JP7517865B2 - Wiring material - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to wiring materials.

There is a wiring material that includes a first flat cable in which the outer circumferences of multiple rectangular conductors arranged in the width direction are covered with an insulator, and a second flat cable in which the outer circumferences of one or more rectangular conductors are covered with an insulator and are stacked so as to overlap one of the rectangular conductors of the first flat cable in the thickness direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-334737 A

In wiring materials used as power supply lines for hybrid cars, electric vehicles, and the like, large currents flow, so large-diameter electric wires with conductors with large cross-sectional areas are used. However, when a large current flows through a large-diameter electric wire, a large amount of heat is generated, and a heat dissipation structure is required, such as passing the electric wire through a pipe to dissipate the heat, which leads to increased costs. Furthermore, large-diameter electric wires themselves are expensive to manufacture, and because of their large diameter and low flexibility, they are difficult to route through gaps such as under the vehicle floor.

In addition, in the wiring material described in Patent Document 1, the rectangular conductors covered with an insulator are stacked in the thickness direction, making it difficult to obtain a good heat dissipation effect. Moreover, if the number of rectangular conductors is simply increased, a large amount of current flows through the rectangular conductors with low internal resistance, generating heat in a concentrated manner and resulting in high temperatures.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a wiring material that can achieve good heat dissipation effects while keeping costs down.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration.
(1) A wiring material that is arranged between a plurality of devices to supply power between the devices, the wiring material being composed of a plurality of electric wires whose conductors are covered with an outer covering made of insulating resin, the conductors in the plurality of electric wires are made of the same conductive metal material, have the same cross-sectional area and are formed to the same length so that internal resistance is matched, the plurality of electric wires are arranged in parallel with each other and are not arranged in a stacked manner on both sides in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction, and both ends of each of the plurality of electric wires are electrically connected to a common terminal block of the devices with a gap in the arrangement direction so that current flows in the same direction.

According to the wiring material of the above configuration (1), the wiring material is composed of a plurality of electric wires, each of which is made of the same conductive metal material, has the same cross-sectional area, and is formed to be the same length, so that the internal resistance is matched. Therefore, compared to a wiring material composed of a single large-diameter electric wire with the same total cross-sectional area, the heat generated when a current flows can be distributed in a balanced manner among the plurality of wires, thereby obtaining a good heat dissipation effect, and furthermore, a costly heat dissipation structure can be omitted. In addition, by using a plurality of electric wires, each electric wire can be made of a small-diameter electric wire, which is less expensive to manufacture, rather than a large-diameter electric wire, which is more expensive to manufacture. In other words, a good heat dissipation effect can be obtained while keeping costs down.
Furthermore, since a small diameter electric wire can be used, flexibility is improved and wiring can be easily performed even in a complicated wiring route.
Furthermore, according to the wiring material of the above configuration (1), since multiple electric wires are arranged in parallel with each other, it is possible to achieve a lower height compared to wiring materials consisting of a single large-diameter electric wire, wiring materials in which conductors are stacked one above the other, or wiring materials in which multiple electric wires are twisted together, which allows for easy installation in narrow gaps such as under the floor of a vehicle.

(2) The wiring material described in (1) is characterized in that the electric wire has a conductor having a circular cross section formed by bundling multiple strands.

The wiring material of the above configuration (2) has a conductor with a circular cross section made of multiple bundled wires, so compared to wiring material made of laminated rectangular conductors, it can be easily bent in any direction while improving heat dissipation by dissipating heat in a balanced manner in the circumferential direction.

(3) The wiring material described in (1) or (2), wherein a connection terminal electrically connected to the conductor is provided at each end of the plurality of electric wires, the connection terminal has a terminal portion having a contact at its tip and an engagement groove formed in the circumferential direction, the terminal block has a socket having a hole into which the terminal portion of the connection terminal is fitted, and a pair of locking pieces made of leaf springs extending from both sides of the socket, and when the connection terminal of the electric wire is inserted between the pair of locking pieces, the terminal portion having the contact is fitted into the socket and a locking claw provided on the locking piece engages with the engagement groove, thereby electrically connecting the connection terminal of the electric wire to the terminal block .

The present invention provides wiring material that can achieve good heat dissipation while keeping costs down.

The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following description of the embodiment of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the attached drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a wiring material according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in a vehicle, as viewed from the side of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wiring material according to the embodiment. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating current and internal resistance in an electric wire constituting a wiring material. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a connection structure at an end of a wiring member; 4 is a side view showing an example of a connection structure at an end of a wiring member. FIG. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another connection structure at the end of a wiring member, in which FIG. 10A is a plan view before connection, and FIG. 10B is a plan view in a connected state.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a vehicle in which a wiring material according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in the vehicle, as viewed from the side. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wiring material according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the current and internal resistance in the electric wire constituting the wiring material.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wiring material 10 according to this embodiment is arranged as a power supply line for a vehicle 20, such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle.

