Electric connection box

Abstract

To provide an electric connection box in which stable electric connection can be obtained using the same connection box body irrespective of the specifications or destination.SOLUTION: An electric connection box is provided with a base substrate 50 and a connection box body 10 having an accommodation space S accommodating at least the base substrate 50. The connection box body 10 is provided with an upper case 20 and a lower case 30. A direction in which the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 are assembled is a height direction H. The upper case 20 is provided with a tuning fork connection portion 24 and a pin terminal connection portion 25 to be connected with connectors that are connected from the outside, and the base substrate 50 is disposed in the upper case. The accommodation space S is provided with a base accommodation space S1 accommodating the base substrate 50, and a selective accommodation space S2 capable of selectively accommodating at least one of an additional substrate 90 and a spacer 40. At least one of the additional substrate 90 and the spacer 40 is selected and accommodated in the selective accommodation space S2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical junction box that houses, for example, a circuit board therein. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Electrical connection boxes such as junction boxes and relay boxes mounted on vehicles house a circuit board on which electronic components and electronic control circuits are mounted inside the box-shaped connection box body. Even for the same vehicle model, as the number of electronic devices installed increases depending on the specifications and destination, the number of circuit boards accommodated also tends to increase.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical junction box in which multiple circuit boards are stacked and housed in a housing space formed inside the junction box body. Conventionally, junction box bodies have been designed to match the number of circuit boards to be housed in the junction box body, and even with the junction box body disclosed in Patent Document 1, it was necessary to create a new junction box body for each specification and destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-27785 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical junction box that can provide stable electrical connections using the same junction box body regardless of specifications or destination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This invention is characterized in that it comprises a base substrate and a connection box main body having an accommodation space for accommodating at least the base substrate, the connection box main body having a first case and a second case that are assembled to each other to form the accommodation space inside, the direction in which the first case and the second case are assembled being the assembly direction, the first case having a connector connection portion that is connected to a connector that is connected from the outside, and the base substrate being arranged, the accommodation space having a base accommodation portion that accommodates the base substrate, and a selective accommodation portion that can selectively accommodate at least one of an additional substrate and a spacer by stacking them on the second case side of the base substrate in the assembly direction, and at least one of the additional substrate and the spacer being selected and accommodated in the selective accommodation portion.

[0007] The base substrate and the additional substrate may be of any shape, including a printed circuit board or a printed circuit board with electronic components such as bus bars, relays, and fuses attached to one or both sides of the printed circuit board. The additional substrate may be singular or plural. An insulator may be disposed between the base substrate and the additional substrate, or between the additional substrates, i.e., between the printed circuit boards.

[0008] The junction box body may be a two-component structure consisting of an upper case and a lower case, or a three-component structure consisting of an upper case, a center case, and a lower case. For example, if the junction box body is a two-component structure, the first case may be one of the lower case and the upper case, and the second case may be the other of the lower case and the upper case. Also, if the junction box body is a three-component structure, as in the two-component structure, the first case may be one of the lower case and the upper case, and the second case may be the other of the lower case and the upper case, and the center case may be assembled to either the lower case or the upper case that constitutes the first case or the second case.

[0009] The above-mentioned case in which the base substrate is arranged in the first case includes a case in which the base substrate is arranged at the end of the first case on the side of the second case, and a case in which the base substrate is housed inside the first case.

[0010] Furthermore, the spacer may be provided in one or more numbers. When the spacer is provided in multiple numbers, the spacers may be the same or may have different shapes. The shape of the spacer is not important.

[0011] The above-mentioned selective storage section being configured to select and store at least one of the additional substrate and the spacer includes a state in which the additional substrate or the spacer is stacked on the base substrate, a state in which the additional substrate is stacked on the base substrate and the spacer is further arranged on the side of the second case, a state in which the spacer is arranged between the additional substrates stacked on the base substrate, a state in which the additional substrate is arranged between a plurality of the spacers stacked on the base substrate, or a state in which a plurality of the spacers and the additional substrates are stacked alternately on the base substrate.

[0012] When the spacer is arranged in the selective accommodation section, a gap may be formed to the extent that the base substrate, the additional substrate, etc. are deformed and come into contact with the spacer when a load in the assembly direction is applied, or the base substrate, the additional substrate, etc. may come into contact with the spacer when the spacer is arranged. Note that deformation refers to minute distortion caused by the application of a load, and is to be distinguished from deflection, which refers to distortion that impairs the function of the base substrate, the spacer, or the additional substrate.

[0013] Furthermore, when multiple spacers are arranged adjacent to each other in the selective storage section, the spacers may deform when a load is applied in the assembly direction, leaving a gap large enough for the spacers to abut against each other, or the spacers may abut against each other when they are arranged.

[0014] According to the present invention, the electrical junction box can provide stable electrical connections regardless of the specifications or destination. In more detail, the electrical connection box comprises a base substrate and a connection box main body having an accommodation space for accommodating at least the base substrate, the connection box main body having a first case and a second case, the direction in which the first case and the second case are assembled being the assembly direction, the first case and the second case being assembled to each other in the assembly direction to form the accommodation space inside, the base substrate being disposed in the first case, and the first case being provided with a connector connection portion which is connected to a connector connected from outside the connection box main body.

[0015] Even for the same vehicle model, the boards accommodated in the storage space will differ depending on the specifications and destination. For example, if a vehicle is designed to accommodate only a base board and a connection box body is used for specifications and destinations that accommodate multiple additional boards, the space in the storage space between the base board and the second case that previously accommodated the additional boards will become empty space.

[0016] If there is empty space, when connecting a connector from outside, a load will act on the board in the assembly direction, causing the base board to bend, resulting in poor contact and potentially impairing connection stability. Note that the empty space is the space in the housing space that can accommodate additional boards, etc., and does not include small gaps between adjacent items in the assembly direction, such as the base board, additional board, and spacers.

[0017] The housing space is provided with a base housing portion that houses the base substrate, and a selective housing portion that can selectively house at least one of an additional substrate and a spacer by stacking them on the base substrate in the assembly direction. Therefore, the connection box body can selectively house at least one of an additional substrate and a spacer in the selective housing portion in the housing space.

[0018] This allows the storage space of the connection box body to accommodate at least one of the selected additional board and spacer, and the base board, making it possible to accommodate any specifications or destinations, such as specifications or destinations for accommodating a base board and spacer, specifications or destinations for accommodating a base board and additional board, or specifications or destinations for accommodating a base board, additional board, and spacer.

[0019] In an electrical junction box equipped with such a selective accommodating section, the base board is accommodated in the base accommodating section, and at least one of additional boards and spacers is selected and accommodated in the accommodating space in the selective accommodating section. In other words, the number of additional boards and spacers that can be accommodated in the selective accommodating section matches the selected number of additional boards and spacers.

[0020] This prevents empty spaces from being created in the selected storage space due to the selection and storage of neither an additional board nor a spacer. In other words, because the selected additional board or at least one of the spacers and the base board and other storage items are stacked in the assembly direction, even if a load acts in the assembly direction when the connector is connected to the connector connection part, the applied load can be transmitted in the assembly direction between the stacked storage items, preventing significant deformation of each storage item. This prevents the base board and additional board from bending, ensuring a stable electrical connection. In other words, it is not necessary to provide a connection box body for each specification or destination, but the same connection box body can be used to obtain a stable electrical connection state even if the specifications or destination are different.

[0021] In one aspect of the present invention, the selective storage section may include a first selective storage section arranged on the side of the base storage section and selectively storing one of a first additional substrate and the spacer, and a second selective storage section arranged on the side of the second case and selectively storing one of a second additional substrate and the spacer, wherein the first selective storage section selectively stores one of the first additional substrate and the spacer, and the second selective storage section selectively stores one of the second additional substrate and the spacer.

