Vehicle-mounted device
The in-vehicle device addresses the risk of electrical shock and space constraints by using an insulating cover and annular projection to secure electrical connections, ensuring safety and compactness.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AUTONETWORKS TECH LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
Smart Images
Figure JP2026000597_23072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
In-vehicle device
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device provided with a terminal portion, which is used in 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, a hybrid vehicle, or the like, 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, respectively.
[0003] By the way, since the terminal portion of the single battery group is a live part, if the bus bar spanned 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 the 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 Unexamined Patent Application Publication 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. At this time, there may be a case where a countermeasure for suppressing the 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 size of the application location of the connection structure has not been desired.
[0006] Therefore, an in-vehicle device provided with a terminal portion, which is used in a connection structure that can suppress the contact of an operator or the like with a terminal portion that can become a live part and can suppress an increase in size, is disclosed.
[0007] The in-vehicle device of this disclosure is an in-vehicle device to which a connection portion of an electrically conductive component is connected, wherein the terminal block has 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 surface of the terminal portion, the terminal portion cover is provided with an opening window, the opening window partially exposes the terminal portion, the other surface 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 terminal portion bolt through hole, the annular projection includes a protruding end, the projection cover is insulating, the projection cover covers the protruding end, and the connection portion and the terminal portion are held in an electrically conductive state by the relay portion by fastening the bolt to the annular projection through the connection portion bolt through hole.
[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle device equipped with a terminal portion that can be used in a connection structure that can suppress contact of workers, etc., with terminal portions that may be live parts, and can also suppress the increase in size.
[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the in-vehicle equipment according to Embodiment 1 connected to the power-conducting component by a connecting structure. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the main part of the in-vehicle equipment shown in Figure 1 with the upper part of the housing removed. Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the in-vehicle equipment shown in Figure 1, corresponding to the III-III cross-section in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along IV-IV in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the in-vehicle equipment shown in Figure 1 before it is connected to the power-conducting component by a connecting structure. Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the in-vehicle equipment shown in Figure 5, corresponding to Figure 3. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the in-vehicle equipment shown in Figure 5. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the main part of the in-vehicle equipment shown in Figure 7 in an exploded state. Figure 9 is a perspective view from the planar side showing an enlarged view of the main part of the power-conducting component shown in Figure 5. Figure 10 is a perspective view from the bottom side of the main part of the power-conducting component shown in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the power-conducting component shown in Figure 9 in an exploded state. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing a magnified view of the main parts of the in-vehicle device according to Embodiment 2. Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the in-vehicle device shown in Figure 12 in an exploded state. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing a magnified view of the main parts of the in-vehicle device according to Embodiment 3. Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the in-vehicle device 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 in-vehicle equipment of the present disclosure is (1) an in-vehicle equipment to which a connection portion of an electrically conductive component is connected, wherein the terminal block has 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 surface of the terminal portion, the terminal portion cover is provided with an opening window, the opening window partially exposes the terminal portion, the other surface 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 terminal portion bolt through hole, the annular projection includes a protruding end, the projection cover is insulating, the projection cover covers the protruding end, and the connection portion and the terminal portion are held in an electrically conductive state by the relay portion by fastening the bolt to the annular projection through the connection portion bolt through hole.
[0011] According to the in-vehicle equipment of this disclosure, terminals located on the terminal block of the in-vehicle equipment 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, the conductive component fastened to the terminal covered by the terminal cover has a relay portion with one end connected to the connection part of the conductive member and the other end exposed, and the relay portion is connected to the terminal through the opening window of the terminal cover. Therefore, even if the terminal is covered with a terminal cover, when the terminal and the connection part are bolted together, the relay portion 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, it is possible to provide an in-vehicle device equipped with a terminal portion used in a connection structure 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. In other words, the electrically conductive component includes a connection case for housing the connection portion of the electrically conductive member, which comprises 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.
[0015] As a result, the relative displacement between the bolt and the intermediate section in the conductive component is suppressed. Therefore, when bolting the connection part of the conductive component to the terminal, the bolt and intermediate section on the conductive component side can be smoothly attached to the nut and terminal on the terminal block side, allowing for efficient bolt fastening. Moreover, the bolt head is surrounded by a bolt housing cylinder, and the intermediate section has a tilt suppression part that protrudes radially inward, with the protruding end face contacting the bolt shaft to suppress the tilt of the bolt. Therefore, the contact between the bolt head and the bolt housing cylinder, and the contact between the bolt shaft and the tilt suppression part of the intermediate section, also suppresses the tilt of the bolt relative to the connection part, allowing the bolt shaft to penetrate the nut into the inner hole 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 in-vehicle equipment 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 shown, and within the meaning and scope of the Claims.
