Electric connection box

Abstract

To appropriately suppress bite-in of a wire.SOLUTION: A lock structure 30 comprises a first engagement body 31 provided on an outer wall surface 11b of a block outer peripheral wall 11 of a block 10 and a second engagement body 32 provided on an opposite wall surface 22 of an assembly member 20A, which is disposed oppositely to the outer wall surface, and holds the block in the assembly member by engaging the first engagement body to the second engagement body together with insertion of the block to the inside of a housing outer peripheral wall 21. A plurality of wires 500 pulled out of the block is roughly divided into a thick wire 500A with a minimum width W in a U-shaped folded part 501 larger than a gap G of the first engagement body and a thin wire 500B with the minimum width equal to or smaller than the gap of the first engagement body. In the block, the thick wire is disposed closer to the side of the block outer peripheral wall than the thin wire.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The electrical junction box includes a block for drawing multiple electric wires outward, a housing including multiple housing components such as a frame, one of which serves as an assembly member for the block, and a locking structure for holding the block inserted inside the assembly member's outer peripheral wall against the housing's outer peripheral wall. The locking structure includes a first engaging body provided on the outer wall surface of the block's outer peripheral wall and a second engaging body provided on the inner wall surface of the assembly member's outer peripheral wall, and holds the block against the housing's outer peripheral wall by engaging the first engaging body with the second engaging body as the block is inserted inside the housing's outer peripheral wall. Conventionally, in this electrical junction box, measures have been taken to prevent the first engaging body from engaging the second engaging body when the block and the assembly member are assembled together while the electric wires drawn from the block remain caught between the first engaging body and the second engaging body. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 6 listed below disclose techniques in which, when assembling a block and an assembly member, the path of an electric wire is restricted by a member or portion such as a guide portion, thereby preventing the electric wire from becoming caught. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-154182 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-085821 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-046503 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-068274 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-208673 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-074955 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is still room for improvement in the technology for preventing the electric wire from getting caught.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrical junction box that is suitable for preventing electric wires from getting caught. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a housing including a block for drawing out to the outside a plurality of electric wires housed inside an outer peripheral wall of the block, and a plurality of housing constituent members to be assembled together, one of the plurality of housing constituent members being an assembly member to which the block is assembled, and in which the block is housed at a housing completion position inside the outer peripheral wall of the assembly member; and a locking structure including a first engaging body provided on an outer wall surface of the outer peripheral wall of the block and a second engaging body provided on an opposing wall surface of the assembly member that is disposed opposite the outer wall surface, the first engaging body engaging with the second engaging body as the block is inserted inside the outer peripheral wall of the housing, thereby holding the block to the assembly member, the first engaging body being spaced apart from each other and including a pair of first guide portions that extend in an insertion direction of the block relative to the assembly member, and a pair of first guides. and first locking portions disposed with gaps from the respective first guide portions between the first and second engaging bodies, the second engaging body having a pair of second guide portions that are spaced apart from each other and extend in the insertion direction and that guide the first guide portions when the block is inserted, and a second locking portion that is disposed between the pair of second guide portions and locks the first locking portions at the completed accommodation position to prevent movement of the block in the opposite direction to the insertion direction, the plurality of electric wires being roughly divided into thick electric wires whose minimum widths at the folded portions of the electric wires when folded back in a U shape are larger than the gaps in the first engaging bodies, and thin electric wires whose minimum widths at the folded portions of the electric wires when folded back in a U shape are equal to or smaller than the gaps in the first engaging bodies, and the thick electric wires are disposed in the block closer to the outer peripheral wall of the block than the thin electric wires.