The vehicle 20 is equipped with a battery 23 at the rear of the vehicle body 21. The vehicle 20 is also equipped with a PCU (power control unit) 25 and a drive motor 27 at the front of the vehicle body 21.

The wiring material 10 is electrically connected to terminal blocks 50 provided on the battery 23 and the PCU 25. This allows the battery 23 and the PCU 25 to exchange power via the wiring material 10. The wiring material 10 is also electrically connected to terminal blocks 50 provided on the PCU 25 and the drive motor 27. This allows the PCU 25 and the drive motor 27 to exchange power via the wiring material 10. Each of the wiring materials 10 has a positive power supply system and a negative power supply system.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wiring material 10 of each power supply system is composed of multiple electric wires 30A, 30B (two in this example).

Electric wires 30A and 30B are electric wires with a circular cross section, composed of a conductor 31 and an outer sheath 32 that covers the outer periphery of conductor 31. Conductor 31 is made of a conductive metal material such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy, and outer sheath 32 that covers the outer periphery of conductor 31 is made of an electrically insulating resin material. Electric wires 30A and 30B are stranded wires with conductor 31 made of multiple strands twisted together. Conductor 31 may also be a solid wire with a circular cross section.

The conductors 31 of the electric wires 30A and 30B are made of the same conductive metal material and have the same cross-sectional area. In addition, the conductors 31 of the electric wires 30A and 30B have the same length. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the internal resistances R1 and R2 of the electric wires 30A and 30B are matched and made the same (R1=R2).

Next, an example of a connection structure at the end of wiring 10 will be described.
4 and 5 are a perspective view and a side view showing an example of a connection structure at the end of a wiring member.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the wiring material 10 has a terminal 40 electrically connected to the end of the electric wires 30A and 30B. The terminal 40 is formed of a conductive metal material such as copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. The terminal 40 has a fastening plate portion 42 having a bolt insertion hole (not shown) and a crimping portion 44 having a pair of crimping pieces 43.

The conductor 31 of the electric wires 30A and 30B is exposed from the outer sheath 32 at the end. The crimping portion 44 of the terminal 40 is crimped to the conductor 31 of the electric wires 30A and 30B by the crimping piece 43. This electrically connects the terminal 40 to the end of the electric wires 30A and 30B.

The terminals 40 electrically connected to the ends of these electric wires 30A, 30B are electrically connected to a terminal block 50 provided on each device consisting of the battery 23, the PCU 25, and the drive motor 27. The terminal block 50 has a screw hole (not shown). The terminals 40 are fastened to the terminal block 50 and electrically connected by screwing a bolt 52 inserted into the bolt insertion hole of the fastening plate portion 42 into the screw hole of the terminal block 50.

In this way, in the wiring material 10 wired between the devices, the electric wires 30A, 30B, each of which has a conductor 31 with the same cross-sectional area, are the same length, and the internal resistances R1, R2 are matched (R1 = R2). Therefore, when a current flows in the same direction through the conductor 31 of each electric wire 30A, 30B, the currents I1, I2 flowing through the conductor 31 of these electric wires 30A, 30B are the same.

In the wiring material 10, the wires 30A and 30B are matched to the same internal resistances R1 and R2, but due to misalignment of the connection position of the terminal 40, etc., a slight deviation may occur in the internal resistances R1 and R2.

Even in this case, the wiring material 10 according to this embodiment allows current to flow, thereby balancing the currents I1 and I2 in the electric wires 30A and 30B.

For example, if the internal resistance R2 of wire 30B is slightly greater than the internal resistance R1 of wire 30A (R1<R2), the current I1 flowing through wire 30A will be greater than the current I2 flowing through wire 30B, and wire 30A will generate more heat than wire 30B. Then, the internal resistance R1 of wire 30A increases with the rise in temperature, and the current I2 flowing through wire 30B increases, balancing out the current I1 flowing through wire 30A.

As described above, the wiring material 10 according to this embodiment is composed of multiple electric wires 30A, 30B, and the conductors 31 of each of the electric wires 30A, 30B are made of the same conductive metal material, have the same cross-sectional area, and are formed to the same length, so that the internal resistances R1, R2 are matched. Therefore, compared to a wiring material composed of a single large-diameter electric wire with the same total cross-sectional area, the heat generated when a current flows can be distributed in a balanced manner to multiple wires, resulting in a good heat dissipation effect, and a costly heat dissipation structure can be omitted. In addition, by using multiple electric wires 30A, 30B, it is possible to use small-diameter electric wires, which are less expensive to manufacture, as each electric wire. In other words, it is possible to obtain a good heat dissipation effect while suppressing costs. In addition, since small-diameter electric wires can be used, flexibility is increased and wiring can be easily performed in complex wiring paths,

In addition, the electric wires 30A and 30B that make up the wiring material 10 have a conductor 31 with a circular cross section that is made up of multiple bundled wires, so compared to wiring material made of laminated rectangular conductors, they can be easily bent in any direction while dissipating heat in a balanced manner in the circumferential direction, improving heat dissipation.

