JP2007159328A - Electric connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connection box which is prevented from being attached to the body when a connector is half-fitting. <P>SOLUTION: The electric connection box 1 comprises a connection box body 2, a lock member 3 and a displacement regulating portion 26. The connection box body 2 is equipped with a connector receiving portion 8 to which a connector 9 is fitted and attached to the frame 20 of a body. The lock member 3 is supported rotatably on the connection box body 2 and secured to the connection box body 2 to be displaced freely between a position for regulating falling off of the connector 9 from the connector receiving portion 8 and a position for permitting mounting/demounting of the connector 9 on/from the connector receiving portion 8. The displacement regulating portion 26 regulates displacement of the lock member 3 toward the regulating position by abutting against a standing plate 16 fixed to the frame 20 when the lock member 3 is not secured to the connection box body 2. <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 various electronic devices such as lamps such as head lamps and tail lamps, motors such as motors for starter motors and air conditioners.

  In order to supply 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 electrical connection box.

  The above-described electrical junction box is fixed to the above-described automobile body and the like, and includes a junction box body into which a connector connected to the above-described various electronic devices is fitted. In an electrical junction box in which a connector connected to an air gas generator as an electronic device is fitted, a mechanism for preventing half-fitting of various connectors (hereinafter referred to as a half-fitting detection mechanism). For example, Patent Documents 1 to 5) have been used.

A half-fitting detection mechanism that has been used conventionally includes a half-fitting detection member that detects the half-fitting of the connector described above. In an electrical junction box having a half-fitting detection mechanism, the half-fitting detection member of the half-fitting detection mechanism is used to detect the half-fitting detection member of the half-fitting detection mechanism. The connector has been completely fitted to the connection box main body by fitting the connector to the connection box main body so as not to detect the fitting. In the electrical connection box having the above-described half-fitting detection mechanism, when the above-described half-fitting detection member detects the half-fitting of the connector, the half-fitting detection member attaches the electrical connection box to the vehicle body. Have regulated. By doing so, in the electrical junction box provided with the half-fitting detection mechanism, the connector is prevented from being half-fitted, and a desired signal and power have been supplied to the aforementioned gas generator for the airbag.
JP 2000-323232 A JP 2000-286014 A JP 2004-158374 A JP 2000-173716 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-44321

  In the electrical junction box having the above-described half-fitting detection mechanism, even when the half-fitting detection member has detected the half-fitting of the connector, the half-fitting detection member is removed from the vehicle body or the like when attached to the vehicle body. When pressed, the electric connection box may be displaced in a direction in which it can be attached to the vehicle body. For this reason, in the electrical junction box provided with the conventional half-fitting detection mechanism described above, there is a possibility that the connector is attached to the vehicle body even if the connector is half-fitted.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical junction box that can reliably prevent the connector from being attached to the vehicle body when it is half-fitted.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, an electrical junction box according to the present invention according to claim 1 includes a junction box main body provided with a connector receiving portion into which a connector is fitted and attached to a vehicle body, and the junction box main body. A regulation position that is fixed to the connector and restricts the connector from dropping off from the connector receiving portion, and that allows the connection box body to be attached to the vehicle body, and allows the connector to be attached to and detached from the connector receiving portion. In addition, the connector box is attached to the junction box body so as to be displaceable over an allowable position for restricting the junction box body from being attached to the vehicle body, and the connector is half-fitted to the connector receiving portion. And a lock member restricted to be positioned at the restriction position. A displacement restricting portion for restricting displacement of the lock member toward the restricting position when the connection box body is attached to the vehicle body in a state of being freely displaceable with respect to the connection box body. It is characterized by that.

  The electrical junction box of the present invention according to claim 2 is the electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the displacement restricting portion is provided on the lock member, and when the junction box body is attached to the vehicle body, Along with the mounting direction of the junction box main body, two contact portions each contacting the vehicle body are provided.