[0007] The present invention provides a housing comprising: a block for drawing out to the outside a plurality of electric wires housed inside the outer peripheral wall of the block; and a plurality of housing constituent members to be assembled together, one of the plurality of housing constituent members being an assembly member to which the block is assembled, the block being housed at a housing completion position inside the outer peripheral wall of the assembly member; and a locking structure comprising a first engaging body provided on an outer wall surface of the outer peripheral wall of the block and a second engaging body provided on an opposing wall surface of the assembly member that is disposed opposite the outer wall surface, the first engaging body engaging with the second engaging body as the block is inserted inside the outer peripheral wall of the housing, thereby holding the block to the assembly member, the first engaging body being spaced apart from the first engaging body and a pair of first guards extending in an insertion direction of the block relative to the assembly member. the second engaging body has a pair of second guide portions that are spaced apart from each other and extend in the insertion direction, and that guide the first guide portions when the block is inserted; and a second engaging portion that is arranged between the pair of second guide portions and engages the first engaging portion at the completed accommodation position, thereby preventing movement of the block in the direction opposite to the insertion direction; the plurality of electric wires are roughly divided into thick electric wires whose twice the diameter of the electric wire is larger than the gaps in the first engaging body, and thin electric wires whose twice the diameter of the electric wire is equal to or smaller than the gaps in the first engaging body, and the thick electric wires are arranged in the block closer to the outer peripheral wall of the block than the thin electric wires. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the electrical junction box according to the present invention, even if, for example, an electric wire touches an assembly member and is bent midway during assembly of the block and the assembly member, and the folded portion of the electric wire gets caught between the outer wall surface of the block's outer peripheral wall and the opposing wall surface of the assembly member, the electric wire can be secured to the thick electric wire alone. Furthermore, in the locking structure, even if the folded portion of the thick electric wire gets caught between the first and second engaging bodies during assembly of the block and the assembly member, the folded portion interferes and prevents the first and second engaging bodies from engaging. Therefore, in this electrical junction box, it is possible to prevent the electric wire from getting caught between the first and second engaging bodies, and it is possible to prevent the first and second engaging bodies from engaging while the electric wire remains caught. Thus, the electrical junction box according to the present invention is suitable for preventing electric wires from getting caught, thereby improving its durability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an electrical junction box according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating blocks. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the first engaging body and the thick electric wire. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the assembly members. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the first engaging body and the thick electric wire. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the first engaging body and the thick electric wire. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an electrical junction box according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0011] [Embodiment] An embodiment of an electrical junction box according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG.

[0012] 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 indicates an electrical junction box of this embodiment. This electrical junction box 1 includes a block 10 and a housing 20 (FIGS. 1 to 4). The block 10 and the housing 20 are molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

[0013] The block 10 has a cylindrical outer wall (hereinafter referred to as the "block outer wall") 11, and multiple partitioned spaces (hereinafter referred to as "storage chambers") 12 are formed inside this block outer wall 11 (Figures 1 and 2).

[0014] For example, in this block 10, electrical components (not shown) such as relays and fuses are housed through one opening in the block outer peripheral wall 11 in the cylindrical axis direction, and multiple electric wires 500 are housed through the other opening in the block outer peripheral wall 11 in the cylindrical axis direction (FIG. 2). In this block 10, for example, terminal fittings (not shown) of the electric components and terminal fittings (not shown) at the ends of the electric wires 500 are fitted and connected in the accommodating chambers 12, or each terminal fitting is fitted and connected in the accommodating chambers 12 to a bus bar interposed between the terminal fittings of the electric components and the terminal fittings at the ends of the electric wires 500.

[0015] This block 10 allows a plurality of electric wires 500 housed inside the block outer peripheral wall 11 to be drawn outward. In this block 10, the plurality of electric wires 500 drawn out from each of the housing chambers 12 are drawn outward from the other opening of the block outer peripheral wall 11. Therefore, the other opening of the block outer peripheral wall 11 is also used as an electric wire drawing-out port 11a for drawing out the plurality of electric wires 500 outward (FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0016] The housing 20 includes a plurality of components (hereinafter referred to as "housing components") that are assembled together. In the housing 20, the housing components include a cylindrical frame member and a cover member that closes the opening of the frame member.

[0017] In this housing 20, one of the multiple housing components is an assembly member 20A to which the block 10 is assembled (FIGS. 1 and 4). This assembly member 20A has a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 21 or a cylindrical outer peripheral wall with a portion cut out (hereinafter referred to as the "casing outer peripheral wall") (FIGS. 1 and 4). In this assembly member 20A, the block 10 is accommodated in a fully accommodated position inside the housing outer peripheral wall 21. The assembly member 20A is, for example, a cylindrical frame member or a cover member that covers an opening of a cylindrical frame member.

[0018] The electrical junction box 1 is equipped with a locking structure 30 that holds the block 10 to the assembly member 20A (FIGS. 1 to 4). The locking structure 30 includes a first engagement body 31 provided on the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11, and a second engagement body 32 provided on the opposing wall surface 22 of the assembly member 20A that is disposed opposite the outer wall surface 11b (FIGS. 2 to 4). The locking structure 30 holds the block 10 to the assembly member 20A by inserting the block 10 inside the housing outer peripheral wall 21 and engaging the first engagement body 31 with the second engagement body 32.

