Technical Problem
[0005] The terminal connection structure disclosed in Patent Literature 1 described above is formed such that the swaging portions are formed into a circular shape so as to facilitate swaging. In recent power devices, some power semiconductor modules for high current applications have a plurality of fastening points on one terminal electrode on the module side. Because the fastening points are, for example, disposed one after another in a lateral direction, the module terminal is formed into, for example, a rectangular shape such that the fastening points are aligned.
[0006] It is possible to form a swaging structure in the conventional technologies into a rectangular shape in order to follow such a rectangular module terminal. However, with a rectangular swaging structure, it is difficult to evenly apply a swaging force over the entire perimeter of the rectangular shape, and thus it has been difficult to actually use a rectangular swaging structure. [0007] Thus, a module terminal having a plurality of fastening points has a circular swaging portion at each fastening point and this reduces the contact area ratio that is the ratio of the contact area of the conductor and the terminal electrode at the swaging portions to the footprint of the terminal electrode in which the fastening points are aligned. Because the power module having a plurality of fastening points is often used for high current applications, a reduction in the contact area ratio poses a problem of an increase in the temperature of the contact portions. Therefore, there is a demand for a terminal connection structure that can increase the contact area ratio.

[0008] The present invention has been achieved in view of the above and an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal connection structure that can increase the contact area ratio.
Solution to Problem
[0009] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, an aspect of the present invention is a terminal connection structure for electrically connecting a conductor and at least one terminal electrode of an electronic component. The terminal electrode includes a plurality of connection terminals, the terminal connection structure includes a male part that includes a hole portion into which a fastening member is inserted, and a female part into which the male part is inserted and that includes hole portions equivalent in number to the connection terminals, the conductor is secured by being sandwiched between the female part and the male part and swaging the hole portion of the male part, and the conductor is secured to the electronic component with the fastening member inserted into the hole portion of the male part and fastening mechanisms provided to the respective connection terminals.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0010] According to the present invention, an effect is obtained where the contact area ratio can be increased and thus an increase in the temperature of the contact portion can be suppressed.
Brief Description of Drawings

M2, and the third terminal electrode M3 is provided with three holes 32, and a nut 34, which is a fastening mechanism, is provided in each of the holes 32. The holes 32 and the nuts 34 constitute fastening points of the first terminal electrode Ml, the second terminal electrode M2, and the third terminal electrode M3f which are terminal electrodes of the power module 1. The function of the nuts 34 will be described later.
[0017] Next, an explanation will be given, with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 8, of the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the outer shape of the parts that are components of the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view illustrating an example when a conductor is swaged by using the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view when the example in FIG. 4 is viewed from a direction A in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a perspective view when the example in FIG. 4 is viewed from a direction B in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a diagram explaining swaging when the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment is used. FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating an example when the power module 1 is fastened by using the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment.
[0018] The components of the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment include male parts 21 illustrated in FIG. 3(a) and a female part 22 illustrated in FIG. 3{b). The male part 21 includes a base portion 21a and a shaft portion 21b, which is disposed vertically on the base portion 21a, and it has a configuration such that a hole portion 21c for inserting

[0022] The swaged conductor 25 is fastened to the power module 1 by, as illustrated in FIG. 8, inserting bolts 36, which are fastening members, into the hole portions 21c of the male parts 21 and fastening the bolts 36 to the nuts 34 (see FIG. 1), which are fastening mechanisms provided in the first terminal electrode Ml, the second terminal electrode M2, and the third terminal electrode M3. Thus, the conductor 25 is secured to the power module 1. The first embodiment describes an example in which the conductor 25 is secured to the power module 1 by using the bolts 36 and the nuts 34; however, the nuts 34 become unnecessary by forming a screw structure in the holes 32 formed in the first terminal electrode Ml, the second terminal electrode M2, and the third terminal electrode M3. [0023] Next, an explanation will be given, with reference to FIG. 9, of an effect of using the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining the effect of the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment. [0024] In FIG. 9(a), dl represents the length in the longitudinal direction of the female part 22 having an elliptical shape and d2 represents the length in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the female part 22. The hatched portion represents the portion that comes into contact with the conductor 25. As illustrated in FIG. 9(a), the portion excluding the footprint of the hole portions 22a into which the bolts 36 are inserted comes into contact with the conductor 25. [0025] In contrast, FIG. 9(b) illustrates, as in Patent Literature 1, a contact portion when a circular swaging member is provided for each connection terminal. In FIG. 9, in order to experience the same conditions as those illustrated in FIG. 3 in the first embodiment, the outer

