JP2009225517A - Electric connection module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely prevent the intrusion of a water droplet along a terminal, and to surely prevent a short circuit between terminals of a positive pole and a negative pole caused by the water droplet. <P>SOLUTION: An electric connection module 1 is employed which is constituted in such a manner that: an upward housing 14 is arranged at a case 2; terminal insertion parts 19 and a slit-shaped hole 18 adjacent to the terminal insertion parts are formed on the bottom wall 12 of the housing; a terminal holder 13 is arranged at the lower side of the bottom wall; each terminal 8 which has penetrated a seat 20 of the terminal holder is made to upwardly protrude through the terminal insertion part; a groove 22 of the terminal holder is formed at the lower side of the hole; and the water droplet is made to fall down to the groove from the hole, and discharged to the outside. At least two terminal insertion parts 19 are formed in parallel with each other, and the hole 18 is formed between both the terminal insertion parts. The terminal 8<SB>1</SB>of the positive pole is arranged at one terminal insertion part 19, and the terminal 8<SB>2</SB>of the negative pole is arranged at the other terminal insertion part 19. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connection module having a structure in which water droplets entering an upper connector portion are discharged without a short circuit of a terminal or the like.

  FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of a conventional electrical connection module (see Patent Document 1).

  The electrical connection module 61 is a part of an electrical connection box, and includes a vertical circuit board 62, a fuse connection block 63 provided horizontally on the circuit board 62, and a circuit board below the fuse connection block 63. And an electric component 64 arranged at 62.

  In the fuse connection block 63, a pair of holding terminals 65 for connecting the fuses are erected in parallel. A drainage groove 67 is provided on the upper surface of the block body 66 made of insulating resin between the holding terminals. Follows an inclined drainage channel 68 along the circuit board 62.

  When water drops enter the fuse connection block 63 during maintenance or the like, the water drops are drained from the grooves 67 through the drainage channels 68 to the outside of the circuit board 62.

  In Patent Document 1, the groove 67 is inclined toward the center, a downward through hole (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the center of the groove 67, and a pair of guide walls (not shown) is provided below the through hole. 1) and a drainage channel between them, and a structure in which an electrical component 64 is disposed outside the guide wall is also described.

Patent Document 2 discloses a connection module having a connector block in which a plurality of upward terminal housing chambers are provided in parallel, and the upper portion of the connector block is partitioned by a groove for each terminal housing chamber. A structure (not shown) in which a downward circular drain hole is formed in a concave groove between the chambers is described.
JP 2002-152943 A (FIGS. 1 to 4) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-122752 (FIGS. 1 to 3)

  However, in the electrical connection module 61 described in Patent Document 1, water drops enter the groove 67 after dropping onto the upper surface of the block main body 66, but the water drops do not enter the groove 67 and the block main body 66 does not enter. There is a concern that the top surface of the terminal contacts the base of the terminal 65, and water droplets travel along the terminal 65 and enter the block main body 66 to be transmitted to the circuit board and electrical components.

  Further, in the process in which the water droplet flows along the groove 67 to the through hole (not shown), when the water droplet spreads in the form of a film on the upper surface of the block main body 66 and in the groove 67, the positive electrode terminal 65 and the negative electrode. There is a concern that the terminal 65 may be short-circuited. Similarly, in the electrical connection module described in Patent Document 2, there is a concern that in some cases, a water droplet does not enter the groove and directly enters the terminal accommodating chamber from the upper opening of the terminal accommodating chamber.

  In view of the above-described points, the present invention provides an electrical connection module that can reliably prevent the ingress of water droplets along the terminals, and can reliably prevent short-circuiting between the positive and negative electrodes due to water droplets. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, an electrical connection module according to claim 1 of the present invention is provided with an upward housing in a case, a terminal insertion portion on the bottom wall of the housing, and a slit adjacent to the terminal insertion portion. A terminal holder is disposed below the bottom wall, and each terminal penetrating the seat portion of the terminal holder protrudes upward through the terminal insertion portion, and below the hole. The groove portion of the terminal holder is disposed on the side, and water drops fall into the groove portion from the hole portion and are discharged to the outside.

  With the above configuration, the terminal insertion portion on the bottom wall of the housing covers the seat portion of the lower terminal holder, and prevents direct water droplet scattering (attachment) to the seat portion. Water droplets applied to the terminal insertion portion immediately fall from the slit-shaped hole to the groove portion of the terminal holder, and water droplets are prevented from staying in the terminal insertion portion.

