Connection structure

Abstract

Disclosed is a connection structure capable of suppressing contact of an operator or the like with a connection part or a terminal part that may be a live part, and capable of facilitating bolt fastening between the terminal part and the connection part by advantageously absorbing tolerances.　In a connection structure 200, a connection part 212 is provided with: a connection part cover 214; an opening window 222 that is provided in the connection part cover 214 and exposes a first surface 220; and a nut 204 that overlaps a second surface 224. A terminal part 210 includes: a relay part 252 penetrating through the opening window 222 and connected to the first surface 220; and a bolt 208 placed on a second surface, penetrating through a terminal part bolt through hole, and arranged so as to protrude beyond a first surface. The connection part 212 includes a case 216. The connection part cover 214, the nut 204, and the case 216 can be integrally displaced in a radial direction of a connection part bolt through hole 218 with respect to the connection part 212. The connection part 212 is held in a current-carrying state to the terminal part 210 via the relay part 252 by fastening the bolt 208 to the nut 204.

Description

Connection structure

[0006]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connection structure for connecting a terminal portion of an in-vehicle device and a connection portion of an energization component in an energized state.

[0002] Conventionally, a connection structure is known in which a connection portion provided on an energization component such as a wire harness or a bus bar is bolted to a terminal portion of an in-vehicle device mounted on an automobile to connect it in an energized state. For example, in Patent Document 1, in a battery module mounted on an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, a structure is disclosed in which terminal portions between opposite electrodes of adjacent single battery groups are electrically connected by bolt-fastening a pair of connection portions provided on a dedicated bus bar.

[0003] By the way, since the terminal portion of the single battery group is a live part, if the bus bar bridging between the terminal portions remains exposed, there is a risk that a tool for bolt-fastening or the like touches the bus bar and the battery module is short-circuited. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, a structure for covering the bus bar is proposed by a case having a main body portion that covers the bus bar while exposing the connection portion of the bus bar and a lid portion that covers the upper surface of the connection portion in an openable and closable manner. Thereby, the bus bar can be covered with the case to improve insulation. Further, when the bus bar is bolted between the terminal portions, the upper surface of the connection portion can be exposed to perform the bolt-fastening work.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-37988

[0005] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, before the bus bar is bolted, the terminal portions of each single battery group, which are live parts, are in an exposed state. Further, after the connection portion on one end side of the bus bar is bolted to the terminal portion, the connection portion on the other end side of the bus bar becomes a live part and is in an exposed state. At this time, there may be a case where a countermeasure for suppressing contact of an operator or the like with the exposed live terminal portion or connection portion is desired. Moreover, due to the space-saving required for recent vehicles, it is difficult to secure sufficient extra length for the energization component, and there is also a possibility that it becomes difficult to bolt the terminal portion and the connection portion because the tolerance cannot be absorbed.

[0006] Therefore, we disclose a connection structure that can suppress contact by workers or others with terminals or connection parts that may be live, and that can facilitate bolt fastening of terminals and connection parts by favorably absorbing tolerances.

[0007] The connection structure of the present disclosure is a connection structure for connecting an in-vehicle device and an electrical component, wherein the in-vehicle device comprises a terminal block, the terminal block comprises a terminal portion, a bolt and an intermediate portion, the terminal portion is provided with a terminal portion bolt through hole, the bolt has a bolt head and a bolt shaft, the bolt shaft passes through the terminal portion bolt through hole and protrudes to the first surface side of the terminal portion, the bolt head is located on the second surface of the terminal portion, the intermediate portion is located on the first surface of the terminal portion, the second surface of the terminal portion is the back surface of the first surface of the terminal portion, the electrical component comprises an electrical member, a connection portion cover and a nut, the electrical member is covered in an insulating manner, the electrical member has a connection portion provided with a connection portion bolt through hole, the connection portion cover covers the first surface of the connection portion, the connection portion cover is provided with an opening window, and the opening window is the connection The first surface of the part is partially exposed, the first surface of the connecting part is connected to the relay part that penetrates the opening window, the nut is positioned on the second surface of the connecting part, the second surface of the connecting part is the back surface of the first surface of the connecting part, at least one of the terminal block and the energizing component is provided with a case, and the device has at least one of a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration is such that the connecting part cover, the nut and the case are integrally displaceable relative to the connecting part in the radial direction of the connecting part bolt through hole, the second configuration is such that the relay part, the bolt and the case are integrally displaceable relative to the terminal part in the radial direction of the terminal part bolt through hole, and the connecting part and the terminal part are held energized by the relay part when the bolt shaft is fastened to the nut.

[0008] According to the connection structure of this disclosure, contact by workers or others with terminals or connection parts that may be live can be suppressed, and tolerances can be favorably absorbed, making it easy to fasten bolts between the terminal and connection parts.

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the connection structure according to Embodiment 1 in the connected state between the terminal and the connection part. Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the II-II cross-section in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the connection structure shown in Figure 1 in the state before the terminal and connection part are connected. Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the connection structure shown in Figure 4, and corresponds to Figure 2. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an exploded view of the main part of the terminal side portion constituting the connection structure shown in Figure 4. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an exploded view of the main part of the connection side portion constituting the connection structure shown in Figure 4. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an exploded view of the main part of the terminal side portion constituting the connection structure according to Embodiment 2. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing an exploded view of the main part of the terminal side portion shown in Figure 8. Figure 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the connection structure according to Embodiment 2 in the connected state between the terminal and the connection part, and corresponds to Figure 2. Figure 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the connection structure according to Embodiment 3 in the connected state between the terminal and the connection part, and corresponds to Figure 2. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the connection part side portion of the connection structure according to Embodiment 4 from the bottom side. Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the terminal part side portion that can be connected to the connection part side portion shown in Figure 12. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the connection structure according to Embodiment 5 in the state before the terminal and connection part are connected. Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the main part of the connection part portion of the connection structure shown in Figure 14 from the bottom side. Figure 16 is a perspective view showing the main part of the connection part portion of the connection part portion shown in Figure 15 in an exploded state. Figure 17 is a perspective view showing the main part of the terminal part portion of the connection structure shown in Figure 14 in an exploded state. Figure 18 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the connection structure shown in Figure 14 in the connected state between the terminal and the connection part, and corresponds to Figure 2. Figure 19 is a perspective view showing the main part of the terminal part portion of the connection structure according to Embodiment 6 in an exploded state. Figure 20 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the connection structure according to Embodiment 6 in the connected state between the terminal portion and the connection portion, and corresponds to Figure 2. Figure 21 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the connection structure according to Embodiment 7 in the connected state between the terminal portion and the connection portion, and corresponds to Figure 2.Figure 22 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the connection structure according to the present disclosure, illustrating the connection state between the terminal portion and the connection portion, and corresponds to Figure 2.

[0010] <Description of Embodiments of the Disclosure> First, embodiments of the Disclosure will be listed and described. The connection structure of the Disclosure is: (1) A connection structure for connecting an in-vehicle device and an electrical component, wherein the in-vehicle device comprises a terminal block, the terminal block comprises a terminal portion, a bolt and an intermediate portion, the terminal portion is provided with a terminal portion bolt through hole, the bolt has a bolt head and a bolt shaft, the bolt shaft passes through the terminal portion bolt through hole and protrudes to the first surface side of the terminal portion, the bolt head is arranged on the second surface of the terminal portion, the intermediate portion is arranged on the first surface of the terminal portion, the second surface of the terminal portion is the back surface of the first surface of the terminal portion, the electrical component comprises an electrical member, a connection cover and a nut, the electrical member is covered in an insulating manner, the electrical member has a connection portion provided with a connection portion bolt through hole, the connection cover covers the first surface of the connection portion, the connection cover is provided with an opening window, and the opening window is in front of the connection portion The first surface of the connection portion is partially exposed, the first surface of the connection portion is connected to the relay portion that penetrates the opening window, the nut is positioned on the second surface of the connection portion, the second surface of the connection portion is the back surface of the first surface of the connection portion, at least one of the terminal block and the energizing component is provided with a case, and the device has at least one of a first configuration and a second configuration, the first configuration is such that the connection portion cover, the nut and the case are integrally displaceable relative to the connection portion in the radial direction of the bolt through hole of the connection portion, the second configuration is such that the relay portion, the bolt and the case are integrally displaceable relative to the terminal portion in the radial direction of the bolt through hole of the terminal portion, and the connection portion and the terminal portion are held energized by the relay portion when the bolt shaft is fastened to the nut.

