U.S. patent application number 09/901730 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-29 for battery connection plate and a manufacturing method therefor.
Invention is credited to Ikeda, Tomohiro, Saito, Satoshi.
Application Number | 20010046816 09/901730 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 15187508 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010046816 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Saito, Satoshi ; et
al. |
November 29, 2001 |
Battery connection plate and a manufacturing method therefor
Abstract
A battery connection plate a manufacturing method therefor is
provided. A terminal 5 and a busbar 9 are insert-molded in the
plate body 2. The terminal 5 is screw-connected to an electrode of
a battery with a nut. The terminal 5 is provided with a hole
portion and a projecting portion having an opening communicating
with the hole portion, and the opening faces in the screwing
direction of the nut. Otherwise, the plate body 2 is provided with
a pin portion and projections arranged on both sides of the pin
portion, and the terminal is provided with a through hole for the
pin portion. The projections are positioned adjacently to both
sides of the terminal, and the terminal is secured to the plate
body 2 by melting the pin portion and the projections and by
transforming them. The terminal body is formed integrally with the
busbar 9 with use of a metal sheet, and the busbar 9 is formed by
double-folding back the metal sheet, wherein the terminal body is
connected to the busbar through a narrow portion. The plate body 2
is provided with a pair of guide walls 51,52 having respective
slit-like insertion-fixing portions 53,54 to receive the electric
wire connected to the terminal 5, and a groove portion 56 for
arranging the electric wires is formed between the guide walls.
Inventors: |
Saito, Satoshi; (Shizuoka,
JP) ; Ikeda, Tomohiro; (Shizuoka, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG,WESTERMAN, HATTORI,
MCLELAND & NAUGHTON, LLP
1725 K STREET, NW, SUITE 1000
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
15187508 |
Appl. No.: |
09/901730 |
Filed: |
July 11, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09901730 |
Jul 11, 2001 |
|
|
|
09572252 |
May 17, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/736 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02E 60/10 20130101;
H01R 4/184 20130101; H01M 50/502 20210101; Y10S 439/942 20130101;
H01R 11/288 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
439/736 |
International
Class: |
H01R 013/405 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 18, 1999 |
JP |
11-136959 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A battery connection plate, comprising: a plate body to be
insulative and moldable; and a terminal to be insert-molded in the
plate body and to be screw-connected to an electrode of a battery,
wherein the terminal is provided with a hole portion and a
projecting portion having an opening, the opening communicating
with the hole portion and being directed to a screw tightening
direction of the electrode.
2. A battery connection plate, comprising: a plate body to be
insulative and moldable; and a terminal to be insert-molded in the
plate body and to be screw-connected to an electrode of a battery,
wherein the plate body is provided with a pin portion and
projections formed on both sides of the pin portion, the terminal
is provided with a through hole to put the pin portion
therethrough, and the projections are arranged on both sides of the
terminal, and wherein the terminal is secured to the plate body by
melting and transforming both of the pin portion and the
projections.
3. A manufacturing method of insert-molding a terminal in a
moldable insulative battery connection plate, comprising the steps
of: forming a pin portion and projections on both sides of the pin
portion on the plate; forming a through hole to put the pin portion
therethrough on the terminal; positioning the terminal between the
projections; putting the pin portion through the through hole of
the terminal; melting the pin portion and the projection; and
securing the terminal to the plate body by transforming the pin
portion and the projection.
4. A battery connection plate, comprising: a plate body to be
insulative and moldable; a terminal to be insert-molded in the
plate body; and a busbar, formed integrally with the terminal and
made of the same metal material as the terminal, to be
insert-molded in the plate body, wherein the busbar is formed by
double-folding back the metal material.
5. The battery connection plate as set forth in claim 4, wherein
the terminal is connected to the busbar with a narrow portion.
