JP7722896B2 - Electrical junction boxes and wire harnesses - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical junction box and a wire harness.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a conventional electrical junction box with a waterproof grommet mounting structure in which one cover has an opening into which an elastic waterproof grommet for inserting electrical wires is fitted, and the first cover is joined to the other cover to form a box body, with the other cover contacting the end of the waterproof grommet. The waterproof grommet mounting structure has a protruding extension rib formed on the other cover that presses against the end face of the waterproof grommet and penetrates deeper than the end face. This allows the extension rib to press against the end face of the waterproof grommet and penetrate deeper than the end face, thereby improving waterproofing between the end face of the waterproof grommet and the other cover.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-129545

The waterproof grommet mounting structure described in Patent Document 1 above can improve waterproofing, for example, in the area of the waterproof grommet where the extension rib of the other cover fits, but it is desirable to improve waterproofing overall, including areas where the extension rib does not fit.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an electrical junction box and wire harness that can ensure appropriate waterproof performance.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the electrical connection box of the present invention comprises a box-shaped main body that houses electronic components inside; an opening formed on one side of the main body in the assembly direction and communicating between the inside and outside of the main body along the assembly direction; and an insertion opening formed on an end face of the opening and communicating between the inside and outside of the main body along a penetration direction that intersects with the assembly direction; a grommet that fits into the insertion opening to waterproof the insertion opening and through which wiring material connected to the electronic components housed inside the box body is inserted along the penetration direction; and a grommet attached to the box body. a cover that is assembled to close the opening and that, when assembled to the box body, presses the grommet fitted into the insertion hole toward the inner surface of the insertion hole along the assembly direction, wherein the grommet includes a grommet water stopping portion that is formed in an annular shape around an axis along the penetration direction and that fits into the insertion hole to make the insertion hole waterproof, and a grommet inner that is formed in an annular shape around the axis and that is attached to the inner surface of the grommet water stopping portion, and the wiring material is inserted inside the grommet water stopping portion and the grommet inner along the penetration direction, The water stopping portion includes an outer protruding portion formed on an outer surface at a position facing the cover, protruding from the outer surface toward the cover along the assembly direction and extending along a width direction intersecting the assembly direction and the penetration direction, a receiving portion formed on the outer surface at a position facing the inner surface of the insertion hole and extending around the axis, and an inner groove portion formed on the inner surface at a position facing the grommet inner and extending in a groove shape around the axis, and when the cover is assembled to the box body, the receiving portion is supported by the inner surface of the insertion hole and the outer protruding portion is supported by the cover. The inner grommet is pressed against the inner surface of the insertion opening in the assembly direction by a bar, and the inner grommet includes an inner protrusion formed on its outer surface in a position facing the inner surface of the grommet water stop section, protruding from the outer surface toward the inner surface of the grommet water stop section and extending around the axis, and when the inner grommet is attached to the inner surface of the grommet water stop section, the inner protrusion fits into the inner groove of the grommet water stop section, and the outer protrusion, inner protrusion, and receiving section are positioned in the same direction in the insertion direction.

The wire harness according to the present invention comprises a conductive wiring material and an electrical junction box electrically connected to the wiring material. The electrical junction box comprises a box-shaped main body that houses electronic components inside, an opening formed on one side of the main body in the assembly direction and communicating between the inside and outside of the main body along the assembly direction, and an insertion opening formed on an end face of the opening and communicating between the inside and outside of the main body along a penetration direction that intersects the assembly direction. The wiring material, which is fitted into the insertion opening to waterproof the insertion opening and is connected to the electronic components housed inside the box body, extends along the penetration direction. and a cover that is assembled to the box body to close the opening and that, when assembled to the box body, presses the grommet fitted into the insertion opening toward the inner surface of the insertion opening along the assembly direction, wherein the grommet includes a grommet water stopping portion that is formed in an annular shape around an axis along the penetration direction and that fits into the insertion opening to make the insertion opening waterproof, and a grommet inner that is formed in an annular shape around the axis and that is attached to the inner surface of the grommet water stopping portion, and the wiring is arranged inside the grommet water stopping portion and the grommet inner along the penetration direction. the grommet water stopping portion includes an outer protrusion formed on an outer surface at a portion facing the cover, protruding from the outer surface toward the cover along the assembly direction and extending along a width direction intersecting the assembly direction and the penetration direction, a receiving portion formed on the outer surface at a portion facing the inner surface of the insertion hole and extending around the axis, and an inner groove portion formed on the inner surface at a portion facing the grommet inner and extending in a groove shape around the axis, and when the cover is assembled to the box body, the receiving portion is supported by the inner surface of the insertion hole and the outer The protrusion is pressed toward the inner surface of the insertion opening by the cover in the assembly direction, the inner grommet includes an inner protrusion formed on its outer surface at a location facing the inner surface of the grommet water stop portion, protruding from the outer surface toward the inner surface of the grommet water stop portion and extending around the axis, and when the inner grommet is attached to the inner surface of the grommet water stop portion, the inner protrusion fits into the inner groove of the grommet water stop portion, and the outer protrusion, inner protrusion, and receiving portion are positioned in the same direction in the penetration direction.

