Electronic component unit and wire harness

Abstract

To provide an electronic component unit and a wire harness which can supply power properly to various apparatuses equipped in a vehicle.SOLUTION: An electronic component unit 10, which is applied to a wire harness, includes: a power source terminal 11 equipped in a vehicle and connected to a power source B2 for supplying power at a first voltage V1; a circuit branch part 13 connected to the power source terminal 11, the circuit branch part causing power supplied from the power source B2 to branch to a plurality of power source systems PL; and a voltage converter 15 provided to at least one of the power source systems PL in the circuit branch part 13, the voltage converter converting the voltage of power supplied from the power source B2 to a second voltage V2, which is lower than the first voltage V1, and outputting the second voltage V2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic component unit and a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wire harness for supplying power to various devices installed in a vehicle. This wire harness includes a power line connected to a single vehicle battery that outputs a predetermined first battery voltage, a power control box that receives the first battery voltage via the power line, supplies the received first battery voltage to a first device that operates on the first battery voltage, and reduces the received first battery voltage to a second battery voltage lower than the first battery voltage and supplies the second battery voltage to a second device that operates on the second battery voltage, a first supply line provided between the power control box and the first device for supplying the first battery voltage to the first device, and a second supply line provided between the power control box and the second device for supplying the second battery voltage to the second device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-222085 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By the way, this wire harness consolidates not only fuses, relays, branches, etc., but also a voltage conversion function within the power control box, thereby realizing power supply to each device in a situation where devices with different operating voltages are mixed. However, there is room for further improvement, for example, in terms of the placement of the voltage conversion function.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an electronic component unit and a wire harness that can appropriately supply power to various devices mounted on a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the electronic component unit of the present invention includes a power supply terminal connected to a power supply mounted on a vehicle and capable of supplying power at a first voltage, a circuit branching section connected to the power supply terminal and branching the power supplied from the power supply to a plurality of power supply systems, and a voltage converter provided in at least one of the plurality of power supply systems in the circuit branching section and converting the voltage of the power supplied from the power supply to a second voltage lower than the first voltage and outputting the second voltage.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a wire harness according to the present invention includes an electronic component unit provided in a power source mounted on a vehicle and capable of supplying power at a first voltage, and a power supply line for supplying power from the electronic component unit to a device mounted on the vehicle, the electronic component unit including a power supply terminal connected to the power source, a circuit branching section connected to the power supply terminal and branching the power supplied from the power source to a plurality of power supply systems, and a voltage converter provided in at least one of the plurality of power supply systems in the circuit branching section and converting a voltage of the power supplied from the power source to a second voltage lower than the first voltage and outputting the second voltage. Note that the power supply line may include a first power supply line for supplying the power output at the first voltage from the electronic component unit to a first device among the devices without passing through the voltage converter, and a second power supply line configured to be thicker than the first power supply line and for supplying the power output at the second voltage from the electronic component unit via the voltage converter to a second device among the devices that is different from the first device. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The electronic component unit and the wire harness according to the present invention have an effect of being able to properly supply electric power to various devices mounted on a vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system to which a wire harness according to an embodiment is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle to which the wire harness according to the embodiment is applied. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a battery to which an electronic component unit according to the embodiment is assembled. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of an electronic component unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of an electronic component unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an electronic component unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a voltage converter of an electronic component unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system to which a wire harness according to a reference example is applied. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system to which a wire harness according to a reference example is applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In addition, the components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easy for a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0011] [Embodiment] The wire harness WH according to this embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is applied to a power supply system Sys mounted on a vehicle V. The power supply system Sys is a system that supplies power to various devices D mounted on the vehicle V. The devices D are load devices that perform various functions in the vehicle V by being operated and driven by the power supplied from the power supply system Sys. The devices D are, for example, driving system actuators (motor generators, steering devices, braking devices, etc.), body system devices (lighting devices, air conditioning devices, wiper devices, electric mirrors, electric seats, electric doors, etc.), multimedia system devices (navigation devices, audio devices, meters, displays, etc.), detection system devices (sensors, cameras, radars, etc.), communication devices, electronic control units (ECUs), etc.

[0012] In recent years, with the diversification of power sources in the vehicle V, there is an increasing need to mount devices D having different drive voltages on the vehicle V. In this context, the power supply system Sys is required to appropriately supply power to a plurality of devices D having different drive voltages.

