 21a is shortest (the point where the first frame terminal 6 is closest to the end side surface 21a, for example, the intermediate portion located approximately halfway between the top and bottom portions) is L3, the first frame terminal 6 is connected to the resistance element 8 via a bonding material 27 (e.g., solder) while maintaining its S-shaped bent cross-sectional shape so that the above-mentioned separation distance satisfies the relationship L1 > L2 ≧ L3.

[0039] Furthermore, when a line segment is drawn in the z-axis direction from the lower surface 25a of the lower electrode 25, the shortest line segment length among the line segments that abut against the first frame terminal 6 (the length of the line segment at the point where the lower electrode 25 is closest to the first frame terminal 6 (separation distance)) is defined as L4, and the longest line segment length among the line segments that abut against the first frame terminal 6 (the length of the line segment at the point where the lower electrode 25 is farthest from the first frame terminal 6 (separation distance)) is defined as L5.The first frame terminal 6 has a cross-sectional shape at the bottom end surface of the resistor element 8 such that these separation distances satisfy the relationship L4 < L5.

[0040] 5, depending on the bending mode of the first frame terminal 6 having an S-shaped cross section, a line segment C1 drawn in the x-axis direction from the uppermost point of the end side surface 21a in the z-axis direction may not abut the first frame terminal 6. In this case, multiple line segments (e.g., line segments C2 and C3) are drawn in the x-axis direction from the end side surface 21a, which serves as the reference plane, below line segment C1 (in the direction toward the bottom of the z-axis), and the length of line segment C3, which is the first to abut the first frame terminal 6 in the z-axis direction, is defined as L1.

[0041] As described above, the mold divider of the first embodiment forms a space with a non-uniform distance between the frame terminal and the end side surface by bending the frame terminal so that its cross-sectional shape is S-shaped, so that the distances L1, L2, and L3 in the x-axis direction between the top and bottom points of the end side surface of the resistance element built into the mold divider in the z-axis direction, and the portion approximately midway between these top and bottom points, and each portion on the surface of the frame terminal corresponding to these portions in the horizontal direction (x-axis direction) satisfy the relationship L1 > L2 ≧ L3.

[0042] Then, by filling the space between the frame terminal and the end side surface with bonding material, a thickness of the bonding material corresponding to the separation distances L1, L2, and L3 is ensured in the x-axis direction (longitudinal direction) of the end side surface of the resistive element of the mold divider.

[0043] That is, when an external force in the x-axis direction is applied to the frame terminal of the mold divider, the stress on the frame terminal is greater in the region of separation distance L1 than in other regions, so the distance between the frame terminal and the end side surface is made greater than in other regions, and the thickness of the bonding material in the x-axis direction in that region is increased. This improves the bonding strength between the resistor element (chip component) inside the mold divider and the frame terminal, and improves the tensile strength of the entire component in the x-axis direction.

[0044] Furthermore, at the bottom end surface of the resistor element of the mold divider, the frame cross-sectional shape satisfies the relationship L4 < L5, where L4 is the closest distance in the z-axis direction between the lower electrode and the frame terminal, and L5 is the farthest distance between the lower electrode and the frame terminal, and the space formed thereby is filled with bonding material, thereby ensuring the thickness of the bonding material between the frame terminal and the end electrode on the bottom side of the resistor element, and improving not only the bonding strength between the resistor element (chip component) and the frame terminal, but also the tensile strength against mold expansion.

[0045] In addition, the space formed between the end side and end bottom surfaces of the resistive element of the mold divider and the frame terminal functions as a reservoir for the bonding material (solder), preventing the bonding material from escaping and spreading or adhering to areas other than the electrodes, and improving the tensile strength of the end side and end bottom surfaces.

[0046] Furthermore, the position and shape of the frame terminal are configured so that it does not come into direct contact with the end side surface of the resistance element, so that no mechanical pressure is applied directly from the frame terminal to the end electrode, thereby avoiding damage to the resistance element.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first frame terminal 6 is described as being wider than the second frame terminal 7a and the third frame terminal 7b, but the first frame terminal 6 may be formed with the same width as the second frame terminal 7a and the third frame terminal 7b, and two first frame terminals 6 may be provided for each electrode 16, i.e., two pairs of frame terminals may be provided.

[0048] <Second embodiment> The mold divider according to the first embodiment described above has a configuration in which the frame terminal is bent in an S-shape, but the configuration of the frame terminal for ensuring the bonding strength between the resistive element (chip component) and the frame terminal within the mold divider is not limited to this.

[0049] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the mold divider 41 according to the second embodiment cut along its longitudinal direction, and Fig. 7 shows the cross-sectional shape of the first frame terminal 36, which is a frame terminal arranged on one end side of the mold divider 41 according to the second embodiment, and is a detailed view of the area surrounded by the dashed line C in Fig. 6.

