Electrical distribution box

Abstract

Electrical distribution box including: a housing (1) with a front wall (2) and a rear wall (3) facing away from the front wall (2) and side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) arranged transversely to the front wall (2) connecting the front wall (2) with the rear wall (3), a first housing part (8) that forms the front wall (2) of the housing (1), a second housing part (9) that forms the rear wall (3) of the housing (1), several cable entry points (14, 15, 16, 17) in at least a subset of the side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) for routing cables into the housing (1), and Fastening holes (18) in the housing (1) for passing fastening bolts through to fasten the housing (1), wherein the first housing part (8) and the second housing part (9) are connected to each other along a division plane and the division plane passes through at least one of the cable passages (14, 15, 16, 17), characterized by that a connector receptacle (11) is arranged on the front wall (2) and that the at least one cable passage (14, 15, 16, 17) through which the division plane runs is divided by the division plane in such a way that a recess with undercut is formed in one of the two housing parts (8, 9).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an electrical distribution box comprising a housing with a front wall, a rear wall facing away from the front wall, and side walls arranged transversely to the front wall, connecting the front wall to the rear wall. A first housing part forms the front wall of the housing, and a second housing part forms the rear wall of the housing, the first and second housing parts being connected to each other along a dividing plane. At least one of the side walls has several cable glands for routing cables into the housing, the dividing plane passing through at least one of the cable glands. Mounting holes for fastening bolts are provided in the housing.

[0002] Such a distribution box is known from US Patent 6,232,553 B1. Cable clamps are arranged in the cable glands to hold cables in place. The distribution box has several holes in its rear panel for mounting screws.

[0003] US 609,356 A discloses a distribution box comprising an enclosure with a front wall, a rear wall facing away from the front wall, and side walls arranged transversely to the front wall, connecting the front wall to the rear wall. A first enclosure part forms the front wall of the enclosure, and a second enclosure part forms the rear wall of the enclosure, the first and second enclosure parts being detachably connected to each other. At least some of the side walls have multiple cable entry points for routing cables into the enclosure. The first and second enclosure parts are separated or connectable along a dividing plane. Wall sections project from the first enclosure part toward the second enclosure part, engaging in complementary recesses in the side walls of the second enclosure part.The protruding wall sections of the first housing part and the recesses of the second housing part together form the cable entry points. An opening is provided in the front wall for access to the interior of the distribution box; this opening can be closed with a cap.

[0004] US Patent 5,249,973 A discloses a distribution box in which the first housing part has multiple connector receptacles. Several printed circuit boards are mounted within the housing and electrically connected to contact elements of the connector receptacles.

[0005] EP 2 998 166 B1 discloses a connector arrangement for mounting through an opening in a plate, in particular for connecting different wiring harnesses of a vehicle. The connector arrangement comprises a connector housing and a fastening element, the fastening element serving to lock the connector housing to the plate. For this purpose, the connector housing with a connector receptacle is inserted into the opening from the rear side of the plate until the connector housing is supported against the plate by a collar and protrudes from the opening on the front side of the plate, opposite the rear side, with the connector receptacle.On the front of the plate, the fastening element is slid into an undercut of the connector housing, perpendicular to the insertion direction. This ensures that the fastening element is supported against the connector housing on one side and against the plate on the other, thus securing the connector housing in the opening. For such a connector assembly to be mounted, for example, in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle, a mounting plate must be attached to the engine; an adjustment plate may also be required.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to propose an electrical distribution box that is easy to assemble and can be used flexibly.

[0007] The problem is solved by an electrical distribution box having the features of claim 1.

[0008] The distribution box can be easily mounted to components, such as an internal combustion engine or within a vehicle's engine compartment, using the integrated mounting holes, without requiring any additional components. Multiple cable entry points in the side walls allow for flexible cable routing relative to the connectors, enabling adaptation to the specific application of the electrical distribution box. The housing can also accommodate wiring harness connections and branches.

[0009] The dividing plane runs through at least one cable entry point and divides it in such a way that a recess with an undercut is formed in one of the two housing parts. This allows for the pre-fixing of a cable or a cable-carrying component, such as a protective conduit, in the undercut recess.

