Connection structure

Abstract

Disclosed is a novel connection structure capable of suppressing contact of an operator or the like with a terminal part that can be a live part and capable of suppressing an increase in size.　In a connection structure 10, a terminal block 16 includes: a terminal holding part 56; a terminal part cover 60 that covers a terminal part 18; a nut 64 on which the terminal part 18 is placed; an opening window 48 that is provided on the terminal part cover 60 and exposes the terminal part 18; an annular protrusion 68 that protrudes from an inner hole 66 of the nut 64, penetrates a terminal part bolt through-hole 88 of the terminal part 18, and is exposed from the terminal part cover 60; and a protrusion cover 70 that covers the annular protrusion 68. A current-carrying component 15 includes: a current-carrying member 90 having a connection part 22; and a relay part 104 connected to the connection part 22 and connected to the terminal part 18 through the opening window 48 of the terminal part cover 60. By fastening a bolt 102 to the annular protrusion 66 through a connection part bolt through-hole 98 provided in the connection part 22, the connection part 22 is held in a current-carrying state with respect to the terminal part 18 by means of the relay part 104.

Description

Connection structure

[0007] ,

[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 member in an energized state.

[0002] Conventionally, a connection structure is known in which a connection portion provided in 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, a hybrid vehicle, or the like, a structure 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 is disclosed.

[0003] By the way, since the terminal portion of the single battery group is a live portion, 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 so as to be openable and closable. 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 operation.

[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 that become live portions are 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 terminal portion is desired. Moreover, due to the space-saving required for recent in-vehicle devices, the space for taking countermeasures is limited, and a countermeasure for increasing the application location of the connection structure has not been desired.

[0006] Therefore, a novel connection structure is disclosed that can suppress contact of an operator or the like with a terminal portion that can become a live portion and can suppress an increase in size.

[0007] The connection structure of the present disclosure is a connection structure for connecting an in-vehicle device and an electrical component, wherein the electrical component comprises an electrical member, a relay portion and a bolt, the electrical member is covered in an insulating manner, the electrical member has a connection portion provided with a connection portion bolt through hole, one end of the relay portion is connected to the connection portion, the in-vehicle device comprises a terminal block, the terminal block comprises a terminal portion, a terminal portion cover, a nut and a projection cover, the terminal portion is provided with a terminal portion bolt through hole, the terminal portion cover is insulating, the terminal portion cover covers one side of the terminal portion, the terminal portion cover is provided with an opening window, and the opening window is connected to the terminal The terminal portion is partially exposed, the other end of the relay portion is connected to the terminal portion through the opening window, the other side of the terminal portion rests on the nut, the nut has an annular projection protruding from the periphery of the inner hole of the nut, the annular projection is exposed from the terminal portion cover through the bolt through hole of the terminal portion, the annular projection includes a protruding end, the projection cover is insulating, the projection cover covers the protruding end, and the bolt is fastened to the annular projection through the bolt through hole of the connection portion, thereby holding the connection portion and the terminal portion energized by the relay portion.

[0008] According to the connection structure of this disclosure, contact by workers or others with terminals that may be live parts can be suppressed, and the size of the device can be kept down.

[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 perspective view showing the main part of the connection structure shown in Figure 1 with the upper part of the housing in the in-vehicle equipment removed. Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the connection structure shown in Figure 1, and corresponds to the III-III cross-section in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the IV-IV line in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the connection structure shown in Figure 1 before the terminal and connection part are connected. Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the connection structure shown in Figure 5, and corresponds to Figure 3. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of the terminal side portion of the connection structure shown in Figure 5. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the main part of the terminal side portion shown in Figure 7 in an exploded state. Figure 9 is a perspective view from the plan side showing an enlarged view of the connection part portion of the connection structure shown in Figure 5. Figure 10 is a perspective view from the bottom side of the connection part portion shown in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the connection side shown in Figure 9 in an exploded state. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of the terminal side constituting the connection structure according to Embodiment 2. Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the terminal side shown in Figure 12 in an exploded state. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of the terminal side constituting the connection structure according to Embodiment 3. Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the terminal side shown in Figure 14 in an exploded state.

[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 electrical component comprises an electrical member, a relay portion and a bolt, the electrical member is covered in an insulating manner, the electrical member has a connection portion provided with a connection portion bolt through hole, one end of the relay portion is connected to the connection portion, the in-vehicle device comprises a terminal block, the terminal block comprises a terminal portion, a terminal portion cover, a nut and a projection cover, the terminal portion is provided with a terminal portion bolt through hole, the terminal portion cover is insulating, the terminal portion cover covers one side of the terminal portion, the terminal portion cover is provided with an opening window, the opening window partially covers the terminal portion The terminal portion is exposed, the other end of the relay portion is connected to the terminal portion through the opening window, the other side of the terminal portion rests on the nut, the nut has an annular projection protruding from the periphery of the inner hole of the nut, the annular projection is exposed from the terminal portion cover by passing through the bolt through hole of the terminal portion, the annular projection includes a protruding end, the projection cover is insulating, the projection cover covers the protruding end, and the bolt is fastened to the annular projection by passing through the bolt through hole of the connection portion, thereby holding the connection portion and the terminal portion energized by the relay portion.