[0020] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, a battery module 10 as an in-vehicle device according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. This battery module 10 is used, for example, in electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, and is connected by a connection structure 12 according to the present disclosure. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, a conductive component 16 is arranged between a pair of battery modules 10, 10 and between the battery module 10 and the electrical connection box 14, and the battery module 10 and the conductive component 16 are connected by the connection structure 12 according to the present disclosure. In addition, the orientation of the battery module 10 in a vehicle 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 as the left as the right as the right as the right as the front
[0021] <In-vehicle equipment (battery module 10)> The battery module 10 as an in-vehicle equipment includes a terminal portion 24 to which the connection portion 18 of a conductive component 16 is bolted, the busbar 20 being an electrically conductive member with a connection portion 18 and covered in an insulating state, and a relay portion 22 having one end connected to the connection portion 18 and the other end exposed. This battery module 10 is used in a connection structure 12 in which the connection portion 18 is held in an energized state at the terminal portion 24 by the relay portion 22, by fastening a bolt 104 to an annular projection 72 of a nut 68 through a connection portion bolt through hole 100 provided in the connection portion 18, which will be described later. In Embodiment 1, a known electrical connection box 14 is used, and the electrical connection box 14 and the conductive 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 conductive component 16 is omitted.
[0022] The basic structure of the battery module 10 as an in-vehicle device is the same as in the conventional model. As shown in Figure 2, a plurality of battery cells 26 are arranged in parallel, and each of these battery cells 26 is held in a substantially embedded state by a holder 28 made of synthetic resin. Each terminal 30 of each battery cell 26 is exposed to the outside from the holder 28, and each of these terminals 30 is connected by a bus bar 32. The battery module body 34 is made up of these battery cells 26, the holder 28 and each bus bar 32, and the battery module 10 is made up of the battery module body 34 housed in a housing 36 made of synthetic resin. Of these plurality of bus bars 32, the terminal portion 24 is provided at the end (front end and / or rear end) of the bus bar 32a, and a terminal block 38 on which the terminal portion 24 is arranged is made at the end (front end and / or rear end) of the holder 28 and the housing 36.
[0023] In Embodiment 1, the housing 36 of the battery module 10 is composed of an upper housing 40 and a lower housing 42 that can be assembled and detached in the vertical direction. The upper housing 40 is generally box-shaped with an opening downwards, and includes a roughly rectangular flat upper bottom wall portion 44 and an upper peripheral wall portion 46 that protrudes downwards from the outer peripheral edge of the upper bottom wall portion 44. In the upper housing 40, at the position where the terminal block 38 is formed, the upper bottom wall portion 44 is located lower than other parts, and a housing recess 48 is formed therein, in which the connection part case 106 of the power-carrying component 16, which will be described later, is housed. In particular, in Embodiment 1, the terminal block 38 and terminal portion 24 are provided at the left end of both the front and rear ends of the battery module 10, and the housing recess 48 is formed at the left end of both the front and rear ends of the upper housing 40. Each of these housing recesses 48 is roughly rectangular in plan view, and the internal space of each housing recess 48 is in communication with the outside through an opening 50 provided on the left side.
[0024] In other words, a portion of the upper bottom wall portion 44 forms the bottom wall of the receiving recess 48, and this bottom wall is located lower than the other portion of the upper bottom wall portion 44. The terminal cover 64, which will be described later, is formed by this bottom wall of the receiving recess 48. An opening window 52 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom wall (terminal cover 64) of the receiving recess 48, penetrating the bottom wall in the thickness direction (vertical direction). In Embodiment 1, the opening window 52 is approximately circular in plan view. A second annular cover 54, which is approximately cylindrical and protrudes vertically in the direction of the central axis (or protrusion direction) of the annular projection 72, which will be described later, is formed on the periphery of the opening window 52, and the second annular cover 54 protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening window 52. The inner diameters of the opening window 52 and the second annular cover 54 are larger than the terminal bolt through-hole 92 in the terminal portion 24, which will be described later. In the assembled state of the battery module 10, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lower end of the second annular cover 54, which protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the opening window 52, abuts against the terminal portion 24 at a point on the outer circumference side of the terminal bolt through-hole 92. In other words, the terminal bolt through-hole 92 and its surrounding area of the terminal portion 24 are exposed to the outside through the opening window 52.
