Electrical connection box

Abstract

To disclose an electrical connection box that can suppress an increase in the insertion force of an electrical component into a component mounting portion and also reduce the risk of damage to the electrical component.SOLUTION: An electrical connection box 10 includes a resin case 14 and a component mounting portion 16 that protrudes from the resin case 14 and to which an electrical component 20 is mounted. The component mounting portion 16 has a peripheral wall portion 34 that extends along an outer peripheral surface 88 of the electrical component 20. The peripheral wall portion 34 includes a first wall portion 36 and a second wall portion 38 that are adjacently disposed in the circumferential direction and extend in directions that intersect with each other. A pressure contact rib 44 that is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 88 of the electrical component 20 is provided on at least one of an inner surfaces 40, 42 of the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38. The first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 are connected to each other in the circumferential direction via a deformation allowing wall portion 76. The deformation allowing wall portion 76 allows the outward deformation of the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 on which the pressure contact rib 44 is provided when the pressure contact rib 44 is pressed against the electrical component 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical junction box. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connection box having a component mounting portion that protrudes from a resin case and on which an electrical component such as a relay is mounted. In this electrical connection box, a rib is provided on the inner surface of a peripheral wall portion that extends around the outer peripheral surface of the electrical component in the component mounting portion and is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the electrical component. The rib provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the electrical component mounted in the component mounting portion, thereby suppressing rattling of the electrical component such as a relay mounted in the component mounting portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-20357 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the volume of the electrical connection box has increased due to the recent trend toward higher voltages in vehicles, and this has created a need to improve the durability of the resin case. For this reason, relatively hard resins such as glass fiber-reinforced resins are often used as the material for the resin case. As a result, the amount of deflection of the peripheral wall when an electrical component is mounted on the component mounting part is limited, and the force required to insert the electrical component into the component mounting part is high. Furthermore, there is a risk that the electrical component mounted on the component mounting part may be damaged due to vibrations during use.

[0005] Therefore, an electrical connection box is disclosed that can suppress an increase in the insertion force of an electrical component into a component mounting portion and also reduces the risk of damage to the electrical component. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electrical connection box disclosed herein comprises a resin case and a component mounting portion protruding from the resin case to mount an electrical component, the component mounting portion having a peripheral wall portion extending along an outer peripheral surface of the electrical component, the peripheral wall portion including a first wall portion and a second wall portion arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction and extending in directions intersecting each other, a pressure-contact rib protruding from an inner surface of at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion which is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the electrical component, the first wall portion and the second wall portion being connected to each other in the circumferential direction via a deformation-permitting wall portion which permits outward deformation of the first wall portion or the second wall portion on which the pressure-contact rib is provided when the pressure-contact rib is pressed against the electrical component. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the electrical junction box of the present disclosure, an increase in the insertion force for inserting an electrical component into a component mounting portion can be suppressed, and the risk of damage to the electrical component can also be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electric component is mounted in a component mounting portion in a resin case constituting an electric junction box according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a relay, which is an electric component, is mounted in a relay mounting portion, which is a component mounting portion, of the electric junction box shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state before a relay is mounted in the relay mounting portion shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a resistor, which is an electric component, is mounted in a resistor mounting portion, which is a component mounting portion, in the electrical junction box shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the resistor mounting portion shown in FIG. 8 in a state before a resistor is mounted therein. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a relay mounting portion, which is a component mounting portion, extracted from a resin case constituting an electrical junction box according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a resistor mounting portion, which is a component mounting portion, extracted from a resin case constituting an electrical junction box according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] <Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The electrical connection box of the present disclosure comprises: (1) A housing comprising a resin case and a component mounting portion protruding from the resin case to mount an electrical component, the component mounting portion having a peripheral wall portion extending along an outer peripheral surface of the electrical component, the peripheral wall portion including a first wall portion and a second wall portion arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction and extending in directions intersecting each other, a pressure-contact rib protruding from an inner surface of at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion which is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the electrical component, the first wall portion and the second wall portion being connected to each other in the circumferential direction via a deformation-permitting wall portion which permits outward deformation of the first wall portion or the second wall portion on which the pressure-contact rib is provided when the pressure-contact rib is pressed against the electrical component.

[0010] According to the electrical connection box of this aspect, in the component mounting portion on which the electric component is mounted, the peripheral wall portion of the component mounting portion surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the electric component includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion extending in mutually intersecting directions, and a pressure rib that presses against the outer peripheral surface of the electric component is provided on the inner surface of at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion. Furthermore, since the first wall portion and the second wall portion are mutually connected in the circumferential direction via the deformation-permitting wall portion, when the pressure rib provided on at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion presses against the outer peripheral surface of the electric component, the deformation-permitting wall portion allows the outward deformation of the wall portion on which the pressure rib is provided. Therefore, the restriction of the outward deformation of the wall portion on which the pressure rib is provided by the other wall portions that are connected in the circumferential direction and extend in an intersecting manner is advantageously reduced. As a result, even if the resin case is formed from a relatively hard resin such as glass fiber reinforced resin, the increase in the insertion force required to insert the electrical component into the component mounting portion can be suppressed, and the risk of damage to the electrical component due to vibration during use, etc. can be reduced.

