JP2014116262A - Connector and battery pack - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector which allows a plurality of connection objects to be conductively connected to each other by accurately fitting a housing even if displacement occurs between the plurality of connection objects, and which can ensure connection reliability even when external force such as vibration is applied.SOLUTION: A contact part 45c on each of a pair of pressing members 45 held by a second housing of a second connector part is pressed against a lateral face 17a on each of a pair of projections 17 formed on a first housing of a first connector part so that a stress component F1 in a -Y direction is applied to each of the pair of projections 17 while at the same time applying stress components F2 which face opposite to each other along an X direction. In this way, the position of the first housing is fixed relative to the second housing.

Description

The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a connector for connecting a plurality of unit cell electrodes to form an assembled battery.
The present invention also relates to an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are conductively connected using a connector.

In recent years, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and the like have attracted attention as environmentally friendly vehicles, and a plurality of battery cells such as lithium ion batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, and other secondary batteries are used as power supply devices used in these vehicles. A device that obtains a desired voltage or current output by connecting with a bus bar is known.
For example, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 27, a plurality of unit cells 1 are arranged, and the plate-like terminals 2 and 3 are formed at an angle of 90 degrees with the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each unit cell 1. And attaching the bus bar 6 to the corresponding plate-like terminals 2 and 3 using the plurality of clip-like holding members 5 arranged on the bus bar module 4 side, thereby connecting the plurality of single cells 1 in series. Is disclosed.

JP 2010-55885 A

In the power supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the bus bar 6 is attached to the plate-like terminals 2 and 3 on the unit cell 1 side using the clip-shaped holding member 5, the positional deviation between the unit cells 1 is avoided. A plurality of unit cells 1 can be connected in series and a high voltage can be output.
However, in order to connect the bus bar 6 and the plate-like terminals 2 and 3 only by being sandwiched between the clip-like holding members 5, for example, when the power supply device is mounted on an automobile and used, vibration during running As a result, the bus bar 6 and the plate-like terminals 2 and 3 rub against each other, and a so-called fretting corrosion phenomenon may occur on the surface of these contact portions. When fretting / corrosion occurs, the connection resistance increases, making it difficult to supply a desired power.
Furthermore, when the holding member 5 is detached by receiving external force such as vibration, the connection reliability between the bus bar 6 and the plate-like terminals 2 and 3 may be reduced.

The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem, and even when misalignment occurs in a plurality of connection objects, the housing is accurately fitted and the plurality of connection objects are electrically connected to each other. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can be connected and can ensure connection reliability even when subjected to external force such as vibration.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are conductively connected using such a connector.

The connector according to the present invention connects a plurality of second connector portions attached to a connection member to a plurality of first connector portions respectively attached to a plurality of connection objects, thereby connecting a plurality of connection subjects. In a connector for electrically connecting objects to each other,
The first connector portion has a first conductive contact and a first housing that houses the first conductive contact;
The second connector part accommodates the second conductive contact and the second conductive contact and fits in the fitting direction with respect to the first housing of the corresponding first connector part. Have
One conductive contact of the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact has a mating direction and a plate-like terminal extending in the lateral direction perpendicular to the mating direction, and a plurality of first connector portions The plate-like terminals or the plate-like terminals of the plurality of second connector portions are arranged to form an angle of 90 degrees with each other,
The first housing and the second housing are fitted so as to be movable relative to each other in a plane in which the plate-like terminal extends,
One of the first housing and the second housing has a pair of pressing members that can move independently in a direction crossing the fitting direction, and the other housing contacts the pair of pressing members. A pair of contact surfaces that are capable of receiving stress components in opposite directions along the fitting direction and stress components in the same direction perpendicular to the fitting direction from a pair of pressing members;
The pair of pressing members are moved in a state where the first housing and the second housing corresponding to each other are fitted in the fitting direction and the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact are conductively connected to each other. By pressing against the corresponding contact surface of the other housing, the other housing is pressed to fix the relative position of the first housing and the second housing in the plane in which the plate-like terminal extends.

One housing has a pair of pressing member holding portions that movably hold the pair of pressing members, and each pressing member holding portion is formed with a plurality of teeth arranged in a straight line. Each of the pressing members includes a holding portion formed at one end and protruding from one housing, a contact portion formed at the other end and contacting the contact surface of the one housing, and a guide for guiding movement in the pressing member holding portion. Each of the plurality of teeth of the pressing member holding portion, and the claw of the pressing member is hooked on one of the plurality of teeth of the pressing member holding portion, thereby It can be configured such that the position is fixed.
In this case, it is preferable that each of the pair of pressing members has a spring portion that is disposed between the contact portion and the claw and is elastically deformable.

The one housing preferably forms a part of the pair of pressing member holding portions and has a pair of elastically displaceable arms, and each arm has a plurality of teeth. .
Preferably, each of the pair of arm portions has a constricted portion that can be elastically deformed.
One end of each of the pair of arm portions is formed with a knob portion for forcibly displacing the arm portion, and the pair of arm portions are displaced so that the plurality of teeth are separated from the claws of the corresponding pressing member. It is preferable that the position of the pressing member with respect to the housing is released.

