Electrical connection box

Abstract

This invention discloses an electrical connection box that can save space and reduce operating time and the number of components to connect a circuit board housed in a housing to multiple devices. The electrical connection box (10) includes: a circuit board (130); a branch circuit structure (12) for distributing power to various devices; a housing (14) for housing the circuit board (130) and the branch circuit structure (12); and a board-side connector module (128) that integrates multiple board-side connectors (140a-140d) mounted on the circuit board (130). The branch circuit structure (12) has: an internal circuit including busbars (78a-78d). The circuit is composed of d) and electrical components (82); a housing (76) housing the internal circuit; and multiple relay connectors (98a to 98d) protruding from the housing (76), which are connected to the internal circuit and connected to multiple substrate-side connectors (140a to 140d) respectively. When the branch circuit structure (12) and the circuit board (130) are assembled into the housing (14), each substrate-side connector (140a to 140d) is connected to the corresponding relay connector (98a to 98d).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to electrical connection boxes. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connection box for use in vehicles such as electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, for distributing power from a storage battery to various vehicle-mounted devices. The electrical connection box includes: a housing made of a metal component such as aluminum; and a circuit board housed within the housing and housing electronic devices such as an ECU. The housing houses branch circuit structures, electronic devices, and other equipment connected to the circuit board. Connectors and terminals are also provided at the ends of multiple wires extending from these devices, connecting to terminal blocks and connectors on the circuit board.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-106770 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, in the electrical connection box of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to connect the connectors and terminals of wires extending from multiple devices to the circuit board, which inevitably increases the time required for the connection work and the number of parts. Moreover, the space required to ensure the connection work and the space required for wire arrangement between the circuit board and each device may not be able to accommodate the miniaturization of the electrical connection box.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention discloses an electrical connection box that can reduce working hours and the number of components while saving space to connect the circuit board housed in the housing to multiple devices.

[0009] Technical solutions for solving the problem

[0010] The electrical connection box disclosed herein includes: a circuit board; a branch circuit structure for distributing power supplied from a battery to various devices; a housing for housing the circuit board and the branch circuit structure; and a baseboard-side connector module that integrates multiple baseboard-side connectors mounted on the circuit board. The branch circuit structure has: an internal circuit comprising busbars and electrical components; a housing for housing the internal circuit; and multiple relay connectors protruding from the housing, communicating with the internal circuit and respectively connected to the multiple baseboard-side connectors. When the branch circuit structure and the circuit board are assembled into the housing, each baseboard-side connector is connected to its corresponding relay connector.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to the electrical connection box disclosed herein, the circuit board housed in the housing can be connected to multiple devices while reducing working hours and the number of components and saving space. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the electrical connection box involved in Embodiment 1.

[0014] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top-down magnified view of the breakdown.

[0015] Figure 3 Viewed from the left front Figure 1 The enlarged 3D view of the electrical connection box shows the battery high-voltage connector after it has been removed to the front.

[0016] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view (where is the state with the cover removed but the high-voltage battery connector still connected).

[0017] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The diagram shows an exploded three-dimensional enlarged view of the connector module used for external connections.

[0018] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A further exploded perspective view of the connector module for external connection shown.

[0019] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 An exploded 3D view of the branch circuit structure shown.

[0020] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 The exploded three-dimensional enlarged view of the connector module on the substrate side is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0021] <Description of embodiments of this disclosure>

[0022] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described first.

[0023] The electrical connection box disclosed herein is as follows.

[0024] (1) An electrical connection box, comprising: a circuit board; a branch circuit structure for distributing power supplied from a battery to various devices; a housing for housing the circuit board and the branch circuit structure; and a baseboard-side connector module for integrating a plurality of baseboard-side connectors mounted on the circuit board, the branch circuit structure having: an internal circuit comprising a busbar and electrical components; a housing for housing the internal circuit; and a plurality of relay connectors protruding from the housing, communicating with the internal circuit and respectively connected to the plurality of baseboard-side connectors, wherein each baseboard-side connector is connected to its corresponding relay connector when the branch circuit structure and the circuit board are assembled into the housing.

[0025] According to this construction, a board-side connector module is mounted on the circuit board housed within the housing. This module is formed by integrating multiple board-side connectors. Furthermore, a branch circuit structure housed within the housing has multiple relay connectors. These relay connectors protrude from the housing containing the internal circuitry and connect to the multiple board-side connectors, respectively, and are electrically connected to the internal circuitry. Moreover, with the branch circuit structure and the circuit board separately assembled into the housing, the multiple board-side connectors and the multiple relay connectors can be connected together. Therefore, unlike conventional constructions, it eliminates the need to connect connectors and terminals of wires extending from devices such as the branch circuit structure to terminal blocks on the circuit board, thereby reducing work time and the number of components.

[0026] Furthermore, by assembling the branch circuit structure and the circuit board separately into the housing, multiple board-side connectors can be connected to their corresponding multiple relay connectors. Therefore, it is not necessary to ensure space inside the housing for connecting connectors and terminals of wires extending from devices such as the circuit structure to the circuit board, or space for arranging multiple wires, as is required in existing structures. This also enables space-saving and improved operability of the electrical connection box.