  The electrical connection module according to claim 2 is the electrical connection module according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the terminal insertion portions are provided in parallel, and the hole portion is provided between both terminal insertion portions. And

  With the above configuration, water droplets applied to the adjacent terminal insertion portions quickly fall from the intermediate hole into the groove portion of the terminal holder, and water droplets are prevented from staying in the terminal insertion portions.

  The electrical connection module according to claim 3 is the electrical connection module according to claim 2, wherein a positive terminal is disposed in one of the terminal insertion portions, and a negative terminal is disposed in the other terminal insertion portion. It is characterized by that.

  With the above configuration, the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are separated from each other through the hole, and the insulation between the terminals of both electrodes is enhanced during normal use. It falls and the insulation between the terminals of both poles is maintained.

  The electrical connection module according to claim 4 is the electrical connection module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hole portion is disposed on one side of the terminal insertion portion and the groove portion is disposed on the other side of the bottom wall. The groove portion communicates with another hole portion, and the other hole portion is located above the groove portion of the terminal holder.

  With the above configuration, water droplets that have entered the groove portion of the bottom wall of the housing fall into the groove portion of the terminal holder from other hole portions and are discharged to the outside. The groove part projects the terminal insertion part upward together with the hole part, and water droplets applied to the terminal insertion part are quickly introduced into the groove part or the slit-like hole part.

  The electrical connection module according to a fifth aspect is the electrical connection module according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the terminal insertion portion has a downward concave portion that engages with the seat portion.

  With the above configuration, the convex seat portion of the terminal holder is engaged in the concave portion of the terminal insertion portion, so that the seat portion is covered so as to be wrapped by the terminal insertion portion, to the base portion of the terminal on the seat portion side. Water scattering (adhesion) is more reliably prevented.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the terminal insertion portion of the bottom wall of the housing covers the seat portion of the terminal holder and prevents water droplets from adhering to the seat portion, that is, the base of the terminal, water into the case along the terminal Intrusion is prevented, and the concern about short circuiting of terminals is eliminated, and the reliability of electrical connection is increased.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, each terminal insertion portion is efficiently drained by the common hole portion, and the expansion of the arrangement space of the hole portion and the accompanying decrease in the strength of the housing are prevented.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the insulating property (leakage preventing property) between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal during normal use is enhanced by the slit-shaped hole, and both the electrodes are in contact with each other when water drops enter. Since the water droplets between the terminals quickly fall from the holes, the insulation between the terminals of both electrodes is maintained, and the reliability of the electrical connection is further improved.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, water drops on the bottom wall of the housing are surely dropped to the terminal holder side by the synergistic effect of the hole portion on one side and the groove portion on the other side, and water into the case along the terminal Intrusion of water is prevented more reliably.

  According to the invention of claim 5, by covering the terminal insertion portion so as to wrap the seat portion, water adhesion to the base of the terminal is more reliably prevented, and water can enter the case along the terminal. It is surely prevented.

  1 to 6 show an embodiment of an electrical connection module according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical connection module 1 includes a case 2 made of an insulating resin and a circuit board assembly 5 (FIG. 6) housed in the case. The case 2 includes a main cover 3. And an under cover 4, a connector block 6 and a fuse block 7 are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the cover at the upper part of the main cover 3, and at least the connector block 6 is provided with a drainage structure and a structure for preventing a different polarity terminal short circuit. ing.

  The connector block 6 of this example is configured by arranging two connectors 9 side by side in the plate width direction of the terminals 8. The terminal 8 is a male tab terminal. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 3, two terminals 8 are arranged opposite to each other in the plate thickness direction. The fuse block 7 has a rectangular hole for accommodating a blade-type fuse 11 having a pair of left and right tab terminals inside a block body (housing) 10 made of insulating resin having left and right vertical walls 10a. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the connector block 6 includes rectangular connector housings (housings) 14 made of a rectangular insulating resin integral with the main cover 3, and conductive metal members protruding upward into the connector fitting chambers of the housings 9. The terminal 8 is provided with a terminal holder 13 made of an insulating resin that supports and fixes a base portion (base portion) of the terminal 8 adjacent to the lower side of the horizontal bottom wall 12 of the housing 14. The connector housing 14 and the terminals 8 constitute a connector 9.

  The connector housing 14 has a rectangular connector fitting chamber surrounded by front, rear, left and right vertical walls (peripheral walls) 15, and the peripheral wall 15 extends integrally with the horizontal bottom wall 12. The bottom wall 12 is provided with rectangular terminal insertion holes 16 through which the left and right terminals 8 are inserted upward, and the horizontal direction between the left and right wall portions 15a and the left and right terminal insertion holes 16 (each terminal row). The two groove portions 17 are provided in parallel, and a slit-like hole portion 18 penetrating downward is provided between the left and right terminal insertion holes 16 (each terminal row) so as to extend in the horizontal direction.

