JP5505112B2 - Fuse unit for directly attaching battery terminals - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuse unit for directly attaching a battery terminal, which is attached to a power terminal provided in a battery mounted on an automobile.

  Conventionally, an output side electric wire is connected to a power source terminal (hereinafter referred to as a battery terminal) of an automobile battery via a fuse unit for directly attaching the battery terminal, and a relay connected to the output side electric wire. Electric power is supplied to various loads through an electrical connection box such as a box, a fuse box, or a junction box. When an overcurrent flows from the battery, the fusing part of the fuse unit is melted to prevent the inflow of the overcurrent to the output side electric wire, and various loads connected to the downstream side are protected. It is like that. For example, those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-331591 (Patent Document 1).

  By the way, in the conventional battery terminal direct attachment fuse unit as described in Patent Document 1, the input side terminal portion attached to the power source terminal of the battery, the output side terminal portion attached to the output side electric wire, and those The metal fitting for conduction | electrical_connection consisting of the fusion | melting part which connects between is formed integrally by carrying out the press punching process of the metal flat plate. And according to the capacity | capacitance of the output side electric wire connected to an output side terminal part, the width dimension of a fusing part is determined, and when a predetermined overcurrent flows, a fusing part is blown out.

  However, since the metal fitting for conduction through which a large current flows needs to be composed of a metal flat plate having a certain thickness, there is a limit to punching the fusing part narrowly. Therefore, for example, providing an output-side connection portion for a relatively small current of 20 A or less in the metal fitting for conduction cannot be punched because the width of the fusing portion is too narrow, and eventually the output-side terminal portion for small current is introduced. It was difficult to provide the universal bracket.

  In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for providing a low-current electric device near the battery, such as mounting a voltage sensor on the battery. However, since the fuse unit for directly attaching the battery terminal of the conventional structure cannot be provided with the output-side terminal portion for the small current, the electric wire for the small current is routed from the downstream electrical connection box to the battery side. In addition to the increase in the number of parts and the manufacturing cost, it is necessary to connect to a nearby small current electric device, and the complexity of the assembling work has become a problem.

  In addition, since the input / output side terminal part and the fusing part are provided integrally by press punching a metal flat plate, the output side wires that can be connected to the output side terminal part are the allowable current determined by the fusing part. It was determined uniformly by the amount and was not very versatile.

JP 2000-315991 A

  The present invention has been made in the background of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem to be solved is that the fuse unit for direct mounting of a battery can be easily provided with a fusing part for small current, and is versatile. The object is to provide an excellent and novel fuse unit for directly attaching battery terminals.

A first aspect of the present invention is a battery terminal direct-attaching fuse unit mounted on a battery terminal of an automobile, wherein an input side terminal connected to the battery terminal and an output connected to an external wire A conduction metal fitting in which a side terminal part and a fusing part for connecting between the input / output side terminal parts are integrally formed, an upstream fuse connection terminal integrally formed in the conduction metal fitting, and the conduction metal fitting A downstream fuse connection terminal formed separately, and the upstream fuse connection terminal and the downstream fuse connection terminal cooperate to form a fuse mounting portion, while the conduction fitting and the A case made of a synthetic resin that covers and accommodates the downstream side fuse connection terminal partially covers, and on the surface of the case, the input side terminal portion, the output side terminal portion, the fusing portion, and the fuse Wearing parts are exposed to the outside, wherein the case and the separate forming fuse housing relative to the fuse mounting portion is adapted to be assembled.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to attach a separate fuse having an arbitrary rated current value by providing the fuse mounting portion in the battery terminal direct mounting fuse unit. Therefore, by attaching a small current fuse of, for example, 20 A or less to the fuse mounting portion, it is possible to attach a small current wire to the downstream fuse connection terminal.

  Therefore, even when a small current electric device such as a voltage sensor is provided in the vicinity of the battery, the low current electric device can be directly connected from the fuse unit for directly attaching the battery terminal, for example, without relaying the downstream electric connection box. Power can be taken directly. This eliminates the need for electric wires or the like that have conventionally been routed from the downstream electrical connection box to the battery side, thereby reducing the number of parts and manufacturing costs and simplifying the assembly work.

  In addition, since a separate fuse is attached to the battery terminal direct mounting fuse unit, the allowable amount of current that can be taken out from the downstream fuse connection terminal can be easily changed only by replacing the fuse. Can do. In other words, according to the demands of various electric devices installed around the battery, the allowable current amount that can be taken out from the downstream fuse connection terminal is easily changed without changing the structure of the fuse unit for directly attaching the battery terminal. Can be changed. As a result, the versatility of the battery terminal direct mounting fuse unit can be greatly improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the battery terminal direct mounting fuse unit according to the first aspect, the case has a rectangular shape , and the input side terminal is provided at one diagonal portion of the case. And the output-side terminal portion are exposed to the outside, while the fusing portion and the fuse mounting portion are exposed to the outside at the other diagonal portion of the case.

