Patent Application
20130027174
The present invention is related to a fuse unit directly mounted on a battery post.
Various fuse units directly mounted on battery posts are proposed conventionally (see PTL 1). One conventional example of this kind of fuse unit is shown in
The bus bar 61 has a power-feeding terminal 62 to which the battery-connecting terminal 53 is fixed, two energizing terminals 63 to which two load side terminals (not shown in
The insulative portion 70 is formed by insert molding on portions of the bus bar 61 excluding the fusion portions 64 and predetermined portions of the terminals 62, 63.
Incidentally, numeral 80 is a fusion portion cover.
[PTL 1] JP-A-2009-289602
In the fuse unit 60 directly mounted on the battery 51, a position of the power-feeding terminal 62 is determined by the battery-connecting terminal 53. Therefore, in the fuse unit 60 of the above conventional example in which the fusion portions 64 are arranged on the opposite side ends of the power-feeding terminal 62 and juxtaposed thereto, and in which the energizing terminals 63 are respectively arranged on end portions of each of the fusion portions 64, that are opposite to the portions connecting to the power-feeding terminal 62, a dimension L2 from the center line of the bolt insertion hole of the power-feeding terminal 62 to the top of each of the energizing terminals 63 becomes long and the fuse unit 60 is upsized and the fuse unit 60 greatly protrudes from a side surface 51b of the battery 51. Also, the fusion portions 64 and the energizing terminals 63 are arranged in positions of opposite side ends of the power-feeding terminal 62, so that a dimension W2 of a width direction of the fuse unit 60 becomes wide and the fuse unit 60 is upsized.
When the fuse unit 60 is upsized thus, space overhanging from the side surface 51b of the battery 51 increases as shown in
Also, the battery-connecting terminal 53 and the fuse unit 60 are fixed to the battery post 52 in a cantilevered manner, so that bending moment resulting from both of the battery-connecting terminal 53 and the fuse unit 60 acts on the battery post 52. Here, in the fuse unit 60 of the above conventional example, the fusion portions 64 are arranged on the opposite side ends of the power-feeding terminal 62 and juxtaposed thereto, and in which the energizing terminals 63 are respectively arranged on end portions of the fusion portions 64, so that there is a problem that a position of the center of gravity of the fuse unit 60 is set in a position greatly distant from the battery post 52 and great bending moment acts on the battery post 52 and a high load is applied to the battery post 52.
It is therefore one advantageous aspect of the present invention to provide a compact fuse unit capable of reducing a load on a battery post.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fuse unit, comprising:
a feeding terminal fixed to a battery post to receive power from a battery;
an energizing terminal; and
a fusion portion, electrically connecting the feeding terminal and the energizing terminal, and arranged over the battery post,
wherein the feeding terminal is positioned between the energizing terminal and the fusion portion.
The fuse unit may further comprise: a bus bar having the feeding terminal, the energizing terminal and the fusion portion; and an insulative portion arranged at a periphery of the bus bar. A part of the bus bar between the fusion portion and the energizing terminal may be formed as a vertical plate part by vertically folded.
The energizing terminal may be horizontally formed by folding a part of the vertical plate part to a side of the feeding terminal.
According to the present invention, since the fusion portion and the energizing terminal are mutually arranged oppositely with the feeding terminal sandwiched, a dimension from the feeding terminal to the top of the energizing terminal becomes short, so that the fuse unit becomes compact and the amount overhanging from a side surface of the battery can be minimized. Also, since the fusion portion is positioned over the battery post, a position of the center of gravity of the fuse unit is set in a position near to the battery post and only small bending moment acts on the battery post and a load on the battery post can be reduced.
According to the present invention, since the fusion portion and the energizing terminal are coupled at the amount of thickness of the bus bar, a dimension of a width direction of the fuse unit becomes small, so that the fuse unit becomes more compact and a width overhanging from the side surface of the battery can be minimized.
According to the present invention, since the energizing terminal is arranged inward from the vertical plate part, the fuse unit becomes more compact.
Exemplified embodiments of the invention will be described below in detail with reference the accompanying drawings.
In
A place between the battery post 2 and the battery-connecting terminal 3 is fixed by a nut 3b and a bolt 3a annexed to the battery-connecting terminal 3. A fixing structure between the battery-connecting terminal 3 and the fuse unit 10 will be described below.
The fuse unit 10 includes the bus bar 11 which is a plate material of a conductor, and an insulative portion 20 provided so as to cover an outer periphery of this bus bar 11. The insulative portion 20 is made of resin for example.
