JP2002135945A - Joint box - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a joint box which can reduce its weight and thickness and easily change a circuit design. SOLUTION: A power distributing circuit 2 distributes power supplied from a power supply and comprises a FPC 3 and a connecting terminal 4. The FPC 3 comprises a polyethylene terephthalate base film 3a, a copper film 3b as a conductor formed on the base film 3a, and a cover layer 3c covering over the copper film 3b. The connecting terminal 4 electrically connects a connector of a wire harness or connected parts such as a fuse, etc., with the copper film 3b of the FPC 3. The connecting terminal 4 is a metal terminal having an L shaped cross section and is mounted to a surface of the copper film 3b by welding.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a joint box for electrically connecting a power distribution circuit to connected members such as connectors and fuses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a car or the like, a joint box that distributes electric power from a battery to each device and that also serves as a fuse box has been used. FIG. 5 is a plan view of such a conventional joint box, FIG. 6 is a plan view of a bus bar housed in the joint box, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion VII in FIG. 5, and FIG.
The sectional views of the respective parts are shown.

[0003] This kind of automobile joint box 10
5 includes a lower cover 102, a bus bar 103 mounted on the lower cover, an upper cover 105 for sealing these components, and mounting a connector, a fuse, etc., as shown in FIGS. ing. In such an automobile joint box 101, as shown in FIG.
DC power from a battery is distributed to a power source using a bus bar 103 made of a thin metal plate such as a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy punched by a press. Further, the conventional automobile joint box 101 also has a function as a fuse box by incorporating a fuse 107 in the middle of a circuit constituted by the bus bar 103.

[0004] A connector 107 shown in FIG.
03 is a female connector connected to the circuit constituted by the bus bar 103.
Connection terminal portion 103a formed by being bent upward by 0 °
Is penetrated from the lower side to the upper side through a through hole 105b formed in the upper cover 105, so that the male connector can be connected to the connector 107. Further, the fuse mounting portion 105 to which the fuse 108 shown in FIG.
c, a connecting terminal portion 103d is formed by bending the distal end portion of the bus bar 103 having the slit 103b upward by 90 °, and connecting the connecting terminal portion 103a to the lower side through a through hole 105d formed in the upper cover 105. To the upper side of the fuse 108, or directly connected to the foot 108a of the fuse 108, or through the FF terminal.
It is configured to be connectable to.

[0005]

However, in a conventional automobile joint box 101, a metal plate is punched out by a metal mold, and as shown in FIG.
To form a circuit. For this reason, when changing the design of the circuit, it is necessary to change the mold, and there is a problem that the cost is increased. In addition, there is a problem that the weight of the joint box 101 increases because the bus bar 103 is made of a thick metal. Further, since the bus bar 103 is manufactured by punching a metal plate with a mold, it is difficult to form a pattern having a small width, and the conductor size becomes unnecessarily large, and the joint box 101 becomes large. Was.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a joint box which can be reduced in weight and thickness and whose circuit can be easily redesigned. I do.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a joint box for distributing electric power to a plurality of connected members, the power distribution circuit having a plurality of connection terminal portions respectively connected to the plurality of connected members. In the joint box provided, the power distribution circuit includes: a flexible printed circuit board having a conductive portion formed so as to guide power to be distributed to the plurality of connection terminal sections; and the plurality of circuit boards mounted on the flexible printed circuit board. It is characterized by comprising a connecting member and a plurality of connecting terminals constituting a connecting terminal portion to be connected respectively.

According to the present invention, since the power supply distribution circuit is a flexible printed circuit board, the weight can be greatly reduced, and the circuit design can be easily changed and the degree of freedom in circuit design can be improved. In addition, since the power distribution circuit can be made thinner and the width of the circuit can be made narrower, the entire joint box can be made smaller.

Preferably, the connection terminal is an L-shaped terminal for connecting the flexible printed board and a connector or a fuse as a member to be connected, and has a structure in which the connection terminal portion is shared. The cost of the connection terminal can be reduced, and even if the circuit is changed,
Since common parts can be used for the connection terminal itself, the circuit pattern can be easily designed and changed.

Further, by configuring the connection terminals so as to be welded to the surface of the copper foil of the flexible printed circuit board, the connection terminals can be easily mounted in accordance with the arrangement of the patterns, and the circuit design is improved. Can be further improved.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a joint box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 shows a flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter referred to as an FPC) constituting a power distribution circuit housed in the joint box.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of a power distribution circuit in which connection terminals are mounted on the FPC, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of connecting the FPC and the connection terminals.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the joint box 1 is provided with a lower cover 6, a power distribution circuit 2 mounted on the lower cover 6, a hermetic seal, a connector, a fuse, and the like. Upper cover 5 and the like. On the lower cover 6, fixing projections (not shown) for positioning and fixing the power distribution circuit 2 at predetermined positions are formed at corner portions facing each other.