provided to the connection terminals. In this way, the contact area ratio can be increased without reducing the swaging force. Therefore, an increase in the temperature of the contact portion can be suppressed. [0029] Moreover, the terminal connection structure according to the first embodiment uses one female part with respect to a plurality of connection terminals. Thus, swaging operations can be performed continuously in a single operation. Therefore, the swaging operations can be performed efficiently. [0030] Second Embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a terminal connection structure according to a second embodiment. The first embodiment employs a structure in which the female part is provided on the power module side and the male parts are provided on the fastening member side as illustrated in FIG. 7, for example; however, the second embodiment employs, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a structure in which the male part is provided on the power module side and the female parts are provided on the fastening member side. Specifically, on the power module side, a male part 51 is provided such that shaft portions 51b having a circular cross-sectional shape when viewed from a direction Al are disposed vertically on a base portion 51a having a horizontally elongated cross-sectional shape when viewed from the direction Al, and three hole portions 51c into which fastening members are inserted are provided in a similar manner to the first embodiment. The number of the hole portions 51c is three so as to correspond to the configuration of the power module 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. [0031] On the fastening member side, female parts 52 are

1. A terminal connection structure comprising:
a terminal electrode (Ml, M2, M3) provided to an electronic component (1);
a male part (21) that includes a shaft portion (21b) in which a hole portion (21c) is provided;
a female part (22) that includes a plurality of hole portions (22a) into which the shaft portion is inserted; and
a conductor (25) that is sandwiched between the female part and the male part and is electrically connected to the terminal electrode by the female part, wherein
the conductor is secured by swaging the hole portion of the male part, and
the female part in which the hole portions are provided is provided between the conductor and the terminal electrode.
2. A terminal connection structure comprising:
a terminal electrode (Ml, M2, M3) provided to an electronic component (1);
a male part (51) that includes a plurality of shaft portions (51b) in which a hole portion (51c) is provided;
a female part (52, 54) that includes a hole portion (52a) into which the shaft portion is inserted; and
a conductor (25) that is sandwiched between the female part and the male part and is electrically connected to the terminal electrode by the male part, wherein
the conductor is secured by swaging the hole portions of the male part.
3. The terminal connection structure according to claim 1,
wherein

the male part (21) includes a base portion (21a) having a circular cross-sectional shape and the shaft portion (21b) disposed vertically on the base portion and having a circular cross-sectional shape with a smaller diameter than a diameter of a cross section of the base portion.
4. The terminal connection structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the male part (51) includes a base portion (51a) having a horizontally elongated cross-sectional shape and a plurality of the shaft portions (51b) each of which is formed into a circular cross-sectional shape and is disposed vertically on the base portion.
5. The terminal connection structure according to claim 2, wherein the shaft portions (51b) of the male part (51) are inserted into a plurality of the female parts (52).
6. The terminal connection structure according to claim 2, wherein
the female part (54) includes a plurality of the hole portions (52a).
.7. The terminal connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a fastening member (36) that is inserted into the male part (21) to secure the conductor (25) to the electronic component (1).
8. The terminal connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 1, wherein the terminal electrode (Ml, M2, M3) i s ^ftS6ec?> of Novcmbcr 2016