JP2002281640A - Coupling structure for electrical connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a highly flexible coupling structure of electrical connection box which can be fabricated with only one metal die an assures reduction in size and cost. SOLUTION: In the coupling structure of electrical connection box, in which a couple of connection boxes 11 of the same shape for mounting into a vehicle are freely coupled via engaging portions 12, 13 and stopping portions 14, 15, the engaging portions 12, 13 to be engaged with the engaging portions 13, 12 of a connection box body 11' of the partner side are provided in one side of the connection box bodies 11, 11' and the stopping portions 14, 15 mutually stopped are provided to the stopping portions 15, 14 of the connection box body 11' on the mating part side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connection structure of an electric junction box such as a relay box for assembling a vehicle into an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a coupling structure of this kind of electric junction box,
There is one shown in FIG. Such a joint structure can be manufactured without increasing the number of types of parts by connecting two identically shaped electrical junction boxes when responding to an increase in specifications of relays, fuses, etc. due to different destinations of vehicles. It has been used in the past because it can reduce costs.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, an electric connection box 1 used in such a coupling structure has a rectangular parallelepiped connection box body 2 made of synthetic resin. The connection box body 2 has a lock portion 3 protruding from a front surface 2a thereof. On the back surface 2b of the connection box body 2, there are provided a holding portion 4 which also serves to prevent backlash and a locked portion 5 which is locked by the locking portion 3 on the front surface 2a of the connection box body 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the two electric connection boxes 1, 1 are connected via the lock portion 3 and the locked portion 5.

[0004] A similar technique relating to the coupling structure of the electric junction box 1 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-336637.

[0005]

However, in the conventional connection structure of the electric connection box 1, in order to connect the two connection box bodies 2 and 2 to have versatility, the front surface 2a of the connection box body 2 is required. In addition, since it is necessary to provide the lock portion 3 and the locked portion 5 on the rear surface 2b, the shape of the mold required for manufacturing is complicated, and the manufacturing cost of the mold is increased.

Further, when the two connection box bodies 2 are connected, unnecessary lock portions 3 and locked portions 5 are generated before and after the connection box main bodies 2, 2, so that the overall size is increased.
As a result, extra raw materials are required, which leads to an increase in manufacturing costs. Further, due to the increase in size, an extra space is required when the electric connection box 1 is attached to the vehicle body.

As a countermeasure against the above-mentioned problem, the lock portion 3 and the locked portion 5 are not provided in one electrical connection box.
It is conceivable to provide a separate electrical junction box.However, this method requires a plurality of dies, and is therefore less versatile and increases the manufacturing cost of the dies. It loses its original purpose of reducing costs.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and can be manufactured by one mold.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a connection structure of a general-purpose electric junction box which can be reduced in size and cost and has high versatility.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connecting structure for an electric connection box in which two connection box bodies of the same shape for vehicle assembly are freely connected via an engaging portion and a locking portion. In the above, the connecting box main body is provided on one side thereof with an engaging portion which is mutually engaged with the engaging portion of the mating connecting box main body, and mutually locked with the engaging portion of the mating connecting box main body. The locking portion is provided.

In this connection structure of the electric connection box, since all the components of the connection structure are provided on one side of the electric connection box main body, the connection portion has the same shape as the mating side, so that it is manufactured by one mold. It is possible to reduce the cost of manufacturing the mold by simplifying the shape of the mold, to reduce the size by eliminating the coupling structure that is not used for the coupling, and to reduce the manufacturing cost by reducing the number of raw materials.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electrical junction box coupling structure according to the first aspect, wherein at least one pair of locking portions is provided on one side of each of the connection box bodies, and the pair of locking portions is vertically It is characterized in that locking projections for maintaining the mutual locking state are provided.

In the connection structure of the electric connection box, since the connection operation of the electric connection box can be performed from two directions by providing the locking projections which hold the locking state of the electric connection box in the vertical direction, Workability is improved.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a connection state of an electric junction box according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electric junction box.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the electric junction box, FIG. 4A is a front view showing a state before the electric connection box is joined, and FIG. 4B is a front view showing a joint state of the electric connection box. .

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.
The connection box main body 11 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape by a synthetic resin. A mounting piece 20 for assembling a vehicle is integrally formed on one side surface 11a of the connection box body 11, and a component mounting part for mounting a relay, a fuse or the like (not shown) is mounted on an upper surface 11c of the connection box body 11. Parts 21 and 22 are formed. In FIGS. 1 and 4 (a), for the sake of explanation, the connection box main body of the connection partner is indicated by 11 'and by a two-dot chain line.