[0010] To achieve this, at least one cable entry through which the division plane runs can have a circular cross-section, with the cable entry being divided asymmetrically by the division plane. This automatically results in an undercut in one of the formed recesses.

[0011] Each side panel can accommodate a cable entry point. This allows the cable routing to be configured for various installation situations in four different directions. Specifically, cable entry points can be located in two opposite side panels, enabling the distribution box to be rotated 180° without changing the cable routing requirements.

[0012] The arrangement of the partition plane by at least one of the cable glands means that the split cable gland is formed by a recess in the first housing part and a recess in the second housing part, with both recesses being open towards the partition plane. This allows a cable to be inserted into one of the recesses before the two housing parts are joined together. This simplifies the assembly of cable harnesses.

[0013] The division plane can, in particular, run through all cable penetrations.

[0014] The problem is further solved by an electrical distribution box with the features of claim 5. Here, the at least one cable entry through which the partition plane runs is symmetrically divided by the partition plane, wherein open recesses are formed in the first housing part and in the second housing part facing the partition plane, which together form the cable entry. Fixing projections are arranged on one of the recesses, which project beyond the partition plane and form an undercut with the recess. This also allows for the pre-fixing of a cable or a cable-carrying component.

[0015] The two housing parts can be connected to each other using snap-fit ​​connections to allow for easy assembly of the housing.

[0016] The problem is further solved by an electrical distribution box with the features of claim 7. Here, mounting lugs are arranged on the first housing part, each containing one of the mounting holes and projecting beyond the plane of the partition. Thus, the mounting lugs are also arranged, at least partially, extending along the second housing part. The mounting lugs can extend to the rear wall of the second housing part or even beyond.

[0017] Metal sleeves for receiving the mounting bolts can be fitted into the mounting holes. Since the first housing part is preferably made of an electrically insulating plastic, the metal sleeves provide sufficient strength for clamping the housing using mounting bolts, in particular mounting screws.

[0018] The metal sleeves can each have a flanged section that projects beyond the rear wall of the second housing part. These flanged sections serve to abut a component to which the housing is to be attached.

[0019] At least some of the cable glands can be sealed with a plug. This allows the cable glands to be used flexibly for routing cables, while the remaining glands, through which no cables are routed, are sealed by the plug. This seals the cavity formed by the housing from the outside.

[0020] At least one protective tube, in particular a corrugated tube, can be provided as a cable-carrying component, which is attached to the housing in one of the cable entry points. For this purpose, at least one of the cable entry points can have at least one radially inwardly projecting circumferential rib that engages radially in a corresponding recess of the protective tube and serves to axially secure the protective tube.

[0021] At least one of the cable glands can have a sleeve section that projects outwards from the housing. This sleeve section can contain at least one radially inwards projecting circumferential rib. The sleeve section can have an outer circumferential groove on its outer circumference, in which a cable tie or other fastening element can be received.

[0022] The housing can be symmetrical about a plane of symmetry perpendicular to the dividing plane. This allows the housing to be mounted in at least two different orientations without affecting its mountability or usability.

[0023] The connector housing can contain receiving chambers that extend into the housing from the outside, each holding a contact element. These contact elements can be connected to electrical conductors of a cable inside the housing.

[0024] Two exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. Here, we see... Fig. 1 a perspective view of the front wall of the housing of a first embodiment of an electrical distribution box, Fig. 2 a perspective view of the rear wall of the housing of the electrical distribution box according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a perspective view according to Fig. 2 of the first housing part, Fig. 4 a perspective view according to Fig. 1 of the second housing part, Fig. 5 a side view of the electrical distribution box according to Fig. 1, Fig. 6 a perspective view of a metal sleeve for one of the mounting holes, Fig. 7 a side view of a second embodiment of an electrical distribution box, Fig. 8 An enlarged section of a perspective view of a cable entry of the electrical distribution box according to Fig. 7 with a sealing plug, Fig. 9 a view of the cable entry according to Fig. 8 with a reducer, Fig. 10 an enlarged longitudinal section in the area of ​​the cable penetration according to Fig. 8 and Fig. 11 a side view of the reducer according to Fig. 9.