[0022] The above-mentioned "one of the first additional substrate and the spacer being selectively accommodated in the first selective storage unit, and one of the second additional substrate and the spacer being selectively accommodated in the second selective storage unit" includes a case where the spacer is accommodated in the first selective storage unit and the second selective storage unit, a case where the first additional substrate is accommodated in the first selective storage unit and the second additional substrate is accommodated in the second selective storage unit, a case where the first additional substrate is accommodated in the first selective storage unit and the spacer is accommodated in the second selective storage unit, or a case where a spacer is accommodated in the first selective storage unit and the second additional substrate is accommodated in the second selective storage unit.

[0023] Furthermore, when the spacer is accommodated in the first selective storage section and the second selective storage section, this includes cases where the spacer is accommodated in each of the first selective storage section and the second selective storage section, and cases where one spacer is accommodated across the first selective storage section and the second selective storage section.

[0024] According to this invention, the selective accommodating section has a first selective accommodating section arranged on the side of the base accommodating section and selectively accommodating one of a first additional substrate and the spacer, and a second selective accommodating section arranged on the side of the second case and selectively accommodating one of a second additional substrate and the spacer.

[0025] Therefore, the selective accommodating section can selectively accommodate one of the first additional substrate and the spacer in the first selective accommodating section, and can selectively accommodate one of the second additional substrate and the spacer in the second selective accommodating section. This allows the connection box body to selectively accommodate a base substrate as well as a spacer, a spacer and a second additional substrate, a first additional substrate and a spacer, or a first additional substrate and a second additional substrate.

[0026] Furthermore, since either the first additional substrate or the spacer is selectively accommodated in the first selective accommodation section, and either the second additional substrate or the spacer is selectively accommodated in the second selective accommodation section, no empty space is generated in the accommodation space due to none of the first additional substrate, second additional substrate, or spacer being selected and accommodated.

[0027] As a result, even if a load acts in the assembly direction, the contents are selected and stacked in the assembly direction, so the applied load can be transmitted in the assembly direction between the stacked contents, preventing deformation of each of the contents. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the base substrate and the additional substrate from bending, and to obtain a stable electrical connection.

[0028] In another aspect of the present invention, the spacer may be composed of a substantially rectangular main body and a protrusion that protrudes from the main body toward the second case in the assembly direction, and may be provided with an abutment that can abut against the protrusion on the surface of the second case that faces the spacer in the assembly direction, at a position corresponding to the protrusion in the assembly direction.

[0029] The shape and number of the protruding portions are not important as long as they protrude toward the second case in the assembly direction. The term "able to abut" includes at least the case where the protrusion provided on the spacer abuts the abutment portion when the spacer is accommodated in the selected accommodation portion, and the case where there is a gap large enough to allow the protrusion to abut the abutment portion when the spacer is deformed due to the application of a load in the assembly direction.

[0030] The abutment portion may have any shape as long as it can abut against the protrusion. For example, the abutment portion may be the surface of the second case facing the first case, i.e., the bottom surface of the second case, or may be erected from the bottom surface so as to face the protrusion.

[0031] According to this invention, due to the simple structure in which the second case is provided with an abutment portion that can abut against the protrusion that constitutes the spacer, even if a load acts in the assembly direction, the load is transmitted from the protrusion provided on the spacer to the second case via the abutment portion, thereby preventing the base substrate from bending.

[0032] In more detail, when a load is applied in the assembly direction, the base substrate tends to bend, and as the base substrate deforms, the additional substrate, spacer, etc. deform, and the protrusions abut against the abutment portions. This allows the load in the assembly direction to be transmitted to the second case via the abutment portions, preventing further deformation of the base substrate, additional substrate, spacer, etc. Therefore, bending of the base substrate can be prevented. Furthermore, since the spacer is composed of a main body and a protrusion, it can be made lighter than a roughly rectangular parallelepiped spacer composed only of a main body, and the weight of the entire electrical junction box can also be reduced.

[0033] As another aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the base substrate and the additional substrate may abut against a surface of the main body on the side of the first case. The abutment of the main body with the surface facing the first case in the assembly direction means that the spacer abuts in a state where it is housed in the selective housing portion.

[0034] According to this invention, the base substrate and the additional substrate are accommodated so that at least a portion of the spacer body abuts against a surface facing the first case in the assembly direction. This allows a load acting in the assembly direction to be transmitted from the base substrate to the second case via the additional substrate and the spacer while suppressing deformation of the base substrate and the additional substrate. In other words, bending of the base substrate can be further suppressed.

[0035] In another aspect of the present invention, the base substrate may have electronic components on the side surface of the first case, and the electronic components may be accommodated in the connector connection portion and positioned in a position corresponding to the protrusion and the assembly direction. The electronic components mentioned above include terminals and elements housed in the connector connection portion.

[0036] According to this invention, the protrusions and abutment portions are arranged in a substantially straight line along the assembly direction relative to the portion of the base board that is most likely to bend due to the load acting on it when the connector is connected to the connector connection portion, i.e., the portion where the electronic component to be housed in the connector connection portion is located. This allows the load to be transmitted directly to the second case without unnecessary deformation, thereby suppressing deformation of the base board, additional board, spacer, etc.

[0037] In another aspect of the present invention, the connector connection portion may be a first connector connection portion, the abutment portion may be a second connector connection portion provided on the second case, and the second connector connection portion may be fitted with the protrusion portion.

[0038] According to this invention, an electrical connection box can be provided that can obtain a stable electrical connection using the same connection box body regardless of specifications or destination, without the need to newly provide an abutment portion on the second case. Specifically, in specifications or destinations where an additional board is accommodated on the side of the second case of the selective storage section, the second connector connection section that accommodates the electronic components on the additional board engages with the protrusion of the spacer in specifications or destinations where a spacer is accommodated in the selective storage section, so that an electrical connection box that can achieve stable electrical connection using the same connection box body can be provided.

[0039] Furthermore, the protruding length of the protruding portion can be shortened by the length of the second connector connecting portion that stands upright toward the first case. Furthermore, the second connector connecting portion abuts against the protruding portion of the spacer at a surface, which reduces stress compared to when the same load is transmitted through point contact, preventing stress concentration on the abutting portion of the second connector connecting portion, which is the abutting portion, and preventing damage thereto.

[0040] In another aspect of the present invention, a pin may be provided on either the spacer or the first case, protruding in the assembly direction toward the other of the spacer and the first case, and a pin receiver that engages with the pin may be provided on the other of the spacer and the first case.

[0041] According to this invention, the pins are arranged along the assembly direction in the space between the spacer and the second case where no protrusions are arranged. This allows the pins, together with the protrusions, to support the base substrate, the additional substrate, and the spacer even when a load is applied in the assembly direction, thereby suppressing deformation of these components. Therefore, deflection of the base substrate can be further suppressed.

[0042] In another aspect of the present invention, the first additional substrate is accommodated in the first selective storage section, and one of the second additional substrate and the spacer is selectively accommodated in the second selective storage section, the spacer being composed of a rectangular main body and a protrusion that protrudes from the main body toward the second case in the assembly direction, and the second case may be provided with an abutment that can abut against the protrusion of the second additional substrate or the spacer accommodated in the second selective storage section.

[0043] According to this invention, the abutment portion that can abut against the protrusion of the spacer can abut against the second additional board even when the spacer is not accommodated in the selective accommodation section, so that the load acting in the assembly direction is transmitted from the base board through the first and second additional boards to the second case that has the abutment portion. In other words, even in specifications or destinations where a spacer is not accommodated in the accommodation space, for example, it is possible to provide an electrical junction box that provides stable electrical connection by using the same junction box main body as when a spacer is accommodated.

[0044] In another aspect of the present invention, the spacer is accommodated across the first selective accommodating portion and the second selective accommodating portion, and the spacer is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped main body portion and a protrusion portion that protrudes from the main body portion toward the second case in the assembly direction, and the spacer having the main body portion and the protrusion portion may be formed to a length corresponding to the lengths of the first selective accommodating portion and the second selective accommodating portion in the assembly direction.