[0027] (2) Preferably, a metal retaining plate is included, which holds the circuit board and is assembled to the housing in a heat-conducting manner. Since the circuit board is held by the metal retaining plate, and the retaining plate is assembled to the housing in a heat-conducting manner, a heat dissipation path can be constructed, transferring heat generated by the circuit board to the housing via the metal retaining plate, which has better thermal conductivity than synthetic resins. Therefore, this is particularly useful when mounting electronic devices such as DC / DC converters and car chargers, where high heat generation is likely, onto the circuit board. Furthermore, the metal retaining plate is preferably formed of a metal with good thermal conductivity, but can also be made of relatively lightweight materials such as aluminum or aluminum alloys.

[0028] (3) Preferably, the retaining plate has a protective wall portion that surrounds the outer peripheral wall portion of the substrate-side connector module. Since the outer peripheral wall portion of the substrate-side connector module, which integrates multiple substrate-side connectors, can be protected by the protective wall portion of the retaining plate, interference between the substrate-side connector module and other components can be suppressed. Furthermore, the retaining wall portion can suppress or prevent deformation during the mating of the multiple substrate-side connectors with the multiple relay connectors, thereby contributing to ensuring a stable connection state and durability between the multiple substrate-side connectors and the multiple relay connectors.

[0029] (4) Preferably, the circuit board is equipped with an on-board charger, and the retaining plate also holds a transformer connected to the circuit board. Heat generated from the on-board charger mounted on the circuit board and the transformer connected thereto can be transferred to the housing via the retaining plate, thereby improving the heat dissipation of the electrical connection box. Furthermore, the transformer and circuit board can be held together by the retaining plate, thereby ensuring the connection stability between the transformer and the circuit board.

[0030] (5) Preferably, the electrical junction box further includes: an opening that penetrates the side wall of the housing; a cover that closes the opening and is fixed to the side wall; and a plurality of external connectors that are installed in a plurality of through holes that penetrate the cover along the thickness direction and protrude from the outer surface of the cover. The housing of the branch circuit structure is fixed to the inner surface of the cover. A plurality of connection points provided in the internal circuit of the branch circuit structure are connected to the connection terminals of the corresponding external connectors. The plurality of external connectors, the cover, and the branch circuit structure constitute an external connector module.

[0031] The cover has multiple through holes relative to the closed opening, which penetrates the side wall of the housing. Multiple external connectors are mounted relative to these through holes, protruding from the outer surface of the cover. A branch circuit structure housed within the housing is fixed to the inner surface of the cover. Multiple connection points of the internal circuitry within the branch circuit structure are connected to the connection terminals of corresponding external connectors. Thus, the multiple external connectors and the branch circuit structure with connection points for each external connector are fixed relative to the cover, which is separated from the side wall of the housing. As a result, the dimensional tolerances between the external connectors and the connection points of the branch circuit structure can be reduced, allowing for direct connection of the external connectors to the connection points of the branch circuit structure, instead of inserting wires between them as in conventional constructions. Consequently, the work of individually connecting multiple external connectors to multiple connection points with wires is eliminated, thereby reducing work time and the number of parts.

[0032] Furthermore, by modularizing both the branch circuit structure and the external connection connector relative to the cover separated from the housing, an external connection connector module is constructed. Therefore, the connection work between the connection points of the branch circuit structure and the external connection connector can be performed outside the housing, thus pre-constructing the external connection connector module. Moreover, the assembly of multiple external connection connectors and branch circuit structures into the housing can be completed in a single operation by assembling the external connection connector module into the opening of the housing. Therefore, unlike existing structures, there is no need to ensure space inside the housing for individually wiring multiple external connection connectors and multiple connection points, thereby achieving space-saving design of the electrical connection box and improved operability.

[0033] In this way, the two modular connectors, the substrate-side connector module and the external connection connector module, can be connected via multiple relay connectors located in the branch circuit structure. This reduces the number of wires and the work of connecting them to the corresponding connection points compared to the existing structure, thereby further providing an electrical connection box that can improve manufacturability and save space.

[0034] <Detailed description of the embodiments of this disclosure>

[0035] Specific examples of the electrical connection box of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is shown in the claims and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0036] <Implementation Method 1>

[0037] The following is for reference Figures 1 to 8 The electrical connection box 10 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described. The electrical connection box 10 is mounted in a vehicle (not shown), such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and distributes power supplied from a battery (not shown) to various devices via a branch circuit structure 12. Furthermore, the electrical connection box 10 has a housing 14 that houses the branch circuit structure 12. The electrical connection box 10 can be configured in any orientation, but hereafter, the vertical, horizontal, and front-back directions will be described based on the vertical, horizontal, and front-back directions shown in the figures. Additionally, sometimes only a portion of the multiple identical components are labeled, while the labels for other components are omitted.

