Junction box assembly and upper housing for use in the junction box assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a junction box assembly and an upper housing for use in the junction box assembly. The junction box assembly includes an upper housing, a lower housing, a connector assembly and a bolt. The upper housing includes a bolt support. The bolt support is a cylindrical member having a top surface and a through hole. The lower housing includes a bottom through hole. The connector assembly further includes a threaded hole. Bolts with threaded ends are arranged in the through holes of the upper housing and the bottom through holes of the lower housing, and are threadedly engaged with the threaded holes of the connector assembly so as to fix the upper housing, the lower housing and the connector assembly together. The top surface of the bolt support includes a plurality of holes, each of which is closed at the bottom end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a junction box assembly and an upper housing for use in the junction box assembly. Background Art

[0002] The junction box assembly includes an upper housing, a lower housing, a connector assembly and a bolt. The upper housing includes a bolt support. The bolt support is a cylindrical member having a top surface and a through hole. The lower housing includes a bottom through hole. The connector assembly further includes a threaded hole. A bolt with a threaded end is disposed in both the through hole of the upper housing and the bottom through hole of the lower housing. The bolt is threadedly engaged with the threaded hole of the connector assembly so as to fix the upper housing, the lower housing and the connector assembly together.

[0003] During the manufacturing process, an electric drill is used to thread the bolts into the connector assembly. The electric drill may rotate up to one thousand (1,000) times per minute, which may generate enough heat to deform the bolt support. For example, the heat may cause the material to expand and create hot spots that cause the through hole and the entire bolt support to warp. The deformation may cause the connection between the upper shell and the lower shell to loosen.

[0004] Thus, it would still be desirable to have a bolt support that is configured to mitigate the effects of heat generated by an electric drill. Summary of the invention

[0005] An upper housing for use in a junction box assembly is provided. The upper housing includes a bolt support. The bolt support is a generally cylindrical member having a through hole and a top surface. The top surface of the bolt support includes a plurality of holes.

[0006] In one aspect of the upper housing, the bolt support includes an upper portion extending from a top surface of the upper housing and a bottom portion extending from a bottom surface of the upper housing.

[0007] In one aspect of the upper housing, each of the plurality of holes is closed at a bottom end.

[0008] In one aspect of the upper housing, the bolt support includes a bead defining a peripheral edge of the top surface.

[0009] In one aspect of the upper housing, a plurality of ribs are provided on a top surface of the housing and extend from an outer surface of the upper portion.

[0010] In one aspect of the upper housing, each of the plurality of holes are equidistantly spaced from one another.

[0011] In one aspect of the upper housing, each of the plurality of holes is radial with respect to the through hole.

[0012] A terminal box assembly is also provided. The terminal box assembly includes an upper housing, a lower housing, a connector assembly and a bolt. The upper housing includes a bolt support. The bolt support is a generally cylindrical member having a top surface and a through hole. The lower housing includes a connector assembly housing. The connector assembly housing is configured to receive a plurality of male terminal blades. The lower housing further includes a bottom through hole. The connector assembly includes a plurality of terminal slots for receiving male terminal blades. The connector assembly further includes a threaded hole. The bolt includes a threaded end. The bolt is disposed in the through hole of the upper housing, the bottom through hole of the lower housing, and is threadedly engaged with the threaded hole of the connector assembly so as to fix the upper housing, the lower housing and the connector assembly together. The top surface of the bolt support includes a plurality of holes.

[0013] In one aspect of the terminal box assembly, the bolt support includes an upper portion extending from a top surface of the upper case and a bottom portion extending from a bottom surface of the upper case.

[0014] In one aspect of the junction box assembly, each of the plurality of holes is closed at a bottom end.

[0015] In one aspect of the terminal block assembly, the bolt support includes a bead defining a peripheral edge of the top surface.

[0016] In one aspect of the junction box assembly, a plurality of ribs are provided on a top surface of the housing and extend from an outer surface of the upper portion.

[0017] In one aspect of the junction box assembly, each of the plurality of holes are equally spaced apart from one another.