  The terminal insertion hole 16 is provided in the narrow wall portion 12 a of the bottom wall 12, one side of the narrow wall portion 12 a continues integrally with the inclined inner wall 17 a of the groove portion 17, and the other side of the wall portion 12 a is a hole. It continues integrally with the vertical inner wall 18a of the part 18. The narrow wall portion 12a and the wall portions 17a and 18a on both sides constitute an upward seat portion (terminal insertion portion) 19 having a substantially inverted concave shape in the longitudinal section. The seats 19 are arranged on the left and right with the hole 18 in the center of the bottom wall as a boundary. Each seat part 19 has a downward recessed part 19a surrounded by a narrow wall part 12a and wall parts 17a, 18a on both sides. The seat portion 19 is provided with a small groove 39 directed to the groove portion 17 for each terminal 8 so that water does not stagnate in the vicinity of the terminal of the seat portion 19.

  A terminal holder 13 is disposed adjacent to the lower side of the bottom wall 12 of the connector housing 14. The terminal holder 13 has an upwardly facing trapezoidal upward seat 20 that enters and engages a space in the downwardly recessed portion 19 a of the seat 19 of each housing bottom wall 12 on the upper surface of the horizontal substrate portion (bottom wall) 21. It is protruding. The lower seat portion 20 is slightly smaller than the upper seat portion 19 on the bottom wall 12 side and is solid, and has a terminal insertion hole for inserting or press-fitting the terminals 8 without gaps in the center in the width direction. . The inclined surfaces on the left and right sides of the lower seat portion 20 enter and engage along the inner inclined surfaces of the side walls 17a and 18a of the upper seat portion 19. It is also possible to insert-mold each terminal 8 in the lower seat portion 20 without a gap.

  A horizontal lower groove portion 22 is formed between the left and right lower seat portions 20, a slit-like hole portion 18 of the bottom wall 12 is disposed above the groove portion 22, and a housing is formed outside each lower seat portion 20. A lower groove portion 23 that accommodates the substantially V-shaped or U-shaped groove wall 17a of each groove portion 17 of the bottom wall 12 is provided in the horizontal direction. The lower ends of both inner walls 18a of the hole 18 are located with a gap between the bottom surface of the central lower groove portion 22 and the lower ends of the wall portions 17a of the upper groove portions 17 are in contact with the bottom surfaces of the lower groove portions 23. It is located with a gap in between.

  A vertical groove wall 24 is provided outside each of the lower groove portions 22 and 23, and a horizontal flange wall 25 is provided at the upper end of one of the groove walls 24, and a connector housing is formed on the upper surface of the groove wall 24 and the flange wall 25. The bottom wall 12 of 14 is abutted and supported, and the lower surface of the wall 25 abuts the upper end of the lower vertical circuit board 26.

  As shown by the arrows in FIG. 2, water drops that have entered the connector housing 14 during maintenance or the like pass through the central slit-shaped hole 18 and fall into the central groove portion 22 of the lower terminal holder 13, and FIG. As indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5, the liquid is dropped and discharged from the end of the groove 22 along the vertical inner wall surface of the main cover 3 of the case 2 (FIG. 1).

  Water droplets that have entered the groove portions 17 on both sides of the connector housing 14 fall from the hole portions (other hole portions) 27 at the front and rear ends of the bottom wall 12 of the connector housing 14 in FIG. 3 to the lower terminal holder 13 (FIG. 4). In the same way, it is discharged to the outside. The groove part 17 is preferably inclined toward the hole part 27. Similarly, the lower grooves 22 and 23 are preferably inclined in the discharge direction. Further, instead of inclining the groove portions 17, 22, and 23, the electrical connection module 1 itself may be attached in a state of being inclined toward the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom wall 12 of each connector housing 14 has a long slit-shaped hole 18 at the center in the width (left-right) direction and a short slit-shaped hole 27 at both ends in the longitudinal (front-rear) direction. Is provided. In FIG. 3, the holes 18, 27, 29, 29 'are indicated by hatching for convenience.

  Both front and rear ends of the central hole 18 are terminated before the crossed hole 27 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the holes 18 and 27 are separated without being connected to maintain the strength of the housing. The front and rear end portions 19 a of the seat portion 19 of the housing bottom wall 12 are also continuous with the front and rear peripheral walls 15 of the housing 14, and the front and rear end hole portions 27 in the left and right groove portions 17 of the housing bottom wall 12 are formed on the front and rear housing peripheral walls 15. It is separated from the hole 27a at the center position. The hole 27 a is a part of the hole 27.