[0011] According to the connection structure of this disclosure, terminals located on the terminal block of an in-vehicle device that may be live parts are covered with an insulating terminal cover, and the terminals are exposed through an opening window provided in the terminal cover. Therefore, by covering terminals that may be live parts and for which electric shock countermeasures are required with a terminal cover, contact with the terminals by workers, etc., can be suppressed. Furthermore, on the side of the energized component that is fastened to the terminal covered by the terminal cover, a relay part is provided in which one end is connected to the connection part of the energized member and the other end passes through the opening window of the terminal cover and is connected to the terminal. Therefore, even if the terminal is covered with a terminal cover, when the terminal and the connection part are bolted together, the relay part can be used to achieve electrical connection between the terminal and the connection part.

[0012] Furthermore, on the terminal block side, an annular projection is provided that protrudes from the periphery of the inner hole of the nut on which the other surface of the terminal portion is mounted, passes through the bolt through-hole of the terminal portion, and is exposed from the terminal 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 that may come into contact with the connection portion 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 terminal portion.

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

[0014] More preferably, the current-carrying component comprises a bolt whose bolt head is placed on one surface of the connection portion and whose bolt shaft is positioned to protrude to the other surface of the connection portion by passing through a bolt through-hole provided in the connection portion, and a connection portion case that houses the connection portion, the bolt, and the intermediate portion, wherein one end of the intermediate portion is connected to the other surface of the connection portion, the other end of the intermediate portion is connected to the terminal portion by passing through the opening window, and the bolt shaft and the one end of the intermediate portion are exposed on the bottom wall side of the connection portion case, and the connection portion case has a bolt housing cylinder portion that surrounds the periphery of 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 the one end side 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 surface abuts against the bolt shaft to suppress the tilt of the bolt.

[0015] In other words, in the electrically conductive component, the connection case that houses the connection portion of the electrically conductive member is provided with a bolt housing cylinder that surrounds the bolt head and positions and holds the bolt head in the radial direction of the bolt, and a relay portion holding portion that positions and holds one end of the relay portion in the radial direction. As a result, the relative displacement between the bolt and the relay portion is suppressed in the electrically conductive component, so when fastening the connection portion of the electrically conductive component to the terminal portion with bolts, the bolt and relay portion on the electrically conductive component side can be smoothly attached to the nut and terminal portion on the terminal block side, and the bolt fastening work can be performed efficiently. Moreover, the area around the bolt head is surrounded by the bolt housing cylinder, and the relay portion has a tilt suppression portion that protrudes radially inward, with the protruding end face abutting against the bolt shaft to suppress the tilt of the bolt. Therefore, the tilt of the bolt relative to the connection portion is also suppressed by the contact between the bolt head and the bolt housing cylinder, and the contact between the bolt shaft and the tilt suppression portion of the relay portion, so that the penetration of the bolt shaft portion into the inner hole of the nut can be performed more smoothly.

[0016] (2) In (1) above, it is preferable that the opening window is sized to expose the terminal bolt through hole and the area surrounding the terminal bolt through hole, and that the annular projection is exposed from the terminal cover through the opening window. Since the annular projection is exposed from the terminal cover using the opening window provided in the terminal cover to expose the terminal, it is possible to expose the annular projection from the terminal cover while ensuring the rigidity and durability of the terminal cover.

[0017] (3) In (2) above, it is preferable that the projection cover includes a first annular cover that covers the outer circumferential surface of the protruding end of the annular projection, and the terminal cover has a second annular cover that protrudes from the periphery of the opening window in the direction of the protruding annular projection, and that the second annular cover and the first annular cover are arranged facing each other in the radial direction. The first annular cover of the projection cover can cover the protruding end of the annular projection all around, further reducing the risk of the worker coming into contact with the annular projection. Furthermore, the second annular cover that protrudes from the periphery of the opening window of the terminal cover in the direction of the protruding annular projection is arranged facing the first annular cover. As a result, the terminal portion is exposed below the gap between the first annular cover and the second annular cover, which further advantageously suppresses the risk of the worker coming into contact with the terminal portion. Preferably, the gap between the first annular cover and the second annular cover is set to a size that prevents the aforementioned test finger from penetrating, and the height of the first annular cover and the protruding height of the second annular cover further advantageously prevent the worker from contacting the terminal portion.

[0018] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable that the terminal block has a terminal holding portion, and the terminal holding portion holds the terminal portion. The terminal block is provided with a terminal holding portion, and the terminal portion is held in place by being fitted into this terminal holding portion. This suppresses rattling of the terminal portion and allows it to be held in a stable energized state.

[0019] <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.

[0020] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, the connection structure 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. 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 15 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 15. 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 3, right as the right in Figure 3, forward as the right in Figure 4, and rear as the left in Figure 4. 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.

[0021] <Connection Structure 10> The connection structure 10 is formed by bolting a connection portion 22 provided on the power-carrying component 15 to a terminal portion 18 located on a terminal block 16 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 15 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 15 will be omitted.

[0022] <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 2, 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 by housing the battery module body 32 in a housing 34 made of synthetic resin. Of these plurality of bus bars 30, the terminal portion 18 described above is provided on the bus bar 30a at the ends (front end and / or rear end), and a terminal block 16 on which the terminal portion 18 is arranged is made at the ends (front end and / or rear end) of the holder 26 and the housing 34.

