JP2021118138A - Connection structure of terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a connection structure of a terminal, capable of preventing whiskers from scattering.SOLUTION: A connection structure of a terminal of the present invention, is structured by a plate-like terminal 40, a plate-like member 30, and a fastening member 61. A part which a region containing an edge part 35 of the plate-like member 30 on a front surface of the plate-like terminal 40 contacts becomes a pressure-welding part 43 to which the plate-like member 30 is pressure-welded. Also, a concave-like whisker housing space 36 housing whiskers 53 generated in the pressure-welding part 43 is formed on at least one of the plate-like terminal 40 and the plate-like member 30. The whisker housing space 36 is arranged on the outer side of a radial direction of a fastening member 61 from the pressure-welding part 43 by using the pressure-welding part 43 as an original point. Further, a convex part 37 is formed on at least one of the plate-like terminal 40 and the plate-like member 30, and the convex part 37 is arranged on the outer side of the radial direction of the fastening member 61 from the whisker housing space 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a terminal connection structure for connecting a plate-shaped terminal and a plate-shaped member with a fastening member.

Conventionally, there is known a terminal connection structure in which a plate-shaped terminal such as a bus bar and another plate-shaped member are fastened with a fastening member such as a bolt. In addition, in order to obtain good conductivity and prevent rust on the surface, a plating layer generally made of Sn—Pb alloy is formed on the surface of the bus bar.

By the way, in recent years, lead (Pb), which is harmful to the environment, is being regulated by the RoHS Directive. Therefore, it is preferable to use tin (Sn) plating that does not use lead also in the plating layer. However, at the time of fastening with the fastening member, stress acts on the contact region where the plate-shaped member contacts in the bus bar. Along with this, tin plating may be pushed out of the contact area in the plating layer in the contact area and raised, and whiskers, which are whisker-like (needle-shaped) metallic foreign substances, may be generated and elongated from the raised portion. .. Since the whisker is easily broken and dropped due to vibration or the like, the dropped whisker may scatter and cause an electrical failure such as a short circuit in the terminal or the circuit. Therefore, a technique for preventing the whiskers from scattering by forming a recess covering the generated whiskers in the terminal has been conventionally proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-310089 (see FIG. 4)

However, since the recess described in Patent Document 1 is open to the outside, the broken whisker is likely to scatter to the outside from the opening of the recess. Therefore, in this case as well, problems such as a short circuit due to the scattering of whiskers may occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal connection structure capable of preventing whiskers from scattering.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in the means 1 describes a plate-shaped terminal made of a metal material and having a metal film formed on its surface, a plate-shaped member arranged on the plate-shaped terminal, and a thickness direction. It is a terminal connection structure including a fastening member for fastening the plate-shaped terminal and the plate-shaped member in a state where at least a part of the plate-shaped terminal is overlapped with each other, and the plate-shaped member is formed on the surface of the plate-shaped terminal. The portion where the region including the edge portion comes into contact is the pressure contact portion to which the plate-shaped member is in pressure contact, and the concave whisker that accommodates the whisker generated in the pressure contact portion is accommodated in at least one of the plate-shaped terminal and the plate-shaped member. An accommodating space is formed, and the whisker accommodating space is arranged radially outside the fastening member from the pressure contact portion starting from the pressure contact portion, and a convex portion is formed on at least one of the plate-shaped terminal and the plate-shaped member. The gist thereof is a terminal connection structure formed and characterized in that the convex portion is arranged radially outside the fastening member with respect to the whisker accommodating space.

Therefore, according to the invention described in Means 1, since the opening of the whisker accommodating space is narrowed (or closed) at the convex portion, even if the whisker is broken, the whisker is stopped by the convex portion. Stay in the whisker containment space. Therefore, since the whiskers can be prevented from scattering outside the whisker accommodating space, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an electrical failure such as a short circuit due to the scattering of the whiskers.

In the invention described in the means 2, in the means 1, the whisker accommodating space is formed on the plate-shaped member side, and the plate-shaped terminal is radially outside the fastening member with respect to the whisker accommodating space in the plate-shaped member. The gist is that the convex portion protruding to the side is arranged.

