JP2011211852A - Electrical junction box - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple drainage structure capable of smoothly draining water droplets inside an electrical junction box and reliably preventing permeation of water from the outside.SOLUTION: The electrical junction box includes: a housing 2 and a drainage channel-forming member 5. The drainage channel-forming member 5 is attached to a bottom wall 3 of the housing 2. The drainage channel-forming member 5 has a first opening 11, a second opening 12 and a drainage channel 6. The first opening 11 disposed inside the housing 2 and the second opening 12 disposed outside the housing 2 are connected to each other via the drainage channel 6. In the inside of the drainage channel 6, a plurality of ribs 21, 22 are formed so as to protrude from the side wall of the drainage channel 6. When the first opening 11, the second opening 12 and the ribs 21, 22 are projected in a vertical direction (direction where the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 are connected), an overlapping portion is formed between the first opening 11 and the second opening 12, and the entire overlapping portion is covered with either the rib 21 or 22.

Description

  The present invention relates to a configuration of an electrical junction box provided in, for example, an automobile.

  In an electric junction box for a vehicle, water droplets may be generated inside due to condensation or the like. If the water droplets remain inside the electrical junction box for a long time, the internal electrical components are corroded or leaks between the circuits. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately discharge the water droplets to the outside. Therefore, the structure of the electrical junction box which has the drainage structure for it has been proposed conventionally.

  Patent document 1 discloses this kind of electrical junction box. In the electrical junction box of Patent Document 1, a drainage hole is provided at the lower end of the approximate center of the case bottom, while an outer peripheral frame projects from the case bottom wall around the drainage hole, and a baffle plate is provided in the outer peripheral frame. It is protruding. Patent Document 1 states that this configuration can prevent water from entering the drain hole from the outside.

  In addition, in the electrical junction box disclosed in Patent Document 2, an elastically deformable resin clamp is assembled in a drain hole provided in the bottom wall. This clamp has a plate part which covers the opening part of the drain hole and its periphery widely. Moreover, this clamp is comprised so that a slide up and down is possible, and if the force which pushes up a clamp acts, a board part will closely_contact | adhere to the outer surface of a bottom wall, and it is comprised so that a drain hole may be closed. Patent Document 2 assumes that, with this configuration, even when mud or the like is applied, the drain hole is not clogged, water can be drained stably, and water can be prevented from entering from the outside.

Japanese Patent No. 4063020 JP 2001-95129 A

  However, although the configuration of Patent Document 1 is designed such that water from the outside collides with the baffle plate portion, water and mud can be reliably prevented from entering the inside through the drainage hole. It's hard to say. Therefore, when a large amount of water or mud splashed by the vehicle is applied to the opening of the drain hole, the intrusion of water or mud cannot be prevented and there is a possibility of adversely affecting the internal electrical components.

  On the other hand, since the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 has a clamp which is a movable part, there is a problem in terms of durability because the sliding operation may become unstable by biting mud or the like into the movable part. . In addition, the plate part of the clamp is configured so that it protrudes greatly from the opening of the drain hole, so there is a limit to realizing a compact configuration, and the layout is designed so that it does not interfere with surrounding members There were cases where it was difficult to do. Furthermore, there is a possibility that water splashes back on the plate portion of the clamp, and the splashed water may enter the inside through the drain hole, leaving room for improvement from the viewpoint of realizing more reliable waterproofing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a simple drainage structure that can smoothly discharge water droplets inside the electrical junction box while reliably preventing entry of water and the like from the outside. It is to provide.

Means and effects for solving the problems

  The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above. Next, means for solving the problems and the effects thereof will be described.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, an electrical junction box having the following configuration is provided. That is, the electrical junction box includes a housing and an elastic member. The housing has a bottom wall. The elastic member is attached to the bottom wall. The elastic member is formed with a first opening, a second opening, and a drainage channel. The first opening is disposed inside the housing. The second opening is disposed outside the housing. The drainage channel is configured to connect the first opening and the second opening. One or more ribs are formed inside the drainage channel so as to protrude from the side wall of the drainage channel. The first opening and the second opening when the first opening, the second opening, and the rib are projected in an opening connection direction that is a direction in which the first opening and the second opening are connected. An overlapping portion is formed between the ribs and the entire overlapping portion is covered with the ribs.

