Terminal member, relay connector, and power control unit

Abstract

Provided are a terminal member, a relay connector, and a power control unit capable of reducing surface pressure by increasing a contact area between a first metal member and a second metal member and thus achieving more stable fastening.　A terminal member (1) according to the present disclosure is formed by inserting a second metal member (20) through a hole (H) of a first metal member (10), and screw-fastening the second metal member (20) to the first metal member (10). The second metal member (20) is provided with a screw part (21) that is screw-fastened to the first metal member (10), and a protruding part (22) that is adjacent to the screw part (21) in the insertion direction of the screw part (21) and protrudes in a direction intersecting the insertion direction. The protruding part (22) has an inclined surface (22a) inclined toward the insertion direction, the inclined surface (22a) being in contact with the inner surface of the hole (H).

Description

Terminal member, relay connector and power control unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal member, a relay connector, and a power control unit.

[0002] In recent years, hybrid and electric vehicles that run on motors have been actively developed. These vehicles are equipped with power control units that appropriately control the amount of electricity used.

[0003] The power control unit is provided with a high-current terminal through which a large current of 100 A or more flows, and a signal terminal for signal circuit use through which a current smaller than that of the high-current terminal flows. The high-current terminal may be formed of two metal members in order to appropriately handle the large current.

[0004] As an example of an electrode constructed from two metal members, for example, for use in a discharge lamp, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrode structure in which a bottomed cylindrical recess and an electrode rod are screwed together.

[0005] JP 2016-167399 A

[0006] 4, a possible configuration is one in which the second metal member 120 is inserted through a hole H10 in the first metal member 110 and screwed to the first metal member 110. By bringing the second metal member 120 into contact with the inner surface 113 of the hole H10 in the first metal member 110, a stable fastening force can be obtained.

[0007] When the second metal member 120 is screwed to the first metal member 110 and the second metal member 120 contacts the inner surface 113, a predetermined surface pressure (load per unit area) is applied to the inner surface 113. Therefore, it is necessary to maximize the area of ​​the inner surface 113. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , if the inner surface 113 is perpendicular to the insertion direction of the second metal member 120, it is necessary to increase the diameter D10 of the hole H10 in the first metal member 110 in order to increase the area of ​​the inner surface 113. The outer shape of the terminal member is determined by the size of the relay connector 30 attached to the power control unit 40 (see, for example, FIGS. 5 and 7 ). Therefore, increasing the diameter D10 of the hole H10 in the first metal member 110 has resulted in a problem in that the area of ​​the installation surface 111 a (see FIG. 4 ) for the relay connector cannot be secured.

[0008] In view of these points, the present disclosure aims to provide a terminal member, a relay connector, and a power control unit that can increase the contact area between the first metal member and the second metal member, reduce surface pressure, and enable more stable fastening.

[0009] The terminal member of the present disclosure is a terminal member formed by inserting a second metal member through a hole in a first metal member and screwing the second metal member to the first metal member, wherein the second metal member comprises: a threaded portion that is screwed to the first metal member; and a protruding portion that is adjacent to the threaded portion in the insertion direction of the threaded portion and protrudes in a direction intersecting the insertion direction, and the protruding portion has an inclined surface that is inclined toward the insertion direction, and the inclined surface contacts the inner surface of the hole.

[0010] The relay connector of the present disclosure comprises the above-mentioned terminal member for use in large current applications, a signal terminal member for use in signal circuits and for currents smaller than those of the terminal member, and a housing in which the terminal member and the signal terminal member are integrally molded, and the terminal member and the signal terminal member are adjacent to each other.

[0011] The power control unit of the present disclosure is provided with the relay connector described above.

[0012] The terminal member of the present disclosure can provide a terminal member, a relay connector, and a power control unit that can increase the contact area between the first metal member and the second metal member, reduce surface pressure, and enable more stable fastening.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of a terminal member of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the terminal member of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal member of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional terminal member. FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of a relay connector of the present disclosure as viewed from one side. FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the relay connector of the present disclosure as viewed from the other side. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view illustrating a state in which the periphery of the terminal member is sealed with a potting member. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a power control unit of the present disclosure.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the terminal member described below is intended to embody the technical concept of the present disclosure, and unless otherwise specified, the present disclosure is not limited to the following.

