Electric connection box

Abstract

To provide an electric connection box which can reduce a load of a design change accompanied by an arrangement change of a pull-out port.SOLUTION: An electric connection box 1 includes a block 10, and a case 20 storing the block 10. The case 20 has: a side wall 21 and a bottom wall 22 that store the block 10 and have cylindrical shapes, and a lead-out port 23 for inserting an electric wire W from an electronic component to inside and outside of the case 20, and has: a first cover 50 having a first lead-out port part 53 as a part of a plurality of parts formed by dividing the lead-out port 23, a first side wall part 51 as a part of a plurality of parts formed by dividing the side wall 21, and a first bottom wall part 52 which is a part of a plurality of parts formed by dividing the bottom wall 22 and connects the first lead-out port part 53 and the first side wall part 51; and a second cover 30 having a second lead-out port part 37 as another part of the lead-out port 23, a second side wall part 31 that is another part of the side wall 21 and to which the first side wall part 51 is fit, and a second bottom wall part 32 that is another part of the bottom wall 22 and to which the first bottom wall part 52 is fit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connection box including a block to which an electronic component can be attached and a case for housing the block.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been proposed an electrical connection box configured by assembling a plurality of components together, such as an electrical connection box (for example, a relay box) mounted on a vehicle. For example, one of the conventional electrical connection boxes includes a block for holding an electronic component or the like and a box-shaped case for housing the block inside. The case has a cylindrical lead-out port through which an electric wire is inserted inside and outside. The lead-out port is divided into an upper part and a lower part, and a side cover integrated with the upper part is assembled to a case body integrated with the lower part while being slid downward from above, so that the lead-out port is formed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described electrical connection box, while moving the block downward, it is housed inside the case body from the housing opening above the case body. After placing the electric wire extending from the block on the lower part of the lead-out port, while sliding the side cover downward, it is assembled to the case body and the upper part and the lower part of the lead-out port are fitted together, so that the electric wire can be inserted in and out of the case through the lead-out port. At this time, the block is fixed to the case by the engagement of the locking portion provided on the block and the locked portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the case. In order for such fixation to be possible, the locking portion and the locked portion have a structure in which the locking portion is engaged with the locked portion from above downward.

[0005] Due to having the above-described assembly procedure and locking structure, in a conventional electrical connection box, the side cover is usually not provided with a locked portion for locking the block. Since the side cover slides so as to approach the block housed in the case body from above, considering the vertical relationship between the above-described locking portion and the locked portion, the locked portion is not provided on the side cover. Therefore, the side cover is usually arranged at a position where it does not interfere with the locking portion of the block and the locked portion of the case body. Conversely, for example, when changing the arrangement of the lead-out port according to the specifications of the electrical connection box, not only the structures of the side cover and the case body but also the structure of the block have to be redesigned. On the other hand, if such redesign of the block can be eliminated, the block can be used generically regardless of the specifications. That is, the load of design changes associated with the change in the arrangement of the lead-out port can be reduced.

[0006] One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection box capable of reducing the load of design changes associated with the change in the arrangement of the lead-out port.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above-described object, the electrical connection box according to the present invention is characterized as follows.