The contact portion of the pressing member preferably has an inclined surface or a curved surface.
Moreover, a pair of contact surface can be arrange | positioned at the projection part formed on the surface of the other housing extended in parallel with a plate-shaped terminal.
The pair of contact surfaces are formed from a pair of inclined surfaces or a pair of curved surfaces facing each other along the fitting direction, or a pair of inclined surfaces or a pair of curved surfaces facing in opposite directions to the fitting direction. Can be formed from
The other conductive contact of the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact may have a socket-like terminal into which a plate-like terminal of one conductive contact is inserted.

  The assembled battery according to the present invention uses a single battery as an object to be connected, and a plurality of single batteries are conductively connected to each other using the connector.

  According to this invention, the first housing and the second housing are fitted to each other so as to be relatively movable within a plane in which the plate-like terminal extends, and a pair of one of the first housing and the second housing has. Each of the pressing members is moved and pressed against the corresponding contact surface of the other housing, thereby pressing the other housing and fixing the relative positions of the first housing and the second housing in the plane in which the plate-like terminal extends. As a result, even if misalignment occurs in a plurality of connection objects, the housings can be accurately fitted to each other so that the plurality of connection objects can be conductively connected to each other. Reliability can be ensured.

It is a perspective view which shows the connector which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the 1st connector part used for the connector which concerns on Embodiment 1 from diagonally upward. It is a perspective view which shows the 1st electroconductive contact used for the 1st connector part. It is a cutting perspective view showing the inside of the 1st connector part. It is a perspective view which shows the leaf | plate spring used for the 1st connector part. It is the perspective view which looked at the 1st connector part from the slanting lower part. It is a perspective view which shows another 1st connector part. It is a perspective view which shows the 2nd connector part attached to the connection member. It is a perspective view which shows a connection member. It is the perspective view which looked at the 2nd connector part from diagonally upward. It is a cutting perspective view showing the inside of the 2nd connector part. It is the perspective view which looked at the 2nd connector part from the slanting lower part. It is a perspective view which shows the pressing member used for the 2nd connector part. It is a cutting | disconnection top view which shows the inside of a 2nd connector part. It is a perspective view which shows the connector by which the 1st connector part and the 2nd connector part were fitted. It is a cutting perspective view showing the inside of the 1st connector part in the state where the 1st connector part and the 2nd connector part were fitted together. The state which the 1st connector part was fitted by the 2nd connector part is shown, (A) is front sectional drawing of one 2nd connector part, (B) is front sectional drawing of the other 2nd connector part. It is. The state where the relative position of the 1st housing and the 2nd housing was fixed by a pair of pressing members is shown, (A) is a plane sectional view in the projection part of the 1st housing, (B) is the 1st housing of the 1st housing It is a plane sectional view in a housing body. It is a top view which shows the state of a pressing member when a pressing member is pushed in. It is a figure which shows the stress which acts on the projection part of the 1st housing when pushing a pressing member. (A)-(D) is a plane sectional view in the housing body of the 1st housing in the state where the 1st housing was fixed to a different relative position with respect to the 2nd housing, respectively (E)-(H) It is a plane sectional view in the projection part of the 1st housing corresponding to (A)-(D), respectively. It is a bottom view showing the 2nd housing at the time of canceling fixation of the relative position of the 1st housing and the 2nd housing by a pair of pressing members. It is a perspective view at the time of connecting a some battery module with the connector which concerns on Embodiment 1, and forming an assembled battery. FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view showing a pair of pressing members used in the connector according to Embodiment 2 and a protrusion of the first housing. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view illustrating a pair of pressing members used in a connector according to a modification of the second embodiment and a protrusion of the first housing. FIG. 10 is a plan sectional view showing a pair of pressing members used in a connector according to another modification of the second embodiment and a protrusion of the first housing. It is a partial side view which shows the structure of the conventional power supply device.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Embodiment 1
FIG. 1 shows a connector according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The connector conductively connects a connection object such as a pair of single cells arranged close to each other, and is connected to the first connector portion 10 attached to one connection object and the other connection object. Another first connector portion 20 to be attached and a pair of second connector portions 40 and 50 respectively attached to both ends of the flat plate-shaped connecting member 30 are provided. By fitting the second connector part 40 to the first connector part 10 and fitting the second connector part 50 to the first connector part 20, the pair of connection objects are conductively connected to each other.
The fitting direction of the first connector part 10 and the second connector part 40 and the fitting direction of the first connector part 20 and the second connector part 50 are the same. Here, for convenience, these fittings are performed. The mating direction is referred to as the X direction, and the surface from which the flat connecting member 30 extends is referred to as the YZ surface.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first connector portion 10 has a first central axis C1 extending in the X direction and a first housing having a substantially rectangular tube shape having a width W1 that is an outer dimension in the Y direction. 11 and a first conductive contact 12 fitted in the first housing 11 along the first central axis C1.
As shown in FIG. 3, the first conductive contact 12 has a socket-like terminal portion 13 and a plate-like portion 14 that is connected to one end of the socket-like terminal portion 13 and extends in a flat plate shape on the XY plane. ing. The socket-shaped terminal portion 13 has a substantially rectangular cross section elongated in the Y direction and has a rectangular tube shape extending in the X direction, and an internal space 13a having a width W2 in the Y direction is formed inside the socket-shaped terminal portion 13. A fitting hole 13 b is formed in the upper portion of the socket-like terminal portion 13.