[0018] In one aspect of the junction box assembly, each of the plurality of holes is radially shaped relative to the through hole.

[0019] Thus, the upper case and the junction box having the upper case are provided with a bolt support having a plurality of holes, each of which is closed at the bottom end. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a top view of an upper housing according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2 The bolts are shown in the through holes. Figure 1 of the view.

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 and Figure 2An isolated view of one of the bolt supports shown in FIG.

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a bolt support shown in FIG.

[0024] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] A junction box assembly includes an upper housing, a lower housing, a connector assembly, and a bolt. The upper housing includes a bolt support. The bolt support is a cylindrical member having a top surface and a through hole. The lower housing includes a bottom through hole. The connector assembly further includes a threaded hole. A bolt with a threaded end is disposed in the through hole of the upper housing and the bottom through hole of the lower housing. The bolt is threadedly engaged with the threaded hole of the connector assembly so as to fix the upper housing, the lower housing, and the connector assembly together.

[0026] The top surface of the bolt support includes a plurality of holes that provide tolerance for expansion caused by heat generated by the electric drill, thereby preventing the outer dimensions of the bolt support from being deformed so as to maintain a tight connection between the upper housing, the lower housing, the connector assembly, and the bolts.

[0027] Reference now Figures 1 to 4 , providing the appearance of the upper housing 10. The upper housing 10 is a part of the junction box assembly 100. The upper housing 10 is formed of a material suitable for injection molding, and the material exemplarily includes polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyoxymethylene, polycarbonate, etc.

[0028] The upper housing 10 is shown as being generally rectangular; however, it should be understood that the dimensions of the upper housing 10 may deviate from the dimensions shown without limiting the scope of the appended claims. In this example, the dimensions of the upper housing 10 are designed to fit within the packaging space of a motor vehicle and to accommodate a selected number of electrical components. The upper housing 10 may include conventional attachment features, such as elastic tabs or hooks, configured to secure the upper housing 10 to other portions of the junction box assembly 100. On the one hand, as will be further described in detail, the upper housing 10 is further configured to protect and cover the electrical components housed within the junction box assembly 100. The upper housing 10 includes a top surface 10a and a pair of side walls 10b, a front wall 10c, and a rear wall 10d that define the top surface 10a.

[0029] The upper housing 10 includes a bolt support 12 and a plurality of upper terminal slots 14 for receiving electronic components (not shown) such as fuses, relays, etc. The bolt support 12 and the terminal slots 14 are formed on a top surface 10a of the upper housing 10. For illustrative purposes, the upper housing 10 is shown as having a pair of bolt supports 12.

[0030] Figure 1 1 is a top view of the upper housing 10, which shows the bolt 200 disposed in each of the bolt supports 12. For illustrative purposes, the upper housing 10 is shown as having a pair of bolt supports 12. As further described below, each of the bolt supports 12 is configured to receive the bolt 200 for securing a corresponding pair of connector assemblies 30. Thus, the number of bolt supports 12 shown does not limit the scope of the appended claims.

[0031] The bolt support 12 is disposed on the upper housing 10. The bolt support 12 is also formed of a material suitable for injection molding, which exemplarily includes polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyoxymethylene, polycarbonate, etc. It should be understood that the bolt support 12 can be formed as an integral part of the upper housing 10.

[0032] Reference now Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , provides a detailed description of the bolt support 12. The bolt support 12 is a generally cylindrical member having an upper through hole 16 and a top surface 12a. The top surface 12a of the bolt support 12 is generally planar, and the upper through hole 16 is generally centered on the top surface 12a. The top surface 12a of the bolt support includes a plurality of holes 18. Figure 2 is a top view of the upper housing 10 with the bolt 200 removed. Figure 4 An upper through hole 16 of the bolt support 12 extending along the axis into the lower housing 28 is shown.