[0023] 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 16 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 106 of the power-carrying component 15, which will be described later, is housed. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the terminal block 16 and terminal portion 18 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. Each of these housing recesses 44 is roughly rectangular in plan view, and the internal space of each housing recess 44 is in communication with the outside through an opening 46 provided on the left side.

[0024] 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 60, which will be described later, is formed by this bottom wall of the receiving recess 44. An opening window 48 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom wall (terminal cover 60) of the receiving recess 44, penetrating the bottom wall in the thickness direction (vertical direction). In Embodiment 1, the opening window 48 is approximately circular in plan view. A second annular cover 50, which is approximately cylindrical and protrudes vertically in the direction of the central axis (or protrusion direction) of the annular projection 68, which will be described later, is formed on the periphery of the opening window 48, and the second annular cover 50 protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening window 48. The inner diameters of the opening window 48 and the second annular cover 50 are larger than the terminal bolt through-holes 88 in the terminal portion 18, which will be described later. In the assembled state of the battery module 12, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lower end of the second annular cover 50, which protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the opening window 48, abuts against the terminal portion 18 at a point on the outer circumference side of the terminal bolt through-holes 88. In other words, the terminal bolt through-holes 88 and the surrounding area of ​​the terminal portion 18 are exposed to the outside through the opening window 48.

[0025] Furthermore, the lower housing 38 has a generally box-like shape that opens upwards, and includes a bottom wall portion 52 which is roughly rectangular and flat, and a lower peripheral wall portion 54 which protrudes upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 52. 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.

[0026] <Terminal Block 16> The terminal block 16 includes a terminal holding portion 56 for holding the terminal portion 18, an insulating terminal portion cover 60 that covers the upper surface 58 which is one side of the terminal portion 18, a nut 64 on which the lower surface 62 which is the other side of the terminal portion 18 rests, and an opening window 48 provided in the terminal portion cover 60 that partially exposes the terminal portion 18. The terminal block 16 also includes an annular projection 68 that protrudes from the periphery of the inner hole 66 of the nut 64, passes through the terminal portion bolt through hole 88 in the terminal portion 18 (bus bar 30a), which will be described later, and is exposed from the terminal portion cover 60, and an insulating projection cover 70 that covers the protruding end (upper end) of the annular projection 68. In Embodiment 1, as described above, a housing recess 44 is formed in the housing 34 at the position where the terminal block 16 (terminal portion 18) is provided. Therefore, the terminal portion cover 60 that covers the upper surface 58 of the terminal portion 18 is formed by the bottom wall of the housing recess 44, and a circular opening window 48 is formed in this terminal portion cover 60. In particular, in Embodiment 1, this opening window 48 is formed to a size that exposes the terminal portion bolt through hole 88 of the terminal portion 18 and its surrounding area, as described above. Since the annular projection 68 of the nut 64 passes through this terminal portion bolt through hole 88, the annular projection 68 is exposed from the terminal portion cover 60 through the opening window 48.

[0027] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8 and other figures, a roughly frame-shaped terminal holding portion 56 (only the front terminal holding portion 56 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 18 provided on the bus bar 30a is fitted into this terminal holding portion 56 to hold the terminal portion 18. In addition, a roughly rectangular concave nut housing portion 72 is formed on the inner circumference side of the terminal holding portion 56 with an upward opening, and a nut 64 is fixed to the nut housing portion 72. The holder 26 may be formed as an integrally molded product comprising each battery cell 24 and each nut 64.

[0028] <Nut 64> The nut 64 is substantially cylindrical in shape and has an inner hole 66, which is positioned to extend in the vertical direction. The inner circumferential surface of the inner hole 66 has a female thread that engages with the male thread of the bolt 102, which will be described later. As described above, an annular projection 68 that protrudes upward is provided on the periphery of the inner hole 66 of the nut 64. As a result, the inner hole 66 of the nut 64 is formed continuously with the inner hole of the annular projection 68, and a female thread is also formed on the inner surface of the annular projection 68. When the nut 64 and the terminal portion 18 (bus bar 30a) are superimposed, the annular projection 68 has a projection dimension that allows it to protrude above the terminal portion 18 through the terminal portion bolt through hole 88 provided in the terminal portion 18. In Embodiment 1, an annular circumferential groove 74 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection 68 in the vertical intermediate portion, opening outwards and extending continuously over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. In short, the outer diameter of the annular projection 68 is reduced at the position where the circumferential groove 74 is formed. When the nut 64 and the terminal portion 18 (bus bar 30a) are superimposed, the circumferential groove 74 is located above the terminal portion 18.

[0029] <Protruding part cover 70> The protruding part cover 70 is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a first annular cover 76 that covers the outer circumferential surface of the protruding end of the annular projection 68 (for example, the portion above the circumferential groove 74) when the protruding part cover 70 is attached to the annular projection 68. The protruding part cover 70 also includes a generally annular upper cover portion 78 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the first annular cover 76, so that when the protruding part cover 70 is attached to the annular projection 68, it covers the protruding end of the annular projection 68 from above. Furthermore, the lower surface of the upper cover portion 78 is provided with retaining protrusions 80 that protrude downward at multiple locations on the circumference, so that when the protruding part cover 70 is attached to the annular projection 68, each retaining protrusion 80 abuts against the upper end surface of the annular projection 68. This suppresses rattling of the protruding part cover 70 relative to the annular projection 68. Furthermore, the lower end of the projection cover 70 is provided with a locking claw 82 that is elastically deformable in the radial direction. In Embodiment 1, the locking claws 82 are provided on both the front-rear and rear-facing sides of the lower end of the projection cover 70. In the assembled state of the terminal block 16 (battery module 12), which will be described later, the first annular cover 76 and the second annular cover 50 are arranged facing each other in the radial direction, and an annular gap is formed between the first annular cover 76 and the second annular cover 50. The terminal portion 18 is exposed in an annular shape through this annular gap.

