JP3695323B2 - Connection structure of connector module and fuse module housed in junction box - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connection structure between a connector module and a fuse module in a junction box connected to an automotive wire harness, and more specifically, in a connector module and a fuse module arranged in a junction box, the connection workability of both modules is improved. It will improve.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Recently, with the rapid increase in electrical components mounted on automobiles, the number of circuits housed in junction boxes has increased rapidly, and branch circuits are formed at a high density. It has become very expensive.
[0003]
In order to reduce the thickness of the junction box as well as to easily cope with circuit changes and to reduce the number of assembling steps, the applicant of the present application previously proposed a junction box 1 as shown in FIG. Proposed in the issue.
[0004]
The junction box 1 is divided into a connector connection circuit portion (base circuit portion), a fuse connection circuit portion, and a relay connection circuit portion, and is separately provided as a connector module 2, a fuse module 3, and a relay module 4, and these modules 2, 3 and 4 are incorporated in a case consisting of a lower case 5 and an upper case 6. Each of the modules 2, 3, and 4 has a configuration in which bus bars 2b, 3b, and 4b are caulked and fixed on the insulating substrates 2a, 3a, and 4a, and the bus bars 2b, 3b, and 4b are connected to the insulating substrates 2a, 3a, and 4a. It is set as the structure which protruded from the periphery and was mutually connected by welding.
[0005]
When the junction box is divided into the connector module, the fuse module, and the relay module as described above, the connector connection circuit, the fuse connection circuit, and the relay connection circuit are divided so that the bus bar tabs do not overlap. Multi-layering is suppressed and the junction box can be made thinner. In addition, each bus bar can be easily routed, so that each bus bar area can be reduced. As a result, even if the bus bars are divided, the overall bus bar area can be reduced, and an increase in the junction box area can be suppressed. it can.
Furthermore, if there is a specification change in each connector circuit, fuse circuit, and relay circuit, it is only necessary to change these corresponding modules, the specification change can be easily handled, and the circuit change can be easily handled. .
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, if the circuit in the junction box is divided into the connector connection circuit, the fuse connection circuit, and the relay connection circuit, and each is modularized, there is a great merit as described above.
In the junction box, since the fuse module 3 is joined to the connector module 2 in a state of being overlapped in a plane, positioning is relatively easy and a joining operation is also easy. However, depending on the specifications, it may be necessary to arrange the fuse module in the orthogonal direction with respect to one side of the connector module. When joining both modules in such an arrangement, it is difficult to position both modules, welding, etc. There is a problem that it is difficult to handle the tab when joining.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the present invention provides a coupling structure that can improve assembly workability at the time of joining a connector module and a fuse module in a junction box.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problem, the connector connection circuit portion and the fuse connection circuit portion provided in the junction box are divided and provided separately as a connector module and a fuse module, and the connector module includes a circuit board having a bus bar fixed to an insulating plate. The fuse module has a structure in which the bus bar connected to each terminal of the fuse is fixed to an insulating substrate, and the fuse module is arranged orthogonal to the connector module on one side of the stack edge of the connector module inside the box. And, while the welding tab formed on the tip of the bus bar from one side of the fuse module side of the connector module is refracted to both sides and spaced apart to protrude in parallel on a straight line,
The welding tabs of the fuse module are juxtaposed at positions facing the welding tabs on both sides, and the welding tab of the connector module and the welding tab of the fuse module are joined and welded.
The connecting portion protrudes from the edge of the insulating plate that protrudes the welding tab of the connector module, is fitted in a through hole formed in the substrate of the fuse module, and the locking protrusions formed on both outer surfaces of the connecting portion are A connection structure of a connector module and a fuse module in a junction box that is locked to the periphery of a through hole is provided.
[0009]
According to the above configuration, when the fuse module is arranged orthogonally to the connector module, the coupling module protruding from the connector module is fitted into the through hole of the fuse module so that accurate positioning between the two modules is performed. Therefore, the corresponding welding tabs of the two can be reliably joined. Further, since the locking projection formed on the coupling portion fitted in the through hole is locked to the periphery of the through hole, both modules arranged orthogonally can be temporarily fixed in this state, Even when both modules are handled during the welding operation, the welding operation can be performed stably without detaching both modules.