  According to this aspect, each terminal part and fusing part can be efficiently arranged at the four corners of the rectangular case provided for the conductive metal fitting. As a result, a separate fuse mounting portion can be provided around the battery terminal where space is relatively limited while preventing the fuse unit for directly attaching the battery terminal from being enlarged.

  According to the battery unit direct mounting fuse unit according to the present invention, a fuse mounting portion is provided so that a separate fuse can be mounted. Therefore, an electric current of an arbitrary magnitude according to the rating of the mounted fuse Can be taken out directly from the fuse unit for directly attaching the battery terminal. Therefore, it is possible to supply power directly to an electric device with a small current around the battery and to greatly improve the versatility of the battery terminal direct mounting fuse unit.

The perspective view which shows the state by which the fuse unit for battery terminal direct attachment as one Embodiment of this invention was mounted | worn with the battery. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fuse unit for directly attaching a battery terminal shown in FIG. 1. The perspective view which shows the metal fitting for conduction | electrical_connection and the downstream fuse connecting terminal which comprise the fuse unit for battery terminal direct attachment shown by FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3. The top view which shows the unit main body which comprises the fuse unit for battery terminal direct attachment shown by FIG. FIG. 6 is an A arrow view of FIG. 5. B arrow view of FIG. The top view which shows the fuse housing which comprises the fuse unit for battery terminal direct attachment shown by FIG. C arrow line view of FIG. D arrow line view of FIG. The top view which shows the fuse unit for battery terminal direct attachment shown by FIG. The E arrow line view of FIG. F arrow line view of FIG. XIV-XIV sectional drawing in FIG. XV-XV sectional drawing in FIG. XVI-XVI sectional drawing in FIG.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, FIG.1 and FIG.2 shows the perspective view of the fuse unit 10 for battery terminal direct attachment as one Embodiment of this invention, and the disassembled perspective view explaining the assembly | attachment state. The fuse unit 10 includes a conduction metal fitting 12 and a case 14 that covers the conduction metal fitting 12 from the front and back. On the upper surface of the unit main body 16 configured to include the conductive metal fitting 12 and the case 14, a separately formed fuse housing 18 is fitted and attached to the case 14. Such a fuse unit 10 is placed on the upper surface of the automobile battery 20 indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 1 and connected to the battery terminal 22. In the following description, the vertical direction in FIGS. 1 and 2 is referred to as the vertical direction unless otherwise specified for convenience.

  3 and 4 show the metal fitting 12 for conduction. The conductive metal fitting 12 has a substantially flat plate shape, and is manufactured by bending a part of a metal flat plate after press punching. In addition, the conduction metal fitting 12 has a sufficient thickness dimension so that a large amount of current from the battery 20 can be conducted. The conduction metal fitting 12 includes an input side terminal portion 24, an output side terminal portion 26, and a fusing portion 28 that connects the input side terminal portion 24 and the output side terminal portion 26 to each other. Has been. Further, the upstream side fuse connection terminal 30 is integrally formed with the conduction metal fitting 12. When the fuse unit 10 is mounted, the conductive metal fitting 12 is disposed so that the plane of the metal fitting 12 extends in the horizontal direction.

  More specifically, the conductive metal fitting 12 has a shape that expands in a substantially square shape in plan view in FIG. And while the input side terminal part 24 is formed in one corner (lower left corner in FIG. 4) of this square, on the opposite corner (upper right corner in FIG. 4), An output side terminal portion 26 is formed. Further, the input side terminal portion 24 and the output side terminal portion 26 are connected to each other by a fusing portion 28 provided at the lower right corner in FIG.

  The input side terminal portion 24 of the conductive metal fitting 12 is constituted by a flat plate portion that extends in a substantially square shape in a plan view of FIG. A circular battery terminal insertion hole 32 is formed through the center of the input side terminal portion 24, and the battery terminal 22 is inserted and connected thereto. Further, at the outer peripheral edge portion of the input side terminal portion 24, a bent portion 34 that is bent downward and extends to the same length at two positions on the left edge and one position on the upper edge in FIG. 4. Is formed. By forming such a bent portion 34, the bending strength of the conductive metal fitting 12 is improved. Further, since the bent portion 34 is formed so that the cut portion of the conductive metal fitting 12 is directed downward, the assembly operator or the like holds the conductive metal fitting 12 by a burr on the end face of the metal plate or the like. The risk of injury to hands is reduced.

  On the other hand, like the input side terminal portion 24, the output side terminal portion 26 is configured by a flat plate portion that extends in a substantially square shape in plan view. Further, a circular stud bolt insertion hole 36 is formed through the central portion of the output side terminal portion 26, and a stud bolt 38 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is inserted so that an external wire terminal (not shown) is connected. It has become. Note that a thread (not shown) is formed on the protruding portion of the stud bolt 38 from the output terminal portion 26. Further, the outer peripheral edge portion of the output side terminal portion 26 extends downward with the same length as the bent portion 34 of the input side terminal portion 24 in the entire length of the left and right edges of the output side terminal portion 26 in FIG. A bent portion 34 is formed. Note that the lower left corner of the output side terminal portion 26 in FIG. 4 has a shape cut out in an arc shape in plan view, and mutual interference with the input side terminal portion 24 is avoided.