[0025] The Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4 to Fig. Figure 5 shows a housing 1 of a first embodiment of an electrical distribution box in different representations and are described together below. Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 10 to Fig. Section 11 relates to a second embodiment of an electrical distribution box and is described in connection with the explanation of differences from the first embodiment.

[0026] The housing 1 comprises a front wall 2 and a rear wall 3, which are arranged parallel to each other and perpendicular to a longitudinal axis X of the housing 1. The housing 1 further comprises a first side wall 4 and a second side wall 5, which are arranged parallel to each other and perpendicular to the front wall 2 and the rear wall 3, respectively. The first side wall 4 and the second side wall 5 are arranged parallel to a first lateral axis Y, which runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X. Furthermore, the housing 1 has a third side wall 6 and a fourth side wall 7, which are arranged parallel to each other and perpendicular to the front wall 2 and the rear wall 3, respectively. The third side wall 6 and the fourth side wall 7 are arranged parallel to a second lateral axis Z, which runs perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X and perpendicular to the first lateral axis Y.

[0027] The side walls 4, 5, 6, 7 connect the front wall 2 with the rear wall 3 and enclose or limit a receiving space 10 of the housing 1 for receiving, for example, electrical connecting elements at the end of a cable.

[0028] The housing 1 comprises a first housing part 8, which forms the front wall 2 of the housing 1, and a second housing part 9, which forms the rear wall 3 of the housing 1. Both housing parts 8 and 9 each form part of the side walls 4, 5, 6, and 7. The two housing parts 8 and 9 are connected to each other along a dividing plane, the dividing plane being spanned by the two lateral axes Y and Z. The dividing plane can also be stepped or arranged at an angle other than a right angle to the longitudinal axis X and / or the two lateral axes Y and Z.

[0029] The first housing part 8 has a connector receptacle 11 located on the front wall 2. The connector receptacle 11 has several receiving chambers 12 that extend through the front wall 2 and serve to receive contact elements (not shown here), for example, in the form of contact pins. The contact elements project from the receiving chambers 12 into a connector receiving space 13 formed by the connector receptacle 11. The connector receiving space 13 serves to receive a connector (not shown here).

[0030] The housing 1 has a first cable entry 14 in the first side wall 4, a second cable entry 15 in the second side wall 5, a third cable entry 16 in the third side wall 6, and a fourth cable entry 17 in the fourth side wall 7. The cable entry points 14, 15, 16, 17 serve to guide cables from the outside into the receiving chamber 10. It is not necessary for cables to pass through all of the cable entry points 14, 15, 16, 17; it is conceivable that cables are only guided into the receiving chamber 10 through a subset of them.

[0031] In principle, it is also conceivable that cable passages 14, 15, 16, 17 are arranged only in a subset of the side walls 4, 5, 6, 7.

[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, the partition plane extends through all cable passages 14, 15, 16, 17, such that the cable passages 14, 15, 16, 17 are each formed by a recess in the first housing part 8 and a recess in the second housing part 9, the recesses being open in the direction of the partition plane, as is particularly evident in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is shown.

[0033] The housing 1 has mounting holes 18, which serve to accommodate mounting bolts (not shown here), for example screws, for fastening the housing 1 to any component.

[0034] The cable glands 14, 15, 16, 17 have a circular cross-section and are symmetrically divided by the division planes. In principle, the cable glands 14, 15, 16, 17 can also have a cross-section other than a circle. On the first housing part 8, two fixing projections 19, 20 are arranged at each of the cable glands 14, 15, 16, 17, as is the case, for example, in Fig. 3 can be seen. The fixing projections 19, 20 project beyond the division planes and form an undercut with the recess of the respective cable entry 14, 15, 16, 17. Thus, a cable can be inserted into the recess of the respective cable entry 14, 15, 16, 17 in the direction of the longitudinal axis X and is held on the first housing part 8 due to the undercut formed by the fixing projections 19, 20. On the second housing part 9, the cable entries 14, 15, 16, 17 each have two grooves 21, 22 ( Fig. 4) into which the fixing projections 19, 20 can engage. In principle, the fixing projections 19, 20 can also be provided on the second housing part 9, in which case the grooves 21, 22 are arranged on the first housing part 8.