[0011] According to the connection structure of this disclosure, the surface of the connection portion of an in-vehicle device that may be a live part that faces the terminal portion (the first surface of the connection portion) is covered by a connection portion cover, and the other surface (the first surface of the connection portion) is exposed through an opening window provided in the connection portion cover. Therefore, when the connection portion may be a live part, contact with the connection portion by workers, etc., can be suppressed by covering the surface (first surface) of the connection portion that requires electric shock countermeasures with an insulating cover (connection portion cover). Furthermore, the surface of the terminal portion that faces the connection portion (the first surface of the terminal portion) is provided with a relay portion that is provided on the first surface of the terminal portion, penetrates the opening window, and is connected to the first surface of the connection portion. Therefore, even if the connection portion is covered with a connection portion cover, when the terminal portion and the connection portion are bolted together, the relay portion provided on the terminal portion can be used to achieve electrical connection between the terminal portion and the connection portion.

[0012] Furthermore, the connection structure of this disclosure has at least one of a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, a connection cover covering the first surface of the connection portion and a nut and case placed on the opposite surface (second surface of the connection portion) are integrally displaceable in the radial direction of the bolt through hole of the connection portion. In the second configuration, a relay portion, a bolt, and a case are integrally displaceable in the radial direction of the bolt through hole of the terminal portion. Therefore, when the bolt shaft of a bolt provided in the terminal portion is fastened to a nut provided in the connection portion, at least one of the first and second configurations allows the nut and other members and / or the bolt and other members to be integrally displaced in the radial direction of the bolt through hole. This makes it possible to favorably absorb tolerances and facilitate bolt fastening between the terminal portion and the connection portion. It should be noted that having both the first and second configurations doubles the tolerance absorption performance in the radial direction of the bolt through hole.

[0013] Preferably, the opening window of the terminal cover is sized such that a test finger cannot be inserted, as specified in standards of the German Electronics Technology Association (VDE), such as VDE0470, and European standards, such as IEC / EN61032.

[0014] Preferably, the terminal portion has a case that houses the terminal portion, the bolt, and the intermediate portion, which includes a bolt housing cylinder that surrounds the bolt head and positions and holds the bolt head in the radial direction of the bolt, and an intermediate portion holding portion that positions and holds one end of the intermediate portion in the radial direction, and the intermediate portion has a tilt suppression portion that protrudes inward in the radial direction and whose protruding end face abuts against the bolt axis to suppress the tilt of the bolt. This suppresses the tilt of the bolt and allows for smoother bolt fastening work between the terminal portion and the connection portion.

[0015] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the current-carrying component has at least the first configuration, the current-carrying component further has an additional conductive plate portion, the additional conductive plate portion has an additional bolt through-hole with a smaller diameter than the connecting portion bolt through-hole, the additional conductive plate portion is superimposed on the first surface of the connecting portion, the opening window is sized to expose the connecting portion bolt through-hole and the surrounding area of ​​the connecting portion bolt through-hole, the peripheral area of ​​the additional bolt through-hole is superimposed on the connecting portion bolt through-hole and the surrounding area of ​​the connecting portion bolt through-hole, the inner circumferential surface of the additional bolt through-hole is located radially inward of the bolt than the inner circumferential surface of the connecting portion bolt through-hole, the peripheral area of ​​the additional bolt through-hole is exposed from the opening window, and the additional conductive plate portion, the insulating cover, and the nut are integrally displaceable relative to the connecting portion in the radial direction of the connecting portion bolt through-hole.

[0016] The first configuration has an opening window sized to expose the bolt through-hole of the connecting part and the surrounding area of ​​the bolt through-hole. If the opening window is displaced radially in the direction of the bolt through-hole of the connecting part, the exposed area of ​​the surrounding area of ​​the bolt through-hole of the connecting part in the connecting part exposed from the opening window will be displaced, and there is a risk that a sufficient contact area with the intermediate part cannot be secured. Therefore, an additional conductive plate portion is provided which has an additional bolt through-hole with a smaller diameter than the bolt through-hole of the connecting part and is superimposed on one of the opposing surfaces. By exposing the peripheral area of ​​the additional bolt through-hole of the additional conductive plate portion that extends radially inward from the bolt through-hole on one side from the opening window, the contact area with the intermediate part can be stably secured by the additional conductive plate portion superimposed on the first surface and connected to the terminal portion, thereby ensuring the connection stability between the terminal portion and the connecting part.

[0017] (3) In (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the nut includes an annular projection that penetrates the bolt through-hole of the connecting part and is exposed from the connecting part cover, the conductive part is provided with an insulating projection cover that covers the protruding end of the annular projection, and the bolt shaft is fastened to the annular projection.

[0018] The connection portion is provided with an annular projection that protrudes from the periphery of the inner hole of the nut placed on the opposite side (second side), penetrates the bolt through-hole of the connection portion, extends beyond the first side, and is exposed from the connection portion cover. The annular projection extends the threaded portion of the nut toward the bolt, thereby reducing the length of the bolt's neck and minimizing the displacement of the bolt during fastening. This makes it possible to reduce the height dimension of the conductive component protruding from the terminal block, and thus suppresses the enlargement of the connection structure. Moreover, since the protruding end of the annular projection is covered with an insulating projection cover, the risk of workers coming into contact with the annular projection is also suppressed. Therefore, a connection structure can be provided that suppresses the enlargement of the connection structure while suppressing contact of workers with the connection portion. In particular, when used in combination with the embodiment described in (2) above, an additional bolt through-hole can be fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection of the nut, allowing the additional conductive plate portion to be integrally held by the annular projection. This makes it possible to stably provide a structure with a small number of parts that allows the additional conductive plate portion to be integrally displaced together with the insulating cover and nut relative to either the terminal portion or the connection portion.

[0019] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the opening window is sized to expose the bolt through-hole of the connecting part and the area surrounding the bolt through-hole of the connecting part, the connecting part cover has a plurality of radially connected parts and an inner cover, and the inner cover covers the periphery of the inner hole of the nut. Since the connecting part cover and the inner cover are integrally connected by the radially connected parts, the handling and positioning of each part can be improved. Furthermore, when adopted in combination with the embodiment of (3) above, the inner cover can be made by the cylindrical part cover, so that the integral radial displacement of the connecting part cover, the projection cover and the nut including the annular projection can be stably achieved.

[0020] <Details of Embodiments of the Disclosure> Specific examples of the connection structures of the Disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the Disclosure is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims.

[0021] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the connection structure 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. This connection structure 10 is used, for example, in electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, and electrically connects battery modules 12 and electrical connection boxes 14, which are in-vehicle equipment. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, conductive components 16 are arranged between a pair of battery modules 12, 12 and between the battery modules 12 and the electrical connection box 14, and the connection structure 10 according to the present disclosure is used at the connection points between these battery modules 12 and conductive components 16. In a vehicle, the orientation of the battery modules 12 and electrical connection boxes 14 connected by the connection structure 10 is not limited, but in the following, upward will be described as the upward direction in Figure 3, downward as the downward direction in Figure 3, left as the left in Figure 2, right as the right in Figure 2, forward as the right in Figure 3, and rear as the left in Figure 3. In addition, for multiple identical components, reference numerals may be assigned to only some of the components, and the reference numerals may be omitted for other components.