  The input side terminal portion 24 and the output side terminal portion 26 are connected to each other by a fusing portion 28. That is, the fusing part 28 is disposed at the lower right corner of the conductive metal fitting 12 in FIG. 4, and toward the input side terminal part 24 and the output side terminal part 26 arranged on the left side and the upper side in FIG. 4. Each has a substantially L shape extending with a sufficiently small width. The fusing part 28 is connected to the input-side terminal part 24 and the output-side terminal part 26 at both narrow end portions. Further, a low melting point metal lump (not shown) is attached to the fusing part 28.

  As a result, when an excessive current flows between the input side terminal portion 24 and the output side terminal portion 26 of the metal fitting 12 for conduction, the low melting point metal mass melts and the low melting point metal mass and the fusing portion 28 have a resistance value. When a large alloy layer is formed, heat is generated and the melted portion 28 is melted. The width dimension of the fusing part 28 is appropriately set in the same manner as a known battery terminal direct mounting fuse unit according to the allowable current amount.

  Furthermore, the upstream metal connection terminal 30 is integrally provided in the conduction metal fitting 12 at the upper end of the input terminal 24 in FIG. The upstream side fuse connection terminal 30 is structured to extend in a band shape with a certain width from the input side terminal portion 24, and extends upward in FIG. 4 from the input side terminal portion 24 by a predetermined length. Thereafter, it extends and bends in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 4 (upward in FIG. 3). The upstream fuse connection terminal 30 is formed by bending the conductive metal fitting 12 by press working and then bending it separately in the plate thickness direction.

  The upstream fuse connecting terminal 30 is constituted by a so-called tuning fork terminal whose protruding tip portion has a bifurcated tuning fork shape. A notch is provided in the central portion in the width direction of the upstream fuse connection terminal 30 to a depth that does not reach the bent portion from the front end side. The tab terminal insertion portion 44 is formed by this notch, and the tip portions on both sides sandwiching the tab terminal insertion portion 44 form a pair of press contact portions 46. Then, as will be described later, when a separate fuse (not shown) is inserted into the tab terminal insertion portion 44, the pair of pressure contact portions 46 come into contact with the pair of tab terminals of the fuse and become conductive with each other. ing.

  A downstream fuse connection terminal 48 that is a separate member from the conduction metal fitting 12 is provided at a position facing the upstream fuse connection terminal 30 of the conduction metal fitting 12. The downstream side fuse connection terminal 48 is a flat plate-like metal plate having the same width as the upstream side fuse connection terminal 30, and is manufactured by pressing a metal flat plate in the same manner as the conductive metal fitting 12. Yes.

  Further, the downstream side fuse connection terminal 48 is disposed so that one surface thereof faces the outer surface of the upstream side fuse connection terminal 30 of the conductive metal fitting 12. The distal end portion of the downstream fuse connection terminal 48 has a tuning fork shape similar to the distal end portion of the upstream fuse connection terminal 30 and includes a tab terminal insertion portion 44 and a pair of pressure contact portions 46 on both sides thereof. . It should be noted that positioning protrusions protruding in the width direction of the downstream fuse connection terminal 48 are formed in a total of four locations, two on the left and right sides, in the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the downstream fuse connection terminal 48.

  Both of the conductive metal fitting 12 and the downstream fuse connecting terminal 48 are partially covered and accommodated by the case 14. And the unit main body 16 comprised with these metal fittings 12 for a conduction | electrical_connection, the downstream fuse connection terminal 48, and the case 14 is shown to FIGS.

  The case 14 constituting the unit main body 16 has a substantially rectangular block shape that covers the conductive metal fitting 12 from the upper and lower sides (front and back sides). And the unit main body 16 comprised including the metal fitting 12 for conduction | electrical_connection and the case 14 is made into the substantially square shape in the planar view shown by FIG. The case 14 is made of synthetic resin, and is manufactured by integrally molding the conductive metal fitting 12 and the downstream fuse connecting terminal 48 as an insert. In the present embodiment, when the case 14 is molded, the downstream fuse connecting terminal 48 is used as an insert product together with the conductive fitting 12, but when the case 14 is molded, only the conductive fitting 12 is used as an insert product. The downstream side fuse connection terminal 48 may be separately assembled and fixed after the case 14 is molded. When insert molding the case 14, the stud bolt 38 is inserted in advance into the stud bolt insertion hole 36 of the output side terminal portion 26.

  In this way, in the unit main body 16 which is an integrally formed product including the conductive metal fitting 12, the downstream fuse connecting terminal 48, and the case 14 covering them, the lower left side of the case 14 is shown in FIG. In the lower right side and the upper right side, the input side terminal part 24, the fusing part 28, and the output side terminal part 26 are exposed to the outside, respectively. Also, a fuse housing mounting recess 50 is provided on the upper left side of the case 14, and from the bottom wall of the fuse housing mounting recess 50, the tips of the upstream fuse connection terminal 30 and the downstream fuse connection terminal 48 are located upward. It protrudes toward (upper side of FIG. 6) and is exposed to the outside. As a result, a fuse mounting portion 55 is formed in which the pair of upstream and downstream fuse connection terminals 30 and 48 cooperate.