[0010]
More specifically, a taper portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole so as to be widened, and the through hole gets over the locking projection and is locked in a fitted state. In this way, the fuse module arranged orthogonal to the connector module can be more securely temporarily fixed.
[0011]
Further, a slit is provided between the connecting portion of the connector module and the locking projection to make the locking projection flexible. As a result, when the connector module and the fuse module are coupled, the locking projection is bent and locked to the periphery of the through hole, so that the coupling operation can be performed more smoothly.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of components constituting a junction box 10 connected to an automobile wire harness, and FIG. 4 shows a sectional view in an assembled state.
[0013]
In FIG. 1, 11 is a connector module, 12 is a fuse module, 13 is a relay module, 14 is a lower case, 15 is an upper case, and 16 is an electronic control unit.
[0014]
The junction box 10 includes a relay module 13, a connector module 11, and an electronic control unit 16 that are sequentially arranged in a vertical direction between a rectangular lower case 14 that is vertically long and an upper case 15. I have found it. A fuse module accommodating portion 15a is provided on the lower surface side between the peripheral walls of the lower case 14 and the upper case 15, and the fuse module 12 is accommodated in the horizontal direction in the fuse module accommodating portion 15a. 11 is a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction. The fuse 30 is detachably attached to the fuse module 12 from the outside. The relay 40 attached to the side surface side of the relay module 13 is exposed to the outside through an opening 14 b provided on the side surface of the lower case 14. A plurality of connector housing portions 14 a that are connected to the connector module 11 are provided on the side surface of the lower case 14.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 5, the connector module 11 includes a plurality of circuit boards 23 each having a connector connecting bus bar 21 formed by punching a single conductive board to form a circuit having a desired shape and fixed to an insulating board 22. It is composed by doing. The outermost insulating plate 22 is provided with a connector side connection tab 21c that protrudes from the bus bar 21 of each circuit board 23 toward the lower case 14, and the connector side connection tab 21c is provided in the lower case 14 as shown in FIG. It is made to protrude in the connector accommodating part 14a. A connector (not shown) connected to the tip of the wire harness is fitted into the connector housing portion 14a so that the terminals in each connector are connected to the connector-side connection tab 21c.
[0016]
Also, on the lower side of the connector module 11 facing the fuse module 12, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of connector-side weld tabs in which the end portions of the bus bar 21 are bent and protruded in an L shape toward the left and right sides. 21b is arranged in a concentrated manner by paralleling on a straight line. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, an elongated opening 11a for receiving a relay side intermediate tab 13a protruding from a relay module 13 described later is provided at a position near the center of the connector module 11. A connector-side intermediate tab 21a connected to the relay-side intermediate tab 13a is projected along the edge of the opening 11a by raising the end of the required bus bar 21 upward.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 7, the fuse module 12 arranged in the horizontal direction adjacent to the lower side of the connector module 11 has a large number of fuse accommodating portions 31 arranged in parallel in the left and right (L) (R) horizontal and vertical directions. Insulating substrate 32 formed in two upper and lower rows is provided. Inside the insulating substrate 32, as shown in FIG. 8 (B), a bus bar 33 having a pair of pressure contact terminals 33a, 34a on the power source side and a load side that project into the fuse accommodating portions 31, respectively, (FIGS. 5, 9A, and B) These bus bars 33 and 34 are refracted, and the other ends are bent in an L shape toward the left and right sides of the left and right insulating substrates 32. Thus, they are juxtaposed and arranged in parallel on a straight line so as to face the connector-side welding tab 21b of the connector module 11, and the tabs at each end are used as fuse-side welding tabs 33b and 34b.
[0018]
When the connector module 11 and the fuse module 12 are joined, as shown in FIG. 4, both the modules 11 and 12 are provided with a locking structure for temporarily fixing them in a mutually orthogonal arrangement state. That is, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a wide coupling portion 22a is integrally projected on one side of the laminated edge of the insulating plate 22 from which the connector side welding tab 21b is projected in the connector module 11. As shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, a through hole 32a into which the coupling portion 22a can be fitted is formed in the central width direction of the insulating substrate 32 of the fuse module 12. Further, a slit 22b is inserted in the vicinity of the outer surface on both sides of the coupling portion 22a in the protruding direction of the coupling portion 22a, and a portion separated in the width direction by the slit 22b is a locking projection 22c having flexibility. As shown in FIG. 11 (A), on the outer surface portion of the protruding end portion of the locking projection 22c, there are a guide portion 22c1 that protrudes outward from the tip portion toward the base portion, and the guide portion. A locking step 22c2 that is continuously recessed from 22c1 is formed, and the locking step 22c2 is locked to the periphery of the through hole 32a. Further, a chamfered portion 22a1 for allowing the locking projection 22c to bend inward is formed at the front end portion of the coupling portion 22a separated through the slit 22b.
