JP2006333576A - Electric connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connection box that can easily assemble a side cover thereto in a short moving stroke. <P>SOLUTION: The electric connection box 1 comprises a box body 2, a lower cover 26 and the side cover 4. A recessed groove 14 recessed from an external wall face 13a is formed at the box body 2. A recessed slide groove 21 formed at the internal rim 14a of the recessed groove 14 linearly extends along the slide direction K. A recessed groove 30 recessed from an external wall face 28a is formed at the lower cover 26. A recessed slide groove 31 formed at the internal rim of the recessed groove 30 linearly extends along the slide direction K. The side cover 4 is integrally provided with a main body 19, and a plurality of pairs of ribs 33, 34 that are erected from the rim of the main body 19 and extend along the slide direction. The ribs 33, 34 are arranged so as to be apart from each other at an interval. The slide cover 4 is attached to the box body 2 in which the rib 33 slides in the slide groove 21 and the rib 34 slides in the slide groove 31, and to the lower cover 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical junction box mounted on an automobile or the like as a moving body.

  In general, automobiles as moving bodies are equipped with a wide variety of electronic devices such as lamps such as head lamps and tail lamps, and motors such as motors for starter motors and air conditioners.

  In order to supply electric power to the various electronic devices described above, the automobile has arranged junction blocks at appropriate locations. The junction block is composed of various electric circuit units such as a large number of fuses and relays.

  Note that the junction block may include a fuse, a relay, a bus bar, and the like, and thus is also referred to as a fuse block, a relay box, or an electrical connection box. In the present specification, the above-described fuse block, relay box, and junction block are collectively referred to as an electric junction box (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  The electrical connection box 50 includes a box body 51 that forms an outline, a wiring board, a cover member 52 that is attached to the box body 51, a side cover 53, and the like. Electrical components such as fuses and relays are mounted on the box body 51. The box body 51 is fitted with a connector of a wire harness or the like.

  The wiring board is accommodated in the box body 51, and electrically connects the above-described electrical components such as fuses and relays to the terminals of the connector of the wire harness according to a predetermined pattern. When the cover member 52 is attached to the box body 51, the cover member 52 covers the wire harness connector described above.

  Further, the box body 51 and the cover member 52 described above are formed with recesses 54 that are recessed from the respective outer surfaces and communicated with each other. The recess 54 accommodates the above-described wire harness inside. The concave portion 54 on the box body 51 side is provided with grooves 55 and 55 that are formed concave from the opposing inner surface. The grooves 55, 55 extend along the fitting direction (hereinafter, indicated by the arrow K) between the box body 51 and the side cover 53.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the side cover 53 has a rectangular planar shape and includes a pair of ribs 56. The ribs 56 are provided on both edges of the side cover 53. Each rib 56, 56 extends along the fitting direction K between the box body 51 and the side cover 53. Each of the ribs 56 and 56 slides and enters the grooves 55 and 55 described above along the fitting direction K. The above-described wire harness is attached to the side cover 53. As shown in FIG. 7, the side cover 53 to which the wire harness is attached is fixed to the box body 51 when the ribs 56 and 56 slide into the grooves 55 and 55 described above along the fitting direction K. And the wire harness housed in the recess 54 is covered.
JP 2001-37048 A

  In the conventional electrical junction box 50 described above, a pair of ribs 56 are provided on both edges of the side cover 53, and the side cover 53 is securely assembled to the box body 51 and the box body 51 and the cover member 52 are attached. In order to reliably cover the concave portion 54 formed over the length of each of the ribs 56 and 56 and the grooves 55 and 55, it is necessary to increase the length along the fitting direction K. Therefore, the distance (stroke) for inserting and moving the ribs 56 and 56 into the grooves 55 and 55 becomes long, so that the work of assembling the side cover 53 by inserting the ribs 56 and 56 into the grooves 55 and 55 is troublesome. Met.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical junction box in which a side cover can be easily assembled in a short movement process.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the electrical junction box according to the present invention includes a box body, a cover member that is attached to the box body, and the box body and the cover body. And a side cover attached to at least one of the box main body and the cover main body by being slid along the direction in which they overlap each other, provided in the side cover, Guide portions for guiding the sliding direction of the side cover are arranged at intervals along the sliding direction of the side cover, and the fitting receiving portion to which the guiding portion is fitted includes the box body and the cover body. It is characterized by being provided in at least one of them.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the electric junction box of the first aspect, the fitting receiving portion is provided in each of the box main body and the cover main body.