Further, the plate-like portion 14 is formed with an attachment hole 14a. This attachment hole 14a is for attaching the 1st connector part 10 to electrodes, such as a single cell used as a connection object, using a volt | bolt etc. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the lance 15 formed inside the first housing 11 is fitted into the fitting hole 13 b of the socket-like terminal portion 13, so that the socket-like terminal portion 13 is placed in the first housing 11. Fixed.
A metal leaf spring 16 is attached inside the socket-shaped terminal portion 13. As shown in FIG. 5, the leaf spring 16 has a conductive connection portion 16 a whose cross section is bent in a “<” shape.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a pair of protrusions 17 are formed on the lower surface 11a of the first housing 11 extending along the XY plane. Each of the protrusions 17 protrudes in the −Z direction and is parallel to the first central axis C1, that is, biased in the −Y direction with respect to the central axis C11 of the lower surface 11a of the first housing 11 extending in the X direction. And arranged side by side along the central axis C11, and has a width W3 in the Y direction. Both projecting portions 17 are each formed in a triangular prism shape having a right-angled triangular cross section, and the side surface 17a of the projecting portion 17 corresponding to the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle is formed between the first connector portion 10 and the second connector portion 40. A pair of inclined surfaces that face each other along the X direction, which is the fitting direction, and also face the Y direction are formed. The side surface 17a constitutes the contact surface of the present invention, and is formed, for example, at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the X direction and the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the other first connector portion 20 includes a first housing 21 having a substantially rectangular tube shape, and a first conductive contact 22 fitted in the first housing 21. Contains.
The first housing 21 has the same configuration as the first housing 11 of the first connector portion 10 shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, but the lower surface 21a of the first housing 21 is along the XZ plane. The first housing 11 is disposed so as to be rotated by 90 degrees around the X axis. Therefore, the first housing 21 has a width W1 in the Z direction, and the protrusions 27 formed on the lower surface 21a of the first housing 21 protrude in the Y direction and have a width W3 in the Z direction. doing. The side surfaces 27a corresponding to the hypotenuses of the right triangles of both the protrusions 27 are formed, for example, at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the X direction and the Z direction, while facing each other along the X direction. A pair of inclined surfaces also facing the Z direction are formed.

  The first conductive contact 22 fitted in the first housing 21 has a bent plate-like portion 24 except that the first conductive contact of the first connector portion 10 shown in FIGS. The same structure as that of the conductive contact 12, but rotated by 90 degrees around the X axis with respect to the first conductive contact 12 of the first connector portion 10 in accordance with the first housing 21 Arranged in a state. That is, the first conductive contact 22 has a socket-like terminal portion 23 and a plate-like portion 24 connected to one end of the socket-like terminal portion 23 and bent at right angles to the socket-like terminal portion 23. A socket-like terminal portion 23 is fitted into the first housing 21. Inside the socket-like terminal portion 23, an internal space 23a having a width W2 in the Z direction is formed.

The first conductive contact 22 has a posture rotated 90 degrees around the X axis with respect to the first conductive contact 12 of the first connector portion 10, but the plate-like portion 24 has a socket-like terminal portion. Since it bends at right angles to 23, it extends in a flat plate shape on the XY plane, like the plate-like portion 14 of the first connector portion 10. An attachment hole 24 a is formed in such a plate-like portion 24. This attachment hole 24a is for attaching the 2nd connector part 20 to electrodes, such as a unit cell used as a connection object, using a volt | bolt etc. As shown in FIG.
As described above, the plate-like portion 24 is bent with respect to the socket-like terminal portion 23 so as to extend in parallel with the plate-like portion 14 of the first connector portion 10. This is because the mounting direction of the connector portion 10 and the second connector portion 20 is the same.

  In FIG. 8, the 2nd connector parts 40 and 50 each attached to the both ends of the connection member 30 are shown. One second connector portion 40 includes a second housing 41 and a second conductive contact 42 that is a plate-like terminal that is accommodated in the second housing 41 and extends along the XY plane. The second connector portion 50 includes a second housing 51 and a second conductive contact 52 that is a plate-like terminal that is accommodated in the second housing 51 and extends along the XZ plane.

