Electrical connection box

Abstract

To disclose an electrical connection box that can stably suppress exposure of a terminal part.SOLUTION: An electrical connection box 10 comprises: a case 14; a terminal part 18 that is exposed from the opening 16 in the case 14 and to which an external conductive member 12 is connected; a protective cover 20 that is rotatably held on the case 14 and covers the opening 16; engagement projections 22 that are provided on the protective cover 20; and an engagement wall part 24 that is provided on the case 14. The protective cover 20 is arranged, in an initial state, at an open position O where it is separate from the opening 16 to expose the opening 16. The rotation of the protective cover 20 from the open position O to a closed position C where it is overlapped with the opening 16 to cover the opening 16 is permitted when the engagement projections 22 are elastically deformed and get over the engagement wall part 24. Upon contact of the engagement projections 22 getting over the engagement wall part 24 and elastically returned with the engagement wall part 24, the rotation region R of the protective cover 20 toward the open position O is restricted to a range where rotation of the protective cover 20 to the closed position C occurs due to its own weight.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric junction box to be mounted on a vehicle, which includes a terminal portion to which an external conductive member exposed at an opening of the case is connected, and a protective cover that covers the terminal portion. During vehicle maintenance, the terminal portion exposed outside the case of the electric junction box may become a live part, so by providing a protective cover that covers the terminal portion, safety during work can be ensured. Moreover, in the electric junction box of Patent Document 1, the protective cover is held on the case side via a hinge made of thin resin, and the elastic restoring force of the hinge biases the lid portion in a direction to cover the terminal portion. This prevents the terminal portion from being exposed to a large extent. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-71368 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the electrical junction box disclosed in Patent Document 1, the hinge that connects the protective cover to the case is made of thin-walled resin, and therefore it is possible that the hinge will become brittle and break in a low-temperature environment, making it impossible for the protective cover to cover the terminal portion.

[0005] In view of this, an electrical junction box is disclosed that can stably suppress exposure of the terminal portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electrical junction box of the present disclosure comprises a case, a terminal portion exposed from an opening of the case and to which an external conductive member is connected, a protective cover held in a rotatable manner by the case and covering the opening, an engaging protrusion provided on one of the case and the protective cover, and an engaging wall portion provided on the other of the case and the protective cover, wherein the protective cover is initially positioned in an open position where it is separated from the opening to expose the opening, and rotation of the protective cover from the open position to a closed position where it is overlapped on the opening and covers the opening is permitted by the engaging protrusion elastically deforming and climbing over the engaging wall portion, and the engaging protrusion, having climbed over the engaging wall portion and elastically returned to its original position, abuts against the engaging wall portion, limiting the rotation range of the protective cover toward the open position to a range where rotation to the closed position occurs due to the protective cover's own weight. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the electrical junction box of the present disclosure, exposure of the terminal portion can be stably suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a protective cover is in a closed position in an electrical junction box according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the protective cover is in an open position in an initial state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 4, seen from another direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which an external conductive member is connected to the terminal portion of the electric junction box shown in FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the protective cover of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 8 is midway through rotation from the open position to the closed position, and shows a state in which the engaging protrusion has been elastically deformed by the engaging wall portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the protective cover in the closed position of the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 1 has been rotated to the open position side. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the electric junction box shown in FIG. 11 and corresponds to FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the protective cover is in an open position in the electrical junction box according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the electrical junction box shown in FIG. 13 with the protective cover in the closed position. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the XV-XV cross section in 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 device comprising: a case; a terminal portion exposed from an opening of the case and to which an external conductive member is connected; a protective cover rotatably held by the case and covering the opening; an engaging protrusion provided on one of the case and the protective cover; and an engaging wall portion provided on the other of the case and the protective cover, wherein the protective cover is initially positioned in an open position where it is separated from the opening to expose the opening, and rotation of the protective cover from the open position to a closed position where it is superimposed on the opening to cover the opening is permitted by the engaging protrusion elastically deforming to overcome the engaging wall portion, and the engaging protrusion, having overcome the engaging wall portion and elastically returned to its original state, abuts against the engaging wall portion, thereby limiting the rotation range of the protective cover toward the open position to a range where rotation to the closed position occurs due to the weight of the protective cover.

[0010] According to the electric connection box of this aspect, the protective cover covering the opening of the case where the terminal portion is exposed is initially positioned in the open position exposing the opening, so that when the electric connection box is assembled to the vehicle, a wide working space can be secured to easily connect an external conductive member such as a wire harness to the terminal portion. When the connection work of the external conductive member to the terminal portion is completed, the protective cover is rotated toward the closed position covering the opening, so that the engaging protrusions provided on one of the case and the protective cover are elastically deformed and can overcome the engaging wall portion provided on the other, and the opening can be covered with the protective cover. Then, when the protective cover is opened during subsequent vehicle maintenance, the engaging protrusions that have overcome the engaging wall portion and elastically returned to their original state come into contact with the engaging wall portion, so that the rotating range of the protective cover toward the open position side is limited to the range in which the protective cover rotates to the closed position due to its own weight. As a result, the protective cover that has been rotated toward the open position side for maintenance work, etc., is always rotated toward the closed position due to its own weight after the work, so that the protective cover is reliably prevented from being left closed. In addition, the rotation range of the protective cover to the open position is limited by the engagement protrusions and engagement walls provided on one and the other of the case and the protective cover, and within this limited rotation range, the protective cover rotates to the closed position due to its own weight, so durability is improved compared to the conventional structure in which a hinge made of thin resin was used to bias the protective cover to the closed position. Therefore, it is possible to provide an electrical junction box that can stably suppress exposure of the terminals.