[0008] An electrical connection box comprising a block to which an electronic component can be attached and a case for housing the block, wherein the case, has a cylindrical side wall and a bottom wall that define a space for housing the block, and an outlet through which an electric wire connected to the electronic component can be inserted into and out of the space, and a first cover having a first outlet portion that is a part of the outlet divided into a plurality of parts, a first side wall portion that is a part of the side wall divided into a plurality of parts, and a first bottom wall portion that is a part of the bottom wall divided into a plurality of parts and connects the first outlet portion and the first side wall portion, and a second cover having a second outlet portion that is another part of the outlet, a second side wall portion that is another part of the side wall into which the first side wall portion is fitted, and a second bottom wall portion that is another part of the bottom wall into which the first bottom wall portion is fitted, is an electrical connection box.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the electrical connection box of the present invention, the first cover (for example, the side cover) constituting the case has a first outlet portion which is a part where the outlet of the case is divided into a plurality of parts, a first side wall portion which is a part where the side wall of the case is divided into a plurality of parts, and a first bottom wall portion which is a part where the bottom wall of the case is divided into a plurality of parts and connects the first outlet portion and the first side wall portion. Thereby, a part of the outlet of the case (the first outlet portion) and a part of the side wall of the case (the first side wall portion) can be arranged at positions separated from each other via the bottom wall of the case. Therefore, regardless of the arrangement of the outlet, the first side wall portion can be arranged at a location where there is no relation to the engagement between the block and the case (for example, a location without a portion to be locked), and also at a location related to the engagement between the block and the case (for example, a location where a portion to be locked should be provided). Further, since the first outlet portion and the first side wall portion are connected by a part of the bottom wall of the case (the first bottom wall portion), when assembling the first cover to the second cover, the first cover is assembled to the second cover from the bottom wall side (for example, from below). Therefore, unlike the conventional electrical connection box, when changing the arrangement of the outlet, it is not necessary to change the locking structure of the block. Specifically, if the first side wall portion is arranged at a location where there is no relation to the engagement between the block and the case, there is no need to change the locking structure of the block. Even if the first side wall portion is arranged at a location related to the engagement between the block and the case, since the first cover is assembled from the bottom wall side (for example, from below), it can be used as it is without changing the locking structure of the block. Therefore, the block can be used in a general-purpose manner. Thus, the electrical connection box of the present invention can reduce the load of design changes accompanying the change in the arrangement of the outlet.

[0010] Furthermore, as another effect, when assembling the first cover to the second cover from the bottom wall side (for example, from below), the operator can assemble the first cover to the second cover by applying a force to press the first cover in the assembling direction (for example, upward) against a part of the bottom wall (the first bottom wall portion). Therefore, the assembling work is easier compared to the conventional electrical connection box, and it is possible to suppress the unintentional separation between the first cover and the second cover by firmly engaging the first cover and the second cover.

[0011] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an electrical connection box 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The electrical connection box 1 is typically a relay box that is attached to a vehicle frame or the like and houses electronic components such as relays.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electrical connection box 1 is a box-shaped body including a block 10 to which electronic components (and other components) such as relays are to be attached, and a case 20 that houses the block 10. The case 20 is configured by assembling a side cover 50 to a case body 30. Each of the block 10, the case body 30, and the side cover 50 is a resin molded product. The side cover 50 corresponds to the "first cover" of the present invention, and the case body 30 corresponds to the "second cover" of the present invention.

[0015] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" are defined. The "front-rear direction", the "left-right direction", and the "upper-lower direction" are orthogonal to each other. The "upper-lower direction" corresponds to the up-down direction of the vehicle in a state where the electrical connection box 1 is mounted on the vehicle. The "front-rear direction" and the "left-right direction" do not necessarily correspond to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the vehicle in a state where the electrical connection box 1 is mounted on the vehicle. Hereinafter, the configurations of the respective members constituting the electrical connection box 1 will be described in order.

[0016] First, the block 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the block 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction. Inside the block 10, a plurality of accommodating portions 11 for accommodating electronic components (and other components) such as relays are provided. As wires connected to the electronic components accommodated in the accommodating portion 11, for example, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, a wire w1 that has only one end side connected to the electronic component and hangs down from the block 10, and a wire w2 that has one end side connected to one electronic component and the other end side connected to another electronic component and hangs down from the block 10 in a loop shape are assumed.

[0017] On the outer surface of the side wall of block 10, locking portions 12 are respectively provided at a plurality of locations (in this example, nine locations) in the circumferential direction of block 10 (orthogonal to the vertical direction and along the outer surface of the side wall of block 10) (see also Fig. 4(a)). In the state where block 10 is completely assembled to case body 30 (see Fig. 1 etc.), the plurality of locking portions 12 will respectively engage with a plurality of locked portions 43 (see Figs. 2 and 4(b)) provided on case body 30, which will be described later.