[0011] The deformation-permitting wall portion may have any structure as long as it can prevent the deformation of the wall portion on which the pressure-contact rib is provided when the pressure-contact rib is pressed against the electrical component from being restricted by other wall portions. For example, the deformation-permitting wall portion may be formed of a wall portion having a shape that permits deformation, or the deformation-permitting wall portion may be formed of a highly flexible material to permit deformation.

[0012] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the pressure-contact ribs are provided on the inner surfaces of the first wall portion and the second wall portion. Since the pressure-contact ribs are provided on the inner surfaces of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, rattling of the electrical component can be more stably suppressed. Moreover, since the first wall portion and the second wall portion are connected in the circumferential direction by the deformation-allowing wall portion, an increase in the insertion force can be suppressed even if the number of pressure-contact ribs is increased.

[0013] (3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable that the deformation-allowing wall portion is connected to the circumferentially opposed edges of the first wall portion and the second wall portion and has a shape that surrounds and extends beyond the outer circumferential side of the imaginary intersection point of the first wall portion and the second wall portion. The deformation-allowing wall portion has a shape that surrounds and extends beyond the outer circumferential side of the imaginary intersection point of the first wall portion and the second wall portion and is connected to the circumferentially opposed edges of the first wall portion and the second wall portion. As a result, a space larger than the space between the opposing surfaces of the first wall portion or the second wall portion and the outer circumferential surface of the electric component is formed between the corner of the electric component and the deformation-allowing wall portion can be formed. This space can reliably suppress the outward deformation of the first wall portion or the second wall portion from being restricted by the second wall portion or the first wall portion when the pressure-contact rib is pressure-contacted to the electric component, compared to the case where the first wall portion and the second wall portion are directly connected at the imaginary intersection point. In this embodiment, in particular, by devising the shape of the deformation-allowing wall portion, it is possible to allow the first wall portion and the second wall portion to deform outwardly independent of each other.

[0014] (4) In the above (3), it is preferable that the deformation-allowing wall portion has an arc shape connecting the circumferentially opposed edges of the first wall portion and the second wall portion with the imaginary intersection as a center. Since the deformation-allowing wall portion has an arc shape connecting the circumferentially opposed edges of the first wall portion and the second wall portion with the imaginary intersection as a center, the deformation-allowing wall portion has a smooth shape as a whole, which can reduce the risk of localized stress concentration, and can allow (absorb) outward deformation of the wall portion provided with the pressure rib while ensuring durability of the deformation-allowing wall portion.

[0015] (5) In any one of the above (1) to (4), it is preferable that the deformation-allowing wall portion has a curved shape connecting the circumferentially opposed edges of the first wall portion and the second wall portion. The deformation-allowing wall portion can reliably suppress the outward deformation of the first wall portion or the second wall portion from being restricted by the second wall portion or the first wall portion when the pressure rib is pressure-welded to the electric component, by the amount of the deformation-allowing wall portion detouring in the curved shape, compared to a case in which the first wall portion and the second wall portion are directly connected at a virtual intersection point. Furthermore, since the deformation-allowing wall portion has a smooth shape overall, it is possible to reduce the risk of localized stress concentration, and it is possible to allow (absorb) the outward deformation of the wall portion on which the pressure rib is provided while ensuring the durability of the deformation-allowing wall portion.

[0016] (6) In any one of the above (1) to (5), it is preferable that the deformation-permitting wall portion is formed of a material having a higher flexibility than the first wall portion and the second wall portion. The deformation-permitting wall portion that permits outward deformation of the wall portion provided with the pressure-contact rib can be advantageously configured by forming the deformation-permitting wall portion of a material having a higher flexibility than the first or second wall portion by two-color molding or the like.

[0017] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the electrical junction box of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> An electric junction box 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 9. The electric junction box 10 is mounted on, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and electrically connects an on-board power source (e.g., a battery) (not shown) to a load (e.g., an inverter) (not shown). The electric junction box 10 can be arranged in any orientation in the vehicle, but in the following description using Figs. 2 to 9, the up / down, left / right, and front / rear directions will be described as the up / down, left / right, and front / rear directions shown in the drawings, respectively. In addition, for multiple identical members, only some of the members may be given reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other members.

[0019] <Electrical junction box 10> The electrical connection box 10 includes a resin case and a component mounting portion that protrudes from the resin case and on which an electrical component is mounted. A current-carrying member 12 (see FIG. 4) is electrically connected to the electrical component, and the current-carrying member 12 may be housed in the resin case. FIG. 1 shows a lower case 14 that constitutes the resin case, and the lower case 14 is provided with a component mounting portion on which the electrical component is mounted. An upper case (not shown) is placed over the lower case 14 from above, and the upper case and the lower case 14 are fixed to each other to form a resin case, and the electrical component is housed in the resin case. The structure of the upper case is not limited, so a description thereof will be omitted. In the first embodiment, the lower case 14 includes a relay mounting portion 16 and a resistor mounting portion 18 as the component mounting portion, and a relay 20 and a resistor 22 as the electrical components are mounted in the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor 22, respectively. The relay 20 may include a precharge relay. The resistor 22 may include a precharge resistor.

