JP2013005672A - Electric connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connection box which can prevent liquid, such as water, intruding into upper and lower covers from adhering to a printed wiring board even when the upper and lower covers are superposed on each other in the vertical direction.SOLUTION: An electric connection box 1 includes a metal substrate 24 having a surface arranged in the horizontal direction and a box body 2 storing the metal substrate 24. The box body 2 includes an upper cover 4 and a lower cover 5 superposed on each other in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the metal substrate 24. A lock projection 17 is installed on a peripheral wall 11 of the lower cover 5, and a lock step 18 on which the lock projection 17 is locked is installed on a peripheral wall 8 of the upper cover 4. The upper cover 4 includes an inner wall 9 installed on the inner side of the peripheral wall 11 of the lower cover 5 and having a lower end arranged on the lower side of the metal substrate 24.

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 electrical connection box.

  Conventionally, an electric junction box includes a box body and a wiring unit accommodated in the box body. The box body is formed in a flat box shape. The box body is attached to each other, and includes a lower cover and an upper cover that receive the wiring unit when attached to each other. The lower cover and the upper cover are made of an insulating synthetic resin and are molded by injection molding.

  The wiring unit includes a printed wiring board, a plurality of connectors mounted on the printed wiring board, a fuse holding unit for holding a plurality of fuses mounted on the printed wiring board, and a plurality of mounted on the printed wiring board. And relays. The conductor pattern of the printed wiring board electrically connects each terminal of the connector, the fuse, and the relay according to a predetermined pattern.

  The connector is exposed to the outside of the box body through a through-hole penetrating the outer wall of the box body. At least one of the plurality of connectors is fitted with a connector attached to a terminal of a power cable connected to a power source such as a battery or a generator mounted on the automobile. The remaining connectors are fitted with connectors attached to the ends of wire harnesses connected to various electronic devices mounted on the automobile.

  The fuse holding part is exposed to the outside of the box body through a through-hole penetrating the outer wall of the box body. The fuse holding unit holds a plurality of fuses. The relay is mounted on the printed wiring board and accommodated in the box body.

  The above-described conventional electrical junction box branches the power supplied from the connector connected to the power source by the conductor pattern of the printed wiring board, and after passing through the fuse and relay described above, via the wire of the wire harness, Supply to various electronic devices.

  The conventional electrical junction box described above may be mounted on the automobile described above in a state where the direction in which the upper cover and the lower cover overlap each other is along the vertical direction. In this case, since these covers are molded by injection molding, a through hole for forming a locking portion and a locking receiving portion for attaching these covers to each other opens upward. For this reason, in the above-described conventional electrical junction box, there is a possibility that liquid such as water enters the box body through the through hole, and the liquid such as the infiltrated water adheres to the printed wiring board.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent liquid such as water entering the cover from adhering to the printed wiring board even when the upper cover and the lower cover are provided in a state where the direction in which the upper cover and the lower cover overlap each other is along the vertical direction. It is to provide an electrical junction box.

  In order to solve the problems and achieve the object, the electrical junction box according to claim 1 is a printed wiring board whose surface is arranged along a horizontal direction, and a lower cover that houses the printed wiring board. An upper cover that is superimposed on the lower cover along a direction orthogonal to the surface of the printed wiring board, and that is attached to the lower cover; an engaging portion provided on an outer wall of the lower cover; and the upper cover An electrical connection box provided on an outer wall that is overlaid on an outer wall of the lower cover, and is engaged with the locking portion, wherein the upper cover is located on the inner side of the outer wall of the lower cover. It is provided and the lower end is provided with the inner wall provided below the said printed wiring board, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The electrical junction box according to a second aspect of the present invention is the electrical junction box according to the first aspect, wherein the lower cover includes a second inner wall provided inside the inner wall of the upper cover. It is said.

  An electrical junction box according to a third aspect of the present invention is the electrical junction box according to the first or second aspect, wherein the lower cover penetrates a bottom wall disposed in parallel with the printed wiring board at a distance. And a through hole opened between the outer wall of the lower cover and the second inner wall.

  According to the electrical junction box of the present invention as set forth in claim 1, the upper cover provided above the lower cover is disposed further inside than the outer wall of the lower cover disposed inside the outer wall of the upper cover and has a lower end. Since the inner wall disposed below the printed wiring board is provided, a liquid such as water entering through a hole penetrating the upper cover may adhere to the inner wall. For this reason, liquids, such as water adhering to an inner wall, will flow down the said inner wall.