The second conductive contact 42 is set to a value smaller than the width W2 in the Y direction of the internal space 13a of the socket-like terminal portion 13 of the first conductive contact 12 in the first connector portion 10. It has a width W4.
Similarly, the second conductive contact 52 is set to a value smaller than the width W2 in the Z direction of the internal space 23a of the socket-like terminal portion 23 of the first conductive contact 22 in the first connector portion 20. It has a width W4 in the Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 9, the connection member 30 has a strip-shaped connection member main body 31 that extends along the YZ plane and is elongated in the Y direction, and one end portion 31 a of the connection member main body 31 extends along the XY plane. The other end 31b of the connecting member body 31 is bent at a right angle along the XZ plane and extends in the X direction. Then, one end portion 31a of the connection member main body 31 is accommodated in the second housing 41 to form the second conductive contact 42, and the other end portion 31b is accommodated in the second housing 51 to be second. A conductive contact 52 is formed.
The second conductive contacts 42 and 52 are fixed to the second housings 41 and 51 using lances formed in the second housings 41 and 51, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 10, the second connector portion 40 has a second central axis C2 extending in the X direction. The second housing 41 has a substantially rectangular tube-shaped housing body 43 extending in the X direction along the second central axis C2, and an internal space 43a having a width W5 in the Y direction is formed inside the housing body 43. Is formed. A protrusion receiving groove 43c extending in the X direction and having a width W6 in the Y direction is formed on the bottom surface 43b of the internal space 43a.
The width W5 in the Y direction of the internal space 43a is set to a value larger than the width W1 in the Y direction of the first housing 11 inserted into the internal space 43a, and the width in the Y direction of the protrusion receiving groove 43c. W6 is set to a value larger than the width W3 in the Y direction of the protrusion 17 formed on the lower surface 11a of the first housing 11.

A pressing member holding portion 44 is formed on a side portion of the substantially rectangular tube-shaped housing main body 43, and a pair of pressing members 45 are held by the pressing member holding portion 44 so as to be movable in the Y direction.
As shown in FIG. 11, the pressing member holding portion 44 has a pair of accommodating portions 44a that extend in the Y direction and are arranged side by side in the X direction, and each accommodating portion 44a is provided via an opening 44b. The protrusion main body 43 is connected to the protrusion receiving groove 43c. Between the pair of accommodating portions 44a, a linear wall portion 44c that forms one side portion of both side portions of each accommodating portion 44a is formed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, a pair of arm portions 44d extending in the Y direction from the vicinity of the protrusion housing groove 43c are formed on both sides of the pair of housing portions 44a in parallel with the corresponding housing portions 44a. These arm portions 44d form the other side portion of each accommodating portion 44a.

  A plurality of teeth 44e are linearly arranged along the Y direction on the side surface of each arm portion 44d facing the housing portion 44a. Further, an elastically deformable constricted portion 44f is formed at the base portion of each arm portion 44d, and a knob portion 44g is formed at the distal end portion of the arm portion 44d. The knob portion 44g is for operating when the arm portion 44d is forcibly displaced.

As shown in FIG. 13, a holding portion 45a for operating the pressing member 45 is formed at one end of the pressing member 45, and a rod portion 45b extending linearly is formed at the other end. A contact portion 45c made of an inclined surface having an angle of 45 degrees is formed at the tip of the portion 45b. Further, a guide piece 45d that protrudes laterally is formed between the holding portion 45a and the rod portion 45b so as to guide the movement of the pressing member 45 in the housing portion 44a of the pressing member holding portion 44. On the opposite side, a claw 45e that is hooked on the plurality of teeth 44e of the pressing member holding portion 44 is formed to project. Furthermore, a spring portion 45f bent so as to be elastically deformable is formed between the rod portion 45b, the claw 45e, and the guide piece 45d.
The guide piece 45d has a height slightly smaller than the width of the housing portion 44a in order to guide the movement of the pressing member 45 in the housing portion 44a, but the height of the spring portion 45f is: It is assumed that the height is smaller than the height of the guide piece 45d, and the spring portion 45f is elastically compressed to increase the height of the spring portion 45f so that it does not become higher than the guide piece 45d.

The pressing member 45 allows the rod portion 45b to pass through the opening 44b that connects the housing portion 44a of the pressing member holding portion 44 and the projection housing groove 43c, and causes the holding portion 45a to protrude from the pressing member holding portion 44. In this state, it is accommodated in the accommodating portion 44a.
At this time, the claw 45e of the pressing member 45 is hooked on any of the plurality of teeth 44e formed on the arm portion 44d of the pressing member holding portion 44. As shown in FIG. When pushed and moved in the Y direction, that is, toward the protrusion receiving groove 43c, the claw 45e comes into contact with the adjacent tooth 44e, so that the constricted portion 44f of the arm portion 44d is elastically deformed, and the arm portion 44d becomes the receiving portion. It is elastically expanded in the direction away from 44a.
When the pressing member 45 is further pushed in and the claw 45e is hooked on the next tooth 44e adjacent thereto, the arm portion 44d returns to the original state extending in parallel with the housing portion 44a, and the claw 45e is hooked on the tooth 44e. 45 cannot be pulled out from the pressing member holding portion 44 in the Y direction.

