JPH06103883A - Fixing structure of connecting terminal for electric connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a fixing structure for a connection terminal to an electric connection box, with which the installing accuracy of the terminal to the connection box is enhanced and the installing works are facilitated. CONSTITUTION:Each nut 6 is held in a nut holding part formed at a terminal connection parts 8 of a plurality of branch terminals 2. The branch terminals 2 are installed from below in the gap between a bulkhead 1b and the contacting part 5a o a fusible link 3a. Therein the top of the nut 6 is contacted with a nut contacting part 1c furnished on the bulkhead 1b, to make locating, and contacting is generated in the condition that a bolt hole in the contacting part 5a of the fusible link 3a is approx. identical to the threaded hole of the nut 6. Then a bolt 11a is fitted in the nut 6 while penetrating the bolt hole in the contacting part 5a together with a round terminal 10a which is a connection terminal on the power supply side, and connection is completed. Thereby the installing accuracy is enhanced, and the effectiveness in installing works is enhanced due to simplification of the installing process. Simplification of the structure of a connection box leads to the reduction of the manufacturing costs for dies and connection boxes.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric connection box for accommodating a screw-type fusible link or the like used for protecting a power supply circuit from an excessive current generated by a short circuit failure of an electric device in a vehicle or the like. The present invention relates to a fixing structure for connecting terminals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 5, a conventional junction box body used for electric wiring of an automobile is provided with a housing portion 24 for mounting a plurality of fusible links 3.
The fusible link for protection of this electric circuit has a different type depending on the rated current, and the terminal-fittable fusible link 3b is used for those having a low current characteristic of 30 to 50A and a high current characteristic of 60 to 100A. A screwable fusible link 3a is used for the required one. This screw-type fusible link 3a has an electrical contact portion 5a having a bolt hole for tightening at its lower end. The fusible link 3a is inserted into the housing portion 24a so that the contact portion 5a is exposed in the cutout recess 27 formed in the outer wall 20a of the main body. The electric connection structure between the fusible link 3a and the external power supply will be described with reference to the power supply side connection structure (left side in the drawing) of the BB sectional view of FIG. 5 shown in FIG. The nut 28a is the partition wall 2 provided below the housing portion 24a of the screw-type fusible link 3a.
0b is pressed into a nut contact portion 20c provided above the partition wall 20b along the nut guide groove 20d. Next, the fusible link 3a is inserted into the housing portion 24a, and the contact portion 5 exposed in the cutout recess 27 is formed.
The a is positioned in contact with the nut 28a. After that, the terminal connecting portion 18 with the bolt hole of the branch terminal 12 fitted and inserted in the housing portion 24b of the fusible link 3b of the terminal fitting type further has the contact portion 5 of the fusible link 3a.
After being placed at a position corresponding to the bolt hole of a, the bolt 11a is integrally formed with the round terminal 10a or the like which is an external power supply terminal.
Is attached to the nut 28a to complete the assembling work. To connect the fusible link 3a to the load side, the round terminal 10b or the like is placed on the other contact portion 5b and the bolt 11 is connected.
It is performed by penetrating b through the bolt hole and screwing it to the nut 28b.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the above fixing structure,
Since the terminal connecting portion 18 of the branch terminal 12 and the nut 28a are individually assembled to the connection box 20, the screw hole of the nut may be misaligned with the bolt hole of the terminal connecting portion 18 of the branch terminal 12 due to an assembling error, or the nut. Since 28a is assembled to the junction box 20 by press fitting, it is not sufficiently press-fitted due to dimensional change due to heat shrinkage of the junction box, and it falls off before tightening the bolt and is a bolt for mounting the fusible link 3a and the round terminal 10a. In some cases, 11a could not be easily screwed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, a structure in which a nut lock piece 20e is provided for positioning the press-fitted nut and preventing the nut from falling is generally adopted. However, when the nut 28a is press-fitted, the nut lock piece 20e may be scraped off and the function thereof may not sufficiently work.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fixing structure for connecting terminals to an electric connection box which solves the above problems and improves the accuracy of assembling the terminals into the electric connection box and facilitates the assembling work. Especially.

[0005]

An object of the present invention is to connect an external power source terminal or the like by bolting a branch terminal to an electric contact portion of a screw-type fusible link fitted in an electric connection box. In the fixing structure of the connection terminal to, by providing a nut holding portion in the terminal connection portion with a bolt hole of the branch terminal, by assembling the branch terminal in the state in which the nut holding portion is holding a nut, This can be achieved by providing a structure for fixing a connection terminal to an electric connection box, characterized in that the nut is attached to the connection box and the branch terminal is assembled at one time.

[0006]

In the structure for fixing the nut to the electric junction box of the present invention, the nut holding portion is provided at the terminal connecting portion of the branch terminal, and the nut and the branch terminal are integrated to simplify the structure of the junction box. Since the connection hole of the contact portion of the screw-type fusible link and the bolt hole of the terminal connection portion of the branch terminal can be easily aligned with each other, the work of assembling with the bolt can be performed easily and reliably.