[0018] Next, case 20 will be described. As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, case 20 has a substantially rectangular cylindrical side wall 21 extending in the vertical direction, a bottom wall 22 closing the lower end opening of side wall 21, and an outlet 23 communicating the inside and outside of case 20. Side wall 21 has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of block 10 and defines an internal space for accommodating block 10. Block 10 will be accommodated in the internal space of side wall 21 through the upper end opening of case 20 from above. In this example, outlet 23 has a substantially cylindrical shape extending outward obliquely downward to the right from a position in front of the center in the front-rear direction among the front-rear direction extending corners where the right side wall extending in the front-rear direction of side wall 21 and bottom wall 22 intersect. A wire bundle W (see Fig. 1), which is a collection of a plurality of electric wires w1 (see Fig. 2) extending so as to hang down from block 10, is inserted through outlet 23 and will be drawn out from the inside of case 20 to the outside. Each of side wall 21, bottom wall 22, and outlet 23 of case 20 described above is constituted by assembling side cover 50 to case body 30 (details will be described later).

[0019] Next, the case body 30 that forms part of the case 20 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the case body 30 has a substantially rectangular cylindrical side wall 31 extending in the vertical direction and a bottom wall 32 closing the lower end opening of the side wall 31, and is a box-shaped body with an open upper end. In the substantially rectangular cylindrical side wall 31, an opening 33 is formed that penetrates in the vertical direction and extends in the vertical direction such that a "substantially L-shaped portion" as viewed from the vertical direction, including the entire front and right corner portions extending in the vertical direction, is cut out (see also FIG. 4(b)). Further, in the bottom wall 32, an opening 34 is formed that is continuous with the opening 33 and extends rearward such that a "substantially rectangular portion" as viewed from the vertical direction, which extends rearward continuously from the opening 33, is cut out (see also FIG. 4(b)). The side wall 31 is the portion of the side wall 21 of the case 20 excluding the above-mentioned "substantially L-shaped portion" and constitutes a part of the side wall 21 of the case 20. The bottom wall 32 is the portion of the bottom wall 22 of the case 20 excluding the above-mentioned "substantially rectangular portion" and constitutes a part of the bottom wall 22 of the case 20. By assembling the side cover 50 to the case body 30, the above-mentioned "substantially L-shaped portion" in the side wall 31 of the case body 30 is complemented by a side wall 51 (see FIGS. 2 and 3, etc.) of the side cover 50 to close the opening 33, and the above-mentioned "substantially rectangular portion" in the bottom wall 32 of the case body 30 is complemented by a bottom wall 52 (see FIGS. 2 and 3, etc.) of the side cover 50 to close the opening 34.

[0020] On a pair of side edges 35 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) extending in the vertical direction of the opening 33, an uneven shape is formed that depresses or protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and extends in the vertical direction (see FIG. 7). By assembling the side cover 50 to the case body 30, the uneven shape of the pair of side edges 35 will be fitted with the uneven shape of a pair of side edges 54 (see FIGS. 3 and 7) of the side cover 50 to be described later.

[0021] On the side edge 36 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that extends in a substantially L shape when viewed from the vertical direction of the opening 34, there is formed an uneven shape that is recessed or protruded in the vertical direction and extends in a substantially L shape when viewed from the vertical direction (see FIG. 8). By assembling the side cover 50 to the case body 30, the uneven shape of the side edge 36 will be fitted with the uneven shape of a side edge 55 (see FIGS. 3 and 8) of the side cover 50 described later.

[0022] At the lower end portion on the front side from the center in the front-rear direction of the right side wall that extends in the front-rear direction of the side wall 31 (at a position adjacent to the rear side of the side edge 35 on the right rear side of the opening 33), there is formed an upper lead-out port portion 37 that extends so as to protrude outward diagonally downward to the right. Most of the upper lead-out port portion 37 has a semi-cylindrical shape that protrudes upward. The upper lead-out port portion 37 is the portion excluding the "semi-cylindrical portion that protrudes downward" at the lead-out port 23 of the case 20 and constitutes a part of the lead-out port 23 of the case 20. By assembling the side cover 50 to the case body 30, the above-mentioned "semi-cylindrical portion that protrudes downward" will be complemented by a lower lead-out port portion 53 (see FIG. 3 etc.) of the side cover 50.

[0023] At positions near the upper end portions of the pair of side edges 35 of the opening 33 on the side wall 31, a pair of locked portions 38 are provided (see FIGS. 2 and 3). By assembling the side cover 50 to the case body 30, the locked portions 38 will engage with a pair of locking portions 56 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the side cover 50.