  According to the electrical junction box of the present invention described in claim 1, since the displacement regulating portion regulates that the lock member is displaced to the regulation position when the lock member is not fixed to the junction box body, the connector is When it is half-fitted, the lock member is not reliably displaced toward the restriction position.

  According to the electrical junction box of the present invention described in claim 2, since the displacement restricting portion includes two abutting portions that are arranged side by side along the mounting direction of the junction box body and abut against the vehicle body. When both of the abutting portions abut on the vehicle body, the lock member is not reliably displaced toward the restriction position.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the connector is half-fitted, the lock member is not reliably displaced toward the restriction position, so that the lock member is attached to the vehicle body. regulate. Therefore, when the connector is half-fitted, the lock member can reliably prevent the connection box body from being attached to the vehicle body.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the two contact portions that contact the vehicle body of the displacement restricting portion are arranged along the mounting direction of the junction box body, both of these contact portions contact the vehicle body. Then, the lock member is not reliably displaced toward the restriction position. Therefore, when the connector is half-fitted, the displacement restricting portion restricts the displacement of the lock member toward the restricting position, and the lock member more reliably prevents the connection box body from being attached to the vehicle body. be able to.

  Hereinafter, an electrical junction box according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The electrical connection box 1 shown in FIG. 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 20 attached to a frame 20 (shown in FIGS. 6 to 8) as a fixed member of the vehicle as a moving body. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the frame 20 is provided with a hole 21 through which a bolt 14 described later can pass. Further, a nut 22 that communicates with the hole 21 and that can be screwed into the bolt 14 and a standing plate 16 are attached to the frame 20.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the standing plate 16 is integrally provided with an overlapping portion 17 that is overlapped in the vicinity of the hole 21 of the frame 20 and a standing portion 18 that is erected from the overlapping portion 17. . A hole 19 that passes through the hole 21 and allows the bolt 14 to pass therethrough passes through the overlapping portion 17. The standing portion 18 is erected from the overlapping portion 17 so as to overlap the edge of the frame 20. The frame 20 and the standing plate 16 described above correspond to the vehicle body of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical junction box 1 includes a junction box body 2, a lock member 3, and a displacement restricting portion 26. The connection box main body 2 includes a flat box-shaped main body portion 4, a fuse as an electric component housed in the main body portion 4, a wiring board housed in the main body portion 4, and a vehicle body mounting piece 5. And a lock member holding piece 6. The main body portion 4 is provided with a connector receiving portion 8 to which a connector 9 of the wire harness 7, that is, a terminal is connected. That is, the terminal of the wire harness 7 (shown in FIG. 6) is connected to the junction box body 2.

  The wire harness 7 described above includes a plurality of electric wires (not shown), a connector 9 and the like. The electric wire is a so-called covered electric wire including a conductive core wire and a covering portion that covers the core wire. The electric wires are connected to various electronic devices mounted on automobiles and the like. The connector 9 includes a terminal fitting connected to the end of the core wire of the electric wire, and an insulating connector housing that houses the terminal fitting. That is, the connector 9 is attached to the end of the electric wire.

  The connector 9 described above is connected to an air bag gas generator as a highly reliable electronic device via the above-described electric wire. The high-reliability electronic device as used in the present invention refers to a device that is required to operate reliably during traveling or stopping because it relates to the life of an automobile occupant described above.

  Further, the connector 9 described above is provided with a lock projection 10. The lock projection 10 is provided at the end of the connector 9 fitted to the connector receiving portion 8 near the vehicle body attachment piece 5. The lock protrusion 10 is provided so as to protrude from the outer surface of the connector 9.

  Furthermore, the connector 9 and the connector receiving portion 8 described above are provided with a lock arm 11 and a lock projection 12 that are locked to each other. In the illustrated example, the connector 9 includes a lock arm 11, and a lock protrusion 12 is provided on the inner surface of the connector receiving portion 8. When the connector 9 is inserted into the connector receiving portion 8, the lock arm 11 comes into contact with the lock projection 12, and the lock arm 11 is temporarily elastically deformed. When the lock arm 11 gets over the lock protrusion 12, the lock arm 11 returns to the neutral state where it is not elastically deformed, and the lock arm 11 and the lock protrusion 12 are locked together.