[0045] According to this invention, the spacer accommodated across the first selective accommodating portion and the second selective accommodating portion has a protrusion and a main body having lengths corresponding to the lengths of the first selective accommodating portion and the second selective accommodating portion in the assembly direction, which makes it lighter than a rectangular parallelepiped spacer composed only of a main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0046] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrical junction box that can provide stable electrical connections using the same junction box body regardless of specifications or destination. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0047] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] An explanatory diagram of the upper case. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a first additional substrate. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a second additional substrate. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an electrical junction box that houses a base board, a first additional board, and a second additional board. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a process of accommodating a base substrate, a first additional substrate, and a second additional substrate in an accommodating space. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an electrical junction box in which a spacer is accommodated in a second selective accommodating section. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an electrical junction box in which a spacer is accommodated in a second selective accommodating section. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an electrical junction box in which a spacer is accommodated in a first selective accommodating section. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an electrical junction box according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0048] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the electrical junction box 1, Fig. 2 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the electrical junction box 1, Fig. 3 shows an explanatory diagram of the upper case 20, Fig. 4 shows an explanatory diagram of the lower case 30, Fig. 5 shows an explanatory diagram of the junction box main body 10, and Fig. 6 shows an explanatory diagram of the spacer 40. Fig. 7 shows an explanatory diagram of the base substrate 50, Fig. 8 shows an explanatory diagram of the first additional substrate 60, and Fig. 9 shows an explanatory diagram of the second additional substrate 70. Fig. 10 shows an explanatory diagram of the junction box main body 10 in which the base substrate 50, the first additional substrate 60, and the second additional substrate 70 are housed, and Fig. 11 shows an explanatory diagram of the process of housing the base substrate 50, the first additional substrate 60, and the second additional substrate 70 in the housing space S.

[0049] 12 and 13 are explanatory diagrams of the electrical junction box 1 in which the spacer 40 is accommodated in the second selected accommodating space S22, and FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the electrical junction box 1 in which the spacer 40 is accommodated in the first selected accommodating space S21.

[0050] Figures 2 to 14 will be described in detail. Figure 2 illustrates the base substrate 50, first additional substrate 60, and second additional substrate 70 in a stacked orientation, with two spacers 40 shown side by side. However, either the first additional substrate 60 or the spacer 40, or either the second additional substrate 70 or the spacer 40, is accommodated in the selected accommodation space S2 inside the junction box main body 10. Figure 3(a) shows a schematic plan view of the upper case 20, Figure 3(b) shows a schematic bottom view of the upper case 20, and Figure 3(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Figure 3(a). Figure 4(a) shows a schematic plan view of the lower case 30, Figure 4(b) shows a schematic bottom view of the lower case 30, and Figure 4(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Figure 4(a). FIG. 5(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the junction box body 10 corresponding to the cross section seen from the arrow AA in FIG. 3(a), and FIG. 5(b) shows a schematic enlarged view of part a in FIG. 5(a).

[0051] Figure 6(a) shows a schematic plan view of the spacer 40, Figure 6(b) shows a schematic bottom view of the spacer 40, Figure 6(c) shows a schematic side view of the spacer 40, Figure 7(a) shows a schematic plan view of the base substrate 50, Figure 7(b) shows a schematic side view of the base substrate 50, Figure 8(a) shows a schematic plan view of the first additional substrate 60, Figure 8(b) shows a schematic side view of the first additional substrate 60, Figure 9(a) shows a schematic plan view of the second additional substrate 70, Figure 9(b) shows a schematic bottom view of the second additional substrate 70, and Figure 9(c) shows a schematic side view of the second additional substrate 70.

[0052] Fig. 10(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical junction box 1 accommodating the base substrate 50, the first additional substrate 60, and the second additional substrate 70, and Fig. 10(b) is a schematic enlarged view of portion b in Fig. 10(a). Fig. 11(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the upper case 20 during the process of arranging the base substrate 50, Fig. 11(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the upper case 20 after the base substrate 50 has been arranged, Fig. 11(c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lower case 30 during the process of accommodating the first additional substrate 60 and the second additional substrate 70, and Fig. 11(d) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lower case 30 accommodating the first additional substrate 60 and the second additional substrate 70, and Fig. 10(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the upper case 20 during the process of assembling the upper case 20 with the base substrate 50 arranged therein and the lower case 30 with the first additional substrate 60 and the second additional substrate 70 accommodated therein. Figs. 10 and 11 are cross-sections corresponding to the cross-sections taken along arrows AA in Fig. 3(a) and BB in Fig. 4(a).

[0053] FIG. 12(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical junction box 1 in which the first selected accommodating space S21 accommodates a first additional board 60 and the second selected accommodating space S22 accommodates a spacer 40. FIG. 12(b) shows a schematic enlarged view of portion c in FIG. 12(a). FIG. 13(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical junction box 1 in which the first selected accommodating space S21 and the second selected accommodating space S22 accommodate a spacer 40. FIG. 13(b) shows a schematic enlarged view of portion d in FIG. 13(a). FIG. 14(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical junction box 1 in which the first selected accommodating space S21 accommodates a spacer 40 and the second selected accommodating space S22 accommodates a second additional board 70. FIG. 14(b) shows a schematic enlarged view of portion e in FIG. 14(a). Note that FIGS. 12 to 14 correspond to the cross sections taken along arrows AA in FIG. 3(a) and BB in FIG. 4(a).

[0054] For ease of explanation, the up-and-down direction in Fig. 1 is referred to as the height direction H, the direction along the short sides of the generally rectangular electrical junction box 1 in plan view is referred to as the lateral direction W, and the direction along the long sides of the electrical junction box 1 is referred to as the longitudinal direction L. In Fig. 1, the upper side along the height direction H is referred to as the upper side Hu, and the lower side is referred to as the lower side Hd. Similarly, along the lateral direction W, the left side is referred to as the left side Wl, the right side is referred to as the right side Wr, and along the longitudinal direction L, the right side is referred to as the front side La, and the left side is referred to as the rear side Lb. The directions defined in Fig. 1 are also defined in Figs. 2 to 14.

[0055] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electrical connection box 1 is composed of a connection box main body 10 having an internal storage space S, either a first additional board 60 or a spacer 40 housed in the connection box main body 10, either a second additional board 70 or a spacer 40, and a base board 50.

[0056] Furthermore, when at least one of the first additional substrate 60 and the second additional substrate 70 is accommodated, an insulating plate 80 may be accommodated on the upper side Hu of each substrate. Note that when the second additional substrate 70 and the spacer 40 are accommodated, the insulating plate 80 is not necessary.

[0057] The electrical connection box 1 configured in this manner is configured to be electrically connected to an external electrical component by connecting a connector (not shown) provided at one end of a wire harness whose other end is connected to the external electrical component.

[0058] First, we will explain the junction box main body 10. The junction box main body 10, which has an internal storage space S, is composed of an upper case 20 and a lower case 30 made of resin, and is configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by assembling the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 facing each other in the height direction H.

[0059] The upper case 20 is a box-shaped body having an inverted concave cross section in which the base substrate 50 is disposed. In detail, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper case 20 is integrally formed with an upper surface portion 21 having a generally rectangular shape in plan view, an upper side wall portion 22 standing from the outer edge of the upper surface portion 21 toward the downward side Hd, and a cover portion 23 provided circumferentially outward from the outer edge of the upper surface portion 21.

[0060] The upper surface portion 21 is a plate-like body having a predetermined thickness, and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the upper surface portion 21 is provided integrally with a tuning fork connection portion 24 that can accommodate multiple tuning fork terminals 52 (see Figure 7) and a pin terminal connection portion 25 that accommodates pin terminals 53 (see Figure 7).

[0061] The tuning fork connection portion 24 is a terminal accommodating portion that accommodates the tuning fork terminal 52 on the board accommodated in the accommodation space S so that it can be connected to an external connector that is connected from the upper side Hu of the junction box body 10. In detail, the tuning fork connection portion 24 is formed as a wall that penetrates the upper surface portion 21 and protrudes toward the lower side Hd and upper side Hu of the upper surface portion 21, and is erected so as to have an approximately rectangular shape when viewed from above, forming a space inside that can accommodate the tuning fork terminal 52.

