Electric connection box

Abstract

To provide an electrical connection box capable of efficiently discharging heat emitted from a heating element to the outside with a simple structure.SOLUTION: An electrical connection box is provided with a connection box main body 10 having an accommodation space S therein, which is mounted on a vehicle, and a first substrate 50 having a tuning fork terminal 52 which generates heat by energization and which is accommodated in the accommodation space S, and the connection box main body 10 is provided with an upper insertion hole 38a and a lower insertion hole 38b through which the interior communicates with the exterior of the connection box main body 10. In a mounted state of being mounted on the vehicle in which a communication passage R that forms a communication space CS that communicates the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b is provided inside the connection box main body 10, and a plate thickness direction of the first substrate 50 intersects a vertical direction, the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b are disposed at different positions in the vertical direction, and the communication space CS formed by the communication passage R is disposed along a location of the first substrate 50 where the tuning fork terminal 52 is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric junction box to be mounted on, for example, a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, an electrical junction box electrically connected to electrical equipment mounted on a vehicle houses a circuit board equipped with a heat-generating element such as an electronic component that generates heat when energized. Because the heat generated from the heat-generating element may adversely affect other electronic components in the electrical junction box, it is desirable to dissipate the heat from within the electrical junction box.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connection box in which an opening is provided in the connection box body that houses a circuit board inside, and a heat dissipation component with a concave cross section and a heat transfer surface that abuts the position where the heat generating element of the circuit board is located is assembled in the opening so that the heat dissipation component is exposed to the outside. This allows the heat generated by the heat generating element to be released from the heat dissipation component exposed to the outside via the heat transfer surface that abuts the substrate, thereby enabling efficient release of heat to the outside.

[0004] However, in order to attach a heat dissipation component with a concave cross section to the connection box body so that the heat transfer surface is in contact with the board and exposed to the outside of the connection box body, it is necessary to assemble the heat dissipation component inside the connection box body, which raises concerns about the increase in size of the connection box body. For this reason, there is a need for a simple structure that improves heat dissipation efficiency. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-89248 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical junction box that has a simple structure and is capable of efficiently dissipating heat emitted from a heat-generating element to the outside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention is characterized in that it comprises a connection box main body having an internal storage space and mounted on a vehicle, and a circuit board having a heating element that generates heat when electricity is passed through it and accommodated in the storage space, the connection box main body having at least two or more insertion holes that pass through the inside and outside of the connection box main body, the inside of the connection box main body having a communication passage that forms a communication space that connects the insertion holes, the thickness direction of the circuit board intersects the vertical direction, and when mounted on the vehicle, the at least two insertion holes are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction, and the communication space formed by the communication passage is arranged along the location of the heating element on the circuit board.

[0008] The phrase "along the location where the heating element is provided on the substrate" as mentioned above includes a case where a communication path is formed along the substrate so as to encompass the heating element provided on one side of the substrate in the plate thickness direction, a case where a communication path is formed along the substrate so as to encompass a location on the other side of the substrate in the plate thickness direction that corresponds to the heating element when viewed from the plate thickness direction, etc. In other words, it refers to being along the locations corresponding to the one side and the other side of the substrate where the heating element is provided. The communication passage may form the entire communication space that connects the insertion holes together, or may form a part of the communication space.

[0009] According to this invention, the heat emitted from the heat generating element can be efficiently discharged to the outside with a simple structure. More specifically, the junction box body has an internal storage space for housing a circuit board having a heating element that generates heat when energized, and is provided with at least two or more insertion holes that connect the inside and outside of the junction box body, and a communication passage is provided inside the junction box body to form a communication space that connects the insertion holes. The junction box body is mounted on a vehicle with the thickness direction of the circuit board intersecting the vertical direction, and in the mounted state, the at least two insertion holes are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction when mounted on the vehicle, with the thickness direction of the circuit board intersecting the vertical direction. Furthermore, the communication space formed by the communication passage is arranged along the location of the heating element on the circuit board.

[0010] Therefore, at least two of the through holes located at different positions in the vertical direction communicate with each other, and the communication space located along the portion of the circuit board where the heating element is provided is oriented in a direction intersecting the horizontal direction. As a result, air in the communication passage heated by the heating element on the circuit board can move upward in the communication space and be discharged from the upper of the at least two of the through holes. Also, outside air can flow into the communication space from the lower through hole.

[0011] In this way, a communication space is arranged along the portion of the circuit board where the heat generating element is provided, whereby outside air flows in through the lower of the at least two insertion holes and the heated air is discharged through the upper insertion hole, thereby generating an air flow from below to above. Therefore, with a simple structure, heat emitted from the heat generating element can be discharged to the outside without the need for a separate component such as a cooling fan, and the temperature rise of the heat generating element and the impact of heat on other electronic components housed in the housing space can be suppressed.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the heating element may be composed of a penetrating base end that penetrates the substrate in the thickness direction, and a heating element main body that extends from the penetrating base end to one side in the thickness direction, and the communicating passage may form the communicating space that encompasses the penetrating base end that protrudes to the other side in the thickness direction of the substrate.

[0013] According to this invention, since the communication passage that forms the communication space that includes the through-hole base end that protrudes to the other side of the substrate is provided, heat can be released from the through-hole base end to the communication space and the released heat can be discharged from the upper insertion hole. Also, since the heat of the heat generating body on one side of the substrate can be actively transferred to the through-hole base end, heat dissipation from the heat generating body to the one side of the substrate can be suppressed.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, an insulating member may be provided that has insulating properties and is adjacent to the other side in the plate thickness direction when housed in the housing space, and the communicating passage may be provided in the insulating member.

[0015] When accommodated in the above-mentioned accommodation space, being adjacent to the other side in the plate thickness direction includes cases where at least a portion of the insulating member abuts the other side in the plate thickness direction, or cases where the substrate and the insulating member are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other.

[0016] According to this invention, an insulating member having insulating properties is provided on the other side of the substrate, so that when current is applied, the penetrating base end portion that penetrates through the other side of the substrate in the thickness direction can be prevented from unintentionally interfering with other members and causing a short circuit.