  A side wall 15a of the housing 14 is provided with a U-shaped lock wall 28 having a U-shaped cross section for locking a lock arm of a mating connector (not shown), and short slit-shaped holes 29 on both front and rear sides of the lock wall 28. And a substantially trapezoidal hole 29 'are provided penetrating downward. That is, hole portions 27, 29, 29 'are provided at both front and rear ends of the groove portion 17 along the short seat portion 19 indicated by reference characters B, C, E, F. The holes 18, 27, 29, 29 'communicate with the grooves 22, 23 of the lower terminal holder 13 (FIG. 4), and the grooves 22, 23 communicate with each other. The hole portions 27 at both front and rear ends of the groove portions 17 on both sides of the housing 14 communicate with the groove portions 23 on both sides of the terminal holder 13.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each seat 20 of the terminal holder 13 is arranged separately for each island of the terminals 8 and 30 (a group of terminals). The left and right and center groove portions 22 and 23 are continuous in a groove shape around each seat portion 20. For example, the front end (rear end) portions of the groove portions 23 on both the left and right sides of the terminal holder 13 communicate with the central groove portion 22 along the front end (rear end) of the front (rear) seat portion 20.

  Water drops that fall into the grooves 22 and 23 pass between a pair of vertical walls 31 at the front end (rear end) of the terminal holder 13 as shown by the arrows, and then a vertical wall at the front end (rear end) of the case 2 in FIG. Along the inner surface of the portion 32, the air is discharged to the outside through the opening 33 at the front end (rear end) of the under cover 4 at the bottom of the case. The discharging direction can be set as appropriate from the front end, the rear end, and the front and rear ends of the terminal holder 13. It is also possible to provide a downward ditch or ridge for drainage on the inner surface of the wall portion 32 of the case 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the groove portions 22 and 23 are arranged not only along the tab terminals 8 of the connector block 6 (FIG. 1) but also along the clamping terminals 30 of the fuse block 7 (FIG. 1). . That is, the drainage structure can be applied not only to the connector block 6 but also to the fuse block 7.

  The clamping terminal 30 of the present example is formed wider than the tab terminal 8 and has a pair of front and rear spring pieces 30b and a contact protrusion 30a inside the tip of the spring piece 30b. The fuse 11 (FIG. 1) A pair of tab terminals (not shown) are sandwiched and connected by a pair of left and right sandwiching terminals 30.

  As in the connector block 6 of FIG. 2, the left and right sides having terminal insertion holes are formed in the bottom wall (not shown) of the insulating resin block body (housing) 10 of the fuse block 7 in the main cover 3 (FIG. 1). A seat (same as symbol 19), a groove on the outside of the seat (same as symbol 17), and a slit-like hole penetrating downward between both seats (same as symbol 18) ) At least.

  As a result, even if water drops intrude into the fuse housing part with the fuse 11 removed during maintenance or the like, the water drops quickly enter the grooves 22 and 23 of the lower terminal holder 13 from the hole in the bottom wall of the block body 10. It is possible to reliably prevent water droplets from entering along the terminals 30. In the connector block 6 of FIG. 2, when water droplets enter with the mating connector (not shown) removed during maintenance or the like, it is possible to reliably prevent water droplets from entering along the terminals 8.

  In FIG. 2, since the seat portion 20 of the terminal holder 13 is covered with the seat portion 19 of the housing bottom wall 12, the seat portion 19 receives water droplets, and the lower seat portion 20 is not directly subjected to water droplets. Water droplets are reliably prevented from entering the lower side of the terminal holder 13, that is, the side of the circuit board assembly 5 (FIG. 4) along the terminals 8.

  As shown in FIG. 3, at least in the connector block 6, as a different polarity terminal short-circuit prevention structure, terminals 8 of the same polarity are arranged at equal pitches in the terminal plate width direction for each of the islands A to F of the left and right seat portions 19. The pole terminals 8 are separated and arranged in the terminal plate thickness direction (left and right) with a central slit-shaped hole 18 as a boundary.

That is, in this example, in the first connector 9 _{1 on} the front side, a plurality of positive pole terminals 8 ₁ are arranged in a line at the same pitch in the terminal plate width direction on the left long seat portion 19 indicated by the symbol A. and, the two terminals 8 ₁ + pole on the right front of the seat portion 19 of the rectangle indicated by a symbol B side by the terminal plate width direction is disposed in the seat 19 of the short form of the back right indicated by the symbol C - pole They are arranged side by side in the three terminals 8 ₂ in a row in the terminal plate width direction at an equal pitch.