[0062] Furthermore, the lower end of the tuning fork connecting portion 24 is formed so as to be located on the upper side Hu than the lower end of the upper sidewall portion 22, as shown in FIG. 3(c). The tuning fork connecting portion 24 thus formed is provided along the longitudinal direction L on the right side Wr of the upper surface portion 21.

[0063] The pin terminal connection portion 25 is a terminal accommodating portion that accommodates the pin terminals 53 on the board accommodated in the accommodation space S so that they can be connected to an external connector that is connected from the upper side Hu of the junction box body 10. In detail, the pin terminal connection portion 25 is formed in the shape of a wall that penetrates the upper surface portion 21 and protrudes toward the lower side Hd and upper side Hu of the upper surface portion 21, and is erected so as to have a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from above, forming a space inside which can accommodate the pin terminal 53.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 3(c), the lower end of pin terminal connection portion 25 is formed so as to be on the upper side Hu than the lower end of tuning fork connection portion 24. The pin terminal connection portion 25 thus formed is provided on the right side Wr of the upper surface portion 21 and on the front side La of the tuning fork connection portion 24.

[0065] The upper side wall portion 22 is a side wall that stands at a predetermined height from the outer edge of the upper surface portion 21 toward the lower side Hd, and is formed with a thickness that is approximately equal to the thickness of the upper surface portion 21. The outer peripheral surface of the upper sidewall portion 22 is provided with a locking claw (not shown) that locks and fixes the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 together when the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 are assembled together.

[0066] The cover portion 23 is a portion that covers the end portion of the upper side Hu of the lower case 30 when the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 are assembled together. The cover portion 23 is formed to be slightly larger than the upper side wall portion 22 in a plan view.

[0067] Such a cover portion 23 is provided around the entire periphery of the upper surface portion 21. That is, the upper side wall portion 22 and the cover portion 23 form a double wall. The upper side wall portion 22 and the surface of the cover portion 23 facing the upper side wall portion 22 are disposed at a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the upper side wall portion 22.

[0068] The lower case 30, which together with the upper case 20 constitutes the junction box main body 10, is a box-shaped member that is concave in cross section and has an opening on the upper side Hu. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the lower case 30 is integrally formed with a bottom surface portion 31 that forms the bottom surface of the junction box main body 10 and a lower side wall portion 32 that stands from the outer edge of the bottom surface portion 31 toward the upper side Hu. An accommodation space S is formed inside the lower case 30.

[0069] The bottom surface portion 31 is a plate-like body formed to be slightly larger than the top surface portion 21 of the upper case 20. Specifically, in plan view, the bottom surface portion 31 is larger than the top surface portion 21 by the thickness of the upper side wall portion 22, and has a plate thickness approximately equal to the thickness of the top surface portion 21.

[0070] The upper side Hu of the bottom surface portion 31 configured in this manner is provided with a cylindrical pin receiving portion 33 and a terminal connecting portion 34 for accommodating a pin terminal. The pin receiving portion 33 has a predetermined outer diameter and a length along the height direction H that is about one-third of the length of the lower side wall portion 32. Such a pin receiving portion 33 is provided in a corner on the left side Wl and rear side Lb.

[0071] The terminal connection portion 34 is a terminal accommodating portion that accommodates terminals 72 (see FIG. 9) on the board accommodated in the accommodation space S so that they can be connected to an external connector that is connected from the lower side Hd of the junction box body 10. In detail, the terminal connection portion 34 is formed as a wall that penetrates the bottom surface portion 31 and protrudes toward the upper side Hu and lower side Hd of the bottom surface portion 31, and is erected so as to be approximately rectangular in plan view, forming a space inside that can accommodate the terminal 72.

[0072] 4(c), the terminal connection portion 34 has a length in the height direction H that is approximately equal to that of the pin receiving portion 33. Three such terminal connection portions 34 are provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction L on the right side Wr of the bottom surface portion 31.

[0073] The lower sidewall 32 is a sidewall that stands from the outer edge of the bottom surface 31 toward the upper side Hu at a height about three times that of the upper sidewall 22, and has a thickness that is approximately equal to the thickness of the bottom surface 31. A locking frame (not shown) that can be locked onto a locking claw provided on the upper case 20 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the lower sidewall 32.

[0074] 5(a) and 5(b), in the accommodating space S formed inside the junction box main body 10 equipped with such an upper case 20 and lower case 30, the portion on the upper side Hu is defined as the base accommodating space S1, and the portion on the lower side Hd below the base accommodating space S1 is defined as the selected accommodating space S2. Furthermore, the portion of the selected accommodating space S2 on the side of the base accommodating space S1 is defined as the first selected accommodating space S21, and the portion on the side of the lower case 30 is defined as the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0075] The base accommodating space S1 is formed to be able to accommodate the base substrate 50. In the electrical junction box 1 of this embodiment, the base substrate 50 is disposed at the lower end of the upper case 20, but it may be accommodated in the base accommodating space S1 inside the upper case 20.

[0076] The selected storage space S2 is formed inside the lower case 30. The boundary between the first selected storage space S21 and the second selected storage space S22 is not uniquely determined, but is determined appropriately depending on the type and shape of the item to be stored in the selected storage space S2.

[0077] Next, the spacer 40 will be described. As shown in Figure 6, the spacer 40 is integrally formed of an approximately rectangular parallelepiped main body 41 arranged on the upper side Hu, three protrusions 42 protruding from the surface of the lower side Hd of the main body 41 toward the lower side Hd, and a cylindrical pin 43 also protruding toward the lower side Hd.

[0078] As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the main body 41 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, has a length approximately equal to the length along the short direction W of the top surface 21 of the upper case 20 and is slightly shorter than the length along the long direction L of the top surface 21, and has a predetermined thickness. The protrusion 42 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with long sides extending along the longitudinal direction L.

[0079] The surface of the protrusion 42 on the lower side Hd is formed to have substantially the same shape in plan view as the terminal connection portion 34. As shown in FIG. 6(c), the protrusion length of the protrusion 42 toward the lower side Hd is formed to be substantially equal to the thickness of the main body portion 41. The protrusion 42 thus formed is disposed on the surface of the lower side Hd of the main body 41 at a position corresponding to the terminal connection portion 34 when the spacer 40 is accommodated in the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0080] The pin 43 has an outer diameter that is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the pin receiving portion 33 and is formed to have a length that is approximately equal to the protruding length of the protruding portion 42. In this way, the height of the spacer 40, which is composed of the main body 41, the protrusion 42, and the pin 43, is formed so that the pin 43 can engage with the pin receiving portion 33 when the spacer 40 is accommodated in the second selected accommodation space S22.

[0081] Next, the base substrate 50, the first additional substrate 60, the second additional substrate 70, and the insulating plate 80 will be described. The base substrate 50 is a so-called printed circuit board, and is composed of a plate-shaped base plate 51, a plurality of tuning fork terminals 52, and pin terminals 53 standing on the front side La of the tuning fork terminals 52.

[0082] The base plate 51 is a printed circuit board made of resin with printed wiring on the upper side Hu, and as shown in Figure 7(a), it is formed in approximately the same shape as the top surface 21 of the upper case 20 when viewed in plan, and has a predetermined thickness.

[0083] 7(b), the tuning fork terminal 52 protrudes from the surface of the upper side Hu of the base plate 51 toward the upper side Hu and has a bifurcated connecting portion. The tuning fork terminal 52 is configured so that its lower end is electrically connected to the conductor wiring provided on the base plate 51 and its connecting portion is electrically connected to a connector that connects from the upper side Hu of the junction box main body 10.

[0084] Such tuning fork terminal 52 is provided on the right side Wr of the base board 51 along the longitudinal direction L. More specifically, tuning fork terminal 52 is provided at a position corresponding to tuning fork connecting portion 24 of upper case 20 when base substrate 50 is accommodated in base accommodating space S1.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 7(b), the pin terminal 53 protrudes from the surface of the upper side Hu of the base plate 51 toward the upper side Hu and has a pin-shaped connecting portion. The pin terminal 53 is configured so that its lower end is electrically connected to the conductive wiring applied to the base plate 51, and its connection portion is electrically connected to a connector that connects from the upper side Hu of the connection box main body 10.