  As described above, the connector 9 is completely fitted to the connector receiving portion 8 in a state where the lock arm 11 and the lock projection 12 are locked with each other in a state where the lock arm 11 is not elastically deformed or hardly deformed. This is called a fully engaged state. A state in which the lock arm 11 and the lock projection 12 are locked while the lock arm 11 is elastically deformed is referred to as a state in which the connector 9 is half-fitted to the connector receiving portion 8, that is, a half-fitted state. .

  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. The plurality of bus bars are overlapped with each other. The insulating plates are arranged between the bus bars stacked on each other, and prevent the bus bars from being electrically connected to each other at an unintended location, that is, short-circuited, and position the bus bars.

  When the wiring board is housed in the body portion 4 of the junction box body 2, the electrical component housed in the body portion 4 such as a fuse and the wire in which the connector 9 is fitted to the connector receiving portion 8 of the body portion 4. The wires of the harness 7 are electrically connected to each other according to a predetermined pattern.

  The vehicle body attachment piece 5 protrudes from the one corner of the main body 4 of the junction box main body 2 to the outside of the junction box main body 2. The corner, that is, the vehicle body mounting piece 5 is provided in the vicinity of the connector receiving portion 8 described above. The vehicle body mounting piece 5 is formed in a flat plate shape, and is provided with a hole 13 through which a bolt passes. The vehicle body mounting piece 5 is overlapped with the frame 20 of the automobile via the overlapping portion 17 of the standing plate 16 described above, and the bolt 14 passing through the hole 13 and the hole 19 of the overlapping portion 17 of the standing plate 16 and the frame. It is attached to the frame 20 by being screwed into the nut 22 described above through the 20 holes 21. That is, the vehicle body attachment piece 5 is used to fix the junction box body 2, that is, the electrical junction box 1 to the automobile body.

  Further, when the vehicle body attachment piece 5 is attached to the frame 20, the vehicle body attachment piece 5, that is, the connection box body 2, has an arrow T (shown in FIG. 8) along the surface of the upright portion 18 of the upright plate 16. ) Along the frame 20 and attached to the frame 20. This arrow T forms the mounting direction of the junction box body 2. The attachment direction of the junction box body 2 of the present invention is a direction in which the junction box body 2 is brought close to (moves) the frame 20 when the junction box body 2 is attached to the frame 20.

  The lock member support piece 6 is provided between the vehicle body attachment piece 5 and the connector receiving portion 8, and protrudes from the outer edge of the main body portion 4 of the connection box main body 2 to the outside of the connection box main body 2. A hole 15 passes through the lock member support piece 6.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lock member 3 includes a pair of rotating pieces 23, two locking pieces 24, one connecting piece 25, and an interference unit 27 (shown in FIGS. 6 to 8). ing.

  The rotary piece 23 is formed in a band-like shape when viewed from the side. The pair of rotating pieces 23 are arranged in parallel to each other. A rotation pin 28 that fits into the hole 15 of the lock member support piece 6 described above is provided at one end 23 a of the rotation piece 23. The rotation pin 28 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is erected from the one end portion 23 a of the rotation piece 23 described above. When the rotation pin 28 is fitted in the hole 15, the rotation pin 28 is rotatable in the hole 15. The rotating piece 23, that is, the lock member 3 is supported by the junction box body 2 so as to be rotatable about the rotating pin 28.

  The locking pieces 24 are respectively provided on the rotating pieces 23. The locking piece 24 extends from the turning piece 23 toward the connection box body 2 in a state where the turning pin 28 is fitted in the hole 15 described above. A lock hole 29 passes through the locking piece 24. After the locking piece 24 gets over the locking protrusion 10 provided on the connector 9 described above, the locking protrusion 24 is positioned in the locking hole 29 and engaged with the locking protrusion 10. The locking member 3 is fixed to the connection box main body 2 by engaging the locking piece 24 with the locking protrusion 10.