  According to the electrical junction box of the present invention as set forth in claim 2, since the lower cover has a through hole penetrating the bottom wall, liquid such as water entering the cover is discharged through the through hole. .

  According to the electrical junction box of the present invention as set forth in claim 3, since the lower cover includes the second inner wall disposed further inside than the inner wall, the liquid such as water that has entered the inside of the cover beyond the inner wall. Is blocked by the second inner wall.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since liquid such as water entering through the hole penetrating the upper cover may adhere to the inner wall, the liquid such as water adhering to the inner wall causes the inner wall to adhere to the inner wall. It will be transmitted and flow downward. For this reason, it can prevent entering the inside of a cover over an inner wall, and can prevent that liquids, such as water, adhere to a printed wiring board. Therefore, even if the upper cover and the lower cover are provided in a state in which the direction in which the upper cover and the lower cover overlap each other is along the vertical direction, it is possible to prevent liquid such as water entering the cover from adhering to the printed wiring board.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since liquid such as water that has entered the cover is discharged through the through hole, it is possible to more reliably prevent the liquid from adhering to the printed wiring board. .

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since liquid such as water that has entered the inside of the cover beyond the inner wall is blocked by the second inner wall, the liquid can be more reliably prevented from adhering to the printed wiring board. be able to.

It is a perspective view of the electrical junction box concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state with which the electrical-connection box shown by FIG. 1 was attached to the motor vehicle. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing which follows the IV-IV line in FIG.

  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 FIGS. 1 and 3, the electrical junction box 1 includes a box body 2 and a power distribution unit 3 (shown in FIG. 3). In the present embodiment, the direction in which the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 of the box body 2 overlap each other is referred to as a thickness direction Z, and intersects (is orthogonal to the illustrated example) the thickness direction Z to be described later. The direction in which they are arranged is referred to as the width direction X, and the direction intersecting (orthogonal in the illustrated example) with both the thickness direction Z and the width direction X is referred to as the longitudinal direction Y.

  The electrical junction box 1 of this embodiment is attached to the lower part of the center console 6 of a motor vehicle, as shown in FIG. 2, with the thickness direction Z being substantially parallel to the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, the thickness of the electrical connection box 1 is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the electrical connection box 1 gradually moves downward toward the front of the automobile, and the upper cover 4 will be described later. It is overlaid on the lower cover 5 along a direction orthogonal to the surface of the metal substrate 24.

  The box body 2 is formed in a flat box shape and includes an upper cover 4 and a lower cover 5 that are assembled to each other. The upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 are made of an insulating synthetic resin and are formed by a well-known injection molding.

  The upper cover 4 includes a substantially flat ceiling wall 7, four peripheral walls 8 erected from each outer edge of the ceiling wall 7, and an inner wall 9 (shown in FIG. 4). The inner wall 9 is provided on the inner side of the peripheral wall 8 and is erected from the ceiling wall 7. The inner wall 9 is provided in parallel with the peripheral wall 8 with a space therebetween, and is provided over substantially the entire periphery of the outer edge portion of the ceiling wall 7 of the upper cover 4.

  The lower cover 5 includes a substantially flat bottom wall 10, peripheral walls 11 as four outer walls standing from the outer edges of the bottom wall 10, a second inner wall 12 (shown in FIG. 4), and a through hole 13. ing. The bottom wall 10 is provided with a hole 14 (shown in FIG. 4) for exposing a connector 26 described later.

  The second inner wall 12 is provided on the inner side of the peripheral wall 11 and is erected from the bottom wall 10. The second inner wall 12 is provided in parallel to the peripheral wall 11 with a space therebetween, and is provided over substantially the entire periphery of the outer edge portion of the bottom wall 10 of the lower cover 5. The second inner wall 12 is provided inside the inner wall 9 of the upper cover 4 when the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 are attached to each other. A plurality of through holes 13 are provided at intervals on the outer edge of the bottom wall 10. The through hole 13 penetrates the bottom wall 10 and opens between the peripheral wall 11 and the second inner wall 12.

  Of the four peripheral walls 8 and 11 of the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5, a fuse plate 35 to be described later and a fuse 28 attached to the fuse plate 35 are provided on the peripheral walls 8 and 11 on the front side in FIGS. 1 and 3. Notches 15 and 16 are provided for exposure.