In the electrical junction box and wire harness according to the present invention, the outer protrusion, inner protrusion, and receiving portion are aligned in the penetration direction, which prevents the pressure from the cover exerted on the grommet watertight portion from being dispersed when the opening of the box body is closed with the cover. This allows the grommet watertight portion of the electrical junction box and wire harness to be pressed evenly against the inner surface of the insertion opening, ensuring appropriate waterproofing performance.

FIG. 1 is a cutaway perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an electrical junction box and a wire harness according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cutaway exploded perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the electrical junction box and the wire harness according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a grommet according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cutaway cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the electrical junction box and the wire harness according to the embodiment.

Modes for carrying out the present invention (embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components described below include those that would be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the configurations described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications to the configuration can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Embodiment]
An electric junction box 1 and a wire harness WH according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the following description, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with each other in each figure, the first direction is referred to as the "width direction X," the second direction is referred to as the "penetration direction Y," and the third direction is referred to as the "assembly direction Z." The width direction X, penetration direction Y, and assembly direction Z intersect with each other and are typically perpendicular to each other. The width direction X is the direction along the width of the box body 11, which will be described later. The penetration direction Y is the direction that penetrates the box body 11 and is also the direction along the axis P of the grommet body 21, which will be described later. The assembly direction Z is the direction in which the upper cover 13 and lower cover 12, which will be described later, are assembled to the box body 11. Unless otherwise noted, each direction used in the following description is described as the direction when the various parts are assembled to each other and the electrical junction box 1 is mounted on a vehicle. Note that in Figures 1 and 4 described below, the wiring material W is omitted using dashed lines, and in other figures, the wiring material W is not shown at all. Additionally, in each figure, various components have been simplified and omitted where appropriate.

The electrical junction box 1 according to this embodiment, shown in Figures 1 and 2, is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and incorporated into a wire harness WH. The wire harness WH is, for example, a collection of multiple wiring materials W used for power supply and signal communication to connect various devices mounted on the vehicle, and the multiple wiring materials W are connected to the devices using connectors or the like. The wire harness WH includes conductive wiring material W and an electrical junction box 1 electrically connected to the wiring material W. The wiring material W is composed of, for example, a metal rod, an electric wire, a bundle of electric wires, etc. The metal rod is a conductive rod-shaped member whose exterior is covered with an insulating coating. The electric wire is a conductor (core wire) made of multiple conductive metal strands whose exterior is covered with an insulating coating. The wire bundle is a bundle of such electric wires. The wire harness WH bundles and aggregates multiple wiring materials W, and is electrically connected to the electrical junction box 1 via connectors or the like provided at the ends of the bundled wiring materials W. The wire harness WH may also include protectors, exterior materials, fixing devices, etc.

The electrical junction box 1 is a connector box that aggregates and connects, for example, multiple connectors provided at the ends of the wiring material W of the wire harness WH to connectors of various vehicle devices. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electrical junction box 1 includes a housing box 10 and a grommet 20.

The storage box 10 accommodates electronic components D in a storage space 111d formed therein. The storage box 10 comprises a box body 11, a lower cover 12, and an upper cover 13 as a cover. The storage box 10 is open on one side Z1 in the assembly direction Z of the box body 11 and on the other side Z2 in the assembly direction Z of the box body 11. The lower cover 12 closes the opening 112 (lower opening 112b) on the other side Z2 in the assembly direction Z of the box body 11, and the upper cover 13 closes the opening 112 (upper opening 112a) on one side Z1 in the assembly direction Z of the box body 11. The storage box 10 is described in detail below.

The box body 11 is surrounded by four side walls and is formed into a roughly rectangular cylindrical shape when viewed from the assembly direction Z. The box body 11 includes a main body 111, an opening 112, and an insertion port 113.

