JP2004350391A - Bus bar and electric joint box for automobile containing the bus bar - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the weight of a bus bar by making a bus bar body thinner than a tab, and to reduce the weight of an electric joint box containing the bus bar. <P>SOLUTION: A through hole 14 is provided at a required position of thin bus bar bodies 11A and 11B and press fitted with a press fit terminal 13 longer than the thickness of the bus bar bodies 11A and 11B for the purpose of electric connection. A press fitting part 13a provided by enlarging a part of the press fit terminal 13 has a width dimension larger than the inside diameter of the through hole 14. A conductive tube 12 is inserted into the through hole of the bus bar body and press fitted with the press fitting part of the press fit terminal thus connecting the press fit terminal and the bus bar body electrically. As a result, weight of the bus bar and the cost of a bus bar material can be reduced. Weight of the electric joint box can also be reduced because a lightweight bus bar is contained in the electric joint box. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bus bar and an electric junction box for a vehicle containing the bus bar, and more particularly, to reducing the thickness of the bus bar and reducing the weight of the electric junction box containing the bus bar.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a bus bar is formed by punching a conductive metal plate in an unfolded shape along a circuit pattern, and then bending a required position to project a tab. Normally, the tab thickness is set to a standardized predetermined thickness, so it is necessary to match the thickness of the conductive metal plate with the thickness of the tab, and the thickness of the busbar body is the same as the thickness of the tab. It becomes. As described above, since the tab thickness needs to be the standard thickness, the thickness of the bus bar body cannot be reduced, and it has been difficult to reduce the weight of the bus bar.
[0003]
In addition, when a tab is formed from a bus bar by bending, it is necessary to project a portion serving as the tab from the bus bar and punch a conductive metal plate, thereby increasing wasteful dead space and reducing the yield of the conductive material. There is a problem that gets worse.
[0004]
To solve the above problem, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-187542) discloses that a bus bar pattern 2 is laid out on a conductive metal plate 1 as shown in FIG. The shape of the tab material 5 is also laid out in the vacant area of the conductive metal plate 1, and after the bus bar pattern 2 and the tab material 5 are punched out and loosened, the tab material 5 is removed from the bus bar pattern 2 as shown in FIG. It is formed as a tab 5 attached to a predetermined location and protruding from the bus bar.
When the bus bar pattern and the tab material are separated from one conductive metal plate as described above, the yield of the conductive metal plate 1 can be improved.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-11-187542 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, since both members of the bus bar pattern and the tab are formed from one conductive metal plate, the thickness of the bus bar main body is the same as that of the tab, and is larger than the thickness of the tab. The busbar body could not be made thinner, and it was difficult to reduce the weight.
[0007]
In order to make the busbar thinner than the plate thickness of the tab, the busbar and the tab material are formed from a thin conductive metal plate, so that the tab has been knocked out to a predetermined thickness, The punching out of a large number of tabs protruding from the bus bar is costly to manufacture, and the tapping out cannot be performed when the width of the tab is small.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to reduce the thickness of a bus bar main body from the thickness of a tab to reduce the weight of the bus bar and the electric junction box accommodating the bus bar. Is an issue.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention firstly comprises a busbar body having a small thickness and a through hole provided at a required position, and a press-fit terminal having a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the busbar body. The width dimension of the press-fit portion provided by widening a part of the fitting terminal is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole,
A bus bar is provided, wherein the press-fit terminal is inserted into the bus bar main body from an orthogonal direction, and the press-fit portion is press-fitted and fixed in the through-hole to be electrically connected.
[0010]
The bus bar is provided with a through-hole in a bus bar main body made of a thin plate, and press-fits a press-fit portion (press-fit portion) of a separate press-fit terminal thicker than the bus bar main body into the through-hole into the through-hole. Since the tab is formed, a tab having a standard thickness larger than the thickness of the busbar body can be protruded from the busbar body.
Therefore, the thickness of the bus bar body constituting the circuit pattern can be reduced without being limited to the thickness of the tab, and the weight of the bus bar can be reduced.
