Electrical junction box

Abstract

Electrical junction box (1) arranged in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle and having a box body (3) comprising: an electrical connection block (4) which is divided into a plurality of spaces (K) by a plurality of partition walls (11), wherein corresponding cassette blocks (12) are accommodated in the spaces (K), in which electrical components for connection such as relays (22) and plugs (23) are mounted, and the cassette blocks (12) are connected to one end of at least one electric wire, and a power supply branching block (30) which branches off power from a power supply, wherein the electrical connection block (4) is arranged further forward in the electrical distribution box (1) in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle, while the power supply branching block (30) is arranged further rearward in the electrical distribution box (1) in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle, and wherein a power supply connecting part (14) of the power supply branching block (30) is arranged on a rear side of the electrical connection block (4) in the direction of travel, and the power supply connecting part (14) is connected to the power supply.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical junction box arranged in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle or in a similar mobile unit.

[0002] Generally, a motor vehicle as a mobile unit contains various electronic devices such as lights (e.g. a headlight or a tail light) and motors (e.g. a starter motor or a motor for the air conditioning system).

[0003] To supply power to the various electronic devices, junction boxes are located at appropriate locations in the vehicle. Each junction box contains various electrical circuit components such as fuses and relays.

[0004] The junction box may be referred to as a fuse block, relay block, or junction box (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. JP 2005-119331 A) because the junction box may contain fuses, relays, and / or busbars. In this specification, such fuse blocks, relay blocks, or junction boxes are generally referred to as electrical junction boxes.

[0005] The electrical junction box disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-119331 A comprises a box body defining an external shape of the electrical junction box and a wiring block. The box body is formed into a box shape from an electrically insulating resin. The box body includes a mounting portion on which electrical components such as relays and fuses are mounted; and a connector connecting portion to which connectors of a wiring harness are connected.

[0006] The wiring block is housed in the box body. The wiring block includes busbars through which power is supplied from a power supply such as a battery or generator, and from which electrical wires are branched to the mounting parts on which the electrical components are mounted.

[0007] Each bus bar is made of an electrically conductive metal sheet and includes: a power supply connecting part connected to the battery or generator; and a terminal part arranged in the mounting part to be connected to the electrical component such as a relay or fuse when the wiring block is housed in the box body.

[0008] The wiring block connects the power supply, electrical components, and electrical wires of a wiring harness in accordance with a predetermined pattern, so that the electrical junction box connects the power supply, electrical components, and electronic devices connected to the wires of the wiring harness in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The electrical junction box then supplies the power supplied from the power supply to the electrical components via the wiring harness.

[0009] In the electrical junction box of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. JP 2005 - 119 331 A, if the motor vehicle encounters a collision at the front end of the vehicle with another motor vehicle and the electrical junction box is arranged at the front of the motor vehicle in an engine compartment of the motor vehicle, the junction box may be damaged, so that the wiring block can no longer branch off current and accordingly the electronic devices are no longer supplied with power.

[0010] US 6 050 856 A is also part of the state of the art.

[0011] It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problem and to provide an electrical junction box which can maintain the power supply to the electronic devices even if the motor vehicle equipped with the electrical junction box experiences a traffic accident.

[0012] The problem is solved by the subject matter of claim 1.

[0013] With the above-described structure, the electrical connection block is arranged further forward in the electrical junction box in the traveling direction, and the power supply connecting part of the power supply branch block is arranged at a rear side of the electrical connection block, so that when the motor vehicle encounters a collision with another motor vehicle at the front of the vehicle, the electrical connection block is depressed to compress the spaces between the respective partition walls. Therefore, damage to the power supply branch block, and particularly damage to the power supply connecting part, can be reduced. Thus, when the motor vehicle equipped with the electrical junction box encounters a traffic accident, power can continue to be supplied to the electrical devices.

[0014] An electrical component for connection and the end of at least one electrical wire are connected to one of the cassette blocks.

[0015] In the above-described structure, since a cassette block is connected to electrical components for connection such as relays and connectors and to the ends of electrical wires, when the electrical connection block is pushed in, the cassette blocks, the electrical connectors, and the ends of the electrical wires are pushed in simultaneously. This reduces the mechanical strength of the electrical connection block, making it easier to push in than when the cassette block is integrally formed with the box body. Therefore, because the electrical connection block is designed to be easily pushed in, damage to the power supply branch block can be reliably prevented in the event of a traffic accident involving a vehicle equipped with the electrical junction box. Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical junction box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a box body of the electrical junction box of Fig. 1 shows. Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing a state in which the box body of the electrical junction box of Fig. 1 is mounted on a motor vehicle. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the box body of the electrical junction box of Fig. 2. Fig. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which a connection block is removed from a connection block fixing part of the box body of the electrical junction box of Fig. 4 away.

