IP Library › Granted Patent US 12676431
Granted Patent B2
US 12676431 · App. 18/700,043 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Terminal block

Inventors: Tomoki Abe (Yokkaichi, JP); Daisuke Hashimoto (Yokkaichi, JP); Masaharu Suetani (Yokkaichi, JP); Kentaro Tachi (Yokkaichi, JP)
Assignees: AUTONETWORKS TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.; SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS, LTD.; SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
H01R9/2425H05K7/20863H05K7/20872H01R2201/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676431
App. No.
18/700,043
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A terminal block that is to be fixed to a case of a device and to which an electrically conductive member is to be fastened by a bolt, the terminal block including: a nut to which the bolt is to be screwed; a heat sink that includes a heat dissipation portion configured to come into contact with a coolant for cooling the device; and an insulator that electrically insulates the nut and the heat sink from each other, wherein the heat sink includes a rib located around the nut.

Claims (25)

1 . A terminal block that is to be fixed to a case of a device and to which an electrically conductive member is to be fastened by a bolt, the terminal block comprising:

a nut to which the bolt is to be screwed;

a heat sink that includes a heat dissipation portion configured to come into contact with a coolant for cooling the device; and

an insulator that electrically insulates the nut and the heat sink from each other,

wherein the heat sink includes a rib that protrudes from a surface of the insulator towards the nut, and the rib is located around the nut.

2 . The terminal block according to claim 1 , wherein:

the nut is shaped so as to be surrounded by a plurality of sides as viewed along an axial direction of the bolt, and

the rib is provided at positions corresponding to all of the plurality of sides.

3 . The terminal block according to claim 1 , wherein:

the nut is shaped so as to be surrounded by a plurality of sides as viewed along an axial direction of the bolt,

the nut is a plurality of nuts,

the plurality of nuts are provided in parallel and spaced apart from each other to form a nut group, and

the rib is provided at positions corresponding to all sides located on an outer periphery of the nut group, among the pluralities of sides of the plurality of nuts.

4 . The terminal block according to claim 3 , wherein the rib is provided at a position between the plurality of nuts.

5 . The terminal block according to claim 2 , wherein the rib is formed so as to extend along the sides of the nut.

6 . The terminal block according to claim 2 , wherein:

the nut includes a plurality of outward-facing side surfaces corresponding to the plurality of sides, and

the rib is provided so as to oppose at least one of the plurality of outward-facing side surfaces with an interval therebetween.

7 . The terminal block according to claim 2 , wherein:

the rib includes a first adjacent rib and a second adjacent rib that are provided in correspondence with sides adjacent to each other at an angle among the plurality of sides, and

a space is formed between the first adjacent rib and the second adjacent rib.

8 . The terminal block according to claim 1 , wherein a protrusion height of the rib is less than or equal to a surface height of the nut.

9 . The terminal block according to claim 1 , wherein:

the insulator includes a first insulator interposed between the nut and the heat sink and a second insulator surrounding a periphery of the nut, and

the rib is embedded in the second insulator.