6. A battery connection plate, comprising: a plate body to be
insulative and moldable; a terminal to be insert-molded in the
plate body; an electric wire to be connected to the terminal; a
pair of guide walls provided on the plate body and each having an
insertion-fixing portion to hold the electric wire; and a groove
portion formed between the pair of guide walls for arranging the
electric wire therein.
7. The battery connection plate as set forth in claim 6, wherein
the insertion-fixing portion is of a slit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a battery
connection plate and more particularly to a battery connection
plate and a manufacturing method therefor wherein a busbar for
connecting batteries in series and a terminal for voltage detection
are insert-molded in a plate body made of synthetic resin.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIG. 11 shows a conventional battery connection plate.
[0005] Battery connection plates 70,71 are provided at both ends of
a battery set 72 and connect batteries 73 in series, which battery
connection plates 70,71 have a plurality of conductive metal
busbars 75 in parallel on an oblong plate body 74 made of synthetic
resin.
[0006] The busbar 75 has a pair of through holes 78 for connecting
electrodes 76,77, each having a male thread, of the neighboring two
batteries 73 and is fixed to the plate body 74 by means of
pressing-insertion, insert-molding, or the like. Each of electrodes
76,77 is tightly-connected with a nut 79 to the busbar 75.
[0007] A busbar 88 having one through hole 82 is fixed to both ends
of the battery connection plate 70, and both the electrodes 76,77
of the battery 73 arranged at the both ends of the battery set 72
are connected through each of busbars 83 to respective power
feeders (not illustrated) each having a terminal.
[0008] A cover 80 is pivotably provided on the plate body 74, and
the busbars 75,83, electrodes 76,77 and nuts 79 are protected
inside an accommodating portion 81 by closing the cover 80.
[0009] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing another
example of a conventional battery connection plate. In this battery
connection plate 85, a terminal 86 for voltage detection is
provided on each of two neighboring batteries (not illustrated).
The terminal 86 is insert-molded in a plate body 88 made of
synthetic resin along with the busbar 87. The busbar 87 is
surface-connected to a tabular electrically contacting portion 89
provided at the end of the terminal 86, electronic parts (not
illustrated) such as a circuit protection element, e.g. fuse, is
soldered to a middle portion 101 of the terminal 86, and a signal
line 90 is pressure-welded to a base portion of the terminal
86.
[0010] Reference numeral 87 designates a busbar with two holes, 91
designates a busbar with one hole, and 92 designates a power feeder
with a terminal. The terminal 86 for voltage detection is arranged
inside a front circular hole 93 of the plate body 88 along with the
busbar 87. The above electronic parts (not illustrated) at the
middle portion 89 of the terminal 86 is arranged inside an
intermediate framed portion 94. The signal line 90 bends in a right
angle from a framed portion 95 and is laid inside a short groove
portion 96. The power feeder 92 is laid inside another short groove
portion 97. 98 designates a pivotable cover which is locked to the
plate body 88 by locking means 99,100.
[0011] The insert-molding of the terminal 89 for voltage detection
and the busbar 87 is carried out with a metal mold 102 as shown in
FIG. 13. For example, melted resin is injected around the busbar 87
and the terminal 89 in a state that each of through holes 104 of
the busbar 97 and the terminal 89 engages a boss 103 located in a
metal mold 102.
[0012] As shown in FIG. 14, a small hole 106 is provided on the
electrically contacting portion 89 side and on the wire connecting
portion 105 side of the terminal 86 for voltage detection. As show
in FIG. 15, resin 113 enters the small holes 106 at the
insert-molding, and the terminal 86 is secured. In FIG. 14, a pair
of small holes 108 for connecting an electronic parts 107 is
provided on the middle portion 101 of the terminal 86, lead
terminals 109 of the electronic parts 107 are inserted into the
small holes 108 and soldered. In case that the electronic parts 107
is of a circuit protection element, the middle portion 101 of the
terminal 86 is cut off between the lead terminals 109. As is shown
in FIG. 16, a male-threaded electrode 110 of the battery (not
illustrated) is inserted into the through holes 104 of the busbar
87 and the terminal 86 and tightly-connected to the busbar 87 with
a nut 111 by means of a tool 112 in an arrow Z1 direction.