[0013] As described above, the wire harness WH of the present embodiment realizes a configuration capable of appropriately supplying power to various devices D mounted on the vehicle V in a situation where devices D with different drive voltages are mixed. Hereinafter, each configuration of the wire harness WH, etc. will be described in detail with reference to each drawing.

[0014] In the following description, the device D is described as including a first device D1 driven by a first voltage V1 and a second device D2 driven by a second voltage V2 as a plurality of devices D with different drive voltages. The first voltage V1 is, for example, a voltage of 30V or more and 60V or less. On the other hand, the second voltage V2 is a voltage lower than the first voltage V1, for example, a voltage higher than 0V and lower than 30V. Here, as an example, the first voltage V1 is described as "48V" and the second voltage V2 is described as "12V". That is, here, the first device D1 is described as a 48V-driven device driven by a voltage of 48V, and the second device D2 is described as a 12V-driven device driven by a voltage of 12V. In the following, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the first device D1 and the second device D2, they may be simply referred to as "device D".

[0015] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the power supply system Sys includes a high-voltage battery B1 and a 48V battery B2 that serve as power sources, and a wire harness WH that electrically connects these to each device D. Note that in Figure 2, the high-voltage battery B1 is omitted for ease of understanding.

[0016] The high-voltage battery B1 is a battery that stores electric power at a predetermined high voltage, and is a first power source that can supply electric power at the predetermined high voltage. The high-voltage battery B1 typically has a higher voltage than the 48V battery B2, for example, a voltage (battery voltage) of about 300V to 400V. The high-voltage battery B1 of this embodiment is electrically connected to the 48V battery B2 via a DC / DC converter B1A and supplies electric power to the 48V battery B2. The DC / DC converter B1A is a transformer that converts the voltage of direct current electric power. The DC / DC converter B1A is electrically connected to the 48V battery B2, converts the voltage of the electric power from the high-voltage battery B1 to a first voltage V1, and outputs it to the 48V battery B2. Here, the first voltage V1 is "48V", that is, the DC / DC converter B1A steps down the voltage of the high-voltage battery B1 to a voltage of 48V equivalent to the first voltage V1, and outputs it to the 48V battery B2. The high-voltage battery B1 is also electrically connected to other devices (not shown) and supplies power to these devices (not shown).

[0017] The 48V battery B2 is a battery that stores electric power at a first voltage V1 that is lower than the voltage of the high-voltage battery B1, and is a second power source that can supply electric power at the first voltage V1. As described above, the first voltage V1 is "48V", that is, the 48V battery B2 has a voltage (battery voltage) of about 48V. The 48V battery B2 is electrically connected to the high-voltage battery B1 via a DC / DC converter B1A, and can be charged by electric power supplied from the high-voltage battery B1 via the DC / DC converter B1A. The 48V battery B2 is not limited to the high-voltage battery B1, and may be charged by electric power generated by, for example, a 48V generator (48V alternator) not shown. The 48V battery B2 is electrically connected to each device D via a wire harness WH, and supplies electric power to each device D via the wire harness WH. In this embodiment, the 48V battery B2 serves as a power source that supplies electric power to both the first device D1 and the second device D2 via a wire harness WH.

[0018] The wire harness WH constitutes a power supply system PL that supplies power from a 48V battery B2, which is a power source, to each device D. The wire harness WH of this embodiment has a voltage conversion function that converts the voltage of the power supplied from the 48V battery B2 into a second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1 and outputs the second voltage V2, thereby appropriately supplying power to the first device D1 and the second device D2, which have different drive voltages.

[0019] Specifically, the wire harness WH of this embodiment includes an electronic component unit 10, a power supply line 20, a 48V power distribution box 30, and a 12V power distribution box 40, and the electronic component unit 10 is provided with a voltage conversion function.

[0020] The electronic component unit 10 is a unit directly connected to a 48V battery B2, which is a power source, and may be called a BFT (Battery Fuse Terminal). The electronic component unit 10 of this embodiment has a circuit branching function, a circuit protection function, and a voltage conversion function for outputting 12V. With this configuration, the electronic component unit 10 realizes power distribution to a first device D1, which is a 48V driven device, as well as power distribution to a second device D2, which is a 12V driven device.