[0022] <Connection Structure 10> The connection structure 10 is formed by bolting a connection portion 22 provided on the power-carrying component 16 to a terminal portion 20 located on a terminal block 18 of an in-vehicle device (for example, a battery module 12). In Embodiment 1, a known electrical connection box 14 is used, and the electrical connection box 14 and the power-carrying component 16 are connected by a known structure, so a detailed explanation of the specific structure of the electrical connection box 14 and the specific connection structure between the electrical connection box 14 and the power-carrying component 16 will be omitted.

[0023] In particular, the connection structure of the present disclosure has at least one of the following first and second configurations. First configuration: A configuration in which an insulating cover, a nut, and a case are integrally displaceable in the radial direction of a bolt through hole on one side provided on one of the terminal portion 20 and the connection portion 22. Second configuration: A configuration in which a relay portion, a bolt, and a case are integrally displaceable in the radial direction of a bolt through hole on the other side provided on the other of the terminal portion 20 and the connection portion 22. The connection structure 10 of Embodiment 1 has the second configuration described above, and as will be described later, a relay portion 90, a bolt 100, and a connection portion case 102 as a case are integrally displaceable in the radial direction of a bolt through hole on the other side (connection portion bolt through hole 98) provided on the connection portion 22, which is the other of the terminal portion 20 and the connection portion 22.

[0024] <In-vehicle equipment (battery module 12)> The basic structure of the battery module 12 as an in-vehicle equipment is the same as in the conventional model. As shown in Figure 6, a plurality of battery cells 24 are arranged in parallel, and each of these battery cells 24 is held in a substantially embedded state by a holder 26 made of synthetic resin. Each terminal 28 of each battery cell 24 is exposed to the outside from the holder 26, and each of these terminals 28 is connected by a bus bar 30. The battery module body 32 is made up of these battery cells 24, the holder 26 and each bus bar 30, and the battery module 12 is made up of the battery module body 32 housed in a housing 34 made of synthetic resin. Of these plurality of bus bars 30, the terminal portion 20 described above is provided at the bus bar 30a at the ends (front end and / or rear end), and a terminal block 18 on which the terminal portion 20 is arranged is made at the ends (front end and / or rear end) of the holder 26 and the housing 34.

[0025] In Embodiment 1, the housing 34 of the battery module 12 is composed of an upper housing 36 and a lower housing 38 that can be assembled and detached in the vertical direction. The upper housing 36 is generally box-shaped with an opening downwards, and includes a roughly rectangular flat upper bottom wall portion 40 and an upper peripheral wall portion 42 that protrudes downwards from the outer peripheral edge of the upper bottom wall portion 40. In the upper housing 36, at the position where the terminal block 18 is formed, the upper bottom wall portion 40 is located lower than other parts, and a housing recess 44 is formed therein, in which the connection part case 102 of the power-carrying component 16, which will be described later, is housed. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the terminal block 18 and terminal portion 20 are provided at the left end of both the front and rear ends of the battery module 12, and the housing recess 44 is formed at the left end of both the front and rear ends of the upper housing 36.

[0026] In other words, a portion of the upper bottom wall portion 40 forms the bottom wall of the receiving recess 44, and this bottom wall is located lower than the other portion of the upper bottom wall portion 40. The terminal cover 58, which will be described later, is formed by this bottom wall of the receiving recess 44. An opening window 46 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom wall (terminal cover 58) of the receiving recess 44, penetrating the bottom wall in the thickness direction (vertical direction). In Embodiment 1, the opening window 46 is approximately circular in plan view. A second annular cover 48, which is approximately cylindrical and protrudes vertically in the direction of the central axis (or protrusion direction) of the annular projection 66, which will be described later, is formed on the periphery of the opening window 46, and the second annular cover 48 protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening window 46. The inner diameters of the opening window 46 and the second annular cover 48 are larger than the terminal bolt through-holes 84 in the terminal portion 20, which will be described later. In the assembled state of the battery module 12, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower end of the second annular cover 48, which protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening window 46, abuts against the terminal portion 20 at a point on the outer circumference side of the terminal bolt through-holes 84. In other words, the terminal bolt through-holes 84 and the surrounding area of ​​the terminal portion 20 are exposed to the outside through the opening window 46.

[0027] Furthermore, the lower housing 38 has a generally box-like shape that opens upwards, and includes a bottom wall portion 50 which is roughly rectangular and flat, and a lower peripheral wall portion 52 which protrudes upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 50. The upper housing 36 and the lower housing 38 can be fixed together by known fixing means (not shown), such as locking by protrusions and recesses, press-fitting, or a locking mechanism.

[0028] <Terminal Block 18> As a structure on the terminal portion 20 side, which is one of the terminal portion 20 and the connection portion 22, the terminal block 18 on which the terminal portion 20 is arranged includes a terminal holding portion 54 that holds the terminal portion 20, a terminal portion cover 58 which is an insulating cover that covers the upper surface 56 which is the surface of the terminal portion 20 that faces the other (first surface), an opening window 46 provided on the terminal portion cover 58 that partially exposes the surface (upper surface 56), and a nut 62 on which the lower surface 60 which is the opposite surface (second surface) of the terminal portion 20 that is opposite to the surface (upper surface 56) that faces the other. Furthermore, as a structure on the terminal portion 20 side, the terminal block 18 includes an annular projection 66 that protrudes from the periphery of the inner hole 64 of the nut 62, penetrates the terminal portion bolt through hole 98 (described later) in the terminal portion 20 (bus bar 30a), protrudes beyond the opposing surface (upper surface 56) to the other side and is exposed from the insulating cover 58, and an insulating projection cover 68 that covers the protruding end (upper end) of the annular projection 66. In Embodiment 1, as described above, a housing recess 44 is formed in the housing 34 at the position where the terminal block 18 (terminal portion 20) is provided, so the terminal portion cover 58 that covers the upper surface 56 of the terminal portion 20 is formed by the bottom wall of the housing recess 44, and a circular opening window 46 is formed in this terminal portion cover 58. In particular, in Embodiment 1, this opening window 46 is formed to be sized to expose the terminal portion bolt through hole 98 and its surrounding area of ​​the terminal portion 20, as described above.

[0029] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6 and other figures, a roughly frame-shaped terminal holding portion 54 (only the front terminal holding portion 54 is shown in the figure) is provided at the left end of both the front and rear ends of the holder 26, and the terminal portion 20 provided on the bus bar 30a is fitted into this terminal holding portion 54 to hold the terminal portion 20. In addition, a roughly rectangular concave nut housing portion 70 is formed on the inner circumference side of the terminal holding portion 54 with an upward opening, and a nut 62 is fixed to the nut housing portion 70. The holder 26 may be formed as an integrally molded product comprising each battery cell 24 and each nut 62.

[0030] <Nut 62> The nut 62 is substantially cylindrical in shape and has an inner hole 64, which is positioned to extend in the vertical direction. The inner circumferential surface of the inner hole 64 has a female thread that engages with the male thread of the bolt 100, which will be described later. As described above, an annular projection 66 that protrudes upward is provided on the periphery of the inner hole 64 of the nut 62. As a result, the inner hole 64 of the nut 62 is formed continuously with the inner hole of the annular projection 66, and a female thread is also formed on the inner surface of the annular projection 66. When the nut 62 and the terminal portion 20 (bus bar 30a) are superimposed, the annular projection 66 has a projection dimension that allows it to protrude above the upper surface 56 of the terminal portion 20 through the terminal portion bolt through hole 98 provided in the terminal portion 20. In Embodiment 1, an annular circumferential groove 72 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection 66 in the upper and lower intermediate portion, opening outwards and extending continuously around the entire circumference. In short, the outer diameter of the annular projection 66 is reduced at the location where the circumferential groove 72 is formed. When the nut 62 and the terminal portion 20 (bus bar 30a) are superimposed, this circumferential groove 72 is located above the upper surface 56 of the terminal portion 20.