[0035] Alternatively, the dividing plane can be designed to divide the cable penetrations 14, 15, 16, 17 asymmetrically, so that with a circular cross-section of the cable penetrations 14, 15, 16, 17 a recess with an undercut is automatically formed, as shown by way of example in Fig. Figure 7 shows the recess with undercut in the first housing part 8. The undercut can also be provided in the second housing part 9.

[0036] The two housing parts 8, 9 are interlocked. For this purpose, a total of four locking tabs 23 for a locking connection are arranged on the first side wall 4 and the second side wall 5 of the second housing part 9, which project beyond the parting line and engage laterally in recesses of the first housing part 8 (not shown) in a locking manner.

[0037] The first housing part 8 has a mounting projection 24 at each corner of two side walls 4, 5, 6, 7. The mounting projections 24 are tubular in shape, with the mounting holes 18 penetrating the mounting projections 24 parallel to the longitudinal axis X. The mounting projections 24 are an integral part of the first housing part 8. The mounting projections 24 project beyond the parting lines and extend along the second housing part 9. The mounting projections 24 reach to the rear wall 3. In the first embodiment, the mounting projections 24 project slightly beyond the rear wall 3, as shown in Fig. 5 is evident. However, they can also be aligned with the back wall 3, as shown in Fig. 7 is evident.

[0038] Metal sleeves 25 are seated in the mounting holes 18. According to the first embodiment, the metal sleeves 25 protrude only slightly from the mounting holes 18, as shown in Fig. 5 is evident. However, the metal sleeves 25 can also have a flanged section 26 at one end in the area of ​​the rear wall 3, with which the metal sleeves 25 project beyond the rear wall 3 of the second housing part 9 and are axially supported against the second housing part 9, as shown in Fig. 7 can be seen. The flange section 26 serves as a contact surface on a component to which the housing 1 is to be attached.

[0039] The cable glands 14, 15, 16, 17 each have a sleeve section 27. The sleeve section 27 projects outwards from the respective side wall 4, 5, 6, 7. The sleeve section 27 of the second embodiment forms an outer circumferential groove 28 in which, for example, a cable tie 29 can be arranged.

[0040] A subset of the cable glands 14, 15, 16, 17 can be closed by a sealing plug 30, as is shown in connection with the second embodiment according to Fig. Figure 8 is shown. A reducer 31 can also be used in the cable glands 14, 15, 16, 17 to reduce the inner diameter ( Fig. 9) or a protective tube not shown, for example a corrugated tube. For fastening, the cable glands 14, 15, 16, 17 have at least one radially inwardly projecting circumferential rib 32, which engages in corresponding grooves 33 of the sealing plug 30, the reducing piece 31 or the corrugated tube, and holds and seals them ( Fig. 10 and Fig. 11). Reference symbol list 1 case 2 Front wall 3 Back panel 4 first side wall 5 second side wall 6 third side wall 7 fourth side wall 8 first housing part 9 second housing part 10 Recording room 11 connector mount 12 Admission chamber 13 Plug compartment 14 first cable entry 15 second cable entry 16 third cable entry 17 fourth cable entry 18 mounting holes 19 Fixing projection 20 fixing projection 21 Nut 22 Nut 23 latches 24 fastening methods 25 metal sleeves 26 Flange section 27 Sleeve section 28 Outer circumferential groove 29 cable ties 30 sealing plugs 31 Reducer 32nd rib 33 Nut X Longitudinal axis Y first lateral axis Z second side axis