[0021] Here, the 48V battery B2 in which the electronic component unit 10 is provided includes a battery housing B2a and a battery post B2b, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The battery housing B2a is formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, and contains battery fluid and various components therein. The battery post B2b is provided to protrude from the upper surface of the battery housing B2a. The battery post B2b is formed in a generally cylindrical shape from conductive lead or the like. The battery posts B2b are provided in a pair at a distance from each other on the upper surface of the battery housing B2a, one of which constitutes an anode and the other a cathode. The electronic component unit 10 of this embodiment is assembled to the battery post B2b on the anode side.

[0022] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, the electronic component unit 10 has a battery terminal 11 as a power supply terminal and a unit main body 12, and is electrically connected to the positive side battery post B2b via the battery terminal 11.

[0023] The battery terminal 11 is a connection terminal made of a conductive metal material, and is interposed between the battery post B2b and the unit body 12 to electrically connect them. The battery terminal 11 has a fastening portion 11a, a stud bolt 11b, and a nut 11c. The fastening portion 11a of the battery terminal 11 is fastened to the battery post B2b, and the unit body 12 is fastened to the stud bolt 11b via the nut 11c. As a result, the battery terminal 11 is conductively connected to the 48V battery B2 and the unit body 12, electrically connecting them to each other.

[0024] The unit body 12 includes a base portion 12A and a hanging portion 12B, and is formed so that the base portion 12A and the hanging portion 12B intersect at a bent portion, thereby forming a generally L-shape as a whole. The base portion 12A is located on the upper surface of the battery housing B2a on which the battery post B2b is provided, and is located along the upper surface. The hanging portion 12B is provided to protrude from the base portion 12A via the bent portion so as to hang down along the side surface of the battery housing B2a.

[0025] The unit body 12 of this embodiment includes a circuit branching section 13 that realizes a circuit branching function, a circuit protector 14 that realizes a circuit protection function, and a voltage converter 15 that realizes a voltage conversion function for providing a 12V output.

[0026] The circuit branching unit 13 is connected to the battery terminal 11 and branches the power supplied from the 48V battery B2 into a plurality of power supply systems PL. Here, the plurality of power supply systems PL branched by the circuit branching unit 13 include a plurality of 48V power supply systems PL1 and at least one 12V power supply system PL2. The 48V power supply system PL1 is a power supply system PL that supplies a 48V voltage corresponding to a first voltage V1 to a first device D1 that is a 48V-driven device. On the other hand, the 12V power supply system PL2 is a power supply system PL that supplies a 12V voltage corresponding to a second voltage V2 to a second device D2 that is a 12V-driven device. The circuit branching unit 13 branches the power supplied from the 48V battery B2 into a plurality of 48V power supply systems PL1 and at least one 12V power supply system PL2.

[0027] Circuit branch portion 13 is configured by, for example, a metal bus bar. A metal bus bar is a plate-shaped conductor formed by a metal material having electrical conductivity. Circuit branch portion 13 is configured by the metal bus bar as a bus bar circuit having a branch portion. Circuit branch portion 13 is buried and protected inside resin housing 16 (see FIG. 5) by, for example, insert molding or the like. Circuit branch portion 13 is formed by bending via a bent portion so as to straddle base portion 12A and hanging portion 12B.

[0028] When the circuit branch portion 13 is embedded inside the housing 16, a part of the portion located at the base portion 12A is exposed, and a fastening hole 13a is formed in the exposed portion. The circuit branch portion 13 is fastened to the battery terminal 11 by inserting the above-mentioned stud bolt 11b into the fastening hole 13a and screwing the nut 11c, and is electrically connected and conductive with the battery terminal 11. As a result, the circuit branch portion 13 is conductive with the 48V battery B2 via the battery terminal 11, and power is supplied and input from the 48V battery B2 at the first voltage V1, i.e., 48V.

[0029] Circuit branching unit 13 configures a circuit branched according to the number of power supply systems PL, and branches the power supplied from 48V battery B2 into the multiple power supply systems PL. In circuit branching unit 13, ends of the branched circuits are electrically connected to power supply lines 20 constituting each power supply system PL via connectors or the like at output terminal unit 17 (see FIG. 5) located at an end of hanging portion 12B of unit body 12, and branched power is output to each power supply line 20.

[0030] The circuit branch portion 13 is also connected to, for example, stud bolts 18, 19, and is embedded and integrated inside the housing 16 together with the stud bolts 18, 19. The stud bolts 18, 19 are fastened together with, for example, connection terminals, together with the circuit branch portion 13, and the above-mentioned 48V generator (48V alternator) and other devices are electrically connected via the connection terminals.