Therefore, according to the invention described in the means 2, even if the whiskers are broken, the whiskers are stopped by the convex portions, so that the whiskers are less likely to scatter outside the whisker accommodating space. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an electrical failure such as a short circuit caused by the scattering of whiskers. Further, since the whisker accommodating space and the convex portion are formed on the plate-shaped member side, it is not necessary to form a structure for preventing the whiskers from scattering on the plate-shaped terminal.

The gist of the invention described in the means 3 is that, in the means 2, the thickness of the region where the convex portion is formed is smaller than the thickness of the region in contact with the pressure contact portion.

Therefore, according to the invention described in the means 3, when the fastening member is fastened, the region of the plate-shaped member in contact with the pressure contact portion bites into the plate-shaped terminal side, and the tip of the convex portion is formed on the metal film of the plate-shaped terminal. On the other hand, it can be brought closer or in contact with each other. As a result, since the opening of the whisker accommodating space is narrowed or closed by the convex portion, even if the whisker is generated at the pressure contact portion, the scattering of the whiskers can be effectively stopped. Further, even if the convex portion contacts the plate-shaped terminal at the time of fastening, the convex portion is thinner than the region of the plate-shaped member that contacts the pressure-welding portion, so that the force of the plate-shaped member pressing the pressure-welding portion is smaller. It comes into contact with the metal film by force. As a result, stress is less likely to be concentrated on the contact portion between the convex portion and the metal film, so that the generation of whiskers in the vicinity of the convex portion can be prevented.

According to the invention described in the means 4, in the means 1, a recess having a whisker accommodating space in a part thereof is formed in one of the plate-shaped terminal and the plate-shaped member, and the recess protrudes into the recess in the other. The gist is that the convex portion is formed.

Therefore, according to the invention described in the means 4, since the whiskers have a so-called labyrinth structure in which the path connecting the whisker accommodation space and the outside is complicated, even if the whiskers are broken and scattered, the whiskers in the whisker accommodation space go out to the outside. It becomes difficult.

The gist of the invention described in the means 5 is that in any one of the means 1 to 4, the whisker accommodating space is arranged radially outside the fastening member with respect to the fastening portion of the fastening member. ..

Therefore, according to the invention described in the means 5, since the whisker accommodating space is arranged so as to avoid the area where the fastening force of the fastening member is applied, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the fastening force of the fastening member due to the existence of the whisker accommodating space. be able to.

As described in detail above, according to the invention of claims 1 to 5, it is possible to provide a terminal connection structure capable of preventing whiskers from scattering.

The schematic perspective view which shows the mounting mode of a terminal block with respect to a case. The front view which shows the mounting mode of a terminal block with respect to a case. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. The main part perspective view which shows the connection structure of a terminal. A cross-sectional view of a main part showing a terminal connection structure (enlarged view of B in FIG. 3). An enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a terminal connection structure. The perspective view which shows the state when the terminal block is seen from the lower side. An exploded perspective view showing a terminal connection structure. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a terminal connection structure after fastening with bolts and nuts. An enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a terminal connection structure in another embodiment. An enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a terminal connection structure in another embodiment. An enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a terminal connection structure in another embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a case 1 and a terminal block 10 attached to the case 1. Case 1 of the present embodiment is a case for an automobile installed in an engine room or a room, and inside, a circuit that functions as, for example, a PCB (power control unit) or an ECU (electronic control unit). The board and the like are housed. One side wall 2 of the case 1 is provided with an oval-shaped through hole 3a arranged at the center of the side wall 2 and a pair of screw holes 3b arranged so as to sandwich the through hole 3a.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the main body member 20 constituting the terminal block 10 is injection-molded using a resin material such as PPS resin (polyphenylene sulfide resin) or PBT resin (polybutylene terephthalate resin). It is a product. Further, the main body member 20 has a base portion 21 having a substantially elliptical shape in front view, a front side projecting portion 22a having a substantially oval shape in front view protruding from the central region of the front surface 21a of the base portion 21, and a back surface of the base portion 21. It has a front-view substantially oval-shaped rear-side projecting portion 22b projecting from the central region of 21b.