In addition, since the press-fit terminal is inserted and fixed in the through-hole of the bus bar body and the terminal is protruded, the protruding position of the terminal can be changed by changing the drilling position of the through-hole, and the circuit can be easily changed. .
Furthermore, the width of the press-fit portion of the press-fit terminal is larger than the inner diameter of the through-hole of the bus bar body, and the press-fit portion is compression-deformed and fixed by press-fitting. Can be.
[0011]
Secondly, the present invention provides a bus bar body having a thin plate thickness and a through hole provided at a required position;
A press-fit terminal having a thickness greater than the thickness of the busbar body,
It has a flange portion protruding from one end outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, and comprises a conductive cylinder inserted and locked in a through hole of the bus bar main body,
The width of the press-fit portion provided by enlarging a part of the press-fit terminal is larger than the inner diameter of the conductive tube, and the length of the press-fit portion and the conductive tube is equal to or greater than the thickness of the bus bar main body,
There is provided a bus bar, wherein the press-fitting portion of the press-fit terminal is press-fitted and fixed to a conductive cylinder inserted and locked in a through hole of the busbar main body and electrically connected.
[0012]
In the bus bar, a press-fit terminal is fixed to the bus bar main body and electrically connected to the bus bar main body with a conductive tube interposed between the thin bus bar main body and a press-fit terminal thicker than the bus bar main body. The conductive cylinder is projected from the through-hole by the required length, and the length of the press-fit terminal of the press-fit terminal is also equal to the length of the cylinder. Therefore, the press-fit terminal of the press-fit terminal is perpendicular to the busbar body by the conductive cylinder. Can be firmly held and fixed in the installed state. Further, the contact area between the conductive cylinder and the press-fit portion of the press-fit terminal can be increased, and the electrical contact reliability can be improved.
[0013]
The thickness of the press-fit terminal is set to 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm, and the press-fit portion is made thin by widening by tapping to be compressible and deformable at the time of the press-fit. The thickness of the bus bar body is changed for a large current circuit and a small current circuit.
[0014]
The thickness of the tab is usually in the range of 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm (specifically, 0.64 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.2 mm). Is set corresponding to.
The press-fit terminal has a narrow flat plate shape, with a tab at the upper end and a press-fit portion (press-fit portion) near the lower end. The press-fit portion is made wider by punching out, making it thinner than the thickness of the tab at the tip, and penetrating. When the hole or the conductive pin is pressed into the cylindrical portion, it is easily compressed and deformed and fixed.
On the other hand, the thickness of the bus bar body is not limited to the thickness of the tab, and therefore can be set to be equal to or less than the thickness of the press-fit terminal according to the amount of current flowing through the bus bar body. For example, it is 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm for a large current circuit, and 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm for a small current circuit.
[0015]
Thirdly, the present invention provides an electric connection box for a vehicle containing the bus bar. Each of the busbars is made thinner by reducing the thickness of the busbar main body, so that the electric connection box for an automobile containing the busbar can also be made lighter.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As the bus bar 10, two types of bus bars 10A for a large current circuit and a bus bar 10B for a small current circuit shown in FIG. 1 are provided.
The bus bars 10A and 10B are press-fitted and fixed to the bus bar bodies 11A and 11B, the conductive tube 12 inserted and locked in through holes 14 formed in the bus bar bodies 11A and 11B, and the tube portion 12a of the conductive tube 12. Press-fit terminal 13.
[0017]
The plate thickness t1 of the bus bar main body 11A for the large current circuit is 0.64 mm, and the plate thickness t2 of the bus bar main body 11B for the small current circuit is 0.2 mm. These busbar bodies 11A and 11B are formed by punching a conductive metal plate having the above-mentioned thickness with a required circuit pattern. At this time, a tab portion that has been punched out integrally so as to protrude from the bus bar body in the past is not provided, and a through hole 14 is formed at a position where the tab is provided.