The power distribution circuit 2 is a circuit for distributing power from a power supply, and includes one FPC 3 and this FPC.
3 and a connection terminal 4 attached to the connection terminal portion. The FPC 3 is, as shown in FIG. 3, a base film 3a such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
And a copper foil (pattern) 3b serving as a conductive portion formed on the surface of the base film 3a, and a cover lay 3c covering the copper foil 3b. FPC3 is
After attaching the copper foil 3b on the base film 3a, the copper foil 3b is formed into a predetermined circuit pattern for power distribution by etching treatment. The FPC 3 has a hole in the cover lay 3c where the connection terminal 4 is to be mounted, and the copper foil 3b is formed in a bare state.
2, fixing holes 3d and 3e for positioning and fixing are formed at diagonal corners of the FPC 3, and these fixing holes 3d and 3e are fixed to the lower cover 2 (not shown). The FPC 3 is positioned and fixed to the lower cover 2 by fitting with the projection for use.

The connection terminal 4 is a terminal for electrically connecting a connected member such as a wire harness-side connector or a fuse to the copper foil 3b of the FPC 3. The connection terminal 4 is a metal terminal having an L-shaped cross section as shown in FIGS.
It is fixed to the surface of the copper foil 3b. When the connection terminal 4 is fixed to the copper foil 3b of the FPC 3 by welding, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, electrodes 7a and 7b are provided on the upper surface with the connection terminal 4 mounted on the copper foil 3b. What is necessary is just to heat by supplying an electric current in contact with an interval. Thus, the connection terminal 4 is mounted on the surface of the copper foil 3b by series welding. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper cover 5 covers the power distribution circuit 2 so that the connection terminals 4 are exposed from the male connector portion 5a and the fuse mounting portion 5b.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications or changes can be made.
For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the copper foil 3b and the connection terminal 4 are series-welded has been described as an example. However, the connection terminal 4 may be formed by a conductive adhesive, an anisotropic conductive paste, soldering, or the like. It may be mounted on the foil 3b. If a double-sided flexible printed circuit board is used for the power distribution circuit 2, a two-layer circuit can be formed, and a more complicated distribution circuit can be easily handled. Of course, if a circuit of three or more layers is formed by stacking a plurality of flexible printed boards, a more complicated distribution circuit can be formed.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, a power distribution circuit for distributing power from a power supply is used to electrically connect a flexible printed circuit board to a conductive portion of the flexible printed circuit board and a member to be connected. Since the configuration is made up of the connection terminals, the weight and thickness can be reduced, and the design of the circuit can be easily changed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a joint box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an FPC constituting a power distribution circuit housed in the joint box.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the power distribution circuit.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a method of connecting FPCs and connection terminals that constitute the power distribution circuit.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a conventional joint box.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a bus bar stored in the joint box.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion VII in FIG.

8 is a sectional view of a portion VIII in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 101 joint box, 2 power distribution circuit,
3 ... flexible printed circuit board, 3a ... base film, 3b ... copper foil, 3c ... coverlay, 4 ... connection terminal,
5,105 ... upper cover, 6,102 ... lower cover, 5a,
105a: Male connector section, 5b, 105c: Fuse mounting section.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Ichiro Terunuma 1440 Mutsuzaki, Sakura-shi, Chiba F-term in Fujikura Sakura Works (reference) 5E085 BB09 BB11 BB27 CC03 DD01 DD03 DD05 FF19 HH01 HH11 JJ06 JJ50 5G361 BA01 BB01 BC01

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A joint box for distributing electric power to a plurality of connected members, comprising: a power distribution circuit having a plurality of connection terminals connected to the plurality of connected members, wherein the power distribution circuit comprises: A flexible printed circuit board on which a conductive portion is formed so as to guide power to be distributed to the plurality of connection terminal sections; and connection terminal sections mounted on the flexible printed circuit board and connected to the plurality of connected members, respectively. A joint box comprising a plurality of connection terminals. 2. The joint box according to claim 1, wherein the connection terminal is an L-shaped terminal for connecting the flexible printed board and a connector or a fuse as the member to be connected. 3. The joint box according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of connection terminals have the same shape. 4. The joint box according to claim 1, wherein said connection terminal is welded to a surface of a copper foil of said flexible printed circuit board.