JP2006050770A - Terminal block connection structure of electric connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a high safety terminal block connection structure of an electric connection box in which a connection circuit is not exposed even when an extra terminal block is not employed. <P>SOLUTION: In the electric connection box 1 where bus bars 5 and 7 are arranged on the upper surface side of an insulating inner cover 3, an outer cover 2 is fixed to the inner cover, and terminal blocks 44-47 for connection with external wires are provided on the inner and outer covers, an extra terminal block 8 is fixed to the side face 16 of the inner cover 3, extra bus bars 9 and 10 of the extra terminal block are connected with the bus bars 5 and 7 on the upper surface side of the inner cover by fastening screws, and then the extra bus bars are routed between the inner cover and the outer cover 2. One extra bus bar 9 is routed along the outer surface of the sidewall 16 of the inner cover 3, and the other extra bus bar 10 is routed along the inner surface of the sidewall. Ends of the extra bus bars 9 and 10 engage with screw members 33 and 34 on the inside of the extra terminal block 8. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal block connection structure for an electric connection box in which an additional terminal block for selectively connecting an external electric wire of a device or the like is mounted on an electric connection box mounted on an electric vehicle or the like.

  FIG. 4 shows one form of a conventional terminal block connection structure (see Patent Document 1).

  This structure connects the three-phase AC power source of the electric vehicle and the terminal block 71 of the drive motor. The connectors 73 provided at the terminals of the three shielded electric wires 72 on the power source side and the connectors 73 are connected. A terminal block 71 having each receiving connector 74 and a mounting member 75 for positioning each connector 73 on the terminal block 71 are provided.

  The mounting member 75 is fixed to the terminal block 71 with bolts, the flange portions 77 of the connectors 73 are engaged with the hole portions 76 of the mounting member 75, and the holes of the flange portions 77 are connected to the screw holes 78 of the terminal block 71. In alignment, each flange 77 is fixed to the terminal block 71 with a bolt.

  As a terminal block connection structure other than the above, for example, an electric connection box is provided in the middle of a circuit for connecting a battery and an inverter in an electric vehicle (including a hybrid vehicle), a terminal block is provided in the electric connection box, Examples include connecting an inverter side circuit.

In this structure, an additional terminal block can be retrofitted to the electrical connection box according to the connection direction of the circuit on the inverter side, and the terminal block can be selected by connecting the terminal block and the additional terminal block with a bus bar circuit in the electrical connection box. This technique has been proposed by the present applicant.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-231409 (pages 3 to 4, FIG. 1)

  However, in the terminal block connection structure of the electrical junction box, when an additional terminal block is not used, a circuit such as a bus bar that connects the electrical junction box and the additional terminal block is exposed on the outer surface of the electrical junction box. I was worried that it could cause a short circuit.

  In view of the above, the present invention has an object to provide a terminal block connection structure for an electrical connection box that does not expose a connection circuit even when an additional terminal block is not used, and has high safety.

  In order to achieve the above object, the terminal block connection structure of the electrical junction box according to claim 1 of the present invention is such that a bus bar is disposed on the upper surface side of the insulating inner cover, and the outer cover is attached to the inner cover. In the electrical junction box in which the inner cover or the outer cover is provided with a terminal block for connecting an external electric wire, an additional terminal block is mounted on a side surface of the inner cover, and the additional terminal block is attached to the bus bar on the upper surface side of the inner cover. The additional bus bar is screwed and connected, and the additional bus bar is routed between the inner cover and the outer cover.

  With the above configuration, the additional bus bar is integrally assembled with the additional terminal block with respect to the electrical junction box, and the additional bus bar is removed integrally with the additional terminal block when unnecessary. When the additional terminal block is mounted on the electrical junction box, the additional bus bar is covered with the outer cover and is not exposed to the outside. Further, when the additional terminal block is detached, the additional bus bar is removed without remaining on the inner cover. As a result, there is no concern that the additional bus bar contacts the outside and causes a short circuit or the like. The additional terminal block is selectively used instead of the terminal block for connecting the external electric wire of the electric connection box, and the external electric wire is screwed and connected to the additional terminal block.