[0020] <Resin case (lower case 14)> In the first embodiment, the lower case 14 has a generally box-like shape that opens downward as a whole, and includes a bottom wall portion 24 that is generally rectangular in shape, and a lower peripheral wall portion 26 that protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 24. As shown in Fig. 4, in the relay mounting portion 16 in the lower case 14, a terminal connection portion 28 that opens downward is provided in the bottom wall portion 24, and a terminal insertion hole 29 that penetrates in the thickness direction (up and down direction) is formed in the bottom wall portion 24 that constitutes the terminal connection portion 28. When the relay 20 is mounted in the relay mounting portion 16, a terminal 86 (described later) that protrudes downward from the relay 20 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 29 and is located inside the terminal connection portion 28.

[0021] In this terminal connection portion 28, a bus bar 32 is connected to the terminal 86 via a relay terminal 30, and in the first embodiment, the relay terminal 30 and the bus bar 32 constitute a conductive member 12 that is conductively connected to the relay 20, which is an electrical component. This conductive member 12 (the relay terminal 30 and the bus bar 32) may be housed in the internal space of the substantially box-shaped lower case 14, or may be provided outside the electrical junction box 10. Although not shown in the drawings, the conductive member 12 composed of the relay terminal 30 and the bus bar 32 may also be conductively connected to a terminal protruding downward from the resistor 22, as in the case of the relay 20.

[0022] The relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18 are provided to protrude upward from the bottom wall portion 24 of the lower case 14. In the first embodiment, a plurality of relay mounting portions 16 and one resistor mounting portion 18 are provided in the lower case 14. In particular, in the first embodiment, each relay mounting portion 16 and resistor mounting portion 18 is formed integrally with the lower case 14. The material of the lower case 14 is not limited as long as it is a hard synthetic resin, but for example, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) reinforced with glass fiber is used.

[0023] <Component mounting section (relay mounting section 16 and resistor mounting section 18)> 2 to 6 show an extracted portion of the lower case 14 around the relay mounting portion 16, and Figures 7 to 9 show an extracted portion of the lower case 14 around the resistor mounting portion 18. First, the structure common to the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18 will be described below.

[0024] The component mounting portions (the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18) each have a peripheral wall portion 34 extending along an outer peripheral surface 88 (to be described later) of an electric component (the relay 20 and the resistor 22). The peripheral wall portion 34 includes a first wall portion 36 and a second wall portion 38 that are disposed adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction and extend in directions intersecting each other. A pressure-contact rib 44 that is pressure-contacted to the outer peripheral surface 88 of the electric component (the relay 20 and the resistor 22) is provided on at least one of the inner surface 40 of the first wall portion 36 and the inner surface 42 of the second wall portion 38 and is protruded therefrom.

[0025] The relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18 are both recesses that open upward, and have an upper opening 46 at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 34, and a bottom plate portion 48 that extends in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) at the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 34. Each bottom plate portion 48 constitutes a part of the bottom wall portion 24 of the lower case 14, and each of the terminal insertion holes 29 described above is formed in the bottom plate portion 48. Furthermore, each of these bottom plate portions 48 is located below the bottom wall portion 24 of the lower case 14.

[0026] The relay 20 and the resistor 22 are both generally rectangular parallelepiped-shaped, and the peripheral walls 34 of the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18 are generally rectangular-shaped in plan view. That is, the peripheral walls 34 of the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18 each have a pair of first walls 36, 36 that face each other at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction, and a pair of second walls 38, 38 that face each other at a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the first walls 36 and the second walls 38 extend in directions perpendicular to each other. The first walls 36 and the second walls 38 extend from above the bottom wall 24 of the lower case 14 to below the bottom wall 24. In other words, the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 protrude upward from the outer peripheral edge portion of the bottom plate portion 48, which is located below the bottom wall portion 24, and the upper ends of the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 are located above the bottom wall portion 24. Although the thickness dimensions of the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 are not limited, in the first embodiment, the thickness dimension of the first wall portions 36 and the thickness dimension of the second wall portions 38 are made approximately equal.

[0027] <Relay mounting part 16> The relay mounting portion 16 (peripheral wall portion 34) is generally rectangular in shape with a left-right dimension larger than a front-rear dimension in a plan view. The inner peripheral surface (inner surfaces 40, 42) of the peripheral wall portion 34 having such a shape has an upper end formed with a guide surface 50 that serves as a guide when mounting the relay 20. As described above, the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 of the relay mounting portion 16 protrude from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate portion 48 to a position above the bottom wall portion 24 of the lower case 14. That is, the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 protrude upward from the bottom wall portion 24 by a predetermined vertical dimension.

[0028] Here, the first wall portions 36 of the relay mounting portion 16 are provided with elastic lock pieces 52, 52. Specifically, the elastic lock pieces 52 are formed in the front-rear center portion of the first wall portions 36 so as to be elastically deformable in the left-right direction. That is, in the front-rear center portion of each first wall portion 36, a pair of slits 54, 54 extending in the up-down direction are provided spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and each elastic lock piece 52 is formed between each of these slits 54 in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, each slit 54 is formed over substantially the entire length of each first wall portion 36 in the up-down direction. In addition, a gap 55 is formed in the bottom wall portion 24 outward in the left-right direction from each elastic lock piece 52, and each elastic lock piece 52 is elastically deformable outward in the left-right direction in the internal space of each gap 55. That is, each gap 55 is a deformation allowance space that allows each elastic lock piece 52 to elastically deform outward in the left-right direction.