[0025] Furthermore, the lower housing 42 has a generally box-like shape that opens upwards, and includes a bottom wall portion 56 which is roughly rectangular and flat, and a lower peripheral wall portion 58 which protrudes upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 56. The upper housing 40 and the lower housing 42 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 38> The terminal block 38 includes a terminal holding portion 60 for holding the terminal portion 24, an insulating terminal portion cover 64 that covers the upper surface 62 which is one side of the terminal portion 24, a nut 68 on which the lower surface 66 which is the other side of the terminal portion 24 rests, and an opening window 52 provided in the terminal portion cover 64 that partially exposes the terminal portion 24. The terminal block 38 also includes an annular projection 72 that protrudes from the periphery of the inner hole 70 of the nut 68, passes through the terminal portion bolt through hole 92 in the terminal portion 24 (bus bar 32a), which will be described later, and is exposed from the terminal portion cover 64, and an insulating projection cover 74 that covers the protruding end (upper end) of the annular projection 72. In Embodiment 1, as described above, a housing recess 48 is formed in the housing 36 at the position where the terminal block 38 (terminal portion 24) is provided. Therefore, the terminal portion cover 64 that covers the upper surface 62 of the terminal portion 24 is formed by the bottom wall of the housing recess 48, and a circular opening window 52 is formed in this terminal portion cover 64. In particular, in Embodiment 1, this opening window 52 is formed to a size that exposes the terminal portion bolt through hole 92 of the terminal portion 24 and its surrounding area, as described above. Since the annular projection 72 of the nut 68 passes through this terminal portion bolt through hole 92, the annular projection 72 is exposed from the terminal portion cover 64 through the opening window 52.
[0027] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8 and other figures, a roughly frame-shaped terminal holding portion 60 (only the front terminal holding portion 60 is shown in the figure) is provided at the left end of both the front and rear ends of the holder 28, and the terminal portion 24 provided on the bus bar 32a is fitted into this terminal holding portion 60 to hold the terminal portion 24. In addition, a roughly rectangular concave nut housing portion 76 is formed on the inner circumference side of the terminal holding portion 60 with an upward opening, and a nut 68 is fixed to the nut housing portion 76. The holder 28 may be formed as an integrally molded product comprising each battery cell 26 and each nut 68.
[0028] <Nut 68> The nut 68 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an inner hole 70, and is positioned so that the inner hole 70 extends in the vertical direction. The inner circumferential surface of the inner hole 70 has a female thread that engages with the male thread of the bolt 104, which will be described later. As described above, an annular projection 72 that protrudes upward is provided on the periphery of the inner hole 70 of the nut 68. As a result, the inner hole 70 of the nut 68 is formed continuously with the inner hole of the annular projection 72, and a female thread is also formed on the inner surface of the annular projection 72. When the nut 68 and the terminal portion 24 (bus bar 32a) are superimposed, the annular projection 72 has a projection dimension that protrudes above the terminal portion 24 through the terminal portion bolt through hole 92 provided in the terminal portion 24. In Embodiment 1, an annular circumferential groove 78 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection 72 in the upper and lower intermediate portion, opening outwards and extending continuously over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. In short, the outer diameter of the annular projection 72 is reduced at the position where the circumferential groove 78 is formed. When the nut 68 and the terminal portion 24 (bus bar 32a) are superimposed, the circumferential groove 78 is located above the terminal portion 24.
[0029] <Protruding part cover 74> The protruding part cover 74 is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a first annular cover 80 that covers the outer circumferential surface of the protruding end of the annular projection 72 (for example, the portion above the circumferential groove 78) when the protruding part cover 74 is attached to the annular projection 72. The protruding part cover 74 also includes a generally annular upper cover portion 82 that protrudes inward from the upper end of the first annular cover 80, so that when the protruding part cover 74 is attached to the annular projection 72, it covers the protruding end of the annular projection 72 from above. Furthermore, the lower surface of the upper cover portion 82 is provided with retaining protrusions 84 that protrude downward at multiple locations on the circumference, so that when the protruding part cover 74 is attached to the annular projection 72, each retaining protrusion 84 abuts against the upper end surface of the annular projection 72. This suppresses rattling of the protruding part cover 74 relative to the annular projection 72. Furthermore, a locking claw 86 that is elastically deformable in the radial direction is provided at the lower end of the projection cover 74. In Embodiment 1, the locking claw 86 is provided on both the front-rear and rear-facing sides of the lower end of the projection cover 74. In the assembled state of the terminal block 38 (battery module 10), which will be described later, the first annular cover 80 and the second annular cover 54 are arranged facing each other in the radial direction, and an annular gap is formed between the first annular cover 80 and the second annular cover 54. The terminal portion 24 is exposed in an annular shape through this annular gap.