[0011] (2) In the above (1), it is preferable that the rotation shaft of the protective cover is held by a bearing portion provided in the case, and a gap is provided between the rotation shaft and the bearing portion. Since the rotation shaft of the protective cover is held by the bearing portion on the case side across a gap, friction between the rotation shaft and the bearing portion when the protective cover rotates is suppressed. As a result, the protective cover automatically moves to the closed position when the worker releases his / her hand after work, so that forgetting to close the protective cover can be more reliably prevented.

[0012] (3) In the above (1) or (2), it is preferable that the protective cover abuts against the upper surface of the peripheral wall of the opening when the protective cover is in the closed position. In the closed position of the protective cover, the protective cover abuts against the upper surface of the peripheral wall of the opening where the terminal portion is exposed, so that the exposure of the terminal portion, which may become a live portion during maintenance work, is more effectively prevented. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent or reduce the risk of electric shock to the worker, and improve work safety.

[0013] (4) In any one of the above (1) to (3), it is preferable that the maximum central angle X around the rotation axis in the rotation region of the protective cover after the engagement protrusion has overcome the engagement wall portion and elastically returned is set in a range of 75°≦X<90° around the rotation axis of the protective cover when the closed position of the protective cover is 0°. If the maximum central angle X around the rotation axis in the rotation region is smaller than 75°, workability during maintenance deteriorates, and if it is 90° or more, the protective cover cannot be reliably induced to rotate to the closed position under its own weight.

[0014] (5) In any one of the above (1) to (4), it is preferable to have a first locking mechanism that detachably holds the protective cover in the closed position. The first locking mechanism can reliably hold the protective cover in the closed position, preventing unintended exposure of the terminals and releasing the hold during maintenance.

[0015] (6) In any one of the above (1) to (5), it is preferable to have a second locking mechanism that detachably holds the protective cover in the open position. This is because the second locking mechanism can stably hold the protective cover in the open position in the initial state in which the opening is exposed, thereby improving the ease of assembly when mounting the electrical junction box on a vehicle.

[0016] <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.

[0017] <Embodiment 1> Hereinafter, an electric junction box 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. The electric junction box 10 is mounted inside a battery pack in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, for example, and an external conductive member is connected to the electric junction box 10. In the first embodiment, a bus bar 12 as an example of a conductive member is connected to the electric junction box 10. Note that the electric junction box 10 can be arranged in any direction in the vehicle, but in the following description, the upper side refers to the upper side in FIG. 3, the lower side refers to the lower side in FIG. 3, the left side refers to the lower side in FIG. 2, the right side refers to the upper side in FIG. 2, the front side refers to the right side in FIG. 2, and the rear side refers to the left side in FIG. 2. In addition, for multiple identical members, only some of the members may be labeled with a reference symbol, and the reference symbols may be omitted for the other members.

[0018] <Electrical junction box 10> The electric junction box 10 includes a case 14 and a terminal portion 18 exposed from an upper opening 16 as an opening of the case 14 and to which an external conductive member (bus bar 12) is connected. The electric junction box 10 also includes a protective cover 20 rotatably held by the case 14 and covering the opening (upper opening 16), an engagement protrusion 22 provided on one of the case 14 and the protective cover 20, and an engagement wall portion 24 provided on the other of the case 14 and the protective cover 20. In the first embodiment, the engagement protrusion 22 is provided on the protective cover 20, and the engagement wall portion 24 is provided on the case 14. In the first embodiment, the bus bar 12 is inserted into the terminal portion 18 from the side (right side) and connected. A bolt insertion hole 25 is formed in the bus bar 12 at a portion overlapping the terminal portion 18.

[0019] <Case 14> Case 14 constituting electrical junction box 10 can be formed, for example, by assembling upper case 26 and a lower case (not shown) in the vertical direction, but in embodiment 1, the characteristic parts are provided in upper case 26 and the shape of the lower case is not limited, so a description of the lower case is omitted. Also, the shape of upper case 26 shown in the drawings is merely an example and is not limited, and shows the characteristic parts of the present disclosure.

[0020] In the first embodiment, the upper case 26 shown in the drawings has a generally box-like shape that opens downward (has a lower opening 27) and is made of an insulating synthetic resin. The upper case 26 includes an upper bottom wall 28 that is generally rectangular in plan view, and an upper peripheral wall 30 that protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the upper bottom wall 28. That is, the upper peripheral wall 30 includes a front wall 32a located at the front, a rear wall 32b located at the rear, and a left wall 32c and a right wall 32d located on both the left and right sides. The upper bottom wall 28 has a larger front-rear dimension than its left-right dimension.

[0021] Here, in the front part of the internal space of the upper case 26, an accommodation space 36 is formed in which the terminal portion 18 and the nut 34 to which the bolt 71 described later is fastened are accommodated. The accommodation space 36 is substantially rectangular in plan view and penetrates the upper case 26 in the up-down direction. That is, the accommodation space 36 is configured by an area surrounded by the front wall portion 32a and the front portions of the left wall portion 32c and the right wall portion 32d. The nut accommodation portion 38 is disposed in the accommodation space 36, and the nut 34 is assembled to the nut accommodation portion 38, so that the nut 34 is accommodated in the accommodation space 36. The nut accommodation portion 38 may be formed, for example, separately from the upper case 26, and may be inserted from below through the lower opening 27 into the accommodation space 36, and may be fixedly attached to at least one of the front wall portion 32a, the rear wall portion 32b, the left wall portion 32c, and the right wall portion 32d that constitute the accommodation space 36, for example, by a locking mechanism (not shown).