[0016] In the following, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1-5. The electrical junction box 1 according to the preferred embodiment of Fig. 1 is arranged at the front of a motor vehicle as a mobile unit, being arranged approximately as in Fig. 3 can be arranged in the engine compartment of the motor vehicle. In the Fig. In the example shown in Figure 3, the electrical junction box 1 is arranged at the rear of a headlight 2 of the motor vehicle.

[0017] As in Fig. 1, the electrical junction box 1 comprises a box body 3, a connection block 4, a top cover 5, a bottom cover 6 and a side cover 7.

[0018] The can body 3 is formed from an electrically insulating synthetic resin by a known injection molding process. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the box body 3 is box-shaped with a plurality of outer walls 8 that are connected to one another. When the electrical junction box 1 is arranged in an engine compartment of a motor vehicle, an end portion of the box body 3 at the rear of the motor vehicle is provided with a branch block attachment portion 9. The branch block attachment portion 9 is a space formed in the box body 3.

[0019] When the electrical junction box 1 is arranged in an engine compartment of a motor vehicle, an end portion of the box body 3 toward the front of the motor vehicle is provided with a connection block attachment portion 10 as an electrical connection block. As shown in Fig. 5, the connection block fixing part 10 is divided into a plurality of spaces K by a plurality of partition walls 11. That is, the connection block fixing part 10 is divided into a plurality of spaces K in the can body 3.

[0020] The branch block fixing part 9 of the box body 3 is provided with a wiring block 30 as a power supply branch block.

[0021] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the wiring block 30 comprises a cassette block 12, two power integrators 13, a terminal fixing part 14 as a power supply connection part in the cassette block 12, and bus bars (not shown in the figures). The cassette block 12 is formed from an electrically insulating synthetic resin by a known injection molding method. The cassette block 12 is box-shaped. The cassette block 12 is inserted from below the box body 3 into Fig. 1 is inserted into the branch block fixing part 9 and received in the branch block fixing part 9, so that the cassette block 12 is fixed to the box body 3.

[0022] On an upper surface of the cassette block 12, relays 15 and fuses 16 are mounted as electrical components such as a Fig. 4, while a lower surface of the cassette block 12 is connected to connectors (not shown in the figure) of a wire harness.

[0023] The wiring harness includes a plurality of electrical wires and connectors connected to the ends of the electrical wires. The connectors are connected to the cassette block 12 and to various electrical devices mounted on the motor vehicle.

[0024] The two power integrators 13 are mounted on the upper surface of the cassette block 12. Each power integrator 13 includes fuses and relays in a housing and branches the incoming power supply via bus bars to supply power via fuses and relays to the terminals in the connectors of the wiring harness.

[0025] The terminal fixing part 14 is arranged at one end of the cassette block 12. One surface of the terminal fixing part 14 is formed flat. A nut (not shown in the figure) is embedded in the terminal fixing part 14. The terminal fixing part 14 is arranged at one end of the cassette block 12 near the connecting block fixing part 10 when the cassette block 12 is accommodated in the branch block fixing part 9.

[0026] In the terminal fixing part 14, a connecting part (explained below) of the busbar (not shown in the figures) and an electrical contact part 18 of a terminal piece 17 (in Fig. 1) connected to a power supply such as a battery or a generator, are arranged one above the other, wherein a screw 20 (not shown in the figures) extending through a through hole in the connecting part and through a hole 18a of the electrical contact part 18 is screwed into the nut embedded in the terminal fixing part 14, so that the terminal fixing part 14 clamps the electrical contact part 18 of the terminal fitting 17 between the connecting part and the screw 20 to fix the terminal fitting 17 to the terminal fixing part 14.

[0027] The terminal 17 is obtained by bending a thick electrically conductive metal sheet and includes: the electrical contact part 18 having the hole 18a and an electric wire connecting part 19 connecting to the electrical contact part 18. An electric wire (not shown in the figures) connected to the power supply is attached to the electric wire connecting part 19.

[0028] The bus bar is obtained by bending an electrically conductive metal sheet and accommodating it in the cassette block 12. The bus bar includes a connecting part arranged on the terminal mounting part 14. The bus bar connects the terminal mounting part 14, the power integrator 13, the relays 15, the fuses 16, and the terminals of the wiring harness connectors in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The bus bar conducts the current supplied from the power supply via the terminal mounting part 14 through the relays and fuses of the power integrator 13, the relays 15, and the fuses 16 to the terminals of the wiring harness connectors, and branches off the power supply to the electronic devices.

[0029] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the connecting block 4 includes a plurality of cassette blocks 21. Each cassette block 21 is formed from an electrically insulating synthetic resin by a known injection molding method. Each cassette block 21 is box-shaped. The cassette block 21 is inserted from below the box body 3 into Fig. 1 is inserted into the corresponding space K of the connection block fixing part 10 and received in the connection block fixing part 10, so that the cassette block 21 is fixed to the socket body 3. If in a Fig. 1, the cassette block 21 is received in the space K and fixed to the connecting block fixing part 10 of the can body 3, the cassette block 21 is arranged near the partition wall 11.