[0031] <Protruding Cover 68> The protruding cover 68 is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a first annular cover 74 that covers the outer circumferential surface of the protruding end of the annular projection 66 (for example, the portion above the circumferential groove 72) when the protruding cover 68 is attached to the annular projection 66. The protruding cover 68 also includes a generally annular upper cover portion 76 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the first annular cover 74, so as to cover the protruding end of the annular projection 66 from above when the protruding cover 68 is attached to the annular projection 66. The lower end of the protruding cover 68 is provided with locking claws 78 that are elastically deformable in the radial direction, and in Embodiment 1, a plurality of locking claws 78 are provided at the lower end of the protruding cover 68, spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. The protruding cover 68 is attached to the annular projection 66 by locking these locking claws 78 into the circumferential groove 72 of the annular projection 66.

[0032] <Terminal section 20> As described above, the terminal section 20 is provided on the end bus bar 30a, and as shown in Figure 6, the end bus bar 30a has a bent section 80 that bends vertically in the middle portion in the front-rear direction. In Embodiment 1, bus bars 30a of substantially the same shape are provided on both the front and rear sides of the battery module 12, but the rear bus bar 30a will not be described. In the front bus bar 30a, a terminal through-hole 82 is formed in the portion behind the bent section 80, through which the terminals 28 of the battery cell 24 pass. Furthermore, the terminal section 20 described above is formed by the portion of this bus bar 30a in front of the bent section 84, and the terminal section 20 has a terminal bolt through-hole 84, which is a one-sided bolt through-hole through which a bolt 100, described later, passes.

[0033] <Electrified Component 16> The energized component 16 includes a busbar 86 as an energized member that has a connection portion 22 and is covered in an insulated state. As the structure of the connection portion 22 side, which is the other side of the terminal portion 20 and the connection portion 22, the energized component 16, which is configured including the busbar 86, includes a relay portion 90 provided on the lower surface 88 which is the opposing surface (first surface) to one side (terminal portion 20) of the connection portion 22, which passes through an opening window 46 and is connected to the upper surface 56 which is the opposing surface (first surface) of the terminal portion 20. The energized component 16 also includes a bolt 100 in which a bolt head 94 is placed on the upper surface 92 which is the opposite surface (second surface) to the opposing surface (lower surface 88) to one side, and the bolt shaft 96 passes through a connection portion bolt through hole 98 which is the other side bolt through hole provided on the other side (connection portion 22), and is positioned to protrude beyond the opposing surface (lower surface 88). Furthermore, the conductive component 16 includes a connection case 102 that houses the other connection part 22, the bolt 100, and the intermediate part 90. The bolt head 94 of the bolt 100 is covered with an insulating cap 104, which prevents electric shock when fastening the bolt 100 with a tool (not shown). The insulating cap 104 is formed integrally with the bolt 100, for example. The insulating cap 104 also has a flange-like portion 106 that protrudes outward and widens in an annular shape at its lower end.

[0034] <Electrified Member (Busbar 86)> The shape of the busbar 86 can be changed to suit the position of the connected in-vehicle equipment (battery module 12, electrical junction box 14, etc.), but at least one end is a connection part 22. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the front energized component 16 extends in the left-right direction to connect the battery module 12 and the electrical junction box 14, and the right end of the busbar 86 on the battery module 12 side is a connection part 22. Also, the rear energized component 16 in Figure 1 connects the battery modules 12 to each other, and both ends of the busbar 86 are connection parts 22. The left end of the front energized component 16 is fixed and connected to a busbar (not shown) inside the electrical junction box 14, for example, by a bolt-nut structure. The middle portion of each of these busbars 86 in the longitudinal direction is covered by an insulating coating 108, so that the middle portion in the longitudinal direction is covered in an insulating state. In other words, the ends of each busbar 86 are not covered by the insulating coating 108, and the portions that connect to the busbars in the connection portion 22 and the electrical connection box 14 are exposed. In each connection portion 22, a connection portion bolt through hole 98 is formed that penetrates in the thickness direction (vertical direction) through which a bolt 100 passes. In Embodiment 1, the inner diameter of the connection portion bolt through hole 98 is larger than the outer diameter of the bolt shaft 96, and the bolt 100 is displaceable in the radial direction (direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) inside the connection portion bolt through hole 98.

[0035] <Intermediate Section 90> As shown in Figure 7 and other figures, the intermediate section 90 is generally cylindrical in shape and is made of a metal with excellent conductivity. This intermediate section 90 is formed to have a larger diameter than the bolt shaft 96 of the bolt 100, and in the assembled state of the conductive component 16, the intermediate section 90 is positioned on the outer circumference side of the bolt shaft 96. The intermediate section 90 protrudes radially inward and is equipped with a tilt suppression section 110 whose protruding end face (inner circumferential surface) abuts against the bolt shaft 96 to suppress the tilt of the bolt 100.

[0036] Specifically, the relay section 90 extends vertically and includes a cylindrical wall 112 that surrounds the bolt shaft 96. The inclination suppression section 110 is provided at one end (upper end) of this cylindrical wall 112, and in Embodiment 1, the inclination suppression section 110 is formed in an annular shape that protrudes radially inward from the cylindrical wall 112. That is, a relay section bolt through hole 114 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inclination suppression section 110 through which the bolt 100 passes. Furthermore, an outward projection 116 that protrudes radially outward is provided at the upper end of the cylindrical wall 112, and as will be described later, this outward projection 116 is supported by the connection section case 102 so that the relay section 90 can be assembled to the connection section case 102. These tilt suppression portions 110 and outward projection portions 116 are formed to form a single disc shape that is continuous in the radial direction, and the upper end surface of the intermediate portion 90 (tilt suppression portion 110, cylindrical wall 112, and outward projection portion 116) is configured as a flat annular surface with virtually no steps.

[0037] <Connection Case 102> The connection case 102 is a hollow box shape overall and is made of an insulating synthetic resin. In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 7, the connection case 102 is composed of an upper case 118 and a lower case 120 that can be assembled and detached in the vertical direction. The method of fixing the upper case 118 and the lower case 120 is not limited, but in Embodiment 1, they are fixed by a locking mechanism 122 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the upper case 118 and the lower case 120, respectively. This connection case 102 is provided so as to cover the connection portion 22 at the end of the bus bar 86, in other words, the connection case 102 is provided on the portion of the bus bar 86 that is not covered by the insulating coating 108. With these insulating coatings 108 and the connection case 102, the bus bar 86 is covered in an insulating state over substantially its entire length.

[0038] <Upper Case 118> The upper case 118 is generally box-shaped with an opening downwards, and includes a roughly rectangular plate-shaped upper bottom wall 124 and an upper peripheral wall 126 that protrudes downwards from the outer peripheral edge of the upper bottom wall 124. That is, the upper bottom wall 124 of the upper case 118 constitutes the upper wall of the connection case 102. Here, the upper case 118 that constitutes the connection case 102 has a bolt housing cylinder portion 128 that surrounds the bolt head 94 (and the insulating cap 104 fixed to the bolt head 94) and positions and holds the bolt head 94 in the radial direction of the bolt 100 (a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction). The bolt housing cylinder portion 128 is formed as a roughly cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction, and is located in the internal space of the upper case 118, protruding downwards from the lower surface of the upper bottom wall 124. The inner diameter of the bolt housing cylinder 128 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the flange-like portion 106 of the insulating cap 104. As will be described later, when the bolt 100 is housed in the bolt housing cylinder 128, before the bolt 100 is fastened to the nut 62, the bolt 100 is displaceable vertically within the bolt housing cylinder 128. When the bolt 100 is housed in the bolt housing cylinder 128, the outer circumferential surface of the flange-like portion 106 and the inner circumferential surface of the bolt housing cylinder 128 come into contact, thereby suppressing the tilting of the bolt 100.