  The connecting piece 25 connects the pair of turning pieces 23 to each other. When the locking piece 24 engages with the lock protrusion 10, the connecting piece 25 sandwiches the end of the connector 9 between the connection box body 2. The connecting piece 25 restricts the connector 9 from dropping from the connector receiving portion 8 by engaging the locking piece 24 with the lock protrusion 10 and sandwiching the end portion of the connector 9 between the connecting box body 2 and the connecting piece 25. To do.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the inner surface of the coupling piece 25 facing the connector 9 in the state in which the locking piece 24 is engaged with the lock projection 10 is opposite to the connector 9. A step portion 30 is provided along the outer shape of the end portion of 9. When the connector receiving portion 8 and the connector 9 are completely fitted (in a normal state), the stepped portion 30 does not interfere with the connector 9 and the locking piece 24 is locked with the locking projection 10 as shown in FIG. Is allowed to engage. Further, when the connector receiving portion 8 and the connector 9 are half-fitted, the stepped portion 30 interferes with the connector 9 so that the locking piece 24 engages with the lock protrusion 10 as shown in FIG. regulate. The half-fitting means a state in which the connector 9 is not completely fitted to the connector receiving portion 8 (other than the normal state) and is fitted to the connector receiving portion 8.

  The interference portion 27 extends from the connecting piece 25 toward the connector 9 fitted to the connector receiving portion 8. When the locking member 3 is positioned at the above-described intermediate position, the interference portion 27 is connected to the connector 9 fitted to the connector receiving portion 8 and the fitting direction K of the connector 9 to the connector receiving portion 8 (arrow in FIG. 1). Are arranged in a line along the line. Thus, the interference portion 27 interferes with the connector 9 that is about to come out of the connector receiving portion 8 when the lock member 3 is positioned at an intermediate position described later. The interference unit 27 restricts the connector 9 from dropping from the connector receiving unit 8. Thus, at the intermediate position, the lock member 3 interferes with the frame 20 and restricts the connector 9 from dropping from the connector receiving portion 8.

  The fitting direction K described above is a direction in which the connector 9 is brought close to the connector receiving portion 8 when the connector 9 is fitted to the connector receiving portion 8.

  The lock member 3 having the above-described configuration is attached to the connection box main body 2 so that the rotation pin 28 is fitted in the hole 15 provided in the lock member support piece 6 and is rotatable about the rotation pin 28. The lock member 3 rotates about the rotation pin 28 to be displaceable between the restricting position shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 and the allowable position shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. Attached to.

  In the restricting position, the lock member 3 has the connector 9 in which the engaging piece 24 is engaged with the lock protrusion 10 and the connecting piece 25 is completely fitted to the connector receiving portion 8 sandwiched between the connection box body 2 and the locking member 3. The connector 9 is prevented from dropping from the connector receiving portion 8. In the restricted position, the lock member 3 allows the junction box body 2 to be attached to the frame 20. In the allowable position, the lock member 3 is disengaged from the locking protrusion 24 of the locking piece 24, and the connecting piece 25 does not line up with the connector receiving portion 8 along the fitting direction K. 8 allows the connector 9 to be attached and detached (does not prevent). In the allowable position, the lock member 3 restricts the connection box body 2 from being attached to the frame 20.

  In addition, when the connector 9 is half-fitted to the connector receiving portion 8, the locking member 3 has a stepped portion 30 provided on the inner surface of the connecting piece 25 that interferes with the connector 9 as shown in FIG. Engagement of the stop piece 24 with the lock protrusion 10 is restricted. In this way, the lock member 3 indicates whether or not the locking piece 24 can be engaged with the lock projection 10, so that the connector 9 fitted to the connector receiving portion 8 is in a completely fitted state or a half-fitted state. It will indicate whether there is. As described above, when the connector 9 is half-fitted to the connector receiving portion 8, the stepped portion 30 restricts the connector 9 from being positioned at the restricting position.