The main body 111 is box-shaped and accommodates electronic components D (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 111 includes a pair of side walls 111b, 111c facing each other along the width direction X and a pair of side walls 111a facing each other along the penetration direction Y. In this example, the side wall on the other side Y2 of the penetration direction Y is not shown. The main body 111 is surrounded by the four side walls 111a-111c, forming an internal storage space 111d, which accommodates electronic components D. The storage space 111d is provided with, for example, holding portions (not shown) for holding multiple electronic components D, respectively. The main body 111 accommodates multiple electronic components D in the storage space 111d, with the multiple electronic components D held by the holding portions.

The opening 112 is an open portion of the main body 111 and includes an upper opening 112a and a lower opening 112b.

The upper opening 112a is formed on one side Z1 of the main body 111 in the assembly direction Z, and connects the inside and outside of the main body 111 along the assembly direction Z. The upper opening 112a is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the assembly direction Z. For example, when accommodating an electronic component D in the accommodation space 111d, the electronic component D is inserted into the accommodation space 111d through the upper opening 112a.

The lower opening 112b is formed on the other side Z2 of the main body 111 in the assembly direction Z, and connects the inside and outside of the main body 111 along the assembly direction Z. When viewed from the assembly direction Z, the lower opening 112b is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and is formed in a shape similar to the upper opening 112a described above. For example, the lower opening 112b allows wiring material W connected to multiple electronic components D to extend to the outside through the lower opening 112b.

The insertion opening 113 is the portion into which the grommet 20 is fitted. As shown in FIG. 2, it is formed in the end face 112c of the upper opening 112a and connects the inside and outside of the main body 111 along the penetration direction Y. The insertion opening 113 is formed, for example, in the side wall 111a provided on one side Y1 of the four side walls 111a-111c that make up the main body 111. The insertion opening 113 is formed, for example, as a through-hole that penetrates the side wall 111a along the penetration direction Y and is located on the end face 112c of the side wall 111a on one side Z1 of the assembly direction Z. In other words, the insertion opening 113 is formed by recessing the side wall 111a from the end face 112c of the side wall 111a toward the other side Z2 of the assembly direction Z. That is, the insertion opening 113 is formed by hollowing out a portion of the side wall portion 111a, including the end face 112c. The insertion opening 113 is open on one side Z1 in the assembly direction Z. When viewed from the penetration direction Y, the insertion opening 113 is formed in a roughly elliptical shape whose length in the width direction X is longer than its length in the assembly direction Z.

The insertion opening 113 includes an insertion opening protrusion 113a (see Figures 2 and 4). The insertion opening protrusion 113a is formed on the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113 at a location facing the outer surface 211e of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 (described below), protruding from the inner surface 113b toward the outer surface 211e of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 and extending around the axis P. In other words, the insertion opening protrusion 113a is formed linearly, extending around the axis P along the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113 and protruding from the inner surface 113b. The insertion opening protrusion 113a extends from one end to the other end in the width direction X of the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113. In other words, it is formed around the axis P around the entire circumference of the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113. The insertion port protrusion 113a fits into the outer groove 211m of the grommet 20, which will be described later.

Next, the lower cover 12 will be described. The lower cover 12 closes the lower opening 112b of the main body 111. The lower cover 12 is formed, for example, in a tray shape and is assembled to the lower opening 112b of the main body 111 to close the lower opening 112b. The lower cover 12 closes the lower opening 112b while leaving a portion of the lower opening 112b exposed, for example, so that wiring material W connected to electronic components D housed in the main body 111 can be routed to the outside through the lower opening 112b. In other words, the lower cover 12 closes a portion of the lower opening 112b, but does not close the entire lower opening 112b.

Next, we will explain the upper cover 13. The upper cover 13 closes the upper opening 112a of the main body 111. The upper cover 13 is formed, for example, in a shape that can cover the entire upper opening 112a, and is assembled to the upper opening 112a of the main body 111 to close the entire upper opening 112a.

The upper cover 13 includes a recess 131 (see Figure 4). The recess 131 is formed in an annular shape along the outer shape of the upper cover 13, at a location facing the edge of the main body portion 111 of the box body 11 and the outer protrusion 211a of the grommet 20 (described below) fitted into the insertion opening 113 of the main body portion 111, and is recessed along the assembly direction Z. An elastically deformable gasket 14 is provided inside the recess 131, and when the upper cover 13 is assembled to the box body 11, the upper cover 13 presses, via the gasket 14, against the edge of the main body portion 111 of the box body 11 and the outer protrusion 211a of the grommet 20 fitted into the insertion opening 113 of the main body portion 111. The recess 131 presses against the edge of the main body 111 of the box body 11 and the outer protrusion 211a of the grommet 20 fitted into the insertion opening 113 of the main body 111, and accommodates the edge of the main body 111 of the box body 11 and the outer protrusion 211a of the grommet 20 inside. A packing 15 is also provided between the upper cover 13 and the grommet 20.