  According to the electrical junction box of the present invention described in claim 1, guide portions provided on the side cover and guiding the sliding direction of the side cover are arranged at intervals from each other along the sliding direction of the side cover, Since the fitting receiving portion into which the guide portion is fitted is provided on at least one of the box main body and the cover main body, the side cover is attached when the guide portion is slid to the fitting receiving portion and the side cover is attached. The distance (stroke) to move is shortened, and the side cover can be easily assembled.

  According to the electrical junction box of the present invention described in claim 2, since the fitting receiving portion is provided in each of the box main body and the cover main body, the distance during which the side cover is attached becomes long. The back cover is less loose when the is attached.

  As described above, the present invention according to claim 1 is provided in the side cover, and the guide portions that guide the sliding direction of the side cover are arranged at intervals from each other along the sliding direction of the side cover. Since the fitting receiving part to which the part is fitted is provided in at least one of the box main body and the cover main body, when attaching the side cover by sliding the guide part to the fitting receiving part, The moving distance (stroke) is shortened, and the side cover can be easily assembled. Therefore, the electrical junction box of the present invention can easily assemble the side cover with a short moving stroke.

  In the present invention according to claim 2, since the fitting receiving portion is provided in each of the box main body and the cover main body, the distance during which the side cover is attached becomes long, so that when the side cover is attached There is less play on the side cover. Therefore, the electrical junction box of the present invention can be securely assembled with the side cover.

  Hereinafter, an electrical junction box according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The electrical junction box 1 shown in FIG. 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted on an automobile as a moving body.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical connection box 1 includes a box body 2, a wiring board (not shown), a lower cover 26 as a cover member, a terminal fitting 3, and a side cover 4. The box body 2 is made of an insulating synthetic resin and is molded by a well-known injection molding. The box body 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape (box shape) by a plurality of outer walls 13.

  In addition, on the upper surface (corresponding to the surface) 2a located on the upper side in FIG. 1 of the box body 2, an electrical part such as a relay 5 and a fusible link is mounted and a mounting part to which a connector as an electrical part is fitted 8a and 8b and a terminal attachment part are provided. A nut (not shown) that is screwed with the bolt 10 is embedded in the terminal mounting portion. The terminal mounting portion is formed by overlapping an electrical contact portion 11 (described later) of the terminal fitting 3 on the upper surface 2 a and screwing the bolt 10 into a nut through a hole 12 (described later) provided in the electrical contact portion 11. Attach the terminal fitting 3.

  Moreover, the connector of the wire harness routed by the motor vehicle mentioned above fits in the lower surface which is not shown in figure located in the lower side of FIG. The connector of the wire harness is fitted to the various electronic devices mounted on the automobile described above and the box body 2 described above. The outer wall 13 of the box body 2 is provided with a plurality of locking portions 27 that are locked with locking portions 29 described later of the lower cover 26. The locking portion 27 is provided at the end portion of the box body 2 near the aforementioned lower surface.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the box body 2 is provided with a concave groove 14 that is recessed from the surface (hereinafter referred to as an outer wall surface) 13 a of one outer wall 13. The concave groove 14 extends linearly along a direction (an arrow K direction described later) in which the upper surface 2a and the lower surface described above face each other.

  Further, the above-described upper surface 2a and the lower surface are formed on the inner edge portion 14a of the concave groove 14 facing each other along the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the upper surface 2a and the lower surface are opposed to each other (arrow K direction described later). A slide groove 21 is provided as a fitting receiving portion extending linearly along mutually opposing directions (arrow K direction described later).

  The slide groove 21 is formed in a concave shape along the width direction of the concave groove 14 from the inner edge portion 14a. The slide groove 21 is provided at the center of the inner edge portion 14a of the concave groove 14 in the direction in which the above-described upper surface 2a and lower surface face each other (in the direction of arrow K described later). The mounting portion 8b into which the connector is fitted and the terminal mounting portion are provided in the vicinity of the concave groove 14 described above. When the rib 33 of the side cover 4 to be described later enters, the slide groove 21 guides the moving direction of the rib 33 and sandwiches the rib 33 between the inner surfaces of the slide groove 21 to fix the rib 33. That is, the rib 33 is fitted into the slide groove 21.

  The lower cover 26 is made of an insulating synthetic resin or the like, and is molded by a known injection molding. The lower cover 26 includes a plurality of outer walls 28 that are continuous with each other, and is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape. The outer wall 28 of the lower cover 26 is provided with a plurality of locking portions 29 for locking with the locking portions 27 described above. The lower cover 26 is brought close to each other so as to be superimposed on the main body 2, and the box main body is arranged such that the locking portion 29 is locked to the locking portion 27 of the box main body 2 and covers the above-described lower surface of the box main body 2. 2 is attached.