[0030] <Terminal section 18> As described above, the terminal section 18 is provided on the end bus bar 30a, and as shown in Figure 8, the end bus bar 30a has a bent section 84 that bends vertically in the middle of 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 86 is formed in the part behind the bent section 84, through which the terminals 28 of the battery cell 24 pass. Furthermore, the terminal section 18 described above is formed by the part of this bus bar 30a in front of the bent section 84, and the terminal section 18 has a terminal bolt through-hole 88 through which a bolt 102, which will be described later, passes.

[0031] <Electrified Component 15> The electrically conductive component 15 includes a busbar 90 as an electrically conductive member having a connection portion 22 and covered in an insulating manner, and a bolt 102 whose bolt head 92 is placed on the upper surface 94 which is one surface of the connection portion 22, and whose bolt shaft 96 is arranged to pass through a connection portion bolt through hole 98 provided in the connection portion 22 and protrude toward the lower surface 100 which is the other surface of the connection portion 22. The electrically conductive component 15 also includes a relay portion 104 whose one end (upper end) is connected to the other surface (lower surface 100) of the connection portion 22 and whose other end (lower end) is connected to the terminal portion 18 by passing through the opening window 48 of the terminal portion cover 60 as described later, and a connection portion case 106 that houses the connection portion 22, the bolt 102 and the relay portion 104. The bolt head 92 of the bolt 102 is covered with an insulating cap 108 which has insulating properties, so that electric shock is prevented when fastening the bolt 102 with a tool (not shown) or the like. The insulating cap 108 is formed integrally with, for example, the bolt 102. The insulating cap 108 also has a flange-like portion 110 that protrudes outward and widens in an annular shape at its lower end.

[0032] <Electrified Member (Busbar 90)> The shape of the busbar 90 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 15 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 90 on the battery module 12 side is a connection part 22. Also, the rear energized component 15 in Figure 1 connects the battery modules 12 to each other, and both ends of the busbar 90 are connection parts 22. The left end of the front energized component 15 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 90 in the longitudinal direction is covered by an insulating coating 112, so that the middle portion in the longitudinal direction is covered in an insulating state. In other words, the ends of each busbar 90 are not covered by the insulating coating 112, 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 102 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, so that the bolt 102 can be displaced radially (in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) inside the connection portion bolt through hole 98.

[0033] <Intermediate Section 104> As shown in Figure 11 and other figures, the intermediate section 104 is generally cylindrical in shape and is made of a metal with excellent conductivity. This intermediate section 104 is formed to have a larger diameter than the bolt shaft 96 of the bolt 102, and in the assembled state of the conductive component 15, the intermediate section 104 is positioned on the outer circumference side of the bolt shaft 96. The intermediate section 104 is provided with a tilt suppression section 114 that protrudes radially inward, and the protruding end face (inner circumferential surface) abuts against the bolt shaft 96 to suppress the tilt of the bolt 102.

[0034] Specifically, the relay section 104 extends vertically and includes a cylindrical wall 116 that surrounds the bolt shaft 96. The aforementioned inclination suppression section 114 is provided at one end (upper end) of this cylindrical wall 116, and in Embodiment 1, the inclination suppression section 114 is formed in an annular shape that protrudes radially inward from the cylindrical wall 116. That is, a relay section bolt through hole 118 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inclination suppression section 114 through which the bolt 102 passes. Furthermore, an outward projection section 120 that protrudes radially outward is provided at the upper end of the cylindrical wall 116, and as will be described later, this outward projection section 120 is supported by the connection section case 106 so that the relay section 104 can be assembled to the connection section case 106. These tilt suppression portion 114 and outward projection portion 120 are formed to form a single disc shape that is continuous in the radial direction, and the upper end surface of the intermediate portion 104 (tilt suppression portion 114, cylindrical wall 116, and outward projection portion 120) is configured as a flat annular surface with virtually no steps. Furthermore, the tip of the cylindrical wall 116 constitutes the other end (lower end) of the intermediate portion 104 and is configured to contact the area surrounding the terminal bolt through hole 88 in the terminal portion 18 that is exposed from the opening window 48, as will be described later.

[0035] <Connection Case 106> The connection case 106 is a hollow box shape overall and is made of an insulating synthetic resin. In Embodiment 1, as shown in Figures 9 to 11, the connection case 106 is composed of an upper case 122 and a lower case 124 that can be assembled and detached in the vertical direction. The method of fixing the upper case 122 and the lower case 124 is not limited, but in Embodiment 1, they are fixed by a locking mechanism 121 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the upper case 122 and the lower case 124, respectively. This connection case 106 is provided so as to cover the connection portion 22 at the end of the bus bar 90, in other words, the connection case 106 is provided on the portion of the bus bar 90 that is not covered by the insulating coating 112. With these insulating coatings 112 and the connection case 106, the bus bar 90 is covered in an insulating state over substantially its entire length.