[0013] With respect to the above a conventional structure, however,
as shown in FIG. 16, when the electrically contacting portion 89 of
the terminal 86 is tightened with the nut 111 the an arrow Z 1
direction, big torque on the terminal 86 causes securing force of
the terminal 86 to be weakened, whereby the terminal 86 slips off,
gets rickety, and damages the plate body 88. Further, this gives
bad influence on the electronic parts 107 (FIG. 14) connected to
the middle portion of the terminal 86. If the small hole 106 (FIG.
14) is modified to a larger one to avoid the above drawback,
cross-sectional area of the terminal 86 decreases, thereby
increasing electric resistance of the terminal 86 and reducing
mechanical strength thereof.
[0014] And, as shown in FIG. 13, though positioning of the busbar
87 can be done at the insert-molding thereof, positioning of the
terminal 86 for voltage detection is difficult because the terminal
86 is narrow and long. Also, when the terminal 86 and the busbar 87
are set in the metal mold 102 or when the insert-molded product is
taken out of the metal mold 102, there would be a danger that an
operator touches the hot metal mold 102 and gets scalded, thereby
bringing about bad workability and high manufacturing cost.
[0015] Further, in the battery connection plate 85 (FIG. 12),
because at least two kinds of parts, namely the busbar 87 and the
terminal 86 for voltage detection, are insert-molded at the same
time, a lot of man-days is required for a preparation stage of the
insert-molding, and simultaneously works are complicated because of
many kinds of and a number of number of parts.
[0016] If the terminal 86 for voltage detection and the busbar 87
are integrated so as to reduce the number of parts, heat radiation
and electric resistance varies according to the shape because the
busbar 87 acts to radiate heat from the battery. Because range for
electric wires connectable to the terminal 86 for voltage detection
depends on material and shape of the terminal 86, it has been
difficult to integrate the terminal 86 with the busbar 87. In case
that the same material is used, a terminal 114 for voltage
detection has to be thinner than a busbar 113 form viewpoint of
heat radiation and electric resistance, as shown in FIG. 17, which
causes high cost.
[0017] Otherwise, in case that the terminal 86 is insert-molded in
the plate body 88 after the electric wire 90 (FIG. 12) is
pressure-welded to the terminal 86, positioning of the terminal 86
is difficult because a plurality of electric wires 90 get tangled,
thereby causing bad workability of the insert-molding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention
is to provide a battery connection plate and a manufacturing method
therefor wherein securing force of a terminal being integrally
insert-molded in a plate body made of moldable and insulative
material such as synthetic resin is strengthened, workability of
positioning the terminal at the insert-molding is enhanced, and
further workability of the insert-molding is also enhanced by
preventing electric wires from becoming tangled at the
insert-molding.
[0019] In order to achieve the above-described object, as a first
aspect of the present invention, a battery connection plate
comprises: a plate body to be insulative and moldable; and a
terminal to be insert-molded in the plate body and to be
screw-connected to an electrode of a battery, wherein the terminal
is provided with a hole portion and a projecting portion having an
opening, the opening communicating with the hole portion and being
directed to a screw tightening direction of the electrode.
[0020] As a second aspect of the present invention, a battery
connection plate comprises: a plate body to be insulative and
moldable; and a terminal to be insert-molded in the plate body and
to be screw-connected to an electrode of a battery, wherein the
plate body is provided with a pin portion and projections formed on
both sides of the pin portion, the terminal is provided with a
through hole to put the pin portion therethrough, and the
projections are arranged on both sides of the terminal, and wherein
the terminal is secured to the plate body by melting and
transforming both of the pin portion and the projections.