[0050] The appearance of the mold divider 41 according to the second embodiment, the arrangement of the frame terminals, etc. are the same as those of the mold divider 1 according to the first embodiment. Also, the shapes of the second and third frame terminals 37a and 37b arranged on the other end side of the mold divider 41 are the same as the shape of the first frame terminal 36 on the one end side, and therefore are not shown in Figure 7.

[0051] 6 and 7 , the first frame terminal 36 of the mold divider 41 according to the second embodiment has a portion facing the end electrode 21 of the resistor element 8 inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal direction (x-axis direction), and has a linear cross-sectional shape. The inclination angle θ is, for example, 45°, and the first frame terminal 36 is gradually spaced apart (the separation distance increases) from the end side surface 21 a of the end electrode 21 in the direction from the bottom to the top of the z-axis. This creates a space with a non-uniform separation distance between the frame terminal and the end side surface.

[0052] Here, the line length (separation distance) when a line segment drawn in the x-axis direction from the top of end side surface 21a in the z-axis direction hits first frame terminal 36 is defined as L1, the line length (separation distance) when a line segment drawn in the x-axis direction from the bottom of end side surface 21a in the z-axis direction hits first frame terminal 36 is defined as L2, and the line length (separation distance) at an intermediate portion located approximately halfway between the top and bottom is defined as L3.The first frame terminal 36 has a cross-sectional shape that satisfies the relationship L1 > L3 > L2.

[0053] In this way, the first frame terminal 36 and the end face electrode 21 of the resistor element 8 are spaced a predetermined distance apart while satisfying the above relationship, and a bonding material 37 (e.g., solder) is interposed in the space formed between these frame terminals and the electrodes, thereby electrically and mechanically connecting the first frame terminal 36 and the resistor element 8.

[0054] At the bottom surface of the end of the resistive element 8 of the mold divider 41, the distance L4 at which the first frame terminal 36 and the lower electrode 25 are closest in the z-axis direction and the distance L5 at which the lower electrode 25 is farthest from the first frame terminal 36 satisfy the relationship L4 < L5, as in the first embodiment.

[0055] In the mold divider according to the second embodiment described above, the distance between the frame terminal and the end side surface of the resistor element is made larger at the portion of distance L1 where the stress on the frame terminal is larger than at other portions, and the thickness of the bonding material in the x-axis direction at that portion is made larger. This maintains the bonding strength between the resistor element in the mold divider and the frame terminal, even when an external force in the x-axis direction is applied to the frame terminal of the mold divider, and improves the tensile strength of the entire component in the x-axis direction.

[0056] Furthermore, by making the cross-sectional shape of the frame terminal at the connection point with the end electrode a straight line inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the mold divider, it becomes easier to process the frame terminal than, for example, bending the frame terminal at a right angle so that it is parallel to the end electrode.

[0057] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the frame terminal of the mold divider is positioned and shaped so that it does not come into direct contact with the end side surface of the resistor element, thereby preventing the frame terminal from damaging the resistor element.

[0058] Both the mold dividers according to the first and second embodiments can ensure airtightness of the built-in resistive element by molding and the bonding strength between the resistive element and the frame terminal, making it possible to achieve high-precision and appropriate voltage division by the resistive element inside the mold, and reliably preventing overcharging and undercharging when applied to an automotive battery.

[0059] <Regarding the Position of Resistive Elements> Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the position of resistive elements in a mold divider. Figure 8(a) shows an embodiment in which the center line CL1 of the mold divider 1 in the x-axis direction is aligned with the center line CL2 of the resistive element 8. On the other hand, Figure 8(b) shows an embodiment of a mold divider 11 in which the center line CL2 of the resistive element 8 is displaced in the x-axis direction from the center line CL1 of the mold divider.

[0060] As shown in Figure 8(b) , by arranging the resistive element 8 so that it is biased toward the first frame terminal 6 of the mold divider 11 in the x-axis direction and shifting the center of gravity of the resistive element 8 toward the first frame terminal 6, a space larger than the space on the first frame terminal 6 side can be formed between the second and third frame terminals 7a, 7b and the end electrode 51, and bonding material 57 can be accumulated in that space.

[0061] That is, since the first frame terminal 6 is larger than the second and third frame terminals 7a, 7b, the self-alignment effect during solder connection allows for smooth positioning relative to the end electrode 21. In contrast, for the second and third frame terminals 7a, 7b, which are smaller in size, a necessary and sufficient amount of bonding material can be stored in a space larger than the first frame terminal 6 side as described above to ensure stable solder application, thereby ensuring bonding strength with the end electrode 51.