[0017] Furthermore, since the communication passage is provided in the insulating member adjacent to the circuit board, the communication passage can form a narrower communication space, which allows the junction box body to be made more compact and efficiently heats the air inside the communication passage and dissipates heat. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the heat transferred to the penetrating base end from being dissipated to the other side of the insulating member.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, the insulating member may be provided with a plate-shaped main body portion and a pair of inner wall portions extending from the main body portion toward the substrate so as to sandwich the penetrating base end portion protruding on the other side of the substrate in a direction intersecting the plate thickness direction, and the pair of inner wall portions and the main body portion may form the communicating passage.

[0019] This invention allows a communication path to be formed for discharging heat emitted from a heat generating element to the outside with a simple structure that only requires a pair of inner wall portions extending from the main body toward the substrate. Furthermore, by providing the inner wall portions in the insulating member, the insulating member in which the communication space is formed can be reinforced.

[0020] In another aspect of the present invention, the insulating member may have an outer edge wall that stands from the outer edge of the main body portion toward the substrate and abuts the substrate, and the pair of inner wall portions intersect with the outer edge wall at at least two locations, and notches that form the communicating space may be provided at the intersections of the pair of inner wall portions and the outer edge wall. According to this invention, the outer edge wall provided on the insulating member has a cutout portion that forms a communicating space and abuts against the substrate, so that the substrate can be stably supported while forming a communicating space.

[0021] In another aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the inner wall may be in contact with the substrate. According to this invention, at least a portion of the inner wall abuts against the substrate, so that the substrate can be supported and the heat transferred from the heating element to the substrate can be transferred to the inner wall, which allows the heat transferred from the inner wall to be released in addition to the heat released from the penetrating base end, so that the heat released from the heating element can be more efficiently discharged to the outside.

[0022] As another aspect of the present invention, the inner wall portion may be provided with a protrusion that protrudes toward the other inner wall portion that faces the inner wall portion. According to this invention, the surface area of ​​the inner wall portion can be increased, so that the heat transferred to the insulating member can be efficiently dissipated, and therefore the heat emitted from the heat-generating body can be reliably discharged to the outside.

[0023] In another aspect of the present invention, the protrusion may be a columnar body extending from the main body to the end of one side of the inner wall, and the end face of the protrusion on the one side may abut against the substrate. According to this invention, the protrusion can stably support the substrate and further reinforce the inner wall. Furthermore, since the contact area with the substrate can be increased, the heat transferred from the heating element to the substrate can be transferred to the inner wall more efficiently. Therefore, the heat generated by the heating element can be more efficiently released into the communication space.

[0024] As another aspect of the present invention, a rib having a honeycomb structure when viewed from the plate thickness direction may be provided at a location of the main body portion corresponding to the communication space. According to this invention, the insulating member in which the communication space is formed can be reinforced.

[0025] In another aspect of the present invention, the insulating member may be made of a thermally conductive resin material. The thermally conductive resin material is a resin material with improved thermal conductivity, and is, for example, a resin mixed with a filler having high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum oxide or magnesium oxide.

[0026] This invention can improve the thermal conductivity of the insulating member, so that the heat transferred from the heating element to the substrate can be efficiently transferred to the insulating member, thereby ensuring that the heat released from the heating element can be reliably discharged to the outside.

[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, there may be a plurality of substrates, the insulating member may be an insulating plate that connects the substrates together and insulates the electrical connection between the substrates, and the connecting path may be provided in the insulating plate.

[0028] According to this invention, a substrate having a heat generating element on at least one side and a substrate on the other side are connected via an insulating plate, and a communication passage including the through-hole of the heat generating element is provided in the insulating plate, so that heat emitted from the heat generating element on one side can be discharged through the insertion hole above. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the heat emitted from the heat generating element on one side from affecting the substrate on the other side. In other words, it is possible to achieve compactness in a predetermined direction and to arrange electronic components with low heat resistance on the substrate on the other side. Furthermore, because the communication passage can be provided in the existing insulating plate, there is no need to provide a new separate member.

[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, the communication passage may be linear when viewed in the plate thickness direction. This invention allows the air to flow more smoothly through the communication passage than when the communication passage is a detour, and therefore the air heated by the heat emitted from the heating element can be discharged to the outside without stagnating. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrical junction box that has a simple structure and is capable of efficiently dissipating heat emitted from a heat-generating element to the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the electrical junction box when mounted on a vehicle. [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. [Figure 9]FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic external perspective view of the electrical junction box 1 when mounted on a vehicle, Fig. 2 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the electrical junction box 1, Fig. 3 shows an explanatory diagram of the upper case 30, and Fig. 4 shows an explanatory diagram of the lower case 40. Fig. 5 shows an explanatory diagram of the first substrate 50, Figs. 6 and 7 show explanatory diagrams of the insulating plate 70, and Figs. 8 to 10 show explanatory diagrams of the electrical junction box 1.

[0033] Specifically, Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic front view of the upper case 30 as viewed from the front side Ya, Fig. 3(b) shows a schematic rear view of the upper case 30 as viewed from the rear side Yb, and Fig. 3(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 3(a). Fig. 4(a) shows a schematic front view of the lower case 40, Fig. 4(b) shows a schematic rear view of the lower case 40, and Fig. 4(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Fig. 4(a). Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic front view of the first substrate 50, and Fig. 5(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 5(a).

[0034] Fig. 6(a) shows a schematic front view of insulating plate 70, and Fig. 6(b) shows a schematic plan view of insulating plate 70 as viewed from above Za. Fig. 7(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in Fig. 6(a), Fig. 7(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in Fig. 6(a), Fig. 7(c) shows a schematic enlarged view of part a in Fig. 7(a), and Fig. 7(d) shows a schematic enlarged view of part b in Fig. 7(b). Fig. 8(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of electrical junction box 1 corresponding to the cross-section taken along the line AA in Fig. 3(a), Fig. 8(b) shows a schematic enlarged view of part c in Fig. 8(a), and Fig. 8(c) shows a schematic enlarged view of part d in Fig. 8(a).