[0030] <Terminal section 24> As described above, the terminal section 24 is provided on the end bus bar 32a, and as shown in Figure 8, the end bus bar 32a has a bent section 88 that bends vertically in the middle of the front-rear direction. In Embodiment 1, bus bars 32a of substantially the same shape are provided on both the front and rear sides of the battery module 10, but the rear bus bar 32a will not be described. In the front bus bar 32a, a terminal through-hole 90 is formed in the part behind the bent section 88, through which the terminals 30 of the battery cell 26 pass. Furthermore, the terminal section 24 described above is formed by the part of this bus bar 32a in front of the bent section 88, and the terminal section 24 has a terminal bolt through-hole 92 through which a bolt 104, which will be described later, passes.
[0031] <Electrified Component 16> The electrically conductive component 16 includes a busbar 20 and a relay portion 22 as electrically conductive members having a connecting portion 18, as described above. It is not limited to a shape in which the connecting portion 18 is bolted to the terminal portion 24. However, the electrically conductive component 16 of Embodiment 1 includes a busbar 20 having a connecting portion 18, and a bolt 104 whose bolt head 94 is placed on the upper surface 96 which is one surface of the connecting portion 18, and whose bolt shaft 98 is arranged to pass through a connecting portion bolt through hole 100 provided in the connecting portion 18 and protrude toward the lower surface 102 which is the other surface of the connecting portion 18. In addition, the relay portion 22 in the electrically conductive component 16 has one end (upper end) connected to the other surface (lower surface 102) of the connecting portion 18, and the other end (lower end) is connected to the terminal portion 24 by passing through the opening window 52 of the terminal portion cover 64, as will be described later. Furthermore, the conductive component 16 includes a connection case 106 that houses the connection part 18, the bolt 104, and the intermediate part 22. The bolt head 94 of the bolt 104 is covered with an insulating cap 108, which prevents electric shock when fastening the bolt 104 with a tool (not shown). The insulating cap 108 is formed integrally with the bolt 104, for example. The insulating cap 108 also has a flange-shaped portion 110 that protrudes outward and widens in an annular shape at its lower end.
[0032] <Conductive Member (Busbar 20)> The shape of the busbar 20 can be changed to suit the position of the in-vehicle equipment to be connected (battery module 10, electrical junction box 14, etc.), but at least one end is a connection part 18. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the front conductive component 16 extends in the left-right direction to connect the battery module 10 and the electrical junction box 14, and the right end of the busbar 20 on the battery module 10 side is a connection part 18. Also, the rear conductive component 16 in Figure 1 connects the battery modules 10 to each other, and both ends of the busbar 20 are connection parts 18. The left end of the front conductive 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 20 in the longitudinal direction is covered with 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 20 are not covered by the insulating coating 112, and the parts that connect to the busbars in the connection portion 18 and the electrical connection box 14 are exposed. In each connection portion 18, a connection portion bolt through hole 100 is formed that penetrates in the thickness direction (vertical direction) through which a bolt 104 passes. In Embodiment 1, the inner diameter of the connection portion bolt through hole 100 is larger than the outer diameter of the bolt shaft 98, and the bolt 104 is displaceable in the radial direction (direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) inside the connection portion bolt through hole 100.
[0033] <Intermediate Section 22> As shown in Figure 11 and other figures, the intermediate section 22 is generally cylindrical in shape and is made of a metal with excellent conductivity. This intermediate section 22 is formed to have a larger diameter than the bolt shaft 98 of the bolt 104, and in the assembled state of the conductive component 16, the intermediate section 22 is positioned on the outer circumference side of the bolt shaft 98. The intermediate section 22 protrudes radially inward and is equipped with a tilt suppression section 114 whose protruding end face (inner circumferential surface) abuts against the bolt shaft 98 to suppress the tilt of the bolt 104.