[0086] Such pin terminals 53 are provided on the right side Wr of the electrical junction box 1 and on the front side La of the tuning fork terminal 52. More specifically, the pin terminals 53 are provided at positions corresponding to the pin terminal connection portions 25 of the upper case 20 when the base substrate 50 is accommodated in the base accommodating space S1.

[0087] As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the first additional board 60 is composed of a plate-shaped base plate 61 and a plurality of terminals (not shown) arranged on the upper side Hu of the base plate 61. The base plate 61 is a printed circuit board made of resin with printed wiring on the surface on the upper side Hu, and is formed in substantially the same shape as the spacer 40 in a plan view, and has a predetermined thickness.

[0088] The second additional board 70 is a so-called printed circuit board, and is composed of a plate-shaped base plate 71 and three terminals 72, as shown in FIG. The base plate 71 is a resin printed circuit board with printed wiring on the lower surface Hd, and as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), it is formed in a roughly rectangular shape that is roughly the same shape as the base plate 61 in a plan view, and has a predetermined thickness.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 9(c), the terminal 72 protrudes from the surface of the lower side Hd of the base plate 71 toward the lower side Hd and has a pin-shaped connecting portion. The upper ends of the terminals 72 are electrically connected to the conductor wiring provided on the base plate 71, and are configured to be electrically connected to a connector that connects from the lower side Hd of the junction box body .

[0090] Three such terminals 72 are provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction L on the right side Wr of the base plate 71. More specifically, the terminals 72 are provided at positions corresponding to the terminal connection portions 34 of the lower case 30 when the second additional board 70 is accommodated in the second selected accommodating space S22. The first additional substrate 60 and the second additional substrate 70 are collectively referred to as additional substrate 90.

[0091] The insulating plate 80 is a resin layer that is disposed between the base substrate 50 and the first additional substrate 60 and between the first additional substrate 60 and the second additional substrate 70 to provide electrical insulation, and is formed in approximately the same shape as the base plate 61 in a plan view, and has a predetermined thickness (see Figure 2).

[0092] The electrical junction box 1 in which the above-mentioned base board 50, first additional board 60, second additional board 70 and insulating plate 80 are housed in the housing space S will be described. As shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b), the base substrate 50 is accommodated in the base accommodating space S1, the first additional substrate 60 and the insulating plate 80 are accommodated in the first selected accommodating space S21, and the second additional substrate 70 and the insulating plate 80 are accommodated in the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0093] The selective storage space S2 has a first selective storage space S21 and a second selective storage space S22 in which a first additional substrate 60 and a second additional substrate 70 can be accommodated so as to be stacked in the height direction H relative to the base substrate 50 accommodated in the base storage space S1. In the electric junction box 1 having such an accommodation space S, neither the additional board 90 nor the spacer 40 is selected and accommodated in the selected accommodation space S2, and thus no empty space is generated.

[0094] Next, a method for assembling the above-described electrical junction box 1 will be briefly described with reference to Fig. 11. Note that explanations of the structure and process for fixing the base substrate 50 arranged in the upper case 20, and the structure and process for fixing the first additional substrate 60, the second additional substrate 70, and the spacer 40 housed in the lower case 30 will be omitted.

[0095] First, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the surface of the upper side Hu of the base substrate 50 is opposed to the surface of the lower side Hd of the top surface portion 21 of the upper case 20, and the base substrate 50 and the upper case 20 are moved close to each other.

[0096] As shown in Figure 11(b), the base substrate 50 is accommodated and fixed in the base accommodating space S1 so that the tuning fork terminal 52 of the base substrate 50 is accommodated in the tuning fork connecting portion 24 of the upper case 20 and the pin terminal 53 is accommodated in the pin terminal connecting portion 25.

[0097] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 11(c), the lower side Hd surface of the second additional substrate 70 is opposed to the upper side Hu surface of the bottom portion 31 of the lower case 30, and the second additional substrate 70 is accommodated in the second selected accommodation space S22 inside the lower case 30.

[0098] At this time, the terminals 72 of the second additional board 70 are accommodated in the terminal connection portions 34 of the lower case 30. Next, the insulating plate 80 is accommodated in the second selected accommodation space S22 inside the lower case 30 so that the lower side Hd surface of the insulating plate 80 faces the upper side Hu surface of the base plate 71 of the second additional substrate 70 and is stacked on the second additional substrate 70.

[0099] Next, the lower side Hd surface of the first additional board 60 is opposed to the upper side Hu surface of the insulating plate 80, and the first additional board 60 is accommodated in the first selected accommodating space S21 inside the lower case 30. When the first additional substrate 60 abuts against the insulating plate 80 accommodated in the second selected accommodating space S22, the lower side Hd surface of the insulating plate 80 accommodated in the first selected accommodating space S21 is placed opposite the upper side Hu surface of the base plate 61 of the first additional substrate 60, and the insulating plate 80 is accommodated in the first selected accommodating space S21.

[0100] Next, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 are assembled close to each other so as to close the opening of the lower case 30 in which the first additional board 60, the second additional board 70, and the insulating plate 80 are housed.

[0101] At this time, the upper end of the lower side wall portion 32 enters the cover portion 23 of the upper case 20, and a locking claw and a locking frame (not shown) are engaged, completing the assembly of the upper case 20 and the lower case 30.

[0102] By assembling in the above manner, the base accommodating space S1 accommodates the base substrate 50, the first selected accommodating space S21 accommodates the first additional substrate 60 and the insulating plate 80, and the second selected accommodating space S22 accommodates the second additional substrate 70 and the insulating plate 80. Therefore, neither the additional substrate 90 nor the spacer 40 is selected for the accommodating space S, and no empty space is generated due to their not being accommodated.

[0103] Furthermore, terminal 72 is fitted into terminal connection portion 34. As a result, even if a load in the height direction H acts on base substrate 50 via tuning fork terminal 52 and pin terminal 53 when an external connector is connected to tuning fork connection portion 24 and pin terminal connection portion 25, the load is transmitted to lower case 30 via terminal connection portion 34. Therefore, bending of base substrate 50 can be suppressed.

[0104] Furthermore, tuning fork terminal 52, pin terminal 53, terminal 72, and terminal connection portion 34 are arranged in a substantially straight line along height direction H. In other words, in Fig. 10, they are arranged on the same cross section. This allows the load to be transmitted directly to the second case without unnecessary deformation, thereby suppressing deformation of the base substrate, the base substrate, the spacer, etc. Therefore, it is possible to provide an electrical junction box 1 that can provide a stable electrical connection.

[0105] Next, a housing pattern different from that of the above-described electrical junction box 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The electrical junction box 1 shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 includes a junction box body 10 having the same configuration as the electrical junction box 1 described above, and has in common the point that a base substrate 50 is housed in the base housing space S1.

[0106] In contrast to the electrical connection box 1 shown in Figure 10, which accommodates a second additional board 70 and an insulating plate 80 in the second selected accommodating space S22, the electrical connection box 1 shown in Figure 12 accommodates a spacer 40 in the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0107] In this manner, in the electrical connection box 1 in which the spacer 40 is accommodated in the second selected accommodation space S22, as shown in Figure 12(b), the protrusion 42 of the spacer 40 and the terminal connection portion 34 of the lower case 30 abut against the pin 43 of the spacer 40 and the pin receiving portion 33 of the lower case 30.

[0108] As a result, even if a load in the height direction H acts when an external connector is connected to tuning fork connection portion 24 and pin terminal connection portion 25, the load is transmitted to lower case 30 via protrusion 42 and terminal connection portion 34. Furthermore, the load in the height direction H is transmitted to lower case 30 via pin 43 and pin receiver 33, which are provided at a location separate from protrusion 42.