[0035] Fig. 9(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical junction box 1 corresponding to the cross-section seen from the arrow DD in Fig. 6(a), and Fig. 9(b) shows a schematic enlarged view of part e in Fig. 9(a). Fig. 10(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical junction box 1 corresponding to the cross-section seen from the arrow AA in Fig. 3(a), and Fig. 10(b) shows a front view of the electrical junction box 1. In Fig. 10(b), to clarify the positional relationship between the communication passage R and the insertion hole 38, the outline of the upper case 30 is shown by a dashed line, and the honeycomb ribs 74 of the insulating plate 70 are omitted.

[0036] For ease of explanation, the up-and-down direction in FIG. 1 is referred to as the height direction Z, the upper side along the height direction Z is referred to as the upper side Za, and the lower side along the height direction Z is referred to as the lower side Zb. Furthermore, among the directions perpendicular to the height direction Z, the direction from the lower left to the upper right is referred to as the width direction X, and the direction from the lower right to the upper left is referred to as the depth direction Y. Along the width direction X, the left side is referred to as the left side Xa, and the right side is referred to as the right side Xb. Similarly, along the depth direction Y, the right side is referred to as the front side Ya, and the left side is referred to as the back side Yb. The directions defined in FIG. 1 are also defined in FIGS. 2 to 10.

[0037] The electrical junction box 1 of the embodiment is electrically connected to an external electrical component by connecting a connector 100, shown by a dashed line in Fig. 1, provided at one end of a wire harness connected to the other end of the wire harness. The electrical junction box 1 is also configured to allow a flat fuse F to be attached.

[0038] More specifically, the electrical junction box 1 is made up of a junction box body 10 having an accommodation space S therein, and a circuit body 20 accommodated in the junction box body 10, as shown in FIGS. The connection box body 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing, and is composed of an upper case 30 made of resin and a lower case 40 that can be assembled to the upper case 30 in the depth direction Y. Inside the connection box body 10, which is constructed by assembling the upper case 30 and the lower case 40, an accommodation space S for accommodating the circuit body 20 is formed.

[0039] The upper case 30 is a box-shaped body having a concave cross section and an opening on the rear side Yb. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper case 30 is integrally formed with an upper surface portion 31 that is substantially square in front view and an upper side wall portion 32 that stands from the outer edge of the upper surface portion 31 toward the rear side Yb.

[0040] The top surface portion 31 has a predetermined thickness and is approximately square in shape when viewed from above, and is provided with a plurality of mounting holes 33 for mounting flat fuses F, a connector connection portion 34 for connecting a connector 100 from the outside, and two upright portions 35 protruding toward the back side Yb, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b).

[0041] The mounting hole 33 is formed in a rectangular outer wall that stands upright toward the front side Ya and back side Yb of the top surface portion 31, and has a through hole that penetrates the top surface portion 31, and is formed inside the outer wall so that a flat fuse F can be mounted.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3(c), the lower end of the mounting hole 33 on the rear side Yb is formed so as to be closer to the front side Ya than the end of the upper sidewall portion 32 on the rear side Yb. The mounting hole 33 thus formed is provided on the upper surface portion 31 at the upper side Za and in the center in the width direction X.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 3(c), the standing portion 35 is a substantially cylindrical body that stands from the upper surface portion 31 toward the back surface side Yb. The standing portion 35 is a positioning pin for determining the position of the circuit body 20 relative to the junction box body 10 when the upper case 30 and the lower case 40 are assembled together. A screw hole 351 into which a fixing screw 36 is screwed is provided in the center of the end of the rear side Yb of the standing portion 35.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3(b), the erected portions 35 formed in this manner are provided at two locations on the back side Yb of the upper surface portion 31: at a corner on the lower side Zb and left side Xa, and at a center part on the right side Xb in the height direction Z.

[0045] The upper side wall portion 32 is a side wall that stands from the outer edge of the upper surface portion 31 toward the back side Yb, and has a thickness approximately equal to the thickness of the upper surface portion 31 and a height that is shorter than the length of the standing portion 35 along the depth direction Y.

[0046] Additionally, a plurality of locking frames 37 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper sidewall portion 32 to lock and fix the upper case 30 and the lower case 40 together when the upper case 30 and the lower case 40 are assembled together.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the upper case 30 configured in this manner has a substantially rectangular insertion hole 38 at the center in the width direction X and at both ends in the height direction Z, spanning the top surface portion 31 and the upper side wall portion 32.

[0048] The insertion holes 38 communicate between the inside and outside of the upper case 30. The insertion holes 38 provided on the upper side Za are referred to as upper insertion holes 38a, and the insertion holes 38 provided on the lower side Zb are referred to as lower insertion holes 38b. The upper insertion holes 38a are disposed on the upper side Za of the mounting hole 33.

[0049] The lower case 40 is a box-shaped member that has a concave cross section and an opening on the front side Ya. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the lower case 40 is integrally formed with a bottom surface portion 41 that forms the back surface of the junction box body 10, a lower side wall portion 42 that stands from the outer edge of the bottom surface portion 41 toward the front side Ya, and an upper cover portion 43 that covers an upper side Za of the lower side wall portion 42.

[0050] The bottom surface portion 41 is formed in substantially the same shape as the top surface portion 31 when viewed from the front, and is a plate-like body having substantially the same thickness as the top surface portion 31, and has a receiving portion 44 for receiving the standing portion . The receiving portion 44 is a cylindrical body formed so as to be able to fit into the end portion on the back side Yb of the standing portion 35, and has a fixing hole 441 at the center when viewed from the front, which allows the fixing screw 36 to be inserted therethrough. Such a receiving portion 44 is provided at a position corresponding to the standing portion 35 in the assembled state. That is, in the assembled state, the fixing hole 441 communicates with the screw hole 351.

[0051] The lower side wall 42 is a side wall that stands from the outer edge of the bottom surface 41 toward the front side Ya, and has a thickness that is approximately equal to the thickness of the bottom surface 41. That is, in the assembled state, the end of the upper side wall 32 on the back side Yb and the end of the lower side wall 42 on the front side Ya abut against each other. In addition, the end of the front side Ya is formed so as to be closer to the front side Ya than the end of the receiving portion 44 on the front side Ya.