[0031] The circuit protector 14 is provided in the power supply system PL in the circuit branching section 13, and cuts off the power supply system PL when an overcurrent flows through the power supply system PL to protect the power supply system PL. Here, the circuit protector 14 is provided for each of the multiple power supply systems PL in the circuit branching section 13. The circuit protector 14 is typically configured with a fusible element such as a fuse or a fusible link that melts and cuts off a current path when an overcurrent flows, and is incorporated in a circuit that constitutes each power supply system PL in the circuit branching section 13. Here, the overcurrent is, for example, a current that is equal to or greater than a preset rated current. In other words, the fusible element melts when a current that is equal to or greater than a preset rated current flows. The rated current is determined according to the current of the circuit to be protected. Typically, the fusible element that constitutes the circuit protector 14 has a different capacity for the 48V power supply system PL1 and the 12V power supply system PL2. The circuit protector 14 is not limited to a fusible element, and may be, for example, a protective breaker configured with a semiconductor relay or the like.

[0032] The voltage converter 15 is provided in at least one of the power supply systems PL in the circuit branch section 13, and converts the voltage of the power supplied from the 48V battery B2 to a second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1 and outputs the converted voltage. This allows the electronic component unit 10 of this embodiment to output the second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1, in addition to outputting the first voltage V1 corresponding to the battery voltage of the 48V battery B2. The voltage converter 15 is provided in the 12V power supply system PL2 of the power supply systems PL in the circuit branch section 13, and converts the 48V voltage corresponding to the first voltage V1 down to a 12V voltage corresponding to the second voltage V2 and outputs the converted voltage to the 12V power supply system PL2.

[0033] The voltage converter 15 is typically configured by a DC / DC converter that converts the voltage of DC power. The voltage converter 15 may be configured to be directly incorporated in a portion constituting the 12V power supply system PL2 in the circuit branch section 13 by soldering or the like. For example, the voltage converter 15 may be configured to be detachably attached to the 12V power supply system PL2 in the circuit branch section 13 by modularizing a converter main body 15A having electronic components mounted on a board, housed in a housing 15B, and having a connection terminal 15C protruding from the housing 15B, as illustrated in Fig. 7. In this case, the voltage converter 15 is detachably assembled to the circuit branch section 13 by inserting the connection terminal 15C into the portion constituting the 12V power supply system PL2 in the circuit branch section 13. In the 12V power supply system PL2, the above-mentioned circuit protector 14 may be arranged upstream of the voltage converter 15 (on the 48V battery B2 side) and integrated with the voltage converter 15, or may be arranged downstream of the voltage converter 15 (on the second device D2 side) and integrated with the voltage converter 15.

[0034] The electronic component unit 10 configured as described above outputs a part of the power input from the 48V battery B2 to the circuit branching section 13 via the battery terminal 11 to each 48V power supply system PL1 at a first voltage V1 equivalent to the battery voltage without transforming it, while the remaining part is stepped down to a second voltage V2 by the voltage converter 15 and output to the 12V power supply system PL2. As a result, the electronic component unit 10 outputs power at a 48V voltage equivalent to the first voltage V1 to the first device D1, which is a 48V driven device, and outputs power at a 12V voltage equivalent to the second voltage V2 to the second device D2, which is a 12V driven device. At this time, the electronic component unit 10 protects each power supply system PL by interposing a circuit protector 14 in each power supply system PL at the circuit branching section 13.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6, the power supply line 20 is a wiring member that is interposed between the electronic component unit 10 and a device D and supplies power from the electronic component unit 10 to the device D. In other words, the power supply line 20 constitutes a power supply system PL that supplies power to the device D. The power supply line 20 is typically constituted by a general electric wire, but may be constituted by a planar circuit body such as an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) or an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable). The power supply line 20 of this embodiment is constituted by including a first power supply line 21 and a second power supply line 22.

[0036] The first power supply line 21 is a power supply line 20 constituting the 48V power supply system PL1 of the power supply system PL. The first power supply line 21 is provided between the output terminal unit 17 of the electronic component unit 10 and each of the first devices D1, and a 48V power distribution box 30, which will be described later, is provided on this first power supply line 21. The first power supply line 21 supplies power outputted from the electronic component unit 10 at a voltage of 48V equivalent to the first voltage V1 without passing through the voltage converter 15 to the first device D1, which is a 48V-driven device.