That is, a ratchet structure is formed by the plurality of teeth 44e of the arm portion 44d and the claw 45e of the pressing member 45, and the pressing member 45 is sequentially pushed along the plurality of teeth 44e arranged linearly on the arm portion 44d. Although it is possible to do so, the claw 45e is caught by the teeth 44e and is prevented from being pulled out.
The other second connector portion 50 has the same configuration as the second connector portion 40 shown in FIGS. 10 to 14, but the lower surface of the second housing 51 extends along the XZ plane. In addition, the second connector portion 40 is disposed in a state of being rotated 90 degrees around the X axis, and a pair of pressing members 45 are held by the second housing 51 so as to be movable in the Z direction. Yes.

  The first housings 11 and 21 of the first connector parts 10 and 20 and the second housings 41 and 51 of the second connector parts 40 and 50 are formed of an insulator such as synthetic resin, and the first The connection member 30 which becomes the first conductive contacts 12 and 22 and the second conductive contacts 42 and 52 of the connector portions 10 and 20 is preferably formed of a metal having low resistance and high thermal conductivity. In addition, the leaf spring 16 attached to the first conductive contact 12 and the leaf spring 16 attached to the first conductive contact 22 are made of a metal having a relatively small thermal creep, such as stainless steel. Is preferred. Furthermore, the pressing member 45 can be formed from an insulator such as a synthetic resin, or can be formed from a metal.

  The second central axis C2 of the second connector portions 40 and 50 is parallel to the first central axis C1 of the first connector portions 10 and 20 attached to the connection object such as a single cell, respectively. The second connector portions 40 and 50 are brought close to the first connector portions 10 and 20, respectively, and the first housing 11 of the first connector portion 10 is placed in the second housing 41 of the second connector portion 40. By inserting the first housing 21 of the first connector portion 20 into the second housing 51 of the second connector portion 50, as shown in FIG. 20 and the second connector portions 40 and 50 can be fitted together.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 16, the second conductive contact 42 of the second connector portion 40 is inserted into the socket-shaped terminal portion 13 of the first connector portion 10, and the conductive connection of the leaf spring 16 is performed. The part 16a contacts the second conductive contact 42, and the first conductive contact 12 of the first connector part 10 and the second conductive contact 42 of the second connector part 40 are conductively connected.
Similarly, the first conductive contact 22 of the first connector part 20 and the second conductive contact 52 of the second connector part 50 are also conductively connected.
As a result, the connection objects to which the first connector portions 10 and 20 are respectively attached are conductively connected to each other via the connection member 30.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 17A, in the Y direction, the width W4 of the second conductive contact 42 of the second connector portion 40 is equal to that of the socket-like terminal portion 13 of the first connector portion 10. The width W5 of the second housing 41 of the second connector portion 40 is smaller than the width W2 of the inner space, and is larger than the width W1 of the first housing 11 of the first connector portion 10, Since the width W6 of the protruding portion receiving groove 43c of the connector portion 40 is formed larger than the width W3 of the protruding portion 17 of the first connector portion 10, the first housing 11 of the first connector portion 10 is The second connector portion 40 can move in the Y direction inside the second housing 41.
Further, by adjusting the insertion length of the first housing 11 of the first connector portion 10 with respect to the second housing 41 of the second connector portion 40, the first housing 11 can be connected to the second housing 41. It can move in the X direction which is the fitting direction inside.
That is, the first housing 11 and the second housing 41 are fitted so as to be movable relative to each other within an XY plane in which the plate-like second conductive contact 42 extends.
In the Z direction, no large play is formed between the first housing 11 and the second housing 41 in advance, and their relative positions are fixed.

The other first connector part 20 is obtained by rotating the first connector part 10 by 90 degrees around the X axis except that the first conductive contact 22 has a plate-like part 24 bent. Another second connector portion 50 is obtained by rotating the second connector portion 40 by 90 degrees around the X axis. Similarly, as shown in FIG. The first housing 21 of the connector part 20 and the second housing 51 of the second connector part 50 are fitted so as to be movable relative to each other within the XZ plane in which the plate-like second conductive contact 52 extends. It becomes.
In the Y direction, no large play is formed between the first housing 21 and the second housing 51 in advance, and their relative positions are fixed.
Further, since the second connector portions 40 and 50 are connected to each other via the connection member 30, a pair of the second connector portions 40 and 50 is caused due to the displacement of the connection objects to which the first connector portions 10 and 20 are respectively attached. Even if the positional relationship between the first connector portions 10 and 20 is shifted in any of the X, Y, and Z directions, if the shift amount is within an allowable range, As the first housings 11 and 21 move relative to each other, the displacement is absorbed, and the second housings 41 and 51 are fitted into the corresponding first housings 11 and 21, respectively. They can be conductively connected to each other.