  Thereby, a simple and compact drainage structure that can prevent water from flowing back into the housing through the drainage channel from the second opening can be realized. Further, since the drainage structure can be built inside the elastic member, the configuration around the drainage can be reduced in size, and the degree of freedom of the peripheral layout can be improved.

  In the electrical junction box, the rib has a transmission surface that is inclined so as to approach the second opening as it approaches the tip in order to receive water that has entered the drainage channel from the first opening. Preferably it is.

  Thereby, the water which entered the drainage channel from the first opening and hit the rib can be smoothly discharged to the second opening.

  In the electrical junction box, the rib has a return surface that is inclined so as to approach the second opening as it approaches the tip in order to receive water that has entered the drainage channel from the second opening. Preferably it is.

  Thereby, the water which entered the drainage channel from the second opening and hit the ribs can be smoothly returned to the second opening.

  The electrical junction box preferably has the following configuration. That is, a plurality of the ribs are arranged at different heights. The plurality of ribs have portions that overlap each other when projected in the opening connection direction.

  Thereby, while preventing the backflow of water reliably, the compactness of a drainage structure is realizable.

  The electrical junction box preferably has the following configuration. That is, the first opening is formed in an L shape. The second opening is formed in an L shape whose direction is different from that of the first opening by 180 °. When the first opening, the second opening, and the rib are projected in the opening connection direction, an end portion of the first opening and an end portion of the second opening overlap each other, and the overlapping portion The rib is disposed on the surface.

  Thereby, it is possible to realize a drainage structure that can reliably prevent backflow without complicating the shapes of the first opening and the second opening.

The perspective view which shows the whole structure of the electrical junction box which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The expansion perspective view which shows the drainage structure in an electrical junction box in detail. The enlarged view which shows the structure of a drainage channel formation member. The projection which projected the 1st opening, 2nd opening, rib, etc. of the drainage channel formation member to the up-down direction.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an electrical junction box 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a drainage structure of the electrical junction box 1 in detail. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the structure of the drainage channel forming member 5, and FIG. 4 is a projection view in which the first opening 11, the second opening 12, the ribs 21 and 22, etc. of the drainage channel forming member 5 are projected in the vertical direction.

  An electrical junction box 1 shown in FIG. 1 is configured as a junction box disposed in an engine room of an automobile, for example. The electrical junction box 1 includes a housing 2, and the housing 2 includes an upper cover and a lower cover. FIG. 1 shows only the lower cover.

  The housing 2 (lower cover) is configured by molding a synthetic resin. The housing 2 has a bottom wall 3 that covers the lower side of the contents of the electrical junction box 1. A mounting hole 4 is formed in the bottom wall 3. In addition, a drainage channel forming member (elastic member) 5 is attached to the mounting hole 4, and the drainage structure of the electrical junction box 1 is configured in the drainage channel forming member 5 portion.

  The drainage channel forming member 5 is made of a material having elasticity such as rubber, and is formed into a column shape having a rounded quadrangular cross section. The upper end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the drainage channel forming member 5 is attached so as to be in close contact with the inner wall of the mounting hole 4. Accordingly, the drainage channel forming member 5 is disposed so as to protrude downward from the bottom wall 3 by a slight length.

  A drainage channel 6 is formed in the drainage channel forming member 5 in the vertical direction. By this drainage channel 6, the water inside the housing 2 can be discharged to the outside.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the mounting hole 4 and the drainage channel forming member 5 in FIG. 1 in detail. FIG. 2 is a view seen from the inside of the housing 2 slightly downward, and only a part of the bottom wall 3 is depicted. In FIG. 2, the housing 2 (bottom wall 3) that should originally be drawn with a solid line is shown in perspective with a chain line in order to clearly show the configuration of the drainage channel forming member 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first opening 11 is formed on the upper surface of the drainage channel forming member 5, and the second opening 12 is formed on the lower surface. And the said drainage channel 6 is comprised so that the 1st opening 11 and the 2nd opening 12 may be connected to an up-down direction. The first opening 11 is exposed inside the housing 2, and the second opening 12 is exposed outside the housing 2.