[0037] The second power supply line 22 is the power supply line 20 constituting the 12V power supply system PL2 of the power supply system PL. The second power supply line 22 is provided between the output terminal unit 17 of the electronic component unit 10 and each second device D2, and a 12V power distribution box 40 described later is provided on this second power supply line 22. The second power supply line 22 supplies power outputted at 12V voltage corresponding to the second voltage V2 from the electronic component unit 10 via the voltage converter 15 to the second device D2 which is a 12V-driven device.

[0038] In addition, in a transitional period in which the first device D1, which is a 48V-driven device, and the second device D2, which is a 12V-driven device, are mixed in the vehicle V, the power supply lines 20 configured as described above typically tend to be configured such that the first power supply line 21 constituting the 48V power supply system PL1, which has a relatively high voltage, is relatively thin, and the second power supply line 22 constituting the 12V power supply system PL2, which has a relatively low voltage, is relatively thick. However, the power supply lines 20 are not limited to this.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the 48V power distribution box 30 is interposed between the electronic component unit 10 and the first device D1, and distributes power supplied from the 48V battery B2 to the multiple first devices D1. The 48V power distribution box 30 is configured to include electronic components such as a branching section, a fuse (circuit protector), and a relay, which work together to distribute power to the multiple first devices D1. The 48V power distribution box 30 is provided on the first power supply line 21 constituting the 48V power system PL1 of the power system PL, and distributes power output at a voltage of 48V equivalent to the first voltage V1 without being stepped down in the electronic component unit 10 to the multiple first devices D1 that are 48V-driven devices. The first power supply line 21 is branched at the output side of the 48V power distribution box 30 into a number of lines corresponding to the number of first devices D1 to which power is distributed from the 48V power distribution box 30. In the example of FIG. 2, a total of three 48V power distribution boxes 30 are shown.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the 12V power distribution box 40 is interposed between the electronic component unit 10 and the second device D2, and distributes power supplied from the 48V battery B2 to the multiple second devices D2. The 12V power distribution box 40 is configured to include electronic components such as a branching section, a fuse (circuit protector), and a relay, similar to the 48V power distribution box 30, and distributes power to the multiple second devices D2 by cooperating with each other. The 12V power distribution box 40 is provided on the second power supply line 22 constituting the 12V power system PL2 of the power system PL, and distributes power that is stepped down by the voltage converter 15 in the electronic component unit 10 and output at a 12V voltage equivalent to the second voltage V2 to the multiple second devices D2 that are 12V-driven devices. The second power supply line 22 is branched into a number of lines corresponding to the number of second devices D2 to which power is distributed from the 12V power distribution box 40 on the output side of the 12V power distribution box 40. In the example of FIG. 2, one 12V power distribution box 40 is shown in total.

[0041] The wire harness WH and electronic component unit 10 described above can output a part of the power input from the 48V battery B2 to the circuit branching unit 13 via the battery terminal 11 to each 48V power supply system PL1 at a first voltage V1 equivalent to the battery voltage without transforming the part. Meanwhile, the wire harness WH and electronic component unit 10 can step down the remaining part of the power input from the 48V battery B2 to the circuit branching unit 13 via the battery terminal 11 to a second voltage V2 by the voltage converter 15 and output the second voltage V2 to the 12V power supply system PL2. This allows the electronic component unit 10 to output power to the first device D1, which is a 48V-driven device, at a 48V voltage equivalent to the first voltage V1, and to the second device D2, which is a 12V-driven device, at a 12V voltage equivalent to the second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1. As a result, the wire harness WH and the electronic component unit 10 can appropriately distribute and supply power to the first device D1 and the second device D2, which have different drive voltages.

[0042] In this case, the wire harness WH is arranged such that the electronic component unit 10 having a voltage conversion function for converting a first voltage V1 corresponding to the battery voltage of the 48V battery B2 to a second voltage V2 and outputting the voltage is provided directly to the 48V battery B2. With this arrangement, the wire harness WH and the electronic component unit 10 can improve the wiring efficiency by shortening the wiring length of the second power supply line 22, which tends to have a relatively thick wire diameter and a heavy weight, as much as possible when, for example, the second device D2 driven by the second voltage V2 is concentrated near the 48V battery B2, and as a result, the weight increase of the wire harness WH as a whole can be suppressed.