  The terminal block connection structure for an electrical connection box according to claim 2 is the terminal block connection structure for an electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein one of the additional bus bars is routed along the outer surface of the side wall of the inner cover, The other additional bus bar is routed along the inner surface of the side wall.

  With the above configuration, one additional bus bar and the other additional bus bar are isolated from each other by the side wall of the inner cover.

  The terminal block connection structure for an electrical connection box according to claim 3 is the terminal block connection structure for an electrical connection box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the end of the additional bus bar is engaged with the screw member inside the additional terminal block. It is characterized by being combined.

  With the above configuration, the end portion of the additional bus bar and the terminal portion of the external electric wire or the like are securely tightened and connected by the screw member, that is, the bolt or the nut, inside the additional terminal block.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the additional bus bar is hidden inside the upper cover when the additional terminal block is used, a short circuit due to contact between the additional bus bar and the outside is reliably prevented. Further, when the additional terminal block is not used, the additional bus bar is completely removed from the electrical junction box, so that there is no fear of contact between the additional bus bar and the outside.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the one additional bus bar and the other additional bus bar are insulated from each other by the side wall of the inner cover, the function of connecting the additional terminal block is accurately exhibited.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, in the additional terminal block, the end portion of the additional bus bar and the terminal portion of the external electric wire or the like are securely tightened and connected by the screw member, and the function of the additional terminal block is reliably exhibited.

  1 to 3 show an embodiment of a terminal block connection structure of an electrical connection box according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the structure includes an insulating resin upper cover (outer cover) 2, middle cover (inner cover) 3, lower cover 4, and conductive metal bus bar 5 disposed on the upper surface of the middle cover 3. In the electrical junction box 1 including the bus bar circuit board 6 laminated on the bus bar 5, the additional bus bars 9 and 10 of the block-shaped additional terminal block 8 are bolted to the bus bar 5 and the bus bar 7 of the bus bar circuit board 6. And when the additional terminal block 8 is not used, the bolts 11 and 12 are loosened so that the additional terminal block 8 can be removed together with the additional bus bars 9 and 10.

  The electric junction box 1 is mounted on an electric vehicle (including a hybrid car). The upper cover 2 is formed in a rectangular shape with a horizontal upper wall 13 and vertical wall portions (side walls) 14 on the front, rear, left and right sides, and has a wide space inside, and the bus bar circuit board 6, the bus bar 5 and the middle cover in the space. 3 are accommodated.

  Similar to the upper cover 2, the middle cover 3 is formed in a rectangular shape with a horizontal upper wall 15 and front and rear, left and right vertical side walls 16, and a pair of guide rails 17 for fixing the additional terminal block 8 to one side wall 16. , Each of the additional bus bars 9, 10 of the additional terminal block 8, and each of the recesses 18, 19 are arranged side by side, and the two recesses 18, 19 are provided side by side. A bus bar routing gap is provided on the inner side (back side) following the other recess 19, and the other additional bus bar 10 is routed so as to be hidden behind the one additional bus bar 9 of the additional terminal block 8.

  That is, one additional bus bar 9 is routed along the outer surface of the side wall 16 of the middle cover 3, and the other additional bus bar 10 is routed along the inner surface of the side wall 16. Each guide rail 17 is formed in a substantially T-shaped cross section, and is positioned in the vertical direction on both sides of the two recesses 18 and 19.

  One additional bus bar 9 of the additional terminal block 8 is tightened and connected to the positive pole bus bar 5 on the middle cover 3 with bolts 11, and the other additional bus bar 10 is connected to the negative pole bus bar 7 of the bus bar circuit board 6 with bolts 12. Tightened and connected. The middle cover 3 is provided with nuts (not shown) for screwing the bolts 11 and 12 by insert molding or fitting.