[0036] <Upper Case 122> The upper case 122 is a roughly box-shaped structure that opens downwards as a whole, and is equipped with a roughly rectangular plate-shaped upper bottom wall 126 and an upper peripheral wall 128 that protrudes downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper bottom wall 126. That is, the upper bottom wall 126 of the upper case 122 constitutes the upper wall of the connection case 106. Here, the upper case 122 that constitutes the connection case 106 has a bolt housing cylinder portion 130 that surrounds the bolt head 92 (and the insulating cap 108 fixed to the bolt head 92) and positions and holds the bolt head 92 in the radial direction of the bolt 102 (a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction). The bolt housing cylinder portion 130 is formed as a roughly cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction, and is located in the internal space of the upper case 122, protruding downward from the lower surface of the upper bottom wall 126. The inner diameter of the bolt housing cylinder portion 130 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the flange-like portion 110 of the insulating cap 108. As will be described later, when the bolt 102 is housed in the bolt housing cylinder portion 130, the bolt 102 is displaceable vertically within the bolt housing cylinder portion 130 before it is fastened to the nut 64. When the bolt 102 is housed in the bolt housing cylinder portion 130, the outer circumferential surface of the flange-like portion 110 and the inner circumferential surface of the bolt housing cylinder portion 130 come into contact, thereby suppressing the tilting of the bolt 102.

[0037] Furthermore, a circular through-hole 132 is formed in the upper bottom wall 126 of the upper case 122, approximately in the center, penetrating the upper bottom wall 126 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The inner diameter of this through-hole 132 is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange-like portion 110 of the insulating cap 108, thereby preventing the bolt 102 (and insulating cap 108) from falling out through the through-hole 132. The through-hole 132 has an inner diameter larger than the upper portion of the insulating cap 108 (the portion other than the flange-like portion 110), and the upper portion of the insulating cap 108 is exposed to the outside through the through-hole 132. In other words, the insulated bolt head 92 is exposed on the upper wall (upper bottom wall 126) side of the connection case 106. Tools can be inserted into the connection case 106 through this through-hole 132 to perform the fastening work of the bolt 102.

[0038] <Lower Case 124> The lower case 124 is generally box-shaped with an upward opening, and comprises a roughly rectangular plate-shaped bottom wall 134 and a lower peripheral wall 136 that protrudes upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 134. Here, a circular through-hole 138 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom wall 134, through which the cylindrical wall 116 of the relay section 104 passes, penetrating the bottom wall 134 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). In addition, an annular projection 140 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the through-hole 138 in the bottom wall 134, protruding upward. As a result, an annular stepped surface 142 that extends horizontally (in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) is formed between the through-hole 138 and the annular projection 140. The inner diameter of the through-hole 138 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall 116, and the inner diameter of the annular projection 140 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the outward projection 120 that protrudes from the upper end of the cylindrical wall 116 outwards. As a result, when the intermediate section 104 is housed in the connecting section case 106, the cylindrical wall 116 passes through the through-hole 138, the outward projection 120 is placed on the stepped surface 142, and the outward projection 120 is fitted into the annular projection 140. Therefore, the intermediate section holding section 143 is formed by including the through-hole 138, the annular projection 140, and the stepped surface 142, which radially position and hold one end (upper end) of the intermediate section 104.

[0039] Furthermore, a notch-shaped recess 144 is formed in the left portion of the lower peripheral wall 136 of the lower case 124, opening upward and penetrating the lower peripheral wall 136 in the thickness direction (left-right direction). As a result, when the upper case 122 and the lower case 124 are assembled to form the connection case 106, the upper opening of the recess 144 is covered by the left portion of the upper peripheral wall 128 of the upper case 122, forming the busbar extension 146. That is, the busbar 90, with the connection portion 22 housed in the connection case 106, protrudes outward from the connection case 106 through this busbar extension 146. The bottom surface of the recess 144 (busbar extension 146) and the upper surface of the annular projection 140 are at the same vertical position, and when the intermediate portion 104 is assembled to the lower case 124, the upper surface of the intermediate portion 104 is also located on the same plane. Including these surfaces, a mounting surface 148 is formed within the connection case 106 on which the connection part 22 is placed. In short, within the connection case 106, the space above the mounting surface 148 is the connection part housing 150 on which the connection part 22 is housed.

[0040] In Embodiment 1, the busbar 90's connection portion 22 is housed in the connection portion housing portion 150 of the connection portion case 106. In particular, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, when the central axes of the connection portion bolt through hole 98 of the connection portion 22 and the intermediate portion bolt through hole 118 of the intermediate portion 104 are aligned, the connection portion 22 and the lower peripheral wall 136 of the lower case 124 constituting the connection portion housing portion 150 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 150 in the radial direction of the bolt 102 (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 102 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 150 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.