[0024] On the outer surface of the side wall 31, mounting portions 39, 41, and 42 are respectively provided at a plurality of locations (in this example, three locations) in the circumferential direction of the side wall 31 (a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and along the outer surface of the side wall 31) (see FIGS. 1 and 2 etc.). When the electrical connection box 1 is mounted on a vehicle, by fixing the mounting portions 39, 41, and 42 to the vehicle frame or the like by means such as fastening or engagement, the electrical connection box 1 will be fixed to the vehicle frame or the like.

[0025] On the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 31, corresponding to a plurality (nine in this example) of lock portions 12 of the block 10, locked portions 43 are respectively provided at a plurality of locations (eight in this example) in the circumferential direction of the side wall 31 (see FIGS. 2 and 4(b)). By assembling the side cover 50 to the case body 30, eight of the nine lock portions 12 provided on the block  10, excluding the lock portion 12a (see FIGS. 2 and 4(a)), are respectively engaged with the eight locked portions 43 provided on the side wall 31, and the lock portion 12a will be engaged with a locked portion (not shown) provided on the side wall 51 of the side cover 50. Among the eight locked portions 43 provided on the side wall 31, the locked portion 43a (see FIG. 4(b)) is arranged at a position overlapping with the upper outlet portion 37 in the vertical direction (the accommodation direction in which the block 10 is accommodated in the case body 30), that is, at a position corresponding to the position where the upper outlet portion 37 is provided in the circumferential direction of the side wall 31.

[0026] Next, the side cover 50 which forms another part of the case 20 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the side cover 50 has a side wall 51, a lower outlet portion 53, and a bottom wall 52 that connects the side wall 51 and the lower outlet portion 53. The side wall 51 has a substantially L-shaped shape when viewed in the vertical direction and extends in the vertical direction corresponding to the above-mentioned "substantially L-shaped portion" notched in the side wall 31 of the case body 30. The bottom wall 52 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that extends rearward from the lower end portion of the side wall 51 corresponding to the above-mentioned "substantially rectangular portion" notched in the bottom wall 32 of the case body 30. The lower outlet portion 53 has a semi-cylindrical shape that protrudes downward and extends so as to protrude obliquely downward to the right from the bottom wall 52 corresponding to the above-mentioned "semi-cylindrical portion protruding downward" in the outlet 23 of the case 20. The side wall 51 is a portion of the side wall 21 of the case 20 excluding the portion occupied by the side wall 31 of the case body 30, and forms another part of the side wall 21 of the case 20. The bottom wall 52 is a portion of the bottom wall 22 of the case 20 excluding the portion occupied by the bottom wall 32 of the case body 30, and forms another part of the bottom wall 22 of the case 20. The lower outlet portion 53 is a portion of the outlet 23 of the case 20 excluding the portion occupied by the upper outlet portion 37 of the case body 30, and forms another part of the outlet 23 of the case 20. As described above, a locked portion (not shown) that engages with the lock portion 12a (see FIG. 4(a)) of the block 10 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 51.

[0027] In the side cover 50, due to the structure in which the side wall 51 and the lower outlet portion 53 are connected by the bottom wall 52, as in this example, the side wall 51 that constitutes another part of the side wall 21 of the case 20 and the lower outlet portion 53 that constitutes another part of the outlet 23 of the case 20 can be arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction of the case 20 (a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and along the outer surface of the side wall 21). Therefore, in the circumferential direction of the case 20, regardless of the position of the lower outlet portion 53 (i.e., the outlet 23), the side wall 51 can be arranged at any of a location not related to the engagement between the block 10 and the case 20 (i.e., a location where the locking portion 12 of the block 10 is not provided) and a location related to the engagement between the block 10 and the case 20 (i.e., a location where the locking portion 12 of the block 10 is provided). In this example, in the circumferential direction of the case 20, the side wall 51 is arranged at a location related to the engagement between the block 10 and the case 20 (specifically, a location where the locking portion 12a of the block 10 and the locked portion of the side cover 50 are provided).