[0021] As a third aspect of the present invention, a manufacturing
method of insert-molding a terminal in a moldable insulative
battery connection plate comprises the steps of: forming a pin
portion and projections on both sides of the pin portion on the
plate; forming a through hole to put the pin portion therethrough
on the terminal; positioning the terminal between the projections;
putting the pin portion through the through hole of the terminal;
melting the pin portion and the projection; and securing the
terminal to the plate body by transforming the pin portion and the
projection.
[0022] As a fourth aspect of the present invention, a battery
connection plate comprises: a plate body to be insulative and
moldable; a terminal to be insert-molded in the plate body; and a
busbar, formed integrally with the terminal and made of the same
metal material as the terminal, to be insert-molded in the plate
body, wherein the busbar is formed by double-folding back the metal
material.
[0023] As a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the structure
with the above fourth aspect, the terminal is connected to the
busbar with a narrow portion.
[0024] As a sixth aspect of the present invention, a battery
connection plate comprises: a plate body to be insulative and
moldable; a terminal to be insert-molded in the plate body; an
electric wire to be connected to the terminal; a pair of guide
walls provided on the plate body and each having an
insertion-fixing portion to hold the electric wire; and a groove
portion formed between the pair of guide walls for arranging the
electric wire therein.
[0025] As a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the
structure with the above sixth aspect, the insertion-fixing portion
is of a slit.
[0026] According to the above-described structure of the present
invention, the following advantages are provided.
[0027] (1) When the terminal having the through hole receiving the
male-threaded electrode of a battery is tightened with a nut,
because the opening of the projecting portion of the terminal faces
the tightening direction of the nut so that the opening of the
projecting portion brings about big resistance against a tightening
torque acting on the terminal, turning of the terminal can be
securely checked, whereby securing force of the terminal is
strengthened, damage of the plate body due to position chance and
backrush of the terminal can be prevented, and bad influence such
as external force to an electron parts such as the circuit
protection element mounted at a middle portion of the terminal cab
be prevented. And, because the hole portion communicating with the
opening can be small, decrease of a cross section area of the
terminal can be limited to the minimum, increase of the electric
resistance and deterioration of the mechanical strength can be
prevented.
[0028] (2) The terminal is accurately positioned by means of the
pin portion, and also the terminal can be tightly secured by
melting the projection and the pin portion and transforming them.
And, because the narrow and long terminal is accurately positioned
and is insert-molded, both of the electronic parts to be mounted on
the middle portion of the terminal and the wire connecting portion
can be accurately positioned, thereby improving quality of the
product. Further, because the terminal is tightly secured, turning
of the terminal in tightening the electrode of the battery can be
prevented.
[0029] (3) Because the terminal is set on the plate body, there is
no danger of an operator to touch the hot metal mold, workability
can be improved and manufacturing cost can be reduced.
[0030] (4) Because the busbar-integrated terminal is insert-molded,
working man-day can be reduced. And, the busbar is formed thicker
than the terminal body by double-folding back a metal plate,
electric characteristic and heat radiation characteristic of both
of the busbar and the terminal body can be improved, thereby
facilitating the manufacture and simultaneously reducing parts
cost.
[0031] (5) Because the heat is hard to transmit toward the busbar
by means of the narrow portion when the electronic parts is
soldered to the terminal body, soldering efficiency can be
improved. On the contrary, because the heat is hard to transmit
toward the terminal body from the busbar, i.e. from the battery,
bad influence to the electronic parts mounted on the terminal body
can be prevented.
[0032] (6) Because the electric wire is held provisionally by means
of the insertion-fixing portion of the guide wall, the
pressure-welding work of the electric wire to the terminal can be
facilitated and secured. And, because the electric wire, to which
the terminal is connected, is fixed to the insertion-fixing portion
of the guide wall, a tangle of the electric wires can be prevented,
thereby facilitating arrangement of the electric wires. Further,
because a plurality of electric wires can be arranged in the groove
portion between the guide walls, arranging work of the electric
wires can be facilitated.
[0033] (7) Because the electric wire is put in the slit, the
electric wire can be held securely.