  When the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 are assembled to each other, the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 are brought close to each other along the arrow K in which the upper surface 2a and the lower surface face each other and overlap each other. It is attached as follows. The arrow K is in the direction in which the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 overlap each other.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower cover 26 is provided with a concave groove 30 that is recessed from a surface (hereinafter referred to as an outer wall surface) 28 a of one outer wall 28. The concave groove 30 is formed to have the same width as the concave groove 14 of the box body 2 described above, extends linearly along the arrow K described above, and communicates with the concave groove 14. In other words, the electrical junction box 1 includes the concave groove 14 and the concave groove 30 that communicate with each other.

  Further, the lower cover 26 is provided with a slide groove 31 as a fitting receiving portion. The slide groove 31 is provided on the outer wall 28 on the front side of the lower cover 26 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the slide groove 31 is provided on both inner edges of the concave groove 30, and is provided with a pair of ridges 35 erected from the outer wall 28 and the concave portion 35 recessed from the outer wall 28 and the edge of the outer wall 28 of the concave portion 35 near the outer wall surface 28 a The protrusions 32 and 32 are formed. Each of the pair of protrusions 32 extends in a straight line along the arrow K described above. Each of the pair of protrusions 32 and 32 is provided at the center of the inner edge of the slide groove 31 in the arrow K direction described above. That is, the slide groove 31 is arranged at a distance from the above-described slide groove 21 of the box body 2 along the arrow K.

  When the rib 34 of the side cover 4 which will be described later enters, the slide groove 31 between the recess 35 and the protrusion 32 guides the moving direction of the rib 34 and slides the rib 34 between the recess 35 and the protrusion 32. Positioned between the grooves 31.

  The wiring board includes a conductive bus bar and an insulating plate. The bus bar is obtained by subjecting a conductive sheet metal to press working such as punching. A plurality of bus bars are provided. The plurality of bus bars are overlapped with each other. The insulating plates are arranged between the bus bars that are overlapped with each other, and prevent the bus bars from being electrically connected to each other at unintended locations, that is, short-circuiting and positioning the bus bars.

  When the wiring board is housed in the box body 2, the bus bar is a connector of the wire harness, the electrical components such as the relay 5 and the fusible link mounted on the mounting portion 8a, and the connector fitted to the mounting portion 8b. The terminal fittings 3 attached to the terminal attaching portion are electrically connected to each other according to a predetermined pattern.

  The terminal fitting 3 is obtained by bending a thick sheet metal. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal fitting 3 is integrally provided with a flat electrical contact portion 11 and a wire connection portion 15. The planar shape of the electrical contact portion 11 is rectangular. The electrical contact portion 11 has a hole 12 through which the threaded portion of the bolt 10 can be passed.

  The electric wire connection portion 15 includes a bottom plate portion 16 and a plurality of caulking pieces 17. The bottom plate portion 16 is bent from the electrical contact portion 11 and is erected from the electrical contact portion 11. In the illustrated example, the angle formed by the bottom plate portion 16 and the electrical contact portion 11 is approximately 90 degrees. The electric wire connecting portion 15 is provided with the bottom plate portion 16 and thus stands up from the electric contact portion 11.

  The caulking pieces 17 are continuous with both edges in the width direction of the bottom plate portion 16. The caulking piece 17 is bent in a direction approaching the bottom plate portion 16, and the electric wire 18 is sandwiched between the bottom plate portion 16. Thus, the caulking piece 17 crimps the electric wire 18. The electric wire connecting portion 15 is electrically connected to the electric wire 18 while the electric wire 18 is attached by the caulking piece 17 caulking the electric wire 18.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal fitting 3 described above has the electric wire connecting portion 15 and the electric wire 18 accommodated in the concave grooves 14 and 30 in the state where the electric wire 18 is attached to the electric wire connecting portion 15, and the electric contact portion. 11 is attached to the terminal attachment portion. At this time, the electrical contact portion 11 is overlaid on the terminal mounting portion, and the bolt 10 having the threaded portion in the hole 12 is screwed into the nut, thereby being attached to the terminal mounting portion, that is, the upper surface. Further, the longitudinal direction of the electrical contact portion 11 is parallel to the outer wall surfaces 13a and 28a of the outer walls 13 and 28 provided with the above-described concave grooves 14 and 30. Moreover, the electric wire 18 attached to the terminal metal fitting 3 is connected to power supplies, such as a battery, in the example of illustration.

