JP2005143265A - Electric connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connection box in which the heat of a heating component contained in a sheathing case can be dissipated efficiently and which costs low irrespective of the number of heating components and which can serve without enlarging its size. <P>SOLUTION: The electric connection box 1 includes an upper case 2. The upper case 2 has a case body 4 which is formed by press forming from a material containing an aluminum as a main ingredient and in which a radiant fin part 4a having a rugged shape on an outer surface is integrally molded, a thermal storage resin part 5 having a high thermal conductivity and disposed in a recess formed in an interior by the rugged shape of the radiant fin part 4a, and component housing parts 6a, 6b and 6c fixed to the case body 4 and formed of a resin material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical junction box having a heat dissipation structure for a heat generating component.

  As a heat dissipation structure for a heat generating component, there is one shown in FIG. 3 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this heat dissipation structure, as shown in FIG. 3, a heat dissipation plate 52 is connected to a power transistor 51 mounted on a substrate 50. The heat radiating plate 52 is formed, for example, in an uneven shape from an aluminum material by press molding.

  According to this heat dissipation structure, heat generated from the power transistor 51 is transmitted to the heat dissipation plate 52, and is radiated from the surface to the atmosphere while being diffused throughout the heat dissipation plate 52. Since the heat dissipation plate 52 has a wide contact area with air due to the uneven shape, the heat dissipation plate 52 can efficiently dissipate heat.

By the way, in many cases, a heat generating component such as a power transistor is mounted on an electric junction box of an automobile, and it is indispensable to take measures for heat dissipation of the heat generating component. In addition, the above-described heat dissipation structure can be adopted as a heat dissipation measure for the heat generating component.
JP-A-8-61879

  However, if a heat sink is installed in the heat generating component built in the outer case of the electrical junction box, the heat is dissipated inside the outer case, so the temperature difference between the heat generating component and the outer case is not sufficient, and the desired heat dissipation. There was a problem that the effect could not be expected.

  In addition, since it is necessary to connect a heat sink for each heat generating component, the number of heat sinks and the installation space thereof increase as the number of heat generating components to be mounted increases, and the electrical junction box increases in cost and size. There is a problem. Although it is conceivable to attach a heat sink in units of heat-generating parts, it cannot be adopted because of the same problems as described above.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can efficiently dissipate heat generated by the heat generating components incorporated in the outer case, and can be inexpensive regardless of the number of heat generating components. An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical junction box that can be performed without being converted into a single box.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the electrical junction box in which the heat generating component is provided inside the exterior case, the exterior case is formed by press molding from a material mainly composed of aluminum, and has an uneven shape on the outer surface. It is characterized by comprising a case main body integrally formed with a heat radiating fin portion, and a heat storage resin portion having a high thermal conductivity disposed in a concave portion formed inside by the uneven shape of the heat radiating fin portion.

  In this electrical junction box, the heat of the heat-generating component mounted inside the exterior case is transmitted through the case body having a high thermal conductivity as a heat radiation path, and is radiated from the surface of the case body. The case body has a large surface area, and the surface area of the case body is further expanded by the uneven heat radiation fin portion, and the contact area with the air is wide, so that efficient heat dissipation is achieved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electrical junction box according to the first aspect, wherein the exterior case includes a component housing portion fixed to the case body and formed of a resin material.

  In this electrical junction box, in addition to the effects of the invention of claim 1, a simple part that can be formed by press molding, and a part that cannot be formed by press molding because of its complicated structure, or that requires electrical insulation. The former part is formed by press molding as the case body, and the latter part is formed by a resin material as the component housing.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the electrical junction box according to the second aspect, wherein the component housing portion is formed of a resin having a high thermal conductivity.