Claims

Electrical distribution box comprising: a housing (1) with a front wall (2) and a rear wall (3) facing away from the front wall (2) and side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) arranged transversely to the front wall (2) and connecting the front wall (2) to the rear wall (3), a first housing part (8) forming the front wall (2) of the housing (1), a second housing part (9) forming the rear wall (3) of the housing (1), several cable glands (14, 15, 16, 17) in at least a subset of the side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) for passing cables into the housing (1), and mounting holes (18) in the housing (1) for passing mounting bolts through it for fastening the housing (1), wherein the first housing part (8) and the second housing part (9) are connected to each other along a division plane and the division plane is defined by at least one of the cable glands. (14, 15, 16, 17) runs, characterized by,that a connector receptacle (11) is arranged on the front wall (2) and that the at least one cable entry (14, 15, 16, 17) through which the partition plane runs is divided by the partition plane in such a way that a recess with an undercut is formed in one of the two housing parts (8, 9). Electrical distribution box according to claim 1, characterized in that cable passages (14, 15, 16, 17) are arranged in at least two side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) facing away from each other. Electrical distribution box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the partition plane runs through all cable passages (14, 15, 16, 17). Electrical distribution box according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one cable passage (14, 15, 16, 17) through which the division plane runs has a circular cross-section and is divided asymmetrically by the division plane. Electrical distribution box comprising: a housing (1) with a front wall (2) and a rear wall (3) facing away from the front wall (2) and side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) arranged transversely to the front wall (2) and connecting the front wall (2) to the rear wall (3), a first housing part (8) forming the front wall (2) of the housing (1), a second housing part (9) forming the rear wall (3) of the housing (1), several cable glands (14, 15, 16, 17) in at least a subset of the side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) for passing cables into the housing (1), and fastening holes (18) in the housing (1) for passing fastening bolts through it for fastening the housing (1), wherein the first housing part (8) and the second housing part (9) are connected to each other along a partition plane and the partition plane is defined by at least one of the cable penetrations (14, 15, 16, 17) run,that this is symmetrically divided by the division plane and that in the first housing part (8) and in the second housing part (9) open recesses are formed towards the division plane, which together form the cable entry (14, 15, 16, 17), characterized in that a connector receptacle (11) is arranged on the front wall (2) and that fixing projections (19, 20) are arranged on one of the recesses, which project beyond the division plane and form an undercut with the recess. Electrical distribution box according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the two housing parts (8, 9) are connected to each other by means of snap connections (23). Electrical distribution box comprising: a housing (1) with a front wall (2) and a rear wall (3) facing away from the front wall (2) and side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) arranged transversely to the front wall (2) and connecting the front wall (2) to the rear wall (3), a first housing part (8) forming the front wall (2) of the housing (1), a second housing part (9) forming the rear wall (3) of the housing (1), several cable glands (14, 15, 16, 17) in at least a subset of the side walls (4, 5, 6, 7) for passing cables into the housing (1), and mounting holes (18) in the housing (1) for passing mounting bolts through it for fastening the housing (1), wherein the first housing part (8) and the second housing part (9) are connected to each other along a division plane and the division plane is defined by at least one of the cable glands. (14, 15, 16, 17) runs, characterized by,that a connector receptacle (11) is arranged on the front wall (2) and that fastening projections (24) are arranged on the first housing part (8), in each of which one of the fastening bores (18) runs and which protrude beyond the parting plane. Electrical distribution box according to claim 7, characterized in that the fastening elements (24) extend to the rear wall (3) of the second housing part (9). Electrical distribution box according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that metal sleeves (25) for receiving the fastening bolts are located in the fastening holes (18). Electrical distribution box according to claim 9, characterized in that the metal sleeves (25) each have a flange section (26) with which the metal sleeves (25) project beyond the rear wall (3) of the second housing part (9). Electrical distribution box according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at least a subset of the cable passages (14, 15, 16, 17) are closed by a sealing plug (30). Electrical distribution box according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that at least one protective tube, in particular a corrugated tube, is provided for cables, which is attached to the housing (1) in one of the cable passages (14, 15, 16, 17). Electrical distribution box according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that at least one of the cable passages (14, 15, 16, 17) has at least one radially inwardly projecting circumferential rib (32). Electrical distribution box according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that at least one of the cable feedthroughs (14, 15, 16, 17) has a sleeve section (27) which projects outwards from the housing (1). Electrical distribution box according to claim 14, characterized in that the sleeve section (27) has an outer circumferential groove (28). Electrical distribution box according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the housing (1) is symmetrical with respect to a plane of symmetry transverse to the division plane.

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