[0038] <Shell 14>

[0039] The housing 14 is made of metal, for example, die-cast aluminum. Figures 1-2As shown, the housing 14 includes: a housing body 16 having a rectangular, bottomed box shape with an upward opening; and a cover 18 covering the upward opening of the housing body 16. The housing body 16 has a bottom wall 20 and side walls 22 protruding upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 20. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, cylindrical retaining plate support portions 24 protrude from six locations on the bottom wall 20. The protrusion dimension of the retaining plate support portion 24 is approximately half the protrusion dimension of the side wall 22. The retaining plate support portion 24 gradually tapers towards a small diameter at its protruding front end. A bolt fastening hole 26 with a circular cross-section is formed at the protruding front end of the retaining plate support portion 24 and opens upwards. The retaining plate support portion 24 has a flat reinforcing plate portion 28 that protrudes outwards from its outer peripheral surface and connects to the side wall 22 or the bottom wall 20. Furthermore, cylindrical branch circuit structure support portions 30 protrude from four locations on the bottom wall 20 of the housing 14. The protrusion dimension of the branch circuit structure support portion 30 is less than 1 / 10 of the protrusion dimension of the side wall 22. A bolt fastening hole 26 with a circular cross-section is formed at the protruding front end of the branch circuit structure support portion 30 and opens upwards.

[0040] A battery mounting portion 32 extending upwards and to the left and right sides is integrally formed on the side wall 22 at the front side of the housing 14. For example, as Figure 3 As shown, seven bolt insertion holes 34 are provided at circumferentially separated locations on the battery fixing part 32. These bolt insertion holes 34 are used to fix the housing 14 to the housing of a battery (not shown). On the side wall 22 on the front side of the housing 14, in a region closer to the center than the battery fixing part 32, a rectangular receiving recess 36 is formed facing forward. This receiving recess receives the connection part provided to the housing of the battery (not shown). A protrusion 38 with an elliptical cross-section is provided at the center of the receiving recess 36. A battery high-voltage connector insertion hole 40, which opens forward and into the interior of the housing 14, is provided through the center of the protrusion 38. A cylindrical battery high-voltage connector support part 42 is provided on the upper right and lower left of the protrusion 38. The battery high-voltage connector support part 42 has a bolt fastening hole 26 at its protruding end. In addition, the front surface of the side wall 22 on the front side of the housing 14, including the battery fixing part 32, becomes the fixing surface for fixing the battery to the housing (not shown), and therefore an annular sealing rubber 41 is provided on its outer periphery.

[0041] <Battery high voltage connector 44>

[0042] like Figure 3As shown, the battery high-voltage connector 44 has a rectangular flat fixing part 46. Bolt insertion holes 34 are provided through two diagonally opposite portions of the fixing part 46. A pair of cylindrical terminal holding protrusions 48, 48 protruding forward and backward and separated in the left-right direction are provided in the center of the fixing part 46. A busbar 50 bent into an L-shape is disposed within each terminal holding protrusion 48. The battery connection portion 50a of the busbar 50 is exposed at the front end of each terminal holding protrusion 48, and the branch circuit structure connection portion 50b of the busbar 50 is exposed at the rear end of each terminal holding protrusion 48 (see reference). Figure 2 In the branch circuit structure connection part 50b, a bolt insertion hole 52 is provided through in the plate thickness direction.

[0043] <Opening 54>

[0044] like Figure 4 As shown, an opening 54 is provided on the rear sidewall 22 of the housing body 16. This opening 54 is formed by cutting approximately the entire surface, opening towards the rear and into the interior of the housing body 16, and penetrating the sidewall 22 of the housing body 16. Ten bolt holes 26 are formed at the periphery of the opening 54, penetrating the sidewall 22 of the housing body 16. A recessed sealing member receiving portion 56, opening towards the rear, is formed inside the bolt holes 26 at the periphery of the opening 54. An annular rubber sealing member 58 is received within the sealing member receiving portion 56. That is, the sealing member 58 is clamped between the outer periphery of the opening 54 of the housing body 16 and the contact surface of the cover 62 (described later). As a result, the sealing member 58 improves the water resistance of the opening 54 of the housing body 16, which is closed by the cover 62. The housing body 16 has an annular flange 60 extending outward from the upper opening in the left-right and front-back directions. The flange 60 has 14 bolt holes 26 spaced circumferentially apart.

[0045] <Cover 62>

[0046] An opening 54, which penetrates the rear side wall 22 of the housing body 16, is closed by a cover 62. The cover 62 has a rectangular flat plate shape. A bolt insertion hole 34 is provided in the cover 62 at a position corresponding to the bolt fastening hole 26 at the periphery of the opening 54. After aligning the bolt insertion hole 34 of the cover 62 with the bolt fastening hole 26 at the periphery of the opening 54, as... Figure 1 The cover 62 is secured to the rear side wall 22 of the housing 14 by bolting as shown. Figure 6As shown, the cover 62 has a plurality of through holes 64 (eight in this embodiment) extending through the cover 62 along the thickness direction. External connectors 66a, 66b, 66c, 66d, 66e, 66f, 66g, and 66h are respectively installed with respect to each through hole 64. For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, each external connector 66a-66h protrudes outward in the thickness direction from the outer surface 68 and inner surface 70 of the cover 62 while the bolts are tightened and it is held in place by the cover 62. This allows the external connectors 66a-66h to be stably held in place by the cover 62 and connected to the connection portions 72a-72h disposed on the base portion 118. Therefore, the space efficiency and connection stability of the external connector module 156, described later, can be improved. The external connectors 66a-66h protruding from the outer surface 68 of the cover 62 are connected to connectors for various devices (not shown). Furthermore, as... Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, external connectors 66a-66h protruding from the inner surface 70 of the cover 62 are connected to connection portions 72a-72h provided on the branch circuit structure 12. Furthermore, as... Figure 5 As shown, on the inner surface 70 of the cover 62, there are three protruding, roughly cylindrical branch circuit structure fixing parts 74 that are separated in the left and right directions. A bolt fastening hole 26 with a circular cross-section and opening towards the front is formed at the protruding front end of the branch circuit structure fixing part 74.