[0022] In addition, the upper opening 16 is formed in the front part of the upper bottom wall 28, penetrating in the thickness direction (vertical direction), and the above-mentioned storage space 36 opens upward through the upper opening 16. This upper opening 16 is substantially rectangular in plan view, similar to the storage space 36. Furthermore, the vertical dimension of the front part of the right wall 32d constituting the storage space 36 is smaller than other parts (for example, the rear part), and a right opening 40 that opens to the right is formed in the upper end part of the storage space 36. Then, as described later, the terminal 18 is arranged above the nut 34 in the storage space 36 in a superimposed manner, and this terminal 18 is exposed upward through the upper opening 16 and also exposed to the side (right) through the right opening 40.

[0023] As a result, the peripheral wall 42 constituting the upper opening 16 at the upper end of the storage space 36 is composed of three walls excluding the right one. In short, the peripheral wall 42 is composed of an upper part of the front wall 32a, an upper part of the front part of the left wall 32c, and an intermediate wall 44 located behind the upper opening 16 (i.e., the middle part of the upper case 26 in the front-rear direction). This intermediate wall 44 is formed over the entire length in the left-right direction at the upper end part of the case 14 (upper case 26), and the right end of the intermediate wall 44 is connected to the right wall 32d, and the right opening 40 described above is formed at the right end of this intermediate wall 44. The upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 thus configured is located at approximately the same position in the vertical direction and is located on the same plane extending in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the vertical direction).

[0024] The upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 is located lower than the upper surface of the upper bottom wall portion 28 in a portion (e.g., a rear portion) in which the storage space 36 is not provided in the upper case 26. This makes it possible to prevent the vertical dimension of the front portion of the electrical junction box 10 from becoming too large when the protective cover 20 rotates from the open position O to the closed position C and abuts against the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42, as described below.

[0025] A first locking portion 48 constituting a first lock mechanism 83 (described later) is provided on a front portion of the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 (i.e., the upper surface of the front wall portion 32a). In the first embodiment, the first locking portion 48 is provided in the left-right central portion of the upper surface of the front wall portion 32a and protrudes upward. A locking claw 50 protruding rearward is provided on the protruding tip portion (upper end portion) of the first locking portion 48.

[0026] A pair of bearings 52 are integrally formed on both the left and right sides of the upper bottom wall 28 of the upper case 26 at a portion rearward of the intermediate wall 44, and are adapted to hold a rotating shaft 100 (described later) in the protective cover 20. Each of these bearings 52 is substantially plate-shaped with a predetermined thickness dimension (left-right dimension), and protrudes upward from the upper bottom wall 28. A circular insertion hole 54 is formed at the upper end portion of each bearing 52, penetrating in the thickness direction. In particular, a notch 56 is formed on the inner surface (inner surface in the left-right direction) of each bearing 52, which opens upward and communicates with each insertion hole 54, and each rotating shaft 100 can be easily inserted into each insertion hole 54 through each notch 56. An inclined surface is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion of each bearing 52 at the portion where each notch 56 is formed, and this inclined surface constitutes a guide surface 58 that guides the insertion of each rotating shaft 100.

[0027] <Engagement wall part 24> Furthermore, the aforementioned engagement wall 24 is provided in the left-right central portion of the upper bottom wall 28 between the left-right opposing bearings 52. The engagement wall 24 is a generally plate-shaped portion that protrudes upward with a predetermined protruding dimension, as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 10. The engagement wall 24 has a generally hexagonal shape when viewed from the front as shown in Fig. 10, and its rear end surface is an inclined surface 59 that gradually inclines toward the tip as it extends upward. In addition, the left and right end surfaces of the engagement wall 24 are flat surfaces 60, 60 that extend in the vertical direction, and the upper end of each flat surface 60 is connected to an inclined surface 62, 62 that gradually inclines inward in the left-right direction as it extends upward. When the protective cover 20 shown in Figures 4 to 6 is in the open position O, the inclined surfaces 108 of each engagement protrusion 22, which will be described later, are located above each inclined surface 62, and each inclined surface 62 of the engagement wall portion 24 and the inclined surface 108 of each engagement protrusion 22 face each other at an angle and with a slight space between them.

[0028] Second locking portions 64 constituting a second locking mechanism 97, which will be described later, are provided on both left and right sides behind the bearing portions 52 in the upper bottom wall portion 28. Each of these second locking portions 64 protrudes upward, and a locking claw 66 protruding inward in the left and right direction is provided at the protruding tip end (upper end) of each second locking portion 64.

[0029] <Terminal section 18> Bus bars 68 constituting the terminals 18 are accommodated inside the electrical connection box 10 (upper case 26), and in the first embodiment, two bus bars 68 (a first bus bar 68a and a second bus bar 68b) are provided. Each of these bus bars 68a, 68b extends in the front-rear direction inside the upper case 26 as a whole, and is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate of a conductive metal into a predetermined shape. The front ends of each of these bus bars 68a, 68b are overlapped with each other in the up-down direction and positioned inside the accommodation space 36 in the upper case 26, and are opposed to each other at a predetermined distance behind the accommodation space 36. The bus bar 68 located at the top inside the accommodation space 36 is the first bus bar 68a, and the bus bar 68 overlapped below the first bus bar 68a is the second bus bar 68b. As shown in FIG. 7, the rear portions of each of these bus bars 68a, 68b are arranged in the right portion of the internal space of upper case 26 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and each of these bus bars 68a, 68b is exposed from rear wall portion 32b of upper case 26 while being spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0030] Here, the front ends of the bus bars 68a, 68b are overlapped with each other to form the terminal portion 18 disposed in the accommodation space 36. The front ends of the bus bars 68a, 68b are formed with bolt insertion holes 70, 70, respectively, and the bus bars 68a, 68b are overlapped such that the bolt insertion holes 70 communicate with each other in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the terminal portion 18 is overlapped on the upper surface of the nut 34 such that the bolt insertion holes 70 of the bus bars 68a, 68b are aligned with the inner holes of the nuts 34 accommodated in the accommodation space 36.