[0039] Furthermore, a circular through-hole 130 is formed in the upper bottom wall 124 of the upper case 118, approximately in the center, penetrating the upper bottom wall 124 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The inner diameter of this through-hole 130 is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange-like portion 106 of the insulating cap 104, thereby preventing the bolt 100 (and insulating cap 104) from falling out through the through-hole 130. The through-hole 130 has an inner diameter larger than the upper portion of the insulating cap 104 (the portion other than the flange-like portion 106), and the upper portion of the insulating cap 104 is exposed to the outside through the through-hole 130. In other words, the insulated bolt head 94 is exposed on the upper wall (upper bottom wall 124) side of the connection case 102. Tools can be inserted into the connection case 102 through this through-hole 130 to perform the fastening work of the bolt 100.

[0040] <Lower Case 120> The lower case 120 is generally box-shaped with an upward opening, and comprises a roughly rectangular plate-shaped bottom wall 132 and a lower peripheral wall 134 that protrudes upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 132. Here, a circular through-hole 136 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom wall 132, through which the cylindrical wall 112 of the relay section 90 passes, penetrating the bottom wall 132 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). In addition, an annular projection 138 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the through-hole 136 in the bottom wall 132, protruding upward. As a result, an annular stepped surface 140 that extends horizontally (in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) is formed between the through-hole 136 and the annular projection 138. The inner diameter of the through-hole 136 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall 112, and the inner diameter of the annular projection 138 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the outward projection 116 that protrudes from the upper end of the cylindrical wall 112 toward the outer circumference. As a result, when the intermediate section 90 is housed in the connecting section case 102, the cylindrical wall 112 passes through the through-hole 136, the outward projection 116 is placed on the stepped surface 140, and the outward projection 116 is fitted into the annular projection 138.

[0041] Furthermore, in the left portion of the connecting case 102, which is formed by assembling the upper case 118 and the lower case 120, a busbar extension 142 is formed by combining the upper peripheral wall 126 and the lower peripheral wall 134. In Embodiment 1, the busbar extension 142 is formed by penetrating the lower peripheral wall 134 in the thickness direction (left-right direction). As a result, the busbar 86, which houses the connecting portion 22 in the connecting case 102, protrudes outward from the connecting case 102 through this busbar extension 142. The bottom surface of the busbar extension 142 and the top surface of the annular projection 138 are at the same vertical position, and when the intermediate portion 90 is assembled to the lower case 120, the top surface of the intermediate portion 90 is also located on the same plane. Including these surfaces, a mounting surface 144 is formed within the connecting case 106 on which the connecting portion 22 is placed. In short, within the connection case 106, the space above the mounting surface 144 is the connection housing 146 in which the connection 22 is housed.

[0042] In Embodiment 1, the busbar 86's connection portion 22 is housed in the connection portion housing portion 146 of the connection portion case 102. In particular, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the central axes of the connection portion bolt through hole 98 of the connection portion 22 and the intermediate portion bolt through hole 114 of the intermediate portion 90 are aligned, the connection portion 22 and the lower peripheral wall 134 of the lower case 120 constituting the connection portion housing portion 146 have a gap of a predetermined size in the left-right and front-back directions. This allows the connection portion 22 to be displaceable within the connection portion housing portion 146 in the radial direction of the bolt 100 (i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, in the left-right and / or front-back directions). Furthermore, since the bolt shaft 96 of the bolt 100 passes through the connection portion bolt through hole 98 of the connection portion 22, the connection portion 22 can be displaced within the connection portion housing portion 146 until, for example, the inner peripheral surface of the connection portion bolt through hole 98 and the outer peripheral surface of the bolt shaft 96 come into contact.

[0043] As shown in Figure 7, the connection case 102, which has this shape, is constructed by overlapping the bolt 100 and the intermediate section 90 with the connection section 22 from both the upper and lower sides, and then overlapping the upper case 118 and the lower case 120 with the bolt 100 and the intermediate section 90 from both the upper and lower sides, and fixing them together with the respective locking mechanisms 122. When the connection case 102 is assembled to the connection section 22, the upper end surface of one end (upper end) of the intermediate section 90 overlaps with the lower surface 88 of the connection section 22 and connects them. In addition, the bolt shaft 96 and the other end (lower end) of the intermediate section 90 are exposed on the bottom wall 132 side of the connection case 102, and in particular the lower end of the intermediate section 90 protrudes downward from the bottom wall 132 of the connection case 102. Here, the intermediate section 90 is substantially immobile in the radial direction of the bolt 100 (a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) relative to the lower case 120, and the bolt 100 is substantially immobile in the radial direction relative to the upper case 118. Then, by fixing the upper case 118 and the lower case 120 together to form the connecting case 102, the bolt 100, the intermediate section 90, and the connecting case 102 are integrally displaceable radially relative to the connecting section 22.

[0044] <Assembly of In-vehicle Device (Battery Module 12)>Although the assembly method of the battery module 12 is not limited, as also shown in FIG. 6, each bus bar 30 is attached to each terminal 28 of each battery cell 24 held by the holder 26. For the end bus bar 30a, the end bus bar 30a is attached across the end terminal 28 and the annular protrusion 66 of the nut 62 fixed to the nut accommodation portion 70. In short, the terminal 28 penetrates through the terminal through-hole 82 of the bus bar 30a, and the annular protrusion 66 penetrates through the terminal portion bolt through-hole 84, and the protrusion cover 68 is overlapped from above the annular protrusion 66. The protrusion cover 68 is attached to the annular protrusion 66 by locking each locking claw 78 of the protrusion cover 68 to the circumferential groove 72 in the annular protrusion 66. Thereby, the battery module main body 32 is completed. Then, the upper housing 36 and the lower housing 38 are overlapped from the upper and lower sides of the battery module main body 32, and the battery module 12 is completed by fixing the upper housing 36 and the lower housing 38 to each other.

[0045] <Assembly of Electrical Conduction Component 16>Although the assembly method of the electrical conduction component 16 is not limited, as also shown in FIG. 7, in the bus bar 86 whose middle portion in the length direction is covered with the insulation coating 108, the bolt 100 is overlapped from above with respect to the connection portion 22 which is the end portion on the side connected to the battery module 12, and the relay portion 90 is overlapped from below, and the bolt shaft 96 penetrates through the connection portion bolt through-holes 98 and the relay portion bolt through-hole 114 of the connection portion 22 and the relay portion 90. Thereafter, the upper case 118 and the lower case 120 are overlapped from the upper and lower sides of these bolts 100 and the relay portion 90, and the upper case 118 and the lower case 120 are fixed to each other. In the electrical conduction component 16, since a known structure is adopted for the end portion on the side connected to the electrical connection box 14, the description thereof is omitted. Thereby, the electrical conduction component 16 is completed.

[0046] <Connection of the in-vehicle equipment (battery module 12) and the conductive component 16 by the connection structure 10> When connecting the battery module 12, which is an in-vehicle equipment, and the conductive component 16, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the connection case 102 fixed to the connection part 22 of the conductive component 16 is brought into contact with the housing recess 44 provided at the upper end of the battery module 12 from above. Here, on the battery module 12 side, the terminal part 20 (bus bar 30a) is exposed in an annular shape through the opening window 46 and the protruding cover 68. On the other hand, on the conductive component 16 side, the cylindrical wall 112 of the relay part 90 protrudes downward from the connection case 102. The cylindrical wall 112 of the relay part 90 is inserted into the annular space radially between the opening window 46 (second annular cover 48) and the protruding cover 68 (first annular cover 74), and the connection case 102 is housed in the housing recess 44. When the lower end of the bolt 100 comes into contact with the upper end of the inner hole 64 of the nut 62 (the upper end of the annular projection 66), the bolt 100 is displaced upward within the bolt housing cylinder 128, for example, to the position shown by the dashed line in Figure 5. After that, the bolt 100 is fastened to the nut 62 through the through hole 130 using a tool (not shown). As a result, the relay part 90 is clamped between the terminal part 20 and the connection part 22 by the axial force of the bolt 100. In other words, the terminal part 20 and the connection part 22 are connected by the relay part 90, and the in-vehicle equipment (battery module 12) and the powered component 16 are electrically connected. More specifically, when the bolt 100 is fastened to the annular projection 66 of the nut 62 by passing through the bolt through hole 98 provided in the connection part 22, the connection part 22 is held in a powered state to the terminal part 20 by the relay part 90.