[0047] <Cover 18>

[0048] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cover portion 18 covering the upper opening of the housing body 16 has a rectangular, shallow-bottomed, box-shaped structure with an opening facing downwards. The cover portion 18 has an annular flange-like portion 75 extending outwards from the lower opening in both left-right and front-back directions. On the flange-like portion 75, 14 bolt insertion holes 34 are provided at locations corresponding to the bolt fastening holes 26 of the housing body 16. By bolting the cover portion 18 to the housing body 16, the sealing rubber 73 disposed on the upper surface of the side wall 22 of the housing body 16 is clamped between the upper surface of the side wall 22 of the housing body 16 and the flange-like portion 75 of the cover portion 18, thereby ensuring a tight seal.

[0049] <Branch Circuit Structure 12>

[0050] For example, such as Figure 7As shown, the branch circuit structure 12 includes a lower housing 76a located below and an upper housing 76b located above when mounted in a vehicle. The housing 76 comprises the lower housing 76a and the upper housing 76b. The housing 76 is formed by injection molding an insulating synthetic resin into a predetermined shape. The synthetic resin constituting the housing 76 may also contain fillers such as glass fibers. For example, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the housing 76 has a roughly T-shaped form when viewed from above. For example, as Figure 7 As shown, a busbar 78a extending in the front-to-back direction is disposed inside the housing 76. The busbar 78a is connected to the battery via the battery high-voltage connector 44 and is subjected to a high voltage. A busbar 78b, for example connected to a 12V power supply, and a busbar 78c, connected to an AC power supply, are disposed to the rear right side of the busbar 78a. A wiring harness 80 is housed between the busbars 78b and 78c, which is used to transmit the low-voltage power generated by the substrate-side connector module 128 (described later) from the substrate-side connector 140b to the external connection connector 66b via a relay connector 98b. A busbar 78d is disposed to the rear left side of the busbar 78a and connected to the busbar 78a via a fuse 82, which is an electrical component.

[0051] <Upper box 76b>

[0052] The upper housing 76b has a similar shape, slightly larger than the lower housing 76a when viewed from above. The upper housing 76b also has a roughly T-shaped form similar to the lower housing 76a. At the front end of the forward-extending portion of the upper housing 76b, a pair of busbar insertion holes 84, 84 are provided separately in the left-right direction. (As...) Figure 7 As shown, the front end of the busbar 78a is bent into a crank shape and protrudes to the outside from the busbar insertion hole 84. Figure 2 As shown, the rear end of the relay busbar 86, which is bent into a crank shape, is connected to the front end of the busbar 78a, and the front end of the relay busbar 86 is connected to the branch circuit structure connection portion 50b of the battery high-voltage connector 44. Thus, a high voltage is supplied from the battery to the busbar 78a. For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, legs 88 protruding outward in a rectangular flat plate shape are provided on the left and right ends of the front end of the upper housing 76b. Additionally, legs 88 are also provided in the left and right extending portions of the upper housing 76b, each leg 88 protruding outward in a rectangular flat plate shape on the front side of its left and right ends. A circular bolt insertion hole 90 is provided through the center of each leg 88.

[0053] Furthermore, on the right side of the top wall portion 92 extending laterally at the rear end of the upper housing 76b, four repeater connector housings 94a, 94b, 94c, and 94d are provided at positions corresponding to the substrate-side connectors 140a to 140d described later. Each of the four repeater connector housings 94a to 94d has a square cylindrical shape that protrudes upwards from the top wall portion 92 and opens vertically. A pair of busbar insertion holes 96, 96 are provided through the rear of the repeater connector housing 94a. Moreover, the rear end of the busbar 78b disposed in the lower housing 76a is bent into a crank shape and protrudes to the outside from the busbar insertion hole 96 (see reference). Figure 7 The rear end of the exposed busbar 78b forms the connection portion 72a. Furthermore, the front end of the busbar 78b, disposed in the lower housing 76a, is bent upwards into an L-shape and disposed within the repeater connector housing 94a. The repeater connector 98a is constructed by disposing the front ends of a pair of busbars 78b, 78b within the repeater connector housing 94a. The front end of the repeater busbar 110, bent into a crank shape, is connected relative to the rear end of the busbar 78b, and the rear end of the repeater busbar 110 is connected to the connection terminal 112 within the external connection connector 66a (see reference). Figure 5 Thus, a power supply of, for example, 12V is supplied from the external connection connector 66a.

[0054] like Figure 7 As shown, a pair of busbar insertion holes 100, 100 are also provided through the center of the top wall portion 92 extending in the left-right direction at the rear end of the upper housing 76b. The rear end of the busbar 78a disposed in the lower housing 76a is bent into a crank shape and protrudes to the outside from the busbar insertion hole 100. Figure 5 As shown, the rear end of the exposed busbar 78a forms the connection portion 72e. Furthermore, the front end of the relay busbar 114, which is bent into a crank shape, is connected to the rear end of the busbar 78a, and the rear end of the relay busbar 114 is connected to the connection terminal 116 within the external connection connector 66e. Thus, a high voltage from the battery is supplied from the external connection connector 66e. A pair of L-shaped busbars 102, 102 are assembled on the rear side of the busbar 78a disposed in the lower housing 76a. More specifically, one end of the busbar 102 is bolted to the rear side of the busbar 78a, and the other end of the busbar 102 is bent upwards into an L-shape and housed within the relay connector housing 94d. The relay connector 98d is thus constructed by housing the other ends of the pair of busbars 102, 102 within the relay connector housing 94d.