[0019]
On the other hand, on the inner peripheral surfaces of both ends of the through hole 32a formed in the insulating substrate 32 of the fuse module 12, a tapered portion 32a1 that is widened toward the connector module 11 so as to face the guide portion 22c1 of the locking projection 22c. Is forming.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 7, the fuse module 12 includes a pair of terminals 30a and 30b which are inserted into the fuse housing portions 31 and project in parallel from the insulating holding portions 30c of the fuse 30 as shown in FIG. , 34a so as to be detachably press-connected. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, a cover 35 for preventing the fuse 30 from dropping is attached to the outer wall portion of the fuse accommodating portion 31.
[0021]
As shown in FIGS. 5, 10 </ b> A, and 10 </ b> B, the relay module 13 is disposed at a position on the side of the connector module 11 and close to the arrangement side of the fuse module 12. , And a pressure contact terminal 41a for connecting to the terminal 40a of the relay 40 protrudes outward from the substrate 42. One end of the bus bar 41 connected to the terminal 40a of the relay 40 is refracted and protrudes from one side of the upper end of the substrate 42 to the side to form the relay side intermediate tab 13a facing the connector side intermediate tab 21a. The end portion of the other bus bar 41 protrudes from one side of the lower end of the substrate 42 to the other side, and is arranged in parallel on a straight line so as to face the connector side welding tab 21b of the connector module 11, thereby forming a relay side welding tab 40b.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 4, the electronic control unit 16 has electronic components (not shown) mounted on one side of the substrate 50, and is held by a support column 51 protruding from the side surface of the connector module 11, and the upper case 15. It is made to fix with the screw | thread 52 between the vertical side surface of this, and the connector module 11. In this state, the electronic component is positioned in the space S between the substrate 50 and the upper case 15.
Further, conductors printed and printed on the substrate 50 are juxtaposed at one end edge, and the horizontal bus bar-like relay terminal 53 in the drawing and the conductor are directly connected via an ECU connector or without a connector. In addition, the end of the relay terminal 53 is connected to the bus bar 21 of the connector module 11.
[0023]
In order to assemble the junction box 10 composed of the above components, as described above, the relay module 13, the connector module 11, and the electronic control unit 16 are sequentially stacked and arranged, and the conductor of the electronic control unit 16 is connected via the relay terminal 53. The connector module 11 is connected to the bus bar 21. Then, in a state where the connector module 11 and the relay module 13 are overlapped, the relay-side intermediate tab 13a of the relay module 13 protruding from the opening 11a of the connector module 11 and the connector-side connection tab 21c facing this are joined by welding. ing.
[0024]
Next, when the connector module 11 and the fuse module 12 are coupled in an orthogonal arrangement, first, as shown in FIG. 11A, the coupling portion 22a protruding from one side of the laminated edge of the connector module 11 has a fuse. The fuse module 12 is pressed so as to be inserted into the through hole 32 a of the module 12. Then, as shown in FIG. 11 (B), the guide portions 22c1 of the locking projections 22c formed at both ends of the coupling portion 22a abut against the tapered portions 32a1 of the through holes 32a and are elastically bent and deformed inward. . When the fuse module 12 is further pushed in, as shown in FIG. 11C, when the through hole 32a gets over the guide portion 22c1 of the locking projection 22c, the locking projection 22c is elastically restored, and the through hole 32a is restored. Are engaged with the engaging stepped portion 22c2 and locked in a killed state.