Further, in the second connector 9 ₂ the rear, the seat 19 of the elongated left indicated at D - side by side in a row in the terminal plate width direction a plurality of terminals 8 ₂ at an equal pitch of the poles are arranged, reference numeral one of the terminals 8 ₁ + pole on the right front of the rectangle seat 19 disposed indicated by E, the terminal plate two terminals 8 ₁ of the right rear short form of the seat 19 to the + pole indicated by the symbol F They are arranged side by side in the width direction. The housings 14 of both connectors are connected by an intermediate vertical common wall portion (partition wall) 15b which is a part of the peripheral wall 15 (FIG. 2).

Thus, positive electrode terminal 8 ₁ and the - and the terminal ₈₂ of the pole is separated into the terminal plate thickness direction through the slit-shaped hole 18, water droplets in the holes 18 falls quickly and reliably downward Therefore, there is no fear that the positive electrode terminal 8 ₁ and the negative electrode terminal 8 ₂ are short-circuited (leaked) by water droplets.

  FIG. 6 shows one form of the circuit board assembly 5 accommodated in the case 2, which is arranged on the surface of the vertical circuit board 26 and the circuit board 26 and connected to a circuit (not shown). The relay 34 and the resistor 35, and the tab terminal 8 and the clamping terminal 30 connected to the circuit of the circuit board 26 are provided. Each of the terminals 8 and 30 is bent in an L shape into a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, and the horizontal portion is solder-connected to the circuit board 26 at right angles. In FIG. 6, the lower terminal 36 constitutes the connector on the under cover 4 side in FIG. The upper and lower terminal holders 13 and 37 are fixed to the circuit board 26 with screws 38.

  The electrical connection module 1 in FIG. 1 is also called a power integration (power distribution unit), and is slidably mounted from above in a large electrical connection box (not shown) such as a relay box to constitute a part of the electrical connection box. This electric junction box is mounted in a place where rainwater or washing water is easily applied, such as in the hood of an automobile. Maintenance of the electrical connection module 1 is performed by opening an upper cover (not shown) of the electrical connection box.

  In the above embodiment, the terminals 6 are arranged in two rows on the connector 9. For example, the terminals 6 are arranged in one row on the connector, a groove portion 17 is arranged on one side of the terminal row, and a slit is formed on the other side. It is also possible to arrange the holes 18. It is also possible to arrange the terminals 6 in the connector in three rows or more, and to arrange the slit-shaped holes 18 between the terminal rows.

1 is an overall perspective view showing an embodiment of an electrical connection module according to the present invention. It is a cross-sectional perspective view which similarly shows the principal part of an electrical connection module. It is a top view which shows the principal part of an electrical connection module similarly. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of an electrical connection module. It is a perspective view which similarly shows the internal structure of an electrical connection module from a different angle. It is a front view which shows the internal structure of an electrical connection module. It is a perspective view which shows one form of the conventional electrical connection module.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrical connection module 2 Case 8 Terminal 8 ₁ + Pole terminal 8 ₂ -Pole terminal 12 Bottom wall 13 Terminal holder 14 Connector housing (housing)
17 Groove portion 18 Hole portion 19 Seat portion (terminal insertion portion)
19a Concave portion 20 Seat portion 22 Groove portion 23 Groove portion 27 Other hole portion

Claims (5)

  An upward housing is provided on the case, a terminal insertion portion is provided on the bottom wall of the housing, and a slit-shaped hole is provided adjacent to the terminal insertion portion, and a terminal holder is disposed below the bottom wall. Each terminal penetrating through the seat portion of the terminal holder protrudes upward through the terminal insertion portion, and a groove portion of the terminal holder is disposed below the hole portion, so that water drops fall from the hole portion to the groove portion. The electrical connection module is characterized by being discharged to the outside.   The electrical connection module according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the terminal insertion portions are provided in parallel, and the hole portion is provided between the both terminal insertion portions.   The electrical connection module according to claim 2, wherein a positive terminal is disposed in one of the terminal insertion portions, and a negative terminal is disposed in the other terminal insertion portion.   The hole is disposed on one side of the terminal insertion portion in the bottom wall, and the groove is disposed on the other side. The groove communicates with the other hole, and the other hole is located above the groove of the terminal holder. The electrical connection module according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection module is positioned.   The electrical connection module according to claim 1, wherein the terminal insertion portion has a downward concave portion that engages with the seat portion.

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