[0007]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structure for fixing a connection terminal to an electric connection box of the present invention. A plurality of fusible links 3 is provided with a housing part 4 for insertion, and a terminal fitting type fusible link 3b having a rated current of 30 to 50A and low current characteristics is provided in the housing part 4b and 60 to 100A.
The fusible type fusible link 3a, which requires high current characteristics, is attached to the housing portion 4a. The screw-type fusible link 3a has a contact portion 5a for electrical connection, which has a bolt hole for tightening at the lower end. The contact portion 5a is inserted and attached to the housing portion 4a so as to be exposed from the cutout recessed portion 7 provided in the outer wall 1a of the main body. next,
From the lower part of the connection box 1, a branch terminal 2 is provided which holds a nut 6 for electrical connection with an external power source and has a terminal connection portion 8 with a bolt hole to which the contact portion 5a of the screw-type fusible link 3a is connected. Insert. Next, the bolt 11a is screwed integrally with the round terminal 10a which is the power source terminal to the nut 6 held in the terminal connection portion 8 through the notch recess 7 through the bolt hole provided in the contact portion 5a of the fusible link 3a. To be done.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, and the fixing structure of the connection terminal will be described in more detail. In order to easily connect the screw-type fusible link 3a inserted into the housing 4a provided on the upper surface of the connection box 1 and the connection terminal 10a on the external power source side, the nut 6 is provided with a plurality of branch terminals 2. It is held according to the bolt holes formed in the connecting portion 8. The branch terminal 2 is inserted from below the junction box 1 into the gap between the partition wall 1b and the contact portion 5a of the fusible link 3a. At this time, the upper end of the nut 6 abuts the nut contact portion 1c provided on the partition wall 1b for positioning, and the bolt hole of the contact portion 5a of the fusible link 3a and the screw hole of the nut 6 are substantially aligned. Abut. Next, the bolt 11a is passed through the bolt hole of the contact portion 5a and screwed into the nut 6 integrally with the round terminal 10a which is the connection terminal on the power source side, thereby completing the connection. In this fixing structure, since the nut 6 is integrally held by the terminal connecting portion 8 of the branch terminal 2, it is possible to collectively perform the nut mounting and the branch terminal inserting work which have been conventionally performed, and the partition wall is also provided. The nut contact portion 1c provided on the upper side of 1b facilitates the positioning of the bolt hole through which the bolt 11a penetrates and the screw hole of the nut 6. Note that the connection of the contact portion 5b of the fusible link 3a on the right side of the drawing to the load side connection terminal 10b is the same as the fixing structure on the power source side, and a description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a branch terminal used in the structure for fixing the connection terminal to the electric junction box of the present invention. In contrast to the conventional branch terminal having a flat plate shape, the branch terminal 2 of the present invention is integrally formed with a terminal connecting portion 8 having a bolt hole 8c formed by bending in a U shape. Further, the upper end is bent to form a nut insertion guide portion 8b, and a part of the lower portion of the bolt hole 8c is cut and raised at a substantially right angle to form a nut stop piece 8a. And nut 6
When the nut 6 is inserted into the nut insertion guide portion 8b from above the branch terminal 2, the lower end of the nut abuts the nut stop piece 8a and the nut 6 is held in the branch terminal 2 and at the same time the bolt hole 8c is held.
Positioning is completed at a predetermined position where the screw hole of the nut and the screw hole of the nut match. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the deviation between the bolt hole 8c and the screw hole of the nut 6 due to the assembling error and the variation in the component accuracy that have occurred conventionally. Furthermore, the step of press-fitting the nut 6 into the junction box body using a conventional mounting jig can be omitted, and the conventionally provided guide groove for the nut can be omitted. It can be simplified.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a branch terminal different from the embodiment of FIG. The difference between the above embodiment and this embodiment is that the nut is held by a side end holding portion 8d that holds the nut side end portion instead of the nut insertion guide portion and a nut stop piece 8a provided below the bolt hole 8c. The nut 6 is crimped and fixed to the terminal connecting portion 8 by a caulking portion 8e formed by cutting and raising the upper end portion of the bolt hole 8c. With this fixing structure, the nut contact portion 1c shown in FIG. 2 can be omitted, and the structure of the junction box body can be simplified. In addition to the method described above, the nut may be fixed by welding such as soldering or by an adhesive.

[0011]

In the structure for fixing the connection terminal to the electric junction box according to the present invention, the nut is fixed to the nut holding portion provided at the terminal connection portion of the branch terminal, so that the assembling accuracy is improved and the assembling process is performed. Since simplification can be realized, the efficiency of assembly work can be improved. Further, since the structure of the connection box is simplified, the manufacturing cost of the molding die and the connection box can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structure for fixing a connection terminal to an electric connection box which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a branch terminal used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a branch terminal having a structure different from that of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional fixing structure for connecting terminals to an electric connection box.

6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

7 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional connection box in which the connection box of FIG. 5 is provided with a lock piece for preventing the nut from falling off.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Electrical connection box 1b Partition wall 1c Nut contact part 2 Branch terminal 3a Screw-type fusible link 4a Housing 5a Fusible link contact part 6 Nut 7 Notch recess 8 Terminal connection part 8a Nut stop piece 8b Nut insertion guide 8c Bolt hole 8d Nut side end holding part 8e Nut crimping part 10a Round terminal 11a Bolt

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A structure for fixing a connection terminal to an electric connection box, in which an external power supply terminal or the like is bolted and connected to an electric contact portion of a screw-type fusible link fitted in the electric connection box via a branch terminal. A nut holding portion is provided at the terminal connection portion with a bolt hole of the branch terminal, and the branch terminal is assembled to the connection box with the nut holding portion holding the nut, thereby mounting the nut on the connection box. The structure for fixing the connection terminal to the electrical junction box is characterized in that the assembly of the branch terminal and the branch terminal is performed collectively.