[0034] Specifically, the relay section 22 extends vertically and includes a cylindrical wall 116 that surrounds the bolt shaft 98. 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 104 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 22 can be assembled to the connection section case 106. These tilt suppression portions 114 and outward projection portions 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 22 (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 22 and is configured to contact the area surrounding the terminal bolt through hole 92 in the terminal portion 24 that is exposed from the opening window 52, 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 126 provided on the outer circumferential surface of each of the upper case 122 and the lower case 124. This connection case 106 is provided so as to cover the connection portion 18 at the end of the bus bar 20, in other words, the connection case 106 is provided on the part of the bus bar 20 that is not covered by the insulating coating 112. With these insulating coatings 112 and the connection case 106, the bus bar 20 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 128 and an upper peripheral wall 130 that protrudes downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper bottom wall 128. That is, the upper bottom wall 128 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 132 that surrounds the bolt head 94 (and the insulating cap 108 fixed to the bolt head 94) and positions and holds the bolt head 94 in the radial direction of the bolt 104 (in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction). The bolt housing cylinder portion 132 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 128. The inner diameter of the bolt housing cylinder 132 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 104 is housed in the bolt housing cylinder 132, the bolt 104 is displaceable vertically within the bolt housing cylinder 132 before it is fastened to the nut 68. When the bolt 104 is housed in the bolt housing cylinder 132, the outer circumferential surface of the flange-like portion 110 and the inner circumferential surface of the bolt housing cylinder 132 come into contact, thereby suppressing the tilting of the bolt 104.
[0037] Furthermore, a circular through-hole 134 is formed in the upper bottom wall 128 of the upper case 122, approximately in the center, penetrating the upper bottom wall 128 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The inner diameter of this through-hole 134 is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange-like portion 110 of the insulating cap 108, thereby preventing the bolt 104 (and insulating cap 108) from falling out through the through-hole 134. The through-hole 134 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 134. In other words, the insulated bolt head 94 is exposed on the upper wall (upper bottom wall 128) side of the connection case 106. This allows tools to be inserted into the connection case 106 through the through-hole 134 to perform the fastening work of the bolt 104.
[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 136 and a lower peripheral wall 138 that protrudes upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 136. Here, a circular through-hole 140 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom wall 136, through which the cylindrical wall 116 of the relay section 22 passes, penetrating the bottom wall 136 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). In addition, an annular projection 142 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the through-hole 140 in the bottom wall 136, protruding upward. As a result, an annular stepped surface 144 is formed between the through-hole 140 and the annular projection 142, extending horizontally (in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction). The inner diameter of the through hole 140 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall 116, and the inner diameter of the annular projection 142 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the outward projection 120 that protrudes from the upper end of the cylindrical wall 116 outward. As a result, when the intermediate section 22 is housed in the connecting section case 106, the cylindrical wall 116 passes through the through hole 140, the outward projection 120 is placed on the stepped surface 144, and the outward projection 120 is fitted into the annular projection 142. Therefore, the intermediate section holding section 146 is formed by including the through hole 140, the annular projection 142, and the stepped surface 144, which radially position and hold one end (upper end) of the intermediate section 22.
[0039] Furthermore, a notch-shaped recess 148 is formed in the left portion of the lower peripheral wall 138 of the lower case 124, opening upward and penetrating the lower peripheral wall 138 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 148 is covered by the left portion of the upper peripheral wall 130 of the upper case 122, forming the busbar extension 150. That is, the busbar 20, with the connection portion 18 housed in the connection case 106, protrudes outward from the connection case 106 through this busbar extension 150. The bottom surface of the recess 148 (busbar extension 150) and the upper surface of the annular projection 142 are at the same vertical position, and when the intermediate portion 22 is assembled to the lower case 124, the upper surface of the intermediate portion 22 is also located on the same plane. Including these surfaces, a mounting surface 152 is formed within the connection case 106 on which the connection part 18 is placed. In short, within the connection case 106, the space above the mounting surface 152 is the connection part housing 154 on which the connection part 18 is housed.