[0043] As described above, the wire harness WH and the electronic component unit 10 can properly supply power to various devices D mounted on the vehicle V even in a situation where devices D with different drive voltages are mixed.

[0044] In addition, the wire harness WH and electronic component unit 10 described above can protect the power supply system PL by interposing a circuit protector 14 in each power supply system PL at the circuit branch portion 13 of the electronic component unit 10, and by the circuit protector 14 cutting off the power supply system PL when an overcurrent flows through the power supply system PL.

[0045] The wire harness WH and electronic component unit 10 described above can also be configured such that the voltage converter 15 is detachable from the power supply system PL at the circuit branch 13. In this case, the wire harness WH and electronic component unit 10 can appropriately change or add the voltage converter 15 according to the required performance, for example, when a new device D is added during use while the vehicle V tends to be used for a long time toward achieving carbon neutrality, etc. As a result, the wire harness WH and electronic component unit 10 can easily ensure the required voltage output and capacity, for example, without replacing the entire electronic component unit 10 with another one, by selecting the voltage converter 15 according to the addition or update of the device D mounted on the vehicle V and assembling it to the electronic component unit 10. The wire harness WH and electronic component unit 10 can also arbitrarily increase the number of outputs of the second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1, which is the battery voltage, according to the situation, for example, by providing each power supply system PL with a structure that allows the voltage converter 15 to be detachable at the circuit branch 13.

[0046] The electronic component unit and the wire harness according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0047] In the above description, the electronic component unit 10 has been described as having a circuit protection function in addition to a circuit branching function and a voltage conversion function, but this is not limited to the above. That is, the electronic component unit 10 does not include the circuit protector 14, and for example, the circuit protector may be provided at a different location on each power supply system PL.

[0048] In the above description, the circuit branching section 13 is described as branching the power supplied from the 48V battery B2 into multiple 48V power supply systems PL1 and one 12V power supply system PL2, but this is not limiting and there may be two or more 12V power supply systems PL2. In this case, the electronic component unit 10 is provided with a voltage converter 15 for each 12V power supply system PL2 in the circuit branching section 13.

[0049] In the above explanation, the power supply terminal 11 and the unit body 12 have been described as being separately constructed, but this is not limited to the above. The power supply terminal 11 and the unit body 12 may be constructed as a single unit, and for example, the power supply terminal 11 and the circuit branch portion 13 may be connected as a single unit.

[0050] The electronic component unit and the wire harness according to this embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining the components of the embodiment and modified examples described above.

[0051] <Reference example> 8 and 9 show a schematic configuration of a power supply system SysA to which a wire harness WHA according to a reference example is applied. The wire harness WHA according to the reference example differs from the above-mentioned wire harness WH in that it includes an electronic component unit 10A instead of the electronic component unit 10, and includes a power supply distribution box 50A instead of the 48V power supply distribution box 30 and the 12V power supply distribution box 40. The electronic component unit 10A according to the reference example also differs from the above-mentioned electronic component unit 10 in that it does not include a voltage converter 15 that realizes a voltage conversion function. The other configurations of the wire harness WHA and the electronic component unit 10A are substantially similar to those of the wire harness WH and the electronic component unit 10.

[0052] The power supply distribution box 50A in this reference example comprises a 48V power supply distribution section 30A, a 12V power supply distribution section 40A, and a voltage converter 60A, which are unitized within a single housing (BOX) 50Aa, thereby realizing a voltage conversion function for outputting 12V equivalent to the second voltage V2.

[0053] The 48V power distribution unit 30A is interposed between the electronic component unit 10A and the first device D1, and distributes power supplied from the 48V battery B2 to the multiple first devices D1. The 48V power distribution unit 30A is configured to include electronic components such as a branch, a fuse (circuit protector), and a relay, similar to the 48V power distribution box 30, and distributes power to the multiple first devices D1 by cooperating with each other. The 48V power distribution unit 30A is provided on the first power supply line 21 constituting the 48V power system PL1 of the power system PL, and distributes power outputted at a voltage of 48V equivalent to the first voltage V1 without being stepped down in the electronic component unit 10A to the multiple first devices D1 that are 48V-driven devices. The first power supply line 21 is branched into a number of lines corresponding to the number of first devices D1 to which power is distributed from the 48V power distribution unit 30A on the output side of the 48V power distribution unit 30A.