The main body member 20 is provided with a terminal block side bus bar 30 (plate-shaped member) made of a conductive metal material (copper in this embodiment). The terminal block side bus bar 30 has a strip shape and penetrates the base portion 21, the front side protruding portion 22a, and the back side protruding portion 22b of the main body member 20. The main body member 20 of the present embodiment is an insert molded product formed by performing injection molding with the terminal block side bus bar 30 arranged in a mold (not shown). The first end 31 of the terminal block side bus bar 30 is exposed from the tip of the back surface side protrusion 22b to the inside of the case 1, and the second end 32 of the terminal block side bus bar 30 is the front side protrusion 22a. It is exposed from the tip to the outside of the case 1 (see FIG. 3). The first end 31 of the terminal block side bus bar 30 is provided with a circular first through hole 33 that penetrates the first end 31 in the thickness direction, and the second end of the terminal block side bus bar 30 is provided. The portion 32 is provided with a circular second through hole 34 that penetrates the second end portion 32 in the thickness direction.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the main body member 20 is provided with a groove portion 23 that opens at the back surface 21b of the base portion 21. The groove portion 23 has an oval ring shape when viewed from the rear, and is formed so as to surround the terminal block side bus bar 30. An O-ring 24 is inserted in the groove 23. The O-ring 24 is an annular member that is assembled to the main body member 20, and is made of an elastic material such as rubber.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the base 21 of the main body member 20 is provided with a pair of screw insertion holes 25 located on opposite sides of the terminal block side bus bar 30. In the present embodiment, a cylindrical collar 25a is embedded in the main body member 20, and the inner peripheral surface of the collar 25a is the inner peripheral surface of the screw insertion hole 25. Here, the back surface side protruding portion 22b of the main body member 20 is inserted into the through hole 3a of the case 1, and the main body member 20 is arranged on the outer surface 2a of the side wall 2 of the case 1 and is formed by the embedded collar 25a. A screw 26 is inserted into each of the screw insertion holes 25, and the tip of the inserted screw 26 is screwed into the screw hole 3b of the side wall 2. As a result, the terminal block 10 is attached to the side wall 2 of the case 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, a case-side bus bar 40 (plate-shaped terminal) having a strip-shaped shape and made of a conductive metal material (copper in this embodiment) is arranged in the case 1. Further, the end 41 of the case-side bus bar 40 is provided with a circular through hole 42 that penetrates the end 41 in the thickness direction.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the terminal block side bus bar 30 and the case side bus bar 40 are partially overlapped when viewed from the thickness direction, and the bolt 61, which is a fastening member, is screwed onto the nut 62. To be fastened to each other. The bolt 61 and the nut 62 of the present embodiment are made of, for example, a metal material such as iron, stainless steel, copper, a copper alloy (brass or the like), aluminum, or titanium.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a plating layer 51, which is a metal film, is formed on the entire surface of the case-side bus bar 40. In the present embodiment, the plating layer 51 is shown as one layer for convenience of explanation, but in reality, there are a plurality of plating layers, and the outermost layer is a tin (Sn) simple substance plating layer. There is.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the portion of the surface of the case-side bus bar 40 where the region including the edge portion 35 of the terminal block-side bus bar 30 contacts is the pressure-welding portion 43 to which the terminal block-side bus bar 30 is in pressure contact. It has become. A whisker accommodating space 36 for accommodating the whiskers 53 generated in the pressure contact portion 43 is formed in the terminal block side bus bar 30. The whisker accommodating space 36 opens at the back surface 30a of the terminal block side bus bar 30 and has a substantially semicircular cross-sectional view (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Further, the whisker accommodating space 36 has an annular shape when viewed from the back surface 30a side, and is arranged so as to surround the first through hole 33 (see FIG. 7). Further, the whisker accommodating space 36 is arranged radially outside the bolt 61 from the fastening portion of the bolt 61, specifically, radially outside the bolt 61 from the pressure contact portion 43 as a starting point. ..