On the front face 11d of the connection box body 11,
A pair of engaging portions 12 and 13 are provided which are mutually engaged with a pair of engaging portions 13 and 12 of the mating connection box main body 11 ', and a pair of right and left mating members of the mating junction box main body 11' are provided. Stop 1
A pair of left and right locking portions 14 mutually locked to 5, 14;
15 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, each engaging portion 12 provided on the front face 11d of the connection box main body 11 has a flat T-shape and a rail shape extending in the vertical direction of the connection box main body 11 (joining work direction). You are. Also, the front 1 of the connection box body 11
1d is provided with a T-shaped engaging portion 12
And has a rail shape extending in the vertical direction (joining work direction) of the connection box main body 11. Since the engaging portion 13 surrounds the engaging portion 12, the engaged pair of engaging portions 12, 13 cannot be disassembled in directions other than the joining operation direction. Further, since both ends of the pair of engaging portions 12 and 13 are both open ends, the connecting box bodies 11 and 11 'having the same shape can be joined from two directions from above and below. Has become.

Further, as shown in FIG.
Each of the locking portions 14 provided on the front surface 11d of the
4a and an introduction portion 14b. Furthermore, each locking portion 15
Are the locking projection 15a, the arm portion 15b, and the bent portion 1
5c and a supporting portion 15d such that the arm portion 15b and the bent portion 15c are supported by the supporting portion 15d such that the locking projection 15a moves in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3 by bending deformation of the arm portion 15b. It is arranged.

Note that a locking portion 30 for mounting the connector 40 is integrally formed on the rear surface 11e of the connection box main body 11, and the connector 40 is attached to the locking portion 30 later.

Next, the connecting operation of the electric junction box 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). To connect the two connection box bodies 11, 11 'to the pair of engaging portions 12, 13 via the pair of engaging portions 14, 15, FIG.
When the connection box main body 11 ′ is slid in the direction of the arrow B inside, the locking projection 15 a of the connection box main body 11 interferes with the introduction part 14 b of the mating connection box main body 11 ′. The arm portion 15b and the bent portion 15c are flexed and deformed, and the locking protrusion 15a moves toward the support portion 15d, so that the locking protrusion 15a rides on the locking portion 14 and the joining operation is not hindered. .

The locking projection 14a of the connection box body 11
Interferes with the arm 15b of the connection box body 11 'on the other side, but this also interferes with the arm section 1 of the connection box body 11' on the other side.
5b and the bent portion 15c are bent and deformed, and the engagement protrusion 15a of the mating connection box main body 11 'moves to the support portion 15d side, so that the joining operation is not hindered. When the joining operation is further advanced, the locking projections 14 of the connection box main body 11 that have interfered with the arm portions 15b of the mating connection box main body 11 '.
a interferes with the locking projection 15a of the mating connection box main body 11 ', but the interference surfaces of the locking projections 14a, 15a are provided obliquely to each other in the coupling direction.
As the joining operation progresses, the connection box body 1 of the other party
The arm portion 15b and the bent portion 15c of 1 'are further flexed and deformed, and the locking projection 15a gets over the locking projection 14a.

FIG. 4B shows this state.
In the state of FIG. 4B, even if the connection box main body 11 'on the other side (hatched side) is further pushed downward in the figure, the locking projection 15a of the connection box main body 11 is turned on. It serves as a stopper for the locking projection 14a of the main body 11 ', so that the two connection box main bodies 11, 11' can be prevented from falling off. Also,
Even if the connection box main body 11 'on the other side is to be pulled out upward in the drawing, the locking projections 14a of the connection box main body 11 lock the locking projections 15a of the connection box main body 11' on the other side, and the two connection boxes Since the main bodies 11, 11 'can be prevented from falling off,
The connection state of the two electric connection boxes 10 and 10 is maintained, and the connection is completed.

4 (a) and 4 (b) show the case where the mating connection box main body 11 'is joined from the upper side of the figure. Even when coupled from below, the pair of locking portions 14 and 15 perform the same operation as described above, so that the two electric connection boxes 10 and 10 can be coupled.