[0015] In this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements (e.g., "parallel," "orthogonal," etc.) and terms indicating the shape of elements not only mean the literal and strict aspects, but also mean a range that is substantially equivalent, for example, a range that includes a difference of about a few percent.

[0016] <Description of Terminal Member> A terminal member 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The terminal member 1 is configured by inserting a second metal member 20 through a hole H in a first metal member 10 and fastening the second metal member 20 to the first metal member 10 with screws. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0017] First Metal Member The first metal member 10 may have a generally cylindrical shape including two opposing main surfaces 11 and an outer peripheral surface 12 that surrounds the outer periphery of the main surfaces 11 (see FIG. 3).

[0018] A hole H into which the second metal member 20 is inserted may be provided on one side of the main surface 11. The hole H may be a bottomed hole, and the hole diameter may decrease along the insertion direction of the second metal member 20. In other words, the hole H has a first hole H1 located on the bottom side and a second hole H2 located on the main surface side, and the diameter D1 of the first hole H1 may be smaller than the diameter D2 of the second hole H2. Furthermore, an inclined wall 13a may be provided between the first hole H1 and the second hole H2.

[0019] The inner wall of the first hole H1 may be provided with a thread groove, which may be used to screw the second metal member 20. On the other hand, the inner wall of the second hole H2 may or may not be provided with a thread groove.

[0020] The main surface 11 provided with the hole H serves as a mounting surface 11a for mounting on a relay connector 30, which will be described later. In order to secure a mounting area for the relay connector 30 and to suitably mount the terminal member 1 on the relay connector 30, it is preferable that the area of ​​the mounting surface 11a be as large as possible.

[0021] Second Metal Member The second metal member 20 is a member that is inserted through the hole H of the first metal member 10, and may have a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0022] The second metal member 20 includes a threaded portion 21 that is screwed to the first metal member 10, and a protruding portion 22 that is adjacent to the threaded portion 21 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the threaded portion 21 and protrudes in a direction intersecting the insertion direction (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, the second metal member 20 may include an exposed portion 24 that is exposed from the first metal member 10 and to which a wire is connected.

[0023] The threaded portion 21 of the second metal member 20 is screwed into the inner wall of the first hole H1 of the first metal member 10. The protrusion 22 of the second metal member 20 has an inclined surface 22a that slopes toward the insertion direction. As the second metal member 20 is screwed into the first metal member 10, the inclined surface 22a of the second metal member 20 comes into contact with the inclined wall 13a inside the hole H of the first metal member 10.

[0024] <Effects of the Terminal Element> The terminal element 1 of the present disclosure is formed by fastening the second metal member 20 to the first metal member 10 with screws, and a fastening force is applied to the inclined wall 13 a and the inclined surface 22 a by the screw fastening. Here, in the present disclosure, the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 contact each other via the inclined wall 13 a and the inclined surface 22 a, so the contact area between the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 can be increased compared to the conventional case in which the contact surface between the first metal member 110 and the second metal member 120 is a vertical surface as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, the surface pressure (load per unit area on the contact surface) due to the screw fastening between the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 can be reduced, and the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 can be fastened more stably.

[0025] Furthermore, when the terminal member 1 includes the inclined wall 13a and the inclined surface 22a, the diameter D2 of the hole H in the first metal member 10 can be made smaller than the diameter D10 of the hole H10 in the conventional first metal member 110 shown in Fig. 4. This allows the area of ​​the installation surface 11a of the first metal member 10 for installation on the relay connector 30 to be larger than the area of ​​the installation surface 11a of the conventional first metal member 10 shown in Fig. 4, allowing the terminal member 1 to be suitably installed on the relay connector 30.

[0026] <Suitable Embodiment of Terminal Member> In a suitable embodiment of the terminal member 1, the material of the first metal member 10 may be a material that is more conductive than the second metal member 20, and the material of the second metal member 20 may be a material that is more rigid than the first metal member 10. By using a material with relatively good conductivity for the first metal member 10, it is possible to reduce the resistance of the terminal member 1. Furthermore, a tightening torque is applied to the second metal member 20 for screw fastening to the first metal member 10. Therefore, by using a material with relatively high rigidity, it is possible to make the second metal member 20 less likely to deform even when a tightening torque is applied to the second metal member 20.