[0031] When terminal portion 18 and bus bar 12 are electrically connected, one end of bus bar 12 is overlapped with terminal portion 18 through upper opening 16 and right opening 40, and each of bolt insertion holes 25, 70, 70 is aligned with an inner hole of nut 34. By inserting bolts 71 into each of bolt insertion holes 25, 70, 70 and fastening them to nut 34, terminal portion 18 and bus bar 12 are electrically connected. For example, power input through bus bar 12 can be output in two different directions from the rear end of electrical junction box 10 via bus bars 68a, 68b.

[0032] <Protective cover 20> As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, when the protective cover 20 is in a closed position C where the protective cover 20 is superimposed on the upper opening 16 to cover the upper opening 16, the protective cover 20 is generally in a box shape that opens downward as a whole, and includes a cover bottom 72 and a cover peripheral wall 74 that protrudes downward from the outer periphery of the cover bottom 72. The cover bottom 72 is generally rectangular in plan view, and is formed to have substantially the same size as the peripheral wall 42 in the front portion of the upper case 26. As a result, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the upper opening 16 provided in the front of the upper case 26 is covered from above by the protective cover 20. In the first embodiment, since the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 that constitutes the upper opening 16 is located on the same plane, the protective cover 20 abuts on substantially the entire surface of the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 when the protective cover 20 is disposed in the closed position C.

[0033] Further, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, an accommodation recess 76 for accommodating the head of the bolt 71 is formed in a recess shape that opens downward in the left-right central portion of the cover bottom 72. Furthermore, a first locked portion 78 constituting a first lock mechanism 83 described later is provided in the left-right central portion of the protective cover 20, forward of the accommodation recess 76 in the protective cover 20. In the first embodiment, the first locked portion 78 protrudes upward from the cover bottom 72, then bends downward, and protrudes downward from the cover bottom 72 through a through hole 80 provided in the front end portion of the cover bottom 72. As a result, the first locked portion 78 is elastically deformable in the front-rear direction inside the through hole 80, and a locked claw 82 protruding forward is provided at the lower end of the first locked portion 78. As a result, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, the locked claw 82 of the first locked portion 78 is locked with the locking claw 50 of the first locking portion 48, thereby maintaining the protective cover 20 in the closed position C. As a result, in the first embodiment, the first lock mechanism 83 that detachably holds the protective cover 20 in the closed position C is constituted by the first locking portion 48 and the first locked portion 78, particularly the locking claw 50 and the locked claw 82.

[0034] Furthermore, first locked portions 84 constituting a first lock mechanism 132 in the second embodiment described later are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of both the left and right sides of the cover peripheral wall portion 74 in the protective cover 20. Each of these first locked portions 84 protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the outer peripheral surfaces of both the left and right sides of the cover peripheral wall portion 74. Note that each of these first locked portions 84 does not perform a special function in the first embodiment. A recess 86 that opens to both the left and right sides is formed in the middle part in the front-rear direction on the outer peripheral surfaces of both the left and right sides of the cover peripheral wall portion 74, and each of the first locked portions 84 protrudes from the bottom surface of each recess 86. As a result, the outward protruding dimension in the left-right direction of each of the first locked portions 84 is kept small, and in the first and second embodiments, each of the first locked portions 84 does not protrude outward in the left-right direction beyond the outer peripheral surfaces of both the left and right sides of the cover peripheral wall portion 74.

[0035] An operating section 88 on which an operator can place his / her fingers and operate the protective cover 20 is formed in the left-right central portion of the front end surface of the protective cover 20. Meanwhile, operating sections 90, 90 on which an operator can place his / her fingers and operate the protective cover 20 in the second embodiment described below are formed in the front end portions of the outer circumferential surfaces on both the left and right sides of the cover peripheral wall portion 74 of the protective cover 20. These operating sections 90 do not perform any special function in the first embodiment.

[0036] Here, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, a thick-walled portion 92 is provided at the rear end of the cover bottom 72, which is continuous from the accommodation recess 76 rearward and is thick in the up-down direction. The thick-walled portion 92 has a larger left-right dimension than the accommodation recess 76, and both left and right ends of the thick-walled portion 92 are located on both left-right sides of the cover bottom 72. Second engaged portions 94 that protrude from above to below and are elastically deformable in the left-right direction are formed at both left and right ends of the thick-walled portion 92. An engaged claw 96 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction is provided at the middle portion in the up-down direction of each second engaged portion 94. As a result, when the protective cover 20 is in the open position O as shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the engaged claw 96 of the second engaged portion 94 is engaged with the engaging claw 66 of the second engaging portion 64, so that the protective cover 20 is maintained in the open position O. As a result, in the first embodiment, the second lock mechanism 97 that detachably holds the protective cover 20 in the open position O is constituted by the second engaging portion 64 and the second engaged portion 94, particularly the engaging claw 66 and the engaged claw 96.

[0037] Further, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, elastic arms 98, 98 protrude rearward from both left and right ends of the thick portion 92, and rotating shafts 100, 100 protrude outward in the left and right direction at the protruding tip end (rear end) of each elastic arm 98. Each elastic arm 98 can be elastically deformed in the left and right direction, and when the protective cover 20 is assembled to the upper case 26, for example, each elastic arm 98 elastically deforms inward in the left and right direction, so that each rotating shaft 100 can be inserted into the insertion hole 54 of each bearing portion 52. The protective cover 20 is assembled to the upper case 26 in the orientation shown in Figs. 4 to 7, and in the state shown in Figs. 4 to 7, an inclined surface 102 is provided on the lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of each rotating shaft 100, and each inclined surface 102 comes into contact with each bearing portion 52, which makes it easier for each elastic arm 98 to elastically deform inward in the left and right direction.