[0028] On a pair of side edges 54 extending in the vertical direction of the side wall 51 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), an uneven shape that depresses or protrudes in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and extends in the vertical direction is formed corresponding to the uneven shape of a pair of side edges 35 of the case body 30 (see FIG. 7). On a side edge 55 (see FIG. 3) that extends in a substantially L shape when viewed from the vertical direction of the bottom wall 52, an uneven shape that depresses or protrudes in the vertical direction and extends in a substantially L shape when viewed from the vertical direction is formed corresponding to the uneven shape of the side edge 36 of the case body 30 (see FIG. 8). At the upper end portions of the pair of side edges 54 in the side wall 51, a pair of locking portions 56 are provided corresponding to a pair of locked portions 38 of the case body 30 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The configurations of the respective members constituting the electrical connection box 1 have been described above.

[0029] Next, the assembly procedure of the electrical connection box 1 will be described. To assemble the electrical connection box 1, first, the block 10 is assembled to the case body 30, and then the side cover 50 is assembled to the case body 30.

[0030] In order to assemble the block 10 to the case body 30, first, a plurality of electronic components (and other components) are respectively accommodated in a plurality of accommodating portions 11 of the block 10, and corresponding electric wires are respectively connected to each of the electronic components accommodated in the accommodating portion 11. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, a state is obtained in which a plurality of electric wires w1 and a plurality of electric wires w2 hang down from the block 10. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, from the state in which the block 10 and the case body 30 are arranged such that the block 10 is positioned above the case body 30, the block 10 and the case body 30 are brought closer to each other in the vertical direction, so that the block 10 is accommodated in the internal space of the case body 30, and a plurality of electric wires w1 and a plurality of electric wires w2 hanging down from the block 10 are accommodated in the internal space of the case body 30, the block 10 is assembled to the case body 30. In a state where the assembly of the block 10 to the case body 30 is completed, among the nine locking portions 12 provided on the block 10, eight locking portions 12 excluding the locking portion 12a (see FIGS. 2 and 4(a)) are respectively engaged with eight locked portions 43 provided on the side wall 31 of the case body 30. By the engagement between the locking portion 12 of the block 10 and the locked portion 43 of the case body 30, upward dropping (separation) of the block 10 from the case body 30 is prevented.

[0031] When the assembly of the case body 30 of the block 10 is completed, the side cover 50 is then assembled to the case body 30. Specifically, first, the wire bundle W (see Fig. 1) formed by gathering a plurality of wires w1 hanging down from the block 10 is fixed to the upper outlet portion 37 by a tie band or the like so that the wire bundle W does not separate from the inner surface (lower surface) of the upper outlet portion 37 of the case body 30. Further, a rubber packing 60 (see Fig. 9) extending in a substantially L shape when viewed from the vertical direction is placed in the concave portion 55a (see Fig. 9) of the concave and convex shape of the side edge 55 of the side cover 50 corresponding to the concave portion 55a extending in a substantially L shape when viewed from the vertical direction. Next, as shown in Fig. 2, from the state where the side cover 50 and the case body 30 are arranged so that the side cover 50 is positioned below the case body 30, by bringing the side cover 50 and the case body 30 closer to each other in the vertical direction, the concave and convex shapes of the pair of side edges 54 of the side cover 50 and the concave and convex shapes of the pair of side edges 35 of the case body 30 are fitted to each other, and the side cover 50 is assembled to the case body 30 so that the concave and convex shapes of the side edge 55 of the side cover 50 and the concave and convex shapes of the side edge 36 of the case body 30 are fitted to each other.

[0032] When assembling the side cover 50 to the case body 30, the operator can perform the assembly work while visually checking from an obliquely upward direction until immediately before the assembly is completed (until immediately before the opening 33 is completely closed) to ensure that the wires w1, w2 hanging down from the block 10 in the internal space of the case body 30 do not get caught in the boundary portion between the side cover 50 and the case body 30 during the process in which the side cover 50 moves relatively upward with respect to the case body 30 (i.e., the process in which the opening 33 is gradually blocked from below), as indicated by the white arrow in Fig. 5. Further, the operator can easily assemble the side cover 50 to the case body 30 by applying an upward force to the flat bottom wall 52 of the side cover 50.

[0033] When the assembly of the side cover 50 to the case body 30 is completed, the openings 33 and 34 of the case body 30 are blocked by the side wall 51 and the bottom wall 52 of the side cover 50 respectively, and the upper outlet portion 37 of the case body 30 and the lower outlet portion 53 of the side cover 50 are vertically aligned so as to sandwich the wire bundle W. As a result, the side wall 21, the bottom wall 22, and the outlet 23 of the case 20 are respectively formed, thereby forming the case 20 and completing the assembly of the electrical connection box 1.