Further, two electric connection boxes 10, 1 of the same shape
When a pair of engaging portions 12 and 13 and a pair of right and left locking portions 14 and 15 are disposed so that the two electric connection boxes 10 and 10 are connected to each other, each connection box main body is connected when two electric connection boxes 10 and 10 having the same shape are connected. 1
The upper surfaces 11c of the connection box bodies 11 and 11 'are arranged at the same height, and the positions of the pair of engaging portions 12 and 13 and the pair of left and right locking portions 14 and 15 are determined. The sides can be in the same position.

That is, in the connection structure of the present embodiment, since all the components of the connection structure are provided on one side of the connection box main body, the connection portion has the same shape as the mating side, so that it is manufactured by one mold. It is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the mold by simplifying the shape of the mold. Further, since the electric junction boxes having the same shape can be connected to each other, it is possible to manufacture a highly versatile electric junction box. In addition, it is possible to reduce the size by eliminating the need for disposing a coupling structure that is not used for coupling, and to reduce the manufacturing cost by reducing the number of raw materials accompanying this.

Further, in the connecting structure of the present embodiment, the connecting operation of the electric junction box can be performed from two directions by providing the locking projections for holding the locking state of the electric connection box in the vertical direction. Workability is improved.

Further, the locking portion 30 is provided on the back surface 11e of the connection box main body 11, and the connector 40 can be attached. Workability such as inspection and repair is improved.

The embodiments described above are described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. Therefore, each element shown in this embodiment is intended to include all design choices belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the present embodiment, the pair of engaging portions 12 and 13 are disposed so as to sandwich the pair of right and left locking portions 14 and 15, respectively. 12,
13 may be arranged. Also, depending on the position where the pair of engaging portions 12 and 13 and the pair of left and right locking portions 14 and 15 are provided, each connection box main body 11 and 11 ′ may be fitted to the space of the vehicle body where the electric connection box 10 is mounted. It is also possible to shift the side surfaces and combine them.

Further, in this embodiment, a pair of engaging portions 1
2 and 13 and the pair of locking portions 14 and 15 on the left and right sides are formed of separate members, but the locking portions 12 and 13 have a locking function or are engaged with the locking portions 14 and 15. Each part may be provided with a combined function.

That is, when the engaging portions and the engaging portions are designed to be connectable when the connecting portions having the same shape are opposed to each other, the connecting structure of the electric connection box is not limited to this embodiment. It is not something to be done.

[0032]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since all the components of the coupling structure are provided on one side of the electric junction box main body, the coupling portion has the same shape as the mating side. Therefore, there is an effect that the manufacturing can be performed with one mold, and an effect that the cost for manufacturing the mold can be reduced by simplifying the shape of the mold. Furthermore, since electric junction boxes of the same shape can be connected, there is an effect that a highly versatile electric junction box can be manufactured. In addition, there is an effect that it is possible to reduce the size by not arranging a coupling structure that is not used for the coupling, and to reduce the production cost by reducing the raw materials accompanying this.

Further, since a locking portion is provided on the vacant surface of the electric connection box and a connector can be attached,
Since a plurality of connectors are gathered in the electric junction box, workability such as inspection and repair of the electric system is improved. Since the mating portion and the locking portion must be at the same distance from the upper surface of the connection box main body, the coupling of two electric connection boxes having the same shape has the effect that the two upper surfaces have the same height.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, by providing the locking projections for holding the locking state in the vertical direction, the electric connection box can be joined from two directions. There is an effect that workability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a connection state of an electric junction box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electric junction box according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the electric junction box according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a front view showing a state before coupling of the electric junction box according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a front view showing a coupling state of the electric junction box.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a connection state of a conventional electric junction box.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a conventional electric junction box.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a conventional electric junction box.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Electrical connection box 11, 11 'Connection box main body 12, 13 Engaging part 14, 15 Locking part 14a, 15a Locking projection

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 4E360 AB12 AB18 AB20 ED03 ED17 ED27 EE02 GA04 GA06 GA47 GA52 GB93 5G361 AA06 AB12 AC02 AE01

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A connecting structure of an electric connection box in which two connection box bodies of the same shape for vehicle assembly are freely connected via an engaging portion and a locking portion, wherein one side of each of the connection box bodies is mated. And an engaging portion that is mutually engaged with an engaging portion of the connection box body on the other side, and a locking portion that is mutually engaged with the locking portion of the connection box body on the other side is provided. Connection structure of electrical junction box. 2. The connection structure for an electric connection box according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of locking portions is provided on one side of each of the connection box main bodies, and the pair of locking portions is vertically locked to each other. A coupling structure for an electric connection box, wherein a locking projection for maintaining a state is provided.