[0040] In Embodiment 1, the busbar 20's connection portion 18 is housed in the connection portion housing portion 154 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 100 of the connection portion 18 and the intermediate portion bolt through hole 118 of the intermediate portion 22 are aligned, the connection portion 18 and the lower peripheral wall 138 of the lower case 124 constituting the connection portion housing portion 154 have a gap of a predetermined size in the left-right and front-back directions. This allows the connection portion 18 to be displaced within the connection portion housing portion 154 in the radial direction of the bolt 104 (i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, in the left-right and / or front-back directions). Furthermore, since the bolt shaft 98 of the bolt 104 passes through the connection portion bolt through hole 100 of the connection portion 18, the connection portion 18 can be displaced within the connection portion housing portion 154 until, for example, the inner peripheral surface of the connection portion bolt through hole 100 and the outer peripheral surface of the bolt shaft 98 come into contact.
[0041] As shown in Figure 11, the connector case 106, which has this shape, is constructed by overlapping bolts 104 and intermediate sections 22 on both the upper and lower sides of the connector 18, and then overlapping the upper case 122 and lower case 124 on both the upper and lower sides of these bolts 104 and intermediate sections 22, and fixing them together with the respective locking mechanisms 126. When the connector case 106 is assembled to the connector 18, the upper end surface of one end (upper end) of the intermediate section 22 overlaps with the lower surface 102 of the connector 18 and connects them. In addition, the bolt shaft 98 and the other end (lower end) of the intermediate section 22 are exposed on the bottom wall 136 side of the connector case 106, and in particular, the lower end of the intermediate section 22 protrudes downward from the bottom wall 136 of the connector case 106. Here, the intermediate section 22 is substantially immobile relative to the lower case 124 in the radial direction of the bolt 104 (a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction), and the bolt 104 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 104, the intermediate section 22, and the connecting section case 106 are integrally displaceable radially relative to the connecting section 18.
[0042] <Assembly of the in-vehicle equipment (battery module 10)> The method of assembling the battery module 10 is not limited, but as shown in Figure 8, each bus bar 32 is attached to each terminal 30 of each battery cell 26 held in the holder 28. For the end bus bar 32a, the end bus bar 32a is attached by straddling the end terminal 30 and the annular projection 72 of the nut 68 fixed to the nut housing 76. In short, the terminal 30 is passed through the terminal through hole 90 of the bus bar 32a, and the annular projection 72 is passed through the terminal bolt through hole 92, and the projection cover 74 is superimposed from above the annular projection 72. The projection cover 74 is attached to the annular projection 72 by engaging each locking claw 86 of the projection cover 74 with the circumferential groove 78 of the annular projection 72. This completes the battery module body 34. Then, the upper housing 40 and the lower housing 42 are placed on top of the battery module body 34 from both the top and bottom sides, and the upper housing 40 and the lower housing 42 are fixed to each other, thereby completing the battery module 10.
[0043] <Assembly of the current-carrying component 16>The assembly method of the current-carrying component 16 is not limited. As shown in FIG. 11, in the bus bar 20 whose middle portion in the length direction is covered with the insulating coating 112, the bolt 104 is overlapped from above with respect to the connection portion 18 which is the end portion on the side connected to the battery module 10, and the relay portion 22 is overlapped from below, and the bolt shaft 98 penetrates through the connection portion bolt through holes 100 and the relay portion bolt through holes 118 of the connection portion 18 and the relay portion 22. Then, the upper case 122 and the lower case 124 are overlapped from the upper and lower sides of these bolts 104 and the relay portion 22, and the upper case 122 and the lower case 124 are fixed to each other. In the current-carrying 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. Thus, the current-carrying component 16 is completed.
[0044] <Connection between the in-vehicle device (battery module 10) and the current-carrying component 16 by the connection structure 12>When connecting the battery module 10 which is an in-vehicle device and the current-carrying component 16, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connection case 106 fixed to the connection portion 18 of the current-carrying component 16 is approached from above with respect to the accommodation recess 48 provided at the upper end portion of the battery module 10. Here, on the battery module 10 side, the terminal portion 24 (bus bar 32a) is annularly exposed through the opening window 52 and the protrusion cover 74. On the other hand, on the current-carrying component 16 side, the cylindrical wall 116 of the relay portion 22 protrudes downward from the connection case 106. Then, the cylindrical wall 116 of the relay portion 22 is inserted into the annular space between the opening window 52 (second annular cover 54) and the protrusion cover 74 (first annular cover 80) in the radial direction, and the connection case 106 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 48. When the lower end of the bolt 104 abuts against the upper end portion of the inner hole 70 of the nut 68, the bolt 104 is displaced upward in the bolt accommodation cylindrical portion 132 and is displaced to a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6, for example. Thereafter, the bolt 104 is fastened to the nut 68 by a tool (not shown) through the through hole 134. Thus, the relay portion 22 is clamped between the terminal portion 24 and the connection portion 18 by the axial force of the bolt 104.