[0052] The lower side wall 42 configured in this manner has an outer peripheral surface provided with locking claws 45 that can be locked to the locking frame 37 (see FIG. 2). The locking claws 45 are disposed at positions corresponding to the locking frame 37 along the depth direction Y.

[0053] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the upper cover portion 43 is composed of an upper cover piece 431 spaced a predetermined distance in the height direction Z from the lower side wall portion 42 provided on the upper side Za, a connecting piece 432 connecting both end portions of the upper cover piece 431 in the width direction X to a pair of lower side wall portions 42 along the height direction Z, and a plurality of connecting ribs 433 extending from the upper cover piece 431 toward the lower side wall portion 42 along the height direction Z.

[0054] The upper cover piece 431 is a plate-like body having a long side along the width direction X that is approximately equal to the length of the bottom surface portion 41 in the width direction X and a short side along the depth direction Y that is approximately twice the height of the lower side wall portion 42. As shown in FIG. 4(c), the upper cover piece 431 is formed so that its end is aligned with the back side Yb of the lower side wall portion 42 and protrudes toward the front side Ya beyond the lower side wall portion 42.

[0055] The connecting piece 432 is a side wall that connects the ends of the upper sides Za of the pair of lower side wall portions 42 along the height direction Z to both ends of the upper cover piece 431 in the width direction X. More specifically, the connecting piece 432 is formed in a generally L-shape in a side view by combining, in the height direction Z, a flat plate extending from the lower side wall portion 42 and having the same length along the depth direction Y as the lower side wall portion 42, and a flat plate connecting to the upper cover piece 431 and having the same length along the depth direction Y as the upper cover piece 431. That is, the end of the upper side Za of the connecting piece 432 extends from the end of the front side Ya to the end of the back side Yb of the upper cover piece 431, and the end of the lower side Zb of the connecting piece 432 extends from the end of the front side Ya to the end of the back side Yb of the lower side wall portion 42.

[0056] The connecting rib 433 stands from the surface of the upper side Za of the lower side wall portion 42 toward the upper cover piece 431 in the height direction Z, and is continuous with the upper cover piece 431. The connecting rib 433 has a length in the depth direction Y that is about half the length of the lower side wall portion 42, and is provided in the center of the lower side wall portion 42 on the upper side Za in the depth direction Y. A plurality of such connecting ribs 433 are arranged at equal intervals along the width direction X, from the end portion of the left side Xa to the end portion of the right side Xb.

[0057] Next, we will explain the circuit body 20. The circuit body 20 is configured with a first substrate 50 arranged on the front side Ya in the accommodation space S, a second substrate 60 arranged on the back side Yb, and an insulating plate 70 arranged between the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 60 to connect the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 60.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5(a), the first substrate 50 has a plate-shaped base plate 51 and is equipped with multiple tuning fork terminals 52 protruding toward the front side Ya and pin terminals (not shown) that are accommodated in the connector connection portion 34. The base plate 51 is a resin printed circuit board that is slightly smaller than the top surface portion 31 of the upper case 30 and has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and has printed wiring on its front surface Ya.

[0059] Furthermore, the base plate 51 is provided with two first through holes 511 that penetrate in the depth direction Y. The first through hole 511 is a hole that is circular in front view and is formed so that the standing portion 35 can be inserted therethrough. More specifically, it is a hole that has an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the standing portion 35. The first through hole 511 configured in this manner is provided at a location that corresponds to the standing portion 35 in the assembled state.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5(b), the tuning fork terminal 52 is composed of a penetrating base end portion 521 that forms the base end portion of the tuning fork terminal 52 and penetrates the base plate 51 in the depth direction Y, and a terminal main body portion 522 that extends from the penetrating base end portion 521 toward the front side Ya.

[0061] The penetrating base end portion 521 is composed of a pair of legs that are inserted into a pair of mounting holes that penetrate the base plate 51 in the thickness direction, and is electrically connected to printed wiring on the front side Ya of the base plate 51.

[0062] The terminal body 522 is bifurcated and has a base end portion that is a flat plate extending from the penetrating base end portion 521 and a pair of extending pieces that protrude from the base end portion toward the front side Ya. The pair of extending pieces are spaced a predetermined distance apart in the height direction Z so that the flat fuse F can be clamped therebetween.

[0063] 5(a) and 5(b), the tuning fork terminals 52 configured in this manner are arranged in pairs at a predetermined interval in the width direction X in a row in the height direction Z at a location corresponding to the central portion in the width direction X and the upper side Za. More specifically, when accommodated in the accommodation space S, the tuning fork terminals 52 are arranged so that they can be accommodated in the mounting holes 33, and so that the flat fuse F, which is attached from the front side Ya of the connection box body 10, can be connected across the pair of terminal body portions 522.

[0064] The second substrate 60 has a plate-shaped base plate 61, and is provided with a plurality of electronic components (not shown) on the rear surface side Yb of the base plate 61. The base plate 61 is a resin printed circuit board with printed wiring on the rear surface Yb. The base plate 61 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in front view, having a length in the width direction X that is approximately the same as that of the base plate 51, and a length in the height direction Z that is longer than that of the base plate 51 and shorter than that of the top surface portion 31 (see FIG. 2).

[0065] The base plate 61 is provided with two second through holes 611 that penetrate in the depth direction Y. The second through holes 611 are holes with the same shape as the first through holes 511. That is, the second through holes 611 are holes that are circular in front view and are formed so that the standing portions 35 can be inserted therethrough, and are provided at locations that correspond to the standing portions 35 in an assembled state (see FIG. 2).

[0066] Next, the insulating plate 70 sandwiched between the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 60 will be described. The insulating plate 70 is a flat plate made of insulating resin, and connects the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 60, which are spaced a predetermined distance apart in the depth direction Y. More specifically, the insulating plate 70 is made of an insulating resin material mixed with a material having high thermal conductivity. In other words, the insulating plate 70 is a flat plate that has insulating properties and thermal conductivity.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6(a), the insulating plate 70 made of such a resin material includes a plate-shaped main body portion 71, a plurality of inner wall portions 72 that protrude from within the plane of the main body portion 71 toward the front side Ya and are arranged in parallel in the width direction X, and outer edge abutment portions 73 that protrude from the outer edge toward the front side Ya and the back side Yb.