  The bus bar circuit board 6 is provided with a notch 21 through which the head of the bolt 11 of one additional bus bar 9 escapes, and the bolt 12 of the other additional bus bar 10 protrudes downward through the hole of the bus bar circuit board 6. Screwed onto a nut (not shown) on the cover 3 side. The bus bar circuit board 6 includes a horizontal insulating plate 22 and various types of bus bars 7 made of conductive metal and arranged on the upper surface of the insulating plate 22. Various types of bus bars 5 on the middle cover 3 are mainly aggregated with positive poles, and bus bars 7 of the bus bar circuit board 6 are mainly aggregated with negative poles.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one additional bus bar 9 includes a horizontally long horizontal portion 23, a horizontal terminal plate 24 orthogonal to the lower end on one end side of the horizontal portion 23, and the other end side of the horizontal portion 23. Is formed by a vertical portion 25 that is bent downward in a substantially L shape and a horizontal portion 26 that is placed transversely perpendicular to the lower end of the vertical portion 25, and the horizontal portion 26 is bent in a substantially square shape. A terminal plate 26a is provided on the distal end side, and the terminal plates 24 and 26a of both ends each have a hole 27 for inserting a bolt.

  The other additional bus bar 10 includes a vertical horizontal portion 28 that is shorter than the horizontal portion 23 of one additional bus bar 9, a short vertical portion 29 that continues upward on one end side of the horizontal portion 28, and orthogonal to the upper end of the vertical portion 29. The horizontal terminal plate 30 and the horizontal horizontal part 31 extending perpendicularly to the lower end on the other end side of the horizontal part 28 are formed, and the horizontal part 31 is bent into a substantially square shape and is connected to the tip side. The terminal board 30 and 31a of both ends have the hole 32 for bolt insertion, respectively.

  The additional terminal block 8 includes bolts (screw members) 33 and 34 and nuts (not shown) for fixing the additional bus bars 9 and 10 and the terminal plates 26a and 31a on the base end side of the additional bus bars 9 and 10. And a terminal block main body 36 made of an insulating resin for accommodating and fixing the bolts 33 and 34 and the third bolt 35.

  The terminal block main body 36 includes a horizontal substrate portion 37, a vertical peripheral wall 38 surrounding the substrate portion 37, a plurality of ribs 39 (FIG. 2) suspended below the substrate portion 37, and the substrate portion 37. It is comprised with the cover (not shown) which covers an upper side.

  The bolts 33 and 34 are inserted and fixed downward in the holes of the board portion 37, the bolts 33 and 34 are arranged in parallel, and the heads 33 a and 34 a of the bolts 33 and 34 are located above the board portion 37. The male screw portions of the bolts 33 and 34 are surrounded and protected by the peripheral wall 38 and the ribs 39, and each rib 39 defines a wiring path for the additional bus bars 9 and 10 below the base plate portion 37. The cover (not shown) is locked to the peripheral wall 38 by locking means such as a locking projection and an engagement frame piece.

  A pair of slide engaging portions 41 with respect to the guide rail 17 of the middle cover 3 is provided on the vertical wall portion 40 on the back side of the terminal block main body 36. The slide engaging portion 41 has a substantially T-shaped groove. The guide rail 17 is provided with a locking projection 42, and the slide engagement portion 41 is provided with an engagement recess (not shown) for the locking projection.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the additional bus bars 9 and 10 are mounted on the terminal base body 36 from the lower side, and the holes 27 of the terminal plates 26 a and 31 a of the additional bus bars 9 and 10 engage with the bolts 33 and 34. In this example, the bolt 35 on the left end side protrudes up and down, and each male screw portion passes through the notch hole 44 of the substantially U-shaped conductive plate 43, and a third additional bus bar (not shown) from the upper and lower sides. And a terminal portion of an external electric wire (not shown) can be tightened and connected with a nut (not shown). The additional bus bars 9 and 10 and the terminal portions of the external electric wires (not shown) are tightened and connected to the other bolts 33 and 34 from below with nuts (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 3, external wires (not shown) are connected to the additional bus bars 9 and 10 of the additional terminal block 8 with the additional terminal block 8 connected and fixed to the electrical connection box 1. The additional terminal block 8 is simply fixed by slidingly engaging the slide engaging portion 41 (FIG. 1) with the guide rail 17 of the middle cover 3 from above. The vertical wall portion 40 on the back side of the additional terminal block 8 is in contact with the outer surface of the vertical wall portion 14 of the upper cover 2 of the electrical junction box 1, and the lower end of the additional terminal block 8 is positioned substantially on the same horizontal plane as the lower end of the lower cover 4. To do.