The whisker accommodating space 36 is preferably large enough so that the whiskers 53 having a length of 0.2 mm or more do not scatter to the outside. As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, the depth D1 of the whisker accommodating space 36 is 10% or more and 90% or less of the thickness T1 of the region in contact with the pressure contact portion 43 in the terminal block side bus bar 30. There is.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the terminal block side bus bar 30 is formed with a convex portion 37 protruding toward the case side bus bar 40 from the bottom 36a of the whisker accommodating space 36. The convex portion 37 is arranged radially outside the bolt 61 with respect to the whisker accommodating space 36 in the terminal block side bus bar 30. In the present embodiment, as a result of forming the whisker accommodating space 36 in the terminal block side bus bar 30, the region remaining in the terminal block side bus bar 30 radially outside the whisker accommodating space 36 becomes the convex portion 37. Then, in the terminal block side bus bar 30, the thickness T2 of the formed region of the convex portion 37 is the thickness T1 of the region in contact with the pressure contact portion 43 (in other words, the region inside the radial direction of the bolt 61 with respect to the pressure contact portion 43). Is smaller than Before the bolt 61 and the nut 62 are fastened, the tip surface 38 of the convex portion 37 is the surface of the case-side bus bar 40 (specifically, the plating layer 51 formed on the surface of the bus bar 40). It is separated from the surface).

Next, a molding method and a mounting method of the terminal block 10 and a connection method of the terminal block side bus bar 30 and the case side bus bar 40 will be described.

First, the terminal block side bus bar 30 and the case side bus bar 40 are formed by punching a conductive plate material (copper plate in the present embodiment) by press working. When the terminal block side bus bar 30 is formed, the first through hole 33, the second through hole 34, and the whisker accommodating space 36 are also formed. Further, when the case-side bus bar 40 is formed, the through hole 42 is also formed. The terminal block side bus bar 30 and the case side bus bar 40 may be formed by cutting the conductive plate material instead of pressing the conductive plate material.

Next, with the upper and lower molds constituting the mold (not shown) for molding the main body member 20 open, insert members such as the terminal block side bus bar 30 and the collar 25a are set in the lower mold. do. Then, the upper mold and the lower mold are closed to form a cavity for molding the main body member 20. Next, the cavity is filled with the molten thermoplastic resin through a gate portion (not shown) provided in either the upper mold or the lower mold. Further, by cooling and solidifying the thermoplastic resin, the thermoplastic resin becomes the main body member 20 constituting the terminal block 10. After that, by opening the upper mold and the lower mold, the main body member 20 in which the terminal block side bus bar 30 is embedded can be obtained.

Next, the O-ring 24 is inserted into the groove 23 of the main body member 20 in which the terminal block side bus bar 30 is embedded. Further, the back surface side protruding portion 22b of the main body member 20 is inserted into the through hole 3a provided in the side wall 2 of the case 1, and the back surface 21b of the base portion 21 constituting the main body member 20 is placed on the outer surface 2a of the side wall 2. To abut. Then, the screw 26 is inserted into each of the pair of screw insertion holes 25 provided in the base portion 21, and the tip end portion of the inserted screw 26 is screwed into the screw hole 3b of the side wall 2. As a result, the terminal block 10 is attached to the side wall 2.

Further, the terminal block side bus bar 30 and the case side bus bar 40 are fastened using bolts 61 and nuts 62. Specifically, first, with the terminal block 10 attached to the side wall 2, the first end 31 of the terminal block side bus bar 30 protruding from the inner surface 2b (see FIG. 3) of the side wall 2 is attached to the case side bus bar 40. Placed on the end 41 of the. Then, the shaft portion 61a of the bolt 61 is inserted into the first through hole 33 of the terminal block side bus bar 30 and the through hole 42 of the case side bus bar 40, and the tip end portion of the inserted shaft portion 61a is inserted into the screw hole 62a of the nut 62. (See FIGS. 3 and 8). At this point, the tip surface 38 of the convex portion 37 is separated from the surface of the plating layer 51 formed on the surface of the case-side bus bar 40. After that, the bolt 61 is tightened.