[0038] The outer diameter of each of the rotating shafts 100 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of each of the insertion holes 54, and when each of the rotating shafts 100 is inserted into each of the insertion holes 54, a small gap 103 (see FIG. 3) is formed between each of the rotating shafts 100 and each of the insertion holes 54. As a result, when the protective cover 20 rotates, the rotating shafts 100 do not get caught on the inner peripheral surface of each of the insertion holes 54, and smooth rotation can be realized. In particular, by forming such a gap 103, the rotating force of the protective cover 20 to rotate to the closed position C due to its own weight is made larger than the resistance force against the rotating force. As a result, during service such as maintenance described later, the resistance force that prevents the protective cover 20 from rotating due to a free fall to the closed position C due to its own weight after the worker releases the protective cover 20 from holding the protective cover 20 can be made very small. Therefore, the protective cover 20 released from the holding can be quickly rotated toward the closed position C.

[0039] <Engaging protrusion 22> Furthermore, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, a pair of engagement protrusions 22, 22 protrude rearward, spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, on the left-right inward side of each elastic arm portion 98 of the thick portion 92. Each engagement protrusion 22 is configured to include an elastic support portion 104 protruding rearward from the thick portion 92, and an inward protrusion 106 protruding inward in the left-right direction from the protruding tip end (rear end) of each elastic support portion 104. Each elastic support portion 104 is capable of elastic deformation in the left-right direction.

[0040] Each of the inner protrusions 106 has a predetermined shape and protruding dimension and protrudes inward in the left-right direction from each of the elastic support parts 104. That is, when the protective cover 20 is in the open position O as shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the lower end surface of each of the inner protrusions 106 is provided with an inclined surface 108 that gradually rises upward as it goes inward in the left-right direction. As described above, when the protective cover 20 is in the open position O, each of the inclined surfaces 108 faces each of the inclined surfaces 62 of the engagement wall part 24 at an angle and slightly spaced apart from each other. Furthermore, the protruding tip surface (the end surface on the inner side in the left-right direction) of each of the inner protrusions 106 is a vertical surface 110 that extends vertically, continuing from each inclined surface 108. Furthermore, the upper end surface of each of the inner protrusions 106 is a flat surface 112 that extends in the front-rear direction, continuing from each vertical surface 110. In the initial state shown in Figures 4 to 7, each inward protrusion 106 is located above the engagement wall 24 provided on the upper case 26, and is at a position approximately equal to the engagement wall 24 in the fore-and-aft direction, or slightly forward of the engagement wall 24.

[0041] <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.

[0042] First, the first and second bus bars 68a, 68b are inserted into the upper case 26 through the lower opening 27 of the upper case 26. Next, the nut accommodating portion 38 to which the nut 34 is attached is inserted from below into the accommodating space 36 in the upper case 26 and fixed by a locking mechanism (not shown). As a result, the bolt insertion holes 70, 70 of the bus bars 68a, 68b are aligned with the inner holes of the nuts 34, and the nut 34 is pressed against the second bus bar 68b from below, so that the first and second bus bars 68a, 68b are sandwiched between the upper bottom wall portion 28 of the upper case 26 and the nuts 34 in the vertical direction.

[0043] Moreover, the protective cover 20 is assembled to the upper case 26 from above. Specifically, each of the rotating shafts 100 is brought close to each of the bearings 52 in the upper case 26 from above in a direction in which the inclined surface 102 of each of the rotating shafts 100 in the protective cover 20 is positioned downward (the direction shown in Figs. 4 to 7). As a result, the guide surface 58 provided on the inner surface of each of the bearings 52 comes into contact with the inclined surface 102 provided on each of the rotating shafts 100, and each of the bearings 52 and / or each of the elastic arm portions 98 is elastically deformed. As a result, the protective cover 20 can be pushed further downward, and when each of the rotating shafts 100 enters each of the insertion holes 54, each of the bearings 52 and / or each of the elastic arm portions 98 is elastically restored to its original shape. Additionally, the latched claws 96 of the second latched portions 94 provided on the protective cover 20 are latched with the latching claws 66 of the second latching portions 64 provided on the upper case 26. This maintains the protective cover 20 in the open position O, completing the electrical junction box 10 in the initial state shown in Figures 4 to 7.

[0044] <How to use the electrical junction box 10> In the initial state of electrical junction box 10 manufactured as described above, protective cover 20 is disposed in open position O away from upper opening 16, and upper opening 16 and terminal portion 18 are exposed to the outside. With terminal portion 18 thus exposed to the outside, bus bar 12, for example, whose end is bent horizontally, is placed on terminal portion 18 through upper opening 16 and right opening 40, and each bolt insertion hole 70 is aligned with bolt insertion hole 25 of bus bar 12. Thereafter, bolts 71 are inserted into each bolt insertion hole 70, 25 and fastened to nuts 34, thereby connecting terminal portion 18 and bus bar 12 as shown in FIG.