[0045] In other words, the terminal portion 24 and the connection portion 18 are connected by the relay portion 22, and the in-vehicle device (battery module 10) and the energizing component 16 are electrically connected. More specifically, by passing through the connection portion bolt through-hole 100 provided in the connection portion 18 and fastening the bolt 104 to the annular projection 72 of the nut 68, the connection portion 18 is held in an energized state to the terminal portion 24 by the relay portion 22. Here, since the connection portion case 106 in which the bolt 104 is accommodated with respect to the bus bar 20 is displaceable in the radial direction of the bolt 104, even when the positions of the bolt 104 and the nut 68 are displaced due to a tolerance, the tolerance can be absorbed by the displacement of the connection portion case 106, and the bolt 104 can be stably fastened to the nut 68.
[0046] According to the in-vehicle device (battery module 10) of the first embodiment having the above-described structure, the nut 68 is provided with an annular projection 72 that protrudes upward. In the assembled state of the in-vehicle device (battery module 10), the annular projection 72 protrudes above the terminal portion 24 (bus bar 32a). And since a female screw that engages with the male screw of the bolt 104 is also provided on the inner peripheral surface of the annular projection 72, for example, compared with the case where the nut is located below the terminal portion, the length dimension (vertical dimension) of the bolt 104 can be reduced, and the connection structure 12 between the in-vehicle device (battery module 10) and the energizing component 16 can be realized with a smaller vertical dimension.
[0047] Since the terminal portion bolt through-hole 92 of the terminal portion 24 and the surrounding area are exposed by the opening window 52 of the terminal portion cover 64, the terminal portion cover 64 prevents unintended contact with the terminal portion 24, and the relay portion 22 can be connected to the exposed portion of the terminal portion 24.
[0048] In the first embodiment, a first annular cover 80 is formed in the protrusion cover 74 attached to the annular projection 72, and a second annular cover 54 is formed so as to protrude downward from the peripheral edge of the opening window 52. The terminal portion 24 is annularly exposed through the gap in the radial direction between the first annular cover 80 and the second annular cover 54. Thereby, the possibility that an operator inadvertently contacts the terminal portion 24 can be further reduced.
[0049] <Embodiment 2> Hereinafter, a battery module 160 as an in-vehicle device according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. The basic structure of the battery module 160 of Embodiment 2 is the same as that of the battery module 10 of Embodiment 1, and is connected to the energized component 16 by the aforementioned connection structure 12. The structure of the energized component 16 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, so its 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 68 and the projection cover 74 were formed separately and then assembled, but in Embodiment 2, the nut 68 and the projection cover 162 are formed integrally. That is, in Embodiment 2, when molding the projection cover 162, the bus bar 32a and the nut 68 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 32a and the nut 68, 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 24 of the bus bar 32a and an annular projection covering portion 166 that covers the annular projection 72 of the nut 68. The nut 68 has the same shape as in Embodiment 1, and the annular projection 72 of the nut 68 that protrudes upward passes through the terminal portion bolt through hole 92 of the terminal portion 24 and protrudes above the terminal portion 24. 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 72 of the nut 68.
[0051] The terminal covering portion 164 covers substantially the entire area around the terminal portion 24 and nut 68, which are overlapped vertically, and a circular through hole 168 is formed in the approximate center of the portion covering the upper surface 62 of the terminal portion 24, exposing the terminal portion 24. In the second embodiment, it can also be understood that the terminal cover that covers the upper surface 62 of the terminal portion 24 is made up of the terminal covering portion 164 instead of or in addition to the terminal cover 64. It can also be understood that the opening window that partially exposes the terminal portion 24 is made up of the through hole 168 instead of or in addition to the opening window 52. 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 72 and an upper cover portion 174 that covers the protruding end of the annular projection 72 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 72 has a circumferential groove 78 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 78, the annular projection covering portion 166 is prevented from falling off the annular projection 72. In Embodiment 2, there is no second annular cover 54 that protrudes downward from the peripheral edge of the opening window 52 in the terminal portion cover 64, 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 52.