[0047] The connection structure 10 of Embodiment 1, having the structure described above, has the second configuration described above, namely, the relay portion 90, the bolt 100, and the connection portion case 102 are integrally displaceable in the radial direction of the connection portion bolt through hole 98, which is the bolt through hole on the other side, relative to the connection portion 22, which is the other side of the terminal portion 20 and the connection portion 22. As a result, even if the position of the bolt 100 and the nut 62 is misaligned due to tolerances, the displacement of the connection portion case 102 absorbs the tolerance, and the bolt 100 can be stably fastened to the nut 62.

[0048] The nut 62 also has an annular protrusion 66 that protrudes upward. In the assembled state of the in-vehicle device (battery module 12), the annular protrusion 66 protrudes above the terminal portion 20 (bus bar 30a). Since an internal thread that engages with the external thread of the bolt 100 is also provided on the inner peripheral surface of the annular protrusion 66, for example, compared with the case where the nut is located below the terminal portion, the length dimension (vertical dimension) of the bolt 100 can be reduced, and the connection structure 10 between the in-vehicle device (battery module 12) and the electrical component 16 can be realized with a smaller vertical dimension.

[0049] <Embodiment 2> The connection structure 150 of Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. The basic structure of the connection structure 150 in Embodiment 2 is the same as that of the connection structure 10 in Embodiment 1, but different from Embodiment 1, it has the above-described first configuration. That is, in the connection structure 150 of Embodiment 2, the terminal portion cover 152, which is an insulating cover, and the nut 62 are integrally displaceable in the radial direction of the terminal portion bolt through-hole 84, which is one-sided bolt through-hole provided on one side (terminal portion 20) with respect to the terminal portion 20, which is one of the terminal portion 20 and the connection portion 22. In the following description, members and parts that are substantially the same as those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Embodiment 1 in the drawings, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0050] In Embodiment 1, when making the bolt 100 and the relay portion 90 displaceable with respect to the connection portion 22, a connection portion case 102 that houses these bolt 100 and relay portion 90 is adopted, and a configuration is adopted in which the bolt 100, the relay portion 90, and the connection portion case 102 are integrally displaced with respect to the connection portion 22. Similarly, in Embodiment 2, when making the terminal portion cover 152 and the nut 62 displaceable with respect to the terminal portion 20, a terminal portion case 154 that includes these terminal portion cover 152 and nut 62 is adopted.

[0051] Specifically, the terminal case 154 is composed of an upper case 156 and a lower case 158. The upper case 156 has a housing recess 44 in which the connection case 102 on the connection portion 22 side is housed, and a terminal cover 152 which is an insulating cover formed by the bottom wall of the housing recess 44 and covers the upper surface 56 of the terminal portion 20 (the first surface which is the surface facing the other). The terminal cover 152 has an opening window 46 which partially exposes the upper surface 56. The lower case 158 is provided with a nut housing portion 70 in which a nut 62 is housed and a mounting surface 160 on which the terminal portion 20 is placed. The lower case 158 is provided with a regulating projection 162 around the mounting surface 160 which contacts the outer circumferential surface of the terminal portion 20 to restrict the displacement between the terminal portion 20 and the terminal case 154. In Embodiment 2, the nut 62 has the same shape as in Embodiment 1, but in Embodiment 2, the projection cover 164 is integrally formed with the nut 62, and the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection 66 on the nut 62 and the outer circumferential surface of the projection cover 164 are continuous with virtually no step difference.

[0052] Furthermore, within the terminal case 154 in Embodiment 2, an additional conductive plate portion 168 is provided, which has an additional bolt through hole 166 with a smaller diameter than the terminal bolt through hole 84 on one side, and is superimposed on the opposing surface (upper surface 56) of the terminal portion 20. In particular, in Embodiment 2, the additional conductive plate portion 168 is formed as an annular shape having a predetermined inner diameter. Here, the inner diameter of the additional bolt through hole 166 is equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the annular projection 66 on the nut 62, while the inner diameter of the terminal bolt through hole 84 is larger than the outer diameter of the annular projection.

[0053] As shown in Figure 9, the additional conductive plate portion 168 is superimposed on the upper surface 56 of the terminal portion 20, and the nut 62 is superimposed on the lower surface 60. The upper case 156 and lower case 158 are then superimposed on both the upper and lower sides of the additional conductive plate portion 168 and the nut 62. The upper case 156 and lower case 158 are then fixed in a known manner, so that, as shown in Figure 8, the terminal portion case 154, which houses the nut 62 and the additional conductive plate portion 168 inside, is attached to the terminal portion 20.

[0054] As a result, in Embodiment 2, the additional conductive plate portion 168, together with the terminal cover 152 and the nut 62, can be integrally displaced in the radial direction of the terminal bolt through hole 84 relative to the terminal portion 20. Furthermore, the peripheral region of the additional bolt through hole 166 in the additional conductive plate portion 168, which overlaps with the terminal bolt through hole 84 and its surrounding area and extends radially inward from the terminal bolt through hole 84, is exposed through the opening window 46 provided in the terminal cover 152. In Embodiment 2, the upper housing 34 is provided with an opening 170 that exposes the terminal case 154 to the outside, and the battery module 172 of Embodiment 2 can contact the terminal case 154 from the outside. As a result, the terminal case 154 can be displaced relative to the terminal portion 20 by external operation.

[0055] In the connection structure 150 of Embodiment 2, which has the structure described above, the first configuration described above is provided, and the nut 62 and terminal cover 152 are displaceable relative to the terminal portion 20. As a result, similar to Embodiment 1, even if the positions of the bolt 100 and the nut 62 are misaligned due to tolerances, the displacement of the terminal case 154 absorbs the tolerance, and the bolt 100 can be stably fastened to the nut 62.

[0056] In particular, in Embodiment 2, an additional conductive plate portion 168 is provided, which has an additional bolt through hole 166 with an inner diameter smaller than that of the terminal portion bolt through hole 84. As a result, the relay portion 90 is in contact with the additional conductive plate portion 168 instead of the terminal portion 20, and even if the inner diameter of the terminal portion bolt through hole 84 is increased in order to allow the nut 62 to be displaced relative to the terminal portion 20, a stable contact area with the relay portion 90 can be secured.

[0057] In the energized component 174 of Embodiment 2, the inner diameter of the connecting bolt through hole 98 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the bolt shaft 96, and the connecting case 102, bolt 100, and relay portion 90 are made substantially immobile relative to the connecting portion 22. In other words, the connection structure of Embodiment 2 does not have the second configuration described above.

[0058] <Embodiment 3> Hereinafter, the connection structure 180 of Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 11. The connection structure 180 of Embodiment 3 includes both the first and second configurations described above. That is, the connection structure 180 of Embodiment 3 employs a combination of the power-carrying component 16 of Embodiment 1 and the battery module 172 of Embodiment 2, specifically, in the power-carrying component 174 of Embodiment 2, the inner diameter of the connection bolt through hole 98 is made larger than the outer diameter of the bolt shaft 96. As a result, even if the positions of the bolt 100 and the nut 62 are misaligned due to tolerances, the positions of the bolt 100 and the nut 62 can be adjusted on both the connection portion 22 side and the terminal portion 20 side, and the bolt 100 can be fastened to the nut 62 more stably.