[0029] Each first wall portion 36 is divided in the front-rear direction by each slit 54, and each first wall portion 36 is configured to include each elastic lock piece 52 in the center portion in the front-rear direction and divided first wall portions 56, 56 at both ends in the front-rear direction. Each of these slits 54 allows each elastic lock piece 52 to elastically deform independently of each divided first wall portion 56. In particular, a separation wall portion 58 that expands in a direction perpendicular to each divided first wall portion 56 is provided at the inner end portion in the front-rear direction (the end portion on the side of each elastic lock piece 52) of each divided first wall portion 56. This prevents each divided first wall portion 56 from coming into contact with each elastic lock piece 52 and deforming together with each elastic lock piece 52 when each elastic lock piece 52 elastically deforms outward in the left-right direction when the relay 20 is mounted on the relay mounting portion 16, for example.

[0030] Each of these elastic lock pieces 52 includes a pair of vertical sections 60, 60 extending in the up-down direction and spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and a connecting section 62 extending in the front-rear direction by connecting the upper ends of each vertical section 60. A locking hole 64 penetrating each of the elastic lock pieces 52 in the left-right direction is formed in the area surrounded by each of these vertical sections 60 and the connecting section 62. Each connecting section 62 is provided with an elastic tongue 66 that protrudes downward, i.e., toward the inside of the locking hole 64, and each elastic tongue 66 may be elastically deformable in the left-right direction to a certain extent, or may not be elastically deformable.

[0031] <Press-welded rib 44> As described above, the pressure contact rib 44 is provided on at least one of the inner surface 40 of each first wall portion 36 and the inner surface 42 of the second wall portion 38. In the first embodiment, the pressure contact rib 44 is provided on the inner surfaces 40, 42 of each first wall portion 36 and each second wall portion 38. That is, the pressure contact rib 44 is provided on the inner surface 68 of each divided first wall portion 56 constituting each first wall portion 36 and the inner surface 42 of the second wall portion 38. In particular, in the first embodiment, two pressure contact ribs 44, 44 are provided on the inner surface 42 of the second wall portion 38, spaced apart in the left-right direction, and a total of eight pressure contact ribs 44 are provided on the peripheral wall portion 34. In addition, when the relay 20 is mounted on each relay mounting portion 16, each pressure contact rib 44 is pressed against an outer peripheral surface 88 of the relay 20, which will be described later, so that the front-rear dimension between the protruding ends of each pressure contact rib 44 facing each other in the front-rear direction is equal to or slightly smaller than the front-rear dimension of each relay 20. Furthermore, the dimension in the left-right direction between the projecting ends of the pressure contact ribs 44 that face each other in the left-right direction is equal to or slightly smaller than the dimension in the left-right direction of each relay 20 .

[0032] Each of the pressure-contact ribs 44 protrudes inwardly with a predetermined protruding dimension from the upper ends of the inner surfaces 68, 42 of each of the divided first wall portions 56 and each of the second wall portions 38, and extends in the vertical direction with a predetermined vertical dimension. An inclined surface 70 is formed at the upper end portion of each of the pressure-contact ribs 44, and each inclined surface 70 is formed continuously from the lower end of the guide surface 50 provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 34. As a result, in addition to the guide surface 50, each inclined surface 70 also exhibits a guiding function when mounting each of the relays 20 on each of the relay mounting portions 16.

[0033] Further, in each divided first wall portion 56 and each divided second wall portion 38, a through hole 72 is formed at a position corresponding to each pressure contact rib 44, penetrating each wall portion 56, 38 in the thickness direction. Each through hole 72 is formed from the lower end of each pressure contact rib 44 to the lower end of the peripheral wall portion 34 (the lower end of the bottom plate portion 48), and each has a predetermined width dimension. By providing each through hole 72 in the peripheral wall portion 34, the relay mounting portion 16 having each pressure contact rib 44, and therefore the lower case 14, can be easily formed by injection molding.

[0034] In the first embodiment, a groove-like positioning recess 74 is formed in a left portion of the inner surface 42 of one (rear) second wall portion 38. This positioning recess 74 is formed over substantially the entire length of the second wall portion 38 in the up-down direction.

[0035] <Deformation-permitting wall portion 76> Here, the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 are connected to each other in the circumferential direction via the deformation-permitting wall portions 76. In the first embodiment, the divided first wall portions 56 and the second wall portions 38 constituting each first wall portion 36 are connected by the deformation-permitting wall portions 76. In short, the deformation-permitting wall portions 76 are connected to the circumferentially opposing edges of each first wall portion 36 and each second wall portion 38, and connect the front-rear direction outer end portions (end portions opposite to the side where each separation wall portion 58 is provided) of each divided first wall portion 56 to the left-right direction end portions of each second wall portion 38. Each deformation-permitting wall portion 76 has a curved shape that connects between the circumferentially opposing edges of each first wall portion 36 (each divided first wall portion 56) and each second wall portion 38.

[0036] 3, in the first embodiment, the deformation-allowing wall portion 76 has a shape that extends around the outer periphery of an imaginary intersection point P between each first wall portion 36 (each divided first wall portion 56) and each second wall portion 38. Note that, in the plan view, the imaginary intersection point P between each first wall portion 36 (each divided first wall portion 56) and each second wall portion 38 is an intersection point between a straight line L1 extending in the front-rear direction through the thickness-wise center of each first wall portion 36 (each divided first wall portion 56) and a straight line L2 extending in the left-right direction through the thickness-wise center of each second wall portion 38.