In this way, when the first connector portion 10 and the second connector portion 40 are fitted together, the pair of protrusions 17 formed on the lower surface 11a of the first housing 11 of the first connector portion 10 is formed. The second connector portion 40 is housed in the protrusion housing groove 43c.
Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, the pair of pressing members 45 held by the pressing member holding portion 44 of the second connector portion 40 are pushed toward the protrusion receiving grooves 43c, respectively. Then, the contact portions 45c formed by inclined surfaces of 45 degrees formed at the tips of the pressing members 45 are brought into contact with the side surfaces 17a of the projections 17 of the corresponding first connector portions 10 respectively.

  At this time, the claw 45e of the pressing member 45 is hooked on any of the plurality of teeth 44e of the pressing member holding portion 44. From this state, as shown in FIG. 19, the pressing member 45 is further pushed into the claw 45e. Is engaged with the next adjacent tooth 44e. Assuming that a plurality of teeth 44e are arranged at a pitch P, this further pressing causes the claw 45e of the pressing member 45 to advance by a distance P in the -Y direction, that is, in the direction of the protruding portion 17, and the protruding portion. However, since the contact portion 45c at the tip of the pressing member 45 is in contact with the protruding portion 17, the movement in the -Y direction is prevented. As a result, the spring portion 45f disposed between the claw 45e and the rod portion 45b is compressed and elastically deformed.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 20, stress acts on the protrusion 17 by the elastic force of the spring portion 45 f. Here, the side surfaces 17a of the pair of protrusions 17 face each other along the X direction, which is the fitting direction of the first connector part 10 and the second connector part 40, and both of them face the Y direction. Since the contact surface is formed, the stress component F1 in the same direction facing the −Y direction acts on both the protrusions 17 and the stress component F2 directed in the opposite directions along the X direction acts on both the protrusions 17. . By receiving these stress components F1 and F2, the position of the first housing 11 on which the pair of protrusions 17 are formed is fixed relative to the second housing 41 in the XY plane.
As shown in FIG. 17A, since the first housing 11 is fixed in advance in the Z direction with respect to the second housing 41, the first housing 11 in all directions of XYZ. 11 and the relative position of the second housing 41 are fixed.

  Similarly, the pair of pressing members 45 held by the other second connector portion 50 are respectively moved so that the contact portions 45c at the tips of the pressing members 45 are respectively projected from the corresponding first connector portions 20. By pressing against the side surface 27a of the portion 27, the position of the first housing 21 on which the pair of protrusions 27 are formed is fixed relative to the second housing 51 in the XZ plane. Further, as shown in FIG. 17B, since the first housing 21 is fixed in advance in the Y direction with respect to the second housing 51, the first housing 21 in all directions of XYZ. The relative position of 21 and the second housing 51 is fixed.

As described above, when the positional relationship between the pair of first connector portions 10 and 20 is shifted, the first housings 11 and 21 are relatively moved with respect to the second housings 41 and 51. For example, FIGS. 21A to 21D show a state in which the first housing 11 is moved relative to the second housing 41 to the maximum extent in the XY plane. Also in these states, as shown in FIGS. 21E to 21H, the pair of pressing members 45 are independently operated and pressed against the corresponding protrusions 17 to The relative position of the second housing 41 can be fixed.
Naturally, even when the first housing 11 is at an intermediate position in the state shown in FIGS. 21A to 21D, the relative position of the first housing 11 and the second housing 41 is determined at that position. Can be fixed.

  Therefore, even if the connector and the connection object are subjected to external force such as vibration, the first conductive contacts 12 and 22 of the first connector portions 10 and 20 are connected to the second conductive portions of the second connector portions 40 and 50. Therefore, the fretting / corrosion can be prevented from occurring. Furthermore, the connector is prevented from being detached, and the connection reliability is ensured.

  When releasing the fixing of the relative positions of the first housing 11 and the second housing 41, a plurality of teeth 44e formed on the arm portion 44d are formed on the pressing member 45 as shown in FIG. The pair of arm portions 44d may be forcibly expanded outward by operating the knob portion 44g until it is separated from the claw 45e, and the pressing member 45 may be pulled back.

The first connector portions 10 and 20 are respectively attached to the electrodes of a pair of unit cells to be connected, and the second connector portions 40 and 50 attached to both ends of the connection member 30 are respectively connected to the first connector portion 10 and By fitting into the battery 20, a pair of unit cells can be conductively connected to each other to form an assembled battery.
Further, as shown in FIG. 23, a plurality of single cells 61 are connected to each other to form a plurality of battery modules 62 and 63, and the first connector portion 10 attached to the battery module 62 and another battery module A plurality of battery modules 62 and 63 are connected to each other by fitting the second connector portions 40 and 50 attached to both ends of the connecting member 30 to the first connector portion 20 attached to the 63, respectively. The assembled battery can also be formed.

  Even if the battery modules 62 and 63 are displaced from the design position, the housing of the first connector portions 10 and 20 moves relative to the housing of the second connector portions 40 and 50 to absorb the displacement. Thus, the plurality of battery modules 62 and 63 can be conductively connected. Furthermore, the relative positions of the housing of the first connector portion 10 and the second connector portion 40 and the relative positions of the housing of the first connector portion 20 and the second connector portion 50 are fixed. For this reason, even if the assembled battery formed in this way is mounted in an automobile and receives external force such as vibration, the conductive contacts of the first connector parts 10 and 20 and the second connector parts 40 and 50 are used. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of fretting / corrosion between the conductive contact and the connector, and it is possible to prevent the connector from being detached and to ensure the reliability of connection.