[0034] The above and other objects and features of the present
invention will become more apparent from the following description
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a
battery connection plate in accordance with the present
invention;
[0036] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a
securing structure of an electric terminal used in the battery
connection plate;
[0037] FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the terminal securing
structure of FIG. 2;
[0038] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a
terminal securing structure;
[0039] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the terminal securing
structure of the battery connection plate of FIG. 4;
[0040] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state wherein the
electric terminal of FIG. 4 is secured;
[0041] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a
busbar-integrated terminal;
[0042] FIG. 8 is a side view showing the busbar-integrated terminal
of FIG. 7;
[0043] FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing a connecting
portion between the busbar and a terminal body of the
busbar-integrated terminal of FIG. 7;
[0044] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a holding structure of
an electric wire connected to the battery connection plate of FIG.
1;
[0045] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing an example
of a conventional battery connection plate;
[0046] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing another
example of a conventional battery connection plate;
[0047] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state before
insert-molding the electric terminal and the busbar of FIG. 12;
[0048] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a state of
mounting an electronic parts onto the electric terminal of FIG.
12;
[0049] FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing a state of having
insert-molded the electric terminal of FIG. 13;
[0050] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state of
tightly-connecting the electric terminal and the busbar of FIG. 13
to an electrode of a battery; and
[0051] FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing an electric terminal
integrally formed with a busbar with the same metal material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0052] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described
in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0053] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a battery connection plate in
accordance with the present invention.
[0054] This battery connection plate 1 has a plate body 2 of
synthetic resin, i.e. of insulative, and a cover 4 pivotably
provided on the plate body 2 through a hinge 3. A busbar 9, an
electric terminal 5 for voltage detection, and an electric terminal
6 for power feeding, i.e. a feeding terminal, are integrally
provided on the plate body 2 by means of the insert-molding.
[0055] One piece of the busbar 9 is arranged under two neighboring
circular holes 7 of the plate body 2, an electrically contacting
portion 8 of the terminal 5 for voltage detection is arranged in
one of the two circular holes 7, and the busbar 9 and the
electrically contacting portion 8 surface-contacts to each other.
An electronic parts mounting portion 10 located at a longitudinal
middle portion of the terminal 5 is positioned inside a four-sided
framed portion 11, and a wire connecting portion 12 of the terminal
5 is positioned inside a rear framed portion 13 continuing from the
framed portion 11. Feeding terminals 6 in the same shape as the
terminal 5 are insert-molded in the plate body 2 at the both ends
thereof.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal 5 for voltage detection
consists of the electrically contacting portion 8 having a through
hole 14 for a male-threaded electrode (not illustrated) of a
battery (not illustrated), a base plate portion 15 bendingly
extending form the electrically contacting portion 8, and a wire
connecting portion (not illustrated) continuing behind from the
base plate portion 15. Here, small holes around the through hole 14
are omitted in FIG. 2. The base plate portion 15 consists of a
front portion 16 continuing from the electrically contacting
portion 8, the electronic parts mounting portion 10 being the
intermediate portion, and a rear portion 17 continuing from the
electronic parts mounting portion 10.
[0057] A projecting portion 18 as a whirl-stop is scratched up on
the front portion 16 of the base plate portion 15. This projecting
portion (or a scratched-up portion) 18 is a first feature in the
present embodiment. The projecting portion 18 is formed in a
tetrahedron-like shape and consists of two triangular wall portions
21 and a triangular opening 19 facing in a tightening direction
(i.e. an arrow Z2 direction) of the terminal 5. The opening 19
communicates with a small hole (a hole portion) 20 (FIG. 3) on the
base plate portion 15. 22 in FIG. 2 is a small hole to receive a
lead terminal of electronic parts (not illustrated).
[0058] As shown in FIG. 3, upon insert-molding of the terminal 5 in
the plate body 2 made of resin, the melted resin is filled up
inside both of the small hole 20 and the projecting portion 18.