[0018]
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the press-fit terminal 13 is a rod-shaped body made of a narrow and long flat plate made of a conductive metal plate having a plate thickness t4 of 0.64 m or more. On its lower side, a wide press-fit portion 13a is press-fitted and fixed in the tube portion 12a of the conductive tube 12. The press-fitting portion 13a is formed such that the center portion in the width direction is widened by punching out and a thin portion 13a-1 having a thickness t3 is provided at the center portion so that both side portions 13a-2 can be compressed and deformed. .
The maximum width dimension d1 of the press-fit portion 13a is slightly larger than the inner diameter d2 of the cylindrical portion 12a of the conductive cylinder 12.
The upper end of the press-fit terminal 13 is a tab (male terminal) 13b, and the tab 13b has a standard thickness of 0.64 mm.
When the required standard thickness of the tab is 0.8 mm or 1.2 mm, the press-fit terminal itself may be formed from a 0.8 mm or 1.2 mm thick material.
[0019]
The conductive cylinder 12 shown in FIG. 3 is formed from a conductive metal, and has a flange portion 12b protruding from a peripheral edge of an upper end of the cylindrical portion 12a. The cylindrical portion 12a is inserted into the through-holes 14 of the bus bar bodies 11A and 11B and is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface, and the flange portion 12b is brought into contact with the upper surfaces of the bus bar main bodies 11A and 11B at the peripheral edge of the through-hole 14 and locked. ing.
[0020]
The length L1 of the conductive tube 12 and the length L2 of the press-fitting portion 13a of the press-fit terminal 13 are equal to or greater than the plate thicknesses t1 and t2 of the bus bar bodies 11A and 11B. Therefore, in a state where the conductive tube 12 is inserted and locked in the busbar main bodies 11A and 11B, the lower end of the cylindrical portion 12a protrudes from the lower surfaces of the busbar main bodies 11A and 11B.
[0021]
Assembling of the bus bar 10 (the bus bar 10A for the large current circuit and the bus bar 10B for the small current circuit) is performed by inserting the conductive tube 12 into the through-hole 14 of the bus bar main body 11A, 11B and then locking the press-fit terminal 13. It is inserted into the conductive cylinder 12 from directly above. Since the width d1 of the press-fitting portion 13a is formed larger than the inner diameter d2 of the cylindrical portion 12a, the press-fitting portion 13a is pushed into the cylindrical portion 12a, and the press-fitting portion 13a is compressed and deformed, thereby securely contacting the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 12a. Can be fixed. In this press-fit fixed state, the lower end of the press-fit terminal 13 is slightly protruded from the lower end of the cylindrical portion 12a.
[0022]
In this way, by pressing and fixing the press-fit terminal 13 to the conductive tube 12, the press-fit terminal 13 is electrically connected to the bus bar bodies 11 </ b> A and 11 </ b> B via the conductive tube 12. Furthermore, since the tube portion 12a of the conductive tube 12 is formed to be longer than the plate thickness of the bus bar bodies 11A and 11B, the press-fit terminal 13 is provided regardless of the plate thickness of the bus bar body 11A and 11B. It is securely fixed by 12a and stands upright at right angles to the bus bar bodies 11A and 11B.
[0023]
A connector in which the bus bar 10 is housed in an electric connection box (not shown) such as a junction box, and a tab 13b at the tip of a press-fit terminal 13 provided upright from the bus bar bodies 11A and 11B is provided on an outer surface of a case of the electric connection box. It protrudes from the housing part or the like, and is fitted and connected to the female terminal in the connector. Alternatively, the female relay terminal is fitted and connected inside the case.
[0024]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
In the second embodiment, the press-fit portion 13a 'of the press-fit terminal 13' is press-fitted and fixed directly into the through-hole 14 'of the bus bar main body 11A' without passing through the conductive tube. As in the first embodiment, the width of the press-fitting portion 13a 'is widened by tapping, and is formed so as to be larger than the inner diameter of a through hole 14' formed in the bus bar body 11A '. The length L3 of the press-fit portion 13a 'is longer than the thickness of the bus bar body 11A'. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted.