The bus bar 11 has a power-feeding terminal 12 to which the battery-connecting terminal 3 is fixed, two energizing terminals 13 to which two load side terminals 30 are respectively connected, and two fusion portions 14 interposed between the power-feeding terminal 12 and each of the energizing terminals 13 as specifically shown in
A bolt insertion hole 12a is formed in the power-feeding terminal 12. A bolt 3c annexed to the battery-connecting terminal 3 is inserted into this bolt insertion hole 12a and a nut 3d is screwed into the inserted bolt 3c and thereby, the battery-connecting terminal 3 is connected. Both the two fusion portions 14 are extended from end faces of the side of the battery post 2 in the power-feeding terminal 12, and are disposed parallel each other in the side of the battery post 2 with reference to a position of the power-feeding terminal 12. The two fusion portions 14 are disposed in a position higher than the power-feeding terminal 12 by folding the bus bar 11, and are arranged over the battery post 2. Each of the fusion portions 14 is constructed by zigzag forming the bus bar 11 into a narrow shape over a certain distance and crimping and fixing a low-melting-point metal (not shown) in the narrow shape. Each of the fusion portions 14 fuses when a rated current or more is passed.
The two energizing terminals 13 are respectively disposed from each of the fusion portions 14 through vertical plate parts 11a. Each of the vertical plate parts 11a is vertically folded in the end side of each of the fusion portions 14, and is arranged along opposite side surfaces of the battery post 2. Then, each of the energizing terminals 13 is respectively disposed by being inward folded in the top side of each of the vertical plate parts 11a. A bolt insertion hole 13a is formed in each of the energizing terminals 13 and also, a bolt 13b inserted into the bolt insertion hole 13a is disposed. The load side terminal 30 is connected to each of the energizing terminals 13 by nut tightening.
The insulative portion 20 is formed by insert molding in a portion excluding the power-feeding terminal 12, the energizing terminals 13 and the fusion portions 14 of the bus bar 11. The power-feeding terminal 12, the energizing terminals 13 and the fusion portions 14 of the bus bar 11 are exposed from the insulative portion 20. Also, a window 20a is formed in a portion of each of the fusion portions 14. Each of the windows 20a is closed by a fusion portion cover (not shown).
Next, a procedure for manufacturing the fuse unit 10 will be described briefly. First, the flat bus bar 11 shown in
The fuse unit 10 made in the above manner is fixed to the battery post 2 on the battery 1 through the battery-connecting terminal 3 in a position in which the two fusion portions 14 are located over the battery post 2 as shown in
As described above, in the fuse unit 10, the fusion portions 14 are arranged over the battery post 2 and the energizing terminals 13 are arranged in the side opposite to the fusion portions 14 with reference to the power-feeding terminal 12. In other words, the power-feeding terminal 12 is positioned between the energizing terminals 13 and the fusion portions 14. Since the fusion portions 14 and the energizing terminals 13 are mutually arranged oppositely with the power-feeding terminal 12 sandwiched thus, a dimension L1 from the power-feeding terminal 12 to the top of the energizing terminal 13 becomes short, so that the fuse unit 10 becomes compact and the amount overhanging from a side surface 1b of the battery 1 can be minimized. Also, since the fusion portions 14 are positioned over the battery post 2, a position of the center of gravity of the fuse unit 10 is set in a position near to the battery post 2 and only small bending moment acts on the battery post 2 and a load on the battery post 2 can be reduced.
The bus bar 11 having the power-feeding terminal 12, the energizing terminals 13 and the fusion portions 14 and the insulative portion 20 arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the bus bar 11 are included, and places between the energizing terminals 13 and the fusion portions 14 of the bus bar 11 are constructed as the vertical plate parts 11a by being vertically folded. Therefore, since the places between the fusion portions 14 and the energizing terminals 13 can be coupled in space of the amount of thickness of the bus bar 11, a dimension W1 of a width direction of the fuse unit 10 becomes small, so that the fuse unit 10 becomes more compact and a width overhanging from the side surface 1b of the battery 1 can be minimized.
The energizing terminals 13 are constructed by being horizontally folded in a side (inside) of the power-feeding terminal 12 with respect to the vertical plate parts 11a. Therefore, since the energizing terminals 13 are arranged inward from the vertical plate parts 11a, the fuse unit 10 becomes more compact.
Although the invention has been illustrated and described for the particular preferred embodiments, it is apparent to a person skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made on the basis of the teachings of the invention. It is apparent that such changes and modifications are within the spirit, scope, and intention of the inventions as defined by the appended claims.
For example, according to the embodiment described above, the fuse unit 10 includes the two fusion portions 14 and the two energizing terminals 13, but the invention can naturally be applied regardless of the number of fusion portions 14 and the number of energizing terminals 13.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-087847 filed on Apr. 6, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by way of reference.
The present invention is extremely useful in forming a compact fuse unit capable of reducing a load on a battery post.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-087847 | Apr 2010 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2011/059122 | 4/6/2011 | WO | 00 | 9/28/2012 |