  The first opening 11 is formed in an L shape, and the second opening 12 is also formed in an L shape. However, the 1st opening 11 and the 2nd opening 12 are arrange | positioned so that 180 degree directions may mutually differ. Further, the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 are arranged so that their positions substantially correspond to each other in the vertical direction (the second opening 12 is arranged directly below the first opening 11). Both can be connected by the drainage channel 6 formed substantially straight.

  Two ribs, that is, a first rib 21 and a second rib 22 protrude from an inner wall (side wall) of the drainage channel 6 in the vertical direction. The two ribs 21 and 22 are arranged at different heights.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first rib 21 is disposed at a position corresponding to one end portion of the first opening 11 bent in an L shape, and the second rib 22 is disposed in addition to the first opening 11. It is arranged at a position corresponding to the end (see also FIG. 4). As for the positional relationship with the second opening 12, the first rib 21 is disposed at a position corresponding to one end of the second opening 12 bent in an L shape, and the second rib 22 has the second rib 22. It is disposed at a position corresponding to the other end of the opening 12.

  The upper surfaces (transmission surfaces 25) of the respective ribs 21 and 22 are formed in an inclined shape that becomes downward as approaching the tip. Thereby, the water droplet which fell to the transmission surface 25 from the 1st opening 11 can be smoothly flowed to the 2nd opening 12 side below. Further, the lower surfaces (return surfaces 26) of the ribs 21 and 22 are also formed in an inclined shape that becomes lower as they approach the tip. As a result, water droplets that have entered from the second opening 12 and have adhered to the return surface 26 can be smoothly returned to the lower second opening 12 side.

  A receiving surface 31 is formed at the lower end of the drainage channel 6 at a position corresponding to a bent portion of the first opening 11 formed in an L shape. The receiving surface 31 is formed in a gently inclined shape so as to become downward as it approaches the second opening 12. Accordingly, the water droplets that fall through the drainage channel 6 so as to pass through the ribs 21 and 22 from the bent corner portion of the first opening 11 are received by the receiving surface 31 and guided to the second opening 12 and discharged. The

  FIG. 4 is a projection in which the first opening 11, the second opening 12, the first rib 21, the second rib 22, and the receiving surface 31 formed in the drainage channel forming member 5 are projected vertically with respect to the horizontal plane. FIG. Since the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 are connected in the vertical direction as described above, FIG. 4 shows the direction in which the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 are connected (hereinafter referred to as the following). It can also be expressed as a diagram projected along the “opening connection direction”.

  Considering this projection view, the first opening 11 (thick solid line) and the second opening 12 (thick broken line) are arranged so that their ends overlap each other. The ribs 21 and 22 (chain lines) are arranged so that any of the ribs 21 and 22 always covers the overlapping portion. In FIG. 4, the areas of the ribs 21 and 22 are hatched by dotted lines.

  With such a layout, even if water, mud, or the like splashed up by traveling of the automobile enters the drainage channel 6 from the second opening 12, it cannot pass through the first opening 11 or falls on the ribs 21 and 22. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent water and mud from entering the housing 2 from the first opening 11. Moreover, the waterproof effect as described above can be obtained without particularly complicating the shapes of the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 and the configuration in the drainage channel 6.

  The ribs 21 and 22 are arranged at different heights as described above, and the ribs 21 and 22 have a positional relationship in which the tips of the ribs 21 and 22 partially overlap when projected in the vertical direction (see FIG. 4). reference). Accordingly, the effect of preventing the intrusion of water and mud into the housing 2 is further improved, and a compact drainage structure can be realized.

  As described above, the electrical junction box 1 of this embodiment includes the housing 2 and the drainage channel forming member 5. The housing 2 has a bottom wall 3. The drainage channel forming member 5 is attached to the bottom wall 3. In the drainage channel forming member 5, a first opening 11, a second opening 12, and a drainage channel 6 are formed. The first opening 11 is disposed inside the housing 2. The second opening 12 is disposed outside the housing 2. The drainage channel 6 is configured to connect the first opening 11 and the second opening 12. A plurality of ribs 21 and 22 are formed inside the drainage channel 6 so as to protrude from the side wall of the drainage channel 6. Then, when the first opening 11, the second opening 12, and the ribs 21 and 22 are projected in the vertical direction (the opening connecting direction), an overlapping portion is formed between the first opening 11 and the second opening 12. The entire overlapping portion is covered with any one of the ribs 21 and 22.