  In the assembled state of FIG. 3, each additional bus bar 9, 10 of the additional terminal block 8 is connected to the inner surface of the insulating resin upper cover 2 from the inside of the terminal block body 36 (between the inner surface of the upper cover 2 and the outer surface of the middle cover 3). It is routed along and is not exposed at all.

  In the case of the specification not using the additional terminal block 8, the additional terminal block 8 is removed together with the additional bus bars 9 and 10 with the upper cover 2 removed in FIG. Since the terminal block 8 is not attached to the electrical connection box 1 integrally with the additional bus bars 9 and 10), there is no additional bus bar on the outer wall 14 of the electrical connection box 1 with the additional terminal block 8 removed in FIG. 9 and 10 are not exposed, and the bus bars 5 and 7 (FIG. 1) in the electrical junction box are only located on the upper surface side of the middle cover 3, and there is a concern of short circuiting due to contact between the additional bus bars 9 and 10 and the outside. Is surely resolved.

  The additional bus bars 9 and 10 are tightened and connected to the bus bars 5 and 7 on the electrical connection box side by bolts 11 and 12 (FIG. 1), and the bolts 11 and 12 are loosened and removed to connect the additional bus bars 9 and 10 to the additional terminal block 8. Needless to say, they are removed from the electrical junction box 1 together.

  In the case of the additional terminal block 8 of this example, the terminal portion of the positive pole shield wire (not shown) on the inverter (device) side is screwed to one additional bus bar 9 and the other additional bus bar 10 is connected to the inverter side. -The terminal portion of the shielded electric wire (not shown) is screwed and connected. One additional bus bar 9 is screwed to the positive pole bus bar 5 (FIG. 1) on the middle cover 3 and the other additional bus bar 10 is screwed to the negative pole bus bar 7 of the bus bar circuit board 6. The bus bars 5 and 7 of the negative and positive poles are routed along the terminal blocks 44 and 45 (FIG. 3) erected on the middle cover. The terminal blocks 44 and 45 are arranged on the opposite side to the additional terminal block 8 by 180 °.

  When the additional terminal block 8 is not used, the terminal portions of the shielded electric wires (not shown) on the inverter side are connected to the terminal blocks 44 and 45 of the electrical connection box 1 by bolting. Whether to use the terminal blocks 44 and 45 of the electrical connection box 1 or the additional terminal block 8 is selectively set according to the lead-out direction and connection direction of the shielded electric wire on the inverter side.

  For example, a DC / DC converter-side electric wire (not shown), another external electric wire, or a grounding electric wire (not shown) is screwed to the bolt 35 at the left end of the additional terminal block 8 with a nut. A DC / DC converter side electric wire is selectively screwed to the terminal block 46 of the electrical connection box 1 on the side opposite to the additional terminal block 8, and the inverter side is selectively connected to the grounded terminal block 47. A ground wire (not shown) of the shielded wire is screwed and connected. A ground terminal block 47 is provided on the upper cover 2.

  1 and 2, 51 is a + pole relay, 52 is a -pole relay, 53 is a relay terminal, 54 is a large current fuse, 55 is a small current fuse, and 56 is a + pole that connects a circuit on the battery side. Reference numeral 57 denotes a current sensor, and 58 denotes a service plug for circuit interruption. The relays 51 and 52 are connected to the bus bars 5 and 7 of each pole via the relay terminal 53. The small current fuse 55 is connected to a terminal 59 on the connector side.