[0109] As a result, even if a load is applied in the height direction H, the base substrate 50, the additional substrate 90, and the spacer 40 can be supported not only by the protrusions 42 but also by the pins 43, thereby suppressing deformation of these elements. Therefore, bending of the base substrate 50 can be further suppressed.

[0110] Furthermore, the surface of the upper side Hu of the main body 41 of the spacer 40 abuts against the surface of the lower side Hd of the base plate 61 of the first additional substrate 60. Therefore, even if a load acts in the height direction H, the base substrate 50 and the first additional substrate 60 do not deform, and the load can be transmitted to the spacer 40, and the load is transmitted to the lower case 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the base substrate 50 from bending.

[0111] Next, the electric junction box 1 shown in FIG. 13 will be described. The electric junction box 1 shown in FIG. 13 accommodates a spacer 40 in each of the first selected accommodating space S21 and the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0112] The upper side Hu surface of the main body 41 of the spacer 40 accommodated in the second selected accommodating space S22 abuts against the lower side Hd surface of the protrusion 42 of the spacer 40 accommodated in the first selected accommodating space S21. As a result, even if a load acts in the height direction H, the spacer 40 does not deform, and the load is transmitted to the lower case 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the base substrate 50 from bending.

[0113] Next, the electric junction box 1 shown in FIG. 14 will be described. The electric junction box 1 shown in FIG. 14 accommodates the spacer 40 in the first selected accommodating space S21, and accommodates the second additional board 70 in the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0114] The surface of the upper side Hu of the main body 41 of the spacer 40 abuts against the base substrate 50. As a result, even if a load acts in the height direction H, the base substrate 50 does not deform significantly and the load can be transmitted to the spacer 40, and the load is transmitted to the lower case 30. Therefore, the base substrate 50 can be prevented from bending.

[0115] As described above, the electrical junction box 1 can accommodate the base board 50 in the base accommodating space S1 in the accommodating space S, selectively accommodate either the first additional board 60 or the spacer 40 in the first selected accommodating space S21, and selectively accommodate either the second additional board 70 or the spacer 40 in the second selected accommodating space S22. This makes it possible to accommodate a variety of specifications and destinations.

[0116] In the electrical junction box 1, in which items such as the first additional board 60, the second additional board 70, and the spacer 40 are selectively accommodated, there is no empty space in the selective accommodation space S2 where items are not selected. Therefore, even if a load acts in the height direction H when an external connector is connected to the tuning fork connection portion 24 and the pin terminal connection portion 25, the load is transmitted to the lower case 30 while suppressing deformation of the items accommodated, and therefore, bending of the base substrate 50 can be suppressed.

[0117] As described above, the electrical junction box 1 having the above-described configuration includes a base substrate 50 and a junction box main body 10 having an accommodation space S for accommodating at least the base substrate 50. The junction box main body 10 includes an upper case 20 and a lower case 30 that are assembled together to form the accommodation space S therein. The direction in which the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 are assembled is defined as the height direction H. The upper case 20 is provided with a tuning fork connecting portion 24 and a pin terminal connecting portion 25 that are connected to an external connector, and the base substrate 50 is disposed in the accommodation space S. The accommodation space S is provided with a base accommodation space S1 that accommodates the base substrate 50, and a selective accommodation space S2 that can selectively accommodate at least one of an additional substrate 90 and a spacer 40 by stacking them in the height direction H on the lower case 30 side of the base substrate 50. At least one of the additional substrate 90 and the spacer 40 is selectively accommodated in the selective accommodation space S2.

[0118] This allows the electrical junction box 1 to obtain a stable electrical connection regardless of the specifications or destination. In more detail, the electrical connection box 1 comprises a base substrate 50 and a connection box main body 10 having an accommodation space S for accommodating at least the base substrate 50, and the connection box main body 10 comprises an upper case 20 and a lower case 30, and the direction in which the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 are assembled is the height direction H, and the upper case 20 and the lower case 30 are assembled to each other in the height direction H to form the accommodation space S inside, and the base substrate 50 is arranged on the upper case 20, and the upper case 20 is provided with a tuning fork connection portion 24 and a pin terminal connection portion 25 which are connected to a connector connected from outside the connection box main body 10.

[0119] Even for the same vehicle model, the boards accommodated in the accommodation space S will differ depending on the specifications, destination, etc. For example, in a vehicle with specifications or destination that accommodate only a base board, if a connection box body 10 that is used for specifications or destinations that accommodate multiple additional boards is used, the space in the accommodation space S between the base board 50 and the lower case 30 that previously accommodated the additional board 90 will become empty space. If there is an empty space, when connecting a connector from the outside, a load acts on the board in the height direction H, causing the base board 50 to bend and resulting in poor contact and a loss of connection stability.

[0120] In contrast, the accommodation space S is provided with a base accommodation space S1 that accommodates the base substrate 50, and a selective accommodation space S2 that can selectively accommodate at least one of the additional substrate 90 and the spacer 40 by stacking them in the height direction H relative to the base substrate 50. Therefore, the connection box main body 10 can selectively accommodate at least one of the additional substrate 90 and the spacer 40 in the selective accommodation space S2 in the accommodation space S.

[0121] As a result, the accommodation space S of the junction box body 10 can accommodate at least one of the selected additional board 90 and the spacer 40, and the base board 50. Therefore, it is possible to accommodate all specifications and destinations, such as specifications and destinations for accommodating the base board 50 and the spacer 40, specifications and destinations for accommodating the base board 50 and the additional board 90, or specifications and destinations for accommodating the base board 50, the additional board 90, and the spacer 40.

[0122] In the electrical connection box 1 having such a selective accommodating space S2, the base substrate 50 is accommodated in the base accommodating space S1, and at least one of the additional substrates 90 and the spacers 40 is selected and accommodated in the selective accommodating space S2 in the accommodating space S. In other words, the number of substrates that can be accommodated in the selective accommodating space S2 matches the selected number of at least one of the additional substrates 90 and the spacers 40.

[0123] As a result, in the selected storage space S2, neither the additional substrate 90 nor the spacer 40 is selected and stored, and no empty space is generated due to this. In other words, the selected additional substrate 90 or at least one of the spacer 40 and the stored items such as the base substrate 50 are stored in a stacked manner in the height direction H. Therefore, even if a load acts in the height direction H when a connector is connected to the tuning fork connection portion 24 and the pin terminal connection portion 25, the applied load can be transmitted between the stacked stored items in the height direction H, preventing the respective stored items from significantly deforming. Therefore, bending of the base substrate 50 and the additional substrate 90 can be prevented, and a stable electrical connection can be obtained. In other words, it is not necessary to provide a connection box body 10 for each specification or destination, but the same connection box body 10 can be used to obtain a stable electrical connection state even if the specifications or destination are different.

[0124] The selective accommodating space S2 has a first selective accommodating space S21, which is arranged on the side of the base accommodating space S1 and selectively accommodates one of the first additional board 60 and the spacer 40, and a second selective accommodating space S22, which is arranged on the side of the lower case 30 and selectively accommodates one of the second additional board 70 and the spacer 40. The first selective accommodating space S21 selectively accommodates one of the first additional board 60 and the spacer 40, and the second selective accommodating space S22 selectively accommodates one of the second additional board 70 and the spacer 40.

[0125] According to this, the selected accommodating space S2 can selectively accommodate either the first additional substrate 60 or the spacer 40 in the first selected accommodating space S21, and can selectively accommodate either the second additional substrate 70 or the spacer 40 in the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0126] This allows the connection box main body 10 to selectively accommodate a configuration in which, in addition to the base substrate 50, a spacer 40 is accommodated, a spacer 40 and a second additional substrate 70 are accommodated, a first additional substrate 60 and a spacer 40 are accommodated, or a first additional substrate 60 and a second additional substrate 70 are accommodated.

[0127] The first selected accommodating space S21 selectively accommodates either the first additional substrate 60 or the spacer 40, and the second selected accommodating space S22 selectively accommodates either the second additional substrate 70 or the spacer 40. Therefore, in the accommodating space S, none of the first additional substrate 60, the second additional substrate 70, or the spacer 40 is selected and accommodated, and thus no empty space is generated.