[0054] The voltage converter 60A converts the voltage of the power branched off from the 48V power distribution unit 30A into a second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1, and outputs the converted voltage to the 12V power distribution unit 40A. As a result, the power distribution box 50A of the present embodiment can output the second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1, in addition to the first voltage V1 corresponding to the battery voltage of the 48V battery B2. The voltage converter 60A is interposed between the 48V power distribution unit 30A and the 12V power distribution unit 40A in the circuit in the power distribution box 50A, and converts the 48V voltage corresponding to the first voltage V1 down to a 12V voltage corresponding to the second voltage V2, and outputs the converted voltage to the 12V power distribution unit 40A. The voltage converter 60A is configured by a DC / DC converter that converts the voltage of DC power, similar to the voltage converter 15.

[0055] The 12V power distribution unit 40A is interposed between the electronic component unit 10A and the second device D2, and distributes the power supplied from the 48V battery B2 to the second devices D2. The 12V power distribution unit 40A is configured to include electronic components such as a branch, a fuse (circuit protector), and a relay, similar to the 12V power distribution box 40, and distributes power to the second devices D2 by cooperating with each other. The 12V power distribution unit 40A of this reference example distributes power that is stepped down by the voltage converter 60A in the power distribution box 50A and output at a 12V voltage equivalent to the second voltage V2 to the second devices D2, which are 12V-driven devices. In this reference example, the portion of the power supply system PL that is closer to the second device D2 than the 12V power distribution unit 40A constitutes the 12V power supply system PL2. The second power supply line 22 is branched on the output side of the 12V power distribution section 40A into a number of lines corresponding to the number of second devices D2 to which power is distributed from the 12V power distribution section 40A.

[0056] In the wire harness WHA and power supply system SysA according to the reference example described above, the 48V power distribution section 30A that distributes power of 48V voltage corresponding to the first voltage V1, the voltage converter 60A that converts the first voltage V1 to the second voltage V2, and the 12V power distribution section 40A that distributes power of 12V voltage corresponding to the second voltage V2 can be unitized in one housing 50Aa in the power distribution box 50A. With this configuration, the wire harness WHA and power supply system SysA according to the reference example can appropriately supply power to various devices D mounted on the vehicle V, while suppressing an increase in the number of types of molds required to mold various housings used in the wire harness WHA.

[0057] The power supply distribution box 50A may also include a zone ECU in the vehicle V, etc., in addition to the 48V power supply distribution section 30A, the 12V power supply distribution section 40A, the voltage converter 60A, etc.

[0058] The above-described wire harness WH and electronic component unit 10 have been described as being capable of appropriately changing or adding voltage converter 15 in accordance with required performance, for example, when a new device D is added during use. In this regard, as a reference example, the wire harness and electronic component unit may be configured such that the voltage converter is removed in a case where voltage converter 15 becomes unnecessary later, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10 Electronic Components Unit 11 Battery terminal (power terminal) 13 Circuit branch 14 Circuit protector 15 Voltage converter 15A converter body 15B Case 15C Connection terminal 20 Power supply line 21 1st power supply line 22 2nd power supply line B2 48V battery (power supply) D equipment D1 1st device D2 2nd device PL power system PL1 48V power system PL2 12V power system Sys Power System V Vehicle V1 First voltage V2 Second voltage WH Wire harness

Claims

1. a power supply terminal connected to a power supply mounted on the vehicle and capable of supplying power at a first voltage; a circuit branching unit connected to the power supply terminal and branching the power supplied from the power supply into a plurality of power supply systems; a voltage converter provided in at least one of the plurality of power supply systems in the circuit branch unit, the voltage converter converting a voltage of the power supplied from the power supply into a second voltage lower than the first voltage and outputting the second voltage; Electronic component unit.

2. a circuit protector provided in the power supply system in the circuit branch section, the circuit protector cutting off the power supply system when an overcurrent flows in the power supply system to protect the power supply system; The electronic component unit according to claim 1 .

3. an electronic component unit provided on a power source mounted on the vehicle and capable of supplying power at a first voltage; a power supply line that supplies power from the electronic component unit to a device mounted on the vehicle, The electronic component unit includes a power supply terminal connected to the power supply; a circuit branching unit connected to the power supply terminal and branching the power supplied from the power supply into a plurality of power supply systems; a voltage converter provided in at least one of the plurality of power supply systems in the circuit branch section, the voltage converter converting a voltage of the power supplied from the power supply into a second voltage lower than the first voltage and outputting the second voltage; Wire harness.

Images