  In the case 14, an upper peripheral wall portion 52 and a lower peripheral wall portion 53 project upward and downward around the input side terminal portion 24 except for the lower end portion of the input side terminal portion 24 in FIG. 5. In a region surrounded by the lower peripheral wall portion 53, a support fitting (not shown) that supports the battery terminal 22 is accommodated. A nut (not shown) that is screwed to the battery terminal 22 is accommodated in the area surrounded by the upper peripheral wall portion 52.

  On the other hand, in the case 14, an external electric wire housing wall portion 54 that opens to the left end side in FIG. 5 of the output side terminal portion 26 protrudes upward (upward in FIG. 6) around the output side terminal portion 26. ing. The external electric wire housing wall 54 surrounds the periphery of the output side terminal portion 26 in a shape capable of accommodating a crimp terminal attached to an external electric wire terminal (not shown). That is, it includes an arc portion 54a that surrounds the stud bolt 38 in a substantially arc shape, and straight portions 54b that extend straight from both ends of the arc portion 54a toward the opening side. A bolt fixing portion of a crimp terminal (not shown) is accommodated inside the arc portion 54a, and a flat plate-like extension portion extending from the bolt fixing portion of the crimp terminal is accommodated inside the straight portion 54b. It has come to be.

  The external electric wire accommodating wall portion 54 is connected to a vertical wall portion 56 projecting toward the lower side of the case 14 at the opening side end portion of the straight portion 54b. And the external electric wire attached to the edge part of the crimp terminal which is not illustrated is derived | led-out to the downward side of the case 14 along this vertical wall part 56. As shown in FIG. The vertical wall portion 56 is connected to the bottom wall of the case 14 via a right-angled triangular rib portion 57 at a plurality of locations separated in the width direction for the purpose of ensuring the strength to support an external electric wire (not shown). It is reinforced.

  Further, the case 14 is provided with a fusing part receiving hole 58 that vertically penetrates the case 14 with a substantially constant rectangular cross section on the lower right side of FIG. 5 where the fusing part 28 is exposed. A fusing part 28 is disposed at a substantially central portion in the depth direction of the fusing part accommodation hole 58, and the fusing part 28 is exposed to the outside from the opening part of the fusing part accommodation hole 58 on the upper surface and the lower surface of the case 14. Yes. Further, a transparent protective cover 60 made of synthetic resin is assembled to the opening of the fusing part accommodation hole 58 on the upper and lower surfaces of the case 14.

  The protective cover 60 has a shape in which a belt-like member extending at a constant width is bent in a U-shape. Such a protective cover 60 is fitted into the fusing part accommodation hole 58 of the case 14 from the side wall part (lower side wall part in FIG. 5) of the case 14 so that the upper and lower openings of the fusing part accommodation hole 58 are opened. The part is covered with a protective cover 60. As a result, the fusing part 28 disposed inside the fusing part receiving hole 58 is visible from the outside via the protective cover 60. Further, the protective cover 60 prevents contact of external parts and the like with the melted portion 28 and prevents scattering of fragments and the like when the melted portion 28 is melted. The protective cover 60 is integrally formed with an engaging projection 61 at its extended end, and engages with an engaging recess 59 provided at the peripheral edge of the opening of the fusing part receiving hole 58 to protect the protective cover 60. 60 is detachably fixed to the case 14.

  The fuse housing mounting recess 50 is a recess that extends in a rectangular shape around the upstream fuse connection terminal 30 and the downstream fuse connection terminal 48. The fuse housing mounting recess 50 is formed in the surface of the case 14 (upper surface in FIG. 2) on the inner peripheral side of the corner formed by the two orthogonal side walls 66a and 66b of the case 14. Thus, one orthogonal side wall of the fuse housing mounting recess 50 is constituted by the two side walls 66a and 66b. Further, the other orthogonal side wall of the fuse housing mounting recess 50 is configured by orthogonal wall portions 67a and 67b formed to protrude upward from the bottom wall of the fuse housing mounting recess 50. The orthogonal wall portion 67a extends in parallel with the opposing side wall 66a, while the orthogonal wall portion 67b extends in parallel with the opposing side wall 66b.

  Furthermore, the bottom wall of the fuse housing mounting recess 50 has a corner where the side wall 66a and the side wall 66b intersect, a corner where the side wall 66b and the orthogonal wall 67a intersect, and a corner where the orthogonal wall 67a and the orthogonal wall 67b intersect. Are formed with positioning leg receiving holes 62a, 62b, 62c extending vertically through the bottom wall. Positioning leg portions 90a, 90b, and 90c, which will be described later, formed in the fuse housing 18 are accommodated in the positioning leg portion receiving holes 62a, 62b, and 62c, respectively. The positioning leg receiving holes 62a, 62b, 62c are formed to penetrate with a constant L-shaped cross section corresponding to the positioning leg 90a, 90b, 90c to be received.