  A conductive metal shield cover (not shown) is disposed inside the middle cover 3, a control board (not shown) is formed on the lower cover 4, the control board is covered with the shield cover, and the lower cover 4 is the middle cover. The upper cover 2 is positioned outside the middle cover 3 by the locking means 60 and the additional bus bar 9 of the additional terminal block 8 is disposed between the side surface 16 of the middle cover 3 and the side surface 14 of the upper cover 2. , 10 are insulated, and high voltage circuits 5, 7 are accommodated between the upper surface 15 of the middle cover 3 and the lower surface of the upper cover 2, and high voltage relays 51, 52 are mounted on the upper cover. The electric connection box 1 is fixed in the battery pack on the vehicle body side by the brackets 61 of the middle cover 3 on both sides of the additional terminal block 8.

  Each of the relays 51 and 52 intermittently connects a battery side circuit (a bus bar in the electrical connection box) and an inverter side circuit, an inverter (not shown) is connected to an AC motor side circuit, and a service plug 58 is connected to the battery side. The bus bar 5 following the + pole relay 51 is connected to the additional bus bar 9 of the additional terminal block 8, the small current fuse 55, and the like. It is connected to a circuit (not shown) on the DC / DC converter side together with a circuit that does not pass.

  In the above embodiment, the additional bus bars 9 and 10 are provided by being assembled to the terminal block main body 36. However, the additional bus bars 9 and 10 may be embedded and fixed in the terminal block main body made of insulating resin by insert molding, for example. Is possible. Further, the base end portions of the additional bus bars 9 and 10 are brought into contact with nuts (screw members) instead of bolts (screw members) in the terminal block main body 36, and the terminal portions of the external electric wires are tightened and connected to the nuts with bolts. Is also possible. In the above embodiment, the additional terminal block 8 is slidably engaged with the middle cover 3 by the guide rail 17 and the slide engaging portion 41. For example, the additional terminal block 8 is fixed to the middle cover 3 by screwing. It is also possible to make it.

  Moreover, although the electrical junction box 1 of the said embodiment has the lower cover 4, depending on a circuit form, it is also possible to abolish the lower cover 4 and to comprise a junction box main body only with the upper cover 2 and the middle cover 3. FIG. Further, in the above embodiment, the additional bus bars 9 and 10 are fastened to the nut on the middle cover side with the bolts 11 and 12 in the middle cover 3, but this nut is removed and the insulating upper wall 15 of the middle cover 3 is removed. It is also possible to provide a female screw hole.

  A stud bolt (not shown) is erected on the upper wall 15 of the middle cover 3 in place of the nut and the female screw hole, and the holes 27 and 32 of the additional bus bars 9 and 10 are inserted into and engaged with the stud bolt from above. It is also possible to tighten with a nut. The configuration of mounting the additional terminal block 8 on the electrical junction box 1 has been previously proposed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-364513.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the terminal block connection structure of the electrical connection box which concerns on this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the additional terminal block connected to an electrical junction box. It is a perspective view which similarly shows the terminal block connection structure of an electrical connection box. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows one form of the connection structure of the conventional terminal block.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electrical junction box 2 Upper cover (outer cover)
3 Middle cover (inner cover)
5,7 Busbar 8 Additional terminal block 9,10 Additional busbar 13 Upper wall (upper surface)
16 Side wall (side)
33, 34 bolt (screw member)
44-47 terminal block

Claims (3)

In an electrical connection box in which a bus bar is arranged on the upper surface side of the insulating inner cover, an outer cover is attached to the inner cover, and a terminal block for connecting an external wire is provided on the inner cover or the outer cover.
An additional terminal block is mounted on the side surface of the inner cover, and the additional bus bar of the additional terminal block is screwed to the bus bar on the upper surface side of the inner cover, and the additional bus bar is interposed between the inner cover and the outer cover. A terminal block connection structure for an electrical connection box, characterized in that the terminal block connection structure is arranged in a cable.   2. The electric junction box according to claim 1, wherein one of the additional bus bars is routed along an outer surface of a side wall of the inner cover, and the other of the additional bus bars is routed along an inner surface of the side wall. Terminal block connection structure.   The terminal block connection structure for an electrical connection box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an end portion of the additional bus bar is engaged with a screw member inside the additional terminal block.

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