This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-005305, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a component unit in which a component is affixed to an object for affixing through a case installed in the object for affixing, a fusible link unit, and an affixing structure for the component.
Various components are included in a vehicle such as a car, and a component unit which includes these components and is used to be affixed to an object for affixing in the vehicle has been variously proposed (for example, refer to JP 2013-37949 A).
In a conventional component unit illustrated in
Meanwhile, a component such as the fuse unit 500 illustrated in
In this regard, the invention focuses on the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a component unit capable of absorbing a tolerance and capable of affixing a component in a stable state, a fusible link unit, and an affixing structure.
A first aspect of the present invention provides a component unit including: a component; a connection member; and a case accommodating the component, wherein the connection member has one end connected to an object for affixing and the other end coming into contact with and connected to a connected position on one surface of the component, both the one surface of the component and the other surface opposed to the one surface thereof are positioned between the object for affixing and the connection member, and the component is affixed to the object for affixing via the case installed in the object for affixing, wherein the case includes a pair of case-side locking portions being locked in the component so as to affix the component, wherein the component includes a pair of component-side locking portions to be locked in the pair of case-side locking portions, and one of the component-side locking portions is provided closer to the connected position than the other of the component-side locking portions, and wherein a gap size between the one of the component-side locking portions and one of the case-side locking portions locked in the one of the component-side locking portions in a vertical direction with respect to the one surface of the component is made greater than a gap size between the other of the component-side locking portions and the other of the case-side locking portions locked in the other of the component-side locking portions in the vertical direction.
A second aspect of the present invention provides the component unit according to the first aspect, wherein the component further includes a guide rib extending along the vertical direction on a surface facing the case-side locking portions, and wherein the case further includes a groove into which the guide rib is inserted.
A third aspect of the present invention provides the component unit according to the first or second aspect, wherein the component further includes a guide rib extending along the vertical direction on a surface facing the case-side locking portions, and wherein the case further includes a groove into which the guide rib is inserted.
A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a fusible link unit including: a fusible link; a bus bar; and a case accommodating the fusible link, wherein the bus bar has one end connected to an object for affixing and the other end coming into contact with and connected to a connected position on one surface of the fusible link, both the one surface of the fusible link and the other surface opposed to the one surface thereof are positioned between the object for affixing and the bus bar, and the fusible link is affixed to the object for affixing via the case installed in the object for affixing, wherein the case includes a pair of case-side locking portions locked in the fusible link to affix the fusible link, wherein the fusible link includes a pair of fusible link-side locking portions locked in the pair of case-side locking portions, and one of the fusible link-side locking portions is provided closer to the connected position than the other of the fusible link-side locking portions, and wherein a gap size between the one of the fusible link-side locking portions and one of the case-side locking portions locked in the one of the fusible link-side locking portions in a vertical direction with respect to the one surface of the fusible link is made greater than a gap size between the other of the fusible link-side locking portions and the other of the case-side locking portions locked in the other of the fusible link-side locking portions in the vertical direction.
A fifth aspect of the present invention provides an affixing structure in which both one surface of a component and the other surface opposed to the one surface thereof are positioned between an object for affixing and a connection member having one end connected to the object for affixing and the other end coming into contact with and connected to a connected position on one surface of the component, and the component is affixed to the object for affixing through a case installed in the object for affixing, wherein the case includes a pair of case-side locking portions locked in the component to affix the component, wherein the component includes a pair of component-side locking portions locked in the pair of case-side locking portions, and one of the component-side locking portions is provided closer to the connected position than the other of the component-side locking portions, and wherein a gap size between the one of the component-side locking portions and one of the case-side locking portions locked in the one of the component-side locking portions in a vertical direction with respect to the one surface of the component is made greater than a gap size between the other of the component-side locking portions and the other of the case-side locking portions locked in the other of the component-side locking portions in the vertical direction.