[0027] More specifically, the material of the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 may be a material containing Al, and the material of the second metal member 20 may be a material containing carbon. By including Al in the first metal member 10, the electrical conductivity can be reduced, and by including carbon in the second metal member 20, the rigidity can be increased.

[0028] As a specific size of the diameter of hole H in a suitable terminal member 1, the diameter of hole H (diameter D2, which is the largest diameter) may be 1.5 to 2.5 times the outer diameter D3 of the first metal member 10. Note that the outer diameter D3 of the first metal member 10 referred to in this specification refers to the largest diameter dimension of the outer contour of the first metal member 10. If the diameter of hole H is within this numerical range, the diameter of hole H is relatively small, and the area of ​​the installation surface 11a for installation on the relay connector 30 can be increased, allowing the terminal member 1 to be preferably installed on the relay connector 30.

[0029] The specific inclination angle of the inclined surface 22a of the protrusion 22 in a preferred terminal member 1 may be 40° or more and 50° or less. Preferably, the inclination angle may be 45°±1°. The inclination angle referred to in this specification refers to the interior angle θ (see FIG. 3 ) formed inside the protrusion 22. Such an inclination angle of the inclined surface 22a of the protrusion 22 can achieve the numerical range of the hole diameter described above, and the area of ​​the installation surface 11a for installation on the relay connector 30 can be increased, allowing the terminal member 1 to be preferably installed on the relay connector 30.

[0030] Furthermore, the specific size of the outer diameter of the protruding portion 22 may be 1.1 to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the threaded portion 21. The outer diameter of the protruding portion 22 may be approximately equal to the diameter D2 of the second hole H2, and the outer diameter of the threaded portion 21 may be approximately equal to the diameter D1 of the first hole H1. With such an outer diameter of the protruding portion 22, the area of ​​the inclined surface 22a can be increased according to the amount by which the protruding portion 22 protrudes from the threaded portion 21, thereby reducing the surface pressure caused by the screw fastening between the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 and enabling the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 to be fastened together more stably.

[0031] As an additional configuration of the terminal member 1, the second metal member 20 may be provided with a notch 23 adjacent to the protruding portion 22 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, the notch 23 being formed by cutting out the outer surface of the second metal member 20. When the notch 23 is provided in this manner, after the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 are fastened together, the notch 23 can be visually confirmed through the hole H, thereby enabling confirmation of the position after fastening.

[0032] Furthermore, the second metal member 20 may have an exposed portion 24 that is exposed from the first metal member 10 and to which wiring is connected. By providing the exposed portion 24 in this way, the second metal member 20 can be electrically connected to a power control unit 40 (see FIG. 7 ) described below by connecting wiring via the exposed portion 24.

[0033] The exposed portion 24 may be provided with a thread groove for attaching a nut for fixing the wire. By screwing the nut to the exposed portion with the wire sandwiched between the nuts, the wire can be firmly attached to the terminal member 1.

[0034] Furthermore, an attachment portion 14 for attachment to a relay connector 30 (described later) may be provided on the outer peripheral surface 12 of the first metal member 10. The terminal member 1 can be appropriately attached to the relay connector 30 via the attachment portion 14.

[0035] <Description of Relay Connector and Power Control Unit> Next, a relay connector 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5A to 6. The relay connector 30 includes a terminal member 1 used for applications involving the passage of a large current of 100 A or more, a signal terminal member 2 for signal circuit applications that carries a smaller current than that of the terminal member 1, and a housing 3 (see Figure 5A). Each component will be described in detail below. Note that the configuration of the terminal member 1 is as described above, and therefore a description of the terminal member 1 will be omitted.

[0036] The signal terminal member 2 is used for applications in which a smaller current (for example, 50 A or less) flows than the above-described terminal member 1. The signal terminal member 2 transmits a plurality of signals for controlling the power control unit 40, and is configured so that a plurality of conductors can be attached to one signal terminal member 2.

[0037] The housing 3 may be formed by resin molding. The housing 3 may be configured so that the terminal members 1 and the signal terminal members 2 are arranged adjacent to each other. As an example, the housing 3 is preferably insert-molded with at least the terminal members 1 arranged in a molding die. The signal terminal members 2 may be configured to be detachable from the relay connector 30, or may be integrally molded by insert molding.