Embodiment 2
In the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the side surfaces 17a of the pair of protrusions 17 formed on the lower surface 11a of the first housing 11 of the first connector portion 10 are A pair of protrusions formed on the lower surface 21a of the first housing 21 of the first connector part 20 and facing each other along the X direction which is the fitting direction of the connector part 10 and the second connector part 40 Although the 27 side surfaces 27a face each other along the X direction, the present invention is not limited to this. The pair of protrusions have contact surfaces that receive stress components in opposite directions along the fitting direction of the first connector portions 10 and 20 and the second connector portions 40 and 50 from the pair of pressing members 45. If you do.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 24, the pair of protrusions 71 is configured to have a contact surface 71a formed of an inclined surface with an angle of 45 degrees facing opposite directions with respect to the X direction as the fitting direction. can do. In this case, for example, by pressing the pair of pressing members 45 in the −Y direction, the stress components F3 in the same direction facing the −Y direction are applied to both the protrusions 71, and the stresses face each other along the X direction. Component F4 can be allowed to act. By receiving these stress components F3 and F4, the position of the first housing in which the pair of protrusions 71 are formed is fixed relative to the second housing in the XY plane.

  In the first embodiment, the pressing member 45 has the contact portion 45c formed of an inclined surface of 45 degrees in accordance with the side surfaces 17a and 27a of the protrusions 17 and 27. For example, like the pressing member 72 shown in FIG. 25, the contact portion 72c may be formed by an arcuate curved surface. Even when such a pressing member 72 is used, for example, stress components in opposite directions are applied to the pair of protrusions 17 along the X direction which is the fitting direction, and the housing of the first connector portion and the second The relative position of the housing of the connector portion can be fixed.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 26, a protrusion 73 having a contact surface 73a made of a curved surface can also be used. The contact surfaces 73a of the pair of protrusions 73 are arranged so as to face each other along the X direction. Even when such a protrusion 73 is used, stress components in directions opposite to each other can be received from the pair of pressing members 72 along the X direction which is the fitting direction.
Also in this case, the pair of protrusions 73 may be arranged such that the contact surface 73a formed of a curved surface faces in the opposite direction to the X direction that is the fitting direction.

In the first and second embodiments, for example, the pair of pressing members 45 are arranged in parallel with each other in the X direction, which is the fitting direction of the first connector portion 10 and the second connector portion 40, respectively. Although arranged so as to be movable along the orthogonal Y direction, it is not limited to this. The pair of pressing members move in the direction intersecting the fitting direction of the first connector portion and the second connector portion, respectively, and the contact surfaces of the pair of protrusions are in the same direction perpendicular to the fitting direction. If stress components in opposite directions can be applied along the fitting direction with the stress component, the relative positions of the housing of the first connector portion and the housing of the second connector portion can be fixed.
Further, as long as such a stress component can be applied to the contact surfaces of the pair of protrusions, the pair of pressing members may move in different directions.

In the first embodiment, the pressing member is formed by the side surface 17a of the protrusion 17 formed on the lower surface 11a of the first housing 11 and the side surface 27a of the protrusion 27 formed on the lower surface 21a of the first housing 21. Although the contact surface that receives the stress from 45 is formed, the contact surface can also be formed directly on the side surface of the first housing without forming the protrusion.
The constricted portion 44f that can be elastically deformed is formed at the base portion of the arm portion 44d of the pressing member holding portion 44. However, when the arm portion 44d itself is sufficiently elastically deformable, the constricted portion 44f is not formed. May be.

Further, the first connector portions 10 and 20 have socket-like terminals 13 and 23, respectively, and the second connector portions 40 and 50 have plate-like second conductive contacts 42 and 52, respectively. However, conversely, the first connector portion attached to the connection object may have a plate-like terminal, and the second connector portion attached to the connection member may have a socket-like terminal.
The first housings 11 and 21 have contact surfaces formed of the side surfaces 17a and 27a of the protrusions 17 and 27, and the pressing members 45 are attached to the second housings 41 and 51. In addition, the pressing member can be attached to the first housing of the first connector portion attached to the connection object, and the contact surface can be formed on the second housing of the second connector portion attached to the connection member.

  Further, a pair of second connector portions 40 and 50 are attached to both ends of the connection member 30, and the pair of connection objects to which the first connector portions 10 and 20 are attached are conductively connected to each other. Three or more second connector portions can be attached to one connection member, and three or more connection objects can be conductively connected. Thereby, it becomes easy to connect a large number of single cells in parallel to form an assembled battery.