[0034] In the state where the assembly of the electrical connection box 1 is completed, the wire bundle W is drawn out from the inside of the case 20 to the outside through the outlet 23 of the case 20 (see FIG. 1). A pair of locking portions 56 of the side cover 50 are engaged with a pair of locked portions 38 of the case body 30. The engagement between the locking portion 56 and the locked portion 38 prevents the side cover 50 from dropping (separating) downward from the case body 30. A locking portion 12a provided on the block 10 (see FIGS. 2 and 4(a)) is engaged with a locked portion (not shown) provided on the side wall 51 of the side cover 50. The engagement between the locking portion 12a of the block 10 and the locked portion of the side cover 50 prevents the block 10 from dropping (separating) upward from the side cover 50 (i.e., the case 20).

[0035] Furthermore, the concavo-convex shapes of the pair of side edges 54 of the side cover 50 and the concavo-convex shapes of the pair of side edges 35 of the case body 30 are fitted to each other, and the concavo-convex shapes of the side edge 55 of the side cover 50 and the concavo-convex shapes of the side edge 36 of the case body 30 are fitted to each other, so that the boundary portion between the side cover 50 and the case body 30 is fitted by the concavo-convex fitting structure (see FIGS. 7 and 8). Thereby, the water-stopping property of the boundary portion between the side cover 50 and the case body 30 is improved. Furthermore, a packing 60 is pressed and clamped between the concave portion 55a in the concavo-convex shape of the side edge 55 of the side cover 50 and the convex portion 36a in the concavo-convex shape of the side edge 36 of the case body 30 (see FIG. 9). Thereby, the packing 60 is added to the concavo-convex fitting structure of the boundary portion between the bottom wall 52 of the side cover 50 and the bottom wall 32 of the case body 30, so that the water-stopping property can be further enhanced at the bottom wall 22 of the case 20 where there is a relatively high possibility of being flooded during the use of the electrical connection box 1.

[0036] <Function and Effect> According to the electrical connection box 1 according to the present embodiment, the side cover 50 constituting the case 20 includes a lower outlet portion 53 that is a part where the outlet opening 23 of the case 20 is divided into a plurality of parts, a side wall 51 that is a part where the side wall 21 of the case 20 is divided into a plurality of parts, and a bottom wall 52 that is a part where the bottom wall 22 of the case 20 is divided into a plurality of parts and connects the lower outlet portion 53 and the side wall 51. Thereby, a part (lower outlet portion 53) of the outlet opening 23 of the case 20 and a part (side wall 51) of the side wall 21 of the case 20 can be arranged at different positions. Therefore, regardless of the arrangement of the outlet opening 23, the side wall 51 can be arranged at any of a location where there is no relation to the engagement between the block 10 and the case 20 (i.e., a location where the locking portion 12 of the block 10 is not provided) and a location related to the engagement between the block 10 and the case 20 (i.e., a location where the locking portion 12 of the block 10 is provided). Therefore, unlike the conventional electrical connection box described above, when changing the arrangement of the outlet opening 23, it is not necessary to change the locking portion 12 of the block 10, so that the block 10 can be used generically. Thus, the electrical connection box 1 according to the present embodiment can reduce the load of design changes accompanying the change in the arrangement of the outlet opening 23.

[0037] Furthermore, when assembling the side cover 50 to the case body 30 from the bottom wall 52 side, the operator can assemble the side cover 50 to the case body 30 by applying an assembling force (specifically, an upward force) to a part (bottom wall 52) of the bottom wall 22 of the case 20. Therefore, the assembling work is easier compared with the conventional electrical connection box, and unintentional separation between the side cover 50 and the case body 30 can be suppressed by firmly engaging and assembling the side cover 50 and the case body 30.

[0038] Furthermore, the boundary portion between the side cover 50 and the case body 30 is fitted by an uneven fitting structure. Thereby, the water tightness of the boundary portion between the side cover 50 and the case body 30 can be enhanced.