After the resin has hardened, the male-threaded electrode of the
battery (not illustrated) is put through the through hole 14 (FIG.
2) of the terminal 5 and is tightened with a nut (not illustrated).
At this time, though the terminal 5 receives a torque in the arrow
Z2 direction, because the opening 19 of the projecting portion 18
stands against the resin with a large area, the terminal 5 is
prevented from turning, thereby preventing loosening or backrush of
the terminal 5. That is, because the resin is filled up inside the
projecting portion 18 from the opening 19 to the small hole 20,
securing force of the terminal 5 is enhanced.
[0059] Here, another projecting portion 18 may be formed in the
rear portion 17 of the base plate portion 15 (FIG. 2). In case that
an electronic part such as a circuit protection element is
connected to the intermediate portion 10, however, the projecting
portion on the rear portion 17 is unnecessary because the
intermediate portion 10 is cut off later. In this case, the rear
portion 17 can be secured enough by means of the insert-molding.
The tightening torque can be sustained by the projecting portion 18
of the front portion 16, and excessive external force on the
electronic parts can be prevented.
[0060] The projecting portion 18 can also be applied to the feeding
terminal 6 (FIG. 1) and further to the terminal of the conventional
battery connection plate (FIG. 12).
[0061] FIGS. 4-6 show another embodiment of a securing structure of
a terminal for voltage detection or of a feeding terminal; namely,
show an example of a manufacturing method of a battery connection
plate. Referring to FIG. 4, a pair of small holes (through holes)
28,29 are provided on a front portion 26 and on a rear portion 27
of a base plate portion 25, and pin portions 31,32 of a plate 30 of
resin are inserted into each of the small holes 28,29 while
completing setting of a terminal 24. Position of the terminal 24 is
decided accurately by two pairs of pin portions 31,32.
[0062] The pin portions 31,32 are formed sufficiently longer than a
thickness of the base plate portion 25, and the ends of the pin
portions 31,32 projects high over the base plate portion 25. A pair
of block-like projections 33,34 are provided on both sides of each
of the pin portions 31,32. The projections 33,34 are arranged
closely to both edges of the base plate portion 25. Length of the
projections 33,34 is set almost equally to a length of the pin
portions 31,32.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 5, the projections 33,34 and the pin
portions 31,32 are integrally formed with a plate 30 of resin. This
plate 30 is, for example, set inside a recess of a metal mold (not
illustrated) and forms a part of the plate body (reference numeral
2 of FIG. 1, for example).
[0064] As shown in FIG. 6, the projections 33,34 and the pin
portions 31,32 of FIG. 4 melt with heat and cover a front portion
26 and a rear portion 27 of the base plate portion 25 of the
terminal 24. That is, the projections 33,34 and the pin portions
31,32, are melted and connected. The base plate portion 25 is
secured to the plate 30 by the projections 33,34 and the pin
portions 31,32. The terminal 25 is secured to the plate 30 tightly
by the resin members 36,37, and a torque (the arrow Z2 direction in
FIG. 2) arisen at tightening the electrode is sustained securely.
According to the present embodiment, positioning and securing of
the terminal 24 by means of the projections 33,34 and of the pin
portions 31,32, member or material can be effectively use.
[0065] As a means to melt the projections 33,34 and the pin
portions 31,32 after having set the terminal 24 in the plate 30 of
FIG. 5, a method to push an upper heated metal mold (not
illustrated) down to the projections 33,34 and the pin portions
31,32 or another method to apply the laser beam and the supersonic
wave, which are not illustrated, to the projections 33,34 and to
the pin portions 31,32 are effective.
[0066] Because these heating methods do not require a lower metal
mold, which supports the terminal 24, to be heated, there is no
worry about an operator to get scalded by touching the metal mold,
thereby making work easier and promoting cost saving. The
structures of FIGS. 4-6 are effective as a terminal securing
method.
