Flexible bus bar
A flexible bus bar that can maintain its flexibility even when covered with an insulator has a flexible bus bar main body having flexibility and an insulator covering a part of the flexible bus bar main body. The insulator has an interior S formed hollow, and the flexible bus bar main body is inserted into the hollow. Thereafter, a part of the insulator is heat-shrunk onto the inserted flexible bus bar main body, thereby fixing the part of the insulator.
1 . A flexible bus bar comprising:
a flexible bus bar main body having flexibility and having first and second end portions and an intermediate portion between the first and second end portions;
an insulator covering a part of the flexible bus bar main body;
the insulator having a hollow interior and being made of heat-shrinkable resin;
the flexible bus bar main body being inserted into the hollow interior;
parts of the insulator being heat-shrunk onto the first and second end portions of the flexible bus bar main body, thereby bringing the parts of the insulator into close contact with the flexible bus bar body and fixing the parts of the insulator to the flexible bus bar main body; and
space is formed between the insulator and the flexible bus bar main body along the intermediate portion such that the insulator is not in close contact with the intermediate portion.
2 . The flexible bus bar according to claim 1 , wherein:
the flexible bus bar main body has through holes formed at the first and second end portions; and
in fixing the parts of the insulator to the flexible bus bar main body, the insulator is fixed to the flexible bus bar main body by heat-shrinking the insulator so as not to come in contact with the through holes.