[0030] On an upper surface of the cassette block 21, relays 22 and connectors 23 are provided as electrical components for connection as shown in Fig. 4, while on a lower surface of the cassette block 21 connector 25 of a wiring harness 24 as shown in Fig. 2. The wiring harness 24 has a similar structure to the wiring harness described above. One end of at least one electric wire 26 is connected to the lower surface of the cassette block 21 via a terminal of the connector 25.

[0031] The top cover 5 is formed from an electrically insulating synthetic resin by a known injection molding process. The top cover 5 includes a plurality of outer walls 27 that are contiguous to one another and formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The top cover 5 is attached to the can body 3 to cover an upper surface of the can body 3.

[0032] The lower cover 6 is formed of an electrically insulating synthetic resin by a known injection molding method. The lower cover 6 includes a plurality of outer walls 28 which are joined to each other and formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom as shown in Fig. 1. The bottom cover 6 is attached to the can body 3 to cover a lower surface of the can body 3.

[0033] The side cover 7 is formed of an electrically insulating resin by a known injection molding method. The side cover 7 is attached to the box body 3 to cover the terminal attachment portion 14 of the cassette block 12 attached to the box body 3.

[0034] As in Fig.3, in the electrical junction box 1, the junction block mounting part 10 and thus the junction block 4 are arranged toward the front of the motor vehicle, while the branch block mounting part 9 and thus the wiring block 30 are arranged toward the rear of the motor vehicle, with the electrical junction box 1 being arranged behind the headlight 2 in the engine compartment (i.e., at the front of the motor vehicle). Therefore, the terminal mounting part 14 is arranged at the rear of the junction block mounting part 10.

[0035] In the preferred embodiment described above, since the electrical connection block 10 (i.e., the connection block fixing portion 10) is disposed toward the front of the vehicle in the electrical junction box 1, and the power supply connecting portion 14 of the power supply branching block 30 (i.e., the wiring block 30) is disposed at the rear of the electrical connection block 10, when the front end of the vehicle collides with another vehicle, the electrical connection block 10 is depressed to compress the spaces K between the respective partition walls 11. Therefore, damage to the power supply branching block 30, and particularly damage to the power supply connecting portion 14, can be reduced.Therefore, even if the motor vehicle equipped with the electrical junction box 1 experiences a traffic accident, power can still be supplied to the electronic devices.

[0036] Because the cassette block 21 is connected to electrical components for connection such as relays 22 and connectors 23, and to ends of electric wires 26, when the electrical connection block 10 (i.e., the connection block fixing part 10) is pushed in, the cassette blocks 21, the electrical components for connection, and the ends of the electric wires 26 are pushed in simultaneously. This reduces the mechanical strength of the electrical connection block 10, so that the electrical connection block 10 can be pushed in more easily than when the cassette blocks 21 are integrally formed with the box body 3. Therefore, because the electrical connection block 10 is formed to a certain extent so that it can be pushed in easily, damage to the power supply branch block 30 can be securely prevented in the event of a traffic accident involving the motor vehicle equipped with the electrical junction box 1.

[0037] In the preferred embodiment described above, the wiring block 30 is formed by cassette blocks 12, etc., which are separated from the box body 3. However, according to the present invention, the cassette blocks 12 of the wiring block 30 may also be formed integrally with the box body 3. Furthermore, in the present invention, the cassette blocks 21 of the connection block 4 may be formed integrally with the box body 3.

[0038] In the preferred embodiment described above, each partition wall 11 is formed as a solid wall, with no cavity provided in the partition wall 11. However, according to the present invention, the partition wall 11 may also include a cavity so that the connecting block fixing part 10 can be pressed in more easily.

Claims

[1] Electrical junction box (1) arranged in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle and having a box body (3) comprising: an electrical connection block (4) which is divided into a plurality of spaces (K) by a plurality of partition walls (11), wherein corresponding cassette blocks (12) are accommodated in the spaces (K), in which electrical components for connection such as relays (22) and plugs (23) are mounted, and the cassette blocks (12) are connected to one end of at least one electric wire, and a power supply branching block (30) which branches off power from a power supply, wherein the electrical connection block (4) is arranged further forward in the electrical distribution box (1) in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle, while the power supply branching block (30) is arranged further rearward in the electrical distribution box (1) in the direction of travel of the motor vehicle, and wherein a power supply connecting part (14) of the power supply branching block (30) is arranged on a rear side of the electrical connection block (4) in the direction of travel, and the power supply connecting part (14) is connected to the power supply. [2] Electrical distribution box (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that an electrical component (15, 16) for connection and the end of at least one electric wire are connected to one of the cassette blocks (12).

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