[0045] In this manner, when the terminal portions 18 and the bus bars 12 are connected, the connection portions become live parts, and therefore it is preferable to cover the live parts with the protective cover 20 to prevent electric shock to the worker. Therefore, from the state in which the protective cover 20 is in the open position O shown in Fig. 8, the protective cover 20 is rotated around each rotation shaft 100 toward the closed position C. The state of the protective cover 20 in the middle of its rotation is shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

[0046] In the electric connection box 10 of the first embodiment, by rotating and displacing the protective cover 20 around the rotation shafts 100, first, the inclined surfaces 108 provided on the inner protrusions 106 of the engaging protrusions 22 come into contact with the inclined surfaces 62 provided on the engaging wall 24. By further rotating and displacing the protective cover 20 in the abutting state of the inclined surfaces 108, 62, the elastic support parts 104 of the engaging protrusions 22 are elastically deformed outward in the opposing direction (outward in the left-right direction) along the inclination direction of the inclined surfaces 108, 62. By rotating and displacing the protective cover 20 while the inclined surfaces 108, 62 are in contact with each other, the elastic support parts 104 are further elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, the vertical surfaces 110 of the inner protrusions 106 come into contact with the flat surfaces 60 of the engaging wall 24.

[0047] In this manner, while each vertical surface 110 and each flat surface 60 are in contact with each other, the protective cover 20 is further rotated and displaced, so that the inner protrusions 106 of each engaging protrusion 22 climb over the engaging wall portion 24. As a result, each elastic support portion 104 elastically deforms to restore the shape of each engaging protrusion 22 to its initial state. In this state, as shown in FIG. 3, each inner protrusion 106 is located behind the engaging wall portion 24. Then, the protective cover 20 is further rotated toward the closed position C, and the upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 at the upper opening 16 and the protective cover 20 are overlapped. As a result, the protective cover 20 is disposed in the closed position C. That is, the rotation from the open position O to the closed position C is permitted by each engaging protrusion 22 climbing over the engaging wall portion 24. Then, at the front end side of the upper case 26, the engaging claw 82 of the first engaged portion 78 is engaged with the engaging claw 50 of the first engaging portion 48, whereby the protective cover 20 is held in the closed position C as shown in Figures 1 to 3. In this state, the live parts are covered with the protective cover 20, preventing an operator from unintentionally coming into contact with them and receiving an electric shock.

[0048] During maintenance or other servicing, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the first locking portion 48 and the first locked portion 78 are released from engagement, the protective cover 20 is displaced toward the open position O, the bolt 71 is released, and parts are replaced. That is, the protective cover 20 in the closed position C is rotated and displaced toward the open position O around each rotation shaft 100, and this rotational displacement toward the open position O is restricted by the abutment of each engaging protrusion 22 with the engaging wall portion 24. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 12, the flat surfaces 112 of the inner protrusions 106 of each engaging protrusion 22 and the left and right ends of the rear end surface (inclined surface 59) of the engaging wall portion 24 abut against each other, so that further rotational displacement of the protective cover 20 toward the open position O is restricted. Here, the rotational region R of the protective cover 20 toward the open position O is restricted to a range in which the protective cover 20 rotates toward the closed position C due to its own weight.

[0049] 11 and 12 show a state in which the protective cover 20 has been rotated to the open position O to the maximum, and the maximum central angle X (see FIG. 12) around each rotation shaft 100 in the rotation region R of the protective cover 20 is preferably set in the range of 75°≦X<90° around each rotation shaft 100 when the closed position C of the protective cover 20 is set to 0°. As described above, the rotational displacement of the protective cover 20 towards the open position O is limited by the abutment between each flat surface 112 of each inward protrusion 106 and the inclined surface 59 of the engagement wall 24, and therefore the magnitude of the maximum central angle X around each rotation shaft 100 in the rotation region R of the protective cover 20 can be set, for example, by the inclination angle of the inclined surface 59.

[0050] In this manner, when each engaging projection 22 has climbed over the engaging wall portion 24, the angle does not exceed 90° even when the protective cover 20 is fully opened, and the protective cover 20 can be automatically rotated to the closed position C by its own weight. In particular, a small gap 103 is formed between each rotating shaft 100 and the insertion hole 54 through which each rotating shaft 100 is inserted, and although it is necessary to hold the protective cover 20 in the open state during servicing, the protective cover 20 can be automatically rotated to the closed position C by releasing the holding of the open state. After the protective cover 20 reaches the closed position C, the first locked portion 78 is locked to the first locking portion 48, thereby maintaining the protective cover 20 in the closed position C.

[0051] According to the electric connection box 10 of the first embodiment having the above-described structure, in the initial state, the protective cover 20 is held in the open position O exposing the upper opening 16 and the terminal portion 18, so that the work of overlapping and connecting the bus bar 12, which is an external conductive member, with the terminal portion 18 can be easily performed. In addition, when the protective cover 20 is rotated and displaced from the open position O to the closed position C, each of the engagement protrusions 22 needs to be elastically deformed to overcome the engagement wall portion 24, so that the protective cover 20 is prevented from being unintentionally displaced from the open position O to the closed position C. By connecting the terminal portion 18 and the bus bar 12, the connection portion between them becomes an active portion, but by rotating and displacing the protective cover 20 to the closed position C, the active portion is covered by the protective cover 20, so that the risk of an operator receiving an electric shock can be reduced. Furthermore, after each engaging protrusion 22 overcomes the engaging wall portion 24, the protective cover 20 is automatically and quickly displaced to the closed position C due to its own weight, which more reliably prevents the connection portion between the terminal portion 18, which has become an active part, and the bus bar 12 from being exposed to the outside and also reduces the burden on the worker.