Then, as the shaft portion 61a of the bolt 61 is screwed into the screw hole 62a of the nut 62, the region of contact with the plating layer 51 on the terminal block side bus bar 30 (in other words, the pressure contact portion 43 on the terminal block side bus bar 30). The region located inside the bolt 61 in the radial direction) bites into the case-side bus bar 40 side (see FIG. 9). Then, at this point, the terminal block side bus bar 30 and the case side bus bar 40 are fastened to each other.

Further, as the bolt 61 is screwed, the convex portion 37 of the terminal block side bus bar 30 moves toward the case side bus bar 40 side. Then, at the same time when the fastening (screw) of the bolt 61 is completed, the tip surface 38 of the convex portion 37 comes into contact with the surface of the plating layer 51 formed on the surface of the case-side bus bar 40 (see FIG. 9). As a result, the convex portion 37 comes into contact with the plating layer 51 with a force that is extremely smaller than the force that the terminal block side bus bar 30 bites into the case side bus bar 40 side, so that a large stress is applied from the convex portion 37 to the plating layer 51. It does not work. Further, even if an environmental change such as a temperature change or vibration occurs, it is extremely unlikely that the convex portion 37 strongly presses the plating layer 51.

By the way, when the bolt 61 is screwed to the nut 62, stress acts on the contact region where the terminal block side bus bar 30 comes into contact with the case side bus bar 40. Along with this, the tin plating of the plating layer 51 in the contact region is pushed out of the contact region and raised, and the internal components of the raised portion 52 are precipitated and crystallized with the passage of time, and the raised portion 52 is covered with metallic foreign matter. A whisker 53 (see FIGS. 5, 6 and 9) can occur. Since the whiskers 53 are single crystals of whisker-shaped (needle-shaped) tin, they are easily broken and fall off due to vibration or the like. When the length of the whiskers 53 is particularly 0.2 mm or more, the dropped whiskers 53 may adhere to the circuit board (not shown) and cause an electrical failure such as a short circuit.

However, in the present embodiment, the fallen whisker 53 is accommodated in the whisker accommodating space 36, and the opening of the whisker accommodating space 36 is closed when the convex portion 37 abuts on the plating layer 51. As a result, the whisker accommodating space 36 becomes a closed space, so that the whiskers 53 are prevented from scattering outside the whisker accommodating space 36. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an electrical failure due to the adhesion of the whiskers 53 to the circuit board.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In the present embodiment, since the opening of the whisker accommodating space 36 is narrowed by the convex portion 37, even if the whisker 53 is broken, the whisker 53 is stopped by the convex portion 37, so that the whisker accommodating space 36 Stay inside. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the whisker 53 from scattering outside the whisker accommodating space 36.

(2) The terminal block side bus bar 30 of the present embodiment has a convex portion 37 as a region located radially inside the bolt 61 with respect to the pressure contact portion 43 bites into the case side bus bar 40 side when fastened with the bolt 61. The tip surface 38 of the above comes into contact with the plating layer 51. Therefore, the convex portion 37 comes into contact with the plating layer 51 with a force smaller than the force with which the terminal block side bus bar 30 bites into the case side bus bar 40 side. As a result, stress is less likely to be concentrated on the contact portion between the convex portion 37 and the case-side bus bar 40, so that the whiskers 53 can be prevented from being generated in the vicinity of the convex portion 37.

The above embodiment may be changed as follows.

In the above embodiment, of the terminal block side bus bar 30, a region located inside the pressure contact portion 43 in the radial direction of the bolt 61 when tightened by the bolt 61 is made to bite into the case side bus bar 40, and the tip surface 38 of the convex portion 37 is formed. Was in contact with the plating layer 51 (see FIG. 9). However, it is not necessary to bring the tip surface 38 of the convex portion 37 into contact with the plating layer 51. In this case, the whisker accommodating space 36 is set so that the distance A1 (see FIG. 6) between the tip surface 38 of the convex portion 37 and the surface of the plating layer 51 is preferably 0.5 mm or less, more preferably 0.2 mm or less. The whiskers 53 inside are less likely to scatter to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 10, a recess 73 having a whisker accommodating space 72 as a part is formed in the case-side bus bar 71 (plate-shaped terminal), and the inside of the recess 73 is formed in the terminal block-side bus bar 74 (plate-shaped member). A convex portion 75 protruding toward the surface may be formed. On the contrary, the terminal block side bus bar may be formed with a concave portion having a whisker accommodating space as a part, and the case side bus bar may be formed with a convex portion protruding toward the inside of the concave portion.