  In the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5, the ceiling wall 7 and the bottom wall 10 are arranged in parallel with a space therebetween, and the outer edge of the peripheral wall 8 is overlapped on the outer side of the outer edge of the peripheral wall 11. Can be assembled. At this time, the inner wall 9 is overlaid on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 11 of the lower cover 5. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower cover 5 is provided with a locking projection 17 as a locking portion, and the upper cover 4 is provided with a locking step portion 18 as a locking receiving portion. ing.

  A plurality of the locking protrusions 17 are provided on the outer surface of the peripheral wall 11 of the lower cover 5 with a space therebetween. The locking protrusion 17 is formed to protrude from the peripheral wall 11 of the lower cover 5. The locking projection 17 is formed by an inclined surface 19 on the side away from the bottom wall 10 and a vertical surface 20 near the bottom wall 10. The inclined surface 19 is gradually inclined toward the outer surface of the peripheral wall 11 as the distance from the bottom wall 10 increases. The vertical surface 20 is orthogonal to the outer surface of the peripheral wall 11.

  A plurality of locking step portions 18 are provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 8 of the upper cover 4 with a space therebetween. The locking step 18 is formed in a concave shape from the inner surface of the peripheral wall 8 of the upper cover 4. The locking step portion 18 is provided from the central portion in the thickness direction Z of the inner surface of the peripheral wall 8 of the upper cover 4 to the ceiling wall 7 and extends linearly in the thickness direction Z described above. The locking step 18 is formed by a vertical surface 21 on the side away from the ceiling wall 7 and a parallel surface 22 near the ceiling wall 7. The vertical surface 21 is provided at the center in the thickness direction Z of the peripheral wall 8 and is orthogonal to the inner surface of the peripheral wall 8. The parallel surface 22 is provided across the vertical surface 21 and the ceiling wall 7 and is parallel to the inner surface of the peripheral wall 8. The upper cover 4 is provided with a hole 23 for forming the locking step 18 by injection molding. The hole 23 is provided at a position aligned with the locking step portion 18 in the thickness direction Z. The hole 23 penetrates the ceiling wall 7.

  The locking projection 17 and the locking step portion 18 described above are locked to each other when the locking projection 17 enters the locking step portion 18 and the vertical surfaces 20 and 21 overlap each other. Thus, the locking projection 17 and the locking step 18 are locked to each other, and the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 are assembled to each other. When the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 are assembled to each other, the through hole 13 is disposed below the hole 23 in the vertical direction. In the present invention, the through holes 13 and the holes 23 are not necessarily arranged in the thickness direction Z. When the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 are assembled to each other, the lower end of the inner wall 9 farthest from the ceiling wall 7 is provided below the metal substrate 24.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the power distribution unit 3 includes a metal substrate 24 as a printed wiring board, a plurality of relays 25, a plurality of connectors 26, a fuse holding unit 27, and a plurality of fuses 28. .

  As shown in FIG. 4, the metal substrate 24 includes a metal plate 29 made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy, and an insulating plate 30 made of an insulating synthetic resin in which the metal plate 29 is embedded, And a conductor pattern (not shown) formed on the outer surface of the insulating plate 30. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the metal substrate 24 is provided with a plurality of through holes 31 penetrating over both surfaces thereof. The inner surface of the through hole 31 is covered with a synthetic resin that constitutes the insulating plate 30. The conductor pattern of the metal substrate 24 electrically connects each terminal of the connector 26, the relay 25, and the fuse 28 according to a predetermined pattern. The metal substrate 24 is accommodated in the covers 4 and 5 in a state parallel to the ceiling wall 7 and the bottom wall 10 with a space therebetween. The metal substrate 24 is fixed to the lower cover 5, that is, the box body 2 by a screw 32 that is screwed into a boss provided on the lower cover 5. Thus, the metal substrate 24 is accommodated in the lower cover 5, that is, the box body 2, and the surface thereof is disposed along the horizontal direction. In the present invention, the angle between the surface of the metal substrate 24 and the horizontal direction is in the range of 0 degrees to several tens of degrees, and the surface of the metal substrate 24 is along the horizontal direction.

