JPH0424745Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <<Industrial Application Field>> This invention relates to the improvement of a joint box for an automobile, which is a component of a circuit device and a wiring device disposed in an automobile body.

<<Prior Art>> As is well known, a number of wire harnesses are wired in the body of an automobile, and these wire harnesses connect various electrical components, a control circuit section, and a drive circuit section. Further, as is well known, various circuit elements such as a fuse box, a relay box, a control box, etc. are housed in an appropriately shaped case (box) and attached to the vehicle body. Some of these circuit boxes are of a type to which external wiring is connected via connectors.

<<Problem to be solved by the invention>> If the above-mentioned connector is not properly connected (coupled) to the above-mentioned circuit box, signals cannot be exchanged correctly between the circuit and the wiring, which will cause problems in controlling electrical components, etc. Parts of the car's electrical system no longer function properly.

Therefore, careful work is required when connecting this type of connector, but poor connection of the connector may sometimes be overlooked.

This idea was created in view of the above-mentioned problems with the conventional technology.The purpose of this idea is to prevent problems when connecting a plug connector on the wiring side to a receptacle connector on the circuit box side if the connection is incomplete. An object of the present invention is to provide a joint box for an automobile that allows the detection of the problem easily.

<Means for Solving the Problems> Therefore, this invention provides a joint box for automobiles in which a receptacle connector is integrally provided adjacent to the circuit box, and a box cover that is locked at a predetermined position of the circuit box. If the connector is in an incompletely connected state, it will mechanically interfere with the plug connector and cannot be properly locked to the circuit box.

《Operation》 Even if you try to attach the box cover to the circuit box without completely connecting the plug connector to the receptacle connector, the box cover will mechanically interfere with the plug connector and it will not be properly connected to the circuit box. It cannot be locked in this condition.

Embodiment FIGS. 1 and 2 show the main structure of a joint box for an automobile according to an embodiment of this invention. In both figures, reference numeral 10 denotes a base of a joint box, and a circuit box 12 and a receptacle connector 14 according to the present invention are adjacently and integrally provided on the upper surface of one end portion of the base 10. The circuit box 12 has a built-in control circuit constructed using components such as fuses and relays. A rectangular parallelepiped plug connector 16 is coupled to the receptacle connector 14, and wiring 18 led out from the plug connector 16 and a control circuit within the box 12 are electrically connected.

The upper part of the circuit box 12 is open, and a removable box cover 20 is placed thereon.
Locking pieces 22 are integrally formed on both sides of the box cover 20 and project downward. This locking piece 2
2, locking projections 24 are integrally formed on both sides of the circuit box 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, a hole is formed at the tip of the locking piece 22, and when the box cover 20 is set in the correct position on the top surface of the circuit box 12 and pushed downward from above, the locking piece 22 is locked. The locking piece 22 comes into contact with the slope of the locking protrusion 24 and gets over it while being elastically deformed, and when the cover 20 is completely positioned in the box 12, the locking protrusion 24 fits into the hole of the locking piece 22.
penetrates. With this engagement, the cover 20 moves to the box 1.
2 is locked.

To remove the cover 20, the locking piece 22 may be deformed laterally with a fingertip, and the locking protrusion 24 may be removed from the hole of the locking piece 22.

The feature of this embodiment is the following configuration. cover 2
0 is correctly set in the box 12, the lower front edge 20a of the cover 20 is in the box 12.
It protrudes from the front surface by a length D, and the protruding lower part 20a of the front edge is in contact with the upper surface of the plug connector 16 in a completely connected state.

In other words, when the plug connector 16 is properly connected to the receptacle connector 14, the base 1
The distance between the 0 surface and the top surface of the plug connector 16 is H, and the distance between the cover 2 and the top surface of the plug connector 16 is H.
The distance between the lower front edge 20a of 0 and the base 10 surface is also H
It is.

In the above configuration, the plug connector 16 is attached and detached with the box cover 20 removed. If the plug connector 16 is not properly fitted into the receptacle connector 14, the plug connector 1
The distance between the top surface of 6 and the surface of base 10 is larger than H. If you try to set the box cover 20 on the circuit box 12 in such an incompletely connected state, the lower front edge 20a of the cover 20 will mechanically interfere with the top surface of the plug connector 16, pushing the cover 20 down to its normal position. Therefore, the locking piece 22 and the locking protrusion 24 do not engage with each other. For this reason,
The cover 20 cannot be locked onto the box 12, which immediately indicates that the plug connector 16 is not properly fitted into the receptacle connector 14.

Of course, if the plug connector 16 is fully connected to the receptacle connector 14, the box cover 20 will be correctly locked to the circuit box 12, and in this locked state, the lower front edge 20a of the cover will be on the top surface of the plug connector 16. Since it is in contact with the plug connector 16, it also has the effect of preventing the plug connector 16 from coming off.

FIG. 4 shows a modified example of the plug connector 16, in which the plug connector 16 has a larger contact area with the lower front edge 20a of the cover.
A protrusion 16a is formed on the upper surface of the holder.

<<Effects of the invention>> As explained in detail above, the joint box for automobiles according to this invention has a problem in that when a plug connector is connected to a receptacle connector adjacent to a circuit box, the connection is incomplete. In this case, when a box cover is attached to a circuit box and an attempt is made to lock it, the cover mechanically interferes with the plug connector and cannot be locked, so that an incomplete connection of the connector is immediately noticed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view of a joint box for an automobile according to an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a partial front view of the same joint box, and Fig. 3 shows the combination of a box cover and a circuit box of the same joint box. A detailed view of the locking structure, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modification of the plug connector in the joint box. 10...Base, 12...Circuit box, 14
... Receptacle connector, 16 ... Plug connector, 18 ... Wiring, 20 ... Box cover,
20a... lower front edge, 22... locking piece, 24...
Locking protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) A circuit box housing a circuit, a receptacle connector provided integrally adjacent to the circuit box and to which a plug connector for external wiring of the circuit is coupled, and the above-mentioned When the plug connector is completely connected to the receptacle connector, it is locked in a predetermined position in the circuit box, and in an incompletely connected state, it mechanically interferes with the plug connector and is not properly connected to the circuit box. A joint box for an automobile is provided with a box cover having a structure that cannot be stopped. (2) A portion of the box cover that is locked to the circuit box is in contact with a portion of the plug connector that is fully connected to the receptacle connector so as to prevent it from being pulled out. Claim 1 for utility model registration characterized by
The joint box for automobiles described in Section 1.