[0037] Each deformation allowing wall portion 76 has an arc shape in plan view that connects the circumferentially opposing edges of each first wall portion 36 (each divided first wall portion 56) and each second wall portion 38 with the imaginary intersection point P as the center. In the first embodiment, each deformation allowing wall portion 76 has the arc shape in plan view and is formed over approximately the entire length in the up-down direction of the peripheral wall portion 34. In particular, in the first embodiment, the arc shape of each deformation allowing wall portion 76 is formed with an approximately constant curvature, and is formed with a constant thickness dimension over the entire length in the circumferential direction.

[0038] Each of the first walls 36 (each of the divided first walls 56) and each of the second walls 38 are connected in the circumferential direction by each of the deformation-permitting walls 76 having such a shape. As a result, the front second wall 38 to which each of the divided first walls 56 is connected to both ends in the left-right direction and the rear second wall 38 to which each of the divided first walls 56 is connected to both ends in the left-right direction face each other at a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction. And, each of the elastic lock pieces 52 described above is provided between each of the divided first walls 56 facing each other in the front-rear direction. Note that the thickness dimension of each of the deformation-permitting walls 76 is not limited, but in the first embodiment, the thickness dimension is approximately equal to that of each of the divided first walls 56 and each of the second walls 38. For example, the thickness dimension of each wall from the right divided first wall 56 to the right deformation-permitting wall 76, the second wall 38, the left deformation-permitting wall 76, and the left divided first wall 56 is approximately constant.

[0039] Since the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 are connected by the deformation-permitting wall portions 76 having the above-mentioned shapes, when the relay 20 is mounted on the relay mounting portion 16, the pressure contact ribs 44 come into contact with an outer peripheral surface 88 of the relay 20, which will be described later, and the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 are elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. The elastic deformation of the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction is permitted by the deformation of the deformation-permitting wall portions 76, which are curved arc-shaped in a plan view. That is, when the pressure contact rib 44 is pressed against the electric component (the relay 20 and the resistor 22), the deformation-permitting wall portions 76 permit the outward deformation of the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 on which the pressure contact rib 44 is provided (both the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 in the first embodiment).

[0040] <Resistor attachment part 18> As described above, the resistor mounting portion 18 has a basic shape similar to that of the relay mounting portion 16. That is, the peripheral wall portion 34 of the resistor mounting portion 18 also has a first wall portion 36 and a second wall portion 38 extending in mutually intersecting directions, and is provided with a pair of first wall portions 36, 36 spaced from each other in the left-right direction and a pair of second wall portions 38, 38 spaced from each other in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 extend in mutually orthogonal directions. In addition, a pair of slits 54, 54 spaced from each other in the front-rear direction is provided in the middle portion of each first wall portion 36 in the front-rear direction, and each elastic lock piece 78 is provided between each slit 54 in each first wall portion 36.

[0041] The shape of each elastic lock piece 78 in the resistor mounting portion 18 is different from the shape of each elastic lock piece 52 in each relay mounting portion 16, and each elastic lock piece 78 has a vertical portion 80 that protrudes upward from the bottom plate portion 48 and is elastically deformable in the left-right direction, and a claw portion 82 that protrudes inward in the front-rear direction from the upper end of the vertical portion 80. Also, by providing each slit 54 and each elastic lock piece 78 in each first wall portion 36, each divided first wall portion 56 is formed at both ends in the front-rear direction of each first wall portion 36. Furthermore, in the resistor mounting portion 18, each pressure contact rib 44 is formed only on the inner surface 42 of each second wall portion 38.

[0042] In the resistor mounting portion 18, the first walls 36 (the divided first walls 56) and the second walls 38 are also connected to each other in the circumferential direction via the deformation-permitting walls 84. The deformation-permitting walls 84 in the resistor mounting portion 18 are generally curved in plan view, and specifically have a shape in which two arcs are smoothly connected in a continuous manner. More specifically, the first walls 36 (the divided first walls 56) bulge outward from the front-rear end portions in an arc shape having a central angle of approximately 180 degrees, and are connected to the second wall 38 at their circumferential ends via an arc shape having a central angle of approximately 90 degrees, and are connected to both left-right ends of the second wall 38 on the inner side in the front-rear direction from the apex (outer end portions in the front-rear direction) of the deformation-permitting walls 84.

[0043] <Electrical components (relay 20 and resistor 22)> The relay 20 and the resistor 22 include a precharge relay and a precharge resistor, respectively, and known ones may be adopted. The relay 20 and the resistor 22 each have a terminal 86 protruding downward, and when the relay 20 and the resistor 22 are mounted on the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18, the terminals 86 are inserted into the terminal insertion holes 29. In the first embodiment, the shape of the outer peripheral surface 88 of the relay 20 and the resistor 22 is substantially rectangular. In addition, at both left and right ends of the relay 20, lock claw portions 90 are provided to be engaged with the elastic lock pieces 52 of the relay mounting portion 16. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a positioning protrusion 92 protruding outward is formed on a part of the circumference of the outer peripheral surface 88 of the relay 20 at a position corresponding to the positioning recess 74 of the peripheral wall portion 34, and in the first embodiment, the positioning protrusion 92 is formed on the left part of the relay 20. This positioning protrusion 92 may be provided, for example, at the lower end of the relay 20, and may have a predetermined vertical dimension.