In the terminal block side bus bar 30 of the above embodiment, the depth D1 (see FIG. 6) of the whisker accommodating space 36 is 10% or more and 90% or less of the thickness T1 of the region in contact with the pressure contact portion 43. However, as shown in the terminal block side bus bar 81 (plate-shaped member) of FIG. 11, the depth D2 of the whisker accommodating space 82 is made deeper than that of the above embodiment, and the thickness T4 of the formed region of the convex portion 84 is increased. The thickness of the region in contact with the pressure contact portion 83 may be substantially the same as the thickness T3. According to this configuration, the thickness T5 of the formation region of the whisker accommodating space 82 in the terminal block side bus bar 81 becomes thin. As a result, the fastening force of the bolt 61 is absorbed by the terminal block side bus bar 81 being deformed in the formation region of the whisker accommodating space 82 (see the two-dot chain line portion in FIG. 11), and is less likely to be transmitted to the convex portion 84 side. .. As a result, stress is less likely to act on the contact portion between the convex portion 84 and the case-side bus bar 85 (plate-shaped terminal), so that the whiskers 86 can be prevented from being generated in the vicinity of the convex portion 84.

-In the above embodiment, the whisker accommodating space 36 is formed in the bus bar 30 on the terminal block side. However, a whisker accommodating space may be formed in the lower case-side bus bar 40, or a whisker accommodating space may be formed in both the terminal block-side bus bar 30 and the case-side bus bar 40, respectively.

The whisker accommodating space 36 of the above embodiment has a substantially semicircular shape in cross-sectional view, but may have other shapes such as a rectangular cross-sectional view and a triangular cross-sectional view.

-In the above embodiment, the convex portion 37 is formed on the terminal block side bus bar 30. However, a convex portion may be formed on the lower case-side bus bar 40, or a convex portion may be formed on both the terminal block-side bus bar 30 and the case-side bus bar 40.

As shown in FIG. 12, by bending the terminal block side bus bar 91 (plate-shaped member), the terminal block side bus bar 91 has a concave whisker accommodating space 92 and a case side bus bar 93 (plate-shaped terminal) side. The convex portion 94 protruding into the shape may be formed.

-In the above embodiment, potting (resin) may be applied to the generation site of the whisker 53 (here, the raised portion 52). By doing so, there is a possibility that the occurrence of whiskers 53 can be suppressed.

-The plating layer 51 may include a plating layer made of a metal material other than tin (for example, gold, silver, copper, platinum, zinc, titanium, nickel, cobalt, chromium, etc.) or an alloy such as a tin alloy. .. When the plating layer 51 includes a tin plating layer, a nickel plating layer may be arranged between the tin plating layer and the case-side bus bar 40. In this way, the corrosion resistance of the case-side bus bar 40 can be improved.

-In the above embodiment, the plating layer 51 is used as a metal film, but a film forming method different from plating, specifically, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), vacuum deposition, thermal spraying, ion plating, etc. A metal film formed by applying the above method may be used. In addition, it is also possible to form a metal film by a method of applying a liquid material containing a metal by a roll coating method, a spray coating method, a curtain coating method, a method of printing the liquid material, or the like.

-In the above embodiment, a plating layer may be formed on the surface of the terminal block side bus bar 30. Examples of the type of plating that forms the plating layer include tin (Sn) plating, nickel (Ni) plating, gold (Au) plating, silver (Ag) plating, and tin-silver (Sn-Ag) plating. Can be done.

-In the above embodiment, copper is used as the metal material for forming the case-side bus bar 40, but another material such as a copper alloy (brass or the like) or aluminum may be used as the metal material.