[0055] Moreover, such as Figure 5As shown, a cylindrical intermediate connector housing 104a is provided on the rear side of the repeater connector housing 94b. The intermediate connector housing 104a has a cylindrical shape that protrudes upward from the top wall portion 92. A rod-shaped terminal 80a connected to one end of the wire harness 80 is housed within the repeater connector housing 94b to form a repeater connector 98b. An intermediate connector 106a is constructed by housing a rod-shaped terminal 80a connected to the other end of the wire harness 80 within the intermediate connector housing 104a. The intermediate connector 106a constitutes the connection portion 72b. A pair of cylindrical intermediate connector housings 104b, 104b are provided on the rear side of the repeater connector housing 94c. The intermediate connector housing 104b has a cylindrical shape that protrudes upward from the top wall portion 92. Within the repeater connector housing 94c, four busbars 78c are bent upward at one end to form an L-shape and arranged, thereby constructing the repeater connector 98c. Inside the intermediate connector housing 104b, the other ends of the two busbars 78c are bent upwards to form an L-shape, thereby forming a pair of intermediate connectors 106b, 106b. The pair of intermediate connectors 106b, 106b respectively constitute the connection portions 72c, 72d.

[0056] At the left end of the top wall portion 92 extending in a left-right direction at the rear end of the upper housing 76b, three cylindrical intermediate connector housings 104c are provided. Each intermediate connector housing 104c has a cylindrical shape protruding upwards from the top wall portion 92. Within each intermediate connector housing 104c, one end of a busbar 78d connected to a busbar 78a via a fuse 82 is bent upwards to form an L-shape. Furthermore, within each intermediate connector housing 104c, one end of a grounding busbar 108 connected to a ground potential is bent upwards to form an L-shape. This constitutes each intermediate connector 106c. These three intermediate connectors 106c constitute connection portions 72f, 72g, and 72h, respectively.

[0057] <Box 76>

[0058] The housing 76 is configured to include an upper housing 76b and a lower housing 76a. The housing 76 houses an internal circuit comprising busbars 78a-78d and a fuse 82 as an electrical component. The housing 76 has a base portion 118 formed by assembling the upper housing 76b and the lower housing 76a, and a vertical plate portion 120 rising from the base portion 118. Furthermore, four relay connectors 98a-98d are concentratedly provided in a portion of the base portion 118 of the housing 76 of the branch circuit structure 12 (in this embodiment, the right side of the front end), and are respectively connected to four substrate-side connectors 140a-140d (described later) to conduct electricity to the internal circuit within the housing 76. That is, when the branch circuit structure 12 and the circuit board 130 (described later) are assembled into the housing body 16, each substrate-side connector 140a-140d is connected together with its corresponding relay connector 98a-98d.

[0059] <Vertical board part 120>

[0060] like Figures 5-7 As shown, the upright plate portion 120 has a rectangular flat plate shape, connects to the rear end of the side wall 122 of the upper housing 76b, and protrudes upward beyond the top wall portion 92. Eight through-cut portions 124a, 124b, 124c, 124d, 124e, 124f, 124g, and 124h of approximately rectangular cross-section are provided through the upright plate portion 120. External connection connectors 66a and 66e are assembled and supported at the through-cut portions 124a and 124e, respectively. These external connection connectors 66a and 66e are connected to connection portions 72a and 72e disposed on the base portion 118 via relay busbars 110 and 114. Furthermore, external connectors 66b-66d and 66f-66h are assembled and supported at the cutouts 124b-124d and 124f-124h, respectively. These external connectors 66b-66d and 66f-66h are connected to the connection portions 72b-72d and 72f-72h located on the base portion 118 via energizing components (not shown). Bolt insertion holes 126 are provided through three locations on the upper part of the upright plate portion 120. After aligning the bolt insertion holes 126 of the upright plate portion 120 with the bolt fastening holes 26 of the branch circuit structure fixing portion 74 of the cover 62, the bolts are tightened, thereby fixing the upright plate portion 120 into contact with the inner surface 70 of the cover 62. By providing the upright plate portion 120 on the upper housing 76b, a larger contact area with the cover 62 can be ensured. Therefore, the fixing strength between the cover 62 and the housing 76 of the branch circuit structure 12 can be improved. Furthermore, the external connectors 66a-66h, which are connected to the connection portions 72a-72h disposed on the base portion 118, can be stably held in place by the upright plate portion 120. Therefore, the space efficiency and connection stability of the external connector module 156, described later, can be improved.