[0041] As shown in Figure 11, the connector case 106, which has this shape, is constructed by overlapping the bolt 102 and the intermediate section 104 with the connector 22 from both the upper and lower sides, and then overlapping the upper case 122 and the lower case 124 with the bolt 102 and the intermediate section 104 from both the upper and lower sides, and fixing them together with the respective locking mechanisms 121. When the connector case 106 is assembled to the connector 22, the upper end surface of one end (upper end) of the intermediate section 104 overlaps with the lower surface 100 of the connector 22 and connects them. In addition, the bolt shaft 96 and the other end (lower end) of the intermediate section 104 are exposed on the bottom wall 134 side of the connector case 106, and in particular the lower end of the intermediate section 104 protrudes downward from the bottom wall 134 of the connector case 106. Here, the intermediate section 104 is substantially immobile relative to the lower case 124 in the radial direction of the bolt 102 (a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction), and the bolt 102 is substantially immobile relative to the upper case 122 in the radial direction. Then, when the upper case 122 and the lower case 124 are fixed together to form the connecting section case 106, the bolt 102, the intermediate section 104, and the connecting section case 106 are integrally displaceable radially relative to the connecting section 22.

[0042] <Assembly of the in-vehicle equipment (battery module 12)> The method of assembling the battery module 12 is not limited, but as shown in Figure 8, each bus bar 30 is attached to each terminal 28 of each battery cell 24 held in the holder 26. For the end bus bar 30a, the end bus bar 30a is attached by straddling the end terminal 28 and the annular projection 68 of the nut 64 fixed to the nut housing 72. In short, the terminal 28 is passed through the terminal through hole 86 of the bus bar 30a, and the annular projection 68 is passed through the terminal bolt through hole 88, and the projection cover 70 is superimposed from above the annular projection 68. The projection cover 70 is attached to the annular projection 68 by engaging each locking claw 82 of the projection cover 70 with the circumferential groove 74 of the annular projection 68. This completes the battery module body 32. Then, the upper housing 36 and the lower housing 38 are placed on top of the battery module body 32 from both the top and bottom sides, and the upper housing 36 and the lower housing 38 are fixed to each other, thereby completing the battery module 12.

[0043] <Assembly of the current-carrying component 15> Although the assembly method of the current-carrying component 15 is not limited, as shown in FIG. 11, in the bus bar 90 whose middle part in the length direction is covered with the insulating coating 112, with respect to the connection part 22 which is the end part on the side connected to the battery module 12, the bolt 102 is overlapped from above, and at the same time, the relay part 104 is overlapped from below, and the bolt shaft 96 penetrates through the connection part bolt through holes 98 and the relay part bolt through holes 118 of the connection part 22 and the relay part 104. Then, the upper case 122 and the lower case 124 are overlapped from the upper and lower sides of these bolt 102 and the relay part 104, and the upper case 122 and the lower case 124 are fixed to each other. In addition, in the current-carrying component 15, since a known structure is adopted for the end part on the side connected to the electrical connection box 14, the description is omitted. Thus, the current-carrying component 15 is completed.

[0044] <Connection between the in-vehicle device (battery module 12) and the current-carrying component 15 by the connection structure 10> When connecting the battery module 12 which is an in-vehicle device and the current-carrying component 15, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connection case 106 fixed to the connection part 22 of the current-carrying component 15 is approached from above to the accommodation recess 44 provided at the upper end part of the battery module 12. Here, on the battery module 12 side, the terminal part 18 (bus bar 30a) is annularly exposed through the opening window 48 and the protrusion cover 70. On the other hand, on the current-carrying component 15 side, the cylindrical wall 116 of the relay part 104 protrudes downward from the connection case 106. Then, the cylindrical wall 116 of the relay part 104 is inserted into the annular space between the radial directions of the opening window 48 (the second annular cover 50) and the protrusion cover 70 (the first annular cover 76), and the connection case 106 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 44. When the lower end of the bolt 102 abuts against the upper end part of the inner hole 66 of the nut 64, the bolt 102 is displaced upward in the bolt accommodation cylindrical part 130 and is displaced to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 for example, but then, through the through hole 132, the bolt 102 is fastened to the nut 64 by a tool not shown. Thus, the relay part 104 is clamped between the terminal part 18 and the connection part 22 by the axial force of the bolt 102.

[0045] In other words, the terminal portion 18 and the connection portion 22 are connected by the relay portion 104, and the in-vehicle device (battery module 12) and the energization component 15 are electrically connected. More specifically, by passing through the connection portion bolt through-hole 98 provided in the connection portion 22 and fastening the bolt 102 to the annular protrusion 68 of the nut 64, the connection portion 22 is held in an energized state to the terminal portion 18 by the relay portion 104. Here, since the connection case 106 in which the bolt 102 is accommodated with respect to the bus bar 90 is displaceable in the radial direction of the bolt 102, even when the positions of the bolt 102 and the nut 64 are displaced due to tolerances, the tolerances are absorbed by the displacement of the connection case 106, and the bolt 102 can be stably fastened to the nut 64.

[0046] According to the connection structure 10 of the first embodiment having the structure as described above, the nut 64 is provided with an annular protrusion 68 that protrudes upward. In the assembled state of the in-vehicle device (battery module 12), the annular protrusion 68 protrudes above the terminal portion 18 (bus bar 30a). And since a female screw that engages with the male screw of the bolt 102 is also provided on the inner peripheral surface of this annular protrusion 68, for example, compared with the case where the nut is located below the terminal portion, the length dimension (vertical dimension) of the bolt 102 can be made smaller, and the connection structure 10 between the in-vehicle device (battery module 12) and the energization component 15 can be realized with a smaller vertical dimension.

[0047] Since the terminal portion bolt through-hole 88 of the terminal portion 18 and the surrounding area are exposed by the opening window 48 of the terminal portion cover 60, the terminal portion cover 60 prevents unintended contact with the terminal portion 18, and the relay portion 104 can be connected to the exposed portion of the terminal portion 18.