[0059] <Embodiment 4> Hereinafter, the main parts of the current-carrying component 190 and the battery module 192 constituting the connection structure of Embodiment 4 of the present disclosure are shown in Figures 12 and 13, respectively. In Embodiments 1 to 3, the cylindrical wall 112 in the relay section 90 was substantially cylindrical in shape, but as shown in Figure 12, the cylindrical wall 196 in the relay section 194 may have a structure that is divided in the circumferential direction. In that case, as shown in Figure 13, the terminal section cover 152 and the projection cover 164 as insulating covers may be formed integrally, and the projection cover 164 and the terminal section cover 152 may be integrally connected by a plurality of radial connecting parts 198. The current-carrying component 190 and the battery module 192 of Embodiment 4 only need to have at least one of the first configuration and the second configuration described above. Here, the projection cover 164 can also function as an inner cover that covers the periphery of the inner hole 64 of the nut 62. Therefore, as shown in Embodiment 4, the inner cover can be formed by a projection cover 164 integrated with the terminal cover 152 by a plurality of radial connecting portions 198. Furthermore, when the inner cover is integrally connected to the terminal cover 152 by a plurality of radial connecting portions 198, the inner cover does not need to be held by the protruding end of the annular projection 66, and even in a configuration using a nut that does not have an annular projection 66, the inner cover can be advantageously attached to cover the periphery of the inner hole 64 of the nut 62, thereby providing an effect of preventing finger contact.

[0060] <Embodiment 5> The connection structure 200 of Embodiment 5 of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 14 to 18. In Embodiments 1 to 4, bolts 100 were provided on the side of the energizing components 16, 174, and 190, and nuts 62 were provided on the side of the battery modules 12, 172, and 192, which are on-board equipment. In Embodiment 5, however, nuts 204 are provided on the side of the energizing component 202, and bolts 208 are provided on the side of the battery module 206, which is on-board equipment. In the following embodiments, the drawings are simplified, and in particular, the connection portion between the terminal portion and the connection portion is shown, while the battery module body 32 and other parts are omitted from the illustration.

[0061] The connection structure 200 of Embodiment 5 has the first configuration described above. That is, in Embodiment 5, the connection cover 214, which is an insulating cover, the nut 204, and the connection case 216, which is a case, are integrally displaceable in the radial direction of the connection bolt through hole 218, which is a one-sided bolt through hole provided in one of the connection parts (connection part 212), relative to the connection part 212, which is one of the terminal part 210 and the connection part 212. Specifically, the connection part 212, which is one of the terminal part 210 and the connection part 212, is provided with a connection cover 214 as an insulating cover that covers the lower surface 220, which is the surface (first surface) facing the other (terminal part 210), an opening window 222 provided in the insulating cover (connection cover 214) that partially exposes the facing surface, and a nut 204 superimposed on the upper surface 224, which is the opposite surface (second surface) opposite to the surface (lower surface 220) facing the other.

[0062] More specifically, a nut 204 is superimposed on the connection portion 212 from above, and an annular projection 228 protruding from the periphery of the inner hole 226 of the nut 204 extends beyond the other facing surface (lower surface 220) of the connection portion 212. An insulating projection cover 230 covering the protruding end (lower end) is integrally formed on this annular projection 228. Furthermore, an annular additional conductive plate portion 234 having an additional bolt through hole 232 with a smaller diameter than the bolt through hole on one side (connection portion bolt through hole 218) is superimposed on the lower surface 220 of the connection portion 212. The upper case 236 and lower case 238 constituting the connection portion case 216 are superimposed on both the upper and lower sides of the nut 204 and the additional conductive plate portion 234, and these upper case 236 and lower case 238 are fixed by a locking mechanism 122, thereby attaching the nut 204 and the additional conductive plate portion 234 to the connection portion 212. As a result, the lower surface 220 of the connection portion 212 is covered by the bottom wall 132 of the lower case 238. Therefore, in Embodiment 5, the connection portion cover 214 that covers the lower surface 220 is made up of the bottom wall 132, and an opening window 222 is formed in this bottom wall 132. The upper part of the nut 204 is covered by an insulating cap 240, which has a flange-like portion 242 that extends outward, and the part of the insulating cap 240 other than the flange-like portion 242 is exposed to the outside through the through hole 130 in the upper case 236.

[0063] In particular, the upper case 236 is provided with a nut housing cylinder 244 that extends vertically, allowing the nut 204 to be displaced vertically within the nut housing cylinder 244. The inner diameter of the nut housing cylinder 244 and the outer diameter of the flange-like portion 242 of the insulating cap 240 are approximately equal, and the inner circumferential surface of the nut housing cylinder 244 and the outer circumferential surface of the flange-like portion 242 of the insulating cap 240 come into contact, thereby suppressing the tilting of the nut 204 (and insulating cap 240). Furthermore, the outer diameter of the annular projection 228 on the nut 204 is smaller than the inner diameter of the connecting bolt through hole 218, and is equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the additional bolt through hole 232. In addition, the inner diameter of the opening window 222 is larger than the outer diameter of the annular projection 228. Here, the nut 204 is assembled to the upper case 236 in such a way that it is substantially immobile in the radial direction, and the additional conductive plate portion 234 is assembled to the lower case 238 in such a way that it is substantially immobile in the radial direction. As a result, in Embodiment 5, the connection case 216, including the insulating cover (connection cover 214), and the nut 204 are integrally displaceable relative to the connection portion 212.

[0064] On the other hand, in Embodiment 5, the bolt 208 is fixed to the housing 246 (upper housing 248 and lower housing 250) that constitutes the battery module 206 in a manner that prevents displacement, and the bolt 208 penetrates the terminal portion 210 and protrudes upward. Furthermore, an annular relay portion 252 is provided around the bolt 208 that protrudes upward from the terminal portion 210, and is superimposed on the upper surface of the terminal portion 210, and these bolt 208 and relay portion 252 protrude upward through a through hole 254 provided in the upper housing 248.

[0065] In the connection structure 200 with this configuration, the nut 204 is displaceable vertically within the nut housing cylinder 244, and the connection case 216 including the nut 204 is displaceable radially relative to the connection 212. As a result, the nut 204 can be displaced radially at a position above the bolt 208, and the nut 204 can be fastened to the bolt 208, which is fixedly installed with the nut 204 and bolt 208 aligned, thereby absorbing deviations due to tolerances and achieving stable bolt fastening.

[0066] <Embodiment 6> The connection structure 260 of Embodiment 6 of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 19 and 20. In Embodiment 6, similar to Embodiment 5, a nut 204 is provided on the side of the energizing component 262, and a bolt 208 is provided on the side of the battery module 264 as an in-vehicle device. However, the connection structure 260 of Embodiment 6 has the second configuration described above. That is, the relay portion 252, the bolt 208, and the terminal portion case 266, which is the case, can be displaced integrally with respect to the terminal portion 212, which is the other side of the terminal portion 210 and the connection portion 212. The configuration for integrally displacing the relay portion 252, the bolt 208, and the terminal portion case 266 with respect to the terminal portion 212 is the same as in Embodiment 2, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. Even in the connection structure 260 of Embodiment 6 with such a structure, it is possible to absorb the misalignment between the bolt 208 and the nut 204 due to tolerances and achieve stable bolt fastening.

[0067] <Embodiment 7> Hereinafter, the connection structure 270 of Embodiment 7 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 21. In the connection structure 270 of Embodiment 7, the first configuration and the second configuration described above are combined and adopted. That is, it has both a configuration in which the nut 204, the connection case 216 including the connection cover 214 which is an insulating cover, and the additional conductive plate portion 234 can be displaced radially relative to the connection portion 212 in Embodiment 5, and a configuration in which the bolt 208, the intermediate portion 252, and the terminal portion case 266 can be displaced radially relative to the terminal portion 210. As a result, when bolting the connection portion 212 and the terminal portion 210 together, both the nut 204 and the bolt 208 can be displaced, thereby enabling more reliable bolt fastening.