  The side cover 4 is made of an insulating synthetic resin and is formed by a known injection molding. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the side cover 4 integrally includes a main body portion 19 having a U-shaped cross section and a plurality of ribs 33 and 34 as guide portions. The main body 19 is formed in a rectangular shape whose planar shape is substantially equal to the planar shape of the concave grooves 14 and 30 described above.

  A plurality of pairs of ribs 33 and 34 as guide portions are erected from the edge of the main body portion 19. The pair of ribs 33 and the pair of ribs 34 are provided on both edges in the longitudinal direction of the main body 19. The pair of ribs 33 and the pair of ribs 34 protrude from the edge in the width direction of the main body 19 toward the outside of the main body 19. The pair of ribs 33 is provided on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the main body 19. The pair of ribs 34 is provided on the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the main body 19. The ribs 33, 34 extend linearly along the longitudinal direction of the main body 19, that is, along the arrow K. The ribs 33 and 34 are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the main body 19, that is, the arrow K.

  The ribs 33 and 34 enter the slide grooves 21 and 31 to slide the side cover 4 along the surface of the main body 19 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as a slide direction K). Since the ribs 33 and 34 extend linearly along the surface of the main body 19 and enter the slide grooves 21 and 31, the side cover 4 is guided along the slide direction K. The sliding direction K is the same direction as the direction K in which the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 overlap each other.

  When the rib 33 slides in the slide groove 21 along the arrow K and the rib 34 slides in the slide groove 31 along the arrow K as shown in FIG. 2 is attached. Further, when the body portion 19, that is, the side cover 4 is attached to the box body 2, the body portion 19 is substantially flush with the outer wall surface 13 a of the outer wall 13 provided with the aforementioned recessed groove 14 and the outer wall of the aforementioned recessed groove 14. The opening at 13 is closed. Thus, when the main body 19, that is, the side cover 4 is attached to the box main body 2, the concave groove 14 and the concave groove 30 described above are closed. Further, when the main body 19, that is, the side cover 4 is attached to the box main body 2 and the lower cover 26, the opening on the upper surface 2 a and the lower surface side of the groove 14 described above is not blocked (opened).

  The electrical junction box 1 described above is assembled as follows. First, a wiring board is accommodated in the box body 2, and electrical components such as a fusible link and a relay 5 are mounted on a mounting portion 8 a provided on the upper surface 2 a of the box body 2. And the electric wire 18 to which the terminal fitting 3 is attached is accommodated in the concave groove 14, the longitudinal direction of the electrical contact portion 11 of the terminal fitting 3 is made parallel to the outer wall surface 13a of the outer wall 13 provided with the concave groove 14, The electric contact part 11 is overlaid on the terminal mounting part. Then, the bolt 10 is screwed into the nut of the terminal mounting portion through the screw portion in the hole 12. Thus, the terminal fitting 3 is fixed to the terminal mounting portion. Then, the electric wire 18 and the electric wire connection part 15 of the terminal metal fitting 3 are accommodated in the concave groove 14.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the rib 33 of the side cover 4 is inserted into the slide groove 21 along the arrow K, and the rib 34 is inserted into the slide groove 31 along the arrow K. The side cover 4 is guided into the concave grooves 14 and 30. Then, the slide groove 21 fixes the rib 33 by sandwiching the rib 33 between the inner surfaces of the slide groove 21, and the slide groove 31 projects the rib 34 from the inner surface of the slide groove 21 as shown in FIG. The ribs 34 are positioned between them. That is, when the slide groove 21 is fitted to the rib 33 and the slide groove 31 is fitted to the rib 34, the side cover 4 is attached to the box body 2 and the lower cover 26. Then, the side cover 4 closes the concave groove 14. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the electrical junction box 1 having the above-described configuration is assembled. The electrical connection box 1 is mounted on the automobile by fitting a wire harness connector to the lower surface of the box body 2. And the electrical junction box 1 electrically connects the electronic device of a motor vehicle, electrical parts, such as a fusible link and the relay 5, with each other according to a predetermined pattern.

  According to the present embodiment, the ribs 33 and 34 that are provided on the side cover 4 and guide the sliding direction K of the side cover 4 are arranged at intervals along the sliding direction K of the side cover 4. Since the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 are provided with the slide groove 21 into which the rib 34 is fitted and the slide groove 31 into which the rib 34 is fitted, the rib 33 is used as the slide groove 21 and the rib 34 is used as the slide groove 31. When the side cover 4 is attached by sliding, the distance (stroke) for moving the side cover 4 is shortened, and the side cover 4 can be easily assembled. Therefore, the electrical junction box 1 of the present invention can easily assemble the side cover 4 with a short moving stroke.

