Battery connection plate and a manufacturing method therefor

Details Battery connection plate and a manufacturing method therefor Battery connection plate and a manufacturing method therefor

2001-07-11

2002-05-21

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation

C439S942000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06390858

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
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.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11
shows a conventional battery connection plate.
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.
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
.
A busbar
83
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.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
87
and the terminal
89
engages a boss
103
located in a metal mold
102
.
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 Z
1
direction.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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