  Further, the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall of the fuse housing mounting recess 50 is located on the inner side of each of the side wall 66a, the side wall 66b, and the orthogonal wall part 67a and extends through the bottom wall in the vertical direction. 64a, 64b and 64c are formed. Then, first to third engaging lances 91, 92, and 93, which will be described later, formed in the fuse housing 18 are received in the engaging lance receiving holes 64a, 64b, and 64c, respectively. Yes. Note that the engagement lance accommodation holes 64a, 64b, and 64c are formed so as to penetrate each engagement lance 91, 92, and 93 with a certain cross-sectional shape.

  The protruding end surfaces (upper side in FIG. 2) of the side walls 66a, 66b, and the orthogonal wall portions 67a are arranged at the protruding end surfaces at positions corresponding to the engagement lance receiving holes 64a, 64b, 64c provided inside them. Engaging notches 68a, 68b, and 68c that are opened are provided, respectively. The engagement notches 68a, 68b, and 68c have the same width as the engagement lance receiving holes 64a, 64b, and 64c, respectively. In addition, positioning recesses 70 are formed in both end portions in the length direction of the orthogonal wall portion 67a (upper and lower end portions in FIG. 5) so as to open to the projecting end surface. The protrusion 98 is fitted.

  On the other hand, a connector connection portion 72 is formed on the back side of the case 14 where the fuse housing mounting recess 50 is formed, that is, on the lower side of the fuse housing mounting recess 50 in FIGS. The connector connecting portion 72 is formed so as to project from the lower surface of the case 14 in a cylindrical shape, and the lower end portion of the downstream fuse connecting terminal 48 projects from the case 14 and is exposed. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a rectangular engagement window portion 74 for engaging a locking projection of a connector (not shown) is formed in the outer peripheral wall surface of the connector connecting portion 72 so as to open to the outer peripheral side. ing.

  The position where the engagement window 74 is formed corresponds to the engagement notch 68b formed at the protruding end of the side wall 66b in the vertical direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 7). The opening end on the upper surface side is open and connected to an engagement lance accommodation hole 64b provided inside the side wall 66b. Thereby, the engaging part 75b opened to the engaging lance accommodation hole 64b by the opening end part on the upper side of the engaging window part 74 is constituted. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the side wall 66a is provided with an engaging portion 75a formed below the engaging notch 68a and formed by notching the lower end of the side wall 66a in a concave shape. The engaging portion 75a is open and connected to an engaging lance accommodation hole 64a provided inside the side wall 66a. A plurality of cover locking projections 77 for fixing a battery terminal cover (not shown) are provided on the side surface of the case 14.

  Next, the fuse housing 18 attached to the fuse attachment portion 55 is shown in FIGS. The fuse housing 18 is a separate member from the case 14 and is made of synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 9, the fuse housing 18 as a whole is composed of a fuse holding portion 78 projecting upward and a mounting leg portion 80 provided below the fuse holding portion 78.

  The fuse holding portion 78 of the fuse housing 18 has a rectangular cylindrical structure that opens upward and extends, and has the same structure as a conventionally known blade-type fuse mounting portion. Specifically, a housing recess 82 capable of housing a fuse (not shown) is formed in the fuse holding portion 78. The housing recess 82 is rectangular in cross section, and a tab housing groove 84 for housing and holding a tab terminal of a fuse (not shown) is formed in a concave groove shape on the inner side wall portion on the short side. On the other hand, a pair of fuse connection terminal insertion holes 86 through which the upstream and downstream fuse connection terminals 30 and 48 pass are formed at the bottom of the housing recess 82. Thus, when the fuse housing 18 is attached to the unit body 16, the upstream and downstream fuse connection terminals 30 and 48 protrude from the bottom surface of the housing recess 82 into the housing recess 82. Is to be housed inside. Further, when the fuse unit 10 is used, a fuse (not shown) is mounted on the fuse mounting portion 55 including the upstream and downstream fuse connection terminals 30 and 48 and is housed and held in the housing recess 82. It has come to be.

  On the other hand, the mounting leg portion 80 of the fuse housing 18 has a flat plate portion 88 that extends in a bowl shape that is slightly larger than the fuse holding portion 78 and a thin rectangular shape that protrudes downward from the outer peripheral edge portion of the flat plate portion 88. A cylindrical portion 89 is provided. The rectangular tube portion 89 includes side surfaces 89a, 89b, 89c, and 89b that are respectively fitted inside the side walls 66a and 66b and the orthogonal wall portions 67a and 67b of the fuse housing mounting recess 50.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, in the rectangular cylindrical portion 89, the corner portion where the side surface 89 a and the side surface 89 b intersect, the corner portion where the side surface 89 b and the side surface 89 c intersect, and the corner portion where the side surface 89 c and the side surface 89 d intersect. In addition, positioning leg portions 90a, 90b, and 90c are formed so as to protrude straightly downward in a substantially L-shaped cross section.