Next, we will explain the grommet 20. The grommet 20 comprises a grommet body 21 and a grommet inner 22.

The grommet body 21 fits into the insertion opening 113 of the storage box 10 to waterproof the insertion opening 113, and is a component through which the wiring material W connected to the electronic component D housed inside the storage box 10 is inserted along the penetration direction Y. The grommet body 21 is formed from an insulating elastic resin material with low rigidity and high flexibility, such as rubber or thermoplastic elastomer (e.g., ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM)). The grommet body 21 is composed of a grommet waterproofing portion 211 and a tubular portion 212, which are integrally formed as an elastic body.

The grommet watertight portion 211 is formed in an annular shape around the axis P and fits into the insertion opening 113 to seal the insertion opening 113. It is formed in a shape similar to the outer shape of the insertion opening 113. When viewed from the penetration direction Y, the grommet watertight portion 211 is formed in a generally oval shape with a length in the width direction X longer than its length in the assembly direction Z. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the grommet watertight portion 211 includes an upper surface portion 211g formed along the width direction X, a lower surface portion 211h opposed to the upper surface portion 211g along the assembly direction Z and formed along the width direction X, a first curved portion 211i connecting one side of the upper surface portion 211g to one side of the lower surface portion 211h, and a second curved portion 211j connecting the other side of the upper surface portion 211g to the other side of the lower surface portion 211h. The grommet waterproofing portion 211 includes an outer protrusion 211a, a receiving portion 211b, and an inner groove 211c.

The outer protrusion 211a is formed on the outer surface 211e of the grommet waterproofing portion 211 in a position facing the upper cover 13, protruding from the top surface 211g of the outer surface 211e toward the upper cover 13 in the assembly direction Z and extending along the width direction X. In other words, the outer protrusion 211a is formed linearly on the top surface 211g from one side to the other in the width direction X, and protrudes to one side Z1 in the assembly direction Z (toward the upper cover 13).

The receiving portion 211b is formed on the outer surface 211e of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 at a location facing the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113, and extends around the axis P. The receiving portion 211b extends, for example, along the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113 around the axis P, and is formed across the first curved portion 211i, the lower surface portion 211h, and the second curved portion 211j of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. The receiving portion 211b is configured to include an outer groove portion 211m. The outer groove portion 211m is formed on the outer surface 211e of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 at a location facing the insertion opening protrusion 113a of the insertion opening 113, and extends in a groove-like manner around the axis P. The outer groove 211m extends, for example, around the axis P along the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113, and is formed in a groove shape across the first curved portion 211i, the lower surface 211h, and the second curved portion 211j of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. The insertion opening protrusion 113a fits into the outer groove 211m when the grommet water-stopping portion 211 is fitted into the insertion opening 113.

The inner groove 211c is formed on the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 in a portion facing the inner grommet 22, and extends in a groove-like shape around the axis P. The inner groove 211c extends, for example, along the outer surface 223 of the inner grommet 22 around the axis P, and is formed in a groove-like shape on the inner surface 211d across the upper surface 211g, first curved portion 211i, lower surface 211h, and second curved portion 211j of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. In other words, the inner groove 211c is formed in a ring shape around the axis P on the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. When the inner grommet 22 is attached to the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211, the inner protrusion 222 of the inner grommet 22 (described later) fits into the inner groove 211c.

The grommet waterproofing portion 211 configured as described above is fitted into the insertion opening 113. When the upper cover 13 is assembled to the box body 11, the receiving portion 211b (outer groove portion 211m) is supported by the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113, and the outer protrusion 211a is pressed toward the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113 by the upper cover 13 in the assembly direction Z, thereby waterproofing the insertion opening 113.

Next, the tubular portion 212 of the grommet body 21 will be described. The tubular portion 212 is a portion that extends from the grommet water-stopping portion 211 along the penetration direction Y toward the opposite side of the storage box 10. As shown in Figure 3, the tubular portion 212 is formed integrally with the grommet water-stopping portion 211 and is formed in a generally elongated cylindrical shape. The wiring material W is inserted into the tubular portion 212.