[0048] In the first embodiment, a first annular cover 76 is formed in the protrusion cover 70 attached to the annular protrusion 68, and a second annular cover 50 is formed to protrude downward from the peripheral edge of the opening window 48. The terminal portion 18 is annularly exposed through the gap in the radial direction between the first annular cover 76 and the second annular cover 50. Thereby, the possibility that an operator accidentally contacts the terminal portion 18 can be further reduced.

[0049] <Embodiment 2> Hereinafter, the connection structure of Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. The basic structure of the connection structure of Embodiment 2 is the same as that of the connection structure 10 of Embodiment 1, but the structure on the battery module 160 side, which is an in-vehicle device, is different. On the other hand, the structure on the power-carrying component 15 side is the same as that of Embodiment 1, so the description will be omitted. In the following description, components and parts that are substantially the same as those of Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those of Embodiment 1 in the figures, and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0050] In Embodiment 1, the nut 64 and the projection cover 70 were formed separately and then assembled, but in Embodiment 2, the nut 64 and the projection cover 162 are formed integrally. That is, in Embodiment 2, when molding the projection cover 162, the bus bar 30a and the nut 64 are set in the molding cavity of the projection cover 162 and the molding is performed, so that the projection cover 162 is formed as an integrally molded product that integrally includes the bus bar 30a and the nut 64, as shown in Figure 13. In Embodiment 2, the projection cover 162 is composed of a terminal portion covering portion 164 that covers the terminal portion 18 of the bus bar 30a and an annular projection covering portion 166 that covers the annular projection 68 of the nut 64. The nut 64 has the same shape as in Embodiment 1, and the annular projection 68 of the nut 64 that protrudes upward passes through the terminal portion bolt through hole 88 of the terminal portion 18 and protrudes above the terminal portion 18. It can also be understood that the projection cover 162 is composed solely of the annular projection covering portion 166 that covers the annular projection 68 of the nut 64.

[0051] The terminal covering portion 164 covers substantially the entire area around the terminal portion 18 and nut 64, which are overlapped vertically, and a circular through hole 168 is formed in the approximate center of the portion covering the upper surface 58 of the terminal portion 18, exposing the terminal portion 18. In Embodiment 2, it can also be understood that the terminal cover that covers the upper surface 58 of the terminal portion 18 is made up of the terminal covering portion 164 instead of, or in addition to, the terminal cover 60. It can also be understood that the opening window that partially exposes the terminal portion 18 is made up of the through hole 168 instead of, or in addition to, the opening window 48. A substantially cylindrical second annular cover 170 that protrudes upward is formed on the outer peripheral edge of this through hole 168. The annular projection covering portion 166 is substantially cylindrical as a whole and comprises a first annular cover 172 that covers the outer peripheral surface of the annular projection 68 and an upper cover portion 174 that covers the protruding end of the annular projection 68 from above. Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, a substantially cylindrical upper cylindrical portion 176 is provided that protrudes upward from the inner peripheral edge of the upper cover portion 174. The upper cylindrical portion 176 is provided with reinforcing ribs 178 that protrude outward, and in Embodiment 2, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 178 are provided spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. As mentioned above, the annular projection 68 has a circumferential groove 74 that extends over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction on its outer surface, and by providing a portion of the first annular cover 172 that fits into the circumferential groove 74, the annular projection covering portion 166 is prevented from falling off the annular projection 68. In Embodiment 2, the second annular cover 50 that protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the opening window 48 in the terminal portion cover 60 is not provided, and the protruding tip of the second annular cover 170 that protrudes upward from the terminal portion covering portion 164 is located near the opening window 48.

[0052] In the connection structure using the battery module 160 with the structure described above, the only difference from Embodiment 1 is the shape of the projection cover 162 that covers the protruding end of the annular projection 68, so the same effects as in Embodiment 1 can be achieved. In particular, in Embodiment 2, the projection cover 162 is formed as an integrally molded product that integrally includes the bus bar 30a and the nut 64, thereby improving the handling of parts and the workability in assembly work.

[0053] <Embodiment 3> The connection structure of Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 14 and 15. In the battery module 180 of Embodiment 3, the only difference from Embodiments 1 and 2 is the shape of the projection cover 182 that covers the annular projection 68 of the nut 64, and the explanation of the structure on the conductive component 15 side will be omitted.

[0054] In Embodiment 1, the projection cover 70 was equipped with a first annular cover 76 that covered the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection 68. However, the projection cover 182 of Embodiment 3 is not equipped with a first annular cover 76, but is equipped with an annular upper cover portion 184 that covers the protruding end of the annular projection 68 from above, and locking claws 186 that protrude downward at multiple locations on the circumference of this upper cover portion 184. The annular projection 68 of Embodiment 3 is also equipped with a circumferential groove 74 in the middle portion in the vertical direction, and the projection cover 182 is fixed to the annular projection 68 by locking each locking claw 186 into the circumferential groove 74. In Embodiment 3, however, the outer diameter of the portion of the annular projection 68 above the circumferential groove 74 is smaller than that of the portion below the circumferential groove 74. As a result, when the projection cover 182 is fixed to the annular projection 68, the outer circumferential surface of the projection cover 182 and the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the annular projection 68 below the circumferential groove 74 are continuous in the vertical direction with virtually no step difference.