[0068] The main body 71 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the front, with a length along the width direction X that is shorter than that of the base plate 51 and a length along the height direction Z that is longer than that of the base plate 51 and shorter than that of the top surface portion 31, and has a predetermined thickness.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 6(a), the main body 71 having such a shape has honeycomb ribs 74 formed on the entire main surface and made up of a plurality of ribs standing in the depth direction Y. In addition, two through holes 75 are provided that penetrate the main body 71 in the depth direction Y.

[0070] The honeycomb ribs 74 are formed by combining ribs that are hexagonal in front view and stand upright from the main surface of the main body 71 toward the front side Ya and the back side Yb, forming a honeycomb structure. The standing length of the honeycomb ribs 74 is formed to be about half the length of the outer edge abutment portion 73, as shown in Fig. 7(a).

[0071] The through-hole 75 is a circular hole in a front view formed to allow the standing portion 35 to pass through, and is provided at a location corresponding to the standing portion 35 in an assembled state. Specifically, of the two through-holes 75, one is provided in the center of the main body 71 on the right side Xb in the height direction Z, and the other is provided in a corner on the left side Xa and the lower side Zb. The other through-hole 75 protrudes from the main body 71 by a semicircle, and therefore a circular through-hole is formed in the outer wall that protrudes semicircularly from the main body 71 toward the left side Xa.

[0072] The outer edge abutment portion 73 standing from the outer edge of the main body portion 71 protrudes toward the front side Ya and the back side Yb by a length substantially equal to the protruding length of the inner wall portion 72. That is, in the assembled state, the outer edge abutment portion 73 protrudes from the outer edge of the main body portion 71 toward the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 60. An end face on the front side Ya and an end face on the back side Yb of the outer edge abutment portion 73 are connected to the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 60, respectively.

[0073] In addition, the outer edge abutting portion 73 has a notch 731 formed in the center portion in the width direction X of a pair of surfaces facing each other in the height direction Z. As shown in FIG. 6(b), the notch 731 is a notch formed by cutting out an end portion of the outer edge abutting portion 73 on the front side Ya in a substantially rectangular shape.

[0074] The inner wall portion 72 is a wall that stands from the surface of the front side Ya of the main body portion 71 toward the front side Ya, and is provided along the height direction Z. More specifically, the inner wall portion 72 is provided from the end of the lower side Zb to the end of the upper side Za, and is a partition wall that separates the front side Ya of the main body portion 71 in the width direction X.

[0075] 7(b), the erection length of the inner wall portion 72 (the length along the depth direction Y) is formed to be approximately equal to the erection length of the outer edge abutting portion 73 erected from the outer edge of the main body portion 71. That is, in the assembled state, the end face of the front side Ya of the inner wall portion 72 abuts against the first substrate 50. A total of five such inner wall portions 72 are arranged in parallel at equal intervals in the width direction X.

[0076] 7(a), the inner wall portions 72 are arranged in parallel at equal intervals in the width direction X and are provided with a plurality of large cylindrical portions 76 each having a large diameter or a plurality of small cylindrical portions 77 each having a small diameter. More specifically, the small cylindrical portions 77 and the large cylindrical portions 76 are provided alternately on each inner wall portion 72, starting from the inner wall portion 72 on the left side Xa.

[0077] 7(d), the large columnar portion 76 and the small columnar portion 77 have a bottom surface with a diameter larger than the plate thickness of the inner wall portion 72, and are configured as columns with a height approximately equal to the erect length of the outer edge abutting portion 73. That is, in the assembled state, the end faces on the front side Ya of the large columnar portion 76 and the small columnar portion 77 abut against the first substrate 50. The outer diameter of the large columnar portion 76 is approximately three times the outer diameter of the small columnar portion 77.

[0078] The large cylindrical portion 76 and the small cylindrical portion 77 are provided at equal intervals in the height direction Z on the upper side Za of the inner wall portions 72 arranged in parallel in the width direction X, that is, at locations corresponding to the locations where the tuning fork terminals 52 are provided. More specifically, the large cylindrical portion 76 and the small cylindrical portion 77 are provided so as to be at different positions in the height direction Z on adjacent inner wall portions 72.

[0079] Furthermore, the large cylindrical portion 76 and the small cylindrical portion 77 are configured in a cylindrical shape having a bottom surface with a diameter larger than the plate thickness of the inner wall portion 72. Therefore, the large cylindrical portion 76 and the small cylindrical portion 77 are formed so as to protrude opposite the adjacent inner wall portion 72. Here, the convex portion of the large cylindrical portion 76 is referred to as a large-diameter convex portion 761, and the convex portion of the small cylindrical portion 77 is referred to as a small-diameter convex portion 771.

[0080] Of the five inner wall portions 72, the inner wall portions 72 provided on both sides in the width direction X intersect with the upper side Za and lower side Zb surfaces of the outer edge abutting portion 73. In other words, the notch 731 is provided at the location where the inner wall portion 72 is provided.

[0081] 7(c), the main body 71 and inner wall 72 configured in this manner form a communicating passage R that is concave in cross section and linearly formed along the height direction Z, with the pair of inner wall portions 72 arranged to face each other in the width direction X and the main body 71 arranged between the inner wall portions 72. That is, in the circuit body 20 in which the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 60 are stacked with the insulating plate 70 interposed therebetween, the communicating passage R is formed so that the through base end portion 521 is sandwiched between the inner wall portions 72.

[0082] The circuit body 20, in which the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 60 are stacked with the insulating plate 70 interposed therebetween, is accommodated in the accommodation space S of the junction box main body 10 by assembling the upper case 30 and the lower case 40 with the screw 35 passing through the first through hole 511, the second through hole 611, and the through hole 75. More specifically, the circuit body 20 is disposed at the boundary between the upper case 30 and the lower case 40. With the circuit body 20 accommodated in the accommodation space S, the fixing screw 36 is threadedly engaged with the upright portion 35 to fix the circuit body 20 at a desired position in the accommodation space S.