[0044] <Assembly of the electrical junction box 10> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the electrical junction box 10. However, the method for assembling the electrical junction box 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0045] First, the relays 20 are attached to the respective relay mounting portions 16 in the lower case 14. That is, the relays 20 are inserted from the upper openings 46 in the respective relay mounting portions 16, and the relays 20 are pushed downward. As a result, the locking claws 90 provided at both left and right ends of the respective relays 20 come into contact with the respective elastic locking pieces 52 provided on the respective first wall portions 36, and the respective elastic locking pieces 52 are elastically deformed outward in the left and right directions. The respective relays 20 are further pushed downward, and the respective locking claws 90 ride on the respective elastic tongue pieces 66 and enter the respective locking holes 64, so that the respective locking claws 90 are locked to the respective elastic locking pieces 52. As a result, the relays 20 are prevented from coming off the respective relay mounting portions 16, and the relays 20 are attached to the respective relay mounting portions 16. With each relay 20 mounted in this manner, the terminal 86 of each relay 20 is inserted into each terminal insertion hole 29 provided in the bottom wall portion 24 (bottom plate portion 48 ) of the lower case 14 .

[0046] Similarly, the resistor 22 is attached to the resistor mounting portion 18. The resistor 22 is inserted from the upper opening 46 of the resistor mounting portion 18 and pushed downward, so that the elastic lock pieces 78 are pushed outward in the left-right direction. The claw portions 82 of the elastic lock pieces 78 overcome the upper end of the resistor 22, so that the elastic lock pieces 78 elastically restore and deform, and the claw portions 82 are engaged with the upper end surface of the resistor 22. As a result, the resistor 22 is attached to the resistor mounting portion 18, and each terminal (not shown) of the resistor 22 is inserted into each terminal insertion hole 29 provided in the bottom wall portion 24 (bottom plate portion 48).

[0047] The electrical junction box 10 of the first embodiment is constructed by placing an upper case (not shown) from above on the lower case 14 in which the relays 20 and resistors 22 are mounted, and fixing the lower case 14 and the upper case together. The current-carrying members 12 including the relay terminals 30 and the bus bars 32 are connected to the terminals (e.g., terminal 86) of the relays 20 and resistors 22 protruding into the terminal connection portions 28 of the electrical junction box 10, thereby electrically connecting the current-carrying members 12 to the relays 20 and resistors 22.

[0048] According to the electric connection box 10 of the first embodiment having the above-mentioned shape, the inner surfaces 40, 42 of the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 of the peripheral wall portion 34 of the relay mounting portion 16 are provided with the pressure contact ribs 44, and the pressure contact ribs 44 are pressure-contacted to the outer peripheral surface 88 of the relay 20 when the relay 20 is mounted. Here, if a material with a relatively high strength is used as the material of the relay mounting portion, when the first wall portion and the second wall portion are directly connected, it is difficult to deform the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and there is a risk that the relay will be damaged by the pressure contact of the pressure contact ribs. In contrast, in the electric connection box 10 of the first embodiment, the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 are connected by the deformation-permitting wall portions 76 that permit the elastic deformation of the first wall portion and the second wall portion 38 outward. When the relay 20 is mounted on the relay mounting portion 16, the deformation-permitting walls 76 deform so as to extend, allowing the first walls 36 and the second walls 38 to elastically deform outward, preventing an excessively large insertion force and preventing damage to the relay 20. Furthermore, the first walls 36 and the second walls 38 elastically restore and deform inward, allowing the first and second walls 36, 38 to stably support the relays 20.

[0049] In particular, since the first and second walls are not independent of each other, but the first and second walls 36 and 38 are connected by the deformation-permitting walls 76, the outer peripheral surface 88 of the relay 20 is covered by the peripheral wall 34 over the entire circumference, and the relay 20 can be stably held by the relay mounting portion 16. Although the first and second walls 36 and 38 are connected by the deformation-permitting walls 76, the deformation of the deformation-permitting walls 76 prevents the deformation of the first and second walls 36 and 38 from affecting each other. This allows the relay 20 and the resistor 22 to be stably mounted on the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18. The same effect is also achieved in the resistor mounting portion 18, and the resistor 22 can be stably held by the resistor mounting portion 18.

[0050] In the relay mounting portion 16, a pressure contact rib 44 is provided on the inner surfaces 40 (68), 42 of each of the first wall portions 36 (each divided first wall portion 56) and each of the second wall portions 38. This allows the relay 20 to be held from all four sides in the relay mounting portion 16 by each pressure contact rib 44, and the relay 20 can be stably held.

[0051] In the relay mounting portion 16, each deformation allowing wall portion 76 is connected to the circumferentially opposing edges of each first wall portion 36 and each second wall portion 38, and has a shape that extends around the outer circumferential side of the imaginary intersection point P of each first wall portion 36 and each second wall portion 38. As a result, when each deformation allowing wall portion 76 deforms so as to extend, each first wall portion 36 and each second wall portion 38 can elastically deform so as to be pushed outward. In particular, since each deformation allowing wall portion 76 has an arc shape in a plan view, the elastic deformation of each first wall portion 36, each second wall portion 38, and each deformation allowing wall portion 76 can be stably realized. Furthermore, by making each deformation-permitting wall portion 76 curved in a planar view, the elastic deformation of each of the first and second wall portions 36, 38 and the accompanying elastic deformation of each deformation-permitting wall portion 76 can be achieved more stably than in the case where each of the first wall portions 36 and each of the second wall portions 38 are simply connected in a straight line.