According to the first aspect of the invention, one of component-side locking portions is provided closer to a connected position than the other of the component-side locking portions, and a gap size between the one of the component-side locking portions and one of the case-side locking portions locked in the one of the component-side locking portions in a vertical direction with respect to one surface of a component is made greater than a gap size between the other of the component-side locking portions and the other of the case-side locking portions locked in the other of the component-side locking portions in the vertical direction. When the connection member is connected on the one surface of the component, and when the component smaller in size than an inner size of a case is accommodated in the case due to tolerances of the component and the connection member, one side of the component-side locking portions of the component is pulled in the vertical direction with respect to the one surface of the component, and the other side thereof is also pulled due to the one side. In this instance, when the component is pulled until the other side of the component-side locking portions is locked in the case-side locking portion, the one of the component-side locking portions is pulled until the one of the component-side locking portions is locked in the case-side locking portion such that the component rotates using the other side of the component as a fulcrum. In this way when the connection member is fully connected to the component, a pair of component-side locking portions is locked in a pair of case-side locking portions and is affixed inside the case in a stable state, and thus it is possible to absorb tolerances, and to provide a component unit capable of affixing the component in a stable state.
According to the second aspect of the invention, even when the component is pulled to a side of the connection member at the time of connecting the connection member to the component, since a hook portion is formed to extrude to a side of the component in a direction intersecting a vertical direction, the component may be more reliably locked in the component, thereby affixing the component inside the case in a stable state.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the component further includes a guide rib extending along the vertical direction on a surface facing the case-side locking portions, and the case further includes a groove into which the guide rib is inserted. Thus, when the component is connected to the connection member, the component may be affixed inside the case in a more stable state.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, one of fusible link-side locking portions is provided closer to a connected position than the other of the fusible link-side locking portions, and a gap size between the one of the fusible link-side locking portions and one of the case-side locking portions locked in the one of the fusible link-side locking portions in a vertical direction with respect to one surface of a fusible link is made greater than a gap size between the other of the fusible link-side locking portions and the other of the case-side locking portions locked in the other of the fusible link-side locking portions in the vertical direction. When the fusible link smaller in size than an inner size of a case is accommodated in the case due to tolerances of the fusible link and a bus bar at the time of connecting the bus bar on one surface of the fusible link, one side of the fusible link-side locking portions of the fusible link is pulled in a vertical direction with respect to the one surface of the fusible link, and the other side thereof is pulled due to the one side. In this instance, when the fusible link is pulled until the other of the fusible link-side locking portions is locked in the case-side locking portion, the one of the fusible link-side locking portions is pulled until the one of the fusible link-side locking portions is locked in the case-side locking portion such that the fusible link rotates using the other side of the fusible link as a fulcrum. In this way when the bus bar is fully connected to the fusible link, a pair of case-side locking portions is locked in a pair of fusible link-side locking portions and is affixed inside the case in a stable state. Thus, it is possible to absorb the tolerances, and to provide a fusible link unit capable of affixing the fusible link in a stable state.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, one of component-side locking portions is provided closer to a connected position than the other of the component-side locking portions, and a gap size between the one of the component-side locking portions and one of the case-side locking portions locked in the one of the component-side locking portions in a vertical direction with respect to one surface of a component is made greater than a gap size between the caller of the component-side locking portions and the other of the case-side locking portions locked in the other of the component-side locking portions in the vertical direction. When the component smaller in size than an inner size of a case is accommodated in the case due to tolerances of an object for affixing, the component, and the connection member at the time of connecting a connection member on the one surface of the component, one side of the component-side locking portions of the component is pulled in the vertical direction with respect to the one surface of the component, and the other side thereof is pulled due to the one side. In this instance, when the component is pulled until the other side of the component-side locking portions is locked in the case-side locking portion, the one of the component-side locking portions is pulled until the one is locked in the case-side locking portion such that the component rotates using the other side of the component as a fulcrum. In this way, when the connection member is fully connected to the component, a pair of component-side locking portions is locked in a pair of case-side locking portions and is affixed inside the case in stable state. Thus, it is possible to absorb the tolerances, and to provide an affixing structure capable of affixing the component in a stable state.
A description will be given of a “component unit”, a “fusible link unit”, and a “affixing structure for the fusible link unit (component)” according to an embodiment of the invention with reference to
As illustrated in
The bus bar 40 is formed by pressing a metal plate. In the bus bar 40, the one end 41 is connected to a battery terminal T which is connected to a battery post 12 of the battery 10 to be described below, and the other end 42 is connected to the bus bar-side terminal 32 of the fusible link 30 to be described below. In addition, the one end 41 and the other end 42 of the bus bar 40 are provided with terminal holes 411 and 421 for insertion of the battery terminal T and the bus bar-side terminal 32, and are electrically connected to the battery 10 and the fusible link 30 by being fastened using nuts (not illustrated).