[0019] For example, in assembly member 20A, one block 10 having a shape similar to the shape of the internal space is inserted inside housing outer peripheral wall 21 (FIG. 1). In this assembly member 20A, the outer wall surface 11b of block outer peripheral wall 11 is disposed to face the inner peripheral surface 21a of housing outer peripheral wall 21 all around (FIG. 1). Therefore, in this assembly member 20A, only the inner peripheral surface 21a of housing outer peripheral wall 21 becomes the facing wall surface 22 on which second engagement body 32 is provided.

[0020] Although not shown here, the assembly member 20A may also include a structure in which multiple blocks 10 are inserted inside the housing outer peripheral wall 21. In this assembly member 20A, a partition wall provided inside the housing outer peripheral wall 21 and a part of the housing outer peripheral wall 21 surround the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11, or a cylindrical partition wall is provided inside the housing outer peripheral wall 21 to surround the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11. Thus, in this assembly member 20A, the opposing wall surface between the inner peripheral surface 21a of the housing outer peripheral wall 21 and the outer wall surface 11b of the partition wall becomes the opposing wall surface 22 on which the second engagement body 32 is provided, or the inner wall surface of the cylindrical partition wall becomes the opposing wall surface 22 on which the second engagement body 32 is provided.

[0021] The first engagement body 31 is provided to protrude from the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11. The first engagement body 31 has a pair of first guide portions 31a spaced apart from each other and extending in the insertion direction of the block 10 into the assembly member 20A, and a first locking portion 31b disposed between the pair of first guide portions 31a with a gap G between each of the first guide portions 31a (FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0022] The second engagement body 32 is provided to protrude from the opposing wall surface 22 of the assembly member 20A. The second engagement body 32 is spaced apart from each other, extends in the insertion direction of the block 10, and has a pair of second guide portions 32a that guide the first guide portion 31a when the block 10 is inserted, and a second locking portion 32b that is disposed between the pair of second guide portions 32a and locks the first locking portion 31b when the block 10 is fully accommodated, thereby preventing movement of the block 10 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction (FIG. 4).

[0023] The first locking portion 31b and the second locking portion 32b are formed, for example, in a claw shape, and by hooking onto each other when the block 10 is in the fully accommodated position, they prevent the block 10 from moving in the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

[0024] Here, the block 10 is assembled by inserting it into the assembly member 20A from the electric wire outlet 11a side. Therefore, in this electrical junction box 1, when assembling the block 10 and the assembly member 20A, there is a possibility that the electric wire 500 drawn out from the electric wire outlet 11a may change course midway, for example by touching the assembly member 20A, and become caught between the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11 and the opposing wall surface 22 of the assembly member 20A. In the locking structure 30, if the electric wire 500 becomes caught between the first engagement body 31 and the second engagement body 32, there is a possibility that the first engagement body 31 and the second engagement body 32 will be engaged with each other while the electric wire 500 remains caught between them. Therefore, the locking structure 30 is configured as follows so that when the block 10 and the assembly member 20A are assembled, the first engagement body 31 and the second engagement body 32 are not engaged with each other while the electric wire 500 remains caught between them.

[0025] First, the multiple electric wires 500 to be assembled into the block 10 are roughly classified into thick electric wires 500A and thin electric wires 500B according to the diameter of each electric wire (FIG. 2). For example, here, an electric wire 500 folded back in a U shape whose minimum width W at the folded back portion 501 is larger than the gap G of the first engaging body 31 is classified as a thick electric wire 500A (FIG. 3), and an electric wire 500 folded back in a U shape whose minimum width W at the folded back portion 501 is equal to or smaller than the gap G of the first engaging body 31 is classified as a thin electric wire 500B.

[0026] In the case of the thick electric wire 500A, when the block 10 and the assembly member 20A are assembled, even if the thick electric wire 500A is bent in the middle, for example, by coming into contact with the assembly member 20A and the folded portion 501 enters between the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer wall 11 and the opposing wall surface 22 of the assembly member 20A, the folded portion 501 can be prevented from entering the gap G between the first guide portion 31a and the first locking portion 31b of the first engaging body 31 (Figure 3).