[0039] Furthermore, a packing 60 (see FIG. 9) is added to the uneven fitting structure between the bottom wall 52 of the side cover 50 and the bottom wall 32 of the case body 30. Thereby, water tightness can be further enhanced in the bottom wall 22 of the case 20 where the possibility of being watered during use of the electrical connection box 1 is relatively high.

[0040] Furthermore, the case body 30 constituting the case 20 has a locked portion 43a (see FIG. 4(b)) for locking the block 10 to the case 20 at a position overlapping with a part (upper lead-out port portion 37) of the lead-out port 23 in the accommodation direction (vertical direction) of the block 10 on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 31. Thus, regardless of the arrangement of the lead-out port 23, the locked portion 43 can be arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 21 of the case 20.

[0041] <Other aspects> Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

[0042] In the above-described embodiment, in the circumferential direction of the case 20, the side wall 51 of the side cover 50 is disposed at a location related to the engagement between the block 10 and the case 20 (specifically, at the location where the locking portion 12a of the block 10 and the locked portion of the side cover 50 are provided). On the other hand, while omitting the locked portion of the side cover 50, in the circumferential direction of the case 20, the side wall 51 of the side cover 50 may be disposed at a location not related to the engagement between the block 10 and the case 20 (that is, at a location where the locking portion 12 of the block 10 and the locked portion 43 of the case main body 30 are not provided).

[0043] Here, the features of the embodiment of the electrical connection box 1 according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed as follows [1] to [4].

[0044] [1] An electrical connection box (1) comprising a block (10) to which an electronic component can be attached and a case (20) for housing the block (10), wherein the case (20) has a cylindrical side wall (21) and a bottom wall (22) that define a space for housing the block (10), and an outlet (23) through which an electric wire (W) connected to the electronic component can be inserted into and out of the space, and a first cover (50) having a first outlet portion (53) that is a part of the outlet (23) divided into a plurality of parts, a first side wall portion (51) that is a part of the side wall (21) divided into a plurality of parts, and a first bottom wall portion (52) that is a part of the bottom wall (22) divided into a plurality of parts and connects the first outlet portion (53) and the first side wall portion (51), and a second cover (30) having a second outlet portion (37) that is another part of the outlet (23), a second side wall portion (31) that is another part of the side wall (21) into which the first side wall portion (51) is fitted, and a second bottom wall portion (32) that is another part of the bottom wall (22) into which the first bottom wall portion (52) is fitted. Electrical connection box (1).

[0045] According to the electrical connection box having the configuration of [1] above, the first cover (for example, the side cover) constituting the case includes a first lead-out port portion which is a part where the lead-out port of the case is divided into a plurality of parts, a first side wall portion which is a part where the side wall of the case is divided into a plurality of parts, and a first bottom wall portion which is a part where the bottom wall of the case is divided into a plurality of parts and connects the first lead-out port portion and the first side wall portion. Thereby, a part of the lead-out port of the case (the first lead-out port portion) and a part of the side wall of the case (the first side wall portion) can be arranged at positions separated from each other via the bottom wall of the case. Therefore, regardless of the arrangement of the lead-out port, the first side wall portion can be arranged at a location where there is no relation to the engagement between the block and the case (for example, a location without a portion to be locked), and also at a location related to the engagement between the block and the case (for example, a location where a portion to be locked should be provided). Further, since the first lead-out port portion and the first side wall portion are connected by a part of the bottom wall of the case (the first bottom wall portion), when assembling the first cover to the second cover, the first cover will be assembled to the second cover from the bottom wall side (for example, from below). Therefore, different from the conventional electrical connection box, when changing the arrangement of the lead-out port, it is not necessary to change the locking structure of the block. Specifically, if the first side wall portion is arranged at a location where there is no relation to the engagement between the block and the case, there is no need to change the locking structure of the block. Even if the first side wall portion is arranged at a location related to the engagement between the block and the case, since the first cover is assembled from the bottom wall side (for example, from below), it can be used as it is without changing the locking structure of the block. Therefore, the block can be used in a general-purpose manner. Thus, the electrical connection box of this configuration can reduce the load of design changes accompanying the change in the arrangement of the lead-out port.