  Further, first, second, and third engaging lances 91, 92, 93 extending downward with substantially the same width dimension are formed on the side surfaces 89a, 89b, 89c of the rectangular cylindrical portion 89 so as to protrude. Yes. That is, the first to third engaging lances 91, 92, 93 are connected to the side surfaces 89a, 89b, 89c at the base end portions and supported in a cantilevered state, and have a substantially the same protruding length downward. It is formed so as to protrude. Thereby, the projecting tip side of the first to third engaging lances 91, 92, 93 can be elastically deformed inwardly (inner peripheral side) of the rectangular cylindrical portion 89.

  In addition, positioning projections 98 and 98 projecting outward are integrally formed on the side surface 89c of the rectangular cylindrical portion 89 at both ends in the length direction (upper and lower end portions in FIG. 8). The positioning protrusions 98, 98 have an outer shape that can be fitted into positioning recesses 70, 70 provided in the orthogonal wall portion 67 a of the fuse housing mounting recess 50 in the case 14. That is, the positioning protrusions 98 and 98 formed on the specific side surface 89c of the fuse housing 18 and the positioning recesses 70 and 70 of the case 14 are fitted to each other, so that the assembly of the fuse housing 18 is achieved. The fuse housing 18 is prevented from being reversed and assembled in the wrong direction when attached.

  As shown in FIG. 2, such a fuse housing 18 is mounted on the fuse housing mounting recess 50 of the case 14 from the upper side of the unit main body 16 to constitute the fuse unit 10. The fuse unit 10 with the fuse housing 18 attached to the unit body 16 is shown in FIGS. As the fuse housing 18 is assembled to the unit main body 16 in this way, the upstream fuse connecting terminal 30 and the downstream fuse connecting terminal 48 provided on the unit main body 16 are both accommodated in the housing recesses of the fuse housing 18. The fuse mounting portion 55 is configured in the fuse housing 18.

  Further, when the fuse housing 18 is assembled, the mounting leg portion 80 of the fuse housing 18 is accommodated in the fuse housing mounting recess 50 provided in the case 14. In this case, the three positioning legs 90a, 90b, 90c of the fuse housing 18 are received in the positioning leg receiving holes 62a, 62b, 62c formed in the fuse housing mounting recess 50, respectively. Further, the three first to third engaging lances 91, 92, 93 of the fuse housing 18 are received in the three engaging lance receiving holes 64a, 64b, 64c formed in the fuse housing mounting recess 50, respectively. Is done.

  When the fuse housing 18 is mounted, the first to third engaging lances 91, 92, 93 are engaged with the case 14, so that the fuse housing 18 is prevented from coming out of the case 14. It has become. Since the first to third engagement lances 91, 92 and 93 have the same structure, the fuse housing 18 will be described below with reference to FIG. The engagement mechanism will be described.

  That is, at the initial stage of mounting the fuse housing 18, the positioning legs 90a and 90b and the tips of the second engaging lances 92 are inserted into the opening end of the fuse housing mounting recess 50, that is, inside the side wall 66b. It becomes. At this time, the engagement protrusion 94 protruding to the outer peripheral side at the tip of the second engagement lance 92 is first inserted into the engagement notch 68b provided on the side wall 66b and positioned. Thereafter, as the fuse housing 18 is pressed downward and inserted, the inclined surface 95 of the engaging projection 94 provided on the second engaging lance 92 abuts against the bottom surface of the engaging notch 68b, and then the inclined The second engaging lance 92 is bent and deformed inward as guided by the surface 95. When the fuse housing 18 is further pushed down, the engagement projection 94 reaches the engagement window 74, thereby releasing the inward bending deformation of the second engagement lance 92 as shown in FIG. At the same time, the engagement flat surface 96 of the engagement protrusion 94 engages with the engagement portion 75 b formed by using the opening end portion of the engagement window portion 74 on the upper surface side of the case 14.

  FIGS. 15 and 16 are sectional views showing other engagement states of the first and third engagement lances 91 and 93. Also when the first and third engaging lances 91 and 93 are inserted and locked, the protruding portions of the engaging protrusions 94 are inserted into the engaging notches 68a and 68c formed in the wall surface of the fuse housing mounting recess 50. After being inserted, the first and third engaging lances 91 and 93 are bent inwardly. When the first and third engaging lances 91 and 93 are further pushed down and the engaging projection 94 reaches the engaging portions 75a and 75c, the first and third engaging lances 91 and 93 are elastically moved. As a result of the restoration, the engaging protrusion 94 is fitted into the engaging portions 75a and 75c. By such engagement of the engagement protrusions 94 of the first to third engagement lances 91, 92, 93, the fuse housing 18 is removably engaged with the fuse housing mounting recess 50.

  In the fuse housing 18, the positioning leg portions 90 a, 90 b, 90 c and the like are accommodated in the positioning leg portion receiving holes 62 a, 62 b, 62 c formed in the bottom surface of the fuse housing mounting recess 50. The housing 18 is correctly positioned. As described above, the fuse housing 18 is positioned and the first to third engaging lances 91, 92, and 93 are bent and deformed, so that the first to third flexible members are displaced due to misalignment during insertion. The engagement lances 91, 92, and 93 are prevented from being damaged, and the assembling workability is improved.