[0027] In the locking structure 30, the folded portion 501 of the thick electric wire 500A interferes with the first engaging body 31 on the electric wire outlet 11a side (FIG. 3), preventing the first engaging body 31 from engaging with the second engaging body 32. Furthermore, in the locking structure 30, even if the folded portion 501 of the thick electric wire 500A rides over the first locking portion 31b of the first engaging body 31 (FIG. 5), the folded portion 501 interferes and prevents the first engaging body 31 from engaging with the second engaging body 32. Furthermore, in the locking structure 30, even if the folded portion 501 of the thick electric wire 500A rides over the first locking portion 31b of the first engaging body 31 (FIG. 6), the folded portion 501 interferes and prevents the first engaging body 31 from engaging with the second engaging body 32. In this way, in this locking structure 30, if the folded portion 501 of the thick electric wire 500A is present near or above the first engaging body 31, engagement between the first engaging body 31 and the second engaging body 32 can be prevented.

[0028] Next, in the block 10, based on the classification of the electric wires 500, the thick electric wires 500A are arranged closer to the block outer peripheral wall 11 than the thin electric wires 500B (FIG. 2). That is, in the block 10, the thick electric wires 500A are accommodated in the accommodation chamber 12 on the block outer peripheral wall 11 side and are drawn outward from the electric wire outlet 11a, and the thin electric wires 500B are accommodated in the accommodation chamber 12 on the block outer peripheral wall 11 side and are drawn outward from the electric wire outlet 11a. Here, the accommodation chamber 12 on the block outer peripheral wall 11 side is referred to as the outer accommodation chamber 12A, and the accommodation chamber 12 on the inner side of the outer accommodation chamber 12A is referred to as the inner accommodation chamber 12B (FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0029] As a result, in this electrical junction box 1, even if, for example, the electric wire 500 touches the assembly member 20A and is bent partway when the block 10 and the assembly member 20A are assembled, and the folded portion 501 of the electric wire 500 gets caught between the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11 and the opposing wall surface 22 of the assembly member 20A, the electric wire 500 can be secured only to the thick electric wire 500A. Furthermore, in the locking structure 30, as described above, even if the folded portion 501 of the thick electric wire 500A gets caught between the first engaging body 31 and the second engaging body 32 when the block 10 and the assembly member 20A are assembled, the folded portion 501 gets in the way and prevents the first engaging body 31 and the second engaging body 32 from engaging with each other. Therefore, in this electrical junction box 1, it is possible to prevent the electric wire 500 from getting caught between the first engaging body 31 and the second engaging body 32, and it is possible to keep the electric wire 500 caught while not engaging the first engaging body 31 and the second engaging body 32. In this way, this electrical junction box 1 is suitable for preventing the electric wire 500 from getting caught, and its durability can be improved.

[0030] The outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11 is formed by a plurality of wall surfaces that intersect in the circumferential direction. The first engagement bodies 31 are not necessarily provided on all wall surfaces that make up the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11. For example, the following description will be given using a block 10 whose block outer peripheral wall 11 has a polygonal cylindrical shape and a cylindrical mounting member 20A that is similar in shape to the block outer peripheral wall 11. In this case, the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11 is formed by wall surfaces that correspond to the number of corners, with adjacent wall surfaces intersecting each other in the circumferential direction. For example, the greater the number of corners (wall surfaces) on the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11, the more likely it is that some wall surfaces will be provided with the first engagement bodies 31 and some will not. Therefore, when the multiple wall surfaces that form the outer wall surface 11b of the block outer peripheral wall 11 are divided into those that have the first engaging bodies 31 and those that do not have the first engaging bodies 31, the thick electric wire 500A may be arranged close to only the wall surface that has the first engaging bodies 31. In this case, the thin electric wire 500B may be arranged close to the wall surface that does not have the first engaging bodies 31 because it will not be caught by the locking structure 30.

[0031] In the above example, the plurality of electric wires 500 are classified into thick electric wires 500A and thin electric wires 500B based on the relationship between the minimum width W at the folded-back portion 501 of the electric wire 500 and the gap G of the first engaging body 31. However, even if the plurality of electric wires 500 have the same electric wire diameter, the folded-back portion 501 does not necessarily have the same shape. For this reason, if it is desired to improve the accuracy of the classification, the plurality of electric wires 500 may be classified as follows.