[0025]
Thus, the connector module 11 and the fuse module 12 are temporarily fixed in an orthogonal arrangement state. In this state, the connector side welding tab 21b of the connector module 11 and the corresponding fuse side welding tabs 33b and 34b of the fuse module 12 are connected. Will be in contact. Further, the relay-side welding tab 40b of the relay module 13 is also in contact with the required portion. Then, the connector-side welding tab 21b and the fuse-side welding tab 33b or / and the relay-side welding tab 40b arranged in parallel with each other are continuously welded by a welding machine, and then the fuse module 12 and the relay module 13 are integrated. By reversing the module 11 and welding the fuse-side welding tab 34b on the opposite side in the same manner, the joining operation between the modules is completed.
[0026]
Thus, when connecting the connector module 11, the fuse module 12, and the relay module 13, the connector-side welding tab 21b, the fuse-side welding tab 33b, and the relay-side welding tab 40b to be joined are straight on one side of the fuse module 12 side. Therefore, the welding operation can be performed efficiently. After the welding operation is completed, the connector module 11, the fuse module 12, the relay module 13, and the electronic control unit 16 that are joined to each other are disposed and fixed between the lower case 14 and the upper case 15. Further, the fuse 30 is inserted into the fuse accommodating portion 31 of the fuse module 12 and the cover 35 is attached and locked.
[0027]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the slit provided on both outer surface portions of the connecting portion in the connecting portion between the connector module 11 and the fuse module may be provided only on one outer surface side, or the slit may be provided. The connecting portion and the locking projection may be integrated without providing.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the junction box of the present invention, when the fuse module is orthogonally arranged to be coupled to the connector module, the coupling portion protruding from the connector module is fitted in the through hole of the fuse module. At the same time, since the locking projections are locked to the periphery of the through hole, accurate positioning and temporary fixing between both modules can be performed. Therefore, even when the welding tabs of both modules are welded to each other, the welding operation can be performed stably without detaching both modules.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a junction box according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the outer side of the lower case.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the outer side of the upper case.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a junction box is assembled.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a connector module, a fuse module, and a relay module are separated.
6A is a plan view of the lower part of the connector module, and FIG. 6B is a bottom view.
7 is a bottom view of the fuse module as seen from the bottom side of FIG. 3. FIG.
8A is a bottom view of the fuse module, FIG. 8B is an XX cross-sectional view, and FIG. 8C is a YY cross-sectional view.
9A is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a fuse module, and FIG. 9B is a schematic exploded perspective view of a fuse module mounting portion.
10A is a partial cross-sectional view showing an assembled state of a relay module, and FIG. 10B is a schematic view showing a connection state between a relay and a bus bar in the relay module.
FIGS. 11A to 11C are main part enlarged views showing a coupling process of a connector module and a relay module. FIGS.
FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional junction box.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Junction box 11 Connector module 12 Fuse module 21b Connector side welding tab 22 Insulation board 22a Connection part 22b Slit 22c Locking protrusion 30 Fuse 30a, 30b Terminal 32 Insulation board 32a Through-hole 32a1 Taper part 33, 34 Bus bar

Claims (3)

Dividing the connector connection circuit portion and the fuse connection circuit portion provided in the junction box and providing them separately as a connector module and a fuse module, the connector module is configured by laminating a circuit board having a bus bar fixed to an insulating plate, The fuse module has a configuration in which a bus bar connected to each terminal of the fuse is fixed to an insulating substrate, and the fuse module is arranged orthogonally to the connector module on one side of the stacking edge of the connector module inside the box. While the welding tab formed on the tip of the bus bar from one side of the fuse module side is refracted to both sides and spaced in parallel to protrude in a straight line,
The welding tabs of the fuse module are juxtaposed at positions facing the welding tabs on both sides, and the welding tab of the connector module and the welding tab of the fuse module are joined and welded.
The connecting portion protrudes from the edge of the insulating plate that protrudes the welding tab of the connector module, and is fitted into a through hole formed in the substrate of the fuse module, and the locking protrusions formed on both outer surfaces of the connecting portion are Connection structure of the connector module and the fuse module in the junction box locked to the periphery of the through hole. The connector in the junction box according to claim 1, wherein a taper portion is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the through hole so as to be widened, and the through hole passes over the locking protrusion and is locked in a fitted state. Connection structure of module and fuse module. 2. The connection structure between a connector module and a fuse module in a junction box according to claim 1, wherein a slit is provided between the connecting portion of the connector module and the locking projection to make the locking projection flexible.

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