  Further, in the engagement of the second engagement lance 92, the upper end surface of the connector locking engagement window 74 formed on the side wall 66b may be used as the engagement portion 75b that engages with the engagement protrusion 94. It has been used to reduce the number of parts and save space. Further, the mounting leg portion 80 of the fuse housing 18 includes a rectangular tube portion 89. When the mounting leg portion 80 is inserted into the fuse housing mounting recess 50, the first and second engaging lances 91 and 92 are provided. The side surfaces 89a and 89b constituting one orthogonal wall surface of the rectangular cylindrical portion 89 formed with are overlapped with the side walls 66a and 66b constituting one orthogonal side wall of the fuse housing mounting recess 50. Yes. Further, the side surfaces 89c and 89d constituting the other orthogonal wall surface of the rectangular cylindrical portion 89 are overlapped to face the orthogonal wall portions 67a and 67b constituting the other orthogonal side wall of the fuse housing mounting recess 50, respectively. ing. As a result, the strength of the side walls 66a and 66b and the orthogonal wall portions 67a and 67b of the mounting leg portion 80 of the fuse housing 18 and the fuse housing mounting recess 50 are reinforced mutually. Furthermore, the locking reaction force to the engaging portions 75a and 75b of the first and second engaging lances 91 and 92 provided on the side surfaces 89a and 89b which are one orthogonal wall surface is the other orthogonal wall surface. The side surfaces 89c and 89d can be handled by the contact force of the fuse housing mounting recess 50 with the orthogonal wall portions 67a and 67b. Therefore, the fuse housing 18 is stably held in the mounting state in the fuse housing mounting recess 50. In addition, the positioning protrusions 98, 98 provided on the fuse housing 18 are fitted into the positioning recesses 70, 70 provided on the fuse housing mounting recess 50, so that the fuse housing 18 is more stably mounted on the fuse housing mounting recess 50. 50 is positioned and held.

  In this way, the fuse housing 18 is assembled to the unit body 16, whereby the fuse unit 10 is configured. That is, the fuse housing 18 is mounted on the upper left corner of the fuse unit 10 in FIG. 11, and the upstream fuse connection terminal 30 and the downstream fuse connection terminal 48 are accommodated in the fuse housing 18 so as to face each other. As a result, the fuse mounting portion 55 is configured.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fuse unit 10 having such a structure is used by being placed on the upper surface of a battery 20 of an automobile. That is, the battery terminal 22 of the automobile is inserted into the battery terminal insertion hole 32 of the input side terminal portion 24, and the nut is fastened to the battery terminal 22, thereby fixing the battery terminal 22 to the input side terminal portion 24. As a result, power from the battery 20 is supplied to the input side terminal portion 24. On the other hand, a crimp terminal attached to an external electric wire terminal (not shown) is attached to the stud bolt 38 provided in the output side terminal portion 26 and is fixed by a nut screwed to the stud bolt 38. Thereby, the electric power supplied from the battery 20 to the input side terminal portion 24 is output to the external electric wire via the fusing portion 28 of the fuse unit 10. An electric connection box such as a relay box, a fuse box, or a junction box is connected to the external electric wire, and electric power is supplied to various loads of the automobile through these electric connection boxes. If an excessive current flows from the battery 20 for some reason, the melted portion 28 of the fuse unit 10 is melted to prevent the overcurrent from flowing into the output-side electric wire, and various loads connected downstream. Is to be protected.

  On the other hand, a known blade type fuse (not shown) having an arbitrary rated current value is mounted on the fuse mounting portion 55 provided in the fuse unit 10. As is well known, the fuse includes a pair of tab terminals and a fusing part provided between the tab terminals. On the other hand, the fuse mounting portion 55 is composed of an upstream fuse connection terminal 30 and a downstream fuse connection terminal 48 each of which is a tuning fork terminal provided with a pair of pressure contact portions 46. Therefore, by inserting the tab terminal of the fuse into each pressure contact portion 46 and mounting the fuse, the upstream side fuse connecting terminal 30 and the downstream side fuse connecting terminal 48 are electrically connected to each other via the fusing portion of the fuse. It will be. As described above, in the fuse unit 10, since a separate fuse is mounted in the fuse mounting portion 55, it is possible to mount a fuse having an arbitrary rated current value. As a result, the electric power from the battery 20 is sent to the downstream fuse connecting terminal 48 via the fused part of the attached fuse.

  And the connector provided in the external electric wire terminal for comparatively small electric currents which is not shown in figure is connected to the connector connection part 72 provided in the downward direction of such a fuse mounting part 55. FIG. The external electric wire for small current is connected to an electric device such as a voltage sensor provided around the battery 20, and the electric power from the battery 20 is passed through a separate fuse attached to the fuse attachment portion 55. Thus, it is supplied to a small current electric device. When an excessive current flows from the battery 20, the melted portion of the separate fuse is melted so that the inflow of the overcurrent is prevented and the electrical equipment connected to the connector is protected. It has become.