  Furthermore, the lock member 3 is gradually displaced toward the outside of the junction box body 2 from the restriction position to the permissible position by rotating around the rotation pin 28 described above. When the lock member 3 is positioned at the allowable position, the lock member 3 is disposed at a position where the lock member 3 interferes with the frame 20 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  When the locking member 3 is attached to the frame 20 and the engagement of the locking piece 24 with the lock protrusion 10 is released, the locking member 3 may be positioned at an intermediate position where the locking member 3 interferes (contacts) the frame 20. At this intermediate position, the interference portion 27 is aligned with the connector 9 fitted to the connector receiving portion 8 along the fitting direction K. Of course, since the lock member 3 rotates around the rotation pin 28 described above, the interference portion 27 is fitted in the connector receiving portion 8 along the fitting direction K when positioned between the intermediate position and the restricting position. Lined up with the connector 9.

  For this reason, when the lock member 3 is positioned between the above-described intermediate position and the intermediate position and the restriction position, the lock member 3 restricts the connector 9 from dropping from the connector receiving portion 8. Thus, once the connection box body 2 is attached to the frame 20, the lock member 3 is positioned between the above-described restriction position, the intermediate position, and the restriction position and the intermediate position, and the connector receiving portion. 8 prevents the connector 9 from falling off.

  The displacement restricting portion 26 is provided on the lock member 3. The displacement restricting portion 26 includes two contact portions 31 and 32 as shown in FIG. The contact portions 31 and 32 are formed in a convex shape from the lock member 3 toward the outer peripheral direction of the lock member 3 (relative to the rotation direction). The two contact portions 31 and 32 are positioned on the outer periphery of the lock member 3 with respect to other portions of the lock member 3.

  One of the two abutting portions 31, 32 is the other abutting portion 31 near the connector receiving portion 8 of the rotating piece 23 of the locking member 3 when the locking member 3 is positioned at the restricting position described above. It is provided at the end 23b. When the lock member 3 is positioned at the above-described restriction position, the other abutment portion 32 is a central portion 23c between the aforementioned one end portion 23a and the other end portion 23b of the rotating piece 23 of the lock member 3. The connector 9 is formed so as to protrude from the central portion 23c in the direction of dropping from the connector receiving portion 8 along the fitting direction K described above.

  The two abutting portions 31 and 32 may be positioned at positions aligned along the mounting direction T described above when the lock member 3 rotates about the rotation pin 28. As described above, the two contact portions 31 and 32 are arranged side by side along the mounting direction T described above when the connection box body 2 is mounted on the frame 20. Further, when the protruding amounts of the two abutting portions 31 and 32 from the rotating piece 23 of the lock member 3 are arranged at the positions aligned along the mounting direction T described above, both the abutting portions 31 and 32 are arranged. The value comes into contact with the standing portion 18 of the standing plate 16.

  In the displacement restricting portion 26 configured as described above, when both of the two abutting portions 31 and 32 abut on the standing portion 18 of the standing plate 16, the corresponding contacting portions 31 and 32 are arranged side by side along the mounting direction T. Therefore, these contact portions 31 and 32 restrict the rotation of the lock member 3 around the rotation pin 28. In addition, when one of the contact portions 31 and 32 contacts the standing portion 18 of the standing plate 16, the lock member 3 rotates in a direction in which the other approaches the standing portion 18 of the standing plate 16. Both contact portions 31 and 32 are in contact with the standing portion 18 of the standing plate 16.