  1,61 cell, 2,3 plate terminal, 4 bus bar module, 5 holding member, 6 bus bar, 10, 20 first connector portion, 11, 21 first housing, 11a, 21a lower surface of first housing 12, 22 First conductive contact, 13, 23 Socket-shaped terminal portion, 13a, 23a Internal space of socket-shaped terminal portion, 13b Insertion hole, 14, 24 Plate-shaped portion, 14a, 24a Mounting hole, 15 Lance, 16 leaf springs, 16a conductive connection parts, 17, 27, 71, 73 protrusions, 17a, 27a side faces, 30 connection members, 31 connection member main bodies, 31a one end parts of connection member main bodies, 31b other end parts of connection member main bodies, 40, 50 Second connector portion, 41, 51 Second housing, 42, 52 Second conductive contact, 43 Housing body, 43a Internal space of housing body, 43b Bottom surface of internal space, 43c Protruding part receiving groove, 44 Pressing member holding part, 44a receiving part, 44b Opening part, 44c Wall part, 44d Arm part, 44e Teeth, 44f Constricted part, 44g 45, pressing member, 45a holding part, 45b rod part, 45c, 72c contact part, 45d guide piece, 45e claw, 45f spring part, 62, 63 battery module, 71a, 73a contact surface, C1 first central axis, C2 Second central axis, C11 central axis of the lower surface of the first housing, W1 width of the first housing, W2 width of the internal space of the socket-like terminal portion, W3 width of the protruding portion, W4 of the second conductive contact Width, W5 Width of internal space of housing body, W6 Width of protrusion receiving groove, F1, F3 orthogonal to fitting direction Force component, the stress component along the direction fitting F2, F4.

Claims (12)

The plurality of connection objects are conductively connected to each other by connecting the plurality of second connector parts attached to the connection member to the plurality of first connector parts respectively attached to the plurality of connection objects. In the connector,
The first connector portion includes a first conductive contact and a first housing that accommodates the first conductive contact;
The second connector part accommodates the second conductive contact and the second conductive contact and fits in the fitting direction with the first housing of the corresponding first connector part. Having a second housing;
One of the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact has a plate-like terminal extending in the fitting direction and a lateral direction perpendicular to the fitting direction, and the plurality of the conductive contacts The plate-like terminals of the first connector part or the plate-like terminals of the plurality of second connector parts are arranged to form an angle of 90 degrees with each other,
The first housing and the second housing are fitted so as to be movable relative to each other within a plane in which the plate-like terminal extends,
One of the first housing and the second housing has a pair of pressing members that can move independently in a direction crossing the fitting direction, and the other housing has the pair of pressing members. A pair of contact surfaces that can contact the pressing member and receive stress components in the same direction perpendicular to the fitting direction and stress components in opposite directions along the fitting direction from the pair of pressing members;
In the state where the first housing and the second housing corresponding to each other are fitted in the fitting direction and the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact are conductively connected to each other, Each of the pressing members is moved and pressed against the corresponding contact surface of the other housing, so that the other housing is pressed and the first housing and the second housing are within a plane in which the plate-like terminal extends. A connector characterized by fixing a relative position. The one housing has a pair of pressing member holding portions that movably hold the pair of pressing members, and each of the pressing member holding portions has a plurality of teeth arranged in a straight line. ,
The pair of pressing members are respectively formed at one end and projecting from the one housing, a contact portion formed at the other end and contacting the contact surface of the one housing, and the pressing member holding A guide piece that guides movement in the part, and a claw that catches on any of the plurality of teeth of the pressing member holding part,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the position of the pressing member with respect to the one housing is fixed by the hook of the claw of the pressing member being caught by one of the plurality of teeth of the pressing member holding portion.   The connector according to claim 2, wherein each of the pair of pressing members includes a spring portion that is disposed between the contact portion and the claw and is elastically deformable.   The one housing has a pair of elastically displaceable arm portions that form part of the pair of pressing member holding portions, and the plurality of teeth are formed on each of the arm portions. Item 4. The connector according to item 2 or 3.   The connector according to claim 4, wherein each of the pair of arm portions includes a constricted portion that is elastically deformable. At one end of the pair of arms, respectively. A knob for forcibly displacing the arm is formed,
6. The position of the pressing member with respect to the one housing is released by displacing the pair of arms and separating the plurality of teeth from the claw of the corresponding pressing member. Connector.   The connector according to claim 2, wherein the contact portion of the pressing member has an inclined surface or a curved surface.   The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pair of contact surfaces are arranged on a protrusion formed on a surface of the other housing extending in parallel with the plate-like terminal.   The connector according to claim 8, wherein the pair of contact surfaces includes a pair of inclined surfaces or a pair of curved surfaces facing each other along the fitting direction.   The connector according to claim 8, wherein the pair of contact surfaces includes a pair of inclined surfaces or a pair of curved surfaces facing in opposite directions with respect to the fitting direction.   Any one of the first conductive contact and the second conductive contact has a socket-like terminal into which a plate-like terminal of the one conductive contact is inserted. A connector according to claim 1.   An assembled battery, wherein a single battery is used as the connection object, and a plurality of single batteries are conductively connected to each other using the connector according to claim 1.

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