Next, the grommet inner 22 will be described. The grommet inner 22 is made of a hard, insulating synthetic resin material and is harder than the grommet water-stopping portion 211. It is attached to the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 with the wiring material W inserted therethrough. The grommet inner 22 is formed in a ring shape around the axis P and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape that penetrates along the penetration direction Y. When viewed from the penetration direction Y, it has a generally elliptical shape whose length in the width direction X is longer than its length in the assembly direction Z. The grommet inner 22 is configured to include a first insertion portion 221a and a second insertion portion 221b on the inner surface 224 of the grommet inner 22. The first insertion portion 221a and the second insertion portion 221b are arranged side by side along the width direction X, and the wiring material W is inserted through each of them. In other words, the inner grommet 22 has an internal space divided into a first insertion portion 221a and a second insertion portion 221b, and is configured to hold the wiring material W inserted through each divided area. The first insertion portion 221a is cylindrical when viewed from the penetration direction Y and includes a first semi-cylindrical portion and a second semi-cylindrical portion, and the first and second semi-cylindrical portions are separable. The first insertion portion 221a has an inner surface 224 on which the wiring material W is placed when the first and second semi-cylindrical portions are separated, and the wiring material W is inserted inside by combining the separated first and second semi-cylindrical portions. The second insertion portion 221b has a similar configuration to the first insertion portion 221a. That is, when viewed from the penetration direction Y, the second insertion portion 221b is cylindrical and includes a first semi-cylindrical portion and a second semi-cylindrical portion, each of which is separable. The second insertion portion 221b has the wiring material W placed on its inner surface 224 when the first and second semi-cylindrical portions are separated, and the wiring material W is inserted inside by combining the separated first and second semi-cylindrical portions. The grommet inner 22 configured in this manner is attached to the inside of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 with the wiring material W inserted and held therein, and supports the grommet water-stopping portion 211 from the inside.

The inner grommet 22 includes an inner protrusion 222. The inner protrusion 222 is formed on the outer surface 223 of the inner grommet 22 at a location facing the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211, protruding from the outer surface 223 of the inner grommet 22 toward the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 and extending around the axis P. That is, the inner protrusion 222 is formed linearly, extends around the axis P along the outer surface 223 of the inner grommet 22, and protrudes outward from the outer surface 223 of the inner grommet 22. The inner protrusion 222 may be formed, for example, in a continuous annular shape around the axis P, or in a discontinuous, approximately annular shape around the axis P. That is, the inner protrusion 222 may be configured as multiple protrusions spaced apart around the axis P. The inner protrusion 222 is provided at the center of the inner grommet 22 in the penetration direction Y. That is, the inner protrusion 222 is provided at one location in the penetration direction Y, and is provided at the center of the inner grommet 22 in the penetration direction Y when viewed from the assembly direction Z. The inner protrusion 222 fits into the inner groove 211c of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 when the inner grommet 22 is attached to the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. The inner grommet 22 is plane-symmetrical with respect to an imaginary plane Q that is perpendicular to the penetration direction Y and located at the center of the inner grommet 22 in the penetration direction Y. That is, when the inner grommet 22 is divided into two parts by the imaginary plane Q, these two parts are symmetrical with respect to the imaginary plane Q.

The outer protrusion 211a of the grommet water-stopping portion 211, the inner protrusion 222 of the grommet inner 22, and the receiving portion 211b (outer groove 211m) of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 are positioned in the same position relative to the penetration direction Y. That is, the outer protrusion 211a, the inner protrusion 222, and the receiving portion 211b (outer groove 211m) are located on the same plane perpendicular to the penetration direction Y. In other words, the outer protrusion 211a, the inner protrusion 222, and the receiving portion 211b (outer groove 211m) overlap each other when viewed from the assembly direction Z. In the grommet 20 configured as described above, with the grommet water-stopping portion 211 fitted into the insertion opening 113, a wiring material W is inserted into the inside of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 and the grommet inner 22 along the penetration direction Y.