[0025]
When the press-fit terminal 13 'is press-fitted into the through-hole 14' of the bus bar body 11 ', the width of the press-fit portion 13a' is larger than the inner diameter of the through-hole 14 '. 13a 'is compressed and deformed, and is fixed in a state in which it is securely in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 14'. Therefore, even if the busbar body 11 'is thin, the press-fit terminal 13' can be securely held and fixed upright from the busbar body 11A '.
Further, since the conductive tube used in the first embodiment is not used, the number of parts and the number of working steps are reduced in cost.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, the bus bar of the present invention has a tab formed by press-fitting a separate press-fit terminal into the bus bar main body constituting the circuit pattern and forming a tab standing from the bus bar main body. The thickness is not limited to the tab thickness which is standardized and set as the set thickness, and can be made smaller than the tab thickness.
As a result, the weight of the bus bar can be reduced and the cost of the bus bar material can be reduced. In addition, by housing the light-weight bus bar in the electric connection box, the electric connection box itself can be reduced in weight.
[0027]
In addition, since press-fit terminals are used as terminals to form tabs attached to the busbar main body, it is only necessary to press-fit the press-fit terminals into the through-holes drilled in the busbar main body. The fixing operation can be easily performed as compared with the case where a separate tab member is fixed.
[0028]
Furthermore, when the conductive tube is inserted and locked into the through-hole of the busbar body whose thickness is reduced, and the press-fit terminal of the press-fit terminal is press-fitted and fixed to the conductive tube, the press-fit terminal is more securely fixed and the busbar body is fixed. The protruding press-fit terminal can be reliably erected in the right angle direction without tilting.
[0029]
Furthermore, since the thickness of the bus bar body is not defined by the thickness of terminals such as tabs to be standardized, the thickness can be changed according to the amount of current flowing through the bus bar body. Therefore, the plate thickness of the bus bar main body for a large current circuit can be made thicker and the plate thickness of the bus bar main body for a small current circuit can be made thinner below the plate thickness of the press-fit terminal. In particular, since there are many bus bars for a small current circuit such as a signal circuit, the weight of the entire bus bar housed in the electric connection box can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a bus bar according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
2A and 2B show a press-fit terminal according to the first embodiment, wherein FIG. 2A is a perspective view and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a press-fit terminal is pressed into a bus bar main body using the conductive tube of the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a front view showing a bus bar according to a second embodiment.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Busbar 11A, 11B Busbar body 12 Conductive tube 12a Tube portion 13 Press fit terminal 13a Press-fit portion 13b Tab 14 Through hole

Claims (4)

A press-fit portion having a thin plate thickness and a press-fit terminal having a through-hole at a required position and a press-fit terminal having a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the bus-bar body, wherein a part of the press-fit terminal is provided to be widened; The size is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole,
A bus bar, wherein the press-fit terminal is inserted into the bus bar body in a direction orthogonal to the bus bar body, and the press-fit portion is press-fitted and fixed in the through hole to be electrically connected. A busbar body having a thin plate thickness and a through hole provided at a required position;
A press-fit terminal having a thickness greater than or equal to the thickness of the busbar body and a flange portion protruding from one end of the cylindrical portion, comprising a conductive tube inserted and locked in a through hole of the busbar body,
The width of the press-fit portion provided by widening a part of the press-fit terminal is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the conductive tube, and the length of the press-fit portion and the conductive tube is set to be equal to or greater than the thickness of the bus bar body,
A bus bar, wherein the press-fit portion of the press-fit terminal is press-fitted and fixed to a conductive tube inserted and locked in a through-hole of the bus bar body, and electrically connected. The board thickness of the press-fit terminal is set to 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm, while the board thickness of the bus bar body, which is equal to or less than the board thickness of the press-fit terminal, is used for large current circuits and small current circuits. The bus bar according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a thickness of the bus bar is changed. An electric junction box for a vehicle, containing the bus bar according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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