[0052] Furthermore, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, it is displaced toward the open position O during service such as maintenance. However, the rotation region R of the protective cover 20 toward the open position O is limited to a range in which the protective cover 20 rotates toward the closed position C due to its own weight by the abutment of the engaging protrusions 22 and the engaging wall portion 24. As a result, even when the protective cover 20 is opened during service work, the protective cover 20 is automatically displaced to the closed position C by releasing the external force that keeps the protective cover 20 in the open state after the work, so that it is possible to prevent the protective cover 20 from being left closed. Also, once the protective cover 20 is rotated from the initial state (open position O) and the engaging protrusions 22 overcome the engaging wall portion 24, the rotational displacement toward the open position O is limited by the abutment of the engaging protrusions 22 and the engaging wall portion 24, so that it is difficult to restore the protective cover 20 to the initial state (open position O). Therefore, by checking whether protective cover 20 is in closed position C or open position O, it can be easily determined whether terminal portion 18 and bus bar 12 are connected or not.

[0053] In particular, since the structure for preventing the protective cover 20 from being left closed as described above does not use a hinge as in the conventional structure, there is no problem such as the hinge being damaged by exposure to a low temperature environment, and the live parts can be covered with the protective cover 20 quickly and reliably.

[0054] In the first embodiment, each of the rotation shafts 100 of the protective cover 20 is held by each of the bearings 52 provided in the upper case 26, and a gap 103 is provided between each of the rotation shafts 100 and each of the bearings 52. This makes the rotation force of the protective cover 20 to rotate to the closed position C by its own weight larger than the resistance force against the rotation force. As a result, the protective cover 20 in a state in which each of the engagement protrusions 22 has climbed over the engagement wall portion 24 can be automatically and quickly rotated to the closed position C. This embodiment can be realized, for example, by setting the outer diameter dimension of each of the rotation shafts 100 slightly smaller than the inner diameter dimension of the insertion hole 54 in each of the bearings 52, and setting the gap 103 between each of the rotation shafts 100 and each of the insertion holes 54.

[0055] When the protective cover 20 is disposed in the closed position C, the protective cover 20 abuts against an upper surface 46 of the peripheral wall 42 of the upper opening 16. In particular, in the first embodiment, the upper surface 46 is located on the same plane over substantially the entirety, and substantially the entirety of the protective cover 20 abuts against the upper surface 46. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent unintentional contact with live parts (connection portions between the terminal parts 18 and the bus bars 12) through the upper opening 16.

[0056] For example, when the protective cover 20 is opened during servicing such as maintenance, the rotation angle of the protective cover 20 is set so that the maximum central angle X around the central axis of each rotation shaft 100 is in the range of 75°≦X<90°. Setting the protective cover 20 to open at an angle of 75° or more allows for stable servicing work. Setting the protective cover 20 to open at an angle smaller than 90° allows the protective cover 20 to be automatically displaced to the closed position C by releasing the external force in the direction in which the protective cover 20 is opened after the work.

[0057] The electrical junction box 10 has a first lock mechanism 83 that detachably holds the protective cover 20 in the closed position C. This can prevent the protective cover 20 in the closed position C from being unintentionally displaced toward the open position O.

[0058] The electrical junction box 10 has a second lock mechanism 97 that detachably holds the protective cover 20 in the open position O. This can prevent the protective cover 20 in the open position O from being unintentionally displaced toward the closed position C.

[0059] <Embodiment 2> Next, an electric connection box 120 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 15. The basic structure of the electric connection box 120 according to the second embodiment is similar to that of the electric connection box 10 according to the first embodiment. However, in the first embodiment, the bus bar 12, which is a conductive member, is inserted from the side (right side) of the terminal portion 18 and overlapped with the terminal portion 18, whereas in the second embodiment, the bus bar 12, which is a conductive member, is inserted from the front of the terminal portion 18 and overlapped with the terminal portion 18. In the following description, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used in the drawings to omit detailed description of the members and parts that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. Also, Figs. 13 to 15 show characteristic parts of the second embodiment, but do not show the entire electric connection box 120.

[0060] In the second embodiment as well, the upper case 122 is provided with an upper opening 16 as an opening for exposing the terminal portions 18. In the second embodiment, the bus bar 12 is inserted from the front, and therefore a front opening 126 is formed in a peripheral wall 124 of the upper opening 16. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the peripheral wall 124 of the upper opening 16 is configured to include an upper portion of the left wall portion 32c, an upper portion of the right wall portion 32d, and an intermediate wall portion 44 located behind the upper opening 16.

[0061] In the second embodiment, the upper ends of the left wall 32c and the right wall 32d are formed with first locking portions 128 that protrude upward, and the protruding tips (upper ends) of the first locking portions 128 are provided with locking claws 130 that protrude inward in the left-right direction. As described above, the outer peripheral surfaces of both the left and right sides of the cover peripheral wall 74 of the protective cover 20 are provided with first locked portions 84 that protrude outward. Therefore, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, when the protective cover 20 is in the closed position C, the first locked portions 84 are locked by the locking claws 130 of the first locking portions 128, so that the protective cover 20 is held in the closed position C. In the second embodiment, the first locking mechanism 132 that detachably holds the protective cover 20 in the closed position C includes the first locking portions 128 and the first locked portions 84.

[0062] As described above, the electric junction box 120 of the second embodiment is obtained by simply changing the direction in which the external conductive member (bus bar 12) is inserted compared to the electric junction box 10 of the first embodiment, and therefore can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment. In particular, the protective cover 20 described in the first and second embodiments has the first locked portions 78, 84 formed on the front and side (both left and right sides) so that the bus bar 12 can be inserted from both the side (right or left) and the front. This allows the same shape of protective cover 20 to be used whether the bus bar 12 is inserted from the side or the front, and eliminates the need to manufacture separate protective covers for the case in which the bus bar 12 is inserted from the side and the case in which the bus bar 12 is inserted from the front, making it easier to manage parts and reducing costs.

[0063] <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.