The battery 10 includes a box-shaped cover body 11 formed using synthetic resin, and a main battery body (not illustrated) is accommodated in the cover body 11. In addition, the cover body 11 is provided with the battery post 12 extruding upward and a lock portion 13 locked in an arm 24 of the case 20 to be described below.
The cover body 11 includes a lower cover 111 that accommodates the main battery body (not illustrated) and an upper cover 112 that covers an upper portion of the lower cover 111. The upper cover 112 includes an upper surface portion 113 and a side surface portion 114 extended from the upper surface portion 113 to hang down around a circumference. In addition, the upper surface portion 113 is formed in a stepped shape including a first upper surface portion 113a, a second upper surface portion 113b (
The case 20 is formed using synthetic resin. As illustrated in
The pair of case-side locking portions 22a and 22b is provided at both sides in the longitudinal direction Y. That is, the case-side locking portion 22a is provided on one side in the longitudinal direction Y, and the case-side locking portion 22b is provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction Y. In addition, the respective case-side locking portions 22a and 22b include vertically arranged portions 221a and 221b vertically arranged upward from the bottom wall 21, and hook portions 222a and 222b provided at distal ends of the vertically arranged portions 221a and 221b and locked in fusible link-side locking portions 35a and 35b of the fusible link 30 described below. The hook portions 222a and 222b are formed to protrude toward a side of the fusible link 30 in the longitudinal direction Y. In addition, the hook portion 222a of the case-side locking portion 22a provided on one side in the longitudinal direction Y is positioned above the hook portion 222b of the case-side locking portion 22b provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction Y. The groove 23 is provided closer to each of the case-side locking portions 22a and 22b (on a closer to side in a page space of
The fusible link 30 includes a housing 31 substantially formed in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, the bus bar-side terminal 32 connected to the other end 42 of the bus bar 40, a plurality of load-side terminals 33, a plurality of fuse elements 34 that connects the bus bar-side terminal 32 to the load-side terminals 33, a pair of fusible link-side locking portions 35a and 35b locked in the case-side locking portions 22a and 22b of the case 20, and the guide rib 36 inserted into the groove 23 of the case 20.
The housing 31 includes the upper surface 311, a side surface 312 extended from the upper surface 311 to hang down around a circumference, and a lower surface 313 facing the upper surface 311. Side surfaces 312a and 312b of the side surface 312 facing each other in the longitudinal direction Y are provided with an upper extended portion 314 extended upward from upper ends of the side surfaces 312a and 312b and a lower extended portion 315 extended downward from lower ends thereof. In addition, as illustrated in
The bus bar-side terminal 32 is provided in the connected position 311a on the upper surface 311 of the housing 31. The connected position 311a is positioned on one side in the longitudinal direction Y. In other words, the bus bar 40 comes into contact with and is connected to a surface facing the second upper surface portion 113b of the battery 10 in which the case 20 is installed in the fusible link 30.
Each of the plurality of load-side terminals 33 is connected to a load through a wire W. The fuse elements 34 are configured to prevent an excess current or an increase in temperature at the time of conducting by fusing when the excess current flows.
The fusible link-side locking portions 35a and 35b are extended from an upper end of the upper extended portion 314 and formed to extrude outward from the housing 31 (to an outer side in the longitudinal direction Y), and the fusible link-side locking portion 35a is provided closer to the connected position 311a than the fusible link-side locking portion 35b. In addition, the fusible link-side locking portion 35a is provided on one side in the longitudinal direction Y and locked in the case-side locking portion 22a, and the fusible link-side locking portion 35b is provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction Y and locked in the case-side locking portion 22b.
The guide rib 36 is provided to extrude outward from the housing 31 (to an outer side in the longitudinal direction Y) from an upper end to a lower end of the housing 31 at both sides in the longitudinal direction Y. In other words, the guide rib 36 is provided on a surface facing the case-side locking portions 22a and 22b of the fusible link 30.