[0128] As a result, even if a load acts in the height direction H, the contents are selected and stored in a stack in the height direction H, so the applied load can be transmitted in the height direction H between the stacked contents, preventing deformation of each of the contents. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the base substrate 50 and the additional substrate 90 from bending, and to obtain a stable electrical connection.

[0129] The spacer 40 is composed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body 41 and a protruding portion 42 that protrudes from the main body 41 toward the lower case 30 in the height direction H. The surface of the lower case 30 that faces the spacer 40 in the height direction H is provided with a terminal connection portion 34 that can come into contact with the protruding portion 42 at a position corresponding to the protruding portion 42 in the height direction H.

[0130] According to this, with the simple structure in which the lower case 30 is provided with the terminal connection portion 34 that can come into contact with the protrusion 42 that constitutes the spacer 40, even if a load acts in the height direction H, the load is transmitted from the protrusion 42 provided on the spacer 40 to the lower case 30 via the terminal connection portion 34. Therefore, it is possible to suppress bending of the base substrate 50.

[0131] More specifically, when a load in the height direction H acts on the base substrate 50, the base substrate 50 tends to bend, and the additional substrate 90, spacer 40, etc. are deformed in accordance with the deformation of the base substrate 50, and the protrusion 42 comes into contact with the terminal connection portion 34. As a result, the load in the height direction H is transmitted to the lower case 30 via the terminal connection portion 34, and further deformation of the base substrate 50, additional substrate 90, spacer 40, etc. can be restricted. Therefore, the base substrate 50 can be prevented from bending. Furthermore, since the spacer 40 is composed of a main body 41 and a protrusion 42, it can be made lighter than a roughly rectangular parallelepiped spacer made up of only a main body, and the weight of the electrical connection box 1 as a whole can also be reduced.

[0132] Furthermore, at least a portion of the base substrate 50 and the additional substrate 90 abuts against the surface of the main body 41 on the upper case 20 side. According to this, the base substrate 50 and the additional substrate 90 are housed so as to abut against the surface of the main body 41 of the spacer 40 that faces the upper case 20 in the height direction H.

[0133] This allows the load acting in the height direction H to be transmitted from the base substrate 50 to the lower case 30 via the additional substrate 90 and the spacer 40 while suppressing deformation of the base substrate 50 and the additional substrate 90. In other words, bending of the base substrate 50 can be further suppressed.

[0134] In addition, the base substrate 50 has a tuning fork terminal 52 on the surface facing the upper case 20, and the tuning fork terminal 52 is housed in the tuning fork connecting portion 24 and is positioned at a position corresponding to the protrusion 42 in the height direction H.

[0135] According to this, protrusions 42 and terminal connection portions 34 are arranged in a substantially straight line along the height direction H at the locations where the load acts on base substrate 50 and tends to deflect the most when a connector is connected to tuning fork connection portion 24, that is, the locations where tuning fork terminals 52 housed in tuning fork connection portion 24 are arranged and the pin terminals 53 housed in pin terminal connection portion 25 are arranged. This allows the load to be transmitted directly to lower case 30 without unnecessary deformation, and makes it possible to suppress deformation of base substrate 50, additional substrate 90, spacer 40, etc.

[0136] Furthermore, the terminal connection portion 34 provided on the lower case 30 is fitted into the protrusion 42 . This makes it possible to provide an electrical connection box 1 that can obtain stable electrical connection using the same connection box body 10 regardless of specifications or destination, without having to newly provide an abutment portion in the lower case 30.

[0137] Specifically, in specifications and destinations where the second additional board 70 is accommodated on the side of the lower case 30 of the selected storage space S2, the terminal connection portion 34 that accommodates the terminal 72 on the second additional board 70 engages with the protrusion 42 of the spacer 40 in specifications and destinations where the spacer 40 is accommodated in the selected storage space S2, so that an electrical connection box 1 that can achieve a stable electrical connection can be provided using the same connection box body 10.

[0138] Furthermore, the protruding length of the protruding portion 42 can be shortened by the length of the terminal connecting portion 34 that extends upright toward the upper case 20 . Furthermore, the terminal connection portion 34 comes into contact with the protrusion 42 of the spacer 40 at its surface. This reduces stress compared to when the same load is transmitted through point contact, preventing stress from concentrating on the terminal connection portion 34, which is the contact portion, and thus preventing damage to the terminal connection portion 34.

[0139] The spacer 40 is provided with a pin 43 that protrudes in the height direction H toward the upper case 20, and the upper case 20 is provided with a pin receiving portion 33 that fits with the pin 43. According to this, the pin 43 is arranged along the height direction H in the space between the spacer 40 and the lower case 30 where the protrusion 42 is not arranged. As a result, even if a load is applied in the height direction H, the pin 43 together with the protrusion 42 can support the base substrate 50, the additional substrate 90, and the spacer 40, thereby suppressing deformation of these. Therefore, deflection of the base substrate 50 can be further suppressed.

[0140] Furthermore, the first selected storage space S21 accommodates a first additional substrate 60, and the second selected storage space S22 selectively accommodates either a second additional substrate 70 or a spacer 40, the spacer 40 being composed of a rectangular parallelepiped main body 41 and a protrusion 42 that protrudes from the main body 41 in the height direction H toward the lower case 30, and the lower case 30 is provided with a terminal connection portion 34 that can abut against the protrusion 42 of the second additional substrate 70 or the spacer 40 accommodated in the second selected storage space S22.

[0141] According to this, the terminal connection portion 34 that can come into contact with the protrusion 42 of the spacer 40 can come into contact with the second additional board 70 even when the spacer 40 is not housed in the selected housing space S2. Therefore, a load acting in the height direction H is transmitted from the base board 50 to the lower case 30 that includes the terminal connection portion 34, via the first additional board 60 and the second additional board 70. In other words, even in specifications or destinations where the spacer 40 is not housed in the housing space S, for example, it is possible to provide an electrical junction box 1 that provides stable electrical connection by using the same junction box body 10 as when the spacer 40 is housed.

[0142] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The base substrate of the present invention corresponds to the base substrate 50 of the embodiment, Similarly, The accommodation space corresponds to the accommodation space S, The junction box body corresponds to the junction box body 10, The first case corresponds to the upper case 20, The second case corresponds to the lower case 30, The assembly direction corresponds to the height direction H, The connector connection portion corresponds to the tuning fork connection portion 24 and the pin terminal connection portion 25, The base housing portion corresponds to the base housing space S1, The additional board corresponds to the additional board 90, The spacer corresponds to the spacer 40, The selective storage section corresponds to the selective storage space S2, The electrical junction box corresponds to electrical junction box 1, The first additional substrate corresponds to the first additional substrate 60, The first selection storage section corresponds to the first selection storage space S21, The second additional substrate corresponds to the second additional substrate 70, The second selection accommodation section corresponds to the second selection accommodation space S22, The main body corresponds to the main body 41, The protrusion corresponds to the protrusion 42, The abutment portion corresponds to the terminal connection portion 34, The electronic components correspond to the tuning fork terminals 52 and pin terminals 53, The first connector connection portion corresponds to the tuning fork connection portion 24 and the pin terminal connection portion 25, The second connector connection portion corresponds to the terminal connection portion 34, The pin corresponds to pin 43, The pin receiver corresponds to the pin receiver portion 33, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0143] In the above embodiment, the first case of the connection box body 10 is the upper case 20 and the second case is the lower case 30, but the first case may be the lower case 30 and the second case may be the upper case 20.

[0144] Furthermore, although the junction box body 10 is configured from two parts, the upper case 20 and the lower case 30, it may be configured from three parts, the upper case 20, the center case, and the lower case 30. When the connection box main body 10 is composed of three parts, as in the case of a two-part configuration, the first case is one of the lower case 30 and the upper case 20, the second case is the other of the lower case 30 and the upper case 20, and the center case may be assembled with either the lower case 30 or the upper case 20 that constitute the first case or the second case.