[0064] (1) In the above embodiment, the protective cover 20 is a common structure, and the bus bar 12, which is a conductive member, can be overlapped with the terminal portion 18 from either the side (right) or the front. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. That is, the conductive member (e.g., bus bar) may be overlapped with the terminal portion from only one of the side (right or left) or the front. Specifically, when the conductive member is overlapped with the terminal portion from the side, the first locking mechanism provided on the side (the first engaged portions 84 on both the left and right sides and the first engaging portions 128) may not be provided, and when the conductive member is overlapped with the terminal portion from the front, the first locking mechanism provided on the front (the front first engaged portion 78 and the first engaging portion 48) may not be provided. The conductive member overlapped with the terminal portion is not limited to the bus bar, and may be a wire harness with a terminal connected to its end. Furthermore, the first locking mechanism that removably holds the protective cover in the closed position and the second locking mechanism that removably holds the protective cover in the open position are not essential to the electrical junction box according to the present disclosure.

[0065] (2) The shapes of the engaging protrusions 22 and the engaging wall portions 24 in the above embodiment are merely examples, and the shapes of the engaging protrusions and the engaging wall portions are not limited as long as the engaging protrusions elastically deform to overcome the engaging wall portions when the protective cover is rotated from the open position to the closed position, and the protective cover that has reached the closed position does not open larger than a predetermined angle due to the abutment of the engaging protrusions and the engaging wall portions during servicing, for example. Also, in the above embodiment, the engaging protrusions 22 are provided on the protective cover 20, and the engaging wall portions 24 are provided on the case 14 (upper case 26, 122), but the engaging protrusions may be provided on the case, and the engaging wall portions may be provided on the protective cover.

[0066] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the bus bar 68 constituting the terminal portion 18 was composed of two bus bars, the first bus bar 68a and the second bus bar 68b. However, the bus bar constituting the terminal portion may be a single bus bar as in the embodiment 2.

[0067] (4) The case of the electrical junction box according to the present disclosure may have a plurality of connection portions between the conductive members and the terminal portions, and each connection portion may be provided with a protective cover. In this case, each conductive member may be overlapped with each terminal portion from the side (right or left), each conductive member may be overlapped with each terminal portion from the front, or there may be both overlapped portions from the side and overlapped portions from the front.

[0068] (5) In the above embodiment, the nut 34 is housed in the case 14 (upper case 26, 122) and the terminal portion 18 and the bus bar 12 are fixed by the bolt 71 inserted from above. However, the case may house a stud bolt that protrudes upward and the terminal portion and the conductive member may be fixed by a nut that is fastened from above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10 Electrical junction box (embodiment 1) 12 Busbar (conductive member) 14 cases 16 Upper opening (opening) 18 Terminal section 20 Protective cover 22 Engagement protrusion 24 Engagement wall part 25 Bolt hole 26 Upper Case 27 Lower opening 28 Upper bottom wall 30 Upper peripheral wall 32a Front wall 32b Rear wall 32c Left wall section 32d Right wall section 34 Nut 36 Containment Space 38 Nut receiving section 40 Right opening 42 Peripheral wall 44 Intermediate wall 46 Top side 48 First locking part 50 Locking claw 52 Bearing section 54 Insertion hole 56 Notch 58 Guide Surface 59 Slope 60 flat surface 62 Slope 64 Second locking part 66 Locking claw 68 Busbar 68a 1st busbar 68b 2nd bus bar 70 Bolt insertion hole 71 Volts 72 Bottom of cover 74 Cover peripheral wall 76 Storage recess 78 1st locked part 80 Through Hole 82 Engaged claw 83 First locking mechanism 84 1st locked part 86 Recess 88,90 Operation unit 92 Thick wall part 94 Second locked part 96 Engaged claw 97 Second locking mechanism 98 Elastic Arm 100 Rotating Axis 102 Slope 103 Gap 104 Elastic support part 106 Inner protrusion 108 Slope 110 Vertical Surface 112 Flat surface 120 Electrical junction box (embodiment 2) 122 Upper Case 124 Peripheral wall 126 Front opening 128 First locking part 130 Locking claw 132 First locking mechanism C Closed position O open position R Rotation Area X maximum center angle

Claims

1. Case and a terminal portion exposed through an opening of the case and to which an external conductive member is connected; a protective cover rotatably held by the case to cover the opening; an engagement protrusion provided on one of the case and the protective cover; an engagement wall portion provided on the other of the case and the protective cover, the protective cover is initially disposed at an open position away from the opening to expose the opening; the protective cover is allowed to rotate from the open position to a closed position where the protective cover is superimposed on the opening and covers the opening by the engaging protrusion elastically deforming and climbing over the engaging wall portion, an electrical connection box in which the engaging protrusion, which has overcome the engaging wall portion and elastically returned to its original position, abuts against the engaging wall portion, thereby limiting the range of rotation of the protective cover toward the open position to a range in which the protective cover rotates toward the closed position due to its own weight.

2. 2. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein a rotation shaft of said protective cover is held by a bearing portion provided in said case, and a gap is provided between said rotation shaft and said bearing portion.

3. 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the protective cover abuts against an upper surface of a peripheral wall of the opening when the protective cover is disposed at the closed position.

4. 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein a maximum central angle X around a rotation axis in the rotation region of the protective cover after the engagement protrusion has overcome the engagement wall portion and elastically returned to its original state is set in a range of 75°≦X<90° around the rotation axis of the protective cover, when the closed position of the protective cover is defined as 0°.

5. 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, further comprising a first locking mechanism for removably holding said protective cover in said closed position.

6. 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, further comprising a second locking mechanism for detachably holding the protective cover in the open position.

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