-In the above embodiment, copper is used as the metal material for forming the terminal block side bus bar 30, but another material such as a copper alloy (brass or the like) or aluminum may be used as the metal material, or a resin. Materials may be used.

-In the above embodiment, the bolt 61 is provided as a fastening member for fastening the terminal block side bus bar 30 and the case side bus bar 40. However, other members such as caulking metal fittings and rivets may be used as the fastening member. Further, although the bolt 61 of the above embodiment is formed of a metal material, the bolt may be formed of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate resin, polyacetal resin, or ABS resin. Further, the bolt may be fastened with a washer or the like sandwiched between the bolt and the terminal-side bus bar 30.

-In the above embodiment, the terminal block 10 is attached to the outer surface 2a of one side wall 2 of the case 1, but the terminal block 10 may be attached to the inner surface 2b of the side wall 2.

Next, in addition to the technical ideas described in the claims, the technical ideas grasped by the above-described embodiments are listed below.

(1) In claim 2 or 3, the distance between the tip surface of the convex portion and the surface of the metal film formed on the surface of the plate-shaped terminal is 0 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less. According to this configuration, since the distance between the tip surface of the convex portion and the surface of the metal film is 0.5 mm or less, the whiskers in the whisker accommodating space are less likely to scatter to the outside through the gap.
(2) In claim 2, the plate-shaped member has a whisker accommodating space having a depth of 10% or more and 90% or less of the thickness of a region in contact with the pressure contact portion.
(3) In any one of claims 1 to 5, the metal film is composed of a plurality of plating layers including a tin plating layer.

30, 74, 81, 91 ... Terminal block side bus bar as a plate-shaped member 35 ... Edge portion 36, 72, 82, 92 of the plate-shaped member ... Whisker accommodating space 37, 75, 84, 94 ... Convex portion 40, 71, 85, 93 ... Case-side bus bar as a plate-shaped terminal 43, 83 ... Pressure welding portion 51 ... Plating layer as a metal film 53, 86 ... Whisker 61 ... Bolt 73 as a fastening member ... Recessed parts T1, T3 ... Pressure welding in a plate-shaped member Thickness of the region in contact with the portion T2, T4 ... Thickness of the region where the convex portion is formed in the plate-shaped member

Claims (5)

The plate-shaped terminal made of a metal material and having a metal film formed on its surface, the plate-shaped member arranged on the plate-shaped terminal, and the plate-shaped terminal and the plate-shaped terminal in a state where at least a part thereof is overlapped when viewed from the thickness direction. It is a terminal connection structure including a fastening member for fastening a plate-shaped member.
The portion of the surface of the plate-shaped terminal that comes into contact with the region including the edge portion of the plate-shaped member is the pressure-welding portion that the plate-shaped member is in pressure contact with.
A concave whisker accommodating space for accommodating the whiskers generated in the pressure contact portion is formed on at least one of the plate-shaped terminal and the plate-shaped member, and the whisker accommodating space starts from the pressure contact portion and is larger than the pressure contact portion. Arranged on the radial outer side of the fastening member,
A terminal connection characterized in that a convex portion is formed on at least one of the plate-shaped terminal and the plate-shaped member, and the convex portion is arranged radially outside the fastening member with respect to the whisker accommodating space. Construction. The whisker accommodating space is formed on the plate-shaped member side.
The connection of terminals according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion protruding toward the plate-shaped terminal side is arranged radially outside the fastening member with respect to the whisker accommodating space in the plate-shaped member. Construction. The terminal connection structure according to claim 2, wherein the plate-shaped member has a thickness of a region where the convex portion is formed smaller than a thickness of a region in contact with the pressure contact portion. Among the plate-shaped terminal and the plate-shaped member, one is formed with a recess having the whisker accommodating space as a part, and the other is characterized by forming the convex portion protruding toward the inside of the recess. The terminal connection structure according to claim 1. The terminal connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the whisker accommodating space is arranged radially outside the fastening member with respect to the fastening portion of the fastening member.

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