  In this way, as shown in FIG. 8, the displacement restricting portion 26 is in a state in which the locking piece 24 is not engaged with the lock protrusion 10, that is, the lock member 3 is positioned at a position other than the restricting position. When the junction box body 2 is attached to the frame 20 in a freely displaceable state, both contact portions 31 and 32 abut against the standing portion 18 of the standing plate 16 to restrict the rotation of the lock member 3. . And the displacement control part 26 controls that the lock member 3 displaces toward a control position. Further, when the abutting portions 31 and 32 abut on the standing portion 18, the abutting portions 31 and 32 are rubbed against the standing portion 18, so that the vehicle body attachment piece 5 approaches the frame 20. Is moved by the contact portions 31, 32, that is, the displacement restricting portion 26.

  According to the present embodiment, in a state where the lock member 3 is not fixed to the junction box body 2, the displacement regulating portion 26 indicates that the lock member 3 is displaced to the regulation position when the junction box body 2 is attached to the frame 20. Regulates. For this reason, when the connector 9 is half-fitted, the lock member 3 is not reliably displaced toward the restriction position. At this time, the lock member 3 restricts the connection box body 2 from being attached to the frame 20. Therefore, when the connector 9 is half-fitted, the lock member 3 can reliably prevent the connection box body 2 from being attached to the frame 20.

  The displacement restricting portion 26 includes two abutting portions 31 and 32 that are juxtaposed along the attachment direction T of the junction box body 2 and abut against the standing portion 18 of the standing plate 16 attached to the frame 20. Therefore, when both of these abutting portions 31 and 32 abut on the standing portion 18 of the standing plate 16 attached to the frame 20, the lock member 3 is not reliably displaced toward the restricting position. Therefore, when the connector 9 is half-fitted, the displacement restricting portion 26 restricts the lock member 3 from being displaced toward the restricting position, and the connection of the connection box body 2 to the frame 20 is restricted to the lock member 3. Can be more reliably prevented.

  In addition, embodiment mentioned above only showed the typical form of this invention, and this invention is not limited to embodiment. Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. That is, in the illustrated example, the lock member 3 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the connection box body 2. It may be provided freely. In short, in the present invention, the lock member 3 may be provided so as to be displaceable between the restriction position and the allowable position.

It is a side view which shows a part of electrical junction box which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention in a cross section. It is sectional drawing of the principal part of the electrical-connection box shown by FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the locking member of the electrical-connection box shown by FIG. 2 was located in the allowable position. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the connector is half-fitted to the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 3. It is a perspective view of the locking member of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows the state with which the electrical-connection box shown by FIG. 1 was attached to the flame | frame of the vehicle body in a partial cross section. It is a side view which shows the state by which the lock member of the electrical junction box shown by FIG. It is a side view which shows the state which attaches the junction box main body of the electrical junction box shown by FIG. 6 to a flame | frame in a partial cross section.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrical junction box 2 Junction box main body 3 Lock member 8 Connector receiving part 9 Connector 16 Standing board (vehicle body)
20 frame (car body)
26 Displacement restricting part 31, 32 Contact part T Mounting direction

Claims (2)

A connection box main body having a connector receiving portion to which the connector is fitted and attached to the vehicle body;
A regulation position that is fixed to the connection box main body and restricts the connector from dropping off from the connector receiving portion and allows the connection box main body to be attached to the vehicle body, and the connector is attached to and detached from the connector receiving portion. And is attached to the connection box main body so as to be displaceable over an allowable position for restricting the connection box main body from being attached to the vehicle body, and the connector is mounted on the connector receiving portion. A locking member that is restricted to be positioned at the restriction position as being fitted;
In an electrical junction box with
The lock member is displaced toward the restriction position when the connection box body is attached to the vehicle body in a state where the lock member is located at a position other than the restriction position and is displaceable with respect to the connection box body. An electrical junction box comprising a displacement restricting portion for restricting the movement.   The displacement restricting portion is provided on the lock member, and is juxtaposed along an attachment direction of the connection box body when the connection box body is attached to the vehicle body, and each of the displacement restriction portions is in contact with the vehicle body. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, further comprising a contact portion.

Images