  In this electrical junction box, in addition to the operation of the invention of claim 2, when the component mounted on the component housing portion is a heat generating component, the heat generated by the heat generating component is efficiently transferred to the case body via the component housing portion. Communicated.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the heat of the heat generating component mounted inside the exterior case is transmitted through the case body having a high thermal conductivity as a heat dissipation path, and is radiated from the surface of the case body. The case body has a large surface area, and the surface area of the case body is further expanded by the uneven heat radiation fin portion, and the contact area with the air is wide, so that efficient heat dissipation is achieved. In other words, since the case body itself of the exterior case forms a heat dissipation path, it is not necessary to take measures for heat dissipation for each heat generating component as in the conventional example, the space is not required, and the case body is low in manufacturing cost. Created by press molding. As a result, the heat generated by the heat generating component incorporated in the outer case can be efficiently dissipated, and the cost can be reduced regardless of the number of heat generating components, and the electric junction box can be enlarged. Moreover, since the heat from the heat generating component is stored in the heat storage resin portion inside the radiating fin portion, the heat peak point is eliminated by the heat leveling, and the temperature rise can be suppressed as much as possible. Furthermore, since the heat storage resin portion is provided inside the concavo-convex shape of the radiating fin portion, it is possible to obtain a temperature rise suppression effect due to heat storage without narrowing the surface area of the radiating fin portion.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the former part is divided into a simple part that can be formed by press molding and a part that cannot be formed by press molding because of its complicated structure, or that requires electrical insulation. The part is formed by press molding as a case body, and the latter part is formed by a resin material as a component housing. Therefore, it can be manufactured even when the exterior case has a structure portion that cannot be formed by press molding.

  According to the invention of claim 3, when the component mounted on the component housing is a heat generating component, the heat generated by the heat generating component is efficiently transmitted to the case body via the component housing portion. Therefore, the heat of the heat generating component disposed outside the exterior case can be effectively radiated.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view of an electrical junction box, FIG. 1 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 (a), and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the upper case.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electrical junction box 1 includes an upper case 2 and a lower case 3 that are exterior cases, and the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are assembled. Inside the upper case 2 and the lower case 3, a metal substrate on which a heat-generating component such as a power transistor is mounted is arranged, and a bus bar (none of which is shown) constituting a transmission path of an electric circuit is arranged. .

  The upper case 2 is formed by press molding from a material containing aluminum as a main component (hereinafter abbreviated as aluminum material), and the case main body 4 is integrally formed with a heat radiating fin portion 4a having an uneven shape on the outer surface. The heat storage resin portion 5 having a high thermal conductivity disposed in the recess formed inside by the uneven shape of the radiating fin portion 4a, and the component housing portions 6a, 6b, which are fixed to the case body 4 and formed of a resin material, 6c. That is, a simple part where the part of the upper case 2 can be formed by press molding and a complicated structure such as the component housing parts 6a, 6b, 6c cannot be formed by press molding, or electrical insulation is necessary. The former part is all formed of an aluminum material, and the latter part and the heat storage resin portion 5 are formed of a resin material.

  The case body 4 is formed by press molding in which a flat plate made of an aluminum material is subjected to drawing and punching press work. The radiating fin portion 4a is provided on the upper surface of the case body 4 and in almost the entire space other than the space where the component housing portions 6a, 6b, 6c are arranged, and is arranged so that the surface area of the case body 4 is as large as possible. ing. A housing support hole 4b is formed in the case main body 4, and component housing portions 6a, 6b, 6c are formed of a resin material at predetermined locations using these. There are three types of component housing parts 6a, 6b, 6c: a relay housing part 6a, a fuse housing part 6b, and a connector housing part 6c. These include a relay as a heat generating part, a fuse as a heat generating part, and a connector. (Both not shown) are mounted.

  The heat storage resin portion 5 and the component housing portions 6a, 6b, and 6c are formed by immersing the case body 4 in a solution and performing in-mold molding after the dimple formation process, or by insert molding. Furthermore, the heat storage resin portion 5 and the component housing portions 6a, 6b, and 6c are formed of a resin material having a high thermal conductivity, for example, a resin material highly filled with alumina, silica, or the like.