Next, a description will be given of a method of affixing the fusible link 30 to the battery 10 with reference to
First, the case 20 is placed on the second upper surface portion 113b of the battery 10, and the arm 24 of the case 20 is locked in the lock portion 13 of the battery 10 to install the battery 10 in the case 20. Subsequently as illustrated in
According to the affixing structure 1 and the fusible link unit 2 of the present embodiment, the fusible link-side locking portion 35a on one side in the longitudinal direction Y is provided closer to the connected position 311a of the bus bar 40 than the fusible link-side locking portion 35b on the other side in the longitudinal direction Y, and the size L1 of the gap in the vertical direction X between the fusible link-side locking portion 35a and the case-side locking portion 22a is made greater than the size L2 of the gap in the vertical direction X between the fusible link-side locking portion 35b and the case-side locking portion 22b. In this way when the bus bar 40 is fully connected to the fusible link 30, the fusible link-side locking portions 35a and 35b are locked in the case-side locking portions 22a and 22b and affixed inside the case 20 in a stable state. Thus, it is possible to absorb the tolerances, and to affix the fusible link 30 in a stable state.
In addition, the fusible link 30 may be pulled to a side of the bus bar 40 when the bus bar 40 is connected to the fusible link 30. However, since the hook portions 222a and 222b are formed to extrude toward a side of the fusible link 30 in the longitudinal direction Y, the fusible link 30 may be more reliably locked in the hook portions 222a and 222b, thereby affixing the fusible link 30 inside the case 20 in a stable state.
Moreover, the fusible link 30 further includes the guide rib 36 that extends along the vertical direction X on the side surfaces 312a and 312b facing the case-side locking portion 22a and 22b, and the case 20 further includes the groove 23 into which the guide rib 36 is inserted. Thus, when the fusible link 30 is connected to the bus bar 40, movement in the width direction Z in addition to the vertical direction X is restricted, and thus the fusible link 30 may be affixed inside the case 20 in a more stable state.
The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the invention includes another configuration capable of achieving an object of the invention and a modification as below.
In the above-described embodiment, the invention is applied to a structure in which the fusible link 30 is affixed to the battery 10. However, the “component” in the invention is not restricted the fusible link, and the invention may be applied to a component affixed to an object for affixing through a case. For example, the invention may be applied to another electrical component such as a fuse or a relay, and a component having an electrical function. In addition, the “object for affixing” in the invention is not restricted to the battery, and the invention may be applied to an arbitrary vehicle body frame or the like. Further, the bus bar 40 serving as the connection member is connected to the fusible link 30. However, the “connection member” of the invention may not be an electrically connected member.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the bus bar 40 is connected to the upper surface 311 of the fusible link 30. However, connection may be performed such that the fusible link 30 is positioned between the battery 10 and the bus bar 40, and a connected surface is not restricted to the upper surface 311.
In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the case-side locking portions 22a and 22b are formed to have the hook portions 222a and 222b. However, the fusible link-side locking portions 35a and 35b may be locked in the case-side locking portions 22a and 22b, and shapes of the locking portions are not restricted to the above-described embodiment. For example, the hook portions may be formed in the fusible link-side locking portions (component-side locking portions).
Further, even though the best configuration, method, and the like for implementing the invention are disclosed in the above description, the invention is not limited thereto. In other words, for the most part, the invention is particularly illustrated and described with regard to a specific embodiment. However, those skilled in the art may variously change a shape, a material, quantity and other detailed configurations in the above-described embodiment without departing from the range of a technical sprit and an object of the invention.
Therefore, the above description restricting a shape, a material, and the like is illustratively given to facilitate understanding of the invention, and does not restrict the invention. Thus, the invention includes description using a name of a member except for some or all restrictions on the shape, the material, and the like.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2015-005305 | Jan 2015 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
8082707 | Lewis | Dec 2011 | B1 |
20090108982 | Ohashi | Apr 2009 | A1 |
20100019572 | Kudo | Jan 2010 | A1 |
20120309239 | Onoda | Dec 2012 | A1 |
20150353325 | Vincent | Dec 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2013-037949 | Feb 2013 | JP |
WO 2011083862 | Jul 2011 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Shimizu, Masaru, Structure for Fixing Electrical Junction Box, Jul. 14, 201, Yazaki Corp, Entire Document (Translation of WO 2011083862). |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20160203933 A1 | Jul 2016 | US |