[0038] As described above, the terminal member 1 includes the protrusion 22. The protrusion 22 has an inclined surface 22a that slopes toward the insertion direction, so that the area of ​​the installation surface 11a (see FIG. 3) for installation on the relay connector 30 is larger than the installation surface 111a of the conventional first metal member 110 shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the relay connector 30 including the above-described terminal member 1 can have a larger installation surface 11a for the terminal member 1 than conventional relay connectors, allowing the terminal member 1 to be installed on the relay connector 30 more appropriately.

[0039] As described above, the terminal member 1 has the second metal member 20 fastened to the first metal member 10 by screws. Therefore, it is preferable to attach the terminal member 1 to the housing 3 so that the fastening does not loosen. Furthermore, it is preferable to prevent air and moisture from entering from outside the relay connector 30. From these perspectives, a potting member P (see FIG. 6 ) may be provided between the terminal member 1 and the housing 3. The potting member P is preferably a curable resin, and one example is a resin that hardens when heated. By sealing the gap between the terminal member 1 and the housing 3 with the potting member P, it is possible to properly attach the terminal member 1 and the housing 3 while preventing air and moisture from entering from outside.

[0040] Furthermore, as a means for preventing the infiltration of air and moisture, the relay connector 30 may be provided with a seal member S (see FIG. 5A ) that surrounds the periphery of the terminal members 1 and the signal terminal members 2. More specifically, the seal member S may be annular, and the terminal members 1 and the signal terminal members 2 may be disposed inside the annular seal member S. By surrounding the periphery of the terminal members 1 and the signal terminal members 2 with the seal member S in this manner, and then attaching a fixing member 3 a that fixes the seal member S to the relay connector 30, it is possible to prevent the infiltration of air and moisture inside the annular seal member S.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment of the relay connector 30, the relay connector 30 may further include a rotation restricting member 4 (see FIG. 5B ) fixed to the exposed portion 24 of the second metal member 20 of the terminal member 1 and restricting rotation of the second metal member 20. One end of the rotation restricting member 4 may be screwed to the exposed portion 24 of the second metal member 20 together with a nut that secures the wiring. Furthermore, one end of the rotation restricting member 4 may be provided with a claw portion 4a, which may be fixed to the housing 3. The other end of the rotation restricting member 4 may be screwed to the housing 3. When the terminal member 1 and the housing 3 are fixed in this manner by the rotation restricting member 4, loosening of the fastening between the first metal member 10 and the second metal member 20 of the terminal member 1 can be prevented. Therefore, the terminal member 1 can be properly fixed to the housing 3 of the relay connector 30.

[0042] Furthermore, the relay connector 30 described above is mounted on a power control unit 40 (see FIG. 7 ). The term "power control unit" as used herein refers to a structure that controls the power of an automobile (particularly a hybrid or electric automobile). A power control unit 40 provided with the relay connector 30 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes the terminal member 1 described above, through which a large current of 100 A or more flows, and the signal terminal member 2, which is used for a signal circuit and through which a current lower than that of the large-current terminal flows, and therefore can achieve appropriate power control.

[0043] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but should be defined based on the claims. The technical scope of the present disclosure also includes all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims.

[0044] Aspects of the terminal member, relay connector, and power control unit of the present disclosure are as follows.