In addition, since the electric wires 30A and 30B are arranged in parallel with each other, it is possible to achieve a lower height compared to wiring material consisting of a single large diameter electric wire, wiring material in which conductors are stacked one above the other, or wiring material in which multiple electric wires are twisted together. This makes it easy to route the wires in narrow spaces such as under the floor of the vehicle 20.

Next, other connection structures at the terminals of the wiring material 10 will be described.
6A and 6B are diagrams showing another connection structure at the end of a wiring member, in which (a) is a plan view before connection and (b) is a plan view in a connected state.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the wiring material 10 has a connection terminal 61 at the end of the electric wires 30A and 30B, which is electrically connected to the conductor 31. The connection terminal 61 has a terminal portion 63 having a contact 62 at its tip, and an engagement groove 64 formed around the circumference.

The terminal block 50A also has a socket 55 having a hole into which the terminal portion 63 of the connection terminal 61 is fitted, and a locking piece portion 56 made of a leaf spring extending from both sides of the socket 55. A locking claw 57 that protrudes inward is formed near the tip of the locking piece portion 56.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), the connection terminal 61 of the electric wires 30A, 30B is inserted between the locking pieces 56 of the terminal block 50A. Then, the terminal portion 63 having the contact 62 of the connection terminal 61 is fitted into the socket 55, and the locking claw 57 of the locking piece 56 engages with the engagement groove 64. As a result, the connection terminal 61 of each electric wire 30A, 30B is easily connected to the terminal block 50A, and the electric wires 30A, 30B are maintained in an electrically connected state.

In the above embodiment, the wiring material 10 is illustrated as being composed of two electric wires 30A, 30B, but the number of electric wires that compose the wiring material 10 is not limited to two, and may be three or more. In this case, too, the height can be further reduced by arranging the electric wires in parallel with each other.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited.

Here, the features of the embodiments of the wiring material according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [3].
[1] A wiring material (10) that is arranged between a plurality of devices to supply power between the devices,
The cable is composed of a plurality of electric wires (30A, 30B) each having a conductor (31) covered with an insulating resin outer jacket (32),
The conductors (31) of the electric wires (30A, 30B) are made of the same conductive metal material, have the same cross-sectional area, and are formed to have the same length, so that their internal resistances (R1, R2) are matched;
The electric wires (30A, 30B) are electrically connected at both ends to a common terminal block (50) of the device so that currents (I1, I2) flow in the same direction.
[2] The wiring material according to [1], wherein the electric wire (30A, 30B) has the conductor (31) having a circular cross section formed by bundling a plurality of wires.
[3] The wiring material according to [1] or [2], wherein the electric wires (30A, 30B) are arranged in parallel to each other.

10: Wiring material 23: Battery (equipment)
25: PCU (equipment)
27: Drive motor (equipment)
30A, 30B: Wire 31: Conductor 32: Sheath I1, I2: Current R1, R2: Internal resistance

Claims (3)

A wiring material that is arranged between a plurality of devices to supply power between the devices,
It is made up of multiple electric wires with the conductors covered with an insulating resin jacket.
The conductors of the plurality of electric wires are made of the same conductive metal material, have the same cross-sectional area, and are formed to have the same length so that their internal resistances are matched;
The plurality of electric wires are arranged in parallel to each other , and are not arranged in a stacked manner on both sides in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction,
Both ends of each of the plurality of electric wires are electrically connected to a common terminal block of the device at intervals in the arrangement direction, so that a current flows in the same direction.
A wiring material characterized by: The electric wire has a conductor having a circular cross section formed by bundling a plurality of wires.
The wiring material according to claim 1 . A connection terminal electrically connected to the conductor is provided at each end of the plurality of electric wires,
The connection terminal has a terminal portion having a contact at a tip thereof and an engagement groove formed in a circumferential direction,
the terminal block includes a socket having a hole into which the terminal portion of the connection terminal is fitted, and a pair of locking pieces each made of a leaf spring extending from both sides of the socket,
When the connection terminal of the electric wire is inserted between the pair of locking pieces, the terminal portion having the contact is fitted into the socket, and a locking claw provided on the locking piece engages with the engagement groove, so that the connection terminal of the electric wire is electrically connected to the terminal block.
The wiring material according to claim 1 or 2.

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