[0033] In one aspect of the upper housing 10, the bolt support 12 includes an upper portion 20 and a bottom portion 22. The upper portion 20 extends from the top surface 10a of the upper housing 10. The bottom portion 22 extends from the bottom surface of the upper housing 10. In one aspect, the bottom portion 22 is longer than the upper portion 20. The upper through hole 16 extends through the upper portion 20 and the bottom portion 22. The upper through hole 16 has a uniform diameter and defines an open top and an open bottom of the bolt support 12 to receive the bolt 200.

[0034] In one aspect of the upper housing 10, each of the plurality of holes 18 is closed at a bottom end 18a. For purposes of illustration, the bolt support 12 is shown as having eight (8) holes 18. In one aspect of the upper housing 10, each of the plurality of holes 18 is radially spaced relative to the upper through hole 16. Each of the plurality of holes 18 is shown as being equally spaced from one another.

[0035] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown in , the bolt support 12 may further include a bead 24. The bead 24 may be integrally formed to the bolt support 12. The bead 24 defines a peripheral edge of the top surface 12a of the bolt support 12 so as to place the top surface 12a in a recessed relationship relative to the bead 24. Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown in , the bolt 200 may include a head having a hexagonal size and a flange defining the head. The curling edge 24 may have a height substantially the same as the height of the flange of the head of the bolt 200.

[0036] The upper housing 10 may further include a plurality of ribs 26. The ribs 26 are configured to rigidly and uprightly hold the upper portion 20 of the bolt support 12. The ribs 26 are provided on the top surface 10a of the upper housing 10 and extend from the outer surface of the upper portion 20 of the bolt support 12. The ribs 26 may be integrally formed to the upper housing 10.

[0037] Reference again Figures 1 to 4 And now refer to Figure 5 , a junction box assembly 100 is also provided. The junction box assembly 100 is formed of a material suitable for injection molding, and the material exemplarily includes polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyoxymethylene, polycarbonate, etc. The junction box assembly 100 includes an upper housing 10, a lower housing 28, a connector assembly 30, a bottom cover 32, and a bolt 200.

[0038] The upper housing 10 is mounted to the lower housing 28. The lower housing 28 is mounted to the bottom cover 32. The upper housing 10 includes upper terminal slots 14 for receiving terminals of various electronic components such as fuses and relays. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the electronic components are fitted onto the top surface 10 a of the upper housing 10 .

[0039] The upper housing 10 includes a bolt support 12. The bolt support 12 is a generally cylindrical member having a top surface 12a and an upper through hole 16. The bolt 200 includes a threaded end. The bolt 200 is disposed in the upper through hole 16 of the upper housing 10 and the bottom through hole 42 of the lower housing 28, and is threadedly engaged with the threaded hole 34 of the connector assembly 30, so as to fix the upper housing 10, the lower housing 28 and the connector assembly 30 together.

[0040] The top surface 12a of the bolt support 12 includes a plurality of holes 18, each of which is closed at a bottom end 18a. Each of the plurality of holes 18 is radially spaced relative to the upper through hole 16. Each of the plurality of holes 18 is equally spaced from each other. Figure 5 As shown in , the hole 18 may have a length extending from the top surface 10a of the upper housing 10 to the top surface 12a of the bolt support 12. In one aspect, the diameter of the hole 18 is substantially uniform, and the size of the holes 18 is designed to be the same as each other. However, it should be understood that the holes 18 may be different in shape from each other, or may have irregular diameters.

[0041] In one aspect of the terminal box assembly 100, the bolt support 12 includes an upper portion 20 extending from the top surface 10a of the upper housing 10 and a bottom portion 22 extending from the bottom surface of the upper housing 10. The bolt support 12 may further include a curling edge 24 defining a peripheral edge of the top surface 12a. The bolt support 12 may further include a plurality of ribs 26 disposed on the top surface 10a of the upper housing 10 and extending from an outer surface of the upper portion 20 of the bolt support 12.

[0042] The lower housing 28 includes a connector assembly housing 36. The connector assembly housing 36 is configured to accommodate a plurality of male terminal blades. The connector assembly housing 36 includes a top wall 38. The top wall 38 includes a collar 40 having a bottom through hole for receiving the bolt 200. The collar 40 is an annular member having a top edge. When assembled, the bottom edge of the bottom 22 of the bolt support 12 is placed on the top edge of the collar 40. For illustrative purposes, the collar 40 is shown as being approximately centered relative to the top wall 38 of the connector assembly housing 36.