Next, we will explain how to assemble the grommet 20 into the housing box 10 to form the wire harness WH. The worker inserts the wiring material W connected to the electronic components D housed in the box body 11 through the inner surface 224 of the grommet inner 22, and then attaches the grommet inner 22 with the wiring material W inserted through it to the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. The worker then attaches the grommet inner 22 to the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 with the inner protrusion 222 of the grommet inner 22 engaged with the inner groove 211c of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. The worker then fits the grommet water-stopping portion 211 of the grommet 20, with the grommet inner 22 attached to the grommet water-stopping portion 211, into the insertion opening 113 of the box body 11. At this time, the worker mates the outer groove 211m of the grommet waterproofing portion 211 with the insertion port protrusion 113a of the insertion port 113. The worker then closes the opening 112 (upper opening 112a) on one side Z1 of the box body 11 in the assembly direction Z with the upper cover 13 and engages the upper cover 13 with the box body 11 to form the wire harness WH. At this time, in the wire harness WH, the upper cover 13 presses the edge of the main body 111 of the box body 11 and the outer protrusion 211a of the grommet 20 fitted into the insertion port 113 of the main body 111 toward the other side Z2 in the assembly direction Z via the packing 14, pressing the outer surface 211e of the grommet waterproofing portion 211 against the inner surface 113b of the insertion port 113.

As described above, the electrical junction box 1 according to the embodiment comprises a box body 11, a grommet 20, and an upper cover 13. The box body 11 includes a main body portion 111, an upper opening 112a, and an insertion opening 113. The main body portion 111 is box-shaped and houses an electronic component D therein. The upper opening 112a is formed on one side Z1 of the main body portion 111 in the assembly direction Z, and provides communication between the inside and outside of the main body portion 111 along the assembly direction Z. The insertion opening 113 is formed on an end surface 112c of the upper opening 112a, and provides communication between the inside and outside of the main body portion 111 along a penetration direction Y that intersects with the assembly direction Z. The grommet 20 fits into the insertion opening 113 to waterproof the insertion opening 113, and allows a wiring material W connected to the electronic component D housed inside the box body 11 to be inserted along the penetration direction Y. The upper cover 13 is assembled to the box body 11 to close the upper opening 112a, and when assembled to the box body 11, presses the grommet 20 fitted into the insertion opening 113 toward the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113 along the assembly direction Z. The grommet 20 includes a grommet water-stopping portion 211 and an inner grommet 22. The grommet water-stopping portion 211 is formed in an annular shape around an axis P along the penetration direction Y, and fits into the insertion opening 113 to waterproof the insertion opening 113. The inner grommet 22 is formed in an annular shape around the axis P, and is attached to the inner surface 113b of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. A wiring material W is inserted into the inside of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 and the inner grommet 22 along the penetration direction Y. The grommet waterproofing portion 211 includes an outer protrusion 211a, a receiving portion 211b, and an inner groove 211c. The outer protrusion 211a is formed on the outer surface 211e at a portion facing the upper cover 13, protrudes from the outer surface 211e toward the upper cover 13 along the assembly direction Z, and extends along the width direction X intersecting the assembly direction Z and the penetration direction Y. The receiving portion 211b is formed on the outer surface 211e at a portion facing the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113, and extends around the axis P. The inner groove 211c is formed on the inner surface 211d at a portion facing the inner grommet 22, and extends in a groove-like manner around the axis P. When the upper cover 13 is assembled to the box body 11, the receiving portion 211b of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 is supported by the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113, and the outer protrusion 211a is pressed toward the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113 by the upper cover 13 along the assembly direction Z. The inner grommet 22 includes an inner protrusion 222. The inner protrusion 222 is formed on the outer surface 223 at a position facing the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211, and protrudes from the outer surface 223 toward the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211 and extends around the axis P. When the inner grommet 22 is attached to the inner surface 211d of the grommet water-stopping portion 211, the inner protrusion 222 fits into the inner groove 211c of the grommet water-stopping portion 211. The outer protrusion 211a, inner protrusion 222, and receiving portion 211b are positioned in the same position in the penetration direction Y.

With this configuration, the electrical junction box 1 has the outer protrusion 211a, inner protrusion 222, and receiving portion 211b aligned in the penetration direction Y. This prevents the pressure R from the upper cover 13 acting on the grommet water-stopping portion 211 from dispersing when the upper opening 112a of the box body 11 is closed by the upper cover 13, as shown in Figure 4. This allows the electrical junction box 1 to evenly press the grommet water-stopping portion 211 against the inner surface 113b of the insertion opening 113, ensuring appropriate waterproofing performance.

In the electrical junction box 1, the insertion port 113 is formed on the inner surface 113b at a location facing the outer surface 211d of the grommet water-sealing portion 211, and includes an insertion port protrusion 113a that protrudes from the inner surface 113b toward the outer surface 211d of the grommet water-sealing portion 211 and extends around the axis P. The receiving portion 211b is formed on the outer surface 211e at a location facing the insertion port protrusion 113a, and includes an outer groove 211m that extends in a groove-like manner around the axis P. When the grommet water-sealing portion 211 is fitted into the insertion port 113, the insertion port protrusion 113a fits into the outer groove 211m. This configuration allows the electrical junction box 1 to properly fit the grommet water-sealing portion 211 into the insertion port 113.