[0046] Furthermore, as another effect, when assembling the first cover to the second cover from the bottom wall side (for example, from below), the operator can assemble the first cover to the second cover by applying a force to press the first cover in the assembling direction (for example, upward) against a part of the bottom wall (the first bottom wall portion). Therefore, the assembling work is easier compared to the conventional electrical connection box, and the unintended separation between the first cover and the second cover can be suppressed by firmly engaging the first cover and the second cover.

[0047] [2] In the electrical connection box (1) described in [1] above, the first cover (50) and the second cover (30) have a concavo-convex fitting structure in which a convex portion of one of the first cover (50) and the second cover (30) is fitted with a concave portion of the other. Electrical connection box (1).

[0048] According to the electrical connection box having the configuration of [2] above, the first cover and the second cover are fitted to each other by a concavo-convex fitting structure at their boundary portion. Thereby, the water-stopping property of the boundary portion between the first cover and the second cover can be enhanced.

[0049] [3] The electrical connection box (1) described in [2] above, further includes a water-stopping component (60) disposed so as to be sandwiched between a convex portion (36a) provided on one of the first bottom wall portion (52) and the second bottom wall portion (32) and a concave portion (55a) provided on the other. Electrical connection box (1).

[0050] According to the electrical connection box having the configuration of [3] above, a water-stopping component (for example, a packing) is added to the concavo-convex fitting structure between the first bottom wall portion of the first cover and the second bottom wall portion of the second cover. Thereby, the water-stopping property can be further enhanced at the bottom wall in a case where there is a relatively high possibility of being wetted during the use of the electrical connection box.

[0051] [4] In the electrical connection box (1) described in [1] above, the second cover (30) has a locking portion (43a) for locking the block (10) to the case (20) at a position overlapping the second lead-out portion (37) in the accommodation direction for accommodating the block (10) in the space on the inner peripheral surface of the second side wall portion (31). Electrical connection box (1).

[0052] According to the electrical connection box having the configuration of [4] above, the second cover of the case has a locking portion (for example, the above-described blocked portion) for locking the block to the case at a position overlapping a part (second lead-out portion) of the lead-out port in the accommodation direction of the block on the inner peripheral surface of the second side wall portion. As described above, this position is a location where it was difficult to arrange the locking portion in a conventional electrical connection box. Thus, in the electrical connection box of this configuration, the locking portion can be arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall of the case regardless of the arrangement of the lead-out port.

Explanation of Signs

[0053] 1 Electrical connection box 10 Block 20 Case 21 Side wall 22 Bottom wall 23 Lead-out port 30 Case body (second cover) 31 Side wall (second side wall portion) 32 Bottom wall (second bottom wall portion) 36a Protrusion 37 Upper lead-out portion (second lead-out portion) 43a Blocked portion (locking portion)[[ID=3,0]] 50 Side cover (first cover) 51 Side wall (first side wall portion) 52 Bottom wall (first bottom wall portion) 53 Lower lead-out portion (first lead-out portion) 55a Recess 60 Packing (water-stopping component)

Claims

1. An electrical connection box comprising a block to which an electronic component can be attached and a case for housing the block, wherein the case has a cylindrical side wall and a bottom wall that define a space for housing the block, and an outlet through which an electric wire connected to the electronic component can be inserted into and out of the space, a first cover having a first outlet part that is a part of the outlet divided into a plurality of parts, a first side wall part that is a part of the side wall divided into a plurality of parts, and a first bottom wall part that is a part of the bottom wall divided into a plurality of parts and connects the first outlet part and the first side wall part, and a second cover having a second outlet part that is another part of the outlet, a second side wall part that is another part of the side wall into which the first side wall part is fitted, and a second bottom wall part that is another part of the bottom wall into which the first bottom wall part is fitted. Electrical connection box.

2. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the first cover and the second cover have a concave-convex fitting structure in which a convex part of one of the first cover and the second cover is fitted with a concave part of the other. Electrical connection box.

3. The electrical connection box according to claim 2, further comprising a water-stop component disposed so as to be sandwiched between the convex part provided on one of the first bottom wall part and the second bottom wall part and the concave part provided on the other. Electrical connection box.

4. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the second cover has a locking part for locking the block to the case at a position overlapping the second outlet part in the accommodation direction of the block in the space on the inner peripheral surface of the second side wall part. Electrical connection box.

Images