Patent ID: 8440918

Claim:
An assembly comprising: at least one electronic component; a bus bar electrically connected to the at least one electronic component and having a connection portion; and a case that receives therein both the at least one electronic component and the bus bar, wherein the assembly is configured so as to allow the connection portion of the bus bar to be connected with a terminal of an external connector by engaging a first engaging member with a second engaging member within the case, the case has first and second walls and first and second openings that are formed respectively through the first and second walls, the first opening of the case opens in a thickness-wise direction of the connection portion of the bus bar, the first engaging member is to be placed inside the case through the first opening of the case, the second engaging member is provided in the external connector and to be placed inside the case along with the terminal through the second opening of the case, the assembly further comprises a drop prevention member interposed between the first wall of the case and the connection portion of the bus bar in the thickness-wise direction of the connection portion, the drop prevention member has a drop prevention wall and a through-hole that is defined by the drop prevention wall and aligned with the first opening of the case in the thickness-wise direction of the connection portion of the bus bar, the connection portion of the bus bar is positioned relative to the case and the drop prevention member so as to be viewable from outside of the case through both the first opening of the case and the through-hole of the drop prevention member, the assembly is further configured so that after the terminal of the external connector is inserted in the case through the second opening of the case, the drop prevention wall, the connection portion of the bus bar, and part of the external connector together define a confinement space within which the first engaging member is confined and thus prevented from dropping outside the confinement space during establishment of the engagement between the first and second engaging members, the drop prevention wall of the drop prevention member has a front portion that faces the second wall of the case and a second portion that faces the first portion with the through-hole of the drop prevention member formed therebetween, and after insertion of the terminal of the external connector into the case through the second opening of the case, a clearance between the front portion of the drop prevention wall and the terminal of the external connector is greater than a clearance between the rear portion of the drop prevention wall and the connection portion of the bus bar.