[0083] Furthermore, the circuit body 20 fixed inside the electrical junction box 1 has a communication passage R that is formed linearly along the height direction Z and has a concave cross-sectional shape. More specifically, the circuit body 20 has a linear, elongated space CS1 that is bounded by the first substrate 50, the main body 71, and the inner wall 72 and that is linear along the height direction Z. As shown in FIG. 8 , the base plate 51 and the main body 71 are flat plates that are slightly smaller than the top surface 31. Therefore, between the base plate 51 and the upper sidewall 32, opening spaces CS2 are formed on the upper side Za and the lower side Zb, respectively, that connect the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b provided in the upper case 30 to the communication passage R. Therefore, the junction box body 10 has a communication space CS that is composed of the linear space CS1 and the opening space CS2 and that connects the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b to each other.

[0084] 9(a) and 9(b), the communication space CS includes a through-hole base portion 521 that protrudes toward the back side Yb of the first substrate 50. Specifically, a pair of opposing inner wall portions 72 sandwich the through-hole base portion 521 in a pair in the width direction X, which is a direction intersecting the depth direction Y.

[0085] The electrical junction box 1 configured as described above is disposed so that the depth direction Y is perpendicular to the vertical direction when mounted on a vehicle. Note that the height direction Z does not necessarily have to be parallel to the vertical direction as long as the depth direction Y intersects the vertical direction.

[0086] Therefore, when current is applied to the tuning fork terminal 52, heat transferred from the terminal body 522 to the through-hole base end 521 is released into the linear space CS1, raising the temperature inside the linear space CS1. The heated air becomes an ascending air current in the linear space CS1 and flows along the communication path R toward the upper side Za. The air that flows toward the left side Xa in this manner is discharged through the upper insertion hole 38a. Furthermore, since outside air flows into the electrical junction box 1 through the lower insertion hole 38b provided on the lower side Zb, an air flow can be created in the communication space CS from the lower insertion hole 38b toward the upper insertion hole 38a, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 10(a).

[0087] 10(b), the communication passage R and the insertion hole 38 are arranged so as to be linear in the height direction Z when viewed from the front. In other words, the communication space CS is formed in a straight line when viewed from the front. This allows the air to flow more smoothly inside the communication space CS than if the communication space CS were to detour, and allows the heat released from the tuning fork terminal 52 to be efficiently discharged to the outside.

[0088] Furthermore, the inner wall portion 72, the large cylindrical portion 76, and the small cylindrical portion 77 of the insulating plate 70 are formed to have a length that is approximately equal to the erect length of the outer edge abutting portion 73. Therefore, the inner wall portion 72, the large cylindrical portion 76, and the small cylindrical portion 77 abut against the surface of the back side Yb of the first substrate 50 in the vicinity of where the tuning fork terminals 52 are arranged, as shown in Figures 8(b), 8(c), and 9(b).

[0089] This increases the contact area with first substrate 50, thereby forming communication space CS and stably supporting first substrate 50, and also enabling heat transferred from tuning fork terminal 52 to first substrate 50 to be efficiently transferred to inner wall portion 72. That is, in addition to heat dissipation from penetrating base end 521, heat transferred from inner wall portion 72 can be released, and therefore heat released from tuning fork terminal 52 can be efficiently discharged to the outside.

[0090] Furthermore, when the junction box body 10 is mounted on a vehicle, the end of the front side Ya of the upper cover portion 43 protrudes further toward the front side Ya than the top surface portion 31. The upper cover portion 43 serves as a guide member for diverting the air discharged from the upper insertion holes 38a to both sides in the depth direction Y without discharging it toward the upper side Za, thereby suppressing the effects of heat on other electronic components placed on the upper side Za of the electrical junction box 1.

[0091] The electrical junction box 1 configured as described above includes a junction box main body 10 having an internal storage space S and mounted on a vehicle, and a first substrate 50 having a tuning fork terminal 52 that generates heat when energized and accommodated in the storage space S. The junction box main body 10 is provided with an upper insertion hole 38a and a lower insertion hole 38b that pass through the interior and exterior of the junction box main body 10, and a communication passage R is provided inside the junction box main body 10, forming a communication space CS that connects the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b. In addition, when the first substrate 50 is mounted on a vehicle, with the thickness direction of the first substrate 50, i.e., the depth direction Y, intersecting the vertical direction, the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b are positioned at different positions in the vertical direction, and the communication space CS formed by the communication passage R is positioned along the location of the tuning fork terminal 52 on the first substrate 50.

[0092] This allows the heat released from tuning fork terminal 52 to be efficiently discharged to the outside with a simple structure. More specifically, the junction box body 10 houses a first substrate 50 having a tuning fork terminal 52 that generates heat when energized in an internal housing space S. The junction box body 10 is provided with an upper insertion hole 38a and a lower insertion hole 38b that pass through the interior and exterior of the junction box body 10. A communication passage R is provided inside the junction box body 10, forming a communication space CS that connects the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b. The junction box body 10 is mounted on a vehicle such that the thickness direction of the first substrate 50, i.e., the depth direction Y, intersects with the vertical direction. In the mounted state, the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b are positioned at different vertical positions. The communication space CS formed by the communication passage R is positioned along the location of the tuning fork terminal 52 on the first substrate 50.

[0093] Therefore, the communication space CS, which connects the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b, which are located at different positions in the vertical direction, and is located along the portion of the first substrate 50 where the tuning fork terminal 52 is provided, is oriented in a direction that intersects with the horizontal direction. This allows the air inside the communication passage R, which has been heated by the tuning fork terminal 52 on the first substrate 50, to move upward in the communication space CS and be discharged from the upper insertion hole 38a located above. Additionally, outside air can flow into the communication space CS from the lower insertion hole, the lower insertion hole 38b.

