Terminal board for fastening electrical lines, and method for fastening electrical lines to a terminal board

Abstract

The invention relates to a terminal board for fastening electrical lines including at least one threaded hole so as to fasten a connecting element of an electrical line by way of a screw that can be screwed or is screwed into the threaded hole, wherein the terminal board includes a cylindrical insert having the threaded hole, and the connecting element and the insert are joined to one other by way of plastic deformation. The invention furthermore relates to a method for fastening electrical lines to a terminal board.

Claims

1. A terminal board assembly for fastening electrical lines, comprising: a terminal board having a cut-out therein, a cylindrical insert inserted into the cut-out of the terminal board and including an end section that projects from a surface area of the terminal board, a first electrical line including a connecting element, and a second electrical line including another connecting element, wherein the cylindrical insert includes a threaded hole so as to fasten the another connecting element of the second electrical line to the terminal board by way of a screw that is screwed into the threaded hole, wherein the end section of the cylindrical insert is jointed to the connecting element of the first electrical line by way of plastic deformation, and wherein an electrically conducting connection is established between the connecting element of the first electrical line and the cylindrical insert as a result of plastic deformation.

2. The terminal board assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plastic deformation is created by at least one of a crimping method, press-fit stemming, and flanging.

3. The terminal board assembly according to claim 1, wherein an undercut is created between the connecting element of the first electrical line and the insert as a result of the plastic deformation.

4. The terminal board assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element is designed as a cable lug and includes a cut-out that is adapted to a diameter of the threaded hole.

5. The terminal board assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of terminal boards, each having the cut-out, and a plurality of cylindrical inserts, each being inserted into the cut-out and having the threaded hole.

6. The terminal board assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element includes an opening, the another connecting element includes another opening, and the opening, the another opening, and the threaded hole are arranged to be aligned each other, and the end section of the cylindrical insert is fit into the opening of the first electrical line through the plastic deformation, and the second electrical line is arranged on the first electrical line to fix the second electrical line to the terminal board through the screw.

7. The terminal board assembly according to claim 6, wherein the terminal board includes a flange portion having the surface area at a top surface thereof, and the end section projects outwardly from the top surface of the flange portion to be exposed, and when the screw is screwed in the threaded hole to fasten the second electrical line to the terminal board, the first electrical line and the second electrical line are pressed toward the flange portion.

8. A method for fastening electrical lines to a terminal board, comprising the following steps: generating a threaded hole in the terminal board by inserting an insert, which includes the threaded hole, into a cut-out of the terminal board; positioning a connecting element of a first electrical line over the insert of the terminal board; joining the connecting element and the insert by way of plastic deformation; and joining another connecting element of a second electrical line to the terminal board by way of a screw that is screwed into the threaded hole.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the insert is used which comprises an end section that projects from a surface of the terminal board and is plastically deformed so as to be joined to the connecting element.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the plastic deformation takes place by at least one of crimping, press-fit stemming, and flanging.

11. A terminal board assembly for fastening electrical lines, comprising: a terminal board portion having a cut-out therein, and a cylindrical insert inserted into the cut-out, and including a cylindrical portion arranged inside the terminal board portion, an end section formed at one end of the cylindrical portion and projecting outwardly from the terminal board portion, a threaded hole formed inside the cylindrical insert so that when a screw is adapted to be screwed with the threaded hole, the end section is pressed radially outwardly and adapted to fix one of the electrical lines to the terminal board.

Description

(1) The invention will be described hereafter based on exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. The drawings are schematic illustrations. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a terminal board connected to an electric motor;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detail of the terminal board;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a cut view of an insert including a threaded hole;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the terminal board shown in FIG. 2 after the installation of the lines;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a view similar to that of FIG. 3, comprising an attached cable lug;

(7) FIG. 6 shows the terminal board comprising inverter-side cable lugs; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows the terminal board shown in FIG. 6 comprising attached electrical lines.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an electric motor 1, which is designed as a traction motor of a vehicle. A housing 2, which surrounds a terminal board 3 for electrical lines, is fastened to the outside of the electric motor 1. It is apparent from FIG. 1 that a total of three electrical lines are fastened to the terminal board 3, which are connected to the electric motor 1. The terminal board 3 serves to subsequently connect lines, which are connected to the electric motor 1, to further lines (not shown), which are connected to the inverter. Thereafter, the housing 2, which is open in FIG. 1, is closed by a cover (not shown).

(10) FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a detail of the terminal board 3, which is present in the housing 2. The terminal board 3 comprises three inserts 4, which each include a threaded hole. The inserts 4 are designed as cylindrical threaded bushings. Each insert 4 is located in a cut-out of the terminal board 3. The terminal board 3 is joined to the housing 2 by way of screws 5.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a cut view of an insert 4, which is designed as a threaded bushing and inserted into a cut-out 6 of the terminal board 3. The insert 4 is pressed into the cut-out 6 and fixedly joined to the terminal board 3.

(12) FIG. 4 shows a view similar to that of FIG. 2 and illustrates the terminal board 3 after cable lugs 7, 8, 9 of motor-side lines have been attached.

(13) It is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3 that an insert 4 comprises an end section 10, which projects from the cut-out 6 and is used to establish a form-locked joint between a cable lug and the insert 4 by way of plastic deformation. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the plastic deformation takes place by way of crimping. The insert 4 made of a metallic material is deformed in such a way that the projecting end section 10 thereof is pressed radially outward.

(14) FIG. 5 shows a view similar to that of FIG. 3 and illustrates the insert 4 comprising an attached cable lug 11 of a motor-side line. During the plastic deformation, the end section 10 is pressed radially outward, thereby being fixedly joined to the cable lug 11. The cable lug 11 comprises a step 12, which after the plastic deformation forms an undercut that prevents the cable lug 11 from detaching. The plastic deformation takes place by way of crimping in this exemplary embodiment. As a result of the crimping, both the described mechanical joint and an electrically conducting connection are established, by way of the cable lug 11, between the insert 4 and the motor-side line connected to the cable lug 11.

(15) The terminal board 3 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 forms a sub-assembled unit together with the motor-side lines 7, 8, 9 fastened thereto.

(16) FIG. 6 shows the terminal board 3 after the installation of inverter-side cable lugs 13. For the installation of the inverter-side cable lugs 13, which are each connected to inverter-side lines (not shown), the inverter-side cable lugs 13 are positioned on the inserts 4 so that openings of the inverter-side cable lugs 13 are aligned with the inserts 4. Thereafter, as is shown in FIG. 7, screws 14 are screwed into the inserts 4, whereby the motor-side cable lugs 11 and the respective inverter-side cable lugs 13 are fixedly joined to the terminal board 3.

(17) The described terminal board 3 has the advantage that the motor-side lines 7, 8, 9 can be sub-assembled with the inserts 4, designed as threaded bushings, by way of crimping. The subsequent installation of the inverter-side cable lugs 13 can take place particularly easily, without requiring the loosening of a screw joint or the like.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(18) 1 electric motor 2 housing 3 terminal board 4 insert 5 screw 6 cut-out 7, 8, 9 motor-side line 10 end section 11 motor-side cable lug 12 step 13 inverter-side cable lug 14 screw