[0145] In the above description, the base substrate 50 and the additional substrate 90 are substantially rectangular printed circuit boards on one side of which electronic components such as tuning fork terminals 52 and pin terminals 53 are mounted, but this is not limiting. For example, electronic components such as bus bars, relays, and fuses may be mounted on one or both sides of the printed circuit board, and the shape is not important.

[0146] Furthermore, although the additional substrate 90 is configured by the first additional substrate 60 and the second additional substrate 70, it may be a single additional substrate. Furthermore, an insulating plate 80 is placed between the base substrate 50 and the first additional substrate 60, and between the first additional substrate 60 and the second additional substrate 70, i.e., between the printed circuit boards, but it may also be an insulating sheet, for example.

[0147] In the above-described embodiment, the base substrate 50 is positioned at the end of the upper case 20 on the side of the lower case 30, i.e., at the end of the lower side Hd of the lower side wall portion 32, but it may also be configured to be housed inside the upper case 20.

[0148] In addition, in the above description, a spacer 40 is accommodated in each of the first selected accommodating space S21 and the second selected accommodating space S22, but the spacers may have different shapes, or as shown in FIG. 15, one spacer may be accommodated across the first selected accommodating space S21 and the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0149] Fig. 15(a) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical junction box 1 in which the spacer 40 in the electrical junction box 1 is replaced with a spacer 40z, and Fig. 15(b) is a schematic enlarged view of part f in Fig. 15(a). Note that Fig. 15(a) and Fig. 15(b) are cross-sections corresponding to the cross-section along arrow AA in Fig. 3(a) and the cross-section along arrow BB in Fig. 4(a).

[0150] The electric junction box 1 shown in FIG. 15 accommodates a spacer 40z so as to straddle the first selected accommodating space S21 and the second selected accommodating space S22. The spacer 40z is composed of a rectangular main body 41z and a protrusion 42z that protrudes from the main body 41z in the height direction H toward the lower case 30, and the spacer 40z having the main body 41z and the protrusion 42z is formed to a length corresponding to the length in the height direction H of the first selected storage space S21 and the second selected storage space S22.

[0151] More specifically, the main body portion 41z is formed in substantially the same shape as the base plate 61 in a plan view, and has a thickness that is substantially equal to twice the thickness of the main body portion 41 of the spacer 40. The protruding portion 42z is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with long sides extending along the longitudinal direction L.

[0152] The surface of the protrusion 42z on the lower side Hd is formed to have substantially the same shape as the terminal connection portion 34 in a plan view. In addition, the protrusion length of the protrusion 42z toward the lower side Hd is formed to be about twice the protrusion length of the protrusion 42 of the spacer 40. The spacer 40z formed in this manner is arranged so that the surface of the lower side Hd of the main body portion 41z is positioned to correspond to the terminal connection portion 34 when accommodated in the second selected accommodating space S22.

[0153] When such a spacer 40z is accommodated in the selected accommodation space S2, the protrusion 42z abuts against the terminal connection portion 34. As a result, even if a load acts in the height direction H, the load is transmitted to the lower case 30 via the protrusion 42z and the terminal connection portion 34, and therefore, bending of the base substrate 50 can be suppressed.

[0154] Furthermore, when an additional substrate 90 or spacer 40 is placed in the selected storage space S2, there may be a gap large enough to allow the additional substrate 90 or spacer 40 to deform and abut against the terminal connection portion 34 when a load is applied in the height direction H, or the additional substrate 90 or spacer 40 may abut against the terminal connection portion 34 when placed.

[0155] In the above-described embodiment, the protrusions 42 are three approximately rectangular parallelepipeds that protrude in the height direction H toward the lower case 30, but the shape and number of the protrusions are not important as long as they protrude in the height direction H toward the lower case 30.

[0156] Furthermore, being able to abut means that at least when the spacer 40 is accommodated in the selected accommodation space S2, the protrusion 42 provided on the spacer 40 may abut against the terminal connection portion 34, or there may be a gap large enough to allow the protrusion 42 to abut against the terminal connection portion 34 when a load in the height direction H acts on the spacer 40 and the spacer 40 is deformed.

[0157] In the above-described embodiment, the abutting portion is the terminal connection portion 34, but the shape of the abutting portion is not important as long as it can abut against the protrusion 42. For example, the abutting portion may be the surface of the lower case 30 that faces the upper case 20, i.e., the bottom surface 31 of the lower case 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 1...Electrical junction box 10...Connection box body 20...Upper case 24...Tuning fork connection part 25-pin terminal connection 30...Lower case 33...Pin receiving part 34...Terminal connection part 40...Spacer 41...Main body 42...Protrusion 43...Pin 50...Base board 52...Tuning fork terminal 53...Pin terminal 60...First additional board 70...Second additional board 90...Additional board H: Height S...Storage space S1: Base accommodation space S2: Selective Containment Space S21: First selection storage space S22: Second selection storage space

Claims

1. a connection box body having a base substrate and an accommodation space for accommodating at least the base substrate; The connection box body includes: a first case and a second case that are assembled together to form the accommodation space therein; a direction in which the first case and the second case are assembled together is defined as an assembly direction; The first case is a connector connection portion to be connected to an external connector is provided, and the base substrate is disposed; The accommodation space is a base receiving portion that receives the base substrate; a selective accommodating portion capable of selectively accommodating at least one of the additional substrate and the spacer by stacking them on the second case side relative to the base substrate in the assembly direction; At least one of the additional substrate and the spacer is selected and accommodated in the selective accommodation portion. Electrical junction box.

2. The selective storage section is a first selective accommodating portion disposed on the side of the base accommodating portion and configured to selectively accommodate one of a first additional substrate and the spacer; a second selective accommodating portion disposed on the second case side and configured to selectively accommodate one of the second additional substrate and the spacer; the first selective accommodation portion selectively accommodates one of the first additional substrate and the spacer; The second selective receiving portion selectively receives one of the second additional substrate and the spacer.

2. The electrical junction box according to claim 1.

3. The spacer is The housing is configured with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body and a protruding portion that protrudes from the main body toward the second case in the assembly direction, On a surface of the second case facing the spacer in the assembly direction, a contact portion that can come into contact with the protrusion at a position corresponding to the protrusion in the assembly direction; 2. The electrical junction box according to claim 1.

4. At least a portion of the base substrate and the additional substrate The main body abuts against a surface of the first case.

4. The electrical junction box according to claim 3.

5. the base substrate includes electronic components on a side surface of the first case; The electronic component is The connector is accommodated in the connector connection portion. The protrusion is disposed at a position corresponding to the assembly direction.

4. The electrical junction box according to claim 3.

6. The connector connection portion is a first connector connection portion, the abutment portion is a second connector connection portion provided on the second case, The second connector connecting portion is fitted to the protruding portion.

4. The electrical junction box according to claim 3.

7. One of the spacer and the second case has: a pin is provided that protrudes in the assembly direction toward the other of the spacer and the second case, The other of the spacer and the second case is A pin receiver that fits with the pin is provided.

4. The electrical junction box according to claim 3.

8. the first additional substrate is accommodated in the first selection accommodation section, the second selective accommodation portion selectively accommodates one of the second additional substrate and the spacer; The spacer is The housing is configured with a rectangular parallelepiped main body and a protruding portion that protrudes from the main body toward the second case in the assembly direction, The second case is provided with an abutting portion that can abut against the second additional substrate or the protrusion of the spacer accommodated in the second selective accommodation portion.

3. The electrical junction box according to claim 2.

9. the spacer is accommodated across the first selective accommodation portion and the second selective accommodation portion, The spacer is The housing is configured with a rectangular parallelepiped main body and a protruding portion that protrudes from the main body toward the second case in the assembly direction, The spacer having the main body portion and the protrusion portion is The length of the first selective accommodating portion and the second selective accommodating portion in the assembly direction is determined by the length of the first selective accommodating portion and the second selective accommodating portion.

3. The electrical junction box according to claim 2.

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