[0052] <Embodiment 2> Next, an electric connection box 100 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. The electric connection box 100 is composed of a lower case 102 and an upper case (not shown) as in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 shows an extracted portion of the lower case 102 around the relay mounting portion 104, and FIG. 11 shows an extracted portion of the lower case 102 around the resistor mounting portion 106. In the second embodiment, the relay mounting portion 104 and the resistor mounting portion 106 are different from the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18 in the first embodiment only. Therefore, in the following, the relay mounting portion 104 and the resistor mounting portion 106 will be described, and the description of the other portions will be omitted. In the following description, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment will be used in the drawings to omit detailed description of the members and parts that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0053] <Relay mounting portion 104 and resistor mounting portion 106> In the second embodiment, each peripheral wall 108 of the relay mounting portion 104 and the resistor mounting portion 106 includes a pair of first walls 36, 36 facing each other at a distance in the left-right direction, and a pair of second walls 38, 38 facing each other at a distance in the front-rear direction. The circumferentially facing edges of each of the first walls 36 and each of the second walls 38 are connected to each other by an elastically deformable deformation-allowing wall 110. In the second embodiment, each of the first walls 36 of the relay mounting portion 104 is provided with a pair of slits 54, 54 in a middle portion in the front-rear direction, and an elastic lock piece 52 is formed between each of the slits 54. In addition, each of the first walls 36 of the resistor mounting portion 106 is provided with a pair of slits 54, 54 in a middle portion in the front-rear direction, and an elastic lock piece 78 is provided between each of the slits 54. Therefore, in the relay mounting portion 104 and the resistor mounting portion 106 as well, the circumferential end edges of each divided first wall portion 56 and each divided second wall portion 38 are connected to each other by each deformation-allowing wall portion 110 .

[0054] <Deformation-permitting wall portion 110> In the second embodiment, the deformation-allowing walls 110 in the relay mounting portion 104 and the deformation-allowing walls 110 in the resistor mounting portion 106 have the same shape, and the deformation-allowing walls 110 are shaped to connect the circumferential edges of the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38 with an arc shape having a central angle of 90 degrees in a plan view. Here, the deformation-allowing walls 110 are formed of a material that is more flexible (can be elastically deformed to a greater extent) than the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38. Examples of the material of the deformation-allowing walls 110 include PBT that does not contain glass fiber, PBT that contains less glass fiber than the first wall portion 36 and the second wall portion 38, and other nylon-based synthetic resin materials. The relay mounting portion 104 and the resistor mounting portion 106, i.e., the lower case 102, can be formed by injection molding such as two-color molding.

[0055] In the relay mounting portion 104 and the resistor mounting portion 106 having the above-mentioned deformation-permitting walls 110, when the relay 20 and the resistor 22 are mounted, the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 are elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, respectively. At the same time, the deformation-permitting walls 110 are elastically deformed toward the outer periphery more than the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38. As a result, the peripheral walls 108 cover the relays 20 and the resistors 22 over the entire circumferential direction, while the deformations of the first wall portions 36 and the second wall portions 38 do not affect each other. Therefore, the lower case 102 (electrical junction box 100) having the deformation-permitting walls 110 as in the second embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0056] <Modification> Although the first and second embodiments have been described above as specific examples of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific descriptions. Modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of the present disclosure that can achieve the object of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modified examples of the embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0057] (1) In the above embodiment, the component mounting portions, i.e., the relay mounting portion 16, 104 and the resistor mounting portion 18, 106, were formed in the lower case 14, 102 that constitutes the resin case. However, the component mounting portions may be formed in the upper case instead of or in addition to the lower case.

[0058] (2) In the above embodiment, the elastic lock piece 52 is formed in the center of each relay mounting portion 16, 104 in the front-rear direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The elastic lock piece may be provided in each second wall portion instead of or in addition to each first wall portion of the relay mounting portion. Also, in the above embodiment, the shape of the elastic lock piece 52 in each relay mounting portion 16, 104 is different from the shape of the elastic lock piece 78 in each resistor mounting portion 18, 106, but the same shape of elastic lock piece may be used in each. Note that the elastic lock piece is not essential for the relay mounting portion or resistor mounting portion. That is, each first wall portion of the relay mounting portion or resistor mounting portion may be a single plate shape instead of being divided by each slit.

[0059] (3) In the above embodiment, the relay 20 and the resistor 22 are described as the electric components mounted in the component mounting portion (the relay mounting portion 16 and the resistor mounting portion 18). However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. As long as the peripheral wall portion of the component mounting portion has a shape that extends along the outer peripheral surface of the electric component, the electric component may be a known electric component other than a relay or a resistor. In the above embodiment, the electric components (the relay 20 and the resistor 22) are substantially rectangular in plan view. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The electric components may have a polygonal shape other than a rectangle. In this case, the peripheral wall portion of the component mounting portion has a shape that extends along the outer peripheral surface of the electric component, and the first wall portion and the second wall portion may intersect at an angle other than a right angle. Therefore, the first wall portion and the second wall portion constituting the peripheral wall portion are not limited to being provided as a pair as in the above embodiment, but rather it is sufficient that among the multiple wall portions constituting the peripheral wall portion, any one wall portion is the first wall portion, and the wall portion arranged circumferentially adjacent to the first wall portion is the second wall portion, and a pressure-welding rib is provided on the inner surface of at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, and the first wall portion and the second wall portion are connected to each other in the circumferential direction via the deformation-permitting wall portion.