[0061] <Circuit board 130>

[0062] A circuit board 130 is housed within the housing 14, and a board-side connector module 128, described later, is mounted on the circuit board 130. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the circuit board 130 is held on a rectangular flat metal plate 132. The circuit board 130 has a generally rectangular flat shape formed of a known insulating material such as glass epoxy resin, and a power supply pattern is formed on the circuit board 130 by printed wiring (not shown). In this embodiment, a car charger is mounted on the circuit board 130. The metal plate 132 is preferably made of a metal with good thermal conductivity, but it can also be made of relatively lightweight aluminum or aluminum alloys. Two sets of a pair of connection portions 134 are provided on the circuit board 130. Each connection portion 134 has an insulating terminal fixing portion 134a and a terminal 134b protruding from the circuit board 130. The terminal 134b is bent into an L-shape, and one end is connected to the printed wiring of the circuit board 130 by soldering or the like. The other end of the terminal 134b is resting on the protruding end face of the terminal fixing portion 134a. A pair of connection portions 134, 134 are supplied with, for example, a 12V power supply from one side (right side) of the circuit board 130. A pair of connection portions 134, 134 are supplied with a high-voltage power supply from the other side (left side) of the circuit board 130, for example, by connection to a battery.

[0063] <Retaining Plate 132>

[0064] The retaining plate 132 is, for example, made of die-cast aluminum. A circuit board 130 is held on the right side of the retaining plate 132. A transformer 136 is held on the left side of the retaining plate 132. As described later, the retaining plate 132 is assembled relative to the housing 14 in a heat-conducting manner, thus allowing heat generated by the circuit board 130 and the transformer 136 to be transferred to the housing 14 via the retaining plate 132. Therefore, the heat dissipation of the electrical connection box 10 can be improved, and the transformer 136 can be stably connected to the circuit board 130. The transformer 136 is connected to the circuit board 130 via a connection structure not shown. The transformer 136 is used to transform the high voltage of the battery to the desired voltage. A rectangular frame-shaped board-side connector receiving portion 138 is provided protruding rearward from the rear end of the right side of the retaining plate 132. The board-side connector receiving portion 138 houses four integrated board-side connectors 140a, 140b, 140c, and 140d constituting the board-side connector module 128. The rear peripheral wall of the substrate-side connector receiving portion 138 protrudes upwards by a larger dimension than the peripheral walls of other portions. This rear peripheral wall forms a protective wall portion 142, which surrounds the outer peripheral walls of the four substrate-side connectors 140a-140d constituting the substrate-side connector module 128. This suppresses interference between the substrate-side connector module 128 and other components. Furthermore, the protective wall portion 142 can suppress or prevent deformation when the substrate-side connectors 140a-140d are engaged with the relay connectors 98a-98d. As a result, it helps ensure a stable connection and durability between the substrate-side connectors 140a-140d and the relay connectors 98a-98d. Additionally, fixing legs 144 protrude outwards from both ends of the substrate-side connector receiving portion 138 in the left-right direction. Legs 146 are also provided at six locations on the outer periphery of the retaining plate 132.

[0065] <Baseboard-side connector module 128>

[0066] Four substrate-side connectors 140a to 140d are integrated to form a substrate-side connector module 128. Legs 148 protrude outwards from both ends of the substrate-side connector module 128 in the left-right direction. The substrate-side connector module 128 is fixed to the retaining plate 132 by bolting the legs 148 against the fixing legs 144 of the retaining plate 132. Furthermore, the four substrate-side connectors 140a to 140d constituting the substrate-side connector module 128 are mounted on the circuit board 130, which is mounted to the retaining plate 132. More specifically, substrate-side connectors 140a and 140d are respectively bolted to terminals 134b on the connection portion 134 via a pair of relay terminals 150, 150 bent into a crank shape. Additionally, substrate-side connector 140b is connected to the printed wiring of a low-voltage power line connected within the circuit board 130 via a relay connector 152. Furthermore, the substrate-side connector 140c is connected to the printed wiring of the AC power line connected in the circuit board 130 via a wire 154 with an attached terminal.

[0067] Assembly method of electrical connection box 10

[0068] A general description of the assembly method of the electrical connection box 10 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be provided. First, a housing body 16 and a cover 18 constituting the housing 14 are prepared. Next, a branch circuit structure 12, a cover 62, and external connection connectors 66a to 66h are prepared. After the external connection connectors 66a to 66h are installed into the through holes 64 of the cover 62, the external connection connectors 66a to 66h are bolted to the cover 62. Then, the bolt insertion holes 126 provided in the upright plate portion 120 of the branch circuit structure 12 are aligned with the bolt fastening holes 26 provided in the branch circuit structure fixing portion 74 provided in the inner surface 70 of the cover 62, and the bolts are fastened. As a result, the housing 76 of the branch circuit structure 12 is fixed to the inner surface 70 of the cover 62. Then, the external connectors 66a to 66h protruding from the inner surface 70 of the cover 62 are connected to the connection portions 72a to 72h of the internal circuit provided in the branch circuit structure 12. For example, the connection terminal 112 of the external connector 66a is connected to the connection portion 72a using a relay bus bar 110. As a result, the external connector module 156 is constituted including the external connectors 66a to 66h, the cover 62, and the branch circuit structure 12.