[0045] <1> A terminal member formed by inserting a second metal member through a hole in a first metal member and screwing the second metal member to the first metal member, wherein the second metal member comprises: a threaded portion screwed to the first metal member; and a protruding portion adjacent to the threaded portion in a direction opposite to an insertion direction of the threaded portion and protruding in a direction intersecting the insertion direction, the protruding portion having an inclined surface inclined toward the insertion direction, the inclined surface contacting the inner surface of the hole. <2> The terminal member described in <1>, wherein the material of the first metal member is more conductive than the second metal member, and the material of the second metal member is more rigid than the first metal member. <3> The terminal member described in <1> or <2>, wherein the material of the first metal member is a material containing Al, and the material of the second metal member is a material containing carbon. <4> The terminal member according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein the diameter of the hole is 1.5 to 2.5 times the outer diameter of the first metal member. <5> The terminal member according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the inclination angle of the inclined surface is 40° to 50°. <6> The terminal member according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the outer diameter of the protruding portion is 1.1 to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the threaded portion. <7> The terminal member according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the second metal member has a notch adjacent to the protruding portion in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, the notch being formed by cutting out an outer surface of the second metal member. <8> The terminal member according to any one of <1> to <7>, wherein the second metal member has an exposed portion exposed from the first metal member and to which a wire is connected. <9> The terminal member according to <8>, wherein the exposed portion has a thread groove for attaching a nut for fixing the wire. <10> The terminal member according to any one of <1> to <9>, wherein an attachment portion for attachment to a relay connector is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the first metal member. <11> A relay connector comprising: the terminal member according to any one of <1> to <10> for use in a large current; a signal terminal member for use in a signal circuit having a current smaller than that of the terminal member; and a housing in which the terminal member and the signal terminal member are arranged adjacent to each other.<12> The relay connector according to <11>, further comprising a rotation restricting member fixed to an exposed portion of the second metal member and restricting rotation of the second metal member. <13> The relay connector according to <11> or <12>, further comprising a potting member that seals the gap between the terminal member and the housing. <14> The relay connector according to any one of <11> to <13>, wherein a seal member is provided so as to surround the periphery of the terminal member and the signal terminal member. <15> A power control unit provided with the relay connector according to any one of <11> to <14>.

[0046] The present disclosure can be suitably used as a terminal member, a relay connector, and a power control unit that can increase the contact area between a first metal member and a second metal member, reduce surface pressure, and achieve more stable fastening.

[0047] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Terminal member 2 Signal terminal member 3 Housing 4 Rotation restricting member P Potting member S Sealing member 10 First metal member H Hole H1 First hole H2 Second hole 11a Installation surface 11 Main surface 12 Outer peripheral surface 13 Inner surface 13a Inclined wall 14 Mounting portion 20 Second metal member 21 Threaded portion 22 Protruding portion 22a Inclined surface 23 Notch portion 24 Exposed portion 30 Relay connector 40 Power control unit 110 First metal member 120 Second metal member H10 Hole

Claims

1. A terminal member formed by inserting a second metal member through a hole in a first metal member and screwing the second metal member to the first metal member, wherein the second metal member has: a threaded portion that is screwed to the first metal member; and a protruding portion that is adjacent to the threaded portion in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the threaded portion and protrudes in a direction intersecting the insertion direction, and the protruding portion has an inclined surface that is inclined toward the insertion direction, and the inclined surface comes into contact with the inner surface of the hole.

2. A terminal member as described in claim 1, wherein the material of the first metal member is a material that is more conductive than the material of the second metal member, and the material of the second metal member is a material that is more rigid than the material of the first metal member.

3. A terminal member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the material of the first metal member is a material containing Al, and the material of the second metal member is a material containing carbon.

4. A terminal member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the diameter of the hole is 1.5 to 2.5 times the outer diameter of the first metal member.

5. A terminal member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inclination angle of the inclined surface is between 40° and 50°.

6. A terminal member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer diameter of the protrusion is 1.1 to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the threaded portion.

7. A terminal member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second metal member is provided with a notch cut into the outer surface of the second metal member, adjacent to the protrusion in the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

8. A terminal member according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second metal member has an exposed portion that is exposed from the first metal member and to which wiring is connected.

9. The terminal member according to claim 8, wherein the exposed portion is provided with a thread groove for attaching a nut for fixing the wiring.

10. A terminal member according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the first metal member is provided with a mounting portion for mounting to a relay connector.

11. A relay connector comprising: a terminal member according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for use in large current applications; a signal terminal member for use in a signal circuit and for a current smaller than that of said terminal member; and a housing in which said terminal member and said signal terminal member are arranged adjacent to each other.

12. The relay connector according to claim 11, further comprising a rotation restricting member fixed to the exposed portion of the second metal member, for restricting rotation of the second metal member.

13. The relay connector according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising a potting member for sealing between the terminal member and the housing.

14. The relay connector according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein a sealing member is provided so as to surround the periphery of the terminal member and the signal terminal member.

15. A power control unit provided with a relay connector according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

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