[0055] In the connection structure using the battery module 180 with the structure described above, the only difference from embodiments 1 and 2 is the shape of the projection cover 182 that covers the protruding end of the annular projection 68, so the same effects as embodiments 1 and 2 can be achieved. In particular, in embodiment 3, since the projection cover 182 does not have a portion that covers the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection 68, the outer diameter of the projection cover 182 can be reduced, and the area of ​​the portion exposed upward through the opening window 48 in the terminal portion 18 can be increased compared to embodiments 1 and 2. As a result, for example, the radial width dimension of the cylindrical wall 116 in the relay portion 104 can be increased, and the conductivity performance between the connection portion 22 and the terminal portion 18 can be improved.

[0056] <Modifications> Although Embodiments 1 to 3 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.

[0057] (1) In the above embodiment, a battery module 12 was described as an in-vehicle device connected to the energizing component 15 by the connection structure 10 according to the present disclosure. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the in-vehicle device connected to the energizing component by the connection structure according to the present disclosure may be, for example, an electrical junction box.

[0058] (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 3 may be combined and adopted.

[0059] (3) In this disclosure, the structure of the connecting portion 22 only needs to be such that when the connecting portion 22 and the terminal portion 18 are bolted together, the connecting portion 22 is connected to the terminal portion 18 by the relay portion 104, and the connecting portion case 106 is not essential in this disclosure. Furthermore, even if the connecting portion case 106 is provided, a configuration in which the connecting portion case 106, bolt 102 and relay portion 104 can be displaced integrally with respect to the connecting portion 22 is not essential in this disclosure.

[0060] 10 Connection structure (Embodiment 1) 12 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment) 14 Electrical connection box (in-vehicle equipment) 15 Power-carrying component 16 Terminal block 18 Terminal section 22 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 Housing recess 46 Opening 48 Opening window 50 Second annular cover 52 Bottom wall section 54 Lower peripheral wall section 56 Terminal holding section 58 Top surface (one side of the terminal section) 60 Terminal section cover 62 Bottom surface (the other side of the terminal section) 64 Nut 66 Inner hole 68 Annular projection 70 Projection cover 72 Nut housing section 74 Peripheral groove 76 First annular cover 78 Upper cover section 80 Retaining projection 82 Locking claw 84 Bent section 86 Terminal through hole 88 Terminal bolt through hole 90 Busbar (electrical conductive member) 92 Bolt head 94 Top surface (one side of the connection section) 96 Bolt shaft 98 Connection section bolt through hole 100 Bottom surface (the other side of the connection section) 102 Bolt 104 Intermediate section 106 Connection section case 108 Insulating cap 110 Flange-shaped section 112 Insulating coating 114 Inclination suppression section 116 Cylinder wall 118 Intermediate section bolt through hole 120 Outward projection 121 Locking mechanism 122 Upper case 124 Lower case 126 Upper bottom wall (upper wall) 128 Upper peripheral wall 130 Bolt housing cylinder section 132 Through hole 134 Bottom wall 136 Lower peripheral wall 138 Through hole 140 Annular projection 142 Stepped surface 143 Intermediate part holding part 144 Recess 146 Busbar extension 148 Mounting surface 150 Connection part housing part 160 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment, embodiment 2) 162 Projection cover 164 Terminal part covering part (terminal part cover) 166 Annular projection covering part 168 Through hole (through window) 170 Second annular cover 172 First annular cover 174 Upper cover part 176 Upper cylindrical part 178 Reinforcement rib 180 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment, embodiment 3) 182 Projection cover 184 Upper cover part 186 Locking claw

Claims

1. A connection structure for connecting an in-vehicle device and an electrical component, wherein the electrical component comprises an electrical member, a relay part, and a bolt, the electrical member is covered in an insulating manner, the electrical member has a connection part through which a connection part bolt through-hole is provided, one end of the relay part is connected to the connection part, the in-vehicle device comprises a terminal block, the terminal block comprises a terminal part, a terminal part cover, a nut, and a projection cover, the terminal part has a terminal part bolt through-hole, the terminal part cover is insulating, the terminal part cover covers one side of the terminal part, the terminal part cover has an opening window, the opening window partially exposes the terminal part, the other end of the relay part is connected to the terminal part through the opening window, the other side of the terminal part rests on the nut, the nut has an annular projection protruding from the periphery of the inner hole of the nut, the annular projection is exposed from the terminal part cover through the terminal part bolt through-hole, and the annular projection includes a protruding end. The aforementioned projection cover is insulating, the projection cover covers the protruding end, and the connection portion and the terminal portion are held in an energized state by the relay portion when the bolt is fastened to the annular projection through the bolt through hole of the connection portion.

2. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the opening window is provided to be sized to expose the terminal bolt insertion hole and the area surrounding the terminal bolt insertion hole, and the annular projection is exposed from the terminal cover through the opening window.

3. The connection structure according to claim 2, wherein the projection cover includes a first annular cover that covers the outer circumferential surface of the protruding end of the annular projection, the opening window includes a peripheral edge, and the terminal cover has a second annular cover that protrudes from the peripheral edge in the direction of the protruding annular projection, and the second annular cover and the first annular cover are arranged facing each other in the radial direction.

4. The connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the terminal block has a terminal holding portion, and the terminal holding portion holds the terminal portion.

Images