[0068] <Modifications> Although Embodiments 1 to 7 have been described in detail above as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited by these specific descriptions. Modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the objectives of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] (1) In Embodiment 1, a battery module 12 was described as the in-vehicle equipment connected to the power-conducting component 16 by the connection structure 10 according to the Disclosure. However, the invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the in-vehicle equipment connected to the power-conducting component by the connection structure according to the Disclosure may be, for example, an electrical junction box. The same applies to other embodiments.

[0070] (2) When multiple terminals are provided in an in-vehicle device, they do not need to have the same structure, and for example, at least two of the embodiments from Embodiment 1 to Embodiment 7 may be combined and adopted.

[0071] (3) In Embodiment 1, the nut 62 was provided with an annular projection 66 having a protruding height exceeding the upper surface 56 of the terminal portion 20, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, as shown in the embodiment in Figure 22, the nut 272 may be provided below the terminal portion 20, or an insulating cylindrical portion 274 may be provided protruding upward from the terminal portion 20. This can prevent workers from unintentionally coming into contact with the terminal portion which may be a live part. Similarly, in other embodiments, the nut does not need to protrude beyond the surface opposite to the overlapping surface of the terminal portion or connection portion, and the effect of preventing finger contact can be achieved by providing an insulating cylindrical portion.

[0072] 10 Connection structure (Embodiment 1) 12 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment) 14 Electrical connection box (in-vehicle equipment) 16 Power-carrying component 18 Terminal block 20 Terminal section (one of the terminal section and connection section) 22 Connection section (the other of the terminal section and connection section) 24 Battery cell 26 Holder 28 Terminal 30 Busbar 30a End busbar 32 Battery module body 34 Housing 36 Upper housing 38 Lower housing 40 Upper bottom wall section 42 Upper peripheral wall section 44 Retaining recess 46 Opening window 48 Second annular cover 50 Bottom wall section 52 Lower peripheral wall section 54 Terminal holder 56 Top surface (facing surface to the other side: first surface) 58 Terminal section cover (insulating cover) 60 Bottom surface (opposite surface opposite to the facing surface to the other side: second surface) 62 Nut 64 Inner hole 66 Annular projection 68 Projection cover 70 Nut housing 72 Circumferential groove 74 First annular cover 76 Upper cover section 78 Locking claw 80 Bent section 82 Terminal through hole 84 Terminal bolt through hole (one-side bolt through hole) 86 Bus bar (conducting member) 88 Bottom surface (facing one side: first surface) 90 Intermediate section 92 Top surface (opposite surface to the facing one side: second surface) 94 Bolt head 96 Bolt shaft 98 Connection section bolt through hole (other-side bolt through hole) 100 Bolt 102 Connection section case (case) 104 Insulating cap 106 Flange-like section 108 Insulating coating 110 Inclination suppression section 112 Cylindrical wall 114 Intermediate section bolt through hole 116 Outward projection 118 Upper case 120 Lower case 122 Locking mechanism 124 Upper bottom wall 126 Upper peripheral wall 128 Bolt housing cylinder 130 Through hole 132 Bottom wall 134 Lower peripheral wall 136 Through hole 138 Annular projection 140 Stepped surface 142 Busbar extension 144 Mounting surface 146 Connection housing 150 Connection structure (Embodiment 2) 152 Terminal cover 154 Terminal case 156 Upper case 158 Lower case 160 Mounting surface 162 Restricting projection 164 Projection cover 166 Additional bolt through hole 168 Additional conductive plate 170 Opening 172 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment) 174 Conductive component 180 Connection structure (Embodiment 3) 190 Conductive component (Embodiment 4) 192 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment) 194 Relay section 196 Cylinder wall 198 Radial connecting section 200 Connection structure (Embodiment 5)202 Conductive component 204 Nut 206 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment) 208 Bolt 210 Terminal section 212 Connection section 214 Connection section cover (insulating cover) 216 Connection section case (case) 218 ​​Connection section bolt through hole (bolt through hole on one side) 220 Bottom surface (facing surface to the other side: 1st surface) 222 Opening window 224 Top surface (opposite surface opposite to the facing surface to the other side: 2nd surface) 226 Inner hole 228 Annular projection 230 Projection cover 232 Additional bolt through hole 234 Additional conductive plate section 236 Upper case 238 Lower case 240 Insulating cap 242 Flange-shaped section 244 Nut housing cylinder section 246 Housing 248 Upper housing 250 Lower housing 252 Intermediate section 254 Through hole 260 Connection structure (Embodiment 6) 262 Conductive component 264 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment) 266 Terminal case (case) 270 Connection structure (Embodiment 7) 272 Nut (Figure 22) 274 Cylindrical part

Claims

1. A connection structure for connecting an in-vehicle device and an electrical component, wherein the in-vehicle device comprises a terminal block, the terminal block comprises a terminal portion, a bolt, and a relay portion, the terminal portion is provided with a terminal portion bolt through-hole, the bolt has a bolt head and a bolt shaft, the bolt shaft passes through the terminal portion bolt through-hole and protrudes toward the first surface of the terminal portion, the bolt head is positioned on the second surface of the terminal portion, the relay portion is positioned on the first surface of the terminal portion, the second surface of the terminal portion is the back surface of the first surface of the terminal portion, the electrical component comprises an electrical member, a connection portion cover, and a nut, the electrical member is covered in an insulating manner, the electrical member has a connection portion provided with a connection portion bolt through-hole, the connection portion cover covers the first surface of the connection portion, the connection portion cover is provided with an opening window, the opening window partially exposes the first surface of the connection portion, the first surface of the connection portion is connected to the relay portion that passes through the opening window, and the nut is positioned on the second surface of the connection portion. The connection structure comprises the following: the second surface of the connection portion is the back surface of the first surface of the connection portion; at least one of the terminal block and the energizing component is provided with a case; and the connection structure comprises at least one of a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the first configuration is such that the connection portion cover, the nut and the case are integrally displaceable relative to the connection portion in the radial direction of the bolt through-hole of the connection portion; and the second configuration is such that the relay portion, the bolt and the case are integrally displaceable relative to the terminal portion in the radial direction of the bolt through-hole of the terminal portion; and the connection structure is such that the connection portion and the terminal portion are held energized by the relay portion when the bolt shaft is fastened to the nut.

2. The connection structure according to claim 1, comprising at least the first configuration, wherein the current-carrying component further comprises an additional conductive plate portion, the additional conductive plate portion has an additional bolt through-hole smaller in diameter than the connection portion bolt through-hole, the additional conductive plate portion is superimposed on the first surface of the connection portion, the opening window is sized to expose the connection portion bolt through-hole and the surrounding area of ​​the connection portion bolt through-hole, the peripheral area of ​​the additional bolt through-hole is superimposed on the connection portion bolt through-hole and the surrounding area of ​​the connection portion bolt through-hole, the inner circumferential surface of the additional bolt through-hole is located radially inward of the bolt than the inner circumferential surface of the connection portion bolt through-hole, the peripheral area of ​​the additional bolt through-hole is exposed from the opening window, and the additional conductive plate portion, the insulating cover, and the nut are integrally displaceable relative to the connection portion in the radial direction of the connection portion bolt through-hole.

3. The connection structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the nut includes an annular projection that penetrates the bolt through-hole of the connection part and is exposed from the cover of the connection part, the conductive part is provided with an insulating projection cover that covers the protruding end of the annular projection, and the bolt shaft is fastened to the annular projection.

4. The opening window is sized to expose the bolt through-hole of the connecting portion and the area surrounding the bolt through-hole of the connecting portion, the connecting portion cover has a plurality of integrally connected radial connecting portions and an inner cover, and the inner cover covers the periphery of the inner hole of the nut, the connecting structure according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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