  In the above configuration, when a heat-generating component such as a power transistor mounted inside the upper case 2 generates heat, the heat is transmitted to the case main body 4 having a high thermal conductivity via a metal substrate, a bus bar, etc. The transmitted heat is radiated from the surface of the case body 4 to the atmosphere. Further, when a heat generating component such as a relay or a fuse mounted outside the upper case 2 generates heat, it is transmitted to the case main body 4 having high thermal conductivity through the component housing portions 6a and 6b, and the heat transmitted to the case main body 4 is transmitted. Is radiated from the surface of the case body 4 into the atmosphere. Here, the case main body 4 has a large surface area, and the surface area thereof is further enlarged by the concavo-convex-shaped heat radiating fins 4a, and the contact area with the air is wide, so that efficient heat dissipation is performed. That is, since the case main body 4 itself of the upper case 2 forms a heat dissipation path, it is not necessary to take heat dissipation measures for each heat generating component as in the conventional example, and the space for the case main body 4 is not required. Manufactured by inexpensive press molding.

  As described above, it is possible to efficiently dissipate heat generated by the heat generating components built in the upper case 2, and it is possible to reduce the cost regardless of the number of heat generating components, and to increase the size of the electric junction box 1. Moreover, since the heat from the heat-generating component is stored in the heat storage resin portion 5 inside the radiating fin portion 4a, the heat peak point is eliminated by the heat leveling, and the temperature rise can be suppressed as much as possible. Furthermore, since the heat storage resin portion 5 is provided inside the concavo-convex shape of the radiating fin portion 4a, a temperature rise suppression effect due to heat storage can be obtained without reducing the surface area of the radiating fin portion 4a.

  Thus, since the case main body 4 with very good heat dissipation efficiency is used as the heat dissipator, the installation of the heat dissipating bus bar can be reduced or omitted. In addition, the bus bar need not be used as a heat dissipation path in addition to the transmission path of the electric circuit, or can be completely eliminated, so that the width of the bus bar can be reduced. Thereby, size reduction of the electrical junction box 1 can be achieved.

  In the above embodiment, the upper case 2 includes the component housing portions 6a, 6b, and 6c that are fixed to the case body 4 and formed of a resin material. Therefore, the upper case 2 has a simple structure that can be formed by press molding and a complicated structure. Therefore, it is divided into parts that cannot be formed by press molding or that need to be electrically insulated, and the former part is formed by press molding as the case body 4, and the latter part is formed by the component housing parts 6a, 6b, 6c is formed of a resin material. Accordingly, the upper case 2 can be manufactured even when it has a structural portion that cannot be formed by press molding.

  In the above embodiment, the component housing parts 6a, 6b, 6c are made of a resin having high thermal conductivity. Therefore, when the parts mounted on the component housing parts 6a, 6b, 6c are heat generating parts, the heat generating parts are used. Is efficiently transmitted to the case body 4 via the component housing portions 6a, 6b, and 6c. Therefore, the heat of the heat generating component arranged outside the upper case 2 can also be effectively radiated.

  In addition, according to the said embodiment, although the case where the case main body 4 of the upper case 2 was formed with the aluminum material was demonstrated, the lower case 3 itself may also be comprised from the case main body of an aluminum material and the site | part of a resin material. In this way, since the surface area of contact with the atmosphere is further increased, the heat dissipation can be further improved.

1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view of an electrical junction box, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 (a). 1 is an exploded perspective view of an upper case according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the high heat structure of the conventional heat-emitting component.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electrical junction box 2 Upper case (exterior case)
4 Case body 4a Radiating fin part 5 Thermal storage resin part 6a, 6b, 6c Parts housing part

Claims (3)

In the electrical junction box with heat generating parts inside the exterior case,
The exterior case is formed by press molding from a material mainly composed of aluminum, and has a case main body integrally formed with a radiating fin portion having a concavo-convex shape on the outer surface, and a concavo-convex shape of the radiating fin portion inside. An electrical junction box comprising: a heat storage resin portion having a high thermal conductivity arranged in a formed recess. The electrical junction box according to claim 1,
The electrical connection box, wherein the outer case includes a component housing portion fixed to the case body and formed of a resin material. The electrical junction box according to claim 2,
The electrical connection box, wherein the component housing portion is formed of a resin having high thermal conductivity.

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