  As described above, in the fuse unit 10 of the present embodiment, the fuse mounting portion 55 configured by the pair of upstream and downstream fuse connecting terminals 30 and 48 is provided, so that a separate fuse can be mounted. It is said that. Therefore, a separate fuse having an arbitrary rated current value can be attached to the fuse unit 10 and a power source of a small current electric device can be directly taken from the fuse unit 10 via the separate fuse. Accordingly, for example, a separate fuse having a rated current value of 20 A or less can be mounted, and a small-current electric device can be directly connected to the fuse unit 10 directly attached to the battery.

  That is, in the fuse unit 10, by providing a fuse mounting portion 55 and attaching a separate fuse to the fusing portion for small current, which has conventionally been difficult to integrally punch into the conductive metal fitting 12, This can be realized for the first time in the fuse unit 10 directly attached to the battery. As a result, the fuse unit 10 can be provided with an arbitrarily small-capacity fusing part without being limited by the limit of the punching width at the time of punching the conductive metal fitting 12.

  In addition, an electric device that requires a small amount of current can be directly connected to the fuse unit 10 that is directly attached to the battery via the fusing part of the separate fuse. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to route a small-current electric wire from the electrical junction box or the like provided downstream to the small-current electric device installed around the battery 20 as in the prior art. Reduction, manufacturing process simplification, and space saving.

  Further, since a separate fuse can be attached to the fuse unit 10, separate fuses having various rated current values can be arbitrarily attached to the fuse unit 10. As a result, according to the allowable current amount of the electric device to be connected, it is possible to directly connect various electric devices to the fuse unit 10 only by exchanging the fuse to be mounted on the fuse mounting portion 55. Is greatly improved.

  In addition, even when the fuse blown part is blown out due to an excessive current, it is possible to deal with it only by replacing a separate fuse without replacing the entire conductive metal fitting 12 or the fuse unit 10. It becomes. Therefore, labor and cost required for repair can be greatly reduced.

  In addition, the fuse unit 10 is mounted around the battery 20 where the installation space is limited. However, the fuse mounting unit 55 is disposed in a specific manner, so that the fuse unit 10 is prevented from being enlarged. ing. That is, in the fuse unit 10, as shown in FIG. 11, the input side terminal portion 24, the output side terminal portion 26, the fusing portion 28, and the four corner portions that are square in plan view, A fuse mounting portion 55 is disposed. Therefore, in one diagonal portion of the case 14, the input side terminal portion 24 and the output side terminal portion 26 of the conductive metal fitting 12 are respectively exposed to the outside with a large exposure area, while these In the corner portion forming the other diagonal portion where the input side terminal portion 24 and the output side terminal portion 26 are not disposed, the fusing portion 28 and the upstream and downstream fuse connecting terminals 30 and 48 cooperate. A fuse mounting portion 55 is exposed from the case 14 and disposed. As a result, the fuse mounting portion 55 can be efficiently provided in the fuse unit 10 having a compact square shape as a whole.

  Further, in the fuse unit 10, the fusing part 28 is disposed at the corner of the case 14, and the shape of the fusing part is formed in an L shape. As a result, it is possible to arrange the fusing part 28 in a compact and efficient manner while effectively utilizing the shape of the corner part as compared with the case where a fusing part extending in a rectangular shape in the conventional substantially I shape is provided. Ten further miniaturizations have been achieved.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail, this invention is not limited by the specific description. For example, in the above embodiment, the upstream and downstream fuse connection terminals 30 and 48 constituting the fuse mounting portion 55 are both tuning-fork-shaped terminals, but these can also be tab-shaped terminals. is there.

  Further, the formation position and the number of the fuse mounting portions 55 can be appropriately changed according to the number of electrical devices to be connected, and a plurality of fuse mounting portions 55 may be provided.

10: Fuse unit, 12: Metal fitting for conduction, 14: Case, 22: Battery terminal, 24: Input side terminal part, 26: Output side terminal part, 28: Fusing part, 30: Upstream fuse connection terminal, 48: Downstream Side fuse connection terminal, 55: Fuse mounting part

Claims (2)

A fuse unit for directly attaching a battery terminal to be mounted on a battery terminal of an automobile,
An input side terminal portion connected to the battery terminal, an output side terminal portion to which an external electric wire is connected, and a fusing portion integrally formed with a fusing portion connecting between the input / output side terminal portions,
An upstream fuse connecting terminal integrally formed with the conductive metal fitting,
A downstream fuse connection terminal formed separately from the conductive metal fitting,
While the upstream fuse connection terminal and the downstream fuse connection terminal cooperate to constitute a fuse mounting portion ,
It comprises a synthetic resin case that covers and accommodates the metal fitting for conduction and the downstream fuse connection terminal partially, and on the surface of the case, the input terminal portion, the output terminal portion, and the fusing portion And the fuse mounting part is exposed to the outside,
A fuse unit for directly attaching a battery terminal , wherein a fuse housing formed separately from the case is assembled to the fuse mounting portion . The case has a rectangular shape , and the input terminal portion and the output terminal portion are exposed to the outside in one diagonal portion of the case, while the other diagonal portion of the case The fuse unit for directly attaching a battery terminal according to claim 1, wherein the fusing part and the fuse mounting part are exposed to the outside.

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