[0052] In the battery module 160 having 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 72, 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 32a and the nut 68, which improves the handling of parts and the workability in assembly work.
[0053] <Embodiment 3> Hereinafter, a battery module 180 as an in-vehicle device according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure will be described 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 72 of the nut 68, and the explanation of the structure on the conductive component 16 side will be omitted.
[0054] In Embodiment 1, the projection cover 74 was equipped with a first annular cover 80 that covered the outer circumferential surface of the annular projection 72. However, the projection cover 182 of Embodiment 3 is not equipped with a first annular cover 80, and is shaped to have an annular upper cover portion 184 that covers the protruding end of the annular projection 72 from above, and locking claws 186 that protrude downward at multiple locations on the circumference of this upper cover portion 184. The annular projection 72 of Embodiment 3 is also equipped with a circumferential groove 78 in the middle portion in the vertical direction, and the projection cover 182 is fixed to the annular projection 72 by locking each locking claw 186 into the circumferential groove 78. In Embodiment 3, however, the outer diameter of the portion of the annular projection 72 above the circumferential groove 78 is smaller than that of the portion below the circumferential groove 78. As a result, when the projection cover 182 is fixed to the annular projection 72, the outer circumferential surface of the projection cover 182 and the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the annular projection 72 below the circumferential groove 78 are continuous in the vertical direction with virtually no step difference.
[0055] In 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 72, 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 72, the outer diameter of the projection cover 182 can be reduced, and the area of the portion exposed upward through the opening window 52 in the terminal portion 24 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 22 can be increased, and the conductivity performance between the connection portion 18 and the terminal portion 24 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 10 was described as an in-vehicle device connected to the energizing component 16 by the connection structure 12 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 18 only needs to be such that the connecting portion 18 is connected to the terminal portion 24 by the relay portion 22 when the connecting portion 18 and the terminal portion 24 are bolted together, 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 104 and relay portion 22 can be displaced integrally with respect to the connecting portion 18 is not essential in this disclosure.
[0060] 10 Battery module (in-vehicle equipment) 12 Connection structure 14 Electrical connection box 16 Conductive component 18 Connection part 20 Bus bar (conductive member) 22 Intermediate part 24 Terminal part 26 Battery cell 28 Holder 30 Terminal 32 Bus bar 32a End bus bar 34 Battery module body 36 Housing 38 Terminal block 40 Upper housing 42 Lower housing 44 Upper bottom wall part 46 Upper peripheral wall part 48 Retaining recess 50 Opening 52 Opening window 54 Second annular cover 56 Bottom wall part 58 Lower peripheral wall part 60 Terminal holder part 62 Top surface (one side of the terminal part) 64 Terminal cover 66 Bottom surface (the other side of the terminal part) 68 Nut 70 Inner hole 72 Annular projection 74 Projection cover 76 Nut housing part 78 Circumferential groove 80 First annular cover 82 Upper cover portion 84 Retaining projection 86 Locking claw 88 Bent portion 90 Terminal through hole 92 Terminal bolt through hole 94 Bolt head 96 Top surface (one side of the connection portion) 98 Bolt shaft 100 Connection portion bolt through hole 102 Bottom surface (the other side of the connection portion) 104 Bolt 106 Connection portion case 108 Insulating cap 110 Flange-like portion 112 Insulating coating 114 Inclination suppression portion 116 Cylinder wall 118 Intermediate portion bolt through hole 120 Outward projection 122 Upper case 124 Lower case 126 Locking mechanism 128 Upper bottom wall (upper wall) 130 Upper circumferential wall 132 Bolt housing cylinder portion 134 Through hole 136 Bottom wall 138 Lower circumferential wall 140 Through hole 142 Annular projection 144 Stepped surface 146 Intermediate part holding part 148 Recess 150 Busbar extension 152 Mounting surface 154 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. An in-vehicle device to which the connection portion of an electrically conductive component is connected, wherein the terminal block has 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 exposes the terminal portion, 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 terminal portion bolt through hole, the annular projection includes a protruding end, the projection cover is insulating, the projection cover covers the protruding end, and the connection portion and the terminal portion are held in an electrically conductive state by the relay portion by fastening the bolt to the annular projection through the connection portion bolt through hole.
2. The in-vehicle device 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 in-vehicle device according to claim 2, wherein the projection cover includes a first annular cover that covers the outer peripheral 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 in-vehicle device 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.