  Further, since the slide groove 21 is provided in the box body 2 and the slide groove 31 is provided in the lower cover 26, the distance during which the side cover 4 is attached becomes longer, and the side when the side cover 4 is attached is increased. The backlash of the cover 4 is reduced. Therefore, the side cover 4 can be reliably assembled to the electrical junction box 1 of the present invention.

  In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the side cover 4 is provided with slide grooves 21 and 31 as guide portions, and at least one of the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 has ribs 33 as fitting receiving portions. , 34 may be provided. In FIG. 5, the same parts as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The ribs 33 and 34 as the fitting receiving portions are formed so as to project along the width direction of the concave groove 14 from the inner edge portion 14a of the concave groove 14 facing each other along the direction orthogonal to the arrow K of the box body 2. And extends linearly along the arrow K. The slide grooves 21 and 31 serving as guide portions are formed concavely from both edges in the width direction of the main body portion 19 of the side cover 4 and are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 19. Also in the case shown in FIG. 5, when the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 are assembled to each other, the rib 33 as the fitting receiving portion slides into the slide groove 21 as the guide portion and slides as the guide portion. A rib 34 as a fitting receiving portion slides into the groove 31 and enters.

  That is, the side cover 4 may be provided with ribs 33 and 34 as guide portions, and at least one of the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 may be provided with guide grooves 21 and 31 as fitting receiving portions, The side cover 4 may be provided with guide grooves 21 and 31 as guide portions, and at least one of the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 may be provided with ribs 33 and 34 as fitting receiving portions. Further, the side cover 4 is provided with a rib 33 and a guide groove 31 as a guide portion at the same time, and at least one of the box body 2 and the lower cover 26 has a guide groove 21 and a rib 34 as a fitting receiving portion. It may be provided at the same time.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the guide groove 21 as the fitting receiving portion is provided in the box body 2 and the guide groove 31 as the fitting receiving portion is provided in the lower cover 26. The guide grooves 21 and 31 as fitting receiving portions may be provided only in the box body 2 or may be provided only in the lower cover 26. That is, it is only necessary that the guide grooves 21 and 31 as the fitting receiving portions are arranged along the slide direction K with a space therebetween.

  Further, the ribs 33 and 34 as the guide portions of the side cover 4 described above are provided with a pair of ribs 33 and a pair of ribs 34 erected from the edge of the main body 19, and are fitted to the ribs 33 and 34. The slide groove 21 and the slide groove 31 as a fitting receiving part were provided. However, the ribs 33 and 34 as the guide portions of the present invention are arranged at a distance from each other along the slide direction K, and can be slid and fitted to the slide grooves 21 and 31 as the fitting receiving portions. If possible, any number of ribs 33 and 34 as guide portions and slide grooves 21 and 31 as fitting receiving portions may be provided. Any number of ribs 33 and 34 as guide portions and slide grooves 21 and 31 as fitting receiving portions may be provided. You may form in a shape.

  In addition, embodiment mentioned above only showed the typical form of this invention, and this invention is not limited to embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is a perspective view which shows the electric junction box which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which a side cover is brought close to a box body and a lower cover of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 1. It is a front view which shows the state which attached the side cover to the box main body and lower cover of the electrical-connection box shown by FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the IV-IV line in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the electrical-connection box shown by FIG. It is a front view which shows the state before a side cover fits into the box main body of the conventional electrical junction box. It is a front view which shows the state which the side cover of the electrical-connection box shown by FIG. 6 fitted to the box main body.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrical junction box 2 Box body 4 Side cover 21 Slide groove (fitting receiving part)
26 Lower cover (cover member)
31 Slide groove (Fitting receiving part)
33 Rib (Guide)
34 Rib (Guide)
K slide direction

Claims (2)

At least one of the box body and the cover member by sliding along a direction in which the box body, the cover member that is attached to the box body, and the box body and the cover member overlap each other. In an electrical junction box comprising a side cover attached to
Guide portions provided on the side cover and guiding the sliding direction of the side cover are arranged at intervals from each other along the sliding direction of the side cover,
An electrical connection box, wherein a fitting receiving portion into which the guide portion is fitted is provided on at least one of the box body and the cover member.   The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the fitting receiving portion is provided in each of the box body and the cover member.

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