In the electrical junction box 1, the grommet inner 22 is plane-symmetrical with respect to an imaginary plane Q that is perpendicular to the penetration direction Y and located at the center of the grommet inner 22 in the penetration direction Y. With this configuration, when attaching the grommet inner 22 to the inner surface 211d of the grommet waterproofing portion 211, the grommet inner 22 can be attached from both sides in the penetration direction Y, i.e., from one side Y1 and the other side Y2 in the penetration direction Y. This eliminates the need to check the orientation of the grommet inner 22, improving workability.

In the electrical junction box 1, the inner grommet 22 has an inner protrusion 222 located at the center of the inner grommet 22 in the penetration direction Y. This configuration allows the inner protrusion 222 to more easily fit into the inner groove 211c of the grommet waterproofing portion 211, compared to conventional electrical junction boxes in which the inner protrusion is located at the back (cylindrical portion side) of the inner grommet in the penetration direction Y.

In the electrical junction box 1, the upper cover 13 is formed in a position facing the outer protrusion 211a and includes a recess 131 recessed along the assembly direction Z. This recess 131 has an elastically deformable packing 14 provided inside, and when the upper cover 13 is assembled to the box body 11, the upper cover 13 presses against the outer protrusion 211a via the packing 14, accommodating the outer protrusion 211a. This configuration allows the upper cover 13 to properly press against the outer protrusion 211a in the electrical junction box 1.

The wire harness WH comprises a conductive wiring material W and an electrical junction box 1 electrically connected to the wiring material W, and achieves the same effects as the electrical junction box 1 described above.

[Modification]
In the above description, an example has been described in which the electrical junction box 1 has the groove-shaped outer groove 211m formed in the grommet water-stopping portion 211 and the protruding insertion port protrusion 113a formed in the insertion port 113, and these are fitted together, but this is not limiting, and for example, the groove and the protrusion may be formed in the opposite direction. That is, the electrical junction box 1 may have the protruding outer protrusion formed in the grommet water-stopping portion 211, and the groove-shaped insertion port groove formed in the insertion port 113, and these may be fitted together.

Although the grommet inner 22 has been described as being plane-symmetrical with respect to the imaginary plane Q, this is not limited thereto and the grommet inner 22 may not be plane-symmetrical with respect to the imaginary plane Q.

In the above description, the inner protrusion 222 of the grommet inner 22 is located in the center of the grommet inner 22 in the penetration direction Y, but this is not limited to this. For example, the inner protrusion 222 may be located on one side Y1 or the other side Y2 of the penetration direction Y of the grommet inner 22.

In the above description, the upper cover 13 presses against the outer protrusion 211a via the packing 14, but this is not limited to this. For example, the upper cover 13 may press against the outer protrusion 211a directly, without using the packing 14.

The electrical junction box 1 has been described as being a connector box, but is not limited to this and may be, for example, a junction box, fuse box, relay box, etc.

1 Electrical junction box 111 Main body 112 Opening 112c End face 113 Insertion hole 113a Insertion hole protrusion 113b Inner surface 11 Box main body 13 Upper cover (cover)
131 Recess 14 Gasket 20 Grommet 211 Grommet watertight portion 211a Outer protrusion 211b Receiving portion 211c Inner groove 211d Inner surface 211e Outer surface 211m Outer groove 22 Grommet inner 222 Inner protrusion D Electronic component P Axis Q Imaginary plane W Wiring material WH Wire harness X Width direction Y Penetration direction Z Assembly direction Z1 One side of the assembly direction

Claims (6)