[0060] In either case where the peripheral wall 34, 108 is substantially rectangular as in the above embodiment, or where it is polygonal other than rectangular as described above, the pressure-contact rib may be provided on the inner surface of at least one of the first and second walls constituting the peripheral wall. In either case where the pressure-contact rib is provided only on the first wall, only on the second wall, or on both the first and second wall, it is preferable that the pressure-contact rib is provided at symmetrical positions in the front-rear and / or left-right directions on the peripheral wall.

[0061] (4) In the above embodiment, the thickness dimension of each deformation-allowing wall portion 76, 110 is approximately equal to that of each first wall portion 36 (each divided first wall portion 56) and each second wall portion 38, but this is not limited to the above. That is, the thickness dimension of the deformation-allowing wall portion may be thinner or slightly thicker than the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

[0062] (5) The first embodiment and the second embodiment may be combined and adopted. That is, when four deformation-allowing wall portions are provided as in the above-mentioned embodiment, at least one of the deformation-allowing wall portions may be in the form of the first embodiment, and the remaining deformation-allowing wall portions may be in the form of the second embodiment. In addition, the shape of the first embodiment may be adopted as the shape of the deformation-allowing wall portion, and a material having greater flexibility than the first and second wall portions as in the second embodiment may be adopted as the material of the deformation-allowing wall portion, and further, for example, the thickness dimension may be made thinner than the first and second wall portions.

[0063] (6) In the first embodiment, each deformation-permitting wall portion 76 has an arc shape centered at the virtual intersection point P of each first wall portion 36 and each second wall portion 38 in a plan view, but is not limited to this. That is, for example, in a plan view, the deformation-permitting wall portion may have a shape made up of a plurality of straight lines, or a shape that combines straight lines and curved lines. Furthermore, when a curve is used for the entire or part of the deformation-permitting wall portion in a plan view, the curvature of the curve may be constant or may vary partially. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10 Electrical junction box (embodiment 1) 12 Current-carrying materials 14 Lower case (resin case) 16 Relay mounting section (component mounting section) 18 Resistor mounting part (component mounting part) 20 Relay (electrical component) 22 Resistor (electrical component) 24 Bottom wall 26 Lower peripheral wall 28 Terminal connection 29 Terminal insertion hole 30 Relay terminal 32 Busbar 34 Peripheral wall part 36 1st wall section 38 Second wall section 40 (First wall) inner surface 42 (inner surface of second wall) 44 Pressure Rib 46 Upper opening 48 Bottom plate part 50 Inviting Surface 52 Elastic lock piece 54 Slit 55 Gap 56 First division wall 58 Separation wall section 60 Vertical section 62 Connection 64 Locking hole 66 Elastic tongue 68 (Inner surface of first dividing wall) 70 Slope 72 Through hole 74 Positioning recess 76 Deformable wall 78 Elastic lock piece 80 Vertical section 82 Claw part 84 Deformation-permitting wall 86 Terminals 88 Outer surface 90 Locking claw 92 Positioning protrusion 100 Electrical junction box (embodiment 2) 102 Lower Case 104 Relay mounting part 106 Resistor attachment part 108 Peripheral wall section 110 Deformable wall P intersection L1 (straight line extending through the center of the thickness of the first wall portion (divided first wall portion)) L2 (Extending through the center of the thickness of the second wall)

Claims

1. A resin case and a component mounting portion that is protruding from the resin case and to which an electric component is mounted, the component mounting portion has a peripheral wall portion extending along an outer circumferential surface of the electrical component, The peripheral wall portion includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion that are disposed adjacent to each other in the peripheral direction and extend in directions intersecting each other, a pressure-contact rib that is pressure-contacted to the outer circumferential surface of the electrical component is provided on an inner surface of at least one of the first wall portion and the second wall portion, an electrical connection box, wherein the first wall portion and the second wall portion are circumferentially connected to each other via a deformation-permitting wall portion, and the deformation-permitting wall portion permits outward deformation of the first wall portion or the second wall portion on which the pressure-contact rib is provided when the pressure-contact rib is pressed against the electrical component.

2. 2. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-contact rib is provided on an inner surface of each of the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

3. 3. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the deformation-permitting wall portion is connected to circumferentially opposing edges of the first wall portion and the second wall portion and has a shape extending around the outer periphery of a virtual intersection of the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

4. 4. The electrical junction box according to claim 3, wherein the deformation-allowing wall portion has an arc shape connecting the circumferentially opposed edge portions of the first wall portion and the second wall portion with the imaginary intersection point as a center.

5. 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the deformation-allowing wall portion has a curved shape connecting the circumferentially opposed edge portions of the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

6. 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the deformation-allowing wall portion is formed of a material having greater flexibility than the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

Images