  Thereby, a simple and compact drainage structure that can prevent water from flowing back into the housing 2 from the second opening 12 through the drainage channel 6 can be realized. Further, since the drainage structure can be built inside the drainage channel forming member 5 formed in a short columnar shape, the configuration around the drainage can be reduced in size, and the degree of freedom of the peripheral layout can be improved.

  Further, in the electrical junction box 1 of the present embodiment, the ribs 21 and 22 approach the second opening 12 below as they approach the tip in order to receive the water that has entered the drainage channel 6 from the first opening 11. It has an inclined transmission surface 25.

  Thereby, the water that has entered the drainage channel 6 from the first opening 11 and hits the ribs 21 and 22 can be smoothly dropped and discharged to the second opening 12 below by its own weight.

  Moreover, in the electrical junction box 1 of this embodiment, the ribs 21 and 22 receive the water that has entered the drainage channel 6 from the second opening 12 so as to approach the second opening 12 below as approaching the tip. An inclined return surface 26 is provided.

  Thereby, the water and mud which entered the drainage channel 6 from the second opening 12 and hit the ribs 21 and 22 can be smoothly dropped and returned to the second opening 12 below.

  In the electrical junction box 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of ribs 21 and 22 are arranged with different heights. The plurality of ribs 21 and 22 have portions that overlap each other when projected in the vertical direction.

  Thereby, while preventing the backflow of water, mud, etc. reliably, the compactization of a drainage structure is realizable.

  In the electrical junction box 1 of the present embodiment, the first opening 11 is formed in an L shape, and the second opening 12 is formed in an L shape whose direction is different from that of the first opening 11 by 180 °. . When the first opening 11, the second opening 12, and the ribs 21 and 22 are projected in the vertical direction, the end of the first opening 11 and the end of the second opening 12 overlap each other, and the overlapping portion Ribs 21 and 22 are disposed on the surface.

  Thereby, it is possible to realize a drainage structure that can reliably prevent backflow without complicating the shapes of the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 so much.

  Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, for example, the shapes of the drainage channel forming member 5, the drainage channel 6, the first opening 11, and the second opening 12 are not limited to the above-described embodiment. It can be changed accordingly. Further, the shape, number and arrangement of the ribs 21 and 22 can be changed as appropriate.

  In particular, in the above-described embodiment, the second opening 12 is arranged directly below the first opening 11 and both are connected in the vertical vertical direction by the drainage channel 6, but the present invention is not limited to this. You may change to the structure by which 1 opening and 2nd opening are connected in a slightly diagonal direction by a drainage channel.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrical junction box 2 Housing 3 Bottom wall 4 Mounting hole 5 Drainage channel formation member (elastic member)
6 Drainage channel 11 First opening 12 Second opening 21, 22 Rib 25 Transmission surface 26 Return surface 31 Receiving surface

Claims (5)

A housing having a bottom wall;
An elastic member attached to the bottom wall;
With
The elastic member includes
A first opening disposed within the housing;
A second opening disposed outside the housing;
A drainage channel connecting the first opening and the second opening;
Is formed,
Inside the drainage channel, one or more ribs are formed so as to protrude from the side wall of the drainage channel,
When projecting the first opening, the second opening, and the rib in an opening connection direction that is a direction in which the first opening and the second opening are connected,
An overlapping portion is formed between the first opening and the second opening,
An electrical junction box, wherein all of the overlapping portions are covered with the ribs. The electrical junction box according to claim 1,
In order to receive the water that has entered the drainage channel from the first opening, the rib has a conductive surface that is inclined so as to approach the second opening as it approaches the tip. box. The electrical junction box according to claim 1 or 2,
The rib has a return surface that is inclined so as to approach the second opening as it approaches the tip in order to receive water that has entered the drainage channel from the second opening. box. The electrical junction box according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A plurality of the ribs are arranged at different heights,
The plurality of ribs have portions overlapping each other when projected in the opening connection direction. An electrical junction box according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The first opening is formed in an L shape,
The second opening is formed in an L shape whose direction is different from that of the first opening by 180 °.
When the first opening, the second opening, and the rib are projected in the opening connection direction, an end portion of the first opening and an end portion of the second opening overlap each other, and the overlapping portion An electrical junction box, wherein the ribs are arranged on a wall.

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