[0067] The busbar 9 is set on the electrically contacting portion
35 of the terminal 24 of FIG. 4, and the busbar 9 is insert-molded
in the plate body 30 along with the electrically contacting portion
35. The electrically contacting portion 35 of the terminal 24 can
be formed integrally with the busbar 9 with the same metal
material. This will be described with the following embodiment.
[0068] FIGS. 7-9 show another embodiment of a terminal for voltage
detection.
[0069] In this terminal 38, as shown in FIGS. 7-8, a busbar 39 and
a terminal body 40 are made of the same metal with the same
thickness. The busbar 39 is made of a metal plate having a turn-up
portion 41 at the front end, and the front edge of the terminal
body 40 is integrally connected to the rear end of an upper board
portion 42 or of a lower board portion 43 of the busbar 39.
[0070] Because the busbar 39 has a double thickness T2 of the
terminal body 40 having a thickness T1 (FIG. 8), the electric
resistance or the heat radiation of each of the busbar 39 and the
terminal body 40 can be suitably controlled in spite of using the
same metal material. The terminal body 40 can have an appropriate
thickness meeting a diameter of an electric wire to be connected
thereto. Because the terminal 38 can be formed with the simple way
of folding back the busbar 39 in two pieces, parts cost can be
reduced in comparison with the conventional terminal (FIG. 17)
formed with a board with a step.
[0071] As shown in FIG. 9, the terminal body 40 is connected to the
busbar 39 with a right and left pair of narrow portions 44,45. A
width S1 of the narrow portions 44,45 should be about 1/4 of a
width S2 of a base plate portion 46 of the terminal body 40. The
terminal 38 can be set stable in the metal mold (not illustrated)
for the insert-molding with this structure. After having
insert-molded the terminal 38, one of the narrow portions 45 can be
cut off to reduce a cross section of the connecting portion,
whereby wettability of the solder to be applied to connect an
electronic part (not illustrated) to a middle portion 47 (FIG. 7)
of the base plate portion 46 of the terminal body 40 is
improved.
[0072] That is, the heat gets hard to escape toward the busbar 39
side through the narrow portion 44, thereby promoting heating-up of
the base plate portion 46 (i.e. the middle portion 47). Reversely,
even if the busbar 39 gets hot with the heat from the battery,
because the heat is hard to transmit to the terminal body 40 due to
the narrow portion 44, the electronic parts does not suffer bad
influence from the heat.
[0073] Even if the pair of narrow portions 44,45 are just used
without cutting off the narrow portion 45, the above effect can be
expected. And, the narrow portions 44,45 of the terminal body 40
can be connected to the upper board portion 42 of the busbar 39.
Also, the base plate portion 46 of the terminal body 40 can be
provided with the securing means and the positioning means applied
to the previous embodiment (FIG. 2 and FIG. 4).
[0074] In the present embodiment, however, because the busbar 39 is
integrally formed with the terminal body 40, the busbar 39 fully
sustains the tightening torque of the electrode of the battery (not
illustrated), and therefore a torque does not act on the terminal
body 40 only by insert-molding the busbar 39 in a plate body of
resin (reference numeral 2 of FIG. 1, for example). Because
position of the terminal body 40 is decided according to the
position of the busbar 39, the terminal body 40 needs not to be
positioned. However, in case that the narrow portions 44,45 have
been transformed and position of the terminal body 40 deflects, the
above positioning means is effective.
[0075] The terminal body 40 (FIG. 7) includes a base plate portion
46 and a wire connecting portion 48 similarly to the above
embodiment. And, the base plate portion 46 is made up of a front
portion, an intermediate portion 47 on which an electronic parts is
to be mounted, and a rear portion on a side of the wire connecting
portion 48. A signal line (not illustrated) is pressure-welded to
the wire connecting portion 48.
[0076] In the embodiment of the battery connection plate 1 of FIG.