[0094] In this way, communication space CS, which allows outside air to flow in through lower insertion hole 38b and discharges heated air through upper insertion hole 38a, thereby creating an air flow from below to above, is disposed along the location of tuning fork terminal 52 on first substrate 50. For this reason, heat emitted from tuning fork terminal 52 can be discharged to the outside with a simple structure without the need for a separate component such as a cooling fan, thereby suppressing a rise in temperature of tuning fork terminal 52 and the effect of heat on other electronic components housed in housing space S.

[0095] The tuning fork terminal 52 is composed of a through-hole base portion 521 that penetrates the first substrate 50 in the depth direction Y, and a terminal body portion 522 that extends from the through-hole base portion 521 to the front side Ya of the first substrate 50. The communication path R forms a communication space CS that encompasses the through-hole base portion 521 that protrudes to the back side Yb of the first substrate 50.

[0096] According to this, since the communication passage R that forms the communication space CS that includes the through-hole base end 521 that protrudes to the back side Yb of the first substrate 50 is provided, heat can be released from the through-hole base end 521 to the communication space CS, and the released heat can be discharged from the upper insertion hole 38a. In addition, since heat is efficiently released from the through-hole base end 521, it is possible to prevent heat from accumulating on the front side Ya of the first substrate 50.

[0097] Furthermore, even if electronic components including tuning fork terminals 52 are mounted on one side of the first substrate 50 in the depth direction Y, making it difficult to form a communicating space CS, by forming a communicating space CS on the other side of the first substrate 50, the heat emitted from the tuning fork terminals 52 can be efficiently discharged to the outside.

[0098] An insulating plate 70 is provided which has insulating properties and is adjacent to the back side Yb of the first substrate 50 when housed in the housing space S, and the communication path R is provided in the insulating plate 70. According to this, since an insulating plate 70 having insulating properties is provided on the back side Yb of the first substrate 50, it is possible to prevent the penetrating base end 521 that penetrates the back side Yb of the first substrate 50 from unintentionally interfering with other components and causing a short circuit when current is applied.

[0099] Furthermore, since the communication passage R is provided in the insulating plate 70 adjacent to the first substrate 50, the communication passage R can form a narrower communication space CS. This allows the connection box body 10 to be made more compact, and the air inside the communication passage R can be efficiently heated and the heat can be efficiently released. Furthermore, the heat transferred to the through-hole base end portion 521 can be prevented from being dissipated to the back surface side Yb of the insulating plate 70.

[0100] The insulating plate 70 is provided with a plate-shaped main body 71 and a pair of inner wall portions 72 that stand upright from the main body 71 toward the first substrate 50 so as to sandwich a penetrating base end portion 521 that protrudes to the back side Yb of the first substrate 50 in a direction intersecting the depth direction Y. The pair of inner wall portions 72 and the main body 71 form a communication passage R.

[0101] This makes it possible to form a communication path R for discharging heat released from tuning fork terminals 52 to the outside with a simple structure that simply includes a pair of inner wall portions 72 that stand upright from main body portion 71 toward first substrate 50. Furthermore, by providing insulating plate 70 with inner wall portions 72, it is possible to reinforce insulating plate 70 in which communication space CS is formed.

[0102] Furthermore, the insulating plate 70 is provided with outer edge abutment portions 73 that stand upright from the outer edge of the main body portion 71 toward the first substrate 50 and abut against the first substrate 50. The pair of inner wall portions 72 intersect with the outer edge abutment portions 73 at least two locations, and notches 731 that form communication spaces CS are provided at the intersections between the pair of inner wall portions 72 and the outer edge abutment portions 73.

[0103] According to this, the outer edge abutment portion 73 provided on the insulating plate 70 has a notch 731 that forms the communicating space CS and abuts against the first substrate 50, so that the first substrate 50 can be stably supported while forming the communicating space CS.

[0104] Furthermore, because inner wall portion 72 abuts against first substrate 50, it can support first substrate 50 and can transfer heat transferred from tuning fork terminal 52 to first substrate 50 to inner wall portion 72. This allows heat transferred from inner wall portion 72 to be released in addition to heat released from penetrating base end portion 521, so that heat released from tuning fork terminal 52 can be more efficiently discharged to the outside.

[0105] Furthermore, the inner wall portion 72 is provided with the large diameter protrusions 761 and the small diameter protrusions 771 that protrude toward the opposing other inner wall portion 72, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the inner wall portion 72 and efficiently dissipating the heat transferred to the insulating plate 70. Therefore, the heat released from the tuning fork terminal 52 can be reliably discharged to the outside.

[0106] In addition, the large diameter protrusion 761 and the small diameter protrusion 771 are columnar bodies extending from the main body 71 to the end of the front side Ya of the inner wall 72, and the end faces of the front side Ya of the large diameter protrusion 761 and the small diameter protrusion 771 abut against the first substrate 50.

[0107] As a result, large diameter protrusions 761 and small diameter protrusions 771 can stably support first substrate 50 and further reinforce inner wall portion 72. Furthermore, because the contact area with first substrate 50 can be increased, heat transferred from tuning fork terminals 52 to first substrate 50 can be more efficiently transferred to inner wall portion 72. Therefore, heat generated in tuning fork terminals 52 can be more efficiently released into communication space CS.

[0108] In addition, the portion of the main body 71 corresponding to the communicating space CS is provided with honeycomb ribs 74 having a honeycomb structure when viewed from the depth direction Y, thereby reinforcing the insulating plate 70 in which the communicating space CS is formed.

[0109] Furthermore, because insulating plate 70 is made of a thermally conductive resin material, the thermal conductivity of insulating plate 70 can be increased, and heat transferred from tuning fork terminals 52 to first substrate 50 can be efficiently transferred to insulating plate 70. Therefore, heat released from tuning fork terminals 52 can be reliably discharged to the outside.

[0110] In addition, there are multiple first substrates 50, and the insulating plate 70 is an insulating plate 70 that connects the first substrates 50 together and insulates the electrical connection between the first substrates 50, and a communication path R is provided in the insulating plate 70. This prevents the heat released from the tuning fork terminals 52 on the front side Ya from affecting the second substrate 60 provided on the back side Yb. In addition, since the communication path R can be provided in the existing insulating plate 70, there is no need to provide a separate member.

