Current sensor and current sensor unit

#The present invention relates to a current sensor that detects a magnitude of a current by detecting a strength of a magnetic field generated by the current.

#Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-117447 discloses a current sensor for detecting a magnitude of a current to be measured flowing in a conductor to be measured. This current sensor includes a conductor to be measured in which a current to be measured flows, a magnetoelectric conversion element which is stationary with respect to the conductor to be measured, and a magnetic shield body which magnetically shields the magnetoelectric conversion element. The magnetic shield body has an annular surrounding portion which surrounds the conductor to be measured and the magnetoelectric conversion element in the inside thereof, and a gap for suppressing magnetic saturation is formed on the annular surrounding portion. To a magnetic shield portion, a magnetic field to be measured generated from the conductor to be measured in the inside is collected, and an external magnetic field is collected. Thus, it is possible to reduce the influence of a disturbance magnetic field.

#Japanese Patent No. 4434111 discloses a current sensor for detecting a magnitude of a current flowing in a busbar. The busbar includes two parallel lines arranged at different positions in a thickness direction thereof. The current sensor includes two Hall elements. The two Hall elements are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the two lines in the thickness direction of the busbar, and detect strengths of magnetic fields generated in accordance with currents flowing in the two lines, respectively. Then, the current sensor differentially amplifies output voltages of the two Hall elements. Thus, it is possible to reduce the influence of the disturbance magnetic field.

#FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of a current sensor according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the current sensor illustrated in FIG. 1A when viewed from a direction of arrows on a line IB-IB.

#FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of the current sensor (a housing is not illustrated) according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of current sensors according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in each of the drawings, the same or corresponding portions will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

#Hereinafter, a current sensor according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1A to FIG. 8D.

#FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of the current sensor according to the first preferred embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the current sensor illustrated in FIG. 1A when viewed from a direction of arrows on a line IB-IB. FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of the current sensor (a housing is not illustrated) according to the first preferred embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the current sensor (the housing is not illustrated) illustrated in FIG. 2A when viewed from a direction of arrows on a line IIB-IIB. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of a conductor of the current sensor illustrated in FIG. 2A. In FIG. 1A to FIG. 3, an X-axis direction is a width direction of a conductor 110, which will be described later, a Y-axis direction is a length direction of the conductor 110, and a Z-axis direction is a thickness direction of the conductor 110.