[0069] Next, the branch circuit structure 12 of the external connection connector module 156 is inserted into the housing body 16 through the opening 54. Then, the bolt through hole 34 provided on the cover 62 of the external connection connector module 156 is aligned with the bolt fastening hole 26 provided on the periphery of the opening 54, and the cover 62 is bolted to the housing body 16. In addition, the leg 88 provided on the branch circuit structure 12 is aligned with the branch circuit structure support 30 protruding from the bottom wall 20 of the housing body 16 and bolted. Furthermore, a battery high-voltage connector 44 and a pair of relay busbars 86 are prepared. The relay busbars 86 are connected to the branch circuit structure connection portion 50b of the busbar 50 that houses and is disposed in the battery high-voltage connector 44. The battery high-voltage connector 44 thus configured is fixed to the battery high-voltage connector support portion 42 provided on the housing body 16. Additionally, the relay bus 86 is connected to the bus 78a disposed in the branch circuit structure 12. Next, the substrate-side connector module 128 is prepared. For example, as... Figure 8 As shown, the substrate-side connector module 128 is constructed by mounting a circuit board 130, a vehicle charger, and a transformer 136 on a retaining plate 132. A substrate-side connector module 128, consisting of integrated substrate-side connectors 140a to 140d, is housed and fixed in a substrate-side connector receiving section 138 located on the rear right side of the retaining plate 132. Each substrate-side connector 140a to 140d is connected to the printed wiring of the circuit board 130 via a relay terminal 150, a relay connector 152, and a wire 154 with an attached terminal. Then, the retaining plate 132, which holds the circuit board 130 and the transformer 136 on which the substrate-side connector module 128 is mounted, is assembled from above relative to the branch circuit structure 12 housed within the housing body 16.

[0070] At this time, the legs 146 of the retaining plate 132 are placed on the retaining plate support portion 24, which protrudes from the bottom wall 20 of the housing body 16, and are fixed by bolts. By bolting the retaining plate 132 to the retaining plate support portion 24 provided on the metal housing body 16, the retaining plate 132 is assembled relative to the housing 14 in a heat-conducting manner. This allows the construction of a heat dissipation path that transfers heat generated by the circuit board 130 to the housing 14 via the metal retaining plate 132, which has a better thermal conductivity than synthetic resins. Therefore, this is particularly useful when installing electronic devices such as DC / DC converters and car chargers that are likely to generate heat on the circuit board 130. Here, the power supplied to the circuit board 130 via the board-side connector 140d is converted by the board-side connector module 128 and output from other board-side connectors 140a to 140c to the relay connectors 98a to 98c of the branch circuit structure 12. Then, the relay connectors 98a-98c are connected to the connectors of various devices (not shown) via the connection portions 72a-72h and the relay terminals (e.g., relay busbars 110, 114) from the external connection connectors 66a-66h. Finally, by overlapping the flange-like portion 75 of the cover portion 18 with the flange-like portion 60 of the housing body 16 and tightening the bolts, the upper opening of the housing body 16 is covered by the cover portion 18, completing the process. Figure 1 The electrical connection box 10 is shown. Furthermore, the electrical connection box 10 is used with the battery mounting portion 32 of the housing 14 fixed to the housing of a battery (not shown).

[0071] According to the electrical connection box 10 of this disclosure, with the branch circuit structure 12 and the circuit board 130 respectively assembled into the housing 14, the board-side connectors 140a to 140d and the relay connectors 98a to 98d can be connected together. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the work of connecting the connectors and terminals of the wires extending from the branch circuit structure and other equipment to the terminal blocks of the circuit board, as in the conventional construction. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the operation time and the number of parts. Moreover, it is not necessary to ensure space inside the housing for connecting the connectors and terminals of the wires extending from the circuit structure and other equipment to the circuit board, or space for arranging multiple wires, as in the conventional construction. Therefore, it is also possible to achieve space saving and improved operability of the electrical connection box 10.

[0072] A cover 62, which is separated from the side wall 22 of the housing 14, is fixed to an external connection connector 66a-66h and a branch circuit structure 12 having connection portions 72a-72h for connecting each of the external connection connectors 66a-66h. Since the external connection connectors 66a-66h are connected to the connection portions 72a-72h via the cover 62, the dimensional tolerances between the external connection connectors 66a-66h and the connection portions 72a-72h of the branch circuit structure 12 can be reduced. Furthermore, the connection between the external connection connectors 66a-66h and the connection portions 72a-72h does not require wires. Therefore, the work of connecting them with wires is eliminated, reducing work time and the number of parts. Moreover, the connection work between the connection portions 72a-72h of the branch circuit structure 12 and the external connection connectors 66a-66h can be performed outside the housing 14, pre-configuring it as an external connection connector module 156. Therefore, the assembly of the external connectors 66a-66h and the branch circuit structure 12 relative to the housing 14 can be completed in a single operation by assembling the external connector module 156 relative to the opening 54 of the housing 14. Thus, it is unnecessary to ensure sufficient space inside the housing 14 for individually wiring the connection points 72a-72h of the branch circuit structure 12 to the multiple external connectors 66a-66h. This also enables space-saving and improved operability of the electrical connection box 10.

[0073] In this way, the two modular connectors, the substrate-side connector module 128 and the external connection connector module 156, can be connected via relay connectors 98a to 98d provided in the branch circuit structure 12. Therefore, the connection work using wires is eliminated, and the electrical connection box 10 can be provided more advantageously, which improves manufacturing workability and saves space.

[0074] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0075] The technology described in this specification is not limited to the embodiments illustrated by the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the technology described in this specification.

[0076] (1) In the above embodiment 1, the case where there are four substrate-side connectors 140a to 140d and four relay connectors 98a to 98d has been described, but the number and structure of the connectors can be chosen arbitrarily. As for the external connection connectors 66a to 66h, any number and shape of connectors can also be used.