[0111] Furthermore, since the communication passage R is linear when viewed from the depth direction Y, the air can flow more smoothly inside the communication passage R than if the communication passage R were to take a detour. Therefore, the air warmed by the heat released from the tuning fork terminals 52 can be discharged to the outside without stagnating.

[0112] In the correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the storage space of this invention corresponds to the storage space S of the embodiment, Similarly, The junction box body corresponds to the junction box body 10, The substrate corresponds to the first substrate 50, The heating element corresponds to the tuning fork terminal 52, The insertion holes correspond to the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b. The thickness direction corresponds to the depth direction Y, The communicating space corresponds to the communicating space CS, The connecting passage corresponds to the connecting passage R. The through-hole base end corresponds to the through-hole base end 521, The heating element body corresponds to the terminal body portion 522, The insulating member corresponds to the insulating plate 70, The main body corresponds to the main body 71, The inner wall portion corresponds to the inner wall portion 72, The outer edge wall corresponds to the outer edge abutment portion 73, The notch corresponds to notch 731. The protrusions correspond to the large diameter protrusion 761 and the small diameter protrusion 771, The ribs correspond to honeycomb ribs 74, The insulating plate corresponds to the insulating plate 70, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the heating element is the tuning fork terminal 52, but it is not limited to this as long as it generates heat when electricity is applied. For example, it may be a semiconductor element, a relay, a bus bar, or the like.

[0114] In addition, the communicating passage R is formed along the first substrate 50 so as to encompass the portion on the back side Yb of the first substrate 50 that corresponds to the tuning fork terminal 52 when viewed from the depth direction Y, but it may also be formed on the front side Ya of the first substrate 50 so as to encompass the tuning fork terminal 52 provided on the front side Ya of the first substrate 50. Furthermore, although the communication passage R forms part of the communication space CS that communicates between the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b, it may also form the entire communication space CS.

[0115] In the above description, when the insulating plate 70 is accommodated in the accommodation space S, the inner wall portion 72, the outer edge abutment portion 73, the large diameter convex portion 761, and the small diameter convex portion 771 of the insulating plate 70 abut against the rear side Yb surface of the first substrate 50, but the insulating plate 70 and the first substrate 50 may also be arranged at a predetermined distance from each other.

[0116] Furthermore, the communicating passage R provided in the insulating plate 70 is configured to be formed by the pair of inner wall portions 72 and the main body portion 71, but is not limited to this. For example, the communicating passage R may be formed by providing a groove in the insulating plate 70 that forms a communicating space CS that communicates between the upper insertion hole 38a and the lower insertion hole 38b.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper cover piece 431 is configured in a flat plate shape along the width direction X and the depth direction Y, but is not limited to this shape. For example, the portion corresponding to the upper side wall portion 32 arranged on the upper side Za may be generally V-shaped in front view, convex toward the lower side Zb, or may be inclined so as to incline toward the lower side Zb as it moves toward one side in the depth direction Y. This allows heated air to escape in a desired direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1...Electrical junction box 10...Connection box body 38a...Upper insertion hole 38b…Lower insertion hole 50…First board 52...Tuning fork terminal 521...Penetration base end 522...Terminal body 70...insulating plate 71...Main body 72...Inner wall 73...Outer edge abutment 731...Notch 74...Hexagonal rib 761...Large diameter convex part 771...Small diameter convex part CS…Communication space R…Communication path S...Storage space Y...depth direction

Claims

1. a connection box body having an internal storage space and mounted on a vehicle; a substrate having a heating element that generates heat when energized and accommodated in the accommodation space; The connection box body, At least two or more insertion holes are provided that pass through the inside and outside of the connection box body, a communication passage that forms a communication space that communicates with the insertion holes is provided inside the connection box body, a thickness direction of the substrate intersects with a vertical direction when the substrate is mounted on the vehicle, and at least two of the insertion holes are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction; The communication space formed by the communication path is arranged along the portion of the substrate where the heating element is provided. Electrical junction box.

2. The heating element is a through-portion portion that passes through the substrate in the thickness direction; a heating element main body extending from the penetrating base end portion to one side in the plate thickness direction of the substrate, The communication passage forms the communication space that includes the through-hole base end portion that protrudes to the other side in the thickness direction of the substrate.

2. The electrical junction box according to claim 1.

3. an insulating member having insulating properties and adjacent to the other side of the substrate in the plate thickness direction when the substrate is accommodated in the accommodation space; The communication path is provided in the insulating member.

3. The electrical junction box according to claim 2.

4. The insulating member a plate-shaped main body portion; and a pair of inner wall portions extending from the main body portion toward the substrate so as to sandwich the penetrating base end portion protruding to the other side of the substrate in a direction intersecting the plate thickness direction; The pair of inner wall portions and the main body portion form the communication passage.

4. The electrical junction box according to claim 3.

5. the insulating member is provided with an outer edge wall that stands from an outer edge of the main body toward the substrate and abuts against the substrate; The pair of inner wall portions intersect with the outer peripheral wall at at least two locations, A notch portion that forms the communication space is provided at an intersection between the pair of inner wall portions and the outer edge wall.

5. The electrical junction box according to claim 4.

6. At least a portion of the inner wall portion abuts against the substrate.

6. The electrical junction box according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The inner wall portion is provided with a protrusion that protrudes toward the other inner wall portion that faces the inner wall portion.

7. The electrical junction box according to claim 6.

8. the protrusion is a columnar body extending from the main body to the one end of the inner wall, The end surface on the one side of the protrusion abuts against the substrate.

8. The electrical junction box according to claim 7.

9. A rib having a honeycomb structure when viewed from the plate thickness direction is provided at a portion of the main body corresponding to the communication space.

5. The electrical junction box according to claim 4.

10. The insulating member is made of a thermally conductive resin material.

7. The electrical junction box according to claim 6.

11. There are a plurality of the substrates, the insulating member is an insulating plate that connects the substrates together and insulates the substrates from electrical connection, The insulating plate is provided with the communication path.

4. The electrical junction box according to claim 3.

12. The communication passage is linear when viewed from the plate thickness direction.

2. The electrical junction box according to claim 1.

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