[0062] In addition, in order to position the resistive element 8 so that it is biased toward the first frame terminal 6 of the mold divider in the x-axis direction, a protrusion 33 may be provided at the portion facing the end surface electrode 51 of the second and third frame terminals 7a and 7b, as shown in Figure 9, for example.

[0063] The above-described embodiments have been described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention, and may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the present invention may be selected arbitrarily, and inventions having selected configurations are also included in the present invention.

[0064] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 11, 41 Thick film mold divider 2 Upper surface portion 2a Upper surface side of upper surface portion 2b Lower surface side of upper surface portion 3 First protrusion 4 Second protrusion 5 Third protrusion 6, 36 First electrode terminal (first frame terminal) 7a, 37a Second electrode terminal (second frame terminal) 7b, 37b Third electrode terminal (third frame terminal) 8 Resistance element 9 Housing 13 Insulating substrate 15 Exterior material 16 First electrode 17a Second electrode 17b Third electrode 20 End electrode 21, 51 End electrode 21a End side surface 23 Upper electrode 25 Lower electrode 25a Lower surface 27, 37, 57 Bonding material 31 First resistor 32 Second resistor 33 Protrusion L1, L2, L3 L4, L5: Distance between the frame terminal and the end side of the end electrode. L5: Distance between the frame terminal and the bottom electrode.

Claims

1. An electronic component having a resistance element in which electrodes are formed on both ends of a plate-like substrate and a resistor is formed between the electrodes, an exterior member that covers at least the entire resistance element, and a frame terminal having one end connected to the electrodes and the other end extended to the outside from the exterior member, wherein the frame terminal is bent into a predetermined shape so that the distance in the longitudinal direction between an end electrode located on the longitudinal end face of the resistance element and a portion of the frame terminal facing the end electrode is not uniform.

2. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the frame terminal is bent so that the cross section in the longitudinal direction has an S-shape.

3. The electronic component according to claim 2, wherein the outer surface of the end electrode is taken as a reference plane, and line segments are drawn in the longitudinal direction from the top to the bottom in the thickness direction of the resistor element, starting from the reference plane, and the line segment that first abuts against the frame terminal is taken as L1, the longitudinal distance between the outer surface of the end electrode and the frame terminal at the bottom of the outer surface in the thickness direction is taken as L2, and the longitudinal distance between the outer surface of the end electrode and the frame terminal when the frame terminal is closest to the side electrode in the longitudinal direction is taken as L3, and the longitudinal distances satisfy the relationship L1 > L2 ≥ L3.

4. The electronic component according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame terminal is bent so that the cross-sectional shape of the portion in the longitudinal direction is linear while the portion is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal direction.

5. The electronic component according to claim 4, wherein the outer surface of the end electrode is taken as a reference plane, and line segments are drawn in the longitudinal direction from the top to the bottom of the resistance element in the thickness direction, starting from the reference plane, and the line segment that first strikes the frame terminal is taken as L1, the longitudinal distance between the outer surface of the end electrode and the frame terminal at the bottom of the outer surface in the thickness direction is taken as L2, and the longitudinal distance between the outer surface of the end electrode and the frame terminal at a location approximately midway between the top and bottom of the end electrode in the thickness direction is taken as L3, and the longitudinal distances satisfy the relationship L1 > L3 > L2.

6. An electronic component according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that, when the distance between the bottom electrode located on the bottom surface of the end of the resistor element and the frame terminal when the bottom electrode and the frame terminal are closest to each other in the thickness direction of the resistor element is L4, and the distance between the bottom electrode and the frame terminal when the bottom electrode is farthest from the frame terminal in the thickness direction is L5, the distances satisfy the relationship L4 < L5.

7. An electronic component as described in claim 3 or 5, characterized in that the spaces formed between the end surface electrodes and the bottom surface electrodes and the frame terminals, with the separation distances L1 to L5, are used as reservoirs of bonding material for joining the end surface electrodes and the bottom surface electrodes to the frame terminals.

8. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the resistance element is disposed at a position where the center of gravity of the resistance element in the longitudinal direction coincides with the center of gravity of the electronic component.

9. An electronic component as described in claim 1, characterized in that the center of gravity of the resistive element is shifted toward one of the electrodes formed at both ends of the plate-like substrate relative to the center of gravity of the electronic component in the longitudinal direction.

10. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the exterior member is made of an insulating resin molded member, and covers the entire resistor element and a part of the frame terminal.

11. The electronic component according to claim 2 or 4, characterized in that the electronic component is a thick-film molded divider for high voltage, in which a first resistor is formed between a first electrode and a second electrode formed on both ends of the plate-like substrate, and a second resistor is formed between the second electrode and a third electrode.

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