1, the signal line 50 (FIG. 10) and the power feeder (not
illustrated) arranged on both sides of or on a side of the battery
connection plate I are held in guide walls 51,52 of the battery
connection plate 1. The signal line (an electric wire) 50 and the
power feeder are inserted into slits 53,54 and provisionally held
therein, and at that state of FIG. 10, end portions of the
respective electric wires are pressure-welded to the wire
connecting portions 12 of the terminals 5,6. The busbar 9 and the
terminal 5 have been already insert-molded. The electric wires
having been provisionally held by the slits 53,54 are returned to
the original positions after the pressure-welding of the respective
terminals. This structure is effective as a wiring method in the
battery connection plate 1.
[0077] The guide walls 51,52 are arranged oppositely to each other
at a wire leading-out side of the plate body 2. The front guide
wall 51 extends in a longitudinal direction of the plate body 2
orthogonally to the framed portion 13 positioned at the back of the
terminal accommodating portion 55 (FIG. 1) of the plate body 2, and
the rear guide wall 52 stands at the rear end of the plate body 2
in parallel with the front guide wall 51, while forming a groove (a
groove portion 56) to arrange a plurality of electric wires between
the walls 51,52. Here, the front and the back of the plate body 2
correspond to those of the terminal 5. The terminal accommodating
portion 55 has at least the front circular hole 7, the middle
framed portion 11, and the rear framed portion 13. The front guide
wall 51 extends over a full length of the plate body 2, and the
rear guide wall 52 is shorter than the front guide wall 51 by at
least a length required for a space portion 57 provided at both
rear sides of the feeding terminals 6.
[0078] Wire-inserting slits (i.e. an insertion-fixing portion)
53,54 are formed vertically on the guide walls 51,52 behind the
terminals 5,6. The slits 53,54 are arranged in a line. Slits 53,54
each are arranged with a determined interval on the respective
guide walls 51,52. Width of the slits 53,54 is almost equal to or a
little smaller than the outside diameter of the electric wire 50 so
that the electric wire 50 is tightly put between each of the slits
53,54, thereby facilitating pressure-welding work of the electric
wire 50 to each of the terminals 5,6. When the terminals 5,6, to
which the electric wires 50 are pressure-welded, are insert-molded,
because the electric wires 50 are held, position change of the
terminals 5,6 can be prevented, thereby facilitating the
insert-molding of the terminals 5,6. Because the electric wires 50
are arranged with a determined interval according to the slits
53,54, a tangle of the electric wires 50 can be prevented and also
arranging work of the electric wires 50 is facilitated.
[0079] After the pressure-welding of the terminal, the electric
wire 50 is removed only from the slit 54 of the guide wall 52, is
arranged in a longitudinal direction of the plate body 2 through
the groove portion 56 between the guide walls 51,52, and is led out
from the opening 58 of the groove portion 56. The electric wires 50
can be gathered up in the same leading-out direction, whereby the
plate body can be in good order. Because each of electric wires 50
is held by the slit 53 of the guide wall 51, bending work of the
electric wire 50 in a right angle is easy. For example, a notch in
a V-shape (not illustrated) can be formed in place of each of the
slits 53,54.
[0080] As shown in FIG. 1, a framed portion 60 for engaging the
cover 4 is formed adjacently to the terminal accommodating portion
55, and an engaging projection 61 is provided inside the framed
portion 60. The battery connection plate 1 is provided with three
covers 4. In a middle portion of a depth direction of each of the
cover 4, a pair of guide walls 62 to engage the framed portion 60
and an engaging projection 63 positioned between both of the guide
walls 62 are formed. Upon closing the cover 4, the terminal
accommodating portion 55 and the groove portion 56 which is an
electric wire accommodating portion are blocked so that the
terminals 5,6, the busbar 9, the electric wire 50, and the
electrode of the battery (not illustrated) are protected.
[0081] Although the present invention has been fully described by
way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is
to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent
to those skilled in the art. Therefore, unless otherwise such
changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present
invention, they should be construed as being included therein.
* * * * *