[0032] For example, the multiple electric wires 500 may be roughly classified into thick electric wires 500A whose twice the diameter of the electric wire is larger than the gap G of the first engaging body 31, and thin electric wires 500B whose twice the diameter of the electric wire is equal to or smaller than the gap G of the first engaging body 31. By adopting such a classification of the electric wires 500, the electric junction box 1 of the present embodiment can ensure that the folded-back portion 501 of the thick electric wire 500A inhibits engagement between the first engaging body 31 and the second engaging body 32 more reliably than the classification described above, thereby making it more suitable for preventing the electric wires 500 from getting caught and improving its durability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Electrical junction box 10 blocks 11 Block Perimeter Wall 11a Electric wire outlet 11b External wall surface 20 Case 20A Assembly parts 21 Housing outer wall 22 Opposite wall 30 Locking Structure 31 First engaging body 31a First guide section 31b 1st locking part 32 Second engaging body 32a Second guide part 32b Second locking part 500 wire 500A thick wire 500B thin wire 501 Turned part G Gap W Minimum width

Claims

1. a block for pulling out a plurality of electric wires housed inside an outer peripheral wall of the block; a housing including a plurality of housing components that can be assembled together, one of the plurality of housing components being an assembly member to which the block is assembled, and the block being accommodated at a fully accommodated position inside an outer circumferential wall of the assembly member; a locking structure including a first engaging body provided on an outer wall surface of the outer peripheral wall of the block and a second engaging body provided on an opposing wall surface of the assembly member disposed opposite the outer wall surface, the first engaging body engaging with the second engaging body as the block is inserted into the outer peripheral wall of the housing, thereby holding the block to the assembly member; Equipped with the first engagement body has a pair of first guide portions spaced apart from each other and extending in an insertion direction of the block into the assembly member, and first locking portions disposed between the pair of first guide portions with gaps from each of the first guide portions, the second engaging body has a pair of second guide portions spaced apart from each other, extending in the insertion direction, and guiding the first guide portion when the block is inserted; and a second locking portion disposed between the pair of second guide portions, locking the first locking portion at the accommodation completion position and preventing movement of the block in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, The plurality of electric wires are roughly classified into thick electric wires whose minimum width at the folded portion of the electric wire folded back into a U shape is larger than the gap of the first engaging body, and thin electric wires whose minimum width at the folded portion of the electric wire folded back into a U shape is equal to or smaller than the gap of the first engaging body, The electrical junction box is characterized in that the thick electric wires are arranged closer to the outer peripheral wall of the block than the thin electric wires.

2. a block for pulling out a plurality of electric wires housed inside an outer peripheral wall of the block; a housing including a plurality of housing components that can be assembled together, one of the plurality of housing components being an assembly member to which the block is assembled, and the block being accommodated at a fully accommodated position inside an outer circumferential wall of the assembly member; a locking structure including a first engaging body provided on an outer wall surface of the outer peripheral wall of the block and a second engaging body provided on an opposing wall surface of the assembly member disposed opposite the outer wall surface, the first engaging body engaging with the second engaging body as the block is inserted into the outer peripheral wall of the housing, thereby holding the block to the assembly member; Equipped with the first engagement body has a pair of first guide portions spaced apart from each other and extending in an insertion direction of the block into the assembly member, and first locking portions disposed between the pair of first guide portions with gaps from each of the first guide portions, the second engaging body has a pair of second guide portions spaced apart from each other, extending in the insertion direction, and guiding the first guide portion when the block is inserted; and a second locking portion disposed between the pair of second guide portions, locking the first locking portion at the accommodation completion position and preventing movement of the block in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, The plurality of electric wires are roughly classified into thick electric wires whose twice the diameter of the electric wires is larger than the gap of the first engaging body, and thin electric wires whose twice the diameter of the electric wires is equal to or smaller than the gap of the first engaging body, The electrical junction box is characterized in that the thick electric wires are arranged closer to the outer peripheral wall of the block than the thin electric wires.

3. 3. The electrical connection box according to claim 1, wherein the block has a wire outlet for drawing out the plurality of electric wires to the outside, and is assembled by inserting the block into the assembly member from the wire outlet side.

4. the outer wall surface of the block outer peripheral wall is formed by a plurality of wall surfaces that are adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction and intersect with each other, 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the thick electric wires are arranged close to only the wall surface on which the first engaging members are provided on the outer wall surface of the outer peripheral wall of the block.

5. 3. The electrical junction box according to claim 1, wherein the mounting member is a cylindrical frame member or a cover member for closing an opening of the frame member.

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