  The relay 25 is mounted on the metal substrate 24, and its terminal is connected to the conductor pattern of the metal substrate 24. The connector 26 includes an insulating connector housing 33 and a plurality of conductive terminals 34. The connector housing 33 is attached to the metal substrate 24 and exposed to the outside of the lower cover 5, that is, outside the box body 2 through the hole 14 penetrating the bottom wall 10. The terminals 34 are held by the connector housing 33 and are connected to the conductor pattern of the metal substrate 24. One of the connectors 26 is fitted with a connector attached to the end of a power cable connected to the power source of the automobile. The other connector 26 is fitted with a connector attached to a terminal of a wire harness connected to various electronic devices of the automobile.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the fuse holding unit 27 includes a fuse plate 35, a fuse terminal holder 36, and a plurality of conductive terminals 37. The fuse plate 35 is made of an insulating synthetic resin, and a plurality of fuses 28 are attached thereto. The fuse plate 35 is attached to the covers 4 and 5 so as to block the notches 15 and 16 of the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 and expose the fuse 28. The fuse terminal holder 36 is made of an insulating synthetic resin and is attached to the fuse plate 35.

  The terminal 37 is connected to a fuse 28 that is held by the fuse terminal holder 36 and attached to the fuse plate 35. The terminal 37 is connected to the conductor pattern of the metal substrate 24. The fuse holding unit 27 is mounted on the metal substrate 24 with the terminal 37 connected to the conductor pattern of the metal substrate 24. The plurality of fuses 28 are attached to the fuse plate 35 of the fuse holder 27.

  The power distribution unit 3 having the above-described configuration branches the power from the power source by the conductor pattern of the metal substrate 24, passes it through the fuse 13 and the relay 14, and then supplies it to each electronic device.

  The electrical junction box 1 described above includes a plurality of brackets 38 for fixing the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5, that is, the box body 2 to the vehicle body of the automobile.

  According to the present embodiment, the upper cover 4 provided above the lower cover 5 is disposed further inside than the peripheral wall 11 of the lower cover 5 disposed inside the peripheral wall 8 of the upper cover 4, and the lower end is the metal substrate 24. Since the inner wall 9 disposed below is provided, a liquid such as water entering through the hole 23 penetrating the upper cover 4 may adhere to the inner wall 9. For this reason, a liquid such as water adhering to the inner wall 9 flows along the inner wall 9 and flows downward. For this reason, liquid such as water can be prevented from entering the inside of the covers 4 and 5 beyond the inner wall 9, and liquid such as water can be prevented from adhering to the metal substrate 24. Therefore, even if the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 are provided in a state in which the direction in which the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5 overlap each other is along the vertical direction, liquid such as water that has entered the covers 4 and 5 is prevented from adhering to the metal substrate 24. Can do.

  Since the lower cover 5 includes the through hole 13 penetrating the bottom wall 10, liquid such as water that has entered the covers 4 and 5 is discharged through the through hole 13. For this reason, it can prevent more reliably that the said liquid adheres to the metal substrate 24. FIG.

  Since the lower cover 5 includes the second inner wall 12 disposed further inside than the inner wall 9, liquid such as water that has entered the inside of the covers 4 and 5 beyond the inner wall 9 is blocked by the second inner wall 12. . For this reason, it can prevent more reliably that the said liquid adheres to the metal substrate 24. FIG.

  In the embodiment described above, the metal substrate 24 is shown as a printed wiring board. However, in the present invention, a so-called conductor pattern is formed on the outer surface of an insulating substrate made of an insulating synthetic resin as the printed wiring board. A printed circuit board may be used.

  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.

1 Electrical junction box 4 Upper cover 5 Lower cover 8 Peripheral wall (outer wall)
9 inner wall 10 bottom wall 11 peripheral wall (outer wall)
12 Second inner wall 13 Through hole 17 Locking protrusion (locking portion)
18 Locking step (locking receiving part)
24 Metal substrate (printed wiring board)

Claims (3)

A printed wiring board whose surface is arranged along the horizontal direction;
A lower cover for accommodating the printed wiring board;
An upper cover that is overlaid on the lower cover along a direction orthogonal to the surface of the printed wiring board and attached to the lower cover;
A locking portion provided on the outer wall of the lower cover;
An electrical connection box comprising: a latch receiving portion that is provided on an outer wall of the upper cover that is overlapped with an outer wall of the lower cover and that is latched by the latch portion.
An electrical junction box, wherein the upper cover includes an inner wall provided inside the outer wall of the lower cover and having a lower end provided below the printed wiring board.   The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the lower cover includes a second inner wall provided on an inner side than an inner wall of the upper cover.   The lower cover includes a through-hole that passes through a bottom wall that is arranged in parallel with the printed wiring board with a space therebetween and that is open between an outer wall of the lower cover and the second inner wall. The electrical junction box according to claim 2.

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