a box body including a main body formed in a box shape and accommodating electronic components therein; an opening formed on one side of the main body in an assembly direction, the opening communicating the inside and outside of the main body along the assembly direction; and an insertion port formed on an end surface of the opening, the insertion port communicating the inside and outside of the main body along a penetration direction intersecting the assembly direction;
a grommet that fits into the insertion opening to waterproof the insertion opening and through which a wiring material connected to the electronic components housed inside the box body is inserted along the penetration direction;
a cover that is assembled to the box body to close the opening, and that, when assembled to the box body, presses the grommet fitted in the insertion opening toward an inner surface of the insertion opening along the assembly direction,
The grommet includes a grommet water-stopping portion formed in an annular shape around an axis along the penetration direction, and fitted into the insertion opening to make the insertion opening waterproof, and a grommet inner formed in an annular shape around the axis and attached to the inner surface of the grommet water-stopping portion, and the wiring material is inserted inside the grommet water-stopping portion and the grommet inner along the penetration direction,
The grommet water-stopping portion includes an outer protrusion formed on the outer surface at a portion facing the cover, protruding from the outer surface toward the cover along the assembly direction and extending along a width direction intersecting the assembly direction and the penetration direction, a receiving portion formed on the outer surface at a portion facing the inner surface of the insertion hole and extending around the axis, and an inner groove portion formed on the inner surface at a portion facing the grommet inner and extending in a groove-like shape around the axis, and when the cover is assembled to the box body, the receiving portion is supported by the inner surface of the insertion hole and the outer protrusion is pressed by the cover toward the inner surface of the insertion hole along the assembly direction,
the grommet inner includes an inner protrusion formed on an outer surface at a portion facing the inner surface of the grommet water stopping portion, protruding from the outer surface toward the inner surface of the grommet water stopping portion and extending around the axis, and when the grommet inner is attached to the inner surface of the grommet water stopping portion, the inner protrusion fits into the inner groove of the grommet water stopping portion,
The electrical junction box is characterized in that the outer protruding portion, the inner protruding portion, and the receiving portion are positioned in the same position in the penetration direction. the insertion opening is formed on an inner surface at a position facing an outer surface of the grommet water stopping portion, and includes an insertion opening protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface toward the outer surface of the grommet water stopping portion and extends around the axis,
2. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the receiving portion is formed on the outer surface at a position opposite the insertion port protrusion and includes an outer groove portion extending in a groove-like manner around the axis, and the insertion port protrusion is fitted into the outer groove portion when the grommet water-stopping portion is fitted into the insertion port. An electrical junction box as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner grommet is plane-symmetrical with respect to an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the penetration direction and located at the center of the inner grommet in the penetration direction. An electrical junction box according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inner protrusion of the grommet inner is located at the center of the inner grommet in the penetration direction. the cover includes a recess formed in a portion facing the outer protruding portion and recessed along the assembly direction,
An electrical connection box as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the recess has an elastically deformable gasket provided inside, and when the cover is assembled to the box body, the cover accommodates the outer protrusion while pressing the outer protrusion through the gasket. A conductive wiring material;
An electrical connection box electrically connected to the wiring material is provided,
The electrical connection box comprises:
a box body including a main body formed in a box shape and accommodating electronic components therein; an opening formed on one side of the main body in an assembly direction, the opening communicating the inside and outside of the main body along the assembly direction; and an insertion port formed on an end surface of the opening, the insertion port communicating the inside and outside of the main body along a penetration direction intersecting the assembly direction;
a grommet that fits into the insertion opening to waterproof the insertion opening, and through which the wiring material connected to the electronic components housed inside the box body is inserted along the penetration direction;
a cover that is assembled to the box body to close the opening, and that, when assembled to the box body, presses the grommet fitted in the insertion opening toward an inner surface of the insertion opening along the assembly direction,
The grommet includes a grommet water-stopping portion formed in an annular shape around an axis along the penetration direction, and fitted into the insertion opening to make the insertion opening waterproof, and a grommet inner formed in an annular shape around the axis and attached to the inner surface of the grommet water-stopping portion, and the wiring material is inserted inside the grommet water-stopping portion and the grommet inner along the penetration direction,
The grommet water-stopping portion includes an outer protrusion formed on the outer surface at a portion facing the cover, protruding from the outer surface toward the cover along the assembly direction and extending along a width direction intersecting the assembly direction and the penetration direction, a receiving portion formed on the outer surface at a portion facing the inner surface of the insertion hole and extending around the axis, and an inner groove portion formed on the inner surface at a portion facing the grommet inner and extending in a groove-like shape around the axis, and when the cover is assembled to the box body, the receiving portion is supported by the inner surface of the insertion hole and the outer protrusion is pressed by the cover toward the inner surface of the insertion hole along the assembly direction,
the grommet inner includes an inner protrusion formed on an outer surface at a portion facing the inner surface of the grommet water stopping portion, protruding from the outer surface toward the inner surface of the grommet water stopping portion and extending around the axis, and when the grommet inner is attached to the inner surface of the grommet water stopping portion, the inner protrusion fits into the inner groove of the grommet water stopping portion,
The wire harness is characterized in that the outer protruding portion, the inner protruding portion, and the receiving portion are positioned in the same position in the penetration direction.