[0043] The connector assembly 30 is mated to the connector assembly housing 36. The connector assembly 30 may be a generally cubic member having a plurality of terminal slots, each of which may hold a female terminal for receiving the male terminal blade. The connector assembly 30 further includes a threaded hole 34. The threaded hole 34 may be centered in the connector assembly 30. When the junction box assembly 100 is assembled, the threaded hole 34, the bottom through hole 42, and the upper through hole 16 of the upper housing 10 are axially aligned with each other.

[0044] The junction box assembly 100 is assembled by mounting the upper housing 10 to the lower housing 28, fitting the connector assembly 30 to the connector assembly housing 36 of the lower housing 28, and mounting the lower housing 28 to the bottom cover 32. A decorative cover may be held within the bottom cover 32 and fitted to the connector assembly 30. Then, bolts 200 are inserted into the upper through holes 16 and the bottom through holes 42 of the upper housing 10 and the threaded holes 34 of the connector assembly 30.

[0045] An electric drill may be used to screw the threaded end of the bolt 200 into the threaded hole 34 to secure the upper housing 10, the lower housing 28, and the connector assembly 30 together. The heat generated by the electric drill may be sufficient to expand the bolt support 12, wherein the hole 18 allows the expansion to prevent the bolt support 12 from being damaged due to thermal deformation. Thus, a tight connection is maintained between the upper housing 10, the lower housing 28, and the connector assembly 30.

[0046] Although specific embodiments have been shown and described herein, it will be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the claimed subject matter. In addition, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, these aspects need not be employed in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications within the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. An upper housing for use in a junction box assembly, the upper housing include: a bolt support, the bolt support being a cylindrical member having a through hole, the top surface of the bolt support having a plurality of holes, wherein each of the plurality of holes is closed at a bottom end and has a length extending from a top surface of the upper housing to a top surface of the bolt support, The bolt support member includes an upper portion extending from a top surface of the upper shell and a bottom portion extending from a bottom surface of the upper shell, and the bottom end of the hole is disposed in the upper portion. 2 . The upper housing according to claim 1 , further comprising a bead defining a peripheral edge of the top surface. 3 . The upper housing according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of ribs provided on the top surface of the housing and extending from an outer surface of the upper portion.

4. The upper housing according to claim 1, in, Each of the plurality of holes is equally spaced apart from one another.

5. The upper housing according to claim 1, in, Each of the plurality of holes is radially shaped relative to the through hole.

6. A junction box assembly, include: an upper housing having a bolt support, the bolt support being a cylindrical member having a top surface and a through hole; a lower housing having a connector assembly housing and a bottom through hole, the connector assembly housing being configured to receive a plurality of male terminal blades; a connector assembly having a plurality of terminal slots for receiving a corresponding one of the plurality of male terminal blades, the connector assembly further comprising a threaded hole; and a bolt having a threaded end, the bolt being disposed in the through hole of the upper housing and the bottom through hole of the lower housing and being threadedly engaged with the threaded hole of the connector assembly so as to fix the upper housing, the lower housing and the connector assembly together; and wherein the top surface of the bolt support comprises a plurality of holes, each of the plurality of holes being closed at a bottom end and having a length extending from the top surface of the upper housing to the top surface of the bolt support, The bolt support member includes an upper portion extending from a top surface of the upper shell and a bottom portion extending from a bottom surface of the upper shell, and the bottom end of the hole is disposed in the upper portion.

7. The junction box assembly of claim 6, further comprising a bead defining a peripheral edge of the top surface. 8 . The junction box assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of ribs disposed on the top surface of the housing and extending from an outer surface of the upper portion.

9. The junction box assembly according to claim 6, in, Each of the plurality of holes is equally spaced apart from one another.

10. The junction box assembly according to claim 6, in, Each of the plurality of holes is radially shaped relative to the through hole.

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