[0077] (2) The retaining plate 132 does not necessarily need to be made of metal, and the retaining plate 132 can be further omitted.

[0078] (3) In the above embodiment 1, an external connection connector module 156 is used, but it is not necessarily required. Each connection part of the branch circuit structure 12 can also be individually connected to the corresponding external connection connector provided at any part of the housing 14 by means of wires or the like.

[0079] Label Explanation

[0080] 10 Electrical connection box

[0081] 12 Branch Circuit Structure

[0082] 14. Shell

[0083] 16. Main body of the shell

[0084] 18. Cover section

[0085] 20 bottom wall

[0086] 22 Sidewalls

[0087] 24. Retaining plate support section

[0088] 26 Bolt fastening holes

[0089] 28. Reinforcing plate section

[0090] 30 Branch circuit structure support section

[0091] 32 Battery mounting part

[0092] 34 Bolt through holes

[0093] 36 Containment recess

[0094] 38 protuberance

[0095] 40 Battery high-voltage connector insertion hole

[0096] 41 Sealing rubber

[0097] 42 Battery high-voltage connector support

[0098] 44 Battery high-voltage connector

[0099] 46 Fixing part

[0100] 48 Terminal retaining protrusions

[0101] 50 busbars

[0102] 50A Battery Connection Part

[0103] 50b Branch circuit structure connection part

[0104] 52 Bolt through hole

[0105] 54 Opening

[0106] 56 Sealing component housing

[0107] 58 Sealing components

[0108] 60 Flange-like portion

[0109] 62. Cover

[0110] 64 Through holes

[0111] 66a~66h External connection connectors

[0112] 68 Outer surface

[0113] 70 Inner Surface

[0114] 72a~72h connection parts

[0115] 73 Sealing Rubber

[0116] 74 Branch circuit structure fixing part

[0117] 75 Flange-like portion

[0118] 76 enclosure

[0119] 76a Lower Housing

[0120] 76b upper box

[0121] 78a~78d Busbars

[0122] 80 wiring harness

[0123] 80a terminal

[0124] 82. Fuse (Electrical Component)

[0125] 84 Busbar Through Hole

[0126] 86 relay busbar

[0127] 88 Legs

[0128] 90mm bolt through hole

[0129] 92 Top wall part

[0130] 94a~94d Repeater Connector Housing

[0131] 96 Busbar Through Hole

[0132] 98a~98d repeater connectors

[0133] 100 busbar through-hole

[0134] 102 Busbar

[0135] 104a~104c Intermediate Connector Housing

[0136] 106a~106c Intermediate Connectors

[0137] 108 Grounding Busbar

[0138] 110 Trunk Busbar (Trunking Terminal)

[0139] 112 Connection Terminal

[0140] 114 Trunk Busbar (Trunking Terminal)

[0141] 116 Connecting Terminal

[0142] 118 Base section

[0143] 120 vertical board part

[0144] 122 Sidewall

[0145] 124a~124h incision site

[0146] 126 Bolt through hole

[0147] 128 Baseboard-side connector module

[0148] 130 Circuit Board

[0149] 132 Retention Plate

[0150] 134 Connection part

[0151] 134a Terminal fixing part

[0152] 134b terminal

[0153] 136 Transformer

[0154] 138 Board-side connector housing

[0155] 140a~140d Substrate-side connectors

[0156] 142 Protective wall section

[0157] 144 Fixed Legs

[0158] 146 Legs

[0159] 148 Legs

[0160] 150 relay terminals

[0161] 152 Relay Connector

[0162] 154 Wires with terminals

[0163] 156 Connector module for external connection.

Claims

1. An electrical connection box, comprising: Circuit board; A branch circuit structure used to distribute power supplied from the battery to various devices; A housing that houses the circuit board and the branch circuit structure; and The substrate-side connector module is obtained by integrating multiple substrate-side connectors mounted on the circuit board. The branch circuit structure includes: an internal circuit comprising busbars and electrical components; a housing housing the internal circuit; and multiple relay connectors protruding from the housing, communicating with the internal circuit and respectively connected to the multiple substrate-side connectors. With the branch circuit structure and the circuit board assembled into the housing, each board-side connector is connected to its corresponding relay connector.

2. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein, The electrical connection box includes a metal retaining plate that holds the circuit board. The retaining plate is assembled to the housing in a heat-transferable manner.

3. The electrical connection box according to claim 2, wherein, The retaining plate has a protective wall portion that surrounds the outer peripheral wall portion of the substrate-side connector module.

4. The electrical connection box according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The circuit board is equipped with a vehicle charger, and the retaining plate also holds a transformer connected to the circuit board.

5. The electrical connection box according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The electrical connection box also includes: An opening that penetrates the side wall of the housing; The cover, which closes the opening and is fixed to the side wall; and Multiple external connectors are mounted in multiple through holes that extend through the cover along the thickness direction and protrude from the outer surface of the cover. The housing of the branch circuit structure is fixed to the inner surface of the cover, and the multiple connection points of the internal circuit of the branch circuit structure are connected to the connection terminals of the corresponding external connectors. The external connection connector module comprises the plurality of external connection connectors, the cover, and the branch circuit structure.

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